-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= |-=>CompuNotes<=-| -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Notes from The Cutting Edge of Personal Computing February 7, 1997 Issue 67 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= Managing Editor: Patrick Grote -- mailto:pgrote@inlink.com Assistant Editor: Writer Liaison: Doug Reed-- mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com Graphics Editor, Webmaster: Judy Litt mailto:jlitt@aol.com Archives: ftp://ftp.uu.net/published/compunotes/ Website: http://users.aol.com/CompNote/ email: mailto:notes@inlink.com fax: (314) 909-1662 voice: (314) 909-1662 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= CONTENTS My Notes: 1=> Join us on Monday when we announce our annual winners! 2=> This Week's Winner! Columnists' Corner: 3=> "As I See It," Software Buyers Should Demand Warranty Up Front Reviews: 4=> Product: Goldmine Contact Manager 3.2 Reviewed By: Don Hughes, mailto:dhughes@wwdc.com 5=> Product: You Don't Know Jack, Volume II Reviewed By: Judy Litt, mailto:jlitt@qualitty.com 6=> Product: Healthy PC Reviewed By: Don Hughes, mailto:dhughes@wwdc.com +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= CompuNotes is: Available weekly via email and on-line. We cover the PC computing world with comprehensive reviews, news, hot web sites, great columns and interviews. We also give away one software package a week to a lucky winner for just reading our fine publication! Never dull, sometimes tardy, we are here to bring you the computing world the way it is! Please tell every online friend you know about us! CompuNotes B440 1315 Woodgate Drive St. Louis, MO 63122 notes@inlink.com +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= SYSOPS SEE END OF ISSUE FOR SYSOP INFORMATION! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= To subscribe, send this email to listserv@peach.ease.lsoft.com SUBSCRIBE COMPUNOTES-L FirstName LastName To unsubscribe, send this email to listserv@peach.ease.lsoft.com SIGNOFF COMPUNOTES-L +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= Patrick's Notes 1=> Chat Session with CompuNotes! Every Monday night at 8:00pm, CompuNotes hosts a chat session on Yahoo! Chat! Last Monday was our first night and a fun, informative night was had by all! This week we will be announcing the winners of our first annual readers awards. We will have our writers as guests to shed some light on the products coming out in 1997! We invite you to attend and join in on the conversation and fun! The address is . We are located in the SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY area in the Computer/CompuNotes room. All you have to do is type WHERE IS COMPUNOTES and a guide will help you. Also, please plan on signing on Yahoo! 30 minutes prior to your chat if this will be your first chat. You'll need to download a plug-in for your browser to support the chat! As always, we'll be giving away a free software package to someone in attendance. 2=> Winner! This week's winner is lhupp@infocom.net! Send them a congrats message mailto:lhupp@infocom.net! 3=> "As I See It" is the name of the paper's reader-submitted full- length editorial (daily feature -- nice!). Dwight Silverman, mentioned below, is based at the Houston Chronicle. This was written in response to a Patriot editorial basically saying "Go get'em" over the AOL price change ... like the AG looked into the Patriot when they raised the cover price last year! I hope to see this in CompuNotes, I take this digital consumerism pretty seriously -- in fact, I have a class-action lawsuit pending against one of the major players over their bugware. --Jeff Fishbein Software Buyers Should Demand Warranty Up Front "As I See It" By Jeff Fishbein The Patriot recently joined a host of media organizations in supporting various state attorneys general who are investigating the pricing practices of America Online (Editorial, Dec. 15). While I agree that the state's top police officer -- and the media -- have an obligation to protect citizens, I think this is a case of misdirected concern. According to the company's usage statistics, most AOL users will see a net decrease in their online bill with the service's new unlimited- access pricing. In fact, AOL joined the fledgling Microsoft Network in making this change, mostly in response to consumer demand. While the attorney general is hard at work attacking a company that's trying to do you a favor -- and the media is lending its support -- there are numerous other companies that are working to rip off the computing public, and I've yet to see a mention of it in the paper. Sadly, these are not fly-by-night hackers trying to make a quick buck, these are reputable and well-known software companies, who have found a new weapon in the fight against consumers' rights: warranties. When was the last time you actually read all the way through a warranty for any product? It's all