RAndY's RumOR RaG March 1992 WORDPERFECT NEWS WordPerfect Corp. is not resting on its laurels with the release of WordPerfect for Windows. A new package is expected to ship in late February called WordPerfect Works. This is basically a revamp of Executive. Besides a new name, the package will get a considerable facelift. The calendar and calculator are gone. They are replaced by a flat-file database, an improved word processor, and a Lotus- compatible spreadsheet. Another feature is a built-in fax function which will create and send faxes without leaving the program. The package will list for $299. OK, now that the Windows product is out, what about WordPerfect for OS/2? As you may remember, WordPerfect had made a commitment to OS/2 before Windows 3 came along. Well, here are some excerpts from a WordPerfect news release concerning the eminent release of an OS/2 product. "We are impressed with the capabilities of OS/2 and are supportive of the OS/2 direction," said Pete Peterson, executive vice president of WordPerfect Corporation. "IBM is working closely with us to make sure we have the tools necessary to quickly create a native OS/2 2.0 version. With their help, we should have a good idea of how long the development effort will take by the end of this year (meaning 1991)." As of February 11, 1992, no announcement concerning a release date has been made. Until a native OS/2 version is released, users can run WordPerfect 5.1 for Windows on OS/2 version 2.0 when available. WordPerfect for OS/2 Presentation Manager will be SAA/CUA compliant. (SAA stands for Systems Application Architecture. It is a standard set of user and software interfaces published by IBM to provide a common way for applications to be accessed on any computer from PC to mainframe. CUA stands for Common User Access. It is a subset of SAA. It defines general user interface design principles, such as use of the mouse, graphical windows, scroll bars, pull down menus, dialogue boxes and various controls. The purpose of CUA is to provide usability and consistency within and across applications). WordPerfect will comply with both CUA level 1 and CUA level 2. WordPerfect for Presentation Manager is scheduled to have an option, which can be set as the default, to save documents directly in DCA format. The program will also detect DCA during retrieval and convert it on the fly. Effectively, the user will be able to work continually in DCA without having to worry about it. They would simply lose any WordPerfect codes that DCA does not support. The save dialogue box would allow them to see what format they're saving, and let them change it each time they save, if they would like. --------------- NEWS IN YER FACE Those viewing early releases of OS/2 2.0 are less than enthusiastic. According to one viewer, "It's slow and it crashes. In fact, it's a lot like Windows." --------------- Sierra On-line continues to have a number of projects in the works. Look for King's Quest VI sometime within the next few months. Aces Over the Pacific and Space Quest V (with Mark Crowe, minus Scott Murphy) are also being planned. Al Lowe is working on a comedy western adventure along the lines of Blazing Saddles having something to do with Palamino Ranch, and work continues on expanding The Sierra Network. --------------- I hear that a major software retailer is seriously considering dropping 5.25" disk format products from their shelves due to slow sales. --------------- Microsoft is investigating a number of companies for counterfeiting and gray marketing of DOS 5 and Windows 3. Apparently there is a severe problem (according to Microsoft) with people pirating and gray marketing DOS 5. --------------- Here's a WordPerfect for Windows tip: To select text quickly: 1) click two times on a word to select the word, 2) three times to select an entire paragraph, 3) hold the Shift key and click three times to select from the current word to the end of the paragraph, or 4) click once at a start point, press the Shift key, then click at another point to select text between the two points. --------------- I've recently had the opportunity to look at 1-2-3 for Windows Release 1.0a (the bug fix). Same crap, different bucket. --------------- Knozall Systems has a program called FileWizard which examines files on a hard disk and lets you know which ones have gone untouched the longest. --------------- AT&T is expected to soon unveil a new low-power RISC-like processor which will give a performance shot in the arm to small- form-factor computers. Nicknamed the "Hobbit", it is rumored to be planned for use by GO Corp. and their PenPoint operating system later this year. This revelation from AT&T is expected sometime after March. --------------- I'm still hearing of problems with DR-DOS 6. I haven't tried the product, so I can't speak from experience. I've heard of problems running with