ST Report:26-May-95 #1121
From: Bruce D. Nelson (aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)
Date: 06/03/95-08:28:50 AM Z
From: aa789@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bruce D. Nelson)
Subject: ST Report:26-May-95 #1121
Date: Sat Jun 3 08:28:50 1995
SILICON TIMES REPORT
====================
INTERNATIONAL ONLINE MAGAZINE
=============================
from
STR Electronic Publishing Inc.
A subsidiary of
STR Worldwide CompNews Inc.
May 26, 1995 No. 1121
======================================================================
Silicon Times Report
International OnLine Magazine
Post Office Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32221-6155
R.F. Mariano, Editor
Featured in ITCNet's ITC_STREPORT Echo
-----------------------------------------
Voice: 1-904-783-3319 10am-4pm EST
STR Publishing Support BBS
* THE BOUNTY INTERNATIONAL BBS *
Featuring: * 4.5GB * of Download Files
Operating with * Mustang Software's WILDCAT! BBS v4.10 *
Fully Networked within the following Nets:
ITCNet 85:881/253 JAX HUB ~ FIDO Net 1:112/35
Prowl ~ USPOLNet ~ FNET 350 ~ Nest 90:301/3
Delivered via Subscriber List through Internet
904-786-4176 MULTI-NODE 24hrs-7 days
2400-115.2 bps V.32-34 v.42 bis 28.8
Hayes Optima 28.8 V.FC Data/Fax
USRobotics D/S Data/Fax 28.8 V.34 Everything
FAX: 904-783-3319 12am-6am EST
-----------------------------------------
The Bounty STReport Support Central .... 1-904-786-4176
FNET. 620 : Leif's World ................1-904-573-0734
FNET. 690 : PASTE BBS....................1-206-284-8493
FNET. 489 : Steal Your Face BBS..........1-908-920-7981
MNET - Toad Hall BBS.....................1-617-567-8642
______________________________________________________________________
> 05/26/95 STR 1121 "The Original * Independent * OnLine Magazine!"
"""""""""""""""""
- CPU Industry Report - Frankie's Corner - Wizard Revealed
- Corel Office - TCP/IP & CIS - The WEB & HTML
- Creative Schoolhouse - QUAD DRIVE CD - PSINet & Creative
- E3 Reports - People Talking - Jaguar NewsBits
-* MICROSOFT NEARS WIN95 RELEASE! *-
-* MICROSOFT DROPS INTUIT DEAL! *-
-* NEW MAC TITLES FROM MS! *-
==========================================================================
STReport International OnLine Magazine
The Original * Independent * OnLine Magazine
-* FEATURING WEEKLY *-
"Accurate UP-TO-DATE News and Information"
Current Events, Original Articles, Tips, Rumors, and Information
Hardware - Software - Corporate - R & D - Imports
==========================================================================
STReport's BBS - The Bounty BBS, invites all BBS systems, worldwide, to
participate in the ITC/Fido/Internet/PROWL/USENET/USPOLNet/NEST/F-Net Mail
Networks. You may also call The Bounty BBS direct @ 1-904-786-4176.
Enjoy the wonder and excitement of exchanging all types of useful
information relative to all computer types, worldwide, through the use of
excellent International Networking Systems. SysOps and users alike
worldwide, are welcome to join STReport's International Conferences. ITC
Node is 85:881/250, The Fido Node is 1:112/35, Crossnet Code is #34813,
and the "Lead Node" is #620. All computer enthusiasts, hobbyist or
commercial on all platforms and BBS systems are invited to participate.
==========================================================================
HTTP//WWW.ICBA.COM/STREPORT
CIS ~ DELPHI ~ GENIE ~ BIX ~ FIDO ~ ITC ~ NEST ~ EURONET ~ CIX ~ USENET ~
USPOLNET CLEVELAND FREE-NET ~ INTERNET ~ PROWL ~ FNET ~ AOL
==========================================================================
------------------------------------------------------------
LottoMan V1.3 Results: Florida Lotto; 05/13/95: 5 2# matches
------------------------------------------------------------
> From the Editor's Desk "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""
Memorial Day Weekend... a time to remember, a time to pray and a time
to celebrate. We can thankfully remember the monumental victories the
members of our Armed Forced won to preserve the freedoms and liberties the
citizens of this country continue to enjoy. We can pray to the Lord
begging that these battles never need be fought again and at the same
time, offer thanks. We do celebrate the holiday in solemn remembrance of
those who bravely fought on the world's battlefields to preserve our way
of life while forever paying homage to those who gave their lives in the
fight for freedom and liberty for all.
Please, if your celebrations include libations, appoint a designated
driver. May all of us long remember the real significance and meaning of
the Memorial Day Weekend.
Of Special Note:
----------------
HTTP//WWW.ICBA.COM/STREPORT
===========================
STReport is now ready to offer much more in the way of serving the
Networks, Online Services and Internet's vast, fast growing site list and
userbase. We now have our very own WEB/NewsGroup/FTP Site and although
its in its early stages of construction, do stop by and have a look see.
Since We've received numerous requests to receive STReport from a wide
variety of Internet addressees, we were compelled to put together an
Internet distribution/mailing list for those who wished to receive
STReport on a regular basis, the file is ZIPPED, then UUENCODED.
Unfortunately, we've also received a number of opinions that the
UUENCODING was a real pain to deal with. So, as of May 12,1995, you'll
be able to download STReport directly from our very own WEB Site. While
there, be sure to join our STR list. In any case, our mailing list will
continue to be used for at least the next eight weeks. At that time,
however, it will be discontinued. Each of our readers will have by then,
received their information packet about how they may upgrade their
personal STR News Services.
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
STReport's Staff DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU!
""""""""""""""""
Publisher -Editor
""""""""""""""""""
Ralph F. Mariano
Lloyd E. Pulley, Editor, Current Affairs
Section Editors
"""""""""""""""
PC SECTION AMIGA SECTION MAC SECTION ATARI SECTION
---------- ------------- ----------- -------------
R.D. Stevens R. Niles J. Deegan D. P. Jacobson
STReport Staff Editors:
"""""""""""""""""""""""
Michael Arthur John Deegan Brad Martin
John Szczepanik Paul Guillot Joseph Mirando
Doyle Helms Frank Sereno John Duckworth
Jeff Coe Steve Keipe Guillaume Brasseur
Melanie Bell Jay Levy Jeff Kovach
Marty Mankins Carl Prehn Paul Charchian
Contributing Correspondents:
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Dominick J. Fontana Norman Boucher Clemens Chin
Eric Jerue Ron Deal Mike Barnwell
Ed Westhusing Glenwood Drake Vernon W.Smith
Bruno Puglia Paul Haris Kevin Miller
Craig Harris Allen Chang Tim Holt
Patrick Hudlow Tom Sherwin
Please, submit letters to the editor, articles, reviews, etc...
via E-Mail to:
CompuServe................... 70007,4454
Delphi......................... RMARIANO
GEnie......................... ST.REPORT
BIX............................ RMARIANO
FIDONET........................ 1:112/35
FNET........................... NODE 620
ITC NET...................... 85:881/253
NEST........................ 90:21/350.0
America OnLine..................STReport
Internet.............RMARIANO@DELPHI.COM
Internet.......70007.4454.compuserve.com
Internet................STReport@AOL.Com
HTTP//WWW.ICBA.COM/STREPORT
IMPORTANT NOTICE
----------------
STReport, with its policy of not accepting any paid advertising, has over
the years developed the reputation of "saying it like it really is". When
it comes to our editorials, product evaluations, reviews and over-views,
we shall always keep our readers interests first and foremost. With the
user in mind, STReport further pledges to maintain the reader confidence
that has been developed over the years and to continue "living up to
such". All we ask is that our readers make certain the manufacturers,
publishers etc., know exactly where the information about their products
appeared. In closing, we shall arduously endeavor to meet and further
develop the high standards of straight forwardness our readers have come
to expect in each and every issue.
The Staff & Editors
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
SYSOP NEWS & CYBERWORLD REPORT
==============================
The Leading Hard Copy News Source
in
the BBS & Online Telecommunications World
Your own personal copy mailed to your home every month; STReport's
special offer! Annual Subscription Rate of $15.95!! (normally 20.95).
Include the STR offer number (STR-21) for your discount.
You can send your subscription in to:
-------------------------------------
BBS Press Services, Inc.
8125 S.W. 21st Street
Topeka, KS 66615
Or, to order by phone, Please Call:
1-913-478-3157.....(Voice)
1-913-478-9239......(Data)
1-913-478-1189.......(FAX)
Note: Checks, MasterCard & Visa ok, Please include Full Name, Address,
===== Phone Number, Card type, number & expiration date when ordering.
If by mail, please _sign_ your personal order.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
> STR INDUSTRY REPORT LATE BREAKING INDUSTRY-WIDE NEWS
"""""""""""""""""""
Computer Products Update - CPU Report
------------------------ ----------
Weekly Happenings in the Computer World
Issue #21
Compiled by: Lloyd E. Pulley, Sr.
******* General Computer News *******
>> Microsoft Nears Final Win95 Disk <<
Microsoft Corp. apparently now is very near to having a "gold disk" -
- the final version of a program sent to manufacturing -- of its much-
anticipated Windows 95 operating system.
Completion is "very close," general manager Brad Chase of Microsoft's
personal systems group commented as executives gathered in New York to
preview the system. "It's just fixing compatibility bugs ... both soft-
ware and hardware."
Chase is quoted as predicting Windows 95 will break every industry
sales record after its launch, still scheduled for Aug. 24.
"It's all compatibility," group manager Russ Stockdale said, "to make
sure it works with the broadest base available. This is extremely close
to what we will ship."
As noted, Windows 95 has a new user interface replacing its current
Program Manager icon where most user applications reside. The Win95
startup screen has new options:
-:- My Computer.
-:- Network Neighborhood.
-:- Recycle Bin (where deleted documents are temporarily stored).
-:- An Inbox.
-:- A sign-up option for Microsoft's online service, The Microsoft
Network. The interface also can be customized to include, for
example, Shortcut files that are often used.
Another feature is multitasking ability, through a task bar at the
bottom of the screen that tells users how many programs are running.
Users can click from one program to the next "like switching television
channels," Microsoft said.
Noting earlier trade press reports of problems with this feature,
Chase said, "There were some bugs in multitasking and there was some
misreporting. The multitasking is much better than in Windows 3.1."
Microsoft also plans to offer a program called Microsoft Plus, to
take advantage of higher powered PCs, including browser software called
Internet Explorer for using Internet's hypertexted World Wide Web area.
Chase declined to specify Microsoft's advertising budget for the up-
coming launch, saying only, "Windows 95 will be the largest product ever
launched in this industry."
>> Ziff Offers New Internet Magazine <<
To go up against CMP Publications' NetGuide monthly and the new
Virtual City magazine Newsweek has announced, Ziff-Davis Publishing Co.
says it is launching a new quarterly to be called ZD Internet Life.
Bill Machrone, ZD's vice president of technology and a columnist for
its PC Week weekly newspaper, will be editor-in-chief of the magazine.
Machrone commented in a statement that other Ziff-Davis publications,
which include PC Magazine and Computer Life, experience a jump in sales
whenever the Internet is a cover story and, "while our existing
publications can't feature the net in every issue, that is Internet
Life's mission."
>> Time Warner Sets SD Operation <<
Time Warner's Warner Music Group and Warner Home Video say they have
formed Advanced Media Operations, a manufacturing and marketing unit
that will pioneer the production of Super Density (SD) Optical Discs.
The emerging format carries 270 minutes of video in the MPEG II
standard, as well as music, interactive games and other applications.
The new unit will manufacture a line of discs for the consortium of
17 consumer electronics and entertainment firms known as the SD-
Alliance. These firms have agreed to support the digital video disc
format originally developed by Toshiba and Time Warner.