fairly standard wording, and most of us assume the companies we buy products from will stand behind those products. But in the software industry, warranties are often written to disclaim responsibility. Would you buy a car if the dealer specifically stated that the car was not guaranteed when used as a mode of transportation? Probably not ... but chances are, a good bit of your software is warranted with either or both of these phrases: "(The software is provided) 'as is' without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. "(We) do not warrant that ... the operation of the software will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that defects in the software will be corrected." Both of the above come from actual software products I own. Another company whose products I have used has gone so far as to state in its warranty that the purchaser is liable for the cost of any corrections the software company must make if their program is faulty. Is there any other industry in America that could get away with this? This doesn't mean that all technology companies are charlatans, but the ranks grow each year. In fact, the newest version of Intuit's "Quicken," the top-selling home finance program, includes just such a non-warranty. How can you be on the lookout for a ripoff? Sadly, it's often hard to know before you open the box -- that's where the warranty is -- and once you've opened the box, you've implicitly agreed to the terms of the license and warranty. A great example is the Cybermedia program "Oil Change," (recently reviewed in The Patriot-News by Dwight Silverman, whose column appears each Tuesday). The CD-ROM is sealed with a sticker that says you accept the license when you break the seal. The license is stored in digital form on the CD -- there's no paper version in the box -- so you have to accept it before you can read it. Even the most reputable companies will use logic-defying legal opinions to protect them from liability. Macromedia, a large design software company, marketed a product which recommends "Windows 3.1 or higher," but it won't run on Windows 95. Microsoft, another reputable company, has claimed that Windows 95 is NOT a higher version of Windows, but is instead an entirely new product -- even though it is sold as an upgrade, and the Microsoft manual uses the phrase, "If you are upgrading from an earlier version of Windows ..." The end result is that a user who switched to Windows 95 was virtually forced to replace an entire software library because the new operating system couldn't live up to its promises -- at a cost of hundreds to thousands of dollars. But that isn't why the Justice Department went after the software giant -- the government was apparently more worried about Bill Gates' growing wealth through good deal-making than with the suffering and frustration of consumers. And none of this even touches the issue of technical support, which has essentially become an extra source of revenue for software companies. Again, would you consider your car warranted if you had to pay for covered repairs? Even during a "free" tech support period, you usually have to pay for the call. How can you protect yourself? Read the warranty that comes with every software product you own. If the company doesn't warrant that the software will perform substiantially as stated in the documentation for a period of at least 90 days, buy a competitor's product. If the software is a major application, make sure it includes at least 30 days of free tech support from the first call, not from the day you register. Finally, if you agree that the software industry is taking advantage of you as a consumer, take action. But plan on a lonely battle, because the attorney general and the media probably won't offer any help. --Jeff Fishbein is an internet consultant based in Selinsgrove. He owns an internet commerce site for local businesses; the URL is http://www.riverweb.com 4=> Product: Goldmine Contact Manager 3.2 Reviewed By: Don Hughes, mailto:dhughes@wwdc.com System Requirements. 486, VGA, 8 MB memory MSRP: $295.00 (Single), $895.00 (5 User Network) ***Prices vary according to the size of the network.. The two computers used for testing and installing GoldMine were: a 486DX 100MHZ VL bus, with 16 meg of ram, ATI WinTurbo graphics card, and the second computer: Pentium 100 MHz PCI bus, 16 Meg of ram and an ATI WinTurbo graphics card (2 meg of ram on each card). The GoldMine Contact Manager program is on three 1.44 floppy disks and a fourth disk contained the United States zip codes by region. Currently, there is no postal code disk for Canada, but the user can add the code during data entry. GoldMine can be purchase for DOS, Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 and Windows NT. You can download Evaluation software from GoldMine's Internet site http://www.goldminesw.com. The evaluation software is time-limited or in the case of the DOS