                               PC NEWS Review
                              ----------------
                              Windows  Edition

           Helping you save $$ by making informed buying choices.
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1994 by Bolt Publishing Co.                                   February 1994
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                                 THIS MONTH
                                 ==========

COLUMNS					   REVIEWS
-------					   -------
My Column: Tech Support Nightmare	   AutoSketch for Windows
PC LIFE


NEWS-U-CAN-USE				   MISC.
--------------				   -----
CA Gives Away Simply Tax		   The Mailbox
Microsoft and the Nafta Agreement


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*> MY COLUMN: Tech Support Nightmare			| Editorial
   ---------------------------------			|    Opinion
   by Steve O. Steele, Editor				|      New Products
							--------------------
							

WHAT'S IN A NAME?
=================
	A lot.  PC NEWS Review will offer you, as the name implies, news and reviews.  What you'll see is that it's useful information, with articles that apply to your daily life, as well as save you time and money.  And you'll get it in a quick, detailed, and concise manner.  We'll let you know whether or not a product is worth.  And we'll eagerly listen to your suggestions and implement them.

	That's part of why this isn't just another Windows publication.  I know there's already a lot of information out there.  But what I found, after spending most of a day reading a stack of Windows magazines, was that I spent a lot of time to get little new information.

	For example, one of the magazines I read had 242 pages of ads out of over 400 pages of material. That's more than 60% of pages devoted to ads.  Now ads, aren't a bad thing.  They generally provide you with more information about a product -- even though it is biased (that's why there are reviews).  But most ads run for several months.  So that 60% isn't really 60% of new information.  Part of our goal is to tell you what you need to know, and do it in a way that takes the least amount of your reading time.

	But there are other things that make us different:

		1. An electronic format lets you find information in seconds
                   by doing a string search in your text processor.

		2. You don't have to wade through ad after ad to read PNR.

		3. We do not accept advertising when a product is reviewed; we
		   maintain an unbiased reviewing atmosphere.

		4. Quicker reviews of new products.

		5. A unique reviewing system that will tell you all about a 
		   product in the shortest time possible.


	This is our introductory issue under the PC NEWS Review banner (formerly CompuNews Online).  We're still doing a lot of organizing and logistics work.  But I anticipate we'll be up to speed in a month or two.  I hope you enjoy this and upcoming issues and that you'll let your friends know about us.  So, check out next month's issue, which should be on your online service the first week of March.  And now onto some other topics.


TECH SUPPORT BLUES
==================
	Technical Support. At worst, it's a nightmare.  It's not something look forward to.  Companies who are best at technical support, are really companies that know how to provide a mix of quick response and knowledgeable answers.  Think about it.  The only reason a user calls technical support line is when they have a problem.  In a way, it's a complaint line.  And people who call are usually frustrated.  The situations usually have all the makings of an unpleasant situation.  So, the things companies can do is to mitigate the frustration level of the user.  Whether they're successful depends on how well the do this.


AFTER HOURS SUPPORT
-------------------
	Recently, I had the complicated task of setting up a computer system.  This required getting a variety of components to work together, which can easily lead to problems.  It did.  The first goal was to install Stacker.  Well, it installed fine on one drive, but not on another.  This was late at night, thus, illustrating the plight of the user puttering away during non-tech support hours.  When something goes wrong, it's like a person lost at sea late at night with a boat that isn't working, and no one to call for help.  The only thing to do is wait and it doesn't matter how much it's worth to get the problem fixed now.  The situation gets worse if it's a Friday night (AKA the Weekend of Anxiety).

	Some companies, such as Microsoft, have started to work around this problem.  Microsoft now has tech support after hours.  Basically, you pay money for tech support after hours.  During Microsoft's normal hours it's free (for most of their products).  This isn't too bad considering that: 1. Understandably, this money pays for the labor cost of the technicians -- we can't expect a company to offer 24 hour tech support at the current prices of software, and 2. Some other companies charge for tech support during working hours and don't even provide any after hours support (usually between 5 p.m. to 9 a.m.).


