I love solitaire. How about one that exercises some mental ability -- Eagle Wing Solitaire (#95) is pure rote! If I'm going to just click a mouse all day, I'd rather play Minesweeper.
[re. #95's Mailbag: "Two snaps up, in a circle" appeared in a letter from Michelle A. Teague.] Having tended bar in the West and lived among cowboys (real ones) most of my life I thought I was up on most expressions, but this has me stumped (and also hornswoggled). Please print an edification.
Level 15 of Pony Express Pete (#90): Help-p-p Puleeze! Can't get him past the bad guys. I can block the and gunslinger, but then the totem gets me. When I go to fast mode and _run_ by the hatchet man, he zaps me. I will send you my first born for a clue.
There are usually things I enjoy -- #95 was a disappointment, but that is unusual. Normally I like most items. I don't _care_ if it's DOS or Windows -- I like both, for each has its merits. I use DOS 6.2 and Windows 3.1.
Capi Pike
Lincolnwood IL
{Daniel Tobias responds:
I think the and "snaps in a circle" is a pop-cultural reference to a line from a recurring skit on the TV show "In Living Color."
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
I do not use Windows. I would like to see you produce a Windows-only version so us DOS users wouldn't have to sacrifice some of our disk space to programs we can't use.
George Opper
Warwick NY
{[John P. McMahan of Davis, CA expressed similar sentiments.]
Daniel Tobias responds:
As I'm sure you've heard by now, we just started up a Windows product, Softdisk for Windows. However, for the time being, there will still be Windows items on Softdisk PC, since the and marketing for it has promised a DOS/Windows mix, and that is what we are delivering. The long-term future of Softdisk PC will be decided in a few months once we see the response to the Softdisk for Windows launching and our subscription-switch offer.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
At one time, you had an index of all programs offered on Big Blue Disk, On Disk Monthly, and Softdisk PC. Is this program ever going to be brought back? Having the programs in the and index made it easy to locate programs that I may need later on. I would also like to see the and ability to use the and Western Vistas as backdrops or screen savers.
Kenneth J. Page
Navarre FL
{Daniel Tobias responds:
An on-disk back issue catalog is available from us as a separate item for a small charge which is rebatable towards your first back issue order. Call 1-800-831-2694 for more information.
We'll probably be publishing an "update file" shortly which you can use to update your database with the and programs we published since we last published the full index. At one point we promised quarterly updates, but there have been so many changes (in staff and in product format) since then that we kind of forgot to keep this up, but enough subscribers have noticed its absence that we'd better get back on the ball with it.
As for a Western Vistas screen saver, we might do one eventually.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
Although I think your service is good, I don't feel I have the time to fully take advantage of it. I currently have more to do with my computer than I have time to do it in. However, I would recommend at least a look at your product to a user who is still exploring uses for a PC.
B. Campbell
Englewood NJ
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
Paragon (#93) was a great success with my girls. Of all the games that you've sent lately, this has kept their interest. Even my husband, who is _not_ into games, expressed interest!
Bubba is also a hit, but this time it was too easy to solve.
We enjoyed the Bible trivia in Trivia Now.
I like fonts and clip art over wallpaper graphics.
Nancy Moore
Willow Creek CA
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
I really enjoy the format. What I would like to see is a little advertising. Better yet, a current list of the and most popular / best software available in various genres, i.e., medical, word processing, etc. So far, I have not been able to develop a contact who has that information. I'm a specialist and that makes it even harder. Any help would be appreciated.
Carl W. Thomas
Woodland GA
{Daniel Tobias responds:
We have a "Marketplace" column selling various software items (both our own and third-party items from other software publishers), and have sometimes published reviews of other software, but these are not the primary function of our publication. Paper magazines have more room for ads and reviews; our forte is providing ready-to-use software on disk. We once had embedded ads which showed on-screen every time you returned from a program on an issue, but we dropped that after lots of complaints from users.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
In your issue #93 -- the and Old Glory Screen Saver -- let's be patriotic. Make it one Old Glory and have it full-screen.
