COMPUNOTES - Issue #55 - October 20, 1996

                         This Week's Contents:

My Notes:
1) ListServ Changes . . . 
2) The Winner of our CDROM this Issue is . . .

Columnists' Corner:
1) Big City Byte by Howard Carson <hcarson@io.org>

News:
1) 56K Modem in Your Future?
2) The First Internet Bank Turns One Year Old!

Reviews:
1) Product: Quarterdeck WebCompass Professional
   Reviewed By: Judy Litt <jlitt@qualitty.com>
2) Product: Enhancing Netscape Web Pages Book w/CDROM
   Reviewed By: Karl W. Roberts <roberts@theramp.net>
3) Product: Book: When You Can't Find Your UNIX System Administrator
   Reviewed By: Don Hughes <dhughes@wwdc.com>
4) Product: Activision's Zork Nemesis "The Forbidden Lands"
   Reviewed By: Paul Vess <veracity@interpath.com>

Web Sites:
1) Interesting Internet Facts and Figures - <http://www.openmarket.com>
2) First Real Casino Online - <http://www.netpirates.com>

Interview:
1) None this week!

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date : October 20, 1996 |CompuNotes is a weekly publication available
Issue: 55               |through email and many fine on-line networks.
------------------------|We cover the IBM computing world with
CompuNotes is published |software/hardware reviews, news, hot web
B440,                   |sites, great columns and interviews. We also
1315 Woodgate Drive     |give away one software package a week to a
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(314) 909-1662 fax      |are here to bring you the way it is!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Backroom Workers:                     |We are always looking for
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<pgrote@inlink.com>                       |honest, constructive
Doug Reed, Asst. Editor / Writer Liaison  |feedback! We need to hear
<dr2web@sprynet.com>                      |from you! Please take the
Judy Litt, Graphics Editor/Web Master     |time to send us your
<jlitt@aol.com>                           |opinions, comments and
------------------------------------------|criticisms. Some of our
I am looking for a collection of shareware|better features have
reviews I put out in the 87-88 timeframe  |actually come from our
under my handle of NEVER BEFORE. I think  |readership! Thanks!
they started as NB*.ZIP. Can you look     |---------------------------
on your local BBS? THANKS!                |  Go St. Louis Rams!
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Patrick's News
Being The Publisher and Managing Editor Has Its Perks!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Listserv is Now Working!|
-------------------------
Last week was our first week with Listserv and boy do I like it! I would 
like to thank Michael Goldstein of LSOFT for sponsoring CompuNotes on 
their mail server! 

What does this mean? More reliable delivery! Less time needed of me to 
send the issue out! Better issues for you!

I spent upwards of ten hours a week just sending out CompuNotes to our 
10,000 readers. It now takes me two minutes. I have begun taking that 
extra time and making CompuNotes better -- you'll see an example of this 
next week!

Remember -- you need to use the LISTSERV to unsubscribe/subscribe from 
now on. 

------------------
WINNER IS . . .  |
------------------
The software package being given away this week is The ASP Shareware 
Collection! Our winner is:

longjt@atcon.com

Send them a congratulatory email!

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Columnists' Corner - We bring you a different person each week!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
BIG CITY BYTE by Howard Carson|
-------------------------------
For some, life with computers began with an Atari ST. Don't say a word! 
After all, not everyone chanted the DOS command line mantra 10 years ago 
(or even 15 years ago). 

As life progressed with the old ST (and as the final incarnation of 
Atari Corp. dragged itself toward disintegration), users of those 
machines became somewhat less than familiar with the difficulties faced 
by DOS and (later) Windows users. While Microsoft devotees struggled 
valiantly with the File Manager, Atari TOS/GEM users were treated to 
such things as Universal Item Selector (UIS), the Freedom File Selector 
and other genuinely marvelous utilities. These little system-wide 
helpers actually allowed a user to select, move, copy, and delete (to or 
from any drive, directory or folder), search, view text and graphics, 
format floppies, determine files sizes and dates, rename, create files 
or folders, permanently store paths to frequently used files and 
directories, all at any time, from within any application, without 
having to launch another application to do so. These system-wide helpers 
worked brilliantly within the limitations of TOS/GEM's singletasking 
environment. As third party developers produced multitasking operating 
systems for Atari computers, the fabulous usability of the extended 
TOS/GEM file selectors actually became a thing of beauty. 

So what happened to Microsoft? What happened to Windows 95? Windows 
Explorer is a dismal piece of less-than-useful code. Even the Search 
function is less than thorough. The interface is non-intuitive. While 
some power resides beneath the surface however, Windows Explorer's 
usefulness actually pales in comparison to the latest file selector 
utilities available for the dead Atari platform. Though Atari computers 
have not been produced for three years (the last models were based on 16 
and 32 MHz Motorola 68030 CPUs, with 32-Bit data and address buses, and 
all the usual Atari integration), the worldwide user base is still 
extremely active and third party developers are still turning out some 
exceedingly impressive stuff. 

Where on earth is Microsoft in all of this? It's hard to say. It's even 
harder to say why Windows has always been able to display desktop 
pictures perfectly (wallpaper, etc.), and worked flawlessly with 
countless idiotic screen savers, but placed obstacles in front of anyone 
trying to manipulate files. It remains a mystery. 

Windows (in all its guises) is repeatedly one-upped by Atari TOS/GEM, 
and by replacement operating systems for Atari computers such as Geneva 
and MagiC. The biggest drawback to all of these eminently powerful, 
latter-day competitors of course, is that none of them could be 
networked effectively. That failure certainly killed Atari et al, in the 
business marketplace. Studiously incompetent corporate management and 
the concurrent failure to take advantage of a brilliant OS positioned in 
the home market, didn't help either. 

