Lotus Smartsuite for the New Millennium TTEND the SEPTEMBER 1 General Meet- Yours

September 1998 Volume 9, Issue 9 http://www.dacs.org Meeting Preview

Lotus SmartSuite for the New Millennium TTEND THE SEPTEMBER 1 General Meet- yours. Use ViaVoice to dictate directly into a Word Pro ing of the Danbury Area Computer Society document, or enter data into a 1-2-3 spreadsheet and turn Ato discover an alternative in the Office Suite your work into fun. market with a vision toward the twenty-first cen- Then there’s Lotus 1-2-3, the spreadsheet that revo- tury. IBM’s Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Edition lutionized the business world—and is doing it again. It’s is Year 2000 compliant and ready to provide you all there with the latest features such as Web Tables, with better value than its competitors and a superior which lets you incorporate live Web-based data into your way to work the Web. spreadsheets. SmartSuite Millennium Edition prepares you for a SmartSuite fits right into your complicated comput- new era in computing. It contains eight innovative ap- ing environment. It efficiently shares data with Lotus plications: the Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet app., the new eSuite, the most popular desktop applications like FastSite intranet publisher, Organizer time and contact Microsoft Office, and integrates with enterprise databases manager, Word Pro word processor, Freelance Graph- and applications including Oracle, SAP, PeopleSoft, ics presentation graphics, Approach database, Lotus Notes, and Domino. ScreenCam multimedia software, SmartCenter Internet The DACS general meetings, held on the first Tues- information manager, and integrated speech recogni- day of each month at the Danbury Hospital auditorium, tion from IBM’s ViaVoice. 24 Hospital Avenue, are free to the public. The meeting Encounter the newest member of SmartSuite, the starts at 6:30 p.m. with casual networking. At 7 p.m. join Lotus FastSite Intranet document publisher. FastSite Random Access, a moderated question and answer pe- makes Internet/intranet publishing fast and easy. De- riod during which members share their computer prob- signed for desktop application users, it automatically lems. This is followed by Surfin’ Safari, a brief business converts groups of existing SmartSuite or Microsoft meeting, and the main presentation at 8 p.m. For more Office files to Web formats. information about DACS and its SIGs (Special Interest Rather talk than type? With integrated IBM Groups that meet throughout the month to discuss spe- ViaVoice speech recognition software, the choice is cific topics) see http://www.dacs.org. Meeting Review

Let Quarterdeck Do the Dirty Work CleanSweep and Partition-It diagnose, fix, and tidy up.

by Jack Corcoran

IS INDEED a vicious cycle. Disk makers give created Mega Monster, with Giga Monster lurking in us more storage capacity, and software makers the wings. At some point we even admit that we can- Tfill it up, then disk makers give us even more not delete anything because we don’t remember what storage capacity, so software makers … You get the all that stuff is, rationalizing that even though we don’t picture. And we, the users, pig out—save everything, remember what it is, someday we might need it. And download everything, add everything. always, in our minds, is Microsoft’s dire threat: “Don’t There comes a day of atonement, however, which fool around with the Registry.” Since we haven’t the starts when we finally admit to ourselves that we have Quarterdeck Continued on page 4 President’s File

EPTEMBER is always a time of re- services for our members and students, and dacs.docMembership newal, as students begin a new school for the greater Danbury Community as well. Information year, car manufacturers sport their new It is hoped that this relationship will help to , ISSN 1084-6573, is pub- Slines, and DACS warms up its SIGs and sets extend DACS membership to WCSU stu- lished monthlydacs.doc by the Danbury Area Computer out its new programs for the coming sea- dents and faculty, and open University fa- Society, Inc., 12 Noteworthy Drive, Danbury, CT 06810-7271. Annual subscription rates: $25 to son. This year we are reinvigorating our cilities for use by our group. In addition, we regular members, $20 to students (included in New-to Computing series for our beginning hope to attract more participation in DACS dues). users, lining up presenters for our monthly activities by area businesses and their em- Postmaster meetings, and making connections with ployees. Look to this column for more in- Send address changes to Danbury Area other computer groups and with the greater Computer Society, Inc., 4 Gregory Street, formation in coming months. Danbury, CT 06810-4430 Danbury community. Access ACSS The Association of Computer Support EditorialManaging Editor: Committee Frances J. Owles As this newsletterNew to goes ... to mailboxes, Specialists is a community, both “on-line” Production Editor: Marc Cohen DACS was scheduled to hold its first New- and “off-line,” that seeks to promote recog- Technical Editor: Bruce Preston to program of the season on August 26 at nition of computer support as a profession, Public Relations: Marlene Gaberel the Danbury Library, with Ed Heere ex- and to help members advance through edu- pounding on the relative merits of upgrad- cation and personal contacts. Its members Charles Bovaird Larry Buoy ing or buying a new PC. If you decide to go include help-desk specialists, computer re- Elaine Chacho Robert Constantine Wally David John Heckman the upgrade route, on September 23 Wally pair technicians, network engineers, network Dan McLeod Allan Ostergren David will help you decide whether to in- and database administrators, computer include a new operating system, with a dem- structors, technical writers, software and DACS, its officers and directors assume no liabil- onstration of the ins and outs of Windows ity for damages arising out of the publication or non- hardware testers, and programmers (if they publication of any article, advertisement or any other 98. On October 23, in a special program at support the code they write). ACSS wel- item in this newsletter . the WCSU Ancell School of Business, we comes independent consultants, full-timers, The editors welcome submissions from Dacs members. Contact Frances Owles, at 860-868-0077 will explore the Year 2000 question with a part-timers, and permanent employees, as ( ) or Allan Ostergren at 860-210-0047 panel of experts; and on November 16 our well as contractors. It also welcomes recruit- ([email protected] ). Advertisers, please contact Brad own chief medical officer, Jeff Setaro, will ers and others who offer valuable services [email protected] 203-357-4007 (brad,[email protected]) discuss the latest in PC viruses. to computer support specialists. ACSS of- © 1998Danbury Area Computer Society. Permis- Any suggestions for more New-to pro- fers professional training programs in oper- sion to reprint or publish granted to any nonprofit group, grams? Tell me about them at the general ating systems, IS management, and Web provided credit is given and a copy of the final publication is mailed to the copyright holder. All rights reserved. meetings, or send your ideas to page design at prices well below those at [email protected]. private training centers. Some of these programs are held at AMSYS Computer in Ridgefield. Technical Support TheWestern Y2K program Connection in October will mark ACSS President Howard Rothman, a dacs.doc is prepared using AMSYS Pentium/ longtime DACS member, is familiar with 133 and an HP LaserJet 4 printer a new milestone for this user group. DACS Plus and Western Connecticut State University the quality of our membership and our pro- are exploring ways our organizations can grams; and many in our society have joined Software packages have been provided to staff by: work together to provide new computing his association to take advantage of training dacs.doc opportunities. Now, under a recent agree- ment with DACS, ACSS will waive its $100 Microsoft Windows 95, Office 7.0, TrueType fonts membership fee for DACS members who Adobe PageMaker 6.5, CorelDRAW 6.0, IN THIS ISSUE sign up for courses. That means that any- Calendar Creator Plus for Windows, one choosing to sign up for an ACSS train- file transfer security dacs.doc LOTUS SMARTSUITE 1 ing course will in effect have the option of provided by Dr. Solomons Antivirus Toolkit QUARTERDECK 1 free DACS membership and a $75 cash re- Applications & Hardware to enhance PRESIDENT’S FILE 2 bate, to boot. In return, ACSS will advertise dacs.doc are always welcome. DIRECTORS’ NOTES 3 its programs in dacs.doc for half the usual HELP LINE 3 rate. (See ad, page 5)This compact will give WIN 98 UPGRADE 6 NEW MEMBERS 6 ACSS exposure to more than 600 active INTERNET PROVIDERS 6 computer users in our area, and provide MICROSOFT PLUS! 98 7 DACS members with a vital outlet for tech- SIGS & NEW TO ... 8 nical training and networking. It’s truly a CALENDAR 9 win-win situation for both organizations. PC SHOPPER 11 For more information, be sure to visit PAGEMILL I 12 the ACSS Web site at www.acss.org. PAGEMILL II 13 Jeff Setaro —ALLAN OSTERGREN RANDOM ACCESS 14 APCUG Liaison [email protected] 748-6748

