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09MIC93.TXT
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2006-10-19
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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN MICROPENDIUM
P.O. Box 1343 Round Rock TX 78680
Phone 512-255-1512
Internet jkoloen@io.com
MICRO REVIEWS for Sept 1993 Micropendium
by Charles Good
MEMBERSHIP MANAGER and NEWSLETTER EXCHANGE
Last month I reviewed a good "name/address/phone" program. MEMBERSHIP MANAGER
is another such product specifically taylored for 99/4A user groups but
potentially useful to any organization that has a membership roster. It is a
TI BASE template. First you load TI BASE (version 3.01 or later) and then you
type DO MENU to boot MEMBERSHIP MANAGER.
Data stored for each member includes name, address, city, state, zip code,
nation, membership number, date joined, date membership expires, scratch pad
notes (up to 40 characters) unique to each member, and three user defined
fields of information. You can search and sort data in any of these fields,
including the user defined fields, and of course you can print reports and
mailing labels.
The design of the software does a good job with foreign addresses and postal
codes. Address labels for foreign locations are nicely formatted. Some
examples of user defined or scratch pad information might include a member's
system hardware (hard drive, Geneve, 80 column card, DSDD floppy capacity,
etc.) and stuff the member has checked out of the group's software or hardcover
library.
Members can be marked as "inactive" without deleting member information from
the data base. All user groups have such inactive or ex members whose dues
have not been paid for some time. You can created sorted lists that only
include active members if you want. Group officers do not necessarily want to
discard data on inactive individuals. It is, of course, also possible to
permanently delete a member's data from MEMBERSHIP MANAGER's data base.
The size of the data base is limited only by the size of the storage media.
MEMBERSHIP MANAGER is optimized for use with a hard drive, but works nicely off
a ramdisk (good speed) and can be used with SSSD drives.
One feature I really like is access to TI BASE functions from within MEMBERSHIP
MANAGER. You can format disks, catalog disks, and copy files all from within
MEMBERSHIP MANAGER.
NEWSLETTER EXCHANGE is a second TI BASE template designed for 99/4A user
groups, separate from and not directly accessable from MEMBERSHIP MANAGER. You
load TI BASE v3.01 or later and then you load NEWSLETTER EXCHANGE. Some user
groups go to great lengths keeping track of exchange newsletters received from
other user groups, checking to verify that the other groups are regularly
sending out exchange newsletters. NEWSLETTER EXCHANGE is designed for this
sort of record keeping. The data base contains the name and address of other
user groups. It tracks dates of first and last newsletter received from other
groups and dates of the first and most recent newsletter sent by your group to
each of the other groups. A group's exchange officer can check how long it has
been since a particular group sent an exchange newsletter and the total number
of newsletters received or sent, etc.
One indication of the professional quality and attention to detail of both
MEMBERSHIP MANAGER and NEWSLETTER EXCHANGE is the documentation. It comes on
disk and prints neatly from DSK1.LOAD into 24 pages of text plus a nifty title
page and table of contents page. The resulting printed copy is well written,
nicely formatted, and makes good use of double strike and enlarge print to
enhance its general appearence. Both data bases also have well written on line
help screens that you can call up at any time. This is a feature that should be
a part of all application software.
MEMBERSHIP MANAGER and NEWSLETTER EXCHANGE can be purchased together as a
single commercial (not sharware, not for distribution via user group libraries)
package from the author for $25 including postage. Send your money to Bill
Gaskill 2310 Cypress Court, Grand Junction Colorado 81506. TI BASE is
available TEXAMENTS and other 99/4A software dealers.
----------------------------
MINESWEEPER
This is a game for the 99/4A (or Geneve) that has the "look and feel" of the PC
Windows game of the same name. The basic Microsoft Windows environment used on
many PCs these days includes a few games, and MINESWEEPER is one of them.
Windows can sometimes be used as a multi tasking environment. While your PC at
work is doing some number crunching you can play MINESWEEPER, if the boss
isn't looking.
MINESWEEPER (both the /4A and PC versions) is a logic game that can be quite
addictive. The playing field consists of squares, each of which may or may not
have a mine underneath. The object of the game is to uncover all of the
squares without mines before time runs out. When you uncover a square, you are
informed how many mined squares are immediately adjacent. Of course if you
uncover a mine you are dead.
