CompuNotes Notes from The Cutting Edge of Personal Computing March 21, 1999 Issue 146 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= To subscribe, send an e-mail to listserv@peach.ease.lsoft.com SUBSCRIBE COMPUNOTES-L FirstName LastName To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to listserv@peach.ease.lsoft.com SIGNOFF COMPUNOTES-L For Contact and Other Information See Bottom of Publication! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= PC Week - Free!| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= A complimentary one-year subscription to the print edition of PC Week will be sent to applicants who qualify. Be one of the first 10,000 people to submit this subscription form and we'll reserve a copy of PC WEEK's 15th Anniversary Issue for you! Please click Below to reserve your copy. Click On Me: http://www.pub-serv.com/sf/zp/add/default.asp?url=zpa083 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= CONTENTS My Notes: 1=> CompuNotes Notes, , mailto:pgrote@i1.net 2=> This Issue's Winner! News: 3=> News of the Week, mailto:pgrote@i1.net -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Laptop News: Your Guide in the world of notebooks! Laptop News is a great resource for both the laptop user and those looking to buy a laptop. It includes links to notebook buyer's guides, purchasing tips, laptop maintenance and travel tips, and the latest developments in the industry. Subscribe today to receive it for FREE! mailto:subscribe@laptopnews.com more details: http://LaptopNews.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Interviews: 4=> Interview with Nick Rago of HomeworkNow.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FREE NEWSLETTERS!| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Get Free Newsletters delivered to your inbox. Check out this FREE service NOW! Click On Me: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/nl.htm -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Reviews: 5=> Product: Milestones Simplicity(TM) 2.0, business Reviewed By: Howard Carson & Proton Research, mailto:lrhc@interlog.com 6=> Product: Symantec's PC Telecommute, utility Reviewed By: Paul Schneider, mailto:p-schne@uiuc.edu 7=> Product: Quest for Glory IV - Dragon Fire, game Reviewed By: Matthew Carson, mailto:hellfire33@hotmail.com 8=> Product: BullsEye Pro, utility Reviewed by: Bev Walton-Porter, mailto:scrybr8@enid.com 9=> Product: RGBee(TM) Color Pro, graphics Reviewed by: Howard Carson, mailto:lrhc@interlog.com 10=> Product: Zillions of Games 1.0, game Reviewed By: Bruce Darken, mailto:bwdarken@writeme.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FREE! Internet World Magazine| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Internet World Magazine is The only source you'll need for your Internet business and enterprise activities...sign up for FREE right here! Internet World puts all the news into perspective -- and that saves you valuable time and gives you an edge on breaking trends and technologies. Regular features include: E-Commerce, Infrastructure, Web Development, and Industry, Plus columns from leading reporters and journalists. Don't miss it...sign up today! It's FREE for EVERYONE!!! Click On Me: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/iw.htm -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1=> CompuNotes Notes, mailto:pgrote@i1.net Hello! Welcome back to another edition of CompuNotes! Sorry about the last issue. It didn't arrive! This issue is packed with great reviews as usual and a wonderful interview with the folks who have created a perfect website! Perfection in websites isn't easy to accomplish, but they have found a need and filled it perfectly! Our reviewer family has grown and several new reviewers make their debuts in this issue. I hope you enjoy their efforts as much as we have! Next week we'll have exciting news for those of you who have been struggling with using Microsoft Exchange Server -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Real Coupons from the Internet - Cool Savings| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Print real coupons from your own computer. Free Membership Today! CLICK below to enroll for BIG savings from your favorite stores, restaurants, and travel companies. It's FREE and your privacy is guaranteed! Join over a million other smart shoppers and print real coupons from your own computer. New companies and new offers show up all the time. Click On Me: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/cool.htm -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 2=> Winner! This week's winner: dudelstg@ACCESSNV.COM. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Get Paid to Surf the Net!| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= THE MOST REWARDING PAGE ON THE WEB. LITERALLY. Prolaunch launches you to a different web site which matches your interests PLUS you can earn "Launch Points" which are redeemable for frequent flyer miles, gift certificates and many other rewards. It's free. It's easy. It's private. And it pays...you! Sign up today at.... Click On Me: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/plaunch.htm -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 3=> News and Game Bits, mailto:pgrote@i1.net or mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com Symantec Releases Patch for Pentium III . . . http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,34032,00.html?st.ne.fd.mdh Dell Finds Linux . . . http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,34047,00.html?st.ne.ni.lh The Oscars and the Webbies . . . http://cbs.marketwatch.com/archive/19990319/news/current/webby.htx?sou rce=htx/http2_mw Another Crack and Win Contest . . . http://www.wired.com/news/news/culture/story/18616.html What if No Kids Watched TV? http://www.wired.com/news/news/culture/story/18607.html The Inside Story of Xerox Parc . . . http://www.upside.com/texis/mvm/david_futrelle?id=36e99cb30 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= WorldPrints - Free Wallpaper!| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Register Now and get one year of FREE Wallpaper for your Computer. We'll e-mail you Weekly with New Images. Choose From... o National Geographic o Life Magazine o Museum Collections and Much More!! Click On Me: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/wprints.htm -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4=> Interview with Nick Rago of HomeworkNow.com (http://www.homeworknow.com) HomeworkNow.com is a unique website devoted to helping teachers and students communicate. Its simple purpose is perfectly offered to each user through an easy to use interface. To learn more about HomeworkNow.com and the creators, read along with our review. CN: CompuNotes HN: HomeworkNow CN: Can you briefly describe the concept behind Homeworknow? HN: Homeworknow was developed so that teachers, students, and parents have a channel of communication, so that schoolwork can be accessed anywhere in the world via the Internet, 24hours a day/7 days a week. CN: How can it benefit students? HN: It makes students accountable for their schoolwork. As long as the child has Internet access (whether it be at home or even at school) he/she can no longer use the excuse that they were confused about classroom assignments or lost the assignments. It provides the student with a virtual window into the classroom in case he/she may have a long term absence, vacation, or simply forgot to write down the assignments in class. Parents also benefit from the system because it allows them to check up on their child's education. One of the most often asked questions in a household is, "Don't you have any home work tonight?" HomeworkNow gives parents' a look into the classroom and the ability to know what curriculum is being taught to their children. CN: How can it benefit teachers? HN: Teacher's should really appreciate this technology and be eager to take advantage of this tool. The system is extremely easy to use and was designed so that the only computer skill a teacher needs in order to operate the service is typing. We feel that Homeworknow is a first step to really transcend the power of technology to an educator. In this day and age, documentation is very important in an educational environment. Homeworknow enables a teacher to keep a real time record of lessons taught in the class. A teacher can document an entire week's worth of lessons in minutes, allowing parents, students, and school administrators the ability to know what is going on in that teacher's class. CN: What is the most interesting way someone has used Homeworknow? HN: Everyday we see a teacher using Homeworknow in some new or creative fashion. The most impressive way our system has been used is in the area of special needs. HomeworkNow in some cases has made the lives of parent's dealing with special needs children a lot easier. Because the system can be accessed from a house it has cut down on the number of face to face meetings that are sometimes required. Also, some schools, (more impresively, elementary schools) have been leaving their computer clubs responsible for maintaing teacher assignments in the system. A good example of just how useful the system can be is outlined below by Leslie Gustafson of North Pole High School in Alaska (a participating HWNOW school): "Our temperatures were -30 to -50 below last week. Many students and their parents used HomeworkNow to check assignments from home. School was still going--but their vehicles were not! " CN: Where did the inspiration for Homeworknow come from? HN: The two founders of Homeworknow, Nick Rago and Patrick Capone, were actually cousins attending Plymouth State College together. At the time Patrick was working towards a BS in Elementary Education and Nick a BS in Applied Computer Science. While Patrick was completing his student teaching he would come home and discuss with Nick activities that took place in his class. An on going problem was homework, students not completing assignments and having various excuses for missing work. Two years later Nick presented Patrick with a preliminary solution. The next few months the pair worked together, Nick punching out code, while Patrick tested the system and supplied input of what the program needed in order to be accepted in the educational community. The result was HomeworkNow. CN: What skills in your background helped you design and develop Homeworknow? HN: Again, Capone was in elementary education for some time and Rago, a Computer Science graduate, worked for a small Web development firm. CN: Are there any special privacy concerns when using Homeworknow? If so, how have you dealt with them? HN: When designing the system security was a big concern with both creators. Patrick wanted to empower each school with the ability to manipulate and enter their own data. While Nick made sure that the system was both private and secure. This was accomplished by having each school assign a Homeworknow administrator, usually the school's technology coordinator. This person is empowered to enter in users form their school and assign passwords. CN: Does Homeworknow generate revenue? If so, how? HN: When the system was first created the Rago and Capone had hoped to make some revenue from the site. However, both knew that public schools have tight cash flows and actually charging schools would discourage the use of HomeworkNow. Both have re-thought their strategy and decided to offer the service free. Nick Rago states, "Public Education is a unique atmosphere that is extremely price sensitive. Providing the service for free creates a no risk environment so that public schools can really grasp HomeworkNow and really entrench the system into its curriculum." Capone claims, "Nick and I are both products of public education. This is our way of thanking everyone involved in our educational experiences through out our lives." CN: Are there any future improvements on the board for Homeworknow? If so, what improvements are planned? HN: Homeworknow is constantly evolving. Any suggestions that are e-mailed are reviewed and then discussed to see if we can incorporate it as a feature. Users help provide us with in sights on what direction we want the program to go. The move people that use the sight and recommendations they provide will help create a richer tool for educators to use. CN: You've taken a unique approach in helping school districts fully appreciate the Internet. Do you feel most school dsitricts fully utilize their technology? If so, how? If not, what can they do? HN: We believe education is slowly starting to go through a metamorphosis. We are at a point where educators are under close scrutiny by state regulators to assess their abilities to teach. It is crucial that teachers are proficient in the new technologies that are emerging. Through use of these new tools teachers can provide students with a robust education while empowering their students with the technical expertise to succeed in the world a head of them. HomeworkNow paves the initial path! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Catholic Digest - Family Magazine| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Want a close family? Plenty of good friends? Good health? Happiness? Laughter? Joy? Inspiration? Catholic Digest will enrich your life. Try a FREE ISSUE of Catholic Digest, plus reserve your FREE gift, "All About Angels". Click On Me: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/catholic.htm -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5=> Product: Milestones Simplicity(TM) 2.0, business Reviewed By: Howard Carson & Proton Research, mailto:lrhc@interlog.com Requires: Windows 95, 98 or NT4, MSRP: US$49.00 Milestones Simplicity enables users with little or no project management experience to easily track their projects and produce great looking schedules. The package targets managers who need to produce project schedules and project plans quickly, but have only a limited amount of time to invest in learning new software. Milestones Simplicity is a simplified version of Kidasa's well-known Milestones, Etc. product, which was first introduced in 1989. Throughout 1998, Media Metrix, Forrester Research, Gartner/DataQuest and dozens of other data gathering agencies reported often on how middle managers and small business owners and managers used their time. A surprisingly large amount of time was spent talking about schedules, timetable, and productivity management. But only a surprisingly small number of managers had a good handle on what was really happening with their projects. In an attempt to find out if we were creating schedules and time estimates effectively, we decided to give Milestones Simplicity the most strenuous possible workout. The software was installed on the following machines: a Pentium 133, Pentium 166 and a Pentium 233MMX, all with 32MB RAM and all running Windows 95 (OSR2); two Pentium II/350s, and a Pentium II/450, all with 128MB RAM and all running Windows 98; two Dell Dimension PII/400s with 256MB RAM, running Windows NT4.0 (SP3). Milestones Simplicity installed flawlessly on each machine, and each user was instructed to move their weekly project schedules into the software as quickly as possible. We timed the schedule migration process using only the minute and second hands on a wall clock. Milestones Simplicity is jaw-droppingly fast and easy to learn and use. It's so straightforward that that I was tempted to the end the review right here with the statement that you should just go out and pick up or download a copy of Milestones Simplicity right now. If you're the owner of a small manufacturing facility, a construction business, a small software company, a manager of a sales or production team or any one of a thousand other things, Milestones Simplicity is one of the best tools you can purchase to enhance and control what's going on. To say that we really, really liked Milestones Simplicity is an understatement. Microsoft Project(R) is the market leader in this software category. But for small to medium complexity development or production projects Milestones Simplicity is superior to Microsoft Project. For managers and project/team leaders who only need to make occasional use of project management software, Milestones Simplicity is superior because it is child's play to learn - far more so than Microsoft Project. Best of all, Milestones Simplicity is supplied with a viewer which anyone can install, so that charts, project schedules and reports can be distributed almost anywhere to anybody. For regular users of project management software, Milestones Simplicity can meet MS Project head-on, with control over scheduling dependencies, full compatibility with Microsoft NetMeeting and a variety of different reporting and layout formats. Creating project schedules is as simple as loading one of the supplied templates, choosing to use the Wizard, or creating a list in the Outliner (which can be used to form the basis of any project. In any case, everything you do can be edited, updated, modified and corrected at any time. Project dependencies (when one scheduled task affects another) can be linked, multi-linked, and unlinked. Notes can be added to different elements (symbols) in the schedule. You can choose from a comprehensive selection of common government and commercial symbols. The software is fully compatible with Microsoft's Object Linking & Embedding (OLE), allowing Milestones Simplicity schedules and reports to embedded in Word, Excel and Access documents (and any other OLE container). Almost any project can be converted to HTML and/or JPEG for use on an Intranet or Web site. Creating project schedules manually, is fast and easy. The interface consists of a work area with a blank project template, a floating tools palette, and the menu and icons bars at the top of the display. The templates are divided into variable, movable columns and rows. Click the 'Text' tool, then click almost anywhere in the template to add text; a text entry dialog containing typing fields and related functions will appear. Click the 'Plus' tool, select a start symbol from the tools palette, then move the cursor to a project start date and click to set it. Click and drag from that location to an end date. Adding graphics to enhance the look of your project is also simple: go to the 'Insert' menu, choose 'Picture', locate something appropriate using the file selector, then position the picture. The internal layout engine allows very precise placement without the usual grid-position snapping evident in Microsoft products. Milestones Simplicity comes with our highest recommendation. It's inexpensive, efficient, versatile, easy to learn, and easy to use. What more can you ask? Cons: We'd like to see a few more symbols and project element graphics. However, there is really nothing wrong with this product. Pros: Since everybody in our test office has 'issues' with Microsoft Project, I expected little resistance to the idea of doing this real-world test. I may now have to give up MS Project and purchase Milestones Simplicity licenses, or face a staff revolt. In any case, Milestones Simplicity provides quick, easy and effective schedules which require very little time to create and use. For larger or more complex projects, consider Milestones Etc. KIDASA Software Milestones Simplicity 2.0 Product Web site: http://www.kidasa.