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


Front Page


Contents

   About the WinOnLine Review™

WOLR information you should know

NEW to the magazine and Windows Help?

 here to learn more

   Publisher's Desk

This month's comments from our Publisher

   BBS Direct

Announcing this remarkable new service and what it means to you

   Cache La Byte, by Thom Foulkes

A Brave New World??

   Micrografx Charisma, by Ed Rasimus

"presentation software that is pretty darn close to state-of-the-art"

   Type Designer, by Steven Justice

"it is possible to control the appearance of any character in any font"

   Q & A, by Bob Ellig

Q & A leaves one question left unanswered: What more could you need?

   MicroHelp Uninstaller, by Ted Tatman

"I couldn't imagine removing unneeded Windows programs the "old way" again!"

   Listen for Windows, by Brian A. Parks

no simpler way to get more out of computing

   Visual Reality, by Steven Jay Cohen

"The ultimate in Windows 3D graphics and animation..."

   Microsoft Natural Keyboard, by Ed Rasimus

"Get a dog, a midsize or larger dog . . . Now, type with your fingertips"

   For Your Bookshelf, by Ed Hoffman

The Underground Guide to Word for Windows

Supercharging MS-DOS

   What's on the Internet, by Bob Gollihur

It's not a question, it's the answer

   Windows OnLine (BBS)

   Your On-Ramp to the Internet


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

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

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

Contributing Writers: Thom Foulkes, Steven Justice

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

These magazines are published by Windows OnLine™, an online (modem) service dedicated to supporting Windows users and Windows network professionals. WOL prides itself on having the most complete and up-to-date library of Windows shareware in the world. We have over 11,000 Windows-specific programs and files to download and many thousands more oriented to DOS and OS/2. WOL operates with 17 nodes (all equipped with US Robotics high speed dual standard modems) operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We hope you will give us the opportunity to become your BBS of choice.

We welcome your letters and comments about our magazine. Please feel free to call Windows OnLine™ at 510-736-8343 and leave a (c)omment to the Sysop. You will be presented with a menu to direct your message. Our mailing address, voice and fax lines are listed below. You may contact the Editor at bob.gollihur@wol.com and the Publisher at frank.mahaney@wol.com. Each author has included information about contacting them at the close of their articles in the form of a pop-up. Click on the authors' graphics to view that information.

We invite you to view our companion magazine, the

WinOnLine Review™

This magazine specializes in the latest shareware, with

 Shareware Briefs- quick takes on the newest good, bad and ugly

 Feature Shareware Reviews from our staff writers

 What's new in Windows shareware files

all hosted by our most peculiar staff member, Wolly

You will find the WinOnLine Review™ Shareware Edition magazine virtually everywhere, with the file name WOLRS##.ZIP (## = the issue number). As with this magazine, there is no charge to our readers.

© Copyright Information

The WinOnLine Review™ is a product of Windows OnLine™. Reprinting or distribution, other than through on-line distribution of this file as originally published, of any portion of this publication is not permitted without written permission of Frank J. Mahaney of Windows OnLine™.

Sysops may freely offer the .ZIP file for download by their users. Systems may not display content or portions of the contained .HLP file as bulletins, news, help files, etc., on any BBS or network, nor are you permitted such reprinting or display of these files, except as otherwise expressly granted in writing by Windows OnLine™. Subscriptions are available to Corporations who wish to offer the HLP file on their networks. For information, please call our voice number (510) 736-4376. Makers of CD-ROMs or similar distribution media are expressly forbidden to include our publications in their compilations without written authorization. Contact Windows OnLine™.

All articles are copyrighted by their authors. Upon publication in our magazines, all rights are freely transferred to and owned by Frank J. Mahaney and Windows OnLine. Opinions presented herein are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Windows OnLine, WOL Review or the WOLR Shareware Edition.

Windows OnLine™

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(510) 736-8343 (BBS)

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(510) 736-8397 Fax


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Publisher's Desk
WOL NOW 28,800 ON ALL LINES!

Windows OnLine and U.S. Robotics have joined together to equip WOL with the latest, fastest and best modems on the market. We are proud to announce that WOL has installed U.S. Robotics Courier Dual Standard v.Everything modems. We now support the following modulation methods on all of our incoming lines:

V.32 = 9600bps       V.32bis = 14,400bps       V.32 terbo = 19,200bps

V.FC = 28,800bps       V.34 = 28,800bps       HST

Now, when you call Windows OnLine, you will get the very best speed of YOUR modem, no matter what line or node you connect to. Find out what it is like to transfer those compressed zip files at over 3,300 CPS by calling us today.

WANT TO SAVE MONEY?

 I know, it's a silly question. Don't miss the announcement about BBS Direct, in an article that follows this one. Call Windows OnLine and other major Bulletin Board Systems, nationwide, for a flat fee, any time of the day or night. Click on the button on the left to go there now.

RING OUT THE OLD, RING IN THE NEW REVIEW!

Begining with our next issue dated 12/1/94 expect to see a renewed WinOnLine Review, now incorporating the best of our popular Shareware Edition. Our newly revised monthly will feature reviews of both Shareware and Commercial Windows products, along with our takes on special hardware and computer related books. We are very excited about the upcoming changes to our magazine are certain you will enjoy our magazine even more.

Watch for our premier Issue #92 of the new WinOnLine Review on December 1, 1994 (file name WOLR92.ZIP).

Frank J. Mahaney

Publisher

frank.mahaney@wol.com


Concentric Research
       BBS DIRECT

Would you be interested in being able to call your favorite BBSs at any hour of the day or night, for far less than you now pay your long distance carrier? If so, read on to learn about one of the most remarkable new innovations to come to the BBS world in a decade!

Windows OnLine™ is proud to be one of the pioneer members of a new experience in BBSing -- one that will open the door to cheaper and faster communications with your favorite BBSs. For an introduction to the service, we are pleased to feature the comments of James Rector of Concentric Research Corporation:

The Birth of BBS Direct

by James Rector  simon@cris.com

The Concentric Network. At first look these three words may seem little more than buzz words reminiscent of Al Gore dribble. Upon closer scrutiny, I believe you will find that their very definition will provide insight into the future of BBS telecommunications.

During the final minutes prior to 3 p.m. on September 27, 1993, a small group huddled close in a two-car garage in Bay City, Michigan. A conference call was about to begin between members of Concentric Research Corporation and ten of the top BBS sysops in the United States. The reason for the call was simple: Concentric was determined to build a national data highway for use by bulletin board callers and the sysops were being asked to provide insight into what their long distance subscribers wanted.

The ten sysops stated in no uncertain terms that they needed a reliable network that would allow access to their systems at high speed. The catch was that they also wanted their customers to have a fixed monthly cost for unlimited access. The conversation moved on to include concerns about menu structure and equal pricing for all BBSs included in the program. The conversation concluded with an agreement that the sysops would continue the current dialogue amongst themselves with a follow-up call set for two weeks later.

During the second call it became apparent that agreement in principal had been reached and that the next step was for Concentric to follow through with what they agreed to do -- create the network. On Tuesday, November 1, 1994, that agreement will come to fruition with the official opening of the "Concentric Network". Hardwired to the back-end of this network, are the nations top thirty BBSs.

The network's initial service, BBS Direct, offers local dial-up access in the nation's 100 largest metropolitan markets, with expansion into the top 350 metro markets slated over the next 18 months. The cost of accessing the network is a flat rate of just $30 per month for unlimited usage. Customers also have the option of using the 800 service from anywhere in the United States plus Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands at a cost of $5 per hour. Leading industry analyst Marc Brailov of the Computer and Communications Industry Association was recently quoted as saying the network will revolutionize data communication practices. In the long term, he said, BBS Direct opens another ramp on a worldwide information highway.

The Concentric Network is a $25 million dedicated data network using Racal-Datacom Inc. equipment, the finest networking equipment available, and AT&T's fiber optic-based frame relay service. In addition to access to the country's best BBSs, BBS Direct customers will have full, unlimited access to the Internet, including the use of a connection that will allow the use of graphical Internet navigators like Mosaic.

Concentric Research Corporation and the Premier members of BBS Direct together have created a network built for customers and, in doing so, have made long distance charges obsolete. The following is a list of the Premier members of BBS Direct. Concentric Network may be reached via modem at 1-800-991-4227 or voice at 1-800-745-2747.

