Newsletter - Internet Edition

Our annual elections will be held in September, with nominations beginning in August. Please be considering whether you would like to fill one of the positions on the Board of Directors, or whether you know of someone that would be a good person to nominate. Talk with your fellow members and see if anyone is interested in helping out. Everybody has experienced burn-out if they have ever been involved in a volunteer organization. Please don’t let this happen to the officers you currently have. They are doing a great job, but some of them might like to take a year or two off. Consider being an assistant to any position which might be able to take advantage of one, even if you only helped them by being available to call on in a crunch.

The following position descriptions are excerpted straight from the Bylaws of the Elkhart PC Users Group. Read them through and give them some thought.

Section 1: Duties of the Board of Directors - It shall be the duty of the Board of Directors to conduct the affairs of EPCUG in a manner to achieve the objectives of the EPCUG as stated in the Constitution.

Section 2: President - The President shall preside at both the general meetings and the Board of Directors meetings. The President shall be a signing officer for official EPCUG documents, and shall have duties as specified in Robert’s Rules of Order. The President shall also have responsibility for arranging meeting locations and schedules for the Board of Directors meetings.

Section 3: Vice-President - The Vice-President shall act on behalf of the President, in the event the President is unavailable, and shall replace the President, in the event the President is unable to complete the term of office. The Vice-President shall be responsible for arranging meeting locations and dates for the general membership meetings. The Vice-President shall also organize an election committee, to nominate a slate of new candidates for the following year and to run the election.

Section 4: Secretary - The Secretary shall maintain proper records and minutes of the Board of Directors meetings, as well as the records of EPCUG, in general. The Secretary shall have the authority to act as President in the event the President and the Vice-President are unavailable. He/she shall submit a summary of the proceedings of the Board to the Newsletter Editor, on a quarterly basis. All official EPCUG records shall be delivered to the new Secretary, immediately following any transition.

Section 5: Treasurer - The Board of Directors shall appoint a Treasurer, who shall receive and disburse all monies into an account in the name of EPCUG. The Treasurer will also be required to maintain standard accounting books and records, furnish quarterly and annually reports to the Board of Directors and prepare other reports and forms as needed. In the event the office of Treasurer changes persons, the Treasurer shall surrender all records for audit by the successor, together with any and all funds under the Treasurer’s control. All disbursements made by the Treasurer, unless authorized by special resolution of the Board of Directors, shall be supported by vouchers and/or cancelled checks or receipts. All non-recurring expenditures shall require prior board approval. Signing privileges for checks shall be determined by the Board of Directors. In addition, the Treasurer shall serve as financial officer. The office of the Treasurer, even though an appointed position, is a voting officer on the Board of Directors.

Section 6: Program Director - The Program Director shall arrange and schedule appropriate programs for the general membership meetings, with input from the membership and the Board of Directors. Other responsibilities include follow-up with the speaker before the meeting, greeting the speaker and taking the speaker to dinner before the meeting if time is available. The Program Director shall submit a newsletter article each month, announcing the speaker and topic for the following general meeting.

Section 7: SIG Director - The Special Interest Group (SIG) Director shall provide a liaison between the SIG Leader(s) and the Board of Directors. As necessary, the SIG Director shall help arrange meeting locations, publicize meetings and topics and request appropriate funding. In some cases, he/she may help to organize a new SIG, recruit a SIG leader or help with topics.

Section 8: Membership Director - The Membership Director shall be responsible for maintaining a computerized and up-to-date list of all EPCUG members. One or more copies of this list shall be available at the sign-in table at the general meeting. The Membership Director shall be responsible for managing the sign-in table, along with counting the money collected and delivering it to the Treasurer with a signed receipt. In the event that he cannot attend a particular meeting, the Membership Director shall make arrangements with another member of the Board of Directors to work the sign-in table. Additional duties include printing mailing labels for the newsletter, organizing the preparation of the newsletter and taking it to the Post Office for distribution.

Section 9: Directors-at-Large - The Directors-at-Large shall attend meetings of the Board of Directors. They shall also attend the general membership meetings, gather feedback from the members, and work to represent the interests of the membership.

Section 10: Advertising and Public Relations - The Board of Directors shall annually appoint an Advertising and PR Director, who shall be responsible for selling advertising and promoting sponsorships, and for delivering pertinent ad copy and names to the Newsletter Editor. The Treasurer shall also be notified of amounts to be billed for advertising sold. The Advertising and PR Director shall also develop ideas for and help implement Public Relations ideas, such as special projects, advertising EPCUG meetings through BBS systems and flyers, etc. This position shall hold a non-voting seat on the Board of Directors.

