Copyright: Courtesy of NOCCC
Citation: Courtesy of North Orange County Computer Club, California


Contents
Orange Bytes

Vol. 18	No. 5	May 1993

Contents

May 2nd  Programs	SIG Meeting Schedule
SIG Meeting Reports	Club Stuff
Columns	Tips & Techniques
Reviews	Orange Bytes Index
About Orange Bytes	Are You an NOCCC Member?
NOCCC BBS Spotlight	Hashinger Hall may be closed June & July


Meeting Reports
SIG Meeting Reports

Main Meeting
IBM General SIG	Artificial Intelligence SIG
CD Publishing SIG	Computer Aided Investing SIG
GeoWorks SIG	Home Computing SIG
Modem - Beginners SIG	OS/2 SIG
Shoptalk SIG


Columns

President's Column	Guest Column
For Your Information	The Review Editor's Corner
Virtual Reality	Computer Usage in News Broadcasting


Reviews

PhotoMagic For Windows

Windows 3.1 Insider

Adobe Type Set and ATM for Windows

F-PROT Anti-Virus Software

Cathy Daily Planner for DOS

Quattro Pro for Windows

Quotemaster Plus for Windows

MacGlobe from Broderbund Software

Typing Tutor 5 Plus

Word Wrapper

Pagemaker 4.0


Tips & Techniques

Installing MS DOS 6.0

Fun With OS/2

WP Temporary Macros

WordPerfect Tip - Tables

WordPerfect Tip - Compose


Membership Information

Are You An NOCCCC Member?

Application

Family Memberships


About Orange Bytes

Guidlines for Submittals

Staff


Club Stuff

Hashinger Hall may be closed June and July

Wear Your Badge	Early Notice of NOCCC Programs
Membership Information	Magazine Subscription Offer
Electronic Orange Bytes	HP Laser Cartridge Returns
Consignment Table	NOCCC Volunteer of the Month
Telephone HelpLine	NOCCC Officers
Board Minutes	SIG Leaders
Bulletin Boards	BBS Spotlight


Orange Bytes Index

Index

Club Stuff

Hashinger Hall may be closed June and July

Are You an NOCCC Member?

Program Schedule for May 2, 1993

Early Notice of NOCCC Programs

Special Interest Groups (SIG) Meeting Chart

Wear Your Badge

Magazine Subscription Offer

Electronic Orange Bytes

NOCCC Volunteer of the Month

NOCCC Bulletin Boards

NOCCC BBS Spotlight

NOCCC Membership Application

About NOCCC Family Membership

Guildlines for Submitals to Orange Bytes

Orange Bytes Staff

NOCCC Officers / Directors / Committees & Projects

SIG Leaders

NOCCC Board Minutes

by O. T. Stoll	NOCCC

HP Laser Cartridge Returns

Telephone HelpLine

Consignment Table

NOCCC SIG Reports

Main Meeting

IBM General SIG

Artificial Intelligence SIG

CD Publishing SIG

Computer Aided Investing SIG

GeoWorks SIG

Home Computing SIG

Modem - Beginners SIG

OS/2 SIG

Shoptalk SIG

Columns

President's Column

Guest Column

For Your Information

The Review Editor's Corner

Computers in News Broadcasting

Virtual Reality

Reviews

PhotoMagic For Windows

Windows 3.1 Insider

Adobe Type Set and ATM for Windows

F-PROT Anti-Virus Software

Cathy Daily Planner for DOS

Quattro Pro for Windows

Quotemaster Plus for Windows

MacGlobe from Broderbund Software

Typing Tutor 5 Plus

Word Wrapper

Pagemaker 4.0

Tips & Techniques

Installing MS DOS 6.0

Fun With OS/2

WP Temporary Macros

WordPerfect Tip - Tables

WordPerfect Tip - Compose


Main Meeting Report
Main Meeting Features Computer Assiciates

by David Fourer

This months meeting was presented by Brian Murry, systems engineer with Computer Associates. He emphasized the company's plans for the future, the variety of their products and their high standards. However, we did not hear the usual claims of breakthrough technology, or point-for-point comparisons with competing products.

Computer Associates began as a developer of software for mainframe computers in 1976. It is now one of the world's largest software makers. We heard about the company and had a glance at a few products which were requested by the audience.

The company started with products for mainframe IBM, VAX and other platforms. The company strategy now calls for developing deskstop computer software. They want to provide all the software needed by their customers under one roof. To do this, they have acquired several smaller companies that had successful desktop products. Some of the products now under the Computer Associates roof will be familiar to you. Others are new. They plan to eventually produce MS Windows, OS-2 and Macintosh versions of each product.

CA-Compete (for Windows) rivals the Lotus product Improv, which I wrote about at length in last month's Bytes. Their "next-generation" spreadsheet is described as a tool for data modeling and viewing. Actually, this is a scaled down version compared to Lotus Improv. There are no graphics for one thing. Compete requires only 2MB of RAM to run, as compared to 6MB for Improv. The SuperCalc spreadsheet also appears under the Computer Associates label. Version 5.5B is the latest out.

Clipper is a well know dBase clone originally developed by a company called Nantucket, now part of Computer Associates. CA-Clipper (for DOS) version 5.2 has just been released. Another product, CA-dBFast, converts Clipper (Xbase) programs to run under Windows.

CA-Realizer competes directly with Visual Basic from Microsoft. Computer Associates has a wide range of programming products, including a line of C++ products.

CA-Textor for Windows is a full-featured word processor with a special offer price of $99.00. It comes with spelling checker and thesaurus in American and British English and French. As described in their brochure, it offers WYSIWIG (What You See Is What You Get) editing, embedded graphics, an advanced table editor, calculations and document library management.

CA-SuperProject (Windows) can help you plan, schedule or manage resources. Managers with very big projects to manage may jusstify spending the $895.00 for this do-all planner. The CA-Realizer (see above) is built-in, as well as slick reporting and communication with database products.

CA-Cricket graphics programs (Windows/Mac) include titles like Draw, Paint, Image (for photo retouching) and Presents.

Some of the professional products are expensive. For example, a complete high-end accounting package costs several thousand dollars. On the other hand, CA-SuperCalc lists for $149.00 and CA-Simply Accounting for DOS or Mac is $199.00.

Computer Associates International, Inc. is located at One Computer Associates Plaza, Islandia, NY 11788-7000, telephone 800-225-5224

(Author's Note: Member's comments about our main meeting presentations could be considered for inclusion in this column if uploaded to my mail box on the Club BBS by mid-week after the meeting.)


IBM General SIG Report
IBM General SIG

by Cathy Grammer-Margolin	NOCCC

DOS 6 CAME AND WENT...

Many members and guests showed up for DOS 6 roll-out (too many in fact), but at least we got to see Bill Gates still as a bachelor (soon to be off the most eligible list, I hear - But what do you get them for a wedding present? A Waterford Crystal Computer filled with DOS Equis). Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Good news for all of you who bought DOS 6 that evening - go to CompUSA (Fountain Valley) service desk and get a $5 gift certificate (since the price went down after we bought it).

Another good ending - A new member that evening at DOS 6, Beverly Blakeley won a Microsoft package called EIS. It was something she couldn't use, so the Microsoft rep. told her to call him and he would exchange it. So she looked at CompUSA, discovered it was a $99 item, but couldn't find anything she wanted for that price. On Friday, she called on an 800 line, and told him the story, and he said "Whatever she wanted!". So she asked for Microsoft Excel (about $400). It arrived the next day (Saturday).

In Random Access, one gentleman asked about radiation affecting his kids from the PC. Various answers covered items like "same as the TV set," or "Have they started to glow in the dark yet?". General consensus was no more effect that other things in our lives (so far).

Chinon CD ROM's are still being discounted to members for $345 including tax for a fairly fast drive, plus an additional $75 for some extra software like Grolier's Encyclopedia ($450 retail), USA Atlas, etc. (Call Gerry Resch at 714-772-6667).

SOUND, SOUND AND MORE SOUND

Media Vision was the featured attraction with their sound boards, multimedia kits, fast VGA boards, and video capture boards. Chuck Buelow (no relation to Claus Von), Western Regional Sales Rep. and Paul Yunkin, Southern California Sales Rep. for Media Vision, showed us no mercy with the SOUND. Media Vision, founded in 1990, is expected to increase revenue about 20 times the 1991 sales in 1993 (about $200 million). One of those slow (?) growing companies.

Their hot card is the Pro Audio Spectrum 16-bit sound card which just won PC Magazine's EDITORS' CHOICE (April 27,93 issue). Sound Blaster, their better known competition, did not make this list. The card is both AD Lib and Sound Blaster compatible, a 16-bit card, MIDI interface, with SCSI 2 interface (shielded) and with a microphone interface. Veeeeerrrry nice!

Another hot product is a portable sound card (actually a module) for notebooks which plugs into the parallel port and runs on batteries. I don't think this would quite yet make a BOOM BOX to take to the beach (Sand and Diskettes don't mix well)...but the SOUND is great...

A great product is their Fusion CD 16 package which has all the making for a multimedia PC (except the PC). Pro Audio Spectrum 16 sound card, Sony CD-ROM (Kodak Photo Compatible), and Labtec speakers are included for about $500 list (internal CD).

They have video capture boards, voice recognition boards, etc. and many other products too numerous to mention here.

DISCOUNTS

First off, any questions on Media Vision products, call 800-845-5870. Download BBS is 510-770-0968 (2400), 510-770-0527 (9600).

Media Vision arranged Very good prices with a local dealer. MDS in Santa Fe Springs (310-926-0554) is offering the Pro Audio Spectrum 16 card for $160 (list $299) plus discounts on all their other products.

MAY MEETING BRINGS  - VOPT FOR DOS 6

Barry Emerson, the founder of Golden Bow is going to be our May IBM SIG Speaker. And he's bringing with him his latest version of Vcache 6.1 and Vopt. Vcache is a fast, fast, fast disk caching program and George and I have been using it through all iterations for years. It really speeds up our various hard disks. In addition Novell, the new owners of DR DOS have contracted with Golden Bow to provide their upcoming Novell DOS 7 with the fastest disk caching there is.

Barry is also bringing with him his latest version of Vopt that has been tweaked for Microsoft DOS 6. According to George and some others, the defragmentation program provided with the new DOS is v e r r r r r r y S l o o o o o w. We think the new Vopt is much faster.

And, Barry is going to give our members a very good price for either of these programs. We're hoping it will be about 50% off the list price of $60. Be there to find out if we made out.


Macintosh SIG

by Pat Gover	NOCCC


Modem - Beginners SIG Report
Beginning Modem SIG

by John Hlavac	NOCCC

The topic for the April Beginning Modem SIG meeting was using your modem for the very first time. The meeting was very well attended with a large number of people who had never used their modem before and a sprinkling of seasoned veterans. I use Procomm V2.4.3 to illustrate the procedure needed to configure software. Procomm is nice because it's old and has no automatic configuration. Because it has to be manually configured it makes a nice vehicle for learning modem use.

The topic for the May meeting will be a newer, more powerful program - Qmodem PRO. Mustang Software has agreed to come in from Fresno and demonstrate their baby. Because of the broader general interest that this program has for the average user, we'll be meeting in Hashinger Hall. The focus of this meeting will be on power, versatility and ease of use. Everyone, not just beginners, is encouraged to attend.


Geoworks SIG

by Dave Tennant

It came up only slightly at our last meeting, but I have a feeling it is on the minds of many of our Geoworks SIG members, and that is - to DOS 6 or not to DOS 6. There are so many enhancements to Microsoft's latest version of DOS that it is almost unthinkable not to upgrade, especially if you are one of those people who likes to stay current with all the latest.

How will it work with Geoworks though, is the key question. Well as in many things, it depends on who you listen to. An avid Geoworks user and good friend of mine loaded DOS 6 on his 386SX and had no problems running Geoworks (although he is having a difficult time with Quattro Pro and Harvard Graphics).

We did have a few members brave the new upgrade and share at our meeting that they were not able to get Geoworks working. So, I thought I would go to America Online to read the scuttlebutt, and the results are encouraging. Let me give you an example of some of the messages I pulled.

"Subj: DOS 6/Geos No Problem. Date: 93-04-08 13:32:18 EDT. From: LeeL211039: I'm running DOS 6 and Geos Pro 1.2 on my Laser 386SX with none of the problems described re: the SETVER to old DOS 5 to fool the system. I'm curious as to why I've been lucky in avoiding this problem.

Was running QEMM386 also, but found DOS MemMaker to tweak even more mem out of the system than QEMM. Have not tried the disk compression feature out of fear of a major mess-up to my disk, but will give it a try if more people and the GW reps seem to think it will be safe. Has anybody else been lucky in avoiding the VER problem?

And does anyone have a problem with the compressor feature?" The only problem I am able to report is that it works great - oh! that's not a problem. What is a problem is that if you have a stacked disk already, the conversion to DOS 6's Stacker is only 10-15MB an hour! So, if you have a stacked disk already, allot yourself plenty of time to make the conversion.

Here's another response...

"Subj: DOS 6.0. Date: 93-04-08 22:11:07 EDT. From: JohnW68394. I've been using DOS 6.0 /DoubleSpace for a week with Geos Pro with NO problems whatsoever. I did not have to mess with SETVER. I did not move any GEOS swap files. DOS 6.0 installed itself. My machine has never run better (386SX-16). I LOVE GEOS & DOS 6.0!!!"

There were several people though on AOL who were having difficulties and John, a Geoworks representative responded this way...

"Subj: MS DOS 6.0 and GEOS. Date: 93-04-04 01:00:13 EDT. From: GWRepJohn Good to see the that MS DOS 6.0 works with GEOS. As with all upgrades, this little tip can help with any potential problems.

Start by renaming your current AUTOEXEC.BAT to AUTOEXEC.500 and CONFIG.SYS to CONFIG.500 . You can use any extension you prefer. Now install DOS 6.0 . Save the new AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files with the extension .600 . If you run into any problems you can always restore one or the other system files. Copy them to a floppy for safety.

SETVER is a device driver that first appeared in MS DOS 5.0. Using SETVER allows programs that were written to run under earlier versions of DOS to run under the current DOS version. When the program is executed, the OS (Operating System) reports the MS DOS version that the program expects and it executes without problems.

Since running the command updates the 'version table' permanently, you should only type it only 'once' at the command line. The syntax for the command in CONFIG.SYS is: DEVICE=C:\DOS\SETVER.EXE. At the DOS prompt type: SETVER C:\GEOWORKS\KERNEL.EXE 5.0. Reboot your PC for the changes to CONFIG.SYS to take effect. Use the correct path/drive if yours is different.

KERNEL.EXE can be any executable filename and 5.0 is the older DOS version (3.3, 4.01 etc.). If you need to delete the entry in the 'version' table (such as when a GEOS driver for DOS 6.0 becomes available), type the following command once at the DOS prompt: SETVER C:\GEOWORKS\KERNEL.EXE /delete.

That's it. No problems here ... so far." Hacker 3000 had a good tip which is probably in the manuals - but hey, who reads those anyway!

"Subj: One small problem. Date: 93-04-10 11:26:43 EDT. From: Hacker3000 I only had one small problem with DOS 6.0. I was getting an out memory error when I would log on here at America Online! Obviously, this has been solved, I ran MemMaker, and it freed up some RAM. Of course, with DOS 6.0, several TSRs and Drivers were added to my configuration on top of the ones that were already there.

By the way, an earlier message mentioned running on a Laser 386SX. I am running the same system and used the compression software. I got a 1:1.8 increase in HD (Hard Drive) real estate giving me back over 20MB. After loading DOS 6.0, I was nearly under 1MB, so this was quite an improvement.

I have had not other problems, and with SmartDrive loaded, I have not experienced that much slowdown. The installation process automatically loaded the SETVER command so that was not a problem. Good Luck and Happy Hacking!"

I think from these early returns, the consensus is that Geoworks and DOS 6 are a match. As for the rest of the meeting, we did a "Show and Tell" session where members brought in samples of their wares produced on Geoworks. We had phone lists, PIMs, flyers, reports, presentations, overheads, lists, graphs, spreadsheets, clipart in drawings, and the usual letters and word processing.

One member even demonstrated a way to reverse overhead originals so that those made through a standard copier would not be disturbed by the use of an overhead pen. (The secret is that it puts a mirror image on the back of the overhead, and lets the presenter write on the front). For ease of use and an inexpensive GUI (Graphical User Interface), Geoworks is hard to beat.

Until next month ... Happy Computing!

March Geoworks SIG

by Dave Tennant

During our Random Access time, the perennial question came about the Geoworks upgrade. We came to the conclusion after talking around, that none of us really knows, but that we all really care. In that vein, I offer up the text of a letter posted on AOL a day or so before our meeting. Reading this gave me some hope that Geoworks is committed to staying competitive as a fully functional and integrated OS.

"An Open Letter From GeoWorks to Our Customers March 5, 1993 To: GeoWorks Customers and Those Interested in the Progress of GEOS From: The GeoWorks Crew Re: Where We Are Hi, everybody! We've been reading the recent postings in the GeoWorks Forum of America Online and we know that many of you are anxiously awaiting the next release of GEOS.

We also know that a number of you are feeling uninformed and ignored. We apologize to any of you who might feel that way, and we wanted to give you the update you deserve. Many of your specific questions may not be answered here, but please rest assured that we are really working hard to bring the high-quality products to market that you expect from us...

...We recognize that it is absolutely vital to the long-term success of the company that we keep our customers apprised of developments that affect them. Yet this flow of information has to be balanced against the strategic benefits of publicly disclosing information about future products or partnerships.

Fundamentally, we're trying our best to live up to Brian's mantra: Under promise and over deliver. We are making a very concerted effort to limit the amount of hype about future products because we believe this does nothing but create a set of expectations that may or may not be met.

In that same vein, we do not want to discuss specific product details in advance of an announcement because those details are considered competitive information that could possibly harm our position in the market and/or limit the potential success of future products by giving our competition advance warning. So please bear with our silence. We *really* are working hard. It's just that we would rather let our products speak the loudest for our company, not our marketers.