BBS	SYSOP	CITY	ST
Channel 1	Tess Heder and Brian Miller	Cambridge	MA
Salt Air BBS	Steve Klinger	Salt Lake City	UT
Computer Data Services	Wade Fjeld	Corpus Christi	TX
Compu-Data	Phil Gordermer	Turnersville	NJ
DNIS	Michael Simmons	Palm Springs	CA
Event Horizons	James Maxey	Lake Oswego	OR
ExecNet	Andy Keeves	Mt. Vernon	NY
ExecPC	Greg Ryan	Elm Grove	WI
General BBS	Marc Teitler	San Diego	CA
Graf/X	Vicki Bardwell	Sedona	AZ
Graphic Impulse	Lewis Shepherd	Champaign	IL
Invention Factory	Mike and Kathy Sussell	Greenwich Village	NY
Liberty Information Network	Stephen Grande	Anaheim	CA
MicroSellar	Mark Rapp	Verona	NJ
MSI HQ BBS	Jim Herrar	Bakersfield	CA
National ISO 9000	Rick Clements	Alto	MI
Nitelog	Karl Vanlear	Monterey	CA
PC Ohio	Norm Henke	Cleveland	OH
Pleasure Dome	David Taylor	Virginia Beach	VI
Prostar Plus	Debi Michnick	Auburn	WA
Runway Communications	Raymond Novino	Lansdowne	PA
Rusty n Edies	Rusty and Edie Hardenburg	Youngstown	OH
Software Creations	Dan Linton	Clinton	MA
Studs BBS	Hans Von Braun	San Francisco	CA
Synergy Online	Jim Boxmeyer	Parsippany	CA
The McHenry BBS	Bob Walker	McHenry	NJ
Two Babes Online	Lisette Du Bois	Redmond	IL
The Westside BBS	Dave Harrison	Los Angeles	CA
Windows OnLine	Frank Mahaney	Danville	CA
World Wire BBS	Paul Wildrick	Orinda	CA
What this means to members of Windows OnLine

As you can see, with this new service you can save a fortune on your long distance charges and call more often! No more worries about downloading that big file, or daily runs for getting your mail packets with all those new Internet conferences.   For just $30 a month you can make unlimited calls to us and all the Bulletin Board Systems above. If you aren't in one of Concentric's 100 metro markets, or if you're on the road, just $5.00 an hour gets you access through an 800 number. Get more information for signing up by calling 800-745-2747 or by modem at 800-991-4227.


       CACHE LA BYTE

by Thom Folkes

A Brave New World??

There are events occurring in cyberspace that will sooner or later affect all computer users -- and, I do mean you, even if your personal computer is used for nothing more than some word processing and an occasional game-playing session.

The world has become interconnected via modems and telephone lines, and it's a helter-skelter process -- impossible to plan, with few rules. Every bump encountered on the development of the so-called "information superhighway" is setting precedent that is likely to echo, then solidify, in the years ahead.

So far, you're yawning. Consider this question: What is the scope of legal responsibility you have for the data stored on your computer? Can your PC and all its associated paraphernalia be seized because proprietary software you don't own is found there? "Yes" is the answer. There, that should wake you up. It's already happened several times across the nation.

OK, so the software got there because someone else in the household helped a friend copy a floppy disk, and you didn't even know about it. Or maybe you purchased a used computer with many files you could not identify, already present on the machine. Or maybe you simply downloaded an interesting file from a BBS, without being aware that it was a pirate copy. "How" it got on your machine is not the significant criteria; the fact that it is there can make you criminally responsible, under precedent developing across the nation today.

The piracy-fighting Software Publishers Association (SPA) has announced the first-ever criminal indictment against a bulletin board service (BBS) system operator (Sysop). The U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts has indicted a Millbury, MA, Sysop on charges of illegally distributing pirated software. The filing came nearly two years after a raid by the FBI, which resulted in much of the Sysop's gear being confiscated because non-registered proprietary software was found on it.

I'll be one of the last persons from whom you'll ever hear any defense of anyone circulating pirated software. It is legally and morally wrong, and the existence of a flourishing market in pirated software harms all of us by helping keep software prices higher than they might be otherwise. Nor do I have any firsthand knowledge of the Massachusetts case (beyond news stories), or any opinion about it -- that's what judges and juries are for.

I easily agree that any BBS distributing software illegally should be shut down. But, again, that's the purpose of judges, juries and trials. In this case, however, there has not been a trial. That is not a comfortable precedent.

Let's shift gears, and contemplate the "community standards" of the residents of Memphis, Tennessee. American regionalisms being what they are, I think everyone would tacitly agree that the standards of Tennessee are not the same as those of California. I'm not being pejorative, the typical lifestyles are different...sheer fact.

That's how a California-based Sysop was convicted this year in a Memphis court, because some residents of Memphis obtained materials from his BBS that offended the public decency standards of Memphis. Yes, what many consider pornography was involved.

I certainly don't care to be in the business of circulating anything that anyone might consider pornographic or obscene via the BBS I have operated for more than a decade. Nor would I make any effort to defend those BBSs that have turned the distribution of such X-rated materials into a profitable business. But, I'll not attack them, either, so long as there is no clear-cut national standard to which they should adhere.

I'm very uncomfortable that the standards of West Podunk, Utah, might be used to legally measure the information flow of my Colorado Springs-based BBS, just because some West Podunk citizen might be offended by what they saw on-line.

Again, the Memphis decision is a distressing precedent. A typical Internet provider, as example, has a gargantuan flow of traffic in-and-out, every day -- far more than could be easily observed for content. At what point does an Internet provider become responsible for what flows electronically through the modem links?

The behemoth of commercial on-line services, Compuserve (CIS), has sued a Windows shareware developer over the name "Windows Navigator," WinNAV for short.  The developer had used the name for several years; CIS wanted to use the name.  Because the shareware product had been stored on CIS's Columbus, OH, facilities, the firm sued the Houston, TX, developer in an Ohio-based U.S. District Court.

How is small software author in Texas supposed to adequately represent himself in an Ohio court?  Only with great difficulty, of course.  The Federal judge recognized the problem in this case, and dismissed the suit.  CIS has asked for a re-hearing.

The flow of information through modem ports across this nation (and around the world) today was never imagined by anyone, as recently as a decade ago. It is unlike any form of information transferal --from cave drawings to television -- the world has even known. The power of the technology itself allows any person to be an information provider and conveyor, as well as a recipient. The rules are few, the laws even less.

That's why every court decision today, by precedent, has the potential of growing into law. What do we do about preventing bad precedent from becoming worse law? I wish I knew.

I do know that the convergence of BBSs, the traditional on-line services (Compuserve, AOL, others), and the Internet is occurring at lightning speed.  And even as the modem worlds coalesce, there is a broader convergence of telecommunications, broadcasting, and publishing under way.

Many cable TV operators want you to ignore your modem, and simply plug your computer into a CATV box for modem-like communications to and from anywhere. NBC, CNN and others have given broad publicity to their Internet access points. A "Letter to the Editor" in Time magazine today is as likely to have traveled via AOL as the Postal Service. Microsoft has demonstrated a technology (Tiger) that integrates computer-transmitted information with television signals, all controlled through a box that looks like a CATV selector.

So you're not yet caught up in this "brave new world." But it is a certainty you will be, and the precedent-setting legal decisions of today will be concerns shared by every computer user.

commentary by

(click)

Thom Foulkes


       MICROSOFT NATURAL KEYBOARD

by Ed Rasimus

Microsoft® Natural Keyboard™

What is it like to type on the new Microsoft Natural Keyboard? Try this. Get a dog, a midsize or larger dog, a toy poodle or Shih Tzu won't do. Approach the dog from the front, place a hand on each side of the dog's back above the front shoulders on the downslope. Now, type with your fingertips: "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog." Only do this with a dog you know well. Remember Pink Panther Inspector Clouseau's lesson that "although my dog doesn't bit, that isn't my dog." The Microsoft Natural Keyboard is a lot like typing on the back of a dog.

Seriously, we all are hearing more and more about repetitive stress injuries incurred with old style keyboards. The solutions to a safer work environment are a combination of ergonomic recommendations ranging from posture, seating, scheduling, lighting and equipment design. Microsoft has brought its considerable resources to bear on one aspect, keyboard design. The result is a hardware/software solution that comes very close to the mark at a very attractive price.

The most obvious aspect of the Microsoft Natural Keyboard  is its distinctive shape. The keyboard is significantly humpbacked in the middle, allowing the hands to maintain the natural angle formed from the wrist and elbow geometry. The two halves of the main keyboard are split with a blank wedge space between the hands, further enhancing the comfort of relaxed hand placement. The near edge of the keyboard has a large wrist rest area curving toward the user. It looks a bit like a baby grand piano and feels a lot like the back of a mid-sized dog. Within the gap between hands are three lights indicating the status of numlock, capslock and scroll-lock. If you watch your hands when you type rather than the screen or the copy, you'll always know your lock status. Underneath the keyboard is a folding support that can be extended to adjust the surface angle of the keyboard for greater comfort.

Microsoft suggests that users should type with fingers above the keyboard and the wrist rest only used for support during typing pauses. My personal technique, which is totally alien to all ergonomic recommendations is a sprawl in a too low executive desk chair, with arms extended too far and keyboard on the desk which is too high. Hands lay on the rest and fingertips only move. It's all wrong but it works for me. From that position, it took me all of about twenty minutes to completely forget the hump in the keyboard and the gap between the hands. This thing is comfortable! The position is good, the keys fall naturally into position, and I actually believe my typing has improved.

