Cream of the Crop 25/Cream of the Crop 25.iso/faq/compu72.zip/COMPU72.TXT

Text File | 1997-04-06 | 31KB | 580 lines

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Notes from The Cutting Edge of Personal Computing
April 60, 1997
Issue 72
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Managing Editor: Patrick Grote -- mailto:[e-mail]
Assistant Editor: Writer Liaison: Doug Reed--
mailto:[e-mail]
Graphics Editor, Webmaster: Judy Litt mailto:[e-mail]
Archives: ftp://ftp.uu.net/published/compunotes/
LOOK *** NEW WEBSITE!!!!!
Website: http://www.geocities.com/~compunotes
email: mailto:[e-mail]
fax: [phone]
voice: [phone]
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CONTENTS
My Notes:
1=> Link to Us!
2=> My Other Mailing Lists
3=> This Week's Winner!

Reviews:
4=> Product: Upgrading and Repairing PCs -Sixth Edition by Scott
Mueller, Reviewed By: Don Hughes mailto:[e-mail]
5=> Product: Diablo
Reviewed By: Bill Frazier mailto:[e-mail]
6=> Product: Internet Phone Connection. by Cheryl Kirk.
Reviewed By: Richard Malinski, mailto:[e-mail]
7=> Product: Visual Cafe
Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:[e-mail]

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CompuNotes is: Available weekly via email and on-line. We cover the PC
computing world with comprehensive reviews, news, hot web sites, great
columns and interviews. We also give away one software package a week
to a lucky winner for just reading our fine publication! Never dull,
sometimes tardy, we are here to bring you the computing world the way
it is! Please tell every online friend you know about us!
CompuNotes
B440
1315 Woodgate Drive
St. Louis, MO 63122
[e-mail]
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To subscribe, send an email to [e-mail]
   SUBSCRIBE COMPUNOTES-L FirstName LastName
To unsubscribe, send an email to [e-mail]
   SIGNOFF COMPUNOTES-L
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Patrick's Notes
1=> Link to Us!
Well, we have a new website up and running! Please come visit us! We
have a complete archive of all CompuNotes sites up and about 30% of
the reviews we have done!

Our page: http://www.geocities.com/~compunotes

We would also like to offer a link on our LINKS page to you! All it
takes is you putting a link of us on your page! We'll then add you to
the list of CompuNotes supporters who have their own page! We even
have a neat graphic for your to use if you would like!

Send the details of your page to Patrick Grote.
mailto:[e-mail].

2=> Just in case you don't know, I run three other mailing lists. They
are:

The Microsoft list I run is a daily list which features tidbits about
Microsoft such as press clippings or software update notices. This is
for people who are hard core Microsoft fans. To subscribe send a message
to [e-mail] with the subject of SUBSCRIBE.

The SE list I run is for folks who work as systems engineers,
technicians, technical support or help desk folks. This is a daily list
with a resource that helps you do your job better. To subscribe send a
message to [e-mail] with the subject of SUBSCRIBE.

The SEIR list I run is for Simply Excellent Internet Resources. Everyday
you'll receive hot internet resource will end up in your mailbox. This
resource could be a website, mail list, ftp site or whatever. The common
aspect is that it is excellent and you can access it right away! To
subscribe send a mail message to [e-mail] with the subject of
SUBSCRIBE.

3=> Winner!
This week's winner is mailto:[e-mail]! Send them a
congrats message mailto:[e-mail]!

4=> Product: Upgrading and Repairing PCs -Sixth Edition by Scott
Mueller
Reviewed By: Don Hughes mailto:[e-mail]

Upgrading and Repairing PCs embodies over one thousand-four hundred
and thirty-three pages and is a complete and extensive reference guide
for older and current PC computers' models. Included with the book is
a CD-ROM containing Ziff Davis PC benchmarking diagnostic tools. This
encyclopedia guidepost to PC Repair, intended to be used by a service
shop workbench, field service personnel, or by anyone interested in
learning about their PC.