MICROSOFT'S UNIQUE HOLDING SYSTEM
---------------------------------
	Since I'm on the subject of Microsoft, I've found their support, in terms of frustration control, to be the best.  I'm usually appeased by their holding system.  They have a disc jockey that plays music -- usually interesting music - not the elevator variety -- and every so often tells you about how long you'll be waiting.  "I think it make people more easier going because they know where they stand," says Hodge Yohn, a Microsoft tech support employee.  "I get more compliments than complaints."  I can see why.  When I called US Robotics, I got the "This is the only message you will hear while holding" message, followed by dead silence.  I think I waited for half an hour with dead silence emanating from the speaker phone.  If you have a speaker phone, you may know how easy it is to forget that you're on hold when there's no sound coming from the other end.


KNOWING WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT
----------------------------------
	There are companies that are quick, but that's part of a good tech support system.  Even if you get lucky and get through to tech support quickly, the quality of the tech person varies greatly.  It's a bit like playing the lottery.  Every company that I called had tech support personnel of varying levels: very good, good, average, bad, and just plain lousy.  I talked to one person who didn't have a clue about what he was talking about.  He told me what I was trying to do wasn't possible.  I asked him how long he had worked there.  Five months, he said.  The best thing to do in this situation is to get off the line as fast as possible to stop wasting time.  Just say "OK, I'll try to figure it out."  I called right back and got a technician who had been with the company for three years.  Lo and behold he told me how to do it, and in five minutes my problem was solved.  I spent 10 minutes with the other technician, most of it with him rubbing his head and putting me on hold.  So, if you find that you're not getting the answers to your problem reasonably quickly, just call back and talk to somebody else.  Don't get mad, just get the info.


THE REALLY BAD
--------------
	It doesn't matter how long you wait, it's still annoying. Microsoft is usually quick.  I usually get through directly, or have to wait 5 or 10 minutes.  On the other hand, the company that I bought my computer from (Comtrade) had me wait ONE AND A HALF HOURS.  Is this ridiculous or what?  And it wasn't an isolated incident.  Whatever the size of their tech support staff, it was obviously NOT ENOUGH.  They've made quite a bit of money (full color multi-page ads).  I recall that their sales person called me back six times after I made an inquiry about their computers.  Now, I'm the one who usually calls six times just to be put in queue (usually resulting in a very long wait with dead silence).  But when I call their sales line, I get patched through to a person in a matter of minutes.  I think Comtrade should get a clue.  Not enough tech support people.  Not enough tech support people.  Remember that hour and a half wait?  Well, after waiting for a while I put them on my speaker phone.  About an hour and a half later, somebody finally came on and said "Hello" very quickly.  Before I had a chance to answer (say 2 seconds) they hung up.  How nice...


DOS SUPPORT
-----------
	Now, my last complaint.  That's with Microsoft and the way they monitor companies that offer DOS tech support.  If you buy DOS from Microsoft, then they give you 90 days of free tech support.  Great.  If you get DOS pre-installed on your system, then the company you bought it from gives you your tech support.  Well, I just told you about my computer company.  They're not quick -- they're far from it.  On top of that, they're usually on the lower end of the knowledge scale -- especially when it comes to DOS support.  Now, I don't know how Microsoft evaluates whether a company qualifies for offering tech support.  It may be just a matter of buying a lot of packages and filling out a paper that they have x amount of people offering tech support.  Microsoft may have a special system.  I haven't researched this, so I don't know.  However, what I do know is that Comtrade isn't making Microsoft look good.  I wonder if Microsoft monitors these companies.  They should.  Even if it is to have somebody call to check the proficiency of the company's tech support.  When a DOS 6.2 upgrade started acting ornery, I couldn't get an answer to one of my questions from Comtrade.  So I tried to get help from Microsoft.  I didn't get far.  My options were to either pay a significant sum per minute, call Comtrade (which I already tried -- it didn't make any difference that they couldn't answer my question), or go to a local software store and buy the upgrade, which would entitle me to 90 days of tech support.  The $10 upgrade cost was equivalent to a couple of minutes of per-minute tech support, so the Microsoft pay-as-you-go tech support didn't seem like a very economic choice.  The obvious solution was to buy the upgrade.  But that sidesteps the main problem.  Comtrade should have offered knowledgeable and fairly speedy tech support.  Why can't somebody at Microsoft call Comtrade's tech support a few times and hang on the phone for an hour or more.  Maybe they'll start getting the picture.  Company's that offer tech support for DOS should offer relatively quick support in addition to being knowledgeable.  I hope someone at Microsoft checks this out so that this kind of situation doesn't happen with a future product (like Windows 4.0).