SEP 98 2 Directors’ Notes Officers President: Allan Ostergren (860) 210-0047 he monthly meeting of the Board of VPs: Gene Minasi (860) 354-9380 Frances Owles (860) 868-0077 Directors was held at the Resource Marlene Gaberel (203) 426-4846 Jeff Setaro (203) 748-6748 Center on August 10, 1998, at 7:30 p.m. TPresent were Messrs. Bovaird, Buoy, Secy: Larry Buoy (860) 355-0394 Treas: Charles Bovaird (203) 792-7881 Cohen, Gingras, Heere, McIntyre, Directors Ostergren, Setaro, and Mrs. Owles. Also

Chair: Wally David (203) 790-7286 present were Don Ruffell, and Marlene Charles Bovaird (203) 792-7881 Larry Buoy (860) 355-0394 Gaberel. President Allan Ostergren pre- Marc Cohen (203) 775-1102 Dick Gingras (203) 426-0484 sided in the absence of the Chairman, • Wally David. Secretary Larry Buoy re- Ed Heere (203) 431-1500 Bruce Preston (203) 438-4263 corded the minutes. Tom McIntyre (203) 744-6000 Allan Ostergren (860) 210-0047 Frances Owles (860) 868-0077 Jeff Setaro 203 748-6748 Committees FinanceThe minutes and of themembership July 13 meeting Education: Gene Minasi (860) 354-9380 Membership: Don Ruffell (203) 797-8138 were approved. Treasurer Charles Bovaird Newsletter: Frances Owles: (860) 868-0077 Program: Wally David (203) 790-7286 reported combined checking and postal WEB Master: Jeff Setaro (203) 748-6748 account balances of $10,949.53 and post- Resource Center: (203) 748-4330 age of $111.68, a total of $11,061.21, and Web Site: http://www.dacs.org current membership of 603.

HelpLine InSupplemental a discussion about DACS’ server use of a

Volunteers have offered to field member questions by phone. Please limit calls to the hours supplemental server to the Library’s indicated below. Days means 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; evening means 6 to 9:30 p.m. Please be consider- server, Frances Owles reported that her ate of the volunteer you are calling. HelpLine is a free service. If you are asked to pay for help or potential source of a donated server had are solicited for sales, please contact the dacs.doc editor; the person requesting payment will be come to naught but that she would remain deleted from the listing. Can we add your name to the volunteer listing? alert for other sources. Ed Heere repeated his offer to let us use the Amsys server, d = day e = evening noting the probable disadvantage of the Program Name Phone # commercial domain name but the possi- Alpha Four Dick Gingras (203) 426-0484 ( e) bility of a link for archival material to re- AOL Marc Cohen (203) 775-1102 (d e) lieve overload on the Library’s server. Jeff APL Charles Bovaird (203) 792-7881 ( e) Setaro mentioned that the database project AutoCAD Peter Hylenski (203) 797-1042 ( e) for community continuing education C/UNIX/ObjC Kenneth Lerman (203) 426-4430 (d e) sources might be accommodated on Jim C + + Reg Charney (914) 833-0762 (d e) Scheef’s own server. It was agreed that no Clipper Dick Gingras (203) 426-0484 ( e) COBOL Charles Godfrey (203) 775-3543 ( e) action be considered unless a capacity Dbase/DOS Alan Boba (203) 264-1753 ( e) problem materializes with our current DOS John Gallichotte (203) 426-0394 ( e) equipment. Newdeal Marc Cohen (203) 775-1102 (d e) Electronics Andrew Woodruff (203) 798-2000 (d e) Focus Jim Scheef (860) 355-0034 ( e) TheWeb board site discussed restrictions restricting access Hardware John Gallichotte (203) 426-0394 ( e) Interface -Instrumentation Andrew Woodruff (203) 798-2000 (d e) to parts of DACS’ Web site, and ways to Internet Nick Percival (203) 438-9307 (d ) achieve this were proposed. It was decided Lotus 123R5W Ben Carnevale (203) 748-1751 ( e) that at this time any restriction to the site Macintosh OS Bob Constantine (203) 730-1634 (d e) would be either counterproductive to the Magic PC Hira Suri (203) 748-2473 (d e) goals of DACS or logistically impractical. Microsoft Access Dick Gingras (203) 426-0484 ( e) Multimedia Ed Fitzgerald (203) 222-9253 (d e) OS/2 Rich Chernock (203) 270-0224 ( e) HelpLine Update Paradox Alan Boba (203) 264-1753 ( e) Larry Buoy presented an updated draft PASCAL Duane Moser (203) 797-2716 (d e) for the DACS HelpLine. It was agreed that Publishing & PR Elaine Chacho (203) 426-5493 (d e) the HelpLine be revised to include those Q&A ver 3/4 Anthony Telesha (203) 748-4478 (d e) currently on the list who agreed to con- R:BASE Jerry Frieárich (203) 740-7175 ( e) tinue providing advice and to cull catego- Statistics & Data Analysis Charles Bovaird (203) 792-7881 (d e) Viruses Jeff Setaro (203) 748-6748 (d ) ries no longer active and advisors who did Visual Basic Nick Percival (203) 438-9307 (d ) not respond to Larry’s phone survey within HTML/Java James Costello (203) 426-0097 (e ) a reasonable amount of time. It was also Windows 3.1 Nick Strother (203) 743-5667 ( e) agreed that we try to update the list more Ben Carnevale (203) 748-1751 ( e) WordPerfect John Heckman (203) 831-0442 ( e) Directors’ Notes Continued on page 4

