кТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТТП
ЦиииАБВллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллВБАиЕ
ЦиББАБВлГ ГлВБАиЕ
ЦиББАБВлГ Windows ГлВБАиЕ
ЦиББАБВлГ ФФФФФФФФOnlineЏ(TM) ГлВБАиЕ
ЦиББАБВлГ ГлВБАиЕ
ЦиББАБВлГ "the Weekly" ГлВБАиЕ
ЦиББАБВлГ ГлВБАиЕ
ЦиББАБВллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллллВБАиЕ
ЦиББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББиииЕ
РССССССССССССССССССССССССССССССССССССССССССССй

May 30, 1992 - Issue 43

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нБББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББо
нБББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББо
нЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭо
н Windows Online "the Weekly"(TM) (WOLW) is published electronically every о
н Saturday and distributed through many well-known on-line services. WOLW о
н contains articles and columns about Windows oriented subjects by WOL's о
н staff of freelance writers. Subject matter includes all aspects of о
н MS Windows and its associated applications and utilities. Also covered о
н are Computer News, Communications and other GUI subjects. Reviews, Test о
н Drives, First Looks, etc., are limited in scope to allow "the Weekly" to о
н be both diverse and maintain a manageable file size. If you are о
н interested in writing for "the Weekly" contact us through the numbers о
н listed at the end of this publication. о
нЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭо
нБББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББо
ппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппп

АААААААААААААА
-!- In this issue: -!-
АААААААААААААА

ппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппп

ћ Quick Look at Shareware ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ by Randy Wong
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
Wintach v1.0 for Windows

ппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппп

ћ Visual Basics - Review ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ by Barry Seymour

ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
Q&E Database/VB - Part II

ппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппп

ћ Windows Tips ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ by Hugh Hardie
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
All the Colors of the Rainbow
Fonts, Fonts and more Fonts

ппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппп

ћ Shareware Reviews ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ by Chris Roberts
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
WinDock v1.51
WinEZ v3.0

ппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппп

ћ New Product News ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ by Rich Young
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
ACT! for Windows - Contact Management Software

ппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппп

ћ Software - First Look ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ by Frank Mahaney
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
Amish Utilities for Windows v1.0

ппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппп

ћ Desktop Publishing ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ by Rob Weinstein
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
Presentation vs. Content

ппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппп

ћ Interesting Computer News ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ by Randy Wong
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ

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БББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББББ
ппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппп

еЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭИ
Г- Quick Look at Shareware -Г
дЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭО
By Randy Wong

WinTach 1.0 For Windows

The Ultimate Windows Benchmark for Microsoft Windows 3.1
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ

Have you ever wondered how your computer is performing when running your
favorite Windows' application? We all know that using a faster processor
chip will run your computer and Windows faster. I had the pleasure of
testing a mixture of several 80386 and 80486 computers. To my surprise,
the high end 80386 computers ran Windows just as quickly as many of the
80486 computers. The WinTach benchmark program is a tool for estimating
how Windows 3.1 applications will run on your system, without the actual
application.

WinTech runs a series of proformance tests. The test areas are word
processing, CAD, spreadsheet, and painting. There is even a mouse cursor
stability test. Each of the benchmark areas, can be run separately, or
one after the other. You can also select the resolution at which the
application benchmark's tests are run. The four possible resolutions
are 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, or 1280x1024. The available resolutions
are those which your Windows video driver supports. After running through
the various performance tests, you can print the report, or copy to the
clipboard.

The Word processing benchmark is performed on formatted text documents
using an extensive variety of fonts, styles, and formatting options. The
important test would be page scrolling of text.

The Computer Aid Design benchmark is based on the creation of technical
drawings, using the computer's processing power to store and manipulate a
large number of drawing objects. The key test would be the speed of
drawing, re-sizing and graphical screen scrolling.

The Spreadsheet benchmark uses the management of table data. This includes
storage, manipulation, text reporting, and graphical reporting. The
highlight of this test would be the scrolling of the spreadsheet on the
screen.

The Paint benchmark is based on creating and manipulating bitmapped
images. These images are created using a variety of drawing tools.
Common drawing operations include lines, rectangles, floodfills, pixels,
and freehand drawing with rectangular and elliptical brushes. The
important test is measuring the speed of drawing various bitmap graphic
operations.

Overall WinTach RPM
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
After starting WinTech, I fell in love with it. The graphics are well
done. The Windows application tests were all that I could ever want.
With this utility, I can check Windows performance on any computer
that it is installed on. Proformance tests concentrated on video and
processor speeds. One area, WinTech does not check, was that of disk
performance. Your hard drive does play an important part in loading
and swapping Windows applications.

WinTech could make a big difference, on how you purchase your next
Windows-based computer.