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Lands' End Gift Certificate Sweepstakes| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Enter to Win a $500 Lands' End Gift Certificate and get ready to shop on-line! Over 1000 items are in THE STORE, so there's something for everyone. Enter to Win today! Click On Me: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/landend.htm -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 6=> Product: Symantec's PC Telecommute, utility Reviewed By: Paul Schneider, mailto:p-schne@uiuc.edu Requirements: Windows 95/98/NT with TCP/IP installed, DX2/66 MHz, 8 MB ram, 35 MB hard disk space, CD Rom, VGA Video, Class 1, Class 2, Class2.0, or CAS-compatible fax modem Recommended: Pentium, 16 MB ram, Caller ID capable modem Reviewed on: AMDK2-233, 96 MB RAM, 2x CDROM, MX300 Sound, Mystic Video card MSRP: $99.95 Note: $10 discount to download instead I was anxious to receive this product, as I have been a telecommuter in one form or the other for about 6 years. Briefly the product, through a series of tools, allows you to access a computer remotely, keep your files in sync between home and work, manage your phone calls and faxes using such features as caller ID, and track your work. After using it for the past four weeks or so I have to say that in terms of the first two features it excels. As for the later, they were useful, but not without glitches. PC Telecommute is definitely designed to make telecommuting and the use of remote resources as painless as possible. In reviewing this product I spoke to a technical representative. Yes, I did find some bugs and the manual didn't explain everything, but don't fret, I'm also the same person who is asks our network administrator to fix problems they have never run across! One of the things the rep mentioned and, that I too had concluded, was that in designing this product they wanted to make telecommuting as painless and as easy as possible. One of the easiest ways to do this is to make the documentation simple and to the point and don't overdo it on the extra features. For the most part this plan works well. Problem is, when I did have a question about something a little more esoteric, help was hard to fine, and the manual, well over-simplified! On the upside installation was a breeze. First you install the program on your office machine which creates a disc in the process with the technical information it needs for the home installation. Next, you install it on your home machine and use the disc it created to provide the correct setup information. The only thing you need to do is decide if you are going to use a direct dial up modem connection, ISDN, SPX, or TCP/IP. Be careful here though, if you use a dial up connection to the Internet make sure you choose TCP/IP not the modem choice. This little quirk threw off both of my other co-workers (We all used TCP/IP when connecting). PC Telecommute has basically two main functions: Remote use of a computer/File Transfer and Fax/Phone tools. I started the remote program and then used the file transfer feature. Deja-vu 7 years past. Yes folks I am one of those who jumped on the first programs that allowed remote usage such as Carbon Copy and later PC Anywhere. Well, sure enough as I looked closer PC Telecommute actually has a limited version of PC Anywhere built into it. I've used remote control programs for over 10 years and while I have always been happy with the abilities they provided they were often contained one disappointment or another. Not so here! The folks at Symantec have done a terrific job with PC Anywhere. Most importantly, the screen refreshes. These were so quick that in several cases when viewing a web page with my remote machine it actually displayed quicker then going to the same page on my local machine! The cream of the crop for me was that Telecommute runs as a service on NT servers. Thus, I could log into my own private account remotely even if I had logged out at work! The file transfer and file sync programs are no slouches either. Files were transferred quickly and the sync program is smart enough to only transfer what it needs to update. The only shortcoming here was that when looking for files you could not see the whole file name... they would trail off with the ... instead of giving the whole name. The second part of the program is a series of phone and fax tools. First off I do not have caller ID and was not able to test some of the more useful features of these tools. The phone tool allows you to easily dial numbers in a contact list, but more importantly, if you have caller ID, you can screen calls and only let the important ones come through. The fax feature, like everything else was painless and efficient. Sending faxes from various programs and receiving them worked just like in the movies. One problem I did have was: Auto fax receive and Windows dial-up did not work well together. I had to "Ok" several errors if I used these two in conjunction. Where these tools really fell short was the contact list. Following the keep it simple idea, the contact information is pretty sparse. No problem, after all this is not ACT or MS Outlook. However, importing contacts from these other programs should be a snap right? At least in the case of MS Outlook this was not so. PC Telecommute wants its imports in a certain format. In any case Outlook will not export in this manner. End result: You need to use Excel as a go between to get what you need. Hopefully in the next version they'll address this feature with a few nice wizards. One last feature is the work tracker. This is designed to track your work day. What it does is show you what files you edit or update and what phone calls