Anyone who has seen a movie or TV show in the last ten years knows that computer keyboards have that irritating "click-click" sound, as the hero hacks his or her way into the national defense structure. Bypassing the password security takes just a few cliche' clicks and the answer flashes upon the screen usually with some sort of beep of approval. Thankfully, microsoft has bypassed the sound of Hollywood for a more useful light tactile feedback. Of the many keyboards I've had the opportunity to try this is one of the best efforts. There is adequate resistance to inadvertent actuation, an unobtrusive actuation tick, and a satisfying rebound. Good marks to Microsoft for this effort.

The Microsoft Natural Keyboard  adds three keys to the traditional 101 and a slight rearrangement by placing the back slash (\) high on the right rather than under the heel of your right hand at the lower end of the board. The control and alt keys have been sensibly enlarged. Two new keys with the Flying Windows symbol are shortcut keys to the Windows Task Manager (promised to be a more common keystroke when Windows 95 arrives). The third new key is allocated to software developers for exclusive use in new Win 95 applications. It remains to be seen whether dust will settle there or it will be polished to mirror smoothness by continual use.

The software that accompanies the Microsoft Natural Keyboard  offers keyboard mapping support for that one in a million user who can't deal with QWERTY, as well as F-key assignment for special needs. The IntelliType software allows Task Manager assignments of frequently used applications or files for quick launching. You can also launch from designated F-keys. Lock control allows configuring the three "lock" settings so that they are always the same on startup. For those who like that sort of thing you can have sounds accompany keyboard events.

IntelliType Software Supports User Preferences

Included in the software is cursor support with some attractive features. Cursor wrap, snap-to dialog box hot button, and cursor "sonar" are available at user discretion. Personally, I find the cursor wrap, where the cursor goes from left to right or top to bottom, to be disorienting more than helpful. I did, however like the "snap-to" feature which pops the cursor to the hot button whenever a dialog box opens on the screen. Users of version 9.0 of the Microsoft Mouse drivers are no doubt familiar with these options. For me, it was an enjoyable change. No more mousing around through multiple boxes; the arrow is always on the OK when the dialog opens. The sonar option displays flashing rings around a "lost" cursor to highlight it whenever you press and release the Ctrl key. Great for monochrome laptops where it's hard to find that little bugger.

Keyboards are one of those necessities to which we seldom pay much attention. With increasing knowledge about RSI and ergonomics we are beginning to release that something can be done to improve the lowly input device. Microsoft Natural Keyboard  is a very nicely done solution to the problem. The best news, I've saved for last. Unlike many improved keyboards that give you stress injuries reaching for your wallet, MS has not only done the job, but at a price that is in the ballpark for anyone replacing a keyboard. If your keyboard needs replacing or your wrists are giving out, don't hesitate for a moment, this is a good one!

Microsoft Natural Keyboard™

List Price: $99

Microsoft Corp.

One Microsoft Way

Redmond WA 98052-6399

206-882-8080

206-93MSFAX fax

Reviewed by

Ed Rasimus

ed.rasmimus@wol.com


       MICROGRAFX CHARISMA

by Ed Rasimus

I love watching software development. It's very much a continuing saga of "chicken or egg." Does the software evolve to cope with the way we operate, or do we change the way we work to take advantage of the emerging software. I can hear you now, softly mumbling, "There he goes again, off on a philosophical tangent."

Consider for a minute or two, how we deal with public presentation.  I can still remember when the change from chalk to a whiteboard with dry-erase colors was pretty high tech. Then came the laser printer that, with word processing software that allowed scaleable fonts, could print immediate transparencies. Suddenly every public meeting centered around an overhead projector. A couple of years ago, "presentation software" made an appearance. Now the speaker could quickly lay out overheads or slides with speaker notes and handouts, all with a consistent style or background. Pretty slick stuff.

The evolution hasn't stopped though. MicroGrafx Charisma is a tremendous step in presentation software that is pretty darn close to state-of-the-art in public meeting pitchware. The trend is for the businessperson on-the-go to skip the whiteboards, slide screens, projectors, etc. The modern business presentation is done with a laptop on the client's desk, or even better, on the client's own desktop PC. For large groups, the hot presentation is done with a projection of the computer screen. Throw in multi-media with photos, video clips and sound bites to accentuate and you are dealing in whiz-bang of the highest order. MicroGrafx Charisma will be there for you.

Charisma offers the "master style" and "insert text here" system that seems to have become the standard of all presentation programs. The method is simple to learn and protects all of us who possess a minimal sense of style from assembling a nightmarish montage of mixed type-faces, colors, backgrounds and accents. On startup the Charisma welcome screen asks if you wish to work on a new or existing presentation or enter the tutorial. It also allows you to choose the primary presentation medium, whether printed paper, 35mm slides or on-screen slide show. You can always revise your medium later, but that could result in some need for format and dimension adjustment.

For the new user the Charisma on-line tutorial offers an impressive view of the capabilities of the on-screen slide show. Hypertext buttons take the student into a choice of six shows demonstrating basic presentation skills including builds, transitions, charting, linking and sound support. If considered as a learning tool for the program, the tutorial will be found wanting, since there is not much detailed instruction offered. If, however, the slide shows are considered a "shopping mall" of presentation ideas, the tutorial is a very rich resource. Some time spent with the well-written manuals will be a profitable investment. Once familiarity is obtained, the on-line help is an excellent continuing source of assistance.

Charisma offers a choice of 75 Master Styles for your presentation and eleven templates. The Master Style determines the background, the color scheme, the fonts and text sizes providing for continuity throughout the presentation. The templates provide the layout for various types of slides ranging from familiar bulleted text or text and chart, to the more exciting multimedia slides featuring pictures, video clips, and OLE links. Full flexibility is offered for the creative through extensive editing options for both the Master Styles and the templates. Need "ohmigawd" shock color for a presentation, you've got it. Want to put the company logo as a shadowy watermark on all slides? It's easy. Think it would be a good accent to change the background color but keep the overall graphics, no problem. If you just can't be satisfied using something "not invented here," go ahead and start from scratch and build your own Master Style and favorite typeface.

Admittedly, none of this is particularly unusual among presentation software packages, so what makes Charisma special? Several aspects of the program stand out from the crowd. Among them are charting capability, drawing support, multimedia integration, stand alone slide show implementation and the included libraries of clip art, .WAV files, photos and fonts.

Charisma takes care of one of the most important aspects of a business presentation, the graphical depiction of sometimes complex data. The program offers an extensive array of chart options including bar, line, area, scatter, spider, Gant, hi-lo, and the ever popular pie. Stack 'em, rotate, color and display in two or three dimension, with or without walls, indexes, or perspective. Data can be entered in Charisma's own mini spreadsheet or linked to any data source that supports OLE. If you use the Charisma spreadsheet, you can perform simple math functions, sums & differences, percentages and even regression analyses. Titles, labels, axis rotation, spacing, even the positioning of the highlight source on 3-D charts are all controllable.

The drawing tools included with Charisma are a subset of the very powerful MicroGrafx Designer drawing program. All but the most demanding of artists will find the drawing capability of this package satisfactory. In addition to the normal array of squares, lines, circles, and polygons, Charisma offers extensive editing capability, including rotation, slanting, Bezier curve edit, pattern smoothing, and cusps. Color support includes fills, gradients and patterns. Three-dimensional symbols are available with a full range of editing capability including extruding, rotating, reshaping, warping and resolution adjustment. And, of course, there is shape blending, flipping, grouping and connecting plus import and export to most other graphic formats. There are few handicaps to your creativity in this program.

In my opinion, the most important aspect of a presentation package is the slideshow. Plain words are always effective, but sometimes it helps to add some glamour. Charisma is one of the most powerful electronic presentation tools I've seen. The user can integrate a variety of transition effects such as sweeps, fades, blinds, spirals and a dozen others. The transitions can be applied to the entire slide or to selected layers for some really dazzling effects.

Slide Sorter view allows arrangement, sound editing and transition choice.

Sound is fully supported by Charisma and adds tremendously to a "stand-alone" presentation. Sound effects can be used to punctuate transitions or draw attention to items as they are added to a "build" sequence on a bullet chart. Background music can be employed throughout a presentation or to emphasize a particularly important point. Of course, music can be displaced by a voice track for those times when you worry that your audience can't read! Set your slide show on "continuous" and let it do the presentation for you at a trade show booth or shopping mall kiosk.

Video clips, photos, graphics and hyperlinks can all come together in a Charisma presentation. A well-designed branching series directed through the user's hyperlink choices can be a great choice for the busy executive. And, probably the best part of it all is that your slideshow can be saved as a self executing file that will run on any compatible without the need for other supporting files. Imagine being able to take your presentation on a 3.5 inch disk, pull it out of your shirt pocket, stuff it in a client's own computer and wow them with your spiel.

Charisma offers outline view for those who like to work in that format rather than slide by slide. With merely a click, the presentation author can add speaker's notes for each slide or prepare audience handouts that compress several slides per page and add supplemental text. Final editing can be done in slide sorter view that uses a light table metaphor for moving entire slides and adjusting your sequence.

