AUGUST 1991
iH
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FAST,
GeoWorks
Ensemble s
built-in scalable
typefaces save
you time because what you see on
screen is exactly what you will get-it
will look right the first lime you print'
FUN.
fiive tun witli
En Semite's buittno
ec'tSne typefaces
to exprsss your
ideas tiddly, dssmtfn, or evet) ptsy-
tu^. Wtten doajirxnts kxii tlits sood
aud itHs professional, so will yini.
l>VYg
What you see is what you get
Cooperstown
URW Sans
Superb
URW Mono
Cranbrook
Software Publish e
Exceflence in Sofb
•Critifs Choice
- Best Creari vity/Pn
• Be^! Consumer Pn
■BrttXewUseora
^il^I^leRedefuiesPG PeifomMi
I'lilil now. Ili(i Diily wny lo itii]»nivc
F(.l iR'iihniiaiici' was Ic l»iiy new liiinl-
wari'. Not any more, liilroducini; (ico-
Works Ensemble.™ seven jiroductivily
applicalions iiitegrateil in tin aniazinij;-
graphical winfiowin^' envimnineni eidled
PC/GEO.S." Sonware so incn>(lii)iy siiuill
and fasi, il will nm rini^s around any
otln'i-irraphical environ
meiii. .\nd .-ill on llu'
F*C you iilivady own.
Take IIhmIocii-
menls above. They
were pnnhicod on a
.standanl dot-matrix printer nsing
deoWrite"" and (ieoDrawJ" two of I he
ap|ilirations incliuled in the Kiiseuible
])ai-kaKe. Enseiiibic eonihines uiitlinr
limls and drvirc indcpciidcnl ^rMphics
In deliver true WVSIWVt; (What Yon
Sei' Is What Y(»n tie!) on-.sereeii and
on yonr printer
8EPQRT
Any itrinler. From ditl-tnatrix to laser
With Knsenihle. le.^t ran he
smoothly sealed IVom 4 jit. (Vir.Wy ineli)
to 79:2 ])t. (11 ineh high eharaeiei-s).
Additionally, te.xl and tii'apliics ean be
stretched to iitiy size oi' rotated loaiiy
angle. .\nd Ensemble is precisely tuned
to !he ma.\imnm printing ivsolutiou of
overH5(l printers, so chances are you'll
be prodncing dazzling typcset-kniking
dociuuenls in minutes.
Better slilJ. yon can keep riglit ou
working whiie yon print. Ensemlde's
mnlti-taskingsvslem lets vou slari the
EASV "WHAT VOU SEE IS WHAT VOU QET"
CWVSIWVO) ON-SCREEN AND ON PAPER
WITH ANY PC, AND ANY PRINTER.
sociation
1990
vity
piiter
computing
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^ F 1 S A L I S T .
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^
^productw^
OF THE V>
« 1990
...A U'clmiatllv impressive product
rc^iurdless of hardware platform.
IGi'oWorksl Ensemble provides snappy
performance en anv hard disk-equipped
PC, even an 8088.
PC Computing
jGeoWbrhtl Itas produced a GUI capable
of making the PC a more friendly and
powerftd^ creature to the inillioivi of
people Wiirdows and OS/2 have left
behind...
FIRST LOOKS, PC Magazine
IPC/CEOSj thrives in a 640K 286, and
even performs respectably on an 80S8.
On a run-of-the-mill 386, [PC/GEOSj
peforms crisply in a way tliat Wittdows
only dreams of..
PC Magazine
GeoWorks PC/GEOS: What Windows .W
Should Have Been.
INFO WORLD
The Geus environment sports a simplified
(but sharper-looking) Windows-like inter-
face with many of the same features,
comes with En.semhte (a bigger and more
capable ."inite of applications), and runs
licket^■-spliI on '80286s and XTs.
PC WORLD
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next fiviilion wliilc the
fii-sl smoollily j)rint.s in
the background. Or you
mighl check out one of
llie many oilier iipjilica-
lions iticlii(]i>(i in Kn.seni-
blc, like (ieoMiiiiager.'" a
gRtpliiccd file manager.
(fettDcx'" 1111 f'leclcooic
iidttress hook, (leo-
I'laniien" a CtilenclcU'/scheclular. .Anieriea
Online."' an ea.sy to u.sc electronic mail
and leleconnnunicalion.s .service con-
necting you to thouK;m(l.s of PC users
and a wide variety oi'
infonnation senices; or
the Ctiiciilator. notepad.
banner maker, and .soli-
taire ganii', all tiiclifded
in the Ensemble
package.
Hard to believe,
nghf? Stale-of-llie-aii
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ble ha.s won so many awards in its first
lew monlbs. But don't lake onr word fiir
it. check (Hit what the hidushy experts
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Circle Reader Service Number 185
connpuTE
AUGUST 1991
VOLUME 13 •NO, 8 -ISSUE 132
Editorial License 6
PETER SCISCO
if you make your living out on the
read, the current surfeit of small, light.
[Kraerful coitiputer products offers a
distinct advant^e over the tools of
ftvc years ago.
News & Notes 10
ALAN R. BECHTOLD
-An IBM laptop that really works, some
IBM employees who now don't, more
Windms coanroom drama, a public
386. a ninawy Tandy DeskMaie
Home Organizer, and more notes on
the news.
Feedback 14
READERS
Getting from VGA to NTSC, keeping
an ejt on batteries, sorting through a
MIDI muddle, plain English comput-
ing, and more questions from our
readers.
Fast Facts 136
EDITORS
Euro awards for lopnoteh computer
products, and top MS-DOS games here
in the States. Did your favorite pro-
gram make the list? Turn to the back of
the book to find out
IN FOCUS
The Moveable Beast 18
RICHARD 0. M.ANN
Just when you thought it was safe to
use your computer, just when you were
getting comfortable with its cantanker-
ous ways, just when you felt like you
knew your way around its drives, de-
vice drivers, and software, you're faced
with a new challenge— taming a
laptop.
SharePak 26
RICHARD CLEINECKER
This month's SharePak disk contains
three powerful applications— a paint
program, a math tutor for adventurous
kids, anti a way to track the earth and
moon through iheir cycles. This is
handpicked software firom our staff
Power in Your Pocket 28
SCOTT LEI BS
The kind of power you need to manage
your time and resources may be sitting
in Ute palm of your hand. A recent ei-
plosioiv in hand-held electronic oiga-
nizers now puts reams of data and
powerful applications in your pocket
ON THE COVER
TTie art on this month's cover was createtd by Barbara Nessim
using an Ainiga 1(X)0 computer and DeluxePaint software. As yet
untitled, the work was an experiment born of the artist's interest
in the integration of color and lines. Nessim's work has been
shown in museums and galleries worldwide.
COMPUTE YQur Con^plete K«na Compute! Rnource (ISSN 0194-3S7X) is ptjblt^ied monttidv in
the Uniie<j States arxi Csn^da by COMPUTE Publcations InTernational Ltd.. 19&5 Broadway. Ngw
Ym*. NY 10023-5965. *liinie 13. Number B. Issuo 132. Cooynghl ® 1991 b/ COMPUTE PuUicaKjra
International Ltd. All r^nts resefvad. Tel. (212) 496-6100. COMPUTE is a registerBd trademark of
COMPUTE PutjJicatKxis litternstional Lid. Printed in tlie USA artd distritiuted worldwide by Curtis
Crfculetion (Company, P.O. Box 91tj2. Peivisauken. NJ tJ6l09- Second-class postage paid at New
ybrk. NY and at additional mating otfcos. POSTMASTER: Send addivii ctunges to COMPUTE
MlfllbM, P.0 Box 324S. Hadan. lA 515370041 Tel (BOOl 727.6937 Enure contents eopyngtitod.
Al rights reserved Nottin^ may be reproduced nwticlenr in p&rtwiltidutwnltan permission Iromttie
publeher. Sutiscnptions: US. AFO - S19-94 r»ne year: Canada and eisewtiere - S25.9d one year S'igte
copies $2-95 KL US The puMsherftedavnsaBrespoftSjbilRy to return unsolicited matter, and atl r^ts
w\ porlioos puHBJied thereof remam Wte sr^le property of COMPUTE PuOiications (ntematjonal Ltd
Letters sent to COMPtJTE cr its editors baccme tti© property nl ttie magaiioe. Editonal offices are
located at 324 Wfesl «tendover Arenue. Sule JOO. Grewslwo. NC 27408. Tal. (919) 275-9809.
TEST LAB
We Put Input Devices
Through Their Paces in
Our l^b This Month 33
In this issue's Test Lab wi- benchmark
and review a wde r^ngc of input de-
\ ices, from the traditional mouse to
the newest in portable trackballs and
pens. As human-computer interfaces
advance, so do the tools we use to con-
trol them. Check out these devices for
your home and for the road.
TECH SUPPORT
Beautiful Batch Files 60
TONf ROBERTS
There are millions of PCs out there for
which II 'indoKS 3.0 is not a practical
option. But don't despair. You don't
have to lose the interface war. With a
little ftork, a little creativity, and a
handful of utilities from this issue's
COMPUTE'S PC Disk, you can put
some snap in your [X)S interface and
make your PC system easier for you
and vour whole familv to use.
Point i9^ Click 66
CLIFTON K-^RNES
Here's how to set up your Window
startup sequence to display j ust about
anything you want.
Pfogramming Power 67
TOM CAMPBELL
List an alphabetically sorted directory
with this great B.ASIC program.
Ups & Tools 69
RE,JlDERS
Displaying files that need to be backed
up. making graceful copies on the same
drive, working with NUL and more.
InlroDOS 72
TONY ROBERTS
Learning your vw around your PC
can be a daunting task, but if you take
it one step at a time, you'll be up and
running in no time.
On Disk 73
TONY ROBERTS
This issue's MS-DOS disk is a grab bag
of utilities that will help you with batch
flic programming, documentation
printing, and disk maintenance.
Hardware Clinic 75
MARK MIN.ASl
You want to turn your 286 into a 386
screamer^ If your machine uses a
standard-size motherboard and vou
Think small.
(Small prices that is.)
Our philosophy is simple: Good software doesn't have to
cost hundreds of dollars. At Parsons Technology, we create
excellent software — keep prices reasonable — and back
every product with free, unlimited technical support, solid
documentation and an ironclad satisfaction guarantee.
Share our philosophy? Great.
Choose one of the following programs
for a no-risk 30-day trial. To order or
request a free catalog, call us toll-free at
1-800-223-6925.
MoneyCounts®— A complete money
management system. Handles small business accounting as
well as family budgets. Writes checks, estimates your taxes
and it's simple to use — no accounting experience required.
Just $35.
It's Legal" — Helps you pro-
tect your family and your assets
with all the legal documents
you're ever likely to need. Wills,
Living Wills, Powers of Attorney,
Guardianship Documents, Leases,
Notes and Bill of Sale. Includes
FREE set of powerful legal letters,
too. Just $49.
QuickVerse*— Imagine, the
PC. Rapid word and phrase searches, study features like
indexes and annotation. Choose King James,
NIV, RSV, NKJV, or NRSV translation. Greek
and Hebrew available separately. Word
processor interface included free! Just $69.
Diet Analyst— The total health
improvement system. Easily manages
your complete health program including cal-
culating calories, tracking nutrients and cholesterol and
monitoring exercise. Eat right and stay healthy! Just $59.
Typing 101 — You don't need a faster computer — you
need faster fingers! Typing 101 tutorial improves speed on
all 101 keys of your PC keyboard. Uses artificial intelligence
to match interesting exercises to your exact needs. Letter
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ■« ^ ^ ^ Blaster game included free.
' Yes, I'd like to get more software for my money! I just $35.
Ou?n[ily Amount
Program r«nie
Pkase add 16 shilling Iowa residerts add 4% sales tax. OiSK Si^: J3 /i LIS >:
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TECHNOLOGY
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welcome. Or send check or money order
payable to Parsons Technology- Add %
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Ifs Guaranteed. Oaier with complete
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you may return your purchase within
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complete text of the Bible on your l 0reParansDrive.(>oBo«iiM.HmaBiirdM52?a3-ci«) COM I excluded) No questions asked.
Circle Reader Service Number 176
CDIUIPUTE
can gel your hands on some memor);
you're on your way lo real computing
power.
Online 77
DENNY ATKIN
If you have trouble na\'igaiirg the tele-
communication waters, heit are some
helpful hints.
Arts & Letters 78
ROBERT BIX BY
Working with graphics isn't just work-
ing ftith software. There are a lot of
boards and other extraneous hardware
out there for the PC publisher and
computer artist.
Fast Forward 80
DAVID ENGLISH
The link between television and com-
puters is still tenuous, but several
products are on their way to close the
gap. Even so, the question remains;
Can I get HBO on that thing?
HOME OFFICE
Workplace 82
DANIEL J ANAL
You golta crunch those numbers if you
ever want to know how productive
your home office really is. Here's a
look at spreadsheets and finance pack-
ages for a better figure.
Planning for Success 84
TOM CAMPBELL
Your dream of independence requires
that you depend on other people for
money. Here's how to convince them
lo give it 10 you.
PISeOVERY
Pathways 90
STEVEN ANZOVIN
Science teacher Vinnie Cusimano, a
25-year veteran of the New York City
public school system, has a different
idea of what high school science educa-
tion should be. And PCs are a big part
of it.
Space Shuttle
Technology 92
PHILIP CHIEN
The phrase space skutile compuier sys-
tem probably brings visions of a high-
tech, siate-of-the-art computer
command system to mind. Surprising-
ly, each of the shuttle's five on-board
computers has ihc equivalent of only
400K— less than most micros! Here's a
look on board America's flag-bearing
voyager to space.
ENTERTAINMENT
GamePlay 98
ORSON SCOTT CARD
There's good software to be found on
Ml-service information networks like
Delphi, GEnie, and CompuServe. Best
ofall, some afit is free.
The Fingertip Arcade 1 00
GREGG KEIZER
Modem life's loo much like the mili-
tary: Hurry up and wait But now you
can carry big-time computer enieriain-
menl in your pocket.
REVIEWS
Reviews and analysis of software,
books, and accessory products in the
areas of games, productivity, and
learning. Complete with our experts'
COMPUTE Choice recommendaiions,
Snealc Peeks 105
DAVID ENGLISH and
PETER SCISCO
First looks at the Sound Blaster Pro
and Where in America's Pas! Is Car-
men Sandiego?
In-Depth Evaluations 110
BJ.T, PageMaker, and Dance of ike
Planets get our nod as Choice products
for entertainment, productivity, and
learning, respectively. In other stories,
wt look at McGee at the Fun Fair, My
Pmm, Where in she World Is Carmen
Sandiego? Deluxe Edition, For the Re-
cord, Outside In, Lester the Cordless
Mouse, Spelh-Saurus, Mickey and
Minnie's Fun Time Prim Kit, Micro-
League Basekll Field Guide and Disk,
Typefrom ihe Desktop, Overlord, Ber-
enstain Bears Junior Jigsaw, My-
Inmices, SideTalk II, Typist,
Wonderland, LUX Attack Chopper,
Death Knights ofKrynn, and more.
COMPUTE is looking for exceptional
computer-generated art for use on fu-
ture covers and with feature articles. If
you're a computer artist iniercsied in
national exposure, send us examples of
your work in either color slide or trans-
parency format Indude a brief note
listing the utie of the wx)rk and ihe
hardware and software used in its cre-
ation. Please address your samples to
An Director, COMPUTE Publications
Intemaiional Limited, 324 West Wen-
dover Avenue, Suite 200, Greensboro,
North Carolina 27408.
We Built A Smarter
Introducing SmartPad:
The Mousepad\Quick Reference Card In One
Finally, a new product that answers
your search for software commands
and procedures. It's more than a
mousepad...more than a quick
reference sheet...it's SmartPad— the
mousepad/quick reference card
in one.
Forget searching through exhaust-
ing software manuals. SmartPad's
removable quick reference cards
provide software basics on one side
and advanced procedures on the
other. All you do is glance and go.
And, SmartPad isn't just smart on
the surface. It's built smart too, with
a highly durable clear-view cover
that lasts much longer than conven-
tional mousepads. This advanced,
low friction textured surface
measures a full 10" x 8 1/2" for
maximum traction and control.
SmartPad cuts your work and
reduces the wear and tear on your
mouse. Yet it is only S19.95 for each
starter kit which includes the
SmartPad and quick reference
SmartCard. Starter kits are available
in Windows or WordPerfect formats.
Changeable SmartCards for most
popular software are sold separately
for $9.95 & $14.95.
The next time you're ui an E^-
head, Software Etc, Walden Soft-
ware, or other fine computer store,
change your mousepad for some-
thing smarter. MICROREF's SmartPad.
For dealer information call
1-800-333-0551.
Special see-through cover lilU-up for
quick change of software reference
cards.
f^iiCROREF
Educational Systems, Inc.
Northbrook.lL 60062
circle Reader Service Number 115
EDITOR^L LICENSE
PETER SC1SC0
If you make your living out on the
road, the current surfeit of small,
light, powerful computer products
ofiers a distinct advantage over the
tools of five years ago. Then, comput-
ers powerful enough to include hard
disks and state-of-the-art displays
were called portables without any
sense of irony whatsoever.
The last five years have brought
marked improvements to the world of
portable computers. Each iteration
makes use of new technologies and
draws upon new engineering designs,
both aesthetic and practical.
We have moved rapidly along
the scale from iransportables and lug-
gables to notebooks and palmtops. In
each case, our computing power has
grown with steady insistence. This in-
crease in power isn't merely an in-
crease in the functionality of the
computer's processor chip; it's also
an increase in the computer's practi-
cal use.
When we take our computers
with us, we have access to facts that
serve to enUghien our choices. Those
data range from workaday files to net-
work access to electronic mail — the
possibilities are nearly endless.
Time is one of our most precious
commodities — easily squandered,
jealously guarded, bitterly regretted.
Portable computers can help people
make the most of their time, a fact not
lost on a public that's snatching up
these machines at a furious clip.
No longer does the office stop at
the parking lot exit or at the end of the
driveway. With the latest in portable
computers, you can time-shift your
daily workload to create quality time
for your family.
If you're a gung-ho home-based
entrepreneur looking for an edge,
these small computers can make you
competitive with the big boys down
the freeway.
And what of the rest of the con-
sumer public? What about those
people who aren't involved on the ex-
ecutive level in business, who aren't
running a business from their homes?
What role will portables play in their
lives''
The engineering feats that have
brought computers down to the size of
paperback books ripple out over the
technolandscape to influence the
shape of life in the coming years. Elec-
tronic organizers, confined now to the
executive market, will no doubt be-
come commonplace among the rest of
the public once they become easier to
use and are less expensive.
In a classic repeat of the genera-
tional pattern, it is our children — with
their enthusiastic adoption of hand-
held videogames — that indicate where
we are going.
It's not too hard to imagine, giv-
en recent developments in various
technological areas, living in an elec-
tronically linked world that is as rou-
tine as the world of television and
telephones we live in today.
If Alexander Graham Bell envi-
sioned such a world 1 50 years ago, it's
hard to guess what shape it held in his
mind and whether his vision resem-
bled the communication networks we
accept today. We have come to expect
instant access — by airwaves, cables,
and wires — to global and personal
events.
Advances in user interfaces
promise to make portable comput-
ers— in whatever shape — more palat-
able to the public at large and more
effective in the hands of the
technoworker.
Advances in cellular technology
will make today's pocket pagers and
mobile phones seem quaint compared
with the portable info stations of
tomorrow.
Flat panel displays and portable
CD readers may finally usher in the
age of the "docking station," as yet an
ungainly collection of multiple
peripherals.
Recently, during a late night
spate of bleary-eyed video grazing, I
came across a show that portrayed the
future as a world where solitude had
been traded for total access. That
cheerless world view is but one de-
scription of how our tools can define
our selves. Still, it poses a large ques-
tion that rightfully accompanies all
technological developments — no mat-
ter how small the package. m
6 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
How this $149 software will:
1) Improve the way you work and think
21 Instantly find the info you need, and
3) Help you make brilliant decisions ...
The next generation
of TORNADO
is here at
last'
Surprisintily. then." is ;i wIidIc new
world ofiisci for your computer!
You can use your computer to deal
with all the counties.^ bits of "random"
information scattered ncn:>ss your desk:
plans, notes, lists, actions, contacts, ideas.
Info Select
and much more. INFO SELECT™ will
not only give you instant access to this
imfwnani information ... il will help you
make better decisions and sec iriiptinani
new relationships. Try INFO SELECT'
risk-freu and discover a whole new
dimension of computing.
Photographic
memory
INFO SELECT is like having a
■photographic oienion'" dial gives you
perfect superfast recall of up to 64,000
items of infonnaiion.
Telephone notes
When Harry calls you on the phone,
you'll display the six w indoivs on Harry
before he finishes his first sentence! No
more embarmssing pauses or scrambling
for information.
INFO
SELECT aLso
includes the
world's first
".^-D" word
proces.sor.
You'll be
amazed at how it
works.
Instead of
one window or
ten. imagine up to M.O0O! The uses are
endless.
INFO SELECT is easy
10 a&e - yet powerful.
Are you forgetful?
Were you born with a mcinor>
situated squarely on the tip of your
tongue? Do you forget things like which
day you placed an order or imptirtant
numbers? If you are forgetful you
especially need INFO SELECT - the
software that remembers almost
everything for you.
Thinking tool
Have you ever \\orkcd on a complex
project and felt lost'.' With INFO
SELECT you'll group, scan, and cross
search through all your notes so fast
you'll see the big picture in seconds.
Will 1 be heller off doing lliis now or
that later? Keeping priorities straight can
m;ike or break your career or your
business, INFO SELECT lels you keep
on top of what's ho;.
Should you use an east or west coast
supplier? To make decisions you need
facts. Now you can v lew the facts any
way you like ... as fast as you can think.
You'll make the best decisions ever --
and fewer expensive mistakes.
Plionf Eiolo;
CliL-nl into
The #1 PIM
What's all the fuss
about PIMs ( Peis,onal
Information
Mangers)?
Simple - you
probably ha\e
more RANDOM
infomiaiion than
any other type and
you need a PIM to
properly handle
this kind of
infomiation. Ttie
right PIM will
save you lime and
make evcrs thing
you do go
smoothly.
Why is Info
.Select the # I I'lM?
Because Info Select is based
on ideas you can identify
t-'""- ^jjjj _ ij^^, jitm-ks of paper.
And it's free-fomi too. You
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Sa\e time with the dialer, date tickler:
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data in EMS: use
template or
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join, and duplicate
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It you hu^c holes, ]iltfa_s. conl^iL'ts
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mimmm
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Blast someone
out of the sky. . .
on your lunch hour.
Or blow 'em to smithereens.
Or run 'em off the road.
Play these Spectrum HoloByte
head-to-head games and you'll experi-
ence real competition. It's no longer
man vs. machine. It's you against them
Anytime or anyplace.
By using a network, a direct cable
link or a modem, you can compete with
people from across the office — or
across the country. And you'll do battle
inrealdme!
Imagine yourself in a supercharged
'Vette, racing down the streets of San
Francisco against a real opponent! Or
be a speed-buniing Stunt Driver
smashing your friends off the track.
How about commanding an M-1 Tank
and firing on someone. . , in New
Jersey? Or climb into an F-16 cockpit
and smoke your enemy in Falcon 3.0,
the latest of the Falcon games —
games so realistic they're used in
actual flight training simuladons.
Looking for an opponent?
Connect through GEnie.
Find your challenge5 for modem-capable games
like FALCON or STUNT DRIVER through GEnie's
on-line services. Also get tips, hints and infor-
mation on the games from other gamers or
direct from Spectrum HoloByte. Non-prime time
connect rate: $6 per hour. Call 1-800-638-9636
for information.
So if you're up for fast-paced,
action-packed competition you have
only one choice: Spectmm HoloByte
head-to-head games.
Baltic MiG-2 1 s The most authentic Face MiG-21 s
and MiG-29.s in F-16 fighter in a real Top Gun
non-Slop action. simulator ever. dogfight.
Fight deadly
enemies in a 12-
mission campaign.
Fly .A.-6s and F-4s
in dangerous
Vietnam skie.s.
Modeled after the
U.S. Annv'sown
SIMNET.'
Dust 'em with
your400+hp'66
Shelby Mustang.
A fast-paced 3-D
race on San
Francisco streets.
A new mind-
boggier from the
creator of Tetris.
Available at your local software retailer or. for
Visa/MasterCard orders onlv, call:
1-800-695-GAME
(l-800.6i»5-4263/24ht^. a day/7 days a week)
For availability or customer support 4 1 5-522- 1 1 64.
Spectrum HokJB^^
A Dmion of Sphere, Inc
2051 Challenger Dr., Alameda, CA 94501
Circle Raader Service Number 11B
NOTES
•
Fewer IBM
Workers
In light of its recent disclosure of sig-
nificantly lower-than-expected 1991
earnings, IBM revealed plans to re-
duce its worldwide workforce this year
by more than 1 4,000 employees.
About 4000 jobs have been cut
through the sale of the company's
typewriter, computer keyboard, and
low-end printers division. Attrition and
voluntary incentive programs are ex-
pected to take care of the rest. IBM
employs about 373,000 people world-
wide, and these cuts are considered
significant. Perhaps the new IBM lap-
top PC will help bring some of those
workers back on the job.
Multiplying Mice . . .
Computer mice were aptly named for more than one reason. Not only do they re-
sembie real mice, they multiply like real mice. Microsoft reports it's now sold
more than 6 million computer mice worldwide. Sales more than doubled follow-
ing the release of Windows 3.0. Of course, the graphical user interface almost
demands the use of a mouse, so the little guys are now scurrying across the
desks of computer users everywhere.
Microsoft's mouse is available with either a serial PS/2 interface, which atta-
ches to a 9-pin serial, 25-pin serial, or 6-pin PS/2-style port, or a bus interface,
with a variety of software options. It sells for a suggested retail price of $125. A
special bundle containing Windows 3.0 lists for S225.
. . . And They're More
Portable, Too!
Now that mice are running all over the place in the millions, Microsoft has creat-
ed a new breed that's more portable. The new BallPoint mouse is designed es-
pecially for use with laptop and notebook PC-compatible computers. Actually, for
this device the word mouse is a bit of a misnomer. It's really a miniature trackball
device that clips onto the keyboards of most popular laptop and notebook
computers.
More than 2V2 years in the making, the new Ballpoint mouse could be just
the thing laptop and notebook PC power users have been looking for. It will
make using Windows and other graphics-based applications and interfaces easi-
er to run on small computers. A universal clamp fits on the keyboard, and a posi-
tioner allows you to adjust the angle of the mouse relative to the keyboard, The
Ballpoint can also be removed from the clamp and used as a desktop trackball
or held in the hand for presentations.
The Microsoft BallPoint mouse works with MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows,
and OS/2 on laptop, portable, and desktop computers. It requires DOS 2.0 or
higher with one double-sided 3V2-inch drive and 20K available RAM. Alternative-
ly, it will work with OS/2 version 1.1 or version 1.2, one double-sided aVz-inch
drive, and a 9-pin serial port or PS/2 mouse port. Suggested retail price is $175.
Smudged
Windows?
U.S. district court judge Walker
Vaughn ruled that Apple Computer's
lawsuit against Microsoft and Hewlett-
Packard, alleging infringement of its
graphical user interface, has merit.
The ruling states that Apple's claims to
copyright on the Macintosh graphical
interface are valid and clears the way
for Apple to take its copyright infringe-
ment suit to trial.
Microsoft, meanwhile, says it's
satisfied with Judge Vaughn's order
because it affirms the analytical frame-
work of the case as recommended by
Microsoft. Even though the ruling sup-
ported some of Apple's claims, it ef-
fectively rejects Apple's claim that the
"total concept and feel" of the Macin-
tosh graphical user interface is pro-
tectable under copyright. It also
defines 179 elements of the display
that will not be considered in the in-
fringement case, leaving only 10 ele-
ments of the original Macintosh that
will be considered when the case
comes to trial.
Tandy's Home Organizer
Goes It Alone
Tandy's popular DeskMate Home Organizer companion, originally sold only with
the Tandy 1000 RL home computer, is busting out on its own. Flooded with re-
quests to sell the collection of home management software programs as a sepa-
rate product, Radio Shack decided to go for it.
DeskMate Home Organizer consists of 15 easy-to-use home management
applications, including financiat, personal, kitchen, and math programs, and an
Information Center program. The package runs on any Tandy, IBM, or compati-
ble computer and retails for S99.95 at Radio Shack Computer Centers, Radio
Shack technology stores, and dealers nationwide.
10 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
Air Superiority...
"Mr. President, We Have A Target-Rich Environment.
»»
IBM-PC screens shown
Fly the plane that baffled Baghdad radar systems and
air defenses during the Persian Gulf War, the plane
specifically designed for dangerous solo missions
behind enemy lines.
F- 1 1 7A Nlghthawk Stealth Fighter 2.0 is a dramatic
advancement of F- 19 Stealth Fighter, MlcroProse's
critically acclaimed simulation of the radar-elusive jet,
named Best Simulation of the Year In 1989. With more
worlds, more action, better and bolder graphics and
MicroProse's legendary dedication to authenticity and
excitement, F-l 17A represents a new breed of combat
flight simulator.
For IBM-PC/Tandy/compatibles. For the latest information on release dates
and availabilities, call MicroProse Customer Service at 301 -771 -11 51, 9 am to
5 pm EST, weekdays. ® 1991 MicroProse Software. Inc., 180 Laketront Drive.
Hunt Valley. MD 21030.
Dramatic sprite explosions and smoke.
New, more accurate cockpit and in-plane graphics.
Graduated horizons, landscapes, and seascapes
in VGA.
Spectacular night graphics with special night
HUD features.
Authentic graphic representation of the F-1 1 7A, In 3-D
with more polygons and detail.
Improved mission generation with brand new
challenges and scenarios.
Nine worlds in which to fly, including Cuba, North
Korea, the Kuwaiti Theatre of Operations, Central
Europe, Vietnam and the Middle East.
Improved, more challenging enemy Artificial
Intelligence.
Totally updated sound package including original new
music and digitized speech.
M^DPROSE
s I y u . - T I o iJ • r ■; ' : w A R E
Clrcl« Readnr Sarviee Number IDS
EWS & NOTES
Not Just a Typewriter
Anymore
As electric typewriters continue to look and act more like computers, one major
typewriter manufacturer has decided to start producing personal computers.
Smith Corona Acer recently unveiled a line of seven "simpiy smart" IBM
PC-compatible computers designed for the the home market.
The new computers, developed in conjunction with the Acer Group, are
"plug and go" systems designed for ease of use. A menu screen guides users
through the many built-in applications, which are already loaded, along with the
operating system, on a ROM cartridge or hard drive, depending on the model.
Models with a ROM cartridge come with Smith Corona Word Processing 6,0,
Desktop Reference, and DOS 4.01 . Models with a hard drive also come with
Microsoft Works 2.0 installed and ready to use. Six of the seven new computers
will be 80286-based systems (three ROM cartridge models and three hard drive
models), and one is an 80386 SX model with a hard drive. Suggested retail prices
range from S999 to S1 ,899 for the system. For more information, contact Smith
Corona Acer at (800) 443-5748.
IBM on Your Lap
IBM finally released its first real laptop
PC, and the wait was worthwhile. The
new Personal System/2 L40 SX is def-
initely loaded. It's a lightweight, dura-
ble, battery-operated 386SX that runs
at 20 MHz. It weighs just 7.7 pounds
and measures a mere 2.1 inches high,
1 2.8 inches wide, and 10.7 inches
deep. It also comes with a leather slip-
on carrying case at no extra cost.
The new IBM laptop has a full-
size keyboard similar to the ones
found on IBM desktop computers. It
also packs a walloping 2MB of RAM, a
BOMB hard drive, and a ten-inch VGA
display as standard equipment. The
laptop's memory can also be expand-
ed up to a maximum of 18MB. IBM
plans to release an AC-powered ex-
pansion unit that will provide connec-
tions to IBM 3270 and 5250 systems,
and Token-Ring networks using AT
half-size adapter cards. An array of
other optional add-ons will also be
available. The suggested retail price is
S5,995.
Prospective buyers can call (800)
IBM-2468 to locate the nearest dealer.
A Microchip by Any Otlier Name
Intel lost a recent attempt to prevent other companies from using the number
386 to signify 386-based computers if they use 386 microprocessors not manu-
factured by Intel. The ruling by U.S. district court judge Walter Ingram stated that
386 is a term as generic in the computer industry as automatic transmission is in
the automobile industry Judge Ingram pointed out that Intel waited too long
before attempting to claim the copyright — more than 2y2 years after it began sell-
ing the product.
Now to differentiate its 386 chips from those of other manufacturers, Intel
says it will refer to them as the i386 or Intel386 chips. It's fair to say that a claim
for patent and copyright on this designation is probably already In the works.
Toward a Better
Understanding
If you've worn out your printed version
of the WordPerfect 5.1 manual or just
hate to thumb through printed pages
to find what you need to know, Larson-
Davis has a possible solution for you.
The company has just introduced an
electronic text version of the WordPer-
fect 5.1 manual. Dubbed InfoQue, the
new electronic version is compatible
with networks, WordPerfect shells, and
mice, and it allows you to search by
word or phrase. Full-text pages are dis-
played. You can also page back and
forth from any point of reference within
the manual. The company is selling the
electronic manual for an introductory
price of S25 and plans to bring more
manuals for ottier popular software to
market soon. For more information,
contact Larson-Davis Information Sys-
tems at 1681 West 820 North, Prove,
Utah 84601; (801)375-8855.
RoboLaptops
Police in Fremont, California, and other cities are now going high-tech with a
combination of laptop computers and mobile packet radio modems. In Fremont,
GRiDcase 1 530 laptops are mounted near the dash in patrol cars next to the
manual radio, not far from the upright shotgun visible in the front seat Radio mo-
dems from Dataradio allow police officers to transmit and receive data on the
computer via radio signals. Fremont police official David Jensen explained that a
license plate number, for example, can be typed into the laptop computer and
then transmitted to the department's main computer for an almost instant check
of police and FBI files.
"After the officer requests a report on a driver or vehicle, a report flashes
back on whether the car is possibly stolen or the driver has outstanding warrants
or is wanted for some misdemeanor or felony crime," Jensen said. "We get
much faster response than talking on the radio because officers don't have to
wait for busy dispatchers to take down information and have someone feed it
into a computer."
The laptop is based on an 80386 processor and also can be used to write
crime and accident reports right in the car. It enables officers and dispatchers to
communicate securely between police cars and headquarters without having
conversations monitored by individuals with scanners. It also allows officers to
quickly access information such as directions to addresses. Someday, police of-
ficials say graphics, mug shots, and even fingerprints will be sent over the in-car
computers. Modems attached to scanners can't be far behind.
12
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
Big Deal!
Imagine a VGA display of a beautiful
rose. Imagine having the ability to in-
stantly double the size of the display
with virtually no erosion of its composi-
tion. According to Bill Salyers, director
of programs at the National Easter
Seals Society in Chicago, that's just
w/hat MAGic, a new/ memory-resident
screen-magnification utility from
Microsystems Software does.
The program magnifies a VGA
screen by two times width and \wo
times height in both text and graphics
applications — even while running Win-
dows 3.0. MAGic can be helpful for the
visually impaired and for anyone who
squints at tiny characters on laptop
screens. It also helps when reading
those pesky word processor page
previews. "This is one product that
must be seen to be truly appreciated,"
Salyers said.
MAGic, which retails for $79, also
provides complete type-through ac-
cess and follow-the-cursor, follow-the-
mouse, and attribute-tracking modes
all in less than 8K of RAM, MAGic De-
luxe, which retails for $195, offers
even more magnification capabilities
and includes a bookmarking function
that allows you to mark up to ten dif-
ferent areas of your screen and a
magnification locator display that
shows you which area of your screen
is currently being magnified.
For more information contact
Microsystems Software, 600 Worces-
ter Road, Framingham, Massachu-
setts 01701 ; (508) 626-851 1 .
Super Debut
Nintendo's 1 6-bit Super NES game
machine made its debut at the sum-
mer CES in Chicago this June. Sales
are expected to exceed 2 million units
by year's end once Super NES, pack-
aged with Super Mario World, is re-
leased in September. A software
library of 10 to 12 games will be avail-
able as well and will expand to include
more than 60 titles by 1992. Super
NES will have enhanced graphics,
multiple scrolling screens, digital ster-
eo sound, 3-D capabilities, and better,
faster gameplay to set it apart from
Nintendo's current 8-bit machine.
Growing: Support
The current market acceptance of Windows has helped not only mouse sales
but software sales as well. Sales of software applications for Windows 3.0 have
skyrocketed in the past year. Both market analysts and independent software
vendors have documented major increases in sales of IV/ncfows-based applica-
tions, and continuing gains are predicted as developers create new programs for
the fast-growing Windows market.
According to Ken Wasch, director of the Software Publishers Association,
the Windows applications market is currently the fastest growing segment of the
software market. Independent market research from International Data Corpora-
tion (IDC) projects the number of copies of Windows-based applications shipped
in 1991 will reach 3.8 million units — a 150-percent increase over the 1.5 million
units shipped in 1990. More than 700 software developers are writing new Win-
dows-based applications at a fast clip, evidenced by the 48,000 copies of the
Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit version 3.0 sold worldwide in the
past nine months.
A Sound Investment
With the new SoundByte audio recording and playback unit hooked up to your
PC, your CD player won't be the only thing in your house playing rich digital mu-
sic. From Meridian Data, SoundByte can take audio input from any standard
high-fidelity equipment, compress files in realtime, and store them on the com-
puter's hard drive or on a network server. Playback can be from a floppy disk, a
hard disk, a CD-ROM disc, or a network. SoundByte also supports MIDI-driven
synthesizer functions.
The small, inexpensive processor plugs right into the computer's parallel
port and can be used to attach very high-quality sound files to different applica-
tions like educational programs, multimedia programs, business applications,
and games. Based on a single-chip, digital-signal processing (DSP) design,
SoundByte's open architecture provides developers with an affordable, fully pro-
grammable audio technology for applications development.
SoundByte is fully compatible with MS-DOS and Windows platforms, sup-
ports the Windows Multimedia extensions protocol, and is priced at $249.95. For
more information, contact Meridian Data at 5615 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Val-
ley, California 95066; (408) 438-31 00.
A Thousand Ways to
Find Software
Looking for some good software? How atx)ut a detailed index of more than
19,000 packages to help you with your research? The Datapro Software Finder
is a new CD-ROM-based service program that provides a comprehensive refer-
ence guide to business and professional programs for micro-, mini-, and main-
frame computers by allowing instant access to information on more than 19,000
applications programs. More than 130 types of software products are covered.
Based on the Datapro Directory of Software and the Datapro Directory of Micro-
computer Software print services, it provides the equivalent of 4500 pages of
information on a single CD-ROM disc.
An annual subscription to Datapro's Software Finder (Complete Edition)
with quarterly releases is available for $1 ,770. Individual micro and midrange/
mainframe edition subscriptions are $995 each. For more information, contact
Datapro at 600 Delran Parkway, Delran, New Jersey 08075; (800) 328-2776.
"News & Notes" is by Alan R. Bechtold, editor of Info-Mat Magazine, an electronic news
weekly published by BBS Press Service. h
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE
19
FEEDBACK
QUESTIONS
FROM
OUR
READERS
Two Err Is Human
On page 20 of your April issue, you
listed our number incorrectly. It's
(714)994-7400.
DARWNA TECHNOLOGY GROUP
BUENA[^RK,0\
On page 97 of your April issue, an in-
correct nuinber is listed for our com-
pany. Customers should call (800)
334-6572 for sales and (302) 368-9990
for inquiries. Thanks for setting the
record straight.
MICROLEAGUE SPORTS
NEWARK. DE
TeleVGA
I'm searching for a way to play a com-
puter game on my VGA monitor and
have output go to a standard TV at
the same time. My family and I are
avid game players and miss the days
when we could sit around the TV set
and watch each other play. When we
upgraded to a 386SX with VGA, the
family could no longer participate in
the solving of mystery and role-play-
ing computer games.
ROBERT E PITODCK.
FLORENCE AL
What you need is VGA-TV from Wil-
low Peripherals. It 's a VGA card with
an output for a VGA monitor and an
output for NTSC video (also known as
composite color). The NTSC connec-
tor can be attached to any television
with a monitor jack.
If you have an older television
that has only antenna connections,
you 'II also need an RF modulator,
which can be purchased from Radio
Shack for around $30. A 512K version
of VGA-TV costs $599. It provides a
maximum resolution of 800 X 600
with 256 colors.
The 256K version costs $499.
With this unit, you can get a maxi-
mum resolution of 640 X 480 with 16
colors. The card is shipped with drivers
/or WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, Win-
dows S.O. AutoCAD, andYentum
Publisher.
Willow also offers a product
known as VG.4-TVGE/0 ('GE/O
stands for GEnlock Overlay^l. This
unit allows the VGA signal to be
mixed with a normal television signal
to create effects such as tilling for vid-
eotapes. It costs SS95. You can write
Willow Peripherals at 190 Willow A'e-
nue, Bronx, New York 10454, or call
(800) 444-1585.
Battery Drain
How do I determine when the inter-
nal battery in my AT needs to be re-
placed, and wh'at problems will occur
if it goes dead before I'm able to re-
place it?
H.W. CHRISTOPHER
FLORISSANT, MO
The internal battery used in AT-class
computers supplies power to the
CMOS RAM which retains the date,
time, and configuration information
about the system. (In XT-class com-
puters, dip switches on the mother-
board are used to store system
configuration information.)
An inconsistent clock can signal a
weakening battery. If you notice the
clock losing a few hours a night, your
battery needs replacing. If the battery
is allowed to fail completely, you 'II see
a message on boot-up indicating that
there's been a CMOS RAM failure.
You 'II be directed to run SETUP
At this point, you must reinform
the system about the memoiy, moni-
tor, and disk drives that are being
used. .After that, you 'II be able to com-
pute normally until you turn the sys-
tem off and the CMOS RAM loses its
memor}' again.
The largest hurdle in this process
is knowing the type number of the
hard disk in your system. The type
number is a code that tells the control-
ler how many heads, platters, and cyl-
inders your hard drive has, and
without the correct code, you can 't ac-
cess the hard disk.
To avoid this problem and the
fear that all your data is lost forever,
run your system 's SETUP program to-
day and make note of the type number
for your hard disk. Write this number
on a disk label and stick it to the back
or bottom of your machine. When
your battery does give out, you 'II have
the information you need to quickly
get back to work.
MIDI Interference
I read the article in the Reviews sec-
tion of the February 1991 issue of
COMPUTE on Basic Composer 4.3.
only to find a glitch. I'm interested in
purchasing the program, but Mr. Lati-
mer failed to list the MIDI-compati-
ble devices it supports. He said that
it's "a powerful . . . alternative to cost-
ly and confusing MIDI-based . . .pro-
cessors" and that it's unfortunate to
hear only "one note at a time" be-
cause of hardware limitations. What's
the hardware he's referring to?
WILLIAM YODLOWSKY
LINDEN. NJ
Version 5.0 of Basic Composer (which
is expected in the late spring or sum-
mer) will support the Sound Blaster
and the Ad Lib music synthesizer
cards, providing polyphonic playback
with orchestral instrument timbres.
However, version 4.3, the reviewed ver-
sion, doesn 't support MIDI input or
sound cards; it plays back solely
through the monophonic PC internal
speaker. That 's why it can play only
one note at a time.
.•1 spokesman for Education Soft-
ware Consultants, the publisher of
Basic Composer, says the company
has aimed its product at individuals
who want a powerful music editor but
aren '/ interested in making a large in-
vestment in music software and hard-
ware. Because of this, the company
made the decision not to support
.MIDI input.
The spokesman warns that if
you 're interested in purchasing AUDI
software, you should avoid the low-end
music notation and printing programs
(meaning anything less than $300).
Education Software Consultants rec-
ommends Music Printer Plus, Score,
Personal Composer, or Theme, The
spokesman also says that Basic Com-
poser has features that aren't found
in these expensive programs.
14 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
Hard Disks Die.
Hard disk manufacturers want us to believe
that hard disk technology is absolutely
rehable ... but
""""^ ^' experience
teaches
otherwise. We
depend upon data
storage to be flawless,
but hard disk technology isn't. Surface
defects, head alignment drift, and low-level
format aging cause hard disks to fail.
A hard disk drive's low-level format fades
with use. The drive's read/write heads lose
their delicate alignment and move away from
the original low-level format information.
These new data track locations intersect
unseen surface defects that were
once harmlessly located
between tracks. DOS 's
chilling "Abort,
Retry, or Fail ?"
message
inevitably results.
Precious data is soon lost
If left unchecked, data storage becomes more
an act of hope and faith than one of science.
A return to science. The problem is
known and understood, and the solution is
clear. While a drive's data can
still be read, the drive must be
given a new, realigned and
strong low-level format. Then
all current surface defects
must be located and managed.
This process
prevents hard
disk data
loss.
An act of prevention. Gibson Research
Corporation's SpinRite™ software program
reads hard-to-read and impossible-to-read
data from a DOS hard disk, nondestructively
low-level reformats the drive's surface while
optimizing the sector interleave factor,
analyzes and scrubs each track of the
drive for
surface ^^^^ '" '(^
defects, and
relocates any
endangered
data to safety. SpinRite easily restores hard
disk drives to better-than-new condition
with their data intact. Before any data is lost,
SpinRite detects that a drive is "softening"
then determines and
eliminates the cause.
SpinRite readily
recovers data that the
system cannot read.
SpinRite 11.
A return to science.
An act of prevention.
SpinRite won Byte
Magazine's prestigious
Award of Distinction and
continues to win computer industry praise
and acclaim. It has proven itself to be
effective in preventing hard disk failure.
SpinRite will work for you.
SpinRite II features a detailed technical log,
as well as support for DOS 4 and large
device driver partitions. It is available
immediately from local software retailers
or directly from Gibson Research
with a 30-day satisfaction
guarantee.
Suggested retail price: $89.
To receive additional
literature or to purchase
SpinRite II, call toll-free:
(800) 736-0637.
circle Reader Service Number 141
EDBACK
A Pate Worse than DeskMate
I bought a Tandy 1000, complete with
DeskMate. When 1 turn on the com-
puter, I go directly into the DeskMate
menu, which speaks to me in plain
English. Computer books and COM-
PUTE magazine seem to be totally in-
volved in the peculiar foreign
language of DOS, .\m I missing out
on something important? Should I be
trying lo learn a foreign language
(DOS) or just relax and concentrate
on trying to master the many facets of
DeskMate?
ALBERT E. NELSON
SECHELT, BC. CANADA
DeskMate may be all you need. It cer-
tainly provides a complete array of
useful built-in programs. Other pro-
grams, such as First Publisher, Quick-
en, and Lotus Spreadsheet for
DeskMate, make it even more versa-
tile. DeskMate may look like a com-
pletely different language from DOS,
but it uses DOS to perform its
functions.
You may eventually want to
move out o/DeskMate and see wljat
else your computer offers. There are
some books available on DeskMate,
including The First Book of Desk-
Mate by Jack Nimersheim (Howard
W. Sams) and Getting the Most Out
of DeskMate 3 by Michael A. Banks
(Brady Books), which will be sold in
Radio Shack stores.
CAD Quest
I want to know if there are any CAD
(Computer-Aided Design) magazines.
I've been looking for a computer-aid-
ed design magazine for 1'/: years.
ROYLANCE C. WIESSNER
BLOOMINGDALE, Ml
C4D is only half of a complex of hard-
ware and software whose end product
is formed metal, the result of com-
puter-aided manufacturing. Most pub-
lications in the area of CAD actually
deal with the engineering and metal-
working end of the process rather than
the design process. You might be inter-
ested in CADence (P.O. Box 23350,
Austin. Texas 78702-3550; 5 12-250-
1 700) or CADalyst (! 727 West Broad-
way. 4lh Floor. Vancouver. British
Columbia, Canada V6J4W6;604-
737-1088). Both specialize in
AutoCAD.
CAD/CAM East (P.O. Box 4803,
Troy. Michigan 48099-4803; 313-552-
8583) is a magazine that covers C.iD
software used for metal working. C.4D-
/C.-i.\l Publishing publishes the Com-
puter-.Aided Design Report, a
monlhlv 16-page newsletter, as well as
books on CAD. C4.V/, and C4E (com-
puter-aided engineering) with an em-
phasis on engineering. You can reach
CAD/CAM at 841 Turquoise. Suite D,
San Diego. California 92109; (619)
488-0533.
finally CAD/CAM Systems
(395 Matheson Boulevard East, Mis-
sissauga, Ontario. Canada L4Z2H2;
416-890-1846) is a bimonthly written
for mechanical engineers who use
C.4D software.
It covers both metal-working
hardware and CAD software. COM-
PUTE magazine is taking a strong In-
terest in computer-aided design and
will cover graphics and design soft-
ware in features and reviews. Auto-
desk, publisher o/AutoCAD, was the
source of this information.
It's the Law
In the March "News & Notes" col-
umn, Alan Bechtold mentioned that
software rentals are now illegal. Could
you give me the bill number of that
legislation? In the same column, he
talked about a software buyer's guide
and merchandising service called
InfoMaster. How can I find out more
about it?
JEAN YEN
ADDRESS UNKNOWN
The Software Rental Amendments Act
of 1989 is part of public law PL650,
which took effect December 1, 1990.
This law prohibits "the rental, leasing,
or lending of commercial software
without the express permission of the
copyright holder. "
InfoMaster is a product ofSellec-
lek. 2452 Watson Court. Palo Alto,
California 94303; (415) 859-1100.
Readers whose letters appear in "Feed-
back" will receive a free COMPUTE 's
PC clock radio while supplies last. Do
you have a question about hardware or
software? Or have you discovered some-
thing that could help other PC users? If
so, we want to hear from vou. Write to
COMPUTES PC Feedback, 324 West
Wendover Avenue, Suite 200, Greens-
boro, North Carolina 27408. We re-
gret that we cannot provide personal
replies to technical questions. B
16
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE
EDITORIAL
Editor m Chief Peter Scisco
Art Director Robin C, Case
Executive Editor Clifton Karnes
Senior Editor Emerilus Keith FerreJI
Managing Edrtor David Hensley Jr.
Features Editor Robert Bixby
Associate Editor David English
Editer, Gazette Tom Netsel
Associate Editor,
Amiga Resource Denny Atkin
Reviews Editor Mike Hudnall
AssislanI Editors Jill Ct^ampion
Davtfl Seare
Copy Editors Karen Huffman
Susan Thompson
Editorial Assistant Kandi Syk^s
ART
Assistant Art Director Kennetti A. Hardy
Designer Jo Boykin
Typesetter Terry Cas^
PRODUCTION
Production Manager De Potter
Traffic Manager Barbara A. Williams
PROGRAMMING
Programming Manager Rtctiard C. Leinecker
Programmers Bruce Bowden
Steve Draper
Troy Tjcker
ADMINISTRATION
President Katiiy Keeion
Executive Vice President,
Operations William Tyr^an
Office ivtanager Sybil Agee
Sr. Administrative Assistant,
Customer Service Julia Reming
Administrative Assistant Effreda Chavis
Receptionist Cynthia Gilss
ADVERTISING
Vice President,
Associate Publisher Peter T Johnsmeyer
(2121496-6100
Vice President,
Sales Development James B, Miarttse
Marketing Manager Carofme Hanlon
1919)275-9309
ADVERTISiHG SALES OFFICES
Eji3t Coast: Full-Page and SMrvddrd Display Ads— Peter T
Jornsn-Hj/er Cfir^s CM-ro COMPUTE f\i&i.C3tons Iniernatoral LtC
1965 Broaaway. New yofk, NY 100?3. (2i2| igH5-61O0 New England-
Jack Gaiiand, GanarnJ Assooales, Inc.. 10 incustnal Park fld Hingnam
MA Cf2043; {61 7) 749-5853. Easl Coasi and Midwest; Fraclional antf
hwfcjct Mart Acfs— Cardine Hanton, PrcxJucl Want Manager; COM-
PUTE Publicaiions tniernalional Ltd , 324 W WerWcver A/e SLnte 200
Greensboro NC 2740S, 019' 275 9809. SouiheaMern Accts. Mgr,;
Full-Page, Standard Display, antf Marl-Order Ad*— Harnet Rogers
17^^ K SI rjw. Su<te 903. \^flshrf*g!Ofi. D C ?0006, (202| 72fl.O320.
Flonda— J M flemef Assooales. 3300 NE i92nc! Si Suie 192
Aveniura. PL 33160 [305) 933-1467. (305) 933-8302 (FAX|, Midwest
Full. Page and Slandard Display Ads — Siar Larie. Natioiai Accounts
Managw. 1025 Croscefii Blvd., Glen Ellyr. IL 60137' (706) 790-0171.
Mid -Southwest — Joy Burleson, Breivta Cocftran. Tarnara Cramer Carol
Orr. Carol Orr & Co . 3500 V^pfe. Suiie 500, Dallas. TX 7521S: [214)
521-6115. Wesi Coast Education/ Entertainment— Jerry Thompson.
Jutes E Thompson Co,. T290 Hov^rd -fWe Surte 303 Burlirwame CA
940:0, (J15) 346^8222 Western Accia. Mgr.: PrmJuctivity/Home 01
fice— Ian LingAood. 6728 Eton /Wg , Canoga Park. CA 91303: [8iaj
992 4777 West Coail: Fractional Mail-order, Shareware, and PrtKi-
uci Man Ada— Luoiie Dennis. Jules E Thompson Co. 1290 HowarcJ
Aue &jile 303. BufSingame CA 9401C, (707) 453-S209 U.K & Eu-
rope—Beverly Waraala 14 usg^r Terr London WU. Engiarwl; Oll-
•141 -602-3298 Jflpitn — intergroup Comrrunicaiions, LW Jiro Serrba
Present. 3F Tiger Bidg. &^22 Stiiba^soen, 3-Cnome. Mtnaio-kj Tok^o
105. Japan: 03-434-2607 Classified Ada— Shai-on Stein^feeimper. COM-
PUTE PutJ!,:catons lnteriaai}Onai Lid . 196S Broadway. New Yort:. NY
10023: !2!2) 724-0931
THE CORPORATION
Bob GucDone (chaifman)
Kamy Keeion {vice -c/iairmani
Daved J Myerson (ctiiet opcfalmg oKic^r}
Anthony J Gucoo™ tSecfolsrY-trsasurer}
William F Maftiet] ipresidsni. matkeung & advetits'ng saiest
Jonn Evans fpresident. foreign ediJions)
P,atr»Ch J Gavin f wee p/esipenr, chief Unsncial pthcsf)
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING
Sr VP/Carp Oi' . iVew Bustness Dev&lopmsnl: Beverly Warcfale:
VP, Dt , Group Advertising Sales: Nancy KeslBtibaum; S-'. VP/SoijIhein
ant^ Wrtf n^sr AiJ^erusirig Dii Peler Goidsmitht. Offices. Nsw York 1 965
Bfoadway, New York NY 10033-5965, Tel {21 2) 496-6100, TeleK 237128
Miti-M}si 333 N Michigan A^e, Suiio 1BtO.ChicagQjL6O60i Tel (312)
346-9393 Soufh 1725 K St. NW. Suite 903, Washirwlcm. DC 20006 Tel
(202) 738-0330 tVcs/ Cossr 6728 Eton fv^.. Canoga Park. CA 91303
Tel 1618) 992-4777 UK unci Europe 14 Usgar Terrace. London VV14
England, TbI 01-828-3336 Japan Iniergraup Jiro Semba TeleK
J254e9IGLTYD. Fkx 434-5970 Korea Kaya Advisng . inc., Rm 402
Kunshifi Aiinex 6/D 25M. Dohwa Dor™. Mapo-Ku. Seoul, Korea (121)
Tel 719-6906. Telex K32144Kayaad.
ADMINISTRATION
VP /finance. CFO: Palnck J Caviri; St VP/AdministralivB ServicBS- Jen
Wrnston. Sr VP/An & Graphics: Frank Devrno: VP/Newsstard Circuit-
lion Marcia OroviU; VP/£J(recfor o! New Magsztna Development Rona
Chorr^. VP DifBdar Ssf^es Prcmocons. Beverly Graiper: VP Produclion.
Kal Halpner. Dir Nc^ssianU Ci/culaSicn Paul RoIokA: Dtr. fJewss:3M
CirctJiaiion Dislftburiorr Chiangs AnOerson. Jr.; Oir Sutscnpuon Orcula-
rrojT Waroa Scftuiw. Dnedor oi Research: Rober: Rattner; Advertising
PfDduciiQn D,fet:tar Ctiarlene Smilti, AdYsrl>s>rfg Pmdudion Tfaftic
Mgr Mark Wilhams: Traffic D.r,: Wiifiam Hartjjti: Production Mgr.: Tom
Slinscn; AssT. Pfoduciion Mgr Nancy Hice: Foreign Edt.'ions Mgr ■ Mi-
ct^aei Stevens. Exec Assr fo Bob Guccione: Diane OComell: Exec.
As&i 10 David J, Myerson: Ten Pisani. Special Asst. to Bob Guccions-
Jane Homftsn
i.i.inrrtJLijoita, iws.
i»g^lt:^rar^^^
li\tl ,V;
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Nov
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ELL
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Product support foryour IBM or
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Brains abound on CompuSen'e.
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some of whom have
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Got a question? Got a problem?
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circle Reader Service Number 103
Just when you thought it was safe
to use your computer, jusl when
you were getting comfortable
with its cantankerous ways, just
when you felt Hke you knew your
way around its drives, device
drivers, and software . . . you're
faced with a new challenge: a lap-
top computer. All kinds of new
experiences await you as you
learn about the care and feeding
of the laptop. You'll find that it's
a completely different beast from
a desktop PC.
Sure, it's still DOS (although
it may have special quirks), and
sure, it runs standard software.
But it has unique demands that
come with its small size, its odd
little flat monochrome screen,
and its smailer-than-you're-used-
to hard disk. And the need to
carry it with you as you travel
and to somehow lug all its essen-
tial and near-essential parapher-
nalia complicates things further.
No doubt about it: When
you move to a laptop, you're en-
tering brand new territory. But
never fear. We'll help you learn
the imponanl things you'll need
to know. Travel like a veteran,
from your very first computer-
ized trip.
Preparing for the Trip
Plan the computer side of your
trip by customizing a packing list.
I've made a fairiy extensive one;
create your own by picking the
elements you'll need and adding
the few special things your sys-
MOVEABLE
BEAST "
1
m :
00.
m*
"l
-'
('
m
1^
'i
;
jH^^
M
^
F'" ^^
■< — -"
i
^p^
^
TO GET YOUR ACT
TOGETHER
AND TAKE IT ON
THE ROAD?
BY RICHARD O. MANN
MARK WAGONER 0 1991
tern needs. Prepare your list on the
computer and save the file. Voila!
You'll have an instant packing list for
your next trip.
Be sure to take everything you'll
need, but don't take one ounce more.
Balance your potential requirements
against the cost of not having each
item. This packing list contains just
about everything you could conceiv-
ably need, but if you take all of it,
your suitcase may not have room for
your second change of underwear.
Setting Up the Computer
Surging laptop sales have brought a
wealth of new products designed to
overcome the inherent limitations of
laptop computers. You'll want to con-
sider them as you ready your com-
puter for the road.
Setting up the computer will be a
big job the first time: after that, it can
become fairly routine. Using these
laptop-specific products can ease the
pains associated with portable
computing.
Screen enhancers. Laptops have
less-than-ideal screens. Your friends
may start calling you "Squint East-
wood" behind your back. Fortunately,
the screens can be improved by sever-
al ingenious but simple programs.
You've probably noticed that it can be
quite difficuh to find the cursor at
times, especially with word-processing
programs. The blinking underline gets
lost in a sea of low-contrast mono-
chrome text.
The solution is SkiSoft's A^o-
Squinl II, which turns the cursor into
a large blinking block. You set the
blink rate on a scale from 1 (no blink)
to 9 (very fast). The program is abso-
lute simplicity itself, yet it makes a
major-league difference in your ability
to enjoy your laptop. (Laptop makers
are beginning to catch on to this prob-
lem. The Texas Instruments Travel-
Mate 2000 notebook computer I'm
using to test products for this article
comes with a similar cursor-fixing
program built in.)
If your laptop has an EGA or
VGA screen, there's even more help
available. Personics' Laptop Ultra-
Vision gives you not only a block cur-
sor but a choice of beautiful, slightly
larger, and more openly spaced screen
text fonts. You also select reverse vid-
eo or smaller type, as small as 60 lines
per screen (normal is 25 lines per
screen). Once you've seen these ele-
gant typefaces on your laptop, you'll
never want to go back.
Disk compression software. Be-
cause working with a laptop means
that you're probably working with a
rather small hard disk, getting the
most out of that storage space should
be high on your list of priorities. Start
by going through the disk with a sleek
file manager such as QDOS II to re-
move any extraneous files. EDLIN
(the clunky text editor that comes
with DOS) and some word processors
leave behind unwanted backup files
with a BAK extension, for instance.
You can usually delete them without
harm. Remove the data files for com-
pleted projects and, if space is still
tight, consider removing software you
know you won't need on the trip.
There are some ingenious soft-
ware packages that utilize hard disk
space more efficiently than DOS. The
simplest but least convenient is
PKZIP, a shareware file compressor.
You can't run files that have been
zipped (compressed) without unzip-
ping them to full size, but you can
save a lot of disk space by storing in-
active files in zipped format. You can
also get a lot more onto a disk if you
zip the files first. You can always save
time and money by zipping files
before transmitting them by modem.
Just be sure the recipient has PKUN-
ZIP to unzip the files.
An excellent new program. Stack-
er, can almost double your disk capac-
ity. Using realtime lossless compres-
sion technology. Slacker's software
compresses and decompresses your
data on the fly. Once it's installed — an
easy process — your hard disk is sud-
denly up to twice as big (because some
files compress more than others, the
exact amount of extra capacity de-
pends on the nature of your data). On
my TI TravelMate 2000 test unit.
Stacker convened its 20MB hard disk
with about 1MB available to a 40MB
drive with 2 1 MB available. 1 immedi-
ately loaded three large games that
wouldn't have fit before and added
GeoWorks Ensemble, and I still had
almost 13MB open. It also worked
beautifully with a half-dozen TSR
programs, some odd device drivers,
and a disk-locking program.
File transfer programs. Buy a
good file transfer program that comes
with a special cable to connect your
laptop with any other computer and
lets you copy files back and forth.
Traveling Software's LapLink III and
Rupp's Fast Lynx SLve two of the best.
Install the program on the laptop and
bring along a disk with the software
for installing on potential host com-
puters. (Bring it on a 5'/4-inch disk,
too, so you can rely on getting it onto
any computer.)
You can usually install these pro-
grams on remote computers just by
connecting the cable, but don't count
on this working every lime. Test the
software by hooking up to another
computer; be sure you know how it's
done before you hit the road.
The TI TravelMate 2000 comes
Packing List
Here's a sample packing list that hefps
me mamtain my sanity on business
trips. Add to it or take away from It as
your needs dictate.
Computer
Power cord
External units; disk drives, batteries,
power cord, port adapters
Computer manual
Printer cord
LapLink cord
Mouse/mouse substitute and adapters
Mouse pad
Surge protector
Extension cord
Road Warrior Toolkit or equivalent
Screwdrivers
Multiple R J-1 1 adapter
Phone cord
Pliers
Alligator dips
Modem or fax/modem
Extra batteries
Software manuals, templates, quick
reference cards
Software books
Laptop book
Extra disks and sturdy disk carrier
Disk labels and a felt-tip pen
Portable printer
Paper
Copy-protection documentation tor
games
\toltage converter for foreign travel
Three-prong grounded outlet adapter
DOS disk
Auto power adapter
List of phone numbers of online ser-
vices in destination cities
List of software and hardware customer
support phone numbers
Small but strong light source
Aspirin or Tylenol
Alka-Seteer
with a special version of LapLink in
firmware and a transfer cable. I had to
load my standard LapLink III, how-
ever, because I couldn't stand the lim-
ited set of LapLink features available
in the firmware version.
Security. Laptops are the new dar-
ling of sneak thieves. Where else can
you get S5,000 worth of readily mar-
ketable electronics so easily? You'd
have to steal 20-30 VCRs to make that
kind of haul. People carry laptops
around like purses, set them on chairs
in airport concourses, and leave them
on the floor while they make phone
calls. They're easy pickings.
Eternal vigilance is the best de-
fense, but software aids are available
as well. They won't deter a thief, but
they will frustrate him and foil any at-
tempt to steal your data. Rupp's Fasl-
Lock locks your hard disk so that the
computer simply will not run without
the password you have assigned. You
20 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
can boot it with a DOS disk, but you
still can't access the hard disk without
the password. Give it three bad pass-
words consecutively, and it sings out
like an air-raid siren — or as much like
an air-raid siren as a laptop speaker
can sound.
You can also protect your data
using the file-encryption feature of FC
Too!s and other programs or by using
file passwords offered by many appli-
cation software packages.
Tape your business card to the
bottom of the computer. You never
know when this may help. You can
also offer a reward for the return of
the unit on your business card and put
such a message in your AUTOEXEC
.B.4T file, so that it will be on the
screen every time the computer is
booted.
Battery-monitoring programs.
Traveling Software's Banery Watch is
designed to precisely determine the
amount of battery capacity remaining.
It also offers a deep discharge feature
that beats the battery's shadow mem-
ory problem. Nickel-cadmium (ni-
cad) batteries have a tendency to
remember the point at which they
were recharged and assume that this
point is total discharge, even when
there is plenty of capacity left. (A re-
cem research report from a Florida
battery maker concluded that the
shadow memory problem is a myth
and that deteriorating behavior of ni-
cad batteries simply results from their
slowly wearing out. The jury is still
out on this controversial matter.)
RAM disk. A R.AM disk is a sim-
ulated disk created in the computer's
working R,4M. Because it isn't a disk
at all, but rather high-speed memory\
it is many times faster than reading
and writing to disks. There is a signift-
cant downside to using a R.AM disk,
however, if you lose power, you've
lost what was on the R.AM disk.
An important benefit of a RAM
disk is that it doesn't drain the battery
the way a real disk drive does.
Peripherals
Now that the computer is set up with
all that special software, it's time to
consider what additional equipment
you may want to bring along.
Mice or mouse substitutes. There
are some great new pointing devices
designed for laptop users from Ap-
point, Suncom, Microsoft, and Logi-
tech (see the product list).
Modems and fax modems. Being
on the road usually brings out a need
to communicate by telephone with
other computers. You will need to
have a modem for that. You could
even buy a fax modem, which adds
the ability to send and receive faxes
directly fVom the computer.
You can buy your laptop with an
internal modem, or you can buy an
external portable unit such as the
Worldport 2496 Fax Modem from
Touchbase Systems. Portable units
add to the clutter of things to take, but
they also work with any computer
(not just laptops). One portable mo-
dem is all you need for any computer
you may be using.
The Worldport 2496 is about the
size of a deck of cards. It houses a
2400-baud modem for use with online
services or computer-to-computer
communications. It also includes a
9600-baud fax machine that sends im-
ages of computer files to any fax ma-
chine anywhere. It can also receive
faxes, converting them to computer
files that you can then read or print.
Batteries and extra batteries. De-
pending on how much time you plan
to put in with your machine away
from AC power, you may need extra
batteries. If you need extras and
haven't yet bought a laptop, investi-
gate the prices of e-\tra batteries and
external chargers as part of your buy-
ing decision. There's nothing worse
than traveling with an expensive com-
puter that won't run because the bat-
teries are dead. The price of battery
packs varies greatly from machine to
machine. Always leave home with
fully charged batteries.
Printers. Believe it or not. there
are some tiny, lightweight portable
printers that aren't unreasonable to
carry around with your laptop. Your
mobile printing needs would definite-
ly have to be beyond the normal to
justify buying a portable printer, but
truly portable printers are available.
The Canon BJ-lOe ponable bubble-jet
printer, for example, is amazingly lit-
tle— the size of a notebook com-
puter— and it produces near laser
quality print.
Documentation
The next problem you will face in
moving your computer is carrying suf-
ficient documentation for your hard-
ware and software, If you take the
manuals for every program you use
and for your computer and all its peri-
pherals, in no time you'll have a three-
foot bookshelf of volumes to lug
around. Some of that documentation
is necessary, and you'll have to take it
(like the manual for the computer it-
self), but there are some good alterna-
tives for the rest of it.
After you are familiar with a pro-
gram, you may be able lo get along
with jtjst a keyboard template, quick
reference card, or just the online help.
The lightest solution for other pro-
grams may be one of the series of
small quick reference books that ma-
jor publishers like COMPUTE, Que,
A u G u S
Osborne/McGraw-Hill, and Sybex
put out for major software titles.
These small books contain operating
information boiled down to the essen-
tials. In any case, carry a list of the
customer support phone numbers for
all the software and hardware you'll
betaking.
Taking this parsimony one step
further, look for special books for lap-
top owners. Sebastian Rupley's Pon-
able Computing Official Laptop Field
Manual (IDG) and H. J. Liesert's The
Laptop User's Guide (Abacus) both
contain highly condensed but useful
instructions for the most popular soft-
ware programs so you can leave all the
other manuals at home. Liesert in-
cludes advice on hooking up printers
and mice and offers general laptop ad-
vice. Rupley includes essential infor-
mation on the most popular computers.
David H. Rothman's The Com-
plete Laptop Computer Guide (St.
Martin's Press) is full of common-
sense advice, tips for successful laptop
use, and information on various
countries' customs requirements. The
chapter on hooking your modem to
phones under every conceivable cir-
cumstance is in itself worth the price
of the book.
Proper preparation is the key to a
successful laptop trip. If you've outfit-
ted the computer with some of the
above helps and thought through your
packing list, your trip will be a breeze.
On the Road
One of the first obstacles on your trip
is the airport security check. Is the se-
curity check hazardous to your com-
puter and software? Opinions vary, as
do official pronouncements, but if
you're the play-it-safe type, insist they
hand-check your computer and not
run it through the x-ray machine. If
you're a little more trusting — as I
am — go ahead and run it through the
x-ray. Although they may affect film,
x-ray machines probably will not hurt
the computer or disk. My computers
have been x-rayed dozens of times
without harm. On the other hand,
metal detectors may tend to corrupt
data stored on magnetic disks because
the metal-detecting process involves
electromagnetic fields.
Be prepared to unpack and boot
your computer to prove to the securi-
ty guard that it is indeed a computer
and not a bomb. Allow plenty of time
for this. Don't be stuck showing your
computer to the security staff as your
plane pulls away from the gate.
Once you're aboard the aircraft,
you may want lo use the computer.
Because there is a potential for disrup-
tion of the sensitive electronic instru-
mentation of the aircraft, it is
considered polite to check with the
J 1991 COMPUTE 21
Entertaining Yourseif on the Road
Ori'e of the great disappointments of taptop
computing arises when it's time for fun. To-
day's computer games feature fabulous
256-color VGA graphics and sound board
support — which simply won't work with
laptops. Many laptops have Stone Age
CGA screens— and almost all are mono-
chrome. And newer games don't even sup-
port CGA anymore.
A few games, more by a fortuitous ac-
cident in choice of contrasting colors than
by design, provide recognizable mono-
chrome screens. I've searched diligently for
games compatible with laptops, finding
among them these standouts:
SWpheed. This classic shoot-'em-up
space game is primarily black-and-v^hite
even on a VGA color screen. It looks so
good on a laptop that it might have tieen
written for one. Imagine blasting away at
alien ships from your airplane seal in the
skies over Kansas.
Manhattan Software Card Games.
Manhattan has nine excellent card games
that provide only the simplest of graphics.
The outstanding gameplay, however, more
than makes up for the plain-Jane look,
which, after ail, is what makes the games
work so well on laptops. My day isn't com-
plete without a few hands of Cutthroat Pi-
nochle, which is a guaranteed delight.
Hoyle's Book of Games / and II,
Laptop Editions. These two Sierra games
are the only laptop-specific games I've
stewardess before firing up your lap-
top, especially on foreign airlines.
One last airline hint: Aisle seats
give you more elbow room for the
sometimes difficult feat of laptopping
on an airline food tray.
Computing in the l4otel
Hotels present their own challenges to
laptop users. The one you hear the
most about is the difficulty of tapping
into the phone lines with your mo-
dem, which can be a nightmare. If you
are taking an extended trip and need
access to the phones, you can call
ahead and find a hotel that promises
access to RJ-1 1 jacks (the standard
modular phone plug), but don't expect
hotel desk clerks to be knowledgeable
about telephone equipment. They
may know, however, when the hotel
was built. Oddly enough, the older the
hotel, the more likely you can use its
telephone equipment without major
problems.
Hotels built in the 1 970s and
1980s purposely made it difficult to
get at any kind of phone connectors—
the worst situation being when they
have wired directly from the wall to
the receiver with no plugs anywhere
along the line.
Use the Road Warrior Toolkit
from Computer Products Plus in
22 COMPUTE
A U G U S
seen. By stripping out the color and sound
and limiting the video to CGA, Sien-a can
sell these games for a pittance, \falume I in-
cludes eight popular card games including
Hearts and Gin Rummy. \ADlume II includes
28 solitaire games— all the traditional ones
and a few making their first showing here.
These visually stimulating games provide
animated opponents, including characters
from Sierra's King's Quest games.
GameTek's TV Game Shows. These
inexpensive games. Jeopardy! and Wheel
of Fortune, are both graphically simple and
brain-ticklingly fun enough to earn a place
in your travel kit,
Other games vrell suited to the laptop
environment include Tetris. Welltris, Soli-
taire Royale, the early Accolade driving
games (The Cycles, Grand Prix Circuit, and
Test Drive), Chessmaster 2100, Microsoft
Flight Simulator 4.0, Oix, Empire, Action
Stations, World Class Leader Board, and
Tracon. Sim City fans will find that it's pos-
sible to continue their addiction on a laptop,
particularly with the newer VGA machines.
Unfortunately, I have yet to find a fantasy
role-playing game that is much fun on a
laptop.
Take a few of these gems with you.
and you won't be bored. But be prepared
for odd looks from fellow airline passen-
gers when you tell Princess Rosella to shut
up and deal. And try not to grovirt impreca-
tions at Xacate, the evil enemy in Silpheed,
until you get to a more private place.
these situations to alligator-clip onto
wires in the unscrewed mouthpiece
end of the handset. You can find jury-
rigging equipment similar to those in
the Road Warrior Toolkit at Radio
Shack and similar stores. If you're as-
sembling your own kit, don't forget
pliers, screwdrivers, alligator-clip
leads, RJ-1 1 jack doublers, and other
adapters and converters. An easier but
more expensive solution is an acous-
tic coupler, such as the Telecoupler
from Computer Products Plus, which
straps onto any telephone handset to
feed the computer signals into the
phone without a direct-wire hookup.
Another problem with doing
your computer work in a hotel room
is less obvious. Many of us travel,
planning to work several hours in the
hotel in the evenings. By the time the
trip is nearly over, it's obvious that
we've failed to meet our productivitv
goals. Why? Well, consider: Does your
office have cable TV, including HBO?
Does it have an inviting bed? Is there
an interesting new city just outside,
asking to be explored? Probably not.
Add these distractions to the irritation
of essential information you forgot to
bring, and it's little wonder pro-
ductivity plummets on the road, de-
spite our best intentions. Just because
you now have a computer available
T 1 <P 9 1
around the clock, that doesn't mean
you should expect to attain super-
human production levels on a trip.
Online Services
The online services such as Compu-
Serve and GEnie can be lifesavers
when you're on the road. Be sure to
take the local access phone numbers
for your destination cities.
These international computer
networks give you access to almost
unlimited communication facilities.
Need to send a fax quickly from your
hotel room? Dial up your online ser-
vice, and with a few simple com-
mands the fax is sent. There's a charge
for this, but it's quite reasonable.
Electronic mail, or E-mail, is ex-
tremely handy as well. If your office
or home has a computer and modem,
you can leave private messages for the
folks you left behind through the
phone. You can even transmit whole
computer data files through E-mail. E-
m ailing files makes them immediately
available to the addressee from any-
where in the world.
The networks can also be an aux-
iliary file storage area. Important files
can be uploaded and saved online un-
til you download them upon your re-
turn. If your laptop dies or is stolen or
if the airlines lose your luggage and alt
your floppy disks, your data file is still
safely stored on the network.
Extensive databases of almost
every kind are available through the
online services, freeing you from the
need to cany reference materials with
you. And finally, the various special
interest groups in the online services
give you access to people who can
help you with any kind of problem,
computer or otherwise, (When I
needed interviews for a magazine
article I was writing at night on a
business trip in Hawaii, I posted a
notice on GEnie. Within a few
hours, I had all the people I needed,
complete with quotations I could use
without transcribing a tape.)
Running Your Computer
While running the computer on bat-
teries, do everything you can to keep
from accessing the hard or fioppy disk
drives unnecessarily. Most laptops
save energy by turning off the disk
drive motors when you haven't ac-
cessed the drives for a few minutes.
Some require you to turn them off
when you don't need them. As soon as
you request data from the disk, the
computer restarts the motor, spins the
disk, and retrieves or writes the data.
Any time the disk is spinning, you're
eating away your battery power.
This is one of the benefits of the
RAM disk we discussed above; it in-
volves no spinning of disks. >
Product List
Battery Watch Pro
Logitech Trackman Portable
$49.95
Si 69.00
LapLink III
Logitech
$149.95
6505 Kaiser Dr.
Traveling Software
Fremont, CA 94555
18702 N. Creek Pkwy.
(800)231-7717
Bothell.WA 98011
(415)795-8500
(800) 343-8080
(206) 483-8088
Microsoft SallPoint Mouse
Si 75.00
Canon BJ-10e
Microsoft
$499.00
One Microsoft Way
Canon U.S.A.
Redmond, WA 98052-6399
One Canon Plaza
(800) 426-9400
Lake Success, NY 11042
(516)488-6700
MousePen Professional PC
$109.00
The Complete Laptop Compufsr Guide Appoint
ISBN 0-312-050623
1332 \*ndels Cir.
$18.95
Paso Robles, CA 93446
St. Martin's Press
(800)448-1184
175 Fifth Ave.
New/York. NY 10010
No-Squlntll
(212)674-5151
S49.95
SkiSoft Publishing
Cutthroat Pinochle
1644 Massachusetts Ave., Ste. 79
$35.00
Lexington, MA 02173
Manhattan Software
(800) 662-3622
P.O. Box 148
(617)863-1876
Peterborough, NH 03458
(800)432-5656
PKZIP
$47.00
FastLynx
PKware
$149.95
9025 N. Deerwood Dr.
FastLock Plus
Brown Dear, Wl 53223
$84.95
Rupp
7285 Franklin Ave.
(414)354-8699
Portable Computing Official Laptop Field
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Manual
(800) 852-7877
ISBN 1-878058-1 0-X
$14.95
ICONtroller
IDG Books Worldwide
$99.95
155BovetRd.,Ste.730
Suncom Technologies
San Mateo, CA 94402
6400 W. Gross Point Rd
(415)358-1250
Niles.lL 60648
(708) 647-4040
Road Warrior Toolkit
$49.95
Jeopardy! 2Sth Anniversary Edition
Telecoupler
$16.95
$149,95
Jeopardy.' Vol. 1
Computer Products Plus
Jeopardy! Vol. II
16351 Gothard St.
Jeopardy! Junior Edition
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Jeopardy! Sports Edition
(800) 274-4277
$11.95 each
Wheel of Fortune Golden Edition
Silpheed
Wheel of Fortune Junior Edition
S34.95
£16.95 each
Hoyle's Book of Games 1 and II
Wheel of Fortune Vol. 1
$34.95 each
Wheel of Fortune Vol. li
Sierra On-Line
Wheel of Fortune Vol. Ill
P.O. Box 485
$11.95 each
Coarsegold.CA 93614
GameTek
(800)326-6654
2999NE191stSt.. Ste. 800
StQCh&F
N. Miami Beach, FL 33180
$149.00
(305)935-3995
Stac Electronics
Laptop UltraVlslon
$59.95
Personics
5993 Avenida Encinas
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(800)522 7822
63 Great Rd.
(619)431-7474
Maynard, MA 01754
TravelMate 2000
(800)445-3311
$3,199.00
The Laptop User's Guide
ISBN 1-55755-083-2
Texas Instruments
P.O. Box 202230
$19.95
Abacus
Austin, TX 78720-2230
(800) 527-3500
5370 52nd St, SE
Worldport 2496 Fax Modem
Grand Rapids, Ml 49512
$699,00
(800)451-4319
Touchbase Systems
(616)698-0330
160 Laurel Ave.
Northport, NY11758
(800)541-0345
A disk defragmenter (such as Op-
lune or Spinwrite II) will make your
disk accesses faster and more efficienl
and, over time, save a little battery
juice.
Be aware that your laptop with its
dependence on batteries and its expo-
sure to unknown perils as you travel
makes your data much less secure
than it would be on a desktop unit.
Back your data up frequently. Make
floppy disk copies of files as you cre-
ate them, just to be sure.
When You Get Home
When you get home, there are only a
few essential things left to do. Down-
load your network-stored files to your
home orolTice computer. Upload
your data files from the laptop to your
desktop computer using LapLink or a
similar product, or transfer them by
floppy disk if there aren't too many.
Clean up your hard disk and rerun
your disk optimizer to defragment
and pack your files again.
In this process of transferring the
files back to your desktop computer,
be wary of confusing older versions of
files with newer ones. Concentrate
and be sure that you are transferring
the files in the right direction. More
than one travel-weary computerist has
absent-mindedly written the pretrip
versions of his files over the newer
ones generated on the trip.
Stash away all your travel kit
items in good order so that everj'thing
will be ready for your next adventure.
That way, once you've assembled
your travel survival kit, you'll never
have to worry about it again except
for simple maintenance.
Pull up that packing list file you
saved on the laptop before you left
and have a critical look at it. What did
you lake that you didn't use? Delete it
from the list. What did you leave
home that you needed? Add it to the
list. After a few trips, your packing list
will be fine-tuned to give you exactly
what you need every time.
Finally, if you set new records
playing Terns on your trip, copy the
high score file from your laptop to
your desktop so that the vanity board
will reflect your new triumph.
Congratulations! You've made it
through your first laptop trip. You'll
agree, I'm sure, that your laptop is in-
deed a different breed of animal from
a desktop unit, but you're well on
your way to taming it. El
Richard O. Mann, CFA, CIA of Roy, Utah, is
an internal auditor for the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints. His job has tak-
en him to Brazil, Havi/aii, Samoa, Tahiti, Cin-
cinnati, and other exotic locales, always
with a portable computer. Look for him on
GEnie as R.rvlANN3.
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 23
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R f C H A R D
LEINECKER
Hant to create a masterpiece,
take a learning voyage through
space, or track the movement
of the earth, sun, and moon?
