FEBRUARY 1993
I'i
TOP EXPERT
PICKS BES
VIRUSES!
T* Mm L ' ▲ ' i
YOU DO
SIZZLING
WINDOWS VIDEO
MODEM GAMES
BIZ PLAN BASICS
|j||iiiiiiiiii||iiiiiiini|||| ijiiiii M.^..^fj.j
its M €SB,
c:rosoft.
[MJOOWS
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11
^^i^'
4 ■ '^'^A .
^^l
'The.\mazonisavery
inhospimble place to take a
computer. Its enormously hot-
always in the 100 degree range.
The humidity is a!\\'a)'s \vell up
uear 100 percent. U often rains
three and four times a day. And
it's teeming with insects. Some-
timc-s you'd have to hit a com-
puter key a few times because you
knew you were squashing a bug
underneath. My Epson poruhle
worked imder even adverse
circumstance I can think of. Even
after I dropped it in the river."
—Enviroimentalist Richard Fuller,
N]% NY. Another reason Epson
compidm are the only umy to p.
For more injormaim, mil
800SUY-EPSOK
■^r^ --fciiiSjKiSfe/ijsSSflBsefe
In the last five years,
environmental consultant
^chard FulJi^has put in oyer
107,000 unusually gruelinf
- : miles of business travel.-
So has his computer.
EPSON
* t t i * ^ t II HI
aDnnpuTE
VOLUME 15, NO. 2, ISSUE 149
FEBRUARY 1993
FEATURES
8
TEST LA6
Edited by Mike Hudnail
Ten great paint programs go
head to head.
40
THE ULTIMATE WINDOWS
MACHINE
By Dan Gookin
Here's a step-by-step guide
to finding the best PC for
Windows.
70
THE GREAT VIRUS SCARE
By Philip Chien
What are viruses, and how
dangerous are they, really?
78
PRODUCTIVin CHOICE
By William Harrel
IntelliDraw from Aldus.
84
ON YOUR OWN
By Rosalind Resnick
When you go into business,
you have to start with a plan.
COLUMNS
4
EDITORIAL LICENSE
By Clifton Karnes
What's new for Windows
in 1993-
32
NEWS & NOTES
By Jill Champion
Top computer news.
36
FEEDBACK
Answers to tough questions.
54
WINDOWS WORKSHOP
By Clifton Karnes
The Irwin AccuTrak Plus
tape backup system.
56
TIPS & TOOLS
Edited by
Richard C. Leinecker
Tips from our readers.
Creative and digital photo illustration by Nexvisions
60
HARDWARE CLINIC
By Mark Minasi
Interrupts made easy.
64
INTRODOS
By Tony Roberts
Use undocumented
commands to format
your disks.
66
PROGRAMMING POWER
By Tom Campbel!
Programming with FoxPro.
68
SKAREPAK
By Steve Draper
Shareware treasures.
80
ART WORKS
By Robert Bixby
Electronic imaging.
90
PERSONAL PRODUCTIVin
By Daniel Janal
The lowdown on warranties
and service contracts.
94
MULTIMEDIA PC
By David English
Cut and paste video movies.
144
NEWS BITS
By Clifton Karnes, David
English, and Robert Bixby
COMDEX show report.
ENTERTAINMENT
92
DISCOVERY CHOICE
By David Sears
Time Riders from The
Learning Company.
96
ENTERTAINMENT CHOICE
By Alfred C. Giovetti
Out of This World from
Interplay.
98
GAMEPLAY
By Paul O Schuytema
The greatest modem
games.
100
VIRTUAL REALITY
By Jeffrey Hsu
Reality — what a concept!
The latest news from the
world of pure imagination.
REVIEWS
106
Hands-on evaluations of the
latest PC hardware and
software, including
LotusWorks 3.0,
C. Itoh CI-8E,
Heaven & Earth,
Logitech Trackman,
Megahertz T396FM,
SimCity for Windows,
Calculus EZ-FAXit,
Composer Quest,
Computer Check
Ordering Kit,
Kodak Diconix 180si,
Flashdrive 25,
RoboSport for Windows,
Honeywell Opto-
Mechanical,
Quest for Glory I,
and TEMPEST
TREASURE HUNT
See page 49.
ADVERTISERS INDEX
See page 121.
COMPUTE (ISSN 0194-357X) is published monthly in itie United States and Canada by COMPUTE Publications International Ltd., 1965 Broadway. N©w York, NY 10023-5965. Vofum© 15.
Number 2, Issue 149. Copyright © 1992 by COMPUTE Publications International Ud. All rights reserved. COMPUTE is a registered trademark of COMPUTE Publications International Ltd.
Printed in the USA by R, R. Donneliey & Sons Inc. and distributed worldwide (except Australia and the UK) by Curtis Circulation Company, PO Box 9102. Pennsauken. NJ 08109. Distributed
in Australia by The Horwitz Group, PO Box 306, Camrreray NSW 2062 Australia and m the UK by Northern and Shell Pic . PO. Box 381, Millhart>our. London E14 9TW. Second-class postage
paid at New York. NY, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: St nd address changes to COMPUTE Magazine, PO. Box 3245, Harlan. lA 51537-3041. Tel. (600) 727-6937. Entire
contents copyrighted. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or m part without written permission from the publisher, Subscriptions: US. AFO - $19 94 one year; Canada
and elsewhere -$25.94 one year, Single copies S2.95 in US. The publisher disclaims all responsibility to return unsolicited matter, and all rights in portions published thereof remain the sole
prooerty of COMPUTE Publications International Ltd. Letters sent to COMPUTE or its editors become the property of the magazine. Editorial offices are located at 324 W, Vtendover Ave,
Ste 200, Greensboro. NC 27408. Tel. (919) 275-9309.
2 COMPUTE FESRUARr 1993
The Sound Choice
In Multimedia Upgrade Kits.
If upgrading
your PC to MFC .
standards sounds
good to yoU; we can
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For only $799^ you get the only
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tions and games. With MIDI adapter
cable and sequencing software^
plus a 20-voice/ 4-operator FM
music synthesizer, Sound Blaster
Fro is one sound investment!
And that's only the beginning.
There's a high-performance CD-
ROM drive that surpasses MFC
specifications. Plus a FREE library
of CDs that will open your FC to
all the possibihties of multimedia
computing. Over $3,000 worth
of the hottest CD titles for multi-
media authoring and enhanced
education, entertainment^ and
Mktwsofi
WINDCMS,
productivity capabihties for
your computer.
You get Microsoft® Wmdows ""
3.1; Microsoft Bookshelff a
reference resource with an
encyclopedia, thesaurus^ and
dictionary Microsoft Works for
Windows™ an integrated pro-
ductivity package. MacroMind®
Action ! r Author ware® Star™
and Tempra™ from Mathematica,
presentation tools for DOS and
Windows. Sherlock Holmes,
Consulting Detective, the award-
winning mystery game. And
many many more.
The Sound Blaster Multimedia
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find out more, visit your computer
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And see why choosing our mul-
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sum wem
MULTIMEPIAUrCMEtlT
Sound Blaster is a trademark of Creative Labs, Inc.
All other marks are owned by their respective companies. © 1992 Creative Labs, Inc. All rights reserved
International inquiries: Creative Technology, Ltd., Singapore Tel 65 773 0233 Fax 65-773-0353
Circle Reader Service Number 125
CRIi: TIVE
CREATIVE LABS,
EDITORIAL LICENSE
Clifton Karnes
*he Windows Developers
Conference, held this
past October in Santa
Clara, California, showed
the shape of Windows to
come. As you may already
know, Windows is fast becom-
ing a family of products that
share a common core of fea-
tures and functions, and that
idea was one of the focuses
of the conference.
In Microsoft's recent ads.
you see what looks like three
interconnected cough drops,
each representing a member
of the Windows family. The
first family member is Win-
dows 3.1, the next is Win-
dows for Workgroups, and
If Windows is in the last is Windows NT. And
your future, youVe probably heard about
it pays to know other flavors of Windows,
SOmetiirns too— like Modular Windows,
about tlie future Win32s, and OLE 2.0— and
Of Windows, wondered where these fit in
the family tree.
First, Windows 3-1 is the
most recent version of the op-
erating system that's gaining
popularity now. It was re-
leased last spring and Is be-
coming the interface of
choice for the majority of PC
users— including COMPUTERS
readers.
Windows for Workgroups is
a superset of Windows 3.1
that was released last Octo-
ber. In addition to ail of 3.1's
features. WFW adds exten-
sions for working with other
Windows users over a net-
work. It also adds improved
versionsof 3.1 s File Manager
and Clipboard plus new pro-
grams that offer scheduling,
mail, and file sharing.
Both Windows 3,1 and
WFW are 16-bit versions of
Windows. With the exception
of one 32-bit magic trick,
both operating systems move
data 16 bits at a time even on
the latest 486 screamer.
Windows NT, however, is a
full 32-bit operating system
with tons of features to make
it lightning fast and network-
COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
ready. With networking built
in, Windows NT has some-
thing in common with WFW.
As I mentioned earlier,
both Windows 3.1 and WFW
are 16-bit operating systems,
but a special trick lets these
environments run some 32'bit
code in the form of virtual de-
vice drivers, or VxDs.
Microsoft has taken advan-
tage of this feature to create
Win32s. Win32s is a subset of
Windows NT that will run on
Windows 3.1 or WFW using
32-bit VxDS. This gives devel-
opers and users a chance to
take advantage of a measure
of NT-style 32-bit computing
but in Windows 3.1 or WFW.
Modular Windows is simply
a subset of Windows 3.1
that's burned in ROM so that
it can be used with home vid-
eo systems or personal digital
assistants. Modular Windows
is the foundation of Tandy's
new V!S home entertainment
system.
This Windows family has a
common interface and down-
ward compatibility, and soon,
all members (except perhaps
Modular Windows) will have
something else in common:
OLE 2.0.
One of the most exciting
things at the Developers Con-
ference was Microsoft's an-
nouncement of OLE 2.0, a
way of creating compound
documents that will be a part
of the common interface of
Windows 3.1, WFW, Win32s,
and Windows NT.
Windows 3.1 supports OLE
1.0, so you may already have
an idea of what OLE's about.
OLE makes it possible to cre-
ate documents that contain
parts of other documents. For
example, a word processor
file might contain a section of
a spreadsheet, an illustration
from a draw program (for the
company's logo, for exam-
ple), and a photograph in the
form of a bitmap. With OLE
1.0, you can combine these el-
ements into a compound doc-
ument and, by double-click-
ing on an OLE element, call
the object's creator with the ob-
ject loaded and ready to edit.
OLE 2.0, however, takes
this one major step further.
When you double-click on an
OLE object, your host applica-
tion becomes the creator.
Let's assume you have a
graphic created with Co-
relDRAW! that's embedded in-
side a Word for Windows
word processor document. If
you double-click on the Corel
graphic, Word for Windows be-
comes CorelDRAW!, The
menu bar changes to Corel's
menu bar, and Corel's tool pal-
ette pops onto your screen.
You can edit the Corel graph-
ic without thinking twice
about it.
The second major new ben-
efit of OLE 2.0 is that you can
create compound documents
by dragging objects from one
application to another.
That's the rundov*/n on the
Windows family and one of
the most interesting aspects
of its common interface — OLE
2.0. Stay tuned to COMPUTE
in 1993 for more details on
these exciting Windows devel-
opments and for how-to help
in making them useful and pro-
ductive for you. a
Introducing the Macintosh for
every member of the family
The new Apple" Macintosh Performa^family of per-
sonal computers is especially designed for your family
The\^ re flexible enou^i to mn the
^^^^S^i»
Ihere are three affonktble Madntmb Perfomm mockls, compleie irith kyboani mouse ami
pfeiftstiiilaiuvniprocessitig, ^moMeet atuigtu^ks sofiuure"
soflware your kids use at school. Powerful enough to run
the programs you use at work. And getting started on
one is incredibly easy, because of everything it includes.
You'll get the basic software, already built in. A toll-free
helpline, And a one-yeai' limited warranty with in-home
service for warrant^' repairs! For a retailer near you, call
800-538-9696, ext. 215. Or visit one of the stores below
And bring home the power every family needs. The
St-' Macintosh Perfornia.m
your
jakhkVmmt Iddanert, q^tkpcl qpccltir. Srfo, Sinpkt. Jim UCff^jw .rF;,.'
N a V a\E a a «moe of mi Far^ Sank. S A © /99i irra S A Mmbrr FIK Jh^
■: I tm © SWAppkOmmler hx Alt t^
■ ■ •fUtI QHTpUttTt
Feel The Information.
Its all around you. See it, hear it, watch it move, all at
the same time. With the Desktop Library, a complete
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It's a learning tool that lets you hear the music
as you read about the composer, witness historic events
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It's also a valuable business tool, giving you access
to thousands of CD-ROM titles, hom census data to
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A complete Desktop Library kit conies with
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collection of utilities, applications, and multimedia titles
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Everything you need to turn information into an
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„ad®'
TEST LAB
Edited by Mike Hudnall
W1 ith a remarkable array of
Mnput options and power-
ful tools, today's paint pro-
grams make it easier than
ever to harness your creative en-
ergies, transforming your artistic vi-
sion into an attractive finished prod-
uct, perhaps even a work of art.
This month's Test Lab focuses
on five DOS packages and five
Windows packages that range in
price from $129 to $795.
Some of these packages clear-
ly target beginners and casual
dabblers, while others offer the
power and features demanded
by professionals. Some of these
paint programs have been
around for a while, and if you're
pleased with the features in the
latest version of one of them, you
may decide to stick with it be-
cause it's familiar On the other
hand, if you feel youVe outgrown
your present paint program,
there's plenty of information here
to help you choose an abler one.
Input options will figure high on
many people's lists, and seven of
these programs offer scanner sup-
port. Image-In Scan & Paint 3.1
works with Kodak PhotoCD imag-
es and printers, and six of the pro-
grams offer screen capture capa-
bilities. Because a mouse doesn't
offer the precision many artists
look for. you'll find support for sty-
luses and tablets with some of the
packages.
Support for various file for-
mats — images you can import
from or export to the applications
you use on a regular basis^may
also affect your choice. Take a
look at the grid of paint program
features to see just which formats
a particular package supports.
The tools you'll use to modify
images or create your works of
art may well be your primary con-
sideration in choosing a paint pro-
gram. Some of them are pretty
amazing. One offers a custom
brush tool, another helps you
paint in the style of Van Gogh,
and still another includes sophis-
8 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
floated photo-retouching tools.
Here, too, the features grid as-
sists by presenting information
about paint tools, special effects,
filter functions, image control,
and more.
Keep in mind, however, that
these programs sometimes differ
in their terminology and ap-
proach so much that it's difficult
to draw comparisons. For a more
detailed look at how each pro-
gram works and what the partic-
ular strengths of a program are,
look to the reviews. Here you'll
also find valuable information
about documentation, ease of
use, add-ins, and other matters
that can't be covered adequately
in a list of features.
Pay careful attention to the hard-
ware requirements for these
paint packages. As hardware has
become more powerful and so-
phisticated, system requirements
have also increased. Memory re-
quirements in our lineup vary
from 51 2K ail the way to a whop-
ping GMB, and the manufacturers
recommend even more. The min-
imum of disk space required var-
ies from 2.5MB to 10MB, and
you'll need a 24-bit video adapt-
er and high-resolution monitor if
you want to display the 16.7 mil-
lion colors that six of these paint
packages let you use. Make sure
that your video adapter is support-
ed by the package you want.
Also, many of these programs rec-
Aldus PhotoStyler 1.1
IBM PC or compatible (B03B8
campatliiie), 2MB RAM (4MB
feGommendedK any Wlndows-
compatlDle adapter (high-
resolution 256-GOior or 24-bfl
adapter reoommended), hard drive
with 4MB free (80MB hard drive
reoammendedK Windows 3 J or
higher, mouse— $795
ALDUS
411 First Ave. S
Seattle, WA 88104-2871
(206) 628-2320
ommend at least a 386 micropro-
cessor, and there's no doubt that
a 486 system will speed the per-
formance of Windows apps. In
fact, these sophisticated paint
packages may offer you just the ex-
cuse you've been looking for to up-
grade to a more powerful system.
Finally, while both paint pro-
grams and draw programs come
under the larger rubric of illustra-
tion software, there are some im-
portant differences to consider be-
fore you buy. As managing editor
David English pointed out in his
introduction to the Test Lab on
draw software (September 1992).
"Paint programs are your best
choice if you work with scanners
and photorealistic images. Draw
programs are best if the form of
the image is more complex than
its color or if you plan to print at
high resolutions."
Whatever your artistic aspira-
tions and requirements. Test Lab
can help you understand this soft-
ware category and make a more
informed buying decision.
MIKE HUDNALL
ALDUS
PHOTOSTYLER 1.1
Remember the excitement of
opening a birthday or holiday
package containing an art set?
Few gifts brighten a child's face
so much. Aldus PhotoStyier 1 , 1 is
a powerful art set for your com-
puter; paints, pencils, and tools
of all kinds give you incredible con-
trol over any kind of artwork. You
can create images from scratch,
or you can start with scanned im-
ages and modify as you please.
The programming artists who
assembled this package have
left no milieu unexplored. As a
tool for creating artwork, Photo-
Styier works well, and it's superb-
ly suited for modifying and enhanc-
ing existing electronic images
such as scanned photographs.
Back to the drawing board: Pho-
toStyler's array of paint tools may
seem unremarkable on the sur-
face, but when you explore the
customization possibilities for
each tool, you realize what splen-
did tools they are. For example,
in addition to choosing the
shape of your paintbrush, you
can select the rate of the flow of
the paint and the transparency of
the paint. Also, when painting
over previously painted areas,
you can choose to have the paint
applied only to areas that are light-
er or darker than the paint color.
Options also permit you to Isolate
and change only the hue, color,
or brightness components of the
underlying pixels.
One of PhotoStyler's finest fea-
tures is the Magic Wand color se-
lection tool. When you click on a
pixel with the Magic Wand, that pix-
el and all adjoining pixels of a sim-
ilar color are selected. This is a
speedy way to select large areas-
such as the background— of a pic-
ture for recoloring. Besides its abii-
ity to repaint images, PhotcStyler
has a full set of color correction
and enhancement tools that pro-
vide control over either the whole
image or selected regions.
PhotoStyler offers an array of fil-
ters designed to help you enhance
your artwork in various ways. With
these filters, you can sharpen, sof-
ten, blur, or emboss your image.
You can add a ripple effect or a
whirlpool effect. And with the fil-
ters, as with miost options in Pho-
toStyler, the tools are available for
PhotoStyfcf
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you to define your own effect.
PhotoStyler has sophisticated
options for combining and merg-
ing images, making the program
one of the most complete image
manipulation tools around. The
program can read almost any stan-
dard graphics fiie format and in-
cludes driver software for a hand-
ful of scanners, but the popular
hand-held models are not includ-
ed. Nevertheless, PhotoStyler
will have no trouble reading and
modifying images once they're
captured through the scanner
maker's proprietary software.
With so many options and pos-
sibilities, PhotoStyler can seem
overwhelming. The documenta-
tion, however, wili put you at
ease. In typical Aldus fashion, a
fine tutoriai in the Getting Started
book helps you clear the initial hur-
dles. The reference manual
includes detailed explanations of
the hows and whys of image
manipulation. Keep the book at
hand, however, because the
online reference fails a little flat
compared to the help services
provided in other Aldus software.
Despite its down-to-earth doc-
umentation, PhotoStyler has too
much horsepower for anyone
who just wants to do a little com-
puter-aided painting. PhotoStyler
is designed to handle the prob-
lems of a sophisticated user, and
it won't disappoint even the most
demanding professional.
TONY ROBERTS
Circle Reader Service Number 371
COLORWORKS 1.0
If you want real power in DOS im-
age processing with the ability to
professionally create, edit,
merge, and process black-and-
white and color images with over
450 separate tools for drawing, im-
age editing, and applying special
effects, then ColorWorks 1.0
from SPG could very well be for
you.
Instead of an expensive Win-
dows-compatible program cost-
ing hundreds of dollars, SPG of-
fers a DOS package for only
$149 retail that still provides al!
the power of many high-end pro-
grams. This is a power program
meant for serious image manipu-
lation. While it lacks some of the
polish and glitter of Windows ap-
plications, it compensates by sup-
plying you with greater flexibility.
Giving up the Windows inter-
face means that you have added
power and speed. For example,
all of the drawing tools in Color-
Works are completely configura-
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE 9
TEST LAB
ble on the fly. This means you
have the option of configuring
and reconfiguring the tools while
you edit images, selecting the
brush stroke, color, pattern, spe-
cial effect, or combination of
effects you want a too! to use as
many times as you like while work-
ing on a drawing.
And there are plenty of tools
available for reconfiguring. The 13
basic drawing tools include line,
free draw, rectangle, triangle, par-
allelogram, ellipse, curve, fill font,
circle, polygon, a zoom/edit pixel
editor, and a cut-and-paste tool.
The ColorWorks cut-and-paste
tool allows you to rotate, paint/
drag, scale, stretch/shrink, flip, cut.
copy, image-merge, and superim-
pose an area of your screen im-
age (called the canvas).
Want more flexibility? Whenev-
er you load a file in ColorWorks,
the cut-and-paste tool is active.
Thus, you can apply the effects
described above before position-
ing and pasting your loaded
images where you want them on
the canvas. And the program
allows an unlimited number of
images onscreen at the same
time for editing and creating
unique pieces of work.
Several of the major graphics
file formats find support in this pro-
gram: BMP, TIF. PCX, Targa, and
ColorWorks' own SPG image file
formats. I like the SPG format be-
cause it allows you to save imag-
es with various irregular shapes
10
COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
ColQfWorfcs LQ
leM PC or compatmie, 640K RAM
(3MB recommended for some
modes], VGA, hard drive, mouse—
$149
SPB
8170 NW 173Kli SU StO. 405
Miami, FL 33015
(3051 302-6602
and areas defined as transpar-
ent. When you reload these imag-
es onto your canvas, the transpar-
ent areas are see-through. Using
ColorWorks, you could, in effect,
create a library of clip art contain-
ing only the images and no back-
grounds — just like having a sup-
ply of electronic decals to slap on
whatever images you wished.
ColorWorks also lets you cre-
ate black-and-white and color
EPS files. The 23 special-effect
functions include undo, reflec-
tion, grid, blend, graduation,
dupe, cycle draw, antialiasing
(gives smooth edges to lines,
curves, circles, and fonts), shade,
tint, color strip, tile, sharpen,
shear, negative, filter (over 30 fil-
ters included), redo. RGB guard,
and RGB swap. ColorWorks also
includes powerful shape- and col-
or-masking functions.
All special effects include pre-
cise controls for their application
to your canvas. You get printer
support through several black-
and-white and color print drivers,
including PostScript.
An exceptionally powerful
paint and image-editing pro-
gram, ColorWorks worked well ex-
cept on my 486 with the 8514 vid-
eo adapter, since that display is
not yet supported. I recommend
ColorWorks to those who need
flexible and powerful image ma-
nipulation beyond what the Win-
dows applications offer. If you
find yourself in that group and
you're willing to put forth the ex-
tra effort to learn a program with
a number of options and plenty of
flexibility, then ColorWorks is an
excellent choice.
RALPH ROBERTS
Circle Reader Service Number 372
NEXT MONTH:
15- AND
17-INCH
MONITORS
Introducing the first dot matrix printer
with multiple personalities.
a*
—
A ^^^^mm^^Mr '^'
Ip^i .--1^ , "
■'#'■■'
Hh V ■'-^
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Kb&^^^^^BPp^^
i i. 7^ ^ !Xi\N offk:er
The new Citizen GSX-230. Tiie color-apable,
quiet worl<horse tiiat's affordalile.
When we designed the new GSX-230, we put in all the
features you'll need for your home office or small business.
With ultraquiet operation, optional Color On Command "
and technology so sophisticated it's simple to use, this machine
is destined to become your most valuable business tool.
The real beauty of the GSX-230 is what we left out - the
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With Command-Vue 111", you can control over 42 printer
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WeliketosaytheCSX-230
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Call 1 -800-4-PRINTERS for more
UIET
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aCITIZEN
£ 1 9&2 Cittten Amines Ccpotaffofi OtHsn C^t On Commsnti. Cororwid-
Vm. una me Oli^m fapa jirp Haderwiis o.'rfw C W<?" WjUch Co LTD,
Circto Raader Service Number 166
TEST LAB
DELUXEPAINT II
ENHANCED
I still feel nostalgic for my first car,
a beige and black 1966 Plymouth
Fury V8 convertible that was show-
ing its age in 1972 but could
pass those upstart little imports
like they were standing still. I feel
the same affection for Dan
Silva's original DeluxePaint, the
first piece of software 1 ever
bought. The Plymouth has long
since gone to auto heaven, but De-
luxePaint, now in its seventh year
and cailed DeluxePaint II En-
hanced, is still around and still fast-
er than most of the competition.
Though I've tried just about eve-
ry paint program in the world, I
still turn to DeluxePaint when I
want to get a job done quickly.
Like most paint programs to-
day (many of which have copied
DeluxePaint's tool set), this pro-
gram offers a wide variety of icon-
based painting tools in a bar
down the side of the screen.
These tools inciude a color pal-
ette and the usual line and shape
makers. YouH also find area fill;
a versatile, resizable airbrush; a
magnifying glass; a text tool; a
grid for exact alignment; and a mir-
roring feature.
Pull-down menus along the top
of the screen offer file-handling
and screen mode controls (you
can switch screen modes on the
fly); brush options such as flip,
12 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
DeluxePaint II Enhanced
IBM PC or compatlbie (802BG
compatible recommended); 64QK
RAM; Hercules, CfiA, EGA, VGA, or
EVGA(EVGA requires 51 2KEMSI;
hard drive; mouse— $129,95
ELECTRONIC ARTS
1450 Fashion Island Blvd.
San Mateo, CA 94404
(415)571-7171
rotate, distort, and bend; and
such painterly effects as smear,
blend, and smooth. The pro-
gram's comprehensive palette
controls allow you to mix all of
VGA's 256 colors; there's also a
spare screen for thumbnail sketch-
es and the ability to create pic-
tures larger than the screen. Eve-
rything about DeluxePaint's inter-
face is well designed and easy to
understand.
The secret to DeluxePaint's
speed and power is its custom
brush tool Using the custom
brush tool, all that you have to do
is draw a box around any part of
your work, and it becomes a
brush. You can draw with it, erase
it, resize it, stretch it, rotate it,
warp it, skew it, change its colors,
make it partially transparent, out-
line it, and more.
Custom brushes can be used
in conjunction with most of the oth-
er tools, too, so you can create
effects that no other paint pro-
gram can achieve. For example,
you can actually use a face to
draw a circle. You can't really
understand how much time the
custom brush feature will save
you until you try it for yourself.
The other DeluxePaint feature
that I find truly unique is perspec-
tive (one of the program's image-
control tools). This is a complex
but powerful system that allows
you to tilt any brush or screen to
create the illusion of spatial
depth. Once you master the intri-
cacies of manipulating a brush's
X-, y-, and z-coordinates with the
numeric keypad, you can do
tricks like designing rooms that ex-
tend back into infinity or wrap-
ping labels around boxes.
There are plenty of features
that artists want but DeluxePaint
doesn't have, and probably never
will. These include the ability to ed-
it 16- and 24-bit images; the in-
clusion of photo-retouching tools
like contrast and gamma correc-
tion; and support for Super VGA,
expanded memory and Windows.
What DeluxePaint II Enhanced
does offer is a fast, elegant, time-
tested, and powerful system for
painting images onscreen.
STEVEN ANZOVIN
Circle Reader Service Number 373
"Sure, I remember tny first modem...
"My first modem? It tvas a cheap thrill. Ami that impulsiveness
really cost me. Xotr I knoir better. The Data Poti 14.4 Data/Fax
Modem gives me real value; even puts mouey iu my pocket!"
Now I Know Better.''
THE NEW AT&T DATAPORr'
14.4/FAXMODEM
Introducing the powerful robust V.32bis DataPort 14.4/Fax
Moduni. It pays for itself by significantly reducing your long
distance costs— and features fax capability, too! For IBM
FC/AT/KT and Macintosh, it:
• Sends /receives text, data, and images
• Links PCs to PCs. tax machines, and mainframes
an\TV'here in the world
• Transfers data files: exchatiges images with fax machines
• Accesses E-mail, bulletin boards, and information
sen' ices
mmiLlNG, AND PAYS FOR ITSELF
Its all in the technique. The DataPon 14.4/Fax Modem
features AT&Ts exclusive, new Optical pboiie Line Interface
(Oil I pat. pending: and \',j2bis dala conij^ression and error
correclion. \l excels in performance, especially on extremely
weak "real worid" lines!
This faster transmission, with effecth'e throughput of up to
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improves your productivity— no more waiting for your screen to
refresh: no standing in line to send faxes.
YOU INHERIT AT&T VALUE
Designed by \TikT Bell Labs and ATl^T Paradyne with
l.Uiilt-in reliability and the industiy's widest compatibility — tested
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family product!
READYTO GET SERIOUS?
¥rom just S4l5 suggested retail!
5 models to meet your exact needs
for price, speed, features, and func-
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DataPort 9-6/Fax Modem, in standalone and PC-internal c;uxl
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Proudly made by AT&T Patxidyne in Ihe USA,
For more information on the DataPort family or the name
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Cfrcle Reader Service Number 120
lATbT
© ^m ATIT Paradyne Da&Port o a tradenarti o( AT&T m other pnMucts » s«f«M menrtawd immm U*Jemaflti senrice fwrts wfSmd Badawte, of raguteml servte nm. :* ineif mscecJ.v* cwners bfetm imnniyss /aTi^d jntf ^p.ies tc otgrmiMmsef onhf
TEST LAB
DR. HALO IV PAINT
AND IMAGING PAK
Dr Halo is without a doubt one of
tlie best-known names in PC paint-
ing. Around since 1984, this pro-
gram boasts nearly 3 million users.
It's a workhorse for many users
who own no other graphics soft-
ware, and now Dr. Halo has been
released in a new version, Dr. Ha-
lo IV Paint and Imaging Pak.
There's plenty that's useful
about Dr. Halo IV Paint and Imag-
ing Pak. The package now in-
cludes five programs: the paint
program Dr. Halo itself, which
looks very much like the previous
versions; the Viewer, a display
and file conversion utility that
gives Dr. Halo access to more im-
age file formats than before; the
Font Editor, which allows you to
redesign bitmapped fonts to
your specifications; the Grab util-
ity, a screen-grabbing program;
and Presents, a slide-show pro-
gram for Dr, Halo images.
With its own conventions, icons,
and ways of working, Dr Halo, the
core of the package, differs from
other paint programs. For exam-
ple, you choose tools and options
entirely from dozens of icons—
there are no drop-down menus —
Dr. Halo IV Paint and Imaging Pak
IBM PC or compatible (S03B6
compatible recommended); 640K
RAM (2MB extended or expanded
memory (or the Viewer); CGA, EGA,
VGA, or SVGA; hard drive with 1MB
free (3MB to install all programs);
mouse recommended— Si 40
MEDIA CYBERNETICS
B484 Georgia Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(BOO) g92-HAL0
(301) W5-330S
but the meaning of some of the
icons isn't always obvious. Even
such a simple function as color
selection didn't work quite as I
expected it to. To change the paint-
ing color, you first have to select
the pencil tool. Luckily, the manu-
al is clear and includes some
basic tutorials, but you'll still need
to experiment until you're sure
what each tool does.
Dr. Halo performs most of the
usual paint program operations,
such as drawing lines and cir-
cles, filling with colors, and select-
ing areas for block operations
like flip and rotate — and it does
them fast. You won't find some of
the program's unusual options in
a™ .Mum.
14 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
other paint programs, such as the
ability to automatically draw a rep-
resentation of a 3-D box.
However, Dr. Halo also has
some odd omissions, at least by
today's standards for paint pro-
grams. For example, there are no
brushes in different shapes, and
you have access to only four line
thicknesses.
The other program in the Dr,
Halo package that you'll use
often is the Viewer. The Viewer
not only converts file formats to
and from Dr, Halo's own CUT for-
mat but also performs some
basic image processing. You can
crop, merge, and adjust the col-
ors of TIF, BMP. and PCX imag-
es. Unfortunately, you can't jump
directly from Dr Halo to the View-
er or to any of the three other pro-
grams (except for Grab, which is
a TSR).
Should Dr. Halo IV be your first
paint program? Probably not. The
program's cryptic, quirky interface
and lack of integration between
modules make it unnecessarily
hard for paint novices to master.
But if you're one of those 3 million
Dr. Halo users who feel comforta-
ble with the program's idiosyncra-
sies and occasiona! oversights,
then Dr. Halo IV Paint and Imag-
ing Pak is a real bargain. It greatly
extends the original capabilities of
Dr. Halo while retaining this clas-
sic's speed and power.
STEVEN ANZOVIN
Circie Reader Service Number 374
mM
G!|ii
i
X
tJ
fcb
t>
£
■^
1
r
EEal
IE
till
Yonr Sound W Flays More TIan (lames.
Create Songs on
Your Sound Card with
MusicTime.
Whatever your musical
abiliiy, MusicTime will
inspire you to create your
own breathy love songs,
foot-tapping jazz or
head-slamniin' rock 'n'
roll. With MusicTime
and either a sound card
or a MIDI instrument,
you can compose, edit,
play back and print, sheet
music on your PC.
Bring Your Music to life.
Use your mouse to chck
musical notes and
symbols onto a staff
sheet. If you've got a
Miracle" or MIDI key-
board, MusicTime will
record and transcribe
your live perfarmance into music notation in real
time — right before your eyesl
Easy to Play Back, Edit and Print.
Play back instantly through your sound card or MIDI
gear. Editing is easy with MusicTime's cut, copy and
paste commands. Automatically transpose notes into
any key. Add guitar chords. Write beautiful lyrics.
Print out publishing-quality sheet music.
MusicTime couldn't be
easier to use.
Windows, Mac and
MIDI Compatible.
MusicTime is available
for PC's with Windows"*
or the Macintosh? and is
compatible with The
Miracle Keyboard, Sound
Blaster Pro? Media Vision
Pro Audio Spectrurri" and
Thunder Board'," AdLib
Gold™ and most popular PC sound cards.
For your copy of MusicTime, call Passport or visit
your nearest computer or
music store. If you're tired of
just playing games with your
sound card, get MusicTime and
turn your beeps and blasts into
be-bopand hip-hop.
PASSPORT
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Passport Designs, Inc. • 100 Stone Pine Rd ^ Halt Moon Bay, CA 94019 USA * Phone: {415) 726^280 • Fax: (415) 726-2254
Passport MusicTJine is a (raden^ark of Passport Designs. !nc AH o^ftsr producis and brands are (rademarks or regtsteied Irademarks of their fespective hoWers.
Circle Reader Service Number 273
TEST LAB
FRACTAL DESIGN
PAINTER 1.2 FOR
WINDOWS
The woods are full of paint and
draw programs, but if you have ar-
tistic talent and seek an exception-
al program, Fractal Design Paint-
er 1.2 for Windows may be just
what you're looking for. The scope
and options are extraordinary.
Never mind the usual toolbox —
rotate and grab and fill and the usu-
al. Painter has those, but they're triv-
ial in the face of the program's
other features. When you create
an image, the brush palette offers
the options of an airbrush, a
brush, pencils, chalk, charcoal,
felt pens, crayons, and special
brushes. You even have the option
of painting in the style of Van
Gogh or Seurat. Each of these op-
tions has variants; for example, the
brush can be a hairy brush, grad-
uated brush, water brush, watercol-
or brush, or Japanese brush. With
each of these, you can adjust the
size and angle of the brush tip and
make the edges of the stroke flat
or soft or intermediate.
Fractal Design Painter 1.2 for
Windows
IBM PC or compatibie (80386
Gomnatibie), SNIB RAM (8MB
recommended), SVGA, bard drive,
Windows 3J or higber; supports
math coprocessor, mouse, and
Wacom and Calcomp tablets— $399
FRACTAL DESIGN
335 Spreckels Dr.
AptOS, CA 95003
(408) 688-8800
Not content with that variety, the
developers created an array of ap-
plication methods potentially bewil-
dering to the novice. You can
choose among such options as
grainy edge flat buildup, grainy
hard, wet, soft buildup, and more.
Further, you can select the depth
of penetration into the paper of
your palette and the concentration
of the color. In the watercolor vari-
ants, if you don't like what you've
produced, you can wet the brush
and soften it. For other effects, you
can create a frisket, which is a
mask to shield certain areas dur-
ing painting or retouching.
Fradftt Design Palmer 1.2
£itc L^il Qptinrkf. WJnilows Qrush Slrakc [\rAp
16 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
The color palette offers 15 col-
or families, which differ according
to the selected brush, just as the
colors available for pastel differ
from those for oils. You can alter
these default colors in their hue,
saturation, and value.
And there's more. You have the
option of viewing your finished art-
istry in a different mode. If you've
painted in watercolor, you can
clone it in oil, or you can see it a
la Van Gogh or Seurat. Artists
might well find the mouse a poor
substitute for a paintbrush. Paint-
er recognizes this and provides
support for such equipment as the
Wacom pressure-sensitive stylus.
The program is rather slow on
a 16-MHz 386SX with 8MB of
RAM, And Painter consumes plen-
ty of RAM and disk space. While
it requires only 2.5MB of free disk
space for installation, Fractal De-
sign recommends 20MB for creat-
ing images. I wish the program
included more extensive documen-
tation. The user's guide includes
no sample images, and no true
tutorials are provided.
Though I'm not a fine artist and
though I lack access to a color print-
er, I was nonetheless most im-
pressed with Painter as an excep-
tional program, striking in the
depth and breadth of its potential
for creative artistry. If you are a
fine artist or have aspirations in
that direction, Painter deserves
your attention.
CHARLES IDOL
Circle Reader Service Mumber 375
1fou can get your feet wet, or
plumb unimaginable depths.
In a way, its a lot like CompuServe,
CompuSene members who join for the basics
quickly discover an ocean of opportunity. Like at-
home shopping, financial data, travel information
and reservations, entertainment, and free time to
sharpen their online skills.
Computer professionals who join to access a
wealth of high-tech expertise find much more. Like
sophisticated research tools, hardware and software
support forums, and lots of free software and share-
ware. In fact, no other information service offers the
ntimber and quality of choices that CompuServe does.
Now, for just $7,95 a month, and a one-time
membership fee, you get all the basics as often as
you like: news, sports, weather, shopping, a com-
plete encyclopedia, and much more, plus up to 60
E-mail messages a month. And, there are lots of
other valuable services available on a nominal pay-
as-you-use basis.
To make the right choice in selecting an inter-
active service, pick the one that will always help you
get the most out of your computer. For more infor-
mation or to order CompuServe, see your computer
dealer or call 1 800 848 8199. Outside the United
States, call 614 457-0802,
CompuServe"
The information service you w^on't outgrov*^.
circle Reader Servi^ Humber 108
TEST LAB
I
IMAGE-IN
SCAN & PAINT
MAKE GBEAT COLOB IMAGES*
. ^'"^ *"°„^rc:.ir*-?- '
mu
IMAGE-IN
SCAN & PAINT 3.1
Given the remarkable progress in
personal computer graphics over
the last couple of years and the
impressive crop of draw and
paint programs to choose from,
you should carefully consider
just what you want to do with
such a program. Image-In Scan
& Paint 3.1 has much to offer,
including the ability to import
Kodak PhotoCD images.
The program takes good advan-
tage of Windows 3.1's features,
and it's perceptibly faster than oth-
er image-editing software running
under Windows, When you cre-
ate an image, you can choose col-
on gray-scale, or bilevel (black-
and-white); if you change your
mind later, it's possible to convert
from one type to another. The pro-
gram's toolbox offers a wide
range of tools. Shape and thick-
ness options are available wheth-
er you're using a pen, a brush, or
an airbrush. You can create
lines, open or closed Bezier
curves, rectangles, circles, or el-
lipses. There's also a text capa-
bility, with more than 20 fonts pro-
vided. For convenience, the right
mouse button provides fast ac-
cess to the options for each tool.
When you're ready to edit, a
pointer tool lets you select an ar-
ea of the image in the shape of
18 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
Image-En Scan & Patnt 3.1
IBM PC or compatible (80386
compatible), 2MB RAM (4MB
recommended), any Windows-
compatible adapter (VGA or SV6A
recommended), hard drive with 6MB
tree« Windows 3.0 or higher;
pressure-sensitive tablet
recommended— $149
IMAGE-IN
400 E. 7Bth St.
Minneapolis, MN 55420
(800) 345-3540
(612) 888-3033
a rectangle, a circle, an ellipse,
a polygon, or a free form. Once
you've defined an area, you may
choose to have your modifica-
tions apply to that area or to the
rest of the Image. Fill and eyedrop-
per tools help you make color mod-
ifications. For effects, you can fil-
ter the image to sharpen it or blur
it- Images can be manipulated
with the flip, rotate, and stretch/
shrink commands; and adjust-
ments can be made for bright-
ness, contrast, and color balance.
You have your choice of 1 1 for-
mats, including the popular TIF,
PCX, and EPS, for saving your
work and for exporting to other ap-
plications. For conservation of
disk space, the TIF format offers
a compressed mode. Those
same formats are also supported
in importing images. With very lit-
tle difficulty, I imported a gray-
scale image produced by a
hand scanner, converted it to
RGB, and tinted areas to pro-
duce an acceptable color image.
Scan & Paint provides direct
support for a large number of
scanners. When you set up the
program, you can install the driver
for your scanner and later call the
scanner from the toolbox. The
scanned image is brought directly
into the program, where you may
modify and edit it as you choose.
The program also provides sup-
port for loading Kodak PhotoCD im-
ages and for fast printing to the
Kodak XLT7720 series printers.
Regrettably, the documenta-
tion is in the form of a reference
guide rather than a user's guide,
with no tutorials provided. It re-
quires a fair amount of digging on
the part of the new user to discov-
er just what the program offers.
Still, power and a modest price
make Scan & Paint a program
that many consumers will want to
consider.
CHARLES IDOL
Cfrcle Reader Service Number 376
We created our new line of laser printers
under very strict guidelines.
Introducing Star's LS-5 series of laser printers.
When we set out to create our new laser printers, we were
bound by the same standards that enabled our dot-matrix
and ink-jet printers to garner so many industry awards.
Our mission was to produce a line of lasers that pos-
sessed the very same attributes: superb print quality unsur-
passed compatibility and excellent paper handling.
The result is a family of laser printers of uncompromis-
ing quality yet outstanding value.
Introducing the Star LS-5, LS-5EX and LS 5TT. The LS-^S
series has all the features you'd expect from a high-end
printer: dual-bin printing, which allows you to use two types
of paper; a maintenance-free, high-definition one-piece
TTueTVpc is a irademark of Apple Computer, Inc windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
toner/drum cartridge for blacker blacks and more striking
detail; and 15 scalable TVueiype™ fonts for Windows™ 3. L
Plus, the added assurance of Star's TWo Year Warranty With
so many features at such an affordable price, you're sure
to be hearing a lot about the LS-5. And judging by our past
successes, reading about it, too.
For a brochure or your nearest
Star dealer, call 1-800-447-4700.
To have additional product
information sent to you by fax,
572^04. BUtlT fVm SPgMO
arcle FTeeddr Servlc6 Number 203
THE LASER PRINTERS
TEST LAB
ZSoft
PC PAINTBRUSH 5+
At its modest price. PC Paint-
brush 5+ can be a good value,
depending on your needs.
When compared to some simi-
larly priced Windows products (or
even Windows Paintbrush, which
is free), this old DOS performer
seems a little long in the tooth. It
lacks 24-bit color support and sup-
ports a limited number of file for-
mats (PCX, compressed and un-
compressed TIF, and GIF), so it's
not really conducive to full-color
image editing. If you don't run Win-
dows and need a good mono-
tone and gray-scale image edi-
tor, however, this is a good start.
Where Paintbrush really excels
is in its extensive scanner sup-
port. Since ZSoft has been build-
ing scanner drivers for a long
time, the program is a strong scan-
ner interface. Scanning black-
and-white and gray-scale images
with my ScanJet He, I got excel-
lent results. Paintbrush didn't han-
dle the scanner's 24-bit color ca-
pabilities well, however. There is
also strong printer and graphics
adapter support, which is not
found in many other products in
this price range. Literally hun-
dreds of VGA and SVGA boards
are supported by Paintbrush.
Paintbrush comes with an
extensive array of image-editing
tools, including some found in
ZSoft's higher-end image-editing
packages, such as PhotoFinish.
In fact, if youVe familiar with Pho-
toFinish or Publisher's Paint-
20 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
PC PaintbTush 5-k
tBM PC or compatible; 640K RAM
(an aitdmonai 2UK disk cacEie
recommended); Hercules, CGA, EGA,
V6A, EVGA, SVGA; hard drive wltfi
3MB free; drawing device--ST49
ZSOFT
450 Franhim Rd., Ste. TOO
Marietta, Georgia 30067
{800] 444-4780
(404) 428-0008
brush, you'll notice some similari-
ties. Tool and filter names are the
same, as are the color and brush
width palettes. Especially impres-
sive is the Magic Wand, which
automatically selects objects of
the same color. With this tool you
can recolor multiple objects eas-
ily. I used it to make all the
clouds in a sky scene grayer and
more foreboding.
In all. the program comes with
over 20 paint and retouch tools
and some sophisticated special
effects, such as emboss, mosa-
ic, and motion blur. Automatic fil-
ters-— sharpen, smear, smudge,
spot removal, and others — allow
you to work on selected portions
or the entire image at once.
Paintbrush runs on systems
with 640K RAM; it uses empty
disk space as virtual memory to
hold large images. However, un-
til I did some reconfiguring, elim-
inating several device drivers, I
got a lot of out-of-memory errors.
The worst part is that as often as
not the system locked up, forcing
me to reboot. This program is cer-
tainly not for power users with nu-
merous TSRs. And it's certainly
not for Windows users, who can
find more power and a prettier in-
terface somewhere else.
When I started working with
computer graphics several years
ago, Paintbrush was my first
bitmap editor and scanning soft-
ware. And it served me well for
quite a while. This is an excellent
program for beginners. You
should not consider it, however,
if you plan to do a lot of photo-
graph editing, especially color.
WILLIAM D. HARREL
Circle Reader S«rvice Number 377
PC Paintbrush 5* wr 1.0
lie Edit DispltK) Font tffctits Option
^T"
lalch your computing capabilities soar with the new Amiga® 4000 and 1200.
Save up to $1,500* on the A4000, including DeluxePaint® IV AGA and Art Department
Professional® software. Sa\^e up to S440* on the new A 1200, including DeluxePaint IV AGA
and Final Copy-^ 13 word processing so ftw^are.
Both computers feature the Advanced Graphics Architecture^" that
lets you display and animate graphics from a palette of 16.8 million colors.
You also get a 24~hour Helpline and optional on-site service** This offer |
is only good from Januar)^ 1, 1993 through March 31, 1993. So take off for
your Amiga dealer today. Or, call 1-800-66 AMIGA. p.
Circle Reader Service Number 269
C^ Commodore
A3IIGA
■ ' 'm; Ik Firut Gipj h j nadtmsrk df Stiftwwd ttvc 'Basd tm MSKP liSlWi farthf AI200 bimdk and 14101 k !ek A-KiV r-^uc ' 'A^
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40
PhotoFinish
PHOTOFINISH 2.0
For $500 less than most high-end
electronic darkrooms, PhotoFinish
2.0 gives you about 90 percent of
the features and 200 percent of
the ease of use.
PhotoFinish supports an impres-
sive list of scanners. However,
you must load the driver in con-
fig, sys, which eats up RAM and
could conflict with other TSRs.
Most of today's Windows scan-
ning software uses a dll or drv driv-
er that loads when the scanner is
activated and moves out of the
way when it's not needed.
The program's automatic fil-
ters—sharpen, blend, smudge,
and so on— work great, as do the
20+ paint and special-effect
tools. Most major bitmap file for-
mats are supported, and there is
even a filter that automatically
decompresses industry-standard
JPEG images before displaying
them. You can even save your im-
ages to Encapsulated PostScript
format to get color separations in
desktop publishing and draw pro-
grams. PhotoFinish does not, how-
ever, print color separations on its
own, which makes it less suitable
as a professional photo touch-up
package. Another drawback is
the way the program uses RAM.
It seems that no matter how
much memory is available (this re-
view was done on a system with
20MB), there is entirely too much
disk accessing going on. which
22 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
PhotoFinish 2.0
IBM PC or oompallble, 2MB RAM
(2MB-18MB for higher modes), any
Windows-Gompatlhie adapter
(support Includes X6A, 16-hit high
color, and 24-bit true color), hard
drive with 5MB free, Windows 3.0 or
higher, drawing device— $199
ZSOFT
450 Franklin Rd., Sfe. 100
Marietta, Georgia 30067
(800) 444-4780
(404) 428-0008
significantly slows down screen
redraws when you're working on
big images.
Version 2.0 comes with a nifty
image viewer that loads thumb-
nails of all the images in a subdi-
rectory for easy selection. And
there is an extensive library of
prescanned 24-bit images you
can use in your layouts and pres-
entations, virtually free of copy-
right restrictions, which is great if
you don't have a scanner {or
even if you do). Another plus for
version 2.0 is the addition of mon-
itor, scanner, and printer calibra-
tion. This feature, originally part of
ZSoft's full-featured Publisher's
Paintbrush, allows you to opti-
mize your input and output devic-
es to get even closer to true WY-
SIWYG. (This isn1 easy when
dealing with color. You need all
the help you can get.)
Even the full-featured products
don't have some of this pro-
gram's features, such as automat-
ic deskewing and image stitching
(automatically stitching multiple
scans together). One feature that
few programs of any type have is
Z Soft's Local Undo. It allows you
to undo changes to selected are-
as of a drawing, rather than hav-
ing to reverse all of your work— a
lifesaver if you're making exten-
sive edits.
I found the documentation for
PhotoFinish to be thorough and
easy to use. The tutorial walks
you through touching up both a
gray-scale and a full-color photo-
graph. The program is straightfor-
ward and easy to learn, but if you
should ever need technical sup-
port, it's easy to get through, and
the technicians are well trained.
My calls were answered prompt-
ly, and my questions were an-
swered quite satisfactorily.
Unlike PC Paintbrush, which is
definitely a beginner's package,
PhotoFinish may be the only
paint and image-editing program
you'll ever need.
WILLIAM D, HARREL
Circle Read&r Service Number 378
HOURmXES!
Let Personal Tax Edge^do the work!
Stop the annual headache of time-consuming
and costly tax preparation. And turn to Personal
Tax Edge— software that provides everything
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taxes. It's guaranteed to save you time, money
and help reduce your tax bill.
Accurate and easy!
It's easy to get started. Personal Tax Edge will act like your
own professional tax preparer and actually interview you.
From your answers, the program will automatically choose
the tax forms needed to accurately complete your return.
All the forms you'll ever need.
All commonly used forms and schedules are built right into
Personal Tax Edge and can be printed in an IRS-approved
manner on your own paper. Just print, sign and you're done!
Avoid errors!
Personal Tax Edge automatically performs all necessary tax
calculations eliminating costly errors. Like an accountant, it
audits your return, letting you know where you left out infor-
mation and flagging entries that are common IRS audit triggers.
Get immediate answers to your tax questions.
Stop wading through IRS publications! Personal Tax Edge has
hot-key access to IRS instructions along with an online
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Save money no matter who does your taxes.
Should you choose to continue using a paid tax preparer, let
Personal Tax Edge organize your tax information, saving you
time and expensive professional fees. You may even find a
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Order today! Call toll free
1-800-223-6925
or FAX your order 1-319-393-1002
Personal Tax Edge requires nn IBM* or compatible PC with 640K, DOS 2 J 1 or later and 4.5MB hard drive spaa\ Persona! Tax Edge for Windows requires an IBM* or compatible PC
nmning Microsoft* Windows "3.0 or later in standard or enhanced mode and 6MB hard drive space. Mouse supported but not required, Works with all monitors and printers. Copyright ©
1992 Pa rsorus Technology, Inc. All rights reseA'ed. Pergonal Tax Edge is a trademark of Parsons Technology, Inc. All trademarks or ser\^ice marks designated as such are marks or registered
marks of their respective owners. Personal Tax Hdge will ship in mid-Januar)'. Circle Reader Service Number 164
Limited-time offer — only $19!
Let Personal Tax Edge do your taxes the
easy way! Call 1-800-223-6925 or fill out
the coupon below to receive Personal Tax
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You'll not only cure your annual tax
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comfort of your home. But you must act now to take
advantage of this limited-time, $19 offer!
Personal Tax Edge —
Now for DOS and Windows 1
Now, both DOS and Windows users can get an edge on their
taxes for the same low price! WeVe taken Personal Tax Edge,
made it compatible with the rich graphics and powerful user
interface of Microsoft* Windows," and created a new way to
do your taxes. You get your choice of either package for $19.
I —
Yes, send me Personal Tax Edge for just $191
If within 30 days Tm not saUsfied with Personal Tax Edge, ITl
return the program for a full refund (excluding shipping).
Iowa Residents iidd 5** sales y*. Include User's Guide and FREE Tedmical Support.
Name
Address _
City
State.
_2ip_
.)_
Day Phone ( _
Please specify: □ Windows or □ Dos
Disk Size: □ 35" Q 525" Quanlityr_
_E\'cning ( _
Method of Paymenb 3 MasterCard □American Express QVisa QDisom'er Q Check or Money Order
Card *f =_E)tp,
ajustsendmeyourFREEsoftware catalog!
^PARSONS
ihk' ViirstMn OnxT * PO Box 100 * HiamiOia, lA S2233S1Q0
Your priority code IS 48872 3B
TEST LAB
PKTURE PUBLISHER
3.1
Picture Publisher 3.1 (now
dropped to $495 from the $795
that 3.0 cost) is an image editor
rather than strictly a paint pro-
gram. While it has many of the
standard paint tools for drawing,
filling, and color control, it's primar-
ily oriented toward enhancing an
already existing image instead of
creating one. For example, you
could take a flat but colorful draw-
ing generated in another pro-
gram and— through blends, gra-
dients, textures, and other spe-
cial effects—give it a three-dimen-
sional, more photorealistic look.
Picture Publisher gives you com-
plete control over images — either
scanned in or imported via such
standard file formats as BfvlP, GIF,
PCX, Photo CD, Targa, and TIF.
The program supports EPS and
DCS formats only as exports.
Looking for a clean, unclut-
tered, easy-to-use interface? Pic-
ture Publisher has it. On the bot-
tom line of the window, helpful
hints appear about the currently
selected tool or option.
Editing several images at once
is easy with Picture Publisher,
Each has its own resizable win-
dow. You may cut and paste be-
tween these images or between
them and other Windows applica-
tions, or you can have several
views of the same picture! A link-
ing option causes changes made
in one window to be reflected in all
other open copies of the image.
Picture Publisher supports eve-
rything from 1-bit black-and-white
line drawings to 256 levels of gray
scale to 24-bit true color images.
You'll find features for sharpening,
smoothing, and so forth.
For picking a specific color on
an image, Picture Publisher fur-
nishes an eyedropper tool.
Called a color probe, it lets you
choose just one point for an ex-
act color match or draw a rectan-
gle and get an average of all the
colors within the bounded area.
24 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
Picture Publisher 3.1
IBM PC or compatible (80306
compatible recommertdedh 4MB
RAM (BMB recommended), VGA (256-
color SVGA or 24-blt color
recommended), hard drive with
10MB free, Windows 3.0 or higher,
drawing device— $48S
MICR06RAFX
1303 Arapaho Rd*
Richardson, TX 75081
(800) 733-3729
The use of text is as powerful as
whatever fonts are installed in Win-
dows. You place text as a mask,
allowing you easily to resize, fill,
and rotate it for stunning effects.
Speaking of masks, Picture Pub-
lisher has strong mask features.
You can isolate areas of an im-
age for retouching and other spe-
cial effects, or select areas for cop-
ying or cutting— all with masks.
Color control is also excellent.
You can adjust local areas or the
entire image for color contrast,
hue, bhghtness, and saturation.
Picture Publisher supports the
three basic color systems: RGB,
HLS, and CMYK.
Various special effects let you
get as weird as you like in twirling,
crystallizing, waving, or running Hur-
ricane Andrew through your pic-
ture (try the Wind special effect for
that one; it works nicely).
Service and support by Micro-
grafx are good. The documenta-
tion, while extensive and well writ-
ten, still does not cover everything
possible about this very complex
program. However, 24-hour tech-
nical support IS available.
Other reviewers have said Pic-
ture Publisher is the best image-
editing program available. I'll just
say, *1 switched." If you need the
powerful features found in Picture
Publisher, you may switch, too.
That's my recommendation,
RALPH ROBERTS
Circle Reader Service Number 37d
Picture Publlshei^
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Bate Range
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You may have noticed most
personal laser printers are
pretty much the same.
So although you'd like a
personal laser to adapt to your
way of working it's mostly the
other way around.
So, besides lots of fonts,
speed, and paper capacity, we
gave our KX-P4410 personal
laser printer two features you'll
find intelligent indeed. One lets
you proof the first copy of a
multiple printout, before out-
putting the remainder. The other
is automatic shutdown, for those
of you who use delayed printing.
Together, they help you print
intelligently And complement
the PCL 4-compatible 4410's
full range of features that give
you the look you want.
Like 28 internal fonts, side-
loading font card. 512K standard
memory, expandable to 4.5
megabytes. And flexible paper
handling, with a 200-sheet
multi-purpose cassette,
accommodating letter and legal
sized sheets plus envelopes -
without changing cassettes.
All this and a true 5 pages-per-
minute print speed!
You'll find these same
features on our PCL 5-compatible
KX-P443a..and more! For
example, 8 outline and 28 bit-
mapped fonts; 1MB RAM
expandable to 5 M B; and our
Satin Print™ resolution
enhancement
Panasonic* personal laser
printers. Performance by design.
For the Panasonic dealer
nearest you, call us toll-free at
1-800-742-8086.
Panasonic.
Office Automation/'^VW
Printers, Computers,
Penpherafs. Copiers, Typewriters
and Facsimiles.
IPC-COM
circle Reader Service Kumber 104
TEST LAB
TEMPRA PRO 3.0
TEMPRA PRO 3.0 is a powerful
paint and imaging program that
provides a remarkable degree of
color control. And since this pro-
gram runs under DOS, even com-
puter artists who "don't do Win-
dows" have access to its abun-
dant set of tools that can create
not only drawings but multimedia
presentations as well.
While TEMPRA PRO directly
accepts input from a handful of
scanners as well as video-digitiz-
ing boards, the program provides
ample ways to apply paint by
hand. And if your hand isn't that
steady, TEMPRA PRO includes
the tools to help you out.
For example, you can create
masks to isolate sections of your
artwork and either paint those sec-
tions or protect them from
change. And if the shapes are
the way you like them but the col-
ors are not, TEMPRA PRO pro-
vides an outstanding set of color
protection controls.
From the Color Protect Palette,
you can isolate individual colors or
ranges of color and protect them
from change, The swap feature al-
lows you to select a single color
and protect all others, making it pos-
sible for you to recolor an image
one shade at a time. In addition,
your color protection selections
can be turned into a mask that you
can save to disk and reuse.
Although TEMPRA PRO works
on any AT-class computer with
any VGA monitor, your creative
26 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
TEMPRA PRO 3.0
IBM PC or Gompatibie (80286
compatlbie), 64QK RAM, VGA or
SVGA (supports 16- and 24-bit
adapters), bard drive witb 6MB free,
mouse— $695 (Includes TEMPRA
SHOWI
MATHEMATICA
482 S. Kentucky Ave.
lakeland, FL 33881
(680) 852-6264
sessions will benefit from a faster
processor and more sophisticat-
ed display system up to and in-
cluding 24-bit systems. Even with
a 486 processor, you1l find your-
self waiting for some drawing func-
tions. If you have at least a 386SX
processor, though, you can boost
performance through Mathemati-
ca's add-on Turbo Charge feature
(available separately for $295),
which allows TEMPRA PRO to run
two to five times its normal speed.
TEMPRA PRO supports a long
list of color and black-and-white
printers and comes with its own
print program that allows you to
adjust images as they're going to
the printer. From TEMPRA PRINT
PRO you can crop images, adjust
the dot size and brightness, and
scale the image. Printing can be
activated from within TEMPRA
PRO itself or from the command
line.
Another Mathematica utility of
some note is TEMPRA SHOW, a
multimediaauthoring system. TEM-
PRA SHOW is a presentation pro-
gram in which the user describes
the events that constitute the pres-
entation. Events can include
audio, full-motion video, anima-
tion, text, and special effects.
Although TEMPRA SHOW is a
separate product that lists for
$199, Mathematica has bundled
it with TEMPRA PRO.
Thanks to the step-by-step in-
structions for each of the com-
mands provided in the manual, I
found TEMPRA PRO fairly easy to
use. Despite its thoroughness,
however, the manual is a visual
disappointment. The camera-
ready copy for the manual, includ-
ing screen representations and il-
lustrations, was produced on a
300-dpi laser printer. By using
tow-resolution black-and-white il-
lustrations, Mathematica missed
a chance to showcase the pro-
grams vibrancy and fully illus-
trate some of its outstanding col-
or capabilities.
TONY ROBERTS
Circle Reader Service Number 330
C ' StrRftHTffCSVTCn
jj =j atfiiiaj^a _i ij I
fc^ ir\k [ pen | br*, | gco | txt | jtr \ trn | cdt j mp \ ou t [
I Phb
Canons StntiLr-«_^3j^-j^^^^^^ --^-^^ ^ ^^^^^^B^ ^
Imagirraition Run Free.
.vwvy^^ Auwi ' I. ■Villi//! m^ ^^ ^
I-
Fix^e Hours Free I
DELPHI is the online service that gives you the
freedonn and the resources to expand your
horizons. To create, to learn, to discuss, to have
fun. ..to imagine. And now you can try DELPHI
with no risk. You get 5 hours of evening/
weekend access free!
You can join special interest
groups for nearly every type of
computer and download from thou-
sands of files. Read up-to-the-minute
news. Conduct research with
Grolier's Encyclopedia. Enjoy a chat
with other members or compete in
exciting multi-player games.
FREE TRIAL!
Dial By Modem
1-800-365-4636
Press RETURN
At Password
Enter CPT31
DELPHI
Questions? Call 1-800-695-4005
CIrcto Reader Service Number 16t
DELPHI is also part of the Internet, the fastest
growing online resource in the world. You'll be in
direct contact with 4 million people at universities,
companies, and other online networks. Send
electronic mail. Subscribe to mailing lists. Even
transfer files from other networks
using "FTP" or connect directly to
other services using "Telnet."
5 hours for Free! After your 5 hour
free trial, you can choose from two
low-cost membership plans or cancel
with no further obligation. With rates
as low as $1 per hour, no other online
sen/ice offers so much for so little.
TEST LAB
PAINT SOFTWARE FEATURES
Aldus
PhotoStyler 1.1
ColorWorksl.O
DeluxePaiot II
Enhanced
Dr. Halo IV Paint
and fmaging Pak
Fractal Design Painter
1.2 for Windows
GENERAL
:^ -r - -- . 1
Maximum image size
32.000 X 32,000 pixels
limited by disk and
memory
1024 X 768 pixels
limited by memory
limited to available disk
space
Maximum number of colors
16.7 million^
16,7 million^
256
256
16.7 million'
Color models
CMYK. HLS, HSB, RGB
CMYK, RGB
RGB. HSV
RGB
HSV, RGB
Online help
yes
no
no
no
yes
Disk space required
4MB
4MB
3MB
3MB
2.5MB
EDITING TOOLS
Paint tools
airbrush, blur, brush,
bucket fill, clone, darken.
eraser, gradient fill,
Itghlen, line, pencil,
sharpen, smudge, text
Bfeier curve, boundary
fill, circle, ellipse, ftood
fill, free draw pen, Ifne,
parabola curve, smart till,
spline curve (up to 100
points), parallelogram,
pixe^ level zoom editor.
polygon, text, triangle
airbrush, circle, clear
curve, custom brush,
ellipse, fill, freehand
brush, line, polygon,
rectangle, text, undo
airbrush, circle, clear,
fill, line, pencil,
rectangle, rubber stamp,
seteciJon, text
airbrush, artist, brush.
chalk, charcoal, crayon.
eraser, felt pen, pen,
pencil, water,
watercotor
Special effects
custom, cylinder, pinch.
punch, ripple, sphere,
whirlpool
airbrush, antialias, blend,
color strip, cycle draw.
dupe, gradients,
negative, RGB swap,
redo, shade, sharpen,
shear tile, tint
color cycling^ color
pickup, gradients, grid,
magnify, outline, patterns
cdor pickup, gradients,
dashed lines
apply surface texture.
apply screen, autoclone.
grainy edge flat buildup,
grainy hard, wet, soft
buildup, oil and
watercolor modes. Van
Gogh style, Seurat style.
and many more
Filter functions
add noise, average, btur.
despeckle, edge
enhancement emboss,
find edge, find edge and
invert, Gaussian blur,
maximum, median.
minimum, mosaic,
motion blur, sharpen,
trace contour, user-
defined
blast, burlap, demon,
double edge, eclipse,
edge, edge detect,
emboss, haze. moUon
blur, mutate, nuclear.
parchment, pastel,
rough, sandblast, shake.
slate, solar, stone.
sundown, texturize,
unfocus
shade, smear, smooth,
antialias, colorize,
translucent (tint)
contrast, gamma, RGB
adjustment
brightness, contrast {See
special effects; supports
PtKitoSlyier and Gallery
Effects plug- ins.)
Image control
brightness and contrast.
convert format, distort,
equalization, flip
horizontal, flip vertical,
gray/color correction,
negative, perspective,
posterization. re^mple,
resize, rotate, shift, skew
color mask, copy, cut,
flip left/right, flip up/
down, hardware zoom
emulator, image merge
(five types), move, paint/
drag, RGB mask, rotate,
scale, shape mask.
stretch/ shrink,
superimpose
flip, merge, perspective,
remap colors, resize,
rotate, stencil (masking),
warp
flip, mask, merge, rotate,
Boolean operators
clip, done (many
variations), grab, mask,
rotate, zoom
8"i'Tr_--"ji.;ijL
-:T^=3?5^BEa5T:i^ss3::^
;r3*y=5?=^3r3^
File formats supported
BMP EPS. GIF, PCX,
TGA, TIF
BMP EPS, PCX SPG.
TGA, TIF
IBM, MAC- MSP PCX,
TIF, VMG
BMP, BUT, CUT. IMG.
MSP. PCX, TGA. TIF
BMP PCI. PCX. RtF. TIF.
TGA
Scanner support
.^^
no
no
yes
-:■
^ Screen capture capabilities
no
no
yes
yes
no
Color separation capabilities
yes
no
no
no
no
TEXT TOOLS ^^^^^^^
Number of fonts supplied
none
28
20
54
none
Type of fonts
any Windows screen font
bitmapped
Dtgi-Font typefaces^
bitmapped
m
Special text effects
NA
blend, shadow fill
bold, italic, underline
resize, rotate
m
'ffequires 24-bit video adapter to view this numlDer of colors
^The Havlett-Packard downloadable LaserJet font format is
now also supported.
28 COrvlPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
:^\
tepway Presents '
Backpack Software
^1^
Find time for
^ fun with a
feuniiy calendar
^ Individiial*todo'
lists keep every-
one on track
llim home-
work mto fun
^ work— and
] make the grade
\ Cards, invita-
^ tions, mailing
lists.. .success!
Word Processing • Calendar/Scheduler
• Recipe Manager
There's only one software program that's as full of
possibilities as a bright 12-year-oId. That's as stufied as
his schoolbag. And which doesn't require a week's home-
work to leam how bo use.
Stepway does the work, so everyone has time for
fun. It's the software that may heip your kids or grand-
kids to forget about television. Imagine them heading
off to school with an illustrated book report, a banner
for the class elections, and a to do list to remind them
where they need to be and when. And it's not just kids'
stuff; Stepway can help you too, producing mailing
labels for the whole soccer team, an entire week's
grocery list, a home inventory for your insurance
agent. All in minutes, with a few clicks of a mouse.
Only with Stepway.
'Tinolly, my software searzh is oi^cr. Stepway is everything I
was looking for." Can)] Rahim, Home computer owot^r
Stepway was designed for households like yours. It's
not simply a business program in disguise. It's not a power
user's package with just a few pretty screens. Stepway is
the only suite software designed exclusively for the needs
of today's busy households. The husband-and- wife-team
who directed its de\'elopment made sure that Stepway
does the things you want to do, the way you'll want to
do them. It doesn't force you to buy a new computer or
printer. We're so certain you'll be satisfied that we offer
a money-back guarantee.
Requires a IX; with DOS 3.0 or highci; &40K memory, VGA or EGA
monitor, a hand drive and a mouit Supports hundreds ci printeis.
© Step 1 Syftems Corporation, 1992
* Banners & Signs*
• Cards & Invitations'
Addresses & Labels • Solitaire Games • Drawing
To Do Lists • Home Inventory
"The home market isn't only about busiiiesspeoplc doing busi-
ness at home, fts about new, nonbusiness uses for computers"
Bobby Orb ach. Compuler Retail Week
"No pain" learning. There's no studying necessary
to master Stepway. Everything that you need to know
appears right on your screen. Just point to any option,
and you'll see notes on how to use it. If you still have
questions, you'll be happy to discover how Stepway's
on-line Help system is designed for quick problem-
solving, and unsurpassed in ease of use. And in case
you really get stuck, we provide unlimited free customer
support Easy as A, B, CI
'The Art Shop is awesomeL* Qiff Forese, Age 12
Guaranteed kid-tested and approve. Stepway can help
>"our kids succeed— and still have funl A third of our
product testers are under 16 years old. Youll
even find a special junior dictionary for spell
checking. And Stepway's flexible and power-
ful enough to grow along with your family,
from a four-year-old who learns about
creativity by making a greeting card, to a
teenager who produces the sharpest social
studies reports in town.
"My kids loi>e Stepway^ and they 're learning,
not just playing games." Dale Pratt-Wibon,
Home Schooling Chairpeison, Chapel Hill, NC
STEPI/mV
step 1 Systems Corporation
74 Woodstock Rd.
Roswell, GA 30075
Today's best home software valua Stepway includes
everything you need to turn your home computer into
a family computer. Fun, work, creativity, productivity—
Stepway offers all these things and more. Why buy
and struggle to leam several different programs when you
can get everything you need in one, economical, easy-to-
leam system?
*'The greeting cards are stiper, as is the Sign Shop where
you do banners and signs. The word processor is exceptional
with dictionaries (adult and kid), multiple fonts and styles.
Wbrk with the Home Inventory or just play with the Art Shop
or Solitaire Games and you wilt be as hooked as lam...
This is one of the best DOS programs to come down the pike
in a long while." R.L Creighton. PC Primer
Visit your loca^d^erorjcallj (800M35-^EP
He ^ Buy today for $79* » H
I Save 50% PLUS {reg. $165)
I •Plus.ST.OOshtppinfi/handJing
GA reisidents £kdd seJes tax
I Please send me my own Stepway Software System with
D^^A" diikdt^ or D 5 W ' disJ^ttes.
I Street Addn:S4_
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30-day Money-Back Guarantee
n.£iri fliprl £>ir£iyl II v-i^jad^tl « f r^jrtw\ C'^Af'^ 1 d t^t* j^Avt ^
TEST LAB
PAINT SOFTWARE FEATURES
Maximum image size
limited by memory
limited by memory
limited by caching space
on hard drive
8192 X 8192 pixels
Maximum number of colors
16J milHon^
255
167 million^
167 mSiiion^
167 million^
Coior models
Online Kelp
Disk space required
CMYK. HSV. RGB
HLS, RGB
HLS. RGB
CMYK, HLS. Pantone.
RGB
CMYK. HLS. HSV, RGB
yes
yes
yes
yes
6ME
3MB
5MB
10MB
6M8
Paint tools
Special effects
RSter functions
airbrush, brush, drawing,
eraser, eyedropper. tiand
(paste control), magnifier,
pen, pointer {rectangle,
point-to-point, ellipse, free
form), scfoll
airbrush, color repiacer,
clone, curve, eraser.
eyedfopper, line, magic
wand, paint roller,
paintbrusht, spray can
airbrush, charcoal, color
repiacer, clone, cun/e,
eraser, eyedropper
fountain pen. line, magic
wand, paint roller,
palnlbmsh, spray can
none^
emboss, gradient,
mosaic, motion blur
apply texture, black hole,
crystallize, edge, detect,
emboss, facet, fisheye
lens, mosaic, motion blur,
outline, pfxelate, twist
airbrush, clone, color
probe, color tint fill,
elliplicai, eraser, freehand
draw, gradient fill, paint,
penal, rectangular draw,
smart fill, smear, texture,
texture fill
airbrush, arc, curve, ellipse/
circle, line, pen, polygon,
rectangle/square, spline,
TEMPRA WANO
crystallize, emboss,
engrave, facet, graphic
pen, highlight, mosaic,
motion blur, noise
reduction, pixelize, polar
to rectangular,
rectangular to polar,
smooth edges. spSatter,
stucco, three-
dimensional, twifi, wave
wind
color cycle animation,
color protect, color
spread, perspective,
pattern, clone, color
compress (8- bit only)
blur, brighten, gallery
effects, negative, color
balance, sharpen
blend, brighten, contrast,
sharpen, smudge, tile, tint
add noise, blend, blur,
diffuse, maximum.
minimum, posterize,
remove spots, remove
moire sharpen
darken, edge detection,
lighten, sharpen, smooth,
stitch
antialias, brighten,
emboss, pixelate,
sharpen, soften, stain, tint,
wash
Image c^ntnoS
convert, flip, resample,
rescate, resize, rotate,
stretch, shrink, slant
resize, rotate, perspective
clip, mask, resize,
perspective crop, rotate
automask, color sfiield.
copy, copy to, cut, delete,
elliptical mask, freetiand
mask, invert, mask
transform, mask point
editing, mirror, paste,
paste from, rectangular
mask, rotate, size smart
mask
clip polygon, clip regular.
fill, mask, minw, pen
editor, quick load, quick
save, rotate left 90
degrees, rotate right 90
degrees, text, turnover,
zoom
File formats supported
BMP. EPS. GIF, IMG. JPG,
MSP, PCX. PNT, RAW,
TIF, TGA
GIF. PCX. TIF
BMP, GIF. JPG. MSP.
PCX. TGA, TIF
BMP, DCS, EPS. GIF,
JPG, PCX, Phoio CD,
TGA. TIF
BMP, EPS. GIF. HRS, PCC,
PCX, PXL, IMG, TGA, TIF,
VST. WIN, -!M, !iM
Scanner support
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
Screen capture capabilities
yes
yes
yes (with board)
yes (with board)
Color separation capabilities
N^ Number of fonts supplied
no3
22
24
none"^
Type of fonts
NA
bitmap and outline
Type 1 and TrueType
ATM and Type 1
Bitstream
Special text effects
bold, italic, normal, strike
through, underline
gradient, shadow
resize, fill, rotate
drop shadow, blended
drop shadow
' Information on Image-In Color and Image-in Color Professional available from the manufacturer.
