Copyright: Copyright © 1994 Windows OnLine(tm)
Citation: All rights reserved, Copyright © 1994 Windows OnLine(tm)


Front Page

WinOnLine Review™ is a publication of Windows OnLine™. Copyright © 1994 All Rights Reserved


Contents

   About the WinOnLine Review™

WOLR information you should know

NEW to the magazine and Windows Help?

 here to learn more

   Publisher's Desk

This month's comments from our Publisher

   Cache la Byte Commentary,  by Thom Foulks

Computer Heresy - Will Thom survive the Inquisition?

   Compel, by Ed Hoffman

Multimedia presentation for the ultimate client razzle-dazzle

   HyperACCESS, by Bob Gollihur

Simple yet sophisticated data communications for Windows

   RoboHelp 2.6, by Randy Wong

A premier Help authoring system for Windows

   Anyview, by David Morgan

Change your screen resolution without jumping out of windows

   WinProbe, by Steven Jay Cohen

Windows diagnostic software takes another step

   Micrografx Designer 4.0, by Tami Brydone-Jack

Now with the look and feel of an advanced graphics package

   Word Perfect Presentations, by Bob Ellig

Presentation software to compete with Uncle Henry's slide show

   Graphics Utilities, by Ed Hoffman

HiJack Pro

Graphics Tools

   TurboComm/2, by Ed Rasimus

Replacing COMM.DRV with something that works

   Ecco, by Ed Rasimus

A continued look at a gem of a PIM by a fan

   UMAX 630 MaxColor Flatbed Scanner, by Thom Foulks

Never the TWAIN shall meet?

   Word Perfect Magazine CD, by Ed Hoffman

All the information without the dust catchers

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About the WinOnLine Review
Publisher : Frank J. Mahaney      Editor : Bob Gollihur

Technical Editor: Steven Jay Cohen      Senior Staff Writer: Ed Hoffman

Staff Writers: Steven Jay Cohen, David Morgan, Ed Rasimus, Randy Wong

Contributing Writers:  Tami Brydone-Jack, Bob Ellig, Thom Foulkes, John Morris, Rich Young

The WinOnLine™ Review (WOLR) and its sister publication, the WinOnLine Review™ Shareware Edition (WOLRS), are electronic magazines that are distributed worldwide to major online services. It is estimated that each issue is read by over 100,000 online and network users. (It is reported that there are over 70,000 BBS's in the USA alone as of 1993). The Review is published monthly at the beginning of each month. The Shareware Edition is published monthly and issued mid-month.

These magazines are published by Windows OnLine™, an online (modem) service dedicated to supporting Windows users and Windows network professionals. WOL prides itself on having the most complete and up-to-date library of Windows shareware in the world. We have over 26,000 Windows-specific programs and files to download and many thousands more oriented to DOS and OS/2. WOL operates with 17 nodes (all equipped with US Robotics high speed dual standard modems) operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We hope you will give us the opportunity to become your BBS of choice.

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Publisher's Desk
Welcome to one of our biggest issues ever! The WinOnLine Review serves you a baker's dozen of articles for your education and enjoyment. Our writers have really outdone themselves this issue. We hope you enjoy and benefit from the sharing of their adventures.

Thanks to Senior Staff Writer Ed Hoffman and others, we have been fortunate to add some top notch writers to our masthead lately, and are always seeking new freelance and staff writers to bring their personal perspectives and wisdom to our magazines. While some of our writers are professionals, others are devoted Windows users who simply enjoy passing on their experiences with the latest programs. If you would like to learn more about the possibility of becoming a writer for our publications, please [image] here.

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Your comments about our magazines are always welcome. Give us a call at Windows OnLine (BBS), 510-736-8343 and leave a comment for any of us in the Writers' Conference #4. We're always pleased to hear from you.

Enjoy the 83rd Issue of the WinOnLine Review!

Frank J. Mahaney,

Publisher


Cache La Byte
       CACHE LA BYTE COMMENTARY

by Thom Foulkes

Computer Heresy

Heard any heresy lately?  Get comfortable, 'cause here comes some.

A desktop computer remains nothing but a typewriter with delusions of grandeur, and its usefulness can be judged only by what it produces -- just as the quality of a typewriter can be judged only by what's on the paper rolling forward under the bail.

No CPU, no card and no software is worth a hoot unless it improves what comes from the computer.  No icon can improve your typing speed, no fancy wallpaper will help you search a database more rapidly, no screen saver will improve your budget forecasts, no add-ons of pull-ups, pop-downs, or slideouts on your favorite button-bar will help your modem transfer data more rapidly, and no computer can imbue you with skills or talents you don't already have.

All of those "no's" are really rather self-evident, and few will disagree with them.  A computer can only burnish one's skills by how well you use it to process, handle and manipulate the data it is capable of storing.  It can't do more -- and how well it does those tasks can only be measured by what YOU produce.

Here's a Foulks truism that may grab you: NO add-on software for any application can improve your productivity in that application, until you learn the basic use of the application itself.  You can't use the planks of an add-on to flatten the learning curve of new (or old) software and feel as though you're accomplished something.

Cosmetics.  All cosmetics.  Lipstick, rouge, toupees and falsies.  Yep, it may "look" better -- but (please, pardon the innuendo, but I can't think of a better way of making the point...): WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME IN THE MORNING?

I am nailing my truths on your door because of friends who keep telling me

about newfound products that will:

(a) Let you add more buttonholes to File Manager (something like that), or...

(b) Ascertain the Biblical quote in your speech is correct, or...

(c) Position a digital clock anywhere on your display, or...

(d) Whistle "Yankee Doodle Dandy" while un-ZIPping a file, or...

(e) Launch seven programs simultaneously to handle the same file, or...

(f) Cure acne in teenagers and rheumatism in those who aren't, or...

(h) Change the colors of the icons on a button-bar, or...

(i) Allow you to drag-and-drop your jeans into a washing machine, or...

(j) Any, none, all, or some of the above.

And, yet, some of these same friends have been known to reject, in less than 24 hours, major applications because of displeasure with the verbiage of the prompts.

Let's get serious.  Twenty-ten-five minutes of "installing" anything, are minutes during which your computer (and you) didn't produce anything.  If the amounts of time spent on installing software that didn't enhance productivity were laid end-to-end at Stanford, I wouldn't be surprised.

How much time have you spent choosing the right icon for that newly found application?  Or choosing between flying toasters and swimming fish for a screen-saver? Or experimenting with four different font combinations in a one page memo?  Sure, all this stuff works.

But it doesn't do any work.  The medical community has a word for such non-productive self-indulgence.  It begins with "m", and it's not masochism.

a commentary by

Thom Foulkes


       COMPEL

by Ed Hoffman

When the television character Max Headroom appeared on the scene a few years ago, few people viewed this addition to prime time television as more than a simple novelty. However, rather than a simple diversion, this program actually heralded a new form of communication where the computer was to play a very important role.

The technology that produced this character was quite revolutionary for its time. But now, just a few years later, variations of this technology are used on computers throughout business every day. Some of the most common applications typically fall into the general category of Presentation Software.

Presentation Software is the term that describes a range of programs specifically designed to blend various combinations of text, graphics, sound, animation, and video into a range of different software packages. Most often these programs are used to create business presentations, demonstrations, product exhibitions, and a wealth of similar applications.

You might expect that the more features a program offers, the more complicated it is to use. At least this is a view I've long held. Having tried a variety of different Presentation Software programs in the past, I feel somewhat qualified to render an educated opinion on this subject. When using most of these programs I've felt that I was somehow being tested to see if I had the required intelligence worthy of a computer user. In most cases the only thing I really learned was several new words to add to my lexicon of profanity.

So, when the Compel program came across my desk, I was somewhat suspicious. Not only did this program call itself a Presentation program, but it also claimed to be Multimedia to boot. Well, it was almost more than my little brain cells could handle. I figured not only would I get frustrated with creating text and graphics, now I'd have the opportunity of experiencing my exasperation in full motion video with sound. But I was to be pleasantly surprised. Compel is actually a relatively straight forward program that does indeed follow a logical progression.

Compel is a remarkably sophisticated presentation program for Windows 3.1. The program combines a substantial number of power features with an easy to understand and logical command structure. With little or no prior experience in graphic presentations, Compel gives you all the tools you'll need to build complete multimedia presentations right from your computer.