THE NEXT VERSION OF GEOS - GeoWorks is completing final testing on the next release of GEOS. As most of you are aware, GeoWorks policy is to not comment on unannounced products. The next release of our OS, while it has been given various names both within and outside of GeoWorks, has not been given a formal name, so you won't see one here.

We expect that the new release of GEOS will be accompanied by an upgrade to our installed base and other offerings a person would expect from a new version of OS software. The next version of GEOS will incorporate a number of new features, including an integrated spreadsheet and flat-file database.

Besides working on the core OS, GeoWorks engineers have also made a number of significant enhancements to GeoWrite and GeoDraw. We do not want to say more about the specific enhancements to the applications that might or might not be included in the new version of GEOS because we consider those details to be competitive information.

THE GEOWORKS PC-BASED SDK - Inextricably tied to the success of the next version of GEOS is the software development kit (SDK). The lack of an SDK represents the biggest gap in the GeoWorks product offering and has been the biggest factor in keeping GEOS from reaching a wider acceptance in the industry.

We made a strategic error when we based our first SDK on UNIX-based workstations. As a result of this, we realized that we needed to develop PC-based tools and make them available at the same time as the upcoming version of GEOS. In April, GeoWorks will hold the first of what will be monthly Developers Training Seminars. While we have a list of hundreds of developers who want to write for the GEOS platform, the first few seminars will be with smaller groups of developers so that we can deliver the high- quality support our ISVs will expect.

CONCLUSION: WE KNOW TALK IS CHEAP. . . That's why we've been fairly quiet recently. More than anything, we want to be able to deliver exactly what we promise. This is especially important because we are a small company trying to make a success of a new operating system in a very hostile marketplace.

Simultaneously, we are working with a number of large PC and consumer electronics companies to enable a whole new market that synthesizes PC technology with the dynamics of the consumer electronics marketplace. While this synthesis is creating a whole new class of devices, which we refer to as consumer computer devices (CCDs), it is in fact a fairly difficult process to enable a new market.

GeoWorks, however, is firmly committed to making GEOS the leading-edge operating system for the emerging consumer computing market, while maintaining a high level of support and the highest quality products possible for our existing base of desktop PC customers. Those are some pretty tall orders for a small company, but we wouldn't have taken the orders if we weren't absolutely convinced that we could deliver in full.

So while it may seem that we're being unresponsive to your requests for information about future products, it is neither arrogance nor apathy, but rather a desire to maintain a certain set of expectations and work our butts off meeting or exceeding those expectations that have driven us to maintain a certain silence. As we progress, we will certainly keep you, our existing customers, abreast of product developments.

Additionally, our registered customers will receive news and order forms for any planned product upgrades well in advance of any retail products GeoWorks ships. Again, thank you very much for your dedication to GeoWorks and our products! We're driving ourselves to make sure we deliver exactly what you're looking for in software. The GeoWorks Crew"


Shoptalk SIG Report
Shoptalk SIG

by Bert Langer

The Shoptalk SIG met as always on the Tuesday evening following the main monthly NOCCC meeting. Once again, John Henriksen, owner of Micro-Computer Logic, Inc. was our host.

This meeting was devoted to demonstrations of utility programs by several members of the group. Both DOS and WINDOWS utilities were presented. On the whole, the evening struck me as being somewhat desultory and lacking the animation and interaction which is more typical of this SIG.

As SIG leader, this caused me to do some serious analysis of why the evening was of such limited interest. My conclusion is that when a utility is flashed up on the screen and and the various features are enumerated it is quite meaningless and uninteresting to the audience. Program demonstrations should really entail APPLICATION of the program within the context of solving a significant problem. As an example, a little utility called SNIPPER lets you mark a block of text on the screen and then save it to a file or to the printer. When I use this tool as a pointer while demonstrating or teaching some other program (by setting the block origin on the area of the screen I wish to emphasize) somebody in the audience invariably asks "what program are you using to place that high-lighted block?" I usually take a minute then to demo SNIPPER, since it is a most useful little utility and the audience is most attentive.

By the same token, during the field trip to the BBS some months ago, a number of very powerful utilities were employed in the process of explaining what was involved in maintaining the bulletin board. A good deal of time that evening was spent explaining these utilities, because the audience had seen the contribution they could make to easing the sysop's workload.

As further evidence of the lack of interest in the type of presentation we had at the Shoptalk SIG, a proposal to have another evening of utility demonstrations emphasizing WINDOWS utilities died for lack of interest. Instead, it was decided that at the May meeting, the Shoptalk SIG would talk shop; there will be no formal program or suggested subject. We will simply be a congenial group of enthusiastic hobbyists enjoying an evening sharing experiences and helping each other: "Friends helping friends." I hope you will find time to join us.

The MAY meeting will be held at 7:30 P.M. on MAY 4, 1993 at Micro-Computer Logic, 1815 E. Wilshire, Santa Ana. Their phone number is (714) 565-0181.


CD Publishing SIG

by Don Davis	NOCCC

Thirty people arrived for the SIG after the adjournment of the Main Meeting at 1:00 p.m., including special guest Vance Jochim.

We showed more demos and answered many questions on directions and events in CD land. One attendee, Bob, won the CD encyclopedia "Encarta", in the drawing and came to see what all the hype was about. He'll bring it in for the May meeting and we'll give a demo. Bruce will bring some game CDs. See you for another big show.

CD-ROM Professional Magazine has a newer bi-monthly newsletter to subscribers of the bi-monthly publication. CD-ROM also announced retail sales of its magazine at computer outlets and book stores such as B. Dalton, CompUSA, Software Etc., as examples. The second newsletter issue (April 1993) covers over 80 new events, including two new companies being formed by two west coast ex-Sony executives. Sony talent is feeding the industry.

Nimbus, a CD Service Bureau owned by Maxwell located in Virginia, is opening a LA Sales Office this May. Nimbus is a pioneer in CD. The CD explosive growth continues!

Compton New Media goes into retail stores with CDs. This is the first to do a video store style rental with CDs! Why not? Need to rent a PC with a CD reader at the same time?


Home Computing SIG Report
Home Computing SIG

by Dain Leese

We started the main portion of the SIG meeting with a demo of the Logitech Scanman 32 hand scanner, using FotoTouch Scanning Software for Windows. The Scanner scans from 100 to 400 DPI(Dots Per Inch) and FotoTouch will auto set most of your settings for you. If you wish to scan a full page, just make your scans and FotoTouch will "stitch" your scans together.

The next demo and what used up the rest of the meeting was the new DOS 6 upgrade from Microsoft. The new DOS includes DoubleSpace to double your Hard Drive Space, Microsoft Anti-Virus to check for Computer Viruses, MemMaker to help you gain more main memory for 386's and above, and Defrag for Defragmenting files on your hard drive.

Both Undelete and Backup now work in Windows and both are improved from DOS 5. Other new features include pressing F5 for a clean boot, Menu commands for CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT and Interlnk program for connecting two computers together. All programs to date seem to run fine.

Please keep in mind that the SIG has two parts. From 10 a.m. till 10:45 a.m., we copy SIG disks for MEMBERS ONLY and help people with any problems they may have. Starting at 11:15 a.m., we start the main Home Computing SIG with Demos of Software and Equipment. At 12:30 p.m. we let people know about any deals out there. Need Help? Help Us? Come to the meeting at 10 a.m.

At Our next meeting, we will discuss home accounting program Microsoft Money, A & L Picture Wizard and add-on's, Questions and Answers, more stupid DOS and Windows tricks, plus other new Software!

Come join us at the next meeting!


CAI SIG

by John Willner	NOCCC

BULLS AND BEARS

Who said most of the action is at the beginning of the month - Fosback I think? He was correct this time. The March 5th Dow Jones Industrial average closed at 3404.58. The April 2nd average closed at 3370.81, dropping to the negative side in a single day.

So the twelve who voted up a month ago were close, the thirteen who voted down were closer and the one who voted neutral missed by 29.77 points. Next month we have eight forecasting up, nine forecasting down and a lot of members who didn't vote.

MEETING ROOM

Science room 127 is where we held our April meeting. The idea is to fill every seat as we normally do and crowd into the hall with doors open so that those with authority to assign meeting rooms can't help but notice.

FEATURE SPEAKER

The Stan's were on stage. First, Stan Gilbert got Stan Harley to speak on short notice and gave a praiseworthy introduction. The presentation held so much interest that Random Access fell by the wayside.

The main subjects were "Forecasting the Stock Market" and "Advanced Techniques for Market Timing," although differences between fundamental and technical approaches were explained, and some information was given on how to choose an investment adviser/money manager.

Stanley C. Harley, a Registered Financial Adviser and director of Harley Capital Management, stated that he was about 99% chartist-technician. His principal tool is the Lotus Spreadsheet, although he also uses the Cycles Research Foundation cycles extraction program.

The main data entered versus time is advances versus declines and up volume versus down volume, because confirming price and volume relationships are especially useful. From that, data charts are drawn, cycles denoted, oscillators developed and timing bands added. Such indicators as Stochastics and MACD are applied. To this mix Fibonacci numbers (by way of Gant), planetary aspects and experience are combined to produce a running financial calendar that predicts the future movements of the market.

Stan pointed out that most stocks changed prices in four stages. By averaging an index that represents many different charts, a 20.35 week (average) low-to-low cycle was recently derived. Simply by looking at the last low in the S & P 500 chart and adding 20.35 weeks, the next low should occur about July 10, 1993. Sometimes there are less prominent mid-cycle lows and they may have right-handed or left-handed translations. Often these are predictable as well.

The first example of spreadsheet analysis was for the S & P 500 Cash Index Primary Cycles. Column headings were for date (two formats), price low, weeks low-to-low, population mean, population variance, population standard deviation, statistical variance, statistical standard deviation, next projection cycle low date, delta weeks and three term moving average of the delta weeks.

The population columns refer to low-to-low accumulative averages. This is where the latest 20.35 week figure was derived as of February 18, 1993. A chart of prices for a portion of the period covered was shown with short and long term moving averages, price bands and other indicators. The low- to-low points were clearly shown. Generally, the short and long term moving averages crossed over at these lows.

Another spreadsheet was presented for NYSE Composite Advance/Decline Data. Column headings were for date, advances, declines, advance volume, decline volume, A/D net, A/D line, 10-day moving average, 30-day moving average, 10-day moving average of an oscillator, 30-day moving average of this oscillator, OB/OS ratio, the 10% component of the McClellan Oscillator, the 5% component, the McClellan Oscillator itself, the Summation Index, TRIN, and the 10-day, 21-day and 55-day moving averages of the TRIN.

This is a lot of data and a lot of computations on one spreadsheet. Plots of the 10-day and 30-day moving averages of the Advance/Decline Oscillator for NYSE price and volume were provided, and again the crossover dates were shown to be meaningful.

Stan then digressed to the Fibonacci Sequence in spreadsheet format. He showed charts of gold prices with technical indicators included, because he has a liking for the precious metals. Also, a chart for the S & P 500 prices with Stochastics and MACD plots were given. Generally, Stochastics are better for predicting lows (not highs), and MACD can be good for showing both lows and highs when significant oscillations are present.

Finally, he presented his "Putting it all together" spreadsheet that combined a variety of indicators in chronological order by days. Time almost ran out before the commercials at the end.

This was an excellent demonstration of the power of a spread sheet program with graphing capabilities for financial analysis, and there were lots of questions.


Windows SIG

by Steve Carmeli	NOCCC


IBM Beginners/DOS SIG


Wordprocessing/DTP SIG

by Alan Jarrett


Visual Programming SIG


Artificial Intelligence SIG

by Ron Osborn	NOCCC

This month we had a number of new members so we discussed artificial intelligence. Starting with expert systems, we also talked about neural networks and fuzzy logic. As usual there were questions on how to apply this technology to stock market and other areas.

I also talked about my applications of neural networks to problems in semiconductor development and to vehicle guidance. Some of the applications discussed were of fuzzy logic. Fuzzy logic is used in some applications for stabilized video cameras.

The application of fuzzy logic to washing machines and air conditioners is almost unknown here in the United States. Used elsewhere, however, the washing machine adds a small amount of water to the clothes, analyzes the water to determine how dirty it is and then adds the right amount of soap. Then it wash the clothes for the "right" amount of time to save 20 to 35% in electricity.

The fuzzy air conditioner also saves up to 35% in power by sensing where the people are and directing the air at them. These items are available in Japan. Who here in the US would buy a fuzzy washing machine, though?

As always, I hope to see you at our AI SIG Meeting at 11:15 a.m. in room 202 or call me if you need any help at 714-991-5887. Until then...


OS/2 SIG

by Rollin White

OS/2 2.0 IS ONE YEAR OLD!

We started our April meeting off with a celebration of OS/2 2.0's one year birthday. IBM was kind enough to send us a birthday cake, balloons and gifts for our raffle. After the brief festivities we jumped right into OS/2.

Due to late scheduling, Sundial Systems was not able to attend our April meeting but will be at our May meeting to demonstrate their powerful P.I.M. Relish 32-bit. The room was packed with as many as 33 people at one time all eager to learn about OS/2. In lieu of a presenter, we dedicated the meeting to the basics of OS/2, the Work Place Shell(WPS) and general Q & A.

Questions covered a wide variety of topics. Much of the time was spent discussing CD-ROM drives and compatibility issues. In brief, IBM is making every effort to support most SCSI based drives. Others, such as the Mitsumi will require drivers from the manufacture. It was noted that if IBM were to produce drivers for the Mitsumi drives, they would open up huge markets.

Another topic of interest was remote communications with OS/2. Hyper Access/5, OS2YOU, and PM2YOU were all avenues worth investigation. A special thanks to Steve Shiffman for helping with setting up and obtaining a last minute critical piece of equipment.

Next month will feature Randell Flint from Sundial Systems to Demonstrate Relish 32.

Note: See column Fun with OS/2.


President's Column
At the MICROSOFT DOS 6 ROLLOUT, 120 new members signed up and around $1100 was raised for our Chapman Computer Science Scholarship!

Thank you for asking, but no - there were no empty seats at the Red Lion Inn for the Microsoft DOS 6 Rollout last month. There were also no places left to stand in the overcrowded Ballroom. And the 1000 Tee Shirts disappeared so fast that hundreds of NOCCC and OCIPUG members who attended this far-too-successful affair left empty handed. In fact, about a thousand of us never made it into the ballroom.

For the about 650 who did see the show, Bill Gates and his associates touted the many wonders they felt DOS 6 offered. And while many of these wonders may be wonderful there are lots of juries out that haven't returned with their verdicts. But more about that later.

Between the hard work of Terry Currier, a long time NOCCC member who is also a conscientious and competent board member of OCIPUG - and our own hard working board of directors we were able to get tons of publicity about Bill Gate's (the DOS Capitalist) rollout. We got a number of plugs and stories in the Orange County Register that brought many calls to the hotel before the event. And with our own O.T. Stoll and John Krill and Phil Barr and Jim Cady and others that I may have missed seeing passing out about a thousand promotional flyers at the ACP Swapmeet - lots of people learned about the event and came to see it.

The question that I was able to ask Bill Gates got lost in the translation and the fact that the people at the Red Lion couldn't hear it. The sound was turned down while I was asking it, so as to avoid feedback. And while Bill smiled at my question and said "Oh, you mean when are we going to make Windows faster?" That was "not quite" the question that I had asked. "When," said I, "is Windows going to stop making a fast 486 or even a faster Pentium, into a slow 8088 or a 'Tedium?'" His answer said something about local bus machines will certainly increase the speed of the graphics. But I didn't hear an answer about the software getting faster. (Here I must credit Richard Katz, a very funny man, for having come up with the "fast 486 into a slow 8088" part of the question. The "Tedium"  - was my contribution - and yes, you may interpret that statement more than one way.

MEMBERSHIP 1024

Computerland's magic number - 1024 - one Kbyte - just arrived in NOCCC-Land. We have just reached a milestone (or a K Stone) in recent club history. Thanks to everyone who struggled so hard at the Microsoft Bash. Among them Alan Pearlman - and the rest, who manned the tables and never did get in to see Bill Gates and the Delightful DOS Demo.

GRRRRRRRREAT WRITEUP ON NOCCC BBS IN MARCH MICROTIMES

"NOCCC-BBS Strengthens User Group" is the title of the Column called BBS SPOTLIGHT by John Wolcott. And the story was even better than the marvelous title. It is such a positive article that I called the Magazine to get the author's phone number. I got it, spoke to John, had lunch with him at one of my favorite "All you can scarf" Chinese buffets - and - got permission to reprint his article in this issue of Orange Bytes and use it as a promotional piece for the club.

You will be able to enjoy this terrific article about the great BBS that Bert Langer (yes, his name is in it) runs. I have been told that some of the new members joined just because of the bountiful BBS that we have.

THREE TIME RAFFLE WINNER TELLS ALL

Jack Seyler has won major prizes in the last three raffles. The first was am over $600 Iomega Tape Backup system. Then the second from the top prize in the next month's raffle. And this month he was one of the prize winners in the Computer Associates raffle. This last one is a choice of any of their products. So the dollar total of his three prizes is probably over $1500. "How does he do it?" you ask. I asked him the same thing. He said "Simple - I just bought $20 worth of tickets at each of the raffles." Not bad, I thought, $1,500 worth of prizes for 60 bucks. Then I realized that maybe there was also a little bit of luck in his winning three consecutive prizes. As an example - this last raffle brought in about $475 dollars. Jack's $20 was only about 1/24th of the tickets sold, so he had only one chance in 24 to win. That's a teeny bit better than the California Lotto's 12 million to one, isn't it? But luck played a major role in this Marine named Seyler's success.

Oh - of course there were a number of prizes in each of the raffles, so that may skew the odds somewhat. Are there any mathematical types in the readership that can give us the real odds on Jack's chances of winning so consistently? Please write it up so we can publish it. Maybe your answers will be picked up by the Las Vegas Computer Club's Newsletter. Fame, at last.

Thanks to all of our many volunteers who made the Microsoft Bash such a bountiful bonanza.


Guest Column
Guest Column - Personal Computing and Humanity

by J. Paul Grayson - Chairman and CEO, Micrografx, Inc.