^Requires 24-bit adapter to view this number of cobrs.
^These are avaiiabie with Image-In Cotor Professional.
^Uses fonts on sys'em.
30
COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
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^^^^ .b .'V^^ESM
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Get the best of Windows and OS/2
without learning all this*
October 30, 1990
Sure, you want to get your PC flying.
With features like multiple open applica-
tions and background printing. Maybe
even the ability to maintain your host con-
nection while you work on something else.
But for that you need Windows or
OS/2. Which means you also need to
learn enough to get a pilot's license. And
spend enough on hardware and
software for a down payment
on a jet.
But with new Software Carousel,
you can get the biggest benefits
of Windows and OS/2 by doing
almost nothing.
It's #1 in task switching
software*
Software Carousel got to be a best-
seller because it works. Simply and
reliably. Day in and day out.
And because it gives you the single
most practical and powerful function of
OS/2 and Windows- the ability to quickly
switch from one application to another.
Simply load your programs as usual in
individual Software Carousel work areas
(it handles up to 12). Then switch
instantly ftom one to another with just
a keystroke. Each program gets as much
RAM as it needs. And all your programs
look and act just like they always did.
Best of all, nearly any program that
now runs on your PC will work with
Software Carousel. Even RAM resident
utilities, graphics programs and network
software. And Software Carousel works
on all types of PQ. So you can have the
kind of multi-application capability you
want, without buying anything new.
Now with Print'N*Run.
Thanks to Print'N'Run, new Software
Carousel is also an advanced print handler
One that quickly takes over your printing
jobs by accepting all the output bound for
the printer, then sending it to the printer
as fast as it can take it.
While your printer keeps running, you
can keep working in the same application.
Or switch to another Software Carousel
work area running a different application
No more wasted time
waiting for your
printer. No
more lost
productivity.
OLE. A network:
idea whose time
has come*
OLE is the optional
Open Link Extender*
for Softw^are Carousel.
And it could be the best
thing to happen to net-
works since OS/2 itself.
With OLE and Software
Carousel, you can connect to
any host or service over a network-
whether it's a mainframe, a mini, etc.—
then "switch away" to work on another
application, and not lose your connection.
OLE even makes sure that incoming
data is received, even though your PC may
be occupied with another application. t
And OLE works with all kinds of
connection software. Including IBM,
Attachmate, and others. Without
changes to your hardware or software.
Even the experts agree.
Garry Ray, writing for PC Week, said,
** Of these alternative operating environ-
ments (OS/2, DesqView and Soft-
ware Carousel), Carousel may be
the best choice of the day."
Barry Simon of PC Magazine
concurred with, "... I find it
difficult to imagine using my
computer without Carousel.
This package has become
an essential tool and one
that I strongly
recommend."
So if you really want
the major benefits of
Windows and OS/2,
don t get grounded
with high cost and
mind-bending complexity.
Take off today with Software
Carousel It's easy. And it's just $89.95.
n^^^S^^^^'^
^^^•
'^Software I $QQ95
Carousel ^^
SoftLogic Solutions, Inc.
One Perimeter Road, Manchester, NH 03103
Available at software dealers everywhere.
Or, order direct by calling toll-free,
CaU 800-272-9900
{603-627-9900 in NH)
Soft
SOLUTIONS
Scrftwatt CiKXjsel. OLE. Open Link Extentier and Pnni'N'Kuti are ifiidcinarb tw rtgisreresi naiicmirki <:i Sj^'iL^h; S*:lu(u>nj- Oih£\ hr^nJ namcj hk inKkEnarbi>r stjjwicfcd Trodctnaf b of their rapfc!jv€' ownen. © i^K SLS.
*Open link Extender is sold separately, t Requires NetBIOS connection.
Circle Reader Service Number 1B2
NEWS & NOTES
Jill Champion
Bream Idfrlop from
Tl offers color,
tiigti-capacity hard
drive, Ballpoint,
mi 8MB of BAM.
The BMW of Notebooks
New from Texas Instruments
comes the fastest color travel-
er around: the new 486-
based TravelMate 4000
WinDX2/40 Color notebook—
"the ultimate portable speed
machine," with a 40-MHz proc-
essor. It's the fastest, lightest,
and most powerful 486-
based color notebook comput-
er available in a 5.6-pound
package. This ultimate speed
machine features 8MB of mem-
ory and a 200MB hard drive.
It also includes the new Micro-
soft Ballpoint with the Quick-
Port easy snap-on and snap-
off connection that eliminates
the need for a cable. The Trav-
elMate's 9.4-inch-diagonal
full-color screen displays 256
colors simultaneously at full
VGA 640 X 480 resolution.
Preinstalled Windows 3.1
software powers up in less
than 30 seconds. Also prein-
stalled is MS-DOS 5.0. To
help get the most out of Win-
dows, standard configura-
tions include a portable point-
ing device, an oversized cur-
sor, Windows power-conserva-
tion software, and custom util-
ities for quick entry to and exit
from Windows-
Another advantage to the
TravelMate: You can fly coast
to coast with this machine's
486 power and have battery
life to spare. The TI Bat-
teryPro power-management
system provides long battery
life, and for added conven-
ience and preparation time.
BatteryPro shows you your re-
maining battery life at a
glance.
Expansion options include
lightweight, snap-on modules
for Ethernet or Token Ring
LANs as well as SCSI-compat-
ible devices, Tl also offers an
optional 14.400-bps V.32bis
modem with 9600-bps send/
receive fax capability, which
plugs into an internal slot in
the TravelMate.
Scheduled to be on the mar-
ket in January 1993, suggest-
ed retail price for the Travel-
Mate 4000 WinDX2/40 is
$4,499. If you would like to
gat more information, contact
Texas Instruments Peripheral
Products. P.O. Box 202230,
Austin, Texas 78720-2230;
(800) 527-3500,
Classics for o Song
Five LucasArts original adven-
ture games are now available
as a collection set titled Lu-
casArts' Classic Adventures—
and at a very attractive price
of $59.95 for the set. The
collection includes Maniac
Mansion, the game that pio-
neered the point-and-click
type of interface now adopted
by most major publishers of
graphic adventure games;
Zak McKracken and the Alien
Mindbenders, which centers
around a journalist who
writes for a supermarket tab-
loid; Indiana Jones and the
Last Crusade, based on the
1989 blockbuster film; Loom,
a mystery set in mythical
times; and The
Secret of Monkey
Island, the hu-
morous tale of a
pirate wannabe.
Hint books for
each game are also
included in the package.
Why is LucasArts offering
such a steal on five of its big-
gest moneymakers? "So new
gamers can discover some orig-
inal, classic favorites," accord-
ing to Kelly Flock, head of Lu-
casArts Games. '*We want to
introduce first-time PC owners
to the world of entertainment
software by making our classic
graphic adventures easily ac-
cessible to new enthusiasts."
For more information, con-
tact LucasArts Games, P.O.
Box 10307, San Rafael, Califor-
nia 94912; (415) 721-3300.
A New Chapter in Books
Books aren't what they used
to be, With the introduction of
its new Digital Book System,
Franklin Electronics takes
book publishing into the twen-
ty-first century. Touted as one
of the most powerful hand-
held reference devices ever
made, the Digital Book could
ultimately change the way ref-
erence materials are "printed"
and accessed in the future.
Franklin*s Digital Book, tiny
enough to fit in a shirt pocket,
is based on a ROM chip
that's capable of storing 45 mil-
lion pieces of data— the equiv-
alent of every word in a stack
of ten Bibles. The entire sys-
tem, v/ith lithium battehes and
memory cards installed,
weighs a mere 4,6 ounces.
Up to two ROM "books,"
each the size of a match-
book, can snap into the back
of the hand-held system at
the same time for instant ac-
cess and cross-referencing be-
tween the two.
According to the Associa-
tion of American Publishers,
90 percent of a!! printed mate-
rial is already in digital form-
manuscripts originate on PCs,
where theyVe also stored and
edited and then printed onto
paper. Says Carol Risher, Di-
rector of New Technology for
the Association, "Because
those pages are in digital
form, all are candidates for
32 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
Only ICSgircKS yon (he most powerful /BM-compatihle 386DX comlmter available in any PC Repair Onirse!
Get into a money-making career
in personal computer repair
7he US, Dept, of Labor states that matiy bigbly-
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earning over S JO, 000 a year And the PC rejyaif
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tbroiigbout this (hcade a)id heyt^iid!
Comprehensive
PC Repair Video
Tjkt.s uni sttjii In stop
ilmmj^h all ot tlnfimtvi
niaUumuorvs and
htm HMcpair OH'tlv.
386DX Personal Computer
* high-speed 32-bit/25MH2 central processing unit
* 40 megabyte IDE hard drive • 1 megabyte RAM
* fuU expansion capabilities • high -density 5 1/2**
14 inch VGA color monitor floppy disk drive
T
PC Tool KhhuhKi,
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rain at home to enter one of the fastest-growing, highest-paying computer careers!
You receive a 386DX IBM-compatible cu rds . c( ip r( rce.sst n s . acki il i t )na I
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Only ICS. iliL' wtirkls leader in hc^ne htudy. \2,i\X's
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taught at v(K*ational and trade sch(X)ls Ixjt
without sfXMiding years attending classes, \'i>u
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even ^Xf able to sian making money doing repair
jobs ix^bre \'ou finish yourcou["se.
Our computer sixxtiilLsts have spared no
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repair course available through home study.
Compare ICS training — ^you get
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Don't be confused by other schools ili;it tr>' to
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In learn PC ser\ icing and repair. Step by stef)
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ICS hands-on training Is the key
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^'ou receive [iractical. real-uorld computer
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a nee to advanced mien )compuler lechn<iIogy.
Learn to service and repair even^ type
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ICS makes you competent with the latest
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comes your way. "t'ou'll learn how to set up
and configure !*(^ systems.,. how to replace
central processing unit (CPl') components...
how to repair hard drives, floppy drives,
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Circle Reader Service Number 110
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Get all tlie facts you neL\\ on our re\'t>lLitionai"\
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Mail the postage
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I IQS School of Computer Training,
I 'icnSo ^^ PDZSUS, ')>^ Oak Mrm. SLTjnum. PA IHS 1^
I YES! Pk'asc H'fid mv tax* f:Kls tluit icll how 1
vAn tniin .11 luimc to Ivam VC ri.*p;iir. f iinJcrsumJ
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Atkla•s^ ^
C.ily State
. Api. * .
I rtuniL- t I . = . I
NEWS & NOTES
A new look at
reading, classic
Gompiiter
games, playing the
market on your
own, and taking tlie
worry out
of party time
the Digital Book System."
The possibilities are end-
less for future Digital Books —
particularly in the area of con-
sumer information — such as
buyer's guides that include
the names of local stores car-
rying the products you want,
electronic maps that display
point-to-point mileage and
can even choose the fastest
route between two cities, and
every kind of reference book
conceivable, from weather da-
ta to encyclopedias.
For now, Franklin's Digitai
Book System is packaged
with two books — The Merriam-
Webster Dictionary Plus,
which provides spellings, def-
initions, and synonyms, and
Word Games, a collection of
ten diversions for word lov-
ers — and is available for $199
from Radio Shack and Sharp-
er Image stores. By next
year, Digital Books will be avail-
able in an additional T0,000 re-
tail outlets nationwide.
Two other Digital Books
available separately are The
Video Companion, a guide to
the top movies currently avail-
able on video, retailing for
$59.95, and The Medical Let-
ter Handbook of Adverse
Drug Interactions, a tool creat-
ed especially for medical pro-
fessionals and students that al-
lows you to check interac-
tions for up to 20 drugs at
one time, retailing for S99.00.
Franklin plans to add 50
more Digital Books to its li-
brary in 1993, and it will li-
cense other companies to cre-
ate them, which means a sub-
stantial number of titles in a va-
riety of professional areas will
be on the market. For more in-
formation, contact Franklin
Electronic Publishers, 122
Burrs Road, Mt. Holly, New Jer-
sey 08060; (609) 261-4800.
Do-lf-Yourself Trading
With the changing of the pres-
idential guard and expecta-
tions for at feast a temporary
34 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
upswing in the economy, now
might be the time to look into
some do-it-yourself trading
with one of the recently updat-
ed versions of AIQ's stock mar-
ket software. The new prod-
uct versions improve both
ease of use and timeliness of
high-quality stock market infor-
mation, making it easier for
individual investors— those
who don't trade every day—
to better determine the best
time to enter and exit the mar-
ket in order to avoid buying
high and selling low.
MarketExpert. ideal for nov-
ices and those interested in
tracking only the market—
how the market is moving and
which way it's likely to go in
the short to intermediate
term- is based on AIQ's ex-
pert analysis, which com-
bines over 400 rules and 32
technical indicators with 17
pieces of daily market data.
StockExpert gives a more de-
tailed technical analysis of
stocks as well as market tim-
ing, which allows more ad-
vanced users to concurrently
track movement of both the
market and individual equities
and index equity options, help-
ing investors decide which is-
sues to buy, when to buy,
and when to sell. Both pro-
grams utilize AIQ's Expert Rat-
ing, which signals when a
stock is likely to change direc-
tion in phce, so novice and in-
termediate investors can deter-
mine when to take a position
in a stock.
In addition, new support for
flat-fee data suppliers makes
it more affordable for partici-
pants to track their invest-
ments. Stock market data can
cost hundreds of dollars per
month, but because AIQ has
negotiated flat monthly online
database rates with suppliers,
you can access stock market
data for as little as $15 a
month. Suggested retail price
for StockExpert is $399;
MarketExpert retails for $199.
For more information, contact
AIQ, 916 Southwood Boule-
vard. Building #3, P.O. Draw-
er 7530, Incline Village, Ne-
vada 89432; (800) 332-2999.
No More Pooped Parties
Two nifty programs from Nin-
ga Software take the anxiety
out of planning functions,
where details can become
work overload— especially
when your time is too valua-
ble to waste searching for end-
less pieces of paper. Thanks
to Party Planner from Ninga
Software, guest lists, RSVPs.
entertainment, catering, budg-
eting, and the rest of those par-
ticulars all come under neat or-
ganization whether youVe plan-
ning a corporate or a person-
al affair, either formal or re-
laxed. Party Planner gives
you up-to-the-minute reports
of where your money is being
spent, who's invited, who's at-
tending, and every other bit
of minutia involved.
The Meal Planner relieves
some of the frustration of host-
ing dinners— even regular fam-
ily meals when you don't
have time to prepare. In addi-
tion to offering creative sug-
gestions on what to serve, the
database allows you to in-
clude your own favorite reci-
pes and to print a shopping
list of all the ingredients need-
ed for each. Party Planner
and Meal Planner each retail
for $49.95. For more informa-
tion, contact Ninga Software,
#330, 736 Eighth Avenue SW,
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P
1H4: {800)265-5555.
Companies or public relations
firms with items of interest suita-
ble for ''News & Notes'' sfiouid
send information along with a
color slide or color transparen-
cy to News & Notes, Attn: Jill
Champion, COMPUTE, 324
West Wendover Avenue, Suite
200. Greensboro, North Caro-
lina 27408. 3
COMB
IhEBR/nA
ISALjOTpK^
KNIFE'
lb A MELON
Oldsmohile^ Bravada^^ is designed to
take on just about anything. Even
Ford Explorer. Unlike Explorer,
which requires you to shift into
four-wheel drive, Bravada has
SmartTrak^-, a combination of full-
time all-wheel drive and four-
wheel anti-lock brakes that
instarUly adjusts to changing road
conditions. Not only that, but
with its standard 200-horsepower
43-liter Vortec^''^ V6 engine,
Bravada also provides more muscle
than Explorer. But don't take our
word for it. hi tzvo independent
tests recent tij conducted by US AC*
Bravada outperformed Explorer by
demonstrating superior traction ^
maneuverability and get-up-and-
go on wet surfaces. Think about it.
Smarter, Stronger. Wouldn't you
really rather have the Swiss Army
knife? Far more information, call
l-800-242^OlDS.
I
Oldsmobile
THE POWER OF INTELLIGENT ENGINEERING.
FEEDBACK
Character
assassination,
becoming
C-worthy, somettiing
from nottiing,
a matter of ownersiiip,
and value shopping
Disreputable CliQracfers
I'm 11 years old and have en-
joyed programnning for sever-
al months on my IBM PC.
One of the games that I pro-
grammed in BASICA has user-
defined characters. The
game works perfectly in BASI-
CA, but after the program is
compiled in QuickBASIC, the
computer locks up and the
screen goes black. Is there a
way of preventing that from
happening?
MALCOM MCCAFFERY
SACKVILLE. NS
Sounds fike you've created a
machine language subroutine
using a CALL statement that
interferes with QuickBASIC's
memory management, but it*s
hard to tell without seeing
the program itself. You prob-
ably BLOADed the routine
into an absolute address.
If you're loading that subrou-
tine into an area that OuickBA
SIC uses, you're asking for
trouble.
A better solution is to write
the routine in machine lan-
guage and load it in as a sep-
arate module, using LINK to re-
solve the address for yoij^ Al-
so, if you're using an EuA,
VGA, or higher-resolution
graphics card, make sure you
use the approved video inter-
rupt INT 10h, function 11 h
character generator routines.
C-ing is Believing
I'm an avid reader of your mag-
azine and like to create pro-
grams for DOS 8086-based
machines. Tm currently learn-
ing C in college and, once
the class is over, would like to
continue developing my own
programs, possibly some
shareware. Which C should I
purchase? I want the flexibili-
ty to write programs for both
the DOS and Windows environ-
ments.
What's the difference be-
tween the Borland C+4- & Ap-
plication Frameworks and Tur-
bo C++ for Windows besides
price? Do I need to purchase
both? I'm confused as to why
Borland doesn't just sell one
C++ product that provides
everything you need. If I pur-
chase Turbo C++ for Win-
dows, will I be able to do the
things that Borland C++ & Ap-
plication Frameworks does?
I've noticed that Microsoft C
6.0 with Windows SDK and
QuickC for Windows are set
up in a similar fashion.
GLEN R, WHEELOCK
UTICA. NY
What's the difference be-
tween a Geo Metro and a
Cadillac? Why does GM sell
both? Because people have
different needs and different
amounts of money to spend.
The Turbo and Quick lines of
products were introduced to
provide low-cost ways for be-
ginners and light program-
mers to write in their favorite
languages. The other prod-
ucts cost more and do more,
so they're favored by profes-
sional developers. Pros use ei-
ther Borland C-h-i- & Applica-
tion Frameworks or Microsoft
C/C-h-f, not the lower-end
packages.
Qn the question of whether
Microsoft or Borland languag-
es are superior COMPUTE staf-
fers and contributing editors
agree that you can't go wrong
with either package. Borland
C-h-h S( Application Frame-
works comes with a Windows-
hosted development environ-
ment and may be available at
your college at a sharp dis-
count for students. Turbo C++
for Windows doesn't generate
DOS programs, so it's out of
the running for your purposes.
Likewise, only the high-end
Microsoft offering, C/C-h-h (now
at version 7.0 for C but only
to for C-h^), creates both Win-
dows and DOS applications.
On the other hand. Turbo C++
actually runs as a Windows pro-
gram. Microsoft's program-
ming language doesn't. In
Microsoft's favor is the home
court advantage and 30
pounds or so of superlative
documentation.
Spaced Out
Clark Harper ("Feedback," Ju-
ly 1992) has another option
for entering filenames and di-
rectory names with spaces in
them: character 255. Where a
space appears in a filename
or directory name, hold down
the Alt key and type 255 on
the numeric keypad. When
you release the Alt key, a
space will appear, but DOS
will recognize it as a charac-
ter and not the end of the
name.
JOHN WiLLIAM FORSYTH
FISH HOEK, RSA
Thanks to you and all the oth-
ers who wrote in with the
Alt-f-255 solution.
All tlie Rage
The letter from Mr. Horowitz in
your September 1992 issue pro-
vides me with an excellent op-
portunity to vent some frustra-
tions. You may recall that he
had a 40MB drive but only
had access to 32MB. I had the
identical problem, and I
couldn't wait to read the reply.
Unfortunately, I couldn't under-
stand it. Let me ask some ques-
tions about your answer.
1. You wrote, "Begin by
completely backing up every-
thing on your hard disk, using
DOS's Backup program . . ."
Which DOS?
2. "Make sure a copy of
your backup program and com-
mand. com are on the floppy."
Do you mean command.com
from my current DOS?
3. '*Next, boot from your fiop-
py disk and run Fdisk." Do [
boot from my DOS 3.3 floppy
or my DOS 5.0 floppy?
And finally, at what point do
I install DOS 5.0?
THOMAS FOCONE
PLAIN VI EV;, NY
36 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
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drcl* R«ad«r Swvke Humbw 187
FEEDBACK
We apologize if our reply was less
than clear First, from our reading of
Mr. l-iorowitz's letter, we understood
ttiat he fiad already installed DOS 5.0,
so the version of DOS wasn't a ques-
tion on our minds. You would be best
served if you installed DOS 5.0 before
performing any of the steps in our re-
ply If you performed the steps using
DOS 3.3, you would still be limited to
32MB of disk space per partition. You
could (as another reader pointed out)
use Fdisk to partition the other 8MB as
drive D and thereby have access to
the whole disk under DOS 3.3, but it
has been our experience that 40MB of
hard disk space in a single partition is
more useful and flexible than 32MB
and 8MB in two partitions. We recom-
mend that you upgrade your DOS,
back up your disk, and repartition to
get access to the unused SMB.
Forked Tree
My hard disk is almost full: it's stocked
with many different programs and
games. When I execute the DOS Dir
command, it shows 10MB free. When
I use Chkdsk, it tells me I have around
93MB of user files. When I use Drtree.
it says I have around 80MB in files.
Where are the missing megabytes?
Also, I have been considering buy-
ing one of those systems that double
your disk capacity. Which do you rec-
ommend?
HORMAZD ROMER
WOODBRIDGE. ON
We suspect that you've been led astray
by the difference between the size of a
file and the amount of space it takes up
on your disk Hard disks store flies in sec-
tors. If a file takes up less than a sector,
it still uses up the whole sector If you
have a hard disk that uses 2048 bytes
per sector (a fairly common size), then
a file will take up a minimum of 2K on
the disk, no matter how small it is in re-
ality. A worst-case scenario would be if
you had a 32MB disk and you placed
16,000 1-byte files on it— you would use
up the entire hard disk to store only 16K
of files. Most files are larger than a sin-
gle byte, of course, but if a file is 11 K, it
will still take up 12K of disk space.
Batch files are the worst offenders,
since they* re often shorter than 100
bytes, and our "Tips & Tools" column of-
ten features ways to gather many useful
batch files into a single large batch file
so disk space is used more efficiently
In answer to your second question,
we would unhesitatingly recommend
Stacker We've had the opportunity to
Editor
Senior Art Director
Art Director
Managing Editor
Fea lures Editor
Reviews Editor
Editor, Gazette
Eflitor, Amfga Resource
Copy Editors
EdilorlaJ Assistant
Contributing Editors
Ciiflon Karnes
Dwayne Flinchum
Ftobin C Case
David E-nglish
Robert tiixby
Mike l-iudnai]
Tom Nessei
Denny Atkin
Karen HuHman
Margaret Ramsey
PoiJy Cii'pam
Sylvia Gfaham, Eddie Hulfman.
Tony RobGfis, Karen Siepak
ART
Assistant Arl Director Kenneth A Hardy
Designer Katie Taytor
Copy Prod uct io n Man a ge r Tef ry Cash
PRODUCTION
Production Manager De E^ottfjr
Traflic Manager Barbara A VVilliams
PROGRAMMiNG & ONUME SERVICES
Manager
Troy Tuckpr
Progmmmtrs
&uoeM Bov,'den
Steve Draper
Bradley M, Small
ADMINISTRATION
President, COO
Kathy Keeton
Executive Vice President,
Wiliiam Tyr^n
Operations
EdiloHai Director
Keilh Ferreli
Operations Manager
David Hensley Jr.
Ottice IWanager
Sybil Agee
Sr. Admlrtlslrative Assistant
Julia Fleming
Administrative Assistant
Usa Williams
Receptionist
LeWanda Fox
ADVEFrnSlKG
Vice President,
Peter T Johnsmeyer
Associate Pubiistitr
[212) 496-6 too
ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES
Eas-. Coast RjlUPago md Siandafd Display Ads— Fteier T Johns-
meyer, Chris Coolrio, CO^/PUTE Puts I (cat ions tntemational Ltd.,
1965 Broadway. New York. NY 10023; {2^2) 496-6100- South-
east— Hamel Rogers. 503 A St . SE, Washington. DC. 20003;
(202) 546-5926, Florida-J. M Remer Asscciates. 3300 NE
t92nd St,. Suilo 19?. Aveniura, FL 33180, (305) 933-1467, (305)
933-8302 (FAX) Midwest— Full-Page and Siandard Display
Ads — Slarr Lane, National Accounts Manager, \ 1 1 East Wack-
er Dr.. Suite 506. Chicago. IL 60601; (312) 619-0900 (312) 819-
0813 (FAX). Northwesi— Jefry Thompson, Jyifls €. Thompson
Co., 1290Hov/ard Ave . Suite 303, Burlingame CA 94010; (415)
34an8222. Lucille [Dennis, (707) 451-8209. Southwest— Ian Ling-
wood, 6728 Eton Ave , Canoga Park. CA 91303. (818) 992-
4777 Product Mart Ads— Lucille Dennis, Jules E Thompson
Co . 1290 Howard Ave , Suite 303, Burlingame, CA 94010; (707)
451-8209. UK& Europe- Beverly Wardale, 14 Lisgar Terr , Lon
don W14, England; 011-441-602-3298 Japan -Intergroup Com
murications. Lid . JiroSemba, President: 3F Tiger Bidg 5-22 Shi
ba-koen. 3'Chome, Minaio Hu, Tokyo 105, Japan; 03-434
260? Classified Ads— Mafia Manasen, 1 \'toods D,, Huntington,
NY 11743: (TtU/FAX) (516) 757-9562.
THE CORPORATION
Bob Guccione (chairman and CEO}
Kathy Keeton (vice-chairman)
David J Myorson (president and CEO)
Wiliiam F MadieD (presioent. mari^eiing, sales and circulation)
F^tnck J Gavin (senior wee president and CFO)
Anthony J Guccione (secretary and treasurer)
John Evans (president, foreign editions and manufaciuring)
Jefi Winston (senior vice president, administrative services)
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING
Sr, VP/Corp. Dir , New Business Develoomont Beverly
Wardale; VP/Dir . Group Advertising Sales Nancy Keslenbaum;
Sr VP/Soulhern and Mrdwesi Advertising Dir : Peter Goldsmith
Qftrces: New York 1965 Broadway. New York, NY 10023-6965,
Tel. (212) 496-6100, Telex 237128. Midwasf 111 East Wacker
Dr.. Suite 508. Chicago. 11 G0601; (312) 819-0900 (312) 819-
0813 (B«). South: 1725 K St. NW. Suite 903. Washington. DC
20006, Tel. (202) 728-0320. West Coast: 6728 Eton Ave.. Can-
oga Park. CA 91303, Tel (818) 992-4777 UK and Europe; 14
Lisgar Terrace. London W14, England, Tel. 01-828-3336 Japan;
Iniergroup Jiro Seml>a, Telex J25459!GLTYO. Fax 434-5970. Ko-
rea; Kaya Advlsng., Inc , Rm 402 Kunshin Ann en B/D 251-1.
Dohwa Dong. Mapo-Ku, Seoul, Korea (121), Tet, 719-6906. Tel-
ex K32l44Kayaad.
ADMINISTRATION
Sr. VP. CFO: Painck J. Gavin; Sr VP/ Administrative Services:
Jeri Winsion: EVP/Graphics Olrecior: FranK Devi no; EVP/
Circutatton: James B. Marlse; VP Director Sales ProiBOtiOf^s; Bev-
erty Greiper; VP Production Hal Halpner Dir. Newsstand Cir-
culation P&ul Bolnick, Pit,, Newssland Operations Joe Galto:
Dir Subscription Circulaiion Diane Morgentbaler; VP Director
of Research: Rotwrl Rattner. Advertising ProtJuctiOh Director:
Chartene Smith; Advertising Production Traffic Mgr,; Pam Rizk;
Traffic Dir.; William Harbult, Production Mgr ; Tom Sllnson;
Asst, Production Mgr.. Nancy Rice; Exec. Asst. to Bob Guc-
Clone; Diane O'Connetl; Exec Assi, to David J Myerson; Teri
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Neither Micro nor Soft
This is to complain about an attitude
you people seem to have that has sur-
faced again. Does Microsoft own a
controlling interest in your magazine? I
feel like I'm paying for an advertising
brochure for Windows and Microsoft.
The latest example is the "Program-
ming Power" column in the September
1992 issue. Mr. Campbell lists Micro-
soft versions of BASIC, but what about
PowerBASIC2 and its predecessor, Tur-
bo Basic? I have both PowerBASIC
and QuickBASIC 4.5. and PowerBASIC
is superior in every way,
JAY KETHLEY
HOUSTON. TX
Thank you for the opportunity to reply
to the many letters we receive that hint
at ties between COMPUTE and IBM or
between COMPUTE and Microsoft.
COMPUTE is owned by General Media
International, a privately held company
that publishes many other magazines,
including Orr]r\'\ anc/ Penthouse. Neither
IBM nor Microsoft has any connection
with COMPUTE. We've had the oppor-
tunity to mention PowerBASIC and
True BASIC many times in this column
and will continue to mention them.
They each have many fans, and
they're both fine languages. Youll
note that Mr Campbell gave a bal-
anced look at the BASICS offered by Mi-
crosoft and wasn't enthusiastic about
many of them.
Patter Fartiilias
I have become tired of all the advertise-
ments you include in COMPUTE that
are for "adults-only" services. By carry-
ing these advertisements, you contra-
dict family values.
KOBY SMITH
ROLU. MISSOURI
Thanks for sharing your concerns. We
strive to make our magazine of value
and interest to all age groups.
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
something that could help other PC us-
ers? If so, we want to hear from you.
Write to COMPUTE'S Feedback, 324
West Wendover Avenue, Suite 200,
Greensboro, North Carolina 27408. We
regret that we cannot provide person-
al replies to technical questions. G
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Clrde Reader Service Number 192
To make Windows really smoke, you need top-fli
THE ULTIMATE Wl
It goes without saying tliat you need a bold, powerful computer to run Windows at its best mt
The folks at Microsoft have endeavored to make Windows hospitable to nearly all PC ^m
hardware, and there are tricks and techniques to make it run better on any machine, but H
the only way to make Windows really shine is with the latest CPU, a quick hard drive with ^
lots of free space, megabytes of RAM, and a speedy yet colorful video system. This leaves W^
BY DAN GOOKIN
'■?f'5imm^^:
ht hardware. Here's our guide to choosing the best.
NDOWS MACHINE
I you not only wanting more but also faced with dozens of options and choices for upgrading
your current PC, as well as any future PC you plan to purchase.
Configuring an ideal PC for Windows wouldn't be such a great problem if it weren't for
two things. First, newer and better hardware appears daily. Subtle improvements are made
in microprocessor and video technology, most of which are directly beneficial to Windows.
ILLUSTRATION BY JT. MORROW
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This means you have more and more
choices every day. and some of yes-
terday's best picks are rapidly becom-
ing obsolete.
The second problem is money.
Fancy new hardware is expensive, in
a few years it will come down in price,
but by then newer and better hard-
ware will be available— and even more
expensive. So while you can make the
choice quite easily, the options you
prefer may not be in your budget. And
even if they are, is it wise to spend
that much money on something when
the price will eventually drop and
other better and more expensive items
will eventually appear?
Welcome to the buyer's dilemma. If
money were no object, then creating
the ultimate Windows machine would
be a snap: Jog down to your local
computer store and purchase the
most expensive model. It's a no-
sweat, no-brainer purchase. Yet, while
this will get you a hot Windows PC, it's
not a very smart way to spend your
money. F^or example, you may be
spending too much money on a fancy
video system when that money would
be better spent on a larger hard drive
or more RAM. As with all computer
purchases, how you spend your
money depends on how you're going
to use your Windows computer.
Four Basic Parts
Windows eats hardware for breakfast,
and its four major food groups must
be supplied in proportion to its
appetite. Up front, there's the micro-
processor, or CPU (which also
includes the math coprocessor),
Windows' basic lust for speed is sati-
ated only by a fast CPU. Second,
there's RAM, or memory. Windows
devours RAM, gulping it down in
megabyte-sized chunks. Third is the
hard drive, which must be fast and
contain plenty of room for Windows
and its massive programs. Finally,
there's the video system, where
Windows shows its stuff. Since
Windows is a visual environment, a
PC's video system can make or break
Windows, no matter how good the
other three items are.
Together, the CPU. RAM, hard
drive, and video system are the four
pillars upon which you can build the
supreme Windows computer.
(Actually, these are the four major ele-
ments of any computer, so you could
say that the ultimate Windows PC is
also the ultimate PC, However, soup-
ing up a computer in this manner to
run only WordPerfect. 1-2-3, or an
order-entry system would be an
extreme waste of money.) Other items
42 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
are important, such as a mouse,
sound card, modem, and so forth, but
they aren't as crucial as the basic four.
CPU and Math Coprocessor
The heart of any computer is the CPU,
or microprocessor. Windows requires
an 80386-family CPU in order to run in
the enhanced mode, Windows' top
operating mode. Windows can run on
an 80286-equipped PC, but then it's
restricted to operating in the limited
standard mode, v/here fancy features
such as multitasking DOS programs
isn^t an available option. Fortunately,
the 80386 family of CPUs is extensive
and contains many brothers, sisters,
and cousins bound to fill the role of
Windows CPU.
The accompanying chart, "CPUs
Capable of Handling Windows," lists
CPUs capable of meeting Windows'
demands. Topping the list is the cur-
rent generation of PC microproces-
sors, the 80486 family. That's followed
by the 80386 family and then the
80286. Quite frankly, you don't want
an 80286 to run Windows. The 80486,
at the top of the scale, is your ideal
Windows microprocessor.
CPUs are judged by two factors:
computing power and chip speed.
These attributes apply to all the CPUs
in the chart. Computing power is mea-
sured by a microprocessor's bit width.
That indicates the size of the numbers
and the amount of memory the CPU
can play with. The larger the bit width,
the better the CPU. Early CPUs had a
bit width of 8. Today's 80486 desk
burners churn out numbers 32-bits
wide. When Windows sees 32 bits, it
gets very happy. Anything less, and
you're making Windows tighten its
belt, cramping its style.
One important aspect about a
CPU's bit width is that there are both
internal and external values. The inter-
nal value refers to the way the micro-
processor handles values inside^the
way it thinks in its "head." For exam-
ple, just about any 80386 or 80486
CPU can juggle 32-bit numbers inter-
nally with one hand tied behind its
back. The SX-suffixed CPUs, on the
other hand, have a 16-bit width exter-
nally. This means that although they
can handle the 32-bit numbers inter-
nally, they must slice them in half to
slide them out the door This slows the
chip's performance, but it gives us the
advantage of a less expensive chip.
The second factor used in judging
a CPU is its chip speed. This is raw
horsepower. Microprocessors calcu-
late many thousands of times per sec-
ond — sometimes millions of times per
second. That speed is measured in
millions of cycles per second, a value
scientists have described as mega-
CPUs Capable of
Be aware that dealers will always
advertise the higher speed,
80486DX A "pure" 80486 chip.
This CPU computes using 32 bits
internally and externally. The chip's
speed (measured in MHz) is the
actual speed of the chip.
80486DX2 This CPU computes
at 32 bits internally and externally,
just like the DX. The difference is the
2, v/hich means this chip uses spe-
cial tricks to run at twice its normal
speed. For example, a 33-/66-MHz
80486DX2 runs at 66 MHz internally
and 33 MHz externally. This chip is
more economical than an 80486DX
running at 66 MHz (which is a faster
chip).
80486SX This CPU computes
internally at 32 bits but at only 16
bits externally. This means its perfor-
mance will be somewhat less than
the full 80486DX or DX2 chip. Also,
the B0486SX lacks an internal math
coprocessor, which must be pur-
chased at an extra cost. While the
80486SX is initially a less expensive
CPU, the added cost of the 80487
math coprocessor chip to make it
Handling Windows
compatible with the full 804B6DX
makes this chip a poor choice.
80386DX This is the fastest
80386-family chip available. Like the
80486, it runs at 32 bits internally
and externally. This chip is also a bit
slower than an 80486 chip running
at the same speed, and it requires a
math coprocessor (80387) chip to
be fully software compatible with the
80486DX.
80386SX This CPU runs at 32
bits internally but at only 16 bits
externally. This makes it the least
powerful CPU recommended for run-
ning Windows in the enhanced
mode. On the upside, this is also the
least expensive chip of the lot and
the only CPU you're likely to find in
most laptops (thanks to this chip's
low power consumption).
80286 The 80286 CPU sits on
the bottom rung of Windows power
requirements. Windows runs on
computers with this microprocessor,
but not very well. In fact, with an
80286 chip installed, you're limited
to running Windows in the standard
mode.
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Armoiir-Geddon puts you in fhe front line! Plan the attack and leap into
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enemy's aggression: the Neutron Bomb.
Armoiti'-'Gedclon takes realism a step ftirther with high speed computer
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Any closer to the action and you'd need body armor!
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To order
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t^f^
hertz (MHz), This value is straightfor-
ward: The more MHz, the faster the
CPU- The typical speed of a PC's
microprocessor is about 33 MHz,
Older computers may sport slower
speeds, sometimes 20 or 25 MHz,
which was as far as the technology
could push things a few years back.
Today's CPUs can run at 33, 40, 50,
66 MHz— and faster. Obviously, the
faster speed is better, but there are
two warnings attached to this. The first
concerns comparisons between the
MHz values of 80386 and 80486
microprocessors. The 80486 is a later-
generation chip and runs faster than a
comparable B0386 chip. For example,
an 80486 running at 33 MHz runs
much faster than an 80386 also run-
ning at 33 MHz. In fact, an 80486 run-
ning at 25 MHz may be faster than an
80386 running at 33 MHz. While the
80386 may be less expensive, the
80486's advances in technology make
it a faster chip.
The second warning concerns the
804B6 clock-doubling chips. These
chips will end with the number 2 or
sometimes 12. By using special tech-
nology, the doubling chip some-
times — and only internally — can
achieve speeds double its rating. For
example, an 80486DX2 may claim a
speed of 66 MHz— -which would make
it one screaming chip! However, the 2
indicates that this is a clock-doubling
chip; the actual speed of the chip is
really just 33 MHz. The advantage
here, of course, is that an 80486DX2
that can sometimes run at 66 MHz
would be much less expensive than a
66-MHz 80486DX. However, the
80486DX would be much faster, since
it would always run at full speed.
Finally, there is a technical Issue of
the CPU's interna! cache. This differs
from a disk cache, which is a special
area of your computer's memory set
aside to improve disk operations. A
microprocessor's cache is a special
area on the chip that improves the
speed of the microprocessor. (It works
like a disk cache, bui it does not require
any of your PC's memory. The cache is
stored on the chip or on a special com-
panion chip.) Some CPUs will have no
internal cache. Others may have a IK,
8K, 64K, or larger cache. The larger the
cache, the more performance you'll see
from the chip. In some cases you may
be able to upgrade the cache yourself;
other times, the cache is an internal part
of the microprocessor and cannot be
changed. (Internal is better, by the
way.)
This aspect of the CPU is some-
thing you may have little control over.
Usually, only the big boys offer the
44 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
Buying a Windows Laptop
Windows on a laptop is no longer
such a curious thing. On my last visit
to the computer store (hunting for a
laptop, incidentally). 1 was greeted
with two dozen laptop computers,
each of which was running
Windows— some of them in color.
Flash aside, the four basic hardware
groups are also important when con-
sidering the ultimate Windows lap-
top, but to a lesser degree. For
example, you may only get a 25-
MHz 80386SX or SL in your laptop.
The reason is power consumption.
Higher-power CPUs draw a lot more
battery power than the iow-power
80386 models.
If possible, look for Intel's SL
chips or similar microprocessors
from other manufacturers, which are
designed to have a special power-
down mode that conserves juice
when the laptop is inactive. If possi-
ble, make sure the laptop conforms
to the Advanced Power Manage-
ment (APM) specification.
RAM and hard drive capacity are
limited on a laptop to available stor-
age space. Most laptops can be
upgraded to 4MB of RAM. Laptop
hard drives are typically puny,
though you may find the occasional
80MB or larger model. (And with
programs like Stacker, you can con-
vert that 80MB into a potential
160MB of storage.)
Finally, for video, most laptops
come with built-in VGA or Super
VGA, though they display the image
on a less-than-perfect LCD screen.
If you want to bite the bullet and go
into debt, then you can opt for a
color LCD screen. Some of them do
show color comparable to many
desktop systems, but they are still
very, very expensive. If you decide
to go monochrome, take a good look
at the laptop's rendition of Windows.
Are there smears on the screen? Do
colors bleed up and down or left
and right? Do some colors cause
flicker?
Another laptop item you need is
a mouse. Some of the newer laptops
have built-in thumbball mice. If the
laptop lacks a companion mouse,
then you can purchase one of the
special clip-on trackball mice, such
as Logitech's Trackman Portable or
the Microsoft BallPoint mouse.
These add width to the laptop, but
not as much as a full-size mouse
and mouse pad would.
Finally, don't neglect Windows'
special options for laptop comput-
ers, such as color schemes or the
mouse tails, which let you find the
mouse more quickly. If you have
plenty of money, then you can pur-
chase the ultimate Windows laptop
and really make fellow plane pas-
sengers jealous. But if I were you, I'd
spend the cash on making my desk-
top model Windows happy and keep
the Windows laptop just one notch
above tolerable.
high-speed microprocessors with
beefy caches, and they do so for a
premium phce. Overall, the best CPU
to get for Windows is the fastest avail-
able 80486DX chip. As this issue goes
to press, that's the 80486DX running
at 50 MHz. (A 66-MHz model is
rumored to be in the works, and the
next-generation CPU, the Pentium, is
also just around the corner,) The sec-
ond-best CPU would be the clock-
doubling 80486DX2 running at 66
MHz. It's a better choice than the 33-
MHz 80486DX, which doesn't have the
higher speed as an option.
On the economical front, the best
chip worth having is the 80386DX. I
recommend this above the 80486SX,
which is essentially a slow 80486 with-
out a math coprocessor. While the
80386DX also lacks a math coproces-
sor, its optional coprocessor chip (the
80387) is less expensive than the com-
parable chip for the 80486SX (the
80487). (Refer to The Math Coproces-
sor Equation," elsewhere in this article.)
Laptop owners may be stuck with the
80386SX, primarily because of its low
power consumption. For a desktop com-
puter, however, I don't recommend the
80386SX at all; consider the 80386DX or
save up some cash and go for the
fastest 80486 chip you can afford.
Tbe CPU Tolly
Best Windows CPU: 80486DX at 50
MHz or 80486DX2 at 66 MHz
Very good: 80486DX at 33 MHz or
80486DX2at50MHz
Economical: 80386DX at 33, 25, or 20
MHz
Unsatisfactory; 80486SX, 80286
Memory
An 80386 or 80486 CPU can rule over
four gigabytes of memory. That's 4096
megabytes, which is about 4092MB
more than the typical PC contains.
Even so, most PCs only have room for
8MB of RAM on the motherboard,
sometimes 16MB or 32MB, given vari-
ous expansion options. With all that
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memory, Windows claims it only needs
2MB to start in the enhanced mode. Of
course, if you believe that, then there
are some real deals on swampland in
Florida if you're interested . . .
No matter how fast your micro-
processor or how much hard drive
space you have, Windows needs
acres and acres of free memory to
frolic and dance. Without it, the pro-
gram is as cramped as an airline pas-
senger in the middle seat in coach try-
ing to slice up and eat a steak while
maintaining a civil composure.
Realistically speaking, you need at
feast 4MB of memory to properly run
Windows. However, Windows runs
even better with SMB. And 16MB? If
your computer has room for that much
RAM and you can afford to put it in,
then why not? In fact, I'll make a blunt,
flat rule about Windows memory con-
sumption needs and how to fill them:
Buy as much memory as you can
afford for your PC or as much as will
fully populate the motherboard. For
example, the typical 80486 desktop-
model PC may have room for 8MB of
RAM. Buy it. Install it. Use it. If you
have room for more RAM, buy it.
Overall, memory is the least expensive
thing you can add to your PC, and
Windows will love it.
Another important point to consider
is the type of memory you add.
Specifically, Windows needs extended
memory. This is the native memory
you add to your 80386 or 80486 PC.
Do not run any software drivers or
special programs that convert the
extended memory into expanded
memory — no, no, no! Windows needs
only extended memory; expanded
memory is wasted when you run
Windows.
As far as technical specifics go.
make sure you buy memory of the
proper speed and type for your PC. For
example, if the manufacturer suggests
buying 80-ns RAM chips, buy 80-ns
chips. Don't save money by getting
less expensive chips. The reason is
that one slow chip in your PC will cause
every other RAM chip to slow down to
that speed- This isn't how you make
Windows run fast on your PC. Other
technical information about the chips is
of a more specific nature; make sure
you always have what the manufacturer
suggests and nothing less.
Economically speaking, 2MB is the
least amount of memory you need to
run Windows in the enhanced mode.
But why suffer? At present prices,
another 2MB of memory is cheap
(especially if you buy it by mail order
from a memory chip specialty house).
However, I recommend at least 8MB
46 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
of memory for Windows. With 16MB,
you'll be going first class.
The Memory Tally
Best memory for Windows: 16MB or
more — as much as your motherboard
will hold/you can afford.
Very good: 8MB
Economical: 4MB
Unsatisfactory: Anything less
Hard Drive Size, Speed, and
Type
Windows and its applications have a
rapacious appetite for hard drive stor-
age. By itself, Windows occupies
some 10 or 12 megabytes of disk
space. Add a single Windows applica-
tion, and you lose another 10 or 12
megabytes. This all but rules out run-
ning Windows on a hard drive with
only a 20MB capacity. Even a 40MB
or BOMB hard drive gets cramped
quickly with Windows.
The obvious solution to the hard
drive storage dilemma is to buy the
largest hard drive you can afford, I
recommend anything over 200MB, If
you need a formula, figure on a basic
40MB, plus 15MB for each of your
applications (either Windows or DOS
based). Double that figure and buy a
hard drive of that capacity— or larger.
Suppose you use Windows. Excel,
WordPerfect for Windows, ProComm,
plus a few utilities. That's 40MB + (4 x
15MB), which equals 100MB. Double
that, and you get 200MB. Better still,
since most people have more than
four applications, consider a 320MB
drive as the bare minimum for the ulti-
mate Windows PC.
Capacity shouldn't be the only fac-
tor in selecting the ultimate Windows
machine's hard drive. There are two
other gauges you can use to measure
a hard drive's willingness to behave
with Windows: speed and interface. A
hard drive's speed is judged by its
average access time, measured in
milliseconds (ms). This is the average
time it takes the hard 6me mechanism
to reach out and fetch some data on
the disk. The smaller the value, the
faster the hard drive. Values of 20 ms
or less indicate a fast, zippy, perfectly-
suited-for-Windows hard drive.
Anything less than 40 ms is OK, but
avoid greater values.
The final factor used in selecting a
hard drive is its interface, or the mech-
anism that controls the hard drive,
sometimes called the hard drive con-
troller. The best controller to get for
Windows is the SCSI (pronounced
"scuzzy," Small Computer System
Interface) controller— but only if you
select a top-quality SCSI interface
card, preferably one with an on~board
microprocessor or large cache. And if
you get the 32-bit EISA SCSI, then
you're going just about as fast as you
can go (refer to "Expansion Slots,"
elsewhere in this article).
Some may disagree with my selec-
tion of SCSI as part of the ultimate
Windows machine's hard drive inter-
face. However, any quick look at the
top-of-the-line hard drives will prove
my point: The hottest, fastest, and
largest-capacity drives are all SCSI,
Another advantage to SCSI is that you
can connect up to seven hard dhves
to a single controller. Other controllers
limit you to one or two drives. And if
you don't need seven hard drives,
then consider connecting a CD-ROM,
a scanner, or another device to the
flexible SCSI interface.
After SCSI, the two next-best
options are the IDE and ESDI inter-
faces. Both of these types of hard dri-
ves are smart, having the electronics
that control the hard disk on the drive
unit itself. Some older workhorse PCs
probably use the ESDI interface; mod-
ern PCs and nearly all laptops sport
IDE drives. The problem with both of
these is a lack of availability of drives
at the higher capacities. But if SCSI is
too eccentric for you, IDE drives in
particular are a good second choice.
At the bottom of the heap are the
older PC drives, identified as RLL,
MFM, or some other interesting
acronym. These drives have been
supplanted by the newer standards
mentioned above, and you should
avoid using them. If your goal is to
upgrade your PC to the ultimate
Windows machine, then a new SCSI or
IDE hard drive and controller is a
good place to start spending your
upgrade cash.
If you're trying to save money — and
you're a cost-conscious buyer— then
note that though large capacity dnves
are more expensive, the cost per
megabyte is much less than with
lower-capacity drives. And if there's
one thing you can never overestimate,
it's the amount of disk storage you1l
need, especially under Windows.
The Hard Drive Tally
Best hard drive size for Windows:
320MB
Very good: 200MB
Economical: 80MB
Unsatisfactory: 40MB or less
Best hard drive speed: 20 ms or faster
Very good: Anything faster than 40 ms
Unsatisfactory: 40 ms or slower
Values of 20 ms or less indicate a fast,
zippy, perfectly-suited-for-Windows
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hard drive. Anything less than 40 ms
is OK, but avoid greater values.
Best type of hard drive: EISA SCSI
Very good: IDE, ESDi
Unsatisfactory: Anything else
Video Card and Monitor
One area of tremendous improvennenl
over the past several years is in PC
graphics. Gone are the days of ugly
fuzzy text and primitive two-color
graphics screens. Today's Super VGA
offers colors, resolution, and splash to
dazzle the most discerning graphics
artist's eye. Not only that, but a tech-
nology called local bus (or direct bus)
is enabling PC makers to directly con-
nect the PC's eye (the video system)
to the PC^s brain {the microprocessor)
for the absolutely fastest and best
video system possible,
A PC's video system really consists
of two elements: the video adapter
card, which is an expansion card that
plugs into one of your computer's
expansion slots, and the monitor. Of
the two, the adapter card is more
important, since it sets the resolution
and number of colors and determines
what type of monitor you connect to
the PC, Once you select the adapter
card, you can find a suitable monitor,
though some people will erroneously
pick out specialty monitors and then
hunt for video adapters to drive them.
There are nnany high-end video
standards for the PC. so it's quite pos-
sible to spend a great deal of money
to get the highest possible resolution
with the most colors. Though they
sound like part of the ultimate solution,
adapter cards such as the XGA or the
old PGA are really best suited for
graphic artists with deep pockets (a
rare combination) or CAD engineers
who use a specific application that
pushes the high-end video card to its
limits. For everyone else, the Super
VGA standard will suffice.
Super VGA is an extension of IBM's
VGA video standard included with
most PS/2 computers. It's called super
because of its extra colors, resolu-
tions, and graphics modes that the
standard VGA graphics adapter lacks.
Better SVGA cards offer 1MB or more
of video memory. A resolution of at
least 1024 x 768 pixels with 256 colors
is considered good; 1280 x 1024 res-
olution is tops (anything higher, and
you're starting to wander into graphic-
artist land).
The best SVGA standard is the
local bus or VESA standard. This is a
video system that's integrated with
your computer's microprocessor. The
local bus is actually a direct line of
48 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
Cost-Effective Upgrades
Where do-you start if your goal is to
upgrade to the ultimate Windows
machine? Right away, I can tell you
that upgrading a PC a piece at a
time is much more expensive than
buying a new modelH^st like buy-
ing a car a piece at a time would
cost two times the sticker price
(which is the theory behind which
chop shops operate). And chase
away those thoughts of selling your
PC used; there's no value in it!
Consider donating the old clunker
to a school or nonprofit organization
instead. However, if you want to
upgrade, here are the items I sug-
gest purchasing, in the order they'd
be most effective.
More memory. This always
helps, even on an 80286 system.
Pack that motherboard full of RAMI
A larger, faster hard drive and
controller. If that's out of your reach,
consider adding a second drive.
A video system upgrade. I list
this third because the improvements
more memory and a better hard
drive have to offer will be immedi-
ately noticeable, whereas newer
graphics hardware just makes poky
old Windows look better.
A CPU upgrade. This isn't an
option for most of us. Newer comput-
ers have CPU upgrade paths; older
systems are stuck in the mud. Some
80286-to-803B6SX options exist, such
as the SotaPop or Cumulus 80386SX
upgrade kit. A better solution might
be a motherboard swap, which also
updates the support circuitry the
microprocessor relies upon.
Other items, peripherals, sound
cards, CD-ROM, and so on. Save
these upgrades for last; spend your
money on the items above, in order,
before you consider the fun stuff.
As far as spending money is
concerned, consider what it is you
do under Windows. If you notice
your software going out to disk a
lot and you subsequently wait for
the disk drive to catch up, put
more money into a faster disk drive
and less into RAM. If the disk drive
is fine, then shift more funds into
RAM or a fancy video system. In
the end, you may not have the ulti-
mate Windows machine, but you'll
definitely end up closer to it than
when you started.
communications to the computer's
brain, allowing for the fastest possible
video. (Other local bus items, such as
hard drives, will probably be available
in the near future.) Keep in mind that a
VESA, local, or direct bus video sys-
tem should still be SVGA compatible.
Selecting the ultimate Windows
machine's video monitor isn't that hard
once you've chosen a graphics
adapter card. The typical monitor has
a tube that meas"res 14 inches diago-
nally, with 15-inc "^nd larger monitors
available. The advantage of the larger
monitor is that you can see more infor-
mation on the screen— especially with
the higher graphics resolutions possi-
ble on SVGA systems.
Monitors have several technical
descriptions attached to them. The
most important of these for shopping
purposes is whether the monitor is
interlaced or noninterlaced. Many
users claim that noninterlaced moni-
tors offer a clearer image without flick-
er. If you have a choice, noninterlaced
is the better option; however, I've seen
many interlaced monitors that don't
seem to flicker much.
Most of the other descriptions of a
monitor are technical and serve only
to boggle the mind. I prefer to see a
monitor in person before buying it,
since the dot pitch, refresh rate, and
other technical descriptions don't real-
ly describe the image you see.
Specialty monitors for Windows
include larger 19-inch and portrait and
landscape models. The huge monitors
are usually selected for use in presen-
tations. While it would be impressive
to view Windows on a 19-inch screen,
you'd probably have to wear iead-
shielded eye shades and sunblock
with an SPF of 15 if you sat too close
to it!
The portrait monitors are nice
because they display approximately
one page of information, typically 9
inches wide by 15 inches tail. This is
ideal for desktop publishing where
viewing a page's "real size" is espe-
cially important.
The landscape monitor is a portrait
monitor lying on its side (some even
rotate between landscape and portrait
positions). Landscape monitors are
best for showing horizontal informa-
tion, such as long spreadsheets or
some types of graphics.
Picking a specialty monitor for
Windows may involve buying a cus-
tom interface card; it definitely will
require a special type of video driver.
In fact, Windows is extremely flexible
when it comes to weird monitors and
video drivers. Some setups, such as
the Colorgraphfc Super Dual VGA
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card, allow you to run several SVGA
adapters and several monitors on a
single Windows machine. While this
may qualify as the ultimate Windows
machine, sticking with SVGA and a
good 15-inch monitor will suffice for
most of us.
The Video Tally
Best video for Windows: Local bus
SVGA, 1MB or more video memory
Very good: SVGA, 1MB or more video
memory
Economical: SVGA or VGA
Unsatisfactory: EGA, CGA, Hercules,
oddball standards
Luxury Items Worthy of
Consideration
Why limit yourself oniy to a fast CPU, a
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Mail-order Mochines to Fit the Bill
The ultimate Windows machine is . . .
just about anyone's guess. Truthfully.
just about any manufacture can con-
figure the ultimate Windows machine.
You need to know the contents of the
box and the phone number of your
favorite dealer (the cash comes
later). All told, the following system or
one very similar qualifies as the ulti-
mate Windows machine.
CPU: 50-MH2 80486DX
Memory: 16MB
Hard drive: 320MB, 20 ms, EISA
SCSI
Video: Local bus SVGA. 1MB video
memory, 15-inch monitor
Other stuff: Both Sv^- and 5v^-inch
drives, mouse, DOS 5.0, Windows
3.1
This is the base system. Anything
extra— CD-ROM, sound card, printer,
scanner, and software^must be
added as an extra; the idea here is
to buy the basic powerhouse. To
meet these requirements, I called
several top mail-order vendors to see
what they had available and for how
much. Please note that the prices
listed here are as of October 1992;
current prices and configurations will
doubtfess be different,
Dell Computers
(800-426-5150)
Deli's ultimate Windows graphics
workhorse is the 450DE-2. DGX. It's
powered by a 486DX chip running at
50 MHz, and it contains Dell's own
DGX direct video. The 450DE-2 is an
EISA machine, complete with the
required 16MB of RAM and a 330MB
SCSI card. The monitor is a 15-inch
flat screen, noninterlaced model. Dell
also tosses in a Microsoft mouse,
DOS, Windows, and one year of on-
site service. The price for the com-
plete package: $5,489 plus local tax
and shipping.
The Dell salesperson suggested
that we might want to go with the ATI
Ultra card in place of the direct
video. He explained that the DGX
system is really designed for high-
end CAD operations, though it will
certainly smoke on any Windows
application. If we elected to use the
ATI Ultra card, the unit's price would
drop to $4,689.
Gateway 2000
(800-523-2000)
The Gateway 2000 66-MHz
80486DX2 EISA machine easily qual-
ifies as an ultimate Windows
machine. The system to fit our bill
comes with a 66-MHz 486DX2, EISA
bus, local bus VESA video (the Uitra
Store 24X). local bus SCSf hard drive
at 500MB, and 16MB of RAM. A 15-
inch CrystalScan 1572FS flat screen
monitor, mouse, DOS, Windows, and
your selection of Windows or DOS
application software finishes the pic-
ture. All of that lists for $4,240, plus a
shipping and handling charge of
$95.
CompuAcid
(800-925-7811)
CompuAdd doesn't have an EISA
machine, nor does tt offer SCSI hard
drives. But the rest of the system
does stack up rather nicely: an
80486DX2 running at 50 MHz, 16MB
of RAM, two 200MB IDE hard drives
for a total of 400MB disk space, local
bus video, and a 15-inch monitor for
$2,925. There is no tax charge, and
shipping is UPS ground rate.
Extra goodies offered by Compu-
Add are abundant. The salesperson
suggested a tape backup unit, surge
protection or uninterruptible power
supply, plus an optional fax/modem
card. The fax/modem deal was par-
ticularly sweet: only $109 for the Intel
SatisFAXtion card, which includes
p rein stalled software.
IBM Direct
(800-426-2968)
IBM Direct doesn't sell all of IBM's
machines. Specifically, the high-end
80486 and MCA systems aren't avail-
able, which somewhat limits your
selection of an ultimate Windows
machine.
The beefiest system IBM Direct
has available is the PS/2 model 35.
That's an ISA PS/2 with a 20-MHz
80386 microprocessor, 2MB of RAM,
and a 40MB hard drive. VGA is built
into the PS/2 system. The entire price
is $1,495, which also includes DOS.
A mouse is $80 extra.
Needless to say, this system bare-
ly qualifies as anyone's ultimate
machine, but it's what IBM Direct
offers. Upgrade options are avail-
able, including CPU upgrades. The
salesperson also reminded me that
IBM offers a one-year warranty with
24-hour support and on-site service.
If it's your dream to have the letters
IBM on your desktop, this is your
mail-order Windows system. How-
ever, for only a few hundred dollars
more, much more capable machines
are available. (And you can always
check out the local IBM dealership
for its 80486 line.)
Swan
(800-446-2498)
Swan offers both EISA and ISA
machines, but when I requested
EISA, the salesperson recommended
I get the ISA machine instead. The
ISA machine is the only model
equipped with local bus video, which
Swan calls direct bus. The EISA
model would have to be equipped
with a 1MB video card, which Swan
admits would be much slower— and
less desirable for Windows— than the
local bus option on the ISA machine.
The ultimate Swan Windows
machine is the model 66DB. That's a
66-MHz 80486DX2 with 16MB of
RAM, a 310MB SCSI hard drive, a
15-inch noninterlaced monitor, a
mouse, and Windows. The system
comes in at $5,625, which includes
shipping (add tax oniy if you live in
Pennsylvania). Swan also offers a
gracious two-year warranty and on-
site service.
50 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
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The academic program includes comprehen-
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INSTITUTE
COMPUTER
SCIENCES
We leading edge of learning
the ultimate Windows machine? Many
would argue that the ultimate Windows
machine must also be a multimedia
computer. They may even stretch it to
include some type of desktop TV or
video editing. Others may claim you
need a fax/modem or a tape backup
system to round out the ultimate PC.
While all of these items contribute to
an ultimate Windows machine, they're
not as central as the basic four. In
fact, few of the high-end systems from
the national mail-order vendors (see
"Mail-Order Machines to Fit the Bill,"
elsewhere in this article) include or
even offer such options, so they
remain luxury extras.
The first and most obvious addition
to any Windows PC is multimedia.
That's a buzzword for expanding a
computer by use of sound, music, a
CD-ROM drive, and sometimes desk-
top video. While the concept may
remain fuzzy, Windows is capable of
supporting sound and MIDI, the
Musical Instrument Digital Interface,
right out of the box. So the software is
there. Additional multimedia software
usually comes with the multimedia PC
or a multimedia upgrade kit. which
can be purchased separately.
The typical multimedia upgrade kit
includes a sound card, speakers, a
CD-ROM drive and its interface (usu-
ally SCSI), and software. (The MIDI kit,
plus any MiDl-compatible electronic
musical instruments, are usually
extra.) The price of these kits varies
from about $400 to over $1,000 for
sophisticated 16-bit setups. If you buy
all of the parts separately, the cost will
be more.
A modem or fax/modem card is
another option worth considering for
the ultimate Windows machine.
Modems allow you to hook up your PC
to the phone line and access online
services, national databases, or
remote computers such as the office
computer, your home computer, a lap-
top, and so on. The topflight modems
run at the blazing speed of 14,400 bits
per second (bps), with lesser models
flying by at 9600 bps. Entry-level mod-
els buzz by relatively slowly at speeds
of 2400 bps and 1200 bps. Modems
come in both internal and external
models.
Better than stand-alone modems
are fax/modem cards. These plug into
your computer and give you both
computer communications as well as
standard level HI fax capabilities.
Using your computer and a phone
line, you can both send and receive
faxes while in Windows. Higher-end
models come with on-board micro-
processors that allow you to send and
receive faxes without impeding the
PC's overall performance. Special
software that runs under Windows
allows you to send a fax in the same
way you send a document to your
printer.
A tape backup system is a boon to
any PC. Rather than mess with a stack
of floppy disks, you can use the tape
backup to archive your entire hard
dhve onto a single inexpensive data
cartridge. Special software that runs
under Windows makes this painless
and much more convenient than back-
ing up with floppies alone.
Finally, you should consider some
type of surge protection— especially in
areas of unreliable power or where
lightning sthkes are common. Varying
degrees of pov/er protection can help
insulate the valuable components
inside your PC against electronic
havoc. On the high end of the scale,
adding an uninterruptible power sup-
ply is considered a must for any PC
whose contents you value.
Ultimate Stondcirds
Other items in the ultimate Windows
machine are more or less accepted
features on any PC: a floppy drive,
either 3^'?- or 5^/4-inch or both; a serial
and a parallel (phnter) port, or maybe
two of each; a mouse and a mouse
port— which are required for Windows
even though the box says they're only
recommended.
Creating the supreme machine for
Windows can be challenging and fun.
Paying for it is more challenging but
less fun. Leading-edge technology —
what Windows requires to run at its
best^is something you can never
really have; as technology advances,
the power of your machine begins to
slip through your fingers. So while
planning and building are fun, the ulti-
mate Windows machine you create
winds up being for today and not quite
for tomorrow.
In the end, the real question is how
to spend your money. Do you really
need the latest screamer with tons of
power to run Windows? Not really.
While the fastest CPU, gobs of memo-
ry, a large and speedy hard drive, and
decent video are important, you don't
need everything and the kitchen sink
to create a worthy, powerful Windows
PC. By spending your money wisely
and applying it in the proper amounts
toward the proper areas of your PC,
you can create a robust, muscie-laden
Windows machine without going bank-
rupt or losing any sleep over creeping
technology. ij
52 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
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Circle Reader Service Number 205
WINDOWS WORKSHOP
Clifton Karnes
TAPE BACKUP
FOR WINDOWS
Windows has reafly upped the
hardware ante. Most of us
would agree that Windows
helps us get more work done
more quickly and with less ef-
fort, but all this high-powered
productivity demands some
pretty hot hardware. Let's
face it— to realiy run Windows
right, you need at least a
386DX with 4MB of RAM, Su-
per VGA graphics, and a
200MB hard disk (or a 100MB
Stacked hard disk).
Make no
mistake about it:
if you run
Windows, you need
a tape backup.
It's this last point that Tm go-
ing to talk more about— hard
disk space. Windows pro-
grams demand megabytes
and megabytes of hard disk re-
al estate. It's not at all unusual
for a Windows app to require
7MB-10MB. Before you know
it, you have a hard disk full of
applications and data files— a
hard disk you should back up.
But how? If you're lucky
enough to have a 400MB
hard drive, you'll soon discov-
er that you'll need nearly 300
high-density floppies to back
up that sucker. With large
hard disks, floppies are just
not an option. So what do you
use? In a word. tape.
Windows makes tape back-
up an essential. But choosing
the best backup system can
be tricky First, you'll nee6 one
that provides high capacity—
at least 200MB per tape. Sec-
ond, you'll want a system
that's fast. Third, you'll want a
system that has a Windows
54 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
backup program— so you can
work while you back up. And
the last consideration, of
course, is price. This system
should be under $500.
Is all this too much to ask?
I would have thought so be-
fore I tried Irwin's AccuTrak
Plus(Maynard Electronics, 36
Skyline Drive, Lake Mary. Flor-
ida 32746: 407-263-3500:
$349; high-speed controller,
$179). This superb tape sys-
tem comes in internal and ex-
ternal versions and can be
used with your current floppy
controller or with a special
high-speed controller. The sys-
tem stores as much as
250MB on a tape (with com-
pression), and it comes with
the easiest-to-use backup pro-
gram Ive ever seen— EzTape
for Windows.
I opted to test the internal
model with the high-speed con-
troller To install the unit, I sim-
ply put the controller card in
an open slot, inserted the
tape drive in an open drive
bay, and installed the EzTape
for Windows software.
To get going, f pushed a
tape in the drive and cranked
up EzTape. The EzTape
screen looks a lot like the Win-
dows File Manager, display-
ing a directory tree on the left
and a file listing on the right.
Above the tree and file win-
dows is a toolbar with buttons
for Disk, Library Tape, Mark,
Unmark, Backup, Restore,
and Scan.
Disk, Library and Tape are
the three sources you can
choose. The default is Disk,
showing the files on your hard
disk. To back up. you simply
mark anything from a single
file to your entire hard disk.
After selecting the files, you
click on Backup, and you're
presented with a dialog box
that includes the name of the
backup set, any password
you'd like to assign to the back-
up set, and options to reset
the archive bit (the default), ver-
ify after backup, add to library,
encrypt the backup file, and
choose the level of compres-
sion (none, level 1 , or level 2).
The only default I changed
was the compression level.
The default is none, which
would only store about 120MB
on my 200MB hard disk. I
knew I'd need level 2 to push
the tape's storage to 200MB.
After changing the compres-
sion, I clicked on OK and lis-
tened to the tape whir, it took
about 50 minutes to back up
about 170MB of data. The
backup really did multitask. J
worked in Microsoft Word for
most of this period and didn't
have any problems.
After making the backup. I
labeled the tape and decided
that I'd restore some files to
test the system the next day.
Little did I know that a malev-
olent program would trash
some essential data on my
hard disk and make my first at-
tempt at restoring more than
just an exercise.
The next day 1 was running
a beta copy of a program I
was testing, and after a crash
I noticed that Ascend, the per-
sonal information manager I
use, wasn't working. As it
turned out, half a dozen files
in my Ascend directory had
been mangled by the beta pro-
gram. Yikesl
1 cranked up EzTape and in-
serted the backup I'd made
the day before. I still hadn't
read the manual, but it
seemed logical to click on the
tape button, which I did. After
a few moments of whirring and
flashing lights, EzTape
showed me a tree and file list-
ing of the backup files on the
tape. I moved to my Ascend di-
rectory and marked it. Next, I
clicked on Restore, and in
less than a minute, my entire
Ascend directory had been re-
stored. Everything worked per-
fectly EzTape and the Accu-
Trak had saved the day^and
my bacon. o
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Circle Reader Service Number 180
TIPS & TOOLS
Edited by Richard C. Leinecker
Surviving disaster
with your data intact,
entering Debug
scripts the easy way,
wiidcards
and directories
56 COMPUTE FEBRUARY
l^rotect Your Backups
My staff of 12 programmers
dutifully handed in their back-
up disks on Friday, August
21, 1992, before leaving
work. I put them in my desk
drawer and left for home think-
ing the company's data was
safe and sound.
At about 5:00 on Monday
morning, we caught the north
eye wall of Hurricane Andrew.
Before the wind-measuring in-
struments broke, winds of
192 mph were recorded. The
concrete utility poies that car-
ry electricity to South Florida
snapped like toothpicks.
When dawn arrived, i didn't
see a single intact roof in my
neighborhood.
After assessing our dam-
age, I decided to walk the
two miles to the office.
Planes from the nearby munic-
ipal airport littered the fields
as if they were a young boy's
toys thrown during a temper
tantrum. Our building came in-
to view, and my worst fears
were realized — it was de-
stroyed. Out of habit I un-
locked the door and walked
to the pile of rubble that was
my desk. So much for my
backup disks.
The good news is that all of
the equipment had been re-
moved on Saturday afternoon
in preparation for Hurricane
Andrew. Thankfully, our com-
puters survived, and we
didn^t lose any data. But I've
learned some lessons that
will stay with me as long as
the memories of the flattened
houses in my neighborhood.
Backup disks that are near
the equipment are only useful
if a file is accidentally deleted
or corrupted or if the hard
drive crashes. In the event of
a serious catastrophe, you're
done for. Even another room
in the same building isn't nec-
essarily safe.
Here's what Tve implement-
ed at work: I keep a set of
backups in my new desk in
1993
case files are deleted or hard
drive problems arise. I bring a
duplicate set home with me.
in case there's a fire or (heav-
en forbid) another hurricane.
I then send another duplicate
set home with the company's
president, who puts them in a
fireproof safe at his house. I'm
even thinking about getting a
safe-deposit box at a bank for
storage of backups.
Don't let luck be the crucial
factor in whether your busi-
ness or other computing enter-
prise succeeds or fails. A little
bit of foresight and effort can
make the difference between
a minor inconvenience and a
major catastrophe.
If your business requires
any kind of crucial data that
cannot be lost, heed my warn-
ings. Make multiple backups
and keep them in multiple lo-
cations. You never know
when you'll need them.
RICHARD C. LEINECKER
MIAMI. FL
Easier Debugging
Three different people submit-
ted similar tips for making en-
try of the Debug programs
found in the "Tips & Tools" col-
umn much easier. Their let-
ters have been combined in-
to a single tip.
Instead of typing the hex
codes directly into Debug, cre-
ate a file using a text editor or
word processor. If you use a
word processor, make sure
that you save the data as an
ASCII file.
Type the Debug codes be-
ginning right after the line
that says File not found. Note
that the hyphen prompt is pro-
duced by the computer and
should not be in your text file.
Each line of data will look like
this in your text file.
e 100 BE 82 00 BF 41 01 31 ED
After all of the lines of data
are typed in, check to make
sure youVe entered every-
thing accurately. The next
lines in your file should look
like this.
RCX
56
W
Q
Be sure to press Enter after
typing the Q at the end. The
number 56 in the second line
will vary from program to pro-
gram. It's a hex value repre-
senting the number of bytes
in the program. Once you
have your script file saved to
disk, type debug filename <
text file (where filename
stands for the name of the pro-
gram you are compiling and
textfile stands for the name of
the file you typed with your
text editor). If your prepared
file is named test.txt and the
com file that you're creating is
called test.com, you'd type
the line debug test,com <
testJxt. The next tip spends a
little extra time showing you
how to use this technique.
Another trick you might
want to try is to type n file-
name. com on a line by itself
at the beginning of the text
file {filename stands for the
name of the program you are
about to create). Then send it
to Debug by typing debug <
textfile. The first line tells De-
bug that you're creating a
new program and gives its
name. Debug does the rest.
EDWIN LEE
WILLOWDALE. ON
THOMAS S FREEMAN
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA
KENNETH B DAVIES
BELLINGHAW, V/A
Wild Directories
I often find myself wanting to
change directories with wild-
cards. It's usually shorter to
type r than thisdir, and it's
sometimes convenient when
you forget the exact name of
a directory. Here's a short pro-
gram that lets you change di-
rectories with wildcards. Just
type cdw directory (where directory is
the name of a directory including wild-
cards), and it'll change to any valid
directory on your current drive.
You can type in Cdw using the DOS
Debug command. Make sure the DOS
program called Debug is in your path
or the current directory. In these exam-
ples, the italic text is what the comput-
er prints; the roman text is what you
should type. One way to be sure you
get these programs exactly right is to
have someone read the numbers to
you as you type them in. Another way
suggested by one of our readers is to
read the numbers into a tape recorder
and then play them back as you enter
the program code-
debug Gciw.com
FHe not found
-e 100 be 80 00 ac
-e 108 ac3c Od 74
-e 110 17 8b d6 4a
-e 118 04 3c 20 75
•e 120 00 b4 4e b9
-e 128721a b4 2f
-e 130 15 f6 07 10
-e 138 09 80 3f 2e
-e 140 b4 3b cd 21
-e 148 b4 4f cd 21
-RCX
CX OOQQ
:50
-W
Writing 0Q5Q bytes
-Q
If you'd like to try the method men-
tioned in the previous tip, create a text
file called cdw.txt that looks like this.
Oa cO 74 3c
37 3c 20 74
ac 3c Od 74
f7 c6 44 ff
10 00 cd 21
cd 21 83 c3
74 12 83 c3
74 Oa 8b d3
b4 4c cd 21
72 fO eb da
e 100 be 80 00
e 108 ac 3c Od
e110f7 8bdG
e 118 04 3c 20
e 120 00 b4 4e
e128 72 1ab4
e 130 15 f6 07
e138 0g80 3f
e 140 b4 3b cd
e 148 b4 4f cd
RCX
50
W
Q
Then, from the command line, type de-
bug cdw.com < cdwAxt. The com file
ac Oa cO 74 3c
74 37 3c 20 74
4a ac 3c Od 74
75 f7 c6 44 ff
b9 10 00 cd 21
2f cd 21 83 c3
10 74 12 83 c3
2e 74 Oa 8b d3
21 b4 4c cd 21
21 72 f6 eb da
WhaJ's yt:
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Circle Reddef Sdrvtce Number 261
Need a network at home?
