Cream of the Crop 22/Cream of the Crop 22.iso/faq/compu57.zip/COMPU57.TXT

Text File | 1996-11-16 | 61KB | 1,131 lines

COMPUNOTES - Issue #57 - November 13, 1996

This Week's Contents:

My Notes:
1) Comdex Here I Come . . .
2) Weekly Winner!

Columnists' Corner:
1) Reed's Corner <[e-mail]>

News:
1) IntraNetWare Gets an Update!
2) How to Pick the Right Computer Game for Christmas!

Reviews:
1) Product: Building Your Own Website by Susan Peck and Stephen Arrants
   Reviewed By: Doug Reed <[e-mail]>
2) Product: UltraSound PnP Pro
   Reviewed By: Doug Reed <[e-mail]>
3) Product: The Java Programming Language by Ken Arnold and James
   Gosling
   Reviewed By: Doug Reed, Associate Editor <[e-mail]>
4) Product: Better Homes and Gardens Healthy Cooking Deluxe
   Reviewed By: Steve Lozowski <[e-mail]>
5) Product: Laplink for Windows 95 and Webex
   Reviewed By: Don Hughes <[e-mail]>

Web Sites:
1) Classroom Computing Guide <http://www.classroomcomputing.com>
2) Win a Dream Vacation <http://my.yahoo.com>

Interview:
1) None this week!

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date : November 13, 1996|CompuNotes is a weekly publication available
Issue: 57               |through email and many fine on-line networks.
------------------------|We cover the IBM computing world with
CompuNotes is published |software/hardware reviews, news, hot web
B440,                   |sites, great columns and interviews. We also
1315 Woodgate Drive     |give away one software package a week to a
St. Louis, MO 63122     |lucky winner for just reading our fine
[phone] voice    |publication! Never dull, sometimes tardy, we
[phone] fax      |are here to bring you the way it is!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Backroom Workers:                     |We are always looking for
Patrick Grote, Managing Editor            |people to write us with
<[e-mail]>                       |honest, constructive
Doug Reed, Asst. Editor / Writer Liaison  |feedback! We need to hear
<[e-mail]>                      |from you! Please take the
Judy Litt, Graphics Editor/Web Master     |time to send us your
<[e-mail]>                           |opinions, comments and
------------------------------------------|criticisms. Some of our
I am looking for a collection of shareware|better features have
reviews I put out in the 87-88 timeframe  |actually come from our
under my handle of NEVER BEFORE. I think  |readership! Thanks!
they started as NB*.ZIP. Can you look     |---------------------------
on your local BBS? THANKS!                |  Go St. Louis Rams!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Every issue of CompuNotes ever published can be found at the following
ftp site: ftp://ftp.uu.net:/published/compunotes. Thanks to UUNET!
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SYSOPS READ HERE!

Wanting to make CompuNotes available on as many BBS as possible, we
can't afford to call everyone's BBS every week. What we would like to
do is send those interested sysops a UUENCODED version for posting on
their BBS. If you can volunteer to receive the UUENCODED version, turn
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If you are interested, fill out the following lines and send them
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BBS NAME:
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Patrick's News
Being The Publisher and Managing Editor Has Its Perks!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
COMDEX HERE I COME . . . |
--------------------------
I'm on my way to Comdex on Monday morning. We like flying in early
Monday and then leaving late Friday. Things I am looking forward to:
Seeing Windows CE, the 56K modems and Bill Gates' keynote with press
access! Things I am not looking forward to: the 1/4 mile hike from the
strip to the convention center, the crowds and the buffets. I used to
really be a fan of the buffets, but now I can't stand them.

The computer may be staying home on this trip. If it does, I won't be
sending any CompuNotes to you during the week. If I decide to bring it
I'll send you an update.

To make up for lost time I am also sending out issue #58 tomorrow
morning. Enjoy!

------------------
WINNER IS . . .  |
------------------
The software package being given away this week is The ASP Shareware
Collection! Our winner is:

[e-mail]

Send them a congratulatory email!

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Columnists' Corner - We bring you a different person each week!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Reed's Corner, NEW REVIEW RATINGS, Doug Reed, <[e-mail]>|
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Greetings and Salutations avid readers! This week's column covers the
topic of recent changes that have been made to the format of reviews
published in Compunotes. These changes will be introduced gradually over
the next few months, as reviews that are being written now will probably
not be published for another few weeks. These changes are meant to
address issues that you have raised and are designed to improve the
information you get out of a software/hardware review.

First, there will be changes to the header that accompanies each review.
In addition to the name of the product and the reviewer, we will now be
including information such as the Manufacturer's suggested retail price
and the hardware/OS requirements for the product. In addition, reviewers
may optionally include the system that the product was actually tested
on so that you can draw your own conclusions about performance and
usability.

The second and final change will be seen at the end of the review. We
will now be including ratings for the product being reviewed, although
the inclusion of these ratings will be at the discretion of the
reviewer. Most of the people who have reviewed for us in the past are
excited about the inclusion of these ratings as a measure of how the
product performed and the intended audience. These ratings will be
outlined as follows:

Installation/Ease of Use:
User-Friendliness:
Quality:
Audience:

The first three ratings are intended to provide a qualitative assessment
of the product, and will range from Gold Medal (the best) to DNF (Did
Not Finish, the worst). We have asked that if reviewers include these
ratings that they explain why they have given a particular rating in the
text of the review (especially if it is a low rating). The final rating
is the reviewers assessment of the intended audience of the product
(hopefully, but not necessarily, in agreement with the manufacturer's
stated intended audience). The possibilities for this rating range from
Novice to Business to Programmer as well as All, which means that anyone
can use the product.

