AccuMail 3.0

by Tony Curro

The United States Postal Service says that using ZIP+4 speeds

mail delivery. Going further if you use Delivery Point Bar Code

and Carrier Route you can all but deliver the mail yourself.

Getting the zip code information can be time consuming. AccuMail

is an address-matching system that improves the deliverability of

your mail.

Features of AccuMail:

* Corrects addresses with misspelled or missing components.

* Corrects missing and/or incorrect 5-digit ZIP codes.

* Adds ZIP+4 codes.

* Adds carrier route codes.

* Adds Delivery Point codes.

* Standardizes street addresses.

* Works on mailing lists in most common formats.

* Select specific records baased on criteria that you define.

* Perform single address lookups.

* Browse the AccuMail database.

* Print addresses on envelopes and labels.

* Print 11-digit barcode.

* Print USPS Form 3553 facimilies.

* Create regional databases.

* Call it from other applications (DOS only).

AccuMail comes with DOS and Windows version on one CD-ROM disk.

It is also available for both these formats in a Network version.

The program features an easy to use interface that will have you

running minutes after installation. You can use AccuMail to

lookup individual addresses, or you can have it process a list.

AccuMail works directly on ASCII delimited, ASCII fixed-field,

dBase III and IV, Alpha Four, CA Clipper, dBXL, FoxPro, Fox Base,

Quick Silver and Group 1's ArcList file formats. When using it

for individual addresses use the company name if applicable. Many

times there may be a plus 4 for an address, but a company at the

same address will have a different number.

To work with a list you select New Job from the File Menu; choose

the Mailing List option and select the format and your database

file. AccuMail will take your database file, correct street

names, add ZIP+4, and generate a USPS Form 3553. Normally,

AccuMail will perform address corrections on your entire mailing

list. You can create filters to select only certain records (or

range of records from your mailing list) for processing.

Working with individual addresses you can search all streets

within a specific zip code. You can also search secondary

addresses within a given street number. For example, an office or

high rise apartment building will contain multiple offices or

dwellings. AccuMail, in the case of offices, will supply you with

company names within a given building. For apartments it will

supply you with all the apartment numbers in that dwelling. For

single listing firms AccuMail will, in many instances supply you

with the company name, hospital, or even Post Office at that

address.

The AccuMail National Database, containing virtually every

deliverable mailing address in the United States, is a

standardized and highly compressed version of the 4.2-gigabyte

United States Postal Service file. The National Database remains

on the CD-ROM. However, you can select portions of the database

to place on your hard drive. If you are going to be working with

a specific region you can create a "regional" database to place

on your hard drive. This will speed up access as you do not have

to search the whole database. You specify a range of zip codes

you want to work with, and the file will be copied.

AccuMail will presort your mailings to take advantage of bulk

mailings. USPS requires that mailers update their ZIP+4 and

carrier route code files regularly. In compliance with USPS

regulations, AccuMail does not allow you to run a job or to print

the CASS Form 3553 if you use a USPS National Database that has

expired.

AccuMail is released quarterly. The current version 3.0 was

released January 15, 1994. It will not process the above

information beyond May 15, 1994. The updates are released January

15, April 15, July 15 and October 15. Each update will work for

up to 75 days beyond its expiration date.

AccuMail LAN is available with 4 quarterly updates. Price is:

5-User -- $3995, 10-User -- $5995.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

DOS

* 286 or higher CPU

* 2MB RAM

* DOS 3.0 or higher

* Hard Disk

* CD-ROM drive

WINDOWS

* 386 or higher CPU

* 4MB RAM

* DOS 5.0 or higher

* Hard Disk with about 6MB free space

* VGA or higher video

* Mouse

Product Information

AccuMail 3.0

SRP -- $295.

Quarterly

Updates -- $295.

Annual

Subscription

(4 releases) -- $1095.

Group 1 Software

4200 Parliament Place

Suite 600

Lanham, MD 20706-1844

301-731-2300

301-306-4373 (FAX)


ASCII

(American Standard Code for Information

Interchange)  Pronounced "ask-ee."  A binary code

for data that is used in communications, most

minicomputers and all personal computers.

   ASCII is a 7-bit code providing 128 possible

character combinations, the first 32 of which are

used for printing and transmission control.  Since

the common storage unit is an 8-bit byte (256

combinations) and ASCII uses only 128, the extra

bit is used to hold a parity bit or special

symbols.  For example, the PC uses the additional

values for foreign language and graphics symbols.

In the Macintosh, the additional values can be

user-defined to enhance a font.  In the Macintosh

version of this Glossary, the IBM PC symbols are

designed into the font used for the definitions.


BBS

(Bulletin Board System)  Computer system used as an

information source and message switching system for

a particular interest group.  Users dial into the

BBS, review and leave messages for other users as

well as communicate to other users on the system at

the same time.  BBSs are used to distribute

shareware and may provide access (doors) to other

application programs.


CD-ROM
CD ROM

(Compact Disc Read Only Memory)  Compact disc

format used to hold text, graphics and hi-fi stereo

sound.  It's like a music CD, but uses a different

track format for data.  The music CD player cannot

play CD ROMs, but CD ROM players usually play music

CDs and have headphone and amplifier jacks.  A CD

ROM player connects to a controller card, which is

plugged into one of the computer's expansion slots.

   CD ROMs hold in excess of 600MB of data, which

is equivalent to about 250,000 pages of text or

20,000 medium-resolution images.


dBXL

dBASE III PLUS-compatible DBMS from WordTech

Systems, Inc., Orinda, CA, that features a menu-

driven option for interactive use.  See Arago dBXL.


DDE

(Dynamic Data Exchange)  Message protocol in

Windows that allows application programs to request

and exchange data automatically.  A program in one

window can query a program in another window using

the DDE protocol.


DOS

(Disk Operating System)  Pronounced "dawss."

Generic term for operating system. Versions

include MS-DOS (Microsoft), and PC-DOS (IBM).


EISA

(Extended Industry Standard Architecture)

Pronounced "eesa."  PC bus standard that extends

the AT bus to 32 bits and allows bus mastering.  It

was announced in 1988 as a 32-bit alternative to

the Micro Channel that would preserve investment in

existing boards.  PC and AT boards, which cannot

plug into the Micro Channel, can plug into an EISA

slot.


ISA

(Industry Standard Architecture)  Original IBM bus

architecture in PC, XT (8-bit) and AT (16-bit)

computers.  It has been extended to 32 bits with

EISA.  Contrast with Micro Channel.


MCA
Micro Channel (MCA)

IBM bus architecture used in high-end PS/2 models,

the RS/6000 series and certain ES/9370 models.  It

is a 32-bit bus that provides bus mastering, but

Micro Channel expansion boards are not

interchangeable with PC bus boards.  Micro Channel

boards are designed with built-in identification

that eliminates manual switch settings sometimes

required with PC bus boards.

   It transfers data at 20MBytes/sec and has modes

for increasing speeds to 40 and 80MB.  Future

enhancements may take it to 64 bits and 160MB.


MPC

(Multimedia PC)  Minimum specification for a

multimedia PC from Microsoft: 10Mhz 286 or higher

CPU, 2M RAM, 30M hard disk, VGA, CD ROM with audio

and Windows 3.0 with multimedia extensions.


MSCDEX
MSCDEX Extensions

Software required to use a CD ROM player on a PC

running DOS.  It usually comes with the player and

includes a driver specialized for the player and

Microsoft's MSCDEX.EXE RAM resident program.


multimedia

Communicating information in more than one form.

Includes the use of text, audio, graphics, animated

graphics and full-motion video.


OLE

(Object Linking and Embedding)  Microsoft Windows

compound document protocol.  The "client"

application creates the document; the "server"

application creates an object within the document.

When a user double clicks on an embedded object in

a client app, the server app is loaded and the

appropriate data file is retrieved.


PCMCIA

(Personal Computer Memory Card International

Association)  Organization of U.S. and Japanese

companies set up to standardize memory cards.


Shareware

Software distributed through BBS's and information

services free of charge on a trial basis.  If you

use it, you pay for it, for which you receive

additional documentation, support or possibly the

next upgrade at no cost.  Paid liceneses are

required for commercial distribution.  See freeware

and public domain software.


