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

   Cache La Byte, by Thom Foulkes

All That Glitters . . .

   Microsoft Access 2.0, by Ed Rasimus

". . . simple enough for the common man and powerful enough for the power-user."

   Kaboom!, by Ted Tatman

Have more fun with sound in Windows

   Sharkware, by G.L. Heitzmann

"It's not who you know, it's what you know about who you know that matters."

   Computerizing Your Bible Study, by Ed Hoffman

HyperBible 1.7.1

Deluxe Bible 1.2

   Ecco Pro 2.0, by Ed Rasimus

More efficient and at the same time updated

   Roland Audio Production, by Randy Wong

A Digital Recording Studio On Your Desk!

   Hercules Graphite Power VL, by Randy Wong

The next generation of Hercules Graphite Accelerator cards.

   Zap!, by Bob Gollihur

How Your Computer Can Hurt You --- And What You Can Do About It.

   Windows OnLine (BBS)

   Your On-ramp to the Internet


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

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

Staff Writers: Steven Jay Cohen, G.L. Heitzmann, David Morgan, Ed Rasimus, Randy Wong

Contributing Writers: Bob Ellig, Thom Foulkes, Ted Tatman

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
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Frank J. Mahaney

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Internet Address:    frank.mahaney@wol.com


       CACHE LA BYTE

by Thom Folkes

All That Glitters...

The cabbie had studied me at length in his mirror -- I knew it, and he knew that I knew it. We'd made eye contact several times after he'd picked me up at the hospital, and we'd both jerked our views elsewhere each time.

He finally spoke: "Got beat up, right? Woman trouble?"

I watched the flash of lights passing by, and said: "That's a red light ahead. Try to stop for this one, won't you?"

He snarled: "Hey, I'm driving...you're riding. Just trying to be sociable. Ya got beat up by some gal's boyfriend, right?"

I decided I needed a friend and maybe this klutz could be one. I said: "Nah -- worse 'n that. I was in this hacker's bar, and I.. well, yeah, I'd really had too much. We were having fun, bunch of us yakking about virtualizing and transportable objects and recursive loops. But then some guy started bragging about how many computer programs he'd downloaded, and it got under my skin."

"Downloaded? What's wrong with that?" asked the cabbie. "It's legal, right?"

"Oh, sure!" I answered. "It's legal, and you don't have to pay for it unless you really use it a lot. We call that 'shareware' -- but that's what I was griping about. Now that shareware has become popular..."

"Right!!!" interrupted the cabbie. "I do everything with shareware! I even register it! Uh, well, some of it."

"That's another red light you ran," I said, "I think I may have been safer in the hacker's bar."

But then I made the dumbest mistake of the evening. I said: "Problem is, programming has become so easy -- with stuff like Visual Basic -- that now everyone thinks they're a programmer. There's an awful lot of shareware around that is just plain junk, stuff that only a mother could be proud of, but no one says so, 'cause it's 'shareware'..."

The ambulance crew told me later they'd found me propped up against a curb. When I awakened again in the emergency room, the doctor said: "Weren't you just here? And what's all this you mean by screaming 'junk' all the time?"

I answered: "Uh, doc -- I just left a cab driver who was an amateur programmer. Do you own a computer?"

"Sure," he answered, waving a hand at the corner of the room. "That's my notebook, with a VGA screen, right over there. I wrote this little program to keep track of our work schedule here. But what's that got to do with you being back here?"

"Uh, never mind, doc. I guess I just had one too many. I don't really remember what I was saying."

commentary by

Thom Foulkes


       SHARKWARE

by G.L. Heitzmann

Just when I thought it was safe to go back to the steno pool, Sharkware arrived with the advice that I should "Swim with the sharks". Now, I've caught sharks on rod 'n' reel, I've even kept them in a tank in my living room.. . . but swim with sharks? Not knowingly!

Sharkware is a combination of a contact management system, an activity tracking system, a source for printing labels, envelopes, reports, schedules, the ability to interface with Word for Windows, AmiPro, WordPerfect, Windows Write for word processing, and advice from Harvey Mackay. His initial quote is "It's not who you know, it's what you know about who you know that matters." (G.L.H.'s note: I was able to write this review from inside Sharkware as I was using it, ditto for several letters to my personal contacts -- a very nice touch indeed.)

Supplied on two 1.44mb floppies in a "total marketing" package, replete with a sharkbite on the corner of the package, it requires a 386 or better, 4mb of RAM, 7mb of hard disk space, VGA, and a Hayes compatible modem for auto-dialing. The box contains a Sharkware pen so you can fill out the registration card immediately, an audio casette tape by author Harvey Mackay, three manuals (Getting Started, Tutorial, and User's Guide) as well as a Quick Reference card and a catalog of other Sharkware merchandise. Getting Started leads one through the install process with screen captures at every step and leads to the tutorial. The Tutorial also very thoroughly explains an onscreen tutorial display/program which for me was an absolute necessity. Regardless of the fact that placing the mouse cursor on an item produces a terse description in a status bar, there are so many nooks and crannies in which to store information that a first first glance is somewhat mind boggling. The User's Guide presents a complete, detailed view of every individual segment of the program, right down to the number of allowable characters in each field of the database.

Sharkware's ability to keep a dosier on every contact will probably be the envy of most private detectives, CIA operatives, and possibly the FBI. There are choices of up to 66 separate items from date of birth to things the contact finds bothersome, like back pain, rotten relatives, draft dodging, etc. In short, it is a program that every police officer with a laptop will find very handy and desirable. Salespeople will likewise find a laptop loaded with it to be a very nice tool in the late night motel room session. Thinking to be "cute", I did a full Mackay 66 profile on me, and I'm not sure I knew all the right info to enter in answer to the questions. It didn't ask my grandmother's girdle size, but there is a comment spot for it.