version limited to twenty contacts. However, in spite of the limitation of the evaluation program, GoldMine enables a prospective user to try their product for free. Software set-up is straight forward with no errors where encountered during the installation on the test computers. Having relatives and business contacts in the United States, I also installed two postal code regions their areas. Over the years I have had the fortune or in some case's misfortune to try many different PIMs. However, no matter which ones I used or set-up for clients, none of them really seized my attention, till I installed and started working with GoldMine. With the program installed, I jumped right into the fray, entered my password and clicked on the OK button. As GoldMine's contact screen appeared I was overwhelmed by the layout of their work screen, rows of buttons and the programs raw power. Soon I was a happy little camper clicking away with my mouse on this or that button. Next I found myself totally running amuck, stuck in the middle of things and going no-where fast. Yes, it was time to read the book. I highly recommend before running GoldMine and getting mouse happy, you take the time and a least read and work through the users guides. Three illustrated reference books are supplied with GoldMine, the Users guide, and Reference Manuals One and Two. If you follow the information given in the Users Guide before you start creating files, you will find GoldMine Contact manager as very easy to use product. The only error I have come across to date occurred between the keyboard and the chair, when I was in a rush to start using the product. The GoldMine Software Corporation proclaim: "GoldMine is the #1-rated contact manager. It is designed to automate business professionals -- whether they work with others in networked offices, remotely in the field or alone on a desktop PC. It combines contact management, day and time planning, sales automation, and mail list management with group calendaring, database design, data synchronization and e-mail messaging to create an enterprise-wide, business solution. GoldMine's open architecture and Windows DDE functionality enable users to effectively manage and share information across any organization through its easy integration with other mission-critical applications. Features include fully customizable and expandable database structures, mass fax/mail merging capabilities, sales forecasting, branching telemarketing scripts, comprehensive history tracking, pager support and remote data synchronization. With GoldMine you will turn your business into a treasure." I know we have all heard or read these kinds of statements before from software manufactures saying that their product is number one in the universe. No one can accuse GoldMine of being bashful when stating the foremost purpose of their software, but as boastful as the statement seems, their product does exactly what they state and beyond. The program functioned equally well on both test computers, and to date I was not able to find any flaw in the GoldMine Contact Manager program. What does GoldMine do and who needs a contact manager? To put it very simply and briefly a contact manager is just, a program to store and retrieve data. The data can be anything from a list of friends and family members, church members, service providers, Doctors, utility companies, school phone numbers. Add to the data, not just phone numbers, but, the name of the business, and the address, city, state, postal codes and other important information. The simple data file has now grown into a complex list that soon needs a program such as a contact manager in which to store it. In business time is money, and data/information are the origin of an association's strength to increase profits. Therefore, combine the ability of a computer to sort and retrieve data with the power of a contact manager to store this information you have a valuable business at your finger tips. Many of us have been handed a business card or given an address that we file away for future reference, only to find the card or paper lost or thrown out by mistake. However, by using an Pim such as GoldMine the data can be stored and retrieved at a moments notice, along with any other information entered, never to be lost or misplaced again. A few of the features built into GoldMine are: ....simple-to-define screens and fields, unlimited notes for each contact, Calendars with group scheduling,...integrates (via DDE) with Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, WordPro, Excel, and WinFax Pro...Send and receive Microsoft Mail or Internet mail, send message to alpha-numeric pagers, sales forecasting, analysis, and lead management...built in report writer and spell checker...Web page import and launch(Windows 95)...Peg Board...Time Clock and user log... When you start GoldMine, a start-up screen prompts you for a password (the