Copyright (C) 1993, APCUG, All Rights Reserved. Permission granted for reproduction in official publications of member organizations of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups.

It is time for a new vision for the personal computer industry - a vision of computers and humanity, a vision of how computing can advance civilization and increase the potential of every human alive. Literally, personal computing for everyone.

The role of computing in society has expanded so fast you almost want to stop and catch your breath. In less than 50 years, computing has spread from a few thousand mainframes to over 140 million personal computers.

What has been accomplished is staggering. Yet when we think about the potential value of computing to mankind, we can see that we have only just begun.

Today, there are over six billion human beings alive on the face of the earth. Ten years ago, we couldn't conceive of a computer selling in millions of units. Today, we can imagine a market that will be measured in BILLIONS of units.

Computers are the most important tool ever created by mankind. Computing contains the potential to accelerate human innovation, creativity, communication and learning as profoundly as any of mankind's greatest achievements (such as the discovery of fire, speech, agriculture, the wheel, writing, and printing.) Of all of mankind's greatest creations, only the computer is a general purpose tool, a tool which can be transformed through SOFTWARE to create innumerable new tools.

Throughout history, mankind's progress has been measured by the success of individuals. The progress of all humanity is based on the cumulative effect of thousands and thousands of individual advances.

Between ten and thirty thousand years ago, mankind hunted, gathered and had mastered only the tools of speech, fire, and stone tool making. Between five and ten thousand years ago, mankind moved into a more stable culture based on agriculture, cities, the wheel, and writing. Just a few hundred years ago, the Dark Ages existed throughout Europe and printing was about to be invented.

Our progress in the last five hundred years has been astounding. This progress has been built on the minds and muscles of successful men and women. Individual people, using the tools of their day (however limited they were by comparison to ours) who were able to learn, create, influence, and shape their world through knowledge, information and creativity.

Currently, computers in society are limited to the lucky few and it's hard to imagine a day when computing will be ubiquitous in Uganda. However, it is clear that technology - much of it enabled by computing - has led to rapid advances for humanity. Computers have become incredibly powerful agents for change, made even more incredible by the fact that a single individual using a PC can create a product, an idea, or a document which changes the world in ways that we can't imagine.

Imagine what great inventions, ideas, and knowledge await our discovery. Imagine how quickly our lives will CONTINUE to change as millions of individual humans gain access to the power of computing. The more people that have access to computers, the faster that things change. The faster that things change, the more people have access to computers. We are in an accelerating spiral. Each generation of technology is used in turn to create the next generation of technology.

It's a snowball effect and the implications are staggering! The bottom line is, we will actually be able to raise the quality of human life through technology.

At the same time, the price of computers continues to fall at an astronomical pace. In the foreseeable future, computers will be so inexpensive that they will literally become disposable. They will also become so tiny that they appear almost invisible to the naked eye, yet so sensitive that they will respond to commands from a voice.

In fact, as hard as it is to believe, we have barely reached the tip of the iceberg in the advent of computer technology. Someday, silicon will replace paper altogether and electronic interaction will replace written communication. All knowledge will arrive in the first person. And in the blink of an electronic eye.

These are truly exciting times in the world of personal computing. As the world continues to develop more powerful products, we feel an obligation to make sure these products are used to enhance the quality of human life.

We in the computer industry have gained so much from it. It is imperative that we give something back. Hopefully, as technology soars higher and higher, out ability to help others will rise with it. No one should think themselves too important or too insignificant to make a difference. Remember, a mighty oak is never felled by a single swing of an ax. Together, we all will make a difference.

J. Paul Grayson is Chairman and CEO of Micrografx, Inc. Founded in 1982, Micrografx has established itself as a leading innovator in graphical products for the Windows and OS/2 environments. Through the individual efforts of Paul Grayson and his brother, George, all segments of the personal computer industry have been brought together to support major fund raising efforts for the non-profit National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. To date, the annual Micrografx Chili Cookout at Comdex Fall has raised several millions of dollars in contributions and equipment for the Center to assist it in its efforts to locate missing and abused children.


FYI

PHOTOGRAPHIC ENHANCEMENT

To get an idea of where the exploding field of photographic enhancement is going, you need only to look at the advertisements that adorn the movie section of your Sunday newspaper. Observe the number of ads that use photographs. Compare the number that use illustrations only. By far, computer enhanced photographs predominate.

It's all come about during the last twelve years. Not only in Hollywood, but everywhere, advertising departments, marketing departments, and private media agencies have turned to digital programs of photograph enhancement with complementary drawing tools and text features.

Professionals nowadays use available software to store thousands of images (such as are those shot during a single motion picture) and manipulate them in many ways. They alter brightness, contrast, retouch and rebuild images, stitch in parts from other photographs, change background outside a mask or image within one. They add and elaborate text and graphics. And they do it far faster than the old-fashioned human illustrator using paintbrushes at a drawing board.

MICROGRAFX' ORANGE BYTES SPECIAL

You will note that our guest editorial is authored by the president and CEO of MicroGrafx, Inc. Founded in 1982, Micrografx has established itself as a leading innovator in graphical products for the Windows and OS/2 environments.

The Micrografx starter photo and image retouching programs, PhotoMagic and Draw, are reviewed in this issue. We've also received evaluation copies of their advanced level digitized darkroom program Picture Publisher, and their advanced level paint/draw program Designer. Expect to see reviews of these in upcoming issues of Orange Bytes.

Micrografx is offering its software to members for two months at reduced prices.

•  Packages which normally sell for $99 are available for $79 plus S/H. These include PhotoMagic, Windows Draw, Graphics Works, and Windows OrgChart.

•  Packages which normally sell for $299 are available for $179 plus S/H. These include Picture Publisher, Designer, Charisma and ABC FlowCharter.

•  To get any of these from Micrografx, call Pat LaRoche, User Group Coordinator, at 800-326-3611. For other information call 800-733-3729. Micrografx, Corp. is located at 1303 Arapaho, Richardson, TX 75081. Please mention NOCCC when calling.

AT&T!!!! OR IBM????

The two largest antitrust cases in living memory reached their climax on January 8, 1992. On that day, the Reagan Justice Department announced that it was abandoning the IBM case, but that AT&T had capitulated, and had agreed to divest itself of all Bell operating companies. The two decisions did indeed mark the end of an era for national antitrust policy. No monopolization cases have been filed since that day.

In January, IBM reported a quarterly loss of $5.46 billion, the largest in American business history. Coincidentally, AT&T reported record quarterly earnings and a yearly profit of $3.8 billion on sales of $65 billion.

Since divestiture and after some lacklustre years, AT&T has diversified aggressively in a host of new ventures. It acquired recently a controlling interest in McCaw Cellular, the largest wireless telephone carrier, which will bring it into direct competition with its offspring, the Baby Bells, and give it a major presence in the fast-growing cellular industry. In 1991 it spent $7.5 billion to acquire NCR Corporation. (The company had retained the Bell Labs and the manufacturing subsidiary Western Electric)

Nearly everyone in the computer industry agrees that, following its antitrust victory, IBM complacently retreated into the mainframe world it dominated - a strategy that was rewarding in the short term but has now proved disastrous. While IBM poured millions into mainframe research, the operating system that catalyzed the growth of personal computers, known as DOS, controlled by Microsoft, and licensed to IBM, in turn was ceded to Intel. These two companies literally ran away with the business, innovating to the point where the combination of Intel's powerful chips and Microsoft's software made possible the rather amazing transformation of the industry in the direction of PC "clones" and workstations. The bulky mainframes have been called the technological equivalent of the Brontosaurus.

Alan McAdams, the federal attorney who worked so hard to break up IBM, said, "IBM never learned how to compete....they were great as a monopolist, but monopolistic skills don't seem very transferable to a competitive situation. They loved incompatibility; it gave them an installed base that wasn't subject to attack by a competitor. Now customers are demanding compatibility, through networking and software, and they're getting it, but not from IBM."

Robert Allen, president of AT&T, says, "We went through some tough years, but it paid off. We may have been more fortunate than IBM in that change was forced upon us."

As stated in the New Yorker, from which much of this was abstracted, "The unexpected fates of IBM and AT&T may offer a lesson to the Clinton Justice Department."

IT'S ALL UP TO THE NEW IBM CHIEF.

Louis Gestner could receive up to $8.5 million (more than double the outgoing John F. Akers received) for accepting the challenge of turning around the troubled computer giant. To begin with, 1,400 were laid off at two manufacturing plants, and continuing layoffs are expected - among the first in IBM's 79 year history. IBM's future will be in the hands of the new CEO.

One commentator commented that the future of IBM is tied to OS/2 and its work with Apple. IBM has dropped its supercomputer division. On the positive side, says our friend John C. Dvorak, "Its new amazing backroom technologies are all smaller, faster, cheaper, stuff done by the unsung young hotshots who like working at IBM. Fast chips, hot networks, cool hardware. That's the future, and IBM has it. OS/2 is loved by these aggressive kids, these punks who developed all this cool stuff. Maybe it really is a new IBM..."

PRODIGY AND FREE SPEECH

From the Los Angeles Times, we learned that with Prodigy, a Mr. Peter DeNegris from Long Island, New York, spoke his mind to a potential audience of more than 2 million subscribers, who shared his interest in low-priced stocks, and in a court case which may test the boundaries of free speech in the emerging computer age, a small New Jersey company called Medphone Corporation is suing DeNegris in Federal Court in New Jersey.

Medphone alleges that DeNegris' comments on the Money Talk board helped cause an almost 50% decline in the company's stock last summer. The suit also charges him with libel and securities fraud.

The case raises questions about responsibility and reliability on what has been called the Electronic Frontier. Some bulletin board advocates say the social and legal standards that regulate more traditional means of expression don't apply to the spaceless, timeless world known as "cyberspace," where communication is cheap, instant and almost always unedited.

The outcome of this case will be of interest to may of us who like to spout forth on bullet boards.

PC TOOLS UPGRADES

Central Point Software called to tell us that you can get the new DOS 8 upgrade and the new Windows 1 upgrade for $49.95 by calling 800-388-3858.

If you want the full package, you can get it at Egghead or CompUSA at around $100 after discount, we were told.

FUTURE FIELD TRIPS

What with MicroSoft rollouts, the Orange Bytes, and the Software Reviews Project, we've been too busy to get to the next field trip. But be assured it is coming.

We have in mind field trips dedicated to Computer Assisted Design (CAD) in Engineering, Computer Assisted Medicine, Computer Assisted Manufacturing (CAM). Stay tuned - we'll be getting into this in time.

COMPUTERS IN THE LIBRARY

I have two close family members who have been librarians. They've seen the growth of computers in library work, and I've heard a good bit about it.

The old wooden card catalogs are still around, but they aren't used as much. More often you'll see a student or a library member looking up what he wants at a conveniently spotted computer. The catalog is electronic, and a lot of information is available on CD-ROM. Some of the CD-ROM versions preserve an encyclopaedia or other print volumes in their entirety, and the material is not limited to encyclopaedias. Atlases, thesaureses, books of quotations, indexes of poetry, and many more references are found on CD-ROM.

Those voluminous volumes of the Periodic Index, with their irritating paperback addenda, which were needed to track down newspaper and magazine articles - forget them! They are on CD-ROM now.

With CD-ROM, software can call up an abstract of an article, and then in many cases call up the original article in its entirety.

And many libraries provide expert help to access via modem a host of on-line databases, albeit sometimes for a price.

In libraries as elsewhere, the times they are a-changing.

NEW HEWLETT PACKARD PRINTER DRIVERS FOR WINDOWS.

In installations of Ventura for Windows and the Image Editor of Caere's Omnipage Pro, some of us have been driven crazy by the inability of the programs to print out TIF and PCX graphics to common Hewlett Packard laser printers of recent vintage. The solution, in my case (I must give thanks to Stew Wilson), was to download the file HPPCL5MS.ZIP from the Club bulletin board. In this file are the update drivers for all of the Hewlett Packard III series.

Once the default driver was replaced with the new version, Ventura for Windows began behaving - produced graphics printouts, not only with good resolution, but also comparatively fast. My printer is a Hewlett Packard LaserJet IIID.

And the Caere Image Editor suddenly was able to print out graphics, which it had steadfastly refused to do. I found through experiment that to do this the software insisted in using the IIIP driver as the default driver on the IIID machine. But it worked! The image resolution was pretty good, I thought, but the printing seemed to take longer than the outpput by Ventura for Windows.

CREDIT IS DUE

I made an error in ascribing credit last month for the contribution on downloading PC magazine utilities. This gem came not from the irascible Alan Jarrett, but from the illustrious Charlie Moore, distinguished leader of the IBM Beginners/DOS Special Interest Group of NOCCC.

Sorry, Charlie!


The Review Editor's Corner

by Ted Littman, NOCCC

As of April 9th, the following diverse collection of products was available for review by NOCCC members with appropriate expertise:

•  Cash Biz (DOS and Windows versions), home accounting from M-USA

•  Practical MVS JCL Examples, an Intro to MVS/ESA, an IBM mainframe programming book from John Wiley & Sons

•  Links 386 Pro, an award-winning super VGA golf game from Access Software

•  Amazon, Guardians of Eden, a super VGA adventure game from Access

•  Color Publishing on the Macintosh, a book/disk from Random House

•  Publish Yourself on CD-ROM, Mastering CDs for Multimedia, a book/CD from Random House

•  The Tale of Peter Rabbit, an interactive "talking book" with stereo sound from Knowledge Adventure

•  Pull-Down Menus for DOS (v5.00), a Shareware program from MicroDynamics

•  Flexibak Plus (v2.50), a Shareware hard-disk backup program from Shareable Software Int'l

•  Smartcat for Windows, a Shareware floppy disk management system from Shareable Software Int'l

•  Mergemaster, a program to merge dBase and Paradox files with your wordprocessor from Stairway Software

•  America OnLine Membership Kit and Tour Guide book/disk from Ventana Press

•  The SCSI Master AHA-1540C SCSI host adapter with software, cables, & documentation from Adaptec

If you are qualified and are interested in reviewing one of these items, give me a call (day or evening) at (714)779-1936 or see me at the monthly meeting.

When you accept an item,you have up to two months to write a review and upload it to our BBS (see phone numbers elsewhere in this issue), attention Sam Miller, for publication in the Orange Bytes. Reviews should be limited to around 1500 works maximum.

Guidelines for preparing and submitting your article are also detailed in this issue.

At the end of your article, please be sure to mention the vendor, his location and telephone number, product price (list and street), and any special deal for purchase by Club members.

After that, the product belongs to you! However, until then, it is the property of NOCCC. A few members are seriously delinquent in submitting review articles. If you cannot complete your review, please call me at 714-779-1936 or just return the product (no questions asked) to our membership desk at the next meeting.

The vendors who provide copies of their software and hardware expect to receive review articles from the Orange Bytes before providing us with other products.


Computer Usage in News Broadcasting

by Jack Gee, NOCCC

Each year, at my daughter Melody's school, students of the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade GATE class are required to do an "I-Search" paper. Each student selects a subject pertaining to a particular profession. Melody selected Broadcast Journalism this year. The requirement for sixth graders is a minimum number of two interviews of professionals working in the industry.

She initially wrote a letter to Ann Martin of KABC-TV Channel 7. Mrs. Martin, a very popular and busy anchorwoman, sent my daughter a letter, politely saying that she was very busy, but was willing to be interviewed over the telephone. Attempts to obtain an interview with other members of the KABC-TV staff proved futile.

With the deadline approaching, she sent out more letters. One went to anchorman Jim Burson of KFWB 980 AM, an all news radio station owned and operated by Westinghouse. KFWB is located in Hollywood. Mr. Burson called and arranged an interview, for March 26th at 8:00 p.m.

Mr. Burson is a handsome gentleman in his early fifties, with silver gray hair, wearing stylist titanium metal framed glasses. He was already at the mike waiting his turn to anchor when we arrived. Instead of being ushered into a waiting room, we were requested to accompany him inside the broadcast cubicle. The cubicle, a small room approximately 10 by 12 foot, was arranged with two broadcast stations facing the center of the room. Each station was equipped with schedule trays, tape players, tapes, computer and monitor, printer, telephone, etc.

There were two large glass plated windows, one on each side of the room. Through one of the windows we could see the main control room. The center of the room was slightly elevated on a platform. The editor's desk was located near the center of that platform, and was surrounded by numerous television monitors, computer equipment, telephones, radio equipment, etc. Several of the monitors were tuned to other TV stations. One of the monitors was tuned to CNN. On the other side of the room, seen through the glass window, was the broadcasting engineer's station. Mr. Burson mentioned that in the past, an engineer would man that station during broadcasting to coordinate the playing of commercials, pre-recorded events, etc. Later, it was discovered, those jobs could be handled by the anchorman during the broadcast much more efficiently.

We were fascinated to see how well Mr. Burson handled his tight schedule, coordinating news reports, traffic, weather, sports, at the same time managing to include other pre-recorded news, financial information, and station commercials.

At 8 p.m., Mr. Burson turned over the mike to Vince Campanis, and lead us on a tour around the radio station. We saw many types of equipment used throughout the station, and discussed their functionality. During the tour, we were introduced to the editor-in-charge, Diana Dray, and others. As we proceed to tour the station, we saw many other special rooms. One in particular was a small office with a mini-computer. We were told that this room was tied to the satellite antenna outside - it was the room where all news events was collected.

In the main control room, we witnessed a demonstration of how news stories are selected and reviewed. Information taken in by satellite is analyzed by staff reporters for value and content. The stories that are of possible interest are copied into another database for further evaluation. Whether a story gets aired or not depends on the both the anchorman and the editor in charge. They consider how much time is available and what other stories compete for that time slot.

During our demonstration, a story about a stabbing materialized. We were told that this story would not be considered, because there are so many stabbings daily. However, should this story be associated with or cause a major civil disturbance, it could be considered. Due to the immense number of stories locally and worldwide, there just is not enough time each day to cover all stories which come in. Only a selected few are aired.

We learned that everything related to broadcast aired must be archived. A recording is kept of all broadcasted news, as well as the transcripts and schedules used. All this information is reviewed by the FCC periodically.