>> Hyundai to Build Oregon Plant <<
South Korea's Hyundai Electronics Industries Co. Ltd. says it will
build a new semiconductor fabrication plan in Eugene, Oregon, to be in
operation by the end of 1998.
Officials with Hyundai, which bought NCR Microelectronics from AT&T
earlier this year, say the plant will have the capacity to process
30,000 eight-inch wafers a month and will initially make 16MB and 64MB
memory chips.
The U.S. was chosen for the company's first major overseas plant
because the market is the largest in the world and also has the most
advanced chip-making technology.
Hyundai currently operates two chip fabrication plants in South
Korea, with another due for completion by the end of the year, when they
will have a combined capacity to process 55,000 eight-inch wafers a
month.
>> HP Offers Medical Handheld Unit <<
The handheld Palmvue wireless mobile unit has been unveiled by
Hewlett-Packard Co. to allow doctors to see the vital signs of a patient
in an emergency so they could make a diagnosis without having to be at
the patient's side.
Reports from HP's headquarters say PalmVue includes patient monitors,
its HP 200LX palmtop computer and existing paging technology to link
physicians outside the hospital to critical-care patients.
The company said the system is available immediately and is priced at
less than $25,000. "The standard configuration includes one dispatch
station with modem, five HP palmtop computers pre-loaded with PalmVue
OmniCare critical-care application software, an HP LaserJet 4L printer,
training and installation."
Also, HP said it will unveil PalmVue ECGstat this fall, an applic-
ation which will allow cardiologists to receive and review a standard
12-lead ECG, a record of electrical activity of the heart, taken by an
HP cardiograph.
>> Microsoft Unveils Mac Titles <<
Microsoft Corp. has unveiled several new multimedia titles for
Macintosh computers.
The products include the Microsoft Encarta '95 multimedia encyclope-
dia; the Microsoft Bookshelf '95 CD-ROM reference library; and
Scholastic's The Magic School Bus Explores, an interactive science
adventure series. Also in the line-up are The Ultimate Frank Lloyd
Wright, an investigation of the noted architect's life and work; 500
Nations, an exploration of Native American culture; Microsoft Wine
Guide; and Microsoft Ancient Lands, an examination of lost
civilizations.
The titles are scheduled to become generally available between June
and this Fall at prices ranging from $39.95 to $99.95.
>> HP Cuts Notebook Prices 20% <<
Hewlett-Packard has cut prices on its notebook computers by up to
20%. This brings the suggested retail price of its basic OmniBook 4000
model down to $2,418. The move aims to match price cuts by several
competitors.
Reports say that HP launched its first notebook last fall, joining a
marketplace dominated by Apple, AST, Toshiba, Compaq and IBM. At the
time, HP said it wanted to innovate in areas where there was growth
potential, and that its research showed the small notebook market was
emerging as a major category.
Hewlett-Packard's notebooks contain several innovations including an
instant-on, instant-off function that allows the user to turn the
computer off in the middle of a document and then turn it back on
without losing one's place.
Company officials also said:
-:- Has broadened its family of OmniBook 4000 notebook PCs to match
products offered by Toshiba and Compaq.
-:- Is planning a major move into the field of easy-to-use digital
devices such as handheld communicators to marry the capabilities
of printers and notebook computers. (The firm says it wants to
introduce a $300 handheld organizer with telephone, fax and
printer features later this year.)
>> Brother Raises Printer Costs <<
Prices on Brother International Corp.'s entire printer line and
accessories are being raised, an action the firm says is necessary
because of the weakening dollar against the Japanese yen.
Reports from headquarters of Brother's Printer Products Division,
which offers laser, inkjet and dot matrix printers, say the price hikes
come eight months after the company announced its HL-600 printer series.
That has taken the Number Two market share position behind Hewlett-
Packard Co.
>> New LCD Technology Makes Debut <<
Polaroid Corp. and Motorola Inc. say they have developed a
holographic reflective material that can greatly improves the image
quality of liquid crystal displays (LCD) used in portable computers and
communications devices.
The companies note that their Imagix holographic reflector material
improves image brightness and contrast by a factor of two or three and
eliminates image degradation due to glare. They add that Imagix has the
extra advantage of giving LCDs the appearance of having an internal
source of illumination.
"We believe that this is a revolutionary technology for devices that
use liquid crystal displays and is an affordable feature in products
from watches to laptop computers," says Jeremy Jones, director of
Polaroid's industrial products group. "Several leading LCD
manufacturers, including Optrex, Seiko Epson, and Seiko Instruments,
have been qualified to incorporate this material into their displays."
>> Apple, AT&T Team on Video <<
Desktop video conferencing reportedly will be offered this summer by
a joint project of AT&T and Apple Computer.
Reports say that AT&T will offer the service using Apple's QuickTime
Conferencing, which lets users of Macintosh computers share information,
video and sound with other Macs.
Being able hold a video conference (or share documents) on a desktop
PC rather than a larger unit should make the much-hyped business grow
more rapidly -- and generate more income.
Dataquest multimedia analyst Kathy Klotz says desktop video
conferencing is expected to generate $276 million in revenue worldwide
this year, and will grow to $1.04 billion by 1998.
But watch out, Apple. Company is coming. Intel Corp. already has its
own desktop conferencing product, Proshare, which connects Windows-based
machines. MCI also offers desktop video conferencing.
>> Kasparov Beats the Computer <<
In a rematch in Germany, world chess champion Garry Kasparov regained
some respect in cyberspace this week by defeating the computer that beat
him in September.
The event, heavily promoted by Intel Corp., was held in the Cologne
studios of Westdeutsche Rundfunk, the regional radio and television
network.
Intel says its processor can analyze more than 100,000 positions per
second. Kasparov was under pressure in the first game but came back
after the computer, playing black, sacrificed a solid position to gain a
three-pawn advantage. The second game was a draw, giving Kasparov the
match victory.
Last September in London, Kasparov lost his first clash against the
program, called the Premium Chess Genius 2, then could do no better than
a draw in a second game. The loss eliminated him from the Intel World
Chess Grand Prix, which had a $160,000 grand prize.
In that match, humans held on to the bragging rights. The computer
later was defeated twice by India's Viswanathan Anand, who then lost in
a sudden-death playoff to Ukrainian Vassily Ivanchuk, another human.
_________________________________________
> Frankie's Corner STR Feature
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
The Kids' Computing Corner
--------------------------
Thinkin' Things Collection 2
Dual-format CD-ROM for IBM and Mac
ages six to twelve
estimated retail $42
Edmark
P.O. Box 3218
Redmond, WA 98073-3218
phone: 206-556-8484
IBM Requirements Mac Requirements
CPU: 386DX-25 CPU: Color Mac or higher
Graphics: 256-color VGA Graphics: 256 colors
Hard disk: 3 megs Hard disk: n/a
RAM: 4 megs Ram: 4 megs, 5 for SYS 7.5
OS: DOS OS: System 6.0.7
CD-rom: Double-speed CD-rom: Double-speed
Sound: MPC compatible sound card
Misc.: a microphone is recommended
By Frank Sereno
In volume 10, issue 51 of Silicon Times, I reviewed the floppy diskette
version of "Thinkin' Things Collection 2." I still consider it one of the
finer and more exciting educational programs that I have reviewed.
"Thinkin' Things 2" doesn't teach children by forcing them to memorize
facts. It instead teaches them how to learn and think by allowing the
children to explore fascinating musical and spatial environments.
TT2 has five activities. The Oranga Banga Band is an exploration of
three-part rhythm. The child can play a game in which he identifies the
band member doing a part in a song by the Oranga Band. The difficulty
level gradually grows with the child's abilities or can be set manually.
The child can also compose original music. These exercises will teach
children rhythm, to read and write rhythm patterns and also enhancing
auditory discrimination.
Toony's Tunes allows children to compose and save original songs on unique
xylophones. Toony also offers a memory game in which the child must
repeat the notes that Toony plays. Difficulty will again increase as the
child gains more skill. Toony's Tunes will aid the development of
auditory memory, listening skills and recognition of musical pitch.
Frippletration is concentration with a twist. Players can choose to play
with audio or visual clues to build auditory or visual memory and
discrimination. The game is for one or two players. The game will
progress from sixteen cards to thirty-six to sixty-four.
2-3D BLOX encourages three-dimensional visualization by having
children work with a variety of rotating 3-D objects. The child can use
the rudimentary painting tools to create artwork which will be instantly
mapped to the rotating shapes, create his own backdrops or he can use the
stock items. Children can make customized shapes by using a lathe tool.
Background music and text can be added to the 3-D masterpiece, which can
be saved for later viewing. The program even provides suggestions to aid
creative thought.
The final activity is Snake BLOX. This activity allows children to layer
background and foreground layers. This creates a perception of depth when
snakes are run under and over the various features. Many tools are
available to create background art. Numerous background music tracks can
be used to create a music video. The Ideas section includes many designs
that will fascinate and inspire the creativity in anyone. Masterpieces
can be saved for later viewing and editing. This activity will enhance
visual analysis and synthesis skills.
TT2 features wonderful graphics and excellent sound. The interface has
full audible help and verbal encouragement in the first three activities.
In the BLOX activities, the child will use the intuitive point-and-click
interface to the explore the many possibilities of creativity. TT2 will
entertain children (and adults) for many hours. The educational value is
excellent. Priced at approximately $40, TT2 offers an outstanding
combination of fun learning activities at a moderate price.
Thinkin' Things 2 CD-ROM has one enhancement over the diskette version of
the program. Edmark Vice President Donna Stanger, an award-winning
software designer, gives a video presentation to parents. The
presentation includes information on learning theories, the learning
objectives of each Thinkin' Things activity, and offers suggestions for
proper parental involvement in computer learning. The information is very
interesting and is beneficial to parent and child.
The diskette and CD-ROM versions have the same retail price. If your
system has a CD-ROM drive, I recommend getting the CD-ROM version. If you
already have the diskette version, contact Edmark for details on costs to
upgrade to the CD-ROM version.
Ratings
Graphics ........... 9.0
Sound .............. 9.5
Interface .......... 9.0
Play Value ......... 9.5
Educational Value ..10.0
Bang for the Buck .. 9.5
Average ............ 9.41
###
I would like to express my condolences to the victims of the Oklahoma City
terrorist attack.
To a small extent, all Americans are victims. The image of the United
States as a free, friendly and safe country has again been tarnished.
Over the past few years we have lost the freedom to walk the streets of
many neighborhoods after dark. In some cities, it is unsafe to sit on a
front stoop or to frolic in a playground in broad daylight. Children can
longer trust a stranger to be friendly. This attack makes it clear that
no one is totally safe anywhere.
An attack of this sort shows the evil and capriciousness of man. But let
us not give in to the fear and the evil. Keep in mind that most likely
only a handful of cowardly individuals were involved in this act of
terror. Instead, remember the hundreds of individuals who risked their
safety to rescue the injured at the site. That bravery and self-sacrifice
is much more typical of the nature of man. The good deeds of many do
outweigh the evil deeds of a few.
I would like remind everyone that there is one small sacrifice that most
of us can make that can be of great importance to others. If you are a
healthy adult, please consider becoming a blood donor. Donating blood
takes about one-half hour, but that contribution can aid several lives.
Most hospitals and trauma units constantly face blood shortages. Your
donation can mean the difference between life and death.
Thank you for reading.
______________________________________________________
> Office Companion STR InfoFile
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
COREL CORPORATION SHIPS COREL CD OFFICE COMPANION
=================================================
Includes extensive libraries, business utilities, plus Internet and fax
software
Ottawa, Canada--May 24, 1995-- Corel Corporation has begun shipping Corel
CD Office Companion for Windows 3.1 and 3.11. Featuring business
graphics, an Internet browser, fax communications, a Personal Information
Manager (PIM), multimedia utilities and system diagnostic software, plus
extensive font, clipart and reference libraries, Corel CD Office Companion
is positioned as the perfect complement to any office suite.