http://www.dacs.org 3 SEP 98 Quarterdeck Continued from page 1 than a glamour package to sell, so he had CleanSweep goes where no user dares foggiest about the Registry, we figure we to be good. His presentation was relaxed to go. And it does good things for us with- better not fool around with anything. The and friendly, but also polished and pro- out jeopardizing any of our treasures. day of atonement culminates when we fi- fessional. He mixed useful tutorial tid- nally cry out to the world that we need bits about file structures and operating HELP. systems with his product features. He ran The secondPartition-It half of Gary’s presenta- a one-man show, but his well-polished tion covered Partition-It, which restruc- product demonstrations ran flawlessly tures your hard drive to better utilize stor- Help cameTa riding Da !!!into our August and he never had to stop talking. We all age space. It replaces the FDISK func- General Meeting in the person of Gary gained useful general information as well tion that comes with the operating sys- Ulaner, Group Product Manager of Quar- as insight into just what the products tem and manages partitions and cluster terdeck Corp., bringing what he proudly could do for us. His presentation lasted size to provide greater storage efficiency. called HelpWare.: CleanSweep zaps just one hour, and he held the attention Gary accompanied the product descrip- those unneeded files and tidies up that of the audience to the very end. Ques- tion with very useful mini-tutorials about chaotic file structure, Partition-It straight- tions popped up throughout, and he the principles of disk organization, clus- ens up that mess of a disk, and Select-It handled them cleanly and thoroughly. ter sizes, and partitions. lets you run multiple operating systems. With Partition-It, Quarterdeck Gary did not claim to be Zorro (even bundles Select-It, a tool for running mul- though there is a faint resemblance), but The firstCleanSweep half of Gary’s presentation tiple operating systems on the same PC. he left the audience feeling that help re- covered CleanSweep. He demonstrated It allows you to switch between Windows ally is out there. how it provides an install/uninstall capa- 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT, MS- Quarterdeck is a Silicon Valley soft- bility much more extensive and effective DOS, UNIX, and others. ware company that has been around for than the one provided by the operating sixteen years specializing in software system, particularly with respect to the • • • utilities. It is also known locally as the .DLLs. company that acquired Inset Systems for CleanSweep maintains an application Quarterdeck, in a class act, donated its main product, Hi-Jaak, and whisked knowledge base of the user’s system. A ten copies of the demonstrated products it out to California. Inset, of course, was built-in Wizard monitors downloaded to our end-of-meeting raffle and provided located in Brookfield and frequently ac- shareware, provides application updates special user-group order sheets for tive with DACS. Many DACS members from the Quarterdeck Web page, and CleanSweep and Partition-It, offering were Hi-Jaak beta testers and served on manages the backup and archiving chores them for $20 each as well as good prices Inset focus groups. Quarterdeck subse- as well. for other Quarterdeck products. The of- quently divested itself of Hi-Jaak and Other CleanSweep features include fer expires September 4, 1998, which now concentrates on software to help cleanup of cache, Internet cookies, and limits the opportunity to members who users cope. other disposable system files. It also pro- attended the meeting and those they told Gary was among the best of the prod- vides a Registry Genie for sorting out about it. uct presenters we’ve had at DACS meet- those Registry problems that so befuddle JACK CORCORAN is a retired computer ings. He had a utilitarian product rather us mere mortals. programmer who needs HELP.

Directors’ Notes Continued from page 3 frequently and expand it as new topics re- tract only. Corporate sponsors would be quiring assistance materialize. It was also President OstergrenWCSU announced link he had listed in dacs.doc, and their corporate suggested that the preliminary statement recently met with the Dean of the Ancell Web sites linked to dacs.org. Other ben- for the HelpLine’s use be redone to em- School of Business about jointly benefi- efits are to be determined. phasize the time considerations of those cial programs and assistance, including The next meeting of the Board, nor- offering their expertise. DACS’ use of Ancell facilities, group mally falling on Labor Day, was post- memberships for Western Connecticut poned to the following Monday, Septem- State University students, and DACS’ ber 14, 1998. Associate members A proposal to offer complimentary advice and assistance in designing an MIS — LARRY BUOY memberships to writers of dacs.doc ar- program. A joint meeting between Ancell ticles living beyond our local area was faculty members and an ad hoc commit- discussed. It was decided that these indi- tee from DACS to pursue the possibili- E-MAIL NOTICE viduals be granted an Associate Member- ties of such cooperation was suggested. ship (basically an electronic membership) 65% of our paying members have re- and be mailed only those issues of ported valid email addresses to us. dacs.doc in which their articles appear. TheCorporate concept of corporatesponsorship sponsorship Meeting notices are sent to these of DACS through advertising in the news- members via email the week before the letter was considered. It was agreed that general meeting. If you have an email address and do AlternativeNew to venues ... programs for meetings were advertisers contracting for no less than 2/ not get these notices, send an email proposed. It was felt that the Resource 9 of a page for a period of no less than six message to [email protected] saying you Center could be more fully utilized. The consecutive issues be considered corpo- would like to receive these timely notices. content of PR releases was also discussed. rate sponsors for the period of the con-

SEP 98 4 Windows/NTWindows/NT Certification Prep Course in CT

ACSS Low-Cost Week-End Course Emphasizes Hands-On Instructor-Led Environment WHY?: Many good-paying jobs in computer-support these days require Microsoft Certified System Engineer status. Getting the time, money, and experience to take the necessary prep courses, and then passing the exams can be an overwhelming challenge for many computer-support specialists. However, the ACSS makes the task less of a burden on your time, by offering the preparation course for the certification exams in the evening, at a pace you can sustain (one 3-hour session per week), and at a price you can afford! WHY ACSS?: The ACSS course, priced at $1250, is being offered for about 1/3 the rate of most of the commercially available Microsoft Windows/NT Product Specialist courses. Naturally, the course is for members only, but joining is easy. FOR WHOM?: You should be a current user of Microsoft Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, and use applications that run under Windows, such as Microsoft Office, WordPerfect, Lotus SmartSuite, etc. WHEN?: The Windows/NT prep course will be offered in 30 weekly sessions, on Saturday mornings, starting September 12, 1998. Class-times will be 9:00 AM to Noon. WHERE?: The course will be offered at AMSYS Computer, which is located at 900 Ethan Allen Hwy. in Ridgefield, CT. BY WHOM?: The instruction is by the ACSS instructor staff, all of whom are Certified by Microsoft in the material they teach, and who are experienced instructors. Up to 12 students are accepted per class, and they must be ACSS members. WHAT?: Course materials are the Microsoft Windows/NT Technical & Administrative Training Kits for MCSE, Networking Essentials and Enterprise Networking. They include workbooks, copies of Windows NT-software, and tutorial software. They cover all material you need to pass the Windows/NT MCSE required exams. You will still need to pass exams in 2 electives of your choice to receive the MCSE, and we offer those later. Very importantly, you also get your own 2 Gig swappable hard-drive, to install NT on and to use in class or at home. You pay $200 for it, and can sell it back or keep it, at the end of the class. WHICH? A small selection of the course topics covered includes the following:

The Microsoft Certification Process Intro. to Sample Tests, and, Scheduling your Windows/NT Exams Using The Windows/NT Training Kit Installing Windows NT: Windows Components, INI files, PIF files Windows-NT in Networks & Network Basics Windows/NT System Architecture vs. Windows 95 Access-Control: Security, Permissions, ID Workgroups and Domains, Domain Models Hardware Requirements & Installation Support for Protocols: NETBEUI, IPX/SPX, TCP/IP Sharing Files, Printers & Other Peripherals Migrating from & Connecting to Novell Netware Local & Network Log-ons System Maintenance: Backups/Restores, Updating Users & Drivers Troubleshooting: The Registry, Backup/Restore Boot Disks, Repair Disks, Error Event Viewer Optimization: Virtual Memory, Multi-Tasking Performance Monitoring, Memory Pools, Contingency Planning Designing Network Topology Estimating Server Resource and Cabling Requirements Installing Applications Software Planning Expansion: Adding/Removing Workstations & Peripherals Remotely Accessing Networks Studying Sample Exams & Getting Hands-On Troubleshooting Practice!

Association of Computer Support Specialists 218 Huntington Road Bridgeport CT 06608 Voice (CT): (203)332-1524 FAX: (203)333-6436 Voice (NYC): (212)875-7761

To Enroll in the Course, fill out the form below, and send it to the letterhead address.

ACSS or DACS Members: Include a $625 deposit. Non-Members: Include a $625 deposit & $100 Membership Fee. Everyone: The balance = $625, and is due at first class plus $500 for Training Kit and Swappable Hard-Drive fees.

