Copyright: Copyright ® 1992-1993 Windows OnLine.
Citation: All rights reserved, Copyright ® 1992-1993 Windows OnLine.


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About Windows OnLine™

Windows OnLine™ is an on-line (modem) service dedicated to supporting Windows users and Windows network professionals. WOL prides itself on having the most complete and up-to-date library of Windows shareware in the world. We have over 8,000 Windows 3.x programs and files to download. With 13 phone lines, (all equipped with US Robotics high speed dual standard modems), operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year... there are no busy signals.

WOL is growing rapidly with thousands of callers directly using the service. We advertise in national publications as well as several computer newspapers. Call today for your free trial and see why WOL is the Worlds Premiere Windows On-line Service.

About WinOnLine™ REVIEW

The WinOnLine™ REVIEW (WOLR) is an electronic magazine that is distributed worldwide to major on-line services on the 1st and 15th of each month. It is estimated that each issue is read by 50,000 on-line and network users. (It is reported that there are over 40,000 BBS's in the USA alone as of 1992). This unique creation is actually a Windows HELP file. All Windows users can view it with its hypertext, built-in search, and pop-up color graphics.

The REVIEW's articles are limited in scope to allow us to present our readers both a diversity information and to maintain a manageable file size. Subject matter includes all aspects of Windows and its associated applications and utilities. Also covered are, Industry and New Product News, Communications and other GUI subjects, etc.,.

Why not

Write for the REVIEW

Do you like to test shareware programs? Do you enjoy giving opinions on the latest commercial Windows software? Do you have an interest in Windows software, hardware, programming, etc., and the time to write an article or review? Do you like working with graphics? We are interested in adding a few quality Freelance writers for

the WinOnLine™ REVIEW.

Freelance writers can submit their article whenever they wish and are only required to include a .RTF or .DOC file and the .BMP graphics for their article. We will prepare your help file for you. You can become part of our publication, so call us today.

The WOLR pays a fee for each article we publish. Why not get both, publicity for yourself, and cash to spend. Give your writing career a kick in the pants! For complete details on how you can become a paid writer, download our WRITERS GUIDE named WOLWG11.ZIP. It is available for download on many BBS's around the world and on CompuServe. You can also download it directly from Windows OnLine™ (510) 736-8343 (modem).

Rich Young - Editor

Copyright © Information

The REVIEW is a product of,

Windows OnLine™, no reprinting of any portion of this publication is permitted without the express written permission of Frank J. Mahaney of Windows OnLine™.

Sysops and Corporations may freely offer the .ZIP file for download by their users. You may not display the contained .HLP file as bulletins, news, help files, etc., on any BBS or network, nor are you permitted such reprinting or display of these files, except as otherwise expressly granted, in writing, by Windows OnLine™. Subscriptions are available to Corporations who wish to offer the HLP file on their Windows Networks. For subscription information call our voice number (510) 736-4376.

All articles are copyrighted by their authors and upon publication all rights are sold to and owned by Windows OnLine™. Opinions presented herein are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of WOL or the REVIEW.

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Copyright Notice: The entire contents of this issue and all issues of the REVIEW are copyrighted by Windows OnLine and Frank J. Mahaney

All right reserved Copyright © 1992-1993, Windows OnLine

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I would like to remind everyone that the Windows & OS/2 Conference and Exposition, at the San Jose Convention Center, is scheduled to start in a few days, from January 20th to the 22nd. You will see the latest inventions, technology, and upcoming software. There will be software Test Drive Centers for you to check out the latest Windows and OS/2 applications. There are also hands-on training classes on several leading products. Seminars are setup for users who want to advance their knowledge on a given product or subject. Lastly, there will over $50,000 worth of software and hardware given away by Computer Currents Magazine.

Why not visit with some of the vendors at the show and ask those difficult questions, you might just get a good answer. We will see you there.

Please take a moment to vote for your favorite Bulletin Board System. Hopefully, it is Windows OnLine. No matter what, vote anyway, there is a chance to win one of the several nice products. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. Good Luck!

Frank J. Mahaney

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Index Page

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  Interesting Computer News,  by Randy Wong

  New Product News,  by Rich Young

   Shareware News,  by Bob Gollihur

  Programming Commentary,  by Steve Peschka

  Windows Tips,  by Hugh E. Hardie

Grovel, Grovel,Tiling for Fun and Profit

Get a Grip of Your Fonts

New HP LJ III Driver

TLC for Mouses

  HALO Desktop Imager 2.0,  by Rich Young

  Lotus Organizer 1.0,  by Ed Hoffman

  Sherlock,  by Bob Gollihur

  Microsoft Access,  by Randy Wong

  Shareware Math Programs,  by Ed Hoffman

Convert It 1.51

Berlin's Cheat Sheets

  WinGrin,  by Bob Gollihur

Computer term defined. . .

  BoardWatch Contest

  Modems for Members

Save big time on file transfer costs!


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Interesting_Computer_News
Novell Inc. has made a deal with AT&T to jointly develop products that will be integrated into telephones and local area networks (LAN). Personal NetWare software will help desktop PCs to access network information, share desktop resources, and handle central and remote network management. Novell has forecast that Personal NetWare will begin shipping by mid 1993. This will compete directly with Microsoft's Windows for Workgroup platform. Next, Novell is preparing a new alliance to create an electronic messaging standard. The message handling service (MHS) engine, is currently built into NetWare. The MHS engine can be used by developers to produce electronic mail packages that will interface with NetWare. At the Windows NT level, Novell had agreed to buy AT&T's UNIX System Laboratories, thus creating UNIX as Novell's basis for a 32-bit operating system. Novell is planning to convince vendors to ship PCs bundled with DR-DOS and Personal NetWare.

Next Inc. will be releasing the NextStep 486 operating system sometime in 1993, possibly the second quarter. It will include Windows 3.1 and DOS 5.0 emulation. There will be provisions for using Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) and Object Linking and Embedding (OLE). NextStep 486 will bring true multitasking, object oriented development tools, networking facilities, and all the features included in the Release 3 of NextStep. It will take a 486DX machine with 8 to 12 megabytes for displaying gray scale, or 16 to 24 megabytes for color, and you will need at least a 120 megabyte hard disk. Currently, NextStep 486 will be supporting Windows, DOS, and NextStep. There are no current plans to include OS/2 yet. NextStep 486 will be $995. for the standard version and $2,495. for the developers version.

Lotus Development Corp. is placing their newest Personal Information Manager (PIM) software, Organizer for Windows, ahead of their Agenda PIM product for DOS. According to Barbara Baird, Lotus Senior Marketing Manager, Lotus will be emphasizing Organizer as the way to go. The change in priorities was due to the difficulties Agenda would have in porting to the Windows environment. It was also pointed out that Agenda was harder to use by comparison. Lotus will be supplying any Agenda users who upgrade to Organizer, with a transfer utility to move their data to the new format.

Serf Inc. will be releasing their desktop publishing product, PagePlus 2.0 for Windows, to the US market. Version 2.0 is scheduled to be available by mid-March. Currently PagePlus 1.0 is the leading desktop publishing software in the United Kingdom. With the development of version 2.0, Serf has decided to release PagePlus to the US market as well. The software includes built-in color separations, cropping capabilities, rotating objects, and support for Object Linking and Embedding (OLE). This is a frame based system, similar to FrameMaker. Other features include style sheets, indents, kerning, tracking, and baseline text shifts or alignment. The price for this full featured Windows DTP program, is a mere $59.95.