Requirements:
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФ

* Microsoft Windows 3.1.
* Any MS Window based computer, 286 processor or greater.
* 250K disk space required to install.
* Any amount of memory required by Windows.
* Any Window compatible display.

Where To Find This Benchmark
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
Any local Bulletin Board System
< or >
Windows Online BBS
(510) 736-8343

A product of Texas Instruments,Inc.
The file to look for is WINTACH.ZIP
The Price is FREE

ппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппппп

еЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭИ
Г- Visual Basic -Г
дЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭО
By Barry Seymour

Q+E DATABASE/VB
Visual Basic Product Review - Part II
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ

Last week we were in the middle of a new database application created
from the tutorial in the Q+E Database/VB manual. We'd created the
forms, added custom controls, specified the databases and were off an
running, loading data, pictures, combo boxes and grids and controlling
the application with buttons that were amazingly easy to create.

Now, on with the show...

Searching the Database: Query-By-Example (QBE) QEVB provides a number of
functions which can be accessed either through declare statements in the
global module or by the custom control command buttons which come with
QEDBF.VBX. These buttons can be assigned to a function by setting the
pFunction property to one of the following sixteen choices:

0 (Default) - No function is called.
1 DoQuery - performs the query in the query control
2 EndQuery - ends/closes the query in the query
control
3 Next - obtains the next record in the found set
4 Previous - obtains the previous record in the found
set
5 Random (pRecNumber)* - enables random access by record number
6 New (pRowIndex, pBefore)* - insert a new record before the current
one
7 EnterQBE - Enter Query By Example mode
8 ClearQBE - Clear fields for another query while in
QBE Mode
9 Insert (pRowIndex)* - Inserts a record after fields have been
filled in
10 Update (pRowIndex)* - Updates a changed record to the database
11 Delete (pRowIndex)* - Delete current record from the database
12 Lock (pRowIndex)* - Lock current record for exclusive use
13 TranBegin - Begin locked transaction recording
14 TranCommit - Commit transactions to database
15 TranRollback - Discard recorded transactions without
committing
16 ExecSQL (pSQL)* - Execute an SQL statement on the database

* indicates a parameter which must either be specified in a property of
the command button or passed to the equivalent function or procedure

This list represents a lot of powerful functionality you can build right
into your QEVB applications, either by calling these functions directly
or assigning them to command buttons.

Functions seven and eight allow the easy installation of the
Query-By-Example (QBE) capabilities to your application. Click on a
button with it's pFunciton property set to 7 and you enter Query By
Example Mode (QBE Mode). In the aforementioned DayCare application,
clicking QBE clears all fields. You then enter "Woltman" in the last
name field and click the "Do Query" button. This causes the application
to display only the records which have "Woltman" in the last name. This
is a powerful piece of functionality obtained with a surprisingly small
amount of work during development time.

Records can also be filtered and/or sorted by changing a query control's
pWhere property. Setting Query1's pWhere property to BIRTH_DATE >
{01/31/1988} ORDER BY LAST_NAME will return the appropriate results at
run time. QEVB also provides a nifty dialog box called the pWhere
Builder which helps you specify which fields to include in the pWhere
property and how to filter them.

Control Arrays and Browsing
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
As mentioned before, the Grid control is great for browsing, but is
read-only and a slow at larger sizes. A way around the read-only
problem is to create a control array of textboxes which emulate a grid.
This way you can browse and edit records in a row format. This ended up
being simpler than I expected it to be. The concept is to create one
instance of each field control, highlight the lot of them and copy them
several times en masse, making a control array of the whole bunch.

VB Hot Tip: Clicking on a control, then hold down the Ctrl key and
click on other controls; you can select more than one control at a time
with this feature. Now cutting, copying pasting and moving groups of
controls is much easier!

You start by creating the textboxes, each accessing a separate field,
then copy them as a group several times. The first time you copy the
controls VB asks if you want to create a control array; click Yes. When
you're done, add a scroll bar and command buttons. Set the pFunction of
the command buttons accordingly.

Setting the scroll bar to the same query automatically links the
scrolling. Each instance of each control in the control arrays views a
field from a record based on it's index, so if txtFirst(0) is looking at
FIRST_NAME in record 5, then txtFirst(1) is looking at FIRST_NAME in
record 6, and so on. The command buttons shown above are empty of code,
but they automatically provide the functions indicated by their captions
since their pFunction property was set accordingly.

Transaction Processing
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
QEVB also supports Transaction Processing. Under normal operation,
updating a record or series of records in a database is done instantly
when the user clicks an update button or leaves a record. With
transaction processing, QEVB remembers each transaction but doesn't
actually commit changes to the database until told to do so. This sort
of functionality can be helpful in multiuser environments, or in
situations where the application or user must check the validity of
entered data before committing changes to the database file. The
application or user can choose to commit or rollback transactions
entered while transaction processing is active.

