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


Front Page

WinOnLine Review™ is a publication of Windows OnLine™. Copyright © 1992-94 All Rights Reserved


Contents

   About the WinOnLine Review™

WOLR information you should know

NEW to the magazine and Windows Help?

 here to learn more

   Publisher's Desk

This month's comments from our Publisher

   Q-Media, by Ed Hoffman

the Golden Rule of any presentation is to never be boring

   PC Paintbrush, by Steven Jay Cohen

One of the best available commercial values in entry level paint programs

   Norton Utilities for Windows 8.0, by Ed Rasimus

It's not just for DOS anymore!

   Screen Savers, by Randy Wong

Sit back and enjoy the show!

   WinSense, by David Morgan

The Windows optimizer

   My Database, by G.L. Heitzmann

A solid Windows database at an incredibly low price

   Wav Editors, by Ted Tatman

Sound Forge

WAVE For Windows

   Playball, by Louis Turbeville

A useful tool for players, coaches, managers, umpires and fans alike

   3D Concepts for Windows, by Bob Ellig

Well conceived and well executed

   Zoom Modems, by Ed Rasimus

The VFP24K - a half-fast class modem . . . and more

   Windows OnLine (BBS)

   FREE Windows CD-ROM


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, Rich Young

Contributing Writers: Tami Brydone-Jack, Bob Ellig, Thom Foulkes

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.

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Publisher's Desk
It's coming! Windows OnLine will soon be another roadside stop on the Information Superhighway. As much as I hate to utter that overused phrase, it seems that the media has latched on to that tag. In any case, we will be offering connections to the Internet in the very near future for our members, and each will have the opportunity to have their own personal Internet address.

Drop by Windows OnLine for more information as it develops, and enjoy this issue of the WinOnLine Review.

Frank J. Mahaney,

Publisher


QMedia
       Q-MEDIA FOR WINDOWS

by Ed Hoffman

Q-Media 1.2

While wandering around a grocery store a few weeks ago I stumbled onto a kiosk in the produce department. There, on a produce stand in the middle of a pile of onions, a computer in the kiosk was running a presentation describing onions. Starting with the types and characteristics of onions and moving onto cooking tips, it covered everything you could ever want to know about onions. As I stood there watching this presentation, several people wandered by and looked at me as if I'd just fell off a turnip truck.

Despite the obvious smugness and indifference my fellow shoppers showed toward this technology, I was amazed at just how far multimedia technology has come in such a short time. Not too many years ago I remember receiving self-running demonstration disks for a variety of different computer software products. At that time, these demo disks were very expensive to produce. Today, however, the software used to make multimedia presentations is readily available and quite affordable for everyone, even those people who sell onions.

One quite impressive offering that has all the power and features of many high-end programs, at a list price everyone can live with, is Q-Media for Windows. This program allows the user to take full advantage of the multimedia capabilities of Windows 3.1. Depending on the specific configuration of your machine, Q-Media for Windows offers a wide range of presentation combinations. From digital video and animation to a variety of sound and graphic formats, the program offers an impressive array of options and alternatives to suit virtually any presentation you may wish to construct.

The main concept behind the Q-Media for Windows program is to provide a platform that you can use to build multimedia presentations with many of the tools you already have. So, if you are already familiar with creating slides in Powerpoint or Persuasion and if your Excel or 123 spreadsheet gives you the charts you like, you can use these static files to create your dynamic multimedia presentations. This way you can build the various elements of your presentation with the tools you already know, rather than re-learning a new program to do the same tasks.

In the most basic sense Q-Media for Windows is an integration application that allows you to combine elements from a variety of sources. The program accepts files from most of the major presentation, graphics, and animation programs. Likewise, you can import sound files in many of the more popular formats such as MIDI, WAV and CD Audio. Video clips may be included from Intel Digital Video (DVI), Microsoft Video for Windows (AVI), and Multimedia Movies (MMM). The program also supports video overlay boards and LaserDisc players.

Using the metaphor of a movie, the program allows you to construct your presentation as a series of scenes. Each scene is composed of a series of frames containing the various objects you insert. These objects can be an animation, image, video clip, audio file, or drawing. While most of these objects are created in other applications, items such as text, lines, or charts can be added directly with the drawing tools contained within the Q-Media program.

The program automatically sizes itself to suit the imported scene. So, if you import a video that is a bit longer than the space you have available, the program will add the required frames to suit the video. As you create a presentation, you can freely rearrange the various scenes and add pauses at specific frames if you desire.

A built-in time line feature gives you an overview of the complete presentation. You can also use this time line to change the position of an object in a scene or set the duration of the scene. Any changes made here are automatically updated throughout the complete presentation. So, if you decide to start a sound clip before a video or graphic appears and have it run after the visual is desolved, it's a simple matter of dragging the time-bar. The program offers an impressive array of dramatic and subtle transition effects between scenes to make your presentations both interesting and very professional looking.

The program installs directly from a CD, which greatly simplifies the setup process. In addition to the basic Q-Media for Windows program, this CD also includes a very impressive multimedia clip library containing over 500 MB of files. This library consists of a large selection of templates, graphics, video clips, and sound files in a range of formats, to add spice to your presentations.

The program is actually quite simple to learn and easy to use. You'll spend more time working on your ideas instead of wasting time figuring out the software. While you may not need to create the next epic motion picture, you will definitely want to get your point across as effectively as possible. Q-Media for Windows can assist you in creating interesting presentations that keep your audiences' attention. After all, the Golden Rule of any presentation is to never be boring.

Q-Media 1.2

List price: $149.00

for further information, please contact:

Q/ Media Software Corporation

312 East 5th Avenue

Vancouver, BC V5T 1H4

written by

Ed Hoffman


       PLAYBALL

by Louis Turbeville

PLAYBALL!

The new rage in computer programs is edutainment (an educational/entertainment program). PlayBall! Version 2.0 is a program that provides plenty of education and entertainment. It is billed as a reference tool to help improve your hitting, pitching and managing of baseball. This program will do much more. It is designed to be easy reading, fun to look at and easy to use. You will also find very sound advice and an insider perspective from the program's technical advisor, Alan Bannister, former White Sox shortstop and professional coach.

There are six main sections to explore in PlayBall!. Each offers a unique outlook on America's favorite pastime.

The first section is called the Diamond. When you enter this section a baseball field is displayed. Pictures of all defensive players, the batter, baserunner, umpire, trainer and scoreboard are overlaid on the field. Here is where you will familiarize yourself with the diamond and all of the player positions. When you double click on the picture of the player's position, a description of the position will appear. You will also be given four options to further explore:

Preparations - This option will explain what the player should do to prepare before the game.

