This month in

Features PCUG News & Services

10Genealogy and Family History 7 Membership Notes Michael Pahlow gives us the promised references Mike Burke with information for new members 12MSICE 8 Misson Statement Terry Bibo tells URLs are nice on ice! What we do for you 14Goose Bumps 19TIP News Luke Elliott takes on a new game Allan Mikkelsen keeps us up to date 15 Caption Competition 36 Internet Project Application What can you say? Get connected with TIP 16 Mechatronics 37Member Services Ockham’s Razor transcript Details of services available to members only 20 Book Review 38Special Interest Groups Glenn Pure reviews the latest Where the real action i3 22 Committee Profiles 39 Training News A glimpse into the future Low cost training for members 26 Bits and Bytes 40 Vendor Discounts Have a laugh with Andrew Clayton Membership has its privileges 27 Puzzle Corner 42 Exercise the old grey cells with Vic Bushell Members’ Ads Check here first for bargains 28 Software Library News Phil Trudinger reviews a selection of software 42PCUG Membership The official membership form 34What’s News? Malcolm Morrison keeps up with the latest 43Help Directory Stuck? Call the experts 44Calendar What’s on next month

Profile

2Editorial Information How to contribute to Sixteen Bits Advertiser & Product Information 3Contact Information How to contact us 6 L& S Associates 4Editorial 13 Dynamite Internet Anne Greiner 19 Context 4President’s Letter Anne Greiner fills in 21 Bettowynd

5Letters 40 Vendor Discount Scheme From our readers...

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 1 SIXTEEN BITS (ISSN 0817-0991) Managing Editor is published monthly by the Anne Greiner PC Users Group (ACT) Inc [email protected] PO Box 42 [email protected] Belconnen ACT 2616 Deadlines For Australia Online Editor October 1998 Issue Tamsin Sowden We welcome submissions of articles from members of the Group. If you are interested in [email protected] Articles and Member Ads writing please contact the Managing Editor and ask for a copy of our ‘SIXTEEN BITS - Editorial Team Friday 28 August 1998 Guidelines for Authors’ (also available on the Mike Burke, Tamsin Sowden, Commercial Ads Sixteen Bits Web site at Andrew Clayton, Malcolm Morrison, http://www.pcug.org.au/pcug/16bits/ Ann Byrne, Ivan Kramer, Vic Bushell, Friday 4 September 1998 16guide.htm). Brian Thomason Correspondence and material for review or publication should be forwarded, preferably as a Cover Design plain text file with separate PCX/BMP graphic Russell Kerrison files, by the deadline specified, to the Editor as Technical Editor follows: Advertising in • By email to [email protected] Michael Phillip • By fax to (02) 6253 4922 Photographer SIXTEEN BITS • By mail to the Centre’s address above. Brad Van Wely Anonymous contributions will not be published, SIXTEEN BITS is a unique and powerful though name and address can be withheld from Commercial Advertising Manager medium for reaching the thoughtful decision publication on request. Disks are not returned Brian Thomason makers in the ACT area. Our circulation exceeds unless requested by the author. [email protected] 3500 copies each month, with multiple © Copyright 1998, by the PC Users Group (ACT) readership exceeding 4800. Many copies are Inc. All rights reserved. Permission for Production retained by members for future reference. The reproduction in whole or in part must be obtained Petra Dwyer and the Stuffing Team advertising deadline is normally the first Friday from the Managing Editor and is generally given, provided the author also agrees and credit is of the month of publication. given to SIXTEEN BITS and the author(s) of Contributors for this issue Advertising options include the reproduced material. All other reproduction Mike Burke, Anne Greiner, • Cover ads without prior permission of the PC Users Group Andrew Clayton, Malcolm Morrison, • (ACT) Inc is prohibited. Display ads Phil Trudinger, Terry Bibo, Victor Bushell, • Special inserts Members of the PC Users Group (ACT) Inc Tamsin Sowden, Peter Elliott, Luke Elliott, receive SIXTEEN BITS each month. Registered • One-off mailing lists Michael Pahlow, Ted Macarthur, by Australia Post, Print Post Publication No. Regular advertisers receive discount vouchers PP226480/00009. Allan Mikkelsen , Glenn Pure to pay for any future advertising with SIXTEEN Disclaimer: BITS (subject to account being in order). Every Although it is editorial policy to check all material in SIXTEEN BITS for accuracy, usefulness and 12th consecutive ad placed is free. Please contact suitability, no warranty either express or implied is Authors and Advertisers please note the Advertising Manager, Brian Thomason, on offered for any losses due to the use of the material (02) 6295 2423 for further information. in the journal. Unless specifically stated otherwise, Articles from SIXTEEN BITS are also published the experiences and opinions expressed in any on the Internet as Sixteen Bits Online at http:/ column or article are those of the author and do not /www.pcug.org.au/pcug/16bits/ and extracts are represent an official position of, or endorsement read on Radio 1RPH (1125AM) Thursdays Sixteen Bits by, the PC Users Group (ACT) Inc. The PC Users 10.45am & 9.45pm. is produced with the Group (ACT) Inc is not liable for inaccuracy in any products and support of advertisement and does not accept responsibility Material published on the Web and broadcast for any claims made by advertisers. It is the buyer’s on radio is subject to copyright law and responsibility to investigate the claims made by advertisers. Any material considered misleading or reproduction in any form without permission Adobe inappropriate will be withheld at editorial discretion. of the editor and the author is prohibited. If Names of hardware, software and other products however you, as an author, object to publication offered on a commercial basis may be registered of your material on the Internet or on radio for names and trademarks of the vendors concerned. any reason, you must contact the Editor to Corel SIXTEEN BITS uses such names only in an editorial request that your articles be omitted from the Corporation fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owners, with no intent of infringement of the trademark. online version.

2 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 PCUG Committee How To Make Contact *Postal address Vice President Anne Greiner 6288 2810 PO Box 42 (Acting President) [email protected] Belconnen ACT 2616 Secretary Rod Farr 6286 1597 & Public Officer [email protected] (For ALL correspondence) Treasurer Basil Chupin 6285 2353 J PC Users Group Centre [email protected] General Committee Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 Northpoint Plaza, Belconnen [email protected] Open Mon, Wed and Fri 10am-2pm General Committee David Schwabe 6254 9086 Saturdays and Sundays 9am-5pm [email protected] (closed long weekends) General Committee Wolf Lieske 6258 5250 [email protected] The PCUG Centre is the venue for PCUG training, some Special Interest Group meetings and other activities. There is no charge for using the General Committee Peter Watney 6254 1914 Centre for PCUG activities. Contact Petra Dwyer at the PCUG Centre on [email protected] (02) 6253 4911for bookings. General Committee Peter Elliott 6258 9806 [email protected] (PCUG Main Phone number General Committee Ian Johnston 6258 3409 (02) 6253 4911 [email protected] (Answering machine when Centre unattended) General Committee John Hambley 6248 9527 [email protected] 2 Fax number General Committee David Voss 6258 2178 (02) 6253 4922 [email protected] Youth Coordinator Kim Saunders 6247 9992 ,Email [email protected] [email protected] (or use addresses at left) Immediate Ann Byrne 6282 2536 Past President [email protected] ,The INTERNET Project PCUG Committee email to: [email protected] (02) 6206 6200 [email protected] Other Contacts World Wide Web page Executive Secretary Petra Dwyer http://www.pcug.org.au/pcug/ [email protected] Membership Mike Burke : Bulletin Board Service (BBS) Secretary [email protected] (02) 6253 4933 (5 lines 33.6k bps) Novell Network Michael Phillips 6253 4966 Fidonet address 3:620/243 Administrator NT Network David Schwabe 6254 9086 (BBS Sysop voice number Administrator [email protected] (02) 6253 4966 (6.00pm - 9.00pm) BBS Sysop Michael Phillips 6253 4966 [email protected] Centre Manager Wolf Lieske 6258 5250 Main Meeting [email protected] Main meetings are held 7.00pm for 7.30pm, usually on the last Monday Training Rm Mngr David Voss 6258 2178 [email protected] of every month at Manning Clark Theatre 1, Crisp Building Australian National University. The phone numbers listed above are home numbers unless otherwise specified. Please restrict calls to between 7.30pm and 9.00pm. New Members’ Information Night 7.30pm first Monday of the month PC Users Group Centre, Northpoint Plaza Belconnen.

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 3 Editor’sEditor’s DeskDesk TopTop

Anne Greiner, Managing Editor

his month I would like to welcome us a column this month, but will be back next In the letters to the Editor this month there Brian Thomason to the Editorial team. month. He has been missed, as the editorial is one from Neville Anderson which was first TBrian joins us as Advertising Manager, email shows. Robert Dakin will also join us published in the newsgroups, but I have a position that has been vacant for quite some again soon, with the continuation of his series included it here so that people not connected time. He has made great strides in the short of articles labeled ‘Soft Options’. He has a list to the Internet will also have access to it. Neville time he has been with us, both to pick up new of reasons he couldn’t manage this month, has made some very good points here, worthy clients, and to re-establish some old ones. He which included wedding preparation (an of the consideration of us all. Perhaps I could has also agreed to help with layout once a offspring I believe, not his own). And I think suggest that suggestions (or gripes) be emailed month, and he actually brought muffins to the my life is busy! He will also be back with us to the committee at first layout he attended. Now, what more can soon. I would also very much appreciate some [email protected], or posted to the one expect of a volunteer than that? J Seriously articles from some of you out there who have Editor, and I will take them to the committee. though, it is the advertising that goes a long talents you are hiding under a bushel. Perhaps It is only if we know what you want that we way towards covering the costs of printing, you have photographs that would be of interest can do anything about it. I’ve made a small and if, as we are, we are looking towards making to other members, perhaps you have a start in that direction by printing a photograph some changes such as colour, we need the contribution to the Caption page (these could of the author with an article. I must admit I income from ads. So if any of you know any be one and the same), or maybe just a letter to find it is nice to be able to put a face to the businesses (not necessarily I.T.) tell them about the Editor. We are always pleased to receive name I see on the bottom of an email or article, us, and/or put them in touch with Brian. The material from our members, and the great thing and being able to recognise a face or two at a address is in the front of the magazine on page is that the material covers such a wide range of meeting or somewhere else 2. Remember, people who use computers need content, from the highly technical to the purely goes a long way to make us other services too. anecdotal. We have a cross section of the general more of a community. : Nick Thompson is back in Canberra, but populace within the membership, and I try to Remember, this is your arrived back too close to our deadline to give cater to as many of you as I can. group… President’sPresident’s LetterLetter (from(from thethe VP)VP)

his has been a really busy month, management of TIP. They are a small (in profiles are published on pp 24-27 in this and a lot has happened. The first numbers) group, and found they no longer issue. Tand foremost of these has been the had the time for the bureaucracy and Wolf Lieske, our indefatigable Centre purchase of a Cisco AS5300 to take up paperwork required, but at this stage will Manager is currently laid up, and will be residence in the coms room out at the continue to contribute to the technical for a while yet, but he needn’t think that centre. For all of those of you (me included) side of things. The two committees will he will get out of things as easily as that. who have had trouble logging on in the get together somewhere soon and arrange Get well and come back soon Wolf, we evenings over the last few months, there the details, but there will be no impact on need you! is light at the end of the tunnel. The the users, and nothing will change in the Sadly, last week saw the passing of capacity for extra lines will make life easier short term. So don’t panic, OK J. Alf McMicken who was till his death, the for us all. Keep your comments The AGM is almost upon us again. We convenor of the Coffee and Chat group. coming,though, because it is only with are required to elect fourteen committee He was honoured at the recent Coffee and your feedback that we know how well (or members consisting of four executive Chat luncheon at the Yacht Club for his how badly) we are doing. For a fuller and committee members, and ten general services to the Coffee and Chat group. He more technical report, see Allan committee members. The Secretary will be sadly missed by his many friends Mikkelsen’s report on page 19 of this informs me that ballots will be required for within both Coffee and Chat and the PCUG issue, where he also tells us about Treasurer (two nominations received), and as a whole. The PCUG committee has made improvements to the peering link and for general committee members (ten a donation from the PCUG as a whole in other good things. The loss of one of our required and thirteen received). Ballot his name to the Cancer Society. Coffee and two macrolinks for some time only papers with the names of the candidates Chat have already done so from their exacerbated the problems, but Telecom will be distributed on the night, and voters group. We all extend our deepest have come in and repaired it, so that is no will be requested to strike out those for sympathy to Joan. longer a problem. whom they do not wish to vote. Proof of AUUG (Australian Unix Users Group) membership will be required e.g. a current had their AGM several weeks ago, and membership card will be necessary to : they voted to withdraw from the make your vote count. The committee

4 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 MainMain LettersLetters MeetingMeeting

Monday 31 August 1998

Presented by 3Com - LAN and WAN 3Com’s fast V.90 56Kbps modem specialists solutions provide users with the best David Higgins heads up 3Com Australia’s Internet experience enabling consumers Client Access Sales Unit responsible for to be more connected to the world with This letter was published in tip.general sales and overall marketing of 3Com’s fast access to virtually unlimited this week, and, I think, asks a few very range of V.90 56Kbps modems and information. valid questions. I am publishing it here PalmPilot platform products. With over David Higgins and Pieter Vanderschaar for the benefit of those who do not have ten years’ experience in IT sales will explain the latest in modem access to newsgroups, and will publish management, including employment at technology, the move to ISDN, Cable and any good ideas that members come up NEC Information Systems, David was ADSL, and discuss the merging small with. Ed. most recently General Manager of Sales office and home connection and what at Epson Australia. being more connected means in WHO ARE YOU ? Peter Vanderschaar is Product tomorrow’s Internet experience. When I joined the PCUG in 1985 I was Marketing Manager for 3Com’s Background on 3Com living in Cooma, and occasionally Enterprise and Client Access Business 3Com Corporation is the largest single travelled to Canberra to attend general Units based in Sydney. He has more than entity in the world dedicated to LAN and meetings and training sessions. Meetings 15 years’ experience in the IT industry, WAN-based network infrastructures. Its were held in the H C Coombs Building and specifically working with vendors such mission is to bring information and were usually attended by a large number as Xircom and 3Com and with distributors communications to all people anytime of members. I didn’t know many, but there such as Tech Pacific, where he was anywhere. With over US$6 billion in were a lot there. Marketing Manager. annual revenue, it is The President was identifiable because This has given him the the second largest he/she conducted the meetings and ‘complete picture’ of networking company introduced the guest speakers. And the local networking in the world, delivering reference to ’16 Bits’ put a name to the marketplace and end-to-end face, so that the President and some today he is connectivity introduced office bearers became responsible for brand solutions to recognisable (until the next elections). and marketing consumers and Although I have lived in Canberra for campaigns for the business. 3Com has nearly the last ten years, a medical problem company’s range of delivered networking has greatly limited my ability to attend consumer products. solutions to more than general meetings. However, the few that I Both speakers are based at 3Com in 200 million customers worldwide have been able to attend recently seem to Sydney. providing large enterprises, small and have had much less support than years Their presentation is titled: “More medium business, consumers, carriers and ago when the membership was even much Connected - The Need for Speed at the Internet Service Providers, with smaller. Why is this so? Edge of the Network”. innovative access products for building In contrast, the Coffee and Chat group People rely heavily on the Internet for intelligent, reliable and high-performance within the PCUG has grown progressively, diverse information, professional and local and wide area networks. 3Com and is likely to continue this growth. Why entertainment needs, including email, was founded in 1979 and introduced the is this so? news investment, research, games and world’s first network adapter for IBM Perhaps I can answer these two community involvemenmt, and, yet, have PCs in 1982. Today, more than 50 million questions by a direct comparison. The not even realised the Internet’s potential EtherLink network interface cards have general meetings (GMs) take place after and power. In fact, worldwide Internet been shipped. The company entered the work so have more potential to attract the usage is expected to nearly double by elite ranks of the Fortune 500 in 1994. In greatest number of attendees as confirmed the year 2000. Forrester Research recognition of 3Com’s visionary role in by the dominant age range of PCUG predicts Internet Commerce will grow at networking, Bill Clinton names Eric members. The Coffee and Chat meetings a breakneck pace during the next four Benhamou to the President’s Information (C&C) consist mostly of retirees and years with the value of goods and services Technology Advisory Committee in 1997. working members fortunate enough to be traded between companies skyrocketing The company has offices throughout able to attend during normal business from US$8 billion today to US$237 billion Australia, including one here in Canberra. hours. in 2002. continued on page 6 …

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 5 At the GMs most people face in the logical that C&C meetings in the PCUG is to wear a name badge. I think you are a same direction, ie. towards the dias and Centre with the availability of the training nice person, you seem to know a lot about unless they turn around, only see the room and other computers to demonstrate computers and I am sure you want to be a faces of those on the dias plus the backs some discussion points plus refreshments “User helping Users”. But, who are you? of many heads. At C&C, everyone faces give them an advantage over GMs held in each other and contributes to the impersonal lecture theatres. However, Neville Anderson. discussion, thus we get to recognise and there is not much that can be done to remember each other by their computer improve the GM environment .... problems and successes, senses of perhaps a cup or glass of something humour, friendliness and their abilities to after the GMs where members (with the give and receive help. aid of name badges) could get to know This is aided by wearing Name Badges other fellow members. Or would most wish (although C&C is starting to get a bit slack to depart for home as soon as the formal in this regard!). We get to know each other. session has concluded? There must be And we develop a type of team loyalty other ideas that need proposing. that is facilitated by the congeniality This subject is ripe for discussion and of sharing refreshments with each could probably be useful to the new office other (a residual tribal custom). Additional bearers that will lead us after the elections social interaction also helps to bond next month. But the best way to develop group relationships. and maintain a cohesive and significant Of course, the meeting environments group is to know the other members of affect the success of meetings, and it is the team, and an easy way to initiate this