Also, computerization at KFWB is a fairly recent event. Seven years ago, the station relied totally on teletype machines, and typewriters. Tons of teletype printouts stacked up all over the place. It would be very hard to visualize a station like KFWB without computers today. The vast amount of information which comes in every minute would be a nightmare, if there were no computers to handle it.

Melody offers her special thanks to Mr. Berson and the KFWB staff, who were so considerate.

This year, KFWB 980 AM is celebrating 25 year of service providing viewers with the news, traffic, sports, and other interesting viewing. May they keep up the good work!


Virtual Reality

by Bradley L. Jones - Indy PC News

Some months back I traveled up to Windows World, where I had my first experience of moving around in someone else's world. Tucked back, in an out-of-the-way aisle, was Ed LaHood and his 386 computer. Ed had a multitude of peripherals attached to his machine, including a helmet, a Logitech 3D mouse (yes, 3D), a joystick, footpads, and a monitor. He also had a Nintendo Power Glove sitting on top of his monitor. Ed's machine was running some of the virtual worlds that he has created. It was one of these worlds that opened my eyes to the simple, yet complex, concept of Virtual Reality.

By donning the helmet and using the other equipment, I literally stepped into Ed's Cyberspace: a three-dimensional experience with both sight and sound. Using the joystick and the movement of my head, I was able to maneuver in his world. I was able to walk into a room with a television set, walk around the TV, and turn it on. The 3D mouse controlled the movements of a hand which could be made to appear as if it were suspended in mid-air. Although the display on the TV did not actually change, I was given some music to listen to. The graphic should probably have been a radio. Nevertheless, the experience was fascinating. Ed's virtual world contained several interesting elements, including a racecar and a hot air balloon.

What Ed created was a software package called VREAM. VREAM is a development package for creating Virtual Reality worlds. A world created using VREAM can be distributed along with a runtime version of the VREAM software. When shipped, the development and runtime software will include drivers to run with whatever computer peripherals you own.

VREAM will be available for $1495, and will come with one copy of the runtime software. Additional runtime copies will be available at additional cost. The software should be available soon.

Ed's VREAM software brings the following question to mind: Why play a video game when you can experience one? In the 1980s, a video game was played my looking at a flat screen, pressing some buttons, and maybe moving a joystick. As the 90s rolled around, we added moving machines that allowed you to sway a little when you turned a corner, or shook when you were shot. Now, however, we are entering a new level in game playing. In fact, we will soon give up playing games, and start experiencing them!

Since Windows World, I have sought out further information on Virtual Reality. I experienced my first game in Bloomington, Indiana. I didn't just look at a screen and observe the action while messing with some controls. Instead, I went into the game! It was not a video game, but a virtual reality game; an entirely different experience. W Industries has created a system that enables a person to become an active participant in a game. It is the "Interactive Experience of Another Lifetime," and is named Virtuality.

One of the worlds that has been incorporated into Virtuality is Dactyl Nightmare. This can be a one or two player game, depending on the number of Virtuality machines you have. Two $65,000 Virtuality machines were located in Bloomington for a short time. Unfortunately, one of the machines was broken, which meant you had to play against the computer instead of a live opponent. For $3.50, you could play for 3-1/2 minutes. To play, you donned a helmet, strapped a tracker to your back, held a spacestick (joystick) in your hand, and stepped into the Virtuality platform. The moment you put the helmet on, you were in the Dactyl world.

You are standing on a checkerboard floating in space. There are four stairwells on each side leading up to four more boards. There are arches and other blocks sitting around. A giant green pterodactyl flies overhead and screeches. Your mission is to shoot the cyber-opponent, er, the other guy, before he shoots you.

Since one machine was broken, the opponent I played was controlled by the computer.

Before putting on the helmet, I hold a tracker (something like a joystick on a wire). After putting on the helmet, I hold a fantastic blaster pistol that would frighten away the scariest of criminals (but not my cyber-opponent). I can pull the trigger and shoot cyberbullets. I can hear my opponent's gun shoot and the sound of the bullet hitting. When I am hit, I see my arms and legs go flying. After eight shots, I look up and the pterodactyl is coming at me. I shoot to kill, or he will grab me. The action goes on until my time runs out.

When you play Dactyl Nightmare, you are inside the game. Through the use of the helmet, you look in any direction. The thumb button on the joystick moves you forward. Another button controls the trigger for your gun in the virtual world. Walk to the edge of the platform, and you look out into space. If the pterodactyl picks you up, you fly off the board. It is truly amazing.

Dactyl Nightmare is software that runs on the Virtuality 1000CS machine. It was created by W Industries in England, and is distributed by Horizon Entertainment in the U.S. Horizon is located in St. Louis, Missouri. (Indy Editor's note: Dactyl Nightmare was met with large crowds last fall when it was demonstrated at Buffalo State College.)

I have taken the time to describe VREAM and Dactyl Nightmare for several reasons. It is a new direction for video games, and a new direction for computer technology. It's an evolution that some find fascinating, and others far-fetched.

But it is an development that I believe will affect society just as the microwave and television did when they hit the mainstream.


A review of Windows Draw by Micrografx can be found in the February 1993 edition of the Windows version of the Orange Bytes.


Application

Good for new applicants and those renewing as well.  Please Print.

Date:__________________ I am a  new - renewing - returning  member.

(please circle one of the above)

My membership number is:____________

Name:____________________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________

City:______________________________________________________

State:_____ ZIP:____________ Phone:___________________________

Please list your computer interests, hardware and most used software:

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Fees: $25.00 per year plus $10.00 for each additional Family Member.

Amount enclosed: $_______________ please make check to NOCCC

and mail with application to:

North Orange County Computer Club

Box 3616

Orange, CA 92665


Family Memberships

The other people in your family can now become NOCCC members.Your spouse and kids can have the privileges of regular members, except that they will not receive extra copies of Orange Bytes. Family membership will cost you $10.00 per year for each additional family member.

Family members can be converniently initiated for regular members at an initial registration or at renewal registation time.


Orange Bytes Guidelines
Guidelines for Submittals to Orange Bytes

MANNER OF SUBMITTAL

• Doug Wheeler is handling SIG reports, and Sam Miller all other articles.

• Upload to Bert Langer's NOCCC Private Club Board at 714-730-6790 or his regular Club Board at 714-730-6743 or 714-730-5739. There also is a new line in Cypress, 714-821-0317.If your communications program will do it, try to have it autodial all these numbers sequentially. This is less work and often gets you on a lot sooner.

• Upload to the Club Board Main Menu! Do not upload as a private file or access another conference like J 1 or J 2 before uploading! Leave a message to Doug or Sam about your file. If you've never uploaded a file, try downloading it after you upload it to make sure it's in there correctly.

• If you don't have a modem, mail your disk to Doug Wheeler at P.O. 26338, Santa Ana CA, 92799 (call him at 714-839-0213), or to Sam Miller at 4228 Nelsonbark Avenue, Lakewood, CA 90712 (call him at 310-421-5701). Send a hard copy with your disk.

• Try to limit your article or SIG report to 1500 words. Please use ASCII if at all possible - it's a lot easier on us. However, other formats can be accepted.

• ASCII documents if possible should have hard carriage returns at the end of each line, and double carriage returns (skip a line) after paragraphs.

• For paragraph headings use Bolds and for emphasis use Italics. To do this use <b>bolded phrase<d> for a bolded phrase and <i>italicized phrase<d>>for an italicized phrase. These are the angle bracket codes which Ventura Publisher recognizes.

• Please don't use CAPS for emphasis - that's like shouting at someone! We usually have to delete and retype them as proper italics, or bolds, which can be a lot of work. CAPS are used for computer commands or files, like AUTOEXEC.BAT.

• Try not to include columns, tabs, indents, right justification, hyphens and formatting codes. If you feel you must have these special features, be sure to mail Doug or Sam a hard copy at their address (given above) showing exactly how you want the finished article to look.

FILENAMES

• For the filename extension: Use .TXT for ASCII text, .WP for WordPerfect, .WS for WordStar.

• The filename itself: As an example, our president, using WordPerfect, would name his message following the May 1993 general meeting for the forthcoming June 1993 Bytes as 9306PRES.WP.

SCHEDULE

• Your submittal should be received by Friday following the main Sunday meeting. Otherwise it will be published in the next issue.


Orange Bytes Staff

Editor	Sam Miller	(310)421-5701

Production Director	Stew Wilson	(714)542-7804

Exchange Selections	John Hlavac	(714)774-8985

Reviews Editor	Ted Littman	(714)779-1936

Classified Ads Editor	Jim Sanders	(714)636-5523

Circulation	O.T. Stoll	(714)521-6915

SIG Editor	Doug Wheeler	(714)839-0213

HelpLine Reporter	Mike Muller	(714)650-4041

Newsletter Exchange	Gerry Resch	(714)772-6667

APCUG Editor	Mike Banchi	(714)898-8471

Windows Editon	John Krill	(714)543-1204

DOS Edition	Terry Diamond	(310)597-2769

Typists:

Don Stewart	Dale Blank
Donnamae Hathaway	Jacqueline Keller
Chuck Puma	Andrew Smallman
Russ Keithley	Joe Sherry
Talib Hirij	Don Dobbs
Barth Bybee


Programs
Program Schedule for May, 1993

Telephone Info Line	Program on the BBS

Main Meeting	Hashinger Hall	1:00 pm

Caere will discuss their outstanding OCR and other software programs.

IBM General SIG	Hashinger Hall	9:30 am

Barry Emerson of Golden Bow will tell all about VOPT and VCACHE. Both highly considered! And the Defrag is faster than DOS 6.

Artificial Intelligence SIG	Science 202	11:15 am

Come, ask your questions and share your triumphs!

Business & Spreadsheet SIG	Hashinger Hall	11:15 am

Members will vote a future leader, or the SIG will be closed. Vance will give one last demo on Improv and Access and how they work with Excel.

CD-ROM Publishing SIG	Science 130	2:30 pm

Our features will include actual multimedia, and more CD demos.

Computer Assisted Investing SIG	Science 127	11:15 am

We'll have something very interesting for computerized investors.

Database SIG	Science 233	11:15 am

If DOS and Windows databases are your thing, come visit.

Desktop Publishing SIG	Science 139	11:15 am

We discuss desktop publishing, wordprocessing, printers, and more.

GeoWorks SIG	Science 127	2:30 pm

Dave Tennant promises another interesting session.

Home Computing SIG	Wilkinson 221	10:00 am   Help/Copy Session

11:15 am   Demo Session

We'll have a go at MS Money, A & L Picture Wizard, more stupid DOS and WIN tricks, Q & A, and other new software. Read the SIG report for details.

IBM Beginners SIG	Science 130	11:15 am

We help beginners but also get into intermediate subjects such as batch files.

Macintosh SIG	Wilkinson 110	2:30 pm

Come all ye Macintosh loyalists!

Modem Beginners SIG	Science 102	2:30 pm

We'll convene in Hashinger Hall this session to hear about QModem Pro.

Modem Advanced SIG	Science 102	11:15 am

We should meet as normal, but consider 2:30 p.m. in Hashinger, where QModem Pro will be presented.

Networking SIG	Off-Campus

We meet at the same off-campus location as the Shoptalk SIG noted below, except at 7:30 p.m.on the Monday evening following the Main meeting.

OS/2 SIG	Science 202	2:30 pm

Sundial will present Relish, a Personal Information Manager (PIM).

Shoptalk SIG	Off-Campus

Our Advanced User SIG meets Tuesday eve after the monthly NOCCC meeting, 7:30 p.m.at Micro-Computer Logic, 1815 E. Wilshire #907, Santa Ana.

Software Dev / Programming SIG	Wilkinson 110	11:15 am

Our ongoing study of all phases of program development will continue.

Visual Programming SIG	Science 102	9:30 am

Three successive half hours will be devoted to beginners, advanced and "C"

Windows SIG	Hashinger Hall	2:30 pm

QModem Pro will be presented in a coop meeting with the Modem SIG.

SIG LEADERS AND REPORTERS: ANNOUNCE YOUR CURRENT PROGRAM FEATURES ON THIS PAGE!


Meeting Chart
Special Interest Group Meeting Chart

Telephone Info Line	Program on the BBS

9:30 am	SIG Meetings

IBM - PC General	Hashinger Hall

Visual Programming	Science 102

Vendors	Science 131

10 am	SIG Meetings

Home Computing SIG	Wilkinson 221 Help/Copy Session

11:15 am	SIG Meetings

Artificial Intelligence	Science 202

Business & Spreadsheet	Hashinger Hall

Database	Science 233

Desktop Publishing	Science 139

Home Computing SIG	Wilkinson 221 Demo Session

IBM DOS Beginners	Science 130

Investors	Science 127

Modem Advanced	Science 102

Software & Programmers	Wilkinson 110

1 pm	SIG Meetings

Main Meeting	Hashinger Hall

George Margolin, President

Program: 1pm to 2:30pm

2:30 pm	SIG Meetings

CD-ROM Publishing	Science 130

GeoWorks	Science 127

Macintosh	Wilkinson 110

Modem Beginners	Science 102

OS/2	Science 202

Speaker Q & A	Science 139

Windows	Hashinger Hall

Off Campus	SIG Meetings

Networking	Meets Monday evenings immediately following the monthly NOCCC meeting, 7:30 pm

Shoptalk	Meets Tuesday evenings immediately following the monthly NOCCC meeting, 7:30 pm


Volunteer of the Month
NOCCC Volunteer of the Month

by Ted Littman	NOCCC

Don Davis is a native of southern California and a graduate of USC (hail Trojans!) in Business Administration. He has been an NOCCC member since 1987, when he purchased his first computer, a $600 state-of-the-art Atari ST.

Two years later, Don added a NeXT computer of the future to his collection and, in January 1991, started the NeXT SIG, serving as both Leader and Reporter. In April, he became the Assistant Leader and continued with the group until its demise at the end of 1991.

Chomping at the bit to "stay involved," Don started the CD-ROM Publishing SIG in January 1992. This is a real go-getter group! Here again, Don serves as both SIG Leader and Reporter. (See any issue of Orange Bytes for his writeups on their meetings.)

Today, Don still uses his Atari and NeXT computers as well as a 486 clone speedster. In addition, he has three printers, a NeXT laser, a ProPrinter, and an HP III Laserjet. He also has several CD-ROM drives. Word processing software is heavily used in Don's work.

According to Sam Miller, Don is talented, hard-working, friendly, assertive, and a self-starter - the characteristics for leadership in NOCCC. Interviewing him on the telephone was a pleasure for me.

Don is just entering the ranks of the retirees after 30 years with Commerce Clearing House, Inc., a law book publisher. He and his wife of 39 years, Toni, have started their own CD Book Publishers business, with Toni (of course) as President and Don (you guessed it) as Sales Manager. They plan to market CDs with information on government regulations. That should be a winner!

The Davis' have six children (with two still living at home) and five grandkids. Their daughter, Tara, who is graduating in June from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Psychology, is the computer buff of the family.

Don and Toni are active in their church and, when time and weather permit, they like ocean sports. In fact, they plan to buy a small boat for fishing trips. In that connection, Don says that he is the unofficial Mayor of Descanso Bay (which is adjacent to Avalon Bay on Santa Catalina Island). Will he install a fourth computer in the boat?

Like many of our Club activists, Don enjoys sharing experiences with other computer enthusiasts and helping the newcomers. He says that the payback in personal satisfaction is the greatest, but he is concerned that we are not attracting enough young people to join NOCCC. In that regard, Don offers a few interesting ideas for Board of Directors consideration: Solicit local companies to fund complimentary NOCCC memberships for college students and recent grads, and hold "satellite" Club meetings at one or more of the area colleges.

Good luck in your retirement, Don, and many thanks for your outstanding club volunteer activities.


SIG Leaders

SIG Coordinator

Jim Karsjens	(310)861-6233

Room assignments, listings, help, etc.

Artificial Intelligence	Science 202	11:15pm

Leader:	Ron Osborn	(714)991-5887

Reporter:	Eric Gartner	(714)537-9568

Business & Spreadsheet	Hashinger Hall	11:15am

Leader:

Tech Advisor	Gerry Resch	(714)772-6667

CD-ROM Publishing	Wilkinson 210	2:30pm

Co-Leader:	Don Davis	(310)543-8080

Co-Leader:	Bruce DeVries	(714)632-3841

Computer Assisted Investing	Science 306	11:15am

Leader:	Murray Boobar	(714)538-7764

Reporter:	John Willner	(714)838-1431

Database	Science 233	11:15am

Leader:	Bob Mikum	(310)926-6021

Desktop Publishing	Science 139	11:15am

Leader:	Jim Karsjens	(310)861-6233

GeoWorks	Science 127	2:30pm

Leader:	Dave Tennant	(714)970-2422

Home Computing	Wilkinson 221

10:00am	Help/Copy Session

11:15am	Demo Session

Leader:	Dain Leese	(714)957-2829

Co-Leader	Fred MacGregor	(714)751-3090

Librarian	Fred MacGregor	(714)751-3090

IBM Biginners	Science 130	11:15am

Leader:	Charlie Moore	(714)529-9071

IBM-PC General	Hashinger Hall	9:30am

Leader:	George Margolin	(714)645-5950

Reporter:	Cathy Grammer

Macintosh	Wilkinson 110	2:30pm

Leader:	Pat Gover	(714)538-5688

Librarian:	Bob Proctor

Modem Beginners	Science 102	2:30pm

Leader:	John Hlavac	(714)774-8985

Modem Advanced	Science 102	11:15am

Leader:	Bill Hinds	(714)633-4874

OS/2 SIG	Science 202	2:30 pm

Leader:	Rollin White	(714)968-3143

Software Development and Programming SIG

Wilkinson 110	11:15am

Leader:	Wayne Turman	(714)688-7251

Visual Programming SIG	Science 102	9:30 am

Leader:	Bill Hinds	(714)633-4874

Windows SIG	Hashinger Hall	2:30pm

Leader:	Steve Hollingworth

Networking SIG	Micro-Computer Logic, Santa Ana

Leader: 	Andy Anderson

This SIG meets on the Monday immediately following the monthly NOCCC meeting at Micro-Computer Logic, 1815 E. Wilshire #907, Santa Ana.