Section 11: Head Librarian - The Board of Directors shall annually approve the appointment of a Head Librarian. The duties of the Head Librarian shall be related to the acquisition and distribution of public domain, shareware, and/or other software products in compliance with the copyright laws. Other materials, such as videotapes, books and literature may also be maintained in the EPCUG library. The Head Librarian shall make copies of library resources available to the general membership, and shall establish an efficient operating procedure. The Head Librarian shall be a non-voting member of the Board of Directors.

Section 12: Newsletter Editor - The Board of Directors shall annually approve the appointment of a Newsletter Editor, whose duties shall include publication of a monthly newsletter, to be circulated to all members in good standing. The Newsletter Editor may appoint one or more staff members to assist with the newsletter publication. The Editor shall be responsible for operating within the budget approved by the Board of Directors, and shall be a non-voting member of the Board.

I normally start this article with a reflection on last months presentation, but this month is different. I would love to tell you how great the July meeting went. That Jon put together yet another perfect presentation on PC hardware. That the Goshen Boys and Girls Club were thrilled to receive a PC that was assembled and brought to life in an hour. But this month, I’m writing this before the meeting. Our printer, Concord Schools, needed extra time this month because of summer vacations.

I would like to thank George Fridley of Crown for opening the door and running the sound system this month. His help is truly appreciated. Orbra, who has done this for many years, is working for 6 months in Ecuador. I’m sure he would love to hear from you. His e-mail is orbra@xc.org.

We usually have at least one presentation from Microsoft each year on one of their products. But getting major software companies to do presentations for us has become a difficult task. They want 200+ people present to justify sending out a representative. We still want to present updates and next month MapleTronics will be providing one of their instructors to present Microsoft Office 97. With the depth of this product, this session will be a broad overview of the major functions. Be sure to thank Wes for arranging this for us.

We have been hit with a number of storms this spring and summer, and I like to go online and watch the Doppler radar as the storms approach. The link I have always followed from my service provider pointed to a site that only updated once an hour. As fast as the weather changes around here, a storm could come and go before I saw it on screen. After asking a few people I came across a site that provides 15 minute updates. Look at www.kconline.com for a link to a site that provides a wide variety of radar sites from across the country. They range from National, to Midwest, to Indiana radar sites. Now I can get a better image as the storms approach.

Don’t forget, now is the time to get involved with the user group. Elections are in September, and we would like to fill up the ballots. Eric is listing the positions available elsewhere in this edition. See you at the August meeting.

I checked out this program at the suggestion of Orbra Bliss and it really works! I am going to miss Orbra giving me suggestions for the Resource Center while he’s gone.

With ZipMagic you no longer need to use PKZip, WinZip or any other compression/decompression utility. ZipMagic handles that task along with several others it does the tasks smoothly and simply. So easily that you might actually forget they were a separate function. It not only deals with the standard .zip format files, it also allows you to handle other archive types (LZH/LHA, ARJ, Z, GZip, TAR, ZOO and CAB) it can even convert other archive types to the Zip archive format with the click of a button, right from FileManager/Explorer or My Computer. It will also do a fine job on UUEncode/UUDecoding files, as well as dealing with your XXEncode/XXDecode, MIME, and BinHex files. I would have wished for it to be able to see inside those self-extracting, self-installing files, but in all fairness, nothing else can either, I was just wishing.

With ZipMagic, you can run programs from their zip file, access and retrieve documents from within a zip file, and even install a program without unzipping the compressed file. The program I ran while compressed was my recipe program and database. Granted it made it do the search functions a little bit slower, but not too bad. I don’t think I would want to run PageMaker or WordPerfect while zipped, but hey, they are definitely in a different ball game and ZipMagic even tells you not to try really intense programs. I plan to zip up most of my documents, as they can be accessed from the zip file just like they were in a normal file! I was pleased with its compressing abilities too, my recipe directory, which granted is well over 75% ASCII files was 105MB and it compressed it to 28MB! Not bad on the surface, but realize that I can leave it compressed and run it without using up all that space, now it becomes even nicer. I even installed a program without unzipping the original .zip file I had just downloaded.

With ZipMagic, .zip files look just like folders in Windows 95 Explorer or directories (same thing really) in Windows 3.x FileManager. They just have a little bit different icon and they take up less room. It even treats the Windows 95 .CAB files like the were folders. I just recently ran across something else that would let you extract and expand files from within the .cab files, but now I won’t have to install it, ZipMagic will take care of that, too!

Every now and then, I like to have a listing of files within a directory, and without installing another program, I have been opening WordPerfect and printing the list to file within the open command. Now with ZipMagic, I can do this anytime right from the Archive Manager that comes with it.

If you have Internet connection, you can even update your program. The easiest method is using the “ZipMagic Tools” which is a graphical interface for ZipMagic. You can start the ZipMagic’s Archive Manager (a great replacement for Explorer), or connect to Mijenix web site to update your program. You can also start the “Easy Update” function from the pop-up that shows when you right-mouse click on the ZipMagic icon in the tasktray.