Well, there you have it. We hope you like the new changes and how they
will affect the information you get out of a product review published in
CompuNotes.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS OF THE WEEK| This section is dedicated to verified news . . .
All News (C)opyright  Respective Owner - Will Only Reprint
----------------------------------------------------------------------
IntraNetWare is Updated!|
-------------------------
Novell IntranetWare(TM) Support Pack v1.0 Now Available


OREM, Utah -- November 6, 1996 -- Novell, Inc. today announced the
IntranetWare(TM) Support Pack v1.0, a comprehensive set of updates for
IntranetWare that is now available free for download from Novell's World
Wide Web site <http://support.novell.com>. Novell will regularly release
IntranetWare support packs to provide customers a convenient means of
updating their IntranetWare servers. System administrators can either
install the service pack directly onto individual servers, or perform
the process remotely, allowing the administrator to update all of an
organization's servers from a central location.

In response to customer feedback, Novell has included an integrated
installation program as part of the IntranetWare Support Pack v1.0 to
significantly reduce administrative time and effort. Customers no longer
need to manually install multiple files to update their Novell network.
The IntranetWare Support Pack v1.0 bundles the most recent patches into
one file that updates IntranetWare's services in one simple process.

"The IntranetWare Support Pack will be an efficient tool for us," said
Gene Mazurek, Novell platinum partner at Bancroft and Masters, Inc., a
reseller in Redwood City, Calif. "The integrated installation program
will save us valuable time. In the past we had to manually track which
updates had been installed and on which servers. Novell's new support
pack makes my job easier and allows me to be more efficient and
proactive in my time spent with customers."

Also included in the IntranetWare Support Pack v1.0 is a feature that
records each update as it is installed. Each support pack will
automatically check the system upon installation to determine which
services need to be updated. Administrators can view IntranetWare's
Currently Installed Products screen to monitor what has and has not been
updated.

"The IntranetWare Support Pack is part of Novell's strategy to reduce
the cost and complexity of ownership for our IntranetWare customers,"
said Willy Donahoo, senior director of product marketing at Novell.
"Novell plans to release IntranetWare support packs regularly to ensure
our customers benefit from the most current updates."

The IntranetWare Support Pack includes updates for the following
components contained in IntranetWare:

* Lan drivers
* DHCP support
* Novell NetWare Web Server(TM) 2.51
* TCP/IP support
* NetWare SMP
* NetWare SFT III
* Wide-area routing
* IPX(TM)/IP gateway


The IntranetWare Support Pack v1.0 can be found on Novell's Support Web
site at <http://support.novell.com> or on CompuServe by typing GO
NETWIRE. It will also be available in December of this year on the 96-12
Support Connections CD.

IntranetWare combines Novell's leading networking foundation, NetWare
4.11, with new intranet and Internet capabilities, creating a
comprehensive solution for building corporate intranets. These
capabilities include a high-performance Novell NetWare Web Server 2.51;
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) services; Netscape Navigator; an IPX/IP
gateway; and integrated wide-area routing.

--------------------------------------
Picking the Right Computer Gift . . .|
--------------------------------------
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ - If you've got someone on your gift-
giving list who'd really like a computer game, you're not alone. This
year, one out of every two home software purchases will be a game. And
there will be plenty to choose from. Hundreds of new games will debut
this holiday season, giving you plenty of options and possibly causing
lots of confusion.

Some simple sleuthing around your game player's computer will prepare
you for a trip to the mall says Johnny Wilson, editor-in- chief of
Computer Gaming World. "There's a little box on every game package that
lists the system requirements for using that game. Games traditionally
require some of the most powerful computers, so take along the answers
to the following questions to find out whether the game will play on
your special someone's computer," advises Wilson.

        1.  Is the computer a Mac or PC?  Is the PC using Windows 95?
        2.  What is the processor type and its speed? (386, 486 or
            Pentium/50, 75 or higher)
        3.  Does the computer have a CD-ROM?  How fast is it?
        4.  Does the computer have a sound card?  Is it 'Sound Blaster'
            compatible?
        5.  What is the graphics resolutions (i.e. VGA or SVGA)?
        6.  Does the computer have a modem?
        7.  Is there a game pad or joystick?

Once you've gotten this information, shopping is all fun and games. One
of the easiest ways to guarantee a hit on Christmas morning, according
to Wilson, is to match interests with games. Fantasy novel readers will
probably enjoy a role-playing game like the newly released Daggerfall.
Golf fans will appreciate working on their game with Links LS; military
historians would appreciate a war game, like Age of Rifles; and auto
sports fans are probably eyeing NASCAR2, World Circuit2 or X-Car.

You should also look for games that support multiple players says
Wilson. One of this year's hottest trends is online gaming - playing a
game against opponents across town or across the country over the
Internet. Again, advises Wilson, check the box to see if a game has a
multi-player option. "Online gaming adds a lot of life to a computer
game," said Wilson.

Computer Gaming World's December issue includes the "Holiday Hot 100,"
the experts choices for the top 100 games this season. Following are the
magazine's top picks by category:

        -  Action - Quake, id Software, $50.00
        --  Adventure - The Pandora Directive, Access Software $79.95
        --  Role-Playing - Diablo, Blizzard Entertainment $50.00
        --  Classics & Puzzles, Risk, Hasbro Interactive $39.99
        --  Simulations - Flying Corps, Empire $54.95
        --  Space Simulations - X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter, LucasArts $54.95
        --  Sports - NHL Hockey 97, EA Sports $59.99
        --  Strategy Games - Master of Orion 2, MicroProse $60.00
        --  War Games - Age of Rifles, SSI $54.95
        --  Kids - Pajama Sam, Humongous Entertainment $39.95
        --  Stocking Stuffer - Catz and Dogz, PF Magic $19.95 each pet

----------------------------------------------------------------------
REVIEWS OF THE WEEK | Interesting software/hardware you may need . . .
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Product: Building Your Own Website by Susan Peck and Stephen Arrants
Reviewed By: Doug Reed <[e-mail]>
Requirements: Windows 95/NT
MSRP: $59.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------

There is little doubt about it: the battle amongst the different
companies promoting Web Servers is white hot. Microsoft and Netscape are
the big guns out there, but there are other choices that you should be
aware of when you make the leap to creating your own website. One very
popular choice is Website, created and marketing by the publishing
leader O'Reilly and Associates. Website has many advantages over its
competitors, the least of which is the fact that the standard edition is
free. Website is a fully capable Web Server that in numerous tests has
been found to compete with or even beat the best that Microsoft and
Netscape have to offer. In addition Website can run on either Windows 95
or Windows NT (3.51), meaning that you have your choice of operating
systems to use for your website (Microsoft would like everyone to use NT
Server, the most expensive choice).