Then you'll want to get this month's
SharePak disk, which has something
for everyone. TurboPainl is a full-
blown art program that runs in Hercu-
les, CGA, EGA, Tandy, and VGA.
Math Voyager is a commercial-quality
arcade-style educational game, and
EARTH WATCH is a program that
helps you track the earth's movement
with a time-lapse effect.
Each month we download hun-
dreds of programs, screen them, and
narrow the field down to a few of the
best. The result is our SharePak
disk — always packed with fine pro-
grams for one low price.
After downloading, we decide
which programs are best suited for
this month's editorial focus and then
do one more round of testing to make
sure our choices for you are up to
snuff Downloading as many pro-
grams as we do would cost you more
than twice the price of COMPUTE's
SharePak disk, so you save time and
money by ordering the disk.
JurboPamt^.B
This full-featured paint program will
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Plenty of different systems are
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Tandy 16-color, MCGA, and VGA
cover the gamut of video modes. You
also won't have trouble loading in dif-
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picture formats are supported, and
you can load in any GEM font, so fan-
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through, you can print out your cre-
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supported.
TurboPaint has all the drawing
tools you would expect: lines, boxes,
circles, ellipses, cut and paste, fills, air-
brush, freehand, and ray tools. For
fine-tuning pictures, you can use the
zoom feature and draw pixel by pixel.
To effectively run TurboPaint,
you need 512K of free RAM. If your
system has 5 I2K built in, that means
you have less than 5 12K available be-
cause DOS and memory-resident util-
ities use up some of it. Although the
program's main control device is a
mouse, you can run it without a
mouse, since keyboard and joystick
drivers are provided.
The registration price is $20,
which includes the latest version of
TurboPaint, a fonts disk packed with
over 80 fonts, a clip art disk, and an
art disk.
Get this great program and paint
up a masterpiece.
Math Voyager
Take a voyage into deep space. You'll
have to be on your toes, though. By
answering math problems, you'll
guide your starship through the void,
and if you're clever and fast, you can
zap the aliens and chart a course to
the destination star cluster.
This game is great for kids as
young as eight years old, but after /
finished playing, my own computa-
tional skills were honed razor sharp.
You can set the program for addi-
tion, subtraction, multiplication, divi-
sion, or a combination of the four,
and set numbers to whole, decimal, or
mixed. You can also set the difficulty
level to encounter black holes along
the way.
You'll need at least 384K and a
CGA graphics card to run this pro-
gram. Mouse support is included if
you have a Microsoft-compatible
mouse.
If you decide to order the full-
blown version for $14.95, you'll see
the graphics in EGA, Tandy 16-color,
MCGA, or VGA modes.
Fine-tune your math skills and
have a great time. Not only will this
game provide hours of entertainment,
but it might help your kids get better
grades in school or even help you get
an edge on your own math skills,
EARTHWATCH
This program graphically displays the
earth-moon system's march through
time. You'll see the 24-hour day-and-
night cycles due to the earth's rota-
tion, the moon's monthly phases, and
the earth's annual trip around the sun
with the passing of the four seasons.
A map of the world will slowly
scroll eastward across the screen as the
continents in turn move daily from
predawn darkness through sunrise
and daylight, and then through sunset
back to night.
It's fascinating to watch the shape
of the daylight zone change ever so
slowly from day to day as the seasons
progress.
As an added plus, you can call up
a special almanac screen to display ad-
ditional information such as compari-
son of sunrise and sunset times with
those of the previous day.
For anyone with an interest in
weather, astronomy, or time zones —
fishermen and wildlife buffs, kids
working on science projects, backyard
stargazers— £^i?r//'TO7"C// is a real
find. It's a lot of fiin, and it's a great
way to keep track of the earth's natu-
ral cycles. Don't pass it up! m
26 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
SHAREPAK
With COMPUTE'S SharePak, You'll
Share in the Savir:pis!
SAVE TIME— we carefully select and test all
programs for you
SAVE MONEY — each disk includes two to five
programs for one low price
SAVE KEYSTROKES— our free DOS shell lets you
bypass the DOS command line
TiirboPalnt 1.S
Math Voymgmr
EAHTHWATCH
COMPUTE'S SharePak disk contains the best of
shareware— handpicked and tested by our staff— to compie-
ment this month's In Focus topic. You'ii sampie entertainment,
iearning, or home office software at a great savings. Each
SharePak disk includes two to five programs plus complete
documentation for one low price;
S5.95 for 5V4-inch disk
$6.95 for 3V2-inch disk
For even more savings,
Subscribe to SharePak and receive
COMPUTE'S SuperShell FREE!
For a limited time, you can subscribe to COMPUTE'S Share-
Pak and save more than 37% off the regular cost of the
disks— plus get GOMPUTE's SuperShell FREE. With a one-
year paid subscription, you'll get
• A new 3V2- or 5V4-inch disk delivered to your home every
month
• Savings of over 37% off the regular disk prices
• Advance notices of COMPUTE special offers
• COMPUTE'S SuperShell at no additional cost!
Subscribe for a year at the special rates of $59.95 for
5iA-inch disks and $64.95 for 3V2-inch disks— and get
COMPUTE'S SuperShell FREEl
COMPUTE'S SuperShell requiras DOS 3.0 or higher.
Disks available only for IBM PC and compatibles, Oder good while supplies last
For Single Disks
YES! I want to share in the savings. Send me the August 1991 issue of
COMPUTE'S SharePak disk. 1 pay $5.95 for each 5y4-jnch disk and $6.95
for each SVa-inch disk plus $2.00 shipping and handling per disk.
Please indicate how many disks oi each format yoii v«5ukl lil<e:
SVi-inch at S5.9S each 3'/Wnch at $6.95 eacti
Subtotal
Sales Tax (ReskJants of NO and NY. please add appropnate sales tan for
your area. Canadian orders. a(Jd 7% goods and services tax.)
Shipping and Handling ($2.00 U.S. and Canada, S3.00 surface maS. S5.00 alr-
rT«tl per disk)
Total Enctosed
Name .
Subscriptions
I want to save even more) Start my one-year subscription to COM-
PUTE'S SharePak right away. With my paid subscription, I'll
get a FREE copy of COMPUTE'S SuperShell plus all the savings
listed above.
Please indtcate the disk size desired.
SVj-inch at $59.95 per year 3'A-ifich at S64.95 per year
For delivery outside the U.S. or Canada, add SI 0.00 for postage and handling.
Address .
City
State/Province .
Total Enclosed .
. ZIP/PosQICode.
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. Exp. Date .
Daytime Teleptmne No. ^ .
Send your order to COMPUTE'S SharePak, 324 Wfest Wendover Avenue, Suite 200,
Greensboro, North Carolina 27403.
An ofOers mu3l bepatdir U.S. furtds Oy ctwch (Jrawn an a U.S. tjankorby money offler.MasterCafd of ViSAaccflpt-
ed tor orders over S20 Tim otter wtl be Idled only u me BCiove MdfOSS arid is rvl m^de n confunction witti any ottief
magazine or ^&k fuOscnption olfer Please alow 4-6 weeks for delmryol sngie issues or lor suOscnption To tM^n.
Sony, 0(4 tetephone ortJers camot E» acceptad.
Important Notice: COMPUTE'S SharePak Is not associatBd with COMPUTE'S PCtXsk. Please
order SharePak separately.
YOUR
POCKET
By Scott Leibs
Laptop and notebook com-
puters let you take your
work where you've never
taken it before, but when
you're standing at an air-
port pay phone or making
your way through the
crowded aisles of a trade
show, they simply aren't
portable enough.
Fortunately, a recent
explosion in hand-held
electronic organizers now
lets you reach into your
pocket and pull out reams
of data as well as a variety
of powerful applications.
Push a few keys, and you
can call up phone numbers
and appointments, keep
track of expenses, and may-
be even recommend the
perfect bottle of wine at
dinner.
In fact there are so
many electronic organizers,
if you decide you need one,
you could get completely
disorganized trying to sort
through them all. And with
new models being intro-
duced frequently and com-
petitors copying each
other's best features, the
field can seem to be one big
moving target. Fortunately,
all this competition also
means prices are dropping
fast.
The first thing to do is
set your spending limit;
then decide how much
computing power you need
to hold in your hand. If you
want to keep to a minimum
the price of your initial for-
ay into this new breeding
ground of electronic brains,
the DataStor 1000c from
SelecTronics might be a
good place to start.
This device retails for
about $40 and offers the
most basic functions — cal-
culator, electronic memo
pad, phone directory, and
appointment calendar. Just
slightly larger than a credit
card, it has a two-line
screen, alarm, battery-
backed memory, and other
features. Despite the fact
that its limited functiona-
lity keeps programming to a
minimal level, program-
ming it isn't entirely intu-
itive—don't throw away
the directions. But if you
want to keep phone num-
bers handy and you can
keep your memos brief (the
non-QWERTY keyboard
will likely frustrate anyone
accustomed to touch-typ-
ing), the DataStor 1000c
has its uses. If nothing else,
it allows you to invest very
little money to find out if
you've got what it takes to
leave diary and pencil be-
hind and trust your ap-
pointments to an electronic
device.
Far more function-
rich — and expensive — are
the high-profile Sharp Wiz-
ard and the Casio B.O.S.S.
In fact, these are entire fam-
ilies of products, with new
models added seemingly
every month. They're pow-
erful tools with many built-
in features and they're
enjoying a boom in the va-
riety of available software.
The Sharp Wizard, the
pioneer product in the field,
comes in several different
models ranging in price
from $110 to $360 and
weighing from five to ten
ounces. The low-cost ZQ
series is designed primarily
for people who don't have
extensive software needs. It
has a QWERTY keyboard
and up to 64K of memory,
and it offers the ability to
transfer data among mem-
bers of the Wizard family
(and with some models, be-
tween Wizards and IBM-
compatible and Apple PCs)
by using special cables.
The ZQ series offers
built-in ftmctions such as a
calendar, calculator, sched-
uler, phone book, memo
feature that can accommo-
date up to eight pages of
data, and, on some models,
a built-in ledger that tracks
expenses as well as a to-do
list that can prioritize activ-
ities. Data is displayed
either 1 2 characters by four
lines or 16 characters by
eight lines.
The more sophisticated
OZ series can accept soft-
ware on smart cards. These
credit-card-size circuit
boards offer applications
ranging from language
translators to city guides to
a new fax/modem card to —
naturally — videogames.
The OZ series also fea-
tures a much better display
of 40 characters by eight
lines, more memory, and
an expanded array of built-
in functions, including a
very useful built-in help
feature. More software is
coming every day (see side-
bar), and the devices are
proving popular among
both consumers and busi-
ness people. Several corpo-
rations, including Pepsi-
Cola and Prudential, have
bought thousands of units
to give to field salespeople
and others who need easy
access to a wide range of
information. San Diego Pa-
dres general manager Joe
Mcllvaine uses a Sharp
Wizard to track the per-
formance of minor league
players, and New York
Mets marketing vice presi-
dent Jim Ross uses one to
store the team's complete
schedule as well as a list of
good restaurants in each
city the Mets visit.
The Casio B.O.S.S.
(Business Organizer Sched-
uling System) is similar to
the Wizard in virtually ev-
ery way. While some Wiz-
ard models are meant to be
opened like a book, with
keyboard on one side and
The kind of power
you need
to manage your
time
and resources
may be
sitting in the
palm
of your hand
i^^S^^^^
BIG THINGS IN SMALL RACKAGES
COURTESY OF CASIO
COURTESY OF ATARJ COMPUTER
In addition to business-oriented smart cards, the
Casio B.O.S.S. accepts a number of "diskware"
applications downloaded from a PC.
Atari's Portfolio is DOS compatible and comes with
five built-in applications, including a Lotus 1-2-3
file^compatible spreadsheet
OOU HTESY OF SHARP ELECTROrflCS
COURTESY OF HEWLETT-WCKAHD
The Oz version Of Sharp Electronics' Wizard
pocket computer is one of the more sophisticated
pocket PCs.
Hewlett-Packard's 95LX is the newest palmtop to hit
the market. The 95LX can act as an additional drive
to a desktop PC.
screen on the other, all the Casio mod-
els open like a carton of eggs, with the
keyboard held in the palm. While re-
cent entries in the B.O.S.S. family ac-
cept software and memory upgrades
in the form of smart cards, users can
also buy some applications on Vh- or
5"/4-inch disks that must be down-
loaded to the B.O.S.S. from a PC.
While that's time-consuming, the ap-
plications cost only $22.95. As of this
writing, such "diskware" includes
guides to wine, foreign languages,
travel sites, weight loss and nutrition,
and horoscopes/lottery numbers.
Smart cards from Casio are more
business-oriented and include a
spreadsheet, expense tracker, and
various dictionaries,
Casio has also begun to build
some electronic-organizer capabilities
into its calculators, allowing users to
30 COMPUTE AUGUS
program in phone numbers and brief
memos. .'Knd two models of its Digital
Diarv- fall squarely between the
B.O.S.S. and upgraded calculators, al-
lowing users to enter not just phone
numbers but longer memos and
schedules while also providing a
month-at-a-glance feature.
Scientists and engineers who'd
like a pocket-size tool all their own
should take a look at Hewlett-Pack-
ard's $350 HP 48SX (for Scientific
expandable) calculator. This device
lets you enter equations as you would
write them on paper and provides a
new level of graphics and calculus
functions. The 48SX also accepts
memory and applications smart cards,
but be warned; This device is for the
mathematically sophisticated. I liter-
ally had to read the owner's manual to
figure out how to add 2-1-2.
T 19 9 1
For those who simply can't have
enough power in hand, the emerging
field of palmtop computers may be
the answer. Like personal information
organizers, these devices are light-
weight (about a pound), can be held in
one hand and operated with the other,
and accept smart cards.
The similarities end there. The
Poqet PC, a pioneer in the field, is a
full-blown DOS computer with all the
power that implies. The Poqet PC has
a 77-kcy QWERTY keyboard, a dis-
play of 80 characters by 25 lines, and
four drives (two internal, two that ac-
cept smart cards via sliding doors). By
cabling it to a desktop PC, you can
download any DOS application as
well as transfer data in both direc-
tions. The unit comes with a handful
of built-in (ROM-executable) applica-
tions, including a word processor,
Take your choice of these popular pQD aAIIBI
children's computer software nXm V ^ SI U ■
programs worth up to $59.95... JUa I V ZZ t
Pljs shipping and handling, with m embers hip.
Where in Time is
Carmen San Diego?;
Regular Price: M9.95
Travel through Time to
capture the villain and her
gang.
Available for IBM and
Apple II. ITEM NUMBER 2
New Matti Blaster Pius:
Reg uiar Price: S49.95
World's best-selling math
program has fun
"Blasternaul" game.
New Version Now
AvaiiabietorlBU.
Apple II version's MBP.
ITEM NUMBER 3
PSteppin^ Slone^
I Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing:
I Regular Price: 549,95
I Best Home Learning Award!
Fun typing skills for al]
iQes.
Available lor IBM and
Apple II. ITEM NUMBER 5
I The Oregon Trail
Regular Price: S49.95
Travel with a pioneer family
across the 19th cenlury
wilderness, learning how to
sunwve.
Available lor IBM and
Apple II, ITEM NUMBER 6
The New Prim Shop
Rsgylar Price. $59.95
The most popular graphics
software In history Print your
own cards, banners and signs.
Printsr required.
Available lor IBM and
Apple II. ITEM NUMBER 7
Miied-Up Mother Goose:
Regular Price: S39.95
Help Mottier Goose tind the
missing pieces to her
rt^ymes-
Available for IBM and
Apple II. ITEM NUMBERS
Stepping Etones I & II: |
Regular Price: 54995
From early reading ID addition,
spelling and vocabulaiy.
Colorful graphics.
Available for IBM
(enhanced version) and
Apple II, ITEM NUMBER 9
■ Super Solvers
■ OutnunnbererJ:
■ Regular Pnce: S49-95
A highfy-recommended
pfogram that develops
raalh. problem-solving
and other skills
Available for IBM and
compatibles only.
ITEM NUMBER 4
SOFTWARE
SELECTION
GUIDE
Key to Colors:
■ Ages 3-7
■ Ages 7-10
■ Ages 10-13+
Watch your children laugh and learn...witti software that's huL fun, fun!
Exciting Newslt;tter...FRliE!
Charter members receive the Learning Advenhire Computer Club I'iirents
Newsletter fT^EE. Fenturing a ho^t of recommended sofhvare for children 3-13+!
You've got the children. You've got the computer. N'oiv \'Ou can bring the two
together and tum leisure tirne into leamii^g time with software that's fun!
The Learning Advenhirc Computer Club takes the work out of soft^vare selection
for you. We review liundreds of computer programs for youngsters — invite
children like yours to test them — then select only the ones that combine active fun
with measurable learning in:
* MATH • SOCIAL SCIENCE AND GEOGRAPHY * SCIENCE
* LANGUAGE ARTS AND READING * CRTTICAL THINKING SKILLS '
....AND MORE IMPORTANT SKILLS!
Software Geared to Your Child's Age and Interests
To find out which programs are best for your child, check the colored square by
each program: they're keyed in three age groups.
Blue progranns introduce your 3-7 yenr-olds to the computer with activities that
arouse their airiosity...captuTe their imagination..,and instill a lifelong love of
learning. Red programs tum the Three R's into rip-roaring adventures for 7-lD year-
olds with programs developed to supplement their education and him their
weaknesses into strengths. Green programs shetch the minds of l()-13-i- year-olds
with sophisticated software that make academic challenges fun and rewarding!
How tlie Club Operates:
Try your first computer program FREE for 1 5 days at no risk or obligation. Just
select the software package of your choice, fill out the coupon and mail it today.
We'll send you the program you select. If you are pleased with the program, you'll
pay for it at the Charter Members' price of just S9.95 plus shipping and handling, a
savings of up to S50.IX) off the retail price.
Then about every four weeks (1 3 times a year) you'll receive a new Parents
Newsletter v,ith details about the next selection for your child. To receive the main
selection, you need do nothing — it wUl be sent automatically. If you vrish to order
an alternate selection, or wish no selection at all, simply rehim the card we provide
to tell us your choice. You will always have at least 10 days to decide.
Enjoy a 15-Day Free Tri;U
What's more, you will always have 1 5 days to preview each shipment and rehim
any program you don't want. Your only commitment is to purchase three
additional selections in the next year at 'regular club prices. You may cancel your
membership anytime thereafter. You havt absolutely nothing to lose, and a whole
new world of fun and learning to gain for your children. So don't wait: rehim the
coupon today!
Circle Reader Service Number 184
rMail to: Learning Adventure" Computer Club
925 Oak Street, Scranton, PA 18515 Dept. TARA81
Vpe I Please send tne ttie program I have itidicated below to preview lor 15
■ ■■•■ • days at no risk or obligation, i may return the program afterlS days and
have no lurther obligation. If ! am pleased with the program. I'll pay (or it a! the special
new member price ol only S9.95 plus S2.95 shipping and handling, and enroll as a new
member under the terms outlined on this page. As a new member. I need to buy just 3
more selections at regular club prices in the next year and may cancel any lime thereafter.
Naine
Acidres.s_
Citv
Slate
Zip_
_ to preview. (Please tilt in
Tc'lephdne ( l
1. Please send me Item nuinber . .
identification number of program shown above.)
2. AGEof chlid'{ctieckone);
3-7 7-10 10-13+
3. Computer you own and size of disk required (cfieck one):
IBM/Tandy & Compatibles with 5 V^" disk drive
IBI\/I/Tandy & Compatibles with 3 Vz' disk drive
Apple II Family & Compatibles with 5 V4' disk drive
4. Child's name^ ^
Cfiild's birthdate: Month_
Day_
5. Please check below If you have a;
Printer H/lodem Color f^/lonltor
Year_
6. Parent's Signature_
We reserve the njht 10 request addrtonal iilomalra or reiecl any spplcalion oi ™«l a^V '"™'»;!.;'?„'-™''«^
10 new members in me conlinefflJl USA onty e.duilina AK, Sales lax will l« added in PA and CA. We II send you
deiails ol t^e duns operation wth your enrollmeni sinpnwnl. and you riave a 15-day no-oWigaiKifi dnvi«6e to
decide al you vflsn lo continue as a member
calculator, scheduler, and phone di-
rectory. An optional modem, external
3'/2-inch disk drive, and the ability to
expand RAM up to 2MB takes you
well beyond the typical electronic or-
ganizer, as does the $ 1 ,450 list price.
In fact, if your eyes are good enough
and your fingers small enough, the Po-
qet PC could satisfy all your portable
computing needs. Many other PC
makers, including several Japanese
companies, are aggressively pursuing
the palmtop market, so the options
here could mushroom by late 1991.
meric keypad, and includes ROM-
execulable versions of DOS 3.22 and
Lolus 1-2-3 release 2.2 built in. The
95LX includes an advanced financial
calculator and several primer drivers.
Along with graphics, database, and
macros features, 1-2-3 accessories in-
clude a filer, phone book, appoint-
ment book, communications module,
and memo writer. Suggested retail
price for the 95LX is $699.
The real power of the 95LX
palmtop comes with an optional Con-
nectivity Pack from Traveling Soft-
prescription will suddenly be obsolete.
The efforts going into improving
laptop screens and finding ingenious
ways to make keyboards both porta-
ble and full-functioning (and. with
folding keyboards, even full-size) are
certain to further boost the potential
productivity of these hand-held de-
vices. Add to that the deep price cuts
that intense competition is already in-
spiring, and business people in all
walks of life will soon be reaching for
pint-size computers the way they
reach for pens today. a
Smart Card Software
Hand-held information devices rely on a va-
riety of miniaturized components. One of
tfie most important is ttie integrated circuit
(IC) card, also called a smart card or a RAM
card/ROM card. Tfiese hard plastic cards
are about the size of a stack of three credit
cards. They hold from one to as many as
eight microchips, depending on whether
they are used to hold a software application
or to expand memory.
The cards slide into a hand-held device
in much the same way that a floppy disk
slides Into a desktop PC. One drawback at
this point is that many devices have propri-
etary IC interfaces, meaning that a smart
card for one will not work with another.
Manufacturers of the cards are hammering
out standards, which will ensure interopera-
bility when used in machines that use the
same operating system, although electronic
organizers that use proprietary systems will
continue to require specialized IC cards.
That's a major reason why you should as-
Atari offers a sort of hybrid be-
tween the Poqet PC and the Wizard
and B.O.S.S. Its Portfolio is a DOS-
compatible $300 device that has five
built-in applications (Lotus 1-2-3
file-compatible spreadsheet, text edi-
tor, calendar, address/phone directo-
ry, and calculator), a 40-character by
eight-line display, and RAM expand-
able to 640K. As with the Poqet PC,
one of the beauties of the Atari Portfo-
lio is that it can run for weeks on three
AA batteries (the Poqet uses two). A
host of optional products, including a
PC Card Drive, serial and parallel in-
terfaces, file transfer cables, and 1200-
baud modem let the user connect
easily between the Portfolio and a
desktop PC. While the base product
doesn't pack the power of the Poqet
PC, letting users buy peripherals as
they are needed is a sound strategy.
Hewlett Packard's 95LX is the
newest palmtop to hit the market.
Weighing just 1 1 ounces with a 40-
character by 16-line display, it's some-
what smaller than the Poqet and has
1MB of ROM and 512K of RAM. De-
signed primarily for spreadsheet users,
it has a QWERTY keyboard with sep-
arate arrow keys and a separate nu-
32 COMPUTE AUGUS
sess the availability of software for a given
model before you buy such a device.
Currently smart card applications are
priced from about $50 for games for the
Wizard to S495 for XyWrite for the Poqet
PC. RAM cards follow a similar path, from
about $80 for 32K for the Wizard to $700
for a 1 MB card for the Poqet. As with the
hardware, prices are expected to drop, al-
though in the short term, the hassle of con-
necting to a desktop machine may be worth
It. Many observers say that as computer
makers try to cut the size and weight of lap-
top and notebook computers, floppy drives
will be replaced by IC cards. If the U.S. em-
braces the cards for pay phones, pay TV,
banking, and the many other things for
which European consumers use them, you
may need to be sure that every business
suit you wear has two functional pockets:
one for your hand-held computer and one
for your smart cards.
— scorr LEiBs
ware that includes DOS Connect, a
TSR program that allows the 95LX to
act as an additional drive to your
desktop PC so you can access files
without having to transfer them. The
Connectivity Pack contains DOS
Connect software and PC versions of
the filer, phone book, appointment
book, memo writer, and calculator;
merge and translate utilities; and a
special serial cable lo connect your PC
to the 95LX. .Although not cheap at
$99.95, you'll want the Connectivity
Pack if you get the HP 95LX.
The power being packed into
these hand-held devices is impressive,
but they aren't panaceas. The
QWERTY keyboards, for example,
are a big improvement over the ABC
type that many of the original pocket
computer products offered, and the
95LX's separate keypad is certainly an
advantage for spreadsheet users, but
mainly they simplify the search for a
given key; touch-typing is virtually
impossible due to the small size of the
keys and keyboards. And the displays
are fine for reading a phone number
or entering in a quick note to send so-
and-so a business card, but draft a let-
ter or two, and your eyeglass
T 19 9 1
Product List
B.O.S.S,
$239.95-$299.9S
Executive B.O.S.S.
$319.95
Casio
570 Mt. Pleasant Ave.
Dover, NJ 07801
(201)361-5400
Connectivity Pack
$99.95
Traveling Software
18702 N. Creek Pkwy.
Bothell.WA 90811
(206)483-8088
DataStor 1000c
$40.00
SelecTronics
2 Tobey Village Office Park
Pittsford, NY 14534
(716)248-3875
Electronic Organizer
109.99-$239.99
Wizard
$299.99-3359.95
Sharp Electronics
Sharp Plaza
Mahwah, NJ 07430
(201)529-8200
HP 48SX
$350.00
HP 95!.X
S699.00
Hewlett-Packard
1000 NE Circle Blvd.
Corvallis, OR 97330
(503) 752-7736
Poqet PC
$1 ,450.00
Poqet Computer
5200 Patrick Henry Dr.
Santa Clara. CA 95054
(408) 982-9500
Portfolio
$299.95
Atari Computer
1196BorregasAve.
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
(408) 745-2000
(408) 744-0880
#TEST LAB
This monlh COMPUTE'S Test Lab focuses on mice,
trackballs, and other pointing devices — 14 in all. In com-
bination with today's user-friendly software, especially to-
day's popular graphical user interfaces, you can use these
devices to traverse your screen and perform a variety of
commands more easily. This month's lineup includes a
variety of devices from mice to trackballs and special lap-
top peripherals such as the BallPoint, the MousePen Port-
able, and the ICONtroller. What's the best pointing
device for your needs? Test Lab's expert reviews will help
you decide. Our benchmark statistics offer you the specif-
ics you'll need to choose the right device for your applica-
tions. And you'll find a variety of useful and interesting
sidebars that explain the technology, provide background
history, and show you how to maintain your mouse.
'> Appoint MousePen Portable
>' Kensington Expert Mouse
Key Tronic Professional Series Mouse
Kraft Mouse
Kraft Trackball
Logitech MouseMan
Logitech MouseMan Cordless
Microsoft Ballpoint Mouse
Microsoft Serial-PS/2 Mouse
MicroSpeed PC-TRAC
ProHance Mouse
ProHance Trackball
Suncom ICOI^troller
Z-NIX Cordless Super Mouse
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 33
# TEST LAB
APPOINT MOUSEPEN PORTABLE
The MousePen Portable is a
unique attempt at solving a recent
problem: bringing mouse control
to laptop and notebook comput-
ers, [t incorporates an age-old design
into a new-age machine — a pointing
device that you use like a pen.
The MousePen Portable's shape
is. paradoxically, its advantage and
disadvantage. The slim design means
you can slick it in your shirt pocket or
find room for it in your laptop case.
You can use the MousePen on any
kind of surface, including your leg.
Holding the pen correctly takes a
lot of practice. The pen's manufactur-
er, .Appoint, claims its studies show
that people who are not predisposed
to mice — that is, people who don't use
them on a regular basis — adapt to the
pen quite readily. For others, picking
it up and using it correctly require ex-
tensive retraining.
What works best is to grasp the
pen near the base, with an index finger
on the lower button, which is equiva-
lent to the left button on a desktop
mouse. From this position you can
move the pen as you would a ball-
point pen. The movement of the pen
as it relates to the onscreen cursor reg-
isters "dynamic gain," which means
that the faster you move the pen, the
more screen area you'll cover. Use
small, slow movements for drawing,
and swifter movements for menu se-
lection or for selecting text.
The MousePen has two buttons,
arranged vertically on the stem. The
lower button has a raised knob on it to
signal its function as the left button on
a conventional desktop mouse. Con-
nections are made through a PS/2-
compatible connector or with the 9-
to-25 pin serial-port adapter. The
driver is Microsoft compatible, and I
experienced no problems using the
pen in GrandViav, Works, and sever-
al other software applications.
The MousePen package includes
a mouse pad with a holder, which you
can use if you decide to keep the
APPOINT
1332Vende!sC!r.
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 233-8976
System Requirements: 256K RAM, serial port or
PS/2 mouse port
Included Accessories: five-foot cable and PS/2
connector, adapter for DB9 or DB25 serial
ports, Microsoft-compatible mouse driver with
installation program, Menu Maker for using the
MousePen with nonmouse applications, Te/e-
pairti, 3V2-inch and SV-s-inch disks, user man-
ual, and a custom carrying case
List Price: $109
Street Price: $96'
MousePen closer to home. The pack-
age also includes a basic paint pro-
gram called Telepalnt and a menu
program you can use to design menus
for your DOS applications.
For dyed-in-the-wool mouse ma-
vens, the MousePen Portable is some-
what disappointing because its radical
design poses as many problems as it
solves. But it does work, and if you're
prepared to put up with a nonstan-
dard solution to the portable mouse
problem, it's certainly worth a test
drive. It can also be useful for com-
puter artists who are looking for a
more natural drawing tool. In the
meantime, the rest of us will wait for
touchscreens on our laptops. >
PETER scisco
'Test lab street prices are an average of prices adver-
tised in axnpulBr magazifies and national newspapers
dimng May 1991.
34
COMPUTE
AUGUST 19 9 1
KENSINGTON EXPERT MOUSE
I've used the Macintosh version of
this trackball for over a year now.
Because it uses an optical sensor in-
stead of mechanical moving parts,
it's the only Mac trackball that comes
close to the response of a mouse.
When 1 heard thai Kensington had
developed a trackball for the PC, I
was eager lo give it a tr\-.
The Expert mouse offers you the
same look and feel as the top-selling
Macintosh version. The entire unit is
large (4'/2 inches X 5% inches) and
sturdy — but more importantly, the
ball itself is large and easy to move
(it's about the same size as a billiard
ball). The two oversize buttons are on
either side of the ball and easy to
reach. You can configure the unit as a
one-, two-, or three-button mouse and
even swap the two buttons for left-
handed use.
You can also set up the Expert
mouse with a handy click-lock mode.
It's possible lo configure the device
with this option so that pushing and
releasing one button (you decide
which one) simulates holding the oth-
er button down. This option can be
useful in graphics programs for draw-
ing lines or dragging objects across the
screen.
Kensington supplies its own
mouse driver which lets you set the
degree of automatic acceleration (the
faster you move the ball, the more the
cursor accelerates). You can also write
your own acceleration curve table lo
further fine-tune the response. Unless
you're using a high-resolution moni-
tor ( 1078 X 768, or higher), the com-
bination of a 200-dpi trackball and
software-based acceleration should be
sufficient for just about any of your
applications.
As well as they work, trackballs
aren't for everyone, so try one before
you buy. If you do find you prefer a
trackball to a mouse (or don't have
the room to use a mouse), the Expert
mouse is an excellent choice, o
DAVID ENGLISH
KENSINGTON MICROWARE
251 Park Ave. S
New York, NY 10010-7399
(800) 535-4242
System Requirements: up to 60K RAM, depend-
ing on how many of the drivers are selected for
use
Included Accessories: manual, driver, menu
software, and test software
List Price: $149.95 for serial version ($179.95 for
bus version)
Street Price: $100.50
^ for 60,000 IS/Iouso
DriN/^r
'^x^^^^^^^^^^>5
Vv%
\x
\\^^C^v\x^,
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 35
WO
SURCHARGE
ON CREDIT
CARD
MaxFax
9624
• Powerful, intelligent, Group 3 9600 bps Fax
& Hayes compatible 2it00 bps Modsmn Card.
• Aulo Direct compaiibility
• On-Board Microprocessor & software package
• Supports several popular printer & scanners
• Compatible with IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2
Model 30, Compaq Deskpro 386 and all
other IBM compatible PCs. Compact
hall-card size
to tit most
portable &
FAX/MODEM
MACIIOKDC INC. vAllUw
For IBM Compatible Desktop & Portables
MaxLite/PC
EZJarstekl 128
HAND SCANNER
Complete Package includes...
• Mars 1 28 5" Scanner & Interface Card
• Scan Kit Utility Software & User's Manual
• Cat Reader OCR Software
& PC Paintbmsh Plus
• One Year Warranty
^10995
• Pocket Size Portable Fax/Modem
• Ser^d & Receive Fax/Modem with 9600 bps
G3 Compatible Fax S Hayes
Compatibte 2400 bps
Modem
• Interface with the PC
Via the RS232 Serial Port
• Optional
Software
Converts the
MaxLite into
a Macintosh
version
• Operates
on AC or
Battery
Power
CHiNON ScanFAX96/
DS-2000 SCANNER
$600 bps Transmission Speed,
Group 3 Compatibte
COMPLETE PACKAGE
INCLUDES...
• Chinon DS-2000
Scanner
• ScanFAX96
Add-In Board
• Facsimile Software
• DS-2000 unity
Software
• Scanner Cable
• AC Adapter
^218
.-iS«V,
The MousePen
Uses existing drivers in Windows®
and works with Microsoft or
IBM OS/2 drivers. Includes...
• Menu Maker utility software lor
non-mouse applications
• TelaPAINT® color paint program
with VGA support
• IBM PS/2 Mouseport Connector
• Adapter for DB9 and DB25
senal ports
• 5-1/4" i 3-1/2' diskettes
• User's Manual
• Custom
Pen Holder
Ak^.
«38
GALAXY EXTERNAL
NETWORKS MODEM
UFO V.32 TURB0/V.42bis
• (Compatible witft all existing, stand. 2-wira. full
duplex, dial up modems up to 38400bps
• MI^P" Class 5 -With Error-Free Transmission
upto19200bp$
• Alphanumeric Dial/Name Dial
• AutoSelect, User Friendly
• Auto Redial/Ouick Redial
• Satellite Capability
• Future Expansion
Capability
MaxFax
98Z4LT-T
FOR TOSHIBA LAPTOPS
• 9600 bps Group 3 Compatible Facsimile
• 2400 bps Hayas Compatible Modem
• TtOOOSE,T1000XE, T1200,T1200XE,
T1600,T3100SX 8lT3200SX
• Menu Driven
• Multiple Phone books
w/ Edit Function
• Wordprocessing
& Graphics
Programs
^B*^
AVAILABLE
FOR
^ COMPAQ ■
QMS IS 300
FULL PAGE SCANNER
• 300 dpi
• 6 seconds per page
• Complete with
Controller Card,
Cable, & Graphics Software
OCR Software Add $149.00
«328
COLOR PLOTTER
• Handles paper sizes up tot 4" X 26-1/2"
• High Resolution Matrix Printer Output ot
240x480 dpi
• Four Resident Character Fonts w/ 19 optional
fonts available
• Emulates Epson, A '
IBM & Diablo S^
• Large Alphanumeric
LED display
548
We buy and sell excess in ventorles.. call or fax lis t we Accffi.
20308 Gramercy Place, Torrance, CA 90501
(213) 328-3344 • FAX: (213) 328-2907 • (800) 345-5568
WE ACCEPT: NSI CHARGE, VISA, MC, AMEX, COD, PC's from qualified firms. 20% restocldng fee on all non-
defective returns. All returns/adjustments must be made within 1 5 days. CA residents Add 7% Sales Tax ■
PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE ■ $8.50 Minimum Shipping,
Ar>ieRicAt4
EXPRESS
NO
SURCHARGE
ON CREDIT
CARD
Unwn W&m^PwknU^ 1
IBM PS/2 MEMORY
CAT.I
DESCBPTIOH
NSI
3DFS343
S12KBUpgradoPS;2 302Sfi
«.oo
30FS3SO
2MB Upgrad« PS/2 30286
2MB Mmoy ^pt» $45Cr3e7
1MB SIMM PSffiTO-ESI; 121
128,00
64S03T2
385.00
6450KO
68.00
64i06M
2MB SIMM PS,2 502-70
108.00
BU060B
2WBS1MMPS.270-A21
i2e.co
3*F29)3
4WB£IMMFS,C2 55SX;65SX
.279.M
6450375
1MB Mam. BD PS/2 e(KHt
96.00
S450379
2MB Mem. BD PS/280111-321
156.00
CAT.I ■ DESCRIPTION
S451C60 MBMan.BOPS^80'A21;A31
S4S0605 2-BUBXpand Mem, PS/2 70480
w£MB
34F3077 2-14MB Xpand 80. PSS 704B0
wy2MB
645C609 2-UMa)(pafK)B0.Pa250-65SX
W/2MB
COMPAQ MEMORY
CAT.I DESCRIPTION NSI
107331-001 51 2KB Upgrade PcrlBtI« III 38.00
107332-001 2MB Upgrade Portable III 1 19.00
107651-001 1 MB MoiMe PnlaUe 3S6 218.00
107653-001 4M6 Xpan4 Mem. PalaSe 386 630.00
10765M01 4Mfl Mem. Xlensoi PofSHe 3Sfi ao.OO
10606&O01 1M8Xpa^dMemcryDP36&16 286.00
108070001 4M8XiaidM«m«yDP386-16 630.00
108071-001 1MBMem«yUp9ra)eDP3e6-16 108.00
1O8O72-0O1 4MBHemMyUpgriirieDP386-16 438.M
lioaswi 1 MB MwiMyBD 31286 162.00
110237-001 4MB Memory 60 at 286 fflO.OO
lt253+«)1 4MBMortjleDP3«6S-16 298.00
113131-001 1MB Module 0P386286E. 366 20-2S£ 96.00
113132-001 4MBMo(iu(eDP2S86E,38620-25£ 228.00
113633-001 lMBXp>n<lMem.OP386S-16 148.00
113634001 4M6XpanlMaii. DP3e6S-16 358.00
NSI
298.00
348.00
388.00
386.00
NSI
CAT.I DESCRIPTION
113644^1 tMBXpwdMem. DP38620E,25E 146.0J
)13M5O01 4MBXp4ndMem.DP38620e,2S6 358.00
11364M01 1MB Module DP386S-18 110.00
115144«1 1MB Module DP386-33,466-25,Syi(irol58,ra
116561-001 BWB Module 486-25. Syspro 699,00
lie568«l 32MB ktodJe 0PWM5. S^o 4.990,00
117077-001 512KB Mem, BD Portable LTE 119.00
117081-001 IMBMem.BDPalable LTE286 99,M
117081-002 2M8 Memory BD Potable LTE 286 1S8.00
118304^1 IMS Module lor SLT,'366 174.00
118304*11 2MB Module Iw SLT/386 270.00
11830S«)1 4MB Module Id 81.1/366 630.00
11868*001 IMBModiVeDP286f;.3e6N 90.00
DSeeMOl 2MB Module 0P386.4. 3B6S20 168.00
I1B690O01 4MBModdeOP286N.3a«N.386S-20 396.M
(1870OO01 0-4MBBip-BDDP286N,386N 108.00
TOSHIBA MEMORY
CAT.I
PC6-PA7137U
PC7-PA8301U
PCS-PAe302U
PC9-PA834DU
PC9.PAS341U
PC10-PAS304U
PC12-PAS307U
DESCRlFTtON NSI
3MB Mem Card PortadeT3200 228.00
2MB Mem Card PortatlsT510O 168.00
2MBMemCaldPatab»TI600 162.00
S12KMi!r:iCsd Portable T3100E 120.00
2M6 Mem Card PffiaWaTllOOE 168.00
2MBMBmCajdPo(Uble 168,00
TSSOOToshia D8stcpT85Ce
2MBM8meaidPorta&9T3200SX 168.00
CAT.I DESCRIPTION NSI
PCI 2-PA6309U 4MB Man. Card Portable T321X)SX 389.00
PCI 4-PAe306U 2MB Mem Card Portal!leTl2MXE 168.00
PCI4-PA83llUlMBMemCa/dPMtable 218.01
T10OCS£;T10OOXE
PC!4-PA8312U21J6MemCirdPonaljle 276 «
T1000S£;T1000XE
PCIS-PABJOSU 2MB Mm Ca/d Portable leZM
T310I3SX
AST MEMORY
CAT.I
500510001
50051 (MXS
60051 WXD
50051 0004
500510007
500510008
DESCRIPTION NSI
5iaCUpgrdKitPtm286FASTRAM 39.CO
2MB UpgrdKtPremWS 386SX: 118.00
WS 286; Bravo 266 i. 386SX; Rampage
Rus 286; Advn^ Ptera HI, Ham Admlg;
Advanbge
1MB Upgd Kit Premuni 386 98.00
4MB Up^d Kl Piim 386; Rampage 310.00
Rui'HC;Advntg266S3S6
1MB Upgrd Kit Prm3aa:; 38^16 S5.C0
4MB up^d Kit Prem 386c; 36&r)B 230.00
Advanced FASTRAM; FASTboard 386
51ZKUp9dKJtPreniWS38eSXS 39.00
WS 2S6; Bravo 286, Eampage « 286
ZENITH MEMORY
CAT.I DESCKPTION NSI
ZA1S0« 2Mg Card Si4»r Sport SX;266e 240.00
ZAieO^ 1MB Card Sif« Sport 286; 286£ 180.00
ZA1B0« 2MB Cad Super Sport SX (ALPHA) 240.00
ZA1S0-B7 2MB Cad SupefSporlSX (BETA) 240.00
ZA3034ME 1MB Card Turbo Sp«l386£ 199.00
a3034ME2 4MB Card TuiU Sport 386E S90.00
CAT, I
ZA3034ME2
ZA36O0ME
ZA3600MG
ZA3800ME
ZASaOOMK
DESCRIPTION
4Ma Card Turbo Sport 38SE
1 MB Mod. Z'386/20-ZS-33-33E
2MG Mod. Z-3e6m-25-33
lMBMod.r-3eSW25-33-33E
4MB Mod. Z-38&20-25-33-33E
NSI
590.W
79,00
13000
79.00
268.00
nh'iii'iii' iiiiyi
2f6)S
lMBx8
lMBx9
4Mei8
4MBx9
ISO IS 100
15.00 17.00 19.00
17.00 19.00 21.00
S050
53,50
80 70
22.00
2400
51.00 60.00
54.95 65.W
259.1X1279.00
279.00269.00
65,00
68.00
309.00
299.00
■ ilifili'ilHillU-:
ISO 129 W
64x1 JO 120 liO
64i4 200 lis 2i0
256x1 125 1.40 1.60 l.a5
256.4 S3S 5.70 S.W
IMBxl 5.45 5.65
W 70 0)
2.10
6.75 7J0
6.50 7i0
LASER PRINTER MEMORY
Call
K33474B
H33475B
H33477B
H33443B
H33444B
m3445B
EP1000
EPaOM
EP4000
T11000
TBIOOO
TB20(XI
TB3000
TB4000
WORKS WITH
1MB HPLaserJelllP.III.IIIO
2MB HPUserJelllP.III.IIID
4MB HPLaserJetllPJII.IIID
1MB HPLasHdslllSIID
2MB HPlaser JetllSIID
4MB HPlasH^tetllillD
1MB EpSiXi EPbeoOO
2MB Epjon EPL-6O0O
4MB EpjonEPL-eoOO
1MB Teea InstumenI
MkroLaael PS
1MB TosiiiiaPageUeere
2MB TosMm Page Laser 8
3MB TrsNbaPagaUserB
4MB Tosldia Page User 6
NSI
99.95
139.95
214.95
99.95
139.95
214.95
129.00
169.00
249.00
129.00
116.00
164,00
206.00
248,00
0*1 1
1039136 1MB
1039137 2MB
1038675 3.5MB
MGOOS IMS
M6006 4Ma
S63-1300 1MB
S63-iaS0 2MB
N/A 4MB
PAIOOO 1MB
PA2000 2MB
PA30O0 SUB
PA4000 4MB
WORKS WITH NSI
IBM Lass 4019;4OI9£ 129.00
IBM Lass 4019:140igE 189.CO
IBMUur4019;40I9E 229.00
Apple LaserWritorllJKn 85.00
Acr^e LaserWriter ll/NTX3t9.00
Canon LBP-Btl 119.00
Canon LBP-8II 189.00
Cawn LBP-8II 269.00
PirBsortolO(P4420-, 118.00
IOiP445Ci
Panasonic KXP4420; 164.00
KXP44S0i
Panasonic KXP4420; 208.00
KXP4450i
Panasonic KXP4420; 248.00
KXP4450i
NEC MEMORY
Call DESCRIPTION NSI
APCH6SSX 2MB Mod Pcwermale 386^ 458.00
AP0HB6X BMB Ejpavsion Board 1 .190.00
Powerrnale 366/25
APCH657X 3MB Base Board 1.250.00
Powennal»38$^
APCHS5CE 1 MB Enpanson Board 240.00
Powwmale SX Plus
APCHS52E 4M8 Expaisian Board 690,»
Powermato SX Rus
Cat. I DESCRIPTION NSi
PC21-21 1MBCDPtoSpeed2S63B6SX 246.00
PC21-22 4MB CD PtoSpeed 2863868X669.00
PC21-26 2MBCOPttfS(»ed2S6;3S6SX 309,00
PC31-21 2MBCDProSpe«d386 319.00
PC3t-22 EMBCOPioSpMd3S6
KTN2O0O 2MB E>]Hnson Board
/SX Poweimale SX Hus
KTN8000 SMB Eipoison Board
/SX Powennale SX Rus
1,190.00
44£.(>3
t.l90.»
HP MEMORY
CAT.I DESCRIPTION NSI
50)51 001 1 12SK Upgrd Kit Bravo 286 40.M
50070M01 SiaUpgrdNtAdm (2; Rampage PC 40.00
50070W)J3 512K Upgrd tCt Ranpage BisW 40.M
500718001 1MB Mod Prm 386.254 386SX/1 6 65.00
K10718O02 1MB Mod Prm 3e6'33-25; SX/1 6; 75,00
486/33;25T;25TE; 25.256.
Adapter Board 5O07Z2-0O4
50071MO4 2MB Upgid tOl Prem 466 S«ies 186.00
500780001 8MB Kit Prem 466 Series 870.00
5C061BO041-16MBEipBdPrBm38&25-3J; 450.00
Ptan tee's
ASTSXaD 1MBModPr9tiB386SXffl0 64.00
Call DESCRIPTION NSI
D1354A 2HBUp-KilVec»'aQS/ieS 11400
iES12PC
01640A IMBUp-KitVECTaA 62.00
QS,eOPC:RS25PCS20C
D1642A 1MBUp-KitVECTfU 234.00
QS20PC;RS25PC*20C
Can DESCRIPTION KSI
D1540A IMBUp-KitVECTTtACSneS 62.00
D154« 1MBUp-)ftVECTRAQS/16S G200
D215aA1HBModVECTHAt86PC 76.00
D2151A4M8ModVECTRA486PC 28100
021 52A 6MB Mod VECTRA 38&2S;486PC 930.00
IKSaiA 2MB Mod VECTHA 386^5 PC 144.00
M\
\i
my\mm'MM^mm
BOCARAM/XT-Prowide3H!to2MB o(
wpanded memorv Iw 8 bil bus. Opeiatoi up to 12
MHi.Us«5 2S6KI3-HAM-«iti(X tl20.00
*Hh512K 139.00
wtlh2H8 219.00
BOCARAM/AT PLUS-Prowdesupto
SMS ol edended, expanded or baiifll memory.
Operates up b 33MH2 and is ssel thru »ltiir»e,
Uses256KD-RA«-wiha< tI19,C0
wilh2MB 219.00
BOCARAWAT-l/O PLUS-P.«d«i;(.
to 4MB o( Xtended , Xpanded cr baddil memory.
For 16 bd bus. Ops ales up to 33 MHz and is se(
hru software, has serial and parallel port Us«9
1M8 D-RAM-
withOK t1 49.00
with 2MB 249.00
80CARAM 30-f>iovides tp to 2ME of
omaxW mmory tor IBM PS2 model 25. 30 ax)
S^t bijs utJinig 3.5* to(W disks. Uwt 2S6K D-
RAM- with OK 1159,00
vn*i2MB ,....249,00
BOCARAM SO/eO-Prmidesuplo 4MS
npavled. sHended a baddil manoiy la PS/2
modd 50. 60. Uses 1 MB O-RAM-
with OK t149.00
with 2MB 249.00
with 4MB 349fl>
BOCARAM 50Z-Provid*s ^> to 2MB. o
wait sbte, npatkjed or extended manorylcr
IBM PS/2 nodel 50. 507. 60. Uses 11MB D-
RAM-
wilti OK J129.00
with 2MB 229.00
Cat^oQ/manufacturer's part numbers are for your convenience. All products are 3rd party manufactured. 100% Compatible.
ALL mMORY PRODUCTS COME WITH 5 YEAR UNCONDITIONAL WARRANTY. CALL FOR QUANTITY PRICES.
WE ACCEPT...
CHAfiGE
We buy and sell excess inventorfes..call or fax list
20308 Gramercy Piace, Torrance, CA 9O501
(213) 328-3344 • FAX: (213) 328-2907 • (800) 345-5568
WE ACCEPT: NSI CHARGE. VISA, MC, AMEX, COD, PO's from qualified firms. 20% restocking fee on ali non-
defecfiva refums. All retums/adjustmsnts must be mads wittim 1 5 days. CA residents Add 7% Sales Tax ■
PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE ■ $3,50 Minimum Shipping.
circle ReBder Service Number 147
^ffl^^
AMERICAN
EXPRESS
# TEST LAB
KEY TRONIC PROFESSIONAL
SERIES MOUSE
K
ey Tronic's Professional Series
mouse is a two-button mouse,
available in either a serial or a
bus version. I reviewed the serial
version.
Quick ID install, the mouse came
with complete and easy-to-follow doc-
umentation. You can connect the
mouse to a 9-pin port or use the 9-to-
25 pin adapter which comes with the
mouse.
Key Tronic has contoured the
mouse to fit your hand comfortably
and has provided raised dots on the
left button for quick orientation. Each
of the buttons worked well; clicking
and double-clicking achieved the de-
sired results in the software I tried the
mouse with. The mouse worked
equally well on a pad or on a desktop.
Included on the disk is a nice ex-
tra: menuing software for WordPerfect
4.2 and 5.0, Lotus 1-2-3 lA and 2, and
dBASE in PLUS. You also get a
mouse test program.
Another attractive feature is Key
Tronic's loll-free support line, al-
My experience witti mice has taught me one
important lesson: Always use the latest
Microsoft mouse driver.
Since almost every Microsoft product
supports the mouse, most Microsoft soft-
ware comes bundled witfi Ifie latest driver.
You may have ignored ttiese drivers in the
past, especially if you don't have a Microsoft
mouse, but tfiere are some good reasons to
try them.
Rrst, new applications often demand
new drivers, and your cunrenl driver may not
work with newer softvvare.
In addition to compatibility, the latest
driver is probably a better performer than
previous ones, and it's usually more bugfree.
So, if you're offered a newer driver with
a Microsoft product, try it. Since most mice
are Microsoft compatibie, ttie chances are
good rt will work witti your mouse. The
KEY TRONIC
P.O. Box 14687
Spokane, WA 99214-06B7
(509) 928-8000
System Requirements: 256K RAM, 9- or 25-pin
serial port interface (C0M1 or COM2); does not
support PS/2 mouse port
Included Accessories: 9-to-25 pin adapter, ex-
tension cable, mouse programmer's toolkit,
mouse pad
List Price: Si 09.00
Street Price: $59.75
though I expect the com-
pany gets very few calls con-
cerning the installation or operation
of this mouse.
This mouse worked well with all
the software I tried it with, including
Mouse Driver Basics
problem you'll run into is that it probably
won't work we//. At least not without some
adjustment.
With most non-Microsoft mice, the
Microsoft driver will be sluggish. You can ad-
just the sensitivity of the driver and cure this
problem, but unfortunately, the information
you need to do this appears onfy in the
mouse manual that comes with the Micro-
soft mouse. If you don't have a Microsoft
mouse, you're left holding the short end of
the mouse tail. Here are some guidelines to
make your mouse work with a Microsoft
mouse driver.
There are tvra ways to adjust tfie
mouse's sensitivity. You can combine hori-
zontal and vertical sensitivity into one num-
ber with
DEVICE •= MOUSE.SYS/SH
Microsoft Works, Quattro Pro,
and Geo Works Ensemble. Key
Tronic claims it will work with hun-
dreds of software programs, including
all of the most popular applications. >
STEPHEN LEVY
I
where n is sensitivity. Or specify horizontal
and vertical sensitivity separately with
DEVICE = MOUSE.SYS /Hn /Vn
with the numbers after H and V indicating the
horizontai and vertical sensitivifes,
respectively.
The value for n can range from 5-100.
Higher numbers make for a faster mouse.
The same syntax works for device drivers in-
stalled in CONFIG.SYS (MOUSE.SYS) or as
aTSR{M0USE.GOM).
I've found that for non-Microsoft mice,
sensitivities of 50 and higher work best. Start
by finding the number that works well using
the /S switch. Then fine-tune the mouse's
movement by specifying separate numbiers
lor horizontal and vertical sensitivities.
—CLIFTON KARNES
38 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
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THE MOUSE BENCHMARK TESTS REVEALED
J You can hold it, maneuver it, and price it,
I but how wit! you know whether a mouse or
■ other pointing device has what it takes for
I your applications? Our benchmarks should
1 help. Following are some explanations to
assist you in sorting out the facts.
t Time for 60,000 Mouse Driver
( Interrogations
I Mouse-driven software relies on the mouse
' driver to keep up with the status of the
mouse, including the cursor position and
state of each button. To get this infor-
mation, applications need to make a call to
the mouse driver that reads this
. information.
E The faster the driver returns the infor-
mation, the less time the application spends
waiting for the update. That means that ap-
plications perform more efficiently and you
spend less time waiting for the program to
, perform its housekeeping chores.
' Our benchmark program timed 60,000
reads, and you can see the results in the
chart labeled "Time for 60,000 Mouse Driv-
er Interrogations." The tower bars indicate
the better performances.
Vertical Sensitivity Reported for Entire
. Screen
' Your mouse reports even the smallest
movement to the software driver. A mickey
is a unit of distance which is approximately
1 /200th of an inch. The mouse software
keeps track of where the mouse is by
counting the number of mickeys the mouse
device moves horizontally and vertically.
The greater the sensitivity setting of the
software, the greater the movement on the
screen for each device movement.
We performed our vertical sensitivity
benchmark test three times and then calcu-
lated the average of the three. The tests re-
port the actual number of mickeys that the
mouse moved as the cursor traveled from
the top of the screen to the bottom of the
screen. The greater the number, the more
mickeys the mouse traveled and the
greater the mouse device movement re-
quired to move the mouse cursor on the
screen.
How do you know what's best for you?
That depends on how you like your mouse
to respond. If you prefer more movement of
the mouse cursor for less movement of the
mouse device, then greater sensitivity will
suit you. If you look at the graphs, you'll no-
tice that the lov«r bars indicate less move-
ment of the mouse device required to move
the cursor down the screen. That means
they're a bit more sensitive.
If you use a desktop publishing, CAD,
or art program, you might want the driver
set to a lesser sensitivity. Thai will give you
greater accuracy as you use your mouse.
Most mouse software can be config-
ured to various settings when it is in-
stalled. We used the default settings and
then doubled that sensitivity for the sec-
ond test.
Horizontal Sensitivity Reported for Entire
Screen
Just as our vertical sensitivity benchmark
test reports the number of mickeys that the
mouse device traveled while tbe mouse
cursor moved from the top of the screen to
the bottom, the horizontal test reports the
number of mickeys that the mouse device
moved while the mouse cursor moved from
the left side of the screen to the right.
The greater the number, the more
mouse movement required to move the
mouse cursor. So the higher bars indicate
that the corresponding mice were set for
less sensitivity.
Sensitivity Reported for One Inch of
Vertical Screen Movement
This test reports the number of mickeys
that the mouse moved for a vertical screen
cursor movement of one inch.
Sensitivity Reported for One Inch of HoF
izontal Screen Movement
This test reports the number of mickeys
that the mouse moved for a horizontal
screen cursor movement of one inch.
—RICHARD C. LEINECKER
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE
39
# TEST LAB
KRAFT MOUSE
The Kraft mouse is a three-button
mouse whose low-current design
accommodates a wide range of
computers, from laptops with 5-
volt RS-232 ports to standard desk-
tops with 12-volt pons. The mouse
also comes with 9- and 25-pin connec-
tors, making it easy to connect to any
serial port.
Pressing the middle of the Kraft's
three buttons is the same as pressing
the left and right buttons simulta-
neously. The exact operation depends
on the software you happen to be
using.
The mouse driver can be in-
stalled manually or automatically on
hard drives or floppy drives. Installa-
tion and operation are cleariy ex-
plained in the two slim manuals that
accompany the mouse. .Advanced us-
ers can customize their installations.
The accompanying software of-
fers users a resident utility for chang-
ing the resolution of the mouse from
10 to 1 1 50 dots per inch (dpi). Most
mice have a resolution of 200 to 340
dpi. You can make adjustments at
any time while running most mouse-
supported applications.
Additional features permit the
Kraft mouse to be used with applica-
tions that normally do not support a
mouse. Several menus are supplied
for such programs as Lotus and Word-
Perfect. An accompanying script lan-
guage permits you to create custom
pop-up menus for almost any applica-
tion that does not normally support a
mouse.
The Kraft mouse appears to be
well made, has a solid feel, and comes
with a five-year warranty. The ability
to fine-tune its cursor sensitivity is a
particularly attractive feature. When
used with a fast-moving arcade game,
the ball occasionally seemed slow to
engage the contacts. In testing with
other games, applications, and CAD
packages, however, the Kraft mouse
performed extremely well. >
TOM NETSEL
40 COMPUTE AUGUST 1991
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# TEST LAB
KRAFT TRACKBALL
Most mice would feel right at
home amid the clutter of my
desk top — but not mechanical
mice. That's why the prospect
of using this Kraft trackball intrigued
me. Finally I'd have room on my
desk, not to mention the freedom to
move unencumbered around the desk
top on my screen.
Software installation was a
snap — I just followed the directions in
the documentation, which I rate as
very good. Don't overlook the on-disk
documentation, which provides plen-
ty of valuable information about opti-
mizing for your applications.
Switching from my mouse to the
Kraft trackball took some getting used
to — rather like learning a new gear-
shift configuration. With practice,
however, I began to appreciate it. I
placed my middle fingers on the ball
and my thumb on the leftmost of
three buttons below the ball and was
able to traverse the screen fairly easily.
Using the right button or the middle
button is less natural, more difficult,
and, thankfully, seldom required. A
few of the applications I use allow me
to highlight text by clicking and drag-
ging, and this would be unbearably
awkward had Kraft not been thought-
ful enough to include a fourth button
above and to the left of the ball. It
functions like the left button, but click
it once, and it's locked — end of prob-
lem. Drag to your heart's content.
I have only two problems with
the trackball. The buttons are harder
to push than the mouse buttons on
my Microsoft mouse, though not
unreasonably so, and occasionally
the ball skids while the pointer jogs
in place. I remedied the latter prob-
lem with a quick back-and-forth
movement.
Interestingly, the software that
comes with the trackball lets you use
it with mouse-driven applications and
those that aren't mouse driven. You
can customize the mouse driver sever-
al ways to set speed, port recognition,
KRAFT SYSTEMS
450 W. California Ave.
Visfa, CA 92033
(619)724-7146
System Requirements: 128K RAM
Included Accessories: 3V2-inch and 5V<i-lnch
dislcs with IMicrosoft-compatible drivers, 9-to-
25 pin adapter, two manuals, dust cover
List Price: $99.95 for the economy package
(S1 19.95 for package with foot pedal and Tele-
paint software)
Street Price: $69.00
and other elements. Kraft includes an
adapter so that you can use your
trackball with either a 9-pin connec-
tion or a 25-pin connection.
If your mouse is hampered by the
clutter on your desk and you're ready
to consider an alternative, take a look
at the Kraft trackball, a capable and
versatile pointing device. >
MIKEHUDNALL
All Benchmark/Performance Testing is
conducted by Computer Product Test-
ing Services, Inc. (CPTS), an indepen-
dent testing and evaluation laboratory
based in Manasquan, New Jersey.
Every effort has been made to ensure
the accuracy and completeness of this
data as of the dale of testing. Per-
formance may vary among samples.
42 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
LOGITECH MOUSEMAN
If you think all mice are created
equal, tr%' Logitech's new Mouse-
Man. It sports a radical new shape
that fits your hand like a leather
steering wheel in an expensive sports
car. And because Logitech recognizes
that everyone isn't right-handed, the
company offers the ultimate in cus-
tom tailoring — right- and left-handed
models.
For a long time I've been an avid
fan of the Microsoft mouse. But after
using the MouseMan, I must say that
I prefer it considerably over the
Microsoft mouse. First, it has a more
natural feel because of the slight right-
hand downward slope of the case.
You'll find it much less fatiguing than
the average mouse. Second, it has
three buttons for complete flexibility
in your applications.
The MouseMan comes packaged
with Logitech's latest version of
MouseWare Utilities. Most of the util-
ities are easy to use and quite helpful
in configuring the mouse or for use
with other applications. The drivers
allow you to adjust cursor sensitivity
for pinpoint precision or extra high
speed, 1 found the 400-dpi resolution
adequate for my desk top. A Control
Panel TSR lets you make quick and
easy adjustments at the touch of a but-
ton. You get a custom mouse driver
for Lotus 1-2-S and one that provides
three-button support in Microsoft
Windows. In addition, you get Go-
Menu, a program that lets you create
mouse menus for applications that are
keyboard based. Logitech's manual
offers clear explanations of these utili-
ties, as well as examples of how to im-
plement them.
I found the Logitech MouseMan
package very complete and easy to
use. The MouseMan itself is very stur-
dy and feels better than any other
mouse I've tried. If you're thinking
about buying a new mouse, I strongly
recommend the MouseMan. >
TROY TUCKER
LOGITECH
6505 Kaiser Dr.
Fremont, CA 94555
(800) 552-8885 in California,
(800) 231 -771 7 elsewhere
System Requirements: 384K RAM, dual floppy
drives or one floppy drive and one hard drive,
DOS 3,0 or higher (3.1 or higher for use with
Windows), 9- or 25-pin serial port
Included Accessories: MouseWare, Getting
Started manual, Getting the Most
from Your Mouse manual, 3V2- and
SVt-inch disks with drivers
List Price: $119.00
Street Price: $72,50
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 43
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# TEST LAB
LjOGITECH
MOUSEMAN CORDLESS
The best-laid plans of mice and
men, or rather mice and Logitech,
have finally come together. The
result is the MouseMan Cordless,
a mouse that runs mazes around any
trackball or short-tailed mouse that
dares to come near it.
Movement of the MouseMan
Cordless is praclicaily unlimited with-
out a cord to get in the way. The
mouse itself is light and easy to move,
and the buttons press easily. I found
the tracking a bit too sensitive ai the
default setting, but that's easily fixed
with the CLICK pop-up menu includ-
ed in the software.
The MouseMan is programmed
with an adjustable ballistic effect that
causes the cursor to speed up and slow
down with your movements. Low
sensitivity in tandem with a high bal-
listic effect gave me the most control
and the best feel.
Installation is a snap. A radio
transmitter in the mouse unit controls
the onscreen pointer. Its eight-channel
receiver plugs into your computer's
serial port or PS/2 dedicated port.
Software includes mouse drivers;
Moiise-2-3, for use with Loiiis 1-2-3
versions 2.2 and lower; LOG!-
MENUS, which contains other pre-
programmed menus for popular
nonmouse applications; and GO-
MENU, which allows you to create or
customize your own menus. Another
nice feature is the ability to swap but-
tons for left-handed use, which, sur-
prisingly, doesn't feel that awkward.
My only real criticism is that I
found no advantage to having the unit
shaped for my nght hand. A smaller
unit designed for either hand would
have been a lot more comfortable.
.Although Logitech's MouseMan
Cordless isn't perfect, it could, with a
little refinement, be the best thing that
ever happened to computer mice. >
LOGITECH
6505 Kaiser Dr.
Fremont, CA 94555
(800) 552-8885 in California,
(800)231-7717 elsewhere
System Requirements: 2S6K RAM or higher for
MouseY/are software; DOS 3.0 or higher for se-
rial versions, 3.3 or higher for PSy2 versions; 9-
or 25-pin serial port or PS/2 dedicated port
included Accessories: MousBWara, two
manuals, ZVz- and S'A-inch disl<s
with drivers, 9-to-25 pin and 9-
to-6 pin (for PS/2 style port)
adapters
List Price: $199
Street Price: $129
JILL CHAMPION
46
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
WOULDNT IT BE NICE IF PROBLEMS COUL0 BE FOUND. . .
MS-DOS AND Windows are great
OPERATING SYSTEMS, BUT THEY DO HAVE
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Because of the many different hardware and
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Paul Bonner, PC Computing, January, 1991
fllea Help Madules
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# TEST LAB
MICROSOFT
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399
(206) 8B2-B080
MICROSOFT
BALLPOINT MOUSE
When Microsoft comes out with
a laptop mouse, it had better
be good. Not only does Micro-
soft sell more mice than any
other company, but it has a lot riding
on the universal acceptance of its
mouse-based Windows. With laptop
computers expected to comprise near-
ly half of all computer sales by 1 994, a
growing number of laptop owners will
want to run Windows jusl like every-
one else.
Microsoft's answer is a small 400-
dpi trackball that clamps onto your
laptop computer. Because laptops
come in many shapes and sizes, the
package includes several sizes of
clamps that let you attach the Ball-
point directly onto your laptop.
The Ballpoint's mouse driver lets
you choose any combination of its
four buttons and set up its orienta-
tion. (Because you can position the
Ballpoint in a variety of angles, you
need to tell the mouse driver which
directions are up, down, left, and
right.) The package also includes a
new Windows Mouse Control Panel
that lets you adjust the BallPoint's ac-
celeration, double-click speed, and
vertical and horizontal sensitivity.
At first, I didn't like the Ball-
Point — I couldn't attach it in a way
that seemed comfortable for me. I also
didn't like having to detach it every
time I moved my laptop. (With most
laptops, you can't close the case until
you remove the BallPoint's clamps.)
Later, when I discovered I could take
off the clamp mechanism and set the
Ballpoint beside my laptop, I was won
over.
Microsoft understands that Ball-
Point users may need a warming-up
period — the company is offering an
unusual 30-day money-back guaran-
tee. The only way you'll know if it's
right for you is to try it. >
System Requirements; 20K RAM,
9-pin serial port or PS/2 mouse
port (optional 25-pin serial port
adapter available)
y Included Accessories: universal clamp,
y Microsoft mouse driver 8.0, carrying
</ case, adapter for PS/2-style port
List Price: $175
Street Price: n/a
DAVID ENGLISH
Ballpoint mouse separates
from clamp and positioner
for use in the hand or on the desk.
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
^
MICROSOFT
SERIAL-PS/2 MOUSE
I icrosoft revolutionized the
mouse world when it intro-
I duced its third-generation
Dove-bar mouse in 1987. In
addition to a new streamlined shape
and Ivory-soap color, the Microsoft
mouse boasted two revolutionary
firsts: Its two buttons were different
sizes (the left button, which is the
workhorse button, was larger than the
right), and the ball, traditionally
placed under the palm of the hand,
was moved forward, nearer the
buttons.
The Serial-PS/2 mouse reviewed
here has everything that revolutionary
mouse had plus two important extras:
higher resolution and a ballistic
driver.
While the original Dove-bar
mouse had a resolution of 200 dpi, the
newest Microsoft mouse boasts a reso-
lution of 400 dpi. The higher resolu-
tion means that it takes less mouse
movement to spirit the cursor across
the screen. In short, the mouse is
faster.
The ballistic driver makes mouse
movement more efficient by trying to
second-guess your intentions. It as-
sumes that if you're moving the
mouse quickly, you want to cover a
lot of screen territory fast, and it
thinks that if you're moving slowly,
you must be doing careful positioning.
The driver works by detecting in-
creases in mouse speed and moving
the cursor faster than normal when a
speed threshold is crossed. The Micro-
soft driver uses 1 6 thresholds, so it is
constantly adjusting to the speed you
move the mouse.
As an example, when you move
the Serial-PS/2 mouse quickly, it
crosses a normal 80-column text
screen with less than 1 inch of mouse
movement. If you move the mouse
slowly, the same cross-screen journey
takes more than 3'/2 inches. The high-
MICROSOFT
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6399
(206) 882-8080
System Requirements: 14K RAM, CGA, EGA, or
VGA graphics card
Included Accessories: driver software
List Price; $125.00 ($225.00 for package with
Windows 3.0, $150.00 for package with Paint-
brush, $S50.OO for Business FivePack)
Street Price: $92.98
er resolution combined with the
ballistic driver gives the mouse an
unmatched silky-smooth feel.
A note on connections: This
mouse comes with a 9-pin, a 25-pin,
and PS/2 port connectors. You can
plug it into almost anything but a wall
socket.
For me, the Microsoft mouse is
close to perfection. Its shape and bal-
ance are ideal, its high resolution easi-
ly laps the competition, and its ballis-
tic drivers are the fastest and most
surefooted in the industry. >
CLIFTON KARNES
How an Optomechanical Mouse Works
Mice of this genre combine ttie best of both
worlds — mechanical and optkal — in that
they use a moving ball to turn sensing
rollers mechantaally as well as an 1_ED and
photosensors to read and interpret the
movement data, instead of the rollers turn-
ing electrical resistors as in the mechanical
mouse, the rdiers in an optomechanical
mouse rotate wheels vrth slots or holes in
them through wtiich the LED beams are
aimed. The intemjptions caused by ttie solid
portions of the wheels "breaking" the beam
received by the photosensors are counted
and translated into data whch, in turn, con-
trols the cursor movement onscreen. Since
optomechanical mks also utilize roller bails
and other mechanical components, their
heft and feel make them quite similar to their
purely mechanical counterparts. Opto-
mechanical mice are very popular, second
to mechanical mice, and are available from
several manufacturers.
—TOM BENFORD. FflESIDENT
COMPUTER PRODUCT TESTING SERVICES
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE
49
# TEST LAB
MICROSPEED PC-TRAC
The PC-TRAC from MicroSpeed is
the perfect solution if your com-
puter desk top is crowded or clut-
tered. The unit's innovative two-
or three-button configurability and er-
gonomic design make the PC-TRAC a
standout in the crowded pointing-
device market.
PC-TRAC's cueball-sized ball is
bordered by wraparound buttons on
each side and a third, smaller button
at the top. This arrangement is the
best I've seen on a trackball; since the
left and riglit buttons extend above
and below the ball, you can readily
use either your palm or fingertips to
move the ball and your thumb and
pinkie to click the buttons. This ar-
rangement should also work well
whether you're right- or left-handed
and whether your hand is large or
small.
PC-TRAC's low-profile sloped
shape is designed to fit the natural
curve of your hand. The case front ac-
tually meets the surface of your desk,
so that, according to the manufactur-
er, the step of earlier designs is elimi-
nated along with the wrist aggravation
that came with it. In reducing the an-
gle of your wrist and arm, MicroSpeed
has minimized fatigue while at the
same time allowing you to maintain
precision and control.
The smaller third button can op-
tionally emulate a middle mouse but-
ton, or. more usefully, act as a drag
lock. One major problem when using
trackballs with GUIs such as Win-
dows and Geo Works Ensemble is that
it's very hard to move the pointer
while holding down a selection but-
ton. With the drag lock feature en-
abled, you can click the middle button
after you've positioned your pointer,
move the pointer, and click the mid-
dle button again to release. As far as
the computer knows, you were hold-
ing down the button the whole time.
PC-TRAC also has a chord mode,
which allows you to simulate holding
down both buttons while moving the
MICROSPEED
44000 Old Warm Springs Blvd.
Fremont, CA 94538
(415)490-1403
System Requirements: available bus slot {for bus
version) or serial port
Included Accessories: PreclslonPolnter device
driver with AutoAdjust resolution, AutoCad ADI
digitizer driver, KeyMAP keyboard emulator
with templates, Welltrls, 9-to-25 pin adapter
List Price: $1 1 3.00 ($1 39.00 lor bus version)
Street Price: $52.50
mouse. Generally I've found track-
balls awkward to use with GUIs, but
drag lock eliminates this awkward-
ness. PC-TR.^C was much easier to
use than a mouse for games such as
flight simulators.
MicroSpeed selected the 2.25-
inch ball because its research showed
a significant increase in pointing con-
trol with larger-diameter balls. Re-
search revealed as well that higher
mass also contributed to user control,
and the 2.25-inch ball offers 30 per-
cent more mass than a 2-inch ball and
70 percent more than a 1.5-inch ball.
For its suspension design, Micro-
Speed uses bearings made of Delrin
plastic. In addition to being self-lubri-
cating, they are more resistant than
metal bearings to pitting, dirt, and
damage due to mechanical shocks
(such as being dropped).
Software support is excellent. The
trackball is fully compatible with the
Microsoft mouse driver. The included
PrecisionPointer drivers for DOS and
Windows offer a number of trackball-
spiccific enhancements, such as ballis-
tic gain (the distance the pointer
moves depends on how fast you spin
the ball). Also included is KeyMAP, a
driver for text-based applications, as
well as a Tetris driver and a special
trackball-compatible version of the
ever-popular Weill ris. >
DENNY ATKJN
SO
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
PROHANCE MOUSE
Few accessories prove as useful as
the ubiquitous mouse, and almost
no mouse user would want to sur-
render such a timesaving tool.
Mouse quality does vary, however,
and for discriminating shoppers, the
ProHance mouse is a contender for
best buy.
The ProHance mouse driver sup-
ports resolutions of 50-800 dots per
inch (dpi), allowing for extremes of
precision or speed, whatever your
needs may be. For intricate pixel-by-
pixel drawing, the ProHance mouse
provides more than enough steady
control, and for moving place to place
in a hurry, 800 dpi is plenty. Some
DOS-based applications don't ordi-
narily offer mouse support (Lotus 1-2-3
and WordPerfect prior to version 5. 1
are good examples), so ProHance in-
cludes a set of pop-up menu templates
that transparently provide abbreviated
keystrokes and rapid cursor move-
ment— a welcome boost to your
productivity.
If your favorite software isn't al-
ready supported, a separate utility al-
lows for custom menu creation. Used
with software that features mouse ad-
justment as part of its architecture —
the Windows control panel, for in-
stance— the ProHance driver com-
plies with such adjustments without
grumbling, allowing for trouble-free
transitions from DOS to multitasking
environments.
Designed to be used as either a
PC or Microsoft mouse, the ProHance
mouse comes with the three requisite
buttons for PC mode. Because I prefer
a firmer button press, the ProHance
mouse's plastic click left me feeling
ambivalent toward the mouse design.
ProHance Technologies gives
you an antistatic mouse pad for supe-
rior tracking, though control suffers
little on other surfaces, such as a desk
top, A mouse pocket, complete with
adhesive backing, may be affixed to
your monitor, your computer, or an-
other convenient spot, and provides
^
PROHANCE TECHNOLOGIES
1307S. Mary Ave., #104
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(406) 746-0950
System Requirements: 10K RAM, serial port
PS/2-style mouse port
Included Accessories: driver, 9-to-25 pin adapt'
er, mouse pad and pocket
List Price: $69.95 {$74.95 for bus mouse, $104.95
for bus mouse package with mouse pocket
and pad and professional paint program)
Street Price: n/a
«f
,;^*'
an excellent place to store the
mouse when it's not in use.
Easily installed, the ProHance
mouse posed no problems during test-
ing and worked well in both games
and productivity software. As either a
replacement or first-time mouse pur-
chase, this mouse delivers both stand-
ard versatility and a few extras — a sol-
id value at its price. >
DAVID SEARS
Hmv a Mechanical Mouse Works
As you might guess from its name, Sie me-
chanical mouse uses mechanical means to
generate signals governing cursor move-
ment. A heavy ball (either solid hard njbber
or steel covered in rubber) moves against
sensing rollers inside the mouse body. The
rollers have contact brushes which stroke a
sensing conductor with muttple segments.
Hectrical impulses are generated as the
rollers rotate along the segments of the
sensor and are counted by the electronic
circuits within the mouse body.
Forward movements of ttie mouse
ft
generate positive impulses, while rearward i
movements produce negative impulses; in
a like manner, left and right movements
produce either positive or negative im-
pulses from the lateral (side) rollers. Angu-
lar movements causing both the vertical
and lateral rollers to rotate simultaneously
produce dual readings for oblique direc-
tions. TTie counting circuitry calculates the x
and Y screen coordinates from the rotation-
al data produced by these rollers and con-
veys the signal to the cursor of the host PC.
—TOM BENFORD. PHESfDENT
COMPUTER PRODUCT TESTING SERVICES
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE
51
# TEST LAB
Where did mice come from? They have be-
come so popular so quicl<ly that it might
seem they came out of the woodworli. But
it was a bit more complicated than that . . .
The mouse actually evolved from a philoso-
phy that computing should be interactive —
a revolutionary notion, in tact.
It might seem incredible to think so
now, but there was a time when even an in-
tense computer user would have only a
passing familiarity with the tiardware. In
1978, lor example, my wife was attempting
to run a criminology
study using the campus
mainframe at Central
Michigan University. She
had to submit programs
to the system operator in
batch format on printed
cards, wait overnight,
and then retrieve a print-
out (usually full of myste-
rious error messages)
the next day. It took her
all semester to get it to
run properly, and even at
that, she was the first
person in the class to
succeed.
Being able to inter-
act with a computer in
realtime, through the
useof a terminal or by
actually having a micro-
computer on the desk in
front of you, is really
nothing short of revolu-
tionary, when you con-
sider how awkward it
once was to "run" a computer.
But once it was possible to interact di-
rectly, the keytward instantly seemed inad-
equate. After all, the computer could easily
cope with our input even if we could type
thousands of words a minute. Your com-
puter spends most of its time patiently wait-
ing for you to press another key when
you're word processing or programming or
giving your computer commands on the
command line.
At the same time that computers were
becoming more democratic and interac-
tive, new ways of looking at files were
emerging. Files began to be thought of not
THE TALE OF THE MOUSE
as interminable strips of code on tapes or
disks but as objects that could be manipu-
lated. You could pick up a file here and
place it there, copy it in a moment, and
start up the application that created it by
performing a command on the file itself.
Shortly thereafter, these objects began to
be thought of as objects, and soon as vis-
ual objects— actual rectangles on the
screen. They cried out for some easy way
to manipulate them, to move them around.
This was the impetus behind the creation
of a mouselike input device. It was
Today's mouse makes computing easier and more interactive than ever.
equipped with a roller underneath, two
switches, and a long cord that carried its
impulses to the computer. Because of its
size and shape, with switches a little like
ears and a cord a lot like a tail, (he device
was dubbed the mouse.
But so far, the mouse was a meek and
little-noticed creature. It scurried around
desk tops at a research facility operated by
Xerox: the Paio Alto Research Center,
known familiarly as FARC.
Those were exciting, freewheeling
times. Microcomputers were just appearing
on the market. The concept of trade se-
crets was still largely a thing of the future,
and the close-knit microcommunity mem- "
bers (many of whom had met as minicom-
puter hackers, homebrew computerists,
and phone phreaks) were proud to show
off their latest developments to friends and
competitors alike. One feilow who took the
cook's tour of Xerox FARC was Steve
Jobs, then the head chutzpa at Apple Com-
puter. He liked what he saw, as was evi-
dent in the Lisa computer, which took many
of the ideas Xerox had introduced on its
own failed computer, the Star. Lisa also
managed to fail, probably Isecause she was •
extremely overpriced (at
$10,000) and moderately
underpowered. One thing
everyone could agree on,
though, was that the oper-
ating system and the inno- ,
vation of the mouse
(provided with each Lisa)
made file management a
breeze.
Little wander that
when Jobs came out with
the Macintosh, a computer
that was only moderately
overpriced (but made up for
it by being extremely under-
powered), he continued to
provide the mouse. Yup-
pies bought Macintoshes
by the bushel, and the rest
is history.
Microsoft created Win-
dows to provide a mouse-
driven, graphical interface
for the PC. Thereafter, no
computer could be taken
seriously unless it had a
mouse. Even the waning 8-bit computers
were dutifully outfitted with mice. Within a
period of about three years, mice had com-
pletely saturated the market, changing the
way people interact with and think about
computers forever. Mice have led the
graphical revolution, in essence allowing
the user not only to interact directly with the
computer but to reach inside the computer
and manipulate files. What's the difference
between entering ERASE filename.ext on
the command line and sliding a file icon in
(he trash can? Simply, a mouse and a
mouse-based operating system.
— ROBERT BIXBY
52
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
ijmf.nl"" Cu>"«'
iissm
Fomous Milliken^, educational Softuiore.
'ssr
TT
fining
is*"
Based on software used in schools nationwide.
Designed for IBM or compatible personal computers,
the Mitliken educational software series brings some
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Your satisfaction is guaranteed.
AVAILABLE AT FINE COMPUTER STORES EVERYWHERE
Call Toll Free 1-800-643-0008 for Free Brochure and the store nearest
Using learning methods proven in classrooms, Milliken programs put
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Each program combines vivid graphics with human speech to bring
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Give your child the advantage of Milliken software that makes play a
successful learning experience.
THREE GREAT NEW TITLES TO CHOOSE FROM:
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Classic childrens' stories come to life. Includes Little Red Riding Hood,
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Ages 3-8.
Marvin the Moose (Volumes I & 11)
The adventures of this likeable moose build reading comprehension and
teach real life social skills. Two stories per package. Includes FREE Crayola®
crayons. Ages 3-8.
The Math Zone
Adapted from the leading math program used in schools. Math Zone is the
fun way to teach number readiness, addition and subtraction.
Ages 3-8.
you.
miLLIKEM
.Milliken Publish! ng Company
1100 Research Boulevard
St. Louis, Missouri 63132
Circle Resder Service Number 102
MOUSE RESOLUTION
Your compitter's screen is composed of
thousands of points called pixels. The num-
ber of pixels horizontally and vertically is
often referred to as the screen resolution.
