PsL Monthly 1994 July/PSL Monthly Shareware CD-ROM (Public Software Library) (July 1994).iso/pastnews/news9402.vws

Text File | 1994-01-10 | 15KB | 358 lines

=====News & Views <psl_logo.pcx>

Contents:

-----February Means Business
-----No Accounting for Success
-----Monthly CD Category Schedule
-----Introducing PsL Online
-----Bad Slot Problems?
-----Letters
-----Not A Trojan
-----Do You Need a Gigabyte Drive?
-----December PsL CD Sold Out
-----[FILE NAMES]
-----Program Reviews

============================

-----February Means Business

Each month, in addition to the 700 or so new programs received during the
month, we add a category of our extensive disk-based pd/shareware library.

The February 1994 CD features Business related programs, including
accounting and finance, communications and networking, database,
spreadsheet, mailing list managers, contact management, general and
vertical business applications, engineering, statistics and
church/religion.


-----No Accounting for Success

During the last month, we had an opportunity to talk with Jerry Medlin,
author of one of the first accounting programs for MS-DOS machines, PC-GL,
and its companion programs for accounts receivable, payroll, and accounts
payable.

Jerry has seen many large retail accounting packages come and some of them
go belly up, but PC-GL continues to be a shareware winner. Back in the
early 80's when other programs suffered from awkward user interfaces,
Medlin's PC-GL was a model of user-friendliness. Good, easy-to-use software
never goes out of style.

For Windows, Money Smith and WinCheck are two examples of the high quality
accounting software available.

---Pop Goes the Zip Code

One of the most unique programs in the Mailing List section is not a
mailing list program, but Zipkey, a pop-up zip code look-up program. It is
a TSR that can be used with any software, such as a general database
program, a mailing list program or an order-entry program.

Zipkey can be configured so that when you enter a zip code, it
automatically inserts the city, state and/or area code. This speeds up data
entry and eliminates typographical errors. It can also be called up with a
hot key to search for city, state, zip or area code.

We have used it at PsL with our order-entry software for years, and new
callers never cease to be impressed that after we ask for their zip code,
we can tell them the city they are in, although our main concern is the
speed and accuracy it provides.

---Dial Up PsL

If you would like to call up PsL Online to download or upload files, to
exchange messages, or to access Internet, you must start with a
communications program.

There are many excellent comm programs, such as Telix and Boyan, or if you
want to join Compuserve, you will want Autosig or Tapcis. If you get hooked
on BBS-ing, you may want to try setting up your own. Check the BBS section
for software which will let you easily set up a BBS for your family,
business, or for the public to use.

---Lest We Forget...

A month does not go by without a half-dozen programmers writing more
appointment reminder and calendar programs, yet some of the oldest programs
are still among the best.

Nobody has really improved over MJOG for a program to put in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file to remind you of upcoming appointments/dates each time
you boot up.

We have always liked TimeSaver for a month-at-a-glance program, and Ticklex
is still one of the most powerful and flexible appointment scheduling and
calendar programs around.

Above and Beyond and Almanac for Windows are two outstanding appointment
programs for Windows users.

---Databases

Numerous programs have been written for keeping track of specific types of
information, from mailing lists to record collections, but if you can find
a specific program that does exactly what you want, you can easily create
your own with a general database program.

PC-File was one of the first programs to be marketed as shareware. The
current version is many times more powerful than that first version of more
than a dozen years ago, but it is still easy to use.

Another program we have always liked is Wyndfields which, unlike most
database programs, lets you see a screen full of records at one record per
line. Now there is a Wyndfields for Windows, too.

---Spreadsheets

A spreadsheet program is what started the personal computer revolution. It
is what businesses used to cost-justify bringing the old Apple computer
into the office.

As-Easy-As is another shareware program that goes back a long way and
continues to be enhanced regularly. For certain types of data - anything
that you might keep track of in the rows and columns of a paper spreadsheet
- an electronic spreadsheet is even faster and easier than a general
database program.

---Other Categories

Engineering, Statistics, and Church/Religion are included on this CD with
the Business programs mainly because they don't fit any better into any
other category.