"Corel CD Office Companion is full of value-packed libraries and utilities
and will serve as an indispensable partner for everyone with an office
suite and a CD-ROM drive," said Dr. Michael Cowpland, president and chief
executive officer of Corel Corporation.
Available now, Corel CD Office Companion carries a suggested retail price
of $149 US/$199 CDN. Corporate license pricing is also available. For
further details, please contact Mark Abdelnour at TEL: 613-728-0826 x1668.
Corel CD Office Companion will also have a new technical support plan. For
additional information, see the support plan details that follow.
Corel CD Office Companion includes the following components:
------------------------------------------------------------
CorelFLOW 2.0
-------------
"Drag and Drop" business diagramming and flowcharting software that
features 2000 predefined symbols, more than 30 connector styles, direct
text and line editing, a customizable workspace and a built-in spell
checker.
Corel GALLERY 2
---------------
A powerful multimedia file manager, featuring 15,000 clipart images,
500 TrueType( fonts, 200 photos and 75 sound clips. Also included are
Corel CAPTURE, a flexible screen capture utility, and a TrueType( font
manager that allows for the manipulation of custom font groups.
Corel PLANNER
-------------
A Personal Information Manager that allows users to effortlessly
organize and track their contacts, appointments, to-do's, activities,
notes and more. It features daily, weekly, monthly and yearly planning
calendars, an integrated address book and contact manager, a dedicated
notes section, plus goal and expense tracking capabilities. Corel's PIM is
based on technology licensed from Time Systems Inc., of Phoenix, Arizona.
Time Systems, Inc. has 17 years of paper-based time management and two
years of electronic time management experience.
Corel BOOKCASE
--------------
Features electronic references including the Concise Columbia
Electronic Encyclopedia, Webster's II New Riverside Dictionary, The
Information Please( Almanac, The Information Please( Business Almanac, The
Information Please( Sports Almanac and Simpson's Contemporary Quotations.
Corel BOOKCASE is based on technology licensed from Inso Corporation of
Boston, Massachusetts. Inso is the leading provider of multilingual
software products that help people enhance the quality of their written
communications, provide them with access to information from authoritative
sources and make it easier for them to locate, retrieve and view
information, regardless of format or structure.
CorelFAX
--------
Fax communications software licensed from Mississauga-based 01
Communique Laboratory, Inc. It includes an integrated phone book and
allows users to fax directly from within any Windows application.
Highlights include delayed fax scheduling, the ability to send and receive
faxes in the background, normal and broadcast faxing, and more.
Corel Web Mosaic
----------------
A Genuine Mosaic World Wide Web browser based on technology licensed
from Spyglass, Inc. Features include built-in JPEG and GIF viewers,
direct support for AIFF and AU audio formats, and a hot list/history box
to keep track of users' favorite Web sites. Also includes the Internet
e-mail capabilities of Eudora licensed from QUALCOMM, Inc.
Additional utilities include:
-----------------------------
CD Audio: plays audio CDs on a standard CD-ROM drive.
CD Office Screen Saver: create your personal screen saver using your
favorite photos.
Wallpaper Flipper: changes your wallpaper automatically every time
you start Windows.
Wintune tm 2.0: System diagnostic software from the editors of
WINDOWS( Magazine.
WinDAT WAV File Editor: allows users to record and edit sound clips.
Corel CD Office Companion also features extensive libraries that include
the following:
15,000 clipart images from the Corel GALLERY 2 collection in CMX format.
500 TrueType( fonts from the Corel GALLERY 2 collection.
2000 symbols from the CorelFLOW 2 collection.
75 sound clips from the Corel GALLERY 2 collection.
200 BMP images for use as screen savers or in documents.
700 standard business form letters for a variety of business
correspondence needs.
New Technical Support Plan for Corel CD Office Companion:
---------------------------------------------------------
Corel will offer a free period of technical support on a toll line. This
warranty period is valid for 30 days after the customer places the first
technical support call. The toll line for Corel CD Office Companion
support is 1-407-333-1967. When the initial 30 days of free support have
expired, Corel offers the following options:
a new annual plan on a toll-free line for $99 US.
individual calls at $25 US/$30 CDN.
U.S. customers may call 1-900 896-8880 to access technical support
personnel at a charge of $2.00 per minute.
Corel Corporation
-----------------
Incorporated in 1985, Corel Corporation is recognized internationally as
an award-winning developer and marketer of PC graphics and SCSI software.
CorelDRAW, Corel's industry-leading graphics software, is available in
over 17 languages and has won over 200 international awards from major
trade publications. Corel ships its products through a network of more
than 160 distributors in 60 countries worldwide. Corel is traded on the
Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol: COS) and the NASDAQ--National Market
System (symbol: COSFF).
*CorelFLOW 2 module in Corel CD Office Companion includes all the
functionality of the standalone version of CorelFLOW, but has modified
clipart and photo libraries.
**Corel GALLERY 2 libraries included in Corel CD Office Companion have
been altered in comparison to the standalone version. Photos have been
changed and reduced and video clips have been removed.
All products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective companies. Corel is a registered trademark of Corel
Corporation. CorelDRAW, CorelFLOW and Corel GALLERY are trademarks of
Corel Corporation.
_____________________________________________
> Internet & CIS STR InfoFile TCP/IP & FTP Information
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
CONNECTING TO COMPUSERVE
USING A CIM PRODUCT
THROUGH THE INTERNET
So, you want to know how to login to CompuServe using a CIM product
through the Internet? Well, this is the file for you. It describes how
to login through a shell account and a TCP/IP connection. Some quick
definitions would probably be a good idea:
Shell Account:
A text-based account. This type of account is typically
accessed using a terminal emulation software package.
They login to an Internet host by providing a User ID
and password like they do when accessing CompuServe and
are usually presented with a command prompt that looks
like ">" or "$".
TCP/IP Connection:
A binary connection to the Internet. Those accessing
this type of account actually ARE an Internet Host - at
least for a short time. This type of connection is
established by using PPP, SLIP, or sometimes a direct
Ethernet connection. CompuServe's Internet Dialer and
WinSOCK are examples of this type of connection.
See the notes at the end of this document for some of the common
problems.
Shell Account
=============
Logging in through a shell account is the same in all versions of CIM
(WinCIM, DOSCIM, MacCIM, and OS2-CIM). The main requirements for
logging in through a shell account is an Internet Network script, and a
Dial Type of Manual. You can get the Internet Network script by
downloading the current scripts from the CSSCRIPTS area. The Manual
dial type is available in WinCIM 1.2, DOSCIM 2.2, MacCIM 2.4, and all
versions of OS2-CIM. It is possible to connect with earlier versions,
but it is much more difficult. Please upgrade to these
minimum versions before attempting this type of connection. It does not
appear to be possible to connect in this manner with CSNav.
1. Set the baud rate in the Connection settings to the baud rate that
you wish to receive information from CompuServe (300, 1200,
2400, 9600, or 14,400 - do NOT set it to any other baud rate - it
will confuse the Internet script).
2. Set the Network setting to "Internet"
3. Set the Dial Type to Manual and select OK to save these settings.
4. Select a GO command or other command that will connect you to
CompuServe - a Manual Connect window will open up.
5. Type any commands into the manual connect window that are necessary
to connect you to your Internet provider. (i.e.: "ATDT" followed by
the phone number to dial, type in your User ID, password, etc.).
6. Connect to CompuServe using the telnet protocol. Telnet must be
setup to disable the escape sequence, and establish a binary (8-bit)
connection. A binary connection is also sometimes called "character
mode"
In many cases, this is done by using the command
telnet -e "" compuserve.com
however, not all versions of telnet support these command line
parameters. You will need to check your local telnet documentation,
(on most systems this can be done by typing "man telnet" at a command
prompt) or contact the Administrator of your Internet provider for
details.
7. When you receive the CompuServe "HOST NAME:" prompt, select the
"Continue" button. The Internet script should take over and finish
the connection.
8. You should now be connected to CompuServe through the Internet.
TCP/IP Connection
=================
Establishing a connection to CompuServe using CIM using a TCP/IP
connection is a bit more complicated, and because every operating
system has a different way to communicate with this of connection, each
of the CIM versions has a different procedure. It is possible to
connect to CompuServe through the Internet with WinCIM, CSNav, OS2-CIM
and MacCIM, however, I know of no way to connect using a TCP/IP
connection using DOSCIM (if you find a way to do this, please let me
know).
WinCIM TCP/IP Connection
------------------------
Requirements:
* Version 1.4 or above of WinCIM. Earlier versions did not support
this type of connection directly. Those using earlier versions
can connect using a tool called ComT which is available in the
Internet Resources forum (GO INETRES). A description of how to
setup WinCIM for use with ComT is included in the ComT
documentation.
* An established Winsock compliant TCP/IP connection.
1. Install the Winsock software as described in the documentation and
establish a connection.
2. Set the baud rate in the Session settings to the baud rate that
you wish to receive information from CompuServe (300, 1200,
2400, 9600, or 14,400 - do NOT set it to any other baud rate - it
will confuse the Internet script).
3. Set the Network setting to "Internet"
4. For the Dial Type, select the "Direct" radio button.
5. For the Connector setting select "WINSOCK"
6. From the Connection Settings dialog select the "LAN..." button.
7. On the WinSock Setting dialog, place "compuserve.com" in the box
labeled "Host Name". Except for extraordinary situations, you
should not provide the Host IP Address. They may optionally set a
Connection Timeout.
8. Select the "OK" button on the WinSock Settings screen.
9. Select the "OK" button on the Session Settings screen.
10.WinCIM is now setup to access CompuServe through the Internet. Simply
select a GO command as if you were using a normal Modem connection.
CSNav TCP/IP Connection
------------------------
Requirements:
* Version 1.1 or above of CSNav. (Earlier versions MAY work by using
the same procedure for WinCIM listed above)
* An established Winsock compliant TCP/IP connection.
1. Install the Winsock software as described in the documentation and
establish a connection.
2. Set the baud rate in the Session settings to the baud rate that
you wish to receive information from CompuServe (300, 1200,
2400, 9600, or 14,400 - do NOT set it to any other baud rate - it
will confuse the Internet script).
3. Set the Network setting to "Internet"
4. For the Dial Type, select the "Direct" radio button.
5. For the Connector setting select "WINSOCK"
6. From the Connection Settings dialog select the "LAN..." button.
7. On the WinSock Setting dialog, place "compuserve.com" in the box
labled "Host Name". Except for extrordinary situations, the you
should not provide the Host IP Address. They may optionally set a
Connection Timeout.
8. Select the "OK" button on the WinSock Settings screen.
9. Select the "OK" button on the Session Settings screen.
10.CSNav is now setup to access CompuServe through the Internet. Simply
run a script as if you were using a normal Modem connection
MacCIM TCP/IP Connection
-------------------------
Requirements:
* Version 2.3.1 or above of MacCIM.
* A Macintosh Communications Toolbox tool installed for Telnet
connections.
* An established TCP/IP connection (usually using MacTCP).
NOTE: The only tool that I am currently aware of and have tested
with MacCIM is the TCPack Demo which is available in the
MacCIM Support Forum.
1. Install the Telnet tool in your Extensions folder by dragging it to
the System Folder.
2. Set the baud rate in the Connection settings to the baud rate that
you wish to receive information from CompuServe (300, 1200,
2400, 9600, or 14,400 - do NOT set it to any other baud rate - it
will confuse the Internet script).
3. Set the Network setting to "Internet"
4. From the "Port" pulldown, select a telnet tool from the list.
5. Select the "Configure" button in the lower right-hand corner of the
Connection Settings dialog. This will bring up the telnet tool's
settings.
6. Configure the telnet tool for a connection to "compuserve.com", and
establish a binary (8-bit) connection, and disable escape sequences.
