______ _ __ __ / ____/___ ____ ___ ____ __ __/ | / /___ / /____ _____ / / / __ \/ __ `__ \/ __ \/ / / / |/ / __ \/ __/ _ \/ ___/ / /___/ /_/ / / / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /| / /_/ / /_/ __(__ ) \____/\____/_/ /_/ /_/ .___/\__,_/_/ |_/\____/\__/\___/____/ /_/ This Week's Contents: My Notes: 1) Your Chance to Write for CompuNotes . . . 2) Letter About Virus Simulators News: 1) CD MATCH Eases the Confusion When Choosing a CDROM 2) Novell Brings the WWW to Your NetWare Server Reviews: 1) Offline XPress for Windows - Jim Hanoian, jim.hanoian@lunatic.com 2) WinProbe 4.0 - Randy Gross, randy1@sundial.sundial.net 3) Procomm Plus for Windows - Patrick Grote, patrick.grote@supportu.com) Web Sites: 1) Women's Web Author Directory (http://www.primenet.com/~shauna) 2) Novell's Web Site Explodes (http://www.novell.com) FTP File: 1) Music Tutor 1.2 for DOS Interview: 1) Ramblin' Ray is Back with a Book Review ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date : January 12, 1996 |CompuNotes is a weekly publication available Issue : 32 |through email and many fine on-line networks. --------------------------|We cover the IBM computing world with CompuNotes is published |software/hardware reviews, news, hot web 4Point, Inc., |sites, cool FTP files and interviews. We also 135 W. Adams, Suite G9 |give away one software package a week to a St. Louis, MO 63122 |lucky winner for just reading our fine (314) 984-9691 voice |publication! Never dull, sometimes tardy, we (314) 984-9981 fax |are here to bring you the way it is! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Backroom Workers: |We are always looking for Patrick Grote, Managing Editor |people to write honest, (pg@supportu.com) |concise reviews for us. Send Doug Reed, Games Editor |a message to the autobot at (dreed@panda.uchc.edu) |REVIEW_LIST@supportu.com. You Judy Litt, Graphics Editor/Web Master |will receive the latest (jlitt@aol.com) |writer's guidelines and a Raymond Hines, Web Rambler |list of available software (solari@gate.net) |to review. Follow the Paul Ferrill, Languages Editor |instructions for requesting (ferrill@teas.eglin.af.mil) |software to review. Dennis MacPherson, Utilities Editor |----------------------------- (pctc@infi.net) | Go Green Bay Packers! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Every issue of CompuNotes ever published can be found at the following ftp site: ftp.uu.net:/published/compunotes. Thanks to UUNET! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Our Web Site is at http://users.aol.com/CompNote/ Please Add Our Link to Your Homepage! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ To subscribe, send a message to majordomo@rust.net with the command subscribe compunotes your email address. Example: subscribe compunotes you@you.com To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@rust.net with the command unsubscribe compunotes your email address Example: unsubscribe compunotes you@you.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ You Can Write for Us! See Masthead! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Patrick's News Being The Publisher and Managing Editor Has Its Perks! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your Chance . . . | ------------------- Did you know that you could actually write for CompuNotes? See, we pride ourselves on the fact that a majority of our reviews are written by normal folks; people who use PCs to get jobs done or just enjoy life. To find out more, send a message to REVIEW_LIST@SUPPORTU.COM. This autobot will send the necessary information to you. ------------------------ Virus Simulators . . . | ------------------------ I almost always pick the FTP File of the Week. I usually pick it from a cool web page I saw or the ASP CDROM. Last week I picked it from the ASP CDROM. If you remember, it was the virus simulator. I admit I didn't run the program and test it, but maybe I should have . . . From: jpatanen@hit.fi (Jani Patanen) Reply-To: jpatanen@hit.fi >------------------------------------------------------------------------ >COOL FTP FILE OF THE WEEK | You may need this file . . . >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Virus Simulator Ver 2C -Audit and demonstrate anti-virus >protection. Rosenthal Engineering's absolute necessity for anyone >serious about virus defense, security and training. "Unreservedly >recommended!" by Computer Virus Developments Quarterly. Used in tests >conducted by National Software Testing Labs. for Software Digest and PC >Digest. Written about in Computerworld, Virus Bulletin, Virus News Int., >Telecomputing etc. > > You can find this as VIRSIM2C.ZIP on the following FTP site: > > ftp.crl.com/users/su/supportu/virsim2c.zip > ========================================================================= I find advocating (sorry, wrong word) this product dangerous. It says in the documentation: ============== The simulators all produce safe and controlled dummy test virus samples that enable users to verify that they have installed and are using their =============== There is only one problem. Those are not real viruses, so only thing one can test is the false alarm rate of a program. If a scanner flags files created by this "virus simulator" as a virus, then it's false positive as it's not really a virus. with tests like these even a terrible scanner may get good results and good scanner that identifies those files as non-viruses gets bad results. Mr. John Doe looks at the results and then starts using the terrible scanner. ========CUT=======QUOTE======= VIRSIM.COM generates controlled programs infected with the signatures (only) of several viruses. Virus Simulator's ability to harmlessly =======END QUOTE============= Who's