A software disk cache is not the only way to go for increasing disk access speeds, although it may be the least expensive solution. Newer hard drives are coming equipped with some cache built-in. Disk controller cards with an onboard cache are becoming more common too. The problem with a hardware disk cache is that they are more expensive than a software disk cache. If money is not the big issue and performance is the priority, then you might want to look into cached disk drives and controllers. The advantages with using a disk cache on a hardware level are many. Software caches will use up some of your valuable conventional memory, and in most cases, extended memory as well. For Windows, the more memory we have available, the better Windows runs. With the disk cache on the hardware, you free up the precious memory that is normally taken up by the TSR software cache. If you are looking into upgrading your hard drive or controller don't forget about cached hard drives and cached controller cards.

Addstor Inc. has announced SuperStor Pro, an enhanced version of the SuperStor data compression product. SuperStor includes a Windows based JPEG image compression utility and a new utility for accessing SuperStor's utilities from within Windows. The Pro version has increased performance over the previous versions, password protection, and a special disk cache utility. SuperStor Pro will run with Microsoft's DOS and Windows and will co-exist with memory managers, such as QEMM. The price is $149.95.

Practical Peripherals Inc. has added a new function for your LaserJet printer. FaxMe allows users to receive faxes at 9600, 4800, or 2400 bits per second (bps) on a LaserJet printer. FaxMe is a cartridge for the Hewlett Packard LaserJet II or III printer. It fits right into one of the printer's font cartridge slots. FaxMe includes a RJ-11 connector for the standard telephone line. Users can switch between printer mode and fax mode by pressing the two buttons on the unit, or there is also an optional automatic switching mode. The printer must have 1 megabyte or more RAM installed. The price of FaxMe is $259.

Software Publishing Corp. has released a new version of their Superbase product, version 2.0. Superbase is a Windows data base design and development tool. Version 2.0 sports an improved interface, includes new design tools, more powerful commands for its script language, and a new connectivity option. The new improved Superbase includes support for Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), the Media Control Interface (MCI), and Windows Pen. The list price of Superbase 2.0 is $495.

You may have seen some of the latest computer models that highlight a feature called Local Bus. The local bus feature provides a faster and wider path between the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and a peripheral board, such as a graphics card or a disk controller. There are several types of local buses on the market. The Opti local bus has been around for a while. Several vendors have been using this local bus design for some time now. It is reliable and many vendors are secure with this design. Its design though, has made it a poor choice for the future, which brings us to the most current popular local bus. The Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA) local bus, or better known as VL-Bus, uses a Micro Channel socket. It has a better design and some 16 bit peripherals can actually work in it. Performance is better than the Opti local bus. In the planning stages, Intel has laid out another local bus design. The Intel Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) specifications have been circulating around to peak vendors interests. This new PCI local bus specification should be finalized sometime in the beginning of 1993, and supporting peripherals should be appearing in the middle of the year.

Several vendors are now releasing their new Windows accelerator cards onto the market. The first wave of Windows accelerator video cards were a hit with Windows users who were looking for more speed. The next wave of accelerator cards should be a bigger hit. Video Seven has introduced WinPro, a S3 86C801 accelerator with 1 megabyte of memory for $249. Video Seven has also introduced the Spea Fire, a 24 bit accelerator card with 2 megabyte of video RAM for $2,799. Truevision is shipping a 24 bit accelerator card that offers 16.7 million colors at 1,024 by 768 pixels for $1,295. Cardinal Technologies is shipping WarpSpeed, a Weitek Power 9000 accelerator card that comes with either 1 or 2 megabytes of RAM. It is reported that this card is four times faster than any card on the market. The starting price is $599. and up. Hercules Computer has been shipping the Graphite, a 24 bit ITT accelerator card with 1 megabyte for $399. National Design Inc. is shipping Volante Warp 10, a S3 24 bit accelerator card with 1 megabyte for $299. Diamond Computers is offering the Stealth 24, a 24 bit S3 86C801 accelerator card with 1 megabyte for $249.

Lifeboat Software has announced a chart designing tool for Windows. The Essential Graphics Chart for Windows will support and display charts in two dimensional, three dimensional, bar, pie, scatter, area, pyramid, and several other different styles. Users will be able to add a professional touch to their charts. Message based functions, such as titles, colors, and fonts, are used for controlling the presentations. The charts are created using Dynamic Data Links. The price is $399.

Toshiba America Information Systems Inc. has announced the XM-3401 series of CD-ROM drives. These are the double speed drives capable of throughput of 330Kbyte per sec data transfer and sports the 200 millisecond random access time. The Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) 2 interface is provided for compatibility. The drive requires 6 Watt maximum and consumes about 4 Watts of power. There are four models available and the price starts at $695.


PopUp_Randy_News


New_Products_News

by Rich Young

Calendar Creator Plus for Windows

Power Up Software has released a Windows version of its fine DOS product Calendar Creator Plus. With this program, you can create custom calendars, and display them in many ways. You can choose from annual, monthly, weekly and daily calendars, and get high quality printed output from each. Select to print multiple calendars on a single page, or over a two page spread. And of course you can choose to make weekly schedule calendars with time slots for the various activities.

Calendar Creator Plus helps you to manage your scheduling needs by date, event, priority or calendar style. You can attach notes and even print them, up to 1,000 characters. Among the many printing options, you may choose to create a pocket sized calendar called an InstaBook, or have calendars big enough to fit on 11x14 in. pages, merge multiple calendars and even print double sided or credit card sized calendars.

Calendar Creator Plus will import your dBase files and will both import and export ASCII files. True Type and ATM font ware is supported and the program ships with 300 clip art images to spice up your calendars, and the QuickDate feature lets you select key dates quickly using a calculator style interface.

For more information, contact:

Power Up Software

(415) 345-5900

(415) 349-1356 Fax

List Price: $79.95

Maximizer

Richmond Technologies and Software Inc. has released Maximizer, an intuitive contact management package. The designers of this software were really looking out for the user, giving them relief from repetitive typing. Maximizer will create duplicate records, and a pop-up dialog box of common field information which helps you fill records with just a few clicks of the mouse. Those that have multiple contacts within the same company will relish this feature. You can also attach an unlimited amount of invoices, forms, letters and reports to each individual record.

With Maximizer, you can categorize your data based on a set date, number or alphanumeric field, or on common related values. You can cross-reference individuals to their company, and view all cross-referenced individuals in a company's record, if you like. You also get the ability to build organization lists with up to 12 on-screen columns that are easily resized and sorted. You can search these columns for information and you have up to eight levels of undo for your searches.

Maximizer gives you prioritized to-do lists called Hotlists, that sport pop-up tables for point and shoot data entry. You also can take advantage of drag-and-drop data entry in both the Hotlist and the calendar. DDE support allows you to mail merge with other programs that support DDE, or link to Delrinas WinFax, and Maximizer will automatically log all fax activities for you.

For more information, contact:

Richmond Technologies and Software Inc.

(604) 299-2121

(604) 299-6743 Fax

List Price: $249.00

Masterfile

Vitesse Inc. has released Masterfile, a full featured utilities package for Windows. Masterfile offers you file and diskette utilities, compression capabilities and a search function. The file utilities allow you to copy, move, delete, rename, create and compress files with the click of a button.

With Masterfile, you can run any Windows application without specifying a path by simply clicking on the execute button. You can also launch any number of documents or applications at once. You can restore deleted files with the Deferred Delete feature, and the Find File feature sniffs out files by name or text.

You also get the ability to compress any file to make more disk space or get more files on a diskette. Maximizer will also let you execute single or multiple compressed files and their associations. The diskette utilities allow you to format, erase, verify and duplicate diskettes. You can format a diskette in the background while working in another application. Masterfile will even remove itself from your hard disk and remove its changes to your .INI file made during its installation.

For more information, contact:

Vitesse Inc.