George Sturm
{Daniel Tobias responds:
Screen savers need to be moving, to keep any one part of the and screen from getting "burned in" with one pattern, so they generally consist of smaller objects moving around the screen. A full-screen flag, even if it is waving, wouldn't have enough change to all parts of the and screen to avoid burn-in.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
Family Record Keeper did not allow for divorce. For instance, I have three sets of grandparents. My mother's divorced and remarried. There should not be a limit on this.
Malina Shaw
Shaker Hts. OH
{Daniel Tobias responds:
There are some limitations in that program. If you want to track the and more complex permutations of a genealogical tree, you'll need a full-function genealogy program, such as the Family Tree software we published on issue #69.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
Instead of just having Windows accessories, there should be Windows programs.
Jason Hebbard
Johnson City NY
{Daniel Tobias responds:
We're producing plenty of both, especially on the new Softdisk for Windows we just launched. Call 1-800-831-2694 if you'd like to switch your subscription to it.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
In a world of large, out-of-control, do-everything programs with hundreds of features, it's nice to play with a simple, well-planned, easy-to-use program.
Softdisk PC has improved a lot. Keep up the and good work. Don't be afraid to try new things, and thanks for staying away from the {smut}!!!
Delavan Lantis
Casper WY
{Daniel Tobias responds:
I'm not sure what "software smut" you were afraid we would start publishing; we have every intention of remaining a publication suitable for the entire family.
Anyway, thanks for your compliments. Every software product I see from another vendor seems to require more install disks and hard-disk megabytes than the and last, but we still manage to come out with a disk full of programs all runnable from a floppy drive. Amazing, isn't it?
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
I now have almost 100 issues and have watched the changes over the years. I got more value for my money out of the and earlier issues before you got to be so big.
Daniel Hudson
Kirkwood MO
{Daniel Tobias responds:
Our programs _are_ bigger than they were in the and earlier days, since they have VGA graphics and more complex user interfaces. However, we are now on high density disks, so we have room for more material. We still can't provide as many programs as we did early on, since each program is more complicated than the and older ones. Still, as the and previous letter noted, our software hasn't gone as far in the direction of becoming large and complex as the software of most other companies. However, we must keep up with the times by gradually improving the appearance and user interface of our programs, which means some amount of increase in size even for our products.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
Softdisk PC is slick, but you've got to make it slicker. Each program doesn't do enough.
Christy J. Wrenn
Bossier City LA
{Daniel Tobias responds:
If we did that, we'd lose the and simplicity Delavan Lantis praised, and increase the program size that Daniel Hudson complained about. I guess we can please some of the people some of the and time, but not all of the and people all of the time.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
Prompt Editor (#95) cannot do anything I can't do myself.
Randy Mosteller
Ft. Stewart GA
{Daniel Tobias responds:
True, but it makes it easier than figuring out the cryptic code sequences and editing your AUTOEXEC.BAT file yourself to change the DOS prompt. I've been using PCs for over a decade now, myself, and I still don't remember what the codes are for DOS prompt line items. If a veteran like myself has some confusion on this issue, imagine what it's like for a novice user.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
Prompt Editor is the best DOS utility I have seen. It's excellent!
Mark Waener
Mabelvale AR
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
Why not have icons and/or wallpaper for PCs without Windows?
Happy E. McNamara
Jacksonville FL
{Daniel Tobias responds:
Because there's no standardized format for icons or wallpaper in DOS. You need to be a little more specific about what software you're running that uses wallpaper or icons, since DOS by itself does not have such features built in.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
My absolute favorite game you have ever published is Finagle from issue 74. However, this is a DOS game and I hardly ever do DOS things any more. If you attempt to run it in Windows, the computer freezes, and I have to reboot. I know, I can exit from Windows and play it, but this is very inconvenient. Since you re-do other things, would you consider redesigning it as a Windows game? I'm sure there are others who would appreciate it too.