Included in the package is a CD-ROM that offers 7000 pieces of clipart, 200 photo images, 300 sound effect files, 250 MIDI music files and 70 video clips. Also part of the package are over 200 True type and Adobe Type 1 typefaces. If you can't figure out a way to make your point with all of this support, maybe you don't have a point.

Quality doesn't come cheap. Charisma will demand 8 MB minimum of RAM and would really like to operate with 16 MB. It's hit on your credit card is a bit demanding, too. However, if you make your living by selling directly or convincing people about your ideas, this is the kind of tool that could pay for itself in very short order.

MICROGRAFX CHARISMA

List Price: $495.00

for further information:

MicroGrafx

1303 Arapaho Rd.

Richardson TX 75081

1-800-733-3729

Reviewed by

Ed Rasimus

ed.rasmimus@wol.com


UnInstaller 2
       MICROHELP UNINSTALLER 2

by Ted Tatman

There are a lot of great things about Windows, but one of the worst things about it is trying to uninstall a Windows application. With most good ol' fashioned DOS programs all you need to do is delete a directory and its contents and the program is totally gone from your hard drive. However, not only do many Windows programs usually create their own directory, but they place files in other directories (like C:\WINDOWS and C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM) as well as changing important system files like WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI. You can try to delete Windows programs yourself, but you tend to either not delete enough files or (shudder) delete too many. Well, now removing unneeded Windows programs from your hard drive is a breeze, thanks to MicroHelp's UnInstaller Version 2. UnInstaller has several modules:

The main UnInstaller module lets you delete installed Windows programs, complete with their EXE files, DLL files, HLP files, Program Manager icon and more. UnInstaller shows you your program groups, and then you open up the group where the program to be uninstalled is.

Just click on the program's icon and press the Analyze button and you're on your way to more hard disk space. UnInstaller searches out all traces of the program on your system (including mentions in WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI) and then gives you the option to delete each file and reference. You can even go through a "trial run" to see how much space you'll save by removing the program. In addition, UnInstaller gives you the ability to create a backup copy of the files you are installing.

The second module is called System Cleanup. System Cleanup lets you manually remove any or all Windows display drivers, system support files, windows fonts, non-Windows apps and miscellaneous files that are on your hard drive, but not actually in use by Windows. These include all the files that Windows put on your hard drive when you originally installed it, but that you probably didn't really need.

The third module is named INIClean. INIClean helps you manage the INI files in your WINDOWS directory, including and WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI. INIClean lets you check out the changes that applications make to Windows. It displays the sections and associations that have been added to WIN.INI, plus show you the entries in SYSTEM.INI. Editing parts of and deleting entire INI files is a snap with INIClean.

DupeFinder is the fourth module. This duplicate file finder searches your hard drive for files with the same name and gives you the opportunity to delete duplicates. However, this feature is not nearly as sophisticated as other file de-dupers on the market. It would be nice to be able to search for files that are the same internally, even though they might be named differently. Also, the ability to locate exact duplicates would be a plus. DupeFinder will display two versions of DATA.DLL on your hard drive even though one is 2589 bytes and the other is 119,122 bytes. Clearly, these files are not duplicates.

The fifth module of note is Orphan Finder. Orphan Finder looks for traces of programs (EXE or DLL files) on your system that aren't referenced by your shell (Program Manager, in my case). These are probably programs you thought you got rid of, but they're still there! Once these files are located, you have the option to delete each manually. Do be very careful with these files. Even though there might not be an icon for these programs in Program Manager, they still might be auxiliary files your main programs need.

UnInstaller works best using Windows Program Manager, a Program Manager clone (like Dashboard) or Norton's Desktop For Windows as your shell. If you're using PC Tools For Windows or any other shell that doesn't support DDE, the program is not as effective. In any case, the Microsoft Windows file PROGMAN.EXE must be on your system somewhere for UnInstaller to work.

I had a couple of problems installing UnInstaller on my home system. However, calling MicroHelp's technical support line, changing a line in my WIN.INI, and updating my video drivers (Diamond Stealth 24) fixed the problems.

Is UnInstaller perfect? No, in a few cases it didn't find all traces of an application, but if it errs, it usually errs on the side of safety. Not once did it suggest deleting a vital system file, except in the Orphan Finder module. But it did do a much better job of uninstalling programs than I could do myself. And, after using it the first time, I cleaned off over 6 MB of unneeded files from my disk. The bottom line is that UnInstaller finds files that are candidates for deletion, but you have to make the final decision on removing each file. And, you have the option to back up each file you delete.

Would I recommend this program to you? Well, let me put it this way -- after using UnInstaller, I couldn't imagine removing unneeded Windows programs the "old way" again!

MicroHelp UnInstaller 2

List Price $69.95

For further information:

MicroHelp, Inc.

4359 Shallowford Industrial Parkway

Marietta, Georgia 30066

404-516-0898

404-516-1497 (BBS)

written by

Ted Tatman


       Q & A FOR WINDOWS

by Bob Ellig

As we go marching through life, we gather little bits of information. As youngsters, this information is mostly about us and our families. Names, addresses, telephone numbers, birthdays and other data are collected and filed away in an address book. As the family grows and our circle of friends change, the address book starts to get a little cluttered. By the time we've started a family of your own, it becomes almost impossible to decipher the chicken scratchings in a book altered by time and changing circumstances.

In business, the information we gather is just as important to our professional lives, but it comes at us in torrents. Misplace your Aunt Flossie's address and you can call your sister to refresh your memory. A "time-based" storage system (where the location of the information can be determined by measuring the height of the stack on your desk and estimating how far into the pile the data can be found based on the time passed) and the "horizontal-pile-file" are reliable but very difficult to use. And, unless your sister works with you, there is no easy way to recover short of a full court search.

Let's stay with the family address book analogy for a while. You want to be able to enter new names to your book, change names, addresses, phone numbers and other data when families and friends change (marriages, births, etc.), delete names, keep track of who sent Christmas cards to you, send your annual Family Newsletter with your Holiday Greetings cards and so on.

Symantec's Q&A For Windows offers a deceptively easy solution to information management with some very powerful wrinkles. It starts with organization of your data. You decide what bits of information you want to store and what to call them. Identifying the fields as text, number, money or date is clear. But, you can also specify "yes/no" for things like "Christmas card received?". Keyword fields let you pick only certain words like "aunt", "cousin", "uncle" or "friend" that can come in handy when you send off your annual holiday letter. You can even define fields for graphic images like pictures, a drawing or a map to get to Aunt Flossie's house. When you restrict a field to specific values, you can also add customized help instructions giving the acceptable choices.

Once you have decided what information you want to keep in your records, you can design a form that makes it easy to input the data. Each item can be color coded for quick recognition. You can require that certain fields be entered to accept the record. What good is a phone book without phone numbers? You can even have the cursor skip certain fields depending on the entry made in others. For example, if you entered a friend's name, you wouldn't want to enter anything about which side of Aunt Flossie's family was being represented.

OK, you've got all the pertinent poop properly placed in your computer. But, it is no good if you can't get to it faster than your manual data storage and retrieval system. Each individual record can be found with a few simple keystrokes. Punch up Aunt Flossie's zip code and the record for every name in her neighborhood will come up on the screen, one at a time. If one of your friends gets married and changes a name, key in the old information and make the change to the record. If you want to keep the old information, too, copy the record, change the copy and keep both on file.

If you are planning a trip across the country and you want to sponge off your friends and relatives instead of staying at the Ritz, you can create a report that gives you any of the key data you have stored. You can have the report sort the data in zipcode sequence so that you can estimate your driving range per day and call the appropriate phone number. Since you can store graphic data in the file, you can also call up the map you saved for directions to your next host. Files with thousands of records can be sorted in a flash.

Q&A offers a programming feature that has the look and feel of a spreadsheet program. In business you can use it to keep track of your backlog, item by item. When you receive new orders and make shipments, adding and deleting lines in the file results in a new total for each line item and at the bottom of the report. A full range of mathematical, date/time, financial, string, look up and other functions give you incredible power to manipulate your database and generate meaningful reports. Mass updates let you add and delete information to files, modify fields based on a formula or delete files that meet certain criteria.

One of the icons on the tool bar is the face of "DAVE". Dave is the Intelligent Assistant. His name means "Do Anything Very Easily". Punch Dave's nose with your mouse and you get to retrieve your data from a paragraph of instructions you and Dave write together. When you have asked him your questions, Q&A will sort through your database and furnish the data you asked Dave for in the format you want. If you don't feel comfortable programming and creating reports, Dave is there to do it with you.

So, it is now time to prepare your annual family news letter to be included with your Christmas cards to be mailed to certain friends and all of your relatives. Q&A Write is a whiz-bang word processor that lets you access all the fonts and sizes your printer supports. The word processor starts outside of Q & A so that you can use it as a standalone program if you want. Whomp up your letter including merge fields. When you merge the letter with your database, Aunt Flossie will get a personal letter with her name where it needs to be. The same information can be printed on envelopes saving you countless hours of hand writing.