signatures? There is no universal virus signature that every scanner uses. Files created by "virus simulator" contains some strings that the author of the simulator thinks, a scanner should pick as those strings appear in the real virus. There is only one problem: Not every product uses same search string. I ran a small test. I created some 400 files with the simulator. This is what F-Prot 2.21 got out of them: Results of virus scanning: Files: 412 (268 KB) Scanned: 412 (268 KB) Infected: 16 That's 3.9% hit rate! Yet F-prot detects more than 90% (usually in 96-99% region) of the real viruses that has been used in different tests. TBAV reported 95 infected files (about 23%). yet it detects as much real viruses as F-prot. (hit rate in same over 90% region). I went and looked for virus-l FAQ, and here's what it says about simulators : F6) What are "virus simulators" and what use are they? There are three different kinds of programs that are often called "virus simulators". None of the three generate actual viruses. The first kind demonstrate the audio- and video-effects of some real computer viruses. The second kind are programs that simulate a virtual environment--a virtual computer, with virtual disks, virtual files, and virtual viruses on them. The user of such programs can manipulate the simulated objects, letting the simulated viruses infect the simulated files on the simulated disks, watching every step of the process, without a danger of "real infection". The third kind are programs that generate files containing scan strings used by some scanners to detect real viruses. The idea is that those scanners will detect the generated files too, thus letting the user get the feeling of what discovering a virus is like, but without the danger of risking a real infection. There are three ways in which virus simulators are usually used: 1) For educational purposes. The second kind of virus simulators are very useful and valuable for this purpose, provided the simulated environment is realistic enough. The first kind are also somewhat useful--mainly teaching the users what the video- or audio-effects of particular viruses are like. There is the danger, however, that users will get the incorrect impression that every computer virus demonstrates itself in some visible or audible way. The third kind of virus simulators are not useful for this purpose--they do not show how computer viruses work, do not show what computer viruses do, and because their virus fragments are not reliably detected as viruses by many good scanners, may give the wrong impression of a scanner's value. 2) As an installation check that antivirus defenses are installed and working. The first and second kinds of virus simulators are unsuitable for this, because they do not trigger any antivirus defenses. Even the third kind of virus simulators have a rather limited value in this regard, as the files generated by them often fail to trigger virus defenses, which are designed to protect against real viruses. Unlike the producers of such simulators, many believe it is the job of the producer of an antivirus product to provide the means of checking whether their product is installed and working. This position is based on the authors knowing their products better than anyone else and that updated check methods will normally be provided as the antivirus defenses employed in any given product change. 3) As a test of the quality of the antivirus defense--usually a scanner. Again, the first two kinds of simulators are unsuitable for this purpose because they do not trigger antivirus defenses. The third kind of virus simulators often do, from which many users get the impression that they are suitable for these testing purposes. This is a serious misconception. The files that such programs generate are not real viruses; antivirus programs, particularly virus-specific ones like scanners, are designed to detect real viruses. Therefore, one must not draw a conclusion from the ability or the inability of a product to detect "simulated viruses" of the third kind--the fact that they are detected does not necessarily mean that a real virus will be detected, and the fact that they are not detected does not mean that the real virus it is supposed to represent will not be detected! One exception to the above are simulators that do not generate files containing scan strings, but which simulate the different kinds of attacks that real viruses use, but without being able to replicate. Examples of such attacks include different methods of tunnelling, stealth, attacks against integrity checkers, and so on. Such simulators are useful for testing antivirus products that are not virus-specific, especially if the simulator exercises a wide range of known attacks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS OF THE WEEK| This section is dedicated to verified news . . . All News (C)opyright Respective Owner - Will Only Reprint ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CD MATCH Eases Confusion . . . | -------------------------------- ANNAPOLIS, MD -- December 5, 1995 -- The Interactive Multimedia Association (IMA), a worldwide trade organization representing more than 400 interactive multimedia technology providers, today announced an industry-wide campaign to help consumers better match CD-ROM software titles to their personal computing systems. The IMA's CD MATCH(tm) program is designed to improve consumer satisfaction and reduce retail returns of multimedia titles, which are running as high as 30 percent for some titles. Core industry supporters include Apple Computer Inc., Atrium Interactive, Avid Technology Inc., B.P.D. Consulting, The Center for Image and Sound Research, Cloud 9 Interactive, CNN Interactive, Compaq