Then select "OK" to save the telnet settings.
7. Select "OK" on the Connection Settings screen to save these settings.
8. Select a GO command or other command that will connect you to
CompuServe.
9. The telnet tool should connect you to CompuServe, and the Internet
script will log you into CompuServe.
CIM for OS/2 TCP/IP Connection
------------------------------
Requirements:
* Version 2.0 or above of CIM for OS/2.
* Ray Gwinn's comm drivers for OS/2 with Vmodem. Current versions
of this driver are available in the SIO Support section of the
OS/2 B Vendor Forum (GO OS2BVEN).
* IBM's TCP/IP (for OS/2) version 2.0 with August 1994 CSD applied,
or the IBM Internet Access Kit (IAK) supplied with OS/2 Warp.
1. Install the SIO drivers as specified in the included SIO User's Guide
(SIOUSER.TXT). When setup for use with the Internet, this will create
a virtual modem on one or more commport. Questions about
installation should be referred to the SIO Support section of the
OS/2 B Vendor Forum.
2. Set the baud rate in the Session settings to the baud rate that
you wish to receive information from CompuServe (300, 1200,
2400, 9600, or 14,400 - do NOT set it to any other baud rate - it
will confuse the Internet script).
3. Set the Network setting to "Internet"
4. For the Connector setting, select one of the virtual modem ports
that were setup during the installation of the SIO driver. This
will usually be COM3 or COM4.
5. For the Phone number, enter " compuserve.com" (without the quotes).
The space before "compuserve.com" IS important.
6. Select the "Modem..." button.
7. On the Modem Control Strings screen place
ATZ^M
in the Initialize string box.
8. Select the "OK" button on the Modem Settings screen.
9. Select the "OK" button on the Session Settings screen.
10.Establish the TCP/IP connection using the Dialer included with the
Internet Access Kit, or IBM's TCP/IP package. Questions on how to do
this should be referred to the OS/2 Support Forum (GO OS2SUP) or
the Internet Resources forum (GO INETRES).
11.From an OS/2 Command Prompt, startup the VMODEM program. This is a
background program that controls the redirection to the Internet, and
displays status information.
12.WinCIM is now setup to access CompuServe through the Internet. To
Simply
select a GO command as if you were using a normal Modem connection
NOTES
=====
If you receive the error "Unable to Establish Protocol", chances are
that a binary (8-bit) connection is not being established, or escape
sequences are not being disabled.
The default telnet connection is 7-bit, and some versions of telnet do
not have an option to create an 8-bit connection. You will need to
check your documentation and make sure that you can establish an 8-bit
(also known as "character mode") connection to CompuServe.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a tool for transferring files
on the Internet.
FTP uses a standard protocol for file transfer so that you can
exchange files between two computers, no matter their make and type. You
can use FTP to receive files from a remote system or to send files to
remote computers from your desktop.
When using the Internet, you are using a completely different
physical network than the CompuServe network. The CompuServe network is
centralized and uniformly managed. The Internet is maintained
independently at thousands of sites around the world. The reliability,
availability and performance of resources accessed via the Internet are
beyond CompuServe's control and are not warranted or supported by
CompuServe in any way. If many people access a site at the same time,
performance will deteriorate. Be prepared to wait for the remote system
to respond to your requests if you are using it during periods of peak
demand.
While you may use any version of the CompuServe Information Manager
interface to access FTP you will need WinCIM V1.3 or higher, or MacCIM
V2.4 or higher to see the iconic buttons. WinCIM 1.4 and MacCIM 3.0 (when
available) are recommended. Be sure that the "show graphic menus" option
is enabled in the SPECIAL PREFERENCES menu of your CIM software.
This option is enabled by default.
To use this service GO FTP and enter the name of the site you wish to
access or choose from one of the sites on the menu. Once you discover
files you want to download, just mark the box next to the file name. When
you have marked all the files you want to download in one specific
directory, select the download button. You will be prompted for the
location on your own computer where the files will be stored.
_______________________________________
> BLIND FANATICS?? STR Spotlight Destroying Your Constitutional Rights
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
THE DEATH OF THE FOURTH AMENDMENT
=================================
EXCLUSIONARY REFORM ACT OF 1995
HOUSE BILL # 666
"LAWMAKING AT ITS VERY WORST!"
by Ralph F. Mariano
Friends, how deeply horrified were you when you watched the
historical motion picture accounts; "The Holocaust" and "Schindler's
List"?? Did you find it particularly upsetting to see those Gestapo
(German Police) THUGS crashing and busting their way into people's homes
with little or no respect for the rights of the inhabitants and owners of
those homes? How about the way in which the possessions of those folks
was blatantly stolen and liquidated by either the authorities or the
individual officers with impunity?
Well now, then you might agree that the founders of this country had
a good deal more "on the ball" than the simple times they lived in. You
see, they too, were experiencing the very same type of treatment at the
hands of the King of England's Men. Throughout the Colonies the British
Troops would do the same thing in "handling the tax evading colonists".
While they didn't have the concentration camps with their ever present
ovens or gas chambers the Nazi's will long be remembered for, the British
Soldiers wantonly killed any colonist as a rebel for objecting to any type
of unlawful search and/or seizure. Another outrage of the time was
"forced billeting". The Brits would actually force a colonist to take a
number of troops into his/her home to live without compensation to the
colonist.
I swore to myself some time ago that I would not get all fired up
over wacky politics. But I gotta tell you this one is one very dangerous
and sinister package that's being rammed through the House and Senate by
the "Egomaniacal, Ultra Conservative" action group within our respected
law-making bodies of government. Its the name OF THIS BILL.. It is so
innocent sounding its almost impossible to believe just how dangerous it
really is.
Its called "EXCLUSIONARY REFORM ACT OF 1995" - HOUSE BILL # 666
Imagine that! The House Bill number is ironically the same as the
"Mark of the BEAST"! Yes sir, this bill is at the heart of a very serious
effort on the part of the "fanatics left in office" following the recent
elections. Could it be they are paying the nation back for having voted
OUT all their "good buddies" thus effectively neutralizing the democratic
grip on the country and its affairs? Folks, if you treasure your family
home and its security, make certain you ring the alarm bells in your
Congress Critter's and Senate Thumper's offices. Let them know loudly and
clearly that this HR 666 belongs in the trash! While at the same time
reminding them that you are a registered voter.
This Bill gives law enforcement officials of every level unilaterally
unbridled Search and Seizure Powers. No more having to answer to a court
judge, no more having to justify a search warrant before its issued, no
more search warrants and no more curtailment of illegally obtained
"evidence" that can be ruled inadmissable to possibly protect the
innocent. Can you see it now?? We have seen the horror stories many
times before but now.. if this bill passes, the horror stories are going
to become far more plentiful and serious. Just this past week the train
cops in NYC had to "apologize" for wrongfully detaining and searching a
passenger, because the passenger fit a "predesigned profile". Can you
imagine the abuse when there are no laws to slow down these abuses? One
can almost hear it now... "Vere iz you paperz?? Paperz pleaze!! Being
spoken loudly across America because of this crazed HR Bill # 666 and
Exon's misguided campaign. Save and preserve the power of the Fourth
Amendment. While its not perfect now, the direction Exon wants to take
this country in is straight to hell in a hand basket. Please don't let it
happen. Not so much for us.. but for our successors in generations yet to
come. They do not deserve this fetid can of Exon worms.
This so-called, self righteous, "Clean up the Internet" campaign
being led by Jim Exon Dem. Nebraska, is an absolute outrage that's easily
comparable to almost every injustice perpetrated upon entire populations
from The Inquisitions to The Nazi Pillages and Slaughter of Europe. If
this bill, HR #666, along with Exon's that literally GUTS the Fourth
Amendment Passes... Sen Exon's name along with his "pack" will long be
remembered along with many other infamous names in the history of the
persecuted and downtrodden members of mankind. If I'm not mistaken, part
of the oath of office these "elected officials mutter and stutter" is to
uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Why
are these same officials trying so hard to destroy the very foundations of
our Great Nation? The Bill of Rights and The Constitution! Exon and his
crew may not be aware of this, but the Internet is, without a doubt, the
most powerful form of super fast communications the world has ever known.
We need each and every citizen of this country that's truly concerned
about protecting the Bill of Rights, The Constitution and the Spirit of
the Law the way our Founding Fathers intended it to be to make themselves
loudly heard. This business of giving the Government, Federal, State, and
Local complete and unmitigated police powers of search and seizure is
rediculous. There is no National Emergency! If there were, the President
could easily declare Marshal Law and bring in the Military.
These self-appointed "patriots" seemingly want to tear down not only
the Internet and its communicative freedoms, but the basic foundations of
our country through overbearing, Human Rights clobbering legislation. In
so doing, they will simultaneously cripple the US Constitution and your
rights as citizen of this country. No longer will our citizenship be
something to be proud of. Sen. Exon's name will be very easy to remember
at the ballot box. His name reminds one of another recent disaster of
monstrous proportions. Valdez, Alaska.. Where another "Exxon" was
directly involved in an equally grotesque exercise in horror.
The good Senator Exon ought to put as much, if not more of his
zealot-like energy into CLEANING THEIR OWN HOUSE & SENATE! Exon should be
busy trying to nail PACKWOOD for abusing and molesting the women who have
to work there for a living. Exon ought to remember that those women
violated by Packwood were all housewives and/or mothers. He should be
busy persuing the creeps that siphoned off millions from the Congressional
Post Office. Why is it that Old, "Danny Boy" Rostenkowsie <sp> is
seemingly OFF the HOOK??? If John Q. Public were to pull some of the
stunts Dan and his buddies are/were accused of they'd put the poor slob
UNDER the JAIL. Yet Rostenkowskie and his gang WALK and they all do so
with a BIG FAT GOVERNMENT PENSION that we are all paying for.
This being Memorial Day Weekend... a time when the Nation is
remembering, praying for and paying homage to the millions of GI's who
valiantly gave their lives in defense of this Nation's lofty Principles
and Its Constitution. A Constitution that, at one time or another, has
been the envy of every other nation on Earth... It is most fitting on
this holiday to point out a few of the less than responsible actions
undertaken by elected officials in our government who are trying to ruin
this country and its freedoms by destroying its constitution. Instead,
they should be defending it as they swore to in their oath. Stop them
from trying to steal away your freedom in the name of "Justice". Certainly
its not "Justice for All". More like; "Injustice for All"! God help us
if they should succeed!
___________________________________
> THE WEB & CIS STR Spotlight
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
H O M E P A G E S
F O R
C O M P U S U R F E R S
April 28, 1995
by Benoit Marchal [100345,354]
Keywords: homepage html page publishing url web www
Now that CompuServe offers full Internet access, including the World Wide
Web (WWW), more subscribers want to setup their own homepage and publish
information to the ever growing Internet community.
It is not really difficult to have your own page on the Web if you know
the rules of the game. With surprisingly little investment you can achieve
a real nice looking result.
There are plenty of good reasons to publish on the Internet. Whether to
promote your business, your local association, or just for fun.
It takes a book to cover Web publishing completely. In this introduction
paper I'll show you where to start and point you to more information.
Think of this paper as a road-map, I don't intend to cover every aspect of
Web publishing but to provide enough guidance to get you on the right
track.
This paper was written for CompuServe users and covers Internet access
from CompuServe.
Currently all the Internet services available from CompuServe are clients,
i.e. you access the Internet from CompuServe but you cannot publish.
Theoretically you could install a server on your own computer and make it
accessible through the PPP connection but it requires being on-line a 24
hours/day and believe me, at $1.95/hour, you don't want to do that. Beside
CIS assigns you a different address each time you log in.
Probably one day CompuServe will rent Web space but in the meantime you'll
have to go with another presence provider. CIS has all the tools you need
to install and maintain your homepage on a third party system though.
