AFTER READING THIS FILE, CLICK THE "FILE" MENU (IN THE WINDOWS PROGRAM) AND CLICK OFF "PSL-NEWS". PsL CD Meets PsLWeb =================== You can now access the PsL Monthly CD-ROM with your favorite Web browser, assuming it supports opening local files, as all of the major ones do. Just open "File Manager" (in Win31) or "My Computer" (in Win95) and find the INDEX.HTM file in the root directory of the CD. Double-click on it and it should start up your browser and load the INDEX file. If that does not work, start up your browser, click on the "File" menu, and click on "Load File In Browser" (or similar command). Once you have the Index file loaded, it will guide you from there. While we would like to believe that our CD access program is easy and intuitive to use, the fact is that many people already know how to use their browser and will find it an even easier way to access the CD. You will find other differences in the browser files as well. One browser feature which we think you will like is the ability to jump from the CD onto a site on the Web. In addition to shareware links, we have started off our first Web-Shareware CD with a list of our Top 10 Favorite Web Sites. Picks Of The Month: ================== (Click on a program name to install it.) ---Windows: AlbumWIZ [WIN\GRAPHICS\AWZSETUP.ZIP] [SEE SCREEN SHOT] is a multimedia photo album that combines both images and sound. Its database consists of 120 pages, broken up into five user definable tabs. Each page can contain one primary image and one OLE2 sound object. The image on each page can contain a variety of additional information such as title, and unlimited text notes. Requires VBRUN300. This version becomes read-only after the 30-day trial period. Cruiser Browser [WIN\UT_DSKFI\CRUSR131.ZIP] is an easy-to-use file browser/copier/launcher for Win95. It provides a dockable and sizable desktop popup menu button which opens your disks with cascading folders, browses through your file system resolving links, and opens documents/windows/DOS sessions without the use of Explorer. HomeWork [WIN\COMMUNIC\HOMEWKE.ZIP] [SEE SCREEN SHOT] helps create a homepage in a few minutes without any knowledge of the HTML language/programming. It asks a series of questions (for example: What title do you want, Do you want pictures, etc.) and when all are answered it makes a homepage which can be viewed in any browser. PowerBar [WIN\UT_SYSTM\PB130.ZIP] allows fast and easy one click access to your applications and programs groups. Other features include instant drive access, support for virtual desktops, shutdown/reboot options, drag and drop support, an analog clock, a free disk space display, and much more. Requires Win95/NT. Game Prefect [WIN\UT_SYSTM\PREFECT.ZIP] helps parents monitor their children's use of the computer. You can create a "time budget" in minutes, and two lists of programs. One list is of "debit" programs that draw down the budget (programs you want to limit). The other list has the "credit" programs, educational and other programs you want to encourage your children to use. Using credit programs increases the child's time budget. Requires Win95. RusCell Malachite [WIN\GAMES\RUSCELL.ZIP] [SEE SCREEN SHOT] is a colorful version of Klondike solitaire using graphics in the style of Russian fantasy tales. ScrolLok [WIN\UT_SYSTM\SCROLZIP.ZIP] is a scrollbar locking utility for Win95/NT. It restricts the mouse cursor movement to the scroll area so you can concentrate on what you are looking for without having to worry about how you move the mouse. ShutDown NOW! [WIN\UT_SYSTM\SHDN21.ZIP] [SEE SCREEN SHOT] provides a system tray icon that allows you to exit Windows with a double-click. Other options include the ability to disable the startup and shutdown logos, two different times that allow you to exit Windows at a specific time, and the ability to run an application before closing. Requires Win95/NT. Skirmax [WIN\GAMES\SKRMX102.ZIP] [SEE SCREEN SHOT] is an exciting game of strategy that pits two players against each other with the objective to first discover the opposing player's flag and thereby win the game. Each player has 40 pieces at game start which you set up on the board in the setup phase. The players then alternate moves until a flag is captured or one side has no pieces remaining that can move. ---DOS: Clone (AP) [DOS\GAMES\CLDEMO1.ZIP] [SEE SCREEN SHOT] is a mind-boggling puzzle game with excellent graphics and music. Your character must navigate through a dangerous castle, collecting gems and protective potions while avoiding devious traps. Throughout the game you will encounter acid pots, deadly thunder clouds, menacing bows and arrows, one-way corridors, fire/ice traps, and much more. 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. 5 7 Home for DOS & Windows (new files since V.4, N.10) 5 6 Business for DOS & Windows (new files since V.4, N.9) 5 5 Games for DOS & Windows (new files since V.4, N.7) 5 4 Programming for DOS & Windows (new files since V.4, N.6) 5 3 Communications, Networking, Internet for DOS and Windows 5 2 Education (math, science, languages, reading/spelling, gradebook, study aids) 5 1 Words & Graphics (new files since V.4, N.3) & all OS/2 (word processing, drawing program, clip art, desktop publishing, spelling/grammar checkers, hypertext, fonts, printer utilities, and more.) (OS/2: all OS/2 files since V.4, N.1) 4 12 Utilities For DOS & Windows (new programs since V.4, N.1) 4 11 Home Applications for DOS (home accounting, hobbies, home/auto maintenance, astrology, genealogy, religion, collecting, and more.) 4 10 Home Applications for Windows 4 9 Business (accounting, finance, general business, time managers, general business, database, spreadsheet, mailing list managers, and more, since V.3, N.11) 4 8 Games and Sounds & Music for DOS (since V.3, N.10) 4 7 Games and Sounds & Music for Windows (since V.3., N.9) 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 (comm programs and utilities, BBS systems, programs for FAX cards, pagers, etc., plus networking pgms.) 4 3 Words & Graphics (new programs since V.3, N.5) 4 1 Utilities for DOS & Windows and All OS/2 Programs (new programs up to 1/96, since V.3, N.4 CD) 3 11 Business (up to 11/95) 3 10 Games and Sounds & Music for DOS (up to 10/95) 3 9 Games and Sounds & Music for Windows (up to 9/95) 3 8 Programming (up to 8/95) 3 7 Communications & Network (up to 7/95) 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. ("Vol." indicates the year. "Vol.4" is 1996, "Vol.5" is 1997. Volume 1 appeared in 1993, so Volume 2 is 1994, Volume 3 is 1995, Volume 4 is 1996, and Volume 5 is 1997. The "Number" is the month number, so Vol.4, Num.11 is November 1996.) Vol. Num. 5 8 Utilities 5 9 Words and Graphics 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. (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?" The majority of each CD contains new programs received during the last 30 days. These are programs of ALL types and now usually total over 400MB. Rather than leave the rest of the CD empty (as we did during the first year of producing the CD, we fill it in with a different section of our library each month. Even if you don't care for that section, there are tons of programs on each CD for all interests. (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 email us and tell us where we can download it from your BBS or Web page. Public (software) Library P.O.Box 35705 Houston, TX 77235-5705 Voice: 713-524-6394 FAX: 713-524-6398 CompuServe: 71355,470 Internet: http://www.pslweb.com