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6 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 by Mike Burke Membership Secretary

elcome to new members reading which is normally held at 7.30pm on the Annual General Meeting Sixteen Bits for the first time, first Monday of the month (except Jan- The Annual General Meeting is held in Wwelcome to the PC Users Group. uary) at the PC Users Group Centre (see September each year. Even if you are Continuing members should also check map page 3). These meetings are a chance unable to attend Main Meetings regularly, this column regularly because I am sure for new and ‘older’ members (who are members should make every effort to that there will be some little surprises from always welcome to attend) to meet with attend this Meeting at which office bearers time to time, even for the most jaded of representatives of the Committee, to put for the ensuing 12 months are elected. old hands. names to faces, and to ask any questions Other Good Stuff that you may have about the Group and For those who haven’t yet learnt through its activities. Tea and coffee are available, If your PCUG bitter personal experience, please remem- and the atmosphere is informal and membership expires at ber that TIP access is dependent on your friendly. the end of September 1998 continuing PCUG membership, and that it RENEW NOW Main Meetings takes time to process your membership to avoid losing access to Our main meetings, targeted at our general renewal - currently up to two weeks. We The Internet Project. membership, are normally held monthly, are looking at ways to reduce this time, on the last Monday of the month. The but the best solution is for you to Your Membership Card date, venue and topic of the meeting remember to renew early. Members, always appear on the front cover of Your membership card and, for new particularly TIP users, whose PCUG Sixteen Bits which is timed to arrive in members, a New Member’s Information membership expires at the end of the your mail-box in the middle of the week Disk, will normally be mailed to you on month stated in the above box should before the next main meeting. Main the third Monday of the month in which renew their PCUG membership immediate- meetings are also advertised in the you join or renew your membership. ly. Do not delay because your TIP access computing section of the Canberra Times Those who join or renew after the third will automatically be cut off at midnight on the day of the meeting. Anyone is Monday will receive their card/disk the on the last day of the month unless your welcome to attend these meetings—you following month. If you lose your card, renewal has been processed. do not need to be a member. For main please leave a message with the Executive Don’t forget! RENEW TODAY, if not meetings, we arrange guest speakers on a Secretary on 6253 4911, or contact me yesterday, if this copy of Sixteen Bits variety of topics throughout the year. As directly via TIP at arrived with a pink label. an added incentive, there are usually a [email protected] and it As a further service, one month before couple of door prizes to be won. You’ve will be replaced without charge.. your membership is due to expire, I will got to be in it to win it. There is no main send a reminder letter with a renewal form Information Disk meeting in December. on the reverse. This form should arrive a New members should also receive a disk Special Events day or so before Sixteen Bits. containing information about the Group We also have some special events such This letter is printed on paper of a very and its services. Please read the inform- as the ‘Bring and Buy Night’ at the Albert noticeable colour. ation on the disk carefully as you will find Hall in November, and an annual Quiz the answers to most of your questions Night in April. You should read Sixteen Next New Members’ Night there. Bits thoroughly as special events are 7 September 1998 New Members’ publicised mainly through the magazine. 7.30pm Information Night PCUG Centre New members are especially urged to Northpoint Plaza, Belconnen attend a New Members’ Information Night

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 7 hat does the Canberra PC Users’ Group offer its W Members? STRENGTH offers membership access to the Internet, at 7:30pm. Each meeting has a guest With more than 3,000 members , Canberra via 60 (soon to be 72) dial in lines. Two speaker, usually giving a demonstration/ PCUG is one of Australia’s larger PC User forms of access are provided – Limited talk about some software or hardware groups. It was founded in 1982, and is still Access, which allows people to access product, or upcoming technology. run for the members, by the members. The email and news via PINE, via a basic unix Speakers from a wide range of businesses motto of the group is Users Helping Users. shell. Full Access provides for Point to are invited to give their product or service The Group employs one part-time Point (PPP) connections effectively a public hearing. Prior to the main meeting Executive Secretary. Most functions of the putting your computer onto the internet, you can renew group or TIP membership, club magazine writing and editing, online providing full access to email, news, world purchase blank floppy diskettes, or attend services maintenance, collection and wide web, IRC, telnet, ftp, online-quake- the BYTES SIG at the Asian Bistro in the distribution of shareware, Organisation of playing, anything a regular Internet ANU Union building. Attendees are SIG and monthly meetings etc, are Service Provider offers. Full Access eligible for a lucky door prize – sometimes performed by volunteers. The Group has accounts provide 10Mbytes of disk space these are valuable, once someone was a membership from all walks of life, with a per account, which can be used for the given Unix software valued at many broad range of knowledge, as well as storage of personal web pages, accessible thousands of dollars. The Annual General access to a vast store of information and via the internet 24 hours a day. TIP started Meeting is where the outgoing PCUG help in many fields. for business in 1995, offering amazingly committee report on the year’s cheap access to the internet. Even with achievements and what the status of the SIXTEEN BITS MAGAZINE The group’s magazine Sixteen Bits is various policy changes by the group’s Treasury is, and this meeting is where the published eleven times a year. It is the uplink provider, TIP still manages to offer new PCUG committee is elected. the cheapest internet access in Canberra. award winning primary communications PCUG CENTRE TIP policies are determined by the Internet mechanism within the group. The Located in a modern air-conditioned Project Management Committee. The day magazine contains articles primarily office, at Northpoint Plaza, Belconnen, the to day administration of TIP is by contributed by PCUG members, reviews, PCUG centre is the site of the main volunteers, mostly from the AUUG. TIP notices of upcoming events, contact administration office. It holds the BBS and has about 2,000 members, making it one details for the various functions within the TIP communications centre, an 8-machine of the largest subscriber ISP’s in the group, a handy calendar, the new software training room with light-projector, and region. library acquisitions, the HELP directory, various training aids. There are a number vendor discount scheme, etc. The BULLETIN BOARD SERVICE of machines available for use at the centre, magazine is created with the aid of Adobe PCUG has been offering access to a including a colour scanner, a CD copier, a Pagemaker, and Microsoft Office, and Bulletin Board Service of some photocopier, and access to the internet. other software products, at the PCUG’s description, since late 1986. The current The centre hosts the PCUG committee Northpoint Plaza office. Members who BBS offers five-line access to Fidonet meetings, the monthly Internet Clinic day, wish to contribute articles to the magazine, echomail areas, private Fidonet email, a and is where the PCUG magazine, Sixteen or participate in the editorial team magazine local file download area, access to the Bits, is created. The PCUG centre is staffed layout day held each month, should PCUG’s CDROM library of shareware, and on weekends (9am-5pm EXCEPT long contact the editor ability to renew PCUG membership and weekends such as Easter or Anzac day), ( [email protected]). perform other ‘online shopping’ and during the week (10am-2pm, Monday, Contributions are welcome! The magazine functions. Since the widespread use of Wednesday, Friday); during these times has details on the preferred format of the internet, the BBS has become members can renew their membership, contributions. Contributions can be on somewhat less exciting that it once might purchase blank media, or arrange access virtually any topic you care to cover, from have been, but it still serves a purpose, to TIP. Various training courses are on software reviews, to hardware disaster and access to it is free for PCUG members. offer ($35 for full day courses) on certain stories, or how you used your computer weekends, such as Word7, Excel 7, MONTHLY MEETINGS in a strange an unusual way. Designing a WEB page, or Introduction Each month (Except January) the group to the Internet. See the regular Training THE INTERNET PROJECT holds its Monthly meeting, normally at the News section in Sixteen Bits, or check the A collaborative effort between the Manning Clarke Theatre, (1, Crisp Calendar on the last page. Places are Australian Unix Users Group (AUUG) and Building, Australian National University) limited, so be sure to book a place in the PCUG, The Internet Project (TIP) usually on the last Monday of the month, advance.

8 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS The PCUG comprises a large number of people with a wide range of interests. Smaller groups of people, interested in Oz User Groups specific areas of personal computing, get together to form Special Interest Groups, Adelaide PC Users Group which have their own meetings, and PO Box 2231 projects. Some SIGS currently in operation Port Adelaide SA 5015 are, “Coffee and Chat”, “C/C++”, “The (08) 8331 0766 Meet: 7.45pm, 3rd Wednesday of the Investment SIG”, “The OS/2 SIG”, the month at Enterprise House, 136 “Linux Users Group”, “Flight Simulator Greenhill Road, Unley. Visitors $5. SIG”, “Internet Daytime Demo and Discussion Sig”. Contact details are Brisbane PC Users Group published in Sixteen Bits. Anyone can (Brisbug) start a SIG – just ask in one of the TIP PO Box 985 specific newsgroups (tip.general) if Toowong QLD 4066 anyone is interested in a formal get- (07) 3299 3943 Info Line (07) 3209 4980 (fax) together, and arrange things such as Pam Kirk (Pres) demonstrations, discussions, or picnics! Home page http://www.brisbug.asn.au Meet: Kelvin Grove High School, MEDIA SALES Kelvin Grove, Brisbane. 9am-5pm The group offers high quality disks and approx, 3rd Sunday of the month. tape cartridges for sale to its members at very reasonable prices. Contact the PCUG Darwin Computer centre during its business hours (10am- Users Club 2pm Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9am- Gary Drake (Vice President) 5pm on Weekends) for details. (08) 8932 4107 h

(08) 8945 0091 w http://www.pcug.org.au/pcug/16bits/ SHAREWARE SOFTWARE LIBRARY Email [email protected] Each month the group gets a new CDROM of the latest shareware. The magazine Melbourne PC User Group publishes excerpts from the current 2nd Floor, 66 Albert Road CDROM. Titles are available for download South Melbourne VIC 3205 from the BBS (which is also accessible (03) 9699 6222 10am - 3.30pm from the internet via ftp:// (03) 9699 6499 Fax bbs.pcug.org.au), and whilst this is a free Email [email protected] service to members, the programs Home Page http://www.melbpc.org.au themselves are usually shareware, and Meet: 6pm, 1st Wednesday of the require payment directly to the author, if month (except Jan) at Pharmacy College, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville. you intend to use the program in question on a regular basis. Perth PC Users Group HARDWARE AND VIDEO LIBRARY PO Box 997 Various hardware is available for loan. West Perth WA 6872 Currently the group has 33.6K and 14.4K (08) 9399 7264 Terry Vernon (Pres) modems, and ZIP drives available to Meet 6.00pm, 1st Wednesday of the members, as well as some videos including month at Ross Lecture Theatre, Physics ‘Developing Applications with Microsoft Building, University of WA, Nedlands. Office’ and ‘Using Windows 95’. Items may be borrowed for one week at a time, Sydney PC Users Group there is no charge, but you must collect PO Box A2162 and return the items yourself. Sydney South NSW 2000 : (02) 9972 2133

Meet 6pm, 1st Tuesday of the month at format! Now in Adobe Acrobat main auditorium, Teachers Federation, 300 Sussex Street, Sydney.

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 9 Genealogy & Family History Reference Information …by Michael Pahlow s promised at the genealogy and Software • http://www.genhomepage.com/ family history presentation As mentioned at the PCUG meeting, software.html - Many companies Adelivered on Monday 27 July there are many things to consider when that sell genealogy software have a 1998, I have detailed below some of the purchasing any software package. Some WWW page on internet. A lot of books and web sites referred to. I hope of the criteria to look for in a genealogy Free, Shareware, or Demo these are useful. package are things like: Genealogy software is available on the internet. This is a good alround The first is my own web page - • GEDCOM capability - import and software page; “Genealogy in Australia” export; • http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ www.pcug.org.au/~mpahlow/welcome.html - • Configurability; lark/geneal.html - genealogy which has not been updated for a while • Notes, sources, validity, etc software, family tree makers, family and has some outdated information and • Output ability; heritage and ancestral tracking broken links. It may, however, be a good • Graphics handling; software for DOS, Mac and starting point. • Platforms it runs on; Windows. • Popularity; • Books Support and life or the product; Other Genealogy Sites • • Gray, Nancy, Compiling Your Shareware or retail package; Some other interesting randomly • Family History, ABC Enterprises Events based or linkage based selected Australia genealogy sites and Society of Australian include: Genealogists, 1988 Some packages mentioned in passing • http://www.pcug.org.au/~chowell/ • Vine Hall, Nick, Tracing Your dpshome.htm - thre home page of Family History in Australia: a Package the Canberra Dead Persons Society Guide to Sources, Sydney, Rigby, Web Site (if applicable or known) and http://www.ozemail.com.au/ 1985 ~johngrah/dps.html, the home page • Worthington, Jan, Computers in • The Master Genealogist of the Sydney Dead Persons Genealogy, Sydney, 1990 http://www.whollygenes.com/ Society; • Family History for Beginners, • Heritage genealogical Software (Mac) • http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/qldweb/ Heraldry & Genealogy Society of http://www.eskimo.com/~grandine/ geneal.htm - QldWeb Genealogy Canberra Inc, 1991 heritage.html and family history.; • Genealogy and Heraldry in the • Brothers Keeper • http://www.rootsweb.com/~irish/ National Library of Australia, http://ourworld.compuserve.com/ igsilkc.htm - Irish Genealogical Canberra, National Library of homepages/Brothers_Keeper/ Society - a good site for Irish Links; Australia, 1988 • Reunion • http://www.yahoo.com/Arts/ http://www.leisterpro.com/ Humanities/History/Genealogy/ - Libraries & Societies • Family Tree Maker Yahoos pagee on genealogy • Society of Australian Genealogists http://www.familytreemaker.com or (Arts:Humanities:History:Genealogy); “Richmond Villa”, 120 Kent Street, http://www.family-tree.com/ • http://www.nla.gov.au/oz/ Sydney • Family Gathering genelist.html - Australian Family Phone: (02) 9247-3953 http://www.sonic.net/~commsoft/ History and Genealogy on the http://www.ozemail.com.au/ • Ancestral Quest Internet from the National Library ~socgenes/sag,html http://www.ancquest.com/ of Australia Membership: $40 per • Family Origins; • http://dove.net.au/~bazle/ annum http://www.parsonstech.com/genealogy/ australia.html - Australian family • Heraldry & genealogy Society of • Roots IV history and genealogy links with an Canberra Inc http://www.sonic.net/~commsoft/ emphasis on South Australia • Ilika Street, Narrabundah, ACT http://www.onlinegenealogy.com/soft/ • http://www.gensol.com.au/ Phone: (02) 6295-1141 sof001l.htm the Journal of Online links.htm - Links to Genealogy and http://www.netspeed.com.au/ Genealogy is a free electronic other Related Internet sites hagsoc magazine which focuses on the use Australia as well as the Archives of Annual subscription: $38 of online resources and techniques • http://www.pcug.org.au/ • The National Library of Australia in genealogy and family history. ~bthompso/links.htm - Margaret • Parkes Place http://www-personal.umich.edu/ Sparke’s Home Page. Canberra DPS Canberra ~cgaunt/software.html - genealogy member. Canberra Dead Persons’ Phone: (02) 6262-1111 resources on the internet. Software Society Home Page Addresses etc http://www.nla.gov.au/ for genealogists; for Australian BDM Certificates.

10 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 • http://www.pcug.org.au/ in Australia, arranged by topic areas for genealogy in over 70 different ~idalwood/ - Try these links: Ian such as archives, cemeteries, family categories! Dalwood’s Family Details and history societies etc. Under each topic, http://www.zeta.org.au/~feraltek/ South Australian Information and the sites are arranged by states. jozgen.htm - for Jewish genealogical Genealogy • http://www.oz.net/~cyndihow/soc- research related to Australians. • http://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/ t.htm - This site lists over 25,600 Contains brief info and catalogues of NFHS/Lozaust.htm - sites are based categorized and cross-referenced links various archives.