Its database will accept a quantity of contacts limited only by the hard drive's space to store them. User-definable fields are also unlimited and it's a snap to separate contacts into groups within the database. Given that you've forgotten most of what you knew about a contact, entering one parameter into the search tool will put that contact onscreen in a split second. A very nice item is it's ability to transfer data from the contact database. Click on the hand-with-pencil icon to call forth the word processor you told it you want to use, and it will automatically run off a fax, letter, envelope, and labels. The user does nothing more than enter the "body" of the fax/letter. In addition, Sharkware will also auto-dial any contact's phone number and develop a running log of all the calls.

Another item is both good and bad. A "to-do" list that features drag and drop for re-scheduling and prioritizing will warn of scheduling conflicts (that's good), but if you don't get them done, the unfinished item will "creep" onto the following day's list and nag at you (that's not so good -- or perhaps it is). A system of alarms can be easily "snoozed" a la that morning alarm clock at the bedside, re-scheduled, or eliminated when unneeded.

Sharkware can also be passworded for security and will share data from several external databases and pure ASCII files, which also can save a lot of typing. The Windows Help function is as thorough as the manuals. Of course, it also allows personalizing of the screen's colors as well as calendar settings. Its pop-up tables and pull down menus makes operation simplicity itself.

If you need more than Sharkware has to offer, it's time to hire a private investigator, a personal manager, a secretary and a phone operator. Published by Cognitech with a suggested retail price of $129.95 it's a whole lot cheaper than hiring help, and you don't have to worry about hospitalization or vacations.

SharkWare

List Price: $129.95

Available from:

Cognitech

P.O. Box 500129

Atlanta, GA 31150

Phone: (404)-518-4577

   fax: (404)-518-4588

written by:

G.L. Heitzmann

gary.heitzmann@wol.com


Hercules Graphite Power VL
       HERCULES POWER VL

by Randy Wong

Forging on with the goal of helping users get more speed from their computers, Hercules introduces their newest line of Windows accelerator cards, the Power series. There are Graphite Power models for ISA, VL, and PCI buses. Historically, the Graphite VL line of video cards has been affordable and the most productive for me. Even though the Graphite Power VL sports a 32 bit bus width, it is still outraces most of the 64 bit cards available. The new Graphite Power video card uses the new AGX-016 processor chip from Xtechnology. A visual examination shows the layout of the card to be basically the same as the previous Graphite products using the AGX-015 processor. However, DOS applications are faster. Using the DOS Landmark 2.0 benchmark, the Graphite Power VL clocked in at 6,383 chr/ms. Overall performance in Windows has also increased. This next-generation Graphite Power replaces the current Graphite Pro cards.

Click on the computer at the end of the article for information about the test machine.

  Xtechnology AGX-016, 32-bit GUI accelerator chip.

  A 44-pin RAMDAC chip and an 135 MHz Brooktree BT485 RAMDAC chip.

  1 Mbyte VRAM or 2 Mbyte VRAM for maxinum speed.

  Compatibility with CGA, EGA, VGA, SVGA, MDA, and VESA modes.

  Screen resolution from 640x480 to 1280x1024 dependent upon monitor support.

  Supports 13" standard VGA to 21" ultra-high resolution large monitors, interlaced and non-interlaced.

  VGA Pass-Through feature connector, for IBM VGA modes.

  Support of 4-bit (16 colors), 8-bit (256 colors), 16-bit (65,536 colors or Photo color), and 24-bit (16.7 million colors or True Color).

 SuperStable refresh rate up to 150Hz.

 Drivers for Windows 3.1, Windows NT, OS/2, Autodesk products, and others.

  Installation Guide.

  Free technical support via phone, fax, CompuServe, and Technical BBS.

  Two Years Warranty.

Installing the Hercules Graphite Power VL video card was very quick and simple. I started out by resetting the Windows video driver to the standard VGA setup. This was to make sure I could get into Windows using the standard VGA display. Once I open up the computer to repace the old video card with the new Graphite Power Accelerator card, I am ready to begin. For my own reasons, I always start with the switches in their default factory settings. I power up the computer to be certain the video card works in this machine. On VL bus machines, playing with jumpers six and/or nine will usually take care of any lockup problems. Then it's time to install the Hercules utilities and Windows drivers. Fortunately, Windows is up on the screen and all is well, so it's time to reassemble my computer case.

The key to any accelerated video cards is the software drivers. The hardware design plays the other important role, but the drivers are the key that will unlock what the Graphite Power VL can do. Hercules has always done a fantastic job in mating up the software drivers with their hardware unlike some manufacturers. Installing the software is done with the supplied Install DOS program. A CRT file is then created to hold the settings of your monitor. While many monitors have facilities to center and adjust the screen display, a Windows utility called ADJUST is included with the video board to handle monitor settings. This utility is used to center, grow or shrink your display. While switching Windows resolutions is not necessarily an everyday activity, there is another utility to help you change the resolution. PICWIN is used to change different screen resolutions, colors and fonts within Windows. Once the desired changes have been made, you must restart Windows in order for them to take effect. If the display is not big enough for your screen, there is a virtual screen utility called BigMap. This utility gives you a bigger working area than what you see. In reality, you still have your physical display area, but you can scroll to the right, left, up, or down for bigger display area. As an additional bonus, there is an Advance feature to reset the icon font type. Hardware Zoom is supported in several selected display modes. Pixel editing or closer examination of details are done faster with this hardware zoom feature.