Here are the five steps to successfully setup a page:
1. practice Internet access;
2. surf the Web;
3. write your page;
4. sign with a presence provider on Internet;
5. advertise your page.
1. Practice Internet Access
CIS offers two forms of access to the Internet. Its Internet Made
Easy(sm) program wraps selected Internet applications under the familiar
CIM interface while All the Internet, All the Time(sm) offers direct
connection to the Internet.
With the exception of email, all the services available as part of
Internet Made Easy are also available through the direct connection with
appropriate software. At the time of writing, Web browsing is available
through the direct connection only.
All Internet services on CIS are available by GOing INTERNET.
To setup and maintain your homepage you will use at least a Web browser,
FTP and email. I suggest you become familiar with at least those services
before going any further. It is not a bad idea to try other Internet
applications like Telnet, Usenet, Gopher, IRC, etc.
You can receive guidance on all aspects of Internet in the Internet New
Users forum (GO INETFORUM).
1.1. Web Browser
Currently the WWW is available only through the direct connection.
It does not really matter which Web browser you use but it is one of the
primary tool of a Web author. So I encourage you to spend enough time
learning how it works. You will use it to surf the Internet and to test
your homepage.
Apart from normal Web surfing try the following options:
- load a page from disk (all Web browsers support this);
- display source code and/or save it to disk. Some older
browsers may not support this. Although not required, it is
a nice feature to have. By the way to save source code with
SPRY Mosaic (part of the free Internet Launcher toolkit),
select File|Document Source... and then File|Save As from
the source code window.
In general, it will save you money if you learn how to view documents
off-line.
1.2. FTP
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is Internet standard application to exchange
files between computers. You will use it to upload your page to your
presence provider. From CIM, GO FTP.
1.3. Email
CompuServe mail has a gateway to the Internet.
Use this format to send mail to Internet users:
internet:user@domain
For example, my address on another system is
<benoit.marchal@ping.be>, from CIS it translates into:
internet:benoit.marchal@ping.be
Your CompuServe address for Internet users is:
userid@compuserve.com
where you replace the coma with a dot.
E.g. my CompuServe address [100345,354] becomes
<100345.354@compuserve.com> on the Internet. Mind the dot!
Internet mail is surcharged (i.e. you pay to read it), make sure
you accept surcharged mail.
It is a good idea to leave your email address on your homepage
for visitors to comment.
Also some presence providers accept pages sent by email.
2. Surf the Web
The best place to learn about the Web is the Web itself. Visit as many
pages as possible to find ideas on how to present your information,
practice with indexes and meta-indexes like Aliweb (Archie-like Indexing
for the Web) available at:
http://web.nexor.co.uk/aliweb/doc/aliweb.html, EINet Galaxy
(http://www.einet.net/galaxy.html) and Yahoo
(http://akebono.stanford.edu/yahoo/welcome.html).
Try to find pages with interests similar to yours, you will link to them
from your page. Also some sites maintain lists of related resources. Most
will be happy to link to your page once it is available.
It is also a good time to start learning HMTL and URLs (Cf. section 3).
Don't be shy and whenever you see a nice looking page, view the code (if
your browser supports it) or even better save it to disk for later
examination. Try to understand how a particular effect is achieved.
It is best to record your discoveries in a notebook. Write down
interesting addresses, source code, etc. Record as much information as
possible, you will need these notes later.
If you are a regular user of Internet services on CIS, you may want to
join the Internet Club for reduced access rates. If you surf more than 9
hours/month, the Internet Club will save you money.
To join The Internet Club GO INTERNET and choose Special Pricing - The
Internet Club.
3. Write your Page
Now it is time to write your own page.
Web pages are written in HTML (HyperText Markup Language) which is an
application of SGML. HTML files are text files so you can create them with
any word processor which saves as ASCII. Windows Notepad suffices.
Familiarize yourself with URL, a scheme to write addresses on the Web.
Some knowledge of graphics file format (at least GIF) also helps.
HTML is really easy to use. You simply mark elements in your text as being
of a given type. As an illustration here is a very small page.
<HTML>
<HEAD><TITLE>Simple page</TITLE></HEAD>
<BODY>
This <EM>minimal</EM> example takes you to <A
HREF="http://www.ping.be/~ping0049">my homepage</A>.
</BODY>
</HTML>
<EM> and </EM> which surround the word 'minimal' mark it as emphasized.
Typically, 'minimal' will be italicized by Web browsers.
<A ...> and </A> mark 'my homepage' as an hyperlink, i.e. a link to
another document. HREF specify its address in the form of an URL.
Similarly, the whole document is surrounded with <HTML> and </HTML> to
mark it as an HTML document. Easy isn't it? All you do is recognize
elements in your text and mark them accordingly. HTML specifies valid tags
and their relationships.
You can copy this simple page into another file and open it with your
browser. Note: some browser determines the type of a file based on their
extension, they will only recognize an HTML file if it has the .htm or
.html extension.
For a comprehensive introduction to HTML refer to
http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimer.html.
A guide of good practice is also available from
http://www.willamette.edu/html-composition/strict-html.html.
A guide to URLs is available from
http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/demoweb/url-primer.html.
Also check
http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/Provider/Overview.html for
general information on Web documents.
For more on SGML, refer to my article at
http://www.ping.be/~ping0049/sgml.html.
You can preview your page as you write it with the Open Local File feature
of your browser. It is a good idea to download at least another Web
browser to further test your page.
Remember you can start writing your page even before you have an account
with an Internet provider but it is not a good idea to wait too long
before putting it on-line. You'll learn a lot from early visitor comments
so it is best to put your page on-line as soon as possible and later
improve it.
Try to organize your page for easy and convenient access to information
but don't worry if your first attempt doesn't look great, things will
improve with time and practice. Don't wait until you have something
perfect! Unlike traditional publishing, Web publishing is real fast. It
takes only a few minutes to replace an obsolete document so don't be shy
and publish as soon as possible.
It is a good practice to state clearly when your page is still under
development and to date it as an help to potential visitors.
If you write many pages download a specialized editor like HoTMetaL, Web
Assistant or Microsoft Internet Assistant. Browse the Internet Resources
forum libraries (GO INETRES).
Although it is fun to write your page yourself, you can also request help
from a specialized writer. I (and others) can help you writing Web pages.
4. Sign with a Presence Provider on Internet
You first homepage is now ready. It's time to put it on the
Internet.
Basically you have three solutions to obtain Web space:
- you can sign with an access provider which include Web space
in its package;
- you can sign with a presence provider. Unlike access
providers, presence providers only rent Web space (sometimes
FTP and gopher too). You use CompuServe Internet access to
maintain your page. Since they focus solely on Web publishing
these sites are usually cheaper and/or deliver better
services. There's a list of presence providers at
http://union.ncsa.uiuc.edu/HyperNews/get/www/leasing.html;
- you can upload your page to the HomePage Provider which is
free. HPP is at http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu//HomePage.
As you can expect from a free service, the site is overcrowded
but it is perfect for early testing.
When selecting a presence provider test it: try to connect at various time
of the day and night (this is global networking, daytime for you is night
for another user). Try to contact current users and find how active is the
site. Remember a page nobody access is useless.
The best choice depends on your page, the level of service you expect and
how much you are willing to pay for it. E.g. some systems offer additional
services like FTP server, mailing list server, etc. Others are cheap but
sells limited space. Be careful with some real cheap offers: with some
provider you pay to update your page or you pay per access! This can be
really costly in the long run.
5. Advertise your Page
Once your page is ready and running, advertise it. You want others to find
it. Here are some techniques:
- add your homepage URL to your signature;
- add your page to indexes and meta-indexes;
- visit those places in your notebook which relate to your page
and see if you can't have a link added;
- always remember to be polite when people comment your page. I
know it has been hard work but others have the right to
criticize. Listen to them, they may have a point.
You will find more at:
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/users/gdr11/publish.html.
Above everything experiment and have fun!
As always I welcome comments and suggestions on this paper.
---------
(C)opyright 1995, Benoit Marchal. You may freely redistribute this
document in any form for educational and non-profit purposes provided you
retain this copyright.
Benoit Marchal is a computer scientist and freelance writer specialized in
technology-related matters. Ben can be contacted on CompuServe at
100345,354. His homepage is at http://www.ping.be/~ping0049.
_______________________________
> SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT! STR Spotlight
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
PURPOSE AND OPERATION
OF THE
REGISTRATION WIZARD
A recent trade publication article contained inaccuracies regarding
the purpose and operation of the Registration Wizard, the on-line
registration application in Windows 95. The purpose of the Registration
Wizard is to offer an electronic version of the paper-based Registration
Card that traditionally comes with all Microsoft products.
The Registration Wizard asks for similar information to that listed
in the paper-based registration card, such as your hardware configuration
and applications usage. Just like with a traditional registration card,
providing this information is optional.
A customer using the Registration Wizard receives dialog prompts
asking them whether they would like to send this information. They must
actively click 'send' for any information to be sent.
There are lots of benefits to customers that provide this information -
such as product update mailings and improved product support because the
product support engineer can refer to your exact system configuration
information on-line. In the end, though, sending this information is
optional and a conscious decision by the user.
Microsoft traditionally does not make information gathered during the
registration process available to third-parties. If the customer chooses
to send system and software information to Microsoft with the Registration
Wizard, it is a one-way, one-time occurrence and takes place at the time
the customer selects 'send.'
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
A T T E N T I O N -- A T T E N T I O N -- A T T E N T I O N
FARGO PRIMERA PRO COLOR PRINTERS - 600DPI
For a limited time only; If you wish to have a FREE sample printout sent
to you that demonstrates FARGO Primera & Primera Pro SUPERIOR QUALITY
600dpi 24 bit Photo Realistic Color Output, please send a Self Addressed
Stamped Envelope [SASE] (business sized envelope please) to:
STReport's Fargo Printout Offer
P.O. Box 6672
Jacksonville, Florida 32205-6155
Folks, the FARGO Primera Pro has GOT to be the best yet. Its far superior
to the newest of Color Laser Printers selling for more than three times as
much. Its said that ONE Picture is worth a thousand words. Send for this
sample now. Guaranteed you will be amazed at the superb quality. (please,
allow at least a one week turn-around)
A T T E N T I O N -- A T T E N T I O N -- A T T E N T I O N
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
___ ___ _____ _______
/___| /___| /_____| /_______/
/____|/____| /__/|__| /__/
/_____|_____|/__/_|__|/__/
/__/|____/|__|________|__/
/__/ |___/ |__|_/ |__|_/_____
/__/ |__/ |__|/ |__|______/
________________________________________
/_______________________________________/
MAC/APPLE SECTION (II)
======================
John Deegan, Editor (Temp)
> Creative Technology NEWS STR InfoFile
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Creative Announces Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x
Best Selling Educational Kit is Upgraded to Include
Quad-Speed CD-ROM Technology
SINGAPORE -- May 23, 1995 -- Creative Technology Ltd. (Nasdaq: CREAF)
today announced Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x, the most recent
addition to its expanding line of best-selling quad-speed multimedia kits.
Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x takes the highly successful Digital
Schoolhouse multimedia kit and combines it with leading edge quad-speed
CD-ROM technology. The consumer can now find industry standard Sound
Blaster audio, plus quad-speed access to information and the strongest
collection of educational titles available in the upgrade kit marketplace.
Creative has included targeted educational software titles with
value-added technology to offer the most to the home multimedia market.
Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x will be available at retail outlets
in June for a projected price of $349.
"Creative is committed to the introduction of new multimedia products that
incorporate the most recent advancements in technology and address the
needs of the family multimedia market segment," said Arnold Waldstein,
vice president of U.S. software and product marketing for Creative Labs,
Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Creative Technology. "Sound Blaster Digital
Schoolhouse offers families an ideal multimedia solution, combining the
most trusted brand name in multimedia, the latest in CD-ROM technology and
a Sound Blaster compatible library of educational titles. This product
represents a great value for the home computer user."