The 99/4A version of MINESWEEPER is written in c and has excellent movement of
its cursor in a manner that simulates what you get with a PC's mouse. The
joystick or the WERSDFZXC keys move the cursor, and the fire button or Q key
are used to "click on" a screen object. The "version 1" that I am reviewing
does not support a mouse, but the author says he intends to purchase one of the
various TI rodents with the initial fairware donations received and incorporate
mouse control into later versions. Cursor movement is very precise and fast,
just like using a mouse on a PC. When you begin to move the cursor it
initially moves slowly in the selected direction and then speeds up. I really
like the automatic increase in cursor speed which allows you to precisely move
the cursor quickly to a point on the other side of the screen.
Across the top of the screen are the number of mines not yet uncovered, the
time clock (max 999 seconds) and some words you can "click" on. CUSTOM allows
you to select predefined sizes ("Easy", "Okay", or "Hard") of minefields, or to
create a custom mine field of any size and complexity desired. Clicking on
INFO gives you a fairware notice and address. If you click on HELP (available
any time in the game) complete instructions are displayed. SCORES gives you
the highest scores yet obtained (minimum elapsed time till all mines uncovered)
in each of the three predefined levels of play. High scores with player names
are saved to disk.
Several of my colleagues at the university play the Windows version of MINE
SWEEPER. I have shown two of these people my 99/4A version, (when the dean
wasn't around) and they think it is as good as the Windows version.
MINESWEEPER is fairware, will fit on a SSSD disk, and boots from any EA5 loader
such as Funnelweb. It is available on TI related BBS systems, from user group
libraries, or directly from the author. No specific donation is specified but
you should probably send at least $5, particularly if you want the author to
send you the game on his disk using his disk mailer and postage. If you send
$10 and request it, the author will send you the source code along with the
game. David Orman, 212 S. Nema Pl., Tuscon AZ 85711 (home of the Southwest
99er User Group).
---------------------
THE SPIDER'S GUIDE TO FUNNELWEB CONFIGURATION
Configuring Funnelweb with its CONFIGURE utility confuses many potential
Funnelweb users. There are many menus, sub menus, and hardware specifications
that Funnelweb needs to know about. Funnelweb is designed to operate in all
known TI99/4A and Geneve environments, and since there are lots of possible
environments (from one SSSD drive on up to more complex stuff) the
configuration process is a bit complex. SPIDER'S GUIDE is a little 24 page
book that walks you through the entire process step by step.
SPIDER'S GUIDE is full of screen pictures. These reproductions of Funnelweb
screens are what make the book such a supurb tutorial. Most users should be
able to follow the book with no trouble as they sit at their computers with one
of Funnelweb's introductory menus on screen in front of them. A small sample
quote from page one shows you how the book works: "Select CONFIGURE from the
menu of FUNNELWEB, or enter CF from any option 5 loader and it will load. You
should have a screen that looks like this: [book shows picture of intro
configure screen] At this point, just press any key. This should be on screen
now. [book shows picture of second confugure screen]".
I highly recommend this book to anyone who becomes confused when trying to
configure Funnelweb. It is better than any of the video tapes (including mine)
and newsletter articles (including mine) previously published on this subject.
The only subject not covered is customizing Funnelweb's v5 text/program editor,
which is configured separately from the rest of Funnelweb.
Here is an interesting bit of trivia, in case you don't know. Why is the book
called The "SPIDER'S GUIDE" to Funnelweb Configuration? Funnelweb (the
software) is named for a spider that lives at Funnelweb Farm, the Australian
home of Funnelweb's authors Tony and Will McGovern. Funnelweb spiders live in
the ground and build funnel shaped webs over the entrance to their holes.
They are probably the world's most poisonous spider, with a bite that can kill
small mammals and occasionally even humans. The McGovern's have to be careful
when they walk out to their roadside mail box.
THE SPIDER'S GUIDE TO FUNNELWEB CONFIGURATION book is available directly from
the author for $3.50 + .50 postage. Send your money to Larry Tippett, 5826
Buffalo St. Sanborn NY 14132.
---------------------------------
I have pretty much reviewed my supply of 99/4A products I have at my computer
shack that were not previously reviewed in Micropendium. Please send me some
more items for Micro Reviews. Products that are never submitted are never
reviewed. Send your goods to Charles Good, P.O. Box 647, Venedocia OH 45894.
If you want to chat feel free to phone me evenings at 419-667-3131