 The next generation of Hercules Graphite Accelerator cards are another great video product for the computer community. Even though the Graphite family has never done well in many benchmark tests, it is fast on my system. I have tested several other accelerator cards and run them though the same, everyday applications that I use. While we haven't the laboratory facilities of other magazines, I have to say subjectively that the Hercules Graphite Power VL seems to be faster. Watching Corel re-draw an image shows me a difference. The Graphite Power VL still suffers the slow text performance in several benchmarks as with the previous Graphite models. Testing and working with this new Graphite Power VL card, there were still some minor Windows driver problems, such as text overlaying previous text on the screen in several applications. In time, these bugs should hopefully be cleaned up. If Windows is where you reside, then the Hercules Graphite Power VL should be one of the video cards on your list to check out.

If you are looking for a happy medium between DOS and Windows, Hercules has added several new Dynamite cards. They are the Dynamite Power VL and the Dynamite Power PCI video cards. They are additions to the Dynamite family, not a replacement. While the Dynamic ISA Pro and VL Pro are based on the Tseng Labs W32i chip, the new Power series are based on the W32p chip.

Hercules Graphite Power VLB

List Price:	PG720 (2 Mbyte VRAM): $499

PG610 (1 Mbyte VRAM): $379

For more information, please contact:

Hercules Computer Technology, Inc.

3839 Spinnaker Court

Fremont, CA 94538

800-532-0600

510-623-6030

FAX: 510-623-1112

Written by:

Randy Wong

randy.wong@wol.com


Microsoft Access
       MICROSOFT ACCESS 2.0

by Ed Rasimus

There is a certain exhilaration about being in over your head. Sometimes a software package is so overwhelming that you feel humbled just looking at it. I'm very much awed by the recently released update to MicroSoft Access, version 2.0.

Those who have read some of my previous ramblings in these electronic pages know I have a fascination with databases. Word processing, games, graphics and utilities occupy much of our time and hard disks, but the real power of computing is the manipulation of vast quantities of information. Spreadsheets come close, but at the bottom line they are often just glorified calculators. The real elegance of the computer solution is realized in the database, and the most elegant of the breed is the relational database.

This is not to say that I have any skill, knowledge or expertise in the field of relational databases. I don't. I am still trying to figure out what is really going on. I know the principals involved in the design, but I am woefully inadequate in dealing with the practicalities of a database. I'm no programmer or application designer. Having admitted that, let me now state, that Access 2.0 is for me.

Access has been around for just a little more than a year. Version 1.0 was Microsoft's entry into the database field with a Windows based relational database product designed to be powerful enough for major application development yet user friendly enough for Joe Bagadonutz. The first iteration stumbled badly at both ends of that user spectrum. When you call product support and the soft baritone over the Muzak tells you that you are number 246 in the Access queue, you know the problem isn't yours alone. The prompt issue of upgrade 1.1 helped somewhat with the stability of the program but didn't do much for Joe B. The worst part was the kludgy interface to mailmerge with MS' flagship WinWord.

Now, Access 2.0 is on the scene and the prognosis is for complete recovery of the patient. A lot has gone on behind the software scenes in terms of the database engine, but I'm one of those folks who doesn't want to fiddle under the hood. I just want to drive it. The good news is that the driving is finally easy. The cue cards which were a good idea poorly executed in v.1.0 have been refined so that they are now helpful to the neophyte. The Wizards, so successful in WinWord and Excel, now make common tasks in database design readily available. The bad news is that the program won't run very well on anything less than premium. Access 2.0 is the first off-the-shelf software product that freely confesses it needs a MINIMUM of 6 Mb with 8 Meg of RAM preferred. Believe me, they aren't kidding. Don't bother reading further if you don't have the muscle in the machine.

Access 2.0 is a powerful package. It can handle your names and addresses from your Rolodex, but that would be using a Ferrari to deliver pizza. This software is built for running a major enterprise, managing an inventory, tracking a customer base, administering a complex operation. It links effortlessly with spreadsheets, word processors, networks and mainframes. It allows import and export of existing databases as well as online access to databases resident in other systems. In the hands of a competent application designer, the program is virtually limitless. In the unwashed hands of Joe Bagadonutz, it will open new horizons and won't damage his data.

The option to use a "wizard" is offered for each new database component

My recent experience with Access 2.0 demonstrated to me the improvements to the program as well as revealing just the merest tip of the iceberg of total power of the program. I had a requirement to handle a list of 31,000 registered voters. The list came to me from a mainframe in dbase format with a scribbled sheet of paper noting the field allocations for each item in the record. Using Access 2.0, I was able to import the database, labeling and sizing the fields along with designating the field type (text, date, number, etc) in about two hours. Most of that time was devoted to counting spaces in the dbase record prior to allocating space in the Access 2.0 table. Once the import was complete, I had a usable, albeit rough, database.

Using the "make table" query wizard, I was quickly able to point-and-click my way to an improved table which consolidated some of the unusual aspects of the county's voter record files, such as separate fields for day, month, and year numerals in the date of birth data or separate fields for phone number exchange and last four digits, or separate fields for the first five digits and last four digits of zip codes. (Makes you wonder how these election department bureaucrats think, doesn't it?) Now, I could carrier route sort for bulk mailings using nine-digit zips, or by establishing date of birth as a date field rather than text, sort for age of probable voters.

