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- Path: sparky!uunet!gator!nlbbs!jkilday
- From: jkilday@nlbbs.UUCP (Jack Kilday)
- Newsgroups: comp.bbs.waffle
- Subject: ZipNews FAST News Access for Waffle Now w/PCBoard Capability
- Message-ID: <VoaTXB1w165w@nlbbs.UUCP>
- Date: Fri, 22 Jan 93 23:08:30 EST
- Organization: The Northern Lights BBS, Portland, ME * 207-761-4782 *
- Lines: 78
-
- A new BETA of ZipNews, v0.94ß, is available today. This one adds
- capability for accessing directly from PCBoard on systems running Waffle
- as a DOOR. Here's the updated features list:
-
- * Offers high-speed, efficient access to Usenet newsgroups for callers
- to Waffle BBSs (as a Door or Waffle "external command").
-
- * Produces a single compressed ASCII text file of all new articles
- contained in newsgroups listed in the caller's Waffle JOIN file.
- (The ASCII text format is the first of a number of different formats
- planned. Future formats may include support for several offline
- readers/mailers with any of several formats being selectable by
- the caller.)
-
- * Updates the last article read pointers in the Waffle JOIN file only
- if the download completes successfully.
-
- * Also can serve as a PCBoard Door on systems running Waffle as a DOOR
- under PCBoard. That is, it is accessed directly from PCBoard
- without requiring the caller to log into Waffle each call. FAST!
-
- * ZipNews is SHARE-compatible, and supports multi-node operation
- (unlimited simultaneous BBS node access).
-
- * Allows complete system operator and caller freedom in specifying and
- selecting from archiver utilities and file transfer protocols.
- System operator can configure choices of up to 5 different archiving
- utilities and up to 10 file transfer protocols. (Limits are pretty
- arbitrary; will increase if there is demand.)
-
- * Individual caller configurations are "remembered" for reference
- during subsequent calls.
-
- * Handy "local" mode of operation to support system operator testing.
-
- * Supports RAMDISK work directories for speed and easing the burden
- on hard drives. A different directory for each BBS node can be
- specified using a single entry in one config file.
-
- * Complete comm port support built-in (supports non-standard comm
- ports). Disables FOSSIL communications to use its own comm
- routines. (FOSSIL comm is "reset" upon return to Waffle in the
- normal way.) CAUTION: Will not work with multi-port boards
- requiring special drivers (e.g., DIGIBOARD, ARNET, etc.).
-
- * Includes carrier monitoring & keyboard timeout monitoring. Returns
- to Waffle in the event of lost carrier or keyboard timeout (3 mins.).
-
- * No fancy graphics in normal operation -- compatible with any/all
- caller platforms -- similar to Waffle in this regard (i.e.,
- boringly plain!).
-
- * No charge for upgrades to future versions. (Once you have a
- registration number, it may be applied to all future upgrades.)
-
- Registration COST: $19.95
-
- Distributed as uncrippled, full-featured, fully functional SHAREWARE. The
- unregistered version of the product DOES prominently display that it is
- an unregistered, evaluation copy, etc., on-screen and in the text files it
- produces. (I have avoided making this crippleware, and, I hope, I've
- struck a happy medium and avoided "annoyware" as well. Comments welcome.)
-
- The executable is self-registering in that "Evaluation Copy" and
- "Unregistered" remarks are removed by running in "register" mode and
- entering registration number supplied when you register the product.
-
- Very soon to be at the major archive sites, but if you'd like to grab it
- via our mail-based server, e-mail to file-server@nlbbs.rn.com (any subject).
- Include the following text line in the body of the message:
- get \temp\znews094.zip.
-
- It's a 37K file. Enjoy.
-
- --
- Jack Kilday | nlbbs!jkilday@uunet.uu.net
- The Northern Lights BBS | -=-
- 207-761-4782 (v.32bis/HST) | 4-Nodes, 700 Megs * Internet: UUCP, FTP, Telnet
-