Mouse manufacturers typically list the
resolution that their products are capable of
in dots per inch (dpi). They might specify a
capability of up to 1 1 50 dpi or a capability of
10-1150 dpi. These numbers translate to
the number of dots tfiat the mouse cursor
moves for every inch that you move the
mouse. If you move the mouse one inch in
a resolution of 300 dpi, the mouse cursor
will move 300 dots.
How do dots relate to pixels? Tliat de-
pends on your monitor. To start wrtti, check
your monitor manual for its dot pitch speci-
fication. A typical dot pitch might be .29
points per pixel. That means there are
atMut three dots for every screen pixel. If
your mouse is set to 300 dpi, then moving
tiie mouse one inch on your desk would
^ move the mouse 100 screen pixels.
(• Your monitor's dot pitch isn't all you
F need to know: some video modes have pix-
I els ttiat are larger than others. In text mode,
I for instance, each text cell is really com-
i'^„ -
posed of eight pixels horizontally and verti-
cally. That means that each time the mouse
cursor moves in any direction, the mouse
driver has registered the equivalent dot
movement for eight pixels. Low-resolution
CGA, EGA, and fvtCGA also have screen
pixels that are larger. For these modes the
mouse driver registers more dot movement
for each pixel movement of the mouse cur-
sor than for each pixel movement in higher-
resolution modes.
Why buy a mouse v/ith high-resolution
capabilities? Some kinds ol applications,
such as computer-aided design (CAD)
packages, require a very high degree of de-
tail and input control. Using a mouse at low-
er resolutions would be like drawing with a
crayon; the lines you draw wouldn't be any
wider, but the lower resolutions would not
afford the degree of control you'd need for
sophisticated drawing applications. On the
other hand, using a mouse at high resolu-
tions would be like drawing with a precision
writing instrument. The greater the resolu-
tion, the better your control as you move
around the screen. t>
— RICH.^RDC. LEINECKER
IMPORTANT NOTICE
FOR
COMPUTE DISK
SUBSCRIBERS
COMPUTE offers two dif-
ferent disk products for PC
readers: the SharePak disk
and PC Disk. SharePak is
monthly and has a sub-
scription price of $59.95 for
5y4-inch disks and $64.95
for 3V2-inch disks. A sub-
scription to SharePak does
not include a subscription
to the magazine. PC Disk
appears in even-numbered
months and has a sub-
scription price of $49.95,
which includes a subscrip-
tion to the PC edition of
COMPUTE. You can sub-
scribe to either disk or to
both, but a subscription to
one does not include a
subscription to the other.
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE
S3
# TEST LAB
ProHance Trackball
The best thing about using the Pro-
Hance trackball is that you don't
have to worry about room to ma-
neuver your arm. On the other
hand, my thumb got a real workout,
and my wrist didn't suffer any less.
If you're right-handed, you'll find
the ProHance effortless to move with
the nick of a thumb, and the buttons
simple to press. Hand position was
comfortable overall, but constantly
moving the ball with my thumb was
somewhat tiresome.
If you're accustomed to using a
mouse left-handed, be prepared for
some problems. My little finger wasn't
nearly as flexible as my thumb when it
came to rolling the trackball left-
handed.
Difficulty of control is probably
the biggest drawback — you have to
watch the screen closely, and it's hard
to get a real feel for moving the point-
er around. You're allowed to set reso-
lution anywhere between 50 and 800
dots per inch (dpi), although changing
it from the default (200-400 dpi)
didn't give me a belter feel.
The ProHance is available in se-
rial and PS/2 versions. The serial ver-
sion is compatible with a two-button
Microsoft mouse or a three-button PC
mouse.
A disk included with the package
contains, along with the mouse driver,
pop-up menus for 14 nonmouse pro-
grams, including WordPerfect, Word-
Star, DOS, and EDLIN.
Also, for those who can't live
without a mouse or trackball device
for everything, you can use the menu
builder to create your own pop-up
menus for nonmouse programs.
MENU. DOC contains the instruc-
tions, along with a tutorial to help
simplify the process for
nonprogrammers.
The ProHance trackball is a nice
piece of equipment if space is short
and you really don't like dealing with
mice — and if you're right-handed. >
PROHANCE TECHNOUOGIES
1307 S.Mary Ave., #104
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
(408) 746-0950
System Requirements: 10K RAM, serial port
Included Accessories: driver, pop-up menus for
nonmouse programs, menu-builder program,
9-to-2S pin adapter
Ust Price: $99.95 ($109.95 for PS/2 version)
Street Price: n/a
Sensitivity Reported for One Inch of
Horizontal Screen Movement
^x^x^'^^^^x\^:^^
JILL CHAMPION
54 COMPUTE
'^W^X^^'"'^^'
AUGUST 1991
SUNCOM ICONTROLLER
This tiny, wedge-shaped joystick
works as an alternative mouse and
is primarily intended for laptops.
The ICONtroIler is more
than a joystick, though, despite ap-
pearances. It plugs into the serial port
and mimics mouse movement. But
it's more than a mouse, too. It's fes-
tooned with buttons that make adjust-
ments, such as the speed of cursor
movement and the kind of mouse em-
ulation. The ICONtroIler provides
pixel-by-pixel movement when the
joystick is deflected less than 20
degrees.
Suncom has located the mouse
buttons about where you would ex-
pect to find the fire buttons on a nor-
mal joystick. There's even a "thumb
button" at the top of the joystick.
Holding the joystick between my
thumb and second finger, I operated
this button with my index finger as if
it were my left mouse button. It was
an intuitive positioning that I adjust-
ed to instantly.
Although you can attach this unit
to the side of your keyboard with Vel-
cro patches, I found it more natural to
operate it two-handed, with the base
in my left hand and the joystick in my
right. I came to appreciate the advan-
tages of joysticks: no more desk space
sacrificed to the mouse pad and no
more fights with desktop clutter for
control of the mouse cord, to name
but two.
Don't try to draw with the ICON-
troIler. Technically, it's completely
proportional, but my experience was
that the cursor wanted to move in one
of eight directions (N, NE, E, SE, S,
SW, W, or NW). Therefore, it's better
used as a general f)ointing device than
as a complete mouse substitute, and
in this role it was a success.
The ICONtroIler was the sim-
plest to install of all nonmouse mice
I've tried and the friendliest to Win-
dows and GeoWorks Ensemble. >
ROBERT BIXBY
SUNCOM TECHNOLOGIES
6400 W. Gross Point Rd.
Niles, IL 60648
(708) 647-4040
System Requirements: serial port
Included Accessories: driver on instaNation disk
(3V2- and Sy4-rnch)
List Price: $99.95 ^-v n Tl
Street Price: n/a
How an Optical Mouse Works
Unlike the mechanical mouse, the optical
mouse has no moving parts wittiin Its body.
Instead of relying on the rotation of a ball
against rollers to generate a signal for pro-
cessing corresponding cursor movements,
the optical mouse uses light t)eams pro-
duced by an LED (Light-Emitting Diode) and
reflected from a special mouse pad to es-
tablish vertical and lateral positroning. The
mouse pad used by an optical mouse has a
special reflectorized surface with grid lines
embedded in it at precise intervals. An LED
in the mouse body shines its beam on this
pad, and a photoreceptor within the mouse
body reads the reflected light. The grid lines
interrupt the reflectivity of the beam when H
passes over them. These interruptions are
counted by the internal sensing circuits,
and the data is passed along to the com-
puter to control tiie cursor. Optical mice are
very lightweight and glide effortlessly over
ttieir spedaJ reflectorized mouse pads.
TTiough they don't have any moving parte
to wear out as mechanical mice do, optical
mice stil! do not seem to be as popular as
mechanical mice.
—TOM BENFORD, PRESIDENT
COMPUTER PRODUCT TESTING SERVICES
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE
55
# TEST LAB
Z-NIX CORDLESS
SUPER MOUSE
The words sleek, sporty, and unen-
cumbered best describe the Z-
NIX Cordless Super Mouse.
Instead of moving the mouse, un-
tangling the cord, and then watching
the cursor move, you move the
mouse, and the cursor moves. It's
what mice should have been from the
beginning.
This mouse fits perfectly in the
palm of my hand, moves across my
mouse pad with little resistance, and
has perfectly placed buttons. I've nev-
er had to divert my train of thought
from my work to the task of making
the mouse behave properly. It's the
easiest and most comfortable way I've
found to impro^■e productivity with
mouse-based software.
Its battery recharges everj' time
you set it in its cradle. The cradle gets
its power from the computer, so you
won't have to worry about another
plug. You will, however, have to re-
member to park it in the cradle any-
time you're not using it. That way the
batteries stay fully charged. It's not a
design flaw: it's a matter of retraining
yourself to use the mouse a new way.
But the small effort to develop this
habit is well worth the effort,
I didn't find any software that
presented incompatibility problems.
As a matter of fact, I used it to run
some of the most demanding software
there is, such as Microsoft's Codeview.
If a mouse and its driver perform un-
der these circumstances, they'll
usually do well just about anywhere
else. But I made sure; I put it through
its paces, if'indows, DehtxePaint, Ap-
plause II, and many more large appli-
cations didn't turn up any problems.
After publicly stating that I'd
never trade my Microsoft mouse for
another. I'm eating my words. This
mouse will make a convert of just
about anyone who uses it. H
RICHARD C. LEn^CKER
96 COMPUTE
Z-NIX
211 Erie St
Pomona, CA 91768
(714)629-8050
System Requirements: 16K RAM, serial port, one
floppy drive
Included Accessories: recharging stand, two ■■
batteries, mouse driver ^H
List Price: S164 ($282 bundled with Windows 3.0]
Street Price: n/a
Important Dates in Mouse History
1 963. Douglas Engelbart invents the first
computer mouse — a simple analog de-
vice with an exterior of wood and one
button.
1970. Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center
commissions Jacit S. Hawley to build the
first digital mouse. The mouse becomes an
integral part of ttie Alto computer system,
which later grows into the Star, which in
turn inspires both the Macintosh and Win-
dows interfaces.
1983. Microsoft introduces its first bus
mouse for the IBM PC. The mouse uses
two small buttons and is mechanioai.
1984. Apple releases the Macintosh, the
first personal computer to come with a
mouse as standard equipment.
^
1984. Microsoft releases a serial version of
its mouse that attaches directly to an RS-
232 serial port.
1985. Logitech introduces its famous
wedge-shaped three-button mouse, the
1987. Microsoft introduces its Dove-bar
mouse. The ball is moved to the front of the
mouse, and the two buttons are larger and
nonsymmetrical (the left button is larger
than the right).
1989. Microsoft introduces the 400 Series
mouse, which provides 400 dpi, double the
resolution of the 1987 mouse. The new
mouse driver Is ballistic, which means that
the faster you move the mouse, the farther
the cursor moves on the screen.
—CLIFTON KAHNES
AUGUST 1991
GOOD MOUSEKEEPiNG
The best thing that you can do for your
mouse is to give it a sterile environ-
ment— squeaky clean, induding the
mouse pad and the hands that use il —
and retire it to its dust jacl<et at the end of
the day.
How can you tell when your mouse
or trackball is ready for the cleaners?
The most obvious sign is reduced per-
formance— the pointer skips on the
screen, or traction feels loo light or even
nonexistent. In most cases, the culprit is
dirt and grime on the ball and rollers.
Dust and dirt on !he electronic parts be-
come electrically charged, attracting
more dust and even moisture. The longer
your mouse goes without a good clean-
ing, the faster it accumulates dirt.
Most mice have a removable track-
ing bail, which makes it easier for you to
get inside and clean the rollers. If you
don't have a removable tracking ball, your
best defense is to maintain a very clean
work area to prevent dirt from entering
the mouse to start v/ith. Save the snacks
and sodas for \he kitchen, and make sure
that your hands are dean before you han-
dle your mechanical rodent.
Also, you should keep your mouse
dry Excessive moisture, spilled drinks,
and open windows on a rainy day all add
up to a drowned rat.
Some manufacturers recommend
cleaning the ball, after you've removed It,
with a mild detergent or noncorrosive
substance like hydrogen peroxide. Others
suggest wiping it with a dry, lint-free cloth.
Also, the rollers must be cleaned very
carefully. Use a toothpick or Q-Tip, and
handle the entire unit very gently — as if it
^ were actually alive. How often you use
I your mouse will help determine the (re-
f quency, but as a rule, the more you use it,
the more often you should dean it. In fact,
you probably can't clean a mouse loo
often. Be sure to consult your documen-
tatkjn for (he best cleaning procedures. If
lyou're not exactly sure how to maintain
f your mouse, call the manufacturer's tech-
nical support line.
If you use a mouse pad, make sure
that it's lint-free and not the hairy vari-
ety— those can be hazardous to your
mouse's health, quickly causing it to dog
up and operate poorly. If you prefer the
itabletop to a mouse pad, be sure that the
surface is dean and dry and tJiat it's
iJusted on a regular basis.
-JILL CHAMPION
It's like a mouse
for your laptop.
Only without the runaround.
You bought a laptop computer for portability. But now you've
discovered that a mouse isn't practical when working in cramped
quarters.
That's why Suncom created ICONtroller. It does everything a
mouse does — except it doesn't need room to roam.
ICONtroller attaches right to your keyboard, so your hand
never strays too far from the keys. You can move the cursor
with precision at varying speeds — even when desk space is
unavailable.
What's more, the cord won't tangle. You won't need a pad.
There's not even a roller ^^
ball to get clogged. K^^^^^z--> //' 1^
Try ICONtroller from
Suncom. It's the mouse
solution for your laptop
that'll stand still when
you're on the move.
CALL FOR DEALER
IN YOUR AREA.
ICONtroller
Ideal for
Windows
3.0
Suncom
TECHNOLOGIES 6400 W. Gross Point Rd., Niles. IL 60648 708/647-4040
Circle Reader Service Number 119
CALL TOLL FREE 24 HRS. 7 DAYS 1-800-365-8493
SOFA SERVER
GRACEFUL & FUNCTIONAL
Finally— a piece
of furniture
that is as functional
as it is attractive
The wooden sofa
server is construct-
ed from select hard-
/ woods with a lovely
beveled glass top. Because it slides con-
veniently over a couch or chair, it is perfect
for drinks, TO. snacking, casual dining, play-
ing cards, or just keeping things within easy
reach. Bsrfect as a telephone table The spa-
cious bottom shelf can hold books, plants,
or knick-knacks and the built-in magazine
rack keeps newspapers and magazines at
your fingertips The sofa server is so attrac-
tive and practical, it can serve as an accent
table, end table, or night stand in your liv-
ing room, family room, bedroom, or any-
where that this lovely piece could be han-
dy 11"W X 16''/^"D X 24"H. Available in oak
or cherry finish with a limited one year war-
ranty $99.98 (S11,75) #A1987C-Chern/;
#A1987K-Oak.
r COOK OUT INDOORS — THE HEALTHY WAY — WITH NO SMOKE
Are you one of the millions of Americans who loves to barbecue — but not only in
summer? Then the Contempra Indoor Electric Char-B-Que is for you. Constructed
of beautiful stoneware and measuring 15"x11%"x4y4", this barbecue ol'ovides a 150 square
inch cooking area, large enough for the entire family or for company. This energy effi-
cient indoor electric grill has a unique reflector system that directs heat at the food,
while fat drippings drain
through a tray shielded from
heat for virtually smokeless
cooking. The unique design
keeps the stoneware cool
enough to handle Plus clean-up
is a cinch since all parts except
the heating unit are dishwasher
safe Instruction booklet with
recipes included. UL listed;
1-year limited warranty, made
m the USA. $59.98 (57.001
#A1336.
r FOLDAWAY EXERTRACK™
Staying in shape is vital for our health
and well being with today's lifestyle Get-
ting to the gym may not always be easy in
our busy lives We have just the answer for
all you people on the go or just for the ones
who enjoy to get fit at home That's why
the Foldaway Exertrack is the perfect way
to exercise This personal treadmill has a
speedometer/odometer to monitor speed
and progress It measures 38"x21"x3" and
features a safe rubber track and an adjust-
able handlebar that faces forward or back-
ward for running and walking comfort No
electrical connections or motors needed.
Exercise has never been simpler Order one
today and get on the right track with the
Exertrack Folds away for easy storage light-
weight and compact. At a great price!
$131.98 (S15.00) #A1977.
T INFRARED IMPROVEMENT
Home infrared heat treatments are an
increasingly popular form of natural
pain relief Now the means of applying that
heat have been significantly improved-
Heating surface has been tripled, the larger
contour head comfbrtabfy angled for
reaching neck and back. Replaceable interi-
or infrared bulb is now 10w, giving 45%
more heat, Reaches deeper than heating
pads or hot water bottles The new infra-
lux has two heat settings: High and Low
(plus off) which allows you to experiment
and choose most comfortable setting. It
comes with its own zippered vinyl bag for
neat storage or packing for travel. UL-listed.
$39.98 (S4.2S) #A1906.
r THE BUSINESS CARD COMPUTER
Carry your office with you. The world's
first credit card size 8K computer lets
you store over 8000 characters. That's ap-
proximately 500 names, phone numbers
and addresses, important memos or ap-
pointment schedules Recall a file by fast
forward scrolling or simply by using the
direct search feature which automatically
finds a file for you, Access all this pertinent
information in no time It also features a
full-function calculator, a currency ex-
change memory and a security code key for
privacy. Easy to use and carry, Carn/ing case
and battery included. $49.98 (S5.00)
#A1898,
■< FOOD DEHYDRATOR
Even if it weren't so specially low-priced, this
food deliydrator would be immenslv econom-
ical. Using almost none of your valuable time, it
makes nutritious, preservative-free refined-sugar-
free, healthful dried fruits and snacks, plus yogurt
— at a tiny fraction of their price in stores Sim-
ply slice fruit into lemon juice, spread on the per-
forated plastic stacking trays and forget it for 12
to 24 hours With electrical coil at bottom, the unit
IS engineered for convection heating; no fan need-
ed, so it's energy-efficient and noiseless A 28-page
instruction book provides guides for adjustable
vents and timing plus enticing recipes. Treat kids
to crispy banana chips, make dried apples, apricots,
raisins...even beef jerkey and vegetables for soups
and camping trips., try zucchini slices with sesame
seeds ~ a dieter's dream substitute for hi-cal
chips 12" dia,, U.L Listed. S-tray Dehydrator (shown)
$51.98 (S6.25) M1887X. 3-tray Dehydrator $41.98
(S5.25) #A1886X.
f TEACH AN OLD LAMP NEW TRICKS
A
ny lamp that takes a standard bulb can be up-
dated with the Touchtronic dimmer. No rewiring
needed-just screw into lamp socket. Then your touch
on any metal part becomes the "switch'-touch once
for low light, again for medium, a third time for full
wattage Handy when you're entering a dark room,
great at bedside and a real comfort to the arthritic
or the ill. You'll save time, money and electricity-no
more 3-way bulbs to buy and you pay for only as much light as you need.
U.L. listed; one-year factory warranty $15.98 (S4.00) #A1700. 2 for $27.98
(S6.00) if A17002.
T CAR-THEFT PROTECTION — WITH NO INSTALLATION
With Sonic Sentry, the value of a car alarm brings you peace of mind —without the
expense and bother of installation. You can switch it from one vehicle to another,
Just plug Sonic Sentry into the cigarette lighter; cord reaches 5 feet, so the unit can
occupy dash or seat when vehicle is parked, where the flashing lights can make a
browsing thief think twice The petite 4V2"xAVi"x.2" box is capable of emitting a truly
ear-piercing alarm, concentrated inside the car, where it can most effectively repel an
intruder Activated by the light
that accompanies the opening of
car door, hood or trunk, it also
senses impact or "unnecessary
roughness"; the shriek lasts for one
minute and only the key stops it —
unplugging the Sighter activates a
back-up battery. Stuck on the road?
Switch Sonic Sentry to its mode
showing HELP in flashing red lights
and put in the window to attract
aid. It's protection you can't afford
not to have, at $74.98 (S7.00)
jfA1989.
T!
INFRAViB INFRARED HEAT
MASSACER
■ he infravib Mas-
sager is good
news for your aches
I and pains This state
of the art device
combines infrared
heat and a powerful
wand massager in
one unit. Deep pene-
j trating Infrared has
two settings and
I gives fast temporary
relief to sore joints and muscles Massager
soothes and relaxes tired and aching mus-
cles. Massager has a long flexible shaft with
four massaging attachments (body acu-
point, leg and foot, and scalp) and two mas-
sage levels Try Infravib— it might be just
what the doctor ordered, $89.98 IS6,25)
#A1952.
T LAMBSWOOL DUSTERS
Lambswool contains a natural static
charge that makes dust literally leap off
surfaces. This magnetic attraction is just
the thing for dusting off bric-a-brac. china,
crystal, pictures, anything. Our dusters are
imported from England. They are the fluffi-
est, highest quality lambsvrool in the world!
We offer a set of four lambswool dusters:
our 27" duster, our telescoping duster
which extends to more than four feet— lets
you reach high corners, top shelves, over-
head lights and collapses to 28", and two
mini dusters for extra fragile objects.
$22.98 (S4.00) ,|A1G70.
HOW TO
ORDER
Satisfaction
Guaranteed
NO Risk
30 Day
Money Back
CALL TOLL FREE 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK
1-800-365-8493
Above Number For Ordering Only, customer
service call 201-367-2900
We Honor.
MasterCard, Visa, and American Express.
If ordering by mail send remittance to
MAIL ORDER MALL, Dept CP-081
P.O. Box 3006, Lakewood, N.J. 08701
Item price is followed by shipping
and handling in ( ), Be sure to add
both together to arrive at total price
N,J. residents add 7% sales tax. When
using credit card - include account
number, exp date, signature Sorry, no
Canadian, .foreign orCO.D orders.
Hagalog Marketing Croup Inc t) 1990
1905 SvKarthmore Ave. Lakewood. NJ 08701
DAZZLING BATCH FILES
ARE JUST AROUND THE CORNER
ince Windows 3.0 hil the streets, it's almost
embarrassing to be caught operating your PC
from the old DOS prompt.
Let's face it, though. There are millions of PCs
out there for which Windows 3.0 is not a practi-
cal option. They'd need more memory, more
speed, and more hard dislc space than the budget will
allow for anytime in this century.
But don't despair. With a little work, a little cre-
ativity, and a handful of utilities from this issue's
COMPUTE'S PC Disk, you can put some snap in your
DOS interface and make your PC system easier for you
and your whole family to use.
This article shows you how to create a batch file
system that you can use to
• Run programs from menus rather than from the
DOS prompt.
• Instruct your system to behave differently depending
on who's running it,
• Create and display attractive menus and help screens.
• Include musical signals to let you know when an
operation is completed.
One of the problems with DOS's batch language is
that it's missing a few important features that would
make it practical for a powerful menuing system.
Problem Number 1
The main deficiency with DOS's batch language is its
inability to accept and act upon user input. Solving this
problem is relatively easy using a stand-alone program
that accepts user input and passes an exit code back to
yourbaich file. In fact, such a program is the centerpiece
of any enhanced batch file programming and is demon-
strated in the program MENUDEMO.B.\T that accom-
panies this article.
Several versions of this type of utilitv are available
under names like GETKEY.COM. ASK.COM. or
CHOOSE.COM. COMPUTE'S version of GETKEY,
which is included on this issue's PC Disk, reports back
10 the batch file the ASCII code of a key pressed by the
user. The MENU program, also on the disk, provides
another method of accepting user input.
If you don't have COMPUTE's version of either
GETKEY or MENU but do have a similar program
BY TONY ROBERTS
that accepts user input for use in batch
files, you should be able to adapt it to
MENUDEMO.BAT with little
difTiculty.
Once your program is able to ac-
cept commands from the user, you
can use the other programs on the
disk to make your batch programs
sparkle with e\er\thing from colorful
text and boxes to music.
VarJabfe Blues
Another problem batch programmers
face is that there's no straightforward
provision for using variables. This dif-
ficulty can be circumvented, though.
by using environment variables to
keep track of changing information.
MENUDEMO.B.AT shows how to
capture user input, act on it, and store
and retrieve environment variables.
This program, although large by most
batch file standards, doesn't do very
much itself It's simply a shell you can
use to build your own program based
on the characteristics of your system.
You'll notice that this batch pro-
gram uses labels and GOTO state-
ments liberally and keeps the entire
program in one file. This keeps things
simple. It saves you the trouble of re-
membering dozens of batch file
names, and it can save quite a bit of
disk space.
On a typical hard disk, where
each file uses a minimum of 2,048
bytes of disk space, ten lOO-byte batch
files would consume 20,480 bytes
while one 1,000-byte batch file would
use only the minimum 2.048 bytes.
Faster Floppies
If you run batch files from a floppy
disk, however, it might be wise to
break your menu system into several
small files to improve execution lime.
If you have DOS 3.3 or above, you
can use the CALL command to exe-
cute one batch file from inside
another.
Why is this faster? When batch
files are run, the disk is read as each
program line is executed. A large
batch file, run on a floppy disk, will be
very slow because DOS will slog
through the file line by line looking for
the appropriate section.
Note also that the batch file ex-
tensions demonstrated in the program
have some overhead themselves.
When you execute a PUTTEXT com-
mand, for example, the PUTTEXT
program runs, delivers your message
to the screen, and then returns control
to the batch file.
.A.11 of this activity takes time. If
you want really fancy programs and
plan to use several BOX and PUT-
TEXT statements, you'll be better off
building your screens and saving them
with SAVESCRN. Then your batch
MENUDEMO.BAT
@ECHO OFF
REM MENUDEMO.BAT
REM .4 demanstration of how batch programming extensions, such as
REM BOX, PUTTEXT NOTES. .MENU, and TIMED.\TE might be used in selting up
RE.M a master menu for your system.
IF (o/ouser%)= =( ) GOTO logon
imainmenu
CIS
30X2 515 3116 2
PUTTEXT 3 7 116 Hello %user%
BOX 2 25 40 3 116 2
PUTTEXT 3 31 116 Our Famiivs Computer Svstem
BOX 8 20 40 12 113!
PUTTEXT 18 22 113 Please make a selection.
IF %user%= =BILL GOTO bill
IF %user%= =MARY GOTO marv
IF %user%= =TOMMY GOTO notiet
IF %user%= =SUZIE GOTO not\et
ECHO Valid User Not Found
R4USE
PAUSE
GOTO end
:bill
PUTTEXT 10 22 113 A. Run CHKDSK
PUTTEXT 11 22 113 B. Set the Time
PUTTEXT 12 22 113 C. Log In New User
PUTTEXT 14 22 1 13 X. Exit to DOS
GETKEV
IF ERRORLEVEL 65 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 66 GOTO chkdisk
IF ERRORLEVEL 97 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 98 GOTO chkdisk
IF ERRORLEVEL 66 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 67 GOTO setclock
IF ERRORLEVEL 98 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 99 GOTO setclock
IF ERRORLEVEL 67 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 68 GOTO logon
IF ERRORLEVEL 99 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 100 GOTO logon
IF ERRORLEVEL 88 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 89 GOTO end
IF ERRORLEVEL 120 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 121 GOTO end
GOTO bill
ichkdisk
CLS
CHKDSK
NOTES 523 36 494 9 440 18
PAUSE
GOTO mainmenu
;setclock
TIME
GOTO mainmenu
GOTO end
:marv
PUTTEXT 10 22 113 A. Checkbook
PUTTE.XT 11 22 113 B. Calendar
PUTTEXT 12 22 1 13 C. Log In New User
PUTTEXT 14 22 1 13 X. Exit to DOS
GETKEV
IF ERRORLEVEL 65 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 66 GOTO cbook
IF ERRORLEVEL 97 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 98 GOTO cbook
IF ERRORLEVEL 66 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 67 GOTO calendar
IF ERRORLEVEL 98 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 99 GOTO calendar
IF ERRORLEVEL 67 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 68 GOTO logon
IF ERRORLEVEL 99 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 100 GOTO logon
IF ERRORLEVEL 88 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 89 GOTO end
IF ERR0RLE\T:L 120 if not ERRORLEVEL 121 GOTO end
GOTO mary
:cbook
CLS
PUTTEXT 5 5 31 Enter commands for CHECKBOOK program in this section.
PAUSE
62
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
MENUDEMO.BAT cont.
GOTO mainmenu
:ca]endar
CLS
PUTTEXT 5 5 31 Enter commands for CALENDAR program in this section.
PAUSE
GOTO mainmenu
:logon
CLS
TIMEDATE
SET user =
MENU t=System Log On,m=[B]ill,m=|M|ary,m=|Tjommj,m— [S|uzie
IF ERRORLEVEL 255 GOTO NOPICK
IF ERRORLEVEL 3 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 4 SET USER=SUZIE
IF ERRORLEVEL 2 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 3 SET USER = TOMMY
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 2 SET USER = MARY
IF ERRORLEVEL 0 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL 1 SET USER=BILL
GOTO mainmenu
:nopick
ECHO No logon selected.
SET user=
NOTES 330 9 330 9 330 9 262 18
GOTO end
:notj'et
CLS
PUTTEXT 5 5 7 When setting up programs of this type, it's wise to include
PUTTEXT 6 5 7a section that can stand in for parts of the program that
PUTTEXT 7 5 7 have not been wTJtten yet.
PUTTEXT 9 5 7 In this case, I haven't wTitten the menus for Tommy and Suzie,
PUTTEXT 10 5 7 so the program comes here, tells you there's still worlt
PUTTEXT 1 1 5 7 to be done, and lets you proceed without error.
NOTES 1046 9 1568 9 1046 9
PAUSE
GOTO logon
:end
CLS
files can use LOADSCRN to load in
the screen files faster than redrawing
them.
Finally, if you don't have a hard
disk, you can get the best performance
out of this type of system by installing
a RAM disk, copying the batch files
and the batch file extension programs
to the RAM disk, and running every-
thing from the RAM disk.
How MENUDEMO Works
By way of a quick walk-through of
MENUDEMO.BAT, the program is
an assembly of several sections, each
of which is labeled. Each section ends
with a GOTO command lo transfer
control to another section. The pro-
gram keeps returning to the main
menu section until the user chooses to
exit 10 DOS.
MENUDEMO first checks to see
ifan environment variable called user
exists. If not, the log-on section is exe-
cuted, a menu of valid users is dis-
played, and the user variable is
established.
Next, the main menu is dis-
played, and choices pertinent to the
current user are presented. From
there, the program acts on any selec-
tions made by the user and returns to
the main menu when finished.
Note that one of the options in
every user's menu is Log In New
User. This makes it easy to switch
from user to user without having to
reboot or rerun the program.
Once you get going with this sys-
tem, carry it as far as you like: Design
separate menus for each member of
the family rather than filling in one ge-
neric template as this program does.
Introduce a games submenu that's ac-
cessible from every user's main menu.
If you telecommunicate, create a sub-
menu that runs scripts lo log you on
to all your favorite services with the
touch of a key.
If you've stayed with me this far,
you probably enjoy tinkering with
your computer as much as you enjoy
running software. The other members
of your family, however, probably
want results, not challenges.
They'll appreciate being able to
turn on the computer and run their
programs without having to call on
you to find the correct subdirectory,
look up the proper parameters, reset
the printer, load the printer driver,
and on and on and on.
Turbocharge Your Batch Files
In the predecessors of today's PCs,
batch processing was a method of in-
structing the computer to carry out
tasks without operator intervention.
Long printing tasks and other time-
consuming business was scheduled to
run unattended late at night when
drowsy humans were sleeping and
wakeful computers were looking for
some action.
As DOS developed, the batch
programming language it incorporat-
ed was designed to accomplish the
same goals — getting work done with-
out operator intervention.
PC users, however, did not be-
have like mainframe programmers.
Rather than using batch programs to
handle work while the operator is
away, most PC users employ batch
files to carry out repetitive tasks while
they're sitting right in front of the
screen.
Whereas no one cared what the
display on the mainframe console
looked like, PC users want boxes, col-
ors, noises, and otherwise interesting
and informative screens.
To make the batch language con-
form better to our needs, COMPUTE
has developed a handful of small pro-
grams lo provide the visual excite-
ment and inieractivity that normal
batch programs lack.
These programs, BOX, GET-
KEY, LOADSCRN/SAVESCRN.
MENU, NOTES, PUTTEXT, and
TIMEDATE, are all available on this
issue's PC Disk. {These programs and
more can also be found on COM-
PUTE'S PC Productivity Manager
Batch File Tips
• Don't assume anything. Before exe-
cuting the command to mn a program,
use tfie CD command to change to the
proper directory. If there's any chance
you'li be iogged on to the wrong drive,
log on to the proper drive first.
• Include a command to return to the
root directory at the end of your batch
files.
• If a batch file requires parameters to
run properly, test to make sure the pa-
rameters were provided, If no parame-
ters were supplied, print a message
telling the user what is expected.
• Include remarks in the batch file so two
years from now you'll remember why
you wrote it.
• If batch programs create temporary
files, make sure they clean up after
themselves and delete those files
before returnng control to DOS.
• If you have DOS 3.3 or above, you can
place the commercial at sign (@) in
front of any command to prevent that
command from being displayed when
the batch file is executed.
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE
63
Musical Notes and Frequencies
Note
Frequency
A
55
110
220
440
880
A#
58
117
233
466
932
B
62
123
247
494
988
C
65
131
262
523
1046
C#
69
139
277
554
1109
D
74
149
294
587
1754
E
82
165
330
659
1319
F
87
175
349
698
1397
F#
93
185
370
740
1480
G
98
196
392
784
1568
G#
104
208
415
831
1661
By using NOTES, you can program your PC's
speaker to play somethmg more lively thar) the
usual beep. This chart provides frequerjcies for
live octaves of musical notes. For relerence, the
frequertcy of middle C is 262.
disk, a collection of 38 batch file ex-
tensions and power utilities.)
Here's a rundown of how to use
these batch file extensions.
BOX — Draw boxes anywhere on your
screen using this utility. You control
the size, shape, border type, and color.
To use the program execute the
command
BOX row column width height color
border
Valid values for row are 0-24,
and this indicates the row number for
the top of the box. Column, which can
be from 0-79, indicates the column
number for the left side of the box.
Widlh and height define the size of the
box in columns and rows, respective-
ly. To determine a color value, multi-
ply the background color by 1 6 and
add the foreground color. (The ac-
companying Color Selection Table
will make this task a little more
convenient.)
To select a border, enter 0 for no
border, 1 for a single-line border, and
2 for a double-line border. If you enter
any other character, that character will
be displayed as the border.
GETKEY — This program is impor-
tant for setting up interactive batch
files. First display a menu of choices;
then enter the command GETKEY.
The batch program pauses until a key
is pressed.
GETKEY returns an exit code
that can be tested with the IF-
ERRORLEVEL command to deter-
mine which key was pressed.
The exit code returned is the
ASCII value of the character pressed.
(See "Understanding ERROR-
LEVEL" for more details.)
LOADSCRN/SAVESCRN— This
pair of programs makes it possible to
build screens ahead of time and dis-
play them in a flash. This is especially
helpful if you're running your batch
files from a floppy disk. Batch files are
slow-running programs because the
system keeps going back to the disk to
read and execute each line.
Creating elaborate screens full of
boxes and text requires several Unes of
programming and takes several sec-
onds to display.
To use these utilities, write a
batch file that creates your screen and
then, as the last line in the batch file,
issue the command SAVESCRN///^-
name. The screen display will be re-
corded as a file on your disk using the
filename you provide.
Later, when you want to display
that screen as part of a batch file, issue
the command UDADSCRN filename,
and all the boxes and text will be load-
ed quickly with a single command.
MENU — This utility makes it easy to
create, display, and use menus. You
can make menu selections with the
keyboard or the mouse. To set up a
Understanding ERRORLEVEL
ThG IF-ERRORLEVEL construction in the
DOS batch programming language pro-
vides a lot of programming punch, but it's a
pain to deal with.
Fortunately, though, once the pro-
gramming is done, you can forget about
ERRORLEVEL while the program does its
work. The value of ERRORLEVEL's service
clearly compensates for the difficulties of
setting it up.
ERRORLEVEL's original purpose was
to provide a way to monitor the exit codes
generated by the BACKUP and RESTORE
commands of DOS 2.0. Assuming that us-
ers would want to use batch files to handle
hard disk backups, the designers provided
the ERRORLEVEL codes as a crude meth-
od of passing along information about the
success of the backup operation,
ERRORLEVEL is used with the batch
programming's IF command to execute
commands conditionally based on the exit
code provided by the most recently run
DOS program. Exit codes can be in the
range of 0-255, The syntax is
IF [NOT] ERRORLEVEL n COMMAND
In this syntax, replace n with the
ERRORLEVEL exit code number being
tested and COMMAND with the action to
take it the conditions of the statement are
met. The NOT is optional and is used to
determine whether an exit code fails the
test.
An ERRORLEVEL condition is true if
the exit code is equal to or greater than the
number in the condition. In other words, if a
program returns an exit code of 4, the
statement IF ERHOHLEVEL 2 ECHO Two
VK>M pass the condition.
Dealing with this idiosyncrasy requires
that conditions be tested in a descending
order. Here's an example:
IF ERRORLEVEL
IF ERRORLEVEL
IF ERRORLEVEL
IF ERRORLEVEL
IF ERRORLEVEL
IF ERRORLEVEL
5 GOTO
4 GOTO
3 GOTO
2 GOTO
1G0T0
OGOTO
OPTIONS
OPTI0N4
OPTIONS
0PTI0N2
0PTI0N1
END
This method is adequate \t your pro-
gram produces a limited number of predict-
able exit codes, but if there are many more
possibilities (as is the case with GETKEY,
the program on this issue's PC Disk), an-
other solution is required. GETKEY returns
an exit code equal to the ASCII code for a
key pressed on the keyboard.
Testing all 255 possible ASCII codes
would take all afternoon.
The solution is to combine two IF con-
ditions in one statement, using one normal-
ly and one with the NOT option. For
example, to test whether the A key, ASCII
65, had been pressed, the following line
would work:
IF ERRORLEVEL 65 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL
66 ECHO UPPERCASE 'A' WAS
PRESSED.
Translated into English, the first condition,
IF ERRORLEVEL 65, is true for any charac-
ter with an ASCII value of 65 or greater. The
letter .A qualifies, as do all the letters in both
the upper- and lowercase alphabets. The
second condition, IF NOT ERRORLEVEL
66, is true for any character with an ASCII
value below 66.
Combining the two conditions, the let-
ter has to have an ASCII code of at least 65
and less than 66. An uppercase A, ASCII
85, Is the only character that meets both
conditions and will allow the ECHO state-
ment to be processed.
If your program allows either upper- or
lowercase input, be sure to test for both
versions of each possible letter.
IF ERRORLEVEL 65 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL
66 GOTO OPT)ON_A
IF ERRORLEVEL 97 IF NOT ERRORLEVEL
98 GOTO OPTION_A
The presence of both of these state-
ments would make sure the program
branched to the OPTION_A subsection no
matter whether A was pressed in a shifted
or unshifted state.
Do keep In mind, hovrever, that each
IF-ERRORLEVEL test takes time, especial-
ly if the program is being run from a floppy
disk. It pays to structure your program so
you test for the more likely option first and
the less likely option last.
In the examples above, testing for the
letter A makes sense as written if the user
is likely to have CapsLock engaged, if the
user usually enters commands in lower-
case, it viTOuld be more prudent to reverse
the statements and test for the lovi«rcase
letter first.
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
Color Selection Table
Black
(0)
Blue
(1)
Green
(2)
Cyan
(3)
Red
Magenta
(5)
Brown
(6)
White
(7)
Black (0)
0
16
32
48
64
80
96
112
Blue(1)
1
17
33
49
65
81
97
113
Green (2)
2
18
34
50
66
82
98
114
Cyan (3)
3
19
35
51
67
83
99
115
Red (4)
4
20
36
52
68
84
100
116
Magenta (5)
5
21
37
53
69
85
101
117
Brown (6)
6
22
38
54
70
86
102
lis
White (7)
7
23
39
55
71
87
103
119
Gray (8)
8
24
40
56
72
88
104
120
Light Blue (9}
9
25
41
57
73
89
105
121
Light Green (10)
10
26
42
58
74
90
106
122
Light Cyan (11)
11
27
43
59
75
91
107
123
Light Red (12)
12
28
44
60
76
92
108
124
Light Magenta (13)
13
29
45
61
77
93
109
125
Yellow (14)
14
30
46
62
78
94
110
126
Bright White (15)
15
31
47
63
79
95
111
127
The BOX and PUTTEXT programs require a color parameter. To tietermme the correct number to use.
choose a background color, muiiiply it by 16. then add the loregrourtd color. The chart above simplilies the
process. Choose a background color from those listed at the top. select a foreground color from those
along rhe side, and use the number that falls at the intersection of the two rows.
Delay, which specifies how long
the note should be played, is mea-
sured in intervals of 1/18 of a second.
Specify a delay of 1 8 to play a note for
1 second, 9 to play a note for 1/2 sec-
ond, and so on.
A crude rendition of "Mary Had
a Little Lamb" looks like this:
NOTES 330 3 294 3 262 3 294 3 330
3 330 3 330 6
PUTTEXT— Here's a big improve-
ment over the ECHO command.
With PUTTEXT, you tell DOS where
you want your message to appear and
in what color. The syntax is PUT-
TEXT row column color text. The
color parameter is calculated by mul-
tiplying the background color by 16
and adding the foreground color.
TIMEDATE— Here's an easy way to
add the date and time to your menus.
Just issue the TIMEDATE com-
mand by itself to get both the time
and date or specify TIMEDATE T for
time only or TIMEDATE D for date
only.
If you use TIMEDATE with a B
parameter, the display will be boxed
and centered on your screen. S
menu, enter the command:
MENU T= title, M=[M]enu Item
l,M=[M]enu Item 2, and so on.
You can enter several menu
items, placing the hot key for each
item in the square brackets. For
example:
Menu T== SYSTEM OPTrONS
M=[ClHKDSK,M=[Flormat Drive
A,M=|W]ord Processing
When a menu selection is made,
an exit code is returned that can be
tested with IF-ERRORLEVEL, and
the program can branch to the appro-
priate section. If the first menu selec-
tion is picked, an exit code of 0 is
returned; if the second menu selection
is chosen, an exit code of 1 is re-
turned: and so on. If Cancel is chosen,
either by clicking on the cancel box or
by pressing Esc, an exit code of 255 is
returned.
NOTES — This program elicits some-
thing a little more interesting from
your computer's speaker than the usu-
al flat beep. To use NOTES, enter
"i^OTYS frequency delay [frequency]
[delay] and so on.
For reference, the frequency of
middle C is 262. See the accompany-
ing chart for other values.
CDfUlPUTE
"Got anything for a sick computer?"
AUGUST 1991 COMPUTE 65
POIN
CLICK
C L
F T 0 N
KARNES
ost people think the Windows
stanup screen is as inevitable
as death, taxes, and Unrecover-
able Application Errors. Sur-
prisingly, it isn't. Not only can you tell
Windows to skip the screen altogether,
but with a little effort, you can have
anything you would like displayed on
startup.
First off, if all you want to do is
bypass the startup screen, there's a
simple way to do that. Just type WIN :
to run Windon's. Be sure to put a
space before the colon, This doesn't
make Windows load any faster, but
you'll get 10 look at a calming black
void instead of Microsoft's blue logo.
Changing your startup to some
other graphic is easier than you might
think, but it does involve several
steps. First, a little background.
When you run Windows, you ex-
ecute WIN.COM, found in your
WINDOWS subdirectory. If you look
at WIN.COM, you'll notice it's fairly
small, and you might reason that this
one file is not all of Windows. You're
right. WIN.COM really does just
three things: It checks your system
configuration, displays the startup
screen, and loads the rest of Wifjdows.
The interesting thing about WIN
.COM is that it's the concatenation —
the combination — of three other files,
all found in vour SYSTEM subdirec-
tory; WIN.CNF, VGALOGO.LGO,
and VGAIjOGO.RLE. The configura-
tion portion of Windows is
WIN.CNF, VGALOGO.LGO is the
loader for the startup screen, and
VGALOGO.RLE is actually the start-
up screen itself
To get your feet wet and prove
that all this is really so. let's combine
these three files into an alternate
Windows startup called WIN2.COM
(we want to be sure not to overwrite
our original WIN.COM). To make
our new Windows COM file, we'll use
the DOS COPY command with the
binary switch, since these files con-
tain binary, as opposed to text, infor-
mation. Change to your SYSTEM
subdirectory, and enter the following
command: COPY/B WIN.CNF+
VGALOGO.LGO + VGALOGO
.RLEWIN2.COM.
In this command string, /B is the
binary switch, the plus sign is the con-
catenation operator, and the last file-
name is the destination file.
Now, move WIN2.COM to your
M CROSOFT
W NDOWS
Ul
K
D
11
m
WINDOWS subdirecton,', and check
out the WIN.COM and WIN2.COM
file sizes. They should be identical.
Run WIN2.COM (exit Windows
first). It's the same as your old WIN-
-COM. 0K_ so now you know where
WIN.COM comes from. How do you
change it?
That's easy. All you have to do is
substitute your own graphic screen for
VGALOGO.RLE. To do this, you
need either a prepared RLE screen
{RLE, by the way, stands for Run
Length Encoded and is a method for
compressing information) or WinGlF
(Superset Software, P.O. Box 1036,
Orem, Utah 84059; $15), an excellent
shareware graphics file viewer and
converter. You can find WinGIF d.nd
lots of RLE screens on CompuServe,
GEnie, and most other BBSs.
The only restrictions are that
your graphic must be 640 X 480 with
16 colors and that the total size of
your WIN.COM file must be less than
64 K, which means your RLE graphic
must be fairly small.
Many people will want to create
their own startup screens, so let's go
through that procedure. Fire up Win-
dows Paintbnish, and create a bitmap.
For your first experiment, try some-
thing simple like your initials.
When you've finished, you'll
need to get your Paintbrush file into
WinGIF. You can save the Paintbrush
image as a BMP or PCX file and load
that into WinGIF, or you can use the
Clipboard znd express-mail the image
to WinGIF. Since the latter process is
faster and easier, let's do that.
Run WinGIF, return to Paint-
brush, and select your picture (or a
part of it) with the rectangular cutout
tool found in the upper right corner of
the toolbox. Press Ctri-Ins to transfer
your selection to the Clipboard. Next,
make WinGIF active and press Shift-
Ins to paste the image from the
Clipboard.
Now that you have your image in
WinGIF, you need to save it as an
RLE file. Select File Save and choose
a name for your logo. Next press the
Format button. Click on 4bpp and
RLE 4. Now press Save to save your
RLE file.
You already know the next step.
Let's say your RLE file is named
MYLOGO.RLE and you want to call
your new Windows command file
MYWIN.COM. You'd enter COPY/
B WIN.CNF-I- VGALOGO.LGO+
MYLOGO.RLE MYWIN.COM.
Again, make sure you and your
RLE logo are in the SYSTEM sub-
directory before entering the com-
mand. Now move MYWIN.COM to
your WINDOWS subdirectory, and
you're all set.
If the file is too large, Windows
simply won't load. Since you didn't
overwrite WIN.COM, you can type
WIN to get back into Windows and
tweak your graphic.
To downsize a too-large RLE, re-
turn to Paintbrush and select a smaller
part of the image with the cutout tool,
and repeat the process. Q
66 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
PROGRAMMING POWER
TOM CAMPBELL
For a long time, I've used a utility
by J. P. Garbers called LF that lists
the files in a directory alphabetical-
ly by extension and then alphabeti-
cally for each extension. Reimple-
menting LF in PowerBASIC for this
month's column was illustrative, be-
cause it highlighted in an interesting
way the tradeoffs between high-level
and low-level languages.
This month's program is
DE.EXE, for Directors' by Extension.
You'll need Po'werBASIC xo type it in
and compile it. The command line
syntax is simple:
DE d:path
Without the optional drive and
path, DE lists the files in the current
directory. Otherwise, it uses the speci-
fied location. The output looks like
this:
. files; FOO
.BAK files: COL0691 COL0791
,BAS files; DE FT
.EXE files: DE FT
.TXT files: COL069I COL0791
You can pause the output by pressing
Space or quit by pressing Esc. This
lets you bail out if you typed the pro-
gram name by accident or if you only
need to see the first part of the listing.
Writing DE took a couple of
hours. Thanks entirely to Power-
a45/C features, it runs very fast. It
lists a 236-file directory in one second
on my 386 versus two seconds for LF.
Its output, however, can't be redirect-
ed, as LFs can. On the other hand, LF
doesn't let you cancel by pressing Esc
or pause by pressing Space (although
you can pause the output using DOS's
built-in Ctrl-S feature).
DE requires almost 30K when
compiled versus 478 bytes for LF.
Had I chosen to write DE in assembly
language, it would ha\'e taken me sev-
eral days, and while I doubt I'd get it
as tiny as 478 bytes, it certainly
wouldn't have reached the IK mark.
Conclusion? I'll take PowerBASIC
any day of the week for a job like this.
.A, decade ago, every byte of disk space
counted, and B.A.SIC wasn't available
as a compiler on the PC. Today, my
time is too valuable to spend writing a
simple utility like DE in assembly if I
can help it.
This month's column explains
how to get a list of the filenames in a
directory. You'll need this skill to
write utilities like DE or pick list box-
es for loading files. It also showcases
some oi PowerBASIC 's special fea-
tures: \'ery fast printing to the screen,
array sorting {PowerBASIC pays for
itself with this feature alone), and the
versatile DIRS function.
Power Directory
Surprisingly, getting the names of files
in a directory isn't easy to do in most
versions of BASIC for the PC. Turbo
fajca/ handles it the best of any lan-
guage I know of, and QuickBASIC tc-
quires you to employ an assembly
language interface to DOS, but Power-
BASIC has a handy function called
DIRS to help out. It's a highly unusu-
al function in that its syntax is differ-
ent on the first invocation than it is on
subsequent invocations. The first
time, it's passed the file specification
as the first parameter (for example *.*,
*.txt, win*,?, or foo.bar) and the attri-
bute of additional files as the second
parameter. The most common attri-
bute is 0, for normal files. You can
add files to the search by adding the
following values: 2 for hidden files, 4
for system files, 8 for the volume la-
bel, and 1 6 for subdirectories.
DIRS then returns as a string the
name of the first file in the directory
matching the file specification and at-
tribute mask. After the first invoca-
tion, use DIR$ by itself, without the
parameters, to return the rest of the
matching files. Here's a simple pro-
gram that lists all the files in the
directory:
' First file.
NextNameS = DIRSC"'.*", 0)
' Get rest.
WHILE NextNameS <> " "
PRINT NextNameS
' No params.
NextNameS = DIRS
WEND
Because DIRS employs DOS func-
tions 4Eh and 4Fh, it inherits a ridicu-
lous limitation of these functions.
There's no way to select only sub-
directories, only the volume label, and
so on. Any invocation will return all
normal files matching the file specifi-
cation in addition to those requested
by the mask (the second, numeric pa-
rameter). I would much rather Power-
BASIC reium only files matching the
attribute and file specification. Turbo
Pascal's implementation suffers the
same deficiency, but since the return
value from its FindFirst routine (a
superset of PowerBASIC 's DIRS) is a
compound data structure including
file size, attributes, and other infor-
mation in addition to the name, your
program can weed out the undesira-
bles more eiTiciently. As we'll see in a
moment, handling subdirectories in
the file specification posed a problem.
Doing What's Expected
Easily the most challenging aspect of
writing DE was its handling of the op-
tional drive and path specifications.
Nothing came easy here; DE follows
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 67
PROGRAMMING POWER
the syntax of DOS commands such as
DIR. For example, where you have a
subdirectory on the drive D called
\ UTILS, the command line
DE D:\UTILS
really means
DED:\UTILS\*.*
The DOS Find First and Find Next
functions don't make this substitution
for you, and with good reason. What
if there's a file using the name D: \
UTILS? COMMAND.COM and
most external DOS utilities resolve
this ambiguity by assuming you want
to look for a subdirectory, but, of
course, it means that you can 't search
for a file that has the same name as a
subdirectory.
Since Find First doesn't make
this choice for you, you must first
check the file specification to see if it's
a subdirectory. The routine IsDir%
does this for you. It's a nice little black
box to have around. Just call it, pass-
ing it the name of the prospective sub-
directoo', and IsDir% returns a
nonzero value if the name is a sub-
director^' and 0 if not. The brute-force
method it uses is to see if anything
(file or subdirectory) matches the
specification.
If there's no match, lsDir% im-
mediately exits, returning 0. If there is
a match, we still don't know if it's a
file or a subdirectory, thanks to the
less-than-helpful Find First. (Note
here that IsDir% is one of the rare
times you'll see DIR$ used only
once.) We then try opening a file by
that name. If that can be done, IsDir%
again returns false. Otherwise, we've
narrowed it down — the input does in-
deed represent a subdirectory.
In any case, the command line is
parsed, and DIRS is used to get the
list of filenames. A single, incredibly
powerful command called ARRAy
SORT does what it would take me a
couple of days to write — a machine-
coded Quicksort on the array of file-
names. The filenames are upended
with the extension first so that the sort
will proceed profjerly, in one fell
swoop sorting by extension and then
alphabetically within. Files are dis-
played with no extension at all, since
each group's listing is preceded with
the note <ext> files:.
' Compiled using PoweraASIC 2. 10a
FileListS = COMMANDS
IF FileListS - •• THEN FileListS = ■
LastCharS = RIGHTS I FileListS, 1)
IF IsDirl IFileListS) THEN
IF IKSTRIFileListS, ■•■| = 0 THEN
IF Rights (FileListS, 11 <> "S-
FileListS + "\'.*" ELSE FileListS
END IF
END IF
Count! = 0
NexcNameS = DIRS IFileListS, 0)
WHILE NexcNameS <> ■"
Count* = Count % + 1
NextNameS = DIRS
WEND
Get the command line.
List all files if no command line.
Get last char in filespec.
Don't append if there already.
AMD Rights IFileListS,
: FileListS
1) <>
THEN FileListS
IF Count* = 0 THEN
PRINT -No files in
SVSTEH
END IF
DIM DirectorySICount%l
* FileListS
DirectoryS(l) = DIRS (FileListS, 0)
NextNameS = DIRS
FOR Total* = 2 TO Count*
NextNameS - DIRS
NameLent = LEN I NextNameS 1
ExtPos* - INSTR (NextNameS, ".■)
IF ExtPost <> 0 THEN
NextNameS = MI DS I NextNameS, ExtPos*+l) +
ELSE
NexcNameS = ■ . ■ + NextNameS
END IF
DirectorvS(TotaHI = NextNameS
NEXT Total*
Total files in this directory.
Get first file matching spec.
Get the rest of the fiies
that match and keep count .
After 1st call, use no params.
Quit if no tiles at all
match the filespec.
Allocate memory for the array.
Copy in the first filename.
After 1st call, use no params.
Copy the rest of the files into
the array. First, move the
extension to the front of the
filename.
But only if there is one.
+ MIDSINextNameS, 1, ExtPosi-1)
Fake a null extension if none.
Add tweaked name to the array.
ABRAlf SORT DireotorySIl
PrevExtS =
Totall = 1
NameWidth*
NameStart*
ScreenMax*
NamePos* =
chrS(O)
Namewidth*
' Sort the array--fast !
' Set sentinel value.
' Trades our position in WHILE loop.
' Width given each name.
' starting column.
■ Farthest right a name can start.
Position of leftmost name.
Loop through whole array.
Let user interrupt.
Assume extension isn't new.
Find its position.
■II' Parse it out of the filename.
A new extension has been found.
Print a blank line i the extension.
Hove to the right .
Note which files are being listed.
Flag that a new extension's hit.
Go where the filename belongs.
Position tor the next filename.
Wrap to beginning if necessary.
And go bach to the first
column of names .
= 9
= 15
= 80 - KameStart*
NameStart*
WHILE Total* <= Count*
CALL Get Pause
NewExt* = 0
ExtPos* = INSTR(DirectoryS(Total%l , ■.■!
ExtS = Lefts (DirectoryS (Total*) , ExtPos*
IF PrevExtS <> ExtS THEN
PRINT : PRINT V 4. ExtS;
LOCATE CSRLIN, 5
PRINT ■ files:-,-
NewExt* = 1
LOCATE CSRLIN, NameStart*
END IF
NamePos* = NamePos* + Namewidth*
IF (NewExt* I THEN NamePos* = NameStart*
IF (NamePos* > ScreenMax*) THEN
PRINT
NamePos* - NameStart*
END IF
LOCATE CSRLIN, NamePos* '
' Print the filename without its extension
PRINT RIGHTS (DirectoryS (Total*! , LEN (DirectoryS (Total* I ) - ExtPos*)
PrevExtS = ExtS ' Note the extension.
Total* = Total* + 1 ' Track position in loop.
WEND
* Returns nonzero if InputDirNameS is a directory or 0 if not.
FUNCTION IsDir*IInputDirNameSI
LOCAL ThlsDirS
DirNameS = DIRS (InputDirNameS, 16 (
IsDir* = 0
IF DirNameS <> " THEN
ON ERROR GOTO ErrorTrap
OPEN DirNameS FOR INPUT AS #1
GOTO EndFunc
ErrorTrap:
IsDirt = 1
Resume EndFunc
END IF
EndFunc :
CLOSE #1
END FUNCTION
Move to the next column.
string is visible only in FUNCTION.
See it it's a regular file or
a subdirectory. Stop if not.
Disable error checking because
the program will halt if it
can't be opened if not a file.
If a runtime error occurred,
InputDirNameS is HOT a file--so
we know it's a subdirectory.
In any case, close the file.
Quit if Esc is pressed, or just pause
SUB Get Pause
LOCAL Next Keys
IF NOT INSTAT THEN EXIT SUB
SELECT CASE INKEYS
CASE CHRSI27)
PRINT : PRINT "Interrupted before
SVSTEM
CASE " -
WHILE NOT INSTAT : WEND
NextKeyS = INKEYS
END SELECT
END SUB
if Space is pressed.
Used only in this SUB.
Return if no key was pressed.
Quit if the Esc key was pressed.
Print a message first,
all files were listed. -
Return to DOS.
If the Space key was pressed,
wait 'til another key is
pressed. Remove from keyboard
buffer.
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
rm i
TIPS & TOOLS
H
NTS
AND
TIPS
FROM
OUR
READERS
floppy Copycat
If you have a fairly common sys-
tem setup with three drives (drive
A, 51/4-inch L2MB; drive B, M-
inch 1.44MB; and drive C, hard
drive), you're up a creek when it
comes to copying files from one disk
to another disk of the same type (SVa-
inch to 5'/4-inch, for example). You
have to copy from drive A to C and
then back to A and so on. An easy way
10 remedy this is to add the following
lines to your CTtNFIG.SYS file.
DEVICE =DRIVER.SYS /D:0 /F:l
DEVICE -DRIVER.SYS/D: I /F:7
These two lines allow the use of drive
A as either A or D and drive B as
either B or E. To copy the files from A
to A, enter COPY /'(Vena ?H<? D:, where
filename is the one you want to copy.
You can use wildcards to copy more
than one file at a time.
Jim Reece
Tuscan, AZ
Shutting Off Error Messages
You probably know that you can re-
direct the output of most DOS utili-
ties to NUL as a way to switch off
their output. For example, you might
have a batch file that does this:
COPY *.* A: > NUL
This runs the COPY command, but
instead of displaying its message on
the standard output device, the
screen, it redirects the output to the
NUL device, which is a sort of special
file that doesn't do anything (nor does
it take up disk space). But some com-
mands or error messages those com-
mands issue refuse to cooperate with
redirection to NUL. That's because
they send their output to the standard
error device, not the standard output
device. For example, if you already
have a directory called TMP and you
enter the command MKDIR TMP on
the command line, you will see the er-
ror message Unable 10 create directo-
ry. This harmless but ominous-
looking error message can make naive
users uncomfortable. The answer is to
use CITY but to use it within batch
files only. CTTY causes all further
output (even the standard error de-
vice) and keyboard input to be deliv-
ered through the device named on the
command line. If you make that de-
vice NUL, output will be halted alto-
gether— but so will input. That's why
you must use the CTTY NUL com-
mand in a batch file; by setting it to
NUL, you nullify the possibility of
keyboard input. To demonstrate, run
this batch file:
MDTMP
CITY NUL
MDTMP
CTTY CON
The first line creates the directory
TMP. If it already exists, you will see
the message Unable to create directo-
ry. If it doesn't, nothing appears at all.
The second time an MD occurs, the
error message is issued. But since
CTTY has been set to NUL, the mes-
sage is sent into that great bit bucket
in the sky, and you don't see it. CTTY
CON sets input and output back to
their default state. If you neglect the
CTTY CON in your program or try
CTTY NUL interactively by entering
it at the command line, your machine
will lock up (remember that it's not
accepting keyboard input), and you'll
need to reboot.
Tom Campbell
Irvine, CA
Getting Keylsoard Input
One of the lesser-known tricks of the
trade allows you to enter a string from
the keyboard that a batch file can use.
There are a couple of caveats, howev-
er. The user must finish typing with
the F6 key and then Enter. Also, the
string is copied into the environment,
where there's often a severe shortage
of space. First, create a file called SE-
TIT.TXT as follows (no deviations,
and don't use your text editor — use
COPY CON):
COPY CON SETIT.TXT
SETTMP=''Z
This will form the basis of a batch file
called SETIT.BAT that'll be generated
on the fly. Second, type in this batch
file:
ECHO off
ECHO Please enter your name and
press F6 and then Enter when you're
finished.
REM Get the user's name from the
kevboard.
COPY CON SETIT.TMP
REM Copy SETIT.TMP onto the end
of SETIT.TXT to create
SETIT.BAT.
REM Neither SETIT.TMP nor
SETIT.TXT is distiirl>ed. The -1-
isa
REM little-used feature of the COPY
command called concatenation.
COPY SETIT.TXT -I- SETIT.TMP
SETIT.BAT
DEL SETIT.TMP
REM Replace CALL with
COMMAND/C if your DOS
version is < 3.3.
CALLSETIT
ECHO Hi, %tmp%
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE
TIPS & TOOLS
IF %tmp% = = Tom ECHO Your
user level is#l.
IF %tinp% = = Bubba ECHO Your
user level is #2, Bubba!
IF %tmp% == Clif ECHO You
shouldn't even be on this system!
Run this file (as TEST.BAT or what-
ever) and enter the names Tom and
Clif as input on separate runs, being
careful to end the name with F6 and
then Enter. This program is case sen-
sitive. If you run out of environment
space, use SHELL = in your CONFIG
.SYS. A line like
shell=command.com /P /E:1024
gives you an environment of 1024
bvtes rather than the defauh of 160.
The /P option runs .AUTOEXEC
• BAT. If you're using versions of DOS
before 3.3, divide the E figure by 16.
Tom Campbell
Inine. CA
Backing Up Is Hard to Do
Put this batch file, NDBACKUP
.BAT, in a directory specified in your
PATH statement. It displays the files
located in the current subdirectory
that aren't backed up.
@ECHO OFF
ATTRIB *.* %1 1 FIND "A" I MORE
It lists the names of the files and their
attributes. The ATTRIB command re-
ports on files that are not backed up
by putting an A (Archive) next to their
filenames. It also reports files that are
read-only by putting an R next to their
names. The ATTRIB command looks
at the file attributes, and the FIND fil-
ter shows only those files with the A
attribute. I added the MORE pipe so
the filenames wouldn't scroll oltihc
screen. To run the batch file, enter
NDBACKUP /S at the DOS prompt.
Make sure that FIND.COM and
MORE.COM are available to the sys-
tem when you run the batch file.
(They should be in a subdirectory list-
ed in the PATH.)
The /S switch reports on not only
the current subdirectory but any sub-
directories below the current subdirec-
tory. Invoke this batch file from the
root, and it will report on every file on
the drive that hasn't been backed up.
Mark Minasi
Arlington, VA
The Long Unwinding FftTH
The proliferation of larger hard disks
has brought out an insidious DOS
bug: the long path bug.
As you use larger disks, you end
up with more places to store things on
the disks. More places to store things
means more items on your path, and
that means that your path gets longer.
The path has a maximum length of
128 characters.
You can't enter a path longer
than 128 characters on the command
line. If you type in any DOS line long-
er than 1 28 characters, DOS will beep
at you. So you're protected from try-
ing to create a long path with the
keyboard.
But most of us create our paths
from batch files— AUTOEXEC.BAT
in particular. More and more new
programs come with automatic install
programs that create subdirectories
for the new program, copy the pro-
gram's files to the hard disk, and mod-
ify the PATH statement in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. When you
have installed a number of them, the
PATH statement can grow beyond
128 characters. That's when the prob-
lem occurs.
There is no internal DOS check
against PATH statements that set
paths longer than 128 characters.
Worse, it seems that paths longer than
128 characters actually overwrite part
of DOS, leading to random errors!
I discovered this when invoking
the batch file that gets me into the
Microsoft BASIC Professional Devel-
opment System. My batch file added a
few items to the path and activated
the Microsoft BASIC Professional De-
velopment System. The only problem
was that it never got to BASIC. In-
stead, an endless series of printscreens
were sent to my printer. (This gets
your attention when you've got a laser
printer; believe me!) I ran around in
circles trv'ing to figure out the problem
for a few days until I realized that the
batch file was extending the path
length. When I ran the part of the
batch file that extended the path, bin-
go— endless printscreens. Once I re-
moved the part of the batch file that
extended the path, the batch file
worked fine. I have discovered other
machines with the same problem, so
it may be becoming more common.
Mark Minasi
Arlington, VA
Piling Floppies
If floppy disks multiply faster than
jack rabbits in your computer room,
try this filing system. Pick up some in-
dex card file boxes at an office supply
store. The boxes I use look like shoe
boxes — 5 X 6 X 12 inches.
Use one for original program
disks, one for backup copies, and an-
other for working disks and data
disks. Since each box holds well over
100 floppies, it only takes a few boxes
to clean up most disk dumping
grounds. These boxes stack neatly on
shelves, hold more disks, and are easi-
er to use than most of the files sold
specifically for disks.
Tony Roberts
Greensboro, NC
Bad Batch Memory?
Do you write batch files and then find
yourself weeks, months, or years later
wondering what they do or how to use
them? The solution is to make each
batch file self-documenting.
If the batch file uses a replaceable
parameter, have the first line of your
program test to see if the parameter
has been supplied. If not, have the
program go to an ECHO statement
that explains how to run the program.
IF {%I) = = () GOTO HELP
PROGRAM LINE 1
PROGRAM LINE 2
iPROGRAM LINE X
GOTO END
:HELP
ECHO Put instructions for using
program here. Use as many lines
as you need.
:END
When you forget how to use a
program, just run it without specify-
ing the parameters, and you'll get the
help you need,
Tony Roberts
Greensboro, NC
If you have an interesting tip that you
think would help other PC users, send
it along with your name, address, and
Social Security number to COM-
PUTE'S Tips & Tools, 324 West Wen-
dover .4\'enue, Suite 200, Greensboro,
North Carolina 27408. For each tip we
publish, we'll pay you $25-$50 and
send you a COMPUTE 's PC clock ra-
dio while supplies last. E
70 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
Enhance Your Tandy
Hard Cards and Hard Drives
IBM / Tandy Switchable, Pre-fomiatted for PLUG N' PLAY
Hard Cards for 1000, A, SX, TX, Eitemal Hard Drives for EX/UX
SL, TL, SL/2, TL/2, TLB, IBM & Compatibles Complete W/ Cahlts and coDtroUcr
42 Meg 28 MS $299
32 Meg 40 MS $239
21 M^40MS $229
65 Meg 35 MS $389
90 Meg 19 MS $469
120 Meg 19 MS $499
42 Meg
32 Meg
21 Meg
65 Meg
90 Meg
120 Meg
28MS $399
40MS $359
40MS $349
35MS $449
19MS $499
19MS $529
15 Month Warranty, Toll Ptm Support. Extended warranties np to E*e years
IDE 'SmartDriveS ForBufltincontroUerofTLn,TLO,RL,RLX
42 Meg 28 MS $289
Memory
1000, A to 640 K W/Clock, Ser. $229
256K EX or HX to 640K $ 1 89
256K 1200 or IBM to 640K $189
384K SX, EX, HX, SL to 640K $49
TX.TL, TL/2 , TL/3 to768K $49
3000NL from 5 1 2K to 640K $49
lOOORL and RLX to 768K $39
Memory Above 640K
<S)
SLOT BOX Seven fuU length slots, two 5.25"
drive bays, one 3.5" drive bay. Power and hard
drive lights. 200 Watt Power supply, cooling fan.
EX, HX, 1000, A, SX, TX, SL, TL, SL/2,
TL/2, RL, TL/3, and RLX $279.00
MicroMainframe 5150T EMS Board
More Space for Spreadsheets, WindowsT
and more
For 1000, A, SX, TX, SL, TL, SLO, TL/2, RL,TLO, RLX
$289
1 Meg $229 2 Meg
1 Meg for 1500 or 2810 Laptops, also
for Panasonic CF-170. 270, 370 $189
Upgrading Your Tandy
215 information packed pages on
performance enhancing upgrades
and installation. Covers the 1000,
A, EX, HX, SX, TX, SL, TL, SUl,
TU2, RL, and the new TL/3
$19.95
VGA Combinations
For SX, TX, SL, TL, SL/2, TL/2, ftL,
TL/3, 3000's, IBM, Compatibln
Combo $489
Monitor: 14" CTX
.28 Dot Pitch
Card: Paradise 256K
640X480, 256 Colors
Super Combo $589
Monitor : 14" CTX
.28 Dot Pitch
Card: Trident 1 Meg
1024X768, 256 Colors
Modems and Faxes
Hayes Compatible, loclndcs SoRiibtc
2400 Baud Internal $79
2400 Baud External $99
Fax/Modem Internal
9600 Baud Fax, 2400 Baud Modem $159
360dpi Mouse w/s<rfi™r. $49
Serial Card AiiEi«p(ex/Ex $29
Serial Card EX/HX $49
Math Coprocessors
For TX, TL, TL/2, TLO, 80286'b up lo i2Mliz.
SALE Priced at $139.00
Math Sprint Socket
nwkesSO287uptD200%riutcr $59.00
Speed up Chips
50% Faster
For Tandy 1000, A, SX. and IBM XT $2
For 1 OOOSL, SLQ, and AT&T $3
PC Sprint $75
100%Fasler. For 1000,A, IBM XT
Floppy Drive Solutions
Internal Drives Extcraal Drlv^
360K $99 $199
1.2 Meg $189* $259*
720K $109 $199
1 1.44 Meg $189* $259*
• Far all except 1000, A, EX, UX, SX
|360K or 720K Extcraal For EX/HX $129
Tandy, Hayes, IBM, AT & T,
Wmdowa, are registered
Trademarks. Prices Subject
to change without notice.
(614). 592^239 Foreign
(fil4) - 592-1S27 FAX
(614) - 594-4180 Local
U^ and Canada
C.O.D,
AMERICAN
EXPRESS
Circle Reader Service Number 120
?ODOS
TONY ROBERTS
People often ask how thej' can
make their computers easier to
use. Much as I'd like to provide a
simple answer, nothing cut-and-
dried comes lo mind. I do have some
suggestions, though, that if imple-
mented over time, will help anyone to
be a more confident and productive
computer user.
• Use your computer. It may be
complex, but it's not too difTicuit to
handle. Remember getting your learn-
er's permit and sliding behind the
wheel of an automobile for the first
lime? Driving a car is a complicated
process, but by doing it every day and
using all the options, you quickly mas-
tered it.
Computers are no different. You
can learn complicated processes by
using them repeatedly and regularly.
• Protect yourself from disaster.
Mistakes occur; programs crash; disks
go bad. Make copies of your work
often enough so you can recover im-
portant information quickly if prob-
lems occur.
Keep in mind that computers
and software are just tools, and like
other tools, they go out of balance and
break down.
Don't ruin your day by getting
angry when a mishap occurs. Simply
do what's necessary to correct the
problem and take what steps you can
to minimize the chance of the prob-
lem recurring.
• Don't learn on deadline. Noth-
ing tightens the nerves more than cov-
ering new ground in a crisis.
Imagine this scene: The boss
pops in one sunny morning and says,
"Your word processor does mail
merge, right? Great. Let's send this
letter to the 500 names on this list. I'd
like to get it out this afternoon."
If you're now turning to the mail-
merge chapter of your manual for the
first time, it's going to be a long day.
To avoid this kind of crunch, test
all the features of your software under
nonthreatening circumstances.
You could learn to use mail
merge by preparing invitations to
your child's birthday part)'. By com-
pleting a small project, you go through
all the necessary steps of using the
software — without the fear that your
job is on the line if you make a
mistake.
An understanding boss may
even allow you to use company time
and equipment to conduct such per-
sonal business, as long as you make it
clear that you're doing so to improve
your ability to handle future
assignments.
• Know the manual. I know it's
possible to muddle through many pro-
grams without reading the book, and I
know manuals are deadly dull, but
they sure can make life easier. Re-
member, however, that the process for
reading a manual isn't the same as for
reading a spy novel.
To get the most out of a manual,
read as much of the introductor>' ma-
terial as seems appropriate to get the
program up and running; then page
through the rest of the book, looking
at what's there but not trying to read
it,
Look at the headlines, the illus-
trations, and any tips or warnings that
are highlighted in bold type or with
boxes.
The goal is to learn what's in the
manual and where to find it when
you need it. Later, as you explore the
software, be willing to pick up the
manual and read fully the sections
that pertain to the commands or
functions you're using.
Finally, take a few minutes from
time to time to page through the en-
tire manual again. This time, slop and
read items that catch your eye. As
your familiarity with the software
grows, instructions and explanations
that once seemed cryptic will begin to
make perfect sense,
• Keep a notebook. It's difficult
to learn some procedures because
they're not performed often enough
for you to remember them well. For
example, if you have trouble remem-
bering how to set up a monthly report,
jot the steps down while they're fresh
in your memory. Next month, follow
your notes, and the job will be a
breeze.
Whenever you ask someone for
help, try to summarize the problem
and the process to solve it in your
notebook. Your local computer whiz
will always be willing to assist you as
long as you don't ask him to solve the
same problem month after month.
• Learn to take shortcuts. When
you give someone directions to your
house, you have them travel the most
well-known streets even if that path is
longer and more time-consuming.
You, on the other hand, use side
streets, back alleys, and other lesser-
known thoroughfares to get home as
quickly as you can.
When you learn software, you
usually learn the long way. Don't let
yourself stop there; once you become
comfortable with the program, check
out the shortcuts.
• Finally, remember that com-
puters are wonderful at performing re-
petitive tasks. Recognize actions that
are taken repeatedly and learn to auto-
mate these tasks. Use batch files to set
up printers, make network connec-
tions, and launch programs.
Use the macro capabilities of
your software to help with editing
and reformatting data. It might take
you ten minutes to program a macro
today, but whenever you use that
macro in the future, you'll be getting
a big payback in time saved. H
72 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
ON DISK
TONY ROBERTS
This issue's MS-DOS disk is a grab
bag of utilities that will help you
with batch file programing, docu-
menlation printing, and disk
maintenance.
I Take a look at this lineup.
MicfoMacroBat
The old saying thai good things come
in small packages is appropriate when
apphed to MicroMacroBat, a batch
program extender that brings color,
animation, and excitement to batch
files Hke never before.
Programmer Bill Filzpatrick cre-
ated the program as an exercise to test
a new compiler that was advertised to
create compact code. It apparently
worked because this program, which
allows for box drawing, scrolhng,
printing, coloring, and a plethora of
other functions, is bundled into a 1 7K
file.
You have to see the demo to be-
lieve everything MicroMacroBat can
do. The demo, which fully exercises
most MicroMacroBat functions, runs
a little slowly from a floppy disk, but
it really sails when placed on a hard
disk.
MicroMacroBat is shareware
with a $35 registration fee. The regis-
tered version includes a typeset man-
ual and breaks the program into three
separate modules so loading time is
reduced and performance is enhanced.
Productivity Manager
The editors and programmers at
COMPUTE put together a disk called
Productivity Manager which contains
38 DOS utilities and enhancements.
We took a handful of utilities from the
disk — those that make batch files
more powerful — and used them to il-
lustrate the article on batch file pro-
gramming in this issue.
These batch program enhance-
ments—BOX, MENU, GETKEY,
PUTTEXT. NOTES. S.WESCRN,
and DOADSCRN — are included on
this issue's disk and carry no registra-
tion fee.
By calling these programs from
your batch programs, you can create
menus and batch files that respond to
users' keystrokes and mouse clicks.
D0C2C0M
Here's a nifty program that turns reg-
ular text files into executable COM
files. This is the perfect way to deliver
messages, instructions, or documenta-
tion on disk; those who have to read
the files will thank you for your
thoughtfulness in giving them an easy,
convenient way to read your wisdom.
D0C2C0M presents information
a screenful at a time and allows full
forward and backward scrolling. It's
impossible to get lost when using files
prepared with D0C2C0A/ because
the program provides a helpful
prompt if the user tries to use keys
that are not valid.
De Pyper. who is currently work-
ing on an enhancement to the pro-
gram, doesn't require registration of
or payment for D0C2C0M, but in
the spirit of shareware, he says he will
accept $5 -$10 donations.
MicroText
This program is a shareware lover's
dream. Microiexi, written by the for-
mer author of this column, George
Campbell, can print up to four pages
of information on one sheet of paper.
This paper-saving feat is accom-
plished by having the printer use a
tiny font and by reformatting the text
file to eliminate wasted space. This is
a great way to store hardcopy of ma-
terial you refer to only occasionally.
MicroText features a clean, sim-
ple-to-use interface with drop-down
menus. The program can also be run
directly from the command line. The
program works with most dot-matrix
and PCL, but not PostScript, printers.
MicroText is shareware. The reg-
istration fee is $10.
Also included on this disk is Print
4 in PostScript. Similar to MicroText.
Print 4 in PostScript {P4PS for short)
performs its magic on PostScript and
PostScript-compatible printers.
AitPage
AltPage is another paper-saving print-
er utility, but this one uses normal-
sized text and allows printing both
sides of the page.
AltPage breaks text files into two
separate files — ODD.TXT and
EVEN.TXT. Once the breakup is
complete, print ODD.TXT first, and
then turn the paper over and print
EVEN.TXT on the back side.
Because the program only works
with straight .\SCII files, a second
program, Strip, is provided to help
convert files that originate in word
processors that use a character's high
bit for certain control functions.
AltPage is shareware, and its $20
registration fee entitles the user to a
disk containing the program plus
several other utilities by the same
author, Jack A. Orman.
CPU Usage Meter
Here's something that will intrigue
users of Windows 3.0. CPU Usage
Meter monitors the CPU activity and
lets you know how busy your proces-
sor is.
With this program you can
see which applications are the real
resource hogs and which ones wait
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE
73
ON DISK
FOR SINGLE DISKS
YES! 1 want to power up my PC. Send me the
August 1991 COMPUTE'S PC Disk. I'll pay
S9.95 lor each 5'.4-inch or 3'-4-ir5ch disk plus S2.00
shipping and handling per disk.
Please indicate how many disks of each format
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Subtotal
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add appropriate sales tax for your area.
Canadian orders, add 7% goods and ser-
vices tax.)
Shipping and handling (S2.00 U.S. and
Canada. S3.00 surface mail, S5.00 airmail
per disk.)
Total enclosed
Send your order to
COMPUTE s PC Disk
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Greensboro NC 27408
SUBSCRIPTIONS
I want to save even more! Start my one-year
magazine and disk subscription to COMPUTE 's PC
right away.
5 '/i -inch S49.95 per year
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For delivery outside the U.S. or Canada, add
S1O.0O for postage and handling.
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All orders must be paid in U S, funds by check drawn on a US
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over S20. This oWef will be (illed only ai Ihe above address and is
not made m coniunciion wrtti any other magazine or disk-subscnp-
tion offer Please allow 4-5 weeks lof tielivery of single issues or for
subscnpiion to begin. Sorry bul lelcphone orders cannot be
aerated
Disks available only )of IBM PC and compatible computers. Olfet
good Atiile scppltes last
are called into action.
The program creates an icon that
indicates the percentage of available
CPU time that's being used. The icon
is refreshed every three seconds, giv-
ing you a good idea how much strain
various operations put on your
processor.
Jim Seidman says he created the
program just to see what was going on
in his own machine. It's available as
freeware. There is no registration fee.
Sweep
This handy utility searches all corners
of a hard disk looking for specified
files that can be deleted. Sweep is a
quick way to get rid of the BAK or
TMP files that seem to accumulate
with some programs.
You create a configuration file
specifying what should be swept out:
*.BAK or *.TMP for example. Then,
whenever the program runs, files that
match those patterns anywhere on the
specified disk will be deleted.
It's also possible to limit the pro-
gram's action to certain subdirec-
tories, if desired.
Before using any program such
as this, you'll want to have a good
commercial "undelete" utility on
hand in case you have second
thoughts about losing any of the files
Sweep lists as deleted. Sweep is
freeware with no registration fee.
Print 4 in PostScript
Prim 4 in FoslScripl (P4PS for short)
is similar to MicroTexi. but it per-
forms its magic on PostScript
printers.
P4PS runs from the command
line and is very' fast and easy to use.
Beneath its straightforward face,
however, are myriad options thai you
can select if you're interested.
Here's what P4PS docs: prints
four pages of text on a single sheet,
handles 80-column or 132-column
text, prints to any DOS device or file,
prints multiple copies, provides mac-
ros to control page header infor-
mation, allows printing of an entire
document or a range of pages, and of-
fers double-sided printing.
P4PS is a shareware program, so
if you use it, you should register it
with the author. The $29.95 registra-
tion fee entitles you to a copy of the
registered version of P4PS and a
printed manual. E
MicroMacroBat
Productivity Manager
DOC2COM
»]rJ«tK Uvd SWv Cbw* »ikUI MM
^kct V Mifvi nit Dii[jixizr.mi
a«ii to BOS
9i|t;
MicroTexi
74 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
HARDWARE CLINIC
MARK MINAS
I'm buying a new motherboard be-
cause I'm tired of waiting for my
10-MHz 286 clone to do Windows
redraws. I'm lucky because (years
ago) I bought a clone in a regular ge-
neric AT-type case.
That means that the mother-
board is standard size, so I can make
the whole system a 386 screamer just
by replacing the motherboard. Come
on along and see how you can jazz up
your system, too.
Oops — I forgot to tell you just
what a motherboard is. If you take the
cover off your PC, you'll see, off to the
left, a bunch of upright circuit boards.
Now take a look at what they're stand-
ing on — another circuit board, a big
one lying flat on the bottom of your
PC's case. The board lying down is the
motherboard.
The motherboard is the Big
Cheese in your PC. It's the board that
most likely contains your main CPU,
your math coprocessor, some memo-
ry, your BIOS, and other items.
Because it's so important, chang-
ing the motherboard changes your
PC's entire personality, as well as its
speed and, in some ways, its flexibili-
ty. Motherboard surgery isn't for
everyone.