Fundamental - This will explain the fundamentals needed for the position. Areas covered include stance, fielding, motions and positions for hitting.

Drills - This displays and discusses drills needed for the position.

Situations - This option explains what should be done in game situations.

The second section is called The Playbook. This section provides guidance on strategies and positioning for assorted plays. It covers plays from catching a pop fly to base run downs. Information is displayed on what to do in these situations, and what game factors must be observed by players.

The Rules of the Game section does not give rules for a specific league. It gives an overview of what is general to all baseball leagues and points out areas to be aware of. It covers such dynamics as the dimensions of the playing field, the equipment used, hitting, running and pitching. The duties and responsibilities for managers, coaches and umpires are outlined here. The Address Base section provides information on major league stadiums and teams. It also has points of contacts for many other areas of baseball, such as Minor and amateur league contacts, baseball camps, and even includes a section with numbers for baseball card collectors.

The Legendary Quotes section is the only feature that could use improved implementation. By clicking on the proper icon, a famous or funny quote is displayed. While this is nice, there isn't a feature to browse all of the quotes. You can only view one quote at a time, and there is no provision for specifying any preference for the types of quotes you would like to see. You also can not print or save any quotes.

The last section is the Knowledge and Trivia game. Many hours can be lost playing this challenging game which tests your knowledge of baseball rules and trivia. Designed for one or two players, you must choose the difficulty level of your question. If you answer correctly your runners advance; if incorrect the batter is out. This entertaining and challenging program could be a great stand alone game.

All text, except for quotes, and graphics in this program can easily be printed or captured to disk. A reference feature is provided to allow quick access to a particular area of interest.

PlayBall! provides a wealth of information. The detailed graphics and easy to read text make this program fun to use. It is a useful tool for players, coaches, managers, umpires and fans alike. If you know nothing about baseball and are willing to take the time needed to learn the game, then this program is a definite buy.

PLAYBALL!

List Price: $59.95

For further information please contact:

MicroBase, Inc.

3923 South McClintock

Suite 402

Tempe, AZ  85282

800-897-3637

fax 602-897-9799

written by

Louis M. Turbeville


       MYDATABASE

by G.L. Heitzmann

So, Uncle Sam's I.R.S. emptied your wallet. Your credit card and hard drive are both almost maxxed out, and you now find that you have a screaming need for a database program that will import/export data, do a rolodex, print out reports laced with graphics, etc. Before you tear out all your hair, it's MyDataBase to the rescue. Its $29.95 list price won't break what's left of your budget, and it's supplied on one (count 'em, 1) 3.5" floppy disk that expands to less than 3.2 megs on the hard drive, so you probably won't need to buy that new hard drive either.

I'm not a stranger to MySoftware's products, I've been using My Advanced Label Designer for a couple of  years. They continue with their 30 day money-back guarantee if not satisfied, and they continue to produce programs that do ONE THING exceedingly well. Once again though, their "Learn To Use In Only Five Minutes" statement might be a bit optimistic. It's like the game of dominoes which you may learn to play in five minutes, but you may never master in your lifetime. MyDataBase has that same character. It's three-window (Index - Data Entry - Output) display is like a comfortable old chair with a new covering. It looks a little different but feels the same, and it has a whole lot going for the new user with more available when the user is ready.

MyDataBase has few requirements:  Windows v3.1 or higher, and 4MB RAM is recommended. Though not specifically mentioned in the tri-fold instruction brochure (note here that there are no bound volumes), I also add my recommendation of a Windows compatible mouse. Installation is typical Windows-ProgManager-Run-B:\SETUP requiring only a confirmation of hard drive sub-directory name. It also comes with a separate tri-fold manual for installation/use in DOS.

A first time user can, in fact, begin to type data into MyDataBase after double-clicking on its icon in its own group window. Or, if preferred, data can also be entered directly in a spreadsheet format in the Data Entry Window. The first screen contains a customer/friends file ready for inputing data into fields which are already present and has room for unlimited data in a scrolling note field (a very nice touch). With a bit more than five minutes of use, the database can be sorted, and filters will print or export only the desired data. Moving the cursor over any function button brings up a yellow hi-lited dialog line explaining the function of the button or a notation in the status bar at the bottom of the screen.

 There's a "fastfind" index window which allows "GoTo" performance by sight, speed data entry, and a VCR-type control allows moving between records. It also allows grouping of records with special fields. Personalize or embellish reports with color lines, boxes, borders, etc, and your logo/clipart favorites in most any format (GIF, TIFF, etc) in color if your printer is capable. Special calculation fields automatically add, subtract, multiply, or divide and amass statistics on fields across the entire database, which makes generating tabular reports a real snap as well. MyDataBase can just as easily print your data on rolodex cards, Avery or custom labels or print phonebooks, a daytimer, etc, in full page or pocket sizes. Finally, it will also print envelopes using data from within.

If 5,000 records per file and 250 fields per record aren't enough for you needs, or 75 "standard" printouts won't fill your desires, then MyDataBase isn't for you. But if you want a solid Windows database  at an unbelievably low price, you probably won't do better than choosing MyDataBase.

MyDataBase

List Price:  $29.95

available from:

MYSOFTWARE

2197 East Bayshore Road

Palo Alto, CA  94303

Voice 415/473-3600

Fax 415/325-0873

Written by:

G.L. Heitzmann


Norton Utilities
       NORTON UTILITIES 8.0 WINDOWS

by Ed Rasimus

Several years ago, in the dark ages of PC development, I was ignorant of the ways of computers and my eyes were blind to the mysteries of DOS. When my terminal failed to respond as expected, I called the system administrator and asked for help. He told me to go to the C:\ prompt and type NDD and enter. I did what I was told, and lo, my computer found a program deep in the darkest reaches of the hard drive called Norton Disk Doctor and it repaired itself. This was indeed powerful magic; a program which could diagnose, evaluate and correct malfunctions whether hardware or software based. That was my first encounter with the Norton Utilities. Today, I don't see how any computer user could afford to be without this toolbox of maintenance, repair and diagnostic goodies.

The trend recently has been for essential utilities to migrate to our basic operating system in simplified or streamlined format. Witness the inclusion of virus scan, back-up, and even compression modules in the latest versions of DOS. In the Windows world, the users of alternative desktops such as PCTools or Norton Desktop receive an even greater array of utilities including file finders, viewers, defraggers and personal information managers. Throw in a "rescue" or "emergency" diskette and one would question why anyone would need a special package of tools such as the recently released Norton Utilities 8.0 . I installed the package. I looked at the manual. I used many of the tools. I question no more!