Computer Corp., CompTIA, Corel, Craftsman Book Company, Defense Acquisition University, Double Impact Multimedia, Electronic Arts, Future Systems Inc./Multimedia Monitor, Horizons Technology, IBM, Infotainment World/GamePro and PC Entertainment, Intel, J.H.T. Multimedia, Macromedia, Metatech, MediaSense, Midialog, Miramar/Multimedia Merchandising, Multicom, nu.millennia, inc., Oakes Interactive, Philips Media-IMS, Play Music, Inc., Prentice Hall School Division, Propaganda Cove, School Zone Publishing Company, SicolaMartin Interactive, Temple Millar Multimedia, Thomson Technology Services Group, UltiTech, Videodiscovery and Zombie. The CD MATCH campaign will provide millions of consumers with free software that automatically runs a check of their multimedia PCs and provides a printout of the system's capabilities. The program promotes a uniform labeling system for on-pack display that matches the format and type of information on the CD MATCH printout. Combined, these two elements will enable consumers to make more informed CD-ROM title purchasing decisions, improve user satisfaction levels and reduce returns among the more than 5,000 CD-ROM titles on the market today. "The 186% increase in CD-ROM title sales during the past year is a strong signal that consumers want the entertainment, education, communication and information benefits offered by today's multimedia PC systems and software," stated IMA President Philip V. W. Dodds. "However, the extraordinarily high return rate of CD-ROM titles due to incompatibility is a clear indication that these same consumers are confused and frustrated with determining which multimedia titles will run on their systems." "While sales of CD-ROM drives and titles continue to rise dramatically, only 6% of titles offered for sale in 1994 turned a profit," Dodds noted. "With projected retail sales of 32.9 million units valued at $1.4 billion in 1996, the industry clearly needs a program like the IMA's CD MATCH initiative to help end consumer confusion and frustration, cut down on technical support costs and reduce the number of returns." Free CD MATCH software will be distributed to millions of consumers via the IMA's World Wide Web ftp site and other channels. The free CD MATCH software, which is based on Horizons Technology, Inc.'s LANauditor(R) technology, runs on a variety of platforms and creates a printout of a system's capabilities. Consumers can then take this printout to local retail outlets and compare it to the IMA-Recommended Uniform Label that will appear on CD-ROM packages, to determine if their computer systems will support a particular title's requirements. Reflecting the ever-changing nature of PC technology, CD MATCH software will be continually updated as appropriate. Simultaneous with the announcement of the consumer education program, the IMA also debuted specifications for a Uniform Label for CD-ROM titles, which is expected to begin appearing on packaging in early 1996. Strongly supported by both publishers and retailers, the IMA CD MATCH program is expected to standardize labeling practices, making it much simpler for consumers to compare their system capabilities with title requirements. The announcement of the IMA's CD MATCH program drew positive responses from representatives of many of the organizations that pledged their support for the IMA's leadership initiative. "With the current high return rate on consumer CD-ROM titles, the IMA CD MATCH initiative can provide a needed shot in the arm for computer retailers and resellers," commented John Venator, executive vice president and CEO of the 6,100-member Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). "As the providers of this technology, our members are concerned about customer satisfaction levels," Venator stated. "The IMA program puts the focus where it should be -- on our valued customers." Venator noted that an estimated 10,000 retail outlets currently sell CD-ROM titles, including computer and software stores, mass merchandising chains, video outlets, record stores and book stores. Title publishers are also taking an active role in promoting adoption of the IMA's ground-breaking program. "CD MATCH is a very important initiative which is long overdue. " stated Richard Ferrie, director of Technology Integration at Prentice Hall School Division. "The real benefit is to the consumers; the industry is finally making it easy for them to purchase multimedia products. We applaud the IMA for this initiative and expect it to have a positive impact on the whole industry in 1996." On the hardware side, Intel Corp., Compaq Computer Corp. and Apple Computer Inc. are some of the manufacturers that will soon begin bundling CD MATCH with their multimedia products. "Making it easy for consumers to quickly determine if their PC has what it takes to play a particular multimedia CD title is an important step towards making the PC more user-friendly," said Claude Leglise, Director, Developer Relations Group, Intel Corp. "The rapid pace of technological improvements in the computer industry leads to a wide variety of PC configurations. With the CD MATCH software and the new product labeling, PC users now have a simple tool to understand whether a new application will run on their system." "The consumer CD-ROM marketplace is critical to the interactive multimedia industry, and we need to make sure that consumers enjoy the most problem-free, fulfilling experience possible," stated Mike Braun, IMA Chairman. "The CD MATCH program achieves the IMA's mission to spearhead initiatives that cannot effectively be addressed by individual companies. This industry-wide effort will go a long way to help ensure long-term success." "Responding to consumer frustration, Infotainment