Joined Tables and Multiple Queries
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
A lot of press has been generated about dBase's shallow adherence to the
true model of a relational database. QEVB is equally faithful (or
unfaithful, depending on how picky you are) to that model. You can
build table relationships into your VB application by joining tables,
but there are limits.

A table join is when you specify multiple tables in a single Query
control. Table joins are simpler to implement at development time, but
have a big drawback; you can't insert or delete records from either
table while a join is in effect.

The other option is to have multiple Query controls on your form, one
for each table you're referencing. The various other controls are then
liked to the Query control for the desired table. For example, Query1
would access EMPLOYEES.DBF, and QeText1, QeText2 and QeText3 could
display fields in that table, while Query2 would access SALARIES.DBF and
would display fields in QeText4, QeText5 and QeText6. This approach
does allow insertions and deletions in each table, but can be slower
and requires more code to manage things.

Table Management and SQL Statements
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
QEVB comes with a tool for creating new databases, a separate EXE file
called the Database Manager. This is a nice tool which performs the
same kind of functions as dBase's CREATE and MODIFY STRUCTURE commands,
helps you define and rebuild indexes and helps you pack databases. You
can also browse and edit database tables and set default operating
parameters for QEVB. This is a nice utility, but loads somewhat slowly
-- I suspect it too was written in Visual Basic.

QEVB also supports SQL commands via the fExecSQL function. Using this
function the programmer can build code into the application to perform
many of the functions in the Database Manager. Any database application
worth it's salt will need to be able to create, modify and delete
tables, create and maintain indexes, pack the database and select groups
of records that meet various search criteria. SQL Statements allow you
to write code to perform these functions and more.

While the Database Manager is an acceptable tool the real power for the
programmer lies in QEVB's SQL capability. Once a command button is
created with it's property set to ExecSQL the programmer can write the
SQL Statement to be attached using the SQL Statement Editor dialog
box.

ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ

Impressions...
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
I liked how QEVB automates the linking of application to database.
Dialog boxes help the programmer choose which database file to use, what
fields to include in queries, what functions to assign to buttons and
what conditions should be met in embedded query controls. These kind of
details can be the most onerous ones in developing a database
application, but with QEVB a minimum of code writing is required to
achieve functionality.

On the minus side, some aspects of QEVB are slow. The grid can be a
snail if it gets too big, but row-by-row scrolling of grid-like
structures is slow just about everywhere else in Windows, including
cells in Excel and tables in Word for Windows. The program is also
tardy when handling larger databases and can't intelligently add records
to joined tables. Pioneer Software has their technicians at work on the
speed problem and a maintenance release is already addressing some
performance issues.

To sum up...
ФФФФФФФФФФФФ

Pluses Minuses
ФФФФФФ ФФФФФФФ
Transaction Processing Grid slows down at larger sizes
MultiUser Support Speed an issue on larger databases
BitMap Support Grid is read-only
Ease of Development Insertions & Deletions not supported on
Good Documentation Table Joins
Transaction Processing Support
Seamless Integration into
VB environment
Built-in Error Messages
Royalty-Free Runtime VBX

Q+E Database/VB is an excellent tool for Visual Basic programmers to
develop database applications under Windows. The speed and simplicity
of development is unsurpassed, and additional goodies like graphics
support, transaction processing, multiuser support and built-in error
message handling make it a powerful tool. Speed shortcomings are real,
but only come into play with large databases.

System Requirements
Windows 3.0/3.1
Microsoft Visual Basic 1.0
286 or better PC with minimum 4mb RAM
DOS 3.1 or higher

For more information, contact
Pioneer Software
5540 Centerview Dr.
Suite 324
Raleigh, NC 27606
(800) 876-3101
(919) 859-9334 (FAX)

ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ

Barry Seymour
Marquette Computer Consultants
San Rafael, CA 415/459-0835
for Windows Online Weekly
(c) Copyright 1992, Barry Seymour. This article is intended for the use
of Windows Online Weekly and it's readers and may not be reprinted
without express written consent.

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еЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭИ
Г- Windows Tips -Г
дЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭО
by Hugh Hardie

* All the Colors of the Rainbow

* Fonts, Fonts and more Fonts

All the Colors of the Rainbow
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
In previous Wintips we have explored the task of customizing your desktop by
choosing your own colors for various screen elemtents. Briefly, the Control
Panel applet COLORS provides all the capabilities you need to color your
world.

Windows 3.1 introduces many preconfigured color schemes which are available
by clicking on the drop down list box icon next to the name of the currently
active color combination. I must admit that I find most of the canned
combinations either nauseous or bland but I am sure that each one will
develop its own following.

Three combinations are of particular interest to LCD portable or notebook
users. The three schemes are:

LCD Default Screen Settings
LCD Reversed - Dark
LCD Reversed - Light

Each one is designed to make the Windows colors legible in the most useful
way. The problem is that certain colors which are rendered as different
on a regular CRT screen are translated into the same color on an LCD screen.
Thus, you could have a background color translated to White and the text
which is to appear on top of the background also being interpreted as white.
White on White is kind of difficult to read. LCD users will find these
three new color schemes very helpful.

