CompuNotes Notes from The Cutting Edge of Personal Computing September 13, 1998 Issue 129 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= To subscribe, send an e-mail to listserv@peach.ease.lsoft.com SUBSCRIBE COMPUNOTES-L FirstName LastName To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to listserv@peach.ease.lsoft.com SIGNOFF COMPUNOTES-L For Contact and Other Information See Bottom of Publication! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= ************************** Get Paid to Surf the Net!* ******************************************************************** Get paid for using the Internet? With the MyPointsr Program you can! You earn Points in the MyPointsr Program for a wide variety of activities. Visiting a Web site, taking a survey, joining a program, or about anything. Points accumulate in your personal account and can be spent on travel, entertainment, merchandise, and more. And it's totally FREE to you! Sign up now and receive 100 FREE Points to get started! Click Here: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/mypoints.htm ******************************************************************** CONTENTS My Notes: 1=> CompuNotes Notes, mailto:pgrote@i1.net 2=> This Issue's Winner! News: 3=> News of the Week, mailto:pgrote@i1.net Reviews: 4=> Product: Bill Hatfield's "Active Server Pages For Dummies", IDG Books Worldwide, Foster City, CA, 1998 - book Reviewed By: Songmuh Jong, mailto:songmuh@bitsmart.com 5=> Product: Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency, game Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com 6=> Product: Extensis Portfolio(R) 3.0, graphics Reviewed By: Howard Carson & Mario Georgiou (Deadly Design Team), mailto:lrhc@interlog.com 7=> Product: Teach Yourself Word 97, book Reviewed By: Tim Mullenniex, mailto:nrider@eskimo.com 8=> Product: The Writer's Software Companion, education Reviewed By: Robin Nobles, mailto:smslady@netdoor.com 9=> Product: Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers, game Reviewed By: Craig Bull, mailto:bull@udayton.edu --- BEGIN ISSUE 1=> CompuNotes Notes, mailto:pgrote@i1.net None this week. 2=> Winner! This week's winner: wsbrooks@BORG.COM. 3=> News and Game Bits, mailto:pgrote@i1.net or mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com The Net Holds Up With the Demand for the Starr Report! http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,26260,00.html?st.ne.fd.gif.e A Tale of the iMac . . . http://www.businessweek.com/cgi-bin/frameloader?left=bwdaily/reframe.htm &right=cgi-bin/bwdaily?right=dnflash/sep1998/nf80911d.htm&lwidth=146 Bill Gates and Wife Donate $20 million to Duke . . . http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/filters/bursts/0,3422,2137124,00.html US West Will Charge for Phone Net Access . . . http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/filters/bursts/0,3422,2137029,00.html Novell and Microsoft Making Up . . . http://www.crn.com/dailies/weekending091198/sep09dig16.asp?NewsID=2296 On-line Newspapers Come of Age http://www.zdnet.com/products/content/articles/199807/web.newspapers/ *************************** Get Around No Matter What!* ****************************************************************** HoveRoundr Personal Mobility Vehicles - - Hoveroundr, the most advanced personal mobility vehicle in the world. It has major features you won't find in any other product...to help you live an independent lifestyle for years to come. FREE Information! Click Here: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/hover.htm ****************************************************************** 4=> Product: Bill Hatfield's "Active Server Pages For Dummies", IDG Books Worldwide, Foster City, CA, 1998 - book Reviewed By: Songmuh Jong, mailto:songmuh@bitsmart.com Requires: Some web site development experience, and an ASP-aware web server. Reviewed on: Pentium 166MMX, 64MB RAM, 2MB Video Card, 16X CD, Windows NT Server 4.0 running Internet Information Server (IIS). MSRP: $29.99. The name "Active Server Pages" may sound scary for average computer users. However, the fact that it is one of the "For Dummies" books indicates that the topic is not that far away from us. What is marvelous about this book is that the author explains the topic so well in the first chapter that you feel like you have known the topic already. This is different from many other books that place unnecessary introductory chapters before the real subject is discussed in any depth. Essentially, active server pages (abbreviated ASP) is a new technology that places special VB-like codes inside the html pages. You name the resulting web pages .asp (called ASP pages) so that the server knows it needs to do something before sending them out to the clients' browsers. That includes processing the ASP codes within the ASP pages and stripping out the ASP codes. The clients' browsers receive the pages exactly like the traditional .htm(l) files. (Note: ASP is treated like a technology, so it is not redundant to say ASP page(s).) Why is ASP an interesting topic for us? More and more