If you've got a strange-shaped
case, like one of those "slimline" or
"small footprint" PCs, your manufac-
turer achieved that small footprint by
using a nonstandard-size mother-
board, which pretty much lets you out
of this discussion. (Stick around any-
way; you'll get some tips on buying
your next computer.)
I want a lot of features in a
motherboard — some necessary, some
merely nice. My necessary list in-
cludes room for at least 16MB of
RAM on the motherboard; the ability
to disable shadow RAM; a BIOS with
user-defined hard drive type; BIOS
contained in two ROM chips, not
one; BIOS from AMI, Award, or
Phoenix; eight expansion slots; and a
16-MHz 386SX or 20-MHz 386DX
processor.
The tmnecessary-but-highly-desir-
able list includes adjustable bus speeds,
a faster CPU with cache, and a mother-
board that's XT size, not AT size.
Thanks for the Memories
I dream of a day when I won't want
more memory.
Sounds crazy when I say to you,
"You must buy motherboards that
accommodate at least 16MB of
RAM," but it's true. Blame it on
Windows 3.0. Blame it on 386Max
and QEMM. The fact is that four me-
gab>'tes is a bare minimum required
to get anylhing done with Windows.
Eight megs is much comfier. And
more software's coming down the
pike that will give you even more rea-
sons to want more RAM.
UPGRADNGTHE 1
11
1
i
So I figure that in a year or two,
everj'one will have eight megs and
will want more. Ai about $45 per
megabyte for RAM chips and SIMMs,
it's not unreasonable.
But, of course, there are a few
catches. In the XT and AT days, you
just expanded memory by buying a
memorj' expansion card, putting
memory chips on it, and putting the
card into one of the PC's expansion
slots. But you can't do that with faster
PCs. No matter how fast your PC is —
20, 25, 33 MHz — the expansion slots
still only run at 8 MHz.
Why do the slots run so slowly?
Because most expansion boards can't
operate above 8 or 10 MHz. So when-
ever the system is accessing an expan-
sion board, it slows down to 8 MHz.
That sounds pretty awful, but it's not
that bad. Most boards in expansion
slots communicate with things that
are fairly slow anyway, like floppy
drives, printer ports, modems, and the
like.
What really hurts is having to put
a memory card in an expansion slot.
Memory runs best when it runs at the
full speed of the CPU, so it's a crime
to make a 25- or 33-MHz machine
slow down to 8 MHz when accessing
memory.
By the way, a few motherboards
give you the option to experiment
with a faster bus. For example, I've
got a 20-MHz 386 system that lets me
set my bus speed to 6, 8, or 10 MHz.
If all of your expansion boards
are a bit faster than average, you can
get away with running the bus at the
practically illegal rate of 10 MHz, and
speed up video and disk access in the
process. More on this in a future col-
umn, but having the speed adjust-
ment is a nice motherboard option.
Manufacturers have found two
ways to avoid this problem. First,
some manufacturers design a special
high-speed slot for the motherboard
that will only accommodate a particu-
lar card — a memory board.
If you buy a motherboard of this
type, make sure you get the memory
board at the same time you buy the
motherboard, or you won't be able to
put any memory on the system.
Other manufacturers put sockets
for memory right on the mother-
board, eliminating the need to deal
with the expansion slots. If you buy
one of these motherboards, ensure
that there's enough room for at least
16MB.
Be warned, however, that most of
the boards on the market only have
room for 8MB, so pick carefully.
Some motherboards, by the way,
combine both methods — they have
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 75
HARDWARE CLINIC
room for about 8MB on the mother-
board itself and also have a high-
speed memory slot for a board that
will hold another SMB.
You don't need the memory
board until you're ready to exceed
8MB of total system memor>', but buy
the board immediately anyway. Why?
Because the board may not be avail-
able when you need it in a year or two.
These boards generally run $ 100-$200.
Me and My Shadow
Many 386 systems have a feature
called shadow RAM. It's supposed to
speed up system response. Actually,
shadow RAM has little real-world val-
ue and can cause trouble when run-
ning Windows 3.0 and other
programs. I don't mind having the
feature with the system, but I sure
want to disable it. Make sure your
system gives the option to disable
shadow RAM.
You see — shadow RAM speeds
up any attempt to read the BIOS, a
basic, low-level piece of software that
controls your keyboard, disk, screen,
and printer.
The argument goes that any in-
put/output operation will be sped up
by shadow RAM. This argument is
specious because it overlooks an im-
portant fact: Most software bypasses
the BIOS and controls the PC hard-
ware directly in order to achieve max-
imum speed.
If software used the BIOS, shad-
ow R.AM wouldn't be a bad idea —
but most software doesn't. It looks
good on benchmarks (which politely
access the hardware via the BIOS),
but IVindows, 1-2-3, and WordPerfect
(to name a few) will be unaffected by
shadow RAM, so don't feel bad
about disabling it.
Buying the Best BIOS
I just memioned the BIOS and that
it's a piece of software. It's an unusual
piece of software, however, in that it's
encased in hardware. Where most
software is loaded from a floppy or
hard disk into the computer, the BIOS
comes in a chip called a ROM (Read
Only Memory).
When shopping for ROMs, it
turns out you've got to be concerned
both with the software in the chip
and with the way the chip is
packaged.
First, ask who's writing the soft-
ware. The BIOS software must be
very, very compatible with an IBM
BIOS, or your system won't be 1 00-
percent PC compatible. Developing
compatibility takes lots of practice, so
buy a BIOS from a vendor with some
experience,
I'd recommend .AMI (American
Megatrends, Incorporated), Award
Software, or Phoenix Software brands.
That doesn't mean the other guys are
trash, understand — they just need
some more time. Slay with .AMI,
Phoenix, and Award, and you'll be
OK.
.And there's no reason why you
can't get a BIOS from the vendor of
your choice — all three make BIOSs
for just about every 386 system under
the sun.
The BIOS's original job was the
low-level hardware functions I de-
scribed earlier, but nowadays there's
more to look for. First and probably
most important is a user-defined
drive type. Since the advent of the
IBM AT in 1984, 286/386/486 BIOSs
have contained a table of hard disk
drive types — descriptions of common
hard disks.
As ROM space is limited, most
ROMs only contain 47 drive descrip-
tions, which, of course, aren't
enough — there are new drives appear-
ing every day.
If the drive you're trying to install
doesn't match anything on the table,
either you won't be able to install the
drive or you'll have to settle for a de-
scription of a smaller drive, leading
the PC to waste some space.
In 1989, AMI and Award intro-
duced a useful new feature, the user-
defined drive type. It allows you to
describe a drive directly, rather than
trying to match your drive to the clos-
est prestored type. Since then, most
BIOS vendors have included user-
defined drive types, so make sure
your BIOS includes this feature.
Other desirable BIOS features are
a built-in system setup (which elimi-
nates the need to hunt around for the
SETUP disk every time you make a
change to the system), the ability to
set memory wait states, the ability to
enable and disable blocks of memory
in the BIOS (rather than having to
physically remove memory in order
to isolate and test it), and the ability to
set keyboard speeds via the BIOS
(freeing you from having to use third-
party utilities to make your keyboard
more responsive).
The last BIOS feature has to do
with its packaging. Most BIOSs are
shipped as a pair of chips called the
e\'en ROM and the odd ROM. More
recently, however, I've seen mother-
boards that use a BIOS packaged as a
single ROM.
I would counsel you against these
motherboards simply because it will
be more difficult to find ROM up-
grades in the future. There are several
ROM vendors in the U.S., and none
that I've talked to were prepared to of-
fer a single ROM BIOS— they all use
the more normal dual-chip BIOS.
So for the sake of easy upgrades
later, stick to motherboards that use
a pair of ROMs to house the BIOS.
(Why would you want to upgrade
your BIOS? To solve new compati-
bility problems or to support new
hardware, such as the upcoming
2.88MB floppy drives.)
Odds and Ends
Most 386 motherboards used to be
large, about the same size as an old
.AT motherboard. More advanced
chip design has reduced the number
of chips on the motherboard, reducing
power consumption and leading to
smaller, XT-size motherboards. I'd
recommend the smaller XT mother-
boards because you can fit them into
smaller cases, which take up less space
on your desk.
But don't buy a motherboard
that achieves smaller size by reducing
the number of expansion slots — you
want an eight-slot motherboard. The
more slots, the more long-term ex-
pandability you'll have.
I know you're waiting for me to
make a recommendation about a
brand. I don't have space to discuss all
the motherboards I like, so I'll just say
that there are actually lots of terrific
no-name motherboards. New vendors
appear and disappear almost weekly.
Check out your local clonemeister's
offerings: A decent 33-MHz mother-
board with cache will set you back
about $900.
No matter which 386 mother-
board you buy to replace your current
286 PC's motherboard, you'll be quite
pleased by the results. But as you can
see, attention to a few extra details
will make using your newly improved
system even more satisfying. B
76
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
ONLINE
DENNY ATKIN
You hand the usher your E Ticket
and sit down as a deep, monoto-
nous voice fills the room. "Wel-
come to ModemWorld, the land
of the user-hostile. We'd appreciate it
if you'd check your mouse and GUI at
the door. No, madam, you can't enter
that way. We deal in doors here, not
Windows. Now, if everyone will
please fasten the safety straps, we'll
begin our journey back into that ar-
chaic world where ASCII characters
are king, icons are forbidden, and
you'd better know your stop bits from
your parity bits if you hope to sur-
vive." An evil laugh fills the room,
and you lurch forward as your car
plunges down into the bitstream.
Riding through the vast network
of online services and BBSs is like tak-
ing a trip back through time to the
days when IBM PCs shipped with
text-only display cards, UNIX was
considered to be a relatively user-
friendly operating system, and graph-
ics were something only game players
cared about. While you may have a
nice GUI-based terminal program,
those menus are only good for con-
trolling what's happening on your
computer, not communicating with
the remote service.
Once you're logged on, the only
interaction you'll have with the ser-
vice is through the keyboard. That in
itself is not horrible; many of us use
older MS-DOS programs all the time
with clunky, text-based interfaces.
However, not only do most BBSs and
online services have interfaces that
date back to the 1 970s, but they also
all have different interfaces! A user
might type G (Good-bye) to log off
one system, O (Off) to log off another,
and BYE to exit yet another. No won-
der getting online for the first time can
be overwhelming.
Some services have begun the
move to graphical user interfaces, but
as yet they're still awkward and
clunky, and will bring back memories
of using Windows 1.0 or a 128K
Mac — they have potential, but their
limitations overshadow their ease of
use. Generally, you're faced with a
service like Prodigy, which is very
easy to use but just as easy to outgrow,
or America Online, which addresses
many of Prodigy's limitations but is
still so young that you won't find the
variety of offerings available on more
mature networks. And I've still never
encountered a full GUI on a BBS, al-
though the Amiga's SkyPix protocol
comes close.
You could avoid BBSs and just
use front-end programs ]ikc Aladdin,
GEE!. Whap!, or TapCIS. But local
bulletin boards are too much fun to
miss out on. And while front-ends are
ver>' handy for quickly gathering mes-
sages and files from online areas
you've visited before, they're useless
for exploring the systems — you have
to already know what you want to
read. Plus, if you encounter problems
online that confuse the front-end pro-
gram, you've got to know the basics of
navigating that service to get the pro-
gram unstuck.
Don't let the variety of intimidat-
ing interfaces keep you from going on-
line, though. While the learning curve
can be steep, the eventual results are
worth the effort. The best thing you
can do, for your wallet as well as your
sanity, is to pick up a good book with
instructions, tips, and tricks for your
favorite terminal program or online
service.
The best all-around book I've
seen so far for both the beginning and
experienced telecommunicator is
McGraw-Hill's Dvorak's Guide to
Desktop Teiecommunications, osten-
sibly written by John Dvorak and
Nick Anis. (Many chapters of this for-
midable 776-page tome were actually
written by experts in the fields cov-
ered by those sections; for instance,
noted Amiga sysop Harv Laser
penned most of the text in the chapter
"Communicating by Amiga.")
To risk a cliche, if you only buy
one book on telecommunications, get
this one. It starts with a general de-
scription and history of telecommuni-
cations, then moves on to tips on
selecting and installing telecommuni-
cations hardware and software.
The book covers not only most of
the major (and minor) online services
but also many commonly used BBS
systems. It explains concepts hke BBS
doors (programs that can be run from
within BBS software) and file transfer
protocols in easy-to-understand
terms. Techies will appreciate the
chapters on how a modem works and
on new communications technologies
such as ISDN. There's even a four-
page listing of emoticons. The book
doesn't take the narrow view that all
telecommunicators use MS-DOS
computers. There are chapters with
online tips for Amiga, Macintosh,
OS/2, and UNIX usere as well.
If you're a heavy user of GEnie or
CompuServe, you might want to
check out McGraw-Hill's other offer-
ings. Glossbrenner's Master Guide to
GEnie, by Alfred Glossbrenner, cov-
ers every service GEnie offers. The
author's friendly writing style makes
this thorough and informative guide a
pleasure to read, even for the experi-
enced GEnie user. CompuServe users
will find similarly helpful information
in The Complete Guide to Compu-
Serve, by Brad and Deborah Schepp.
Send comments and suggestions to
DENNYi on BIX and GEnie. DENNY
on Plink, or 75500,3602 on CIS. B
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 77
ARTS & LETTERS
ROBERT BIXBY
If you want lo make me happy, send
me a board to install in my com-
puter or a pile of spaghetti wire to
plug into its various ports. I've had
much enjoyment recently trying out
tools and boards.
First, ComputerEyes (Digital Vi-
sion, 270 Bridge Street. Dedham,
Massachusetts 02026), one of the old-
est names in video digitizing, is bigger
and belter than ever, providing the
desktop publisher on a budget a tool
that captures video signals in a trice
and converts them to useful, editable
graphics. It can cope with a range of
screen resolutions and input devices
as various as TVs, VCRs, computers
with composite output, and still and
motion video cameras.
It provides an interactive preview
that shows a fast-capture input screen
so you can set the focus and aperture
of your camera. Then you can elect to
capture a screen at various speeds
(from 1 .6 to 24 seconds), with the res-
olution related to the speed (it sup-
ports screen formats through Super
VGA— 640 X 480 with 256 colors).
ComputerEyes can work with 24-
bit color (16.7 million colors) or 8 -bit
gray scales (256 gray levels). When the
image is captured, you can use its edit-
ing tools to adjust the image or save it
out to one of several formats (includ-
ing TIFF, PCX, DeluxePaint LBM,
MSP, IMG, Targa, and Splash) for
editing in your favorite paint pro-
gram. ComputerEyes lets you generate
real-world art for your desktop pub-
lishing projects.
1 was less taken with FIG Data
Systems' light pen (10801 Dale Street,
Suite J-2, P.O. Box 615, Stanton, Cali-
fornia 90680). I don't like the mouse
as an input device — particularly for
drawing — and I'm always looking for
useful alternatives. As soon as I read
about the FTG light pen, I wanted to
look at it. But after about a week of
tr>'ing to make it work with Windows
and my .ATI graphics board (and ex-
tended phone calls with the helpful
folks at FTG), I gave up utterly
Windows slows to a crawl when-
ever the pen is pointed at the screen. I
accumulated a list of anomalies no
one could explain (the cursor followed
the pen everywhere on the screen ex-
cept the menu bar, to name one frus-
trating example). Upgrades may
improve its performance, but current-
ly this tool isn't viable for Windows.
A year ago I had an opportunity
to review a new input device called
the Wiz (CalComp, 241 1 West La Pal-
ma Avenue, P.O. Box 3250, Anaheim,
California 92801). For various rea-
sons, I wasn't impressed by its per-
formance, but I liked the idea. The
Wiz combines a digitizing tablet with
a mouse (or a pen) to provide ex-
tremely tight cursor control. CalComp
has a new driver for DOS and Win-
dows 3.0 that works beautifully. It also
offers a template system that allows
you to enter Windows or DOS com-
mands (or specialized commands for
many popular programs) by clicking
on various positions on the touch tab-
let. Although it works, I have never
liked this part of the system.
CalComp provides a pen that
can be substituted for the mouse. It
allows you to draw in a very natural
way, holding the electronic pen as
you would an ink pen and drawing
on the digitizing tablet as you would
on a paper tablet.
The only problems I had were in
double-clicking and accessing the right
mouse button. When you bear down
on the pen, its point clicks, simulating
a left mouse button click. Unfortu-
nately, it's very difficult to double-
click the point without moving the
point on the digitizer surface, which
prevents the double-click from regis-
tering. Also, the pen's second button
isn't designated to function as the
right mouse button. You can make it
act as the right mouse button, or you
can make the point act as the right
button and the pen's side button act as
the left mouse button, but that's not
much help. Clicking on the side of a
pen without moving the point is also
next to impossible.
The Wiz is compatible with the
Microsoft mouse (if you have the new
I.ID Wiz driver), but you still may
have to go through some setup gym-
nastics to get it to work. GeoWorks
Ensemble required that I install
GEOS so that its own mouse driver
was ignored. Presentation Team from
Digital Research required that I install
the program as if I were using a bus
mouse. The control was remarkably
tight when the mouse was in use, and
the pen worked well, except for the
clicking problems I mentioned. You
have to get used to the fact that the
mouse must be aligned with the pad
for the movement of mouse and cur-
sor to be analogous.
If you know of a good light pen
(or other interesting input device),
send me the name and address of the
manufacturer, and I'll try to review it
in these pages.
Although it isn't a tool or board,
not to mention CorelDRAW! would
be a sin after the hours of enjoyment
it's given me. Corel Systems isn't the
type of company to add a few bells
and whistles to something and call it a
product upgrade. The next "Arts &
Letters" column will be a close-up of
CorelDRAW! 2.Q. It has all the fea-
tures you've heard so much about for
the last couple of years, plus a gener-
ous measure of tools you'll wonder
how you got along without. Q
7a COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
ULTIM
Start getting the absolute most from your PC and COMPUTE!
Subscribe to COMPUTE's PC Disk today!
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best in shareware, all painstakingly debugged and fine-tuned by our experts.
Here's a list of the must-have programs coming on the August PC Disk.
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n D0C2C0M— Turn any text file into an executable COM program.
n MicroText— Print four pages of text on one sheet of paper.
D AltPage— Print on the front and back of each page
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D Sweep — Zap those disk-hogging backup files.
SUPEi lONUS!
And that's not all. To make PC Disk as easy
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tips on program requirements, and more.
So don't delay! Subscribe now!
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Menu
FAST FORWARD
DAVID ENGLISH
f your graphics card and monitor
are your computer's video system,
why can't you just hook up your
television to your computer? Or
why can't you run a cable to your
VCR. pop in a videocassette, and
paste Aunt Ethel into your paint pro-
gram? Better yet, why can't you use
your paint program to create a color-
ful title (something like Our Summer
in the Rockies) and zap it down your
monitor's cable directly into your
family's vacation tape?
After all, it isn't so hard to bring
text — or even sound — into and out of
your PC. So what's so special about
video? And how much money do you
have to spend before you can send
Aunt Ethel dancing across your com-
puter screen?
More than anything else, it's a
question of standards. All television
equipment in the U.S. must conform
to the NTSC (National Television
Standards Committee) specifications.
Because your TV, VCR, video
camera, and laser disc player speak
the same video language, you can
hook them together without giving it a
second thought. Each of these video
devices displays the same number of
horizontal scan lines, uses a particular
kind of interlaced blanking, and alters
the phase of the chroma signal to cre-
ate a specific range of colors.
Even though any NTSC device
can accept the video signal from any
other NTSC device, you run into
trouble if you try to mix two or more
signals together. Video devices have
to be synchronized with each other, as
well as with the NTSC standard. Be-
cause videotape can stretch, you'll
also need a time-base corrector (TBC)
to compensate for timing deviations
from the NTSC standard.
That's just on the video side.
When you try to bring NTSC video to
your computer, you'll have to deal
with overscanning, different horizon-
tal and vertical sync rates, and differ-
ent aspect ratios. It's no small feat to
design a card that can send a video
image to your computer screen and
have it look at all like its earlier form.
Fortunately, the situation is im-
proving. Faster processors and higher-
resolution monitors are driving a
whole new generation of affordable
NTSC video cards. While we're a long
way from plug-and-play video, with a
bit of patience and a lot of persever-
ance, you can begin to bridge the gap
between TV and CPU. NewTek, for
instance, has a Video Toaster/Amiga
product that interfaces with the PC.
If all you want to do is watch TV
on your computer, check out DESK-
TOPTV (AVvtEW Technology, 2401
North Forest Road. Buffalo, New
York 14226; 800-866-7288; S395). It's
a full-size card that lets you display
live video on your computer screen.
The card includes a built-in 1 1 9-
channel television tuner, which you
can control from either of two DESK-
TOpTV programs — a TSR or a H7«-
d'oH '5 application.
Before you get too excited about
the possibilities of watching "I Love
Lucy" reruns in the corner of your Ex-
cel spreadsheet, let me bring you back
down to earth. Only the high-end (and
very expensive) video cards let you
see computer and full-motion video
images simultaneously. With desk-
topTV, you can view one or the oth-
er— but not both at the same time.
You can listen to the sound all the
time, so if you hear something inter-
esting, you can quickly pop over and
see what's going on. But with this sys-
tem, it's an either/or situation — your
screen is either a computer monitor or
a television set.
If you want to bring a video im-
age into one of your programs, take a
look at ComputerEyes/Pro (Digital
Vision, 270 Bridge Street, Dedham,
Massachusetts 02026; 617-329-5400;
$399.95) and VideoLinX: Frame-
Buffer (VideoLinX, 201 1 1 Stevens
Creek Boulevard, Suite 100. Cuperti-
no, California 95014; 800-222-0042;
$695.00). Both let you grab a single
video image and convert it to a stand-
ard PC graphics file. ComputerEyes/
Pro can accept composite video or the
higher quality S-video (used by Super-
VHS and Hi 8 video recorders). It
can convert to PCX, TIFF, Targa,
ColoRIX, and other formats.
VideoLinX; FrameBuffer in-
cludes video out as well as video in.
The video in works much like the
ComputerEyes card by converting in-
dividual composite-video images to
PCX, Targa, TIFF, and other formats.
The video out operates in the other
direction, convening graphics files
into video pictures that you can dis-
play on a television set or record on a
VCR. Keep in mind that these are in-
dividual pictures, not moving images.
To create animation with the Frame-
Buffer, you would need to purchase a
special 52,000 VCR with single-frame
capability.
Both cards suppon (but can't dis-
play) 24-bit color for 16.7 million col-
ors. (Most programs that handle 24-
bit color files will display them in 16
or 256 colors with VGA or Super
VGA cards.) FrameBuffer lets you
view 24-bit color files on your TV — a
real plus if you work with 24-bit color
but don't have a 24-bit color graphics
card.
So how much money does it take
to have Aunt Ethel dance across your
computer screen? .At this point, live
full-motion video is still just around
the corner. But with lower hardware
prices and Multimedia H'indows,
.Auntie may be ready to do her thing
sometime in late 1991. B
80 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
Now with NRI's
new training
you can enjoy
the rewards of
a career in
computer
programming
A top-paying career in computer
programming is no longer out of your
reach. Now you can get the practical
training and experience you need to
succeed in this top-growth field.
It's training tnal gives you real-
world programming skills in four of
today's hottest computer languages:
BASIC, Pascal, C, and COBOL.
Hands-on training that includes
a powerful IBM AT-compatible
computer, modem, and program-
ming software you train with and keep.
Comprehensive, ai-home training that
gives you the competitive edge to
succeed in one of today's leading
industries. The kind of experience-based
training only NRI can provide.
As a trained computer programmer of
the '90's, you can enjoy long-term career
success. In fact, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics forecasts that during the next 10
years job opponunilies will increase by 71.7
percent for the skilled computer program-
mer. With NRI training you can be one of
the increasing number of computer
programmers using their skills to build a
top-pa^dng career — even a business of their
ovm — in this professionally and financially
rewarding high-tech field.
▼ The only programming
course that includes a powerful
AT-compatible computer system
and programming
software you keep
Right from the start, NRI
training gets you actively involved
in the challenge of real-world
computer programming, You
learn how to create the kinds of
full-featured, powerful pro-
grams today's employers and
clients demand. And, unlike
any other school, NRI lets
you experience first-hand
the power of an IBM PQ
AT-compatible computer
system with modem, a full ■
megabyte of RAM, disk drive, and moni
tor — alt yours to train with and keep.
Plus you explore the
extraordinar)' capabili-
ties of not one or two but
four in-demand computer
languages, You leam to design, code,
run, debug, and document programs in
BASIC, Pascal, C, and COBOL, In the
process you become uniquely prepared for
the wide variety of programming opportuni-
ties available today.
T No previous
experience necessary
Immediately, you start getting the
money-making job skills you need to secure
a future in computer programming — no
matter what your background. With NRI
trainmg you move easily from computer
novice to computer professional with siep-
by-step lessons covering program design
techniques used ever)- day by successful
micro and mainframe programmers.
You'll find no heavy textbooks to plow
through. No night classes to attend. Instead,
NRI's at-home, step-by-step training covers
all the bases, guiding you from the impor-
tant fundamentals to reat-world methods
and techniques. With the help of your NRI
instaicior — offering one-on-one, personal
guidance throughout your course — you
quickly gain the skills you need to handle
with confidence a wide variety of program-
ming applications. You e\'en use your
modem to "talk" to your insiractor, meet
other NRi students, and download
programs through NRI's exclusive program-
mers network, PRONET,
▼ Send today
for your FREE catalog
Now you can have the professional
and financial rewards of a career in
computer programming. See how NRI at-
home training gives you the experience, ihe
know-how, the computer, and the softv^'are
you need to get started in this top-pa)1ng
field. Send today for your FREE catalog.
If the coupon is missing, write to us at
the NRI School of Computer Programming,
McGraw-Hill Continuing Education Center,
4401 Connecticut Avenue, N\V, Washing-
ton, DC 20008,
n
i!
^ Schools
McGraw-Hill Conimuing Education Center
4401 Connecticut A\'enue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
tJ Check one free catalog only
n Computer Proeramming D Microcomputer SerNicing
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D PC Software Engineering Using C D Word Processing Home Business
Name
\ Address .
(please print)
Age.
L.
City
.Accredited Memijer. National t^ome Studv Council
. State .
.Zip.
540,l-<»!
_l
Circle Reader Service Number 177
#HDME OFFICE
WORKPLACE
DANIEL JANAL
How'm I doin'? That's what for-
mer New York City mayor Ed
Koch liked to ask people to find
out his ratings. People who work
from their homes need to ask the
same question. .A.fter all, our counter-
parts in the office can judge their ac-
complishments by title, salary, and
office accouterments.
How can we judge ourselves? All
the home officers I know are presi-
dents, make as much money as they
want, take their vacations without pri-
or approval from supervisors, and
usually have their offices furnished
with stereos, couches, and micro-
waves. They have their own private
executive parking spots, too. So how
can we tell if we're really making it?
When I first started out, the
"burn ratio" was useful to determine
how long you could afford to stay in
business. It went something like this:
You have fixed expenses of $ 1 ,500 a
month and $6,000 in the bank. Divide
the money by the expenses, and you
come up with 4. That equals four
months of living expenses. If no mon-
ey comes in during four months,
you've burned your capital.
You can do that kind of math in
your head. But when you become suc-
cessful and start spending money on
discretionary items like travel, enter-
tainment, and 20 other categories, and
you earn your income from several
different clients, you need a computer
to do it for you.
I began using a spreadsheet pro-
gram called Quattro from Borland to
do my math quickly and accurately. 1
created a table with all my expenses
listed in the left-hand column of the
screen, and month and totals listed
horizontally across the top. Every
month, I faithfully retrieved my ex-
pense receipts and entered the figures
into the computer, where Quattro in-
stantly added them up.
I turned into a spreadsheet junk-
ie. I soon added an extra column that
figured out what percentage each ex-
pense accounted for. Devising the
mathematical formula that calculated
that figure and displayed it as a whole
number ranks as one of my greatest
lifetime achievements.
Quattro also kept track of my ac-
counts receivable. This table had five
columns: Clients, Professional Fees,
Client Expenses, Total, and Date Pay-
ment Received. I faithfully typed in
the information as I sent out each bill
and logged in my income within sec-
onds of ripping open the envelope.
Totals at the bottom of each column
told how much money was earned,
how much was outstanding, and
how much tax was due.
If you put your receipts in a shoe-
box and dump them on your accoun-
tant's desk on April 14, not only
should you be ashamed of your sloth,
but you're also denying yourself one
of life's great pleasures — seeing your
money add up every month. Talk
about instant gratification and posi-
tive reinforcement! Get a spreadsheet.
Nearly all the calculations can be
done with simple formulas that add
the contents of the cells. You don't
have to be a rocket scientist or buy
Bozo's Big Book of Macros to figure it
out. Most people can use spreadsheets
effectively with just a few commands.
I used this system for four years,
and it worked well enough for me to
know my burn rate instantly. The
spreadsheet system also helped me
wrap up income taxes in one painless
visit to the accountant. But then every-
one began talking about Quicken, a
check-writing program. I soon discov-
ered this was more than an electronic
replacement for my mother who
wrote checks for me once a month.
Quicken is a combination spread-
sheet and database that creates every
report you need to figure out how well
you're doing. It can create net worth
statements, cash flow analyses, year-
by-year budgets, and reports of invest-
ments and income by client.
You can get all these reports sim-
ply by telling the computer three
pieces of information when you write
a check or make a deposit: the name
of the payee or client, the category,
and the amount. After selecting a re-
port format, which Quicken lets you
adjust by date, amount, payee, or just
about any other variable, you press
the Display key to see your results
either onscreen or on paper. The pro-
cess is so fast that you can check your
financial progress every day in just
seconds! Now that's really instant
gratification.
My favorite feature is the budget
analysis, which lets me compare this
year's budget to last year's to see how
things are going. Quicken also saves
me a lot of time by finding "missing"
checks. Because the program tracks
payments by payee, you can quickly
print a list of all checks paid to the
phone company, for example. So if
someone claims I haven't paid my
July invoice, Quicken quickly finds
the entry for the disputed check.
Quicken makes it so easy to keep
finances on track that you'll probably
toss away your shoebox. While I could
still use my spreadsheet to tabulate
the information, Quicken does it fast-
er, and it already includes report tem-
plates— something spreadsheet
programs usually don't have.
So how'm 1 doin'? Just
fine, thanks. E
82 COMPUTE
AUGLIST 1991
""■iviSi??"
PC Productivity Manager
\
Work at your peak potential!
Break free of cumbersome MS-DOS
restrictions and limitations!
Single keypresses or mouse clicks do
it all for you with COMPUTE'S super
new PC Productivity Manager.
Packed with 38 PC batch-file extensions
and power utilities, this easy-to-use dislt
includes individual help menus for every
program. You don't have to be a computer
maven — just press F1 for Help anytime!
The power utilities alone are worth
many times the cost of this disk. Imag-
inel Programs to speed up your keyboard,
edit disk files, edit and search memory,
find a specific text string in disk files — plus
memory-resident programs such as a pop-
up calculator, a programmer's reference
toot, an editable macro key program, and
a graphic screen-capture utility, and more
all included on this jam-packed disk.
Our batch-file extensions add new com-
mands to standard batch-file language.
Now you can easily create menus, draw
boxes, and write strings in your choice
of colors anywhere on the screen — all
with simple, easy-to-use commands.
Then, add some zest to your batch files
with a command that lets you play a se-
ries of notes!
Plus handy system tools let you delete
an entire subdirectory with one command,
find out if the system has enough memory
for an application before it runs, cause the
computer to remember the current direc-
tory so that you can come back to it later,
and much, much, more.
QMiERYOuf
PJ^PRODUCm TY
/tllAHAGER TOD m
.-^
A
QYES! Please send me _5y4 incli disk(s) (SI 4.95 each) _ 314 inch disk(s) ($15.95 each).
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Send your order to COMPUTE's PC Productivity Marmger,
324 W. Wendover A/e., Suite 200, Greensboro. NC 27408.
I
I
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^^^^b 'y^y^^^JPfffr .
HELP
INVESTORS
SEE YOUR COMPANY
S A
GOOD BET.
PLAN TO
SUCCEED
BY TOM CAMPBELL
.ou have a great idea for
a business. You've finally decided to make the leap.
Your carefully chosen network of potential clients,
employees, and future contacts is strong enough to
support a new company. You're willing to give up
vacations and weekends. You're ready to face a
career where the 40-hour week is a misty daydream
and a 60-hour week means you're slacking off. Bui
there's a hitch; you need money. A lot of it. o
AUGUST 1991 COMPUTE 85
Other People's Money
It's a nasty contradiction, but some-
times starting your own business —
your dream of independence embod-
ied— means depending on other peo-
ple for money. If you need more
money than you have to get started —
or need to borrow a substantial
amount of money after startup —
you'll need a business plan.
In short, the purpose of a busi-
ness plan is to convince people that
they can make money by lending it to
you or by purchasing pari of your
company. I found creating and pre-
senting my business plan an eerie re-
cap of the same things that sent me
screaming from a traditional job; sur-
rendering control, dealing with people
I didn't always want to deal with, ask-
ing for more money, writing resumes,
and depending on other people for my
livelihood. But the excitement of run-
ning my own business made it all
worthwhile.
You need to look at your busi-
ness plan as others will. Step into the
shoes of the people you need to con-
vince and see whether your plan
makes the right son of impression.
Who will see your business plan?
Bankers, venture capitalists, or small
investors willing to risk a few thou-
sand dollars. In general, bankers loan
amounts up to the hundreds of thou-
sands. Venture capitalists start at
about $100,000 (though many won't
touch anything under a million). Who
are the small investors? Generally
people you know, people with a cou-
ple of thousand lying around collect-
ing dust and insufficient interest in a
savings account or CD. When it
comes to handing out your business
plan, don't forget Mom and Dad.
Even if they don't require one. you
should write one — the process of writ-
ing it will often cause you to make
major changes in your game plan,
Reading this article and writing a
business plan will also help you avoid
some common pitfalls, such as mis-
taking marketing for sales and learn-
ing the importance of a good
presentation after the marketing plan
has been written.
A Word Is Worth $1,000
In high school, your English teacher
probably tried to explain the impor-
tance of being able to write a coherent
essay, and a business plan is struc-
tured like a good essay. You tell 'em
what you're going to say, say it, and
tell 'em what you said. It worked in
high school, and it works in business
plans, too. Depending on how busy
your potential investor is, the table of
contents and introduction may be all
that ever get read. If you're a bad writ-
er, you should get a professional writ-
er to do it for you. A typical business
plan has the following elements:
• Cover
• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Description of your product or idea
• Description of what the investor gets
in exchange for the investment
• Market research and sales
projections
• Marketing plan
• Sales plan
• Distribution plan
• Plans for future enhancements, prod-
uct lines
• Profit and loss projections
• Job history and experience for you
and any other people involved
The description of your product
or idea and market research are very
important. The product description
may only take up a page or two, but it
had better excite the person reading it.
Ironically,
your dream
of independence
requires
that you depend
on other
people for
money.
Market research is problematic, but
you'll find even the least sophisticated
potential investors will ask for market
research.
I managed to sell my idea with
none, arguing that market research
would be expensive and, more to the
point, would tip off other software
companies to the idea. Still, if I had to
do it over again, I would have done
the market research, even though
more than 75 percent of the people to
whom my partner and I gave our pre-
sentation bought stock.
I've since realized that any but
the simplest of ideas is probably safe,
just because the kind of people who
tend to steal ideas don't tend to be
very good in their execution. So take
the time to find out about your cus-
tomers. Your market research should
contain as many hard numbers as
possible, presented with charts and
graphs, and it should emphasize the
unique aspects of your venture.
When you write your description
of the product or idea, bear in mind
that the reader may know nothing
about the industry' you work in. Make
no assumptions about his or her level
of knowledge. Read the description
over and over, pestering family,
friends, and passersby at the bus stop
until you've distilled it into a highly
focused miniessay. Like a newspaper
article, it should go from broad to nar-
row, doing everything it can to catch
the reader's attention without larding
the information with pulTery and
hype. You're forgiven the urge to wax
eloquent in the sales projections, but
make the description totally straight-
forward. People who are about to sink
their hard-earned cash into a specula-
tive venture don't want to be enter-
tained at this point in the plan.
Market research shows who will
buy your product or service. A mar-
keting plan maps the strategy you'll
use to get it to them. For example, my
product was a utility program for
power users, MIS directors, and con-
sultants. This determined my market.
My marketing plan was to focus on
getting free press by sending out cre-
ative press kits to narrowly focused
computer magazines, appearing at
user groups, and getting the product
reviewed in major magazines. .As the
product made money, we would take
out display ads in the appropriate
publications; the marketing plan de-
scribed what publications would be
good to advertise in.
Since I had done similar work for
other companies before, I was able to
include samples of previous work as a
demonstration of my value — not only
could I program, the theory went, but
I could write press releases, too. As it
turned out, my partner did most of
the marketing, but my ability to wear
several hats impressed potential
investors.
The sales plan details how the
marketing will be executed. Marketing
means determining who buys the
product or service; sales means getting
it to those people. For example, if
your marketing plan details the kind
of ads you'll run and their placement,
the sales plan details how much the
ads will cost to run, how you'll get the
phone orders when they start rolling
in, and so on. As you'll find out when
you read the sidebar, "Selling It,"
you'd better be a good salesperson
when you present your own plan. I
found that my enthusiasm carried me
where intimate knowledge of sales
didn't.
The distribution plan shows the
logistics of getting your product to
dealers and keeping it there (if you're
selling a service, this section probably
won't apply). It tells how you'll create
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
a dealer network, how you'll maintain
it by ofTcring them special discounts
at certain quantities, how you'll train
the dealers, what sort of special pro-
motional materials you'll create for
your dealers, and how you'll prune out
the deadwood dealers. Many small
companies, including software com-
panies, can function well as their own
distribution networks, although 1 dis-
like this end of the business. I'd rather
have Egghead move 1000 copies of
my product a month than sell those
copies to individuals, even though the
individuals buy at list price and Egg-
head gets a sharp discount. Econo-
mies of scale are just as important for
a small business as a big one.
Your plan for future products and
enhancements shows potential inves-
tors that you have a good grasp on the
market. No one told me this before I
wrote my business plan, but it turned
out that this was one of the strongest
points of my plan. In fact, I scaled this
part down because 1 thought it would
make me look less pragmatic than I
am. too much like- a dreamer. Instead,
many people were impressed with the
clarity of vision — and at the thought
of being able to make money on my
product years after its introduction.
Your profit-and-loss projections
(P & Ls) will be important to any in-
vestor with a sophisticated knowledge
of money, even though planning it a
year ahead of time is pure voodoo. I
skirted the issue by creating three ver-
sions, from pessimistic to reasonably
optimistic. This turned out to be a
standard practice, even though I se-
cretly thought it a copout. P & Ls
shouldn't be too detailed. Look in a
book or a big company's annual re-
port for examples.
Finally, your job history and
experience must be included. A one-
page summary is fine; you need in-
clude only what's relevant. Your job
working at Wendy's in 1974 isn't rele-
vant unless you're opening up a fast
food joint. On the other hand, if
you're opening a computer store, your
experience working as a support tech
at the city college ought to be includ-
ed. Under no circumstances should
you lie or waste the reader's time.
General Tips
Here are some things to bear in mind
before and during your creation of the
business plan:
Write well. While most books on
writing a business plan tell you to find
writers in the local directory or writ-
er's organizations, I suggest that you
go to the source. Contact a writer
you've seen in the local paper's busi-
ness section, someone whose writing
you like. If your kid brought home a
term paper with snappy, cogent notes
from the teacher, consider hiring the
POLISHING PRESENTATIONS WITH PCs
Your PC can help every aspect of your
business presentation, from words to num-
bers to pictures. Here's how,
Words. Your business plan should be
either typed on a typewriter or printed on a
laser printer. Use someone else's laser
printer if you must, but avoid dot-matrix at
any cost. I prefer to use soft fonts and a
Hewlett-Packard LaserJet II or III; I feel that
these bitmap fonts look even better than
PostScript fonts in small sizes. Speaking of
size, use 1 0- or 12-point type for
the body text; never go smaller. A
12-point face is good because
many people have trouble reading
small text and appreciate t)eing
able to read your document without
glasses.
Avoid garishness, If you aren't
a graphic designer, stick with
Times Roman or some other con-
servative serif font for the body
and Times Roman or Helvetica for
the headlines.
If you aren't positive about
your layout, copy someone else's.
You don't want to end up looking
like an amateur when you hand a
copy of your report to someone
with SI 00,000 to invest. Simple
never hurts, but tacky does.
If you're good at teaching
people, you may have a hidden tal-
ent that will please any investors who know
PCs. Demonstrating that you not only know
how to use software for more efficient busi-
ness practices but can train new employ-
ees on software will elevate Investors'
estimation of your skills. Thanks in part to
Appie Computer's advertising. Wall Street
knows that PCs are severely underused in
the workplace. If you have a knack for get-
ting employees to work better with existing
tools, you can demonstrate that your PC
knowledge has a concrete value to the
business. If you show another bar chart to
a venture capitalist, it'll be just one of doz-
ens; but show that same person your nifty
envelope printing trick in WordPerfect, and
you'll tie one of the standout presentations
of the week!
Numbers. While most of your presen-
tation should be understandable to com-
puter neophytes, you are given free reign
when it comes to presenting numbers.
Spreadsheet printouts and graphs are not
only acceptable but desirable. Remember
that the person investing in your business
Harvard Graphics will help you create graphs
professional quality presentation.
is protjably already a spreadsheet user and
no doubt shuffles numtwrs with a facility
approaching that of instinct. I was fascinat-
ed at how quickly even the least computer
literate of my prospects could scan a
spreadsheet printout; they cruised through
them as easily as a soap opera buff reads
the tabloids. Knowing how to speed-read
spreadsheet data is how they make a living,
and they will rely on these numtiers for as
long as they hold stock in your company.
Your cost and profit projections will serve
as a reference point for years to come, and
the corollary to this principle Is mat while In-
vestors aren't afraid of numbers, they be-
come very impatient with numbers you
can't explain or numbers that appear sim-
ply to help you fill up a page. If you can't ex-
plain exactly why the row marked Misc.
accounts for 25 percent of projected ex-
penses, you haven't done your job. And
Murphy dictates that you will be found out
at the worst possible moment.
Pictures. Your PC is a remarkable
source of dramatic imagery and good
pictures can turn a good presenta-
tion into a great one. This is a dou-
ble-edged sword, however — good
pictures with a bad presentation
can easily wreck your pitch. Inves-
tors are usually highly pragmatic
and very busy. They don't want to
be snowed any more than your
high school English teacher did.
If pictures are a part of your
business, cut loose and show in-
vestors everything you can. If
you're pitching a real estate data-
base that employs digitized pic-
tures of the houses for sale, create
a mock-up with half a dozen re-
cords. If you want to start a slide
bureau, do some work for free and
include ttiose slides in your pre-
sentation. If you're selling a soft-
ware product that requires VGA,
show what rt would look like in
CGA mode to explain why you're foregoing
30 percent of the market.
Using your EGA- or VGA-equipped
PC for a lowball multimedia show isn't a
bad idea, either. You may already have the
tools to do it. Windows comes with a fine
paint program that uses PCX files, and
there's a wealth of PCX screen show or
capture programs and clip art available as
inexpensive shareware. The advantage in
a pricier approach, such as Zenographics
Pixie or Ivlicrosoft PowerPoint, is that
these programs come with templates you
can use if you're not an artist yourself.
for a
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE
87
teacher. Or scan author blurbs in mag-
azine articles you like for a writer liv-
ing near you.
Leave a trail of evidence. Any-
time you can illustrate a point in your
business plan, do it. If you plan to dis-
tribute fliers, staple one to the back
and refer to it in the marketing plan. If
you wrote — or were written about — in
any industry trade magazine, by all
means include copies of those articles.
Seeing your name in print gives the
investors a feeling that they are deal-
ing with a known quantity.
Throw away your computer. Take
a moment to imagine your presenta-
tion without all the bells and whistles.
Imagine what your presentation
would be like if you didn't have a
computer: a typed business plan, no
graphics, and no animated slide shows
on your Super VGA monitor. If the
presentation stands on its own, you've
done a good job, and your other pre-
sentation tools will make it a slam
dunk. If it doesn't stand on its own,
pretend that you've had to throw
away your computer. Start from
scratch. Your potential investors al-
most invariably have a lot of common
sense. They'll see through a hollow
presentation as if it were printed on
gauze.
Borrow a computer. Now that
you have a good presentation, you'll
want to make it better. A PC can be a
powerful ally in giving a business pre-
sentation (see "Polishing Presenta-
tions with PCs"). If your PC isn't up
to the task or if you need expensive
hardware such as a laser printer, there
are several ways to get access to high-
end computers and peripherals. In my
area there are at least three junior cot-
leges with excellent Macintosh and
PC facilities. I was able to get access to
them by purchasing a membership in
the school library (enrolling in a
course is another good way to do it).
Several local print shops also have
Mac networks, where the machines
can be rented for $ 10 or so an hour. If
you want to present a multimedia
show to a group of investors and don't
think huddling them around your PC
in the master bedroom is a good idea,
consider renting a training center on
an off night. Radio Shacks in my area
make their training facilities available
when they aren't in use,
Watch yourself. Having been on
the ground floor with both successful
and unsuccessful companies, I've con-
cluded that a few simple, fundamen-
tal, and somewhat out-of-fashion
truths endure. Above all, never lie to
yourself or your investors. It's often
more difficult to tell the truth in the
short run, but it's almost always easier
in the long run. For example, if a po-
tential investor asks you about your
marketing skills and you say they're
great when they're not, you'll face
some hard questions when sales don't
meet projections. And you might find
out too late that that same investor
knew a really good, but hungry, star-
tup agency that would've created
some great ads on the cheap. If you
don't know exactly why shipping costs
much more than you think it should,
ask around. Maybe one of your stock-
holders knows how to work a deal
with the shipping company. If you
find yourself answering questions
with more authority than you have
just because you're the boss, apologize
immediately and learn to say "I don't
know."
Avoid cram. Avoid cramming
more than three or four phrases worth
of text on word charts, avoid using
clip art that doesn't help the presenta-
tion directly, and be very conser\'ative
in your use of color. Above all, never
use pictures when they're not needed.
It might lead an investor to think you
have nothing to say.
The Royal Road
Writing your business plan can lead
you to unexpected revelations. You
might discover that you don't want to
run a business after all. Or that if you
do, you might want to choose a slower
growth plan and use the business to fi-
nance itself.
You might even discover that
you need a partner, rather than stock-
holders, because writing the plan has
helped you identify some important
gaps in your own abilities. Or you
might discover the opposite: I realized
while writing my business plan that
my seemingly checkered past in the
job market resulted in a wide array of
skills — I was competent in enough
areas that we were able to cut the per-
sonnel requirements substantially.
Writing a business plan isn't just
a way to raise money. It's a way to
sharpen your powers of observation
and a way to learn about yourself It
can even be the touchstone of a whole
new way of thinking about your busi-
ness— and about life. b
SELLING IT
Writing a business plan is only half of the
story. The olher half is finding qualified in-
vestors and presenting the plan to them ef-
ficiently and effectively
Finding Qualified Investors
Selling the idea of your business is like sell-
ing anything else, and part of your job is to
find the right people to sell to. My approach
was a little unusual but highly effective; I
went to my tax advisor and asked him how
to raise money for a software company. He
inquired in detail about my idea, sat back,
and said, "Let me think about this for a few
days. I'll get back to you." The next day he
called back with a proposal. For a cool 25
percent of the company, he'd take respon-
sibility for raising the necessary money and
managing the books. Over the next year
and a half he raised atjout $200,000 from
his tax clients directly, and referrals from
those clients brought in another $100,000.
Durir^g this time he sold his practice, even-
tually becoming president of my company.
A more traditional method is to use the
resources of your bank. As you might imag-
ine, your history with the bank counts for a
lot. Equity in a home or ownership in some
other large, salable item counts for even
more, I had no such equity, so approaching
a bank was out of the question. I thought
that my idea counted as a sort of "brain eq-
uity" and would Ije enough, but a bank, nat-
urally, thinks only in terms of failure: How
can it get the money back if your idea
doesn't pan out?
Finally, you can always check with
Mom and Dad, or Uncle Vlnny. Chances
are they won't require a business plan. But
there's nothing like a large quantity of mon-
ey exchanging hands to bring out the traits
of a family. If you have a solid relationship,
losing Uncle Vinny's money will strain your
conscience, but it might even bring you
closer. On the other hand, if you and Vinny
have any old resentments lingering be-
tween you, they'll be brought into vivid
focus if something goes seriously wrong
with the investment.
Pitching the Plan
Presenting your business plan is as much
an art as writing it, and it deserves no less
attention. The first lesson: The business
plan will not sell itself. You may think that
your idea stands on its own merits, t>ut it
doesn't. It is imperative that you talk about
your product with genuine enthusiasm and
conviction. If you find that no one is inter-
ested and you've already reevaluated the
business plan itself and found It flawless,
take a Dale Carnegie course or some ottier
sales course for tuning up your ability to
project confidence. This is especially help-
ful if you find yourself betraying the tiniest
bit of uncertainty or fear in your presenta-
tion. Many people are unable to let their
natural enthusiasm show around people
they've just met, but you must. If you don't,
potential Investors may be afraid you don't
believe in your own idea, even if you do.
Finally, don't make too many assump-
tions about your prospects. We found, for
example, that successful entrepreneurs
with large amounts of money to invest were
much easier to sell than individuals with
modest sums. Large investors identified
with us, whereas small investors tended to
be much more cautious. On the other hand,
venture capitalists in our neck of the woods
(southern California) want total control, a
much slicker business plan, and business-
es virtually guaranteed to gross a lot of
money over the short term.
8B
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
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J SupflfFly (962) - An arcade gams wilh muHiple rounds Of play. Ttiis dever game is lols of fun! EGA
J Solltlle (964) - A soiitaiis game hke Mah Jongg with wesiemtzad pictures and new starting layout*. EGA
J Mah Jongg (968) - A soiitaire gflma playeo with Chinese files. Incfudes a trie making utility. EGA
J Commanditr Kaen (972) - The latest and greatest shareware ^ama. which you are sure :o erpy. EGA
J CaptAin Convic (SM) - Thnll to the commercial quaily graph^s cf this FANTASTIC game. F'.lA
3 EGA Coloring Book (989) - KkJs leaiiy icve to use this coloring program! FiO.'-
3 EGA Goli(995)-A gamed sktii. strategy, and rollex. Great Q)3po;cs and reelism. lG^
VGA GAiVIES
J VGA Sf»*rka (983) - An underwater action arcade game, Avosd the sharks as you collect treasures. VGA I
_l Bananoid (BBS) - The VGA graphics are oulslanding in this graal Arkenoid'Iika game. VHA
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J Shooting Gallery (994) - Put your aimmg skjils to Ihg ufiimate tasi. Incraciibly good! rnouse VGA
J VGA JIgaaw (998) - Uses beauiitui pictures lo cfeaia puzzres tor you to put back togettter v^^A
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#OISGOVERY
PATHWAYS
STEVEN
A N Z 0 V I N
I'm probably not the only aduli who
remembers with less than afFeciion
the sights and sounds of high school
chemistry' class: the sour smell of
hydrochloric acid, the rattle of boiling
water in beakers perched over Bunsen
burners, the endless hours of reading
about moles, covalent bonds, and
benzene rings.
One day my chem teacher gave
us a break and showed us how to mix
up a mild explosive — good for mak-
ing rude bangs when painted on the
soles of the class clown's shoes — but it
didn't help us understand chemistry's
relevance to us and why we should
bother studying it.
I flunked chemistry, and so did
about 20 percent of the class. That
was considered the normal attrition
rate; nobody thought there might be
something wrong with the way we
were taught.
Science teacher Vinnie Cusimano
has a different idea of what high
school science education should be.
and PCs are a big part of it. Cusimano
is a 25-year veteran of the New York
City public school system. Five years
ago. when the NYC Board of Educa-
tion was seeking a way to reach stu-
dents turned off by traditional
methods of teaching science, Cusi-
mano came up with a proposal to
integrate computers with lab tech-
nology. (You might think this is an
obvious idea, but as late as 1988,
some 85 percent of eleventh graders
had never used a computer in a sci-
ence class — and neither had their
teachers.) The goal was to stimulate
students to do real problem solving
rather than just memorize facts to
pass a test.
Called Partnership in Technology
for the Physical Sciences (offices are at
Susan E. Wagner High, 1200 Manor
Road, Room 456, Staten Island, New
York 1 03 i 4; 7 1 8-698-4200), the pro-
gram won a National Science Founda-
tion grant and receives assistance
from IBM. Currently, it's being tested
in five high schools throughout New
York City, ranging from middle-class
Susan E. Wagner High on Staten Is-
land to Thomas Jefferson High in a
high-minority, low-income neighbor-
hood of Brooklyn. The students are
mostly ninth graders, many of them
below-average achievers.
One physical science classroom
at Wagner is fully wired for science
and computing. Along with the ex-
pected black-top lab tables are stand-
ard IBM compatibles and PS/2s
networked to instructor Walter Sty-
czynski's computer. Sensing probes
are linked to the network so experi-
mental data can be displayed right on-
screen. The PCs run off-the-shelf
software — a spreadsheet template, a
graphing program, a word processor,
and a database — and are involved in
every aspect of the class.
Kids investigating the nature of
heat energy, for example, can do an
experiment, collect temperature data
with the sensors, and then pump those
numbers directly into a graphing pro-
gram or spreadsheet. At that point
they can ask what-if questions and
perhaps go back to the experiment.
Reports are typed with a word proces-
sor, and data is stored in a database
for later use. This system works for
classroom demonstrations as well.
The teacher can perform an experi-
ment at the front of the room with the
networked science probes, locking the
students' screens so everyone can see
the experimental data as it feeds into a
graph. Then the screens are released
so students can manipulate the infor-
mation themselves.
At first the program met some re-
sistance from teachers inexperienced
with computers and wary of the com-
plex curriculum (the documentation,
written mainly by the teachers them-
selves, runs to 800 pages). But after a
few months of the program, says Cusi-
mano, teachers were hooked, deluging
him with new ways of using the
technology.
The effect on the kids, though, is
what counts, and that is profound.
"People think that if you put comput-
ers in the room, kids are motivated,
but it's not true," says Cusimano.
New students realize right away that
they can't hide in the back of the
class — there's no place to be but in the
group and learning.
Soon, however, students begin to
pool data and methods on their own
and to cooperate in small groups with-
out prompting from the teacher.
Within six months, even low achiev-
ers are proud to show their work.
Styczynski is amazed at how
comfortable the students have be-
come with computers and sees them
bringing away an understanding of
science that they often couldn't have
before.
David Podell and Sally Ka-
minsky of the Research Foundation
of City University, who are evaluating
the program for the Board of Educa-
tion, note that students who have par-
ticipated are more likely to take
higher-level science courses, score bet-
ter on the state's Regents' Competen-
cy Test in Science, and even have
better attendance. It's the indepen-
dence computers provide that seems
to make all the difference.
Students themselves give the
best evaluation of the project, says
Cusimano. "If you go in a class, you
can feel the kids' enthusiasm. They
say, 'Come here; look at this.' If any
science teacher can get a kid to say
that, he is successful." Q
90
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
Remember Ulien He Couldn't
"p His Ms Off Me!
Now he's got that NEO-GEO
He used to play all night with
me. Hot action, fantasy
games. ...you name it.
Now he says his NEO»GEO'
gives him more, plus major
league sports, ninjo warriors,
and flame throwing enemies.
Can you do that? he asks.
I make my play but he's glued
to NEO'GEO's vivid 4 dimen-
sional graphics and 65,000
colors.
I scream but he doesn't hear
me above 15 channels of
pure pulsating stereo sound
with 7 dedicated to real voice
speech!
He says NEO^GEO is the most
powerful home entertainment
system in the world and that
other systems don't even
come close, ...and lately
neither does he,
I'll show him. I'll play that
NEO»GEO and beat the pants
off himi
Circle Reader Service Number 221
Home Entertainment, Inc
For more information or the name
of your local NEO*GEO dealer
Call 1-800-800-NEO'GEOext.404
Themdeimrktof NEO-CEOaicRgiucRdbySNK Home EnieminirKni Inc.
^:M
m\^
r
m
i^Smi
^mm
SHUTTLE TECHNOLOG
A1U\NTIS' FLIGHT
IN EARLY APRIL THIS YEAR
USHERED IN
A NEW ERA OF COMPUTER
TECHNOLOGY
FOR THE SPACE SHUTTLE
PROGRAM. .
BY PHILIP CHIEN I
:-V.«;
;.«
Space shuttle computer system.
The words probably bring vi-
sions of a high-tech, state-of-
the-ait computer command
system to mind. Or perhaps you think
of the most advanced flight simulators
designed for aerospace use.
Surprisingly, each of the shuttle's
five on-board computers has the
equivalent of only 400K — less than
most micros!
When the space shuttle's General
Purpose Computer (GPC) was origi-
nally designed in January 1972,
NASA chose state-of-the-art flight
computers, similar to those proposed
for the F- 1 6 fighter. Unfortunately,
state of the art for the 1970s wasn't
state of the art for the 1980s when the
shuttle was first launched.
In earlier spacecraft, astronauts
could take manual control if their
computers failed. Neil Armstrong and
Bu2z Aldrin overrode their Lunar
Module computer when it almost
landed them in a crater. However, the
shuttle is a much more sophisticated
vessel, combining the capabilities of a
spacecraft, a truck, and a glider, and
it's much more computer dependent.
The GPC in Its Infancy
The earliest General Purpose Com-
puter, the AP-IOIB, has 104,000 32-
bit words of iron-core memory (small
iron rings threaded on a loom and
magnetized to determine ones and ze-
ros). It uses 650 watts of power,
weighs 51.8 kilograms (1 14 pounds).
performs 400,000 benchmark tests per
second, and has an MTBF(Mean
Time Between Failures) of 5200
hours.
Each shuttle has more than 300
electronic "black boxes" with over
300 miles of wiring and 120,400 wire
segments with 6,491 connectors. The
total weight of the black boxes, wiring,
and connectors is 7,780 kilograms
(17,1 16 pounds) — heavier than a fully
loaded Apollo Command Module
spacecraft.
Since the computers are essential,
NASA decided to use five identical
computers in operation for critical pe-
riods like launch and landing. Four of
the units operate together, and if one
has a different result, it's presumed
wrong and is "outvoted." The fifth
computer is programmed separately
from the other four and acts as a back-
up to prevent possible generic soft-
ware errors from causing problems. In
addition, an offline spare — a sixth
GPC — is carried, which can be
swapped with a malfunctioning GPC
in orbit if necessary.
The OPS 101 program controls
the shuttle from T-20 minutes in the
countdown-through-orbit insertion se-
quence. .All five computers must be in
94 COMPUTE AUGUST 1991
TJie new AP-W1S General Purpose
Computer. Five identical units will
operate in tandem aboard the shuttle.
Ttie AP-W1S (left) uses only one box,
operates three times taster, and is
twice as reliabie as its 18-year-old
cousin, theAP-WI (right).
Lett to right: AP-t01S General Purpose
Computer (GPC), Mass Memory Unit
(l\4MU), Keyboard, Display Unit (DU), and
Display Electronics Unit (DEU).
sync and working properly; otherwise,
the launch is scrubbed (see the side-
bar, "Fewer GPC Failures for the
Future?").
When the shuttle arrives in space,
the crew reconfigures the computers
for orbital operations. Two GPCs run
the on-orbii program, and one GPC is
dedicated to pay load operations. One
GPC is powered down but has the
landing program loaded in case an
emergency requires the crew to return
in a hurry. The final GPC is powered
down until needed.
If one GPC fails in orbit (or even
two), the mission won't necessarily be
aborted if the problem isn't expected
to affect the other GPCs. In theory,
any of the five computers has the ca-
pability to land the shuttle safely.
During reentry and landing, all five
GPCs operate together again. Sophis-
ticated control loops command the
shuttle's aerodynamic surfaces and re-
spond to the pilot's inputs.
While the original GPCs have
worked well, their age is showing, and
their limited capabilities now put a
strain on the shuttles' operations.
A New GPC ts Launched
For the past six years, NASA has been
designing, building, and testing up-
graded AP-IOIS computers. One of
the most important requirements in
the new computers' design is that
they're functionally compatible — in
both physical connections and
software.
Functional Test and Instruction
Set Test Programs have verified that
the hardware and CPU will produce
the same results. Astronaut Kenneth
Reightler explained that one of the
key factors in implementing the new
computers was to make the change
completely transparent to the astro-
nauts, although software differences
would be necessary at the program-
mers' level.
The new GPCs were tested for
functionality in the avionics laborato-
ries with the actual flight software.
and hardware validation tests were
performed before they were installed
in the shuttle simulator. In all, the AP-
lOlS computers were tested for three
years.
.Atlantis was the first orbiter to
launch with the new GPCs. STS-37
(Space Transportation System is NA-
SA's designation for the shuttle pro-
gram) was launched on April 5, 1991,
just a week shy of the tenth anniversa-
ry' of the first shuttle's launch. Launch
director Bob Sieck said, "We couldn't
tell any difference during the count-
down. We didn't have to alter our
procedures or software, so (the
change] was essentially transparent
after we installed the [new GPCs]."
Discoven' also carried the new
GPCs, and Endeavour and Columbia
will have them installed for their next
flights, which are scheduled for mid
1992. The last flight of the original
GPCs was the STS-40, Columbia''^
Spacelab Life Sciences (SLS) mission
which was scheduled to launch in
May, but eventually went up in June
after several delays. One of the old
GPCs failed early in the countdown
and had to be replaced. While Colum-
bia was controlled by five of the old
.A.P-101SL computers, it also carried
modified versions of the AP-IOIS,
which were used to control its Space-
lab cargo.
The Dawn of A New Era. . .
Operation Desert Storm ushered in a new era of combat
technology: where high-tech air power represents
unmatchable military might. MicroProse
salutes the changing face of modern
combat with Gunship 2000 —
the dawning of a new
age in simulation
technology.
.^.Iplg^eapons
Systems To Command
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3-D Graphics
Improved Super 3-D
Graphics generate terrain,
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Multiple views of the action,
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cockpit.
For IBM-PC/Tandy/compalibles. For the latest inlormation on release dates and availabilities,
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Scenarios Drawn From
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Select missions in Central
Europe or the Persian Gulf.
Non-stop Action &
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Crew members have indi-
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over time. Full campaign
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NMENT • SOFTWAWb
Circle Reader Service Number 107
On the previous Spacelab mis-
sion, both 1970s-era French-built
DDS (Data Display System) comput-
ers failed halfway into the mission,
forcing the controllers and flight crews
to control the telescopes manually.
Spacelab managers were glad to re-
place the DDS computers with the
brand-new AP- 1 01 SL models.
The AP-IOIS GPC has 256,000
32-bit words (roughlv equivalent to
1MB of RAM) of CMOS (Comple-
mentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor)
memory. It uses 550 watts, weighs 29
kilograms (64 pounds), and performs
1.2 million benchmarks per second. It
has an MTBF of 10,000 hours, and
fits into one box instead of two. In
other words, the new GPCs have 2'/:
times as much memory, use less pow-
er, weigh less, operate up to three
times faster, take up half the volume,
and are twice as reliable as their 18-
year-old cousins, the AP-IOIB.
More Memory, Less Risk
Iron-core memory, used in the origi-
nal GPCs, is slow and bulky and uses
a lot of power, but it does have two
advantages over silicon memory. It
doesn't require power to retain its
contents, and it isn't sensitive to
radiation.
CMOS memory requires con-
stant power, and cosmic rays can easi-
ly flip a bit. However, the AP-IOIS
memory has a fail-safe battery backup
and an automatic error-correction cir-
cuit that constantly scans the memory
for upsets and corrects errors.
The programmers were ecstatic
to double their memory. (Remember
when you doubled'roMr computer's
memor>'?) The additional memory
will be used for routines that couldn't
fit within the earlier limitations, and
now multiple programs can be com-
bined, unlike before.
Will the additional capabilities
really be useful? The STS-26 launch in
September 1988, the first since the
Challenger accidenl, was delayed due
to unexpectedly calm upper-level
winds. The GPCs were programmed
for higher winds, but there was neither
enough memory to permit more than
one wind profile nor enough time to
load another profile into the GPCs.
The launch was delayed for almost
two hours until the winds picked up
enough for a positive safety margin.
While delays due to memory lim-
itations can be annoying, a lack of
memory can also cause life-threaten-
ing problems during an emergency
abort.
The original GPCs have just
enough memory for the OPS 101 pro-
gram from T — 20 minutes through
launch, potential launch aborts on the
launch pad, and the dangerous RTLS
(Return To Launch Site) abort mode
in which a shuttle would literally
make a U-turn and land back at the
Kennedy Space Center if something
were to go wrong early in flight.
All of these functions have to be
squeezed into RAM, which doesn't
leave enough additional memory for
the TransAtlantic Landing (TAL), an-
other abort mode. In a TAL abort, the
shuttle would continue to fly across
the .'Atlantic Ocean, but the main en-
gines would shut down early, and the
shuttle would land in either Africa or
Europe, depending on the flight path
and fuel reser%'es.
While neither abort mode has
been needed, a TAL is preferable to
the RTLS abort since it's much less
stressful on the orbiter's structure and
doesn't require a U-turn. Unfortu-
nately, the original GPC doesn't have
enough memory to store the launch
and TAL programs simultaneously.
.Astronauts must change pro-
grams during ihe abort, it takes 15 to
20 seconds to load in the TAL soft-
ware— time during which the pilots
have to control the shuttle manually
and anything can go wrong.
The next version of the flight
software, which will use the capabili-
ties of the AP-IOIS, will store the
TAL program in an unused portion of
memory and move it into active
memory if it's required — similar to
using a RAM disk on a micro. In ad-
dition, dozens of other improvements
are planned that wouldn't have been
possible with the earlier GPCs.
The additional speed, reliability,
and memory all make the .AP-IOIS
computers much more useful. But one
of the best features is that at $ 1 mil-
lion for each flight unit, they're half
the price of the original GPCs. s
Fewer GPC Failures for the Future?
What does an MTBF of 5200 hours
mean in real life? The shuttle's flight
computers have thousands of power-on
hours for each mission, including check-
out time while the orbiter is being pre-
pared for flight, tests and rehearsals on
the launch pad, and the actual mission.
The five GPCs must all be working in
tandem before NASA will approve a
shuttle launch.
During three countdowns, GPCs
were replaced with spares when they
failed while the shuttle was being pre-
pared for flight. Also, there have been a
couple of GPC failures in flight where the
backups had to take over.
The most exciting GPC failure was
during the countdown for the very first
shuttle mission. On April 1 0, 1981 , the
long-awaited, heavily delayed first shuttle
launch was finally ready to go. Astronauts
John Young and Bob Crippen were in the
cockpit, and the countdown clock w/as
running as thousands of spectators
watched. But at T— 20 minutes, the back-
up computer wouldn't sync with the four
primary computers, and the launch was
scrubbed for two days.
What is astonishing is that a soft-
ware bug that caused the sync problem
was a 1 -in-400 coincidence. Most of the
time, the primary and backup GPCs will
start together, but 1 out of 400 times
they'll be off by one cycle. The GPCs
were tested countless times before with
thousands of simulated countdowns in
test stands and aboard the orbiter and in
several simulated countdowns and en-
gine tests. Naturally, the GPCs had to
wait until the most critical launch day to
mis-sync!
As Kennedy Space Center software
engineer Mike Peacock explained, a sim-
ple solution would have been to reset the
countdown and restart the computers,
but since this was the first shuttle launch,
the launch team wanted to be safe, wise-
ly choosing to examine the problem and
make sure it couldn't happen again. Two
days later, with a quick patch to the flight
software, Columbia was launched.
There have been two in-flight fail-
ures of GPCs. During the ninth shuttle
mission in November 1983, two GPCs
failed when they were started up to pre-
pare for landing. Mission controllers kept
the orbiter up another 90 minutes while
they examined the problem and deter-
mined the shuttle could be landed safely
using the three functioning GPCs. Post-
landing analysis determined that micro-
scopic aluminum particles had entered
the GPCs and shorted them out.
To date, the only in-flight changeout
of a GPC was during the STS-30 mission
where the astronauts swapped out
GPC4 on their reentry day when it didn't
start up properly The reentry burn was
delayed one orbit to give the astronauts
time to disconnect the malfunctioning
computer and hook up the spare.
With the new GPCs twice as reliable
as the eariier ones, flights should be de-
layed less often, with fewer mission
problems due to computer failure.
96 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
NEW GAMING BOOKS FROM
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From COMPUTE! Books, the leader in
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Just when you're ready to throw in
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And when you want to take a
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# ENTERTAINMENT
GAMEPLAY
ORSON
SCOTT
CARD
Iast month I wrote about playing
around online, and I recommend-
ed Prodigy as a family online ser-
vice. However, if you're hoping lo
find some neat shareware games by
using your neat new modem, Prodigy
will be no help at all — it doesn't allow
uploading or downloading of software.
There is software to be found on
the full-service networks like Delphi,
GEnie, and — above all — Compu-
Ser\'e. Some of it is frem'are — stuff
you can download and use without
paying for anything more than the
connect time that it takes to download
it. But most of it is shareware — soft-
ware that you can try out for free but
which you must (or at least ought to)
pay for if you're going to use it over
the long haul.
For instance, the game that Kris-
tine and I are totally addicted to right
now is a nifty little WindowS'b?tf,e,d
backgammon game from Graphics
Software Labs (7906 Moonmist Cir-
cle, Huntington Beach, California
92648). Like most shareware prod-
ucts, the free tryout version has some
built-in annoyances designed to goad
you into paying the registration fee (in
this case a mere $ 1 5) to get the latest
version. But it's fully playable as is.
You'll find your computer a worthy,
challenging opponent.
Still, the game isn't always a ge-
nius about using doubling, so you can
get the upper hand. I'm ahead right
now, by more than 1 50 games. Why?
Because I'm dang good, that's why.
And because I must have played 500
games since I downloaded it to my
computer last week!
Some of the shareware that you
find online isn't really up to profes-
sional grade. For instance, I down-
loaded Blackout (Zarkware, 2243
East Thompson Street, Springfield,
Missouri 65804) from CompuServe.
The game's author made no bones
about the fact that it was a pretty
simple little game. I found it dumb,
but fun enough to play a few dozen
times, so I registered it for a mere
S 1 2 — the author did not have an
inflated idea of its value!
Another game has become some-
thing of a cult hit on CompuServe.
While there are several shareware
mah-jongg games available online,
Nels .Anderson's vereion has a huge
following. Why? Because along with
his game he includes a great little tile
editor that allows you to design your
own set of playing pieces. Designing
your own tile sets is one of the most
popular options in the game. A lot of
enterprising tile makers have upload-
ed their tile sets (uploading is free on
CompuServe) so others can enjoy the
fruits of their labors. That makes An-
derson's Mah Jongg into a kind of
communal experience, I'm tempted to
make a tile set of my own to upload.
I had never played mah-jongg in
my life, by the way, until buying
Microsoft's Windows Entertainment
Pack, which includes a version of
mah-jongg that I'm sad to say is a bit
more smooth-playing than .Ander-
son's game. But Anderson's game
doesn't require Windows. And the
WEP version doesn't let you design
your own tile sets.
Speaking of WEP, it also in-
cludes, besides a ho-hum Tetris, the
most diabolically addictive game I've
seen lately: Minesweeper. If you've got
Windows and you have enough cast-
iron self-control to get your real work
done before you play, then this game
is worth the entire price of WEP
($39.95). But be sure to read the in-
structions— the game is almost un-
playable unless you learn some tricks,
and you can't save games in progress.
Sometimes the best prizes you
find online aren't, strictly speaking,
games at all. I'm not talking about the
serious shareware programs, either,
though I've picked up a free DOS text
editor and a first-rate (but not free)
Windows program editor online.
What I'm talking about is a strange lit-
tle program called Babble (Korenthal
Associates; 76004,2605 on Compu-
Serve; 2 1 2-242- 1 790).
Written by Jim Korenthal, Bab-
ble is more of a DOS toy than a game.
Feed it any ASCII text file, and it ana-
lyzes it and plays it back to you in a
strange babbled form.
At first glance there's nothing re-
motely useful about this program —
but you can't stop reading the babble,
if only for the sheer weirdness of it.
The program comes with a fistful
of prebabbled files that you can com-
bine for even stranger results. Text
from Shakespeare, "Leave It to Bea-
ver," and TV Guide, combined with a
few choice insults, results in stuff like:
"What light from grade-B Wally, you
blithering soft upon her cheek." Pure
poetry. You can soup it up even more
with special effects and ethnic accents
ranging from Elmer Fudd's voice to a
Texas drawl.
It's most fun, though, when you
analyze your own files. It's almost
restful, after you finish a term paper
or a report or a memo or (in my case)
a story, to save it also as an ASCII file
and then load it into Babble for analy-
sis. What comes back at you is your
own language, in your own style, but
now insane. And yet, sometimes out
of the madness come wonderful com-
binations that have given me insights
that change the shape of the story.
Imagine this scenario, if you
would: When your boss sends you a
particularly obnoxious memo, you
can babble it and pass the nonsense
version around to your coworkers. As
long as you don't lose your job, it
makes Babble well worth the price! B
9B COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
Advanced
Gateway
T% Savage
Frontier: volume i
in a completely new
AD&D computer
fantasy role-
playing ,
epic! ^ \l
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mMvGA
cohfatiiue!
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To receive SSI's tomplcle
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Sunnyvale. CA 94086.
^A grand hdvehtw^
^is unfolding in thW
mysterious Savage
Frontier! E^We foreboding
lands ol an area nevdfWore explored in
a computer fantasy role-playing game: the
Savage Frontier! Sail the Trackless Sea,
conquer the heights of the Lost Peaks,
brave the niins of Ascore, guardian of the
Great Desert, visit magical Silveiyiiioon
and much more! Your quest: halt the mur-
derous conspiracy of dark invaders from
afar. Success will be youis only if you can
unco\'er ancient mystical items of power
to destroy the malignant invasion!
Based on an^^^Pil version of the
award-winning g^HRstem used in Foa
or RADiAKt:. Ct'fiS^^THE A/URE Bonos and
SOCKET OF THE SlLVEH BLADES, GATEWAY TO THE
Su Viae ffiOi^T/fff gives you the freedom to
make the story happen the way you want
it to! Plus, an all-new wilderness style adds
new e.xploration and excitement to all of
your outdoor adventure!
Mow can you resist?
The Savage Frontier awaits!
STRATEGIC SIMULATIONS, INC.'
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TSR. Inc. All rtjlfc irv:n
THE riNCeRTW 4MlC4^e
^^ odern life's too much like
^^^^ the militan': Hum' up and
^H^k wait. Get to the airport ear-
W^W ly for a flight that's always
late. Fume at the endless columns of
cars in a traffic jam. Spend hours
watching the clock in some doctor's
waiting room.
Cellular phones, laptop comput-
ers, and countless other minutiae of
modern life struggle to make that
downtime productive. But who wants
to work ever\' moment? The mobile
office can quickly become a mobile
prison, with work always at >our fin-
gertips. But what if you just want to
relax?
Sure, you can wile away the hours
with a magazine or book — time well
spent. But for a generation born to
television and weaned on video, elec-
tronic games draw leisure time like
filings to a magnet. You can't cart a
TV and game system across the coun-
try, of course, so if you want fun on the
move, you need something miniature.
Fortunately, a quanet of \'ideogame
makers figured this out and would like
nothing better than to put a machine
in your hand and make an instant
arcade.
Familiar names like Nintendo.
Sega, NEC, and Atari label the hand-
held games. You can find machines
priced for the impulse buyer willing to
exchange a few dollars for a few min-
utes of entertainment. Other game ma-
chines are serious investments,
complete with prices some may find
shocking.
No matter what your condition —
video junkie or game dabbler^ ust
remember this: Nothing's better for
killing lime than killing aliens.
BY GREGG KEIZER
Boy, What a Gamel
If you've seen someone playing a
hand-held \'ideogame, you've proba-
bly seen Nintendo's Game Boy. The
giant of home videogames is also the
king of the hand-hclds.
Even among these shrunken sys-
tems. Game Boy is tiny. It fits snugly
in one hand and is light and rugged
enough to stand up to a six-year-old.
Battery life is excellent, easily the best
of any portable arcade machine. It's
not uncommon to play 24 or more
hours before you need to replace the
four .\.\ cell batteries.
NOW
YOU CAN CARRY
BIG-TIME
COMPUTER
ENTERTAINMENT
YOUR POCKET
Game Boy's biggest problem is its
black-and-white 2'/>inch LCD screen.
Because it isn't backlit, Game Boy's
screen is hard to see under all but the
best lighting. The blocky resolution
doesn't help, either. Game Boy games
look rough, and the characters are
sometimes tough to make out. Don't
expect anything close to the clarity of a
Nintendo game when you flip the
switch on a Game Boy.
Three things sold over 3 million
Game Boys in its first 18 months in
the U.S.: its $90 street price, a flood of
game cartridges, and millions of kids
hooked on the Nintendo name.
It's no surprise then that classic
Nintendo characters like Mario made
it to the small screen in cartridges like
Super Mario Land and Dr. Mario.
Sports games like Baseball, action
movie spin-offs like Robocop, and ar-
cade games like Pipe Dream help fill
out Game Boy's roster of over 60 titles
(double that by the end of the year,
Nintendo claims). Puzzle games like
Tetris (included with Game Boy) and
Ishido arguably make the best use of
the machine, since they don't depend
on fast-moving targets or detail, two
things Game Boy's screen has trouble
delivering.
But because Game Boy games
span a larger, more diverse audience
than the other portables — from chil-
dren's choices such as DuckTales to
adult entertainment such as Chess-
master — it's good for all-around fam-
ily fun. Both Game Boy and its games
are inexpensive (games generally sell
for around $20), a real consideration
for these frugal financial times.
Nintendo estimates 10 percent of
.American households will own a
Game Boy by the end of this year.
They must be doing something right.
Lynx Up
An electronic eon ago, a company
called Epyx published great games and
caught the ambition bug. The disease
ran its course; the first color hand-held
videogame was the result. Unfortu-
nately, the toll was too high, and
Epyx's machine ended up at Atari,
renamed the Lynx.
Lynx still struggles for respect.
Overshadowed by newcomers like
AUGUST 199!
COMPUTE
101
NEC's TurboExprcss and Sega's
Game Gear, Lynx fights for recogni-
tion and a reputation. Many thought
it on its deathbed until Atari got smart
and dropped the price to $ 100. That's
only ten bucks more than Game Boy.
For thai extra Hamilton, you get
a color screen and 1 6-bit gameplay.
The box is bigger, too. You use both
hands to run the Lynx's convenient
controls, with the cursor pad on the
left and fire buttons on the right.
Lynx games look good, too. Not
great— just good. Though the machine
touts a 4096-color palette, the screen
looks washed out. Even in a darkened
airplane. Lynx's screen can't match
that of Game Gear or TurboExpress.
But Lynx's real .Achilles heel is its
shallow play list. You'd think a sys-
tem sold since 1989 would offer more
than 16 games.
Still, some good titles play on the
Lynx. Blue Lighining is an excellent
jet fighter game, complete with mis-
siles, cannons, and swarms of ene-
mies. Klax. an intriguing puzzle game
that puts you under as much pressure
as Tetris. and Shanghai, a more
thoughtful solitaire game, are great en-
tertainment for the older set. .And if
you like wasting aliens, try Xenophobe
or Zarlor Mercenary.
Atari promises another 25-30
games by year's end, including the
don't-miss-it race game. Hard Driviii ',
and the WWI flight simulation. War-
birds. Bill and Ted's Excellent .Adven-
ture and Fidelity L'liiinaie Chess
Challenge are two more to watch for.
If Lynx delivers a collection of
40+ games by New Year's, it'll be a
contender, even if those games play
best to action addicts.
For only $ 1 0 more than Game
Boy (without a bundled canridge), it's
a good alternative if you can live with
the smaller software library.
Still, with Atari's track record,
you'd be wise to adopt Missouri's
slogan, "Show me."
COURTESY OF MNTENDO OF AVERCA
Game Boy, king of the hand-helds, sold
over 3 million units Its first 18 months.
COURTESY OF ATARI Eh<T6RTAINM6NT
The Atari Lynx offers convenient two-
hand coftlrol and a 4096-color palette.
COUBTESV OF SEGA OF AMERICA
Game Gear shows Lynx-like traits with a
wide body and a 4096-color palette.
Gear Up for Gameplay
Sega made news last year when it
grabbed a bigger piece of the home
videogame market with its Genesis
system. Hot on the heels of that suc-
cess comes Game Gear, Sega's new
hand-held game machine.
Hand-held Game Machines
size
Batteries
Battery Life*
Screen Size
Resolution
Colors Available
Colors Onscreen
Backlit
Sound
Processor
Speed
Current Library
Expanded Library'
Game Boy
3.5X5.8X1.3
4AA
24 hours
2.5-inch
160 X 144
4 (gray scale)
4 (gray scale)
No
Mono
6502
I.SMHz
60+
120+
Lynx
4.25X11 X1.2
6AA
3 hours
3.5-inch
160 X 142
4096
16
Yes
Mono
65C02
4 MHz
16+
32-40
Game Gear
TurboExpress
4.1X8.25X1.5
4.3X7.25X1.8
6AA
6AA
4 hours
2.5 hours
3.5-inch
2.7-inch
160X146
238 X 312
4096
512
32
512
Yes
Yes
Stereo
Stereo
Z80A
C6280
3.6 MHz
7.16 MHz
2 +
50+
20-22
60+
■ Average lifespan during tests of several alkaline batlery sets
" As projected by manufacturer (or January 2, 1 992
Released in limited markets in
.'\pril and available nationwide only
this summer. Game Gear shows some
Lynx-like traits, including a wide
body and a 4096<olor palette. But
Game Gear goes one up on the Lynx
in several key areas: Its screen is
sharper and brighter under more var-
ied light conditions, an important
consideration if you plan to play any-
where you can. It fits better and more
comfortably in your hands, and it
pinches battery power to get longer
life from its six AAs. Sounds better,
too, especially when you jack in head-
phones (all the hand-helds let you lis-
ten with headphones).
Most important, though, is Sega's
place in the videogame world. The
company wants to push Nintendo
hard and has the marketing money
and muscle to do that far better than
Atari. Like Atari, Sega promises a
bounty of game cartridges by year's
end. Sega seems more likely to keep
the promise.
At press time (April), Sega had
only two games ready for Game Gear.
Columns, which comes with the ma-
chine, is a puzzle game tougher than
Telris. You line up shapes and colors
in rows, columns, and diagonals as
they fall from the sky. Super Monaco
GPputs you at the wheel of a Formula
One racecar, changing gears and
stomping the accelerator as you zip
around 1 6 Grand Prix courses. It's the
best racing game yet for a hand-held.