In Building Your Own Website, Susan Peck and Stephen Arrants have
undertaken the task of explaining how to create your own website using
Website, as well as how to administer the site and customize it to
create your own unique "home". Building Your Own Website comes with a
companion CD that includes the Website server in addition to a number of
other programs that you will find very handy. WebView allows you to
visually examine the various internal and external links to your site,
insuring that they all function properly. WebIndex and WebFind aid in
indexing your site so that it can be easily searched by visitors drawn
to whatever content you provide. A number of 3rd party programs are also
included, such as Map This!, a shareware program that allows you to
easily create Image Maps and Hot Dog (standard edition), the popular
HTML editor program. To test your Website creation, O'Reilly has also
included the Spyglass Extended Mosaic Web Browser.

The first part of the book is pretty rudimentary - why you should use
Website, what Website requires to run, and how to install Website
including the variety of options (for example, to install Website as a
desktop application or a service). This section is basic, and most
people will breeze through it fairly quickly. To test whether Website is
working properly, however, you will need an IP address (or DNS domain
name). This requires, of course, that you already have an agreement with
an ISP to set up a website and an assigned address. Luckily, however,
you can create your site and learn how to use the variety of secondary
tools mentioned above without having even an internet connection; then
once you are ready and familiar with the various components you can
contact your ISP and start the ball rolling.

The second part of the book - labelled appropriately "Building Your Own
Web" covers some of the tools included on the CD and how to use them to
create a website. Webview, a utility provided by O'Reilly as a part of
Website, is a visual aid that you can use to examine and test links that
are a part of your site or that are connected to the big wide world of
the web. From there, Peck & Arrants include a brief chapter/introduction
to the subject of HTML (the language used for creating/formatting a web
page). This chapter is very introductory, and the reader would be wise
to consult other texts to learn all of the ins and outs of HTML, such as
O'Reilly's own HTML: The Definitive Guide. The next chapter covers the
topic of creating an index for your site so that users can search it to
find what they want more easily. As mentioned above, O'Reilly includes
WebIndex and WebFind on the CD so that you can easily create both the
index and the form for users to use. Finally, Peck and Arrants includes
a chapter on creating Image Maps with Map This! and using Server-Side
Includes to display such information as the number of visitors to the
website.

The third part of the book is the meat as far as concerns using Website
as a server. Advanced Webmaster topics such as mapping and using Website
as a virtual server are included here, as well as entire chapters on
controlling access to your site and administering it from a remote
location. Website includes a number of utilities for finding out a wide
variety of information about your site, including the number of hits you
are receiving as well as determination of peak usage times and other
nice touches that can help you to administer and optimize your website
for the people who are visiting. The fourth and final portion of the
book covers using CGI programs on your website. If you aren't familiar
with CGI (Common Gateway Interface), CGI programs are used to access
database applications or other programs on the server to create dynamic
information for the user. They can be created with Visual Basic as well
as C++. On the web, CGI programs are most commonly encountered with Web
Search programs, Guestbooks on home pages, or searchable databases for
almost any kind of information. The book actually goes into a fair
amount of depth in both the creation and usage of CGI programs, however,
you should be forewarned that unless you have a Visual Basic or C++
compiler on your hard drive you will have to be content with simply
using the examples provided on the CD. (it is funny that with all of the
extensive coverage of CGI that the book completely fails to mention
Java, the language most commonly touted as being the replacement for CGI
since it is platform independent. The failure to mention Java is also
strange considering that Website Professional (the one you have to pay
for) includes the use of Java for server-side programming.

As a whole, I would say that both Website and Building Your Own Website
can be highly recommended for the budding WebMaster. In addition, the
number of utilities and 3rd party software included on the CD make this
a definite treat. It would have been nice to see some mention of Java,
but any bookstore will have shelves lined with a wide variety of books
on that topic alone. Suffice it to say that Building Your Own Website
will cover all of your website creation and administration needs.

O'Reilly and Associates
103 Morris Street, Suite A
Sebastopol, CA 95472
1-800-998-9938
http://software.ora.com

Installation/Ease of Use: Gold Medal
User-Friendliness: Gold Medal
Quality: Gold Medal
Audience: Programmer

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Product: UltraSound PnP Pro
Reviewed By: Doug Reed <[e-mail]>
Requirements: PC-compatible computer
MSRP: $199
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The UltraSound PnP series is the latest line in Advanced Gravis's
UltraSound series of sound cards (commonly called the GUS) that use
wavetable synthesis to produce unbelievable sound quality on a PC
computer. The GUS was one of the first cards to ever offer wavetable
synthesis when it was originally introduced, breaking the established
mold of soundcards that simply followed the lead of Creative Labs
Soundblaster (the established standard, based itself on the old Adlib
standard). With the release of Windows 95 last year, most hardware
vendors have released PnP cards (short for Plug and Play, an overly
optimistic euphemism) to work with the new operating systems enhanced
abilities for adding or upgrading hardware components to your PC. With
the GUS PnP line, however, Advanced Gravis took a leap, unveiling a new
line of boards with a new chip for wavetable synthesis (called the
Interwave) designed by AMD with the ability to add on-board RAM for
enhanced sound effects (such as reverb, echo, fade, chorus, and flange).
Although this review covers the PnP Pro model, the reader should be
aware that the primary difference between the PnP and the PnP Pro is
that the Pro model comes with an additional 512K RAM onboard (8 MB RAM
can be added). This has some important implications, as will be
discussed later in the review.