World and its stable of leading industry publications, like GamePro and PC Entertainment, will fully support the CD MATCH initiative," remarked Patrick Ferrell, president of Infotainment World. "The CD MATCH program helps alleviate issues of 'recommended' versus 'required.' With CD-ROM sales skyrocketing, the need for a standard is imperative. For it to come from within the industry, via the IMA, is outstanding!" The IMA CD MATCH software will be available at no charge through the association's home page on the World Wide Web (ftp://ftp.ima.org/pub/cdmatch), and also through Horizons Technology, Inc's home page (http://www.horizons.com/cdmatch). The free software will also be available to consumers via magazine bundles and companion packs in early 1996. CD MATCH's consumer awareness campaign will result in over four million advertising impressions over the next six months, and title publishers have committed to putting labels on hundreds of titles in 1996. The IMA is encouraging industry-wide adoption of its uniform labeling practices. Title developers and publishers, retailers and manufacturers interested in incorporating the IMA Uniform Label for CD-ROM titles on packaging can contact IMA headquarters at 410-626-1380 for an implementation kit. This comprehensive kit features complete label specifications, camera-ready art, electronic versions of the logo and Uniform Label, CD MATCH software and a copy of the IMA's Recommended Practices for CD-ROM Developers, which includes guidelines on coding practices, such as installation and de-installation procedures for modifications to consumer computer systems. This information is also available through the association's Web site or by sending an e-mail request to cdmatch@ima.org. Organized in 1987, the IMA is the oldest, largest and most active trade association devoted to multimedia. Its mission is to promote the success of its member companies by working collaboratively to foster the growth of robust multimedia markets in ways that individual companies cannot. IMA initiatives and activities are designed to: a Bring buyers and sellers of multimedia products together a Simplify technology for the end user, thereby assuring buyer confidence and excitement and a Provide information and context on legislative and market developments affecting its member companies. IMA member information is available from Kathy Mitchell, Director of Member Services, 410-626-1380, the IMA FAXBack System, 410-268-2100 (from a fax handset), or by e-mail at info@ima.org or the IMA home page on the World Wide Web, http://www.ima.org. ------------------------------------------- The WWW Comes to Your NetWare Server. . . | ------------------------------------------- SAN JOSE, Calif. -- December 19, 1995 -- Novell, Inc. today announced first customer shipments of its new NetWare# Web Server, the complete software system for NetWare 4.1 servers that brings the popular World Wide Web (WWW) Internet technology to millions of NetWare customers worldwide. NetWare Web Server leverages the distributed services of NetWare, including the security and management features of NetWare Directory Services# (NDS), to give customers a powerful, easy way to use the Internet for both internal and external publishing. Announced at the Internet World Expo in Boston, Mass., last October 31, NetWare Web Server was completed ahead of schedule and became available through Authorized Novell Channel Partners December 15. "We have experienced a tremendous response to NetWare Web Server both from beta customers and potential new customers," said Vic Langford, vice president and general manager of Novell's Internet Commerce Division. "The product is rock solid, extremely fast, and fills a huge requirement our customers have been asking for -- NetWare access to the World Wide Web. With NetWare Web Server, we fulfill their needs." Running on cost-efficient, powerful Intel-based hardware, NetWare Web Server supports symmetric multiprocessing and scales to meet the Internet publishing and access needs of businesses and workgroups of all sizes. Businesses can easily plug NetWare Web Server into their existing NetWare networks providing them with a simple Internet publishing server for their network. NetWare Web Server is a complete solution that installs out-of-the-box on the NetWare 4.1 network operating system. No custom development or knowledge of the UNIX# system is required. Beta customers running NetWare Web Server report success installing and configuring a web server, creating a Web page, and viewing it all within 10 minutes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ REVIEWS OF THE WEEK | Interesting software/hardware you may need . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Product: Offline Express for Windows | Reviewed By: Jim Hanoian (jim.hanoian@lunatic.com) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Offline Xpress for Windows is an offline mail reader for use with QWK mail packets. These packets are produced by virtually all bulletin board systems (BBS) in operation today. Instead of calling a BBS and spending a lot of online time reading mail in a variety of topic areas (called conferences), you can tell the BBS to package all of the unread mail for downloading. Once you get this QWK packet, you can disconnect from the BBS. The offline mail reader opens the mail packet so you can read the mail, compose replies, search for keywords in messages, etc. When you quit the reader, it bundles up your replies in a return (REP) packet. On your next call to the BBS, simply upload this REP packet and download the next QWK, continuing the cycle. There are many offline mail readers, and while they are available for virtually every known