Using the framework of a slide presentation as its basis, the program steps you through the complete presentation process. One of the more practical aspects of the program is the vast number of available options. Although the program offers a complete array of multimedia features, these features are totally optional. Rather than forcing you to build presentations simply to take advantage of these features the program allows you complete control of the final results.

To begin a presentation, simply start the program. You are then placed at the first slide of your presentation. If you don't like the initial starting template, it is a very simple matter to change the template to something more to your liking. The program is furnished with over one hundred professionally designed templates. Should you want a different look to the template, changing the background color, gradation, or pattern for each template is also quite simple.

Each template design is also available in eleven different formats to suit the type of information each slide will contain. The templates are automatically sized to suit the specific type of output you select. Here you have three options: overheads, slides, and on screen presentations. Once you make the background modifications for a template, each variation of that template you use also has the identical background.

Once your template design is selected you can begin building your complete presentation. Each template guides you through the building process. With your title slide, for example, the cursor automatically goes to the Title area where you simply type in the name of your presentation. If your next slide contains a bulleted list, simply select this template and begin typing in each bulleted item. Although you'll normally limit your bulleted information to only one or two levels, up to fifteen bullet levels are available in the program. These lists may be used by themselves, or combined with virtually any object to add impact and interest to your presentation.

The program allows you to import a range of graphic images in any of fifteen different formats. Other graphics can also be placed in your presentations through the Windows clipboard. So, anything that can be copied to the clipboard can be pasted into your Compel presentation. Should you want to create your own graphics, a series of graphics tools is also included within the Compel program.

Additional clipart, as well as other forms of information can also be linked and embedded in your presentation with OLE. Here the information is edited in the original application and automatically updated in your Compel presentation. This information may be graphics, spreadsheet information, or virtually any other type of Windows data.

If you really want pizzazz, Compel also allows you to add sound, animation and video to your presentations. The program handles a variety of sound formats including WAV, MIDI, and CD Audio. To apply these, simply add a sound file to your presentation and link it to the appropriate slide. The animation feature allows you to show moving graphics on your slides during the presentation. Both the sound files and video clips can be edited using the program to get just the right effect. Several sound and video examples are included with the program, but you can quite easily add your own video from either tape or videodisk. A built-in sound recorder also allows you to personalize your presentations with your own voice.

When you've completed your presentation you can combine all the elements into a single program and save it to a floppy disk. You can then distribute the presentation as a standalone show with the runtime version of Compel. This allows the presentation to be viewed on systems without the full version of Compel installed. If your presentation is made without the multimedia features, you can send the slides either to your color printer or to your service bureau.

Compel also allows you to create Speaker Notes and Audience Handouts for your presentation. The Speaker Notes show each slide as a thumbnail with the appropriate explanatory notes for the speaker shown beside each slide. The Audience handouts resemble the Speaker notes except that a series of blank lines are provided for taking notes.

When you install the Compel program, two demonstration programs are also installed. The first is a basic rundown of the essential features of Compel as well as a few tips on building your presentations. The second program is a multimedia presentation combining all the presentation elements to show you the power and features of multimedia capabilities of Compel. Not surprising, this presentation was also prepared using the Compel program. Both demonstrations are very well done and will help get you started with the program.

Like the introduction, the online help system is also first rate and answered virtually all the questions I had about the program features and techniques. The low $295.00 retail price and even lower street price of this program is a real bargain even if you make presentations only occasionally.

386/20 SX with 2 MB RAM (min. 4 MB recommended)

4 to12 MB of hard disk space

Graphics adapter card (VGA, Super VGA, or other Windows compatible card)

For the multimedia features:

256 color video adapter

An MCI (Media Control Interface) compatible sound card

A photo CD drive

Video capture software

Video overlay board

Videodisk player, videocassette recorder, or other source to play video

Compel

List Price: $295.00

Available from:

Asymetrix Corporation

110-110th Avenue N.E., Suite 700

Bellevue, WA  98004

800-448-6543

written by

Ed Hoffman


       WINPROBE

by Steven Jay Cohen

Landmark is a name that has carried weight in the computing world since 1984, when the company gained national aclaim for the development of the Landmark CPU Speed Test. Even now, ten years later, the Speed Test rating is still often used as a comparative benchmark. Known for highly reliable diagnostic software and hardware for engineers, technicians, and PC end users, Landmark has focused their troubleshooting and optimizing expertise on the Windows environment with their flagship, WinProbe.

What do you do when you discover that the pauses in your applications leave you time to fix a cup of coffee between screens? And what do you do when you know you've followed the instructions exactly to install your brand new expansion card, but the #*!?#*! thing still won't work? Who has time to sit with a telephone receiver glued to their ear for two hours, on HOLD, Muzak playing incessantly, while you wait your turn to speak to tech support?

What is sorely needed in those troubled times is an on-hand expert, someone knowledgeable to peer reassuringly over your shoulder, view the symptoms, while taking into account the particulars of your individual setup, and then sagely pronounce a firm diagnosis. Yeah... just about as likely as a foot of snow in Miami in the middle of August, right? Given the above, I would suggest to you that a little bit of knowledge and insight can go a long way toward solving at least half of these difficulties. "Where might one gain such insight in a relatively short time?", you ask. My answer is, "Good diagnostic software."

Though certainly not perfect, WinProbe reflects the serious intent of Landmark to provide the data from whence to gain insight. The vast majority of Windows users have absolutely no idea what a DMA channel or an interrupt is about. "Memory addresses," "available resources," "CMOS", "BIOS"... are only a few of the terms that are no more meaningful than "gobbledygook" to the average user. Yet the concepts conveyed by these terms do have impact on the running of your copy of Windows on your PC. WinProbe examines critical relationships among your hardware and software components as they are conducted and reports its findings. It's important to note that even a superficial understanding of the inner workings of your PC is often all that's needed to rectify a problem. Let's take a look at the sort of data that WinProbe can supply.

WinProbe opens up with a graphic overview of your system that includes a real time monitor of your CPU's activity. The scrollable button bar at the bottom of the window contains a button for every available function -- 63, to be exact! All functions are, of course, also available from the menu bar. A nice touch that eliminates potential confusion with so many buttons, is the title readout that appears below as your cursor passes over a button. Take a look at the following list of Winprobe's impressive array of functions:

Find File	Installation Wizard
Print Data Window Contents	I/O Port List
Printer Setup	Hardware Overview & ROM List
Print Summary Information	VGA Information
Graphic Overview	Conventional Memory Information
Close all Data Windows	Expanded Memory Information
Exit WinProbe	Extended Memory Information
Exit Windows	First Megabyte Map
Cut	Network General Information
Copy	System General Information
Edit Settings	Device Driver List
Audio Diagnostics	Interrupt Vector Information
Communications Diagnostics	TSR List
Floppy Drive Diagnostics	Environment Variables
Hard Disk Diagnostics	Open File List
Keyboard Diagnostics	Windows Setup Information
Math Coprocessor Diagnostics	Video Device Capabilities
Motherboard Diagnostics	Printer Device Capabilities
Mouse Diagnostics	Windows Descriptor Tables
Printer Diagnostics	Windows Exception Handlers
RAM Chip Diagnostics	Windows Memory Management Info.
Video Diagnostics	Help on Data Displayed
Hard Disk Information	Module Information
Hard Disk Drive Types	System Metrics
Partition Table Information	Windows Task List
SMARTDrive Information	Windows INI Cleanup Suggestions
SMARTDrive Settings	Windows INI File Editor
BIOS Information	Windows Group File Cleanup Suggestions
CMOS Information	CMOS Editor

As you can see, WinProbe has quite a deep toolbox. It checks all of the important hardware and is even capable of testing your RAM from within Windows. The online Help not only aptly explains the results of any diagnostic findings, but also serves as excellent reference material and includes a thorough glossary of PC terminology and acronyms. Explanations are written in an easily understandable fashion -- perfect for those who are unfamiliar and equally informative for the professional.

Far too long a list to cover in detail, I would like to point out four of WinProbe's most notable features:

Memory Optimizer - This feature recovers memory that badly behaved software sometimes leaves tied up and unavailable, even after it is no longer running.

INI Clean & INI Editor - WinProbe will examine your WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI files and report inconsistencies and references to nonexistent files. A well conceived .INI Editor is at your disposal to make changes as you may deem necessary. This editor works with any .INI file, permitting you to easily examine and edit each individual section (delineated within the file by square brackets, "[Xxxxxx]") and its components.

