1 Silicon Times Report The Original Independent OnLine Magazine" (Since 1987) October 27, 1995 No. 1143 Silicon Times Report International OnLine Magazine Post Office Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155 STR Electronic Publishing Inc. A subsidiary of STR Worldwide CompNews Inc. R.F. Mariano, Editor Featured in ITCNet's ITC_STREPORT Echo Voice: 1-904-268-3815 10am-4pm EST STReport WebSite http://www.streport.com STR Publishing Support BBS THE BOUNTY INTERNATIONAL BBS Featuring: * 5.0GB * of File Libraries Mustang Software's WILDCAT! BBS v4.11 Fully Networked within the following Nets: ITCNet 85:881/250 JAX HUB FIDO Net 1:112/35 ~ Prowl ~ USPOLNet ~ FNET 350 ~ Nest 90:301/3 Delivered via Subscriber List through Internet 904-268-2237 MULTI-NODE 24hrs-7 days 2400-115.2 bps V.32-34 v.42 bis 28.8 USRobotics D/S Data/Fax 28.8 V.34 Everything ISDN USRobotics IMODEM FAX: 904-292-9222 24hrs The Bounty STReport Support Central 1-904-268-2237 FNET. 620 : Leif's World 1-904-573-0734 FNET. 690 : PASTE BBS 1-206-284-8493 FNET. 489 : Steal Your Face BBS 1-908-920-7981 MNET - Toad Hall BBS 1-617-567-8642 10/27/95 STR 1143 The Original Independent OnLine Magazine! - CPU Report - Apple Upgrades Newton - MS buys Soundworks - AMD buys NextGen - INFO Poverty? - Adobe 10 Tips - US Mint on WEB - Comdex Listng - NEW! Tech Talk - CATFIGHTS! - People Talking - JagWire NewsBits Apple Earnings Down 48 Percent Softbank Buys 94% of Ziff-Davis Intel Offers Faster Pentium STReport International OnLine Magazine FEATURING WEEKLY "Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information" Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports STReport's BBS - The Bounty BBS, invites all BBS systems, worldwide, to participate in the ITC, Fido, Internet, PROWL, USENET, USPOLNet, NEST, F-Net, Mail Networks. You may also call The Bounty BBS direct @ 1- 904-786-4176. Enjoy the wonder and excitement of exchanging all types of useful information relative to all computer types, worldwide, through the use of excellent International Networking Systems. SysOps and users alike worldwide, are welcome to join STReport's International Conferences. ITC Node is 85:881/250, The Fido Node is 1:112/35, Crossnet Code is #34813, and the "Lead Node" is #620. All computer enthusiasts, hobbyist or commercial, on all platforms and BBS systems are invited to participate. WEB SITE: http//www.streport.com CIS ~ PRODIGY ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ ITC ~ NEST ~ EURONET ~ CIX ~ USENET USPOLNET CLEVELAND FREE-NET ~ INTERNET ~ PROWL ~ FNET ~ AOL Florida Lotto _ LottoMan v1.35 Results: 10/21/95: 3 matches in 3 plays From the Editor's Desk... Holloween is right around the corner.. Yet I feel like I've been doing the trick or treat thing for some time! Seems its all tricks! This is as far as Tape Backup Programs are concerned. You see, this business of passing the buck and pointing fingers by the major and ONLY real TBU program supplier is getting old real fast. One thing I cannot fathom is why the folks that bought Central Point Software decided to "sit on CPBackup". Oh sure, I keep hearing rumblings about a new backup program being "in the works". That doesn't help matters now. The first incarnation of the TBU software we were all waiting for proved to be as effective as using a roll of toilet paper to back up with. Now, we're told a "maintenance release" is in the works and a full re-write is to be released in the spring. I can only wonder if that's Spring '96 or 98! In either case its far too long a time to do without a reliable tape backup program. One can only imagine what was drumming through the minds of those in charge of the development and release of the latest disgrace called a Tape Backup Program. Comdex Fall'95 is right around the corner. In this issue, we begin with the exhibitor listings. Once you look it over you'll soon realize why its called the biggest computer show every year. Ralph. Of Special Note: http//www.streport.com STReport is now ready to offer much more in the way of serving the Networks, Online Services and Internet's vast, fast growing site list and userbase. We now have our very own WEB/NewsGroup/FTP Site and although its in its early stages of construction, do stop by and have a look see. Since We've received numerous requests to receive STReport from a wide variety of Internet addressees, we were compelled to put together an Internet distribution/mailing list for those who wished to receive STReport on a regular basis, the file is ZIPPED, then UUENCODED. Unfortunately, we've also received a number of opinions that the UUENCODING was a real pain to deal with. So, as of October 01,1995, you'll be able to download STReport directly from our very own SERVER & WEB Site. While there, be sure to join our STR list. In any case, our current Internet mailing list will continue to be used for at least the next eight weeks. Each of our readers will have by then, received their information packet about how they may upgrade their personal STR News Services. STReport's managing editors DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU! Ralph F. Mariano, Publisher - Editor Dana P. Jacobson, Editor, Current Affairs Section Editors PC SECTION MAC SECTION ATARI SECTION R.F. Mariano J. Deegan D. P. Jacobson PORTABLE COMPUTERS & ENTERTAINMENT Marty Mankins STReport Staff Editors Michael Arthur John Deegan Brad Martin John Szczepanik Paul Guillot Joseph Mirando Doyle Helms Frank Sereno John Duckworth Jeff Coe Steve Keipe Guillaume Brasseur Melanie Bell Jay Levy Jeff Kovach Marty Mankins Carl Prehn Paul Charchian Vincent P. O'Hara Contributing Correspondents Dominick J. Fontana Norman Boucher Clemens Chin Eric Jerue Ron Deal Mike Barnwell Ed Westhusing Glenwood Drake Vernon W.Smith Bruno Puglia Paul Haris Kevin Miller Craig Harris Allen Chang Tim Holt Patrick Hudlow Leonard Worzala Tom Sherwin Please submit ALL letters, rebuttals, articles, reviews, etc... via E-Mail to: CompuServe 70007,4454 Prodigy CZGJ44A Delphi RMARIANO GEnie ST.REPORT BIX RMARIANO FIDONET 1:112/35 ITC NET 85:881/253 AOL STReport Internet rmariano@streport.com Internet CZGJ44A@prodigy.com Internet RMARIANO@delphi.com Internet 70007.4454.compuserve.com Internet STReport@AOL.Com WORLD WIDE WEB http://www.streport.com IMPORTANT NOTICE STReport, with its policy of not accepting any PAID advertising, has over the years developed the reputation of "saying it like it really is". When it comes to our editorials, product evaluations, reviews and over-views, we shall always keep our readers interests first and foremost. With the user in mind, STReport further pledges to maintain the reader confidence that has been developed over the years and to continue "living up to such". All we ask is that our readers make certain the manufacturers, publishers etc., know exactly where the information about their products appeared. In closing, we shall arduously endeavor to meet and further develop the high standards of straight forwardness our readers have come to expect in each and every issue. The Staff & Editors SYSOP NEWS & CYBERWORLD REPORT "The Leading Hard Copy News Source in the BBS & Online Telecommunications World" Your own personal copy mailed to your home every month; STReport's special offer! Annual Subscription Rate of $15.95!! (normally 20.95). Include the STR offer number (STR-21) for your discount. Send your subscription to: BBS Press Services, Inc. 8125 S.W. 21st Street Topeka, KS 66615 Or, to order by phone, Please Call: 1-913-478-3157 (Voice) 1-913-478-9239 (Data) 1-913-478-1189 (FAX) Checks, Mastercard & Visa ok, Please include Full Name, Address, home Number, Card type, number & expiration date when ordering. If by mail, please _sign_ your personal order. STR INDUSTRY REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS Computer Products Update - CPU Report Weekly Happenings in the Computer World Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson General Computer News Apple Earnings Down 48 Percent The extent of Apple Computer Inc.'s challenge for the coming fiscal year has been laid out in black and white -- and red. The computer maker yesterday evening reported a 48 percent drop in fourth-quarter earnings. Apple says it earned $60 million, or 48 cents a share, for the three months ending Sept. 29, compared with $115 million, or 95 cents a share, a year ago. "The company is going forward into fiscal 1996 with some definite challenges," analyst Todd Bakar of Hambrecht & Quist in San Francisco told business writer Catalina Ortiz of the Associated Press. As noted earlier, Apple warned financial results would be "significantly below" expectations, largely because of component shortages and pricing pressures. Apple CEO Michael Spindler said in a statement yesterday that the quarter's earnings results "are clearly not indicative of the financial results Apple is striving for in the future." Ortiz notes that sales and shipments rose. Quarterly revenue was up 20 percent, to $3 billion from $2.5 billion, and Apple shipped more than 1.25 million units during the quarter, the most in two years. On this, Spindler said, "Demand for Apple products has been stronger than we've ever experienced. We have ramped unit shipments to record levels." AP says analysts were pleased by the growth in revenue and units sales, but troubled by the drop in profit and a big drop in gross margins, to 20.7 percent from 27.2 percent a year ago. Pieter Hartsook, publisher of the Hartsook Letter in Alameda, California, told the wire service, "From a platform perspective it looks very positive. However, from a financial perspective ... I'm not a shareholder, but if I were I'd be concerned about their profitability." Ortiz also quotes market researcher Dataquest Inc. as saying Apple Macintosh's market share has dropped from 9.4 percent in 1993 to 8.5 last year to 7.4 in the just-ended quarter. Says Bakar, "I think they've been getting some wake up calls during the quarter." Apple Upgrading Newton The operating system for Apple Computer Inc.'s handheld Newton personal digital assistant will be upgraded. Apple says it will ship the software in December. Reporting from Apple's Cupertino, California, headquarters, United Press International says, "The upgrade of the Newton, which faced significant problems with its handwriting recognition software when it was launched two years ago, will reflect extensive customer feedback and testing." Apple said it has arranged to preview the new Newton 2.0 operating system and related products at the Comdex industry trade show in Las Vegas next month as well as at Apple trade events in Australia and the United Kingdom. David Nagel, senior vice president of research and development, told the wire service, "The PDA market continues to evolve, with the Newton platform at the forefront of both technology and market leadership. Apple's strategy to drive the market forward hinges on delivering compelling mobile solutions, coupled with a business focus that aims to forge strong partnerships with key market players." UPI says the Newton 2.0 will be available on Apple's MessagePad 120 beginning in December with customers to be able to upgrade their systems at that time. Softbank Buys 94% of Ziff-Davis Japan's Softbank Corp. has agreed to purchase a 94 percent stake in computer magazine publisher Ziff-Davis Holdings Corp. from Forstmann Little Inc. Covering a press conference this morning in Tokyo, the French Agence France-Press International News Service says Softbank officials declined to reveal the amount involved in the deal, saying the company has not finalized the terms and conditions of the transaction. Softbank told reporters the planned takeover of Ziff-Davis will give it a better chance to become the largest information provider in the international PC sector. Ziff-Davis Holdings Corp. publishes a number of prominent computer magazines, including PC Magazine, Computer Shopper, PC Week, MacUser, and Windows Sources. The Z-D empire has combined worldwide circulation of 5.8 million and estimated 1994 revenue of $852 million. In a report written before the announcement at the press conference, reporter Patrick M. Reilly of the Wall Street Journal speculated Softbank would pay about $2 billion to New York investment firm Forstmann Little & Co. Reports of Softbank's move, which first surfaced in the Japanese press and the U.S. newsletter Folio: First Day, "stunned publishing executives," Reilly comments, since Forstmann Little bought Ziff-Davis only last December for $1.4 billion. "Softbank had been an eager rival suitor for Ziff-Davis," the Journal notes, "but lost out when Forstmann Little unexpectedly surfaced with a pre- emptive offer, and the selling Ziff family called off its auction. At the time, Softbank executives expressed regret in the Japanese press that the company wasn't able to bid for the publishing operation." As reported, a few weeks later, Softbank successfully bid for the Ziff family's trade show and conference business, ZD Expos, offering $202 million. Softbank has since bought the Comdex computer trade show, the industry's largest. Reilly quotes "people close to the companies" as saying the Softbank-Forstmann Little talks were so closely held at the top level "that even Ziff-Davis Chairman Eric Hippeau was unaware of them up until last weekend." AMD Buys Out NexGen for $857 Million For about $857 million in stock, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. has agreed to buy rival semiconductor producer NexGen Inc. Observers see this as part of AMD's continuing assault on chip industry leader Intel Corp. UPI, reporting from Sunnyvale, California, says the transaction, announced late yesterday several hours after the stock market closed, is expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year. NexGen, of Milpitas, California, was the first company to clone Intel's top-of-the-line Pentium while Advanced Micro's version has been delayed until next year. The agreement calls for NexGen shareholders to receive 0.8 of a share of Advanced Micro stock for each share of NexGen. (At Friday's prices, each NexGen share will be worth $20.90, a discount to NexGen's price of $21.25.) "NexGen said the deal has received backing from NexGen shareholders owning 37 percent of the company, including Japanese publishing giant ASCII, Compaq Computer and Italian industrial giant Olivetti," UPI reports. "The agreement has been approved by the boards of both companies and remains subject to approval by shareholders." Advanced Micro officials said NexGen will continue to be located in Milpitas with its top priority to bring to production a clone of Intel's latest Pentium Pro chip, designed for workstations and not yet delivered to customers. Chairman/CEO W.J. Sanders III told the wire service, "The union of NexGen with AMD catapults us into contention for leadership in the market. A leadership position in this market is important to AMD's strategy to grow faster than the semiconductor industry." He added that merging NexGen's and Advanced Micro's capabilities would enable the combined company to "close the gap" on Intel in terms of product performance. In other developments, Advanced Micro said it will cease activity on its own project in Austin, Texas, to clone the Pentium Pro, but it did not indicate if doing so will lead to any job cuts. NexGen said its Pentium Pro will outperform Intel's, which is due to be shipped by the end of the year. c/net Launches $1 Million Ad Campaign Television's c/net has committed $1 million to what it is terming "the most extensive online advertising campaign in the history of the Internet." Rolling out Nov. 1, the campaign will appear on a number of the World Wide Web's popular sites, including Yahoo, Netscape, GNN, Playboy, CNN, Lycos, and Cool Site of the Day. Ads also are to appear on CompuServe and Prodigy, says c/net President Kevin Wendle in a statement from San Francisco. "Never before in the history of the Internet has one company committed this level of resources to online advertising." He adds that since the show is intended for people interested in computers, online services, and digital technologies, "the Internet is the most logical place to reach them most efficiently." Marketing Vice President Scott Waltz comments in the same statement, "Internet advertising is very undervalued right now, presenting an excellent opportunity for c/net to attract new customers. Where else can you reach such a targeted demographic with guaranteed ad impressions at the relatively affordable prices available on the Internet today? Nowhere." c/net says its campaign also will be the first on the Net to use Sun Microsystem's Java applications in banner ads. "Similar to video," says the statement, "Java technology allows certain Internet browsers to recognize full-motion animation in graphics specially produced for the World Wide Web." Mixed Signal Sent on Chip Market September sales of computer chips reached a record high, but analysts say it is a confusing signal because strong sales caused the industry's leading indicator to drop below their expectations. The Wall Street Journal this morning notes the data was released after yesterday's general sell-off in technology stocks. The Semiconductor Industry Association's book-to-bill ratio was 1.11, meaning for every $100 of products shipped, or billed, companies received $111 in new orders. (Analysts had hoped for a ratio of 1.13 to 1.14, the Journal notes. August's revised ratio was 1.17.) Analyst Dan Klesken of Robertson Stephens & Co. told the paper the September ratio is the result of high billings (shipments) not lower bookings (orders), which would indicate slowing growth for the industry, adding, "The bookings were right as we expected. I thought it was a very good report." The paper reports seasonally adjusted billings in September were $4.06 billion, up 40.1 percent from $2.89 billion a year ago. The prior record was $3.93 billion in August. "Investors have pounded chip stocks in recent months because they fear slow growth," the Journal commented. "A lower book-to-bill ratio will likely compound their fears." Intel Offers Faster Pentium A new 120-MHz Pentium microprocessor has been unveiled by Intel Corp., which says this is the fastest processor available for notebook computers. Reporting from Santa Clara, California, the Reuter News Service quotes Intel as saying the processor contains 3.3 million transistors and is especially small, making it possible for systems to deliver the highest level of performance with very low power consumption for long battery life. HP Unveils Minitower PCs Rounding out its line of Vectra business PCs, Hewlett- Packard Co. has introduced the minitower HP Vectra VL Series 4 MT. Optimized for Windows 95, the Pentium-based computers are housed in a deskside minitower with six mass storage shelves and six I/O slots. The machines are available with a 90MHz, 100MHz, 120MHz, or 133MHz microprocessor. System prices start at $2,040. Other features includes an enhanced graphics engine, extended data output RAM and burst synchronous cache. Customers can also select from a wide array of memory, storage, and multimedia capabilities. HP reports that a model configured with a 1GB hard drive and 16MB RAM offers up to 18 percent better performance than a similar Compaq Prolinea at approximately the same price. The HP Vectra VL Series 4 MT models are scheduled to arrive at retailers later this year. Microsoft Bookshelf Flap Settled Microsoft Corp. has called off its legal dogs, allowing the developer of a computer program of Jewish religious and cultural texts to continue using its trademarked word "bookshelf." As reported earlier, Microsoft last March threatened legal action against Irving Green, creator of a CD-ROM called The First Electronic Jewish Bookshelf, saying he infringed its trademark. (Microsoft produces a well-known CD-ROM called Bookshelf that includes an encyclopedia, thesaurus, atlas and other reference works in electronic form. It obtained a trademark on April 24, 1990, for the word "bookshelf" and one on June 16, 1992, for "bookshelf series.") Following the threatened legal action, Green, owner of Scanrom Publications in Cedarhurst, N.Y., criticized the world's largest software firm for what he characterized as needlessly forcing him to spend tens of thousands to redo the product.) Reporting from New York, The Associated Press now quotes Green as saying he and Microsoft "reached an amicable agreement" last month. The agreement prevented him from disclosing many details, though Green said he will not have to recall his product and can keep using "bookshelf" for a period of time. Green said he now is working on a revision to the product, which includes the Jewish Book of Knowledge, research on the Torah, books of folklore and a cookbook. Microsoft Buys Music Software Firm For undisclosed terms, Microsoft Corp. has acquired The Blue Ribbon SoundWorks Ltd., a privately held music software publisher based in Atlanta. The Blue Ribbon SoundWorks produces more than 40 products, including SuperJAM!, a music-authoring tool; EasyKeys, a software simulation of a music keyboard; Melody Maestro, a melody-generation technology that walks users through creation process; and AudioTracks Professional, a utility that creates musical "clip art" MIDI files that can be attached to documents as OLE objects. "We are very excited about the union of Microsoft and The Blue Ribbon SoundWorks, as we believe both companies share a similar vision and enthusiasm for bringing consumers a richer, more enjoyable experience with multimedia products," says Charlotte Guyman, general manager of Microsoft's kids and games business unit. "The Blue Ribbon SoundWorks is a clear leader in interactive music technology, and its products are compatible with efforts under way in the consumer division and in the advanced tools group of the consumer systems division at Microsoft." "By joining with Microsoft, we can continue to deliver excellence in interactive music technology and tools, while widely expanding the range of consumers and developers who will benefit from the technology," says Melissa Jordan Grey, president of The Blue Ribbon SoundWorks. 'Information Poverty' Feared A new European study says "information poverty" threatens the developing world because the Internet is concentrated in the richer countries. A non-governmental organization funded largely by Scandinavian countries, the study by the Panos Institute says 70 percent of computers linked up to the network were in the United States, while fewer than 10 African countries were connected. Reporter Mark John of the Reuter News Service quotes the study as concluding, "There is a danger of a new information elitism which excludes the majority of the world's population." In fact, the report says, poor countries already are being left behind because of the high cost of computer equipment and low literacy rates. Report author Mike Holderness told Reuters, "The technology could actually increase the gap between rich and poor," but that a modem costs around four times more in India than in the United States. Holderness also estimated that a new computer would represent around six months of the unemployment benefit paid to a jobless Briton or several years' wages for an "underemployed" Indonesian. Noting that about 80,000 companies are thought to be using the Internet as part of their business, Holderness said these firms are as a result likely to export clerical jobs to developing countries, but only those with low labor costs, high literacy and high network access. Reuters says there are around 3.4 million "host" computers hooked up to the Internet in the United States and just over 500,000 in west Europe, but Africa had just 27,100 hosts, Central and South America 16,000 and the Middle East 13,800. Holderness cites two urgent priorities: ú Stepping up existing literacy campaigns in the developing world. ú Relaxing of trade constraints that made computer equipment expensive there. Survey: Online Ranks Have Doubled The number of Americans subscribing to online information services has doubled in less than a year, a new survey finds. The Times Mirror Center for The People and The Press interviewed 3,603 adults in May and June for the survey about Americans going online, according to Associated Press writer Harry F. Rosenthal. The number of subscribers to online services jumped from 5 million in the winter of 1994 to nearly 12 million last June. The Times Mirror report also observed: ú "A major fear of Americans about technology is the potential loss of privacy amid the powerful array of interconnected data bases holding information about them." Twenty percent said they worry about this "a lot," while 30 percent worry "some." ú "Few see online activities as essential to them, and no single online feature, with the exception of e-mail, is used with any regularity. Consumers have yet to begin purchasing goods and services online, and there is little indication that online news features are changing traditional news consumption patterns." ú 32 percent of those who go online told researchers they would miss it "a lot" if it were no longer available. ("By contrast," Rosenthal commented, "58 percent of newspaper readers and 54 percent of cable TV subscribers would miss those services if deprived of them.") ú Only one in five of all online users -- estimated to represent 3 percent of Americans -- had signed on to the Internet's World Wide Web. ú Twenty-nine percent of the survey's e-mail users said they check their mail once a day, 22 percent more than once. On a typical day, the average e- mail user sends three messages and receives five. ú The respondents favored laws barring pornography from the Internet by 52 percent to 41 percent. ú Nine percent of the households have gone against the trend and dropped use of computers. ú More than one in four have had online sessions lasting three hours or more and one in four have an online buddy they have never met in person. Rosenthal notes that last year, in the first such survey, the center estimated 31 percent of all American households had a computer and 26 percent of all adults used a home computer at some time. That has increased to 36 percent of all households having a computer and 32 percent of adults using one. "Also showing explosive growth," AP says, "is the use of CD- ROMS. ... Forty-eight percent of computer users have a CD-ROM drive, a relatively new device, and more than half said they used it at least once a week." First Internet