I'd love to say that installation was a snap and that the PnP system
worked like a charm, but I can't. I've generally had good luck with
installing hardware, but I had no fun at all with the GUS. This is
really no fault of the board itself or even Gravis, but has to do with
faults of the whole PnP system. Scanning the newsgroups concerning
soundcards will find numerous help requests with installing all of the
new PnP soundcards, including Creative Labs PnP Soundblaster. Plug and
Play (or, as some people refer to it, Plug and Pray) is supposed to auto-
detect the new hardware and automatically configure the necessary
interrupts and DMA's for you - and it does. The problem lies in that it
will often install devices at interrupts and DMA's that are in conflict
with other devices. This can lead to havoc with the operating system,
especially if (as in my case) one of the device's drivers installs in
conflict with one of your hard drive controllers. The GUS is greedy,
installing no less than 5 device drivers (one for the GUS, one for the
Soundblaster emulation, one for Midi emulation, one for the gameport,
and finally one for the on-board CD-ROM IDE controller). The common
problem with the GUS PnP is that it is the driver for the on-board CD-
ROM controller that is installed in conflict (which was also my
problem). Luckily, this can be fairly easily remedied by disabling the
CD-ROM IDE controller, which simply means that if you have an internal
CD-ROM drive you will have to run it off its own card and not the GUS.

Once you have the card installed however, you will quickly discover that
it was all worth it. The GUS PnP Pro sounds magnificent, especially when
playing Midi files and instrumentals. The CD-ROM that comes with the
card includes a wide variety of software, including two commercial
quality Midi composition tools, CakeWalk Express and PowerChords Debut,
and the sound creation/editing program SoundForge (which will allow you
to record audio CD's). Gravis has also included WinDecks, their Mixer
program that allows you to play wave files or audio CD's from a stereo-
like interface. Finally, a number of game demos are included and a few
Internet Applications designed to show off the full-duplex capabilities
of the GUS PnP. Internet Phone allows you to connect to anyone on the
Internet (also running Internet Phone) and talk as if by regular phone -
with no long distance charges. The full duplex abilities of the GUS mean
that you can hold a simultaneous two-way conversation (older FM cards
are primarily half-duplex, which means that the Internet Phone works
like a walkie talkie). Programs like Internet Phone have a long ways to
go to achieve true phone-like quality, but the potential is very high.
The GUS PnP Pro also includes a microphone for recording or Internet
conversations, a fairly nice one that unfortunately is also fairly long
and awkward when trying to find a home for it on an already crowded
computer desk.

You're probably asking - okay it sounds great playing CD's and Midi's,
but what about games? Well, its a mixed bag, primarily due to the lack
of GUS support in older games (games more than 2 years old). Although
the GUS offers Soundblaster emulation, it has never been one hundred
percent, so expect that with older games, you may have to settle for
poor sound quality or none at all. With newer games this is not a
problem, with one caveat; if you want to play a DOS game that supports
Ultrasound directly, you are going to have to install RAM on the board
(unless you have the PnP Pro, which I mentioned before comes with 512K
built-in). Windows and Windows 95 games play just fine- no tweaking or
extra RAM is required. I have quite a few games, both old and new, and I
couldn't find any that didn't play with the GUS or that didn't sound
good - all sounded as good or better than my old Soundman 16 card.
Windows 95 games that use the DirectX technologies sound the best of
all. Cyberstorm, a new game by Sierra, sounded absolutely fantastic with
the GUS, as did another very popular new game, Quake (if you need to ask
who makes Quake, well...).

All in all, I love this card. I'm glad I got it to review, and I love
the new sounds emanating from my old computer. Sound quality sure has
come a long way since the old Adlib days! If you think sound isn't
important - well, I think you need to upgrade that soundcard! Sound is
at least as important as graphics in a game - Doom would not have been
nearly as scary without the terrific background music in the game, nor
would have the more recent Gabriel Knight 2:The Beast Within. A good
soundcard is a must for any computer gamer or composer, and the GUS PnP
Pro is a real winner.

Advanced Gravis
101-3750 North Fraser Way
Burnaby, BC, Canada V5J5E9
604-431-5020
http://www.gravis.com

Installation/Ease of Use: Silver Medal
User-Friendliness: Gold Medal
Quality: Gold Medal
Audience: All

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Product: The Java Programming Language by Ken Arnold and James Gosling
Reviewed By: Doug Reed, Associate Editor <[e-mail]>
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Java is the hottest new programming language in the last few years for
several reasons, among them being its portability, its relationship to
C++, and its usefulness on the World Wide Web. The Java Programming
Language is the first book in a new series on Java published by Addison-
Wesley. What distinguishes this series from all of the others covering
Java is that these are written by the people who actually created Java,
and the books in this series are meant to be the definitive books on
Java. The authors have impressive credentials: James Gosling, Vice
President of Sun, is credited as being the creator of Java, while Ken
Arnold is a noted programmer/engineer/author also in the employ of Sun
Microsystems (and now at Javasoft, Sun's spin-off company devoted to the
development of Java). This first book, The Java Programming Language,
serves as an introduction to Java for people already experienced in
programming.

The Java Programming Language contains 14 chapters and 3 appendixes,
which are divided into 5 general areas. The first chapter, A Quick Tour
of Java, is just that. In the Quick Tour the authors lay the groundwork
for the rest of book, explaining how Java works, basic commands, and how
it all fits together. As with almost every book about programming, the
first program example is the "Hello, World" program, converted to a Java
application. From there, the Quick Tour gives a quick explanation and
example of Java code, including objects, classes, interfaces, and
packages. One of the things I like about this book is that it gives you
exercises to complete to gain an understanding of how this bit of
programming works. No answers are given to the exercises, implying that
the authors believe there is more than one 'correct' solution to the
problem. While many people might wish for the answers, I think it is
better to leave them out; it requires the reader to really focus on
solving the exercise rather than giving in and looking at the answer.
Some of the exercises are easy, while others are very difficult and
require considerable thought.