Symantec has done a wonderful job making databases easy to "DAVE." From the outset, everything clicks. Creating input forms is simple and making them easy to work with is a snap. Once the data is collected, moving it around quickly and getting it out in a meaningful fashion is a breeze. With the addition of a full-featured word processor, Q&A leaves one question left unanswered: what more could you need?

Q&A

List Price: $89.95

for further information:

Symantec Corp.

10201 Torre Avenue

Cupertino, CA 95014

800-441-7234

written by

Bob Ellig


Type Designer
       TYPE DESIGNER 2.5

by Steven Justice

One of the byproducts of Windows 3.1 and the TrueType font technology it supports, has been font enthusiasm. Every new volume of the Windows Online Review Shareware Edition has included news of shareware and freeware fonts available for the download; the letters of your words can look like a Paris Métro sign; they can be teddy bears; or they can imitate the typefaces of elegantly printed books.

I am not a font enthusiast--I only want a few very handsome text fonts that really do the work--and so I have had little interest in the many utilities for grouping, managing, and enabling and disabling fonts. And I have certainly felt no ambition to create my own. Still, I have never been entirely happy with the font technology available to me. Sometimes I have needed some special effect, and downloaded a freebie font to do the job; there are special characters I need all the time that are not to be found in the ASCII character set; when I bought the Lotus SmartSuite I got a bunch of very handsome Type-1 fonts, but would use them so rarely that I didn't like wasting memory on the Adobe Type Manager.

ds Design has made the utility for me. It is called Type-Designer. The authors call it a "professional font editor," and so it is. But it is also a utility for people like me who do not want many fonts but want exactly the right fonts. It is an immensely powerful program, and the sheer detail with which it is possible to control the appearance of any character in any font is evident as soon as you open the program:

The users of most standard Windows programs will not find it an immediately intuitive interface, but it takes only a few minutes to become comfortable with it. The largest part of the main screen is the edit window in the lower right, which clearly shows all the information one needs to work with a character: the "elements" and "segments" that make up the character, the "control points" that determine where and how a curve curves, the "hinting" information that helps maintain the correct proportion of character elements. (I've learned this vocabulary since starting to work with Type-Designer. The printed documentation is not only a model of clarity, but also a thorough, patient, and clear textbook on the elements of typeface design for those who have never worked with it before.) The display above shows the lower-case a with its "borders" (which set the character width) visible; you can also show the "guidelines" that show the various upper and lower limits for the characters in a font, or any combination of these.

To the left of the edit windows is the tool palette, which includes tools that

	zoom for a closer inspection of the character's elements,  mark elements of a character for deletion, rotation, editing, etc.,  draw lines and curves,  move character elements, curve control points, etc.,  change the x- and y-coordinates of a point in the character,  cut a segment by inserting a movable anchor point,  create a mirror image of a character element,  resize and rotate the character or its parts,  set the borders and hints in the character, and  change the starting point or the order of the segments.
A kerning editor is available in a separate window to adjust the space between particular pairs of letters (so that the lower-case a can fit partly under the cross-bar of an upper-case T, for example), and it is the easiest and most powerful kerning utility I have ever seen.

All this means that you can do anything you want to change the appearance of one, some, or all characters in a font (and the undo button means that you can experiment before committing yourself to any change). Even if, like me, you have no ambition ever to create your own typeface, these can be very useful. If you have ever downloaded a freeware font, you'll have seen that though the designs can be very attractive in the abstract, the characters look sloppy when you try to use them: funny widths, funny spaces, odd little growths where elements join. With Type-Designer you can adjust the hinting and kerning and curves in the characters to make a truly attractive character set. And you can watch the process as you work, with the brilliantly simple test key, which instantly shows you the current state of the character in various point sizes.

That is one reason why someone who wants just a few fonts but wants them perfect might find Type-Designer a useful tool. The other reason I haven't yet mentioned. Type-Designer uses Type-1 as its native medium, but it can convert Type-1 to TrueType, while preserving the hinting information from the original Type-1 font. That last is the important part. You may have tried utilities before that claim to convert Type-1 to TrueType, and your new TrueType fonts came out looking like junk. Type-Designer, unlike those other utilities, reads all of the information from the Type-1 font and writes it into the new TrueType equivalent. So if you've downloaded some Type-1 fonts but can't use them because you don't own the Adobe Type Manager, or if you do own it and want occasionally to use a couple of its fonts without wasting your computer's memory on loading ATM everytime you start Windows, you can simply convert what you want to a nearly perfect TrueType equivalent:

That's how ATM's News Gothic looked on my screen in its new TrueType version; when I printed it out (on my primitive DeskJet), it was so flawless that I could use it in a newsletter.

On top of all this, the program is inexpensive, and the people at ds design are pleasantly easy-going, but everything in their program and its documentation shows that they care about the beauty of the printed word, and want to help users create new beauties of their own.

Type-Designer 2.5
List Price: $119.00

For further information please contact:

ds design

2440 SW Cary Parkway #210

Cary, N  27513

800-745-4037

fax 919-460-5983

reviewed by

Steven Justice


       LISTEN FOR WINDOWS

by Brian A. Parks

for Windows™

version 2.0.2

Being able to control your computer with voice commands, used to be the stuff we dreamed about for our future (well some of us anyway) or saw on TV, or the big screen. Well, move over Captain Picard! With the release of  Listen for Windows 2.0, voice control of your computer is a reality. Although voice recognition technology is not new, it is breaking new ground by becoming available to the average end user like you and me.

In the past, this technology was mostly reserved for the disabled user or huge corporations. For the rest of us, the products were either expensive or unreliable. But thanks to the mainstreaming of multimedia computers and applications, voice recognition software is now bundled with sound cards like Sound Blaster from Creative Labs.

However, to be fair, I should state that Voice Assist from Creative Labs and Listen for Windows are two different animals. By comparison it would be safe to say that Voice Assist is a house cat (maybe even a pedigree), while Listen for Windows is a lion. Before we explore how Verbex works its bit of magic, we must first define a couple of keywords:

Voice Library File	To recognize a command, Listen must have a pattern (a digitized sample of the sound of the word) for each word in a command. When listen hears you speak a command it checks it against patterns in the voice library to figure out what you just said.
Speech Interface:	Tells Listen what commands to listen for, and what to do in response to each command. A Speech Interface will contain grammar files and a response file. Speech Interfaces are stored in Recognizer files (.rec files) in a user directory.
Grammar file	A Grammar file is a list of commands for each dialog box and window of an application. A Speech Interface may contain one or more grammars.
Response	Each command in Listen has an associated Response, or the action that the command will take when it is spoken. These actions are in the form of keystrokes.
How does Verbex make it work? A quick summary: *

Speech recognition uses technology that converts sound to digital information, often by way of hardware, and at the very least, by way of software. You speak a command for an application to obey: for example, "Change text to bold" for the Windows Write program.

"Change text to bold"   [image]   Listen

Listen matches the sound of your voice with the sound samples in your Voice Library File to figure out what you spoke:

Listen then checks the current grammar to find out if the command is valid for that application:

If the command is valid, Listen sends the response information for the command to the active window.

The window responds as directed by the response information it receives. In this case, selected text in the Write program is boldfaced.

Verbex is currently shipping two versions of Listen for Windows. One version ships with a card (the WINVC Card) to digitize the sound and handle some of the processing of the sound being inputted. This version takes a lot of the processing stress off your main processor. The Speech Commander WINVC is actually a 27 MHz DSP co-processor card that performs lighting fast, accurate speech recognition. The other is a software version that uses any Sound Blaster compatible card to handle sound input. Of the two, the least expensive is of course the software version. But don't think that because you're not using the hardware, that you're losing something like quality. Oh no no no. Having tested both versions, the only thing that I've noticed is that using the WINVC card makes voice recognition a little quicker and more realible. The WINVC package is perfect for 386 system users.

OK, so what's the big deal you ask? Well, for one, Continuous Speech Recognition. No longer do you give your computer commands one word at a time. As an example I opened Microsoft Word for Windows by saying "Switch to Word." I opened the last file that I was working on in Word by saying "Open the last file I was working on.." I checked my spelling by saying "Check my spelling please." Get the picture?

OK, OK, of the previous three statements, the last two, I customized. But even that was easy. Listen was designed to recognize entire sentences as opposed to the programs that only recognize one word at a time. (I call those programs voice recognition wannabe's.)

Listen 2.0 is speaker independent. That means that any North American English speaker can use Listen without giving the program any prior information about his or her voice and it can easily be trained to recognize any dialect, foreign language or accent. With training, you can also personalize the system with your voice to insure maximum accuracy.

But one of the things that make this program so terrific is that I can also hold a conversation with you (while the computer listens) and the computer wont go bonkers trying to figure out, and do, what it thinks I said. (Remember the first version of Windows Sound System's voice recognition program?)