	It's difficult to say that a company has a good tech support staff, in terms of knowledgability, unless it is very small and you talk to all of them.  However, the other aspect is easy to determine.  For the most part, of the four companies I had to call, Microsoft and Stac Electronics were great.  US Robotics needed some help.  And Comtrade, well, they're just plain bad.  So, make sure to check the tech support from a company BEFORE you buy a computer, and don't waste your time on the line with lousy technicians, call back and get someone who knows what they're doing.


NEW PRODUCTS
============
	With so much time spent organizing and developing the groundwork for PC NEWS Review, I haven't had much time to spend into looking at new products, which I will do in upcoming issues.


	I did want to mention Flight Simulator 5, as well as the scenery disks that have come out for it.  I haven't taken a look at the program itself, but from the photos on the box it looks rather impressive.  The Paris and New York scenery disks look sharp.  The idea of flying by the Eifel Tower or Empire State building is pretty cool -- if I get some free time in the near future I'll be taking a flight myself.  If you have an interest in flight simulators and don't want to wait for reviews, you should take a look the next time you're down at your software store.


	See you next month.
















	Steve O. Steele is a Communications major specializing in Editorial Journalism at the University of Washington.  When he isn't inundated with paperwork and work in general, he's editing PC NEWS Review or writing news stories.  He has nine years of computing experience and has participated in publishing several computer related publications.

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*> PC LIFE: OS/2 Gets Better Without Windows		| 
   ---------------------------------			|     Opinion
   by Alan Frayer					|   
							--------------------
							


	It's often helpful that this column appears on online services, because those services make it convenient for my readers to ask me questions, throw tips, or introduce subjects I somehow missed along the way. For example, last week a reader had asked about an IBM introduction that I knew had happened, and even thought worth mentioning, then allowed to slip my mind in the pressure of other business.

	At Comdex, IBM introduced an inexpensive version of OS/2 2.1 that is likely to become more popular than the full-blown release. The $49 suggested retail price is enough to get the attention of those who have been teetering on the operating system fence, but this release will be better known for what it lacks than what it offers.

	Dubbed OS/2 for Windows, IBM's new operating system offers support for DOS and OS/2 applications but lacks Windows, allowing Big Blue to market the product without paying high royalties to Microsoft. Instead, the operating system looks for a pre-existing copy of Windows on installation, and binds the Windows executables into the OS/2 code.

	This move comes as a response to the many computer users who complained of having to ditch their copy of Windows when migrating to OS/2. Users may now protect their investment in Windows and Windows-based applications while upgrading to OS/2.  Users will be able to continue to use the File Allocation Table (FAT), or may migrate to OS/2's High Performance File System (HPFS).

	The users who will most benefit from OS/2 for Windows will be those who buy PCs with DOS and Windows pre-loaded. Marketing arrangements between computer manufacturers and Microsoft allow machines to be shipped "Windows-ready." Users who prefer to use OS/2 can do so without being forced to reformat the machine.  Since Windows-compatibility is provided by actual Windows code, concerns about whether Windows-based applications will be compatible are reduced.

	OS/2 for Windows does point towards a less widely discussed possibility. IBM no longer has the rights to Windows code, with the Windows and OS/2 development agreements expired. For OS/2 to remain a popular and viable operating system, Windows-compatibility must be maintained, but before this release observers looked for future Windows support to come from emulation, something said with a wink and a knowing smile. Now, with OS/2 for Windows, the thought comes to mind that IBM won't need to provide Windows-compatibility, as long as Windows can be bound into the OS/2 code. Microsoft ends up providing the Windows-compatibility, despite itself!