Features of Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x
------------------------------------------------
Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x includes Creative's quad-speed IDE
CD-ROM drive, a wave table upgradeable Sound Blaster 16 audio card and
stereo speakers, along with software titles from leading publishers. The
quad-speed drive provides a 600KB per second transfer rate, a better-than
250ms access rate and compatibility with the Kodak Photo CD. Its IDE
interface is best suited to handle the high-speed transfer rates of
quad-speed drives and allows users to obtain optimum performance of
software titles. In addition, the kit's Sound Blaster 16 card provides CD
quality stereo sampling and playback and is upgradeable to wave table
synthesis for real instrument sounds and digital sound effects.
Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x's high-value software bundle features
six audio utility programs from Creative and the following educational
titles:
T/Maker's Four Footed Friends
T/Maker's Stradiwackius
Davidson and Associates' Spell It 3
Davidson and Associates' The Cruncher
Davidson and Associates' Kid Works 2
Electronic Arts' Peter Pan: A Story Painting Adventure
Electronic Arts' Scooter's Magic Castle
Electronic Arts' Eagle Eye Mysteries: The Original
Electronic Arts' Eagle Eye Mysteries In London
Grolier Electronic Publishing's Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia
Knowledge Adventure's Speed
Opcode Systems' Allie's Playhouse
"Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x is perfect for parents who want to
turn their computer into a multimedia school room to enhance their child's
learning experience," said Kim Federico, product marketing manager,
multimedia kits for Creative Labs, Inc. "With this entertaining
interactive environment, children of various ages can develop early
computer skills while mastering subjects such as spelling, math, reading,
history and science."
Creative's growing quad-speed multimedia kit line now includes Sound
Blaster Multimedia Home 4x, Sound Blaster Discovery CD 4x, Digital
Schoolhouse 4x and Blaster CD 4x. From the full-featured Multimedia Home
4x edutainment and productivity kit to the entry level Blaster CD 4x
CD-ROM upgrade kit, Creative's quad-speed line serves a broad spectrum of
consumer needs and interests.
ShareVision Mac3000 and ShareVision Mac300 Expand
Creative's Communications Family of Products
New Macintosh-Based Products Are Only To Offer Mac to PC
Video Conferencing Over Regular Phone Lines
SINGAPORE -- May 2, 1995 -- Creative Technology Ltd. (Nasdaq:CREAF) today
introduced ShareVision Mac3000 and ShareVision Mac300, the only desktop
video conferencing products to support cross-platform connectivity between
Macintosh and PC computers over a regular telephone line. ShareVision
Mac3000 is a complete desktop video conferencing solution for AV Macintosh
model users, providing simultaneous video, voice, application sharing,
file transfers and interactive Whiteboards. ShareVision Mac300 is a cost-
effective alternative for AV users who already own a video camera. In
June, ShareVision Mac3000 and ShareVision Mac300 will be available from
retailers and value added resellers (VARs) for an approximate price of
$1,149 and $749 respectively.
"Creative continues its role as an industry leader by offering the only
POTS-based (Plain Old Telephone System) cross-platform product on the
market," said Rich Sorkin, vice president, communications and business
products for Creative Labs, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Creative
Technology, Ltd. "With ShareVision Mac3000 and ShareVision Mac300,
Creative has extended its communications family to meet increasing
consumer demand for a cross-platform solution. These products demonstrate
Creative's ongoing commitment to providing productivity tools that fit the
needs of both SOHO (small office/home office) and corporate users."
ShareVision Mac3000 and ShareVision Mac300 provide simultaneous voice,
video and data communications over one regular telephone line, when used
with the Power Macintosh 7100 AV or 8100 AV or the Macintosh Quadra 840
AV. ShareVision Mac300 can also provide simultaneous voice and data
functions when installed in any 68030 (or faster) Macintosh computer.
ShareVision Mac3000 and ShareVision Mac300 include the NuBus ShareVision
Mac Communication Card, an external V.34 28.8K bits per second data/fax
modem, ShareVision software, a hands-free audio headset and all the
necessary cables. In addition, ShareVision Mac3000 also includes a color
video camera with stand. ShareVision Mac3000 and ShareVision Mac300 allow
users to share applications and collaborate on documents, even if the
application software is installed on only one user's system. For example,
both users can edit documents in word processing, data management,
spreadsheet, presentation or graphics programs in real time through an
analog telephone connection. Users can also concurrently annotate
documents or full-color snapshots using the built-in Whiteboard.
ShareVision products are programmable and upgradeable, enabling users to
take advantage of emerging standards.
"We're looking forward to selling the ShareVision Mac3000 and Mac300
products," said Jay Cohn, president of Vision Technology, a Northern
California reseller specializing in desktop video conferencing. "We've
been successful with both the ShareVision products for the PC, and the
previous generation of ShareVision products for the Mac, ShareView. Our
clients are anxious to upgrade to the cross-platform video, voice and
whiteboard capabilities of the Mac3000."
Creative introduced the first desktop video conferencing products for the
Macintosh computer, ShareView 3000 and ShareView 300, in 1993. In 1994,
Creative unveiled its two PC-based products, ShareVision PC3000 and
ShareVision PC300. Since this introduction, these Macintosh and PC-based
products have been adopted by a wide range of users, including those in
federal agencies, universities, multinational corporations, product and
packaging design firms, creative services agencies and law firms. In
addition, ShareVision PC3000 has received numerous awards for excellence,
including the Winter Consumer Electronics Show's Innovations '95 Award,
Germany's CeBit Innovation '95 Award and France Telecom's Innovation '95
"Best Multimedia Product" Award, among others.
Creative Labs Launches Wave Blaster II-GamePak
and Blaster CD 4x At E3
New Products Expand Family of Wave Table Synthesis
and Quad-Speed CD-ROM Offerings
LOS ANGELES -- May 11, 1995 -- Creative Labs, Inc., the U.S. sales and
marketing subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd., today unveiled Wave
Blaster II-GamePak and Blaster CD 4x at E3 (Electronic Entertainment
Expo). Wave Blaster II-GamePak extends Creative's family of wave table
products, providing Sound Blaster 16 upgradeable audio card users with the
next generation of Sound Blaster audio technology. The product also
includes four wave table ready games on a single CD-ROM. Blaster CD 4x is
an entry level addition to Creative's growing quad-speed line of
multimedia kits, offering consumers an opportunity to upgrade to the
latest CD-ROM technology for an attractive price. It also features
Grolier Electronic Publishing's award-winning encyclopedia. Consumers
will be able to find Wave Blaster II-GamePak in June, and Blaster CD 4x in
May, at retail outlets for projected prices of $129.99 and $219.99,
respectively.
"Creative's Sound Blaster standard has played a key role in the
electronic entertainment industry and we will further extend that standard
to continually enhance consumers' multimedia experience with innovative
products," said W.H. Sim, chairman and CEO of Creative Technology. "With
Wave Blaster II-GamePak's high performance wave table synthesis
capabilities, users who already own an upgradeable Sound Blaster 16 card
can incorporate the next generation of Sound Blaster audio technology into
their PC. Blaster CD 4x, our entry level quad-speed CD-ROM kit, is
another example of Creative's dedication to offering a full range of
multimedia solutions."
Features of Wave Blaster II-GamePak
-----------------------------------
Wave Blaster II-GamePak is a solution for PC gamers and multimedia
enthusiasts who want to upgrade their 16-bit sound card for real
instrument sounds and digital sound effects. In addition, it includes
GamePak, a single CD-ROM with four interactive wave-table titles,
featuring:
id Software Inc.'s Doom, Episode 1
Interplay( Productions, Inc.'s Descent Destination Saturn
id Software Inc.'s Heretic, Episode 1
Blizzard Entertainment's WarCraft, Special Edition.
Wave Blaster II is a General MIDI, wave-table synthesis daughterboard for
Creative's upgradeable line of Sound Blaster 16 audio cards. It uses E-mu
Systems' patented digital sample playback synthesis to provide 128 real
instrument sounds, 10 drum kits and 46 sound effects in 2MB of ROM. Wave
Blaster II incorporates 32-note, 16 channel polyphony; supports General
MIDI, Sound Canvas and MT-32 standards; and offers chorus, reverb and
Q-Sound. For serious musicians, Wave Blaster II can also be connected to
Creative's award-winning Sound Blaster AWE32 for 64 note polyphony,
allowing users to create rich orchestration with 64 simultaneous voices.
Features of Blaster CD 4x
-------------------------
Blaster CD 4x is a cost-effective way for consumers to upgrade to
quad-speed CD-ROM technology for enhanced software performance. Blaster
CD 4x's quad-speed CD-ROM drive includes an IDE interface card, enabling
it to run on systems with or without audio boards. The drive has a 600KB
per second transfer rate and a better than 250ms access time; and it is
multi-session, Kodak Photo CD-compatible. In addition, Blaster CD 4x also
features The Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia from Grolier Electronic
Publishing.
"Both Wave Blaster II-GamePak and Blaster CD 4x demonstrate Creative's
responsiveness to consumers and our commitment to providing leading-edge
technology," said Arnold Waldstein, vice president of U.S. software and
product marketing for Creative Labs, Inc. "Wave Blaster II-GamePak brings
consumers an upgrade option with all the advantages of Sound Blaster and
advanced wave effects, while Blaster CD 4x provides PC users with a way to
add high performance quad-speed CD-ROM technology to their systems for an
entry-level price."
Creative Announces Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x
Best Selling Educational Kit is Upgraded to Include
Quad-Speed CD-ROM Technology
SINGAPORE -- May 23, 1995 -- Creative Technology Ltd. (Nasdaq: CREAF)
today announced Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x, the most recent
addition to its expanding line of best-selling quad-speed multimedia kits.
Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x takes the highly successful Digital
Schoolhouse multimedia kit and combines it with leading edge quad-speed
CD-ROM technology. The consumer can now find industry standard Sound
Blaster audio, plus quad-speed access to information and the strongest
collection of educational titles available in the upgrade kit marketplace.
Creative has included targeted educational software titles with
value-added technology to offer the most to the home multimedia market.
Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x will be available at retail outlets
in June for a projected price of $349.
"Creative is committed to the introduction of new multimedia products that
incorporate the most recent advancements in technology and address the
needs of the family multimedia market segment," said Arnold Waldstein,
vice president of U.S. software and product marketing for Creative Labs,
Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Creative Technology. "Sound Blaster Digital
Schoolhouse offers families an ideal multimedia solution, combining the
most trusted brand name in multimedia, the latest in CD-ROM technology and
a Sound Blaster compatible library of educational titles. This product
represents a great value for the home computer user."
Features of Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x
------------------------------------------------
Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x includes Creative's quad-speed IDE
CD-ROM drive, a wave table upgradeable Sound Blaster 16 audio card and
stereo speakers, along with software titles from leading publishers. The
quad-speed drive provides a 600KB per second transfer rate, a better-than
250ms access rate and compatibility with the Kodak Photo CD. Its IDE
interface is best suited to handle the high-speed transfer rates of
quad-speed drives and allows users to obtain optimum performance of
software titles. In addition, the kit's Sound Blaster 16 card provides CD
quality stereo sampling and playback and is upgradeable to wave table
synthesis for real instrument sounds and digital sound effects.
Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x's high-value software bundle features
six audio utility programs from Creative and the following educational
titles:
T/Maker's Four Footed Friends
T/Maker's Stradiwackius
Davidson and Associates' Spell It 3
Davidson and Associates' The Cruncher
Davidson and Associates' Kid Works 2
Electronic Arts' Peter Pan: A Story Painting Adventure
Electronic Arts' Scooter's Magic Castle
Electronic Arts' Eagle Eye Mysteries: The Original
Electronic Arts' Eagle Eye Mysteries In London
Grolier Electronic Publishing's Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia
Knowledge Adventure's Speed
Opcode Systems' Allie's Playhouse
"Sound Blaster Digital Schoolhouse 4x is perfect for parents who want to
turn their computer into a multimedia school room to enhance their child's
learning experience," said Kim Federico, product marketing manager,
multimedia kits for Creative Labs, Inc. "With this entertaining
interactive environment, children of various ages can develop early
computer skills while mastering subjects such as spelling, math, reading,
history and science."
