PsL Monthly 1993 November

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PsL Computer Products CD-ROM and Multimedia ===================== IMPORTANT INFORMATION 1. The #1 complaint about CD-ROM's is that they are over-priced. PsL is trying to do something about that problem. Our prices are marked up only a few dollars over our cost. (Don't worry - we've operated like this for years and done fine.) Other companies offer to "beat any advertised price". Doesn't this mean that unless you shop around, they are going to overcharge you? PsL gives you our best price to start with. 2. "Multimedia" means that a CD combines sounds, text, and graphics. 3. "MPC" is multimedia which requires Windows 3.1 or Windows MME. 4. The numbers in parentheses are PsL's part number to use when ordering. Prices shown are: [Mfr.'s Suggested Price] - Our Price SALE: greatly reduced prices (limited supply) Business ======== Corporate Snapshots [$995] $649 - $219 (#30169) Information about over 12,000 public companies. Clip Art & Graphics =================== The Women of Venus CD #30403 $29.95 No, this is not a collection of UFO sightings. It is a collection of hundreds of full-color pictures of winners in the Venus Swimwear's International Pageant. The CD has software for DOS, Windows, Macs, Amiga, and Unix with music files which play in the background while pictures are being viewed. Or you can view the files with any program which can handle the TIF graphics format, such as Paint Shop Pro for Windows, and convert the files to other formats. If you like the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, you will love this CD. Color Magic Clip Art CD #30404 $49 This CD contains over 600MB of 256-color, 300dpi drawings which you can use royalty free in publications. Software for Windows 3.1 makes it easy to browse by thumbnail or keyword to quickly find the picture you want, as well as to convert the drawings into a dozen different standard graphics formats. Works on the Mac, too, plus has support software in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Japanese. GIF Galaxy CD #1 #30405 $29 This CD has thousands of high quality, high resolution color pictures in GIF format. Categories include people, animals, technology, space, nature, and more, plus fractals and 1000 raytraced images. You can view 25 thumbnail images on the screen at once to help quickly pick the graphics you want to load. Pixel Perfect Graphics CD #30406 $29 Get thousands of black and white, 300 dpi drawings for use in desktop publishing. Pictures are in the following formats: PCX, TIF, WPG, BMP, MAC, Printshop (old & new), Newsroom, Printmaster, and First Publisher. Categories include animals, business, computers, food, frames, holidays, medical, sports, states, countries, transportation, occupations and more. The artist is Kirk Gibson of Disneyworld, Forida. Cataloging software is included. The CD has support in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese. Education ========= Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing SALE: $39 (#30178) (MPC) Macmillan Dictionary For Children [$60] $49 - n/a (#30259) (MPC) Covers 12,000 words with 1000 colorful illustrations and 400 sound effects. You can also hear any word spoken by clicking on it. You can look up words within a definition just by clicking on them. The dictionary alone is worth the price, but also included are three word games. This is a delightful CD, sure to please children of any age. Multimedia Beethoven [$99] $60 (#30154) (MPC) In addition to this being a music CD that you can play on any CD player, this is a detailed study of the music and of Beethoven himself. This is a must for any serious music lover or student. Timetable of History [$130] $89 - $59 (#30180) Chronological perspective on cosmic and earthly events. Time Table of History: Business, Politics & Media - SALE: $49 (#30307) This multimedia presentation traces business, politics and the media from the Trojan Horse to Desert Storm. The attractive graphical interface is supplemented with hundreds of pictures, animation, portraits, zoom-in maps, graphs, charts, and more. The program provides an historical Time Line perspective from which to select events to read about. You can also search on any word or phrase. Time Table of History: Arts and Entertainment [-] $79 - $69 (#30306) This CD traces Arts and Entertainment from cave drawings to computer drawings. It shares the same attractive, efficient and easy-to-use interface of the other Time Table CD's, but adds musical samples to the other multimedia features. U.S. Presidents [$129] $79 - $39 (#30182) Biographies of all Presidents from Washington to Bush. USA Wars: Vietnam [$129] $84 - $39 (#30185) Multimedia databases of information about Vietnam conflict. Viva 2000 Spanish & French #30294 - Learn Spanish from English [ $150] $49(Each) #30293 - Learn French from English #30303 - Learn English from Spanish #30304 - Learn English from French This series of CD's make it easy to learn another language because you get to hear the words spoken as they should be. (Requires a Sound Blaster compatible card or LANtastic Voice Adapter or Covox Sound/Voice Master.) The use of graphics also keeps things interesting. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego $79 (#30268) Enhanced features of the Deluxe CD version include 256-color graphics (VGA required), 11 talking characters, animation, 500+ (from a total 3200) clues in foreign languages, 130+ digitized photos from National Geographic et al, 150 music recordings from Smithsonian/Folkways Recordings, musical soundtrack, digitized sounds, and more. Games ===== Annabel's Dreams of Ancient Egypt $69 - $59 (#30296) This MPC multimedia package uses an original children's story about Annabel the cat and her sisters to explore ancient Egypt. Sound effects, graphics, animation and a full musical sound track make this an entertaining package for young and old. Children can also learn about opera (Verdi's "Aida"), polish reading comprehension and vocabulary skills in the Story Activities, and even learn to write messages in hieroglyphics. CD Storyline: Red Hen & Boy and the Donkey $30 (#30284) The two popular children's stories on this CD are narrated while a graphic drawing depicts each scene. The young user can click the mouse cursor on parts of the picture to have the narrator identify them. The excellent music sound track makes this a well-polished production. An extra attraction to this package is that each of the story scenes can be printed out for the child to color. Battle Chess [$80] $69 - n/a (#30240) CD Game Pak II [$99] SALE: $30 (#30241) Chessmaster MPC SALE: $30 (#30242) Future Wars [$79] $62 - $39 (#30244) The Hound of the Baskervilles [n/a] - $45 (#30319) This CD lets you join the master sleuth Sherlock Holmes in solving one of his most famous cases. From the beginning animated sequence of the evil hell hound galloping across the darkness, to the digitized voice recounting the chilling history of the Baskerville curse, you will find yourself helplessly drawn into the fiendish plot of this murder mystery. You will have journals, photos, newspaper clippings, police reports, maps, and other material evidence at your disposal. Stunning digitized VGA graphics and CD sound combined with an easy-to-use mouse interface make this multimedia game of intrigue, passion, and murder an interesting voyage into vintage crime fighting. 640K is required. King's Quest V SALE: $30 (#30187) [MPC optional] Journey through fearsome lands on a noble quest. Beautiful 3-D graphics. King's Quest VI $45 (#30382) Murder Makes Strange Deadfellows [-] $39 - n/a (#30308) and Case of the Cautious Condor [-] $39 - n/a (#30309) These interactive adventure game CDs are patterned after 1940's style murder/mystery radio broadcasts. The audio soundtrack is filled with music, sound effects, and actual digitized actor's voices. There are hundreds of colorful comic book style graphic images that are presented in a slideshow fashion. Both games provide a detailed prologue with background information to the story, and an auto-play feature that plays through the story if you want to sit back and watch instead of play. In "Murder Makes Strange Deadfellows", you assume the role of Nick, the wholesome nephew of a recently deceased millionaire. Your money-grubbing relatives are very unhappy with the contents of the will, and even more uncomfortable with the fact that another will has been secreted away somewhere in the spooky mansion. Thrills and chills abound as you encounter numerous denizens of the spirit world in your search for the missing will. You are private-eye Ned Peters in "The Case of the Cautious Condor." A murder has occured aboard the maiden flight of a luxurious airplane, and you have only thirty minutes to finger the culprit. You must search for evidence, and interrogate the tight-lipped passengers in order to solve this mystery. Both of these games require 256K VGA, a Sound Blaster compatible sound card, and a mouse. These games are an enjoyable romp into the bygone era of the Golden Age of Radio. Omar Sharif Bridge $39 - n/a (30299) We said in our April PsL News article on card games that there are no Master-strength bridge games available for the PC as there are chess games, and this one is no exception. The bidding and play are not bad, though it can get strange on rare occasion. As long as you bid and play right, it will do all right, too. The main novelty about this game is that if you have a Sound Blaster or Pro Audio Spectrum compatible sound card, Omar Sharif will make comments as you play. The program itself is well written and can be used either to learn bridge or just to play a few rounds. Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe SALE: $30 (#30322) This CD gives you the opportunity to fly the unfriendly skies of Europe from 1943-1945. In this unique air combat simulation, you can hone and apply your flying skills for the Allies or the Third Reich. The CD will take you through training flights (complete with an instant replay gun camera), all the way to full-fledged historical missions. In-flight displays include highly accurate reproductions of cockpit instrumentation of the P-47 Thunderbolt fighter, P-38 Lightning fighter/bomber, Messerschmitt 109 fighter, the mysterious Gotha 229 flying wing, and many other classic aircraft. An extensive historical overview provides a wealth of information regarding economic and political factors of World War II. You can personally set the strategy and direct the war effort for your side, including designing your own customized missions. This is a very detailed simulation that requires a lot of determination to master. Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective SALE: $30 (#30255) This may be a history-making CD. It is the first CD for the PC to feature actors in full-motion video with speech. This CD is sure to keep you entertained and challenged for a long time. Even after you solve the three mysteries, you will enjoy watching and showing off the game. The actors and the production values are all top-notch. Sherlock Holmes runs under DOS and does NOT require MPC, but it does require a 286-12 or better, VGA, a sound card (eg: ThunderBoard, Pro Audio Spectrum), and a CD-ROM with 150k/sec or better throughput. Spirit of Excalibur [-] SALE: $30 (#30313) Is a fantastic animated role-playing game set in the period following King Arthur's death. As a hero of the Round Table, you must assemble a noble band of warriors to restore the Kingdom to it's former glory. You'll encounter Rogue Knights, Wizards, maidens, mythical beasts, and more in your quest. The original musical soundtrack supports Adlib and Roland compatible sound cards, and digitized voices are provided from the CD-ROM audio output. The game uses an icon-based menu system, so you don't have to memorize any commands, and mouse and joystick input are supported. The excellent scrolling graphics require VGA. This package contains a full-color wall map, a detailed hint book, and extensive historical background information on Arthur's England. Ultima Underworld I - IV $64 (#30266) Wing Commander & Ultima VI $64 (#30247) Wing Commander II Deluxe $64 (#30269) Literature ========== Bible Library [$595] SALE: $49 (#30191) 9 complete Bibles, 20 reference works, 27 concordances Library of the Future 2nd Ed. [$695] $325 - n/a (#30193) Complete text of over 900 of history's greatest literature + illustrations. Classic Collection Plus [$398] $79 (4 CD's) (#30196) Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes, Birds of America, Audubon's Mammals Medical ======= Family Doctor [$179] SALE: $69 (#30198) Answers to over 1500 commonly asked medical questions, plus graphics. Nature ====== Talking Jungle Safari $79 - $69 (#30305) Unlike Audubon Mammals, which is a reference work, Talking Jungle Safari is presented as an actual photo-safari. You can take a boat down a river, take a helicopter into the Tall Grass, drive a jeep into the Plains, or go on foot into the Rain Forest. By clicking on the plants, birds, and animals, you can bring up a description which will be read by a narrator. At the end of the safari, you can print out the "photographs" you have taken. We were disappointed with the graphics and lack of animal sounds. The graphics, while colorful and not bad by computer graphics standards, lack the sharpness and details of the other animal CDs mentioned above. The only animal sounds are some general jungle hub-bub in a couple of places. Despite these drawbacks, we think that children will be big fans of Safari. Even young children should be able to use the simple point-and-click interface. Reference, Desktop ================== Book of Lists #3 [$90] $78 - $49 (#30190) To tell the truth, this sounded like a yawner, but turned out to be extremely entertaining, from "Rocks That Look Like Presidents" (as the digitized photos