The Norton Utilities 8.0  have been updated, improved and quite clearly targeted at the growing army of Windows users. Norton Utilities have been known and respected for years as the ultimate tools for recovery from the direst of consequences. System crashes, disk failures, trashed files, inadvertent reformat, file recovery, and who knows what else could always be fixed with Norton nearby. Now, there is even more capability and much of it is beneficial to Windows users.

Every Windows user knows of the large number of "temp" files which Windows applications are continually writing and erasing. These little tilde titled bits and pieces get scattered hither and yon around the hard disk until your system has written to every cluster and there are no contiguous blocks for storage of large files. The result is drastic slow down as your files are increasingly fragmented. Couple that with an occasional system lockup or GPF (general protection fault), and the resultant broken chain/lost clusters will really leave your hard drive a mess. Of course, we know that all of this can be corrected with CHKDISK and its little DOS brother, SCANDISK. The problem is that with compressed drives, the act of running either of those utilities can tie up your system literally for hours.

Norton Disk Doctor Dialog Box

Norton Disk Doctor and Norton SpeedDisk, have been the answer for Windows users for some time now. Disk Doctor inspects, repairs and protects your data from the broken chain/lost cluster problem as well as identifying and writing around physically damaged sections of your hard drive. SpeedDisk defrags your drive and writes your files into neat consecutive cluster blocks improving access speed and efficiency. Both work from within Windows and both handle compressed drives. Now with Norton Utilities 8.0 , these two indispensable tools can be set to handle multiple drives, run simultaneously, and run continually in the background while you go about your daily business. No more excuses for not having your hard drive in optimum condition at all times.

As new software demands more and more system resources, it becomes apparent that we often need something to tell us what is going on with our computer memory. Here the Norton Utilities 8.0 have SystemWatch. Configure SystemWatch to monitor as many as twelve system parameters including actual memory, virtual memory, Windows system resources, cache hits, CPU usage, available hard disk space, open files, graphics display interface (GDI) resources, and system handles. Set alarm levels and you can be warned when your system is reaching the limits. Run SystemWatch "always on top" and keep track of how your resources are being used.

System Watch monitors up to 12 parameters

Probably the most valuable Windows utility is the cluster of .INI programs in Norton Utilities 8.0. Windows has always allowed the user to fine tune and optimize the system through the .INI files. The problem is that in our quest for the perfect system, you, I and Joe Bagadonutz have a tendency to jump into SYSEDIT and tweak our little hearts out, only to discover that the system won't start up again. With INI Tracker, you will have a record of your changes and will be able to return to a configuration that worked. With INI Tuner, INI Advisor, and INI Editor, you will have the means to work with your INI files to achieve the best performance. Editor lets you make the changes, Advisor tells you what the default is as well as what is recommended and Tuner lets you try it out. Overall, a great group of utilities for making those Windows shine.

Of course, the DOS utilities are still part of the package. The Norton Utilities 8.0 includes an improved Ncache, a File Fix for repairing corrupted files, Disk Editor for recovery of almost any disk damage, UnErase and SmartCan to insure you never lose a file to accidental erasure, and a host of other disk and data management modules. On top of it all is Norton Diagnostics, probably the most complete system diagnostic package ever produced. Norton Diagnostics now includes Interrupt Conflict testing, a joystick test and enhanced video testing. If you can't get that soundboard to work with this tool, it probably needs to go back to the factory.

Sure, you can operate without Norton Utilities 8.0 , just as you can operate without a mouse pad or a surge suppresser. But, come the day that you sit down to work and rock that little switch to the "on" position only to find that your hard drive is just a memory, then you will go to your local software store and the knowledgeable clerk will suggest you try Norton Utilities 8.0 . The book will tell you exactly how to start to recover your precious data, and Norton will probably do the job for you. Then you will be a believer. You could, however, pick up a copy of Norton Utilities 8.0 now, before the emergency, and have the benefit of daily use of this great package of disk and data management tools.

Norton Utilities 8.0

List Price: $179.00

Upgrade: $49.00

For More Information:

SYMANTEC

10201 Torre Avenue

Cupertino CA 95014

(408)253-9600

Reviewed by

Ed Rasimus


       PC PAINTBRUSH

by Steven Jay Cohen

 . - That's an extension denoting a particular sort of graphical format... isn't it? Of course it is! PC Paintbrush... right? But wait a minute... Isn't PC Paintbrush a DOS program from WordStar International (now SoftKey International) that's been around a very long time? They're now up to version 5.0, aren't they? Yep! That too is correct. So why am I referring to it here? Because PC Paintbrush is at last available for Windows 3.1. What's more - it turns out that it was well worth the wait!

Thoughtfully designed, PC Paintbrush for Windows 1.0 comes with dozens of natural art tools and tool types. It does a wonderful job with color, supporting 24 bit color, 256 color, gray scale, and black and white pictures. A picture with fewer than 256 colors or grays (except black and white) is automatically converted to 256 color when it is opened. Likewise a 32 bit picture will automatically be converted to 24 bit color. PC Paintbrush will simulate colors on-screen, allowing the creation and editing of pictures that actually contain more colors than the hardware supports. This drawing program is packed with capabilities! Let's first take a look at the basic toolbox.

	To see the name and purpose of each of these tools, simply move your cursor over a tool button and click once with the left mouse button. Many of these tools are obvious and exactly what you will find in most Windows drawing applications these days. A few, however, are a bit more unique and worthy of note. Local Undo Tool - Most good paint programs have an "Undo" function that allows you to restore a picture to its appearance just prior to the last change. This feature takes it a step further, allowing restoration of user-defined portions of the picture. Magic Wand Tool - This feature permits the user to define a particular color or color range to manipulate by simply clicking on the desired color within the picture. Eyedropper Tool - Suppose you want to be certain that you are using exactly the same color that you used earlier in your picture. Rather than picking and choosing from the palette, all you need to do is use the Eyedropper Tool to pick up the desired color from your picture.

Clone Tool - This tool provides a very precise copy and paste function, allowing the user to control the width and shape of the tool for a given operation and the degree of transparency of the cloned image when it is pasted in.

Smudge Paintbrush Tool - This interesting effect actually has six discrete variations, and serves as an excellent example of the depth of capability found in PC Paintbrush. These are the available Smudge Paintbrush Tool types:

	Basic Smudge smudges areas using the colors you drag over. Paper type is ignored.
	Glaze smears the colors you drag over, giving the appearance of an uneven glaze. Paper type is used.
	Grainy scatters the colors you drag over. Paper type is ignored.
	Mix lightly smudges areas using the colors you drag over. Paper type is used.
	Smear smudges areas by "pushing" the pixels aside. Paper type is ignored.
	Sprinkle spreads the colors you drag over. It looks like scattered water drops. Paper type is used.