Fonts, Fonts and more Fonts
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
The TrueType, TT, font technology which comes with Windows opens up a
universe of choice in the way your documents look and many bulletin boards
have started to offer TT fonts in large numbers. This all sounds as if it
would be a boon for Windows users. Not so, for a number of reasons.

The issues raised by this plethora of fonts are as follows:

Disk space requirements
Font management
Appropriate font selection

Disk space requirements

I have a total of 5.7 MB of disk space containing TT fonts. In addition,
I have another 2.7 MB of TT fonts in ZIP format. Goodness knows how much
they would expand to! If you have a 200MB disk drive, perhaps 7 to 10 MB
of fonts is not a big deal. For most users, that amount of storage is a
big deal. It follows that storing only the fonts that are useful to you
is the sensible approach. If one face looks much like another, keep one
but not both and if you find yourself not using a face at all, get rid of
it. You can always store them in ZIP file format on diskette.

Font Management

With all the TT fonts on BBSs, trying them out is a tedious and time
consuming process. They must first be unZIPPed, then installed in Windows.
The next step is to create a sample text document which shows all or most
of the characters in the font.

I have used two different approaches to sampling fonts. In one, I created a
document in Ami Professional and made a line which had the following format:

FONT name AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHhIJjKkLlMmNnOoPpQqRrSsTtUuVvWwXxYyZz

I copied the above line for each of the fonts I wanted to test and then
formatted line to display the appropriate font. The resulting document
allowed me to compare the various fonts relatively easily.

The second approach is to use Font Manager software. This software is
somewhat variable in its functions but generally allows the user to view
their various fonts on the screen and/or on a page. This is all automated
and the user is not responsible for setting up pages or selecting fonts as
I had to in the Ami Pro example. The downside of the font manager approach
is that you may not get all the characters of the alphabet on the screen or
page. In addition, the package may not compensate for the fact that a 12
point character in one font may not be the same size on a page as another
font at the same size. This makes comparisons more difficult. However,
Font Manager software supplies enough information to determine if you wish
to investigate a particular font further.

The bottom line is that with an increasing number of fonts, users need extra
help to keep them under control.

Appropriate font selection

While it might seem that more fonts is better than less fonts, that is not
necessarily true. The more fonts, the more choices and the greater
opportunity for selecting a font that is wrong for a given piece of written
communication.

Fonts set a mood and create an impression of you and/or your organization.
For most people, the fonts that come with Windows 3.1 and the fonts in the
font pack which was promoted with the release of 3.1 will probably be all
they need. Chasing after "free" fonts is a waste of time unless you have
diverse needs in printing. Many of the fonts look basically the same while
others are marred by poor kerning. By all means, download public domain
fonts and try them out. But remember that all the choices bring with them
the responsibility for selecting the appropriate font for a given
circumstance.

For business users, engaging a qualified typographer or graphic designer to
assist you with the selection of fonts appropriate for your business is
money well spent.

More on fonts and their appropriate use in a later column.

Hugh E. Hardie
Hardie & Associates Inc.
Walnut Creek, CA
(510) 935-2994

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еЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭИ
Г- Shareware Reviews -Г
дЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭО
by Chris Roberts

WinDock - Version 1.51 WinEZ - Version 3.0
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ

Welcome to ShareWare Reviews. This is where you will find reviews of the
latest and greatest Windows software available from BBS's around the world,
including Windows Online, (510) 736-8343.

This week I'll be looking at two utilities, WinDock and WinEZ, that have
the ability to increase the useability of the Windows environment. One of
the areas of Windows, both version 3.0 and 3.1, that could use improvement
is the Program Manager. There are some commercial products that do a great
job at this improvement, but there are also several shareware products
that do just as great of a job.

WinDock - Version 1.51
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
WinDock is much like a toolbar for launching applications. It allows you
to place Icon buttons on a "docking bay", which is configurable to appear
either on the left or right of the screen. This allows you to place the
most frequently used programs in a place that is accessible at all times,
yet does not clutter the screen as the Program Manager would.

To add an application to the docking bay you simply drag it from the File
Manager and drop it on the docking bay. Now you may execute this application
anytime by double clicking the button. You may also drag a file from the
File Manager on top of a button to launch the application with the dragged
file as the file you wish to use with the application. The nice thing
about this feature is that the application does not have to support drag
and drop since it is WinDock that is supporting the drag and drop and
passing the file name to the application when it is launched. To remove
an application you simply drag it off the docking bay.