Your Name:

Company or Business Name:

Street: City: ST: Zip: E-Mail:

Phones: (Biz Voice): (Biz FAX): (Home):

http://www.dacs.org 5 SEP 98 Windows 98 Local Area Internet Providers AT&T WORLDNET 800-967-5363 CLOUD 9 914-682-0384 Upgradeby John98 Heckman with Care CONCENTRIC NETWORKS 800-745-2747 READ Richard Corzo’s account of in the version being installed. According to C. P. CONNECT 203-734-6600 stalling Windows 98 with increasing Microsoft, this is to provide a “known, DELPHI INTERNET 800-695-4005 Iapprehension (see “Windows 98: An- working baseline operating system.” So EARTHLINK 800-395-8425 other view of Microsoft’s latest OS,” Au- Windows is guaranteed to work, even if MAGS-NET 203-207-5695 gust 1998 ). I think a few words of caution none of your programs do! A little like the EROL’S 888-463-7657 GTE INTERNETWORKING are in order if you are upgrading to Win cheap computer ads for which monitors are 800-927-3000 98 instead of installing it fresh. Corzo in- an added extra. IBM/ADVANTIS 800-888-4103 stalled Win 98 on a separate logical drive, Brian Livingston, author of the “Win- INTERNET84 203-830-2122 avoiding some of the problems that have dows Secrets” books, has documented how INTERRAMP/PSI 800-827-7482 been reported in the computer press. But to track what is being replaced through the LOCALNET OF FAIRFIELD anyone who is installing over an existing Version Control Manager. The VCM can COUNTY 203-425-3535 Win 95 setup should be aware of a number be found under Start/ Programs/ Accesso- MCI 800-550-0927 MICROSOFT NETWORK 800-386-5550 of issues. ries/ System Tools/ System Information/ NETAXIS 203-969-0618 First, leading laptop makers, including Tools/ Version Conflict Manager. If dif- NETCOM 800-353-6600 Dell, IBM, Gateway, and Compaq, have ferent versions have been installed, your NORTH AMERICAN 800-952-INET advised users against upgrading until new original file or files will have been moved NETMEG INTERNET 888-863-8634 BIOS are available. You could be faced to C:\windows\VCM. ON THE NET 203-270-6388 with a machine that simply doesn’t work. A utility from Barry Press lets you see PARADIGM 800-664-INET PUTNAM INTERNET 914-225-3234 Second, these same manufacturers have whether any of your applications are de- SMART WORLD TECH. 203-790-4600 advised against using the Win 98 automatic pendent on particular .dlls. You can down- SNET INTERNET 800-408-8282 update feature, since you never know ex- load this from http://www.aros.net/~press. SPRYNET 800-SPRYNET actly what you are getting. The computer trade press has been re- TIAC 203-323-5957 Third, if you are running older pro- plete with horror stories about upgrading WEB CONNECT grams, it is entirely likely that they will not to Win 98, so I would advise especially OF RIDGEFIELD 203-438-7650 work under Win 98 until you get updates, those with older PCs to proceed with ex- WEBQUILL INT. SVCS 203-750-1000 new drivers, etc. If you plan to upgrade, treme caution. If you do want to upgrade you should check with the manufacturer to what columnist Stephen Manes refers to List for informational purposes only, of all your programs for updates, new driv- as “$90 worth of duct tape,” consider add- not an endorsement of any service. ers, etc. beforehand. ing more memory and setting aside the Further information? The basic reason for a lot of the prob- better part of a weekend. Call Jim Finch @ 203 790-3654 lems with the upgrade is that Win 98 ruth- lessly overwrites any .dll or driver that was JOHN HECKMAN is president of Heckman Consulting, specializing in the legal industry. DACS installed by other programs (including He has taught Optimizing Computer Use for some of Microsoft’s own programs), re- Small Business at Norwalk Community NewMembers gardless of whether it is older or newer than Technical College. 07/22/1998 thru 08/16/1998

1) Howard Bashant 2) Roger L. Busch 3) Wayne C. Karns 4) John T. / Florence Maloney 5) Hugh McKeown 6) Laurie Vrba

THIS IS YOUR LAST NEWSLETTER If the membership date on your mailing label reads 07/1998 EXP

you need to renew your DACS membershipNOW!

SEP 98 6 of one suit from King to Ace in one col- Win98 Extras umn. Good luck!

Another Photo“lite” version edit of a full- Microsoftby Richard CorzoPlus! 98 fledged program is Picture It! Express, which lets you do simple editing of pho- tographs that you or someone has scanned S THERE WAS for Windows 95, benefit. These features can also be found into the computer. there is a Plus! pack for Windows in shareware programs such as CDValet, A98. It’s a grab bag of games, utili- but the Deluxe CD Player also has menu ties, and enhancements for Windows 98. links to the Internet for more information Windows 98 itself includes nearly all on the artist or on the musical genre(s) In the utilitiesUtilities category is a version of the features of under McAfee VirusScan that is good for six the original which the months of upgrades and updates. For fur- Microsoft Plus! currently ther updates you will need to purchase a for Windows 95, playing CD license from Network Associates or go including the is classi- out and buy another antivirus program. I original set of fied. You didn’t try this program myself since I al- desktop themes. have a ready have another, but it is known to be If you get bored choice of a a worthy antivirus program. with the original full-size The File Cleaner is an enhancement themes, Win- program to the Disk Cleanup utility in Windows dows 98 in- window 98 that will look for some additional files cludes two or that looks to clean up. The Start Menu Cleaner per- three new ones, like a car forms the rather small function of remov- but Plus! 98 stereo coming broken shortcuts in your Start menu. adds eighteen ponent, a I wasn’t sure what the Compressed more desktop much more Folders utility was all about. Usually I stay themes, many in high color (that is, using compact version, or just an icon in the sys- away from anything involving compres- a 65,536-color palette). The subjects tem tray that you can right-click to get all sion—DriveSpace, for example. But it range from Architecture to World Trav- the menu choices. turns out the compressed folders here are eler and include comics-based themes just ZIP files. You probably already have such as Doonesbury, Garfield, and Pea- a bunch on your hard drive, and this is nuts. Unlike the previous themes, those The gamesGames consist aplenty of Microsoft Golf just a convenient way to open up a zip that come with Plus! 98 include a cus- 1998 Lite, Lose Your Marbles, and Spi- file in a temporary folder window with- tomized icon for the new My Documents der Solitaire. out extracting the contents ahead of time. system folder on the Windows 98 desk- The golf game is a pretty realistic You can also create a “compressed top. You can also request that the theme simulation of golf. You can choose folder,” (or zip file) by selecting Com- be changed automatically each month (or weather and ground conditions, and an pressed Folder from the New menu after more often if you change the schedule unseen partner will give you commen- right-clicking inside the folder where you setting in the Task Scheduler). tary on your game, including help on want to create a new zip file. Then just your next stroke. The Lite version has drag files into the compressed folder. only nine holes, but it should give you According to some newsgroup postings ApartName from the that new themes,tune the fea- an idea of whether you might like to I’ve seen, this utility is not a full substi- ture that initially most interested me was get the full-fledged Microsoft Golf tute for WinZip if you already have that the Deluxe CD Player. The CD player 1998. program, but it meets my simple needs. program that comes with Windows 95 and Lose Your Marbles will appeal to the • • • Windows 98 allows you to enter manu- younger set. It’s a fast-paced game, To use Plus! 98 you need to have ally the artist’s name, album title, and slightly reminiscent of Tetris, in which Windows 98 installed on at least a track titles. However, the Deluxe CD you have five columns of marbles that you Pentium 90 machine with 16MB of RAM Player saves you from such drudgery by try to eliminate faster than they accumu- and 100 to 150 MB of hard drive space. connecting to the Internet and download- late. To eliminate marbles you have to line Plus! 98 can be had for $30-40, cheaper ing the information when a new audio CD up at least three marbles of the same color than Plus! for Windows 95. At the lower is inserted into your CD-ROM drive. in a row. price I think Plus! 98 has been worthwhile The program can download the infor- The most addicting game for me is the for me and has added to my enjoyment mation from one of two sources: Music Spider Solitaire. It’s nearly impossible to of Windows 98. Boulevard or Tunes.com. It’s fun to play win a game. You start out with two packs Stump the Internet, although so far I’ve of cards in ten columns with the top card RICHARD CORZO is a computer programmer found only one of my CDs that com- of each pile face up. You can move a card, currently working for Packard BioScience Company in Meriden, CT. He has been pletely stumped both sources. If this hap- or set of cards of the same suit, on top of working with 32-bit PC operating systems pens, you can enter the information manu- a card one higher in value. To eliminate for the past six years. You can contact Richard ally and then upload it for someone else’s cards you must accumulate all the cards at rcorzo@ibm.net.