Installation Wizard - This tool is very helpful to use prior to the installation of any new expansion cards and other hardware. It will report information about your I/O ports, DMA channels, IRQs, and upper memory address usage and provides a good explanation of what all of that means. This allows you to figure out what is already in use so that you can properly configure the new hardware, minimizing the potential for conflicts.

I did run into a few glitches while exploring WinProbe. A couple of the modules caused GPFs (General Protection Faults) on my system and I called Landmark's tech support to find out about the "whys". Frankly, I was quite impressed with both the attitude and the knowledge of the individual with whom I spoke. He readily admitted that there were, indeed, a few inherent conflicts that they are working to remedy. A GPF encountered while running the floppy disk diagnostics, for example, turned out to be due to an incompatibility with PCKwik's cache. It has also been reported that if you don't have COMMAND.COM as your command processor, the General System Information test will also result in a GPF.

My experience with this software has ultimately improved the running of my copy of Windows. Examining some of the details of my system with WinProbe prompted me to call the manufacturer of my video card to discover that I needed a BIOS upgrade for the card. The upgrade eliminated two of the consistent GPFs that I had encountered with WinProbe. This fix also straightened out a couple of other minor annoyances that, prior to the upgrade, I thought I was simply going to have to live with. Additionally, I implemented a couple of suggestions offered by WinProbe regarding my SYSTEM.INI that also seemed to smooth the way a little. Though most of the .INI suggestions could probably apply to any system, I did find them to be helpful.

All in all, I found WinProbe to deliver what it advertised and was fairly impressed with its capabilities. As a bonus, it presently ships bundled with PC Certify, which is DOS troubleshooting software, and Landmark DOS for Windows, a fully functioning, scaleable window that operates DOS compatible commands from within Windows.

Don't be afraid of your PC. It's not going to bite you. We all tend to fear what we don't understand, so take a step toward conquering your fear of the PC. Unshroud the mystery that surrounds it with the insight provided by good diagnostic software. Once you decide to take that enlightening step, you'll discover that running your PC is a lot more enjoyable and problems are more easily rectified. WinProbe is more than adequate to this task and would be an excellent addition to your PC toolbox.

WinProbe 2.1a

List Price:  $99.00

for further information please contact:

Landmark Research International Corporation

703 Grand Central Street

Clearwater, FL 34616

813-443-1331

fax 813-443-6603

written by

Steven Jay Cohen


       ANYVIEW

by David Morgan

 	The traditional way of changing screen resolutions within Windows involves opening the setup program, selecting a new video driver, restarting Windows and waiting . . . . . The AnyView Screen Commander from Binar Graphics breaks this tradition. It will quickly change your monitor's screen resolutions "on the fly" without having to exit and then restart Windows. Other functions in AnyView include color depth changes, screen magnification, the creation of a "virtual desktop" and the ability to associate different Windows applications with different resolutions and color depths.

Installing AnyView is easy. All you need to do is run the setup program and input monitor and video card information or choose default settings based on your hardware. After entering this information, it asks to restart your computer so the new drivers will work. That's all there is to it. If for some reason you need to remove AnyView, an uninstall program runs from DOS to return your system to pre-installation configuration including changing back to your original SYSTEM.INI file.

AnyView's features are accessed in three different ways: Program Manager group icons, the control panel and a tool bar. The control panel is also used to configure the program. It is here that you setup resolution and color depth associations, arrange application windows and control tool bar behavior.

The tool bar is the most convenient way to quickly access the features within AnyView. Its size, location, orientation (vertical or horizontal), icon width, height and "always on top" can all be configured. Include on the tool bar only those features you want by using the tool bar editing menu.

Support is provided for 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768 and 1280x1024 screen resolutions, if your monitor and video card support them. Using AnyView, the change between resolutions is immediate. The color depths supported are 16, 256, 32768, 65536 and 16.7M. Changing between these is as easy as clicking an icon. Windows will be restarted before any color depth change takes place. AnyView will prompt you to save any unsaved information in open applications.

AnyView has the ability to associate any Windows application with a specific resolution and color depth. When one of these associated applications is opened, the screen automatically adjusts to your specified settings. The change is immediate if only screen resolution is changed.

Here's an example of how these associations work. On my system, I have Write associated with a resolution of 640x480. It's a readable, easy-on-my-eyes resolution. When I open Write, the monitor automatically switches to that resolution regardless of the current setting. If I then open File Manager, the screen quickly changes to the associated resolution of 1024x768. It will automatically switch back and forth between resolutions depending on which application is active.

One advantage of using a large screen resolution is the ease of readability of text, especially in word processing and help file documents. Unfortunately, the larger resolution is at the expense of overall screen real estate. One application can easily take up the entire screen. To lessen this expense, AnyView lets you create a "virtual desktop" to increase the overall desktop space past the borders of your monitor screen. The larger desktop is navigated using your mouse. If you happen to get lost in this virtual desktop, there is a Bird's Eye View button that will bring up a miniature image of the entire desktop. Selecting any section of the miniature image will turn off the Bird's Eye View and move the mouse pointer to the selected section of the desktop.

Other noteworthy features within AnyView are the screen magnify and DPI WYZARD options. Many of the utilities currently available to magnify your screen do so by enlarging only a very small target area. Usually, this is the area within a small box or magnifying glass. With AnyView, you select the zoom button, pick a spot using the mouse and the entire screen is quickly magnified around that point. By moving the mouse, you navigate the magnified area in the same manner as the virtual desktop. The DPI WYZARD feature lets you calibrate screen size so that it exactly matches your printouts. This is accomplished using a ruler and making adjustments using a menu.

Generic display driver support lets you use the drivers provided by your display adapter manufacturer. This feature allows AnyView to act as a "shell" to control your own video drivers. However, if you use your own drivers, you will be limited to color depth and resolution changes and the DPI WYZARD features only.

Because of the inconvenience of switching screen resolutions, for many of us this tends to be an under-utilized resource within the Windows environment. If you want to quickly change screen resolutions without exiting Windows or want to explore the limits of a virtual desktop, AnyView might be for you.

AnyView Screen Commander

List Price:	$69.95

for further information please contact:

Binar Graphics, Inc.

30 Mitchell Boulevard

San Rafael, California

94903-2034

415-491-1565

fax 415-491-1164

written by

David R. Morgan


       HYPERACCESS

by Bob Gollihur

To open, I will cite a statistic in the Peter Drucker tradition: the most frequently used DOS application still in use by Windows users is their old DOS communications program. So many Windows communications programs look like slightly fancy, fonted versions of their DOS cousins. Are you still waiting for Data Communications to come to Windows?

Hilgraeve's HyperACCESS displays a strong graphical interface that looks and feels like a Windows application should. It brings simplicity of use, but with substantial underlying strength. Isn't that supposed to be the idea behind Windows? Easily used power?

Installation of the program was simple, with various dialog boxes making inquiries that I easily fielded. An extensive list of over 200 modems is available, and custom configurations or modifications are also easily accomplished.

The button bar makes most functions quickly accessible, and buttons can be moved, resized and reconfigured in many ways to accommodate your personal preferences. Additional bitmap or text buttons may be added to access other HyperACCESS functions or external programs. For example, I have added a convenient button to execute my QWK packet reader following an online session.

Users may view their dialing directory as icons or choose more a traditional Statistics or Detail view as these partial screen captures show. The order in which the calling directory appears can be alphabetical, most used, last used, most recently changed or a completely user defined order. ICO or BMP files can easily be imported and added to your selection of available icons, which could result in a pretty wild looking desktop.

Scripts are a strong feature of HyperACCESS. Clicking on the appropriate icon in either window will dial your selection and begin recording a script. I easily created sign in and mail scripts that worked nearly without exception. Rather than a proprietary script language as with other systems, scripts are done in the industry standard C language. A second manual is included with the package that contains a C tutorial in the appendix, a very complete programming reference source and sample scripts. Several entries, icons and script files are supplied with the program for common online services. Hilgraeve also specifies capabilities for interfacing other Visual Basic, Microsoft C, and Borland C++ applications with the HyperACCESS Application Programming Interface (HAPI). Documentation is available through their online service.