Chapter one presents the reader with an overview of the personal
computer history, using the invention of the transistor in 1948 by
Bell Laboratories as the starting point. In Chapter two, the PC is
broken down into two classes, the 8-bit (PC/XT-class)systems and the
16/32/64 (AT-class) systems of today. In chapter two of his book,
Scott Mueller, explains to the reader the different bus systems of the
PCs:

16-bit ISA Bus.
16/32-bit Extended ISA (EISA) Bus.
16/32-bit PS/2 Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) Bus.
16-bit PC-Card (PCMCIA) Bus.
32/64-bit VESA Local (VL) Bus.
32/64-bit Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Bus.

Confusing as the varied bus designs may seem at first glance, the
author performs an admirable task explaining each version of the PC
bus and the differences between them. From the first page the reader
is constantly guided and complex technical subject matter explained in
plain English. The author Scott Mueller and the publisher Que books
deserve high marks for producing this brilliant computer reference
text for the common people.

Que's "Up Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Sixth Edition" is filled to
overflowing with advice and tips. The author states: "One of the
biggest problems in troubleshooting, servicing, or upgrading a system
is having proper documentation. There are several types of
documentation available for a given system, from the basic manuals you
normally get with the system, to extra cost technical reference or
service manuals. Also, because most systems today are made up of
components from many different companies, I often recommend obtaining
documentation specific to these components from the component
manufactures."

Therein lies one the problems when repairing Personal Computers (PCs),
and that is one of obtaining the necessary service information. Some
customers misplace of lose the manuals that came with their system, or
they were never given the documentation in the first place--which of
course amplifies the problem. Furthermore, some component manufactures
cease operation, and finding documentation then becomes near
impossible.

In Chapter three "System Teardown and Inspection" the reader is first
given a summary of the hand tools and electronic test equipment
required for proper PC repair or upgrading.

The Author includes Internet web sites for various tool supply houses.
Many of the suppliers mentioned provided field service tools for the
electronic industry. Section three covers in detail how to use: proper
test equipment, logic probes and logic pulsers, outlet testers, SIMM
Testers, Chemicals, types of Hardware, and the differences between
English and Metric.

How to disassemble and reassemble of a PC are explained starting with
the Case or cover, adapter boards, disk drives, power supply,
motherboard, to the hard drive(s). The use of precautions, such as ESD
(electrostatic discharge) protection of critical and delicate logic
circuits and other components is mandatory.

Scott Muller declares these words of caution when working on a
computer system: Some people have recommended placing loose circuit
boards and chips on sheets of aluminum foil. This procedure is
absolutely not recommended and can actually result in an
explosion....Many motherboards, adapter cards have built-in lithium or
Ni-cad batteries....If the batteries are shorted out....They will
quickly overheat and possibly explode like a large firecracker (with
dangerous shrapnel)....The safest practice is to never place any board
on any conductive metal surface such as foil.

It is recommended that you unplug the PC from the power line before
remove or installing memory chips or boards. If you intend to go into
the field of computer repair or you just want to save money by
upgrading your computer, take the authors warning to heart and work
wisely and make safety first a priority.

The author states: "While you are disassembling a system, it is a good
idea to record all the physical settings and configurations within the
system, including jumper and switch settings, cable orientations and
placement, ground-wire locations, and even adapter-board placement. By
writing down the information you will have a record, just in case when
the computer is reassemble it does not work, due to a jumper or switch
that was moved or misplaced."

If you place a CMOS battery in backwards it can destroy or damage the
CMOS ship, usually soldered on the motherboard, and you then may have
to replace the whole motherboard. Like the old saying "A once of
prevention is worth a pound of cure." Upgrading and Repairing PCs, is
an abundant resource of information, contained within these 1433 pages
are numerous diagrams and illustrations. These cover such things as:
case removal, adapter screw placement and removal, power connectors,
hard drives, floppy drives, mother boards, and adapter or daughter
boards, and the power supply.

Scott Muller and QUE books have left nothing to chance for the novice
or the professional repair person. One chapter leads to another,
building the reader's knowledge one step at a time. The best part is
the text is written in plain English, no double talk, no fancy,
unexplained technical terms. However, once a technical term is used
the plain English translation and explanation is presented to the
reader.