One point to note, somewhere, is that when using Explorer, it will not tell you the correct size of your .zip file. Do not select regular properties from Explorer it is looking at it as a folder, and at the files as if they were simply contents of a folder, therefore, when it reports the size it combines the uncompressed size of all the files and gives you an inaccurate figure (although if you wanted to unzip it, this would be the size you might be looking for). To get the correct size of a zip file, use the ZipMagic. (Right-mouse click on the icon or select FILE from the menubar. Go to the new ZipMagic section, select PROPERTIES).

ZipMagic has 100% support for antivirus programs. As well as the ability to span large files onto multiple diskettes, extract with the -d function (tell it to “include original path if any” in the extract dialog box), and it has 100% support for the “Drag and Drop” feature. Miss zipping a file into that archive? Simply click and drag and drop it onto the zipfolder. You can even put subdirectories into your zip files. After you zip up a bunch of files, you might wish you had separated them into subdirectories, just create a subdirectory as you would normally in the zipfolder and move the files into it. Remember, you deal with zip files just as if they were regular folders.

You can convert a zip file to a self-extracting zip file (eliminates the need for compression tool when giving or sending to someone else). You can even convert other formats to the zip format (i.e. CAB files can be made regular zip files, or regular folders can even become zip files)

All in all, this is a great program. I recommend going to the Mijenix web site at www.mijenix.com to check out this program and their others, if you can. They have some very good technical support pages as well as some FAQ pages already up.

Several International and US dealers and computer stores also carry Mijenix products. Ask your favorite vendor about them.

No answer to your question at the meeting? HelpLine didn't help this time? Q&A time run out before you got your question asked? Put your question here and it goes out to all members. Maybe the person with your answer could not make it to the meeting.

Do you know the answer to a question asked here?

Write your questions or answers and bring them to the meeting, or mail, e-mail, or call them to the editor. Please include your name and phone number even though we will not print it, just in case we need to clarify something. Be brief and clear with both questions and answers.

Q. It seems every 2-3 out of 5 times I log off from the Internet, my computer locks up. Completely! Control/Alt/Delete doesn't even work! Does anyone know if this is my providers fault? I read somewhere that it is. I have tried both logging off before closing my apps (Netscape, Eudora, etc) and closing them and waiting until my cache is completely cleared (by listening to the hard drive). Is there anything I can do to stop this?

Q. I had Netscape personal ed. installed in Jan. by a computer company. In late June I downloaded and installed Netscape Gold 3.01. After last month's meeting I downloaded Net Medic for a test. The most recent change was reinstalling Internet Explorer. I did that because my landlord uses IE and I needed to see the commands that she had available so I could help her. The bottom line is that I have installed, downloaded (sometimes several times for the same program), deleted, changed stuff up the wazoo. I can't even figure out how to tell what files I need and what I don't need. A REAL MESS. What software can I use to get rid of files that aren't being used?

Q. I log on thru CyberLink ISP and use Netscape Gold. I go to CNN and it won't load completely. I click on NetMedic and it says "PC Load performance problem.100% useage". I CTL+ALT+DEL and get a list : 1.Netscape (CNN Interactive not responding) I did not have that problem in the past. Please DO NOT tell me that it's the time of day! :-) 2.Expert Screen Saver 3.Explorer 4.MS Office Shortcut bar 5.Net Medic 6.Rnaapp (what's that?) 7.Syshook (What's that?) 8.Findfast (What's that?) 9.Mgaqdesk (What's that?) 10.Hgcctl95 ( What's that?) 11.Systray (What is that?) 12.Mgactrl (What's that?) 13.Ibmavtim (Again . . .?)

Q. When I went to "MedLine" on the Internet Net Medic gave me this message - ISP traffic index performance problem. When I went to a fun area on bassett hounds on the Internet (which I have gone to many times with no problem) it only loaded up to 67% then stopped. I then had to go to CTL+ ALT+Del and click on end task. Q. I am not comfortable with the way some of my preinstalled stuff came. I need to know the process. I.E. - I don't want MS Office shortcut - when I want to get into MS Word I don't want to have to click on 5 steps to get there. I want to be able to Click on a Word icon and presto I'm there. But I can't even figure out how to create a icon. Much less how to get rid of the shortcut!

Q. I've got a folder and a icon for Pointcast on my desktop but I don't dare eliminate the folder for fear that I will delete the entire Pointcast (which I haven't been able to use so it's is wasting space).

Q. I deleted Compuserve although I still have a Compuserve icon. When I click to delete it I get the message - Cannot find file xxxx cannot delete. I don't dare trash some stuff because I get the message that it may be used by another program so what am I to do?