The original records were supplied to me in sub-groups of six or seven precincts each. By using the "append table" wizard, I was able to consolidate these sub-groupings into a single data base table for all voters in the district. Queries in Access 2.0 are the bread and butter of using your data. With all of the records in a table, it is a simple matter to use the "Query-by-Example" window to design a query which would filter and sort the records to provide me exactly the subset of data I needed. One of the nicest features is that the result of a query, called a dynaset, is "live" for changes to the underlying table. In fact, anywhere you see a need for update in a record, you can make the change and it will reflect everywhere else that field shows up in the database (unless of course, your application designer has chosen to restrict that privilege).

Once a sort is completed, a wizard can walk you through design of a report either in document format, neatly laid out with appropriate fonts and spacing, or mail-labels in either Avery standard or custom sizes according to your preference. Similar wizardry leads you through the development of a form for data entry which can be linked to numerous tables for storage of pieces of data relevant to various areas of the database. Full customization with drop-down lists, radio buttons, default entries, colors, etc., is available. Macros can be attached to almost anything using an available array of common functions selected from a pop-up list or written from scratch using the powerful Access Basic programming language.

Tools allow detailed reports such as illustrated catalogs generated from database product tables. Relationships could establish catalogs based on prior customer purchases.

Access 2.0 is a complex, full-featured, extremely powerful program. This version corrects many of the shortcomings of the first iteration and now does achieve the difficult goal of being simple enough for the common man and powerful enough for the power-user. It won't be on everyone's purchase list for the simple reason that not many of us have a need for a fully relational Windows database. For most small office/home office users, a good PIM will do the job without the programming, design or overhead penalty of a program like Access 2.0 . But for someone in the market for a relational database with the moxie to handle any task and grow with the company, Access 2.0 might just be the ticket. My prediction is that this version of Access will be winning a lot of "Editor's Choice" and "Best Buy" accolades in the database category.

ACCESS 2.0

List Price: $495

Upgrade: $99

for further information contact:

Microsoft Corporation

Sales Information (800) 426-9400

Reviewed by

Ed Rasimus

ed.rasimus@wol.com


       ECCO PRO 2.0

by Ed Rasimus

I've been impressed with ECCO Pro since I first saw the product. I depend heavily upon a personal information manager (PIM) and ECCO earns their title of "Super-PIM". Now, Arabesque Software has released verion 2.0 of and if you weren't convinced before that this is the PIM for you, take another look.

Software revisions usually mean that the fat get fatter, the price goes up and the product is bloated with still more arcane features that most of us will never use. That is NOT the case with ECCO Pro 2.0. Quite the contrary. If version 1.1 had a shortcoming for most of us home users, it was that the program was a bit of a RAM hog. Ideally a PIM should be a Rolodex, Day-Timer, and notepad rolled into one efficient package which is always at our fingertips. With version 1.1, the less fortunate among us with less than four megabytes of RAM were unable to load ECCO and keep it running on the desktop. And heaven forbid you should want to look up something in the comprehensive on-line help. That would gobble up more than another megabyte of precious resources.

Now the new ECCO Pro 2.0 is available, and the memory problems are gone. Although you won't see it in the advertising (yet), and you probably won't read about it in the typical magazine reviews, the new ECCO Pro uses roughly half the system resources of version 1.1. I couldn't believe it when the tech support folks (as nice a bunch of folks as you would ever want to call), told me of the improvement. But, sure enough, when I ran Norton Syswatch "on top" of both versions of ECCO the improvement was obvious. Subjectively, I felt the program was running faster and more crisply, but when I could see the actual numbers of available system resources consumed I was impressed. Now, why can't some of our other major software producers get the message that we want to be able to use our Windows software for multi-tasking and we don't all have 32 meg of memory?

The big upgrade for ECCO Pro2.0 is the incorporation of full network capability. If ECCO was a compelling choice for the individual user in its first iteration, now it becomes a great choice for the networked office. Sharing of phone books, calendars and outlines is fully supported. Drag-and-drop between views has been improved and when you consider the possibilities for workgroup sharing of notes, outlines, calendars and phone books the options become truly mindboggling. Probably the greatest new feature of the networking is the scheduling function. We all know how difficult it is to set up an office meeting. Joe and Suzie are free on Tuesday at 1:00, Sam can't make it till Wednesday, and Debbie would prefer an 8:00 on Friday. Could everybody make it sometime on Thursday? Well, with ECCO, merely indicate who needs to attend and the software will scan everyone's calendar and point out the best time. Ya' gotta love it.

A month-at-a-glance view, one of several calendar viewing options

For the current ECCO user, the first glance at the program will not show much change, however, like all upgrades there are a number of new features which might prod you to spend the bucks. My two favorite new features are an interface with Delrina's WinFAX Pro and the addition of editable forms for phone book data entry. Users of WinFAX know that you can set up fax phone books for regularly used fax numbers. ECCO 2.0 provides direct links to WinFAX for your entire ECCO phonebook. Wherever you have a phonebook entry with a fax number in the fax field, you have a WinFAx entry. It saves time by making file import/export to the other software unnecessary, and it saves disc space by eliminating redundant files of phone numbers. Once again, this is the way Windows-ware is supposed to link up.

Phone book view offering just one of twelve data input forms.

The other appreciated feature in the new version is the incorporation of editable forms for data entry to the phone book. Earlier versions of ECCO Pro offered complete customization of the phone book through addition of columns of information which could be linked to outlines. Any bit of information you wanted could be added to a phone entry, but it required multiple manipulation for new records. Now, you can choose from twelve forms for entry and on several of the forms you can customize fields for exactly the data you want. If you use multiple data files for different groupings, you can default to particular forms which enter the data relevant to those records.