Shoptalk SIG	Micro-Computer Logic, Santa Ana

Leader:	Bert Langer

This SIG meets on the Tuesday immediately following the monthly NOCCC meeting at Micro-Computer Logic, 1815 E. Wilshire #907, Santa Ana.


NOCCC BBS
NOCCC Bulletin Boards

NOCCC maintains these club boards for Public and Membership use.

Note to Members Renewing:  You must renew your Private Line access

by contacting Line 1 for reauthorization.

#1	Bert Langer	The Club Board

Public Line 1:	300 - 14,000 v.32 bis	(714)7306743

General interest, public domain software.

Public Line 2:	HST DS v.32 bis v.42 bis	(714)730-5739

Same as Line 1.

Private Line 3:	HST DS v.32 bis v.42 bis	(714)730-6790

This line is a private line for paid NOCCC

members only. Contact Line 1 for access

authorization information.

New Club Bulletin Board number in Cypress is (714)821-0317. This number will help members in North County cut down on the cost of a call to the Club Board. (Club Members Only)


Officers / Directors / Committees and Projects
NOCCC Officers

President	George Margolin	(714)645-5950

Vice-President	Tracy Lenocker	(714)998-2900

Secretary	O. T. Stoll	(714)521-6915

Treasurer	Jim Karsjens	(310)861-6233

Past-President	Vance Jochim	(714)962-2517

Directors

Phil Bar	(714)978-2341

Jim Cady	(310)947-8381

Steve Hollingworth	(714)543-1180

Larry Klees	(714)879-6405

John Krill	(714)543-1204

George Margolin	(714)645-5950

Mike Muller	(714)650-4041

Gerry Resch	(714)772-6667

Jim Sanders	(714)636-5523

Editor

Sam Miller	(310)421-5701

Production Director

Stew Wilson	(714)542-7804

Committees & Projects

Audo-Visual Coordinator	Larry Klees	(714)879-6405

Lecture Series / Business Solicitations

George Margolin	(714)645-5950

Consignment Table	Cathy Shimozono	(310)437-1463

Marketing / Swapmeets	Phil Bar	(714)978-2341

Membership Database	John Johnson	(714)633-4874

Membership Desk	John Johnson	(714)991-3314

Membership Recruiting	John Krill	(714)543-1204

Rafle	Jim Cady	(310)947-8381

Programs	George Margolin	(714)645-5950

Publications	John Johnson	(714)639-9000

Public Relations	Gene Soltys	(213)465-5605

SIG Representative	Jim Karsjens	(310)861-6233

Swapmeet	O. T. Stoll	(714)521-6915

Sysops	Bert Langer	(714)730-5221

Vance Jochim	(714)962-2517

Commercial Advertising	John Johnson	(714)639-9000

Classified Advertising	Jim Sanders	(714)636-5523

University Liason	Tracy Lenocker	(714)998-2900


Board Minutes
NOCCC Board Minutes: April '93

by O. T. Stoll	NOCCC

Our president, George Margolin called the Board of Directors meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. on April 7, 1993 at the Computer Learning Center in Anaheim, California.

Those in attendance were Phil Barr, George Margolin, Larry Klees, Gerry Resch, Jim Sanders, Vance Jochim, Steve Hollingworth, John Johnson, Sam Miller, Jim Karsjens and O. T. Stoll.

The next board meeting is set for Wednesday, May 5, 1993 at 7:30 p.m. at the Computer Learning Center in Anaheim, California. The Learning Center is located on the South East corner of Ball and State College.

The minutes of the March Directors Meeting were approved.

TREASURER'S REPORT

Jim Karsjens reported that as of April 7, 1993, we have $26,921.44 in the bank. This includes $2619.35 of money collected from the raffles to be used as a reserve fund for equipment. Shimozono's consignment table made over $100.00 for the club at the April meeting. <b Jim Karsjens pointed out that we still need an auditor for the club books.  Jim Cady reported that we made $483 from the raffle at the club meeting. At the Microsoft meeting, we collected $2,454.50. Matching funds for the new membership dues and the raffle, from Microsoft, is not included.

CLUB DESK REPORT

John Johnson reported that 25 renewals, 4 new members signed up at the April meeting.

DOS 6.0 Kickoff

George Margolin and John Johnson  reported on the DOS 6.0 meeting on March 30, 1993. We had 120 new members sign up and over 1600 people attended. Only about 550 got into the meeting with others listening to loud speakers outside. George Margolin is working with Microsoft to get more TEE Shirts since not everyone got one. Those that bought DOS 6.0 at the meeting can go to CompUSA and get a $5.00 certificate.

SIGS REPORT

Jim Karsjens will do some room switching to reduce the overcrowding. Mike Muller purchased 30 chairs, for use at the off campus meetings. George Margolin reported that Hashinger Hall will be renovated during the months of June and July. He is investigating other locations to hold the general and large SIG meetings.

Vance Jochim is resigning as leader of the Business and Spreadsheet SIG. A motion was made and passed to meet one more time to determine what the course of the SIG should be.

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE

Jim Karsjens reported that the committee has four items in progress. They are "A Booklet on Buying Your First Computer," a brochure on the club, a business type card giving information on the club, and guest badges.

NEWS LETTER EXCHANGE

Gerry Resch reported that 350 April Orange Bytes were sent out.

MEETING PROGRAMS

Steve Hollingworth stated that the program for the May Main meeting will be a presentation by Caere on their products. The Windows and Modem SIGS will have a combined meeting with a presentation on Qmodem Professional.

CONSIGNMENT TABLE

A motion was made and passed to revise the Consignment table forms that state that the club is not responsible for stolen items.

APRIL MEETING SETUP AND CLOSE

O. T. Stoll volunteered to setup for the May meeting and  Larry Klees volunteered to close.

VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH

Vance Jochim was selected as volunteer of the month for June.

George Margolin Closed the meeting at 10:30 PM.


Now Two Electronic Orange Bytes
The Electronic Orange Bytes!

There are two electronic versions of the Orange Bytes - a Windows version and a DOS version. John Krill has been doing both but now club member Terry Diamond will produce the DOS version. This will allow more time for John and Terry to work on their respective versions. John has been getting both on the bulletin board in 5 days. That may be enough time for one electronic Orange Bytes but two, forget it!

The electronic version has been appearing on the Club Board in much less than two weeks after our general Sunday meeting. This way, members will now have the entire newsletter available to them long before the next meeting. And they needn't be Windows users!

NAME OF THE FILES ON THE CLUB BBS

In order to accommodate two versions of the Bytes we have to change the naming of the files on the Club BBS. The nomenclature for the file name is:

BYTEXMMY.ZIP. The first four letters will be 'BYTE' for both the Windows and the DOS files. The next letter, 'X,' will be different. For the DOS version it will be a 'D.' For the Windows version it will be a 'W.' The next two digits, 'MM,' will be the month and the last digit, 'Y,' will be the year.

The Windows file for June will be BYTEW063.ZIP.

The DOS file for June will be BYTED063.ZIP.

USING THE DOS ELECTRONIC ORANGE BYTES

In order to view the DOS Orange Bytes you need a special program, XVIEW.EXE. This program will NOT be included in each month's DOS Orange Bytes. In order to get this viewer you must download the file NOCCCLUB.ZIP. This file will include the viewer, XVIEW.EXE, along with several other items.

USING THE WINDOWS ELECTRONIC ORANGE BYTES WITH WINDOWS 3.0.

In order for you Windows 3.0 users to see the Windows Orange Bytes you need to get the Windows 3.1 version of WINHELP.EXE. This file is now in the ZIP file NOCCCLUB.ZIP. You will not get the TrueType fonts, but you will be able to view the new Windows version of the Orange Bytes as well as any HELP files you currently have.


Early Notice of NOCCC Programs
Early Notice for NOCCC Programs

You can download the program listings for a given month from the Club BBS. Look for a filename like PRGM.JUN or look at Bulletin No. 4. This agenda should be on the board about 12 days after the general meeting.

And, if you don't have Windows or DOS, don't have a modem, and still want program information, dial the NOCCC recorded message on your telephone: 714-998-8080.

The recorded message may also have more recent information - which arrived too late to get into the Bytes.


Magazine Subscriptions

by Phil Barr

The club continues to benefit from the rebates on the magazines you subscribe to at the very low discounted rates offered by Delta. So far we have added nearly $700 to our treasury to go for items needed to enhance the club's equipment and to provide other benefits.

Be sure to check the new Magazine Order Form at Cathy's Consignment Table for the latest prices - some are lower than before. Prices are subject to change so it is important to use only the current order form similar to the one published in the Bytes. Forms must be complete, accurate and legible for Cathy to accept them. For several reasons, the preferred method of paying is by Visa or MasterCharge. If paying by check be sure it is to be made out to Delta Publishing Group, Ltd.

It is important that you keep in mind that it often takes 2-3 months for the subscription order to be processed, especially renewals, so get your orders in early and be sure to attach a copy of a recent mailing label from your magazine if it is a renewal.


BBS Spotlight

The NOCCC BBS - Strengthens User Group

by John Wolcott

Reprinted from Microtimes of March 6th, with special permission of the author.

Many computer organizations or clubs sponsor some sort of BBS; some on more of a grand scale than others. If you have resisted user groups and their associated BBSes, you may be missing out on some important computer expertise readily available to you. You may also have some terrific talent to share with others that is yet untapped.

This month's BBS Spotlight shares information regarding the BBS of an Orange County user group. The North Orange County Computer Club (NOCCC) holds regular monthly meetings that bring together computer-literate individuals anxious to share their skills. The monthly meetings feature guest speakers who address the latest in computer development. NOCCC also sponsors special interest group (SIG) meetings for beginning and advanced modem instruction, artificial intelligence, computer aided investing, programming, multimedia, desktop publishing satellite image capture, and software usage. If you miss not subscribing to all of the top computer publications to keep abreast of "up-to-the-minute" computer evolution, such a user group may be just the thing for you.

A computer club BBS directly complements its services. For example, you may use the BBS to communicate by email with other members to discuss SIG topics. This is a great way to tide yourself over for needed information or just touch bases with members between meetings. The clubs president, George Margolin, exhibits a great deal of enthusiasm for club activities. George commented, "We're just friends helping friends." With such an attitude from club leadership, how can you go wrong? The NOCCC meets in the Hashinger Auditorium at Chapman University, 333 N. Glassell in Orange; usually on the first Sunday of every month. Club membership fees are $25.00 per year and include a subscription to the club's newsletter.

The BBS Sysop (system operator) is Bert Langer. Bert believes that a BBS should provide information and file services to anyone who can use them. Bert remarked, "What could be better than a lending library where nobody can steal a book? A BBS should be easily accessible and helpful for all who call. We have no security levels. Everyone is welcome here."

The NOCCC BBS is full-featured for message base and file transfer use. It runs on PC Board software, which is a commercial BBS package from Clark Development in Utah. Five public phone lines and two "member only" lines are connected to Zyxel V3.2bis and US Robotics Dual Standard modems and supported by seven networked computers. This allows callers access at 14,400 baud. If you've had the pleasure of downloading at this speed, you know how wonderful it is to transfer at a higher rate than the standard 2400 baud.

The file library boasts over ten thousand files available for download from two 1.2GB drives and a CD-ROM drive. Bert stays on top of the latest public domain and shareware files available by calling other top BBS services, downloading new software as it becomes available, and posting the files in the NOCCC BBS library on a weekly basis.

Logging onto the BBS presents you with all of the latest club bulletins and board information. You may view all of these messages or jump to the main menu. From the  main menu you may access the message base, join a conference, or use the file library. The message bases allow you to "read only" your mail or posted messages.

Conferences are divided into five categories, ranging from technical discussion to general message communication. The file library effectively searches for filenames or text strings in the file description. For example, if you were looking for a Windows-based "trashcan" program, you would search for a file name TRASH*.* or search for text in the description using "trash." either way, you would come up with a couple of file choices that could be flagged for download.

The NOCCC BBS can be accessed by calling 714-730-6743. Calling this main number will rotate your call to the first available line. If you elect to join the club, the "members only' lines will be made available to you. Current BBS news and club information are on a recorded message at 714-998-8080.

Combining BBS use with services offered by a well-organized user group can be a very beneficial experience. Whether you're just a beginner at modem and computer use or a real "guru,"there's a wealth of knowledge to gain and share with fellow users. Dig in!

Copyright (C) by John Wolcott. All rights reserved. John Wolcott is a free-lance writer for hardware and software documentation and computer publication editorials.


Hashinger Hall will probably not be available in June or July due to renovations by Chapman University. Classroom SIGs will remain, however. Stay tuned for information on meetings normally held in Hashinger Hall.


PhotoMagic for Windows
PhotoMagic for Windows - Micrografx Photo Enhancement

by Sam Miller, NOCCC

PhotoMagic for Windows is the MicroGrafx entry level program in the burgeoning field of the electronic darkroom. It comes with plenty of tools and enhancements. With it you can apply your retouched photograph and image files to desktop publishing, presentation graphics, wordprocessing, or your personal photo album.

Input images can be introduced from an extensive library with hundreds of images provided by PhotoMagic, files from CompuServe and bulletin boards, and from CD-ROM disks, and scanned photos and images. For color work, a color scanner and a color printer are desirable. However, gray-scale work with a black-and-white scanner and printer are entirely practical. Postscript, laser and dot-matrix printers are supported.

The program will receive TIFF, PCX, BMP, GIF, TGA, EPS and its own JPEG file formats. I exported TIFF color images to Ventura Publisher, and delivered a color image to Windows to make a Wallpaper display.

PhotoMagic uses TWAIN technology to communicate with your scanner. TWAIN is relatively new, and you may have to acquire a driver for an older scanner from Micrografx or the scanner manufacturer. Fortunately, in my case, the TWAIN driver had already been inserted in a Windows subdirectory by the software accompanying my Hewlett Packard ScanJet IIp.

As you achieve familiarity with PhotoMagic, it gradually becomes more fun and more interesting. But expect to spend some time developing your skills, expecially if you are new to imaging programs.

It's desirable to go through the tutorial, which doesn't take too long. I got the hang of many of the features after I had gone through the tutorial a second time.

I can't possibly relate all the features, but here are some highlights:

• Image size is easily adjustable, with magnification that approaches the pixel level. Thus, very small portions of a picture can be retouched. In one example, the red in a color portrait's eye was easily replaced with a paint tool by another darker color. In the process the magnified eye took up half the width of the computer screen.

• The clone tool is a set of icons which you can move to replicate the color (and shape) of another selected part of the photo. An example was the replacing of part of a portrait's hair arrangement with the background color - a haircut, in effect. Another was the installing of another scoop of ice cream on top of a one-scoop cone.

• Special effects of many kinds are possible, applied to all or part of an image, previewed, and then altered again until the final desired effect is attained.

• Features include ten ways of adjusting color. Among these are hue, saturation, balance, brightness, balance and more.

• There are nine means of distortion. Included are blurr, tunnel, twist, wave, wind and others.

• Photo manipulations include remove, sharpen, smooth, stretch.

• Texture features include crystallize, emboss, engrave, mosaic, splatter, stucco. (Click here for untouched photo)

• Various three-dimensional effects are available.

• Paint, Draw, Fill, Text and other tools, with variations, are available. Paint tools range from solid to airbrush to smear to erase, with different sizes and shapes of brushes, and a lot more.

A caveat: Color theory and color manipulation are complex subjects which are not learned overnight. The typical beginning user, who lives in a world where black-and-white output to a laser or dot-matrix printer is the norm, would be well advised to master working with gray-scale images before graduating to color.

Having said this, I'd recommend PhotoMagic as a great buy for a PC owner to get started with and to learn more about the emerging world of the computerized darkroom. He certainly can make excellent use of it for gray-scale work. If he has a color scanner and printer, and is so disposed, he can also learn a great deal about the many aspects of color enhancement.

PhotoMagic for Windows is available at Egghead and other computer stores for about $99. For the special user group offer good for the next two months, call Pat LaRoche at 800-326-3611, and get it for $79 plus S/H. Micrografx, Corp. is located at 1303 Arapaho, Richardson, TX 75081.

It takes a 386 PC, hard drive, mouse, VGA (SVGA recommended), 4MB of RAM, and upwards of 6MB of disk space for the program, operation and for storage of files.

Micrografx, Corp. is located at 1303 Arapaho, Richardson, TX 75081. It's available at Egghead and other computer stores for about $99. To take advantage of the special user group offer good for the next two months, call Pat LaRoche at 800-326-3611, and get it for $79 plus S/H.


Windows 3.1 Insider

by Ted Littman, NOCCC

A Book Review

Every once in a blue moon, a computer book comes along that deserves rave reviews from the user community. In my opinion, Windows 3.1 Insider, the first in a new series from John Wiley & Sons is such a book. It is not only informative and easy to use, but a pleasure to read as well.

Many books that I've read on software programs seem more oriented toward those "few" folks in our community who don't have user manuals. Some books serve mainly as a tutorial and are OK if you have the time and patience.

On the other hand, Windows 3.1 Insider effectively targets the many Microsoft Windows users who are beyond the novice stage but haven't arrived at that vaunted stage of guru. And it is a great book in its own right, whether or not you're a reader of the program documentation!

So what does Insider offer? Well, for one thing, it's a great guide for undocumented and hard-to-find Windows features. For another, it give an extraordinary number of "hot tips" and shortcuts to improve user efficiency. It is particularly useful in identifying hardware and software problems when using Windows as well as program quirks, glitches, and anomalies; and lucidly explaining how to work around them. These are explained in the context of "real-life" situations and, for interested readers, the authors explain "why" as well as "how-to." If problem-solving is not your bag, you can focus on customizing and optimizing your system in easy-to-follow instructions.

Insider covers such areas as program architecture, networking, memory configuration, fonts and printers, file and desktop management, and OLE. In fact, three chapters each are devoted to memory optimization and networking, and two chapters trouble-shoot hardware and software problems. I was  particularly impressed by the useful information on third-party programs, including QEMM, Stacker, and Norton Desktop, all of which I use!