Windows. Apparently the trouble is with memory management. Others report difficulties accessing subdirectories of directories. This problem could be worked around by disabling the high buffers on equipment. The 6.1 upgrade/fix also seems to have troubles. According to Digital Research, more than 400 of 225,000 customers returned DR-DOS 6 and others were issued a new disk set and documentation to help the problems. --------------- Staying at the New York Hilton and Towers and need a computer? Just call the concierge or business center and you can rent an Apple, IBM, or Compaq through a service called RENT-A-PC. You can rent a PC, notebook, and peripherals and RENT-A-PC handles everything from installation to telephone support. RENT-A-PC is also working with other hotel chains, notably Marriot, to provide similar services. In case you're wondering, an IBM PS/2 Model 50 costs $125 a day or $250 a month. --------------- Memorex is beginning a year-long promotion with McDonald's which is designed to boost sales (what else). Purchasers of specially marked packages of Memorex disks can send away for a free $5 booklet of McDonald's gift certificates. According to a Memorex marketing director, "The same people that buy floppy disks eat at McDonald's". They're calling this the "Happy Deal" promotion. --------------- FOOD FOR THOUGHT I hate to talk about serious things, but a matter has come to my attention that I need to relate to you. Let me preface this discussion by saying I'm not endorsing this or putting it down - I'm just relating the facts. There is a BBS in the San Jose area called Amateur Action. It is a subscription only BBS which has (at last count) over 4,000 GIFs of undressed people, many of them engaged in situations of extreme affection. These are not professional actors and they are not the usual GIFs you see on BBS's and the pay services. The sysop occasionally will pay a local girl to pose nude and put the GIFs on the BBS for the downloading pleasure of the membership. The sysop called each person who sent in money to verify that they were old enough to be involved. Here's what's happening. About the middle of January, the San Jose police department raided the home where the BBS is located and confiscated the computer equipment. The equipment included the computer with over 300 megs of storage, a color scanner, and 8 HST Dual Standard modems (he had 8 lines coming in). The police claimed that they were distributing child pornography among other things. I recently talked to the sysop's wife and she said that their lawyers were working on getting the equipment back and getting the BBS back up. To the best of my knowledge, there were no files on the BBS which violated any laws. The participants were consenting adults and the sysop did not even allow BBS members to send in GIFs of their wives or girlfriends. I was requested by the sysop's wife to relate this story and spread it throughout the BBS community. Whether this type of thing is for you or not is not the issue. What's on my hard drive is my business (assuming that I paid for it). As of the end of February, Amateur Action is back on-line. But the problem remains and the lawyers get richer. (What's the difference between a lawyer and a gigolo? A gigolo only screws one person at a time.) --------------- VENTURA PUBLISHER 4.0 I first started using Ventura Publisher back with Version 1.1. It took a little while to get the hang of it, but I quickly came to appreciate the power at my fingertips. After lusting for a Windows version, Version 3 came along. I wished the programmers had followed the specifications for writing Windows programs and rapidly grew frustrated with constant UAE's. The problems have grown so bad that I switched to PageMaker for desktop publishing duties. Now I've had a chance to sample Version 4. Included is support for color including Pantone, 24-bit TIFF, PC, and EPS files. They've included a Search and Replace feature along with a spell checker. You've now got OLE support, 50 new style sheets, and an Undo feature. The big news is the addition of other modules which interface with Ventura Publisher to allow you to scan directly into the program, make color separations, do color image processing (24-bit color), and do color corrections and control. First of all, this has to be the slowest loading program on the face of the earth. After grinding away at your hard drive for almost 55 seconds, you're finally ready to go. (I realize that it takes a while on a lowly 386-33 with 16 megs of memory.) The menu structure seems to be the same with the addition of Search and Replace and the spell checker located under the Edit menu. The fun part comes when you load a chapter or even just change style sheets. Get your cup of coffee again because you're in for a wait. Don't ask me why it takes 15-20 seconds to load a little 2K stylesheet. The