and faxes you receive or make. I can definitely see the value of tracking the phone and fax (especially with Caller ID), but files, well maybe I just don't get it. In any case you can produce a little report to show your boss that yes you do work when at home. They also have some very good tips for the Telecommuter (I say very good because they are all ones which I might give!) However why they felt the need to produce a talking head video for each two line tip is beyond me. Last, their web site also offers excellent telecommuting advice, which would have been even more helpful when I was writing a paper on the subject a couple years back. In sum, if you are working from home part time and need access to your office computer then you should definitely consider this product. However, if you do not make a lot of phone calls or do not have caller ID, I would consider taking a look at the full blown PC Anywhere product instead. Overall there appear to be a few minor bugs and a need for a few wizards and more extensive help, but for me the ability to access my computer remotely with ease and speed won me over in an instant. Symantec PC Telecommute http://www.symantec.com/pctelecommute/index.html -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Money Magazine for Free!| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Worried about the markets? Concerned about your retirement? Why not listen to the experts? Why not secure professional advice for free? FREE TRIAL ISSUE of Money Magazine! Your personal guide to a great future of Financial Success! Click On Me: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/money.htm -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 7=> Product: Quest for Glory IV - Dragon Fire, game Reviewed By: Matthew Carson, mailto:hellfire33@hotmail.com Requires: Windows 95, 98, Pentium 166, 32MB RAM, 16-bit hi-color, DirectX compatible sound card, 6x CD-ROM drive, 465 MB hard drive space. MacOS 7.5, PowerMac 120MHz, 32MB RAM, 16-bit video, 465MB hard drive space, 6x CD-ROM drive. MSRP: US$49.95 Quest for Glory IV - Dragon Fire, is an involving Role Playing Game (RPG) which finishes off the Quest for Glory series started by Sierra over 5 years ago. Combining mystical elements with varied game play and different characters, the fascinating story line and interesting NPC personalities could well make it a classic in years to come. I played Quest for Glory IV - Dragon Fire, on two different computers: a Pentium 233MMX Windows 95 machine with 64MB RAM and 4MB ATI Pro Turbo graphics card, and a PII/350MHz Windows 98 machine with 128MB RAM and an 8MB ATI All-in-Wonder graphics card. Both installations were flawless. Despite the excellent graphics and audio quality, you don't really need a lot of horsepower to run this RPG effectively - good news for the millions of non-Pentium II owners out there. I sat down at my computer after another hard day at school and loaded up Quest for Glory IV - Dragon Fire once more. I (once more) watched the entire opening video and once more, listened to the music for about 5 minutes before loading a saved game. Two days and I was only half-way through the game. I could go on about this, but you probably understand what I mean: Quest for Glory IV - Dragon Fire is an addictive RPG, the fifth and (apparently) final edition in the series. Your quest is simple. You are summoned to Silmaria by your Wizard-friend Erasmus. The King has been murdered and you are to take his place and find the assassin. Being the veteran hero, you accept the honor and responsibility. You are presented with two destinations: a march to Silmaria (by all means go there!), or a march into danger. Being a total coward, I first chose Silmaria. I was then deposited on the upper level of a vast beautiful city (and when I say vast I mean VAST!) The city is enormous and it can sometimes take quite a while to get where you're going. There are two Inns, a Weapon Smith, an Adventurers' Guild and correspondence course, a fruit, pottery, and jewelry stand, a bank, an arena for Gladiators, an apothecary, a harbor to rent fishing boats, a magic shop, and a Thieves' Guild. During the course of your travels throughout the city, you will have to visit all of them. When you leave Silmaria, you're provided with a bird's-eye view of the island of Marete, on which Silmaria is located. You can then move your character around the map. If you rent a boat, you may travel to other islands (which you will eventually need to do anyway). There is also a huge variety of weapons, armor, and magical spells to choose from. You can purchase any of them. The only downside is that the prices are definitely not for the faint of heart. I discovered that while the fighter will need to build up his Drachmas to buy these high quality items, the thief should focus on items that will help his stealthiness and other related abilities. The wizard will be making regular trips to the magic shop, buying items that will help his magical prowess. As you progress through the game, your abilities will increase, in points, as you use them. For example, the more locks you pick with the thief, the better you will become at it, eventually being able to unlock doors that had previously stopped you. The graphics in the game are very well done, and you don't need a PII/450 to run the game. I was playing on a Pentium 233MMX (as noted above), and the action was smooth as ice. There are a few drawbacks to Quest for Glory IV - Dragon Fire, but all in all I strongly recommend it to all RPG players out there. It is a wonderfully fun game that all true RPG fans should add to their arsenal. There is a wealth of detail and many challenges, far too numerous for the scope of this review, just waiting to be discovered. Cons: Many of the mini-quests that you embark on are quite difficult, and unless you pass them, you cannot continue on to your goal. You also may end up far from where you left the main game. Pros: General audio and music quality are excellent. The opening video is a real treat - a lot of thought and planning went into it. Sierra Quest for Glory IV - Dragon Fire Product Web site: http://www.qg5.com/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= All Kinds of Catalogs for You! Free!| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Do you shop by mail? Looking for that hard to find item? Just like unique products? Then you need the Catalog Request Center! You'll find over 300 FREE catalogs! Use this FREE service to quickly locate the catalogs that have the products you want. Click On Me: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/catalogs.htm -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 8=> Product: BullsEye Pro, utility Reviewed by: Bev Walton-Porter, mailto:scrybr8@enid.com Requirements: Pentium or faster, Win95/98 or Windows NT 4.0, 16 MB RAM, 15 MB available hard disk space, 256-color display adapter, CD-ROM drive, Internet connection (28.8 or higher). MSRP: $149 If you're a student or if you do most of your work over the Internet like I do, you owe it to yourself to get the latest version of BullsEye Pro, produced by IntelliSeek, Inc. The program deserves an A++ for ease of use, practicality and user friendliness. With BullsEye, your searches will be faster and more productive. In fact, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it! Not only does it feature intelligent tracking capability, it also adds search, analysis, management and reporting components. Through the "one query" language, searchers can access over 450 different search engines. BullsEye Pro makes working the Web so simple, you'll feel like you've got a personal assistant sitting next to you. What's more, if you want to share your results with colleagues, BullsEye Pro allows you to compile information and send it to them. When you launch the software, you'll notice two important parts to BullsEye, namely the Manager and the Tracker. Each of these components work together to ensure you find what you're looking for as quickly and with as much relevance as possible. The Manager assists users in searching for, and managing, information on the 'Net. Users select from four separate tabs, including search, manage, report and track. Searches are aided by helpers called Agents. Choices in the search option include web search, news finder, people talk, job finder, book finder, software finder, business answers, health answers, entertainment, college finder and FAQ finder. Each Agent helps you narrow your search to specific categories so your results will be more focused and relevant. Want to skip over bad links during your searches? Tick off the button titled "eliminate bad links" and BullsEye Pro will remove all dead or invalid Web URLs. In addition, you can decide to retrieve and analyze Web pages, filter in or out specific domains, URLs, dates and more. If you want to select certain search engines, you also have the option of configuring your choices. The manage tab features a bookmark folder as well as a search folder which breaks down the details of your searches using BullsEye Pro. Here you'll find storage for frequent searches, a listing of all the searches you've conducted and searches you decided to save for completion at a later time. Click on the report tab and BullsEye Pro allows you to retrieve search and track reports you've stored. Finally, the track tab gives you the option of running period searches based on your own criteria. Need a search run on a daily basis? How about checking certain Web pages on a weekly basis? You do all of that under this tab. BullsEye Pro's second feature, Tracker, allows users to run checks for information that may have changed or been updated on specific Web pages, formulate specific queries, or set up tracking schedules. In short, the user customizes the variables Tracker uses to perform a particular search. One feature many users, particularly business owners or managers, will like is the ability to find out who is linking to your company's Web site. By using BullsEye Pro's Web Search Agent, you can search out Web pages that are linking to your company's URL and you can be notified of future links, as well. With the ever-growing and limitless information available on the Internet, it's easy to suffer from information overload. Often, when I'm researching a particular topic, I sense a whiff of panic over all the data and information out there on the information highway. It's easy to become confused, disgusted and overwhelmed. Call it Internet Sensory Overload (or I.S.O.) for lack of a better definition. With BullsEye Pro, I have been able to cut through the irrelevant information and hone in on exactly what I need to complete my work as fast and efficiently as possible. For a writer who consistently has to produce work on deadline for a variety of clients, this program hits the mark time and time again. Whether you utilize this program for personal or professional reasons, BullsEye Pro saves time, money, and quite possibly, your sanity! IntelliSeek, Inc. Product Info: http://www.intelliseek.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Exciting New Career!| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ELECTRONICS IS ONE OF THE HOTTEST CAREERS TODAY! GET A FREE COURSE CATALOG AND HANDBOOK FROM CIE! If you like electronics, now's the best time to think about establishing an electronics career. Cleveland Institute of Electronics -- the leader -- has a FREE electronic symbols handbook, just to introduce you to their career courses. Click On Me: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/clvelec.htm -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 9=> Product: RGBee(TM) Color Pro, graphics Reviewed by: Howard Carson, mailto:lrhc@interlog.com Requires: Microsoft Windows(R) 95 or later, 486DX processor, 16MB of RAM, 640x480x16 bit color or higher. MSRP: $29.95 RGBee Color Pro from JADTech Corporation, is one of several RGBee-branded packages that give you reasonably good image processing results through simple controls that are dead-easy to use. RGBee Color Pro can change the colors of an image, change the amount of color, change the brightness, change the sharpness, and rotate images. The software can open most RGB images in BMP, JPG, WMF , EMF, TIF, PNG, PCD and PCX formats. RGBee Color Pro can save your image as a BMP, JPG, PCX, PNG, TIF, TGA, or EPS file. The software is supplied on 2 floppy disks. RGBee Color Pro installed and ran without problems on a PII/350 MHz machine running Windows 98, and a Compaq Presario P166MMX machine running Windows 