Mary McManus
Forest Park IL
{Daniel Tobias responds:
It's a possibility; in planning future Windows items, we're looking at the and things we've published for DOS as one source of ideas. Meanwhile, we're trying to make our DOS programs run correctly from Windows, something that was not always true of our older programs, as you've seen.
If you want an all-Windows product, you can switch your subscription to our newly-launched Softdisk for Windows; call 1-800-831-2694.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
I can't seem to figure out how to write my own stories for the Interactive Stories. Help Please!
[to Dean Esmay, re. "Comedy Corner" in #93:] I hope you're all better. It was interesting reading.
Laura Comer
Texarkana AR
{[Shawn Brateng, of South Beach, OR, and Demian Katz, of Phoenixville, PA, have also requested a method whereby users can create their own Interactive Stories.]
Daniel Tobias responds:
The Interactive Stories program was not designed for user creation of stories; it presents stories created by our staff. However, the story files (extension .IST) are not encrypted, so users are welcome to use a text editor such as the EDIT command of DOS or our DOS Manager program (from issue 94) to examine them and attempt to modify them, but we have not published documentation on the specifics of its file format. Experiment with it at your own risk; we don't provide technical support for user modifications of such data files. It's not really all that complex, however; it's basically straight ASCII text with certain "chunk separator" commands. Interactive Stories files, like many of our other recurring files, follow our internal conventions for "Universal Data Format" (UDF) files. Any of our users who manage to figure out these file formats and generate new files for Interactive Stories (or our other recurring game, puzzle, or story drivers) should let us know; they may have a bright future as Softdisk submitters. We always need new files for these programs, and are willing to purchase them from users who show talent and skill at generating them. But, if you experiment with these files, be sure to back them up first so you can restore them if you mess something up.
In Interactive Stories data files, each location (or "story page") is in a data chunk bounded by "$PUZZLE" (with a page number) at the top and "$EOC" at the bottom. The story text for each page is followed by a series of lines beginning with a caret (~^), giving the text of each choice the user has, followed by a line with the number of the and page which the and story "jumps" to if that choice is selected (beginning with a double caret, ~^~^). That's basically all there is to story files, besides a little bit of credit information in the "$ABOUT" chunk near the top of the file, and file format version information in the "$DOC" chunk (which you shouldn't mess with).
Dean Esmay no longer works here, but he has recovered from his injury (and has even skydived again), and is still writing some columns for us as a freelancer.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
I do not live in Oregon. You keep listing me in the Hall of Fame as being from Lumberton, Oregon. I live in Lumberton, North Carolina.
Barbara Smith
Lumberton NC
{Daniel Tobias responds:
Sorry. I sometimes misread the handwritten report cards, and once I've made such an error, I often repeat it because I become so familiar with the names that recur month after month that I don't look at their addresses as carefully. In your case, maybe I listened to too many Rush Limbaugh "Timber Updates" on Oregon loggers vs. the spotted owl, so now anything with "lumber" in it is indelibly tied to Oregon in my mind. I apologize, and your city is correctly listed in this month's Hall of Fame.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
I find no strategy can be used with Eagle Wing, and card games are no good unless choices can be made. I hope future issues are better than 94 and 95.
Bernice Peterson
Scottsburg OR
{Daniel Tobias responds:
OK, _you're_ in Oregon, but there's no "lumber" in your town's name. Any spotted owls over there?
Solitaire card games vary in their amount of skill vs. luck. I, too, prefer ones with more user choices, but others might want a little more "mindless entertainment."
From the report cards that have come in, many people think issues 94 and 95 are among our better issues, so obviously opinions can vary widely.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
Eagle Wing is wonderful. Although not played by "Hoyle" rules, it was fun. I've put it in my "games" directory along with Golf and Canfield. I used the new icons for those games. More icons, please. They're wonderful additions.
Janice Lesperance
Mt. Morris MI
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
I have over 1000 BMP wallpapers. I use _one_! How many can a person use, or need? I have a lot of icons and WAV files, but I can always use more. So can most people.