PC Paintbrush succeeds in accomplishing the metaphor of real media. Imagine a "wish list" of tools and materials that includes practically every item one might need to create a masterpiece. What might you wish? You will need a score of paintbrushes - fat ones, skinny ones - a complete range of fine to course bristled brushes in every conceivable width. Since this is a "wish," you may as well go right ahead and imagine a MAGIC brush endowed with amazing abilities. This self-cleaning brush will paint in oils or wash, and with neon, rainbow and frayed effects. It can produce a soft, flat or two tone look, or paint in the style of Van Gogh or Seurat and change instantly among all of these at will.

Certainly you'd want to include an ample variation of surfaces, materials and textures with which to experiment. Cotton, canvas, leather and wood, snakeskin, parchment, vellum and linen - these and more would be at your disposal. To apply color and give shape to your creation, you will need many tools: markers and pencils, spray paint and crayons, charcoal and pastels, each in every color in the rainbow.

PC Paintbrush is a wish fulfilled. It has all of these attributes and more. It has no fewer than 87 painting tools. There are eighteen special effects that can easily be applied to a picture. Each effect can be implemented to whatever degree you choose and most permit a full range of choices for fine-tuning several aspects within. The control panels for each special effect display several preconfigured examples. You may select one of these or use the individual settings of any of them as a starting point from which to create your own. There are slide bars for adjustments as well as a preview panel to show you how your choices will affect the graphic before you apply it. If after executing a transformation you're not satisfied with the result, the Undo function will easily restore the picture so that you may try again.

The necessary limitations of 16 color resolution imposed by our magazine format do not do justice to these special effects in the above graphic. They are meant to be executed and viewed in at least 256 colors. To better appreciate the results which can be obtained from some of these effects, take a look at the following graphic which highlights the Mosaic, Blur, and Emboss effects.

PC Paintbrush for Windows supports a number of graphical file formats: PCX, BMP, TIF, GIF, TGA, MSP, TCD and JPG. If you have UltraFAX installed on your system you can also open and save pictures in DCX and ZFG formats. Files can be saved in EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) format but cannot be viewed. The specific EPS format used contains resolution-specific code for a bitmap image which permits easy resizing. Also provided is the means to customize the header and trailer information in the EPS file.

For greatest compression, greyscale and 24 bit color pictures can be saved in JPG format. Since this means of compression entails some color loss, PC Paintbrush has four preset loss configurations from which to choose: Minimum, Low, Medium and High. For more specific needs it allows custom control of the degree and type of loss desired.

PC Paintbrush for Windows 1.0 is a great deal of fun to use. Each of its tools perform as expected and it doesn't take long at all to become comfortable using them. Brush strokes magically appear as if they came off the end of a real brush, pencil, marker or chalk stick. The cacophony of effects placed at the user's disposal opens wide the doors of imagination - the possibilities are endless. While providing a marvelous platform for artistic expression it also supplies the means for precise control. This is a unique blend of high-end features placed in a surprisingly inexpensive program. In fact I would suggest that currently, dollar for dollar, it is one of the best available commercial values in entry level paint programs.

PC Paintbrush for Windows 1.0

List Price:  $59.95

for further information please contact:

SoftKey International Technology Center, Inc.

450 Franklin Road

Suite 100

Marietta, GA 30067

404-428-0008

fax 404-427-1150

written by

Steven Jay Cohen


Zoom Tool - changes the magnification of a picture.


Hand Tool - moves the picture horizontally, vertically or diagonally.


Local Undo Tool - permits restoration of selected parts since the last change.


Box Selection Tool - defines rectangular areas by click and drag.


Lasso Tool - defines irregular areas by click and drag.


Magic Wand Tool - defines areas with similar colors.


Eyedropper Tool - selects a color from the picture.


Text Tool - adds text to the picture.


Clone Tool - paints one area of the picture with another selected area.


Paintbrush Tool - paints freehand with a paintbrush.


Color Pencil Tool - paints with a color pencil effect.


Eraser Tool - changes areas of the picture to background color.


Pen - paints freehand.


Marker - paints with a marker effect.


Spraycan - splatters colors.


Crayon - paints with a crayon effect.


Charcoal Tool - paints with a charcoal effect.


Chalk - paints with a chalk effect.


Color Replacer - changes the primary color to the secondary color.


Smudge Paintbrush - smudges colors freehand.


Tint Paintbrush - changes colors freehand.


Flood Fill Tool - fills enclosed areas with color, a gradient, or a tile pattern.


Line Tool - paints single or joined lines and tile pattern lines.


Curve Tool - paints single or joined curves.


Box Tool - paints boxes. It uses a filled tool type to fill with color, a tile pattern or a gradient.


Ellipse/Circle Tool - paints single or concentric ellipses or circles.


Polygon Tool - paints polygons.


       SCREEN SAVERS

by Randy Wong

Saving Your Monitor

As most of us know or have experienced, leaving your monitor powered on with the same display for a long period of time may result in your monitor having the burn-in syndrome. Those ghostly, shadowed figures and numbers that never goes away until you replace that monitor. That can be a costly error. Newer monitors will take longer to be affected. Nevertheless, they are not immune to the burn-in sickness. The newest monitors on the market have power saving features that cause them to shutdown when not in use, eliminating the need for screen savers. With this newer monitor technology, why are there so many new screen saver products coming to market? If not, for their original use of protecting your investment, what is it that makes us want more? For me, it is the entertainment, humor, and in some case education. You can find screen savers that will display still images to action-packed motion videos. There are screen savers that shows you vacation spots, lovely scenery, or just plain beautiful flowers. Multimedia types of screen savers seem to be the biggest hits. There were several products that I have decided to keep on my system, for purely monitor safety, you understand. They are the AfterDark's Disney Collection, Marvel Screen Posters, Microsoft's Scenes Collection, and Delrina's Opus 'N Bill.

The Disney Collection

Take a magical trip to the wonderful world of Disney. Visit Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pinocchio, Scrooge, and all your favorite Disney characters. The Disney Collection brings the enchanted kingdom to your desktop. Besides getting to meet the Disney characters, there are over 15 wonderful animated Disney sequences including colorful sequences from The Sorcerer's Apprentice, The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast, Captain Hook and Peter Pan and other memorable scenes. All modules are animated, equipped with sounds and includes five complete classic Disney Midi songs. There are more than just movie sequences: you have Goofy rearranging your desktop, Dalmatians running around your screen, Donald painting a picture of Mickey, and other Disney characters performing other tasks.