Chapter 2 through 4 deal with basics of how to create and use objects
and classes, which are the elements which Java programming is built
around. The second chapter covers creating Classes and Objects in Java,
while the third chapter explains how inheritance works in Java and how
to create a subclass. These chapters cover in detail how one goes about
using object-oriented programming in Java, including creating and
calling methods, and garbage collection. Chapter 4 explains how to use
Interfaces in Java, including when to implement them and what they are
useful for.

Chapters 5 and 6 deal with standard language constructs. Chapter 5
explains the use of Tokens, Operators, and Expressions in Java. Included
in this chapter are an explanation of the different variable types and
when to use them. Chapter 6 details the various conditional statements
and loops that you can use in Java.

The middle portion of the book includes several chapters on unrelated
but important topics. The basics of error handling and how to deal with
exceptions is the topic of Chapter 7. Chapter 8 deals with Strings, how
they are different from other variables and the various ways they can be
manipulated and dealt with in Java. Java is optimized for multi-
threading, but unless you read chapter 9 you won't know how to use
threads! Chapter 10 deals with Packages. For those who aren't hardcore
programmers, Packages are collections of related classes, subclasses,
and interfaces. Chapter 10 gives the basics of how to use and create
packages. Examples of packages include the java class libraries provided
with the Java Development Kit, such as java.lang and java.applet.

Chapter 10 leads into the final section of the book, chapters 11 through
14 which cover the core of the Java class libraries. Chapter 11 explains
how Java handles data input and output, using the class library java.io.
Chapter 12 is more comprehensive, covering the various Java utility
collections which provide useful utilities classes and interfaces such
as the Date class. Chapter 13 deals with the classes that cover the
various elements in Java programming, such as the Object class, the
Class class, and the classes that detail the various primitive value
types. Finally, Chapter 14 details how to implement system programming
using the java.lang library, including the System and Math classes.

The last portion of the book contains 3 appendixes covering the use of
native methods, a list of runtime errors and exceptions handled by Java,
and tables for quick reference for the most commonly used elements of
Java, including keywords and operators.

Overall, I would give The Java Programming Language high marks. This
book serves as excellent introduction to programming with Java for those
with expertise in other programming language (particularly object-
oriented languages). I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone with
little programming knowledge; however, there are a number of good books
out there that instruct the novice on programming in Java. Ken Arnold
and James Gosling have put together a book that is a great beginning to
what I am sure will be considered to be one of the definitive series on
Java.

Addison-Wesley Publishing Company
One Jacob Way
Reading, MA 01867
[phone]
http://www.aw.com/cp/javaseries

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Product: Better Homes and Gardens Healthy Cooking Deluxe
Reviewed By: Steve Lozowski <[e-mail]>
Reviewed on: 486DX/133, 16 MB RAM, Windows 3.1, 2x CD-ROM, PAS-16
         sound card
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the deluxe version of the original Better Homes and Gardens
Healthy Cooking CD-ROM. This version includes over 1,000 recipes, and
over 150 video demonstrations. Most recipes include a full-color
photograph that can be expanded to about one-quarter the size of the
screen. Healthy Cooking Deluxe also allows you to enter and store your
own recipes, which are then accessible from this program. Some other
major features are shopping lists, a meal planner, and a "What's For
Dinner" selection of recipes by various options.

All these features and more will be described below. But first a word on
installation and performance. I started out this review on the minimum
recommended system - a 486DX/33, and did the minimum install, which took
up 4.5 MB of my hard disk. Performance seemed sluggish, so I went back
and did the full install, which took a whopping 45 MB! I can't say that
this appreciably improved performance of the product, other than
improving the initial load time. What did help was the upgrade of my
system to a 486/133 in the middle of the review process. (This is
another story, but I recommend the Kingston Turbochip 133 if you have an
older system like mine that will not take a Pentium chip.) I suspect
that Healthy Cooking Deluxe is a processor resource hog, but now it
performs like it should. One example should explain what I mean. With my
previous configuration, when printing a shopping list, my printer would
print at an incredibly slow rate, unless I exited the Healthy Cooking
Deluxe program, at which time the printer would resume its normal
performance. On my current system, there is enough horsepower for the
printer to go at a normal speed, even while I keep working in the
cookbook program.

The main attraction of this program is the large number of recipes
available to choose from. An index groups the recipes by chapters
(breads, meats, desserts, etc.). These are all light, healthy meals that
have been tested for taste and quality, and can be viewed and printed. I
must confess that I did not prepare any of these recipes, but I did eat
meals made from them, and they were delicious. In addition to the
ingredients and preparation instructions, you also get the following
nutritional information: calories, cholesterol, carbohydrates, protein,
sodium, fat, saturated fat, and fiber, in both raw counts and a percent
of daily values. These features would be very helpful to someone on a
restricted diet.

The video techniques are also useful. I initially thought "why would I
want to watch someone chop onions?" So I randomly selected some videos,
and I actually learned how to make frozen drinks with ice cubes in a
blender the correct way. So that's what the removable top in the center
of the lid is for!

Like any respectable cookbook program, this one has a shopping list. And
like others that I have used, you have no way to save your shopping
list. Which means if you print it, get out of the program, and then lose
the list, you have to go back and reselect your recipes. I would think
they could let you save at least your last shopping list. On the
positive side, Healthy Cooking Deluxe has "drag and drop" capabilities.
You can drag a recipe and drop it on the shopping list menu bar, or the
meal planner, or even to "My Recipes". Within the shopping list, you can
vary the number of servings from the default, and the program
automatically recalculates the ingredients for you. Unfortunately, the
recipe instructions themselves do not vary, so if you double the size of
a pork roast, for example, it will not convert the cooking time for you.