http://www.dacs.org 7 SEP 98 WEB SITE DESIGN. Designs and maintains dacs.org, the Special Interest Groups DACS Web site. Contact: Jeff Setaro, 203 748-6748. Meets on 2nd Wednesday, 7p.m., at the DACS Resource Center, Ives Manor ACCESS. Designs and implements solutions using Microsoft Ac- cess database management. (lower level), 198 Main Street, Danbury. Contact: Bruce Preston, 203 431-2920. Meets on 2nd Tues- Next Meeting: September 9. day, 7p.m., at the DACS Resource Center, Ives Manor (lower level), 198 Main Street, Danbury. WINDOWS. Explores all aspects of Windows 95 and 3.1. Next meeting: September 8. Contact: Ben Carnevale, 203 748-1751. Meets on 1st Friday, 7p.m., at the DACS Resource Center, Ives Manor ADVANCED OPERATING SYSTEMS. Uses, explores, and de- (lower level), 198 Main Street, Danbury. velops OS/2, BSD UNIX and NT operating systems. Next Meeting: October 2. Contact: Don Pearson, 914 669-9622. Meets on Wednesday of the week following the general meeting, 7:30 p.m., at Don Pearson's office, North Salem, NY. SIG News and New to ... Next meeting: September 9. The SIG Notes and Calendar are available on the Internet DESKTOP PUBLISHING. Edits and produces dacs.doc. Any- one interested in the art of newsletter publishing is welcome. on Dan McLeod’s home page at http://www.concentric.net/ Contact: Allan Ostergren, 860 210-0047 or Marc Cohen 203 ~dwmcleod/signotes.htm. Please direct your comments on the 775-1102. Meets on Thursday following monthly general meet- Internet SIG Notes by e-mail to Dan at ing, 7p.m., at the DACS Resource Center, Ives Manor (lower [email protected]. level), 198 Main Street, Danbury. Next meeting: Suspended until further notice. DESKTOP PUBLISHING The DTP SIG will suspend meetings until a new SIG leader EDUCATION. Coordinates DACS education classes. Contact: Charlie Bovaird, 203 792-7881. Meets as needed. can be found.

FINANCIAL. Discusses various investment strategies, empha- GRAPHICS sizing careful selection to maximize profits and limit risk. The Graphics SIG will resume meeting on Sept. 30. Contact: Will Toll, 203 270-1519, or Paul Gehrett, 203 426-8436. Meets 3rd Thursday, 7:30p.m., Edmond Town Hall, Newtown. INTERNET Next Meeting: September 17. The Internet SIG will resume in October 21 with new co- leaders. Diane Greenwald, who did an outstanding job as Internet GRAPHICS. Create and print high-quality graphics and images. Contact: Ken Graff, 203 775-6667. Meets on last Wednesday, SIG leader for several years, is passing the reins to Internet SIG 7p.m., at Best Photo, Brookfield. members Larry Stevens and Richard Koser. Best of luck to both Next Meeting: September 30. of you. The SIG will now meet at the DACS Resource Center.

INTERNET. Acquaints DACS members with the Internet. VISUAL BASIC Contact: Larry Stevens ([email protected]) or Richard Koser The discussion at the August meeting centered on one of ([email protected]). Meets on 3rd Wednesday, 7p.m., at the DACS Chuck Fizer’s projects that uses COM. It was interesting to see Resource Center, Ives Manor (lower level), 198 Main Street, how COM fits into a real-world program. Next month the pro- Danbury. gram will be on Active Server Pages. See you there! Next Meeting: October 21.

MACINTOSH. Discusses Macintosh hardware and software. WINDOWS Contact: Chris Salaz 203 798-6417. Meets on 3rd Tuesday, The Windows SIG will resume in October but will meet on 7:30 p.m., at the DACS Resource Center, Ives Manor the first Friday of the month instead of the second. (lower level), 198 Main Street, Danbury. Next Meeting: September 15. • • • NEW TO WINDOWS 98 VISUAL BASIC. Develops Windows apps. using Visual Basic. Contact: Chuck Fizer, 203 798-9996 or Jim Scheef, 860 355- If you are curious about what Windows 98 might have 8001. Meets on 1st Wednesday, 7p.m., at the DACS Resource in store for you, mark your calendar for September 23. Center, Ives Manor (lower level), 198 Main Street, Danbury. New toWindows 98 is the latest in DACS’ New to series Next Meeting: September 2. and should help to answer any questions you may have about Windows 98. VOICE FOR JOANIE. Provides and supports people with Lou Topics to be covered include: What is new in Win- Gehrig’s disease with special PC computer equipment. dows 98; Should I update to Windows 98?; What is the Contact: Shirley Fredlund, 860 355-2611 x4517. best way to upgrade?; and How can I get the features of Meets on last Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., at Datahr, Brookfield. Next Meeting: September 29. Windows 98 without updating? Wally David, DACS Chairman, will be hosting the meeting, to be held at the DACS Resource Center from WALL STREET. Examines new stock market software. Contact: Phil Dilloway, 203 367-1202. Meets on last Monday, 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM. The Resource Center is located in 7p.m., at A. G. Edwards office, 42 Old Ridgebury Road, Danbury. the Ives Manor (lower level), 198 Main Street, Danbury. Next Meeting: September 28.