See page 9\
Want to speed up Windows?
See page 55
Don't like mice?
See page 251
What do you do when your
computer won't boot?
See page I
Need help organizing
your hard drive?
See page 35
What IS TrueType and what
does it mean for you?
See page 104
COMPUTE
MAGAZINE'S
POWER TIPS
has the answers to
these and
hundreds of other tips.
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To order your copy send $16.95 plus
$2.50 for shipping and handling (U.S., S4
Canada and $6 other) to COMPUTE
Books, c/o CCC, 2500 McClellan Ave.
Pennsauken. NJ 08109. (Residents of
NC, NJ, and NY please add appropriate
tax; Canadian orders add 7% GST) A! I
orders must be paid in U.S. funds
drawn on a U.S. bank. VISA and Master-
Card orders accepted; be sure to in-
clude your card number, expiration
date, and signalure. Offer good wfiile
supplies last.
TIPS & TOOLS
will be automatically created. If you run
Checksum on this com file, the result
should be 062.
RICHARD C, LEINECKER
MIAMI, FL
Long Lost WordPerfect File
If you're like me, you've got a million
files in your WordPerfect directory.
When your boss asks you to find a
memo you wrote a year ago, it's hard
to remember what you named it. It can
be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Fortunately, there's a solution with
WordPerfect.
Log to the directory where the doc-
ument is most likely stored. List the
files by pressing F5. When prompted
for the directory, type in the path of the
directory you wisfi to search (for ex-
ample. c:\wp51\docs). Once the files
are listed, look at the bottom of the
screen for the available options. Select
9 (Find) and then 4 (Entire Doc).
When prompted for Word Pattern,
type in a word (in all lowercase charac-
ters) which would be unique enough to
identify the document once a match
has been made.
You might type something like over-
time if you're looking for the memo
that covered working overtime hours,
WordPerfect will scan all of the files for
the pattern you gave it. When it's
done, it1! show you a list of files that con-
tain the specified string. You can print
the list on your printer by pressing
Shift-^F?.
SUSAN KELLEY
MOBILE, AL
Better Zipping
As I read Gordon Newstrom's tip in the
August issue of COMPUTE about
PKZIP and PKUNZIP, several improve-
ments came to mind.
Rather than delete all of the files in
the directory after zipping them, use
the -m option. This verifies the files in
the archive and then deletes them
from the directory automatically. If an er-
ror exists in the archive file. PKZIP
won't delete the files.
Another very useful option is -u.
This updates the archive file with only
the files that have changed. You can
even combine it with the -m option by
adding the command line switch -mu.
An option that'll speed up the actu-
al compression is -ea. This will use the
method called imploding. It's much fast-
er and doesn't use much more disk
space than the shrinking method.
One last suggestion is the -rp op-
tion, which recurses subdirectories. By
using this option, you can include all
embedded subdirectories in one ar-
chive. You1l need to couple this with
the -d for PKUNZIP. The -d option with
PKUNZIP creates recursed subdirecto-
ries upon extraction.
With a little planning and ingenuity,
you can customize PKZIP and PKUN-
ZIP to do almost anything. All of the
switches can be easily added to Mr.
Newstrom's batch file.
clj^rk waggoner
SAPULPA, ok
Personnel Spoce
I have a number of computers, all of
which must share peripherals like print-
ers, I often have to use LapLink to trans-
fer files from one computer to another,
as hard disk availability varies across
machines (it's also the simplest way to
back up document and graphics
files). For years I had to remove my
computers from the desk to change
the connections in the back, but I final-
ly got smart. I left about 18 inches of
space behind my computer desk so 1
can stand behind the computers and al-
ter connections as needed. The hard
part is not using this inviting space for
storing old magazines and surplus of-
fice supplies.
Instead of backing up my whole
hard disk, I tend to back up only the
files I have been working on. Tm much
more likely to lose a single file or direc-
tory because of carelessness than to
lose the entire hard disk. Therefore,
this kind of backup makes more
sense, as long as I am diligent.
Another simple change speeds up
printing from Windows. I have a laser
printer that can print in PCL or Post-
Script mode. Generally, I've found that
printing in POL mode is much faster
than printing in PostScript, and with Win-
dows 3.1 drivers and TrueType,
there's virtually no reason to use Post-
Script anymore. The only times Post-
Script is useful are when I want to vary
the screen frequency of a gray-scale
printout and when 1 want to print Post-
Script patterns from CorelDRAW!
These uses of PostScript are so rare
that I leave Windows and my printer
set for PCL printing by default.
WAYNE PALMER
NEW YORK. NY
if you iiave an interesting tip tiiat you
tiiinf< wouid help otiier PC users, send
it along with your name, address, and
Social Security number to COMPUTE'S
Tips & Tools, 324 West Wendover Av-
enue, Suite 200. Greensboro, North Car-
olina 27408. For each tip we publish,
we'll pay you $25~$50. All tips submit-
ted become the property of General Me-
dia International. n
58 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
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Mark Minasi
What are
intemjpts, and
what kind of
trouble san they
cause?
INTERRUPTS
MADE EASY
I've noticed that the subject of
interrupts has come up a lot In
the PC literature lately, !f you're
messing with Windows, net-
works, or printing (or any com-
bination of the three), youVe per-
haps heard people talk about
interrupt conflicts, IRQs, and
the like. This month. Til explain
in plain English what interrupts
are and what kinds of trouble
they can cause.
There are actually two very
different kinds of interrupts, soft-
ware and hardware. In this ar-
ticle, I'll deal with hardware
interrupts-
Interrupts solve a basic prob-
lem faced by any computer
peripheral: how to get the
CPU's attention, Lets take the
example of a basic peripher-
al—the keyboard. The key-
board connects to the PC via
a chip on the PC's mother-
board, a keyboard controller.
Whenever you press a key,
the keyboard sends the key-
board controller a scan code,
which the keyboard controlier
then offers to the CPU.
When I say, "offers," that's
just what I mean. The key-
board controller has only
enough storage space to hold
a single keystroke. Therefore,
the keyboard controller must
get rid of each received key-
stroke quickly before the next
one arrives. It gets rid of each
keystroke by giving it to the
CPU, v^hich puts it in the sys-
tem's keyboard buffer.
That's where the trouble ap-
pears. You see, the CPU is nor-
mally busy doing things; it's
not simply at the beck and
call of the keyboard controller.
How, then, does the keyboard
controller (a) get the CPU's at-
tention and (b) do it quickly?
Interrupts Versus Polling
Peripherals have needed to
get the attention of the CPU
60 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
since the first computer. There
are two approaches to making
sure that the CPU gives that
attention— interrupts and poll-
ing. In a polled system, the
CPU periodically drops whatev-
er it's doing and asks the key-
board controller, "Do you
have a keystroke for me?" (Re-
member that drops-whatever-
it's-doing part; it'll be important
later.) The keyboard controller
either says yes and hands
over the keystroke or says no.
In either case, the CPU then re-
turns to what it was doing. Af-
ter some time has passed, it
again checks the keyboard
controller.
Think of a CPU polling a
keyboard as being somev/hat
similar to the situation you'd
have if you had a phone v^^ith-
out a bell. With such a
phone, you'd have to periodi-
cally put the receiver to your
ear and ask, "Is anyone trying
to call me?" It would be a
pain, but it would simplify the
requirements of the telephone
hardware; the phone compa-
ny wouldn't have to design a
ringer into the system.
With an interrupt-based sys-
tem, on the other hand, the
CPU must be designed to ac-
cept interrupts. That means
that one or more of the wires ex-
tending from the CPU chip it-
self will accept an input signal
from another circuit on the moth-
erboard, a signal that says,
"Come pay attention to me."
The keyboard controller then is
connected to one of those inter-
rupt wires, and it places a sig-
nal on that wire when it has a
keystroke the CPU must han-
dle, The CPU senses the inter-
rupt and puts its current work
aside, signaling the keyboard
controller that it's ready to ac-
cept that chip's keystroke. Let
me continue my telephone anal-
ogy at this point. As you've no
doubt surmised, the interrupt
signal is like the telephone's
bell in my phone analogy. You
can work continuously at your
desk without having to worry
about whether anyone's trying
to reach you or not.
Let s summarize what we
know so far. A CPU communi-
cates with a peripheral either
through polling or interrupts.
Polling requires less support
hardware, but it requires that
the CPU spend a lot of time
checking with the polled periph-
erals to see if they have need
of the CPU's attention.
Which Is Better?
it seems obvious. Interrupt-
based input/output handling
is more than polling, in terms
of the CPU's time. And aren't
we always looking for faster
performance from our PCs?
That's true, but polling has a
place in the microcomputer
world. For example, the Apple
II polled its keyboard. And de-
spite the fact that the parallel
port has an interrupt line as-
signed to it, your PC polls the
parallel port, in all probability.
Why? The story starts in
1981, with the first PCs. They
were sold with optional serial
and parallel ports, and the
first parallel ports were
made, of course, by IBfvt, The
PC architecture that IBM set-
tled on made heavy use of in-
terrupts, and the parallel port
was assigned its own inter-
rupt line, interrupt line number
7 (IRQ7). Unfortunately,
some of the parallel ports in
the first batch had nonfunction-
al interrupts, the legend
goes, and so IBM rewrote the
original PC BIOS so that the
PC sent data to the parallel
port Via polling, not interrupts.
Once the initial PCs shipped
with a BIOS that supported
polling of the parallel ports, all
software that followed it— un-
til OS/2 and Windows, as
you'll learn in a bit— polled
the parallel port, ignoring the
IRQ7 that was assigned to
the parallel port.
Under a polled system, the
PC sends a character to the
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printer and then says to the
printer, '*Did you prim that char-
acter yet? How about now?
How about now?" and so on un-
til the printer finally says, "Yes,
I printed that character." The
PC then sends the printer the
next character, starts polling to
find out if the parallel port is fin-
ished with that character, and
so on.
Under an interrupt-driven sys-
tem, the PC would just send
the printer a character and
then go back to work on what-
ever it was doing. When the
printer is ready for the next
character, it taps the PC on
the shoulder and says, *1'm
ready for the next character."
The interrupt-driven systenn
sounds more efficient—but is it
really? Think about how DOS
works — it's a single-tasking op-
erating system, tf the PC is in
the process of printing, then
that's all it's doing. In the last
paragraph when I referred to
its going back to work on what-
ever it was doing, I omitted the
fact that there's nothing else to
do, as most DOS programs
are unable to multitask and
DOS offers very little in the way
of background printing sup-
port. So in the final analysis, it
really doesn't matter much
whether your printer port uses
polling or interrupts.
I also neglected to mention
a benefit of polling. A PC-to-
printer cable doesn't need to
have as many wires in it if the
interface uses polling rather
than interrupts. Some of the 25
wires that go into the standard
PC-to-printer cable are only
there to support Interrupts, so
they're unnecessary for most
DOS-based systems. That's
how some vendors have man-
aged to cut prices on printer ca-
bles; they just leave out the su-
perfluous wires.
The fact that the printer in-
terrupt IRQ7 is largely unused
is useful for another reason. In-
terrupts are scarce commodi-
ties, and if the parallel port
FEBRUARY 1993
won't use IRQ7, there are plen-
ty of boards that can use it!
Many companies have in-
stalled local area networks in
the past four years, and many
LAN interface boards require
an interrupt. IR07 has served
well in this function.
Windows and OS/2 Printing
So you've seen that many print-
er cable manufacturers save
money by leaving a few unnec-
essary wires out and that steal-
ing the parallel port's IRQ is
the most forgivable of sins, as
the computer isn't using it
anyway, and it makes adding
some nifty board like a LAN
or a Sound Blaster possible.
That was fine under single-
tasking DOS. But what about
OS/2 and Windows, which
are multitasking operating sys-
tems? Well, urn, there's a prob-
lem there.
It should be obvious that an
interrupt-driven printer inter-
face would be a real asset to
any multitasking system. If one
program was printing and an-
other was doing calculations,
then the operating system
could dump a few bytes to the
printer from the first program
and then do a few calculations
for the second program.
When the printer signaled that
it was ready, the CPU could
give the printer a few more
bytes, return to its calculations,
and so on. it's like getting the
benefits of a mainframe from
your desktop PC.
You can probably see the
problem by now. There are
many PCs out there whose
owners have given their
IRQZs away, so when Win-
dows tries to print, nothing
happens. Worse yet, when
Windows tries to print, the net-
work locks up (if the LAN
board was on IRQ7), or the
Sound Blaster starts emitting
static. In the worst case, the
system crashes.
Most PCs have two basic
kinds of bus slots— 8-bit bus
slots and 16-bit bus slots. Let's
consider the 8-bit slots, as
they're the ones that have the
tightest crunch for interrupts.
The 8-bit slots support six inter-
rupts numbered 2 through 7.
Interrupts and 1 aren't avail-
able in bus slots because
they're already taken up by the
system's timer, which gets inter-
rupt 0. and the keyboard con-
troller, which gets interrupt 1 .
Interrupt 2 is free on XT-type
systems, but it's required on
286 and higher systems to
serve as a gateway to the ex-
tra interrupts provided by a 16-
bit slot. Interrupt 3 is the inter-
rupt for either COM2 or COM4.
Since both serial ports are as-
signed to the same interrupt,
they'll only work reliably if you
have one or the other. Interrupt
4 is for either C0M1 or COM3.
Interrupt 5 is usually free on
286 and higher systems, as it's
reserved for LPT2 and most of
us don't have a second paral-
lel port. Interrupt 6 is used by
the floppy drive, and interrupt
7 by LPT1, the first parallel
port, as I've mentioned earlier.
Use those assignments as a
guideline when assigning inter-
rupts to new circuit boards.
What if you have one of
those printer cables that don't
contain the wires for interrupt
support? You'll see trouble
there, as well. That inexpen-
sive printer cable that has
served you for years may be
the root cause of any Win-
dows printing problems that
you may be experiencing.
So if your printer prints un-
der DOS but not under Win-
dows, then one thing you
should investigate is whether
or not your parallel port has a
free and clear title to IRQ7. An-
other thing to try is another print-
er cable; borrow one from a
Windows workstation that's
printing OK and put it on your
system. If you can print with
this cable, then you're OK on
the interrupts, and you just
need a better cable. O
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INTRODOS
Tony Roberts
Format floppies
fast witli
undocumented
commands.
FORMATTING
MADE EASY
Formatting disks is one of com-
puting's most annoying tasks,
but witli the help of a couple
of undocumented commands,
the process can be made
more tolerable.
I find disk formatting vexing
because the makers of format-
ting software are so deter-
mined to protect us from our
own foolishness that they
make us answer several ques-
tions confirming that we really
want to perform the format.
OK. I'll concede that it's
wise to have some safeguards
against accidentally format-
ting your hard disk, but there
ought to be a less painful way
to format a box of floppies.
Well, there is— they just didn't
tell us about it.
MS-DOS 4.01 and MS-DOS
5.0 include some undocument-
ed switches that can eliminate
the prompts that instruct you
to place a new disk in the
drive and ask if you want to for-
mat another disk.
(Warning: These com-
mands also eliminate the
prompts that remind you that
you're about to wipe out your
hard disk. Be sure you know
what you're doing before you
try these commands. Read on
for some safeguards.)
The switches are /autotest
and /backup. Type format a: /
autolest, for example, to jump
right in and format whatever
disk is in drive A. You won't
see the disk statistics, and you
won't be asked if you want to
format another disk.
The /backup switch is simi-
lar to, but slightly more ver-
bose than, the /autotest
switch. Type format a: /back-
up to begin formatting imme-
diately. When the format is com-
plete, the program will prompt
you for a label and will display
the disk statistics before return-
ing you to the DOS prompt.
These undocumented
switches can speed up your
disk formatting by cutting
down on the prompts dis-
played, but can you take
advantage of this without risk-
ing the accidental erasure of
important data? With a little
care, yes.
First, if you're using DOS
5.0, you'll find that even with
these switches, the Format
command will collect the infor-
mation that's needed by the Un-
format command. This can
help you recover if you acciden-
tally formal the wrong disk.
Second, you should re-
serve these commands for
mass formatting projects.
When you format a new box of
disks, for example, you know
that there's no valuable data
on the disks, so it makes
sense to proceed as quickly
as possible.
Finally, you should limit
these fast-format switches to
batch files so you can test to
make sure the Format com-
mand won't be used on a
hard disk.
Take a look at the batch file
below, called multifmt.bat.
This program is designed to
format several disks in the
same drive with a minimum of
operator intervention. After
things get rolling, you need to
press a key only when you
swap disks.
To protect your hard disk,
the program verifies that
you've specified either the A
or B drive as your target. If the
drive designation checks out,
the format proceeds immedi-
ately. Otherwise you get a mes-
sage reminding you to specify
a valid disk drive.
At the end of the process,
you're summoned with a
beep. At that point, insert a
new disk and press a key to
continue formatting, or press
Ctrl+Break to get out of the
program.
By default, the /autotest
and /backup switches format
the target disk at its maximum
capacity. If you want to format
double density disks in a high
density drive, be sure to add
the appropriate size specifica-
tion switches. For example,
type muliifmt b: /f:720 to for-
mat 720KB disks in a 1.44MB
drive.
To really speed things
along, you can use the docu-
mented /u switch to tell the For-
mat command not to worry
about saving Unformat informa-
tion. This switch is appropriate
with brand new disks, but it
may not be suitable for disks
you're reusing.
I like to keep several format-
ted floppies on hand so I don't
have to interrupt my work for
formatting chores. I find it con-
venient to run multifmt.bat
whenever 1 take time to straight-
en up the office. When the pro-
gram beeps, I insert a new
disk, press a key, and return
to my cleanup. By the time my
desk is clear. I have a fresh
stack of formatted disks to car-
ry me through the next week.
rem multifmt.bat
@echo off
for %%f in (a:
A: b: B:) do if (%%f)H%1) goto
continue
goto help
:cantinue
format %1 /autotest %2 %3 %4
echo Cliange disks to continue
formatting or press Ctrl-Break to
quit,
rem The following echo command
proEfuces three beeps. To create
it, use
rem a text editor that allows you to
enter a Ctrl-G character (ASCII 7)
rem to create the beep. (This line
can be omitted if you prefer.)
echo <Ctrl-G><Ctrl-G><Clrl-G>
pause
goto continue
:help
echo Usage: MULTIFMT drive:
[optional parameters]
echo You must specify a
drive name. Only drives A or B
are valid. a
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PROGRAMMING POWER
Tom Campbell
Take FoxPro
seriously, and it
wiii nay you
back liandsomely
with a ievei
of productivity C
programmers
can oniy dream of.
USING FOXPRO
Make no mistake— FoxPro
makes programming in an
XBASE language a lot easier,
if you know xBASE (xBASE in-
cludes tiie languages based
on dBASE 111+ and IV).
Despite its $500 street
price, FoxPro lacks detailed
training because it's aimed at
the professional developer.
But there are a lot of training
resources available. Take
FoxPro seriously, and it will
pay you back handsomely
with a level of productivity
that C programmers can only
dream of.
What programmers in C, BA-
SIC, or Pascal will appreciate
most is that the structure of a
database can be changed
with impunity and that adding
data entry routines is trivial. In
traditional languages, adding
or subtracting fields to a ran-
dom-access file structure re-
quires vast receding and
must be avoided.
You can create a complete
database browser with a mous-
ing, menuing interface in well
under 100 lines^ncluding a
custom data entry screen with
error checking. Let's look at
code from a program I wrote
in under 15 minutes.
This code makes a box at
the bottom of the screen
that's 36 columns wide; has a
shadowed, double border;
and can be dragged any-
where onscreen with a
mouse: DEFINE WINDOW But-
tons FROM: 20, 12 TO 22. 56
FLOAT; SHADOW DOUBLE.
Later commands such as
ACTIVATE will use the box's
name (Buttons in this case).
The semicolon continues
lines.
Later, this code displays
the box and makes it active:
ACTIVATE WINDOW Buttons.
Now you can drag the box,
and all of its contents will re-
main neatly inside.
This code creates a row of
buttons within the box.
@ 0, 2 GET ButtomCmd PICTURE;
VNext;\<Previous;A<Quit';
DEFAULT D VALID ValldButtonO
The row of buttons is located
at row 0, column 2 in the But-
tons box. PICTURE is a terse
but logical and easy-to-use
miniianguage. The @* means
buttons will be created. H
means it's a horizontal row;
use V for a vertical row. N
means pushing a button
won't halt data entry.
Identifiers such as Next
will appear in the buttons;
semicolons separate buttons.
Preceding any letter in the but-
ton text with the two-character
\< sequence makes that an
accelerator — meaning you
can press that key to activate
the button. The ?\ sequence
means that the button is acti-
vated when you press the
Esc key. In our example, Quit
can be activated with Q or
Esc. ButtonCmd is the name
of the variable in which the
value of the button you click
on will be placed; its default
value is 0, \<Next in this
case.
ValidButton( ) is a user-writ-
ten routine that's evaluated
when a button is clicked on.
Because the row was defined
in a floating window, you can
drag the window, and all the
buttons will stay in it.
A custom data entry
screen with a row of push but-
tons requires fewer than 24
lines.
DEFINE WINDOW Customer
FRDM;
3,8X0 13,60;
FLOAT SHADOW DOUBLE
USE Test
ACTIVATE WINDOW Customer;
NOSHOW
@1, 3 SAY 'Name'
@1, 14 GET TESTMame
@ 3, 3 SAY 'Address'
@ 3, 14 GET TEST Address
@ 5, 3 SAY 'Price*
@5, 14GETTESTPnce
@ 7, 3 SAY 'Phone'
@7, 14GETTESIPhone
ACTIVATE WINDOW Buttons
@ 0, 2 GET act PICTURE;
'@*HN\<Prev[-
ous;\<Next;\A<Quit';
DEFAULT VALID ValldButtonO
READ
USE Test opens up the data-
base called testdbf. The
@ . , . SAY lines display la-
bels in the window at tine spec-
ified positions. Data is en-
tered at the @ . . . GET lines,
and data entry is triggered by
READ. Move between fields
using the keyboard or the
mouse.
ValldButtonO is called to
handle the push-button ac-
tions. Each button is treated
as if it were an index into a nu-
meric array, so Next returns
1, Previous returns 2, and
Quit returns 3. All ValldBut-
tonO needs is about 20
lines worth of CASE state-
ments that call built-in xBASE
routines such as TOP to
move to the beginning of the
file or BOF() to sense if the
end of the file has been
reached. ValldButtonO is
called continuously until Quit
is clicked on. The Quit case ex-
ecutes a command such as
CANCEL, which returns con-
troi to the calling program or
to DOS if it's an exe.
That's it: the beginning of a
program that with two more
pages of code can become a
self-contained database man-
agement system with a mod-
ern user interface and error-
checking logic for data entry.
With FoxPro, you'll need a
$500 product called the Distri-
bution Kit to create exe files.
So is it really worth $1,000 to
use FoxPro? Without a doubt.
Being able to create a slick,
working prototype in just a
few minutes could mean that
you'll make that $1,000
back— on your first job. D
66 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
Break the
Flight Simulatoi
sound barrier.
Sound, Graphics &
Aircraft Upgrade
for MiCTWiOli. FligJit Sunui:iTi»f'
Mallard Software's new Sound,
Graphics & Aircraft Upgrade for
Microsoft® Flight Simulator^ brings
new levels of excitement and realism
to your flying experiences.
For a start, there's a full library
of digital sounds tolet you
experience everything from the roar
of your engines on takeoff to the
sound of your landing gear going
down. Plus, if your PC is equipped
with SoundBlaster^, you can even listen to the
control tower and flight instructor messages instead
of reading them.
Akltutl
You'll also enjoy enhanced
graphics resolution and instrument
panel detail with any VGA card and
Super VGA modes with ATI, Video
Seven and ET4000-based VGA
cards. And since it includes four
new airplanes — including the Mach
2.0 Concorde SST — you can
literally break the sound barrier as
your Flight Simulator trips become
supersonic.
To find out more about Mallard Software's
Sound Graphics & Aircraft Upgrade, our Macintosh®
Scenery Upgrades or for the name of the retailer
nearest you just call us at 1-800-WEB-FEET
Millard
This product requires Microsoft Flpghl Simulator Version 4,0 for MS* DOS computers.
Microsoft and MS are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Right Simulator is a registered trademark of Briice Artwick.
Ail other trademaHo acknowledged. Copyright © 1991 Mallard Software.
Ctrcle Reader Service Number 119
SHAREPAK
Steve Draper
February's
SharePak features
something for
eveiyone in ttie
family.
FAMILY VALUES
This month, COMPUTE'sShare-
Pak brings you three pro-
grams for the entire family.
We've included Commander
Keen, the big winner at the
shareware industry awards;
Magic Crayon, an outstanding
educational progrann for the
kids; and BENny, a slick
batch file enhancer if you're
looking for programs that are
guaranteed to be values, give
the SharePak a try If youYe
not completely satisfied, just re-
turn it for a full refund.
Check out the award-winning
Commander Keen.
Magic Crayon teaches coiofs ana
shapes.
Commander Keen
Commander Keen was the
first real commercial-quality
game to be released in the
shareware market, and it has
proven itself to be one of the
highest-quality releases of all
time. In fact, at the first annu-
al shareware industry awards
last fall, Commander Keen
took the award as the best
shareware product of the
past ten years. It's hard to ig-
nore credentials like that.
Commander Keen features
uftrahjgh-speed EGA graph-
68 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
ics and superb sound effects.
The animation and scrolling
are updated at nearly 40
frames per second — even fast-
er than motion picture-quality
cartoons, which are filmed at
only 24 frames per second.
You play the role of Billy
Blaze, an eight-year-old gen-
ius who builds an interstellar
ship from various household
objects. At the first sign of
trouble, Billy dons his broth-
er's football helmet and be-
comes Commander Keen.
Armed with only a pogo
stick and ray gun, Keen trav-
els to Mars to face the Vorti-
cons, who are planning an in-
vasion of Earth. Shortly after
he arrives, the Vorticons steal
vital parts off Keen's ship and
hide them in their cities. Keen
must explore the Vorticon cit-
ies and find the missing
parts. Along the way, you
must help Keen overcome
many diabolical traps and the
weird, deadly creatures that
roam the cities.
Commander Keen requires
an IBM PC or compatible
with 520K RAM available.
You'll also need EGA or VGA
graphics and a hard drive. A
joystick is optional. The regis-
tration price is $15.
Magic Crayon
Magic Crayon is a collection
of three colorful and musical
games for children 3 to 12
years old. Children will have
hours of fun with these chal-
lenging games and learn
about the basic principles of
color and shape at the same
time.
The first game is Coloring
Book, Its object is simple-
color the sections of the pic-
ture, using any colors you
want. This game teaches
kids about colors and lets
them explore their artistic
capabilities. The second
game is Color Shading. Here,
you can use any colors you
want to coior various objects
in order to find the hidden
shape. This game teaches vis-
ual perception and visual dis-
crimination, skills that are im-
portant in geometry and geog-
raphy. The final game is Color
Memory, an excellent game
for building memory and con-
centration skills. First, you'll
see a colored picture for 30
seconds. Try to memorize the
exact colors of this picture.
Then, when the colors disap-
pear, your goal is to color in
all the sections of the picture,
using the exact colors of the
original.
Other features of Magic
Crayon include two levels of
difficulty, easy menu opera-
tion, online help, mouse sup-
port, scorekeeping, and dot-
matrix printer support.
Magic Crayon requires an
IBM PC or compatible with
256K RAM. an EGA or VGA
display, and a Microsoft or
compatible mouse. The regis-
tration price is $18.
BENiiy
BENny is a batch file en-
hancer or stand-alone tool
that's easy to use and adds
both coior and utility to your
batch files. It contains sever-
al straightforward commands
that can be used from the
command line or from a text
file.
Batch files are, as a rule,
pretty dull to look at— just
some white text on a black
background. BENny breaks
all the rules. Now. your batch
files will explode with colon ac-
tion, and sound. It takes just a
few simple commands. BEN-
ny includes commands for win-
dows, selectors, text, and
more. For example, one sim-
ple command can give you
windows with single- or dou-
ble-line borders, shadows, or
an exploding feature.
BENny runs on any IBM
PC or compatible with a color
monitor. The registration
price IS $5. n
With cannPUTE's SharePak, You'll
SHARE IN THE SAVINGS!
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
February's
SharePak
disk
$1.99
per program!
Back Issues Available
NOV 89: CheckMate, maintain multiple checking and savings ac-
counts; Contact Manager, keep track of all your contacts.
{#CDSK1189)
FEB 90: Fastbuffer, speed up key-repeat rates; F!u Shot, ward
off computer viruses; PC-KWIK speed up your hard disk access;
CompuShow, view GIF pictures on your PC. #CDSK0290)
APR 90: Pianoman^ p!ay and record music on your keyboard;
Tune Trivia, test your music trivia; Morse Code Trainer, increase
your Morse code proficiency; RealSourjd Sampler, create digit-
ized sounds. (#CDSK0490)
DEC 90: Audiolog, catalog your audio collections; VideoTest, ad-
just your monitor for maximum performance; Video Librarian,
track your VCR tapes, {#CDSK1290)
FEB 91 : Our United States, develop your knowledge of the U,S.;
Trivia Whiz, great trivia game; Word Whiz, great vocabulary drill/
game; The World, enhance your world geography.
(#CDSK0291)
MAY 91: Click! Filer, excellent program manager and file man-
ager; PBIcon, make your own icons for Windows applications;
PCBUDGET full-featured budgeting tool; Resume Professional,
create the best possible resume, (#CDSK0591)
JUL 91: SimplyWrite, exceptional ASCII text editor; PROspector,
keep track of business prospects; Fiiesync, quickly update the
right files. (#CDSK0791}
COMPUTE'S SharePak disk contains the best
of shareware — handpicked and tested by our staff— to
complement this month's focus. You'll sample entertainment,
learning, and home office software at a great savings. Each
S/)arePa/c disk includes two to five programs plus complete
documentation for one low price:
$5.95 for 5y4-mch disk
$6.95 for 3y2-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
SharePak and save more than 37% off the regular cost
of the disks— plus get COMPUTE'S SuperShell FREE.
With a one-year paid subscription, you'll get
• A new SVe- or 5y4-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
SV^-inch disks and $64.95 for 3y2-inch disks— and get
COMPUTE'S SuperShell FREE!
COMPUTE'S SuperShell requires DOS 3.0 or higher.
Disks available only for IBM PC and compatibles. Offer good wfiile supplies last.
For Single Disks
Please indicate how many disks of eacti format you would like:
Sy^-inch at $5.95 3V2-lnch at §6.95
This month's disk
#CDSK1189 ,^ .
#CDSK0290
#CDSK0490
#CDSK1290 _____
#CDSK0291
#CDSK0591 ■ ^. _ . -.- ^
#CDSK0791 -
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Total Enclosed
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All orders must be paid in U.S. funds by check drawn on a U.S. bank or by money order.
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Important Notice: COMPUTE'S SharePak is not associated with COMPUTE'S
PC Disk. Please order SharePak separately.
BY PliniP CIIIEN
Fearsome
creatures
lurk ivitliin
the code of
benign
software. But
what are
viruses, and
how^
dangerous
are they,
I'eally?
Virus. The mere
mention of the word
throws computer
users into a panic.
But most people
don't feel there is
anything they can do
besides panic and
hope that a virus
never comes their
way.
Viruses can
damage software or
destroy important
files. Any computer
user who shares
information with
other computers
should be aware of
what viruses are and
how to avoid
becoming infected.
Knowledge— not
paranoia— is the
most important too.
in fighting viruses.
A HAIRY ANIMAL
What is a computer
virus? A virus is a
program that
attaches itself to
another program.
The virus replicates
itself and spreads to
other programs. As
programs are
shared, the virus
spreads
geometrically,
infecting more and
more computers. At
some point, the virus
activates and
performs its damage.
This damage can
range from a simple
prank to erasure of
all of the files on the
computer's hard
drive. In all cases,
viruses are programs
that were written by
an outlaw — a hacker
who specifically sets
out to damage other
people's computers.
Viruses aren't the
only things that can
destroy your data.
Also, be aware of
bugs, time bombs,
and Trojan Horses.
Kill a Virus
To identify, isolate, and destroy
viruses— and then to repair the
damage that they do— requires
antivirus writers to think like virus
writers. It's interesting to see the
steps a software company goes
through to create an effective virus
killer. At PC Expo in New York, I had
the opportunity to speak with Fifth
Generation Systems about the
procedures it went through to make
sure Untouchable was safe, secure,
and deadly. The key, said Jer-
usalem-based developer Yuval
Rakavy. was to create an antivirus
system that would still be unde-
featable if a virus writer had every
byte of code in the program.
Afl antivirus products depend first
and foremost upon a scanning
program that identifies the signature
code of existing viruses. This works
very well for non-self-mutating
viruses that existed at the time the
scanner was written, but most
scanners are powerless against new
viruses (the National Computer
Security Association estimates that
six new viruses are written every
day) and against the new self-
mutating viruses that essentially
rewrite themselves each time they
replicate. In creating Untouchable,
Fifth Generation Systems included a
scanner as a first line of defense and
provided it with the ability to detect
self-mutating viruses. The scanner
can even detect viruses within
archived files.
Many antivirus programs are
shipped with a supplemental TSR
that runs continuously, watching for
certain activities that are typical of
viruses, such as system calls to write
to the disk. But because the
activities they identify are also
common activities of normal
programs, TSRs set off many false
alarms. TSRs are also very vul-
nerable because they reside in
memory, which is even easier to
alter than disk files. So Fifth
Generation Systems decided not to
create a standard TSR but a
supplemental scanner that examines
the code in every program run and
every floppy disk accessed by the
computer.
The third leg of Untouchable is its
integrity-checking system. On the
hard disk and on a separate floppy
disk, Untouchable keeps a check-
sum of all of your programs. By
having Untouchable keep a record
of these checksums on a separate
bootable floppy. Fifth Generation
Systems plans to make it impossible
for viruses to escape detection,
since all executable file infectors
must alter program code in order to
replicate themselves. The integrity
checker examines the whole system
each time it's booted up. Every 14
days, the integrity checker checks
all executable files against their
checksums online. Then every 21
days, the user is required to boot
from the floppy containing the offline
database, and the integrity checker
will then check for stealth viruses. It
will identify changed program files,
including updated program files.
Finally, Untouchable uses this
checksum to repair any damage that
may have been caused. "It's as safe
as restoring from a backup," says
Vicky Gore, senior product market-
ing manager. If Untouchable cannot
repair the damage 100 percent, it
will refuse to recover the file.
What's next in virus technology?
Viruses can be written that piggy-
back on other viruses and are set to
activate only when the original virus
is removed and its damage is
repaired. Untouchable is designed
to cope with this situation.
Are there any existing viruses that
piggyback on others? "At this point,
that's pretty theoretical, but it's a
possibility," Ms. Gore says. "That's
part of the game— to be able to think
about where virus writers are going
and to be able to protect users from
them."
—ROBERT BtXBY
Bugs, or simple errors in program
code, can be intentional or accidental.
A bug can be purposely put into a
program as a limitation, or it can be
something that the programmer
overlooked in the original pro-
gramming. While a bug could
conceivably erase all of the data on
your computer, it doesn't spread to
other programs like a virus. Usually,
bugs simply crash the program that's
running and do no further damage.
A time bomb is a routine within a
program that "explodes" after a given
period. Time bombs can be installed
on purpose and often are installed
with the user's knowledge. . For
example, licensed programs that are
only permitted to be used for a
particular period might contain a time
bomb that makes the program erase
itself after a given date or a set
number of times the program is used.
Like bugs, time bombs are usually
limited to the programs where they
reside— they don't infect other
software. But occasionally, a mali-
ciously created time bomb causes
damage that is quite extensive.
72 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
A Trojan Horse is a disguised
program. To ail outward appearances,
it's an ordinary program, but the
program is actually a cover, with the
true damage-causing routines hidden
underneath. So, when you run the
program, you might think you are
trying out a shareware disk optimizer.
Only after the Trojan Horse has run
will you discover that your hard disk
has been scrambled.
Stalking the Beast
Viruses are spread when software is
transferred from computer to
computer. Shareware and illegal,
pirated copies of programs have
gotten a bad reputation as vectors for
virai infection, but it's possible for a
commercial, sealed-in-the-box pro-
gram to have a virus.
Sealed commercial programs are
least likely to have viruses, simply
because their distribution is more
tightly controlled. A commercial
program is generated by its author
and duplicated by the publisher or
subcontracted to a duplication house.
Once duplicated, the program is
sealed and distributed, it's possible
for the dealer to infect the program
accidentally if that copy is used for
demonstrations. But commercial
publishers, as a rule, are extremely
cautious about the integrity of their
products, especially since the
company's reputation could be
destroyed if a virus is distributed with
its software— to say nothing of the
product liability considerations.
Shareware and pirate programs
are duplicated, distributed, and
duplicated again— often passing
through several levels of users, A virus
could find its way into a program at
any of these stages. With so many
distribution levels, it's difficult to track
a virus back to its source.
As a general (although by no
means absolute) rule, commercial
distributors of shareware programs
and major online services check all
submitted programs for viruses before
permitting users to obtain them.
Conceivably, you could receive a
virus each time you get a new
program, and it's possible your
system could already be infected. You
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The stale oHhe Virus
Here, in brief, is the vims story:
There are two general types of
computer viruses: boot sector
viruses and executable file infectors.
Boot sector viruses occupy part or
all of your boot disk's boot sector.
They are spread primarily by booting
your computer with a floppy in the
drive and the drive door closed. If
the floppy in the drive is infected,
attempting to boot your computer
from the infected floppy will infect
your hard disk partition table, which
will in turn infect any subsequent
floppy you insert into the drive.
Much more pernicious and hard
to guard against are the executable
file infector viruses. These viruses
attach themselves to program files
(like exe and com files) and spread
each time the program is run. Often,
these programs also install them-
selves as TSRs and infect every
program that is run.
How Widespread Are Viruses?
According to Robert C. Bales,
executive director of the National
Computer Security Association (10
South Courthouse Avenue, Carlisle,
Pennsylvania 17013; 717-258-1816),
a survey showed that among North
American corporations with more
than 200 PCs (for a total installed
base of 618,000 PCs), 63 percent
had experienced a virus attack. Nine
percent characterized the attack as
"a disaster," with disaster defined as
**20 or more machines affected and
out of service for four hours or
more." These companies reported
average losses of $7,000.
Know Your Symptoms
How can you know if you are
infected? Here are the most
common viruses (provided by Fifth
Generation Systems).
Stoned, Also known as Donald
Duck, Hawaii, Marijuana, New
Zealand, Sex Revolution, and
Stoned !!, the Stoned virus is a boot
sector virus. Once the computer is
infected, Stoned goes to work
relocating and overwriting your boot
sector and partition table and writing
itself to any floppies that you insert.
On startup, your computer will
display the message Your PC is now
Stoned. More of a nuisance than a
danger, Stoned can be hazardous
primarily to very small hard disks
whose FAT can be partially overwrit-
ten by Stoned's program code.
Jerusalem. Aiso known as
Fhday the 13th, Jerusalem B, PLC,
and Russian, the Jerusalem virus is
an executable file infector that
increases exe file size by about
1800 bytes. The virus loads itself into
memory, where it monitors your
computer activity and infects your
executable files each time they are
run. A frequently run file may
eventually grow too large to load.
The virus causes divide overflow
errors and snaillike system
performance {within 30 minutes of
infection, your computer's speed will
drop to one-tenth its normal speed).
If this is your first inkling of a
problem, count yourself lucky: If the
virus goes undetected and
uncorrected, the next time the 13th
of a month fails on Friday, you'll find
yourself with no executable files on
your hard disk and with a collection
of damaged overlay files.
Disk Killer. Also known as
Ogre and Disk Ogre, the Disk Killer
virus is a boot sector infector, but its
behavior makes Stoned look benign
by comparison. Within 48 hours of
infection, Disk Killer begins de-
stroying the information on your hard
disk. The only preliminary symptoms
are a loss of 3K on floppy disks or 8K
on hard disks, and cross-linked files.
By the time you see the virus's
message. Disk Killer . . . Warning!
Don't turn off the power or remove
the diskette while Disk Killer is
processing!, it's too late. Disk Killer
has begun to work.
Joshi. Also known as Happy
Birthday Joshi, Joshi is a boot sector
infector and a stealth virus, Joshi
overwrites your floppies' boot
sectors and your hard disk's boot
sector and partition table with its
own code. It's a fairly clever virus in
that it knows when you are trying to
detect it with a scanner, and it will
make things look as if nothing is
wrong with your boot sector or
partition table — hence the name
stealth. It writes to your 1.2iV1B
floppies as if they were 360K flop-
pies. The information it writes will
remain accessible until you remove
Joshi. Then that information wiil only
be accessible if you change the
1.2MB media descriptor byte to
make the disk look like a 360K disk.
On January 5, Joshi will display the
message type IHappy Birthday Joshi!
and lock up your computer until you
do so.
Cascade. Also known as 1701,
1704, Fall, or Falling Letters, Cas-
cade is one of the more famous
executable file infector viruses. It
infects com files, increasing their size
by about 1700 bytes. It loads itself as
a TSR and infects any com files you
run. It causes characters to cascade
down a VGA or CGA screen.
Dark Avenger. Also known as
1989, Bulgaria, or Sophia, the Dark
Avenger executable file infector virus
is as scary as its name. It attaches
itself to com, exe, and overlay files,
adding about 1800 bytes to their
size. It loads itself as a TSR and
spreads its infection almost every
time you access your disk. Every
sixteenth time Dark Avenger runs, it
ovehA/rites a sector at random (which
can cause cross-linking and damage
to your FAT). On a large hard disk,
the virus can run rampant for some
time before it's detected. By then,
large areas of your hard disk will be
filled with worthless data. Infected
files might contain ASCII messages
such as Eddie lives , , . somewhere
in time, Diana P. and This program
was written in the city of Sophia (C)
1988 - 1989 Dark Avenger.
Sunday. An executable file
infector, Sunday attaches itself to
com, exe, and overlay files, in-
creasing their size by about 1500
bytes. Each time you run a program,
the program is infected. If the virus
encounters a system clock setting of
Sunday, it will display this message:
Today is Sunday! Why do you work
so hard? All work and no play make
you a dull boy! Come on! Let's go
out and have some fun. The virus
then deletes any files you run.
Brain. A!so known as Pakistani
and Pakistani Brain, Brain is a boot
sector infector. 1! moves and
overwrites the boot sector of a
floppy disk. When the computer is
booted from a floppy, the viral code
loads as a TSR and begins infecting
executable files as they are run. If
the floppy disk has no volume label.
Brain will give it the label {C)Brain. If
you examine the boot sector of the
infected floppy from an uninfected
machine, you will see this message:
Welcome to the Dungeon (C) 1986
Basil & Amjad (pvt) Ltd. Brain
Computer Service. 730 Nizam Block
Allama Iqbal Town Lahore-Pakistan.
Phone: 43079,442348,28053. Be-
ware of this virus , . . contact us for
vaccination, infected floppies may
have cross-linked files and bad
areas in the FAT. The two copies of
the FAT will be different.
—ROBERT BiXBY
74 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SIMULATOR WITH LIVE LINKS TO MICROSOFT* FLIGHT SIMULATOR*^
Low fuel Mid-air toHisjons. Engine failure. When you control this
many aircraft at once, anything can happen. And does. That's why
air traffic control is such a demanding profession. And why
Mallard's ATC '"* is so much fun.
^.»Ste^-
Complex calculations. Fuel consumption and time projections. A
swarm of flight crews and tower controllers making priority
requests by the minute.
Take the chair of the controller, handling all the traffic around a
major city. Air Traffic Controller '" (ATC) pushes the envelope with
ndom weather and even equipment failures.
anrtedem and you can link directly to a friendV Microsoft
-^^T—
"ht Simulator odventure, with interactive communications
nd amateurs alike. It's another reason that flying software leods
all other entertainment cotegories. And it's another reason
allard leads the flock.
Millaid.
^^^m^
Cofiyright y !W2 Mof lani Softvyore. All produd normn ond trodempHw ore tH« propefty of their
Circle reader service number 207
.d0i
Virus Pamnoia
One year ago, the name Michel-
angelo panicked hundreds of
thousands of computer owners.
With the fires of hysteria fanned by
news broadcasts and eager com-
puter salespeople, thousands of
antivirus programs were sold.
Michelangelo's trigger date came
and went with barely a whimper. A
couple of computers turned out to
be infected, and a few users found
out that they had made lucky
investments — ^successfully
eliminating viruses, including
Michelangelo, before they ac-
tivated. But for the most part, users
wondered what the commotion was
all about.
Most of the media reports
described the potential damage by
viruses in great detail but over*
stated the danger, implying that any
computer could be infected and
damaged by this one particular
virus. The few stories that informed
users that only certain people might
be affected were lost in the flood of
sensationalist stories.
The fake virus is an offshoot of
virus paranoia. A disgruntled
employee might purposely erase his
or her computers drives, claiming
that a virus destroyed the system. A
careful examination of the com-
puter's remaining contents can
often determine whether or not there
was actually a virus that affected
the computer.
A good backup program is just
as important as a virus detector,
and using both programs should be
a regular habit. However, users
aren't as conscious of the potential
damages from not backing up their
computers. While your hard disk is
always at risk from a virus attack, it's
also at risk for accidental erasure. If
your hard drive was erased by a
virus, you should be aware that your
backup probably also includes the
same virus and must be carefully
disinfected with an antivirus pro-
gram to prevent your data from
being erased again.
No matter how good a virus
detector you have, you still need a
good set of backups.
can get a virus from a downloaded
program via a modem or from a floppy
disk. On the other hand, a data file
(text, graphics, database) cannot be
infected because those files are only
accessed when another program
reads their data. (The Macintosh
operating system is a rare excep-
tion—Mac data files can be infected
by viruses due to the way the IVIac
stores data and resource forks.)
As a general rule, a virus only
works on a particular type of
computer. A Macintosh virus won't do
anything to an MS-DOS machine or
vice versa. Since viruses are
programs, they have to run on that
computer's operating system.
However, it's possible for another
computer to act as a carrier,
permitting viruses to be transferred.
The best method of avoiding
viruses is through awareness. Under-
standing how viruses are spread and
being aware of viruses each time you
obtain a new program are the best
ways to prevent a virus from infecting
your system. It's still possible for a
virus to slip through, however.
There are many good antivirus
utilities— programs that specifically
look for viruses and warn you when a
virus attempts to infect your computer
or to activate. Some antivirus pro-
grams will even erase a virus if they
76 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
find one and attempt to restore your
program to its original state. Com-
mercial virus protection software
ranges in cost from $19 to over $500.
A typical virus protection program
runs from your autoexec.bat file and
examines your computer's hard drive
each time it's booted. Each time a
new program is installed on your
computer, the new program is
checked to ensure that it's clean. As a
general rule, viruses are detected by
looking for known viruses and
monitoring suspicious activity.
Suspicious activity can include
programs unexpectedly changing
their size, routines monitoring the
computer's clock (very often, viruses
are set to trigger on a predetermined
date), or routines trying to format your
hard drive. Any of these can
conceivably be part of a legitimate
program, and antivirus programs vary
in their ability to filter out viruses.
Always Check Your Sources
You should be careful where you
obtain an antivirus program, If you
obtain a shareware program or a copy
of an existing program, you should be
certain that it doesn't have its own
viruses hidden within. There have
been programs distributed as virus
detectors that are actually Trojan
Horses which install viruses.
The earliest viruses were relatively
simple routines, and virus detectors
could easily disinfect computers.
Unfortunately, as antivirus programs
became popular, authors wrote more
sophisticated viruses that could hide
from detectors. Stealth viruses are
viruses that are specifically designed
to avoid antivirus programs that
search for viruses by known patterns.
The latest tools for virus pro-
grammers are utilities that create self-
mutating viruses. These viruses
change themselves each time they
duplicate. While self-mutating viruses
are more difficult to detect, a
sophisticated virus-detector vaccine
system can prevent them from
harming your system.
The important thing to realize is
that the virus-antivirus war will never
end. A brand-new antivirus program
win only detect the viruses it's been
designed to detect and patterns for
similar types of viruses — ^including
ones that haven't been written yet. But
as virus writers get their hands on
antivirus programs, they'll write new
viruses specifically designed to outwit
and bypass those programs.
Fortunately, most antivirus software
publishers offer low-cost updates to
their packages, and update routines
are often available for free from online
services and bulletin boards.
It"s quite possible for you to
accidentally hide a virus from your
own antivirus programs. Compressed
files use sophisticated routines to
save disk and file space, making them
especially efficient for modem
transfers. Unfortunately, compressed
code is more difficult to examine, and
most virus detectors cannot detect
viruses within compressed files. Once
any files are uncompressed, they
should be inspected by an antivirus
program before you run them.
While you can use the best
antivirus programs to protect your own
computer, how can you protect data
that you transfer to and from other
people's computers? Whenever you
give files to another user, you should
always format the disk and then copy
only the needed files to that disk. If the
user returns the disk, you should treat
it as if it were infected. Any files
received from others should be
carefully examined before use.
Viruses are a problem, and it's
unlikely that they will disappear any
time in the near future. But as with
human viruses, there are sensible
precautions you should take to
prevent yourself from getting infected.
In other words— always be sure to
practice safe computing. U
i
t
iMingtlie World Unsafe
l«r Viruses
WATCHDOG Armor— $445.00
WATCHDOG PC Data
Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit—
$149.95. then $65.00/year for
Securtty-"$295.00
quarterly upgrades
Fischer International Systems
Virus Immunization Program-
PC/Assure— $269.00
4073 Mercantile Ave.
Si 95. 00/year for monthly upgrades
Cente! Federai Systems
Naples, PL 33942
Ontrack Computer Systems
Information Security Division
(800)237-4510
6321 Bury Dr,
11 400 Commerce Park Dr.
Requirements: IBM PC or
Eden Prairie, MN 55346
Reston.VA 22091-1506
compatible, 128K RAM, hard drive
(800)752-1333
{800)843-1132
Requirements: IBM PC or !
Requirements: IBM PC or
VirusCURE PLUS— $99.95
compatible, 512K RAM
compatible, 640K RAM
Internationa! Microcomputer
Software (1 MSI)
ViruCide Plus— $49.00
Anti-Virus— $129.00
1938 Fourth St.
Parsons Technology
PC Tools— $179.00
San Rafael, CA 94901
1 Parsons Dr,
Central Point Software
(800) 833-4674
P.O. Box 100
15220 NW Greenbrier Pkwy,,
Requirements: IBM PC or
Hiawatha, 1 A 52233-0100
Ste. 200
compatible, 256K RAM
(800) 223-6925
Beaverton. OR 97006
Requirements: IBM PC or
(503) 690-8090
Virus-Pro^$99.95
compatible, 51 2K RAM, hard
Requirements: IBM PC or
International Secunty Technology
disk with 240K free
compatible, hard drive
515 Madison Ave., Ste. 3200
New York, NY 10022
Virus Prevention Plus— $124.95
PC GuRrdiRn
Virex for the PC — S99 95
^212^557-0900
V II &/\ 1\Ji LI lO 1 \J \iJi-/'J • i-fi-f
Datawatch
Requirements: IBM PC or
1 V-i* V^UCll VJICll I
1 133 E. Francisco Blvd., Ste. D
P.O. 80x51489
compatible, 640K RAM
San Rafael, CA 94901
Durham, NC 27717
(800)288-8126
(919) 490-1277 (voice)
Virus Checker—free on BBSs,
Requirements: IBM PC or
(919)419-1602(868)
$5.00 from Leithauser Research
compatible, 51 2K RAM
Requirements: IBM PC or
Virus Stopper— $10.00
compatible, 51 2K RAM
shareware registration
Vi-Spy— $149.95
Leithauser Research
RG Software Systems
Vaccine— $129.00
4649 Van Kleeck Dr,
6900 E. Camelback Rd., Ste. 630
VacWindows—$1 29.00
New Smyrna Beach, PL 32169
Scottsdale,AZ 85251
The Davidsohn Group
(904) 423^0705
(602) 423-8000
20 Exchange PI., 27th Floor
Requirements: IBM PC or
Requirements: IBM PC or
New York, NY 10005
compatible
compatible, 128KRAM
(800) 999-6031
Requirements: IBM PC or
Virus Buster— $129.00
The Norton Antivirus— $129.00
compatible, 256K RAM
Leprechaun Software International
Symantec
(Vaccine), IMBRAMand
Windows (VacWindows)
P.O. Box 66903
10201 Torre Ave.
Marietta, G A 30066-0106
Cupertino. CA 95014-2132
(800)521-8849
(800)441-7234 j
ViruSafe $99.00
(404)971-8900
Requirements: IBM PC or
Executive Systems
Requirements: IBM PC or
compatible, 448K RAM
XTree
compatible, 256K RAM, hard
4115 Broad St., Ste. B1
disk with 700K free
AntiVirusPl us— $99.95
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
TCP Techmar Computer Products
(805)541-0604
Clean-Up— $35.00
98-11 Queens Blvd., Ste, 20
Requirements: IBM PC or
shareware registration
RegoPark, NY 11374
compatible, 51 2K RAM
Sentry— $25.00
(800)922-0015
shareware registration
(718)997-6666
Untouchable— $99.00
Viruscan— $25.00
(718) 520-0170 (fax)
Fifth Generation Systems
shareware registration
Requirements: IBM PC or
P.O. Box 83560
Vshield— $25.00
compatible, 256K RAM
Baton Rouge, LA 70884-3560
shareware registration
(800) 873-4384
McAfee Associates
PC-cillin— $139.00
(504)291-7221
3350 Scott Blvd., BIdg. 14
PC Rx (a software-only version of
Requirements: IBM PC or com-
Santa Clara, CA 95054-3107
PC-cillin)"$69.00
patible, 51 2K RAM, hard drive
(408) 988-3832 (voice)
Trend Micro Devices '
(408) 988-4004 (BBS)
2421 W. 205th St, Ste. D-100
Requirements: IBM PC or
Torrance, A 90501
compatible, 320K RAM
(800) 228-5651 |
Requirements: IBM PC or '
compaiiDie, yr\ riAivi, one do-
pin parallel port (for PC-cillin)
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE 77
PRODUCTIVITY CHOICE
Get in on what could be
tonnorrow's standards with these new,
original drawing tools.
William Harrel
INTELLIDRAW1.0
What do you get when you
combine a draw program
with rudimentary CAD and
presentation features? Inte!-
iiDraw, the exciting new
Aldus addition to the Win-
dows draw-program mar-
ket. But InteiiiDraw is not
just another vector graph-
ics program. Sure, it
sports a standard draw-
program interface with
Bezier drawing and edit-
ing, but it's also
equipped with sophisticat-
ed technical drawing and
simple animation.
Whether you need to cre-
ate simple drawings to embel-
lish reports or drav/ up plans
to redesign the office floor
plan, InteiiiDraw will make
your job easier and more fun.
It's a snap to instali the pro-
gram: Just fire up the installa-
tion program, and you're
done. It is not, however, as
easy to learn, InteiiiDraw is
powerful; you'il have to
spend some time with it to
master all of its rich, innova-
tive features. Some of the
pain of learning the program
is assuaged with a well-done
90-minute training video that
covers almost all the impor-
tant features. After watching
it, I understood IntelliDraw's
sheer power and couldn't
wait to get started. If you're se-
rious about mastering it. how-
ever, you'll want to watch the
video more than once— it cov-
ers a lot of territory.
Like most high-end draw
programs, InteiiiDraw sup-
ports multiple layer control, or
layering. This feature lets you
place objects or groups of ob-
jects on separate layers so
that you can show and hide
them or work on them sepa-
rately. Layering is a must
when you are creating com-
plex drawings. A palette of ac-
tion buttons lets you lock ob-
jects on a page or link them
to other objects as well as
group and ungroup objects.
The action buttons let you per-
form a number of functions
simply; other programs re-
quire you to wade through end-
less dialog boxes to achieve
the same results.
Unlike other draw pro-
grams, InteiiiDraw lets you
add as many pages to a pro-
ject as you like, which is
handy for creating multiple
views of the same drawing for
proposals and reports or for
creating animations with the
program's Flip Book option.
And, memory permitting, you
can work on an unlimited num-
ber of documents at once.
IntelliDraw's Toolbox is full
of easy-to-use drawing tools,
such as the Connector tool,
which allows you to draw
lines that automatically snap
to and connect objects. Con-
nections can be locked,
stretched, rotated, or drawn
at right angles. The program
also introduces two new draw-
ing tools, the Symmetrigon
and Connectigon. The Sym-
metrigon creates symmetric
objects with a variable num-
ber of reflection points. In oth-
er words, if you set the reflec-
tion points to 4, when you
draw in one direction, the ob-
ject mirrors at three other
points. There's no easier way
to draw multireflected
shapes, such as stars or pin-
wheels. The Connectigon is a
polygon tool that automatical-
ly connects points of the ob-
ject being drawn to points on
other objects, allowing you to
create complex shapes from
multiple polygons. When
stretched, attached polygons
move together so you can
sculpture shapes.
Another impressive feature
is Auto Align. A pair of
crosshairs follows your
mouse as you draw, like auto-
matic intersecting rulers. The
crosshairs act as guides and
run the length of the docu-
ment window, allowing you to
align the object being drawn
to other objects. Auto Align al-
so lets you arrange existing ob-
jects in relation to one anoth-
er. When two or more objects
are exactly centered, the
guides form a cross over
them. Unlike other draw pro-
78 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
grams (which use grids and
an alignment dialog box to ac-
complish this), IntelliDraw
doesn't make you turn off Au-
to Align to place objects free-
ly, nor do you have to open a
dialog box to align them. The
crosshairs constantly inform
you where an object is in re-
lation to other objects in your
drawing.
Keep Aligned locks objects
into position in relation to oth-
er objects. Aligned, linked,
and connected objects keep
their relationship to their coun-
terparts, no matter how you
manipulate separate objects
in the drawing. If, for exam-
ple, you move a wall in a floor
plan, the other walls, hall-
ways, and doors stay connect-
ed and resize accordingly.
This ability to automatically re-
draw connected objects
makes IntelliDraw ideal for
drawing simple CADIike dia-
grams, and layering allows
you to get relatively complex.
You can even assign measure-
ment lines and figures that au-
tomatically adjust themselves
when you resize elements in
the drawing.
Yet another slick feature is
the user-defined symbol li-
brary, to which you can add
and delete objects. You can al-
so edit symbols once they're
defined. Symbols are linked.
If you use the same symbol
several times throughout your
document, you can edit it
once in the symbol library,
and IntelliDraw will update eve-
ry occurrence in the docu-
ment. This is not. however,
DDE or OLE and will not work
across several drawings.
There's also a collection of
intelligent clip art. You can
add drawers to file cabinets
or change the shapes of
trees simply by double-clicking
on them. For example, you
can change a pine to an oak
with a couple of mouse clicks.
Change a chair into a sofa by
stretching it. No—you don't get
a distorted, elongated chair, as
you do with other clip art. This
intelligent dip art actually con-
verts the chair to a sofa.
Of course, IntelliDraw isn't
perfect. Primarily because of
the program's power, it's not
always easy to locate func-
tions. Many functions are orig-
inal to IntelliDraw. such as cre-
ating duplicates (complete
with connections) by pressing
Ctrl and dragging with your
mouse. Therefore many func-
tions aren't necessarily famil-
iar or intuitive. Unfortunately,
there are some common func-
tions equally difficult to lo-
cate — how IntelliDraw fits text
on a path, for instance. Most
programs have a simple com-
mand for this function. But In-
telliDraw requires several
steps that entail ungrouping a
text block and then choosing
a couple of other commands
to achieve the same effect. In
fact, this particular function
was so obscure that I had to
call Aldus for help. There is,
however, a floating Info win-
dow (similar to some other pro-
grams' status tine) that not on-
ly tells you the name of the
tool or menu item the mouse
cursor is pointing to, but
which also suggests what you
can use the item for.
An important drawback to
mention is IntelliDraw's lack of
support for color separations.
Creating camera-ready art for
multicolored documents
could be a problem. You can,
however, print separate lay-
ers, which will give you spot
color separations.
Since IntelliDraw is support-
ed by Silicon Beach, a subsid-
iary of Aldus, the technical sup-
port policy is different from
to Crcau' iiiul
Refine Pyiumit:
Drawings
A $99 Vithte
ludtiiled biskk
IntelliDraw
the support policies of other
Aldus products, such as Page-
Maker and FreeHand. The
company's usual support pol-
icy is 90 days free and then
paid support through subscrip-
tion or a 900 number. Intel-
liDraw support, however, is
free for an unlimited period.
This is good news because
this program will take you
some time to learn.
Color separation and com-
plexity issues aside, Intel-
liDraw is a great, innovative
draw program, especially for
just $299. It fits neatly into
most applications, except for
commercial prepress. And
there's an identical Mac equiv-
alent, so it's easy to distribute
drawings across platforms or
on a network. IntelliDraw is a
solid performer. Spend some
time to grasp its power, and it
will pay you back double, ~S
Ctrde Reader Service Number 391
IBM PO or
compatible (80286
requirad, 80386
recommended),
4IVTB RAM. £CA or
VGA, Windows 3.0
or higher, hard
drive, mouse,
Adobe TVpe
Manager 2.0 (not
reQuired with
Windows 3.1 or
higher)— $299
ALDUS
9770 Carroll
Center Rd., Ste. J
San Diego, CA
92126
(206) 628-2320
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE 79
ART WORKS
Taking srrapstiols
with your
comnuler has never
been easier.
Robert Bixby
CANDID
SNAPSHOTS
What are your alternatives
when you want to get images
into your desktop publishing
system? The hand scanner is
the first option to explore. Jn
fact," if the hand scanner has
one single purpose for which
it was clearly designed, it was
scanning photos into a comput-
er. (Here's a tip: Buy a small
sheet of window glass or thick
clear plastic, such as a clear
report cover. Cover your pho-
to with it as you scan it with a
hand scanner. Using the
giass or plastic results in a
much smoother scan and re-
duces the possibility of scratch-
ing the picture.}
COMPUTE has covered
both color and gray-scale
hand scanners in reviews and
Test Lab, so most regular read-
ers are thoroughly familiar
with these options.
Another alternative is the
flatbed scanner. These scan-
ners have been available so
long that they've begun to ap-
pear regularly among resell-
ers' wares. You can find a
wide selection of good quality
discontinued flatbed scanners
for about the same price as
new hand scanners.
Watch out for outdated fea-
tures lists when looking over
this hardware (you'll probably
want gray scale as a minimum
capability; if you can get color
or OCR with the scanner,
you'll value either of these).
Recently, I had the pleas-
ure of reviewing three pieces
of imaging hardware. First,
and by far the most expensive
and capable, was the Canon
CJ-10 color scanner, printer,
and copier. It's based on the
Canon color copier. If you
make color copies, it's iikely
that you've seen this unit in ac-
tion. It's essentially a 400-dpi
color ink-jet printer bound to a
high-resolution color scanner
To turn the color copier into
a desktop computer peripher-
al. Canon added a control mod-
ule on which the copier
stands and a SCSI interface
card for your computer. Using
Aldus PhotoStyler, you can
scan in images, edit the im-
ages with a full range of tools,
and then print the images.
One drawback to the sys-
tem is that it uses special pa-
per. This seems like an unfor-
tunate limitation for a machine
that costs almost $8,000. If.
however, you are doing color
proofs and standard-width
{8 '/2-inch) paper is adequate
for your purposes, I think the
printer does a better job than
the Tektronix Phaser, which is
currently a standard in color
proofing. And the Tektronix
doesn't scan. It only prints.
But what if you don't want to
capture an existing photo-
graph, but you do want to get
started in the art of electronic
photography? Electronic cam-
eras have arrived. Canon
makes the Xapshot, and Lo-
gitech makes the Fotoman. If
you aren't interested in conven-
tional photography and you
don't mind being tied to your
computer, you might consider
purchasing a black-and-white
television camera (Damark
has advertised a surveillance
camera for around $200) or us-
ing your camcorder camera in
combination with Digital Vi-
sion's long and growing line of
image capture boards for the
PC, Another option is Electrim.
Electrim recently sent me two
cameras for capturing imag-
es. The EDC-1000 digital cam-
era captures gray-scale imag-
es of 192 X 330 pixels ($400).
The EDC-1000C captures col-
or images of 751 x 488 pixels
($950). As you will guess from
the number of pixels involved,
the 1000C will not work with a
standard VGA card, although
Electrim is working on more flex-
ible software that will enable the
color camera to be used with
standard VGA systems at re-
duced resolution. Electrim also
manufactures a high-resolution
753 X 488 pixel gray-scale cam-
era, the EDC-1000HR ($850),
which also requires Super VGA
for full performance but will op-
erate at lower resolution with
standard VGA.
There is nothing fancy
about the systems. All you get
are a camera head {a tiny
black box about half the size
of a bar of soap), a cable, a
card, and image-capture soft-
ware. More sophisticated im-
age-editing software is availa-
ble from Electrim for the EDC-
1000 for an additional $150.
If you're interested (as I am)
in captuhng three-dimension-
al, real-world images making
use of lighting techniques,
these cameras will serve you
very well. The high-resolution
systems require at least 800 x
600 resolution at 256 colors.
Electrim markets a Genoa
Super VGA board for $190
that will fill the bill. Lenses are
sold separately ($50 for a 16
mm, $60 for an 8 mm, and
$180 for a 12-75 mm zoom
lens). For more information,
contact Electrim, P.O. Box
2074, Princeton, New Jersey
08543; (609) 683-5546. G
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WHETHER you CHOOSE TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR OR YOU'RE
ILLUSTRATION BY JOSE CRUZ
DROP-KICKED INTO IT, YOU HAVE TO START WITH A PLAN,
ON YOUR OWN
Back in the seventies and eighties,
starting a business from home had
an aura of mystery and glamour.
Bright, young entrepreneurs taking
on the stodgy corporate world. The
two Steves starting Apple Computer
from their garage. Ben & Jerry's.
That sort of thing.
Nowadays, with America's
corporations downsizing and the
economy slowing to a crawl,
starting a home-based business
has become more of a necessity
than an adventure for millions of
reluctant entrepreneurs. Today's
home business owners are less
likely to be high-tech whiz kids
chasing the American Dream than
fortysomething out-of-work former
corporate employees with mort-
gages and kids. While they may
ARTICLE BY ROSALIND RESNICK
fantasize of one day getting rich, for
the most part theyVe content just
getting by. Often, the transition from
office-based employee to home-
based entrepreneur is a difficult one.
Apart from the marketing, capital, and
cash flow problems endemic to any
startup business, there's also the
potential for loneliness and isolation.
But a growing number of people
are stepping off the corporate track
and starting businesses from home^
people as diverse as Atlanta greeting
card designer Lee Grey, Kentucky
freelance writer Peter Lloyd, and
California horse breeders Ken and
Eugenie "Oogie' McGuire,
Grey, 31, formerly a software
engineer, put his consulting projects
on hold in June to devote his full
attention to his fledgling business.
Lloyd, 45, quit his job at an ad agency
nearly three years ago to start a
freelance writing business that
includes radio voice-overs and
commercials for car dealers. The
McGuires, a husband-and-wife
business team, still toil at full-time day
jobs while building their business on
the side.
And what about you? Are you still
sitting on the sidelines, afraid of
leaving your dead-end job to leap into
the unknown? Or has your boss
already made that decision for you?
Here's a guide to starting your own
business from home:
1. Choose a business. There are
hundreds of businesses you can start
from home^everything from desktop
publishing and computer consulting to
running a mail-order company. The
key is to find the business that's right
for you, the one that will turn your own
unique blend of skills, experience,
and interests into a profitable
company selling products or services
the marketplace demands.
It's also important to find out if
working from home on your own is
right for you. If you're the sort of
person who needs a boss looking
over your shoulder, then working from
home may not be right for you.
Supportive friends and family
members are also important—
especially when you're starting out
and clients aren't yet banging down
your door.
Lloyd says that after he quit his ad
agency job, he got lots of calls from
headhunters trying to lure him back to
the office-based world. Fortunately, he
says, his wife wouldn't hear of it.
"She said, 'Now, don't you dare
take that job,' " Lloyd recalls.
2, Consider the legal implications.
Do you need a permit or an occu-
86 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
Common Sense
Thinking of starting a business
from home? Often, the little things
mean the difference between
success and failure.
Here are some tips from Chuck
and Sue DeFiore of DeFiore Home
Business Solutions, a consulting
firm in Rancho Cordova,
California, that specializes in
advising small and home-based
businesses.
1. Read, read, and read some
more. That's the only way to keep
learning about your business— and
yourself. Become a com-pulsive
reader, reading things other
people ignore. Don't stop reading
when you think youVe run across
something that has nothing to do
with your business.
2. Pick a business name that
describes what you do. A name
that doesn't tell what products or
services you offer can hurt your
efforts to get your business off the
ground. Avoid using just initials
until you get as big as, say, AT&T.
Also, when the time comes to
create a logo, leave the abstract
symbols to the faceless multi-
nationals. Your logo should say
what you do.
3. Sock away some money for
a rainy day. Few businesses are
profitable from day one. That's
why it's important to have at least
six months" living expenses in
reserve before you quit your job
and take the plunge.
pational license? Will you be required
to register your business, get a tax ID
number from the Internal Revenue
Service, or file articles of
incorporation? Check your local
zoning laws. too. Many communities
frown on home businesses in
residential neighborhoods but make
exceptions for professionals such as
doctors, lav/yers, artists, and writers.
As a rule, retail stores and
manufacturing operations run from
home are taboo.
3. Make a business plan. Most
people wouldn't think of setting out to
visit Aunt May in Iowa without a road
map, but many entrepreneurs set out
in their new ventures without even the
sketchiest business plan. That's often
a mistake because a well-written
business plan can establish your
company's goals and help you
achieve them. When writing your plan,
ask yourself what business you're
really in, how market conditions can
affect your business prospects, and
how you intend to marshal the human,
financial, and technological resources
at your disposal.
"Drafting a business plan was
vital," Oogie McGuire says. 'We're
looking at such a long time frame from
starting our business to being
profitable that, without the business
plan, I wouldn't be able to judge if we
were going in the right direction."
When it comes to writing a
business plan, there are plenty of
helpful files available online in places
such as CompuServe's Working from
Home Forum. There are also a
number of off-the-shelf software
programs that walk you through the
steps of creating a professional-
looking business plan. These include
How to Write Your Own Business Plan,
BizPlanBuilder, Entrepreneur
Magazine's Developing a Successful
Business Plan, and Tim Berry's
Business Plan Toolkit 4,0,
How to Write Your Own Business
Plan consists of four sections, First, a
questionnaire containing approxi-
mately 200 questions covering every
phase of business operation helps the
user understand what a business will
require and whether it's likely to
succeed. The second part of the
software is aimed at projecting profits
and losses to determine where the
break-even point will be. This part of
the software allows you to play what-if,
so you can see the effect of
unexpected events.
The third area walks you through
writing your business plan. It includes
sections such as Mission Statement,
Competition, and Research and
Development. The fourth section
contains a sample business plan.
How to Write Your Own Business
Plan was created by Max Faliek, a
member of the Small Business
Administration National Advisory
Council and author of How to Set Up
Your Own Small Business.
BizPlanBuilder is a set of templates
to be used in your own word
processor and spreadsheet. The
business plan itself is prewritten in the
form of modules, many of which are
applicable in most situations. There
are built-in comments providing ideas,
suggestions, and questions to help
you decide what information to
include in your business plan. All you
have to do to create the actual
business plan is to fill in the relevant
details and values in the files where
XXX appears in the examples. The file
format is a generic one that can be
imported into most word processors.
The financial spreadsheets help you
make projections based on your best
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About
/riting A Business P an But Were Afraid To Ask
Writing
Mliver wish you had a personal mentor who could
answer all your questions about successfully running
your own business?
As most successful business owners will tell you,
aside from having a great idea, developing a profes-
sional and effective business plan is the first major
step on your road to
success, ■
That's where the
Entrepreneur
Magazine's
Developing A
Successful Business
Plan comes in. The
Entrepreneur Business
Planner is the most
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^ntremn
ommn
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For more information,
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OBnim&bv
llcH^ignefl h\ «i |iaiiol €if
siiec*(\s«tliil <%eiii4ftr liii.si-
iioss €*.veeii<ives and the
i^diliii*^ of £iiire|ireiii^iu*
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Eiiira|irc^iioiii- Kii«4iit€^»KS
Planner S4>fl\%are %% ill:
■ Help you organize your
thoughts and your
objectives regard-
ing your start-up or
existing business
venture
■ Help you develop
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m Help you produce a
professional,
detailed business
plan essential for
obtaining the
financing necessary
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Help you pinpoint
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areas
Developing a Successful Business
plan is a trademark of Virgin Games,
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Also features:
Easy-to-Use Interface — The Entrepreneur Business Planner
provides not only 10 sample business forms to utilize, but also
aids in producing the proper information needed to add
substance to your plan,
Ready-Made Sample Modules for 1 types of businesses:
Contractor, Distribution, Franchise, Mail Order, Manur'acluring,
Won Profit, Professional, Restaurant, Retail and Service Business
Industry-Specific Tip Screen —■ In addition to expert business
advice, this well-rounded program provides samples that address
your specific business concerns.
Context Sensitive Help Screen — That's right! Now you don't
have to wade through one help screen after another to get the
information you need. Pertinent infomialion is intuitively
accessed based on where you are in the program when you
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your research and notes and details your progress as you develop
your business plan.
Import and Export Files from popular word processing software
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,^iii
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iifi
Before you invest all your time and money in a great idea, invest in a great business planner:
fnfreprenem- Magazine's DEVELOPING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS PLAN
circle Hmdm Service Numtm 195
Entrepreneur
guesses about how your business will
grow. To supplement these libraries of
text files and spreadsheets, the
manual includes a reference that
explains many of the terms used and
the strategies you should employ.
Business Plan Toolkit 4.0 follows
the pattern of providing worksheets for
use with your figures, but its approach
to the actual writing of the plan is a
little different. Instead of providing a
boilerplate business plan to be edited,
Palo Alto Software provides a
business plan processor — sort of a
cross between a database input form
and a word processor^that lets you
use your own language in your
business plan while making sure the
words are in the right place.
4. Line up financing. Many of
today's big businesses started out on
a shoestring. While banks often
hesitate to loan money to small,
untested businesses, there are other
sources at your disposal — your
savings, your credit cards, the equity
in your home, your retirement plan, or
even your parents' nest egg.
Your suppliers can also be a
source of credit. The McGuires, for
example, bought many of their
Arabians at rock-bottom prices after
the horse market had crashed. The
sellers were more than happy to
provide generous payment terms with
little money down.
5. Invest in technology. Unlike in a
corporate office, there's no secretary
to type your memos, no bookkeeper to
keep tabs on your accounts re-
ceivable. That's why it makes sense to
leverage your efforts by enlisting
technology to do these clerical chores
for you. Most likely, you'll need a
computer, some kind of word-
processing and financial software, an
answering machine, a telephone with
speed dial, a fax machine, possibly a
modem, and a copier. While that may
sound like a tall order, with PCs and
fax machines plunging in price, you
can probably get everything you need
for under $2,000. (See "Quest for
Perfection" in the June 1992 issue of
COMPUTE for more information about
assembling the perfect PC for various
home business applications.)