Another 20 titles are due by
Christmas, including Game Gear's
versions of such Genesis games as Joe
Montana Football and Leaderboard
Golf. With more than 100 Genesis ti-
tles logged in. Game Gear shouldn't
lack good carts.
Priced at S 160, with games rang-
ing from $25 to S35, Game Gear
sucks more from your wallet than
Lynx, but in the long run, it's proba-
bly a safer purchase. Sega has more
developers in its stable, which means
more games, which means more vari-
ety for everyone in the family. This
year may be a bit touch-and-go for
cartridges, but if you like to look
ahead and want your video dollars to
last, check out Game Gear first.
Arcade Express
NEC's TurboExpress looks like Game
Boy with a thyroid condition. The
only color hand-held that fits in one
hand (you still need two to play), it
has a Darth Vader veneer. Maybe it's
the hood that juts out over the screen.
TurboExpress breathes quality
and has a price to match. .At S300, it's
nearly double the cost of the next
most expensive hand-held. No, it's
not gold plated; in fact, its screen is
smaller than Game Gear's and
102
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
TMEQIiSI
I he unthinkable has happened — a renegade
from the Temporal Corps has stolen a time travel
machine and gone into the past to alter critical
events in human history. Only you can prevent
this madman from rewriting history and destroy-
ing current civilization.
A high speed chase through time, TIME-
QUEST is a classic adventure game that features
pageantr>', danger, and puzzle-oriented adventure.
The game is epic in scope, spanning four continents
and three thousand years — from Stonehenge to
Hitler.
Criss-crossing time and space, you will travel
to England, Rome, Peking. Cairo, Babvlon,
Baghdad, and Mexico from 1361 EC to 1940
AD, meeting Caesar, Hitler, Napoleon, Genghis
Khan, Attila the Hun, Cleopatra, Michaelangelo,
and manv others.
Rome 1940. Foal
Hiller and Mussolini Into
Ihinhing lliat Churchill
has surrendered.
I^QB
England 452 A.D.
Escape a death-blow from
Riothamus, Ihe real-life
King Arthur.
"Legend Is Ihe company
that linaliy got Ihe adven-
ture game interlace
right," — Compuler
Gaming World
TM
Written by Bob Bates, author of Sherlock: The Riddle
of (he Crown Jewels and Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur,
TIMEQUEST is the latest from Legend Entertainment, the
company that brought you the hit game Speilcasting 101:
Sorcerers Get All the Girls. A treat for science-fiction fans
and adventure enthusiasts alike, the game features:
D high resolution EGA graphics
□ superb musical score featuring RealSound as well as
Roland and AdLib support
D unique Legend screen design with pushbutton options
D menu driven parser
UILEGEND
9 ENTERTAfNMENT COMPANY
Marketed by MicroProse Software. Inc.
ORDER DESK 1-8D0-879-PLAY
9:00 AIV1-5:00 PM Mondav-Friday
ISO Lakelionl OriiE • Hunl Uilley. MD 21030
©1991 Legtnil EnlertaHnenl Canpanv TIMEQUEST is i rtnisltnil
Irademark ol Legend Enlerlaininent tmfini ALL RIGHTS flfSEBVED.
EGA graphics shown itove. Actual screens may vary.
Circlft Reader Service Number 119
COUHTESV OF NEC TECHNOLOGIES
TurboExpress is the most expensive of
the hand-helds and the highest quality.
construction make it a perfect porta-
ble for the kids. The whole family can
take turns at the Game Boy because
its deep software, list includes some-
thing for everyone. It's the pick if
money's tight and you don't mind
black-and-white.
Lynx and Game Gear are close
competitors. Lynx has the price edge
and, at least until 1992, the larger li-
brar\\ Game Gear's screen is sharper.
Even so. my best-buy vole goes to
Game Gear. Lynx has languished loo
long with only a handful of games to
instill much confidence. Sega, on the
other hand, is a major player in video-
games and should deliver a steady
flow of new games.
TurboExpress is in a class by it-
self No other system lets you swap
games between home and road. If you
already have a TurboGrafx-16 or
you're thinking about buying one, the
TurboExpress should be your choice.
The higher price is a stumbling block
to everyone else, though. That price,
as well as a lack of kids' games, also
rules out much familywide use.
If the bottom line is fun at any
price, take TurboExpress. More
thrifty consumers should snap up a
Game Gear. Lynx and Game Boy
save you money, but for avid players,
the trade-offs are hard to swallow.
Hurry up and wait? Not any-
more. Now it's hurry up and play. Q
Lynx's, and its batten' appetite is like
Godzilla's taste for Tokyo. So what's
the deal? The TurboExpress screen
may be barely bigger than Game
Boy's, but it's the clearest, crispest,
and most colorful of any hand-held.
More pixels and more colors si-
multaneously on the screen make it a
joy to look at in almost any light. .An
optional TV tuner turns the TurboEx-
press into a miniature television per-
fect for airport and commuter
viewing.
Bui TurboExpress plays a bigger
card than that; cartridges that slip into
NEC's TurboGrafx- 1 6 home system
run on the company's hand-held. If
you pop for a TurboGrafx at home
and Si TurboExpress for the road, you
don't have to buy an entirely new
game library.
TurboExpress plays some great
games. Bank's Adveniure, a hilarious
bop and jump game, and Jack Nick-
laus Turbo Golf, a realistic and graphi-
cally dazzling sports game, top the list.
Not far behind are such notable games
as Tl'Sporis Football. Super Slar So/-
dier, and Devil's Crush (no. it's not a
Satanic tutorial; it's a terrific pinball
machine you hold in one hand).
More than 50 games fit TurboEx-
press, a selection nearly as deep as
Game Boy's. Teens and adults will
find plenty on the list — action, arcade,
and sports games dominate — but
there's only one young children's
game scheduled for the year (Tale-
Spin). .At $300. who wants the kids
playing with it. anyway?
Fun at Your Fingertips
You can bring your electronic fun
with you. wherever you go. .As long as
you've got .AA batteries, you can zap
monsters from space, sink an incredi-
ble putt, race the streets of Monaco, or
make Mario a hero.
Game Boy fills the bottom of the
hand-held food chain, but its low
price, low-cost cartridges, and sturdy
Product List
GAME BOY
Game Boy (with Tetr'is) S89.9S
Baseball SI 9.95
Dr. Mano Si 9.95
Super Mario Land $19.95
Nintendo of America
4320 150th Ave., NE
Redmond, WA 98052
(206) 882-2040
Chessmaster $29.95
Hi Tech Expressions
584 Broadway, Ste. 509
New Yorl<, NY 10012
(212)941-1224
DuckTales $29.95
Capcom USA
3303 Scott Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95054
(408) 727-0400
Isfiido S29.95
Nexoft
11105 Dana Cir.
Cypress, CA 90630
(714)373-2072
Pipe Dream $29.95
Bullet-Proof Software
8337 154th Ave., NE
Redmond, WA 98052
(206)861-9200
Robocop S29.95
Ocean of America
1 855 OToole Ave., Ste. D-t02
San Jose, CA 95131
(408) 954-0201
LYNX
Lynx (color system) $99.95
6/// and Ted's Excellent Adventure
S39.95 (available 9/91)
Blue Lightning $34.99
HardDrivin'
$39.95 (available 8/91)
Klax S39.99
Shanghai $39.99
Warbirds $34.99
Xenophobe $34.95
Zarior Mercenary $34.99
Atari Entertainment
330 N. Eisenhower Ln.
Lombard, IL 601 48
(708) B29-6500
Fidelity Ultimate Chess Challenge $39.95
Telegames
222 W. First St.
Lancaster, TX 75146
214-227-7694
GAME GEAR
Game Gear (with Columns) $159.95
Joe Montana Football
$29.95-$34.95 (available fail 1991)
Leaderboard Golf
$29.95-$34.95 (available fall 1991)
Super Monaco GP
$29.95-$34.95 (available fall 1991)
Sega of America
573 Forbes Blvd.
S. San Francisco, CA 94080
(415)742-9300
TURBOEXPRESS
TurboExpress $299.99
TurboVision TV Tuner $99.95
Bank's Adventure S49.95
Devil's Crush $61 .99
Super Star Soldier $61.99
TaleSpin
$61 .99 (available summer 1 991 )
TV Sports Football $61.99
NEC Technologies
1255 Michael Dr.
Wood Dale, IL 601 91
(800)366-0136
(708) 860-9500
Jack Ntcklaus Turbo Golf $54.95
Accolade
550 S. Winchester Blvd., Ste. 200
San Jose, CA 951 28
(408)985-1700
104 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
64/128 VIEW
TOM
N E T S E L
If you read this column with any
regularity, you'll recall that a couple
of months ago I said Gazette would
no longer be available on U.S.
newsstands. It would be available in
this country by subscription only,
I had visions of seedy characters
loitering outside U.S. computer
stores. Thev would approach custom-
ers, flash a Canadian COMPUTE, and
ask, "Psst! Wanna buy a hot news-
stand Gazette?"
-Mong the Rio Grande, at cross-
ings formerly used by people tr>'ing to
enter the U.S. without benefit of pass-
port or visa, customs and immigra-
tion officials would encounter furtive
figures struggling under heavy loads of
plastic-wrapped magazines. Gazette-
sniffing dogs would alert their han-
dlers, and another illegal shipment of
bootlegged COMPUTES would be
confiscated at the border.
Even if these unpleasant sights
were only figments of my imagina-
tion, the letters we received were real.
"Have you stopped publishing?" read-
ers asked. "Where's my Gazette?"
In case you missed my April edi-
torial, which explained about Ga-
zette's being pulled from U.S.
newsstands, don't dig through your
back issues trying to find it. That's all
changed anyway. Gazette is back!
Effective with the July issue, the
full Gazette and .A.miga sections are
scheduled to appear once again in
thousands of newsstand copies of
COMPUTE. By the time you read
this, the change should already be in
effect — but not at all locations.
Look for Gazette in COMPUTE
on sale at Software Boutiques, Soft-
ware Etc., and Babbage's. These com-
puter stores should have the Gazette
newsstand editions first. We'll an-
nounce additional locations as they
become available.
As most 64 and 128 enthusiasts
know, they aren't alone in the world.
Millions of 8-bit Commodores are in
use from Belgium to Brazil and from
Puerto Rico to Pakistan. From the
publications and user group newslet-
ters we receive from around the
world, we realize that there's a great
deal of 64/128 activity going on that
the average user never learns about.
There are computer shows in Eng-
land, new software releases in Austra-
lia, programming techniques devel-
oped in Germany, and more.
In our effort to bring you the best
from the 8-bit Commodore world, we
want to increase our international
coverage. Whaf s happening in your
country that might interest 64 owners
elsewhere? What's hot in software?
Each month I'd like to print
"Column from Abroad," featuring the
64/128 activities in different coun-
tries. If you're a writer with your fin-
ger on the Commodore pulse in your
country, I'd like to hear from you.
Perhaps you know of a writer or col-
umnist in your local newspaper or
computer magazine who could pre-
pare a 1000-word column. If you can
recommend someone, have him or
her get in touch with me at our
Greensboro, North Carolina, office.
This month, we feature a partial
listing of Commodore user groups in
America. Next month we'll complete
the listing and include the names and
addresses of overseas groups that have
returned our survey. As you'll see,
there are quite a few of them.
Programmers from around the
globe supply many of the type-in pro-
grams we feature in Gazette. In this is-
sue, Simuhideo, an outstanding
graphics-conversion utility, was sub-
mitted by Richard Penn, who lives in
Montreal, Quebec.
Gazette Disk subscribers will en-
joy Sector Patrol, a fast-paced arcade
game that's this month's bonus pro-
gram. Grant Young is the author and
lives in Christchurch, New Zealand.-
To give more recognition to all of
our programmers, both international
and domestic, next month we'll start
publishing biographical information
about them at the end of each pro-
gram's documentation. So if you sub-
mit a program to Gazette, include
information about your occupation,
hobbies, or any personal information
vou'd like to share with our readers. E
CONTENTS
64/128 View G-1
TOM NETSEL
Gazette is back on selected
U.S. newsstands.
News & Notes G-2
EDITORS
A new game from Accolade
and more graphics and fonts
for GEOS users.
A Guide to Commodore
User Groups (Part I) G-6
KANDI SYKES
Addresses and BBS telephone
numbers of user groups from
Alabama-New Hampshire.
Reviews G-12
REVIEWERS
Mondu's Fight Palace, Ferrari
Formula One, Big Blue Reader,
and War of the Lance.
Feedbacl( G-16
READERS and EDITORS
Questions and answers about
the 64 and 128.
GEOS
STEVE VANDER ARK
G-ig
Machine Language
JIM BUTTERFIELD
G-20
Beginner BASIC
LARRY COliON
G-21
Programmer's Page
RANDY THOMPSON
G-22
D'lverslons
FRED D'IGNAZIO
G-24
TYPE-IN PROGRAMS
Crypto-64
Slmulvideo
Riddle
Magic Mouse
TIE 80
G-25
G-25
G-26
G-30
G-34
G-35
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE G-1
NEWS & NOTES
Tee Off
Play the most infamous courses of the
U.S. Open with a new add-on disl<
from Jack Nicklaus and Accolade (550
South Winchester Boulevard, San
Jose, California 95128), Jack Nicklaus
Presents the Great Courses of the
U.S. Open ($14.95) is the fourth in a
series of course disks for use with
Nicklaus's Unlimited Golf& Course
Design and Greatest 18 Hoies of Ma-
jor Ctiampionstiip Golf.
The new disk contains three of
the most challenging and popular
courses to play host to the U.S. Open:
Pebble Beach Golf Links, Oakmont
Country Club, and Baltusrol Golf Club.
These three courses (in California,
Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, re-
spectively) have been the sites for 1 1
U.S. Open championships, and Nick-
laus has won at least one champion-
ship on each of them.
Seek and
Destroy
Put on your camouflage fatigues and
test your mapping skills with Mefa/
Gear ($1 4.95), a new release from Ul-
tra Software (900 Deerfield Parkway,
Buffalo Grove, Illinois 60089), a sub-
sidiary of Konami.
Wind through five levels as you
search for 20 special weapons and
equipment to seek and destroy the title
character and end the terror spree of
the evil CaTaffy. Discover the weap-
ons and equipment in enemy trucks
and storehouses, or get them from
certain soldiers of fortune.
Your most vital tool is your trans-
ceiver, which lets you communicate
with Commander South, who is at Fox
Hound's headquarters and feeds you
crucial information on Metal Gear's lo-
cation. The mission ends when you
destroy Metal Gear— or he destroys
you. It's as simple as that.
From the
Grapevine
Need a new SID chip, upgraded ROM
for your 1 571 , or Z80A CPU for your
128? If you're looking for spare parts,
integrated circuits, chips, cables, or
other items for your Commodore
products — including your Amiga —
look for them in the new free catalog
from the Grapevine Group (3 Chestnut
Street, Suffern, New York 1 0901 ; 800-
292-7445).
Grapevine stocks service man-
uals, replacement printer heads, pow-
er supplies, diagnostic and alignment
tools, and tutorials. Its catalog is a
great resource for end users and re-
pair centers.
Go Mobile
If you occasionally like to lean back in
your chair with your keyboard in your
lap but you hate to hassle with the 64^s
power cord, disk drive, and monitor
cables, there's finally a cure. With a
Detached Keyboard ($60, plus $3 ship-
ping and handling) from SER (P.O.
Box 5382, Racine, Wisconsin 53408-
5382), you're no longer tied to one
spot with your 64.
A six-foot cable frees your hands
from the desktop, and an ergonomic
palm rest saves your hands and wrists
from long hours spent at the com-
puter. Its single cable also eliminates
the current nest of cables by letting
you separate the 64 CPU from this ac-
cessible keyboard.
Abrams M-1
Abrams M-1, by John Green of Freeport, New
York, is this disk's Picture of the Month.
Each month C7aze«i? />M features a collection of the best 64/128 artwork
submitted by our readers. We pay $50 for each piece of art we accept for
"Gazette Gallery" and an extra $50 for the one selected as Picture of the
Month. Send original art lo Gazette Gallery, COMPUTE Publications, 324
West Wendover Avenue, Suite 200, Greensboro, North Carolina 27408.
C-2 COMPUTE AUGUST 1991
FOR ORDERS AND ^ AAA -Vl-A Am*-
„i?»Ku 1 -800-759-6565
Order Hours: Mi>n-Ihui>, 9aiN7p«i/Fri.9o«i 6:00pm/(LOS(OSiii/Sda,9:3()-i(EI)
MONTlGMm
WE CAN RECONFIGURE ANY Of OUR COMFUTIR PACKAGES TO YOUR
SPECmCAWNS. CALL fOk DITAIL5I
WE mvm CORPORATE I EDUCATIONAL CUSTOMERS - DISCOUNTS fOR
QUANTITY ORDERS - RUSH, 2ND DAY J NEXT DAY AIR SERVICE AVAIIABIEI
TM
SSSk (718)6920790
MONTGOMERY GRANT: MAIL ORDER DEPT. '
P.O. BOX 58 BROOKLYN, NY, 1 1 230
FAX #7186923372 / lELEX 422132 MGRANT
RETAIL OUTLET PBUN STATION, MAIN CONCOURSE
(Beneath Madison Sq. Garden) lUVC, NY 10001
Store Hrs: MOH-THURS 9-7/FRI 9-6/CLOSED SATURDAY/SON 9:30-7
FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE OR ORDER STATUS CAll: {718} 692-1 148
CUSTdMER SERVICE HOURS: MON THURS Sam Spm/FRI 9am-4|ini/SUH lOam^pm
C-Commodore^
Includes:
Quantum Link Software
COMPOSITE MONITORS
(RECONDITIONED)
$3995
SAVE BIG
84C
TIST PILOT
PACKAGE
• Commodore 64C
Computer
• Commodore 1541
Disk Drive
• Joystick
• Quantum Link
Software
B SOFTWARE
I PACKAGES INCLUDED:
< Advanced Tactical Fighter
• Intiltrator II • Harrier
" Crazy Cars • Tomohamk
>Z89
COMMODORE
64C
COMPLETE
PACKAGE
• Commodore 64C
Computer
• Commodore 1541
Disk Drive
• 80 Column Printer
• 12" Monitor
■ Quantum Link
Software
^59
• Commodore 64C
Computer
•Commodore 1541
Disk Drive
• 80 Coiumn Printer
• Coior fvlonitor
• Quantum Link
Software
'449
HONrroR
PERIPHERALS FOR COMMODORE^
MAGNAVOX 13" COLOR
RGB/COMPOSITE MONITOR
(64, 64C, 128, 1Z3D, Amiga
CcKTipatibit)
COMMODORE 154111
DISK DRIVE
RAPID ACCESS
FD-148 DISK DRIVE
1750 Clone RAM Expansion $1
Aprolek 2400 Baud Mode m fo: B4/1 2B....$99,
Cartndge Expander (or 64/128 429.1
Commodore 1700 RAM Expansion .$79.!
Cardco G-Wiz Inlerface $49.
CommodorB 1660 Modem S14.'
64, 64C Power Supply $29.^
Inkwell Light Pen $45
«259
M89
MAGNAVOX 13" COLOR
coHPosrre HONrroR
(S4, 64C Compttibit)
COMMODORE 1571
DISK DRIVE
RAPID ACCESS
FD-168 DISK DRIVE
«179
CALL
8199
Super Snapshot 5.0 $59.95
Xetec S. Graphix Jr. Inleiface $29.95
Xelec S, Graphix Sr. Interface $49.95
Xelec U. Kernal 20MB lof 64/128 $S99
Xelec U. Kemal 40MB (or B4fl28 $749
Mcro C-123 Power Supply $59.95
Excalleralor Plus FSOll Power Supply....$19.9S
V OTHER ACCESSORIES FOR YOUR COMMODORE COMPUTER AVAILABLE
COMMODORC 64/128 SOmVMB
rffp BiT Lisri
Big Blue Rwdw. S31.Q0 MavarickviO $29.00 Hngs Medusa. $19.00
Carmen Time S2a00 ML Baseball II Enhan. $27.00 secrel Silver Blades. S3Z00 I
Carmen USA, $2B.M Newsroom. $14.00
Carman World $25.00 North k South $20.00 a™ Qly. S21.0(l
Death Knights Kiyinn $40,00 Pspefdp III $40.00 Tetria ......$14.00
Elemerrlary (jni Building .$25,00 Pocket Writer $19.00 T,,,n„n 11 isooo
Geo Pubish. $33.00 Pockel Wnter II $34,00 " ' '!■"■";
GEOS V2.0 $40.00 Pnnt Master Pbs, $24,00 ^^ VI $49.00
Jr. Kigh Grade Builder $19.00 Print Shop ,$32.00 Word Writer VI $34.00
WHEN YOU BUY ONE OF OUR ALL IN ONE PACKAGES
COMMODORE
84C
COLOR
PACKAGE
PKIMTEH
STAR
NX-IOOOC $166.95
NX-IOOOC Rainbow $195,95
NX-1001 $155,95
NX-1020Rainbow $195,95
WX-2420 $279.95
NX-2420 Rainbow $299,95
SPECIALS
PANASONIC
KXP-1180 $159.95
KXP-1191 $234,95
KXP-1123 $239,95
KXP-1124i $299.95
CITIZEN
GSX-140 $284.95
GSX-145
(Wide Carnage) $374.95
200GX $159,95
Color Option Kits CALL
95
IBM
80 Column Thermal Prinlef
wciuoes
COJM«OD0BE)W£flF/Cf
SPECIAL/ S FREE GAMES w/PURCHASI
m
COMMODORE
MPS-1270 Inkjet
nse
95
SANYO PR-SOM
Daisy Wheel Letter
Ojaity Printer
«49
95
EB^P'
r^TSF
NO SURCHARGE FOR CREDIT CARD ORDERS
CUSTOMER TOLL FREE TECHNICAL SUPPORT
CctM*d check. Bank ChMkMtKWy Orfcrs, Approved P.O.S, Visa, Mjsicicard, Amci, OpBra, Drnor sClob, Cat ic- Blanche.
COOsAWireTranitiHsacccpfca Pkasccall befoiesubmitUng PCs, Nonccrlilied checks nuMwdil 2-1 weeks fct
Clearance. Puces and a/aitaWiTysubietllo change wilhoulnoiico, NoliosponsibSofwI^pcgiaphicerrors. Rclumol
deliKlive merchandise must tuvc prior return ^tfioroauon number ar returns witlno! be acccplcd. Shipping & ^tandling
addiUcmal. Second DayAMciiOay Air avaiiabicslwlracosl CanBftanoidHspteasccalllwshippmgratos. APOFPO
Mdora please add lO^s shipfHng & handling (minrmum $15). All APO FPQ wder 9 are dipped ruslcla^s priorilyair. Wc
checkfOitreditcardihch. DCAffSOOTU.
NEWS & NOTES
Great GEOS
Graphics
GEOS users now have 1 6 disks of
reacJy-to-use graphics with the release
of Diskart 13, 14, and 15 ($10.50 each)
from Those Designers (3330 Lewis
Avenue, Signal Hill, California 90807).
Diskart 13 contains international
symbols, hobbies and pastimes, toys,
national flags, and mechanical de-
vices. Diskart 14 has commercial and
military aircraft, military vehicles, and
sports. Look for plants and flowers,
trees and shrubs, furniture silhouettes,
and churches on Distort 15.
Unlimited Life
Want to play your favorite game with unlimited lives? Then try Strata Gems ($5
each, plus $3.50 shipping and handling) from Silvasoft (P.O. Box 231 , Charlotte,
^fermont 05445).
Each disk contains parameters for 50 games, including both new and old ti-
tles. These parameters are trainers you add to the game to give yourself unlimit-
ed lives or a limitless supply of ammunition or energy. Some games have three
or more trainers you can add.
Titles on Strata Gems 1 include Baal, Castlevania, Frogger, Krazy Kong,
Tongue of the Fatman, and many more. On Strata Gems H, look for Batman, De-
mon Stalkers, Rocky Horror, Starfire, Test Drive, and 45 others.
Intergalactic Warfare
Created by the codesigner of the Archon series, Star Control ($39.95) from Acco-
lade (550 South Winchester Avenue, San Jose, California 95128) combines deep
strategy with action-arcade tactical combat.
As a veteran commander of an Alliance fleet of battle cruisers, you've been
battling the evil Hierarchy for years. Now the aliens are invading interstellar
neighbors and enslaving the inhabitants. To save the galaxy from this invading
horde, you must construct and deploy your fleet, explore new stars, and build
mines, colonies, and fortifications. Target the enemy's home star system, but
don't leave yours undefended. Choose from nine scenarios, or build your own in
this one- or two-player science-fiction war game. In the one-player game the
computer opponent can be assigned one of three levels of skill: standard, good,
or awesome. This level will affect the outcome of its tactical and strategic abili-
ties. Choose from 14 ships and let the melee begin.
New at
the Zoo
The Electronic Zoo (3431 -A Benson
Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21227}
has announced two new games for
the 64: Black Gold ($24.95) and Spher-
ical {$24.95).
Join the international power bro-
kers in Black Gold and guide your
company in a global search for oil. Buy
and sell oil fields, build pipelines, study
surveys, drill for oil, and sabotage the
competition in this multiplayer game.
Move two blocks, point your
wand, and add a new wall in Splieri-
cal. Back up and create some steps to
the next platform before the ball starts
rolling. There are more than 200 levels
in this arcade-style game.
Windfall from
Coiniiiodore
What happens when a computer manufacturer drops many of its dealers like so
many bad apples? Another manufacturer recognizes their worth, picks them up,
and helps them to shine.
That's the idea behind Windfall, a new educational marketing program an-
nounced by Commodore Business Machines (1200 Wilson Avenue, West Ches-
ter, Pennsylvania 19380). It's targeted at Apple educational dealers, ex-Apple
educational dealers, and value-added retailers.
Under Commodore's new program, dealers can become authorized as
quickly as one week after being interviewed. They then become eligible to buy
demonstration equipment at discounted prices, including the new UNIX
workstations.
"We now feel that we are able to appeal to a lot of good dealers who have
significant experience in educational sales," said Paul Calkin, director of educa-
tion and UNIX marketing at Commodore, "This program offers them a way to
use their current contacts and expertise in the educational area to generate sig-
nificant, profitable revenue with what we feel is the most capable and affordable
desktop machine in the worid."
Users of Commodore equipment should also benefit from Windfall and its
new prices. "Commodore's new educational pricing structure makes it easy for
educational institutions, teachers, and higher education students to buy at signifi-
cant discounts off of the list price," said Ron Stanczak, Commodore vice presi-
dent of sales. "Our new dealer education program has been well thought out,
and we be lie ve it to be one of the best in the industry. " ^
GEOS Fonts
As an introductory offer for its new 80-
page Geo Font Reference Booklet,
Parsec (P.O. Box 111, Salem, Massa-
chusetts 01970) is bundling its font
booklet with 12 double-sided disks
filled with more than 550 public do-
main Gf OS fonts ($24.95 plus $2.90
shipping and handling for the U.S.,
$7.50 for Canada).
The booklet contains examples of
each font. This makes it very easy for
GEOS users to identify the fonts they
want to use in a document, see how
they look, and then locate them on
disk. It's a great reference tool.
G-4 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
The Lowest Prices in theWorld on
Commodore-Ready Printers! Really!!
ONLY
$;15995
Full color &
Commodore-ready!
NX-1000C Rainbow
Pnn[ in full colorl Near-letter qujliiy at 36 cps and high-
speed draft at i 44 cps feature; the new paper parking
function. Convenient front panel controls. Great for
extra-impact graphics and text. This is the Commc>-
dore-ready version— noaddilional interfaces or cables
are required Sug Retail
NX-I OOOC Rainbow Color Printer,
Commodore Ready 75783 _J349:55^
LOWEST PRICE EVER! 1759.95
THE COMPUTER PRINTER
Printer Accessories
Black Ribbon for NX-I OOOC/NX-I OOOC
Rainbow Color Printer 75471 $5.95
Color f?ibbon for NX-1 000/NX-l OOOC
Rainbow Color Printer 75485 S9.9S
Dust Cover for NX-1 OOOC/NX-1 OOOC
Rainbow Color Printer 77789 $8.95
ONLY
$23995
Ready to plug into your
Commodore and go!
NX-1000C
This is the Commodore-ready version of the NX-
1 000, You can just plug it in and start printing— no
additional interfaces or cables are required.
Sug Retail
NX-I OOOC Printer 75060 SR9SS'
LOWEST PRICE EVERI J139-9S
Quality TENEX
Power Supplies
From
Lifetime Warranty!
TENEX MW 701 -A. Conservativety rated at 5V
and I.SA, thisunitforthe C64 features a douale-
fused system. Its new heat-sink design allows cooler
operating temperatures inside the case. Lifetime
warranty. Sug Retail S49 95
TENEX MW70I-A 84513 $34.95
TENEX MW 705. Perfect for your C-128( This is a
heavy-duty, switching power supply rated at 3 amps
ai 5VDC. Lifetime warranty. Sug, Retail 569 95
TENEX MW 705 90686 $49.95
Don't miss out on the hottest new
products and great prices on the most
popular hardware and software!!
Call Today for your FREE catalogs!!
IBM Compatibles
Commodore
& Amiga
Computer Express
-ompiiter Express
(219) 2S9.705t — FAX [2 19) 2S90300
We gladly accept mail orders!
No Extra Fee For Charges!
■Shipping, Handling. Insurance
Order Amourti Charge
less than S I '^ 99 SI. 50
i20.00-i39 •)•! 5.75
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ORDER TODAY CALL 1-800-PROMPT-l
COMMODORE 64 ^r,^j COWMOD3RE f 23 are registered [rademarks of Commoaore Electronics, Lid AMIGA is a registereal irademjrk of Commodore >^iga Inc.. NOTE; Due to pubJishpng
ledd-irmes, product prices and specifics [ions are subject lo change without noiice. * ATO, FPO. AK. HI. CIV, VI. Gli, and forejgn orders sre subject to additional shipping charges C5N
Circre Reader Service Number 170
I
G-6
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
This annual Gazette feature
provides an up-to-date list
of user groups across the
U.S.A., throughout Canada,
and around the world. Part 1 in-
cludes states Alabama-New
Hampshire. Under each state
heading, the groups are listed
in order according to ZIP code.
User groups from the re-
maining states, APO sources,
and foreign countries will be
listed next month.
ARKANSJIS
AlABAMA
Birmingham Commodore Club,
P.O. Box 59564, Birming-
ham. AL 35259
Valley Commodore Users Group
(VCUG), P.O. Box 835, De-
catur, AL 35602-0835
Scottsboro Commodore Users
Group, Rte. 5, Box 255,
Scottsboro, AL 35768
Montgomery Area Commodore
Komputer Society (MACKS),
606 Larkin Ln., Montgomery,
AL36109
Commodore Mobile Users Group
(CMUG), P.O. Box 9524,
Mobile, AL 36691-0524
ALASKA
Anchorage Commodore Users
Group (ACUG), Box 104615,
Anchorage, AK 99510 (BBS*
907-349-7467)
Commodore/Amiga Users Group,
2597 Boulder Ave., North
Pole, AK 99705
Sitka Commodore User's Group,
P.O. Box 2204, Sitka, AK
99835
COUG.AR, P.O. Box 9641, ScoUs-
dale.AZ 85252-9641
Valley One Twenty Eight (VOTE)
User's Group, P.O. Box 9641,
Scottsdale, KL 85252-9641
Arizona Commodore Users
Group, P.O. Box 27201,
Tempe, AZ 85282
Gila Hackers, Rte. 1, Box 34,
Globe, .AZ 85 501
Prescott Area Commodore Club
(P.A.C.C.), c/o D. D. Van
Kirk, P.O. Box 4019, Pres-
cott, AZ 86301
Triple-D64, P.O. Box301,
Revno. AR 72462
A: Half/Dos Will Travel, 503
Kavlvnn Dr., Walnut Ridge,
AR 72476 (BBS# 501-886-
1701)
South Bay Commodore User's
Group, P.O. Box 1176, Re-
dondo Beach, CA 90278
(Voice* 213-324-8357)
Commodore Helpers of Long
Beach, c/o Tom Hoy, 3736
Mvrtle Ave., Long Beach, CA
90807 (Voice# 213-424-0508)
The Software Palace, 8978 Megan
Ave., West Hills, CA 91304
Association for Sharing Commo-
dore Information (ASCI),
6160 Malvern Ave., Rancho
Cucamonga, CA 91701-3736
"CI 28 West" Commodore 128
User Group, c/o John P. Cal-
houn, 17047 Dcvanah St.,
Covina.CA 91722 (BBS#
714-598-1755)
California Area Commodore
Terminal User Society
(C.A.C.T.U.S,), 1626 N.Wil-
son Ave., Upland. CA 91786-
l773
Oceana-64 Commodore User
Group, 1004 Plover Way,
Oceanside, CA 92057
CR.A Commodore Computer Club,
General Dynamics Electron-
ics Div., P.O. Box 85310,
Mail Zone 7234-A, San Die-
go, CA 92186-5310
Barstow Commodore Users
Group, c/o First Congrega-
tional Church of Barstow,
220 N. 2nd St., Barstow, CA
92311
Club-64 (San Bernardino), P.O.
Box 514, Palton.CA 92369
(BBS#s 714-881-1215 and
714-862-1744)
Coast Commodore Club (CCC),
P.O. Box 1497, Costa Mesa.
CA92628(BBS#7l4-979-
8333)
Commodore Technical User
Group (CTUG) of Orange
County, P.O. Box 1497, Costa
Mesa, CA 92628
Coastline Commodore Club,
2031 1 Ravenwood Ln., Hun-
tington Beach, CA 92646
(Voice* 714-962-9847)
South Orange Commodore Klub
(SOCK), 25401 Champlain
Rd., Uguna Hills, CA 92653
Orange Countv Commodore Club
(O.C.C.C.), i 517 W. Carriage
Dr.. Santa Ana, CA 92704
CIVIC64/128, RO. Box 2442.
Oxnard, CA 93034-2442
(BBS* 805-382-1 125)
Commodore Owners of Lake
Isabella California (COLIC),
RO. Box 2332, Lake Isabella,
CA 93240
A Bakersf ield Area Commodore
Users Society (AB.\CUS).
P.O. Box 40334, Bakersfield,
CA 93384 (BBS* 805-833-
1866 and Voice* 805-832-
7928)
CSUN (Commodore System User
NetHork), c/o 3894 Jupiler
Ave., Lompoc, C^ 93436-
1904
Central Coast Commodore Users
Group, 3643 Lakeview Ct.,
Santa Maria, CA 93455
Fresno Commodore User Group/
64UM, RO. Box 16098, Fres-
no, CA 93755 (BBS* 209-
226-5313)
PLUG (Plus/4 Users' Group),
P.O. Box 1001, Monterey,
CA 93942 (Voice* 408-883-
0818)
CWest Bay Area Commodore and
Amiga Users Group, 1 564
Waller #B, San Francisco, CA
941 17 (BBS* 415-552-9320)
PETCETERA-On-The-Air, 525
Cresilake Dr, San Francisco,
CA 94132
Commodore Connection Users
Group, P.O. Box 2851, Anti-
och, CA 94509 (BBS* 415-
754-8077)
Diablo Valley Commodore User
Group, P.O. Box 27155, Con-
cord, CA 94527
Napa Valley Computer Club, RO.
Box 2324. Napa, CA 94558
Commodore Ha'S'H'ard Users
Group (CHUG), P.O. Box
2072, San Leandro, CA
94577
Monterey Bay Commodore Users
Group, 921 Tower PL, Santa
Cruz, CA 95062-41 18 (BBS*
408-464-8924)
64/More Commodore User
Group, P.O. Box 612794, San
Jose, CA 95161-2794
Valley Computer Club, P.O. Box
310, Denair.CA 95316
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE Q-7
Commodore Humboldt User Group, P.O.
Box 6502. Eureka. CA 95502
Sacramento Commodore Computer Club,
P.O. Box 13393, Sacramento, CA
95813-3393 (BBS* 916-446-4094)
Hub Area Commodore Club (HACC),
Glen Parker. P.O. Box 398, Campton-
ville. CA 95922 (BBS* 916-674-1703)
The Classic 64 Preservation Society', 660
Walton Dr., Red Bluff, CA 96080
Colorado Commodore Computer Club.
1 192S. Nome Si., Aurora, CO 80012
(BBS* 303-469-3265)
Front Range Commodore Club. P.O. Box
272, Niwot, CO 80544-0272
Western Slope Commodore Users Group,
3125-B Lakeside Dr., Grand Junction,
CO 81506
GONNECriCUT
Hartford County Commodore Users
Group, c/o Gary J. Slagliano, 182-J
Homestead St., Manchester, CT
06040-3042 (BBS* 203-649-9057 9
p.m.-9 a.m., voice days)
Capital Region Commodore Computer
Club (CRCCC), RO. Box 2372, Ver-
non, CT 06066
The New London Counfj- Commodore Us-
er's Group (NLCCUG), P.O. Box 697,
Groton, CT 06340 (BBS* 203-823-
1750)
First State Commodore Club, P.O. Box
1313, Dover, DEI 9903- 13 13
Lower Delaware Computer Club
(L.D.C.C.), P.O. Box 5344, Nassau,
DE 19969 (Voice* 302-945-7224)
Welaka Commodore Users Group, P.O.
Box 1104, Welaka, FL 32193-1 104
Commodore User Group of Pensacola,
P.O. Box 36367. Pensacola, FL 32516
(BBS* 904-484-9952)
Commodore Milton User Group
(C.M.U.G.), 4356 Old Hickory Ham-
mock Rd., Millon, FL 32583
Gainesville Commodore User Group, P.O.
Box 14716. Gainesville, FL 32604-
4716
Titusville Commodore Club, 890 Alford
St., Titusville, FL 32796 (BBS# 407-
269-2169)
Central Florida Commodore Users' Club,
PO. Box 547326, Orlando, FL 32854-
7326 (BBS* 407-29 1-8730)
Fast Software of Costa Rica, .Arturo .Arana
Garcia( 1573-21), P.O. Box 025216,
Miami, FL 33102-5216
Manasota Commodore Users Croup
(MSCUG), P.O. Box 698. Oneco, FL
34264-0698 (BBS* 813-748-7513)
Dinosaur 64, c/o Robbin Tate, P.O. Box
9202, Masaryktown, FL 34609
Clearwater Commodore Club, P.O. Box
1 1211, Clearwater, FL 34616
Gulfcoast 64's Commodore Users Group,
P.O. Box 1 1 180, Clearwater. FL 34616
(BBS* 81 3-584-6040)
Suncoast Commodore Club, P.O. Box
6628, Ozena, FL 34660-6628
Suncoast Bvtes Commodore Computer
Club, P.O. Box 72 1 , Elfers, FL 34680
Starcom User's Group of Martin County,
P.O. Box 1446, Port Salerno, FL
34992
Metro Atlanta Commodore Klub (MACK),
P.O. Box 813481, Smyrna, GA 30081
(BBS* 404-439-7350)
Commodore User Group of .4tlanta, P.O.
Box 2031. Tucker, GA 30085-2031
Stone Mountain Users Group (SMUG
6<i/ns\ P.O. Box 1762, Ltlburn. GA
30226 (BBS* 404-925-8829)
Commodore Format User's Group, P.O.
Box 2196, .Atlanta, GA 30301 (BBS*
404-659-2606)
Albany Commodore Amateur Computer-
isls Users Group (ACAC), P.O. Box
5461, Albany, GA 31706-5461
Commodore Hawaii Users Group
(CHUG), P.O. Box 23260, Honolulu.
H! 96823-3260 (BBS* 808-672-6483)
Pocatello Commodore Users Group
(PCUG), Rte. 2, Box 48E, Pocatello,
ID 83202 (BBS* 208-237-6935)
Banana Belt Commodore Users Group
(BBCUG), P.O. Box 1272, Lewiston,
ID 83501
PFP 64/Amiga Software Exchange, 860
Sherwood #306. Boise, ID 83706
Treasure Valley/Boise User Group
(TV/BUG), RO. Box 6853. Boise, ID
83707
ILLINDIS
Diskoveries PD Library Club, RO. Box
9153, Waukegan,IL 60079
Fox Vallev Commodore User Group, P.O.
Box 28, N. Aurora. IL 60542
CCR Commodore Club, RO. Box 10022,
Rockford.IL 61 131-0024
Knox Commodore Club, P.O. Box 494,
Galesburg, IL 61402-0494 (BBS* 309-
344-5042)
Survivors of the Sixty-Four Users Group
(SOSUG), RO. Box 6108, Macomb,
IL 61455
Canton Area Commodore Users Group,
RO. Box 61, Canton, IL 61520
Central Illinois Family Assisted Commo-
dore Enthusiasts (CLE. A.C.E.) #19,
156 Fandel Dr.. E. Peoria, IL 6161 1
(BBS* 309-745-9273)
Champaign-Urbana Commodore User
Group (CUCUG), RO. Box 716,
Champaign, IL 61824-0716 (BBS*
217-356-8056)
Meeting 64/128 Users Thru the Mail, Rte.
I, Box 1 51. St. Joseph. IL 61 873
Gateway Computer Club, P.O. Box 1 839,
Fairvicw Heights, IL 62208
Western Illinois Programmer's User
Group (WTPUG), Rte. 5. Box 75,
Quincy.IL 62301-9314
MUGS, 315 W. Madison, Girard, IL
62640
SPUG Computer Club, RO. Box 9035,
Springfield, IL 62791 (BBS* 217-789-
6644)
Logansport Computer Club, P.O. Box
1161, Logansport, IN 46947
Corn-Net, RO. Box 161. Vevay, IN 47043
(BBS* 708-433-8287)
Richmond Area Computer Users Group
(RACUG), RO. Box 1333. Richmond,
IN 47375 (BBS* 317-935-1256)
Commodore Computer Club, 819 Treelane
Dr.. Newburgh, IN 47630
Fraternal Order of Police Computer Club
(FOPCC), 2535 Anthony Dr., Evans-
ville. IN 4771 1-2101 (Voice* 812-473-
4763)
Commodore SIG F.L.A.G., RO. Box 1022,
Crawfordsville, IN 47933
Commodore Users Group Ames Region
(COUGAR), RO. Box 2302, Ames,
lA 50010-2302 (BBS* 515-292-6204)
Capitol Complex Commodore Computer
Club, P.O. Box 212, Des Moines, lA
50301
Commodore Computer User's Group of
Iowa (CCUGI), R O. Box 3140, Des
Moines, lA 50316-9998
Fort Dodge Commodore Users Group, c/o
Patrick King. RO. Box 479, Manson,
lA 50563 (BBS* 515-576-7922)
Plymouth County Commodore User's
Group (PLYCCUG), 508 1st St. SW,
LeMars,IA 51031
Crawford County Commodore Users
Group, 519 N. 19lhSt., Denison, lA
51442
Commodore Players & Users of Iowa, P.O.
Box 493, Essex, lA 51638
Commo-Hawk Commodore Users Group,
RO. Box 2724, Cedar Rapids, I A
52406-2724 (BBS* 319-396-0446)
KANSAS
TCCUG, RO. Box 8439-0439, Topeka, KS
66608 (BBS* 913-357-0683)
KENTUCKY
Louisville Users of Commodore of Ken-
tucky (L.U.C.K.Y.), RO. Box 19032,
Louisville, KY 40219-0032 (BBS*
502-969-9360)
Commodore User's Club of Jenkins, c/o
Jenkins High School, Patricia John-
son, Box 552, Jenkins, KY 41537
Bowling Green Commodore Users Group
(B.G.C.U.G.), c/o Bill Edwards, Presi-
dent, RO. Box 20214, Bowling Green,
Ky42l02
Glasgow Commodore Computer Club, P.O.
Box 154, Glasgow. KY 42142 (BBS*
502-678-5292)
Commodore Owners of Owensboro, KY
(COOKY), 3807 Krystal Ln., Owens-
boro, KY 42303 (BBS* 502-684-2068)
Baton Rouge Area Commodore Enthusi-
asts (BRACE), RO. Box 1422, Baton
Rouge, LA 70821 (BBS* 504-778-
1556)
ARK-LA-TEX Commodore Computer
Club, RO. Box 6502, Shreveport, LA
71106
PAGE Computer Users Group, P.O. Box
7706, Alexandria, LA 71306-7706
G-e COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
GAZETTE
D\SK L/BRARY
VALUE-PACKED SOFTWARE
AT AFFORDABLE PRICES
All Gazette disks are menu-driven for ease of use — and they feature complete
documentation, Just load and you're ready to go!
SpeedScrlpt $11.95
COMPUTE Publications' most popular program
ever. Powerful word processing package includes
SpeedScript for the 64, SpeedScript 128, spelling
checkers for both 64 and 1 28 versions, plus on
additional dozen support programs, including
mail-merge and word-count utilities.
Gazette Index $7.95
Every article and department from Gazette — July
1983 through December 1990 issues — is indexed:
features, games, reviews, programming, "Bug-
Swatter," "Feedback," and the other columns.
Disk features pull-down menus, help screens,
superfast searching/sorting capabilities, and
much more.
Best Gazette Games $9.95
Best dozen arcade and strategy games ever
published in Gazette all on one disk. All games for
Commodore 64, Titles: Crossroads II: Pandemo-
nium, Basketball Sam & Ed, Delta War, Heat
Seeker, Omicron, Powerball, Q-BIrd, Trap, Arcade
Volleyball. Mosalo, Power Poker, and Scorpion II.
Gazette's Power Tools $9.95
Fourteen of the most important utilities for the
64 ever published in Gazette. For serious users.
Titles; MetaBASIC, Disk Rapid Transit, Mob Maker,
Ultrotont+, Quick!, Disk Editor, Basically Music,
PrIntScreen, 1526 PrintScreen, Fast Assembler,
Smart Disassembler, Comparator, Sprint II, and
Turbo Format.
Ttie GEOS Collection $ 1 1 .95
Gazette's best 1 3 programs for GEOS and GEOS
1 28 users. Selection includes utilities, applications,
and games. Titles: Super Printer Driver, Skeet, File
Saver, Help Pad, Word Count, Directory Printer,
Quick Clock, SlideSt)ow, File Retriever, Screen
Dumper, Font Grabber. GeoPuzzle, and
GeoConverter.
128 Classics $11.95
Thirteen of Gazette's best 1 28 programs, including
utilities, games, and applications. Titles:
MetaBASIC 128, RAMDisk 128, BO-Column Disk
Sector Editor, MultiSort, Block Out Miami Ice.
Ttie Animals' Show, Cribbage. XPressCard, Sound
Designer, Video Slide Stiaw, Matt) Graphics, and
3-D BorGraptier.
SPECIAL OFFER!
All 6 DISKS FOR
All prices include shipping & handling.
SpeedScript
D $11.95
Gazette Index
D $ 7.95
Best Gazette Games
D S 9.95
Gazette's Power Tools
D $ 9.95
The GEOS Collection
D $11.95
1 28 Classics
D $11.95
Special 6-Dlsk Offer
Subtotal
Tnx-
D $49.95
Outside U.S. or
Canada"
Total
A $13.00 SAVINGS! I
Name.
Address .
City
State .
.ZIP.
Amount
enclosed
Method of
-payment
Moll to Gazette Disks
324 W. Wendover Ave.,
Greensboro. NC 27408
Credit card no
Signature (required)
Daytime phone number
D Check or Money Order
D VISA or MasterCard
(for orders over S20)
Ste, 200
_ Exp. date
' ResWents of Nofth Carolina and New York odd appropriate soles tax. Conodion orders, add 7% goods ond services tax.
'■ For delivery outside the U.S. or Canoda. odd SI for surfoce mall or $3 lor airmail All orders must be in U.S. funds drowD on o U.S. bank.
West Bank Users Group of New Orleans,
LA (W.B.U.G.), P.O. Box 740854.
New Orleans. LA 70174-0854 (BBS#
504-861-2365, Voiee# 504-368-0578)
Upper Peninsula Commodore Users
Group, 20 N. Billings Si., Gwinn, MI
49841(BBS# 313-485-1951)
Commodore Users Group of Coastal
Maine, Rte. 2, Box 3254, Bowdoin-
ham, ME 04008
Your Users Group (YUG), P.O. Box 1924,
N. Windham. ME 04062
Southern Maine Commodore User Group,
P.O. Box 416. Scarborough. ME
04074-041 6 (BBS# 207-967-3719)
Commodore Users Society' of Penobscot
(CUSP), c/0 101 Crosby Hall. Univer-
sit\- of Maine at Orono. Orono. ME
04469
Rockville Commodore Users Group, 505
Marcia Ln., Rockville, MD 20851-
1509
National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology Commodore Users Group, S
Cross Ridge Ct., Germantown, MD
20874
VIC .A.ppreciators (\ICAP), 14901 Donna
Dr.. Silver Spring, MD 20905-4364
North Baltimore Users Group (NOBUG
64/128), P.O. Box 18835. Baltimore.
MD 21206
Annapolis Commodore User's Group, P.O.
Box 3358, Annapolis, MD 21403
MASSACHUSETTS
Pioneer Valley Computer Club, 6 Laurel
Tcr., Weslficld. MA 01085 (BBS# 413-
568-4466)
Commodore User Group of the Berkshires,
c/o C. F. Hunt. 38 Walden Ln„ Pitts-
field. MA 01201
North East Computer V.G., 24 Pincneedle
Si„ Chelmsford. MA 01824 (BBS#
508-250-8098)
MICHIGAN
Michigan Commodore Users Group, P,0.
Box 539. E. Delroil, MI 48021 (BBS#s
3 1 3-293-7340 and 3 1 3-892-3375)
\^'3shtenaw Commodore Users Croup,
P.O. Box 2050. Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-
2050
Downriver Commodore Group, P.O. Box
1277,Soulhgate, MI 48195 (BBS#
313-386-1565)
Saginaw Area Commodore User's Group
(S.A.C.U.G.), P.O. Box 2393, Sagi-
naw, MI 48605
Midland Computer Club, 4702 Jefferson.
Midland, MI 48640 (BBS# 3 1 3-631-
3471)
Bay -Area Commodore Club, 338 S. Sheri-
dan Ct.. Bay City. MI 48708
Southwestern .Michigan Commodore Users
Association, P.O. Box 306, Kalama-
zoo, MI 49005 (BBS# 616-342-5802)
Battle Creek Commodore and .Amiga V.
Enthusiasts (BCCWE). P.O. Box
2539, Battle Creek. Ml 49016-2539
Traverse .Area Commodore Club, P.O. Box
I.Rodney, MI 49342
Tri-Counn- Computer Club, 607 E. Dow-
land St., Ludinglon, .Ml 49431
MINNESiA
Minnesota Commodore Users .Association,
P.O. Box 22638. Robbinsdale. MN
55422 (BBS# 612-425-3813)
Commodore Bemidji User Group, 4740
Sunnvside Rd. SE. Bemidji, MN
56601-8313
MISSISSIPPI
Coastline Commodore Computer Club,
RO. Box 1 14. Biloxi, MS 39533
(BBS* 601-832-2076)
McDonnell Douglas Recreational Com-
puter Club, c/o Bruce Darrough, 3748
Cranberrv Ct., Florissant, MO 63031-
6625 (BBS# 314-521-8197)
The Commodore Users Group of Saint
Louis (C.U.G.S.L.). P.O. Box 28424.
Crcvc Coeur, MO 63146-0984 (BBS#
314-878-8816)
The Southeast Missouri Commodore User
Group, P.O. Box 615. Farmington,
-MO 63640
Heartland Users Group. PO. Box 281.
Cape Girardeau, MO 63702-0281
Commodore North Users Group, SYSOP
Charlie Hunsburgcr. P,0. Box 34534.
N. Kansas Cilv. MO 641 16 (BBS#
816-454-8806)
Joplin Commodore Computer User Group,
422 S. Florida .Ave., Joplin, MO
64801
WORLD-WIDE C = 64/128 User Group
(WWCUG), P. O. Box 1294. Camdcn-
lon. MO 65020
Columbia Commodore User (CCU), P.O.
Box 7633, Columbia, MO 65205
(BBS* 3 14-449-8095)
MOARK (Missouri/.Arkansas) Commo-
dore Users Group, HCR I, Box 85.
Lanipe. MO 65681
Commodore User Group of Springfield
(CUGOS), Box 607, Springfield, MO
65801 (BBS# 417-862-9325)
Miles City 64/128 Users Group, c/o Mi-
chael G. Sparling, 700 S. Prairie, Miles
City. MT 59301
Pathfinder Commodore User Group, 1817
Briarclifl'Rd., Fremont, NE 68025
Greater Omaha Commodore Users Group
(GOCUG), P.O. Box 241 155. Omaha,
NE 68 1 24- 1 i 55 (BBS# 402-733-701 5)
Mid-Nebraska Users of Computers
(MUC), 1920 N. Huston Ave.. Grand
Island. NE 68803 (BBS# 308-389-
6495)
K..\.C.C.K: Kearney .■\rea Commodore
Computer Klub. PO. Box 1611. Kear-
ney, NE 68848-161 1
McCook Commodore Users Group. Dave
Matthews. 808'/; W. Ist. McCook. NE
69001
Platte Valley Computer Users Group
(PVCUG), RO. Box 367. Gering, NE
69341
Clark County Commodore Computer Club
(5 C's), 8652 Trafalgar Dr., Las Vegas,
NV 891 17(BBS# 702-795-4008)
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Manchester Commodore Users Group,
P.O. Box 1641. Manchester, NH
03105
Commodore Help .And Information Net-
work (CHAIN Gang), RO. Box 654,
Laconia, NH 03247
Seacoast Commodore Users Group, P.O.
Box 51 1, Durham. NH 03824-051 1
If your group does not appear in
this list, send your club name, ad-
dress, and bulletin board service tele-
phone number (if available) to
Commodore 64/128 User Group
Update
COMPUTE'S Gazette
324 W. Wendover Ave., Ste. 200
Greensboro, NC 27408
Your group will be listed in a user
group update in a future issue.
Note: When writing to a user group for
information, please remember to en-
close a self-addressed envelope with
postage that is appropriate for the
country to which you 're writing.
COMPUTE Publications does not
condone the use of its user group lists
by individuals or user groups for the
purpose of buying, selling, or trading
pirated software. Should we discover
any group participating in any such
illegal and unethical activity, the club's
listing will be permanently deleted
from our files. B
ENTER NOW!
DESIGN-A-ROBOr
CONTEST
invent a new persona! robot on pa-
per and send your designs, plans,
and sketches to "D'lversions" col-
umnist Fred D'Ignazio. Also tell him
what robots mean to you. First prize
is a large mode! robot valued at
$200, and five runners-up will win
smaller robots valued at $30 each.
Send entries to Design-a-Robot
Contest, COMPUTE Publications,
324 West Wendover Avenue, Suite
200, Greensboro, North Carolina
27408. Hurry; all entries must be re-
ceived by August 30, 1 991 .
G-10 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
The Gazette
Productivity
Manager
(Formerly PowerPak) ^"^
Harness the productivity
power of your 64 or 128!
Turn your Commodore into
a powerful workhorse, keep track
of finances, generate reports
in a snap, manage your
money in minutes-
all with the new 1991
Gazette Productiuity
Manager! Look at all
your 64/128 Productivity
Manager disk contains.
GemCalc 64 & 128—
A complete, powerful, user-
friendly spreadsheet with all
the features you'd expect
in an expensive commercial package
(separate 64 and 128 versions are included).
Most commands can be performed with a single keypress!
Memo Card — Unleashes the power of a full-blown
database without the fuss! Nothing's easier— it's a
truly simple computerized address file. Just type in
your data on any one of the index cards. Need to edit?
Just use the standard Commodore editing keys.
Finished? Just save the data to floppy. What could be
easier?
Financial Planner — Answers all of those questions
concerning interest, investments, and money manage-
ment that financial analysts charge big bucks for! You
can plan for your children's education and know
exactly how much it will cost and how much you need
to save every month to reach your goal. Or, decide
whether to buy or lease a new car. Use the compound
interest and savings function to arrive at accurate
estimates of how your money will work for you.
Compute the answer at the click of a key!
DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS
POWERFUL WORKHORSE!
(MasterCard and Visa accepted on orders witli subtotal over 120).
D YES! Please send me Producticily Manager dlsk(s)
(SI 4. 95 each).
Subtotal
Sales Tax (Residents of NO and NY please add appro-
priate sales tax for your area. Canadian orders, add
7% goods and services tax.)
Shipping and Handting (S2.00 U.S. and Canada, 83.00
surface mail, S5.00 airmail per disk.)
Total Enclosed
_ Clieck or Money Order _ MasterCard _ VISA
Crrdil Csid Ng. .
Sijlnalufr* -
{RwiqlreilJ
DaviIbc TeltpbDDf .%0. .
Slair/
ZIP/
_ Poilal Code -
Send vour order to Gazette 1991 Productivity Manager,
324 Vf. Wendover Ave., Ste. 200, Greensboro, NC 27408.
REVIEWS
FANTASTIC FIGHTS • REALISTIC RACING
PC TRANSLATOR • BALLISTIC BASIC • DRAGONS AT WAR
MONDU'S FIGHT
PALAGE
Although it's not a new game to
the software world, Mondu 's
Fight Palace is new for the 64. It
was released originally for IBM
and compatible machines as Tongue
of the Fat man. and the 64 version
looks ever\' bit as good as the original.
This bizarre fighting game takes
place in the domain of Mondu the
Fat. He watches over combatants in
his arena. They must fight to the
death, and he delights in the contest.
In Mondu's Fight Palace, you have
been thrown into a pit to battle the
Fatman's contenders. There are two
ways to escape: defeat all of Mondu's
cronies and the Fatman himself or
die. I don't think it's hard to choose.
Although fight games arc a dime
a dozen. Fight Palace goes beyond the
norm and breaks the mold. In addi-
tion to dazzling your opponents with
your acrobatic moves, power-packed
punches, and high kicks, you can
choose weapons and bet on your fight.
These additional options make Xfoii-
du 's Fight Palace more challenging
and entertaining. Not only are you
playing against a computer-based op-
ponent or second player, but you are
also playing against the bet you made
on yourself
You start the game with 1000
credits. Use part of this money to buy
weapons from Doctor Kadaver's
Weapons Store and part to bet on how
long it will take you to finish off the
other creature. Only the first oppo-
nent is a humanoid. .All of the rest are
members of intergalactic races, and
they each have unusual fighting traits
and styles.
To help even the odds, you can
buy weapons to use in the arena. You
can only buy those that cost less than
vour current number of credits, and
Dr. Kadaver doesn't give credit.
Fight Palace is played from a side
view and with a number of different
backgrounds. Below the main screen
are pictures of the opponents, weap-
ons boxes, and bars representing suc-
cess, life, and attack power. Hitting
one of the function keys activates a
weapon. .AH other movements and ac-
tions are performed with the joystick.
Ft takes three or four games to get
used to Fight Palace, after which you
can actually try to defeat the creatures.
.After another few games, you should
know some of the opponents well
enough to beat them in a short
amount of time. Before long, you'll be
racking up the credits and gearing up
to beat the Fatman,
The graphics in Fight Palace arc
detailed and colorful. Paniculariy no-
ticeable are the strange movements
and unique appearances of each of the
ten creatures in the game, from Colo-
noid and Behemoth to Rubic and
Freezer, The different creatures give
the game its personality. Sounds are
minimal and unnecessar>' in this
game. You won't miss them because
you'll be too busy trying to sur\'ive.
RLSS CECCOLA
Commodore 64 or 128— $29.95
ACTIVISION
3885 Bohannon Dr.
Menio Park. CA 94025
{415)329-0800
Ci/de Reader Service Number 310
FERRARI FRRMULA
Imagine yourself behind the wheel
of a Ferrari, cruising down a Grand
Prix racetrack at 1 75 mph. Elec-
tronic .Arts' Ferrari Formula One is
the next best thing to actually driving
this powerful machine. It brings all
the action and thrill of Grand Prix
racing right to your computer. .And
you don't have to be an expert race
driver to play!
There are two playing options in
this game. You can simply drive the
Ferrari around the racetrack without
worrying about things like schedules
or season standings. This option is the
easier one to learn, since it requires
that you read only a short set of in-
structions. .As the game stans, there's
a short demo to help you get acquaint-
ed quickly with the game. The minute
you feel comfortable, just move your
joystick, and off you go!
For those of you w^ho want a real
challenge, there's the second option.
This is just like real Grand Prix rac-
ing. You design, modify, and test your
own Ferrari. There are deadlines and
schedules to keep. You tell the pit
crew what to do to your Ferrari. Even
though there are numerous rules con-
cerning designing and setting specifi-
cations for your car, don't worry
about accidentally modifying a pa-
rameter that would violate Grand
Prix racing's rules. The software won't
let you.
I found the manual to be well
written, and the steps are easy to fol-
low for the second play option. If you
do select this challenging second op-
tion, be prepared to learn the track in
limited time. You must also find the
best settings for your Ferrari's peak
performance and the best way to con-
serve fuel for the actual race.
Like a real Grand Prix season,
G-12 C O M P U i E
AUGUST 19 9 1
Big Blue Reader 128/64
Read & Write IBM PC Disks!
Big Blue Reader 128/64 is a fast, easy-to-use, menu driven program
for novice and expert alike. Transfers word processing, lext, ASCII, and
binary files between Commodore 64/128 and IBM PC compatible 360K
5.25" and 720K 3.5" disl^s. Includes both 064 & 0128 progfams.
Requires 1571 or 1581 Disk Drive. Does not work using 1541.
BBR 128 Version 3.1 upgrade, $18+ original BBR disk.
Big Blue Reader 128/64 only $44.95
^iS[eSearclt3A
The only Bible Study Program with:
1) Entire Old and Nc>\v Tcst.inu-iU on (4) 1 541 /71 or (2) 15S1 disks.
2) An Exhaustive English Concordance on (2) 1541/71 or (1) 1581
disks; includes mure thnn 7(10,000+ refcrericos.
3) Incredible five (5) second look-up lime, per/word, per/disk.
4) InstniU, automatic spell checking of more than 12,S00 words.
5) Boolean Search operators including AND, OR & NOT logic.
6) Search entire Bible in 5 seconds with 1581 or Hard Drive (v3.5).
7) A Money Back Guarantee!
Includes: Easy-to-use, C64 and 0128 (40/80 column) programs,
printer and disk output, users guide, disk case, and more,
lii- Available on (7) 1541/71 , or (4) 1581 disks. [Demo disk $5}
KJV $49.95 >VvV>V'^f^^f NIV $59.95
c3' Any questions? Call or write for more information.
■3- NOW Available! AlVIIGA Bible Search
Order by check, money order, or COD. US Funds only.
cs- FREE shipping in North America. Wo Credit Card orders.
Foreign orders add $5 S/H ($12 v^hole Bible)
SOGWAP Software ^ (219)724-3900
115 Beiimont Road; Decatur, Indiana 46733
Call or write for FREE catalog of
1 .OOO's of programs for your PCI
(800) 233-2451
Mon - Kri 9am - 5pm FST
r~ Freeware For Commodore 64/128 ]
I GAMES, GAMES, GAMES!
I n(S102| ADVENTURE RO*D 1 ■ Contains 4 advenlure games: Scary, Africa, Advonlure S more,
i(61Z3| ADVENTURE HOAD '2- lOiextfQfaphicadvetiiure games including SLEUTH.
I ~i (6124} ADVENTURE ROAD 3-8 lexl'graphic adventure games including HACKER
I n(6049)C-12aGAMES 1-40col-
I umn Gaiact^c, Casiie and DamselS-
I 80 column Star Trek.
I n (60541 C-12B GAMES Z-BOCOi-
I umn Norad, Wargames. not Lunar
I Land Print SpociiSKrt.
I 1 (60881 0-64 GAMES 1 ■ Action
' games like Robbers. Wnitly Bird, Blue Tiunder i, more.
I T (6089) C-64 QAMES . 2 - Lotto. Attack Force, Star Trek, Joust. D«t)y. Delcon 5 more.
n (6097) IH THE MALL 1 - Contains 14 arcade games. Try ycuf sloll on these gems.
I n (6099) ir< THE MALL 2 - Conlains 14 arcaje games. Inciudes Moonilog, Sluing. S more.
"I(6t42|irj THE HALL 3- 12 more a-cade games including BOULDER DASH and KANGA.
I "1 (Siooj ir( THE PITS 1 • Conta ns 7 car games. Includes Diagstar. Dodge Cars J more.
I "1 (6101 1 LADY LUCK 1 - Contains 10 casino games. Roulette. Craps, BJ, Pokw S more.
I "1 (62021 LADY LUCK 2- lOgambling gamesindudingONE ARMEDBANDIT. and21.
I "1 (62031 LADY LUCK 3 - 17 gamblinj games including DODGE Crrv POKER and K6N0
I "1 (6096) ONTHEBOARDS I- Contains 1 1 tward games. Includes Yatitzee. BatliesUp 5 more
I "1 (61 19) ON THE BOAflQS 2-1? board and card games mCuaing tjanlesliip and chess.
I "1 (6120) ON THE BOARDS 3-17 more board and card games including CRIBBAGE and BINGO.
I "1 (6118) PUB BOARD GAMES- Darts, Bowing. Pool. Checkers, Backgammon, Chess, and more.
I T 16204) THE FINAL FflONTIER 1-10 action Bled space ga-nes including METEOR SHOWER,
I T (6206) THE FINAL FRONTIER .3-18 action tilled space ga-nes including CANYON RUrjNER.
' -1 16207) THE FINAL FRONTIER ;' 4 - IB action tilled space games including SPACE DEFENDER.
I n (6104) THE SPORTING LIFE - Contains Golf, Miniature GoK. Baseball 64. Boning and Trap.
n (6206) THE SPORTING UFE ,' 2 - 1 9 games relating to sports including BOWLIMG and BOXING.
I "1(6105) VICTORY SOFTWARE 1 - THe first disk ol stiareware games by Victory Sotiware. ^__ __
I To order, please check tlie dciired disk and Include S2.99 for cacll disk ordered.
I Include ahlppln); and handling of S4 per order. CA residents add 7% sales Sax.
I Buy 5 disks and get the Gtb one ficct
I Please send order, payment, name, address and daytime phone # to:
.^-;,--
We accept Check, MO,
Mastercard & Visa.
Sorry— No COD'S.
l|,™il,: \l,.|, I II. ■■,,11, -jmI'M
I 7657 Wlnnetka Ave, Ste 328-C, Winnetka CA 91306
1(8181 700-0784 Msg/Fax (800) 233-2451 Orders Only_|
Circte Reader Service Number 129
REVIEWS
the program isn't a single race but a
whole series. Each race is at a different
track and consists of several practice
sessions before the actual race.
The manual helps you design and
set all the specifications on your Fer-
rari. I found the manual's panel dia-
grams to be extremely helpful in
designing and setting the car's specifi-
cations for the big race. Fiorano is the
main base for setting up and modify-
ing your Ferrari, Here, you set the
controls for the race, such as skill level
and the race's length. From this point,
you can go to the garage to set major
system components, such as the en-
gine or suspension, or to the wind tun-
nel to adjust the Ferrari's wings. You
can also fine-tune suspension and
wing adjustments at the pit.
If you know little about setting up
a racing Ferrari, don't worn,'. The pro-
gram has a character named Mauro to
assist you in making these decisions.
His suggestions will always appear in
the panels. It's up to you whether to
accept his suggestions or to come up
with your own ideas after reading the
manual's detailed descriptions on
each setting.
After you've tested your Ferrari
and made all the necessary modifica-
tions, it's time for the big race. With a
push of a joystick, you're off to your
first race! Just use the joystick to steer,
accelerate, and brake. The engine's
roar makes you feel as though you're
actually at a Grand Prix, sitting be-
hind the wheel of a high-speed racer.
Overall, this software program is
entertaining and challenging. Even
though I have yet to become the series
champion, I still have a lot of fun
driving in Ferrari Formula One.
CHRIS ST.WASZ
Commodore 64 or 128, joystick — $29.95
Eiedronic Arts
1820 Gateway Dr,
San Mateo. CA 94404
(415)571-7171
Circle Reader Service Number 31 1
BIG BLUE BEABEB
Awhile back, there was a rumor
circulating that someone was de-
veloping an interface that would
allow the 1581 to be used with a
PC — a feasible but rather expensive
proposition when you consider that
most built-in 3'/>inch drives cost less
than half the street price of the 1 58 1 .
The February 1988 issue of
COMPUTE! featured a B.ASIC pro-
gram that allowed the 1571 disk drive
to read and write PC disks. This pro-
gram worked well, but it did have
some drawbacks. .Among its most
troubling foibles was the fact that it
seemed to choke on large files.
I discovered this last fall as my
wife was typing her grandfather's
memoirs on my 64 and I was then
typesetting them on my PC. Long
chapters caused the program to crash
or to become twitchy. Three chapters
simply refused to be translated, no
matter w^hat I did.
I decided to turn to SOGWAP's
Big Blue Reader to see what it could
do. Having spoken to the software's
developer on the phone and knowing
he was a capable programmer, it came
as no surprise that Big Blue Reader
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE G-13
REVIEWS
solved the whole problem, providing
rapid conversion between formats
with no apparent problems.
More and more Commodore fans
own both PCs and 64s or 128s. Using
a program like Big Blue Reader turns
this motley collection of operating
systems and hardware into an effi-
cient productivity machine.
The latest version of Big Blue can
operate with the 1581 drive, translat-
ing files from 720K 31/2-inch PC disks
to 1581-compatible disks.
Al! this talk about translating files
between formats can lead to some
confusion, so let me explain that Big
Blue Reader is not an emulator. The
ability to convert a file from a PC disk
to a Commodore disk doesn't mean
that you'll be able to run WordPerfect
on your Commodore. However, you
can save a WordPerfect file on a PC
disk as pure ASCII and transfer it to
a Commodore disk for editing or
printing with any Commodore word
processor of your choice,
The ability to translate files from
one disk format to another is the most
important task of this software, but
it's not the only useful feature. It will
display the directory of a Commodore
or a PC disk, format either type of
disk, and display or print files in
either format. It can convert files be-
tween Commodore ASCII and the
ASCII that the rest of the worid uses.
Although Big Blue Reader 128
comes with a version for the 64, 128
users should use the 1 28 version be-
cause it supports CP/M and Commo-
dore RAM expansion units and
operates with one or two disk drives
(oneofwhichmuslbea 1571 or a
1581). Also, it works in 40- or 80-
column mode. In 80-column mode, it
operates at the full 2-MHz clock
speed.
When Big Blue Reader 128
copies, it loads files into memory and
then copies them to the new disk.
This feature eliminates all unneces-
sary disk swapping. Furthermore, it
uses burst mode to enhance the speed
of the file-transfer process.
ROBERT BIXBY
■
Commodore 128. 1571 or 1581 disk
drive— S44. 95
Commodore 64, 1571 or 1581 disk
drive— S29.95
SOGWAP SOI=TWARE
t15BellmontRd.
Decatur, IN 46733
(219)724-3900
Circle Reader Sefvica Number 31 S
REAL FAST
64 BASIC
^he 64's resident BASIC is easy
1 to learn and use, but it has its
I drawbacks. BASIC provides the
1 programmer with few tools to de-
velop compact, powerful code.
In addition, BASIC programs
tend to run slowly because they're in-
§
i0i TIME
!^ % AND
' MONEY
Yes, save time and money! Subscribe to the Gazette
Disk and get all tlie exciting, fun-filled Gazette pro-
grams for your Commodore 64 or 128— already on
disk!
Subscribe today, and montti after montti you'll
get all the latest, most challenging, and fascinating
programs published in the corresponding issue of
COMPUTE.
New on the Gazette Disk! In addition to the
programs that appear in the magazine, you'll also
get outstanding bonus programs. These programs,
which are often too large to offer as type-ins, are
available only on disk— they appear nowhere else.
As another Gazette Disk extra, check out
"Gazette Gallery," where each month we present the
very best in original 64 and 128 artwork.
So don't waste another moment. Subscribe to-
day to COMPUTE'S Gazette Disk and get 12 issues
for only S49.95. You save almost 60% off the single-
issue price. Clip or photocopy and mail completed
coupon today.
Individual issues of the disk are available for
$9.95 (plus $2.00 shipping and handling) by writing
to COMPUTE, 324 West Wendover Avenue, Suite
200, Greensboro, North Carolina 27408.
YES
I
start my one-year subscription
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for only $49.95.*
n Payment enclosed (check or money order)
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orders, add 7% goods and services tax.
REVIEWS
terpreted. That means before an in-
struction can be executed, it must first
be figured out by additional low-level
software. Compiling a program — con-
verting it to machine code for speed —
creates an awkward additional step. It
means keeping track of at least one
additional file and may increase the
program size. Writing in machine
code combats the sparscness of com-
mands and slow runtimes, but it leads
to even more difficulties during the
debugging and revising processes.
For years attempts have been
made to redress B.-^SIC's speed defi-
ciencies. One of the latest is Real Fas!
64 BASIC (RFB) from Real R & D, It
is interpreted, like the resident B,A.SIC
2.0, but it precompiles GOSUBs and
GOTOs for speed. It adds more than
90 new commands, allows labels to
take the place of line numbers, pro-
vides the user with the option to cre-
ate custom commands, doesn't
interfere with B.ASIC 2.0, and is even
compatible with COMPL'TE's Meta-
5.-J5/r enhancement.
RFB includes a powerful syntax
for machine language-like control of
memory registers and control of bit
settings within registers. For brevity,
there are single-character commands.
Error trapping is available to guard
against results that might otherwise
crash your program. RFB is also
smart enough to be extensible, which
means that the programmer can piece
together preexisting commands and
functions to build new commands.
On the downside, RFB is almost
generic in design, with no provision
made for 64 graphics (other than sprite
commands) or sound. Also, some parts
of the documentation make readers
stop and review what they've just read.
Lack of clarity isn't a major problem,
however, and programming examples
do much to make up for any gaps in
immediate comprehension.
On balance, 1 was mightily im-
pressed; I recommend Real Fast 64
BASIC as a sophisticated alternative
language for serious 64 programmers.
BRUCE BDWDEN
CommcKlore 64 or 128— S30.95
REALR&D
12137-96 51.
EOmonton, AL
Canada TSG1V9
Circle Reader Service Number 313
WAR or THE
lANCE
si's latest addition to the Ad-
vanced Dungeons & Dragons
(.•\D & D) series is a war game
set in the Dragonlance worid.
War of the Lance is the perfect combi-
nation of an original war game system
and a detailed scenario to keep it fun
to play and exciting.
s
The game system has many
unique features such as diplomacy,
side quests for champions, and magi-
cal items such as dragon orbs to aid
your armies. The setting and back-
ground of the game far outweigh its
technical aspects.
War of the Lance is set on the
continent of Ansalon in the year 348,
and evil dragons have returned. Play-
ers control the Whitestone forces, who
are the good guys. The computer or
another player controls the Highlord
armies, which consist mostly of drag-
ons and Draconians. The action starts
just as the Highlord armies are invad-
ing Silvanestri.
Highlord starts with an advan-
tage over Whitestone, since it consists
of four nations to Whilestone's two.
To make matters worse, Whitestone's
dragons don't enter the game until it's
more than half over. This makes the
game more than a challenge, even for
experienced war gamers.
The game's history goes back to
an earlier time, however. It goes back
a millennium, when dragons were
banished from Ansalon. During that
time, magical artifacts were created to
defeat the dragons. After the dragons
disappeared, the artifacts were lost
and the magical secrets forgotten.
When the game begins, the White-
stone and Highlord champions are
out to find these lost artifacts and
learn how to use them. If an army can
find a dragon orb, for example, it can
use it to make dragons retreat from
the battlefield.
The appearance of reinforce-
ments during certain phases of the
game is a feature that adds suspense.
Units may be activated at random.
For example, the Highlord armies re-
ceive more Draconian units at almost
ever\- turn. .Anytime toward the end
of the game, undead infantry and fly-
ing cities, called citadels, will appear.
On the Whitestone side, good dragons
and Solamnic knights are some of the
units that might join its forces.
A more direct way of gaining
units is through alliances. The White-
stones and Highlords have unique
methods of diplomacy. The White-
stones send diplomats to the countries
and use gentle persuasion; the High-
lords declare war on a country if it
isn't an ally. Such a declaration is
usually sufficient to make a country
join the Highlords.
Movement and combat phases
are similar to those of other war
games. The side that has the initiative
moves all of its troops either by
ground, aerial, or naval transport. At-
tack orders are given, and the combat
begins. When one side's attacks are
finished, the other side starts its turn.
There are some interesting twists,
though — dwarves are the only soldiers
who can go through mountains, and
elves fight better in forests.
Not only is War of the Lance a
war game, but it's a role-playing game.
It's also a lot of fun. The extensive
background adds spice that's missing
in many games. The graphics are de-
cent, and there's some animation. The
instruction book is also very clear and
precise. The game is fairly complicat-
ed, thougli, and it can be slow-moving
at times. But considering how much
fun it is to play, once you've finally
mastered War of the Lance, you'll re-
alize it was worth the effort.
BROCK FANNING
Commociore 64 or 128— $39.95
STRATEGIC SIMULATIONS
Dislributed by Electronic Arts
1820 Gateway Dr.
San Mateo, CA 94404
(415)571-7171
Circle Reader Service Number 3U
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE G-15
DBACK
QUESTIONS
FROM
OUR
READERS
What's the Score?
I'm trying to write a machine lan-
guage game. I have everything worked
out except for the score, which could
be as high as 900. How do I print this
out to the screen? What I've done
with single characters is to load the ac-
cumulator with the ASCII value and
JSR to CHROUT. But how do you
decode a number that's stored in low-
byte/high-byte format?
DAVID HOLT
RICHMOND, VA
Commodore BASIC has provisions for
printing iwo-byre numbers in ASCII (a
major purpose is for line numbers).
From 64 machine code, simply store
the low byte in the X register and the
high bvte in the A register (Accumula-
tor): then JSR to SBDCD (48589). On
the 128, select a bank with BASIC
ROM switched in, load the same regis-
ters, and JSR to $8E32 (36402). The
decimal equivalent will be printed a!
the cursor. On the 64, to get the ad-
dress of the ASCII string without print-
ing, start with .X and .A loaded as
above and use this code:
STA S62 :STORE THE HIGH B\TE
STX S63 ;STORE THE LOW B\TE
LDX #S90
SEC
JSR SBC49 ;CONVERTTO.A
FLOATING-POINT
NUMBER IS F.ACI
JSR SBDDF ;CONVERT TO AN ASCII
STRING
On the 128. with BASIC switched in,
use
STA $64 :STORE THE HIGH B\TE
STX S65 ;STORE THE LOW B'iTE
LDX iS90
SEC
JSR S8C75 ;CaNVERTTOA
FLOATING-POINT
NUMBER IS F.ACI
JSR S8E44 :C0NTERTT0ANASCI1
STRING
In both cases, the low byte of the ad-
dress of I he ASCII string is returned in
.A: the high byte, in . Y. At the eitd of
the string is a zero byte.
Which 128?
I've been thinking about buying a 1 28,
but I notice that there were two mod-
els produced: the original 128 and the
128-D. What's the diflcrence between
the two?
Also, the sound on my 64 seems
to have gone kaput. It was working
fine before I moved it to another
room. I've checked out the wires and
the monitor, and everything seems
fine. Do you think the sound chips
have died?
JOHN J. RE[MER
VVILL1.AMS LAKE BC
CANADA
The 128-D differs from the original
I2S in that it has an internally mount-
ed di.sk drive. The 128-D also has a
separate keyboard at the end of a very
short cable and an upgraded 80-col-
umn display chip with more video
memory. (It has twice the vertical reso-
lution of the standard 128, which is not
a big advantage for most users.) i\'ei-
iheroflhe 128 models is in production,
but a few dealers still hare 128-Ds in
stock. (See recent ads in this maga-
zine.) Used and reconditioned ones
can be found, but with a built-in 1 57 1
disk drive included, expect to pay more
for a 128-D.
.4s for your second question, it 's
most likely that your SID (Sound In-
terface Device) chip has gone to that
big socket in the sky. But since it hap-
pened during a move, it might have
come loose from its socket if the com-
puter got bumped. Get a technician to
look at it or, if you want to check it
yourself, open the case, remove the RF
shield, and firmly seat the chip in its
socket. It should be the chip marked
6581.
Write it In
It's hard to find COMPUTE with the
Gazette section in it. Since my main
interest is the Commodore 128. 1 am
entering a subscription to Gazette. As
the order form doesn't ask me to spec-
ify which section 1 want, I'm going to
write in that I want Gazette. I look
forward to getting COMPUTE, as it's
an excellent magazine.
But COMPUTE is more than just
a magazine. It's a large part of any
computer user's support network. As
other support for the 64 and 128
wanes, I hope that COMPUTE W\\\
continue to be an important part of
the Commodore information net-
work. Your format is great, and I en-
joy learning about other computer
systems.
PAUL ARMSTRONG
CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA
Thanks for the kind words, and we'll
do our best to continue supplying read-
ers with information about 8-bit Com-
modore computers and other systems
as well. In case you didn't know. Ga-
zette is now back in COMPUTE on
many newsstands. To ensure that you
get the Gazelle edition that includes
the type-in programs when you sub-
scribe to COMPUTE, write Gazette
across the subscription card.
ROM Upgrades
I've noticed several ads for ROM up-
grades for the 1571 and the 128. What
do the>' do? .-\lso, how do I go about
submitting programs to your
magazine?
GARY R, RaVNTER
PUTNAM V-\LLEY, NY
Just as computer software often con-
tains errors, the same holds true for the
programs stored in RO.M that make a
computer or disk drive work. One of
the first bugs discovered in the 128 was
the infamous Shift Lock Q problem. It
printed a lowercase Q whene\'er the
Shift Lock key was depressed. There
have been other problems, though less
frequently encountered. Apart from the
annoyance of a 1571 's sputtering for
minutes while trying to decide whether
a disk is single or double sided, it also
inherited the infamous Save-with-
Replace bug. Volumes have been writ-
ten about how the use of SAVE
"(^.filename ",8. originally intended
for replacing files without going
through the longer process ofscratch-
C-16 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
FEEDBACK
ing first and then saving, will some-
times trash programs. (Note: Placing a
0 after the @ sign usually corrects this
problem.) ROM upgrades supply fixes
to these and other problems. Upgrades
usually are for the better, but often we
discover that upgrades introduce their
own problems.
Now to answer your second ques-
tion. When submitting a program for
publication, save it twice to disk along
with two copies of the documentation
in either SpeedScripl or PET ASCII
format. Enclose a printout of the docu-
mentation and mail it to Gazette
Submissions Reviewer, COMPUTE
Publications, 324 West Wendover Ave-
nue, Suite 200, Greensboro, North
Carolina 27408. We encourage sub-
missions of original games, utilities,
and productivity programs for the 64
and 128, and we pay competitive
rates for those we publish. If a pro-
gram is too large to offer as a type-
in program, we possibly can use it as
a Gazette Disk bonus.