platform, most are for DOS or Windows, and most are either freeware or shareware. Offline Xpress for Windows from Mustang Software is one of the only readers that is available in commercial software stores like the one you find in your local mall. Offline Xpress for DOS, another product from Mustang Software, also fits this pattern, and is available with the QModem communications program. Although I fully support shareware, many people find mainline retail software comforting. Shortly after I received this product for review, I found that an update had been released. Even though I had not yet mailed in my registration card, I called the Mustang Software bulletin board and after a short login questionnaire (including my registration serial number), I was able to download the patch file. Touches like this show that the product is clean, up front, and professional. I was pretty eager to try this reader, so I tossed aside the manual and stuck the first of two disks into drive A:, picked "File | Run", typed A:SETUP and off it went. The installation asked a minimum of questions, and smoothly installed itself. The patch, once I got to it, went just as easily, boosting me from 1.00a to 1.00b. Something that impressed me from the start was that the reader was well planned with good implementation. The long history of producing offline readers is evident. Start the reader, and a clean packet "open" box is displayed. From there you can select a packet to open or perform maintenance on your packets such as deleting or renaming them. Offline Xpress uses sound files (WAVs) attached to certain events. When the reader starts, for instance, a pleasant voice says "Welcome to Offline Xpress". Double-click on a packet, and the voice says "Opening Packet". As with most things in Offline Xpress, the user can configure the sounds and even attach other WAVs to the events. Clear icons are used in the toolbar, which changes as the user enters into different areas of the program. The standard one allows a single click access to open another packet, the In-Box (where messages to you are stored), the Out-Box (where messages from you are stored) and to the Address Book. This feature includes long internet address capability and even PostLink routing (as used on the RIME network). All messages in the In-Box and Out-Box are permanently stored in a database by default. In the preferences area, you can modify this so that messages get purged out of the boxes based on an individually set number of days. Other messages can be saved in folders, as ASCII (normal DOS) text, or printed. Offline Xpress handles file attachments and automatically translates UUencoded text from messages. This is a method used on some networks to send binary code (such as pictures or small utilities) as text. Usually, you have to be proficient with the right software to take the message and UUdecode it back to what was sent, but with Offline Xpress a toolbar button does all the work. Configurability is a high point in the reader. You can use the standard internal editor which is decent in every regard. It works just like any other Windows product and can also be controlled using the old WordStar command set (for those old DOSasaurs among us who are set in their ways). The package includes a good spell checking program which can be invoked by button or automatically during the message saving routine. A neat little feature in the save routine allows placing the outgoing message on "hold" instead of "send" status. I think it is important to note that the fonts used in the message viewing windows and in the internal editor comply with the American "standard" for ASCII characters greater than 127. This ensures that you will see the line-drawing characters and special symbols just like the originator intended. The font maintains this stability even if "use only True-Type" is checked in the Windows control panel settings. There is a real wealth of configuration options under the menu pull-down. Each works as you would expect. User controls include normal text and quote color and font selection, quoting style, tagline use (yes, you can totally suppress the taglines AND reader identification if you'd like), sounds linked to events, function key macros, archive utilities with command lines, packet sorting and automatic renaming/deleting after reading is completed. Most offline mail readers offer twit lists, which kill (or merely mark as "already read") messages from or to people who you wish to ignore. Offline Xpress also has a skip list where topics or keywords get the same treatment. Windows-based offline readers usually don't "click" for me (sorry for the pun), probably because it doesn't make sense to use a GUI for a text application. Offline Xpress, however, is a hit. It is friendly, easy to use, and goes out of its way to make everything smooth. Did I mention the help system or the manual? Both follow through with this idea and offer clear explanations of how and why things like BBSs or mail work the way they do, not just things about the program. Tip of my hat to the programmers on a fine product that goes that step beyond what is expected. Two thumbs up! Mustang Software http://www.mustang.