of us are developing web pages either from home or work. Regular htm(l) scripts, although powerful, have their limitation. To add more interactive features, you have either server-side options, which used to be CGI and Pearl, or client-side options, which include Java, JavaScript (with Netscape Navigator), VBScript (with Internet Explorer), ActiveX, and so on. Client-side options are usually slower and, by today's standard of speed and security, unacceptable. ASP allows us to skip learning CGI and Pearl, and use the familiar BASIC language (with some modification). Chapter 2 presents a sample ASP page and discusses the testing environment you'll need in order to create and test an ASP page. You'll need a web site so that you can place the web pages. You'll also need a server that can understand the ASP codes. The first requirement can be easily met because free home page is available to anyone on the Internet. The second requirement is a little bit more difficult to meet because those free servers probably would not want to offer the ASP awareness. By having an ASP-aware server means more processing on the server side, and that's expensive for the free services. One possibility is to run Windows NT and the IIS (Internet Information Server) that comes with the Windows NT Server. If you don't have NT Server, use the Microsoft Personal Web Server for Windows 95 or NT Workstation. So far, that's the only two options that you have, which means that ASP technology only works on Microsoft's server software, but it is a cool technology to learn and play with. That's why you'll be reading the book. The ASP-aware servers know two types of scripts: VBScript or JScript. Chapters 3 and 4 discuss VBScript, and Chapter 5 JScript. Chapters 6 and 7 discuss the kinds of objects you can use in your ASP pages. Chapter 8 provides step-by-step guidance on creating a few applications, including a guest book, a radio station, and a personalized Welcome page. If you have worked with any Microsoft technology, you probably know ActiveX already. Most of our knowledge about ActiveX components is that they can be placed inside your client applications and html pages. We also know that ActiveX components are the ways to extend the functionality of client applications. Now the ASP pages can also take advantage of this extendibility--the only difference is that it is processed by the server, and the author calls it Server Components. Database access is an integral part of a web site design, so Chapters 10 and 11 discuss how to use Access database from your ASP pages and the updating issues. The last two chapters (12 and 13) sum up the topic and walk you through the process of creating two applications: Cafe--a real-time chat room; and Classy Classified--a classified ads application. The book also comes with a wealth of information in the appendix: Where to find further information about ASP; details of some server components; MS Visual InterDev; database basics; MS Access basics. The CD that comes with the book also has some shareware that can enhance your experience of this new technology. In summary, this book is very well organized and is a joy to read. The subject is one of the hottest topics of web site development and should attract a lot of readers. I fully recommend that readers who are interested in web site development should have a copy of this book as one of your bibles. IDG Book Worldwide "Active Server Pages For Dummies" by Bill Hatfield http://www.idgbooks.com/cgi-bin/db/fill_out_template.pl?idgbook:0-7645-0 190-9:book-idg::uidg1110 5=> Product: Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency, game Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com Requirements: Windows 95, Pentium-100, 16 MB RAM, 4x CDROM, 100 MB hard drive space, sound card, SVGA, Total Annihilation Reviewed on: Pentium-166, 24 MB RAM, 16x CDROM MSRP: $29.99 Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency (TCC from now on) is an add-on pack for the immensely successful Total Annihilation. TCC is everything that an add-on pack should be, and well worth the value to anyone who wants to keep on playing Total Annihilation. If you've visited the Total Annihilation site, you already know that Cavedog has made available a number of free downloads, including new maps, new units, and an editor to create your own missions. But TCC adds 75 new units, far more than Cavedog has made available on their website. Also on the CD are 50 new maps for multiplayer games, the mission editor, and new campaigns for both the Arm and the Core. The Arm campaign includes a special "Korgoth Encounter" which details missions in which the Arm faces off against the ultimate Core unit: Korgoth, a gigantic Kbot whose destructive power is enough to kill a Commander in a single blast. To further alter your strategic thinking, Cavedog has added an entire new class of vehicles: hovercraft, that can cross both land and water. Cavedog has also included the patch to upgrade your version of Total Annihilation to version 3.0. This latest version includes a number of