Bank Set to Debut Security First Network Bank FSB reports that it will make banking history by opening the first full-service bank on the Internet. The Atlanta- based institution says customers will be able to make deposits, pay bills and reconcile accounts 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The first transaction across the public network will take place on Wednesday morning at a news conference Security First is scheduled to hold in New York. "Anyone with a computer and a modem is our potential customer," says James S. "Chip" Mahan, Security First's chairman and CEO. The bank says computer experts have been unable to penetrate the software it will use to protect customers' financial information and deposits. Security First says it has plans to provide additional financial services, allowing its online customers to view and manage all of their financial affairs. Subject to regulatory approval, the new services will include credit card, stock brokerage, insurance and corporate cash management capabilities. The bank's home page is located on the World Wide Web at http//www.sfnb.com. States Come to World Wide Web Governments in every state except New Jersey and Nevada have created home pages on the Internet's World Wide Web, providing information ranging from tourism to business to tips on deadbeat dads. A study by the Public Affairs Research Institute of New Jersey Inc. says most states' home page includes a governor's message, tourist promotions, and electronic connections to state agencies and educational institutions. Business writer Evan Ramstad of the Associated Press says government agencies have been attracted to the Internet by low expense and the relative ease of creating information there, the same selling points that have caused Web usage among businesses and individuals to explode in the last year. Donald Linky, president of the research group, told Ramstad the non-profit institute, funded by businesses in the state, undertook the study after some initial research showed that New Jersey's online efforts lagged. Some other findings of the research: ú California's Web site contained the most information, including access to many public documents and even a game that lets people experiment with different budget strategies for the state. ú Many states display familiar images such as the state seal or flag on their Web pages. South Dakota's has Mount Rushmore. ú In Texas, the Department of Commerce holds an electronic marketplace of products and services for businesses in the state. ú Indiana's online listing provides a list of the names, offenses and sentences of sex offenders. The database supplements printed materials that are sent to schools, pre-schools and agencies that work with children. ú In Massachusetts, the Department of Revenue's Child Support Enforcement program since June has displayed pictures of 20 adults far behind on the child support payments. The child support office has found some delinquent parents by placing posters in public places around the state. Papers Put Help Wanted Ads on Web Six major newspapers have merged their classified help wanted ads into an Internet database on the World Wide Web. The new CareerPath.com service (http://www.careerpath.com) includes ads from the Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, San Jose Mercury News and The Washington Post. Future plans call for the database to incorporate searching capabilities, a service that matches employers and job hunters, a resume database and company profiles. Web surfers who access the database must register themselves so the newspapers can analyze how the service is being used. The papers say also user information will remain confidential and not be sold to marketers. U.S. Mint Opens Web Site Coin collectors, take note. The U.S. Mint has plugged in. The Mint's new site on the Internet's World Wide Web (accessible at Web address http://www.usmint.gov) is completely database driven, making it possible for new or updated information to be directly added to the site. The latest editions of commemorative products are accessible through the site, including data on a commemorative coin, featuring the image of General Colin Powell, which honors U.S. Veterans from the Persian Gulf War, a commemorative of President Clinton, commemorative that honor the extraordinary contributions of African Americans, a series of coins commemorating the Civil War, commemorative coins for the Special Olympics and others. Senate Finally Comes to Web Months after the White House and the House of Representatives made their cyber debuts, the U.S. Senate finally has opened its World Wide Web home page on the Internet. The Senate system (reached at Web address http://www.senate.gov) features a directory of senators linked to their own home pages, e-mail addresses (about 60 senators have them), committee rosters, a glossary of terms, and links to sources of legislative information including the Library of Congress's Thomas service, which has the Congressional Record and bill texts. Rules Committee Chairman John W. Warner (R-Virginia) told Communications Daily he expects the Senate's home page to be improved and expanded with information on voting records, a calendar of events, and voice and video clips. Warner said at a recent news conference that no decision has been made on whether to include Republican and Democratic policy committees, saying he didn't want to involve the home page in partisan politics. Nixon CD-ROM Planned Multimedia software publisher Graphix Zone Inc. says it is collaborating with three-time Academy Award winner Oliver Stone to produce an interactive CD-ROM based on the upcoming film, "Nixon." Scheduled for release in March 1996, the CD-ROM will feature footage from the film, including scenes with Sir Anthony Hopkins as the late president and James Woods as Chief-of-Staff H.R. Halderman. According to Graphix Zone, which is based in Irvine, California, the Nixon CD-ROM "will provide both an adventurous look behind the scenes at the White House and a scholarly research vehicle to access a 'virtual Nixon library.'" Users will be able to explore never-before-seen White House rooms, including the "plumbers' office," which housed the top secret "black bag" burglary operation. The disc will also feature historical documents from the Watergate era, as well as photos, memos, and video footage from Nixon's life and administration. The Nixon CD-ROM will be a hybrid disc, playable on Window, Windows 95, and Macintosh platforms. The CD-ROM will also provide direct online links to a Nixon Internet home page. Telecommuting Survey Finds Pluses A new survey finds that nearly two-thirds of Fortune 1000 executives view telecommuting as not only good for employees but also advantageous to employers. The survey, released by Telecommute America!, a telecommuting advocacy group, finds that executives of companies with telecommuting programs were nearly unanimous (92 percent) in agreeing that telecommuting benefits employers. The respondents cited cost reduction, increased productivity and improved employee morale as key telecommuting advantages. The study also finds that two-thirds of Fortune 1000 companies currently have telecommuting programs, half of which were instituted in the past two years. A majority of the firms with telecommuting programs expect them to continue to grow, while nearly 60 percent of executives from companies without programs say they expect to institute one within the next three years. "Private and public sector employers initially may have established their telecommuting programs to meet environmental requirements or to help employees balance work and family needs. But in the process, they discovered its benefits to the bottom line," says Faith Wohl, a director of the U.S. General Services Administration's Workplace Initiatives program and a member of the Telecommute America! founding committee. According to Wohl, the growth of telecommuting suggests that business and government now depend on the concept as an important way to reduce costs and to maximize their return- on-investment in employees. Despite continued growth in and management appreciation for telecommuting programs, barriers to more widespread adoption persist, finds the survey. The executives surveyed say the lack of management control and loss of the team concept are the most common concerns they hear from would- be supervisors of telecommuters. However, two-thirds of the companies surveyed are addressing these and other barriers through training and policy development. Intel to Unveil TV Technology Chipmaker Intel Corp. is set to unveil a technology that lets PC users view television at the same time as computerized information from the Internet's World Wide Web. The Wall Street Journal reported this morning the product, called Intercast, depends on a special circuit board and software developed by Intel that allows for the broadcast of information over the vertical blanking interval now used for close captioning. The Journal adds that the technology is backed by an industry group that includes major broadcasters and personal computer makers. The Kids' Computing Corner Millie's Math House, Bailey's Book House and Trudy's Time and Place House Hybrid format CD-ROMs for Windows 95, Windows 3.1 and Macintosh each title priced at $40 for ages 2 to 6 from Edmark Corporation P.O. Box 97021 Redmond, WA 98073-9721 206-556-8484 by Frank Sereno Program Requirements IBM Macintosh CPU: 386DX-33 CPU: Color Macintosh RAM: 4 megs RAM: 4 megs OS: Windows 3.1, Windows 95 or greater OS: System 7.0.1 Video: SVGA, 640 by 480 with 256 colors Video: 256 colors, 13" or larger monitor HDISK: 2 megs free space HDISK: Information not available CD-ROM: Double-speed CD-ROM: Double-speed Misc.: Mouse, sound card Optional: Printer, Edmark TouchWindow, microphone Edmark has released a new title for its fine "house" series of educational titles, Trudy's Time and Place House. In addition, the three original titles in the series have been updated and improved for Windows 95. Previously I reviewed the newest version of Sammy's Science House. This article will include reviews of Bailey's Book House and Millie's Math House also. The original versions of these two titles were reviewed in this column last year. Let's look at the common features of these three titles. The interface is very easy to use. The main screen features the program's host sitting in his house. The learning activities can be accessed by clicking on objects in the house. Most activities have two learning modes. Explore and Discover mode allows children to play and learn in the activity at their own paces. They enjoy the thrill of making discoveries. This mode is active whenever a learning activity is started. Question and Answer mode is initiated by clicking on the picture frame on the screen. Now an activity host will ask the child to do a task. If the child gives an incorrect response, the host will ask the question until the correct response is given. After several incorrect responses, only the correct answer will be left available. Correct answers are given very positive feedback while incorrect answers generate encouraging feedback. These three programs have adult menus which allow a parent or teacher to set options for the programs. Options include turning off the program's music, allowing printing and whether children can exit the program by clicking on an icon. All programs are backed by a thirty-day, money back guarantee and a ninety-day warranty against defective media. Technical assistance is available at no charge from Edmark. Each program includes an excellent manual which contains information on installing and running the program and also troubleshooting tips. The manuals also include important suggestions for off-computer activities that will complement those in the programs. Each CD-ROM also has a Dear Parents section featuring video of Edmark Vice President Donna Stanger speaking about the importance of early learning. She will also describe the educational goals of each activity within that particular CD-ROM. This information can be beneficial to child and parent alike. Millie's Math House Millie's Math House contains seven learning activities which teach concepts such as pattern recognition, size, using blueprints, following directions, counting and simple math problems. Millie is a friendly and encouraging host for your child's math activities. The Little, Middle and Big activity teaches children comparative size. Nine pairs of shoes are arranged on shelves. The shoes are three sizes. Three differently sized characters need shoes. The child must match the correct shoe size to each character. If he chooses the wrong size shoe, the character will prompt him to fetch the correct size. In the Explore & Discover mode, the three characters are on the screen at the same time and shoes can be placed on each. In the Question & Answer mode, each character will appear on the screen alone and ask for shoes. Children will learn the relationship between body and foot size to shoe size. Build-A-Bug is an exercise in creativity in the explore mode. Children add body parts to a bug by choosing the part and then the number of the part they want on the bug. Completed bugs can be printed and sound effects can be recorded to replace those included with the program. In question mode, the child is directed to place most designated parts on the animal. Children learn numbers and quantity. Children learn to recognize patterns in Bing and Boing. In explore mode, children can create their own patterns by placing icons on the screen. Each of these icons makes a wacky sound when Bing or Boing jumps on it. Children can replace these sounds with their own recordings. In question mode, a complete pattern is shown to the child, then it is shown with one icon missing. The child must use logic to deduce which icon is missing from the pattern. Logical sequence and counting are learned at the Cookie Factory. In the explore mode, children must follow the correct sequence of pushing buttons and pulling levers to make and decorate a cookie. As jelly beans are dropped onto the cookie, the computer both announces the number and displays it in a picture frame. In question mode, Harley Horse will request a cookie with a certain number of jelly beans. The child must place that number of jelly beans on the cookie or else it will go to Harley's friend, Froggy. The computer will again count the beans and display the number. Harley will ask for the same number of jelly beans until his order is successfully filled. He will tell the child whether the cookie has too many or too few beans. However, he won't specify the number over or under which would have given this activity more value. Mouse House teaches geometric shapes, following directions and encourages creativity. Children can build imaginative buildings which can be printed and then colored in explore mode. Question mode requires that they follow the mouse's directions to build a mouse house. Children can choose from three difficulty levels. Counting and numbers are learned in the Number Machine. The machine is a cash register and has ten buttons. Children have the option of learning numbers in three sets of ten. In explore mode, children can click on a button and then watch the program count that number of animals as they pop out of the register drawer. In question mode, they will be asked to find a certain number. When that number is found, the drawer will open and the animals will be counted. If incorrect answers are given, the child is encouraged to try again. If he continues to respond incorrectly, possible answers will be removed until only the correct response is left. What's My Number? teaches counting, addition and subtraction with numbers from one to ten. Dorothy the Duck will place a number of objects behind a curtain on a stage. She will then say the number and then the child must place objects on his side of the stage until they are equal to the requested number. The three available options allow the child to count from one to ten or to do simply addition or subtraction problems. The graphic and sound portions of Millie's Math House are merely adequate. The animations are not smooth and often a character will speak without any movement from his lips. The program lacks a polished look and feel. Younger children will probably be attracted by the bright colors and quirky characters. The program does have good play value and the educational content has been increased since the original version. Children can now learn to count to thirty and do simple addition and subtraction. Millie's is a good value backed by an excellent guarantee. A school version is available with a teacher's guide, lesson plans and reproducible worksheets. Ratings Graphics ..... 7.5 Sounds ..... 7.5 Interface ...... 9.0 Play Value ..... 9.0 Educational Value .. 9.0 Bang for the Buck .. 9.0 Average ...... 8.5 Bailey's Book House Bailey's Book House has seven activities which develop reading and writing skills in preschool children. Let's take a tour of the house. The Letter Machine is a typewriter with a video display. Click on a letter and the machine displays a short sentence with an accompanying video. The words in the sentence will be read individually if clicked upon and the sentence will be re-read if the dot before the sentence is clicked upon. In question mode, children will be asked to find a letter on the keyboard. This activity increases the child's vocabulary and teaches the alphabet. Learning prepositions is the objective when your child plays Edmo & Houdini. In explore mode, children can experiment with the prepositions and see the results displayed on the monitor. They will quickly learn the meanings of prepositions as they watch Edmo and Houdini be placed over, under or in the dog house. In question mode, the child will be asked to pick the correct preposition. The question will be briefly shown as text on the screen. Prepositions will be removed after incorrect answers until only the correct answer remains. This exercise also assists children to build their vocabularies. Read-A-Rhyme teaches vocabulary and to recognize rhymes. Children complete a poem by choosing from the four rhyming picture words. When the rhyme is completed, the computer will say the poem and an animation will show the meaning of the picture word. In question mode, children must find the one rhyming picture word out of four choices which will complete the poem. Incorrect answers will result in the removal of all but the correct response. Children can create their own four-page storybook in Make-A-Story. Children select from the available images to fill in the blanks in the story. The computer will then display and read the resulting sentence. Then it will display an animation of the action described in that sentence. The completed storybook can be printed for reading and sharing later. This activity fosters a love of both reading and writing. Children learn that words have meaning, words build sentences and that sentences make stories. Kid Cards is another exercise that encourages children to explore their creative talents. Children design various greeting cards and thank you notes with the templates provided by the program. It can be customized with colorful, seasonal stamps and text. The card can then be printed out. This is a fun activity and a great way to interest young children in sending thank you notes. If you read Ann Landers or Dear Abby, you know that the malaise of Western Civilization is that young people do not write thank you notes. Do you remember Mr. Potato Head? My Friend is very similar. In explore mode, a basic character is shown on the monitor and then the child can choose different attributes to create a crazy-looking creature. Six descriptive phrases are shown. By clicking on the adjectives, other adjectives will be rotated into the phrase changing the creature's appearance. When the child has the creature he wants, he can print it out. In question mode, he must fill in the blank in the sentence which is read by the computer. The blank word is stated when the sentence is read. A picture of the creature is also shown so the child can choose the correct word through both visual and audible clues. This activity increases a child's vocabulary by teaching him some common adjectives and helps him to recognize the value of descriptive phrases. This is an added activity over the original version of Bailey's. The final activity is another new feature in version 2.0 of Bailey's Book House. It is the Three-Letter Carnival. Explore mode features several items on the screen. Clicking on one picture will bring it to the front of the screen where its word will be pronounced and spelled. Then a short animation will help define the word and entertain the child. As pictures are removed from the screen, another will replace it. I'm not certain how many pictures and words are available. This exercise will expand his vocabulary and spelling skills. The question mode features a four-car roller coaster. The lead car will contain an object and its name will be on the side of the car. Children can choose to match rhyming words or words which begin with same letter. They will choose from objects placed near the track. As correct objects are chosen, the item will be placed in a car, then its name will be written on the side of the car. The computer will say and spell its name. Once the four cars are filled, the roller coaster will start down the track while the computer repeats the four words faster and faster until the end of the ride. Children will build their vocabulary, learn proper spelling, recognize rhyming words and alliteration. The graphics and sound in Bailey's are improved over those in Millie's Math House. They are not state of the art, but the animations are better and the music is more entertaining. The play value is excellent. My youngest son has spent hours churning out stories and cards. The new activities have improved the educational value of the product. This program is reasonably priced and backed by an outstanding guarantee. The program also has a school version available which includes a teacher's guide and work sheets. Ratings Graphics ..... 8.5 Sounds ..... 8.5 Interface ...... 9.0 Play Value ..... 9.0 Educational Value .. 9.0 Bang for the Buck .. 9.0 Average ...... 8.83 Trudy's Time & Place House Trudy's Time & Place House is one of the first educational titles aimed at teaching preschoolers time concepts, geography and map reading skills. The program includes five fun activities which encourage creativity and curiosity. Earth Scout gives children the opportunity to learn about the world. The earth is viewed from outer space. Clicking on part of the earth results in a close-up view. The area is highlighted on the globe and a world map. Several icons will be shown which are points of interest or landmarks for that region. A picture of that object will be shown and a narrator will describe it. A picture can be taken which can be printed out and colored. The globe can be turned by clicking on the green arrows. In question mode, the child must find a particular location. This activity has three levels of difficulty. Children can learn many interesting geography facts in this activity. Children learn about units of time and the passing of the seasons in Calendar Clock. A quiet pastoral scene is shown on the top portion of the screen. Below are clocks and calendars which control time in increments as small as a second to those as large as a month. In explore mode, children can click on the time icons and watch the results as day turns to night, summer to winter. In question mode, they will be asked to adjust the time by certain increments to see an event take place. Time Twins teaches children to tell time on both analog and digital clocks. In explore mode, children can watch the relationship between digital and analog clocks as they change time on one and the other clock changes as well. Clicking on the done button will result in the computer announcing the time on the clocks. Question mode asks the children to set the clocks to the same time with the clocks alternating between which one is the target and which is manipulated. This portion of the program has three difficulty levels. In the highest difficulty level, children will learn about time phrases such as "quarter `til" and "half past" the hour. This portion of the program features some excellent animations. Can you imagine that you are an ant on a treasure hunt searching for colorful jelly beans? Jellybean Hunt gives your child the opportunity to enjoy such an adventure. The screen is divided into three sections. The largest section is an ant's eye view of the world. An overhead map shows the location of the ant and his objects of desire. The bottom portion of the screen contains the directional icons which will be used to move the ant. Your child can choose to use left, right and forward arrows under the ant's view screen or he can use the north, south, east and west arrows under the map screen. This will help him learn the relationship between the different kinds of directions. In explore mode, your child can move the ant in any manner which pleases him to find the jelly beans. In question mode, he must follow the directions given by Joe Crow. Symbol Sandbox is the final activity. Your child can create a virtual world inside a sandbox using map symbols for roads, cities, mountains and more. Using explore mode, he will discover that some symbols can be combined to create cities in mountains, bridges over lakes and even tunnels through the mountains. In the question mode, the child will be presented with a completed sandbox and he must make the map match it. He can choose between finishing nine-square maps and 16-square maps. Billy Beaver provides plenty of advice if your child has difficulty solving the map. Once the map is finished, he will be rewarded with an animation. This activity will help children understand the relationship between maps and the real world. Trudy's is filled with excellent graphics. The sound effects and music are the best of the "House" series programs. The activities are very entertaining so this program should have very good play value. Educational content is quite varied and good. As with all Edmark programs, Trudy's is backed by an excellent guarantee. If you are not satisfied within thirty days, simply return the product for a refund or exchange. With its wide variety of fun challenges, Trudy's Time & Place House is a welcome addition to most homes' learning libraries. Ratings Graphics ...... 