When it comes to voice recognition, this has got to be the best program that I've worked with and I can tell you honestly that I use it just as you probably use the mouse or keyboard. Why? Because it really is accurate. Regardless of the conditions, high noise or quiet surroundings, it works extremely well.

By far, one of the most impressive features of  Listen for Windows 2.0 is the Listen Command Editor, or LCE as it is called. With it, you can create a new speech interface for almost any Windows application and be able to control the application using speech. Creating a new speech interface for an existing program on your system is truly simple with this new version of Listen. Simply start an application and reduce it to an icon. Select "New" from the LCE button bar, select begin, point to the application to build the interface for and sit back and let Listen do its stuff. Users of versions 1.0 will certainly love this new feature.

You may also print Command Reference Cards that are useful as "commands at a glance" reference materials as opposed to having the command window of the Listen interface on your desktop. After printing the reference cards (actually they're reference sheets), you can place them all in a notebook and keep them close by ...just in case.

Using the LCE you can add new commands to existing speech interfaces or edit the commands that you already have to suit your needs. for instance you can change the command "Undo" to "Nevermind" or change "Check Grammar" to "Does that sound right?" It's totally up to you!

You can use the LCE to add, delete or modify most of the commands in any Listen speech interface, or change the action that a command performs.

Those are just some of the things that separate Listen for Windows from all the wannabe's. Listen for Windows 2.0 ships with a pretty impressive list of speech interfaces for 20 of the major applications including:

ACT!	Lotus Organizer	Approach	Lotus 123
Microsoft Mail	Microsoft Word	CorelDRAW!	Asymetrix Compel
Microsoft PowerPoint	WordPerfect	Microsoft Excel	cc:Mail
Freelance Graphics	Ami Pro	Maxis SimCity Classic	and many more...

Listen comes with more than 16,000 ready to use voice commands and will automatically generate speech commands for most other Windows programs. There are, however, programs that Listen can't build speech interfaces for, specifically, if you can't control the application using keyboard commands, LCE can't build a speech interface for it. Also forget about trying to control a DOS application in a DOS box within Windows. It just won't happen.

Installing Listen for Windows 2.0 to work with my existing sound card was simple. I first checked to make sure that my sound card was working properly. Then I connected my mic (I used the mic that shipped with Sound Blaster AWE32) to the mic input on the card as described in my sound card documentation. If you decide to use a Verbex mic or headset, then, depending on the sound card you have, you may need to connect the supplied joystick/MIDI adapter to the card and then connect the mic to the adapter. (The adapter provides a bias voltage to the mic for cards that do not supply it at the MIC jack.)

You install the software as you would any Windows application software, the most common being, choosing "Run" from the Program Manager's "File" menu. When the install is completed, the Verbex Setup Utility launches and allows you to complete the connection between the Listen software and your sound card. The utility will search your system for all available sound input devices and then display a dialog box that allows you to select the sound card or device to use to input sound to Listen. When you press OK, another dialog box appears that allows you to adjust your input gain for your microphone. After you have finished installing Listen for Windows, you must restart your system. When you restart your system Listen will have placed itself in the startup group. Now the fun begins.

When you start Listen for Windows for the first time, you must create a user account. This is your personal subdirectory where your Voice Library files will be placed. Listen creates the subdirectory, and copies Speech Interfaces and other files into it, so you have your own set that you may customize as you wish. (Just in case there are more than one person using your computer.)

Since Listen is speaker independent, it only needs to know whether you are male or female, so it can prepare a Voice Library File for you that matches your voice. Select Male or Female, depending on your sex. Listen makes a copy of a Voice Library File for you, and stores it in your user account directory. Once the first user account is complete, Listens main window appears and the next time you run Listen, your new Voice Library file will automatically load.

The documentation is well written, but most of the info and help that you may require will always be available via the online help files. There are two different help files available, one for Listen  and the other for the Listen Command Editor. Both are very extensive and almost negate the use of the manual. From an introduction to Listen and the Listen Command Editor, to building a Speech Interface or Troubleshooting to Accessing Technical Support. Its all available in the help files.

Although Listen is ready to go right out of the box (since it is speaker independent), you can and may have to train some commands in order to improve recognition accuracy.  During training, Listen displays selected words in sample phrases for you to speak. When you say the word, Listen samples your voice and stores this information in the pattern for each word. You can also train commands for which patterns already exist.

When you open Listen, the main window appears. I call it command central. Of course it has the familiar features of the standard Windows interface, with a few extras. So getting around it is fairly easy. The title bar displays the name of the current window application or dialog box. The command list contains a list of commands which you speak to control the current window or dialog box. Each time a new window or dialog box is active, the list of commands change to show the commands that control that window or dialog box. Trained commands are displayed in black. Untrained commands are displayed with a line through them and must be trained before you can use them. Some commands have lists that you can fill in. For example, in the command "Open {FILE_NAME_LIST}", FILE_NAME_LIST would be vocally replaced with a file name like Listen.doc, vivid.doc, and request.doc. By modifying the FILE_NAME_LIST, you could open any of those files by saying "Open Listen.doc" or  "Open Vivid.doc."

The Recognized Text bar is below the main window and displays the last command that Listen heard you speak. To the left of the recognized text bar is the Mic on/off button. When the mic is off, of course Listen can't hear you, so it can't mistakenly try and carry out a command it thought you said. To the right of the recognized text bar is the "Correct Me" button. You would use this button if Listen hears a command wrong. Immediately after Listen mishears you, click the correct me button to retrain the phrase or execute the command.

Documentation states that "You should expect recognition accuracy of 95% or higher from Listen." I found that to be totally true. However if you are experiencing recognition problems, not only is the manual very good in helping you achieve maximum recognition accuracy, but tech support is very thorough.

Listen for Windows is available with either a headset microphone for use in noisy surroundings or a desktop/monitor microphone for quieter surroundings at the suggested; if you already have a high quality mic, listen for Windows 2.0 is also available without the microphone.

In order to take full advantage of Listen for Windows software only version, you need to make sure your system is adequate for the task. You should have a 486SX 25mhz with 4 MB of RAM or more, running Microsoft Windows 3.1 or later, and MS-DOS 5.0 or later. Also required is an installed or integrated audio card with the appropriate Windows wave driver, or a 100% Sound Blaster-compatible card, able to record at 11.025 kHz sampling rate. Finally, you will need a microphone or headset. You should use either a Verbex headset or desktop microphone, (Like the Microsoft Sound System microphone) or a mid to high-end unidirectional mic or headset. Listen documentation warns you that using a low quality mic may not allow Listen to work well, if at all.

If you are ready to take your computing skill to the next level, then I strongly suggest investing in this product. It doesn't matter where you are now, be it a beginner, intermediate, or advanced user, using this product will definitely bring back the usability and the productivity factor to computing. How? By reducing repetitive actions and reducing steps needed to perform actions or commands. At home, at work or play there is no simpler way to get more out of computing.

Listen for Windows 2.0

(Software only version)

List Price: $99.00

(WINVC version)

List Price:	$139.00

For further information please contact:

VERBEX Voice Systems

1090 King Georges Post Road,

Bldg. 107

Edison, NJ 08837-3701

800-ASK-VRBX

fax 714-852-1059

written by

Brian Parks

* Diagram used with permission from Verbex


       FOR YOUR BOOKSHELF

by Ed Hoffman

One of the very first thinks I learned about computers was just how much I had to learn. So, I obediently turned to the variety of manuals furnished with my programs and ran head long into the phenomena known as "techno-babble." Not only did these manuals omit what I thought I needed to know, but they insisted on relating an astonishing amount of data I really didn't want to suffer through. Very quickly I learned that the people who write the programs do not always write the best instructional materials. After perusing many of the available third-party books I soon discovered that there were very few authors who knew the subject matter and even fewer that could write in and understandable fashion.

However, there is a bright side to this scenario. In my search I did uncover a pair of authors that both know their subject matter and who can write understandable sentences. These two are Woody Leonhard and Van Wolverton. Having long been a fan of both these authors, I was delighted to see they both have new books in the bookstores. If you feel you would like to get more out of Word for Windows 6.0 and learn to setup MS-DOS 6.2X to make your Windows program run at its full potential, you'll want to keep these books next to your computer.

The Underground Guide to Word for Windows

Anyone familiar with any of Woody's earlier books, Windows 3.1 Programming for Mere Mortals, The Hacker's Guide to Word for Windows, and The Mother of All Windows Books, should have a pretty good idea of what to expect. However, for the uninitiated let me first say that Woody's work is somewhat unorthodox. Rather than an apologist for Microsoft, Woody tells you exactly where all the problems are and where the skeletons are buried. As you may perceive from the banner across the cover of the book that proclaims "Slightly Askew Advice from a WinWord Wizard," this is not your conventional computer book.