	IBM still makes plenty of mistakes, but on occasion a winner comes to the forefront. OS/2 is far from dead, and with developments like OS/2 for Windows IBM might eventually find a way to win back the masses.

	Thanks to my readers for encouraging me to take another look at this product announcement.

Copyright (c) 1993 by Alan Frayer, CNE			All Rights Reserved


	Alan Frayer is a professional writer, published in InfoWorld, the Clarion Tech Journal and Sarasota's Business Magazine.  He is also a member of InfoWorld's Review Board, as well as a certified NetWare 3.11 administrator.

What is PC LIFE?

	PC LIFE is a column where the author shares his opinions on the issues surrounding the PC industry and occasionally mixes in product reviews. The columns are written in an entertaining, tongue-in-cheek style, meant not only to entertain but also educate.





















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*> CA Gives Away Simply Tax				|  NEW
   ------------------------				|       U-CAN
   by Bob Garsson					|              USE
							--------------------
							

	Can a company stay in business, no less make a profit, by giving its software away to anyone who wants it for nothing more than a small shipping and handling charge?

	Computer Associates (CA) of Islandia, NY thinks it can and is in the process of proving it. Earlier this year, CA offered to give away one million copies of Kiplinger's CA-Simply Money--its personal finance software--and response to the unprecedented offer was far beyond what anyone imagined. Phone lines were jammed for days and operators had to be added by the hundreds to keep up with the demand.

	Now, CA is doing it again--giving away its newest product--CA-Simply Tax--and company officials believe public response may be even higher than it was to Kiplinger's CA-Simply Money. What's more, it will continue to give the tax program away to anyone who requests it right up until the tax-filing deadline this April 15. In addition, the one-million copy limitation on Kiplinger's CA-Simply Money has been removed and the deadline for that program, too, has been extended to April 15.

	And in a step that should make it easier for people to get both, it's no longer necessary to call a separate number and place two different orders. Now the applications are bundled and the public can order both at one time if desired.

	Kiplinger's CA-Simply Money, it should be noted, was designed as a Microsoft Windows application and works only within that environment. CA-Simply Tax, can be run either under Windows or DOS.

	To come up with the tax application, CA agreed to purchase the Easy Tax software product of a subsidiary of SoftKey Software Products of Cambridge, Mass. SoftKey in return agreed to distribute CA-Simply Tax to the mass market under an affiliate label program.

	The popularity of the giveaway has not been lost on other software manufacturers. Parsons Technology of Hiawatha, Iowa, is now offering free copies of Tax Mate, a scaled-down version of its Personal Tax Edge software, but isn't being quite as liberal as CA in doing so.

	Is CA being as altruistic as it might appear? For the most part, yes. In announcing the giveaway program of Kiplinger's CA-Simply Money last June, the company said it was aiming at what it termed the vast majority of computer users who have found personal finance software difficult to use and lacking in the day-to-day advice people need.

	CA Chairman and CEO Charles B. Wang pointed to a Gallup survey it commissioned which found Americans wished they were better at managing their personal finances, but were uncomfortable with disclosing their financial situation to professional consultants. In addition, while nearly a third of those contacted own a personal computer, only 29 percent of them use personal finance software.

	So CA plunged into the personal finance market and found overwhelming response. An initial 90 telephone operators had to be increased to 200 and then to 525 before there were a sufficient number to handle the incoming traffic.

	On the heels of this success, CA introduced CA-Simply Tax as the "next logical step" in its bid to gain a significant share of the consumer finance software market. Kurt Seibert, CA senior vice president, said it made sense to enter the rapidly-growing tax preparation software market with the same powerful strategy and the right retail distribution partner. Seibert said SoftKey is a leader in retail distribution software in the mass market and CA's goal was to provide the best tax software product at the best price with the widest distribution.

	There's more to it than that, however, according to Bob Gordon, a CA spokesman. The giveaway not only gets people to use a program they are expected to end up liking; it gets CA a massive database of users at relatively low cost.