program is bundled with Adobe Type Manager (Version 1.15) and a ton of fonts, except that you only get the printer metric files - they don't include the PFB files. The fonts seem to correspond to the 35 or so fonts included in Postscript printers. Apparently the PFM files are used for outputting Postscript to an outside service. I wish they had included the complete font files. In fairness, they seem to have gotten rid of UAE's. I tried some things guaranteed to lock up Version 3 and had no problems. Old chapters and style sheets loaded without formatting problems, although the wait was a nuisance. A friend who is more of a Ventura expert than I am still had some UAE problems. I'm not sure that it's worth the $129 they're hitting you for the upgrade, but at least most of the bugs seem to be gone. --------------- TYPE TALK If you're like me, your hard drive contains a fair number of typefaces. I use different typefaces for different applications depending upon what I want it to look like. The RaG is written with Courier because when I save it as a DOS text file (when it's all through), you can read it without scrolling horizontally using a program like LIST. (A proportional font will put more characters on a line.) As a general rule, I use a serif font like Times Roman for body text and a sans serif font like Helvetica for headlines and larger type. I've also got some decorative fonts to make a statement or add impact. I recently came across an article on typography which I found interesting. We all know that Aldus Manutius is credited with cutting the first oldstyle type in 1495. Oldstyle typefaces are always serifs. The serifs on lowercase letters slant and connect to the main strokes with a curve. The strokes that create the letterforms make a gentle transition from thick to thin. Oldstyle typefaces tend to have a warm, graceful appearance and generally are the best choice for readable, lengthy bodies of text. Examples of oldstyle text are Times Roman and Garamond. Modern typefaces also have serifs, but the serifs are all horizontal and thin. The strokes change radically from thick to thin. Modern typefaces have a sparkle, but they tend to look cold and severe. They are not very readable and are not a good choice for body text. One example of a modern typeface would be Bodoni. Slab serifs typefaces are also serifs, and the serifs are horizontal and thick. The stroke may make a slight transition or there may be no transition at all. Slab fonts are not named after their designer, but carry Egyptian names. This style of font was becoming popular in advertising in the early 1800's when Napoleon went on his Egyptian campaign. The placards that Napoleon's troops used to send messages used a slab serif font. These typefaces have a more mechanical, regimented appearance and are quite readable, although they will create a darker page. Examples would be one of the Cheltenams or Clarendons. Sans serifs have no serif. The stroke has almost no visible transformation from thick to thin and are sometimes called "monoweight" fonts. They are usually more legible than serif faces, but less readable. That means that a sans serif font is most effective in short bursts of text such as a headline, but they are not ideal for body text. Examples of sans serif would be Helvetica and Futura. Script faces are patterned after handwriting. They can be serifs or sans serif and in a variety of weights. They create a unique appearance, so don't use them in large bodies of text and NEVER use them in all caps. Decorative fonts are fun. They are not meant to be anything but decorative. They can add punch or create a "look", but use them in moderation. Just like salt in your food, a little tastes good, but too much makes you puke. --------------- NOVELL DUMPS 286 Novell has taken the first step toward moving away from 286- based network software. They raised the price of NetWare 2.x and lowered the entry cost of NetWare 3.11, thereby encouraging users to buy 3.x. They're also encouraging users to upgrade by not developing strategic enhancement products, such as the NMS specifically for 2.x. Insiders estimate that at most, 15% of the installed Novell base is using 3.x, the majority still using 2.x (designed for the 2868 chip). It is estimated that it will take 12-18 months before 3.x catches up. Novell refused to comment on whether they will release upgrades to NetWare 2.2 in the future. Other sources say that aside from bug fixes, development has stopped on 2.x. Novell will release a migration utility that will ease the transition from NetWare 2.x to 3.x, because when upgrading to 3.x the hard drive must be completely reformatted and NetWare reinstalled. --------------- OS/2 2 COMING SOON I read in one of my dealer-type publications that OS/2 Version 2 will be sold through some of the major distributors such as Merisel and Ingram Micro. I