SYSOP

(SYStem OPerator) Pronounced "siss-op."  Person who

runs an online communications system or bulletin

board.  The sysop may also act as mediator for

system conferences.


UART

(Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter)

Electronic circuit that transmits and receives data

on the serial port.  It converts bytes into serial

bits for transmission, and vice versa, and

generates and strips the start and stop bits

appended to each character.


VESA

(Video Electronics Standards Association)

Organization devoted to improving graphics

standards made up of major vendors of PC graphics

hardware and software.  VESA has standardized

extended VGA, or Super VGA, modes.  See VGA.


VGA

(Video Graphics Array)  IBM video display standard

built into most models of the PS/1 and PS/2 series

that provides medium-resolution text and graphics.

It has become the common display standard for all

PCs.

   VGA supports previous EGA and CGA display

standards and requires an analog RGB monitor.  Its

highest-resolution mode is 640x480 with 16 colors,

but vendors have boosted colors to 256.  VESA

(Video Electronics Standards Assn.) has set VGA

standards at 256 colors and Super VGA modes of

800x600 and 1024x768 resolutions in both 16 and 256

colors.


Windows

Graphics-based operating environment from Microsoft

that co-exists with DOS.  It provides a desktop

environment similar to the Macintosh.  Different

applications, or multiples of the same application,

are kept active in windows that can be resized and

relocated on screen.  Users can switch back and

forth between them.


Masthead

ComputerTalk Magazine

The International On-Line Magazine of Reviews and News

Copyright (c) 1992,1993,1994 by Tony Curro - All rights reserved.

Volume 2                * Editor/Publisher *          Number 10

April                           Tony Curro                    1994

The HLP version of CTM created using HelpEdit by Aciran Software.

Click on Picture for INDEX


Index

Opening Format -- Disclaimer

News, Updates, and Upgrades

Grolier MM Encyclopedia

PractiCard

ASP Advantage

ATI Graphics Ultra Pro

AccuMail

ShareWare SpotLight (Software Creations)

Tetris Gold

Q&A for Windows

Winfo Pro for Windows

Orbit

System Information

Magazine Information

Distribution List

Glossary


ASP

ASP Advantage CD-ROM

by Tony Curro

If you are reading this article, you have access to a BBS.

Besides being a place to communicate, and share ideas with others

of like interests, it is also a fount of excellent programs to

use on your system. The Association of Shareware Professionals

(ASP) is the largest trade group of software publishers, with

more than 1,700 members and growing each day. Yes, there are many

non-ASP programs available, and quite a few of them are not

crippled in any way. However, the ASP standards require all ASP

authors must release full, working versions of their software.

You will NEVER find a "demo" or crippled product if it carries

the ASP logo. You will always receive full documentation, and if

there is a problem with an author (either for support, or lack

thereof), the ASP Osbudman will help you resolve your

differences.

The ASP  makes new  or updated products available to its many

distribution sites. They have recently started to distribute

quarterly CD-ROMs. Each disk will contain new and updated

programs from that quarter. SYSOPs will be pleased to find a

directory on the CD-ROM that will aid them in quickly making

these programs available to their users.

ASP Advantage CD-ROM comes with about 1,000 programs, from

managing your checkbook and creating a shopping list, to

cataloging you video collection and playing a game. You will find

programs for both DOS and Windows platforms. Neither of these

needs to be installed, but you will greatly speed your searches

by doing so. Each platform has its own installation program,

which is described in the README.TXT file on the CD-ROM.

For a quick start, type 'GO' from the CD-ROM drive. You can read

about the ASP, search categories, copy, and even format a floppy.

Using the 'About System' feature you can see what memory, disk

space, and graphics card you have installed. The CD- ROM also has

a Delta Directory Interface. This interface will show you only

updated or new programs since the last ASP CD- ROM. You can copy

the files in their archived ZIP format, or have them uncompressed

as they are being copied.

Files are stored in many directories. However, you need not

concern yourself with this, as you highlight a file or group of

files from the list, and then have the program copy them to your

hard drive.  You will find the files on the CD-ROM in both

compressed and uncompressed formats.

Looking over this CD-ROM I found many interesting programs, some

of which I plan to review in the future. For those who do not

want to spend much time online, call a BBS that does not have a

large selection of current files, or if you are just starting out

you will find something useful here.

I have seen several of the programs that I have reviewed in the

past on this CD-ROM. The CD-ROM is attractively priced. BE

ADVISED that purchasing the CD-ROM does NOT mean that you own the

enclosed programs. Yes, you can try ALL of them free-of-charge,

but if you use them for any length of time, say 21 days or more

you should register the program with the author.  These are

shareware programs, and since you have the opportunity to

try-before- you-buy, it is no reason to abuse this privilege.

The more people that register a product, the harder the author

will work to create a better product. I have spoken to authors

who have received dozens, if not hundreds, of requests for

support, yet they only have a handful of registrations to show

for their work. The CD-ROM should be available in many leading

software stores, or order it directly from ASP.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

* Memory, video, etc., dependent on the program.

* MS-DOS

* MS Windows (for Windows applications)

* CD-ROM drive

* Hard disk not required (but may be needed to install larger programs)

Product Information

ASP Advantage CD-ROM

Second Edition

1st Quarter 1994

SRP -- $24.95

(+ $2.00 S/H)

Association of Shareware Professionals

545 Grover Road

Muskegon, MI 49442-9427

616-788-5131 (Voice)

616-788-2765 (Fax)


ATI Graphics Ultra

ATI Graphics Ultra Pro

Graphics Accelerator Board

by Tony Curro

ATI has been in business for eight years. They are known for

award-winning graphics boards. They also have recently starting

releasing modems, sound cards, etc. I took a look at their

Graphics Ultra Pro VL-Bus accelerator board.

This board comes in: ISA, EISA, MCA, VLB, and PCI formats. The

ISA version also includes a bus mouse. The Graphics Ultra Pro

series uses the ATI mach32 graphics and multimedia accelerator

chip. This chip speeds up both graphics and sound, using load-in

ATI drivers provided with the card.

Features:

* ATI FlexDesk, a control panel that lets you configure color,

resolution and font size all from the same driver.

* Accelerates Video for Windows and other multimedia video

applications enabling you to playback video at a larger, more

usable size while maintaining smooth motion and audio

synchronization. You can adjust the hue, brightness, saturation

and contrast of your video through the ATI FlexDesk.

* Display Power Management Signaling (DPMS) Support. Users of

mach32 products that have a DPMS-compliant monitor can configure

DPMS timings using the Windows FlexDesk Control Panel. For DOS

users, ATI provides a TSR program.

* 26-pin feature connector.

* 2MB VRAM.

Drivers included (5 1/4" disk)

* MS Windows.

* OS/2 Presentation Manager.

* AutoCAD, MicroStation and other CAD applications.

* Popular DOS application drivers, such as: GEM, Lotus 1-2-3,

  MS-Word, etc.

Graphics Ultra Pro will work with any VGA, VESA or 8514/a driver.

However, for best performance, use mach32 drivers where

available.

The VL-Bus card MUST be installed in a 32-bit VESA Local Bus slot

running at 33Mhz. The feature connector on the Graphics Ultra Pro

VLB version is used for VGA output only. The MicroChannel card

operates in either a 16- or -32-but slot. The 32-bit slot,

however, will provide higher performance.

Before you install the card you should remove all memory manager

programs. You can also boot from a plain DOS disk for added

safety. After you complete the installation you can reactivate

you memory manager. Please read the memory exclusion list in the

manual to assure that there are no address conflicts between the

card and memory managers.

The card performed very well in my system. I achieved WinMarks in

excess of 29 Million with the Graphics Ultra Pro. I found the

card reliable and stable.

Product Information

ATI Graphics

Ultra Pro

SRP -- $449.00

ATI Technologies

33 Commerce Valley Drive East

Thornhill, Ontario L3T 7N6

CANADA

905-882-2600

905-882-2620 (FAX)


BBS Distribution List

The following list is separated by area codes, and countries. For

the U.S. and Canada double-click on the area code to go to that

section. Fot other countries, double-click on the country name.