	Gordon notes that the average software company gets only 10 percent of the registrations back from people who purchase its products. This means that if 10 million copies of an applications are sold, only 10 percent will send in the registration.

	With CA, though, all of the more than one million users of Kiplinger's CA-Simply Money are automatically registered when they order the application and the same will hold true for the tax program. This means the same number of registered users as if they had sold 10 times as many copies and this means that many potential users of any future applications developed by CA.

	What is not being given away are the optional state tax programs. CA has these available for 30 states at a cost of $19.95 per state and sales of these programs is expected to be profitable.

	It also is expected that CA's small handling charge of $6.95 for Kiplinger's CA-Simply Money, $9.95 for CA-Simply Tax or $14.95 for the combined package will cover the distribution costs.

	CA-Simply Tax is an "early bird" edition, as is normal with most tax applications, pending final IRS approval of forms and regulations for the 1993 tax year. CA says users will be able to upgrade to the final version at an expected cost of $3.50.

	Parsons Technology doesn't expect the massive response that CA has enjoyed and current plans are for only 250,000 copies of Tax Mate to be given away. Joan Dyal, company spokesperson, says it doesn't appear that will be a problem as initial response "hasn't been that great." If response picks up, however, Parsons will take a look to see if it wants to increase the offer.

	Dyal said Tax Mate is not as complete as Personal Tax Edge in that it doesn't include as many forms. What it has, she said, are forms 1040, 1040A and 2441 (child and dependent care expenses) along with Schedules A, B, D, R and EIC. She says, however, that IRS statistics show these forms will handle tax preparation for some 70 percent of all tax filers.

	Parsons' thinking on the giveaway program, Dyal said, is similar to that of CA. She said studies conducted by the company show that people who use free software probably wouldn't have used it in the first place if they had to pay for it. She said Parsons would like to offer people something they might not have used otherwise and give it to them for free to get them into the potential market.

	Dyal said the $8 shipping and handling charge is a break-even situation.

	For those users who decide they need the full Personal Tax Edge after looking at Tax Mate, there will be a $16 upgrade charge, Dyal said. This compares with a $19.95 retail price for Personal Tax Edge alone.

	Neither CA or Parsons is considering giveaway programs for any other software at this time.

	The CA programs can be obtained by calling 1-800-737-3382. The number for the Parsons program is 1-800-6TAXMATE.



	Bob Garsson is a freelance writer with many years of experience in newspapers and non-fiction writing.  He is highly familiar with many aspects of PCs and Windows.

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*> AutoSketch for Windows				|
   ------------------------				|     Review
   by Edward Decowski					|
							--------------------
							


	To get any job done, you need the right tools.  Speed, precision, flexibility, and consistency are always top priorities when it comes to CAD.  AutoSketch from AutoDesk offers a high-precision illustration tool that is powerful, fast, and simple to learn.

	Despite its ease of use, AutoSketch is a full-function, object-oriented CAD program that offers multiple layers, scalable line types, and a palette of 256 colors.  Typical applications that it can be used for include technical illustration, mechanical and electrical engineering, home design, artistic illustration, and building construction.


FEATURES

	An example of AutoSketch's ease-of-use is its moveable toolbox, which can be reconfigured to create your own custom interface.  This eliminates the need to memorize pull-down menus or command hierarchies, which have been popular in CAD programs of the past.  Also helpful is a button editor that lets users create and display icon buttons for custom macros.  And "Smart-Cursors" quickly identify the function of any on-screen icon.

	DXF support enables importing and exporting of drawings from other CAD programs including Generic CADD 6.0 and AutoCAD.  Furthermore, files can be shared between AutoSketch and Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) compatible programs such as Microsoft Word.  OLE allows modification of drawings in AutoSketch without leaving the host program; it also automatically updates all linked files, if desired.

	You can maneuver around your drawings with ease, thanks to zooms and pans that provide close-up views of your drawings.  Aerial View uses a second window on the main screen to let users quickly view any part of the drawing at any size.  In fact, viewing in general is fairly simple with the selection of drawings, patterns, fonts, and symbols made easy with icons.