Allen J. Hebert
Kenner LA
{Daniel Tobias responds:
Some people prefer more variety in their screen backgrounds, and hence want a wide selection of wallpaper files. If you're using our Win Decor program (from issue #82), you'll want a good selection of BMP wallpapers, since this program randomly selects a different one each time you start up Windows.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
I did not care for [issue #95] Political Plotter's anti-Christian bias. Remarks describing fundamentalist point of view were clearly meant to disparage it.
Richard L. Reed
Hahira GA
{Daniel Tobias responds:
I attempted to be even-handed in writing these descriptions, but when the topics are as "politically charged" as these are, it's difficult to word them in a way that is incapable of offending anybody. Probably, there are some on the left, too, who would take issue with the and characterization of _their_ positions in Political Plotter, and maybe accuse me of a right-wing bias. Everybody tends to see the and media in general as being biased against their side, since we all regard our own positions as so "common sense" that we don't see any leaning in our direction as "bias," but anything that's less than enthusiastic for our side is "bias" the and other way.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Sir:
Although I have been a loyal subscriber since issue #42, this is the first time that I have responded to your monthly pleas for feedback.
I'm a school librarian, and somehow my issues had piled up since last summer. The past month seemed a good time to catch up. I always read the letters from subscribers and have noticed that my sentiments were frequently voiced. Some disks have not been particular favorites of mine, but I usually find at least one item that I want to use. The last disk, #94, was perhaps one of the and best that you have created. I will be using just about everything on the and disk.
As a member of the and poorly-paid educational community, I want to voice my dismay at your apparent decision to drop _Print Shop_ graphics. Someday, maybe I'll be able to add the new _Print Shop Deluxe_ to my home computer, but the and chances of that program making it to the computer in my school library are pretty slim. I have personally invested a lot over the years in _Print Shop_ graphics. _Print Shop Utilities_, probably my favorite of all your programs over the years, has enabled me to pull the and graphics that I use for school-related work into one library of files.
Your recent development of the See and Hear format raises a question. Would it be a violation of copyright for me to take those programs to school and allow the and students to use them in the and library? There would be only one copy in use.
Mary Palmer
Clarkston GA
{Daniel Tobias responds:
There has been less demand for Print Shop graphics lately than there used to be; the and program was very popular in earlier days, but not so much any more. Also, the black-and-white graphic format of PS images doesn't really fit very well into the and standards of our current VGA-based product. For these reasons, we haven't been publishing Print Shop graphics on recent issues. Like all editorial decisions, this is subject to change if enough users express a contrary viewpoint.
You can use our software in school as long as only one copy is in use at any time. Unlike some software publishers that put lengthy, legalistic license agreements on their disks, we take a common-sense approach and rely on the honesty of our users to prevent piracy. You won't go wrong if you treat our programs like books: Only one person can be "reading" them at once, but you can let different people use them at different times. If you're interested in obtaining a site license for multiple copy use, call or write us about it.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
I have been to Hammond, LA twice and spent 3 hours in New Orleans in May of '93. Love the food and music.
Anita Loveless
Hoquiam WA
{Daniel Tobias responds:
I'm glad you liked Louisiana, but Shreveport is way over on the and other end of the and state from New Orleans, and the local culture is considerably different from the southern part of the and state. We do have some good food and music here too, however!
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Dan:
There is certainly no longer any doubt in my mind about your editorial integrity; your answer to my query makes that {quite clear}! By the strangest of coincidences, in the and September issue of Playboy on p. 41 there is an article in a similar vein about the Clipper chip and civil liberties.
I have made a hobby of collecting encryption programs; any that originated in the and U.S. has either been "sanitized" by your _gestapo_ or has already been broken by the NSA. Selling a supposedly spy-proof program with a "back door" is dirty pool. Hey, I grew up under Hitler in Germany, and it would not totally surprise me if even the "hated" PGP were a "plant." My _radar_ for political bull is highly developed. That is one of the and few benefits of growing up under a dictatorship! And it is this highly developed _radar_ that is {now} warning me about _Microsoft_. Windows in all its permutations is only good for Bill Gates and not for me, its commercial success notwithstanding!