Package Web Site (if applicable or known) • The Master Genealogist h ttp://www.whollygenes.com/ • Heritage genealogical Software (Mac) h ttp://www.eskimo.com/~grandine/heritage.html • Brothers Keeper h ttp://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Brothers_ Keeper/ • Reunion h ttp://www.leisterpro.com/ • Family Tree Maker h ttp://www.familytreemaker.com or h ttp://www.family-tree.com/ • Family Gathering h ttp://www.sonic.net/~commsoft/ • Ancestral Quest h ttp://www.ancquest.com/ • Family Origins; h ttp://www.parsonstech.com/genealogy/ • Roots IV http://www.sonic.net/~commsoft/ :

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 11 View your Internet pages offline. They’re …by Terry Bibo the search results in a separate folder in nice on ice. the domain tree in the left pane. nternet Explorer for Win95 maintains a pane rather than the limited text/html files Buttons on the toolbar are largely self cache of Web pages in a folder named that I have chosen. And to display all explanatory and have drop down text ITemporary Internet Files within the connections in the left pane rather than labels when the mouse is paused on any Windows folder. You can look into this my choice of only web pages using the icon. Fairly standard stuff for Win95. The either through Windows Explorer or http protocol. delete button or icon will delete either Internet Explorer itself. To see the files The right pane displays a wealth of domains or documents depending on what using Internet Explorer go to View | information about the contents of the web is highlighted, and is an excellent way of Options | Advanced | View files. Also, from site highlighted in the left pane, and a intelligently pruning the cache. I regularly the Advanced | Settings option you can single click on the column heading will sort review my cache, culling useless items, alter the cache size in terms of percentage all items according to that parameter - in and rarely need to resort to emptying the of disk space, and the frequency of the same manner as Windows Explorer in cache entirely. updating those files held in the cache. the same mode. A small arrow indicates The help file is not massive, but the These cached pages are a history of your the sort column - Title in figure 1 - and an program is intelligent, and essentially so journey through the Internet, and can be used extra click on the sorted column flips easy and obvious to use that nothing to recreate that journey offline. Text, graphics, between ascending and descending order. more is needed. The big advantage I find some sounds and video (excluding RealAudio Sorting the domains is done through the in MSICE over others I have looked at is its size - the whole MSICE folder is under 300KB. And the fact that it uses material directly from the cache without having to create massive complex index files that occupy disk real estate and require homework. It is shareware and I readily parted with my dollars last March after trialing it in the 30-day evaluation period. MSICE is available from Tucows, that’s www.tucows.interact.net.au/cache95html/ for those of us in Canberra. and VXtreme that play in real time) can be View Menu. A hierarchical sort groups rerun, saving telephone charges, bandwidth and domain names that belong together, better time online. The obvious advantages for this than the alphabetical sort that can spread are for research, and demonstrating Internet related domains throughout the list. Date use in a classroom or training situation. Or sorting is obviously great for retrieving showing others the actual pages downloaded domains visited on a particular day and POSITION VACANT during a session on line, rather than just giving maintaining an audit trail. Trainers the URL. Double clicking on an item in the right MSICE (Microsoft Internet Cache pane opens it in Internet Explorer. The PCUG needs volunteers to Explorer) is just one of many viewers using Subsequent selections replace the existing assist with training in a number of the Internet Explorer to revisit and view document rather than opening multiple different fields. those pages offline. While it is written for instances of Explorer. Links work just as Microsoft’s browser it has a tool for they do in real time browsing on the World You would be asked to train or assist importing Netscape’s Cache into IE’s Wide Web, but in MSICE it is only possible a trainer with a class of up to eight Cache for the benefit of Netscape to move back and forward in the one members in our own training room. supporters. domain, not back into the previous domain Figure 1 shows part of my opening viewed. Email expressions of interest, telling screen, but there are options to display a There is a powerful text search facility where your expertise lies, to screen-cluttering all objects in the right that can be directed at a single document [email protected] or the entire cache. For ease of use it lists

12 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 *** Canberra’s Biggest, Fastest and Most Complete ISP *** with over 7 years online communications experience. Dynamite offers: n Biggest and Fastest link to the Internet in Canberra, n Flat rate and Hourly based Internet access n Policies with no busy tones 100 hours usage with upto 56k n World Wide Web page design and hosting modem access n Dynamite was the 1st ISP in Canberra to have 100, for only $125.00 200, 300, 400, 500 and now 670 dialup lines per block of hours n Internet literature and software sales n Mobile phone sales - for both Optus and Vodafone Networks n Comprehensive 1 to 1 Internet Training Plans from around $1.00 per day, or $1.00 per hour available with on-the-day connections Unlimited Hour Plans with different volume limits from Call one of our sales $32.00 consultants to find out why we are per month Canberra’s leading ISP. Phone: (02) 6242 4000 Facsimile: (02) 6242 4144 http://www.dynamite.com.au email: [email protected] 26-28 Winchcombe Court, Mitchell ACT 2911

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 13 …by Luke Elliott

o you crave to be scared? Do you and had more puzzles. The game has great like to shiver? If you want these sound and good graphics, but it certainly Dthings then you’ll want didn’t give me nightmares! But my six-year- Goosebumps: Attack of the Mutant. (But old sister is another story. When she found only if you’re eight or under, us eleven out that it was meant to be scary, she year olds weren’t scared at all!) was very scared. Now you might be The basic idea of the game is to kill thinking, why would you The Mutant, but first you have want another Wolfenstein to rescue your friends who type of game when you have continuously get captured. Duke Nukum? Because you Next you have to kill the other don’t just kill the bad guys, bad guys, and they are: Chin you go through mazes, figure Chilla - the evil ice demon, Graphics 8 out puzzles and search for a Plant Food - the gardener of Sound 8 really cool costume! If you love doom and Pinky Flamingo - Lastability 4 Duke Nukum and can’t wait till they the eight-digit man. After Overall 7 bring in more levels and you confronting them many think this sounds cool, be times you have to finally kill and it’s great for little kids, but remember, warned. them but not in any violent way! For if you’re over 10 or good at games, go for This game does not include blood and example, getting a water-hose and blowing something a bit more challenging! guts flying everywhere and the weapons Pinky Flamingo - the eight-digit man down used are things such as rakes and paint- the corridor with water and ball guns. Not that a rake can’t cut through then he just disappears. flesh, it’s just that this game is aimed at six The real bad part in this to eight year olds and you don’t want them game is that the characters permanently dramatised. are 2D, while the A problem with this game is that it is background is 3D! I don’t sometimes too easy to play, even for understand why they made eight-year-olds. I myself played it and in it that way. The story line less that an hour I was watching the is not good. I mean, you ending demo. just walk into the Mutant’s This game would be better if the levels building and start battling were more challenging, went for longer cartoon characters! Besides pathetic weapons, a poor storyline, average gameplay and no lastability, it’s not such a bad game. They could make a fortune if they fixed these problems, I mean, lets face it, the game idea is good but the game play is bad. (Maybe six to eight-year- olds would enjoy it) I would score this game: The league of Goodguys :

14 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 I judge.... All entries showed originality and thought.

The winner is .....(covers the time and scene well) • In his search for the ‘Anykey’ Edmund decided to introduce a random element! So... averting his glance he struck the keyboard. (Matthew Evans)

Number 2 is .... (brief) • Surely this contraption can find a simple word like ‘KAUPHY’? (Don Nicol)

Number 3 is ....(observant) • What good is a return-to-base warranty when the installer bolted it to the floor? (Howard West)

Others are… • Our Bill, who art in Windows…

• I know it looks impressive but it ??...... will never catch on as long as all it will do is add one and zero......

here were some terrific • Mr. Gates knows that young Willy responses received on last is smart but wishes he would put his toys T month’s competition (see right), away when he’s finished playing with and I have published the best of them. them. There were a couple of very funny ones, but remember, chaps, this is a family • Having bought young Willy a new magazine, so regretably, I was unable to mechanical counting frame for his include them. birthday, Mr. Gates wishes the kid would This month’s effort comes from a be content to play with it instead of always calendar sent to me at work, and whilst of trying to make it add up and take away. a later vintage than the one from Punch last month, is still older than many of our • They’re making these machines so readers. Someone who is knowledgable small that one day even women and about either cars or motorbikes might be children will be able to play with them. able to date it. Anyway, tell me what is being said. • Oh Lord, help me to remember Ted Macarthur gave me last month’s which password I used … cartoon, so I asked him to judge the responses. I think he did such a good job Jones, finds that he can throw more of not only choosing, but also giving Passion into the Letters he sends his • Hmmm, now if I install Pittman.exe, reasons for his choices, that I’ll ask him to Beloved by using the Type-Writer. will it take dictation as well as type? do the honours again this month. (The capital letters in the caption are as it Enjoy… was in the magazine.) • Dear Mr Babbage…

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 15 Ockham’sOckham’s Razor Razor

obyn Williams: I’ve got a new word outcome of having these skills is to put legislators come along and force the for you this week: Mechatronics. them to use by making machines in which artefact maker to eventually take it back RAnother bastard confabulation some intelligent behaviour has been and recycle everything as is happening from the depths of cyberspace? Well not embodied. already in Germany with white goods. So quite, in fact the idea neatly cleans up a I can hear some of you already aghast yet again the resourcefulness of the lot of loose ends which, in our brand new at the liberal use of the word intelligent. Mechatronic engineer as he/she designs, age of technical convergence helps really, Don’t jump too soon. Your dog is is applied to built-in ease of knockdown I think you’ll agree. intelligent as it fetches the paper or comes for re-use, repair, refurbishment and Mechatronic man is actually Richard to heel at call but what about when it bites reclamation. Willgoss. He’s established both a you? Robots can, like a person, catch a There is an implicit (perhaps fearful) department and a degree course with that ball tossed to it, clean a loo and explore assumption about intelligence which funny name and the reason behind it is the moor but because they are pure suggests that if we have created it, then it twofold: first to give the graduates a better mechanism, does that mean they can’t be should be user-orientated and friendly. A preparation for jobs in the 21st century, intelligent? HAL, the spaceship control man-made intelligent machine can and secondly because Dr Willgoss computer in the film 2001, A Space manifest itself in many ways. Think on a himself had such a remarkably eclectic Odyssey, replied to the request to open washing machine that has many cycle training. Doing nearly everything and the air lock and allow the crewman into options, prevents overload, washes to an being master, eventually of practically the the safety of the ship by saying, “I’m afraid agreed cleanliness and spins to a desired lot. Am I right? I can’t do that”. What a malevolent master dryness; a fly-by-wire fighter aircraft which Dr Willgoss: It is no surprise, then, that stroke of autonomy away from its doesn’t really need the pilot except to I have settled in an area of interest where creators. But bear with me for the moment supervise where-from to where-to and what is required is hybrid thinking. My and allow the use of the word intelligent choose options including which targets interests have, for several years, been in the context of subservience. Suspend to aim at; a mobile robot responding to focussed on Mechatronics, the your judgement especially on any belief- radio voice being a very willing go-for in confluence of mechanics, electronics and set grounds. There is a completely an industrial or medical setting and voice computing. Mechatronics is essentially separate talk that could be given synthesising its obedient responses. Here hybrid engineering. concerning intelligence, conscienceness, comes personality as the robot responds It is a recognition that to do a proper the soul and their inter-relationships. But “I can’t come yet; Bruce wants me right job in the real world, you have to be there I go lifting that lid. away”. Robots are probably the stereotype resourceful across several disciplines, not Mechatronic engineers are basically of intelligent machines. They are now big just one. Classically, a university artefact makers who apply themselves to enough to build houses from kits and engineering faculty would contain the heart of the manufacturing industry, micro enough to wander submerged on schools for civil, electrical, mechanical, to the achievement of the wildest research the blood stream, but keep the micro one computer and chemical studies. However, programmes, to the integration of the on a lead or you may have a thrombosis we have reached the point where the design of all forms of transport vehicles, on your hands when the motor breaks human resource is so precious that to the meticulous monitoring of men or down. companies cannot afford to employ a machines, to the encapsulation of It is the Mechatronic engineer who group of specialists, but desire a single knowledge and data - and more, by the designed and built each of the subsystems person who can cope with the practice of making machines and putting I speak about within each machine, put technicalities of the whole product, intelligence into them. them together and made them information namely the hybrid or mechatronic engineer. There are distinct market forces which exchange correctly, behaving well under I am unashamedly dwelling in the impinge on artefact makers to improve their wide ranging circumstances and domain of pragmatic utilitarianism – act. The prospective user wants more environment. I have almost given the fitness for purpose. The product I help to intelligence built into the machine, even intelligent machine personality. There is, create at the University of New South though many features are never used. I with that link, a risk of dehumanising Wales is a Mechatronic engineer who can cite any fancy video recorder where one ourselves in the involvement in this whole generate useful output for a company ends up only rewinding and playing. Users process if we unthinkingly expand almost from day one of being employed. want ease of construction, modularity and, categories calling ourselves wetware (in He or she has acquired in the remote possibility of breakdown, apposition to hardware and software) or skills in mechanical engineering but virtually instantaneous cheap repair. meat machines (in claiming the major also has others in electronic circuit design, Warranty periods are creeping upwards constituent is the machine). Pamela logic and computer programming so 10 years of trouble free operation will McCorduck, in her book ‘Machines who including microprocessing. The natural be de rigour soon. After all that, the think’ burst the illusory bubble that all a

16 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 Mechatronics: A Future in Synergistic Engineering

brain consists of is computational now. Sydney already has graduates of two doesn’t exist - it’s all nurture from my finesse embedded in meat but, as I said years standing. New South Wales perspective at present. This is likely to before, that view is for expansion in another graduates its first offerings at the end of change in the future. This is just the start talk. 1997. James Cook, Southern Queensland, of what it means to create intelligent Mechatronics is still erroneously Western Sydney and Curtin all have machines, for the levels continue with called electro-mechanical engineering to Mechatronic programs running who will communication and agreement on this day by some universities. Electro- graduate shortly. Courses have proved standard ways of information and mechanical engineering is centred around particularly popular, so much so that objective exchange. coping with servo action and motors but quotas are sometimes applied. Initiatives There are a number of models that are Mechatronics involves the major element to set up the courses have come mainly being worked on in the search for effective of intelligence through computing from mechanical sources but often a ways of embedding intelligence. Expert embedded in machines. It faculty-wide approach has ensued. It is systems show much success in capturing was the Japanese some 25 years ago heartening to see students so well qualitative facts but they labour a bit when who coined the term Mechatronics in motivated as they grapple with the handling number crunching. Fuzzy logic identifying a skill in their drive to make interaction between mechanical, electronic is very robust in choosing sensible better robots. Europe took a more and computing constraints in making responses to sensor input, working with integrative approach to Mechatronics and intelligent machines. Because there is an a knowledge base of if-then rules. has been actively using the term for up to end product, so well contained and Japanese washing machines are now 20 years. The USA has been a relatively obvious, Mechatronics helps the student driven by fuzzy controllers. Neural slow starter and had Mechatronics maintain focus, a feature that is often networks have gone one better in some programs gong for the last 10 years or so missing from other academic endeavours. ways in that their ability to keep at universities; a kind of ‘if you insist’ At heart, intelligent machines are much performing when corrupted or attitude. Asia, apart from Japan, has seen the same. There is an obvious layered dismembered is almost better than the a good thing happening and is cottoning structure evident as for a human body. Rottweiler when you keep cutting off its on fast with major programs now First, the strong embodying frame on legs. However, it takes time to train a neural established in universities such as which to hang all else. Secondly, a net with exemplars, the computational Singapore since 1991 and Hong Kong computational centre complete with equivalent of show-and-tell. Genetic since 1992. It is no accident that nations microprocessor, stored program, data and algorithms mimic natural selection such as Japan which have readily knowledge. Thirdly, sensors for updating processes in searching for optimum embraced Mechatronics as a discipline to information on environment. Fourthly, solutions and thus avoid what is termed promote have, in return, advanced faster actuators which give actions to the the local minimum problem, like getting in technologically than others who have not, machine and may enable it to move and a rut. Steven Levy in his book ‘Artificial especially in the quality and reliability transport. Such machines get their life’ talks of those who believe that all the areas. These nations have reaped the intelligence from the skills of programming, best ideas are anthropomorphically based benefit of using the Mechatronic interpretation of sensor input, the ability and that we should concentrate on their paradigms of engineering hybridisation to self-calibrate and to monitor their emulation. Strong a-lifers as they are and synergy. condition. When answering the question known, believe they will one day create But what of Australia? Half a dozen as to where the intelligence comes form, living entities. Weak a-lifers are not so universities are active in Mechatronics the argument of nature versus nurture sure. Connectionist modellers take the

continued on page 18 …

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 17 have a network of computational If we advance the Mechatronic cause have seen others already benefit from centres working in parallel and cooperating some 10 years and serendipidously using its paradigms. Students are actually rather than one big processor handling the discover that the empire protectionist enthusiastic about Mechatronics at a time lot in series. attitude of classical engineering schools when science and engineering are The issues, the outcomes of which has subsided, (I can think wishfully along declining as choices for university surround and determine the fortunes of with the best of you) then my view is that degrees. Australia’s economy is heavily Mechatronics, are wide. The pressures to there shall emerge a new bread of engineer reliant on trading organic and mineral use the human resource to greatest effect who has ‘most desirable’ embedded into commodities but that will not last. Here is keep rising. Hybrid engineering and the his/her Computer voice: having been the golden opportunity to make us the integration process is the key to ETGs trained in the Faculty of Intelligent truly clever country, properly stocked with (elaborately transformed goods) which Machines with separate schools engineering expertise that will help us trade best internationally because their specialising in COGNITION - how to trade internationally in a successful way value-added worth is high, reaping more perceive, INFORMATICS - methods for into the 21st century. bucks per kilo sold. ETGs are invariably the communication of data and knowledge intelligent machines. Then there is the METAMETHODICS – the selection of the Robyn Williams: Onwards and desire to capture and simulate human skills, best analytic or algorithmic method, upwards. Dr Richard Willgoss is Head of to elevate (or is it marginalise) humans to CYBERNETICS – the study of control, the Department of Mechatronics at the the supervisory role which is done best DESIGN - the principles governing University of New South Wales. by them. A company manager sees years optimised operation and aesthetics in of precious investment lost as former artefacts and finally METAMORPHICS - employees take skills with them when they how to optimise making, transforming or lave. What if valuable employees could be fabricating. contractually obliged to be de-briefed into Why do I have such confidence in the an intelligent machine before leaving? future of Mechatronics? It is simple. We