9.0 Sound ....... 9.0 Interface ...... 9.0 Play Value ..... 9.0 Educational Value .. 9.0 Bang for the Buck .. 9.0 Average ...... 9.0 If you wish to express any suggestions or opinions, please send e-mail to me at fsereno@matrix.uti.com. And as always, I thank you for reading. TouchPro V1.0 What is TouchPro? TouchPro is a Windows 95 extension that allows you to modify or "touch", any, or all of a file's time & date values. TouchPro integrates seamlessly with Windows 95 and appears as an extra dialog box in addition to a file's normal property pages. You can modify multiple file's time & date values by using a multiple selection. Installation TouchPro is supplied as a compressed file archive. Copy the compressed file to an empty floppy disk or new sub-directory on your hard disk & extract the files. When you have uncompressed the supplied file, you should have the following files in addition to the original: TouchPro.dll The TouchPro Shell Extension DLL TouchPro.doc This document TouchPro.txt Text version of this document TouchPro.inf The Setup Information File Select the TouchPro.inf Setup Information File in an Explorer window and choose File, Install, or right click on the file and choose the Install menu. Installation is quick, merely involving copying of the files to the target location on your machine and modification of the relevant registry information. TouchPro is now ready to use. How Do You Use It? Select the files that you want to alter the timestamp on in an Explorer window. Display the properties by using the File, Properties menu, or right click and choose the Properties menu item. With TouchPro installed you will see an extra "Touch!" page in the properties dialog. Click on the "Touch" tab to use TouchPro. TouchPro enters the current date & time as a default, and allows you to alter them to whatever you want. To set the file timestamps just select the file time types that you want to change by clicking the appropriate check boxes, and use the "Touch Now" button. Note The OK, and Apply buttons on the main Property Page dialog do not perform the touch operation. The file's Last Accessed time will change to the current date & time when you touch any of the time & date values. Limitations Time format is currently 24hr format only. The shareware version has a limit to the number of files that it can "Touch" in a single selection. The release version has no such restriction. The release version also removes the nag banner that you get when you initially use the Touch property page. Removal Use the Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs item. Select the TouchPro item (listed as "Touch Property Page Extension") and click the Add/Remove button. Contact To obtain the full registered version contact us at 100524.3072@compuserve.com to confirm address details, and then send a cheque for œ2 to the address below, made payable to JD Design. We will then Email you directly with the latest version, or if you prefer we can send you a copy by post. For multi-user and site licence prices, please get in touch for details. If you have any suggestions for improvements to TouchPro, then please let us know. Thanks JD Design 162 Mow Cop Road Mow Cop Stoke-on-Trent ST7 4NH England Other Windows Products by JD Design VidRes - A freeware Windows 95 video resolution switching utility. Gemesys Toolbox - A suite of Windows applications for use with CEGELEC's Gemesys 3 and Gem80 PLC hardware. Coming Soon. 10/30/95 A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N FARGO PRIMERA PRO COLOR PRINTERS - 600DPI For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent to you that demonstrates FARGO Primera & Primera Pro SUPERIOR QUALITY 600dpi 24 bit Photo Realistic Color Output, please send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope [SASE] (business sized envelope please) to: STReport's Fargo Printout Offer P.O. Box 6672 Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155 Folks, the FARGO Primera Pro has GOT to be the best yet. Its far superior to the newest of Color Laser Printers selling for more than three times as much. Its said that ONE Picture is worth a thousand words. Send for this sample now. Guaranteed you will be amazed at the superb quality. (please, allow at least a one week turn-around) A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N-A T T E N T I O N MAC/APPLE SECTION John Deegan, Editor TECH... NO BABBLE STReport Makes Technology Easy! The Internet by Joe Mirando Hello fellow travellers on the Electronic Highway! Welcome to the first installment of STReport's Technology column. It has always amazed me that something as simple as a title could be so important. For a while now, I've had an idea for a column: Take some of the newest, most technical subjects you can find, and explain them so that you don't need a degree in physics to understand them. When I approached our editor with the idea of doing this column, he said "Sure, with the way technology is growing, everyone could use that kind of information". So, with the approval of my editor under my belt, I decided that the first column should be about the Internet. The reason that I chose the 'net is that a recent poll showed that over ninety percent of Americans have heard of it, but less than one quarter of those knew what it was. I stoped and ran through all that I knew about the subject. While I know more about it than many folks, I found that my knowledge was what I considered to be severely limited. "Okay," I thought to myself, "I'll fix that and share what I find". Now what I needed was a cool name for the column. I've found that, unless you can catch someone's attention right at the start, folks will loose interest before they even begin. I ran several possible titles through my mind... Tech Talk, Technically Speaking, and several others along the same lines. No, these all gave the same impression. All of them would make people think that the subject matter was going to be dry, dense, and highly... well, technical. Since I had already decided that was what the column _wasn't_ going to be, these were all unacceptable. So it was back to the drawing board. Finally, just when I had given up, it hit me: What the column was going to be was straight-forward talk. No Technobabble. No Babble. Tech...No Babble. Eureka! The title fulfilled my needs. First it was kind of catchy, second it got the point across, third it was, as my wife put it, a "groaner". So there you have it, the creative process (such as it is) at work. What I find really exciting is the possibilities. I plan on pestering people who know the technical side of things such as modems, CD-ROMs, microchips, and whatever else comes along, and turning their high-tech theories and principals into words that everyone can understand. This week I'm going it alone, but soon I hope to be bringing you some of the big names in the computing world. Well, you've heard enough of this. Let's find out about the Internet. What is probably most often considered the beginning of the Internet started back in 1969. The Department of Defense decided that, since the Cold War was in full swing, the other side might take it into their heads to start a nuclear war. The military had known for a long time that there would be both military and civilian losses in such an event, but figured that could be evened out by bombing the other side to a greater extent than they bombed us. What they couldn't abide though, was the thought that some of the mountains of research and electronic paperwork might be lost. So it was decided that data should be shared between computers housed at as many military contractors and research facilities (mostly Universities) as possible. What was needed was a network: A way of connecting computers at different facilities so that they could all share their information. That way, in the event of a disaster, there was less of a chance of their "stuff" being lost. In a leap of logic that only a political military mechanism could muster, it was decided that ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Administration Network) would start with four computers: Three in California and one in Utah. Yeah, that minimizes the risk in the event of a nuclear attack. At any rate, the experiment was successful and ARPANET grew rapidly. There are now Internet sites on every continent on Earth... even Antarctica! There are a few computers at the station on McMurdo Sound that are connected to the 'Net via New Zealand. Granted, it's not much, but it IS a connection. So, now that we know a little bit about how the Internet got started, let's take a look at what all of this means to you. In order to make use of the Internet, you need a couple of things. First, you need a computer. A modem (modulator/de-modulator), the device that takes the digital information that your computer puts out and turns it into signals that can be transferred over normal telephone lines, is also a must. All you really need to know is that you have a modem and how fast it is. Most software that uses a modem today either knows about your modem, or knows enough to tell you what to look for. When modems first made their appearance, they projected audible sounds into the mouthpiece of the telephone handset and "listened" for the same kind of tones from the earpiece. The difference in modulation determined the value of the sound, therefore the modulator/de-modulator name. When you buy a modem, the manufacturers usually include a terminal program. No, this isn't a program that's dying, it is a program that lets your computer "talk" to other computers over the telephone lines using the aforementioned modem. If you don't have a modem and want to get one, look for a brand name such as Supra (my personal favorite), Hayes, U.S. Robotics, or Zoom. You also need to check on the modem's speed. Look for at least a 14,400 Baud modem. What "Baud" actually is has become a bit complicated, so we won't go into that, but suffice it to say that 14,400 is fast enough to use with the Internet. There are also 28,800 baud modems available, but they aren't twice as fast as 14,400. They actually only transfer data about thirty percent faster. If the extra cost is a factor to you, settle for the 14,400 (known is computer circles as 'fourteen four). If that thirty percent increase in speed is more important that the extra fifty or so dollars, then go for it. Just keep in mind that, even though twenty-eight-eight is now the top speed for a modem, within a few years there will be models available that will be roughly thirty percent faster. That will be about the maximum for telephone modems. After that, look for modems that work through cable, fiber optics, and a slew of other possibilities. But for right now, all you really need to know is that you should get at least a fourteen-four modem. You also need either an Internet Provider, a company that, for a fee, will allow you to have your computer call their computer and access the Internet through them, or a commercial online service such as Delphi, CompuServe, GEnie, America Online, or Prodigy who, in addition to providing their own services such as e-mail (electronic mail), file downloading, and party-line-style conferences, also let you connect up to the 'Net. These commercial services go out of their way to make it easy for you to "join up" by putting promotional material in with new modems. If you want to go this route (and I recommend it), look through all of the information in the box. That will give you a good idea of pricing and what the different companies offer. So why, you may ask, should I worry about the Internet if I can get files and send e-mail on one of the commercial services? A valid question. The answer is that, since providing Internet access is a fairly new business, prices are still slightly on the high side unless you are lucky enough to be local to a "FreeNet". This is a computer that is nice enough to allow you to use it to get onto the Internet free of charge. They are few and far between however, and with the trend toward commercialization, there probably won't be too many more. But it's worth checking on. Ask at computer stores (real computer stores, not office supply stores) and users groups. Both of these groups will be helpful in not only your search, but with the questions you might have along your own personal path to Internet enlightenment. So, now that you understand what the Internet is and how you can connect to it, the major question left unanswered is "Why would I want to get on the 'net". The answer is maybe you don't. And that's... okay. There is nothing that fits everybody and the Internet is no exception. If global communication with the ability to get programs, newsletters, and mail from around the world in only minutes doesn't appeal to you, then the Internet probably isn't your thing. But if any of the above things interest you, you should check it out. There are so many areas of interest on the 'net that, once you look around, you are bound to find something that you can't find anywhere else. Now, let's take a quick look at how the Internet works. When you call an Internet provider, you are actually entering a system of computers that are all networked together. You get to the computer that holds the information you want by what is most easily described as an electronic game of "telegraph". The data is passed between computers until it gets to you. But again, you don't really need to know the particulars to be able to do any of this. Once you find something that you're interested in by using one of the available search programs, it is incredibly easy to transfer it to your computer. Before we get any more into this transfer thing, we should understand what the different types of data are. First, are the newsgroups. Newsgroups are areas that cater to a particular subject. Everything from the latest experimental results from research facilities to newsletters and fan magazines for your favorite movie or TV show. Then come the FTP sites. FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. But... you really don't need to know that. What you do need to know is that FTP sights are where you can download files from. Downloading is the process of transferring something from their computer to yours. Transferring from your computer to theirs is called Uploading. These files can be programs, documents, pictures, or just about anything that can be stored as data. Since you are looking for a file, whether it is a program or a picture file, you don't really care about whether it's stored in a computer in Guam or Upper Sanduskee. To find a file, you use a search program. Just to prove that we computer folks have a sense of humor, some of these programs have interesting names. Remember Archie, Jughead, and Veronica? They've all been immortalized in code. That's right, these are also the names of three search programs. These aren't programs that you actually run on your computer though. They run on machines that are part of the Internet. You send commands to them from your computer and can search through the entire Internet to find what you are looking for. Then is the email system. Email is used mostly for letters and correspondence. You can send mail to anyone anywhere in the world providing they have Internet access (or any of the commercial online services) and have it "delivered" to them in a matter of hours. Not bad, huh? You can also send things that aren't text as email, but that's a bit harder. To send things like programs and pictures, you have to first encode them using a program called UUencode. What this does is turn non-text into text files that can then be emailed. This way you can send programs and pictures to your friend across the country through the email system and not have to get very technical about it. When your friend receives the email he or she can simply UUdecode the file to turn it from text to data and there you are! You don't really don't need to do this, but it's good to know that you can. And the crown jewel of the Internet right now is the World Wide Web. The Web is a place that's set up a bit differently than most of the rest of the 'net. The Web is set up to be graphic. I don't mean that there's blood and guts all over the place. What I mean is that, instead of text menus and lists of available files where you have to type in the name of the directory or file that you want, you are presented with point-and-click menus so that you can use your mouse (if you use one) and simply choose what you want, what you want to do with it, and where you want to go. With the advent of home computers fast enough to deal with the graphics involved, Web sights are popping up all over the place. Everyone from television networks to video game manufacturers to online magazines have "Web Sites". Think of them as special interest groups that are easy to get to and easy to use. For instance, the STReport Web Site has back issues of STReport, editorials, document viewers and lots of computer news-related stuff. The Atari Web site has the latest news and information about hardware and games for their 64 bit game machine. Another neat feature of the Web is that any Web site can be "linked" to any other so that, from Atari's site, you can click on STReport and, quick like a bunny, you are there and vis-versa. The same is true within a Web site. This is called "hyper-linking". What this means is that you don't have to hunt through directories to find what you want. Even though a graphic directory system would be easier to navigate than the old-fashioned method, hyper-linking removes the need for worrying about directories and such. Even though I'm trying to keep the techno-speak down to a minimum, the folks involved with the Internet have no such problem. The world of the Internet is full of initials that are supposed to automatically mean something to you and odd terms and names that don't give you any real idea of what they are. So I'm going to list some of them here. Folks, this list may well be worth the cost of the magazine to you! So let's take a look: ú ARCHIE, VERONICA, JUGHEAD: Just a few of many search programs that you can use to find files on the net. While they're not terribly powerful, they are easy to use. ú SLIP, PPP, TCP/IP, FTP: Some of the protocols used for connecting to and communicating with the Internet. You need only know which protocol to use. This is usually determined by the provider you choose. After that, you really don't have to think about it. ú FTP: I've listed this one separately because it is important. FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. This mode is used over most of the Internet for uploading and downloading. ú URL: Uniform Resource Locator. This is what links pages together on the World Wide Web. So when you hear URL, you know that it has something to do with the Web. ú HTTP: Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. This is the way that the information that makes up Web Pages gets around on the 'net. Again, all you need really remember is that HTTP connects you to the World Wide Web. ú Gopher: A search program using a series of menus. Gopher resides on particular computers within the Internet but you don't need to know which ones. When you use Gopher, you are taken directly to those sites without ever knowing it. Well, that's about all I can fit into this column this week. There is a lot more that I could say about the Internet, but you're probably overloaded already. Once your head clears, run down to your nearest bookstore and check out the books that are available about the Internet. There are a lot of them, some good, some not so good. I've found that one of the easiest ways to tell a good book of this type is to check the index and glossary. If they look kind of skimpy to you, go on to the next book. Some of them even come with software. The software adds to the cost of the book, so decide before hand if you want it or need it. Also be sure to check which platform the software is for. Macintosh software won't do you any good on a '486. There are also several books that offer tutelage on accessing the Internet through a commercial online service. I've found several of these to be very good, one or two of them are even better than the Internet-only books. If you decide to access the 'Net via one of these services, look seriously at these. ..So don't be afraid high technology. Remember, High Tech is just like Low Tech, only faster. COMDEX/Fall Exhibitor List 01 Communique Laboratory Inc. 1394 Trade Association 1st Tech. Corporation 20/20 Software, Inc. 3Dlabs Inc. 3DTV Corp. 3M Data Storage Products Div. 7th Level A Alternative Personal Software Aaeon Technology Inc. AMCC Abacus Accounting Systems Inc. AMCO Engineering Co. Abacus Software, Inc. Amcom Corporation ABA-Systems American Bible Society ABS-American Business Systems American Business Information Abstract R&D Inc. American Computer Resources, Inc. Abudoe Software, Inc. American Covers, Inc. Accent Software International American INfoScience AccessData Corp. American Ink Jet Corporation ACC Microelectronics Corp. American Megatrends, Inc. Accurate Research, Inc. American Power Conversion Accurel Systems American Small Business Computers Acecad, Inc. Inc. Aceex Corporation American Teleprocessing Corporation ACE Marketing - Taiwan America Online, Inc. Acer America Corporation Ameriquest Technologies, Inc. Acer Laboratories Inc. Amphenol Canada Corp. Aces Research Inc. Amptron International, Inc. Achme Computer Inc. Amrel Technology Inc. Acl, Incorporated Analog Technology Corporation Acme Electric Corp. Anam S&T Co., Ltd. Acme Portable Machines, Inc. Anchor Pad Products ACS Computer Pte. Ltd. AniCom Action Image Systems Technology, Annabooks Inc. Ansel International, Inc. ActionTec, Electronics, Inc. Apex Software Corp. Actix Systems, Inc. Apollo Presentation Products ACT-RX Technology Corp. Apple Computer, Inc. Acumer Micro Computer, Inc. Arbor Image Corporation ADAK Communications Corporation Arcada Software Adaptive Micro Systems, Inc. Arcade Computer Entertainment BV Addtronics Enterprise Co. Archtek America Corporation Addtron Technology Co. Ltd. Arcland Inc. ADI Systems, Inc. Arco Computer Products Inc. Adobe Systems, Inc. ArcSoft, Inc. Adroit Systems, Inc. Argentine Promotion Center Adtran Argos Gameware Advanced Gravis Computer Technology Aristo Computers, Inc. Ltd. Arkenstone, Inc. Advanced Integration Research, Inc. Artecon Advanced Matrix Technology Artek Computer Systems Advanced Micro Devices Artisoft Inc. AER Energy Resources, Inc. ASAP Distributors AGFA The ASCII Group, Inc. Ahead Systems Asian Sources Media Group AIL Systems, Inc. Asia Source, Inc. AIMS Lab Pte. Ltd. ASK LCD Inc. AITech International Corp. askSam Systems AIWA America Inc. Asolid Computer Supply, Inc. A J M, Inc. Aspen Imaging International Aladdin Software Security, Inc. Aspen Systems, Inc. Alaris, Inc. Assmann Data Products Alfa Infotech Co. The Associates AllMicro, Inc. The Association of Shareware Allsop Computer Accessories Professionals Aloha Leasing AST Research, Inc. ALPEC-TEAM Inc. Asymetrix Corporation Alpha Enterprises Inc. ATI Alpha & Omega Computer ATI Technologies, Inc. Alps Electric USA Atlightspeed Altec Lansing Multimedia AT&T AT&T AT&T Interchange Online Network ATTO Technology Inc. AT&T Software Replication Center Aura Industries AuraVision Corporation Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Avance Logic, Inc. AVerMedia, Inc. Avery Dennison Avid Technology, Inc. Avision Labs, Inc. Avista Software, Inc. AVM Technology, Inc. Award Software International, Inc. Axiohm Inc. Axis Communications Axonix Corporation Axxion Group Corporation Axxon Computer Corporation Azerty, Inc. Aztech Labs, Inc. B Badger Computers Ballard Synergy Balt Baseline Data Systems Battery Network The Bauman Group Bavaria Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport and Technology Bayware, Inc. BBX Custom Computers The Beetle Mouse Company of ASC, Ltd. Belgian Foreign Trade Office Belkin Components Benwin Inc. Berkeley Speech Technologies, Inc. Bermo Inc. Best Data Products, Inc. Best Power Technology, Inc. BGW Systems, Inc. Bit 3 Computer Corporation BJMT Technology Corporation BJS Electronics, Inc. Black Box Corp. BLAST, Inc. Borland International Bose Corporation Bottom Line Industries Inc. Brainstorm Technologies Inc. Broderbund Software Inc. Brooks Power Systems Inc. Brooktree Corp. Brother International Corp. Brown Innovations, Inc. BSF Components, Inc. Buffalo, Inc. Bull Business Software Alliance BusLogic Inc. Buyers Laboratory Inc. Byte Brothers Byte Magazine Bytronix Corp. C Chyron Corp. Cable Connection CINRAM, Inc. Cables To Go Circle Inc. Cables Unlimited Cirque Corporation Cabling System Warehouse Cirrus Logic, Inc. Cadix International Inc. CIT Multimedia Caere Corporation Clary Corporation Cahners Publishing Company Classic PIO Partners California PC Products Clipper Products Caligari Corporation CMC Magnetics Corp. Caliper Corporation CMD Technology, Inc. Calzone Case Co. CMP Publications Cambrix Publishing CNF, Inc. Camelot Corporation Coastline Computer Products, Inc. Canada, Department of Foreign Coast Manufacturing Company Affairs & International Trade Coconut Computing, Inc. Cana Pacific Ribbons Inc. Code Flier Technology, Inc. Canon U.S.A., Inc. Colombian Government Trade Bureau Canopus Co., Ltd. ComByte Inc. CAP Automation Comclok, Inc. Caprock Manufacturing Inc. Comfy Interactive Movies Capsoft Development Corporation Command Software Systems Caravelle Networks Corporation Commax Technologies, Inc. Cardiff Software Commix SP Cardinal Technologies Compcore Multimedia, Inc. Carina Software Compix Media Inc. Carroll Touch Compsee, Inc. Carstens Compton's NewMedia, Inc. Castelle Inc. CompuCover Inc. CBM America Corporation Compulink Management Center, Inc. CCE/RTE CompuMart Magazine C-Cube Microsystems Compumedia Ltd. C.D. Concepts, Inc. CompUSA The CD ROM Source CompuServe Incorporated CD Rom Strategies, Inc. Computer Associates International, CD Technology Inc. CD World Publishing Plus Corp. Computer Books 4 Less The Centech Group, Inc. Computer Connections America Centon Electronics, Inc. Computer Dynamics Inc. Century Microelectronics, Inc. Computer Economics, Inc. Century Systems, Inc. Computer Expressions, Inc. Cerwin-Vega! Computer Hot Line CG Public Relations Computer Intelligence Chaintech Computer U.S. Inc. ComputerLand/Merisel Champion Business Systems Inc. Computer Library Champion Systems Corp. Computer Modules, Inc. Channel Marketing Computer News Inc. Chaplet Systems USA, Inc. Computer Technology Review Chartered Electronics Industries Computer Trading International, Chase Advanced Technologies, Inc. Inc. Chatsworth Products, Inc. Computer Training & Support Cheer Electronics Corp. Corporation Cherry Electrical Products Computerworld Cheyenne Software, Inc. CompuTrend Systems, Inc. Chicony America Inc. Conley Computer Stacking Systems, Chic Technology Corp. Inc. Chinon America, Inc. Connect Air International Inc. Chin Ta Ind. Co., Ltd. Connectix Corporation CH Products ConnectSoft Chris Martin Enterprises, Inc. Connect Tech Inc. Chromatic Research, Inc. Connectware, Inc. Chrontel, Inc. Conner Constor Manufacturing Consulate General of Switzerland Consumer Technology N.W. Inc. Contek International Corp. Continental Insurance Contour Design Inc. Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. Copia International Copper Leaf Technology CopyPro, Inc. Corbis Publishing Corollary, Inc. Corporation For Open Systems International Corrupad Protective Packaging, Inc. Cougar Mountain Software Inc. Covey Leadership Center CRA Systems Creative Labs, Inc. Creatix Polymedia, L.P. Croma Technology Crown Micro Crystal River Engineering C-Star Technology C.S.T., Inc. CTX International Cubix Corporation CURTIS by ROLODEX cVc Inc. Cway Software, Inc. Cybex Corporation CYMA CypherComm Cyrix Corporation D Display Research Laboratory DacEasy, Inc. Dolch Computer Systems Inc. Daekyo Computer, Ltd. Dooin Electronics Co., Ltd. Daesun Industrial Co., Ltd. DPT-Distributed Processing Daewoo Machinery Corp. Technology Dallas Semiconductor DP-Tek Development Co. LLC Danish Consulate General Dragon Systems, Inc. Danpex Corporation Drama Technology, Inc. Data Bank Corp. Dream Theater Database America Companies Dresselhaus Computer Products Databook Inc. Dr. Gold & Co. KG DataCal Corporation D S International, Inc. Data Depot, Inc. DSP Group, Inc. Data General Corp. DSP Solutions, Inc. Data General Corporation DTK Computer, Inc. Data Hunter DTS Language Services, Inc. DataLux Corporation Dukane Corporation Datamax Services Inc. Dun & Bradstreet Information DataSoft Services Datasonix Corp. Duracell, Inc. Datasouth Computer Corp. Duracell Inc. Data Tec Co., Ltd. Dura Micro Inc. Datatech Depot, Inc. Dycam Inc. Data Technology Corporation Dynabit USA DataViz Dynatek Automation Systems Inc. Dauphin Technology Inc. Dynatex Inc. DCI Marketing Dynatran Computer Systems Dearborn Trade Deep River Publishing Inc. Dell Computer Corporation DeLorme Mapping Delphi Internet Services Delrina Corporation Delta Music, Inc. Delta Products Corporation Deltec Corporation Dempa Publications, Inc. Deneba Software Denon Electronics Deutsche Financial Services Canada Corporation Dialogic Corporation Diamond Entertainment Diamond Flower, Inc. Diamond Multimedia Systems DIA Nielsen DIC Digital Digicom S.p.A. DigiData Corporation Digi International Digital Directory Assistance Digital Equipment Corporation Digital Impact, Inc. Digital Products, Inc. Digital Storage Inc. Digital Video Arts, Inc. Digital Vision, Inc. Digital Vision, Inc. Direct Marketing Technology, Inc. Disc Distributing Corp. Disc Manufacturing, Inc. The Discovery Channel E Eagle Data Protection, Inc. EarthLink Network, Inc. Eastern Directories Pte. Ltd. Eastman Kodak Company EAW/ATLM ECN Magazine Edimax Computer Company Edmark E for M Corporation Eicon Technology, Inc. Eiger Labs, Inc. Eiki International, Inc. Electric Dreams, Inc. Electronic Document Technology Pte. Ltd. Electronic Entertainment Electronic Laser Forms, Inc. Electronic MultiMedia Enterprises ElectroRack Products Company, Inc. ELMA Electronics, Inc. Elo TouchSystems, Inc. Elsa, Inc. Elsner Technologies Company Emblem Corporation EMC Monitor Corp. Empac International Inc. Encyclopaedia Britannica - North America Energizer Power Systems Engineered Data Products, Inc. Enhance Memory Products, Inc. Enpack Epson Equinox Systems, Inc. Ergotron, Inc. Ergoview Technologies Ernst & Young LLP ESRI Esselte Meto Essex Interactive Media Etech Micro Supply Inc. Eurotrade Computer Magazine Everest Electronic Equipment, Inc. Everex Systems Inc. Everfit Computer Supply Inc. Evergreat Group USA Inc. Evergreen Technologies, Inc. Exabyte Corporation Excel Scientech U.S.A., Inc. Exide Electronics Ex Machina, Inc. Expansion Management Magazine EXP Computer Inc. Expert Software Inc. Exponent Corporation Export Market Development Ltd. Express Computer Supply Extended Systems, Inc. Extron Electronics EZC International, Inc. F Falcon Safety Products, Inc. Fantazia Concepts Fargo Electronics, Inc. Fast Electronic U.S., Inc. Faultless Starch/Bon Ami Co. Fauve Software, Inc. Fedco Electronics, Inc. Fellowes Manufacturing Co. Fiber Optic Tech Fidelity International Technologies, Inc. Fidelity Investments Fieldworks, Inc. FINOVA Capital Corporation FirePower Systems, Inc. First International Computer of America, Inc. First United Leasing Corp. The Fischinger Corporation Fitnesoft, Inc. Flight Form Cases Inc. Flytech Technology USA Inc. Focus Computer Products FocusSoft Folex Film Systems Folio Corporation For-A Corporation of America Foresight Resources Corp. Forminco Inc. Formosa USA, Inc. Forte Technologies Inc. Fortune Magazine Frank Kasper & Associates Franklin Quest Co. Frontier Technologies Corp. Frost & Sullivan, Inc. FTG Data Systems Fuji Photo Film USA, Inc. Fujitsu Computer Products of America Fullmark International (USA) Inc. Future Domain Corporation Future System Consulting Corp. FutureTel, Inc. FWB Inc. G Gainbery Computer Products Inc. Gallant Computer, Inc. Gandalf Systems Corp. Gateway 2000 Gazelle Technologies GBH Distributing, Inc. GEC Plessey Semiconductors Inc. Gemini Industries Inc. General Binding Corporation Genesis Microchip Inc. Genesis Technology Inc. Geneva Group of Companies, Inc Genicom Corporation Genovation Incorporated GeoWorks Germany-Hessian Ministry of Economics, Transport, Urban and Regional Develp. $DA Get Organized G & G Assemblers Giga-Byte Technology Co., Ltd. Gigatek Memory Systems, Inc. Glenco Engineering, Inc. Glitch Master Globalink, Inc. Global Village Communications, Inc. Globe Manufacturing Sales GM Name Plate Inc. GNU Worldwide Inc. Golden-Lee Book Distributors Inc. Golden Ribbon Corp. Goldring Technology International Gold Standard Multimedia Goodhope Bags Ind. Inc. Good Stuff Corp. Gordon-Cross, Inc. Government of Puerto Rico Economic Development GP Batteries USA GP Publications, Inc. Gradco (U.S.A.) Inc. Grahl Industries, Inc. Grand View Products Graphic Utilities, Inc. Graphix Zone, Inc. Great Plains Software Greenleaf Distribution Inc. Gretson International Ltd. Greystone Peripherals GTS Communications Co. Gunther's Printing Inc. GWC Technology Inc. H Habitech Hagiwara Sys-Com Hanwa American Hari Seldon Group Harley Street Software Harmony Multimedia Harris Computer Systems Hash Inc. Hassett & Assoc. (CBT) Hauppauge Computer Works Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc. Heartland Computer Products Hecon Industries HEI Inc. Helmers Publishing, Inc. Hepp Computer Hercules Computer Technology Hewlett-Packard Co. HIAR Multimedia H.I.D.E. Hilgraeve Hitachi America, Ltd. Hokkins Systemation, Inc. Home Office Computing Home Recording Rights Coalition Hong Kong Trade Development Council Horizons Technology, Inc. Horizon USA Data Supplies Inc. Houghton Mifflin Company HSC Software HTI Networks HTP International Hughes Network Systems Hummingbird Communications Ltd. Hunter Digital HyperGlot Software Co., Inc. Hyperion Software Hyundai Electronics America Hyundai Electronics America I Inc. IBC - Integrated Business Computers International Data Corp. IBEX Technologies, Inc. International Jensen Inc. IBM Corp. International Power Technologies IBM Corp. Inc. Iconovex Corporation Internet Direct ICVERIFY, Inc. Interplay Productions Ideal Industries Inter-Tel, Incorporated IDG Communications "In The Hood" IEMAN Business, Inc. Invisible Software, Inc. IIyama North America In Win Development Inc. I.J. Technologies Inc. I-O Data Device, Inc. IMAGI Corporation Iomega Corp. Imaging Magazine IONA Technologies Imagraph Corporation I/O Software, Inc. IMP Enterprises, Inc. I.P.C. Peripherals Improve Technologies IPC Technologies, Inc. IMSI Irish Export Board In:Sync Corporation Israel Export Institute INCAS Italy ISYS-Odyssey Development InContext Corporation Iterated Systems, Inc. India Indiana Cash Drawer Co. Inc. InfoBase In Focus Systems, Inc. InfoImaging Technologies Infomedia Technology Inc. Infonet Communications, Inc. Inforite Corporation Information Access Company Information Development, Inc. Information Discovery, Inc. Information Scan Technology Inc. Infotel Distributing Infrared Data Association Ingram Micro Initio Corporation Inmetco Innoventions Inset INSO Corporation Integrated Circuit Systems, Inc. Integrated Device Technology Integrated Information Technology Inc. Integrated Micro Solutions, Inc. Integrated Technology Inc. Intel Corp. Intel Corp. Intel Corporation Intelligent Computer Solutions Intelligent Micro Software Limited Intelligent Systems Interactive Computer Products Interactive Ideas Ltd. InterActivity Magazine InterCon Systems Interex Computer Products Intergraph Corp. Intergrated Network Solutions Interlink Electronics International Computer Graphics, J Jabert U.S.A. Inc. Jameslee Corporation Janna Systems Inc. Jazz, Inc. JBL Consumer Products, Inc. JDI Technologies Jensen Tools Inc. JetFill Inc. JetForm Corporation Jian Tools for Sales, Inc. Jiaxing Shenglida Electronic Factory Co., Ltd. JIT Learning Products Inc. J-Mark Computer Corp. JMR Electronics, Inc. Jostens Home Learning Jourdan J.R. Inkjet JTech, Inc. Jupiter Communications Just CD'S JVC Information Products Company of America J.W. Harbin, Inc K Kanagawa Trade Promotions Corp. Kanrich Corporation Kasan Electronics Co., Ltd. K.C. Trading Inc. KDS (Korea Data Systems) Keane Inc. Kelran Corporation KeySonic Technology Inc. Keystone Learning Systems Corp. Keytec, Inc. Key Tronic Corporation Kila Systems Kingston Technology Kinyo Company Inc. Kiosk Information Systems, Inc. KiSS Technology KIWI Computer Inc. Kleban Group Knowledge Industry Publications, Inc. Knowledge Media, Inc. KnowledgePoint Knowledge Quest Knowledge Systems Corporation Knoxland Travelware Manufacturing Company KNX Corporation Konica Business Machines USA Inc. Korea Trade Center Korteam International, Inc. KOSS Corporation Kres Engineering KT Technology KTT/Henderson Kureo Technology Ltd. Kurzweil Technology Group KYE International Corp. Kyocera Electronics, Inc. L Labtec Enterprises, Inc. LAC Corporation L.A. Computer Lang Chao Group Corp. LANSource International Lanworks Technologies Inc. LaserCard Systems Corporation Laserex Inc. Laser Imaging International Laserimpact LaserMaster Corporation LaserSoft, Inc. LaserVend, Inc. Lasonic Electronics Corp. LA Sound International Leading Edge Products, Inc. Lead Technologies, Inc. Learn Key Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products Leviton Telcom Manufacturing Co. Inc. Lexmark International, Inc. LG Electronics U.S.A., Inc. Liberty Systems, Inc. L.I. Industries, Inc. Lind Electronics, Inc. Linksys Link Technologies, Inc. Linkworld Electronic Corp. Lite-On Peripherals, Inc. LITE-ON Technology Corp. Living Books Logical Operations Logicode Technology Logitech, Inc. Lomas Data Products Longshine Microsystems Inc. Lotus Development Corp. Luxor Corporation Lytec Systems, Inc. Lyte Optronics, Inc. M Micro Focus, Inc. Machkey International Co., Ltd. Microforum Inc. Macmillan Computer Publishing Micrografx, Inc. Macromedia Inc. Micro House International, Inc. Magic Solutions, Inc. Micro Industries Corporation MAG InnoVision, Inc. Micro Innovations, Inc. Magnetec Corporation Micro Integration Corporation Magnetic Software Micronics MAGNI Systems Inc. Micron Technology, Inc. Mailer's Software Microplex Systems Ltd. Majestic International Micropolis Corporation Major Custom Cable, Inc. Microrim, Inc. Ma Labs, Inc. Microsoft Corporation Mannesmann Tally Corp. Micro Solutions Inc. MapInfo Corp. MicroSpeed, Inc. MapLinx Corporation Micro Star Software MarketWare Microsystems Software Mars Computer Industrial Corp. Microtech Inc. Maruda Techvision Limited Microtek Lab, Inc. Mass Memory Systems MicroTouch Resistive Products, Inc. Mastersoft Inc. MicroTouch Systems, Inc. Matrix Components, Inc. MIDI Land, Inc. Matrox Electronic Systems Ltd. Midisoft Corporation Maxell Corporation of America Midwestern Diskette Maxi Switch, Inc. Mighty Micro, Inc. Maxtech Corporation The Minden Group Maxtor Corporation Mind Path Technologies Maxus Group Mindscape Inc. McCaw Cellular Communications, Inc. Min Maw International MCC Marcom Computer Services Inc. Minolta Corporation McGraw-Hill, Inc. Minuteman UPS MD&I Corporation MIPS Technologies, Inc. MDS Distributors Miramar Systems Mecklermedia miro Computer Products AG Media Computer Technologies, Inc. MiTAC International Corp. Mediaform, Inc. Mita Copystar America, Inc. Media Graphics Int'l Inc. Mitsuba Corp. MediaLogic Inc. Mitsui Comtek Corp. Media Synergy Inc. Mitsumi Electronics Corp. Media Vision MMF Industries Megamedia Computer Corp. M & M Industries, Inc. Megatex Corp. Mobel Electronics inc. Memory Card Technology, Inc. Mobile Office Magazine/ Cowles Memory Experts International Business Media Memory Products And More Moniker Inc. Meridrew Enterprises Monogram Media, Inc. Merritt Computer Products Inc. Monotype Typography Mesonic Moses Computers, Inc. Metro Data Vac Most Significant Bits, Inc. Metrologic Instruments, Inc. Motorola Corp. Metromail Corporation MountainGate Data Systems MGV Memory Corporation Mouse Products, Inc. Micro 2000 Inc. MP Computer Parts Supply Co., Ltd. Micro Accessories Inc. MPI Multimedia MicroAge M-S Cash Drawer Corporation MicroBiz Corp. MSI Channel Research & Consulting Microboards Inc. MTC America Micro Central, Inc. M Technology Inc. Microclean, Inc. MTX International, Inc. Micro Design International, Inc. Multicom Publishing, Inc. Micro Exchange Corporation Multi-Industry Technologies Inc. Microfield Graphics Inc. MultiMedia CD Group Multimedia Integrated! Multi Media Studios Multimedia World Multiscience System Pte. Ltd. Multi-Tech Systems, Inc. Multi Union Trading Co., Ltd. MultiVideo Labs, Inc. Music Industries Corp. Musitek Mustang Software, Inc. Mustek, Inc. Mylex Corporation N Nada Chair Nae Wae Semiconductor Corporation Nakamichi America NANAO USA Corp. Napersoft, Inc. National Association of Desktop Publishers National Computers Plus Inc. National Instruments National Semiconductor Corp. NationsCredit NEC Technologies, Inc. Neon Glassworks Netcom On-Line Communication Services, Inc. NetGrafx Network Computing Devices, Inc. Network Music, Inc. Neuralytic Systems Newark Electronics New Horizons Computer Learning Center New Media Corporation NewNex Technology Corp. NewTek, Inc. Nexgen Microsystems Inc. Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation Nicom Computers Distributing, Inc. Nimax Nippon System Develpment Co. Nishiden Computers America, Inc. Nissei Sangyo America, Ltd. NMB Technologies, Inc. Nokia Display Products NOMAI NoRad Corporation Nordstrom Norris Communications, Inc. NORTEL North American Publishing Co. Northgate Computers Northwest Financial Leasing Inc. Novacor Incorporation Novalink Technologies, Inc. Novell NSM Jukebox NTK Inc. Number Nine Computer Corp. NVIDIA Corporation nView Corporation Nytone Electronics O Oasis Computer Products, Inc. Ocean Information Systems OCLI Glare/Guard ODME Oki America Oki America, Inc. Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce Olympus Image Systems, Inc. Omega Research, Inc. Omnicomp Graphics Corporation Omnidata International, Inc. Omniprint, Inc. Omron Corporation On Technology Corporation Ontrack Computer Systems Inc. OnTrack Media Open Computing Magazine Open Systems Training Optibase, Inc. OPTi Inc. Optivision, Inc. Optrex/Satori Orange Cherry/New Media Schoolhouse Orevox USA Corporation Our Business Machines, Inc. Output Technology Corp. Oxford Marketing P Phoenix Technologies Ltd. Pacific Bell PhotoDisc, Inc. Pacific Coast Cabling, Inc. Photran Corporation Pacific HiTech, Inc. PictureTel Corporation Pacific Image Communications, Inc. P.I. Engineering Inc. Pacific Microelectronics Inc. PI Manufacturing Corporation Pacific Northwest Partnership Pinnacle Micro, Inc. PacRim Labs Pioneer New Media Technologies, PacTec Corp. Inc. Padix Co., Ltd. Pivotal Graphics, Inc. Palo Alto Design Group Pixel Panamax Pkware Inc. Panasonic Plantronics Inc. Panasonic Communications & Systems Plasmon Data Systems Company Platinum System International Corp. Panasonic Industrial Co. Play Incorporated Panduit Plesman Publications, Ltd. Pantex Computer, Inc. Plextech America, Inc. Paracom Corporation PLEXTOR Parallel Storage Solutions Plustek USA, Inc. Parana Supplies Corp. PMC Paris Business Products P.N.Y. Electronics, Inc. Partner Tech USA Inc. Point of Sale Corp. Pathlight Technology Polaroid Corp. PAWWS-Portfolio Accounting World- Popham Haik Schnobrich & Kaufman, Wide Ltd. PC411, Inc. Portrait Display Labs PC Concepts, Inc. Positive Software Solutions PC DOCS, Inc. POSO International, Inc. PC House PowerBASIC, Inc. P.C. LapTop Magazine Powercom America, Inc. PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory PowerPC Pavilion Card International Association) PowerProduction Software PC Portable Manufacturer Inc. Powersoft Corporation PC Power & Cooling, Inc. Power Techniques, Inc. PDO Media North America Practical Automation PDP Systems, Inc. Practical Peripherals Peachtree Software, Inc. Precision Methods, Inc. Peavey Electronics Corporation Preh Electronics Inc. Peco Energy Pre Owned Electronics, Inc. Peed Corporation Presentation Electronics, Inc. Pegasus Imaging Corp. Pride Interactive Media Accessories Pelikan Inc. Primavera Systems, Inc. Pen Computing Magazine, Inc. Primax Electronics (USA), Inc. Pengo Computer Accessories Principia Products Pentax Technologies Corporation Proactive Solutions Inc. Penton Publishing Procase P. E. Photron Pro CD PERCON, Inc. Process Software Corporation PerfectData Corp. Procom Technology, Inc. Perfect Solutions Multimedia U.S.A. Prodigy Services Company Performance Systems International, Product Safety Engineering, Inc. Inc. Programmer's Paradise Performance Technology Programmer's Paradise Europe Peripherals Unlimited, Inc. Promedia, Company Persoft, Inc. Prometheus Products, Inc. PHD - Professional Help Desk Promise Technology Inc. PHI Enterprises, Inc. Prostar Interactive MediaWorks Philips Consumer Electronics ProtoView Development Co. Company Proxima Corporation Philips Media Proxim, Inc. Philips Semiconductors Psion Inc. PS Solutions, Inc. Pt. Infotech Prima Industry Pulse Metric, Inc. Q Q&A Sales and Marketing QDI Computer, Inc. QLogic Corporation QMS, Inc. QSound Labs, Inc. Quadrant Components, Inc. Quadrant International, Inc. Quality Computers Inc. Quality Video & Special Products Qualstar Corporation Qualtec Data Products, Inc. Quarterdeck Corporation Quarton USA Ltd. Co. Quatech, Inc. Quest Telecom Quickshot Technology Inc. Quintar Company Quyen Systems, Inc. QVS, Inc. R Raceway Computers Radix Corporation RAID Advisory Board, Inc. Raima Corporation Rainbow Technologies, Inc. Rainbow Technology Rambus Inc. Ram Mobile Data Raven Industries RBN Engineering RCI - Raritan Computer Inc. Re:Launch Read/Right Real Applications Ltd. Reality Bytes RealWorld Corporation Recognita Corp. of America Recoton Corp. Regency Products Relisys Renewable Resources, Inc. Repeat-O-Type Mfg. Corp. Reply Corporation Rescom Ventures Inc. Retail Systems Reseller Magazine Revered Technology, Inc. Rexton Inc. Rhetorex, Inc. RHI Consulting Ribbon Tree Trading Co., Ltd. Ricoh Corporation Riddler Rimage Corporation Ring King Visibles, Inc. Robotel Rocelco Inc. Rocket Science Games, Inc. Rockwell Rockwell International Corp. Roland Corporation US Rose Datasystems, Inc. Rose Electronics Rota America Royal Information Electronics Co., Ltd. RSI Systems Inc. S Soft Cable SafeSupplies Inc. Softex 2000 SAFT America Inc. Softkey International Inc. Sales Curve Interactive Soft-One Corporation Sales Management Systems, Inc. SoftQuad Inc. Salutation Consortium Software of the Future, Inc. Sampo Technology, Inc. Software Publishers Assn. Samsung America, Inc. Software Publishing Corp. Samsung Electronics America, Inc. Software Security, Inc. Samtron Displays, Inc. Software Supermarket, Inc. Samwoo System Co., Ltd. Software Support, Inc. Sanyo Energy (U.S.A.) Corp. Sola Electric Sanyo Fisher Corp. Solectek Corporation Sanyo-Verbatim CD Company Sonica Industries Limited Sarif, Inc. Sonic Foundry SBT Accounting Systems Sony Corporation of America SciTech International Inc. Sony Electronic Publishing Company SCM Microsystems, Inc. Sony Recording Media and Energy Scriptos Technologies S.A. Products Group Seagate SoundKey Seagate Technology Sound Minds Technology Inc. Securdata SPA Source-Comm Corporation Secure - It, Inc. SourceMate Information Systems Inc. Sejin America, Inc. Source Technologies, Inc. SEMPRO Southwest Memory, Inc. Seohan Electronics, Inc. Spacetech Septre Technologies, Inc. Spatializer Audio Laboratories, Sercomp Corporation Inc. Server Technology Inc. Specialized Products Company SES, Inc. Spectrum Set Enterprises, Inc. Spectrum Multimedia SGS-Thomson Microelectronics Spider Graphics, Inc. Shape Inc. Spirit of St. Louis Software Co. Sharp Electronics Corporation Spraylat Shining Technology, Inc. Sprint Shuttle Computer Int'l Inc. Sprint Manufacturing Corp. Shuttle Technology Ltd. Squitter Electronics Sicon International, Inc. SRS Labs, Inc. Sideface Publishing Inc. SRW Computer Components Co., Inc. Sierra Semiconductor Corp. S&S International Sigma Designs, Inc. SSI Products, Inc. Silicon Graphics Stac Electronics Silicon Integrated Systems Corp. Stampede Technologies Inc. Silicon Sports Starfish Software Sima Products Corp. Star Media Systems Simitar Entertainment Star Micronics America, Inc. Simmsaver Technology, Inc. State of North Rhine- Westphalia Simple Technology, Inc. Static Control Components, Inc. Singapore Trade Development Board Statx Brands Company Sirius Publishing, Inc. STB Systems, Inc. Sky Hawk Computers (USA) Inc. STD Entertainment (USA), Inc. Skywalker Communications S3 Incorporated Seliger Designs Inc. Storagepath SL Waber, Inc. Storage Technology Corporation Smart and Friendly Stracon, Inc. Smart Modular Technologies Strata Distributing, Inc. SMART Technologies Inc. Strata Inc. SMC-Standard Microsystems Corp. Stratus Computers Smith Micro Software, Inc. Streetwise Software SMK Electronics Stuart S-Mos Systems, Inc. Studebaker Worthington Leasing SoftBooks, Inc. Stylus Innovation Suckle Corp. SUMDEX, Inc. Summit Micro Design, Inc. SunDisk Corporation Sun Moon Star Supermemo World SuperMicro Supplies Network Supra Corporation SusTeen Inc. Swan Instruments Swedish Trade Council Symantec Corp. Symantec Corporation Symphony Laboratories Synchronics Syncronys Softcorp Synergy Interactive Corp. Synthonics, Inc. Syntran Co., Ltd. SyQuest Technology Sysgration Ltd. SystemSoft Corporation Systems Plus, Inc. T Trimm Technologies Tadiran Telecommunications Trinitech, Inc. Tadpole Technology Inc. Tripp-Lite Manufacturing Taiwan Shin-G Tech International TriStar Group, Inc. Co., Ltd. TRI Tech Research, Inc. Taligent, Incorporated Triton Technologies, Inc. Talking Mouse Corp. Trogon Computer Tandberg Data Inc. Tseng Labs, Inc. Tangarine Inc. T.S. MicroTech, Inc. Tanji Design TT SYSTEMS CORPORATION Tapette Corp. Tully Imaging Tardis Technology, Inc. TwinBridge Software Corporation Target Technologies, Inc. Twinhead Corporation Tatung Co. of America, Inc. Tyan Computer Corp. TDI Systems, Inc. Typhoon Software TDK Electronics Corp. TDK Systems TEAC America, Inc. Tech Data Corporation Techmedia Tech Organizer Techworks Tecmar TecNotes Tektronix Inc. Telecomputer, Inc. Teles GMBH TeleSoft International Inc. Teletec USA, Inc. Teletronics International, Inc. TeleVideo Systems, Inc. Telex Communications, Inc. Terrapin Texas Instruments Incorporated Texas Instruments Inc. Texas Microsystems, Inc. Tharo Systems, Inc. THCA Thesys Microelectronics Thinkware Times Trade Directories Pte. Ltd. Timex Corporation Titan Technology, Inc. TMC Srl TNT Logistics Toray Industries, Inc. Toshiba America, Inc. Tosoh USA, Inc. TouchStone Software Touchstone Technology Inc. Trace Mountain Trade Fair Support Ltd. Trade Winners Net Marketing Co. Ltd. Trans 2000 Inc. Transamerica Commercial Financial Corp. Transcend Information, Inc. Transitional Technology Inc. Traveline Traveling Software, Inc. Trident Microsystems U UBI, Inc. Ubi Soft, Inc. Ulead Systems, Inc. Ultera Systems Ultima Electronics Corp. UltraCoach Ultrastat, Inc. Unibind Inc. UNI-CGS UniGen Corporation Unisys United Chemi-Con, Inc. United Parcel Service United States Department of Commerce Universal Sources, Inc. Unlimited Systems Corporation, Inc. The UP Corporation USA Megapower Technologies, Inc. USA Technologies USCYBER U.S. Paging Corporation U.S. Robotics Inc. V The Valis Group Van Nostrand Reinhold Varitronic Systems, Inc. Varta Batteries Inc. Vector International Research PTE Ltd. VeLa Research Vemaline Products Ventana Communications Group, Inc. Verbatim Corp. Verbex Voice Systems Inc. Vertical Technologies, Inc. VESA ViaGrafix Corp. VIA Technology, Inc. VIC Hi-Tech Corporation VideoLabs VideoLan Technologies, Inc. Videx, Inc. ViewSonic Viking Acoustical Corp. Viking Components Inc. Villa Crespo Software, Inc. Viratec Thin Films, Inc. Virtual I/O Virtual Vegas Visio Corporation Visionetics International Corporation Visiware VistaCom Visual Edge Technology, Inc. Visual Software VITEC Multimedia Viziflex Seels Inc. Voice Processing Corp. VoiceType Consortium Voxware, Inc. Voyetra Technologies W Walnut Creek CDROM Wang Laboratories, Inc. Wayzata Technology Inc. Weidmuller Inc. Weiser Telecommunications Weitek Corporation Welch Allyn, Inc. Wenner Media Westec Toner Manufacturer Pte. Ltd. Western Digital Western Telematic, Inc. Westrex International Wetech Electronics Inc. Wetex International Corporation (USA) WIBU-Systems Winzenried & Buchheit GmbH Winner Products (U.S.A.) Inc. Win Resources Computing, Inc. Winsoft Corp. The Winsryg Corporation Winsted Corporation Wintec Industries, Inc. Wisecom, Inc. Witch Desk, Inc. Wizardware Ltd. WizardWorks Wiz Technology Inc. Worldata Worthington Data Solutions Wright Line Inc. WROX Press Inc. X Xerox Corp. Xerox International Partners Xtron Computer