improvements, including smarter computer AI and the ability to use computer opponents and allies in multiplayer games. Cavedog has certainly made a firm commitment to fully supporting Total Annihilation and keeping their customers happy. I seriously doubt that any of the patches that have been released for Total Annihilation have been "necessary" - in other words, they made enhancements to the game not bug-fixes. The main question with an add-on to an already established game is whether the add-on is worth the price. TCC is definitely worth the price, if you've played Total Annihilation and are hooked on the game (guilty as charged, thank you very much). If you like the single player campaigns, you have two new ones to play. Thanks to the mission editor now you can even create your own, or download new ones from the Internet! With all of the various maps, the longevity of Total Annihilation takes a leap into the stratosphere. I found the improved AI to be considerably more challenging than before, especially in the new campaigns. The graphics are the same as before - incredible and spectacular are the main adjectives that come to mind. The enhancements to the multiplayer modes take an already great game to new heights. If you already own Total Annihilation, I highly recommend you get TCC immediately; you won't be sorry. And if you haven't purchased Total Annihilation, be sure and check out the demo from the official website at http://www.totalannihilation.com. Kudos, Cavedog! Cavedog Entertainment Total Annihilation: The Core Contingency http://www.totalannihilation.com ********************************************** Free Catalogs! Search over 300 FREE Catalogs!* ******************************************************************** Do you shop by mail? Looking for that hard to find item? Just like unique products? Then you need the Catalog Request Center! You'll find over 300 FREE catalogs! Use this FREE service to quickly locate the catalogs that have the products you want. Click Here: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/catalogs.htm ******************************************************************** 6=> Product: Extensis Portfolio(R) 3.0, graphics Reviewed By: Howard Carson & Mario Georgiou (Deadly Design Team), mailto:lrhc@interlog.com Requires: Windows 95 or NT4, Macintosh System 7.5 or later, CD-ROM drive, SVGA video, Adobe PhotoShop(R) v3.0 or later. MSRP: US$129.95 (multi-user version for individuals and workgroups) Extensis Portfolio - formerly known as Aldus Fetch(R) - is considered the media management standard among graphics professionals. Extensis Portfolio 3.0 offers a quick, easy and efficient way to organize, browse, manage and retrieve digital content. For individuals as well as workgroups, Portfolio speeds up the creative process by letting users locate, access and reuse existing digital files. Catalogs may be shared across platforms. Primary testing was done on a Pentium 166 with 128MB of RAM running Windows NT4 Service Pack 3. Secondary testing (mainly for assessing compatibility and speed differences) was performed on a Pentium 133 with 32MB of RAM running Windows 95, a Pentium 200MMX machine with 64MB of RAM and a 300MHz Pentium II with 128MB of RAM. All the machines were fitted with 4MB Matrox Millennium video cards. This addition to the Extensis family substantially improves on Fetch's functionality. Portfolio is fairly easy to use and comes with a user manual that is reasonably comprehensive and covers both computing platforms. The installation process is fairly painless and lets users get right into using Portfolio without having to reboot the computer (Windows.) The application functions in both single and multi-user environments and allows for the sharing of resources and catalogs while controlling file access through four different levels of priority: administrator, editor, publisher, and reader. The only problem with this management system is that open catalogs cannot be accessed by the administrator and a catalog in use by the administrator cannot be accessed by others. Creating catalogs is very easy although there are some limitations when trying to add files through the selection dialog. The program refuses to add any items when looking at large directories. This can be bypassed by simply selecting all files in the directory from a browser window and then dragging & dropping them into an open catalog window inside Portfolio. The support of about 30 file types means that the catalogs can be fairly comprehensive. The use of the INSO(R) file conversion libraries means that they are fairly up to date with the latest in format revisions. There was also support for various multimedia formats such as QuickTime(R), AVIs, AIFs, WAV files, MIDI and MPEG (although there was no mention of this support in the manual.) The handling of large files is a little slow and needs some improvement. There were also problems under Windows in the handling of files with extensions of more than 3 letters. Portfolio also allows the assignment of keywords to thumbnails from a master list and