(800) 777-7344

(818) 813-1270

List Price: $34.95

Brought to you by

   (Click)

  Rich Young
  Staff Writer
  Windows OnLine


Rich Sig


NPNLOGO2 POP


Shareware
a compendium of the latest good, bad

and ugly in the world of Windows Shareware

FONTSEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Handy Font Utility

A bit different than some of the other font managers we've seen, at first FontSee only seems to display your collection on screen. But there's much more. View font names, character displays, reference cards or keyboard layouts. Font samples can also be printed. Use FontSee's virtual keyboard instead of the Windows Character Map and type directly to your chosen application. FNTSEE24.ZIP is a very worthwhile download and an excellent piece of shareware from REEVEsoft priced at $15.00.

WORD STALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Word Game

This fun word game pits you against the computer. How many words can you form from the letters in the matrix before time runs out? How many will the computer find? The answer lies with a download of WORDSTLK.ZIP, a cute and challenging shareware game with a registration of $15.00.

PHONEVU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Call Tracking Utility

PhoneVu does its best to save trees by providing a way to keep track of all your telephone contacts. This freeware package by John White offers an attractive and easy to use interface. His documentation states that you might encounter problems in lower resolutions than 1024x768, but my vanilla 640x480 VGA display had no problem. Check out PHONEV11.ZIP to solve your own little pink paper proliferation problems.

GRPICON . . . . . . . . . . . . . Customize Program Manager

Increase the OQ (obnoxious quotient) of Program Manager with this nicely done shareware program. With GrpIcon you can select background colors or wallpaper your individual groups as well as specify a unique icon for the group when minimized. Extensive and quality help is provided, though the program is easily installed and understood. See if you can outdo your friends with GRPICN20.ZIP, a $20.00 entry into the shareware market.

WIN FAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Program Access Utility

Win Fast is a clever program launcher with no set-up required. Start the program and a small platform appears, and just a quick click gives you instant access of an alphabetical list of your program groups. Select a program group and an icon bar for the group drops down from the platform that can be iconized if desired. Win Fast is not a replacement for Program Manager, but I really liked this quicker, neater and nicer approach to program access. Check out WINFST.ZIP, a great tool and a shareware value at $15.00.

POPCAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pop-Up Calendar

This freeware program pops up a colorful calendar, complete with running digital clock. Browse with ease through the years and return to today's date with a mouse-click. Thanks to author Nathaniel S. Johnson for POPCAL20.ZIP.

PLANVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . .Resource Planner/Scheduler

Seek out this very impressive event planner for projects or other time-based activities scheduling and resource planning. It's very detailed and useful for quick overall project planning, activity scheduling and resource scheduling. It provides on-line help and is quickly and easily learned. PLANVW10.ZIP is merely $29.00 from Sapphire Software.

PERIODIC TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Elements of Life

Display the Periodic Table of the Elements and learn more than you ever knew about them. Much improved over other versions, you can display and sort entries by multiple criteria. This shareware program, listed as PT200_1.ZIP and PT200_2.ZIP, is a must for Chem 101 students, a handy reference source for $15.00.

DRAGGIN' VIEWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Text Viewer

Another exercise in drag and drop, Draggin' Viewer will display text or Windows Write files dragged to its icon. One could wonder aloud "what about a file association?". True, in the case of WRI files and the predictably named ASCII files, but quickly and easily viewing text files with odd extensions is a problem that Draggin' Viewer solves. DVV100S.ZIP may very well be worth the minimal $5.00 requested by author P.M. Chefalo for this convenience.

MORE CONTROL . . . . . . . . .Control Panel Addition

If you haven't got a version of More Control in your Windows configuration, it's time to seek out MORCN11B.ZIP and download it. Just two files (three if you want the on-line help) in your SYSTEM sub directory will automatically add the More Control icon to your Control Panel. Activation will bring you convenient ways to change your configuration right to your fingertips. Change file associations, Icon spacing and fonts, 386Enh settings and much more. Now you can easily replace your pop-up color to highlight those WinOnLine Review pop-ups! Freeware from Sloop Software.

BOOKBASE . . . . . . .Personal Library Database

Build a database of your book collection with BookBase. The program has many options as well as features for searches and reports and it's priced at $15.00. BookBase should be sought out, BOOKBV1.ZIP, if only to see my personal nomination for 1992's most annoying nag screen.

ZIP-IT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .File Compression Shell

Just what the world needs: another Zipper/Unzipper! Actually, this one is quite nice, offering its own file selection dialogs and the wonderful opportunity to make directories from within the program. However, you may never get far enough with ZipIt to appreciate it if the every-minute registration reminder screen bugs you as much as it did me. ZIPIT11.ZIP is still worth a look, and certainly seems worth the $15.00 shareware cost.

All programs listed above are available to members of Windows OnLine in the directories shown below. To learn more about this premier BBS, call 1-510-736-8343 (modem) and download WOLMEMBR.ZIP for a list of available file directories and membership information.

Program	Filename	Directory

FontSee	FNTSEE24.ZIP	26

Word Stalk	WORDSTLK.ZIP	8

PhoneEVu	PHONEV11.ZIP	23

Grpicon	GRPICN20.ZIP	80

Win Fast 	WINFST.ZIP	5

PopCal	POPCAL20.ZIP	5

PlanView	PLANVW10.ZIP	80

Periodic Table	PT200_1.ZIP and

PT200_2.ZIP	5

Draggin' Viewer	DVV100S.ZIP	4

More Control	MORCN11B.ZIP	80

Bookbase	BOOKBV1.ZIP	17

Zip-It 	ZIPIT11.ZIP	5

And thanks, authors, for all your fine and dedicated work!

CIS 71334,2065


SHPOPUPFONTSEE


SHPOPUPFONTSE2


shpopupcalendar


shpopupwinfa


shpopupwinfb


shpopupwinfc


swpopupperiodic


shmaxmicropopup


shpopupgrpicon


shplanviewpopup


morecontrolpopup


shwordpopup


Programming_Commentary
With Microsoft Leading the Way, You may not Need To

As Windows popularity continues to rise in meteoric fashion, people like you and I strive to find ways to plug the holes in nagging software needs. Normally, our major software requirements, such as a word processor, spreadsheet, etc., are filled by one of the Holy Triumvirate (Microsoft, Borland and Lotus). But what about those areas where the threesome either come up short in their offerings, or else ignore an area altogether? The solution is software vendors of a smaller proportion, all the way down to individuals like you and I, filling the void.

When Windows first came out, this presented something of a problem. C and C++ were the primary methods by which new Windows programs were created. However, C and C++, while considered high-level languages, were very difficult to use for all except the most learned programmers. The programming hacks, and I use that term with the utmost respect, honor and affection, were left out in the cold.

Then, Microsoft came out with Visual Basic [image] (VB). VB was as important to the success of Windows as any other software or hardware. The reason for that is because it put the power of Windows programming into the hands of everyday people. This allowed an unprecedented support system to emerge, filling up software niches and holes as fast as they appeared. However, VB was not the end-all panacea to Windows programming. There were complaints that VB was limited in what it could accomplish - that it simply didn't have the muscle of C/C++. There was also criticism, mostly from programming neophytes who consider any dialect of BASIC a country farmer's bastard son, that VB programs compiled to excessively large executables, and performed relatively slow.

While I would take exception with arguments of large executables and slow performance, I do agree that there was some muscle lacking in what VB could do. The Ace-in-the-Hole that VB held, however, was extensibility - the ability to declare API functions and include third-party add-on controls.

Soon, the C/C++ world began to see many of the merits of VB - development time was much quicker, and coding was much simpler. Understanding the importance of productivity in the dog-eat-dog world of Windows software, C/C++ programmers began to clamor for a merging of the two technologies. That merge, I believe, is beginning to happen.