password is optional and set-up during the install process), once entered the main screen appears. The main contact screen has five parts: main menu, tool bar(s), a status line, the contact record, and a client area. Like other Windows programs each item in the main menu supplies a function or opens a submenu. Entering a new contact is extremely easy, you select File, New Record, and an entry screen pop up. Here you can enter: Company, Contact, Phone Number plus the phone extension, E-mail Address, New Record and Current Window. Three areas on the "ADD a New Record screen are customizable. In the Creation Method area you can select: New Record, Template Record or Duplicate record. The View Method area has two selections, Current Window (replace the active contact windows with the new one) and New Window (Creates a new contact windows and keep the old record on screen). Once the above information is entered, GoldMine switches you to the "Contact Record" that contains information entered about a contact or Business. When in the contact windows you enter information about the contact such as: Department, Title, Source, Address, etc. When I first installed GoldMine and started entering the data, I inserted the address, and the next tab, sent me to the ZIP code data entry area- bypassing City and State. To insert the City and State data I had to click on that area with the mouse or using shift and tab move back up the contact record and enter the data. It was at this point I contacted the good folks at GoldMine Software and spoke their Director of Public Relations, Brenda Christensen, who assured me that this was not a bug in the software, but was in fact designed to work this way. GoldMine supplies another disk containing Zip or Postal code data and once it is installed GoldMine will enter the City and State automatically for you when you type in the postal code. Also the program allows the user to manually enter the zip code for areas not listed or other countries such as Canada. True to her word, Brenda, quickly sent me the updated disks for GoldMine and the Zip code disk. I then set about entering the data for my American cousins and software companies and the program worked effortlessly. However, GoldMine does lack Postal Codes for Canada, but the user can add the postal codes during data entry without any problems. Another nice feature of GoldMine is the lookup list (Lookup Lidy) that can be customized by the user. If you click on the Title field on the contact window, and press F2 the lookup list pops up and you select the title of the person: Account Manager, Consultant, President etc, or add your own title. The GoldMine contact manager, has many user customizable options that allow the end user to set the program to fit their particular needs. The New 3.2 version supports conversion of an: ACT! Database file, DBF xbasae/clipper, ASCII field delimited and field / record separators, SDF fixed length text files. Another feature is Internet e-mail send and receiving, Web page launching, and turn incoming e-mail data into contact information. The View Calendar mode, the user has the choice of: Day, Week, Month, Year, Planner Outline, and Pegboard. On a network system the Pegboard feature allows for each user to log time in and time out, effectively tracking workers whereabouts, for better time management. Built into this multi-functional program is free form organization/project management using their "InfoCentre." The InfoCentre can become a complete electronic library, or for used for product pricing, tracking and linking of projects, company offices, departments, and limited only by the user's imagination. There are so many features built into GoldMine that no single article can entirely cover all the aspects of this fine product. If you or your company are looking for a powerful contact manager to better service your clients, then GoldMine is a should be on the top of your list for an evaluation. You can download an evaluation copy from GoldMine's Internet site (http://www.goldminesw.com) and take it for a spin, and kick the tires. Goldmine may while be the Cadillac of Contact management software, but behind its slick interface is the durability and power of a modern battle tank. Also when you visit GoldMine Software's Internet site and check out their many awards and recognition's, and obtain the latest product information. GoldMine Contact Manager is one of the best programs I have had the pleasure of reviewing to-date. If there is a bug in this program, I have yet to find it. Other then my early impatience to use the program with-out reading the manual GoldMine has preformed with a glitch. A word about GoldMine Software Support. A special thank-you to Brenda Christensen for the fast and prompt response in answering my phone query and providing the updated program with zip codes. The President of GoldMine Software should be very proud of the personnel working