But the question remains: Where on earth is Microsoft in all of this? 
While MS pursues pre-eminence on-line with MS-Explorer, ActiveX, MS-
Network, and Windows NT with apparent atavistic glee, it is obvious that 
a certain amount of ataxia has set in; MS is missing the finer points in 
a effort to cover all the bases all the time. 

Covering all the bases all the time can't be done. It begs the question: 

"Hey Bill, can we please have a file selector at least as good as those 
things they're still cranking out for the bloody Atari? Hmmm?" 

I doubt we'll get any answer. After all, where do we get the nerve to 
object to computing activities which should take seconds, but regularly 
occupy minutes? Atari fell apart in the computer business and the game 
machine business because it treated its customers and dealers like 
garbage; that much has been documented. Endless argument, penurious 
management and a whole bunch of good ideas mixed in for good measure, 
served to confuse a significant legion of users. The point is that the 
only reason many of those users have (lately) switched to Pentiums and 
Windows 95 is simply that 68030 processors just aren't fast enough any 
more, when running complex applications. File portability was never 
really a problem. 

After using Atari computers for years and luxuriating in the creature 
comforts resident in TOS/GEM (provided by some terrific supporters), 
reluctant changeovers to Windows have been made (in droves) in recent 
years, by Atari home and business computer users. The complaints 
resulting from the changeover have been pointed and voluminous. MS has 
not taken heed of these complaints. MS should be ashamed of itself. 

Why should MS hail Windows 95's ability to drag and drop program icons 
onto the desktop as new and revolutionary, when Atari and Apple had been 
doing it for years? Why is Windows 95 so excruciatingly slow when 
performing system functions? Why is it so unbelieveably large, and why 
does an optimized 166MHz Pentium with 64MB of RAM running Windows 95 
take longer to boot up (or re-boot) than an Atari Falcon (32MHz Motorola 
68030, 14MB RAM) loaded up with every utility and accessory imaginable? 
MS should be spanked. MS is getting away with outrageous conduct. It 
should be obvious by now that I miss my file selector. It should also be 
obvious that if MS is going to engage in the fine art of company 
swallowing, it might also take the time to extract the best of what's 
out there from companies which had the good grace to disappear on their 
own! There are important people at Microsoft who cut their computing 
teeth on Atari machines. Why isn't Bill listening to them? 

The answer to this and other related questions is quite simple: 

Arrogance. 

When you're on top of the heap, it's easy to believe that your way is 
the only way. We all tend to forget our parents' wise advice: "there's 
something to be learned from everyone!" 

Take heed MS. As our technological horizons expand, you'll either become 
more pervasive, or merely another player in an arena that despises 
allegiance to any one operating system. Being universally predominant 
means that unrelenting demands for improvement become fantastically 
onerous burdens. Being just another (albeit large) player means that the 
most intelligent demands can be answered with relative ease and speed. 
Being the predominant OS means that the user base from which genuine 
needs may be deduced, is truly enormous. 

So how about building a decent file selector? Independent GFA and C 
programmers did it easily for TOS/GEM and Atari. What's the problem in 
Redmond? Arrogance? I hope not; those file selectors are a heckuva great 
feature that would generate even more sales for GatesCo., and make 
everyone's life a lot easier. 

Microsoft's presence at the Seybold Exhibition in San Francisco last 
month represented a somewhat avuncular performance; some described it as 
embattled (less protectively familial than overprotective, that is). 
Although primarily a print publishing exhibition (and the largest of its 
kind in the world), Seybold had an amazingly large proportion of Web 
publishing tools on display this time. MS was there with ActiveX, not 
Microsoft Publisher, despite the fact the latest incarnation of the home-
oriented MS-Publisher can generate web pages. Perhaps MS felt that 
Publisher's web page features were a bit too rudimentary for Seybold? 
Perhaps MS felt that Publisher was too much akin to Windows Explorer? 
We'll never know for sure because MS is as cagey as ever. 

What we do know for sure is that consumers have been failed miserably, 
repeatedly. While horridly managed enterprises such as Atari Corp. are 
washed off the beach (brilliant ideas, implementations, tools and all), 
extremely well-managed enterprises such as Microsoft, fail to bring the 
best tools to market for the armies of users. Considering Windows' 
pervasive aspect, it is odd to observe that an OS is nascently superior 
when it comes to producing wallpaper, idiotic screensavers, and moronic 
system dings and cow noises, but utterly hopeless when it comes to 
incorporating a decent text editor and a decent file selector. 

The answer finally resides in the hands of most consumers. Check your 
local computer paper for the next Atari user group meeting. Drop by and 
check out the latest file selectors and text editors. You will be 
shocked at the quality, speed and ease of use. Proceed immediately 
thereafter, to the nearest modem, logon, and send e-mail to Mr. Gates. 
Tell him you believe you've been ripped off. Tell him you deserve at 
least as much as users of a dead platform. Tell him that anything which 
sucks up countless megabytes of hard drive space ought to at least be 
supplied with a decent set of utilities. 

Windows has a lot of great features and a foundation which cannot be 
denied. But Windows and its parent are not so good they can't learn a 
valuable lesson from a late, great, lamented passerby. 

Copyright 1996 Howard E. Carson and Compunotes. All rights reserved. For 
further information, send e-mail to hcarson@io.org or 
howardc@mgisoft.com 

----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS OF THE WEEK| This section is dedicated to verified news . . .
All News (C)opyright  Respective Owner - Will Only Reprint
----------------------------------------------------------------------
56K MODEM IN YOUR FUTURE?|
--------------------------
NEW YORK, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ - "Midband" solutions to faster Internet 
access - in particular, using the new 56 kilobits per second modems - 
will be the only viable option for residential consumers in the near 
term, according to Midband and Broadband to the Home, a new market study 
by Jupiter Communications. In spite of the tremendous promise of 
"Broadband" solutions such as ADSL and cable modems, Jupiter's report 
questions the commitment of telcos and cable companies to make much of 
an impact before the year 2000, due to the prohibitive cost of deploying 
those technologies in the respective networks. 

