Copyright: Copyright ©1992-94, 1996 by Tony Curro
Citation: ComputerTalk Magazine


CyberSearch

by Tony Curro

The Internet is a vast web of sources. Just about anything imaginable can be found there. However, searching for it online can be time consuming and costly.

Frontier Technologies released CyberSearch 2.0. This CD-ROM contains the Lycos catalog where you can conduct keyword searches on over a half million sites off-line. When you find sites of interest, you can continue to work off-line by dragging the URL into CyberSearch's unique Internet Organizer, or go on-line and download these sites at once. You can save search results to any category, add a new bookmark manually, or click on the icon in CyberSearch to save the present site from your browser to CyberSearch.

CyberSearch's Internet Organizer contains subject tabs on many subjects. There are over 1,000 sites listed within these tabs. You can change the names of these tabs, delete the category or URL, or create your own. One of the tabs is called Startup, and any bookmark that you place in this tab will be downloaded every time  you start CyberSearch.

Using the new Internet Catalog of CyberSearch you can import and export bookmarked sites from the Internet Organizer to HTML format, and back again. This feature will be facilitated by on-line updates and new URL listings available for import via the Frontier home page.

CyberSearch 2.0 is compatible with Windows 3.x, Windows 95, and Windows NT. It will work with the following browsers: Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, NCSA Mosaic, GNN GNNWorks, and other DDE-supported clients.

Due to the size of the database, Frontier produces a new CD-ROM each month. Frontier has announced version 3.0 to be released in June.

Product Information:

CyberSearch 2.0 CD-ROM

Annual (12 issues) $119.40

Quarterly (4 issues)    51.80

No-Hassle for $9.95/month credit card only.

Frontier Technologies

8271 North Oracle #252

Tuscon, AZ 85704

(520) 797-0583  (520) 797-0182 (FAX)

Internet: http://www.frontiertech.com


Glossary

Dictionary Definitions from the: Free OnLine Dictionary of Computing (FOLDOC). This is a free online dictionary. You can search online, or download the over 3 MB file. Visit their Web site:

http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/

Basic Input/Output System

File Transfer Protocol

Hypertext Markup Language

Integrated Drive Electronics

Small Computer System Interface

Uniform Resource Locator

WYSIWYG


HTML: The Definitive Guide

by Tony Curro

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. When I first decided to create a web page all I knew about the Internet was how to access it. I did not know HTML from URL. One of the first sites I logged onto was a shareware author whose products I have reviewed since CTM started in 1992. I left him a message about my being back. He told me when I started to create a web site I could copy his page to get the feel of how it was done. I asked him what high quality software he used, and he replied that he did it the old fashioned way "by hand"  using a plain text editor. Well I did copy his page, and created my first simple web page. I was pleased. Since then I have added things I thought I would not get into. Randy Rasa, whose site is mentioned in the ShareWare SpotLight area of my Wide World of the Internet deserves the credit for being my long distance tutor in web page design.

There are many functions that can be added to a web page. Today, depending on the browser that the person viewing you page is using, you can add background sounds, video, audio, RealAudio, scrolling text, blinking text, frames, and much more. Java scripts have also started appearing on many web sites. While many places on the Internet, and offline reference works, give you the commands many do not give enough of an example for a novice to grasp the options.  No so with HTML: The Definitive Guide.

This book is a complete guide to creating documents using HTML. It starts with the basics, and finishes with a bang. In short you will start creating simple documents within minutes of picking up the book, and will be creating complex documents by the time you finish it.

HTML: The Definitive Guide covers all extensions for HTML 2.0, and where applicable, will state if that particular  extension is browser specific and for which browser (ie: Netscape, MS Internet Explorer, NCSA Mosaic, etc.) The book covers: tables, frames, inline multimedia, java, etc.

HTML documents can be created using a full-featured WYSIWYG HTML editor, a basic HTML editor, or any word processor including Notepad.

There is an alphabetical listing of all known and some undocumented HTML tags and attributes currently supported by some of today's browsers.  Also included is a Quick Reference Pull out Guide that gives you the formats for: forms, links, tables, images, and more. Once you have the feel of HTML this little guide will work very well placed near your keyboard as a refresher to commands.

The book is both well written and well structured. It worth the price for anyone from beginner's to pro who work with, or want to work with, HTML. You cannot find an easier and better tutor. The explanations are very easy to understand, especially when coupled with examples of the finished product.

Product Information:

HTML: The Definitive Guide

by Chuck Musciano & Bill Kennedy

1st Edition April 1996

410 pages; ISBN:1-56592-175-5

SRP - $27.95

O'Reilly & Associates Inc.

