PC Novice Volume 7 Issue 12

106 Pages·9.1 MB·English

by  Sandhills Publishing

How
To Increase Your Productivity Now!
New —
Technology
What's Hot And What's Hype p.23
—
itemet Access
Are You Spending Too Much? p.78
—
Alternative Keyboards Are They Better For You? p.58
—
Family VS. Business PCs what Is The Difference? p.55
—
Portable Protection Better Safe Than Sorry p.76
Great Holiday Ideas
<JZiC~ /SCc
~‘WI IM'jri'JTT
$3.95
December 1996
®1P|B!§
.
The You Need
Quality
At The You Want
Price
30024x-6bi0t0/ospitnigclael-praessoslution
•2400dpimaximumresolution
•Legal-sizescanningarea
•ScanWizard scanningsoftware
OCRsoftwareforscanningtext
1image-editingsoftware
GoWithThe ScannerFrom The ScannerExperts.
HowToChoosetheBestScanner LimitedEditionOCRsoftwareforscanning Withits30-bitdepthand4800dpimaximum
&TheBestScannerMaker. pagesoftext,Ulead’sImagePals2Goand resolutiontheScanMakerE6rendersimages
Inthemarketforascanner?There’salotoflow- PhotoimpactSEimageeditingsoftwarefor withincreaseddetailinhighlightsandshadows.
pricedscannersavailablethesedays.Butifyou Windows,orMicroFrontier’sColorIt!image- TheScanMakerE6includesScanWizard,OCR
wantareliabledesktopscanner,madebya editingandpaintsoftwareforMacintosh. andimage-editingsoftwareforWindowsor
cdeosmkptaonpyscwaintnhetrhsealnodngweistthhaisrteopruytoaft—imoankfionrg ASlinsgolIen-tPrasosduCcoilnogrAFl3a0t-bbietdHFiogrhORnelsyol$u5t9i9o!n, wMaocrikntwoisthh.WAinnddobowtsh9t5heScanMakerE3andE6
superbimagequalityyearafteryear then Needhigherresolution?AskforMicrotek’s ForHome.ForOffice.HighQualityScanners
makeyourscanneraMicrotek! ScanMaker®E6whichstartsatjust$599! ForAWholeLotLess.
IntroducingASingle-PassColorFlatbed So,whetheryouneedascannerforthehome,
ScannerForOnly$399! fortheoffice,foryourkidsorforyourcompany
Startingatjust$399,thenewScanMaker®E3 askforMicrotek,thecompanythatvirtually
cseiacnxpcattlnruunedremeeresslcyiMoimnlctiafrrgeooe-ltlsleiekkaert’scsrooeelfsaotosrlw,yua-tTrtiehoo-efnuossSreucWpaSinctnMaodan2okW4ewi0rsz0aEodr3rpdi™in : .»—tfwmt.I..I.11 FiM1noi-vcr8er0tnoh0tte-eedl6ko5drc4eeas-steik4lotl1neo6rpo0fosroycrofaounurnrsimennoeogra.ureresictnofnaovuretmnhaioteriniotzne,Aducatlol
yMaocuientnohsahn.ceS,caadnd—Wiszpeacridallets TouetchoufraxW-ebabcksiltieneatahtt(t3p1:0)//2w9w7w-.5m1t01e.klOarb.chceocmk
effectstoimages even MICROTEK
beforeyouscanthem!
TheScanMakerE3also
includesCaere’sOmniPage MacWEEK(August7,1995) BetterImagesThroughInnovation.