When you go to an area, eg:212, all entries are alphabetical by

BBS name. The file is in the following format:

BBS Name

SYSOP

BBS Number(s)

Main Distribution Site for CTM, as always is:

MoonDog BBS

Don Barba

718-692-2498

718-377-0768

718-692-1368

We are also available on America OnLine  (AOL). You will find

issues in the DOS forum. We also have a download area in the

Telcommuncating & Network Forum (keyword:telecom) on AOL, where

you will find both versions of CTM.

We are also on CompuServe. Look for CTM in the IBMAPP Forum, in

the Electronic Publishing download area. Search KEYWORD: CTM.

UNITED STATES

201 New Jersey

203 Connecticut

205 Alabama

206 Washington

207 Maine

208 Idaho

212 New York

214 Texas

215 Pennsylvania

218 Minnesota

219 Indiana

301 Maryland

302 Delaware

303 Colorado

304 West Virgina

305 Florida

310 California

313 Michigan

314 Missouri

315 New York

316 Kansas

317 Indiana

318 Louisiana

401 Rhode Island

402 Nebraska

404 Georgia

408 California

409 Texas

410 Maryland

413 Massachusetts

414 Wisconsin

415 California

501 Arkansas

502 Kentucky

503 Oregon

508 Massachusetts

509 Washington

513 Ohio

516 New York

517 Michigan

518 New York

602 Arizona

603 New Hampshire

606 Kentucky

609 New Jersey

612 Minnesota

614 Ohio

616 Michigan

617 Massacusetts

618 Illinois

619 California

703 Virginia

704 North Carolina

706 Georgia

708 Illinois

713 Texas

714 California

715 Wisconsin

717 Pennsylvania

718 New York

719 Colorado

801 Utah

803 South Carolina

804 Virginia

805 California

812 Indiana

813 Florida

814 Pennsylvania

815 Illinois

816 Missouri

817 Texas

903 Texas

904 Florida

908 New Jersey

909 California

912 Georgia

913 Kansas

914 New York

915 Texas

916 California

918 Oklahoma

CANADA

416 Ontario

519 Ontario

604 British Columbia

613 Ontario

705 Ontario

Other Countries

England

Finland

Israel

The Netherlands

Portugal


416 Ontario

The Bayman BBS

Bruce Hussey

698-0895

The Club Cave BBS

Colin Ricketts

796-1400


519 Ontario

Ambassador Board

Steve Henry

952-6236

Cambridge Micro BBS

Armand Michaud

621-0561

Kent County Bd. of Ed.

Martin Vanderzwan

354-8683

Late Night Diversions

Jon Vidler

332-0241

Mandate Systems BBS

David Empry

862-5663

The Rib 'n Rail

David Logan

264-2919


604 British Columbia

CompuSpec BBS

Ken Polsson

727-2362


613 Ontario

Fednet Public Access

Raymond Ouellette

233-2603


705 Ontario

Encode Online

Peter Ellis

327-7629


ShareWare SpotLight

The folks from Software Creations return. They have a new game,

and a revamped version of a game previously reviewed in CTM.

God Of Thunder

v1.0

by Tony Curro

Those folks from Software Creations are back again. They have

released their, in my opinion, best and most challenging game to

date.

It is 927 A.D. You are Thor, The God of Thunder! Your father is

Odin, the most powerful of the Norse Gods and ruler of Asgard.

Odin must fall into a deep sleep, every few hundred centuries, to

rejuvenate his power. While he is in one of these sleeps, your

half-brother Loki, The God of Mischief, conspires with two of his

cohorts to take control of Midgard (Earth), and thereby rule the

world. Each of the three has set up a seat of power. You must

journey to these three towns, defeat each of the Gods, free the

citizens, and thereby wrest power from them and return it to

Odin. You venture forth with only an enchanted hammer, which

faithfully returns to he who throws it. On your journey you

encounter citizens who give you clues to help you in your quest.

You also face hundreds of creatures out to thwart and destroy

you. Several of these creatures cannot be killed. This is the

enjoying part of the game. You are faced with dozens of puzzles

that must be solved. You have rocks, wood, and other articles in

some screens to help you. You must figure out how to use them.

There is no violence, per se, in this game. True, you destroy

opponents with your hammer. But, they turn into apples, jewels,

or magic that you use throughout the game. No bloodshed. Pay

close attention to what people say to you. Pick up anything you

can, as it may be needed later in the game.

The game was designed to be challenging, and is more than just

destroying everything in sight. You can only save one game per

name, and may have to reload if you do not get something needed

from an earlier screen.

The shareware version contains Part 1 of the trilogy. You journey

to Spegville, where you must defeat Jormangund (the Midgard

Serpent) before you can continue. In Spegville you visit the

tavern, where the local barkeep can give you pointers in

destroying Jormangund. Don't forget to visit the golden arches of

McElroy's where you can purchase Dee-licious Golden Apples that

restore your health. You eat apples to gain health, but be aware

that some you pick up along the way may be poisoned.

When you complete the part, you receive a suit of armor. Then you

speak to Dan, the Apple Seller (who bears a resemblance to Dan

Linton, SYSOP of Software Creations) about how to complete the

trilogy. Or, you can just read that information below. Either

way, you would not want to stop here. Get the trilogy, and I

guarantee you will not be disappointed. However, as I mentioned,

this game requires mental deduction. So if you are just looking

for a shoot 'em game, you may find this game a bit taxing. I was

addicted to game from the moment I loaded it. Look for GOT100.ZIP

or later on many BBSs, or phone Software Creations to get the

latest on your first call.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

* 80286 or better CPU.

* VGA graphics card with at least 256KB video memory.

* VGA monitor.

* Minimum 1.2MB hard disk space.

* 510K available RAM.

OPTIONAL:

* Sound Blaster or compatible sound card for digitized sound effects &

full musical soundtrack.

* Adlib or compatible for soundtrack only.

* Joystick in port 1.

---------------------------End of God of Thunder----------------------

-----------------------See end of file for pricing--------------------

Hexxagon II

by Tony Curro

Hexxagon II is a futuristic Othello-like game. The object is to

simply have more pieces of your color on the board at the end of

the game. However, even playing at the Easy level, winning this

animated game of strategy is fairly difficult.

The game can be played by two players, or you can take your

chances against CRANIAC, the resident computer nerd. A light bulb

icon, which changes with each level. At the hard level he is

complete with bow tie and glasses. The icon does not do justice

to the genius within. He is brutal at all levels of play, and

will capitalize on your every mistake.

You each start with two pieces on the board. Clicking on the

jewel -- which represents the piece -- you will see arrows

showing you spaces you can jump, or clone yourself. The clone

feature creates a new piece without removing the old one. In this

fashion you can create a line or more of your pieces. Beware if

you leave an open space. CRANIAC will quickly jump in, and

convert your pieces to his color.

Hexxagon II has many options that you can change or set. Select

two player mode, or play against the computer; have sound go to

sound card, PC speaker, or turn it off; Set animation to high for

some awesome screen animation; Configure Board allows you to

experiment with varying game board setups, even choose one of

five boards to customize to your liking.

I enjoyed playing the first release of Hexxagon, and am enjoying

Hexxagon II even more. Check out either or both of these games.

You will not be disappointed. Look for HEXX20.ZIP.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

* 80286 or better CPU

* VGA display

* 640K RAM, with 475K free

* Mouse and Sound Blaster or compatible sound card recommended.

Product Information

God of Thunder

(Product of CSE Games)

Hexxagon II

(Produced by Argo Games)

Both Released by

Software Creations

Reg. Version -- $29.95 + $2. S&H (GOT)

                20.00 + $2. S&H (HEXX)

MasterCard and VISA accepted

for OnLine registration.

Software Creations

26 Harris St.

Clinton, MA 01510

508-368-8654 (Order Line-Voice)

508-365-7214 (FAX)

508-368-7036 (BBS)


Grolier MM Encyclopedia

New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia

by Tony Curro

We all thirst for knowledge. Browsing through a dictionary, or

encyclopedia, constantly broadens our horizons. Using an

encyclopedia on a CD-ROM brings the world to life. The Grolier

Multimedia Encyclopedia (NGME) for Windows is such a CD. It not

only brings the world to life, but makes us feel as if we are

actually a part of history.

