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Monster Media 1996 #14
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Monster Media No. 14 (April 1996) (Monster Media, Inc.).ISO
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babyj23c.zip
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BABYJ.DOC
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1996-02-21
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Baby Banana is a "Do it Yourself" version of the award winning BananaCom
Custom. The idea is to have you do all the hard work and, thus, save
yourself a big-pile-o-money! $69 gets you a license for a bazillion
copies of BananaCom Custom that will dial only your system. $189 gets
you the same license for a version with "view JPEG as you donwload".
Inside this file:
1 What is BananaCom Custom?
2 The difference between the "Big Banana" and the "Baby Banana"
3 Let's try it!
4 Registration
5 Getting the most out of your Baby Banana
6 Distribution
7 Information on the JPEG version
8 Upgrades
Contacting Banana Programming
e-mail: banana@split.com
BBS: 406-543-8234 (The Montana Banana BBS)
voice: 406-543-1928 fax: 406-549-3522
web: http://www.split.com
mail: 1916 Brooks #205, Missoula, MT 59801
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ 1 What is BananaCom Custom? │
│ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Nothing brings new users to your service as effectively as handing out
client software. AOL does it. CompuServe does it. You can do it too! In
fact, you can beat the big boys at their own game! BananaCom Custom is
almost ten times more effective at bringing a new user on-line. Here's
what happens with those "other" programs:
40% of the folks with DOS don't have Windows! BananaCom works well under
DOS or Windows!
25% of Windows users will experience problems with COMM.DRV or an
unfriendly fax program locked onto the serial port. BananaCom bypasses
Windows to avoid these problems.
90% of the folks that are still with us will panic when confronted with
questions like "Port?"; "Brand?"; "Baud?" or "IRQ?" BananaCom's auto
modem port and speed scan will silently resolve these questions.
BananaCom Custom is a communications program with one phone number locked
in. Give your potential new users a disk with one file on it: INSTALL.EXE.
The user types A:INSTALL, the program copies itself to the hard disk, scans
for the modem port and speed, then begins dialing. If a user can run the
program on a computer with a working modem, they will be on-line in twenty
seconds! The user does not need to specify the port, speed, parity,
emulation, flow control or phone number. Everything is automated. Zero
intimidation!
BananaCom Custom is a proven tool for boosting usership. Most sysops
distribute thousands of copies to potential new users and experience a 90%
to 100% callback rate. Sysops using this method with other com software
reported to us that they experienced a 5% to 15% callback rate.
"BananaCom is widely considered the world's easiest-to-use terminal
program." ... "Sysops are wild about BananaCom as it spares them countless
calls from clueless novice users. We've tried it and highly recommend it."
--- Boardwatch Magazine, August, 1995
"What many sysops need to consider is the cost SAVINGS of BananaCom.
My daily support time for new users has dropped a MEASURED 40%. This
has freed me up to do many other things such as develop a few new
programs and begin development of a Web site. All the while usership
has increased... and not by a small margin. We've had an average 250%
increase in usership that I would attribute directly to distribution
of BananaCom."
--- Brian Talbert, Sysop, PharmNet
"There's simply no single decision I've made over the past twelve years
that's increased the number of callers to our BBS so drastically, PERIOD!
BananaCom is great!"
--- Rodney Aloia, Sysop
The INDEX System (404)924-8472
"Bananacom is responsible for $800-$1000 of new subscriptions each month."
--- Ben Cunningham, Sysop
The Nashville Exchange (615)383-0727
"BananaCom Custom is the winning sysop's secret weapon."
--- Phil Becker, President, eSoft, Inc.
"More than 500 new users have requested the disks in the past four weeks.
We estimate usage on our system is nearly three fold what it would be
without your dialing program."
--- Byron Lutz, Sysop
Travel Online (407)582-0425
"BananaCom Simplified my life. I recommend it to everyone."
--- Bob Mahoney, Sysop
EXEC-PC, the largest BBS in the world (414)789-4360
"I love BananaCom."
--- Alan Bechtold, Online Access Magazine
Editor and Publisher of Sysop News
"Even a 5-year-old can go modeming (and we do have them on Bloomunit BBS
for homeschool families!). BananaCom has my highest recommendation."
--- Linda Bloom, Sysop
Bloomunit BBS (407)687-8712
"BananaCom is one of the *best* things to hit the BBS industry."
--- Dennis Fowler, Computer Shopper Magazine
"Best of Show (overall)" & "Best DOS Product"
--- awards given for BananaCom Custom at Cyber.Xpo.95
"BananaCom is a great solution for a new user. It will configure
everything for you automatically. Highly recommended. Even a monkey
can use it."
--- Keith Tenen, Galacticomm, Inc.
An eSoft employee, Bob Hartman, gave us some really interesting statistics
on distributing BananaCom Custom:
1) Giving them away at a local PC user group. 194 out of 210 called.
2) Giving them away in a small computer store to anyone that purchased a
computer with a modem. 125 out of 128 called.
3) Giving them away to people at a computer fair. 562 out of 800 called.
You receive support in the same manner as you would with a site license:
You support your users and we support you. As you can see from using
BananaCom - support will probably not be an issue.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ 2 The difference between the "Big Banana" and the "Baby Banana" │
│ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Baby Banana has most of the features of the Basic BananaCom Custom with the
following differences:
- Baby Banana has a brief logout message mentioning the registered
version of BananaCom.
- The documentation is not modified nearly as much in the Baby Banana.
- The Baby Banana documentation cannot be modified by the sysop.
- Service information is stored in BB.TXT instead of compiled into the
.EXE file as it is with the "Big Banana". This also means that Baby
Banana must have at least two files (INSTALL.EXE and BB.TXT) where the
"Big Banana" required only one (INSTALL.EXE).
