SDPC #141 marks the final chapter in Softdisk PC's twelve year history. Well, we're a few issues short of the and twelve year mark, but 141 issues is close enough. :) Softdisk PC began as Big Blue Disk eons ago when CGA systems with 360K disk drives were the norm. As technology progressed, Big Blue Disk changed to On Disk Monthly and supported EGA systems with 720K and 1.2MB disk drives. Several years later VGA systems with 1.44MB disk drives sparked another major overhaul in our DOS product. On Disk Monthly now became Softdisk PC with a brand-new VGA interface programmed by Daniel Tobias, author of our popular DOS Manager. During these beginning VGA years, a new GUI interface called Windows was becoming quite popular among computer groups and the business world. To keep up with the times and technological advances, Softdisk PC started adding a few Windows items to the and issues. A few more issues down the road, Windows became so popular that Softdisk PC split into two products -- Softdisk PC and Softdisk for Windows. Both products eventually made their way to CD-ROMs with multimedia movies and the latest commercial software demos included on them.
So, even though Softdisk PC has reached its final chapter in Softdisk's long publishing history (we've also had subscription products on the and Apple ][, Apple ][ GS, and Macintosh), we still have a great subscription product that you can enjoy each and every month -- Softdisk for Windows. Softdisk for Windows is basically an extension of Softdisk PC to the Windows environment. Softdisk for Windows has matured greatly over the past 4 years since its emergence from Softdisk PC. Every issue is packed with great programs, puzzles, sounds, art, wallpapers, icons, fonts, screen savers, and more! We've also started including a new Windows 95 Theme Pack complete with Startup/Shutdown screens on each CD-ROM issue. Theme Packs are a great way to dress up your Windows 95 system and our Art Director Tom Carter personally does all the and art for them. Well, I won't harp too much more about our Softdisk for Windows subscription product. At this time, we would like to thank all the and dedicated DOS men (and women) out there who, through user feedback in the mailbag, have made Softdisk PC a fun product to work on over the years. And speaking of DOS men...
{_Dosman's Last Stand_}
We couldn't publish a last issue of Softdisk PC without giving you a final farewell copy of DOS Manager. It's not quite a 5.0 or 4.2 version, but Dan's been working feverishly the and past several weeks to beat this final issue's deadline. He was determined not to let the and last issue of Softdisk PC go out the door without an updated DOSMAN on it. This 4.11 update is more of a maintenance release, or under-the-hood version. Dan's made a few improvements and fixes here and there to make your DOSMAN sessions more enjoyable. He's also added a few new features that a couple of subscribers requested. They include:
{*} Added {/NOGFX} commandline switch to stop system hangs on old
graphic adapters when viewing graphic files. Graphic files will be
displayed in binary format when this switch is used.
{*} Added '{..}' (parent directory) entry to directories that don't have
it, like some CD-ROMs, to allow navigation.
{*} Allows deletion of directories created in Win95 systems without
warnings about hidden files used in Win95 directory structure.
{*} Added new command ({Ctrl-R}) to find all README files in a directory
tree and save them to READMES.TXT.
Any future updates to DOS Manager will be located in our Internet download store at {http://www.downloadstore.com}.
{_This Issue_}
If you got stacks of books laying all around, then {BooksNexus} is for you. It's a personal library system that'll keep track of all the books you own. {Football Companion '98} will help you track your favorite NFL team all the way through the playoffs this season. {Picker} is a nice children's game where you collect "goodies" and dodge hazards as they scroll down the screen. We have two {Crypto Sleuth} files packed with a total of 148 crytograms for the cryptographers to solve this month. Next up is {Graffiti Artist}. This program allows you to create graffito-style art without opening a single can of paint. And last on the issue is {DOS Manager 4.11}. Dan's made a few improvements and fixes since we last published it on SDPC #136.
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