The first step was the release of Visual Basic 2.0, Professional Edition. It offered several new components that stood to shore up the gap between VB and C/C++. It included, for instance, a hotspot editor [image]. The hotspot editor allows you to create multiple hypertext links to one bitmap file. For instance, you could have a bitmap picture of a computer, and have a different hypertext link for the screen, CPU and keyboard.

Secondly, it included the Microsoft Bible of Babble-On - the Visual Design Guide [image]. The Visual Design Guide offers guidelines and tips for creating programs that adhere to the same look and feel that Microsoft would like all Windows applications to share.

Third, it included the ODBC Kids - Setup [image] and Administrator [image]. These tools allow VB programmers to tap into the new and emerging area of database connectivity, an area that was sorely lacking in the first version of VB.

Finally, it included many new functions and features to allow VB to tap into many of the areas that were previously available only under C/C++, or by extensive rummaging around the Windows API. These new functions and features include improved debugging tools, easier access to critical Windows features such as OLE, mail messaging services and communications, and basic functions such as hDC, which allows you to easily grab a handle to a device context. The hDC is used quite often in Windows API calls, but it was a bit of mystery determining the handle under VB 1.0.

In addition, there were improvements in the size of the executables created by compiling a VB program, and an increase in performance.

Now, suddenly, the gap between VB and C/C++ has narrowed considerably, and is getting smaller all the time. Microsoft, rather coyly, is leading the charge. As a rather obvious hint of their intentions, Microsoft recently announced that it will be releasing a new version of C/C++ this year; it's name - Visual C/C++. Does anyone see a pattern forming here?

My guess is that by mid-1994, we'll all be snuggled deep in our Windows NT bed, with visions of VB 3.1 (for irony's sake) dancing in our head. The gap between VB and C/C++ is already too small to ignore. When you examine the monster expenses of bringing a new [image] software product to market, the lion's share is in programming time. If you could cut that expense by 30- to 70-percent, wouldn't you? I think cost-conscious companies fighting a shrinking economy (sorry, George Bush) will be the first to jump on the VB ship, with others joining the bandwagon soon thereafter. A competitive company can't afford not to.

Now, does this mean the end of C/C++ as we know it? Are there still FORTRAN and COBOL programmers out there? Of course! Is that the primary coding platform for most companies these days? Of course not! It's kind of like "Leave it to Beaver". I still enjoy [image] watching the old "Leave it to Beaver" reruns. But did anyone ever see one of those gawdawful "The New Leave it to Beaver" shows? Yuk! There comes a time when you have to put the past to rest, and continue on into new vistas. Visual Basic is the new, and soon to be empirical, programming platform of choice, and C/C++ will be the casualty of change.

Written By

Steve Peschka


STEVE_POP


Windows Tips

Grovel, Grovel,Tiling for Fun and Profit

Get a Grip of Your Fonts

New HP LJ III Driver

TLC for Mouses

Grovel, Grovel,Tiling for Fun and Profit

In issue 68 of WOLR, I wrote of the joys of tiling in the Windows File Manager. Unfortunately, I misled many of you by using the File Manager from Windows For Workgroups in the illustration. Thanks to all of you who took the trouble to send me a message on the confusing state I left you in.

All is not lost, for you can tile vertically in Windows 3.1 with a small keyboard trick. In the Windows menu in Win 3.1 file manager, the only tiling option showing is Tile Horizontally. You can invoke the option with the F4 key also.

The trick mentioned above uses the ever helpful Shift key. Pressing Shift when selecting Tile Horizontally from the menu results in Vertical tiling. The same thing happens when you press and hold the Shift and press F4.

Sorry there are no illustrations, Win 3.1 File Manager does not run under Windows for Workgroups which is what I run on my system.

End Grovel!

Get a Grip of Your Fonts

Windows 3.1 brought True Type fonts and this was good. Along came public domain True Type fonts and this, too, was good. There is, however, too much of a good thing. When you display all the fonts available to, not just TT fonts show up. If, like me, what you need is less choices rather than more choices, there is a small but important contribution you can make to your mental health.

Win 3.1 allows you to remove from any font list all fonts that are not TT fonts. Notice, I said "remove from any font list." The fonts do not get erased from your hard drive. There will be applications that use them and they still require access to them. All removing them does is make your font lists tidier. Screen and printer fonts disappear and leave you with good old TT.

The way to accomplish this is found in the Fonts applet from the Control Panel. The first screen has a key marked "TrueType". Press it and the following screen appears:

As you can see, the first button should already be selected or you would not be able to use TT fonts at all. The second button is the one which restricts fonts to TT only. Turn it on if its not already on and click on OK. Click on the Close or Cancel button, depending on what you did in the TrueType screen, in the first Fonts screen to get back to the Control Panel.

The Windows documentation does state that some applications, unnamed applications, do not function correctly with the Show Only TT Button selected. If you find that one of your applications stops showing TT fonts after you have selected the Show Only button, turn if off and go back to the old way.

New HP LJ III Driver

Microsoft has released Version 2.0 of their driver for the HP LaserJet III family of printers. The new version has the following fixes:

Changes to the printer settings for the driver configured for one port no longer affect the printer settings for the driver configured for other ports.

Rotated fonts new print correctly.

Printing to multiple ports simultaneously is now possible.

System resources are not longer lost after printing from Word for Windows 2.0.

Out of memory errors no longer occur when printing documents with several True Type fonts.

The printer driver is available on many BBSs, including Windows Online, on Compuserve etc. and on the Microsoft Download Service at 206-936-6735.

TLC for Mouses

Your closest friend at your computer is your mouse. Unless you are a kicking and screaming masochistic DOS user who insists in using the keyboard for everything, you will come to rely a lot on your mouse. In fact, without your mouse, you are, in a word, dead.

There are some simple things you can do to enhance the life or your mouse.

Try to keep the top of your desk clean. Those of you who find it difficult to actually catch site of the top of your desk due to the piles of stuff on it, pay particular attention.

There are basically two kinds of mouse pads, one with a soft cloth like finish and the other with a slick finish. I fancy that it does not really matter which one you use but with the cloth one, an occasional clean in sudsy water would be nice. The slick one responds well to a simple wipe with a wet cloth. Do be careful what the wet cloth was doing immediately prior to wiping the slick mouse pad. Your poor little mouse might never recover from a coating of who knows what from the wet cloth.

Now and again, you should clean the ball and ball housing of your mouse, if you have a Microsoft style mouse. On the underneath of the mouse, you will see a plate through the center of which you can see the ball. This plate is removed to gain access to the ball and ball housing. In the Microsoft Mouse, push or pull the plate in the direction of the code word "Open." The plate will pop out and, if you are not careful, the ball will as well.

I clean the ball in isopropyl alcohol of 90% purity. It has not dissolved yet. The inside of the ball housing should also be cleaned. The roller bars which the ball moves against to generate the electrical current to send the appropriate signals back to the mouse software driver to tell it which direction it is moving in, should also be carefully cleaned with whatever cleaner you choose.

Other mouses require that the panel holding in the mouse be turned in one direction or the other rather than being pushed out. I seem to remember that the early Microsoft mouses functioned in this fashion but I could be wrong.

One strategy you might consider is to purchase a second mouse as backup. I do not suggest the purchase of a second Microsoft Mouse, if indeed that is what you have. There are cheaper mouses which will function in a pinch although they might not feel quite as smooth or as substantial as the Microsoft one.

Any other mouse care tips will be gratefully received.

Don't forget! Take care of your mouse and it will take care of you.

Investigation conducted by

Hugh E. Hardie

P.S. I can be reached on Window OnLine, of course, in either the I-Link Windows or Relaynet Windows conferences and at Compuserve 70421,635 for questions or for tips.


hughpop2
Hardie & Associates Inc.