The "What's for Dinner?" feature can search for recipes based on your
individual needs. You can choose recipes by type of dish, preparation
time, or the nutritional criteria mentioned above. The meal planner
feature lets you organize your selected meals by day or by week. And
being a healthy cooking program, you can see how your menus stack up
nutritionally, with individual and total counts of calories, fat, and
sodium.

An "About Cooking" section contains cooking charts, conversions of
volumes before and after cooking, substitutions, a glossary,
descriptions of utensils with pictures, and a few other features. I
found this to be a useful reference guide to cooking.

The program starts with an introductory audio-visual presentation that
is only worth viewing once. After that, you can click with your mouse
when it begins to skip past it. I don't know why Multicom left it on as
a default though, since it is akin to viewing a commercial for the
product. Likewise, when you exit the program, a credit screen starts up.
This can also by bypassed by clicking with the mouse. One other minor
annoyance was the inclusion of "sponsors" on some screens. For example,
Equal sweetener sponsors the Main Index screen by having their logo show
up. I expect these kinds of ads on commercial on-line services, but not
in a product you buy for your home computer. When you print the shopping
list, a large Better Homes and Gardens logo prints at the top, so that
people in the supermarket can see where you got your list from. I would
like the option of choosing to advertise this product for Multicom, not
always printing their logo.

Help is included within the program. But it does not have any
navigational options, such as backtracking. If you go too far down a
help index path, you cannot back up. Your only option is to exit help
and start again from the top. So while it's nice to have this within the
program instead of in a manual, the implementation of it is
unsatisfactory.

This program also includes the capability to link on-line to the Better
Homes Kitchen area on CompuServe for more recipes and ideas. It comes
with the software to install Compuserve on your computer. I chose not to
install and evaluate this option, as CompuServe does not have a local
phone number in my area, and I would have racked up toll call charges.
The help screens list two other on-line options,

1) <http://www.home-and-family.com> - a Better Homes and Gardens site
that had no cooking or recipe information that I could find, and
2) <http://www.multicom.com/cdjg/hcd> - which seemed to be a bad URL.

It's hard for me to judge the technical support provided by Multicom. I
had one problem which I emailed to their technical support address.
Surprisingly, I received an answer that night saying "I'll have to check
with the programmers... maybe there is a patch...". Not surprisingly, I
have not heard from them since. I thought the problem was caused when I
reinstalled at the maximum hard drive usage over top of the initial
minimum install. So I used the included uninstall program, and then
reinstalled again, but that did not solve it. The uninstall program
worked fine, and only left one user file in the HCD directory. Multicom
also has a free tech support 800 number, but I did not want to make a
phone call for a minor problem that does not prevent me from using the
product.

One other time the program did crash and hang my system, but I was not
able to recreate the problem. The only troubleshooting help provided
with the CD-ROM is the ridiculous suggestion to only run Program Manager
and Healthy Cooking Deluxe, and no other startup applications. For a
program that runs under Windows, is it not very Windows-friendly. I
guess that's why it does not have the usual Windows interface with
maximize and minimize functions. You can swap to other applications by
hitting Alt-Tab, but perhaps this does not sit well with Healthy Cooking
Deluxe.

My final opinion is that Healthy Cooking Deluxe has wonderful content,
both textual and multimedia. I would recommend it for someone looking
for a cookbook program with healthy recipes. But the occasional
problems, Windows stand-alone mode, and an unfriendly help system kept
this from being an outstanding CD-ROM product.

Multicom Publishing
110 Olive Way
Suite 1250
Seattle, WA 98101
(800)-850-7272
WWW:  <http://www.multicom.com>
CompuServe: None

Installation/Ease of Use: Silver
User-Friendliness: Bronze
Quality: Silver
User: All

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Product: Laplink for Windows 95 and Webex
Reviewed By: Don Hughes <[e-mail]>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I am inclined to admit after having been involved with Computers since
the late 1970s, there are not many computer programs on the market that
can capture my attention anymore, or so I thought, until this review of
Laplink. Over the years I have a tendency to believe less about products
in the printed media, instead depend more on actual product testing by
the end user and impartial reviewers. Much to my amazement Laplink does
precisely what Traveling software affirm in their ads and beyond.

When I first received the disks and Using the new features of Version
7.5, I did not have the Installation and UserÆs guide. To attain more
information I contacted Traveling Software office and spoke to Ken
Hammond, in Public relations. Three days later the installation guide
arrived and other information, plus a new set of disks arrived at my
door in London, Ont. Canada.

The modern computer support lines raises my ire, when after calling long
distance one is placed on hold and waiting in the queue for half an hour
or more. However, this did not happen with my call to Traveling
Software. From the receptionist to Mr. Hammond, I was treated with
prompt, efficient, and courteous service. The CEO of Traveling should be
commended not just for manufacturing an excellent product, but for
having some of the best consumer oriented employees I have ever had the
luxury of speaking with.

The three computers became testing base for Laplink 7.5 included: a
Pentium 100 MHz with 16 meg of ram, ATI Winturbo VGA graphics card (with
2megs ram), a DX4 100 MHz with 20 Megs of ram, ATI Winturbo VGA graphics
card (2 megs of ram) both machines are using Windows 95, and a 386 25
MHz with 4 megs of ram, and a Trident VGA (512k) graphics card. The
modemÆs in all three computers are 14.4s and tested the parallel
connection transfer rates.

Software requirements: Windows 95 or Windows 3.1, Intel compatible 386DX
33 or higher, 8 MB of ram, VGA compatible monitor, and 7 MB of hard
drive disk space. However, as noted in the above paragraph, Laplink for
Windows does work on a 386 25 MHz with 4 megs of ram.

The Laplink software installation could not have been more enjoyable, or
easier with its menus, and user friendly screens. Installation time
varied from computer to computer, but all were well under fifteen
minutes. Not tested was LaplinkÆs ability to transfer data over the
Internet. Traveling software added data encryption to their Windows 95
program. This enables the user to securely encrypt the data before
transfer over the Internet or on a wide- area-network. An added Laplink
plus, is encryption also includes all of Laplink services, such as
Remote Control and Chat.