Oogie McGuire says she tracks her
business with an Excel spreadsheet
and a specialized database program
that keeps tabs on her horses' health
records and expenses. "I know to the
penny how much it costs per horse to
produce," she says.
6. Polish your image. Professional-
looking business cards and stationery
often separate the successful
companies from the wannabes.
Remember: Being small doesn't mean
68 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
you have to look small-time. Luckily,
there are numerous desktop pub-
lishing programs on the market that
make creating good-looking letter-
heads a snap. (Check out "First and
Lasting Impressions" in the May 1992
issue of COMPUTE for pointers on
putting together your own business
documents and designs.) And if
graphic artistry is not your forte, you
can always hire a professional to do
the job for you.
Grey, the greeting card designer,
helps promote his colorful, computer-
generated cards with a business card
that reads, "Grey Matter," in boldface
type, followed by the words, "A Huge
Conglomerate in the Mind of Its Sole
Proprietor,'' Underneath this phrase is
Business Plan Software
BizPlanBuilder— $1 29.00
Jian Tools for Sales
127 Second St.
Los Altos, CA 94022
(800) 442-7373
Business Plan Toolkit 4,0 —
$149.95
Palo Alto Software
2641 Columbia SI
Eugene, OR 97403
(503)683-6162
Entrepreneur Magazine's
Developing a Successful Business
Plan-"$99.99
Virgin Games
5070 Santa Fe St.
San Diego, GA92109
(800) 874-4607
How to Write Your Own
Business Plan— $125.00
American Institute of
Small Business
7515 Wayzata Blvd.. Ste. 201
Minneapolis, MN 55426
(800) 328-2906
a showy black ink blot.
7. Set up your office. It's important
to set aside a place where you can
work in peace and your business
proposals won't accidentally get
tossed out with yesterday's news-
papers. A good-size desk, a
comfortable chair, a file cabinet, and a
well-stocked bookcase are all
important aspects of a successful
home business. You'll get more work
done if your surroundings look
businesslike.
8. Decide on a work schedule. One
of the advantages of being your own
boss is that you can set your own
hours. Even so, it's important to set up
a daily work schedule to give yourself
some discipline. And if your clients
are large companies, you may find
yourself working business hours in
order to accommodate them.
Actually, many home business
owners don't run into trouble because
they work odd hours or too few hours
but rather because they work too
many hours. Working long and hard
can be a key to success, but if you
don't pay attention to your personal
need for rest and recreation, you
might become a drudge. Drudges get
the work done, but they often lose
their creative edge, along with the
self-confidence and energy needed to
take on challenges. With your PC only
a few steps away, it's tempting to
spend all day (and all night and all
weekend) toiling away. Remember to
take breaks.
9. Market your services. No matter
how terrific your business plan is, the
world generally won't beat a path to
your door unless you get out and do
some marketing. While you may not
have the money to take out a big ad in
the Wa!( Street Journal, you can get
yourself noticed by lecturing about
your specialty to local business
groups and networking within your
industry.
If you have a modem, consider
logging on to CompuServe and joining
the Computer Consultant's Forum and
the Working from Home Forum,
McGuire says she's even used
CompuServe to meet potential buyers
for her horses and mules.
10. Plan for the future. While much
of your time will be taken up with the
day-to-day concerns of running your
business, it's important to have a iong-
range plan. That will probably mean
expanding your business (unless
you're committed to staying small),
either through hiring employees and
moving into office or warehouse
space outside your home, teaming up
with another company in a joint
venture, or selling stock and going
public. You may also want to consider
selling your business someday.
While nothing you do will
necessarily guarantee the success of
your home business, following the ten
steps listed above will give you a
fighting chance. The most important
thing to remember, seasoned
business owners say. is that you
shouldn't give up. No matter who you
are or how many things you do right,
there's nothing you can do to stop a
market from shrinking or a major client
from filing for bankruptcy. Even Apple
Computer wasn't built in a day. J
'e^-'J-^,-^i,%'^'y -"^r '" ■ '^'--''>l'*''^M^''',L-\-'l^^^
"...decide the fate of the world..."
Associated Press
"...puts you in the White House with all the power,
influence, and responsibilities of the presidency."
CNN FutureWatch
.every action creates a ripple effect across the world."
Details Magazine
"...on-the-job training as leader of the free world."
NBC News TV - Chicago
"How well do you think you could do...?"
BusinessWeeIc
: "...tests your on-the-job toughness."
US. News & World Report
"America's hottest
cult video game."
... I — _ _ t^.^ $KY Magazine (London)
"Shadow President gets my vote.
...in the same vein as SimCity and SimEorth."
PC Games
"The graphics are great, the sound is cool and the
overall gome play makes me come back for more."
"I'm really impressed with this piece of software."
Computer Game Review
"...cutting edge."
"The entire CGW crew was deeply impressed."
Computer Gaming World
"...makes the world's toughest job enjoyable."
"A great political simulator."
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment
"...a richly entertaining gaming experience."
Game Players PC Entertainment
1592D.C. True. Ltd.
Circle Raader 5ervic« Number 204
PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY
Daniel Janal
Be sure you know
what you're
getting wtien you
sign up for
a seivlce contracl
WARRANTIES
You Ye racing toward a dead-
line when your monitor blanks
out, your hard disk crashes,
and your fax card Is on the
fritz. Who's going to pay?
That depends on what your
warranty says. A warranty is
an obligation to repair sonne-
thing or replace it for free for
a fixed period of tinne. Warran-
ties are part of every comput-
er and software sale. But if you
read them closely, you'll find
that warranties are very
unique and individual. There
is no universal code of law or
conduct that covers computer
parts, supplies, and mainte-
nance contracts or service
agreements.
Except in a few states, cus-
tomers have no specific mini-
mum rights to warranties or
maintenance contracts. The
Uniform Commercial Code
makes some protections for
the consumer, such as that
the goods must be of an ac-
ceptable standard, but the
manufacturer can disclaim
that provision.
^Tou1l always find the UCC
disclaimed. Instead you'll find
a limited warranty, a money-
back warranty, or a store war-
ranty. You get a limited warran-
ty and little else," said New
York area attorney Lance
Rose, who wrote the book
SYSLAW, a guide to the law
for bulletin board operators.
Your rights vary from seller
to seller. Here are some ques-
tions you might ask the dealer
about the warranty.
• How long is the fixed period
of time?
• Who will pay for the delivery
and return of the product?
• Will the work be done at
your place or theirs?
• How long will repairs take?
• What are you supposed to
do in the meantime?
According to Rose, to be a ful-
ly informed consumer, you
should know the answers to
these questions. If you don't
know the answers, you might
find out the hard way.
"Buy from someone who of-
fers a money-back guarantee
or who offers to replace some-
thing if it is defective within a
reasonable period of time,
such as 30-60 days," says
Rose. "Aiso, make sure the sell-
er pays for shipping and that
there is no restocking fee."
If the company doesn't hon-
or its claims, you can com-
plain to the Federal Trade Com-
mission or to local or state
agencies.
The best way to protect your-
self from all warranty prob-
lems, according to Rose, is to
pay with plastic. '1f you have
a legitimate dispute, call your
credit card company and re-
fuse to pay when you get
billed," he says. The credit
card company has a resolu-
tion process that manufactur-
ers will abide by. 'It is the
best possible remedy you
have."
When you buy your equip-
ment, the salesperson might
ask you to buy a maintenance
contract. A maintenance con-
tract is an operational under-
standing between seller and
buyer. "You don't have any im-
plied warranties. This is a
straight contract. You get
what it says, and you don't get
what it doesn't say. If you
want your equipment back in
a month after taking it in for re-
pairs, you need to have that
written into the contract,"
Rose advises. "You have to
look closely at the terms of the
deal. You cannot presume
anything. You have to look at
whether repairs are done on
site, by mail in, or by some oth-
er method. Will they give you
a leaner? Reimburse you for
shipping costs? How will they
ship? How long will it take to
repair? You need to know."
A software maintenance con-
tract should spell out such de-
tails as how many hours of tech-
nical support you will receive
and who will provide service.
"You should check out pro-
viders of maintenance and
find out if the people are expe-
rienced," Rose said. "Mainte-
nance can be done well, or it
can be done badly."
"Take into account how long
you plan to use it," he says,
"For a lot of equipment, a main-
tenance contract for a year or
two might be too long because
you can buy a new piece for a
price that's in the same range
as the contract price."
As computer prices fall, com-
puter manufacturers are using
service and warranties as sell-
ing points.
For instance, Gecco Com-
puters offers a two-year warran-
ty on all parts, even monitors.
It also offers two-year on-site
service on all its sales. Dell
Computer has a one-year war-
ranty and an optional four-
year extension. IBM offers a
three-year warranty for its new
family of premium PS/2 comput-
ers, three years of on-site serv-
ice, and a four-hour average
response time. Its older PS/2
computers carry a one-year
warranty.
Whatever the warranty
states, follow these rules.
1. Keep your boxes so you
can safely ship the product
back to the manufacturer or
to a repair facility.
2. Check the parts immediate-
ly upon receiving them to
see if they work properly.
3. Keep all paperwork, such
as receipts, warranties, and
contracts.
4. Make sure you have all
claims from the manufactur-
er or store representative in
writing.
5. Pay by credit card because
the credit card companies
will hold payment and inves-
tigate claims.
6. Deal with established com-
panies who will be around
long enough to honor their
warranties to the letter, D
90 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
Coming February 1st!
prtit^e
- 'i^?\
DA^^
ForPCtoiiipalit}les.(DI9921'niolionJiic.
All rights resenei
l-MOTION
S^'
^*"^IX
■^i-t'^t
Dislribulfd by Inlrrpldy.
(?I4) 55J.6655
DISCOVERY CHOICE
Gain a new appreciation
for history with this detail-rich
text adventure.
David Sears
TIME RIDERS IN
AMERICAN
HISTORY
How many dishes did the av-
erage Puritan woman have to
wash after Sunday dinner?
Who held the higher rank, Sit-
ting Bull or Crazy Horse?
Enquiring minds want to
know, because the despica-
ble Thanatopsis Dread has sto-
len a communications satellite
and now beams warped,
tabloidesque newscasts
down to an unsuspecting pub-
lic. "Teenage mutant babysit-
ter gets hit with pie in face be-
fore taking oath as first U.S.
president!" Dread's trying to re-
write history He seeks noth-
ing less than world domina-
tion. This is Time Riders in
American History, and your
mission is to discover the
truth and tell the world before
Dread succeeds.
You are a team leader-
one with a lot of work ahead.
You know the occupation of
the first president wasn't ba-
bysitter; it was general. But
how do you tell the world?
And when you know a news-
cast is fishy, where do you
look for the truth if you can't
quite put your finger on it?
The last time many of us
studied history, we probably
studied it along with 50 other
equally uninterested college
freshmen or high-school sen-
iors. Who cared what hap-
pened when? We looked the
future dead in the eye and
pinned our hopes on ideal
jobs. The past could remain
unread or forgotten. Besides,
didn't we know enough facts
already?
George Orwell didn't think
so, and if you've read his
work, you might agree that a
sense of history would serve
both his characters and our
own American society well
Sit down with Time Riders for
just a few hours and fill in the
gaps. Don't expect a smooth
trip— the surprising potholes
in your memory can jar you
wide awake.
Mover mind that The Learn-
ing Company targets kids 10-
17 as potential game players;
the data here belongs to us
all. Before you finish a mis-
sion, you'll know who invent-
ed the phonograph from who
invented the telephone. You'll
know that Puritan families
shared a single pewter plate
at dinner and had only one
chair in their homes. You'll
even know that Sitting Bull out-
ranked Crazy Horse. If you al-
ready know all these things,
your kids may not. Let them
have a turn at Time Riders,
and they'll play for hours, gain-
ing an appreciation for an of-
ten shunned subject.
You'll have a lot of work cut
out for you if you choose to
play. Your team of crime
solvers includes a time line sa-
vant named Amanda and a
mapmonger named Josh,
both of whom prove very help-
ful in collating historical data
so that you can make an in-
formed choice (or at least an
educated guess) regarding
past events. The real time trav-
eler of the group— a feline
droid called KAT (short for
Knowledge Access uniT)—
will actually visit the past to
snare a few interviews with
the people of the day.
After each dreadful news-
cast, you visit Amanda's
room; she keeps her Time-
Line unit there. Make a logical
first choice from the descrip-
tions of four eras that the ma-
chine displays. Obviously,
some knowledge of American
history helps at this point, but
a close reading of the descrip-
tions will help most novice his-
torians select the proper era.
Once youVe made your selec-
tion, you'll have to choose a
period and then a specific
year. This way, you reduce
the game's span of more
than 400 years (1492-1905)
to a specific moment in time.
If Amanda agrees with your se-
lections, she sends you to
Josh for some historical orien-
teering. If she doesn't, you
may try your luck with the Time-
Line unit again.
Certain of his topology,
Josh can help you find the ex-
act spot an event occurred,
no matter when. Using his
GeoFax machine, you scroll
92 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
across a relief map of North
America. Where was the O.K.
Corral? Where exactly was
the battle of the Little Big-
horn? Click on the Overlay but-
ton to drop a net of data over
the otherwise unhelpful imag-
es—plains suddenly become
the homes of Indian nations;
stretches of the Wild West re-
solve into constituent states.
Every clue helps when you
must locate a pin in a very
large hayfield — in this case, a
whole country. When you
pick your spot, head to the
TimeTube to dispatch KAT to
the past for interviews. Don't
worry if Josh cautions against
your choice of event loca-
tions; before KAT leaves, you
may reconsider them. Time
Riders doesn't follow a point
system, instead, naturally,
you work against time. Too
many mistakes on your part,
and Thanatopsis Dread takes
the world.
Once in the workroom, you
just pull the launch lever to
send KAT on her way to the
past. When she returns, she
flops over and folds up~a dis-
turbing effect at first. But she
does this only to project her re-
corded holographic inter-
views. These interviews grant
you an insider's perspective
on history And rather than pre-
senting mere facts to read,
the holographs make you feel
almost as if you were gossip-
ing with your neighbors.
As soon as you've gath-
ered enough details to suc-
cessfully operate the Biodata
machine, you can choose
your man (or woman). The list
of historical figures ranges
from settlers to Chinese immi-
grants to Apache warriors. If
you didn't know that you
were after George Washing-
ton, you might need every
clue KAT's interviews could
provide just to limit your op-
tions to a manageable few.
To further narrow the field,
you might adjust the Biodata
parameters to screen for gen-
der and occupation. A
search for a female social re-
former consumes considera-
bly less time than a sweep of
all the biographical entries —
time you must conserve in or-
der to make the necessary da-
ta uplink with Dread's news
satellite. Miss the window,
and you'll have to wait for to-
morrow's news to try again.
Time Riders acquaints you
with more than just major
events. The weirder parts of
history lurk there, too, like this
entry found under the era
heading 1824-1854: ^'Danger-
ous hogs ran wild in most cit-
ies. Hogreeves walked two by
two scouting hogs. Used rat-
tles and brute strength to
shoo hogs away." Rattles?
Brute strength? Who were
these mighty men, these hog
wrestlers? Did any of them suf-
fer fatal injuries on the job?
Time Riders turns up these da-
ta gems, but gameplay may
never reveal enough informa-
tion to satisfy a piqued inter-
est. Not quite a hypertext
game, Time Riders fails on on-
ly one count: It moves where
it will, not necessarily where
you need to go. On the other
hand, nothing prevents you
from consulting a respectable
encyclopedia for further infor-
mation, and a "read through"
option could easily deflate the
fun here.
The colorful Biodata por-
traits of the historically signifi-
cant make a fine addition to
the game's detailed maps,
and the browse function puts
an abridged life story for
each figure at your fingertips.
Confident you can match the
correct date and place with
the correct face? Skip the in-
terviews and save some time;
go to the Biodata machine
and choose your person. Af-
ter the uplink, you'll know for
certain. Dread's skewed head-
line goes through, or your ac-
curate one airs. To borrow
from Poor Richard (you'll run in-
to him more than once in the
game), "Haste makes waste."
Any discrepancies in date,
place, and person cause
Dread to gloat.
Best of all, Time Riders
doesn't exclude minority
groups. It does an exemplary
job of including historically sig-
nificant v/omen, African-Amer-
icans, and Native Americans.
This is one well-rounded text
adventure worth the time of
any enquiring mind. D
Circle Reader Service Number 392
IBM PC or
compatible; EGA,
MCGA, or VGA;
hard drive; mouse
recommended;
suoports Ad Lib,
Roiand, and Sound
Blaster sound
cardS"S59,95
THE LEARNING
COMPANY
6493 Kaiser Dr.
Fremont, CA 94555
(800) 852-2255
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE 93
MULTIMEDIA PC
With the Video
Blaster and AVI, you
can capture a
video movie, save
it, and embed
It in your Windows
documents.
David English
CUT AND PASTE
VIDEO MOVIES
Wouldn't it be great if you
could hook your VCR or
camcorder to your PC and
bring video directly into Win-
dows? Wouldn't it be even bet-
ter if you could save that vid-
eo to your hard drive and then
cut and paste the video into
your Windows documents just
as easily you can cut and
paste words and numbers in-
to your word processor and
spreadsheet files?
Sound far-fetched? Not any-
more. You can do this now by
combining Microsoft's new AVI
software package with a Video
Blaster card (Creative Labs,
1901 McCarthy Boulevard, Mil^
pitas, California 95035; 408-
428-6600; $495). It's so easy
that youll soon have video mov-
ies with your kids waving to you
as they say "Good morning,
Dad" or *'Keep up the good
work, Mom." You couid even
send a Word for Windows file
to your sister in Alaska with
your New Year's greeting at the
top of the page.
I wrote last month about Mi-
crosoft's new AVI (Audio Video
Interleaved) software package.
It should be shipping under the
name Microsoft Video for Wiri-
dows by the time you read this.
AVI lets you run full-motion vid-
eo in Windows 3.1 with no ad-
ditional hardware— other than a
sound card if you want to hear
the video's synchronized
sound. On the downside, AVI
movies run at 1 5 frames per sec-
ond (rather than the 30 fps
that's standard for most video),
your videos usually run in a 160-
pixel-by-1 20-pixel size window
(just one-eighth of a standard
screen), and the files can be ex-
tremely large (even com-
pressed, a 30-second video
can use up four or five mega-
bytes on your hard drive). If AVI
goes over as well as Quick-
Time, a similar technology on
the Macintosh,
we'll soon see
disk- and CD-
ROM-based
programs with
lots of AVI files
you can play
with.
But what
about making
your own vid-
eo movies?
With a Video
Blaster and a
video camera,
you can cap-
ture your own
full-motion video and, using
the AVI utilities, save it to your
hard drive as an AVI file. You
can then use your standard
Windows tools, such as Media
Player, to work with your new
video file. You should also be
able to cut and paste your vid-
eos into any OLE-compliant
Windows application.
Even without AVI, you can
use the Video Blaster to save in-
dividual video frames in BMP,
Targa, TIF. PCX, MMP, and
EPS formats and display
(though not save) a full-motion
video in any size — from icon to
full screen. A captured image
can have as many as 2 million
colors, but it can't be any larg-
er than 640 pixels x 480 pixels.
You can freeze, crop, resize,
zoom, and scale single-frame
images, as well as adjust their
hue, saturation, brightness,
and contrast. A JPEG (Joint Pho-
tographic Expert Group) com-
pression kit lets you compress
your captured images to a frac-
tion of their original size.
You also get a generous se-
lection of DOS and Windows util-
ities that let you test your Video
Blaster's setup, adjust its set-
tings, and switch among its
three video sources (these can
be any combination of compos-
ite-video sources, including
VCR, video camera, videodisc,
and broadcast video) and four
audio sources (microphone
and line-in from the Video Blas-
ter card, and FM and fine-2
from a Sound Blaster or other
sound card). You can mix the
four audio sources with the soft-
ware-based stereo audio mix-
er. And to get you started us-
ing your video in multimedia
presentations, the package in-
cludes Macromedia Action,
Tempra Show, Tempra GIF,
and a handy utility, called
MMPlay, that lets you combine
animation with live video.
The Video Blaster card
takes up a single 16-bit slot
and requires Windows 3.1 and
a VGA or Super VGA card with
a feature connector. Not all
VGA and Super VGA cards
have a feature connector, so
be sure to check with your deal-
er or with Creative Labs to be
sure your card is compatible.
(Media Vision is working on a
similar AVI-compatible video
card, called the Pro MovieSpec-
trum. which won't require a fea-
ture connector.)
In the future, you can expect
to see inexpensive video cards
with buiit-in compression chips
that will dramatically speed up
your AVI files. These chips will
allow you to expand ihe size of
your video windows to half or
full screen and switch to the pre-
ferred speed of 30 frames per
second. This compression tech-
nology will enable us to over-
come the next big hurdle in the
transformation of the PC into a
multimedia workstation. D
94 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
v.-HG
Introducing Video Blaster.
Now A Picture Is Worth
Here's everything you
need for full-motion video,
image capture, graphics
overlay even special
effects. All the hardware,
all the software, all in one box,
all for just $495.
It starts with Video Blaster, an internal
video card that lets you display and manip
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ulate full-motion NTSC or PAL video on
a standard PC monitor. It also lets you
input and mix sound from multiple audio
sources.
You also get MacroMind® Action! ™ for
Windows™ and Tempra™ for DOS. Both
ga combine video with computer graphics
and special effects to create
interactive presen-
tations and multi-
media training
applications.
There's also a
Windows-based Video
Kit with JPEG compression that lets you
capture images and use them to spice up
your DTP, database and WP
applications.
And with over two million
colors and video control of
hue, saturation, brightness,
contrast and RGB, you'll have
enough video capability to
make even the MTV guys jealous.
So visit your local
retailer or call us at
1-800-998-LABS.
You'll get the picture
on affordable multi-
media video. CR'^ TIV^
VIDEO
BLASTER
WtNDWii. Video Blaster is a trademart of Creative Late, Inc. All other maris are owrved try their respective coppanies. © 1992 CiBalive Labs, fnc All rights reser^'ed
SPECIAL OFFERI
Microsoft Video for Windows
CREATIVE LABS, INC.
Circle Reader S«rvlce Number 216
1-800-647-9933
ENTERTAINMENT CHOICE
You'll marvel at the fluid animation and oinematic
effects you see as you make your way
through this acclaimed action-adventure game, '
Alfred C. Giovetti
OUT OF THIS
WORLD
The spatters of rain on the
wind-screen obscure the
view of the small road
leading to the door to
the underground linear
accelerator laboratory.
The driver of the car shields
his eyes from the explosion
of white light as lightning
blasts the ground too near
the car for connfort. As the
man's hearing clears from
the roar of thunder, he be-
gins to hear the screech of
brakes that bring the sleek
blue sports car to a halt near
the aboveground entrance.
The entrance opens quickly
as the electronic surveillance
identifies the would-be intrud-
er as one Professor Lester
Chaykin, a brilliant, young,
crimson-haired scientist who
is returning to complete work
on experiment 23. He moves
quickly to the desk and fires
the particle down the mile-
long tube which terminates in
the chamber above the desk.
As the particle travels down
the chamber, lightning strikes
and penetrates the tube. The
lightning and particle mix and
race to the chamber. Immedi-
ately upon impact, the cham-
ber, the desk, the man, and
some other items disappear
from our world, traveling a di-
mensional rift to appear 20
feet below the surface of a
lake in Another World.
Thus begins Eric Chahi's
second hit computer game,
which was two years in the
making. The first, Future
Wars, skyrocketed the small,
French-owned Delphine Soft-
ware into international fame in
its partnership with Interplay
Productions. This new suc-
cess, Out of This World, was
first released in Europe under
the title of Another World and
has already won nothing but
accolades and awards. It's
an action-adventure game
that requires thought in addi-
tion to quick reactions.
As with Future Wars, the
most striking thing about Out
of This World is its use of cin-
ematic techniques such as
zoom, panorama, closeup,
and scaling shots. The open-
ing scene is well orchestrated
and similar to the beginning
of a movie, with all the ele-
ments necessary to set the
scene and build suspense.
The scene where Chaykin ar-
rives on the planet uses mul-
tiplane animation of up to six
planes, similar to Disney ani-
mated films.
There are several levels of
action, with the protagonist in
the foreground plane, a carniv-
orous beast tracking the hero
in one plane of the back-
ground, and even the moon
on the farthest plane. Out of
This World comes very close
to being interactive cinema—
quite an accomplishment, con-
sidering its 16-color, predomi-
nantly blue-, black-, and gray-
shaded palette. Chahi is a
true artist and an avid movie
buff, and his study of the cin-
ematographer's art has result-
ed in the flawless execution
of the beautiful, highly de-
tailed scenes that can only be
referred to as art in action.
The animated characters
are clear, sharp, and distinct
portrayals that seem to be liv-
ing, breathing creatures. This
may be the first time flight sim-
ulator-like filled polygons
have been used in an action-
adventure game. The poly-
gonal graphics do not move
to represent the 3-D presenta-
tion of a static item but in-
stead are adapted to portray
in two dimensions the living
bodies of the characters and
monsters. By changing the lo-
cation of the point that de-
fines the lines of the poly-
gons, the characters' move-
ment is uniquely fluid. It's a
flowing animation technique,
one surprisingly realistic in its
representation of the true
movement of living tissue.
Out of This World is a com-
bination of action and logical,
satisfying puzzles. You move
from the point of entry in the
96 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
world to the point where our
hero liberates a world from
slavery by his own struggle to
be free of bondage. Many of
the head-slapping puzzles
link one screen to another
with the use of logical clues
that keep you conning back
for more realtime action. One
puzzle requires you to ob-
serve an alien guard on anoth-
er level— or, rather, observe
his reflection on a metal ball
At a precise moment you
must shoot the bail so that it
drops on the guard. It takes
timing and precision, but it
isn't impossible. If you think
through most puzzles, you1!
eventually gain the satisfac-
tion of completing them.
Another integral part of Out
of This World is the effective
use of the alien handgun, a
combination shield, blaster,
and explosive fireball genera-
tor. Knowing when and how
to both use and recharge this
weapon determines your fail-
ure or success. You use the
gun to outwit the guardians
and monsters. The pistol ener-
gy shield blocks blaster rays,
whiie fireballs blast through
doors, rock walls, and other en-
ergy shields.
As in other action-adven-
ture games, such as Gods
and Prince of Persia, Out of
This World has aspects of
both the realtime arcade
game and the graphic adven-
ture. These side-scrolling, fast-
moving games require you to
think on your feet, or at least
on the edge of your chair-
action and fast reflexes alone
are not enough to traverse
the labyhnth of screens to the
winning cut scenes. Even com-
bat in Out of This World is a
blend of puzzle and realtime
action.
Out of This World is sprin-
kfed with cut scenes, where
the course of the action is tak-
en over by the computer, and
you become the observer of
a short movielike sequence.
These cut scenes add to the
game's cinematic quality and
increase your involvement in
the plot, which is in turn en-
hanced. The winning cut
scene is very satisfying and is
of sufficient duration to re-
ward you handsomely for
your efforts.
Like any other good role-
playing or graphic adventure,
Out of This World has a save-
game feature. By pressing
the C key and inputting one
of a series of codes at any
point in the game— even for a
short time after the main char-
acter's death~you can re-
store the game to one of
many corresponding critical
points in the plot. The codes
are revealed to you after
you've successfully traversed
these areas of the game. The
save and pause features in ac-
tion adventures make the
games more enjoyable, for
they alleviate your having to re-
turn to the beginning of the
game each time you attempt
to successfully traverse the
game screens.
Music for most versions of
the game includes a balanced
and entertaining introduction,
ending, and score mixed in Del-
phine's own music studio.
Over 140 fully digitized sound
effects are used to punctuate
the action and keep you in-
volved with the plot. While key-
board or joystick control is sup-
ported, the joystick provides
better control.
The only black mark I gave
to Out of This World, except
one for its brevity, is for its ar-
cane, color-coded, symbol-
based, codewheel. I had troub-
le using the codewheel, even
after receiving instructions
from the folks at Interplay.
What makes Out of This
World so spectacular? Its sat-
isfying blend of realtime ar-
cade action, cinematic tech-
niques, logical and workable
puzzles, unique application of
filled-poiygon graphics, excel-
lent use of color, artistic graph-
ics, engaging story, and per-
sonality-filled characters. Be-
sides, it's great fun. Many peo-
ple will play it to completion
just to see one more beautiful
cut scene.
Out of This World clearly
rivals any first-rate film pro-
duction in its production
quality and entertainment
value. If you miss this highly
acclaimed, award-winning
action adventure, you'll never
forgive yourself. "I
Circle Reader Service Number 393
IBM PC or
compalible (10-
MHz 80286 or
faster
reGommended);
512KRAM(EGAor
VGA) or 640K RAM
(Tandy); Tandy 16-
color, EGA, MCGA,
or VGA; hard disk
recommended;
supports Ad Lib,
RoiandiJlPC-1,
Sound Biaster, and
Disney Sound
Source— $59.95
iNTERPUlY
PRODUCTIONS
17922 Fitch Ave.
Irvine, CA 92714
(714) 553-6655
(8Q0) 96S-GAME
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE 97
GAMEPLAY
Paul C. Schuytema
Use your
modem to mine
the online
world; there's fun
to 1)0 had.
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT
'm MODEM
Playing against the computer
is great, but victories either
seem to come too easily or are
nearly impossible after a
while. What's needed is a true
flesh-and-blood opponent.
Thankfully, head-to-head (hu-
man versus human via a mo-
dem link) capability is now be-
ing included in a large selec-
tion of really great games.
I've always been a fan of
flight simulators, and now
more and more of them come
mm = zxs *
n = 00
SPEED = (aOO KHOTS ftLTITUOe * OOSMt FEE
VIHJ a SW>T AOnVE CflHEW W
equipped for modem piay.
One of the most advanced sim-
ulators, Falcon 3.0 (Spectrum
HoloByte, 2490 Mariner
Square Loop, Alameda, Cali-
fornia 94501 ; 800-695-4263) of-
fers breathtaking graphics
and speed. Over the phone
lines, the game presents you
with a dogfight between F-16s
(you can play cooperatively,
but the dogfight is a whole lot
more fun).
While Falcon is the current
king of the high-tech, modern-
era flight Sims, MicroProse
(180 Lake Front Drive, Hunt Val-
ley, Maryland 21030; 4 10-77 1-
0440) is soon to release
modem-capable F- 15 Strike Ea-
gle 111. From what I've seen,
the graphics will be amazing.
MicroProse also publishes
Knights of the Sky, a World
War I dogfighting simulator.
The graphics seem simple af-
ter Falcon, but Knights makes
up for its graphics with incred-
ible piayability. Hours melt
away when you're playing, in
Knights of the Sky, you're giv-
en a choice of Allied and Ger-
man planes to fly so you can
set up a handicapping system
based on the abilities of the
plane, placing an advanced
player in a primitive plane.
If flight sims aren't your cup
of tea but you like the war gen-
re, check out Perfect General
(OOP, 1046 River Avenue,
Flemington. New Jersey
08822; 908-788-2799) and the
WWII Battle Set for historical
war gaming.
This war game
places you in a
generic WWII
setting. The in-
terface is a
wonderful evo-
lution of the old
hex-grid war
games of the
1970s. When
youVe playing
against a mo-
dem opponent,
the game takes
on a new dimension: line of
sight and hidden troops. It's
very spooky to see a line of en-
emy tanks suddenly appear-
ing from behind a grove of
trees.
If you prefer your war gam-
ing to be more abstract,
check out BattleChess (and
the soon-to-be-released Bat-
tleChess 4000) for Windows (In-
terplay Productions, 17922
Fitch Avenue, Irvine, California
92714; 800-969-4263). The an-
imations of battle coupled
with the unpredictability of a re-
al opponent work perfectly to-
gether. And for some deep psy-
chological reason, seeing the
pieces duke it out and know-
ing that there's another human
on the other end make victory
mighty sweet (and losing al-
most bearable).
If war gaming isn't your
style, there are a couple of
great addictive word games
out there. Wordtris (Spectrum
HoloByte) and Lexicross (Inter-
play Productions) offer special
delights in modem play, if
words are your thing.
Most of these games con-
tain a small communications
program, allowing you to dial
and answer. If you have a
friend who owns the game,
call your friend and get one
computer ready to receive the
call and the other ready to
send. Hang up and let the
computers do the work (the
manuals do a very good job of
explaining the procedure).
But what if you don't have a
friend who has the game you
want to play? Try the classi-
fieds in computer gaming mag-
azines. They have listings of op-
ponents, complete with phone
numbers, and lists of the
games they have.
And if you find someone half-
way across the country you
want to play against, you don't
have to pay premium tele-
phone rates. CompuServe
runs a modem-to-modem
(MTM) gaming lobby, with a
standard $1 2. 80-per-hour con-
nect charge (for 1200- and
2400-bps modems), regard-
less of who or where your op-
ponent is. You can set up a pro-
file of yourself or search the
database to find an opponent
and issue a challenge. You fi-
nally meet in the MTM lobby,
where you can chat and then
begin play.
To use this service, you'll
need a communications pro-
gram that allows you to exit
without hanging up (such as
Procomm Plus). CompuServe
will prompt both players to ex-
it and start the game, and
then you're playing. When
you're done, you end up back
in the lobby to set up for an-
other game, issue a chal-
lenge, discuss strategy, or
just hang up. Use your mo-
dem to mine the online world;
there's fun to be had. G
98 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
SI! DiWM BITKA. MOVE pyEB MADDEN.
IDMLANDKY
STDAIEDY FIOTDAU
IS DEDE!
The all-or-nothing decisions.
The bone-busting action.
The thrill of victory. It's all
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ball strateg>^ game ever introduced!
Co-designed by one of pro
footbalTs greatest coaches, Tom
Landry Strategy Football puts wu
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ftitMrflJTfftlfliflWlt
You 7/ thrill to super anima-
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t h e act ion unfolds!
in the coach's seat. You'll choose
from thousands of offensive and
defensive formations. Then watch
your plays unfold in eye-popping
animation!
You can analyze in-depth game
* Vl sk La n dr^/ ' \fof a d rice from
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alt time!
Call now to order or for the name of a dealer near vou!
1-800-238-4277
® Merit Software"
13635 Gamma Rd„ Dallas, TX 75244
214-385-2353 ^^ 1992 Merit Software
IBM' PC and Compatibles 5.25" (1.2 MB) and 3.5" a, 4^ MBJ disks enclosicd. Requires: DOS3.3or higher, 286 or higher, 640K
RAM. VGA Graphics, Hard Disk, and Mouse. Recommended: DOS 5.0 and 12 Ml h or faster. Sound Support: Ad Lib 'Sound
B1a.sterr PC speaker and more , Clrcte Reader ServJc© Number 1 76
ICnJoy ''poinl-and-click "
menus that make everything
fast, fun and easy!
stats and scouting
information. Make
substitutions.
Check weather
conditions. Get
on-line help,
from the basics
to advanced
coaching tactics,
And'^Ask
Landry" when you
want advice from
one of the best minds in the game.
Make the right decisions, and
you'll coach your team all the way
to a Super
Bowl victory!
See if you've
got what it
takes to go
the distance.
Order Tom
Landry
Strategy
Football
today!
Reality-whal a concept!
For the longest time, people have been searching for new
realities — new worlds more interesting, more exciting, and more
meaningful than the real world.
In the past, creating unreal worlds meant nothing more than
daydreaming, wishful thinking, and simple fantasy. But recent
developments in computer technology, graphics, and specialized hard-
ware have served to make fantasies come
to life in a form that others can share, in a
form that increasingly is indistinguishable
from the other reality — the nonvirtual
reality of ordinary life.
While the holodeck depicted on "Star
Trek: The Next Generation" may be
decades away, virtual reality — VR for
short — is coming to be used for serious
applications. Not just for games and
recreation anymore, VR is now being
taken seriously as a tool for creating
environments that are either too difficult
or too impractical to create in real lite.
What Is Reality?
VR couid be described as a type of
advanced computer simulation in which
the user doesn't passively view the
artificial environment but, rather,
interacts with it. The interactive nature of
VR makes it possible for the user to
become completely immersed in the
environment.
Using VR techniques, a developer
might create an opportunity to travel
back in time and battle dinosaurs. Or an
architect might construct a virtual
kitchen where you could try out the
stove, check the cupboards, and see if
it's the kitchen you want in your new
house. Or you might try your hand at
surgery on a virtual patient. Or dock
molecules together and actually feel the
push and pull of atomic forces.
Using powerful, integrated computer
systems that are capable of displaying
What you see with
your eyes,
what you touch with
your hands,
what you believe
to be true
may be real only to
you.
three-dimensional graphics and gen-
erating stereophonic sound, together
with specialized equipment such as head
mounts, data gloves, and other I/O
devices, VR can give a realistic portrayal
of new worlds not yet created. The head
mounts submerge you in the virtual,
three-dimensional world by presenting
your eyes with realistic images that
instantly adjust based on what you're
looking at, together with realistic sounds
to make you feel that you're actually
there. Wearing data gloves, you can
manipulate items in a virtual envi-
ronment^open doors, pick up objects,
or cut into virtual patients.
Feed Your Heod
Mention VR, and many people will think
of the movie T77e Lawnmower Man, which
tells of a simpleminded gardener who is
sent into VR to play Cyber Boogie and to
experience teledildonics (virtual sex) and
other unique pleasures. The plot turns on
his inadvertent transformation into the
malevolent and psychotic alter ego,
CyberJobe.
While the experience portrayed in the
movie is a far cry from current VR
technology, the movie does hit on one
truth: The most exciting work being done
in VR is entertainment related. Instead of
just watching television or guiding a tiny
animated figure in a computer game, you
can climb inside the experience of
fighting opponents as a giant mech-
anized robot, crashing a car in a
demolition derby, exploring in a world of
checkerboards and ptero-
dactyls, and nnuch more.
The Spetter of Virtualify
One line of VR products
that has begun to hit the
entertainment scene is
Virtuality. With Virtuality. you
can enter a simulated or
fantasy world and interact
with the surroundings — fight
opponents with swords or
drive a car madly down a
racetrack.
Virtuality units, including
headgear and related
devices to give you a 3-D
VR effect, have become
more and more common at
entertainment centers
around the country. De-
veloped by CyberStudio
and marketed by Spectrum
HoloByte, Virtuality offers
VR game simulations are
among the most realistic
available.
Hook yourself into the
headgear and data glove of
the stand-up unit or take a
seat in the sit-down driving
unit, and off you go to
another world. You can fight
a space battle in Battle
Sphere, go into an elf and
wizard fantasy world in
Legend Quest, smash up
some cars in the virtual
demolition derby Total
Destruction, or go hang
gliding in HERO. Want to
fight opponents using a
mechanized battle ma-
chine? Play EXOREX.
Finally, for a truly out-of-
this-world experience, fall
into Dactyl Nightmare to
explore an abstract en-
vironment of checkerboards
Realistic architectural designs can be "walked through" using
Straylight's PhotoVR system.
Virtual reality promises pleasures undreamed of in real life.
and flying pterodactyls.
Virtuality promises to be
a form of entertainment
more realistic and exciting
than anything previously
created. These sophisti-
cated multimedia systems
contain a set of closely
integrated components.
including Amiga-type pro-
cessors, math coproces-
sors, graphic chips, CD-
ROMs, microphones, mo-
tion tracking systems, and
much more.
If you find Virluality's
EXOREX particularly ex-
citing, you might want to
give Chicago's Battletech
Center a try. Located in the
North Pier section of town,
the Battletech Center is a
complete entertainment
complex devoted to space
warfare. Your $7 buys a 25-
minute experience includ-
ing training, briefing^ and
10 minutes of actual playing
time. You learn how to oper-
ate a giant mechanized
robot called a Battlemech.
which involves responding
to terrain changes, adjust-
ing for heat dissipation, and
laying out battle strategy.
The heart of the
Battletech center is a room
containing 16 podlike cock-
pits. Encased in a kind of
futuristic spacecraft cock-
pit, you must learn to use
over 100 controls while ob-
serving the battle on fufl-
color viewing screens.
(Despite the large array of
controls, knowing how to
use 4 main controls will
allow you to play satis-
factorily.) During ten
minutes of intense play, you
must make critical de-
cisions while being deluged
with information. You have
to manage Battlemech
movement and firing,
decipher sound effects,
and choose strategies.
What gives realism and
challenge to the Battlemech
experience is the fact that
you play against living
opponents rather than the
algorithms of a computer
program,
Battletech and Virtuality
appear to be only the
precursors of a flood of VR
Myron Krueger's
Artificial Reolities
Think of virtual reality, and
the vision of a person fully
suited up in headgear and
data gloves comes to
mind. However, many
experts in VR circles
believe that a person
exploring virtual worlds
should be free of the
heavy burdens of tech-
nology. In other words,
you should experience VR
unencunnbered.
Myron Krueger is one
of these. One of Life
magazine's 100 Most
Important Americans of
the 20th Century, he is
considered the father of
artificial reality. He is an
advocate of experiencing
artificial worlds without
any kind of physical
interface device.
In Krueger's artificial
reality, art and science
become interrelated, and
the viewer interacts with
and actually becomes part
of the new simulated
environment. These inter-
active environments react
to your movements, allow-
ing you to communicate
with both graphical
images and other users.
You use your hands, your
head, your feet, or your
entire body to interact with
these artificial realities.
You can play with an
animated animal, engage
new art form called body
surfacing (in which every
movement produces fan-
tastic colors and sha-
dows), or compose music
and draw pictures with
your feet. Participants in
separate rooms can tickle
each other, create a colla-
borative finger-painting
masterpiece, or perform
free-fall gymnastics.
Part art form, parf tool.
Krueger's artificial reality
provides a more enjoyable
way to interact with virtual
reality while introducing a
more creative aspect to
the artificial environment.
102 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1992
*^^:.
Continuing our fifteen-year evolution
of the best-selling flight simulation
software, the voice of Air Traffic Control
now comes alive for SoundBlaster
users! Flight Assignment: ATP (Airline
Transport Pilot) lets all computer users
experience the wonders of flight watch
the ingenious autoflight mode fly a
Boeing 737, 747, 767, Airbus A-320 jet
airliner or Shorts 360 turboprop across a
scenery-filled United States. When
you're ready to earn your wings as an
Airline Transport Pilot, take the controls
and fly any of hundreds of predefined
flight assignments with onscreen text
(and optional spoken) Air Traffic Control
instructions and feedback. Or go explor-
ing on your own in free flight mode.
'9^
As a fifteen year anniversary promotion,
new ATP buyers will receive a free
SoundBlaster-compatible Air Traffic
Control voice module that will launch
you into an entirely new level of flight
realism, other leading edge features
{full autoflight, structured assignments
with grading, much more) have been
newly refined to make ATP the standard
in traditional fiight simulation software.
For IBM and compatibles. Suggested
retail price $59.95.
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Fljgm Assignment and Scenery collection are trademarks of SubLOCIC
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options. VR theme rides
and parks are being
planned by Disney and
Universal Studios, and
similar attractions may soon
appear in Japan,
Molecular Reality
It's not all fun and games in
the virtual world. Re-
searchers Frederick Brooks
and Henry Fuchs of the
University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill are using VR
to study how molecules and
receptor sites interact.
Employing computer-in-
tegrated head mounts and
a mechanical grip, they set
out to simulate the way
molecules— and especially
drug molecules and re-
ceptors—join and dock,
and also to examine up
close how different mole-
cules would attract or repel
each other.
This kind of research is
normally accomplished
using plastic models, but
VR simulations give an
entirely new perspective to
understanding why certain
drugs work or fail based on
dynamic, visual models. VR
is also being tested as a
way to look at various
radiation treatment options.
The Deepest Cut
Joseph Rosen, an as-
sociate professor of surgery
at the Dartmouth Medical
School, has developed a
"surgery rehearsal" system
that gives surgeons a virtual
patient to work with,
showing graphically what
happens when parts of the
Oii^K ^'-'-\"^
Virtual ity provides vicarious thrills in Total Destruction.
Cyber Boogie is Hollywood's inlerprelation of virtual reality
entertainment.
body are cut into. By using
virtual scalpels and other
instruments, surgeons can
learn how the body reacts
to certain procedures be-
fore moving on to perform
them on a live patient.
Greenleaf Medical Sys-
tems, started by Walter
Greenleaf, has developed
VR systems that allow
aphasics (people who
cannot talk, often as the
result of a stroke) to com-
municate using hand
gestures while wearing a
data glove. These gestures
are translated into printed
text or synthesized speech.
The same firm offers a line
of products that measure
the motion range of a
disabled patient, and other
products that analyze how
a person walks, which is
useful to orthopedists.
Costles in the Air
VR s uses go far afield, and
uses currently under de-
velopment demonstrate that
it's as protean as the
computer that serves as its
brain. Air-traffic controllers
may one day take direct
control of the planes on
their radar scope through
VR. You mayve already
read how architects and
designers can place clients
Inside rooms that have yet
to be built. But even when a
space exists, VR can take
you there through robot
technology — a particularly
useful feature if the location
is remote or inaccessible.
One day, you might walk
through deadly landscapes
like the surface of the moon
or the bottom of the sea.
Portal to the Future
VR is still a very young field.
The level of sophistication of
many of the systems is high,
but progress must still be
made in the quality of the
visual images. Once the
technology arrives, each of
us will be like Columbus or
Marco Polo at the portal of a
new world of our own mak-
ing. Neither space nor time
is the final frontier. We have
yet to set foot on the ter-
ritory of pure imagination, □
Virtual Reality Studio
Want to experience virtual
reality firsthand? Well, now
you have your chance. An
innovative 3-D graphics
system called Virtual
Reality Studio (available
from Accolade) gives you
a taste of what VR is all
about.
Virtual Reality Studio
differs from other graphics
packages in that it allows
you to create 3-D envir-
onments and then move
around within them using
your keyboard or mouse
as a controller. The
objects you create out of
geometric solids can be
animated and interactive.
By putting these together,
you can build a dream
house, lay out a land-
scape of geometrical
objects, or create your
own interactive adventure
games.
This power does not
come without a price, how-
ever. Creating your own 3-
D environment takes time
and practice, and it
requires that you take time
to learn how the system
works. Also, in order to
make your environment
interactive, you need to
use the programming
language, which like any
language, requires ex-
perience before you can
apply advanced features
easily.
Virtual Reality Studio
does require some effort
to learn, but it's a very
good program for ex-
ploring the power and
promise of VR.
IBM PC or compatible,
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DOMARC
Distributed by Accolade
550 S, Winchester Blvd.
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104 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
64/128 VIEW
The future of Gazette depends upon
the support of its readers. Also, send us your
spreadsheet templates.
Tom Netsel
Now that RUN has
joined such journals
as Ahoy, Commodore,
and Transactor m B-b'\{
heaven, a number of people
have written or called ask-
ing about Gazette's future.
As a matter of fact, I just got
off the telephone with one
concerned subscriber who
called from Australia. I as-
sured him that as long as
readers support Gazette
with their subscriptions, we'll
provide them with informa-
tion, articles, and programs
for the 64 and 128. As a mat-
ter of fact, I have plans for
something new, but I can't
announce it until all the de-
tails are worked out.
We have quite a few read-
ers in Australia and around
the world, and Tm delighted
by their continuing support
of Gazette. Like my friend in
Australia, subscribers in oth-
er countries have to pay
about twice the price that
U.S. subscribers pay Post-
age accounts for much of
that extra cost, and they get
the magazine a month after
the newsstand date. Look-
ing at a subscription card in
a recent issue. I see U.S.
readers can order 12 issues
for $9.97, (Prices may be
higher now.) I see ads on
TV for a pizza that costs
more! That's less than 85
cents an issue! I hope you'll
inform any former HU/V sub-
scribers about COMPUTE'S
Gazette edition— or the multi-
edition which includes 64/
128 and Amiga sections for
the same price. Pass the
word on your local BBS, us-
er group newsletter, or tell
your friends in person to
send in subscription cards
from the magazine or call
(800) 727-6937.
As Gazette Disk subscrib-
ers are aware, each month
we provide one or two bo-
nus programs that do not ap-
pear in the magazine. The
December disk included a
bonus called SpeedCalc
Help. It's a help screen that
loads into our popular
spreadsheet program.
That started me thinking
more about spreadsheets
and how useful they can be.
I then began wondering
about all the ways our read-
ers might be using Speed-
Calc. I'm sure many of you
have devised interesting
and useful spreadsheet ap-
plications. How about shar-
ing them with other 64 and
128 users? These files or
spreadsheet templates
might be stock analyzers,
grade books, home budg-
ets, conversion programs,
or any useful application.
Send us a disk with a
cop^ of your spreadsheet
template that will load into
SpeedCalc (or GemCalc, a
compatible spreadsheet
available on the Gazette Pow-
erPak Disk). We'll publish a
number of them as bonuses
on future Gazette Disks,
We'll pay SI 00 for each pro-
gram we use. A simple budg-
et ts provided on this
month's disk as an example.
Be sure to include enough in-
structions within the pro-
gram itself. It must be a sin-
gle self-explanatory pro-
gram that users can load
into their spreadsheets, fill-
ing in the blanks with their
own data.
Send your templates— for
SpeedCalc or GemCalc on-
ly—to SpeedCalc, COM-
PUTE'S Gazette, 324 West
Wendover Avenue. Suite
200, Greensboro, North Car-
olina 27408, Sorry, but no
disks will be returned. n
GAZETTE
64/128 VIEW G-1
Gazette's future depends upon the support of its
readers. Also, a call for spreadsheet templates.
By Tom Netsel.
BAUDS MEAN BUCKS G-3
Get the most information for the least amount of
money when you go online with commercial services.
By Ranjan Bose.
REVIEWS G-8
Fastoffice medical software and c/ZeHarc/ magazine.
FEEDBACK G-1 5
Questions, answers, and comments.
BEGINNER BASIC G-1 6
Put the WAIT statement to work.
By Larry Cotton.
MACHINE LANGUAGE G-1 8
Don't bog down your interrupts with slow code.
By Jim Butterfield.
PROGRAMMER'S PAGE G-20
Here are more great programming tips from readers.
By Randy Thompson.
GEOS G-22
If youVe a GEOS fan. you can't afford to pass up ail
the great programs on OuantumLink.
By Steve Vander Ark.
DIVERSIONS G-24
Are you sure that warm, friendly voice you hear on the
telephone belongs to a human being?
By Fred D'Ignazio.
PROGRAMS
Rogue Sunbathers (64) G-25
Space Trek (64) G-28
Push Button 64 G-30
EZ-Loader (64) G-34
Stock Analysis 128 G-36
The Automatic Proofreader (64/128) G-40
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE G-l
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!
SpeedScript $ 1 1 .95
COMPUTE Publications' most popular program
ever Powerful word processing package includes
SpeedScript for the 64, SpeedScript 128, spelling
checkers for both 64 and 128 versions, plus an
additional dozen support programs, including
mail-merge and word-count utilities.
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Every article and department from Gazette — July
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Telecommunications is the
magical process by which
distant computers communi-
cate with each other via tele-
phone lines. For those just
getting their feet wet in the
sea of telecommunications,
a primary concern is the
speed at which modems
communicate.
A modem is a device that
converts (modulates) digital
signals from a computer into
audio tones that can be
transmitted over phone
lines. Another modem at the
other end converts the tones
back into their original dig-
ital form (demodulates).
Transmission speed is mea-
sured in the number of bits
sent per second (bps).
Although a byte that repre-
sents one character con-
tains eight bits, a usual
telecommunication byte is
ten bits long. It consists of
eight bits for the information
or data and two delimiting
bits that separate contigu-
ous data bytes.
Theoretically speaking, a
300-bps modem can send 30
characters per second. A
typical double-spaced typed
page of 1800 characters and
spaces would need about a
minute if transmitted at 300
bps. A modem operating at
2400 bps can send the same
page in 7.5 seconds!
A 64Vs commonly used
modem speeds of 300,
1200, and 2400 bps are in a
sense analogous to the XT,
AT, and 386 technologies
familiar to PC users. XTs
BAUDS
MEAN
H
Time is money
when you connect to
commercial
information services.
By Ranjan Bose
are inexpensive and ade-
quate for some uses, but
they're slow. The AT is more
efficient yet inexpensive, but
it's neither here nor there —
similar to 1200-bps
modems. The 386s are fast»
very well supported, and
available at reasonable
cost— as are 2400-bps
modems. To carry the anal-
ogy further, the new super-
speed modems would be
comparable to 486s.
Slower modems are the
least expensive ones to buy,
but they can cost you
money if you use them on
commercial online services.
To give you an example of
the savings you can achieve
with a higher-speed modem,
let's assume that an online
service charges $6,00 an
hour for 300-bps access
and $12.50 an hour for
1200- or 2400-bps access. If
you were to access the serv-
ice for an average of ten
hours every month, you
would be paying $60.00 for
300-bps access and $125.00
for 1200- or 2400-bps
access. If you spend most of
your online time download-
ing files or messages (and
not chatting in forums), you
could download four times
as much at 1200 bps and
eight times as much at 2400
bps as you could at 300
bps — for just over twice as
much money.
This ideal scenario is
obviously subject to several
variables, such as the condi-
tion of the phone connec-
tion, the network load
(ensuring error-free trans-
mission), and the presence
of either a DOS speed-up
utility in your system or the
ability to use an REU as a
RAM disk.
If we consider the
amount of data transferred
at 300 bps over ten hours as
an arbitrary data unit, each
data unit at the above prices
would cost $60.00 at 300
bps, $31.25 at 1200 bps,
and $15.63 at 2400 bps. For
a little more than the differ-
ence in the cost of access-
ing our arbitrary data unit at
300 bps as compared to
2400 bps, you can buy a
2400-bps modem.
Also, while a PC user
cannot buy an XT/AT/386
combo, a 2400-bps modem
will let you telecommunicate
at all three speeds when
necessary. If a BBS you call
operates at a slower speed,
your 2400-bps modem can
slow down. You could use
300 bps when chatting
online or typing messages,
or anything else that
involves online waiting or
keyboard entry. Then use
2400 bps when transferring
files. The 1200-bps or slow-
er speeds can come in
handy for those occasions
when a phone line is noisy.
Data transmission is (ess subject to
error on noisy phone lines when trans-
mitted at slower speeds.
In Praise of Speed
I cannot help but toot the 64's horn at
this point. Electronic eons ago when
300 bps was the 64"s telecommunica-
tions standard, people thought that re-
liable data transfer at 1200 bps and
higher speeds was impossible be-
cause of idiosyncrasies in the
Commodore Kernal routines. At any
rate, 1200 bps became a reality,
fought the gremlins, and is now aging
gracefully.
There may not be as many 64
users telecommunicating at 2400 bps.
but those who do are quite happy.
With 2400-bps external modems sell-
ing for well under S100, you need not
shy away from using them because of
price. Several commercial and share-
ware terminal programs exist which
support 2400-bps access. NovaTerm,
Terminal One, and Bell Term are just a
few of them.
RS-232 Devices
Commodore decided on a different
type of interface for its user port, rath-
er than going with the industry stan-
dard RS-232. Therefore, connecting
an RS-232 device, such as a modem,
to a 64 used to be a problem. That's
no longer the case. Aprotek makes a
fine product called Corn-Modem,
which works well with external RS-232
modems. Several other RS-232 inter-
faces which plug into the 64's user
port are also available from Aprotek,
Creative Micro Designs, and other
companies. Aprotek also sells a 2400-
bps modem that plugs directly into the
user port.
RS-232 modems supporting 2400
bps come in two varieties, a plain-va-
nilla modem which allows 300-bps to
2400-bps speeds and one which
offers built-in protocols for error
checking and data compression
(MNP. V.42bis). These latter ones are
great toll savers, but only if the
modem at the other end also uses
them.
Expedient or Exotic
CompuServe users, for instance,
would not be able to use MNP5 or
V.42bis because the online service
does not yet support these protocols.
CompuServe may eventually add
these protocols, but a ptain-vanilla
2400-bps modem is sufficient for sev-
eral reasons. To a significant extent, a
well-engineered modem can compen-
sate for occasional line noise using
adaptive equalization, line impedance
G-4 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
Time of day
Download time in seconds
#1 #2 #3 Mean
Cost per 10K bytes
8:00 a.m.
45.36
29.33
30.33
35,01
$1,19
11:00 a.m.
33.09
39,51
33.29
35.30
$1.20
10:00 p.m.
19.42
19.98
19.17
19.52
$0.66
6:00 a.m.
16.93
17.40
18.95
17.76
$0.60
matching, and other techniques.
To use MNP5 and \/,42bis proto-
cols effectively, your software should
support 4800 or 9600 bps, neither of
which is supported by any 64
telecommunication software.
NovaTerm with the CMD Swiftlink is a
combination of software and hardware
that claims to do this. MNP protocols
are very useful during ASCII (text)
transfers, but their advantages vanish
when transferring programs (binary) or
files that are already compressed,
such as ARC or LYNX.
Finaliy, these protocols interact
variably with softv/are error-checking
protocols such as XMODEM and
YMODEM, These software protocols
are usually self-sufficient anyway.
MNP and similar protocols are more
Are MNP Modems
Necessary?
While shopping for modems capa-
ble of transmitting at 2400 bps, you
come across many with choices
such as MNP (Microcom Network
Protocols) and V.42bis protocols.
These modems can check and cor-
rect for errors during transmission
arising from phone line noise and
other interferences. They can com-
press data so that you get an effec-
tive transfer rate of 4800-9600 bps.
To be effective, however, the
modem at the other end must also
be an MNP or V.42bis type. You
must also remember that most
downloadable files are already
compressed and do not benefit
much from these procedures.
Protocols which enable an appar-
ently higher speed transmission
(MNP5) cannot be used with a 64
because none of the terminal soft-
ware allows for speeds greater
than 2400 bps.
Finally, during downloading, you
usually employ software-based
error checking protocols such as
XMODEM or Punter. So save your
money. A plain-vanilla 2400-bps
modem will suffice for most of your
telecommunication purposes.
useful for transferring numerical busi-
ness data where glitches could result
in financial disaster. So instead of
waiting for these sophisticated proto-
cols and modems that can use them,
go for it! The longer you postpone get-
ting a 2400-bps modem, the more
money you're losing online.
You may see an occasional gar-
bled character in messages or bul-
letins that have been sent at 2400
bps, but you can easily correct them
by using your parallel processing,
multigigabyte supercomputer known
as your brain,
Riish-Hour Blues
If you Ve ever used an online service,
you may have noticed its slowing
down at times. When large numbers of
users are online simultaneously, the
effective transmission of bits and
bytes through the phone network
becomes appreciably slower than that
occurring during nonpeak hours. The
delay is especially noticeable when
using packet sv^itching networks such
as Tymnet or Datapac. For top-dollar
values, try to download large files dur-
ing nonpeak hours, usually early
morning or very late at night. If you're
calling from Japan, be aware of the
time difference. You may stay up late
only to run into bright-eyed, well-rest-
ed U.S. users— thousands of them!
Time Is Money
I recently ran a simple experiment in
which I downloaded a certain file from
CompuServe at different times of the
day. with XMODEM at 1200 bps
(using the Common Sense 1200 termi-
nal program that is bundled with the
Commodore 1670 modem). I down-
loaded each file three times during
each online session, A digital
chronometer allowed me to time the
transfer of eight XMODEM blocks
(1048 bytes). To rule out varying disk
transfer delays, I always downloaded
to a freshly formatted disk. Boy, was I
surprised!
Note that the variations in rates of
transfer between similar samples 1, 2,
and 3 is less during the nonpeak
hours. (See the above table.)
These transfer rates are not cast in
stone and do vary somewhat depend-
ing on many factors, but they illustrate
the point that the time of day does
make a significant difference in
telecommunication costs. During the
day and in the early evening, there are
longer delays and more errors (requir-
ing repeated transmissions of blocks
of data), possibly because of higher
line noise and longer switching delays
as a consequence of heavier usage.
Can Software Help?
If you examine the above values
closely, you will observe that even at
the best transfer rate of 1048 bytes in
17.76 seconds, only 59 bytes were
getting transferred each second
{1048/1776-59). Since I was operat-
ing at 1200 bps. in theory, the transfer
rate should have been 120 bytes per
second. (Each telecommunication
byte is ten bits long: eight bits for the
data and two delimiter bits.) You can-
not expect 100-percent efficiency in
the real world, but I was getting less
than 50 percent. Something was not
right!
I wondered if my telecommunica-
tion program was using inefficient
code. In order to figure that out, I fired
up my computer and downloaded a
certain file by first using Common
Why Use 2400?
If you access CompuServe at 300
bps, it costs $6.00 an hour, whereas
at 1200 or 2400 bps, the cost is
$12.50 an hour. The volume of data
which can be sent at 300 bps, under
ideal conditions, would cost ap-
proximately half as much at 1200
bps and one-fourth as much at 2400
bps. Over a short period of time, you
could easily recoup the cost of the
modem by stepping up from 300 to
2400 bps.
The savings are even more rele-
vant for those who don't have local
CompuServe nodes and must use
Datapac or other packet switching
networks which charge $10.50 per
hour above regular CompuServe
connect fees.
Higher speeds save you money
when you're downloading files and
programs, but at other times you may
prefer a slower rate. In situations
which involve online waiting, such as
chats or conferences, 300 bps can
be your best bet. Most 2400-bps
modems also support 300 bps, so
there's no need to have both.
So to answer the question of why
we need 2400-bps modems,
Scrooge says it best: "fvloney,
money, money!"
Going one step further, 1 tried simi-
lar transfers using NovaTerm at 2400
bps. To my dismay, I found that when
using a packet switching network
such as Datapac, downloading with
XMODEM was only a little faster at
2400 bps- not 100 percent faster as I
had expected.
Reading Text
Does this mean that a 2400-bps mo-
dem is not really a big toll saver?
Quite the contrary, since most of the
online time is spent In ASCII transfers.
XMODEM 1200 bps
XMODEM 2400 bps
Datapac CompuServe
Datapac CompuSen/e
DLtime
31.19 13.94
19.30 8.75
Bytes/sec
34 75
54 120
Efficiency
8.3% 62.5%
22.5% 50%
YMODEM 1200 bps
YMODEM 2400 bps
Datapac CompuServe
Datapac CompuServe
DLtime
12.08 10,64
11.83 6.09
Bytes/sec
85 96
87 168
Efficiency
70.8% 80%
36.2% 70%
Sense 1200 and immediately after-
ward using NovaTerm 9.3 (distributed
by Aproiek). Since Common Sense
1200 doesn't support 2400 bps, the
time in seconds required for down-
loading 1048 bytes at 1200 bps was
measured for both programs. I ran
and timed this test five times for each
program.
With Common Sense 1200, the
mean value of five downloads was
32.7 seconds, with the fastest transfer
27.54 seconds. With NovaTerm 9.3.
the mean value for five downloads
was 23.1 seconds, with the fastest
value 20.15 seconds.
NovaTerm, therefore, proved to be
30 percent faster than Common Sense
1200 for XMODEM transfers under
nearly identical conditions.
such as chatting or reading messages
and bulletins. I decided to test this ac-
tivity by reading text files instead of
downloading them.
To do this, I called CompuServe
and let data flow in as fast as it could.
To avoid drive-induced delays, I used
the buffer RAM disk that NovaTerm
supports. I closed the buffer at 30
seconds. At 1200 bps, I managed to
receive 3511 characters (117 charac-
ters per second). When I switched to
2400 bps, I received 7059 characters
(235 cps) in 30 seconds. This is close
to the theoretical limits of 120 and 240
characters per second for the two
modem speeds.
Compared to straight ASCII trans-
fers, protocol-controlled downloading
is obviously a more demanding and
complex process. Gremlins such as
network delays, disk drive delays,
phone line noise, and other errors all
contribute toward reducing the actual
transfer of data.
Since all modem speeds are likely
to be affected proportionately by
these factors, a 2400-bps modem stil!
represents a good investment if you
do a fair amount of telecommunicat-
ing. This is especially true if you
access online information networks or
call BBSs in distant cities.
Maximum Efficiency
If you simply send data via phone line
to another computer, you have no way
of knowing whether that information
arrives correctly or not. Noise and sta-
tic on the line could alter the bits and
bytes, garbling the data. To help
insure error-free transmissions, most
terminal programs utilize some form of
error-checking technique called a pro-
tocol.
There are basically three kinds of
software protocols used when upload-
ing or downloading files. XMODEM is
an example of a protocol which trans-
fers small blocks (131 bytes) of data
at a time. Another type, which
includes XMODEM IK and YMODEM,
transfers a bigger block (1024 bytes).
A third kind of protocol uses blocks of
variable sizes. Examples of the third
type are Punter and Kermit.
All of these protocols employ some
form of checksum comparison be-
tween the sending and receiving com-
puters. If an error is detected, the
block is retransmitted. Even if only one
error is detected, the computer must
send that whole block of data.
If the phone line connecting the
computers is clean and requires a
small number of retransmissions, then
protocols that support larger blocks
are more efficient, if a lot of errors
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE G-5
occur during transmission, then a pro-
tocol using smaller blocks gains an
upper hand because it has to resend
only 131 bytes instead of 1024. One
YMODEM retransmission could, in the-
ory, equal seven or eight retransmis-
sions via XMODEM.
XorY?
So is YMODEM really more efficient
than XMODEM? Are transmissions af-
fected by the network you use, such
as a dedicated neiwork versus a
packet switching network?
To test these variables, I accessed
CompuServe from my home in Canada
through Datapac, which is a 128-byte
packet switching network similar to Te-
lenet and Tymnet, and by directly call-
ing the dedicated CompuServe node in
Toronto. The following table indicates
the results of my test.
The DL time is the mean value in
seconds to download either 1048
(XMODEM) or 1024 (YMODEM) bytes
from CompuServe at 1200 and 2400
bps using the popular teiecommunica-
tion program NovaTerm 9.3.
With clean phone lines, no errors
occurred during these transmissions.
The delays were primarily due to the
way the data packets were handled
by the networks. Bytes/sec indicates
the number of bytes downloaded per
second. The efficiency figures repre-
sent the actual performance com-
pared to the modem's theoretical max-
imum transfer rates of 120 and 240
bytes per second.
Several interesting things became
obvious. Calling a CompuServe node
directly resulted in more efficient
transfers, although on those occasions
when Datapac was working at its peak
efficiency, it was almost at par with the
CompuServe node.
If you compare the bytes-per-sec-
ond transfer rates obtained at the two
speeds in the Datapac columns, 2400
bps was faster than 1200 bps by 2-59
percent. XMODEM showed more im-
provement than YMODEM. but it was
still lower than YMODEM in the total
number of bytes transferred.
Looking at similar values, when
CompuServe was accessed directly,
we discover that 2400 bps was faster
than 1200 bps by 60-75 percent.
YMODEM was always more efficient
than XMODEM.
Assuming the theoretical 100-per-
cent efficiency of transfer to be 120
bytes per second at 1200 bps and
240 bytes per second at 2400 bps,
the actual performances observed for
XMODEM ranged from 23-63 percent,
while performances for YMODEM
ranged from 36-80 percent.
The Bottom Line
Just a few short years ago. the price
of a 1200-bps modem was several
hundred dollars, and 2400-bps
modems were even higher. When a
modem could cost more than a com-
puter, most users made do with 300-
bps. Now that 1200- and 2400-bps
modems are less than $100. frugal
users still want to cut costs where they
can. When you're connected to an
information network that charges by
the minute, connect time is the obvi-
ous place to trim.
In conclusion, while accessing
services which charge the same
amount per hour for 1200- or 2400-
bps access, it's more efficient to use
the faster speed, coupled with YMO-
DEM. Moreover, it's better to connect
with the service through a dedicated
node, rather than through a packet
switching network, even if it means
calling long-distance. And if you're
willing to work between 12:00 a.m.
and 7:00 a.m.. the long-distance
charges are usually lower, and the
phone connections usually cleaner,
further reducing your telecom-
munication costs. □
G-6 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
Print Shop
143 Western \
Designs for
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FGM, and
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for the
C6V128
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Indudes: C64 & C128 programs; screen, printer and disk output;
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New on the Gazette Disk! In addition to the
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get outstanding bonus programs. These programs,
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REVIEWS
FASTOFFICE
Most people consider the
64 to be a persona! comput-
er that's used mainly at
home, but it's found its way
into many offices as well.
Word processing is undoubt-
edly its biggest use, but it's
capable of much more.
Spreadsheets and data-
bases are powerful and flex-
ible programs that users
can adapt to any number of
office activities. They can be
used for budgets, inventory
control, managing customer
lists, and dozens of other us-
es, depending on the skill
and needs of their users.
Most of the commercial
business applications have
been designed for flexibility.
Rather than targeting one
specific business or perform-
ing one specific task, these
programs are tailored to sat-
isfy a variety of commercial
needs. This flexibility ena-
bles the software to appeal
to a wide audience, which
in turn makes for sizable
sales and profits for the soft-
ware companies. When soft-
ware is customized for one
business, it can no longer ap-
peal to a wide audience. As
a result, its price normally
jumps dramatically,
Fastoffice is such a piece
of software, but it bucks the
norm. It is designed for bill-
ing and practice analysis for
physicians. To narrow its
scope even more, it's de-
signed for solo practitioners.
Price is where Fastoffice dif-
fers from most customized
software. To make a profit
selling to a small number of
physicians, most billing soft-
ware costs thousands of dol-
lars, Fastoffice costs $50!
Fastoffice doesn't pre-
tend to compete with full-fea-
tured billing and practice
analysis programs, but it
does handle a number of bill-
ing chores. And it does
G-e COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
them well. It was written by
an ophthalmologist for his
practice, and he's been us-
ing it for more than five
years.
Fastoffice is menu driven
and fairly simple to use. A
physician who is used to bill-
ing patients, sending claims
to insurance companies,
and writing off certain
amounts would probably
have no difficulty using the
program. That's probably
why the review copy I re-
ceived came with no docu-
mentation— just a few
words of explanation in an
accompanying letter.
From the opening menu,
you have the option to view.
print, or modify a record; cre-
ate a new record; print bills;
or move to another menu. I
knew from the letter that I
would need a separate data
disk. By selecting another
menu, I found the system util-
ities that let me format that
disk. That menu also offers
the options to compress or
unpack data disks using a
dual-drive system.
Once your data disk is
ready, you can create new
records. This is where you
fill in a patient's name, ad-
dress, insurance carrier, bill-
ing code, and billing history.
Four lines allow you to enter
procedures and fees. I dis-
covered that payments can
be entered in this area by
placing a minus sign in
front of the amount. Once ba-
sic information has been re-
corded, you can then enter
another new patient or re-
turn to the menu.
After the basic informa-
tion has been entered, you
can print the patient's bill.
One drawback that I no-
ticed here is that while the
program prints the patient's
name and address, it
doesn't print the physician's.
That form of the bill might
be sufficient to hand to a pa-
tient in the office; otherwise,
I'd recommend using pre-
printed billing statements.
Once you have a patient
on record, you can then
view or modify any informa-
tion simply by entering the
patient's last name. If more
than one person with that
name is in your data, the pro-
gram tells you how many
matches it's found and asks
which patient you want.
From there, you can delete
a record, alter any line, re-
turn to the main menu, or
move to another menu.
This other menu lets you
print a bill or summarize the
billing notes. A bill has
space for four itemized
lines of procedures and/or
payments. You can summa-
rize this data and bring the
balance forward at any
time. The balance then ap-
pears on the top line, free-
ing three lines for additional
information regarding proce-
dures and/or payments.
In many cases a physi-
cian's fee is paid in part by
an insurance company with
another portion billed to the
patient. Depending on the
circumstances, some por-
tions of the fee must be writ-
ten off. Fastoffice enables
the physician to keep track
of these write-offs. With a pa-
tient's bill on the screen, you
have the option to convert
to write-off format. You are
presented with the patient's
charges and asked if this
amount is billable. If not,
you can enter the billable por-
tions and any insurance pay-
ments. The amount the pa-
tient owes is then presented
as the new balance. The pro-
gram then computes the
write-off percentage and
prints an updated bill.
Another menu lets you
browse through each of the
records, making any chang-
es or printing them out. You
can also view any write-offs.
This option prints the patient
info with the amount and per-
cent that has been written
off. A summary prints the
number of write-offs and the
total percentage and dollar
amount of the write-offs. A
practice analysis prints an ac-
tive account summary, list-
ing the number of patients,
the total amount receivable,
and the percentage of pa-
tients covered by each insur-
ance carrier. You can also
see how much business is
represented by each insur-
ance company. Fastoffice
computes the percentage
owed to you by all the pa-
tients handled by a particu-
lar carrier.
Make sure your phnter is
on before you try to print
bills or analyze your prac-
tice. Fastoffice crashes if it
tries to print and your print-
er is turned off. One of its
good points, though, is that
it recognizes any files left
open phor to a crash. It lets
you close them properly
when you reboot, saving
any data that might have
been jeopardized.
More and more physi-
cians are turning to comput-
ers to handle their billing,
and it's not uncommon for
them to spend more than
$10,000 for software. I don't
think Fastoffice will replace
the heavy-duty systems that
store OPT or ICD9 codes,
fee schedules, referring phy-
sicians, and patient birth-
days, but it certainly does of-
fer a lot for $50.
The program is easy to op-
erate, but a page or two of
documentation would help
explain some of the pro-
gram's finer points. I don't
think that would boost its
price too much. Perhaps if
more physicians used Fast-
office on a 64, they could
save on computer costs.
Then perhaps they could
pass the savings on to their
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G-10 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
REVIEWS
patients and reduce medical costs.
That's a radical tliought!
TOM NETSEL
Commodore 64 or 128— $50
LARRY SHEINGORN
9715 IVIedical Cenier Dr., Ste, 502
Rockviile. MD 20850
(301) 963-9751
Circle Reader Service Number 414
DIEHARD
At a time when publications dedicated
to 8-bit computers are about as
scarce as brand-nev^ 1581 drives, it's
relreshing to see a new magazine on
the newsstand. Well, newsstand isn't
exactly the right word, because this
bimonthly publfcation is available only
by subscription.
This magazine is called dieHard,
and it's billed as '*the Flyer for commo-
dore Bbitters." Its editor in chief, Brian
L. Costhwaite, says dieHard supports
most Commodore 8-bit computers,
such as the VIC'20, G-16, Plus 4, 64.
and 128. Its major focus is on the 64
and 128, however, but Costhwaite
says he hopes the magazine will grow
enough to support other 8-bit ma-
chines as well.
I don't know whether it's an editing
quirk or if Costhwaite is taking a poke
at Commodore for its minimal support
of the 8-bit machines it created, but
whenever Commodore's name ap-
pears in dieHard, Costhwaite spells it
with a lowercase c.
The copy of dieHard that I saw for
this review contains 33 pages in BV? x
11 format. Two yellow sheets make up
the front and back covers, with the
whole publication held together by a sin-
gle staple in the upper left corner. At
first glance, dieHard looks like a user
group newsletter that was printed with
geoPublish. At second glance, you'll no-
tice that there's a lot of information be-
tween its covers.