Empty Socket
I've noticed several ads for ROM up-
grades for the 1 57 1 and the 1 28. I've
also noticed an empty socket inside
my 1 28. What are these for? I am also
interested in EPROM programming. I
would appreciate any information you
have on these subjects.
GARY R. PAbTNTER
PUTNAM VALLEY, NY
That Spare 28-pin socket which you
noticed in the 128 can hold a custom
EPROM (Erasable Programmable
Read Only Memory) chip pro-
grammed with your own software.
However, getting at it means voiding
your warranty (if still in effect) and un-
soldering the metal heat-sink/Rfl
shield. The socket can hold either a
I6K or a 32K chip. If you insert a chip
there, it will be recognized by the com-
puter and treated like an external car-
tridge. Here are a few details.
There are two areas of 128 memo-
ry in which cartridges appear. They
are the mid-space (S8000-$BFFF) and
the high-space (SCOOO-SFFFF). So up
to 32K of cartridge memory can be
switched into 128 memory space
simultaneously.
Cartridge memory can be banked
in through simple manipulation of the
Memory Management Unit. (See your
Commodore 128 Programmer's Ref-
erence Guide /or details.) You can also
program in a power-up autostart
sequence.
To check for cartridges when the
computer powers up, the system con-
ducts a poll of all possible cartridge
areas (internal or external, mid-space
or high-space). This is done during the
system RESET routine using a sub-
routine called POLL, which is located
at $E242-E2BB in the Kernal (version
318020-03). In each of the cartridge
areas, POLL checks for a special car-
tridge key string that begins seven
bytes from the start of the area. For ex-
ample, in the mid-space ($8000-
SBFFF). POLL will start checking at
COMPUTE'S
SpeedScrlpt Dish
A powerful word processing
package for Commodore 64
and 1 28 owners
A Great Deal for Commodore
Users!
• SpeedScript for the 6 A
• SpeedScript 128 — 80-column version
• Spelling checkers
• Mail merge
• Date-and-time stamp
• 80-coIumn preview for the 6A
• "Rirbo save and load
• Plus more than a dozen other SpeedScript
support utilities all on one disk (includln
full documentation)
. copies of COMPUTE'S
TfcOa Send me
SpeedScript Disk.
I've enclosed 111.95 plus J2.00 postage and handling. (Outside
U.S. and Canada add tl.OO for surface mail or $3.00 for
airmail.)
ORDER NOW!
Nann"
Toul
Arlrlrpss
City Sf:.rp
7IP
.Mail personal check or monej' order to
Commodore SpeedScript Disk
324 W. Wendover Ave., Ste. 200
Greensboro, NC 27408
Residents of North CaroUna and New York, add approprlatt^ tax for >-OUf area. Canadian
orden. add 1% %OQd and services tax.
I'Eease allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Program available only on 5v;.inch disks.
FUTJctional
Weekend
Projects for
C-64 Ultra-UsersI
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i'foiit.im uilh Inlvrl.KL- SthciiLilks S5.()0
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Send Check or Money Order to:
CREATIVE SPECIALTIES
P.O. Box 7361
Richmond, VA 23221
Allow 5A Weeks for Delivery '
O" EMERGENCY COMMODORE START-UP KITS O'
Savo fl lot of bme and money be repairing you own CcmnMote compuref. AB cfwM are da-ecl socket ptuq.
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Kit #3 Part rfPIAJS C^
Symptoms: hM pcw^ i^i * Screen
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Conbin*: )C #RJVS061U. Oagns-
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$8007. The cartridge key string on the
128 consists of the letters CBM. (The
64 checks for CBM80.)
In addition, the cartridge key con-
tains cold and warm start entry points
and a cartridge ID. If the CBM string
is found, the POLL routine "logs in"
the cartridge by recording its ID byte
in a special table. This table is called
the Physical Address Table, and it is
located at $0ACI-$0AC4.
After storing an ID in the Physical
Address Table and before checking the
next area, POLL checks to see if the
cartridge ID equals SOI. Any cartridge
with this ID is considered to be an
autostart cartridge. If this ID is detect-
ed, POLL immediately switches in the
cartridge area and jumps to a subrou-
tine (JSRJfor the cold start entry in the
cartridge key.
The cold start entry is an entry
point, not a vector. POLL JSRs direct-
ly to the cold start entry point, expect-
ing to encounter executable machine
code there. Normally this will be a
jump (IMP) to the actual start of the
cartridge code. The warm start entry is
supposed lo be set up the same way,
but it 's never used by the system.
Since POLL does a JSR to an
autostart cartridge rather than jump-
ing to it, the cartridge has a choice of
whether it wants to return to POLL or
not. If all the cartridge needs to do at
this point is some initialization, it can
do so and then return to POLL via an
RTS command. If the cartridge wants
to take over completely, it can do so by
simply never returning to POLL.
The details of E PROM /cartridge
use on the 128 are more involved than
those for the 64, but they allow for
more versatility.
Defunct Fonts
For the past three months I have been
trying without success to obtain a
copy of Fontmaster for my 128. 1 have
approached U.K. suppliers without
success. I have been told it is a U.S.
product and used to be advertised reg-
ularly in Gazette. Can you help me lo-
cate a copy, or has the software been
withdrawn?
GEORGE H. WEST
STOCKPORT, CHESHIRE
ENGLAND
Fontmaster II and Fontmaster 1 28
were produced by Xetec in Salina,
Kansas, but a company spokesperson
says the products are no longer avail-
able. If you use GEOS and want to cre-
ate fonts for your 128. you might try
GEOS Font Editor (Comm-Plex Soft-
ware, 6782 Junction Road, Pavilion,
A'evv York 14525; $21.50). This pro-
gram lets you create a new point size
of any existing font and places 49 dif-
ferent fonts at your fingertips when
writing a geo Write document.
Another good font program is
Ultrafont-H, 1 of 14 utilities on the
Gazette Power Tools disk ($9.95).
ML for Beginnei^
I have recently started programming
and have moved from BASIC to ma-
chine language. Commodore 64 Pro-
grammer's Reference Guide is the
only book 1 have for ML program-
ming. Is there a good book that helps
beginners? Could you give me the
name of a good assembler? Are there
other languages available for the 64? If
so, which ones?
Finally, I have noticed a few un-
finished programs in Programmer's
Guide. On page 111,1 cannot find the
end of the last program on the page. Is
there something I'm not doing, or has
it been left out?
THOMAS UNDERHILL
SELANGOR, MALAYSIA
COMPUTE Books sells several begin-
ner machine language books for the 64
and 128. Look for Machine Language
for Beginners ($16.95) and The Sec-
ond Book of Machine Language
($16.95). Both of these contain listings
for machine language assemblers.
COMPUTE Books also has valuable
tools and references such as Mapping
the Commodore 64 ($18. 95) by Shel-
don Leemon, Mapping the Commo-
dore 128 ($19.95) by Ottis R. Cowper,
and MsLChine Language Routines for
the Commodore 64/128 ($18.95) by
Todd D. Heimarck and Patrick Par-
ish. To order, write lo COMPUTE
Books, c/o CCC, 2500 McClellan Ave-
nue. Pennsauken, New Jersey 08109.
Please add $2.00 shipping and han-
dling charges for U.S. orders, $4.00 for
Canadian orders, and $6.00 for all
others. Also, watch for special book of-
fers in COMPUTE.
All of the major computer lan-
guages are available for the 64 and
128. A partial list includes C, Pascal,
COBOL, Forth, FORTRAN, Lisp, and
Logo. One source of good-quality lan-
guages for the 8-bit Commodore line is
Abacus Software, P.O. Box 7211,
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49510.
The tittle program at the bottom
of page 111 o/Commodore 64 Pro-
grammer's Reference Guide redefines
the character associated with the letter
T, but only after you've moved your
character set according to the longer
program on the previous page. E
0-ie COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
GEOS
STEVE
V A N D E R
ARK
Commodore owners who use
GEOS have a real advantage
when the name of the game is
graphics. They can call up two
star players, geoPaint, one of the bet-
ter bitmap manipulation applications,
and geoPublish. probably the best of
the desktop publishing packages.
There is very little that these two
programs can't accomplish toward
turning a document into a winner.
From cut and paste to closed splines
and scaled fonts, the results can be im-
pressive. Documents can even be
dumped to a laser printer for results
that will score a hit every time.
Of course, every program strikes
out once in a while, and the GEOS
team has its holes in the lineup as
well. The graphics objects created in
geoPublish are not actually stored as
bitmaps and are essentially unalter-
able at the pixel level, a convenience
taken for granted in geoPaint, With
Paint Pages, you can convert a geo-
Publish page into a geoPaint bitmap
where pixel editing can be done. But
there's no way to reverse the journey
except by creating relatively small
photo scraps and importing them one
at a time back into geoPublish.
Even with the pagewide screen of
geoPaint 128, this process will quickly
run out the clock, and you'll still be
left with the task of fitting the scraps
back together. Sometimes it's easier
just to patch an offending graphic
with opaque, borderless white boxes
and hope no one will notice.
It would also be nice if there were
a way to copy a graphics object from
one location to another on the geo-
Publish page. If you've ever tried to
draw three identical curves using the
spUne tool, you'll know what I mean.
While you can use the group select
tool to move even a fairly complicat-
ed set of objects, there's no copy fiinc-
tion built in. Your only recourse again
is to convert the whole business into
geoPaint.
GEOS users have a great second
string 10 call on, though. There are a
growing number of talented, imagina-
tive programmers ready in the bullpen
to save the game. They've written util-
ities and desk accessories to fill in the
gaps in the Berkeley lineup, programs
that all GEOS users should have
working for them. Some of these are
available on QuantumLink or other
BBSs, while one of the best showed up
in this column a year and a half ago.
The small size of photo scraps is
annoying with the limitations of a 40-
column screen. Even with GEOS
128'% 80-column version of the photo
manager and geoPaint, the scraps are
often too small for the job at hand.
Terry Van Camp of Strongsville,
Ohio, has created Scrap It, a utility
which neatly pinch-hits for the edit
function in geoPaint. It lets you clip
any size scrap you want from a geo-
Paint document. Scrap It displays a
preview-style representation of a page
from either drive and provides you
with a set of brackets to set off any
portion of it to be copied.
Need a full-page-wide letterhead
for geo Write but use the 40-column
screen? No problem for Scrap It.
Want to clip a usable chunk out of the
middle of a ComputerEyes bitmap? It
may overfill the geoPaint window, but
it can't escape Scrap hi
There is no hmit to the size of the
scrap you create — the whole page can
be grabbed this way. The only applica-
tion that will accept a scrap that large,
however, is geoPublish. But you can
now create a graphics object using all
those great tools in geoPublish, use
Paint Pages to convert it to geoPaint,
detail and clean up the bitmap, and
then use Scrap It to port it back into
geoPublish. Scrap It is available from
QuantumLink; it's shareware, so you
should send a user fee of $5 to Van
Camp if you find his program useful.
This utility is well worth that small
amount of money.
Copying an object or group of ob-
jects in geoPublish is made possible by
a clever little desk accessory published
in this column last year (January
1990). It's called Screen Grabber, and
with it any part of the screen is avail-
able for copying to a photo scrap.
While there is only a limited need for
bitmaps of sections of the deskTop or
the ruler in geoWrite, bitmap copies
of graphics objects in geoPublish allow
you to import any number of dupli-
cates all over the page. A graphics
construction you've layered together
from various tools and fonts might be
too complex for the group select func-
tion, but Screen Grabber simply
copies the resulting hi-res image on
your screen and turns the whole thing
into a photo scrap that you can move
around, scale up or down, or copy at
will. Screen Grabber was written by
Richard A. Rardin and appeared in
the G£OS column in the January
1990 issue of COMPUTEI's Gazette.
Anyone who plays the graphics
game with GEOS needs these two files
in the game plan. In my desktop pub-
Ushing projects, I've found them to be
invaluable. There are plenty of other
great utilities out there, programs
which offer the GEOS user new capa-
bilities with the system. If you've
foimd one that really hits a home run
for you, let us know, and we'll pass the
word along. In order for a program to
be discussed, however, we must have
complete information about the au-
thor and whether it's public domain,
shareware, or available for sale. Write
to me in care of this column.
Steve VanderArk can also be reached
on QuantumLink by sending E-mail
to him. His handle is SteveVM. B
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 0-19
MACHINE LANGUAGE
M
B U T T E R F
ELD
If I have a group of users interested
in machine language, I sometimes
publicly write a simple program.
Beginners might not follow all the
details of coding, but they will be pre-
sented with a few simple ideas: writ-
ing in machine language is a logical
process no different from writing in
another language, no magic is in-
volved, knowledge of hexadecimal
numbers and machine language mon-
itors is required, and machine lan-
guage programs can be dazzling.
If you are on the Commodore
128, use the built-in machine language
monitor (MLM). Invoke it by pressing
Shift-f8. Most other machines will
need to load Supermon+64. Either
way, we're invoking a new way of
communicating with the computer.
Instead of POKE and PEEK, we now
can access more efficient commands.
If we were writing in BASIC, a
place would be set aside for the pro-
gram automatically. But with ML
we'll have to choose a spot. This will
be a short program, so it will fit al-
most anywhere. This time, I'll pick
address 8 1 92 (decimal).
Enter A -1-8192.. .but don't
press Return yet. We have said to
the computer, "We wish to write (as-
semble) an instruction, to be located
at decimal address 8 1 92." The com-
puter prefers a different style of
number, hexadecimal, but it will ac-
cept the decimal value if you prefix
it with a plus sign. Continue the line
so that it reads A -I- 8 1 92 JSR . . .
without pressing the Return key. We
can now explain that JSR is the ab-
breviation (or mnemonic) for Jump
SubRoutine, an instruction much
like BASIC'S GOSUB. It will call a
subroutine, which will do some work
for you, and then return to allow
your program to continue. The sub-
routine we want is the one that will
read a character from the keyboard.
This routine is located at address
$FFE4 (hexadecimal). The character
will be stored in the processor chip
in an area called the A register, or the
Accumulator. The dollar sign signi-
fies a hexadecimal number.
Complete the line to read A
+ 8 1 92 JSR $FFE4 but don't press
Return yet. Note that we have asked
the MLM to generate an instruction to
go and fetch a character. Take a good
look at this line; when you press Re-
turn, it will change dramatically.
Press Return. The line now says
A 2000 20 E4 FF JSR $FFE4. That's
more or less what we entered, with
some extra material. The decimal ad-
dress 8192 has been changed to hexa-
decimal 2000, which the computer
prefers. The translated instruction has
become the three (hex) bytes 20 E4
FF, with the original printed at right.
The computer has calculated
where the next instruction should go
and has generated the first part of the
line: A 2003. We've taken a character
from the keyboard buffer. What
should we do with it? We'll print it
several times. We'll also need to count
how many times we print the charac-
ter. We'll use an area in the chip called
the X register to do the counting. Start
by setting the X register to zero with
LDX (LoaD X): A 2003 LDX #0.
We use the # symbol to indicate
that the zero is an actual value rather
than an address. Programmers call
this immediate mode. We'll print the
character in the A register by calling
an output subroutine with JSR
$FFD2, and then we'll count by add-
ing one to the X register with INX
(INcrement X). In a moment, we'll
want to go back and print (and count)
again, providing our count (in X) has
not yet reached 40.
A 2005 JSR $FFD2
A 2008 INX
A 2009 CPX #-1-40
CPX is the instruction to ComPare X.
We want to compare with the value
40, not the contents of address 40, so
we use the # symbol again. The -1-40
means decimal 40; when you press
Return, you'll see this converted to
hexadecimal 28. By the way, if you're
doing this on an 80-column machine,
change the 40 to 80; on the VIC-20,
use the value 22,
Since you have compared your
count in X with a limit value, you can
now say, "if it's not equal, go back
and print again." That would be the
BNE (Branch Not Equal) instruction.
A 200B BNE $2005
Our character has now been
printed 40, 80, or 22 times. Let's go
back and do it again unless the charac-
ter is an asterisk ($2 A, decimal 42). A
CMP (CoMPare A) followed by a
BNE will do the trick. (Always include
a command to end the program).
A200DCMP#$2A
A 200F BNE $2000
A20nRTS
Finally, RTS (ReTum from Sub-
routine) signals the end of the pro-
gram. If the machine language
program was called from BASIC, it
will return to BASIC. Press the X key
and Return to return to BASIC from
the MLM, Now invoke the program
with SYS 8192.
As quickly as you can, type a
message like NOW IS THE TIME.
The message fills the screen at
dazzling speed. Conclude by press-
ing the asterisk key, and the pro-
gram will return to BASIC. Q
a-20
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
BEGINNER BASIC
LARRY COTTON
We're going to do something a
little different this month.
First I'll present a program;
then we'll discuss it. This one
quickly solves any right triangle.
To avoid typing errors, use The
Automatic Proofreader to enter this
program. Remember, the up arrow
with the line beneath it indicates you
should press the Shift key and the up
arrow simultaneously. This prints pi.
AH 10 PRIblTCHRS(147)
HS 20 POKE532a0,12:POKE53281,l
5:P0KE646,1
DJ 30 PRINTTAB(2B) "f2 DOWN]
{GRNlRIGHT
hc 40 printtab{28) "triangle
ke 50 printtab (28) "solver
jr 60 printtab (28)"
{6 upHwht}
DE 70 F0RT=1T014:PRINTTAB(11)C
HRS(170) :NEXT
HP 80 PRINT"{HOME}"
CQ 90 FORT=12T025:PRINTTAB(T)C
HRS{205) :NEXT
GK 100 P0KE214, 14: PRINT
BE 110 F0RT=12T025:PRINTTAB(T)
CHR$(183) ; :NEXT
RE 120 FORT=lT03:READy,X,A$
KG 133 P0KE214,Y:PRIST:P0KE211
,X: PRINT" { RED }"A5:NE XT
FG 14B F0RT=1T03:READY,X,A$
ES 150 POKE214,y;PRINT;POKE211
, X: PRINT "{BLU} "AS: NEXT
BE 160 DATA3, 13, A, 12,13,0,12,2
2, B, 7, 9, BE, 6, 21, CC, 15,1
7,AA
HJ 170 C=90;REM ALWAYS RIGHT A
HOLE
KD 180 INPUT" {DOWNHRED}
{2 SPACESlAHGLE A";A:IF
a>89ORA<0THENRUN
RB 190 IFATHENB=180-C-A:N=N+I:
GOTO 22 0
QG 203 INPUT" (2 SPACESIaNGLE B
";B:IFB>e9ORB<0THENRUN
CB 213 IFBTHENA=180-C-B:N=N+I
RQ 220 POKE2I4,20:PRINT
RQ 230 INPUT" {BLUH2 SPACES}SI
DE AA"fAA:IFAATHENN=N+l
:IFATHEN300
HK 240 INPUT"CBLU}{2 SPACESlSI
DE BB";BB:IFBBTHENN=N+1
:1FATHEN300
HB 250 IFAATHENIFBBTHEN300
HF 260 IFN<1THENRUN
PB 270 INPDT"{BLU}
{SHIFT-SPACElSIDE CC";C
C:IFCCTHENN=N+1
DG 280 IFCC<BB0RCC<AATHENRUN
GJ 290 IFN<2THENRUN
RH 303 IFAATHENIFBBTHENCC=SQR(
AA|2+BB|2) :GOTO360
GS 310 IFAATHEN1FCCTHENBB=SQR(
CC|2-AA|'2) :GOTO360
MB 320 IFBBTHENIFCCTHENAA=SQR(
CCJ2-EBI2) :GOTO360
KX 330 IFAATHENCC=AA/SIN(A*X/1
80) :BB=SQR(CC|2-AA|2) :G
OTO370
XX 340
CQ 350
IFBBTHENCC=BB/COS (A*^/!
80) :AA=SQR(CC|2-BB]2) :G
OTO370
IFCCTHENAA=CC*SIN (A*X/1
80) :BB=SQR(CC|2-AA|2) :G
OTO370
A=ATN(AA/BB)*180/X!B»18
0-C-A
P0KE214,17:PRINT
TB=22
N=A:GOSUB470: PRINTTAB (T
B) "{RED} ANGLE A ="T
N=B:GOSUB470:PRINTTAB (T
B) "ANGLE B ="T
N=C:GOSUB470: PRINTTAB (T
B) "ANGLE C ="T
N=AA:GOSUB470:PRINTTAB (
TB)"{BLU}SIDE AA ="T
N=BB:GOSOB470:PRINTTAB (
TB) "SIDE BB ="T
N=CC:GOSUB470 : PRINTTAB (
TB) "SIDE CG ="T
GETAS:IFA$<>CHR${13)THE
N450
RUN
T=INT(N*100+.5)/109:RET
URN
You don't have to know a thing
about trigonometry to use this pro-
gram. Simply enter values at the
prompts. Angles must be in degrees.
Sides may be in any unit (feet, inches,
MF
360
SR
QM
BQ
370
380
390
PK
400
RE
410
AB
420
FA
430
GS
440
KG
450
GQ
HR
460
470
millimeters) as long as they are the
same units. If you don't know a value,
press Return. The computer will ask
for enough information to solve the
triangle and then print to the screen
all three angles and sides. Press Re-
turn to solve another triangle.
Lines 1 80 and 200 look for legiti-
mate angles and line 280 checks to see
that side lengths make sense. It
doesn't matter whether side AA or BB
is larger, but make sure that CC (the
hypotenuse) is the longest side. Be
sure you don't enter letters when the
computer is expecting numbers. If a
value doesn't make sense or too little
information is presented, the program
just starts over. An IF-THEN state-
ment is used quite a bit to check
whether information has actually
been entered. For instance, in line
190, IF A THEN . . . simply checks to
see whether angle A is anything other
than 0. In other words, IF A now has a
value, THEN do something.
A counter (N) is used to ensure
that enough information has been en-
tered to solve the triangle. N is first
encountered in line 190. As infor-
mation is entered, N is incremented
and then checked in line 260 and/or
line 290. Two pieces of data must be
entered to solve a triangle.
I think you can figure out what
most of the other lines do, but there
are two functions that we haven't cov-
ered lately: COS (line 340) and ATM
{line 360).
COS (cosine) is similar to SIN
(sine), except that it works with a tri-
angle's adjacent side and hypotenuse.
In line 340, COS calculates side CC
when BB and angle A are known.
Think of ATN (arc tangent) as
the opposite of TAN (tangent). The
tangent of an angle is the angle's oppo-
site side divided by its adjacent side.
ATN is used to determine an angle
when the opposite and adjacent sides
are known. In line 360, ATN is used
to calculate angle A when AA and BB
are known.
Finally, line 470 is a simple
subroutine which rounds numbers to
two decimal places. a
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 0-21
D
ROGRAMMER'S PAGE
RANDY THOMPSON
The 64 has not one, not two, not
three, but six different hardware
timers. And thanks to these tim-
ers, graciously provided by the
computer's two Complex Interface
Adapter (CIA) chips, the 64 is guaran-
teed punctual operation.
Among the most usefiil of the
CIA chip timers is the Time of Day
(TOD) clock. Besides keeping an ac-
curate account of the time of day, this
clock has an alarm function that oper-
ates very much like the alarm found
in your clock radio. To exploit the
TOD clock's abilities and to demon-
strate its ease of use, I created a short
alarm clock program to keep the com-
puter's biological peripheral — that's
you! — running on schedule.
As with a normal alarm clock, the
following program allows you to set
both the TOD clock's current time
and alarm time. After that, the clock
runs in the background while you are
free to continue writing programs,
playing computer games, or napping
in your computer chair waiting for the
alarm to go off When alarm time
comes around, the computer halts
what it is doing, and the screen's bor-
der appears to come alive. Press the
back-arrow key located in the upper
left comer of the keyboard to turn the
alarm off. The border will stop strob-
ing, and the computer will continue
where it left off
When you ran the program, it
prompts you for the current time and
the time you want the alarm to sound.
Enter these times in HHMMSS
(Hours, Minutes, Seconds) format.
For example, if it is 2:35 and 10 sec-
onds, enter 0235 10. After entering
each time, the program asks you to
press the A key for a.m. or the P key
for p.m. Once both times have been
entered, you can erase this BASIC
program and use the computer for al-
most any purpose without disabling
the alarm. The alarm is vulnerable to
programs that steal the computer's
IRQ vector or use memory in the
range 828-889. In effect, such pro-
grams will place your alarm clock into
permanent "snooze" mode.
I discovered a couple of bugs in
the TOD clock's alarm fiinction while
developing this program. If the cur-
rent time is between 1 2:00 and 1 :00
(a.m. or p.m.), you must give the com-
puter the incorrect a.m. or p.m. desig-
nation when setting an alarm time
that is within the same hour. So if it's
12:05 p.m. and you want the alarm to
sound in 25 minutes at 12:30, you
must set the alarm for 12:30 a.m. If
you don't, your alarm will be 12 hours
off. Also, the a.m. and p.m. setting is
completely ignored on alarms that are
set for 1 2:00 exactly. In other words,
an alarm set for 12:00 will go off at
noon or midnight, whichever is
sooner.
TO ALARMING
SOFTWARE FOR
YOUR 64
Memory locations 56328-56331
($DC08-$DC0B) are the TOD clock's
registers. These registers store the
time in the following format:
Register Purpose
56328 ($DC08) Tenths of seconds
56329 ($DC09) Seconds
56330 (SDCOA) Minutes
56331 (SDCOB) Hours
The time is kept in binary code
decimal (BCD), In BCD, a byte is di-
vided into two groups of four bits,
known as a nybble. Each nybble repre-
sents one decimal digit. For example,
at 12:00, the hours register (memory
location 5633 1 ) contains a binary val-
ue of 00010010. Dividing this byte
into nybbles, we get 0001 and 0010,
representing the decimal digits 1 and
2 for 12. All of the TOD clock regis-
ters work this way. The high bit (the
leftmost binary digit) of the hours reg-
ister indicates either a.m, or p.m. This
bit is equal to 1 if it's afternoon or 0 if
it's morning.
These registers have a unique
latching feature. When you read the
hours register with a BASIC PEEK
command or a machine language load
instruction, all of the registers freeze
(hold on to their current value) until
you read the tenths-of-seconds regis-
ter. This prevents you from receiving
an inaccurate reading. For example, if
you read the hours register at 1 1 :59
and the time changes to 12:00 just
before you read the minutes register,
the latching feature prevents you from
reading the time as 1 1 :00 instead of
1 1:59, Although the registers' values
freeze, the CIA chip's internal TOD
clock keeps ticking away. So the mo-
ment you read the tenths-of-seconds
register, all the registers are updated to
reflect the proper time.
By writing to the TOD clock reg-
isters, you accomplish one of two
tasks — you either set the clock or the
alarm lime. To specify which time
you set, you manipulate the high bit
of memory location 56335 ($DC0I0-
If you set the high bit equal to 1, writ-
ing to the clock registers sets the alarm
time. To set the time of day, you clear
the high bit. Lines 1 10 and 1 30 of the
program above perform this duty
using BASIC'S AND and OR
operators.
The subroutine located in lines
180-270 sets both the clock time and
alarm time. Lines 1 90-200 receive
and verify your input. Line 210 stores
this input into a numeric array of sin-
gle digits. Lines 250-260 use this array
to poke the time into the TOD regis-
ters in BCD format. The AP variable
signifies a.m. or p.m.
Once the program sets the TOD
clock, line 1 50 turns on the alarm
using the command POKE 56333,4.
TOD clock alarms generate an in-
terrupt request, which normally forces
the computer to execute the interrupt
routine located in ROM at memory
location 59953 ($EA31). In order for
C-22 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
D
ROGRAMMER'S PAGE
the alarm program to know that an in-
terrupt occurred, I use a short ma-
chine language routine to intercept the
normal interrupt routine. This ma-
chine language routine is stored in the
DATA statements in lines 340-370.
It's the job of the new interrupt
routine to determine why the com-
puter has disturbed its otherwise
peaceful existence. (Interrupts, which
normally occur at least 60 times a sec-
ond, can be caused by several events.)
If the TOD clock alarm is not the
cause of the interrupt, then program
control is passed along to the 64's nor-
mal interrupt routine. If the TOD
clock alarm is the culprit, then the
border is placed into a psychedelic
frenzy until the back-arrow key is
pressed or the computer's power is cut
off — a rude but effective technique for
terminating obnoxious computer
behavior,
ALARM
GH 100 SA = 828:GOSt3B 280
CH 110 POKE 56335, PEEK{56335)
(SPACE 5 AND 127: REM GET
{SPACeJrEADY to set TIM
E
PRINT" CCLR}ENTER TIME (
HHMMSS) ":GOSUB 180
POKE 56335, PEEK(56335)
{SPACE) OR 128: REM READY
TO SET ALARM
PRINT"{CLR)SET ALARM TI
HE (HHMMSS) ":GOSUB 180
POKE 56333, 4 :REH TURN A
LARM ON
SYS SA:PRINT "{CLRlALAR
M SET"
END
REM ENTER AND SET TIME
PRINT "{HOME}"TAB{26) ; :
INPUT T$:IF LEN(TS)<>6
CSPACElOR VAL (LEFTS (T$,
2) ) <1 THEN 190
IF VAL(T$)>129999 OR VA
L(MID$(T$,3,2))>59 OR V
AL(RIGHTS(TS,2))>59 THE
N 190
FOR 1=1 TO 6:T(I)=VAL{M
IDS (T$, 1,1)) :NBXT
PRINT "m OR PH (A/P)?"
AG 230 GET K$:IF K$<>"A" AND K
S<>"P" THEN 230
RC 240 PRINT K$:AP=0:IF KS="P"
THEN AP=128
CG 250 POKE 56331, {T{l)*16+T(2
KX
120
MX
130
AC
140
XA
150
FB
160
RA
170
HA
130
EC
190
GH
200
PE
210
KB
220
) ) OR APlPOKE 56330, T(3
) *16+T(4)
JP 260 POKE 56329, T(5)*16+T(6)
:POKE 56328,0
GH 270 RETURN
FQ 280 REM STORE MACHINE LAUGU
AGE DATA
BF 290 CK=0:FOR I=SA TO SA+61:
READ D:POKE I,D:CK=CK+D
:NEXT
MX 300 IF CK07121 THEN PRINT
{space! "ERROR IN DATA S
TATEMENTS":EKD
XF 310 HB=INT ((SA+13)/256) :LB=
SA+13-HB*256:P0KE SA+2,
LB:POKE SA+7,HB
XM 320 RETURN
XM 330 REM MACHINE LANGUAGE DA
TA
DS 340 DATA 120,169,060,141,02
0,003,169,003,141,021,0
03,088,096
CH 350 DATA 173,013,220,041,00
4,240,039,141,013,220,1
7 3,032,208,072,238,032,
208
AD 360 DATA 032,159,255,165,19
7,201,057,208,244,104,1
41,032,208,169,000,133,
198
BF 370 DATA 120,169,049,141,02
0,003,169,234,141,021,0
03,088,076,049,234 B
OMNI
TIME CAPSULES
Now the magazine of the future can be
kept for ttie future. Store your issues of
OMNI in a new Custom Bound Library Cose
made of black simulated leather. It's built to
last, and it will keep 12 issues in mint
condition indefinitely. The spine is embossed
with the gold OMNI logo, and in each cose
there is a gold transfer for
recording the date.
Send your checker money order
(SB.95 each; 3 for $24,95; 6 for $45,95)
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To: OMNI MAGAZINE
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CREDIT CARD HOLDERS (orders over S15)
CALL TOLL FREE 1-600-972-5858
Or moll your order, cieorly showing your
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add 6% sales tax.
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
SOFTWARE
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DIVERSIONS
FRED
D ' I G N A Z I O
HI e are what we dream. Our
dreams of "futures past" now
seem wholesome and desir-
able compared to today's
sometimes cockeyed present.
In the 1950s when I was growing
up, kids dreamed about the hot new
toys of technology: TV sets, space-
ships, monster computers, and tran-
sistor radios. We tuned in to family
programs every night like "Dennis the
Menace," "Father Knows Best," "Oz-
zie and Harriet," and "Lassie," We
identified with the kids on the pro-
grams— kids like Bud, Frank, Ricky,
Dennis, Margaret, Timmy, and Betty.
We dreamed of a fantastic future — a
George Jetson future where families
would be just like those we saw on our
favorite TV programs. Life would be a
lot the same — comfortable, loving,
funny, and so on. But in the future
we'd also have tons of high-tech toys,
just like Judy and EIroy Jetson had.
We'd have a robot. We'd have a
jet car. We'd have picture phones and
cosmic baseball. And we'd never have
to do any work because we'd have
homework machines, machines to
take out the trash, machines to wash
the dirty dishes and pick up our bed-
rooms. In the future, life would be
grand!
Then something sad happened.
Somewhere between 1950 and 1990,
we kids wandered off the yellow brick
road to the Jetson future, and we nev-
er found our way back. The TV fam-
ilies of the 1 950s were replaced by the
TV families of the 1990s— "Ro-
sanne," "Married with Children,"
"The Simpsons." Families fragment-
ed into latchkey kids, liberated wom-
en, and workaholic dads. In place of
Donna Reed, kids came home to re-
volving-door parents and Nintendo
babysitters.
Welcome to the postmodern
world. A world beyond Walt Disney
and George Jetson. A world of AIDS,
Madonna, MTV, Ninja Turtles,
WrestleMania, and Nightmare on
Elm Street. In place of Jetson jet cars
and robots, the landscape is dotted
vnth cellular phones, Game Boys,
palmcorders, D.AT Man, and CDTV.
The Jetsons movie came out re-
cently. If you saw the film, didn't you
think it seemed a little odd, a little
quaint? That's because the Jetsons
movie is a leftover, warmed-over
dream. It's a vision of a future past.
The truth is that somewhere between
1 950 and 1 990 the real George Jetson
walked out on his kids, his dog Astro,
his gadgets, his wife Jane — and he
never returned.
In the 1 950s we pulled up to a
Texaco station, and the man who
wore the star rushed out with a great
big smile and served us and serviced
our car. In the 1990s we roll into a
stark gasoline fortress and see hulking
vandal-proof pump-it-yourself vend-
ing machines. We pay our money to a
shadovi^ presence hidden behind pro-
tective layers of bulletproof glass, and
we pump our gas through an accor-
dion vapor-control hose that looks
like an appendage of Robbie the Ro-
bot in Forbidden Planet.
In the 1950s kids and their par-
ents went ga-ga over the shiny white
appliances that poured out of Ameri-
ca's postwar factories and into Ameri-
ca's homes. There were new refrig-
erators, new washing machines, and
new ovens. We were sure that all that
glowing white enamel was just the tip
of a technological iceberg. Our high-
lech home of the future would be
clean, sleek, and, and cozy. And above
all, American!
Cancel that dream. Technology
tomorrow turned out to be tiny black
boxes from Japan and Korea. The
easy street to the future turned into a
shortcut to the salt mines.
In the l95Ds we looked forward
to a future in which machines did
most of the work. We were told to ex-
pect more leisure time, shorter work
weeks, and a carefree existence. The
George Jetson easy street was just
around the comer. Technology would
save us so much work that we'd have
time on our hands.
Now we're in the 1 990s, the de-
cade of time deprivation. Husbands
and wives both work full-time jobs.
Life is a rat race. The streets and the
skies are gridlocked by too many vehi-
cles trying to travel to too many
places. Technology has turned from
slave to taskmaster. With fax ma-
chines, cellular phones, E-Mail, phone
mail, overnight delivery services, vid-
eo conferencing, and computer, we
are never out of touch. We are never
offline. We must never stop, slack off,
or daydream. We are plugged into a
network that never sleeps. We feel un-
relenting pressure to work all the time.
Our machines quietly goad us to work
harder, faster, longer. Puff! Puff! Puff!
Our present is not necessarily bet-
ter or worse than the old Jetson fu-
ture. It's definitely different.
Editor's note: Don't forget to enter
Fred D'Ignazio's Design-a-Robot con-
test. See last month's "D'lversions"
for a complete list of the rules.
All entries must be received by
August 31, 1991. The first-place win-
ner will receive a model robot valued
at $200; five runners-up will each re-
ceive a smaller robot valued at $30.
Send entries to Design-a-Robot Con-
test, COMPUTE Publications, 324
West Wendover Avenue, Suite 200,
Greensboro, North Carolina 27408. B
0-24 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
PROGRAMS
BILL FISHER
If you enjoy solving cryptogram
puzzles that appear in many news-
papers, you'll find Crypto-64 a very
useful and entertaining program.
Amateur code breakers can use it to
practice solving letter-substitution
ciphers,
Crypto-64 doesn't actually solve
the puzzle for you. Instead, it provides
a convenient display of both the origi-
nal cryptogram and the resulting de-
coded version as you enter various
character substitutions.
Getting Started
Crypto-64 is written entirely in
BASIC. To help prevent typing errors,
use The Automatic Proofreader lo
type it in; see "Typing Aids" else-
where in this section. Be sure to save a
copy of the program when you've fin-
ished typing.
Solving Puzzles
Load and run the program. At the
prompt enter a cryptogram in up to
four one-line parts. Be sure to press
the Return key before moving to a
new line. You'll then be prompted to
continue with the next part. It's neces-
sary to limit each part of the crypto-
gram to one line in order to provide
for proper onscreen presentation. If
your cryptogram occupies less than
four lines, merely press the Return
key to skip the unused part(s).
Your cryptogram will then be dis-
played with an asterisk (*) below each
letter. You'll be prompted to select
CHAR, RESTART, or QUIT by
pressing C, R, or Q, respectively.
When you decide to substitute a new
character for one in the cryptogram,
press C, enter the letter you want to
change, and press Return. At the next
prompt, SUB, enter the letter you
wish to try as a substitute. Press Re-
turn, and the screen will then redis-
play the original cryptogram with the
substituted letter printed below the
line in the appropriate location.
If you wish to change one of your
substituted letters after you see the
display, merely reenter the original
cryptogram letter at the CHAR
prompt and try your new substitution
at the SUB prompt. If you enter an as-
terisk as the substitute character, you
can effectively erase any previous
substitution.
If at some point you wish to start
again with the same cryptogram, se-
lect R (for RESTART) at the prompt.
The original cryptogram will be dis-
played with no substituted letters. To
quit, select Q at the prompt.
Because INPUT statements pro-
GRYPTOM
CRACK CODES
AND SOLVE
CRYPTOGRAMS WITH
THE HELP OF THIS
SHORT UTILITY FOR
THE 64
hibit entering a comma or a colon, do
not use either of these punctuation
marks. If they do appear in the origi-
nal cryptogram, they should be omit-
ted. If you wish, however, you may
replace commas and colons with alter-
native characters.
Here's a sample cipher to get you
started. After you run the program,
enter the four lines of scrambled text.
When you're ready lo solve the puz-
zle, substitue the letter T for the letter
Z as shown below. Now try substitut-
ing E for 7" and A for Q.
DQKN IQR Q SOZZST SQDW OZL
YSTTET VQL VIOZT QL LFGV
****** *** ***«p* ** ****
QFR TCTKNVITKT ZIQZ DQKN VTFZ
ZIT SQDW VQL LXKT ZG UG
m** ***♦ ♦** **** JTi* *♦
CRYPTO-64
BE 1 REM COPYRIGHT 1991 - COMP
UTE PUBLICATIONS INTL LTD
- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
OM 10 C5=CHRS(147):RS=CHR${29)
;US=CHR$(14 5) :DIMLS (14 5)
MS 20 PRINTCS:FORQ=32T064:LS{Q
) =CHRS(Q) :NEXT:LS(91)=CH
RS{91) :LS(145)=CHR$(145)
BF 30 PRINT :PRINT"CRYPTOGRAH L
INE 1:":PRINT:INPUTW$:LW
=LEN [W$) :IFLW=0THENW$=US
RA 40 PRINT: PRINT"CRYPTOGRAH L
IKE 2:":PRINT: INPUTXS:LX
=LEN (X5) :IFLX=aTHENXS=US
MX 50 PRINT: PRlNT"CRyPTOGRAM L
INE 3:":PRINT:INPUTYS:LY
=LEN(YS) :IFLY=0THENY$=US
AJ 60 PRINT: PRINT"CRYPTOGRAM L
INE 4:"tPRINT:INP0TZ$:LE
=LEN(ZS) :IFLZ=0THENZ$=US
FG 70 PRINTC$:FORQ=6ST09fl:L$(Q
) ="*":NEXT:IFWS«USTHEK20
DK 80 PRINT:PRINT:PRINT:KS=W$:
P=LW:GOSUB250
EJ 90 KS=X$:P=LX:GOSUB250
JA 100 K$=YS:P=LY:GOSUB250
JC 110 K$»Z$:P=LZ:GOSUB250
HF 120 GOSUB270:GOTO220
FP 130 PRINT:A5="": PRINT" CHAR
"; :INPUTA5:IFAS=""THEN
( SPACE )PRINTC5:GOTO160
FH 140 BS="":PRINT"{2 SPACES)S
UB";: INPUT BStIFB$=""TH
ENA$="":PRINTCS: GOTO 160
BR 150 N-ASC(AS) :LS(N)=B5
XX 160 PRINTC$:PR1NT:PRINT:PRI
NT
CP 170 K$-W$:PRINTRS+K$:P=LH:G
OSUB260
XR 180 K$=XS:PRINTRS+K5:P=LX:G
OSUB260
JS 190 KS-Y$:PRINTRS+K5:P=LY:G
OSOB260
AA 200 KS=Z5:PRINTR$+KS:P=LZ:G
OSUB260
MX 210 GOSUB270
JD 220 IFS$="R"THEN GOSUB280:P
RINT:GOTO70
CB 230 IFSS="Q"THEN GOSUB280:P
RINTCS:END
PB 240 GOTO130
FS 250 PRINTRS+K5
KH 260 PRINTRS; :FORN=1TOP:A=AS
C(MID$(K$,N,1)) :PSINTLS
(A) ;: NEXT: PRINT : PRINT :R
ETURN
GQ 270 POKE198,0:PRINT:PRINT:P
RINT" CHAR, RESTART, QUIT
(C/R/Q) ";: INPUT SSlRET
URN
AA 280 POKE198,0:PRINT:PRINT"
(SPACE}ARE YOU SURE (Y/
N)";:INPUT SS
AE 290 IFSS<>"Y"THENPRINTCS;GO
TO160
HJ 300 RETURN B
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE e-25
D
ROGRAMS
CHARD PENN
For an effective video presentation,
good graphics alone are not
enough. To catch a viewer's atten-
tion, you must present your im-
ages with style — move them on and
off a screen with flair and
imagination.
Television news is packed with
visually exciting wipes, overlays, and
fades. Simuhideo brings the power of
such video manipulation to the 64.
This utility supports a multitude
of smooth and fast graphics effects.
Large dual bitmaps can converge
from opposite directions, interlace,
blend together, and then reverse the
effect. Two different bitmaps, such as
a logo and a slate, can mei^e over
each other. Bitmaps can be wiped on
and off. Once onscreen, they can be
made to wave in different ways, and
text can be displayed in front of or be-
hind them. A backdrop can also fade
in and out.
With a new overlay mode, a bit-
map is not limited to being over or
under different graphics; it can be lay-
ered in between. A demonstration and
a short supporting utility for convert-
ing hi-res graphics to Simuhideo for-
mat round out this video package.
Getting Started
Simuhideo consists of three pro-
grams. The main program is written
entirely in machine language. To enter
it, you'll need to use MLX, our ma-
chine language entry prop-am; see
"Typing .Aids" elsewhere in this sec-
tion. When MLX prompts you, re-
spond with the values given below.
Starting address: COOO
Ending address: CB7F
When you've finished typing, be
sure to save the program to disk as
SIMULVIDEO.OBJ before exiting
MLX.
The second program demon-
strates Simulvideo effects and is writ-
ten in BASIC. Type it in using The
Automatic Proofreader; see "Typing
Aids" again. When you've finished
typing, save this program as SIMUL-
VIDEO.DEMO to the disk with
SIMULVIDEO.OBJ. To see some of
the effects possible with Simuhideo,
load and run the demo program. Ii
automatically calls SIMULVI-
DEO.OBJ. After it demonstrates sev-
eral effects, press the space bar to see
others.
The third program, IMPORT, is
a BASIC utility for importing multi-
color graphics from paint programs to
Simuhideo. Type it in with The Auto-
matic Proofreader as well, and save it
to the disk with SIMULVIDEO.OBJ
and SIMULVIDEO.DEMO.
To use Simulvideo in your own
programs, add line 50 of the demo to
the beginning of your program.
ADD WIPES.
OVERLAYS, FADES,
AND OTHER SPECIAL
EFFECTS TO YOUR
64'S GRAPHIC
PRESENTATIONS
Program Commands
Simuhideo uses raster interrupts and
sprites to simulate two multicolor bit-
maps 48 pixels wide and 1 68 pixels
down. These two bitmaps work in
tandem with special memory manipu-
lation to create the special effects.
Usually such interlacing anima-
tion requires extensive memory mov-
ing, something the 64 is too slow to do
on the fly. However, because the bit-
maps are actually sprites — and sprites
are directly supported by hardware —
the video can be processed quickly
and smoothly.
S'/mw/v/^eo incorporates 17 video
commands, many of which have sev-
eral options. To access them, use the
SYS commands described below.
They are available in direct mode or
from within a program.
S\TS 51071, c/,c2,c5
This command, which must be called
before any others, activates Simul-
video and selects the three bitmap col-
ors (0- 1 5). Be careftii not to recall this
command once Simuhideo is en-
abled, or the computer will crash.
SYS 51589, "filename", location
This command loads a bitmap from
disk into the specified memory loca-
tion 0-7 (stored under ROM). A max-
imum of eight bitmaps can be stored
in memory at any time, but new bit-
maps can be loaded to overwrite exist-
ing ones as required.
S\S 51388, type, left bitmap, fright
bitmap/
This command, which must be called
before any of the bitmap manipula-
tion commands, selects the bitmap to
use. The type parameter is 0 for inter-
lace effects or I for solid effects. The
bitmap parameter is the location
where the bitmap was loaded (0-7).
For interlace effects use only one bit-
map, such as SYS 51388, 0, 1. For sol-
id effects, the left and right bitmap
panels can be different, so you must
select the graphics for both bitmaps
(SYS 51388, 1, 5, 6). The bitmap com-
mands below will indicate which type
they are and how many bitmaps they
need.
SYS 50740, merge type
This performs an interlaced bitmap
merge, where the merge type is 0 for a
horizontal interface and 1 for a verti-
cal interlace. One bitmap must be
specified for this command (SYS
5\3&S,0, bitmap).
SyS5Q146, spread type
This performs an interlaced bitmap
spread, where the spread type is 0
for a horizontal interlace and I for a
vertical interlace. One bitmap must
be specified for this command (SYS
5128%, 0, bitmap).
aM COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
PROGRAMS
SYS 51569
This simultaneously slides two solid
bitmaps together without interlacing
them so that the left panel appears on
top of the right one. This effect is good
for sliding a large logo over a slate or
text over a backdrop. Alternately, if
the left bitmap has a picture in the up-
per half and the right bitmap has a
picture in the lower half, this com-
mand can make two separate pictures
slide onscreen one above the other
(similarly, pictures can slide side by
side if they are narrow). Two bitmaps
must be specified for this command
(SYS 51388, I, left bitmap, right
bitmap).
SYS 51579
This command simultaneously sHdes
two solid bitmaps apart without inter-
lacing them. Two bitmaps must be
specified for this command (SYS
51388, 1, left bitmap, right bitmap).
SYS 51725, direction
This wipes a single bitmap onto the
screen. The bitmap can scroll on from
the left side (direction 0) or from the
right side (direction 1 ). One bitmap
must be specified for this command
(SYS 513&S,Q, bitmap).
SYS 51750, direction
This wipes a single bitmap off the
screen. The bitmap can scroll off to
the right (direction 0) or to the left (di-
rection 1). One bitmap must be speci-
fied for this command (SYS 5 1 388, 0,
bitmap).
SYS 50752, size, exit
This creates a wave effect over the bit-
map. There are four wave sizes, which
range from small to large (0-3), To
exit the effect, press the space bar or
the fire button on a joystick plugged
into port 1 . The end parameter selects
whether the bitmap will remain on-
screen after it is stopped (exit 0) or
will spread apart with the last used in-
terlace pattern (exit 1). This command
will only work following an interlaced
bitmap merge (SYS 5 107 1 , merge
type).
SYS 50916
This toggles the bitmap priority so it
appears either in front of or behind
text. By default, a bitmap is displayed
in front of text whenever Simulvideo
is activated.
SYS 50930
This toggles the entire screen on and
off. The border and screen must be
the same color. This command is in-
valuable when setting up new screens.
By turning off the video, a new screen
can be printed without the user's see-
ing it. When the video is restored,
only the completed screen is seen.
SYS 51879
This fades a diagonally lined back-
drop into view. For a pleasing effect,
the screen and border must both be
black.
SYS 52024
This fades out the backdrop. As
above, the screen and border must be
black.
SYS 50946, cl, c2, c5
This turns on overlay mode and de-
termines the three colors to use
(0-15). Its basis is the extended back-
ground color mode, so graphics must
be designed with reversed spaces.
In overlay mode, a shifted space
character prints in color 1, a reversed
space in color 2, and a reversed shift-
ed space in color 3. These characters
make up layer 2 graphics.
The @ character is redefined to
prim solid spaces and can be printed
in any of the 1 6 available colors by in-
cluding color codes within a print
statement as usual, such as
PRINT"[WHT]@". This character
makes up layer 1 graphics.
The bitmap always appears in
front of layer 1 graphics (the extended
background color mode made up of
reversed spaces). Layer 2 graphics (@
characters) are special. Depending on
the bitmap priority, the bitmap can
either appear in front of or behind
these characters. To see this in prac-
tice, the red flag in the demo is printed
with reversed spaces, and the blue flag
with @ characters.
SYS 50980
This turns off overlay mode.
SYS 50986
This command disables Simulvideo.
Always use this command to exit. Do
not use Run/Stop-Restore.
Video Considerations
The PRINT command works slightly
differently with Simulvideo. It's slow-
er, and the TAB and SPC commands
do not work (use cursor right controls
instead). Also, the screen cannot
scroll. Although you can print from
anywhere within a program, in direct
mode your typing will only be visible
in a small strip near the top of the
screen.
To design Simulvideo graphics,
use a muhicolor paint program and
draw in three colors in the upper left
area of the screen (48 pixels across by
168 pixels down). Save this screen to
disk; then load and run the bitmap
importer utility and answer the
prompts as requested. It will create a
separate graphics file on disk which
can be loaded with Simulvideo's
graphics load command (SYS 51589,
"filename", loc 0-7) and used in your
programs. Note that converted graph-
ics will be twice as wide as the original
ones.
Although you don't have to wor-
ry about memory locations with Si-
mulvideo, programmers should note
that all of Bank 1 (16384-32767) is
used by the VIC-Il chip. The ML rou-
tine is stored at locations 491 52-
52088, and the bitmaps loaded from
disk are stored under Basic and Ker-
nal ROM.
By today's video standards, how
you display something is almost as
important as what you display. With
Simulvideo, this is no longer a
problem.
SIMULVIDEO.OBJ
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AUGUST l<?9t
COMPUTE G-27
PROGRAMS
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85
03
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02
14
0-28 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
D
ROGRAMS
C813:
CA
85
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03
CA
35
D6
23
C818:
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C9
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47 9D CD
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60 A9 7D
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D0 F9 CD
00 00 40
87
20
SIIVIULVIDEO.DEMO
GD 10
QM 20
FP 30
EK 40
EC 50
CA 60
BH 70
QR 80
PE 90
BP 10
DC 11
GG 12
PJ 13
DC 14
GE 15
BH 16
RQ 17
HH 18
PJ 19
REM COPYRIGHT 1991 - COM
PUTE PUBLICATIONS INTL L
TO - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
POKE5 3280,0:POKE53 26 5,11
:PRIiSIT"(CLR}{9 DOWN}": PC
KE53 2 81,a:FORDi:, = lTO200:N
EXT
POKE53265,27:M$="ONE HOM
ENT PLEASE. . ."
C5 = "{BLK)<4>-t5}{BHWHTl"
:FORT=1TO5:PRINTTAB{10)H
ID$(C5,T,1)M5"{UP)":F0RD
L=1TO20:NEXT:NEXT
POKE147,0:SYS57812"SIHUL
VI DEO, OB J ",8,1: SYS 6 26 31
FORT=200*64TO201*64+63:R
EADX : POKET , X : NEXT
SS-0:CC=0:X=61440
S=200*64:E=20a*64+6 3:N=X
:GOSUB720
N=X-2048:GOSUB720:N=X-40
96:GOSUB7 20:N"X-14 3 36:GO
SUB720
0 X=X+123:CC=CC+1
IFCC=2ANDSS=aTHENCC=0 : S
S"l:X=X+64
IFCC=2ANDSS-1THENCC=0:S
S=0:X=X-64
0 IFX<634a8THEN80
0 SS=l:CC=0:X=61440+64
0 S=2ai*64:E=201*64+63:N=
X:GOSUB723
0 K=X-2048:GOSUB720:N=X-4
096:GOSUB7 20:N=X-14 3 36:
GOSUB720
0 X=X+128:CC=CC+1
0 IFCC=2ANDSS=0THENCC=0:S
S=l:X=X+64
0 IFCC=2ANDSS=ITHESCC=0:S
PH 200
PH 210
HX 220
FD 230
MM 240
CM 250
PG 260
RK 270
CR 280
XF 290
CG 300
DS 310
AH 320
PE 330
KC 34 0
DF 350
HQ 360
AP
370
PB
380
FJ
390
SG
400
DX
410
RA
420
MP
430
GQ 440
HH 450
CD 460
JS
470
QM
480
JK
490
KF
500
AM
510
QQ 520
JE 530
EA 540
EH 550
S=0:X-X-64
IFX<63488THEN150
FO RT =60 16 0TO6 1439: POKET
,.:NEXT
FORT=5734 4T053623: POKET
, . :NEXT
FORT=201*64+3TO201*64+3
460STEP6: POKET, . : POKET +
1, . :P0KET+2, . INEXT
SS=l:CC=0:X«47104+64
S>»201*64:E = 201*64 + 63:N=
X:GOSUB720
X-X+128:CC=CC+1
IFCC=2ANDSS=0THENCC=0:S
S=l:X=X+64
IFCC=2ANDSS=1THENCC=0:S
S=0:X=X-64
IFX<49152THEN250
FORT=5T01STEP-1: PRINTTA
B(10)MID$(CS,T,1)MS"
{UP)":FORDL=1TO20:NEXT:
NEXT
REM SLATE/TEXT DEMO
SYS5ia71,12,ll,15
SYS509 30: PRINT "{CLR]
{BLU)(6 DOWN) {11 RIGHT)
SIMULVIDEO"
PRINT"{H0ME)(14 DOWN}
{13 RIGHT}COPYRIGHT 199
1"
PRINT" {home} (16 DOWN}
{6 RIGHT}C0MPUTE PUBLIC
ATIONS INTL LTD"
PRINT"{H0ME}{18 DOWN)
{11 RIGHT) ALL RIGHTS RE
SERVED"
SYS50930
SYS51388,0,6:SYSS0740,1
:SYS50752,2,1
SYS51388,0,6:S¥S50740,0
:FORDL=1TO100:NEXT
SYS50746,0:SYS51333,1,6
,6:SYS51569:SYS51579
SYS 51388, 0,6: SYS 51725,0
:SYS51750,1:SYS51725,1:
SYS5a746,0
REM SLATE/BACKDROP DEMO
SYS 50916 :SYS50740,1:PRI
NT"{CLR}";:SYS5a746,l
FORDL=1TO100:NEXT:SYS51
879: SYS 51 388, a, 6: SYS 507
4 6,0:SYS5a740,0:SYS5074
6,0
FORT=1TO2:SYS51725,0:FO
RDL = 1T0 100: NEXT: SYS 5175
a,0:FORDL=lTO100:NEXT:N
EXT
SYS51388,a,6:SYS5B740,0
:SYS50752,0,1
SYS5074a,0: SYS 50752, 1,1
SYS 50740, 0:SYS50752, 3,1
SYS 50740,0: SYS 50752, 2,1
SYS 51388,0, 3 :SYS50740,0
:SYS50746,0
SYS51388,1,5,4:SYS51S69
:FORDL=1TO 200: NEXT :SYS5
1579
SYS51388,1,4,5:SYS51569
:FORDL=lTO200:NEXT:SYS5
1579;SYS52024
REM OVERLAY MODE DEMO
SYS5094 6,2,14,1:SYS50 93
0 : PRINT" (CLR)";
FORT-1T03:PRINT"
{17 RIGHT)
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE a-29
PROGRAMS
(9 SHIFT-SPACE) fRVS}
(shift-space} {3 spaces)
{shift-spaceHoff]
{9 shift-space)"; :next
qg 560 print"{17 right) {rvs)
(10 shift-space)
(3 SPACES)
(10 SHIFT-SPACE)";
GH 570 FORT=1T03: PRINT"
(17 RIGHT) (RVS)
{23 SPACES}"; :NEXT
EF 580 PRINT"{17 RIGHT) (RVS)
(10 SHIFT-SPACE)
(3 SPACES)
(10 SHIFT-SPACE}";
QC 590 F0RT=1T03:PRINT"
(17 RIGHT}{OFF}
(9 SHIFT-SPACE} {RVS}
(SHIFT-SPACE) (3 SPACES)
(SHIFT -SPACE} (OFF)
(9 SHIFT-SPACE)"; :NEXT
SJ 600 PRINT:PRINT:PRINT
PK 610 F0RT=1T03:PRINT"{BLU}@@
@@@@@9@{7}'@(YEL}@@@{7}@
{BLU}@@@@?@@@?":NEXT
BJ 620 PRINT"{7>@?§@g@?@@@
(YEL)@@@-C7}@ia(@}@@@@a@@
@"
FG 630 F0RT=1T03:PRINT"(YEL}@@
NEXT
HJ 640 PRINT"{7H@@@@@@@@9
(YEL}@@@{7>@@@@@@@@@@"
HP 650 F0RT=lT02:PRINT"{BLU}e?
@@@@@@@{7>@{YEL}@@@{7>e
(BLU}@ia@ia@@?(3@":NEXT
SB 660 PRINT"(BLU}@@@@@e@@@^7>
@(YEL}@@@{7>@{BLU}lili@@@
@@@@{HOHE3":SYS50930
EC 670 SYSS1388,0,6
KM 690 SYS50916:SYS51725,0:SYS
5074 6,0:SYS50916:SYS517
25,1:SYS50746,0
FX 690 SYSS0916:SYS50740,0:SYS
50752,2,1
HF 700
FB
710
GM
720
AJ
730
JK
740
KE
750
FS
760
FP
770
KS
780
HE
790
DE
800
MB
810
JH
820
BJ
830
XQ
840
BK
350
FG
860
KG
870
HQ
830
KD
890
RX
900
JF
910
SYS51388, 0,6: SYS 50916 :S
Y55074 0,0:FORDL=1TO100:
NEXT:SYS50746,0
SYS50916:GOTO330
L=E-S:EN=L+N
AI=L/256:A=L-2 56*A%:B%=
(EN-A)/2 56:B="EN-2 56*B%-
A:C%=(E-A)/256:C=E-256*
C%-A
POKE781,AI+l:POKE7a2,A:
POKE90,C:POKE91,C%:POKE
88,B:POKE89,B%:SYS41964
RETURN
DATA170,170,170,149,85,
87,149,85
DATA87,154,90,87,154,21
8,215,154
DAT A21 8, 2 15, 154, 2 18, 215
,154,218,215
DATA154,170,215,154,17 0
,215,154,170
DATA215, 154, 170,215, 154
,250,215,154
DATA218,2i5,154,218,215
,154,218,215
DATA154,218,215,151,215
,215,149,85
DaTA87,14 9,85,a7,191,25
5,255,42
DfiTA17 0,170, 17 0,149, 35,
87,154,170
DATA87,154,17 0,215,154,
170,215,154
DAT A170, 21 5, 154, 255, 2 15
,154,213,37
DATA154,16 9,087,15 4,171
,87,154,171
DATA87,154,171,87,154,2
55,87,154
DATA213,87,154,170,37,1
54,170,215
DATA154,170,215,154,170
,215,151,255
DATA215,14 9,8 5,87,191,2
55,255,42
IMPORT
BE 1 REM COPYRIGHT 1991 - COMP
UTE PUBLICATIONS INTL LTD
- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
OJ 10 POKE53230,0:POKE53281,0:
PRINT" {CLR} (WHT)"TAB(7) "
SIMULVIDEO BITMAP GRABBE
R(2 DOWN}"
XG 20 DIMSC(ll) :PRINT"ENTER MU
LTICOLOR BITMAP"; INPUT"F
ILENAME";M$:MS=M$+",P,R"
SR 30 PRINT"(DOWN}ENTER FILENA
ME TO SAVE SIMULVIDEO";I
NPUT"GRAPHICS UNDER";CS
EJ 40 PRINT"(2 DOWN}LOADING. . .
ir
KP 50 OPEt!l,8,l,M$:POKE185,0:P
OKE730, 0: POKE 781,0: PC KE7
82,64:SYS65493:CLOSEl
BM 60 PRINT" {DOWN}CONVERTING. .
.TAKES 2 MIN 26 SEC..."
QB 70 S=24576:M=16384:A=21:B=2
56:C=2:D=8:E=3:F=64:G=2 4
8:H=40:I=7:J»504
CG 80 Z=0:FORT=0TO11:SC(T) =Z:Z
= Z1-1:IFZ>2THENZ = 0
AQ 90 NEXT:FORY=0TO167:FORX=0T
047STEP4
XX 100 M%=S+(INT (Y/A)*B)+{INT(
X*C/D/E)*F)+(E*(INT(y)-
(INT (Y/A))*A))+SC(INT (X
*C/D) )
HJ 110 POKEM%,PEEK(M+(YAKDG)*H
+(YAND1)+{C*XANDJ) ) ;NEX
T:NEXT
SE 120 PRINT" (2 DOWN}SAVING.. .
": SYS 578120$, 3, 1:P0KE19
3,0:POKE194,96
QE 130 POKE174,0:POKE175, 104:3
YS62957 E
O R R
C K
HAMPTON
J R
Teachers, get out your favorite rid-
dle book and use it with this pro-
gram to spice up your homework
assignments or quizzes. Riddle
prints a quiz that reveals the answer
to your riddle when students correctly
answer the assigned questions.
Following your list of questions
are two columns of possible answers,
with a letter printed in front of each
answer. When students cross off the
letters corresponding to the correct
answers, the remaining letters, reading
from left to right and top to bottom,
spell out the answer to your riddle.
Typing It In
Riddle is written entirely in BASIC.
To avoid typing errors, use The Auto-
malic Proofreader to enter the pro-
gram; see "Typing Aids" elsewhere in
TEACHERS CAN SPICE
UP QUIZZES WITH
THIS WORK SHEET
GENERATOR FOR
THE 64
this section. When you have finished
typing, be sure that you save a copy
of the program before you exit the
Automatic Proofreader.
Ask Me a Riddle
When you run the program, you'll be
presented with a menu with the fol-
lowing choices.
! GET FROM DISK
2 CREATE NEW RIDDLE
3 CORRECT
4 SAVE TO DISK
SPRINT
6 PRINT ANSWERS
7 DISK DIRECTORY
8 CLEAR MEMORY
9 QUIT
Choice 1 enables you to retrieve
any work sheet you have previously
saved to disk. Just enter the filename
and hit Return. If you select this op-
tion or any option by mistake, just
press the back-arrow key to return to
O-30 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
PROGRAMS
the main menu.
Choice 2 enables you to create a
new riddle work sheet. Your first task
will be to enter a riddle. The only lim-
itation on the Question is that it con-
tain 254 characters or less.
Next, enter the answer to your
riddle in lowercase characters, leaving
no spaces betweeen words. The an-
swer must contain no more than 254
characters. You may want to keep
your answer relatively short, as its
length is related to the number of dis-
tractor answere you'll have to provide.
More about that later.
At this point you may enter any
instructions you want printed on the
sheet. Again you are restricted to 254
characters.
Now enter the number of ques-
tions or problems you want to include
and then the questions or problems
themselves. Here you are restricted to
70 characters per question. If you are
using Riddle as an answer sheet, you
can enter page numbers and/or prob-
lem numbers at this point. After each
question or problem enter the correct
answer. As with the questions, you are
restricted to 70 characters.
Next, enter one distractor answer
for every character in your riddle's an-
swer. Distractors are incorrect an-
swers from among which the students
must select the correct ones. Think of
them as the wrong answers on a mul-
tiple choice quiz. Just be sure that
none of the distractor answers are the
same as any of the correct answers.
The computer will check for an exact
string match, but it will not catch du-
plicate answers like 2.5 and 2.50, 1/2
and 4/8, or alternate spellings of the
same word. You are restricted to 70
characters here. This may sound con-
fusing, but it will become clear after
you prepare your first sheet.
If at any point in this process you
want to go back and change some-
thing or make corrections, just keep
pressing the back arrow until you re-
turn to the desired spot. Then reenter
the correct information. When fin-
ished, keep pressing Return until you
get back to where you were. The input
routine in this program has been
changed to allow you to enter com-
mas; however, you can't insert or type
over characters. You can only use the
Etelete key to erase characters.
Choice 3 enables you to correct
any mistakes you discover after you
return to the main menu. This option
takes you back through the create-
new-riddle sequence, displaying what
you have previously entered. Just
keep pressing Return until you reach
the place where you want to change
any information. Then keep pressing
Return until you get back to the main
menu.
Choice 4 enables you to save
your work sheet to disk. Just enter the
filename.
Choice 5 prints your work sheet.
It will ask you to press Return when
the printer is ready. Then enter the
number of copies you want and press
Return again. The printing routine is
not printer specific. It formats the
page by assuming 80 characters per
line and 66 lines per page. If you
change the definition of keys to print
special characters, be sure that they
are the same width as normal
characters.
Choice 6 prints a duplicate of the
problem sheet, but with the correct
answers on it. In front of each correct
answer, the program will print the cor-
responding question number and a
letter which is part of the riddle an-
swer. Distractor answers will have
only a letter in front of them.
You may want to have the stu-
dents write the problem number
before every answer they cross out to
be sure they actually worked the prob-
lems. Their answers could differ from
those on this answer sheet if more
than one problem had the same cor-
rect answer.
Choice 7 is disk directory. It gives
you a two-column listing of the
directory.
Choice 8 clears the computer's
memory. If you create a new riddle
without first clearing the memory of
the old information, the previous rid-
dle will still be there. There are times
you might want to do this.
Choice 9 lets you quit. Use this
option to exit the program.
You don't have to remember all
the restrictions on entering your data;
Riddle is a fairly user-friendly pro-
gram, and the computer will inform
you if you make a mistake. The one
restriction you will have to remember,
though, is to make sure that none of
your distractors are equivalent to a
right answer. The computer will only
check for identical answers. An identi-
cal distractor could slip through.
RIDDLE
BE 1
SR 10
MM
20
DM
30
CS
40
HB
50
AQ
60
QM 70
QF 80
SB 90
JB 10
KC 11
XH 12
SK 13
QJ 14
SD 15
EG 16
REM COPYRIGHT 1991 - COMP
UTE PUBLICATIONS INTL LTD
- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
DIHAS(99) ,GS(99) ,Q(99) ,C
(99) ,N(99) ,0(99) ,DS (99) ,
OS (99) ,Q$(99)
GOSUB 1940:GOSUB2560
Pfl$="":ZR5="": PRINT"
{CLR}"CHR$ (158) ; :POKE532
72,23:PRINTCHRS(8)
GOSUB1960
GETP$: IFP5=""THEH50
H=VAL(PS):IF H<1 OR H>9
{SPACE}THEN 50
ON H GOTO 1420,110,110,1
250,700,2160,2170,154 0,1
830
GOTO20
GOTO2130
0 IF P5="Y"THEM30
0 GOSUB1560:IFRQ$<>""THEN
PRINT "CURRENT
{ SH I FT-SPACE) QUESTION" :
PRINT" (RVS)"RQS"{0FF}"
0 PR IMT" ENTER
( SH I FT-SPACE} RIDDLE
(SHIFT-SPACE} QUESTION":
GOSUBie50
0 IFIP$<>""ANDP$<>"<"THEN
RQ$=IP$
0 IF P5="<"THEN30
0 IF RQ$=""THEN110
0 GOSUB 15 60: PRINT "CURRENT
{SHI FT -SPACE} QUESTION";
PRINT" {RVS}"RQ5"{0FFJ" :
PRINT
MD 170 IF RA$<>""THENPRINT"CUR
RENT {SHIFT-SPACE} ANSWER
";PRINT"{RVS3"RAS"{0FF}
II
SD 180 PRINT"EHTER
{SHIFT-SPACS5RIDDLE
{ SHI FT-SPACEl ANSWER": GO
SUB1650
PQ
190
IF IP$<>"" AND ?$<>"<•'
{SPACE}THEN RA$=IPS:LR=
LEN{RA?)
GA
200
IF P$="<" THEN 110
JB
210
IF RA$="" THEN 160
HR
220
F0RI=1T0LR: IFASC (MID$ (R
A$,I,1))=32THENPRINT"N0
{SHIFT-SPACE 3 SPACES"
SF
230
IFASC(MIDS(RAS,I,1))=32
THENPRINT:GOTO180
KF
240
A=ASC(MIDS (RA$,I,1) )
CA
250
IFA>90 OR A<64 THENPRIN
T"L0WERCASE
{ SH I FT -S PACE ] LETTERS
{ SHI FT -SPACE) ONLY" :PRIN
T:GOTO130
QG
260
NEXT I
SE
270
GOSUB1560:IFIS<>""THENP
RINT"CURRENT
{SHIFT-SPACE} INSTRUCT 10
NS":PRINT"(RVS}"I$"
TOFF}": PRIST
CF
280
PRINT"ENTEH
{SHIFT-SPACE} INSTRUCTIO
NS":GaSUB1650
FF
290
IFIPSO"" AND P$<y"4" T
HEN IS=IP5
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 0-31
D
ROGRAMS
AQ
300
JG
310
ER
320
DC
330
HK
340
IF P$="<" THEN 160
IF IS="" THEN 270
LR = LEN(RA$)
GOSUB1560:PRINTLR; " PIS
TRACTORS": PRINT
IF NO0 THEN PRIWT"CURR
ENT { SHI FT "SPACE 1 MUMBER
{SHIFT-SPACE} OF
(SHI FT-S PACE } PROBLEMS " !
PR I NT " { RVS } " N" {OFF}": PR
INT
QB 350 PRINT"ENTER
{ SH I FT - S PACE } NUMBER
{SHIFT-SPACE}OF
{SHIFT-SPACE) PROBLEMS "
:GOSUB1650
XF 360 IF IPS<>""AKDP$<>"<"THE
NN=VAL(IP$)
EH 370 IF PS="4"THEN 270
MR 380 IF N = 0 THEN 330
AD 399 1=1
DH 400 GOSUB1560:PRINTN;" QUES
TIONS": PRINT
FQ 410 IF Q$(I(<>""THENPRINT"C
URREHT(SHIFT-SPACE}QUES
TIQN" I : PRI NT " { RVS ) "Q$ (I
PTOFF}": PRINT
AX 420 PRIMT"EHTER
{SHI FT-S PACE) QUEST I ON "
; I :GOSLIB1650
IFIPS<>""ANDPS<>"4"THEN
OS{I)=IPS
IF LEN(OS (I))>70 THENPR
I NT "NO { SH I FT-S PACE }MORE
{SHIFT-SPACE}THAN 70
{ SH I FT -S PACE ) CHARACTERS
RP 430
PC 44 0
CO 450
CH 460
XG 470
DE 480
JS 490
SC 500
DM 510
SF 520
PG 530
IF LEN(QS (I) ) >70 THENPR
INT:GOTO420
IF PS="4"THEN IF 1=1 TH
EN 330
IF PS="<"THEN IF I>1 TH
EN I=I-1:GOTO400
IF AS(I) <>""THENPRINT"C
URRENT{ SHIFT-SPACE} RICH
T{ SHIFT-SPACE) ANSWER" :P
RINT"{RVS}"AS (I)"{OFF)"
PRINT: PRINT "ENTER
{SHI FT -SPACE) RIGHT
{SHI FT-S PACE) ANSWER": GO
SUB1650
IFIPS<>""ANDP9<>"<"THES
AS{I)=rPS
IF pg="<" THEN 400
IF AS(I)=""THEN480
IP LEN(AS(I) )>70 THEN P
RINT; PRINT"NO
{ SH I FT-S PACETmORE
{SHIFT-SPACE} THAU 70 CH
ARACTERS"
FJ 540 IF LEN(ASCI) ) >70 THEN P
RINT:GOTO420
GG 550 I=I+1:IF I<=N THEN 400
MR 560 1=1
RB 570 GOSUB1560:PRINTLEKCRA$)
;" DISTRACTORS" :PRINT
EM 580 IFD$ (I) <>""THENPRINT"CU
RRENT(SHIFT-SPACE}DISTR
ACTOR" ; I : PRINT " { RVS)"D5
(I) "(OFF)": PRINT
PRINT "ENTER DISTRACTOR"
EA 590
HS 600
;1:GOSUB1650
IFIP$<>""ANDP$<>"'«"THEN
D$(I)=IP5
gg 610 if len(ds (i) )>70 then p
r i nt "no {shi ft-s pace }mor
e( shi ft-s pace} than
Ishift-space370
{shi ft -space) characters
" : print:goto590
pc 620 if ps="<" then i=i~1:if
i>0 then goto570
bh 630 ifi<=0 then i=n:goto400
qq 640 if ds (i)=""then570
xj 650 forj=1ton:a=val(a$(j) ) :
ifd$(i) =as (j) then670
be 660 nextj:goto680
cm 670 print"duplicates an
(shift-space }answer" ; pr
INT:GOTO590
EB 680 1=I+1:1FI<=LEN(RA$) THE
N 570
HX 690 GOTO30
CS 700 GOSUBlSBB; tNPUT"HIT
(SHI FT-S PACE) RETURN
{SHIFT-SPACE)WHEN
(SHI FT -space) PRINTER
{SHIFT-SPACE)I_S
( SHI FT-S pace) READY" ;ZR$
CK 705 1FZR$="<"ORRA5=""THEN30
PE 710 GOSUB 1580
JE 720 INPUT"NUMBER
(SHIFT-SPACE) OF
{ SHIFT -space icOPIES "; HS
:NC=VAL{N9) :IFNS-"" OR
{SPACE}N$="<" THEN 30
OPEN1,4,7:FORPG=1TONC
FORRS=139T014 3 : POKERS , A
SC(RA$) :NEXTRS:G0SUB139
0
X=3:F0RI=1T0N: IFX<LEN(Q
S (I) )THENX'LEN(QS (I) )
NEXT I
IT=X+9:CN=INT (80/IT) : QC
=CN
LQ=0:ZS=1:ZE=76;LL=LEN(
RQS) :IFZE>=LLTHENZE=LL:
GOTO820
IFMIDS(RQ$,ZE,1)<>" "AN
DZE<>1THENZE=ZE-1:GOT07
90
PRINTfl,MID$(RQ$,ZS,ZE-
ZS+1) :ZS=ZE+l:ZE=ZE+76:
LQ=LQ+1
IFZE>=LLTHENZE=LL:GOTO
(SPACE}820
GOTO790
N5=12+LQ+LI
PR INTJtl, RIGHTS {RQS,LL-Z
S+1) :PRINT#1:L0=LQ+1
ZS-1:ZE=7 6:LI=0:LL=LEN{
IS) :IFZE>=LLTHENZE=11:G
OT088H
IFMID5(I$,ZE,1)<>" "AND
ZE<>1THENZE=ZE-1;G0T0 85
0
PRINT#1,MIDS(I$,ZS,ZE-Z
S+1) :ZS=ZE+l:ZE=ZE+76
IFZE>=LLTHENZE=LL:LI=LI
+1:GOTO880
GOTO850
PRI NT#1, RIGHTS (I$,LL-ZS
+1) :LI=LI+1
T=CN:PRINT#1:PRINT#1:F0
RI=1T0N
PRINT#1,STR5(I>;". ";QS
(I) ;SPC(IT-LEN(05(I) )-L
ENtSTRS(l))-2) ;
RB 730
PQ 740
EP 750
RG 760
RC 770
KJ 780
XK 790
FX 300
DJ 805
FH
810
GR
820
SD
830
KC
340
EX
853
HJ
360
DH
865
BX
870
AR
880
CF
890
PB
900
GF 910
GS
920
OE
930
JG
940
CP
950
RC
960
JD
970
SC
980
KH
990
SK
1000
PQ.
1010
QB
1020
GG
1038
CJ
1040
RJ
1050
PK
1060
HH
1070
BC
1080
KS
1090
HR
1095
CO
1100
SE
1110
KH
1120
BS
1130
JR
1140
OH
1150
OA
1160
EJ
1170
KF
1180
PG
1190
JM
1200
EJ
1210
CJ
1215
BC
1220
T=T-1: IFT<=0THENT=CN: PR
INT#1:PRINT#1:N5=N5+2:G
OSUB2130
NEXTI:PRINT#1
FORI^ITON
J = INT (1+N*HND{1)) :IFC(J
) =1THEN940
C{J)=1:0(I)=J:NEXTI:FOR
I=1T0N:C (I) =0:NEXTI
X=0:FORI=1TON: IFX<LEN {A
$ (I) )THENX = LEN(AS (I) )
NEXTI
ND=LEN(RAS) :FORI=1TOND
F0RI=1T0ND: IFX<LEN (DS (I
) )THENX=LEN{D$(I) )
:NEXTI;IT=X+6:CN=INT(3
0/IT) :FORI=lTOND
J=INT (1+ND*RND(1) ) :IFC
(J)=1THEN1010
DS CI)=J:C(J)=1:NEXTI:F
ORI=1TOND:C(I)=0:NEXTI
FORI=ITOLEN(RAS) : IFX<L
EN (DS (I) )THENX=LEN (D$ (
I) ) : NEXTI
IFPA5="A"THENPRINT#1:P
RINT#1,RA$: PRINT»1:I=1
:J=1;T=CN
IFPAS<>"A"THENPRINT#1:
PRINT#1:PRINT#1:I=1: J=
1:T-CN
PQ=LSN(RA$)/(N+LEN(Rft$
))
K=RND(1)
IFK>FQ THENM=rNT {1+26*
RND(l) )
LO=LEN(STR$(0{I) ) )-3tR
0=L0+2:Z=0(I) :Z$=R1GHT
$(STR$(Z) ,R0)
1FPA5<>"A"THEN1130
IFK>FQ ANDI<=N AND PAS
="A" THENPRINTI1,Z$;CH
R$(64+M) ;"=";A$(Z);
IFK>FQ ANDI<=N THENPRI
NT#1,SPC(IT-{LEN(CHRS{
64+M) )+3+LEN(AS(0(I)) )
)-L0);
IFK>FQ ANDK-N AND PA5
= ''A" THEN GOTO 1150
IFK>FQ ANDI<=N THENPRI
NT#1,CHR$(64+M);" = ";
A$(0(I));
IFK>FQ ANDI<=N THENPRI
NT#1,SPC (IT- (I.EN(CHR$ (
64+H))+3+LEN(A${0{I) ))
));
IFK>FQ ANDI<=N THENI=I
+1:T=T-1
IFT<"0THENT=CN:PRINT#1
:PRINT#1:N5=N 5+2: GOSUB
2130
IF K>FQ THEN1220
IFJ<=LEN(RA9)THENPRINT
(tl,MID$(RAS,J,l);" = "
;DS(DS(J) );
I FJ<=LEN(RA$) THENPR INT
#l,SPC{IT-4-LEN (D$ (DS (
J))));
C = 0
IFJ>LEN(RA$)THEN1220
J=J+1:T=T-1:IFT<=0 THE
NT=CN:PRINT#l;PRINT#lJ
N5=N5+2:GOSUB90
IFI>N AND J>LEN(RAS)TH
EN GOSUB1600
e^32 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
PROGRAMS
RF 1230 IFI>N AND J>LEN{RAS)TH
EN NEXTPG:CL0SE1:G0T03
0
HB 1240 GOTO1070
XK 1250 GOSUB1580:NS="":INPUT"
FILENAME" ;N$:IFNS="<"
{SPACE} OR NS="" or RAS
="" THEN 30
JG 1260 N$=N$+",S,W":OPEN5,8,5
,N$;ND=LEN (RAS)
JG 1270 0PEN15,8,15:1NPUT#1S,E
,E9,C,D
DH 1280 IF E063 THEN GOTO1310
DE 1290 PRINTES;",OK TO OVERWR
ITE (Y/N) "; :INPUTYN$
FB 1300 IF LEFTS tYN9,l) <>"Y" T
HEN CL0SES:CL0SE15:G0T
030
EQ 1310 CLOSE5:PRINTI15,"S0:"+
N$ : CLOSE 15:OPEN5,8,5,N
RC 1320 PRINT#5,RQ$:PEINT#5,RA
$: PRINT #5, N: FORI =1T0N:
PRINT#5,Q$(I) ;NBXTI
FQ 1330 F0RI'1T0N:PRINT#5,AS (I
) :NEXTI
FE 1340 FORI=1TOND:PRINT#5,DS(
I) :NEXTI:PHINT#5,I$:PR
INTCHR$(147) ;
FE 1350 CLOSES: I=N+1:J=LEN(RA$
)+l:C=0:GOTO30
AS 1360 IFC=3 THENRON
BQ 1370 IFC=4 THENCLOSEl: PRINT
CHRS{147) ; :END
RJ 1380 GOTO1070
GX 1390 PRINTtl, "CROSS OUT THE
LETTERS THAT GO WITH
{SPACE}THE RIGHT ANSWE
RS."
AG 1400 PRINT#1,"THE LETTERS L
EFT WILL SPELL THE ANS
WER TO THE FOLLOWING."