wasn't sure if this would be a retail product like DOS 5 but at this point it sure looks like it. Merisel expects to be able to ship sometime in April and Ingram Micro expects to begin receiving shipments from IBM by the end of February. (Do you really want serial number 00001?) Sometime in mid-February, IBM is expected to ship the final beta copies of OS.2 2.0. Here's a list of hardware specs which are recommendations from Big Blue itself. The minimum hard-disk storage is now at 18 MB! IBM recommends that systems running the final version of the software have 4MB of RAM and a 60 MB hard drive. The least amount of code needed to run OS/2 2.0 is about 18 megs on the user's hard drive, most people will be using about 25MB-26MB. When you count swap files, you're looking at 30MB-35MB of space. According to an IBM spokesman, these figures represent a "fully working system". That includes code for Windows 3.0. Some features such as CD-ROM support and extra fonts can be left off during installation and IBM is said to be working to reduce the size of the swap files (now about 9MB in size). They're also looking at other technologies such as data compression. This doesn't look good . . . --------------- On the other hand, IBM is breaking ground (or breaking wind) with the user interface of OS/2. Version 2 will be very Mac-like in appearance. Wanting to distance themselves from Windows, IBM has developed what has come to be called the Workplace Shell. Users will have the alternative of replacing the Workplace Shell with an OS/2 1.3 or Windows 3 shell. The new Workplace Shell departs from the familiar pull-down menus of Windows and Presentation Manager. Instead, the Workplace Shell attempts to mimic a physical desktop with file folders representing stored files and applications. It uses graphical icons to represent familiar objects. For example, there is a shredder for deleting files and a printer icon to print files. The Workplace Shell is also customizable, and with the included icon editor you can create objects specific to a company, for example. Some of this stuff is going to be real new to PC users, but to the Mac crowd, it's old hat. For example, you can drag a file folder to the shredder to delete a file. Now this sounds like cutesy stuff, but having worked on a Mac a little, I hate to say that I prefer this method of deleting files. My fingers remain crossed. --------------- DOG PILE ON INTEL! The end of Intel's long monopoly on 486 processors may be headed for an end. AMD plans to start shipping samples of its 486 product this summer with volume shipments scheduled for fourth quarter. The AMD line will have 25mhz, 33mhz, and 50mhz versions of the 486DX and a 25mhz 486SX (shame on you). Samples will ship in the fourth quarter of a low-power 3.3-volt 486DXLV in 16mhz, 20mhz, and 25mhz flavors. The AMD 486 chips will be plug-compatible with Intel's chips and can be plugged directly into existing system designs. Cyrix is also planning to release 486-compatible processors later this year, but are not commenting further. --------------- ENTIRE CLIENT WORKSTATION Software AG will be soon introducing the Entire Client Workstation (EWS) which will use Windows as the primary system platform, but will also support UNIX and OS/2. Availability is scheduled for mid-1992 and the product is comprised of a series of Windows-based products designed to enable corporations to easily integrate personal computers into corporate- wide computing environments. In addition to EWS, they have announced Entire Office Workstation, which is designed to give a consistent user interface for workstation functions; Entire Reporting Client, offering users custom/dynamic views of corporate data; and Entire Business Analysis Workstation, enabling users to synthesize and process enterprise information. Also recently introduced is Natural Geographic. This is a geographic data management system targeted at selective marketing, service dispatch, and delivery, site location, and resource allocation. This costs $175,000 to $325,000 for the server, depending upon the processor size and $12,000 for each workstation. Just send cash. --------------- NEW PROTOCOL I just heard about a new protocol for transferring files via modem. HS/Link allows you to upload multiple files and download multiple files in both directions at the same time at speeds close to what Zmodem does in a single direction. Apparently, HS/Link is very fast and easy to use, unlike BiModem (another simultaneous transfer protocol). Just think of the advantages: you can get BBS credits for uploading at the same time you're downloading. You're going to be online for 20 minutes anyway, why not enhance everyone's BBS experience by uploading some files at the same time. HS/Link has crash recovery and error correction like Zmodem. It uses 32-bit CRC for error control, primarily for 2400 bps