103 Morris Street  STE A

Sebastopol, CA 95472

800-998-9938

707-829-0515

707-829-0104 (FAX)

Internet: http://www.ora.com


Norton Utilities for Windows 95

by Tony Curro

For years Peter Norton has been a leader in Utilities for the MS-DOS and Windows world. His previous set of utilities for DOS and Windows were always on my system. Now he has released Norton Utilities for Windows 95. This is a complete set of utilities to allow you to run Windows 95 more efficiently. In addition this package includes Pre-Installation Tune-Up (PIT). PIT provides an easy, systematic method of diagnosing, repairing, and fine-tuning your Windows 3.x system to prepare it for the installation of Windows 95 or any new application. PIT will run under DOS 3.3 and greater. This is an excellent program for those who have not yet upgraded to Windows 95.

These utilities contain 32-bit programs that provide continuous system protection and data recovery for Windows 95. They include: Norton System Doctor, Space Wizard, Norton Disk Doctor, Speed Disk, UnErase, Rescue, Norton Image, Norton Disk Editor, and System Information. We will now take a look at each of these.

Norton System Doctor is a new addition to the Utilities. It takes full advantage of the advanced capabilities of the Windows 95 operating system. System Doctor provides continual, automated monitoring of the system and automatic, proactive response to problem conditions. It monitors over 70 resources, and will activate the appropriate utility to resolve a problem.

Norton Disk Doctor is a 32-bit version of this longtime Norton Utility. It will diagnose your hard drives checking for cross-linked files and directories. You will then have the option to correct these errors. Disk Doctor allows you to create an UnDo file before it makes any corrections. It also will check the disk surface for any problems. All actions taken are shown to you in a generated report at the end of your session.

Speed Disk should not need an introduction. It was one of the first reasons I ever bought a Norton Utilities package. SD keeps your system running at peak performance and may also extend the life of your hard drive. It optimizes you files, directories, and the Windows swap file in a contiguous chain so that programs will run faster, and disk access searching for files in down to a minimum.

UnErase Wizard provides security for deleted files. Some programs delete files without placing them in the recycle bin. Others you may have deleted and want back. UnErase works with the recycle bin, and also provides the added security of being able to restore deleted files by using the Norton Image file.

Norton Image creates an image of the drives you select and is especially useful in the event of a crash. The image file will restore your system to pre-crash status.

Norton Space Wizard removes temp files, and other files that are cluttering up your system using valuable disk space.

Rescue Disk allows the user to create a bootable floppy that can be used to recover your system in the event of an emergency. It stores the CMOS, mouse drivers, compression drivers, hard disk parameters, video card  and memory information, and the Windows registry information. This option is given to you when you first install Norton Utilities and you should create these disks.

Norton System Information provides a complete inventory of all the components on your system. It will also perform a benchmark of your system.

Norton Disk Editor is an all-purpose sector editor capable of accessing any area of a hard or floppy disk.

Features:

Space Wizard frees up disk space for the new operating system and applications.

Exclusive swap file optimization speeds up Windows 95 performance.

UnErase Wizard provides the highest level of protection against accidental uploads.

Set of MS-DOS extended tools help protect the user in the most difficult situations.

32-bit Speed Disk optimizes system performance using safer and faster methods that also reduce future file fragmentation.

System Requirements:

IBM-PC or 100% compatible

Windows 95

80386DX or higher (486DX recommended)

4 MB RAM (8 MB RAM recommended)

14 MB of free hard disk space for full installation

Product Information:

Norton Utilities for Windows 95

SRP - 	$119

$129 (CD-ROM)

$59 (Tradeup)

Symantec Corp.

2500 Broadway    STE 200

Santa Monica, CA 90404-3063

(310) 453-4600  (310) 453-0636 (FAX)

WWW: http://www.symantec.com


ProAgio Mouse

by Tony Curro

Mouse Systems released a wonderful mouse that is functional in all the traditional ways, and then some. ProAgio is also a "scrolling mouse." It has a roller ball on the  top  that eliminates the use of scroll bars on windows. Just roll the ball to go through a document.

Installation of ProAgio requires you to plug the mouse into an available 9- or 25-pin serial connector and then run the software.

ProAgio lets you fly through Windows. It has 5 buttons: left, right, middle, side, and roller/roller button. The middle button comes preset to pop up the ProAgio control panel where you can change the function of all the buttons, or see a task list of all running applications and quickly switch between them. The roller allows you to scroll through pages, whether in a word processing document, a file list, or on the Internet. No more need to use the window scroll bars. By pressing Shift and the roller, or configuring the side button you can also scroll left and right in a document. In addition the side button will bring to the front the next or previous running application. All button configurations can be changed by the user to suit their needs. With ProAgio's PowerScroll (tm) feature you can adjust the speed of the scrolling.

ProAgio is the fastest and easiest way to surf the Internet. The product also includes a mouse pad.

Features:

5-button high resolution (400 dpi) mouse.

Roller simplifies Windows navigation.

Scroll windows without using the scrollbars.

Application-specific settings.

Right or left hand use.

Pre-configured to support most popular applications.

Easy-to-use Status panel and Setup window.

System Requirements:

Any system running Windows 3.1 or higher

Serial port (9- or 25-pin)

" floppy drive.

Harddrive.