Clicking on a button with the right mouse button brings up the Application
Options dialog. This allows you to configure the launching of an application.
All of the options available in the Program Manager's File/Properties...
selection are here plus a few more. This includes Startup Window type
Normal/Minimized/Maximized, File for application, Parameters, Default
directory, Icon file, and Icon selection.

At the very top of the docking bay is the WinDock control icon. Double left
clicking on this button brings up the WinDock Run dialog. From here you
may launch any application just as you would from the File Manager's
File/Run... selection, except you are presented with a Browse type list of
files/directories/drives to aid in the selection of the application to run.

Right clicking on the WinDock control icon opens the About WinDock dialog,
from which you to may configure some options concerning the behavior of
the docking bay itself. These options include Left/Right side of screen
position, Always on top, and MaxView. MaxView causes applications to only
"maximize" up to the edge of the docking bay, allowing you to see the
docking bay at all times. I found this to be more useful and less obtrusive
than the Always on top option.

WinDock has proven to be not only powerful but easy to use. This program
is definitely a thumbs up and deserves at test drive by all.

WinEZ - Version 3.0
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
Another program that enhances the launching and switching of applications
is WinEZ. WinEZ attaches to buttons on the menu bar of the currently active
program. These two buttons allow access to all program groups and programs
contained in the Program Manager (the Fast Path Icon) and access to all
currently running applications (the Task Switch Icon).

When the Fast Path Icon button is selected a pulldown menu of all program
groups appears. Selecting one of the program groups activates a popup menu
listing all programs in that group and then selecting a program launches
it. The Fast Path menus may be rebuilt automatically every time WinEZ is
run or forced to be rebuilt via the Rebuild Power Menu option in the pulldown.

Selecting the Task Switch Icon button activates a pulldown containing a list
of all currently running tasks, End Task, Run..., Options, About, and
Exit. Clicking on a particular task switches to that task immediately. The
End Task option displays a popup menu containing all currently running
applications and selecting one of these terminates that task. The options
available under the Options selection are Switching Options, Fast Path
Invokes, Icon Position.

This program, once again, alleviates the necessity to keep the Program Manager
and have it cluttering the desktop, while allowing quick and easy access
to all applications. It also increases the functionality and availability
of the Task Manager.

When WinEZ is combined with WinDock one only need start up the File Manager
to create a new program group or add a new application, and this might
get easier in future version of both of these applications.

Software Reviewed
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ

WinDock - Version 1.51 WinEZ - Version 3.0
by Chris E. Capson New Generation Software
internet: becap@cs.mcgill.ca P.O. Box 890482
Compuserve: 73467, 1453 Houston, TX. 77289
900 Serbrooke St. West # 92 (800) 964-763
Montreal, Quebec H3A 1G3
(514) 848-9659
Registration: $15.00 Registration: $29.95

CPR
Chris Roberts
22092 San Fernando Court
Cupertino, CA 95014

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еЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭИ
Г- New Product News -Г
дЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭО
By Rich Young

ACT! FOR WINDOWS
Business Contact Management Software
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ

Contact Software International Inc. developer of the DOS based ACT!,
the popular contact management package, has announced a Windows
based ACT! for Windows. ACT! combines the planning and scheduling
features of a daytime organizer with the activity follow-up and
support of a personal executive assistant.

ACT! for Windows incorporates industry standard dBase file
structures for contact data, activities, notes and history with
Windows features including pre-defined DDE macros to link with
Microsoft Word for Windows, WordPerfect for Windows, Lotus' AmiPro,
CC:Mail and other Windows software. New features to the Windows
version of ACT! include prioritization of calls, meetings, and
to-dos and the ability to schedule recurring activities. Calendar
management in ACT! for Windows is fully prompted and allows users to
choose from WYSIWYG day, week, and month views.

The product also offers enhanced customization through user-definable
field types (date, phone number, currency, numeric, character), a
customizable pull-down menu system and user-selectable screen
layouts. ACT! for Windows contact and calendar management functions
are tightly coupled with full-featured communications tools. These
tools include a telephone auto-dialer, and a word processor with a
built-in Houghton-Mifflin spell checker that produces letters,
memos, and other documents with a few clicks of the mouse. ACT! for
Windows also includes many standard reports, and a WYSIWYG report
generator. You can also automatically merge data with the DOS based
ACT! as well as the version for HP 95LX users.