As the session flows from the active window, it rolls off into a file that you can scroll to recall prior activities and sessions. The length of that file is user-defined by each directory entry. A contact and transfer log are also kept for those who can't recall whether they uploaded that REP packet last night or not.

A graphic at the bottom of the screen is displays an estimation of what the modem is doing. This can be very helpful for the many internal modem users.

HyperACCESS uses MCE technology to achieve higher speed data transfers that it claims approaches multithreaded operating systems. While I lack the sophisticated equipment to confirm that claim, their public claims and speed comparisons go unchallenged by their competitors and have been confirmed by independent services.

The only exception to my happiness with HyperACCESS has been the failure of the zmodem autostart function to be triggered when uploading to both my test machines. I hope that my continued contact with technical support through Hilgraeve's BBS will resolve that issue.

Having a Host Mode can be important to some users, and the script provided was very user friendly. Passwords and individual security restrictions are quickly set up and the reception and command structure available to callers helpful. The familiar DOS-style prompt was instantly grasped by most callers. A dial-back facility is also supported.

Niceties abound in HyperACCESS. Context menus can be accessed through the right mouse button. A convenient "Launch Pad" is available for off-line composition and editing of a message in a second window, in normal Windows mode, instead of an unfamiliar or klutzy on-line service editor. A quick click of the Send button uploads your composition into the host facility.

A big advantage to HyperACCESS was the instant comfort and performance that it gave me. As with many folks, I am allergic to documentation, and the program's feel, self-explanatory dialogs and help file enabled me to make a quick transition to an active user. The household youngster that haunts the net game conferences and local "kid" boards felt right at home with it and especially liked the liberal use of odd icons for some of his favorites.

HyperACCESS has become my communications program of choice and one I heartily recommend. It will serve your most basic communications needs or become a powerhouse if you require it. Purchases are risk-free since Hilgraeve offers a sixty-day satisfaction guarantee.

HyperACCESS

List Price: $199.00

for additional information please contact:

Hilgraeve

Genesis Center

111 Conant Avenue, Suite A

Monroe, MI 48161

313-243-0576

Orders: 800-826-2760

written by

Bob Gollihur


       TURBOCOMM/2

by Ed Rasimus

It dawned on me the other day that the pace of technology is probably the single most significant factor in determining why some portions of my PC don't function the way they should. When I bought this computer two years ago, Windows 3.1 had just been released, DOS 5.0 was the standard, and four meg of RAM was considered more than any fool would ever require. When I asked the salesman about a fax-modem, he assured me that fax technology was very immature and I would be more than happy with a 2400 baud internal modem. No need for more power, more speed, or more expenditures.

Well, it is two years later. DOS 6.2 is now running, four meg of RAM is barely adequate to run my word processing program, I'm trying to get my new 24kbs (yep, that's thousands) fax-modem to operate properly, and Windows 3.1 is still here. If we set up a personal computer when we bought it, never upgraded, never added, and never changed the setup, we would probably all have a rock-solid, dependable, functional system. Obsolete, but dependable. The fact is, we don't do that. We add bits and pieces, here and there, and we are surprised when they don't work well together.

TurboComm/2, by Pacific CommWare, is an answer to an important part of this problem. It is a replacement communications driver for the original comm.drv that shipped with Windows 3.1. If you are a modem user, you are aware of the giant leaps in capability we have seen in the last two years. We have gone from 2400 to 9600, and with nary a pause to 14.4kbs and are now watching the introduction of the first models offering 24kbs and 28.8kbs transfers. It is not at all uncommon with data compression and error correction protocols automatically matched, to see transfer rates of 57.6kbs and even 115.2 kbs. This is awesome stuff, but unfortunately it greatly overwhelms the capability of the old Windows comm driver.

The key to this high speed data movement is the 16550 UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) chip. If you have an internal high speed modem you probably have a 16550 UART chip incorporated. If you have an external high speed modem, you should employ a serial card with the 16550. And, the bottom line is, if you don't have a 16550 in the system, you will never enjoy the full capability of your modem. But the presence of the chip is not enough, since the Windows comm driver is not able to recognize or use the features of the 16550. That's where TurboComm/2 comes in.

TurboComm/2 installs quickly from a single disk and consumes a paltry 50K of hard drive space. Restart Windows after installation and from that point the TurboComm/2 drivers replace the original Windows drivers (comm.drv, *vcd, and *combuff). Operation for most users is totally transparent. If you should want to remove TurboComm, there is an uninstall option in the setup dialog box. Run setup again and select uninstall to return to your original configuration.

TurboComm now allows you to configure your serial port usage to maximize performance as well as to allow customizing of your port addresses and interrupts. The most important feature is that you are now able to take advantage of the 16550 UART buffer for data transfers. With the native Windows drivers, high speed data transfer requires interrupt cycles that may take up to one third of your computer's central processor capacity. This interrupt overhead is the cause of numerous CRC and buffer overrun errors that slow down the effectiveness of high-speed transfers. With TurboComm/2, the built-in FIFO (First In, First Out) buffer of the 16550 can be employed to shield the central processor from those interrupts. The result is smooth, error-free data transfer at two to three times the effective rates of the original Windows drivers.

Additionally, TurboComm allows the user to have access to all four serial ports on your system. If you require a non-standard address or IRQ configuration for your system, TurboComm is the answer. (A supplemental product, TurboComm/2 Plus, allows for use of five additional serial port addresses, COM5 through COM9, if your system requires.) If the default configuration of TurboComm doesn't achieve the performance that you feel your system is capable of, the program includes a range of new parameters that are not available with the standard Windows drivers that you can tweak. The 16550 chip operations can be controlled through user adjustment of the receive, transmit, receive trigger, delays, transfer depth, and non-standard baud rate levels. For most users, this won't be necessary, but for some heavily loaded, networked, or special purpose systems, this capability might very well be essential. And for the less than technically inclined users, the documentation and the hand-holding through modification of the SYS.INI files with Windows SYSEDIT are exceptionally thorough.

TurboComm/2 is available at a suggested retail price of $29.95, with upgrade from earlier versions available to registered users for $14.95. If you are using a high speed modem (V.32bis, V.32bis terbo, or V.Fast) you will never realize the capability of your system without an advanced communications driver set. TurboComm/2 is an excellent choice to meet that need.

TurboCom/2

List Price: $29.95

for further information please contact:

Pacific CommWare

180 Beacon Hill Lane

Ashland OR 97520

(503) 482-2744

Reviewed by

Ed Rasimus


       WORD PERFECT PRESENTATIONS

by Bob Ellig

We've all been forced to sit through Uncle Henry's home slide show. The pictures were terrible and the running commentary dull. If you suffered from insomnia, this was the cure. With overhead or 35 mm carousel projectors, the Uncle Henrys of the business world are still hard at work putting us to sleep.

WordPerfect Corporation has come to our rescue with WordPerfect Presentations. With this tool, meaningful slide presentations can be prepared as fresh as tomorrow's news. Complex concepts and data can be presented in easy to understand and colorful formats.

The Creative Process

One of the keys to a good presentation is organization. Before the first slide is created, you need to know your audience, the objective of your presentation and the range of material you will use to achieve your objective. Then comes the actual preparation of the slides. Once your thoughts are in order, WordPerfect Presentations kicks into high gear.

For the artistically inept, there is a full range of slide show masters that form the backdrop and continuity for your presentation. You can choose bubbles, diamonds and a host of other geometrical forms in a rainbow of colors. You can also select clouds, castles, mountains, city skylines or even a farm.

Again for those who cannot draw a straight line, even with the help of a ruler, there are more than 1,000 clip art images from which to choose. Animals from Ant to Zebra, the chemical symbol for steroid, an American flag, a leprechaun, a DC-10 airliner and lots of other figures are ready to bring into your slides.

Templates

The Background template sets the stage for the entire presentation. Here is where you choose the color and tone of your slide show. For your title slide, you can select one of the more than 1,000 clip art figures and designate the area on your slide where you want it to appear. Use the handy icon bar along side the slide area or the pull down menu. Text entry is a snap. For the Michelangelo types, the drawing, editing and color selection tools are outstanding.

Bullets are not always used with a gun; sometimes they are needed to make points in a presentation and not holes (this we leave to the critics). When building a case for a product or an idea, bullets shaped like stars, boxes, arrows and so on set each concept apart. These concepts are like the titles for chapters in a book or headlines for paragraphs in a paper. This template organizes the layout. When presented, a single slide with all of the bullets can be shown. Or, by selecting a transition feature, each bullet and its text can be revealed one at a time.