users. It's available as shareware and registration invokes a graphic gauge to show your transfer progress and other features. Look for the file on a BBS near you, Version 1.1 is current as I write this. And while I'm on the subject of modems,those of you HST users out there should try typing in AT USR when in terminal mode - interesting. --------------- HARVARD GRAPHICS I'm probably going to irritate quite a few people here, but I like life on the edge. I'm a registered owner of Harvard Graphics 2.11 but I've never bothered to upgrade it since I don't use it. I've recently had the opportunity to play with Version 3 and I am not impressed. I don't understand why this piece of software costs so much. I didn't like Version 2.11 and I've installed and removed Version 3 three times now - and it's a chore to get rid of after it branches out my hard drive in a myriad of subdirectories. The full package consumes 10+ megs of hard drive space with literally hundreds of files. The installation program performs one of my favorite procedures: copying every device driver regardless of what you have attached. What is the attraction here? I find the interface confusing and cumbersome (sometimes you press Enter, other times you press F10), yet I read glowing quotes and reviews in all the magazines. They must get their copies for free. The whole thing is clumsy in terms of moving around the menu tree and I always screw things up when trying to add or manipulate clip art. In my opinion, this is one of the most over-rated pieces of software out there. I don't want to see the Windows version. --------------- NEW PC MAG BENCHMARKS PC Magazine recently updated their popular Benchmark Series. These are not diagnostics, but tests for memory, processor, video, and hard drive I/O which let you compare different computers and configurations. The user interface for Bench 6.0 now supports VGA and EGA graphics as well as text mode displays. The program automatically determines the display adapter and mode of the system in which it's running and adjusts itself accordingly. Mouse support, drop down menus, windows and graphs are all features of the new user interface. A database engine is now an integral part of Bench 6.0. This engine keeps track of both tests and test results. All results can be logged to the database and recalled later for modifications and/or additions. This also allows them to be used for comparison against other machines as well. Results can be saved to DBF or ASCII format. The tests have that "smooth" look on the order of PC Tools, but the primary change is the way that performance is measured. Bench 6.0 now measures performance as throughput rather than elapsed time (as in Bench 5.6). Results are expressed as operations/second, kilobytes/second, characters/second or pixels/second as appropriate (except for the disk access tests). Every test runs for a minimum of 10 seconds. This ensures a high degree of accuracy in the results (+- 1%). Several new EGA/VGA register-level graphics tests have been added and the existing text mode tests have been enhanced. These tests help to determine whether the graphics adapter is set to run in 8- or 16-bit mode as well as measuring the graphical performance of these adapters. These tests perform graphics fills and Bitblts (bit block transfers) - two of the most common functions for graphics adapters. If you've previously registered your Benchmark Series disks, you should get an update in the mail - sometime. Failing that, check your favorite BBS for the new files. Also included is a new Benchmark test for Windows. --------------- GAG ME WITH A SPOON I just got an ad in the mail for the most ridiculous magazine I think I've ever heard of. Why would anyone subscribe to a magazine called "Inside PC Tools" for $39 a year? I've hated PC Tools ever since they went to the fancy interface back with Version 5. They took an excellent utility and mucked it up with crap. If they add anything else to the menus, they're going to fall off the bottom of the screen. Anyway, here are some tidbits you too can learn about if you subscribe to this thing. Learn how the Data Security tools work - how the cache makes your computer faster - how PC Tools checks your computer for viruses - how to use Commute on a PBX (I'd just like to make it work - period) - using PC Tools with Windows. My favorite is "Saving disk space - which PC Tools files can you safely erase?" My answer is "all of them". --------------- MORE NEWS IN YER FACE Novell has apparently hit a gold mine with NetWare Lite and is planning to extend it in full Windows, UNIX, and possibly Macintosh versions (if the Mac people ask for it). --------------- Intel has developed a two-chip co-processor which is designed to be an upgrade for CAD and engineering applications. The RapidCAD (MSRP of $499) combines the functions of a 386DX chip, a math