18 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998

howard west THE INTERNET by Allan Mikkelsen PROJECT ince our last report in Sixteen Bits, By the time Sixteen Bits is distributed, Further announcements on these there have been several important the PCUG terminal server kryten that changes and notices of problems with TIP Schanges at TIP. answers your phone calls to TIP should will be given in the newsgroup Our peering link with some commercial have been upgraded to a Cisco AS5300. tip.announce and ALL TIP users are ISPs in Canberra has been changed and This will provide an initial small increase reminded of the need to read that now operates using “frame relay” in the number of lines, flexibility to allow newsgroup to keep abreast of what is communications technology at 256 Kb per us to add more lines as demand warrants happening with TIP. For those who don’t second. This link is mainly used to share it, and much improved reliability. We hope know how to read Usenet news, expanded Usenet news with our peers, but we also to be able to discontinue the regular instructions will be added to the TIP help share proxy caches, and all traffic between reboots which are scheduled in the early system at http://www.tip.net.au/tip/help/ us goes over the peering link. Traffic on hours several times a week. in the near future. the link is at no marginal cost to TIP, while We are also actively working on a Brainteaser time - try this:- we pay for all traffic on our 384 Kb link to secure system to speed up processing of If you stretch a piece of rope tight Access One. Our peering partners are TIP renewal payments. If the new system around the equator, then cut it and add in currently Dynamite, InterACT, and Spirit. works as designed and does not open too an extra yard of string, there will be some Many will know that most internet many holes, it should be possible to slack. If this slack is then pegged out software can be obtained from TUCOWS process TIP renewals overnight. At this equidistantly (if that’s a word) around the (The Ultimate Collection Of Winsock stage, the new system will handle only globe how much off the equator will the Software) and where possible this TIP renewals - it will still be necessary to string be? software should be downloaded from the renew your PCUG membership in advance a) less than a millionth of an inch TUCOWS mirror at http:// to ensure that you do not lose TIP access b) a hundredth of an inch tucows.interact.net.au saving you time while your PCUG membership is c) an inch and TIP money. unfinancial. d) six inches Chew it over and debate in tip.general Practical small system development Context Training & Consulting Pty Ltd ACN 008 643 703 - Established 1988

üMicrosoft Access™ development üUp-sizing to SQL Server™ üSupport for existing systems

E-mail [email protected] Free telephone support Phone 02 6287 1500 to PCUG members.* Fax 02 6287 1508 * Offer does not apply where commercially inappropriate

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 19 Using Microsoft Windows 95 (4th Ed.) …by Glenn Pure [email protected] ow that Windows 98 is out, I can But that’s enough introduction. This now change over my operating book is formally part of the “Using…” basics of starting Windows 95, Nsystem at home to Windows 95! series for publisher Que. The series has understanding folders and the help Yes, that’s right: 95 not 98. You think I’m many titles covering a host of computer system. It then progresses to customising behind the times? Well, I’d probably still software. The copy of “Using Microsoft Windows 95 and the desktop, software be running Windows 3.11 if it hadn’t been Windows 95” which I review here is the installation and use, hardware installation, for the purchase of a flatbed scanner fourth edition. I figured it must have communication tools in Windows 95, which only came with Windows 95 drivers something going for it to make it to a fourth networking Windows 95 machines and (a Canon FB 310 scanner which was an edition. And I wasn’t wrong. finally two chapters covering Microsoft excellent buy, but that’s another story). The book is not an in depth technical Internet Explorer in some depth. There is So I’m a relatively new user of Windows reference for the hacker or nerd. Rather, it one short appendix on installing Windows 95 and I was personally keen to find a good is a very good practical user guide for 95 and a glossary at the end, as well as the book to get me up to speed fast. Even so, you those who want to jump in a get the most essential alphabetical. might be thinking why I’d bother reviewing a out of their day to day use of Windows Most chapters begin with a bit of book about an operating system (OS) that’s 95. It is aimed, according to the distributor, general introduction and some necessary one generation behind and three years old? at the ‘beginning to intermediate user’. I’d detail on how Windows works, then move Well, I suspect there may be many agree with this assessment. But, don’t let on to step-by-step descriptions of actually faithful Windows 95 users who don’t want this put you off. It covers a lot of features using features in the software, highlighting to fork out more than $100 for what is of the OS in depth, and probably to a tips — and where relevant, problems that essentially not much more than an upgrade degree that might run rings around many may arise (generally though, the book is (if I can believe what I hear). I reckon expert users. It also light on error messages). there’s also a lot of people out there covers differences Nothing is perfect though. A book of who don’t have the between various this type must have a good index because latest and releases of Windows when a niggling problem, or a crisis, crops greatest 95 including the up, most users will want to find information hardware, standard and OEM fast. The index appears to be very and therefore versions. thorough, but it did fail me one time when may not want At over 600 I tried to look up the “StartUp folder”. to give their pages, it looks There was no listing anywhere I looked, trusty machine daunting, but is but I do know that I read some useful tips a heart attack by well written and in the book on removing programs that infecting it with thoroughly automatically load when Windows 95 the latest bout of illustrated, starts. (By the way, the automatic loading bloatware. Finally, mostly with is achieved by having shortcuts in the an OS change screen shots StartUp folder, which is nested in one of scares the from Windows the subdirectories in the Windows folder). daylights out of 95 throughout Maybe I was just unlucky? me. I have had some the book (two The author also appears a little weak bad experiences in per page in in a few places on the more technical the past so I don’t many aspects of computing and computer take any fundamental places). I hardware. Fortunately, most of the errors change like that lightly read it from were minor and wouldn’t cause most users (luckily, my recent cover to any bother. For example, in the chapter of Windows 95 change cover, which installing printers, she refers to the printer went smoothly). Maybe is not something that’s port on the back of the computer as being all those Windows 95 always easy with computing books. But a 36 pin female connector (and the serial users out there are also n o t it’s a breeze with this one. port as either 9 or 25 pin male sockets). All completely confident about a faultless The sequence of chapters is logical printer ports on PCs that I’ve seen have upgrade to Windows 98, and will stick with and easy to follow, kicking off with the been standard DB 25 pin female sockets. what works?

20 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 The socket on the printer itself is, however, usually a 36 pin Centronics female socket. Frankly, the criticisms of the book fall into the ‘nit-picking’ category and should not be read as any significant down- grading of what is a very good working guide for Windows 95. The author is Kathy Ivens who has journalism background and has written more than three dozen books on computer subjects. She has ‘done time’ as a computing trainer but admits that “she still doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up”. The review copy was kindly provided by Prentice Hall Australia. Rating: *** (Rating scale ****: excellent, a classic; ***: good value; **: scrapes by; *: don’t waste your money) Title: Using Microsoft Windows 95 (Fourth Edition) Author: Kathy Ivens Publisher: Que Publication year: 1998 Price: A$59.95

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 21 the Group for several years, mostly President teaching introductory Internet Access, Vice President Win 95, and Desk Top Publishing. After this year’s somewhat difficult experience on the committee I have come to the conclusion that it is only with cohesive, cooperative and forward looking management that a group such as this will survive. To this end I have asked a number of like minded people to join me in a team effort to provide this management. Most importantly we have all agreed to work together as a team, accept majority decisions within the committee, and support these decisions outside the Ann Byrne Anne Greiner committee. Despite the fact I have only had a years ’ve been a member of the PCUG for I have tried to balance experience with break (sort of) from the PCUG Committee, nearly five years, but this is my first youthful vitality, the sexes, and different I’m like a bad smell – I keep coming back. Iyear on the PCUG Committee, having areas of expertise, and I am confident that My reason’s for nominating this year started the year as a co-opted ordinary this team if elected will be able to move are many and I won’t bore you with most member, and become Vice President upon with the times and provide a vigorous and of them, however I will say that it has been the resignation of Iain Gould, and acting innovative year's management to the very difficult to sit on the sidelines and President upon the departure of Ken group.The team is as follows: watch as a very few committee members Livingstone. take on the majority of work. If a committee I am a cytologist working in the Executive Committee: cannot work as a cohesive unit then it Anatomical Pathology Department of ACT Anne Greiner President defeats its whole purpose. Pathology at the Canberra Hospital. My Ann Byrne Vice President My main motive for restanding is to first computing experience was at the end Hugh Bambrick Secretary help bring that cohesiveness back to the of the 1960s with the Honeywell 800s and Rod Farr Treasurer Committee and have 14 people working 200s owned by the Department of Army as a unit, helping and supporting each at Russell, at the end of which stint I could Committee: other. I’m sure with Anne Greiner in the program in several languages and read Allan Mikkelsen, Presidents position that will happen and I punched cards and tape by eye! I Michael Lightfoot, would like to be a part of a team which is purchased one of the first Apple IIe David Schwabe, focused and moving forward. machines (which had as much memory, Peter Elliott, 128K, as my current electronic organizer) Tamsin Sowden, and continued the obsession, moving on Anne Meade, Secretary to PCs because that’s what I had at work , Ted Macarthur, thus setting the awful habit of taking work Nhan Tran, home. I was part of the team that won a David Voss, national Government Silver Technology Russell Kerrison. Award for the intergrated computerisation of Pathology at the then Woden Valley It is only in the absence of dissension Hospital and acrimony that any group cam move I have been Editor of Sixteen Bits for ahead, and I am confident in the abilities the last ten months (Assistant Editor of all this team, both executive committe before that), and have thoroughly enjoyed and committee, and I feel very strongly that task. In the last year I have also been that this team has a great deal to offer the the main meetings coordinator, until PCUG recently the committee person responsible for coordinating training, a trainer, until very recently the advertising manager, and Hugh Bambrick Many of you will recall that, after serving for the last three months or so the acting for six years on your Committee, I stepped President. I have worked as a trainer for aside as Secretary last year (in company

22 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 with other members of the then Steering Committee of the Canberra Forum Committee’s Executive) to allow a fresh for Faith and Work, an ecumenical body Committee batch of Committee members to lead the concerned particularly with ethics and the Group through 1998. Many of you will by workplace. I am also a Synod now know that this past year has not been Representative in the local Anglican an altogether pleasant one for that Diocese and a lay-member of the Clergy Committee and so I am willing, should you Appointments Board. My leisure interests so desire, to return to the Committee for include, inter alia, choral music, poetry and 1999 to assist in the healing process and, art; and I am married (with three adult with the salutary lessons of this past year children) to a senior university academic. firmly in mind, help enable once more the leadership you had come to expect of your Committee. As you all know, a cohesive, Treasurer cooperative and competent team approach Peter Elliott is the committee style which best fits a I’m Peter Elliott, a member of the PC Users Group such as ours and I have no Group and also a general committee hesitation in agreeing to be associated member. with Ann Byrne, Peter Elliott, Rod Farr, My main role within the Group is as Anne Greiner, Russell Kerrison, Michael the training coordinator. Lightfoot, Ted Macarthur, Anne Mead, This role involves the coordination of Allan Mikkelsen, David Schwabe, Tamsin trainers for weekend training courses. It Sowden, Nhan Tran and David Voss who mainly involves lots of email and phone are also seeking election to your calls to ensure that trainers are available Committee for 1999. for their courses and to discuss any For those of you who aren’t familiar changes with the course content. It with my background, I retired a while ago Rod Farr certainly keeps me busy. after some 30 years or so in the I have also at times written for the Commonwealth Public Service (mainly in I have been a member of the PCUG since 1987 (thank goodness PCUG member 16bits magazine on articles of interest to the Environment area) to involve myself the group. This month I’ve even roped in more fully in various voluntary pursuits. numbers incorporate the year of joining!). After a couple of years as a general my son to pen his first review of a kid’s My professional interests lie in the fields computer game (see this month’s 16 Bits of Geography and Internal Audit (Fellow, member of the Committee I was elected as Secretary last year trying to fill Hugh for his articles). Royal Geographical Society; Member, I believe that the Group is going ahead Chartered Institute of Transport; Bambrick’s shoes - a very difficult task. I have nominated as Treasurer for in leaps and bounds and whenever I can professional member, Institute of I’m telling people about the facilities and Australian Geographers; Member, 1998-99 as part of what I believe will be an excellent team for the Committee. I believe user support that the group can provide. Institute of Internal Auditors-Australia) I am also happy to be part of the new and I also have some recognised that the PCUG needs a positive approach to co-ordination and co-operation at all team that is lead by the present Vice- competence in the field of Market President, Anne Greiner. Research. My computing experience levels. I believe that the team that has began with post-graduate main-frame nominated can meet that need and activities in the early ’60s (it was all maintain and improve the Group for all Assembly language programming, members. punched cards and white coats in those Treasurer of a Group of the size of the days) and later, from the early ’80s, re- PCUG will never be a simple task. My 20+ commenced with Apples (IIe and Mac) years with the Department of Finance will and various PCs from 286s to Pentiums. stand me in good stead in carrying out Nowadays I’m mostly concerned with that task. But the Treasurer is one of a DTP and data bases as much of my non- team and the strong team headed by Anne PCUG voluntary work embraces the Greiner Ann Byrne and Hugh Bambrick preparation and production of newsletters will assist in every way. Russell Kerrison and brochures and the maintenance of I have been a member of the group since mailing lists. For many years I have been Basil Chupin 1989. My main contribution to the group a member of the Board of Governors of No profile or photograph received. has been the covers for Sixteen bits - a the Institute of Internal Auditors responsibility I’ve recently begun to share (Canberra Branch) and a member of the with Michael Sim. As a freelance designer,

continued on page 26 …

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 23 I have a strong print publishing general committee with my focus being TIP Management Committee, convenor of the background and I do a lot of work in management and promoting the return of the Internet daytime Demo and Discussion professional desktop (non-linear) video PCUG to its original motto of “Users Helping SIG, and I am the PCUG part of the TIP and post-production (special effects). I Users”. webmaster team. would bring a broad experience of I believe that the group can only multimedia and publishing to the progress in the coming year if the committee. While my primary goal in Committee agree to work as a team, accept joining the committee would be to assist majority decisions within the committee, the development of improved design, pre- and support these decisions outside the press and content of Sixteen Bits, I am committee. My personal hopes for the also keen to promote the group’s coming year are to see more continuous fundamental mission of “users helping improvement in TIP for the benefit of users.” Furthermore I believe the group subscribers in particular and PCUG has a role in facilitating activities and members in general. I would like to see interests shared by members - through facilities at the PCUG Centre expanded and Sixteen Bits, monthly meetings and special this great asset of the group put to better interest groups, I’d like to see some of the Anne Mead use. new and exiting applications of PC’s I have been a member of PCUG since 1997 I have enjoyed the contact with presented and discussed. after returning from overseas to live in numerous people I have met through Australia and specifically in Canberra. Coffee and Chat, the Internet Special I have very basic knowledge of Interest Group, and other PCUG activities. computing and whilst I am always eager I look forward to continuing this in the to increase that knowledge, I feel the coming year. committee needs a balance in its composition between those with advanced computing skills and those like myself who are beginners. As a user who has been helped by other users I would like to have the opportunity to put something back into the group. Please give me that opportunity by voting for me as a general committee member. Michael Lightfoot I have been a member of the PCUG since 1985. Over the years I have been active in most facets of PCUG activity, including the Ted Macarthur BBS, contributing to 16 Bits, volunteering for In 1978 Rob Ryder and I formed the various PCUG community activities, I was one of the founders of the OS/2 SIG and of Canberra Micro-80 computer group This course I was one of the builders and am one of group was one of the first personal the administrators of TIP. computer groups in the ACT dealing with I am a consultant specialising in the Unix the TRS-80 and similar computers. Also operating system and have worked with at that time I was part of the executive of computers professionally since 1985. I have MICSIG when Bill Caelie from the ANU been noodling around with computers since was chairman. In those days we were 1971 (who remembers George III?) and with mainly concerned with hardware. I joined PCs since 1984. Allan Mikkelsen the PCUG in 1985 after getting my first My chief reason for standing for the I have been a member of the PCUG since IBM style computer. PCUG committee is that, as one of the AUUG 1989 and of the Committee since the 1996 I have spent most of my life in the delegates on the TIP IPMC, I have witnessed AGM. My work background is in health field as a forensic pathologist. I the problems the PCUG committee has had computing, and I spent 30 years in the graduated from Sydney University in this past year with lack of volunteers, Australian Public Service in jobs such as 1951 and later spent five years working in committee infighting and a lack of managerial programmer, IT manager, and support Kansas City Missouri. My work has been control over PCUG activities. I have decided specialist. My academic background is in technically oriented rather than that the 1998-99 committee must consist of a mathematics, physics, and statistics with administrative. However, for many years, team that can all get on together, contains a some post-graduate studies in statistical I was in charge of a small dedicated group good mix of expertise, both technical and computing. I am now (semi)retired. of about twenty scientific and technical managerial, and has a vision for the future of My current positions with the group the PCUG. Consequently I am standing for people. I am married with two children include member of the Internet Project

24 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 and have lived and worked in Canberra a group for computer users that was run bureaucrats who refuse to move unless since 1959. by volunteers. all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed, I would like to join the team to meet the As I was entering the editing and will die a very slow death. The PCUG was demands that the group faces in the future. If writing profession at the time, I founded by users with visions. It’s time selected to be part of the PCUG committee, volunteered to help out with the for those with ideas and willing to work to my main aim will be to preserve and hopefully production of Sixteen Bits – and before I take the steering wheel again... improve the excellent service offered by the knew it, I was Managing Editor! The next PCUG to its members. five months were fun, educational (and tiring!) and I met many of the wonderful people who devote huge amounts of time to making the group work. I came to realise how important it is that a group like ours remain vibrant and retain its commitment to member service. If elected to the committee, I will focus on encouraging the group’s growth and vitality.