NGME contains all 21 volumes of the Academic American

Encyclopedia, plus additional articles written specifically for

NGME. Overall, you will find nearly 33,000 articles (more than

8,000 are new), and comprehensive indexes of all the titles,

words, and multimedia features. Thousands of pictures, hundreds

of maps, sound, animation, and video, to whet your appetite for

knowledge. There are many additional articles written especially

for NGME.

A new graphical user interface makes it easy to search or browse

through NGME. The CD makes excellent use of MPC with extensive

audio and visual displays.

The Multimedia Maps in NGME are animated maps. Explore:

Prehistoric and Ancient People; Exploration and Expansion; Ideas

and Beliefs; Early American History; Transportation; Modern Wars

and Conflicts. All are presented with narration. It is a

wonderful experience. While you are listening to the narration,

the map changes to coincide with the information you are hearing.

You also see sidebars pop up that further highlight the events.

There are over 15 maps in all to explore.

Knowledge Explorer, another new addition to NGME, contains

audiovisual essays on topics such as Painting and Sculpture,

Space Exploration, and ten other topics. These essays give

overviews of broad topics and link them to related encyclopedia

articles for further research. For example, in the Painting and

Sculpture Essay you will see drawings made over 25,000 years ago

on cave walls, view images created by Classic Greek artists,

visit great works of the Renaissance, and much more right up to

photography and post-modern art forms.

Using Find you can quickly locate the specific information you

require. Sound allows you to hear anything from the Nutcracker to

various birds and many other sounds.

I was pleased with the overall content, presentation, and

performance of The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Of the

many that I have used, and reviewed, NGME far surpasses them all.

As with any reference work, you will discover information here

not found in the others, and vice versa.  On some topics one

encyclopedia will give more information than another. I would

prefer to own all the available reference works on the market.

But, as that may not be feasible for some, you cannot go wrong

with Grolier.

Grolier also makes a DOS, and Macintosh version on CD-ROM. They

also offer a 30-day money back guarantee.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

* 386SX or better

* MS-DOS 3.3 or higher

* MS Windows 3.1

* VGA; SVGA recommended

* Sound card required for audio

* MPC compliant CD-ROM drive (150 KB/sec sustained throughput) for

optimal playback of movies and animation.

* MS Extensions 2.21 or higher

* Hard Disk with at least 1.5MB free space

* 4 MB RAM

* Printer optional

* Network version available.

Product Information

The New Grolier

Multimedia Encyclopedia

Windows/MPC CD-ROM version

1994 Edition

SRP -- $149.95 (limited time)

Grolier Electronic Publishing

Sherman Turnpike

Danbury, CT 06816

800-285-4534

203-797-3500

203-797-3585 (FAX)


Magazine Information

ComputerTalk(tm) Magazine is published monthly by Tony Curro All

material Copyright(c) 1993 by Tony Curro. All rights reserved.

Authors' retain copyright of their own works. All programs

copyright or trademark by respective companies

Please contact me concerning reprints of articles

You can contact me on MoonDog BBS(#35)

I am also available on RIME routed to PostLink #35 in:

COMMON, and SYSOP

On FIDO 1:278/713

The INTERNET: TonyCTM@aol.com  or

Tony.Curro@f713.n278.z1.fidonet.org

CIS: 73733,3305

You can also contact the editor by mail.

The magazine is free, but we will gratefully accept donations to

offset cost of equipment, and time spent in producing the

magazine. It is also a further incentive that people appreciate

the work we do.

Send donations, information, press releases and products to:

ComputerTalk Magazine               Voice/FAX

28 Vesey Street                          212-233-7718

Suite 2252

New York, NY 10007-2906

Attn: Tony Curro, Editor


News, Updates, and Upgrades

ZYXEL introduced the RS-1602E, a new rackmount system for ZyXEL's

U-1496RE and U-1496RE Plus modem cards. The rackmount system was

specifically designed for the demanding needs of the BBS

marketplace. The RS-1602E is now available with a SRP of $799.

The company is offering special SysOp pricing for the Rackmount

System and the modems. These offers are availabl to SysOps in the

US, Canada, and Mexico. For further information, call (714)

693-0808; BBS (714) 693-0762.

2010 SOFTWARE CORPORATION announced an enhanced version of it

file-finding and management software for Microsoft Windows 3.1.

Sherlock 2.0, which is now shipping for $139 for single users and

$695 for a ten-station LAN-pack, allows the user to easily locate

files on individual systems or across networks by utilizing 254

character file descriptions and other file access fields as

opposed to relying on standard eight character file names.

BRODERBUND SOFTWARE made several announcements this month. The

released the Multimedia PC version of Myst, the award-winning

surrealistic adventure game designed to deliver the power and

promise of multimediacomputing (CD-ROM), with more to explore

than any compact disc game to date. It carries a street price of

around $55.

     They  also announced that their best-selling and

award-winning product Print Shop Deluxe is going to CD-ROM. The

Print Shop Deluxe Ensemble, available on CD-ROM for Windows,

contains: The Print Shop Deluxe, PS Deluxe Companion, PS Deluxe

Sampler, Business, and Comic Characters, plus a bouns of 50

graphics. You get 5 complete programs on on CD-ROM with a street

price of around $80. This will give you over 1,000 graphics, 73

fonts, and more than 3,500 combinations of text shapes and

styles.

COMPTONS NEWMEDIA revealed new pricing for the 1994 version of

Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia for Windows and Macintosh. The

company announced the new aggressive retail price of $149.95. It

previously carried a SRP of $395.00. Compton's is striving to

make reference materials affordable to all users.

   They also announced two CD-ROMs that will ship in the third

quarter of 1994: Babylon 5 - The Universal Encyclopedia, which is

based on the television series, and is produced  in conjunction

with Warner Bros.; and another joint venture with Warner, John

Lennon. The John Lennon CD-ROM will be available in a regular

special collector's edition.

CENTRAL POINT SOFTWARE announced it will ship a native version of

the popular MacTools disk utility simultaneous with Apple

Computer Inc.'s introduction of Macintosh with PowerPC systems

the first half of 1994. MacTools v3.0 for Macintosh with PowerPC

will be the first disk utility program available specifically

designed and engineered to take full advantage of the accelerated

performance of PowerPC technology. It will carry a SRP of

$149.95. Registered users of MacTools 3.0 can upgrade to the new

release for a disk replacement cost of $9.95( plus $5.00 S/H).

Upgrades from previous versions is $49.95( plus $7.50 S/H). In

US, and Canada, call 1-800-964-6896.

   They also started shipping Central Point Anti-Virus 2.0 for

Windows. This new version will scan compressed files, as well as

disk compression formats such as STAC and DoubleSpace. It has a

SRP of $129.95.

HAYES MICROCOMPUTER PRODUCTS announced the availability of ACCURA

28800 V.FC FAX (ACCURA 288 V.FC + FAX, its fastest, low-cost,

data and fax modem designed for personal or home office use. The

external modem is bundled with Smartcom for Windows LE and

Smartcom Fax for Windows communicatons software, and is a SRP of

$3399 (US) and $559 (CDN).

CINEROM,INC. announced it has begun shipping its first

interactive multimedia title. The Gospels, A Multimedia Guide to

the Bible, uses SoftVideo playback technology, which requires no

external hardware other than a CD-ROM player and sound card to

generate full-motion video. The DOS-based title retails for

$49.95.

GROLIER announced several CDs that a cover a variety of subjects.

1994 Guinness Multimedia Disc of Records has a SRP of $49.95.

Wyatt Earp's Old  West, due this fall, will be available for

Windows/MPC and Macintosh platforms, and carries a  SRP of

$49.95. Prehistoria - A Multimedia Who's Who of Prehistoric Life

is shipping with a SRP of $89.95. Prehistoria will contain

Knowledge Explorer Audio-Visual Essays, a feature found in their

award-winning Multimedia Encyclopedia.