  The Disney Collection is based on the AfterDark 2.0 engine. It is a standalone product, and will run all AfterDark screen saver modules. A password security system allows you to lock your screen from mischievous prowlers and the SystemIQ task manager monitors the system performance while the screen saver is active. To play music, a soundcard is required. You will require approximately 10 Mbytes of free harddrive space to install the complete system.

Marvel Screen Posters

Are you a Marvel Comics fan? Now you can bring over 35 still images of your favorite Marvel comic heroes to the screen. You will meet Spiderman, the X-Men, Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer, Captain America, Hulk, Ghost Rider, Punisher, Wolverine and others. There are confrontations between heroes and foes, such as Spiderman vs. Venom, DareDevil vs. Elektra, and others. Several first issue cover pages are included. Marvel Screen Posters can be runned as a standalone screen saver or you can combine them with previous versions of AfterDark modules. The difference between the regular AfterDark modules and the Marvel Screen Posters is that you can also use the Marvel still images as your wallpaper.

  Three Mbytes of free disk space is required for a complete install. Sporting the AfterDark 2.0 engine, you have password protection and SystemIQ monitoring. From my experience, you must install the Marvel Screen Posters over previous AfterDark versions, since previous AfterDark Control Panels cannot access these new modules.

Disney Collection	$49.95

Marvel Screen Posters	$14.99 until 06/30/94.

		Berkeley Systems 2095 Rose Street Berkeley, CA 94709 1-800-344-5541
Microsoft Scenes

For your viewing pleasure, Microsoft Scenes Collection presents life-like photo images to your screen. Currently, there are 3 Collection sets. They are the Outer Space Collection, Sierra Club Collection, and Impressionists Collection. Each Collection set consists of over 40 full color photographic images. With the Outer Space Collection, you will take a tour of our universe with images of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Mercury, and other planets. You will see the Earth from Apollo 17, Io's Volcano from Voyager 1, the sun from SkyLab, Mars' landscape from Viking 2, and other amazing sights. The Sierra Club Collection will take you to many breathtaking places around the world. See scenic places such as the Grand Canyon National Park and Yosemite Falls. Other notable locations pictured are the Adirondack Mountains, Alsek Glacier, Columbia River Gorge, and many others. With the Impressionists Collection, you may view some of the world's renowned impressionist paintings. Your own personal art gallery will feature the works of Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne, Edouard Manet, Camille Passarro, Alfred Sisley, and many more artists.

All these scenes, places, and paintings can be used as your screen saver or wallpaper. An information window for each image details some facts, explanations or descriptions. The Outer Space Collection quotes were done by Damond Benningfield, inspirational quotes for the Sierra Club Collection were done by John Muir, and the Impressionists Collection includes opinions about the content and artist style of the painting.

All controls and settings are configured from the Microsoft Scenes dialog box. From this control panel, you can turn the screen saver on or off, set the images, set the wallpaper images, display the title of the image and select various other options. The Scenes Wizards is used to add or delete images from the collection. Probing deeper into the Screen Saver Settings, you can change the timing for changing the pictures, keyboard keystroke setting, mouse activity option, and the image transition effects. The password option is available to be added or changed. When deciding the wallpaper for your system, you are prompted with a dialog box with thumbnail images of the pictures available.

The Microsoft Scenes series are best displayed with 256 colors or higher. With 16 colors you will notice a limitation to the colors and they will not be presented correctly. The images that come with the packages are 640x480 in size. Running at higher resolutions, such as 800x600 or 1024x768, the images will appear smaller. Microsoft Scenes are compatible with other screen savers, such as IdleWild and AfterDark. For example, AfterDark Control Panel will show the Microsoft Scenes Collection in its list of modules. Each Microsoft Scenes Collection module requires 2 Mbytes to install. As a special bonus, you can send three photos for scanning, free of charge, that you could add to your screen saver collection.

Outer Space Collection	$29.95

Sierra Club Collection	$29.95

Impressionists Collection	$29.95

		Microsoft Corp. One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052-6399 1-800-426-9400

Delrina Opus 'N Bill

If you are looking for some humor or silliness in a screen saver, Opus 'N Bill will add their craziness to your life. These two characters, Bill and Opus originally appeared in a daily comic strip column and now appear in Outland. They are available for your own personal viewing. Besides seeing their hilarious animations, you get to hear some earth shattering sounds. You will experience the joy of bungee jumping or visit the White House and show Bill what the moon is all about. Bill the Cat will show you why swimming in a fish bowl is a gas. Just to let you imagine some of the outrageous animated sequences, I'll name them: Basselope, Brief Insights, Bungee, Censored Toasters, Fish Bowl, Full Moon, Night Cat, Puddy Passion, Silicone Bill, Swinger, System Bugs, and others. I find some of their actions and words, disgusting and vulgar, but funny.

The Intermission control dialog box contains a number of options for your customization. All modules that are set to be displayed will show a check mark beside them. Pressing the UNFOLD button, you will have more advanced options to set. You can reset the default setting for waking up the screen. The screen can wake up by mouse movement, clicking on a mouse button, or any key pressed (except the ALT or PRT SCREEN). One or all of these options can trigger your return to where you left off. There is a setting for handling popup dialog boxes or alert messages when the screen saver is active. Password selection is hidden deep within this setup and volume and sound are set in the advanced section. Screen saving is not limited to Windows applications, DOS applications running under Windows are also monitored. Opus 'N Bill requires 5 Mbytes of disk space to install.

Opus 'N Bill	$44.95

		Delrina 6830 Via Del Oro Suite 200 San Jose, CA 95119-1353 1-408-363-2345

 These are just a few of the many screen savers that are available. They are humorous, enjoyable, and very entertaining. After installing many different screen saver products, such as Roller Coaster rides, Dinosaurs, Hawaiian dancers, and fighting Robots, I found the AfterDark and Microsoft Scenes the most relaxing and enjoyable ones. These products could run standalone, but having the support of the AfterDark engine, you can run them together. The Opus 'N Bill product is funny and kept me laughing. It uses the Intermission engine, which gives you the option to add other supporting modules, just like the AfterDark engine. Both of these engines did not hinder my activity in the background, such as file transfers.

Whichever screen saver you decide to have on your system, the main reason for the screen saver is to prevent burn-in on your monitor. With this in mind, don't pick a screen saver display that will not move, such as mountains, ocean floors, or anything that is frozen. That's the same as not having a screen saver. Beware of the hardware requirements when shopping for a screen saver. Some screen savers requires fast computers, eat up all your resources, and run higher than 256 colors. The other reason is that it will provide many hours of entertainment. Now, sit back and enjoy the show.