Equipment Corp. XXCAL, Inc. Y Yamaha Systems Technology Y.D. Far East Development (USA) Inc. YUAN Technology, Inc. Z Zenographics, Inc. Ziff-Davis Publishing Co. Zoltrix, Inc. Zoom Telephonics, Inc. Zoran Corp. Z-Ram ZyXEL ...and more to come! Copyright c1995 by The Interface Group, Inc. Adobe Forum STR Infofile Ten Tips for Getting the Most from the Adobe Applications Forum (GO ADOBEAPP) ú TIP 10 - Post your message in the best section A common reason for delayed or no reply is messages posted in an inappropriate section of the forum. To help you pick the best place for your message, here is a list of the sections on ADOBEAPP and a short description of the purpose of each one. + Section 1: Chat Room + Have a question about what shareware is, when Adobe merged with Aldus, where to find clip art, why CompuServe hung up on you, or how to download/use a library file? Wish to send a happy birthday or congratulations note to another forum member? Then this is the right section. + Section 2: Pre-sale and Upgrades + This is the "customer service" section of the forum. Ask here for information about purchases, upgrades, cross-grades, prices, phone numbers, and addresses. When you place a message here, please indicate the country you live in if you're outside the United States. This is not the right place for technical questions about Adobe products, even if you haven't purchased them yet. + Section 3: Acrobat + Do you have any questions about using the Adobe Acrobat family of products? If so, this is the place to ask. Please indicate which platform and product you use in your message. If you wish to inquire about Acrobat development, post on the Adobe Systems Forum (GO ADOBESYS) in Section 4, Acrobat Developers. + Section 4: PageMill/SiteMill + Questions about installing/using PageMill and SiteMill (former Ceneca products now owned by Adobe) for producing and managing World Wide Web pages should be posted in this section. + Sections 5 & 6: ATM/Type/Fonts, Mac & ATM/Type/Fonts, PC + Having problems with Adobe Type Manager (ATM), SuperATM, Type Reunion or with fonts installed on computers using them? Need to know if the version of ATM you have is outdated? Questions about installing/using Adobe fonts and the Type-On-Call and Font Folio CD-ROMs also belong here. And this is place to get answers to questions like "Does Adobe make a Type 1 version of Sumerian Cuneiform Clay Ultrabold?" Select one of these sections for your post, according to your platform. + Section 7: Illus. Technique + Share your Illustrator tips, tricks and helpful hints with other users in this section, or if you wish to accomplish a special effect but can't work out the steps required, ask here. This is a platform-independent section where you can discuss use of the tool, as opposed to the platform- specific sections which address technical problems using Illustrator (see below). + Sections 8 & 9: Illustrator - Mac & Illustrator - PC + Need help installing/running Illustrator or using one of its many features? Ask in whichever of these sections is appropriate to your platform. This is also the best section for questions about Adobe Separator and Streamline. + Section 10: Photoshop Technique + Have you created a unique effect in Photoshop, or would you like help learning how to do so? Share your discovery or find assistance in this section. If you have a technical question about Photoshop, choose Section 11 or 12 instead. + Sections 11 & 12: Photoshop - Mac & Photoshop - PC + Photoshop is one of the most powerful, and most complex, applications on any computer platform. As a result, users often have problems with it. Tell us what yours are here, where you'll find expert help on call for Mac and PC Photoshop. + Section 13: PageMaker Technique + Since PageMaker is virtually identical on both platforms, whether you're a Mac or PC user, this is the best place to ask about laying out pages, importing graphics, using the Story Editor, and other general PageMaker questions. + Sections 14 & 15: PageMaker - Mac & PageMaker - PC + If you're unable to install, run, or print from PageMaker, or if you're having frequent crashes while running it, post in the section relevant to the platform you use. + Section 16: Persuasion + Technical questions about Adobe Persuasion belong in this section. When you ask, be sure to indicate whether the question is Mac or PC, and which version of Persuasion you are using. + Section 17: PhotoStyler + Although the Windows-only application PhotoStyler has been dropped from the Adobe product line, support for PhotoStyler users continues to be available in this section. Please ask about cross-grading from PhotoStyler to Photoshop in Section 2, Pre-sale and Upgrades. + Section 18: Other Products + Do you use Adobe Dimensions, ScreenReady, Gallery Effects, PrePrint, Type Align, or Fetch? This is the section where you can get help with these and other Adobe products not specifically supported in their own section (but please see footnote).* + Section 19: Adobe International + If you are located outside the United States, or in the states but you use a foreign-language version of an Adobe product, this is the place to ask your questions. You are welcome to post questions in your native language in this section. + Section 20: Feature Requests + Are there features you would like to see added to, or changed in, any Adobe application or plug-in to make it more useful to you? Tell the Adobe developers what they are by posting in this section. + Section 21: After Effects + Adobe acquired After Effects from CoSA some time ago and recently released a new version of the product. If you use After Effects on your Mac or PowerMac, this is the place to meet other users and to get assistance with problems using After Effects, the Effects Pack or the After Effects Rendering Engine. + Sections 22 and 23: Premiere/Video, Mac & Premiere/Video, PC + Have questions video/animation products? These are the sections to ask them in. Premiere and related products, both hardware and software, are supported here. ú The following applications are not supported on ADOBEAPP. Both customer service and technical assistance are available as noted below. - Products from the Adobe Consumer Division: ArtExplorer, TypeTwister, HomePublisher (formerly PersonalPress), IntelliDraw, SuperPaint Support source: Adobe Systems Forum (GO ADOBESYS) Section 8, Adobe Consumer Products - Products from the Adobe Prepress Division: ColorCentral, PrePrint Pro, PrintCentral, PressWise, TrapMaker, TrapWise, Open Support source: Desktop Publishing Forum (GO DTPFORUM) Section 13, Press/Prepress - FreeHand (no longer an Adobe product) Support source: Macromedia Forum (GO MACROMEDIA) - TouchBase/DateBook Pro bundle, TouchBase, Datebook (no longer Adobe products) Support source: Now Software, 71541,170 or INTERNET:support@nowsoft.com For help using the services of CompuServe in general, here are some recommended sources. - GO NEWMEMBER for an overview of how CIS and the forums work (FREE) - GO PRACTICE for help with CIS and the forums in general (FREE) - GO CIMSUPPORT for help with all versions of CIM (FREE) - GO NAVSUPPORT for help with MAC Navigator (FREE) - GO WCSNAVSUP for help with WIN CSNav (FREE) - GO TAPCIS for help with DOS TAPCIS (+) - GO OZCIS for help with DOS/WIN OZCIS (+) - GO DVORAK for help with all versions of NavCIS (+) ú TIP 9 - Post your question only once After reading TIP 10, still not sure which section to put your message in? If so, just take your best guess and post in that section. Please don't post the same question in multiple sections of the forum. This practice makes forum members who have to read your post repeatedly at their expense rather testy, and accelerates the scroll rate (the period of time messages remain on the board before being pushed off by newer ones). If warranted, a sysop will move your post to a better section. ú TIP 8 - Count to ten before you post in anger It's wise to keep a courteous tone. It is not uncommon to let frustration over a problem show in your message, but remember the sysops and other members are people, too. A calm, rational, and polite appeal will bring you higher quality assistance. For best results, explain the problem as you would if you were face to face with a real person. ú TIP 7 - Take advantage of the resources in our libraries The libraries of the Adobe Applications Forum contain a wealth of information. To get an overview of the files there, download APPLIB.SIT (for Macs) or APPLIB.ZIP (for PCs) from Library 1. After decompressing the file, you will have a listing of all library files which can be read in any text editor or word processor. The catalog is updated on the first of each month. ú TIP 6 - Protect your product serial numbers and credit card numbers Omit your serial numbers and credit card numbers from public posts. Should they be required to assist you with an upgrade or for another legitimate purpose, you'll be asked by a sysop to provide it in a private message or in email. Requests for this info from anyone who is not a sysop should be reported to a sysop immediately. ú TIP 5 - Observe the conventions of CompuServe "netiquette" When you post a message on a forum asking for help or information, revisit the forum every 2-3 days to check for replies. Asking a question and requesting replies via email or Internet mail is considered impolite, and sending email costs CompuServers money. It's improper to ask forum members to dig into their own pockets to serve as your personal help desk when the same help would benefit all on the public forum. Please do NOT send email requesting support to forum staff members (sysops). Post your questions on the forum, where they will benefit from wider readership and in many cases generate more suggestions than a private exchange would provide. If you don't have a specific recipient in mind when posting a message, address it to Sysop/All. This practice will make sure your post is seen by a sysop, while inviting other forum members who may know the answer to reply. Sending a message to "Adobe tech support" will not come to the attention of anyone in particular. Compose your forum posts in standard upper and lower case. Messages in ALL CAPS are hard to read, and some forum members find them irritating enough that they'll decline to respond, even if they know the answer. All caps should be reserved for times when you want to make it clear you are SHOUTING. ú TIP 4 - When answering a message, use the reply function When you see a post you wish to respond to, use the reply option in your telecomm software rather than sending a new message. Messages on CompuServe are kept in "threads," which makes it easy for others to follow the dialogue. When you post a new message instead of replying to an existing one, it "breaks the thread" and destroys the continuity of the discussion. Please do not delete posts addressed to you when reading messages on the Adobe Applications (or any other) Forum. When you do so, you remove it permanently from the message board, breaking the thread and making it impossible for other readers to find out what you were talking about in your reply. The only exception to "do not delete forum messages" applies to private ones. Since only you and the sender can "see" private posts (they are invisible even to sysops), the polite thing to do is delete them after reading, to avoid accelerating the forum's scroll rate (see TIP 9). ú TIP 3 - Reply to the person you're talking to Be sure to reply to the specific person you are answering, rather than just tacking your reply on to the last message in the thread. When you do the latter, your post will not be flagged to the attention of the person you are answering, but instead will be directed to the last person who said something on the subject. ú TIP 2 - Describe the environment and problem in detail in your post "I can't print, what do I do now?" doesn't help us to help you much. When you have a problem, please include as much information as possible about the problem itself and your system environment. Please tell us: 1. Your platform, in non-Mac/PC areas 2. Your hardware: computer, memory and disk space available, peripherals 3. Your software: OS version + enhancements, application version + patches 4. Your problem: What, when, where, why, how does it happen? Is it repeatable? ú TIP 1 - Become acquainted with the forum staff and how we work With two exceptions, the sysops of this forum are not employees of Adobe. We do not have access to all the infinite variety of hardware and software options forum members and Adobe developers have, we work on our personal machines. We volunteer our own time each day to read and respond to requests for assistance with Adobe products. We do our best to answer all messages, but occasionally a post falls through the cracks. If several days go by and your question has had no replies, please contact a sysop to make sure your post isn't overlooked entirely. While non-sysop Adobe employees do visit and answer questions on occasion, they do it on their own time, and only as their time permits. When warranted, you can get help directly from Adobe Tech Support or from Adobe Customer Service through the sysops, who will gather the information needed from you and forward it to Adobe on your behalf. CompuServe forums are not designed to take the place of extensive technical support nor real-time troubleshooting. If you are on a tight deadline, the quickest solution is to call the appropriate telephone number. A list of current phone numbers can be downloaded from Library 1 (see TIP 7). This document was prepared by Adobe Forums Wizop JB Whitwell with suggestions and contributions from several other forum sysops and members. We hope you find it helpful. Please send feedback to JB at 76704,21. Last updated 10/23/95. ATARI/JAG SECTION Dana Jacobson, Editor From the Atari Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!" I really want to be able to say that I'm surprised that the Atari computing section this week is devoid of articles, reviews, information, or announcements. I guess I'm not. It's been disappointing for quite some time, but it really hasn't (or shouldn't have) been a surprise. While there are still many of us enjoying these machines, developers haven't been breaking down many doors to put a lot of new and exciting products on the table. Sorry, did I let the cat out of the bag? and, when new products do arrive, it's difficult to attract a few people who are interested in writing an article or review about it/them. From my standpoint, it's disappointing because it's my goal here at STReport to keep you up to date as best as possible. With only so much time to devote to writing and researching, it doesn't leave me (or our occasional support staff) much time to really dig into a new product or update and really provide an in depth evaluation or commentary. In fact, if it weren't for the Jaguar, there probably wouldn't even be an Atari section of STReport these days. Ironic, isn't it? What started out as a magazine that thrived on Atari computing news and information has evolved into something that's almost barren these days. Perhaps I really need to re think our purpose here in the Atari section. Instead of trying to rely on what I did in the past, consider what you, as readers, are looking for in the present. And, how it still pertains to using Atari computers. What are your ideas? You must have some. I see a lot of message activity in the Usenet so I know that there's potential out there. I'm open to suggestions and recommendations. If you have an idea, please drop me a line at "dpj@delphi.com" or at "71051.3327@compuserve.com" what have you got to lose? In the meantime, we'll still be around and doing what we can to provide you with news and information when we learn of it. Whether it be plentiful or sparse, we'll be here. Until next time... Jaguar Section Hover Strike CD!! Pitfall!! CATnips!! New Jaguar Video! Atari Web Page! And Much More! From the Editor's Controller - Playin' it like it is! All right, you were paying attention to what you read last week. I got a few e-mail messages asking what happened to the Rayman review that was bannered at the start of the Jaguar section. Well, it got cut...for agood reason. What some people may not realize is that we depend on Atari, developers, and distributors for evaluation copies of their products for review purposes. Well, like anyone wanting news to get out via the press, you send them a press release or product for review. It's the way that it's done folks. With regard to Rayman, we did have arrangements made to get at least one copy and perhaps two, for review. The arrangement fell through. In my eagerness to play and review the game, I made other arrangements to get a couple of copies through a distributor, and at a discount. Okay, my intentions were good, but I forgot the first cardinal rule for reviews: "You don't pay for a product for review!" There are a number of ways for a company or developer to arrange review copies of products. The customary way is to send a product, along with any press materials, gratis (that's free!). This is a way of saying: "Here's our product, we'd like to see you do a review of it in your publication." No strings, no guarantees. You do a review and make an honest evaluation. Simple. Another way is for the company to send a product for a pre-determined period of time. A review is done prior to that time limit, and the product is returned. Or, instead, the reviewer is allowed an opportunity to purchase the reviewed product at a significant discount. I must state that most 3rd party developers, and Atari itself, has been extremely cooperative with sending us evaluation copies of their products. There have even been a number sent to us that were unsolicited, which should be the norm, by the way. At times, we have to hound some of the 3rd party folks; if we don't get something, we can't review it. Who are the losers? You, the readers. And, the company who doesn't take advantage of "free advertising". Does the press lose? Nope. It gives us time to work on other material, perhaps a game of a competitor! Anyway, I rambled on long enough. I just wanted to publicly reply to the various messages and perhaps to anyone else who was wondering what had happened to the review. There are a number of games currently in production, or just short of going in. Remember the dealer/press video that I mentioned a month or so ago? Well, that video depicts a LOT of the new games that are in production and scheduled for the coming weeks. As I mentioned before, these games look really hot. Out of all of the various videos that have been sent to me by Atari, this one looked the best with regard to the quality of games coming our way! A day or so after viewing this video (probably after looking it over 5- 6 times!), I called Atari's Don Thomas and mentioned that this was one video that Atari should make available to the public. Well, at that time, there were other more important things going on (JagWire, the Web site, GAMES!, etc.) that the well-received suggestion was put on a back burner. Well, I talked with Don again yesterday and he mentioned that this video is now available! My suggestion to you is to grab one of these videos as quickly as possible you won't be disappointed at all! The price is $8.95 plus $4.95 for shipping & handling. Give Atari's Customer Service a call at 1- 800-GO-ATARI or drop Don Thomas a line via the Internet or CompuServe at 75300.1267@compuserve.com. If you leave him a message, add that you read about the offer in STReport! We've been talking about the online CatFights for some time now and the end is near for the first debate. As I sit here, closing remarks have started and will hopefully be completed by the time this column gets submitted. If so, we'll include it this week; if not, next week. For those of you who are CompuServe users, we'll post the debate in aspecially marked CatFights Jaguar forum topic area and the debate/discussion will continue for your online enjoyment. In the meantime, we'll be considering topics for the next debate. I'd like to thanks STReport's Craig Harris and AEO's Travis Guy for their roles in the first debate it's been fun! Well, let's get to the rest of this week's issue so that you'll have some time to get in a few rounds of your current favorite Jaguar game! Until next time... Jaguar Catalog STR InfoFile - What's currently available, what's coming out. Current Available Titles CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER J9000 Cybermorph $59.99 Atari Corp. J9006 Evolution:Dino Dudes $29.99 Atari Corp. J9005 Raiden $29.99 FABTEK, Inc/Atari Corp. J9001 Trevor McFur/Crescent Galaxy $29.99 Atari Corp. J9010 Tempest 2000 $59.95 Llamasoft/Atari Corp. J9028 Wolfenstein 3D $69.95 id/Atari Corp. JA100 Brutal Sports FootBall $69.95 Telegames J9008 Alien vs. Predator $69.99 Rebellion/Atari Corp. J9029 Doom $69.99 id/Atari Corp. J9036 Dragon: Bruce Lee $39.99 Atari Corp. J9003 Club Drive $59.99 Atari Corp. J9007 Checkered Flag $39.99 Atari Corp. J9012 Kasumi Ninja $69.99 Atari Corp. J9042 Zool 2 $59.99 Atari Corp J9020 Bubsy $49.99 Atari Corp J9026 Iron Soldier $59.99 Atari Corp J9060 Val D'Isere Skiing $59.99 Atari Corp. Cannon Fodder $49.99 Virgin/C-West Syndicate $69.99 Ocean Troy Aikman Football $69.99 Williams Theme Park $69.99 Ocean Sensible Soccer Telegames Double Dragon V $59.99 Williams J9009E Hover Strike $59.99 Atari Corp. J0144E Pinball Fantasies $59.99 C-West J9052E Super Burnout $59.99 Atari Corp. J9070 White Men Can't Jump $69.99 Atari Corp. Flashback $59.99 U.S. Gold J9078E VidGrid (CD) Atari Corp J9016E Blue Lightning (CD) $59.99 Atari Corp J9040 Flip-Out $49.99 Atari Corp J9082 Ultra Vortek $69.99 Atari Corp C3669T Rayman $69.99 Ubi Soft Power Drive Rally $69.99 TWI J9101 Pitfall $59.99 Atari Corp. Hover Strike CD $59.99 Atari Corp. Available Soon CAT # TITLE MSRP DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER Dragon's Lair TBD Readysoft Demolition Man $59.99 Atari Corp. J9061 Ruiner Pinball $59.99 Atari Corp. J9031 Highlander I (CD) $59.99 Atari Corp. J9069 Myst (CD) $59.99 Atari Corp. Hardware and Peripherals CAT # TITLE MSRP MANUFACTURER J8001 Jaguar (no cart) $149.99 Atari Corp. J8904 Composite Cable $19.95 J8901 Controller/Joypad $24.95 Atari Corp. J8905 S-Video Cable $19.95 CatBox $69.95 ICD J8800 Jaguar CD-ROM $149.99 Atari Corp. J8908 JagLink Interface $29.95 Atari Corp. J8910 Team Tap 4-Player Adapter) $29.95 Atari Corp. J8907 Jaguar ProController $29.95 Atari Corp. J8911 Memory Track $29.95 Atari Corp. J8909 Tempest 2000: The Soundtrack $12.99 Atari Corp. Industry News STR Game Console NewsFile - The Latest Gaming News! Hasbro Games to Go Electronic Look for your favorite Hasbro Inc. games and toys, such as Scrabble, Candyland, and Mr. Potato Head, to go electronic. The Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based game maker is forming Hasbro Interactive Worldwide as a new unit that will develop and market floppy disk, CD-ROM, and online versions of Hasbro's products. Hasbro says it is looking to take a leading role in the "edutainment" software field. The company will publish its products in North America, Europe, and Asia under the Playskool Software and Hasbro Interactive labels. The new unit will be based in Beverly, Massachusetts, with offices in California and London. Iran Issues Islamic Video Game Iran has gone high-tech in its efforts to instill religion in its people, issuing what state-run Tehran television calls "the first computer game embracing Islamic moral values and beliefs is being developed at an Iranian research center." Reporting from Tehran, the Associated Press says the TV report quotes the head of the center, identified only as Mr. Sho`ai, as saying the games would be mass-produced. But the report gave no details about the games themselves. "Iran's clerical government has been trying to reconcile the puritanical values of the 1979 Islamic revolution with modern technology," says AP. "Already, the Iranians have developed a number of computer programs for the Koran, Islam's holy book. One program can search through verses in the text for specific words or subjects." Jaguar Cheats, & Hints STR InfoFile - Solving Those Riddles! Here's a tip to finding the original Pitfall Easter egg in the Jaguar version of the game, from CompuServe's Jaguar Forum: Haven't found a special code to jump to it yet, but in the fourth level of the game (Lost City Of Copan) when you enter you'll see a scorpion which looks strangely out of place. Go to the right and climb to the top level you can reach by going straight up. Jump off to the left and you'll land on the ledge with the scorpion. Go into the door. You'll see another of those white, jaggy scorpions. Go to the left, and you'll hit a hidden "bounce" object. The bounce will take you near the top of the area you're in, so go to the right and you'll drop in on a large spinning "warp" icon. That will take you to the 2600 Pitfall with three lives and 20 minutes, just like the original. The sound effects are pretty good, but the graphics and gameplay are exact. You can re-play this for as long as you want. When you lose the third life, just head for that bounce object and hit the warp again. Enjoy! Dan Skelton Antique Videogame Aficionado and Proud Jaguar Owner Jaguar Online STR InfoFile c Online Users Growl & Purr! CATnips... Jaguar tidbits from Don Thomas (95.10.22) Wow, another week of and so much happening... Silicon Times Report is on a roll again. Issues 1141 and 1142 have combined in to one big issue. Look for the latest issue on CATscan 209/239-1552, in the Jaguar forum on CompuServe (type GO JAGUAR) and in other prominent on- line locations. Atari Explorer Online and Silicon Times Report both have direct hyperlink access from Atari's JAGWIRE web domain. The domain is accessible with http://www.atari.com as the URL. By the way, as of Thursday, October 19 at 6PM, there were over 300,000 hits on the JAGWIRE domain. According to Mr. Jim Benson of Texas Instruments... Date: Mon, 16 Oct 95 16:22:53 From: Jim Benson Organization: Texas Instruments To: Atomix (address withheld) Subject: Atari Site -- Excellent! Dear Sir: The Atari Website is great! Fast, easy, attractive! Regards, Jim Benson Thanks Jim! If you haven't heard, Pitfall! The Mayan Adventure is in stores NOW! Here's what Mr. Sal Manfredonia says of it on the Internet... Date: Wed, 18 Oct 1995 23:48:49 -0400 From: Sal Manfredonia To: Multiple recipients