AClolmppruitceers,mIennct.i;oInmeadgeaPraelssu2ggGeostaenddsPthroeettoiprmipcaecs.toTfhUeLfeoaldloSwyisntgeamrse,tIrnac.d;eCmoalrokrsspIeto!criorffeiMgciiacstrtioeoFrnresodanttnrideards,eofmItancwr.ak;rsOeombfnutinhPedialrgerseeaLsripemeicsttueibdvjeeEdccitotmtioponacnohifaeCnsag:eerMwieicCtrohorotpueotkr,naotSticioacnen..MAEallk3eoErt6,hEeSUrcWtarMna5Wd9ie6zmCaarrSkdsoofrMriecgriostteekreLdabt,raIdnce.m;aWriknsdaorwesthoefpMriocpreorstoyftofCtohrepiorrraetsipone;ctMiavceihnotlodesrhs.ofPArpicpelse,
© TABLEOFCONTENTS•VOLUME7• DECEMBER1996•ISSUE12
48TSRs:
focus on: SurvivalGuide TMuhletiDtOasSkiWnagy
Handytermi-
nate-and-stay-
resident pro-
gramslurkout
ofsightuntil
youcallthem
intoaction—or
untiltheycause
aproblem.
FAMILYCOMPUTING
YourGuideToThe
HolidayConsumerPCs
ShoppingforanewPCcan
\ beaharrowingexperience
withallthegreatsystems
andnewcompaniesenteringthemar-
ket.Weunveilourfavoritesandhelpyoufind
yourbestsystem.
PCOPERATINGINSTRUCTIONS WINDOWSCOMPUTING
UsingThePATH WORKINGATHOME
Command WhichWindows? ChoosingBetween
APATHstate- Variousversionsofthewildlypopular Business&FamilyPCs
mentcansave MicrosoftWindowshavespecificstrengths.
youthetrouble Here'showtopickthebestoneforyou.
ofremember-
ingwhich GENERALCOMPUTING
directories
yourfavorite 28
programsare 4LOHolidayGift
locatedin. "TheChristmaspresent Ontopofalltheothermarketingjargon,now
1 ™MTDInrsitvaelrlsinIgnDWeivnidcoews 5ym0oiugf'hartveobrleiotoaekmpiornogndgfuocortusr yowrohue"nbmuumssaitnkeidsnesgc"itdmheaecwchhhioenitcehe.e.rCoynosuidneeredthaes"ehofmacet"s
AddingdriverstoyourPCisassimpleasfol- fromthelastyear.
lthoewipnrgocaesfsewofstienpsst.alWlei'nlgldwraivlekrsyofuortshervoeurgahl COMPUTINGBASICS ATTHEOFFICE
typesofperipherals. 46Computing’sSeven TInhpeutRiDgehvticOense:sCan
DeadlySins PreventPain?
BasicTraining WeapplytheSevenDeadly Healthycomputingmay
Topicscoveredthismonth:Games,help, Sinstotheworldofcom- dependonhowyouwork
deletingfilesanddirectories,passwords,and putersandcomeupwith morethanhowyourkey-
screensavers. somecommonsensetipsforallusers. boardisdesigned.
.... .. .
QUICKSTUDIES PLUGGEDIN TIDBITS
60WordPerfect 78 GetTheMost 86HowToSafely
6.1:TakingA 'NetForYour MoveYourPC
62 61 &DLFFirooCfetrfeoueWzslriiuen1nnm-gdt2n-oRVs3woi5swe.:s0w serviDceoplrloavAaifrrcdiecnederyssotsuhaetnphdaceyhmie'inaNngpeiettms?oitozLeImenuatorcennrlhnienttoteo yourcomputFerbourall.dleosrwesciuanlngtshsweohlmepenpmsroievmvipelnnetg
PUsaignegMTaakbesr6.01: expenses. 4 TechnologyNews
64MNaivcirgoastoifotnWaolrAdid6e.s0 80FindItOnline 68388 QNLeo&avArinciengNoSteersiesAd
6667WWSQUwuosoiairrttnkdctgihrnPTKorgihoPteWr9iWo6to:h6r.Td0:ePxetrfect NhtCSeuoahltlnreritividasitatsCiyimlosoaanns.u...st...rt.eo.esys.... 19999023890 AGBE1dcl9aito9ctis6okosrYniaIaersElaysdrCiuO-teofeosmrnTdmeeArrnmttsicleIndex
68QuickenDeluxe5.0: shareware..
PrintingChecks science.
70MicrosoftExcel5.0: COMINGNEXTMONTH..