95. The installation routine allows any number of demo versions of RGBee Color Pro, but only allows one licensed full version and an additional full backup copy (install disk #2 must be write-enabled so that the install routine can proceed and register the number of actual installations). If you reach your install limit, removing an installed version (the process writes uninstall information to disk #2) allows you to re-install on another computer. This is one of the many strange methods software makers are using in their attempts to combat illegal copying and distribution. The huge number of inexpensive scanners and digital cameras being sold is heralding a big surge in demand for image processing software. Since few people have the time or inclination to learn Jasc's PaintShop Pro(R) or Adobe PhotoShop(R), more and more families and individuals are turning to software such as MGI's PhotoSuite II(R) (a superb package that's very easy to use). But if even PhotoSuite II is too much bother, there's nothing left but RGBee Color Pro. It's about as simple as image processing can get. The interface is straightforward, gray-on-gray, consisting of a large window containing a several buttons arrayed on either side of an image display area. The left side of the interface has buttons for loading, saving, undoing, print size adjustment, copying and pasting. Load an image and click one of the buttons on the right side of the interface (Color change, Amount of color, Brightness, Soft-Sharp, and Rotate). Six thumbnail versions of your image are displayed along the bottom of the interface with a range of effects already applied. Click one of these presets and it will be applied. You can combine effects by applying them one after the other. That's it. You can then re-save or print the image. For final printing, insert your image into a word processor or publishing application. I don't recommend RGBee Color Pro for printing. RGBee Color Pro uses some very basic techniques to process images. For example, the Brightness control does not progressively brighten or darken images. All it does add either light or dark filters. Darkening adds black, while brightening simply removes color evenly leaving white behind. This is not a true brightness control. The Rotate effect is buggy and gets confused. It has a habit of shifting the unrotated preset image to the end of the list (and the control slider doesn't point to anything even vaguely accurate). In addition, moving the control slider all the way to the left (to the zero degree point) actually rotates the image to 355 degrees. The color change function also needs some work. It causes skin tones and solid colors to become mottled - it's not very attractive and severely limits the functionality. The Undo control is the most rudimentary of all. It is not progressive. No matter what you've done to your image (color change, brightness, etc.), clicking undo will revert to the original image you loaded. This action is identical to simply re-loading the original image. Cons: The software provides no advanced controls of any kind for advanced users, preventing professional adjustments to color, brightness, sharpness, etc. JADTech Corporation claims professional results, but there are no professional-quality controls for fine adjustments other than a single slider which is used in all modes. Anti-aliasing problems (jagged curved edges) with the rotate feature (screen and print rendering). No batch processing capability (the ability to process a whole directory of images is very useful, even for novices). Cannot load or save FlashPix, STing, or GIF formats. Overpriced - for only US$10 more, you can purchase MGI PhotoSuite, MGI PhotoSuite II or Adobe PhotoDeluxe(R), which are all extremely easy to use and vastly more powerful. Some of the descriptive language that JADTech uses in its marketing materials and help systems is unacceptable, e.g.: "millions and billions of possibilities" (dozens is literally more accurate) and "beautiful color output from your pictures" (strictly speaking, RGBee output is very average and besides, pictures don't output color - software, monitors and printers do that). Pros: The software provides no confusing advanced controls, allowing absolute novices to easily correct a small range of typical problems found in digital images (especially digital camera photos). Despite the bragging by manufacturers, most typical 640x480 digital cameras produce color shifted RGB photos, so RGBee Color Pro can be useful for processing individual photos to send to Mom, Dad, Grandma, etc. I recommend this software for absolute novices only. RGBee Color Pro JADTech Corporation Web site: http://www.rgbee.com/products.html -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Free US News and World Report Magazine!| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= FOUR FREE TRIAL ISSUES of U.S News & World Report! A special, exceptional Internet offer from U.S. News: The newsmagazine that goes way beyond the news to help you lead an exciting and productive life. Take advantage of U.S. News & World Report's special Internet offer - get your FOUR FREE ISSUES on-line! Click Below! Click On Me: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/usnews.htm -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 10=> Product: Zillions of Games 1.0, game Reviewed By: Bruce Darken, mailto:bwdarken@writeme.com Requires: Pentium 90 or faster; Windows 95/98; CD-ROM drive; modem or network interface card for on-line play; sound card and speakers, 16- or 24-bit color recommended, but only VGA with 16 colors is required MSRP: $29.95 plus $4 shipping A zillion games for 33 bucks? Well, yes. The dictionary says that a zillion is an extremely large, indeterminate number, and that's what you get with Zillions of Games--292 games to start with, growing to... Who knows? Right now that number is 390, and it goes up nearly every day. Zillions of Games is a fascinating product, using a powerful "universal gaming engine" to allow you to play any game or solve any puzzle for which a rules file has been written. Not only that, but if you're at all skilled at programming you can change the rules files to your heart's content or even create your own and post them on the Zillions web site for all to