The new Laplink 7.5 version for Windows 95 includes:

Xchange Agent, that automatically connects and synchronizes data with a
single click.

Storing images from the remote screen on your hard drive for faster
reconnects.

Decreasing the number of bitmap colours transferred from the remote
computer to speed up transfer rates/fastest speed when set to black and
white.

Filtering out of large program bitmaps so they do not slow down access.

Improved compression for faster transfer and remote control/Adaptive
compression adjusting to the speed of each connection.

Encryption protects data during transfer over the Internet or network.

Resuming interrupted file transfer, if you lose the connection, and
reconnect Laplink will continue the transfer where it left off, so you
do not have to transfer the entire file again.

Deleting files to the recycle bin, instead of deleting the file
permanently.

Sharing clipboard information with the remote, copy and paste from the
host to the remote computer.

Lowering the resolution of a host screen to fit in your view, match the
desktop you are controlling to the screen resolution of your portable or
other computer.

The many fascinated features of Laplink 7.5 are operator customizable,
allowing the user to control his or her transfer environment. Traveling
software has created a very efficient, user friendly program that puts
you in total control of the data transfer. Does Laplink work as
Traveling Software advertised? In a simple one word answer, YES. Not
only does this program work as advertised, I was impressed by the ease
LaplinkÆs ease of use.

After the program was installed on our two computers I decided to test
Laplink using a modem and parallel port connection tests. I was very
curious to see if it lived up to its press releases and worked as
stated. First I used a modem program to see how fast I could transfer
from host to remote. For this test I used a rather large 4,941 MB file
in zipped format.

When you install Laplink the easy to follow menus prompt the user for
the type of connection required. There are several choices available:
Serial or parallel port, modem, wireless, network, and Internet. Once
selected you can re-set the connections by clicking on the menu bar
icons. The program will also use autoconnect if the two computers are
linked by a cable or you can manually link.

Traveling software has taken the work out of setting up file transfer
between computer and downsized the drudgery involved to the simple click
of a mouse. Depending the computer you are operating (host or remote)
you see a split screen displaying the file directories of each computer.
This makes transfer operations of dragging a file from the host and
dropping it to the remote or vice-versa.

With the software was installed and setup, I started testing and
comparing the varied connection abilities of Laplink with a modem
program. Next I repeated the same file transfer using the modem and
Laplink software as host to Remote connection. Then I repeated the file
transfer using the parallel port connection built into Laplink.

These are my test results:
File Size:  Test.zip  4,941,156

Modem to Modem program (zmodem) transfer time: 54 minutes.

Speed of transfer (baud rate per second): 1624

Using Laplink to Laplink modem transfer: 51 minutes.

Speed of transfer (baud rate per second): 1400

Laplink out performed the modem program, by three minutes. The biggest
surprise was when I connected the two computers using a parallel cable:

File size 4,941,156
Transfer time: 2.15 (two minutes and fifteen seconds)
Transfer baud rate per second: 289,500 (average)

In both LaplinkÆs modem and parallel connection mode the transfer was a
simple drag and drop. You just select the file you want to transfer and
drop into the proper directory on the other computer. Also you can drag
and drop complete directories from the host to the remote within the
click of a mouse button.

The speed of file transfer using a direct cable link is very impressive
to say the least. Moreover the ease of transfer by using simple drag and
drop method made the job a snap. The next test involved transferring
between a computer using Windows 95 and one using Windows 3.1/note the
3.1 computer is an 386sx running at 25 MHz with 4 Mb of ram. Installing
the software on the 386 was a breeze, as was the program set-up.

However, when I attempted to transfer a three and one half meg-a-byte
(windows 3.1 program) file from Windows 95 to Windows 3.1 a screen
appeared warning me that the file I was about to transfer contained a
long file name that was not supported by Windows 3.1. I was totally
unprepared for what happened next. Another window appeared asking me if
I wanted to accept the new shortened file name! So I clicked on OK and
Laplink automatically transferred the file with its truncated name, in
one minute, and fifty-three seconds. Just to make sure that an error did
not occur during the transfer, I installed the program and it works
without a problem.

Laplink performed efficiently during my tests and made transferring
files between computers a very easy chore. The program is skillfully
designed, user friendly, and customizable. Not only does Laplink 7.5
function as advertised, with its ease of operation, pop- up menus, built
in help, etc. The program practically runs itself, and is so easy to
use, anyone can operate the program. The price for Laplink 7.5 here in
Canada at one large office supply store was $199.00--prices maybe lower
in the U, S. A.

If you have the necessity to transit data from one computer to another
or want to be able to access your computer at home or in the office
remotely, then Laplink is for you. I use a portable tape drive to back-
up and move large files from one computer to another, and thought I had
the perfect way of transferring files, till I reviewed this program.

It takes time to hook-up the tape backup to the parallel port, then
backup the file to tape, unhook the drive and reattach it to the other
computer, and restore the file. With Laplink you just connect the
parallel cable between the two, then start Laplink, and drag and drop
the file in minutes. The only thing I could find wrong with Laplink 7.5,
is that they should add few more feet of wire to their parallel cable to
make connecting two desktop computers a bit easier.
 Traveling SoftwareÆs Laplink 7.5 for Windows 95 is a rock solid product
that works, beyond what is stated in their advertisements. I grant this
product a five plus on a scale of one to 5 rating.

Traveling Software
18702 North Creek Parkway
Bothell, WA, 98011
Tel [phone]
Fax [phone]
<http://www.travsoft.com>

Product: WEBEX
Reviewed By: Don Hughes <[e-mail]>

This product formerly known as Milk-truck and is designed to automate
your Internet access and using off-line browsing. The program comes on
one 1.4 floppy and is easy to install and use. Webex works with
MicrosoftÆs explorer (2.0 or higher) and Netscape (1.2 or higher). Once
installed the program loads your browser, and appears on the screen just
below the browser tool bars. The computer used for testing Webex was
486VL bus, DX4 100 MHz, 20 Mb of Ram, ATI Winturbo 2Mb graphics card
VGA, and 100 MB of free disk space.