the definition of new ones on the fly. These keywords also include an exclusion parameter that allows for the filtering of files. These keywords are assignable from a floating palette using drag & drop. The program will even pull info out of PhotoShop files and include them with the thumbnails. Searching using these keywords is a breeze. The inclusion of custom fields allows the user to be quite specific about the details of a particular thumbnail. You can search by fields for authors, docket numbers, dates, clients, themes, etc. The catalogs generated using this application are perfectly compatible across platforms and do not suffer from translation errors. This allows users to share resources across platforms. The use of Galleries is a really thoughtful design feature, as it allows for multiple groupings of resources within a single catalog. These galleries can be based upon any of the search fields including file type, platform, custom fields, etc. All in all, this offering from Extensis is nicely implemented and extremely powerful. The network support and multi-user features make this a resource manager's dream. Some improvements to the applications speed and the elimination of some problems associated with adding files and large files, will make this application even more elegant. We like it and we recommend it. Extensis Corporation Portfolio v3.0 for Windows 95, NT4 and Mac Product Web site: http://www.extensis.com/products/Portfolio/ 7=> Product: Teach Yourself Word 97, book Reviewed By: Tim Mullenniex, mailto:nrider@eskimo.com MSRP $29.99 Teach Yourself Word 97 is a delight to see on the market. It is written by the Marans, a Canadian family that publishes their books out of Toronto. They do a wonderful job with professional results. The book is geared to the user who will learn visually and does not have any previous Word 97 experience. The book is divided into 16 chapters and has over 600 full color illustrations. The chapters are as follows; 1. Getting Started 2. Save and Open Your Documents 3. Change Document Display 4. Edit Your Documents 5. Smart Editing 6. Format Text 7. Format Paragraphs 8. Format Pages 9. Smart Formatting 10. Print Your Documents 11. Work With Multiple Documents 12. Work With Tables 13. Work With Graphics 14. Time-Saving Features 15. Mail Merge 16. Word and The Internet I still can't get over how well the graphics are done in this book. The introduction describes each chapter and you can tell with a glance at the picture what you can learn or what you would like to accomplish in each chapter. It illustrates how to use the mouse when working on documents, and it even explains on how to clean the mouse! In "Getting Started" it explains how to start Word from the start menu then goes on to explain what all the tool bars and buttons are for. It also explains how to use the help index. All of this is done with screen shots of exactly what it would look like on your machine. (That is, if you do not modify your colors.) Chapter 2 covers the handling of documents and includes how to open documents made with other word processors. In the beginning of each chapter it is an index of topics covered with number for quick and easy look-up. In the back of the book is an extensive index of questions regarding on any Word feature. This book is very well thought out. In Chapter 5 "Smart Editing" quickly and easily explains how to spell check, auto correct, count words, display nonprinting characters and add comments to your documents. The next few chapters just keep building on your knowledge and the whole book flows to give the user the confidence he needs to learn it fast and not get frustrated. I think my favorite chapter was chapter 14 on making macros. It covered how to make macros and then assign a custom button on your very own toolbar. Not very many beginner/intermediate books can explain these features so easily and quickly. Every chapter in this book is important because it introduces you to Word in such a manner that it will make learning fun. When I took a college course on word processing it was cryptic, boring without frills. I wish I'd had books such as this one for us to learn from. If you have a high school student, new office worker or you are just switching over to Word, this would be the ideal book to have at your desk. Author Website: http://www.maran.com IDG Books Website: http://www.idgbooks.com/cgi-bin/db/fill_out_template.pl?idgbook:1-55828- 524-5:book-idg::u577 8=> Product: The Writer's Software Companion, education Reviewed By: Robin Nobles, mailto:smslady@netdoor.com Requires: Windows 3.1, 3.11, or Windows 95; 486 processor or better; CD-ROM; 19 MB hard disk space; 8 MB RAM. (Mac version may be available in late 1998.) MSRP: $79.95 (plus shipping and handling) If you're a fiction writer, or if you've always wanted to try your hand at writing fiction, The Writer's Software Companion is just what you need--and is better than most fiction writing reference books. With the Companion, you'll have your own personal "coach" that will guide you along the way. If you don't