The Data Chart template incorporates an interesting mix of data management and graphic display. To back up the points you selected with your bullets, you will undoubtedly have reams of data. The problem with slide shows is that data is not easily presented using raw numbers. A sample data chart with this template is simple to modify to match your data. Like magic, your data is converted into easy to understand graphic charts. There are pie, stacked 100%, vertical bar, horizontal bar, line, area, surface and mixed charts from which to choose. And, for the techies, there are scatter and hi-lo charts. If your data requires further consolidation or enhancement, you can create linear regression trends and other neat mathematical functions.

It is not unusual in a slide presentation to have to present concepts that include organization charts showing how you plan to achieve your goals. Even though there is a very effective drawing capability in the program, having to make up all those pesky little boxes in an organization chart can be a pain. The software has taken care of this for you. All you have to decide is who will be monarch and who will be the vassals. Names with or without titles will be sized to fit your chart. You can display top-to-bottom, bottom-to-top, left-to-right or right-to-left. Your organization does not have to fit someone else's chart; make your own and the software takes care of the rest of the work.

Once the creative work is done and the slides are ready, there are a few final touches that can make a good presentation into a memorable event. First, the slides need to be sorted in their best logical sequence. For this, a slide sorter acts like the old fashioned light table; lay out the slides and shuffle to suit. Speaker notes for each slide help you over the hard spots. These also make excellent hand-outs to remain with your audience long after you leave.

Presentation

When your computer system is equipped with a sound system, you can play music while your own voice does the narration. For manual playing, each slide can be advanced by pressing the space bar. In automatic, each slide is displayed without any operator input required.

Either way, there are some very nice features that manage the transition from one slide to the next. The simplest is where the next slide just comes up. You can set the length of time each slide will appear. Where you are building a case, step by step, each new slide can overlay the previous. To add a little magic, the new slide can also show up as spots, blinds, jigsaw puzzles or even a snake!

Where larger audiences are going to be addressed, you can output your slide show to floppy disks, send them by courier to a graphics printer who can turn out 35 MM full color slides for about five dollars apiece. Overheads are also possible. Where the audience changes but the show remains the same, new title slides are as easy as pie to make. With WordPerfect Presentations, Uncle Henry's slide show and insomniac cure will be relegated to family reunions.

WordPerfect Presentations

Retail price: $349.00

Available from:

WordPerfect Corporation

270 West Center Street

Orem, UT 84057

1-800-451-5151

written by

Bob Ellig


ECCO- Continued Impressions
       ECCO PART II

by Ed Rasimus

Every once in a blue moon, something comes along which is so useful, so practical, and so superior to other examples of the genre that it must be handled in an exceptional manner. Arabesque Software's Personal Information Manager (PIM) is just such a product. In our January issue I reviewed ECCO Pro but wanted to continue discussing some of the advanced capabilities of this information powerhouse. If you finished that article and were left shaking your head with wonder at why anyone would spend big bucks for an address book and day-timer, let me elaborate. If you missed the issue, be sure to get it and learn about the basic virtues of this program.

Our first look at ECCO Pro concentrated primarily on the two basic modules of any PIM, the phone book and the calendar. The phone book is a pre-formatted database application ready to accept all standard address and phone entries for the user's contacts. It allows for business and home address, phone, fax, cellular, and alternate contact numbers. Data transfer from your previous directory source is positive and accurate through import of either tab delimited text or comma separated value files. Customizing and renaming of fields to accept your special notations from whatever system you have previously used is straightforward. Within minutes after install, you can have your old directory up and running on ECCO Pro.

The calendar module offers immediate access to day, week and monthly formats for your appointment entries. Information can be presented in either a block summary format or a line-by-line appointment book style. Defaults can be set to the user's preferences for office hours, appointment length, recurring events, and a host of other factors. Drag-and-drop from the phone book to the calendar is supported as well as auto-dialing initiated by a double click on a name entry. But this is all standard stuff available in a lot of low priced PIMs. Lets get to the "hot-dog" stuff.

Why spend the big bucks on a PIM? The reason for owning and using a PIM is a lot more than merely a need for a phone directory and an appointment book. The reason most buyers seek a PIM is information overload. Our world is filled with sticky-notes and little pink "while you were out" reminders. We collect bits and pieces of data on everything we do, everywhere we go, every task we plan. A while back, it was adequate to "put it on the computer" and then it would be available when we needed it. But that doesn't work anymore. We need to keep track of whom we call and when. We need to organize our job and develop plans to get things done. We need to jot down little reminders to pick up a quart of milk on the way home...and on, and on, and on. A Rolodex and a Day-Timer won't take care of the complexity of most of our daily lives. ECCO Pro will.

The advanced features of ECCO Pro bring all of the myriad details together in useful format. The third major module of the program is the outliner. Everything can be outlined. But that isn't the power of the program. The power is in the unlimited interaction of the outlines. Got a project? Outline it. Need to evaluate a subordinate? Jot down input in an outline. Brainstorming a new market area? Organize the ideas, assign them to individuals, grade them and schedule reports on the ideas in an outline. Anything that you might scribble down for later recovery can be entered in the outline view. Dates, costs, priorities, accomplishment check-offs, whatever.

Composite Outline/Folder View (greater detail available at 800x600 resolution or higher)

You also can outline in the phonebook or calendar. ECCO Pro includes a call logging feature that records date, time and length of phone contacts. When the logger is on, there will be no more excuse for forgetting the last contact with that important client. Additionally, you can enter complete and unlimited outline notes in the phonebook view under any name. If you talk to Joe Bagadonutz and you want to remember the details, just enter the note under his name. Next time you call ol' Joe, you'll have the goods at your fingertips.

Outlining applies just as well to the calendar. Establish an appointment by dragging a name and as much of the accompanying outline from the phonebook to the calendar view as you might need. Cut and paste a spreadsheet range to provide details for a meeting. Expand the details on how to navigate through the streets of downtown Atlanta to get to the hotel by entering a graphic in your outline. It all works together with the rest of your applications.

Key, however to the outlining capability are "columns" and "folders" in ECCO Pro that allow the user to keep information in multiple locations and to customize the type of information that is available. Start with your phonebook. You can add "columns" to the phonebook display for whatever, and however much, information you want to relate to an individual. List employee ID#, or spouse name, or billing rate, or priority of handling. Add a drop-down list column to later allow sorting by category between friends, business contacts, relatives or whatever. Add a check-off column to record whether an entry does or doesn't fit a special criterion. Insert a date or number column to enhance your management of phonebook entries. Then when you need to select certain entries for action, such as a mail-merge letter, use the ECCO Pro sort and filter features to generate your list and export it flawlessly to your word-processor. Report generation of this type that might take an hour in a conventional database is a matter of a couple of "point and click" in ECCO Pro.

Advanced filters dialog box with just a few of the options

Every column, in every view, is a "folder." That means you can assemble folders in whatever combination you require to get various looks at your data. Every column and every folder can reside in as many other folders as we require to get the most out of our data. And, it is all fully relational: change an entry in any field and it is immediately reflected in all other locations. Say you have a project outlined and would like to get a listing of prioritized tasks and who is responsible for them. Drag the folders that represent the column entries for priority assigned, date due, date accomplished, and individual assigned responsibility into a new folder and display. Voila! A concise picture of how the project is going. In fact, you even have the option of displaying the date column relationships as a Gantt chart. This is powerful data management stuff!

The bottom line is that I haven't been this impressed with a piece of software in a long time. You could spend your money on a major database manager, then spend hours huddled with a development engineer analyzing your needs prior to designing an application for your personal use. If you are handling stock or inventory, fine, BUT, if what you need is a means of collecting, manipulating, viewing and using the stack of information we all collect in our daily business lives then ECCO Pro is the more cost effective answer.

ECCO Professional 1.1

List Price: $395

for further information please contact:

Arabesque Software, Inc.

2340 130th Ave. N.E.