Throughout the book Internet references are provided for companies
that supply software, shareware and other sources of information. The
chapters cover PCs in depth starting with: System Components,
Input/Output Hardware, Mass Storage Systems, Assembly and Maintenance,
Troubleshooting and Appendixes. If you are involved in the field of PC
repair or simply an end user who wants to learn more of what makes a
PC tick, then Upgrading and Repairing PCs, Sixth Edition, is a
necessity.

The CD-ROM Utilities included can give you a detailed system
inventory, and compare how well your computer compares when
benchmarked. The CD-ROM supplied utilities are from Ziff-Davis, and
contain, Winbench and Winstone 96, and Winstone 32 for both Windows
3.X and Windows 95. Handy as these free utilities are, it is the
wealth of technical computer information in plain English, that make
"Upgrading and Repairing PCs" an excellent bargain.

Publisher QUE Corporation
201 W. 103rd Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46290
USA
<http://www.mpc.com/que>
Compuserve (type GO QUEBOOKS at any prompt)
$49.99 USA /$70.95 Canada

Ratings:
Install/ease of Use: Silver
User Friendliness: Gold
Quality: Gold
End User: Technicians, or anyone who wants to learn more about  how
their PC works.

5=> Product: Diablo
Reviewed By: Bill Frazier mailto:[e-mail]
Requirements: 60 MHz Pentium, 8 MB RAM, 2X CD-ROM, SVGA, Windows 95.
Multiplayer requires 16 MB RAM.
MSRP: $54.95

What does a company to do after producing a pair of games as
successful as Warcraft and Warcraft II? Usually try to produce
something else just as good, and fail miserably. Blizzard
Entertainment is the company the proves the rule by being the
exception. Their new role-playing-game (RPG), Diablo, is destined to
become a number one seller and possibly Game of the Year in 1997. If
youÆre already an RPG fan, thereÆs no sense in reading any further,
get the game now.

The gameÆs premise is simple. You play the role of a young man or
woman returning to your home town, Tristram. Unfortunately, nearly
everyone, including your family, is dead. As you question the few
inhabitants who remain, you discover that Diablo, the Lord of Terror
lives under the cathedral. Protected by his dark minions, few dare to
challenge the might of Diablo. You have the option of playing one of
three character types, a Warrior, a Rogue, or a Sorcerer. Each type
has itÆs own strengths and weaknesses.

One common problem with RPGs is after youÆve played the game through
once, thereÆs nothing new to discover. You know where everything is,
know which weapons work best, and any subsequent play is a bore.
Blizzard attacks this problem head on in Diablo. Every new game is
produced by a random story generator, providing unique quests and
mazes for the character to pursue and explore, while leaving intact
the ultimate goal of finding and destroying Diablo. According to
Blizzard Entertainment, there are about 40 major quests, with a player
coming across about four in any one game. In addition to the major
quests, minor quests abound.

Like the Warcraft series, Diablo provides a number of ways to enable
multi- player play. Two players can compete with or against each other
via a modem connection. If you are connected to an IPX network or
direct connect your computers, as many as four players can join a
single game. Finally, Blizzard Entertainment maintains an on-line
Internet gaming service called Battle.net. This service is currently
provided at no charge, and is probably the most active site on the
net. On Battle.net you can join or challenge players from around the
world. In addition to games, you can participate in numerous chat
channels devoted to Diablo and contact support personnel.

Installation is easy, as long as you follow instructions. Perhaps most
important is to install DirectX 3.0, provided on the Diablo CD-ROM,
before you try to install the game. I did it the opposite way and
concluded the game wouldn'tÆt run on my newest machine, a Pentium Pro
200. I then loaded Diablo on a Pentium 100 computer and it ran
flawlessly. Flushed with success, I removed Diablo from the Pentium
Pro, installed DirectX, and then reinstalled the game. This time it
worked. Like itÆs predecessors Warcraft and Warcraft II, the graphics
in Diablo are stunning SVGA. Your perspective is a three-quarters
overhead view. Character movement throughout the town and in the
underground is smooth and fluid. Battle sequences give you the feeling
of being there. Meanwhile, in the background you here the clash of
sword against shield, grunts of pain, and finally, the cry of death.
Diablo is rated M (Mature), ages 17+, by the ESRB, and probably
rightfully so. Monsters die in gruesome detail. Arms, heads, and
torsos fly in all directions. As you venture through the catacombs and
caves you find rooms filled with impaled corpses.