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Product: WinProbe 4 | Reviewed By: Randy Gross (randy1@sundial.sundial.net) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This was Tested ON A: 486DX2-66, 8 megs ram, Diamond stealth video card and a creative labs CD rom with a sound blaster card. WINProbe4 for Windows 3.1 and Windows '95 was very simple to install and operate. Its screen is very simple to view, read and understand. WINProbe4 status screen displays everything and more you ever want to know about your computer. WINProbe4 status panel lets you view the amount of free memory available and will even optimize it for you. With this program you are able to test your computers parts; from the key board to the cpu. It displays the status of each item tested and tells you if it passed or not. This program has an ini clean up feature that i thought was very nice; it went into my Windows ini files and found unneeded ini entries and incomplete entries, with this program I was able to easily edit or delete them with ease. WINProbe4 Tune-up option is nice, it gives you suggestions on making specific system changes to help the overall performance of YOUR computer. It also gives you regular suggestions, by that I mean that it tells every 1 the same things like; I can increase my performance if would install more memory, a DX 100 chip or a pentium CPU. The one Item that I consider an excellent part of this program is the Tune-up suggestions, my only problem with this area of the program is that I wish it would give you more specific suggestions for your computers performance and skip the generic ones like adding more memory etc... Overall, on a scale of 1-5 where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best, I would rate WINProbe4 around a 3.5 - 4. An nice added bonus that this program came with was a CDROM that includes an windows '95 uninstaller, a CD troubleshooter, ini and registry editor and Quarterdeck Mosaic. Quarterdeck http://www.quarterdeck.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Product: Procomm Plus for Windows | Reviewed By: Patrick Grote (patrick.grote@supportu.com) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Procomm Plus for Windows 2.11 raises the bar on Windows telecommunications in a way in which no one has seen before. Amazingly, Datastorm hasn't been snapped up by some large software concern; you can tell. The product has features and appointments that you would only see in software crafted by a group of folks who really care. No, I'm not describing heart surgeons or emergency room nurses here. The folks at Datastorm have been wizards at making rock solid technology, but they have always been a little bit behind in the appointment side of the room. You know, if the old versions of Procomm were girls you would say they had nice personalities. PPW2.11 is a remake of their first stab at a "Windows" version. Even though they say it is an update, it is really a remarkable improvement. The screens are designed with the user in mind with most all the selections being a click away. Say you want to dial a number. No need to open the phone directory -- just quick pick from the list on the main screen. Same with scripts. Heck, it is so user friendly there is even a tip of the day! The interface sizzles. Whereas older Windows interfaces were kludges, this baby is hot! The icons for the different features are large enough to actually tell what they mean, but not so large as to where they cut into your terminal window. Terminal type, protocol and modem connection are shown on the bottom of the screen. These aren't static informational only boxes, you can actually click on them and change their configuration. For instance, you contacted a BBS that doesn't support Zmodem. To change pr otocols, just click on the Zmodem on the bottom of the screen and change to Kermit. Same with terminal type and modem connection. No wading through menus and dialog boxes you could care less about. Boom! You are there! Installation is even a snap as well! Procomm recognizes and tests over 900 modems on any COM port your machine supports. You can even use modems over your network! As this is an update, the folks at Datastorm have done a wonderful job of adding features. The hottest feature you'll recognize right off the bat is the integration of telnet and FTP functionality into Procomm. The telnet feature is super for telnetting into BBSs across the country and downloading via Zmodem, which isn't available with most telnet programs! The best feature concerning telnet is its ability to be configured with in your dialing directory. Instead of inputting a phone number for a BBS you would simply put in the internet address. Like to call abc.com? Just put it in and you are off! Procomm Plus bring telnet so much more functionality now that it is part of the package. Scripts and other feature un fine with the telnet feature enabled. FTP takes over when you need to crunch files down from a true FTP site. The implementation inside Procomm Plus for Windows works well, but isn't perfect. I received a few WINSOCK errors while transferring files from mainly WindowsNT FTP servers. The problems manifested themselves in transfers that would start then stop. Another aspect of Procomm Plus for Windows that has been spiffied up is the support for fax cards. Procomm Plus supports the popular Class1 and Class2 fax modems in addition to SendFax. Unfortunately, all the users out there with Intel Satisfaction modems will be disappointed to see that CAS modems are not supported. Datastorm did a super job of integrating fax features into the program. Rather than felling disconnected and segmented, the program actually feels fluid. This extends to the external programs such as the fax cover page designer and fax viewer. Oh, another note about faxing. Procomm Plus supports drag and drop for faxing as well. This is a great time-saver that allows you to drag a file from File Manager and drop it onto Procomm for sending. Procomm Plus just keeps surprising you was you get more and more into its features. Rather than including a script for logging onto CompuServe and exiting, you get a fully functional script collection that logs you in, transfers files and even allows off-line mail management. Geesh! Speaking