If this brief study on fractals has aroused your curiosity, get on CompuServe and find out more about the fascinating world of fractals, fractal imaging and software.
We suggest Computer Database Plus (GO CDP), a service of Ziff-Davis, as the best place to start. Use FRACTAL as your keyword during the search. For more information and instruction about Computer Database Plus, read on...
What Is Computer Database Plus?
Computer Database Plus is a service that lets you retrieve computer-related articles from more than 230 magazines, newspapers, and journals. You'll find news, reviews, product introductions and more, in areas such as hardware, software, electronics, engineering, communications and the application of technology.
Comprehensive coverage includes popular as well as trade and professional titles. Full-text publications (often with abstracts as well) include PC Week, PC Magazine, Macweek, InfoWorld, and the Newsbytes news service. Publications in abstract form only (no full text) include Computerworld and Computer Reseller News.
Coverage for many publications begins with January 1987. The database is updated whenever a significant amount of new material is available, usually weekly.
You can find a complete list of publications in Computer Database Plus, with coverage dates, in the FREE Ziff Support Forum. The service name ("go" word) is ZIFFHELP. Download the file CDPPUB.TXT from the ComputerDB Plus library (library 9).
Under CompuServe's Standard Pricing Plan, the COMPDB menus on CompuServe and ZiffNet are part of basic services. For Alternative Pricing Plan and ZiffNet-only members, the menus are part of extended services. Computer Database Plus itself is a surcharged service. See "Pricing" on the COMPDB menu for details.
If you have any problems using Computer Database Plus, please don't hesitate to select "Database Customer Service" from the COMPDB menu, or go directly to the Ziff Support Forum, and leave a message addressed to SYSOP in the ComputerDB Plus Q&A message section (section 9). And don't forget to come back later for the answer!
Basic Instructions
Computer Database Plus operates using menus and commands as much as possible like those of the terminal emulation interface of CompuServe and ZiffNet. For example, T (TOP) brings you to the Computer Database Plus Main menu; M (MENU) brings you to the previous menu; and OFF or BYE ends your Computer Database Plus session and returns you to CompuServe or ZiffNet.
If you use the CompuServe Information Manager (CIM), you may be unfamiliar with the terminal emulation interface. To see a list of CompuServe commands, pull down a "Go" dialog and type ASCII at the "Service" prompt. When you see the terminal emulation ! prompt, type HELP. You may want to save the command list to a file for later reference. Type GO HMI at the ! prompt to return to the regular CIM interface.
For other users who are not familiar with CompuServe commands, simply type HELP at any ! prompt.
To get started using Computer Database Plus, select "Access Computer Database Plus" from the COMPDB menu. In a few seconds, you will see the Computer Database Plus Main menu. Choose to search for articles. Then follow these basic steps:
- Select how you wish to search. Try Key Words, Subject Headings, Company Names or Product Names first.
- Type one or more words you wish to search for. You can search for more than two words, but one or two is usually the best way to start.
- View the summary screen, which indicates how many articles match your search.
- Either choose to display a menu of matching articles, or choose one of the options for refining your search.
- From the menu of matching articles, select the articles you wish to display or download.
You can download one or more articles when viewing the menu of articles. You can also download an article you are displaying.
Help is never far away. Typing H or ? at any ! prompt shows you the options available to you at that particular point. Typing ? at a prompt that is asking you for a search term gets you help on that search method.
For more information about Computer Database Plus, choose "What Is Computer Database Plus" from the COMPDB menu.
You can find a user's guide and publication list for Computer Database Plus in the ComputerDB Plus library (library 9) of the FREE Ziff Support Forum. The service name ("go" word) is ZIFFHELP. Download the file CDPUSR.TXT for the user's guide, CDPPUB.TXT for the publication list.
Pricing
Users of Computer Database Plus incur charges in addition to the extended services connect-time charge (which varies by billing plan and modem speed) and any applicable network charges:
25 cents per minute ($15 per hour) connect-time surcharge
$2.50 per full-text article VIEWED on screen or DOWNLOADED to your computer ($1.50 if an abstract is not available)
$1 per article abstract VIEWED or DOWNLOADED.
The citations on the Article Selection menu indicate if an article comes with full text.
When VIEWING an article screen by screen, you incur the $1 charge as soon as you choose an article by number from the Article Selection menu (unless the article has no abstract). If an article has full text, you incur the $1.50 charge as soon as you begin to view the text; you will be warned before this occurs.
When DOWNLOADING or SCROLLING an article, you incur the full charge for the complete article -- $2.50, $1.50, or $1, depending on how it's available. You cannot download or scroll only the abstract portion of a full-text article.
During a single session, once you've been charged for an article you can view and/or download it as many times as you wish without being charged again.
ZiffNet members, as part of their monthly membership fee, receive a transaction allowance of one article (in whatever form it's available -- abstract-only or full text) per month. This allowance may not be combined with other offers.
You can view the charges for a session in progress by selecting "Display Charge Summary" from the Search Summary menu. In addition, you will be shown your final charges automatically when you exit the service.
Database Customer Service
The Ziff Support Forum, home of Computer Database Plus customer service, is FREE of connect time charges (other than any applicable network charges), and joining imposes no charge or obligation on you. Just select the appropriate button if you're using CIM, or press <Enter> at the end of this text if you're not, and leave a message addressed to SYSOP in the ComputerDB Plus Q&A message section (section 9).
A reply to your message will be posted in the forum within a day (or less). PLEASE RETURN TO ZIFFHELP from anywhere in CompuServe or ZiffNet and check for messages waiting for you. We do NOT send replies via CompuServe Mail (e-mail).
While you're in the forum, check out the ComputerDB Plus library (library 9), also free of charge. You can read or download a user's guide, a list of publications, and other helpful material such as a sample search.
You can still request a printed copy of the user guide and publication list by sending a message via CompuServe mail to ID [76702,470]. Be sure to provide a complete name and address, including ZIP code (U.S.) or postal code and country (outside U.S.), and specifically request the Computer Database Plus User's Guide. Your name and address will not be used for any mailing lists.
Non-CIM users press <Enter> to proceed or M to go to the previous menu. CIM users select the appropriate button.