Written by:

Randy Wong


Zoom Modem
       ZOOM MODEMS

by Ed Rasimus

We all know the saying "there ain't no free lunch." But lives there a man with soul so dead that he never tried to get that ham sandwich without paying the price? I confess, I found the deal that was too good to be true. It was!

Last summer I had the opportunity to attend the international BBS gathering, OneBBSCon, held at the Broadmoor Hotel in my home town of Colorado Springs. I went to fulfill my professional obligations to remain current in the latest in computer bulletin board "stuff", but more personally, I went to seek a bargain in a high-speed fax modem. I had definitely outgrown the capability of my trusty 2400 baud Zoom and wanted one of those whiz-bang, Vbis.whatzit, data-compressing, error-correcting, faxers which seemed to be popping up everywhere. I had determined that I wanted an internal 14.4 kbs fax-modem, and since I was at a trade show for BBS insiders, I was willing to pay as much as $200 for it. I was ripe for the picking.

I entered the great hall where the trade show booths were spread as far as the bloodshot eye could see. It wasn't Comdex, but there were enough exhibitors to "get the pulse arisin'." Just to the left of the entrance was the Zoom Telephonics booth with a huge sign proclaiming the introduction of a 24K modem for only $99. as a convention special price. Baahhh, I thought, I've got a 2400 baud modem. I wanted 14.4 K.

As a practiced trade show goer, I knew the importance of doing three quick laps of the exhibit floor to get the overall perspective. I lapped the building. There were at least ten modem makers present. Most had a trade show special price. None had a 14.4 internal fax-modem for less than $239. Suddenly, in a moment of panic at the thought of not being able to spend my money, a light came on. The Zoom booth sign said 24,000! This was something entirely different! Was this possible? Was there something faster than V.32bis (14.4)?

I edged my way back to the Zoom display. I skulked along the periphery of the booth until I could reach through the crown and snag a brochure. I read. I wondered. I was hooked. There was a new Rockwell chipset for modems being introduced. It would offer 24 Kbps, be class 1 fax compatible, fully backward compatible with all lesser protocols, and offer data transfer rates of as high as 115,200 bps. And, now, only for BBS operators, it would be available at an introductory rate of just $99. This was my first chance to be ahead of the technology curve. For once, I would buy something computer-related that would not be obsolete before the shrink-wrap stopped crinkling.

That was in July. The product was scheduled to be shipped in early October of last year. When the new modem didn't arrive until late November, there were visions of "vaporware" dancing in my addled brain. By the time the package showed up on my doorstep, four months had elapsed and media coverage of the emerging modem protocol, variously dubbed V.FastClass, V.FC or V.34 had begun to take the bloom off of my enthusiasm. It seems that the new speed standard was going to be double that of V.32bis, going from 14.4 to 28.8 Kbps. No mention of 24K modems anywhere on the horizon.

By now, the question was, "Is there any ham in the sandwich?" What I have is a half-card sized internal fax modem which operates in reasonable compliance with most existing protocols except the promised V.FC. For my $99. I now can interact with 14.4 and even 19.2 (V.32bis terbo) modems. I can fax at 9600 baud, and I have seen data transfer rates of 1800 and even 2300 bps occasionally. The modem incorporates the 16550 UART and with the installation of upgraded comm drivers, provides effective buffering for error free high speed data transfers. Overall, not bad performance.

Installation and setup were so simple that even I could do it. My computer is set up with the modem accessing comm port 4, and that is the shipping default of the Zoom vfp24K. Merely plug the board into any available slot, connect the modular phone jack and I'm in business. The board comes with excellent software for both fax and modem operation: ComIt for communications, and both DOSFax and WinFax Lite for faxing. The usual hassle of developing a workable initialization string was not encountered, as the Zoom incorporates most standard AT commands in hard-wired default setting. Merely initialize with "ATZ" and you will be up and running with most comm programs.

On the down side, this modem is not and never will be compatible with V.34 or whatever the evolving Fast Class finally is called. Almost the same week that my modem arrived by mail, Zoom released a 28.8 Kbps modem nationwide. Both the 24K and the 28.8K Zooms are on the dealers shelves today. The 24K version has been spotted locally at $149. and the 28.8 can be had for as little as $179., though I can't personally vouch for its worth. For those of us who were lucky enough to have been at OneBBSCon last summer and who sought to catch the wave of technology with the $99. introductory price, Zoom will upgrade us to 28.8K for just $40. What have we got? We've got a bargain price for a better than 14.4K modem and we still don't have a V.FC. Would I do it again? Well, I did get a sandwich, but I missed out on the deviled eggs.

For more information, please contact:

Zoom Telephonics

207 South Street

Boston MA 02111

(617) 423-1076

Fax (617) 423-9231

Review by

Ed Rasimus


       WINSENSE

by David Morgan

Using Windows is relatively easy. Configuring Windows is not. One look at the SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI files shows the variety of possible settings. Which of those combinations of settings are right for your system? To find the most efficient configuration, you could use trial and error or consult various knowledge bases and reference materials. This tends, however, to be tedious and very time consuming. Another possibility is using WinSense.

WinSense is a powerful performance optimization program for Windows. It examines, among other things, your CPU's speed and type, amounts and types of system memory, and the amount of memory reserved for a disk cache. This information is used in conjunction with a user profile, which is a description of how you use Windows, to optimize your system. It is completely automatic and backs up your current settings before changing them.

After installing WinSense, a user profile is prepared by answering a few questions about the how Windows is used.

Do you run non-Windows applications?

Do you use a modem and if so at what speed?

Are you on a network?

Do you use Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) programs?

You are then asked about your use of primary and secondary applications under Windows. Selections include:

Communications

Spreadsheet

Database

Word Processing

Drawing

Programming

Accounting

Publishing

Other.

After providing this information, WinSense prepares a list of specific recommended changes to your win.ini and system.ini files from which you have the option of selecting any or all changes.

Please note that because I have used older versions of WinSense dating back to version 1.0, my settings as shown are already optimized. The first time you run the program, many of the settings will not say "leave unchanged", but will contain specific values. WinSense provides a brief explanation of each recommendation. Here are a few examples of the types of recommendations made.

PerformBackfill=

... "assures that your system has the maximum amount of lower RAM. If your system has less than 640K of lower RAM, Windows can fill in more memory to achieve a total of 640K. If you already have 640K, then WinSense deletes this option setting to make Windows load faster."

LRUSweepLowWater=

... "part of a group of settings that is used to adjust the LRU system that manages the swapping of memory to disk. The default Windows settings do not maximize the benefits of the LRU system for a system like yours that has plenty of memory, but rather try to provide some settings that will work for a variety of system configurations. Therefore, the default settings make the functioning of the LRU system less effective on your system. WinSense is correcting this shortcoming by adapting the LRU system for your particular system setup."