The book uses a unique question-and-answer format. The authors say it is intended to be like calling Tech Support (but without the usual wait to speak to an expert.) Indexes are multi-leveled to pinpoint problems and answer specific questions. Each chapter contains several topics. Each topic starts with an informative heading, then gives a few brief sentences explaining what the remaining text covers.

In the Introduction, the authors get you started with a bang. Ten "Hot Tips" are provided that explore new features in Windows 3.1. Now, I must admit that I've seen most of these before in the computer magazines, but none have been better described or easier to use. And I found many of the tips found throughout the book were new to me.

Let me give you an example. Microsoft has bundled an apparently undocumented diagnostics program with 3.1 that lets you examine your system's memory and hardware. At the DOS prompt (but not from within Windows), type MSD and hit Return. A menu is displayed which allows you to diagnose various parts of your system! If you are familiar with QEMM, it's similar to Manifest.

A very useful tip to me is in the chapter on hardware problems, covering monitoring and controlling the performance of SmartDrive, the Microsoft DOS/ Windows cache program. I had a terrible time trying to figure out whether the cache was running even though I had installed it in my autoexec.bat file in accordance with the manual's instructions. When I typed smartdrv /s from within a DOS window, I got the help screen! This strange behavior was clearly explained by the Insider on page 471.

I could go on and on, but then I'd be rewriting the book. So, If you do Windows, buy the book and get the whole nine yards written by a couple of real computer experts who just happen to be good writers as well. It will be a useful reference at least until the next version of Windows for the masses comes out!

Windows 3.1 Insider is published by John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY. It is authored by Keith Weiskamp and Ron Pronk. List price is $26.95, but it probably can be bought at a discount from Crown Books, BookStar, or Egghead Software. Subsequent books in the series are: Excel 4 for Windows Insider, Ami Pro 2 for Windows Insider, and WordPerfect Insider.


Adobe Type Set and ATM for Windows

by Hoyt Crider, NOCCC

Adobe Type Set software makes sharp on-screen typefaces available to Windows 3.1 users for word processing, spreadsheet, and graphical uses. Adobe Type Manager (ATM) is included in the package so that the user can add or delete fonts from the system as desired.

My initial experience was installing version 1.15 which apparently was developed for Windows 3.0, and which locked up my version 3.1 Windows, after which it refused to load. I finally erased all of the files in my "Win" directory and reinstalled Windows 3.1, then ATM and Adobe Type Set version 2.5 - which now appears bullet proof.

Adobe Type Set came with typefaces for invitations and awards; letters, memos, and faxes; spreadsheets and graphs; and overheads and slides. Typeface names include Charlemagne, Copperplate (Gothic), Berkeley Oldstyle Book, ITC Cheltenham Condensed Book, and several sans serif typefaces for headings or emphasis. There is even a dingbat set of typefaces.

Once installed, ATS and ATM are easy to use. Go to the program manager screen and select the ATM icon, then turn ATM on (or off) and then select the typefaces you want to use, and set them up on your ruler or buttonboard. If you want to install additional ATM typefaces, they can be purchased at nominal cost and installed using ATM's installer (included).

The ATM installation process creates a text file in the Windows directory called atm.ini, which defines all of the ATM configuration parameters. I consider this an excellent way to avail yourself of additional great typefaces at nominal cost for all of your Windows 3.1 applications.


F-PROT Anto-Virus Software
F-PROT Anti-Virus Software

by Ted Littman, NOCCC

For most computerists, the virus represents Armageddon to their system. Remember last year's flap over Michelangelo? To combat the never-ending assault by new diseases and changed strains, many companies have developed combative software. These programs intercept viruses carried by infected programs which you transfer to your computer and detox the affected files. They also can be used to scan floppies and hard drives for infection.

Among the commercial packages the well-known and highly regarded programs from Central Point Software and Norton-Symantec were selected by PC Magazine as Editor's Choice in the March 16, 1992 issue. Surprisingly, Honorable Mention was given to F-PROT Professional as a program providing outstanding virus-scanning and removal capability at a bargain price.

The Professional version is marketed by Command Software Systems of Jupiter, Florida under license to Frisk Software International, the Islandic developer of this shareware program. F-PROT Professional provides some enhancements,including master boot-record protection and cyclic redundancy checking (CRC) at a modest price of $49 list.

By comparison, the shareware program is available free to individual users and it can be downloaded from your local BBS. Commercial users must buy a site license at $1 per PC. Our review copy, version 2.06a (November 1992), came to us in the mail from Iceland.

After thawing it out and unzipping the program, I gave it a test run. Documentation is provided in 10 text files which can be printed out. All of the information required to run the program as well as a primer on viruses is there in easy-to-read format. You start F-PROT by typing (what else?) F-PROT at the command line. Up pops a simple menu box with the listings: Scan, Install, Viruses, Program, and Quit. The first four categories have secondary menus. For example, highlighting Scan and hitting the return key offers numerous scan modes,search paths, targets, and actions to deal with infections.

I ran the program from one floppy drive while checking the other and my hard disk. Although running from a floppy avoids infecting the anti-virus files, it causes the scan to run slightly slower than if the program were transferred to the hard drive. I was impressed by the short time it took to scan all the executable files on my 265MB Stacker hard drive. Fortunately, no viruses were found, (a full report is displayed on the screen) so I didn't have the opportunity to check the disinfecting system. But, according to PC Magazine, the program detected all of its test viruses and was the only one to disinfect each file accurately!

F-PROT also provides a virus-intercepting TSR which can be loaded from your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file and even put in high memory. It is clear that this shareware deserves its reputation as a capable, accurate program for virus protection, detection, and removal. As of November 1992, the program recognized 605 different families of viruses, with each family consisting of 1 - 50 strains. Counting all known viruses and variants, the total detectable comes to 2285!

Also provided is a unique "heuristic" search method which is intended to detect brand new viruses. New versions of the program are released bimomthly and signature-file updates when new viruses appear. These can be downloaded from Internet's anti-virus archive sites and various local bulletin boards.The program lacks some of the features of commercial packages such as boot-sector and partition-table restoration, file-integrity checking, mouse support, contact-sensitive help, a printed manual, and tech support. Should you use this anti-virus program? Well, the price is certainly right and since you can run it from a DS/DD floppy, it won't gobble up your hard disk space. The best policy probably is to use more than one system anyway, keep them updated to fight new viruses/variants, and Be Careful Out There! That's what I plan to do.

Produced by Frisk Software International, Postholf 7180, 127 Reykjavik, Iceland, the shareware version is available on the Club BBS in directory 56, as FPROT207.ZIP.


Cathy Daily Planner for DOS

A Daily Planner/Scheduler with Comic Relief

by Mark Infanti, NOCCC

Daily planners are as common as breakfast cereals. Like cereals, there are some that claim to be everything to everybody and some that are single purpose products that just taste good.

The subject of this review is one of those single purpose products that does only one thing (with a twist) and does it well. The product is called "Cathy Daily Planner" by Amaze, Inc of Kirkland, Washington.

The name is fairly representative of what the product does. It is a daily planner that uses Cathy Guisewite's "Cathy" comic strip for a daily dose of humor.

I was a consultant for about 16 years. With a constantly changing itinerary, it was necessary to keep a daily planner for appointments and billing records. During this period of my life I learned that a pocket daily planner is indispensable.

The problem I find with most computerized daily planners is that they have never been quite as convenient or as easy to use as my pocket planner. The reason is that the computerized planner programs, particularly DOS programs, haven't always been intuitive to me and it's really tough to carry around a computer in my pocket.

The Cathy Daily Planner uses its graphic interface to solve one of these problems. The graphic interface is very intuitive to me and this is a DOS product! There is also a Windows version that looks and functions almost identically to the DOS version. The fact that this product is so graphical is both its strength and its weakness.

Let's start with the strong points. The interface is just like a notebook. That is, the on-screen graphic looks like a notebook, complete with tabs and rings. Using the mouse (or keyboard) you can click on a tab and change views between daily, weekly, monthly and yearly views or the notepad. Depending on the view you are in, clicking the corner of the notebook will allow you to move to the next or previous day, week, month or year. It is simple and intuitive.

There are also six buttons and two tools (along with the menus) on the top of the screen that support the most common functions. The first is a large button that shows today's day, date and year. If you have been working with different days, simply clicking on this button will return you to today's date.

There are also buttons for going to a specified date, one for returning to the last screen/date you were on, filtering the records shown (based on several different criteria) and printing. The two tools on the screen are a clipboard and a shredder. Both of the tools use the drag and drop technique for making copies and deleting entries, respectively. There is one last button that is strategically placed next to the shredder. It is the undo button.

From either the daily or weekly view, a double click on the day you want will bring up the event window. In the DOS version this window cannot be moved or sized. That is not a problem, just a comment. The event can be entered as a one time occasion or a repeating event (daily, every other day, weekly, every other week, weekends, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or last of the month, monthly or annually by day of the week or date). Events can have overlapping times, the same time, the same name or anything else you want. And just because we all can be forgetful, you can set an alarm that will go off at any amount of time or days prior to the event.

OK! So now you know that it will do what a planner should do and it is easy to use. But what about a little comic relief in the daily grind. Well, in that area, this program will give you plenty of reasons to prove that computers are not productivity improvement tools. In this case, it starts when you start the program. Each day, for a year (you can buy more years), you will see a new "Cathy" cartoon strip. And if that isn't enough, an animated cartoon of the Cathy characters will show you some comic aspect of life that will bring a smile to the most hardened of daily planners (animation and frequency can be set or turned off).

If you have some extra time, you can change to a different date and read the cartoon for that day. Hey, I said that this program would prove that computers are not productivity improvement tools. The only disappointment was that I could not print out the cartoon to share with other people in the office. Come on, you didn't think I was the only one that had productivity lags at my office.

If Cathy doesn't tickle your fancy, you can also get theme packs for Gary Larson's "The Far Side" cartoons or the "Trivial Pursuit" question for the day. I called the tech support line to find out if I could load all three theme packs at the same time. Hey, if you are going to kill time, you might as well go all the way! They said "sorry.. but, you could buy all three (at $24.95 each) and load each version one at a time". That is too much work for me, so I will settle for Cathy....or maybe The Far Side...or, well I will decide after I read all of the Cathy cartoons.

By the way, no matter which theme pack you decide on, the installation is easy but it takes 4MB of disk space. The basic Daily Planner takes 2.1 MB of disk space. So for $69.95 you get a useful tool and a little comic relief (one theme pack) but it is going to take 6.1 MB of disk space and don't even think about running the program without at least 521 KB of free RAM.

That brings me to the bad news. I tried this package on three different systems: a 386SX - 20Mhz desktop with 4MB of RAM, VGA card with 256 KB; a 386SX - 20 Mhz notebook with 5MB of RAM, an SVGA with 256KB; and a 386DX - 33Mhz with 12MB of RAM, SVGA with 512 MB.

I started with the 386SX-20 desktop. That machine runs MS DOS 5.0, Windows and is on a network. The end result is that I barely had enough free RAM for the program to run (523 KB). If I tried to enter more than three events it would tell me that I didn't have enough RAM and that I should save the data, close the package and restart it before entering any more events. Not only that, the screen refresh time took at least 10 seconds. One screen took 20 seconds by my watch. I don't know about you, but that killed any interest I had in the program.

Next I thought that having a daily planner on the machine that I take on the road would be an ideal use of the product. My notebook machine runs DR DOS 6.0 and has 610 KB of free RAM. It also has an LCD screen in 32 shades of grey. The good news is that the display looked very good without having to do any additional setup. The bad news is the speed. It was about the same as the 386SX desktop. That is, slow.

Finally, I tried the 386-33 desktop. This machine has 600 KB of free RAM and a better video card. All of this brought the program to a very reasonable speed. This is the only machine I have access to that I will run the Cathy Daily Planner on.

When I talked to technical support, who were very helpful, they said that the Windows version will actually work faster due to Windows ability to use extended memory. How's that for a first? A DOS program that is slower than its Windows counterpart! It's amazing what graphics does to program speed.

The bottom line on this product is, that I like the function and the humor but I hate how slow it runs. This is a product that should be almost a computerized second thought. A quick note, a check of the dates for a meeting or a way to print out an annotated calendar to put in your pocket. Although it does all of these things, the time it takes to do them keeps it from being a truly convenient tool.

You can buy Cathy at local computer stores, like Egghead, or CompUSA. The

person who answered the telephone at the company ventured that she thought the

"street price there might be something like $29 or $39."


Quattro Pro for Windows
Quattro Pro for Windows: A Self Teaching Guide:

by John Heenan, NOCCC

A Book Review

A spreadsheet is a spreadsheet, is a spreadsheet, regardless of whose name is on the package. The difference each manufacturer provides is in particular tools and their accessibility to manipulate the spreadsheet.

Jennifer Meyers has had plenty of experience with spreadsheets, particularly the Quattro series. As a software documentation consultant, she has already documented the original Quattro and Quattro Pro. She has also authored Wiley's Quattro Pro 3; Self Teaching Guide and Command Reference. In this Self Teaching Guide (STG) of 242 pages, Meyers describes the tools available to Quattro Pro for Windows(QPW).

She illustrates the use of the tools peculiar to QPW in a step by step format. By following her clear and precise instructions, STG will show either novice or experienced spreadsheet user how to use QFW's SpeedBar to total columns, format cells, sort data and adjust column width. It will show how to use the right mouse button to define their properties and styles of cells or objects within a graph.

Unlike most software tutorials, QPW included, STG reinforces learning with checkpoint tests, where all the learned steps are brought together into a smooth procedure. Furthermore, the exercises in each chapter reinforce learning by building on lessons from previous sections. At the end of each chapter, STG integrates all the topics of the chapter into a set of review exercises. A chapter summary lists the tips, tasks and procedures, that were discussed in the chapter. This list can not only be used as a quick reference for the future, but, it is a good clue as to the contents of the chapter.

In reviewing the table of contents, the first three chapters might seem rudimentary to the spreadsheet ace. It is true that "Getting Started", "Creating a Spreadsheet", and "Making Changes to Your Spreadsheet" do cover the QFW basics. However, there are TIPS boxed and in bold print that can be helpful to all levels of spreadsheet users. Some of these include keyboard/mouse equivalent commands, and efficient use of block commands. Within these chapters, the effective use of the SpeedSum, SpeedFill and SpeedFormat buttons is illustrated. The application of the Object Inspector to change "notebook" properties is demonstrated. It is of further interest to all users to start at the beginning, otherwise the flow of sheet creation will be missed. That is, "notebooks", which are used in exercises in later chapters, are created in these three chapters.

The lessons of chapter 4 show how easy it is to create presentation graphics. Here, the reader follows the step by procedure to create an instant graph, and float the graph over the spreadsheet. The graph is fine tuned by reassigning "notebook" series, switching graph types, adding titles, and adjusting the graph's properties. STG also demonstrates how to use tools to draw objects on the graph,

One of the principle lessons of the "Printing" chapter is the use of the Print Preview command. Within Print Preview. STG shows how to readjust margins, and how to scale the spreadsheet and/or graph to the page. Also within Preview, graphs can be displayed in gray tones, which is helpful in seeing how the graph will appear on paper in black and white. The last sections of this chapter, show how to attach a name to the printed block and settings used to print the block, and how to print multiple graphs at once.

In the chapter "Multiple Spreadsheets", STG demonstrates the way Borland divided a spreadsheet file or "notebook" into pages, so that several spreadsheets can be worked on at once. It demonstrates Page grouping, so that changes made to one page are made to all pages in the group. This chapter also works with creating and maintaining links to other spreadsheets whether the spreadsheet is open or not.

At last, the "Advanced Features" chapter includes the topics on database management within QFW, macro recording, and slide show creation. It shows how to sort and query a spreadsheet. In the final lesson the reader will convert a series of graphs into a slide show, and add macro buttons to a graph to run a slide show.

STG is the book for the those who have had little experience with any spreadsheet let alone QPW. It offers big print, 2 points larger than Borland's QFW User Guide, and wide outside margin for notes along the way.

Experienced users may find the lessons a bit primitive at the start, but the first three chapters do go by pretty fast. The temptation might be to skin though them to quickly. However, these users, if not careful, may miss some good tips, and bypass some features or actions that have been taken for granted over the years of spreadsheet use. Besides, it may be worthwhile to take this little book a little slower in these early chapters, simply because the spreadsheets created are built upon in later chapters.

The last two chapters describe the advanced features unique to QFW. They can not be rushed, if the reader wishes to benefit from their contents.

Finally, this little book, which lists for only $19.95, covers all the key features of QFW that most users are going to want to use. It is an excellent learning tool, because it reinforces the learning though periodic check points, chapter quick summaries of tasks and procedures, and chapter practice sessions. Because of these features STG becomes great reference after all chapters have been completed

This book, published by Wiley, as stated above, should be available at $19.95 from your local bookstore or computer emporium.


Quotemaster Plus for Windows

A Valuable Writing Tool

by Ted Littman, NOCCC

Do you write articles or give talks? Do you enjoy spicing up your communications with the quotations of famous (or maybe not-so-famous) people? If the answer is even a qualified "yes," then I've got a great computerized information reference for you! It's Quotemaster Plus from PennComp. This database puts sage observations, catch phases, and even offbeat remarks at you fingertips in an instant. In a well-known quote attributed to a Peter Anderson: "Stealing someone else's words frequently spares the embarrassment of eating your own."

The core database allows you to access over 3,000 quotations by more than 900 authors from classic to contemporary. This base can be expanded by the addition of up to four large "quotebases" with 1,600 quotations in each: Humor, Government/Politics, Society, and Motivation. And you can even add your own favorite sayings. In addition, there is an Author Information System available which provides a brief synopsis of the life and times of many of the people whose quotes are in the program.

For example, this is Mark Twain's profile: American humorist, newspaperman, lecturer, and writer. Born in Florida, MO, Twain drew on his boyhood along the Mississippi River for many of the characters and incidents in his works. His formal schooling ended early, and he learned the printing trade. In 1853, after writing for newspapers in Hannibal, Missouri, he left for St. Louis, Philadelphia, and New York. He returned to the river in 1857 and became a steamboat pilot until the Civil War put an end to river traffic. He wrote of this period in his life on the Mississippi. He took his pen name from river slang for "Two Fathoms Deep."