SEP 98 8 September 1998 Danbury Area Computer Society Sunday M onday Tuesday W ednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 Augus t SMTWTFS 1 2345678 9101112131415 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 7:00 PM General 7:00 PM Visual 30 31 Meeting: Da- Basic: Chuck NEW S LETT ER nbury Hospital Fizer 203 798- 9996 DE ADL INE 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 7:00 PM Web Site Desi gn: Jef f Setaro 203 748-6748 7:30 PM AOS: 7:00 PM Access: Do n P ea r s o n 914 669-9622 SIG NOTES 7:30 PM DACS Bruce Preston DE ADL INE Directors' Mtg . 203 431-2920 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

7:30 PM Finan- 7:30 PM Mac: cial: Will Toll Chris Salaz 203 203 270-1519 798-6417 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

6:30 PM New to Windows 98: Wally David 203 790-7286 27 28 29 30 October SMTWTFS 123 45678910 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 7:30 PM Voice for 7:00 PM Graphics: 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 7:00 PM Wall St. J oanie: Shirley Ken Graff 203 Phi l Dillowa y Fredlund 860 775-6667 203 367-1202 355-2611 x4517

Calendar and SIG Notes are available on the Internet at http://www.concentric.net/~dwmcleod/signotes.htm http://www.dacs.org 9 SEP 98 Tune in to E-Media Zone

he E-media Zone is a weekly radio show that blends humor and information about electronic media. Each show features guest experts, phone-in interviews, reviews, and how-tos, covering such varied topics as health, business, entertainment, graphic arts, music,T travel, sports, recreation, and education. From virtual reality to homespun video, E-media Zone looks at the latest in education and home entertainment. Radio host Diane Dowling will interview authors and producers, publishers and inventors along with media experts and those electronic gurus who know what lies ahead. From new hardware to the latest software releases youll get enough information to make informed choices before your next electronic purchase. Well explore everything from the Internet and Web TV, telephony and HDTV, to touchy topics like privacy, ethics, and censor- ship will be touched upon.

Tune in to E-Media Zone live every Saturday on WFAS News Talk Radio 1230 on your AM dial from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. Call 914 693-5700 enter the Zone this week.

SEP 98 10 PC Shopper

Buyingby a Jacqueline New Renee Computer Cohen

HEN I NEEDED a new laptop, ferent product. IBM’s Web site lists dis- does indeed offer discounts to teachers my search for the best machine tributors to call for availability and pur- and that the computer could be mine for Woffered at the best price led me chase price. It listed the average selling $2,205. I asked about the extra 32MB on a long and winding road that started price at $2,754.28 for the same machine RAM I required—for $55 it was well be- at PC Expo and ended online. with only 32MB RAM. low the going rate and the installation was To begin my search, I did some re- I called all of the distributors and was free. Shipping via Airborne Express came search and dis- informed that they to $6. I will receive all of the manuals covered what were on backorder and programs that come with the origi- was available and would not be nal—it will just be in a white box. What and what specs I in until the end of I will not receive is the full one-year war- felt I would the month. Since I ranty—I’ll get only 90 days. need. PC Expo was leaving in So for a total of $2,266 I’ll be getting was a great place three weeks, this a computer I had priced out at over for this because I was not good $2,800 by the nearest competitor (CDW). was able to touch news. So I called What did I learn during this process? and see all of the IBM to see when latest models and they would be Do research. Know what you want (the ask questions of shipping more. model number and all of the specs) so knowledgeable They never got you won’t be led to a product you don’t representatives. I back to me. I had want by a pushy salesperson or a lousy knew I wanted to waited until the Website. wait until August last minute to buy to buy, so price my computer be- Ask questions. When I wanted an wasn’t too im- cause prices drop extra 32 of RAM, for instance, I was portant at the and technology quoted between $72 and $125, both with time. improves every free installation. Shipping ran from $6 to Computer magazines are great for week. But now my strategy was working $45. Many manufacturers offer a variety looking at pictures and reading reviews, against me. In desperation, I went back of teacher / student/ charity/ nonprofit but the prices are off and often the last online. organization discounts. I found PC model reviewed is not the most recent one Connection’s education representative on the market. Still they give you a good Online shopping has become quite popu- extremely helpful. idea of what is out there and how it com- lar. First I went to CompUSA’s Web site pares to competitive products. I learned and looked at their sale items; then I tried Check prices. What’s listed in ads and that it is always necessary to call and www.cdw.com, www.pczone.com, on Websites is often more than what the check on the price—one product listed www.warehouse.com,and www.pc product is selling for by the time you at $2,999, for instance, was actually sell- connection.com. The last one was a gold want to buy it. Always call and ask. ing for $2,600 when I phoned the com- mine. pany to confirm. PC Connection’s Web site is well or- Be patient. Making phone calls, visiting August. The clock was ticking, and I ganized: I was easily able to search for Websites, and reading magazines takes needed to order my laptop since I would the specs I wanted, get the results listed a lot of time. Not including my prior re- soon be leaving for Hong Kong to start by price or manufacturer, browse their search at PC Expo, I probably spent a my new job. At PC Expo I had decided clearance items, and check out products solid 15 hours over three days finding on the Digital HiNote VP 745/266 MMX. by manufacturer. It was also often pos- exactly what I wanted for the right price. But by now these were hard to find, still sible to click on a product and receive And remember the longer you wait, the quite pricey, and hadn’t advanced to the more details. lower the price and the better the tech- new Mobile Pentium II chip. So back to All of the online sellers were also out nology. the drawing board. of the Thinkpad 380XD, but I found a So now that I have my new, smooth This time I switched my sights to the refurbished one at pcconnection.com IBM ThinkPad 380XD (It arrived over- IBM Thinkpad 380XD Mobile Pentium available through their clearance shop. night by Federal Express!), I am ready II/266 Mhz, 64MB RAM, 5.5 GB HD, It was listed at $2,299 for 32 MB RAM. to set off for Hong Kong and explore the 24x CD, floppy, etc. I looked at IBM’s I am a teacher, so when I called PC software market! Web site at www.ibm.com to find out the Connection I asked about discounts. The JACQUELINE COHEN, the daughter of dacs.doc details and the manufacturer’s part num- sales rep referred me to the education production editor, Marc Cohen, has taught ber. Always try to get the part number so department, where I spent about 15-20 English in Turkey, Taiwan, and Nepal, and is you can ask specifically for what you minutes on the phone with somebody an expert Internet researcher. She will soon be want and not be led to a similar but dif- named Jim, who informed me that IBM teaching in Hong Kong.