for his company. From the very moment of my initial contact was made with the receptionist, the telephone call was handled with the up most speed, and courtesy. Usually when I call a US company the first thing that happens is they put the me on hold. However, this was not the case with GoldMine Software. They answered my call and transferred me to the correct department in record time. Contact: GoldMine Software Corporation 17383 Sunset Blvd., Suite 301 Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 USA. Phone (310) 454-6800 FAX (310) 454-4848 Ratings: Install/ease of Use: GOLD User Friendliness: GOLD Support: GOLD Quality: GOLD End User: Large and Small Business, Service Agents, Teachers, Doctors, Lawyers, or an individual needing a Contact Manager. 5=> Product: You Don't Know Jack, Volume II Reviewed By: Judy Litt, mailto:jlitt@qualitty.com Reviewed on: Pentium Pro 200, 64 MB RAM, Windows 95, 12x Cd-rom Requires: Windows, 8 MB RAM, 2x cd-rom, SVGA, Sound Blaster compatible soundcard. Street Price: $39.95 You Don't Know Jack, Volume 2 is Trivial Pursuit with an attitude. It's a trivia game - you can play by yourself, or with up to two other players (although how more than 2 players fit around one keyboard is beyond me). Let me preface the review by saying I'm not a game person. In the three years I've been reviewing software for CompuNotes, this is the first time I've requested a game. The main reason I did was that it came highly recommended by a friend of my husband's, & I thought my husband would like to play it. And I do like Trivial Pursuit (the original board game, that is). Installing was easy; I ignored the usual advice about disabling your antivirus software. However, I installed Netscape Navigator 3.01 shortly afterward - again without disabling my antivirus software - and this totally messed up my OS. I still can't access my sound card; I may actually have to delete my Windows directory and totally reinstall Windows 95 to repair the damage. In the future, I think I'll be heeding the antivirus warning. There is no manual, just an insert in the CD's jewel case, but that's entirely sufficient. You have a choice between playing a seven question game or a twenty-one question game. We chose seven question games, which are over quite quickly. You Don't Know Jack is also somewhat like Jeopardy. Usually the last person to answer a question correctly gets to pick the next category (from among three choices). When you think you have the correct answer, you buzz in. Here's a twist, though: if you think the person you're playing against doesn't know the answer to a question, you can "screw" him by forcing him to answer the question. You're only allowed one screw per game. My husband & I have a good relationship, so we never availed ourselves of that particular option. There are seven types of questions: 1. Multiple Choice 2. Picture Asks a multiple choice question about a picture on the screen. 3. Fill in the Blank 4. Whatshisname Guess the famous person. You get more and more clues as time goes by. 5. Gibberish Rhyming puzzles. You get a gibberish phrase & must try to think of a quote, saying, lyric, or phrase that it rhymes with. You get clues as time goes by, but the amount of "money" you win decreases proportionately. I hate these questions - but I did get one once! 6. DisorDat A bonus question only one player gets to play. You must categorize a list of seven clues. For each correct match, you win money; for each incorrect match, you lose money. 7. Jack Attack The last question of every game. One phrase zooms out from the center of the screen as potential matches fly by. Each one has seven matches; buzz in with the correct match and win $2000; buzz in with an incorrect match and lose $2000. It's kind of like Final Jeopardy: it can turn a loser into a winner and visa versa. If you feel an answer to a question is wrong, you can email pissed@learntv.com (there's also a snail mail address). There's also an online version at http://www.bezerk.com/ - you can compete for high scores, rank yourself against other players, and win prizes. You must download the engine for the game before you'll be able to play it online, which I didn't try. The Jack instructions include the following warning: "This product contains mature content, including suggestive sexual references and language that may not be suitable for children. Besides, they won't get it, anyway." I strongly agree. The first time I saw the game in action, a twelve year old was playing. I didn't think it was really appropriate for him, but he seemed to love it. For trivia buffs, and Jeopardy fans who appreciate the far side, You Don't Know Jack, Volume 2 is a lot of fun. There's a seemingly inexhaustible supply of questions (unlike the board game Trivial Pursuit, where if you play it enough, you'll begin to recognize questions). And you just might learn something amidst all that fun. By the way, I trounced