All of the familiar features of the early version remain. No current user will feel confused by the displays. In fact, you might have to click on "Help/About" to check your version number to reassure yourself that you have truly upgraded. But, in short order you will find new and improved features behind every menu. The program can access file manager, launch applications, link and imbed data, dial and log your phone calls, "shoot" addresses into your correspondence and essentially replace your program manager and desktop. Load ECCO Pro into your start-up group and leave it running for a week of work. You'll be amazed at what it will do for you and your workgroup.

I like ECCO. I've adopted it as my own PIM since I first had the opportunity to review the earlier version in Windows OnLine Review Issues 82 and 83. I liked it so much that it is one of the few pieces of software ever to merit a two-part review. The new version demonstrates to me what a progressive, thoughtful company can do with modern software. Cleaning up the programming to make it more efficient and at the same time updating it to respond to the needs of the user more effectively is what good software design is about. They earn my respect and my business. Give ECCO a look.

ECCO Pro 2.0

List Price: $279

Upgrade from ver. 1.1 $99

Arabesque Software Inc.

2340 130th Avenue NE

Bellevue WA 98005-1754

(206) 869-9600

FAX (206) 885-0127

Reviewed by

Ed Rasimus

ed.rasimus@wol.com


       ZAP!

by Bob Gollihur

Are you starting to notice a few aches and pains resulting from those lengthy stints in front of the computer? Headaches? Is computing becoming a pain in the . . . lower back??

A few weeks ago I heard the author of ZAP! being interviewed on my local Public Radio station, leading me to his new book. His approach and the subject of computer safety and ergonomics during the broadcast were interesting and coincidentally an immediate concern of mine. I am in the midst of establishing a full-time home office where most of my time will be spent in front of this infernal machine.

The ergonomics of data entry personnel, secretaries and computer operators has long been ignored by unenlightened management in business situations. It is no wonder that as personal computers multiply, so do injuries and aches and pains that can be ascribed to poor computing environments. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics cites 61% of occupational illness as attributable to Cumulative Trauma Disorders in 1991, up from only 18% in 1981 (this includes all CTDs, not just computer-derived). Casual users who partake of their computer infrequently during the day as an accent to their jobs may not have problems. However, more and more of the general populace are placing more and more of their job dependence on and within their computer.

ZAP! How your computer can hurt you --- and what you can do about it is not written from an alarmist standpoint in spite of its provocative title. It presents a surprisingly wide range of facts, problems, solutions and resources in a breezy read of less than 150 pages. In a short amount of time you can learn a great deal about the potential and how to avoid danger and plan for a more comfortable working environment.

Twenty-five chapters present a progression of ingredients and concerns, grouped and cross-referenced in a logical fashion. ZAP! introduces itself with a discussion of Office Ecology, considering potential injuries and proper attitudes. Details begin with a chapter on Eyestrain preceding the natural conclusion: Glasses and Contact Lenses. ZAP! is peppered with extras throughout the text such as an Eye Warnings box and illustrations of common eye problems within this chapter.

It follows that the four chapters that ensue are titled Headaches, Lighting, Monitors and Radiation. Each, while obviously brief, is crammed full of valuable information that you can use. The chapter on lighting provides an illustration that shows how a light meter within a camera can be used to measure proper workspace illumination.

A single chapter on Pregnancy and the computer's uncertain effects outlines some speculation and opinions on connections of the two subjects. Did you know that temporary symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome can occur in pregnant women whether they use a computer or not?

Aches and pains that can result from an improper physical environment and how to select the proper equipment are focused on in The Chair, The Desk, Keyboards and Mice, The Perfect Workstation and Office Air. Specific recommendations are made, and, as always, resources listed at the conclusion of each chapter. Sometimes the first signs that something is amiss are the symptoms covered in Shoulders to Hands, Back and Neck Pain and Stress, each of which concludes with specifics on what to do to alleviate the condition.

Personal habits can contribute to good and bad effects, and these are addressed in Schedules, Health Basics, Stretching and Exercise and Medications. Some general observations and concerns are expressed about computers and Kids, and a few Software programs that can contribute to your goal of healthy work habits are described. ZAP! wraps up with recommendations for Getting Medical Help, Changing the Workplace and a twenty page listing of resources entitled Where Else to Turn.

The extent of the information presented in ZAP! is far-reaching, highly informative and useful. This book is applicable for home or office, and I highly recommend you obtain a copy for your own personal safety and knowledge.

Don't wait until you start to ache.

ZAP!

by Don Sellers

edited by Stephen F. Roth

List Price: $12.95 USA; $17.95 Canada (paperback)

for further information contact:

Peachpit Press, Inc.

2414 Sixth Street

Berkley, CA 94710

800-283-9444

510-548-4393

510-548-5991 fax

written by

Bob Gollihur

bob.gollihur@wol.com


Kaboom;Ted Tatman
       KABOOM!

by Ted Tatman

To me, one of the "funnest" things about having a sound card and Windows 3.1 is the ability to play sounds during Windows events. It's a lot cooler to hear a voice from your favorite movie or TV show when Windows starts up or exits. Even the dullest work is a lot more interesting when you hear a neat sound effect instead of the default system beep.

If you've got a Windows compatible sound card (and most of them are) or (heaven forbid) the Microsoft speaker driver, Windows 3.1 lets you assign sound files in WAV format to be played when a handful of system events happen. However, most people who like this option soon wish that Windows could play sounds when other things happen, such as opening up a spreadsheet program or maximizing a word processor window.