Bellevue, WA 98005-1754

Tel: 206-869-9600

Fax: 206-885-0127

Reviewed by

Ed Rasimus


RoboHelp
       ROBOHELP 2.6

by Randy Wong

A Premier Help Authoring System For Windows

Creating Windows Help Files used to be a major chore. You have to go through the procedures of designing your layout, creating the Rich Text File (RTF), adjusting and fine tuning the HPJ file, and finally compiling your Help file. It may take you weeks or months to finish your project, which may or may not be your main subject. With the right tools, you will be able to cut that time in half or more, depending upon what you want out of your Help file. RoboHELP from Blue Sky Software is a top of the line Windows Help authoring tool. It has a unique feature called Integrated Design Environment that automatically manages the design and layout of your Help file. Further, RoboHELP offers other facilities to help you put your information together in the way you want to display it in your final presentation. You get advanced features such as macros, secondary windows, popups, jumps, multiple hotspot graphics, and more.

RoboHELP converts Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0 or 6.0 into a complete hypertext Help authoring system. RoboHELP 2.6 has over 100 features.

  Automatically converts text files into a Windows Help system and converts a Help system into a user document.

  A convenient graphical tool palette for creating topics, jumps, goto, help and other advanced functions.

  Access to all the features and functions of the Windows Help Engine.

  A hotspot graphics tool is included for making popups and jumps from within a graphic image.

  Special VBX controls and custom controls for elimating the need to program context sensitivity into an application.

  Error Wizard for detecting any potential errors and detailed explanation for resolving the problem.

  Simulated Test mode for testing before compiling.

  Special Help compilier features for compiling Help files under Windows, making the DOS swap virtually invisible.

  Supports multiple context-string footnotes in a single topic

  Supports Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups and Windows NT

With RoboHELP, when you create a new project, you start with a topic. In order to help you organize your topics in some sort of order, browse sequence numbers are automatically created. Keyword strings are added for words to be used by the Help's Search facility. When you edit your text, you can add graphics, jumps, popups, and color changes just by pointing and clicking with your mouse. RoboHELP has all the necessary quick keys to complement the pointing toolbars and commands. With the Preview mode you can quickly check your jumps and popups without compiling the project. Since your information is in a Word for Windows DOC file, you can print your Help file and keep it for future reference. Applications are included for modifying graphic images: Paintit! from Electronic Images, Inc. and Shed from Microsoft. They are linked into and included as a part of the program's components.

RoboHELP's tools palette (toolbar) contains most of the commonly used commands. You can save your DOC file to the RTF format for compiling, add a Topic, create a Jump or Popup, edit a Topic, skip to a Topic, set up the Project file, Compile the Help system, check errors, and run your Help file. Macros can be added to your Help project. While editing a Topic, you can go into the Advanced settings and select a macro. The standard Windows Help macros are listed for your selection and use. If you are using a custom macro, all you have to do is key in the macro command line. If you had errors with your file, you do not have to write them down on a scratch pad. Current errors are always available for viewing within another window through use of the Error Wizard.

 I am very impressed with this product. Creating a Help file system for your project could not be made easier. It works well and does assist in all phases of creating a Help file. The only thing missing from RoboHELP is a tool for working with sound and music, but sample files for both sound and animation can be found on their BBS. There are a few hiccups, which may or may not be related to RoboHELP, and may be traced to faults within the first 6.0 version of Microsoft Word. They are very minor; hopefully the 6.0a maintenance release will take care of them.

RoboHELP requires Microsoft Windows or Windows NT, Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0 or 6.0, and a Windows compatible computer. Eight Mbytes or more of memory is recommended for optimum performance.

RoboHELP 2.6

List Price: $499.00

Upgrade pricing from:

RoboHELP 2.0:    $29.00

RoboHELP 1.0:  $229.00

For more information, please contact:

Blue Sky Software Corp.

7486 La Jolla Blvd., Suite 3

La Jolla, CA  92037

Sales: 1-800-677-4WIN

(619) 459-6365

Fax: (619) 459-6366

Written by:

Randy Wong


UMAX UC630
       UMAX COLOR SCANNER

by Thom Foulks

It's slightly embarrassing to admit I made almost every classic user error in setting up my UMAX UC630 MaxColor Flatbed Scanner. Whenever there were at least a couple of options of "what to do," I almost invariably made the wrong choice.

Bottom line first: The scanner operates fine, and I am quite pleased with it. But the trail of how I got to "satisfied user" status is long and tortuous, none of it the fault of UMAX Technologies.

I didn't start out to buy a color scanner. I told my friendly hardware supplier I needed a flatbed scanner to use in testing new OCR (optical character recognition) software coming from several different vendors. I set an upper price limit, and he decided he would try to get me a color scanner within that limit. A couple of phone calls later, and he'd worked his usual magic -- the UC630 was on its way, within my target price.

Problem #1 arose immediately when I began to install the scanner and its driver software. It wanted DMA #1, and I had a sound card using that direct-memory-access channel. That's when I made my first goof -- I should have called UMAX Tech Support to learn if there was a workaround for that problem. I didn't ... past experiences with various tech support organizations on this type of problem have never been successful.

Plunging ahead, I learned from the scanner's documentation that it could use DMA #3 as an alternate. I followed the instructions, and chose that option. With everything installed, I ran the scanner's "test" program. All seemed fine. So I did my first scan, and I was thrilled to have a colorful .TIF image of a granddaughter on a tree swing in Picture Publisher 4.0 to edit at my leisure. I was immensely pleased.

Then -- acting like the pro I was not -- I started a second scan. My Cheetah Gold 425 froze, so locked up that only the Big Red button would bring it back to life. Tried another scan, worked superbly. Tried a second scan, and had to hit Big Red again. That cycle -- each iteration several minutes long -- continued through an afternoon, until I discovered that the TWAIN scanner software required setting DMA #3 prior to EVERY scan.

Dumb software! Again, I goofed, by not calling Tech Support (which was prepared to send me software two generations newer). "Thom," I said, "get your eye on the ball -- you WANTED this for OCR use." I installed the OCR software, and tried it. No DMA hassles, no Big Red, and WordScan Plus did a superb job. Ran several tests, each successful. I was wildly elated.

OK, we'll try a photo again. Same result, Big Red to the rescue.

Over the next week or so, I was to repeat that cycle several dozen times. I won't weary you with the tale of woe I wove. Eventually, I pulled the sound card out of what was supposed to be my multimedia machine and then I pulled the CD ROM drive and then I swapped some other cards around. Big Red and I became increasingly well acquainted. Call tech support? Who, me ... nah.

I wrote a draft of a nasty review on the scanner, and faxed it off to the PR firm that handles UMAX. Within 24 hours, I had more phone activity than I really wanted, including -- from UMAX's Sales Manager -- a promise to overnight me the LATEST software for the scanner, plus a beta version of even newer software.

And on each phone call, I had to admit truthfully I'd not called tech support (even on their free 800 phone line) nor had I logged into their BBS to see what might be available for updated software. Big Red is not the focus of this epic -- Red Face is. Redder than I think the scanner would successfully grab.

(Along the way, I did learn that one of Sound Blaster cards didn't care what DMA channel it was assigned -- it latched onto to 2-3 of them, by just being plugged in. But that's another story.)

With new software installed, everything worked. I switched to a Sound Blaster 16 card, reinstalled the CD-ROM, and even dipped into my shallow reservoir of courage to install a notoriously finicky ATI Ultra Graphics Pro 2MB ISA video card. It ALL works!

There is a problem here, but it is an incurable "gotcha" of the computer industry's distribution channels: What you buy off the shelf may NOT be the latest-greatest release of whatever. That's what happened to me. The scanner came off the shelf from a Midwestern distributor to a Colorado Springs dealer, without any of us knowing the software in the package was a couple of generations out-of-date.

The Umax UC630 delivers up to 8.5-inch by 14-inch 24-bit images (yes, in color, or greyscale, or lineart) better than most printers can handle, is built like a battleship, and is available for either the PC or Mac user with an appropriate image-editing software bundle. I was able to bargain my way into the UC630 for less than $850 -- a product with an SRP of $1995, when it was initially introduced. As 1994 began, UMAX whacked the SRP (suggested retail price) of this model to $845, so you can likely buy yours for fewer bucks than I paid for mine.

Its maximum optical resolution is 300 x 600 DPI (dots per inch) which can become a 1200 x 1200 DPI image with the proper image-editing software. It handles greyscale and lineart images at their appropriate 8-bit and single-bit modes. The TWAIN-standard scanning software provides various screening and filtering options, allowing a user experienced at image-editing to scan an image already partially edited. As an example, you can have the scanner overcome the moiré pattern common to retrieving an image from a magazine or a catalogue.