 Jupiter estimates that 56 kbps modems will control 50 percent of the 
access market by 1998, and 65 percent by the year 2000 (see chart). 
Consumer Net access will remain predominantly dial-up modem- driven, 
also at the expense of ISDN, another alternative offered by telcos. 
According to Wen Liao, Jupiter's Senior Analyst for Home Technologies, 
"It is questionable how and if telcos and cable companies can deliver on 
their promise of broadband to the home. Although there's still some hope 
for technologies such as ADSL and cable modems in the longer term, for 
now improvements in dial- up, in the form of the 56 kbps modem, will 
have to do - although this is still not the fat pipe of our dreams." 

 The following figures presents Jupiter estimates for access technology 
penetration in the U.S. for the years 1995-2000. 

                       Access Technology Projections, 1995-2000
                            (Percent of Online Households)

                           1995    1996    1997    1998    1999    2000
        14.4 and below     88.5    63.9    14.5    10.0     6.4     4.1
        33.6/28.8 kbps     11.5    34.9    53.6    30.3    19.9    12.2
        56 kbps             0.0     0.0    23.4    50.0    60.4    65.1
        Cable Modem         0.0     0.0     2.2     2.4     4.1     7.5
        ISDN                0.0     1.2     4.7     5.4     6.1     5.6
        ADSL                0.0     0.0     1.0     1.1     1.9     3.5
        Satellite/Wireless  0.0     0.0     0.6     0.7     1.1     2.1
        TOTAL             100.0   100.0   100.0   100.0   100.0   100.0

 "Broadband" (i.e., greater than 1.5 Mbps) solutions for consumer 
Internet access - ADSL and cable modems - will experience a slow ramp-
up, due to technical and deployment challenges. The first large-scale 
cable modem trials offer hope for a bandwidth-rich future, but the maze 
of competing proprietary standards, inadequate infrastructure, and a 
simple lack of enough bodies and trucks to cover large areas, will limit 
the technology's middle-term future. 

 Internet service providers (ISPs) and "Internet Online Services," such 
as AOL and MSN, will be able to differentiate, gain greater competitive 
advantage, and thereby appeal to consumers by being first and fastest in 
deploying 56 kbps dial-up capability in their networks. While 56 kbps 
modems will not provide enough bandwidth to allow content providers to 
radically alter the nature of their online presentations, the 400 
percent improvement over the base 14.4 kbps modem allows content 
providers to move beyond static pages with animation and interactivity. 

 56 kbps and other dial-up solutions, moreover, will be capable of 
greater performance than previously, as compression and digital video 
disk (DVD) technology become more commonplace. The merging of CD-ROM and 
DVD to Internet content provides a way to bridge the bandwidth gap. The 
multi-gigabyte capacity and high speed of DVD will allow dynamic 
multimedia content for the PC user. 

 Midband and Broadband to the Home details the technological side of the 
Internet access business. Jupiter's analysis of emerging and future 
modes of Internet access centers on the real-world potential of a total 
of six wireline and wireless technologies. The 160- page report sells 
for $1,295. To order, or to obtain a full brochure including a table of 
contents, call 800-488-4345 or visit Jupiter's Web site at www.jup.com. 

-----------------------------------
THE FIRST INTERNET BANK TURNS ONE!|
-----------------------------------
 ATLANTA, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ - One year ago today, bankers and 
consumers turned a skeptical eye toward Security First Network Bank 
(Nasdaq: SFNB), the world's first Internet bank. Many wondered about the 
security of monetary transactions on the Internet, how a "virtual" bank 
could provide customer service, and if depositors were too disappointed 
by the home and PC banking of the 70s and 80s to sign up. Few people 
questioned the potential of the Internet, but many wondered if the 
consumer was ready for banking on the 'Net. 

 One year later, those questions have been answered with a resounding 
"yes!" A snapshot of SFNB sheds an optimistic light on the future of 
this emerging solution for one of mankind's oldest businesses. 

 - SFNB has averaged approximately 800 account openings per month since 
May 1996. 

 -- SFNB's customer base demographics exceed the United States' average 
banking customer in: 1. Base level of education attained; 2. Percentage 
of home owners; and 3. Employment status and income. 

 -- Nearly 54 percent of SFNB customers have household incomes greater 
than $50,000. 

 -- Eighty percent of SFNB customers have completed college. 

 Stephen Brock Rozen uses an SFNB Internet checking account while 
studying in Israel. Rozen set up the account before he left his home in 
Los Angeles so that he could have an American ATM card, pay bills from 
the U.S. and allow people, like his parents, to deposit money into his 
U.S.-based account. 

 "All of these features allow me to study in Israel, have my parents 
continue to send me money and allow me access to all of it, in local 
currency or American dollars - better than any local or American bank 
can!" said Rozen. "With the addition of a VISA card it doesn't get any 
better!" 

 "In our first year of operation we opened more than 6,600 accounts. 
That's a monumental growth rate in comparison to a traditional bank," 
said James S. Mahan III, chief executive officer of SFNB. "Our first 
year statistics are even more dramatic once you consider that we have 
pioneered a new banking channel and proved its viability. With no 
precedent for Internet banking to follow, we have invented our own 
success model." 

 The number of electronic payments, or e-payments, is steadily 
increasing, and the average checking account balance for SFNB customers 
has almost doubled since the bank opened. Most customers deposit a small 
amount into an account until they feel more comfortable with Internet 
banking. Once comfortable, SFNB usage and deposits increase sharply. 

