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1989-04-05
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9KB
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208 lines
##########################
# #
# PD DISC CATALOGUES #
# #
# Blessing or curse? #
# #
##########################
One of the advantages of using a computer with a disc drive is the ability
to take some information, save it to disc and send it on to others who can
then use it on their computers. When it comes to producing disc magazines
or PD catalogues this is very much more cost effective than the paper
based alternative.
If we consider that articles, software lists etc have to be written/
compiled in the same manner for both types of media (ie using a word
processor) then the temptation to include some form of text viewer and
send disc versions out instead of incurring high printing costs must be
great.
One of the main advantages must be the ease and speed of including new
discs and information. The customer can be kept very much up to date on
the PD scene, providing he has the latest catalogue. On the other hand you
can't read it in the bath.
So, are disc catalogues a way for libraries to produce catalogues that are
much more up to date than their printed counterparts or are the librarians
just tight gits who want to do things on the cheap?
I'll be looking at the offerings from three libraries. Two of which I have
heard of before (Caledonia and New Age) and one from the new 'free'
libraries (Ace). I should also have reviewed Networks catalogue, but the
shell (Doc-displayer) crashed a lot, Fastcopy 3 informs me was because of
a bad sector. I'll try to cover it next issue.
All things being equal the only apparent differences should be in the
amount of work that the librarian has put into their catalogue.
CALEDONIA PDL (Jake Bain)
-------------------------
Jakes catalogue autoboots cleanly to show a graphics screen with
'CALEDONIA' bouncing around and some music playing. Information about the
coders and the library is displayed in large, clear text that stays on
screen long enough to read it. Thankfully there isn't a great deal before
it repeats again, there is nothing worse than mile long scrollers that
ramble on and on... and on..... and......
Pressing the <SPACEBAR> at any time passes control over to the catalogue
viewer. Again this is uncluttered and very easy to understand. There is a
central box where the catalogue sections can be displayed and selected.
The TOS and GEMDOS versions of your computer are also shown which may be
useful when there is doubt about compatibility problems of some software.
Pressing the <HELP> key (only when a file is loaded) gives instructions
for using the catalogue. Briefly the options are: turn off/choose new
music, search text, print and save files, invert the screen and memorise
positions in the file.
When a section has been loaded a control box is displayed at the bottom of
the screen allowing it to be scrolled, saved, printed, the screen
inverted, etc. There are alternative controls such as the arrows for
scrolling and 'hot' keys for other functions.
The catalogue is split into well defined sections with library information
and discs in logical order. Disc contents are generally well done and
potential customers can see exactly what they are getting when ordering
discs. In almost every instance the disc not only states what programs and
files are present, but also gives a line or two of description as well.
Wherever possible incompatibility problems and memory requirements are
given.
NEW AGE PDL (Caroline Price)
----------------------------
The New Age catalogue also begins like a demo with a scrolling message
along the top of the screen. The text is green on red and easily read
(thank goodness or I'd go blind reviewing disc catalogues). Centre screen
has the logo 'New Age Public Domain Library' displayed with a backdrop
that flashes through patterns of the colour palette. At the bottom of the
screen are vector balls which rotate in an erratic elliptical pattern.
Background music (muzak?) plays constantly.
Pressing the <SPACEBAR> brings up the desktop with the folders and
programs available for running. As the root directory only had one '.PRG'
I double clicked on it. This resulted in a blank desktop with half a dozen
drop down menus covering subjects like 'Info', 'PD Disks', 'More PD',
'Disk Mags' and 'Licensed'.
Each menu has up to a dozen entries and it is very easy to find the
section that is of interest. During loading it becomes obvious that the
catalogue has been built around the ubiquitous 'Revenge Document
Displayer'. The text scrolling is fast and smooth, help is available and
the list of options enormous.
The catalogue entries are very well done with the reader being left in no
doubt about exactly what he will be getting when purchasing discs.
Descriptions are excellent with a paragraph normally devoted to each pro-
gram.
After the a text file has been read control can be returned to the initial
drop-down menus by pressing the <UNDO> key.
ACE PDL (Thomas O'Donahoe)
-------------------------
Booting the ACE PDL catalogue produces a scrolling star field with the
logo, 'ACE PD CATALOGUE V 4.00'. Next the message (partially) appears that
the boot program doesn't work with this TOS version (mine is TOS 1.4). The
program sits until a key is pressed. This was a problem that we
encountered with STEN and is easily overcome.
A welcome screen is next displayed with the top 7/8ths? informing that we
are now using the world's favourite PD library and that we have a choice
of running the catalogue or a copier. The bottom 1/7th has a right-left
scroller which... well you know my opinion about scrollers by now
...informs that this library is a member of a 'free PD and shareware
society'.
Being perverse, I chose the copier first which loaded and ran a copy of
Martin Backschats 'Fastcopy III'. This is (in my opinion) the best copier
available, but nothing 95% of the ST community already has.
Dropping out of Fastcopy didn't return to the menu, but to the desktop
where the menu was difficult to find again. Re-booting solved the problem
and the menu was duly selected... Again the 'Revenge Doc Displayer' is
used.
On selecting the <CATALOGUE> folder the sections had to be deciphered from
the normal 'filename.extension' entries. Luckily these had been chosen
carefully and it was easy to pick the correct categories. The disc
descriptions were, unfortunately, sparse.
The best example gave each program on the disc with a one line
description... (A comms program, Undeletes files, Type in a sentence and
let your ST speak). The worst were a bit more obscure... (A map viewer, An
art utility, ** 1 MEG **).
ACE PDL is run as a 'FREE' Library. This means that it is possible to send
a disc and SAE and receive you choice from their catalogue. The only
request seems to be that you include some interesting PD on the discs that
you send them. This seems fair enough in return for the service that they
provide.
CONCLUSION
==========
Of the three disc catalogues Caledonia's was the best and easiest to use,
but there wasn't much difference between it and the NEW AGE effort. This
was probably because Caledonia's was written specificaly for the purpose
of being a PD catalogue. The Doc Displayer on the other hand is a
(excellent) general purpose text viewer and tends to suffer a bit when
asked to run as a specialist application. ACE's catalogue was let down by
sparse descriptions of the disc contents and a minor glitches on loading.
Overall I would prefer to see paper based catalogues as I tend to read
them while I wait for programmes to load or when sitting in front of the
TV. Disc based catalogues on the other hand do have a place if used
correctly. This could be to keep the cost of PD down, give extensive
descriptions of the software available and be rapidly updated.
Caledonia New Age ACE
--------------------------------------------------
Ease of use ***** **** ***
Look and feel ***** **** ***
Text descriptions **** **** **
ADDRESSES
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Caledonia PDL
250 Oldtown Rd
Hilton
Inverness
0463 225736
New Age PDL
30 Anderson Estate
Lower Rd
Hockley
Essex
0702 232826
ACE PDL
90 Milton Rd
London
081 840 3204
Remember to include a disc and SAE when asking for catalogues.
___ooOoo___