Subject: Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure Comment: Discussion of the Atari Jaguar and video gaming industry I got a chance to try the new Jaguar version of Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure for a few minutes. The game is very cool. Here's a brief rundown: The legendary treasure hunter Pitfall Harry has been abducted by some Mayan god. You're guiding his teenage son, Harry Jr., through perilous jungles and ruins to rescue your father. Armed with a sling (which doubles as a whip) and some stones, you run, jump, climb, crawl, swing, and ride through a platform-based action adventure. You'll fight off dangerous beasts and grab valuable treasures as you search for dear old dad. It doesn't seem radically different from the Genesis or SNES versions that I've also played, but the graphics look cleaner and more colorful (similar to the Windows 95 and 32X versions), and it's supposed to have some other added features that aren't found in any other version. I have a beef about the review on NUKE (EGM's web page). If you remember, I asked if anyone knew whether or not the game had music. Well, the EGM reviewers were right to an extent. When I first saw the cartridge I didn't hear any music. Then, after we plugged it into the Jaguar and turned it on, we heard music. What was EGM thinking? Perhaps they hit the "0" key to turn off the music and didn't realize they did that. What morons. Other than that, I agree with everything else they said. It does have great control, which they mentioned in their review. The manual says that if you have the ProController, you can use the X, Y, and Z buttons to change weapons rather than pressing Option repeatedly. Since the new buttons are supposed to be mapped to keys on the numeric keypad, I would guess you could do the same by tapping the appropriate numbers, but I haven't tried it yet. The game also has a feature to let you save your progress after each level. I don't remember if the Genesis or SNES versions had this feature, but I don't think they did. (They might've had passwords though). For the nostalgia buffs, an adaptation of the original Atari 2600 Pitfall! game is hidden somewhere as a "game within a game." There are also rumors of a second hidden game as well. Perhaps this has something to do with the "secret ending" you get when finding the letters that spell "Pitfall." The conversion was handled by Imagitec Design, who also did Raiden, Evolution: Dino Dudes, Zool 2, and Bubsy in: Fractured Furry Tales for the Jaguar, as well as the music in Tempest 2000 and the upcoming Defender 2000. So far, it doesn't seem to be a game that would sell Jaguar systems, but it is a great game in itself for Jaguar owners who would like the game and don't already own another version. If you enjoy challenging, involving action-adventure platform games, and you want the best version of one of the best titles in the genre, make tracks for the Jaguar! --Sal Manfredonia (hysteria@gti.net) Mr. Jeff Norwood, Publisher of Jaguar Journal, tells me that the next Jaguar Journal should be available on or near October 28. Readers can find it on CATscan by dialing 209/239-1552 or in the Jaguar forum on CompuServe or on other popular on-line services. On Wednesday, November 22, The Jaguar Journal will host another conference in The Atari Jaguar Forum on CompuServe. It all starts at 8 PM ET. Main focus will be on the holiday shopping season, and what Atari and 3rd's plan to do for the selling season. (The day after Thanksgiving is usually the busiest retail shopping day of the year.) In addition to that, there will be focus on the new JagWire Web Page, and some giveaways. On Wednesday, November 25, The Jaguar Journal will be issuing the Jaguar Holiday Shopping Guide to Jaguar games. There will not be a Jaguar Journal (regular issue) in November. For the Holiday issue, Mr. Norwood is asking that Jaguar owners and players send their individual opinions on any and every title they can. Send them to the E-Mail address of 74447.531@compuserve.com, and many may be used in the shopping guide. Hey Lynx gamers... Note that Super Asteroids/Missile Command is a fun-packed new Lynx title that offers two great classic games on one explosive cart. Battlezone 2000 is also just released and stores either have them or are getting them real soon. If you cannot find these great titles at your Atari retailer, call 800/GO-ATARI during business hours for a dealer referral or to make a purchase. Super Asteroids/Missile Command and Battlezone 2000 each retail for just $39.99 each. About 60 other great Lynx titles are also available. Call 800-GO-ATARI during business hours to order a free color catalog. Many games start at just $14.99 and the selection includes great titles such as Klax, Joust and Pit Fighter. A new updated video tape is available from Atari. The tape includes great sequences from the most recent new releases as well as upcoming hits. PLUS the tape includes Atari's new television commercial. To order, call toll free by dialing 800/GO-ATARI during business hours or contact me at 75300.1267@compuserve.com. The tape is just $8.95 plus $4.95 shipping and handling. California residents must add 69 cents for sales tax. Master Card and Visa accepted. (Dealers and distributors should contact their Atari Sales Rep for information regarding obtaining this tape for your store(s)). The next "Fun 'N' Games" Day at Atari for the gaming press is Tuesday, October 24. Expect to hear from your favorite gaming mags soon with upcoming previews from Atari. Just to confirm, Hover Strike: Unconquered Lands did start shipping to stores last Friday. Make sure to get your copy from retailers ASAP! This is the first CD title out for the CD-ROM with exception to the pack-ins. Expect to see quantities to sell through fast. Highlander is due out next week. Remember to also ask your retailer for the ProController (more buttons, more action), the JagLink (the only licensed way to link two Jaguar systems together to play Doom) and the Team Tap is still available as a freebie with White Men Can't Jump (for a limited time). A reminder... Adweek thinks Jaguar Spots Rule! There aren't many TV commercials that make Adweek's Best Spots designation, but the new one for the Atari Jaguar did... On page 34 of the October 16, 1995 issue of Adweek, the Atari Jaguar is listed with the likes of AT&T, Levi's, MCI and Xerox for September's best picks. If you haven't seen Atari's latest commercial, check out the new video offered by Atari or download the cool AVI from CompuServe's Jaguar Forum. I've already received a lot of great reviews, comments and feedback for the most recent Atari Jaguar 64 releases. Please keep them coming. I will be compiling them for an upcoming CATnips... A quick overview for Atari's first JaguarCD game, "Hover Strike, Unconquered Lands", again from CompuServe: Sb: Hover Strike CD Review Fm: Brian Mclaughlin 102006,3407 To: all Being true to my word, here's a quick review of Hoverstrike CD. I feel, however, I should point out that I never did play Hoverstrike on cart, so I can't compare the two for those who would like to know what the differences are. So on with the review... The Generalities... Okay, pretty simple. You're in command of a Hover Tank with various weapons at your disposal. You have missions you must complete, and you can collect powerups along the way. The powerups allow you to gain extra missiles, mortars, etc or to increase your power or shield energy. Needless to say, these come in quite handy as you're going up against countless enemies bent on turning your hover tank into a pile of scrap metal. The controls... The controls seem pretty responsive to me for the most part. It takes a little getting used to controlling a hover tank, but it becomes second nature once you get used to it. For those who don't like that "sliding", there is an option to turn it off, and, as a matter of fact, that is the default setting in "Easy" mode, however, I haven't tried it yet, so I can't tell you what it's like. The only thing to be prepared for, as you run into hills and dips in the landscape, your hover tank tilts and bobs, as you would expect, however, there's been more than one occasion where I had to stop the craft to regain control. Also, for those who don't like the cockpit view, you can switch to an external view. This view allows you to zoom in and out and to rotate the view around your tank. The Framerate... This seems to be a major point among games these days, and, as far as I'm concerned, this one moves along quite smoothly, however, I do not know if this is any different than the cart version. The Graphics... The graphics seem quite nice, with some pretty nice textures, from a landscape that can only be described as "alive" in some missions, to missions on the ocean where your tank rocks and bobs on an ocean with undulating waves. Quite nice. As far as annoying "pop-up", you don't tend to see that here too often as everything is faded into view, asopposed to being popped into view. I also like the explosions. They're not perfect, but I do like the pieces flying everywhere when you blow something up. As for the CD extras, like the FMV, it seems pretty decent, and not too pixelated, however, I haven't seen too much of it as the only FMV so far has been the short opening sequence and the shot of your hover tank being brought back to the main ship after each mission. The back of the box however shows a scene I haven't seen yet, so I can only assume there is more as the game progresses. The Sound... The sound effects are good. Nothing earth-shattering here, however, they do the job. The best way I can describe the music is as rock, and it fits the game quite well. It can be kind of dark at times, which works well, as most of this game has a dark feel to it. The only real problems I have with the sound is sometimes you lose some of the times. The one that seems to be missed most often is the sound of your plasma photons firing. Not a major problem, but one that probably should have been fixed. The Nitpics... Just the little things that could have been better. My most major nitpic is the mission briefings, which consist of some text on the screen and a picture of you're main objective. It seems to me that since they have the space on a CD, they could have used it to at least do a voice-over on the mission briefing screen, if not something a little more extravagant like an actual briefing using live actors or what not. Another nitpic is the lack of a map during battle. It could help you plan your attacks a little better. Anyhow, as I've said, these are just nitpics. They don't really inhibit gameplay, just that there inclusion I feel would have made a better game. The final score... Okay, in short, I like the game. Enough so that now I'll have to go buy the memory cart so I can save my game! Overall I give the game an 8 out of 10. Fun game, and a worthy addition to my library. If you don't have the cart, I'd definitely recommend it. Have fun gaming! BYE And, a quickie review of the new Lynx version of Battlezone 2000, also from CompuServe: Sb: #Battlezone 2000 Opinion Fm: Larry Tipton 74127,601 To: All Game Title: Battlezone 2000 Publisher: Atari Corporation Developer: Handmade Software Format: Cartridge System: Atari Lynx Review By: Larry Tipton Well, look what we have here. A new Lynx game... And boy what a game it is! If you liked the original arcade classic you are going to absolutely love this version. The developer did more than just add 2000 to the name. The gameplay has been enhanced. No longer can you go in one direction only to scroll off the top of the radar only to appear at the bottom again. Now the game has boundaries! You cant just run away like you could in the arcade version. You have to turn and fight. You also can choose from three different tanks. Battlezone 2000 does a great job emulating the originals vector graphics look. The volcanoes in the background even erupt. You can still play hide and seek behind pyramids and blocks, although it can get tough when there are several CPU enemies after you. There are several enemy types: Saucers, Tanks, Supertanks, Heavytanks and Missiles. The Main Game Screen includes the following: ú Shield, Fuel, Missile and Ammo Icon Status ú Radar ú Reserve Tanks ú Targeting Crosshair ú Timer ú Wave Number ú Enemies Required to defeat Points And there is still plenty of display area! Game Features: ú You can customize your chosen tank by adjusting the value settings for fuel, missiles, ammo and shields. ú There are power ups scattered across the battle field. Power ups will repair damage to shields, replace fuel, ammo or missiles. ú Multi player game! Up to 4 players. Each tank is a different color. Enemies are green. CPU enemies can be turned off. If a "real" player is killed, he can still drive around as a "ghost" tank and observe the action from the hereafter. OK, Game Rating on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest obtainable score: Graphics 9 Control 9 Sound F/X 7 Music 7 Fun Factor 10 Replay 9 Value $$$ 9 MSRP $39.99 Look! -> $36.99 (Dave's Bits of Fun) Overall Score 9 If you are a fan of Battlezone and portable gaming, you are going to love this game! Attention Atari Corp: PLEASE PUT OUT MORE QUALITY STUFF LIKE THIS FOR THE LYNX! That's all for now, Larry Tipton And, if the above wasn't a big enough endorsement for some of the Atari "classics" to be re-vitalized on the Lynx and Jaguar, here's another message from the CompuServe forums: Sb: Asteroids/Missle Command! Fm: Robin E. Ward 73140,3121 To: All I just received the new Super Asteroids/Missile Command cartridge for the LYNX. I've got to tell you...this is one of the best games I've purchased in the last few months, and that includes for my Jaguar and my PC! First of all, having two of my all time favorite games; not just nostalgic games, but "continually playable" games. I mean, these are games that I still see others plunk quarters into at the local pub or arcade. My copy of Microsoft Arcade for my PC, is my barometer for re-playability. Everybody wants to play Missile Command or Asteroids at my workstation. Secondly, and most of all, putting those two games on ONE cart is a great concept, especially for a portable game machine. This should be done more often. Less to carry...more variety at your fingertips. What a perfect way to showcase some real "classic" games. THIS is what a LYNX cartridge revival should be all about. Take familiar games; give them superb, updated graphics and sound (as befits the powerful processing power the Lynx has ALWAYS been capable of...); adapt the game controls accordingly for the Lynx; add some new game elements (like the "armory shopping trip" between levels in Missile Command or the weapon power- ups in Super Asteroids), and what you get is a superb addition to the Lynx library. A real "shot-in-the-arm" cart. Missile Command is great! New, textured landscapes and missile silos look real impressive. The attacking missiles and responding defense missiles move realistically and smoothly. The explosions in the sky and on the ground (...shudder!) are 1st rate! Hint: put on some stereo headphones when playing, gang, and hang on...yaw! The orbiting satellites and bombers are a gas to see in action. And the updating of the classic, foreboding "Game Over", is a real treat. Respectful to the original, but modernized, as befits the updating. Finally, the purchasing of weapon upgrades between levels and the escalating missile cache between levels is a much appreciated improvement. Super Asteroids was a VERY pleasant surprise when I fired it up. The shaded texturing of the asteroids is gorgeous, as is the sparkling starfield in the background. The use of auto-shields was neat, depleting with every contact, until you are vulnerable to a stray stone. Adding the gun power-up added a nice twist to the "classic" gameplay. With the appearance of the flying saucers (weren't they called "Big Mo" and "Little Mo" by us gamers, back in the '80's? Hmm...!), I feel like I'm snuggled up to my faithful ATARI 2600 or my ATARI 400, bag of chip scattered on the floor, next to my half empty bottle of Coke, in front of my 13 inch Sony TV, after school. Nostalgia flashback or what! If I were to revive the Lynx in the public's eyes, today, THIS is the cart I would use as a pack-in! Two classic games in one cart; superb (I mean SUPERB!) modern graphics and use of sound; REAL gameplay (and re- playability) and absolutely 1st rate packaging, both on the box and on the label. This artwork reminds of the work done on the 2nd generation packaging done on the 2600/5200 boxes. Realistic and dramatic: i.e: "...this isn't just a game you're holding, kid...this is the real thing!!"; you know what I mean? I caught Ted and Julie's name on the scrolling credits. Hey Ted and Julie: give the rest of the Lynx crew a hand for me, will you? This cart was a treat! Now...has anybody seen BattleZone 2000, yet? I can't get it, until my fingertips heal... Robin Ward Jaguar CATBOX STR Review CATBOX Available Now by: Dominick J. Fontana (CompuServe: 74766,2154 or CIS:Fontana) (Internet: Fontana@CIS.CompuServe.com) Date of Review: October 26, 1995 BASIC INFORMATION: Hardware : Expansion device for Atari Jaguar Manufactured by : ICD, Incorporated List Price : $69.95 OPENING COMMENTS: The CatBox (CB) is a hardware expansion device for the Atari Jaguar. It is claimed to add nine features to the Jaguar: three audio, three video, and three communications. The unit is housed in an attractive heavy duty silver-colored metal case and plugs into the DSP and AV ports on the back of the Jaguar. You then connect the audio, video, and communications cables to the back of the CB. No separate power supply is required for the CB, since it draws its power from the Jaguar. The unit has "CatBox" in redlettering and a picture of a black cat. Two red LEDs are used as eyes for the cat and they light up steadily when the Jaguar has power applied to it and they flash when communications data is being received. There are also two internal jumpers that can be used to enable or disable two of the CatBox's functions. The CB comes with a temporary owner's manual, which consists of three photocopied, typewritten pages, with printing on both sides of each page, for a total of six pages, and a Warranty Registration Card. However, the type, conditions, and length of the warranty are never mentioned. The temporary manual states that the final manual will be mailed to purchasers in May or June 1995, but to date, the final manual has not been completed and mailed out. A copy of the temporary manual can be downloaded fromCompuServe and GEnie. WHAT IT HAS: The CatBox has the following connectors and controls on its panel, which are grouped here according to the nine functions that the CB provides: Audio: 1) Two line level RCA (phono) jacks for left/mono and right stereo audio. 2) RGB Monitor Audio, which is carried on Pin 9 of the Analog RGB connector (to be discussed shortly). This is a mono audio signal. 3) Two stereo 1/8 inch (mini-phone) headphone jacks and volume control knob. Video: 1) Composite Video RCA (phono) jack for composite video output. 2) S-Video 4 pin round mini DIN jack for S-Video output. 3) Analog RGB female DB9 jack for Analog RGB video and mono audio output. Communications: 1) Two 6P4C RJ11 telephone type jacks for CatNet (network) communications. A three position communications toggle switch lets you select which of the three communications ports you want to use. An RJ11 telephone connector terminator plug is also included. 2) DB9 male RS232 port for serial communications between two Jaguars or between one Jaguar and a standard modem. 3) DSP pass through port for future expansion. WHAT IT DOES: The CatBox is designed to allow you to connect various audio, video, and communications devices to the Atari Jaguar. The Audio section is pretty straightforward. You can use standard RCA (phono) cables to connect the Jaguar, via the CatBox, to any line level audio inputs, such as on your TV, monitor, or stereo receiver/amplifier. There are left and right stereo outputs, or you can use a mono output by just connecting a cable to one output. However, the manual is unclear as to which output is the mono output. In the "Line level audio" section it states that "the white colored jack passes either left or mono audio." But in the "RGB monitor audio" section it states that the RGB monitor mono audio signal "is automatically disconnected when an RCA cable is plugged into the right/mono (red) audio jack." It's no big deal, but the manual should be corrected to avoid confusion. The bottom line is that you can get either stereo audio or mono audio from the CatBox's line level outputs. The two mini-headphone jacks allow you to connect two sets of headphones and regulate the volume with the volume control knob. Whenever a headphone is plugged in, all other audio outputs are muted. The third audio output is meant for use with Atari SC1224 or SC1435 monitors, or any other monitor that receives mono audio through its monitor signal cable. That is, in certain instances, you can connect a monitor to the CatBox Analog RGB connector and have the monitor both display RGB video and play mono audio. However, you can still opt to use the line level stereo output jacks for the audio with these monitors, instead of the mono audio that passes through the Analog RGB connector. The mono signal is automatically muted whenever you hook up cables to thestereo audio outputs or to the headphone jacks. The mono audio output can also be muted by removing jumper J1 (to be discussed shortly). The Jaguar console just provides basic RF output, which connects to a TV's antenna input, to provide picture and sound to your TV. You can also get Composite Video and S-Video outputs from the Jaguar by purchasing special cables from Atari. These cables connect to the Jaguar by the means of a special connector on one end, that plugs into the Jaguar's AV port. While Atari doesn't directly sell Analog RGB cables, they can be purchased from Redmond Cable in Washington, but they are quite expensive. The CatBox provides three types of video outputs: Composite Video, S- Video, and Analog RGB. These three outputs and the standard Jaguar RF output may all be used at the same time or in any combination to connect multiple video displays. The quality of the video outputs, from best to worst is: Analog RGB; S-Video; Composite Video; standard Jaguar RF. The Composite Video and S-Video outputs can be used with any video displays that have Composite or S-Video inputs. With the CatBox you can just use a standard, and cheaper, Composite or S-Video cable, instead of the more expensive specialty cables that Atari sells. Note that with these video outputs, you still need to connect the line level audio outputs to your display device or to a receiver/amplifier, so you'll also need a pair of RCA stereo cables for the audio. I would have preferred that the Composite Video output was physically located next to the line level audio outputs, since they all use RCA cables. Normally a composite cable has three RCA cables that are attached to each other, so it would have been nice to connect them to the CatBox all in a row. But the CatBox has the line level audio outputs located next to the S- Video jack, followed by the RGB jack, and finally the Composite Video jack. The Analog RGB output can only be used with monitors with a Horizontal Sync rate of 15.75 KHz. These kinds of monitors are not too common today. The Atari ST and Amiga color monitors both supported this H-Sync rate. In addition, even if you have a compatible monitor, you might also need a special monitor cable adapter, so that you can plug the monitor cable into the Analog RGB output on the CatBox. You can purchase these adapters directly from ICD or have them make a custom adapter for you. You can also make your own cable adapter, and the manual providesthe pin connections you'll need to know. There is also an internal jumper in the CatBox labeled J7, which allows you to select Vertical Sync or Composite Sync. If the vertical screen on your monitor is rolling, then set this jumper to the other position. You can also disable the mono audio signal which normally comes through the Analog RGB connector by removing the internal audio jumper J1. To change either of the jumpers inside the CatBox, you have to disassemble it. The manual tells you how to do this, but dip switches would have been better. The manual also provides a list of some of the Analog RGB monitors you can use with the CatBox, along with the adapter you'll need and the suggested jumper settings. Twelve monitors are listed and nine of them require special adapters. On the communications side, the CatBox provides DSP pass through, CatNet, and RS232 communications. The DSP pass through will allow you to connect future devices to the Jaguar's DSP port, while the CatBox is connected to the Jaguar. You use a three-position toggle switch to determine which port you wish to use. For some time now, Atari has been touting the JagLink capabilities of the Jaguar. This will allow you to connect up to eight Jaguars together for multi-player games. However, the game must have JagLink capability built in. I believe that, to date, only "Doom" has this capability, but at the time of "Doom's" release, Atari still had not released the JagLink cable. However, within the past few weeks Atari has finally released the JagLink cable. However, this is an expensive cable, since the cable hasthe equivalent of an RS232 port built into it. There has also been talk for some time about using the Jaguar with a voice-modem. However, this still has not materialized. The communications ports on the CatBox are meant to be used to perform similar network and modem capabilities. CatNet was developed for ICD by Black Cat Design to provide network capabilities similar to JagLink. The RS232 port is to allow multi-player games between two Jaguars or over a standard modem, but without voice. So you can play games with your friends over the modem, but you can't talk to them while you are doing so. However, just as with the Atari protocols, you cannot use CatNet or the RS232 port, unless the game is specifically designed to allow it. As of this writing, only "Doom" has a two player head to head mode that supports the CatBox RS232 port using a null modem cable. This cable is cheaper than Atari's special JagLink cable. "Aircars" was also supposed to support the RS232 port as well as CatNet, but the future of that product is now in limbo. What all this means is that you can connect two Jaguars together for a multi-player game by connecting a simple IBM AT type null modem cable between the CatBox RS232 ports on each Jaguar. Again, this will only work if the game supports it, and each person must have a Jaguar, a CatBox, and a copy of the game, plus you'll need a null modem cable. You can also use an IBM AT type modem cable to connect the CatBox to a standard modem. As of this writing, I don't believe there are any Jaguar games that support reliable modem play. CatNet is a network standard that allows up to 32 Jaguars to play in a local network type environment. CatNet uses the 6P4C RJ11 telephone type connectors on the CatBox. However, these are not for connection to a modem. Again, I don't believe any games support this feature at this time. It is also meant as a replacement for JagLink. The manual also contains a list of the cables and adapters, with their prices, which are available from ICD. OPINION: I wasn't able to test all of the functions of the CatBox. Actually, I was only able to test two of the audio functions, one of the video functions, and none of the communications functions. I have heard of others who have used the remaining audio/video functions successfully, but I cannot verify that information. Also, I cannot offer an opinion on how any of the communications functions operate. Audio: I used the stereo line level outputs connected to an RCA Dimensia TV and the TV was connected to a Pioneer stereo receiver and a pair of Technics speakers, and it sounded fine. However, it didn't sound any better than using Atari's Composite Audio-Video cable connected the same way. My biggest disappointment was with the headphone jacks. The output level was extremely low in volume. I used five different sets of headphones with the CatBox and they all produced the same results. The following are the headphones I used: ú Sennheiser HD400: Excellent on-the-ear large phones. ú Sennheiser HD250 Linear: A $299 top-of-the-line closed-back set of phones. ú Sony MDR-07: Excellent on-the ear small phones. 