Product Information:

Mouse Systems ProAgio Mouse for Windows

MSRP - $49.99

Mouse Systems

47505 Seabridge Dr.

Fremont, CA 94539

(510)  656-1117   Fax: (510) 770-1924

Internet: http://www.mousesystems.com


Quantum Fireball 1280 AT

by Tony Curro

When I started using Windows 95 with over 400 MB of hard disk space I quickly ran out of room. When you add programs like MS Publisher and MS Office, you are using close to 200 MB of space. So I had to look for a larger capacity drive. The two hard drives that I had been using since 1993 were Quantum, I looked at what that had to offer. I found the 1.2 gigabyte Fireball 1280. The Fireball 1280 AT that I tested is an IDE drive (it also comes in SCSI). It is a two-disk 3.5-inch hard disk drive which features leading areal density and innovative technology and gives the user affordable large storage capacity for their desktop computer.

I had one problem when installing the Fireball. My BIOS chip was from 1992, and could not support a large capacity drive. Once I replaced the chip everything was OK. The Fireball has jumpers to support two hard drives. If you have only the one drive you can use it right out of the box.

I ran several performance programs on the drive and it responded very favorably. The seek time  was less than 11.5 ms. I have also noticed faster loading of programs than over my previous drives. The Fireball is rated at 500,000 hours MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure). In the past several months I have put this drive to the test  by partitioning it, reformatting it, etc.  I have been very pleased with its performance.

Fireball 1280 AT has performance enhancing features that include a fast ATA-2 interface for data transfer rates up to 16.6 MB/second and a FAST SCSI-3 interface for transfer rates of up to 10 MB/second. Fireball drives support S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology), and advanced drive diagnostics feature developed for ATA and SCSI hard disk drives.

Features:

Low profile 1-inch height.

Industry standard 3.5" form factor.

Daisy-chain two drives on the interface.

Power saving modes

DiskWare Downloadable Firmware.

LBA & Extended CHS Modes.

DisCache and WriteCache Firmware.

Fast ATA-2 PIO Mode 4 and DMA Mode 2 Support.

The Quantum Fireball 1280 AT is an affordable drive that gives the user 1280 MB (1.2 gig) of storage space and comes with a 3 year warranty.

Product Information:

Quantum Fireball 1280 AT

SRP - $395

Quantum Corp.

500 McCarthy Blvd.

Milpitas, CA 95035

408-894-4000

Internet: http://www.quantum.com


Return of Arcade

by Tony Curro

Years ago, more than I care to remember, there was a craze in the arcades. Several games were released that many people were addicted to. Quarters were being dropped into slots constantly for these games. Arcades had five or more versions of same games to meet the demand. Many times it still was not enough.

Microsoft remembered these days and has released Return Of Arcade. This package is a collection of four of the most popular games from that time: Pac Man, Galaxian, Dig Dug, and Pole Position. The package is a great recreation of these arcade classics. Superb graphics, sounds, and even customizable options make it a worthwhile addition to your games library.

Pac Man is one of the most popular arcade games of all time. It has spawned several other games like Ms. Pac Man, Jr. Pac Man, Super Pac Man, etc. The object of Pac Man is to eat up the dots on the screen. You are chased by four ghosts. When they get close to you eat a power dot and they will change colors. Eat them for points. This is a very addictive game.

Galaxian is another arcade classic, and one you can still find along with Pac Man at many arcades. This is a space game. You have a ship and must destroy wave after wave of ships bent on destroying you. They will lie dormant for a while but they start to swoop down and attack you. Running to the corner of the screen to avoid them does not always work. They are smart and will hone in on your ship kamikaze-style and blow their ship up just to destroy you. Keep alert.

Dig Dug pits you against Fygar the fire-breathing  Dragon and you must avoid the constant pursuit of Pooka. You can use your pump to blow them up but they keep coming.

Pole Position is one of the first race games that I got hooked on. Get out of the gate fast but keep it on the road and avoid the other cars in the race. Can you get the checkered flag?

Return comes on 3 high-density disks. Once installed you simply pick the game of choice and have fun without the need to insert a quarter. You can use a joystick or the  keyboard, which you can customize for the keys you prefer. I found a joystick the best way to play Pole Position. The other games work well either way.  In each game, where applicable, you cans et the rate of fire, number of lives, keyboard controls, and other variables.

This package follows the success of the original Microsoft Arcade which included: Asteroids, Centipede, Battlezone, Tempest, and Missle Command.

Return of Arcade incorporates Microsoft's newest audio technology, Wavemix, enabling games enthusiasts to hear all the classic arcade sounds simultaneously in the Windows environment.

System Requirements:

Multimedia PC or compatible with 486DX or higher microprocessor running at 33 MHz.

Windows 95 operating system.

4 MB of RAM.

3 MB of available hard disk space.

-inch high-density disk drive.

Super VGA, 256-color support monitor.