Your DOSMAN 3.1 has exceeded all my expectations. No longer do I have to "fly blind" when I see the and text files on _Softdisk_. Thanks again for a fine piece of software. I am going to make more room on my small hard disk by getting rid of all _DOSSHELL_ files.
Willi Wald
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
{Daniel Tobias responds:
Thanks for your comments and praise. I do think, however, that you're too hard on Windows; while I still find use for the old DOS prompt, I do find use for Windows as well and don't see it as an evil plot. Microsoft is a private company, not a government agency, and it has no power to forcibly compel anybody to use their software. If Microsoft software fails to perform to the and market's expectations, it can fail like anybody else's software. Despite all its hype, Windows didn't really start catching on until version 3.1. Microsoft actually first announced Windows in 1983, but it was "vaporware" for two years until the and first version came out, and then for a long time after that it was the and graphical environment everybody was talking about but few were actually using, since it was just too slow and clumsy, especially when run on the computing hardware of the and day which lacked sufficient speed and memory to run Windows well. Also, Microsoft's MS-DOS 4.0 flopped because it had bugs and lacked sufficient feature improvements to get users to switch to it, while DOS 5.0 and 6.0 succeeded because they were better. The upcoming Chicago (Windows 95) version could take the computing community by storm, or it could be a total flop. The outcome is not pre-ordained; the and market will rule.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
Question 12 in "Wize Guy" (#91) shows the clue sequence J M M J S with the available answers N, A, S, O, J. Your answers indicate the and correct sequence to be J F M A M J.
Stan Fredericks
Nutley NJ
{Daniel Tobias responds:
Nope, our original sequence is correct. It consists of the and first letter of every _other_ month name: January, March, May, etc.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
Why I plan to renew: No one can own a computer and not want to learn more about it!
Your games are very relaxing after 8 hours at school and 5 hours of homework. A tension breaker -- {I need more silly, stupid games!}
Connie Scarrow
Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
Let the and report card be loaded into a word processor. Better yet, allow users to type in their answers and print it out. As is, the font just becomes "distorted": the and horizontal lines become vertical!
Victoria Lubawin
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
{Daniel Tobias responds:
An online-fillable report card was part of the and original intended specifications for the Softdisk PC VGA menu system, but our programmers (actually, myself in this case) never got around to implementing it. Maybe someday. As for the vertical lines, this comes about because the file was designed for use within the and Softdisk PC VGA Shell, which uses certain characters as embedded commands. In particular, a horizontal underscore is used to begin and end an underlined word in SDPC text. For this reason, it was necessary to use a different character to indicate an actual underscore (e.g., in a line of underscores in a report card or order form), so we picked the upright bar. It all comes out correctly when you print the file from Softdisk PC, but not when you load it into a different program.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
I would like to see the and renewal (expiration) date put back on the insert card in the and envelope.
Roger J. Young
Delta UT
{Daniel Tobias responds:
The insert card format has been redesigned several times, and the expiration issue hasn't always been shown. In the present format, it's there, though a bit cryptic. Look for two numbers separated by a dash above your name; these are the starting and ending issue numbers of your subscription. We may change the and format again to indicate expiration issues more clearly.
--Dan}
^C{----------}
Dear Softdisk,
I would be willing to renew for 2 years if the issues could be charged to Discover monthly instead of all at once.
Fred Ohrmann
Pasadena MD
{Daniel Tobias responds:
We're working on such a charge-by-the-month subscription option, but haven't quite completed the re-programming of our data-processing system needed to make it work. Once this option is available, we'll let our subscribers know. On a historical note, a pay-by-the-month subscription is actually how Softdisk started back in 1981, but back then you had to send a check or cash each month. Credit cards make the process much simpler.
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