	AutoSketch automatically updates measurements whenever you stretch, scale, or rotate dimensioned objects.  Drawings can be displayed in decimal units, accurate to six places, or in feet and inches.

	Drawing features include drawing tools (Arc, Box, Circle, Spline, Curve, Ellipse, Line, Pattern, Fill, Point, and Polyline) and drawing aids (Absolute, Polar and Relative Coordinates, Grid, Grid-Snap, Drawing Limits, Attach Features, and Orthogonal Mode).

	Editing features include editing tools (Group, Ungroup, Box Array, Ring Array, Break, Chamfer, Fillet, Copy, Erase, Mirror, Rotate, Move, Change Properties, Scale) and unlimited Undo and Redo.  There is full associative dimensioning, easy selection, and changing of dimension properties, such as arrow type, text size, text alignment and text rotation.


MANUAL/ONLINE HELP

	A "Getting Started" manual explains how to install AutoSketch and introduces you to many of the program's newest features in one easy session.  The AutoSketch tutorial teaches how to use AutoSketch to create drawings.  And AutoSketch Reference Manual provides in-depth information to each command and feature.  AutoSketch also offers on-line help and a Quick Help feature, which provides hints for using commands and macros.


ADDITIONAL GOODIES

	AutoSketch also includes Sketch Tools, a combination of custom tool boxes icons and macros, which automate command sequences.  With a single mouse click complex repetitive tasks are executed, saving a lot of time and effort.  You can draw, copy, mirror, move, rotate, and dimension drawings -- even create symbol libraries.

	AutoSketch also comes with more than 2,000 symbols, 50 pattern files, 20 text fonts.  Users who register will receive an additional 105 patterns and hatches.  The Part Command and Part Clip tool let you quickly place symbols, as well as create your own custom symbols.

	AutoSketch includes the Symbol Library Value Pack 1.  Another pack, Symbol Library Value Pack 2, which includes Commercial and Residential Plumbing, Kitchen Design, Heating, Ventilation,  Air Conditioning, Bathroom Design, Hydraulics, Maps and Office Interior is available separately from AutoDesk.


OPINION

	AutoSketch for Windows is much faster in operation and much easier to learn than its DOS predecessor.  If you're in the market for Windows-based CAD software, it's worth taking a close look at AutoSketch.


REQUIREMENTS

	Minimum requirements are a three megabyte 386 with VGA display capability and four megabytes of hard drive space.

	For a current price or more information contact AutoDesk at (800) 228-3601 (USA and Canada) or (206) 487-2233, FAX at (206) 483-6969, or write to: 11911 North Creek Parkway South, Bothell,  WA, 98011.









	Edward Decowski is a tool and die engineer who is proficient in numerous CAD products on mainframe and personal computers.

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*> Microsoft and the Nafta Agreement			|  NEW
   ------------------------				|       U-CAN
   by Gregory C. Mehojah				|              USE
							--------------------
							


	Just as President Clinton was celebrating the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Bill Gates and Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) of Bellevue, WA were blazing full speed ahead into unknown territory.  The Mexican Ministry of Trade signed an agreement calling for the use of Microsoft's software in its offices.  This agreement, the first of its kind in terms of software, stems from the approval of the intellectual-property provisions contained within the NAFTA agreement.

	These intellectual-property provisions were the main reason for entering into this agreement with the Mexican Government, according to Pam Edstrom, a representative of Microsoft Corporation.  The exclusion of these provisions had previously caused several problems with the software market in Latin America.  The major problem was that the Mexican Government levied a 10% tax upon any incoming software.  This tax reduced the incentive for outside software companies to invest in the Latin American market, which led to a smaller variety of software available to the consumers and thus a higher price charged to those end users.  These high prices, precipitated by a smaller market, led to the use of illegal or "pirated" software,  which is the end cause of the tariff levied against any incoming software by the Mexican Government.  The removal of this tariff coupled with the recognition of the intellectual-property provisions will hopefully bring an end to these problems and open up the Latin American Market for additional software companies.