Sound board (recommended)

Mouse

Joystick (recommended)

Product Information:

Microsoft Return of Arcade

SRP- $34.95

Microsoft Corporation


Basic Input/Output System

(BIOS) The part of the {operating system} of the {IBM PC} that 	provides the lowest level interface to peripheral devices. 	The BIOS is stored in {ROM} in every IBM PC.  In order to provide acceptable performance (e.g. for screen display), software vendors directly access the routines in the BIOS, rather than using the higher level operating system calls. Thus, the BIOS in the compatible computer must be 100% 	compatible with the IBM BIOS.

As if that wasn't bad enough, many {application program}s bypass even the BIOS and address the screen hardware directly just as the BIOS does.  Consequently, register level compatibility is required in the compatible's display electronics, which means that it must provide the same storage locations and identification as the original IBM hardware.


ComputerTalk Magazine

Volume 3                * Editor/Publisher *          Number 5

June                            Tony Curro                          1996

Copyright (c) 1992,1993,1994,1996  by Tony Curro - All rights reserved.

HLP version created using ForeHelp v2.95 by ForeFront, Inc. (303) 499-9181

Dictionary Definitions courtesy of: http://wombat.doc.ic.ac.uk/

(click on picture for Index)


File Transfer Protocol

(FTP) A {client-server} protocol which allows a user on one computer to transfer files to and from another computer over a {TCP/IP} network.  Also the client program the user executes to transfer files.


Freeware

I have been reviewing Shareware since I started CTM. Of late I have come across some excellent programs that are free.

This month I take a look at three programs that saved my bacon, and made my life easier. When you add a new hard drive, a drive crashes, or you just decide to reformat your hard drive how do you restore your system from tape? If you are using a Windows 95 backup program you must first install Windows. If you are using a DOS program you have a mess with your long filenames. If the registry file in Windows gets corrupt, how do you get in?

Two of the programs I review below run from DOS and solve these problems. The other is a Windows based program that can also help you.

The author's of these programs retain the copyright to said products. All products cannot be altered in any way. While they are free for use, several of them are NOT in the public domain.

WIN 95 BAK

by Tony Curro

I came across this program somewhere, but cannot remember where. There is no name for the author of this program to give credit to. The file will be available for download from my site.

WinBak is not a substitute for your tape backup program. When you restore your system with any backup software it is not restored as you had it. When I restored I lost the settings of my graphics as it reverted to 16 colors. WinBak saves your registry files: SYSTEM.DAT, and USER.DAT (and the backups of these files).

WinBak consists of two batch files and an install file. Run the install from a floppy. Once installed on your hard drive run either of the two batch files from DOS, NOT a DOS prompt in Windows. The two batch files WINBAK and WINREST. The first will backup the above mentioned Windows configuration files, while the other will restore them.

You should use this program whenever you make changes that affect your registry files, and ALWAYS before you do a tape backup. It should be the last thing you do before a backup. Don't worry about having several copies of these files in the Win95Bak directory. WinBak will delete previous versions of these files in it's directory before making the backup. This way you will always have the current versions available.

___________________________________________________________________

DOSLFNBK

by Tony Curro

DOS Long FileName Backup (DOSLFNBK) is written by D. J. Murdoch. When I restored my hard drive the first time from DOS it was a disaster. All the long filenames, of course, would not restore properly  not to mention the icons on the desktop, etc. When I went into Windows and ran the tape backup software it made things worse. I now had the proper long filenames and directories, but I also had a slew of duplication names like Dir~1, Dir~2, etc. It took a while to clean up this mess. DOSLFNBK works around all this and makes life easier.

This program is a DOS application. In simple terms it will back up all long filenames and restore them. DOSLFNBK does not store the drive letter in the backup file so you can restore to a different directory. The directories must be present on the target drive as DOSLFNBK will NOT create the directories. I had two drives, D and E. I did not want E any longer. So I used DOSLFNBK to back up all the long names on both of these drive. Then I did a tape backup from DOS, and reformatted my hard drive. When I did the tape restore I told it to place all the files from E onto the D drive. I then ran DOSLFNBK to restore all the long filenames that were previously on E to the D drive. It worked as advertised. DOSLFNBK should be run before a backup. After you restore your hard drive from a DOS-based tape backup, and before you run Windows, you will use the restore feature of DOSLFNBK to restore all the long filenames. The program has many options, even one that will allow you to restore only specific file directories and subdirectories. The latest version will now run in a DOS window of Windows 95.

Product Information:

DOSLFNBK v1.2

Duncan Murdoch

337 Willingdon Ave.

Kingston, Ontario, Canada

K7L 4J3

E-mail: dmurdoch@mast.queensu.ca

http://www.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/win95/util/doslfn12.zip

 or

ftp://ftp.simtel.net/pub/simtelnet/win95/util/doslfn12.zip

____________________________________________________________

LifeSaver v2.00 beta 3

by Tony Curro

LifeSaver will backup your system registry files, INI files (Protocol, System, and Win), and you DOS files (Autoexec.Bat and Config.Sys. It will compress these files into a backup set in the directory of your choice (it's directory is the default). Since it compresses the files PKZIP and PKUNZIP must be present on your system.

