AFTER READING THIS FILE, CLICK THE "FILE" MENU (IN THE WINDOWS PROGRAM) AND CLICK OFF "PSL-NEWS". Windows Games Section ===================== The Section of the Month on this CD-ROM is "Games, Sounds & Music for Windows". However due to space limitations (there are about 400MB of new programs received during the last month, leaving only about 250MB for the Section of the Month), we only had room to include games and sounds files since the last Windows Games/Sounds CD-ROM (Vol. 3, Num. 9). If you do not have the V.3, N.9 CD-ROM with thousands of other games, sounds and music files on it, you can get it for a special price of $6 plus $4 shipping. Don't forget that we have thousands of great games, sounds, and music files for DOS on Vol.3, Num.10 CD-ROM. That CD is still available at our regular prices. PsL Hot Picks of the Month ========================== (Double-click on a file name to install it.) ---WINDOWS: Medlin Accounting for Windows [WIN\BUSINESS\MEDLINSW.ZIP] provides comprehensive payroll, G/L, A/P, A/R, and invoicing modules for Windows that may be integrated or run individually. Features include extensive printing capabilities, context sensitive help screens, and much more. This is Win95 compatible. Clock-IN! by Phone [WIN\BUSINESS\BYPHONE.ZIP] allows workers to clock in and out and charge time by telephone in Win95/NT using a telephony modem, PC speakers and a microphone. Mobile workers can be tracked on where there are, what they did, and their pay hours computed to your pay rules and schedules. Time & Chaos (32-bit) [WIN\BUSINESS\CHAOS32X.ZIP] is a powerful PIM for Win95. Features include an extensible architecture, tight integration with Exchange and Word, TAPI compliance, powerful search and reporting capabilities, multi-user support, drag and drop support, and more. The Ultimate Event Planner [WIN\BUSINESS\EVENT1_A.ZIP] assists you in planning important events of any size, for personal or business use. You can have any number of events in progress, such as weddings, banquets, dinner parties, conventions, etc. The program allows you to enter detailed information regarding virtually all aspects of the event, including budgets, costs, deadlines, seating arrangements, guest lists, entertainment, etc. Other features include envelope and label printing, a calendar display, invitation printing, and a lot more. (IMPORTANT: Also install [WIN\BUSINESS\EVENT1_B.ZIP]) EZSlideShow [WIN\GRAPHICS\EZSLIDE.ZIP] allows you to easily create a slide show in Windows. You simply create a text file with a list of BMP images, and use mouse clicks to advance through the slides. This supports all BMP graphics, from monochrome to 24-bit. The Collector [WIN\GRAPHICS\COLLECTR.ZIP] is a database for organizing graphic image collections, including TIFF, PCX, JPEG, TGA, BMP, WMP, DIB, DCX, EPS, GIF and PICT formats. You can create groups for various styles of images and provide up to 15 fields of information for each image. These fields can then be used to sort, query and display collections. Pick lists can also be created with common words for quick data input. The program can also serve as a handy database with image support. Apollo - Mission to the Moon [WIN\GAMES\APOLLO.ZIP] challenges you to take command of an Apollo spacecraft bound for the moon and back. Photo-realistic graphics combined with authentic audio will place you inside the cramped craft as it descends to the lunar surface. The game is divided into three distinct phases: Lunar landing, orbital docking, and Earth re-entry. Requires VBRUN300, a 486 with 8MB RAM, and a sound card. Clip&Talk [WIN\SOUNDS\CLNTK100.ZIP] adds speech capabilities to Windows applications. This will work with word processors, spread sheet programs, E-mail readers, Web browsers, or any Windows application that can put text to the Clipboard. Talking can be done automatically, or controled by hot keys, which are pressed from your main applications directly. This version is limited to reading 600 words. Speak for Yourself [WIN\SOUNDS\SPEAKDEM.ZIP] allows you to record and play back vocal reminders through your sound card in Windows. You can create reminders for appointments, things to do, birthdays, anniversaries, or virtually anything that you need to be reminded of. WaveWorks Sound Editor [WIN\SOUNDS\WW123.ZIP] is a powerful sound editor for Windows. Features include direct-to-disk recording, ACM-based compression and decompression, a revolutionary real-time 3D sound processor, high-speed unlimited undo, a ten-band graphic equalizer, and constant-time editing for unlimited file sizes. Daily File Backup [WIN\UT_DSKFI\DAILYBAK.ZIP] allows you to quickly and easily make a backup copy of all the files on your hard disk which have been modified on the current day. It can also help you to clean out unwanted files on your hard disk. Requires WIN31+. Memory Saver [WIN\UT_SYSTM\MEMSAVER.ZIP] helps you eliminate the "not enough memory" error message by forcing an application to use memory above 1MB. Delphi source code is included. ---DOS: Cheat Machine [DOS\GAMES\CHTM20.ZIP] is a monthly collection of cheats for a large number of games, retail and shareware, for Amiga and PCs. In addition to hints on what keys to press or actions to perform, it also includes utilities to change files in games to make them easier to win. Simply select the desired game from a scrollable list and any information, tips, patches, code, etc. will be displayed. If code is