Many fine utility programs have hit the commercial and shareware markets that let you assign sounds to nearly every event that happens in Windows. Some (like Wired For Sound Pro and Icon Hear-It) throw in lots of extra programs as well: talking clocks, wallpaper changers, icon utilities, and more. These programs might be considered overkill to users who just want a fun, simple way of playing sounds in Windows, but need more than just the basics. If that's you, consider trying Kaboom! from Nova Development.

Kaboom! consists of three main components:

First, the Kaboom! Control Panel. This is where you select which WAV files play when and where. Not only can you decide which sounds play when you start and exit Windows, but you can pick which sounds you'd like to hear when a window is maximized, minimized, moved or sized. Kaboom! can automatically play WAVs on the hour, half-hour and/or quarter-hour. In addition you can pick up to 5 keys on your keyboard to play sounds every time you touch them. Kaboom! lets you have different sounds for each application on your system as well.

One of the nice things about Kaboom! that keeps things interesting is that you have the option of playing more than one sound during a Windows event. A user can play several WAVs in succession or pick a WAV at random from a list you select. That way you can start up a program (or even Windows itself) with a different sound each time. The only thing that really could make this program even more fun would be the ability to add sounds to Windows buttons and drop down menus.

The second part of Kaboom! is a fairly good WAV editor, the Kaboom! Factory. The Kaboom! Factory is a scaled down version of Sonic Foundry's Sound Forge 2.0 (reviewed in WOLR #85). The Kaboom! Factory lacks some of the high-end features of Sound Forge, but it's much better than the WAV editors that come with similar sound utility products.

The Kaboom! Factory lets you record new sounds and play old ones in various sampling rates and sizes. You can edit up to 4 sound files at one time, performing fade-ins and fade-outs, adding echo, adjusting volume, and even "panning" stereo sound files. For most users, it has all the features they would ever need.

The third Kaboom! component is the Ka-Boom Box. The Ka-Boom Box is a MIDI file player that looks like a portable stereo. It plays MIDI files one at a time (over 25 full length officially licensed MIDI songs that were made famous by popular recording artists are included) or you can make your own "playlist" of several MIDI files for continuous music. You must have a MIDI compatible sound card to use the Ka-Boom Box, but most sound cards can play MIDI files.

Kaboom! comes in two versions for Windows owners. The most common version comes on floppy disks with the three main programs and 150 WAV files. The WAVs range from clips from "I Love Lucy" to "The Twilight Zone" to sound bites from former Presidents Nixon and Reagan plus a generous selection of sound effects and character voices. All of these WAVs are 8-bit mono files sampled at 11,025 Hz.

However, if you have a CD-ROM drive, get the CD-ROM version that lists for the same price as the floppy version. It contains all of the above, plus the Macintosh version of Kaboom! and 1000 more sound effects. The sounds on the CD-ROM come in 8-bit and 16-bit mono versions (all sampled at the better sounding 22,050 Hz rate) and they are some of the best quality sound effects I've heard in a PC product. (It's no wonder; the sound effects have been licensed from the Hollywood Edge, one of the motion picture and broadcasting industries' top sources for sound effects.) No SFX sampled from scratchy 1950s disks here! All sounds are fairly short, which make them perfect for Windows event association. Who wants to hear a 60 second sound file every time the maximize a window, anyway?

So, if you're looking for a product that lets you have more fun with sound in Windows without some of the bulk of some competing products, check out Kaboom!

Kaboom!

List price: $49.95 (Disk or CD-ROM Version)

For more information, please contact:

Nova Development Corporation

28301 Calabasas Road, Suite 2005

Calabasas, California 91302-1547

(818) 591-9600

Fax: (810) 591-8885

Written by:

Ted Tatman


       ROLAND AUDIO PRODUCTION

by Randy Wong

A Digital Recording Studio On Your Desk!

With the arrival of the next generation of multimedia products you now find better sounds, background music, and even talking characters coming from your computer. Video for Windows and animation have come a long way, and are now appearing regularly. CD-ROM players have now made their way into the home computing area. What is left to enhance? The newest gadgets that are making the most noise are the next generation of sound cards. The shift from the FM standard to the better sounding General MIDI standard is complete. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. General MIDI is a standard instrument tone map in the multimedia industry that allows recording and playback using instruments, uniform on any machine. The Roland wave synthesizer technology is the basis of the acclaimed Sound Canvas module, while the Sound Canvas module is the basis for the General MIDI standard. Who else would be the best to tackle the sounds in the new evolving multimedia standard? Roland's answer for the Windows Multimedia standard is the Roland Audio Production, also known as RAP-10. This new card provides digital audio, a synthesizer, and a sequencer to your desktop.

RAP-10 Specifications:

  26-voice, 16 channel Sound Canvas General MIDI Synthesizer. 128 sounds (conforming to General MIDI System Level 1), 6 drum kits, and 26 Voices/16 parts (1 for drums).

  Digitized Audio with a recording and playback of 8 or 16 bits. It can play two stereo or mono WAV files simultaneously.

  A custom DSP chip providing Reverb/Delay and Chorus for both digital audio and MIDI parts.

  Stereo Inputs, one for Mic/Line and another for Aux/CD, plus an internal connector.

  Stereo mini-phone jack Line Out.

  Separate mixer levels for synthesized and digitized audio playback, AD Input, and Aux Input.

  A joystick/MIDI Enhanced MPU-401 UART (DB-15F) connector. An optional Roland MCB-10 MIDI connector box ($60.00) is required for hooking up with external MIDI devices, such as the a keyboard.