 "Our depositors are becoming more comfortable and excited about 
Internet banking. We are proving that secure transactions are possible 
and convenient if you have the right technology," said Mahan. 

 According to Mahan, properly addressing the security issue was one of 
the most important steps in making customers feel more comfortable with 
Internet banking. SFNB incorporates a multilayered security platform 
originally developed by SecureWare, Inc., an affiliated company which 
specializes in advanced security for computer networks. In order to 
further reassure customers about the security of Internet banking, SFNB 
established a "No Risk Guarantee" that underscores the fact that 
depositors' funds are completely safe. In addition, SFNB is FDIC 
insured. 

 According to Mahan, banking on the Internet represents a major 
improvement over past PC-home banking and electronic bill payment 
solutions. "Our growth says that bank consumers are casting their vote 
in favor of the Internet over PC-solutions which require the use of 
financial management software," said Mahan. "Consumers are more 
interested in managing their finances than managing another software 
program on their home-based PC." 

 In addition to being able to access their accounts from any Internet- 
enabled PC, customers can log onto SFNB's Web site for instantaneous 
information on new products or services, or other bank notices. Users of 
third-party software must wait for software updates to install on their 
home computers. 

 Since SFNB's leading source of new customers is word-of- mouth 
referral, the bank takes great pride in its customer service operations. 
"Because we don't have to support hundreds or thousands of physical 
locations, we have been able to invest more heavily in customer service 
and support," said Mahan. "We have a well- trained staff that is 
available 24-hours a day, seven-days a week to answer banking and 
technical support questions." 

 Industry-savvy consultants and analysts are beginning to validate that 
SFNB is a company in the right place at the right time during the 
banking industry's great paradigm shift: 

 - Forrester Research reported in a recent study that assets managed 
online are expected to grow from $5.4 billion to $46.9 billion in the 
next five years. 

 -- According to The Tower Group, a bank technology consulting firm, the 
average income of a household with Internet access is $67,000 compared 
to an average U.S. household income of $42,000. 

 -- The Tower Group also projects that 14.6 million households will 
participate in Internet banking by the year 2000. 

 -- Other recent studies have indicated that online banking customers 
have an average of more than three banking products -- checking 
accounts, CDs, money market accounts, and the like -- compared to the 
average traditional banking customer with two products. 

 "This research endorses the fact that we have properly positioned 
ourselves for the consumer's move to Internet banking. We believe that 
the biggest risk to banks doesn't come from being on the Internet, but 
from ignoring this exploding market," said Mahan. 

 Since first opening with Internet checking, SFNB has added certificates 
of deposit, money market accounts, online credit cards, interest 
checking and savings accounts. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------
REVIEWS OF THE WEEK | Interesting software/hardware you may need . . .
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Product: Quarterdeck WebCompass Professional
Reviewed By: Judy Litt <jlitt@qualitty.com>
Reviewed on: 486DX2/50, 24 MB RAM
Requires: 486 with 8 MB RAM, 16 recommended; Windows 95; Windows NT 
3.51; Windows for Workgroups 3.11; Windows 3.1; up to 23 MB free hard 
disk space; cd-rom drive; web browser (Quarterdeck Mosaic included); web 
server software (Quarterdeck WebServer included); winsock software 
(Quarterdeck Winsock included); working dial-up connection to the 
Internet.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Program
WebCompass Professional searches multiple search engines at once, but it 
does much more than that. It comes preconfigured for these engines: 

Altavista
Excite
InfoSeek
Lycos
WebCrawler
Yahoo
CNN
CNN Sports
Byte
TechWeb

You can, supposedly, add search engines to this list. So far I have been 
unable to. I've e-mailed technical support, but have received no answer 
almost a week later. 

When your search is finished, the number of documents retrieved for each 
search engine is returned. These documents are arranged as hyperlinks 
under their particular search engine. To save the documents and the 
topic, you check a box next to each document you want to save and the 
click add. If you want to save the documents and then return to this 
topic, you must save the topic by choosing add new topic named 'topic 
name'. 

WebCompass Professional does much more than find documents that match 
the keywords you searched on. It also can retrieve: 

An abstract of the document
Images associated with the document
Links associated with the document
Keywords associated with the document
The last time the document was retrieved
How many times you've visited the site
The time and date of your last visit to the site

In addition, you can rate the site, add annotations, edit its related 
topics, edit the document's abstract, and edit the document's keywords. 

Chances are, you'll end up with documents that don't really fit into 
your topic. You can manually add and delete documents through the edit 
related documents page. 

You can also view the thirty most popular topics and thirty most 
recently summarized documents - although I'm not quite sure why you'd 
want to. 

Installation
My first installation was easy and painless. WebCompass Professional 
includes a topic directory - preconfigured topics with documents already 
associated. Since this weighed in at 14 MB, I elected not to install it. 
Something like that is bound to be outdated quickly, I reasoned. As far 
as I can tell, Quarterdeck has no plans to make an updated topic 
directory available to registered users. 

Somewhere along the lines of installing and uninstalling new software, 
WebCompass Professional stopped functioning. It kept calling up the 
wrong winsock. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling a few times, 
choosing different options each time, to no avail. I checked out the 
WebCompass Professional troubleshooting page on Quarterdeck's web site, 
but found no help (this is basically the same information as in the 
manual - a waste of web server space). 

Finally, I resorted to reading the readme file - and the answer to the 
problem was there: I needed to choose to install Qwinsock when I 
installed the program. Apparently, it's a more recent version than the 
one that comes with Quarterdeck InternetSuite. 

User Interface
I found this program difficult to learn. That, and the problems I had 
with the winsock, are the reasons this review is late. 