This is another program that you should run periodically, and also BEFORE you make a tape backup. It will restore your system to the previous state it was in in the event of a crash.  We had been working with version 1.05. As we were going  to press v2.00 beta3 was released. This may very well be the final version of 2.00. You can get either version from their website.

Features:

Backup and Restore up to seven different configuration files.

Run from the command line.

Restore files from the command prompt (DOS) mode.

Restore to an alternate directory.

Restore individual files.

Save up to 10 backups.

Backup and Restore up to 10 user defined files (with Drag and Drop support) (Version2.0 only)

Product Information:

LifeSaver v2.00 beta 3

WWW: http://members.aol.com.aeroblade

I had need for all these programs and they did the job for me. I did something that caused Windows to get messed up. I restored using DOS-based tape software. Once things were back, I used WinBak to restore the registry, DOSLFNBK to restore the long filenames, and after getting into Windows, LifeSaver to restore the other configuration files to get Windows as it was. Everyone should have these programs in their library. Other than the download time they are, like not much in life, FREE!!!


From The Editor's Desk

Happy Father's Day

Summer is just around the corner which means PC Expo is coming to New York City. It will be here June 18-20, and yours truly will be there to bring you the latest scoop on what is happening. I already received a call from a company that has a keyboard with a built-in gray scale scanner that will take paper from a business card to 8 1/2 x 11.

People say that nothing in life is free, or if it is it is not worth it. This month I prove these people wrong. I had the pleasure of logging into the PointCast Network where, once you download their software, you can get all the news you want for free. I also look at three free programs that were invaluable to be a short time ago. One of these, Win95Bak, is available for download right here at CTM.

We also take a look at the Quantum 1280 hard drive, CyberSearch, a book on HTML, ProAgio Mouse, ShareWare, Norton Utilities, and Return of Arcade. Arcade kept me so hooked, and brought back many memories of days gone by, that I almost did not get the magazine out in time.

'til next month,

Tony Curro

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------- DISCLAIMER ----------------

The information provided in this magazine are the opinions of the author whose name appears at the top of the article.

We do not wish to discredit a product, company, or  author of said product. The software reviews are based solely upon the opinion of the author of the review, and his or her experiences from using the product in question.

We further assume no liability from any problems or dissatisfaction that a user may have from a product that we have reviewed in our magazine.

The News, Updates, and Upgrade column is not an endorsement of any product. It is presented solely for information purposes.

Tony Curro, Editor - ComputerTalk Magazine.


Hypertext Markup Language

(HTML) {Hypertext} document format used by the {World-Wide 	Web}.  Built on top of {SGML}.  "Tags" are embedded in the text.  A tag consists of a "<", a "directive", zero or more parameters and a ">".  Matched pairs of directives, like <title> and </title> are used to delimit text which is to appear in a special place or style.  Links to other documents are in the form

 <a name="baz" href="http://machine.edu/subdir/file.html">foo</a>

where "a", "/a" delimit an "anchor" called baz, "href" introduces a hypertext reference, which in this case is a {Uniform Resource Locator} (URL) (the thing in double quotes in the example above).  The text "foo" will be the label  appearing on the link in the browser.

A certain place within an HTML document can be specified by 	following the document name with a hash (#) and the name of an anchor at that position.

Other common tags include <p> for a new paragraph, <b>..</b> for bold text, <ul> for an unnumbered list, <pre> for 	preformated text, <h1>, <h2> .. <h6> for headings.

{HTML} supports some {national characters} through special {escape sequences  (http://www.w3.org/hypertext/WWW/MarkUp/ISOlat1.html)}.


Index

From The Editor's Desk

PointCast Network

Quantum Fireball 1280 AT

Freeware (Win95Bak, DOSLFNBK, LifeSaver)

CyberSearch

ShareWare Spotlight

WebEdit

QuikLink

NetLoad

ProAgio Mouse

HTML: The Definitive Guide

Return of Arcade

Norton Utilities for Windows 95

Glossary

Me and My Computer


Integrated Drive Electronics

<hardware, standard> (IDE) A disk interface {standard} based 	on the {IBM PC} {ISA} 16-bit {bus} but also used on other {personal computer}s.  The IDE specification deals with the power and data signal interfaces between the {motherboard} and the integrated disk controller and drive.  The IDE "bus" only supports two devices - master and slave.

IDE drives may in fact use any physical interface the manufacturer desires, so long as an embedded translator is included with the proper IDE interface.  IDE "controllers" are actually direct connections to the ISA bus.


Me and My Computer

ComputerTalk(tm) Magazine is published monthly by Tony Curro

All material Copyright(c) 1996 by Tony Curro. All rights reserved.

Authors' retain copyright of their own works.