Up front is a call to writers for sub-
missions. (Seems like I've often read
that plea in newsletters.) As with many
new publications, dieHard can't afford
to pay its authors. They get free copies
of the magazine. Since this is
dieHard's third issue, Costhwaite is
still writing many of the articles himself.
The first article is a collection of
word-processing tips and advice to writ-
ers. It stresses the importance of cor-
rect spelling, proper grammar, and hav-
ing someone else proofread important
documents. The article starts off with
the word editing as a subhead in a
large font — and, unfortunately, the
ATTENTION
ALL COMMODORE 64/640,
AND COMMODORE
1 28/ 128D OWNERS
A complete self-tutoring BASIC programming course is
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You do the specially designed examples, read the
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Each course is only $21.95 plus $3.00 for stiip-
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just send the course back to us within 10 days of
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[ The computer that the course is needed for:
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word is misspelled.
The article goes on to of-
fer some good writing ad-
vice, and it even provides a
short program that lets you
read sequential files. That's
a handy little program to
have, since writers may sub-
mit articles as sequential
files. Too bad no one
caught one major mistake in
the program before it hit the
presses. The OPEN com-
mand is inadvertently omit-
ted from the line of code
that is supposed to open
the file for reading. Typos in
BASIC programs can be par-
ticularly annoying to novices
who are trying to learn.
Another page of tips for
GEOS is helpful, especially
the information about format-
ting text in coiumns. Another
short article offers good ba-
sic computer-related ad-
vice. There are tips warning
against writing on disk la-
bels with ballpoint pens, cov-
ering the vents in electronic
equipment, and letting dust
get into things. Humor is not
a neglected commodity in
this article, which offers a
range of advice. For those
of you whose tempers flare
on occasion, Costhwaite
warns against throwing your
computer out the window.
Costhwaite has a two-
page review of Final Car-
tridge HI. He telis about its
many features and ways it
can aid programmers. I was
all set to order one but dis-
covered that the review
doesn't supply ordering infor-
mation. Guess I'll have to
check an old copy of Ga-
zette or RUN to find an ad-
vertisement for it. An article
about public domain soft-
ware is a bit more helpful,
since it provides addresses
for several sources of PD
disks.
In an article called "Shhh
It's A Secret/' Costhwaite pro-
vides some interesting pro-
gramming tips. I knew that
the Ctrl key could be used
in conjunction with other
keys to produce some sur-
prising results, but this arti-
cle lists a number of interest-
ing combinations. Did you
know that Ctrl-i-; moves your
cursor to the right? How
about Ctrl+M? That's the
same as hitting the Return
key.
A feature article about the
Connmodore text screen pro-
vides a lot of PEEKS and
POKES, screen addresses,
and animation routines for
the 64, 128, VlC-2a and oth-
er 8-bit Commodore ma-
chines. This article goes on
for several pages and provid-
es some good solid program-
ming examples.
What^s a good Commo-
dore magazine without type-
in programs? WelL dieHard
has those, too. About 10 of
the 33 pages in this issue
are devoted to programs. A
128 program that prints a
grocery shopping list, com-
plete with prices, looks use-
ful. I'll have to confess that I
haven't typed it in yet. No
method for avoiding typos is
offered (such as Gazette's
Automatic Proofreader), but
the listings seem to be in
pretty straightforward BASIC
and shouldn't be a problem.
The articles presented in
dieHard seem accurate, en-
tertaining, and informative.
Its format is simple, not
flashy. Let's face it — it's
about what you'd expect
from something published
on a 64. Like any new ven-
ture, dieHard has some
bugs to work out.
One problem I have is
the magazine's typeface. A
font shouldn't draw attention
to itself, but dieHard's light
eight-point GEOS font is
tough to read in many in-
stances. The dots make it
look as though the type is
fading from the page. I no-
tice that text is much easier
to read whenever an article
is set in boldface.
Spelling errors also draw
my attention away from the
magazine's message. 111
have to say that the main arti-
cles contain very few errors.
I'll attribute that to the au-
thor, editor, proofreader,
and any spelling checker
they might have used. This
same care with the English
language is absent, howev-
er, in many of the maga-
zine's in-house ads. In one
three-paragraph pitch to
G-12 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
Everything's included!
Features, games, reviews,
education/home applications,
programming, bugswatter,
feedback, and columns!
A superb interface includes pull-
down menus, help screens, and
keyboard- joystick, or mouse con-
trol. Features include super- fast
searching and sorting capabilities.
An options screen allows you lo
choose text colors, drive number,
and input device. And there's full
documentation on disk.
Choose from three modes of opera-
tion — browse for quick scanning,
view for detailed infoniiation and
descriptions, and edit for adding
items from upcoming issues— and
prim to any printer There's even a
turbo -load option for maximum
disk-access speed.
ORDER YOUR
GAZETTE ilDEX
TQOAY!
(MasterCard and Visa accepted on
orders wilh subtotal over S20.)
To order, send $7.95 per disk, the
quantity of disks ordered, check
or money order,* your name and
complete street address:
Gazette Index
324 West Wendover Avenue
Suite 200
Greensboro, NO 27408
' Pieasa acd S2 shipping & handling (S5 foreign) for
each disk (residents of NC. HJ. NY please add appii-
cable sales tax; Canadian orders, add 7% goods
and services tax}.
All payments must be in U.S. funds. Please alfow 4
weeks for delivery.
Tbe
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Circle Reader Service Number 253
sell advertising space, I counted 11 mis-
spelled words. In another half-column
ad requesting articles and programs,
the word submissioris was spelled
three different ways — and not one was
correct!
In a time when Commodore-related
information is hard to find, i laud Costh-
waite and his 8-bit diehards for their
publishing efforts. They've packed a lot
of useful information into the magazine.
I hope the magazine gets the support
it deserves. In return, as publishers
who want to sell their words to the pub-
lic, they have a professional respon-
sibility to make sure those words are
spelled correctly.
CHRSSTIAN FLEMING
LynnCarthy Industries
12 bimonthly issues— $15
DIEHARD
PO. Box 392
Boise. ID 83701
Circle Reader Service Number 415 O
; Send New
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Announcements
and/or
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Commodore
64/128
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Tom Netsel c/o
COMPUTE
G*14 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
FEEDBACK
Bug-Swatters
James T Jones of Klondike,
Texas, pointed out two errors
in our October 1992 issue. In
"Beginner BASIC' we omit-
ted the REM command in line
30. The line should be correct-
ed to read as follows,
30 POKE 646,5: REWl SET CURSOR
COLOR
Also, to store labels in some
other area of memory in La BA-
SIC, line 10 should be en-
tered to read as follows.
10TP^TP-32: POKE 49969 JP/
256: POKE 49970,TP-INT (TP/
256)*TP
John Nauman of Arden
Hills, Minnesota, discovered
an error in the listing that ac-
companied Jjm Butterfield's
November "Machine Lan-
guage" column. The article
mentions three machine lan-
guage programs, but the pro-
gram uses only two of them.
Change the SYS address in
line 460 to 8192. and the pro-
gram should work correctly.
Nix Nal[ Modems
In October's "Feedback," you
answered a question about
how to transfer files from a 64
to an IBM by using a null mo-
dem cable. There's another
way without using a cable if
both computers have mo-
dems, and it doesn't require
calling a third computer. Sim-
ply unplug one modem's tele-
phone cable from the wall
and plug it into the other mo-
dem. Many modems have ex-
tra sockets built into them.
Next, run both terminal pro-
grams, making sure that their
baud rate and other telecom-
munication parameters are
the same. Then, on either ma-
chine, dial a number. This
can be done by dialing any
number you may have in a di-
aling directory or by using
manual AT commands. Type
ATDP for pulse or ATDT for
tone and at least one digit.
Since you aren't connected to
a telephone line, it doesn't mat-
ter which command or num-
ber you use. Do this so the
computer will dial and gener-
ate an originate tone.
Quickly type ATA on the oth-
er machine to have it answer.
You should see a message
on both screens saying that
they have connected. Then
have the 64's program
upload the files, and instruct
the the Amiga or IBM to down-
load them.
BOB KUBOTA
LOWELL, OH
Which Machine?
Since you changed Gazette's
format, I've been dissatisfied
with your leaving out a direc-
tory which references 64 pro-
grams clearly. In prior issues,
each article showed what com-
puter system the article per-
tained to. Also, since you
lack a phone number, it's im-
possible for me to call in this
complaint.
CHARLES J. JACKSON
ASTORIA, NY
We usually publish system
information in the opening par-
agraphs of each article. If you
find it helpful to have that in-
formation on the table of con-
tents page, we'll reinstate it
with this issue.
COMPUTE, like most other
magazines, publishes its ad-
dress and telephone number
on its table of contents page.
Advertising, distribution, and
editorial information is listed.
To contact the COMPUTE, Ga-
zette, or Amiga editorial offic-
es, write to 324 West Wen-
dover Avenue, Suite 200,
Greensboro, North Carolina
27408. Our phone number—
which is not toll-free— is (919)
275-9809. Our 800 number
handles subscriptions and
changes of address. That num-
ber is (800) 727-6937.
Corrections (or
earlier programs,
moving files
between computers,
and more
Random Numbers
How can I generate random
numbers on my 64 between
100 and 200 by steps of 5?
ALBERT WIGMORE
ORLANDO, FL
There are a couple of ways to
do it. The range you need —
100, 105, 110, and so on up
to 200— contains 21 different
numbers. If you generate a
random number between
and 20, this will cover the
range of 21, Then multiply
this number by 5 to produce
the steps, and add It to 100,
which is your base of 100.
This will give you the desired
results. Here's a sample pro-
gram to show how it's done.
10 N=INT{ RND{1)*21)
20 N-N*5+100
30 PRINT N
Another method is to gener-
ate a random number be-
tween 100 and 200 and then
check to see if it's one of the
desired numbers. This can be
done with a FOR-NEXT loop
that is incremented by steps
of 5. Here's how it works.
Generate a random num-
ber within vour range of 100-
200; then' use a FOR-NEXT
loop to check and see if it's
equal to 100, If not, increment
your loop by 5 and check to
see if the number is equal to
105, and so on up to 200, If
no equal condition is found,
the program generates anoth-
er random number and re-
peats the process. When the
condition is equal, the num-
ber is printed, and the pro-
gram jumps to line 50, You'll
notice that this second meth-
od executes more slowly
than the first example.
10N=INT(RND(1)*101K100
20 FOR 8=100 TO 200 STEP 5: IF
N==B THEN PRINT N: GOTO 50
30 NEXT
40 GOTO 10
50 PRINT'THAT'S IT!" D
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE G-15
BEGINNER BASIC
Larry Cotton
Put the often-
ignored
WAIT statement
to woiK in
your BASIC programs.
G-16
PUT WAIT TO
WORK
This month we'll look at the of-
ten-ignored WAIT statement —
the last of the three BASIC
statements that cause the 64
or 1 28 to wait for something to
happen. In the case of GET
and INPUT, discussed here
over the last two months, the
computer waits for the user to
press a key on the keyboard.
With WAIT however, the com-
puter waits for a particular
memory address to have a par-
ticular value.
WAIT is a command, like
LET which really doesn't ever
need to be used. It can be
used, however as a replace-
ment for GET and PEEK.
WAIT'S normal syntax is
WAIT MA, A, B, where MA is
a memory address and A and
B are two masks. The WAIT
statement takes the value in
the memory location and per-
forms a logical AND operation
with the value in the first mask
and then performs an exclu-
sive OR on the result with the
second mask. Now you can
see why WAIT isn't BASIC'S
most popular statement,
Fortunately. WAIT's second
mask is optional. The following
is a common example.
10 PRINT'iCLRIIDOWNI PRESS
ANY KEY."
20 WAIT198,1: POKE198,0
30 PRINT'END OF PROGRAM/'
The 64 and 128 have a ten-
character area in memory^a
buffer— that holds keystrokes
that are entered faster than
the computer can process
them. In SpeedScript, it's
easy to see this phenomenon
when trying to insert words
near the beginning of a long
document.
Memory register 198 con-
tains the number of charac-
ters in that buffer. Line 20
waits until a key has been
COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
pressed and then clears the
buffer so that the keypress
isn't displayed onscreen.
This program runs infinitely
10 PRINT ^{DOWNITYPE RUN,
THEN PRESS ENTER'
20 WAIT198,4
The way to end this little mind-
boggier is to type a syntax er-
ror (such as RUD) or hit Run/
Stop-Restore. Here's how to
use WAIT instead of GET in a
subroutine.
10 PRINT^ICLRl'
20 F0RT=54272TO54295:
POKETO: NEXT
30 P0KE54296,15
40 FORT=1T03DO: NEXT
50 P0KE54277,3
60 PRINT' iD0WNH2 SPACES!
TURN UP VOLUIVIE AND PRESS
ANY KEY IDOWNr
70 F0RZ=1T07
80 GOSUB200
90 READD1,D2,SS
100 P0KE54273,D1:
P0KE54272,D2
110 P0KE54276,16:
P0KE54276,17
120 PRINTSS;
130 NEXT: END
140 DATA25,30/'{2 SPACES!
ONEM8,209;'{1
SPACE}BYTE'S'M8, 209/11
SPACE|THEM9,239/'{1
SPACEISAIVIE"
150 DATA18,209,"{1
SPACE|AS'\23,181, '(1
SPACEiE!GHT",25,30;H
SPACEIBITS.IDOWN}'
200 WAIT1 98,1: POKE198,0:
RETURN
Lines 10-60 prepare the
screen and the computer's
sound chip, as we've seen in
previous columns. Line 70 be-
gins a FOR-NEXT loop that
ends at line 130. Seven
times, line 80 calls our WAIT
subroutine at line 200. After a
key is pressed, line 90 reads
three pieces of data: two fre-
quencies for the notes
played and a word corre-
sponding to each note.
Line 100 pokes the note fre-
quencies to their appropriate
memory registers, while line
110 turns the note off and
then on. {In this case, the per-
son pressing the keys controls
the length of time the notes
play: a FOR-NEXT delay loop
wouldn't work. The voice's en-
velope thus helps control the
notes' playing time.)
Line 120 prints the mes-
sage, while line 130 closes
the FOR-NEXT loop and ends
the program.
Following are two other
ways to write the keypress-
waiting subroutine.
200 GETAS: IFAS='"THEN200
210 RETURN
or
200 IFPEEK(197)x64THEN200
210 RETURN
The first alternative works bet-
ter. Note that RETURN cannot
be on line 200. The second al-
ternative has been studied in
another column. Memory reg-
ister 197 holds keyboard ma-
trix values; 64 is the value in
197 if no key is pressed. As
soon as a key is pressed, con-
trot drops to the RETURN in
line 210. If you try this, you'll
notice that it really doesn't
work very well. The keys must
be tapped rather than
pressed to avoid words spew-
ing out too fast.
In the remaining space,
let's discuss LET, a command
to assign values to variables.
10 LET A = 5: LET FS = "APPLE"
20 PRINT A, F$
30 LET A = A + 3: LET F$ = F$ +
"SAUCE"
40 PRINT A, FS
LET makes code easier for
novices to understand, but its
use is entirely optional. This ex-
ample shows how the same
variable can be used on both
sides of the equal sign. lD
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ttainly, we have the PD Select Co««)dore library!
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THANKS FOR HELPING US INTO OUR 'THIRD' YEAR!!
Circle Pleader Service Number 163
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Circle Reader Service Number 252
MACHINE LANGUAGE
Jim Butterfield
Intemipts provide
lasi action,
provided your code
isn't long-winded.
G-18 COMPUTE
FAST INTERRUPTS
People often ask me why they
can't print directly fronn an in-
terrupt routine. Wei!, you just
can't^but more important,
you shouldn't want to. Inter-
rupts are fast if you don't bog
them down with too many in-
structions. You can1 get an in-
terrupt from the IRQ while
you're still servicing the last
one. The NMI interrupt can
break in while a prior one is be-
ing serviced. It's best to do
whatever must be done and
get out fast.
It's quite easy to have your
interrupt code leave a signal
that a background (noninter-
rupt) program can pick up
and handle. Simple signals
can be created by adding to
or subtracting from a counter.
The INC and DEC instructions
are ideal for this. More com-
plex data can be put into a ro-
tating buffer; the background
program will follow along, pick-
ing up remaining information.
This NMI program is a sim-
ple demonstration of how a
high-level interrupt can pass a
message to a background pro-
gram. The exercise shows
how to make the interrupt cod-
ing as fast as possible. All we
do is perform an increment:
INC S2100. Address 2100 will
hold the action counter. A
nonzero value will signal the
background program that
work needs to be done. After
the increment, the NMI inter-
rupt returns to wherever its vec-
tor had been pointing.
The custom NM! code is
linked by storing the address
of that NMI vector. On the 64
and 128, the vector is located
at $31 8/9 (decimal 792/3). We
keep the previous address in
this vector in order to restore
that address when our pro-
gram is finished and to allow
our own code to exit to this
each time it's called.
The address held in an in-
terrupt vector is two bytes
FEBRUARY 1993
long, That can lead to danger
if an interrupt strikes at the in-
stant we've changed one byte
but not the other The comput-
er could go to a wrong ad-
dress. An IRQ can be locked
out briefly with SEI to allow
that vector to be safely
changed. The NMI cannot be
locked out, so our best bet is
to make sure that the two
bytes are changed at almost
the same moment.
Starting at address $2000,
the program zeroes two count-
ers: the interrupt counter at
$2100 and the loop counter at
$2101 This is done with LDA
(LoaD A register) and STA
(STore A register) commands.
At $2008, the NMI vectors
are copied from $318/9 to
$2102 and $2103. Then, we
put the address of our NM!
code into the vector at $2040.
2014 LDY #$4C
; low part of address
2016 LDX#$20
; high part of address
2018 STY $0318
201 B STX $0319
; store both parts quickly
The NMI code will now run
independently of the pro-
gram. All our background pro-
gram needs to do is to keep
watching address $2100 until
it's not a 0. One way of doing
this is to loop and test ad-
dress $2100.
201ELDA#$00
; test value
2020 CMP $2100
; if it's
2023 BEQ $2020
; go back and wait
The program falls through
to $2025 when a nonzero val-
ue is found in $2100. That val-
ue is decreased with DEC
$2100. and our loop counter
IS incremented with INC
$2101. Now, the background
program will print a message
on the screen, using the usu-
al loop to pick the message
from $2052-$2067.
While all this is going on,
one or more new interrupts
may have struck. That's no
problem. We'll get to them
when weVe finished the cur-
rent work. Our loop counter is
checked. If it hasn't yet
reached five, we'll go back
and look for the next interrupt.
2038 LDXS2101
; is the loop counter
203B CPX #$05
; equal to five?
203D BNE$2Q1E
; no, go back
When five interrupt occur-
rences have been noted, it's
time to restore the original
NMI vector address. The usu-
al sequence of LDY, LDX,
STY. and STX will do this job.
After the vector is restored,
the program returns to BASIC
with RTS,
After each cycle, the tiny
NMI program links back to
the normal address with an in-
direct jump. Here's its code,
followed by the v^/hole pro-
gram as a BASIC loader.
204C INC $2100
204FJIVIP(S2102)
RQ 103 DATA 169,0,1^1,0,33,141
,1,33,172,24,3,174,25,3
,140,2,33
SK 110 DATA 142,3,33,160,76,1(5
2,32,140,24,3,142,25,3,
169,0
GC 120 DATA 205,0,33,240,251,2
06,0, 33,238,1,33,162,11,
1S9,B2, 32
BH 130 DATA 32,210,255,232,224
,22,208,245,174,1,33,22
4,5
GK 140 DATA 208,223,172,2,33,1
74,3,33,140,24,3,142,25
,3,96
EJ 150 DATA 238,n,33,108,2,33
BJ 160 DATA 82,69,83,84,79,82,
69,32,75,69,89
DR 170 DATA 32,68,69,84,69,67,
84,69,68,33,13
OP 200 FOR J=8192 TO B295
EJ 210 READ X:T=T+X
BP 220 POKE J,X
AE 230 NEXT J
SM 240 IF T08942 THEN STOP
SK 3flO PRINT "INTERRUPT DETECT
PROGRAM."
EG 310 PRINT "PRESS >RESTORR<
{SPACE} FIVE TIMES!"
KG 320 SYS 3192
QH 330 PRINT "...END..." n
The Gazette
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(Formerly PowerPak) ^^
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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
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PROGRAMMER'S PAGE
Randy Thompson
Load and nin
programs from flie
directoiy,
experience 240
colors on a
64, and more.
TRY THESE TIPS
Regular readers of this col-
umn might remember my re-
cent request for raster inter-
rupt programs. I've received a
couple of good routines so far.
and one appears this month
(see Arthur Moore's More Col-
ors program). I'm stilf looking
for more, however, so don't
hold back. In the meantime,
here's a conection of other
great programs that have
come my way.
Ofie-Touch Load and Run
After running the listing found
below, you can load and run
BASIC programs simply by list-
ing a disk directory, moving
the cursor up to the begin-
ning of the line containing the
desired filename, and press-
ing Restore.
ED 10 S=49152:Vl=S+25:V2^S+67
BF 20 H1=INT (V1/2S6} !L1=V1-(2S
6*H1)
GX 30 H2=INT {V2/256) :L2=V2-(25
6*H2)
CF 40 FOR 1=0 TO 93:READ D:POK
E S+I ,D:C=C+D:NEXT
QQ 50 IF C<>7a25 THEM PRINT "E
RROR IN DATA STATEMENTS"
:END
RP 60 POKE S+14,L1:P0KE S+19,H
1
DH 70 POKE S+26,L2:P0KE S+28,H
2
KG 80 SYS S:PRTNT "AUTO-RUN IS
READY."
ME 90 END
AJ 100 DATA 173,24,3,141,252,3
,173,25,3,141,253,3
GG 110 DATA 120,169,25,141,24,
3,169,192,141,25,3,88
GX 120 DATA 96,169,67,160,192,
32,30,171,169,13,141,11
9
QH 130 DATA 2,141,124,2,169,82
,141,120,2,169,85,141
HS 140 DATA 121,2,169,78,141,1
22,2,169, 58,141,123,2
PP 150 DATA 169,6,133,198,103,
252,3,76,79,65,68,29
HA 160 DATA 29,29,29,29,29,29,
29,29,29,29,29,29
GR 170 DATA 29,29,29,29,29,29,
4 4,56,58,0
FRANCISCO FELIX
BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR
MEXICO
More Colors
Add more colors to your pro-
grams with this machine lan-
guage hack. Using a raster
interrupt, the following pro-
gram adds 240 simulated col-
G-20 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
ors to your 64's standard 16.
It does so by rapidly alternat-
ing the screen's background
color between 2 colors, there-
by creating a shade that is a
mixture of 2 of the computer's
set 16 colors. To see this col-
or blending In action, type in
and run the following demon-
stration program.
BB 100 PRINT "{CLRl":DIM CS(15
):FOR I»0 TO 15:READ G$
tl) ;NEXT:GOSUB 240
QX 110 PRINT"{HOME}f 19 DOWN}Fl
/F7 BACKGROUND
{2 SPACES} [RETURN] TEXT
DATA BLK,WHT,RED,CYN,PU
R,GRN,BLU,YEL
DATA ORG,BRS,LRED,DGRY,
MGRY , LGRN , LBLU , LGRY
POKE 251, PEEK (253) SPOKE
252, PEEK (254)
PRINT "{H0ME}":FOR 1=0
{SPACElTO 15: IF {PEEK(2
53) AND 15)=I THEN PRIN
T"{RVS}";
PRINT OS (I) "(OFF}",
IF {PEEK(254) AND 15)=I
THEN PRINT "(RVS}";
PRINT CS (I) "{OFF}": NEXT
GET A$:IF AS="" THEN 19
IF A$="{F1}" THEN POKE
{SPACE}253, (PEEK(253)+1
) AND 15
IF 'A$ = "{F7]" THEN POKE
{SPACE} 2 54, (PEEK (254) +1
) AND 15
IF AS=CHR$(n) THEN POK
E 646, (PEEK(646)+1) AND
15
GOTO 140
SA=679:POR I=0TO 73:REA
D DiPOKE SA+1,D:NEXT
A=SA+36iPOKESA+30, A/256
:POKE SA+25,A-PEEK(SA+3
0)*256:SYS SArRETURN
DATA 120,173,26,208,9,1
,141,26,20a
DATA 173,17,208,41,127,
141,17,208
DATA 169,0,141,18,203,1
33,2,169,203
DATA 141,20,3,169,2,141
,21,3,88,96
DATA 173,25,208,41,1,20
8,3,76,49
DATA 234,166,2,181,251,
141,32,208
DATA 181,25 3,141,33,20 8
,138,73,1
DATA 133,2,173,25,208,9
,1,141,25
DATA 203,76,129,234
Many color combinations
can cause the screen to flick-
er (much like a Commodore
Amiga in interlace mode).
You can reduce the flickering
by turning down your moni-
tor's brightness and contrast,
or by selecting more compati-
ble colors.
To use More Colors in your
KE
120
FQ
130
EJ
140
DP
150
EP
160
PX
170
JO
130
FR
190
BQ
200
BM
210
rtC
220
QB
230
KK
340
XS
250
JJ
260
HX
270
RR
280
GJ
290
BB
300
RF
310
EP
320
KF
330
HE
340
BASIC programs, simply ex-
tract the subroutine found in
lines 240-340 from the listing
above. After calling this sub-
routine, you set the two colors
that you want the computer to
mix by poking their numerical
values into locations 253 and
254. For example, to alternate
between red and brown, you
might execute the commands
POKE 253,2:POKE 254,9.
This subroutine currently
stores its machine language
code in memory starting at lo-
cation 679. You can change
this to another location, such
as 49152, simply by chang-
ing the variable SA in line
240.
ARTHUR MOORE
ORU\NDO, FL
Easier ML Loads
The standard method for load-
ing disk-based machine lan-
guage programs from BASIC
Is to start your program with a
line such as this.
10 IFL=OTHEN L=1: LOAD "f//e-
name'\B,^
You must place this code
near the beginning of your pro-
gram because loads from with-
in BASIC cause your program
to reexecute. The IF state-
ment keeps the program
from entering an infinite loop
that loads the samie file over
and over again. There's anoth-
er method, however that us-
es a couple of your comput-
er's ROM routines instead of
BASIC'S LOAD command.
1 POKE 147,0: SYS 5781 2 '7/7e-
rt3me"3,1:SYS 62631
You can use this line of code
anywhere within your pro-
gram without causing the com-
puter to restart itself. This rou-
tine gives 64 owners the func-
tional equivalent of the 128's
BLOAD command.
MATT ZE[LENGA
RIVERSiDE. CA D
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^The 1992 Best of Gazette Utilities
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Subtotal
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L
Mail this coupon to COMPUTE'S 1991 Utilities, 324 West Wendover Ave., Ste. 200,
Greensboro, NC 27408.
GEOS
Steve Vander Ark
If you're a GEOS
fan, you can't
afford to pass up
Oie incredible
treasures waiting for
you on Q-Llnk.
A GEOS TOUR OF
Q-LINK
Tve spent a lot of time and not
a little money on QuantumLink
over the past few years,
wtiere I go by the innocuous
handle of SteveV14. Some of
you might know me as a some-
times-host in the Starving Art-
ists Cafe. Others might recog-
nize me from my endless
posts in the GEOS message
bases, I've met a lot of great
folks on Q-Link, and I'd like to
meet more. Feel free to con-
tact me anytime by E-mail.
So what does Q-Link offer
that other services don't? Plen-
ty. And if you're a GEOS fan,
you simply can't afford to
pass up the incredible treas-
ures waiting for you there. Let
me give you a GEOS-specific
tour of QuantumLink, and
you'll see what 1 mean,
We'll start with the GEOS
support area itself, which you
locate from the main menu by
choosing Commodore Soft-
ware Support. Here you'll find
a wide range of services de-
signed to help you with all of
your GEOS needs, and it
doesn't matter if you're a
GEOS novice or an ace pro-
grammer. The folks who run
things in the GEOS area are
very friendly and willing to
help any user who drops by.
These are experts, many wear-
ing the GeoRep or GeoHost
hats, and they're intimately fa-
miliar with GEOS. If you have
problems with your equip-
ment, for example, you're
sure to find someone who us-
es a setup similar to yours and
can offer advice on keeping
everything running smoothly.
Probably the most active
section of the GEOS area is
the message base. There are
sections devoted to GEOS in
general; printer support; geo-
Programmer; geoFile and geo-
Calc: geoPublish; and even
GeoWorks Ensemble, the PC
version of GEOS. Each of
these sections has its own rep-
resentative who takes the
lead in answering questions
and offering advice. In the gen-
eral area, you'll find nice peo-
ple such as Dave Ferguson
and Jim Collette lending their
considerable expertise to us-
ers with questions, problems,
or ideas to share.
The printer support area is
masterfully monitored by
George Wells under the name
GeoRep GHW. George is a
printer expert par excellence
who can tell you the dip
switch settings for just about
any interface and printer com-
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with GEOS. George is the au-
thor of some of the finest print-
er drivers available for GEOS.
If you have questions about
your printer setup— which driv-
er to use, how to make it do
what you want it to do, or what-
ever — George is standing by
to give you the most informed
answers you'll get anywhere.
Another popular place for
GEOS users is the GEOS
Chat Room. Every evening
from 9:00 to 11:00 Eastern
time, a GeoHost shoots the
breeze with all who wander in.
The conversation can occasion-
ally roam into some pretty es-
oteric realms, but no matter
where the conversation flits to,
you1l be able to get quick an-
swers to your GEOS ques-
tions. You'll get a chance to
meet some of the experts in
the Chat Room, too.
Now comes the really excit-
ing part: the software libraries,
Q-Link's GEOS libraries are
brimming with great files, just
waiting for you to download
them. The libraries are divided
into several categories: BSW
Applications, User Applica-
tions, Printer/Input Drivers,
geoWrite Files, geoPaint
Files, geoPublish/Clip Art
Files, and Fonts. You'll be de-
lighted and amazed with what
you'll find there. Of course,
with all those files available,
you might become lost. Don't
worry. Once again, you can
get some good advice on
which files are worth your time
from the message area or the
Chat Room.
The GEOS support area
isn't the only place where
you'll find GEOS information
on Q-Link. Other excellent plac-
es to poke around are the soft-
ware libraries of the now-de-
funct RUN magazine. I hope
these files will remain availa-
ble on Q-Link, since many of
them are particularly good.
The download will cost you an
extra $1.50, but for programs
such as Import Runner or
geoTerm, it's worth it.
Another place to check is
the graphics area, which you'll
find in the Commodore Infor-
mation Network under Comput-
ing Support Groups. Here you
can ask for GEOS graphics ad-
vice and be assured of a
prompt reply— very likely from
me. There are GEOS-format
graphics in the picture librar-
ies here.
Probably the best source of
GEOS information outside of
the GEOS area itself is the Cre-
ative Micro Designs support ar-
ea. That's in the Commodore
information Network area un-
der Hardware Support, CMD
is easily the most enthusiastic
64/128 GEOS supporting com-
pany left, and it provides plen-
ty of technical advice and sup-
port for its GEOS products in
its message areas. The librar-
ies contain some GEOS files
that you'll want if you buy RAM-
Link or RAMDrive.
So what do you do to join?
Give QuantumLink a call at
(800) 827-8444 for more infor-
mation. The service costs
$9.95 a month, with additional
charges for many areas (includ-
ing the ones I've been talking
about) at the rate of $4.80 an
hour. No other service can of-
fer so much for GEOS and for
such a reasonable cost. O
G'22 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
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Circle Reader Service Number 220
NEW PRODUCTS From Makers of RAMDRIVE
BBG RAM
Battery Back-up
Ram Disk for
GEOS 2.0 and
GEOS 128, 2.0
BBU
Battery Back-up
Interface
Module for
Commodore
17xx REU's and
Berkley Softworks'
GEORAM 512
Magnitudes faster than any floppy or
hard drive
2 MEG model has capacity of TEN 154rs
Inciudes GEOS application to select one of
up to five 1571's
Reboots GEOS from BBG Ram quickly and quietly
Supplied with wait mount power supply and
battery cable and holder
Automatically detects power out and switches
to back-up mode
Activity light indicates access
Battery used only when wall mount AC power
supply off
MODEL 512
1 MEG
2 MEG
$CALL $CALL $CALL
Reset button without data loss
Activity indicator light during access
Battery low voltage indicator
Wall-mounted power supply and battery holder
and cable supplied
GEOS compatible, allows reboot to GEOS
Automatic battery back-up, no switches to push
Battery powers unit only when AC power off
BBU supplies power to 17xx REU's and GEORAM.
Commodore heavy power supply not required
FOR INFORMATION CALL $,
1-518-436-0485
59
,00
"1
Call: 1-800-925-9774
GEOS registered Trademark of Berkley Softworks, Inc,
PER FORfVlANIC E
PERIPH E RALSir
5 Upper Loudon Road
Loudonville, New York 12211
Please Add:
U.a $6.00 S&H
Canada $10,00 S&H
$4.00 CAD.
circle Reader Service Number 153
DIVERSIONS
Fred D'ignazio
Are you sure thai
the voice you
hear on the phone
belongs to
a human being?
HIS MASTER'S
VOICE
When the phone rings and I an-
swer, I sometimes get a pecu-
liar or aggravating response.
I might hear *'0h, hi. Janet! I
was lool^ing for Fred." (I have
a high tenor voice, and callers
frequently mistake me for a fe-
male.) My favorite is "Hi, hon-
ey. Is your mommy or daddy
at home?"
Over the years, I've tried to
change my telephone voice.
The best I've managed to
achieve is that of a feebie old
man. But I shouldn't despair.
Thanks to modern technology,
1 don't have to stick with my nor-
mal falsetto or toddfer-like
peep. Help is on the way.
A recent Issue of The Wall
Street Journal reported on a
booming business in phone
machines that electronically al-
ter your voice. Security consult-
ants are making a killing sell-
ing these machines to busi-
nesses and residents who
want to alter their voice to
something new.
Some machines are really
voice computers. You can pro-
gram them to change your
voice into any of 250 different
voices—from barroom brawler
to violin virtuoso. If you are a
person living alone or a secu-
rity guard anchoring a compa-
ny's graveyard shift, it's just
the thing. You can make your
voice so frightening and over-
powering that even profession-
al hit men would shiver at the
sound of it.
Computerized voice boxes
are still too expensive to be
popping up in every home,
but not for long. Nev/, inexpen-
sive voice chips are appear-
ing, and high-speed digital sig-
nal processors (DSPs) and
voice-compression algorithms
are being perfected that will
soon put synthetic speech in-
side every residential tele-
phone for just pennies a pop.
Virtual voices may not have
found their way into every
home, but they have already
taken over most offices. Com-
pany voice mail is a must for
corporations which aim to sur-
vive lean-and-mean down-
sizing. Who hasn't called a
company recently, only to tum-
ble into the labyrinthine bow-
els of a computerized answer-
ing machine?
This is the way most user-
friendly voice-mail systems han-
dle customer calls.
''Hi, this is Fred D'ig— '
"You have reached the Pyg-
my Bungee Jumping Society.
If you have a rotary phone,
please stay on the line, and an
operator (at some far-off dis-
tance in the future) will (even-
tually) be on the line."
■'But I just—"
'Press 1 if you wish to
speak with customer services
to order our new products.
Press 2 if you would like our
mail-order catalog. Press 3 for
technical support. . . . Press
993 if you would like a sales-
man for our voice-mail compa-
ny to pay you a visit. Press 994
if you would like to speak with
our attorneys about suing us
for the cruel and unusual pun-
ishment inflicted by this voice-
mail message. Press . . ."
Think about it. Electronic
voices may sound like science
fiction, but they're also a very
real part of life. During an av-
erage day, how many times do
you talk to a computer or hear
a computer's voice? Let's face
it: Do you really know if there's
a computer or a person at the
other end of the line?
Computerized voices are
not always a blight, either. Elec-
tronic voices are a godsend
for visually handicapped peo-
ple, for semiliterate and illiter-
ate people, and for anyone
who needs to keep his or her
eyes on something else.
Here are some of the com-
puter voices you are liable to
hear during an average day.
• Your car nagging you to fas-
ten your seat belt
• A digital telephone answer-
ing machine
• A talking clock
• A Jiminy Cricket watch
• A singing greeting card
• An electronic telephone
operator
• Your electronic bank teller
or stockbroker
• A computerized telephone
salesperson
• Talking animatrons at
Chuck E. Cheese, Disney
World, and museums
• Videogames
• Home and automobile secu-
rity systems
• An electronic conductor on
a subway car
• Talking tech data comput-
ers in hospitals, labs, facto-
hes, and elsewhere
One of the geniuses of the
computer revolution, Alan Tur-
ing, created a seemingly im-
possible intelligence test for
computers over 50 years ago.
He said computers would be
truly intelligent when a human
judge couldn't tell if he or she
were conversing with a human
or a computer.
Maybe we've already
reached that point— and
passed it.
How many robotlike wait-
ers, bank tellers, telephone op-
erators, and supermarket cash-
iers have you run into? In com-
parison, a computerized voice
often sounds warm, friendly,
and personable. The comput-
er can sound truly human —
something that people in rote,
mechanical jobs have difficul-
ty imitating.
On the other hand, even
with the eclipse of the Cold
Wan we still may not survive
the future. Instead of perishing
through global holocaust, we
may vyink out slowly, one per-
son at a time, through terminal
boredom produced by listen-
ing to interminable computer
phone messages! O
G'24 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
PROGRAMS
ROGUE SUNBATHERS
By Alain Tremblay
The sun that shines on this distant plan-
et is a potent and powerful source of en-
ergy. The natives of this planet take ad-
vantage of its power by erecting tall stone
columns that they can use to bask in the
rays high above the ground. Your task in
this amusing one- or two-player game is
to surpass the other sunbathers by build-
ing the tallest column.
Rogue Sunbathers is written entirely in
machine language. To enter it, use MLX,
our machine language entry program.
See "Typing Aids" elsewhere in this sec-
tion. When MLX prompts, respond with
the following values.
Starting address: 08Q1
Ending address: 1838
Be sure to save a copy of the program
before exiting MLX.
Playing the Game
At the start of the game, use the joy-
stick to select how many computer
opponents you wish to play against.
You can select up to four. Also select
the number of human players and the
game's speed factor Confirm each se-
lection by pressing the fire button.
When the game begins, each play-
er (including the computer opponents)
starts at the foot of a short column.
Move the joystick up and down to
climb a column; move it left and right
to run. You'll notice that each player
has a distinctive hair color. This color
matches a color bar at the bottom of
the screen that indicates the status of
that player's health.
Gather Rocks
Your first objective is to gather stones
that you can pile on top of your column
to make it higher. One way to get
stones is to kick at an opponent's col-
umn. Stand beside a column, push the
joystick button, and then move the joy-
stick in the direction you want to kick.
Keep pressing the joystick button.
If you're successful in your kick at-
tempt, a stone will be freed from the
base of the column. To pick it up,
move to it and push the joystick up.
The stone will disappear, but you'll no-
tice that your movements are slightly
slower. Take the stone and climb to the
top of your column where it will be au-
tomatically added-
To drop a stone, move the joystick
down. Stones are also found just out-
side the left and right screen borders.
Run until you almost leave the screen.
Keep running even if you Ye not actual-
ly moving. You'll automatically pick up
a stone after a short time. Take it back
to your tower.
If a player builds a column taller
than your own, you can climb to the
top of it and kick several stones off.
You can dislodge stones by pushing
the joystick button and moving the
stick left or right.
Be aware that the owner of a col-
umn objects to this behavior and has
the right to push you off on your head.
Each fall from the top of a column cuts
your health by half. You won't be al-
lowed to kick if your health status falls
to 0,
You may recover and even gain ex-
tra health by climbing your column and
sitting in the sun's powerful rays. Also,
watch out for falling rocks. If a stone
hits you on the head, it not only smash-
es you a little, but it's also harmful to
your health.
The Winner
The game ends when the sun reaches
the right side of the screen. The play-
er with the tallest column wins. Health
status is also taken into account for
establishing the winner.
To change the game's color set-
tings, type in the following POKEs after
loading the game but before running it.
POKE 4390. X will change the border
color. POKE 4391, Xwill change the
screen. POKE 2063, Xwill alter the
stone color. For X, enter any Commo-
dore color code number (0-15).
ROGUE SUNBATHERS
0801;
0809:
0811;
0819:
0821:
0829J
0831:
0839;
0841:
0849:
0851J
0859:
0861:
0B 08
32 00
21 00
D2 FF
A0 11
D4 A9
8D 18
8D 06
C0 CA
65 0A
E5 0C
20 7B
98 0A
0A 00 9E
00 00 00
8D 86 02
D9 10
13 D4
27 8D 0D
D4 8D 03
D4 A2 07
10 FB 20
0A 0A 85
E5 0C E5
13 20 6D
AA A9 AF
20
8C
32 30
A9 08
A9 93
20 92
88 8C
D4 A9
D4 A9
A9 0A
IB 15
FF A9
FF 85
15 A4
9D 01
36 2E
8D 76
20 FD
12 6C
14 7E
0F E9
7F BF
95 DE
18 D5
20 10
06 15
0C Dl
D0 F6
0869:A9
0871:0A
0879:10
0881:99
0889:D0
0891:FA
0899:7D
08A1:86
08A9:8A
08B1:A6
08B9;C0
08C1:DB
08C9:0C
08D1:9B
0809:33
08E1:CS
08E9:EE
08F1:08
08F9:29
0901:E8
0909:45
0911:4D
0919:50
0921:20
0929:20
0931:49
0939:20
0941:23
0949:45
0951:41
0959:00
0961:41
0969:34
0971:Ea
0979:E4
09ai:A5
0989:4A
0991:95
0999:0E
09A1:3C
09A9:58
09B1:B5
09B9:73
09C1:B5
09C9:60
09D1:4C
09D9:46
09E1:F0
09E9:4C
09Fl:B4
09F9:46
0A01:C9
0A09:85
0A11:20
0A19;03
0A21:72
0A29:20
0A31:D0
0A39:02
0A41:4A
0A49:A5
0A51:A9
0A59:72
0A61:07
0A69:FF
0A71:79
0A79:B4
0A81:F0
0A89:29
0A91:A9
00 85
0A 26
A9 C0
27 00
A6 0A
20 6F
15 A6
FF A9
18 69
FF F6
27 D0
A5 3B
86 94
9D 20
0B 98
84 7F
08 4C
A5 08
3F F0
D0 F2
52 20
50 55
50 4F
28 31
31 00
4E 4E
50 4C
58 21
52 20
59 45
53 50
43 54
29 3F
CA 86
0A F0
06 95
C0 04
36 85
D0 D6
F0 0D
F0 05
27 10
0A B5
58 F0
C5 FF
72 09
F0 10
06 A9
72 09
27 F0
F0 03
14 A9
02 20
05 0B
20 BC
09 B5
17 0B
0B B9
90 17
DD 20
08 C9
01 95
09 B5
C9 D0
85 02
0F B5
60 C4
19 B5
0F D0
02 4C
02 B9
02 69
99 FB
88 10
20 45
09 20
0C B5
00 95
14 AA
C0 A9
02 D6
C9 27
B5 C0
9B CA
09 30
A0 08
3C 08
10 FC
07 99
60 4E
4F 46
54 45
4E 45
2D 34
54 48
45 52
41 59
00 4E
4F 46
52 53
45 45
4F 52
20 31
FF 8A
87 D6
36 B4
B0 01
4B F0
B5 63
D6 3C
A9 C8
IF 4A
46 15
03 20
F0 0E
B5 50
20 7E
00 95
A4 FF
2E 88
4C AC
FF 90
A7 0E
F0 07
0D 20
C0 C9
F0 2D
20 9B
B0 lA
9B A9
C0 A9
27 20
A0 D0
A9 01
A9 78
46 15
FF F0
85 F0
09 95
53 0A
00 9B
IE 20
07 A9
DA 8C
0E CA
89 14
80 F0
80 B4
20 El
44 91
00 CA
D0 C2
4A 70
10 F2
80 42
A2 27
A9 00
BD 05
C8 04
55 40
20 43
52 20
4E 54
29 3F
45 20
20 49
45 52
55 40
20 50
3A 20
44 20
28 31
00 A6
0A 85
36 10
50 F0
4A 75
05 20
D0 D2
00 CA
9D F8
90 03
58 F0
91 00
20 7A
F0 19
0C B5
27 95
4C DB
F0 7B
0A B5
02 A9
20 96
A9 FF
49 0B
04 90
20 33
C9 3C
B9 20
91 00
F9 B9
B0 02
95 A0
58 F0
20 B5
0F A5
85 95
A9 01
0A 2E
55 47
02 E6
15 CA
10 F6
20 15
IE F2
C0 03
14 21
01 53
10 80
A6 D5
20 B9
20 71
09 2F
20 AA
85 2D
09 63
C8 BO
42 C4
4F D3
4F D0
53 95
3A 45
57 CB
53 92
20 Bl
42 C3
4G 2B
31 10
46 60
20 27
0C AC
11 14
Fl B8
0A 00
36 CE
19 5C
B5 FE
B5 80
07 15
4C 43
2B 3A
B5 2A
0C 7E
B5 51
58 37
50 E7
0A ID
B5 DO
31 BA
01 15
0B 08
85 4B
4C A7
0F 02
0B DE
A9 CF
9B F3
0A 6C
02 30
4C 4D
F8 84
A9 98
4C 61
3E 4B
58 98
08 7A
75 04
95 48
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE G-25
PROGRAMS
0A99
0AAI
0AA9
:85 D0 57 B9 8F 00 F0 07 90
;A9 02 95 27 4C 72 09 A9 18
:FF D0 02 A9 01 20 80 0C 62
0CC9
0CD1
0CD9
:A6 11 FE
:02 95 27
:0O B4 60
01 D0 A6 FF A9
4C 4D 00 20 50
A9 00 85 02 95
34
29
7B
0EF9:0A 79 10 9B A8 29 IF 09 27
0F01:02 90 72 B9 FF 9B 09 04 34
0F09:A9 05 B0 02 A9 03 99 FF FF
0F11:9B B4 60 99 8A 00 18 69 BO
0AB1
;20 49 0B 4C 72 09 A5 3B 8C
0CE1
:46 B8 8A
CA 99 8F 00 95
F5
0AB9
0AC1
0AC9
0AD1
0AD9
0AE1
:C9 23 B0 17 B4 75 F0 13 73
:B9 IF 9B 0A 85 FE 20 33 2A
:0B B9 20 9B C5 FE B4 75 98
:88 B0 07 20 33 0B D0 02 A2
:A0 00 B5 31 38 F9 00 9B 4D
:F0 19 C9 01 F0 15 0A A9 97
0CE9
0CF1
0CF9
0D01
0009
0D11
:58 A6 11
:0A 26 02
:A6 FF B5
:9B 30 30
:0A 79 10
:00 9C 09
B9 00 9B, 0A 0A
69 14 20 55 10
50 F0 42 B9 20
98 0A 0A 0a"0A
9B A8 B5 50 99
04 08 A9 00 99
22
4B
45
BG
98
52
0F19:CA A6 FE 90 FS 07 A5 02 31
0F21:95 68 A9 41 95 98 A9 01 D0
0F29:95 08 8A 0A AA A4 11 B9 F9
0F31:00 00 9D 00 00 B9 01 D0 77
0F39:9D 01 D0 20 4B 10 AD 10 88
0F41;D0 39 60 10 F0 03 20 3F 36
0AE9
0AF1
0AF9
0B01
0B09
0B11
0B19
0B21
0B29
0B31
:01 B0 02 A9 FF 85 02 20 BF
:A7 0E 20 96 0B 20 49 0B 41
:4C 72 09 20 50 0D 20 49 34
:0B 4C 72 09 A4 0C B5 31 80
:38 F9 00 9B F0 07 C9 01 AB
:F0 03 88 10 Fl 60 A4 0C D8
:B9 60 00 C5 FF D0 04 C4 90
:FF D0 04 88 10 F2 60 B9 3B
58 00 19 46 00 F0 F4 A9 4A
00 60 A0 00 A6 0C B9 20 6C
0D19
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1029:A9 06 85 0F 40 F3 0B 40 09
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00 A9 02 90 00 80 A4 11 09
0EB9:
95 70 08
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95 46 40 4D 00 49 FF 69 6B
0ED1:
A0 07 B9
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0CA9
00 B4 60 38 F9 20 9B B0 B6
0ED9:
00 04 00
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1109:D4 BD 16 11 90 10 D0 OA 72
0CB1
03 40 45 00 18 A4 11 79 06
0EE1:
FE B4 60
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0CB9
01 00 99 01 D0 B4 60 B9 90
0EE9:
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0CC1
SF 00 F0 17 04 FF F0 0E 47
0EF1:
96 75 CA
98 0A 0A 0A 0A
30
1121:00 IF 00 00 00 F6 E6 00 04
G-26 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
1129:
00
00
F9
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F0
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F5
F6
1359:
85
02
3A
29
55
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90
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE G-27
PROGRAMS
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C2
Afain Tremblay does his sunbathing in
SaintB'Foy, Quebec, Canada.
SPACE TREK
By Bob Yu
The space adventure continues with
Space Trek. Boldly go where no comput-
erist has gone before in this fast-paced,
one- or two-player arcade-style game for
the 64.
As captain of a space vessel, you
have a mission to explore the final fron-
tier of space. Your mission for this par! of
the adventure is to guide your ship
through dangerous asteroid fields to
reach the other side of the Alpha sector.
Getting Started
Space Trei< is written entirely in ma-
chine language. To enter the program,
use MLX, our machine language entry
program. See *'Typing Aids" elsewhere
in this section. When MLX prompts, re-
spond with the following values.
Starting address: 0801
Ending address: 1638
Be sure to save a copy of the program
before exiting MLX.
Playing the Game
Space Trek loads and runs like a BA-
SIC program. At the menu prompt,
move joystick 1 left for a one-player
game or right for a two-player game.
Your task is to guide your ship
through an asteroid belt, trying to avoid
collisions. Your shields have only
enough power to resist three hits from
the asteroids. You can either fly around
the asteroids or destroy them with
blasts from your ship's phaser Also be
G-28 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
on the alert for enemy ships.
Control your ship with either the key-
board or joystick. Joysticks are re-
quired for the two-player game. Use a
joystick to guide your ship left or right,
and press the fire button to launch a
Phaser blast. From the keyboard,
move your ship to the right by pressing
the 2 key. Press Ctrl to move to the
left Press the space bar to fire the
ship's Phaser. Press the Commodore
key to pause the game and then
press the Shift key to resume play.
Game levels are determined by the
length of time you successfully avoid
collisions. At higher levels your ship
will increase its speed. There are six lev-
els in all. Watch out for the last level:
it's a killer.
Scoring
Each rock that you hit with your phas-
er earns you 150 points. You earn 250
points for hitting an enemy ship. Noth-
ing will shoot at you, but watch out for
those fast-approaching rocks. Each as-
teroid hit causes you to lose one
shield factor. Warning: this game may
look sinnple, but it's addictive.
SPAC
ETREK
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4F
52
4 5
20
C4
0B09:
30
30
30
30
30
30
30
20
0F
0B11:
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
53
5A
0B19:
4 8
49
45
4C
44
20
20
20
16
0B21:
33
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
C0
0B29:
20
20
20
50
4C
41
59
45
BF
0B31:
52
32
20
53
43
4F
52
45
77
:20 30
:20 20
:53 48
:20 33
:20 20
:52 41
:20 20
;20 A9
:8D 18
:AD IB
:A9 00
:00 A9
:18 D0
;C8 D0
;60 AD
:D0 C9
:D0 01
:E0 FF
:60 AD
:D0 C9
:D0 01
:£0 FF
:60 AD
:D0 26
:1F AD
:C3 8D
:20 A3
:AD 15
:60 00
:00 D0
:D0 IF
:A9 C3
:11 20
:0C AD
:D0 60
:D0 26
:03 00
:03 D0
i8D lA
:8D 15
:60 AD
;AD 07
:4A 4A
:C9 12
:0C AD
:D0 A0
:AD 0D
:0B G9
:8D 08
:AD AE
111 0B
:0B 80
:0D AD
:20 72
:72 0B
:AF 0D
;14 20
: 80 0F
30 30 30
20 20 20
49 45
20 20
4C
20
20 20 50
4D 20
42 4F
FF 8D 0F
D4 A9 81
D4 C9
80
18
12 04
90 00
F6 60 A0
FB E8 E0
01 DC
0B D0
E8 C9
D0 01
00 DC 29
0B 00 06
E8 C9 07
00 01 CA
01 DC 29
AO lA 0C
00 00 SD
03 00 A0
12 A9 01
00 09
AO 00
26 AD
29
06
07
CA
02
OC
4B
AO 04 00
8D 07 00
C6 12 A9
15 D0 09
00 AD lA
AD 03 00
4A 4A 20
C9 12 D0
0C AD 15
D0 A0 10
4B 0C C9
00 E9 03
20 El 12
D0 12 A9
15 D0 49
E5
10 20
C9 01
F0
0B
;A9
:C9
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:8D 0F
:AD AD
:09 00
:D0 08
:AD 0D
:13 AC
:C0 FE
:D0 80
:01 00
IE B
D0 A9 01
00 C9 01
09 96 B0
0A 00 A9
AF 0D C9
0B C9 F5
8D 0C D0
AD AC 0D
72 0B C9
00 A2 FF
SO AC 0D
D0 14 2
00 A2 19
D0 A9 02
0D C9 01
C8 8C 09
A9 17 8D
AD AE 00
0B 00 C8
00 08 A9
AE 00 AD
13 AC 00
30 30
20 20
44 20
20 20
52 4F
42 59
20 59
04 A 9
8D 12
90 EA
68 60
D4 E8
00 C8
FF 00
0F AE
CA E0
00 06
8E 00
0F AE
CA E0
D0 06
8E 04
10 C9
09 00
02 00
11 A9
80 lA
80 15
29 10
0C 09
80 06
A9 28
01 80
08 80
0C 09
E9 03
BE 12
12 A9
D0 49
20 C2
01 00
8D 07
AO 07
00 8D
08 8D
12 60
12 20
20 72
80 AD
F0 12
0B 20
01 SD
01 F0
90 0B
A9 01
C9 00
32 00
8E 0E
AD AC
72 0B
8E 0E
SD AC
00 13
00 00
09 D0
C9 01
SO 0B
17 SD
AF 0D
00 C8
30 47
20 57
20 6C
20 2C
47 3F
20 79
55 6F
FF F9
04 CC
48 80
A2 F2
E0 Fl
C0 20
F4 FB
00 2C
18 46
E8 A2
00 03
04
18
30
66
E8 C2
00 FB
00 A6
D0 A9
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28 90
0C
00
75
31
09 8C
00 2B
00 01
A0 4F
4B 93
15 13
01 52
80 03
AO E2
00 AB
02 AB
12 52
26 71
00 18
00 Al
4B 02
15 60
AD 34
72 A7
0B 59
00 F5
20 AA
72 E4
AE 3C
12 F0
20 CC
SO 20
00 06
0D E8
00 11
00 3A
C9 16
00 30
00 27
AC El
FE Fl
8D 24
D0 78
D0 E5
0B F5
C9 F5
80 27
0069:
0071:
0079:
0081:
0089:
0D91:
0099:
0DA1;
0OA9:
0DB1:
0DB9:
0DC1:
0OC9:
0OD1:
0DO9:
0DE1:
0DE9:
0DF1:
0DF9:
0E01:
0E09:
0E11:
0E19:
0E21:
0E29:
0E31:
0E39:
0E41:
0E49:
0E5I:
0E59:
0E61:
0E69:
0E71:
0E79:
0E8L:
0E89:
0E91:
0E99:
0EA1:
0EA9:
0EB1:
0EB9:
0ECI:
0EC9:
0ED1:
0ED9:
0EE1:
0EE9;
0EF1:
0EF9:
0F0I:
0F09:
0F11:
0F19;
0F21:
0F29:
0F31:
0F39;
0F41:
0F49:
0F51:
0F59:
0F61:
0F69:
0F71:
0F79:
0F81:
0F89:
0F91:
00
80
00
CA
A 9
AO
0E
00
AC
AO
01
09
07
06
FA
80
90
8D
D0
8D
A9
03
F6
00
SD
80
8D
07
8D
A9
60
FE
00
E0
00
00
0E
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00
00
00
61
99
EB
0F
D0
31
05
F0
00
29
0F
2F
A0
Fl
0F
A0
80
F0
0F
20
A0
A2
D9
Al
80
93
0C
06
0F
00 C0
0D 00
09 01
8E 0E
00 80
AC 00
00 ES
08 A9
00 60
Fa 07
80 FS
CI D0
60 AD
A9 01
07 09
FA 07
00 00
17 00
A9 F0
10 D0
02 80
9D 27
A9 01
A9 00
F8 07
F9 07
FC 07
A9 05
00 D0
08 80
A2 00
79 0E
EF A9
06 D0
00 00
88 00
BD 9F
00 90
EC 40
00 00
BD 79
05 BD
79 06
60 A9
CA E0
8E D4
8A 29
F0 4B
0B A2
0F 80
04 F0
20 0C
0F 60
08 20
AE D5
09 01
00 20
02 0F
28 A2
80 06
93 0F
00 20
02 A0
0F AD
A2 06
DA 0F
0F 80
20 93
A0 0E
60 A9
00
80
07
05
05
00
10
07
07
07
FE D0 08
SD AF 00
D0 13 AE
00 E0
0F D0
09 02 D0
SE 0E D0
00 8D 0F
00 00 00
C9 00 D0
60 AO
A9 00
FA 07 09
80 FA 07
01 D0
60 A2
E8 E0
80 IB D0
80 15 00
A9 01 8D
26 D0 A2
00 E8 E0
80 28 00
SD 29 D0
80 FA 07
80 FB
80 FO
80 FF
A9 A0 SO
01 D0 8D
8S C0 FF
BD 79 0E
00 9D 79
EC 40 5A
00 00 00
FF F0 17
0E 09 0A
9F 0E E8
80 0E 60
00 00 A2
0E 18 69
9F 0E 18
CA 08 E0
00 A2 09
FF D0 F8
0F 8A 29
F0 F0 20
AD D4 0F
00 8E 05
OE 0F AD
32 A2 04
0F 8D OF
A9 19 80
93 0F C9
0F A0 0A
F0 E5 AE
60
0F
02 A0 08
0F A2 02
8D D7 0F
93 0F 8D
20 93
0F 29
A0 08 20
A2 06 A0
OB 0F A2
0F SO DC
20 93 0P
00 80 D3
93 0F
AO D4
0E
D4
A9 17 57
AD AC 42
0E 00 F9
00 08 24
AC 0D 3E
13 AE 14
E0 FF 6A
00 80 33
00 00 69
06 A9 50
F8 07 5A
80 F8 FF
C0 D0 96
60 AO 00
A9 00 37
A9 00 00
00 F6 5B
80 10 DF
A9 FF ID
25 00 F8
00 A9 49
07 00 Bl
80 2A 00
A9 00 2B
A9 06 12
A9 02 5E
8D FE 3B
A9 50 90
04 D0 F4
05 00 CD
F0 17 05
09 0A 9A
0E E8 F6
0E 60 B0
00 A2 38
FE 9F 59
00 EF F8
E0 06 00
00 00 DC
06 A0 F4
30 99 A5
69 30 45
FF 00 09
90 06 EA
AE IE 22
0F F0 8D
8A 29 OB
29 01 37
0F 20 9F
D4 0F 5F
8E 05 05
0F 40 77
D2 0F DC
01 F0 51
20 93 88
05 0F 00
A9 00 32
29 02 BE
20 93 47
A0 0A 7E
A2 02 59
05 0F 6F
0F SO 39
08 F0 51
93 0F 02
0A 20 FF
06 A0 44
0F A2 Bl
80 DO 68
0F 4C AA
0F99
AF
0F
0FAi
0A
A9
0FA9
4C
AF
0FB1
00
D9
0FB9
F9
00
0FO1
A 9
00
0FC9
00
CO
0FD1
60
00
0FD9
00
00
0FE1
06
0F
0FE9
0E
AD
0FF1
20
5A
0FF9
A0
96
1001
F0
05
1009
DA
0F
10II
0E
AO
1019
20
80
1021
A0
96
1029
F0
5
1031
A2
00
1039
A0
02
1041
L0
E8
1049
11
60
1051
DE
0F
1059
11
98
1061
02
20
1069
AA
68
1071
90
DE
1079
F0
08
1081
:88
10
10 89
:7F
11
1091
:11
A9
1099
:A0
80
10A1
:68
AA
10A9
:BD
06
10B1
:A9
01
10B9
;81
A9
10C1
:12
68
1009
:9d
06
1001
:07
DD
1009
:9D
FC
10E1
:11
90
10E9
:81
11
10F1
:9D
81
10F9
:02
12
1101
:85
11
1109
:11
BD
1111
:DE
85
1119
:07
8A
112L
:09
D0
1129
:11
D0
1131
:0F
F0
1139
:A0
81
1141
:C6
12
1149
:D9
0F
1151
:C9
05
1159
:07
40
1161
:07
EE
1169
:29
D0
1171
:A0
80
1179
:A9
G5
1181
:00
00
1189
:E6
20
1191
:F7
06
1199
^E6
20
llAl
07
06
11A9
02
11
llBl
CA
00
1IB9
BD
FF
llCl
F4
A2
AO 03
01 80
0F A 9
00 00
D0 CD
60 B9
02 0F
00 00
00 00
F0 05
07 0F
0E AO
20 5A
A0 FA
F0 05
DB 0F
0E AD
20 80
A0 FA
A0 00
20 4B
E0 03
BD 7F
F0 4E
48 8A
A3 12
A8 4C
0F B9
A9 C4
A9 00
BD 7F
00 90
20 02
60 BD
0F ID
90 81
02 20
AA 40
0F 9D
8 5 11
07 40
FC 07
09 0A
11 8A
20 E5
09 02
85 LI
11 BO
18 2A
8A 6A
lA AO
4A A9
A9 02
4C 4E
80 DD
00 08
62 11
84 11
12 A9
20 C2
80 FF
00 00
02 11
CA E0
02 LI
CA 00
BO EF
F4 A2
03 90
BE 20
0F 09
03 0F
01 60
F0 E4
02 0F
00 00
90 CC
00 00
00 00
A0 96
F0 05
08 0F
0E AO
20 5A
A0 96
F0 05
DC 0F
0E AO
20 80
20 4B
10 CA
D0 F3
11 D0
A9 01
48 A0
20 06
74 10
F8 07
99 F8
99 FS
11 C9
?F 11
12 20
81 11
DA 0F
11 8A
A3 12
OF 10
DA 0F
D0 08
E5 10
FE 81
D0 37
48 A0
12 6S
00 0A
90 FC
85 11
AA A9
AA 60
09 0F
01 SD
20 A3
11 A9
0F AD
A9 04
A9 C5
AD 84
00 80
12 20
07 60
02 02
BD OF
00 00
BO DF
F4 A2
04 90
E6 20
27 04
02 11
01 F0 08
E8 08 90
BD 00 5B
90 0B 03
90 DA 9A
FD 00 9B
A9 00 lA
00 00 20
00 AD A5
20 5A 97
A0 96 D9
F0 05 30
09 0F Al
0E AD 02
20 80 E8
A0 96 83
F0 05 10
DO 0F 35
0E 60 46
10 ES ED
20 A4 73
20 27 01
IF BD 81
90 7F B3
81 A9 4B
12 68 C8
A9 00 0A
C9 04 Dl
07 40 A0
07 FE E8
29 D0 30
SA 48 10
E5 12 49
00 IE 98
F0 75 7C
48 A0 96
20 06 B3
A9 00 31
BD FO B5
A9 C4 60
BD 85 IE
11 BD DF
A9 00 9F
80 20 Fl
AA BD A7
FE 85 01
07 60 34
90 FC AA
FA 90 96
AO 8 4 AA
00 DD 29
84 11 53
12 20 35
00 SD 76
FF 07 El
8D FF OF
80 FF EE
11 C9 OF
84 11 81
E5 12 23
00 00 40
2 A2 EC
06 90 69
F2 A2 64
05 90 B7
E6 20 4F
17 05 F9
02 11 A4
CA 00 A4
BO 0F 46
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE G-29
PROGRAMS
11C9:
IIDL:
11D9;
llEl:
11E9:
llFl;
ilF9:
1201;
1209;
1211;
1219:
1221:
1229:
1231:
1239:
1241:
1249:
1251:
1259:
1261:
1269:
1271:
1279:
1281:
1289:
1291:
1299:
12A1:
12A9:
12B1:
12B9:
12C1:
12C9:
12D1:
12D9:
12E1:
12E9:
12F1:
12F9:
1301:
1309;
1311:
1319:
1321:
1329:
1331:
1339:
1341
1349:
1351:
13 59:
1361:
1369:
1371:
1379:
1381:
1389:
1391:
1399:
13A1:
13A9:
13B1:
13B9:
13C1:
13C9
13D1;
13D9:
13E1:
13E9
13F1
:03 9D
;F2 8A
:4C D3
:E9 08
:0B C9
:A9 2E
:D0 EC
:00 04
;A9 00
;20 E5
;0D 20
;2E 12
:11 20
;8D 18
:A9 10
;12 D4
59 8D
0B EE
0F D4
20 9D
A2 F8
AD A2
D0 EE
81 8D
0B CE
0F D4
20 9D
60 00
4F SE
D4 8C
D4 8D
60 8C
18 D4
10 8E
FF 8E
8D 08
A9 03
A9 C2
8D 87
80 80
11 8D
lA 0C
A2 00
E8 E0
AC 0D
00 9D
F8 60
AE 13
8D DC
D0 21
C4 8D
08 AD
D0 A9
8D 21
CE AF
30 8D
00 D0
A9 C4
9D 0B
15 D0
00 8D
Al C9
Al EE
69 30
09 12
6E 05
00 BD
E0 19
0F C9
0E 4C
37 03
C9 28
11 C9
AA 60
38 B0
9D 00
60 A2
E8 E0
8D 2E
11 20
CB 0D
C9 lA
E5 11
D4 A9
8D 14
A9 FF
A2 12
A2 12
C9 66
0B A9
20 9D
12 80
A2 32
A2 12
A2 12
C9 73
0B A9
A2 0F
05 D4
04 D4
01 D4
04 04
A2 4F
0D 04
07 04
04 60
80 AE
80 85
11 A9
11 80
83 11
80 4B
90 79
07 00
E8 E0
02 0F
AD DE
AD AE
05 AD
A9 02
F8 07
15 00
00 80
00 AO
13 AO
F4 06
21 A9
8D FA
AO 15
A9 C0
21 00
0F 90
C7 13
80 C7
A2 00
E8 E0
29 14
00 F5
0B F0
E5 13
CA E0
90 05
00 00
A0 00
F9 E9
04 C8
00 A9
20 00
12 20
88 11
EE 2E
00 E7
60 00
4F 80
04 A9
8D 0E
A2 F8
AO A2
00 EE
65 8D
0B EE
0F D4
20 90
A2 F8
AO A2
00 EE
10 SO
8E 18
A2 10
A2 FF
60 80
60 A2
8E 0C
8C 0B
80 08
8C 08
13 8D
11 80
00 80
81 11
80 84
0C 80
0E 90
F5 A2
5 00
E8 E0
0F F0
13 18
AE 13
8D 21
A2 E6
49 01
F8 07
DF 0F
AF 13
AD AF
02 8D
07 A2
D0 49
8D FA
60 03
10 A9
AO 07
04 60
BD 19
10 00
90 BB
AO 01
07 C9
AO 15
28 00 E6
E9 23 60
04 aA AB
20 72 0£
18 AA 68
00 03 EF
20 90 7A
F6 60 E3
FC 11 B2
20 Bl 5D
12 AO 18
20 FC IF
A9 0F 11
13 04 03
11 8D 26
04 A9 00
20 90 09
12 80 05
A2 0A 6B
A2 12 Bl
A2 12 66
09 80 10
0B A9 70
20 9D 16
12 8D 06
A2 0F 79
12 04 E0
04 A2 50
8E 06 7F
8E 00 63
01 04 29
0F 8E 41
04 A2 69
04 A2 60
04 60 66
D4 60 0A
AF 13 81
86 11 82
7F 11 09
80 82 F6
11 80 CA
C7 13 E6
9F 0S 10
00 9D B9
F3 A2 14
0E 00 01
34 CE 0B
69 30 20
09 00 3E
D0 A9 B9
20 9D 63
80 15 A6
A9 00 8A
F0 34 EC
18 69 93
13 C9 3E
21 D0 FB
£6 20 OF
04 80 99
07 A9 07
03 A5 IF
00 85 B2
13 18 61
00 20 98
14 9D 65
F5 A2 EO
05 E8 A4
DC 29 SO
07 F0 08
D0 09 80
13F9
:0I
80
15
00
4C
08
14
AO
00
1401
:15
00
09
05
8D
15
D0
20
OB
1409
:09
12
A2
00
BD
42
14
90
4B
1411
:6B
05
E8
E0
17
00
F5
60
A3
1419
:0O
0F
16
05
20
0A
0F
19
FE
1421
:13
14
09
03
0B
20
23
31
79
1429
:0C
05
06
14
20
06
0F
12
E3
1431
t20
31
20
0F
12
20
12
09
E8
1439
.07
08
14
20
06
0P
12
20
IC
1441
:32
17
05
00
03
0F
0D
05
10
1449
t20
01
02
0F
01
12
04
20
77
1451
:20
03
01
10
14
01
09
0E
30
1459
;A0
15
00
29
05
80
15
00
A3
1461
:20
09
12
A2
00
BD
BD
14
CE
1469
90
60
05
E8
E0
12
00
F5
01
1471
.A2
00
BD
OF
14
9D
BE
05
39
1479
eE8
E0
10
D0
F5
20
2F
12
FO
1481
:20
2F
12
20
2F
12
20
09
04
1489
:12
A2
00
BD
DF
14
9D
6B
35
1491
:05
E8
E0
15
00
F5
20
90
13
1499
0B
A0
81
A9
03
20
A3
12
2C
14A1
:A9
02
20
06
12
A9
00
8D
54
14A9
:F4
14
A2
0A
20
90
0B
EE
C2
14B1
^F4
14
AD
F4
14
09
IE
00
33
14B9
,F3
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1629:00 FF 00 FF 00 FF 00 FF 55
1631:00 FF 00 00 00 00 00 00 50
Bob Yu is working on a sequel to
Space Trek, He lives in Lawrencevifle,
New Jersey.
PUSH BUTTON 64
By Matthew D. Boardman
Graphic environments such as GEOS
are popular with users because they
make ordinary computer tasks simple
and fun to do. A menu-driven program is
easy to learn, since there are no com-
mands or complex keystrokes to remem-
ber. The trouble, however, is that the eas-
ier it Is for the person to use the program,
the more difficult it is for the programmer
to write. With GEOS, for example, pro-
grammers have to use machine lan-
guage and must acquaint themselves
with the complex algorithms built into the
GEOS system.
Push Button 64 lets any BASIC pro-
grammer create complex menu-driven ap-
plications for the 64 It uses machine lan-
guage routines for speed, but you don't
need to know any machine language to
use the program. With Push Button 64.
the most complex commands can be ac-
cessed with a simple arrow on the
screen controlled with a joystick.
Typing It In
Push Button 64 consists of two parts —
the actual program and a demonstra-
tion. The first is written In machine lan-
guage. It must be entered using MLX,
our machine language entry program.
See 'Typing Aids" elsewhere in this sec-
tion. When MLX prompts you for the
starting and ending addresses, re-
spond with the following values.
Starting adcfress: GOQO
Ending address: C267
Be sure to save a copy of this program
before exiting MLX. Use the filename
Button64.ml so that the second pro-
gram can load it properly. The second
program is a BASIC demonstration
that shows how to incorporate the rou-
tines into your programs- To help you
avoid typing errors, it should be en-
tered with The Automatic Proofreader.
Again, see "Typing Aids/' and remem-
ber to save a copy of the program.
G-30 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
The Pointer
To see the demonstration, plug a joy-
stick into port 2, Load the BASIC pro-
grann and type RUN. The machine lan-
guage code will be read from the disk
and then an arrow wilf appear on-
screen. Moving the joystick up. down,
left, or right wilt make the arrow on-
screen move accordingly. Pressing the
fire button selects something on-
screen. A clicking noise will confirm
that the button was pressed.
The second line on the screen con-
sists of four menus. To make the pro-
gram shorter to type in, only the first
two menus are functional. Maneuver
the arrow onto the File menu and click
the button. A sample menu pults
down.
Pointing and clicking the button on
one of these menu items activates an
associated routine. Click anywhere
else and the menu closes. Click on the
Load menu item. A box appears in the
center of your screen indicating the
item you selected. This box is called a
dialog box, since it confirm choices or
gets information from the user. For dem-
onstration purposes, the selections ac-
tivate dialog boxes rather than perform
actual tasks. Point and click on the Con-
tinue box to go on.
The three buttons on the right of the
screen activate dialog boxes that indi-
cate which button you pressed. On the
bottom of the screen is a slider. This is
a graphical way for the user to input in-
formation, in this example a number
from to 26. Point and click on the left
or right triangle on either side of the slid-
er to decrease or increase the number
respectively. The red slider moves to
the left or right, and the number on the
right of the slider changes according-
ly. If you point and click on an empty
part of the slider, the red indicator
moves to that position, and the number
changes. To leave the program, click
on the Files menu and select Quit.
Your Own Menus
The machine language program con-
tains several routines that are ac-
cessed through the following SYS
calls and memory locations.
Activate Arrow (SYS 49152)
This command causes an arrow to ap-
pear on the screen. You can control it
by moving the joystick.
Deactivate Arrow (SYS 49633)
This removes the arrow from the
screen and deactivates the analysis pro-
gram, but the following two commands
can still be accessed.
Save Screen (SYS 49653)
This saves the characters and colors
on the screen to two special buffers. It
Is included in order to make the pop-
up menus easier to manipulate.
Load Screen (SYS 49709)
This retrieves the characters and col-
ors from the buffers and restores the
screen as it was when the screen was
saved. The technique for using these
two commands is explained below.
Flag (iocation 49572)
This is a variable which alfows your BA-
SIC program to tell the machine lan-
guage routine whether or not it is ac-
cepting button presses. If the location
contains a 1 , then the computer will ig-
nore all button presses. If you poke a
into the location, this tells the ma-
chine language routine to process but-
ton presses normally.
Xchar (49571)
This is the x coordinate of the screen
character in which the arrow was pre-
sent when the button was last
pressed, a number from to 39.
Ychar (49570)
This is the corresponding /coordinate
of the screen character, from to 24,
These two locations help to determine
which object the user is pointing to.
Xdot (49568)
This is the actual x coordinate of the ar-
row in pixels. This is useful if you need
more accuracy than just a character co-
ordinate or if you are working in high-
resolution mode.
High (49569)
This is the most significant byte of the
sprite's x coordinate; see the 64's us-
er's manual for a more detailed explana-
tion of sprite coordinates. The location
either contains a or a 1 , regardless of
the positions of all other sprites. It
makes Xdot a 16-bit number.
Ydot (49567)
This is the corresponding y coordinate
of the sprite.