http://www.dacs.org 11 SEP 98 Web Page Design I

Creating Simple Web Pages PageMill 3.0, Part I by Marlene Gaberel

NTIL RECENTLY, putting a rial and start creating a page. Once upon by using one of the three convenient or- Web page together chiefly in a time software came with big thick manu- ganizational tools, you can easily up- U volved my use of Notepad and als. But now Help files are more preva- loaded it. I simply added information inserting HTML codes that I picked up lent, and Page Mill is no different. The about my ISP and the site was up. Subse- from Laura Lemay’s great book Teach manual covers tutorial material and in- quently, when pages are modified or Yourself Web Publishing with HTML 3.0. cludes the basics. Pressing F1 from within added, those specific pages can be up- But now that I have Adobe’s Page Mill the program brings up the Help file. loaded to the rest of the site. A log file 3.0, the task has become much easier. In- listing the uploaded files and the status serting images, animated GIFs, of the upload can be viewed and printed. Shockwave, sounds and movie clips is as With PageEasy Mill to it isuse a snap to add simple as dragging items into Page Mill’s backgrounds and insert tables, e-mail ad- pasteboard and placing them on the page. dresses, and links within and outside the PageSystem Mill 3.0’s Requirements minimum recommen- A recent challenge was to create a site. It is also easy to create a form, in- dations call for a 486 processor using Web page for an after-school dancing serting checkboxes, radio and pop-up Windows 95 with 16MB of RAM. I use program at the Newtown Middle School. buttons, and password fields. the program on a Pentium II and found it Reviews of Page Mill that I came across stable: It never crashed my machine and in different didn’t give me any error messages. publications Useful showed me that Thetools pro- • • • designers were gram offers sev- Within a couple of days I managed to able to create a eral organiza- accumulate enough basic knowledge to whole Web site tional tools to create a rudimentary site. In the fall, when in a couple of help you man- the school staff is back, the site I created hours. I admit it age your site. will be moved to the school page. In the took me longer Page Mill 3.0 meantime, I put it on my space at http:// than that to cre- recommends w3.nai.net/~mgaberel. Page Mill 3.0 has ate a decent doing site up- lots of potential and I am looking forward site, since I first keep from to using it more to take advantage of all had to learn to within the pro- its tools. Visit the Page Mill page on navigate the gram not from Adobe’s site at http://www.adobe.com. program (Page another pro- Mill is not en- gram, though MARLENE GABEREL is a DACS vice tirely intuitive, this is possible. president, director of publicity, and in my opinion). assistant Webmaster You may contact The site over- Marlene at [email protected]. view and list view are both convenient tools for keeping the site organized and Features Page Mill 3.0 comes on a CD that in- show a graphical view of file locations. cludes a choice of buttons, backgrounds, You can also use the organizational tools movie clips, images, and sound. In addi- to check for broken links. tion, you can download more animation Smart advertisers from Xoom Web site, but each time I tried reach over 1000 to access it, the site is busy. Page Mill 3.0 It takesEdit, a clickclick, of the preview mouse to move also has a spell-checker, which I find a from Edit mode, in which you create your active computer and bit awkward since it never tells you when site, to Preview mode, where you can see it’s finished checking a story (MS Word how your page will really look on the software buyers at least says “Spell Check complete”) and page. You can also preview your page would probably go on checking forever easily through Internet Explorer, which by taking advantage if you didn’t stop it. is tightly integrated with Page Mill, or less easily with Netscape. of the attractive To get acquaintedHelp with Page Mill 3.0, advertising rates in I first spent some time taking the tour. UploadingUploading from within Page Mill is Soon I was ready to move from the tuto- very convenient. After checking your site DACS.DOC

SEP 98 12 Web Page Design II

Advanced Page Making PageMill 3.0, Part 2 By Mike Kaltschnee

f you haven’t read Marlene to work the way I want. Some HTML spellcheck, and the site manager can Gaberel’s review of PageMill on tools, like NetObjects Fusion or check the entire site at once. Very nice. I page 12, do it now. This article is GoLive CyberStudio, write code that One thing I find missing in PageMill meant to pick up where she leaves off, is too hard to update,. They use tricks is “themes.” NetObjects Fusion and and may not make complete sense un- to create great-looking pages, but you Microsoft FrontPage both support less you get her insight first. can’t update the code yourself. graphical themes, which make it easy to PageMill is a product I’ve owned Included with PageMill are several test or change the look and feel of your since the beginning, literally. I bought useful items. Adobe bundled Web site. PageMill does allow you to one of the first copies at a trade show, PhotoShop LE, a simpler, easier-to- search and replace images, but if you’re and even paid the full retail price. I was use version of PhotoShop. Most of us prototyping a site, themes make it much very excited don’t need all faster and easier. about a pro- of the fea- My final recommendation is that gram that auto- tures of PageMill is perfect for most people and matically wrote PhotoShop, businesses. You don’t need an industrial the Web page or the price strength Web editor to create your site, codes for you tag. and PageMill is strong in every key area because I was PhotoShop I explored. Best yet, it works on doing it by LE is a great Macintosh and Windows computers hand. Before program, (FrontPage Mac is not being updated PageMill, I with all of the past version 1.0, according to used Notepad features you Microsoft). and an HTML need to cre- The only real market issue with book (Laura ate and edit PageMill is the Microsoft reality. LeMay’s Learn images for FrontPage ’98 is a good, solid product, HTML in 14 the Web. It and with its marketing clout, Microsoft days). It was a also included has sold more than a million copies to laborious pro- a lot of Web date. It’s hard to compete with cess, taking a lot of time to figure out images, templates, and even some Microsoft, especially when they include the complicated commands like tables Java programs you can add to your FrontPage in the upcoming version of and frames. PageMill was supposed to site. An advanced addition is Office or Windows ’98 (FrontPad is a save us from ourselves. O’Reilly’s Website, a full-featured “lite” version of FrontPage). But if any- PageMill 1.0 didn’t exactly live up Webserver, enabling you to post your one can compete, it’s Adobe. By target- to its promise, but it was a great start. I pages using your computer so anyone ing their artistic customer base, they even wrote one of my first reviews for on the Internet can see them. If you’re should do well. DACS on PageMill several years ago. really an advanced user, they’ve in- I was going to put together a few Adobe’s come a long way with the cluded Perl scripts from Matt’s Script quick pages as a demo, but I think this product, and I’m even considering us- Archive so you can add a guestbook is a good way to plug our very own Web ing the latest version for my personal and other features. site, http://www.dacs.org. Another be- page work. I like the interface; it’s Site management is becoming hind-the-scenes DACS member is Jeff simple and intuitive. The commands I more important as Web sites become Setaro. Jeff has taken over Jim Scheef’s use most often are usually only two larger. Adobe PageMill includes a Web site project, and he’s using clicks away, and I had little trouble simple site-management tool that is PageMill. So, if you need an example finding anything. integrated nicely with the editor. It can of the power of PageMill, check out the One thing to look for in an HTML help you find broken links, inside and DACS Web site. editor is the code it writes, so I created outside of your site. This has got to a fairly complex page and viewed it in be one of the worst chores in Web Notepad. The code PageMill writes is page creation, and PageMill has simple and easy to modify. The reason solved it. MIKE KALTSCHNEE is a founder of DeMorgan you should care about the code is that Another nice feature is being able Industries Corp., the leading developer of Web you will wind up “fixing” it at some to visually view the layout of your site graphics (http://www.webspice.com), and also point or another. No matter how good and see just what is linked where. The teaches Webmaster and Internet marketing classes at the Internet School at Naugatuck these tools are, I always find a bug or biggest mistake most beginning Web Valley Community Technology College. You code that I have to modify for the page designers make is to forget to can reach Mike at: [email protected].