Although the scanner cycles in three passes for full color images, color and greyscale preview modes are available. Software can measure the highlight-shadow densities of a given image, and automatically calculate an appropriate balance of the two to provide an optimal image. Or, you can manually adjust such factors as the overall gamma (bright-dark ratio), brightness or contrast of any input image.

A word of warning, if you're new to such intense scanning: One high-resolution TIF image can easily weigh in at 10MB or more, and handling such images in anything less than 16MB of RAM is an invitation to coffee-break length screen redraws.

The UC630LE bundle comes with a "light edition" of Adobe Photoshop, which can handle most routine image-editing chores. I prefer the powerhouse Micrografx Picture Publisher 4.0a, and the scanner's TWAIN interface means I can switch easily between the two (as well as Micrografx PhotoMagic). My OCR work is with my personal "product of the year," Calera's WordScan Plus linked to Microsoft Word for Windows (2.0 or 6.0).

Please don't hesitate to call tech support on any problems, at 800-562-0311 or at least check out their BBS at 510-651-2550.

Anyone need a Big Red button whose paint has worn off?

UMAX UC630

List Price: $845.00

Available from:

UMAX Technologies Inc.

3353 Gateway Blvd.

Fremont, CA 94538

510-651-8883

written by

Thom Foulks


Word Perfect Magazines on CD
        WORD PERFECT MAGAZINES/CD

by Ed Hoffman

I've long been a WordPerfect user -- in both it's DOS and Windows versions. Likewise, having learned word processing on WordPerfect, I was delighted when a magazine was published that dealt specifically with WordPerfect. That was over five years ago, and I have every copy of the WordPerfect Magazine. All in five neat binders on one of my bookshelves. Whenever I have a question about a feature or process, I'd drag out the magazines and thumb through the issues until I found what I needed. This took an excessive amount of time, not to mention the wear and tear on my little fingers.

So, when WordPerfect Magazine announced the magazines were going to be put on a CD Disk I was beside myself with glee. The next day I called the magazine and blurted out "Where do I sign up for the CD Disk?" almost as soon as they answered the phone. Well, the WordPerfect Magazine CD Disk arrived a few days ago and it has sure made finding specific articles and information much simpler. So, all of you who didn't subscribe to these magazines can now have access to these issues, for both the DOS and Windows editions. And since these magazines are all contained on a plastic CD Disk, you can sleep nights knowing that you didn't cause the death of several trees.

This CD Disk is actually quite an impressive effort that runs in either DOS or Windows. The CD contains all the articles, tips, editorials, questions and answers found in both the WordPerfect Magazine and the WordPerfect for Windows Magazine. The CD covers all the issues of both magazines from 1989 through 1993. This includes the first five years of the WordPerfect Magazine and two years of the WordPerfect for Windows Magazine.

Using the likeness of a book as a basis, each screen actually looks like the pages of an open book, or magazine. The collection is not only easy to use, but very simple to navigate as well. All the commands are accessed through a standard button bar menu across the top of the screen. The command structure used with the CD is also a universal interface. So a function that works in one place, works the same way everywhere in the magazine collection.

This standardized user interface is simple to use, easy to remember, and greatly reduces the confusion and apprehension of other similar types of collections. Anyone who has ever tried to find their way around one of those encyclopedia CD's has first hand experience with confusion. I've often thought the encyclopedia CD that came with my CD drive would make a much better coaster or a child size Frisbee.

In addition to the button bar menu, the collection is also completely indexed and searchable. Any subject, in any issue of either magazine, can be found in a matter of seconds. The CD uses hypertext technology to link the key words or phrases to various other pieces of information throughout the collection.

The Table of Contents pages on the CD are duplicates of those found in the magazines. You can simply click on the title to go directly to that article. This way, if you wish to, you can read every magazine from cover-to-cover. Examples and additional text screens are shown in the articles with arrow symbols bracketing the figure or screen name. Clicking these brings up a separate window showing the figure.

Additionally, the various topics of the magazines can also be accessed though the comprehensive index. Here, clicking on any topic from a listing of general subjects instantly yields a listing of the available articles covering that topic. Should the available index list not define your search sufficiently, a search feature is available that allows you to enter the keywords or topics. The program then lists each article in all the magazines that contain the topic you are looking for.

A file menu can be accessed with an Alt-F keystroke. This option allows you the option of printing or copying the articles contained in the collection. This feature is especially useful for copying the macros to a text file, or importing them to the macro editor. For those articles you find interesting you can even attach your own notes with the ADD NOTE option. Even the editors' favorite articles are listed on the main screen. To access these articles, simply click the Editors' Favorites area on the main screen. The collection even has a Yellow Pages area. Here a click on a highlighted product name will bring up a picture of the product along with the necessary ordering information.

So, if you find the WordPerfect manual a bit too dry to read and you would like to know how others have solved problems similar to yours, this might just be a wise investment. I know the WordPerfect Magazine CD Disk will get quite a workout on my system.

WordPerfect Magazine CD Disk

Retail price $89.95

Available from:

WordPerfect Magazines

270 West Center Street

Orem, UT 84057-4683

800-228-9626

written by

Ed Hoffman


Graphic Utilities
       GRAPHICS UTILITIES

by Ed Hoffman

One of the unique capabilities of today's word processing and page layout software programs is their ability to work with graphics. Graphics can add a great deal to almost any type of document. From creating your own letterheads and FAX cover sheets to adding special drawings and clipart to a report or newsletter, graphics play an ever increasing role in today's documents.

However, anyone with even a passing knowledge of graphics knows that there is a vast array of graphic formats. Most programs that import graphics have a selection of built-in filters. This allows the program to use graphics in several different formats. But despite these importing features, there are times when you'll need to work with a graphic image before you apply it to your document. There are several graphic utilities you can choose from to perform these operations. Two of the better graphics utilities you may wish to look at are HiJaak Pro and Graphics Tools.

Both these programs do essentially the same functions and both perform well. This review is not a comparison of the programs, but a rundown of their features. I'll let you decide which of these you'll add to your system. I would advise you however, to try out both, or at least look at both before you decide on one or the other.

HiJaak PRO 2.0

HiJaak PRO 2.0 is the newest version of one of the established standards for graphic conversions. Though long thought of as a graphics conversion tool, this new version of the program has added several new features that make it even more versatile. With HiJaak PRO 2.0 you can now view, edit, and process images; convert files from one format to another; perform screen captures, in both Windows and DOS; and organize your graphics files.

The program allows you to do a range of editing and processing operations. Images may be cropped and rotated, smoothed, colors can be inverted or remapped, the contrast, brightness, and gamma can also be adjusted. Although these features are generally used to edit photographs, I found the color changing capability quite useful for a BMP graphic I recently created. After creating the graphic in Paintbrush, I decided that the border I had made was the wrong color. Rather than using Paintbrush to change this, I simply loaded the graphic in HiJaak Pro 2.0 and with just a couple mouse clicks, the color was automatically transformed to my new selection. The program also offers a range of options for color reductions. So, if you plan to print an image in black and white you can convert the photo to plain black and white, or use other reduction methods such as dithering, diffusing, or halftone, to create a greyscale image.

Probably the best known feature of the HiJaak product is graphic conversion. Those people who have used earlier versions of this program to convert graphics will not be disappointed with this new version. Unlike other programs that have been revised so much that they've lost touch with the features that originally made them market leaders, HiJaak Pro 2.0 has not forgotten its roots. The program supports over 70 different graphic formats. With the HiJaak Pro 2.0 program you can convert graphics between vector to vector, raster to raster, vector to raster, fax to raster, and any format to PostScript language.

The program also allows you to convert graphics automatically within many of the popular applications. You can import HiJaak Pro 2.0 supported graphics directly into Pagemaker, Freehand, AmiPro, PowerPoint, or Word for Windows. For those using WordPerfect for Windows, a macro is supplied with the program to permit you to retrieve graphics without leaving WordPerfect. You can also imbed graphics in any OLE client application.

Making screen captures is another activity I frequently perform. In fact, most, if not all, the screen shots you see in these reviews are screen captures. Until now, I've had to use separate programs to make the captures and edit the results. Now, I can do it all in one program. With the Windows capture option in HiJaak Pro 2.0 you are given the choice to capture the entire screen, a window or object, or simply an area of the screen. The captured image may then be saved or sent to the printer. The process is a bit more convoluted than that used with another program I use, but it's not too difficult to master. It just takes a few more steps. DOS screen captures are just as simple.