clearly show) to "10 Wills That Were Ignored". If you enjoy trivia and oddball facts, you will love this CD. The mix of pictures and digitized sounds provides an excellent balance to this multimedia presentation. Requires Windows 3. Food Analyst Plus [$199] $169 - $49 (#30188) Jets & Props $29 - n/a (#30321) This MPC compatible two-CD set contains 200 full-color photographic images, 200 audio clips, and 50 full-motion video clips about aircraft. It covers both civilian and military aircraft. The Jets CD provides a rock and roll soundtrack that really keeps your attention, while the Props CD has more mellow sounds. You can view the images individually, or in slideshow fashion with small or large photographs. Important data about each aircraft is provided in a scrolling window, and a keyword search feature lets you quickly locate any text on the disk. These CDs will work with a regular DOS system, but an MPC system running WIN31 is required to view the animation clips. SVGA with 512K video RAM and a sound card are required. Magazine Rack [$129] $78 - $39 (#30216) Hundreds of magazine articles dealing with PC's. Microsoft MM Bookshelf [$195] $129 (#30155) (MPC) Concise Columbia Encyclopedia, the American Heritage Dictionary, Roget's II Electronic Thesaurus, the World Almanac and Book of Facts, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, The Concise Columbia Dictionary of Quotations, Hammond Atlas. In addition to the basic information and the ability to search all of these sources at once for a subject, the multimedia enhancements let you hear some of those Familiar Quotations being spoken (such as JFK saying: "Ask not what this this country can do for you..."), hear those tough words in the dictionary pronounced, see animated graphics in the encyclopedia (such as an extensive "movie" of how a CD works) and so on. Microsoft Bookshelf [$195] $129 (#30206) The non-MPC version. #30379 Microsoft Encarta ------------------------ PsL Price: $279 This impressive multimedia CD contains the entire text of the 29-volume Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia. There are more than 25,000 articles, including over 1000 articles written exclusively for this CD covering subjects such as history, modern culture, and computers. The audio portion of this CD lets you listen to 350 musical segments, hundreds of bird and animal sounds, samples of over 45 languages, 100 readings by authors, 5000 word pronunciations, and much more. There are thousands of high quality 256color images, and nearly 1000 maps and charts. The easy-to-use Windows interface makes browsing and searching for information extremely easy. You can quickly search the entire disk for a certain word, or view a scrolling alphabetized list of topics. Other features include a Timeline of World History, a Research Wizard to help you gather available information, dictionary/thesaurus, a "see also" list of related articles for each entry, a whimsical adventure game for children, and much more. Since this is a Windows application, all text and graphics can be easily exported into a word processor for the creation of reports. This is a powerful learning and research tool that could be used by every member of the family. Requires a minimum of 2 meg RAM, hard disk, VGA, and a 386 or better processor. An MPC-compatible sound card and drive are recommended to fully access the sound and graphics. Monarch Notes on CD-ROM [-] $49 (#30278) This disk puts a wealth of literary information at your fingertips. It contains capsule summaries, commentary, articles, historical information, author biographies, and much more on over two hundred classic works that are required reading in many high schools and colleges. Search and browse function can be performed on Words, Authors, Subjects, Titles, and Boolean and wildcard searches are supported. Selected articles can easily be printed or saved to another disk. Pictures, Tables, and Sounds are available for many selections. The program employs an easy to understand menu interface that makes navigating the huge database a breeze. VGA is required to view images and CD audio output is required to hear sounds. Cinemania 1992 Edition (MPC) $60 (#30343) This extrodinary MPC disk is a thorough guide to over 19,000 movies. Just push a button on the "remote control" and you can access a wealth of information on movie stars, filmmakers, Hollywood history, and much more. There is an alphabetical index you can browse, or you can search on a key word. You may also search on genre, actor, director, release date, star rating, Academy Award, and MPAA rating. Once you have located a film, you can read a