And even the Church/Religion section has a number of business-type programs
for accounting, keeping track of members, and other church-management
programs. In addition, there are files such as the complete text of the
Bible which, because of its size, we have preinstalled (unarchived) on the
CD in the directory \BIZ\DOS\BIBLE.


-----Monthly CD Category Schedule

In addition to putting on CD all the new programs that we get each month,
we also put a different section of our disk-based library. Over a six-month
period, the entire PsL collection will appear on CD, at which time we will
start over with updated collections.

Following is the schedule for when categories will appear or have appeared
on CD. A few copies of past issues are still available. Categories include
both DOS and Windows. All OS/2 files are grouped with Utilities. See the
Contents page of this issue for a list of subcategories for each category.

December 1993 - Programming
January 1994 - Games
February 1994 - Business (Includes Church, Engr. & Stats)
March 1994 - Home (Includes Education, but not Games)
April 1994 - Utilities (Includes all OS/2 programs)
May 1994 - Words, Graphics, & Sounds
June 1994 - the cycle starts over

In June, we will have Programming again, but updated for the thousands of
programs received since the last Programming CD.


-----Introducing PsL Online

At the start of 1992, we asked readers what types of distribution they
would like to see PsL move into as floppy disk distribution becomes more
and more outmoded -- CD-ROM or BBS. We got a tremendous response detailing
the pro's and con's of each.

Little did we imagine that within a year, we would be offering both CD-ROMs
AND a BBS.

Being able to offer a PsL BBS was a fortuitous circumstance which we
eagerly seized. This is not a start-up BBS. The "new" PsL BBS is a mature,
well-run BBS which has been around for 8 years, ably sysop-ed by Baine
Brimberry and assistants, Russell Ault, Peter Kust, Milt Eberhardt and
Maryjane Choate.

Until recently, the BBS was one of two official BBSs of HAL-PC, Houston's
10000+ member PC users group. HAL-PC decided to drop one of the BBS
systems, which made it available to PsL.

Baine Brimberry and PsL owner Nelson Ford were founding members of HAL-PC
in 1982 and were the first members to get together to collect, test,
organize and distribute public domain and shareware software, meeting until
the wee hours of the morning to look at new software.

While Nelson's interests and efforts led him into diskette-based shareware
distribution, Baine's led him into sysop-ing.

---PsL Online's Features:

The PsL BBS will, of course, have all the software from the PsL Monthly CDs
on-line. By May 1994, this will include all the 10000+ programs in PsL's
catalog, as well as Quick Look programs not added to our permanent catalog.

It will also have the text of past PsL News magazines and the latest
Reviews files with complete write-ups of all the programs in the library.
New programs received during the month will be made available as soon as
they have been tested and reviewed, so you don't have to wait until the end
of the month for them.

Via the BBS, members will be able to correspond with PsL and other members
(while on-line or via email), place orders, register shareware, and
download software.

The BBS runs PC-Board version 15 and is tied into Fidonet, Internet
netmail, Internet news groups, and email to all the major networks
including Compuserve and Prodigy.

The cost to be a member of the PsL BBS is $30 for six months or $50 for one
year. (Programmers may log on free to upload their own programs.)


-----Bad Slot Problems?

One of our machines had a problem with video on boot-up. We tried moving
the video card to another slot and the problem went away.

Not too long after that, someone called about a problem with a Mitsumi
drive. After trying everything else, we suggested moving the adapter card
to another slot. He wrote us that moving the card solved the problem.

In the early days of the PC, a common fix for any kind of computer problem
was to press down on the memory chips (this was before SIMMs) and to
re-seat the interface cards.

Whether the slots were really bad in these latest two cases or just that
moving the cards solved some kind of poor-contact problem, this is a good
tip to keep in mind if you have PC problems.


-----Letters

---Likes the CD

Karen L. Raver, APO:

I had to stop in the middle of looking at my new December
CD to write! Every time I get a new CD from you, I find that you
have made changes, and each change only makes a great CD
even better!!