UsingFinancialFormulas
Programsthatorganizeyourfinances
71 MicrosoftPowerPoint7.0:
UsingAutoShapes YOUROLDPC fNoerwbeYtetaerr’csormepsuotluitnigons
ChangingThe Findingthebestbatteryforportables
BEYONDTHEBASICS PC’sBattery
OLfeaTrhneTWheebL:anguage Mdoaeisnthaaivneinogney)oucrancopmrpeuvteenrt'sthbeatltoesrsyo(fyevsi,tailt
HTML,PartIII systemdata.
EDITORIALSTAFFRonaldD.Kobler•WhitneyPotsus•JulietOseka•Trevor SubscriberServiceInformation:
MDDeuoendrcdsan••RE•olLibizesarsbtaetFWhriaeaPbsaesnrss•kSahSaU•rBoTSnoCmLRoIuMPdaTionIneOl•NliCiR•nEdJyNoeEKlrWuSAsthLreSanuic&shkyC•U•SSDaiTraaOnhaMEMScRcaLlSeeaEtnR•V•IEJrCeifEnf A(8d0v0e)rt8i4si8n-g14St7a8ff:
TerrenceDaly•ConnieBeatty•JamesBerger•MattBolling•PatrickKean•Gary ForSubscription
Pohlmeier•CarisaRiedmiller•JeffStone•SureeUrling•CharmaineVondra• InformationOrService:
MRienncehoWwat•sFornedASRcThnAeiNdDerD•ETSeIdGNLarLseesna•SLciasrabBolroocukgh••SaRdeiBeeBceclaleMT.heTloeonf••IDnagvried 1(800500)[email protected]
gOruarphfiicnsalwiisnesltyalalnmdenhtelepxprleaaidnesrshworwitetobaucske SCFiiIamRleaC•U•LMLioAcrTihaIGeOalrNrWiiDsrtE•hVJ•EaBsLeoOtnhPaCMnoEydNrBTe•rgCKmhieamydeHrGol•meeBarssuocn•eS•DhoMalalntnNtoEMnWoSrVraSonTwdAe•NwBDergeteMaG•roktNtasPtceahelarilyel (RT8eo0f0Oe)rrde3ne6cr7e-B7aB3ic3nk3deIrsss:ues/
toyou. •SPAEGaLErEDtShCDOLeiRbePbniOeeRmaABnuTtntI•O•NJGerfaPfnrtePrsOiivsdastetennt•k•JoeTpnhn•oiBfmerarasdL.JB.rUPyhaeenerd•CEhxreicsuBtliavieneViAcDeVPErReTsiIdSeInNtG• A(u8t0h0o)r3i3za4t-i7o4n5F8orReprints:
MOBILECOMPUTING SRtheoenndaPeedVicePresident•MitchellW,SchainostVicePresident•Dave (E8di0t0o)ri5a4l4S-t1af2f6:4
ProtectYour 8Staa.fmf.Ho-u6rsp:.m.CSTMon.-Fri.
WFIiontrvheYsPAootrutmCarebalnPestoPerCstaarbelaenexpen- 8Cp"(D5rooIPi3psSCvy8tSer0aNN,i,gogev1PLhi.0itpc05nae.c21i"o-9dlB19ni1o,as68xts6Nbt)L8yErii5nciP36stc8le8opy0l5eun,0dpb,1rl.LoCiNihosEnirhc.bpeoiodltrPnea,mOdtoSiNnwoTtiEnhtM.hlA6oyS8Aultf5Tlo0Erwr1riR$ig.:2thtt9sSenupSrbeeepsrsnecerydrrmeiviabaesreddsr.dibroySenRe.sPersevpirePccodrehdisauCn:cnotrtgepide8oos0rin0nat-toot4ifh2oPemn4aC,-tU7e.1N9rS2o0i.v00aAil..cWeae,psPPpetPeCr.aiH0rNoa.diorinvvcBgieaocslixetsn 1LFMia2Ani0Xlc:ioWnl.g(n,4AH0daN2drE)rv4ee67ss8s9t5:-2D21r1i0v4e
siveinvestment.Protecting ^ E-mailAddress:
withagoodcthaartryiinnvgetstmentgetseasier 1 SPROINYTEDIWNITKH ftBMAuuerdmeibatuer Peed [email protected]
tepuptothenextlevelofcom- 28.8 Kbps modem Surf the Packard BellNavigator Turns
Sputingpower:thePackardBell Internetattopspeed.Youevenget yourcomputerintoavirtualhome,
Platinumcomputers.Withfaster freetrialsubscriptionstoPackardBell withfeaturesorganizedintoconve-
Intel Pentium processors, more DirectInternetAccessandthetop nient “rooms.”And parents can
memoryandlargerharddrivesthan threeonlineservices. declarecertainsoftware“offlimits”to
oevfetrhbeefcoharret,s.they’lltakeyoutothetop NoMwPEyGou-’1reFruelaldymottoiopnla,yftuhllebllaatsets!t theiVrocihcieldVrieen.wTalkShop Talkand
MorestorageHarddiskdrives MP6EXG-sgpaemeedsaCnDd-vRiOdMeoCSeDarmcohvitehsa.t sNeondwdyaotuarimnotdheemsgamaemepohpopnoenecnatlls.