WebCompass Professional is set up as a web site (which is why it 
requires a browser). Some of the graphics used have no text 
alternatives, so it's difficult to navigate the site with graphics 
turned off - part of what makes this program slow. When you open the 
program, you're taken to its "home page." This has information on the 
Quarterdeck web site, some links to troubleshooting pages, and some e- 
mail links. To enter the main program, you need to choose a link. This 
is extremely annoying. After the first few times you use the program, 
you'll want to go directly to the program's main page. 

In order to get documents summarized, the topic must be active and the 
agent must be on. There is almost no way to tell how the summarization 
of the topics is progressing, other than to hit the reload button. 

The first page of the program has a box to enter search terms, and links 
to the main functions of the program. It also displays whatever topics 
are currently active. Almost anything you want to do in the program will 
require two steps. Even initiating a new search requires you to type in 
your search terms, start the agent, and then press search. To summarize 
documents for an inactive topic, you first have to go to that topic's 
page and activate it. Once you've done that, you have to go back to the 
home page and turn the agent on (unless it's already on). These extra 
steps could be eliminated by simply having links to the major functions 
on all the pages - and that's just good web page design. 

Tip: don't have more than one active topic at a time. Gathering 
summarizations is a slow process, but trying to get summaries for 
several active topics at once is like pouring molasses. 

Nobody Knows the Troubles I've Seen
When you perform a search on a topic, you get back documents that relate 
to your chosen topic. You can choose to save all the documents returned 
by each search engine or just check the box next to the documents you 
want to save (you can't choose to save all the documents retrieved from 
all the search engines with one click). The number of documents you 
choose to save seems to dynamically change, which can be very confusing. 

You may randomly choose to save all - say eighty documents - but all of 
the sudden the program tells you you have fourteen unsummarized 
documents related to that topic. Activate the topic, allow it to start 
summarzing the documents, and hit the reload button. All of the sudden 
you have more than eighty documents waiting to be summarized. It's very 
confusing. 

The default settings for the agent are mainly ten seconds. If you leave 
the settings at its defaults, chances are your searches won't return 
results. I found two minutes work for me. You're supposed to be able to 
change these settings permanently, but I was unable to (and also, once 
again, unable to get e-mail help from technical support). 

All of my searches only got results from five search engines: Lycos, 
WebCrawler, Altavista, Infoseek, and Yahoo. I would argue, though, that 
this would be enough for most people - those are the five top search 
engines. 

In my review of Quarterdeck InternetSuite, I detail the problems I have 
with that program and winsocks. If you're using MicroSoft Newtork and 
choose to use Qwinsock with WebCompass Professional, the program 
overwrites a file you need for MSN: wsock32.dll. Luckily, it does a 
backup of it - usually wsock32.000. 

Conclusion
I know there are other programs that have similar features - although 
I'm not sure they gather as much information as WebCompass Professional 
does - I haven't had the privilege of using them. The idea behind 
WebCompass Professional is excellent. When it works, it's an excellent 
search tool. Although ultimately WebCompass Professional probably saves 
you time, gathering document summaries is slow: eighty documents can 
take well over an hour. You can leave WebCompass Professional operating 
in the background and continue to surf the web - although I'm sure this 
degrades performance even further. The execution is slow and buggy, with 
a poorly designed user interface. If some of the bugs are fixed and the 
speed improved, this would be a very useful tool. 

Quarterdeck InternetSuite
13160 Mindanao Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292-9705
310-309-3700 VOICE
310-309-4217 FAX
E-mail: info@quarterdeck.com
http://www.quarterdeck.com/
  
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Product: Enhancing Netscape Web Pages Book w/CDROM
Reviewed By: Karl W. Roberts <roberts@theramp.net>
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There are dozens of books on the market now to help you write a home 
page or two. Programs have come along that allow you to type in almost 
anything, and automatically have the HTML code written for you. But that 
really doesn't teach how to create the newest designs that we see every 
day. 

In this sequel, you will be taken back to touch a little bit on the 
basics of the first book, "Creating Your Own Netscape Web Pages". Just 
in case you forgot! And then Andy takes off on this edition. Want to 
learn how to make the frames that are becoming common to almost every 
page that you can find? How about the "applets" that run on the bottom 
of the page? Or marquees? Andy takes you through the process and the 
book has numerous graphics to show you exactly what he is trying to 
teach you. If you follow his instructions, the look you want to achieve 
will be done correctly. No way to make a mistake if you pay attention. 
Yeah, right! We've all heard that one before. Of course we make 
mistakes. But at least here we can find out why and how to correct them. 

As interesting as those aspects are, you will learn how to make 3D 
images; and also image maps, you know the ones, where you click on a 
graphic and it takes you to another page. To really get you going, you 
will also learn how to add animation to your pages. 

In case you didn't know it, a web counter is a CGI script. There are 
numerous examples of scripts in the book, including how to display 
random images on your pages. Forms are also becoming commonplace almost 
anyplace you go on the Internet. It seems you can't hardly hit a page 
without someone asking at the least your e-mail address. Andy teaches 
and shows you how to make those annoying things. One of the newer 
scripting languages to come to prominence is Java- Script. It is 
relatively easy and you don't have to be a programmer to be able to use 
it. There are numerous examples of JavaScript in the book that you can 
use and incorporate into your own home pages. Also, you have available 
to you plenty of references where more "scripts" are available for you 
to use. 

Included with the book is a very comprehensive CD-ROM that incorporates 
links to all of the sites and various programs that are mentioned in the 
book to facilitate easier access. Just load the CD with your favorite 
browser and you can virtually go through the whole book. Some of the 
links are to programs, graphics files and examples in the book that are 
available on the CD, and others are to actual Web sites on the World 
Wide Web. To make use of the CD, you don't need an Internet Connection 
unless you want to visit one of the sites. There is even a browser 
included in case you don't have access to one. Many of the programs on 
the CD are shareware. Also available on the CD are images and graphics 
that are royalty free and can be used as you like. Background sound and 
video clips are also included. 