David Voss David Schwabe I am 36 years old, and employed as a I have served on the PCUG committee for Project Manager by Telstra. I recently the past 2 years and on the whole have graduated from the University of Canberra enjoyed the experience, although I would with a Bachelor of Management degree. I prefer to see more progress and less have been a member of PCUG for about 5 argument. years, and am currently PCUG Training I enjoy fixing computers rather than Room Manager. operating them, and have been involved I’m keen to ensure that the PCUG is in the Internet Clinicsfor several years, well managed and caters for all members, with a short break away from Canberra due especially those not currently taking Nhan Tran advantage of the SIGs or the training to work committments. I am the Training I have been a member of PCUG for almost courses. Room administrator for hardware and 9 years. I was elected into the Committee software, and am responsibile for last year but resigned a few months ago maintaining the Novell network and the in protest against the Committee in many machines that are attached to it. aspects. At that time, I even thought of Peter Watney I am 38 years of age, an electronics resigning from the group. There were (no photograph supplied) technician by profession and choice.and members who would sacrifice the group I have been a member of the PCUG since I don’t like cats!! for their selfish goals. There were members 1986, and was Treasurer of the Group from I am looking forward to the coming year who are so conversant in bureaucratese 1988 to 1994, for which service the Group on the committee in the spirit of users that they cannot understand the PCUG honoured me with Life Membership in helping users. motto “Users helping users” nor 1995. distinguish the difference between During the past year I have been able professional and commercial. There were to assist the Treasurer to develop members who put their personal vendetta accounts for TIP and PCUG that correctly above the benefits of the members and reflect the respective ownerships of AUUG the efficiency of the committee as a whole. and PCUG. Ann Byrne and Anne Greiner asked In the coming year it will be my me to give the group a second chance and endeavour to develop an internal audit talked me into accepting the nomination facility that will ensure greater to the Committee again. They have accountability for the Group. persuaded me that the team would work : together, manage the group as a true volunteer organisation, work for the Tamsin Sowden membership for a better future. I became a member of the PCUG two years An organisation managed by ago when I bought my first home managers who don’t know anything about computer. I can remember how impressed the products, or by accountants who only I was to read in The Canberra Times about care about the balance of the books, or by

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 25 Bits & Bytes

1. Home is where you hang your @ 2. The E-mail of the species is more deadly than the mail. 3. A journey of a thousand sites begins with a single click. 4. You can’t teach a new mouse old clicks. 5. Great groups from little icons grow. 6. Speak softly and carry a cellular phone. 7. C:\ is the root of all directories. 8. Don’t put all your hypes in one home page. 9. Pentium wise; pen and paper foolish. 10. The modem is the message. 11. Too many clicks spoil the browse. 12. The geek shall inherit the earth. 13. A chat has nine lives. 14. Don’t byte off more than you can view. 15. Fax is stranger than fiction. 16. What boots up must come down. 17. Windows will never cease. J

API - Time Magazine reports an interesting case of high-tech graffiti. It seems that a couple of Intel engineers working on the design of a recent version of the Pentium microprocessor included a message that describes their feelings about Bill Gates, president of Microsoft, a good corporate pal of Intel’s. When a portion of the Pentium chip is examined under a powerful scanning electron microscope, the phrase “bill sux” is clearly visible, etched into the surface of the chip. The “flaw” in the chip was only discovered by accident well after the chip was released into the market, too late for Intel to prevent the chip from being used in the manufacture of tens of thousands of PCs. Intel says that both engineers responsible were former employees of Motorola, makers of the chips that are the heart of the Apple Macintosh.

Both engineers have since been fired by Intel.

Full picture on http://www.idt.mdh.se/ kpt/billsux.jpg

26 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 …compiled by Victor Bushell

ongratulations to Ewen The equation C(C + H) = 120 + F where This month there are two puzzles Drummond, Martin D’Souza and C = cow, H = horse and F = fowl, reveals (diabolical delectations according to our C Edward Crossing for their that F cannot equal 2, the only even prime Editor) for your enjoyment. You can use solutions to the August puzzles. Ewen number, since C would then also have to moderately advanced maths to solve the has also kindly donated a book to help be 2 (which is not a different number), and first one, but there is a simpler solution. with the Puzzle Corner and Edward has then C + H would have to be 61. So F must The drill sergeant was drilling four of offered a nice logic puzzle for future be odd. Hence, either C or H must equal 2, his best soldiers, Arthur, Ben, Charles and inclusion. Many thanks Ewen and Edward. since the sum of the two would otherwise David, in precision marching for the I’d also like to thank Chris Fondum and be even. Clearly, H must be 2, since C = 2 upcoming Spring Festival parade. He had Peter Foster who were inadvertently would make the product even. We then them stand at the four respective corners missed from last month’s “mentioned in rewrite the equation as C2 + 2C - 120 = F A, B, C and D of the drill square, of side despatches”. and factorise to get (C + 12) ( C - 10) = F. 100 metres, while he himself stood at the The grazing cows is an excellent Now C - 10 must equal unity in order for F centre. “At the signal,” commanded the example of how a great amount of time to be prime, from which C = 11 and F = 23, sergeant, “you, A, start walking at this and effort can be saved and a seemingly the only possible solutions. Hence there pace (suiting the action to the word) always involved problem turned into a simple are 2 horses, 11 cows and 23 chickens. toward B, B keep walking at the same rate exercise by avoiding the extraneous, and To satisfy both the quart-potter and toward C, C toward D and D toward A. making adroit use only of the facts the half-galloner Farmer MacDonald can: When you all meet, we will see how far required. Although three different grazing Fill pot from can. Fill jug with water from each of you have walked.” situations are given, the first can be tap. Fill pot from jug. Add remaining When he gave the signal, he himself ignored since there are enough facts in contents of jug to can. Fill can with water. decided to march at the same pace toward the last two to furnish the answer in short Both can and pot are now full with a the midpoint of one of the edges of the order. This is because in each of these mixture comprising two parts of milk to yard and back again. cases the original growth and the new one of water. What happens? How far did they walk? growth over the same 5-week period are (As Edward Crossing so rightly Explain. consumed, which means that the total pointed out, it’s drawing a rather long bow This one is short but not that obvious. grass eaten is proportional to the acreage, to describe Farmer MacDonald as just and Why must a house whose rooms each so that the unknown number of cows eat honest. Not only that, but that his cows have an even number of doors likewise 5/2 as much as the 8 cows, in 5/3 the time, must have given wonderful milk for him to have an even number of outside entrance requiring 3/2 as many cows or 12. The be able to dilute it by a ratio of 2 parts milk doors? superfluous facts given establish the ratio to 1 part water, and apparently get away I remind all contributors that I am between the original growth per acre and with it. I contacted Farmer MacDonald for always on the lookout for suitable puzzles. rate of new growth etc., but this and other his response but he is thinking of entering Please send your comments, requests for interesting relations are neither asked for politics and refused to comment further. help, solution and method to : nor necessary to the solution. O tempora. O mores.) [email protected]. Good luck.

Ten Years ago in Sixteen Bits

Compiled by Andrew Clayton from: Volume 5, Number 9, September 1988.

eof Cadogan-Cowper mentioned in the editorial, the A 44MB hard disk was worth $1150. pitfalls of piracy, and the responsibility of people to Michael Lightfoot wrote about the confusing nature of Gpay for software that they use “Use any software Unix version numbers and the wayward nature of difference you can get your hands on; for evaluation. If you begin to Unices ‘ownership’ between AT&T, Berkeley, IBM, and OSF use its facilities regularly, buy it, or a cheaper substitute”. (way before Linus Torvalds embarked upon his Linux project). Peter King wrote an article on the shareware Unrelated Trivia: Altavista reports its WWW database phenomenon. Tony Solazzo did a large article on Hardware holds 5,032,707 occurrences of “1988” and 15,710,957 Basics (80286, 80386, 68000, RAM, ROM, Floppy Disks, Hard mentions of “history”. Dejanews reports that its database Disks, special Keyboard keys, Mouse, Monitors, Video, of news articles contains 380,000 references to “1988”, and Printers, Modems and Networks). Norm Hamer wrote about 3,100,000 reference to “history”. top-down programming in C, and Karl Auer wrote about : Macros (#define) in C.

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 27 SOFTWARE

LIBRARY Phil Trudinger

Phil Trudinger Ph: 6248 8939 (11am-6pm) Email: [email protected]

NEW AND UPDATED WINDOWS FILES

(Files marked with an asterisk require Windows 95)

AUDIO

ACID11* (2066860 bytes) Acid WAV 1.1 is an advanced sound editor and synthesiser featuring an intuitive user interface, visual scripting and many powerful synthesis and editing functions. Requires Win95/NT, and a Pentium recommended. Reg Fee $45 MN22* (3785927 bytes) CARDS AND LABELS ML24* (1787618 bytes) MIDInight Express II 2.2 is a real time BCDW32* (945752 bytes) Mellosoftron II 2.4 turns your Win95 PC into wavetable MIDI player MID to WAV a sampler which can be played live with a renderer. This allows you to get wavetable Business Card Designer Plus (32-bit) 5.50 MIDI keyboard, the computer keyboard, or a sound without a wavetable card. Requires allows you to create business cards on any mouse. It also functions as a patch editor. Win95. Reg Fee $0 Windows compatible printer. Features include Requires a sound card capable of playing 16- N_TRACK* (1182649 bytes) templates for quick card creation, PCX/WMF/ bit 22050 Hz digital audio, DirectSound 3 or n-Track 2.2.17 is a powerful multi-track BMP graphic support, drag and drop later, a hard disk, and a 486+. Reg Fee $29 recording package for Win95. Features include support, print preview, and much more. Reg “on the fly” mixing of WAV files, unlimited Fee $30 track potential, the ability to use MIDI files as CDBOXL98* (1853396 bytes) a base while recording other tracks, the ability CD Box Labeler 98 2.4.5 prints jewel box Please Note to use a WAV file editor to add effects to The files described in this article are on the labels for CD-ROMs. You can edit text, use July 1998 CD-ROM (PsL Vol 6, #7) which tracks, and much more. Requires a full-duplex every font installed on your system, load is currently on the Bulletin Board: All are sound card, a hard disk, and a microphone. Reg images, and more. Requires Win95/NT. Reg ZIP files. Fee $28 Fee $20 The text files, CD1 to 7 inclusive, in Area SCRNDNC2* (2625122 bytes) LCAM250* (918739 bytes) 1 of the Bulletin Board, are the monthly ScreenDance 98 2.00 is a unique music Labels, Cards and More (32-bit) 2.50 allows CD-ROM file lists. animation/audio CD player for Win95/NT. you to create labels, business cards, index Reminder Features include a sound mixer, disc/track title cards, rolodex cards, envelopes, full page Most CD-ROM programs are Shareware. A database, a library of sound-activated displays and anything else you can think of reasonable time (generally one month) is animations, optional microphone input, and on your laser or inkjet printer. Features allowed for evaluation, but if you continue more. Reg Fee $35 include pre-defined or custom layouts, print to use a program beyond this time you should comply with the author’s conditions VAFFWAV (148291 bytes) preview, BMP/PCX/WMF graphic support, that usually require payment of a registration VaffwaV helps to estimate the filesize of your and much more. Reg Fee $25 fee. Bear in mind that this is the only way wavs, before you start to sample them. It by which an author receives any reward for incorporates the most common sample rates, his/her efforts. Unless otherwise stated as well as mono-, stereo-, and 8-16 bits. Reg registration fees are in US dollars. Fee $0

28 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 COMMUNICATIONS

ANJAVA10 (1169032 bytes) Anfy Java 1.0 adds a touch of magic to your HTML pages, with special effects such as Lake, Water, Fire, 3D cube menu, crossfade banners and more. It has an easy and intuitive interface that let you customise your GIF or JPG images with the required special effects. Reg Fee $20 ISPEED10 (783166 bytes) iSpeed 1.0 will easily allow you to fine tune your TCP/IP parameters to maximise your throughput for your dialup Internet connect- ions. Reg Fee $0 ISPSPD98 (2605897 bytes) ISPSpeed98 helps determine the real speed of your Internet Service Provider, showing you the actual speed in bytes/second and the average in the last minute for outgoing and ingoing data. Reg Fee $15 LOOKATME (1957533 bytes) the way that allow you to burn a clear path control the cue stick by mouse or keyboard Look@Me 1.0 allows you to send and receive through the webs. Reg Fee $5 action, and regulate the striking cue ball recorded video and audio over the Internet. CLASSPEG (207588 bytes) activity with four different cue ball hits. The You record yourself on the computer using a Classic Peg Solitaire 1.0 is a board game where striking force is easily determined by a video camera. After capturing, the recorded you try to remove all the pegs by jumping strength level indicator. The excellent graphics video stream is sent to a recipient via email. over one with each move. Several different and sound effects add to the overall fun of this The recipient can play back the recorded board layouts are provided. Reg Fee $10 game. Reg Fee $20 stream on their computer just by double TRIGAMES (1908230 bytes) clicking the executable file attached to the DSHROOMS (1060772 bytes) email. Reg Fee $20 Shrooms challenges you to move a mushroom 3 Basic Games 1.0 provides three simple games: Guess a Number, Rock-Scissors- QUERYN (1584459 bytes) character “Spike” through a cave filled with beer and cookies. Boulders block your way, Paper, and Hangman. Reg Fee $? QueryN MetaSearch 2.0 sends your Internet and you only have the strength to move them TSP20 (3702325 bytes) searches to nine of the largest search engines. when you eat a cookie. Each level becomes It can also narrow your search by reporting if Turbo Solve! Pro 2.0 is a powerful word- increasingly harder as you progress. Reg Fee a particular hit shows up on more than one puzzle solving program for Win’95/NT, $5-$8 search engine. This is an excellent timesaver. capable of solving a wide variety of word Reg Fee $20 KCHEL11 (760800 bytes) puzzles including crosswords, anagrams, in- words, pair-up puzzles, word searches, etc. ZOW308* (871850 bytes) K-Chess Elite 1.10 is a powerful and versatile chess program designed to help you play Features include a 140,000 word core ZOC (32-bit) 3.08 is a powerful communicat- better. It is ideal for casual players, children dictionary, user dictionary facilities and a 5 ions package for Win95/NT. Features include learning to play chess, and anyone wanting to million synonym thesaurus. Reg Fee $45 support for a wide variety of file transfer improve their game. Features include lots of protocols, solid terminal emulation, an online GRAPHICS help and hints, the ability to set time limits JPG/GIF viewer, ISDN and telnet support, a and playing strength, printing options, the phone book with up to 500 entries, and more. ALL_ICL* (2624240 bytes) ability to undo/redo moves, and much more. Reg Fee $71 Both 16- and 32-bit versions are included. Reg Desktop Wizard is a large collection of 256- colour icons for Win95/NT. They are grouped GAMES Fee $45 by subject (Batman, Baseball, Beatles, etc.), PACWIN22 (53058 bytes) and are in ICL format. An icon colour level ALI_BABA (113206 bytes) PacWin 2.2 is a fun version of the classic dot- editor is included. Reg Fee $0 gobbling arcade game. Reg Fee $12 Ali Baba 1.0 is a fun game that challenges you NGCHAR19 (369457 bytes) to find the treasure hidden in the deep woods. POOL50 (241747 bytes) Each click on a space reveals either a clear Chartist 1.9 is a comprehensive flow charting Challenge Pool for Windows 5.0 is a realistic path, or a path blocked by a thief or spider and organisation charting package for Win- simulation of the game of 9-ball. You can fully webs. You may find a box of matches along dows. Reg Fee $59