PageBuffers=

... "is in response to your answer in the User Profile screen in the box labeled Use Non-Windows Applications with Windows. You checked either the box labeled Always or Sometimes, so WinSense is making this recommendation as part of its response to that choice. This setting is aimed at improving the general performance of Windows by increasing the size of the buffers that Windows uses to swap memory to and from the swap files. Because you use DOS apps, the increase in the size of these buffers is limited so as not to reduce lower RAM too much."

In addition to these system files recommendations, WinSense will make other system-wide recommendations. Here's an example.

"Your cache size appears large relative to the amount of memory on your system. As a Desktop Publishing user, you don't get as much benefit from a large disk cache as users of other types of applications. You may want to reduce the size of the cache for Windows' use to 1024K from its present size of 2048K."

WinSense will automatically make any or all of the recommended changes for you. All original settings are saved for later retrieval if necessary.

In addition to its performance optimization functions, WinSense provides access to a detailed, hypertext resource containing a wealth of information about Windows. It is a Windows helpfile document that is used to explain may of the configuration options recommended by WinSense. You can search for virtually any information about Windows.

WinSense also contains several informative overview about Windows.

General Operation - General Windows information including its various modes, multitasking considerations, and what to do in the event of a program failure.

Windows and Speed - Discusses the factors that affect the speed of Windows, and which ones you can control. Suggests ways you can tune your system to achieve the best possible speed.

Windows and Memory - How Windows uses and provides memory, including virtual memory. Also, advice on the best uses for your memory.

Windows Printing - Introduces the Print Manager, and discusses how to best print from Windows.

Frills and Thrills - Discusses how you can tailor Windows to personalize your working environment.

Windows and Networks - Discusses considerations for operating Windows when your PC is connected to a network.

WinSense  is one of the most useful Windows program I have ever loaded on my system. My familiarity with this program dates back to its initial release more than a year ago. WinSense works very well and I can highly recommend it to anyone who wants to optimize their use of Windows without spending too much time learning how to do it.

WinSense

List Price: $ 89.95

for further information please contact:

SoftLogic Solutions, Inc.

One Perimeter Road

Manchester, NH  03103

603-627-9900

fax: 603-627-9610

written by

David R. Morgan


3D Concepts
       AUTODESK 3D CONCEPTS

by Bob Ellig

You have just come up with a brilliant idea on how your new office should be laid out. Traffic patterns are perfect and the new partitions will look great! But, how well does your pencil work when you want to convey your idea to others? Are you certain that you have looked at the layout from all possible angles? If you are like many of us, your sketches look like a run-away chicken stopped to scratch for food.

With the power of the computer at our fingertips, there are Computer Aided Design systems that can make beautiful 3D wireframe drawings. To operate these powerhouse programs requires a pretty good sized computer and an Associate Degree from a community college. The transition from flat 2-D to full blown 3-D drawings is fairly painful for many. If you have ever seen a 3-D wireframe drawing, you know the problem. Lines representing the edges of several shapes in a drawing mingle, merge and mess up your mind.

The creative process still requires a sharp mind. However, putting it on paper no longer requires a sharp pencil. The computer does the work, you do the thinking.

Building a house? With easy to use drawing tools, you can lay out your floor plan in simple 2D. Then, to put up all the walls use a simple extrude command. You have done in minutes what takes a carpenter hours. What about doors and windows? Just draw them where you want them in the wall and convert them to holes just like you would if your cut them out with a saw. Room the wrong size? Stretch it, scale it or just move it to another spot with commands in the Modify menu.

Do you want to see how the room looks with furniture, sinks, fireplace, plants, stove or even a kitchen sink? A library comes with a full complement of pre-drawn symbols for you to use. Select the symbol, pick your spot and the computer will move it in for you, no sweat. Once you get started, you will create symbols of your own that can be added to the library; no sense re-inventing the wheel each time you need one.

When the main screen comes up, you are presented with a pull-down menu with some interesting wrinkles. File, Print, Edit, Utilities, Windows and Help all function with standard pull- downs and dialog boxes. When Draw, Modify, Sculpt, Snap, Symbol, View or Zoom are selected, a double row of icons appears on the left side of the screen. As you pass the cursor over the icon, its descriptive name appears in the box at the top of the column. You can still work with the pull-down but once you are familiar with the icons, things flow so much easier. If the hand is quicker than the eye, you can use a two letter command instead of the cursor to do your work.

Some of the more commonly used icons also appear on a ribbon bar just under the pull-down menu. The icons are clear and easy to understand. All of the zoom commands which help you move around your drawing are shown as magnifying glasses with logical symbols like the plus sign for closer and the minus sign for further back. You can choose a cursor that only moves around on the ground (the XY plane) or one that is free to move in all three axes. To give you a frame of reference, there is a handy grid pattern which appears as a floor in the center of your drawing. You use this at the start your construction.

A unique Rotation Cube with colored faces and three "thumb wheels" lets you view your design from any angle. Simply use the cursor as a thumb to roll the drawing in three planes. When you have the view you want, click on the bar under the cube. The drawing will appear in the new orientation.

Like most CAD systems, Autodesk 3D Concepts offers the full range of geometric features. If you choose to start from scratch, you can produce your entire design using lines, rectangles, circles, and arcs as if you had a pencil with ruler, compass and protractor. Simply direct the computerized pencil to the next dot on your drawing and it will connect them. The Snap menu turns on a grid that eliminates your shaky hand from the drawing process. The cursor moves only to the grid points that are in even increments of your choosing. Freehand never looked so good. Make a mistake; erase it. Erase the wrong thing; unerase it. Build the wrong structure; undo it.

Since you are working in a 3D environment, a box, pyramid, cylinder and cone are all ready for use. Simply describe the dimensions and the location and start stacking the blocks of your design. Unusual shapes can be created not only by extruding but also by revolution. As you build your design, you can modify it from the Sculpt menu. Here you add and subtract shapes just like a sculptor does when working with clay.

The finished work can now be displayed in its best light. With the View menu, you can look at your creation in full 3D. Shading gives the drawing the feeling of depth. You can turn on a light source and select its direction to further enhance and highlight your design. If perspective is important to the design, simply pick the observation point and the focal point and your perspective is shown. When you're satisfied with your work, save the file and put it out to your printer for your hard copy.

For manufacturing and industrial designers, design the products, casings and packaging for electro-mechanical equipment and then determine the tooling and define the manufacturing processes from precise models. For architects, facility and urban planners and interior designers, view buildings and structures from any angle and perspective before investing in expensive materials and labor. Mechanical engineers can sculpt prototypes in virtual space before building the real thing. Commercial artists, technical illustrators and electronic designers can also benefit. It is the type of tool that cannot make a bad design good but can make a good designer better. Autodesk 3D Concepts is well conceived and well executed.