How It Works
When the machine language routine is
activated (SYS 49152), it puts two
sprites on the screen to create the ar-
row. The first sprite is a white arrow,
and the second is a black outline direct-
ly underneath. These two colors allow
the sprite to show up on all back-
ground colors. The actual coordinates
used when the user clicks the button
are those of the tip of the white part of
the arrow.
The activation routine also sets up a
machine language interrupt that calls
the routine to miove the arrow sprite
with the joystick. The deactivation rou-
tine turns off this interrupt and the
sprite. You can turn the arrow on and
off as often as you need with succes-
sive calls of the activation and deacti-
vation routines.
When the routine detects a press of
the button, it stores the current sprite
coordinates in Xdot, Ydot, and High. It
then converts these coordinates into
character coordinates and stores
them in Xchar and Ychar. A 1 is then
placed in Flag so that no more clicks
will be processed until the BASIC pro-
gram has determined what to do. The
BASIC programi must poke a into
Flag in order for the machine language
routine to analyze more coordinates.
The Demo Program
You don't have to know all of this to
use the routines, however. The BASIC
demonstration shows how to use them
in terms of menu manipulation, The pro-
gram has numerous comments in the
form of REM statements that show the
operation of the program, which you
can take note of as you type it in. The
program's plan of attack is as follows.
1. Load in the machine language rou-
tines and run the activation sequence
(SYS 49152).
2. Draw the screen, showing all but-
tons, menus, and sliders. Save the
screen to the buffers (SYS 49653).
3. Wait until Flag contains a 1.
4. Determine if the Xchar and Ychar
coordinates show a point that the pro-
gram recognizes and jump to the ap-
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE G-31
PROGRAMS
propriate subroutine if so. If not. type
POKE FLAG,0 and repeat step 4.
5. When the routine has finished, load
the old screen back in from the buffers
(SYS 49709) and continue with step 3.
Exannine the routines in the BASIC
demo to get ideas for your own pro-
grams, or modify this one to suit your
needs. The machine language routines
will not interfere with BASIC programs.
The demonstration program con-
tains other routines that may be useful.
One is for drawing dialog boxes. You
can include those routines in your own
programs to make your programming
easier. For example, step 3 is actually
a subroutine (lines 1570-1630) that
puts Xchar into variable X and Ychar in-
to variable Y The dialog box is drawn
by another routine (lines 1500-1550).
Since the routine that moves the ar-
row works in the background, you can
type in BASIC programs while the ar-
row is onscreen. If you position the ar-
row and then peek the Xchar and
Ychar coordinates, you can position
the buttons onscreen more easily.
You are not limited to BASIC, howev-
er. Since the machine language rou-
tines are called by the SYS command,
machine language programmers can
call the routines with a JSR command.
Feel free to experiment.
PUSH BUTTON 64
C000
C008
C010
C018
C020
C028
C030
C038
C040
C048
C050
C058
C068
C070
C078
C080
C088
C090
C098
C0A0
C0A8
C0B0
C0B8
C0C0
C0C8
C0D0
78
15
14
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8D
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00
02
00
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30
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23
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03 A9
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00 8D
D0 8D
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9D 00
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00 3C
00
00 80
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00 21
40 00
00 A0
00 EA
01 F0
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07 A9
8D 15
AD 10
A9 01
28 D0
01 D0
03 D0
30 E8
BD 86
ID D0
9D 40
A9 00
8D Al
CI 58
00 78
00 00
3 80
C0 00
00 4 3
00 00
0A 20
00 00
AD 00
10 AD
C8 C0
A9 CA
15 03
Cl 8D
D0 A9
D0 29
8D 27
A9 65
A9 64
A2 00
E0 81
C0 9D
F5 A2
30 E8
8D A0
Cl 80
60 80
00 00
IE 00
00 01
00 B0
00 00
10 80
00 01
40 00
DC 29
01 D0
AD 9A
8D F2
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F9 5 6
00 08
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8D 48
8D 3B
A9 9B
D0 DA
00 4D
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00 FB
3E 24
00 12
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00 9F
20 77
00 D7
10 08
00 57
01 49
C9 7 3
C0D8
C0E0
C0E8
C0F0
C0F8
C100
C108
C110
Cil8
C120
C128
C130
C138
C140
C148
C150
C158
C160
C168
C170
C178
C180
C188
C190
C198
C1A0
C1A8
C1B0
C1B8
C1C0
C1C8
C1D0
C1D8
C1E0
C1E8
C1F0
ClFS
C200
C208
C210
C218
C220
C228
C230
C238
C240
C243
C250
C258
C260
33 B0
D0 CE
2 09
C9 F9
01 D0
29 04
D0 29
2 D0
Cl AD
D0 29
D0 AD
D0 29
D0 AD
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10 D0
00 DC
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AD Al
15 A9
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8D A3
8D Al
4A 4A
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AD C9
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00 04
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C5 BD
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65 G2
9D 00
05 BD
65 C4
9D 00
07 BD
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EE 03
C9 04
02 C9
C9 18
00 D0
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02 D0
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00 DC
AD 10
0A AD
4C 6F
AD 10
EE 02
09 02
29 10
Cl 6C
90 D0
AD 01
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Al Cl
00 00
4A 4A
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Cl 4C
Cl AD
4A 8D
AD C8
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00 D9
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C8 BD
00 DB
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9D 00
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9D 00
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65 C9
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00 05
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65 C3
9D 00
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65 C5
9D 00
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00 DC 57
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00 D0 F7
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08 AD A5
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F0 03 C4
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01 8D 52
9F Cl 52
AD 10 55
Cl 00 B4
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A2 Cl 2B
01 D0 40
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69 IC EE
A9 00 2F
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4C 7B 6E
14 03 0D
58 A9 B5
00 BD 51
00 D8 6D
9D 65 17
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00 BD 40
65 C6 75
9D 00 F8
D9 BD 3F
65 C8 20
9D 00 59
DB E8 A7
00 00 BE
BUTTON DEfflO
PK 5 REM COPYRIGHT 1993 - COMP
DTE PUBLICATIONS XNTL LTD
- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
DR 10 REM LOAD AND RUN PROGRAM
AB 20 IF X=0 THEN X=1:L0AD"BUT
TON64.ML'\8,l
MM 30 SYS 49152:P0KE 53280, 0:P
OKE 53281,15
HF 40 REM SETUP SCREEN AND MEN
US
HJ 50 PRINTCHR${14)"{CLR}{RVS}
{ BLU 1 MENU {SHI FT -S PACE iTE
MPLATET 27 SPACES}"?
CG 60 PRINT" {WHT) {RVS}FILE
{3 SPACES}<M}LAYOUT {M>T
00LS{2 SPACEST<M>OPTIONS
{9 SPACES} {OFF}";
CJ 70 PRINT" {DOWN} {5 SPACES}
{BLK}T{DOWN} {LEFT}'
{DOWN} {3 LEFT} {WHtTCLICK
ON THESE TO TEST MENUS,
rt
SS 80 PRINT" {2 DOWN} CLICK ON T
HESE":PRINT"TO TEST BUTT
ONS {BLK}**>"
OF 90 PRINTTAB(21) "{2 UP} {CYN}
<A} *********** <S>"
KJ 100 PRINTTAB (21) "{CYN}'
{BLK}{RVS}<@>{WHT}TOFF}
BUTTON #1{CYN}^"
EG 110 PRINTTAB{21) "{CYN}-
{BLK}{RVS}<@>{WHT}rOFF}
BUTTON #2{CYN}^"
DF 120 PRINTTAB(21) "{CYN}-
{BLK}{RVS}<@>{WHT}TOFF}
BUTTON #3{CYN}^"
SX 130 PRINTTAB(21}"{CYN}<Z>**
CS 140 PRINT" {3 DOWN}
{2 SPACES} {CYN}iA> *****
***********************
KD 150
HS}"
PRINT" {2 SPACES} {CYN}-
{SPACE} {ELK} {RVS}<{OFF}
{ WHT }***************
{red}+{wht} ***********
{ B L K } Trvs } >TofFPTwhtTi
5{CYN}-"
PRINT"T2 SPACES} {CYN}
/2>************** ******
***'********** ^XHBLK}"
PRINT" {DOWN} {4 RIGHT}]
{ DOWN } { LEFT } ' { DOWN }
{LEFT}-{D0WNT{3 LEFT}
{WHT} CLICK ON THIS TO T
EST SLIDER."
SL=15
SYS 49653 : REM SAVE SC
REEN TO BUFFER
GOSUB 1570 : REM GET A
{SPACE} POINT
REM TEST FOR KNOWN POIN
TS
IF YOl THEN 270
IF X<8 THEN 320:REM FIL
ES
IF X>7 AND X<16 THEN 84
0:REM LAYOUT
IF X>15 AND X<24 THEN 9
90:REM TOOLS
IF X>23 THEN 1070:REM
PTIONS
IF X=22 AND Y=9 THEN 11
50:REM Bl
IF X=22 AND Y=10 THEN 1
230;REM B2
IF X=22 AND Y=ll THEN 1
310; REM B3
IF Y=17 THEN 1390 : REM
SLIDER
CJ 310 GOTO 190
AG 320 REM FILE MENU WAS CHOSE
N
MS 330 PRINT" {HOME} {2 DOWN}
MM 160
CP 170
DB 180
HM 190
SP 200
AP 210
QE 220
HH 230
BB 240
KJ 250
SR 260
AM 270
PK 280
EG 290
KK 300
G-32 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
SH 340
JE
350
FA
360
DB
370
FP
380
QF
390
BJ
400
EF
410
CE
420
MM
430
KK
440
DB
450
JF
460
QS
470
QK
480
AK
490
XO
500
MR
510
QF
520
KB
530
FE
540
QF
550
BR
560
AG
570
XA
580
JJ
590
PR
600
GR
610
PB
620
DB
630
BC
640
SE
650
{RIGHT} (WHT) {RVSlLOAD
{4 SPACES} {DOWN}
{8 LEFT} SAVE {4 SPACES}
{BLK} {WHT}{DOWN}
{9 LEFT}";
PRINT "NEW {5 SPACES}
{BLK} TwHT}{DOWN}
{9 LEFT}DIR{5 SPACES}
{BLK} {WHT}{DOWN}
{9 LEFT}";
PRINT"QUIT{4 SPACES}
{BLK} TwHTHDOWN}
{9 LEFT}";
PRINT"{BLK}{RIGHT}
{8 SPACES} {OFF}{WHT}"
GOSUB 1570
IF X<1 OR X>8 THEN 440
IF Y=2 THEN 450 : REM L
OAD ROUTINE
IF Y=3 THEN 520 : REM S
AVE ROUTINE
IF Y=4 THEN 590 : REM N
EW ROUTINE
IF Y=5 THEN 660 : REM D
IR ROUTINE
IF Y=6 THEN 730 t REM Q
UIT ROUTINE
SYS 49709 : GOTO 190
GOSUB 1500
PRINT" {HOME} {7 DOWN}
{12 RIGHT} {RVS}{WHT}YOU
PRESSED THE"
PRINT" {11 BIGHT) {RVS}LO
AD ROUTINE."
'PRINT" {2 DOWN}
{19 RIGHT} {BLK} {RVS} CO
NT I HUE "
GOSUB 1570
IF YOll OR X<19 OR X>2
8 THEN 4 90 X'Q
SYS 49709:GOTO 190
GOSUB 1500
PRINT" {HOME} {7 DOWN}
{12 RIGHT} {RVS} {WHT} YOU
PRESSED THE"
PRINT"{11 RIGHT}{RVS}SA
VE ROUTINE, "
PRINT" (2 DOWN}
{19 RIGHT}{BLK}{RVS} CO
NTINUE "
GOSUB 1570
IF YOll OR X<19 OR X>2
8 THEN 490
SYS 49709:GOTO 190
GOSUB 1500
PRINT" {HOME} {7 DOWN}
{12 RIGHT) {RVS} {WHT} YOU
PRESSED THE"
PRINT"{11 RIGHT) {RVS)NE
W ROUTINE."
PRINT" {2 DOWN}
{19 RIGHT} {BLK} {RVS) CO
NTINUE "
GOSUB 1570
IF YOll OR X<19 OR X>2
8 THEN 490
SYS 49709:GOTO 190
KQ
660
XJ
670
PG
680
HS
690
CF
700
GS
710
BX
720
PA
7 30
SF
740
KA
750
PE
760
CX
770
CP
780
AS
790
PP
800
KD
810
JM
820
XK
830
SE
840
XF
850
GOSUB 1500
PRINT"{HOME) {7 DOWN}
{12 RIGHT} {RVS} {WHT}YOU
PRESSED THE"
PRINT" {11 RIGHT} {RVS}DI
R ROUTINE."
PRINT" {2 DOWN}
{19 RIGHT} {BLK} {RVS} CO
NTINUE "
GOSUB 1570
IF YOll OR X<19 OR X>2
8 THEN 490
SYS 49709:GOTO 190
GOSUB 1500
PRINT" {HOME} {7 DOWN}
{11 RIGHT} {RVS} {WHT} ARE
YOU SURE YOU"
PRINT" {11 RIGHT} {RVS}WA
NT TO QUIT THE"
PRINT" {11 RIGHT) {RVS}PR
OGRAM?"
PRINT" {DOWN} {11 RIGHT}
{BLK} {RVS} YES
(9 RIGHT} NO "
GOSUB 1570
IF YOll THEN 780
IF X>10 AND X<16 THEN 8
30
IF X>24 AND X<29 THEN S
YS49709:GOTO 190
GOTO 780
SYS 49633:POKE 53280,14
:POKE 53281, 6:PRINT"
{CLR}<7>"CHR$(142) ;:END
REM LAYOUT MENU
PRINT"{H0ME}{2 DOWN)
{9 RIGHT} {RVS} {WHT} LAYO
UT 1 {DOWN} {8 LEFT} LA YOU
T 2 {BLK} {WHT) {DOWN}
{9 LEFT}LAYOUT 3{BLK} "
CX 860 PRINT"{WHT} {DOWN}
{9 LEPT}LAyOUT 4{BLK}
{WHT} {DOWN} {9 LEFT}LAYO
UT 5{BLK} {WHT} {DOWN}
{9 LEFT} LAYOUT 6 {BLK} "
JM 870 PRINT" {WHT} {DOWN}
{9 LEFT}LAYOUT 7{BLK}
{WHT) (DOWN} {9 LEFT} LAYO
UT 8 {BLK} {DOWN}
{8 LEFT} {8 SPACES}"
MB 880 GOSUB 1570
3S 890 IF X<9 OR X>16 THEN 980
GH 900 IF y<2 OR Y>9 THEN 980
JX 910 L^Y-l
KQ 920 GOSUB 1500
GG 930 PRINT"(H0ME){7 DOWN}
{11 RIGHT} {RVS} { WHT }LAY
OUT #"L
MQ 940 PRINT"{RVS}{11 RIGHT}WA
S SELECTED."
HX 950 PRINT" {2 DOWN)
{19 RIGHT} {BLK} {RVS} CO
NTINUE "
XE 960 GOSUB 1570
MM 970 IF YOll OR X<19 OR X>2
8 THEN 960
AS 980 SYS 49709:GOTO 190
XR 990 REM TOOLS MENU
XD 1000 GOSUB 1500
MS 1010 PRINT" {HOME} {7 DOWN)
{11 RIGHT} {RVS} {WHT}TH
E TOOLS MENU"
PH 1020 PRINT" {RVS} {11 RIGHT}W
AS SELECTED."
CF 1030 PRINT"{2 DOWN)
{19 RIGHT} (BLK) {RVS} C
NTINUE "
HP 1040 GOSUB 1570
XQ 1050 IF YOll OR X<19 OR X>
28 THEN 960
CQ 1060 SYS 49709:GOTO 190
SG 1070 REM OPTIONS MENU
HK 1080 GOSUB 1500
MJ 1090 PRINT" {HOME} {7 DOWN}
{11 RIGHT} {RVS} {WHT}TH
E OPTIONS MENU"
EM 1100 PRINT"{RVS}{11 RIGHT)W
AS SELECTED."
GA 1110 PRINT" {2 DOWN}
{19 RIGHT}{BLK}{RVS} C
NTINUE "
DS 1120 GOSUB 1570
QH 1130 IF YOll OR X<19 OR X>
28 THEN 960
KH 1140 SYS 49709:GOTO 190
DB 1150 REM BUTTON #1 WAS PRES
SED
DQ 1160 GOSUB 1500
KD 1170 PRINT" {HOME} {7 DOWN}
{11 RIGHT} {RVS}{WHT}YO
U PRESSED"
CX 1180 PRINT"{RVS} {11 RIGHT}B
UTTON #1."
SK 1190 PRINT" {2 DOWN}
{19 RIGHT} {BLK}{RVS} C
NTINUE "
QF 1200 GOSUB 1570
AD 1210 IF YOll OR X<19 OR X>
28 THEN 960
FP 1220 SYS 49709:GOTO 190
QM 1230 REM BUTTON #2 WAS PRES
SED
QD 1240 GOSUB 1500
QJ 1250 PRINT"{H0ME}{7 DOWN}
{11 RIGHT) {RVS} {WHT }yO
U PRESSED"
XJ 1260 PRINT"{RVS){11 RIGHT)B
UTTON #2."
BF 1270 PRINT" {2 DOWN}
{19 RIGHT} {BLK} {RVS) C
NTINUE "
EP 1280 GOSUB 1570
JQ 1290 IF YOll OR X<19 OR X>
28 THEN 960
BS 1300 SYS 49709:GOTO 190
ME 1310 REM BUTTON #3 WAS PRES
SED
JG 1320 GOSUB 1500
AF 1330 PRINT" {HOME} {7 DOWN)
{11 RIGHT} {RVS} {WHT )Y0
U PRESSED"
DC 1340 PRINT"{RVS){il RIGHT}B
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE 0-33
PROGRAMS
FA
1350
AS
1360
RH
1370
JH
1380
QC
1390
FX
1400
JA
1410
EC
1420
KQ
1430
QJ
1440
MR
1450
DA
1460
HF
1470
JQ
1480
SX
1490
AB
1500
BA
1510
GP
1520
QE
1530
CM
1540
ED
1550
CG
1560
UTTON #3."
PRINT" f 2 DOWN}
{19 RIGHT}{BLKl(RVS} C
OMTINUE "
GOSUB 1570
IF YOll OR X<19 OR X>
28 THEN 960
SYS 49709;GOTO 190
REM SLIDER
GOSUB1450
IF X=4 AND SL>0 THEN G
OSUB 1460:SL=SL-1:GOSU
B1470:GOTO 1480
IF X=32 AND SL<26 THEN
GOSUB 1460:SL=SL+1:GO
SOB1470:GOTO 1480
IF X>4 AND X<32 THEN G
OSUB14 60:SL=X-5:GOSUB1
470:GOTO1480
GOTO 190
PRINT" {HOME} {17 DOWN}
{3 RIGHT}"; : RETURN
GOSUB1450:FORT=0TO SL+
1: PRINT" {RIGHT}"; :NEXT
: PRINT" {WHT}^"; : RETURN
GOSUB1450:FORT=0TO SL+
1: PRINT" {RIGHT}"; :NEXT
: PR I NT " { RED } + " ; : RETURN
GOSUB14 50: PRINT" {DOWN)
{10 LEFT} {WHT}"; : IF SL
>9 THEN PRINTSL"{LEFT}
{CYN}^":GOTO 190
PRINT" "SL"{LEFT}{CYN}
-":GOTO 190
REM DRAW DIALOG BOX
SYS 49709 : REM LOAD S
GREEN
PRINT"{HOME} {6 DOWN}
{10 RIGHT} {RVS} {WHT}
{20 SPACES}"
FOR T = l TO 6: PR I NT"
{10 RIGHT} {RVS}
{20 SPACES} {BLK} {WHT}
":NEXT
PRINT"{11 RIGHT} {RVS}
{BLK} {20 SPACES}"
RETURN
REM ~- '--
EZ-LOADER
QP 1570 REM GET A SCREEN COORD
FROM ML
KF 1580 POKE 49572,0
PP 1590 IF PEEK (49572) =0 THEN
{SPACE}1590
SJ 1600 X=PEEK(49571) :Y=PEEK(4
9570)
RX 1610 POKE 54296,15:POKE 542
96,0
ME 1620 IF PEEK(56320)<>127 TH
EN 1620
JH 1630 RETURN
Matthew D. Boardman is an electrical
engineering student at Technical Univer-
sity of Nova Scotia. He lives in Chester
Basin, Nova Scotia, Canada,
G-34 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
By Joe Votour
Finding files on disks can be quite a
chore. Just ask anybody who has more
than a couple of disks on hand. It's espe-
cially true if youYe a programmer. Once
you find the disk you're looking for. you'll
then probably have to search through the
directory about five times before you final-
ly hit on the right file.
A menu program is especially helpful
for finding your frequently used pro-
grams. This is where E2-Loader comes
in. EZ-Loader is a menu program for the
64 that will read a disk directory and let
you select a file using the cursor keys
and the Return key. It'll also do more-
Typing It In
EZ-Loader is written entirely in ma-
chine language. To enter it, use MLX,
our machine language entry program.
See "Typing Aids" elsewhere in this sec-
tion. When MLX prompts, respond
with the following.
Starting address: 0801
Ending address: 1380
Be sure to save a copy of the program
before you exit fvlLX.
Drive Compatibility
EZ-Loader will work with any 1541,
1571, or 1581 drive. In fact, it'll work
with any combination of drives (device
numbers 8-99, drive number only)
that support Commodore's DOS com-
mands U1 and B-R A 1581 drive has
tv/o limitations, however. EZ-Loader sup-
ports partitions, but it locates only the
first 255 files in the main directory or par-
tition. Also, the disk ID will be read in-
correctly since EZ-Loader checks
track 18, sector G, the track and sector
used for a 1541/1571 ID code.
Using EZ4ooder
Although EZ-Loader is written in ma-
chine language, it loads and runs Irke
a BASIC program. The title screen is dis-
played as the directory of the current
drive is loaded. Note that the directory
loaded is the one of the disk drive
from which EZ-Loader v/as loaded.
On the main screen, a blue bar indi-
cates the current file to be selected. To
move the bar, use the cursor keys to '
move up and down the directory list-
ing. To load the highlighted file, press
the Return key
The function keys are defined for spe-
cial purposes. Rress f1 to see a direc-
tory in the usual format. It's like using
the LOAD "$".8 command, with the pro-
gram type and block size listed. Press
any key and EZ-Loader vAll return to its
title screen and reload that directory.
Press f3 to change disks in the cur-
rent drive. You will then be returned to
the title screen, and EZ-Loader will
read the directory as usual.
Press f5 to enter a DOS command
to the current drive. Any standard DOS
command can be issued. This will al-
low 1581 users to change partitions by
simply typing /OiPARTITICN NAME. Al-
so, EZ-Loader offers a new DOS com-
mand, ^aa, where aa is a two-digit
drive number such as 09 or 10. The
number must be a two-digit number;
otherwise, EZ-Loader will lock up
while trying to read the number
Press fB to boot the first file on any
drive. You will be asked which device
to boot from (8-^11 only). To change
the device number, use the cursor
keys. Then the program will load and
run from the device you selected.
Additionol Notes
EZ-Loader will convert to question
marks any control characters that ap-
pear in a filename. These include any
non-ASCII values, color codes, and so
on. For example, if you have a Koala
Paint file called A, it will appear in the
directory listing as ?PIC A If you have
files that have the same filename ex-
cept for a control character. EZ-Load-
er may get confused. Not too many pro-
grams use filenames such as these,
however.
EZ-Loader can load only BASIC pro-
grams or machine language programs
that start with a SYS statement. This is
because the program is loaded using
the ,n extension, where n is the device
number of the drive. A RUN command
is executed from the keyboard buffer.
EZ-LOADER
0801 :0B 08 90 06 9E 32 30 34 5D
0809:39 00 A0 00 78 E6 01 B9 E4
0811:C9 12 99 40 03 C8 D0 F7 96
0819:4C 40 03 98 FB 91 PD 93 FE
0821:82 E6 FE 17 02 D8 D0 EF 82
0829:
0831:
0839:
0841:
0849:
0851:
0859:
0861:
0869:
0871:
0879:
0881:
0889:
0891:
0999:
08A1:
08A9:
08B1:
08B9:
08C1:
08C9:
08D1:
08D9:
08E1:
08E9:
08F1:
08F9:
0901;
090 9:
0911:
0919:
0921:
0929:
0931:
0939:
0941:
0949:
0951:
0959:
0961;
0969:
0971:
97 9
0981
0989
0991
0999
09A1
09A9
09B1
09B9
09C1
09C9
09D1
09D9
09E1
09E9
09F1
09F9
0A01
0A09
0A11
0A19
0A21
0A29
0A31
0A39
0A41
0A49
0A51
A9
00
00
25
66
0A
22
9F
87
DA
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36
3C
06
07
42
AC
56
10
0D
FC
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;ED
:ED
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02 8A
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28 60
67 27
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DA 86
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86 03
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08 9A
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FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE G-35
PROGRAMS
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Joe Votour keeps track of his fifes in
l^anmer, Ontario. Canada.
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STOCK ANALYSIS 128
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By Philip Addeo
Stock Analysis 128 is a full-fledged
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stock advisory program, not a simulation
0F79
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program or a game. Although admitted-
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ly not as sophisticated as the programs
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the big boys use, this program can be
very useful in evaluating your stock port-
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folio or in tracking the stock market as a
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whole.
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This 128 program is written entirely in
0FB9
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BASIC 7, It's easy to use and requires the
128 to be in 80-column mode. To help
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avoid typing errors, enter the program
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with The Automatic Proofreader. See "Typ-
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36
ing Aids" elsewhere in this section. Be
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sure to save a copy of the program be-
fore exiting Proofreader.
0FF1:
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20
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Whot You Need
1009:
53
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To use Stock Analysis 128, you'll need
1019:
22
3A
2A
22
00
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80
3B
77
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the weekly closing stock prices phnted
1021:
1029;
1031:
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30
26
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3E
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60
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43
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85
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00
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04
20
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97
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51
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83
in larger daily newspapers, usually on
Saturday or Sunday. You'll also need
1039:
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1269:20
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the total stock price advances and de-
1041:
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1271:20
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clines and Standard & Poor's (S&P's)
104 9:
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500 closing price.
1051:
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16
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69
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04
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07
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07
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84
Before using the program, you must
decide which stocks you'd like in your
1069:
74
63
IE
62
BE
22
89
2C
23
1299:00
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05
20
32
07
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42
file. You can have any number of
1071:
26
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78
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stocks in a file, but I'd suggest a maxi-
1079:
82
17
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7E
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83
78
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32
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mum of 20, Things can get a little cum-
1081:
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36
78
30
25
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bersome if you have more than that. Of
1099:
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24
82
16
38
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85
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course, you can have any number of dif-
1099:
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03
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58
ferent files. The program requires
10A1:
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09
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66
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13
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80
12D1:D0
34
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06
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95
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three weeks of stock data to start, and
10A9:
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57
33
63
94
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03
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data must be entered on a weekly ba-
10B1:
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38
6C
6C
3E
74
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12E1:F3
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12
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sis for the program to be useful.
10B9:
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06
30
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12E9:03
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07
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24
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03
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Getting Started
10C9:
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44
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88
The opening menu of Stock Analysis
10D9:
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37
18
38
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84
ID
60
67
1309:Aa
78
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128 gives you four options: update an
10E1;
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66
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08
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existinn file, analvze an existinn file
G-36 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
open a new file, and quit.
To start, choose option 3. open a
new file, and follow the pronnpts for en-
tering the filename and stock data.
Use option 3 to open as many new
files as you need. Use option 1 to up-
date your files weekly. Use option 2 to
analyze your files.
The program's main body consists
of three screens. The first one displays
general market trends for the past
three weeks, which include advances,
declines, and an advance/decline in-
dex. The second screen displays
S&P's 500 data for the past
three weeks, which include short-, me-
dium-, and long-term trends; the
trend's direction; and a market indica-
tor. The third screen is the main analy-
sis screen and displays the name of
the stock, three weeks of data, trends,
and a recommendation for each individ-
ual stock in your file.
STOCK ANALYSIS 128
PK 5 REM COPYRIGHT 1993 - COMP
UTE PUBLICATIONS INTL LTD
- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
SA 10 FAST
20 L$="":AS=CHR$(176) :B$=CH
R$ (99) :D$=CHR$ (174) :ES=C
HR${98) :Z2$=E$
DS 30 I$=CHRS(173) :K$=CHR$(189
)
DO 40 Ll$ = ************** *******
************************
QA
************************
************"
DK 50 L2$=",
XF 60 DIMA{250) :Z$=CHR$C13)
FJ 70 PRINT*MCLR}{RVS}
{9 SPACES} {SHIFT-SPACE}
{20 SPACES} STOCK MARKET
{SPACE}ANALYSIS
{29 SPACES} {OFF}"
CR 80 PRINT" {DOWN} ":GOSUB2190
CK 90 PRINTTAB(31)"{RVS}1,
{OFF} UPDATE FILE"
AR 100 PRINTTAB (31) "{RVS}2.
{OFF} STOCK ADVISOR"
XK 110 PRINTTAB(31)"{RVS}3.
{OFF} OPEN NEW FILE"
CA 120 PRINTTAB(31) "{RVS}4.
{OFF} QUIT"
QP 130 PRINTTAB{35) "(2 DOWN}CH
01 CE"; : INPUT I
XQ 140 IFI<10RI>4THENPRINT"
{4 UP}": GOTO 130
PS 150 IFI=4THEN170
PJ 160 ONIGOTO410, 1060, 180
RA 170 END
SG 180 PRINT"{CLR}{RVS}
{11 SPACES}CREATE NEW F
ILE{14 SPACES}"
FX 190 INPUT" {DOWN}WHAT IS THE
NAME OF NEW FILE";NF$
JE 200 INPUT" {DOWN}H0W MANY ST
OCKS IN FILE";M
MA 210 D0PEN#1, (NF$) ,W
QA 220 INPUT"{CLR} {2 D0WN}ENTE
R WEEKS CLOSING ADVANCE
S, DECLINES {5 SPACES}";
A,D
MA 222 INPUT" {DOWN}ENTER LAST
{SPACE}WEEKS CLOSING AD
VANCES, DECLINES
(2 SPACES}";A1,D1
EB 224 INPUT" {DOWN}ENTER WEEK
{SPACE}BEFORE CLOSING A
DVANCES, DECLINES ";A2,
D2
PR 230 INPUT" {DOWN}ENTER WEEKS
CLOSING PRICE OF S&P 5
00 {9 SPACES} ";S
FR 240 INPUT" {DOWN} ENTER LAST
{SPACEJWEEKS CLOSING PR
ICE OF S&P 500
{4 SPACES}"; SI
EM 250 INPUT"{D0WN}ENTER WEEK
{SPACE} BEFORE CLOSING P
RICE OF S&P 500
{3 SPACES} ";S2
HD 260 FQRJ=0TO3:A(J)=A-D:NEXT
AR 270 FORJ=4T013:A(J)=S:NEXT
FF 280 PRINT#1,M
SD 290 PRINT#1,A(0) ;Z$;A{1) ;Z$
;A(2) ;Z$;A{3);ZS;A(4) ;Z
$;A(5);Z$;A(6)
EQ 300 PRINT#1,A(7) ;Z$;A{8) ;Z$
;A(9) ;Z$;A(10) ;Z$;A(11)
;ZS;A{12);Z$;A(13)
PE 310 PRINT#1,S1?2$;S2;Z$;A;Z
$;A1?Z$;A2;Z$;D;2$;D1;Z
$;D2
PX 320 FORK-ITGM
AQ 330 PRINT"{CLR}{2 DOWN}ENTE
R NAME OF STOCK NUMBER
{SPACE}"K" {DOWN}": INPUT
A$
GJ 340 INPUT" {DOWN}ENTER END
F WEEK CLOSING PRICE :
{SPACE }";X
JG 350 INPUT"{DOWN}ENTER LAST
{SPACE}WEEKS CLOSING PR
ICE{2 SPACES}: ";X1
SG 360 INPUT" {D0WN}ENTER WEEK
{SPACE}BEFORE CLOSING P
RICE : ";X2
CF 370 FORJ=1TO10:A(J}=X;PRINT
"{HOME} {6 DOWN}": NEXT
QG 380 PRINT#1,A$;Z$;A{1) ;Z$;A
(2) ;ZS;A(3) ;Z$;A(4);Z$;
A(5) ;Z$;A(6)
QJ 390 PRINT#1,A(7) ;Z$;A{8) ;Z$
?A(9};Z$;A(10);Z$;X1;Z$
• X2
QD 400 NEXT :DCLQSE: RUN
GK 410 INPUT"{CLR}{4 DOWN}WHAT
IS NAME OF FILE YOU WI
SH TO ANALYZE" ;F$
FP 420 PRINT" {CLR}{RVS}
{8 SPACES} UPDATE STOCK
{SPACE}PRICES
{13 SPACES} {OFF}"
GG 430 DOPENtl, (F$)
CG 440 INPUT#1,M,A(0) ,A(1) ,A{2
) ,A{3) ,A(4) ,A(5) ,A(6)
HQ 450 INPUT#1,A{7) ,A(8) ,A(9) ,
A(10) rA(Il) fA{12) rA(13)
,S1,S2,A,A2,A3,D,D1,D2
KD 460 S2=S1:S1=A(4} :A3=A2:A2=
A:D2=D1:D1=D
AK 470 PRINT" {DOWN} {7 SPACES}
{RVS}GENERAL MARKET INF
ORMATION{OFF}"
PP 480 INPUT" {2 DOWN}ENTER ADV
ANCES, DECLINES, S&P 50
0" • A D S
GM 490 PRiNT"{2 DOWN} "A, D, S : Y=
1 : N = : INPUT " { DOWN } ANY
{2 SPACES} CHANGES Y/N";
X$
IFX$ = *'Y"THEN480
A1=A-D
A(0)=A(0)+A1:A(3)=A(2) :
A(2)=A(1)
A(1)=.375*A(2)+.125*A(0
)
A(4)=S:A{7)=A(6) :A(6)=A
(5)
A(5)=INT{66,67*A(6)+33.
33*S)/100
A{10)=A(9) :AC9)=A(8)
A(8)=INT(87.5*A{9)+12.5
*S)/100
A(13)=A(12):A(12)=A(11)
A{11)=INT(95*A(12)+5*S)
/100
GOTO660
FORJ=0TO13:PRINTJ,A(J) :
NEXT
INPUT" {DOWN} ANY
{2 SPACES} CHANGES Y/N";
X$
IFX$="N"THEN660
INPUT" {DOWN} ITEM # AND
{SPACE}CHANGE"; J,A(J)
GOTO600
DIMB${M) :F0RI=1T0M
L=12*I+1
INPUT#1,B$(I) ,A(L+1) ,A{
L+2) ,A(L+3) ,A(L+4) ,A(L+
5)
QR 690 INPUT#l,A{L+6) ,A(L+7) ,A
(L+8) ,A(L + 9) ,A(L-H0)
RE 700 INPUT#1,A(L+11) ,A(L+12)
XC 710 A(L+12)=A(L+11) tACL+11)
=A(L+1)
PS 720 PRINT" {CLR}{D0WN}ST0CK:
";B$(I)
RK 730 PRINT"{D0WN}LAST WEEKS
{SPACE} PRICE WAS";A(L+1
)
GH 740 INPUT"{DOWN}ENTER THIS
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE 3-37
DR
500
DB
510
QS
520
MS
530
MQ
540
MB
550
CM
560
JG
570
BJ
580
ED
590
DP
600
QM
610
EF
620
KD
630
PE
640
RU
650
FG
660
BH
670
QA
680
PROGRAMS
(SPACElWEEKS PRICE";?
DQ 750 INPUT" {DOWN} ANY
{2 SPACES}CHANGES Y/N";
XS
SX 760 IFX$="Y"THEN720
JP 770 A(L+l)=P;A{L+4)=A(L+3) :
A(L+3)=A(L + 2)
JG 780 A{L+2) =INT (66-67*A(L+3)
+33.33*P)/100
JG 790 A(L+7)=A(L+6) :A(L+6)=A(
L+5)
BD 800 A(L+5)=INT(87,5*A(L+6)+
12.5*P)/100
DK 810 A(L+10)=A(L+9) :A(L+9)=A
(L + 8)
MF 820 A(L + 8)=INT (95*A(L + 8)+5*
P)/100
FQ 830 GOTO890
PG 840 F0RJ=1T012:PRINTJ,A(L+J
) :NEXT
BG 850 INPUT "{DOWN) ANY
{2 SPACES} CHANGES Y/N";
X$
XH 860 IFX$="N"THEN890
AA 870 INPUT" {DOWN} ITEM # AND
{ S PACE } CHANGE " ; J , A ( L+ J )
PQ 880 GOTO830
MM 890 NEXT
CB 900 DCLOSE
BS 910 PR I NT "{CLR){ DOWN} THAT'S
ALL THE STOCKS IN THE
(SPACE) FILE {2 SPACES}"
FJ 920 FORTl=lTO2000;NEXT
SB 930 DOPEN#l,"(a"+(F$} ,W
CQ 940 PRXNT#1,M
BP 950 PRrNT#l,A(0) ;ZS;A(1) ;Z$
;A{2)
SR 960 PRINT#1,A(3) ;Z$;A{4) ?Z$
;A(5) ?Z$;A(6) ;Z$;A(7) ;Z
$;A{8} ;Z$;A{9) ;ZS;A(10)
BA 970 PRINT#1,A(11) ;Z6;A(12} ;
Z$;A(13) ;Z$;S1;Z$;S2;Z$
;A;Z$;A2;Z$;A3
MQ 980 PRINT#l,.D;Z$;Dl;Z$;D2
JJ 990 F0RI=1T0M
HA 1000 L=12*I+1
ED 1010 PRINT#1,BS(I) ;ZS;A(L+1
) ;Z$;A(L+2) ;Z$;A(L+3) ;
Z$;A(L+4) ;Z$;A(L+5)
MM 1020 PRINT#l,A(L+6) ;Z$;A(L+
7) ;Z$?A(L+8) ;Z$;A(L+9)
;Z$;A(L+10)
JE 1030 PRINT#1,A(L+11) ;2$;A{L
+ 12)
BQ 1040 NEXT: DCLOSE
HA 1050 PR I NT "{DOWN) ALL DATA H
AVE {2 SPACES }BEEN RECO
RDED":FORZ=1TO2000:NEX
T
JC 1060 M=0:K=0
GX 1070 DB$="{YEL) DON'T BUY
{OFF} (21 SPACES}"
JE 1080 DBB$="{YEL} DON'T BUY
{SPACE} (BEAR) {OFF)
{14 SPACES}"
CG 1090 HS$=^"{PUR} HOLD STOCK
{SPACE} {OFF}
{20 SPACES)"
CH 1100 AS$="{YEL} AVOID STOCK
{0FF}{19 SPACES}"
GD 1110 SS$="{CYN} SELL STOCK
{SPACE) {OFF)
{20 SPACES}"
KJ 1120 BS$="{CYN} BUY STOCK
{OFF} {21 SPACES}"
KF 1130 SF$="{YEL} STAY FULLY
{SPACE} INVESTED (BULL)
{OFF} {4 SPACES)"
FH 1140 UC$="{WHT} UNCERTAIN-^
DON'T BOY {OFF}
{10 SPACES}"
JH 1150 IN$="{WHT} INCONCLUSIV
E {0FF}{18 SPACES}"
RF 1160 WA$="{YEL} WAIT FOR CL
EARER MARKET TRENDS
{OFF}"
AB 1170 INPUT"{CLR) {4 DOWN}WHA
T IS NAME OF FILE YOU
{SPACE}WISH TO ANALYZE
"?F$
QQ 1180 D0PEN#1, (F$)
FF 1190 PRINT"{CLR}{WHT} {RVS}
(18 SPACES) PERSONAL ST
OCK ADVISOR GENERAL MA
RKET TRENDS{18 SPACES)
{OFF}"
GO 1200 PRINTTAB(29) "{DOWN}
{RVS} ADVANCES AND DEC
LINES (RVS}": PRINT
CF 1210 GOSUB2280
KE 1220 PRINTL1$
BE 1230 INPUT#I,M,A(0) ,A(1) ,A(
2) ,A(3) ,A(4) ,A(5) ,A(6)
,A(7) ,A(8) ,A(9) ,A(10) ,
A(ll) ,A(12)
SX 1240 INPUT#1,A(13) ,S1,S2,A1
,A2,A3,D,D1,D2
KF 1250 Y=0:IF(A1>A2)AND(A2>A3
)THENY=1:A=Y
JD 1260 IF(A1<A2)AND(A2<A3)THE
NY=-1:A=Y
RA 1270 F0RJ=1T03:A(J)=INT (ACJ
) ) :NEXT
KM 1280 PRINT "{DOWN) ADVANCES";
TAB (21) ; :PRINTUSING"##
###";A1;:PRINTSPC(10) ;
:PRINTUSING"#####";A2;
: PR I NTS PC (10) ;: PR I NT us
ING"#####";A3; ;G0SUB21
60
QP 1290 Y=0:IF(D>D1)AND(D1>D2)
THENY=1:A=Y
SP 1300 IF(D<Dl)ANDCDl<D2)THEN
Y=-1:A=Y
JQ 1310 PRINT"(DOWN}DECLINES";
TAB(21) ; lPRINTUSING"##
###";D; : PRINTS PC (10) ?i
PRINTUSING"#####";D1;:
PRINTSPC (10) ? : PRINTUSI
NG"#####";D2;:GOSUB216
AD 1320 Y=0:IF(A(1)> (A2) )AND(A
{2)>A(3) )THENY=1:A=Y
CQ 1330 IF(A(1)<A(2) )AND(A(2)<
A(3))THENY=-1:A=Y
FR 1340 PRINT" (DOWN) A/D INDEX"
;TAB(21) ; : PRINTUSING"#
####";A(1);:PRINTSPC(1
0) ; :PRINTUSING"#####";
A (2) ;: PRINTSPC (10) ;; PR
INTUSING"#####";A(3) ; :
GOSUB2160
JG 1350 PRINT" {D0WN}'*L2$
QR 1360 PRINTCHR$(158)TAB(30) "
{2 DOWN) ANY KEY TO CON
TINUE"
HA 1370 GETKS:IFK$=""THEN13?0
FK 1380 PRINT" {CLR){WHT} (RVS)
(18 SPACESJPERSONAL ST
OCK ADVISOR GENERAL MA
RKET TRENDS{18 SPACES}
(OFF)"
DP 1390 PRIMTTAB(35) "{DOWN}
{RVS) S & P 500 (RVS}"
: PRINT
QB 1400 GOSUB2280
KA 1410 PRINTL1$
DG 1420 Y=0:IF(A(1)>A(2) ) AND(A
(1)>A(3) )THENY=1:A=Y
JG 1430 IF(A(1)<A(2) )AND(A{2)<
A(3) )THENY=-1:A=Y
DR 1440 F0RJ=1T03:A(J)=INT(A{J
) ) :NEXT
XM 1450 Y=0:IF(A(5)>A(6})AND(A
(6)>A(7) )THENY=1
QQ 1460 IF(A{5)<A(6) ) AND(A(6)<
A(7) )THENY=-1
KG 1470 PRINT"{DOWN} (YEL)SHORT
"TAB(19) ; : PRINTUSING"$
####-##"; A (5) ; :PRINTSP
C(7) ; :PRINTUSING"$####
*##";A(6}; :PRINTSPC(7)
;:printusing"$####.##"
;A(7);
HF 1480 GOSUB2160
FK 1490 Y=0:IF{A(8)>A(9) )AND(A
(9)>A(10) )THENY=1
GD 1500 IF(A(8)<A(9)) AND(A(9)<
A(10) )THENY='l
MA 1510 PRINT" (DOWN) {CYN)MEDIU
M"TAB(19} ; :PRINTUSING"
$####. ##";A(8) ; :PRINTS
PC(7) ; :PRINTUSING"$###
#.##";A(9) ; :PRINTSPC{7
) ;:PRINTUSrNG"$####,##
'* ? A (10) '
XH 1520 GOSUB2160
BA 1530 Y=0:IF{A(11)>A(12) ) AND
(A(12}>A(13) )THENY^1:L
= Y
KQ 1540 IF{A(11)<A(12))*(A(12)
<A(13) )THENY = -'1:L = Y
AJ 1550 PRINT" {DOWN} {6>L0NG"TA
B(19) ; :PRINTUSING"$###
#.##";A(11) ; : PRINTSPC (
7) ; :PRINTUSING"$####.#
#";A(12) ; :PRINTSPC(7) ;
:PRINTUSING"$####,##";
AC13);
DJ 1560 GOSUB2160
DP 1570 Y=0:IF{A(4)> (SI)) AND{ (
G-38 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
S1)>{S2) )THENY=1:A=Y
DA 1580 IF(A(4) < (Si) ) AND ( (SIX
(S2) )THENY = -1:A'=Y
MR 1590 PRINT"{DOWN} {WHT}LEVEL
"TAB{19} ; : PRINTUSING'*$
####.##";A(4);:printsp
C (7) ; :PRINTUSING"$##|#
.##";S1; :PRINTSPC(7) ; :
PRINTUSING"$####.##"?S
2;
KB 1600 GOSUB2160:PRINTL2S
GD 1610 PRINT"INDICATION:
{RVS]";
RJ 1620 IF{A=0) AND(L^0)THENPRI
KTIN$:B=0:GOTO1730
SF 1630 IF(A=1) AND(L=1) AND{A(8
) >A(11) )THENPRINTSF$:B
=1:GOTO1730
MS 1640 TF(A = 1)AND(L=^1) AND(A(8
)<A(11) )THENPRINTUC$:B
=0:GOTO1730
RB 1650 IF(A = -1)AND(L^-1) A!4D(A
(8)>A(11) )THENPRINTUC$
:B=0:GOTO1730
SS 1660 IF(A='1)AND(L=1)AND(A(
8)<A(11) )THENPRINTDBBS
:B=-1:GOTO1730
RS 1670 IF(A=-1)AND(L=-1)AND(A
(5)<A(11))AND(A(8)<A(1
1) )THENPRINTDB$:B=-1:G
OTO1730
FG 1680 IF(A=-1)AND{L=-1)AND(A
(5)>A{11) )AND(A(8)<A(1
1) )THENPRINTBS$;B=1:G0
TO1730
MB 1690 rF(A=l)AND(L=-l}AND{A(
5)<A(11) )AND(A{8)<A(11
) )THENPRINTBS$:B=1:G0T
01730
HH 1700 IF(A=1) AND(L=-1)AND tA(
5)>A{11) ) AND (A (8) <A(11
) )THENPRINTBS$:B=1:G0T
01730
KS 1710 IF(A=I)AND(L=-1)AND(A{
5)>A(11))AND(A(8}>A(11
) )THENPRINTBS$:B=1:G0T
01730
CE 1720 B=0:PRINTIN$
PE 1730 PRINTCHR$(158)TAB{30)"
{2 DOWN} ANY KEY TO CON
TINUE"
RJ 1740 GETK$: IFK$=""THEN1740
EP 1750 PRINT'MCLR} {CYN} {RVS}
{30 SPACES} PERSONAL ST
OCK ADVISOR{28 SPACES}
{OFF}"
JS 1760 F0RK=1T0M
CP 1770 INPUT#1,A$,A(14) ,A(15)
,A(16) ,A(17) ,A(18)
PR 1780 INPUT#1,A(19) ,A(20) ,A(
21) ,A(22) rA(23) ,A(24) ,
A(25)
BA 1790 PRINT"{H0ME}{2 DOWN}"T
AB{8) "{57 SPACES}'*
BB 1800 PRINTCHR$(2) "{HOME}
{2 DOWN} {CYN} STOCK:
{WHT}";A$:PRINT"{CYN}"
:GOSUB2280
MG 1810 PRINT"{CYN}"L1$
FA 1820 Y=0rIF(A(15)>A(16) )AND
(A(16)>A(17) )THENY=1
QE 1830 IF(A(15)<A(16))AND(A(1
6) <AC17))THENY=-1
QB 1840 PRINT" {DOWN} {YEL}SHORT
"TAB (19) ; :PRINTUSING"$
###.#r';A(15);:PRINTSP
C{8) ;:PRINTUSING"$###.
##";A(16) ; :PRINTSPC(9)
;:PRINTOSING"$###,##";
A(17);
BM 1850 GOSUB2160
AS 1860 Y=0:IF(A(18)>A(19))AND
(A(19)>A(20) )THENY=1
SH 1870 IF(A(18)<A(19) )AND(A(1
9) <A(20))THENY=-1
PM 1880 PRINT"{DOWN}{CYN}MEDIU
M"TAB (19) ; :PRINTOSING"
$###.##";A(18);:PRINTS
PC(8) ; :PRINTUSING"$###
.##";A(19) ; :PRINTSPC(9
) ; :PRINTUSING"$###.##"
;A(20);
RS 1890 GOSUB2160
SC 1900 Y=^0:IF(A(21)>A(22) ) AND
(A(22)>A(23) )THENy=l:L
=Y
RH 1910 IF{A(21)<A(22)) AND(A(2
2)<A(23) )THENY==-1:L-Y
FD 1920 PRINT"{D0WN}<6>L0NG"TA
B(19) ; :PRINTUSING"$###
.##";A(21) ; :PRINTSPC{8
) ;:PRINTUSING"$###,##"
;A{22) ; :PRINTSPC(9) ; :P
RINTCJSING"$###,##";A(2
3);
EB 1930 GOSUB2160
GD 1940 Y=0:IF(AC14)>A(24) ) AND
(A{24)>A(25) )THENY=1:L
=Y
HF 1950 IF(A(14)<A(24)) AND(A(2
4) <A (25) )THENY = '1:L = Y
XJ 1960 PRINT"{D0WN}{WHT}PRICE
"TAB (19) ; :PRINTUSING"$
###-##";a(14) ; :printsp
C(8) ; :PRINTUSING"$###.
#|";A(24) ; :PRINTSPC(9)
;:PRINTUSING"$###.##";
A(25);
AC 1970 GOSUB2160
XM 1980 R=INT (100*(A(11)/AC21)
)*(A(15)/A(5))+.5)
FQ 1990 PRINTL2$:PRINTTAB (18) "
{DOWN} {6 SPACES}"
GQ 2000 PRINT" {UP}RELATIVE STR
ENGTH: ";R;TAB (30) ;''REC
OMMENDATION: {RVS}";
QH 2010 IF(L=1)AND(A(15)>A(21)
) AND(A(18)>A(21))THENP
RINTHS$:GOTO2120
MA 2020 IF{L=-1)AND(A(15)<A(21
) )AND(A(18) <A (21) )THEN
PRINTAS$:GOTO2120
SK 2030 IFB=0THENPRINTWA$:GOTO
2120
DJ 2040 IF(B=1)AND(L=1)AND(A(1
8)>A(21) )AND(A(15)<A(1
8) )THENPRINTHS$:G0T021
20
HH 2050 IF{B=-1)AND(L=1)AND(A(
18)>A(21) )AND(A(15) <A (
18) )THENPRINTSS$:G0T02
120
BK 2060 IF{B=1)AND{L=1)AND(A{1
8)>A(21))AND(A(15) <A(2
1) )THENPRINTHS$:G0T021
20
DG 2070 IF(B = -1)AND(L = 1)AND(A(
18)>A{21))AND(A(I5) <A {
21) )THENPRINTSS$:G0T02
120
GA 2080 IF(B=1)AND(L="1)AND(A(
18) <A(21) )AND(A(15)>A(
21) )THENPRINTBS$:G0T02
120
DR 2090 IF{B=~l)AND(L='l) AND(A
(18)<A(21) ) AND(A(15)>A
(21) )THENPRINTDB$:G0T0
2120
SS 2100 IF(B=1)AND(A(18)>A(21)
)THENPRINTBS$:GOTO2120
EX 2110 PRINTIN$
CA 2120 PRINTCHR^ (158)TAB(30)"
{3 DOWN} ANY KEY TO CON
TINUE"
MK 2130 GETK$:IFK$=*'"THEN2130
MG 2140 NEXT
BH 2150 DCLOSE: PRINT" {CYN}" :RU
N
HG 2160 IFY=1THENPRINTTAB(72) "
UP "iRETURN
DH 2170 IFY=-1THENPRINTTAB(72)
"DOWN": RETURN
GD 2180 PRINTTAB(72)"NONE":RET
URN
XQ 2190 REM{3 SPACES }B0X MAKER
PA 2200 PRINT"{HOME} {3 DOWN}"
KB 2210 F0RI=1T018:L$=L$+B$:NE
XT
GK 2220 Z1$=A$+L$+D$:PRINTTABC
29)21$
XQ 2230 F0RI=1T018:Z2$=22$+" "
:NEXT:Z2S=Z2$+E$
XF 2240 F0RI=1T04:PRINTTAB(29)
22S:NEXT
CQ 2250 X$=I$+MID$(Z1$,2,18)+K
$
JC 2260 PRINTTAB (29) X$: PRINT"
{HOME} {4 DOWN}"
PS 2270 RETURN
AH 2280 PRINTTAB(22) "{WHT}THIS
"SPC(11)"LAST"SPC{11)"
WEEK"
AA 2290 PRINT" TRENDS"SPC (15) "
WEEK"SPC (11 ) "WEEK"SPC (
10) "BEF0RE"SPC(12) "DIR
ECTION": RETURN
Philip Addeo is a biomedical engineer
who lives in Roselle, New Jersey, He en-
joys electronics, programming the 128,
and classical guitar D
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE G-39
THE AUTOMATIC PROOFREADER
Philip 1. Nelson
The Automatic Proofreader helps you
type in program listings for the 128 and
64 and prevents nearly every kind of
typing mistake.
Type in Proofreader exactly as list-
,ed. Because the program can't check
itself, be sure to enter each line care-
fully to avoid typographical errors or oth-
er mistakes- Don't omit any iines, even
if they contain unusual commands. Af-
ter you've finished, save a copy of the
program before running it.
Next, type flU/Vand press Return. Af-
ter the program displays the message
Proofreader Active, youVe ready to
type in a BASIC program.
Every time you finish typing a line
and press Return, Proofreader displays
a two-letter checksum in the upper left
corner of the screen. Compare this re-
sult with the two-letter checksum print-
ed to the left of the iine in the program
listing, tf the letters match, the line prob-
ably was typed correctly. If not, check
for your mistake and correct the line. Al-
so, be sure not to skip any lines.
Proofreader ignores spaces not en-
closed in quotation marks, so you can
omit or add spaces between keywords
and still see a matching checksum.
Spaces inside quotes are almost al-
ways significant, so the program pays
attention to them.
Proofreader does not accept key-
word abbreviations {for example. ? in-
stead of PRINT). If you use abbrevi-
ations, you can still check the line by
listing it. moving the cursor back to the
line, and pressing Return.
If you're using Proofreader on the
128, do not perform any GRAPHIC com-
mands while Proofreader is active.
'When you perform a command like
GRAPHIC 1. the computer moves eve-
rything at the start of BASIC program
space—including the Proofreader—to
another memory area, causing Proof-
reader to crash. The same thing hap-
pens if you run any program with a
GRAPHIC command while Proofreader
is in memory.
Though Proofreader doesn't interfere
with other BASIC operations, it's a
good idea to disable it before running
another program. To disable it, turn the
computer off and then on. A gentler
method is to SYS to the computer's
built-in reset routine (65341 for the 128,
64738 for the 64).
G-40 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
AUTOMATIC PROOFREADER
CLR
10 VE-PEEK(772}+256*PEEK(773) :
LO=4 3:HI=44: PRINT" {CLR}
{WHT} AUTOMATIC PROOFREADER
{SPACE} FOR ";
20 IF VE=42364 THEN PRINT "64"
30 IF VE=17165 THEN L0=45:HI=4
6:WAIT CLR:PRINT"I28"
40 SA= (PEEK(L0)+256*PEEK(HI) )+
6:F0R J=SA TO SA+166:READ B
:P0KE J,B:CH=CH+B:NEXT
50 IF CHO20570 THEN PRINT "*E
RROR* CHECK TYPING IN DATA
{SPACE} STATEMENTS" : END
60 FOR J=l TO 5: READ RF,LF,HF:
RS=SA+RF:HB=INT {RS/256) :LB=
RS-(256*HB)
70 CH=CH+RF+LF+HF:POKE SA+LF,L
B:POKE SA+HF,HB:NEXT
80 IF CHO22054 THEN PRINT "*E
RROR* RELOAD PROGRAM AND CH
ECK FINAL LINE":END
90 IF VE=17165 THEN POKE SA+14
,22:PDKE SA+18 , 23 : POKESA+29
,224:POKESA+i39,224
100 POKE SA+149,PEEK{772) :POKE
SA+150,PEEK(773) iPRINT"
{CLR}PROOFREADER ACTIVE"
110 SYS SArPOKE HI , PEEK (HI ) +1 :
POKE (PEEK(L0)+256*PEEK(HI
))-l,0:NEW
120 DATA120,169,73,141,4,3,169
,3,141,5,3,88,96,165,20,13
3,167
130 DATA165,21,133,168,169,0,1
41,0,255,162,31,181,199,15
7,227
140 DATA3, 202, 16, 248,169, 19,32
,210,25 5,16 9,18,32,210,255
,160
150 DATA0, 132, 180, 132, 176, 136,
230,180,200,18 5,0,2,24 0,46
,201
160 DAT A34, 208, 8, 72, 165,17 6,73
,255,133,176,104,72,201,32
,208
170 DATA7, 165, 176, 208, 3, 104, 20
8,226,104,16 6,18 0,24,16 5,1
67
180 DATA121,0,2,133,167,165,16
8,105,0,13 3,168,202,208,23
9,240
190 DATA202, 165,167,69,168,72,
41,15,168,185,211,3,3 2,210
.255
200 DATA104,74,74,74,74,168,18
5,211,3,32,210,255,162,31,
189
210 DATA227,3,149,199,202,16,2
48,169,146,32,210,255,76,8
6,137
220 DATA65,66,67,68,69,70,71,7
2,74,7 5,77,80,81,82,83,88
230 DATA 13,2,7,167,31,32,151,
116,117,151,12 8,129,167,13
6,137 O
ONLY ON DISK
Here are the bonus programs on this
month's Gazette Disk.
Ezee Desfgn
By Frank Kirsch
Milwaukee, W!
If youYe an electronics hobbyist or pro-
fessional, you'll use this oulstanding ref-
erence program often. Ezee Design
fills more than 125 blocks with problem-
solving electronic formulas. It'll help you
calculate problems dealing with Ohm's
Law; capacitors, resistors, and induc-
tors in series and paralief circuits; and
more.
Use It to determine lime constants,
coil-winding specifications, resonant
f-equency, and wavelength calcula-
tions. It solves simultaneous equations
and even illustrates the color code for
resistors— 26 different equations in ail.
Budget
Use this SpeedCalc spreadsheet pro-
gram to help you manage your own fi-
nances. Then send Gazette your own
spreadsheet templates. We'll pay $100
for each program we use. See "64/128
View" on page G-1 for details.
Get the February Gazette Disk for only
$9.95 plus $2.00 shipping and han-
dling. Send your order to Gazette Disk,
COMPUTE Publications, 324 West Wen-
dover Avenue, Suite 200. Greensboro,
North Carolina 27408.
TYPING AIDS
MLX. our machine language entry pro-
gram for the 64 and 128, is a utility that
helps you type in Gazette machine lan-
guage programs without making mis-
takes. To make room for more programs,
we no longer include this labor-saving util-
ity in every issue, but it can be found on
each Gazette Disk and is printed in all is-
sues of Gazette through June 1990.
We'll send you a free printed copy
if you send an SASE to Typing Aids, COM-
PUTE'S Gazette, 324 West Wendover Av-
enue, Suite 200, Greensboro. North Car-
olina 27408.
Sid Meier's
II
RAILROAD
TYC
• 10
WHEN YOU
SUBSCRIBE TO
O^^^ CALL 800-283-3542
"The designers of this simulation have done their homework and have
provided anyone who fancies railroads with a chance to make their dreams
come true." Model Railroader
"...clearly one of the best simulations of any type - indeed, one of the best
games in general - to appear in a ver>' long time." PC Strategy Guide
"...here's a nomination for computer gaEne of the year... It's one product that
is definitely right on track." Chicago Tribune
Overall Game of the Year; ",.. a lifetime of gaming in one product... CGW's
Game of the Year is rcbgnized because of its unique subject matter, excellent
presentation, and exceptional game paly. " Computer Gaming World
"If not the best. Railroad Tycoon is ceaainly among the best computer
games ever created..." Game Players
"thoroughly engrossing... may well be the game of the year." Video Games
& Computer Entertainment
3 Yr 36 Issues
2 Yr 24 Issues
1 Yr 12 Issues
RAILROAD TYCOON
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USA
n $79
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D 3.5 disk
FOREIGN AIR MAIL
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RAILROAD TYCOON AVAILABLE IN NORTH AMERICA ONLY
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Exp Date Tel ^
US & Canada: Payment must be in US Funds. Vermont residents
add 5% sales and use tax. Make checks payable to: Strategy Plus
Inc., PO Box 21 Hancock VT 05748. Allow 4-6 weeks for processing,
Visa & Mastercard accepted.
HONEST REVIEWS
TIMELY PREVIEWS
CUTTING EDGE DESIGN NOTES
DETAILED GAME HINTS
IN-DEPTH STRATEGIC ADVICE
Strategy Plus writers are hard-core gamers who give their honest
opinion of games they have played at length. We give you the
previews as soon as the information on titles such as Patriot, Star
Trek: The Next Generation, Aces Over Europe, Warlords 2, and
Might & Magic 5 is available. Game designers Chris Crawford of
Patton Strikes Back, Dan Bunten of Global Conquest, Bruce
Shelley of Civilization, Mark Baldwin of Empire Deluxe, John
Almberg of Worlds at War and many others, bring you up to date
as the design process unfolds. They share their design decisions
with you, what's in the game, what might be included and what's
been excluded. Afterthe previews, design articles, and reviews we
give you detailed game hints and complete walkthroughs for
games such as Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, The Dagger
of Amon Ra, Ultima 7 Black Gate, Wizardry Crusaders of the Dark
Savant, and Might & Magic 4: Clouds of Keen. The Perfect
General, Civilization, Railroad Tycoon, Empire Deluxe, V for
Victory, Power Monger. Great Naval Battles and similar games,
get coverage with in-depth strategic advice. Computer Games
Strategy Plus includes previews, reviews, design articles, game
hints, and in-depth play advice for the newest IBM, Macintosh,
Amiga, and CD-ROM based computer games.
Circle Reader Service Number t43
REVIEWS
LOTUSWORKS 3.0
New computer owners, fac-
ing a confusing profusion of
competing software prod-
ucts, often start with an inex-
pensive program that com-
bines the basic productivity
appiications. An early con-
tender in that market was Al-
phaWorks, which Lotus De-
velopment bought and re-
named LotusWorks. Lotus
recently improved, updat-
ed, and released Lo-
tusWorks as version 3.0
(there was no version 2.0,
in case you're wondering),
LotusWorks features word-
processing, spreadsheet, da-
tabase, and communica-
tions programs. The first
three are considerably
stronger than those usually
found in Works-style pro-
grams. (They also fill almost
8MB of hard disk space and
require a full 640K RAtVl to
run.)
The programs are tightly
integrated; you can pull da-
ta from one program into an-
other. You can, for instance,
merge names and address-
es from the database into a
word-processing letter tem-
plate to produce a series of
personalized form letters.
The powerful new inter-
face is a character-based
version of Windows, with in-
dividually resizable program
windows. You can open sev-
eral windows at once, click-
ing back and forth between
them with the mouse.
The program has a mod-
ern, colorful look to it, and
(t's a pleasure to use. I have
a few complaints about its
siightly unusual interface,
however. For instance,
each basic program screen
has a menu bar across the
top, with the first letter of
each pull-down menu item
highlighted. In most pro-
grams, you access such
menus by hitting the Alt key I
106 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
and the highlighted letter.
It's that way in Windows,
DOS 5.0, and zillions of oth-
er programs that support
IBM's CUA (Common User
Access) standard. Not so in
LotusWorks. Here, you must
hit F10 to activate the menu
bar and then hit the highlight-
ed key. (There are other pro-
2.01, slightly altered to fit
the pull-down menu inter-
face minus a few of the ad-
vanced functions. Heed I
say more? It's an outstand-
ing spreadsheet for this
kind of program.
The small relational data-
base is surprisingly power-
ful. Its native file format is
«portt, otstoi mIHtiss; iitcliiies dictloMpy, tte«aii«»
LotusWorks combines strong word processing, an excellent
spreadsiieeL a powerful database, and skeletal communications.
grams that use F10 in this
manner, but not many.) Five
years ago, this wouldn't
have raised an eyebrow, but
today it's surprisingly non-
standard. I also found the
system for typing values in-
to fields in dialog boxes un-
usual and awkward.
The word processor can
embed graphics or spread-
sheets in documents, so
when you change the
source file, it changes the
document. It has full sup-
port for text styling, includ*
ing bold, italic, and underlin-
ing for a variety of fonts. It
comes with a large set of
downloadable Bitstream
fonts that work with both dot-
matrix and laser printers.
There's a thesaurus, spell-
ing checker, and print pre-
view function.
The spreadsheet appears
to be Lotus 1-2-3 release
DBF, the dBASE standard.
You can draw data input
forms on screen (nine per da-
tabase) and validate field da-
ta as you enter it. It has cal-
culated fields and large
memo fields. The only draw-
back is that it's not particu-
larly easy to learn. The exten-
sive tutorial helps.
The bare-bones communi-
cations program offers only
four communications proto-
cols and four terminal emu-
lations, although they're the
most common ones. Its sim-
ple learn-mode recording of
log-on scripts is refreshing,
but it doesn't have a built-in
phone directory. (You can au-
todial from database re-
cords, however.)
The dialog box for open-
ing fiies has a fast file view-
er that peeks into the file
highlighted on the directory
list, if it's in the native Lo-
tusWorks format or ASCII. I
found it to be an extremely
handy feature.
LotusWorks comes with
five hours of 5- to 15-minute
tutorial lessons, teaching all
aspects of the programs.
The context-sensitive help is
extensive and usually use-
ful, although there were a
few things I couldn't find.
The manual is written for be-
ginners, explaining such
things as memory and hard
disks. It's thorough and clear-
ly written.
LotusWorks isn't without
minor irritations, but on the
whole, it's a powerful suite
of basic applications that
will handle anyone's ordi-
nary daily home computing
needs. Small businesses
might find themselves lim-
ited, but only if someone on
the staff turns out to be a
computer nut. With all its fea-
tures, it's no surprise that Lo-
tus has sold a million and a
half copies of LotusWorks.
RICHARD 0. MANN
IBM PC or compatible (80286 com-
patible), 640K RAM, EGA or VGA,
hard disk; mouse supported— S149
LOTUS DEVELOPMENT
55 Cambridge Pkwy.
Cambridge, MA 02142
(800)343-5414
(617) 577-8500
Circte Reader Service Number 434
C. ITOH a-8E
The C. Itoh CI-8E desktop la-
ser printer is much more
than an enhanced, beefed-
up version of the C. Itoh 4. In
addition to the CI-BE's being
endowed with more speed,
there are several other note-
worthy features which set it
apart from its sibling.
The C1-8E comes with
1MB of RAM standard, but
this can be expanded to a
maximum configuration of
SMB. The review unit was
equipped with 3MB of RAM.
a comfortable amount for all
With a screen saver for high-powered PCs.
you purchased a high-end system for its hlazing speed, added power and stunning
graphics. So why settle for a screen saver that doesn^t take full advantage of its
capabilities?
ORtGiN FXis the next-generation screen saver, with 255-color, high-res graphics*
running under Windows". It's just what you'd expect from ORIGIN, the entertainment
company that brings you the award-winning Wing Commander and UlUma series.
But whether you're a game player or not, you'll enjoy amazing animations, sensational
sound**, and innovative images, ORIGIN FX is a great way to showcase your system,,
amuse yourself durintt breaks and discover what "state-of-the-art" means in a screen saver.
'GIN
/
SAVE
Special Bonus:
For owners of Wing Commander II,
ORIGIN FX includes a module that plays
all of WC ITs cinematic sequences when
the game is installed on your hard drive.
And that's just the begmntng - look for
add-on ORIGIN FX modules shipped with
our future games, to showcase their cine-
matics, as well.
Circte RMder Service Number 262
An Eiecfronic Arti' Company
PO. 60X 161750 AUSTI^J, TX 78716
©1992 ORIGIN Systems, he. FX h a trademark oF ORIGIN Sysiems, Inc. ORIGIN, Ultimo, We create worlds and Wing Commander ore registered trodemorks
of ORIGIN Systems, Inc. Electronic Arts is o registered trademark of Electronic Arts. Windows Is a trodemark of Microsoft Corp. * Requires that Windows be
configured in 256-color mode with SVGA gropHics. ** Ad Lib, Sound Blaster or Roland MT'32/LAPC-l or 100% compotible required for music
Puzzled?
Then you* 11 love our
Collection of Classic Games!
This collection offers you games
of strategy, skill, and chance -
all for $34.99.
For use with IBM PC's running
Microsoft Windows 3.x
FEATURES:
♦Beleaguered Castle (Solitairc)
*Morris (Board Game)
♦Patterns (Puzzles)
♦And More!
Available at local software
distributors, or call
1-800-831-7611
Staric
L
Graphics^
The Game Grafters™
circle Reader Service Number 129
REVEWS
but the most grueling DTP or graphics
applications utilizing many soft fonts.
Fourteen bitmapped and eight scal-
able fonts are resident in the CI-8E,
and additional fonts can be added us-
ing HP-compatible font cartridges
(there are two slots provided) or down-
108 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
The CI-8E goes beyond the C. Itoh 4,
offering many fonts and easy setup and use,
loadable soft fonts. The CI-8E also
incorporates C. Itoh's EEG {Edge
Enhancement Technology) which
smooths out the jaggies that are often
present in cun/ed areas of text or graph-
ics. The EEG circuitry redefines the
curved areas and remaps them, produc-
ing a smoother overall appearance.
The scalable fonts consist of CG
Times Medium in roman, italic, bold,
and bold italic and Universe Medium in
roman, italic, bold, and bold italic; the
bitmapped fonts resident in both por-
trait and landscape orientations are 10-
and 12-point Courier in roman, bold,
and italic and 8.5-point Line Printer.
Parallel, RS-232C serial, and RS-422
serial interfaces are standard equip-
ment on the CI-8E, Standard emulation
capabilities for the CU8E include HP
LaserJet Series III (PCL5), Epson FX-
850, and IBM ProPrinter XL24e emula-
tions. A PDL cartridge is also available
as an option for PostScript capability,
and this cartridge adds 35 PostScript-
compatible fonts which can be scaled
or rotated.
A soft-touch control panel com-
prised of eight function buttons, four col-
ored LEDs, and a 16-character LCD
message display permits changing the
printer's settings and also provides a
window on the CI-BE s operational stat-
us. Setting up and using the CI-8E are
very easy and uncomplicated; the
menu-driven LCD panel is augmented
by an excellent user's manual.
This eight-page-per-minute laser
printer is conservative in the amount of
desktop space it requires, measuring a
compact 15.5 x 15.9 x 8.6 inches and
weighing just under 31 pounds.
A 250-sheet multipurpose paper
tray feeds paper into the CI-8E. while
an output lever selects either faceup or
facedown delivery modes. An optional
second bin paper feeder which holds
300 sheets (list price, $175) and a 20-
sheet faceup output tray (list price,
$30) are also available as optional
items. Transparencies, envelopes, and
label stock can be manually fed into
the CI-8E.
The C. Itoh CI-8E puts the features
wanted by most users into one pack-
age, and it offers additional features as
options for those users who need
them— a most sensible arrangement.
The CI-8E's 8-ppm output speed, rela-
tively small footprint. EEG technology,
good assortment of standard fonts,
and serial or parallel interfacing com-
bine to make it a printer worthy of seri-
ous consideration.
TOM BENFORD
C, ITOH CI-8E— S1.695
C-TECH ELECTRONICS
2515 McCabe Way
P.O. Box 19673
frvine, CA 92713-9673
(714)833-1165
Circle Reader Service Number 435
HEAVEN & EARTH
Heaven & Earth is the first software of-
fering produced by the newly formed
Buena Vista Software to target a wider
audience than Disney Software, anoth-
er Disney computer products unit. It's
been called an antiarcade game in
that it provides a respite from the stan-
dard shoot-'em-ups and kill-the-evil-
wizard games.
Heaven 8* Earth is a peaceful group-
ing of three games: The Pendulum, the
Heaven & Earth Card Game, and The
Illusions, which in turn can be com-
bined to form the Pilgrimage, patterned
after the Buddhist path of 108 steps to
enlightenment. Oriental concepts for
seasons organize and provide struc-
ture to the games. Earth, air. fire, and
water are paired with winter, spring,
summer, and fall to form the 12 sea-
sons used for the 12 suits in the Heav-
en & Earth Card Game, the four levels
of The Illusions, and the backgrounds
for The Pendulum.
The first and most obscure of the an-
tiarcade games is The Pendulum. The
pendulum can only be persuaded to
move in the needed direction to strike
the positive stones, which will remove
stones from the geometric design be-
low the pendulum. If the negative grav-
ity vortexes, or stones, are hit by the
pendulum, more stones appear As
with all the games, there s no way to
lose The Pendulum game, and you
can keep playing until you win. no mat-
Lt's more mercenary than
your lowyer, shrewder than
your accountant, greedier than
the IRS and tougher thon your
granny. Get ready for the
most challenging game of
Monopoly® you've ever played
with MONOPOLY® DELUXE.
Combining 90's technical
know-how with plenty of good
old-fashioned fun, the best-
selling boordgame of all time
is bock and better than ever
with completely revamped
levels of difficulty and
greatly enhanced graphics
for your computer! You'll
get more deluxe for your
bucks with dazzling anima-
tion of all ten official
tokens, easy-os-pie inter-
face, a game activity log
that keeps track of all
previous moves and the
ability to play by traditional or
custom-designed rules.
Enjoy the thrill and excite-
ment of wheeling and dealing
OS you amass, or reluctantly
part with, great fortunes
buying and selling railroads,
utilities and properties of all
types. This game's a must for
the library of any TRUE
gamer or future real estate
tycoon!
WINDOWS '" version feotures all of the DELUXE fratures listed aliove plus tlie added bonus of easier-to-use poinf-and-dick Inrerloce.
MONOPOLY" DELUXE with the ulrimote eosy-to-use point -ond- click interface will be availoble this fall m PC and WINDOWS '" versions.
For mm informotion, pricing orri orders, piea^e {dK 80O-VRG-IN07. VISA, MASTERCARD^ AMERICAH EXPRESS ond checks occepred.
MOKOPOilf ' and RO UNQi ' isig^ an registered inideiTuricj of Tonka (orpororion.
IQdiUrrie« 1936,1 992 I^H[eren)ih^iUlrighbresefid.)ybK^ All righh reunad. LksnsedtoVtiQxi Games, Ira. c 1 992 Vinjn Gomes, Ira.