If you want to write and design your own home page, this is the book to 
get. It is very easy to follow, and has almost all of the information 
that you will ever need to make a page or site that will stand out. 

ENHANCING NETSCAPE WEB PAGES
contains CD-ROM
Written by Andy Shafran
http://www.shafran.com
ISBN: 0-7897-0790-x
Published by: Que Corporation
$34.99 USA/ $46.99 CAN 
http://www.mcp.com/que 

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Product: Book: When You Can't Find Your UNIX System Administrator
Reviewed By: Don Hughes <dhughes@wwdc.com>
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In the opening pages of, "When you can't find your UNIX Administrator," 
Linda Mui, states that this book is not intended for UNIX System 
administrators, but instead targets the novice user. The following 
objective statement sets the pace and defines the intensity of this 
book: 

"This book is for UNIX users everywhere. It's for the corporate manager 
who needs UNIX to send email. It's for the student who has a computer 
account to write history papers on. It's for the physicist who needs to 
run a 3-D plotting Program on a UNIX Work Station. It's for the poor 
people in our production department, forced to use UNIX because it's our 
bread and butter. This book is for UNIX users who are not particularly 
interested in computers, but who just need to get their work done." 

The writer assumes that the reader is somehow involved and working a 
computer containing the UXIX operating system. Or an inquisitive 
computer devotee who reads different books about computer systems to 
increase his or her knowledge. The layout of this one hundred and forty 
page plus book makes it an easy reading and the personal sidebar notes 
from many different UXIX users add to one reading enjoyment. It is 
commendable to know that reader is not the only unique person to have 
bizarre things transpire in the area of computers. 

Although the sidebar anecdotes are fun to read I soon found myself 
ignoring them entirely, and just concentrating on the main text. 
However, the sidebar contains an abundance of information for the 
reader, but I do think that the writer should have employed them a wee 
fraction less. 

The book contains seven chapters ranging from Chapter 1: What you need 
to know about solving problems, to Chapter 7: What you need to know 
about everyone else. In Chapter one the reader is given the scenario "So 
you're in the office alone at 10PM, and there is no administrator to be 
found." So how does one survive this attack of the UNIX beast, all alone 
in the dark? Simply by pulling out their trusty copy of "When you can't 
find your UNIX system Administrator." Of course it would be a better 
idea to read the book before having something go awry. But human nature 
being what it is most people only read a manual as the last resort. 

 Just as Linda MUI express in her book" many problems that users have on 
a UNIX system don't really require the system administrator." Armed with 
a little knowledge the operator can figure their way out of most 
problems. All one has to do is communicate the UNIX lingo as "grep, awk, 
finger, ping, perl, biff, emacs and troff. In the world we live in all 
trades have their little buzz words, that people use to make their area 
of expertise in life unique. 

To fully understand a subject such as UNIX one must learn to trudge 
along, employ, and speak it. Even if the user is current and fluent in 
the UNIX vernacular he or she, should know their boundaries and decide 
when the time has come to call in the appropriate trained persons for 
help. In to-days computer world there is no such person as a computer 
expert, only those who have varying levels of knowledge. 

Throughout her book the focus is to teach users how to identify the 
problem and search out the solution, in a fast, effective proper manner. 
By utilizing her book as a guide, the user can become more specific, and 
hopefully correct the problem. One should not simply inform the system 
administrator you can not receive your mail, but, give a more detailed 
answer as to what happens when you attempt e-mail access. The user needs 
to be specific, and declare the problem area, or better still write down 
the problem and the point at which the error occurs. 

The book walks the user through process such as "what you need to know 
about logging in." Also each aspect of doing a login is covered, and 
what steps to take should you not be able to logon. Placed at the end of 
each chapter are hand quick references to the preceding subject. Each of 
these references is a gold mine of tips to help the UNIX user to better 
under stand and make them feel more comfortable with the language. The 
following is one of many examples Linda Mui has listed in her book: 

 "Capitalization and spacing count:

If you type

 %LS
LS: Command not found

'Correct syntax'

%ls
mbox personal status
temp

This is an example of how the UNIX command structure works and how one 
must follow the proper conventions. There are many such examples in her 
book that help the end users learn more about UNIX by problem models. 
The examples are designed to get you back to the job you would rather be 
doing, instead of searching out an administrator. This book is 
comfortable to read, which makes learning more about UNIX command 
structure an effortless task. 

Throughout, "When you can't find your UNIX system administrator" Linda 
MUI achieves a superior task, embracing a complex subject matter UNIX, 
and molding it into intelligible English--thus making the computer 
operator's job a little easier. However, this book alone will not turn 
one into a multi-fasted UNIX guru, but, will enable one to better 
understand the necessary commands to get back on line with as little 
interruption as possible. If you work with UNIX and need a helpful, 
uncomplicated book, then this is the one for you. 

Publisher, O'Reilly & Associates, inc.
103 Morris Street, Suite A
Sebastopol, CA 95472

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Product: Activision's Zork Nemesis "The Forbidden Lands"
Reviewed By: Paul Vess <veracity@interpath.com>
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Zork Nemesis, "The Forbidden Lands", is Activision's latest contribution 
to the recent smorgasbord of new games utilizing cutting-edge 
technology. Activision's use of Microsoft's DirectX , a set of functions 
that allows applications to perform advanced tasks in games, sound, and 
networking, makes possible much of the performance gains demonstrated by 
Windows 95 games. DirectDraw and DirectSound, two of the DirectX 
functions taken advantage of by Zork Nemesis programmers, are like a two-
edged sword. While DirectX helps in maintaining compatibility to the 
Windows 95 environment and offer advanced functions, the system 
requirements for Zork Nemesis are precise and unforgiving. 