4) Realistic Nova '30: An old set of closed circumaural phones. ú Aiwa: A small set of on-the-ear phones that came with Aiwa's top-of-the- line "Walkman." With all of the above phones, the volume level coming from the headphone jacks on the CB was extremely low. Sometimes, it was barely audible with the open phones, since they let in ambient sound. Also, the headphone jacks were placed too closely to the volume control. With the headphone plug inserted, it was very difficult to turn the volume knob. Also, the volume knob does not have a 0 position. That is, you can lower the volume, but you can't turn the sound off completely. However, the quality of the sound through the headphones was very good. Listening to stereo music and effects through the phones provides a different experience than listening through speakers. It brings you into the action more and is quite exciting. It also allows you to play in silence, so as not to disturb others. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend using the headphone jacks on the CB, since the volume was too low. I've used headphones before by connecting them to my stereo receiver and the results could sometimes be breathtaking. Not so with the CB because of the low volume level. The inclusion of headphone jacks on the CB was a good idea that was not implemented properly. I was not able to test the RGB monitor audio. Video: I used the Composite Video output connected to a 27" color RCA Dimensia TV/Monitor. It produced a nice sharp picture with vivid colors. However, it didn't look any better than using Atari's Composite Audio-Video cable connected to the same TV/Monitor. I was not able to test the S-Video or Analog RGB outputs. Communications: I was not able to test the RS232 and CatNet ports or the DSP pass through. When I finished testing the CatBox I asked myself who would benefit from owning such a device. It is claimed to provide nine different functions. But as a practical matter, it does not provide nine functions for the average user. It may provide the choice of using nine different functions, but most people will not use all nine. You'll basically use the best video display you can with it and forget about the other video options. Let's break down the nine functions by groups: ú Audio: If you want to connect a monitor that will accept mono audio, then you will use the RGB monitor audio; otherwise you will not use it. So for most people, the CatBox provides stereo line level outputs and two headphone outputs. But you can also get the line level outputs with Atari's Composite Video and S-Video cables. And if you hook up those outputs to a stereo receiver, you can plug a set of headphones into the receiver or two sets with a Y adapter. Still, the inclusion of two headphone jacks with volume control on the CatBox was a nice touch. Many people don't connect the line level outputs to a receiver and therefore can't use headphones with the Jaguar. And a receiver only provides one headphone jack, unless you use a Y adapter, which is not suitable for two-player games. Plus, having the headphone jacks on the back of the Jaguar makes it easier to connect headphones and control their volume. So being able to plug two sets of headphones into the back of the Jaguar, via the CatBox, and control their volume is a good idea. Unfortunately, the low volume level of the headphone jacks is a drawback. Given the choice between using the headphone jack on a stereo receiver or on the CB, I would chose the receiver. But if you don't have that choice, then you might be happy with using the headphone jacks on the CB. ú Video: Everyone can use the RF output on the Jaguar as standard. And you can also use Composite Video or S-Video outputs, if you buy one of Atari's cables. You can also connect the Jaguar to an RGB monitor, if you buy a specialty cable from Redmond Cable. As such, the CatBox does not really provide any new video options. So if you already have a Composite Video or S- Video cable from Atari (which both include line level stereoaudio outputs), then from an audio/video standpoint, all you gain with the CB is the two headphone jacks and volume control. I think one of the better uses of the CatBox is if you want to connect the Jaguar to an Analog RGB monitor or if you want to have more than one video display connected to the Jaguar at the same time. As I previously mentioned, you can connect an RGB monitor to the Jaguar with a special cable from Redmond Cable, but that cable is quite expensive. Plus with all the different types of monitors, you have to be sure that you get the proper cable from Redmond. But it appears quite easy to connect a monitor to the CatBox with just the purchase of the proper adapter from ICD (if your monitor needs an adapter), and they are quite knowledgeable about which adapter you'll need. Plus, you'll get RGB mono audio, for those monitors that support it. ú Communications: The DSP pass through isn't really a function, so that leaves the CatNet and RS232 ports. So what do you do with the CatNet and RS232 ports? Well, right now, not much, but that is because there's really no software support for these features in the Jaguar games. And even if future games do contain such support, you have to ask yourself if these are features that you will use. For networked games, you need at least 2 Jaguars, 2 CatBoxes, 2 copies of the same game, and another person to network with. However, you have that capability right now with the recently released JagLink cable. With the CatBox, you can either connect two Jaguars by their RS232 ports with a null modem cable (cheaper than the JagLink) or connect up to 32 Jaguars with CatNet, using inexpensive telephone cables. Modem play is still not available on the Jaguar, since Atari has yet to release its voice-modem. Modem play is accomplished on the CatBox by using a standard modem cable with a standard modem. However, you will not have voice capability, so you can't talk to your opponent while you play. But modem play is virtually a moot point, until there is enough software that supports it. If that software appears, and especially if you already own a data modem, then you're ready to go if you have the CatBox, since all you need is a simple modem cable. That alone could justify the cost of the CatBox, although you won't have voice capability. The price of Atari's voice-modem, with headset/microphone, if it's ever released, will most likely cost more than the CatBox. So the CatBox is a very cost effective solution for Jaguar communications, but unfortunately there is virtually no software support for it. Now that the JagLink has been released, we may see more networkable software. But it's unknown whether we'll see modem support in future software if Atari doesn't release its voice-modem. CLOSING COMMENTS: It would have been nice if all the ports on the CatBox had been incorporated into the back of the Jaguar as standard, but they weren't. So if you just purchased the Jaguar and only have the RF output, then purchasing the CatBox might be a good investment. You'll be able to utilize better audio and video outputs, you'll be able to use two sets of headphones, and you'll have communications options for networking and modem play for the future. And you'll have all this at a potentially much cheaper cost than if you purchased Atari's products (special audio/video cable(s), JagLink, and voice-modem, if it becomes available). And the CatBox is even a better value if you want to connect the Jaguar to an Analog RGB monitor (with mono audio), since Atari doesn't directly support monitors, requiring you to buy an expensive custom made cable from Redmond Cable. On the other hand, if you have already purchased a special A/V cable, then right now the CatBox really doesn't offer you much. For instance, many people have home theatre systems or have their TV connected to their stereo system. Let's assume that you already bought the Composite Video cable from Atari and you have the Jaguar connected to the composite audio/video jacks on your TV. The Jaguar's graphics are sharp and colorful and its stereo audio is playing through your stereo system. You can use two sets of headphones by plugging them into your stereo receiver and using a Y adapter and you can control the volume from your receiver. If you purchase the CatBox, you'll retire your Composite Video cable from use and simply use the line level audio outputs and the Composite Video output of the CatBox to make the same connections that you already had. There will be no improvement in audio or video quality. And instead of using a Y-adapter and two sets of headphones with your stereo receiver, you can use the two headphone jacks on the CatBox, but the volume will be much lower. You probably won't need or use the ScVideo or Analog RGB outputs or RGB monitor audio. The DSP pass through isn't really a function, though it's comforting to know it is available for future expansion. And the CatNet and RS232 ports are of limited utility right now, for networking and modem play, because of the lack of software. So in this scenario, you literally don't add any functionality to the Jaguar by purchasing the CatBox, and the headphone output won't be as good. And you'll still have to purchase a standard composite audio/video cable and possibly 1/4" to 1/8" adapters for your headphones. Of course, you could then sell your Atari Composite Video cable in order to recoup part of your investment in the CatBox. I don't own the Jaguar CDcROM unit, but I was assured by ICD that the CatBox and the CDcROM unit can both be connected to the Jaguar without any problems, except that the CDcROM unit will probably make it difficult to see when the LEDs light up in the cat's eyes on the CatBox. The final point I would like to make is that the connection between the CatBox and the Jaguar is very loose and tentative. Connecting the CatBox is simple, but it is not a set-and-forget proposition. Although the manual cautions you to disconnect the CatBox when you move the Jaguar, I originally thought that would only apply if you were transporting the Jaguar outside of your house. I was wrong. You can't even pick up the Jaguar without having the CatBox immediately fall to the ground. So if you keep the Jaguar near your TV and then want to carry it to your sofa or coffee table to play, you have to disconnect the CatBox, carry the CatBox and the Jaguar to your playing position, and then connect the CatBox to the Jaguar again. Then, you have to do the same thing when you return the Jaguar to its place near the TV. It's a real nuisance. Plus, the CatBox can sometimes come loose if you move the Jaguar while playing. Between the flimsy CatBox connection in the back and the infamous flimsy joystick connections in the front, it makes the Jaguar console feel like a toy rather than a piece of high tech gear. Fortunately, it's very simple to connect the CatBox to the Jaguar. It simply plugs into the A/V ports on the back of the Jaguar. Also, remember to buy long enough cables for use with the CatBox. RATINGS (based on 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest): Functionality: 8.5 Usefulness: 8 or 3 (see Comments)* Sturdiness: 9.5 Ergonomics: 6 Manual: 7 Reviewer's Overall Rating: 7 QUICK RATINGS COMMENTS: ú Functionality: The CatBox basically works as advertised, but the headphone output volume was way too low, even with the volume turned all the way up. ú Usefulness: *8 If you haven't already purchased any special cables for the Jaguar and you want to hook it up to an Analog RGB monitor, or ScVideo or Composite Video inputs and/or stereo audio inputs, then the CatBox is a good way to start. You can accomplish your audio/video hookup and have some communications options for the future. *3 c If you already have the audio/video hookup that you want, then it's probably better to wait to see if future Jaguar software supports the CatBox's communications options before you purchase it. ú Sturdiness: Extremely well made and robust. It's built like a tank. ú Ergonomics: I didn't like the flimsy connection between the CatBox and the Jaguar and I didn't like that the volume control was placed so close to the headphone jacks. I also wish that the Composite Video output was placed right next to the stereo line level audio outputs. And although the CatBox is an attractive piece of hardware, it doesn't match the Jaguar console and actually looks a bit funny when connected to it. ú Manual: The manual was reasonably well-written and I only found one typo, but the way it was presented was poor. Using three photocopied typewritten pages is something I would expect from a computer shareware product and not from a Jaguar hardware product. Reviewer's Overall Rating: The CatBox is a good product, but with a limited audience. If it had been released sooner, that is, shortly after the Jaguar's release, then maybe it would have seemed like a more viable product. But now that the Jaguar hasn't sold well and most of its early adoptees have already purchased special cables for their audio/video setups, it makes the CatBox look like it is offering too little, too late. SUMMARY: Is the CatBox a good product and does it do what it claims? Yes, the CatBox does what it's supposed to do, except that I thought the headphone outputs were way too low in volume level. But it doesn't really offer anything new, since you can accomplish what the CatBox does with other products. But it does give you many audio, video, and communications options in one compact, convenient, and sturdy product, and at a cost that is less expensive that if you purchased separate products to do the same thing. Whether or not you have a need for a product such as the CatBox depends greatly on what special cables you have already purchased and on the communications support in future Jaguar software. The bottom line is that if you just purchased the Jaguar, you might want to consider the CatBox instead of a special Audio/Video cable and hope that more software supports the CatBox's communications options in the future. But if you already have the audio/video setup that you want with the Jaguar, then it's probably better to wait until there is some software that takes advantage of the CatBox's communications options before purchasing the CatBox. Online CatFights! STReport and AEO Debates, Match #1 CATFIGHT! JagWire partners Atari Corporation, CompuServe, STReport Online magazine, and Atari Explorer Online magazine have organized a "battle of the onlines" called CatFights. CatFights is an amicable term for an online debate between pre-selected staff members from both magazines to discuss or debate a topic dealing with Atari and/or its products. The first debate is being represented by AEO's publisher/editor Travis Guy, STReport by staff member Craig Harris. The debate's topic, selected by a panel of "judges" (Atari's Don Thomas and CompuServe's Ron Luks and Don Lebow) is: "If you were running Atari, which types of game would you give your priority: RPG, Sports, shoot-em-up, adventure, driving/flying simulators, or other?" STReport's Craig Harris gets the ball rolling... While I feel Atari should have a wide spectrum of titles for the Jaguar system, the one area of focus that's an absolute must is the sports category. Atari's presence in this genre has been close to nil - providing only arcade-ish, unrealistic titles like White Men Can't Jump and the upcoming Barkley Basketball to fit the bill. While these titles are nothing to scoff at, they certainly leave the system gasping for the real thing. A handful of third-party companies have attempted to inject life into the virtual arena with Troy Aikman Football and Sensible Soccer, but these titles lack the graphical quality and game-play needed to attract gamers to the Jaguar. What the Jaguar needs is a sports division, similar to Electronic Arts' EA Sports and Sega's Sports lines. Grab an image that proves Atari is serious about bringing sports to the 64-bit system. Hire designers and programmers who are committed to pushing the Jaguar to its limits, while providing to the wants and needs of the digital sports fanatics. I definitely believe once the Jaguar has a number of top-notch sporting titles under its belt, it will receive the visibility the system so richly needs and deserves. Travis Guy of AEO responds: An Atari Sports game division. That makes me think of the arcade tabletop Atari Football video game of years back. Black-and-white "X"es and "O"s being controlled with a trak-ball. Mucho fun! Creating a "Team Atari" line of sports games should go beyond securingone or two titles for each sport. Atari should aim at besting the top of the line computer sports games. Allow for networking/modeming - it's more fun when you the coach can scheme in secret. Insist on CD titles and a "statistics standard" - this would allow Memory Track-kept seasons and leagues, and Great Teams discs. Break the mold that video sports games have fallen into. Turn the video games into Video Sports Simulations. It's an expensive proposition. The payouts for League and Player'sAssociation licenses would be very high. Yet this is one route I would like to see Atari adopt, and assign a "Sports Czar" to. It's also a time-consuming proposition. It could take 12-to-18-to-24 months to start seeing the fruits of such work, and then we're into "next console" time. To fill the void, I think Atari should concentrate on "2000- izing" more of its classic titles. Now -that's- an audience just begging to be addressed! Craig Harris/STReport: While I agree that creating sporting titles is a timely affair, Travis, it's true with any genre...even with the 2000 series. Case in point: Defender 2000. Minter's been openly developing this much- anticipated title way back since January-February, and the latest release date is, what? November. 10-11 months. Just because a game is based on an original, a legend, doesn't mean it has a shorter development schedule. OK, even though I agree with the idea of pumping man hours into developing 2000-ized titles, these games will only please the existing user base... the ones who bought the Jaguar for the wonderful Tempest 2000, those who were expecting more classics to follow. No, we need a genre that will sell systems, that will give Atari's user- base a huge shot in the arm, not a mild pinch. Having a large sports selection (cover the bases, Baseball, Football, Hockey, Basketball, Racing) will attract the audience Atari's trying to acquire. Sports games will do that for a system...just look at the Genesis. (If anything, I'd like to see a CD with a series of Atari Corp. coin-op games, the one's that came out before the Atari split-up. Untouched, un- 2000ed, straight out of the arcade. If Minter can port the original Defender game in a couple weeks, other programmers can do the same for Atari's original arcade library. Assign 2-3 games per programmer. Namco's doing it for the Playstation, why can't Atari do it for their own system? I, Robot comes to mind...) Travis Guy/AEO: Craig, we all agree that development time lengthens as more "goodies" are thrown in. Jeff started development on Defender 2000 back last October, and it's scheduled to hit next January. Pretty good for a one-man coding band. A few other programmers have taken their own route to upgrading classic titles, and have achieved shorter turnaround times. Breakout 2000, which does not include a classic version, nor a "Plus" version, is a less-than-one- year in development game. Missile Command 3D, which includes all three versions, is likewise less than a year old. I think the collective Jaguar developer consciousness has reached thepoint where a single "classic" title could be recreated and enhanced for cartridge in six to eight months. Four or so such teams could create quite an impact in just a year's time. I don't see that approach working with sports games. To seize the sports market, someone will have to bring out truly innovative product. Applying current talent to lots of "me too" sportsgames, to get four to five of them on shelves in twelve months will not "make" the Jaguar. Come out with sports games that play better, or offer features found on current PC sports games, and you'll get attention. Come out with less, and you won't. A CD with several classic-only games? I disagree on its appeal. The excitement of the "2000 mode" in the current games is worth the extra time involved. Continue current development, initiate a few more 2000-titles (the more that are done, the greater the draw for the classic crowd), and fund the occasional bright idea that plays to the Jaguar's strengths. (Like a fully realized, networked tournament Ballblazer.) Then launch "Team Atari." Craig Harris/STReport I certainly don't expect Atari to seize the sports market, Travis. I'm not arguing that. Bringing out 5-6 sports games under a specific sport label will show system shoppers that Atari is serious about bringing the user-base what they want. Many people purchase systems based on sport selections, and buy other games to supplement their original purchase. That's where I think the 2000 games will benefit. While you raise some very good points regarding development time and cost, I doubt that Atari can crank out a 2000-ized game in 6-8 months. The designer takes an existing classic game, pretty repetitious and boring to today's standards. He/she then has to add features to the gameplay to make the title more appealing and less repetitive, features that take advantage of the Jaguar's powerful hardware. "Feature Creep" inevitably kicks in somewhere down the line. Since theoriginal idea is based solely on gameplay, no design script in the world is going to tell how fun the game's going to be. Most of the ideas will appear on-the-fly during development "This is boring. Let's add this." "Wouldn't it be great to have a level transition here?" "Nah, that doesn't work there. Use that here." "Mr. Graphic Artist, we need another background." Since Defender 2000 has been delayed until 1st Quarter 95, I can only guess this has happened to the team many a time. Even if someone decides to design a me-too sports game, the developers at least have something to base the new game upon. In a hockey game, steal what works for NHL '96. For baseball, World Series '95. Racing, NASCAR and Indycar Racing. Use the existing ideas, but add innovative features that no- one has ever implemented, or implemented successfully. Me-too games don't have to be stuck in the mediocre rut. Travis Guy/AEO: Craig, me-too games are by definition, a repetition and therefore mediocre in their scope. Let's look at this choice from a marketing point of view. If Atari had no sports games, that's a reason for sports game hungry consumers to not want to buy Jaguar. With a few sports games available, the Jaguar becomes but one choice out of many. With very good sports games available, even under an umbrella of a sports line, the Jaguar becomes a better choice - but it would still lack a "gotta have it" quality. With some innovative sports games available, the Jaguar would become a "no brainer" choice for that crowd, and this is the bracket I feel Atari should aspire to fulfill. For example, offering a port of "John Madden Football" as good as anyother version, with a Jaguar innovation of allowing each player to plot his or her strategy on their own console is a nice step. Would development cost and time be better served by funding that in an attempt to make the Madden crowd choose Jaguar, when a well done break-the-mold football game design could entice all football fanatics? I don't think so. Remember, those who don't lead, follow. As to the time involved with coming up with more "2000" games, I'vespoken with established developers before on this very subject. Given a firm design plan, an experienced programmer/artist team could bring a classic-and-new game out in under nine months with ease. Feature Creep is an odd thing. It's fun to dabble in, but terribly seductive. A good design plan can account for some creep, but in any event, it's something that can strike any game type. Jeff Minter originally estimated that it would take him about a year to finish Defender 2000, and the Defender team has kept very close to that estimate. Not all potential 2000 games would be done to the level that Jeff could do, so I think we can dismiss the time this project has taken as being atypically long. Let third parties