All programs copyright or trademark by respective companies

            Please contact me concerning reprints of articles

Visit our Web site:

http://ww.inx.net/~ctalk

On the InterNet::  ctalk@inx.net

You can also contact the editor by mail. The magazine is free, but we will gratefully accept donations to offset cost of equipment, and time spent in producing the magazine. It is also a further incentive that people appreciate the work we do.

     Send information, press releases and products to:

     ComputerTalk Magazine                Voice/FAX

     28 Vesey Street                          212-233-7718

     Suite  2250

     New York, NY 10007-2906

     Attn: Tony Curro, Editor


PointCast Network

by Tony Curro

I recently saw an article in a magazine about the PointCast Network from PointCast Inc. I stopped by their site and was very pleased with what I found. The PointCast Network is a provider of network news via the Internet. You can receive headline news, financial news, weather and more. Version 1.0 of the software should be available shortly, and will include a channel from Time Warner's pathfinder that broadcasts daily news from Time, People and Money Magazines. This version will also be seamlessly integrated with Netscape Navigator. I have also used the beta version with Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

The PointCast Network is a free service. All that is required is to download, and install, the software. Version 1.0 of the PointCast Network works seamlessly with Netscape Navigator versions 1.22 and above. When a Netscape user installs the PointCast Network, Navigator is automatically detected, allowing the viewer to select Netscape as the default browser. When a viewer clicks on a PointCast commercial or selects the Internet channel, Netscape Navigator automatically replaces PointCast's built-in browser and links the viewer to the World Wide Web. The current beta version uses its own built-in browser. While I had to run PCN manually, it does work with Microsoft's Internet Explorer. For that matter, as a stand-alone, it should work with any browser on the market. The beta version does not allow you to save or capture a page. You can print it, but you cannot even highlight text to copy to the clipboard. Maybe this will be resolved in version 1.0 or a later version to allow non Netscape users more flexibility.

In addition to the above you can also receive sports news and sports ticker, Variety news and horoscopes, weather and more. You personalize the product to receive the information you want. You like baseball but not football? Just receive the baseball information.  There are many options that can be set very easily. You will be up and running in less than five minutes. PCN also doubles as a screen saver.

The screen has buttons on the left side. The right side is broken up into three windows. The top left window shows the headline, while the bottom window shows the accompanying story. The top right window is for advertisers. While PCN is free to all users, someone has to pay the bill. You will see ads from banks, Prodigy, Saturn cars, and more. A very small price to pay for this wonderful free service.

The new version of PCN will also contain a new automatic scheduler for dial-up viewers.  Now users can designate precisely when and how often their dialer will automatically dial onto the Internet, receive updates from PointCast's central broadcast facility and log off the Internet. PointCast offers native support for the following dialers: CompuServe, Shiva, FTP and Windows 95. Other  users can update the software manually whenever they are connected to the Internet.

New Features in version 1.0 include:

Time Warner Pathfinder channel

Los Angeles Times channel

Boston Globe channel

Companies channel

Industries channel

Weather channel

PointCast Network version 1.0 will also feature a new design and color scheme. For increased interactivity, the software now supports URL links in all news stories. Viewers can link to another Web site from any story on the PointCast Network to get more information.

The current version of the PointCast Network is compatible with Windows 3.1/3.11 and Windows 95. A beta version for Macintosh is expected this summer.

PointCast provides users with complementary technical support to registered users via the World Wide Web and e-mail, with a one-business day turn around. A wide range of self-service support is available, including constantly updated status reports for PCN at 800-586-4733.

I am very impressed with this free service. Please check them out at: http://www.pointcast.com and get their free software and start enjoying the free things in life!!


ShareWare SpotLight - NetLoad

by Tony Curro

I have been doing my web site for several months. Each month I am adding more features. I just recently started placing my ZIP on my site for download. I had to create a directory, change to it, and then upload the files. When I forget they go to the wrong directory, and I have to do it all over again. In addition to this I had to manually tag all unwanted files on my remote and then delete them. Then I have to tag all the files on my PC for upload. I must remember which of the over 100 files on my site stay there each month (bars, some icons, graphics, etc.). This can become rather frustrating. But there was no easier way. UNTIL NOW!!!

Andrew McLean from Aerosoft has developed a fabulous FTP application called NetLoad. NetLoad is a smart file transfer system which maintains remote sites using conventional FTP. It allows the user to transfer new or updated files, and also recreates your entire directory structure on the remote site.

When you  start NetLoad for the first time click on the Setup tab after it is running. Here you will input your FTP details: FTP server, Username, Password, and port. All this information is saved, and in the case of your name and password encrypted. Now go the right-hand window on the upper part of the screen. Here you will enter the path to your remote site. In the left-hand side click on Change and double click on the directory on your local PC that you wish to upload. The program also has a mirroring feature that allows you to setup a mirror of the remote site on your local PC. NetLoad will transfer all files and directories from your remote site to your PC.