available, you can add the changes to the desired game directly from the menu. Robot Revenge [DOS\GAMES\RRV20.ZIP] is a comical shoot-em-up game which pits your stick-figure character against a host of robots, flying blades, and other line-drawn objects. Be careful, the robots have their own demented means of extracting revenge. This game is not so much a challenge as it is amusing to watch. It's certainly the most violent stick-figure game we have ever seen. Word Games at Camelot [DOS\EDUCA\WGC.ZIP] is an educational arcade game for young vocabulary students. As a contender for knighthood in King Authur's court, you must travel a dangerous path, avoiding waterfalls, hedgehogs, and other obstacles. When you encounter a guard, you must answer a set of vocabulary questions to continue your journey. The word database includes nearly 1000 words and you can include your own word sets. The program also allows you to print word puzzles and flash cards for further word study. DOS Command Center [DOS\UT_SYSTM\DCC40.ZIP] is a file manager which supports WIN95 long file names, archive processing, drag and drop, directory synchronizing, file search, file viewing (with support for most popular formats), user-defined menus and dialogs, and more. QuikPak [DOS\UT_SYSTM\QUIKPK.ZIP] is a set of four programs to enhance operations in DOS. QuikCalc is a Lotus 1-2-3 style spreadsheet with support for over four billion cells of data. QuikDesk is a file manager with several functions for file navigation, as well as a calendar, calculator, viewer, ASCII table, and more. QuikEdit is similar to DOS EDIT with additional features such as WordStar key support, clipboard, and calculator. QuikView provides an easy means for viewing any text file on your computer. ResQflpy [DOS\UT_DSKFI\RESQFLPY.ZIP] helps you recover data from floppy disks with bad sectors by making a duplicate copy of the diskette, despite any errors incurred. Defective sectors are either ignored or read by force whenever possible. You can then attempt to recover data from the copy without the risk of further aggravating the situation. CD-ROM Sections Of The Month: ============================ Following is a list of the sections from the most recent CDs. By getting all of these CDs, you would have every program/file in PsL's collection. Programs for both DOS and Windows are included in each group. Vol. Num. 4 7 Games and Sounds & Music for Windows 4 6 Programming (new programs since V.3, N.8) (assembler, Basic, C, Cobol, Fortran, Pascal, Modula, Visual Basic, general tools, and more.) 4 5 Communications & Networking 4 4 Education 4 3 Words & Graphics (word processing, drawing program, clip art, desktop publishing, spelling/grammar checkers, hypertext, fonts, printer utilities, and more.) (new programs since V.3, N.5) 4 2 Home Apps for DOS 4 1 Utilities for DOS & Windows and All OS/2 Programs (new programs since V.3, N.4 CD) 3 12 Home Apps for Windows 3 11 Business (accounting, finance, general business, time managers, general business, database, spreadsheet, mailing list managers, and more.) (Some older files on 2/95 Business CD not on this CD.) 3 10 Games and Sounds & Music for DOS 3 9 Games and Sounds & Music for Windows 3 8 Programming (up to 8/95) 3 7 Communications & Network (comm programs and utilities, BBS systems, programs for FAX cards, pagers, etc., plus networking pgms.) 3 5 Words & Graphics (up to 5/95) 3 4 Utilities for DOS & Windows and All OS/2 Files (up to 4/95) FUTURE CD's: Following is the schedule for the section-of-the-month for coming CDs. Because the number of programs in each section continues to grow each month, it may be necessary to split up one or more of the following sections onto separate months' CDs. If this is important to you, check before ordering. ("Num." indicates the month of the year. "Vol.4" is 1996 and "Vol.5" is 1997.) Vol. Num. 4 08 Games & Sounds & Music for DOS 4 09 Business 4 10 Home Apps for Windows 4 11 Home Apps for DOS 4 12 Utilities for DOS & Windows plus all OS/2 Problems: ======== In all the years of producing the PsL Monthly CD, we have NEVER found a single problem caused by a "bad CD copy". If you cannot get a CD to work on your machine, please try it on another machine if possible. Otherwise, please read the following Q&A's. If none of this works for you, return the CD and we will check it and replace it if necessary. (1.) "My machine locks up or reboots when I try to install a program." You have one of the small percentage of systems with a CD-ROM driver that is incompatible with PKUNZIP. To get around that problem, we have placed a public domain unzip program on the CD. To invoke it with the DOS-based program, run it using the syntax: "PSL_SHRD /U" (without the quotes). In the Windows based program, select UNZIP in the window that appears after pushing the Install button. In Windows, you can also elect to use WinZip to dearchive files. (2.) "There are no files on the CD." "There are no files in one of the directories." "I get an error trying to copy a file from the CD." We have only had a few such complaints, but in all cases, there was nothing wrong with the CD. Some of the users who made the complaints were able to read the CDs without error on other machines or even when trying later on the same machine. We suspect that the problem is with dust or dirt in the drive or, more specifically, on the laser lens, or on the CD-ROM disc itself. If you do not have a CD lens cleaner, get