Q. When I go to Internet Explorer I get the message: "Content Advisor configuration information is missing. Someone may have tried to tamper with it. You may wish to check the Content Advisor Setting." (Sure but how?? I'm told to go to Start, Settings, Control Panel and User Management Except there is no User Management for me to change). I am the only person that uses my computer.

Q. I want to send a my dir list through my email, how do I do that?

Q. I have permission from my ISP to include CGI Scripts on my homepage. I would like to learn how to write them. Can anyone suggestion places to look, or books which I should start with?

Q. I asked for info on Printer/Copier/Scanner combos and someone started to tell me about the one their company just bought, but we got interrupted. Could that man please call or email me? -Sherry Nisly (all other questions are from other members of the group)

I wrote the following instructions up to help some friends, if you want to try them, I hope they help you. If you try them and find something that is wrong or needs to be worded differently, please send me an email or call me. I do not guarantee these instructions nor will I take responsibility if something messes up while going thru them. I do hope you have as much success with them as my friends did.

Note 1. The instruction to "Click AnyMenuWord > AnyMenuSubheading" MEANS: Click the word in the menu (you know, FILE-EDIT-HELP etc) and then click the subheading (like PRINT or FIND).

Note 2. SELECT, CHOOSE, CLICK all mean the same thing.

Note 3. As a GENERAL RULE (which means "not always") Words and Buttons only need a single-click, icons/pictures need double-clicked.

Note 4. This set of changes may or may not need to be done, and may or may not be your preference, but I have found them to eliminate many users problems at some point or another (not to mention they help follow some of my instructions).

a. Open your Windows Explorer (Start > Programs > Windows Explorer)

b. Select VIEW from the menu bar Make sure there is a checkmark beside TOOLBAR, click on the word if no checkmark, click in title bar so the drop-down goes away if it is already checked.

c. Select VIEW > OPTIONS from the menu bar Click the VIEW tab In Hidden Files box: be sure "Show all files" has the dot.

d. Under Hidden Files box, be sure there is a check in the box: "Display the Full MS-DOS path in the title bar.

e. Under Hidden Files box, be sure there is a check in the box: "Include description bar for right and left panes".

f. Click the OK button

g. Open your "My Computer" (Double click the Icon on your desktop)

h. Select VIEW from the menu bar Make sure there is a checkmark beside TOOLBAR, click on the word if no checkmark, click in title bar so the dropdown goes away if it is already checked.

i. Select VIEW > OPTIONS from the menu bar Click the VIEW tab. In Hidden Files box: be sure "Show all files" has the dot.

j. Under Hidden Files box, be sure there is a check in the box: "Display the Full MS-DOS path in the title bar.

k. Click the OK button

* In Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0:
Select Start > Run from the Taskbar, type the full name of the file (for example, C:\TEMP\WINZIP95.EXE), press the Enter key, and follow the prompts.

Anyone who downloads and uses shareware needs a group of utility programs to help. Last month we began looking a utilities for compressing and decompressing programs, and encoding and decoding files. This month and next month we'll look at two additional categories: AntiVirus Software and UnInstallers.

Virus checking software is a necessary utility that should be part of your everyday computing. Of course if you regularly download and evaluate shareware, your risk of virus infection increases dramatically. And the problem is more acute if you download from the Internet. Typically programs uploaded to online services such as CompuServe and AOL are automatically virus scanned. Unfortunately there is no guarantee that files you download from the Web or from an FTP site have been virus scanned. And since almost anyone can have a Web and FTP site, there is more opportunity for the "bad guys" to make viruses available.

Always virus scan files you download. Most antivirus software will scan inside compressed files, but it is also a good idea to scan again after you have uncompressed the files and before you run the installation program. Also remember to update your virus signature files regularly. This file is used by the antivirus software to identify viruses; since new viruses are constantly being discovered, you'll miss these viruses if your signature file is out of date. Most antivirus software vendors update their signature files every two to three months.

Shareware and commercial antivirus software both do standard virus scanning and cleaning. Commercial versions include additional features, such as TSR virus monitoring and network support, along with easy access to updated virus signature files via a company BBS, Web site, or Internet E-mail and (typically) additional technical support. Some companies are expanding their product lines with antivirus protection for Internet E-mail and Web browsing.

McAfee's VirusScan is the grand daddy of all shareware antivirus software. McAfee offers antivirus software for DOS, Windows, Windows 95, and OS/2. VirusScan monitors for new and unknown viruses, along with stealth, polymorphic, and encrypted viruses. It can clean most virus infection from files, master boot sectors, partition tables, and RAM.