co-processor, and additional floating-point capabilities. The user will remove the existing processor and, if present, the math co-processor, and insert the two chips. While the system will continue to run at the same speed, you can expect a performance increase of 30%-70% depending upon the application. While marketed for CAD users, the chips will also work with almost any scientific, engineering, or graphic intensive application. --------------- US Robotics is getting into the LAN business with the Shared Access Modem Sharing Kits. A $995 single-port kit contains one modem while the dual-port kit ($1595) comes with two modems. The product pools modems on a LAN, enabling users to dial out from the network. The kits include V32.bis modems, On-LAN software, modem- sharing software for resource sharing, a communications package for remote users, and associated cabling and documentation. --------------- AutoDesk, the AutoCAD people are due out in March with HyperChem, molecular modeling software. They're hoping for the same success as AutoCAD in moving scientific applications from mainframes to PC's. --------------- Lotus is working on a SmartIcon version of 1-2-3 (Version 2.4) that's code-named Maxwell (from "get Smart"). It should be going into beta real soon. --------------- Panasonic and Adobe have signed an agreement to allow ATM to be incorporated into Panasonic's line of dot printers and a new laser printer. --------------- SHOP TALK Things are happening on the computer dealer end of things that I'd like to make you aware of. IBM recently authorized Ingram and Gates/FA to sell certain models of their computers. (These are two large distributors of hardware and software.) Compaq has done the same thing and now Apple seems to will take the same action. I suppose a little background is in order to understand why this is so important. Up until now, certain large companies have required retailers to be "authorized" to sell their products. Among the familiar names in this camp are Apple, IBM, Compaq, and Hewlett-Packard. Generally, a store had to sell a particular number of units per year or per month to keep the authorization. As a small store owner, I think this sucks. I get people asking me for these name brand products, but can't get authorization because my volume is too low. Anyway, by the time you read this, Apple is expected to announce authorization agreements with Ingram, Merisel, and Tech Data (large distributors). What this means to the end user is that you have a better chance of getting these name brand products at you local computer store, rather than having to deal with one of the large franchisees like Computerland. --------------- QUATTRO PRO 4 I haven't seen it yet, but apparently version 4 of Quattro Pro is now shipping. Work on the Windows version is progressing and sources say that a new pre-beta release of Quattro Pro for Windows features drop-and-drag functionality similar to Excel's Version 4 beta. High in the list of features in the new DOS version are tight integration with NetWare, faster performance, and enhanced graphics and analytical features. The mouse palette of Version 3 has been replaced with a customizable text-based SpeedBar to facilitate menu choices and formula building. It is possible to write formulas by pointing and clicking and not touching the keyboard. A TurboSum button facilitates addition of rows, columns, and cell blocks. There is also more file compatibility with other formats, including Allways, 1-2-3 Release 3.X, and Harvard Graphics. Quattro Pro 4 will translate 1-2-3 Release 3.X three-dimensional ranges into multiple linked workspaces. There are still some glitches in the Allways and Impress importing and there are some color restrictions (ranges cannot be displayed in different hues, for example). Also included are an integrated spreadsheet auditor and an Optimizer for solving complex multivariable problems. --------------- DEC NEWS AS you read this, DEC should have announced the long-awaited Alpha chip, a powerful microprocessor that DEC is betting its future on. Alpha is a 64-bit RISC-based microprocessor that operates at 150mhz and can, in theory, perform up to 400 MIPS. Workstations based on this chip are expected to begin shipping by the end of the year. Initially, the chip will support VMS and OSF/1 operating systems. DEC is reported to be working on porting Windows NT to Alpha. The key to success of Alpha will be how quickly and easily third-party developers can port their applications and how soon DEC can ship the new machines in volume. Some third-parties such as Oracle and SAS Institutes are already porting their traditional VMS-based applications. DEC plans to license the chip to others. Cray Research has announced it will implement the chip in its supercomputers. --------------- WINDOWS NEWS Coming soon from Dynamix (Sierra On-Line) is a new game