Compendia such as Bartlett's "Familiar Quotations" ($40 hardback, 16th ed.) with its more than 22,000 quotations have long been a standard reference for writers. By comparison, Quotemaster has less than half that number of quotes currently. However, this computerized database runs rings around conventional anthologies in ease of use, versatility, and especially speed. Any quote, with or without its author biography, can be copied to another program via the Windows Clipboard, saved in another file, or output to your printer.

Installation is a snap for the Windows version 2.0 which I reviewed. (Versions for DOS and Macintosh also are available.) In the Windows Program Manager, you invoke the Run command from the File menu and type install from the a: or b: prompt, depending on your floppy drive designation. Quotemaster does the rest with a few prompts for information on your screen. On my 386-33 PC clone, installation time for the complete program was about 30 minutes. The program files take 6.6MB of hard disk space.

The 36-page manual is crystal-clear and leads you through every aspect of the program's operation. Navigation is via the typical Windows Graphical Interface using drop-down menus or 12 direct-access icons. The built-in help system is more than adequate.

To initiate a search, you can call up the Topic/Word Search dialog box which has options for Subject, Era, Author, and Quote Words, or even parts of a word. Following a selection in one or more of these categories, the search produces a Quote List with from zero to thousands of quotes! Highlighting a quote entry and hitting Return (or double-clicking the left mouse button), causes the full quotation to appear in the Quote Box at the bottom of the screen. As you scroll down the list, each highlighted quote appears in turn in the Quote Box.

Another interesting technique is the Hierarchical Search which is great if you want to browse through various topics. There are 13 primary topics: Art, Business, Education, Family, Government, Human Nature, Leisure, Life, Motivation, Science, Society, Speech, and Success. These in turn have Secondary and Tertiary categories.

As an example, Motivation has five secondary topics: Accomplishment, Exercise, Expectations, Health, and Interest. In turn, Interest has nine tertiary groups: Influence, Inspiration, Interest, Passions, Preparation, Purpose, Reason, Sources, and Zest. When Interest is selected, four quotes are listed, including this tickler by Agatha Christie, the famous English detective novel writer: "An archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have; the older she gets, the more he is interested in her."

About 90% of PennComp's sales are direct to end users, although Quotemaster Plus can be special-ordered through Egghead Software. The core program with its 3,000 plus quotations lists for $89. With the four add-on modules and author base, the entire program is $270 or a single module is $60 and the author database is $45. A 20 percent discount is available for buys up to ten. If any members are interested, please contact me.

PenComp Computer Applications address is Box 271529, Houston, TX 77277-1529. (800) 326-6145. Founded in 1978 by Paul Pennington, PennComp specializes in software development for a variety of applications including financial futures monitoring, network integration, and customizing multi-user systems.


MacGlobe form Broderbund Software
MacGlobe from Broderbund Software

by Bob Leahy, NOCCC

MacGlobe is a computerized cross between an atlas and an almanac As an atlas, MacGlobe displays a world map or nine localized region (such as South America) maps. You can color individual countries on these maps and print the resulting maps. The maps looked absolutely beautiful when viewed on my Radius color monitor. I could not view the printed color maps. (My laser printer is a Henry Ford model. It prints any color you want, as long as it is black)

The maps looked far less beautiful when viewed on a monochrome monitor. It is very hard to differentiate between the varieties of shading When printed on my 300 dots per inch laser printer, the map lines and connecting lines looked more than a bit jagged The shading also looked less than professional. However, these maps might look a bit better when they are shrunk for insertion in a newspaper or newsletter.

All of these maps can be copied into the Scrapbook and pasted into the program of your choice-PageMaker, or SuperPaint (If you aren't careful, you also can paste a map into Microsoft Word - as I did). In addition to coloring individual countries, MacGlobe can automatically color countries in certain groupings such as NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization, SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization, and OAS (Organization of American States). You also can specify a "from" and "to" location, and MacGlobe will display a world map with the two cities connected by a line, and will specify the distance and bearing.

Suppose your airplane is taking off from Washington, DC, and a passenger stands up and announces that she is hijacking the plane to Zvishavane, Zimbabwe. The pilot probably has never heard of either the city (village?). I would be able to fire up my PowerBook, and use MacGlobe to determine that the distance is 7,981 miles, and the compass bearing is 963 degrees. (Don't get picky and ask if that is a magnetic or true bearing). Again, the resulting map, with the distance and compass bearing can be copied to the scrapbook (I can sympathize anyone who would want to flee to freedom from Washington, D.C.)

The almanac portion of MacGlobe allows you to look at a map and statistics of a single country (such as Mexico). The first screen shows a map of the country, a picture of the flag, and a (very tinny) recording of the national anthem. A pull-down menu allows you to modify the basic map to display cities, elevation, and geographic features. You also can view several screens of vital statistics on that country. These statistics show detailed information on economics, demographics, health statistics, and education.

You scroll from screen to screen by clicking on the screen or on the horizontal scroll bar. If you want to compare this screen to the same information in another country, you can click on the vertical scroll bar By dragging on the vertical elevator you can quickly compare the information on another country MS-DOS users who are trying to figure out what scroll bars and elevators are should switch to a better computer (the Mac) or switch to Windows, a copy of the Mac operating system.

MacGlobe's most powerful feature is its ability to combine both an atlas and an almanac. You can (for example) ask MacGlobe to prepare a map of South Americashowing the ratio of primary school students per teacher in each country MacGlobe then displays a map of South America, with the countries shaded in up to nine different patterns. The map includes a legend showing each pattern, and the corresponding student to teacher ratio. Again, this map can be exported to the scrapbook.

MacGlobe also can produce comparison bar charts. It can calculate currency conversions. If you want to convert $10,000 to rubles, MacGlobe can use its built-in ruble exchange rate, and instantly calculate a conversion (At the present rate of inflation, $10,000 is worth all of the rubles). MacGlobe would be invaluable to anyone who needs international atlas or almanac information on a more-than-occasional basis.

If you publish a newspaper or newsletter, MacGlobe could quickly produce, shade, and export regional map information. But I can't imagine that a casual user could use MacGlobe in place of an atlas and an almanac. MacGlobe takes 23 megabytes of disk storage. This would be a fairly large chunk of your hard disk for a program you might only use once a year.

Because of the difficulty of assembling and formatting information, MacGlobe's information is accurate as of March 15, 1992 The manual states that, "The situation in Yugoslavia is still uncertain. Observers are uncertain as to the near future of the region." That was written a year ago, but sounds awfully up to date.

MacGlobe runs on virtually any Mac. It requires at least a Mac Plus, a hard disk, and System 604 (or later). MacGlobe also runs under System 70.


Typing Tutor 5 Plus

by Ronald M. Osborn, NOCCC

I received Typing Tutor 5 Plus (Version 1.0 for the Macintosh) about three months ago. I installed it in a Macintosh plus with one megabyte of memory. It would not run and told me I didn't have enough memory. About a eight weeks later I switched to a Macintosh SE with 2 1/2 MB of memory, and the program ran with no problem.

I initially started first practice lessons and found the response of the display very slow. This seemed to destroy the feedback required to make learning happen. I spent about 30 minutes with the program and found my hands too tired for more.

Eventually, I tried three practice sessions and did pretty well. Letters were added faster than I could adjust to and error rates increased. I had been using a, s, d, f, j, and space when I decided to try the game called "Letter Invaders." You save the English language by typing the letters and letter groups that fall from the sky. I found myself bombarded by letters I had not used yet and by capital letters which are very hard when you haven't used them before with ten finger typing. My son tried the program and found that it did not catch errors corrected by using backspace. This gave him a perfect typing record even though he had typed (and corrected) errors.

Having discussed the negatives of this program, let's look at the positives.

The graphics and presentation are excellent. A great deal of statistical information is presented after each run. After each practice run the statistics are presented with a saying like "Continue working with a regular lesson. Put extra effort into your weakest keys." The student can decide how long a session will be and when he or she will be tested. The choices of what and when are wide. A good program without any new approaches as I see it.

Overall, I think this program is as good as any other typing programs I have tried. You can buy it for $30 at Egghead.


Word Wrapper

Memo Field Replacing for Foxbase, dBASE, Foxpro and Clipper

by Norbert K. Mikun, NOCCC

Among the thorniest aspects to handle when designing a database application are the memo fields. They waste so much space and allow so little control over them that I routinely exclude them from all commercial applications I design. But what does one do when the application has to manage a large amount of text? That was my dilemma until I ran into a little ad for Word Wrapper.

Over the years I have learned to take the usual advertising hyperbole with a grain of salt and this ad was no exception; but, because of my immediate requirements and the unconditional money back guarantee, I decided to try it, and boy am I glad I did. Dynamite, is the only way I can describe this nifty little product.

Word Wrapper is a powerful word processor which you can integrate seamlessly with your database application, and which completely eliminates the need to use memo fields. It is infinitely superior to memos by providing an array of word processing features usually found only in dedicated processors. It preserves the standard memo accessing interface (PgUp while the cursor is on the memo field) but it allows you to program your own accessing method.

Word wrapper does its magic by keeping the data in regular text fields as one field per text line. Like any good word processor it provides automatic word wrapping and reformatting. When the user types to the end of line and the last word does not fit, it automatically wraps to the next line. When you insert or delete text, the paragraph automatically and continuously reformats shifting the text ahead of the cursor as necessary.

You can place the text in a window with full control of size and screen position or in a full screen mode, a single keystroke allows you to zoom back and forth between them. When you specify a document size larger than the window size, the text will scroll upward and downward vertically as needed.

A powerful but easy to use text blocking facility and the built in clipboard allows you to cut any text range and then paste it into the same memo multiple times or into different memos. You can search utilizing fuzzy logic, and replace any size block of text, even an entire memo, anywhere within the memo or globally across many memos.

A complete array of features is too numerous to list here but these are some of the main ones:

•  Mouse support for Foxpro 2.0 or later

•  Insert and over strike modes

•  Context sensitive help

•  A status display showing the current line number and Insert/over strike mode

•  Text can be deleted a character, a word, a line or a block at a time

•  Built in pop-up menus of the package's functions

•  Allow for variable line length from 2 to 80 characters and up to 999 lines

•  Unlike memo fields, it uses only the disk space actually filled with text

•  Complete control over the size, location and color of the screen display

•  Ability to extract text for reports

•  Ability to import and export text from/to other memos or files

There are two modules available: The basic Word Wrapper which has all the above features and a separate toolbox module which further enhances the package's capabilities with options like spell checking, boldface, underlining, reformatting of existing text to conform to new line sizes etc.

As it is customary, I have saved the best to be last.

•  Word Wrapper comes as a set of ready to use procedures written in dBASE, Foxbase, Foxpro and Clipper.

•  You get the complete source code which you can distribute royalty free as part of your own applications.

•  The code is extremely well annotated and commented which allows for very easy modifying and inclusion in your own programs.

•  A very clear user manual is included.

•  The full price of Word Wrapper and the toolbox module is $99.00 each.

•  It includes an unconditional 60 day money back guarantee.

Word Wrapper is available from Strategic Edge. 2062 Union Street, Suite 300. San Francisco, CA 94123. Phone:(415)563-3755. FAX:(415)563-1907.

It is not very often that you run into a product which lives up to its advertising claims but in this case the product far exceeds them, and if you are just like me, having problems with memo fields; don't walk, run to the nearest phone to get Word Wrapper.


Pagemaker 4.0

by Elizabeth Kosterich - Central Maryland Microcomputer Users Group

In Pagemaker, Aldus has created a desktop publishing program that has clearly  been produced by designers for designers. The language, the capabilities, the ease of input are all that I as a designer would have, which is a form of praise, and also a word of warning. This is not a program for the inexperienced or those who don't like to read directions. You need to understand typography, and basic layout techniques, or you will give up on this program pretty quickly. Which is probably as it should be for a professional package.

Installation is quite simple and straight forward. I experienced no problems whatever. It is after installation that one should take the time to go through the start-up materials that are included in the package. Let me rephrase that, you must go through the introductory manuals and tutorials. This is not an intuitive program that you will catch onto by taking five or ten minutes studying the screen and the various pull down options on the menu. And even if you do manage to struggle through actually doing something without reading the manuals you will only accidently, if ever, stumble upon all of the shortcuts that make PageMaker a joy to use and which are found only in the manuals.

PageMaker, as in many Windows word processors is "frame-based", that is, you must create a frame to bring your text into before it is imported. A frame can be an entire page or just a portion of it.

Typically, you would define a page as a frame and then define how it is to be laid out. But once the program is loaded, you are faced with a blank screen, and no obvious directions on what to do next. You choose the New Page option from the pull down File menu and get a rather complex dialog box that gives you a wonderful choice of page sizes, borders etc. You are asked how many pages are in your document, and if you want them numbered automatically.  However, as complete as this dialog box seems to be, the choices continue elsewhere. After you've closed this dialog box, go to "Column Guides" from the menus and you get more choices on your page setup: How many columns do you want, the distance between them, the margins on all four sides, plus you have several measurement systems to choose from.

If you are a novice to the program I strongly urge you to go immediately back to the menus and choose the Lock Guides option. Otherwise you may inadvertently move your guides and have to back track. Not fun.

Once your page is on the screen, you will notice a row of tiny pages on the bottom of the screen, with two marked L and R. These two are your Master Pages, and are quite a nifty option that allows you to input all the information that all the pages have in common (rules, headers, footers, columns etc.) just once. The information is then automatically included on all subsequent pages. This saves lots of time. By choosing one of the other pages along the bottom, you can instantly jump to it.

Text can be imported from almost any word processing system currently in use.  I have found that for the most part, when I "Place" the text, (the import feature) I always end up choosing not to retain any formats, tags or any options given in the dialog box. It always comes in "cleaner" that way. I can then maintain consistency between the headlines, paragraphs, etc. within the document without having to rely on the formatting of the incoming document. It may be because WordPerfect files are the most often used text imports for me and other packages may work differently.

Once the text is imported, you can manipulate it to your hearts content, you can resize it, edit it, break it up, and move it almost anywhere. I say almost, because Pagemaker does have a very neat layering feature that can also get you into big trouble if you aren't careful. I lost a small article by inadvertently layering another on top. Oops.

Graphics import with ease. I have only had problems importing TIFF graphics once, when I tried importing a graph from Arts & Letters and only some of the art came over. But just as with the text, once it is imported, you can size it, place it and manipulate it painlessly.

Also, moving graphics into PageMaker by way of the Windows Clipboard is very easy. Most other programs require you to first define a graphic frame. PageMaker's solution is more elegant since you size the graphic once it is placed in the document. However, there is no telling where a graphic will show up when you bring it in via the Clipboard. Unfortunately, I have a 286 with only 2 meg. of RAM, so I can't open Arts & Letters and PageMaker at the same time. Being able to do so would greatly speed up graphics import, but copying to the Clipboard, closing A&L and opening PageMaker works just fine.

I mentioned before that this is not an intuitive program. You will need to look for things. For example, you have full control of all aspects of the typography, but the typography menu is not where you will accomplish this.  To assign leading, kerning and tracking to the type, you must go to the Paragraph Specs menu. This is where a normal typographer would be doing this from, but was not where I would have looked for it. You can choose to assign various styles to all of your test, or you can highlight certain parts and assign different styles to just that section.

While I am on the subject of text again, I have found that every once in a while, just enough to make me frustrated, I cannot edit the text. I will be in text mode, have just completed a similar edit in the same piece, and for whatever reason, the edit doesn't happen. Usually I just move somewhere else on the page, do another edit, and come back and it works just fine. Maybe I just have Gremlins. Or maybe it just gets tired. I have asked other users, and they give me the old smile and nod and admit they have no idea why, but the same thought occurs to them. Maybe Pagemaker has Gremlins.

The trick to using this program, and it is here that I see the strong influence of designers in the program, is you must have a preplan in mind before you start a project on this package.

This is not a sit and play around till you get it right program. There are far to many elements that need to be determined ahead of time. You need to choose your type style, alignment, kerning, tracking, leading, how text will wrap, your columns, your master page items, etc. A mini layout is essential.  And that is how a designer works. This program requires preparation. If you dive into it, you will drown. If you are prepared, you will be delighted with the output.

PageMaker is for the serious graphics professional and while some Windows word processors offer limited desktop publishing features, PageMaker has the depth and wealth of features to grow with your imagination and skills. I didn't even mention that PageMaker has its own 110,000 word Houghton Mifflin dictionary included and you can maintain a personal/supplementary one as well.

Also, you can edit not only in draft mode but in WYSWIG mode. Other programs are just starting to offer this feature. Plus, if you need to work with designers who use Macintoshes, exchanging files is pretty painless, since file formats are compatible between machines. PageMaker is one of those programs that is deceptively easy to use, once you know how to use it, but sufficiently cryptic to frustrate the casual user.

Aldus has just announced PageMaker Database Edition, which allows you to exercise typographic control over your existing databases for publishing catalogs, for instance.

PageMaker 4.0 is a product of Aldus Corporation. List Price: $695. Street price: around $550. Microsoft Windows 3.x required.


Untouched Photo


Embosed Photo


Mosaic Photo


Installing MS DOS 6.0
Installing MS-DOS 6.0

For Those Who Chose not to Read the Manual

by Jim Karsjens, NOCCC

Like the upgrade to MS-DOS 5.0, the upgrade to MS-DOS 6.0 is quite fool-proof. It includes a number of new tools that used to require separate utility add-ons. Most seem as if they are simplified but adequate versions of the original utilities. They will probably satisfy 90% of users, but a power user may still want the original utilities to crank out just a little more performance.

First of all, MS-DOS 6.0 requires 4.2 megabytes disk space plus a formatted disk for your A: or boot drive. When you type A:Setup, your old DOS directory is renamed Old_DOS, and the new commands are placed in a new DOS directory. The formatted disk is used to create an Unformat disk. If by chance the installation bombs, pressing the F50 key while your computer is restarting will cause MS-DOS to skip your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. You can then boot with the unformat disk and you are back the way you were. Once you are sure that MS-DOS 6.0 is working well, you may then type DelTree Old_DOS (a new command that will wipe out the directory and its contents) .