one from your dealer. Also inspect the non-printed side of the CD for dust or debris. One caller took the CD out, wiped it off, put it back in, and it worked. Maybe it was dirty or maybe just re-seating it helped. (3.) "When I install from the Windows access program, it tells me FILE NOT FOUND." Some combination of flukes in Windows/DOS cause some systems not to be able to find PKUNZIP.EXE on the CD-ROM drive. The solution is to copy PKUNZIP.EXE into your WINDOWS directory on your hard disk. SOUND BLASTER PRO OWNERS: On the January 1995 CD-ROM, we went over 600MB on the CD for the first time and a couple of people with Sound Blaster Pro cards and CD drives were unable to get a directory on the CD. If you have a Sound Blaster Pro and have this problem on a future CD-ROM, ask Creative Labs for a new CD-ROM driver. Frequently Asked Questions: ========================== (1.) "Why don't you install the programs on the CD ready to run instead of in ZIP format?" There are many reasons: - Many programs try to write back to the directory that they are installed in, which cannot be done on a CD. - Many programmers require that their programs be distributed in archived format. - Some installation programs configure the software to the system they are installed on, so that a program installed on our system may not work on yours. - Because we add a section of PsL's disk-based library to the CD each month, there is not room to have all the programs dearchived. - For use of the CDs on BBSs, files must be in archive format. Distributing the programs in archive format makes for a much neater package, making programs easier to find. Dearchiving a program to hard disk only takes a few seconds and by using a temporary directory, you can easily delete the files when done. (2.) "Are the same programs repeated on each month's CD?" No. The \DOS, \WIN, and \OS2 directories contain only the new programs received by PsL during the last 30 days. In addition, we put a different section of our disk-based library on each month's CD. These sections do repeat every eigth months, but they are updated for the thousands of new files received during the previous eight months. (3.) "I'm not interested in the section of PsL being added to the CD this month. Why should I have to pay for a CD with a section I don't want in order to get the lower subscription price?" For the same reason that a magazine purchased from a newsstand costs twice as much as the same issue if you subscribe. The reason for the lower price in a subscription is that you agree to take every issue. In addition, focusing on the old programs, which we decided to add to the CD as a free bonus, is ignoring the purpose of the CD. The PsL Monthly CD was conceived (and priced) as a way to get the many hundreds of new programs received at PsL each month out to the public in an economical way. The first CD was released in July 1993 with about 350 programs on it and sold out in two weeks. We did not start adding sections of our library to the CD until December 1993. By that time, the number of new programs on each month's CD doubled to an average of over 700. Even though it meant a back-breaking amount of work to get the additional 2000 to 3000+ files onto the CD each month, we did not raise the price of the CD a penny. Yet some people who had happily paid $19.95 to get the 700 or so new programs each month, suddenly focused only on the programs on the files that they did NOT want - a particular section of our disk-based library. That may be because for retail sales purposes, WE have had to emphasize the library section on the cover of the CD, even though that is not the purpose of the CD. Please remember that there is no other source to get so many new programs on such a timely basis for such a low price. If you do not have a need for a particular section of our disk-based library, just ignore it and focus on the new programs on the CD. You only have to use/enjoy a few programs, clip art files, sound files, etc., per month out of the 1000+ new programs each month to more than offset the cost of the CD compared to disk fees and download fees. (4.) "After the PSL_NEWS program installs a file, the program sometimes has to be installed again from those files. Why can't it just be installed once directly from the CD-ROM?" Some shareware authors have custom installation programs which create directories, put files in specific directories, configure the program to the user's specific hardware, etc. We cannot have multiple INSTALL programs in the same directory and it would be cumbersome to have a separate directory for each program, so we are forced to archive such programs, resulting in their having to be dearchived from the CD-ROM before they can be installed with the author's installation program. Contacting PsL: ============== Your comments and suggestions are appreciated. We are striving to make this the ideal CD for sysops and vendors, as well as for individual and users. We will implement every possibly suggestion which will still allow us to produce the CD in a timely manner and which will not degrade the CD is some other way. If you are a programmer and want your program distributed on this CD, simply send it on disk to the address below or if it is a Windows program, upload it to our forum on Compuserve (GO PSLWIN). Public (software) Library P.O.Box 35705 Houston, TX 77235-5705 Voice: 713-524-6394 FAX: 713-524-6398 CompuServe: 74777,3465