GS 1410 PRINT#1:PRINT#1:RETURN
GM 1420 GOSUB15a0:N$="":INPUT"
FILENAME";N9: IFNS="<"0
HN5=""THEN30
GE 1430 nS="0:"+N$+",S,R":OPEN
5,8,5,N5
EB 1440 OPEN15,a,15:INPUTtl5,E
,ES,C,D
HC 1450 IF E062 THEN GOTO1470
BX 1460 PRINTE9;",HIT <RETURN>
"; :INPUTYNS:CL0SE5:CLO
SE15:GOTO30
SK 1470 CLOSE5:CLOSE15:OPEN5,8
,5,SS
CE 1430 GOSUB2100:RQ$°ZZ$:GOSU
B2100:RA$=ZZS:GOSUB210
0:N=VAL(ZZ$) :FORI=iT0N
MA 1490 GOSUB2100
CP 1500 Q${I)=ZZS:NEXTI
RQ 1510 FORI=lTON:GOSUB210a:A$
(I)=ZZS:NEXTI:F0RI=1T0
LEN(RA$) ;GOSUB2100:DS (
I)=ZZS
gj 1520 NEXTI
RE 1530 GOSUB2100:1$=ZZ$:CLOSE
5:GOTO30
JP 1540 RUN
BS 1550 QQ5="ENTER
{SHIFT-SPACE} NUMBER
(SHI FT -SPACE} OF
{SHIFT-SPACE} PROBLEMS"
: RETURN
BS 1560 PRINT" {CLR} {RVS)
{11 5PACES}HIT
{SHIFT-SPACEX
(SHIFT-SPACElTO
(SHIFT-SPftCE}GO
(SHIFT-SPACE}BACK
{3 SPACES)
{10 SHIFT-SPACE}{OFF}"
MC 1570 RETURN
FS 1583 PRINT"{CLR}{RVS}
{10 SPACES lENTER
{shift-spaceT<
{SHIFT-SPACElTO
(SHI FT -SPACE} GO
(SHIFT-SPACE}BACK
{3 SPACES}
(9 SHIFT-SPACE} {OFF}"
AE 1390 RETURN
QG 1600 NL=12+LQ+LI+2*INT (N/QC
CM 1610
BQ 1620
EK 1630
XF 1640
ED 1650
BJ 1660
RX 1670
SH 1680
XP 1690
SK 1700
PP 1710
RQ 1720
AA 1730
HR 1740
XA 1750
BE 1760
QB 1770
MH 1780
JQ 1790
XE 1800
KD 1810
CG 1820
FP 1830
DO 18 40
QQ 1850
AB 1860
SF 1870
RJ 1S80
N2=NL
NL=NL+2*(INT ((LEN(HA$)
+N)/CN))
IFNL>63THENNL=NL-6 3:G0
TO1630
FORI=NLT066:PRINTfl:NE
XT I: RETURN
IPS=""
PRINT" {RVS} (OFF)
{LEFT} {LEFT} {RVS)
{OFF){LEFT} {LEFT}";
IFLEN(IP$)>254THEN GOT
0 1790
GETP5: IFP$=""THEN1660
IFASC (PS) =190RASC (PS) =
147THENGOTO1660
IFP5="<"THENRETURN
IF P9="{D0WN)" OR P$="
{UP}" OR PS="{RIGHT}"
{SPACE}OR P$="{LEFT}"
{SPACE}THEN 1660
PRINTPS;"{RVS) {OFF}
(LEFT) {LEFT}";
IFASC (P$) <>2 0AHDASC(PS
)<>130ANDASC(P$)<>13TH
ENIPS=IP$+P$:GOTO166 0
IFASC (PS) =13THENRETURN
IF LEN(IPS)<1 AND (ASC
(P$)=20ORASC{PS)=157)T
HENPRINT"{RIGHT) "; : GOT
01650
IF LEN(IPS)=1 AND (ASC
(PS)=20ORASC(PS)=157)T
HENGOTO1650
IFASC(P$)-20ORASC(PS)=
157THENIP5=LEFTS(IP$,L
EN(IPS)-l) :GOTO1660
GOTO 16 60
PRINT: PRINT"NO
{ EH IFT-SPACETmORE
{ SHIFT-SPACE }THAN
{SHIFT-SPACE}254 CHARA
CTER5":PRINT
GOTO 1650
GETPS: IFP$<>""THEN1810
GOTO 1660
SYS770
REM PRINT QUESTIONS
X=0:FORI-1TOK:IFX<LEN(
Q$(I))THENX=LEN(Q$(I))
NEXTI
IT=X+9:CN=INT (80/IT) :Q
C=CN
N5=14+INT(LEN(RQS)/80)
+INT (LEN(lS)/80)+2*INT
(N/QC)
FC 1890 NL=8+INT (LEN(RQ$)/80)+
INT (LEN(lS)/80)+2*INT(
N/QC)
FH 1900 PRINT#1:PRINT#1,RQS:PR
INT#1:T=CN:PRINT|1,IS:
PRINTtl: PRINT #1;F0RI=1
TON
KR 1910 PRINT#1,I;". ";QS(i);S
PC(IT-LEN(OS (I) )-LEN(S
TRS(I))-3) ;
BA 1920 T=T-1:IFT<=0THENT=CN:P
RINT#l:PRINT#l
XQ 1930 NEXTI :PRINT#1: RETURN
SC 1940 POKE40503,128:POKE4050
4, 128: POKE 5 3280, 6: POKE
53281, 0:POKE646,1
AG 1950 F0RI=1T015:CL0SEI:NEXT
: RETURN
XG 1960 PRINT"{CLR)"TAB(8)"
{RVS) {6 SPACES) RIDDLE
(SHIFT-SPACE}MENU
{7 SPACES) {OFF}"
GP 1970 PRINTTAB(8)XSSTAB(32)X
S5
KE 1980 PRINTTAB{8)XS$TAB(10) "
1 = GET{SHIFT-SPACE}FR
QH{ SHIFT-SPACE }DISK"T A
B(32)XSS
PC 1990 PRINTTAB(8)XSSTAB(10) "
2 = CREATE
{SHIFT-5PACE}NEW
CSHIFT-SPftCE}RIDDLE"TA
B(32)XSS
GA 2000 PRINTTAB(8)XS$TAB{10)"
3 = CORRECT "TAB ( 32 )XSS
FR 2010 PRINTTAB(8)XSSTAB(10) "
4 = SAVE { SHI FT -S PACE }T
0{ SHIFT-SPACE) DISK "TAB
{32)XSS
XH 2020 PRINTTAB(8)XS$TAB(10) "
5 = PRINT "TAB (32) XSS
PA 2030 PRINTTAB(8)XS$TAB(10) "
6 = PRINT {SHIFT -SPACE)
ANSWERS "TAB (32) XSS
XF 2040 PRINTTAB(8)XSSTAB(10) "
7 = DISK{SHIFT-SPACE)D
IRECTORY "T AB ( 3 2 ) XS S
OF 2050 PRIKTTAB(8)XSSTAB(10) "
8 = CLEAR{SHIFT-SPACE}
MEMORY"TAB(32)XS$
AM 2060 PRINTTAB(8>XSSTAB(10) "
9 = QUIT"TAB(32)XS$
JF 2070 PRINTTAB(8>XSSTAB(32)X
S$
ex 2080 PRINTTAB(e) "{RVS}
n SPACES }HIT
{SHIFT-SPACE )CHOICE
{SHIFT-SPACE}
{7 SPACES} {OFF}"
KF 2090 RETURN
DH 2100 ZZ5=""
JQ 2110 GET#5,Z$:IFASC(ZS)<>13
THENZZS=ZZ$+Z$:G0TO211
0
EF 2120 RETURN
PC 2130 IF N5>63 THEN PRINTll;
PRINT#1:PRINT*1
HM 2140 IF N5>63 THEN N5=N5-63
: RETURN
PG 2150 RETURN
GB 2160 PA$="A":H=5:GOTO70
KJ 2170 C=l
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 0-3S
PROGRAMS
BH
2180
SS
2190
JP
2200
PH
2210
FH
2220
FR
2230
EJ
2240
SG
2250
FR
2260
JH
2270
QM
2280
AB
2290
MM
2300
BH
2310
PP
2320
XP
2330
SR
2340
RG
2350
S$=" ":FORBL=0TO18:S$=
S$+" ":NEXT
OPENa,8,0,"S"
PRINT"(CLR}";
GET#8 ,BS: IFB$<>CHR$ (34
)THEN2210
PRINTSPC(8) "{RVS}";"
{GRN5";BS;
GETi8,B$: IFBS<>""THENP
RINTBS;:GOTO2230
PRINT
FOR E=0 TO 19
GET#8,B5,B$:GET#8,HS,L
5
GET#8,B$:IFBS<>" "THEN
2490
GET#8 ,B$: IFB9<>CHR$ (34
) THEN 2280
IF C/2-INT{C/2) THEN P
RINTTAB(19)" " ;
F0BXL=1T016:GET#8,B$
IFBS="" OR B$=CHR5(34)
THEN B$=" "
PRINT "{WHT}"BS;:NEXT
GET#8,B$
GET#e,B$:IFB$=" "THEN2
340
PRINT", ";B$;" "
KF 2360 GET#8,BS: IFBS<>""THEN2
360
BK 2370 NEXT:C=C+1
JF 2380 IF C=2 THEN PRINT CHR$
(19)+" {DOWN}"; :GOT0225
0
HG 2390 PRINT"{H0HE3 [23 DOWN)"
CHRS(158) "{6 SPACES)
{RVS} SPACE (OFF) = MORE
{SHI FT -SPACE}";
RJ 2400 PRINT"{4 SPACES ){ RVS }M
{OFF} = MENU";
DP 2410 GETJS; IFJ$=""THEN2410
QA 2420 IFJ$<>" "ANDJS<>"M"THE
N2410
CF 2430 PRINT" {HOKE} {23 DOWN)
{37 SPACES}";
QD 2440 IFJ$="M"THENCL0SE8:G0T
030
KB 2450 PRINT"{HOME}"+"{DOWN)"
r
JM 2460 IF C/20INT (C/2)THENF0
RXL=0TO19:PR1NTSS:NEXT
:GOTO2480
GH 2470 FORXL=0TO19:PRINTTRB(1
9) ;S5!NEXT
AC 2480 PRINT"{DOWN)"; S$;SS;"
{HOME}"; "{DOWN}"; :GOTO
2250
BK 2490 XL=ASCtHS+CHR${0) ) :XL$
=STRS (XL+256*ASC {XB$+C
HR$(0)))
SE 2500 POKE214,23:POKE211,10:
PRINT CHR$(145) ;"{PUR)
";XLS;" BLOCKS FREE ":
CLOSEa:XC=l
RA 2510 PRINT "{12 SPACES}
{RVS}";CHR$(158) ; "HIT
{SPACE}SPACE BAR";
GK 2520 GETA$:IFA$=""THEN2520
QK 2530 IFASO" "THEN2520
SR 2540 PRINTCHRS (5)+CHR$(147)
:GOTO30
DQ 2550 DATA 128,112,207,250,1
95
GS 2560 RBST0RE:F0RRI=139T0143
;READRN:P0KERI,RN:NEXT
;POKE64 9,l:XS$""(RVS)
{space} {off}"
qr 2570 bss="{clr) {24 down)"
kq 2580 bl$="{40 spaces}"
hg 2590 hns="{rvs)< to
{shift-spaceTgo
{shift-space)back{off}
{HOME}"
HC 2600 RETURN Q
M
LTON JOHNSON
If you are a GfOSuser, how would
you like to replace that program's
plain pointer with something more
lively? Magic Mouse is an animated
replacement. It changes the shape of
your pointer from an arrow to a
mouse whose tail moves back and
forth.
Now, instead of using an arrow to
make your selections with GEOS ap-
plications, you can make a tail-wagging
mouse scurry across the screen. Next
to the mouse's head in the upper left
corner of the sprite, you'll notice a
small arrow. This is the pointer's hot
spot. Use this area to select menus
and icons.
Getting Started
Magic Mouse is written entirely in
BASIC. To help prevent typing errore,
use The Automatic Proofreader to
type it in; see "Typing Aids" else-
where in this section. When you've
finished typing, be sure to save a copy
of the program.
Note: The listing following this
article is for GEOS version 2.0; if you
are using (JfCS' version 1.2, enter line
560 as follows.
560 DATA 141, 49, 227, 169, 1, 141,
50, 227
When you are ready to use Magic
CHANGE YOUR 64'S
GEOS POINTER TO A
FRIENDLY MOUSE
THAT WAGS ITS TAIL
Mouse for the first time, have a blank
disk handy. When you run the pro-
gram, you will be prompted to insert a
blank disk in drive 8. Magic Mouse
formats the disk and then writes the
header/icon block, application file,
and GEOS directory entry to the disk
using direct access commands. When
the program has finished creating the
new pointer, you're ready to use it.
Boot GEOS, open your new
Magic Mouse disk, and click on the
mouse icon. The program will load
and put the interrupt request (irq)
routine and data in place and then
exit back to the deskTop.
Mouse Mechanics
Magic Mouse runs in the background
of a G£05 application by wedging
into the GEOS irq routine. Every time
an irq is executed, Magic Mouse adds
a number to a counter. After a certain
number is reached, the program re-
draws the mouse's tail in another po-
sition, making it appear to move.
If you've ever changed the shape
of your pointer with GEOS's prefer-
ence manager, you know that GEOS
will load the new shape data whenever
a disk that contains the preference
manager is read. Magic Mouse, how-
ever, overrides this new data. The
program resides at the bottom of the
hardware stack at $0100, and the
graphics data resides at $0291.
(MAGIC MOUSE
BE 1 REM COPYRIGHT 1991 - COMP
UTE PUBLICATIONS INTL LTD
- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
AG 100 PRINT "{CLR) INSERT A BL
ANK DISK IN DRIVE 8"
SR 110 PRINT "{DOWN} {YEL} (WARN
ING! DISK WILL BE FORMA
TTED){7}"
FS 120 PRINT:PRINT"PRESS SPACE
TO BEGIN"
DJ 130 GET ANS:IF ANSO" " THE
G-34 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
D
ROGRAMS
N 130
BB 140 PRINT: PRINT :PRINT"W0RK1
NG";:WOS="*"
CE 150 OPEN 15,8,15,"^f0:MRGIC,
91"
RF 160 FOR T = 1 TO 177: READ D
A:D1S=D1S+CHRS(DA) :NEXT
: PRINT W0$;
MB 170 FOR T = 1 TO 32:READ DA
:D2$=D2$+CHR$(DA) ; NEXT :
PRINT wo$;
CA 180 FOR T = 1 TO 181:READ D
A:D3S=D3$+CHRS (DA) :NEXT
:PR1NT W0$;
CP 190 OPEN 2,8,2,"*":PRINT WO
9;
BA 200 PRINT#i5,"Ul 2 0 17 0":
PRINT#2,D3$:PRINT#15,"U
2 2 0 17 0": PR I NT W0$;
MG 210 PRINT#15,"U1 2 0 17 1":
PRINT#2,CilS:PRINT*15,"U
2 2 0 17 1": PRINT W0$;
PS 220 PRINTtl5,"Ul 2 0 18 1":
PRINT#2,D2S:PRINT#15,"U
2 2 0 18 1":PRINT W0$;
DQ 230 PRINT#15,"B-A 0 17 00"
QB 240 PRINT#15,"B-A 0 17 01"
BP 250 CLOSE2:CLOSE15
SF 260 PRINT: PRINT :PRINT"DONE!
■t
MJ 270 DATA 0,255,3,21,191,255
,255,255
FK 280 DATA 128,0,1,128,0,1,12
8,24
BF 290 DATA 1,129,60,1,128,126
,1,128
SH 300 DATA 63,1,128,126,1,128
,255,1
PG 310 DATA 129,255,129,131,25
5,193,131,255
DA
AP
RM
QQ
RK
MH
GS
AB
MG
SC
RF
KE
FP
BM
RH
SD
PD
HB
HD
GR
DQ
SC
320
330
340
350
360
370
380
390
400
410
420
430
440
450
460
470
480
490
500
510
520
530
DATA 193,131,255,193,13
1,255,193,129
DATA 255,129,128,255,1,
128,126,1
DATA 128,8,1,128,8,1,12
8,144
DATA 1,255,255,255,131,
6,0,0
DATA 4,0,4,0,4,77,97,10
3
DATA 105,99,32,77,111,1
17,115,101
DATA 32,118,49,46,48,0,
0,0
DATA 0,77,105,108,116,1
11,110,32
DATA 74,111,104,110,115
,111,110,32
DATA 32,32,32,32,0,0,0,
DATA 0
0,0,0
0,0
GR 540
DATA 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
DATA 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
DATA 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
DATA 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
DATA 65,110,105,109,97,
116,101,100
DATA 32,80,111,105,110,
116,101,114
DATA 0,0,255,131,17,0,7
7,97
DATA 103,105,99,32,77,1
11,117,115
DATA 101,160,160,160,16
0,160,17,1
PATA 0,6,91,3,3,10,48,1
DATA 0,0,255,32,183,193
33 4
DATA 0,1,83,0,32,183,19
3,116
AS 550 DATA 4,150,2,63,0,120,1
69,0
FB 560 DATA 141,246,250,169,1,
141,247,250
CH 570 DATA 88,76,44,194,32,18
3,193,150
XG 580 DATA 2,193,132,51,0,238
,82,1
RR 590 DATA 160,0,173,82,1,201
,30,208
DE 600 DATA 4,162,205,160,2,20
1,42,208
DM 610 DATA 4,162,209,160,2,20
1,72,208
BJ 620 DATA 4,162,205,160,2,20
1,84,208
RE 630 DATA 9,162,201,160,2,16
9,0,141
HC 640 DATA 82,1,192,0,240,21,
134,2
SH 650 DATA 132,3,160,0,162,0,
177,2
GB 660 DATA 157,245,132,232,23
2,232,200,192
GF 670 DATA 4,208,243,108,157,
132,0,192
KJ 680 DATA 0,0,128,0,0,0,0,0
EB 690 DATA 0,24,0,0,60,0,0,12
6
AM 700 DATA 0,0,60,0,0,126,0,0
XJ 710 DATA 255,0,1,255,128,3,
255,192
HE 720 DATA 3,255,192,3,255,19
2,3,255
OF 730 DATA 192,1,255,128,0,25
5,0,0
BS 740 DATA 126,0,8,8,144,96,8
,8
DJ 750 DATA 8,8,16,16,9,6 Q
BRAD BISHOP
This program is a combination of
several disk utility routines which
allows easy tracing of files and
editing of disk sectors on both sin-
gle- and double-sided Commodore
disks. T/E80 is for the 128 in 80-
column mode with a single 1 571 disk
drive designated as device 8.
The program consists of a disk
sector editor, file tracer, block alloca-
tion map display, sequential file lister,
routines for freeing and allocating sec-
tors in the disk BAM, and a disk di-
rectory listing routine.
Typing It In
T/E 80 is written entirely in BASIC
but includes machine language sub-
routines. To avoid typing errors,
use The Automatic Proofreader \o
enter the program; see "Typing
Aids" elsewhere in this section.
When you have finished typing, be
sure to save a copy of the program
to disk before you try to run it.
THIS UTILITY
COMBINES A DISK
SECTOR EDITOR, FILE
TRACER, SEQUENTIAL
LISTER, AND MORE
FORTHE128IN80-
COLUMN MODE
How to Use the Program
After you load and run T/E 80, there
will be a short pause for setup before
the main menu screen appears. From
the menu select any of the following
routines by pressing the key that is
highlighted in red.
Editor Press E to enter the editor rou-
tine. You will be prompted for the
track and sector to load. Enter the de-
sired numbers in decimal. The pro-
gram will load and display the data
contents of the entered sector, and the
editor menu will appear. Use the cur-
sor keys to move through the dis-
played data. From the editor menu
several choices are available.
N N loads and displays the contents
of the next linked sector in the file,
shown after link at the bottom of the
screen display. If there is no link, an
error message will be displayed, and
you'll be returned to the main menu.
J J loads and displays the sector de-
fined by the value under the editor
cursor (track) and the value to the
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE Q-35
PROGRAMS
right of the cursor (sector). This is use-
ful for jumping to the first sector of a
file from a directory sector.
L L clears the editor menu screen and
prompts for a track and sector to load.
The program then loads and displays
the entered sector data and redisplays
the editor menu.
Shift + and Shift — These key com-
binations load and display the sector
one track above or below the currently
displayed sector. For example, from
track 4, sector 1 5, SHIFT + will load
and display track 5, sector 1 5; SHIFT
— will go to track 3, sector 15.
+ and — These load and display one
sector above or below the sector cur-
rently displayed. For example, from
track 4, sector 1 5, press + to move to
track 4, sector 1 6; press — to move to
track 4, sector 14.
S S stores the currently displayed sec-
tor data to a memory buffer.
P P pulls the data stored in the mem-
or>- buffer and displays it on the
screen. The data will not be written to
disk until W is selected.
C C allows you to change the value of
the data byte under the editor cursor.
You will be prompted to enter the de-
sired data value. Values should be in
decimal form. The new value will not
be written to disk until W is selected.
T T allows you to enter text in the
sector data display, starting at the lo-
cation of the editor cursor. The Re-
turn key must be pressed when text
entry is complete. The new data will
not be written to disk until W is
selected.
W W writes the currently displayed
data to disk at the current track and
sector, indicated at the bottom left of
the screen display. W must be selected
before any changes made to displayed
data will be saved to disk.
Z Z fills the current data display with
zero bytes. You will then be asked
whether to write the zero data to disk.
Y will write the zeros; N will not.
Q Q exits the editor and returns you
to the main menu.
BAM Map Press B from the main
menu to select the BAM display rou-
tine. You will be prompted to insert
the disk whose BAM you want dis-
played and then press Return. The
program will then read and display
the disk BAM for both single- and
double-sided disks. Press the Return
key for the main menu.
Tracer. Press T from the main menu
to access the tracer routine. You will
be prompted to enter the name of the
file to be traced, after which the pro-
gram traces the entered file through
the disk. When the trace is complete, a
listing will be displayed on the screen
in linked order of all sectors occupied
by the file. The load address for pro-
gram files and the directory sector
containing the selected filename will
also be displayed.
If the sector listing is longer than
can be displayed on one screen, you
will be prompted to press the Return
key to continue the listing. When the
screen listing is complete, you will be
asked whether you want a hardcopy
printout of the sector listing.
Sequential File Lister Press S from
the main menu to select the sequential
file lister routine. You will be prompt-
ed to enter the name of the file to list.
The program will then list the file to
the screen. Press the No Scroll key
during the listing to pause. When the
listing is complete, press Return to go
back to the main menu.
Allocate Sector Press A from the
main menu to enter the sector alloca-
tion routine. You will be prompted to
enter the track and sector numbers of
the sector you wish to allocate, at
which time the program will allocate
the sector in the disk BAM. You will
then be asked whether you want to
continue. Press Y to return to the allo-
cate prompt; N returns you to the
main menu.
Free Sector Press F from the main
menu for the sector free routine. This
routine works in the same manner as
the sector allocate routine, freeing sec-
tors in the BAM instead of allocating
them.
Directory Press D from the main
menu to display the directory of the
disk currently in the drive. Press No
SD
SH
U} B
Scroll to pause the listing if necessary.
When the listing is complete, you will
be prompted to press the Return key
to go back to the main menu.
Quit Press Q from the main menu to
clear the screen and exit the program.
T/E80
BE 1 REM COPYRIGHT 19<Jl - COMP
UTE PUBLICATIONS INTL LTD
- fiLL RIGHTS RESERVED
PK la IFPEEK(215)<>12eTHENPRIN
T"{CLR)(3 DOWNlSWITCH MO
NITOR TO 80 COLUMNS-PRES
S A KEY";GETKEyA$:GRAPHI
C5
GJ 20 PRINT"{CLR] (3 DOWN)
{5 RIGHTlSETTING UP T/E
{SPACE} 80 ..."
JB 30 FAST:COLOR6,l:DCLOSEtG0S
UB2720
DS 40 PRINT"{CLRHbLU)"SPC(27)
" {AJCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCf S ^ "
SC 50 PRINTSPC(27) "B{A}CCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC {S>B "
PD 60 PRINTSPC(27) "BB
[9 SPACES) t6jT/E 80
{9 SPACES){BLU)BB"
XJ 70 PRINTSPC(27) "BB (22
B"
KJ 80 PRINTSPC(27) "BB
{7 SPACES}{6>HAIN
{2 SPACES}HENU{7 SPACES)
{BLUlBB"
MP 90 PRINTSPC (27) "B{Z}CCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC{X}B"
HC 100 PRINTSPC (21) "<A>CCCCC
{E}CCCCCCCC{10 SPACES )C
CCCCCCCiE}CCCCC<S>"
CJ 110 PRINTSPC{21)"B{A}CCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCC{S}B"
KF 120 F0RN=1T07: PRINTSPC (21) "
BB"SPC(36) "BB":NEXT
KG 130 PRINTSPC (21) "B^SJCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCC{X>B"
GA 140 PRINTSPC (21) "(ZtCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCC^X}"
PRINTGB$ETSG2$H2SG3SM3$
G4$M4SG5SM55CHR.'>(27) "L"
GETKEYA$:GOSUB1(I60
IFA5="D"THENGOSUB2350:G
OTO40
IFASs"A"THENA$=ALS
A9:CS=AG$:D5="B-A"
2260
ifas = "f"thenas=<;f$
r$:cs=fg$:d$="b-f"
2260 '
IFA9="T"THEN1306i
IFAS="E"THEN280
IFA$="S"THEN2136
IFAS="B"THEN243B
IFAS="Q"THENPRIKT"{CLR}
{CYN)":END
GOTO150
DX 150
160
170
PR 180
HX 190
:BS=S
iGOTO
:BS=F
:GOTO
FD
QE
HG
PQ
GJ
RD
KB
200
210
220
230
240
250
260
6-36 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
PROGRAMS
BR 270 REM EDITOR
RJ 280 PRINTGA$1E5:SYS49176,0,
0,0
SM 290 SYS49176,0,16,8:PRINT"
{BLU} {R>CCCCCCCCCCCC{E}
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCC { E > ccccc
CCCCCCCtS}"
PK 300 FORN=17TO20:SYS49176,0,
N,8:PRINT"B"SPC(64) "B" :
NEXT
EA 310 SYS49176,0,21,8:PRINT"
■CQKCCCCCCCCCC{R}CCCCCC
CCCC { R } CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CC { R J-CCCCCCCCCCC { R J-CCCC
CCCCCCiWJ"
QC 320 SYS49176,0,22,8:PRINT"B
(2 SPACES){6}TRK:{BLU}
(5 SPACES )B <6}SCT:
(bluhs spaces)b <6}lin
k: t{4 spaces}sTblu1
{5 spaces}b <6}p0s;
{blu]{6 spaces }b <6}val
: {BLUl (5 SPACESTb"
JA 330 SYS49176,0,23,8:PR1NT"
{Z JCCCCCCCCCCC {E JCCCCCC
CCCCtE }CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CC {E JCCCCCCCCCCC {E JCCCC
cccccctxy
SE 340 GOSUB1060:PRIKTGBSET$G4
SEE$
AE 350 WINDOW33,ll,38,12:INPUT
T:WINDOW48,ll,5 3,12:INP
UTS
HH 3 60 WINDOW0,0,79,24:IFT=0TH
ENGOSUB1060: PRINTG4$ZR$
:SLEEP2:GOTO40
EB 370 GOSUB1160:SYS49176,0,22
,17:PRINT"{2 SPACES}":S
YS49 176, 0,22, 27; PRINT"
{3 SPACES}"
AX 380 SYS49176,0,22,41:PRINT"
(3 SPACES)":SYS49176,0,
22,46:PRINT"{3 SPACES}"
HB 390 S¥S49176,0,22,58:PRINT"
{3 SPACES)":SYS49176,0,
22, 69: PRINT" (4 SPACES}"
AA 400 GOSUB2660:SYS4917S,0,22
,16:PRINT"{WHT)"T:SYS49
176,0, 22, 27:PRINTS
BH 410 PRINT#15,"Ul";5;0;T;S:P
RI NTCHRS ( 14 ) CHRS ( 27 ) "H"
MF 420 WINDOW9,17,72,20,1:SYS6
713:TN=PEEK(6144) :SN=PE
EK(6145)
GB 430 PRINTCHRS(142) ; :WINDOW0
,3,79,24:PRINTCHRS (27)"
L";
EQ 440 GOSUB2670:GOSUB1120
FG 450 PRINTGBSET$G2SQ2$G3SQ3S
G4$Q4 5G5SQ5$G6$Q6$G7SQ7
S : IFPTHENP«a: GOTO470
AP 460 I=0:K = 17:J='9:M = 6144
AJ 470 SYS49176,0,0,0:GOSUB930
XX 480 GETKEYA$
XP 490 IFAS="C"THEN840
HF 500 IFAS="T"THEN880
XD 510 SYS49176,0,K,J:SYS49155
,PEEK(M+1) ,143
EQ 520 IFA$="{UP}"THEN690
HH 530 IFA$="(DOWN}"THEN720
KG 540 IFA$="(LEFT}"THEN750
PH 550 IFA$="5RIGHT}"THEN780
PC 560 IFAS="Z"THEN970
RM
AR
RS
HJ
BQ
EQ
CJ
XK
RM
JJ
SA
XC
HS
HB
GA
QB
PD
DX
DP
XF
XX
AM
GC
MR
JG
CJ
570 IFA$="Q"THEN43
580 IFAS = "I."THEN340
590 IFA$="J"THENT=PEEK(H+I)
:S=PEEK(M+1+1) :GOTO370
600 IFAS="W"THEN1010
610 IFA$="N"THENT=TN:S=SN:G
OTO360
620 IFA$="+"THENT=T+1:G0T03
70
630 IFA5="-"THENT=T-1:G0T03
70
640 IFA$ = "'-"TKEKS = S-1:G0T03
70
650 IFAS="+"THENS=S+1:G0T03
70
660 IFAS="P"THENPRINTGBS"
{HED}PULLING-<6}":F0RN=
614 4T06 3 99:POKEN,PEEK(N
+256) :NEXT:GOSUB1070:GO
TO450
670 IFAS="S"THENPRINTGB$"
{RED)STORING-{6>":FORN=
614 4T06 3 99:POKEN+256,PE
EK(N} :NEXT:GOTO450
680 GOTO480
693 I=I-64:K=K-1
700 IFK=16THENK=20
710 GOTO800
720 I=I+64:K=K+1
730 IFK=21THENK=17
740 GOTO800
750 I=I-1;J~J-1
760 IFJ=8THENJ=72:K=K-1:IFK
=16THENK=20
770 GOTO800
780 I=I+1:J=J+1
790 IFJ=73THENJ=9:K=K+1:IFK
=21THENK=17
300 IFI<0THENI=I+256
810 IFI>255THENI=I-256
820 SYS49176,0,22,58:PRINT"
(3 SPaCESl":SYS49176,0,
22,69:PRINT"{4 SPACES}"
830 GOTO470
840 GOSUB1060tPRINTG45NV$
850 WINDOW67,22,72,22:INPUT
X:PRINT"{HOME}:"; IWINDO
W0, 0,79, 24
860 POKE (M+I) ,X:GOSUB930
870 GOTO920
880 GOSUB1060:PRINTG4STX$:D
OtGETKEYAS: IFAS=CHR$ (13
jTHENEXIT
890 P0KE(M+1) ,ASC(AS) :SYS49
176, 0,K, J: SYS 49155, PEEK
(H+I) ,143
1=1+1: J=J+1:IFJ=73THENJ
=9:K=K+1:IFK=21THEKK=17
910 GOSUB933:LOOP
920 GOSOB1120:P=-l:GOTO450
930 IF(PEEK(M+I) )+128>255TH
ENSYS4917 6,0,K,J:SYS491
55, (PEEK(M+I))-128,143:
GOTO950
940 SYS49176,a,K,J:SYS49155
, (PEEK(M+I) )+128,143
950 SYS49176,0,22,57:PRINT"
{WHT}"I:SYS49176,0,22,6
8:PRINT"(4 SPACES)
(4 LEFT} "PEEK (M+I)
960 RETURN
970 PHINTGB$"{RED}ZER0ING-
{6>":FORN=6144T06 399:PO
KEN, 0: NEXT
JE 900
AF 980 WIND0W9, 17,72,20, 1:PRIN
T"{WHT}"CHRS{14)CHRS{27
)"M"; :SYS6690
WINDOW0,0,7 9,24:PRINTCH
RS(142)CHRS (27)"L";
PRINTGBS"{RED} WRITE?
{SPACE}<6>":GETKEYAS:I
FA$<>"Y"THEH450
GOSUB106 0:PRINTG4SOOSG
B5CS$:GETKEYA5: IFASOC
HR$ (13)THEN1010
PRINTGB$"{6}HRITING: "G
4$CMSG3$MTS
PRINTG5$"{6 SPACES }"T"
{12 SPACES}"S:GOSUB266
0
SYS667 3:PRINT#5,CHR$(P
EEK(6144) ) ;:PRINTJ15,"
U2";5;0;T;S
GOSUB26 70:GOSUBlfl60:GO
TO450
PRINTG1SCM$G2$CMSG3$CM
$G4SCMSG5SCM$G6$CM$G7$
CM$GBSCS S ; RETURN
SYS4 9176,a,22,16:PRINT
"{WHT}"T
SYS49176,0,22,27:PRINT
S
WINDOW9,17,72,20,l:PRI
NTCHR$(14)CHR$(27) "H";
1100 SYS6690
1110 WINDOW0,0,79,24:PRINTC
HR$(142)CHRS{27)"L";
SYS49176,0,0,0:PRINT"
{WHT}"
SYS4 9 176, 0,2 2, 40: PRINT
TN
SYS4 9176,0,22,45:PRINT
SN
RETURN
IFT<1THENT=1: RETURN
I FT>70THENT=70: RETURN
IFS<0THENS=0: RETURN
IFT<1BANDS>20THENS=20;
RETURN
MH 1200 IFT>17ANDT<25ANDS>13TH
ENS=18:RETURN
GX 1210 IFT>24ANDT<31ANDS>17TH
ENS=17:RETURN
BS 1220 IFT>30ANDT<36ANDS>16TH
ENS=16:RETURN
QK 1230 IFT>35ANDT<53ANDS>20TH
ENS=20:RETURN
PG 1240 IFT>52ANDT<60ANDS>18TH
ENS=18:RETURN
RS 1250 IFT>59ANDT<66ANDS>17TK
ENS=17;RETURN
RH 1260 IPT>65RNDT<71ANDS>16TH
ENS=16:RET0RN
RETURN
BQ 990
MP 1000
EG 1010
FR 1020
XJ 1030
RG 1040
BJ 1050
MR 1060
SF 1070
ED 1080
BR 1090
RB
HS
Qfl 1120
CR 1139
FG 1140
SK
1150
GO
1160
QS
1170
CR
1180
GS
1190
1270
1280
1290
1300
REM TRACER
PRINTGA$TLSGBSET5G2SCM
$G4$CMSG6SCMSG3$FES
PM 1310 WINDOW35,12,54,12,l:IN
PUTFS:IFFS=""THENWINDO
W0,0,79,24:GOTD40
QF 1320 D0UNTILLEN(FS)=16:F$»F
S+CHRS(160) :L00P:WIND0
W0, 0,79, 24
JF 1330 PRINTGB$CS$G3$CMSG5SCM
SG4$00$:GETKEYA$:IFA$<
>CHRS (13)THEN1330
XA 1340 PRINTG45TJ5
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 0-37
D
ROGRAMS
X=6 767 :SD=1:G0SUB 2660
PRINTS15,"Ul";5p0;18;S
D:GOSUB2680:SYS6656
GS=FS:FORN=0TO15:AS=LE
FT$ (GS,1) : POKEX + N,ASC (
AS) :GS=HIGHT5(G$,15-N)
:NEXTN
SYS6738:ft=PEEK(254) : IF
ATHES)1400
SD = PEEK(6145) ; GOTO 1360
LT (a)=PEEK(6127+A) : LS (
0}=PEEK{6128+A) :FT=PEE
K(6126+A)
print#15,"u1";5;0;lt (0
) ;ls(0)
GET#5,A$:GET#5,B$:LS (1
)=ASC(BS) :LT (l)=flSC(A$
) :AD=0
XFFT=129THENADS-"SEQ" :
GOTO1470
IFFT=133THENAD$="REL" :
GOTO1470
IFFT=132THENAD5="USER"
:GOTO1470
GET#5,A$:GET#5,B$:A=ftS
C(AS) :B»ASC(B$) :AD=B*2
56+A:AD$=HEX$(AD)
TN=LT (1) :SN=LS (1)
PRINT#15,"U1";5;0;TN;S
N
PRINTG4$TR$: Y=2
DO
GET#5,AS:GET#5,B$:LS (Y
)=ASC(BS) :LT (Y)=ASC(AS
)
IFLT (Y)=0THENEXIT
PRINTS15,"U1";5;0;LT (Y
);LS(Y)
Y=Y+1: IFY=2S5THENEX1T
LOOP
YE=Y:GOSUB2670
PRINTCHR$ (27) "M";
PRINT"{CLR)"ATS"{BLU)
■CA}CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
CCC{R>CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
C-fS}"
PRINTATS"B{6}FILE:
{17 SPACES} {BLU)B{6}T0
TAL BLOCKS: {4 SPACES}
{BLU}B"
PRI NTAT$ "{QJCCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCC+CCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCC^WJ"
KD 1610 PRINTATS"M6}FIRST SEC
TOR: {9 SPACES} {BLU}B
{SJLOAD ADDRESS:
{4 SPACES} {BLU}B"
HB 1620 PRINTAT$"{Q}CCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCC-CWJ
13 SPACES}<6}HEX -
(9 SPACES) {BLU}B"
KX 1630 PR1NTATS"B-C6}DIRECT0RY
: (5 SPACESHGRN}18
(5 SPACES}{BLU}B
{3 SPACES}^6}DEC -
{9 SPACES} (BLU}B"
RJ 1640 PRINTAT$"{Z}CCCCCCCCCC
CCCCCCCCCCCC {E>CCCCCCC
CCCC'CCCCCCtX}"
XH 1650 PRINTAT$"-tA}-CCCC{R}CCC
CCCC{SHAKCCC{R}CCCCC
CC{S}tAKCCC{R>CCCCCCC
{S}"
KJ 1660 PRINTATS"B{6}BLK; {BLU}
KX 1350
SS 1360
HQ 1370
JP 1380
PE 1390
HC 1400
FK 1410
CR 1420
BX 1430
SD 1440
KE 14 50
DD 1460
XJ 1470
RK 1480
KX 14 90
XX 1500
PE 1510
MK 1520
EF 1530
BJ 1540
HB 1550
XA 1560
RH 1570
KP 1580
MA 1590
RA 1600
B{6}SECT0R: {BLU}BB{6JB
LK: CBLU}B't6}SECT0R:
{BLU}BB{6}BLK;{BLU}B
{6}SECT0R: {BLU}B"
XK 1670 PRINTAT5"B{6}CCCC{BLU}
Bt6^CCCCCCC[3LU}BB{6}C
CCC(Bm}Bt6KCCCCCC
{BLU}BB{6?CCCC{Bm}B
{6}cccccccTblo}b"
de 1680 f0rn=ito13:printats"b
(4 spacesjb
(3 shift-space}
{3 shift-space)bb
{shift-space}
(2 SHIFT-SPACEjB
{4 SPACES}
(3 SHIFT-SPACE}BB
{3 SHIFT-SPACE}B
{2 SHI FT -SPACE}
{2 SPACES}
{3 SHIFT-SPACE}B":NEXT
XE 1690 PRIHTAT$"{Z}CCCC<E}CCC
CCCC fX} < Z}CCCC{E KCCCC
CC { X H Z } CCCC {E JCCCCCCC
EQ 1700 PRINT"{GRN}":SYS49176,
0,0,0:SYS49176,0,1,27:
PRINTFS:SYS4 9176,0,5,3
9:PRINTSD
BF 1710 SYS49176,0,l,57:PRItITY
E:SYS49176,0,3,35:PRIN
TLT (0)
HS 1720 SYS49176,0,3,39:PR1NTL
S(0) :SyS49176,0,4,54:P
RINTAD$:SYS4 917 6,0,5,5
3:PRINTAD
DH 1730 MN=0:FORN=lTOYE
BG 1740 H=MN*39: IFN<14+MTHENK=
9+N-M:R=Nl:B=N2:C=N3:G
OTO1780
RK 1750 IFN<27+MTHENK=N-4-H:A=
N4:B=K5:C=N6:GOTO17 80
CF 1760 IFN<40+MTHENK=N-17-M:A
=N7 :B=N8 :C=N9: GOTO1730
RA 1770 IFN-40+MTHENGOSUB1870:
GOTO1740
FA 1780 SYS49176,0,0,0:PRINT:S
YS4 9176, 0,K, A: PRINTS
EK 1790 SYS49176,0,K,B:PRINTLT
(N-1)
CJ 1800 SYS49176,0,K,C:PRINTLS
(N-1)
JG 1810 IFN=254THENBEGIN
SM 1820 :SYS49176,0,24,15:PRIN
T"MAXIMUM ENTRIES REAC
HED - PRESS RETURN TO
{SPACE}CONTINUE"
HJ 1830 :GETKEYA$:IFA$<>CHRS(1
3)THENia30
KP 1840 :SYS49176,0,24,15:PRIN
TSPC<59)
EH 1350 BEND
SS 1860 NEXTN:GOTO1910
CP 1870 SYS49176,0,24,25:PRINT
"MORE - PRESS RETURN T
0 CONTINUE":GETKEYA$
DB 1880 SYS49176,0,24,25:PRINT
CHR5 (27) "Q": IFAS<>CHR$
(13)THEN1870
DX 1890 WINDOW21,10,24,22,1:WI
NDOW26,10,32,22,1:WIND
OW35,10,3 3,22,1:WINDOW
40,10,46,22,1:WINDOW49
,10,52,22,1:WINDOW54,1
0,60,22,1:WINDOW0,0,79
,24
HB 1900 MN=HN+l;RETURa
EF 1910 sys49176,0,24,19:PRINT
"LISTING COMPLETE - PR
ESS RETURN TO CONTINUE
GETKEYAS: IFAS<>CHR$ (13
)THEN1920
SYS 49176, 0,24, 19: PRINT
"{8 SPACES}PHINT SECTO
R LISTING? (Y/N)
{9 SPACES}"
GETKEYAS: IFA$="N"THEN4
0
IFA$<>"Y"THEN1940
SYS 4 917 6, 0,24, 19: PRINT
"{13 SPACES}PRINTING S
ECT0RS..{6 SPACES}"
OPEN4,4,4:PRINT#4,CHR$
(27)CHR$C14)"
{5 SPACES }"FS
PRINT#4,"{10 SPACESlDI
RECTORY: 18 -"SD
PRINT#4,"{10 SPACESjTO
TAL BLOCKS: "Yi:
PRINT #4, "{10 ;; PACES }LD
ADR: HEX - "ADS
PRINT#4,"{18 <;PACES}DE
C -"AD
PRINT#4,"{10 SPACES}BL
0CK{8 SPACES} SECTOR"
PRINT#4,"{10 SPACES3--
{8 SPACES} "
FORN=1TOYE
IFN<10THENPRIHT#4," ";
PRINT#4,"{11 SPACES}"N
"{7 SPACES}"LT (N-1) "-"
LS (N-1)
NEXTN:PRINTf4,CHRS(27)
"@":CL0SE4
SYS49176,0,24, 19:PRINT
" PRINT COMPLETE - PRE
SS RETURN TO CONTINUE"
GETKEYAS: IFA$<>CHRS (13
)THEN2090
GOTO4 0
REM SEQ LISTER
PR1NTGASTS$G4$CM$G3$TF
$
WINDOW2 5,12,55,12tINPIJ
T"{4 SPACES}? END
{5 LEFT}";F$
WINDOW0,0,7 9,24: IFFS="
END"THEN40
PRINTG3SCMSG5$CM$G4$O0
S:GETKEYA$: IFA$<>CHR5 (
13)THEN2160
PRINTG4$CM$:G$=FS:M=67
67:X=0:FORN=1TOLEN(G$)
:POKEM+X,ASG (LEFTS (G$,
D)
GS=RIGHT5 (G$, LEN (G$) -1
) :X=X+1;NEXTN:PRINT"
CCLR} {DOWN}"SPC(40-LEN
(FS)/2)"{RVS} {GRN}"FS"
{OFF}"
PRINT" (HOME} {RVS} {RED}
'NO SCROLL' TO PAUSE L
ISTING{OFF} {CYB) "CHR? (
14)
WINDOH0,3,79,24:SYS678
3,LEN(F$)
KE
1920
BA
1930
MJ
1940
HE
1950
EE
1960
CK
1970
BR
1980
FB
1990
JC
2000
BA
2010
QD
2020
QG
2030
DF
2040
AP
2050
MR
2060
MJ
2070
DR
2080
RX
2090
JR
2100
QE
2110
SG
2120
BP
2130
CK
2140
HA
2150
XR
2160
FP
2170
XH
2180
CH 2190
AE 2200
0-38 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
PROGRAMS
Xe 2210 GOSUB268a:WINDOW0,0,79
,24
DE 2220 PRINT " (HOME }"CHR$ {27 ) "
Q"SPC(6a)CHRS(l')2) "
tRVS} {REDjRETURN TO C6
NTINUE{OFF}":GETKEyAS
GOTO40
QE 2230
XR 2240
GF 2250
SQ 2260
REM ALLOCATE / FREE
PRINTGASA$GB5ET5G2$B$G
45EES
MP 2270 WINDOW33,ll,38,12:INPU
TT:WINDOW48,ll,53,12;I
NPUTS
EG 2280 WINDOW0,0,79,24:IFT=0T
HENPRINTG4$ZRS:SLEEP2:
G0T04a
SE 2290 PRItJTGB$CS$G2$CSG4$BE$
G4$"{9 RIGHT]"?"
(12 RIGHT}"S
EF 2300 GOSUB2660:PRINT#15,D$;
0;T;S:PRINT#15,"U1";5;
0;18;0:GOSUB2670
AH 2310 PRINTG2SCM5G4$CA$:GETK
EIA$:IFAS="¥"THEN2260
GOTO 40
FM 2320
EC 2330
SG 2340
GG 2350
CX 2360
DJ 2370
CA 2380
RH 2390
RH 2400
FH 2410
MA 2420
BQ 2430
PA 2440
MG 2450
GS 2460
AS 2470
QJ 2480
JK 2490
as 2500
KE 2510
KH 2520
REM DIRECTORY
PRINT" {CLR}{CYN}":WIND
OW29,0,79,24:SLOW
DIRECTORlflFAST
PRINT" {2 DOWN}
(2 SPACES) PRESS ANY KE
Y FOR MENU"
WINDOW0,0,79,24
GETKEYA5
RETURN
REM BAM
PRINTGA5BASG4SOO$
GETKEYA$: IFA$<>CHRS {13
)THEN2440
PRINTG4SCMSGB$"{6}LOAD
ING:":H=6144:GOSUB2 660
:PRINT#1S,"UI";5;0;18;
0: SYS 6656 :GOSOB2670:A$
=CHR5 {PEEK(M+3) ) : IFAS<
>CHRS (128)THENSS=-1:EL
SESS=0
N9="":N=144:D0UNTILAS=
CHRS (160) lAS'-CHRS (PEEK
(M+N)) :NS=N$+A$:N=N+1:
LOOP
A5=CHRS (PEEK (M+162) ) :B
$=CHRS (PEEK(H + 163) ) :IS
=A$+BS
PRINT"{CLR) (GRN} "SPC (3
5) "|RVSl"NS"(2 SPACES)
"I$"{OFF)"
PRINTCHRS (27) "M"SPC(14
) "(YEL}111111111122222
22222333333";
IFSS=0THENPRINT"3 3 3344
44 444444 55555555556666
6666567":ELSEPRINT
PRINTSPC(5) "1234 567890
1234 56 7 8901234 567 8 9012
345"; :IFSS=0THENPRINT"
678 9012 34 567 8 9012 34 56 7
39ai234567890":E[,SEPRI
NT
WINDOW2,3,3,24:PRINT"
{SPACE)0 12 3 4 5 6 7
8 9101112131415161718
HE 2530
JS 2540
BP 2550
BD 2560
PG 2570
ER 2580
DQ 2590
RK 2600
EA 2610
JC 2620
JJ 2630
JS 2640
EH 2650
DR 2660
1920{6}"
WINDOW0,0,79,24:C=5:FO
RX=5T0141STEP4: IFX>71T
HENPOKE6958,0
IFX>99THENPOKE6957 , 0
IFX>12 3THENPOKE6956,0
SYS49176,0,0,0:SYS4917
6,0,3,C:POKE250,X:SYS6
83 3:C=C+1:NEXTX: IFSSTH
EN2629
GOSUB2 660:PRINT#15,"U1
";5;0;53;0:SYS6656:GOS
UB2670:FORX=0TO102STEP
3
IFX>50THENPOKE69 5 8,0
IFX>70THENPOKE6957,0
1FX>89THENPOKE695 6,0
SYS49176,0,0,0:SYS4917
6,0,3,C:POKE250,X:SYS6
833:C=C+1:NEXTX
WINDOW0,0,79,24:SYS491
76,0,0,0
SYS49176, 0,24, 65: PRINT
"(RED) (RVS}RETURN TO E
XIT{0FF)":GETKEYAS:1FA
50CHRS tl3)THEN2633
GOTO 4 0
OPEN15,3,15:OPEN5,8,5,
"#":GOSUB26 80;RETURN
SQ 2670 DCLOSE:GOSUB2680:RETUR
N
RA 2680 IFDS>lTHENGOSUpl060:PR
INTG4SF0$G6$DS$:DCLOSE
:SLEEP3:GOTO40
RETURN
XP 2690
DK 2700
BP 2710
FQ 2720
DX 2730
EG 2740
HQ 2750
PQ 2760
CP 2770
CD 2780
DK 2790
RC 2800
REM SETUP
Nl=21:N2=26:N3=2 9:N4=3
5:K5=4 0:N6=43:N7'4 9:N8
=54:N9-57
MT$ = "{6H6 SPACESjTRAC
K{10 SPACESlSECTOR
(5 SPACES}"
CAS="{6}{8 SPACES)CONT
INUE?{2 SPACES) (Y/N)
(8 SPACES)"
FUS="<6J(5 SPACES}DISK
ERROR - TRY AGAIN
{5 SPACES)"
00$="(6H3 SPACES)INSE
RT DISK - PRESS RETURN
{3 SPACES}"
NV$="i6>{9 SPACES}ENTE
R NEW VALUE {8 SPACES)"
TX5="<6}(3 SPACES )ENTE
R TEXT-RETURN WHEN DON
E{3 SPACES)"
Q2$="{6} (N)-NEXT / (J
)-JUMP / (L)-LOAD "
03S="{6}SHIFT (+) OR {
-) {2 SPACES}-
{2 SPACES}CHANGE TRACK
AB 2810 Q4$ = "{6H2 SPACES) ( + )
{SPACE)OR {-)
[2 SPACES}-{2 SPACES}C
HANGE SECT0R(2 SPACES)
n
EB 2820 Q5$ = "<6H3 SPACES) (S)-
STORE / (P)-PULL DATA
{4 SPACES)"
CE 2830 Q6$="<6} (C) -CHANGE / (
T)-TEXT / {W) -WRITE"
SE 2840 Q7S="<6} (Z)-ZERO SECT
0RC2 SPACES)/
(2 SPACES) (Q) - QUIT "
CP 2850 ZR$="[RED}{5 SPACESjTR
ACK CANNOT BE ZERO
{6 SPACES}"
SC 2860 EES="<6}{3 SPACES)TRAC
K{9 SPACES)SECTOR
{9 SPACES}"
AF 2870 TFS = "'t6}{3 SPACES)FILE
NAME TO LIST (OR END)
(3 SPACES}"
BH 2880 TRS = "-C6^ — LOADING LI
NK INFORMATION — "
SX 2390 TJS="{6} SEARCHI
NG FOR FILE "
CC 2900 SAS="{6}(7 SPACES}SECT
OR TO ALLOCATE
{7 SPACES)"
KC 2910 FR$="{6}(9 SPACESjSECT
OR TO FREE {9 SPACES)"
PS 2920 AG$="<6}{11 SPACES)ALL
OCATING:{10 SPACES)"
CC 2930 FG5="<6}{12 SPACES}FRE
EING: (12 SPACES}"
HD 2940 FE5="<6}{12 SPACES)FIL
ENAME: (11 SPACES}"
MS 2950 IE$="{6> EDITOR - TRAC
KS 1-70 "
PH 2960 TL$ = "{6H5 SPACES}FILE
(2 SPACES}TRACER
(5 SPACES}"
MG 2970 TSS = "'(6}SEQUENTIAL FIL
E LISTER"
PR 2980 ALS = "-C6}{3 SPACES}SECT
0R[2 SPACES}ALLOCATE
{3 SPACES)"
EB 2990 SF$="-{6H5 SPACES) SECT
0R(2 SPACES}FREE
{5 SPACES)"
MF 3000 BA$="{6Jf3 SPACES)DISK
BAM DISPLAY{3 SPACES)
n
CC 3310 ETS="<6} ENTER ;"
MX 3020 M2S="{2 SPACES) {RED}E
<6}DIT0R{11 SPACES)
{RED)B'C6}AM MAP{BLU)
(6 SPACES)"
RK 3030 M3$="{2 SPACES }{ RED )T
<6}RACER{11 SPACES)
(RED5S't6}E(3 LISTER
{BLU}{3 SPACES}"
RS 3040 H4S="{2 SPACES } {RED)A
i6JLL0CATE SECTOR
[2 SPACES) (RED}F'C6}REE
SECT0R{BL0){2 SPACES)
ri
FD 3050 M5$="{2 SPACES } (RED}D
{6MRECTORY{8 SPACES)
{RED}Q{6JUIT
{10 SPACES}"
EK 3060 CM$="{33 SPACES}"
XE 3070 ATS="(20 SPACES}"
PB 3080 CS$="{8 SPACES}"
KR 3090 GAS="(HOME) {4 DOWN)
(30 RIGHT)"
BP 3100 GBS="{HOME) (6 DOWN)
(37 RIGHT)"
JP 3110 G1S="{H0HE) (8 DOWN)
(25 RIGHT)"
AH 3120 G2$="(H0ME) (9 DOWN)
I 25 RIGHT)"
SS 3130 G3S="{H0ME) (10 DOWN)
(25 RIGHT}"
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE Qh3»
PROGRAMS
G4S="ChOHE) {11 DOWN}
{25 RIGHT}"
G5S="{H0ME) {12 DOWN}
[25 RIGHT}"
G6S>="{H0ME} {13 DOWN)
{25 RIGHT}"
G7$="{H0ME}f 14 DOWN)
{25 RIGHT}"
DIMLT (255) , LS (255)
FORX-0TO304:READC: POKE
6656+X,C:NEXT:RETURN
DATA162,5,32,198,2 55,1
60,0,32,207,255,153,0,
24,200, 208,247,96,162,
5,32
DATA201,25 5,160,1,18 5,
0,24,32,210,255,200,20
8,247,96,169,0,133,250
,164
DATA 250, 185, 0,24, 32, 47
,204,32,237,203,230,25
0,208,241,96,169,0,133
,250
DATA162,5,32,193,255,1
64,250,32,207,255,153,
0,24,32,47,204,32,237,
203
DATA2 30,2S0,208,2 3 8,96
,160,0,162,0,185,0,24,
221,111,26,240,8,162,0
,200
DATA 208, 243, 13 4, 2 54, 96
,200,232,224,15,208,23
4,132,254,96,0,0,0,0,0
,0
DATA0, 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,
0,162,111,160,26,32,18
9,255,169,5,162,8,160,
5,32
DATA186,25 5,169,0,162,
0,32,104,255,32,192,25
5,162,5,32,198,255,32,
207
DATA255,32,210,25 5,165
,144,240,246,169,5,32,
195,255,32,204,255,96,
164
DAT A250, 185, 0,24, 160,8
,24,10,144,3,32,18,27,
136,208,246,230,250,16
4,250
DATA185,0,24,160,16,2 4
,10,144,3,32,18,27,136
,192,8,208,244,230,250
,164
DATA250,185,0,24,10,10
,10,160,21,24,10,144,3
,32,18,27,136,192,16,2
HR 3320 DATA244, 169, 1,133, 250,
164,250,185,26,27,240,
11,32,47,204,32,90,200
,230
FB 3330 DATA250,76,243,26,160,
1,169,81,153,26,27,200
,192,22,208,248,96,170
,169
AD 3340 DATA45,153,26,27,138,9
6,0,81,81,81,81,81,81,
81,81,81,81,81,81,81,8
1,81
KH 3350 DATR81,B1,81,81,81,81,
0
RC 3 3 60 : "3
PF
3140
AH
3150
RH
3160
MB
3170
AC
3180
HS
3190
HA
3200
BJ
3210
CK
3220
MS
3230
AM
3240
HE
3250
GS
3260
BR
3270
AX
3280
QQ
3290
SP
3300
KF
3310
ONLY
ON
DISK
In addition to the type-in programs
found in each issue of the maga-
zine, we offer additional features
and programs every month on Ga-
zette Disk. Disks may be pur-
chased for $9.95 plus $2.00
shipping and handling. The address
is Gazette Disk, COMPUTE Publi-
cations, 324 West Wendover Ave-
nue, Suite 200, Greensboro, North
Carolina 27408. Here's a descrip-
tion of this month's bonus.
Mega-Adventure
David M. Williams
Charlesiown, NSW, Australia
In this text-based adventure game,
you control a teenaged hacker in
his quest to add zeros to the pitiful
sum in his bank account. Discover
what part his archaeologist parents
play in this story. Is it true that his
foul-tempered grandmother almost
became dictator of Cuba before
she gave up Marxism and relin-
quished power to Castro? And how
about that policeman who always
winks at him at Woolworth's? Can
he be trusted?
The game opens in your bed-
room. It's a relatively small room,
containing more electrical equip-
ment than a NASA tracking station,
A stereo on a table next to your un-
made bed plays music by Jean-Mi-
chel Jarre. Your bookshelf contains
exciting titles such as The Fractal
Geometry of Nature, 68000 Pro-
grammers Reference Manual, and
The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge.
On a pizza-stained table rests
your Amiga A9000 computer sys-
tem. A modem connects it to a tele-
phone. Things that may interest
you are a leather jacket and a disk
with HackTerm V3.2 on the label.
The rest is up to you.
Typing Aids
Attention,
New Subscribers!
MLX, our machine language entry
progrann for the 64 and 128, and
The Automatic Proofreader are
utilities that help you type in Ga-
zette programs without making
mistakes. These labor-saving utili-
ties are on each Gazette Disk and
printed in issues of Gazette
through June 1990.
If you don't have access to a back
issue or to one of our disks, write
to us, and we'll send you free
copies of both these handy utili-
ties. We'll also include Instructions
on how to type in Gazette pro-
grams. Please enclose a self-
addressed, stamped envelope.
Write to Typing Aids, GOMPUTE's
Gazette, 324 West Wendover Ave-
nue, Suite 200, Greensboro, North
Carolina 27408.
PROGRAMMERS
Gazette is looking for utilities,
games, applications, educa-
tional programs, and tutorial
articles. If you've created a
program that you think other
readers might enjoy or find
useful, send it on disk to
Gazette Submissions Reviewer
COMPUTE Publications
324 W. Wendover Ave.
Ste. 200
Greensboro, NC 27408
Please enclose an SASE if you
wish to have the materials
returned.
C-40 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
REVIEWS
SHEAK PEHIS
soHD ntsnii
In just two years, the Sound Blaster
has become one of the the most
widely-supported PC sound cards.
It's easy to see why. The Sound
Blaster contains an 1 1 -voice FM syn-
thesizer that makes it fully compatible
with the popular Ad Lib Music Card.
The day it hit store shelves, the Sound
Blaster could be used with hundreds
of Ad Lib compatible games and edu-
cational programs. To add even more
value, the original Sound Blaster in-
cluded a DAC (Digital to Analog Con-
verter) for digitized voice and sound
effects, a microphone jack for voice
input, a built-in game port, a built-in
4-watt amplifier, and an optional
MIDI interface.
Creative Labs is now turning up
the volume with the Sound Blaster
Pro. It's basically two Sound Blasters
on a single card with additional multi-
media features thrown in. It has twin
FM chips capable of creating 22 indi-
vidual voices, two DACs for stereo
voice and sound-effects playback, a
stereo microphone jack, and a built-in
stereo mixer that can adjust the vol-
ume of all your Sound Blaster audio
sources (stereo DAC, stereo FM, mi-
crophone, stereo line-in, CD-Audio,
and PC internal speaker).
The built-in mixer makes the
Sound Blaster Pro fully compliant
with Microsoft's Multimedia Level I
Extensions to fVindows. Multimedia
software will be able to fade-in, fade-
out, and pan the various audio
sources to create elaborate sound
montages.
The Sound Blaster Pro includes a
CD-ROM interface for either an inter-
nal or external CD-ROM player.
There's also an internal connector for
CD-Audio. The MIDI interface is
compatible with the original Sound
Blaster's MIDI interface, but adds the
MIDI time-stamp that's part of
Microsoft's new muUimedia standard.
All in all, the Sound Blaster Pro is
chock-full of new features, yet it's fully
compatible with its younger brother.
DAVtD ENGLISH
Scheduled Release: September 1991
For IBM PC and compatibles— $299.95
CREATIVE LABS
2050 Duane Ave.
Santa Clara, CA 95054
(4081986-1461
WHERE IN
AMERICA'S PAST
IS
SANDIEGfl?
Dnce again, one of America's most
infamous scoundrels is on the
loose. And, just like the last time
and the times before that, it's up
to you to seek her and her accom-
plices out and bring them to justice.
You're an operative for the Acme De-
tective Agency. You're familiar with
the MO. You're an old hand with the
SOP. So how are you with time travel
and American history?
As with Broderbund's last Car-
men release. Where in the World Is
Carmen Sandiego? Deluxe Edition —
an update, actually, to the classic —
Where in America 's Past takes full ad-
vantage of your computer's VGA
graphics adapter and monitor, provid-
ed you're using that state-of-the-art
display. As you move through the
game from scene to scene, you'll see
beautifully rendered pictures and
graphics in 256 colors, and finely de-
tailed photographs in black-and-white
from our nation's past.
What's more, the game supports
From the Wild West to Cape Canaveral,
Carmen leads a merry chase.
Sound Blaster, Ad Lib, and Roland
sound devices, as well as the Tandy
digital and 3-voice sound chip. The
sound effects and ambient music add
a dimension to the game that's not to
be missed. Even if you don't have a
sound card, the sound effects for the
internal PC speaker are quite
acceptable.
One of the most innovative and
interesting facets of the Carmen series
has been its insistence on using tools
other than the computer for solving
puzzles and winning the game. It's a
true multimedia experience, and it re-
inforces the idea that books are full of
interesting facts that, if well presented,
can be fiin to browse through. It also
posits the idea that research can be re-
warding on its own merits. If either of
those ideas catches fire in a child's
mind, stand back and watch the
sparks fly.
PETER scisco
Scfieduled Release: June 1991
For IBM PC and compatibles— S59.95
BRODERBUND SOFTWARE
17 Paul Dr.
San Rafael, CA 94903-2101
(415)492-3200
What Are Sneak Peeks?
Sneak Peeks are advance reviews of
upcoming software and tiardware prod-
ucts. Every effort is made to ensure that
the information contained in these re-
views is accurate at the time tfiey are
published. COMPUTE will review the fi-
nal edition when it becomes available.
JJ
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 105
yr-^w J' jTjr , j-^,r ^ J- ^J- J^^ J'^ Jf j^j^^jrjjjf * j- jr j-j- ^^ j^ ^ , ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ i, -a^j-^.^ ^ ^ ^^^^^
The greatest hero for the Hyborean Age was a fierce
barbarian born of the harsh northlands,
CONAN THE CIMMERIAK
ou have heard the tales of Conan's adventures. Only
now will you have the opportunity to live the life of
this fierce barbarian from the land of Hyborea.
Our odyssey begins with murder most foul. When
Conan's village is massacred by the ravening hordes of Thoth
Amon, high priest of the vile cult of Set, Conan vows to avenge
the death of his family and friends.
In your search for vengeance, you as Conan, will explore
Hyborea to seek out its hidden secrets and learn of its powers.
Visit over 200 locations - taverns and inns, cr)'pts and
dungeons, temples and tombs, lavish homes and poor hovels -
to learn the mysteries of Hyborea's sorceries to help Conan
overcome its many natural and supernatural perils.
Only with luck, courage and constant struggle will Conan have
the chance to force a reckoning with the powerful Thoth Amon.
UMS.&-M^X
AVAILABLE FOR THE [BM AND AMIGA THIS SUMMER.
SUGGESTED RETA1L-S49.99
TM and C 1991 Conjn Propcrtirs Inc.
Ccncr Hliulration C 1990 Boris Vallejo.
C I99t Virgin Games. Inc. All right* resttved.
Viigln® is i registered Iradcnuri ol Virgin Enwrprists. Ltd.
Virgin Gimrs, inc. 18061 Fitch Ave. Irvine. CalifomU927H
'^^^ ^ ^-.
.^ ^^^^^^^^^J^J^^^^^J-^J ^^
' ■f^ ^ y ^J ^ J / / J iJ r i-YTm-j
J -r ^ -r ->^j J J^^^^^^^ ^-i-> ^j-maLT j- > j .■> ^-i^ ^ .^ ^ ^ j
-'— ' -f Jr ^ ^ -f ^ ^^ ^ Jt ^ J J> J>
i ::? / / ^^ r^y / /^ / / ^'/..^'.z^:^
T
fe..^^v^^t - '—.::: J^::^S
n Spirit of Excalibur, the Knights of the Round Table
fought to defend medieval Britain from the evil
sorceress, Morgan Le Fay. Morgan, dabbling in dark
arts beyond even her ability to control, had summoned
a great Lord of Demons, the Shadowmaster.
With Morgan's death, the Shadowmaster vi^as freed to work his
evil will against the unprepared folk of Britain. Striking in the
night, he imprisoned the King with a spell, stole the greatest
treasures of the realm and kidnapped Nineve, the court
enchantress. \Mth the loss of the sword Excalibur and the newly
recovered Holy Grail, Britain begins to sicken and die. The
Shadowmaster must be stopped!
Command knights and whatever followers they are able to
recruit to track the Shadowonaster through hazardous, beautiful
and mysterious medieval Spain. Explore the hundreds of villages
and cities, fortresses and castles, dungeons and palaces and all
the secret places where the Shadowmaster may dwell.
Seek what aid you can as you acquire and learn the use of the
sorceries of Moorish Spain, for only with the aid of
enchantments and the loyalty of strong allies will you stand
a chance of ridding the world of the demonic Shadowmaster
once and for all.
AVAILABLE FOR THE IBM. AMIGA, ATARI ST AND MAC THES SUMMER.
SUGGBTED RETAIL - S49.99
Developed by Syn^rgislic Software.
© 1991 Virgin Gajnes, Inc.
Virgin® is a rcgislered iradenufk of Virgin Emcrprises. Lid.
Vcngesncc of Excalibur i4 a (radenurk of Vir^n Games. Inc.
Vltjln Game, Inc. ISMl Eileh Ave.. Inine. Clllfomil 917H
Circle Reader Service Number 17S
>(
9 f»(
»»(
t »(
» 8 (
»B(
8 B (
8 B (
0 B (
B B t
B»(
B B (
B B (
B B(l
B B (1
it 11
RE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH TO TAKE ON THE
21st CENTURY AND SAVE MANKIND FROM
HIS UNTIMELY DESTRUCTION BY
A GENETICALLY ENGINEERED
WAR MACHINE?!?
Talk about your work-related stress! As a ZODIAC
special agent, your job is to crack the complex
security systems of the Universal Cybernetics
Corporation and track down the mutant robot they
have designed as the ultimate killing machine.
You'll arm yourself with a whole arsenal of
weapons ~ everything from, hologram projectors to
special vision enhancement visors to thermal
infra-red image intensiflers. If all else fails -
you'll have to rely on yonr own psychic powers!
FEATURES INCLUDE:
■ 16-level 3-dixnensionaI environment complete
with fast, smooth scrolling
■ Realistic action control of six characters: 2 nt
2 female and 2 droid
■ 360 degree vision
■ Environmental sound effedts
"Tension and unease, with danger lurking around
every comer.... This Number One European Hit
will keep you on yonr toes and coming back
for more. "
STJULSBLE FOE
THE IBM, IMtGi BNU AT2SI ST THIS SXIMMEH.
SnCGESTED RETSn. - »49.99
TM uul ® 1S91 Tligin Ganiei, Inc. and Core Seslgs,
111 ligbd leierred.
Coipontlaa & Vligln® axe regbtered tiademarki of
Tiigin Enterprise*, Ltd.
Virgin Gamai, Inc. 18061 Ilteh in., Inine, Califoraia 92314
Vn he space flight simulator to end all
ffl simulatozs, SHUTTLE is the most acctizate
I and comprehensive simulation of NASA's
I I Space Shuttle ever produced for the home
computer.
With the aid of Mission Control, you will master
such challenges as deploying and repairing
satellites, launching spy satellites, maneuvering
your craft in zero gravity, attaining the correct re-
entry trajectory, and pulling off complicated
landings.
Advanced polygon and elliptical graphics, along
with actual land and star maps were used to create
the breathtaking 3D panoramas of the Orbiter and
its environment, which can be viewed from any
angle at any time.
Other features include:
■ Authentic control panel display
■ Detailed comprehensive training and reference
manual
■ Numerous training, scientific and "Star Wars"
(SDI) Missions
■ Multiple help levels from "novice" to "veteran"
■ Various launch and landing sites
■ Orchestral quality music
■ Fold-out Shuttle flight deck poster
ATULIBLEFOR
THE IBM, UaCJlJUfD JITJUU ST LATE SnMMQt.
SUGGESTED SETJUL - 159.99
JUIiili™ (ad RaUiid™ tnuid bond* nipported on IBM
Slmttle^ and TiiglaS> ue ngisteied Indemajki of
Tligin EntBipriiet, Ud,
Virgin Ovnei, Inc. 18061 Fitch Ere., Irrins, Callfonia 92114
Circle Raader Sarvtcs Number 179
ririiirtrfnrriiTf!:
i^yi^M=^H
I # I II I II ii II ii II II II II II m )ii I! II 9 9 (I » I ! ! ! g !
;i: :*: ji n; « n n i| i « ii i ii ii t^., h i ( h .0 .
REVIEWS
B.A.T.
Grittv and dangerous, the world of
B.A.T. (Bureau of Aslral Trouble-
shooters) offers intrigue on every
street corner and peril on even'
block. The game's story line and stun-
ning graphics evoke the feel of the
movie Blade Runner, and like that
film's Los Angeles of the year 2020,
the cityscape of B.A.T. is dark, crime-
ridden, and replete with tarnished
techno-glitz. As an urban waste dump
of eternal night and a real silicon jun-
gle, the city of Selenia will demand
your full attention and offer little
cooperation.
B.O.B. reports your physical status.
Making an already unsafe place
even more menacing, Vrangor, a so-
phisticated criminal with a scientific
bent, has just escaped from prison.
Psychopathic and infamous for his ex-
pertise in explosives and his bril-
liance, he plans to seize control of
Selenia by using terrorist tactics.
As an agent of 5.^.7^, expect ten
days of living dangerously, desperate-
ly seeking Vrangor. If you fail to track
and eliminate him, he will murder
scores of innocent people and hold the
entire city hostage.
On your own, as you roam the
city's mean streets questioning infor-
mants, checking out leads, and look-
ing for clues, you'll appreciate B.A. T. 's
attention to detail. The city offers di-
versions, including a museum, a mov-
ie house, and a hospital — useful
should you sustain injuries (and you
probably will). Like most cities, Se-
lenia bristles with places to eat and
local watering holes filled with inter-
esting characters.
Purchase a weapon for defense,
and then proceed with caution as you
converse with various aliens, human-
oids. and androids. Many will not ap-
preciate your probing questions.
Speak softly, and carry a big gun.
The northeast section of town
plays host to a series of exclusive
nightclubs and bars where you may
make important contacts. You may
even find yourself dancing the night
away at a local disco. B.A.T. features a
gambling hall with a game that tests
your memory. For a wager, you must
correctly recall a series of geometric
shapes flashed before your eyes. This
segment is a mind-numbing challenge.
Part of the game takes you under-
ground to an intricate labyrinth. Fan-
tasy role-playing fans will feel right at
home mapping out the vast maze.
Last of all, you will pilot a vehicle
across the city in a flight simulator
sequence.
Ecjuipped with a Biodirectional
Organic Bioputer (B.O.B. ), a com-
puter implant in your forearm that is
essentially one of your body's organs,
you'll look and feel the part of a high-
tech secret agent. Through B.O.B. you
can monitor your health, check your
personal status, and set a translator to
let you instantly understand alien and
robotic languages.
Interestingly, you can customize
and write programs for B.O.B. using
commands from the game. For ex-
ample, you may write a short program
to automatically ingest food when
you're hungry, and that's important —
B.A.T. considers your health. If you're
not eating enough food, drinking
enough fluids, or getting enough sleep,
your character becomes sluggish and
sometimes even starves to death.
B.A.T. 's mouse-based interface
sets it apart from many other futuris-
tic and fantasy role-playing games.
The game's authors call this ingenious
interface the Dynorama. In B.A.T.,
each part of the city is re-created in a
detailed graphic screen depicting
paths, doors, objects, and characters.
Move your mouse around, and the
icon changes, indicating what you
may do with an object or person.
Touch a door, and an arrow appears.
Click on that arrow, and you enter the
next room or scene. Touch an alien
creature, and a talking icon may ap-
pear. Click on that icon, and you can
converse with the alien, asking for ad-
vice and clues.
For all practical purposes,
B.A.T.'s interface is a graphical user
interface (GUI, pronounced g-ooejO,
similar in some respects to the Micro-
soft Windows environment. Because
everything is done with the mouse,
the interface is very efficient and
saves keystrokes. Since you hav>2 to
talk with a lot of characters, as in any
role-playing game, the mouse-assisted
parser replacement makes conversa-
tion simpler and less tedious.
The flash and patrons of a disco in B.A.J.
pull you in, perhaps a bit over your head.
The detailed graphics recall the
lavish illustrations in quality chil-
dren's books, and each scene tells a
story. Where other adventure games
look more like cartoons, B.A. T. 's
graphics create a mood and feeling on
a par with the best games on the
market.
Chronologically elastic rather
than linear, B.A.T. encourages explo-
ration. You needn't complete seg-
ments in a specific order to reach
Vrangor. Yes, there are certain tasks
to accomplish, but you set your own
itinerary.
Throughout the game, battles in-
evitably occur. Sometimes you're at-
tacked from out of nowhere by llie
local citizenry; at other times you may
be the aggressor and provoke the al-
tercation. When you're attacked, your
opponent appears without warning,
his weapons blazing, and an almost
realtime battle ensues. Quickly retali-
ate by pulling out your weapon, lining
up crosshairs on the enemy, and firing
away.
In battle there's little animation,
110 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
REVIEWS
GAMES
and the gunfighl consists of you and
your enemy standing loe to toe and
firing away until one of you drops.
Not elegant, but because of the speed
with which the fights take place, the
sequence works. You never know
when someone will attack you. and
combat often comes as an absolute
surprise. At times, I stopped playing
momentarily to check the documenta-
tion. I had barely enough time to get
my hand back on the mouse before
my character was obliterated. As in
any role-playing game, save, save,
save.
So what's so special about B.A.T.?
The plot may sound typical of futuris-
tic role-playing games (you arc the
world's only hope . . .). I admit that
before I actually played B.A.T.. I
wasn't expecting the fine game that I
discovered. With its name and the
batlike creature featured on its cover,
I thought B.A.T. might be an arcade
game or a space simulation about noc-
turnal flying mammals with modified
forelimbs. But after I started the
game. I found stunning 256-color
graphics. Ad Lib-supported sound,
and an excellent user interface. No
mistake, this is a firsl-rate role-playing
game.
Unlike the game, however, the
documentation is unexceptional. The
history of the planet seems irrelevant
and rambles. While I appreciate the
creative effort required to put this to-
gether, I'm not sure that it enhances
the overall play of the game. How-
ever, once you get to the technical sec-
tion dealing with playing the game,
you'll be quickly up and running with
5.^.7; 's interface.
Hardware requirements run rath-
er steep. You'll need VG.A to run the
program, and a mouse is recommend-
ed. I found using the keyboard clumsy
in comparison to using the mouse.
And, of course, those of you with
sound boards should enjoy the catchy
soundtrack.
Although the plot is common-
place, the game immerses the player
in another world. And while the game
may not have enough challenge for
diehard role-playing fans, the program
is definitely worth a look, particularly
by those who want to try something
new and different.
Don't judge software by its cover.
Once you see B.A.T. in action, you'll
be bitten. Ubi Soft is one of Europe's
premier software companies, and if
B.A, T. is representative of its work,
we know why. Let's hope for more.
WAYNE KAWAMOTO
IBM PC and compatibles. 512K RAM.
VGA; supports Ad Lib and Sound Blaster
sound cards— S49.95
Also available for Amiga — S49.95 and
C54/128— S39.95
UBI SOFT
Distributed by Electronic Arts
1 820 Gateway Dr-
San Mateo. CA 944CM
(800)245-4525
Circle ReaOer Service NumDer 302
OVERLORD
For generations your family, the
Dynasty of Mark, has reigned as
the absolute rulers of the galaxy of
Epsilon, a gala.xy now under seige
from other-dimensional beings. A
mishap during an experiment in hy-
perdimensional propulsion has per-
manently linked your worid to four
others, worids inhabited by heavily
armed, wariike races. In a desperate
bid to protect your rule and your
world, you decide to strike before be-
ing struck. You can only hope you
have acted in time.
Overlord challenges you to become
conqueror and administrator of planets.
So begins the saga o^ Overlord, an
intriguing new strategy game from
Virgin Mastertronic. As the dictatori-
al ruler of Epsilon, you have total
control over the economic and mili-
tary resources of your world, and you
will need all of those resources, plus a
good sense of strategy, to overcome
your four adversaries. To defeat them
requires nothing short of total con-
quest; you must capture every planet
in the disputed solar system while
preventing your opponent from do-
ing the same — no mean feat.
The difficulty of your campaign
depends upon which opponent you
choose to challenge. Wotok is the
weakest of your foes, while Rorn is
neariy invincible. In addition, the
number of planets in each system in-
creases with the strength of your op-
ponent; Wotok' s system contains only
6 neutral planets, while Rom's con-
tains 32. The wise player will follow
the game manual's advice to make
frequent use of the save-game facility,
especially in longer games.
Unlike adventure games, where
you scrounge for necessary clues,
CveWorrf deluges >'ou with infor-
mation. The challenge becomes pick-
ing out the facts relevant to the
current situation. With so many fac-
tors to be considered, it can be quite a
complex task.
The game designers have done an
excellent job of creating an interface
which allows you to manage such
complexity. Almost totally graphical,
with an icon to represent every possi-
ble action you can take, the interface
rarely calls for typing. The only time
you touch the keyboard is when you
name a ship or planet. Though at first
intimidating because of the many op-
tions available, the interface is mas-
tered with a little practice, and soon
the focus shifts from remembering
what all the icons do to deciding how
to use them most effectively.
Overlord's graphics are well
drawn and effectively used. Anima-
tion abounds in this game; almost ev-
ery screen contains animation of
some kind, and it both entertains and
conveys necessary information. In the
256-color VGA mode, some of Over-
lord's graphics are just short of
stunning.
Sound card support has not been
overlooked in Overlord. The game
supports Ad Lib, Sound Blaster, and
Roland sound boards, and uses them
frequently. Many objects and actions
in the game have a particular sound
associated with them, and all major
plot developments are accompanied
by an appropriate sound or piece of
music.
Very much like a fusion of Sim-
City and Risk. Overlord gives you the
economic balancing act of the former
and the strategic considerations of the
latter. Moreover, it does this without
being just a rehash of either of those
games; Overlord has a style all its own.
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 111
REVIEWS
GAMES
Random events add excitement and
complicate your best-laid plans, while
your relentless computer opponent
seeks to destroy your holdings.
The creators should be congratu-
lated on their superb attention to de-
tail: Overlord is a marvel. No major
flaws mar this game. Its structure
gives you the greatest number of op-
tions with the least amount of com-
plexity, its dramatic pacing draws you
into the game, and its excellent graph-
ics and sound provide a feast for the
eyes and ears. The only inconsistency
I could find is that when you finish
preparing a ship for flight on the cargo
bay screen and switch to the naviga-
tion screen to launch it, the game
doesn't assume that the ship you just
outfitted is the one you want to
launch. In ever)' other part of the
game, the last object accessed be-
comes the default for future actions;
this approach can save several clicks
of the mouse button, an important
consideration in a game requiring as
much time as Overlord. And when
Rorn's beating down the door to your
home world, you want as few steps be-
tween thought and action as possible.
In a class by itself. Overlord is
more than just a war game, though it
will cenainly appeal to fans of that
genre. It is more than just an econom-
ic simulation, too, though it's one of
the most entertaining simulations that
I've seen. Simply put. Overlord is a
game for those of us who don't want
to put our minds on hold just because
we're playing a game.
RICHARD R.APP
IBM PC and compatibles; 512K RAW for
CGA, EGA, and Tandy 16-color. 640K for
VGA; supports Roland, Tandy 3-voice. Ad
Lib, and Sound Blaster; mouse option-
al—S49.99
Also available for Amiga — $49.99 and
Atari ST— 549,95
VIRGIN t^^ASTERTRONlC
18001 Cowan St., Ste. A
Irvine, CA 92714
(714)833-8710
Cirde Reader Service r^^Ljmber 303
The computer tells me, You are gel-
ling a tingling sensation. But it's
too late. I grow so large that my
head crashes through the roof, and
I wake from my dream, only to realize
I was playing Wonderland, a new ad-
venture game based on the dream
world of Lewis Carroll.
H
1 -.. ,—
u til :
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■■ 111 ' m.
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ij^
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1
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ataAi
-JSiL*
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H
Wonderland's sophisticated options
allow precise gameplay tailoring.
When the game begins, you play
the part of Alice, who falls asleep as
she sits on the bank ofa river with her
sister. Emily, who is reading. Wander-
ing into a nearby pear grove, you pick
a magical pear and then follow a rab-
bit into a hole. There the pear be-
comes a lantern and lights your way
into a world of puzzles and
enchantment.
In Wonderland, as in most ad-
venture games, you travel by typing.
The comparison with other games
ends there, though, as Wonderland
has newly developed sound, window-
ing, and memory-management sys-
tems to help you hear, see, and keep
track of the action with the touch of
your mouse button. When you enter a
room, for instance, you can set up
Wonderland \o display a detailed ani-
mated picture on the screen, play a
musical score, describe the scene in a
text window, show you a map and a
compass — all at the same time! All
this data appears in windows that you
can size and move around to suit your
needs ... a very magical idea, indeed.
.Although it may sound simple.
Wonderland [sn't all fun and games.
As I explored Wonderland. I found
myself in situations where I didn't do
things in quite the right order, and I'm
afraid that .Alice bit the dust and woke
up . . . always with that pest Emily,
standing by and criticizing.
You don't have to look in a mag-
azine for hints because Wonderland
has a feature that lets you collect hints
as you need them. Unfortunately, I
couldn't find a hint to tell me how to
gel rid of Emily. Beware — the pro-
gram keeps track of how often you get
hints and lowers your score.