If you are short on disk space on C:, first do a basic installation of DOS and add the Data Protecting Features later, after you have deleted Old_DOS and recovered that space. Type A:Setup/e to continue - a switch that is hard to find in the manual. Backup (MsBackup) has been licensed from Symantec, while undelete (UnDelete) and Virus (MSAV) have been licensed from Central Point. They require the following disk space:

	Win	DOS	Both
Backup	884,736	901,120	1,7850,8506
Undelete	278,5028	32,768	278,5028
Virus	786,432	360,448	1,032,192
Total	1,949,696	1,294,336	3,096,5076

MemMaker, to optimize your PC's memory, greatly improves the performance of HiMem.Sys. To use it, first place a backup copy of your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT in a subdirectory such as \SYS. MemMaker will automatically install EMM386 and remove any QEMM, 386MAX, or NetRoom commands from your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. (MemMaker does not delete the other memory manager files from your hard disk.) Look at MemMaker.Hlp to give you an overview of the program, MemMaker.Inf

for a list of files that should not be loaded high, and MemMaker.Sts to show how much upper memory is used by each file in your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT. Rearranging so that large files are listed first may enable you to squeeze a little more into high memory. Typing MEM/C/P will show you how much memory you have.

Dblspace will increase your hard disk space. However if you are currently using Stacker you must write to MicroSoft for the separate program that will disable Stacker without reformatting your hard disk.

InterLnk will enable you to connect a Client and Server computer setup with a parallel or a null-modem serial cable similar to FastLynx or LapLink programs. The controlling computer must put<->Device=C:\DOS\InterLnk.Exe /Drives:4 in their CONFIG.SYS. The Server or source computer must type InterSvr and control is turned over to the Client. Control is regained by the Server by typing Alt-F4.

You also might want to add Switches=/f to your CONFIG.SYS file to skip the 2-second delay after displaying the Starting MS-DOS message during startup.

Help will give you a list of all MS-DOS commands, and instead of playing Windows Solitaire during your next break, you might go to the \DOS subdirectory and typing each command followed by /?, just to see the power in each.

MS-DOS 6.0 - well worth the low upgrade price.


Fun With OS/2

by Tom Kuklinski - Computer Users of Erie

You are using OS/2 and you moved all your favorite programs to the desktop. You took the time to organize the look and feel to your liking. The finance programs are in one folder, the graphics in another and games yet in another. The folders all look the same. Let's add a look to suit the programs and you.

We are going to build icons that are actual images from the program. You don't need special programs to do that - just the regular OS/2 v2.0 setup. Here we go.

You can go about this in two ways. The first way goes like this. Open the template folder and drag a 'PROGRAM' folder to the desktop. The program-settings notebook will automatically open. Specify the program name and also its path then close the notebook.

Now double click on the new icon to open an active program window. Get to the place in the program that you wish to capture for your icon image. At this time click open the title bar and choose 'MARK'. Drag the pointer to what you want. Remember this is an icon and should be about that size. Click open the title bar again and click the 'COPY' command. You have now captured the image into the clipboard. You can exit the program now. You need to convert the clipboard image to an icon. Click on the new program object and click the SETTINGS command. Click on the GENERAL tab. Click on 'CREATE ANOTHER' button. The ICON EDITOR will now open. Click on FILE and click NEW. Select the ICON radio button and click OK to continue.

You bring in the image by clicking on the EDIT and choose PASTE. This brings the image from the clipboard to the grid of the icon editor. Now you can modify it the way you like. When you are done choose the SAVE command from FILE. You exit the icon editor.

To make the icon active click the FIND button from the notebook program settings. This will allow you to choose the icon and make it a part of the program.

That is all you need to do. Once you have gone through the procedure so as to understand it you can do all your objects.

The other method is by opening any window session. From this you can MARK and COPY to the clipboard. Now that you know this you can transfer to other areas you want, where there is a PASTE command.

The power lies within OS/2. Have fun.


WP Temporary Macros

Aaron M. Bisberg - Fairfield County UG

A WordPerfect temporary macro, combined with repeat (Esc Key) can be a huge time saver. It's best applied when many repetitive key strokes are needed and when that series of key strokes will most likely not be used again. For example, a friend's article was sent to me with the examples of fonts in 14 point. I wanted them in 11 point. To make the change for each font took about ten key strokes and there are 38 examples - 380 keystrokes. I wrote a temporary macro, used the repeat key and had the whole thing changed over in less than five minutes.

To write a temporary macro:

<Ctrl-F10><Enter><your keystrokes><Ctrl-F10> and you're done.

To use a temporary macro:

<Alt-F10><Enter> and your keystrokes will be executed.

To automate repetition of the macro:

<Esc><xx><Enter><Alt-F10><Enter> where xx is the number of times you want the macro to repeat.

The macro will be available to you until you write another temporary macro or until you leave WP.


WordPerfect Tip - Tables
WordPerfect Tip

from Russ Warner, NYPC

To convert tabular text or data to tables (one of my favorites):

If you want to create a table from tabular text, simply block all of the tabular text, press COLUMNS/TABLE <Alt-F7>, 2-TABLE, 1-CREATE, 1-TABULAR COLUMN.


WordPerfect Tip - Compose
WordPerfect Tip

Mel Morganstein - Bugletter

Using COMPOSE to create fractions

WordPerfect's COMPOSE feature allows you to add a large number of interesting characters not found on your keyboard. By invoking the feature with <Ctrl+V> followed by "/2" or "/4", WordPerfect will respectively print a "1/2" or "1/4" for you. A long list of other characters, including bullets for tables, etc., can be added as well. Check out the Compose section in your manual to see the literally hundreds of special characters that can be printed in your documents.


Telephone Help Line

HelpLine Volunteers Needed!

The Help Line is in the true spirit of NOCCC - which is to help and teach others and to learn more ourselves about computers.The following is a list of Telephone Help Line volunteers and the software and hardware subjects they are willing to answer questions about.

Please call Mike Muller at (714)650-4041 for additions, changes, or corrections.

ACT	John Heenan	998-7633
ACT Contact Mgr	Vance Jochim	952-2517
AI	Ron Osborn	991-5887
AIQ Trading Expert	Don Rosenfield	995-6363	1-10pm
APL/APL 1 & 2	Z.V. Lenny	(310)691-0427	9-11am
Amiga	Ron Osborn	991-5887
Amiga	Bill Green	533-2248	after 6 pm
Apple	Ron Osborn	991-5887
Apple/Educator	Gerry Resch	772-6667
C	Frank McAninch	846-5134
Candlestick Forecaster	D. Rosenfield	995-6363	1-10pm
CC:MAIL	Gene Bateman	(310)943-5048	after 6pm
Clipper	Mike Fahy	974-1151	after 7 pm
Clipper	Robert Wendorf	892-1031
Commodore	Bill Green	533-2248	after 6 pm
Computer Boards	Martin LaRocque	(310)697-4318	days
COREL Draw!	Larry Klees	879-6405
COREL Draw!	Al Shkoler	996-0128	9am-6pm
COREL Draw!	Roy Boorman	524-9483	6pm-9pm
CP/M	Bob Ross	(818)353-1209
dBASE II/IV	Max Harper	533-3892	after 12:00 Noon
Database-Relational/Modelg	J. Conn	441-2552	6-9pm
Direct Access	Jacqualine Keller	894-5624	9-9
DOS	Steve Erwin	552-5538
DOS (Beginners)	Wally Townsend	281-4800
DOS-5	Jaqualine Keller	894-5624	9-9
DR DOS	Ron Grove	551-2110	days
Equis Metastock	Jerry Aldrich	786-8967	5-9 pm
FoxPlus	Leonard Prince	526-7881
Geoworks Ensemble	Larry Edell	(310)402-7226	6-9pm
Grandview Outliner	Vance Jochim	962-2517
IBM/Clone Hardware	G.L. Hollander	879-9005	Eves.
Kaypro	Bob Ross	684-9855
Lantastic	Mike Fahy	974-1151
Lotus	John Conn	441-2552	6-9pm
Lotus 123	Stan Keturakis	630-5745
Lotus 123	Leonard Leventhal	528-6344
Lotus 123 2.01	Larry Klees	879-6405
Lotus 123 2.01	Wally Townsend	998-2400
MA590	Lorna Cooney	892-5734
Macintosh	Bob Krishfield	532-3096
Macintosh	Ron Osborn	991-5887
Market Manager Plus Pro	Robert J. Lamb	828-7294
MarkMail	Bill Hinds	633-4874	5pm-9pm
MASM	Steve Erwin	552-5338
Memory/Interrupts	Mart LaRocque	(310)697-4318	days
Microsoft Excel	Bob Krishfield	532-3096
Microsoft Word	Jim Samuelson	472-9822
Microsoft Word for Win	John Heenan	998-7633
MIDI	Bruce DeVries	632-3841	7pm-midnight
Modem Hardware	George Haldane	828-3298	9am-2pm
Modem Software	George Haldane	828-3298	9am-2pm
Multimedia	Bruce DeVries	632-3841	7 pm-midnight
Neural Networks	Ron Osborn	991-5887
Novell	H.C. Chow	552-6723
Novell and POS	Ross Ghanim	952-2065	M-F 9-5
Oracle	Thomas Moses	545-2581
PageMaker	Peg Morell	995-3390
Paradox	John Conn	441-2552	6-9pm
Paradox	H.C. Chow	552-6723
Paradox	Jim Samuelson	472-9822
Paradox	Richard Brunner	978-3812	Evenings
PC-Beginners	Ron Osborn	991-5887
PC Hardware	Ron Osborn	991-5887
PCAD	Mike Dent	940-1886
Procomm Beginners	Bill Hinds	633-4874	5pm-9pm
Procom Plus Beginners	Bill Hinds	633-4874	5pm-9pm
ProLog Expert Systems	Eric Gartner	537-9568
QEMM	Roy Grove	551-2110	days
PULSE	Jerry Aldrich	786-8967
Quattro	Leonard Prince	526-7881
Quattro Pro	John Heenan	998-7633
Quattro Pro	Lorna Cooney	892-5734
Quick BASIC	Bill O'Neill	744-5374
Quick BASIC	Tom Moses	545-2581
Quick BASIC	Leonard Prince	526-7881
Quicken! 5.0	Hoyt Crider	492-0824
Quicken! 6.0	Jay Chaisson	997-2707	after 6 pm
Quickbooks	Jay Chaisson	997-2707	after 6 pm
Realtime Control	Frank McAninch	846-5134
Robotics	Frank McAninch	846-5134
SLMR	Bill Hinds	633-4874	5pm-9pm
SQL	Thomas Moses	545-2581
SuperPrint	Peg Morell	995-3390
Symphony	Stan Keturakis	630-5745
Turbo Pascal/Tool Box	Lon Rolland	380-7127	6-9pm
Unix	Danny Hill	(818)369-6780	3-10 pm
Ventura Publisher	Al Shkoler	996-0128	9am-6pm
Ventura Publisher	Tom Kean	978-7398
Ventura Publisher	Stew Wilson	542-7804	Evenings
Windows	Jacqualine Keller	894-5624	9-9
Windows	Nels Kennard	(310)4496-1389	10 am-10 pm
Windows 3	Jim Samuelson	472-9822
Windows for Workgroups	Bob Fritts	587-2850	MWF10am-noon
Windows Shells	Joe Bustillos	832-7778	Evenings
WordPerfect	Gary Hollander	879-9005	Evenings
WordPerfect	Larry Klees	879-6405
WordPerfect	Ron Osborn	991-5887
WordPerfect	John Conn	441-2552	6-9 pm
WordPerfect 5.1	Linda Amanna	528-2509	Evenings
WordPerfect 5.1 (beginner)	Jacqualine Keller	894-5624	9-9
WordPerfect 5.1	Lorna Cooney	892-5734
WordPerfect for Windows (beginner)	H.Crider	492-0824
WordPerfect for Windows (beginner)	Jacqualine Keller	894-5624	9-9
WordStar 2000	Roy B. Garcia	968-1638
WordStar 5.5	Leonard Prince	526-7881
X-Tree Gold	Jacqualine Keller	894-5624	9-9


HP Laser Cartridge Returns
Make Money for NOCCC.

Help the Environment. Bring Us Your Used HP Laser Cartridges.

When you buy a new HP Laser cartridge, put the old one in the box the new one came in, along with the replaceable wand, and bring the box and contents to the NOCCC Membership Desk at the entry to Hashinger Hall. NOCCC will get sawbucks for each cartridge.

Tell your friends, your boss and your business associates. They can all play a part in this worthwhile project.

We'll all be doing our bit for the environment through recycling.


Consignment Table

Bring that computer item which has been gathering dust to the next General Meeting. You can likely sell it to another NOCCC member.

Cathy Shimozono, Jerry Hayes and their associates will help you make the sale. Their consignment tables are right at the entry to Hashinger Hall. Deliver your goodies, fill out the form, name your prices, and get a proper receipt for it. At the end of this time, the money will be counted, and  you will receive 90% of the money received for your item.

The Consignment Table is open from 10 a.am. to 2:00 p.m. Do not deposit your consignment and leave it unwatched before or after this period!


Wear Your Badge
Wear Your Badge!

Members are now requested to wear their club badges at NOCCC meetings. Those who forget will be provided with temporary badges, available at the membership table. And, if lost, replacement badges may be ordered for $1.00.

First time visitors, speakers and other non-members will be provided with a special visitor's badge which will be available at the membership table.

Our purpose is not to exclude anyone from attending, but rather to provide newcomers with a means of identification so that board members can greet them and welcome them to our meetings.


Are You an NOCCC Member?

If you haven't joined, you're missing a lot. Consider what you get with membership:

•	Meetings. Keep up with what's going on in the computer world. Hear outstanding industry representatives make presentations of the latest and greatest in computer products.

•	Special Interest Groups. Our 17 SIGs cover a broad spectrum of user interest; they invite you, whether you rank as beginner or seasoned computerist, to take in the lectures and demonstrations they sponsor, and to share computer knowledge.

•	Get help with your current computer problem. In the Random Access portions of the meetings you ask your question of the entire assemblage, and more than likely someone will have the answer.

•	The NOCCC HelpLine. Some 100 NOCCC volunteers, experts in their field, stand ready to assist with your problems, as close as your telephone.

•	The Orange Bytes Newsletter. Our 32 page newsletter mailed monthly to your address reports on current activities and give you articles and reviews geared toward your needs.

•	Fast preferred access to the Club Bulletin Board. The largest and finest computer bulletin board in Southern California, the Club Board provides gigabytes of public domain, shareware and general interest files, as well as messaging.

•	Field Trips. Sponsored several times a year to locations of concentrated computer activity - recent trips included visits to the Orange County Register, the Graphix Zone, and the Long Beach Offshore Oil Field.

•	Raffles. We distribute thousands of dollars worth of hardware and software raffle prizes at our general and SIG meetings.

•	Consignment Table. We have a thriving consignment table on our regular meeting day, in which we assist members to sell or buy all kinds of computer items.

•	Volunteer Work. You are given opportunity to help our activities with interesting assignments. An all-volunteer organization, you can join with other members in a variety of activities, from the writing of reviews for our newsletter to conducting a seminar, assisting in our swap meets, and more.

•	Help and teach others, learn a lot yourself, make friends and have fun. It's only $25 a year to do all this.

Attend one of our meetings free. And then join up! Become an NOCCC member by signing up at the membership table at Hashinger Hall on our general meeting day, the first Sunday of the month. Or, if you have a copy of this newletter, fill out and mail to us the application blank on the back of it.


Day and Location of Monthly Meetings
Day & Schedule: With few exceptions, meetings are held the first Sunday of the month (holidays permitting) at Chapman University, 333 N. Glassell St. in Orange. Hashinger Hall is located at the southeast corner of the campus near Palm Ave. and Center St. Reach Glassell from any of the four freeways shown. Go north to Palm, east to Center, and North to one of the College's parking lots.

For current meeting information, please call (714)998-8080 for a recorded message.


Help Your HelpLine
Help our HelpLine:  We are still looking for knowledgeable men and women to support our Telephone HelpLine.

If you volunteer your expertise, you can help a member with a problem - a member who perhaps may not have someone else to turn to. We expecially need more Database and Windows volunteers.

If you would like to help, call HelpLine Czar Mike Muller at (714)650-4041, or leave a message on the Cash Cow Bulletin Board, (714)962-1857.


Hashinger Hall
No Eating or Drinking in Hashinger Hall

SIG Leaders will delay meetings until coke cans and the like are taken out. Chapman University insists on this. Please realize that we are guests on their property.

________________

Important Notice:  Club members are welcome to post wanted / for sale notices on the kiosk and have them printed in the Orange Bytes  -  but do not tape them on doors, windows, or walls.


Disclaimer
All opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors only, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the NOCCC, its Officers, Board of Directors, the Orange Bytes newsletter or its Editor. The NOCCC does not guarantee the accuracy or the correctness of advertising or articles in the Orange Bytes , nor does the NOCCC intend to endorse, rate, or otherwise officially comment on products available. Therefore, the readers are cautioned to rely on opinions presented exclusively at their own risk.

The mention of names of products in this publication without Trademark or Copyright symbols does not imply that they are not so protected by law.

Toolbox: This issue of Orange Bytes  was created with Microsoft Help Compiler 3.1 and runs as a Help file under Window 3.1. Windows 3.1 is recommended because TrueType fonts (Times New Roman, Arial) were used to create this issue.


Recorded Message
Recorded Message:  For a recorded message about NOCCC and upcoming meetings call 714-998-8080.


NOCCC
The newsletter of the:

North Orange County Computer Club

Box  3616

Orange, CA 92665

Founded in April, 1976


Sam Miller - Editor Orange Bytes
Sam Miller, Editor of Orange Bytes, is a long time member of the CLub. Sam can be reached on either of the Club's Bulletin Boards. If its really important he can be reach at (310)421-5701. If you are interested in contributing to Orange Bytes and you cannot use the bulletin boards to submitt your articles, try mailing it to him. Information on submitting to Orange Bytes can be found under About Orange Bytes.