PAPERDIRECT has announced a new printing utility. Make-A-Booklet,

using  a laser printer, PC and MAC users can transform ordinary

single-sided documents into full-color, professional multi-page

booklets with copy on both sides. The package, including software

and paper, retails for $49.95. Call 1-800-A-PAPERS to receive a

catalog, or to place an order.

WORDPERFECT made several DOS announcements this month. They have

announced WordPerfect 5.1+ for DOS, an upgrade to WP 5.1 for DOS

targeted at users on lower-end machines who want new

functionality but lack the hardware for WP 6.0. The  upgrade

price has been reduced to $49.95, and is  scheduled to ship the

end of March, 1994.

   Also released was WordPerfect 6.0b for DOS. WP 6.0 for DOS

users can get the new release for price of disks and shipping.

Call 1-800-321-4566.


Opening Format

This month I would like to start off with an apology. Last month

I asked readers to leave a message to the forum moderator at

America OnLine. My magazine was up, and they just as quickly

removed. I do now have a download area in the Telecom Forum. The

creation of the area was due to the help of Glenn Brensinger.

However, Glenn can only do so much. The rest is up to AOL. They

will do it at their speed, and is no reflection on the job Glenn

is doing. I was in contact with several companies and told them,

rightfully so, that the files were available. They called me back

to tell me they could not find them. Yes, they were removed as

stated above. My credability was not that great. So I took the

stand I did here. When I called to upload the last issue, I found

in the interim the area had been created. So, once again I would

like to apologize to Glenn for any undue problems it may have

caused.

Spring is here, and with it some hot reviews from CTM, especially

in the shareware department. This month we look at:

Hardware: ATI Graphics Ultra Pro, Practicard PCMCIA fax/modem.

Software: Q&A for Windows, Winfo Pro for Windows. We also look at

a company that will reproduce your signature.

CD-ROM: Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, AccuMail, Tetris Gold,

ASP Advantage.

Shareware: Releases from Software Creations.

In coming months, I have the new Hayes Accura 288 Fax/modem, HP

DJ560C color printer, Norton Utilites 8.0, Norton Desktop for

Windows, PC Tools 2.0 for Windows, PC Tools 9.0 for DOS, and much

more.

We are nearing the end of out second year online, and the future

is looking very bright. We are around 300 BBS that receive CTM

each month, and have noticed a huge number of downloads on AOL.

We are also on CompuServe, and working on getting access to the

Internet. I have already received an inquiry from Italy wishing

to distribute CTM there if they could get it from the Internet.

Hopefully they will be able to soon.

Until next month.

Tony Curro...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 DISCLAIMER

The information provided in this magazine are the opinions of the

author whose name appears at the top of the article.

We do not wish to discredit a product, company, or  author of

said product. The software reviews are based solely upon the

opinion of the author of the review, and his or her experiences

from using the product in question.

We further assume no liability from any problems or

dissatisfaction that a user may have from a product that we have

reviewed in our magazine.

The News, Updates, and Upgrade column is not an endorsement of

any product. It is presented solely for information purposes.

 Tony Curro, Editor - ComputerTalk Magazine.


Sign In

by Tony Curro

Every letter we send out has our signature on it. If you send out

a multitude of letters, the amount of time you spend signing your

name, not to mention the cramps you may experience, can cost you

money.

Orbit Enterprises has the solution to your problem. Mail them

your signature and they will return either a TrueType font for

Windows, a HP LaserJet format font for DOS or both. These are

digitized signatures. What is a digitized signature? The answer

from Orbit: A digitized signature is a person's hand-written

signature that has been reproduced in its identical form with a

scanner. It can be used within any computer software programs,

giving the impression that your letters and documents have been

personally signed. Your digitized signature can be stored on a

computer disk until needed, then can be easily inserted into

documents that are printed on your laser printer to save time

and effort.

I received the Windows TrueType font. Installation was quick

following the simple instructions provided. Within minutes I

added my signature as a permanent part of a template I use in MS

Word for Windows. I just print a letter, and place it in an

envelope ready for mailing. No more having to sign the letter. I

find it extremely useful for those times when I cannot actually

sign a document. I use  WinFax Pro, and a fax modem. When I fax

someone from my computer, I cannot sign the letter or note. With

my signature as a font, I NEVER have that problem, and the

document looks as if I used a stand alone fax machine to send it.

Signatures are usually processed within three working days from

the time Orbit receives it. However, you can have it done

overnight by sending it to them that way, and paying the

additional shipping charges.

Orbit does more than signatures.  You can have an image scanned,

or even several lines of text. Lets say you wanted to add a

personal touch to letters, by having a line such as: We always

wish to please our customer, and then your signature. Orbit

charges each line as a signature, so in this case of two lines

you would pay at the rate of two signatures. If you have multiple

signatures Orbit will give you a discount. You can also save by

creating both a DOS and Windows version of your signature or

saying.

I was extremely pleased with the quality of the returned

signature I received from Orbit. If you are not satisfied, they

offer a  30-day, money-back guarantee.

Product Information

Signature Fonts

HP LJ for DOS

1 @ $75

TrueType Windows

1  @ $95

Phone for quantity pricing

Orbit Enterprises, Inc.

P. O. Box 2875

Glen Ellyn, IL 60138

800-767-6724

708-469-3405 (Voice/Tech. Support)

708-469-4895 (FAX)

708-469-4850 (BBS)


England

The Dog & Disk Drive Pub

Jan Kmiecik

+44-71-587-5180

[D] Islington BBS

Edward Cowling

+44-71-359-3121

The Schizophrenic Wolf BBS

Matthew Smalley

+44-77-245-6526


Finland

Niflheim BBS

Kurtis Lindqvist

+358 (9) 28/17924


Israel

Devil BBS

Andrei Brandes

+97-23-559-7740


Netherlands
The Netherlands

Enterprise BBS

L.H. Judkins

+31-5-950-3933

HBBS Amsterdam

Patrick Goosen

+31-20-619-6789


Portugal

The Mail House

Carlos Santos

+35-11-989-0140

Skyship BBS

Mario Pozzetti

35-11-315-8088

35-11-315-1435

35-11-315-1436

35-11-315-8087


PractiCard 144

by Tony Curro

Computers are getting smaller and smaller. We now have some that

fit in the palm of your hand. Devices to use in them also have to

shrink. I recently looked at a modem that could fit in my wallet.

As a matter of fact it is about the same size as a credit card.

Don't let the size fool you, as this is one powerful modem. The

modem measures 3.4" X 2.2" X 0.2".

Practical Peripherals, maker of award-winning modems, has

PractiCard 144 modem with fax. This modem supports the PCMCIA 2.0

standard, and is compliant with Type II and III laptop computers,

as well as palmtops. The package includes both DOS and Windows

software for communications as well as faxing.

I tried it with the built-in communications software in my

computer. I plugged the card in and ran my software. It worked

perfectly right out of the box. It has a connector that plugs

into the modem after it is installed on your computer. You then

plug your phone line into this cable. For palmtops, that have

only one slot and therefore limited storage capability, the

software was not able to be installed. For those units that have

a built-it hard drive, or two PCMICA slots this is not a problem.

I was still able to send faxes by downloading a small piece of

fax software that is available on Practical's Forum  on

CompuServe.

Features include:

* QuickLink II Data/Fax software for Windows and DOS.

* 14400BPS v.32bis DATA transmission

* 14400BPS send/receive fax

* v.32bis, V.42bis data compression, V.42 error control.

* DTE rates up to 115,200bps

* Transfers alphanumeric numbers to their numeric equivalents.

PractiCard 144 has an internal 16550 UART, and has six pages of

on-line help in the card's ROM. This modem is as powerful as it's

desktop counterpart, and has many of the same features you expect

in a fax modem. These include: Broadcast faxes, send/receive log,

auto dial/answer, import/export text and graphic files.

PractiCard 144 saves batteries by drawing less than 20 milliwatts

in it's software-controlled "sleep" mode. With many of these

devices it is advisable, where possible, to use your system's AC

power supply. Also, you many consider removing the modem from the

unit when not in use.