According to the Minimum System Requirements necessary to run Zork 
Nemesis, you will need: 
-  100% IBM PC-compatible computer
-  486/DX2-66 MHz processor
-  8 MB RAM
-  Double-speed CD-ROM drive (300K/sec transfer rate)
-  35 MB of uncompressed HD space
-  VESA local bus or PCI video card with 1 MB of RAM
-  16-bit high-color SVGA (640 X 480) thousands of colors
-  100% Microsoft compatible mouse and driver
-  100% Sound Blaster 16-compatible sound card

I was warned that 8-bit sound cards are not supported and in trying to 
run this program on my 486/DX2-66, with a 8-bit Sound Blaster Pro, I 
later found this statement to be true. 

I initially installed Zork Nemesis on my 486/DX2-66 system which has 16 
MB of RAM, a double-speed CD-ROM drive, a VESA local bus video card with 
1 MB of RAM, 8-bit Sound Blaster Pro sound card, and Windows 95. I doubt 
seriously that more than a few of us can rush out and buy the latest 
Pentium system, or manage but the most pressing upgrades to our systems 
more than once a year. With this thought in mind, I proceeded with the 
installation, aware of some system deficiencies. I inserted disk one of 
the three CD- ROM disks in the Zork Nemesis set into my CD tray, clicked 
on Start, Run, and then Setup. 

For several minutes the Zork Nemesis Setup program analyzed my system's 
configuration and installed drivers. Zork Nemesis Setup walked me 
through the shut-down of any TSR's or other programs that might be 
running in Windows 95. I received a "Warning!" to change my video 
display from 256 colors to 16-bit High Color. I was given the option to 
cancel the installation at this point to make the video display driver 
changes. 

Now back where I left off, the installation proceeded with directory 
location choices, and the decision whether to install for Best 
Performance, (84 MB of HD space), Medium Install, (40 MB of HD space), 
or Minimum Install, (20 MB of HD space) . Any of the 3 choices also 
require an additional 10 MB of free space needed for the virtual memory 
during game play. I chose the Minimum Install option. The last menu to 
pop-up is the "Lock Out" menu which lets you decide whether you do, or 
do not, want hints available during game play. The default setting is 
"Don't lock me out" of hints, which I choose. 

The game began to load and detected that I was using a 8-bit sound card. 
Setup warned me that the sound quality would not be equal to16-bit 
sound, but the game did continue to load. From the time the Intro Screen 
displayed, I was greeted with a feast of sights and sounds demonstrating 
Activision's commitment to quality in this game. The sound track, 
appropriate for the haunting beauty and solitude of a deserted temple 
and it's ruins, adds an atmosphere appealing to "...the souls of the 
Empire's Great Alchemists..." who "...lie in perpetual hell...at the 
hands of the Nemesis." 

According the object of the Zork Nemesis game, you are beckoned by the 
forces of the underground to uncover the mystery of the Nemesis' curse. 
You are required to travel through five worlds to uncover the ancient 
secret of alchemy. This is necessary to free the trapped souls and must 
be done before the Nemesis imprisons you with the others for eternity. 
Along the way, it pays to watch the game cursor. As you pan through the 
360-degree views, the cursor changes shape and colors to indicate that 
interaction is available. There are basically two kinds of cursors; 
exploration cursors, and inventory cursors. Exploration cursors help you 
navigate through the worlds, while inventory cursors allow you to use 
items you find along the way. 

While watching the "ghost lady" who appears from the lit candle in the 
temple, my system suddenly "froze". Several "reboots" and attempts to 
resolve the problem convinced me to try installing the MS-DOS version of 
the game. This installation was done using a PC with a 486/DX4-100 MHz 
processor with 8 MB of RAM, a double-speed CD-ROM, a 16-bit Sound 
Blaster compatible sound card, and MS-DOS 6.2. The DOS installation was 
very smooth and straight forward. My first attempt to run the game 
resulted in a statement that said I would need to create a "boot disk". 
Following the simple instructions in the Zork Nemesis handbook I had the 
boot disk ready in a couple of minutes and was back in the game. 

The difference between the Windows 95 and the MS-DOS versions of the 
game were readily apparent. Whereas the Windows 95 version had 
graphically been more fluid, the MS-DOS version was jerkier, with every 
movement of the cursor requiring hits to the CD-ROM. I also noticed a 
change for the better in the quality of sound being played, evident in 
the requirement of 16- bit sound rather than 8-bit sound I had heard in 
the first installation. 

It's obvious to me that Activision has taken great pains to be sure that 
this game is playable, whether you have Windows 95 or not. Zork Nemesis 
"The forbidden Lands" definitely has a "Myst" flavor, sure to be 
pleasing to the Myst enthusiast. If you have played Myst and enjoyed it, 
you will probably find this game to your liking as well. This is a game 
for the solitary player, individuals who like to solve puzzles, mull 
over each tiny detail, and loose themselves in a game where logic and 
thoughtful advances are rewarded. 