Walnut Creek, CA

(510) 935-3994


Halo_Desktop_Imager

Reviewed By Rich Young

The HALO Desktop Imager is a complete imaging utility for Windows. The HALO Desktop Imager provides all the basic imaging functions and more to make dynamic images for desktop publishing and presentations.

You can work with color, gray scale, and black and white images. You can capture screens from your favorite Windows program, scan directly from your scanner, read all of the popular image file formats (compressed and uncompressed variants), and then enhance them with the powerful imaging tools provided.

The Desktop Imager lets you:

Work with many popular image formats, both compressed and uncompressed variants. Supported formats include TIFF, TGA, PCX, IMG, HALO CUT, MSP, BMP (Windows and OS/2), and GIF. Convert in groups to other file formats, or one at a time.

Convert from one image class -- color, gray scale, or black and white -- to another.

Use a variety of color and gray scale scanners.

Produce print test strips, build image contact sheets to examine variants and combinations of gamma, brightness, contrast so that your image is the best the first time you print.

Work on 24-bit images regardless of your display card.

Correct brightness, contrast, gamma. Draw your own color maps, load and save old ones, or use predefined ones.

Sharpen, soften, or remove noise from your images.

Apply special effects like embossing, sculpting, line highlight, and edge tracing.

Apply halftones from a library of professional halftones. Construct test strips with a variety of halftones on one sheet.

Flip, flop, rotate, crop (in a rectangle or circle), matte, mirror, and invert.

Print images at any size including very large multi-page posters.

Multiple level Undo.

Screen capture full or partial images from any Windows application.

Calibrate your printer and scanner for perfect printing and scanning every time.

Automatically merge two parts of an image to create one large image; correcting for rotation and other problems of merging two images, especially if the image source is a hand scanner.

The Brightness, Contrast, and Gamma controls are sliders that adjust the luminance of the image in the active window. Most luminance problems (image is too dark or too light) can be fixed using these controls only. The Color Map contains the same controls but with the ability to make finer adjustments and to operate on individual color channels.

  The Brightness control changes the density of all of the colors (or shades of gray) of the image.

  The Contrast control changes the amount of difference between adjacent colors (or shades of gray) of the image.

  The Gamma control changes the gamma correction curve of the image in the active window. Gamma correction curves adjust the luminance in a way that corresponds to the way the human eye perceives it. Increasing the gamma will increase the contrast in the dark areas of the image and decrease the contrast in the light areas. Decreasing the gamma produces the opposite effect.

I found that the slider controls here on the ribbon are more than adequate for 95% of my needs. While the Color Map allows finer control, it also adds much more complexity to the use of the program. With the slider controls, you can instantly see the effect the changes made have on the image.

The Ribbon has four buttons that allow you to better view your image or select a portion of your image (i.e. a Frame) on which commands will operate. These four tools are a Frame On/Off Tool and a Frame Creation Tool, as well as a zooming tool and a panning tool.

Frame On/Off Tool. Enables or disables the frame. If the Frame Creation tool has not previously been used on the image within the editing session, the frame enabled will consist of the entire image.

Frame Creation Tool. Places a small frame marker on the image. To create a frame, move the marker to the desired location and hold the left button down and drag the marker until it is the desired size.

Zoom Tool. Places a magnifying glass icon over the image. Move the magnifying glass to select the location around which you wish the "zoom" to be centered. Click with the left button to zoom into the image. Click with the right button to zoom out from the image.

Panning Tool. Places a hand icon over the image. With the left button depressed, move the hand to change the portion of the image displayed. Note, this is useful only if the entire image cannot be displayed in the current window.

The Desktop Imager Retouch tools give you the capability to perform sophisticated paint and retouch functions to your images. You can paint, draw, add texture, extract colors from an image, and copy one portion of an image to another.

The Retouch tools are displayed in a panel of icons. Click on the icon with the left button to select the tool. Click on the icon with the right button to invoke a dialog box that allows you to set options for the tool.

The currently selected foreground and background colors are displayed in a box at the bottom of the Retouch panel. You can select a new foreground color or background color from the image using the Color Grabber tool, or from the Palette.

  Pen. Draws with connected strokes.

  Paintbrush. Draws with brush strokes.

  Color Grabber.. Selects colors from the image.

  Special Effects. Performs special effects with brush strokes.

  Eraser. Undo using brush strokes.

  Airbrush. Paints with airbrush effect.

  Texture Brush. Adds texture to an image.

  Ditto.. Copies a portion of an image to another part of the image.

Not all Retouch functions are available for all image classes. The Retouch tools will work on different image classes in the following way:

Image Class	Available Tools

Bilevel	None

Gray Scale	All

Palette	All EXCEPT Texture and Special Effects

True Color	All

The Retouch Tools give you everything you could want for image editing and creation. I especially like the way the tool box "floats" making it easy to get it out of my way. You also get the ability to set options for the individual tools with a simple right-click. Options include changing brush shapes and tool sizes etc.

The Color Palette also can be moved around your work area, or you can choose not to display it as with the tool box. You can save custom palettes and call them up as you see fit. The default palette changes depending on the current image being worked on.

The Gallery is a single file that contains miniatures of images. Each miniature measures 128 x 128 pixels and maintains the aspect ratio of the image. You create a gallery and load the image miniatures. You can create as many galleries as you wish, containing image files of all types and classes. You can copy an image represented by a miniature into the Windows Clipboard for use in any Windows application. As you move the cursor over image miniatures in an open gallery, information about the current image (image class, size in bytes, height and width) is displayed in the bottom of the Imager window.

I found this a fantastic way to keep the images I use often organized and at my fingertips. I like to have my images grouped by how I use them, and this feature is perfect for that purpose. Imager also has a great screen capture utility that is just as versatile as the rest of the program.

In conclusion, I find the HALO Desktop Imager v2.0 to be a wonderful product worthy of the investment. If your image editing needs are more casual, you'll find that Imager is easy to learn and use, and if you need advanced editing features, Imager can adeptly handle that as well.. I like the product and would recommend it to all. The version I reviewed came with my Diamond SpeedStar 24x video card, and only works with it, but you can find the product at your local retailer for all video cards. Imager supports OLE, the TWAIN device driver input specifications, and Kodak's Photo CD System.

HALO Desktop Imager 2.0 carries a list price of $169. and is available now. For further information, contact:

Media Cybernetics

(301) 495-3305

(301) 495-5964 Fax

Brought to you by

   (Click)

  Rich Young
  Staff Writer
  Windows OnLine


ORGANIZER

Lotus Organizer 1.0

Reviewed by Ed Hoffman

Today, the DayTimer® type personal organizer is one of the more essential pieces of business equipment. It seems everyone you deal with has one of these little notebooks to keep track of their every activity. This fact has not gone unnoticed in the world of software either. Today, a wide range of Personal Information Manager, or PIM, software programs have popped up on bulletin board systems and on the shelves of almost all computer stores. These programs help you keep track of virtually all the important business or personal details of your life. No more missed appointments or forgotten birthdays when you use a PIM. From phone numbers and addresses, to detailed listings of all your business appointments, the right PIM can definitely make life easier. But unfortunately the term PIM has been grossly exaggerated when applied to some of these programs. In fact many are simply address books and calendar combinations.

For this reason I must preface my remarks by mentioning that I have been very skeptical about these programs. Thus far I have resisted the rush to embrace these halfhearted attempts at information management. Instead, I opted for the windows cardfile and calendar to keep track of my important people and dates. Wait, I said to myself, one day someone will finally get the right combination of features and capability. I'm happy to report the day has arrived and alas, even I have fallen prey to the charms of a truly powerful and sophisticated PIM.