download and enjoy (or tear their hair out over). If you're really into exciting, in your face action games, you're not going to like Zillions, but if you enjoy board games and puzzles, you'll get hours of enjoyment from this program. It doesn't really come with 292 games, but 292 variations of games--58 varieties of Chess, five Checkers, 3 Chinese Checkers, 23 Tic-Tac-Toe, four 9 Men's Morris, eight Go-Moku, 44 Solitaire puzzles (not card games), etc., in addition to a wide variety of games for which there are only one or two variations. I'd lost interest in Tic-Tac-Toe many years ago, but the many variations in Zillions make it fun again! For non-solitaire games, you can choose to play with a friend using just one computer, with a friend and two computers (Internet TCP/IP, Lan IPX/SPX, direct modem connection, or serial connection), or against the computer if you're playing alone. (I don't know anyone with the game, and the times I checked the on-line Zillions chat to challenge a cyber opponent there was nobody else in the chat room, so I was unable to test the use of two computers.) The quality of the computer's play can be changed to suit your whims by varying the "Strength," how deeply it searches for the best move ("Pushover" to "Expert"), the "Variety," how well it chooses the best move from the moves it has found, and the "Thinking time Per Move," from one second to infinity or to match the length of time you took for your last move. If you give the computer as much time as it "wants," you can always click the "Move Now" button to force it to quit "thinking" and make its move. Though you can change the quality of the computer play, it still seems a bit weak for some games, and a bit strong for others, both of which frustrated my daughters (10 and 13 years old). I found most games I tried to be suitably challenging, and the updates from the web site contain game tweaks as well as bug fixes and new games. (I didn't encounter any game or computer crashes/freezes during my testing.) The games' interface is well suited for those that like to learn, then master, a new game; in one pane it creates a log of all moves, so you can look back to see what you did and when you did it, it allows multiple undoes, redoes, and restarts, and it gives hints if you request them. It will also allow you to return to a particular point in your game and resume play from there. You can choose to have sounds and animations accompany the moves, and one of the few included midi files will play continuously in the background until you get tired of it and turn it off. I wished there were a way to choose the midi file to play or to direct the program to a directory on your hard drive from which it could choose a random file, but there's not. You could, of course, change the tunes by pasting in the midi files of your choice with the appropriate default names (remembering to rename or move the original midi files first!). The program installation was a joy--one of the best and easiest installations I've ever done. It even detected that I was using DirectX V5 and *offered* to update it to V6 (included on CD; needed only for on-line play). If you choose a minimal install it only adds a couple of drivers to your hard drive, and if you choose a complete install (CD no longer needed for play) it still only takes up 17Mb of your precious hard drive space. The games' rules files are very small, so when you download new games from the web site each zip file is transferred almost instantly (assuming the game uses images and sounds already part of the Zillions package). The web site is impressive too (not flashy), for its depth and breadth of support, including new games and instructions for installing them, program updates, rules file programming instructions, a FAQ, troubleshooting guide, and links to other gaming sites. It's also the place to go to purchase the program (mail order using form from the web, toll-free phone, or on-line secure server using your credit card), because Zillions of Games isn't available in any store or from any other mail order or on-line vendor. As if the fun you'll have playing over 300 games that don't crash your computer and don't empty your wallet isn't enough, Zillions is also educational, with a brief history and background of every game, not to mention exercising and pumping up your brain through the use of logic, strategy, clarity of thought and memory. Did you know that gaming guru John Scarne made up a game, Teeko, that was popular in the 1950s, and predicted it would someday pass Chess and Checkers in popularity? Ever hear of it? Me neither--but now, through the power of your computer, Zillions of Games, and a quick download from the web, you can play Joe DiMaggio's *real passion*, Teeko, in the comfort of your own home. (Didn't DiMaggio have a 56 game Teeko winning streak?) Zillions Development Zillions of Games Product Info: http://www.zillions-of-games.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Sm@rt Reseller - Free!| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= A complimentary one-year subscription to SM@RT RESELLER will be sent to applicants who qualify. FREE subscriptions are available in the US and Canada only. - Click Below Click On Me: http://www.zdnet.com/zdsubs/smart/ads/alc51.html -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= Managing Editor: Patrick Grote -- mailto:pgrote@i1.net Assistant Editor: Doug Reed-- mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com Assistant Editor: Robin Nobles, mailto:smslady@netdoor.com Archives: ftp://ftp.compunotes.com/pub/archive Website: e-mail: mailto:notes@compunotes.com Want to Write for Us?: mailto:writers@compunotes.com fax: (314) 909-1662 voice: (314) 909-1662 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= CompuNotes is: Available weekly via e-mail and on-line. We cover the PC computing world with comprehensive reviews, news, hot web sites, great columns and interviews. We also give away one software package a week to a lucky winner for just reading our fine publication! Never dull, sometimes tardy, we are here to bring you the computing world the way it is! Please tell every on-line friend about us! CompuNotes B440 1114 West Essex Ave. St. Louis, MO 63122 notes@compunotes.com (C)1999 Patrick Grote .