my husband in two out of three games. But he finally came back to beat me with the highest score to date. Berkeley Systems, Inc. 2095 Rose Street Berkeley, CA 94709 510-549-2300 Voice 510-849-9426 FAX pctech@berksys.com AOL: BerkSys Compuserve: Go WINAPC (75300,1375) Ratings: Installation/Ease of Use: Gold User Friendliness: Gold Quality: Gold User: Anyone interested in testing their knowledge (or expanding) of trivia 6=> Product: Healthy PC Reviewed By: Don Hughes, mailto:dhughes@wwdc.com Requirements: Windows 95, modem, VGA Healthy PC is an uncomplicated one button started software program, allowing the end user a quick and easy way to checkup any PC. The program checks for the most common types of viruses, including the Microsoft Word macro virus. The Healthy PC program is furnished on two 1.44 floppies, and installation is a breeze. The computer used to test the program was a 486Dx 100 MHz, 16 MB ram. ATI VGA WinTurbo graphics card, modem and an Internet connection. A small double sided four page manual, and built in help are all that is required to run Healthy PC. I started to install the program at 9:42 p.m. and finished at 9:48 p.m., including the time needed to register the software on line. Once the computer rebooted, I started Healthy PC and clicked on Live Update. The program dialed Symantec, using the Internet connection (you have the choice of modem or Internet for down loading updates) logged in, and download the new update file. Soon afterward Healthy PC disconnected from Symantec, and continued to update itself automatically. The entire updating process could not have been easier or more automated. The only thing the user has to do is click on a single button with the mouse. . After the program updated, I clicked on Healthy PC's START button, and let the program go to work. During the PC checkup process the program runs through Five sections: 1. Check for Viruses 2. Remove Viruses 3. Check Hard Drive 4. Repair Hard Drive 5. Optimize Hard Drive. The speed Symantec's Healthy PC was impressive. The hard drives on my computer are partitioned as C, D, E, F, G. Healthy PC executed all the utilities and checked all drives in less than 5 minutes. However, the Utilities section does not give the user an opportunity to select options or which drive to scan. If you find a virus on your computer, you will have to check any floppy disks that may have been used during the time the virus was active on the system. However, lacking in their documentation or help file was instructions how to scan a floppy disk for a virus. I noticed as the program started it checked A: and B: drive's first, then continued to check the hard drives. Subsequently, I then inserted a floppy into drive A: hit the Start Button, and Healthy PC virus scanned the disk in Drive A: then continued to scan all other Hard drives. The drawback being the program will run through all of its tests unless you click on exit, and to scan another floppy you have to restart Healthy PC. Of special note in Symantec's guide "Like your family doctor, Healthy PC tells you when it's time to call in a specialist: if a virus is detected in the hard drive boot sector...it report it but doesn't fix the problem...is a serious problems are detected in how your files are laid out on the drive, Healthy PC reports the problem, but doesn't attempt a repair." The Healthy PC program does not have the power of the full version of Norton Anti Virus, or Norton Utilities for Windows 95. Healthy PC has been advertised in US magazines for under $30.00, and retailing in Canada for under $40.00. The Program is slick, and fast, but lacks the power of the full Norton utilities versions. If you are looking for an easy to use utility that automates most PC maintenance tasks at the click of a single button, then Healthy PC is one program you should think about buying. Symantec Corporation 175 West Broadway Eugene, OR 97401 (800) 441-7234 Ratings: Install/ease of Use: Gold User Friendliness: Gold Quality: Silver End User: Anyone needing an easy to use Virus scan & Disk Repair Utility +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= SYSOPS READ HERE! We want to make CompuNotes available on as many BBS as possible. Sysops who volunteer upload this newsletter to their BBS as a ZIP file will be listed in our sysops directory shipped with each newsletter. We'll also link to your website. If you are interested, fill out the following lines and return them to notes@inlink.com with SYSOPS as the subject. After processing this, we'll send you a weekly UUEncoded version of CompuNotes. BBS NAME: BBS SYSOP: BBS NUMBER: URL: +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= To subscribe, send this email to listserv@peach.ease.lsoft.com SUBSCRIBE COMPUNOTES-L FirstName LastName To unsubscribe, send this email to listserv@peach.ease.lsoft.com SIGNOFF COMPUNOTES-L +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= --END OF ISSUE