PractiCard 144 comes in a protective case, and has a Limited

Lifetime Warranty.

Product Information

PractiCard 144

SRP -- $349.

Practical Peripherals

375 Conejo Ridge

Thousand Oaks, CA 91361-4928

805-497-4774

805-374-7272 (FAX)


Q&A 4.0

for Windows

by Tony Curro

Symantec has a long history with Q&A. In 1985, Q&A 1.0 for DOS

was released. It quickly set the standard for flat-file databases

with its natural language interface and integration of a complete

word processor for mail merges. Yes, I remember it well. I

purchased that first version. Selecting fonts in Q&A Write was

not as easy as it is today. Then again personal computing was

still in its infancy, and many things were not as easy as they

are today.

Q&A 4.0 is the  third major release, but Q&A 4.0 for Windows is

the first major release on that platform.

A complete installation of Q&A 4.0 for Windows requires

approximately 20MB of hard disk space. This includes Q&A Write,

tutorials and templates. You can select a custom installation to

install only the features you want.

Q&A will import dBASE, Paradox, and other files. You only have to

select import, give it a Q&A filename, and import. If the Q&A

file does not exist you are asked if you wish it to be created.

You will then see the import fields. You do not have to create

them. Just select them, and the file is imported.

Q&A for Windows is network-ready and requires no additional

effort to install. It is also fully interoperable with Q&A for

DOS. In a mixed DOS/Windows corporate environment, workgroups can

share the same Q&A databases and access them concurrently from

either platform over a network. This also makes the switch from

DOS to Windows painless.

The Windows version retains many of the features of the DOS-based

product. You still have the familiar spreadsheet view. Options

have been simplified by the inclusion of a button bar in the

Windows version. Many of the features and options are quickly

selected by a mouse click.

Q&A Write has also been improved. Along with standard features

found in all word processors, it includes a built-in outliner,

spell checker and thesaurus, a table generator, OLE and DDE

support, fax and electronic mail enabling, automatic envelope

creation, editable page views, a customizable tool bar, graphic

frames and more. The mail merge features have also been enhanced.

You can generate a variety of reports, create freeform reports

and forms, select from pre-defined Avery labels, or create your

own in a graphical environment. Add a picture field to any form,

and even have different colored text.

Another new addition to Q&A is DAVE (Do Anything Very Easily).

Q&A first had intelligent assistant in its first release. This

allowed you to search for things using plain English phrases. Now

DAVE is here to assist you. He will also search for things as

described above. Or use DAVE, your scripting assistant, to create

scripts for repetitive database tasks using the same easy English

interface.

Overall, Q&A for Windows is a pleasure to work with. Its

ease-of-use coupled with the built-in Q&A Write, make it a good

choice.

Product Information

Q&A 4.0

for Windows

SRP -- $249.95

(cross-grade

available for $89.95)

Symantec Corporation

10201 Torre Ave.

Cupertino, CA 95014-2132

408-253-9600

408-253-4092 (FAX)


SYSTEM INFORMATION

Unless otherwise noted, the following equipment is used in all

testing, for hardware and software, that appears in the magazine:

486DX2/66 VL-BUS Motherboard

Diamond Viper VL-BUS Video Card

8 MB of 80ns SIMMS

Quantum IDE drives

NEC CDR74-1 CD-ROM drive

Sound Blaster 16 ASP

Sony MultiScan HG monitor

Bernoulli Dual 44

Colorado  Jumbo 250

ZyXEL U-1496E modem

HP LaserJet IIP printer

UMAX UC630 color scanner.

Software always present:

4DOS v5.x

MS-DOS 6.x

QEMM v7.x

MS Windows 3.x


Tetris

Tetris Gold

CD-ROM

by Tony Curro

The best thing to EVER come out of Russia was Tetris, although

caviar and vodka should be right up there. However, Tetris is

non-fattening and does not contain alcohol. It is  the best

choice over the other two and is much cheaper. Tetris is

habit-forming though. Once you start playing it you keep saying,

"One more game, just one more, just one more..." I was hooked the

first time I played the original version. Since that time there

have been many Tetris-like games available both commercially, and

via shareware. Spectrum Holobyte, the original releaser of Tetris

has even brought us several sequels (more later).

To celebrate the 5th year of Tetris Spectrum has released a

Special Commemorative Edition CD-ROM named, Tetris Gold. This

CD-ROM contains games for three platforms: MS-DOS, Windows, and

Macintosh. In addition it contains the complete Tetris line

released by Spectrum Holobyte, the never before released MS-DOS

prototype of Tetris,  and a special 10-minute interview with

Alexey Pajitnov, the Russian creator of Tetris.

Tetris, and its sequels, is a simple, yet challenging game. For

those not familiar with it, the concept is to form rows of

blocks. As you form a row, it is removed and you are awarded

points. You must remove a specific number of rows before you

proceed to the next level. With the sequels, each game has a

different theme, but the same basic concept. Some of the games

support sound cards. The CD-ROM includes online manuals for all

the games.

The Tetris Gold CD-ROM collection includes the six versions of

Tetris, and the MS-DOS based prototype. Below is a description of

the games of Tetris, and the platforms supported for the games.

Not all platforms supported for all games.

* Tetris (MS-DOS, MAC), the original game that started the craze.

Manipulate blocks to form complete lines. The pieces fall faster

with every new level, and there are 10 levels to play.

* Welltris (MS-DOS, MAC), the first sequel. Pieces  fall into a

four-sided well with grid-like walls and bottom. Moving pieces

may be rotated and moved from wall to wall within the well. Earn

points by forming solid rows either horizontally or vertically on

the bottom of the well.

* Faces...Tris III (MS-DOS, MAC), is slices of peoples faces:

chins and lips, eyes, and head. You must stack the pieces in

proper order from chin to forehead to earn points.

* Wordtris (MS-DOS, MAC), has players manipulate single letters

that fall from the top of the screen. The objective is to form

words with letters that have already fallen. Wordtris recognizes

over 60,000 words. More points are awarded for longer or more

complex words.

* Tetris Classic (MS-DOS, Windows), is the original updated with

brilliant VGA graphics and enhanced game  play. It features

dual-pit competitions and double-wide cooperative games. Classic

also features beautifully rendered graphics depicting Alexander

Pushkin's famous fairy tale Ruslan and Ludmilla and a soundtrack

based on the opera.

* Super Tetris (MS-DOS, MAC, Windows), contains the familiar

falling squares will presenting explosive new challenges. Work

your way through deep scrolling pits filled with falling bombs

and hidden treasures. This version includes two-player modes and

timed games.

As a Tetris addict, I highly recommend this CD-ROM to everyone.

You are getting six games with multiple platform support, which

assures you of being able to play it almost anywhere, and a price

that is just about what you would normally pay for one  or two

games.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

DOS

* 80386-16MHz

* 640K RAM

* DOS 5.0 or later

* Hard Drive

* VGA

* Mouse

* CD-ROM  drive

* Joystick, Sound Card (optional)

Windows

* Windows 3.1 or later

* 2MB RAM

* VGA

* 80386-25MHz, Super VGA, Sound Card (optional, but best for optimal

performance)

Macintosh

* 4MB RAM

* System 7

* Hard drive

* CD-ROM drive

Mac Plus or later for black-and-white graphics. Color Mac

requires 256-color graphics (color also needed for video

interview). Sound effects and music not compatible with AV

models.

Product Information

Tetris Gold

CD-ROM

Approx. Price  --  $48.