The DOS version of VirusScan has always offered sophisticated virus scan and clean, but required a complicated array of command line switches. Virus-Scan for Windows does away with those, allowing you to select options from an intuitive Windows interface. You can set up which drives, subdirectories, and files to scan and set the actions to perform when a virus is found (e.g., automatic cleaning). The Virus List button provides a way to review information about specific viruses. You can also schedule VirusScan to run at a specific time.

VirusScan for Windows includes both the DOS version of VirusScan (SCAN.EXE) and VShield. VShield is a monitoring program that constantly checks for virus infection, and is installed in your Windows Startup group. VShield runs completely in Windows and doesn't require a DOS TSR. When a virus is found, VShield can be configured to prompt you for action or automatically to repair, quarantine, deny access to, or delete infected files.

Dr. Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit is a commercial product offering a collection of programs to detect and remove viruses. Dr. Solomon offers one of those programs, FindVirus, as a time- limited (two month) trial version. FindVirus is an on-demand DOS virus scanner; it can identify and clean more than nine thousand viruses including viruses within compressed files. Advanced Heuristic Analysis allows FindVirus to detect virus-like code, so it can protect against new and unknown viruses.

Shareware is a great idea, and you can find many useful and inexpensive programs on the Internet and on online services such as CompuServe and America Online. However, to best download and install shareware, you need a utility bundle like the programs we've discussed here. Compressors/ Decompressors and Encoders/Decoders will ensure you get the files you need to actually install your programs. AntiVirus software protects you from infecting your system. And Uninstallers enable you completely to remove programs you're not interested in any more.

Los Angeles CA, July 26, 1997 - After spending nearly two months revamping its web site, Spectrum Virtual University will kick off a new round of classes in mid-August, sporting a new look and a simplified approach to online learning. Classes will remain free to the public as they have always been but traditional semesters have been replaced by a monthly calendar and enrollment forms have been eliminated.

"Life moves in the fast lane on the Internet and people don't want to sit around waiting for things to happen," said Paul Leighton, a spokesman for VU. "Going to a monthly schedule makes sense because new classes will always be starting and people can jump right in."

Eliminating enrollment forms also makes sense, Leighton explained, because Internet e-mail has become increasingly unreliable and forms often go astray. "Now students can just drop in on classes that look interesting, and we can focus our energies on teaching rather than paperwork," he added.

The web site sports a user-friendly interface permitting students to move quickly and easily from one classroom to another. New "learning channels" have also been created. Each channel has its own classroom area, library, and web-based bulletin board where students can ask questions and take part in online discussions with instructors and fellow classmates.

The web site is now running on a dedicated server and the bulletin boards have been redesigned. Sara Kennedy, a member of the VU web design team, said 10-15 new learning channels will be added each month and live lectures will also be hosted. Later this fall, the campus will begin "broadcasting" classes to users' desktops, using the latest "push" technology.

The Calendar of classes for August follows. New classes will be announced on the 25th of every month. Those desiring to receive future Calendars can subscribe to the Virtual U mailing list at: www.vu.org/subscribe.html or send an e-mail to: Subscribe@VU.org

Calendar of Classes for August, 1997

"Designing A Genealogy Web Page"
(Channel 32)
http://www.vu.org/channel32/

Interest in genealogy has soared thanks to quick and easy access to a global database of information that can be accessed with any desktop computer. Scores of genealogy sites have sprung up on the World Wide Web, created by people interested in researching their family trees.

This summer expert Marthe Arends will teach "Designing A Genealogy Web Page" at the Virtual U. The class begins Aug. 18 and will run 11 weeks. The goal of the class is to help participants get their genealogy and family history on the web.

Weekly topics will include HTML basics, how to design a genealogy web page, and how to put one's family tree online. The class will also discuss where to find genealogy clip art, animated graphics, audio and video clips, and JavaScript; how to create guest books, query forms, and surname lists, and how to publicize a genealogy web site. A basic knowledge of HTML is recommended. Access to the World Wide Web and the ability to download files is required.

Marthe Arends is a respected author and lecturer with 16 years experience in the field. She is editor and publisher of "Online Pioneers," a popular genealogy newsletter. This is Marthe's second semester at VU. Last spring, she taught "Introduction to Online Genealogy" to a packed classroom of 8,000 virtual students.

"PC Basics: Meet Your Computer!"
(Channel 23)
http://www.vu.org/channel23/

You've got a computer on your desktop, a keyboard in front of you, and you've found the ON switch. Now what? "PC Basics" will take beginners on an indepth tour of their personal computer. What's a RAM chip? How does a modem work? What about those weird messages that flash on your screen? This 8-week workshop will explain what you've always wanted to know about your computer - and more! Weekly lessons will be supplemented by informal class meetings and chat sessions with the instructor and fellow students, allowing participants to develop a practical understanding of the basics.