Creative's growing quad-speed multimedia kit line now includes Sound
Blaster Multimedia Home 4x, Sound Blaster Discovery CD 4x, Digital
Schoolhouse 4x and Blaster CD 4x. From the full-featured Multimedia Home
4x edutainment and productivity kit to the entry level Blaster CD 4x
CD-ROM upgrade kit, Creative's quad-speed line serves a broad spectrum of
consumer needs and interests.
PSINet Provides Instant Internet Access to Creative
Labs, Inc.'s Modem Blaster Products
Partnership to Provide Customers with a Fast, Affordable
High Performance Communications Solution
HERNDON, VA & MILPITAS -- May 16, 1995 -- Creative Labs, Inc., the U.S.
subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd. (Nasdaq: CREAF) and Performance
Systems International, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSIX) today announced the bundling of
PSINet's InterRamp service with Creative's Modem Blaster( family of
communications products. This partnership furthers Creative's commitment
to serving the diverse communications needs of consumers. With Modem
Blaster 28.8 and Modem Blaster 14.4, users can gain instant affordable
access to the Internet via "Instant InterRamp," PSINet's personal
Internet access service.The agreement also enables PC users to browse the
World Wide Web, send and receive files, participate in interactive forums
and utilize a variety of information and resources found on the Internet.
"This multimedia communications bundle signifies a dramatic change in
providing Internet access to the mass market, making it easier for home
users and telecommuters to get connected to the worldwide web of
networks," said Martin Schoffstall, senior vice president and chief
technical officer at PSINet. "Never before has it been easier for the PC
user to get connected directly to the Internet and enjoy the power of
running any open systems TCP/IP software."
Creative's Modem Blaster 28.8 and Modem Blaster 14.4 are the only high
performance modem products -- in one complete package -- to enable PC
users to browse the World Wide Web, utilize a variety of information and
resources found on the Internet, play games modem-to-modem, send and
receive e-mail, participate in interactive on-line forums and take
advantage of on-line services. Creative's Modem Blaster products
therefore offer the most affordable all-in-one modem solutions currently
available.
InterRamp is PSINet's personal connection to the Internet for the single
user needing full power Internet access to run any, commercial or public
domain, TCP/IP applications. InterRamp users can connect directly to the
world of networks at up to 28.8K bits per second for the fastest World
Wide Web access available today. InterRamp service is projected to be
available in 120 cities in the U.S. by the end of 1995.
"With the introduction of its new communications family of products,
Creative is redefining the way users interact on-line. We are providing
our customers with an affordable, all-in-one communications solution that
provides everything users need to get on-line quickly and easily," said
Richard Sorkin, vice president of communications products at Creative
Labs, Inc. "Creative's communications products are well positioned to
serve the ever-growing universe of Internet-savvy PC users in both the
SOHO and entertainment marketplaces."
Modem Blaster 28.8 and Modem Blaster 14.4 are the first products to
combine this broad range of functionality with the fast and affordable
Internet access of InterRamp. Priced at $219.99 and $99.99 respectively,
Modem Blaster 28.8 and 14.4 bundles are currently available from Creative
Labs, Inc. The bundle price includes a 7-day free trial period for the
InterRamp service. Following the trial period, InterRamp will offer users
a rate of $1 an hour for Internet access.
PSINet is a leading provider of Internet access and integration services.
Internet access options range from modem dialup and ISDN for telecommuters
and small office LANs to dedicated high-speed circuits for corporate
connectivity. PSINet defines industry standards and leads in
technological innovation and new service development. The company has its
headquarters in Herndon, Virginia, with sales and field service offices
across the US and in Tokyo, Japan.
CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY REPORTS THIRD QUARTER RESULTS
=================================================
SINGAPORE --May 5, 1995 -- Creative Technology Ltd. (Nasdaq: CREAF), the
leading provider of multimedia products for personal computers, today
announced financial results for the third quarter ended March 31, 1995.
Sales for the third quarter of fiscal 1995 were $280.5 million compared
with $181.2 million for the same quarter last year. Sales for the nine
months ended March 31, 1995, were $931.7 million compared to $477.5
million for the comparable period last year.
Net income for the quarter was $11.2 million compared to $28.0 million for
the third quarter 1994. Net income for the nine months ended March 31,
1995, was $50.5 million compared to $82.2 million for the corresponding
period of the prior year.
Earnings per share were $0.13 compared to $0.31 for the third quarter last
year. Earnings per share for the nine months ended March 31, 1995 were
$0.56 compared to $0.93 for the corresponding period last year.
Results for the nine months ended March 31, 1995, included a one-time
charge of $7.0 million for the write off of in-process technology due to
the acquisition of Digicom Systems, Inc. Excluding this one-time charge,
net income and earnings per share for the nine months ended March 31, 1995
would have been $57.5 million or $0.64 per share, respectively.
In commenting about Creative's third quarter results, W.H. Sim, chairman
and CEO of Creative Technology, made the following statement:
"The multimedia market is expanding and making major headway in the OEM PC
market. And multimedia technology is further growing to embrace
communications technology. We believe Creative is the only company to
provide a full spectrum of multimedia communications products that covers
modems, audio-telephony and video conferencing products. As a key player
in the multimedia marketplace, we plan to expand our line of quad-speed
upgrade kits and aggressively move forward into business communications,
telephonic computing, interactive gaming and the OEM chipset market."
CONTACT INFORMATION
-------------------
Theresa Pulido Lisa Kimura
Creative Labs, Inc. Copithorne & Bellows
(408) 428-6600, ext. 6416 (415) 284-5200, ext. 209
Greg Peverill-Conti Karen Gordon
GCI Jennings Copithorne & Bellows
(415) 974-6200 (415) 975-2215
Christopher Callendar Theresa Pulido
PSINet Creative Labs, Inc.
(703) 904-4100 (408) 428-2329
Patrick Verderico, CFO Susan Breshears
Creative Labs, Inc. Copithorne & Bellows
(408) 428-6600, ext. 6102 (415) 975-2216
Creative Technology Ltd. develops, manufactures and markets a family of
sound, video, software and telephony multimedia products for PCs under the
B l a ster family name, and the ShareVision line of desktop video
conferencing products for Macintoshes and PCs. The company's Sound
Blaster sound platform enables PCs to produce high-quality audio for
entertainment, educational, music and productivity applications, and has
been accepted as the industry standard sound platform for PC-based
software.
Creative Technology Ltd. was incorporated in 1983 and is based in
Singapore. Creative Technology's U.S. subsidiaries include Creative Labs,
I n c ., E-mu Systems, Inc., Digicom Systems, Inc. and ShareVision
Technology, Inc. Creative also has other subsidiaries in Australia,
China, Europe, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. The
company's stock is traded on Nasdaq under the symbol CREAF and on the
Stock Exchange of Singapore.
Sound Blaster is a registered trademark and Sound Blaster Digital
Schoolhouse, Sound Blaster Discovery CD, Sound Blaster Multimedia Home,
Blaster CD and Blaster are trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd. E-mu is
a registered trademark of E-mu Systems, Inc. and ShareVision is a
registered trademark of ShareVision Technology, Inc. All other products
mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby
recognized as such.
_____________________________________
> Gallup POLL STR FOCUS! TRENDS OF HOME COMPUTER USERS
""""""""""""""""""""""
FIRST EPSON HOME TECHNOLOGY POLL BY GALLUP DETAILS
TRENDS OF HOME COMPUTER USERS
Key Findings: Computing technology recognized as a magnet to
family-wide home-based activities; Kids turning to equipment for
school projects and entertainment; Home-based users want more
power, color printers, CD-ROMs, scanners
TORRANCE, Calif., April 17, 1995 -- A new computing poll,
commissioned by EPSON from the Gallup Organization, provides
valuable insight into the burgeoning home marketplace. The
saturation of computer products in the business sector has
manufacturers, like EPSON, looking for additional market share
from home computer users.
Research from the poll reflects home users' computer technology
fears and usage patterns. Key findings of the EPSON Home
Technology Poll by Gallup indicate that computing technology is
recognized as a magnet to family-wide home-based activities, kids
are turning to computer equipment for their school projects and
entertainment, and home-based users want more powerful computers,
color printers, CD-ROMs and scanners.
BATTLING OBSOLESCENCE
---------------------
According to the poll, personal computing has penetrated over a
third of U.S. homes (37 percent). The PC has infiltrated the
family's work, play and learning habits.
As households allow the PC to become an important tool in their
lives, they fear most its becoming obsolete (31 percent). No other
issue is as important, although cost runs a close second
(27 percent).
Those surveyed have owned their equipment for an average of 3.5
years. During ownership, respondents reported they must try to
counter obsolescence. Hence, 22 percent of the home users
interviewed plan to upgrade their current PC this year, buy
another PC for the home (16 percent), or purchase a CD-ROM
(12 percent).
The most interesting news for printer manufacturers is that 29
percent of homes now operate a dot matrix printer, a machine that
represents an opportunity for upgrade. In fact, one-fifth of home
users plan to upgrade to a new printer in the next five years.
Currently, 30 percent of homes have an ink jet or laser printer.
One out of five users have a color-capable printer.
HOW IS THE PC BEING USED IN THE HOME?
-------------------------------------
The PC in the home serves more than one master; the primary PC
user is driven to the keyboard by professional necessity.
One-quarter of a primary user's time at the home PC is spent on
work brought home from the office. Those aged 35-54 are most
likely to work at home. Education and entertainment are also
frequent primary applications for the home PC (22.6 percent and
18 percent, respectively). However, these activities are most
likely among younger age groups, under 24 years old. Home
finance receives less activity, about 13 percent of the PC's
primary function.
A few characteristics of the primary home PC user emerged from the
poll. Males are more frequently the primary user (46 percent), and
college graduates perform 50 percent of all home computing. While
PC ownership is not exclusive at any income level, homes with an
income of $45,000 or more own 60 percent of PCs.
The home computer is a shared tool. A third of the time the PC is
in use, secondary users are determining its purpose. Of this time,
the type of user is equally divided among spouse, children and
others in the home. The two most frequent uses by adults are work
brought home from the job and entertainment. As expected, children
are equally likely to use the PC for education and entertainment.
When asked to describe the most creative output, newsletters/
bulletins/flyers/pamphlets and greeting cards are cited most
frequently (16 percent). However, specific projects mentioned are
quite interesting. These include: Writing novels and other books,
creating maps, producing a program for a daughter's wedding,
preparing a home automation program, designing a boat, chronicling
local history for a nonprofit organization, writing a magazine
with color photos, creating artwork, regression analysis on
greyhound racing, generating scientific graphics, creating
invitations for baby brother's fifth birthday party and preparing
an arrangement for an 18-piece jazz band.
HOW DOES THE HOME USER GET STARTED AND STAY CURRENT?
----------------------------------------------------
Professional necessity is again a key driver for getting started
on a PC. A third of the poll participants started using PCs on the
job. Slightly fewer started in school (28 percent), and 26 percent
are self-taught or use books or manuals to start. The quality of
documentation will continue to be important as users learn
independently. Users are relying on the ease of the software or
the manuals to reduce complexity for them.
One interesting gender difference revealed by the survey was in
the way people first learn PC skills. The survey showed the three
most common ways to learn are on the job, in school or through
self-teaching. Men are most likely to learn through self-teaching,
while women are most likely to pick up their first PC skills on
the job. Surprisingly, friends and family teach the user only 13
percent of the time.