A welcome new feature of the HiJaak Pro 2.0 program is the Browser feature. With this addition you can now setup your graphics as thumbnails in a series of folders. These are automatically updated when the computer is idle. This Browser feature can save a lot of time when you're searching through you collection of photos or graphics to find the one you want.

All in all the HiJaak Pro 2.0 program is a good investment if graphics are a large part of your normal work. Both the printed documentation and the online help are well done and answered all the questions I had. One note, however, if you buy your copy of HiJaak Pro 2.0 from a retail outlet, check the date of your HIJAAK.EXE file. If it's dated earlier than January 1994, contact Inset Systems to get a copy of the update.

Graphics Tools 1.02

A newer entry to the world of graphics utilities is the Graphics Tools 1.02 program. The program is a collection of individual graphics manipulation utilities integrated into a single program. The principal elements, or areas, of the program are the Media Manager, Image Processor, Image Tools, Capture, and Convert. In addition, a free compact disk is furnished with the program to add to your collection of clipart and stock photographs.

The Graphics Tools 1.02 Media Manager allows you to catalog all your graphics as a series of individual thumbnails. These catalogs may be collections of graphics, photographs, video clips, or sound files. These collections are very useful for keeping all these images organized. I typically group my graphics by project. This way I know where everything is whenever I need it.

The Image Processor in Graphics Tools 1.02 provides the tools necessary for editing and enhancing your images. Here you can perform color separations, color corrections, and color mapping. Likewise this area also allows you to do retouching, special effects, image cropping and merging scanned images together. The Image Processor also allows you to manually adjust brightness contrast and gamma. There is also an optimize button to automatically make your image look its best automatically. You can also generate test pages with multiple versions of the image with varying levels of brightness contrast and gamma.

ImageTools permits you to view, scale, resize, and print graphics in Graphics Tools 1.02 without applying them in their target document. There is also an AutoTrace feature you can employ to convert bitmaps to vectors. Here scanned or faxed bitmaps are automatically traced within the program to create a graphic in a vector format. Converting bitmaps to vectors allows the image to be manipulated or scaled in a variety of ways independent of the resolution. Unlike bitmaps, where the size and spacing of the pixels change when the image is enlarged, no matter how large or small the final vector image, it always looks essentially the same as the original.

The program also incorporates a built-in screen capture for windows. This feature can be assessed from the main menu bar or loaded as a separate icon when the program is loaded. When activated the capture routine offers you a range of options. You can select the specific type of capture you need, from the full screen, a specific window, or a limited area of the screen. Two other nice options in the capture routine are that you may also capture the area within specific screen coordinates, or do a freehand capture area. So, if the screen image you want is something other than rectangular, you can draw the exact shape of the area with the freehand option.

You can also specify where the capture ends up and in what format. So, if you want to send the captured image to the clipboard, to a file, or directly to the printer, these options are all available. Another option is to send the screen capture to a viewer. Here you also can elect to view the capture image in either the Graphics Tools 1.02 Image Processor or ImageTools. Then, if necessary, you can use these tools to manipulate the image.

The program also offers the option to convert your graphic between any of almost 70 different graphic formats. Vector to vector, raster to raster, raster to vector and fax to raster conversions can all be made with the program. A nice touch to the conversion routine in Graphics Tools 1.02 is the option to view the file you're going to convert. I'm somewhat notorious for my short memory and I'll often forget the name of a file that I want to convert. So, with this, I can preview the file to make sure it's the right one.

The Graphics Tools 1.02 program is well suited for working with a wide range of graphics. So, if working with graphic images makes up a sizable part of your normal workload, you might want to check into this program. The online help and documentation are complete and point out the various features and techniques in using the program.

HiJaak Pro 2.0		Graphics Tools 1.02
Retail price $169.00		Retail price $169.00
Available from:		Available from
Inset Systems		DeltaPoint, Inc.
71 Commerce Drive		2 Harris Court, Suite B-1
Brookfield, CT 06804-3405		Monterey, CA 93940
203-740-2400		408-648-4000
written by

Ed Hoffman


Micrografx Designer
       MICROGRAFX DESIGNER 4.0

by Tami Brydone-Jack

Micrografx Designer 4.0 comes packed with so many new features and capabilities, it's almost hard to know where to start...This program has been completely re-written, over 75% of its code is brand new. The result is a powerful 32-bit graphics engine with unequaled precision, power and ease of use. With a placement accuracy of 1 micron, this product places Micrografx squarely at the forefront of technical illustration programs, making it unrivaled in control for detailed technical illustrations.

Micrografx also completely re-vamped the user interface, making it even easier to understand and use. I found the transition from Designer 3.1 to Designer 4.0 to be fairly painless. The toolbar is completely customizable, making it easier to access the tools you use the most. The tools that each user finds most useful depend completely upon the type of drawing being done. The technical illustrator will use different tool combinations than a graphic "artist." Designer 4.0 handles both types of work with ease and style.

The context sensitive hint line can really help get you up and running fast. Simply move the mouse over a button, and a brief explanation of its use shows on the bottom. Many new programs are doing this now, and it is a very helpful feature.

I had only one complaint about Designer 3.1; its Help function. Well, Micrografx must have listened to me, it's been completely redone and it now has the look such an advanced graphics application deserves. Not only is the help context-sensitive, general help is available. I personally like the typeface help file that ships with Designer. This help file explains the different uses of each category of typeface (everyone knows that I am a fontaholic!) and a bit of the history of the font. It's a very interesting read for fontaholics and anyone who wants to delve into the finer points of typography.

Color handling has been streamlined, by letting the user select control, adjust and correct color before output to a color printer or film. This feature is very important to me, I have a 550C printer and I don't like surprises on what my output is going to look like. The advanced color control can also adjust for ink contamination and various other factors that will affect the final output. Color separations are also supported as is the Pantone palette. These color controls make output to a service bureau much more reliable.

One of the most exciting new features of Designer 4.0 is the 3-D drawing tools! With these new 3-D tools, creating true 3-D drawings is quick and easy. The lighting and angle of the object can be changed, to give a realistic effect. The 3-D effect can sweep a line into a 3-D drawing, it can also extrude an object into a 3-D effect. The sweep will take a 2-D object and sweep it 360 degrees to make a 3-D object. The extrude feature will take the 2-D object and form it into a 3-D object. In the following example, the sweep effect is on the left, and the extrude effect is on the right. I displayed these objects in "wire frame" mode so that the differences in these two objects would be readily apparent. They were both created with the same basic shape, an oval.

The light source control is very good. The intensity, highlight and ambient lighting can be changed, and the light source control features a preview that will show you exactly what your lighting will look like before you apply it.

Designer 4.0 also features up to 99 levels of undo. This means that you can undo multiple edits and if you undo too many, you can go back and redo. This is very useful for precision drawing.

Text handling capabilities have been improved as well. Now, it is possible to link text containers (much like a DTP application) on a page. Any object created in Designer 4.0 can be a text container, including text. Designer 4.0 also has a spell checker and now special effect text can be edited. Previously, to apply special effects to a text object (such as gradient color), the text object had to be converted to Bezier curves and it was not editable. Designer also ships with 288 ATM fonts, 289 True Type fonts and ATM 2.5, making this a fontaholic's dream!

Designer now includes a bitmap editing module. This makes the tracing feature even more versatile since the bitmaps can be "cleaned up" before tracing, making for smoother traces. This also allows for scanning images directly into the drawing, editing them and applying any of the special effects included with Designer.

Designer also ships with an extensive graphics collection. There are over 13,000 pieces of clip art and 200 photo images on the included CD.

Designer's slideshow utility has now been improved. The two most important improvements are the ability to compile a standalone presentation and the slide sorter view. A standalone presentation can be compiled on a diskette and run on any Windows machine. It does not require a special viewer application. The slide sorter allows easy editing of a slideshow by moving the slides to any position. The slide shows can be arranged with a number of different effects to change from one slide to another, including the option of using different effects with each transition.

Micrografx has come up with a winner in Designer 4.0! I give it top honors for ease of use, power and precision.

For further information please contact:

Micrografx, Inc.

1303 Arapaho

Richardson, Texas 27081

(214) 234-1769.

written by:

Tami Brydone-Jack


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