Instructor Christy McBride has been developing and teaching inter- active courses at Virtual U for several years. She describes herself as an avid computer enthusiast who has been fascinated by computers for as long as she can remember. She holds a degree in Microcomputer Applications, and she is currently on the faculty of a community college.

"HTML & Web Design for Beginners"
(Channel 21)
http://www.vu.org/channel21/

Now that most larger ISP's offer unlimited access to the Internet for $19.95 a month and many include a free web page in their basic subscription, the rush to build a home on the World Wide Web is on! But once you arrive, the task of building a web site that is interesting and visually cool may not be as easy as you expected.

This 8-week class is for the person with absolutely NO experience in HTML or web design. The goal is to impart a simple working knowledge of HTML tags and the basic steps to build a home page on the World Wide Web. Students will receive weekly lessons and individual attention by e-mail as needed. The instructors will also host weekly online meetings which will give participants the chance to ask questions, obtain further instruction and swap ideas with classmates.

Lead instructor Jean Engel began her journey on the World Wide Web several years ago as a student in an HTML class at the Virtual U. When she volunteered to teach HTML 101, she described herself as "just an everyday person who wants to use what I've learned to help others learn HTML and avoid having to go through months of unproductive and dissatisfying attempts as I did." Today, Jean, who holds a degree in Drama/Communications from the University of New Orleans, is an accomplished web designer and graphic artist in New Jersey. She has been on the VU faculty since 1995.

Teach your own class Host a Lecture or Live Chat Event Subscribe to our Monthly Calendar

St. Joseph County Public Library has monthly programs on basic Internet introduction as well as highlighting specific useful techniques, applications, and other special related topics. They are usually 90 minutes with a lecture and an online demonstration. Librarian Michael Stephens is in charge of the Internet training and development for the St. Joseph County Public Library.

All dates, times and topics above are subject to change. For questions about the Internet classes, send e-mail to: m.stephens@gomail.sjcpl.lib.in.us

Main Library 304 South Main St. South Bend, IN Phone: 282-4625

Do you know of a computer related, community event that could be listed in our newsletter? Please submit it to the editor.

Berkeley Systems is offering a 50% discount to User Group members ONLY on your choice of *YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Volume 2*, *YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Movies* or *YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Sports* CD-ROMs. What! You've never heard of *YOU DON'T KNOW JACK*? Try it out... surf over to and play JACK online for free! Then, to receive your rebate:

Hurry, this offer only lasts through August 31, 1997.

Datawatch is pleased to offer the total anti-virus solution for your PC - Vet - to User Group Connection members for just $25.95 (a 65% savings!). VET delivers fast and thorough virus protection against viruses, trojan horses, and Macro viruses for computers running DOS, Windows, Windows 95, Windows NT, and Novell Netware. VET scans files automatically so no manual checking is required. It provides maximum protection against viruses downloaded from the Internet, in e-mail attachments, or copied from a diskette or network server. Comprehensive on-screen help and detailed virus information is always available. VET is certified by the National Computer Security Association, as well as Novell accredited. VET has a customizable user interface to meet your specific organizational needs; it is non-intrusive, fully compatible, easy-to-use and always up-to-date. Hurry, this offer expires July 30,1997. To contact Datawatch call 800-847-3982, fax 508-988-9700, e-mail sales@datawatch.com or visit http://www.datawatch.com (Reference purchase code# USGRVT)

Hayes Microcomputer Products has a special offer for User Groups... Get an ACCURA 56K external modem for $159 (US) or a 56K internal modem for $139 (US)! Limit 2 per customer. Offer ends August 30, 1997. (Offer subject to product availability.) To order, call 770-441-1617 or visit http://www.hayes.com

From the Deals Guy by Bob Click, Greater Orlando Computer Users Group COMDEX was certainly a disappointment but the APCUG events made up for it. It is fun interfacing with Users Group Members from all over. I found I was recognized more this year since many of the Users Groups represented there carry my column.

Something else that amazed me was to get recognized by three or four Vendors who knew about me when they saw my badge, or I had written up their products. One Vendor was asking members wearing APCUG badges if they knew me. They told me about it, but couldn't remember where the booth was, so I never made contact.

Then the bubble was popped. I picked up 15 User Group Newsletters at the Editors roundtable and found my column in only two of them. I like to think they're just not up with the times. Two Editors pointed out that the issues were old issues before they started carrying the column. Whew!! I feel better now.

I searched the floor for some deals and if any of them come through, you should find it interesting for the next few columns. No guarantees though. Stay tuned. With that, let's get into the deals for this month.

*From last month.* You probably know Mike Murach deals are ongoing. Call them at 1-800-221-5528. The ClipMate offer was for a limited time, but if you call them right away, they will probably honor the discount. 1-716-227-6505 to register at the discount price. I especially enjoy it for this job. The Qualitas deal was for 30 days from the publication of your newsletter, but if you still want it, give them a call at 1-800-733-1377.