When you reach level 13 in the caves, you encounter barely clad hoards
of female demons intent on your destruction. Blizzard painted this
dark setting fully aware that the program would probably earn the
mature rating, but I think they achieved their purpose. You realize
that true evil exists in the dungeon, and only you can exorcise it.
IÆm three weeks and about fifty hours into this game. IÆm playing a
single player game at home and compete multi-player on the Internet. I
have no doubt that Blizzard has another winner on their hands. If you
can find it, get Diablo.

If youÆre still not sure that this is the game for you, download a
shareware version of Diablo from Blizzard EntertainmentÆs WEB site at
http://www.blizzard.com. This version includes all the detail of the
retail version, but limits you to the Warrior class character and
exploring levels 1 and 2 in the dungeons.

Blizzard Entertainment
P.O. Box 18979
Irvine, CA 92713
800-953-7669
<http://www.blizzard.com>

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

6=> Product: Internet Phone Connection. by Cheryl Kirk.
Reviewed By: Richard Malinski, mailto:[e-mail]
Requirements:    486/33mhz, Speakers, microphone, CD-ROM drive.
MSRP:         $29.99 US

Here is another Osborne publication that is jam packed full of more
than enough information and software to get you up and running with an
internet phone. This is written in a chatty style. You don't need to
be a technician to understand and use the material. In fact, if you
want to really be quick about using an internet phone, browse through
the software descriptions, pick one that is on the cd-rom, read
Appendix A and your off!

When in doubt or if you hit a snag, the help files on the cd-rom and
the informative chapters in the book are there to bail you out. Ms
Kirk even offers to help you out. You can reach her at her web site
noted at the end of this review.

The book is divided into 10 chapters and one appendix. The first two
chapters introduce you to internet phone, illustrate how it might be
used and tell you a bit of the history to its development. Most of
this material is not directly useful to getting up and running but it
does show how rapidly the internet phone market has developed and what
people are doing with it. The next three chapters cover more technical
aspects of internet phone software and hardware. Here you'll learn
about what initial equipment you'll need. This is basic information
that you'd find in any good introduction to computers, to modems and
to sound compression. If you are comfortable with computers and the
internet you should be familiar with these first two chapters. The
chapter on sound compression however, is valuable if you want to
really get the most out of your internet phone. With the material in
this chapter (Chapter 5) you'll be able to understand how to tweak
your system to get the best voice quality and combination of
parameters from your internet telephone.

Chapter 6 provides you with insights into 20 different internet phone
software products. Many of these items are on the cd-rom! Whether the
software is on the cd-rom or not there is still an address, telephone,
e-mail and home page noted for each product. Ms Kirk also sets out her
ratings so that you can compare these products. She rates the software
products on Voice quality, Ease of use, Overall product features and
whether it worked the first time or not, is server-based or not, has
text chat or not, permits file transfer, has voicemail or is linkable
via a web page. She also lists the platforms that the software works
on, what the minimum requirements are and what the cost is. If this
isn't enough she also provides you with major features of each piece
of software along with her personal opinions on its values, its
problems and any idiosyncracies that she has found. This chapter is
excellent for giving an overview of the software and enabling the
reader to decide which software products would probably fit best. Even
if you try one and it doesn't work for you, with the software on the
cd-rom you can try several!

While Chapter 6 outlines software, Chapter 7 covers the steps that you
should go through to transfer, unzip and start your chosen software.
You might find this chapter too basic for you but I'd suggest that you
give it a try. Ms Kirk does not forgo suggesting once again the need
to back up your hard disk drive. If you load some of this software and
through no fault of the software there is a conflict and/or a crash,
you have yourself to blame. BACKUP! Other comments and suggestions may
seem maudlin but they are the key to success.