Staying current in this quickly changing software and hardware
market is most frequently accomplished by reading books and manuals
(26 percent). One-quarter prefer to be self-taught (21 percent)
while only 15 percent of education comes via word-of-mouth or other
people.
HOW DOES THE PC FIT IN THE HOME?
--------------------------------
As the PC becomes more integrated into the operation of the
household, its size becomes a key buying feature. Sixty-nine
percent of owners surveyed say this was important/very important
to their purchase decision. Moreover, half of the owners acquired
furniture especially designed to accommodate PC equipment.
More households have a separate office in which the PC is placed
(39 percent). However, 10 percent use it in the master bedroom,
10 percent in the living room and 10 percent in the family room.
WHAT DO PEOPLE LIKE ABOUT THEIR PC?
-----------------------------------
Overwhelmingly, people like their PC because it saves time (21
percent) and is easy to use (17 percent). These two benefits rate
consistently as satisfying all types of users. Those surveyed
cited the two most frustrating aspects of using a PC are their
own lack of knowledge and their perception that PCs can be hard
to use.
PC users appear loyal to specific programs. When asked to identify
a favorite feature or program, one-fourth easily replied with the
name of a their preferred word processing software. This trend
confirms the primary user's current goal of job-related work as the
basic task of the home PC, with entertainment as a secondary task.
WHERE DO PEOPLE GET THEIR PCS
-----------------------------
Three-quarters of PCs are new. Ten percent are second-hand,
usually from friends or co-workers. Eleven percent are gifts,
most frequently given by parents.
Computer superstores were the preferred sales source, receiving
23 percent of the new sales. These stores were followed closely
by computer electronic stores (17 percent of sales). All others
held 8 percent or less market share.
METHODOLOGY
-----------
The Gallup Organization conducted these telephone interviews during
the month of November 1994. This survey is based on 750 respondents
who were randomly contacted throughout the United States. The
standard error is plus or minus 3.7 percent.
EPSON offers an extensive array of high-quality technology products
including ink jet, laser and dot matrix printers; scanners;
portable and desktop computers; PCMCIA products; and for the OEM
market, a variety of component and electronic devices. Founded in
1975, Epson America, Inc. is an affiliate of Seiko Epson
Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of technology
products that meet customer demands for increased functionality,
compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency.
EPSON AMERICA INC.
20770 Madrona Avenue
Torrance, California 90503
310-782-0770
_________________________________
> GOOD NEWS for HAYES! STR FOCUS!
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
HAYES TO EXIT CHAPTER 11 BY FALL
100 PERCENT PLAN PAYS CREDITORS IN FULL
ATLANTA, GA, 16 May 1995 -- Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc. on
Monday, 15 May 1995, filed in Federal Bankruptcy Court its Chapter 11
Plan of Reorganization which will lead to its exit from Chapter 11 in
less than one year from the company's original bankruptcy filing.
The plan provides for 100 percent payment of claims to creditors.
When the plan is confirmed by the bankruptcy court, Hayes will pay
creditors with valid claims the entire amount due within 40 to 60 days.
In execution of the plan, Hayes will obtain approximately $60 million in
new capital funding to be comprised of a combination of equity
investments and new credit facilities.
"We are working closely with our financial advisory team at
Robinson-Humphrey to procure the funding to complete our plan," said
Dennis C. Hayes, Chairman and CEO, Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.
"This is great news for our creditors, our customers and our employees
who have been a constant source of support."
Creditors can contact Hayes by calling the Claims Processing
Department at (404)840-9200.
Best known as the leader in microcomputer modems, Hayes develops,
supplies and supports computer communications equipment and software for
personal computers and computer communications networks. The company
distributes its products through a global network of authorized
distributors, dealers, mass merchants, VARs, systems integrators and
original equipment manufacturers.
For further information please contact:
---------------------------------------
Angela Hooper/Susan Merkel
Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc.
Phone: 404/840-9200
Facsimile: 404/441-1238
______________________________________________
> MORTIMER STR InfoFile
"""""""""""""""""""""
LUCASARTS TAKES CHILDREN ON THE FLIGHT OF THEIR LIVES
IN MORTIMER AND THE RIDDLES OF THE MEDALLION,
THE COMPANY'S FIRST GAME JUST FOR KIDS
San Rafael, CA -- The day begins normally enough. Sid and Sally are
outside playing with the dog when the pooch chases a calico through a
nearby hedge. When neither Scout nor Waffles emerges from the foliage, the
kids crawl into the bushes in pursuit. What they find is definitely not
the neighbors' backyard. Before them stand Scout and Waffles -- frozen in
their tracks! And towering high into the clouds stands a great mushroom
-- with a door and windows!
So begins the modern day fairy tale of Mortimer and the Riddles of
the Medallion, LucasArts Entertainment Company's first game created
especially for the early entertainment market. Targeted to the 4-9 age
group and appealing to both boys and girls, Mortimer combines action and
discovery with a delightful story, marvelous characters and dazzling
locales. The game is planned for release in the first quarter of 1996 for
the Windows and Macintosh CD-ROM platforms.
Once Upon a Time ...
--------------------
The evil Lodius has stolen a magical medallion from his former
mentor, the kindly Professor Lazlow (proprietor of the giant mushroom).
Because its magic was intended only for good deeds, the medallion exploded
into pieces that scattered around the world -- but not before Lodius had
used the medallion to steal all the power from the animals and turn them
into statues.
According to Professor Lazlow, there's only one hope if the animals
are to be saved. It's up to Sid and Sally and a very special (and very
large) snail named Mortimer to unfreeze the animals and find all the
pieces of the medallion before Lodius can cause any more trouble. But
they have to act quickly, because if the animals aren't freed within 24
hours, they'll remain frozen forever.
In the race to save the animals, children choose to be either Sid or
Sally. With one piece of the medallion they've already found, they hop
into Mortimer's super-charged, deluxe shell of surprises. The first
surprise is that Mortimer's shell transforms into a cockpit and players
suddenly are able to fly.
Entertaining a New Market
-------------------------
Because LucasArts is best known for its adult-targeted action and
adventure games, on the surface Mortimer may seem like a bit of a
departure for the company. But a compelling story with memorable
characters and strong gameplay against a backdrop of stunning
high-resolution graphics and engaging sound and music makes Mortimer a
logical extension of the proven LucasArts' magic.
"Most people know LucasArts because of its award-winning games like
Rebel Assault and Sam & Max Hit the Road," said LucasArts President, Jack
Sorensen.
"Over the years, however, LucasArts has developed critically
acclaimed educational multimedia programs for schools with partners like
the National Geographic Society and the National Audubon Society.
Additionally, George Lucas is very committed to enhancing the lives of
children through technology. Based on this heritage, it's a natural that
LucasArts enter the early entertainment market."
A "Know"ble Deed
----------------
"I've always wanted to develop a game that lets children have lots of
fun and secretly teaches them something along the way," said Mortimer
Project Leader Collette Michaud. "In Mortimer, children discover all
sorts of facts about a variety of animals, while actually flying through
different environments."
Sid, Sally and Mortimer's task is to travel to different areas of the
world and free the animals that have been turned into statues. Players
fly through several locales, including the icy arctic, the wide savanna,
the harsh desert and the wooded Timberland, in search of frozen animals.
As players zip around clouds and over mountains and tree tops, they must
free the animals by zapping them back to life with the patented
"Revitascope." When an animal is saved, information about it is recorded
in Mortimer's cockpit computer.
After saving the animals in one area, Mortimer finds a gate that
guards the next locale. To pass, players must solve a riddle, the answer
to which is the name of an animal that has been freed. When players solve
the riddle they get a shiny new piece of the medallion, bringing them one
step closer to their goal.
To help players solve the riddle, they can use the cockpit computer
to see and "talk" to the animals they've saved. All the animals -- each
with its distinct and humorous personality -- will answer the questions,
"What are you?," "How are you special?" and "Why are you unusual?" The
answers will provide children with a variety of interesting facts about
the animals. Along the way, players encounter Lodius' minions -- salt
shaker hornets, whoppin' poppers that spray popcorn and beasty bags that
toss potato chips -- who try to slow Mortimer down with a snail's worst
enemy: salt. Acting quickly, Mortimer can slime these no-gooders. Once
players have freed all the animals, solved all the riddles and gathered
all the pieces of the medallion, they must face Lodius himself in the
final confrontation.
The Making of Mortimer
----------------------
Giving players the ability to fly is one of the features that makes
Mortimer so exciting. Based on LucasArts' celebrated Rebel Assault
engine, Mortimer's flight component lets children zoom through a virtual
world where not even the sky seems to be the limit.
All of the game's environments are rendered in 3-D. The stunning
results are fantastical worlds imbued with depth, light and shadows.
Mortimer, too, often is depicted in 3-D, allowing for just the right
roundness in his shell and perfect amount of twinkle in his antennaed
eyes. The 3-D graphics are complimented by feature film-quality,
high-resolution 2-D animation. During interviews, children interact with
anthropomorphic cartoon animals and get to view live-action video footage
of the animals in their natural habitats. Professional actors provide the
voices of all of the characters in Mortimer, and the game features an
all-digital, completely original soundtrack performed by children's
songsters, The Bungee Jumpin' Cows.
A Flying Snail?
---------------
"Ever since I was five years old, I've fantasized about flying," said
Collette. "I think it's an ability every child wishes for at one time or
another. We may not be able to supply the wings, but Mortimer is the next
best thing."
So, the big question is, why a giant snail as the main character?
"When I was younger, I was always fascinated with snails and their shells
and the endless mysteries the shell seemed to hold," said Collette. "With
all the possibilities a shell offered for weird stuff popping out, like
wings and propellers, Mortimer couldn't be anything but a snail."
About LucasArts
---------------
LucasArts Entertainment Company develops and publishes interactive
entertainment and educational software. LucasArts is one of three Lucas
companies. Lucas Digital Ltd., comprised of Industrial Light & Magic and
Skywalker Sound, is dedicated to serving the needs of the entertainment
industry for visual effects and audio post-production. Lucasfilm Ltd.
includes George Lucas' feature film and television activities, as well as
the business activities of the THX Group and Licensing.
Mortimer Development Team
-------------------------
Project Leader, Co-designer Collette Michaud
Production Manager, Co-designer Casey Donahue Ackley
Lead Programmer, Co-designer Gwen Musengwa
Character Designer, Co-designer Steve Purcell
Lead Technical Programmer Pat McCarthy
Lead Artist Peter Chan
Lead 3-D Artist Scott Baker
__________________________________
> For a "Chuckle or Two" STR Feature
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Suppose Edgar Allan Poe Had used a Computer:
--------------------------------------------
Author Unknown
Once upon a midnight dreary,
fingers cramped and vision bleary,
System manuals piled high and
wasted paper on the floor,
Longing for the warmth of bedsheets:
Still I sat there, doing spreadsheets:
Having reached the bottom line,
I took a floppy from the drawer.
Typing with a steady hand,
I then invoked the save command
But got instead a reprimand:
it read Abort, Retry, Ignore
Was this some occult illusion?
Some maniacal intrusion?
These were choices Solomon
himself had never faced before.
Carefully, I weighed the options.
These three ones seemed to be the top ones.
Clearly, I must now adopt one:
Choose Abort, Retry, Ignore..
With my fingers pale and trembling
Slowly toward the keyboard bending,
Longing for a happy ending,
hoping all would be restored,
Praying for some guarantee
Finally I pressed a key ---
But on the screen what did I see?
Again: Abort, Retry, Ignore.
I tried to catch the chips off-guard ----
I pressed again, but twice as hard
Luck was just not in the cards.
I saw what I had seen before.
Now I typed in desperation
Typing random combinations
Still there came the incarnation:
Choose: Abort, Retry, Ignore
There I sat, distraught, exhausted
by my own machine accosted
Getting up I turned away