*Correction on Vertigo 3D Words.* In my June column I wrote about Vertigo 3D Words being a Mac only product, which was said in error when I talked to the person at the Company. (the word "Windows" on the sheet I received made me call back and check). Boy was that wrong and I apologize. This neat looking software is for both PC and Mac platforms and they were late shipping it so you can now order it until August 31, 1997 for the 60% off price of $49. Remember though, it is an Adobe Illustrator Plug-In (you need Illustrator to use it). Call them at 1-888-4-VERTIGO to order. By my next column I hope to have toured their facilities in Vancouver.

*Inexpensive modem anyone?* Logicode is offering Users Group members a 40% discount on their modems. Buy the Logicode Quicktel 33H-P Fax/Modem for only $59.97. It's a 33.6Kbps V.34Plus, Plug `N Play, error free transmission modem. I'm not sure if it's software or hardware driven.

The Logicode Quicktel 56W-P fax/modem is $118.97. It's a 56Kbps Plug `N Play Fax/Modem. Has flash-ROM memory for on-line software upgradability to meet future standards.

Last but not least is the Logicode Quicktel II 56XF-E Fax/Modem that has an LED array for status display, front panel push button power switch and stackable design that allows for placing multiple units on top of one another. Price - $162. Also has an Anodized aluminum enclosure. There are more products available with this Users Group program so call them at 1-800-735-6442 to order or inquire. This offer will be available until October 31, 1997. I have not had the opportunity to check one of these units since the promised test unit never arrived. You know as much as I do, perhaps more. However, I did see one of them listed as a good performer according to a magazine I read a while back.

*Oh no, not Micrografx again!!* I hate to harp on a Company, but here are some incredible deals that were for APCUG attendees. I'm cutting you in. Five of their products are drastically reduced for a limited time. I'll only print the changes.

American Greetings Creatacard Plus has been reduced from $19.95 to $14.95, and the Gold version reduced from $39.95 to $24.95. Micrografx Windows Draw 5 is reduced from $39.95 to $24.95 and I consider that a steal since this is actually a suite of very good programs.

Small Business is reduced from $69.95 to only $24.95. What a bargain since this is also a suite with an integrated set of graphics applications, tools for drawing, diagramming, 3D text and graphics, Internet graphics, photo editing, painting, and a clip art manager. Don't miss that one.

The other change is for Instant 3D for Windows 95 reduced from $39.95 to just $14.95. Actually, I think this one is included in the Windows Draw 5 package for only $10 more. Don't you feel like Jesse James without a gun looking at these deals??

At the APCUG Vendor party, we were excited about being able to get a choice of four softwares at the Micrografx table. Many of us took the Small Business package only to find out later it was actually a 30 day timed package (in small print on the back). So much for the free stuff. The WebTricity was a better deal, but there were requirements so it wasn't exactly free. My wife asked for CreataCard and it was the full version.

Call them at 1-800-733-3729 to order before Sept. 30, 1997. Good Christmas presents. Frankly, I haven't tried any Micrografx software I didn't like so far, and I'm loving WebTricity. They treat User Groups just great.

*"MySoftware Company" Special offer.* I've had this offer for our own Users Group for a while but decided to ask them if I could use it for the column. I'm sure you are all aware of the MySoftware products that you see just about everywhere they sell software. At affordable prices I might add.

Now hear this, you can buy the following titles at 50% off by ordering directly from MySoftware: MyMailManager - $39.95; MyDeluxeMailList - $39.95; MyAdvancedLabelDesigner - $29.95; MyAdvancedInvoices & Estimates - $24.95; MyProfessionalBusinessCards - $24.95; MyAdvancedBrochures, Mailers & More - $39.95; and MyInternetBusinessPage - $29.95.

MyMailManager takes users through each step of the bulk mail process, and includes the recent US Postal rule changes. Comes with a ZIP-lookup CD that adds ZIP+4 Codes and correct addresses. They say it's CASS certified. There was more description.

MyDeluxeMailList comes with pre-printed color papers and allows users to create colorful tri-fold, four-fold, and bi-fold brochures, as well as business cards, letterhead, mailing labels and envelopes, postcards, programs and menus.

MyInternetBusinessPage has a long description, but will let you make up a modest Internet page quickly and offers a service to post it and tend it (for a fee I presume). Get a brochure from them for more info.

Call MySoftware at 1-800-325-3508 to order these packages and tell them you want User Group pricing under the P9 code. Good until 12/31/97, but order now before you forget.

*What a Hayes of a deal.* This was a deal for APCUG attendees at COMDEX but they agreed to me using it. If you like Brand names, some of this sounds good to me.