Some of you who have an interest in gadgets will like Chapter 8. Here
there are a number of comments on peripherals that you might use to
increase the versatility of your internet experience. There are
headphones and headsets, multimedia keyboards, RFI eliminators, sound
cards for laptops and cameras. While many are for 'gadget freaks', the
introduction of cameras such as the CONNECTIX QuickCam moves you
closer to full audio-video interactivity. For the novice computer buff
or those of you new to internet phone this chapter opens up more
interesting routes for you to travel.

The last section gives more of the same. In Chapter 9 there are many
tips and hints on improving your internet phone connection. Throughout
this chapter and the others there are comments about web sites with
free or shareware software that you can download to help with your
system. In Chapter 10 there are comments on audio and video products
that you might want to try. Here are specific audio-video products
like Cu-SeeMe that links up with the cameras in an earlier chapter. As
noted earlier, the Appendix gives you specific information on using
the cd-rom.

The cd-rom is easy to work with. There are directories and sub-
directors for specific categories of software and particular internet
phone programs for the PC and the MAC. Also included are versions of
WinZip for both Windows 3.1 and Windows95.

All in all this is a very useful book and cd-rom combination. I'd rate
the installation as gold for its simplicity and stability. I'd give it
a gold again for its usability and quantity of information. Strictly
speaking it has a great deal more than you'd need to get started and
some of it is repetitive but I found myself going back to it again and
again to compare software, to check options and figure out the many
internet phone features. GOLD!!


Osborne/McGraw Hill
2600 Tenth Street
Berkeley
California 94710

Information on Osborne books -     http://www.osborne.com
Cheryl Kirk web site -        http://www.netphones.com

7=> Product: Visual Cafe
Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:[e-mail]
Requirements: 486, 16MB RAM, CDROM drive, Windows 95

Earlier this year Symantec released the first commercially developed
GUI for Java programmers, Symantec Cafe. Cafe was a huge hit, quickly
achieving market dominance even after the release of free betas of
both Microsoft's J++ and Sun's own Java Workshop. Cafe came equipped
with all the tools a programmer needed to design Java applets and
applications, however, it was primarily designed for professional
programmers. To embrace the need of "non-programmers" to create Java
applets and applications quickly and easily, Symantec has now released
Visual Cafe. Visual Cafe is not simply an enhanced version of Cafe;
Visual Cafe was designed from the ground up for quick and easy program
development, and the polish is considerable. Symantec may have
achieved orbit with Cafe, however, Visual Cafe is set to take them out
of the solar system.

Visual Cafe has been specifically designed to be as much as possible a
visual design and development tool (Symantec calls it a RAD, rapid
application development tool, similar to Visual Basic or Delphi). In
this context, it means that the user concentrates on designing the
look and feel of the Java program as well as building the interactions
between the various components of the applet or application, without
having to touch the source code of the actually Java program. Visual
Cafe was designed to make Java available "to the masses", non-
professional programmers looking to quickly and easily design
applications.

Thanks to autoplay Visual Cafe is easily installed from the CDROM; the
CD also includes Windows 95 versions of Netscape Navigator 3.01 and
the Adobe Acrobat reader, necessary to read the 104 page tutorial that
comes on the CDROM and that is designed to help you learn how to use
Visual Cafe. After the rather sparse documentation with Cafe (although
Cafe version 1.5 did include the Cafe Companion), the large tutorial
and extensive on-line help is very welcome. Symantec seems to have
realized that the target audience (non-professional programmers) is
probably going to need all the help it can get!

Visual Cafe relies extensively on designing "forms". Forms in Visual
Cafe are not what the typical web designer/Java programmer might be
thinking of (interactive forms for acquiring feedback or input). In
Visual Cafe, forms are a blank "page" upon which to build your Java
applet/application. Visual Cafe comes with a number of components that
the programmer can drag onto the page, using the components to
assemble the look and feel of the applet/application as well as the
functionality. Choices include basic fields such as buttons and
textfields, multimedia components such as slide shows and
firecrackers, as well as utility components, etc... In addition,
Visual Cafe will work with any third party vendor components that are
written to Sun's Java Beans API specification (get more information on
Java Beans from Sun, http://www.sun.com).