bring out more me-too games if they want. Atari shouldn't. Atari can't seize the sports game market if they don't try, that's for sure. Craig Harris/STReport: So I guess Alien VS. Predator, wallowing in "me-too-ness," is mediocre. Heck, it's just Wolfenstein 3D with Giger-esque wall textures and enemies. Seriously, if having Atari in a me-too rut is your main worry, thenproducing classic game titles is *not* the way to go. Half of Atari'sclassic library is available in retail and shareware versions oncomputers; the other half is available on the Gameboy. If they can readily obtain the game in its original form, why would they bother getting an "enhanced" version for a system they don't own? While working in retail, I had to verbally convince skeptics that Tempest 2000 is yards more fun than the original. Unless they physically experience the game in full, they won't bite. Generally speaking, anything with an NFL logo, an MLBPA license, or anNBA all-star plastered on the label is going to get picked up. Initially, it doesn't matter how good the content is - if it doesn't grab the eye, it's going to sit. Atari needs to obtain images of recognizable names and games to grab the consumers. Alien VS. Predator was a great step in the right direction. Though I wasn't the least bit thrilled with the actual game, I was very happy to see the Jaguar get the attention from walk-by consumers. I sold systems to fans of the series, people who wanted to experience AVP on the Jaguar. We're trying to sell systems across the board. I doubt little Jimmy will drag Mommy into Babbage's to show her Breakout 2000. Placing identifiable titles on the shelf will give the Jaguar much larger visibility, and licensed sports titles are the games with the most attention. As for an original Jaguar game produced in less than 9 months, I won't be alone in saying that I'll believe it when I see it. (Missile Command could possibly make it.) Travis Guy/AEO: Of course little Jimmy won't show Breakout 2000 to Mommy in the store... but perhaps Daddy will. Appealing to old-time gamers with classic perfect versions isn't a sign of me-too-ism, it's an endorsement of Atari's own history. Coming up with a modern graphics-and sound-fired variation is the draw for the younger crowd and the enthusiasts. Me-too-ism is taking the same old style of game, adding new music, a different camera angle, dressier graphics, perhaps a league license, and calling it improved. Feh. It's one of the best of its class, but how many copies of Troy Aikman NFL Football (for all consoles) were picked up in the last year? Move sports games from their current state of play, and take them into the depths of simulations. Make each player actually respond to what they could "see." Give each player realistic physical attributes. Account for things like gravity and inertia. Motion capture technology can do some nice things. In American football, there's 22 players on the field at any one time, plus an officiating crew, and an oddly bouncing football. Add in crowdnoise, coaching staffs, the weather, injuries, fatigue, and the playing field, and there's still not enough variables to bog down a fast processor. Call it "Real Sports Football" if you want. Allow it to save seasonal stats, and support multiple linked players in league play.... Simulate Reality. Doing that will sell such a game to football fans. While it's nice to have, worry about adding that six-figure pro league license next year. More than one current Jaguar game has gone from-start-to-shopper in under a year. Take people who know the machine, give them a clear and simple direction to proceed, and you can have a good game in under nine months, easy. Muddy the waters, change your priorities (and back again), and 18 months are burned. Craig Harris/STReport: Congratulations, Travis...you perfectly described Tempest 2000 in your definition of "me-too-ism" (funny how I couldn't find that word in Webster's). "Old Style Game." Yup. "Adding new music." Bigtime. "Adding a new camera angle." Jeff added 2. "Dressier graphics." Does Melt-o-Vision count? And the funny thing? I disliked Tempest in the arcade and disliked Tempest in the Microsoft Arcade Pack. But I love Tempest 2000. Go figure. Troy Aikman wasn't a big seller for one main reason: It was from a company without any history of sports titles. It also had stiff competition from Sega and Electronic Arts with NFL '95 and Madden '95. And the game just wasn't that good. Ok, three main reasons. Atari has no internal competition when it comes to sports titles. There just aren't any, plain and simple. When people look at the system's library, they say "No sports? I'll pass." Why did the 3DO sell as well as it did? Answer: It had a very good looking (and ok playing) version of Madden Football, and an EXCELLENT version of FICA Soccer. Heck, Goldstar packed that sucker with their unit, and for a time they flew off the shelves. Now developers are shooting 3DO in the foot by abandoning the genre that brought them the user-base to begin with. Atari *needs* sports games, just as it *needs* a larger library of titles and peripherals. I think I would more likely to see someone look at the selection and say "No Baseball? Forget it." instead of "No Pong? Forget it." Travis Guy/AEO: Gosh Craig, here we are talking about sports games, and twice now you've tried to take my words and make me say that first Alien vs. Predator, and now Tempest 2000, are boring old games. You do need some sports games to play. When talking about video games, Troy Aikman is Joe Montana is Quarterback Club is ESPN is Bill Walsh is John Madden, etc., all back to the first licensed NFL football video game. What's wrong with wanting to break the mold? You say TANFLF wasn't a big seller because it was from a company without any history of sports titles, and it had stiff competition from two other games. (It wasn't good? It plays better than your two mentions.) Given that, how can Atari ever hope to ever compete in the sports game arena? Live off of ports? "Please Mister Sega, can we play NFL 93???" Yes, our platform needs sports titles, but it needs fresh new sports titles. It needs innovation. It needs quality. Ports of timely, proven titles (like NBA Jam TE) are fine as a stopgap. (How long has that conversion taken? Less than six months? A veritable Jaguar speed record, wouldn't you say, Craig?) Think about it though, what if there were well done baseball and football sims coming out for Jaguar this Xmas along with NBA Jam TE? The cartons would be leaving skidmarks on the shelves. You want potential buyers to consider Jaguar as a choice. I want potential buyers to want Jaguar as a habit. Craig Harris/STReport: To be honest, Travis, I wanted to show you that your logic was flawed, not to make everyone think you feel T2K and AVP are boring old games. That was just a side-benefit. I explained that Troy Aikman Football failed because it had stiff competition from other known sports games, plus the fact that it wasn't that good (I stand by that opinion, as do many others.) I was referring to ALL TAF, not just the Jaguar version. Since there were no other football games available on the Jaguar, this title got some attention from Jaguar owners and Jaguar browsers alike. Many got returned. Admit it, the game was severely lacking in the graphics department. You had to dig well past the choppy animation and pixelated characters to experience the decent gameplay. Most never made it that far, basing the game solely on it's 64-bitness. Heck, it didn't even look 32-bit. Troy Aikman is a desperate man's sports title, nothing more. Back to the point: Since the Jaguar has little-to-no sports selections, it has no single sports game duking it out for the prime selection like the 16-bit systems do. "Do I go Madden or Montana? LaRussa or World Series? Fifa or Pele'?" There will be no comparison to games on the same system. Just bring us one good baseball game, one good football game, one good hockey game. Those system boxes will fly! At the very least, if Atari decides to port the EA Sports titles to the Jaguar, it would definitely re-enforce the statement those TV spots are covering: "Why would I spend $300 on a 32-bit system when I can get a 64-bit Jaguar system for $149?" I'd certainly see Atari in a whole new light if NHL '96 and Madden '96 made it to Jaguar format. Many current and future 32bit system owners are waiting for these EA Sports games on the bigger PSX and Saturn systems. NBA Jam in 6 months? While I won't start kicking my foot towards my mouth by saying I don't believe you, let's just say I'm not going to count chickens before they hatch...especially with Atari. Travis Guy/AEO: My "logic was flawed"? How can you argue that, Craig? Were Tempest 2000 and AvP system sellers? No. They both =are= excellent games - close to, if not tops in their genre - and they both had the "name appeal" you seek. They moved a lot of Jaguars to be sure, but neither inspired hordes of gamers to buy Jaguar over another console. Ditto for TANFLF. Name recognition. League license. Perhaps the bestfootball AI of its time. (Jaguar version.) Great gameplay. Good graphics. So-so sound. It certainly looks and plays better than the 16-bit crowd of football games, yet it's gone nowhere. (It plays better than 3DO Madden too, in more than one opinion.) You can't argue that the graphics alone kept it moribund. Face it, it's a me-too title, and if there were a dozen more ports like it on Jaguar, even spread over other sports, not much would change - no matter if they were EA Sports & Sega Sports titles. To prove my point, answer this question. Which one console is the leader in sports games? Answer: None, because no one platform stands out. While the Genesis has an edge over the SNES in the 16-bit arena, 3DO (with graphically superior ports of two top EA titles) didn't take the crown away... and unless Sony or the Saturn will boast innovative team sport games, they won't either. Again, you want Jaguar copies of what the market would currently consider to be good. While that would sell some machines, would it be enough to warrant the massive investment in doing a line of ports? I say no, it's not worth it, since it doesn't give Atari an edge. A small line of great games would. Remember the jump in focus when golf games moved from 2600 Miniature Golf to "Mean 18" to today's line of golfing simulations. Oh, and Jaguar NBA Jam TE in six months? Definitely! Adisak finished White Men Can't Jump in June, and started on NBA Jam soon after. It's late October now, and the omelette's almost done. (Shameful plug: check the next AEO for our preview.) Barring an accident, Jaguar NBA Jam TE should be in stores by the end of the year. June to December. Do+The/Math. Travis summarizes: For a product to be successful, it needs a reason for buyers to select It over all others. Grabbing a market as competitive as the team sports video game market would give Jaguar a considerable edge in the video game console wars, as well as provide Atari with well-earned respect from gamers and the industry. The current selection of team sports video games is little more thanredressed shovelware that can date its code roots back to the 80s. Since Atari currently has very little presence in the sports game market, Atari alone has the opportunity to redefine the sports video game market without obsoleting an installed base of software they've already heavily invested in. Start by treating the games as simulations, like video golf games have become. Earlier video game consoles did not have the power to keep track of everything that could take place on a playing field, but Jaguar (and other Next Gen consoles) can. While there are those gamers who prefer flying shooters to flight simulators, and hovercraft shooters to tank simulations, team sports enthusiasts are not like that. The more realism you can offer them, the better. These simulations should give players the maximum control of events possible, and a wealth of statistics to compile and review. Take advantage of networking the consoles, and offer multi-console league play. Motion capture will permit a more fluid, and a more realistic look to the play. CD storage for all the necessary data is a given. League and Player Association licenses are a large expense, but add the necessary touch of realism that these gamers crave. The company that does these things will have a line of team sportssimulations so advanced, that what is currently on the market would be as appealing to buyers as clones of 2600 Football and Baseball would be. If Atari would do this, they would make yet another mark on the industry... and that would blast Jaguars out of the stores. PC co-development of such a line of sport sims would likewise be well advised. I submit this is a unassailable position. Until such a line of games can be created, Atari should focus on updates of some of its classic titles. They represent a quick and popular line of games themselves, and with the current crop of stellar Jaguar programmers, they could each be a great draw. With the last word, Craig: Two separate issues that were covered in this debate: Grabbing the sports market, and grabbing the audience. Taking the "Sports King" crown from EA Sports would be no easy task. The folks at Atari would be fools not to try, though. No, the main issue here is having a large enough sports library to gain an audience. Without any decent sports titles complimenting the Jaguar, Atari can only hope to be third-rate. With the power of the system, and the versatility of the controller, there is no excuse for not having any real sporting games coming out of Sunnyvale after two years on the market. True, having pre-licenced, updated classics generously filling up gaps in the software lineup would turn a few heads and sell many cartridges/CD's. Games like I, Robot, Major Havoc, and Space Duel beg to be experienced all over again. But focusing most of the development resources to this genre would destroy any hope to hook sports aficionados. One, two or three people to a classic team would be plenty. Move the star designers, programmers, and producers to a sports development branch - most experienced programmers have the skills to port the necessary "classic" code to the Jaguar metal. Consult a 2000-icing roundtable for new graphic and gameplay features, with Minter at the head. Sports games are the main draw to any system. Without a decent library of this genre, I'm afraid Atari will be lost in the shadows and forced into the bargain bins. ONLINE WEEKLY STReport OnLine The wires are a hummin'! PEOPLE... ARE TALKING On CompuServe compiled by Joe Mirando 73637,2262 Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Well, my new column makes its debut this week. The first installment of any column is tough. Please check out "Tech... No Babble" this week and let me know what you think... It can only help. Now let's get on with all the great news, hints and tips available every week right here on CompuServe. From the Atari Computing Forums Gary Patterson tells Sysop Don LeBow: "I am so glad to see that there is still an 8 bit forum around. This is really the only reason I signed onto CompuServe. I have so much 8 bit software whose disks are on their last leg. I would sure like to grab a disk image of those programs and store it onto a CD-R drive through a Win95 system. I can't find any programs that claim to read Atari disks, but it seems like such programs were around in 1982." Sysop Don tells Gary: "Welcome Home! [grin] Disk reading can be problematic, since the basic layout is so different with modern PCs (i.e. bigger sectors). Single density disks are just about impossible using a utility. Double density disks can sometimes work. If you still have the Atari functioning, it's also possible to make an attachment for it that plugs directly in to a PC and lets the two communicate fairly seamlessly. That's SIO2PC, and you can find more info in Library 12 by browsing S2PC*.* It does make disk images which can be used with the PC Xformer emulator, also available in LIB 12. For disk utilities, we try and always use PC as a keyword. So if you search the libs on that, you should turn up about everything we have. PC8.TXT in Library 11 has some general notes." Big Dick McGee asks for help in viewing Atari format pictures on his PC: "I have recently downloaded some images that have the extentions *.arc and *.spc my question is are there any programs I can use to view these images through windows on my pc? I have a viewer but it doesn't support these types of files." Albert Dayes at Atari Explorer Online Magazine tells Big Dick: "There is a file in the library to view Spectrum (*.spc) pictures on the IBM. Search the library using the keyword IBM and you will find it. You need an extractor program on your PC (similar to PK-ZIP) for ARC files. You might try the (GO PC UTIL) forum." Masato Hashi asks for help with his CD Rom drive: "I tried to connect my Panasonic CD Rom drive to Falcon by using Pro Utilies last night. I could read CD Rom successfully under Multi TOS with the driver inclused in Pro Utilities but I wish if I coult read CD Rom under regular TOS since most of my favorite applications such as Cubase do not seem to run under Multi TOS. Is there any way to read CD Rom under regular TOS?" Tom Harker of ICD tells Masato: "I believe that the program called "Extendos" from Roger Burrows allows this. I am not sure if the author is on CompuServe but it should be available from the larger Atari dealers like Toad Computer." Alberto Sanchez jumps in and adds: "Extendos is a great software, handling perfectly CDRom drives. You can contact with Greg Kopchack at It's all Relative here on Compuserve. His ID. is 70357,2312. Saludos from Spain... This has nothing to do with Atari computers or with the Atari's video game system, the Jaguar, but I thought it was interesting. Bob McCauley posts: "At the 1994 annual awards dinner given by the American Association for Forensic Science, AAFS President Don Harper Mills astounded his audience in San Diego with the legal complications of a bizarre death.Here is the story. On 23 March 1994, the medical examiner viewed the body of Ronald Opus and concluded that he died from a shotgun wound to the head. The decedent had jumped from the top of a ten-story building intending to commit suicide (he left a note indicating his despondency). As he fell past the ninth floor, his life was interrupted by a shotgun blast through a window, which killed him instantly. Neither the shooter nor the decedent was aware that a safety net had been erected at the eighth floor level to protect some window washers and that Opus would not have been able to complete his suicide anyway because of this. Ordinarily, Dr. Mills continued, a person who sets out to commit suicide ultimately succeeds, even though the mechanism might not be what he intended. That Opus was shot on the way to certain death nine stories below probably would not have changed his mode of death from suicide to homicide. But the fact that his suicidal intent would not have been successful caused the medical examiner to feel that he had a homicide on his hands. The room on the ninth floor whence the shotgun blast emanated was occupied by an elderly man and his wife. They were arguing and he was threatening her with the shotgun. He was so upset that, when he pulled the trigger, he completely missed his wife and the pellets went through the a window striking Opus. When one intends to kill subject A but kills subject B in the attempt, one is guilty of the murder of subject B. When confronted with this charge, the old man and his wife were both adamant that neither knew that the shotgun was loaded. The old man said it was his long-standing habit to threaten his wife with the unloaded shotgun. He had no intention to murder her - therefore,the killing of Opus appeared to be an accident. That is, the gun hadbeen accidentally loaded. The continuing investigation turned up a witness who saw the old couple's son loading the shotgun approximately six weeks prior to the fatal incident. It transpired that the old lady had cut off her son's financial support and the son, knowing the propensity of his father to use the shotgun threateningly, loaded the gun with the expectation that his father would shoot his mother. The case now becomes one of murder on the part of the son for the death of Ronald Opus. There was an exquisite twist. Further investigation revealed that the son [Ronald Opus] had become increasingly despondent over the failure of his attempt to engineer his mother's murder. This led him to jump off the ten-story building on March 23, only to be killed by a shotgun blast through a ninth story window. The medical examiner closed the case as a suicide." If you read the review of Ultra Vortek we carried last week, you know what a cool game it is. There were a few things that I left out of the review, mostly because I wasn't good enough at the game to actually see them. Nettie Stegall asks about one of them: "Has any one ever made it to the hidden palace board during 1 player game. I been to the hidden subway passage and fought the evil twin of grok thats ?+#*@! cool . and last but not least has any not given up on finding the hidden characters code or the code to play as the boss or as the hidden boss or grok's twin silhouette brother." "Kris" asks Nettie: "Do you know how you got to fight gorks evil twin??" Nettie tells Kris: "Get a double flawless or double perfect energy and do the fininshing move on the left side of the board on the subway board in either hard or killer difficulty. {finishing move doesnt realy need to be done just get 2 perfect wins no strength missing." Eric Ruck posts: "Due to work demands I haven't had much time for video games lately, so I lent my system to a coworker for his kids. They love it, especially Super Burnout and Ultra Vortek. Unfortunately, they've been telling their friends how great Ultra Vortek is for the 3DO. Apparantly the forgot that they were playing on an Atari Jaguar (despite that logo thing that comes up every time you turn the machine on). It seems that the games exist that appeal to the right _audiences_: 8-12, 13-19, and 20-adult. (Their dad loves Flip Out -- he can have it, I'm not crazy about that one.) The image problem seems to be not that "Atari" leaves a bad impression, it leaves *no* impression. IMHO Atari has been moving in the right direction with their image and awareness. I thought I'd just share this anecdote." Vernon Pollard asks: "Anybody know anything about the voice modem? Any ideas when we may see it? The voice modem was one of the things that got me interested in the Jaguar. Heck, what other system supports modem to modem play? None that I can think of. The Jaguar could be the leader in this area of gaming. Being able to call up someone for a game or two will be great, especially if there are very few game players around your area. Arena FB in Dec? I thought it was pushed back to '96? Also, Arena FB was one of the first games I heard about that was going to support modem play. Anybody know if it will have modem play? In my opinion, I think all 2-player games should support modem play!" "Sir Francis" Drake tells Vernon: "There is a Phylon voice modem coming out (yep it's finished as far as the hardware is concerned) for the PC. It supports transfers of up to 28.8 via the proper software (the software that ships for it supports 14.4) Check out the Intelligent Gamer Online webpage for specifics." Vernon replies: "Wouldn't it be great if the Jaguar Voice modem and the PC Voice modem were compatible? Wow! Think of the possibilities!" Derek Steiger posts: "Say, I was on the net and I overheard someone saying they used a certain device with their PC to test how fast the data was being transfered on the link up of JagDoom. Get this! 115400 Baud! I like it!!!! Sure beats the hell out of 14.4K haha!! Not bad for a 150 dollar toy!" Tom Harker at ICD tells Derek: "That is true but it crashes so what exactly is your point? If you are easily impressed by speed then you should know that we have run the Jag at 1Mbaud successfully. But that still does not allow you to play head to head over a modem with another Jag. Good coding and a network protocol that allows 2 player action at 9600 baud over a modem without slowing down a high frame rate game is much more impressive in my mind." Gordon Gibson adds: "The 115400 speed is probably why it crashes so much. At this speed you still only have about 240 bytes per video refresh to transfer everything you need. At 9600 baud you are down to about 20 bytes per video refresh which is.... well... inconvenient to say the least!!! Did anyone at Atari ever think of using the second joypad port for linking two machines together... you can get 4-bit parallel transfer this way and it's cheap and easy to use." Well folks, that's it for this week. Drop me some email when you get the chance. Tune in again next week, same time, same station, and be ready to listen to what they are saying when... PEOPLE ARE TALKING STReport's "EDITORIAL CARTOON" A MOMENT'S SILENCE IS REQUESTED FOR THE MEMORY OF THE KIDS AT THAT HORRIBLE TRAIN CROSSING & SCHOOL BUS TRAGEDY IN ILLINOIS. Have a Safe & Happy Holloween!! STReport International OnLine Magazine [S]ilicon [T]imes [R]eport HTTP://WWW.STREPORT.COM AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE ON OVER 100,000 PRIVATE BBS SYSTEMS All Items quoted, in whole or in part, are done so under the provisions of The Fair Use Law of The Copyright Laws of the U.S.A. Views, Opinions and Editorial Articles presented herein are not necessarily those of the editors/staff of STReport International OnLine Magazine. Permission to reprint articles is hereby granted, unless otherwise noted. Reprints must, without exception, include the name of the publication, date, issue number and the author's name. STR, CPU, STReport and/or portions therein may not be edited, used, duplicated or transmitted in any way without prior written permission. STR, CPU, STReport, at the time of publication, is believed reasonably accurate. STR, CPU, STReport, are trademarks of STReport and STR Publishing Inc. STR, CPU, STReport, its staff and contributors are not and cannot be held responsible in any way for the use or misuse of information contained herein or the results obtained therefrom. STR OnLine! YOUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE October 27, 1995 Since 1987 Copyright c 1995 All Rights Reserved Issue No. 1143