I read each PsL News from cover to cover before the CD
arrives and then I know exactly which programs I want to look at.
Unlike those who feel there is too much software to look at, I can
hardly wait to get started! I don't need or use even a fraction of
what is on the CD, but the few things I do keep and register are
things that really work for me and with your CD, I have a
CHOICE! Also, I have gone back as far as August's disk for
something I needed and your Reviews files show me where to find
it, so the CDs also make a great reference library.

I was also delighted to see that you are starting to add all of
the regular programs a section at a time. What a wonderful idea.
I have tried several of the other shareware CDs (before yours, of
course, now I don't even bother!) and the programs were often
ones that were not very good or were very old. I sure don't have
that problem with your CD.

The author of CDMaster warned me that programs on CDs
were often outdated even before the CD was released. I was
delighted to see the new CDMaster for Windows on your Decem-
ber CD. The author obviously recognizes the extreme superiority
of your CD!

Thanks for a great product and keep those CDs coming!


---Drivers on the CD

Roger Versteeg writes:

My congratulations once more on a job well done with your
monthly CDs. My only suggestion is that you include updated
device drivers. For example, I am hunting high and low for
updated ATI video drivers and for a more recent Hitachi CD-
ROM drive.

PsL Replies:
We would love to carry drivers if we could get them.
Whenever you talk to a manufacturer, tell them about the PsL
Monthly CD and that they should send us their new drivers for
distribution. If we get them, we will include them.


-----Not A Trojan

Last month we printed a virus warning from Wolfgang Stiller.
Unfortunately, it started by calling the virus a Trojan Horse. This
came about due to a miscommunication. Stiller did NOT refer to
the virus as a Trojan Horse in his own words provided to PsL.


-----Do You Need a Gigabyte Drive?

In 1982, a 10-meg hard drive cost over $4,000.

In 1986, a 120-meg hard drive cost over $3,000.

In 1994, you can get a 1-gig hard drive for under $1000.

Yet we continue to hear people talk about getting systems with 350-meg (or
smaller!) hard drives. If you are in the market for a new computer and need
to decide on the size of a hard drive, or if you are just considering
getting a new hard drive, here are some thoughts:

If the system is for general home and family use, multimedia is an absolute
must, but multimedia is a real disk space hog. A single WAV file or
animation file can take several megabytes. Today's games commonly take
10-20 megabytes and more. Tomorrow's games, with more live motion video,
and new developments such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence,
voice recognition, and computer voice response will eat up scads of disk
space. We recommend 1-gig (or larger) hard drives.


-----December PsL CD Sold Out

We wanted to have a supply of past issues of the PsL Monthly CD, starting
with December, so that in the future, people could get the entire PsL
collection of software by getting the last six months' CDs, each of which
would have 1/6th of the library on it.

However, we underestimated the demand for the first issue in the series and
it has sold out. We still have a small number of September, October and
November left.


-----[FILE NAMES]

File names are shown in brackets after program names for the benefit of
users of the PsL Monthly CD-ROM.

To install a program after reading about it in PsL News, insert the CD,
move over to the CD drive and type PSL_NEWS followed by the name of the
program file.

If there are multiple files for a program, just enter the first file name.
Do not enter a file extension. Example: to install MyProgram which has a
filename of [MYPROG], just enter PSL_NEWS MYPROG at the DOS prompt of your
CD drive.


-----Program Reviews

PsL has, by far, the largest shareware library of any disk-based
distributor. Because of the large volume of programs, full write-ups of
every program cannot be included in each PsL News.

Programs being updated in this issue are only given a one- or two-line
description. When viewing PsL News on the CD-ROM, press "W" for the
original write-up of an updated program.

For a complete listing of all the programs in PsL, with full descriptions,
system requirements, shareware fees, author's name, etc., look in the
\REVIEWS directory on each month's CD-ROM.

Text of past issues of PsL News are available on disk, as well as on the
PsL Monthly CD (beginning with August). To find programs written up as
Quick Looks and not added to PsL's catalog, search the past PsL News text
files.