Virgin fiOf^gtslcfdrnidemork of Virgin EiitefprHes^LJd Vlfiiraiow^ isarigelcredlnxlemarkofMkTOS^ Corporation.
Circle Reader Service Number 155
REVIEWS
ter how long it takes.
The Heaven & Earth Card
Game uses 12 suits to
match up two-, three-, and
four-of-a-kind suits of the
same month or the same cen-
tral pattern of ocean, moun-
tain, desert, or sky. Points
are gained by getting more
similar cards, having no
cards left over, and having
animations on the paired
cards. Animations are spe-
cial cards that combine ani-
mation with digitized sound,
creating, among other
things, the star Betelgeuse,
a tornado, and lightning.
The 576 illusions are divid-
ed into 12 types of four diffi-
culty levels, with 12 Illusions
per type. The Illusions,
which iDasicaliy consists of
computer-based puzzles,
gets progressively more dif-
ficult as the game progress-
es. The illusion types in-
clude antimaze, identity,
grouping, and "fit fall," a Tet-
riS'like game puzzle. These
are further classified into
four increasing difficulty lev-
els of ocean, desert, moun-
tain, and sky. Each difficulty
(eve! brings a change of
rules that makes the next
set even harder.
The Pilgrimage is a com-
bination of The Heaven &
Earth Card Game. Illusions,
and Pendulum, with 26
unique and different puzzles
that allow you to save your
progress in a kind of mara-
thon of Heaven & Earth. You
must complete the current
game before you can move
on to the next, in contrast to
the free access of all the in-
dividual games.
Production values are
high on Heaven & Earth, as
evidenced in the high-
gloss, heavy-paper manual.
The 640 x 480 VGA resolu-
tion is really in 16 colors
with advanced dithering
(shading) techniques, mak-
ing the limited palette look
110 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
VkUi ()[
tinii'j MmmiI
u
^^H t
1 MLUfM^M^M^^^W^BJ
fill
it ^;. •••■■■*
^^j..v'....*»-..V-r. ■•
Take the PC path to software enlightenment with Heaven & Earth,
the first offering from Disney's Buena Vista Software.
The Logitech Trackman offers a stationary alternative to a mouse,
eliminating the need for scurrying room.
more like 256 colors. Instal-
lation into 6.5MB of hard
disk space is quick and
easy. The Pilgrimage sup-
ports six save games, as
well as pause and load func-
tions. The digitized music,
gongs, and whistles have a
definite oriental flavor, giving
away the fact that some of
the designers worked on
Shanghai and ishido.
Heaven & Earth has an in-
tangible beauty about it,
something inscrutable and
mystifying. That's not just an
illusion, if the large number
of sales to women—a
group that traditionally
avoids computer games— is
any indication.
On the surface, the game
appears to be simply anoth-
er game that combines
three lesser games to give
substance to the product.
On closer inspection,
though, you see that each
of the game modules is a
full game in itself, needing
no support from the others.
All of which makes Heaven
& Earth a most unusual^
and rewarding — game.
ALFRED C GlOVETTf
IBM PC or compatible (10-MHz
80286 or faster); 640K RAM; EGA.
MCGA, VGA, VGA gray scale, or Tan-
dy 16-color; hard drive with 6,5MB
free; mouse recommended; sup-
ports Sound Source, Thunderboard,
Sound Blaster, Ad Lib. IBM PS/1 au-
dio card, and Tandy DAC sound—
$49.95
BUENA VISTA SOFTWARE
500 S. Buena Vista St.
Burbank, CA 91521-6385
(800) 688-1520
Circle Reader Service Number 436
LOGITECH
TRACKMAN
The Trackman trackball from
Logitech is a terrific alterna-
tive to a mouse. It looks some-
thing like a three-fingered
hand, and for good reason:
The widths of the buttons on
this three-button device (the
three "fingers") fit your real fin-
gers well. The thumb is the
trackball itself, which can be
easily manipulated by your
real thumb.
Of course, since your
thumb must be trained to do
what your whole hand (and
arm) previously did, it takes
some getting used to when
quick pointing is required.
Even so, for applications
where moving the pointer isn't
time critical, adaptation is al-
most automatic. Generally
speaking, the ergonomic de-
sign is excellent. Of course,
the real advantage of the
Trackman— what Logitech
calls a stationary mouse^s
that it sits in one place, where-
as a mouse needs room to
move. Everyone with a crowd-
ed workspace should look
closely at this product.
Because this trackball is as
large as an adult hand (about
5V2 inches long and 1 V? inch-
es high), it may not be conven-
ient for packing when space
is tight. It might not work well
^We choose to go to the moon..J^
-John K Kennedy
BUZZ ALDRIN'S
ilLLS-SOVfT 5PACI mi SWJtAnOH
Three... two...
onc.LIFT'OFF!
The roar of the giant
Saturn V engines
becomes deafening as
the gleaming rocket
clears the launch
tower. Within minutes it has enough velocity
to reach orbit. America's space program is
heading to the moon! But for two years the
Russians have been working on a larger, more
powerful rocket. Could they be secretly
planning a mission this year to land men on the
moon? Will they get there first?
Buzz Aldrins Race Imo S^pace™, is a
computer simulation o( man's greatest
adventure, the race to the moon. It recreates
all the excitement of ever^^ space mission using
digitized footage from lift-offs, space walks >
lunar landings and splashdowns.
As Space Director, you have at your
disposal the entire space inventories of both
the U.S.A. and U.S.S.R., and can plan and
direct every conceivable space mission:
sub-orbitals; orbital manned and unmanned;
duration records; lunar flybys; lem tests; lunar
passes; lunar orbits; lunar landings; and even
emergency space rescues!
You get to recruit and train over 140
astronauts and cosmonauts and determine
which ones have the "right stuff'. You deter-
mine which space hardware to research and
develop and then you actually schedule and
launch individual space missions.
iM
1 1
!
w
^
'4?
tm.v^^ssm:^^
f)
Buzz Ak!rm'5 Race Into Space™ offers
twenty different approaches to the moon. Do
you follow history or do you cut your own path
to glory? Will the United States land on the
moon first? Or will the Russians continue to
dominate space and plant the red flag on lunar
soil first?
Do You Have The Right Stuff?
Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space'^^ includes:
■ Ability to select from over thirty types of
space hardware
■ Hwidreds of histoncal photos and di^tized
animations
■ Tu'ent^ varied approaches to land on the moon
■ Play the U.S. or Sovie ts
■ Recruit , train , and assign over 1 40 astronauts
■ Rescue stranded astronauts
M Three levels of difficulty
■ Complete astronaut history
■ Fuii musical score and sound ejects
To Order Buzz Aldrins Race Into Space'^^,
call ^800'969'GAME, or see your local
retailer. Coming soon on MS- DOS.
MS-DOS Screens Pictured.
Circle feeder Service Kumber 105
Interplay Productions
3710 S.Susan, Suite 100
Santa Ana, CA 92704
(714)549-2411
© 1992 Sttate^ Visims, Inc, M ri^ts maiel Buzz Aldms Race
into Space^ is a trademark of Interplay Productions, fnc, MS-DOS
is a tTOikrmrk o/Miaoso/i Corpcrradon.
REVEWS
for a small child, either. In
most cases, however, size
shouldn't be a probienn.
The Tracknnan comes
with the same versatile
MouseWare software that
accompanies all of Lo-
gitech's mouse products.
This makes it adaptable to
virtually any system configu-
ration. Also included with
the trackball is a 9-to-25 pin
serial adapter, a 9-to-6 pin
mouse port adapter, and a
thorough and well-written
manual.
If you're looking for a stur-
dily built, versatile alterna-
tive to a mouse, you might
consider giving your hand
to the Trackman.
BRUCE M. BOWDEN
Logitech Trackman—Si 39
LOGITECH
6505 Kaiser Dr.
Fremont. CA 94555
{800)231-7717
{510} 795-8500
Circle Reader Service Number 437
MEGAHERTZ
T396FM
A decent modem should do
three things: run at 9600
bps, support V,42bis data
compression, and send and
receive faxes. A year ago,
such a modem wouldVe
cost you more than $1 ,000.
Today, you can expect to
spend much less.
If you need this kind of mo-
dem for your laptop comput-
er, take a look at Mega-
hertz's new line of internal
laptop fax/modems. These in-
clude the AR196FM (for the
AST Premium Exec 386SX/
20, 386SX/25, and 386SX/
25C). the C596FM (for the
Compaq Portable 486c and
LTE 386S/20, Lite/20, and Li-
te/25}, the T396FM (for the
Toshiba T1000, T1200,
T1600. T2000, T3100,
T3200, T4400, and T6400 se-
ries), and the Z396FM (for ;
112 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
the SlimsPort, Zenith Min-
isPort. and MastersPort
386SL). Each is $569, ex-
cept for the Toshiba and Ze-
nith models, which are
$599.
You can also buy the
same circuitry in a small ex-
ternal unit about the size of
a deck of cards. It's called
sion. (You can use your tel-
ecommunications program
to automatically send com-
mands that do the same
thing.)
The company also in-
cludes a DOS-based mo-
dem program from Magic-
Soft, called MTEZ, that sup-
ports the XMODEM and
Laptop users looking for a good internal or external modem can get
a top-quality Megahertz model for a reasonable price.
the P296FMV pocket fax/mo-
dem ($599): it plugs into
your serial port and can run
on either AC power or two
AA batteries. With batteries,
it weighs only 6.8 ounces.
I tried out the T396FM in-
ternal fax/modem with a
Toshiba T6400 laptop, and
it worked just fine. When
communicating with a sys-
tem that supports both V.32
protocol (this allows you to
transmit at 9600 bps) and
V.42bis (this gives you a
4 : 1 rate of data compres-
sion), you can send and re-
ceive data at an effective
rate of 38,400 bps. I also test-
ed the unit with my usual fax
software, WinFAX Pro, and it
worked again without a
hitch.
Megahertz thoughtfully in-
cludes two batch files that
let you quickly switch back
and forth from V.42bis to a
stripped-down 9600-bps
mode without any error cor-
rection or data compres-
YMODEM protocols. You
can also use MTEZ to send
and receive faxes. In addi-
tion, you get a coupon that
you can send in for an un-
named Windows-based fax
software package.
When I first tried to use
the T396FM with Crosstalk
for Windows, I wasn't sure
which modem to choose. Be-
cause the modem is new, it
wasn't listed on my older ver-
sion of Crosstalk. Fortunate-
ly, Megahertz provides toll-
free technical support, and
a technician walked me
through the initialization
string for Crosstalk's custom-
modem setup.
If you have an AST Com-
paq, Toshiba, or Zenith lap-
top, this is currently the
best deal in town for a fax/
modem (9600-bps fax and
modem) with \/.42bis. If
youVe looking for a small ex-
ternal fax/modem with the
same capabilities, you won't
go wrong with the pocket
model, either. Top quality, ex-
cellent price, toll-free sup-
port, and a five-year unlimit-
ed warranty— who could ask
for anything more?
DAVID ENGLISH
Megahertz T396FM— $599
MEGAHERTZ
4505 S. Wasatch Blvd.
Salt Lake City, UT 84124
(800) LAP-TOPS
(801)272-6000
Circle Reader Service Number 436
SIMCITY FOR
WINDOWS
Regular COMPUTE readers
almost certainly know about
SimCity. Since its introduc-
tion to deservedly wild acco-
lades in 1989. it has won
nearly every award in the in-
dustry, been featured in
Newsweek magazine, sold
a quarter of a million copies,
and won a place in the
hearts of the computing pub-
lic. It's a classic in the truest
sense of the word.
The big news on the
SimCity front this year is the
new SimCity for Windows.
Windows users will love hav-
ing SimCity available at the
click of an icon, Windows
brings several new capabili-
ties to the game, not the
least of which is the ability
to leave your city growing
and developing in the back-
ground while you go about
your other multitasked Win-
dows business.
Just in case you're new
here, though, let's go over
what SimCity is ail about. It
won't hurt you veteran city
planners to be reminded of
the charms of running the
mayor's office. I have to ad-
mit that until this new Win-
dows version came in, it
had been months since I vis-
ited Rich's Ridge. Now I'm
hopelessly hooked again.
SimCity puts you in
charge of a simulated city.
SOFTWARE HEADQUARTERS
A wide selection ofsofiivare and accessories for the IBM,,
Specialists in Interimtional Saks • Competitive Mcing • Same day shipping
An Amencan Ta i 30
Arnazor; 43
Aimourfieddon ..„„„„32
Btif&ie's Giamo'Qus Quest ..,.„, ,27
Lemmings , 34
Lomminga 2 ......37
Life & Death N:The Grain. 27
Lord of the Rif^ If: Two To*«fs 37
Lost Rifls of Sherlock Hofnes ...47
Lost Treasures of Infocorr .,43
Before you hit iht rojtl on business, before you
head down the highft-ay on vacadon, chark
AUTOMAP for V5''iniJows, AutoMap ihov« you
the shorten, quickest or most prtfcrrcd route ri>
your destination, A comprelienstvc toolbar gives
you iiivfant 2ccm to ill your favorite comnundi.
bvAutoMap, Inc. $57.
Bard's Ta'e Corsuuction Set 34
Bard's Tsfe III 31
B3ft Simpson .fl/cade Game ,32
Bart Simp&on: house Welrdness 32
Batman Returns 43
Battle Chess 32
Battle Chess II ,.,, 32
Battle Cbesa^MO VQA.,....,„.,32
Biaci* Crypt ..,.33
Bridge 7.0 .,...32
Buzz Aldrin's Race Into Space. .43
Car St Driver 40
C3Si!es 2: Siege & Conquest ....37
Challenge of the 5 Realms 37
CisiltratJon 43
Coaster 27
Conquest of LoTgbow 43
Creepers 32
Crisis m the Kremlin 37
Crusacers of the Dark Savant. ...42
CydeT Empires,, 33
The Dagger of Amon Ri 43
TheD3.^kHa:f 37
Daemonsgate„.. 37
Dar^;l3nds 43
OarKSifnrThe Shattered Lands , ,47
Design Your Own Railroad ,37
Lost Treasures of Infocom 2..,.,. 37
The Lost Tribe 27
Lure of the Temptress 32
Magic Candle 2. 40
Martian Memorandum 27
Mantls:Exi>enmentalRgnter......43
Megatraivetser 3 „... 43
Mercenaries ,.-.,...,....*„ 40
Mfght& Magic 3 40
Might/M^ic:Clouds of Xeen .....43
Monopoty Detuxe 37
Oh No! More Lemmings! (Add) „.22
Out of this WorSd 37
Paladin II ,...,. 37
pjtfighler „.... , „ , , .25
p;anei's Edge 40
Police Quest 3 37
Powerhits: Battletecn 32
PowerWts: Sci-R „ 32
Powerhlts: Sports 32
Powermonger 33
Prophecy of tt>e Shadow..,,,, 40
(Jgest for Glory 3 ,43
Ra.lroad Tycocm ,.,,,22
Realms. 32
RexNebolar 43
RoboSpol for Windows 37
G a ry ( i r igs b y s Fac 1 1 j c \V;i r
Pacific War iimubtcs the true WWII eipcricnct
vAih a deiaUed database listing every Und. air,
and sea unit under the p\xycts commantt ,
Realistic graphics display upclosc combat scenes
tnmplc[e with iionib and torpdo cxplosinns.
by Strategic Simulations Inc.... $47,
Dragon's Lair 2: Bmewarp ........43
Dragon's Lair 3...... .............37
Dragon's Lair: Singe's Castle ....37
DuneZ. ,. 37
EcoQijest2 ..........32
EfDpire Deluxe ......CALL
Enoert Home Cesign ......14
Eipert Pet Care 14
Eye of the Behiider 2 40
Fables & Fiencs:K>Tandia 37
Gemftre 32
G-iobal Effect 33
Grand Sla?n Bridge 2 33
GODS,..,.,,,........-.. .,27
Guy Soy,,... 32
Heaven and Earth 32
Heimdall... 22
H(Hi>eAlon0 2 30
HongKor\g M3h|ongPro 33
Hoyles Book of Games 3 32
The Humans 27
Indiana Jones 4:Fate of Atlantis .40
Island of Dr. Brain 32
K.G.B .-.22
King's Qvjest 5 .....,., ...37
Rules of Eng^ement 2 40
SargonS .,.,,32
Scrabt] I e Deluxe 27
Secret of Monkey island 11 40
Shadow of the Sorcerer 33
ShadowLands 32
Shanghai 2:Dragon's Eye 32
Shanf t>n Bn<ige 37
Shuttle Space Flight Simuiator ..32
Sim Ant 37
Sim City 30
Sim City for Windows 37
Sim City GraphiciAncient Cities ..24
Sim City QraphiciFuture Cities ...24
Sim Earth 41
Sim Earth forWir^Jows.. 43
Solitaire for Windows.... 32
Space Ace 2: Borf' s Revenge ....37
Space Quest 4 37
Speedt3ail2 27
Spellcasting 301 .„„37
Spell craft; Aspects of Va or ..37
S jje I liammer ,.,.,..... .., ., .40
Star Cwrtnrt 2 - .37
Star Trek 25th Anniversary 37
Super Teir s ,.,.32
Tennlnatof 2029.- 43
Thieatre of War „.,„..„. 33
Time Treks „,.„..,.................37
Tracon for Windows 47
Tracon 2: Air Traffic Controller ....43
Treasures of Savage Frontier 33
Trolls 32
Trump Castle 3 ,37
Turtles:AJC3[Je Game ....32
TurtJes:Manhastan Missions 32
Ultima 7: The Black Gate 47
Ultima 7"sFo'ge of Virtue 20
Ultima 7: Serpent IsJe 47
Ultima Underworld. 47
Ultima Tnlogy 2... 47
Waxworks 37
Wayne's Worid ..,,. 30
Wneel of Fortune w/ Vanna 27
Where America's Past Carmen ,.37
Where in Time is Carrnen .,32
WJiere in ISA is Csnnen 32
Where in World is Carmen VGA ..47
Wing 2 Special Operations 1 27
Wing 2 Special Operations 2 27
W<ng Commander 2 47
Wing Commander 2 Speech PaX 17
F-19 Stearth Fghter 22
Falcon 3,0.. 47
Gerghis Khan , ...37
Great Naval Battles: 19 39^13 ....47
Global Conquest , 37
Gunship 2000 VGA...... 42
Gunship 2000 Scenario Disk 27
Harpoon...... 30
Harpoon BattieSef # 2 or 3 21
Harpoon BattleSet #A ..25
Harpoon ChaEIeriger Pak. 4S
Harpoon Scenario Editor.. .,„.,. ,28
Heroes of the 357th...., 34
Kampfgrtippe 37
Land. Sea Air Tnlogy 2 43
L' Empereur 37
LHX Attack Chopper 28
Liberty or Death 37
Line in the Sand 27
Lost Admiral .37
MegaFbrtress: Rignt of Old Dog .40
NAM , ...........32
No Greater Glo^ 37
Patriot , ...,47
Perfect General 37
Pirates Gold ,..43
P.T,0 ....CALL
Fly In the Face of
Reality!
I
t
V'irtiid Pilot
puts fire power
right under your
thumbs, ^ivesyou
Luh'.incecTailernn
.m J clcvaror trim
tnnifdls and cuii throttle control for
hitth-jKnvcred games. Ii's as cJose to
rirility is )oii din j;ci with our leaving
jour computer.
byCHProdnct.^..„....S69.
Wing Commander Deluxe.. 47
683 AUac< Sub Combo .....28
,Air Force CommarKJer 37
Air Warrior,.,.,,, 37
Ancient Art, of War in SNies 37
AJ.A,C.„... ,........„...,..,.,..37
A.T.P, Fligit Commander..,.. 37
Aces of the Pacific. 43
Allied Forces Bundie, ......42
Ancient Art of War.......... 31
frl7 Flying Fortress..... 42
inds of Prey .,.,.,...„., 33
Campaign. .,.,.,„„. 37
Carrier Strike 43
Carriers at War , , 34
Chuck Yeager's Air Combat 40
Command HQ „.,. 37
C^ombat Classics , .,.,....37
Conquest of Japan ....37
Conffict ir Korea 37
^
Romance of Three Kingdoms 2. .43
Spectre 3. 37
Task Fortje 1942. 43
Top GurT:Danger Zone,... 32
V forVictoiv 47
X*Wlng 37
Hi^*jiil-1
4DBoxirTg 22
Action Sports Soccer 27
All American CoSlege FootJball ....37
Andretti's Racing, Challenge ......22
A.P.BA Baseball 27
Bill Eitioi's Nascar Challenge 32
California Games II .......27
Car & Driver,. ...40
Cart Lewis Challer^s 32
Front Page: Sports Football...... 43
GREENS.....,,,. 37
Ha?0Uall3,. .37
Hardball 3: Park Disk Call
Jack Nickfaus: Signature Ed 43
WeajKHis Control - A h^rvds on throttle
with itvcn independent Lonirols includ-
ing radar mode, weapons sckxt. "waypoint
select and counter mca.vures ............589.
Flight Control - The best jovstick for
FlfEht Simuktors. Compatible with all
flight simulitor packages as 2 button
joystick - S69.
flight Comrol Pro $115.
RuaacrPeaaU SI 15.
F15 Strike Eagle 3 47
FIS Strike Eagle 3 Ace Pack....S2
John Madden Football 2...,.,. 33
Unks386PR0 42
Poplllou.S 2
Ai one of the many sons of Zeus, you approach
your father with aspirations of immortility. I It-
accepts your request but insists you must prove
your merit by defeating 32 of hU most powertul
deities. B^n your qucit for immorxalit>' on the i
batdeiields of ancient Greece. Clash forcw with
"^uch legendary Greek Eods as Poseidon, Apollo,
Pr(jmcmcU5 and even /xus himself!
bv Electronic Am. S'10.
King's Quest 6 47
LA, Law 37
Leather Godcesses Phobos 2 ...43
Leger^d of Kyrandra 37
Legions of Krella 40
Leisure Larry 5 37
Strike Commander 47
Strip Poker 3. ..,-33
Sturtt Island ... 37
The Summonirg ., .-40
Super Jeopardy 27
Super Space Invaders,.,. 27
Call us and use your MC, Visa or Discover
800-999-7995
In NY State 212-962-7168
Fax 212-962-72e3
Methods of Payment: We accept Visa, MC, Discover Card fit
Money orders. Personal checks allow 14 days to clear.
School. State Sl Citi' purchase orders accepted.
Shipping: UPS Ground (SS minimum)/ UPS Blue (STminimum)
APO&FPO( S6)/WMADA. HI. AK & PR (Airborne S12).
Overseas minimum $30 shipping (please fax orders)
NY residents add 8.25% Sales Tax.
Send money orders or checks to: MISSION CONTROL
43 Warren St.. Dept. C0M293. Ne>v York, Ki 10007
Please send S2.00 for catalogue (free with order.)
Oveiwat&MiliJtoqr*&reeiy^
Links: Bayhill Course Disk ...18
Links:Bountiful Course Disk ......18
LJnks:Dorado Beach Course ....,,18
Links;Firestone Course Disk...,.,lS
Unks; Barton Creek Course ,18
MicroLeague Basetjall 4 42
RO
Mavis Beacon Tvoini
SOUNDCARDS
AdUt)Go!diOOO..,., 179
Ad Lib MuSiC Card 49
Sound Blaster Pro 209
y w j» jpi 3 Hot t:i) I lot htxm hom orOrdrr ,\ll ) k U^t
'^^O^S ^^^^ ' contains 5,268 explicit VG."\ pictura
^» j^™ in GIF fonrwt, ST animated monies. 574 sto-
I rics. talci & joiccs and 1250 \i(™cr^, games
iod utilities f^lsk 2 is jn otcliisivc collection
containgover 900 Super VG.A. pictures and
over 400 VGA pictures. Di^k 3 is aiu)ther
collection of over 650 mfa of the hottc.4 pic-
tures available.
One fsir im.n\xo for Si 40./.^ for 5 l'J9.
NCAA: Road to Final Four 2 CALL
r^a Pro League Football 4?
NFL FulJ Motion Video .47
PGA Tour Golf 32
Pro League Baseball '92 37
Pro Football Analyst 37
Summer Challenge,„..............„35
Tom Landry Football 32
Tony La Russa Tearr.s 1901-63 15
Tony La Russa Basebai t 32
Wayre Gretzky Hockey 3 37
Hockey League Simulator 2 ...CALL
World Class Soccer 27
Algeblastef Pius 32
Eartt'Quest 27
Granrmar Gremlins 32
Headine Harry VGA 37
KidPi^ ,...37
Wd Works 2 ,...37
Mano Teaches Ts.ping, 32
Math Blaster Plus ....32
Math Blaster Plus Endows 37
Number Munchers -.,.22
EDUCATIONAL
Sound Blaster Pro Basic CALL
Sound Commander GOLD 169
Ultrasound CanJ 139
Gamepcrr AutoCH Products 34
Ganiepon i.MiCfoChanni) &/ CH .48
GaJTiecard (80 Thz) „,.„,.....27
IcontroHer forPC 49
9624 Internal Fax/Modem 89
96/24 Portable Fax/Modem ...199
9600 Faa/9600 Modem 329
Computer Cleaning & Vacuum ...35
APS 2001 69
Analog Sabre ...22
Analog Plus 25
night Stick by CH Products 39
GrFORCEYoke. ..,49
Gravis Joystick for PC , 39
Mach 111 by CH Products 33
Mouse \^tiee! 49
Mouse Yoke 34
JOYSTICKS
1 KI^ t AN
THE CHALLFNGE - to flip and niidj;c your
way to the highest score possible using gre^t
features incorporated (rom tradionsl pinbiil
gam«. Tristan is-as a finnlisi for Best
Simulation 1991 by the Software Fubliihcrs
Association. Refjuircs a 386 or 486, hard disk.
2 nig,h ram. Supprt.^ SV''GA & Sound Rioter
by Amtex...... S57.
Or^CKi Trail ..32
PC Globe 5,0 or USA 2.0 .,.41
Read Sc Roll VGA ., .,.,.32
ReaderRabblt2 37
Reading Adverttures in Oz... 37
Readings Me 32
Storitiook Weaver ....32
Spel It Plus Talking ....32
5u oe r S pel 1 1 copter..... 27
Su oe r M u n cner s.,.. 32
Snap Dragon , 32
Tinte Riders sn Am History,... 37
Treasure Cove 37
Treasure MathStomi 37
TreeHouse 37
What's My Angte 32
WordMunchers .,.,32
ZooKeeper .,.,37
PRODUCTIVITY
Animation Studio...,. 79
AutoMap , ......57
AutoWorKs...................... 47
Botf/kVorks .47
Chemistry Works .....................43
Gt't X Real Feci to Right
by Maxximum
Ouic'KShoi Aviator 5 ..,32
Ou icks hot Intruder 5 , ., „ „ „ 29
(Julckshot Waftior 5, .,.,15
Virtual Pilot 69
The Animals ..69
BatUeChess ..47
Beauty & the Beast 39
Compton's Encyclopedia 395
Guinness Disc of Records......... 69
Grolier's Encyicopedia 239
GramiTiy Awands , 49
- - " ..249
35
,..57
Grolier's Encyclopedia ..
KGB/CIA Factbook
Loom..
Secret of K?onkey Island .47
Secret Weapons of Luftwaffe 57
Stiertock Ifolines Detectlv« 2 ...45
Sleeping BeEJuty,,, .,,,,, ,,,.,39
Software JukeboK.. ,,.,45
Wing Commander/ Ultima 6 47
Wing Commander 2 Del u!(e.,,. CALL
WC2/ Ultima Unden^rtd ........CALL
Wing Commander Deluxe ....47
MtLKximtim Presents!
Maxx Yoke gives yoti the precision you
I always wantetl. It'.s ;i Itill si/cd nuilti-
J functional aircraft jovittLk hir vour PC
.Makes A Great Gifd S69.
] Maxx Pedais are floor stj-ie modular
[attachments which are fully assembled and
[ ready to plug in and pbv, - S39.
Maxx Yoke & Peaal Bunaie....S99.
&:QfaK's Top 30.... 37
F'O^-fisnPiuS........... 47
Fasl PacK Masi , 57
Fom-. Tool Gold .,. 57
LegaS Lener Works 47
Msvis Beacon 2 Windows .,37
Not respKjnsibte for typographical
errors.ChecK compatibility before
ordering. All Sales Final.
Defectives replace with same
tern onty.
Circle Reader Service Number 200
REVIEWS
Starting with an undevel-
oped expanse of land along
a large watenA/ay, you estab-
lish the zoning for industrial,
residential, and commercial
areas. You build power
plants, roads, tracks for
light rail, parks, police and
fire stations, airports, and a
stadium. Then you string the
power lines to your zoned ar-
eas so construction can
start.
That's all there is to it. Re-
ally. The amazingly intricate
and realistic programming
takes it from there. You
zone a sector residential,
you provide power and trans-
portation, and the sims (sim-
ulated citizens) take over.
You'll see tiny houses going
up and minuscule automo-
biles appearing on the
roads. Of course, you'll
need industrial and commer-
cial zones nearby, or no one
will move in— sims need plac-
es to work and shop, you
know.
You'll need to fine-tune
things, which is the essence
and joy of the game. If you
build too much industry and
rely on automobiles entirely,
you'll soon learn the conse-
quences of pollution. If you
skimp on police protection,
crime rates will skyrocket.
These and a dozen other
negative outcomes result in
unhappy citizens, who
move out and leave you pre-
siding over an empty, decay-
ing city.
As in real life, money
makes all this work. The
more citizens and business-
es in your city, the larger the
tax base. You start with
seed money, but you have
to earn tax revenues to
build anything, maintain the
infrastructure, and pay po-
lice and firefighters. As in
real life, it's a delicate jug-
gling act to keep the servic-
es going without increasing
taxes beyond the citizens'
114 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
21 ^^'^ Jd3z3
-ilTJj^T:JT AJj^ ^r^M
SlmCttyrorWlndoiM
1 1. ir
E '- ':;J'*25I525522
SimClty for Windows, the latest version of the popular software
game, lets you build and maintain your own city
willingness to pay.
There are joyous touches
of delight in the game: The ti-
ny stadium fills up periodical-
ly with pinpoint-sized sims.
and Lilliputian football play-
ers move up and down the
inch-long field. A traffic-re-
porting helicopter shares
the sky with airplanes,
which occasionally crash in-
to the city Earthquakes and
a nuclear meltdown (if
you've been adventurous
enough to choose a nuclear
power plant) may blight
your city. A monstrous God-
zilla creature may appear
and stomp parts of your city
to rubble.
The Windows version
adds floating toolboxes, giv-
ing you access to more of
your map windows. You can
open multiple maps and in-
formation windows at once,
and a ribbonlike master
toolbar has been added. Ac-
cess to game controls and in-
formation is much easier.
If you already have SimCi-
ty, you probably don't need
to upgrade to the Windows
version — that is, unless
you're hooked on the game
and use Windows most of
the time. Then you'll love it.
If you haven't joined the
ranks of fledgling mayors
yet, run (don't walk) to your
nearest software outlet and
buy one of the SimCity ver-
sions. You Ye in for a chal-
lenging, addicting experi-
ence. Games simply don't
get any better than this,
RICHARD 0. MANN
IBM PC or compatible (80286 com-
patible), 1MB RAM. EGA or VGA,
hard disk, Windows 3.0 or higher;
mouse recommended — $59.95
MAXIS
2 Theatre Square, Sle. 230
Orinda. CA 94563
(800) 33'MAXiS (510) 254-9700
Circle Reader Service Number 439
CALCULUS
EZ-FAXIT
Computerized faxing is be-
coming mainstream, So
much so that Calculus,
which specializes in network
fax solutions, has intro-
duced sophisticated models
for home offices.
While the Calculus EZ-
FAXit board and Windows
software deliver beautiful
graphics in a manner that's
as easy to use as creating
and printing documents, the
price might make you think
twice about the many advan-
tages packed into this kit.
The version I tested car-
ries a $299 list price for
4800-bps fax and Windows
software. The company's
9600-bps fax kit costs $499.
These prices compare unfa-
vorably to the £169-S279
price range found for compa-
rable fax cards at two com-
puter stores in my area —
and those prices include
9600-bps fax and 2400-bps
modem. Calculus does not
have a modem— a distinct
disadvantage, since you
have to dedicate a phone
line to the fax and give up a
card slot to a modem so
you can use your autodialer
and online services.
The EZ-FAXit half-width
card has two coprocessors
that can send and receive fax-
es in the background, so you
can work without interrup-
tion—a major advantage,
Installing the half-width
card couldn't be easier, EZ-
FAXit prevents headaches
by automatically configuring
itself during software installa-
tion. This is an advantage,
because if you incorrectly
set switches on other fax
boards, not only will the fax
not work, but other devices
will also fail.
Using EZ-FAXit is also sim-
ple. Unlike other programs
that require you to convert
files to ASCII, exit your appli-
cation, and load their fax soft-
ware. EZ-FAXit works com-
pletely inside your applica-
tion. For instance, if you cre-
ate a document in Microsoft
Word for Windows and se-
lect Print, a pop-up menu
asks for the recipient's
name and phone number.
You can type it or select in-
formation from a phone direc-
tory which can hold an unlim-
ited number of names. You
can also select when to dial,
saving money by schedul-
ing phone calls during low-
rate periods. Moreover, you
can broadcast faxes to
groups of colleagues, thus
eliminating the need to re-cre-
ate faxes or wait through the
DUN E-II
The Building of A Dynasty
ConquerArrakis this fail on yooriBMPC!
far more inf&imation, pnclng and orders
pteasgcaii 80B^HG'lN0l
%r. Visa, Maskrpardr American Express
atid chec!($ accepted.
Hnad«c.Sefvic» Nun^ber 163
REVIEWS
conversion process. These
high-end features begin to jus-
tify the price of EZ-FAXit.
People who have re-
ceived my faxes say the 24-
point Times Roman fonts
and boxes printed beautiful-
ly. This is a major advan-
tage over other fax boards
that strip out your formatting
to present legible yet bland
displays of information, usu-
ally in 10-point sans-serif
type.
EZ-FAXit sends faxes in
the background, so you
quickly get back control of
your machine to work on oth-
er projects. It even has clev-
er sound effects: A success-
ful fax yields a sound like
Teddy Roosevelt charging
up San Juan Hiil; a failed
transmission sounds like
you gave the wrong answer
on a TV game show.
The board also receives
faxes automatically. This is a
bonus I appreciate when I
think of colleagues who
must demand prior notice
so they can set up their ma-
chines to receive faxes.
EZ-FAXit does have prob-
lems. A graphics-heavy fax
refused to print on my Hewl-
ett-Packard LaserJet III. Re-
ceived documents can't be
easily viewed onscreen.
Transmission takes about
two minutes per page. And
EZ-FAXit appears on your
cover sheet, detracting
from your company's image.
I wouldn't let those prob-
lems overwhelm the pro-
gram's other worthwhile qual-
ities, however. It may not be
perfect, but EZ*FAXit is easy
to install and use, and it de-
livers crisp graphics,
DANIEL JANAL
Calculus EZ-FAXit— $299
CALCULUS
1761 W. Hillsboro Blvd,
DeerfJGid Beach, FL 33442-1530
(305) 481-2334
Circle Reader Service Number 440
116 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
Calculus EZ-FAXit costs a lot but provides plenty of features— if
only it didn't print EZ-FAXit on your cover sheet.
real work at hand. What's
that? Learning, of course.
You'll need a CD-ROM
drive and a sound card be-
fore you can hear a peep
from Composer Quest,
which runs under Windows.
Unfortunately, it doesn't
take advantage of resolu-
tions above the 640 x 480
of standard VGA, so you
can't expand Composer
Quest's display to fill the en-
tire screen in 800 x 600
mode. A pity.
But looks aren't every-
thing, as you'll quickly
learn. Covering seven classi-
cal and three jazz periods,
this CD-RQM title lets you
point and click your way
from time line to historical pe-
riod to composer in a matter
of moments.
Most of the 35 compos-
ers are represented by sev-
eral of their most memora-
COMPOSER
QUEST
Don't be fooled by Compos-
er Quest's title. This multime-
dia exploration may dream
of snaring game players by
simply doing some name-
dropping, but that won't
work Oues^ isn't always syn-
onymous with game-
Instead, appreciate Com-
poser Quest for what it real-
ly is — a miniature musical en-
cyclopedia that plays snip-
pets of famous classical piec-
es, offers up a few facts
about the periods, and dis-
plays a smattering of bio-
graphical information. Sure,
there's a game here, one
with a time-traveling motif
and a game-show, name-
that-tune mentality, but it's
nothing more than an unnec-
essary diversion from the
ble pieces. Want Wagner?
You can play his "Ride of
the Valkyries." Bach? Listen
to Brandenburg Concerto
no. 2. The selections are al!
too brief (30 seconds or so)
and leave you wanting
more. Even worse, the most
modern composers, includ-
ing jazz greats such as Arm-
strong and Ellington, are with-
out music. Their work hasn't
fallen into the public do-
main—the obvious reason
Composer Quest fails to in-
clude much of anything
from this century.
Historical tidbits from the
period, and even some on-
screen images of art and ar-
chitecture, help to put the
music in perspective. You
can, if you want, take quiz-
zes to see how well you
know the biographical and
historical material.
Or you can, if you must,
play the time-travel game.
You listen to the music and
then try to guess its creator
by traveling to the right peri-
od, finding the right person,
and identifying the right
piece. This gets old faster
than it takes to read this
description.
Stick with Composer
Quest's free-form explora-
tion, and you'll be much hap-
pier. You wonM drown in
facts— you get little more
than a wet toe. Composer
Quest is an affordable and
even entertaining way to
learn something about the
Western world's most fa-
mous musical creators,
GREGG KEIZER
IBM PC or compatible (80386 com-
patible); 2MB RAM; VGA; CD-ROM
drive; Windows 3.1 or Windows 3.0
wfth multimedia extension; Sound
Blaster. Ad Lib. or compatible
sound board— $99
DR. T'S MUSIC SOFTV/ARE
124 Crescent Rd,
Needham, MA 02194
(800) 989-MID!
Cfrcl© Reader Service Number 441
An Addilt|ye fliit(^^ Gam
• Network.arid|Modem Compatible
■ - ■ j-
• Advanced S^ario E
• SuperiorCon^iK(Si^AJ. -
• Digitized Sound Effects "^
• Various pifficulty Setting
AVAfLABLE AT YOUR LOCAL SOFTWARE RETAILER OR DIRECT FROM NEW WORLD AT 1 -80 0-325- 88 98
(OR 1-81 8-999-0607 outside U.S.) P.O. BOX 4302 HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA 90078^4302)
.1992 New WoridCorr
New World Compuiing
IBM £Cfeeri!i fJiowrt, At
3t New Worid Compu
Cf fcle Reader Service Humber 232
REVIEWS
COMPUTER
CHECK ORDERIKG
KIT
Into competition with Quick-
en checks and other check
printers connes an easy-to-
use program from American
Check Printers. The kit adver-
tises that you "buy this kit
once and get checks inex-
pensively forever!"
For 20 bucks, you get a
check catalog, 20 full-size
check samples, an ordering
disk, and a franked disk mail-
er return envelope. The kit al-
lows you to order computer
pin-feed or laser checks com-
patible with Quicken, Micro-
soft Money, Quick Pay,
MyBusinessCheckbook,
MyCheckbook, Pacioli, Mon-
ey Counts. Managing Your
Money, Money Matters. Dol-
lars & Sense, and Quick
Books.
The box is covered with
advertising and prices com-
paring the prices charged
by Intuit and other software
companies for computer
checks to American Check
Printers' prices. The price
may be the best part of the
deal, since the kit price is
much lower than the prices
offered by banks and soft-
ware companies for comput-
er checks. The quoted pric-
es show savings of as much
as $10 over Intuit's prices
and $20 over the bank pric-
es for 250 pin-feed checks
or 250 laser 'Vippies." (Atrip-
pie is three checks on one
81/2- K 11 -inch piece of la-
ser paper.)
You save an additional $5
keypunch fee when you use
the ordering disk to place
your first order, saving the
company the trouble of input-
ting the information. People
are more careful about spell-
ing when typing in informa-
tion about tfieir own checks
118 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
than your average key-
punch technician.
The software is keyboard-
directed, with an adequate
use of function keys to
move the product along. An
order cannot be written until
all the necessary information
is put in. One area the com-
pany double-checks for the
toward any first order of
checks, making the pro-
gram virtually free. (Since
250 personal checks cost
329.95. taking the $20 cred-
it and buying the extra 150
checks for $9.95 is a better
deal than the 100 free
checks.) Checks can be
printed in three styles: Tradi-
Computer
Che&
Ordering Kit
^^h;ll\]n^idl■:
• ItW Vtrc fftntat SiawtT
Chevi»(ir
• %2a (W OH l-upn OKm»<«*
(\iinp;tl)hle VViih;
Computer Check Ordering Kit is a package that's compatible with
many money-management programs. And it's a great deaf!
customer is the bank
codes. You must include a
voided check with the order
so that American Check Print-
ers can double-check the
bank numbers and codes
that you have entered, at no
additional charge. The pro-
gram's error checking is
quite sophisticated and cor-
rected me several times
when I tried to enter a ficti-
tious bank number. After all
the error-checking parame-
ters have been reviewed,
the program prompts you to
check the numbers one
more time.
The software retails for
$20, with a lower price at dis-
counters, and you get 100
free checks or a $20 credit
tional, Professional, and Pre-
mier. The Premier, which us-
es laser color shading and a
script style, is recommend-
ed for architects and design-
ers. The Professional style us-
es parchment paper and
Old English type and is rec-
ommended for accountants,
attorneys, and physicians.
The Traditional checks use
a color border with block let-
tering and are recommend-
ed for those who require
less elegant checks. Most
checks are available in
green, blue, maroon, or
gray.
After the first order, the
software can be copied to
your hard drive with DOS. Ad-
ditional orders, for a differ-
ent account or to change
the style of the checks, will
require that you supply your
own disk, disk mailer, and
postage. But reorders can al-
so be accomplished by catl-
ing a toll-free number. The
documentation is brief, but it
tells you ail you need to
know to run the software.
This new way to order
computer checks is very
quick, easy, and economi-
cal when compared to other
alternatives. It allows the
computer user to customize
his or her checks and to
save money at the same
time. Anyone who uses a
computer to keep books
with any of the 11 programs
listed above should look in-
to this inexpensive product.
ALFRED C. GIOVETTI
IBM PC or compatible— $19.95
AMERICAN CHECK PRINTERS
1259 El Camino Real, Ste. 310
Menio Park, CA 94025
(800) AMCHECK
(800) 262-4325
Circle Reader Service Number 442
KODAK DICONIX
180SI
The Kodak Diconix 180si ink-
jet printer packs a lot of pow-
er In a small package. It's
manufactured by the same
people who make that film
in bright yellow boxes.
Kodak has entered the mo-
bile printer market. These
printers— like the ISOsi and
its bigger brother, the /Gl-
are lightweight but powerful
computer printers working
from internal batteries or AC
power. Kodak s aim is to sup-
port the mobile office con-
cept, where you take your
laptop computer home or out
on trips to continue working.
A new-generation portable
computer and a 180si togeth-
er weigh about ten pounds.
The basic printer weighs
(800) 638-5757
Orders Only
Texel CD-ROM Drives
The Fastest Reader Available!
HalfHeightlnternal $449
265ms average access lime, 64K buffer, 300KB/sec transfer rate
{burst transfer of 1.5MB/sec), SCSI-2 interface, rugged manual eject
bution,headphonc jack, volume control, self-cleaning lens, dust resis-
tant seal , meets al I M PC spec ificationsXD- ROM X A compatible
External Version of above $559
Internal Kit $529
Kitlncludes internal drive, SCSlcard, cable, drivers, andcaddy
External Kit $629
Kitincludesextemal drive, SCSI card, cable,dri vers, andcaddy
S15.00
each
Chestnut CD-ROMS
Bibles & Religion
J udaiHn.ChnsKiantcy. Islam, New & Old testament vcriioriv.Btwkof Momon, leiicons& concorances
Clipart Goliath
0\ er 1 ! .OCX) imi^es in PCX andTlF format,5ome intvW coior -TIF/PCX, MAC, GIFfDrmais.
CoIossalCookbook
Over-i(KM> recipes with ciccllcntrccipecross-referenee and waith' 1 nc I udci health and nutritHKi guidci.nwal planmn^.iiLabeljeaiidlow
c^n!tc'.[crl)ldtc1:^.cookingini^nlcltons,and^lo^c.Ovc^ 2000 fccipcfinMealMasterfonnaiJjncludei muiy elluiic snd ngktdJil speciiJrws
pluN V in Ic % formal and Edna -format rcc ipei .
Deathstar Arcade Battles
Actionarcade ganiciiSpaot V* an.ihooi-em-upi.iutoracmi;, spoiti.casinogambljng.h^
Dictionaries& Laguage
CompiEatiOfiofdMrtionariei, diesaimises. word proeeisor^. siylcVsyntaxcbeclccrs. glossaries, lessors in Froich,Germaii,Ilaliaii, Hebrew,
R ussian . Cecth.Creet. Japanese, Spaiusli, Canlonese. afld mote . Ijicli^les fnany huracrwjs glossaries, crtsiiiiord and CT>i«ogiain solvere,
sjnel l-c hccfccis, plus the lalest vcntons of the lop shaitwire word processors
HAMRadio-v3
]{AM and S WL propams and data. IncJodes paclte! radio, sale I lite cwnmunications. frequency hits, equtpmcrit «fv»ct. design, mods,
S STV . F AX, FCC reqtilations.exams.plas more,
OurSolar System
NASA and observalioEml photos of the planeti, moou!,. cornels, earth, and celeslial phenomena! Includes s.uif locaiofi. planetanuni
pfogranis.astonomicaldiia, voyage simulators, NASA news releases, and mote.
SharewareOverload!
Over 6 ! 00 programs (al! in compressed format). Business. CI i pan. Communieaiions. EBS. Database. [iduc3iion. FiJiaoce. Games(lots),
giraphics.MI 5c. appi icaiions. Programmer' sTool s. Rcl jpion . Sourel. Uiil ities. Window s^ based programs (tons).arvd WonlProcessors.
TooManyTypefonts!
Counties* typefonts in all fomwts: TraeTypt, Adobe Type Manager ( ATM ) . Adobe Type I . lATN'. alio coattiiu typef tee modifiers, foni
AmeTicanBusjressPhoncBlt-92 .. .40,00
BusincssBackgrounds 35.00
Bus ine ssMaster -.3000
CareeiOpportunities ..,..., J5 .00
Impro vi ng YourJo6&Carc« ....... 155 .00
IntemationalBusintss&iEcono 30.00
North American FA XBiXik .45.00
CI I pan & Or«f}hlCS
Ani mal sin . Motion 4 5 00
Aqii»iicAn-.,.H..-.«...™.,.-.„.— -.. 1 35,00
Anroora _., ..730.00
BatikDesigns,. — , „. 30.00
Bmiiie^!&BackgnMtncl$ _.>.... 35 .00
aipartGoliath _ -, 1 5 .00
CoatesAnReview tmprtisiooi 35.00
ComstocltDetktopPhologVol. 1 .. 1 80.(»
CewiitoctDe sktopPhotog Vol .2 .... 80.00
Corel ArtsJiow .„ ..„ 90.00
CoiTlDra w , ., „.„„..„.,720.f)0
ElcctronicLibraiyof Art Vol, 1 ..„.,. .95 .00
ElccuonicLibraiy of Art Vol.2 95 .00
Fre:shArte.... ....„...., 35.00
FullS pecmimaipAfi , ,. 295.00
InurmationalGrapi^icsLJbrary 270.00
IslandDc signs 35.00
Jets&Props , , 50.00
Love lyLaditsIL„ „.. . 35 .00
Money >foMyJl40ttey!_ ....35.00
MothcrEanhU .„_ 35.00
NECa ip Ait3-D „ 390.00
N^OmageFol io 590.00
N'ECImageGaltey 390.00
NECPhotoGallery ,..,„.390.00
NBCTypeC jj loyU , 275 .00
NECTypcGalloy PS 350.00
PcoplcatLcisurc... 1 35.00
PeopleinOusiness ,......„- 1 35.00
Pi xe IGarden ...... ,,« „,«„.* .35.00
ProAfiUbrary I .^ ..„.. „.,. 375 .00
Pro.'^rtUbrary U „„ „.., 375 .00
PtoAnLi bnuy HL.-.-.. -.«„.- 375,00
PubUqucArte „„ „,.™,„„,„.„.40.00
Publisb4tl2J3 . -,.„ 30.00
QaicfcAnDeJtoe ^^„. «..„,., 270.00
QukitAitLitc . 180,00
Sealsof Lhetl.S.Govemment ..........50.00
SoMuchScTwnwajc 40.00
SpaceScncsrTbeSliuUle 65.00
SpaceScnes ; Ap&lb..., 40.00
Swimsuit, „... ISO.OO
ViniajecAloha ,.....„... 30.00
VoyagctothcPlaneisI.,.,,, , 50,00
Voy agetothePlanelsIl 50.00
Voy agcloibePtanetsm 50.00
Voy agaolhcStars Vol.1 ...60.00
Voyag«olhcSlanVol.2,... 75.00
VoyigrtotheSwfnVoa.„ 75.00
Wi IdPlaces 30.00
Woracnin .Motion 43.00
WomenofVenus , ,15 IX>
Educational
AboutCows ...... „... ...... .30 00
AfricanWildlife 1 35.00
AllAbouiSciencc.. 36(MX)
tOUCBtloi
Animals!,"nie 3000
Annabc I ' sDream of AnctcnlEgypl. 80.00
A ud uban ' sMammak jmullimcdia . 30.00
Barney BeaiCoesloSchool 40.00
B amey BeartJoc.iiloSpacc 40,00
BerlitzThink&TalkFrcnch , I «0 00
BcrlttzThink&TalkGcnnaii ,., , I KO (M)
BcriitiThink&TalkJtalian , I MO.OO
Berl itiThi nk&TaIkSpanish.,....l8U,t»
BestLltcratureWorkbookiiveT,... 180,(X>
Com poser' sQuesi , .,. .50,00
Coniti lutionPapCTS ...,99.00
Cross* otdCracker , 20.00
EducarionMasler ... 2000
EuropeanMonarchs .„_ , 40.00
Ho*<:[>-ROMsare^^ade ..,,.5.00
Improving>ourJob&CarecrPr,.. . 1 35 00
]nm>duclor>OamesPrerKh( MFC. 40.00
]ntroducioryCaji*.sSp4niili(MP...40.00
LcssoninAmcTicanHiirory..,. 1 25.00
Mastering-Math „ 1 60.00
Ma visBeaconTeachcsTyping 2. . ,., 30,00
MonarchNotes ., < 90.00
NaiionaKjeographicMammalt ,....,10.00
NaturalSciencesLibrary 370.00
PelicanCrealiveWriting .1 15,00
Presidcnts:UAIlSurtedW(di ....... 100.00
U.S. Civics, 40.00
M .S.Hi«Ofy 30.00
U .S.PreskJcnii ...- ™.......40.00
US A Wars: Civil Wii ..„„ 40.00
US A Wars: Korea 40.fJ0
USAWan; Vietnam ,..._ 40.00
U S AWars: World Wall! ,.,.. 40.00
Ent«rtatnntent
Bey ondthe Wal tof Sl*r&:Tin 65 .00
CaseoftheCautiouiContJor 50. 00
Chessmaste jM/M .,.......„..„...„..,.,.40,00
Conan „ ., ..„ 30.00
DealhstjrArcadeflitU^ ...^,.15,00
Future Wars 40 00
GameMasler . — „ _. 20.00
GanePiKki....
GamePackH...
„™„ 30,00
.„.3O.0O
Goldenlmmoftal
GuySpy,..,,,,, „.
JoneslniheFasi Lai»„.
.„. 25.00
..^.45.00
.-..25.00
King ■ sQuest V. .......,....,„.....„„.„.... 30 00
Loom ..,.,_„ ,40.00
MixedupMotheiGoc^e.... 30.(M)
M urderMacsStr^geDcad fel Io .. . 50.(K>
OurHouse(Fam ily Circus ( Wm
Rotor/TimeBand it/A irba! ! . , 20.00
SecretofMonlcej fs land „ ,.. ......,, 30.00
Secret WeaponsofthcLuflwaff 40 0(1
SpKJcQuestr V: Roger WiJco ........ .65 (X I
SpiritofE*C4libar,.— ...„,..„ 35.00
Siel lar7 25 m
UtijnaJ.V] _, „ ..„„.35.00
Ul timatcB aiitctbal I „ „.. „,45.00
WingCommander+SecretMiiiio,. 33.00
WingCommander+UliimaVI 35.00
WiathoftbeDcmon ,„..„,......„ ,,.40.00
"H!
[teratur« &
Annabc I " sDreamof A nc ie n lEgy pi. SO.OO
Beaut) &theBeasl 40,00
Beethoven ' s9ihMPC. 75.00
BcstLiteratureWorkbookEvcr.,.. 180,00
BtitannicaFami lyChoice 95.00
ClassicCollcctionPlus:Sherl ....S5.00
ColossaJCookbook 1 5 .00
Complete Wori£s(2pack ) ..45.00
Complete WoritsOfS liakcspcare ... 25 .00
Complete WortsofSheilockHol .... 25,00
Grammy A wards ,...,..,.„ ...„,....,. 65.00
GreatLiterature , „ 95.00
Grcaie^iBookiCo llection 45,00
JuitGraiicmaA\k. ,.,..„„55,O0
N'ewBasicsElectiDrtJcCookbook ..95.00
PtlicauCnrati vcWfilins \ 15.00
PtterandtheWolf ^™,-„45.00
PlMtDoclof ...,43 .00
R cader ' sLi brary . , , * 25 ,00
ShcrlockHolmcNonDiM; .25.0(1
SleepingBeauty 40.f>0
TalkingClassicTales. 90,00
Talking] lingleSaf ari ., 90,00
AmplifiedSpeaJsetsfofCD-ROM ..30.00
Ciidies S.OO
CD- ROMDnveE*leni*l 299.00
CD-ROMDnveJnlemal 199.00
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A DACollegiate. 550,00
ADAJoLineyman .,.., .,.„ 850,00
ADAWhiteSands. „ 95.00
CC D ■ ROM 90.00
M icrosof iProgranuncr*iU bmy . 395.00
MSDOSArchive^ 2,5.00
SomccCD-ROM 2000
Reference
1 98 SLMedical Yearbooks,..,. .mOO
I99arime.AliT3aiiac 4000
1991TimeAlmanac 120 00
l992GuinncssDi$cofKctoTds t^^m
!992CiitmKssMoltimcdLiDivt;.... S.^i(M)
800CotlegtBoards 18000
AfricanWildlife 135 00
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B ibIeLi braiy „.„ 35 .00
B ibie vindRe I tgion 1 5 jOO
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BritannicaFamilyCbota....„......„.93i)0
Cancer ! 98* „ 1 95 DO
Cancer 1 989.... „255l»
CareeTOpportiinitics^„„ „„„...„..,3S JJO
ClAWorldFactbook!992 . .™„.20JXI
aAjKIGBWOTldFactboot 35.00
CoaiesAitReview:Impressioni „... 35.00
Compleie Aodubonf 2pack ) , .75.00
Comprchcn^ivcRcvtcwinBiolog 270,00
Fteferertce
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DictionartesandLanguage 15.00
Di ctionaiy oftheLivi ng World. .., .. 295 ,00
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ElcctfonicU brary of Art Vol 95,00
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Ff^e^pIrirSoftwareTi^^
Circle Reader Service Number 115
REVIEWS
wi^m
only 2.9 pounds, but batter*
ies, printhead cartridge, and
power adapter add a little
more. It's only 2 inches high
X 6.5 inches deep x 10.8
inches wide.
Power is provided by the
AC adapter or by five C-cell
nickel-cadmium batteries
(not included). The batteries
go in a unique place— inside
the platen. Lifting the cover
of the printer and rotating the
platen reveal the battery com-
partment. The batteries are
automatically recharged
when the AC adapter is
plugged into the printer.
The 180si has a built-in trac-
tor feed to use fanfold paper
and forms. You can also
print sheets of paper without
perforations, like letterheads.
Print quality approaches
that of a laser printer— and it
costs you less money and
weight. There are two print-
quality settings. Draft is the
faster: between 145 and 180
characters per second, de-
pending on the size of the
characters. Elite or 12-charac-
ter-per-inch fonts print fast-
est, such as the Prestige 12
selection on the 180si"s con-
trol panel. Draft text is 96 x
96 dots per inch; draft graph-
ics are 192 x 96 dpi.
The quality setting is slow-
er — down to 36 cps for Pres-
tige 12, and slower for larg-
er type. But it gives much
better quality, with both text
and graphics at 192 x 192
dpi, rivaling laser printers
(usually 300 x 300 dpi).
Four quality fonts are built
in, with draft mode for each.
The IBOsi emulates the Ep-
son FX-85 and IBM ProPrin-
ter. Many programs use the
180si easily, since those two
printers are often supported.
I installed and tested the
180si with a number of pro-
grams. It worked perfectly. In-
stalling the printer driver in-
cluded for Windows let me
(using Adobe Type Manger)
120 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
Wilh the Diconix 180si from Kodak, you get a powerful, versatile
printer that's easy to take on the road with your laptop.
The Flashdrive 25 offers portable hard drive storage, working well
despite its relative slowness and battery-saving shutdowns.
print more than 200 fonts to
the 180si using Windows
3.1^not bad for such a
snnall printer.
There are two reasons
you might want to purchase
a 180si: if you take your port-
able computer out of the of-
fice and need a powerful—
but equally portable— print-
er, or if you want a printer
that has graphics and text
quality approaching that of
a laser, but you would prefer
not to mortgage your house
to get it. At $399 suggested
retail, the 180si is a good so-
lution to both requirements.
It's a nice little printer.
RALPH ROBERTS
Kodak Diconix 180si— $399 (parai-
!el). S4 19 (serial)
EASTMAN KODAK
RO. Box 92894
Rochester. NY 14692-9939
(800) 344-0006
(716) 253-0740
Circle Reader Service Number 443
FLASHDRIVE 25
Weighing in at 1 Vs pounds
with a battery life of about
five hours, the Flashdrive 25
is an excellent choice for
those needing extra porta-
ble hard drive storage or
those who use portables with-
out built-in hard drives.
Although I expect most
users will attach the
Flashdrive to their portables
or notebooks, I found it
most convenient for transfer-
ring large blocks of fifes and
applfcations from my note-
book to my desktop. I sim-
ply installed the drive onto
both computers and moved
it from one to the other, it al-
so saved me the trouble of in-
stalling the same applica-
tions on both machines. In
this way ! created exactly
the same environment on
both machines. For those of
us who travel or who have
large amounts of data to
move — between our home
and office computers, for in-
stance—the Flashdrive of-
fers a convenient alternative
to floppies.
Although the documenta-
tion could be better (I found
it to be skimpy, and not as
clear as it could've been),
most users will be able to
connect the drive through
the parallel port and install
the necessary software. The
drive comes preformatted
and partitioned as two
32MB drives and one 19MB
drive. On my system they in-
stalled as drives D, E, and
F. It's possible to reconfig-
ure the Flashdrive using the
software provided. Even
though the Flashdrive con-
nects to the parallel port,
you can stili connect your
printer through the standard
parallel connector built into
the Flashdrive.
I tried the Flashdrive on
two notebooks, a Magnavox
386 and a Gateway 2000 No-
mad 386SXL, with no prob-
lems. I also attempted to in-
stall it on four desktops with
mixed results. I successfully
installed and used the
Flashdrive on a Tandy 4825
SX Multimedia 486SX and
an old no-name 286 clone, f
never was able to get the
Flashdrive to operate on a
Gateway 386SX/16 or a
Advertisers Index
Reader Service Number/Advertiser
Page Reader Service Number/Advertiser
Page Reader Service Number/Advertiser
Page
162 8-8IT G^ll
123 A Tech Software 136
271 Abfacadata 139
A!CS . . . , , 51
118 Amish Outlaw SharewarB Co 140
244 Antigrav Toolkit G-U
Apple 5
120 AT&T/Paracyne 13
152 Bear Technologies G-10
151 Bear Technologies A 31
134 BeiSoft .136
Best Personalized Books , , . .83
173 Blue Valley Software , . . . .136
218 Body Cello 137
Brantford Educational Svcs G-11
Brown Boxes G-IO
181 Caloke Industries G-10
241 CanCor Innovations . A-9
229 Cee-e4 G-10
149 Ctiips & Bits , . . 131
168 Citizen Americarr Corp 11
268 Cleveland Instutite of Electronics 129
266 Colorado Spectrum 133
269 Commodore 21
128 ComPro Software .137
220 Compsult G-23
150 Compsult 138
108 CompuServe 17
Computer Business Services B3
259 Computer Friends 259
270 Computer Liquidators 137
141 Computer Productions 140
125 Creative Labs 3
216 Creative Labs . 95
113 Creative Pixels Ltd G-14,G-17
226 Crosley Software 141
135 Cypress Software 141
154 De Vine Computer Sales . - A-5
161 Delphi .27
131 DemoSource . 135
208 Discount Software 127
122 Diskoveries G-17
253 Disks Q-Pienty Inc G-14
160 Disney Soltware 81
227 Dustin Software 73
175 D&K Enterprises 82
204 DC. Tme. Ltd . 89
Epson IFC.1
187 Epyx 38
217 Fairbrothers A-15
FGM Connection G'23
224 Finetastic Compulers ,....,.. A-7
115 Free Spirit Software 119
245 Friendly Soltwme 135
215 Genesis -Electronic Services A-27.A-31
GMAC/OlGsmobile 35
201 Gordon and Associates ................ 136
145 Grapevine Group G-13
Hi-Tech Management Systems .82
265 Home Base Products 133
234 Horse Fealliers Graphics G-7
239 Hypermedia Concepts . . A-13
272 IDD/lnteraclive Digital Devices A-9
16B Impressions 63
105 Interplay Ill
264 Intuit ,31
I'Molion 91
261 Jack Daniel's 57
231 Jackson Marking Products Co. 140
257 Jason-Ranheim 6-12
JP PBM Products by Mail . G-14
Kasara Micro Systems 6-17
163 KF-PD Software 6-17
206 Lance Haffner Games 138
157 LaserTech 140
117 Legacy Software 141
189 LWS Software .... 139
260 Mad Man Software 6-11
207 Mallard Software 75
119 Mallard Software 67
267 Masler Software 6-12
225 Maxximum Company 37,13^
221 Meggido Enterprises A-9
176 Merit Software 99
Micro Designs 6-14
180 MicroGrafx 55
196 MicroMagic Productions 137
205 MicroProse , 53
254 MicroProse , 59
200 Mission Control 113
191 Needham's Electronics 13fl
t^ew Car Price Line 124
235 New Media Graphics 139
232 New World Computing 117
Newbridge .125
263 Nordic Flex .... 124
NRI/Mc6raw Hill 65
192 Origin . 39
262 Origin FX 107
104 Panasonic 25
164 Parsons Technology 23
106 Partli Galen A-31
273 Passport Designs 15
186 Patch Panel Software 140
177 PC CompoNet, Inc . '. 137
PC Travel - 128
Pendragon Software 137
103 Penthouse On-line . .130
146 Peoples College . 122
153 Performance Periptierals . G-23
211 Ptione Tectinologies 45
194 Point'Of-View computing 133
185 Poor Person Software A-27
Power Disk G-14
Presto Print Books 83
193 Professional Cassette 132
165 Psygnosis 43
127 Psygnosis , . . . 61
Pure Entertainment 39
Q Enterprises Software G-14
212 SaleSoft Systems. Inc 140
116 SeXXy Software 136
148 Sierra On-line BC
109 Smart Luck Software 141
138 SMC Software Publishers . A-31
121 SMC Software Publishers 136
182 SoftLogic Solutions 31
126 SoftStioppe Inc .... , 141
210 Software Support International 210
190 Soltware Support Int'l G-9
SOGWAP Software .. , , A-9
SOGWAP Software . , . G-7
236 Sole Source Systems 139
184 SONY . . . . 6.7
252 Soarks Electronics . G-17
123 Star Graphics . 108
203 Star Micfontcs 19
13D Starware Publistiing 140
230 Stepway 1 Software 29
143 Strategy Plus 105
179 SubLogic 103
112 Syracuse Language Systems 140
147 Thrustmaster , 135
242 Tycom Inc G-10
256 US Robotics ........ . . IBC
258 Vector-Curlin G-17
195 Virgin Games 87
163 Virgin Games 115
155 Virgin Games 109
172 Wedgwood Computer 141
237 Whiz Kid Productions 141
Windows 900 138
110 V/Ol Direct/ICS 33
114 Zeros & One's , 123
228 Zipperware A-27
Income Opportunitiy Mart 82,83
Product Mart ..... 134,135.136.137,138.139.140,141,
Classfieds 143.144
Amiga Single Disk Order A-21
COMPUTE Best Utilities A-27
COMPUTE Books 82.126,134 A-13.A22.A-25,A-30
Gazette Disk Index G-13
Gazette Disk Library .6-2
Gazette Disk Subscription 6-7
Gazette Pro<]uctivJty Manager 6-19
Gazette Sepcialty Disks 6-21
SharePak Disk Subscription 89
CREDITS
Cover: creative and digital photo illustration by
Nexvisions; page 4: Ellen Schuster/Image Bank;
page 10: Mark Wagoner; page 12: Mark Wagon-
er; page 18: Mark Wagoner; pages 40-41: J. T.
Morrow; pages 70-71 : Radenchich; pages 78--
79: Mark Wagoner; page 80: Mark Wagoner;
page 84: Jose Cruz; pages 92-93: Mark Wagon-
er; pages 96-97: Mark Wagoner; pages 100-
101: Peter Menzel; page A-3: Greg Couch/Image
Bank; page G-3: Larry Keenan/lmage Bank.
Y^ The Time
' Has Came...
...to send for the latest copy of the free Consumer
Information Catalog.
It lists more than 200 free or low-cost govern-
ment pubhcations on topics like money, food, jobs,
children, cars health, and federal benefits.
Don't waste another minute, send today for
the latest free Catalog and a free sample booklet.
Send your name and address to;
Gonsnnier Inf ormatlon Center
Department TBC
Poelilo, Colorado 81009
if'
A pubUc Mrviofl cf Hub public&uon and tha
Coneiimer Information Cenlar of Uie tJ-S- Qeneral Servioea Ailmiiiisijatlon-
FEBRUARY 1993 COMPUTE 121
Learn
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fit Hamel
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Msmber. D.L Poqples Group C0293
REVIEWS
Wyse Decision 386/40. however.
Since the Flashdrive operates
through the parallel port, you'll find the
drive a bit slower than internal drives.
And since the Flashdhve uses the bat-
tery-saving technique of shutting
down when it's not being accessed,
you'll find the same delay as when re-
starting the dnve if you're running it on
battery power.
Although I found the Flashdrive
quite satisfactory and can recommend
it to those who need portable hard
disk storage, my experience suggests
that if youVe thinking about buying the
Flashdrive, you should be sure to pur-
chase it with the right to a full refund if
you discover that it's not compatible
with your computer.
STEPHEN LEVY
Flashdrive 25— S299 (20MB). S459 (40MB). $599
(60MB), $699 (80MB), and $849 (130MB)
BSE
2152 N. Fourth St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
(602) 527-8843
Circle Reader Service Number 444
ROBOSPORT FOR
WINDOWS
Ever since Muse Software released Ro-
bot War for the Apple il computer ten
years ago, computer gamers have had
a love affair with computer robots, com-
peting against each other in nation-
wide tournaments. RoboSport by Max-
is, the creators of SimCity, SimEarth,
SimLife, and SimAnt, is the newest en-
try in this love affair with computer ro-
bots. The technology has changed
enough that RoboSport has a chance
of clanking its way to the forefront and
becoming the new robot tournament
software.
RoboSport is a strategy game that
provides for the robot-programming
commands to be made in advance of
the battle, which proceeds in a simul-
taneous combat mode. RoboSport
pits as many as four teams, composed
of up to eight robots each, against one
another. Robots can be controlled by
computer or human. The computer-
controlled robots can be set to any of
four levels of artificial intelligence,
from stupid to ferocious. The human-
controlled robots are programmed or
edited; then you can watch an animat-
ed "movie" of how the conflict turned
out using the game's VCR feature. Cy-
cles of editing and viewing results can
continue until the time set for the
game runs out or one team is declared
the winner. You win by completing the
game goal or incapacitating all enemy
robots.
RoboSport provides for up to five
types of games, or "sports, " with differ-
ent goals, such as survival, capture the
flag, hostage rescues, treasure hunt,
and even a baseball variant, which re-
quires the robots to touch all four bas-
es in the corners of the battlefield in or-
With RoboSport for Wnidows, Maxis iosses
its sensors into the robot battle ring,
der to win. RoboSport has three basic
battle sets: the suburbs, rubble, and
computer it can be played on seven
types of terrain, with four levels of robot
intelligence, five types of robots, eight
types of weapon systems, five sports,
five beginning formations, four game
lengths, up to four teams, and up to
eight robots per team, giving the
game an impressive variety of condi-
tions to interest the most discerning ro-
bot warrior
The eight increasingly destructive
and longer-ranged RoboSport weap-
ons systems include rifle, burst, auto,
grenade, missile, zap (a high-energy,
low-frequency burst), time bomb, and
kamikaze. The five types of robots
have different armor protection and
weapons systems. The stealth robot is
unique in that it cannot be seen unless
moving or scanned from an adjacent
square. Hitting a robot when firing is de-
termined by the length of the scan and
the speed of the target. Damage is cal-
culated from the range, angle of fire,
and armor protection of the target; it's
subtracted from the total remaining
damage points of the robot.
The mouse-controlled window inter-
face makes use of Windows 3.1
sound support; no DOS version of the
game is planned. The Super VGA
graphics support gives 800 x 600 res-
olution and a 256-color palette. The doc-
umentation indicates that you can ex-
perience a performance decrease if
you have a number of programs run-
ning when in 386-enhanced mode. Ro-
boSport can be played with up to four
human players on the same computer,
on two computers over a null modem
or telephone modem, and on up to
four machines on a network. Modem
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Circle Reader Service Number 114
The Evolution of
Stone Weigh (s
5,000 B.C
-tfk
Dumbbells
1894
Soloflex
1978
Advanced technology
has made NordicFlex Gold
5 ways better than Soloflex.
1. NordicFlex Gold uses linear motion
ihut better simulaies free weights.
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3. You spend 40% less time between exercises with NordicFlex Gold.
4. Benefit from strength-training expertise with the exclusive workout
video, training manual and exercise chan of NordicFlex Gold.
5. And best of all, NordicFlex Gold costs 1/3 less than Solonex*.
Plus, the- NordicFlex World Class'"' tidilion offers additional fcaiures to enhance
your workout including an electronic perfonnance inotiitor.
NordicFlex Gold™Marks the
Ultimate Evolution of
Strength Training
Equipment.
m.
NordicFlex Gold ^
1992
30-day
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In- \'.>Ji^T>mv
FREE Video lthu«, call 1-800-445-2360 gs
or write; NordicTrack, Dept 5K8A3, 104 Peavey Road, Chaska, MN 55318
' 1992 \nrilirTr.iLk,. Inc.. A CML [:(nn|>jnv * Ai: ri:.;hi^ ri'v,T^taL ' 'Kc^isiered tnidcrnuirk n[' Sfjiolle.x. Inc.
Circle Reader Service Numbef 2fi3
Bargaining
Power!
The power is in your hands when
you call NEW CAR PRICE LINE.
One call can save S500 to S5,000 on
your new car! Make the best deal of
your life and win the negotiation
game - confident in knowing the
dealer invoice cost of your model.
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Pure Entertainment
Box 1 66, Us Angeles, CA 90078
124 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
IMPORTANT NOTICE
FOR
COMPUTE DISK
SUBSCRIBERS
COMPUTE offers two different
disk products for PC readers;
tile SharePak disk and PC
Disk. ShorePok is monthly and
has a subscription price of
$59.95 for 5V4Hnch disks and
$64.95 for 3V2-inch disks. A
subscription to ShorePok
does not include a subscrip-
tion to the nnagazine. PC
Disk appears in odd-num-
bered months and has a sub-
scription price of $49.95.
which includes a subscription
to the PC edition of COM-
PUTE. You con subscribe to ei-
ther disk or to both, but a sub-
scription to one does not in-
clude a subscription to the
other.
eiEws
play from Macintosh to IBM is support-
ed, as well.
RoboSport is not a realtime arcade
game, nor is it your traditiotial war
game. RoboSport may take a long
time or a short time to play Purchase
with caution, though: Many will enjoy
the process of programming comput-
ers for viewing the outcome, while oth-
ers may find it a tedious process,
ALFRED C. GiOVETTI
fBM PC or compatible (12 MHz or faster): 2MB
RAM; Hercules, EGA, MCGA, VGA, or 256-color
SVGA; hard disk with 3MB free; Mtcrosofl or com-
palibfe mouse; Windows 3.0 or higher— $59.95
MAX IS
2 Theatre Sq., Ste. 230
Orinda, CA 94563
(800) 33-MAXIS
1510)254-9700
Circle Reader Service Number 445
HONEYWELL
OPTO-MECHANICAL
A mouse is a mouse. Or is it? Usually
there isn't much you can say to sepa-
rate one mouse from another. Is the
mouse easy to install? Today, most
mice are simple to install, and most
new mice are both PC and Windows
compatible.
Such is the case with the new Hon-
eywell Opto-Mechanical mouse. How
does the mouse feel in your hand? Is it
easy to control? Again, the Honeywell
mouse passes muster with a comforta-
bly rounded shape that contours nice-
ly to the hand, Its buttons aren't too
stiff when clicking, handling smoothly.
In other words, this serial mouse
passes all the tests. But what sepa-
rates it from others I've tried is the new
x-yaxially inclined transducer technol-
ogy that is used instead of the stan-
dard ball mechanism. Unlike other
mice, the Honeywell mouse doesn't get
contaminated by surface dirt, which of-
ten causes mice to become less relia-
ble. In place of the usual ball, the Hon-
eywell mouse has two small, round,
plastic sensors which detect the x-y
position and move the cursor. This
mouse doesn't need to be cleaned! It
can be used with or without a mouse
pad on almost any surface you're like-
ly to use.
I used this mouse with several appli-
cations, including Quattro Pro, Page-
Maker, Word for Windows, Excel, Win-
dows, and GeoWorks (and its various
applications). I also used the Opto-
Mechanical mouse to play games, in-
cluding Links golf. Solitaire's Journey
Lemmings, and King's Quest. For
Get Peak Power from Your PC Without
Learning to Program!
Take the
STARTER SET
for onfy $4.95
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PC USER'S BOOK CLUB
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JL on don't have to h(^ a computer expert to gel the most out of your PC.
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DVORAK'S IHSIDE TRACK TO DOS & PC PERFORMANCE
John C. Dvorak and Nick An is
Unlock the hidden power of DOS with this 800 page guide/disk package.
Covers all versions of DOS through 5,(1, Discover huw to:
• Master hatch file progrunnning
• Accomplisli hard disk partitioning, defragmenting, backup and catching
• Put utilities such as Norton and PC Tools lo miiximum use
On the disk, you'll find essential sofiware including XTrec, The EKorak Utilities,
Mace Utilities, and more.