	The Latin American market is ripe for software companies, states Edstrom. "There is a huge, strong, upside potential, in terms of software, contained in the Latin American Market now that NAFTA and the intellectual-property provisions have been agreed on."  Now that Microsoft has led the way into the Latin American market more software companies are  sure to follow.

	What does all of this mean to the Microsoft Corporation?  "The general manager in the Mexican Subsidiary department gets to keep his job, and there are going to be 40 more jobs in the next year alone", says Edstrom.  The prospect of adding 40 jobs in one year does not seem all that great, but these particular jobs are going to be based here in America.  There have been no official projections by the Microsoft Company on what the annual sales into the Latin American Market are going to be or whether or not any jobs will be moving abroad, which was one of the major arguments against the passage of the NAFTA agreement.

	The agreement between the Mexican Government and the Microsoft Corporation is just the beginning of what is to come in the aftermath of the approval of the NAFTA agreement.  This agreement could be an example and a catalyst for other software companies and publishers to rush headlong into a market which is begging for superior products at a more reasonable price.  The recognition and enforcement of tougher copyright laws will also provide more incentive to an industry whose major losses come from the illegal use and distribution of its products.  Now that the obstacles keeping software companies from investing in the Latin American market have been removed it may see a large influx of American and Canadian software.  With Microsoft leading the way into this new market, the Latin American consumers have nothing to lose and everything to gain.







	Greg C. Mehojah is a 21 year-old student at the University of Kansas studying a Political Science/Pre-Law major and an advanced Windows user.

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*> The Mailbox						| 
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		mode.  Next, type: cd pub/pc/win3/uploads.  Finally, type:
		GET PNR_x.ZIP (where x is the issue number).  To logoff,
		type: BYE.  This will transfer the file to your local
		directory.  If you have any questions about this process,
		send us e-mail.  Older issues should be available in the
		pub/pc/win3/misc folder.

		Here are some sites that are mirroring CICA's Indiana site:

		NORTH AMERICA                                                                 
		  * wuarchive.wustl.edu [128.252.135.4] in mirrors2/win3                          
		  * grind.isca.uiowa.edu [128.255.19.233] in msdos/win3                           
		  * gatekeeper.dec.com [16.1.0.2] in /.2/micro/msdos/win3                         

		OVERSEAS

		  * vmsa.technion.ac.il [132.68.7.2] (Israel Inst. of Tech)

		  * nic.switch.ch [130.59.1.40] (Switzerland)                                     
		  * ftp.cc.monash.edu.au [130.194.1.106] (Australia)

		  * nctuccca.edu.tw [140.111.3.21] (Chiao Tung Univ. Taiwan)              
		  * src.doc.ic.ac.uk [146.169.2.1] (JANET mirror/London)

PC NEWS Review STAFF
--------------------
Editor:			Steven O. Steele

Assistant Editors:	Ross Barclay
			Bob Garsson
			Kathleen A. McNelley

Contributing
Writers:		Reiner D. Bohlen
			Jerry J. Davis
			Edward Decowski
			Alan Frayer
			Bob Garsson
			Gregory C. Mehojah
			Jay Morton
			Keith Whitton
			Ed Williams

PUBLISHING INFO
---------------
	PC NEWS Review (PNR) is a monthly electronic publication with current news and reviews of Windows related subjects. All material Copyright 1994 by Bolt Publishing Co. unless otherwise specified. All rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of BPC. PNR does not accept commercial advertising from companies whose reviews have appeared in recent issues of PNR to maintain the integrity of the reviews. Opinions expressed in PNR are those of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of PNR or BPC.  BPC, its writers and editors, and PNR are not responsible for any injury or property damage resulting from the application of any information in PNR.

TRADEMARK INFO
--------------
	PC NEWS Review and News-U-Can-Use are trademarks of Bolt Publishing Co. (BPC)  "Windows" is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation (MSFT).  PNR is an independent publication not affiliated with MSFT.  MSFT is in no way responsible for the editorial policy or contents of PNR.