know how to start your story, for example, you'll find a step-by-step checklist on story beginnings and an interactive laboratory where you can get trial and error feedback as you write your beginning. Installation was simple with no problems. When you first turn on the program, you're immediately presented with a brief tutorial, so you're not stumbling along, unsure of where to go or how to begin. The Table of Contents features categories such as Beginnings, Middles, Ends; Characters; Dialogue and Plotting; Point of View; Setting and Detail; Style and Tone; and much more. You'll even find a catalogue of 5000 character names! To begin using the program, I started out in the Services section, which explains how the program works. You can also take an introductory interview, where you're asked questions about your writing style and experience level. Then, you're given personal advice that will help you progress as a writer. The Trouble Shooting section offers help with 24 of the most common writers' problems and is really impressive. If you have problems with a particular writing concept, the trouble shooting section will offer an article about that concept as well as "Quick Study" guides that will get you back on the right track. Under the Master Index, you'll find categories such as an Index of Essays; Index of Examples; Index of Exercises; Index of Quick Studies; and more. So how does this program really work? Let's say you're working on your book, and you're in chapter #3 and totally stuck. Where do you go from there? Every idea you have seems stereotyped and stilted. You know the beginning of your book, you know the ending, but getting your characters to that ending seems impossible. At that point, you simply fire up the Companion and look under Beginnings, Middles, Ends. Click under Middles: Getting Unstuck. Also, look under Arranging Scene Order; Structures for Novels; and, How to Keep an Editor Reading. Each area features an essay on that concept as well as key points pertaining to that topic. You'll also find a checklist on how to write the middle of stories, as well as examples, exercises, a place to write your own notes, and quick studies on every concept. Can a software program really teach you how to write, or do you have to know how to write before it can be of benefit to you? With this program, you can be taught writing concepts in a much more exciting and interactive manner than simply picking up a writers' book and reading. You're given an essay on the topic, then you see examples, and you can even complete exercises so that you can learn as you go along. If a concept is particularly troublesome to you, you have resources at your fingertips for explaining and outlining the concept in simple, easy-to-understand language. As a fiction writer myself, I can see where this program would be of enormous benefit to beginning writers, or to any writer who wants a more interactive experience in the art of fiction writing. I highly recommend it. A freeware version of the program is available at Novation's website. Also, a Reference Guide is available in printed form for $2.50, or the guide can be accessed on-line. Novation Learning Systems, Inc. The Writer's Software Companion Product Website: http://www.novalearn.com/title.htm ************************************** Year 2000 (Y2K) Business Opportunity!* ******************************************************************** The Year 2000 Computer Problem (Y2K) is serious. Many Computer systems will not be able to recognize the year 2000 because of the simple programming shortcut taken 40 years ago. You need to arm yourself with facts and start making contingency plans NOW. You need CASH and INFORMATION to protect yourself and your family. Real Problems will start to surface in July 1999-too little, too late! Click Here: http://www.get-it-for-free.com/compunotes/y2k.htm ******************************************************************** 9=> Product: Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers, game Reviewed By: Craig Bull, mailto:bull@udayton.edu Requires: 486/100, 16MB RAM, 4X CD-ROM, Windows95, 115MB drive space, 256-color SVGA, mouse, soundcard MSRP: $29.99 Magic: The Gathering is a very popular card game from Wizards of the Coast. Duels of the Planeswalkers (DotP) is Microprose Software's latest implementation of this game. Once again, I think they've done a pretty good job. Magic: The Gathering has been reviewed in CompuNotes before, so I won't go into a lot of detail on what the Magic card game is. Basically, you and an opponent duel by playing cards that cast spells to summon creatures or perform other actions. Each player starts with 20 life points. The first player to reach 0 or run out of cards loses. The Magic cards are also collectible, so some cards have a fairly impressive dollar value for trading, based on rarity and abilities of the card. As a result, players may not own some of the more powerful cards. Games can be played for ante, in which case the loser also loses his/her ante card. The nice feature of the computer version