ACT! for Windows Features

Contact Management
* Unlimited number of contacts and databases
* User-selectable screen layouts
* 70 User-definable fields
* User-definable field attributes and default values
* Hide/Protect field attributes
* User-Definable pop-up window selections
* Unlimited notes per contact
* Automatically updated contact history
* Instant `Look ups' that can be added to the menu
* User-definable `Look ups' on critical contact data
* Global keyword search
* Sophisticated query capability
* Group editing
Calendar Management
* Unlimited calls, meetings and to-do's
* Prioritized calls, meetings and to-do's
* Timeless and recurring activities
* `Typeless' activity scheduling from day, week and month views
* `Drag and drop' rescheduling from dynamic day, week and month
views
* Automatic conflict checking
* User-definable lead times and durations
* Instant `Tasklist' by date range and priority
* Critical activity alarm with `snooze' feature pops up in any
Windows application
* Pop-up activity timer
Word Processing
* Full WYSIWYG word processor
* Quick memo, letter, form-letter, envelope and fax cover
generation
* Automatically generated dates, addresses, salutations and
closings
* User-definable mail merge templates that can be added to the
menu
* Houghton-Mifflin spell checker
* Support for Windows fonts and printer drivers
* User-selectable typestyles, fonts, point sizes and page
layouts
* Superscript and subscript
* Headers, footers, page numbering and justification
* Search and replace
* Open and save RTF (Rich Text Formula) documents
* Supports graphics in documents
* Output to screen, file or printer
Report Generation
* Address and phone lists
* Completed and future activity reports
* `Tasklist for user-selected date ranges
* Contact report
* History report
* Address book and calendar printing
* Promted reprt writer
* User-definable reports that can be added to the menu
* Output to the printer or editable WYSIWYG document
Additional Features
* dBase file formats
* On-line context-sensitive help
* Links to popular Windows applications
* Icon assignable macros
* Custom icon bar
* Automatic phone dialing (modem required)
* Database password security
* Full data compatibility with ACT! family products

ACT! for Windows lists for $495 and should be available in June.
For more information, write: Contact Software International, 1840
Hutton Dr #200, Carrollton TX 75006.

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еЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭИ
Г- First Look -Г
дЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭО
By Frank Mahaney

Amish Utilities for Windows v1.0
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ

Amish Software has grouped a useful set of desktop utilities for Windows
users. Many software developers have recognized the limitations of Windows
and it's included Program manager, File Manager etc.. Several vendors
(Norton Desktop, PCTools for example) have put together very complete sets
of add-in utilities and replacement shells for Program Manager. Amish
Utilities is another effort in that direction. The included programs are:

Amish Launch
ФФФФФФФФФФФФ
Launch can function both as a program manager and task manager. You can
customize menus in a text view which will give a bit more information,
allows sub menus, uses hot-keys for commonly used programs and is
accessible with a click on the desktop (Ala. task manager).

Amish Desk
ФФФФФФФФФФ
Desk is the original virtual desktop for Windows. It allows you to keep
your Windows applications maximized at full screen and toggling to different
desktops through the use of a "map" window. You can manipulate your display
to show any portion of your enlarged desktop on your monitor.

Amish MemoPad
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
MemoPad provides reminder notes for Windows. Up to 100 notes can be used
at any given time. MemoPad will save the state of all notes upon program
termination. Next time you startup, your notes will be just as you left
them. You can change their color, size and font. MemoPad includes
complete editing, cut, copy and paste. The print facility will allow you
to print one note or all notes. One nice feature is that you can set up a
note to be displayed at a certain time of the day along with an optional
alarm tune -- rather handy for your lunch time alarm. A search feature
will allow you to find that missing text among those 100 notes you have
scattered about. You can also choose to group notes by categories.
Quite a nice set of features don't you think?

Amish File
ФФФФФФФФФФ
A replacement File Manager that will copy, move, delete file's one at a time
or by group. It can create or delete sub directories and view ASCII or
Binary files (no graphic viewing) and run programs. One interesting feature
is that it can "ADD" to the Windows clipboard. Normally, a cut or copy
command erases the previous contents of the clipboard. FILE maintains a
history of the clipboard, letting you recover the previous contents.

Amish Clock
ФФФФФФФФФФФ
Clock is an alarm clock that allows you to set 10 alarms, and optionally
will run a program rather than sound an alarm. Think of the uses that
can be put to.

Amish Mem
ФФФФФФФФФ
Mem is a utility that shows you how much disk space, memory and Windows
system resources are available in real time. It can be configured to
sound an alarm if your memory, disk space or resources get too low.
Clicking on the desktop will bring up the display shown below.

Summery and Opinion:
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ
There are some interesting features in some of these utilities with my
favorite being MEMOPAD (a bit like Post-it Notes). It has many options to
help you customize it to fit your needs. The alarm CLOCK program could
also be useful to automatically run programs through out your day.

The "look and feel" of the programs seems a bit dated though. The package
is a bit expensive considering what else, in this category, you can get for
$99.00. Though, I'm sure the street price is a bit lower. The least useful
utility was the Amish MEM. Windows already provides that information in the
needed form.

Overall this set of utilities is not going to replace my Norton Desktop and
will not even stay on my hard drive. However, you may find some of the
included programs useful, so check them out at your local computer store.