Right from the first page you'll learn tips and tricks to get your copy of Word for Windows 6.0 singing. Unlike several similar books that start with opening the WinWord box, Woody assumes you have Word installed and are ready to get down to doing some real work. His first target is the Microsoft designed tool bar. Applying the few simple changes he covers here will save you hours of work with the standard WinWord tool bar. Further into Chapter 1, you'll learn to create power tool bars that will allow you to add the functions you really need rather than those selected by Microsoft as a sales tool.

 Each of succeeding chapters is just as information packed. The goal of The Underground Guide to Word for Windows text is to make Word for Windows 6.0 the powerful and feature rich program it is capable of being with just a little tweaking. You'll learn to customize the program settings, apply shortcuts, and a wealth of tips and suggestions about creating macros and templates. Woody ever exposes the bugs in WinWord and how you can either avoid them or work around them with a minimum of fuss. There's even a listing of the available commercial and shareware add-ons for WinWord that you may wish to take for a test drive.

So, if you have mastered the basic concepts of Word for Windows and are looking for a way to get more out of the program, The Underground Guide to Word for Windows is definitely a book you'll want to keep close at hand. Likewise, if you don't already have a copy of Woody's WinWord utilities called WOPR (Woody's Office Power Pack), you might want to grab a copy of this as well. As one who has used Word for Windows and Woody's books for quite a while, this is one WinWord book you'll not want to miss.

Supercharging MS-DOS

One of the first Windows lessons I learned was I had better understand the ins and outs of MS-DOS if I ever wanted to achieve the full potential of Windows. Fortunately, a friend of mine recommended a pair of books called Running MS-DOS and Supercharging MS-DOS. I immediately bought copies of both these books. Though they are now dog eared and very well worn, both books are still right next to my computer. So, when the new and updated version of the Supercharging MS-DOS text was released a short time ago, I jumped at the chance to get a copy.

You might ask why anyone running Windows would be interested in a book about MS-DOS. Well, first of all, under the neat graphical interface of Windows beats a heart of DOS. To get the most out of your Windows applications you'll need to have DOS properly setup and configured for optimal performance.

While Van starts this trek through MS-DOS a bit beyond the basic C:\ prompt, if you have any experience with DOS it shouldn't take you too long to catch up. But, if you feel you'd like to have the subject covered from the ground up, Van's Running MS-DOS or a similar text will quickly get you up to speed. The text opens with a description of a few computer terms we've all seen: byte, ASCII, and hexadecimal. You'll then move to the extended character set and how it can be used within DOS. A very well done description of the ANSI.SYS will help you setup and control your computer display. Likewise, Van's description of the DEBUG program helps to demystify the function and operation of this special DOS editor. Next you'll learn a few batch file techniques and how to design and setup an interactive menu system.

There is a complete section on Customizing Your System. Here you'll be introduced to many tips and tricks to help you get the maximum performance out of your computer. From establishing an environment with CONFIG.SYS to setting up and using a RAM disk, this book will allow you to get the most your computer has to offer. The section finishes up with the procedures you can use to build you own menu system and several tips to remember about the care and feeding of your expensive investment. The Reference section gives you all the commands and codes you'll need when working with ANSI.SYS and many styles of printers. Each chapter of the book concludes with a chapter summary that encapsulates the information contained in each chapter. I especially like this feature, since it saves me a considerable amount of time when looking for specific information.

If you want to do more than polish the chrome of your Windows system, Supercharging MS-DOS will let you get under the hood and really spice up and fine tune your computer system. If you want to save yourself some time and typing, a separate disk containing all the batch files and menus covered in the book is also available for $15.00.

The Underground Guide to Word for Windows and Supercharging MS-DOS are very worthwhile investments. So if you want to get the most Word for Windows and MS-DOS have to offer you'll want to look at both these books. However, be forewarned, both these books, while great reference works, are also very enjoyable and easily to read -- so you may have trouble putting them down.

The Underground Guide to Word for Windows

by Woody Leonhard

List price: $19.95

Available from:

Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.

1 Jacob Way

Reading, MA 01867

617-944-3700

Supercharging MS-DOS

by Van Wolverton

List price: $25.00

Available from:

Forsyth-Wolf Communications

P.O. Box 248

Alberton, MT 59820

800-835-2246 (Extension 68)

written by

Ed Hoffman

ed.hoffman@wol.com


       WHAT'S ON THE INTERNET

by Bob Gollihur

Most of us cannot help but be impressed by the Internet, or at least the fuzzy concept that it seems to represent. You can't seem to get through a single newspaper page without tripping over the already tired term of "the Information Superhighway." While commercial futurists view it as a fiber optic cable dropping 400 new Shopping Channels into everyone's home, most of we cyberfolks believe that the "information" is data, and it already exists in the form of the Internet.

If you have taken a turn onto that mythical road, you have probably felt like a novice, driving the LA freeways without a map. There are more twists and turns, on and off-ramps, side roads and cul-de-sacs than you can shake a modem at. You could spend your life looking in all the wrong neighborhoods. Author Eric Gagnon has provided his take on both the Internet and its vast content in What's on the Internet. While it's not a road map, it is a comprehensive Tourist Guide telling you all about the newsgroups you can visit.

This 255 page large-format paperback is chock-full of reviews and information about 1600 of the most popular newsgroups. Its introduction is an informative introduction for the novice, to the Internet's raw topography and wild west attitude. Its language is intelligent, yet gently non-technical. The second chapter provides explanations of FAQ files and the locations for eavesdropping on culture and netiquette, so your first message doesn't result in a torrent of flames.

What follows is the heart of the book: eleven more chapters on newsgroups by general topic:

  Business, Investment & Consumer Issues

  Politics

  Support Groups, Culture, Religion & Philosophy

  Hobbies, Travel & Tourism

  Headline News

  Entertainment & the Media

  Science, Technology & Education

  Computers and Telecommunications

  Sports, Sports Talk & News

  Local, University & International Newsgroups

  Off the Wall, Singles & Adult

Each has an informative introduction along with current details and mini-reviews of the various newsgroups. Downloaded images from the various areas illustrate the book. The style is breezy and informative, and you will yearn to visit more places the Internet than you ever were prepared to go. In a nutshell, What's on the Internet is not a question, but the answer.

What's on the Internet is a great introduction for novices or resource for grizzled veterans. Please note, also, that the edition is dated, and loaded with information as current as it can be for such a fluid environment. Included in your purchase price is the opportunity to receive a disk of the Internet Newsgroup Finder Software, a desktop search utility for Windows or Macintosh, for a handling fee of $5.00. I haven't had a chance to send away for it and therefore can't evaluate it -- I got tied up in alt.sex.bondage.

What's on the Internet, Winter 1994/95

by Eric Gagnon

List Price: $19.95

available from:

Peachpit Press

2414 Sixth Street

Berkeley, CA 94710

510 548-4393

510 548-5991 fax

written by

Bob Gollihur

bob.gollihur@wol.com


       VISUAL REALITY

by Steven Jay Cohen

I distinctly remember sitting in the movie theatre watching Star Wars for the first time. In awe of the computer generated imagery, I was transported by the palpable reality on the screen, and have wondered ever since about the magic that made such things possible. Obviously, the necessary technology has been in existence for quite some time, but until recently has been accessible only to a privileged, talented, wealthy few. At long last, this particular magic has finally been delivered to the desktop computing world. Visual Reality for Windows ushers in a new era of affordable 3D creativity.

Visual Reality consists of seven discrete applications that provide all the tools required to create, manipulate and view three dimensional objects. What follows is a brief tour of these applications.

 Renderize Live

This application is the heart of Visual Reality. It is the "stage" upon which the desired elements, or resources are managed and set in order to create and render views. A view, in this context, is defined as a group of objects (wireframe models) positioned in 3D space, illuminated by one or more lights, and displayed according to a camera setting. The process of bringing an image to life is called "rendering." A rendering is comprised of these five basic resources:

 View Resource - a combination of objects and lights in 3D space that includes camera optics, as well as details concerning the exact locations of these elements.

 Object Resource -  a piece of 3D geometry, usually created with a CAD program and imported into Renderize Live via the DXF graphical file format. The Visual Reality suite of applications includes its own CAD program called Visual Model. We'll look at it shortly.

 Light Resource - the illumination source(s) for the objects in a view.

 Material Resource - defines the display characteristics of an object, including color, texture, sheen, transparency, etc.

 Image Resource - used in the creation of material textures and as a backdrop in a view. Images can be loaded or saved in TGA, BMP, TIF, GIF, RAS, and Renderize Live's own RAW formats.

All resource information for a given rendering is stored in an entity called a Project. Whenever a project is loaded, the Renderize Resource Manager appears (as shown on the left). Here too, you see the icons representing each of these resources. The View, Move, and Edit wells are provided as drag 'n drop targets to easily effect manipulation of the desired resource.