detailed review, capsule review, outline, cast members, credits, and awards. There are also over 1000 digitized photos of actors and famous scenes from films, many with related sound clips. Other features include filmography/biography viewing, the ability to print a list of movies you would like to rent, an extensive glossary of movie terms, and a complete Academy Awards listing. All entries are linked to each other, so you can easily jump from one subject to another very quickly. This is a fascinating and informative disk that really shows off the capabilities of MultiMedia. An MPC-compatible sound card is required to hear the digitized sound clips. Street Atlas USA [$169] $85 - n/a (#30159) Starting from an overview map of the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii), you can zoom in anywhere, right down to the "country dirt road" level. For faster navigation, you can search by zip, place, and area code. Toolworks CD Software Bundle [$995] SALE: $49 (#30209) Illustrated Encyclopedia, Ref.Library, World Atlas, U.S. Atlas, CD Game Pack Other ===== Multimedia Toolbook [$695] $499 - n/a (#30162) makes it easy to create multimedia presentations. If you want a feel for how easy Toolbook is to use, try the version that comes with Windows. MM Toolbook won the PC Week Multimedia Shootout at the 1991 Fall Comdex. Quicktoons Cartoon Classics $19.95 (#30399) This disk contains public domain color and black-and-white cartoons starring Betty Boop, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck, and others. Both Windows 3.1 and Macintosh versions are included. You can easily incorporate these cartoons into your multimedia presentations, or just sit back and enjoy the whacky entertainment on your desktop. Sporting News Baseball Guide [$129] $79 - n/a (#30217) Multimedia database of stats, personalities and details of the Major Leagues World Info ========== Aloha, Hawaii! $79 - $49 (#30249) This tour of Hawaii on CD contains over 1500 digitized photos. You can choose to visit the native, urban, or tourists spots. The interface is excellent, using a map-and-button approach. While viewing pictures, you can pause the show at any time and do a hyper-jump to related subjects. The pictures seemed rather ordinary to us. For example, under the heading "Bodies", where one might expect to see some enticing native girls, you simply see ordinary people swimming or walking around is street clothes. This is typical of the entire CD. If you are expecting a glamorized view of Hawaii, you might be disappointed, but if you want to see life as it really is on the Islands, you will be pleased with the approach taken. Requires VGA and a mouse. CIA Multimedia World Factbook [$129] SALE: $59 (#30219) 248 comprehensive country profiles compiled by the CIA. Terrorist Group Profiles [$129] $79 - n/a (#30222) A fascinating look inside today's most dangerous organizations. Wild Places SALE: $29 (#30257) features stunning photographic images and digitized audio clips. Wild Places contains images of deserts, forests, and seascapes. These disks will work with Macintosh and PC systems. CD-ROM Drives & Multimedia ========================== Notes: 1. Bare drives require interface kits. 2. MPC Multimedia requires a 64k buffer, 150k/sec throughput. SyDos Personal CD (#30385) PsL Price: $325 ($9 S&H) If you want an external drive with no installation hassles, it's hard to beat the Sydos Personal CD. It plugs into any parallel port and has a pass-thru connector so that you can still plug in a printer. With a 545ms access time and 176kb throughput, it is amazingly zippy for a CD drive with a parallel interface. An optional interface card is promised for the near future to make the drive even faster. Its printer port interface and small, light-weight size makes this unit ideal for use with laptops. Its $325 price is extremely reasonable for an external, especially since you don't have to buy an additional interface card for it. Mitsumi Internal CD-ROM Drive (#30384) PsL Price: $225 This is a bargain price for an MPC-compatible drive with 350ms access time and 150kb throughput. It is Photo-CD ready, and includes a proprietary SCSI interface. NEC 74M External CD-ROM Drive (#30270) PsL Price: $623 Cash Price: $599 280ms access, 300kb/sec throughput, 64k buffer, SCSI. NEC 84M Internal CD-ROM Drive (#30271) PsL Price: $575 280ms access, 300kb/sec throughput, 64k buffer, SCSI. Smart and Friendly External Drive (#30302) PsL Price: $623 Cash Price: $599 280ms access, 300kb/sec throughput, 64k buffer, SCSI. Pioneer Six-Disk Changer CD-ROM Drive $990 (#30223) External. Access time: 800ms. Buffer: 32k. Interface: SCSI. Smart & Friendly 600e External $399 (#30224) Half-height external, SCSI, 64k buffer, 150k/sec, 390 ms. 600e Interface Kit: $75 (#30225) Sony CDU-541 Internal $449 (#30228) 380ms, 150k/sec, 64k buffer, SCSI, MPC Sony CDU-541 Interface Kit $99 (#30229) card, cables, CD caddy, DOS extensions Texel DM3024 Internal $449+$7 S&H (#30398) This drive has a 265ms access time and 300kb throughput, making it one of the fastest drives around. It is not quite as fast as the Toshiba 3401, but the Toshiba costs 33% more. At $449 for the internal drive, SCSI interface card, drivers, and cables, you get a lot of performance for your money. And to sweeten the deal even further, we will throw in the current PsL Monthly CD. Toshiba 3401B Internal $623 (cash discount price: $599) (#30383) External $727 (cash discount price: $699) This is one of the fastest CDROM drives available. It has an access time of 200ms and 300kb throughput. It has a high-performance SCSI-2 interface card included, and is Photo-CD ready. Toshiba XM-3301A External $599 (#30230) Toshiba XM-3301B Internal $459 (#30231) half-height, SCSI, 325ms, contamination-free sealed enclosure. 64k. 150k (Get Trantor interface kit, below.) Accessories & Interface Kits ============================ CD Caddies $6.50/each or 10 for $50 (#30315) (If you need mass quantities of these we recommend you purchase directly through Educorp at 1-800-843-9497.) Trantor T128 $119 (#30232) High-performance SCSI interface with internal and external connectors. Trantor T228 $249 (#30233) SCSI interface for PS/2's. Internal and external connectors. Trantor T140 $179 (#30234) Toshiba laptop host adapter Trantor Music Box $49 (#30236) Audio CD control software. PAS External CD-ROM Cable and Drivers $69 (#30161) Allows you to hook up an external CD-ROM drive to the built-in SCSI interface on the Pro Audio Spectrum sound cards. Complete MultiMedia Systems =========================== #30295 Pro Audio Spectrum Plus MM System ---------------------------------------- PsL Price: $775. Cash Price: $749. (+$9 S&H) In addition to the Pro Audio Spectrum Plus sound card and the Sony 535 internal CD-ROM drive (340ms access/150kb throughput), this multimedia package includes Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia (which has a $900 list price by itself), King's Quest V, Macro Mind's Action! MM authoring software, Windows 3.1, Nautilus Multimedia Magazine, and more. #30286 Pro Audio Spectrum 16 MM System -------------------------------------- PsL Price: $949. Cash Price: $923. (+$9 S&H) This Media Vision MPC compliant system is similar to the Plus MM system, above, but it has the PAS 16 card and, perhaps more significantly, the NEC 83M internal CD-ROM drive (280ms, 300kb). In addition to the same software as the Plus system, it also includes Lotus 123 for Windows with MultiMedia SmartHelp and Broderbund's Where is the World is Carmen Sandiego. #30166 Media Vision's CDPC MM System ------------------------------------ PsL Price: $995. Cash Price: $955 (+$18 S&H) This system features all the capabilities of the PAS 16 sound card and a high-performance CD-ROM drive mounted in an attractively designed case with built-in stereo speakers. A single cable connects everything to your computer. Other features include front panel CD controls, a 100W power amplifier with an optional sub-woofer system for bass enhancement, a built-in MIDI interface, front-panel microphone and headphone jacks, and more. Also included in this package is Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia, Macromind ACTION!, and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. This is the ULTIMATE "plug and play" multimedia upgrade for your PC! #30367 CDPC XL -------------- PsL Price: $1135 (+$18 S&H) This system features everything in the description above, but includes a high-speed NEC CD-ROM drive. #30346 Media Vision Fusion 16 Multimedia System ----------------------------------------------- PsL Price: $499 (+$9 S&H) This is a complete entry-level multimedia system with an internal Sony CD-ROM drive, a Media Vision 16-bit sound card with built-in SCSI interface, and a pair of amplified stereo speakers. Four CD's are included: Compton's Family Encyclopedia, Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego - Deluxe Edition, Ultima Underworld, and Wing Commander 2. (A CD caddy is not required with this particular CD-ROM drive.) Requires a 386SX or better, DOS 5.0, VGA, a minimum of 2MB RAM, and 12MB of free hard disk space. Sound Cards =========== #30287 Pro Audio Spectrum Plus ------------------------------ PsL Price: $129 This MPC-compatible sound card features 20-voice stereo