Amish Software
541 Cowper St. Suite A
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(415) 323-4627 Questions and Technical Support
(415) 323-0138 Fax
(800) 26-AMISH Order Line
Suggested Retail Price $99.00

Written by
Frank Mahaney for
Windows Online "the Weekly"

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еЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭИ
Г- Desktop Publishing -Г
дЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭО
by Rob Weinstein

Presentation vs. Content
ФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФФ

Several days ago I got into a ridiculous argument with a corporate consultant
who said that you simply could not use roman, bold, and italic type on the
same page. It was too confusing, too taxing on the reader, and too difficult
on the eye. It distracts the reader from the material, the argument goes,
making him or her lose their concentration.

This is NONSENSE! (Oh, Oh--bold and italic together in capitals--I hope I
didn't lose too many readers). If the use of bold or italics or both is going
to distract your reader, your material is weak, and no typesetting tricks are
going to save it.

So let's go back to the basics--rule number 1, the primary, most single
important thing about any publishing--desktop or otherwise, say something
worth saying, and say it in a way worth reading!!! There are two very
separate and distinct issues here that are so closely intertwined that they
often become confused. One is what you say, and the other is how you present
it. They are different, and the difference is vital to understanding
successful desktop publishing.

Presentation has two primary goals--to attract the readers' attention so that
they will start reading the story, and to get the hell out of the way so they
will finish reading the story. You'll notice, however, that the central goal
of both jobs is the same, to get the reader into and through the material--to
convey the message contained in the written words.

This is true whether you are publishing a newspaper, magazine, annual report,
newsletter, flyers, brochures, advertisements or even business cards. A nice
design might get someone to look at a business card, but it is their interest
in the service offered that will make them put it in their wallet or rolodex.

Newspapers and magazines are a perfect example of these principles. Every
newspaper and magazine is looking for a photograph or headline to catch the
readers' attention. William Randolph Hearst described it as "Oh Wow"
journalism. What he wanted was a front page that would make a man on the way
to his mother's funeral stop at a newspaper rack and say "Oh Wow!" That may
be extreme, but it's what we're all looking for--how to get someone to stop
and notice our product.

But both newspapers and magazines are also excellent at getting out of the
way so readers can get their information. Features are always located in the
same place, columns have consistent formats and heads (so they are easily
identified both as columns and as specific writers), text is produced in
narrow columns (usually 9 to 24 picas--1 1/2 to 4 inches) because readers
can take it in quicker, every caption is in the same format, every
continuation line (Please turn to page ...) is identical, and so on. Page
through your daily paper for a week, or study the format of your favorite
magazine. You will quickly see how they attract readers, and then get out of
the way.

In magazines, this means most articles begin with splashy presentation pages.
These include color, graphics, and larger type, to attract readers' attention.
But subsequent pages are usually more mundane, with easy to follow jump heads,
simple flowing columns of type, and specific informational graphics. In the
case of newspapers it means the lead paragraph is always the most catchy and
often includes a drop cap (an initial larger letter) or is printed in slightly
larger type (I do both in my newspaper, using a 72 point drop cap and 11 point
type for my beginning paragraph, and then dropping to 10 point for my body
type)..

In many respects this is like computer programs--a nice box or an attractive
opening screen can attract users, but the real question is whether a program
get's the job--accounting, word processing, communications or whatever--done.

Anyway, now that I've gotten on my soapbox, I'm going to try and pass on some
tidbits about both attracting attention and getting out of the way.

Make your most important information the center of your design--always build
around your most powerful image or most important information. If you are
doing a newspaper or newsletter, this means designing your page around
your central story and graphic. Generally this flows from left to right
and from top to bottom. Put you most important story at the top of the
page, and have the largest headline at the top of the page. Make you
headline size and story length smaller as you descend on the page.

Be aware of the emotional impact of your type styles or graphics. Different
type conveys different emotions. For example, Optima, a tall, san serif
type face conveys stately elegance, perfect for the headlines in an
annual report, while Souvenir is a face with rounded serif which conveys
a more casual, relaxed atmosphere. Don't be afraid to

Be consistent! You can follow a pre-defined style. Go to a book store and buy
Strunk & White' Elements of Style, or the Associated Press Style Book.
These will give you ideas for language and design that are in keeping
with the most generally accepted styles. But you do not have to follow
any specific style. By doing the same thing consistently you create your
own style. If at the beginning of every column you have a black box with
the columnist's name reversed out in white, readers will eventually
associate that format with columns, and a style will be established. The
New York Times created their own style by using the titles Mr., Mrs.,
Miss or Ms., before every last name. Although this is different from the
vast majority of newspapers, it is now expected in the Times. (Some
typesetters always put the names of other newspapers and magazines, such
as New York Times, for example, in italics). Remember, your audience will
develop a familiarity with your style and come to accept it. This not
only allows you to get out of the way, it makes formatting quicker. Not
only that, it provides the ability to create real emphasis and shock
value by breaking style. And success breeds familiarity. Rolling Stone
magazine was new and different when it started in the 1960's, but by
doing the same things consistently, it created a style that is now
standard for music publications throughout the industry.