	Each resource has its own editor, along with a set of appropriate toolbar buttons which automatically appear above the menu bar depending upon which resource currently has the focus. At first, the number of toolbar buttons seems rather overwhelming, but because the iconic representation of function is consistent throughout, it doesn't take very long to get to know them. If you have never before worked with an application of this type, you're probably going to feel a little awkward at first. Thankfully, the manual provides extensive, easy to follow tutorials. The concepts, with a few exceptions, are very "common sensical" and all it takes is a little repetition to get a handle on them. Take, for example, the concept of the "view." Think about what is involved in the human process of seeing, using your eye as the metaphorical camera. The object itself must occupy some area of space. It must somehow be illuminated, otherwise it is dark and nothing is visible. To visualize an object, light reflected from that object must enter the eye. The eye itself is located in a specific area of space. Its particular view of the object is dictated by that position. To obtain a different view, either the object or the camera (eye) must somehow be moved. Each different view of that object will have associated with it characteristics unique to that viewpoint. A good example would be shadow depth and angles which are dependent upon the position, type and intensity of the light source. If the surface of the viewed object is reflective, then the characteristics of its reflections necessarily change with the viewpoint of the observer. These are only a few of the considerations we all continuously absorb without thinking as we use our eyes in the act of seeing throughout the day. These same detailed considerations are built into Renderize Live. One can only marvel at the ease with which these elements are manipulated to produce photorealistic images.

Aside from the toolbar/command sets associated with each resource,  there are six different Toolboxes built into Renderize Live:

Render Toolbox - contains commands pertaining to the type and quality of the rendered image.

 Move Toolbox - used to reposition objects, light, and the camera in 3D space.

Select Toolbox - used to modify the assignments of materials to the object geometry.

Normals Toolbox - used to modify the direction on polynormals on an object.

Color Toolbox - used to pick colors for materials, lights, and view backgrounds.

From the plethora of controls, you begin to see just how tightly Renderize can control the minutiae of image creation. Though the minimum display for this creative environment is 600x800x256, the images are actually being calculated and saved in 24-bit color. Due consideration is given to the tremendous variety of video cards in the marketplace. To speed things along, images are rendered in wireframe form when moving the camera or the objects. Moves are easily accomplished by first clicking the desired button on the toolbar, and then by click and drag within the viewport. A "Quick Render" function is provided which allows the user to quickly obtain solid imagery in order to conduct intermittent status checks. This is a very nice touch because depending on the size, resolution, and complexity of the image, full rendering can take quite a long time, considerably slowing down the creative process.

There is one more Resource Toolbox of note: The Animation Resource. Unlike the other project resources, there is no "default" configuration. This resource is accessed from the Edit menu drop-down. Once an animation is created, the animation resource icon will appear in the View Resource Palette. The animation icon is dropped into the View well, and then into the Move well to display the Animation Toolbox.

Animation Toolbox - used to create and assign keyframe locations, and to preview animations in wireframe mode.

Renderize Live provides superb tools with which to create full camera animations. An animation is defined by creating two or more views, then assigning these views as "Keyframes" so that they define a camera path. The Animation Designer contains brilliant algorithms that calculate and record each of the views between the keyframes. At the click of a button it will create a spline (curved line) that runs through all of the camera positions. This spline can be displayed and easily edited in the viewport (as shown below). It is also capable of automatically recalculating the Floor Reflect map for each frame in the animation.

 	Animations can be generated over a wide range of user-configurable resolutions to accommodate the capabilities of the user's CPU and graphics card performance. Output can be saved to the AVI, FLI, and FLC animation file formats which store all of the frames into a single file. Animation output can also be saved to any of the TGA, TIF, GIF, BMP, RAS, and RAW bitmap file formats in sequential order so that they can be read by VTR controller software. Renderize Live cannot play finished animations on the screen. For this purpose, the Visual Reality package includes these three utilities:

 Microsoft's Media Player - plays animations saved in the AVI format.

 Autodesk's Animation Player - plays  animations saved into the FLI and FLC file formats.

 Visual Player - the Visual Reality supplied utility that plays animations saved into a bitmap file format.

Visual Reality comes with its own CAD application to provide means for the creation of three dimensional objects. It is called Visual Model.

 Visual Model

Visual Model is a powerful modeling application that contains high caliber tools found usually only in much more expensive, complicated programs such as Autodesk's famous AutoCAD program. Most of its most important drawing and editing commands are found on its toolbar. In a fashion similar to Renderize Live, the toolbar automatically updates as you choose commands to display the relevant options.

Visual Model's Menu and Draw Toolbar buttons

 	By drawing lines, arcs, polygons, and an array of other 2D entities, Visual Model permits the user to extrude, sweep, or spiral these entities into sophisticated 3D objects. As shown above, commands are included to create basic 3D shapes such as spheres, boxes, cones, and cylinders. Solid-modeling commands are also built into the application that will quickly define highly complex 3D shapes by adding, subtracting, and intersecting the volumes of space defined by 3D objects.

Visual Model's Modify Toolbar buttons

Objects can be loaded and saved to and from the SHP, GED and OBJ file formats. DXF file formats can also be loaded. SHP is Visual Model's native geometry file format, and GED is Renderize Live's native format. They both contain material and object layering and grouping information, SHP more so than GED. DXF, the data exchange format, is a common format for wireframe files. Visual Reality can handle DXF files from AutoCAD releases 10 and above. The OBJ format is much simpler, containing only one object and one material per file. Background images can be loaded from any of the previously mentioned bitmap formats.

If you are accustomed to working with CAD programs, you'll immediately feel right at home here. For the uninitiated, however, the learning curve for Visual Model can be a little steep. The provided tutorials walk the user through many of the important tools and features, but leave a surprising amount of details unexplored by example. Make no mistake - all the tools are in there to be found, but the product would be greatly enhanced, and the user well-served by the inclusion of a number of different and more thorough examples to illustrate its use.

Visual Reality includes in its suite, an application specifically designed for bitmap manipulation and composition called Visual Image.

 Visual Image

Visual Image can create and manipulate images of any size. Its only limitation is a system's available memory resources. This excellent tool operates in two separate "modes": the Image Mode and the Object Mode. The Image Mode is used to display and manipulate a single image and the Object Mode is an environment in which one or more images are overlaid over a background to create a collage. Currently loaded resource images are displayed as thumbnail sketches in a Resource List along the left side of the window in both modes.

Visual Image interface showing the Image and Object toolbars

In addition to the usual drawing and color tools, the Image Mode sports several unusual, useful functions. You'll find, for example, the Boundary, Seed, and Range types of fill. A Boundary Fill replaces all pixels within a specified color boundary. A Seed Fill replaces all contiguous pixels of a specific color value with another color value. A Range Fill is similar, except that instead of using a specific color for replacement, it uses a range of color values. Among others, there are tools to Crop, Resize, Sharpen, Blur, Normalize, Rotate, Flip, and Mirror.

Though Object Mode is capable of handling multiple images, it manages only one object at a time. Polygon, Magic Wand, Spline, Rectangle and Lasso tools are provided for delineating shapes to be cut out or otherwise manipulated. Objects can also be Cropped, Rotated, and Flipped. Unique tools in this mode perform complex Texture Mapping onto an object and Alpha Channel Matte editing to define drop out, or transparency characteristics of specific areas. These two abilities combined set this application apart from almost every other available bitmap editor. Provisions to Warp and Emboss are also included. The blend of available tools in Visual Image makes possible the creation of some very interesting and beautiful imagery. All component elements can be saved as a single project (PRJ), making it easy to return to later on. The results obtained herein can stand alone, or be easily used in Renderize Live and Visual Model.

Lastly, we'll take a look at the Visual Font application which nicely rounds out the 3D capabilities of Visual Reality.

 Visual Font

Very simply, Visual Font is a utility that loads two dimensional Windows True Type fonts and symbols, and extrudes them into three dimensions.

Visual Font extrusion and offset controls; and display

Slide controls are provided for depth, offset, and bevel of the extrusion. Curve resolution may be selected to determine the number vertices and polygons that will define the shape of the 3D object. Text height and width are also manipulable. Once its characteristics are defined, you can preview the font as a solid 3D object or as a wireframe model. The model can then be saved to a 2D or 3D DXF file, or imported directly into Renderize Live via the Clipboard. When these 3D fonts are loaded into Renderize in DXF format, the object can be broken up into object and material definition by layers: Front and Back; Sides; and Bevels, if any are defined. This is how the brick surface of the word, "Visual" was created for the header graphic of this article.

Along with all of the above, Visual Reality ships with two accessory CDs: Visual Software ClipART Volume III: Business Objects; and a CD of image sample textures and backgrounds from ImageCELS.

Visual Reality is the ultimate in Windows 3D graphics and animation. I know of no other affordable package that offers such an incredibly wide range of rendering and creative capabilities. Finally I can create my own Star Wars right here on my PC. Enjoy!

Visual Reality

Retail Price: $ 595.00

For more information, please contact:

Visual Software

21731 Ventura Blvd.

Suite 310

Woodland Hills, CA 91364

Phone: (818) 883-7900

Fax: (818) 593-3750

written by

Steven Jay Cohen

steven.cohen@wol.com


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