For the action oriented gamer who enjoys blowing up monsters and 
mutants, Zork Nemesis will probably bore you to death. The game Myst was 
a huge success, and in the same vein of games, Zork Nemesis will 
undoubtedly make it's mark. With some software game outlets like Egghead 
Software now including the "Return to Zork Anthology Bundle" free with 
the purchase of Zork Nemesis "The Forbidden Lands", sales of this game 
are sure to increase. I found this new release of Zork Nemesis by 
Activision to be chock full of quality graphics and sounds. But for the 
majority of PC owners who do not have the luxury of meeting all the 
system requirements and demands of this cutting-edge software being 
offered at present, we ask "Can you programmers keep us in mind when you 
program?" A game that requires 84 MB HD space (plus another 10 MB for 
virtual memory during game play) to display it's best performance is 
asking plenty from folks who recently gave almost as much HD space to 
install Windows 95. When you look at the success of much smaller size 
games without all the actors and actresses hired to act, thereby adding 
tremendously to the need for more HD space, I can't help but wonder if 
less is often not more. Heretic, Descent, and a plethora of other games 
which have brought their creators huge success, did so without hiring a 
single human to "act" in them. Zork Nemesis "The Forbidden Lands" is 
definitely a quality work, but making games accessible and playable for 
the "average" PC owner seems to me one of the most important 
requirements. After all, if I must upgrade my systems components every 
three months to be able to benefit from "cutting-edge" gaming 
technology, that doesn't leave much disposable income to spend on 
entertainment. A good try Activision...but please go back and design 
your next game to fit on one CD and make it compatible with the PC's of 
two years ago. 

Activision
P.O. Box 67713
Los Angeles, CA  90067
World Wide Web: http://www.activision.com
CompuServe: GO ACTIVISION

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WEBSITES OF THE WEEK! | This section is devoted to cool WebSites . . .
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Interesting Internet Facts . . .|
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CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ - The Internet has generated a 
number of interesting statistics, and Win Treese of Open Market, Inc. 
(Nasdaq: OMKT) <http://www.openmarket.com>, compiles them on a regular 
basis. Inspired by "Harper's Index," here is his fifteenth "Internet 
Index," released today: 

 - Number of Brazilian orphans to be available for adoption on the 
Internet: 48 

 - Number of e-mail address entries, per person, on the MIT alumni 
contribution form: 2 

 - Number of ill chess players rescued after calling for help on the 
Internet: 1 

 - Number of entries in Maclean's magazine Internet directory, 9/2/96: 7 

 -- Number of U.S. states with "wanted lists" of child support offenders 
on the Internet: 7 

 - Percentage of comics in The Boston Globe with Internet addresses: 63 

 -- Percentage of the first 20 ads in the October 1996 Scientific 
American with Web addresses: 75 

 - Percentage of the first 20 ads in the October 1996 Scientific 
American with toll-free numbers: 70 

 - Percentage of the first 20 ads in the October 7, 1996 Business Week 
with Web addresses: 60 

 - Percentage of the first 20 ads in the October 7, 1996 Business Week 
with toll-free numbers: 80 

 - Percentage of online users who prefer to remain anonymous when 
visiting Websites: 60 

 - Amount, in millions of dollars, that President Clinton proposes to 
spend for expanding Internet capacity at universities: 500 

 - Amount, in millions of dollars, that Microsoft plans to spend 
promoting its Microsoft Network (MSN) in the next 12 months: 100 

 - Number of visitors to NetAction's Internet kiosk near the San 
Francisco Civic Center during one week: 100 

 - Number of volunteers who staffed the kiosk: 26 

 -- Number of e-mail messages to the FBI about the crash of TWA Flight 
800 in the first eleven days after the crash: 900 

 - Maximum prison term, in years, for possessing an unauthorized modem 
in Myanmar (Burma): 15 

-----------------------------------
The First Real Casino Online . . .|
-----------------------------------
 IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ - World Wide Web Casinos, Inc. 
announced today the introduction of gambling on the Internet, including 
world wide progressive slots at www.netpirates.com. Through and from its 
international casinos, World Wide Web Casinos offer the Internet player 
a three-dimensional, virtual reality gaming experience in Cyberspace 
from the comfort of home or office. 

 Lead by the experienced management team of Chairman Peter D. Michaels 
and President Peter G. Demos Jr., World Wide Web Casinos brings all the 
excitement of the gaming industry to the 50 million Internet users 
worldwide. With Blackjack, Craps, Pai Gow, Video Poker, Progressive 
Slots, Roulette, World Bingo, and World Lotto, World Wide Web Casinos 
creates an opportunity for people that gamble to seek the Internet for 
gaming entertainment. 

 "The Internet is a global communications technology not bound by the 
laws or control of any one government. Internet casinos are only bound 
by the laws and regulations of their host country," said chairman Peter 
D. Michaels. "Placing bets cannot be illegal because, despite their 
origination, bets will technically be placed on the computers at our off-
shore land-based casino site that is legally licensed and taxed by the 
host government." 

 Taking the concept of Internet Gaming one step further, with their new 
web site www.netpirates.com World Wide Web Casinos is linking land-based 
progressive slots to those people who are playing progressive slots on 
the Internet from their personal computers. At <www.netpirates.com> 
players walk through the casino selecting progressive slot machines 
while intense graphic images and live audio provide the sight, sound and 
sense of actually being in a casino. With better betting odds than 
virtually any land-based casino, and jackpots and payoffs 10 to 20 times 
greater than any progressive jackpot ever offered www.netpirates.com has 
enormous gaming potential. 

 With the number of Internet users expected to reach 175 million by 
1997, new security measures and software are making Internet users more 
comfortable with the idea of Internet commerce, cybercash, Visa and 
Mastercard transactions. World Wide Web Casinos is working with 
established banks and credit-card issuers to provide security for both 
sides of gaming transactions. Players will be able to electronically 
move money into and out of their accounts for gaming in a safe and 
secure manner. Furthermore, World Wide Web Casinos, Inc. offers Internet 
gaming only where it is legal. 

 With a top international accounting firm auditing computer algorithms 
to assure fair odds, and a 24 hour customer service line into their 
physical casino. World Wide Web Casinos and www.netpirates.com have 
successfully combined the excitement and entertainment of the casino 
with the accessibility of the Internet. 

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