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 29 y

OM241* (276028 bytes) TXP32322* (1399624 bytes) ind. variables. Choose from over 150 built in Optimal Mandelbrot 2.41 allows rapid TextPad (32-bit) 3.2.2 is a powerful text models, or define your own. Results include navigation of the well-known Mandelbrot editor for Win95/NT. It can handle files with 2D/3D plots, and a variety of statistical fractal, under Win95/NT. Reg Fee $15 up to 32,000 lines of 4095 characters, with parameters. Reg Fee $70-$3000 SPINBMP* (188728 bytes) multiple simultaneous edits and up to two EMTCNR3* (1155346 bytes) views on each document. Other features Spin Palette BMP 1.2.00 helps you create Easy Measurement and Temperature include full undo/redo facilities, print preview- animated startup and shutdown screens for Converter 3.0 allows you to easily convert ing, a toolbar for frequently-used commands, a Win95. Reg Fee $0 temperature, mass, area, pressure, volume, built-in file manger, support for Unix and speed and more. Requires Win95/NT. Reg Fee EDITORS Macintosh text file formats, drag and drop $10-$12 support, and much more. Reg Fee $27-$35 KALK32* (648175 bytes) GCATWN43 (180455 bytes) MATHS Kalkulator (32-bit) 2.12 is a powerful Graphcat 4.3 contains macros that can create scientific/engineering calculator for Win95/NT. pictorial catalogs of clip art in WordPerfect for C9845W* (221971 bytes) Features include more than 100 functions, Windows 5.2+. All graphics formats readable Calc98 (32-bit) 4.50 is a 32-bit Windows column-wise operations on statistical data, by WP/WIN are supported, and can easily be scientific/engineering calculator with a wide linear algebra, unit conversion, save and set up in columns as a pictorial catalog. Reg range of built-in units conversions and restore functions, and more. Reg Fee $40 Fee $20 physical constants. Reg Fee $25 MATHW10 (2364054 bytes) LWRIT20 (4330044 bytes) CAL32_15* (246223 bytes) Animated Math for Windows 1.00 teaches Letter Writer 2.0a is an easy-to-use text editor Vinny RPN Calculator 1.15 is a 32-bit counting, addition and subtraction with for Windows. Features include a built-in spell calculator for science and engineering students. animated rewards every step of the way. checker, support for long file names even in It allows direct use of key pad digits, [+,-,*,/] After ten correct answers, the player can visit Win31, support for RTF and ASCII text, and keys, [Enter] and [Up/Down Arrow & Page] a gameroom with colouring books, music, and much more. Comes with ready-to-use keys. Trigonometric and logarithmic functions more. This is not just a drill, but a tutorial that business letters and forms for various are provided by mouse clicking on dialog box gives graphic help as needed. Reg Fee $15 occasions. Reg Fee $20 buttons. Linkage to other applications is MISCELLANEOUS TXEDIT* (179649 bytes) available through use of the Windows TxEdit (32-bit) 4.2 is an easy-to-use text clipboard. Reg Fee $5 2DAY601* (3623539 bytes) editor that makes a nice replacement for the DTFT511 (5652742 bytes) Win95 Notepad. Features include the ability Visual Day Planner 6.01 is a customisable DataFit 5.11 performs nonlinear regression to view/edit multiple documents, search and calendar program for Win95 that provides (curve fitting) with 2D/3D plotting capability. replace options, drag and drop support, Mac/ scheduling, events, memos and appointments. Its Intuitive interface allows you to easily Unix file support, and more. Reg Fee $0 Other features include WYSIWYG printing perform regression analysis on data with 1-9 capabilities, MIDI and WAV alarm support, drag and drop support, and much more. Reg Fee $30 BOOKS16 (938896 bytes) The Books 1.10 is a database system that allows you to track your personal library. It keeps track of what books you have, where they are, who wrote them, whether you have read them or loaned them, and how much you paid for them. It can also print a variety of reports for the books you have entered. Reg Fee $20 DANICUR5* (97928 bytes) Danicurs 5 includes 120 fascinating static 256- colours cursors for Win95/NT. Enjoy the cool kaleidoscope of colours and the fantastic effects. Reg Fee $5 CFTW229X* (2697241 bytes) Cumberland Family Tree for Windows 2.29 is an easy-to-use genealogy program. It creates unique “story” reports which turn dry data into a more readable form. It can track many

30 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 major events in a person’s life including birth, death, education, immigrations, marriages, and divorces. Other features include the ability to attach scanned photos to records, scanned document support, the ability to create an indexed book with 30 different reports, and more. Reg Fee $50-$64 ELECTMND (6072917 bytes) The Electric Mind 1.0a is a creativity/ brainstorming package for Windows. It uses a variety of techniques to help you generate ideas and promote creative thinking, based on the idea of suspending judgment and produc- ing as many ideas as possible in a short time. Reg Fee $15-$19 GCKWIN80 (613192 bytes) GeoClock for Windows 8.0 shows the current time (based on your computer’s clock) with a high quality map of the earth. The current sun position is displayed, and the parts of the earth in sunlight and twilight are highlighted. This display is automatically updated every few seconds. Local sunrise, sunset, the sun’s SCREEN SAVERS azimuth and elevation, and times around the PROMEMO (457818 bytes) world are also displayed. A variety of map ProMemo 1.4 is an appointment reminder for 3DVA (2582084 bytes) backgrounds and other options are available. Windows. You simply set a text note and the Reg Fee $35 3D Virtual Aquarium 1.0 is a beautiful screen starting date when you want to be notified. At saver that allows you to view five fish as they LPP32* (1718254 bytes) the specified day a note will pop up on your swim through a 3D underwater world. Le Paint Petite (32-bit) is a 256-colour paint desktop. Reg Fee $25 Brazilian MIDI music plays in the back- program for children. It occupies the full SBIC30EX (3364299 bytes) ground. Reg Fee $5 screen to help prevent the child from going to Small Business Inventory Control 3.00 is a ADDICT7 (1053521 bytes) other applications. Features include unique comprehensive inventory package for graphic special effects, rubber stamps, various Addicted is a screen saver for Windows that Windows. It allows you to keep detailed screen erasers, fun sound effects, the ability to displays intensely-coloured psychedelic information on vendors, items, and customers. load/save/print images, and more. This is an images on your desktop. Reg Fee $10 A sample data file is included to help get you excellent program, with many creative options started. Reg Fee $99 AUBSCR1 (1839633 bytes) to keep the little ones busy for hours. SEEDW16 (986275 bytes) Aubrey Beardsley Screen Saver 1.0 displays Requires Win95/NT. Reg Fee $25 drawings by Victorian artist Aubrey LTBW32 (956589 bytes) The Seed Program for Windows 2.3 is a Beardsley on your Windows desktop. Reg comprehensive database system for garden Fee $16 Lender’s ToolBox for Windows 4.0 provides a seeds. It can keep track of what seeds you suite of tools for both lenders and borrowers. have purchased, where they are from, how old C11SV115 (1977792 bytes) It includes a loan calculator that allows they are and what seeds you need to buy. It Birds Screen Saver 1.15 displays photo- extensive “what-if” scenarios. You can can print a planting schedule for the seeds you graphic images of birds on your desktop. You amortise with normal P&I or fixed principal have entered, so you know exactly when and can add or remove images, adjust timing, and payments on a bi-weekly, monthly, semi- how to plant all of your seeds. The database titles. Reg Fee $15-$40 monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual includes extensive information on a wide CLD3032X (156449 bytes) basis using 30 day months or exact days variety of vegetable and herb seeds. Reg Fee between payment dates. Reg Fee $45 Fractal Clouds 3.0 is a screen saver that $25 generates beautiful random “clouds” on the MEMBRPRO (5006189 bytes) XTC204 (1099343 bytes) screen in an endless variety of forms and MembershipPro 4.0 is a database application XTrkCad 2.0.4 helps you design model colours. Both 16- and 32-bit versions are specifically targeted toward membership railroad layouts. Features include support for provided. Reg Fee $10 maintenance, query and reporting. Features any scale, pan/zoom options, printouts in any EGYPSCR (1754609 bytes) include print preview, password support, scale, 99 drawing layers, and much more. Reg customisable screens, and much more. Reg Fee Ancient Egypt Screen Saver 1.0 displays Fee $70 $50 pictures, photos and drawings into an

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 31 animated tribute to the Pharaohs. 256 colours UTILITIES sorting, path reduction, confirmation and or higher recommended. Reg Fee $16 filtering. Reg Fee $35 MANTSCR1 (1584476 bytes) 1STNOT11* (1291924 bytes) BDSE15 (1632468 bytes) Andrea Mantegna Screen Saver 1.0 displays a 1stNote 1.1 provides virtual sticky notes on BigDisk 1.50 allows the PC to read all its hard beautiful Renaissance fresco on your Win- your desktop in any size, colour, or number. drives as one big drive. This supports Jaz, dows desktop. This magnificent painting was You can also add an alarm time to each note. Zip and Syquest. Reg Fee $? designed with a perspective to make you feel Other features include printing support, BTQTBAR (213508 bytes) you are outdoors, and clouds float past to sound, and import/export capabilities. Quick Bar 2.0a is a powerful Task Manager enhance that effect. Comes complete with a Requires Win95/NT. Reg Fee $20 replacement for WIN31. Features include gallery of other works by Mantegna. Reg Fee ADDREM10* (107991 bytes) popup menus for predefined tasks, the ability $16 Add/Remove 4Good 1.0 helps removed to import your Program Manager Groups, a installed programs in Win95. It has a slick and SECURITY “fast exit” option, one-button access to DOS, easy to use user interface with fast access date/time display, and much more. Reg Fee AVP32EVL* (1863643 bytes) from the system tray. It tries first to uninstall $20 the application and only later (if necessary) FILEWTCH (881571 bytes) AntiViral Toolkit Pro for Win95/NT 3.0 is a forces the application out of the Add/Remove virus scanner which detects thousands of list. You also get a history log that lists all the fileWATCH 3.0 monitors the hard drives on viruses and trojans. It can also scan for viruses applications that were uninstalled. your system using saved image files and within ZIP, ARJ, LZH, and RAR archives (4Developers) Reg Fee $13 reports extra, missing, and changed files. This and other compressed format. Reg Fee $25+ can be used to monitor program installations BACKR402* (1367950 bytes) BACKUPLT (289818 bytes) to see where files are scattered or even watch Backer 4.02 is a Win95 utility for comparing, what files are tampered with over time. Reg BackupLatest 3.0 helps recover from a synchronising and updating files between any Fee $10 computer crash. You can backup recently kind of data media via a network, disk, or KTEXT114 (415734 bytes) modified files from a user selected directory cable. It uses file creation dates for compar- on a floppy or other drive without the hassle ison. Other features include interactive KeyText (32-bit) 1.14 is a keyboard macro of moving the hard drive to a working machine selection of included or excluded files, file program with hotkey, multiple clipboard, or using tape backups. The backup can be run types and directories, several options for random quote and keypad features. It can also minimised and can be run automatically when click buttons, run programs, display mess- the machine starts. Requires the VB5 ages, go to Internet URLs, etc. It can schedule runtimes. Reg Fee $0 ERS98* (2286779 bytes) Emergency Recovery System (32-bit) 8.1 is a reliable backup and restore package for Win95 system files and Registry. Reg Fee $30 PTRACK* (1049990 bytes) Password Tracker Deluxe 3.42 helps to keep track of all your passwords in Win95/NT. Features include the ability to automatically send the password to the program, notificat- ion when passwords expire, and password protection of the tracking list. Reg Fee $15 REGREP24 (831608 bytes) RegRepair 2000 2.4 repairs, restores and changes entries in the Registry. It also diagnoses and repairs IOS Errors. Reg Fee $30 WINCRY95* (665170 bytes) WinCrypt 95/IDEA 2.0 is a file encryption/ decryption package for Win95. Features include drag and drop support, the ability to use both identical and different passwords, the ability to integrate with Explorer, and more. Reg Fee $55

32 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 ability to drag and drop to/from the desktop and Explorer, and more. Reg Fee $39 NEW AND UPDATED DOS PROGRAMS

ACNSOF1 (2212751 bytes) Acnsof Accounting Suite is a set of 49 accounting programs consisting of various combinations of suite options. Cash basis personal or business accounting is the core program. There are 24 programs made from the suite options for General Ledger, Financial Statements, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Payroll. Reg Fee $various COELI386 (831203 bytes) Coeli Electric Planisphere 3.86 combines practical ephemeris and planetarium with a real-time star chart to provide a Super VGA model of the skies as seen from Earth. You items to run programs, display alarms, and amount of time the battery can hold, and may view the heavens from any place or time more. Reg Fee $25 recalibrates its estimation each time the with advanced star/constellation search inside MDRW9510* (983758 bytes) battery level drops and keeps a record on it. a point and click interface. A separate VESA You can set it to be always on top of every Modem Doctor for Win95 1.0 provides over driver must be pre-installed. Reg Fee $39 other program or to hide all the buttons to 60 tests for your modem and serial port. This COLOSSO3 (2767516 bytes) conserve previous screen space. Requires the includes built-in shortcuts to TAPI, Internet VB5 Runtimes. Reg Fee $5 Colosso Secret 1.0 is an action adventure 3D and Port Settings, allowing easy changes to game where you must fight your way to communications-specific settings in Win95. SHDN331* (881403 bytes) uncover the Colosso Secret. Features include Other features: detailed summary of Win95 ShutDown NOW! 3.31 provides a system 256-colour graphics, weapons, sounds, music, registry settings, automatic detection of active tray icon that allows you to exit Windows and smooth scrolling action. Reg Fee $25 serial/modem devices, extensive and detailed with a double-click. Other options include the UPCOPY61 (102569 bytes) interactive Help file, and more. Reg Fee $25 ability to disable the startup and shutdown UpCopy 6.1 copies new files from one MSASDFT* (986972 bytes) logos, two different timers that allow you to exit Windows at a specific time, and the location to another in both directions. It asks MSA-Y2K 1.0.0.1 sets your Windows 95 ability to run an application before closing. questions, shows file information and can date settings to the correct Year 2000 Requires Win95/NT. Reg Fee $15 show file comparisons before doing this. compliant format/s. Reg Fee $0 Launching the program without parameters UNZIP95S* (454378 bytes) PANEKILL* (263095 bytes) invokes a standard DOS windowed interface FlashPoint Windows UnZIP95 2.04 adds PaneKiller 1.24 gives you easy, configurable, with scrolling, scroll-back, mouse support, easy-to-use unzip commands to the Win95 menu-like access to every document and etc. Reg Fee $25 Explorer. You can simply right-click on a Zip application available on your computer from V2 (98164 bytes) archive and choose to extract it, check its the Win95 taskbar. Reg Fee $20 integrity, display comments and more. Reg Virtua School 1.22 is a fun text adventure PKEYBL* (522496 bytes) Fee $20 game where you assume the role of a high school student trying to survive your first day Perfect Keyboard 2.01 allows you to create a WATERFAL* (119269 bytes) file of frequently used phrases, paragraphs, or at school. You start the day with one friend Waterfall 1.23 helps decrease your CPU email addresses to use in any application just and $20 and try to gain new friends and not go temperature by using advanced instructions by typing an abbreviation or pressing a hot broke. Reg Fee $? found in Intel, Cyrix, AMD and IDT CPUs key. It supports macro recording (keyboard WCLIP20 (403826 bytes) (Pentium or later) to make them run much and/or mouse events), has its own script cooler, without any loss in performance or Wood Clips Sampler 1 2.00 is a collection of commands for insertion of time and date, stability. Requires Win95/98. Reg Fee $? graphics files for WordPerfect for DOS or activation of windows, and launching Windows. Reg Fee $29 applications. Requires Win95/NT. Reg Fee $? WC32V351* (1127951 bytes) PWRCTR01 (268175 bytes) Windows Commander (32-bit) 3.51 is a file management package for Win95/NT. Features Power Center 1.00 helps you manage your include and internal ZIP packer, support for laptop computer battery. It can estimate the ZIP/ARJ/LHA/RAR/UC2 archives, the

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 33 Compiled by Malcolm Morrison

Well, It Is Different the Start menu by removing broken or non- Bill Broadens the Management Team So is the homepage. existent links and empty folders. RockCity says it has •Compressed Folders is an archive tool that reduced the PC to an lets users save disk space by simply 11 inch cube that looks dragging and dropping files. Compressed more like a sculpture folders look and act like regular Windows than a boring, beige folders but offer up to 90 percent box. It claims a 233 compression. MHz MMX Plus! 98 also includes the following features Processor that’s fast, to make the Windows-based computing simple, and experience even more fun and entertaining: upgradeable to 300 •New themes allow users to customise their MHz, 32 MB SDRAM and expandable to PC’s wallpaper, screen savers, cursors and 384 MB, a 3 GB IDE Hard Drive with 2 sounds. These include such popular cartoon extra expansion slots so you can easily add themes as Cathy, Doonesbury, FoxTrot, more storage, 32x CD-ROM, wireless Garfield and Peanuts, as well as other keyboard with touch-button pointer so you exciting themes. In addition, the Direct3D sit where you want. API-accelerated Organic Art screen savers There are lots more from Computer Artworks Ltd. provide users goodies all in an with dynamic and exciting computer art. aircraft grade •Deluxe CD player, which plays music CDs aluminium case and while automatically downloading the title, In a move designed to broaden his basemount. Its as artist and song names from the Internet, management team to take advantage of future good as redecorating makes finding information about music, opportunities, Microsoft Chairman and the room. The artists and genres easy through the linked CEO Bill Gates has appointed Steven A. software suite Web sites Billboard Online, MusicBlvd.com Ballmer president of Microsoft. Ballmer, including Windows and Tunes.com. who has played a variety of key roles at 95 and the Rock Microsoft since joining the company in City games combo. It should be coming to 1980, was most recently executive vice Australia, so get right to it! Try president of sales and support. www.rockcity.net for details. Ballmer’s promotion is part of Gates’ plan to broaden Microsoft’s leadership and Microsoft Plus! 98 position the company to take advantage of Microsoft has announced the availability of new growth opportunities and to be more Microsoft® Plus! 98 to provide powerful responsive to customer needs as they utilities which extend the “self-maintenance” continue to change and evolve. By features in Windows 98. Plus! 98 offers the appointing Ballmer president, Gates will following: have more time to focus on Microsoft’s •Network Associates’ McAfee VirusScan •Picture It! Express, a basic version of long-term vision and product strategy. software, with six months of free updates, is Microsoft Picture It! personal imaging In a memo distributed to employees this integrated with the Windows 98 software, lets users edit and store their morning, Gates said, “The majority of my Maintenance Wizard to make scanning for favourite images, soften edges, adjust time will be spent with our product groups, viruses easy and trouble-free. contrast, and even get rid of “red eye” from devising the technologies and products of the •File Cleaner, licensed from CyberMedia photographs. future.” He continued, “We can all be Inc., was added to the Windows 98 Disk •Popular games include Microsoft Golf 1998 incredibly proud of what we’ve built so far. Cleanup feature to further optimise hard Lite, the intense Spider Solitaire and the fast- But the future opportunities will far surpass drive space by offering suggestions for files paced Lose Your Marbles™ from SegaSoft everything we’ve achieved to date. I’m more that can be deleted. Networks Inc. enthusiastic about and committed to •Start Menu Cleaner, also added to the Estimated retail pricing for Plus! 98 is A$69. Microsoft than I’ve ever been.” Windows 98 Maintenance Wizard, cleans up For more information on Windows 98, visit Gates described Ballmer’s promotion as a www.windows98.com.au. formal recognition of the role he has long