Loading Visual Cafe brings up a Toolbar that covers a large portion of
the upper third of the screen along with a "Form Designer" window, a
Project window, and a Properties window. A series of tabs across the
toolbar provides ready access to the aforementioned wide assortment of
Java components - from form components like textfields and buttons to
animation effects like fireworks and slide shows. To put one into your
Java program, you simply click on the desired component, drag it onto
the Form Designer window, and then size it to meet your needs. Visual
Cafe automatically inserts the component into the source code for the
applet - which you can confirm by double- clicking on the component
and calling up the Source Code window. From either the Source Code
window or the Properties window you can modify the name and attributes
of the component, further customizing it to fit your needs. The source
code is changed dynamically, as you type, so that you can
automatically see any changes you make. Once you have two or more
elements in the form you can click on the Interaction button and
create an interaction between the various elements. This brings up a
wizard which allows you to select from a range of possible events
(like onClick) and resultant actions (like clear the textfield in the
form). Very slick, and incredibly user friendly! About the only
problem with the various components was with the fireworks - when you
drag them onto the applet they immediately start going off, a neat
effect but it bogs down the system especially if you are at the low
end of the system requirements. I've sent a message to Symantec's
technical support team to find out if there is a way to shut off the
animation but haven't received a reply. Given the normally very
excellent support for both Cafe and Visual Cafe on the Internet, I
have to assume that probably there is no work around and is simply
something you must live with if your applet or application just has to
have animation (or simply buy a faster computer :^) ).

Symantec provides no less than three tutorials to help you get up and
running. Two are available from their website at cafe.symantec.com and
are designed to show to easily create Java applets for the Internet
(creating the fireworks display mentioned above is one of the two). In
addition a third tutorial is available on the CD in Acrobat format, a
104 page monster designed to teach how to create a Java application
with Visual Cafe. This tutorial is by far the most informative of the
lot, providing considerable in-depth information by leading you
through the steps to creating an application for a fictitious travel
agency, one that can create sample itineraries, process surveys, and
interact with prospective customers.

Visual Cafe also includes a number of tools that will be very familiar
to Cafe users; the Class Browser and the Hierarchy Editor. The Class
Browser lists all the classes of your program, including all methods
and data members that belong to the class, while the Hierarchy Editor
visually displays the relationship amongst classes in your program and
allows you to dynamically create, move, and edit classes. Visual Cafe
also includes a visual debugger, written in C++ to insure (according
to Symantec) "the fastest performance and to prevent conflicts in Java
source code execution". I'm still fairly new at programming, but the
debugger included in Visual Cafe is easy to use, flexible, and appears
to work very well in helping catch the bugs that seem to creep into
almost any program. In addition to debugging applets/applications on a
local machine, Visual Cafe does allow for "remote debugging" - i.e.,
debugging an applet or application running on a different machine than
the one you are currently using. I haven't yet tried this, but the
possibility of running your applet on a remote web server and
debugging it from your local machine seems quite intriguing.

Visual Cafe also comes with the same tremendous technical support as
Cafe, since it was designed by the same team. Symantec's tools
programmers are very vocal and responsive on the various Java
newsgroups. Once you've purchased Visual Cafe you gain access to the
member's only portions of cafe.symantec.com, which includes the
ability to download Visual Cafe from their site, download patches or
new components, and gain access to newsgroups set up by Symantec and
devoted to Visual Cafe.

Symantec has really brought out the fine silver with Visual Cafe; the
program runs quite well and the chrome and polish really shows. Visual
Cafe is not perfect; it is not always easy to determine how to do
certain elements of programming in Java, especially networking
components. The information is there - it just isn't as easy to find
as one might like. At times you will still have to create your own
code to do some things in Visual Cafe, however, as more components
become available this will likely decrease considerably. The press
evaluation guide included with the software contains considerable
information about how Symantec's Java JIT (Just-In-Time) compiler is
faster than anyone else's, a fairly important consideration especially
when creating those large applications. But even without the faster
JIT, Symantec's Visual Cafe is a terrific tool for quickly and easily
creating Java programs. Thumbs up for Visual Cafe!

Symantec, Inc.
10201 Torre Ave.
Cupertino, CA 95014
[phone]
Web:     http://www.symantec.com
    http://cafe.symantec.com (for all of Symantec's Java-related
offerings)

--END OF ISSUE