Audio Tools rack display is based on the home hi-fi audio system

The Roland Audio Production Card (RAP-10) is a full length 16 bit sound card with a combination of a 16 Channel Sound Canvas synthesizer with chorus, reverb and digital audio sound. Hardware settings are done through several jumpers and one switch box. A Windows setup is used for installing the Windows applications, drivers and specifying the DMA channel(s). High (16 bit) DMA channel 5, 6, and 7 are the only ones supported, either single or dual.

The Roland Audio Tools are made up of separate components to play MIDI files, WAV audio files and CD audio. Design of the components makes up a complete home stereo system. Each component consists of digital readouts, buttons for various functions, programmable playing selection, and other special functions. The component rack shows the Mixer, Wave player, MIDI player, and CD Player. Other linked applications are the Waveform Editor, Wave Composer, Session Manager, WaMI Sequencer, and WaMI Event Mixer.

WaMI simulates the look and feel of an 18-channel audio mixing console

One of the unique utility of the Roland Audio Tools is the Wave and MIDI Event Mixer, also known as WaMI. You have full control of synchronized playback and recording of digitized WAV audio and MIDI files. It looks and works much like an 18 channel audio mixing console. With this tool, you can combine up to 16 channels of MIDI data with an additional two tracks of digitized audio. Lately, I have been working extensively with WAV sound files and the Waveform Editor has proven to be the perfect WAV editor. Features include: clipping sections of the audio, cutting out pops and clicks, increasing or decreasing gain amplitude of a segment, reversing selected section backwards, integrating another audio file into the current file, and removing and adding silent sections. If special effects are your specialty, there are panning, echoing, chorus, flange, cross-fades, and fading effects.

Waveform editing tool for modifying WAV files

Support for Windows is one thing, but is the RAP-10 compatible with other software? Yes, it does support most MPU-401, SCC-1, and General MIDI software. In the course of testing the RAP-10, I had a SoundBlaster Pro, SoundBlaster 16, and SoundBlaster AWE32 floating into play. Due to some limitations in Windows, I was able to run most DOS games under Windows with the Sound/Music set to Roland, SCC-1, MT32, or General MIDI and the Sound F/X set to PC speaker or none. Strictly DOS, I had no problems setting the Sound F/X to SoundBlaster. The only game, I have found so far that had General MIDI as an option in the Sound F/X section was Raptor. With Sound F/X set to General MIDI, sound effects were at the minimum, but a step in the right direction. With games, a SoundBlaster or SB clone and the RAP-10 will make a perfect match.

The Roland Audio Production package includes:

  The RAP-10 sound card.

  An audio cable.

  Roland Audio Tools software.

  Windows 3.1 software drivers.

 The RAP-10 is ideal for Windows multimedia applications. With the many Wave audio clips and General MIDI sound files floating around, it is great to have something that will replay these files, true to the way the author wanted you to hear them. Besides sounding great, another attraction is how good the tools look. The Roland Audio Tools software has enough utilities to do a lot of things, such as using Microsoft OLE facility to attach sound to word processors, spreadsheets, and other OLE capable applications. With all these great things going, there are some mishaps that might or might not be solvable. When using the Roland Audio Tools, changing the volume creates some havoc with other sound files within Windows. The only way that I know how to reset the sound and volume was to reboot Windows. One thing missing was a MIDI file editor. No problem really, there are a lot of MIDI editors on the shareware circuit. No TSR programs are required with this card, but if you need SoundBlaster support you will not find it here. However, the good new is that the RAP-10 will coexist with other sound cards, such as the SoundBlaster Pro, SoundBlaster 16, and even the SoundBlaster AWE32. Just remember to set the IRQs correctly. To my ears, the RAP-10 meets the Roland's standard in both sound quality and performance.

If you have a Creative Labs SoundBlaster 16 or any SB16 clone with a Wave-Table option, Roland has and interesting option for you to consider. The SoundCanvas Daughter Board (DB) will fit nicely into the Wave-Table option (Wave Blaster upgrade option). The SoundCanvas DB is a SCB-7 Wave-Table upgrade board that will give you instant access to professional synthesized sounds and conforms to the General MIDI System Level 1. The SCB-7 includes 128 wave sampled instruments with an on-board DSP for reverb and chorus. Several Windows tools are included, with a bonus of over 100 standard MIDI files.

Roland Audio Production RAP-10/AT

List Price: $599.

Roland SoundCanvas DB

List Price: $299.

For more information, please contact:

Roland Corporation US

7200 Dominion Circle

Los Angeles, CA 90040-3696

203-685-5141

fax: 203-722-9011

Written by:

Randy Wong

randy.wong@wol.com


       COMPUTERIZING YOUR BIBLE STUDY

by Ed Hoffman

Despite the fact that the best selling book of all time is the Bible, many people may not read this book as often as they would like. Although the vast majority of us do have a copy of this book somewhere on our bookshelves, simply finding specific information often deters many people from studying this volume. Well, now both the serious Bible student and those who only peruse this book occasionally, have a selection of tools that will make reading the Bible much more user friendly. Two examples of very well written Bible software programs are the HyperBible and the Deluxe Bible. These programs will both simplify specific searches as well as adding a whole new dimension to studying the Bible.

HyperBible 1.7.1

The HyperBible is a computerized version of one of the most comprehensive Bible study tools available today, the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible®. Anyone familiar with the printed variation of this volume as well as those who have never used a Thompson will be impressed with this program. The program operates through a self-contained run time version of the Asymetrix Toolbook program. This arrangement offers an array of capabilities and surprising versatility.

When the HyperBible program starts, the first window that appears is the bookshelf. This screen is simply the Main Menu for the program and allows you to open the program in a variety of different areas. The various areas of the program may also be accessed through the menu bar. As noted in this window, the program has eight general areas.