34 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 played at Microsoft, and said that his Latest Palm PCs The utility will search for information in responsibilities will include “boosting the Palm-size PCs powered by Microsoft® both local and public domains - including the business discipline and performance of all Windows® CE 2.0 gives you immediate Internet, e-mail, and more than 100 our businesses.” Gates added that he and access to your most vital business and document and file types — without changing Ballmer will concentrate jointly on bringing personal information. You can go anywhere applications. With the addition of AltaVista, “renewed focus and energy to Microsoft’s and do anything–taking your Calendar, three of the top Internet search-engine working environment, so that we are even Contacts, Tasks, Inbox, Internet, and companies are now Inxight customers. more responsive to changing customer needs intranet information with you. Palm-size PC Inxight Summarizer generates real-time and new technologies.” Nathan Myhrvold, carries it all in one convenient, palm-sized indicative summaries for any application Microsoft’s chief technology officer, will design with easy-to-use, one-handed that has high volumes of information, continue to report to Gates. operation including information retrieval, on-line Revolutionary ActiveSync™ data content delivery or directories, digital Kodak Photo CD Revolution replication technology, included in Windows libraries, electronic publishing and file CE version 2.0 on your Palm-size PC, system management. provides effortless synchronization. Just Xerox Sorts your Photos connect your Palm-size PC to your computer at home or in the office, your laptop on the road, or even via a modem or Kodak’s revolutionary new system includes your network, and ActiveSync continuously both consumer and commercial applications. and automatically updates your contacts, It is used by photofinishers to record 35 mm calendar, tasks, electronic mail (including photographic images on compact disc. End attachments), and notes. You don’t push any users can then use a KODAK Photo CD buttons or activate any software to make it player (which will also play audio CDs) to happen. You always have the most current display these photographic-quality images ScanSoft, Inc., a Xerox company, has information at your fingertips and at your on their home televisions, or a CD-ROM announced the immediate availability of desk–automatically! XA drive to display them on their com- Pagis ScanWorks, the first software program puters. for home users that combines both full- End users can also obtain prints and featured photo editing and file management. enlargements from photos stored on Photo Pagis ScanWorks lets users edit, organize, CD discs. Photo CD development tools and and share photos and documents via fax, e- desktop accessories from Kodak will let mail, and the Web. Priced at just $49.99 (in developers and users take full advantage of the US), ScanWorks will enable home this new technology, by incorporating high- scanner users to create with their photos, quality, color Photo CD images into a manage their documents, and send these files variety of business and publishing app- with ease. lications using Macintosh and PC-based ScanWorks combines the document scanning systems, and by developing entirely new power of Pagis with full-featured photo applications where these images will be editing from MGI Corp.’s PhotoSuite, and The stuff-it-in-your-shirt-pocket, -briefcase, invaluable for education, real estate, travel, one-button color copies using Pagis Copier. or -anywhere else Palm-size PC provides insurance, security, and more. Pagis enables users to scan and organize their secure connectivity and access to your •Affordable access to excellent images, with documents in the Windows Explorer file desktop, your company network, the the color you expect from Kodak system, eliminating such scanning barriers as Internet, and other portable PC devices like •Rapid image display and retrieval poor image quality, large files, and the the H/PC. It’s quick and easy to take your •Support for current and future display challenge of locating scanned files. PhotoSuit personal information with you wherever you formats enables users to edit scanned photos to go. See www.microsoft.com/windowsce/ppc •High-quality continuous-tone printing create personalized calendars, sports cards, information on the latest information on •Consistent and optimum image quality magazine covers, greeting cards, business palm tops. •Image duplication without degradation ads, flyers, and presentations. Pagis Copier •Multi-platform support Alta Vista TurboCharged provides convenient, one-button copies right You can also bring visual excitement to all Inxight Software, Inc, a Xerox New from the desktop using a scanner and color your presentations with the power and Enterprise Company, has announced printer. versatility of the KODAK Photo CD Compaq Computer Corporation’s powerful ScanWorks is able to save users hard disk Portable Player N2000. AltaVista Search Service will use Inxight space with SmartCompression technology Summarizer — text analysis software that that enables large files to be compressed into intelligently extracts key sentences from very small files – as much as 20 times documents. smaller. Visit the web site at www.pagis.com. :

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 35 The Internet Project

Applicant Details (mandatory) Important Notes - please read 1. Access to The Internet Project is available only to First Name members of PCUG or AUUG and is governed by the Internet Project Acceptable Use Policy, copies of which Last Name can be obtained at the PCUG Centre, or downloaded Principal Organisation from the PCUG BBS or from The Internet Project. q AUUG q PCUG 2. The Internet Project is managed and administered by Membership Number volunteers. The Internet Project aims to offer affordable access to as many members as possible, allowing I, the applicant, declare that I have read the terms of this application, and affirm that the details that I have members to experience all the resources of the Internet. provided are correct. No minimum level of access or service is offered or guaranteed. 3. There is a limit of one Internet account per non- Signed: corporate membership. Corporate members may sponsor Existing Accounts up to three individuals, who are then personally responsible for the operation of their accounts. Please q Change from LIMITED to FULL ACCESS complete one application for each person. q Renewal for FULL ACCESS - 12 months 4. Part of your email address will be determined by the principal organisation. If your membership of that Current Login Name organisation expires, so too does your membership of New Accounts The Internet Project. In this event, no refunds for unused allocation will be made. q NEW Application for FULL ACCESS 5. The Internet Project reserves the right to alter prices and q services offered at any time. Fees paid for Internet access NEW Application for LIMITED ACCESS are non-refundable and non-transferable. Login name request, in order of preference (optional) Access Categories 1. 6. Note: Hours debited do not necessarily equate to real hours on-line; time allocation will be debited in a non- 2. linear fashion depending on the amount of time spent on-line in any given day. The debit rate is set from time 3. to time by the Internet Project M anagement Committee. Your login name must be 2 to 8 characters long. It For more details, refer to may contain only letters and numbers, and MUST be http://www.tip.net.au/tip/charging clearly based on your real name 7. Limited Access Payment (Full Access only) a) Limited Access provides terminal-based email and news only. Please make cheques payable to: b) Limited Access is free on application. PC Users Group (ACT) Inc. c) In any calender year, calculated from the 1st February, Limited Access provides up to 100 ‘hours’ Payment: 12 months: $120.00 q usage. 6 months: $65.00 q 8. Full Access a) Full Access provides PPP or SLIP access and 3 months: $35.00 q includes email, news, WWW, etc. Method of payment: q Cash q Cheque b) Advance Access is not free. Current rates are shown at left with up to 25 'hours' per month usage over the q Visa q Bankcard q Mastercard period. Card Number: c) When your Full Access subscription expires OR you use up your hours of access (whichever is earlier), Expiry Date: / you will be required to purchase another subscription. Name on Card: d) Full Access users also receive a Limited Access allocation - see above. 9. All users joining The Internet Project receive a one-off, Signature: free five hour allocation of Full Access.

PCUG Office Use Only Collecting Your Login Details 10. For existing members, please allow up to two weeks for Processed by Accounts: / / your application to be processed. 11. Login details can be collected - in person by the applicant - from the PC Users Group Centre. We recommend that you phone the Centre first to check that Signature: the details are waiting for you. 12. You (and your parent/guardian if you are under 18 years of age) will be required to sign an Acceptable Use Policy Declaration when you pick up your login details. Proof of identification will be required at that time.

36 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 Member Services

These special offers and services are only available to PCUG members. Please bring your memberhip card with you when collecting orders.

Disks & Tapes We offer high quality disks and tape cartridges of new and updated software titles on each one week). Please bring your membership card in various formats at very reasonable prices. monthly CD. with you.

Disks & tapes are available from the PCUG One complete section of the permanent library The library provides access to equipment Centre Monday, Wednesday & Friday 10am is also contained on each CD-ROM. In which members would not normally have to 2pm or between 9am and 5pm on weekends. addition, there are many programs on the readily available. Most items have instructions BBS Access PCUG BBS which members have uploaded or manuals and software where appropriate. New members wishing to access the PC Users which come from other sources. Modems do not include software; check the Group (ACT) InterActive Bulletin Board This software is provided as ‘shareware’. If Shareware Library for suitable packages. Items Service (BBS) should dial (02) 6253 4933 and you continue to use it, you must register the may be borrowed for one week. There is no create an account on the system. Once the main software with the author. The Group does not charge, but you must collect and return the menu is presented, select the ‘Goodbye’ option ‘sell’ the software - it charges a fee to cover items yourself. followed by the ‘Yes’ option to leave a message the cost of obtaining the software, maintaining to the Sysop. the library and copying the software to the Equipment available includes: In this message state your membership number member. • modems (33.6k and 14.4k) (from your card or magazine address label) and Computers are available at the Centre which request an access upgrade. This will usually are connected to the BBS enabling members to • zip drives. occur within a few days. download software. Shareware Hardware & Video Library Videos include: Members have access to a huge selection of The hardware and video library is located at • Developing Applications with ‘shareware’ software. The PCUG subscribes the PC Users Group Centre. Items may be Microsoft Office to a CD-ROM which provides over 250 Mb collected and returned on Saturdays and Sundays between 9am and 5pm (loans are for • Using Windows 95

Stuffed Again We now have a Giveaway Table at the We would like to thank Gordon Urquhart PCUG Centre. the following members and friends Marion Van Wely for assisting with Peter Watney If you have any SMALL the mailing out of our Journal. Sylvia & Lew Yardley items of computer related equipment (software or

Bruce Black We are always looking for volunteers to hardware) that you no Owen Cook assist us with the ‘stuffing’ of our longer need or use and Sharon & Raymond de Bear journal. We start around 5.00pm Kama-Jay Myles & Eddie de Bear (latecomers are welcome) usually on the don’t want to throw John Ellis 2nd last Monday of every month and away, put them on the Jim Fogg are generally finished by 8.00pm. Sally Hammon Refreshments are provided. If you table and someone else John Hempenstall would like to help, please ring Petra may find a use for them. Allan Mikkelsen Dwyer at the PCUG Centre on 6253 Don Nicol 4911. Just bring them to the Keith Sayers John Starr Next Stuffing Centre when it’s open and Carol & Charlie Syms 5.00pm Monday 21 Sept. 1998 we’ll pass them on Ted Tregillgas at Northpoint Plaza, Belconnen. (see map page 3) for you.

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 37 Matters covered may be someone’s hot stock, or a tax problem or an interesting Web site, and sometimes a software demo. We are looking for volunteers to present brief reviews of a favourite stock. Contact Mick Flight Simulator Preskett ph 6252 5036. Meets 1.30 - 3.30 on Tuesday afternoons following Coffee and Chat at the PCUG Centre. Enquiries welcome. Roger Lowery (02) 6258 1583 The OS/2 SIG [email protected] An enthusiastic forum for those operating or Internet Daytime Demo interested in OS/2 Warp. Meetings include and Discussion SIG wide ranging discussion and interesting Meets every second Monday at the PCUG hands on demonstrations. Meetings are held Centre from 10.00am to noon. We meet to & Chat on the third Thursday (except January) at discuss internet issues, software, sites (and The Coffee and Chat Group meet at the 7.00pm for 7.30pm at the IBM Building 8 anything else of relevance), and demonstrate, PCUG Centre in Belconnen on alternate Brisbane Ave, Barton. on Centre equipment, selected software and Tuesdays from 10.30am to 11.30am The Contact David Thrum Phone 6201 8806 techniques. The meeting starts with informal doors are open from 9.30 to 12.00 for 30 (bh). Full details about the OS/2 SIG can be discussion and coffee, followed by a more in- minutes of individual discussion before and obtained from http://www.pcug.org.au/ depth look at a particular topic of interest. after the meeting. The dates of these ~aacton/os2/welcome.htm. There is also time for discussion (and meetings are shown in the Calendar of hopefully solving) of members problems with Events. the internet. A home page for the SIG is at http://www.pcug.org.au/~amikkels/intddd.html Enquiries or suggestions for topics are welcome at [email protected].

The Delphi SIG A lively forum for software developers who Bytes are working with or interested in Delphi. The Bytes SIG is designed for those who Our meetings include wide ranging dis- like to talk about computing over a meal. It cussion and interesting hands-on demon- Linux User Group meets from 6 pm at the Asian Bistro, strations. Come and see why Delphi is Stephen Rothwell 6231 6648 (ah) Stephen Australian National University Union, on RAD! Some of our recent meetings have [email protected] 4th Thursday the PCUG meeting nights. There are no discussed Delphi components, best 7.00pm Room N101 Computer Science Bytes SIG meetings in November, shareware tools, database applications, and Dept ANU. December, or January. Contact person: HTML tools. Meeting 3rd Tuesday of each Andrew Freeman Phone: 6258 7411 Email: month 7.30pm at PCUG Centre. Convenor [email protected] or WWW at http:// David Gray email [email protected] www.pcug.org.au/~afreeman/cvsig.html are welcome to also subscribe to the PCUG AutoCAD Delphi mailing list by sending message ‘subscribe [email protected] [your Geoffrey May 6295 5942 Monday-Fri 4- email address]’ to [email protected] 5pm. Please call for details. The VB SIG Networks C/C++ Meets 10am to 12Noon on alternate Garry Thomson 6241 2399 Peter Corcoran . [email protected] 2nd Thursday mornings (in the Coffee & Chat [email protected] Thursday after week) to discuss the tips and tricks not Tuesday 7.30pm PCUG Centre main meeting Please call for venue. GUI Developers disclosed in the Help files. Enquiries Computers and Vegetarianism welcome. Peter Harris 6287 1484 This SIG is designed for those who have an Don Nicol (02) 6254 6584 [email protected] Please call for details interest in both computers and vegetarian- [email protected] The Investment SIG ism. It generally meets with the Bytes SIG. The group meets at the PCUG Centre at No meetings are held in November, Please email any changes in contacts, venue 7.30pm on the fourth Thursday of every December, or January. Contact person: or information about SIG activities by the month except for December to discuss Andrew Freeman Phone: 6258 7411 Email first Friday in the month of publication to investment affairs, especially the stock [email protected] or WWW at http:// [email protected]. market and share ideas and information. www.pcug.org.au/~afreeman/cvsig.html

38 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 Training News by Peter Elliott

he program for 1998 has been 4.05 will be used to teach this course. adjusted to meet the demand for There will still be courses conducted that Tparticular courses especially are specifically designed for members Windows95 and Internet courses. PCUG who use Netscape3, Eudora and Agent to Training is able to, and willing, to conduct access the Internet (see September 13 a variety of courses in other areas of and October 31, below). Contacts computing. If you have an interest in a Microsoft Word 7- Intermediate: In COURSE BOOKINGS: Petra Dwyer, at the particular computer course and it is not late September an intermediate course on PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 scheduled, contact Petra at the Centre at Microsoft’s Word7 will be conducted at Training coordinator and course the Centre and let us know the Centre. This powerful word processing information (not bookings): Our training courses are very popular. program is ideal for those members who Peter Elliott 6258 1995 (h) 7.00pm to Unfortunately, some people book and then would like to learn more about word 9.00pm do not turn up for their course. Someone processing. Word 7 forms part of the Microsoft Product courses (not on the waiting list for the course could Microsoft Office suite and offers the ability bookings): Henk Brummelaar 6258 9332 have filled the spot left vacant. If you to create Word documents, templates, (h) 7.00pm to 9.00pm have booked for a course and are unable letters and linking or embedding (OLE) to attend please let Petra know as early as Word into other Window’s applications. possible so that another member can Future Courses attend. Visual Basic Programming - Intro. This Courses course will be conducted at the Centre on The Full Access intro to the Internet Sunday 11 October 1998. Petra can accept All courses are held at the PCUG course is an introduction to the programs bookings from members who wish to Centre, Northpoint Plaza, used to access the World Wide Web nominate now. Belconnen - maximum 8 people. including how to download files, send and Courses cost $35 unless otherwise receive e-mail and participate in news MYOB: There will be an intro to MYOB indicated. Full day courses run from groups. If you would like to attend the course conducted at the centre on 9.30am to approximately 3.00pm. course, you will need Full Access Saturday 14 November 1998. Petra can AM Courses commence at 9.30am. (Advanced Access) to the Internet. accept bookings from members who wish PM courses commence at 1.30pm. Please note that Netscape Communicator to nominate now. Date Day Course Length Sept 5 Sat Sixteen Bits Layout Day/Internet Clinic Clinic:Morning 6 Sun Win95 - Advanced Users 12 Sat MYOB Full Day 13 Sun Intro to the Internet - (for members who use Netscape 3, Eudora Full Day and Agent) - Full access 19 Sat Win95 - Intro Full Day 20 Sun Desktop Publishing - Intro Full Day 26 Sat Intro to the Internet - Full Access (ideal for beginners) Full Day 27 Sun Word7 - Intermediate Full Day Oct 3 Sat Sixteen Bits Layout Day/Internet Clinic Clinic:Morning 4 Sun Closed Closed 10 Sat Win95 – Intro Full Day 11 Sun Visual Basic Programming – Intro Full Day 17 Sat EXCEL 7 – Intro Full Day 18 Sun Intro to the Internet – Full access (ideal for members with some Full Day experience) 24 Sat Win95 – Intro Full Day 25 Sun Designing your own web page – Intermediate Full Day 31 Sat Intro to the Internet - (for members who use Netscape 3, Eudora Full Day and Agent) - Full access

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 39 VendorVendor DiscountDiscount SchemeScheme

The following local vendors offer discounts to PCUG members • Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchase • Benefits may not apply to some sale items • The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offered If you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list, please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2.