Publisher's Price: S39.%
\^C User's Book dub features a wide range of quality- tutorial and reference books
and book/disk packages. Our editors onSy choose the "best of die very best" on the
latest PC business applications. You'il be able to choose from a \-ariciy of guides
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MLMBERSHIP BENEFITS- hi addition u> i^cuing the PC STARTl- R SET Ibr only $4.95
w!ien you join, youll also recciw discounis o» books yon rhoowr to purchase. Discounts
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together \n\h a dated reply card, • In addition, tip to ibree times a year, you may receive
olTcr* of Special Selections which will lie made available to a group of select members. •
If you want the Main ScSecuon, do noilung, and it mH b*r sent to ywi automatically. * if
you prefer another selection, or no book at all, simply indicate your choice on the card
and return ii l>y die date specified * You will have at least 10 days to decide. If, because
of laic mail dcliven- of die NewTj. you should recei^* a book you do not v*-ant, we
guarantee return posmge. © Newbridge Gmimmiicauons, Inc.
JIM SEYMOUR'S PC PRODUGIVITY BIBLE
Jim Se)7nt)iir
Turn your ?C inio a powerhouse of organisation and productivity! Learn to:
• Address e nve lo pes wi t h a lase r p ri n ter
• Fax messages from your PC via modem
• Convert files from one application to another
• Choose the right laptop
Plus, you'll Hnd tips on spreadsheets, word processing, database, graphics,
communicadons, and more.
Publisher's Price: $24.95
THE PC CONFIGURATION HANDBOOK: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO
TROUBLESHOOTING, ENHANCING, AND MAINTAINING YOUR PC
John W'otiittt
This fully illustrated, easy-to*understand guide answers the most commonly
asked questions about PC hard^\^e:
• Wliat sliould my PC service contract cover and what's a fair price?
• How can i tntnslate DOS error messages?
• Wliai e;isy procedures reduce system failures?
• Wliich PC gniphics card best ineeLs mv needs?
Publisher's Price: S26.9.5
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t ' ' ' Compute: 2/9S
COMPUTE Books
Warehouse
Clearance
Nintendo Entertainment System®
and Sega Genesis- Books
at 50% off the cover price
The Big Book of Nintendo' Games
The most comprehensive players" ^quide available for Nintendo,
Game Boy. aiid Super NES with over 80 reviews, dozens of
screen shots, and hundreds of super secrets. 480 pages.
Cover Price $16.95 Sale Price Jusl $8,45
Conquering Super Mario Bros.
Focuses on playing tips and techniques for mastering the
three most popular Nintendo video games; Super Mario
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COMPUTE'S Guide to Nintendo " Games
Packed with tips for belter play and 40 reviews for Nintendo
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COMPUTE*s Guide to Nintendo®' Adventure Games
Here are playing tips and solutions to The Bard's Tale. Fi-
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COMPUTERS Nintendo^ Secrets
One of the hottest Nintendo guides around with plajong strate-
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Cover Price $8.95 Sale Price Just $4.40
The Official Guide to Mega Man
This is the official player's gukle to Mega Man L 2, and 3,
Includes extensive tips and step-by-step guides through dif-
ficult areas. 144 pages.
Cover Price $7.95 Sale Price Just $3.95
COMPUTE'S Guide to Sega ? Genesis^
Boot up into I Lin like never before with Sega Genesis. In
this one book you'll find reviews and super secrets for
more than 30 games. 196 pages
Cover Price $9.95 Sale Price Just $4.95
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Shipping and Handling: North America add $2.50 for first hook nnd $.50
for eadi additional book. Outside North America add S6,00 for the first
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XiiUendo and Super Marlu Bros, are registered trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc.
S^a and Genesis are registered trademarks of Sega of America. Inc.
REVIEWS
each of these, the mouse
functioned as expected.
Although I found the Hon-
eywell mouse to be reliable
and easy to install it wasn't
noticeably more sensitive or
less sensitive than others
I've put to the test. The use
of sensors rather than a bail
means the mouse will prob-
ably last longer than the stan-
dard ball mouse. Although I
wouldn't recommend that
you run out and immediate-
ly replace your standard
mouse with this new technol-
ogy, you'd be wise to consid-
er the Honeywell Opto-Me-
chanical mouse when you
need a new or replacement
serial mouse.
STEPHEN LEVY
Honeywelt Oplo-Mecha nJcal— $79.95
HONEYWELL KEYBOARD DIVISION
4171 N. Mesa, Bidg. D
E! Paso. TX 79902
(800) 445-6939
(915)543-5146
Circle Reader Service Number 446
QUEST FOR
GLORY I
Released in 1989, Hero's
Quest is arguably the most
ambitious Sierra On-Line un-
dertaking and probably the
most satisfying game in the
Sierra family. Hero's Quest ef-
fectively combines the statis-
tical character development
features of a role-playing ad-
venture with the basic side-
scrolling, third-person per-
spective, interconnected
scene-based interface of a
graphic adventure. Quest
for Glory {. the completely re-
worked remake of the origi-
nal game— rotoscoped and
icon driven, with 20-frame
clay animation, 256-color
VGA graphics, and en-
hanced stereo sound— is in
many ways a significant
improvement.
To the chagrin of some
and the delight of others,
gone is the original text pars-
er, now replaced with an
icon-directed "conversation
tree" communication sys-
tem. One general question
leads to many additional,
126 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
more specific choices of top-
ics to discuss, which are add-
ed to the conversation tree.
After experimenting with the
intuitive graphic icon mouse
pointers, the game piayer
should discover the correct
location to click with the
right combination of icon
and object to get the de-
sired result. The emphasis
in the game is still firmly root-
ed in conversations and puz-
zles, not combat, even
though combat opportuni-
ties abound if you're so in-
clined. The only real disap-
pointment is that the chance
of getting a speaking CD-
ROM version is considered
remote, considering both
the already ambitious Sierra
CD conversion schedule
and the 80 actors and more
than 6000 lines of conversa-
tion needed to be profession-
ally recorded.
The three-dimensional,
clay animation, rotoscoped
graphics are the most strik-
ing feature of this game
(and will be used in future
games). Each of the more
than 40 characters or crea-
tures is molded— in both full
torso and "talking head" ver-
sions — with modeling clay,
which is photographed by a
stop-action movie camera in
black-and-white, giving the
characters a realistic and be-
lievable three-dimensional ef-
fect, complete with shadows
and nuances of expression.
Each character has been giv-
en a little personality of its
own, dedicated to the pur-
pose of entertainment. Pho-
tographed at 20 frames per
second, the film, which pro-
vides smooth and realistic an-
imation, is then rotoscoped
onto the compuier, where
the image is colorized with a
256-color palette by a com-
puter artist, pixel by pixel.
To quote one previously
skeptical Sierra artist, "The re-
sults are amazing.'* Even
Stefan Spielburg (the strange-
ly familiar name of the baro-
nial ruler of the town and its
surrounding countryside,
the setting for the game)
would be happy with the
results.
Even if you've played
through the original Hero's
Quest, you should look at
DISK-COUNT
SOFTWARE
Lowest defiverd prices with greafcustomer service.
A D Boxing 20
A Train 39
Construction Set 22
A320 Airbus 52
ABC Wide Wrld Box 30
ABPA Baseball 25
Aces of the Pacific 39
Mission Disk 25
Action Stations 29
Addon Disk 22-45 14
AD&D Collect Ed 2 44
AO&D Starter Kit 44
Adv V/illy Beamish 37
Air Bucks 36
Air Force Command 36
AfgeBlasier Plus 30
Algebra Made Easy 25
Amanllo Slim Dl Ch 32
American Gladiators 25
Ancient Art War Sky 35
Animation Studio 69
Are We There Yet? IB
ArmatJa 2525 30
Armourqeddon 29
AT,A.C. 35
Automap 49
Automap Windows 48
Automap Europe 74
B -17 Flying Fortres 39
Back to Future 3 25
Backgamn By Geo 26
Bane Cosmic Forge 36
Barbie Design 16
Barbie Fashion 25
Barbie Adventure 25
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Bill Elliott NASCAR 30
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esitzkneg 29
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Bo Jackson Base B 30
Bodyworks 42
Bridgemaster 30
Bug Bunny WrkShp 31
Buzz Aldnn 39
Captain Comic 2 15
Carl Lewis Chaling 29
Carrier Strike 42
Carriers at War 35
Casino Pack 1 32
Castles 36
Northern Campgn 1 9
Castle 2 35
Castle of Dr. Brain 30
Cathy Dally Planner 43
Ching Ancient Emp 30
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Champions 38
Champions of Krynn 20
Chemistry Works 38
Chessmaster 3000 32
Chessmstf 3000 Win38
Children Writ & Publ 39
Chip n Dale 15
Civilization 39 !
Civili2atiof\ MPE 47 ;
Classic 5 29
Coaster 25
Comic Book Creator 1 7
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Dafti Half 39
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Darklands 39
Darkseed 39
Dark Sun 50
Death Knight Krynn 32
DIx Paint Animation 85
DIx Paint II Enhncd 85
Design Yr Own Hm 39
Design Your Rallrd 35
Railroad Robbery 19
Designasaurus II 23
Disnp^FntertafnPk 47
Dr. Quandry 31
Dragon's i^ir 25
Dragon's Lair 2 37
Dragon Lr:Sing Cst 37
Dudk Tale:Qst GId 15
Duerk BaseB. Encyl 20
Dune 2S
Dungeon Master 29
Dusk of the Gods 38
Dynamix Bundle 39
Eari Weaver 2 20
Commisioner Dsk 12
Play & Mgr. Disk 12
Eartt^ouest 37
Eeo Phantoms 31
Eco-Quest 1 34
Elvira 2: Jaws 42
Entr Pak Win (ea) 28
Eye of Beholder 32
Eye of Beholder 2 38
E Z Cosmos 42
F- 14 Tomcat 19
F15HI 44
F 15 111 Master Edit, 49
Ft 17a Stealth Flghter41
Facts in Action 31
Falcon 3.0 45
Oper Fight Tiger 25
Family Tree Maker 42
Far Sfde Calendr 49
Farm Creativity Kit 17
Femme Fatale 26
F. F. Data Disk 21
Fighting for Rome 29
Final Conflict 29
Flames of Freedom 31
Right of Intruder 37
Flight Simul AXP. 37
Flight Simul (M.S.) 41
Arcft/Scen Dsgn 28
California 37
Flight Planner 25
FSPro 24
Great Britian 37
Hawaii 19
Instant Facit Loc. 26
Instrumnt Pilot Seen
East / West U.S. 59
Scenery Set A 37
Scenery Set B 37
Scenery Enhn Ed 25
Sound & Graphic 25
Tahiti 19
Western Europe 1 9
Floor 13 15
Fly Grand Canyon 37
Follow the Reader 29
Four Crystal Traier 32
Free DC 37
Front Page Sports 39
Gateway 35
Global Conquest 37
Gobblins 25
Godfather 29
Gods 25
Gold of the Aztec 31
Gold Sheet Pro F B 37
Grand SlamBrdqe231
Great NavaJ Batfles 44
Greens 35
G unship 2000 36
Scenario Disk 24
Guy Spy 29
Hardbaft 3 35
Data Disk 17
Hare Raising Havoc 29
Harpoon 32
Headline Harry 37
Helmdail 19
Heros of 357th 32
Hole in One GoH 22
Hong Kong Mahjong 32
Hoyle Bk Game 1/2 22
Hoyle Bk Game 3 30
Humans 25
Indiana Jones 4 37
Island of Dr. Brain 29
Jack Nicklaus Signtr 42
J. Nick. Crse 3,4.5 14
J. Nicklaus Clip Art 17
Jetfiqhter 2 39
Adv, Mission Disk 1 9
Jobhunt 30
John Madden 2 31
Jump Jet 39
Kid PiK 35
Kid Pix Companion 25
Kid Works 29
Kings Quest Bundle 39
Kings Quest 1 VGA 37
King's Quest 5 42
King's Quest 6 39
Knowledge Advent 47
Kpnami NFL FootB 30
Laffer Utility 22
Leather God Phb 2 42
Legend 41
Legend of Kyrandia 35
Legion's of Krella 37
Leisuf Suit Lar Sndl 39
Leisur Suit Larry 5 37
Lemmings 29
Oh No Mofe Addon 22
Lemm.'Oh No More 31
L'Empereur 37
Lexicross 25
Lit>erty or Death 35
Life and Death 2 32
Links 25
Unks 386 Pro 39
Course Disk ea 1 6
3 or more (ea) 15
Loney Tune Prnf/Piy 1 9
Lord of Rings 2 37
Lost Admiral 35
Lost File Sherick H 41
Lost Treas Infocom 42
Lost Treasures 2 29
Magic Candle 2 38
Mam St Creawity Kit 17
Manhole 31
Mantis 39
Mario Teaches Type 25
Martian Memorndm 32
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Math Blaster Mystry 29
Math Blaster Plus 29
Math Blaster Wind 36
Math Rabbit 25
Math Zofle 31
Matrix Cubed 32
Mavis Beacon Type 32
Mavis Beacon Wind 30
McGee at Fun Fair 25
Mean Streets 19
Medieval Lords 38
Mega Fortress 26
liflission Disk 27
Mega Traveller 1/2 37
Mega Man 3 17
Mental Math Games 35
Merchant Colony 31
MetroGnome Music 31
Michael Jordon Flight42
Mickey ABC's.
Cororor1-2-3's 25
Mickey's Crossword 19
Mickey J iqsawPzl 31
Mickey ABC Combo 37
Mickey Word Advent 25
Micro Cookbook 31
Microleagu 4 BaseB 39
Micfoleague FB DIx 42
Miaosoft Golf 39
Midnight Rescue 30
Might and Magic 3/4 38
Millennium 2200 25
Milliken Storyteller 32
Mike Ditka Llllimt FB 37
Mixed-Up Fairy Tale 30
Mixed-Up Mother Gs30
Monopoly Deluxe 34
Moonbase 25
Munchef Bundle 30
Murder 29
Mutanoid Math Chig 31
NFL Challenge Prem59
NFL Prim Pro 17
NFl Pro League FB 35
Nigers World 31
Ninja Turtle Arcade 25
Ninja Turtle: Adventr 31
NoounagasAmbition37
No Greater Glory 42
Omar Sharif Bridge 37
Operation Neptune 35
Orbits 29
Oregon Trail 28
Origin FX 25
Once Upon Time 30
Out of This World 36
Outnumbered 30
Overlord 30
Pacilic Islands 31
Paladin 2 35
Paperboy 2 32
Patriot 43
PC Globe 39
PC USA 31
PC Study Bible 42
Penthouse Jigsaw 26
Perfect General 36
Data Disk 22
PGA Tour Golf 32
PGA Golf Windows 38
Course Disk 19
PGA Golf Complete 49
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Phonics Plus 25
Pinball 29
Pitfightef 22
Plan 9 Outer Space 25
Planets Edge 37
Playroom w/ Sound 31
Police Quest 3 37
Pools of Darkness 38
Populous 2 38
Power Hits Sports 32
Sd-Fi 32
Battleledi-Mech 32
Powermonqer 32
Principles or Bblogy 25
Principle of Calculus 25
Principle ofChemsty 25
Print Shop Deluxe 45
GraphicColl. (ea)30
Print Shop, New 36
Graphics (ea) 22
Print Sp Companion 31
Privateer 45
Pro League Baseball 35
Quest for Glory 1 22
Quest for Glory 3 39
Ragnarok 35
Railroad Tycoon 32
Rampart 26
Random Hs Encycl 62
Reader Rabbit 31
Reader Rabbit 2 37
Read 'n Rolf VGA 31
Red Baron 39
Missk>n Disk 25
Realms 22
Rex Nebular 39
Riders of Rohan 31
Risk for Windows 29
Risky Woods 25
Road & Track Pres 35
Road to Final Four 37
Robosports Wind 37
Romance 3 King 2 39
Rorkes Drift 34
Rules Engagement 37
Rule Engagment 2 38
Scrabble deluxe 30
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Sim Earth 41
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Strip Poker Data (ea) 17
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Studyware GMAT 30
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REVIEWS
this exceptional total remake of the
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TEMPEST
Housekeeping is a chore In any sense
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see its contents. When an icon is se-
lected by a single click, another click
130 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
on the Information too! of the toolbar
brings up information on that item. For
a drive, you see the type, capacity,
free space, and number of files and
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There is a generic icon for files with an
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With all its attributes, TEMPEST de-
serves better documentation. While
there are numerous help files— and
with a little persistence you can discov-
er what you need^t would be much
more convenient if the manual offered
such information as a description of
the function of the tools in the toolbar,
Aside from that, I consider the pro-
gram a very valuable utility. Modest in
its appetite for disk space— about
1MB— and selling at a very modest
price, its file management capability
compares well with that of Windows.
CHARLES IDOL
IBM PC or compatible. EGA or VGA, hard drive;
mouse recommended— $29.95
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Worlds at War
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IBM ADVENTURE
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Amazon
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Castle Woffenstein 3D
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Coaster
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Codename Iceman a
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Colonel Bequest 2
$39
Conquests of LongbOA
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Cniise for a Corpse
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Cybercon 3
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Dark Half
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OeiaVu2Los!inLV
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Demon s Gate
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Don't G5i_Alonf
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IBM HARDWARE
Ad bb Sound Card S49
AdUbGoidtOOO $179
Ad Lib Speakers Si 5
AdvGfavis Ultrasound SI 29
Flight Slick S37
Flight Slick w Falcon $42
Pro Audio Speclrum16$1 99
Pro Audio Spctrm Plus $139
Sound Blaster S99
Sound Blaster Pro $189
GAME MAKER'
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Lemmings 1 or 2 $^
L'Empereur S37
Liberty or Death S37
Lost Admiral $24
Lost Admiral Enhanced S44
Mega Lo Mania S31
Merchant Colony $34
Microcosm $32
Monarch $33
New World Order S33
Nobunaga 1 or 2 $37
'SPACEWARD
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IBM STRATEGY
A Train S42
Air Bucks $34
Ai r Force Comman der $34
Armada 2525 S29
Battle Isle $32
Battle Isle Seen Editor S22
Battles of Destiny $36
Buzz Atdrin Race Space S42
Castles 1 or 2 $36
Castles 1 North m Camp Si 9
Oper ation Comb at "$1^
Pacific Theater of Oper $42
Paladin 2 $34
Pelect General $38
Perfect Gen Disk 1 or 2 $23
Perfect General 2 $44
Populous 2 S33
Power Monge r *-S34
Power Monger VMI $31
OOP Bundle $59
Railroad Tycoon S34
Elt $24
Free DC $24
Gateway $36
Heaven & Earth 532
Hook $32
HUMANS $24
Indy Jones Fate Atlantis 838
Jack the Ripper $38
King's Quest 5 VGA 339
King's Quest 6 VGA S45
Leather Goddesses 2 S42
Legend of Kyrandia S35
Leisure Suit Lan7 5 S34
Leisure Suit Lrry Bundle $39
Lost Files ShrlcX Hlms ^^-S44
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Police Quest 2 or 3 S34
Rex Nebular Cos Gen B $39
Riftwar Legacy S39
Risky Woods $24
Seen Monky Isind 2 S3B
Sex Olympics $24
Sex Vixens from Space Sl2
Sierra Adventure Bundle$39
Space Guest 3 $34
Space Quest 4 or 5 S39
Space Quest Bundle S39
Spaceward Ho! 533
Spellcasting 201 S36
Spellcasting 301 S34
Startrek Z5th Antversry $36
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Summoning <^3@
Time Quest S12
WaRer S32
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Where Amrcas Pst CSDS37
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Where WoridCSDDIx $49
IBM SPORTS
PGA Tour Golf $32
PGA Tour Golf Lid Edt $45
Pro Foottiall Analyst $24
fload to the Final Four S37
Tom Landry Football S29
Tony LaRussa Baseball $19
T LaR Fantasy Manager $15
TLaRussaStadiums $15
TLaRTeams1901-68 $15
Woild Circuit $34
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Sound Blstr Pro Basic SI 59
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Thn;s;mstr Weapn Cntrl $79
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Thun(}er Board SodBrd S84
Thunder Board WIN $109
Thunder Board Spkrs $15
Victeo Blaster S349
IBM SPORTS
All Amencan CoSlege Fb$36
APBA Baseball $28
APBA1908-9lEa $21
APBA Basketball S34
APBA Bowling $14
APBA Football $34
E s pa r^a Games $24
Front Page Football £39
Greens £34
GretsKy Hockey 2 $34
Hardball 3 $34
Hardball 3 Players Disk $19
Hardball 3 Stadium Disk S19
J CorY>ers Pro Tennis $32
LH 3 in 1 Football ^
LH Boxing $36
LH Full Count Baseball $36
LH Hockey $36
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LH Ulility Disks $16
Links Golf $29
Links Course 1 -6 Ea $17
Links 336 Pro Golf 842
Li nlcs 386 Pro Courses $20
M ad d ghFo attiftiLE *-$^
y3a^Q.hh5AF.£t.BjJs "$12
ML Basbll 4 USA Today $31
ML Franchise Disks Ea S20
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AD&D Starter Kit $45
Champions of Krynn $19
Dark Queen of Krynn $32
Dark Sun $37
Death Knights of Krynn $20
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Eye of the Beholder S19
Eye of the Beholder 2 S38
Gateway Savge Frontr S32
Pool of Darkness $38
Secret of Sliver Blades S'5
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Bard's Tale Constrct Sets 19
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Black Crypt S32
Buck 2: Matrix Cubed S32
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Cobra Missi-on S44
Cyber Empire S32
Cyberspace S32
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Dungeon Master $34
Dusk of the Gods $24
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Flames of Freedom SS8
Hero's Quest 2 $21
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Lord of the Rings 2 S37
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Microsoft GoJI WIN
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Mike Oitka Football
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Circle Reader ServJce Number 149
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Space Hulk S38
Space Inc S34
Spellbound ^9
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Starilighl 1 or 2 $17
Sword ol the Samurai S 9
Tales Magic: Prophcy S $38
Tbird Courie r "$t2
Twilight 2000 S34
Twilight 2001 S39
Ultima Trilogy $35
Ultima Trilogy 2 $45
Uitima 6 False Prophet $39
Ultima 7 Black Gale $46
Ultima 7 Forge of Virtue $19
UtSima 7,5 Serpent Isle S46
Ultima Stygian Abyss $48
Uncharted Waters S42
Waxworks $34
Wizardry 5 $32
Wizardry 6 Cosmic Frg $37
Wizardry 7 Crusaders $39
IBM TRADITIONAL
3 m 1 Players Pack "$£4
Acquire $15
Anura "S24
Backgamm on WIN "S24
Battle Chess WIN $29
Battle Chess 4C00 $36
Blackjack DOS WIN $16
Bndgemasier $29
Cef>terfold Squares $21
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Chess Net "^
Dealers Choice Poker $29
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F Fatale Data Disks $18
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Eye of the Slorm $29
FIITANighthawk $42
F15 Strike EagSe 3 $44
FigstearthRghter S24
F22 ATF S39
Falcon 3-0 $45
Falcon 3,0 Scenario 1 $24
Fty Grand Canyon 3D $45
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HINT BOOKS
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Civilizalion S16
Dungeon Master $10
D^m Great War Planes $16
Global Conquest w/Disk S21
Gunship2000 $16
Harpoon Baillebook S16
Indy Jones Fate Atlantis S 10
Lucas A isAdventure S16
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Mantjs Exprmr^tJ Fghtr S39
Mantis Speech Pack $19
Maximum Overkili $44
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Might & Magic 3 or 4 $16
Official Sierra Hint Bks $12
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Quest for Clues 2, 3or4 S21
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SIERRA HINTBOOKS SIO
Si mcityf Sim Earth S20
Star Trek 25th Anniver SlO
Strategy Plus 3 -1 1 Ea S 8
Strategy Plus 12*23 S 5
Ultima Hint Books $10
U II i ma Avatar Adventrs S 1 4
Wizardry 6 Cosmic Frg S12
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Yeagers Air Combat S16
IBM ARCADE
Block buster "SIS
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Game Maker $68
GO Master 5 DIx $109
GO Master S DOS/WIN $39
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Hong Kong Mah Jong S32
Hoyle Book Games l0f2S2f
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Video Poker A'la Carte "S2-:
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IBM SIMULATION
A10 Avenger S46
Aces of the Pacific S42
Aces Pacific Mssn 1or2 $27
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AH 64 Helicopter $46
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ATP $37
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3
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Circle Reader Service
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j79- Special Qfler: S69 with puf chase of any CC disk, / VGA and hard disk required - shipped on Jtigli density disks.
CONNOISSEUR COLLECTION ALL NBWI In 256 Color VGA!!
St)Ot^ Diik ICC1 • * YOU BE THE STM *The RRST CUSTOMIZABLE movie allows yod to write ffie dialog and the title, ONLY AVAIL-
ABLE FROM USi
S*0r Ditk ICC2 • THE FIRST SOUNO MOVIE! The fim coniMiter mov^ with SOUND. See the includible 256 color VGA graphics while
hearing itie actuaJ dtalm OURS EXCLUSIVELY!
SeXXy Dlik iCC3 • THE BEST MOVIE! The best computer movie available, Only for the senous coHedar. 25& stunning VGA colors
S«0y Oltl tC(U • VOLUPTUOUS MOVIE with Sounit Sao and hura synftiony of excefiti anally proportioned women.
S«}0(y Olth f CCS * ODOITIES MO V] E with Sm nd! See mer of inasditiie proportions and women mth unique ablities - UNBEU EVABLE'
PrfcQs: 1 Movie S29. 3 Movies S65. 5 Movi&s $94
S&XXy Graphics with SOUND!
Our EXCLUSIVE 256 color VGA graphics TALK and PLA Y MUSIC through your standard speaker,
SatO- Top Heavy Mamo d&k ■ exlrcTCiy ampty endowed women TALK to you while you ad rri re their HUGE proportions ■ SIZZLING!
SQf f - Encounter disk - we can't descnte the explicit action you will s&g and HEAJ1 ■ absolirt^ INCREDlBLEf
8<i13- Swims uit Disk ■ Vou will s*c tJ^ sfixicsl swimsuib wtiite ttie oi:ris TALK to you aboul Iheir tum-ons and tum-offe.
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Each disk is over T 2MB - plus FRH DISK wi;h over 2 5MB of ublities tor pnnting, catalodng,
convertng to WINDOWS WALLPAPER. ajiJ changing tfw pttures Req. VGA w\tii 512K,
Prlc«9: One dish SI 9, 2 disks S3S, 3 dis/<s S49, 4 disf<s S59
ORIGiNAL SeXXy DISKS - 6 disk set with tnovies, pictures, games $32
ADD S3 S/H • 3.5' a FOREIGN ORDERS ADD S^DISK • IN m ADO TAX • MUST STATE AGE OVER 21 YEARS.
VISA/MC Orders Onty: 800'243'i5i5 Ext 600MB i 24WffS / 7 DAYS
Of CK/MO to: SeXXy Software. P.O. Box 220, DepL 600MB. Hatfield, PA 19440
SeXXcapacfes . . . The MOVIE
First GOOMB IVJovi& far tn& f»C
Th? mtt inatdible NEW CD-ROf^ Producl^ The RRST ccmjp4ela €00 MB MOVIE with SOUND tor the
IBM PC The movie features a group of friends ptaying ou( SeXXcapades gime. Th« action is hot and
incr&tfible! Vou will see unbelievibk usm of a mouse and iffystick. This beautilu! 256 color VGA movie
fills ^A oi itie scta^ti You will need ai leasi a S86SX compute;, yau can pause & San as an a VCR.
OURS EXCLUSIVELY.
P rice: 1129 Of $99 wthany other C_Dj.OM purchase SeXXcapadesQarng 50% OFF with movie purchase
SeXXy CD-ROMS
SeXXy CD #1 1 he premere aiJuS XXX ctfkcSo^ - 680 MB of atton wilh; 5266 VGA ptdires. 8? tvcrm. 674 sto-
nes. Ci^ DARE TO COMPARE!
SeXXy CD #2 an exdiSfve collection containing over 900 Super VGA piciurts (1024 n 7S8 x 256) and wer
4C'0 VGA pictijres [640 xAKx 256) These afe pttures that cannot l»a founil anywttere else! Thic women
and the qu illy are stunning
SeXXy CO «3 anoitier collection ot ovei 650 MB of tiie fwnest pictures awilable Ovei 5,000 VGA pictures,
mo/.« a^nd uDlities ifiat wili havt you s|>endirg days just tryng to see il all !
MENU DRIVEN VIEWING ■ NO DUPUCATIOM / PRICE; (W tith (S89 with in/ CCdisk of
SeXXcapades) / SUPBl CD BUNDLE TAKE ALL 3 XXX CD-ROMS FOR »W
MIX & MATCH CD-ROMS
First 3: S99 MCtt or 3 fofSl99,
Ttmt: $69 •*c/i or 3 tor $149
ADULT TITLES
MV PRIVATE COLLECTION
PCPtX
EROTICA
SO MUCH STAREWARE
XXX EXTREME
ANIMATION - FANTASIES
600ms InterDal Drive Ktt - $199
(with 3 CD purchase).
COMIWERCIAL TTTLES
hiamte tnd Ai!h
Pri«fr« SM?«»»fi - 470O* pfD^trn . nufxj arf«n
StwSsdh HD>!n*i Cc m Ji pg 0«*dH
M«Orvn S^ht tnd Betxa - touridi. tfCmn, utiM«
Ch*»n BStf 300a - ciwu otti mnj
So WmA ScTH-wvi -600 M) otbrKim pioirts. vwwi
So Musfi SS».*»**.'» - 0**i \ ca efbUHnm griiphici, B*n«
Wlftdowi CD - 1S0O aw. lona, ewtit
Grntan MiJtn^sCii Enqfdopwlia - mum u 7 CD- ROWS
Circle Reader Service Number 116
PAY ONLY ^ 9.^^ Pm COLLECTION
(NCLUDES SHIPPilG & HANDLING)
FORBGN ADD $5.00 PER COUECTIQN
CRQIIT CARD ONLY
Stttca^a^Uiutr ^uct/coHieed S^nee /9^Sm
SMC SOFTWARE PUBLISHERS
619-931-8111
Ext 51 1
OTHER COLLECTIONS AVAILABLE FOR
MACIhlTOSH, AMIGA, & APPLE
Circle Reader Service Number 12t
THE MAGIC MIRROR ... a toolbox j
for your mind. E. Kinnte, PhD., Clinical |
Psychotogtst, $39.95.
THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN ... a journey I
into another reality. Not for children, f^
Male and female versions. S39.95. fc
MERLIN ... an apprenticeship. $29.95. fM
I CHING . . . ancient Chinese wisdom iK
and prophecy, $29.95. Ijp^
Blue Valky. 29ShepardSt. Waltoa NY 13^ ^
MasterCard ^isa IP^
1-800-545-6172 IBM/Compotib!e« n^
(after 5 p.m,) and AMIGA fc
Circle Reader Seivice Number 173
486 POWER
NOW!
Upgrade your 286, 386SX or 386DX
to a powerful 486 computer starting at
only $199! Increase the speed and
performance of Windows 3. 1, DOS
5.0, OS/2 and other applications while
maintaining your investment. The
SuperChip"" is affordable, slotless and
replaces your CPU chip. Math co-
processors are also available. For
more information please contact us.
Gordon & Associates
19831 Billings CoLiri
Gaiihcrsburg, Maryland USA 20879
Telephone (301) 9774329
Fax (301) 869-1439
Circle Reader Servl^ Number 201
COMPUTER SOFTWARE
ALL THE LATEST AND
GREATEST IN SOFTWARE
FOR WINDOWS 3.1
Business
Education
Entertainment
1-800-472-4205
P.O. Box 2079
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
Circle Reader Service Numbef 1 34
GET OVER 500 FDNIS
FOR ONE LOM^ PRICE!
Plus much more with FaSTFoMTS
A. 1 8 on -the-f ly scalable font families with 40
variations in point sizes from 4 to 1 0DD.
▲ Font conversion to or from PostScript",
T^ueType'^ or other popular formats.
A Special fills and background effects,
shadows, - you name it!
▲ Acce ss PoslScrpt graphics with or witho ut
a PS printer! - all at just the touch of a key!
A Connpatible with Windows'"" or DOS'.
Special COMPUTE magazine
Call '^'•"''^^■ffrfcM
1-800-78S-F0HT.SL
Clrcte Reader Service Number 123
136
Magic Tricks
on your PC///
The oniy program in
the world that can
perform Magic///
For the first time ever, your PC will amaze
your friends with 5 stunning tricks: mind*
reading, ESP, predictions, X-ray vision,
and more. Easy to learn. Comes with in-
striiction manual arvd props.
$22 + 3 s/h
Send ctieck o( rrvoney order lo
MicroMagfc Productions
175 5lh Avenue Suite 2625
New York. NY 10010
(212) 969-0220
Requires (BM PC or comfiatible with VGA, EGA ot
CGA- Also: lO-trick Professional version ($48 + 5 s/h)
and 1 -trick Demc disk (S3 + S3 s/h).
Circle Reader Service Number 196
CLOSEOUTS
Nobody Beats Computer LiquidMtoisf
WordPerfect 5 J or Lotus 1-2-3
Your Choice - $169.00
AD(&D Dragon Striit^ Hilisf&r, Or
Dragons Of Flame - $16.50 Each
Ounship & Ml T^nk Platoon - $19.00
Airborne Ranger - $10. 00
ADULT CD ROMS
600 MEG - $25,001
Handre<k Of Other OxiDcti Sm/nem A CD ROM
ThicK A wmUabtc - CmU Tadtf /hr VeUiM
1-800-394-1376
<7i^ns-nn/rAxai3)-n%n7i
TSlna - IllOO WilamDr. H Noasfon. Tx 77099
Vm Jk^mmmrd * COtX 'tAmpttid COR FoehStaoaAn
SoHwtreSMiaAreBa^ l^^ftShippiaiAAtSS.00 USA
SS,OOQoKk.SSaOO»&amainOt^crOrSSOOtknSiaff
Circle Reader Service NumtMf 270
PENDRAGON
Sofware Library
Public Domain/Shareware for IBM &
Compatibles - ASP Member
No Viruses * Latest Versions
FREE 80 page
Catalo'g ^
75 MeadowbrookRd
E.Greenwich, Rl 02818
(401)884-6825 for inquiries
As low as
$1.75
per disk
1-800-828-DISK
Circle Reader Service Number 177
SHAREWARE
for IBM COMPATIBLE
ALL single items $1 .25
Same Price for 3.5" or 5.25"
Shipping & IHandling: $2
VISA / MASTERCARD
REGULAR fFEMS $1,26
FP-206 Exceptionfil Virus 8CjannJr>g/ele«rilnia
with commejcial quelity Inteffece.
SCAN 9 7 McAf fee's ijatrat Virus tcar>ner.
Wa will ship moit recant v«r«ton availdbia)
W0LF3D Super 3D view oame. The besti (VGA)
GALACTtX Real Arcade Space-war Action (VGA)
KEENDRMS He'* back in KEEN OREAMS (EGA)
MAZEWAAS Virtual Reality maze. (VGA + MOUSE)
KEEPER My Brother's Keeper: Geneobgy
ANCIENTS Deathwatch 3-D D&D. Create your
party of four. Fantastic I VGA + MOUSE Req.
PCQAMMON Ver. 6 Great Begoan^mon, Graphic*.
BARGAIN BUNDLES /
APOOEE1 Arctic, PharTomb, Pagal, 2 morel IB
AP0QEE2 KEEN1 , AGENT, DARKAKGES %3
EDUIGD2 Sch.Mom, Fiinnei*, StateCap, more 43
Com Pro Software
P.O. BOX 4426
Star City, WV 26504
1-800-PC-DISCS
You can order from this add by phone or mall 1
Reaae don't forget to tdl us diskette size ]
Floppy & CD-ROM Products
DISK sins - fcich set itichidcs
25 color pictures, picture
viewer FREE w/flrst orden
JlSe #888. Shipjxtl im 1.1 n*fr ttoppy tliJt
^MO Sampler, ^w^kh .„$39.95
Pxotica color $39.95
^JorisVaUqo $39.95
./DonnUfidm — $39-95
#H5From Bchind„....$39.95
#5-14 a»stumes & F/X.$39.95
Heai
Bodies Vi
CD:ROM^
Over 200 color
nhotosofbcautiji
^-^ women,
i$199^
Mod«i irom
Swim suit V.I
FREE tjoior flDceasor
w/piirctmse orsend $S«
BodyCello P.O. Box 310531,
Sorrento Valley CA 92191 ,
Order: 1-800'922-3556 lnfo:i
FAX: 619 536-2397 Include $4^
foreign atid $15 s/n CA. restdettls j
Haehafrom
H«vmlrBodlaav.1
Circto Reader Service Number 128
1-800-922-3556
WIST BE OVBl IB TO ORDER
Circle Reader Service Number 216
File Edit Search Dial 1-900-454-4370 690 per minute
WINobwS 900
The #1 Shareware Source For . . .
a Business a Programming
a Utilities a Fonts
o Games J Grapiiics
^^jj
URGE KKK ADULT AREA!
Must be 18 or over to call...
Use Your High Speed Modem & Call
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2400bps - 9600bps V.32/bis V.42/bis 8,N,1
NO CREDIT CARDS
NO MEMBERSHIP
NO LONG DISTANCE CHARGES
FAST, EASY ACCESS
Citora umitr 1$ yun of tga' WSt fuM ptrmfs permission m^
SPORIS GAMES
IBM • APPLE II •
THE MOn REAUSriC STRATEGY/SIMUUnON
COMPUTER GAMES OH THE MARKET TODAY]
FUU COUNT BASEBAU
You manage all 26 most recent teams and 52 great past teams • 45 man roster
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COURT-SIDE COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Included are 286 teams from the most recent season and 70 all-time greats
• Player statistical accuracy from ability to dre and foul to overall
contribution factor • Slats compiler • You determine style of play, whether
to press or use 45 second clock, weather game played at home court or
neutral site and much more!
ORDERTODAY! Mail check or money order for S39.95 each for Apple 11 and 0-64
or S49.95 for IBM. You may call in and order with \^SA or Master Card.
Please add S3.00 for shipping and handling.
For more btformation, call or write for a free brochure,
IJI^JJJMJJIIJ.fJJIIJJ
ir M iw iv « I / M ^ i/ r f 4 1 « i / ' r j / / ^ ^^
P.O. BOX 100594 • NASHVILLE, IN 37224 615/366-8088
circle Reader Service Number 206
SOFTWARE CLOSEOUTS
IBM. AMIGA. APPLE. COMMODORE 64/128. ATARI ST. MAC & MORE
Aionoidij
ButMBoUk
Of«<«twWoH
l^bolil
nennxk
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aitmanCapedCrusJder
\w sTTviTiiiT mu\
wartoo
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firewe
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llii THAMTBMi: 6AIIES:
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SU50
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St450
tIliO
iu.sa
i\m
i\m
116.50
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%S.X
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$14.50
SlfSC
iH50
S1&50
tt9S0
St950
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112.50
11450
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I16S0
S 950
H.M
119.S0
11650
11450
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19,50
116.50
119-50
19.50
lieio
am
t\tsc
$16iO
S1450
IH gOBTi ammTTMB:
TV. Sports toflMB
Super 5und>|r
aite«rSM
Shirte^'s3Dftx)i
PtcTeftnisTwfl
MKfOteaqu* FooiM
MicroteagueBassbaif
TtinsCup
3ravcYafda«
SubirtnTaue Soccer
DtnmhiChalhflgeSlEing
Stip«1)iia&)l«nge
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ho-SeidiVaSeybaS
Supers^ indoor SfDrts
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iii FUMT MUUTORS:
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f^odtet Range!-
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11450
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$29<50
19.50
119.50
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mm
1950
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116.50
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nm
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$9.50'
150O
1 5.00'
15.00
lt6M
VIS/UWC ORDERS CALL TOtL-FREE
1 - 800 - 676 - 6616
ZniW Canl OnJin Only I f ! ! (125 minimum)
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P.O. BOX 5160
SAN LUIS OSISPO
CA 93403
1l»ri mon tan tor tJI
tod. Amifl. CUfla. MAC.
tlg^mon IWVS-OOSl'
SUPER imfili Rlfl M4/ia
IncUer Oetnotloa hinlotk Ariiy Ua¥Bs.
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Mutmtj, Cyruj Chess, Doc the Dttlroytr, i
Unjum UotkHtLSItKll
SUPER HIMOUFmAWGA
1IMBFMt14.a
Vanpre Empitt, Stcy Sasier, Tr?te X Costal
Hmttur. riHJ Mission. Utle Dfajon,
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OeverandSTTui.
BuckRooersi
Heroes ci L^Aot
WIr of fft lance
riTKiltAagft
OAnArollttfoM
^ - ")esteSd>OTi
BanKydevooesti
CD Gnb Bag
CO Game Collection
Crtessmastsr 30X1
CD-ROM CoOediofl *m
^o^n Immortjl
Greit Cffies. alth*Worid
Hound ol (he BJikeryiiki
Jones In the f«1 Lane
Kind's Oue^t 5
LOOM
Uu»dLjpMottiefGoi»se
PtwnaSNtrewSfeZO
SecTrtcfWonkeyteiiniJ
Holmes CQflSuliiflgi Oetoane
&] Mmcti S^tannvan
Uttima t-6 Bundle
'^GA Spectn/n
Wing Ccnnyndef Bundle
Wiftj Conman()*r,.Urom2 6 Bundle
11950.
11950
S19S)
S1650
S1950
11950
114JQ
11450
11650
11950
19.50
11450
11550
t14!>Q
114»
119.50
11500
S39.00
144,00
S2900
13900
14900
S4900
S39,00
mm
149.00
139.00
124.00
14900
149.00
13900
S49J00
$3900
14900
1*900
TO ORDER: Send cfiecfc cf mojiey order inclutfing shipping clurgts ol ^ tor
U.SA. $a for Canada. S!6 all ottere. Cairfomtans must include 125% sales tax
To receive Oijr cfflrpiete caHlog of over 2.000 rtiins for ali computer t/pes, seod
J2 in casJi or stamps to itie above address.. TN catalog is FREE with any order.
To difck for an hem not llttid hire, »l! (B05) SUMM.
Circle Reader Service Number tSO
EPROM PROGRAMMERS
Stand-Alone Gang Programmer
8 ZIF Sockets for Fast Gang
Programming and Easy
/ ^^Lmj^ ^ Splitting
SO Key Keypad
ZO X •) Line LCD Display
• Completel/ stand-alone or PC-dnven
-, Programs E{E)PROMs
• 1 wegabil ol dram
' User upgradable to 32 Megabit
• .v.r m sockets, rs-232,
Parallel In and Out
■ 32K internal Flash tEPROM for easy
tilm'.vare upgra,des
• Quick Pulse Algorlliini IZ7Z5B
in S sec, 1 Megabit In 17 sec.)
• 2 year v/arranty
• Made m the U.S..A,
•Technical support by phone
• Complete manual and schematic
• Single Socket Programmer also
available. 8550.00
•Spl!tandShuff[e 16 5 32 bit
• 100 User Definable Macros. 10 User
CefinabEe Configurations
■ Intelligent identifier
• Einary. irite! Hex. and Motorola S
■2716 to 4 Megabit
138
Iiitemal Programmer for PC
New (ntelligent Averaging Algorithm. Programs 64A in 10 sec, 256 in 1 min,, 1 Meg (27010,011}
in 2 min. 45 sec. 2 Meg (27C2001 ) in 5 min. Internal card with external 40 pin ZIF
» Reads, Verifies, and programs 2716. 32, 32A.
64, 64A. 128, 123A256.512, 513. 010, Oil, 301,
27C2001, WCM 68764. 2532, 4 MegalDits
• Automatically sets programming vollage
• Load and save buffer to disk
■ Binary. Intel Hex and Motorola S formats
' No personality modules required
• 1 Year warranty
• 10 days money back guarantee
• Adapters available for 874B. 49, 51. 751* 52,
55, TMS 7742. 27210, 57C1024, and memory
cards
•Made in U.SA
40 pin ZIP
EMPDEMO.EXE available BBS (916) 972-8042
NEEDHAM'S ELECTRONICS
4539 Orange Grove Ave. • Sacramento. CA 95841 ^^ immb
(Wonday-Frtday, S am*5 pm PST) COD ^^B^p >^4
Ca'l for rrore mlormation
(916)924-8037
FAX tStS) 972.99&0
Circle Reader Service Number 191
GARDEN S^bracadata
DESIGN <
1
'^
IMS
i»f!W i
u • ^
VEGETABLE
GARDEN DESIGN
• Special planting tool
snaps to correct row
and plant spacing.
• Databases of vege-
tables for 7 climate
regions-full/ editable.
• Text and drawing
tools for customFzed
garden design.
' Prints reports wfiicfi
include a garden calen-
dar, shopping list, and
yield estimates.
PC Zone Price . . .
$38°°
MacZone Price . . .
J4800
"ill ^^j'Finili iif
p »»i ■• ♦ *■« »• ■ w i M » :
800'248-0800
800-258-2088
For FREE Color Catalog
from Abracadata;
Call: 800-451-4871 or
FAX: 503-683-1925
Circte Reader Service Number 271
Over 400 of the Latest
MS Dos CD ROM Titles In Stock
Astra Blaster Rom ttl $99
Over 700 Mb of quality Shareware and Public Domain Files on
this CD Rom! A powerful yet user-friendly interface is included.
Night Owl7.0 $39
650 fvlb of Shareware. Latest Title in the Night Owl Series.
ProPhone - National Edition $129
A three CD Rom collection containing most of the nation's
residential and business telephone directory listings with street
addresses and zip codes, Users may output records to a separate
file for database use.
MPC Wizard $15
CD Rom based Diagnostic tests for Your MPC subsystem.
Includes a comprehensive sound board and video card driver set
for Windows. 50 Sample test images and sounds included.
Pricing of our current coKection may be downloaded off of our
Bulletin Board System at 2400 baud.
(61 9) 467-0661 - information and Orders
(619) 467-0665 FAX • (619) 467-0666 BBS
/0^^^ Sole Source Systems
f 'L T^J 8248 ttB Ronson Road
VV^^ San Diego, CA 921 11
9:30-6:30 Mon-Fri / 10:30-4:00 Sat. Pacific Time
All prices quoted include pre-paid discount
Visa/MC + 4% • No COD Orders Accepted • Add $5.00 5&H
Minimum order of $50 or $10 Service Charge.
International Orders Accepted, Se Habia Espahol
circle Reader Service Number 236
UVETVin a mndow on your PQ
• Tune in the Weatfier • Watch the Soaps
• Eye the News • Play Game Shows
• Track WaH Street • Catch Sports
Now you can w^tch T\' on your PC
monitor while working on other applica-
lioas under DOS or Windows.
Turn your entire PC monitor into a
TV screen or choose a smaller window
size. Move the window wherever you
want, and ajniiul ail video and audio
levels through an onscreen remote con-
trol or a DOS T^R. Framegrab ima^ to
popular file fomiats from an antenna,
cable, or VCR'laserdlsc RF video inpuL
Requires a VGA card with a feature
conneaor ainning 640x480 gmpliics mode.
Ask about our entire line of inulti-
niedi;i peripi^erais. including Super
\te)Window«i for ISA and PS/2 plat-
fomis, and the hot new Super Motion
Compression whidi allov\'s real-time
\ideo capture and plavteck to and from
vour hard drive.
1-800-288-2207
Conma Not- Mc-di Gmphics for ^mir
local WaichlT TV' dealer.
Circle Reader Service Number 235
you can bet on
Video pokeR
Experience the
excitement of the casino
with 30 popular Draw, Joker
Wild and Deuces Wild video
poker games — in the most vivid,
exciting video poker program ever
developed for the PC. With on-line
strategy tutor, hand -tester and hold-
tester, you'll play like a pro. Use the
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your own payoffs, bet, coins, and
bankroll. You can even print any of the
strategies to take with you to the casino!
Easy to use pulldown menus let you
quickly select games, print rankings,
run the Simulator, or change
parameters. Even if you never go to
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challenge of this captivating game.
Version 3.0
Only $49.95
plys S5 s/h {PA res, add $330 tax);
$6 Canada; SIO outside U.S. territories
Visa/MC call toll free:
1-800-828-2259 ext 410
For aJt IBM ?C% and com[^bles. Tru« tugh-r^
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Play all of the Joker Wild
strategics of Bradley
Davis, renowned author of
Mastering Joker Wild
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LWS Software, Inc,
PO Box 688
Broomall, PA 19008
(215)520-9858
Ctrcle Reader Service Number 189
WhereAdults
Come To Play!
I Locd Numbers Qwcrfr^ 700 U-& Ctifcsl
I CB-Stylc Group and Private Chat]
I lOOas Of Shareware Pnpgramsl
I Business and Peraonal ScrvdcesI
I 'nBvd & FU^t Scheduling with OAGt
I Giant Message Forums & Classlfledsl
I live Multlplaycr Games!
I Matchmaker Dating Database)
I Designed For Adult Users!
For Signup, More Information, Or A
Local Number Near You Call
818-358-6968
BrMODBMt, 9/N/i -3/12/2400 BAUD
Circle Reader Service Number 141
■V SIGNS nND
j,v RU6B6R SiniVlPS
for your ouun us© or o
profitable sideline business
Self-Inking and traditional
knob handle stamps can
be nnade for less tnan $1.
Retail prices will start in
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Informational signs, nameplales,
control panels, name badges,
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items can be made for pennies
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JACKSON MARiOKQ PRODdCTS CO. INC
BTOwnsvtUe Rd., D-gOO, Mt. Vernon, !L 62864
Phone: 800-851-4945 Fax: 618-242-7732
Circle Reader Service Number 23 1
•
it
•
•
•
•
i^
•
• ^
SHAREWARE!
^ FREE CATALOGUE^
I IBM SOFTWARE t
if D IQO's of Quality Programs Available Ar
^ D Vinjs Free [S^H ^
* SHAREWARE CENTRAL *
^ P.O. Box 897 • Wheatley, Ont. NOP 2P0 ^
• 1^ • i:^ (519) 825-7480 i:r -k it ir
Circle Reader Service Number 157
140
CD-ROM
HammerHead has teamed up with
professional photographers and the
best shareware authors to bring you the easiest
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Super VGA 1024x768x256 cofor tmages
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p rotessio nal Mew Ya f S p hotog rap he r, Bruce C u n Is ,
11309 Lovelv Ladles It ...(^ $59,8a
Fargfllihe'Swiftisuit issue", we've got 1 1 1 s&nsuous pictures of fashion
swimsuls. Victoria who? It's no secret thai we iiave 113 picturesoflovety
ladies adorn Injj lingerie, Pumii upycur heajl rate with 85 pictures of sesty.
sweaiywamenwQrtdngoi:i.uoyouw3niclose-ups?Youigot'en!91
sed ucitvfl piciu res of te mals tiotfy pats. That's a total of 400 i maces f o r
whatever you have in mind.
Caif for discounts whenpufchssifig maHfple discs.
Stay tuned for mors HommerHsad CD-RDM iiUss, I
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1906 Private Pictures I... Rated R to XXX $59.88
Eas; es: to jse XXX' Ra: Kl C D- R OM , a.'er 600 VGA ( Gl F) images snd 70 Eive
actio n V J A mo\.i« , not cartoons !
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r JOT 1 1 nd ttiese p«Ct'U res o n any other diSC
Send check/money order to: ^ ' ] US & Canadian
Starv/are PubJishing Corp ^ I ORDERS ONLY
RO, Box 4188, Dept, 68 ^gpi 800-354-5353
Deertiefd Beach, FL 33442 . '^ 24 hours / 7 days
More into, foreign orders & dealers cat!
Voice 305 - 426 - 4552 FAX 305 - 426 - 9801
SHIPPIMG:
Domestic - UPS S4.50 Grour^d
ForeighUSPS Expr0Ss(7days)
FL add 6%
S7 2nd Day $15fJe!(tDay
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Circle Reader Service Number 130
Playing With
Language™
Teaching a second language using
multimedia versions of games
children know St enjoy.
Finally^ learning a
second language
can be fun!!
^ Avaflable b:
• French
• German
• Spanish
■Japanese SYRACUSE
• '"^''^' LANGUAGE
SYSTEMS
\'800-688'\937
719 East Genesee St • Syracuse, KY 13210
Stereo / 4-Op
Support
Memory-
Resident
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ROU CMF.
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Formats
Program
I/FToo
Instrument
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Every sound board user needs Whistle.
Play musk all day while you work.
Use your souiid board. You paid for it.
No music experience required.
Patch Panel Software
11590 Seminole Blvd.
Largo, FL 34648
VISA 813-397-3530 MC
Circit Raedw Serv^ Number 106
! REMOVE
HARDWARE LOCKS
PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT!
MAINTAIN PRODUCTIVITY!
Software utility that allows for
the removal of liarcfware locks.
Available for most major
CAD/CAM and PCB
software programs
Easy - Simple - Guaranteed
Programs start at $99.00 U.S.
visa and Mastercard Welcome
Call or Fax for more Information
SafeSoft Systems Inc.
201 - 1 1 1 1 Munroe Ave,
Winnipeg, Mb. Canada
PH (204)669-4639
FAX(204)668-3566
R2K3Z5
Circle Reader Service Number 212
w
The Amish Outlaw Stuntware Co,
3705 RiclEnond Ave. Staten Island hfY
10312
Tel: 1-800^947-4546 or 1-718017-0198
Fax: i-71S-3l7-0198
QFiareAVare oj the
CHpntftQub
NOW, you can join Tht Amish Outlaw Shareware of (he Month
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program disks with all new programs not yet added to our t^talofi,
M always all the disks will have our easy to use menu, Ju£t type
"GO" , The cost, only S65.0€ ayear. This price includes everyihing.
There arc no hidden charges, shipping fees or any other
membership fees.
Circle Reeder Service Numbef 112
Computer Requirements:
EGA or VGA screen
3.5' drive or 5.25* drive wiih a Kird drive
640k memory
DOS 3-3 or hrgber
mouse not required but very helpftd
Circle Reader Service Number tlQ
SOFTWARE
PREVIEWS
10 years ago,
we were ahead of our time
call us if you'd like to catch up!
Call
1-800-433-2938
for a free listing or to place an order
AMIGA * IBM * MAC * AIARI
CD ROMS • GENESIS
WEDGWOOD COMPUTER
5312 Wood way Drive
Fort Worth, Texas 76B3
Cfrck Reader Service Number 172
Save BIG $$ on
printing costs
^^^^ Re-ink ynur ribbun car-
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^^f^^^S^tf) ^^'^^ tli^ famous
^^■■^^I/ Maclnker''
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Beautiful printing and longer prinihead life.
Average can ridge can be re-inkcd 60-100 times.
Universal cartridge model ..79,45
Epmn Maclnker.......... „. 48.00
Multiculor Adapler (4 band riW>t)ns) 40.00
wm Inklet, Bubble-.lel, Thinkjet
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Call for our free nev^.sletier and
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CAmputerFriends, Ina
14H) NW Stiwuv Park Dnvo, PorH^ind, Ok 97229
Call 1-800-547-3303 /fax 503-643-5379
circle Reader Service Number 250
20,000 SHAREWAIlE
PROGRAMS ^J%
ON 3 CD ROM's OY
fst Time Everin DEALERS WANTED!!!
Over 3.000 GAMES (llko Costle Wolfenslein 3D), Pic*
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tocatDS any progrann In Just seconds, All categories
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No ottiw frndw system is quickw oc mofo effidenf. The
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tho MOSTECONOMICAL. WIDEST VARIETY iHAiiiWARE
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RUSH $69 + $5 SM Cash.aieck MO or COD
CROSL^Y SOl=lWARE
BOX 276, ALBURGj VT. 05440
FAX: (514) 345^8303 TEL: f514> 739^28
Circte Reader Service Number 226
BIBLE TIME FUN
GREA T FUN FOR CHILDREN AGES 4-12
ILLUSTIL\TED BIBLE STORIES
BIBLE FACI S MEMORY GAMES
PliZZLES BIBLE VERSES
SPELLING G.\MES VERSE SE.\RCH
LOST SHEEP C.VMON AD^TNTURE!
mciudes: bible time paint!
Testament $29.95 • Hew Testament $29.95
BOTH FOR ONLY $49.95
Sii« a S' Of 125*
HO AvftittWe
Aifd $4.00 S£H
(CAHe«. add 7,75% tax)
IBM SOFTWARE
VGA ij.'.^pnici
- Send Che cIc/MDney Order to: ■
WmZ KID PRODUCTIONS
IDBOg Paplar St. Uma Linda, CA 92354
Phone (909) 796-0639 Hours Mon-Fri 9-4
VZSI
circle Reader Service Number 237
Stretch your math &
spelling/vocabulary skills
MUTANOID MATH CHALLENGE
and
MUTANOID H/ORD CHALLENGE
MSDOS or Multimedia VIS"
Ages 7 and up • $49.95
Call toll free for brochure 1 -800-532-7692
circle Reeder Service Number 117
IBM & MAC SOFTWARE
CATALOG
32 Pages! ASP Member
SOFTSHOPPE, INa
RO. BOX 19069
IRVINE, CA 92714
Tel: (714) 261-0114
FAX: (714) 261-0116
Toil-Free— 24 Hrs.
1-800-851-8089
Circle Reader Service Number t26
MdrtcageMinder"
1 t\U)hrV(itj4
I At (Hi:HviH)
I SVV|> iHlrt?»\MlP*
Ot l>iHi.\R'i
Iv IvuJtixi
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WTiy pay over 3 times the amount of money you
borrowed for your home mortgage? MortgageMinder^^
software tracks the additional principal paid to your
existing monthly mortgage, providing an easy and
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debt, starting TO DAYl
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Cyprel* Soflwarc. Inc . 162"^ Fors/th Road. OrUntto. FL 31d07
Circle Reader Service Number 135
LIQUIDATIONS
CLOSEOUTS & BARGAINS
If you ihink you can 'I afford
tiijiility coninierLinl software
... tliink again! Although we
carry ihc top ](K) soft want hits
and a full line of accessories
for your IBM compatible. v.c
specialize in closeouis and liq-
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why thousand.*, of computer
users choow us a*, their one
stop supphcr.
We publish one of the besi
catiilogs in the industry'- Call
or write for your free copy!
Amior Alky SlO
Blue Max , .SLS
Das Boot SLS
Dcf. ofCrowt> .„.S10
Double Dribble SlO
Drakkhen „.. $16
Future Wars S 1 *i
Mcgnfonrcss $15
Mon. Night FB $13
NBA $8
Super Sunday ., S8
Thud Ridge SlO
Time Bandii .,..S8
Treasure Island .......SlO
TV Sports F.B ......... Sm
SQ(TlUflR[ Software Support Intcmauonal
au mil n n t ^^^ ^.^ Andresen Rd.
- , ~ ' Suite #A-m
ClltinM m Vancouver Wa 9866 1
UUPPDUI (^06)695 1393
^LTOLL 1-800-356-1179
TODAY! Major Credit Curds Accepted,
Circle Reader Service Number 210
BEAUUmERY
Gail Howard's ALL /VEWSmart Luck®
ADVANTAGE PLUS "
Use ADVANTAGE PLUS™ & you'll trash ati yojrcthef lottery
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• NO OTHER SOFTWARE HAS MO;?f SCIENTIFIC TOOLS FOR
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S SMART LUCK® SOFIWAK
S^ Dept C-11. RO, Box 1519 - White Plains, NY 10^2
E±3 300-676-GAIL(4245)or914-761-2333
circle Reader Service Number 109
CLASSIREDS
ACCESSORIES
CABLE TV
EDUCATION
USED COMPUTERS
IBM, COMPAQ, & MAJOR BRANDS
Also IBM PCir & CONVERTIBLE
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■ MEMORY EXPANSIONS
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MANY MORE SPECIALTY ITEMS
FREE CATALOG
214-276-8072
Box 461782
Dept C
'Garland, TX 75046-1782
FAX& BBS 214-272 -7920
Circle Reader Service Number 275
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
EARN TOP DOLLAR-BE YOUR OWN BOSS
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Find customers. Get them to buy. MS-IX)S.
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call 503-48S'l752
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-^aa-
^H
M
PRIME TIME
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Circle Reader Service Number 276
WHY RENT WHEN YOU CAN OWN
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• special Dealer Prices! • Compare Our Low Retail Prices'
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For catalog, orders A iaformation 1-600-345-8927
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• All Jerrold, Oak, Hamlin, Zenith,
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• Visa/MC and C.O.D.
No Illinois Orders Accepted
^jrchasef agrees la comply Ait h all M4ie «nd
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TV equipmeni Corsuil local cable opefator
L&L ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
1430 Miner Street, Suite 522
DesPlaines, IL 60016
Free Catalog 1 800 542-9425
Information r- 708- 540- 1106
Circle Reader Service Number 278
COMPUTER FURNITURE
Circle Reader Service Number 277
COMPUTE Classified is a low-cost way to tell
over 275,000 microcomputer owners about
your product or service.
Additional Information. Please read carefully.
Rates: $40 per line, minimum of four Imes. Any or al! of the
first line set in capital letters at no charge. Add $15 per
line for bold face wyds, or $50 for the entire ad set in l»fd-
face (any number of lines.)
lerms: Prepayment is required. We accept checks, mor>-
ey orders. VISA, or MasterCard
General Information: Adverttsers using post office t»x num-
ber in their ads must supply permanent address and
telept>one number. Orders will rwt be acknowledged. Ad
will appear in neid available issue after receipt.
CLASSIRED ENSPUY RiOXS
Classified display ads measure 2^h' wide ar>d are priced
according to height, r = $2B5; 1 V?' = $420; 2'= $550.
HGW TO ORDER
Call Maria Manasert, Classified Manager. COMPUTE, l
Vtoods Ct.. Huntington, NY 11743. at 516-757-9562
In C"c> nip Liter Science
• Irnoepth decree progims *r^. all tounu hOffl« itudy ^^^^^m
• as courses irdjk MSDOS. BASfC. PASCAL, C, Data R^ AM ERICAN
Pfoc«ssr.g. Da^a Strjcfiires i Ope-atpg r/sSerc INSTITUTE
• US cocras indUte Software Engr=eer,ng. Arjfidal Iriieigefice ^t^mmam
irtir^oji^ COMPLTER
Ry }^ irfcrrattcyi ca^ 1 -800-767-2427 SCIENCES
2101-CC Magr^'s A'.e, S - £l13 200 * BitTrjngham. AL 25205 ^^^^
!DANGER!i
Yqut eampuior can Do oastjoyed bf ?tit< eKsctficnv Set ■
yiairf GPU o«th« VERHCAL TOWEfl CPU STAUD twsKis |
fCfji tl49X II I] bv Mte. «a'Sy Eo r«dcii. and 3ui o) >cur way
Oyf anracuv* siand Ai^aiea you? CPU u 5" above ine I
flocj-. «*a/rrafTiidu«a'idsho<*ftijan3s Equkpf}*d wtth |
Pmtig* Prwluicti I
3324 S F.*W SI Ufui 1 1 1 Uik«*»(J. CO B0227 |
(303}48»-88e4 _^
Circle Reader Service Number 279
COMPUTER REPAIR
AUTHORIZED COMPUTER REPAIRS; C64/128,
1 54 1/1 57 1, SX64, 128D & Amiga. Selling DTK-comp
compulers. Quick servicc-30 day warrdniy
MOM & POP's Computer Shop. U4 N. I6lh,
Bethany, MO 64424 (816) 425-14(XJ
Circle Reader Service Number 2d0
Learn
Computers!
Home study. Be-
come a pergonal com-
puter ex[)erl at home
and in business. Free
career literature.
800^223-4542
_Zip_
The School of Computer Training
2245 [\*ri meter Park
I Dept. KB680, Atlanta, Georgia 30341 |
Circle Reader Service Numtser 281
GAMES ENTERTAINMENT
QUALITY SHAREWARE GAMES
$.95 per disk. For FREE catalog
write to: Shareware 4 less, Rt. 2,
Box 168, Neosho, MO 64850
MISCELLANEOUS
SKELET03I KEY^
FITS MOST LOCKS
(bolilock.s. dmrliKks. & wimc pudkx;ks)
AiiKi/L- Your Friends
Wiih .'\ I. nek I'ickiniJ I^emuii&irutiun.
You get 3 st^cd Itmion kt;>s, ihc slide pii;k &. precipe insmjciitmi.
Nolc: this device is lo be used for dcmomirallon purposes only!
Siidsfacijon GiiarajiimJ or Fdl Refund; 2wk [fclivcfy. Sciid oivly 5^.75 to:
.Safe Vlaritdiia * 90 \V. \tcf iytjmtri W Ncv .V^! * Kfiiivifle; Md SBHSOj
Circle Reader Service Number 232
Copies of articles from
this pubiication are now
available from UMI
Article Clearinghouse.
UMI
A Bell & Howell Company
300 North Zeeb Road
Ann Arbor Ml 48106 USA
142
CLASSIFIEDS
SOFTWARE
BUY/SELL USED SOFTWARE! LOWEST PRICES!
FREE LIST. Specify 64/128. Amiga or IBM. Centsible
Software, PO Box 930. St- Joseph. MI 49085.
Phone: 6 1 6-428-9096 BBS : 6 1 6-429-72 1 1
IBM - COMMODORE 64 & 128 - AMIGA.
lOOO's of PD/Shareware programs on 100*s
of disks. Free listing or SI for large
descriptive catalog {specify computer).
DISKS O'PLENTY INC, 8362 Pines Blvd.,
Suite 270B, Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
USED SOFTWARE— FREE BROCHURE.
Specify Amiga or C64/128. We also buy used software.
Send list. Bare Bones Software, 940 4th Ave.,
#222. Huntington, WV 25701 or 1-800-638-1123.
FREE UNIQUE IBM SHAREWARE CATALOG!
Most popular programs-low as 99(! per disk
Bright Futures Inc.
800-235-3475
IBM SOFTWARE-SPECIFICALLY FOR HOME AND
Office use! Popular programs. Call or write for info.
Microgen. P.O. Box 2352, Montgomery, AL 36102-
2352. 205^244-9979. CompuServe E-Mail ID#7 2 230.3664,
Prodigy E-Mail ID#BRCH23A
CHRISTELLA EI^JTERPRISE presents
The BEST \^ALUE in IBM Shareware and PD.
Choose from over 1000 disks. Ask for
FREE Catalog or send $2 for Catalog/Demo
Christella Enterprise PO. Box 82205
Rochester, Michigan 48307-9998
Circle Reader Service Number 283
FREE! IBM PD & SHAREWARE DISK CATALOG
Low prices since 1988! ASP Approved Vendor Finto
Software. Dept. M. Rt. 2, Box 44. Rosebud, TX 76570
or Voice/FAX (800)859-5040. VISA/MC accepted.
64 & 128 - Amiga - IBM. Buy/Sell Software Plus.
P/D Software FREE Usting. Send S2 for PD sample.
Disk - Going on 10 years. Mid Continent Computers,
2312 N. MacAnhur, OKC, OK 73127 (405)946-2888
SOFTWARE
IWE YOU Vim TH£ LOTTEFIY?
DO YOU OWN LOTTO PICKERY
WELL, WHAT WD YOU EXPECm
'LOTTO PICKER ss your ticket to the
riches! LOTTO PICKER wcxks by discovering
' the hidden biases in every lottery gafr« world-
' wide Using this info to your advantage Lotio Picker
II you exactly whicii numt'ers to play - no guess- work
involved. Your Lotto Picker card will be loaded with com-
binations and number patterns most likely to be selected!
Rays all Pick 3,4,6.7,10,11, Also plays games based on play-
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each purchase. For MS-DOS, Apple II, and C64/128.
NEW LOW PRICE $29.95 (■»-$4.55 s/h), NY add tax,
SAnSf^CWN GilARAtfTEED OR YOUR klONEY BACK!
ORKR TODAY! 1-800-484-1062 s-code 0644 or 1-716-317-1961
GE RtDGE SERVICES, 1WC., nfYraiH-a
848 Rensselaef Ave.. Dept. CP pi ^^^
Staten Island, NY 10309 ^
Circle Reader Service Number 264
UNIQUE SOFTWARE!
Outstanding IBM software ^elected
specially fdr Home ana Office use.
• luOO's of programs • ASP Member •
• Lowest Prices Anywhere! •
• Money-Back Guarantee! •
• FREE DETAILED CATALOG •
THE PC ARCADE
Circle Reader Service Number 285
IBM-C64/128
APPLE II PD & SHAREWARE
Free catalog or $2 for sample & cata-
log (refundable). Specify computer.
CALOKE IND (B), Box 18477,
Raytown, MO 64133
Circle Reader Service Number 286
What do you gel if you cross THE GAME PEDDLER
BBS and FISHLNG? One call and you're hooked! Find
many FiJcs, Conferences, I>oors, and Newsday's Newspa-
per On line! Call 516^93^186 or 516-493-0785 today.
SOFTWARE 1
The ONLY Lottery Systems With
r^
PROVEN JACKPOT WINNERS
L '
are those in Gail Howard's
?'-«,
SMART LUCK® SOFTWARE
CallToli-Free1-800-876-G-A-l*L.
(See Her Ad in Product Mart,) '^
Circle Reader Service Number 287
Versa-Bet™
The Ultimate In Lottery Software
Gaming Management System^^
Picks, Pick-6. Pick-7. Keno
Cost: $99.95
• Hits. Misses, Las! hit » Pairs •Groups
• NufT^ber Frequency * Triples • Ranges
• Number Shadow ng • EverVOdd • Averages
• Conseculives * Skip Trace • Source Analysis
• Hot Numbers • Total Sums • Cksid Numbers
. . ,and much more
Daily 3/4^^
Pick-3 and PfCk-4 Games
Cost: $59.95
ANALYZES AND REPORTS ON:
* Hits, Misses, Last hit
• Groups * Pairs
• Number Frequency
• Ranges • Triples
• Number Shadowing
• Averages • Even/Odd
• Consecutives
• Source Analysis 'Skip Trace
• Hoi Numbers
• Cold Numbers • Total Sums
Requires tBM or comp PC hard disk or floppy
MFM Software Dept. C, 9 Mountain Rd.
Danbury, CT 06810 (203)792-3109
circle Reeder Service Number 268
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143
NEWS BITS
Clifton Karnes, David English, and Robert Bixby
Fall COMDEX
had its share of
surprises.
Here are some
proitucts and
technologies to
watch in the
coming months.
COMDEX
HIGHLIGHTS
One of the biggest stories at
COMDEX was tiie coming of
age of the notebook comput-
er These nnachines have al-
ways been at least a genera-
tion behind their desktop cous-
ins in features and power, but
this year that's all changed.
The new breed of notebook
is a 486-powered nnachine
with a large hard disk (as
large as 200MB), lots of RAM
(4MB is standard), and eye-
pleasing color. Leading the
pack at COMDEX was the Trav-
elMate 4000 WinDX2/40 Col-
or. This screamer boasts a 40-
MHz DX2 CPU. a 640 x 480
screen with 256 colors, 8MB
of RAM (expandable to
20MB), a 200MB hard disk, a
Microsoft Ballpoint with a Quick-
Port connection, and Win-
dows 3.1 installed and ready
to go- (See "News & Notes"
for nnore information about the
TravelMate 4000 computer.)
Following the trend of small-
er and more powerful, the PC-
MCIA interface gives note-
books near desktop power by
putting all the electronics that
normally fit on a full-sized ex-
pansion board into a credit
card-sized device.
PCMCIA has always been
an exciting technology, but at
COMDEX, we saw the most in-
novative PCMCIA card to
date. Minister was demonstrat-
ing a PCMCIA card-based
64MB 1,8-inch IDE hard disk
that offered amazing perform-
ance and durability. This Mini-
ster drive has a seek time of
18 ms, can withstand an im-
pact of nearly 300 G's, and
win run 250,000 hours before
failing.
Not a new product but a
new technology ripe for licens-
ing, QSound promises to add
new dimensions to multimedia
audio. Using DSP technology,
QSound makes a simple pair
of speakers generate sound
so realistic and accurately
placed stereophonically that
many people swear that they
can locate sounds coming
from behind and above them
(though QSound spokesper-
sons only claim 180-degree
placement).
IBM, Texas Instruments,
and Intermetrics have incorpo-
rated this technology into a
chip set that v^ill eventually be
installed on IBM mother-
boards. To fill the gap until
that time. Texas Instruments
has created a soon-to-be-re-
leased sound card, identified
as Mwave. that will use the
QSound DSP technology.
Mwave is compatible with Ad
Lib and Sound Blaster and is
capable of far more than sim-
ple entertainment sound.
Already well known in the re-
cording industry, QSound has
garnered tributes from record-
ing artists such as Sting and
Roger Waters.
Desktop publishers know
that the best color proofing is
achieved with thermal transfer
technology, and until very re-
cently this technology was lim-
ited to a few very-high-end
printers. But now Fargo Elec-
tronics, a small printer manu-
facturer that formerly special-
ized in bar-code printers, has
announced the Primera Color
Printer, a 200-dpi color ther-
mal transfer printer for under
$1,000. Using special paper
and a waxlike material, it gener-
ates color printouts that have
unusual color density. It can
generate a page with 100-per-
cent coverage every two min-
utes at a cost of 45 cents per
page. The Fargo unit is de-
signed for "Windows print-
ing" — printing from its own Win-
dows dhver. If you want Post-
Script printing with the same
unit, you have to go to Laser-
Master, which will market the
upgraded printer in late
spring for $1,795.
Its not often you see a prod-
uct with the potential to shake
up an industry. One such prod-
uct, FontChameleon (shown pri-
vately at COMDEX by Ares Soft-
ware) can not only combine
any two fonts in a variety of
ways, but it can also provide
just about every popular font.
Because the program
needs less than 2K to store
the parameters for a complete
font, FontChameleon will ship
with hundreds of popular
fonts on a single disk. In fact,
Ares can ship any font with the
program — including fonts
owned by other companies—
as long as the font ships as a
set of parameters and Ares
doesn't use the copyrighted
name of the font (Ares gets
around the name problem by
using a pull-down menu that
says "Similar to..,"}.
Observing the FontChamele-
on demo was a representative
from one of the large type hous-
es. He said that the program
is legal and his company is
looking for a way to cash in on
Ares' new technology.
Years from now. we may
look back on the fall 1992 COM-
DEX as the time when video
came to Windows in a big
way. Just a week before COM-
DEX, Microsoft announced Vid-
eo for Windows. At COMDEX,
Apple previewed a similar,
though incompatible, product
called QuickTime for Win-
dows, based on its Macintosh
program called QuickTime.
You can now buy feature films
on CD-ROM for the Mac, includ-
ing /\ Hard Day's Night and
the X- rated House of Dreams,
Similar CD-ROMs should be
available soon for the PC.
To capture your own soft-
ware movies, you'll need a vid-
eo-capture board, such as
Brown-Wagh's Studio Master
($499), Media Vision's Pro Mov-
leSpectrum ($399), or Crea-
tive Labs' Video Blaster
($495). The booths for all
three companies were overflow-
ing with eager buyers. n
144 COMPUTE FEBRUARY 1993
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