Autodesk 3D Concepts

Price unavailable at press time

for further information please contact:

Autodesk, Inc.

2320 Marinship Way

Sausalito, CA 94965

415-332-2344

415-491-8305 fax

written by

Bob Ellig


       WAV EDITORS

by Ted Tatman

WAV Editors

You like recording and editing Windows waveform sound files (WAV files, for short) but you've found Windows 3.1 Sound Recorder applet too limiting and you wish that the WAV recorder that came bundled with your Windows compatible sound board offered just a little more. Well, Sound Forge 2.0 from Sonic Foundry or WAVE For Windows 2.03 from Turtle Beach Systems just might be for you.

Both programs are full featured hard disk-based sound editors that can turn your PC and sound card into a real recording studio. Unlike some editors, neither is limited by the amount of system memory you have when recording sounds. This means you can use all free hard disk space for recording. Working with large sound files therefore shouldn't be a problem. And both programs offer enough bells and whistles to make a professional recording engineer drool.

Standard features in both Sound Forge and WAVE For Windows include perfect fade-ins and fade-outs so your sound won't cut off abruptly at the end; full un-do so if you make a mistake you can go back to the previous version of the sound; easy gain normalization which automatically adjusts the sound so it's as loud as possible without clipping; mixing and crossfading of 2 or more sound files; and a full compliment of special effects like flanging, echo, distortion, and digital delay. Both programs allow you to import and export sounds in other formats besides WAV, like SoundBlaster VOC files, and change sampling rates and resolution and covert mono sounds to stereo and vice-versa. Plus, each program lets you view the level of your recording level input before you record. Beyond these similarities, each program has its own unique features.

Sound Forge lets you have as many as 40 different sound windows open at one time, as opposed to WAV For Windows' maximum of 4, so you can edit many different sounds as once. You can drag and drop data sections from one window to another for fast mixing and pasting. Sound Forge also gives you keyboard commands for every function of the program, so you have the option of not using your mouse which is sometimes faster.

If you like a program with a toolbar and lots of buttons for easy access to features, Sound Forge doesn't disappoint. Along with a toolbar, playbar, and status bar, a tool box with more icons can be brought up after you start the program. Status values and time line display formats include Sample Count, Time, SMPTE, Video Frames, and Measures and Beats.

Sound Forge allows you to imbed text in your WAV files, such as artist name, engineer, copyright information and comments. It also imports and exports over a dozen different sound formats, including Amiga, Macintosh and NeXT/Sun Sparc sound files (about twice as many as Wave For Windows).

WAVE For Windows features 4 band parametric equalization which gives full control of the audio "color" of your sound so you can clean-up muddy recordings or remove high end from WAVs that sound too bright. There is also a Frequency Analysis feature that lets you view your sound data in a 3-D "waterfall" display so you can see your sound in three dimensions (time, frequency and amplitude) simultaneously.

Other WAVE For Windows unique features include "real" reverb, as opposed to echo, and Auto Stutter, for creating those "Max Headroom" type effects. It also has time compression and expansion, which allows you to stretch or compress a portion of your sound file, and speed up and slow down which allows you to adjust the playback speed without affecting the sampling rate.

WAVE features a toolbar but it unfortunately houses only a minimum of buttons. Thus almost all of its features need to be accessed by pull-down menus. However, Turtle Beach did do an excellent job of writing the manual. Not only does it make the program's features easy to understand for the intermediate user, but it takes the time to explain what sampling is all about. The manual even offers advice on techniques for sampling from a microphone, CD or tape, as well as how to convert Macintosh sound files to WAV format.

If you're ready to move up to an advanced WAV editor, you can't go wrong with Sound Forge or Wave For Windows. Both programs are chock full of features that will make recording and editing sound files a real pleasure and will make you forget Windows Sound Recorder ever existed!

Sound Forge 2.0	WAVE For Windows
List Price: $179.95	List Price: $149.00
For further information please contact:	For further information please contact:
Sonic Foundry	Turtle Beach Systems
1110 East Gorham	Cyber Center #33
Madison, WI 53703	1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
608-256-3133	York, PA 17404
	717-767-0200
	fax 717-854-8319
written by

Ted Tatman


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Wolly


Thom Foulkes

Thom Foulks

5311 Alta Loma

Colorado Springs, CO 80918

719-598-7828 Voice

719-528-8545 BBS


Steven Cohen


Ed Hoffman


Jeffrey Shneidman


Tami Brydone-Jack

Freelance Writer - Consultant

2971 North Main Street, Apt. 107

Walnut Creek, California 94596

Telephone: (510) 935-0759


Ed Rasimus


Randy Wong


William Brown

Windows OnLine™ Operations

PO Box 3487

Danville, CA 94526-8487

510-736-8343 (BBS)


Bob Gollihur


Bob Ellig
Bob Ellig, President

Bluco Corporation

135 East St. Charles Road

Carol Stream, IL 60188


G.L. Heitzmann

1460 Friendship Lane East

Colorado Springs, CO 80904

1-(719)577-4247


David Morgan


Ted Tatman

(803) 795-3240

PCCTED@AOL.COM


Louis Turbeville


Writers Wanted
YOU can join the Windows OnLine™ Team!

Do you like to test Windows programs? Do you enjoy sharing your adventures with the latest Windows hardware and software? We are interested in adding quality Freelance and Staff writers to our magazines. You need not be a "Hemingway" (they're moody and drink too much, anyway). All is required is that you possess a general knowledge of Windows shareware and commercial products, and have the ability to relate your experiences in a friendly and informative fashion. You don't need to be conversant with the Help File format.

Call Windows OnLine (BBS 510-736-8343) and gain immediate access to the Writers Conference #4 (J 4). Download WOLWRIT2.ZIP (62K) for a brief writers guide and submission samples. Leave a message for Senior Staff Writer Ed Hoffman or Editor Bob Gollihur.  here for alternative contact methods. You can become part of the team!


Writer Contacts
PLEASE CONTACT:

Ed Hoffman, Senior Staff Writer

Hoffman & Associates

2417 Ranch Lane

Colorado Springs, CO 80918

719-599-8823

AOL - EdH32

CompuServe 70314,2400 (messages only, no files)

Bob Gollihur, Editor

WinOnLine Editorial Offices

Seven Baywyn Drive

Ocean View, NJ 08230

609-624-1470

CompuServe 71334,2065 (messages only, no files)

RIME Windows Conference;

(route as a private message to ->1579)