A couple of facts just for interest sake.

Studies have shown that the optimum width for a column of type is between 9
and 24 picas. For justified type the figures are between 9 and 18 picas. At
this width the eye can take in most or all of a single line of type, so that
eye movement from the left to right is minimized. The less eye the eye moves
from left to right, the quicker it can read. If you are using justified type,
it is easier for the eye to follow without inter-column rules. If your type
is unjustified (ragged right), inter-column rules help the eye move from
line to line. Readers are also more likely to read indented paragraphs.

Finally, one of the more obscure facts--a recent editor's trade publication
reported that 22 percent more readers are likely to follow a story if the
continuation line reads "Please turn to page XX" than if it reads "Continued
on Page XX," or "See Page XX". Apparently even readers like being asked
nicely.

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еЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭИ
Г- Interesting Computer News -Г
дЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭЭО
by Randy Wong

Microsoft wants Windows on PS/2s
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Last month, IBM had announced that OS/2 2.0 will be preinstalled on all
PS/2 personal computers. This month, Microsoft Corp. has announced a
special MS-DOS/Windows 3.1 package for the IBM PS/2 computers. The
Microsoft combination package will be sold to IBM PS/2 resellers. The
resellers will then have the option to delete OS/2, or leave it on the
system, for users to 'dual boot' to either operating system. Microsoft
expressed that they are not out to do battle with IBM. Microsoft decided
to sell the combination package after talking to many resellers and
users, who did not want to be forced into using OS/2. OS/2 2.0 can run
DOS and Windows 3.0 applications, it can not run applications made for
Windows 3.1. The IBM PS/2 DOS/Windows package will be available by June.
The retail price for this package will be $199.95, with a promotional
price of $149.95. There will also be a version for the IBM compatible
computers, which will be available later.

With Microsoft cutting them off at the pass, IBM is still hoping to sell
at least 1 million copies of OS/2 this year. To date, IBM claims to have
shipped about 200,000 copies of OS/2 2.0, plus another 200,000 by
electronic downloading.

Lotus Dreaming Multimedia Notes
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Lotus Development Corp. is looking at releasing imaging software for it's
Notes workgroup platform. The product, currently called Lotus Notes:
Document Imaging, is the combination of Notes and Eastman Kodak's Desktop
Document Imaging. Lotus Notes: Document Imaging will handle three phases
of the image process, the scanning, viewing, and storage. Other
functions will be offered as add-on companions to Notes. One add-on
would be an optical character-recognition feature, which will transfer a
document to a standard Note file format. With a separate fax gateway
add-on, faxes are sent directly to Notes, and viewed as a document.

Help Me, CD-ROM
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With millions of Windows users, getting technical help from Microsoft can
be time consuming and costly. M'aidez, Inc. has decided to cut out
Microsoft technical support by putting technical support information on
compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM). Helpdisq for Windows is an
indexed CD-ROM that is updated monthly on the latest technical support
information on various Windows products. Currently, there are about 200
vendors supplying the information to M'aidez. Helpdisq will be available
for a subscription price of $1,495. For this price, you get 12 issues
for use on one workstation, or three local area network users. A site
license is also available, for a starting price of $3,900. Helpdisq
requires Windows 3.1 and a CD-ROM reader.

Intel Goes Direct To Users
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Intel Corp. announced that their Overdrive Processor family will be sold
directly to users through retail stores. The OverDrive Processor family
is the Intel's line of double clocking I486 processor chip products.
Intel has release two OverDrive processor chips. One version, priced at
$549, will fit into the 16 MHz or 20 MHz 486SX computer systems. The
second, priced at $699, will match up with the 25 MHz 486SX systems. The
chip is plugged into the Performance Enhancement socket on most 486SX
motherboard. Intel will offer a DX and DX2 version of the OverDrive
chips later this year. Intel will support these chips through a toll
free number.

Improving Lotus 1-2-3 For DOS
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Lotus development Corp. has announced 1-2-3 for DOS Release 2.4. This
upgrade will bring some Windows graphics into this latest release.
Release 2.4 will include Lotus SmartIcons. The SmartIcons allow users to
point and click on a graphical icon to perform a task. The improved help
system is easier to understand and is more like an on-line manual. Lotus
1-2-3 Release 2.4 is expected to be available in June. Lotus is also
scheduling Lotus 1-2-3 for DOS 3.4 later this year. The bigger brother
will have all the new enhancement that Release 2.4 has.

Peachtree Capitalize On SmarText
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Peachtree Software currently uses Lotus SmarText 2.0 for Windows as an
on-line tutorial for its release of Peachtree Accounting for Windows.
Lotus SmarText 2.0 for Windows is a hypertext tool for building and
reading on-line documents. The reference tools are The Accounting Primer,
Glossary and Tutorial.

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