The program that caused this change is the Lotus Organizer 1.0. Unlike some of the other programs, Organizer is a true Personal Information Manager. The simplicity and overall easy feel of the program hide its real power and sophistication. So, while it's very easy to setup and use, it also has a wide array of features that allow the user to manipulate and combine the data in a variety of ways.

The program has the same overall look and feel as the notebook type organizers. That is, the program is setup with pages and sections. The location, tab size, and names of these sections can be customized to suit the way you work. The program is furnished with the layout shown here. This should get you started. Directly below the menu bar are a series of SmartIcons. These icons are a collection of buttons that put a series of commands at your finger tips, rather that rummaging through the menus. The SmartIcons are fully customizable and can be arranged whatever way you wish. A collection of other icons is available within the program to add more options. The icons may be placed at the top, bottom, or either side of the screen. Or, if you want them close, they can also float anywhere on the screen. Here the position and size of the icon box is easily adjusted.

The toolbox is located on the left side of the screen. Selected options in the toolbox change to suit each section of the program. The current time and date are directly below the toolbox and a simple click on the date will take you directly to the calendar page. The area below the time and date shows a selection of display options if you're in the calendar or address sections. So, for example if you're in the address section and you want the entries sorted by the company name rather than the names of the individuals, a simple click on the address title under the Options menu sorts the entire database faster than you can say "WOW". Likewise, the address database may also be sorted by type of contact or by Zip code.

Finally, below this area is the trash basket. Anything that you no longer want in any section may be dragged to the trash basket and sent to oblivion with a simple mouse click. If you, like me, have a problem remembering what all the little pictures mean, you'll like the right mouse button. A simple click on the right button over any area your not sure of, results in a pop-up balloon describing what each feature is or does. I'm not sure about you, but this is a feature I especially like, and use more frequently than I'd like to admit.

Though the initial arrangement of the program works well to get you started, each of the sections may be rearranged, or deleted, to suit the arrangement you prefer. The initial program comes with the following six sections.

Calendar

The calendar section offers a wide array of selections and options. The simplest way to get to the calendar is to click on the time and date box at the left of the screen. This takes you to today's date in the calendar section. If you want another day you can click on the calendar tab and the notebook opens to the calendar section. When the section is first opened the first calendar that appears is the whole year. You can then click on any month and the calendar opens to that month. Or, if you wish to be more specific and can control the mouse well, you can click on a specific date and the calendar opens to that date.

Once opened you can set the appearance of the calendar pages by clicking on one of the four buttons below the time and date box at the left of the screen. Here there are four display options. You can set the calendar to show one day per page, one work week per two pages, one full week per two pages, or one full week per page.

Once you have arrived at the day you want, a simple click on the name of the day opens the daily schedule window. Here all appointments, can be noted and the required time can be blocked out with a sliding bar clock. For those times when your schedule is tight you can even tell the program to schedule the time span you need automatically. When setting your appointments a variety of icons appear at the top of the page. These allow you to perform specific activities. The first icon is used to cancel an appointment, the second confirms the appointment. The next icon allows you to set an alarm for the noted appointment. The next icon allows you to specify a particular program to run at a specific time. This is very useful for scheduling backups or similar time consuming tasks you would run during the night. For situations where a cost code is required this notation may be added with the next icon. The next icon is used to make the appointment confidential. When marked confidential, a password is required to see the entries. The last icon is to set recurring or repeating appointments.

ToDo

The ToDo list is another useful feature of the program. Prior to using Organizer I bought Post-It® notes by the bushel to keep track of the things I had to do. Now, I simply type the required information in the ToDo list and I never have to worry about where I put that piece of paper.

The items added to the ToDo list are shown in a variety of forms. I personally prefer to see the priority numbers, but the priorities may also be shown with three levels of indents. Likewise, the dates on each entry are optional. You have the option of showing the start date, completion date, both dates or no dates, whatever you prefer. Current tasks are shown with green letters, future tasks with blue letters, and overdue tasks are shown in red. Once a task is completed you can either mark it completed and have the entry shown in black with a red line through it or drop the task in the trash basket. The tasks may also be marked confidential. As with the calendar, when marked confidential, a password is required to see the entries. The ToDo list can also be linked to the calendar so all entries from the ToDo list will appear on the calendar page as well as the ToDo list.

Address

The address section allows you to keep track of the people you frequently call or write. As mentioned earlier, once setup the address area may be sorted by the persons name, the company, the type of contact, or by their zip code. The data base is very fast and takes only a moment to reorganize the files to suit any new view you want. The specific look of the pages may also be changed to suit your preference. The listings may be shown one per page, two per page, four per page, or as many as will fit. The information contained in each listing may also be set. So you may wish only to show the individual's name, company name, and phone number, or any of several other formats. The specific display is controlled by selecting one of the four view icons below the time and date.

To call the people in the address book, simply click on the card and drag the icon that appears over to the telephone above the time and date. Then drop the icon and the program sets up the dialer and places the call. As series of windows appear to help direct the call and when connected the CALL LOG window appears. This window allows you to keep notes on your conversation in the phone log. This log can be edited and all calls made, whether connected or not are listed. You can then go back and place any unanswered calls again. This window also has a small clock that allows you to keep track of the time you spend on each call. This time is also noted in the phone log.

The entries made in the ToDo list can also be linked to the address section. So, for example, you wanted to call someone as a note on the ToDo list, you could link the entry on the ToDo list to that person in the address section. So, to make the call simply click on the ToDo list entry and the link is shown. Then click on the link and the program turns to the persons address entry. You then drag the icon over to the telephone to place the call. These links are noted with a small chain icon on both the address listing and the ToDo listing.

Notepad

The notepad section is used much the same as a scratch pad. This section is useful for recording information such as lists, notes, reminders, memos and similar data. Even graphics may be imported into this section. So if you would like to keep a sales chart, drawing, map or other related graphic handy, the notepad is the place to keep it.

The notepad may be setup any way you wish, but the easiest way to find something in this section is with a table of contents. Here the program sets up the table of contents automatically. The pages of the notepad may be standard size, or foldable. When setup to be foldable, the page is actually double size. To see the complete page simply click on the arrow icon on the edge of the page and the page unfolds. To refold the page click the same icon. This foldable page option is well suited for spread sheets or large drawings that would be difficult to read if reduced to fit on a single page.

Linking is another valuable option with the Organizer program and the notepad section also allows individual entries to be brought together. So for example you had a project where several people were involved, you could list each on a notepad page to keep them grouped together. If you needed information about any or all of the people, a simple click on their names will take you directly to the address file.

Other programs may be linked to the Organizer this way. So you could also link a spreadsheet file, a database file, and a text file through the Organizer. They can all be listed in the notepad and by linking the notepad to these other programs you can actually load the parent programs and work on each file, directly from within the Organizer.

Planner

The planner is simply a year-at-a-glance calendar. This section allows you to look over the complete year to see the important events that will occur. This section is typically used for general rather than specific information. So you could mark out every Monday morning for a staff meeting but the actual subject of the meeting would be listed elsewhere. Likewise, the meeting may only last an hour, but the planner only divides the day into AM and PM. The calendar may also be setup to show these entries as well. So, every Monday your calendar would show the word MEETING in a blue stripe. A legend at the bottom of the planner sheet allows you to specify up to 15 different colors to denote different activities.

Anniversary

The anniversary section is used to keep track of those important dates that you had better not forget. Such as your spouse's birthday, your wedding anniversary, the bosses birthday and other dates that don't change from year to year.

To summarize, Lotus has created a real winner with the Organizer 1.0 program. If you have the urge to use a PIM to help manage your life, this program definitely deserves your time and attention. There is even a demo version available to allow you to take a test drive with the program before you make the investment. Members of Windows OnLine can find the DEMO version of Organizer 1.0 as LOTORG.ZIP in Directory #80 - (Windows-New Uploads). Both the printed documentation and help system within the program are well done and easy to read and follow. Go ahead look over the Organizer program, you will not be disappointed.