is that you have access to some of those rare cards. There are two different methods of play in this game. In one, your character travels the world of Shandalar, defeating opponents, striving to eventually defeat five wizards who are trying who are trying to win favor with a greater being. Defeat all five wizards and you get to take on that creature. This part is an attempt to build a story around the Magic game. While it's certainly not your standard RPG, it's not bad. It gives you a good opportunity to learn how the game is played, and actually gives you a goal to strive for. The more popular play method involves one-on-one duels with another player. In previous versions on Magic computer games, you simply dueled against the computer. After a while, though, that gets old. The computer doesn't always make intelligent decisions and you don't have the spontaneity that you get when your opponent does something completely unexpected. Basically, the computer won't take crazy chances, whereas a human opponent whose desperate will. That's where DotP's greatest new feature comes in. ManaLink gives you the ability to play other human opponents via a direct, LAN, modem, or Internet connection. With the first three, you'll only be playing against another individual. With the Internet option, you can play against one of literally hundreds of opponents. Microprose had an area on the TEN network for players of Magic to gather to duel each other. This adds a whole new dimension to playing the game. Suddenly, your ability to "build a deck" is put to the test. If you're like me, beating the computer isn't too hard, but I haven't beat anyone on ManaLink yet. Once you've connected to ManaLink, you can enter one of several "rooms". These rooms indicate what type of duels take place there. Basically, there are five different types of duels. I'm not going to explain them all. Each type, however, determines which cards may be included in a deck. These are the same guidelines used by Wizards of the Coast for sanctions Magic tournaments. Once you've entered your room, you will see other users there. You can check their standings and find out how good (or bad) they are. You can then invite someone to a duel, or wait for someone to invite you. The initiator then specifies parameters, such as game length (best of 3, single match, etc.) and minimum deck size. If that's agreeable, the duel begins. At that point, it's just like dueling the computer, except you are actually playing against a real person. I've played several games on ManaLink, and while I haven't won one yet, it has been fun. I've found out that I need to work on building decks! According to the instructions, you are supposed to be able to "taunt" your opponent while dueling. I have yet to get that to work. There are also chat rooms, similar to those on AOL. You can also initiate a one-on-one chat with an individual. There do appear to be a few things to be worked out, though. I was dueling one person, and as I was waiting for him to finish me, it seemed to take a long time for him to do anything. I finally looked in the main lobby and found that he was registered with someone else. Mine never appeared to finish. But that's only happened once. In all other games, my opponent beat me soundly. Installation was fairly straight forward. Unlike the second release, Spells of the Ancients, this is a stand-alone version of the game. SotA required the original Magic game. This doesn't and will work with SotA. Since I've installed it, though, the Auto-Play option doesn't appear to work correctly. Whenever I insert the CD, I'm only given the option to Install the game. Play isn't available. Selecting it from the Program Group works, though. Also, for those of you who used Spells of the Ancients, be warned that any saved games in Shandalar are NOT loadable in DotP. Every time I tried, the game crashed. E-mail from Tech Support indicated that saved games from older versions would not work, due to the addition of new cards in DotP. That wasn't clearly indicated in the manual and I found that to be frustrating. All in all, DotP is a fun game. If you enjoy Magic, you'll enjoy the ability to duel others on-line via ManaLink. Microprose Magic the Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers http://www.gathering.net/ http://www.microprose.com/gamesdesign/magic/magic.html +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= Managing Editor: Patrick Grote -- mailto:pgrote@i1.net Assistant Editor: Doug Reed-- mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com Assistant Editor: Robin Nobles, mailto:smslady@netdoor.com Archives: ftp://ftp.compunotes.com/pub/archive Website: e-mail: mailto:notes@compunotes.com Want to Write for Us?: mailto:writers@compunotes.com fax: (314) 909-1662 voice: (314) 909-1662 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= CompuNotes is: Available weekly via e-mail 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 on-line friend about us! CompuNotes B440 1315 Woodgate Drive St. Louis, MO 63122 notes@compunotes.com (C)1998 Patrick Grote