for Windows called Pinball. It is an animated VGA pinball pack with six games, multiple playing fields, and animation. Pinball will feature full icon and multitasking support. The six games reflect themes from Sierra adventure games and include Space Quest, King's Quest, Nova 9, Leisure Suit Larry, and Willy Beamish. There's also a spoof on climbing the corporate ladder called Mr. Hosehead. Pinball is scheduled to ship in April with an MSRP of $49.95. --------------- Look for a new Windows version of TAPCIS, the Compuserve front-end sometime this year. --------------- Microsoft's Windows database, Cirrus, is expected to be announced by mid-June, but sources say it will take longer to get it on the shelves. Representatives from Microsoft have been demonstrating Cirrus' ability to tie into files from dBase and Paradox as well as Microsoft's SQL Server. --------------- By the middle of the year expect to see yet another high-end desktop publisher. This one comes from the world of Mac in the form of QuarkXpress for Windows. It's a killer on the Mac, let's hope it translates well. In a related thought, I've yet to see a product from Ready, Set, Go! which was another Mac desktop publisher to be brought over from that other world. --------------- Just got my ATM Version 2 upgrade. I can really tell a difference in the speed. If you have a 386 or better processor, spend the money on the upgrade for sure. I can't tell a difference in the output on the screen or printer but all your present Type 1 fonts should remain functional. My only complaint is that I ordered the upgrade on November 25th and got it on February 4th. --------------- Would you like for your WordPerfect for Windows to load a little quicker? If you have a decent sized RAMdisk, direct the temporary files there by using the command line switch "/d-x:" where "x" is the drive letter for the RAMdisk. Otherwise, WordPerfect will create a temporary subdirectory under WPWIN. I guess it's too hard to use the TEMP environment variable - I thought that's what it was there for. --------------- Sierra's outrageous Laffer Utilities is now available in a Windows version. All the features are the same, but now you can do "everything you do at the office that has nothing to do with work" in the Windows environment. -------------- FILE EXPRESS 5.1 I love Expressware's File Express. It's fast and easy to use, yet fairly powerful for a flat-file database (I think it's far superior to PC-File). When they came out with Version 5, there were some problems, however. Everyone I know had problems with databases being locked as if they were on a network (but weren't). Some labels and reports wouldn't print out right and setting spacing on printouts was a hassle. Well, it looks like they're listening, because these problems and more have been taken care of with Version 5.1. They've brought back autospacing on labels which makes layout a lot easier. The network locking can be turned off in the setup program so those of us not on a network won't get locked out of our files. And there have been a number of new features added. By placing your cursor on a phone number, you can press CTRL-D and it will dial your phone. They've added more Quick Scan fields and you can also jump when searching. For example, say you're looking for last names beginning with "S", you can jump to the "S" section quicker. Also, Quick Scan and Find Records can be switched between with just a keystroke and you now have saveable Quick Scan setups for frequently used queries. File Express now uses about 80K less memory and works better with DOS 5. They've included a PIF file and a nice ICO icon for Windows users. You can also have selective indexes, increment fields, and a number of different enhancements. In the area of memory management, File Express now makes use of whatever conventional, expanded, or extended memory is available - automatically. There is even an EMSCHECK program included to make sure your EMS driver will work properly. ================================= DISCLAIMER RAndY's RumOR RaG is published on a monthly basis by AINSWORTH COMPUTER SERVICES and is available on various BBS's, GEnie, and America Online as well as in Modem News. In case anyone cares, RAndY's RumOR RaG is produced on a DTK 386-33 with 16 megs of memory, Cyrix Fasmath co-processor, ATI VGA Wonder+ card (1 MB), 105 MB Toshiba IDE hard drive, Teac 1.2 MB, 360K, and 1.44 MB floppies, Sceptre SVGA display, Microsoft mouse, WordPerfect for Windows and transmitted through a US Robotics HST Dual Standard modem. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Comments should be addressed to Ainsworth Computer Services on GEnie, America Online, phone, analog mail, or whatever method makes you feel good. AINSWORTH COMPUTER SERVICES 605 W. Wishkah Aberdeen, WA 98520-6031 (206) 533-6647 GEnie Address: RAG America Online: RumOR RaG