The Webex menu gives the user four basic options on your browser screen:

Personal Storage:  Where you store your pages.
Recommend Sites:  Set-up by Traveling software, containing links to
internet sites.
Webex Options:   To customize Webex.
Help:  Self explanatory.

They are many other options available for setting up the amount of
page(s) to be downloaded, and links, graphics, etc. The main intent of
Webex is allowing the user to download a site information to a hard
drive, then when you are off line enabling you to browse throughout the
site, just as can on the net only faster.

The strength of Webex is its ability to retrieve Web pages and save them
to your hard drive, for you to browse later. Nice feature I thought, but
what would it do for me? So I set about find out the answer to my
question. I went to a web site and saved a page, then set Webex to dig
deeper into the site going down for four levels, and capture all of
these links.

Next I used WebexÆs scheduling feature to Dial the Internet provider,
log onto the selected Web site and download the information requested.
Webex not only dialed the Internet provider, logged onto the required
site, but took off like a blood hound on a hot trail, retrieved the
data, then shut down my Internet connection. I then restarted the Webex
program to see if I could view the retrieved data. The program allowed
me to browse the link, just as if I was actively on the net, only much
faster.

This quick information gathering is a handy feature for rail or airline
commuters and others who use laptop computers. They could use this
feature to gather information such as: stock quotes, newspaper, weather,
sports, or research articles, then read the data on their way to work.
The program can be set to automatically gather the data, while you are
getting ready for your day.

Another handy feature of Webex is you can print any page you have
downloaded from the internet, just as you would if you are were
connected online. The Program allows the user to customize the amount of
data pages, and links, graphics, etc. you wish to store from any site.
However, you must make sure that you have enough hard drive space to do
so.

Traveling SoftwareÆs Webex is not a program for every Internet user,
but, if you need to quickly retrieve data, and read it later off-line
then I recommend you try this program. To attain a limited demo version
of their products contact Traveling software on the Internet at:
<http://www.travsoft.com>.

In testing I found Webex to be slower than MicrosoftÆs Explorer 3.0 by
its-self and when I hit a site using frames (three frames on the screen)
the Webex menu appeared in all three, and hung the computer. However, I
reinstalled Webex, and this problem did not appear again, but the speed
was still slower than Explorer with-out Webex. The feature of off- line
browsing far outweighs any minor problem I had with the program. I give
this program four out of five rating.

Traveling Software
18702 North Creek Parkway
Bothell, WA, 98011
Tel [phone]  Fax [phone]
<http://www.travsoft.com>

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
WEBSITES OF THE WEEK! | This section is devoted to cool WebSites . . .
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Classroom Computing Guide . . .|
--------------------------------
MANHASSET, N.Y. Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ - CMP's HomePC magazine has always
been firmly rooted as a leading advocate for the use of computers and
technology to advance children's education. This November, HomePC's
commitment goes to the next level as it launches Classroom Computing, a
comprehensive resource guide that will illustrate the power and
importance of computers in the learning process. The debut issue, which
will be distributed to 200,000 teachers nationwide, will feature
accounts from 10 teachers who incorporated technology into their lesson
plans, as well as contact information for organizations, publications,
conferences and grant- giving foundations dedicated to advancing
technology in schools.

 "According to a recent report on the state of U.S. schools from the
Committee of Economic Development, there will be one PC available for
every four pupils by the turn of the century," said Carol Ellison,
Senior Editor, Education for HomePC. "To help ensure that members of the
academic community are ready for this revolution, we created Classroom
Computing. It's our hope that this resource will raise awareness of the
ways technology can make a difference in the education process among
those who are directly responsible for educating our children - their
teachers."

 As an online companion to Classroom Computing, HomePC is also launching
the Classroom Computing Web site, located at
<http://www.classroomcomputing.com>. Here, teachers will find additional
resources and direct e-mail and Web links to the teachers and
organizations profiled in the print edition. This interactive site will
also feature the Teacher's Lounge, a place where educators can swap
stories and ideas with each other about the use of technology in the
classroom.

"By providing a forum for teachers around the globe to share their
stories and putting much-needed information about available resources
directly into their hands, the editors at HomePC hope teachers will feel
empowered to harvest the rich and ever- growing crop of educational
opportunities technology makes available," Ellison pointed out.

Home PC's Classroom Computing has attracted technology industry
advertisers such as Apple, Intel, Virgin Sound & Vision, as well as non-
endemic advertisers such as General Motors Corp. Cost for a one-time,
full- page, four-color ad is $8,900.

Another edition of HomePC's Classroom Computing is slated for release in
the spring of 1997.

----------------------
Win a Dream Vacation!|
----------------------
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ - My Yahoo! <my.yahoo.com> and
Preview Travel <www.vacations.com> are offering Net surfers the
opportunity to design and win their "dream vacation." Users of My
Yahoo!, a free customizable guide to the Web, with personal news,
weather, sports and other programming, can customize their own dream
vacation and win. Each entrant selects from a range of criteria
including popular destinations such as Europe, South Pacific, Caribbean,
Hawaii, Mexico and a broad variety of activities including skiing, water
sports, cultural attractions, golf, biking, tennis, shopping and
nightlife. The contest runs through the end of November, with one winner
announced weekly.

Entrants can register FOR My Yahoo! AND ENTER the My Dream Vacation
contest by going to: <http://my.yahoo.com>. One lucky winner each week
will receive a complete vacation package for two, including round trip
airfare originating from anywhere within the continental U.S. or Canada.
Official contest rules are available on the contest pages. Banner ads,
linking the Net surfers to the contest page, are running on popular,
high traffic sites throughout the month.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERVIEW WITH ????? | Weekly Interviews with the Movers and Shakers!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

No interview this week! We'll see you next week!

  --END OF ISSUE--