Spectrum Holobyte

2490 Mariner Square Loop

Alameda, CA 94501

510-522-3584

510-522-3587 (FAX)


201 New Jersey

Lightning BBS

Ricardo Rodriguez

483-5141

RemoteHost BBS

John Schumacher

539-4544

The T.E.R.N. BBS

Scott Drake

399-4772


203 Connecticut

[D] = Distribution Site

[D] ModemNews Express

Jeff Green

359-2299

[D] Reverse Polarity BBS

Bill Arlofski

620-0001 620-0182

Fun Investing BBS

George Meno

834-0490

UniPeg BBS

Ken Miller

449-1604


205 Alabama

Power Window! BBS

Cyrus Cathey

881-8619


206 Washington

The Sports Complex' Network

Derek Lyons

692-2388


207 Maine

Northern Maine BBS

David Collins

496-2391


208 Idaho

The Third Millenium

Jim Fromm

664-2983


212 New York

[D] = Distribution Site

[D] First Prince Marketing

Ron Janorkar

22 Prince St

New York, NY 10012

Voice: 334-1243

Fax: 334-1245

(Special Distrbution)

[DW] Poetry In Motion BBS

Inez Harrison

666-6927

Aardvark BBS

Patrick Lee

496-8324

AmerIServe

David Shapiro

876-5885

City People

Barry Weiser

255-6656

File-Link BBS

Michael Costa

777-0224

The Game Line BBS

Ken Zigeler

974-3925

HQ RBBS

Bob Kurtz

852-0419

The Invention Factory BBS

Michael Sussell

431-1194

Molecular Beam Laundry BBS

873-3559

The Nice Guy's BBS

Sam Pollack

737-6192

The No Carrier BBS

John Caden

888-1168

PosterBoard Network

Thomas Murphy

685-8309

Thunderdome BBS

Robert Forgione

567-2509

WiseByte BBS

Ron Chibnik

962-1920


214 Texas

Archive On-Line

406-8394

PC Help BBS

Duke Ducote

680-2693

The Lunatic Fringe BBS

John Stewart

422-2936

The Old Poop's World BBS

Sonny Grissom

613-6900

OmniVerse Info. Services

Gene Schoepp/Michael Selby

235-5162

235-5163

235-5832

235-5833

235-5834

The Planet BBS

Rick Wadatz

306-8269

Robin's Egg BBS

Rob Dingwall

964-8726

Sunlight Through the Shadows

Joe DeRouen

620-8793


215 Pennsylvania

Perry-I Host Systems BBS

H. Perry Stephens Jr.

698-7677

The Unnamed BBS

Mike Logan

540-0141


218 Minnesota

Merrifield PC BBS

Gilbert Pence

829-6340


219 Indiana

The Dock BBS

Cindy Duryea

848-7200


301 Maryland

[D] = Distribution Site

Old Timers BBS

Mike Reshetar

645-1049

[D] The Running Board

Bonnie Anthony

229-5623

SMCIS

Buggs Bugnon

862-3160

Top Gallant BBS

Lou Dennis

595-3799


302 Delaware

The "US" Project BBS

Walt Mateja

529-1650


303 Colorado

Sun Mountain BBS

Mead Himelstein

665-6922


304 West Virginia

The Cat Eye BBS

Sue Moore

592-3390

Snowshoe BBS

Milton Midgett

572-2531


305 Florida

The Looking Glass BBS

Kenneth Wiren

346-8524


310 California

The Great Escape BBS

Dennis Kluender

676-3534


313 Michigan

The Refiner's Fire

.S. Morris

664-0437


314 Missouri

SLACC Stack BBS

Noel Moss

367-1903

Support U. BBS

Patrick Grote

227-6746


315 New York

[D] = Distribution Site

[D] Dots-N-Dashes

John Meyer

642-1220

[D] Late Night BBS

Carter Downer

564-5700

SeaBIN BBS

Ken Yinger

773-2099

The Second Foundation

Lee Cliff

v.32/14.4     393-6545

                    393-6494

USR DS/14.4   393-6504

USR HST/14.4  393-0872


316 Kansas

The Jet Stream !

Brian Stockton

788-9913


317 Indiana

HearthStone BBS

Don Adams

831-9227

Portal To Infinity

Anthony Bisesi

887-6043

Subspace BBS

Darrin Walton

921-4122

The Windraker II

Robert Thompson

569-1220


318 Louisiana

PUMA Wildcat!