Local directory on left, remote on right. You see what is to happen on transfer

Once you have don that go to the Transfer tab. Click on Connect and you will see your remote files listed shortly thereafter. Now press the Compare button to compare the files, and Update to place the new files on your site, and remove unused files or directories from the remote. You can further simplify these steps by changing them under the Options tab. Placing a checkmark  next to compare and update will automatically let NetLoad do these functions for you. NOTE: the removal of files and directories is only available in the registered version. The evaluation version only allows the transfer of 3 files.

NetLoad uses the right mouse button. When you right click on a file/directory you have the option to: Ignore, delete, force upload, restore. This gives you added flexibility over the  files that are sent. In the Legend tab you will see icons that explain what activity will be taken. For example a check mark for upload, trashcan to delete file, etc. I created a template file for my reviews. I do not need, nor do I wish, to upload this file to my site. When I start NetLoad, I right click on this file and tell NL to ignore it.

Anyone who uploads files to their site knows how painful it has been. For that reason alone you should check out NetLoad. The program is available for a 30-day evaluation from Aerosoft's web site. Stop by and grab your copy today. This is the best thing to come out of Australia since Paul Hogan and Olivia Newton John. Olivia is far prettier than NetLoad, but NetLoad just may be more powerful than Paul. To paraphrase a line that Paul said in his movie when a street punk pulled a little switchblade, and Paul whipped out this huge knife, Paul said "You call that a knife, this IS a knife." Well I say "You call the program you are using an FTP application, NetLoad IS a REAL FTP application."

Product Information:

NetLoad v2.0d

32-bit for Windows 95 and NT

Registration:

Australian $39.95

U.S. $34.95

There is also a $5 rebate offer on the site.

Aerosoft

P.O. Box 1277

Neutral Bay NSW 2089

Email: andrew@aerosoft.com.au

WWW: http://www.aerosoft.com.au/netload


ShareWare SpotLight - QuikLink

by Tony Curro

Each Web Browser has different features that appeal to the user. I currently have three browsers installed. I use the one that fits my mood of the moment. If I am using Netscape, and find an interesting site I bookmark it. If I am using Microsoft's Internet Explorer I add the URL to my favorites.  Now when I use Netscape and have a URL in Explorer I have to close Netscape and start Explorer. There should be an easier way. Well, R. Hunter Gordon has created the better "mousetrap."

QuikLink Explorer is designed for Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0. QLExplorer allows you to organize your favorite web sites in a more familiar manner. The interface is designed to work just like Explorer does in Windows 95 and Windows NT. You can create and nest folders, and within them store links to your favorite sites. When you double-click on an entry, QLExplorer will send the necessary information to your web browser. If your browser is not open, QLExplorer will open it and pass the information along. You can select a specific browser for sites that are browser specific (eg: background sound in Internet Explorer, Java in Netscape, etc.).

You can import  URL files, Bookmarks, and Hotlists directly into QLExplorer. I created folders for Netscape, Internet Explorer, etc. Then I just imported the bookmarks, URLs, or hotlists directly into the individual folders. QLExplorer created the various folders with the Netscape folder I created thereby retaining my bookmark structure. I see now that I have duplicated many links with my browsers. Now I will use the features of QLExplorer to better organize my lists and purge the duplicated material.

QLExplorer will work with any browser via copy and paste, but is automated for: Netscape Navigator, MS Internet Explorer, Spyglass Mosaic, Spry Mosaic, and NCSA Mosaic. You can import and export files from the previous and also any HTML document, QuikLink Explorer database, or add your own entries manually. You can also view the entries as small icons, large icons, or full URL listing. Once QuikLink is active you will see it's icon on the top right side of your browser. If you go to a page you wish to save, just click on this icon and the URL will be imported into QuikLink.

Since I discovered QuikLink Explorer I may never use the bookmark or favorite features of my browser again. I will just keep QLExplorer active and capture the current URL directly into QuikLink. This way I will only have one list and it will make my browsing easier, quicker, and more enjoyable.

Anyone who uses the Internet should check out QuikLink Explorer. The registration fee is small compared to what you are getting.

Features:

Names up to 255 characters.

Nested Folders.

Tree List View.

Drag and Drop between files and folders.

Maintain multiple databases.

Automated browser support: Send or Get URL from Browser, Auto-load Browser, Find and load a specific browser.

Rename folders.

Open HTM/HTML directly as QuikLink database files.

Product Information:

QuikLink Explorer for Windows 95/Windows NT 4.0

version 2.051 (current as of this writing)

Registration: $10.00

CompuServe: GO SWREG use ID# 10074

Register also via email, fax, and mail.

R. Hunter Gordon

3350 Hogan Drive

Kennesaw, GA 30152-2504

Internet e-mail: qsupport@quiklinks.com

CompuServe email: 74167,2340

Web site: http://www.quiklinks.com


ShareWare SpotLight - WebEdit

by Tony Curro

Kenn Nesbitt has released WebEdit 2.0, a web authoring tool for Microsoft Windows. Version 2.0 comes in both Standard and Professional versions for Windows 95 and NT. There is also version 1.4c Standard for Windows 3.1 users.