You can buy the ACCURA 56K internal modem for $139.00 (about the price in catalogues) and the external version for $159.00. How about the ACCURA 56K PC Card modem for just $169.00 (that's a deal), and how about this offer - send them an old Hayes modem and get a new Hayes 56K modem for just $89; or send them an old competitors modem and the new one will cost you just $99. Now we're talkin' deal. Especially since it includes the PC Card modem, but it takes a PC card modem to get one.

There is a procedure so be sure you get the details. S&H is $15 per unit and the limit is two (and two for the wife, and two for each kid). Call them at 1-770-441-1617, fax them at 1-770-840-6825 before August 30, 1997, or visit their web site at www.hayes.com. Do it before August 30, 1997.

I had no luck trying to talk to anybody by phone. After fooling around with menus for 10 minutes, I was finally told "goodby" by a voice and cut off the second time. That after the menu had said there would be a 15 minute wait. There went my savings. Use the Web site. With a marketing department like that, will they be around next year? I'm still thinking about that deal.

That's it for this month. You can reach me by fax at 407-382-2781 or dealsguy@aol.com and I like feedback. Meet me here next month. Bob (The Cheapskate) Click

Utilities
By Sherry Nisly, Librarian

ZipMagic: Windows Utility Eliminates the need for a zip/unzip utility. Run many programs right from the compressed file. Even install from it without unzipping it first. Check out the review elsewhere in the newsletter!

WizManager: Win3.x + WFWG File Manager Plug in Adds great features to the Windows File Manager.

WizUtilities: Add-on features to enhance even more features in Windows 3.x

PowerDesk: Win95 alternative to WizManager

PowerDesk Utilities: Free add-ons to make the most out of Windows 95

Game Reviews
By Kevin Carroll, EPCUG Member

GetLost
Operating System: DOS only.

Game Play: After a well done introductory screen the player stands in front of an elevator. Initially only a few buttons are accessible, as the game progresses more buttons work.

After pressing a button the actual game begins. The scene is a complex 3 dimensional sidewalk constructed in a star field, the user is directed to find a certain location, such as a differently colored tile. Although the player can see a fair distance the entire maze is not visible at one time, this increases the challenge.

Control is by mouse or keyboard, I found the keyboard much smoother & faster.

Impressions: GetLost should prove amusing for several hours to those in the right age group, and it is completely non violent.

Downside: The game is DOS only, Windows95 has to be shut down during set up & game play.

Upside: The first time you try to play under Windows95 you will be yanked back to the desk top & guided through a process that will add icons to any folder you choose. The game will then automatically "shut down to DOS" when you click the icon, Windows will restart when you exit the game.

Filch
Operating System: Windows

Game Play: The player (up to four players take turns) roll 5 dice, one click to start the roll, another to end. After the dice stop, selected dice can be moved out of the shaker & the remaining dice can be rolled again, up to three rolls are allowed. Current scoring combinations are shown in a chart on the right, the player ends his turn by clicking on the most favorable scoring combination. This is where the computer comes in handy, the scoring combinations (pairs, flushes, full houses etc., all in various color combinations) would require constant reference to the rule book if played the old fashioned way. The computer also speeds game play & make the game more interesting, just like solitaire for Windows faster than the physical version.

Impressions: The game has the same appeal that Windows Solitaire has: you can get lost in this game & not realize it until the ache in your hands says you have been playing for hours. This game should be ported to those little Personal Digital Assistants that run a version of Windows, they would sell more of them.

Downside: No un-install option is added to the Add/Remove Programs box in Windows95, nor are the setup files deleted from the Temp directory.

Upside: Good game, sounds, graphics. Excellent help file.

MVP Cribbage
Operating System: Windows

Game Play: MVP has distributed many board games, and this one shows a high level of polish. You choose a foolish looking avatar to represent yourself (I chose the ameba like alien) and another for your opponent, then the game begins when the computer deals the cards.

I must admit that I did not know how to play cribbage, it always seemed so complex when I was a kid, just way too many rules. So I did not even flip down the Help file, I just started playing. Sure, I lost the first hand with a score of Zero, but the tally sheet showed that I should have been trying to build Fifteens, Pairs, Runs, etc. and I actually won the second hand! This game is a prime example of applying a traditional game to the computer, the hassle of pencil, paper, the rule book, that peg board thingy and the deck of cards are all tidily represented on the computer screen.

Downside: A little too slick in the packaging, the avatars are just plain smarmy.

Upside: The classic game is under that packaging. Short learning curve.

Reminders

Don't forget the Resource Center has an excellent training video and CD-Rom on Learning Windows 95 as well as a video on Beginning the Internet. These cost you nothing to borrow. Take them home for a month and bring them back next meeting. If you are new to either of these areas, you will be amazed at the amount of understanding you can get from these additional tools.

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