The Introduction area lists suggestions and hints to help get up and running with the program as quickly as possible. Though it will not replace the manual, it does offer a selection of ideas and useful suggestions. The Quick Reference area is a guide to using the various features of the program. Here topics such as the book abbreviations and icon guide are explained. This area is also keyed to the base program. If you look up the abbreviation for a book name, simply clicking on this name in the Quick Reference list will take you to that book in the Bible.

The Concordance, as would be expected, lists every word occurrence and its location in the Bible. Since the words are translation sensitive, a simple mouse click allows you to switch translations to find the locations of specific words. Both individual words, groups of words, or phrases and be found using the And, Or, And Not options. The General Index is useful finding specific topics in the Bible. This index lists the topic and the Thompson Chain-Reference number. Each of these topics is also keyed to the rest of the program. So, highlighting the number and clicking on the Thompson Chain-Reference icon takes you directly to that topic.

The Thompson Chain-Reference section is the principal search feature of the HyperBible. This section of the program lists over 100,000 topical notes. The simplest description of this section is that it is virtually a concordance of topics, rather than simply words. So, for example, if you searched the Chain-Reference for LOVE, everything related to the topic of LOVE listed in the Bible would be shown. Here the main topic is listed and every possible variation. Once you've limited your search to a more specific area, this sub-topic is shown along with every where it is mentioned in the Bible. To view the listed verses, simply click on the name of the verse and a small window appears showing the verse.

The next section, the Bible, opens the program to show the specific verses in either one or two translations. The program is available in The King James Version, the New American Standard version, and the New International Version. When you order the program, simply specify which version you want. When setting up the program, you can add or remove translations as well as set the primary and secondary translations. The primary translation is the version used for concordance searches unless you specify the secondary to be used.

The Bible section screen contains a wide range of options. Here all the various areas of the program are easily accessed. The series of icons shown down the left side of the window allows quick access to the Bookshelf (main menu), The Online Help, the General Index, the Chain-Reference feature, Bible Atlas, The Word Processor, and the Character Study areas of the program. Likewise, the icons across the top of the window also offer a variety of options. The Bible icon permits quick access to the complete Bible. The Search Builder icon accesses the concordance. The Place Mark allows you to set bookmarks for future reference. The next icon is the Speed Reading Option. Here you can set the program to automatically scroll through the text. The scrolling rate can be set to any comfortable reading speed. The next icon permits you to switch between viewing selected verses or the complete chapter. The icons at the far right are used to navigate forward and backward as well as returning to a previous option.

The Atlas area of the program contains a variety of maps to help find the various geographic features. An index is also provided to find specific places. To use this feature, simply click the index icon and find the name of the place or feature you want to find. Click on this name and a map appears with the place or feature highlighted. For additional study, simply click on some of the map entries and the program takes you to the chain-reference information about that place or feature. The last item on the bookshelf is the Word Processor. This option allows you to select the word processor you want to use for taking notes. The default word processor is Windows Write.

The HyperBible is truly a program that takes full advantage of the power of the computer as well as the features of the Toolbook program. Even if your study requirements are minimal, this program will definitely help you make the best use of your study time.

Deluxe Bible 1.2

The Deluxe Bible is a program well suited for those people with slightly less ambitious study requirements. The program is available in either of two translations: the King James version or the New King James version. The first thing that immediately impressed me about this program was its small size. The program occupies just under 6Mb of hard disk space. Another nice feature is the compact design of the display.

The complete program is controlled with eight buttons on the left side of the window. The top two buttons permit you to move forward or backward through the Bible by the specific books. The scroll bar above the buttons allows you to select specific chapters within each book and the scroll bar on the right side of the window allows you to scroll through each chapter. To move to a specific book of the Bible, simply click on the Select Book icon. Here you are shown a list of all the books in the Bible. Simply double click on the book title and the program automatically opens that book to the first verse of the first chapter.

The Text Search button takes you to a very powerful search routine. Simply select the area of the Bible to search, a specific book, the complete Old or New Testament, or the complete Bible. You are then presented with a window to specify the word, words, or phrases for the search. Here the "&" (AND) and " ~" (NOT) operators can also be used to limit the search. The search feature is VERY FAST. Once the selected text is found, you are shown every verse where the text appears. Simply highlighting the text and clicking on another button takes you to the main window so you can see the verse in its true context in the Bible.

The Study Aids button takes you to an impressive array of study tools. Here you have access to a variety of maps and time-line drawings. These time-line drawings help show the chronological order of the events in the Bible. There is even an area where you can compare the four gospel accounts of events in Jesus' life. The Notes button opens a small text editor that allows you to take notes. These notes are stored in the program and the next time you access that chapter, the Notes title changes color to remind you that you have notes for the chapter.

The Help button accesses a very well done help system. Any questions, or problems you might have with the program are almost certainly addressed here. The Deluxe Bible program is a very well written program that definitely deserves your serious consideration. A shareware edition of the New Testament is also available if you would like to take the program for a test drive.

While there are literally scores of similar Bible programs available in both the commercial and shareware markets, few offer the flexibility, speed, and simplicity of these two programs. I've saved myself the agony of deciding which program to use by keeping both on my system.

HyperBible 1.7.1 List price $149.00  (with two translations) Available from: Kirkbride Technology P.O. Box 606 335 West Ninth Street Indianapolis, IN 46202-3003 1-800-428-4385	Deluxe Bible 1.2 List price $39.95  Available from: Rocky Mountain Laboratories P.O. Box 272224 Fort Collins, CO 80527 1-303-679-1662
written by

Ed Hoffman


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