WebEdit allows you to open multiple documents at the same time. When the "Open Dialog" box comes up just hold down the Control key while clicking on the filenames you wish to open. You can also create project files. A project file is a list of several HTML documents you want to group together. When you close a project, all files are saved before closing.

It is very easy to edit a file or multiple files using WebEdit. For example, I wanted to change the extension .htm to .html in all references on my web site. I opened all related HTML files and used the replace option to globally change them. When I was finished with the changes, I used the SAVE ALL option of WebEdit to save all the changes to all the files. You do not need to save each file individually.

WebEdit has many options that you can change to set, even customize the toolbar. The program remembers the last directory you used and will default to it the next time you start WebEdit. There are Wizards to guide you in different aspects of web page design.

You see the built-in broswer on the right, and the text on the left.

There are two ways to view the finished product. You can start any browser from WebEdit, or you can use WebEdit's built-in Quick Preview. Quick Preview splits the screen, and allows you to view the raw document on the left side and the actual graphical document on the right.

I had a HTML document that would always act funny in Netscape. The screen would be one page and not allow scrolling. I knew something was wrong, but trying to find a missed quotation mark or <> is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. So I used WebEdit's HTML Tag Checker. The tag checker works with HTML up to 2.0 and generates a list of errors. I quickly found several missed or duplicate codes which would mess up the finished product. It took several seconds to find and correct the problems.

WebEdit is a full-featured web authoring tool, and gives you power, flexibility, ease-of-use in a reasonably priced package. The product is currently in beta with a June release date.

Features:

Unlimited number and size of documents.

HTML dialogs.

HTML 3.0, Netscape 2.0 and Internet Explorer 2.0 Tags.

Document structure elements.

Block formatting elements.

Logical font formatting elements.

Physical font formatting elements.

List and miscellaneous elements.

Special characters.

Form and Table elements.

WYSIWYG table builder.

Client-Side image mapping.

In addition to the above, the Professional version gives you:

Project support.

HTML tag checker.

Colored tag highlighting.

Add-ons - Allows you to run additional add-on tools which will be produced by Nesbitt Software and third-party software vendors.

Product Information:

WebEdit 2.0 32-bit for Windows

Standard Edition - $39.95

Professional Edition - $79.95

Data Transfer Group

2251 San Diego Ave.

Suite A-141

San Diego, CA 92110

(619) 220-8026

(619) 220-8324 (FAX)

E-mail:  webedit@thegroup.net

Internet: http://www.nesbitt.com

Order form: http://www.nesbitt.com/Register.html

CompuServe: GO SWREG


Small Computer System Interface

<hardware, standard> (SCSI) /skuh'zee/, /sek'si/ A processor-independent standard for system-level interfacing between a computer and intelligent devices including {hard disk}s, {floppy disk}s, {CD-ROM}, printers, {scanner}s and many more.  SCSI can connect up to 7 devices to a single controller (or "host adaptor") on the computer's bus.  It was developed by {Shugart Associates}, which later became {Seagate}.  Original SCSI implementations were highly incompatible with each other.

SCSI transfers eight bits in parallel (it is an eight-bit bus) and can operate in either asynchronous or synchronous modes. The synchronous transfer rate is up to 5MB/s.

SCSI connections normally use "{single ended}" drivers as opposed to {differential driver}s.  Single ended SCSI can suport up to 6 metres of cable.  Differential can support up to 25 metres of cable.

A problem with SCSI is the large number of different connectors allowed.  Nowadays the trend is towards a 68-pin {miniature D-type} connector for {Wide SCSI} and a 50-pin 	version of the same connector for 8-bit SCSI (Type 1-4, pin pitch 1.27 mm x 2.45 mm).  50-pin {ribbon cable} connectors are also popular for internal wiring (Type 5, pin pitch 2.54 mm x 2.54 mm).  {Apple Computer} used a 25-pin connector on the {Macintosh} computer but this connector causes problems with high-speed equipment.

SCSI was originally called SASI for "Shugart Associates System Interface" before it became a standard.  The original standard is now called "SCSI-1" to distinguish it from {SCSI-2} and {SCSI-3} which include specifications of {Wide SCSI} (a 16-bit bus) and {Fast SCSI} (10 MB/s transfer).


Uniform Resource Locator

(URL) (Previously "Universal").  A draft standard for specifying an object on the {Internet}, such as a file or {newsgroup}.  URLs are used extensively on the {World-Wide Web}.  They are used in {HTML} documents to specify the target of a {hyperlink}.


WYSIWYG

/wiz'ee-wig/ Describes a user interface under which "What You See Is What You Get", as opposed to one that uses more-or-less obscure commands that do not result in immediate visual feedback.  True WYSIWYG in environments supporting multiple fonts or graphics is a a rarely-attained ideal; there are variants of this term to express real-world manifestations including WYSIAWYG (What You See Is *Almost* What You Get) and WYSIMOLWYG (What You See Is More or Less What You Get).