Lotus Organizer 1.0 ($149.00 Retail price)

Lotus Development Corporation

400 Riverpark Drive

North Reading, MA 01864

1-800-343-5414

Brought to you by:

Ed Hoffman

Staff Writer


ED_POP


Sherlock

Sherlock brings a new dimension to the filing cabinet metaphor. You can create your own cabinets, drawers and file folders and store a multiplicity of file types, search and retrieve them in a variety of helpful ways. The unique manner in which Sherlock achieves this is the news: When you retrieve or save an application file, the Sherlock interface pops up in place of your application save screen. This is a wonderful concept and is executed well with some unfortunately notable exceptions.

Cabinets, drawers and folders can all be named per your specification, and files can have names up to 254 characters long. No more cryptic DOS filenames to decipher. In addition, other identification criteria can be entered: Document Type, Contact, User Name, Document Format, and multiple Keywords. When you begin to type an entry, any matches to existing categories will appear, ready to be clicked upon and automatically entered, a most convenient time-saver.

A similar form is engaged when you attempt to open a file and has several options for file access. No need to type in starting and ending dates for search criteria. Click on either field and a handy calendar pops up for your use. The Retrieve push-button results in a listing of files that meet your conditions for your choosing. The hierarchy of the file listing on the form can be changed to use any number of file characteristics.

Sherlock files can also be accessed through the toolbar which pops up when you restore the Sherlock icon. The Sherlock logo activates the retrieve box, additions and deletions to the synonym library are accessed from the next two buttons, and the "@" symbol activates "Watson", a search mechanism. A thoughtful feature within the search criteria relies upon the synonym database included with Sherlock, to which you can add your own entries to broaden your retrievals. With this feature, someone (including yourself) who doesn't remember the precise keywords used, i.e., "house" or "home", the search can find otherwise ignored files. A fast import feature, which must be run when Sherlock is deactivated, will allow selections of previously created files to be brought into the new filing structure.

Files and other objects can easily be moved to and from different cabinets, drawers, etc. with simple mouse movements. Objects can also be deleted, which deletes the contents at the same time. A hard copy report of information on a document can also be printed.

Features within Sherlock include the ability to "export" a file to a floppy. Sherlock installs itself, with no choice, in your Windows sub directory and places a hidden sub directory there as well as a visible one. Your newly saved files do not reside within your current application directories, but are placed in accordance with Sherlock's own filing mechanisms. For instance, the name assigned to a MSWord file created to fax an inquiry to Physiotronics was: C:\SHERLOCK\L0000001\L0000002\L0000003\L0000003.DOC.

Two useful utilities are included with Sherlock. Whereis and Whatis are DOS programs. Whereis allows a search for up to five keywords and provides a full information screen and filenames for those found. Whatis allows typing of a Sherlock filename (L0000003.DOC, for instance) and responds with a similar screen of identification data. Both have extensive command line switches to specify the information sought.

A network version is available, where the concept of Sherlock could particularly shine with shared project files, for example. Access can be granted by cabinet, drawer, folder and file for Read, Write, Create, Erase, Give Rights and No Rights.

While the feature is undocumented, Sherlock can be easily activated and deactivated without leaving Windows and rebooting by creating a dummy file named DEVELOP.DAT.

No on-line help file is available. Sherlock does provide written documentation quite adequate to explain its uses and operation. However, there were significant feature differences in the program from the manual provided, documented in a brief READ.ME file.

               Conclusions

I would like to recommend Sherlock, but I feel it has a fundamental flaw that raises the red flag of caution. The popup feature only works for programs for which there is an driver. On my system that meant that some recent programs (AmiPro 2.0?!?) wouldn't work, my older programs aren't eligible, favored shareware is out of the picture, and what about the future? Version 1.1 of Sherlock supports but twenty-two applications. My conversation with a Physiotronics technical representative assured me that they are doing nothing but writing drivers (as well as working on a newer, better version), but I feel like I'm working with a crippled program. What's the point if it doesn't work with all or at least most of my programs? I was told that they would put out additional drivers for registered users as programs were issued, at no charge, perhaps with a nominal disk cost, might put up a BBS . . . but no policy was yet formulated.

Sherlock and the program I use to compose the Windows help file initially conflicted. If you use add-ons or perhaps even macros that change the way a program opens or saves files, it is possible that Sherlock and your current operations may disagree, though using the override feature allowed me access once the file was created.

Physiotronics representatives seem very sincere about their efforts to provide a useful utility. Reportedly an 800 number will now be placed on their packaging so that potential purchasers can inquire about drivers and suitability for their applications, which I would definitely suggest. While I essentially liked Sherlock, I cannot recommend it at this time. I must conclude it is was a bit premature to bring to market, and seems overpriced in my judgment.

A copy of Golden Retriever 2.0b, a similar product which has added an intercept pop-up feature which works with all applications, has just been received. It is priced at $99.00. Look for a review in the very near future.

Sherlock is Physiotronics' first and only product, so that red flag remains in the air. I truly like the concept and much of the execution of Sherlock, and hope that its potential and promise become reality. Pricing for the single user Sherlock is an ambitious $249.99. A five node network version lists for $695.00.

For further information please contact:

Physiotronics Corporation U.S.A.

135 W. 52nd Street

New York, NY 10019

212-887-9555


bobpopupsher10


bgsherpopupbgpix


bgsherlock21

This list was confirmed by Physiotronics representatives as of 1/14/93.

If you are considering Sherlock, contact Physiotronics for a current list.


bgmaxmicropopup


bgshercabinet


Access_Review
Creating database files and displays are not for the database pros anylonger. I have always stayed away from the more complex database programs for fear that they will overwhelm me. With the high price of database software and the myths about programming in a database language, I could not see myself trying to learn to program just to use a database. Would it really be worth the trouble for the little I might use it?

I have, in the past, created my databases using Excel. It was great to be able to do spreadsheets and create databases from within one application (one learning curve). There were times though, where a database application would have done the job much better than a spreadsheet application with a database entension. Keeping my databases small and not too complex, I have avoided "trouble".

However I have planned to eventually combine all my smaller files into one big database. With the arrival of several new Windows databases programs, it was time to choose. I was drawn to Microsoft Access for Windows, by just the name at first. Microsoft made this product. The introductory price of $99.00 was well within my budget, which was another big plus. After seeing several reviews on it, I decided to try it for myself.and see how easy it would be to learn and how powerful it was.

Microsoft Access is a relational database management system that runs in the Microsoft Windows environment. It provides ease of use for the casual user, and all the power an applications developer could want.

   Bitmap images can be data or part of the form or report design.

   Forms can look exactly like printed forms.

   Instead of writing codes, you only have to drag the field from the toolbox on to your report.

   Object Linking and Embedding is supported. OLE allows a user to edit, create, and view data stored in the database. Data includes text, pictures, sound, video, and binary files, such as a Word For Windows document.

   Access can read and write Access (MDB), dBase, Paradox, and Btrieve formats.

   Users can join tables by simply dragging and dropping with the graphical query-by-example (QBE).

   Access can be used as a standalone database from a file server.

   Users can join, query, and update data from Microsoft Access, Paradox, and SQL Server.

There are several features that I liked a great deal. One of which was the use of Cue Cards and the Wizard. They have made getting started into this database adventure of mine much easier. If not for these new learning tools I would still have my head deep within the manuals.

    Cue Cards are something new in on-line assistance. Once started, you could let them stay on top of all your other windows for quick step by step instructions.