Chuck McMillin

443-1065


401 Rhode Island

Cyber Zone BBS

Glen Morehead/Bob Fayne

732-0258


402 Nebraska

The Badger's BYTE

Dick Roosa

376-3120

Onwards And Upwards

Merlin DePeel

553-7390

553-7251


404 Georgia

The Data Dimension

Ricky Lacy

921-1186

Thompson Towers BBS

Raeann Thompson

941-0746


408 California

Berryessa Central BBS

Mark Shapiro

946-5642

Higher Powered BBS

Bob Jacobson

737-9447

My Scummy Run-Down Hovel

Eric Rinker

578-7954


409 Texas

MagicLand

P. Peng

762-6981

The Tech Resource BBS

Larry Lesher

892-1977


410 Maryland

Community Service Network

David Boan

820-6734

Doppler Base BBS

Dan Myers

922-1352

Eastern Shore On-Line Services

Ben Hammock

827-6725

The Lion's Den BBS

Nick LaBrie

758-4023

The Puffin's Nest

Dave Bealer

437-3463


413 Massachusetts

Signal Hill BBS

Ed Thompson

782-2158


414 Wisconsin

[D] = Distributiion Site

[D] EXEC-PC BBS

Bob Mahoney

12/2400  789-4210

14.4/V32 789-4360

HST      789-4352

CompuCom 789-4450

V-Series 789-4315


415 California

Bun's BBS

Bundy Chanock

756-5098

Lincoln's Cabin

Steve Pomerantz

752-4490

Uncle "D"s Directory

Dave Spensley

364-3001


501 Arkansas

The CANUG BBS

Eric Lentz

682-1722


502 Kentucky

TrekKy! BBS

Rick Alvey

762-6963


503 Oregon

Blue Lake System

Mark Adkins

656-9790

Chemeketa OnLine

Bob Hunter

393-5580

The Exchange Club

John Hieb

659-4603


508 Massachusetts

[D] Distribution Site

Baseline

Steve Keith

535-0446

[D] The High Society BBS

Chuck Frieser

927-6712

927-6951

[D] Software Creatioons

Dan Linton

2400      365-2359

16.8      368-4137

V.32/v.42 368-7036


509 Washington

One Stop PCBoard

Gary Hedberg

943-0211


513 Ohio

Modem Zone

Don Cheeks/Lana Fox

424-7529


516 New York

Dragon's Den

R. Sattler

285-0555

J & J BBS

Jessica Kuzmier

385-4356

NorthSea

Timothy Doran

283-9631

PC BBS

D.K. Lee

795-5874

PC Info System

Peter Whitelaw

733-6492

Utopia Tech BBS

Bob Glasser

579-7507


517 Michigan

Wolverine BBS

Rick Rosinski

695-9952

695-9953

695-9937

695-9863

695-9864


518 New York

Integrity OIS

Dan Ginsberg

2400  370-8756

14.4  370-8758


602 Arizona

Babble BBS

Dane Beko

292-6576

Paradise BBS

Dennis Bradley

435-6546

Terrestrial BBS

David Ray

945-8416


603 New Hampshire

Leo Technology BBS

Eric Poole

432-2517

The Photography Studios BBS

Dr. Douglas Bourdon

672-4433


606 Kentucky

Novus Magnificat

Kevin Redden

297-2820


609 New Jersey

The Club

D. Ebrahim

748-1728

Don's BBS

Don Sharp

435-1663

InfoNet BBS

Bob Fehn

628-4311

Online In D'Hood

Eddie Hicks

645-7080

The Radio Wave BBS

Tyler Myers

764-0812

TAO BBS

Bob Watson

587-2672

Triple Play! BBS

Jason Reynolds

266-0962


612 Minnesota

DRAGnet

Gordon Gillesby

753-1943


614 Ohio

ASA CompuHelp BBS

Jeff Binkley

476-4058

Southeastern Ohio Computer Society

Jeff Voytko

432-2899


616 Michigan

Ryan's Bar BBQ

Thomas Ryan

456-1845


617 Massachusetts

Boston Gas BBS

Jon Anderson

235-6303

[D] Channel 1 BBS

Tess Heder/Brian Miller

12/2400     354-7077

16.8 HST    354-3137

CompuCom    354-4443

14.4/v32    354-5776

Telebit     354-0470

MMS Online

Bill Good

893-2170


618 Illinois

Parameters

Bob Pauls

549-8448


619 California

The Big BBS

Dan Walker/James Baker

773-5572


703 Virginia

Nexus BBS

Connie Andrews

898-7205

The No Name BBS

Robert Miller

754-0884

Pen and Brush BBS

Lucia Chambers

644-6730

The Royal Flush BBS

Marion Royal

361-4872

Sidewayz

Paul Cutrona

352-5412

The VideoPro BBS

Tom Hackett

455-1873

The Virginia Connection

Tony McClenny

648-1841

The Warped BBS

Rick Welshans

941-4041


704 North Carolina

The Exchange BBS

Ron Alspaugh

342-2333


706 Georgia

Hi-Tech Gateway BBS

Dick Stein

694-3295


708 Illinois

Blood and Guts

Steve Strunk

969-9380

Greenhills Software

Jeff Parrish

731-1017


713 Texas

MyNew BBS

Roger Williams

726-0441


714 California

Computer Corner

Alan Shoemaker

683-3367

Infomat BBS

Michael Gibbs

492-8727

Lake Forest BBS

Joe S.Y. Hsu

770-0728

770-5877

Next Stop The Twilight Zone

Terry Raley

879-4052


715 Wisconsin

The Byte Shop

Jerry Morgan

832-7961

The Crypt

George Goza

234-3376

The Point BBS

Tom Lehner

345-1327


717 Pennsylvania

Bits 'N Bytes BBS

Bryan S. Leaman

HST 757-4141

DS 755-9445


718 New York

10:30 BBS

Andrew Rosenthal

762-1030

AmJet BBS

AmJet

837-4548

Black Box II

Ray Zak

966-7651

The Bravo BBS

Michael Swannick

439-3116

Computec Data Systems

Rik Line

983-9152

Devastation BBS

L. Casas

892-0187

Dorsai Embassy

Jack Brooks

729-5018

Dynamis HQ BBS

Brian Cummings

966-6840

[D] Fordham Jesuit BBS

Fr. Nick Lombardi

817-5500

The Great American BBS

D. Walsh

948-0152

Greek Isles BBS

Tony Kolokithias

424-1696

Holman's World

Michael Holman Sr.

529-8890

Jeff's BBS

Jeff Lynch

945-4272

Jim's PC Paradise BBS

James Symbouras

458-0502

M.A.D.H.O.U.S.E. BBS

Joe Johnson

893-2318

Maria's Castle BBS

Maria Perrone

746-6362

Mega-Source BBS

Steve Laris

545-3990

N.Y. Amateur Computer Club

Hank Kee

539-3338

The Next Generation BBS

Anthony Monti

236-8105

The Personal Connection

Ronald Regan

444-2145

Queens Software Exchange

Emil Strunk

628-6661

[D] The Running Board (B)

Howard Belasco

654-1349

The Shadowhawke's Den

Heffrey Fleischer

284-5769

Systematic BBS

Mufutau Towobola

716-6198

Trans-Continental

M. Swannick

439-3116

The Treasure Chest

L. Mitchell

525-5610

Variations BBS

Michael Gayda

335-0978


719 Colorado

The Monument Board

Jerry Shifrin

488-9470


801 Utah

The Brass Cannon

Blaine Binkerd

226-8310

Utah Data Link BBS

Mario Giordani

943-4616


803 South Carolina

[D] Bedrock Cafe

Michael Dodge

899-6940

The Difference Engine

Patrick Nobles

576-7194

The Glory Bound BBS

Ken Kirkley

592-5208

The New World BBS

John P. Jones

795-9350


804 Virginia

C. Pro Run

Joseph Spinelli

583-0503


805 California

The Seaside BBS

Les Jones

964-4766

The Twilight Zone BBS

Robert Ayers

258-0413

The Wetspot

J.L. Baker

736-7066


812 Indiana

KA9LOM Ham Shack BBS

Mike Anderson

428-3352

The Northern Ghetto! BBS

Dean Becher

867-7675

Paradise Connection BBS

Stan Brown

925-7864


813 Florida

The City of the Setting Sun

Greg Jones

960-5169

Syl*la*bles

Curt Akin

482-5276

Tech Data Connection

Dan Kyburz

538-7090


814 Pennsylvania

Darby Research Systems

Barry Walters

825-7905

The Express BBS

Bob Denman

362-6546

The SineWave BBS

David Perkowski

234-2117


815 Illinois

Corporate Headquarters BBS

Bob Neal

886-3223

886-9381


816 Missouri

[D] Abiogenesis of K.C.

Scott Lent

734-4732


817 Texas

The Blue Mustang BBS

Mark Wariner

589-1517

Renaissance BBS

David Pollard

467-7322


903 Texas

Maranatha BBS

Leroy Smith

465-4022


904 Florida

The BatCave BBS

Sidney Moore

573-2610

The Bates' Motel

Philip Canterbury

453-8993

Dreamland BBS

Ron James

837-2567

Jim's Place

Jim Loos

757-0281

The Night Owl BBS

Kim Castor

472-5714

Rendezvous

Thomas Goldsmith

243-6157

The Triad BBS

Donn Nieder

385-9057


908 New Jersey

Kendall Park PCBoard

John Reinke

821-8015


909 California

Graphics Unlimited BBS

Roger Langgston

862-5319


912 Georgia

The Savannah BBS

Michael Herrin

920-8070


913 Kansas

The Nest Egg BBS

Tom Frye

492-2739


914 New York

Go Diamond! BBS

C. Brewington

665-1725

Node 66 East BBS

Brian Buffell

352-6121


915 Texas

Kilroy's Zer0 BBS

Al Forte

2400 530-0227

14.4 530-2610


916 California

D&R BBS

Rob Charney

621-1373

[D] The Racers Net

Robert Holmes

546-2096


918 Oklahoma

Solid Rock BBS

Ron Hossack

785-9176

The Hub BBS

Warren Farrimond

627-0923


Winfo Pro

for Windows

by Tony Curro

Winfo Pro is a personal information manager (PIM). It will manage

your phonebooks, both personal and business, and allow you to

dial an entry. It also contains a calendar, to do list, and

several database formats to keep track of many other things. You

can inventory your valuables; catalog your videos, music

collection and software library; make a shopping list; store

recipes, and much more.

Installation requires little disk space. Once started you will

have the sample phonebook on screen. You can change the view of

this and all the other screens that you see. View personal or

business contacts, or both.

Using Winfo Pro's Design feature you can fully customize your

databases. Create your own, or change one of the existing

databases. Add or delete fields, set up the screen to your

specifications, even change text font and color, and background

screen color.

Winfo Pro comes with: predefined Phone Book and Address Manager,

Calendar with integrated To Do Lists, Alarms, Customizable Views,

Reports, and Screens, plus much more. In all there are 11

predefined databases. Alarm features several dozen sounds that

will play to remind you of an event. Hear anything from 1812

Overture and Oh Christmas Tree, to Wedding Song and Marsellaise.

The program supports color printing, and has extensive printing

capabilities that include: Saddle Stitch Phone Books, Daily

Planners, Rotary cards, Labels, Envelopes and more. This makes

taking along any of your information very simple.

Winfo Pro has DDE link support to WinFax Pro. This means you can

use any phone numbers from Winfo directly in WinFax Pro.

Other features of Winfo Pro include:

* Custom Envelopes

* ASCII import and export

* OnLine Help

* Mail Merge capabilities

* Custom Printer Fonts

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

* MS Windows 3.1

* 3.5" HD drive (5.25 disk available)

* Mouse

* 1.5MB disk space

* Optional: modem for Auto Dialer

Product Information

Winfo Pro

for Windows

SRP -- $69.95 (introductory)

WinWare Inc.

4665 Lower Roswell Rd  #9

Marietta, GA 30068

800-336-5985 (ORDERS)

404-993-3201

404-993-2351 (FAX)


Glossary

A

ASCII

B

BBS

C

CD ROM

D

dBXL

DDE

DOS

E

EISA

I

ISA

M

Micro Channel (MCA)

MPC

MSCDEX Extensions

multimedia

O

OLE

P

PCMCIA

S

Shareware

SYSOP

U

UART

V

VESA

VGA

W

Windows