The Wonderland package comes
with nine floppy disks, a 66-page
user's guide, quick-reference cards,
and a map of Wonderland. I installed
Wonderland on the hard drives of
both a 386SX and a Tandy lOOOSX.
After playing each system, I noticed
that the difference in performance be-
tween systems was extreme. The
graphics and text on the Tandy
lOOOSX (Tandy 16-color) came up
slow and were harder to make out
than the vivid images on the 386SX
with VGA. Therefore, for the best re-
sults, I highly recommend running
Wonderland on a fast system (12
MHz or faster) with high-resolut.on
VG.\ graphics. Also, the addition of
an Ad Lib or Roland sound card
makes for a great improvement over
the tiny speaker built into PCs and
compatibles.
Wonderland has shown me that
the adventure-game genre is alive and
growing. As more powerful hardware
becomes available, it's nice to know
that Virgin Mastertronic is working
on ways to take advantage of that
power. The user interface of Wonder-
land {mxich to the dismay of my fam-
ily) made it easy to get lost in the
story. Now^, if I could only figure out
which potion to drink, I wouldn't
keep bumping my head.
JOEY LATIMER
IBM PC and compatibles, CGA, EGA,
VGA, Tandy 1 6-color, or Hercules; 1 2
MHz or higher recommended, supports
Ad Lib and Roland sound cards, joystic:l(
and mouse optional— S59.95
Also available for Amiga — $59.95 and
Atari ST— S59.95
VIRGIN MASTERTRONIC
18001 Cowan St, StB. A
Irvine, CA 92714
(714)833.8710
Circle Reader Service Number 30*
LHK ATTACK
CHOPPER
Jet jockeys who are tired of flying
fast metal can get an entirely dif-
ferent experience with this copter
simulation from Electronic /\rts.
This complex flight simulator offers
you the experience of flying four
different helicopter gunships: the Mc-
Donnell-Douglas Apache, the SDcor-
112 C O fi/1 P U T £
AUGUST 1991
REVIEWS
GAMES
sky Black Hawk, the Bell/Boeing
Osprey VTOL aircraft, and the still-
classified LHX (Light Helicopter Ex-
perimental), the DOD's newest and
most lethal warbird.
LHX gives you low-profile firepower.
Piloting a chopper is a lot harder
than flying a fixed-wing aircraft, as I
quickly found out. Getting off the
ground was easy, but it took about ten
minutes to move forward in a pur-
poseful way. In order to fly, you must
develop a sharp sense of three-dimen-
sional movement — especially axial
rotations — that you don't need when
flying a plane. And, as with most mili-
tary flight simulators, you have to pay
attention not only to avionics, but
also to the bogeys on your screen and
in your sights. The first few missions
will have you sweating bullets as you
try to remember the keyboard se-
quences for activating radar and IR
countermeasures and arming your
missiles, all the while keeping your
bird off the ground and out of range of
SAMs, AA batteries, and fire from en-
emy aircraft.
Besides information on gunship
avionics and armament,the LHX
manual contains a basic course in
chopper combat tactics. By the time
you've memorized everything in it —
and you'll have to memorize it, if you
expect to survive the more difficult
missions — you'll not only be familiar
with the heavy ordnance used by the
U.S., NATO, and the Warsaw Pact,
but you'll also know how to take out
enemy tanks, jets, gunships, and forti-
fied installations. Other missions in-
clude POW rescue, medevac, and
supply and escort runs; each mission
can be attempted in three combat the-
aters and at five skill levels.
The combat theaters are among
the few minor flaws of this otherwise
painstakingly detailed simulation
(along with the manual's unrelenting-
ly macho tone). The game's scenari-
os— Libya, Vietnam, and East
Germany — reflect outdated political
situations. A combat scenario for Iraq
would've boosted this game's appeal,
but you can hardly fault Brent Iverson
and the other L/fJf programmers for
being no more perceptive about Sad-
dam Hussein than U.S. military intel-
ligence. Memories of U.S. gunships
flying over the sands of Saudi Arabia
certainty won't hurt interest in LHX
Attack Chopper. For a taste of what
it's like in the cockpit of a real combat
chopper, this game is a call to action.
STEVEN ANZOVIN
IBM PC and compatibles, 640K RAM,
CGA, EGA, or VGA; joystick recommend-
ed—S39.95
ELECTRONIC ARTS
1820 Gateway Dr.
San Mateo, CA 94404
(415)571-7171
Circle Reader Service Number 305
DEATH KNIGHTS
OF KHYNN
I ike its predecessor. Death Knights
ofKrynn is set in the legendary
Dragonlance game world. Veter-
ans of the first campaign. Champi-
ons ofKrynn, will be happy to learn
that its characters may be imported
directly to Death Knights while retain-
ing most of their worldly possessions
and bank accounts. Don't worry if this
is your first venture into the Dragon-
lance world, though; Death Knights
comes with a prebuilt party of adven-
turers who are up to the challenge and
ready to move out.
If you'd rather, you may assem-
ble your own party entirely from
scratch by generating individual char-
acters and banding them together to
form a new party. Character creation
begins with the selection of race, class,
gender, and alignment. The computer
then randomly generates the charac-
ter's ability scores (strength, intelU-
gence, dexterity, and so on). If you're
not happy with a character's ability
scores, you can have the computer try
again or simply modify them yourself
Lastly, you name your character
and choose a battle icon to represent
him or her during combat. An adven-
him or her during combat. .A.n adven-
turing party may consist of up to six
player characters and two nonplayer
characters (NPCs). This latest fantasy
role-playing (FRP) epic picks up one
year after the decisive Battle of Ker-
nen at an anniversary celebration.
«.£ d«f5S«^ ™^ ^^'^
fKLJ.. LgifL'U M f-HTi^R to f.iJH'; Iti'l!
Your fearsome undead opposilion
descends in Death Knights ofKrynn.
Besides being a celebration, the
gathering is also a fond memorial to
Sir Karl, the former commander of
the Gargath Outpost. Unfortunately,
Sir Kari has been summoned from the
grave by Soth, Lord of the Death
Knights, to make a gruesome surprise
appearance at the celebration. Riding
in on his new Death Dragon, Sir Karl
makes it clear to the shocked crowd
that he has had a change of heart since
his death and no longer considers
himself one of the good guys. .And you
thought it was going to be a dull party!
Death Knights comes with the
standard rule book to guide you
through its many action menus and a
machine-specific player reference
card. Also included in the game pack-
age is a 60-page Adventurer's Journal
that provides a wealth of information
on characters and parties, combat,
magic, and the numerous treasures,
spells, and creatures ofKrynn. Sixty-
six narrative journal entries supple-
ment the onscreen text at specific
points during the story, serving both
to enrich the adventure and to copy-
protect the game (whenever you start
the game, you're asked to enter a word
from a specific journal entry).
Finally, the journal concludes
with a glossary of AD & D terms and
dozens of tables which illustrate some
of the number-crunching that governs
the mechanics of the Dragonlance
game world. Players who are new to
the role-playing genre may find this
level of detail to be somewhat over-
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 113
REVIEWS
GAMES
whelming, while diehard FRP fans
will appreciate the game's complexity
and adherence to official AD & D
niles. Whichever category you fit into,
you may want to invest in the Death
Knights ofKrynn clue book available
directly from SSI.
Although Death Knights ofKrynn
features higher character levels, a
slightly modified combat system, and
some new spells and monsters not
found in Champions, its major weak-
ness is that it offers little in the way of
graphic realism or sound quality to
distinguish it from other AD & D ti-
tles. However, gamers who enjoyed
Champions ofKrynn will no doubt be
pleased with Death Knights. .As se-
quels go, it's better than most, and the
option of bringing your favorite char-
acters along for the ride makes Death
Knights ofKrynn worth the trip.
BOB GUERRA
IBM PC and compatibles; 640K RAM;
CGA, EGA, or Tandy 16.-color; hard drive
or two floppy drives; supports Game
Blaster. Ad Lib, and Sound Blaster sound
boards— S49.95
Also available for Amiga — $49.95 and
C64/128— S49.95
STRATEGIC SIMULATIONS
Distributed by Electronic Arts
1820 Gateway Dr.
San Mateo, CA 94404-2499
(800) 245-4525
Cirde Reader Service Number 306
PRHDUCTIVITY
ALDUS
NGEMAKER
The PC version of Aldus Page-
Maker 4.0 carries desktop pub-
lishing to another rung on the
evolutionary ladder. Enhance-
ments allow experienced desktop pub-
lishers to perform more complicated
work with less trouble and less experi-
enced users 10 complete jobs with less
frustration, making PageMaker a sig-
nificant achievement.
The upgrade to this popular page
layout program follows the improve-
ments made to the Macintosh version
several months ago. In summary, the
new PageMaker adds Story Editor, a
text-only window that functions like a
word processor; Table Editor, a utility
that eliminates much of the agony of
creating and formatting tables; long
document management; improved
handling of graphics; and more com-
plete style and typographic control. In
addition, a version of Adobe Type
Manager is bundled with PageMaker
4.0, providing scalable font technol-
ogy to those owning non-PostScript
printers.
A fully integrated word processor, Story
Editor in PageMaker 4.0 allows for easy
editing of imported text files.
Users of previous versions of
Page.\'faker v/iU have little difficulty
migrating to version 4.0. There are so
many new options and commands,
though, that some of the keyboard
shortcuts had to change; fortunately,
the changes are logical and easy to
pick up.
Story Editor, a most welcome fea-
ture of PageMaker 4.0, permits edit-
ing and text entry in a clean, easy-to-
read window, as well as a spelling
checker and search and replace. Story
Editor treats each text element in your
publication as a separate story. When
checking spelling or performing
searches, you can limit your work to
the current story, or you can expand it
to encompass the entire document.
While the search-and-replace
function can find Smith and change it
to Smyth as you might expect, it's
much more powerful than that. In ad-
dition to locating and changing text
based on content, the program can
make changes based on text attributes.
For example, you could search for any
occurrence of 10-point underlined
Courier type and change it to 1 2-point
Helvetica italic. You also can search
for text formatted in a particular style
and change it to another style.
In addition, PageMaker ^.f) pro-
vides special control characters that
allow you to search for such crucial el-
ements as carriage returns, tabs, page
number markers, nonbreaking ispaces,
index references, and inline graphics.
There's also a wildcard character,
permitting you to search for Snt?tb
and come up with both Smith and
Smyth.
For years, the common wisdom
about desktop publishing packages
has been to use PageMaker for short,
design-intensive documents and Ven-
tura Publisher for longer publications.
With PageMaker 4.0, the task cf put-
ting together a publication that spans
several hundred pages becomes less
daunting. While it won't do every-
thing Ventura Publisher will, the gap
between the two has narrowed. F'or
your longer documents, PageMaker
offers convenient automatic features,
such as page numbering and creation
of indexes and tables of contents. The
Book command creates an ordered
list of all the files that should be in-
cluded in the publication. PageMaker
then uses that list to number pages
throughout the publication, create in-
dexes, and generate tables of
contents.
The new PageMaker has also
beefed up its graphics-handling capa-
bilities. Although the graphics cre-
ation tools remain the same, what you
can do with them has changed. Page-
Maker 4.0 now allows the placement
of an inline graphic, or a graphic ele-
ment that's treated like a text charac-
ter. The graphic travels along if the
text moves during the course of docu-
ment editing.
Imported graphics handling has
been updated as well, with PageMaker
keeping track of the hnks with exter-
nal files. Through its new Link com-
mand, PageMaker can alert you if an
external graphic has been modified
since it was placed in the publication.
If you desire, PageMater automatical-
ly updates any graphics that ha\^e
changed so you won't have to worry
about reimporting graphic elements
every time changes are made.
The program also provides an
option to change the way graphics are
displayed. Choose Normal resolution
for regular work. High Resoluti<m for
114 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
REVIEWS
PRODUCTIVITY
a detailed look at your artwork, or a
"grayed out" display thai significantly
improves screen redraw rates. Finally,
PageMaker 4,0 imports and displays
color images, including 24-bil TIFF
and EPS images.
PageMaker 4.0 augments an al-
ready impressive array of typographic
controls, refining some features and
adding several others.
You'll enjoy sophisticated typographic
controls In PageMaker 4.0.
The creation and management of
Styles is much improved. .A. "next
style" feature has been added. By
using this feature, you can specify that
Body Text always follow Subhead.
When entering new material, you se-
lect Subhead and type the appropriate
text. When you press Enter, the next
style. Body Text, is automatically en-
gaged, and you can proceed to enter
the text without stopping to select a
new style.
New options include control of
widows and orphans, and a com-
mand. Keep, which indicates your de-
sire to keep one text style with a
minimum number of lines of the fol-
lowing style. For example, to prevent
a subhead from appearing by itself at
the bottom of a page, you can specify
that you wish to keep the subhead
with the next three lines of the follow-
ing style. PageMaker will then move
the subhead to the following page to
keep it with the text it introduces.
PageMaker 4.0 now enables you
to copy styles from one publication to
another — a convenience when work-
ing with shorter publications and a
necessity when compiling longer
documents.
PageMaker's type-handling fea-
tures have grown more elaborate.
Type sizes, ranging from 4 to 650
points, can be specified in increments
of 1/lOth point. Leading can be ad-
justed in 1/IO-point increments. Char-
acter kerning options have been
enhanced. Text rotation allows type to
be rotated 90, 1 80, or 270 degrees, and
the Set Width feature allows type to
be compressed down to 5 percent or
stretched up to 250 percent of its orig-
inal width. This allows you to simu-
late condensed or expanded versions
of your standard typefaces.
PageMaker 4.0's printing options
have also undergone extensive revi-
sion. Even/Odd page printing is now
permitted, and duplexing, or double-
sided printing, is available for printers
that support that option. The thumb-
nail feature for PostScript printers
now allows you to specify how many
thumbnail page images to print per
page. When working with spot-color
overlays, you can specify which color
pages to print, and you can have Page-
Maker print knockouts — blank spaces
on the bottom layer where colors
overlap.
With Table Editor, a separate
program provided with PageMaker to
simplify the creation of tables and
charts, you can easily create rows and
columns of information perfectly
lined up and properly formatted. Fa-
ble Ediior even imports information
from spreadsheets and databases.
In Table Editor, you control type
fonts and sizes and the rules between
columns and rows, Once you com-
plete and save your table, place it into
your PageMaker document as you
would any outside graphic element.
Along with all the major innova-
tions described above, PageMaker 4.0
includes perhaps hundreds of minor
conveniences that make working with
the program faster and more pleasur-
able. For example, when switching
from a fit-in-window view to a 1 00-
percent view, PageMaker moves you
directly to the element you've select-
ed. Furthermore, a quick exit from
deeply nested dialog boxes saves time
and mouse clicks. The menus have
been rearranged to accommodate
some of the new features, but in most
cases .Aldus has provided shorter
paths to the most commonly selected
options, such as font and type size.
.Aldus provides a major docu-
mentation package with PageMaker
4.0. but it isn't the easiest material to
work with. Thankfully, the reference
manual is cross-referenced. If you
turn to page 212 to read about page
setup, you're told to see also Insert
pages ... 190, Layout grid ... 12,
New ... 205, Remove pages . . . 247,
and Setting up your pages ... 3. Even-
tually you can uncover the infor-
mation you need.
The Book feature can link PageMaker
files for chain printing and creating
indexes and tables of contents.
In addition to the reference man-
ual, there's a Getting Started book,
which provides step-by-slep tutorials
for beginners; a Templates Guide,
which shows how to use the supplied
templates for calendars, catalogs, bro-
chures, newsletters, and so on: a Table
Editor Guide, which documents the
Table Editor; and an Introduction to
PageMaker.
Don't overlook the README
files on disk; they contain useful infor-
mation. .Among the tidbits found
there is information about the time/
date stamp utility, which allows you
to place a time/date stamp on your
documents to help you avoid the
"version confusion" that invariably
arises after you've printed a document
seven or eight times.
A significant upgrade. Page-
Maker 4.0 meets most professional
desktop publishing needs.
TONY ROBERTS
IBM AT and compatibles (386 or higher
microprocessor recommended); 2MB
RAM (3MB recommended): EGA. VGA, or
Hercules: 20MB hard drive with 6-8Ma of
free space (*OMB hard drive recommend-
ed|: mouse: supports PCL and PostScript
laser pnnters supported by Windows 3.0,
PostScript-language imagesetters, and
ottier printers supported by Windows 3,0
printer drivers — $795
ALDUS
41 1 First Ave, S
Seattle, WA 98104-2871
(206) 622-5500
Circle Reader Service t^umber 31 5
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE
115
REVIEWS
BIZ'BASE GOLD
For years I ran my wnting, editing,
and consulting business entirely
out of my head. No lawyer, no ac-
countant, no Filofax, certainly no
scheduling software — ^just a little
phone and address database. I rarely
even looked at a calendar. But the
business grew, and I had a rude awak-
ening a while back when I got an an-
gry call from one of my biggest clients.
She wanted to know why I was two
weeks late with her rush job — and I
couldn't even remember agreeing to
do the work!
If your schedule is too complex
and your contacts and clients too nu-
merous to be managed informally,
you need Bi:*Base. Billed as a time
and information management system
(TIMS). Biz*Base is a combination of
persona! database, contact manage-
ment system, schedule management
system, calendar, phone dialer, and
letter/report generator. It helps you
keep track of your business contacts,
organizes your schedule, prioritizes
your projects, and reminds you to
make important calls and keep vital
appointments. It also provides a place
for keeping expense account and other
information, and even prints out form
letters, invoices, envelopes, and labels
for new customers. In short, it acts
like a secretary that never forgets.
The main Biz*Base screen con-
sists of several windows that summa-
rize important categories of informa-
tion. The Recall window lists calls to
make. The Follow-up window tells
you to make follow-up calls to clients
who have already received letters
from you. The Calendar window lists
the day's appointments. The Task
Scheduler window displays all the
tasks you have scheduled, in order of
importance. .A.lert windows can pop
up whenever something important oc-
curs on the current date, like an anni-
versary, birthday, or critical deadline.
Each of the main windows opens
to show more information. The full
Contact record of the line highlighted
in the Recall window can be displayed
by hitting Enter. Contact records con-
lain the name, address, number, and
all other relevant information about
all of your contacts; you can also de-
fine up to 50 fields for things Hke the
last order date, type of products the
contact buys or sells, and so forth. Up
to a billion Contact records are possi-
ble, probably an adequate number un-
less you have a very successful
business. Most ofBiz*Base's func-
tions depend on information you keep
in the Contact records, which can be
searched and tagged with simple que-
ries. You can autodial calls from any
Contact record; Bii*Base even times
the calls.
The Calendar window displays a
daily appointment list on the left side
of the screen, a month calendar on the
Consider SJz'Sase as a substitute for an
infallible personal secretary.
upper right, and appointment memos
at the lower right. You can also see a
six-month calendar, search for specific
appointments in the future or past,
and set alarms.
Automatic generation of form
and follow-up letters, with labels, is
particulariy useful. .After typing the
body of the letter with the simple
word processor included in the pro-
gram, you can create mail-merge let-
ters for any set of tagged records. A
week later, Biz*Base prompts you to
create follow-up letters for the same
contacts. You can create invoices for
tagged records, too, and the program
will keep track of inventorj' based on
invoice activity. Write macros to
speed up most data entry and other
repetitive tasks.
Well-suited to laptops, Biz*Base
allows businesspersons to enter new
contacts and appointments while on
the road. A slimmed-down version of
the program, Biz*Base Silver ($39.95),
runs on machines with no hard disk
and one floppy drive, a configuration
common to many laptops. Owners of
larger businesses should look at the
four-user network version, which
costs S995.O0. BizWasefiks are
dBase ///-compatible, a big advan-
tage if you already maintain client
files in a dBase<ompaXih]e database.
The documentation is well written,
and the reference manual has an
above-average index, but using the
program requires little reference to the
manual. A list of menu choices and
function key commands is always
available onscreen.
This package offers enough fea-
tures to satisfy the requirements of
nearly any small business, but it
doesn't have everything. One of the
few things Biz*Base lacks is automatic
generation of Gantt, CPM, or PERT
charts; for managing complex pro-
jects, these charts are easier to under-
stand than lists of tasks. Although the
keyboard commands are easy to learn,
I missed mouse support; it would be
helpful to just click on the Calendar
window, for example, and have it
open to display the full calendar.
There's only one real drawback to
Biz*Base and it actually has nothing
to do with the program itself, but with
possible shortcomings in your own
working habits. I found, for example,
that I had to be much more conscien-
tious about recording important daily
events than I was before. If you forget
to time that call or enter the resuhs of
that last-minute meeting, Biz*Base
won't be as helpful as it could be. And
you ought to have Biz*Base running
all the time, so it's ready whenever a
call comes in. The program has a
DOS shell, so you can exit quickly to
other programs and then hop back
into Biz*Base with a keystroke.
If Biz*Base sounds like what
you need but you find the price tag
too hefty, try Personal Biz*Base in-
stead. At $69.95, it's limited to 200
records, still more than enough to
keep most of us organized. So, if you
need a secretary but can't afford one,
the Biz*Base family probably offers
at least one economical substitute
made to order.
STEVEN ANZOVIN
IBM PC and compatibles, 640K RAM,
hard disk with 3.5MB free— S395.00,
S1 49,00 for competelive upgrade {maii In
a page from your current PIM manual
with your order), $995.00 for four-user
network version, S39.9S for Biz 'Base Sil-
ver, S69.95 for Personal Biz'Bsse
CREAGH COMPUTER SYSTEfi^S
674 Via ds la Vaile
Solana Beach, CA 92075
(800) 833-8692
Circle Reader Service Numl}er333
116 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
That's The Wonder Of
NO WORDS Software"
From McGee.'"
Your child's early
years— a time when
everything is new,
everyday an adventure.
And every moment a
leafnEg experience.
Now, you can enhance the
wonder of learning with your
personal computer and McGee
NO WORDS Software. Designed for
children ages two to six, McGee,
along with Katie's Farm" zn6 McGee
at the Fun Fair," takes children on
the various adventures of a lovable
character named McGee.
Using animation, digitized
sound and graphics from a child's
perspective, these programs en-
courage children to interact and
explore, holding them spellbound
for hours as McGee's discoveries
become their own.
A 1990 Parent's Choice Award
winner, McGee, as well as Katie's
iFarm and McGee at
le Fun Fair, are avail-
able for Macintosh*
)lack and white or
color), Apple IIGS,
|Amiga and IBM/Tandy
lachines. For tlie name
Df your nearest dealer
}r to order McGee
^programs direct, call
1-800-776-0450.
McGee NO WOllDS Software.
Making the most of the wonder
years and laying a foundation for
learning in all ^^^^i
the years to ^Hf'
come.
DlcGe
McGee Software.
Fun for the future.
.\ppje and .Macintosh u^iegL-^eiKJDadaiHj^ of A{^Compuu;r. Inc HIM is a Kgoei^ indemajk of Iraenatkxa] Bus^kss >1adiir)es Coporukia
Tandy is a rtgblenKl nadHraA of Tand>' Coqvratitm .\imRa is a EcRl'JcR'd tiailfmirk of Co^im(ldJn^Amip3. Inc.
Circle Reader Service Number 106
REVIEWS
OUTSIDE IN
The mission: Import text and data
into your word processor from
other word processor, spread-
sheet, or database files. Outside In
is up to the challenge, and the current
version supports over 50 file formats,
including all of the most popular ones.
Using Outside In is straightfor-
ward. Once you've installed the pro-
gram (requires 70K), simply place
your cursor where you want to insert
data and press the hot key. From the
Outside In window, select the file and
text or data to be inserted and press
the insert key. Instantly Outside In be-
gins inserting the data in your word
processor. Since Outside In actually
inserts the data as if it were being en-
tered from the keyboard, the length of
time it needs to complete the opera-
tion depends on the length of the in-
sert. Inserting a short paragraph or a
dozen cells from a spreadsheet takes
just a second or two, whereas 300 cells
from a spreadsheet can take 1 0 to 15
seconds, depending on the speed of
your computer.
Whether your data comes from a
spreadsheet, database, or word proces-
sor, Outside In will have little trouble
recognizing the format. The program
even maintains bold, underlined, and
italic text through the importation
process. Though it's conversion soft-
ware, it can also be used to view an-
other file's contents without leaving
the document you're working on. This
can be especially useful if you're writ-
ing a report and need to refer to other
documents or your spreadsheet with-
out leaving the file you currently have
open. Remember, though, that Out-
side In is designed to import data only
into word processors, so if you try to
import data into your spreadsheet or
some other application, the results can
be quite unpredictable.
The designers at Systems Com-
patibility have included some useful
and convenient features as part of Out-
side In. For example, when viewing a
fde, you can search for a series of num-
bers. Or, when you need to find a spe-
cific file within a long directory, you
can use a wildcard format to display
only those files with a specific exten-
sion. You can even customize the set-
up parameters to meet special needs.
Outside In is an easv-to-use and
PRODUCTIVITY
useful program for DOS users (it does
not function under Windows 3.0) who
need to write reports or create other
documents requiring the importing of
data or text from other files such as a
database or spreadsheet. I recommend
Outside In to non- Windows 3.0 users
who need this type of utility. And if
you use any of the more popular word
processors, you should have no prob-
lem using this software. Outside In
can make your word processor just a
little more powerful.
(Editor's note: Outside In 1,5, due out
before press time, will require only
about 8K RAM and will import into
spreadsheets and databases as well as
word processors.)
STEPHEN LEVY
tBM PC and compatibles, 70K RAM (20K
in extended ftieniory) — S99: LAN version,
five users— $299
SYSTEMS CX3MFATIBILITY
401 N. Waljasti, Ste. 600
Cdicago, IL 6061 1
(800)333-1395
(312)329-0700
Cffcle Reader Service Numt»r 316
MY NVOICES/
MYCHEGKBDDK/
MYBAGKUP/
MYPHONEBODK
ySoftware's recent releases —
Mylnvoices, MyCheckbook,
MyBackup, and MyPhone-
book — are not kid's stuff. For
the owner of a small business — partic-
ularly somebody working at home
with a basic system — each program
offers solid utility for its $25 price.
MySoftware claims these pro-
grams can be learned in five minutes,
which is an understatement. Of
course, simplicity sometimes means a
limit to choices, and that proves true
for all of these packages. Those limits,
however, should not hamper the mod-
est user for whom this software was
written.
The best feature of Mylnvoices is
that it functions as an inexpensive,
easy-to-use database of up to 500O
items — more than enough for most
small business owners.
Customer names and addresses
entered into the system can be re-
trieved and pasted on invoices Pro-
ducing any of five useful reports from
the invoice information, including an
accounts-receivable report that's bro-
ken up by the number of days that ac-
counts are overdue, is a snap. Full-
down menus provide immediate
access to the various options.
Probably the weakest feature of
Mylnvoices is the invoice itself; On
the computer screen, it looks fine and
has an adequate number of fields to
insert all kinds of necessary infor-
mation. When printed, however, the
invoice quality is hardly professional
because of the limitations of standard
dot-matrix printers. To compensate
for that shortcoming, MySoftware
sells a selection of preprinted invoices
and envelopes to be used with the
program.
MyCheckbook is the accounts-
payable companion to Mylnvoices. It
will produce several useful reptms
and breakdowns of checks written by
category or payee, as well as a cash-
flow statement. As with Mylnvoices,
these reports are easily accessed from
pull-down menus. For a very siTial!
business, this program could be an ad-
equate general ledger. MySoftware
also will supply checks that work with
the program whether you're using im-
pact or laser printers.
MyBackup is tailor-made for
hard-disk paranoids who aren't ready
to wrestle with more sophisticated
utihties but want something better
than the standard DOS backup.
The backup process operates
from one screen with basically three
partitions: one displays hard drive di-
rectories, another displays the :Files in
a particular directory, and the third
shows commands, drive selections,
and updates of the backup in progress.
Other attractive features include an
estimate of how many floppies you'll
need for a backup and a numbaring of
disks used.
MyBackup permits backing up
an>'thing from the entire drive to a
single file. Files within directoiies or
directories within directories may be
singled out for backup. Those who
regularly back up their hard drives
can choose to back up only those files
that have changed since the last com-
118
COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
REVIEWS
PRODUCTIVITY
plete backup — that's convenient.
For the mosl part, MyPhonebook
does what's expected: alphabetically
sorting a list of names ostensibly at-
tached to phone numbers. It includes
a couple of wrinkles, however, that
make it a little better than average.
First, in the business phone book (you
can pick either a personal or a busi-
ness phone book), you can alphabetize
by company name or by profession as
well as by the person's name — not a
big deal but definitely useful. And
while it doesn't search for specific
names, MyPhonebook does have a
fast-moving index box that makes
scrolling for a name a near-instanta-
neous process.
Don't spend a fortune on features
you don't need and will never use. For
most, this assortment of to-the-point
electronic recordkeepers does a fine
job managing your affairs.
LEWIS LORINI
IBM PC and compalihies
Mylmolces: 384K RAM; SVj-inch disk-
$25; 5V4-inch disk— S20
MyChecktxok: 384K RAM, 3Vs.inch
disk— $25: 5V4-tnch disk— $20
MyBackup: 256K RAM; 3'/2-incli disk—
$25; S'A-inch disk— $20
MyPhonebook: 256K RAM; 3i/a-inch
disk— $15; 5'A-inch disk— $10
MYSOFTWARE
1259 El Camino Real, Ste. 167
Menio Park, CA 94025
(415)325-9372
Orde Reader Service Number 31 7
PC-KWIK
You've probably heard the saying
You can never be loo rich or too
thin. For computer enthusiasts,
we could identify with another
saying: Your computer can never be
loo fast. With computers, speed is def-
initely the thing. Most of us would
pay dearly for a program that could
perk up our sluggish XT or push our
speedy 486 even higher into the
stratosphere. It may sound too good
to be true, but PC-Kwik Power Pak 2.0
can do just that. And it does it with
more intelligence than any other
speed-up program.
Power Pak is really a group of
five programs that uses your system's
extra memory to accelerate your disk,
keyboard, screen, and printer. What's
unique about this group of utilities is
that they all share the same RAM.
The memory you set aside for the disk
cache can be used by the screen accel-
erator, keyboard accelerator, printer
spooler, and RAM disk. When these
programs are through borrowing the
memory, it automatically goes back to
the disk-cache program. Even more
amazing, this latest version of Power
Pak can share its memory with other
applications, including Windows
3.0 — so your extra memory is used in
the most efficient way.
The centerpiece of the five pro-
grams is the disk-cache program. It's
virtually identical to Multisoft's
stand-alone disk-cache program, Su-
per PC-Kwik ($19.95), which speeds
up hard and floppy disk drives by
copying frequently used data to RAM.
The program actually anticipates
which data on the disk you're most
likely to need next and moves those
sectors into RAM.
Because RAM is considerably
faster than any drive, disk-intensive
programs run noticeably faster (Multi-
soft claims two to six times faster).
Programs that rarely access the disk
will show less-dramatic results. ( Win-
dows programs already use a cache
program, so don't expect a big change
there.) The disk-cache program is also
useful for laptop computer users who
want to extend the life of their batter-
ies (it takes much less electricity to
read your computer's RAM than it
takes to read your computer's floppy
or hard drive).
To show you how many disk ac-
cesses you've saved, the disk-cache
program includes a handy /M param-
eter. It measures the actual number of
disk transfers saved and the percent-
age of transfers saved. For a more dy-
namic indicator, you can use the /*
parameter, which places an asterisk in
the upper right corner of any text
screen. It's called a cache hit indicator
and flashes each time data comes
from the cache buffer instead of the
disk.
The four other Power Pak pro-
grams are just as useful. With the
screen-accelerator program, you can
increase the speed at which text scrolls
across your screen by two to three
times. The speed is fully adjustable —
as is just about every other speed-up
feature in Power Pak. The screen pro-
gram also includes a handy ReView
feature, which lets you scroll back
through text data. As if that weren't
enough, there's an optional screen
blanker that works with all types of
monitors (this feature doesn't work in
Windows).
With Power Pak's keyboard-
accelerator program, you can increase
DOS's default key-repeat rate of 9
characters per second (cps) to as much
as 100 cps. You can also adjust the
cursor speed with a hot key from
within other applications. And when
the ReEMDS command line editor is
turned on, you can easily call up a list
of the DOS commands you've previ-
ously typed and quickly select or edit
them.
The print-spooler program auto-
matically compresses data sent to
your printer and stores it in the cache
memory. This frees up your computer
and lets you get on with your other
work while the print spooler manages
the printing for you. A pop-up menu
lets you monitor the ongoing print Job
from within other applications.
As I mentioned before, the four
other programs borrow RAM as
needed from the memory that you've
set aside for the disk-cache program.
The print-spooler program grabs
memory when you're printing, but
otherwise requires very little memory
of its own. The RAM disk program is
dynamic — it expands and contracts as
you write files to the RAM disk.
Power Pak can use conventional,
extended, or expanded memory — or
any combination of the three. And if
you have a 386SX, 386, or 486 com-
puter and a memory manager such as
QEMM or 386MAX (or a 286 com-
puter with the NEAT chip set), you
can load all five programs into upper
memory blocks, causing Power Pak to
take as little as OK of conventional
memory.
As you can see, this is a powerful
set of speed-up utilities, optimized to
work together in the most effective
way. But is this package right for you?
If you have no extended or expanded
memory, you may not be willing to
give up the 30-60K of conventional
memory that Power Pak needs for its
programs. If you spend all your time
in Windows, you're already using a
disk-cache program (SMARTDRV
-SYS) with all your programs. Because
AUGUST 199 1
COMPUTE 119
REVIEWS
PRODUCTIVITY
Windows takes over all keyboard and
display functions, the screen and key-
board accelerators will have no effect
on your IVindows applications. And if
you've running Windows in 386-
enhanced mode, and you have only
two megabytes of RAM, you may not
have enough memory to run Power
Pak and Windows at the same time —
without having to slip back into
standard mode.
On the other hand, if you have
some extra memory, you'd be hard-
pressed to find a more efficient way to
use it. Like a major tuneup. Power
Pak can transform your tired, old ja-
lopy of a PC into a supercharged hot
rod, revved up and ready to race.
DAVID ENGLISH
IBM PC and compatibles, 128K !o 16M8
of free RAM; extended or expanded
memory recommended — $129.95
MULTISOFT
15100 SWKollPkwy.,Ste.L
Beaverton, OR 97006
(503)644-5644
Circle fleadef Service Number 3tB
FDR THE RECORD
As you prepare to travel, do you
ever stop to worry about the
problems your beneficiaries
would face if something bad
should happen to you? Would they
know whom to notify? What your
holdings are? Where the records are
kept? Is all this information written
out for them, and do they know where
they can find it? Are you sure?
Keeping such records is not a
small task and requires updating from
time to time. Many people figure that
nothing sudden will happen, and if it
should, the family knows where
everything is. Maybe. If you would
rather be sure, the Nolo Press pro-
gram For the Record 2.0 will make the
task a great deal easier and probably
remind you of many items you might
have overlooked.
The program is entirely menu
driven, and the main menu lists 27
categories, ranging from emergency
information through sources of in-
come, securities, real estate, insur-
ance, tax records, credit cards,
personal documents, and personal
information to grim matters such as
funeral arrangements and will and es-
tate matters. Each of these categories
has subcategories, with 225 subcate-
gories in all, which gives you some
idea of the depth of the program.
For the Record prepares for the worst
and makes relevant information
available in the event that you aren't.
To help you navigate the menu,
the program provides mouse support.
Whenever you select a subcategory,
you bring up a screen specific to the
subject, and you are prompted for en-
try of relevant data. Aware that you
may wish to include more extensive
information on the form, Nolo Press
has provided for individual notes to
the record.
Nolo Press is well known for
books and programs on legal matters,
and the manual of For the Record is
typical of what we have come to ex-
pect. Written clearly, it provides a
wealth of background information
and advice on the subject matter cov-
ered, in addition to guiding you
through the program.
Don't be misled. Even with the
aid of For the Record, you may find
the task of personal documention bur-
densome. The program cannot pro-
vide the data; that's up to you. It took
me several days to fill out my own re-
cord, possibly because I found that I
didn't remember everything needed.
The consolation is that without For
the Record I might never have gotten
around to an essential chore.
CHARLES IDOL
[BM PC and compatibles, 384K RAI^—
$59.95
Also available for Ivlacintosh 51 2Ke or
higher. System 4.1 or higher — $59.95
NOLO PRESS
950 Parker St.
Bert<eley,CA 94710
(415)549-1976
Circle Reader Service Number 31 9
SIDE1ALK D
With SideTalk H, you can stay
in your word processor — or
most any other program — and
use your modem at the same
time. SideTalk II is a memory-resident
communications program with most
of the features you'd expect from a big
stand-alone program, including a
powerful script language, support for
XMODEM and YMODEM transfers,
and the ability to create keyboard
macros. This latest version even in-
cludes an MNP driver, which brings
the benefits of MNP error-correction
to non-MNP modems.
When memory-resident, Side-
Talk 11 takes up about lOOK, or you
can run it as a stand-alone applica-
tion. It's a slick little program that's
perfect for laptop computers.
DAViD ENGLISH
IBM PC and compatibles, modem-
S125.00
LATTICE
2500 S. Highland Ave.
Lombard. IL 60148
(708)916-1500
Qfcle Reader Service Number 320
LEABHIHE
DANCE DF IDE
PLANETS
Of the billions who have walked
this world and seen its skies,
none have failed to look up in
wonder. The music of the
spheres, man once thought, was the
sound made by perfect crystal. We
may know now that the only sound in
the solar system is a background hiss
of long-gone radiation and radio white
noise, but we nonetheless continue to
put music to the turning of the
planets.
It's no surprise then that aiitrono-
my captures our imagination. On a
120 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
Advertisers Index
Reader Service Number/Advertiser Page
139 3-DTV 134
173 Aamiga Warehouse A-25
A.R.C. Software 125
112B0BC0 G-23
14BCAPPC0 A-27
180 Citizen 41
175 Compsult A-18
161 Compsult 6-23
103 CompuServe 17
230 Computer Business Services 133
114 Computer Direct 44, 45
137COV0X 131
104 Creative Specialties G-18
196 Dariana Technology Group 47
120 DCS Industries 71
131 DemoSource 133
171 Digital MIcronics Inc A-24
199 Direct Link 89
185GE0WorkslFC,1 IPC, 1
149 GfxBase Inc A-15
141 Gibson Research 15
165 Gosch Productions . , - A-18
128 The Grapevine Group G-18
174 The Grapevine Group 131
164 Great Cover-Ups A-25
157 Hammond Photographic Services A-18
Historical Simulations 128, 129
117 Holosoft Technologies ., A-19
191 JEK Graphics A-27
106 Lawerence Productions 117
183 Lucky Computers 133
127 LWS Software 132
Reader Service Number/ Advertiser Page
Magalog 58, 59
146 Meggido Enterprises A-5
MicroLogic , 7
155Microlytics 39
138 MicroMlga A-21
107 MicroProse 95
119 MicroProse 103
108 MicroProse 11
115 MicroRef 5
102 Milliken Publishing 53
186 Montgomery Grant -A-3
187 Montgomery Grant G-3
133 Motion Blur Publishing A-18
113 Mutual of New York 130
135 Natural Graphics A-21
125 Needham's Electronic 132
177 NRI/McGraw Hill Schools 81
147 NSI Computer Product 36, 37
129 Paradise Software G-13
176 Parson Technology 3
207 Poor Person Software A-19
Professional Casette Center ... 24, 25
151 Protessor Jones, Inc. 132
221 Ramco Computer Supplies 134
116 SeXXy Software 134
167 Shark Byte Software A-18
144 Sierra OnUne BC
136 Signs Etc. By D. Knox A-18
109 Smart Luck Softv^are 134
126 SoftShoppe, Inc 134
163 Software Excitement A-7
241 Software of the Month Club 134
Reader Service Number/Advertiser Page
SOGWP G-13
118 Spectrum Holobyte 8, 9
169SPOC A-19
Strategic Simulations Inc 99
130 Starware Publishing Corp 134
154 Suncom Technology 57
Supra Corporation IBC
111 Tangent 270 A-24
170 Tenex G-5
134 The Krueger Company A-26
145 The MaXXImum Company 131
132 The Otlier Guys A-13
122 The Sterling Connection A-17
179 Virgin Mastertronlcs 106, 107
178 Virgin Mastertmnics 108, 109
172 Wedgwood Computer A-26
1 84 WOL/Learning Adventure Computer
Club 31
193 WritePro 134
Amiga Resource Subscription 121
Amiga Resource Disk Subscription A-1 1
COMPUTE Books 91, 97, 130. 132
Gazette Disk Subscription G-14
Gazette Disk Library G-9
Gazette Productivity Manager G-1 1
Omni Time Capsule G-23
PC Power Disk Subscription 79
PC Productivity Manager 83
StiarePak Disk Subscription 27
SpeedScript Disk G-17
Available exclusively by subscription!
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REVIEWS
LEARNING
dark night anyone with eyes can play
stargazer, moon watcher, and planet
tracker. Anything that gives us a bet-
ter window on the universe is wel-
come, whether that means planetar-
iums, telescopes, or recently, personal
computers. Good astronomy software
for the PC leaves behind the small
band of professional astronomers to
capture the attention of nearly every-
one who's looked at the lights and
wished to really be there.
.A.nd no other PC program gives
you a better sense of the utterly grace-
ful chaos of our solar system than
Dance of the Planets. Where other
stargazing software puts static pin-
points of light on the screen to repre-
sent galaxies and worlds. Dance of the
Planets puts realistic, spinning spheres
shepherded by coveys of moons that
wax and wane. Dance of the Planets is
an extraordinary program that should
be a fixture of every science classroom
and on the hard disk of home com-
puters wherever there are people fasci-
nated with the night skies.
Unlike most astronomy software
for the PC, Dance of the Planets con-
centrates on the hometown — the solar
system's nine planets, 60-odd moons,
4600+ asteroids, and 1300 or so com-
ets. You'll see plenty of stars in Dance
of the Planets, but they're really just a
backdrop to the real play on the local
stage.
Once installed on the more than
1,1 megabytes it demands from your
hard drive, Dance of the Planets al-
most immediately turns you into a
planetary tourist. On a VGA-
equipped, 386SX or 386 PC with at
least 640K of memory, the program is
stunning. Anything slower — a 286
system or less well-equipped system, a
floppy-only computer perhaps — is
barely workable. Xnd. if you have the
good luck, or money, to have a math
coprocessor inside your machine,
you'll think you've got a tunnel to the
sky on your desktop.
Dance of the Planets uses a con-
trol bar to command the movement
of worlds. Discreetly tucked away at
the bottom of the screen, the bar takes
instructions via either mouse or key-
board. The former is more conven-
ient, the latter more reliable. Click on
a control bar segment, and you can
enter viewing coordinates or dates, se-
lect viewing magnification and simu-
lation speed, or label the visible
bodies. A pop-up menu leads you to
additional choices that pick and lock
in on planets, plot asteroids, and draw
constellations, while another com-
mand accesses a database packed with
information about planets, moons, as-
teroids, and comets. Operating Dance
of the Planets is relatively easy, though
not necessarily simple: There are too
many permutations and possibilities
for simplicity here.
Dance of the Planets generates
authentic space views, such as this one
of Saturn in January 1991.
The program's documentation
helps immensely. It's not the most at-
tractive manual, but it's eminently
readable and reasonably clear even to
those who skipped too many science
classes. Best of all, it shows you exact-
ly how to take a virtual field trip to
the sun, the moon, the asteroid belt,
and every planet. If you can follow di-
rections, you'll be quickly soaring out
to Jupiter, peering at Mars, and
watching Mercury transit the sun.
Dance of the Planets ' most signifi-
cant problem is its rapacious appetite
for computational power. Running on
something as substantial as a 20-MHz
386SX PC (minus a math coproces-
sor). Dance of the Planets often makes
you wait a long, long time while a
screen redraws. Magnified views of
the most detailed planets — Earth,
Mars, and Jupiter — are particularly
slow in reappearing. This program
pushes a home computer's calculating
ability to the limit, and beyond. If
you're serious about astronomy, plan
to use Dance of the Planets in a class-
room, or find yourself spending hours
in front of this program, your best in-
vestments are a math coprocessor and
a fast, R.AM-packed video card.
You can probably pick out a few
planets with the naked eye — Venus,
Mars, Jupiter, maybe even Saturn on
a good night — but unless you have a
telescope, you're only seeing bright
lights. You can't find the outer plan-
ets, nor can you watch the satellites
pirouette around their masters. Dance
of the Planets gives you a front-row
seat to this planetary ballet.
By combining impressive gi"aph-
ics with an accurate orbital simulation
that accounts for the dynamics of
gravity and precise placement of celes-
tial objects. Dance of the Planets effec-
tively squeezes the solar system into
your PC. You can take a seat on Earth
and view the system from there, or
you can spy on the entire solar system
or any of its parts from a starship 270
astronomical units (about 25.1 billion
miles) from the sun. Depending on
your vantage point, you can dial up
magnifications as high as 32,000 times
normal. With that much viewing pow-
er, you can see details as small as the
Hawaiian Islands on Earth, watch the
seasons change on Mars, and track the
Great Red Spot on Jupiter.
.A.nd you can follow the dance of
the moons in Dance of the Planets. .At
extreme magnifications, you can even
sec Charon. Pluto's companion. Pull
back, and you can watch the entire Jo-
vian system, all 16 moons, weave
their complex orbits. Zoom in on Sat-
urn and follow the shepherd moons as
they interact with the planet's icy
rings. Dance of the Planets lets you se-
lect not only the magnification of your
super telescope but its perspective as
well. You can zip far above or below
the ecliptic plane (the plane of Earth's
orbit, used as a dimensional reference)
to see the entire solar system or any of
its planets from entirely new anf^es.
This program has other amazing
strengths. It can plot nearly all the
known asteroids and comets to show
you the depth of the asteroid belt be-
tween Mars and Jupiter, and to re-
create a comet's path as it plunges
toward the sun. You'll learn just by
looking, a revelation to anyone who
struggled with boring textbooks and
their flat charts and illustrations. Did
you know that some asteroids congre-
gate near Jupiter's orbit while others
arc far from the belt, even within
Earth's orbit? Ever wonder how near
comets come to the Earth? Dance of
the Planets lets you re-create close en-
counters of the past and previev/ fu-
ture close calls, too.
When you watch from Earth, you
can set your seat with longitude and
122 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
REVIEWS
LEARNING
latitude and pick any dale from 4680
B.C. to A.D. 10000. Conjecture says
thai a conjunction of Jupiter and Ve-
nus on June ! 7, 2 B.C., may have
been the Christmas star. Check it out
for yourself. Or view famous solar
eclipses of history or get a jump on
those in the future, without leaving
the comfort of home.
Dance of the Planets offers up a
slew of extras that make your imagi-
nary voyaging even more enjoyable. A
3-D option puts orbits in stereo on the
screen when you put on the included
glasses. You can selectively turn bod-
ies on or off to focus your attention
and speed up the display. You can
spread deep space objects — distant
galaxies, pulsars, quasars, globular
clusters, and the like — across the sky
to add to the more than 9000 stars.
And you can save simulations to disk
for later replay. You can even send
screens to 9- or 24-pin printers or to a
LaserJet Il-compatible laser printer.
You'll be awed by this onscreen
orrery. As it mimics the solar system.
Dance of the Planets brings to life
places most of us will never see, even
through a telescope. In the classroom.
Dance of the Planets not only illus-
trates the motion and interaction of
the system's bodies — something the
best textbooks find impossible — but it
lets kids visualize everything from
Newton's law of gravitation to some
aspects of the more modern chaos the-
ory. At home, the program can be
used strictly for entertainment — tour-
ing the outer planets, replaying Voy-
ager flybys, tracking famous comets —
or for more strenuous at-home celes-
tial education.
Though Dance of the Planets
costs more than twice as much as oth-
er PC astronomical software, it's a
much better value. You'll get more
out of an hour or two with Dance of
the Planets than you'd get in weeks of
staring at the static dots those other
programs put on the screen. More im-
portant, though, is how Dance of the
Planets helps you make some sense of
the night sky. Your appreciation of
stellar bodies grows each time you run
this simulation.
Play with Dance of the Planets;
then walk outside and look up. The
spread of lights seems somehow
changed. Now you know what goes on
around the brightest pinpoints and in
the dark and invisible comers of the
solar system. What a perfect ticket to
the greatest show on Earth — or any
other planet.
GREGG K£IZER
IBM PC and compatibles. 640K RAM,
EGA or VGA; hard drive and math co-
processor recommended, mouse and
printer optional — S195
A.R.C. SOFTWARE
P.O. Box 1955
Loveland, CO 80539
(800)759-1642
circle Reader Service Number 321
SPELL-ASAURDS
With Spell-a-Saunis, your child
can shoot down letters from
the sky, guess the missing let-
ters in words, and find the
mystery word by rearranging letters.
Select word lists by grade level (first
through eighth) or make your own.
Spelt-a-Saurus provides weli-crafted
word games (or kids in grades 1-8.
If you have a Sound Blaster or
other supported sound card, the pro-
gram talks with a strong and clear
voice. Without a sound card, the
voice is hard to understand on some
PCs. Speech quality aside, Spe!l-a-
Saunis is an excellent program.
DAVID ENGLISH
IBM PC and compatibles, 51 2K RAM,
graphics adapter; sound card support in-
cludes Tandy TL/SL or 2500, Sound
Blaster, Echo, IBM Speech Card. Covox
Speech Thing, and Hearsay; mouse op-
tional—$44.95
FIRST BYTE
Distributed by Davidson & Associates
3135KashiwaSt.
Torrance. CA 90505
(8001555-6141
(213] 534-4070
Glide Reader Service Number 331
MICKEY AN
MINNIE'S F
TIME PRINT KIT
Your child's birthday is approach-
ing (what, already?), and you
really want it to be unique,
not another Barbie bash or Ninja
Turtle soiree. Mickey and Minnie's
Fun Time Print Kit is just the ticket!
Your child can personalize invita-
tions, banners, and place mats to
make it a birthday party to remember.
Ever helpful, Mickey presents options in
Mickey and Minnie's Fun Time Print Kit.
The Print Kit is an easy-to-use
desktop publishing system for elemen-
tary-school-age kids. With it, they can
select borders, typefaces, and clip art
featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Supplied with a variety of formats,
your child can simply fill in the blanks
to produce quality printouts.
Coordinate the borders and art-
work to highlight a particular holiday
theme, such as Halloween or Christ-
mas. A helpful printout in the user's
manual shows all the art, borders, and
typefaces at a glance, making layout
easier.
A child will need to be able to
read and follow directions to use this
program independently, so it should
suit the needs of a creative child.
BETH ANN MURFLW
IBM PC and compatibles. 512K RAM,
CGA. EGA. MCGA, VGA, Tandy 1 6-color,
or Hercules— $19.95
WALT DISNEY COMPUTER SOFTWARE
5O0 S. Buena Vista St.
Burbank.CA 91521
(818)841-3326
Circle Reader Service Number 330
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE
123
REVIEWS
LEARNING
MCGEE AT THE
W' hen we last saw McGee. he
was making himself at home
on Katie's farm, gathering eggs
and watching Aunt Thelma
milk the cow. But lately, your child
may have been asking, "What else can
McGee do?"
McGee at the Fun Fair introduces your
child to the mouse and to icons.
Lots! McGee is back with a new
adventure, this time at a fair that he
visits with his parents and his friend
Tony. Fans of McGee and his antics
will love this new story line, which
opens with Tony. McGee, and his par-
ents at a city square, watching an old
man sketch. When the man turns his
paper around, McGee and Tony see
funny pictures of themselves! But if
your child clicks on the old man
again, a different picture may appear.
It's impossible to select some-
thing that doesn't react. Initiate action
on the main screen by selecting icons.
Move the mouse to highlight an icon,
press the mouse button, and — pres-
to!— a clown juggles! A lady plays her
guitar!
The game's appeal comes in part
from its support of sound systems. I
used the Co vox Speech Thing and was
delighted with the authentic -sounding
giggles of the children at play, the
sound of inflating balloons, and the
noisy slurps of McGee and Tony eat-
ing Popsicles.
Of course, parents like software
for children to have an educational
element, and McGee ai the Fun Fair
doesn't let us down. Children will
learn to manipulate a mouse and in-
terpret an icon. They'll learn cause
and effect and how to maneuver
through a series of commands to
reach a desired goal.
One of the beauties of McGee at
the Fun Fair, and of all the earlier
McGee adventures, is that they're tru-
ly for children who cannot yet read.
Since all action starts with the click of
a mouse button on an icon, and be-
cause the movement of the cursor is
limited to the bottom of the screen,
even children with limited dexterity
should have little trouble making the
program do what they want it to do.
The icons can also be selected with the
arrow keys, so if your child has a men-
tal block against mice (just like some
adults!), this program is a good choice.
Unfortunately, I'm afraid these
very advantages may limit the game's
appeal over time. My three-year-old,
who is fairly computer literate, tired
of play fairly quickly. He replayed
some of the animations again and
again and liked certain sound effects,
but after about half an hour, he'd had
enough. Luckily, I have a one-year-old
coming up behind him who hasn't
gone much beyond banging wildly at
the keyboard, so we'll just save
McGee for him.
The beauty of a recurring charac-
ter like McGee is that he's already fa-
miliar, and all parents of young
children know how important that
can be. Now that there are three dif-
ferent stories, I'm sure that children
will eagerly await the next adventure
of McGee.
BiTHANNMURRAl'
IBM PC and compatibles. 640K RAM;
CGA, EGA, MCGA, VGA, Or Tandy 16-
color; mouse optional; supports Sound
Blaster, Covox Speech Thing, and Tandy
Digital Sound sound cards; mouse op-
tional—$39.95
Also available for the Amiga ($39.95), Ap-
ple IIGS l$39.95), and Macintosh (S39.95)
LAWRENCE PRODUCTIONS
1800 8. 35th St,
Galesburg. Ml 49053
(616)665-7075
Circle Reader Service Number 329
MY PAINT
Children love to draw, and My
Paini — one of the best paint pro-
grams for kids — will only encour-
age the habit. Without a lot of
bells and whistles, My Paint offers
challenge and pleasure by stimulating
your child's own imagination. As tes-
tament, my child, who won't color
with crayons, will spend hours draw-
ing and coloring with My Paint.
If you've ever doubled that icons
are user-friendly, sit down with a child
and My Paint, and see how quickly
they become friends. These icons are
animated, a whimsical detail that sim-
ply begs kids to try them out to see
what they'll do.
Your child can draw by clicking
and moving the mouse. .Althouj^ you
can use a joystick to operate My
Paint, I would highly recommend a
mouse for freehand drawing. This is
an extremely useful skill that com-
puter-oriented children will use often.
Selection of a fat brush, a thin
brush, or the fill option is handled by
icons. Both fills and line drawings
may be done in any often solid colors
or with combinations of colors.
One of my son's favorite tricks is
Cultivate your child's artistic abil )y and
teach mouse basics with My Paint.
the flashing colors option. After draw-
ing a variety of lines and shapes with
the freehand tool, he selected flashing
colors. Suddenly the screen resembled
a neon sign, flashing and chang;.ng
every second! Lines drawn with the
multicolored option, then set flashing,
looked like a crawling worm. My child
loved it!
A coloring book option allows
you to fill in a variety of predrawn
pictures, and, of course, both original
art and coloring book pictures can be
printed for coloring with crayons. Ad-
ditional coloring book disks can be
purchased separately, and each m-
cludes 28 different pictures.
This is certainly a clever pro-
gram, but the sound accompanying
each coloring book picture leaves
something to be desired. The dino-
saur's roar and the kitten's meow
124 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
REVIEWS
LEARNING
sound about the same — like static.
There are isolated bits of charm,
though, such as the pirate ship's sea
chanley and the xylophone playing a
tune. My Faint lets your child do
computer artwork without a lot of dis-
tracting options. .A.nd because the in-
terface is uncluttered, there's nothing
standing between your child and cre-
ativity. So if you've got a budding art-
ist in the family, buy My Paint and
watch the artist blossom.
BETH ANN MURRAY
IBM PC and compatibles. 51 2K BAM,
EGA or VGA, mouse or joystick — 549,95
Also available (or Amiga — S49.95. Apple
llss— S49,95, and CDTV— 39.95 (over
100 pictures)
SADDLEBACK GRAPHICS
3621 W, MacArthur Blvd,. Ste. 119
Santa Ana, CA 92704
(800)743-4716
(714)540-4062
Circle Reader Service Numbar 328
WHERE IN THE
WOHIH IS
E,
SANDIEGO?
HEIUNE EDITION
James Bond and Sherlock
Holmes, make room — only com-
puterdom's top sleuth (that's you)
can thwart the evil schemer Car-
men Sandiego. .\s you travel around
the world (not in 80 days, but in 6),
you decipher clues that lead you to
one of Carmen Sandiego's cohorts
who's stolen some treasure. You have
to discover the thiefs identity and lo-
cation and arrest the villain.
Here, as in the original Where in
the W'brW adventure, you can become
an armchair world traveler. See the
sites, learn interesting facts, and talk
to the natives in various countries
around the world. But unlike the orig-
inal version, the deluxe edition offers
digitized photographs from the Na-
tional Geographic Society in 640 X
480 VGA resolution, 62 animated se-
quences, 1 5 more countries to ex-
plore, digitized sound, and 2500 clues
J\p\ors the sky and solar system
In new depth with orbital
simulation, a comprehensive
diitabase and outstanding ^aphics.
• V'iew detailed, rotating planets
with all known satellites. • Watch
eclipses, transits, occultaiions,
conjunctions, comet apparitions,
past and future, • Study the
asteroid t>elt in detail, • Enjoy a
realistie starry sky with deep space
objects, gonstellations, ^ds, and
local horizon. • Witness orbital
resonance, chaos, and precession.
• Make original discoveries of cause
!ind circumstance. It's open ended.
Dance Is an order of magnitude
better than any other solar
system simulator on the market
John Mwley Sky & 'niescope
This reviewer has encountered
no similarly rich entrant In the
existing corpus of programs lor
the personal computer.
Phil Morrison 8ci™tilic American
1-800-759-1642
.\.R.C. Science Sumilation Software
P.O. Bo.\ 1974U, Lo\'cland CO 80539
1-310-667-1 1()H
IBM cnrnpanblca, ECiAA'ijA (tfipHcs.
Coprocessor rtcottimcndcd *l*^S + s&Ji, Lie. ivsjjable.
Dealer InquMu Welcomed. Fax U(X).M7-110S
with higher levels of difficulty. To
travel using this super version of the
game, you'll need more than a low-
end system. It requires 640K, high-
resolution VGA graphics, and a hard
drive with at least 6MB of free disk
space.
Where in the World appeals to
the curious as well as the analyst. You
don't need the analytical skills of
James Bond, but you do need basic
reasoning abilities, If you like the Clue
board game, you'll love Where in the
World This game also appeals to
those who enjoy word games and
puzzles.
What you won't find in this game
are lots of shoot- em -up action se-
quences. That doesn't mean the
graphics are weak. You won't find
better graphics in any game that sup-
ports VGA. The realism of the back-
ground scenery is amazing, and the
cartoonlikc animated characters that
occasionally appear add their own
special touch.
Sound-card owners won't be dis-
appointed, either. The digitized voices
of the Chief and Warren the Warrant
Robot and the musical scores during
the game's opening sequences en-
hance gameplay.
Carmen Sandiego's career began
in 1 985 with the development of the
original Where in the World adven-
ture. She created and heads the
V.I.L.E. (Villains' International
League of Evil) organization. She's
rarely if ever involved in the actual
crimes, but you can be sure that she's
involved in the planning of any big
heist.
Starting as a gumshoe (low on the
totem pole) investigator, your initial
assignment is fairly simple. As you
rise through the ranks to super sleuth,
your assignments increase in difficul-
ty. Contact the Chief at ACME on
your videophone to get your assign-
ment. You'll want to take advantage
of the electronic notepad and data-
finder to assemble clues and a dossier
on your suspect. The Crime Net facili-
ty that offers information on your sus-
pects' whereabouts also provides help.
Make sure that you have a war-
rant for a suspect's arrest, or he can
slip through your fingers. As you get
closer to the thiefs location, suspi-
cious characters appear and begin to
ask questions about you. Don't be sur-
prised if you're treated to a sneak at-
tack as you close in on your prey
while questioning a witness. If a wit-
ness doesn't know anything, you're in
the wrong location.
Use The World Almanac and
Book of Facts included with the game
to investigate the clues you find. Dic-
tionaries and encyclopedias come in
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 125
REVIEWS
LEARNING
handy, too. Write ever>'thing down.
You never know what bit of infor-
mation will prove essential.
Where in the World Is Carmen
Sandiego? is easy to use and well de-
signed; I'd recommend it for anyone
over 12 years old. While playing, I
was absorbing knowledge without re-
alizing it. It was fun to search for
information on the clues, even at my
age, and if both adults and kids can
learn and have fun at the same time,
Broderbund has done its job well. As
far as I'm concerned, the educational
payoff of Wherein the World makss
the game well worth the price, wheth-
er you choose the original or the de-
luxe version. Get Where in the World
Is Carmen Sandiego and get sleuthing.
JOYCE SIDES
IBM PC and compatibles (lOMHz 286 or
faster), 640K RAM, VGA, hard disk; sup-
ports Ad Lib, Sound Blaster, Tandy 3-
voice, Roland MT-32; mouse optional —
$79.95
BR0DERBUND SOFTWARE
17 Paul Dr.
San Rafael, CA 94903-2101
(800)521-6263
Circle Reader Service Numtter 327
HARDWARE
lESTER THE
CORDLESS MOUSE
I've been fighting my mouse cord
for years — that is, until Lester the
Cordless Mouse arrived. Lester is a
terrific solution to the mouse cord
problem. No more tangled keyboard
and mouse cords, just smooth sailing
on my mouse pad with no encum-
brances. It gave me an immediate
boost in productivity.
The concise, clear manual that
came in the package provided help-
ful hints on nearly every page, point-
ing out some potential problems and
providing ready solutions. I didn't
have any trouble installing the new
software and attaching the mouse re-
ceiver to the computer.
Lester itself is small and ergono-
mically pleasing. It took some time
before my large hands became accus-
tomed to the small, tightly positioned
mouse buttons. Still, mastering Lester
proved to be no problem.
Lester the Cordless Mouse makes
tangles a thing of the past
Lester worked perfectly in all of
the W''/rt£/ciH'.y applications I ran.
DeluxePainl and most DOS applica-
tions ran great, too. I did, however,
experience difficulties with some text-
and graphics-based DOS programs
since the mouse cursor that the driver
maintains and updates is nonstandard
(DeluxePaint and H'7rt£/oH'.y applica-
tions do their own mouse-cursor
updating).
If you're looking for an alterna-
tive to mouse cord tangle and you run
mostly Windows and DOS programs
such as DeluxePaint. Lester may be
the solution to your mouse problems.
It's easy to install and a dream to use.
RICHARD C. LEINECKER
IBM PC and compatibles
LMA013: basic version— S1 1 9.99
LEM002: includes color paint program
The Visualizer, mouse pad, mouse pock-
et, and two AA batteries— Si 44.99
LIGHTWAVE TECHNOLOGIES
16595 W.Easton Ave.
Prairie View, IL 60069
(708)634-1700
Circle Reader Service NumSer 325
TYPIST
At first glance, you might think
Typist is simply a hand scanner.
It's a little wider than a standard
hand scanner, but not enough to
make much of a difference. But Typ-
ist's OCR (Optical Character Recogni-
tion) software makes it noteworthy.
The scanner requires at least
2400K of free extended memory in an
80386 or 80486 system. That means
you'll need 4MB of RAM to operate
Typist, This device comes with i\
short 8-bit card that takes up a slot in
your bus. The installation program
takes care of itself, and the manual is
very explicit, providing adequate
hand holding to comfort all but the
rankest neophyte. Once you've in-
stalled Typist, you can use it for cap-
turing either images or text. Generate
graphics from photographs or line art
and then store them in bitmap format
(TIF or PCX). You must set the scan-
ner for monochrome with a switch on
the body of the hand scanner to use
the OCR software, but you can use
either monochrome or one of three
different levels of dithering for gj-ab-
bing graphic images.
Typist's OCR software compo-
nent works in the background as a
TSR in DOS or a minimized applica-
tion in Windows. As soon as you press
the button on the hand scanner, you
activate the software, which buffers
the bitmap image and interprets the
characters. Once the OCR has figured
out all of the letters it can from the
scanned image of the printed page, it
outputs the information to the key-
board buffer, where (to your applica-
tion) it looks exactly like text you're
typing in.
One of the nicest aspects of the
OCR software, since even this slightly
wider hand scanner can't quite span
the width of a page, is that you can
scan sideways, top to bottom, or bot-
tom to top. Just set the OCR software
to automatically read the text in the
proper direction. Or set it to read text
in only one of these directions. If
you're scanning text in a columnar
formal, you can set the OCR to pay
attention only to the first, middle, or
last column of text, .\nd._ as if that
were not enough flexibility, the sys-
tem can zip scans together so you can
scan a wide page of text in a series of
horizontal bands and let Typist auto-
matically detect the overiap and elim-
inate the extra lines. Usually.
As your reward for reading this
far, here's the Kitty Kelley lowdown
on OCR: The truth about OCR soft-
ware is that Caere and a couple of oth-
ers are at the forefront of a fledgling
technology. One of the reasons Typist
demands so much memory is that
identifying text characters is next to
126 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
REVIEWS
HARDWARE
impossible, particularly when you're
scanning a variety of typefaces. Typ-
ist, and almost ever>' other OCR sys-
tem, falls to pieces when it runs across
italic text (or any other type style
slightly out of the ordinary). It can't
make out one italic letter in ten. Like-
wise, if your contrast setting is too
dark or too light, your scan is slightly
unsteady, or the scanner isn't perfectly
straight with the page, Typist will
make a lot oferrors.
Despite this, 1 was amazed at the
power of Typist. It performed as well
as a flat-bed scanner on average, and
its software seems to be slightly ahead
of ReadRight in terms of power (it
even reads dot-matrix printouts with-
out a hitch), and it's much friendlier.
The price of the Typist unit puts a
flat-bed scanner and dedicated OCR
package to shame. In spite of all the
editing scanned text requires, it's
miles ahead of typing in text in terms
of speed and convenience.
ROBERT BIX BY
IBM PC and compatibles with an 80386
Of 80486 CPU. 4WB of HAM. and a hard
disk; Windows 3.0 optional — $595
CAERE
100 Cooper Ct.
Los Gatos.CA 95030
(408) 395-7000
Circle Readei Service Number 3£4
BASEBALL FIELB
[
Picture a version of The Baseball
Encyclopedia compiled expressly
for fans of MicroLeague Base-
ball, and you should get a fairly
accurate idea of what MicroLeague
Baseball Field Guide and Disk is ail
about. The bulk of the book is devot-
ed to capsule scouting reports and
player statistics for the teams included
in the three editions of the game. The
guide also supplies short summaries
of the squads found on the different
franchise history disks, which are sold
separately.
The disk part of the package takes
the form of a special edition of the
new MicroLeague Baseball game. Ba-
sically a stripped version of the regu-
lar program, it lacks the stat compiler,
is not compatible with any supple-
mental disks, and comes with a roster
of only six teams. With regards to
gameplay, however, the special edi-
tion works just like the real thing.
The book and disk package really
has only one strike against it: the
S26.95 price tag. Of course, in addi-
tion to the guide, you get what
amounts to a sneak preview of the
new MicroLeague Baseball, but at
that price you might just as well spend
a bit more and buy the complete
game. If you already own the new
game, it's even harder not to balk, at
the price, because you're essentially
paying extra for a disk of no value to
you.
Fortunately, there's one saving
grace. A coupon in the back of the
book secures you a discount of up to
$ 1 5 on the cost of some of the add-on
disks. If you shave this amount off the
guide's purchase price, its appeal defi-
nitely grows.
And money matters aside, the in-
dividual player commentaries and
overall team analyses contained with-
in the book will, without a doubt,
deepen your appreciation of what
transpires in your MicroLeague Base-
ball game. It might just make you a
superior MicroLeague manager, too.
JEFF SEi KEN
Authors: Dave Weiner and Bill Gutman
450 pages— S26.95
BANTAM BOOKS
666 5th Ai/e.
New York. NY 101 03
Circle Reader Service Numt»r 323
TYPE FRBM THE
BESKTBP
With literally thousands of type-
faces to choose from, it's hard
to get a handle on what makes
one typeface different from
another. As with fine wines, the sub-
tleties of tone and color are lost on
those of us outside the discipline.
If we think of the creation of
typefaces at all, we think of it as an ar-
cane science performed by cloistered
academics with bad eyesight.
Yet with the growing popularity
of desktop publishing and Windows-
based applications, understanding
type is becoming as basic as knowing
how to copy a file.
Fortunately for those of us who
are new to this area, Clifford Burke
has written an excellent introduction
to the use of type on the PC. Type
from the Desktop balances both art
and science for a fascinating look at
why typeface matters. Burke livens up
what is usually a dry subject with bits
of historical trivia, many practical
tips, and examples of his own favorite
typefaces.
He begins by describing the ba-
sics of setting text on a page — mar-
gins, white space, line length, line
spacing, type size, tracking, kerning,
and alignment. Much of this material
will be familiar to readers involved in
desktop publishing, but the author ex-
plains it well and always brings it back
to the elements that aid the reader.
Burke progresses to a short histo-
ry of the major trends in typefaces, a
lively discussion of the different type-
face categories, and a quick tour of
some of the great typefaces (which I
found to be the most interesting part
of the book).
He concludes with a down-to-
earth look at various design consider-
ations, the steps you can take to
determine the best layout for your
material, and advice on how to
work — and communicate — with ser-
vice bureaus.
If you're confused about type-
faces or just want to learn more about
how to use them on a page, pick up a
copy of Type from the Desktop. It
cleariy stands out from the other
books on type — hke a 72-point Poster
Bodoni headline set against a full page
of I2-point Times.
DAVID ENGLISH
Author: Clifford Burke
226 pages— S23.95
VENTANA PRESS
P.O- Box 2468
Chapel Hill, NC 27515
Cirde Reader Service Njmber 322
AUGUST 1991
C O fv! P U T E 127
THE MOST REMARKABLE
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The Quebec Conference. From left to right, in the
foreground: Mackenzie King, prime minister of
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It was a desperate plight in which the 14th Regiment of the Line found itself, the French squa-e harshly pressed.
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In Wofid War II you are one man at the top of the military-political
heirarchy of a key power of the time and weave youf own thread into
the collective creation of all players which is the whole game.
Whether you become Genera/ Rommel recently ordered to
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Jrumam, Winston Churchill or whatever role you don World War II
puts YOU into an unprecedented theatre of alternate history.
THE NAPOLEONIC WARS
BeUveen 1798-1814 a straggle for world hegemony was waged.
From Napoleon Buonaparte's decision to invade Egypt, to
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the downfall oi Napoleon, the history of Eurasia twisted and turned.
History could have diverged profoundly from its actual course.
Nelson should have caught Napoleon en route to Egypt destroyed
him and inadvertently preserved the Republic. Napo/eon should have
triumphed in 1813.
The tapestry of these struggles was dark to its creators, its final
outcome obscure and inevitably the result of a panoply of individual
efforts. For example, the French were undone in Spain by
Napoleon's inability to personally supervise the campaign.
MUSKETS & MULES
French hussar and a dragoon lalk with their
ntries posted nearby
During the years 1B05-1810 a four-cornered struggle for hegemony
rased over German and Italian speaking Europe. Empires rose and
Empires fell. In the course of this epochal clash of powers the first
French Empire under the Emperor Napoleon I broke the back of the
Habsburg Empire, twice defeated the Empire of all the Russias and
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STAR IN THE DEFINITIVE WARGAMES
ill in the coupon below or phone us at (914) 428-1990 to find out more.
To; Historical Simulations, 99 Court Street, White Plains, NY 10601
FAX: (914)761-3042
50 for rules, materials and your first turn, please tick off the
ppropriate box and fill in the chart. Free start-up if you get
a friend to join. Call us to arrange. Please make checks
payable to Historical Simulations, Inc.
SPECIAL OFFER sign up for 3 turns ($60). ..Get Start-Up Materials FREE {$30 Savings]
turn takes place
/ery 14 days
id costs $20 per turn.
lame
ddress
elephone number
D WORLD WAR II
Please number countries
in order oi preference:
Greater Germany
The Soviet Union (and the CCP)
The British Empire
The lapanese Empire
The United States of America . .
The Italian Empire
The French Republic
Nationalist China
Other Power (e.g. Poland)
(7 to 2]
Field Commander
(Tto3)
Armv
Strategic Commander Navy .
PoliticalLeader Air Force
n THE NAPOLEONIC WARS
Please number countries
in order of preference:
Republic of France
Great Britian
The Habsburg Monarchy
The Empire of
all the Russias
The Kingdom of Prussia
The Ottoman Empire
Other Power (e.g. Spain)
(1 to 2)
Field Commander
Strategic/Political
Commander
(1 to 2]
Army
Navy
D MUSKETS & MULES
Please number countries
in order of preference:
a to 3]
French . .
Austrian .
Russian
Prussian
G-8
© 1990
Historical Simuldtions. Inc.
99 Court Stieet
White Plains, New York 10601
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130 COMPUTE AUGUST 1991
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Circle Reader Service Num&er 113
Conquering
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• Made in the US A
•Technical supDCrt by phone
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internal Programmer for PC
New Inlelligeni Averaging Algorithm Proorams B4A in 10 sec, 256 in I min,, 1 Meg (27010, 011 1
in ! niin, .16 sec, . 2 Meg (27C2001 1 in i min. Internal card with external 40 pin ZIF
• Reads. VeTities, and programs 2716. 32. 32A.
64 64A. 123 12SA256. 512, 513,010, 011. 301
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4539 Orange Grove Ave, • Sscramento. CA 95941
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"1991"
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Circle Reader Service Number 151
Circle Reader Service Number 135
Discover What The Casinos
Don't Want You To Know
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Experience all the fasi-paced excitement of
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$49.95
plus S.i shipping & handling
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Visa/MC call toll-free:
800-828-2259 ext. 410
'cpfpZiWtS.
LWS SOFTWARE
Depl.4C'P.O. Box688
Brooniall,PA 19008
Requires IBM PC orcompalible:512K;VGA,EGA.CGA or Mono.
PROM COMPUTE BOOKS
The Official Book of King's Quest, Second Edition
Includes more clues, maps, and inside details, along with more wavs to
add even more fun to all five of the best-selling King s Ques: games.
Covers King's Quest l-V.
166 pages S12.95
The Official Guide to Sid Meter's Railroad Tycoon
Here you'll read interviews witti Sid Meier, the designer of Railroad
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182 pages S12,95
The Official Guide to Roger Wllco's Space Adventures
The only complete guide for all your Space Quest adventures, including
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Roger's walk-through to the finish of all the games.
Covers Space Quest l-IV.
265 pages S14.95
To order send a list of books desired and a check or monev order for
the appropnate amount Please add S2 shipping and handling for each
book (J4 Canada, $6 foreign) and applicable tax" tO;
COMPUTE Books
C/0 ccc
2S00 McClellan Ave.
Pennsauken, NJ 08109
* Residents of NC, NJ. and NY add appropriate sales tax: Canadian
orders pi ease add 7% goods and services tax.
All orders must be paid in US, funds drawn on a U,S. bank. Please aliow
four weeks for delivery.
Offer good while supplies last,
8J91C
Circle Reader Service Number 127
386-25]Vfflz
O 4fliMB VGA Laptop
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Q 4MB RAM exp. to 8Ma 32KCache
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a 42MB HD, f9ms, 144 Floppy
□ Integrated VGA (640x480)
a BacMit LCD Display 3Z Grayscales
a 65 W AC Power 2^/1 10V Autoswitch
Q MS DOS 4.01 / Windows 3.0
a 2 Serial, 1 Parallel Port, FCC Class B
lOOMB 18ms HD $375.™ extra
Complete Syatetrtt
tUBMonoJiOUB
ZW-tZ (79SX0
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onDgiifUJon hiio '.
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Since 19S4
Locfetioni NationTld«
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MICRDNICS
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authorized distributor
Circle Reader Service Number 1fl3
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Circle Reader Service Number 131
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Circle Header Service Number 230
AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 133
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Circle Reader Service Number 241
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mim. White Plains, NY 10602
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Circle Reader Service Number 109
mef>t>
Guaranteed tn Improve
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The principles of good writing are good for all kindA of
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whether you're juit stajiling to write or whether you can
just use aomc bfUflhiog up.' — NatiooAl Writen Club
"This program Kiema about u goof-proof ai a program
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•'Hom»-0/JicM CompvtiAg 'At the end, you have a
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Circle Reader Service Number 193
COLOR RIBBONS & PAPER
Colors: aiack. Rei3. Blue, Green. Brown. Purple. Yellow
Ribbons:
price each
Black
$4.95
4,00
_Cok>r_
S5.K
5.00
Brottier 1109
Citizen 200/GSX 140
Citizen GSX 140, 4-Color
Epson MX/FX/RX 80/35 I 3.75 4.50
Okidata 182/192 5.00 '• 7.50
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6.75
10.00
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Color Paper 200 sheets assorted
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PO. Box 475, Mantsno, IL 60950 US.A.
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Circle Reader Service Number 221
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or 313-761-7638
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Circle Reader Service Number 126
134 COMPUTE AUGUST
ADULT
SOFTWARE
CONNOISSEUR
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19 9 1
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3-D VIDEO
3D COMPUTER GMiPHICS
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SOFTWARE
IBM - COMMODORE 64 & 128 - AMIGA.
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Call
212-724-0911
for
Classified Ad
information
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Earn I at home with your IBM compatible.
Just send S5 for floppy disk & details to:
J. W. Enterprises Inc.
529 Cinder Rd., Edison, NJ 08820
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EDUCATION
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COMPUTER REPAIR
24 HOUR Computer Repair. Commodore,
Amiga. IBM, Apple. A & M Computer
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SUPPLIES
GO FIRST CLASS! 100 Sheets of Quality
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vour letters. Onlv S14.95 + S3.55 s/h ($18.50).
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! Send to: Print
Tra\. Box 905 Dept. C, Burlington, NC 27216.
COMPUTE Classified is a low-cost way to tell over 355,000 micro-
computer owners about your product or service.
Additional Information. Please read carefully.
Rates: $38 per line, minimum of four lines. Any or all of the first line set in capital letters at no
charge. Add $15 per line for boldface words, or $50 for the entire ad set in boldface (any num-
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Terms; Prepayment is required. We accept checks, money orders, VISA, or MasterCard.
Form: Ads are subject to publisher's approval and must be either typed or legibl)' printed. One
line equals 40 letters and spaces between words. Please underline words to be set in boldface.
General Information: Advertisers using post office box number in their ads must supply per-
manent address and telephone number.
Orders will not be acknowledged. Ad will appear in next available issue after receipt.
Closing: First of the second month preceding cover date (e.g. October issue closes August 1.)
CLASSIFIED DISPLAY RATES
Classified display ads measure 2'A'' wide and are priced according to height. 1" "= $275; I'/i' =
$400; 2" = $525. Preferred supplied material is Velox or PMT.
HOW TO ORDER
To place an ad, send order and pavment to Sharon Steinkemper, Classified Manager,
COMPUTE, 1965 Broadwav, New York, NY 10023-5965, or call Sharon Steinkemper at 212.
724-0911, FAX 212-724-0825.
Tandy 1000 Subscribe to "One Thousand"
the magazine for your Tandy 1000. Send $7
for 3-mos trial or $24 for one year
(12 issues plus free software disk) to:
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AUGUST 1991
COMPUTE 13S
FAST FACTS
TOP 25 MS-DOS GAMES
This Month Last Month Titfe
Firm
1
•
Eye of the Beholder
Electronic Arts
2
■
Space Quest IV
Sierra On-Line
3
1
King's Quest V
Sierra On-Llne
4
5
Wing Commander
Origin
5
«
Death Knights of Krynn
Electronic Arts
6
^
SimEarth
Maxis
7
7
SimCity
Maxis
8
6
Flight Simulator
Microsoft
9
16
Links
Access
10
11
A-1D Tank Killer
Sierra On-Llne
11
10
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Broderbund |
12
*
Overlord
Mastertronic
13
4
F-1 9 Stealth Fighter
MicroProse
14
3
Red Baron
Sierra On-Llne
15
9
Entertainment Pack for Windows 3.0
Microsoft
16
14
Wing Commander Secret Mission Disk
Origin
17
8
F-15 Strike Eagle II
MicfoProse
18
17
Where in the USA Is Carmen Sandiego?
Broderbund
19
12
Jack Nicklaus' Unlimited Golf & Course
Design Accolade
20
15
Bill Elliott's NASCAR Challenge
Konami
21
m
Test Drive III: The Passion
Accolade
22
18
Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego?
Broderbund
23
•
Silent Service II
MicroProse
24
19
Joe Montana Football
Sega
25
21
Leisure Suit Larry III
Sien-a On-Line
• Rrst month in Top 25
This months Hit List of top-selling computer games for IBM PC and compatible computers was compiled
by the Software Publishers Association in March
1991 and based on the sales in major software retail stores.
EUROPEAN COMPUTER LEISURE AWARDS 1991
The European Computer Trade Show held in London April 14-16 this year proclair
ned several winners for Its prestlgous
European Computer Leisure Awards. Game maker Psygnosis came out on top, gathering six prizes at the show's awards
ceiebratlon which was held at the famous Hippodrome nightclub. The list of winning products, which reflect Europe's fasci-
nation with arcade and fantasy role-playing games. Included:
Software Publisher of the Year
Best Adventure/Role-Playing Game
Best Music Package
Psygnosis
Secret of Monkey Island
Bars & Pipes
Computer Game of the Year
Best Mind Game
Best Home Education Package
Lemmings
Klax
Fun School 3
Best Graphics
Best Packaging
Best Home Productivity Package
Shadow of the Beast II
Ultima VI
Microsoft Works
Best Sound
Best Simulation
Most Innovative Peripheraf
Shadow of the Beast II
F-19 Stealth Fighter
Video Toaster
Best Action Game
Console Game of the Year
Multimedia Package of the Year
Killing Game Show
Tetris
AmigaVision
Most Original Game
Console of the Year
Home Computer of the Year
Lemmings
Atari Lynx
Amiga 500
Best Animation
Best Art Package
Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp
Deluxe Paint III
136 COMPUTE
AUGUST 1991
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B Do you use you computer mostiy for n ipiaytng games
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Ode 101 lor 3 one-year rwn sut»cr«ibon 1o COMPUTE You wifl be WIed for S12 97.
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CxpiraDon date 9-30-91
10B
119,
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14dJ
i-ia
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891
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V
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SEPT 1, 1991
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