BUSINESS SERVICES/PRODUCTS PHONE/FAX/EMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT Accountants

Peng Lee BA, BEc(ANU), FCA Accounting and taxation Ph: 6258 0156 6 McGuiness Place 10% discount off Chartered accountant services Fax: 6258 0157 McKellar ACT 2617 the published fee Registered tax agent A fee schedule published Mobile: 0419 625 801 schedule to PCUG Holder of Certificate of Public 1 year in advance will be Email: [email protected] members Practice forwarded upon request

Lesley Piko Personal and business Ph: 6288 8888 Suite 1 15% discount off Certified practising taxation services 17 Trenerry St quoted fee accountant, registered tax General accounting Weston ACT agent services

Books

Collins Booksellers A wide selection of Ph: 6251 4813 Belconnen Mall 10% discount off computer titles for the Fax: 6251 3926 computer book novice and also advanced purchases only computer user

Daltons Books No. 1 for computer and Ph: 6249 1844 54 Marcus Clarke St 10% off RRP of business books Fax: 6247 5753 Canberra City computer books

Computer related

Ivan Kramer Web Design Proven experience, quality Ph: 6259 0500 Canberra $200 (66% off graphics, artistic talent. Mobile: 0413 967 045 normal price of Publish online @ a fracion Email: [email protected] $600) for all of the cost of print. www.pcug.org.au/~ivan/ graphics, logo, design, up to 15 pages ACT Valley Computer Repairs Repairs, upgrades, new Ph: 6294 2592 10% discount on systems, software Mobile: 019 323 435 upgrades and installation. repairs Low rates Open 7 days

Amalgamated Business Ph: 6280 4887 65 Kembla St 5% discount on Machines Fyshwick repairs

Capital Simulations Fax/message: 6258 0110 PO Box 329 Free postage and Belconnen ACT 2616 handling (normally $4) and 2 free modem opponents ‘wanted’ notices (normally $10)

Clarion Database Systems Computer consulting Mobile: 041 108 7754 10% off RRP on Business applications, Microsoft and other development vendor products Software sales and consulting services

The Cartridge Factory Ph.: 6239 5259 Canberra Business 10% discount on Centre remanufactured 49 Wentworth Ave laser toner Kingston cartridges 10% discount on inkjet refill kits No discount available on new ink or toner cartridges

40 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 • Present your PCUG membership card when making a purchase • Benefits may not apply to some sale items • The PCUG does not necessarily recommend or endorse the products being offered If you offer a discount to PCUG members and are not in this list, please contact our advertising manager listed on page 2.

BUSINESS SERVICES/PRODUCTS PHONE/FAX/EMAIL ADDRESS DISCOUNT Computer related (cont) Bettowynd & Taltech Prompt, gauranteed, fixed Ph: 6239 1043 Unit 5, Centrecoure 5% discount Solutions price repairs to monitors 1 Pirie St, Fyshwick and terninals Hi-Micro Computers Ph: 6280 7520 6/18 Whyalla St 5% discount on Fax: 6280 7540 Fyshwick accessories and upgrade installation L & S Associates Ph: 6257 7555 69 Paterson St Special price on any Ainslie Microsoft product: dealer price plus 5% NCH–Swift Sound Email to wav Ph: 6281 6124 25% discount to non- Professional voice overs, corporate members music and SFX for multimedia, IVR, games, software PE Computers & Software New systems Ph/fax: 6258 9806 5% discount on all Solutions Upgrades Mobile: 015 484 711 new systems and Hardware and software Email: upgrades installation, setup and [email protected] 20% discount on home PC support installation, tuition Software tuition including and home PC support Win95 and Internet software Rob’s Computer Help Desk Telephone and on-site Ph: 6292 3211 5% discount on help for all your computer (24 hours/7 days) consulting services and support needs The Software Shop Suppliers of all business, Ph: 6285 4622 42 Townsend St 5% discount off our educational and personal Phillip already low prices software, plus selected hardware. Sproatley Computer Services Upgrades Mobile: 0412 231 224 10% discount on all Pty Ltd New and used PCs Fax: 6231 3605 services MYOB specialists Software installation 24 hour help desk Michael Vetz/Mobile PC Home PC support Ph: 6251 2184 P.O. Box 485 Discount of $25 per Support available for all PC Fax/Message: Belconnen ACT 2617 hour – maximum problems including 62512184 charge $50 upgrades and tuition at [email protected] your place – all hours Kelehe Bisnis Sevis ACT written software for Ph: 02 6231 1813 P.O. Box 1187 5% for single copies, home & small business [email protected] Tuggeranong ACT higher discounts for from Total Office 2901 resellers Management.New release of Automobile Workshop Business Systems World Wide Web Consultants Your key to the Internet. Ph: 02 6292 3211 PO Box 5145 5% to a maximum of Canberra (W3C2) Training, consulting and Fax: 02 6292 3914 Chisholm 2905 $100 on web site web site services. Mobile: 019 440 608 services. Email: [email protected] Other ANU Union Asian Bistro Upstairs, Union Union member Building, Union discount on PCUG Court, ANU (next to main meeting nights main meeting venue) ONLY Green-Grass Mower Service Lawn mower service, Ph: 6291 1458 8 Hutchinson St 10% discount spares and repairs Monash Aspect Computing Education Ph: 6247 7608 86 Northbourne Ave 10% discount Services Braddon Australian Management Ph: 6285 4888 Suite 4, 32–36 5% discount on Control Colbee Court, Phillip recordkeeping and payroll courses

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 41 Members’ Ads

FOR SALE WANTED

Disks: 50% off 4 (and a broken box) boxes of 50x3.5" DSDD 720k disks $20 each box WANTED 3 boxes of 10x3.5" DSDD 720k disks Regular players for Inter-BBS Games, FE $4 each box and BRE. Free access to Doug’s Den BBS, and to FOR SALE Door Games Area on your second days Data Cartridges: 50% off Colorado T1000e tape backup and three call. 10 x DC 600A 60Mb $10 400mb(800mb comp)tapes, will not BBS phone 62316028 (24 hours) 4 x DL 2000 $10 work with Windows ’98 $295.00 Doug Williams Sysop of Doug’s 9 x 2120 EX $25 [email protected] Den BBS FidoNet 3:620/243 21 x DC2120 QIC80 $14 Gary Jones 16 x 2120XL (Double pack) $28 [email protected] http:// 1 x Memorex MRX 6250 $24 www.pcug.org.au/~williams FOR SALE I 15 x Disk Storage Boxes $5 Serial printer daisy-wheel, complete with both sheet and continuous feed, 1 x 1/4" cleaning kit - don’t know if used up to 15-inch paper or what. James Dash — 02 6231 1813 Call PCUG Centre on 6253 4911 [email protected]

PC Users Group Membership Application / Renewal

I would like to ( þ one or more) Annual Fees Applicable (þ one) o Become a new member for ____ year(s) o General1 $ 50 o Renew for ____ year(s) o Concessional2 $ 25 o Change my address details o Corporate3 $130 o Change Corporate nominees o Additional Corporate4 $ 50 o Take my address off advertising list o International (Air Mail) $130 o Access the Bulletin Board (BBS) Notes þ 1 General membership covers all members of a household except for BBS Reasons for Joining (one or more) and Internet access. o Sixteen Bits Magazine o Training Courses 2 Concessions apply to full time students and pensioners. 3 Corporate Membership covers up to three nominees. o The Internet Project o Advice and help 4 Additional Corporate nominees may be added at $50 each. Other ______I am paying by (þ one) o Cash (if paying by person) o Cheque to PC Users Group (ACT) Inc TOTAL PAYMENT DUE $______o Credit card –– Bankcard, Mastercard or Visa Please Post your application with payment to: PC Users Group (ACT) Inc Title Given Name Surname PO Box 42 Belconnen ACT 2616 Additional Corporate Membership Nominees Organisation (if applicable) PCUG Membership Number (if applicable) Title Given Name Surname ______Postal Address Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w) ______Title Given Name Surname Phone (h) Phone (w) Concession Type (if applicable) ______Position (if applicable) Phone (h) Phone (w) Credit Card Type / Number Expiry Date Signature

42 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 The Help Directory

The people in this directory are volunteers so please observe the times given. The Help Directory is designed to help individual users and should not be used as a substitute for corporate support calls to vendors! This service is provided for members only. Please quote your membership number to the helper. For those helpers with an asterisk *, messages may be left on the BBS in either the General message area or as a Netmail message on 3:620/243. Send updates to [email protected] or via post to the PCUG Centre. Subject Name / Email Phone Days Times Access for Windows Graham Fry 6288 3138 All days 7.30pm - 8.30pm Assembly Language Thomas McCoy 6294 2226 Mon - Fri 8.00pm - 10.00pm Audio Peter van Runt 6288 5556 Mon - Fri All day Weekends 12noon - 8pm AutoCad Geoffrey May * 6295 5942 Mon - Fri 4.00pm - 5.00pm AutoCAD Rel 12, 13 and LT Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 10.00pm BASIC + Machine Language George McLintock 6295 6590 All days 8.30pm -10.00pm Bluewave Jorge Garcia 6282 2681 All Days 7.00pm - 9.00pm Batch Files, TSRs, Utilities Bill Ghysen 6287 1234 Mon - Fri 8.00pm - 10.00pm Bulletin Board Service Michael Phillips * 6253 4966 All days 7.30pm - 8.30pm C/C++ Nhan Tran [email protected] 6254 5293 All except 7.00pm - 9.00pm w’end &Tue Chinese Star for Windows Peng Lee 6258 0156 All days 1.00pm - 9.00pm Eudora Nhan Tran [email protected] 6254 5293 All except 7.00pm - 9.00pm w’end & Tue Excel Graheme Fry 6288 3138 All days 7.30pm - 8.30pm Flight Simulation Roger Lowery [email protected] 6258 1583 All days Anytime Free Agent / Agent Newsreading Allan Mikkelsen 6278 3164 All days Noon - 9.00pm General Help Brian Gosling 6259 1116 All days 7.30pm - 8.30pm GEOS/GeoWorks Phil Jones 6288 5288 All days 6.00pm - 10.00pm Hardware Anthony Glenn 6288 8332 All days Anytime HDK Lis Shelley [email protected] HDK Ivana Leonard 6231 4169 Mon - Thu 7.00pm - 9.00pm HyperText Markup Language Peter Tilbrook [email protected] 6242 4000 Weekdays 10.00am - 6.00pm 0411 508 169 6253 8153 (ah) Internet connection Nhan Tran [email protected] 6254 5293 All except 7.00pm - 9.00pm w’end & Tue Internet Explorer (Microsoft) Peter Tilbrook [email protected] 6242 4000 Weekdays 10.00am - 6.00pm 0411 508 169 ISR CADDSMAN Modeller (Win) Neil Moffat 6292 7108 All days Noon - 10.00pm Microstation Cad Andrew Novinc 6258 1907 All days 6.00pm - 10.00pm Midi Peter van Runt 6288 5556 Mon - Fri All day Weekends 12noon - 8pm Microsoft Front Page 98 Peter Tilbrook [email protected] 6242 4000 Weekdays 10.00am - 6.00pm 0411 508 169 Modem Communications Michael Phillips * 6281 1980 or All days 7.30pm - 8.30pm Noteworthy Composer Andrew Purdam [email protected] 6230 2231 All days Anytime Online doc using Help Compiler (Win3) John Carroll [email protected] 6248 0781 All days 7.30pm – 10.00pm OS/2 Andrew Acton [email protected] 6293 1684 All days 9am-9pm OS/2 Dave Thrum [email protected] 6201 8806 Mon-Fri 8am-6pm OS/2 Michael Lightfoot * 6258 8185 All days 7.30pm - 9.30pm Scream Tracker 3 (3SM) / MOD Music Chris Collins 6258 8276 Mon - Fri 7.30pm - 9.00pm Small Business Computing Nick Thomson 6241 3239 Mon - Thu 7.30pm - 9.30pm Telix Michael Phillips * 6281 1980 All days 7.30pm - 8.30pm SCO Unix & Xenix Jeremy Bishop 6291 0478 All days 7.00pm - 9.00pm Unix Michael Lightfoot * 6258 8185 All days 7.30pm - 9.30pm Unix/Linux/*BSD Jonathon Ross 6288 1428 All days 6.00pm – 10.00pm Turbo Pascal Michael Phillips * 6281 1980 All days 7.30pm - 8.30pm Visual Basic for Windows Cedric Bear [email protected] 6258 3169 All days 7.30pm - 8.30pm Windows 95 Graeme Challinor [email protected] 6236 8166 All days 10.00am - 4.00pm Word for Windows Lis Shelley [email protected] WordPerfect 5.1 DOS, 6.1 Win Gayle Scott [email protected] 6254 1579 All days 7.30pm - 9.30pm WordStar Dave Hay 6258 7310 All days 7.00pm - 9.00pm

SIXTEEN BITS September 1998 43 September

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Networks SIG Sixteen Bits Internet Clinic TRAINING DAY (Call 6241 2399 Commercial ad PCUG PCUG Centre for venue) deadline for Centre October 9.30– 9.30am 1.00pm Windows 95 – Advanced Layout Day for Sixteen Bits 10.00am

1 2 3 4 5 6 New Members’ Coffee and Chat Committee TRAINING DAY TRAINING DAY Night PCUG Centre Meeting PCUG Centre PCUG Centre PCUG Centre 9.30am–12.00 PCUG Centre 7.30pm 7.30pm 9.30am 9.30am Flight Simulator MYOB Intro to the PCUG Centre Internet – Full 1.30pm–3.30pm Access C /C++ SIG PCUG Centre 7 7.30pm 8 9 10 11 12 13 Internet Delphi SIG OS/2 SIG TRAINING DAY TRAINING DAY Daytime Demo PCUG Centre IBM Building PCUG Centre PCUG Centre and Discussion 7.30pm 8 Brisbane Ave SIG Barton 9.30am 9.30am PCUG Centre 7.00 for 7.30pm Windows 95 – Desktop 10.00am–2.00pm Intro Publishing – Intro

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 16 Bits Stuffing Flight Simulator Linux Users Sixteen Bits TRAINING DAY TRAINING DAY and Mailing PCUG Centre Group Article deadline PCUG Centre PCUG Centre PCUG Centre 1.30pm–3.30pm Room N101 for November 9.30am 5.00pm Computer Science Intro to the 9.30am Dept ANU Word 7 – 7.30pm Internet – Full Access Intermediate Investment SIG (beginners) Coffee and Chat PCUG Centre PCUG Centre 7.30pm 9.30am– 12.00 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Internet Demo & Networks SIG Internet Clinic TRAINING DAY Discussion (Call 6241 2399 PCUG PCUG Centre 10.00am–2.00pm for venue) Centre Main Meeting 9.30– 9.30am Manning Clark 1.00pm Theatre 1 Crisp Bldg. ANU Layout Day for 7.00 for 7.30 Sixteen Bits 10.00am

Bytes SIG Asian Bistro ANU 6.00pm (before 28 29 30 1 Oct 2 Oct 3 Oct 4 Oct PCUG meeting)

44 SIXTEEN BITS September 1998