- Baby Banana cannot have custom programming or special features
compiled in like the "Big Banana" (see BCUSTOM.ZIP on The Montana
Banana BBS for more information on the Feature Fest Option; the
Professional Option; the JPEG/GIF Option; the Script Option; the
Windows Option and the Foreign Language option).
- Baby Banana has free upgrades. The "Big Banana" requires $50 to
recompile.
- Baby Banana costs just $69 (or $189 for Baby Banana with JPEG).
Prices for the "Big Banana" start at $275.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ 3 Let's try it! │
│ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Run INSTALL.EXE. As long as BB.TXT does not exist, the Sysop/ISP
installation will be activated. When you exit the program, copy
INSTALL.EXE and BB.TXT to a blank floppy. That's it! Take the disk to any
computer and type
A:INSTALL
There are two red "nag messages" at the beginning and end that will be
removed when you register.
(Note! If you have BB.EXE but don't have INSTALL.EXE, copy BB.EXE to
INSTALL.EXE - they are the same file with different names!)
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ 4 Registration │
│ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
To register Baby Banana, send a check ($69 without JPEG or $189 with JPEG) to
Banana Programming
1916 Brooks #205
Missoula, MT 59801
And provide us with:
A) System name
B) Your name (we support one person who supports all users)
C) Modem number (LOCKED IN!)
D) Voice number (LOCKED IN!)
E) Mailing address
We will call your voice number to tell you the registration codes.
To register with credit card, call us (voice) at 406-543-1928.
Important Notes:
- Registration of the Baby Banana gives you an unlimited distribution
license: You may sell or give away as many copies as you like.
- The registration codes are keyed to the voice and modem numbers.
Any changes after registration requires the purchase of another
Baby Banana.
- If you should later decide to upgrade to the full BananaCom Custom,
your $69 (or $189) will be credited to your purchase.
- Registration codes are different for BABYJ and BABYB. Make sure
you are registering the right BB.EXE (160k with JPEG and 120k without).
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ 5 Getting the most out of your Baby BananaCom Custom │
│ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Download BSYSOP.ZIP from The Montana Banana BBS (406)543-8234. This file
is packed with information on tweaking the software, special ANSI escape
sequences, marketing and distribution tips and some graphic images.
Here are a few quick tips:
A) Create a 15x80 ANSI screen and copy it to A:BB.ANS - this ANSI will
then be shown to your user while they wait for a connect.
B) If some of your users call long distance and some call locally, you
can create a text file with phone numbers on the left and
descriptions on the right and copy this file to A:BB.FON. This file
will be presented to your user as a menu during install.
C) You may include DOWNLOAD.TXT and UPLOAD.TXT files on the install disk
for default upload and download directories.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ 6 Distribution │
│ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
All distribution of Baby Banana, including CD-ROMs, individual disks,
shareware collections, BBS's, etc, is heartily encouraged as long as none
of the files are modified or removed from this collection. This collection
includes the following files:
INSTALL.EXE the Baby Banana program.
BABYB.DOC this file
FILE_ID.DIZ a brief description of Baby Banana
VENDINFO.DIZ a specially formatted description of Baby Banana
Once you register Baby Banana, you may distribute the unmodified
BB.EXE/INSTALL.EXE with any other files you find appropriate.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ 7 Information on the JPEG version │
│ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The regular Baby Banana can always be found on our BBS, web page and ftp
site as BABYB.ZIP. The version of the same program with "view JPEG as you
download" can be found in the same places as BABYJ.ZIP. All of the files
in each ZIP are the same, except for INSTALL.EXE. The regular Baby Banana
will be about 120k. The Baby Banana with JPEG will be about 160k.
The trickiest part of showing JPEG files as they are downloaded, is
properly detecting the video card of the user. A "VESA driver" is now the
standard means for DOS software to interact with the higher resolutions of
video cards. Unfortunately, not all video cards have VESA built in. (note
that a VESA video driver has nothing to do with a VESA local bus) BananaCom
has the means to test for VESA cards and several chip sets.
BananaCom has three internal video test collections that are not made
apparent to the user. They are:
1) Passive chip tests
2) Intrusive chip tests
3) VESA test
We have found that some of the tests in the intrusive chip tests will cause
some computers to behave irratically or even lock up. We have also found
that some computers that do not have VESA support will behave irratically
when we test for VESA.
When the user brings up the menu (Alt-M) and selects "More", they will see
an option called "Video Detect Method". There are five possible settings
for this:
none (the JPEG facilities will be turned off)
safe (passive testing only)
pretty safe (passive and VESA testing)
pretty thorough (passive and intrusive testing)
thorough (all tests)
Which level of testing is desired is stored in BB.TXT along with your
service information. Because of this, you can determine which default you
think is best for your users. We recommend "safe".
It is possible that you might have some users that have video cards that do
not support the VESA standard AND their chip set is something that
BananaCom cannot detect. In these cases, BananaCom will fall back to what
it can detect (probably VGA) and show as much of the image as possible. A
large image may show up as just the upper, left-hand corner of the image.
Check the "Video Drivers for DOS" file area on our BBS for UVBE*.ZIP. This
is a "universal VESA driver" that seems to work great for a lot of people.
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ 8 Upgrades │
│ │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
If you are upgrading, you should only need to copy over the INSTALL.EXE. If
you need to re-enter your registration codes from scratch, delete BB.TXT,
and run BB.EXE.
Note that Baby Banana registrations for version 2.3b and earlier required
the voice and modem phone numbers to be exactly eight characters (seven
digits and a hyphen). If you think that you may have registered your Baby
Banana this way, be sure to enter just the local, eight character phone
number for each of these fields. Otherwise, your registration codes might
not work!