of the scripting language, Aspect, the latest version is backwards compatible and now supports global and local arrays. It even converts old Aspect files on the fly. Procomm doesn't stop communicating in terms of modems, but it even supports the popular MAPI email format. This means that you can forward text, graphics and files to others on your local area network from within Procomm Plus. The only other Gee Whiz feature I could find was something called WinLink. An Aspect script that you have to run on two machines, WinLink allows you to transfer files from one machine to another using a modem or even a simple cable. The whole script is well written with dialog boxes and pick and choose lists. It's easy to use and very configurable! The Datastorm team also upgraded a bunch of features including host mode's ability to fax documents to callers (a mini faxback system), support for Caller ID and ability to rapid dial a group of systems. Procomm has done an outstanding job of bring communication power to Windows 3.x. Let's hope Datastorm can remain independent and continue to bring us innovative software! Procomm Plus for Windows 2.11 Datastorm 2401 Lemone Blvd. POB 1471 Columbia, MO 65205 (314) 443-3282 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ WEBSITES OF THE WEEK! | This section is devoted to cool WebSites . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Women on the Web . . . | ------------------------ Phoenix, AZ -Lone Wolf Web Design announced today the new International Directory of Women Web Designers, a World Wide Web site dedicated to web design companies and related Internet consulting firms that are owned and operated by women. The Directory contains businesses who specialize in Web page design, graphics, Web server set-up and maintenance, Internet training, marketing, and consulting. Companies are broken down geographically to help users find a consultant or designer in his or her area. Hyperlinks to company sites and contact information about the company are included in every listing. "There is a rapidly growing sector of woman-owned Web Design businesses, and I thought it would be great to have a 'one-stop shop' for people who are looking for a firm to help them establish or improve their Internet presence," said Shauna Doughty, the creator and maintainer of the directory. "The issue of what roles women will play in the future of the Internet, both socially and economically, is very significant. The Women Web Designers Directory proves that women around the world and their businesses are making admirable progress in what formerly was a very male-dominated Universe." Doughty's company, Lone Wolf Web Design, is a premier provider of Web design and Internet consulting. The company offers web page design, graphics, consulting, and marketing research to companies who need assistance in establishing an economical site on the World Wide Web. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the firm also offers training for groups and individuals in various Internet subjects, including set-up and installation of Internet software and efficient use of the many Internet applications. Contact Shauna at shauna@primenet.com or http://www.primenet.com/~shauna. ---------------------------------- Novell's Web Site Explodes . . . | ---------------------------------- OREM, Utah -- Jan. 8, 1996 -- Responding to customer demand now averaging 250,000 hits per day, Novell today announced increased capacity and performance for its NetWire technical information service on the World Wide Web. NetWire, including easily searchable online databases and libraries of downloadable files, provides online access to technical information from Novell through remote access 24 hours-a-day. "Our NetWire web site delivers the most up-to-date technical support information to thousands of customers and partners each day," said Michael Bishop, director of Electronic Support for Novell Technical Services. "Following new hardware and network upgrades, Novell can now provide millions of customers with reliable access on a daily basis." Novell has upgraded the NetWire site's central server processors, I/O subsystem, and T1 connections to improve throughput and ensure fast response times for a rapidly expanding community of users. Following the upgrades, the site is now handling 25 percent more hits per business day, and compared to one year ago, Internet access of NetWire has increased more than 600 percent. Novell has created two "Top 20" lists on NetWire on the Internet. These lists provide customers with the top 20 Technical Information Documents (TIDs) and top 20 downloadable files based on customer access. Automatically updated according to customer usage, the "Top 20" lists represent the most common technical solutions delivered to on-line customers by Novell. Customers can visit NetWire at the following locations: * CompuServe Go NETWIRE * Internet http://netwire.novell.com ftp://ftp.novell.com gopher://gopher.novell.com * MSN# Go NETWIRE * SpaceWorks# call 1-800-577-2235 Technical information can also be found on the company's CD-ROM knowledge base product, the Network Support Encyclopedia# Professional Volume (NSEPro#). The NSEPro is updated each month and includes downloadable files, patches and drivers, Technical Information Documents, and product documentation for NetWare, UnixWare, Groupware and Personal Productivity products. Novell recently announced new pricing and licensing options for the NSEPro: single-user licenses are available for $495 per year, site licenses are $995 per year. CNEs are eligible for discounts. Novell's electronic technical support offering provides Novell's service partners, large accounts, customers and technical support engineers with access to comprehensive technical information on Novell products, anytime, anyplace. Novell is establishing the electronic support programs and delivery vehicles required to provide technical assistance to a billion users worldwide by the year 2000. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ COOL FTP FILE OF THE WEEK | You may need this file . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A MUSICAL TUTORIAL v1.2 - An excellent way to promote and encourage musical study using a graphically oriented environment. Treble / Bass note & chord sight reading. Associate notes to piano keys. Chord dict. Musical games. Play, view and print scales, chords, and broken chords. User log. Play classics. Print sight reading test papers. Key signatures, Etc. Makes music lessons fun for children or adults. VGA required. You can find this as MTDOS12.ZIP on the following FTP site: ftp.crl.com/users/su/supportu/mtdos12.zip ------------------------------------------------------------------------ INTERVIEW OF THE WEEK | Interesting people you should know about . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Web Rambler, Ray Hines, Editor| ------------------------------- -> RAYNOTE: After reading my review of InfoMagnet in the previous issue of CompuNotes, an alert reader, Copper, kindly informed me that InfoMagnet version 2.0 (due out next month) will support Majordomo and ListProc mailing lists in addition to the standard ListServ format. He also said that folks that register InfoMagnet are entitled to free upgrades unto infinity. Got any web sites you'd like me to review? Email the URLs with a description to me at solari@gate.net. Thanks! ---- Book Review: Creating Cool Web Pages with HTML, by Dave Taylor. Here's YABATI, "Yet Another Book About the Internet!" This one's for newbies that are interested in creating "cool" web pages with HTML for their fun pleasure or business ambitions. "Creating Cool Web Pages with HTML" is attractively designed to catch your eye on the bookshelves and comes with a free Windows web browser that I've never heard of on a floppy disk. You'll be better off using your favorite web browser, however. The book is supposedly geared to all levels of intelligence, ranging from the newbie to the advanced user. I'd peg it just above the newbie level since it's impossible to be an end-all-be-all in just 247 pages to all of Internet HTML'ing society. It's easy to understand and use, in large part thanks to Dave Taylor's light hearted conversational writing style. What's especially useful are the various tips and notes scattered throughout the book, pointing out many important facts that are instrumental in designing a well thought-out web page. Most chapters in the book cover everything to do with HTML publishing, from the basic linking stuff all the way up to using imagemaps, video, audio, forms, and specific Netscape extensions. I appreciated the many references to actual sites on the Internet for examples as it helped illustrate many of the points the book attempts to make. There's no "practice" sections in the book, so I suspect you'll be referring to those example sites on the Internet frequently while reading the book. Dave just doesn't stop at teaching you how to create nifty web pages, though; he also shows you how to register and announce your new web site to the various indexing services on the internet. There's also a useful HTML Reference appendix in the back of the book for fast and easy referencing. As some of you may have noticed, in your local bookstore there's been a virtual avalanche of books on how to create HTML documents for the World Wide Web. This is mostly good since it means the Internet is getting the recognition it deserves, and you have a wider variety of books to choose from. The negative is that you are going to run across some books that were written merely so the publisher could make a fast buck, or were rushed to the printer too quickly to be considered complete. In the case of "Creating Cool Web Pages with HTML," I am not sure which category it would fall under. The author, Dave Taylor, is highly qualified to write about the Internet since he is been on it since 1980, has written several programs for the Internet (such as the Elm Mail System) and has developed several internet sites (The Internet Mall) and so on. Even Scott Yanoff (famous for his Internet Services List, aka Yanoff's List) wrote the introduction to the book, giving it his seal of approval. I think it's the editors of "Creating Cool Web Pages with HTML" that failed in their duty to make sure the book was ready for printing. We stumbled upon errors in the book that should have been snagged by even a novice editor. To top it off, the software included with the book wasn't working too well. To wit: There are many references to WinWeb at the beginning of the book, but there's nothing telling us how to install the program from the included floppy. It just assumes that you found the disk, explored it, and installed the program yourself without any instructions. WinWeb wasn't worth hassling with anyway. Several examples in the book (using screen shots from WinWeb) showed us how some HTML code should look but it didn't match our actual WinWeb screens, especially when using certain fonts. The sample web pages included on the disk were useful, but they didn't follow the book completely, leaving us to find our way ourselves at times. Finally, some of the examples given to us to try out didn't always match the results we were told to expect. It's slightly annoying because the book tells us to always check our web pages with all sorts of browsers to make sure they come out correctly and yet it seems they didn't follow their own advice. --END OF ISSUE--