http://www.dacs.org 13 SEP 98 Random Access connection the next time you reference the site. This is how using the “back” command operates so quickly. Within the browser Instant replay: August 1998 Bruce Preston, Moderator configuration, you can set how much disk space you want to ACS MEMBERS who are unable to A. Java script is a bit different from allocate to the cache; once you hit attend the monthly General Meeting regular Java. Usually the page will this limit, the files in the cache that may still pose questions to the group by continue if you respond to the have not been recently displayed submittingD their questions to question on the screen. You should will be deleted. Two reasons to [email protected] by the night before the consider getting the IE4 upgrade to delete the cache are 1) to save space meeting. 4.01 since it contains bug fixes and on a system that is tight for disk security patches; you should also get storage, and 2) to establish privacy/ Q. I rebuilt my machine with a new hard it if you are using Outlook Express. security. disk and, as part of it, installed the You can download the upgrade for trial version of McAfee’s Virus free from Microsoft, or you can get Q. I have icons that “drift” about an inch Scan. Since then, the system has it on a CD at a nominal cost. Go to or two in from the right edge of the seriously slowed down. I want to the Microsoft Web site. screen. What causes this? remove it, but since it is software for A. You are probably normally running Windows 3.11, it doesn’t have an Q. I have a Web site that is found by most your display at a resolution of “uninstall” capability. What do I search engines but is never “hit” by 800x600 (or higher). If you (or an have to remove? the Excite search engine. Is there application such as a game) change A. Find references to Vshield in something that I have to do for Ex- the application to the standard VGA CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT, cite to find it? resolution 640x480, the icons would C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI and A. More and more search engines are be invisible, off the right edge or C:\WINDOWS\WIN.INI. You can now only visiting and indexing a site bottom of the screen. Windows comment out the lines by typing if it has been “registered” by the moves them (perhaps stacking one REM at the beginning of the lines site’s Web master. You can do this on top of the other if there are that reference Vshield in .SYS and by going to the search engine site many!) so that you can see them. .BAT, and adding a semicolon (;) and giving it the URL of your site. Unfortunately, it does not put them at the start of the .INI files. If there In addition, there are “meta tags” back where they were when you (or are multiple programs referenced in you may place in your Web page the application) return to 800x600 the RUN= or LOAD= lines in the that indicate to some, not all, search setting. If you right-click on the .INI files, duplicate the whole line, engines which words are pertinent desktop and select AutoArrange, place a semicolon (;) at the start of to your page and should be included they will all evenly position the original and then edit out the in its index. themselves along the left margin of portion that references Vshield. This the screen and thus will not be will leave other items active. With Q. I have perhaps a thousand file en- disturbed by screen resolution Windows 3.1x, you do not have to tries in my Netscape cache. How do changes. Someone mentioned a worry about the registry. You also I get rid of them? (Note: this ques- utility that appeared in PC Magazine might go to www.nai.com and check tion is pertinent to Internet Explorer a few months ago that addresses this the FAQ area—or post the question as well.) I can’t seem to delete them problem. you might check their on their Web site. from Windows Explorer. Web site. A. There are several ways of doing it. Q. I upgraded my Netscape Navigator First, the browser itself usually has Q. There is a service that for $100 will browser to 4.0 and have now lost the a button buried somewhere in the list/register your Web site with 800 Adobe Acrobat reader as a plug-in. Options or Preferences screen that search engines. They require a list How do I get it to work again? says “Erase the cache.” You may of keywords that you want regis- A. If you reinstall the reader, it will detect use it. There are also commercial tered, but all of the words must be that your default browser is now 4.0 add-on utilities such as single words rather than phrases. and attach itself to Navigator 4.0. Quarterdeck’s CleanSweep (the Does this sound right? The current installation is only August presentation) or A. Usually registering with a search attached to your previous browser. Cybermedia’s Internet Guard Dog, engine issues an invitation to the When it installs, it will ask you both of which offer to clean the search engine to read the site and which browser to attach to if you cache each time you disconnect index the pages according to its own have more than one installed. from the Internet. methodology. Some older engines Why would you not clean the might require that the keywords be Q. When I visit some sites on the Internet cache? If you visit a site frequently, identified by the Web master. The I get a message that says “Java the browser will recognize the pages consensus is that this requirement script error.” What is happening and graphics it has already “seen” by the service might be to support and how do I cure it? I am using and stored in the cache, and won’t the older engines. If the engine isn’t Internet Explorer 4.0. reload them via your dial-up smart enough to read the contents

SEP 98 14 of the page, then it probably isn’t may be as simple as going to the next support_doc/bpd02223.html that listed a going to be able to handle page). For example, a search engine large number of printers manufactured multiword keywords. You might may place an encoded reference to between June 1993 and March 1994 put the multiword phrases into meta the results of your search so that whose rollers were made with a rubber tags in the page header(s). when you say “show me the next ten that tended to “glaze” and not move the hits” it knows which temporary file paper. HP has a free repair tool, which Q. What is the story with the security on the search engine’s disk to read they will send upon request, that is placed problem with e-mail and long at- from. If you have ever used a site that into the paper-feed area. A supplied util- tachment filenames? has “add to shopping cart,” the codes ity program is then used to make the roll- A. If the filename is longer than about identifying your product choices are ers turn for about 15 minutes. The tool 255 characters, it appears that it will stored in a cookie. The cookie usually has a mild abrasive surface (similar to a permit an application referenced in has an “expiration date,” although Scotch-Brite scouring pad), which will an HTML page to be executed many sites put ridiculously long remove the glazed surface from the rub- without alerting the user. This lifetimes on their cookies. You can ber rollers, restoring functionality. If you problem has been addressed by the disable cookies in the browser, but have an HP DeskJet 510, DeskWriter browser publishers. There are no for some sites, if you disable the 510, DeskJet 520, DeskWriter 520, known instances of this happening cookies then you can’t always make DeskJet 550C or DeskJet 560C printer, other than in “the lab”. Check the use of the capabilities of the site. be sure to visit the site to determine if www.nai.com Web site for more your printer is likely to require the kit. information. Follow-up item: We always like to hear that a problem was resolved via Random Q. What are Internet cookies? Access. In the previous session, several BRUCE PRESTON is president of West A. A cookie is a text file that is not members had problems with the paper-feed Mountain Systems, a consultancy in dangerous and cannot do anything mechanism in their HP DeskJet printers. Ridgefield, CT, specializing in database applications A DACS director and destructive. It is used by Web sites Upon our suggestion, one of them found moderator of the Random Access sessions to store “state” information for the a page on the HP Web site (http:// at the general meetings, Bruce also leads next time you visit the site (which www.hp.com/cposupport/printers/ the Access SIG.

http://www.dacs.org 15 SEP 98 Voice Joanie for

Help give the gift of speech Call Shirley Fredlund at 355-2611, ext. 4517 and become a Voice for Joanie volunteer.

September 1 Lotus Development SmartSuite October 6 PowerQuest MGI Software November 3 John Patrick (IBM) State of the Net

AMSYS PII Business System PENTIUM 233 MMX Includes: Intel Chipset System Board with 100Mhz Bus, 512KB Pipeline Burst Cache, 32 MB PC-100 SDRAM, 4.3GB HDD, 4MB AGP SVGA, 3.5" FDD, 2 Serial NOTEBOOK Ports, 1 Parallel Port, 2 USB Ports, 3 PCI Slots, 3 ISA Slots, 1Shared PCI/ISA Slot, 1 DACS SPECIAL AGP Slot, Mid-Tower Case with 5 Drive Bays and 220W Power Supply, 104 Key $1,696 Windows 98 Keyboard, Microsoft Mouse, Microsoft Windows 95 or 98 32MB RAM, Accessories 2GB HDD, with Pentium II 266Mhz CPU $1,238 Upgrade to 64MB 100Mhz SDRAM $84 3.5" FDD, with Pentium II 300Mhz CPU $1,363 Upgrade to 96MB 100Mhz SDRAM $168 20XCD, with Pentium II 333Mhz CPU $1,488 Upgrade to 128MB 100Mhz SDRAM $252 12.1" TFT Display, with Pentium II 350Mhz CPU $1,613 Upgrade to 160MB 100Mhz SDRAM $336 3D Sound, with Pentium II 400Mhz CPU $1,738 Upgrade to 160MB 100Mhz SDRAM $336 256K Cache, Upgrade to 192MB 100Mhz SDRAM $420 2MB VGA, Memory, Upgrade to 256MB 100Mhz SDRAM $588 2-32bit PCMCIASlots, ® Upgrade from 4.3GB to 6.4GB HDD $63 TouchPad, Upgrade from 4.3GB to 8.4GB HDD $132 USB Port, AMSYS Upgrade from 4.3GB to 11.5GB HDD $234 COMPUTER900 Ethan Allen Hwy Battery, Add 32X CD-ROM $90 Case, Ridgefield, CT 06877 Add 32-bit PCI Wavetable Sound Card $38 Win 98 203-431-1500 / WWW.AMSYS.NET Add Speakers $18 © AMSYS, Inc. 1998

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