    The Wizard facilities automates your building of certain functions, such as reports, forms, or graphs. You are stepped through a series of questions and answers, then Wizard will create the item, based on what you told Wizard to do.

    A macro facility is included. Macros allows you to automate many routines. Using a Macro editor, you are able to build a macro for doing repetitive jobs, such as printing a certain report but with numbers that are constantly changing.

    Access Basic is a form of programming language that is based on the Visual Basic programming language. With this powerful tool, programmers can tap into the Windows facilities or call Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL) directly. With Access Basic, you are creating forms that are the basis of your input or display screens. You get a floating toolbar that looks exactly like the Visual Basic toolbar.

Access for Windows has made using a database easier and somewhat fun. Porting several of my Excel databases over to Access was a breeze. If you are comfortable with a Windows spreadsheet, especially with Excel, Access looks and feels similar, so you should feel right at home. The Cue Cards were amazingly helpful in walking me through the learning process, at least to get me started. With the help of the Wizard facility, I was able to create a report within minutes. It wasn't exactly the way I wanted it, but it was functional. After seeing the Access Basic language, I believe that there will be a string of Access routines and templates coming, just like there is with Word For Windows and Word Basic. To sum up, this new relational database software is powerful and most of all very easy to learn and use.

Remember that this is version 1.0, and there have been several reports of problems with this product. So far, I have not encountered anything truly troublesome as yet. If you are in need of a powerful database program, I recommend you take advantage of that low introductory price, I did.

   Microsoft Windows 3.0 and later, Windows 3.1 is recommended.

   Any Microsoft Windows based computer, a 386SX and higher based computer is recommended.

   2 MBytes random access memory (RAM), 4 MBytes of memory is recommended.

   Approximately 13 MBytes of disk space is required for a full install. 8 MBytes of free disk space is the Minimum.

   EGA, VGA, or higher screen resolution.

   Any Windows pointing device.

For more information, please contact:

Microsoft Corporation

One Microsoft Way

Redmond, WA 98052-6399

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MATH

Math Solutions At Your Finger Tips

Mathematics and working with numbers is an area many of us would prefer to avoid. But, be it for business or pleasure, the ability to work with mathematics is an important part of everything most of us do everyday. For this reason there are a few shareware math programs you might wish to look at to help you make sense of this subject. No matter what type of mathematics you may be involved with, from simple conversions to detailed shop calculations, these programs can help you survive your adventures in mathematics.

Convert It 1.51

Conversions are something most of us take for granted. But when was the last time you tried to figure out how much wine you actually got in ounces or quarts from a bottle marked in liters? Or quick, how much water will you need to fill a small swimming pool that has a volume of 65,000 cubic feet? Even that 10k race you heard about might make you wonder how many miles they'll actually run. No matter how you try to avoid it, conversions are something we do quite often. So, rather than guess at the required values, you could use Convert It 1.51 to find the actual answer with little or no pain.

Convert It is a program that is both easy to use and completely covers the conversions most people require. The program menu offers ten different types of useful conversion tools. These conversions are grouped into the more common categories such as temperature, distance, mass, volume, and area. But some of the less common conversions of angles, power, energy, pressure, and time are also included.

Within each of these individual categories are all the frequently used units. If, for example, you wanted to convert between inches and millimeters you would call up the distance tool. You could then type in the number of inches and the equivalent size in millimeters is shown to the right. In addition to millimeters, a wide range of other units associated with distance are also shown. This same arrangement is used for each of the other types of conversions as well. This eliminates the need to make several conversions to find an answer.

The program has a good on-line help system to help you through some of the more complex as well as the simple conversions. The program also has an area which shows the formulas and methods used to make all the conversions. Convert It, version 1.51, is a math utility program that is well worth the registration fee. Members of Windows OnLine can find Convert It 1.51 as CV151.ZIP in Directory #4.

Convert It 1.51

SMI Corporation

P.O. Box 582221

Tulsa, OK 74158

(918)560-9536

Registration fee: $10.00

Berlin's Cheat Sheets 1.0X

For those people who need a mathematics program to do more than conversions, Berlin's Cheat Sheets might be just what you need. Anyone who has ever done any work in a home workshop knows the frustration of being in the middle of designing a project and needing to find a particular size? You then drag out your mathematics handbook, or similar text, and your handy calculator, and try to find the necessary formulas for the calculations. This is especially exasperating if you are working on a computer, using a CAD system. I've often wondered why someone hasn't written an affordable Shop Math program to make these calculations easier. Well at last a Shop Math program does exist, its called Berlin's Cheat Sheet, and is one of the more useful additions anyone can make to their computer software. This program was originally written to handle the types of mathematics problems typically found in the machine shop. But, there is a lot more than just machine shop applications contained within this program.

All you need to do is select the desired Cheat Sheet from the Sheets menu and type in the known values. With the triangle, for example, only two values are needed for the calculation. Once these are typed in, the program automatically calculates the remaining values and displays them in their respective boxes. In addition to the triangle, the program will also make many other calculations needed for the shop. The collection of Cheat Sheets available is amazing for such a reasonably priced program. I'm not sure, but I think I would have killed for a program like this when I was in school. Each of the individual "Cheat Sheets", when minimized, stays within the main window of the program. This places them within easy reach and not all over your desktop.

Another unique feature of the program is the built in calculator. So, for example, if the value you wanted in one of the boxes was a calculated value, you could simply type the formula and the program makes the required calculation and places the value in the box. If the side of the triangle were 1 15/16", rather than looking up the decimal equivalent of 15/16ths you could simply type in 1+15/16 and the program will make the conversion for you. Members of Windows OnLine can find Berlin's Cheat Sheets as BCS104.ZIP in Directory #80 - (Windows-New Uploads). At $25.00 this program is a real bargain and if you work with mathematics regularly it should be part of your system.

Berlin's Cheat Sheets 1.0X

Berlin Software

4841 Woodbury Drive

Erie, PA 16510

Registration fee: $25.00

Brought to you by:

Ed Hoffman

Staff Writer


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If you have not otherwise noticed, the on-line world is growing rapidly. The use of high speed modems is becoming quite common. Due to the current low cost of these modems more and more computer users are connecting to the rest of the world at high speed every day. Specialized on-line services, such as Windows OnLine, are growing in popularity. Boardwatch Magazine is another popular service that caters to the on-line (modem) user. This publication is distributed as a printed magazine, by subscription, and is available at your newsstand. It is also distributed as an on-line file similar to this magazine, the WinOnLine REVIEW.

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TOP TEN: The ten most popular bulletin boards selected by the voters will each receive an award trophy at on their system in Boardwatch Magazine, inclusion in a special top ten BBS listing in the magazine, and a free quarter-page black and white advertisement in three successive issues. Additionally, they will be listed in the Boardwatch 100 BBS HST.

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All valid ballots submitted by voters will be entered in a random sweepstakes drawing. As of the opening date of this contest, prizes include two U.S. Robotics Courier Dual Standard 16.8K Modems, two Hayes OPTIMA 14400 + FAX 144 modems, and two ZyXeL U-1496 14,400 bps modems - and more are on the way. A minimum of six valid ballots will be selected from all entries and each will receive a free modem - from the most popular modem manufacturers in the world.

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This contest is not limited to Boardwatch Magazine subscribers, and no purchase of anything is required to participate in this contest. Reasonable facsimile's of this ballot are acceptable, so long as all specified information is included.

Boardwatch held this contest during 1992 and it generated 11,152 votes by the close of balloting for some 1250 different bulletin boards. The TOP system received about 450 votes. Your individual vote can have a tremendous impact on the outcome of this contest. Further, the odds of winning a modem in last years contest, were 1 in 1394. You won't get those odds in the lottery.

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TITLE OF BBS YOU VOTE FOR AS THE BEST:      Windows OnLine

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