sound with AdLib and Sound Blaster compatibility, 8 bit digital sound recording/playback at up to 44 khz (CD music quality), MIDI port (requires optional MIDI Mate Interface), SCSI port for attaching a CD-ROM drive (requires optional SCSI Cable Kit), joystick port, software controllable volume/treble/bass controls, and a music and sound effects library. A lot of nifty utilities come bundled with it, including a wave editor, input source mixer, TrakBlaster Pro, sound recorder, MIDI sequencer, text-to-speech synthesizer, and more. Windows 3.1 drivers are included. #30279 Pro Audio Spectrum 16 ---------------------------- PsL Price: $189 The main enhancement to this card over the PAS Plus card (above) is 16-bit digitizing for true CD-quality sound. While many people are quite excited about this ability, the problem is that 16-bit digitizing at 44k takes a tremendous amount of disk space. If you don't expect to need to digitize sounds with absolute CD quality and you want to save some money, you do not lose much by getting the Plus card rather than the PAS 16. #30163 MIDI Mate ---------------- PsL Price: $55 Allows you to connect MIDI-based musical instruments to the Pro Audio Spectrum Plus and 16 sound cards. Two 4' MIDI patch cables are provided. #30289 Pro Audio Spectrum Audioport ----------------------------------- PsL Price: $139 If you have a laptop with no slots or just don't have a slot to spare in your desktop computer, you no longer have to do without sounds. The Audioport from Media Vision plugs into your parallel port and gives you Ad Lib and Sound Blaster compatible sounds. The device even crams a speaker and four AAA batteries into a unit so compact that it can fit in a shirt pocket. It also has jacks for the included AC power adapter, audio output for headphones or speakers, and for microphone input. A volume control is also built in. Windows 3.1 drivers are included. #30290 Thunderboard For Windows ------------------------------- PsL Price: $109.95 This sound card features Sound Blaster compatible digitizing and playback along with AdLib compatible music support. This is a good, low-cost sound board for people who want basic sound capability for games and other programs. This card does NOT require Windows 3.1, but with it you can take advantage of new Windows 3.1 sounds without having to buy a full, expensive MPC multimedia system. Other features include an 11-voice FM synthesizer, joystick port, digitized audio recording/playback up to 22kHz, microphone input, music clips with a Master Tracks Pro demo, a text-to-speech utility, a talking calendar for Windows, waveform editor, and a utility for linking recorded sounds directly into any OLE client program. #30355 Pro MovieSpectrum ------------------------ PsL Price: $299 Media Vision's MovieSpectrum lets you display video in a window, capture single frames or video sequences, add recorded or live video to your multimedia presentations and more. You can input video from a camcorder, VCR, laser disk player, or from any TV receiver with video output. Included with the card is Macromedia's Action!, which is a multimedia presentation package which lets you combine sound, text, graphics, full-motion video and user input, Microsoft's Video for Windows, DOS Player and Recorder, and more. #30275 Koss Self-Powered Speakers --------------------------------- List Price: $40. PsL Price: $34. These high-quality Koss speakers are designed for use with computer sound cards. They are shielded and small enough (4"x6") to fit on the back corners of your desktop PC. They will run off batteries or an AC adapter (not included). Their frequency range is 50-20,000 Hz, with a maximum power input of 100 mW, and a maximum power output of 7.2 watts. These are heavy-duty speakers with excellent sound. Order them the same time as a sound card, and deduct another $5 from the already discounted price. #30360 CD-Speedway ------------------ PsL Price: $59.95 CD-Speedway is the ultimate caching program for CD-ROM drives. It can increase your CD-ROM speed by up to 1000% (that's NOT a typo). It employs unique Intuitive Caching technology that transfers data to your hard disk, RAM disk, or any drive device for almost instant access. CD Speedway dramatically increases the speed of text searches and clip-art viewing/retreival, and uses only 19K RAM. Requires 640K, and XT or better, and DOS 3.3+. #30310 Diskwasher CD HydroBath ------------------------------ PsL Price: $29 is a complete "non-contact" cleaning system for any type of compact disk. In less than one minute it safely removes the dust, dirt, and fingerprints that can mar CD performance. ]]]]]]]]]]