from 1.2GBto2.0GB(variesby coast-to-coastphonebookCDfaster canhearyoulaugh—beforeyoublow
themaway.
Free on-site service in your
Congratulations. homeorofficeforonefrillyear.
You'vejust gone Platinum. TPahcekBaersdtBOelflTPhleatBiensutmPro:
WanttheultimateinPackard
Bell power? Look for the
m1o2deMl)B. Gacotioanheagda,meb.uyYouth’avtengeowt t(hmaonstymooudelcsa)nsay “four-one-one.” series.YPoua’clklarfidndBaellllthPelgarteiantufmeatPurroe"s
plentyofroom. SRS3-DAmphitheaterStereo ofPackard Bell Platinum, with
Morespeed Choosefromthe Looksliketwospeakers.Soundslike 24MBofmemory.
f(arsatemst13I3ntMelHzPetontaipuumlsepr-opcoeusnsdoirns,g adifrfoeoremncferiltlo.Yboelui’evveeigto.ttohearthe LookforPackardBellPlatinum
166MHz.Fastenoughforyou? Fast Media Remote Control andPlatinumPro systemsatyour
BellMPolraetinmuemmmoordeylsMhoavset16PaMckBarodf rRouonm.yoCuhrancgoempvuotleurmef,rcohmeacckropshsotnhee authorizedPackardBellretailer.
RAM.With thatmuchmemory, messages,evenpointand
Windows95doesn’tjustrun—itflies. clickthemouse.
pentium
Packard Bell
MORE
STORAGE
SPEED &
MEMORY
PackardBell
PackardBell
srSSatpoteeimcroieenfo,iacsIpanotptueillnoi,ndcPsaetssnioutoubnirjscueemc.m,teWatninotdnicdothhonaeewndIsgnetaiesrlweaiItnarshveioagduiieltsaltboenlrogeetodiascreteperaarrMdeaogetniemislatytre.okrreSdoaRfvtSarMiaiflcdearaebotlmesuarorsefkestpsaCroreofaqtrIuepniltorye-.el ^ ® <m
CNBeoalrvlpioEglraeatctotirrooannri.ecstS,rRaISndcei.sm©aarkr1se9,g9ias6tnedPraePcdakcatkrradarddBeelBmlealrEllkiescoatfrroeSngiRicSsst.LearAblelsd,rtirIgnahcdt.seFmraaessrtekrMvoeefddP.iaackaanrdd
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
CompiledbyCindyKrushenlskyfromAPandstaffreports
HackingIntoTheCIA kindofcaseisunprecedented,therewillbealotatstake.Internet
browsingprogramsarereshapingthewaypeopleusecomputers,
SomeunhappySwedishhackersbrokeintotheCentralIntelligence eliminatingmanyofthedifferencesbetweenworkingwith
Agency'shomepageontheInternetthisfall,changingthestated datainsideonelocalPCandonethatcouldbelocatedhalfway
nameofthepage'screatortothe"CentralStupidityAgency." aroundtheworld.
Thesaboteurs,agedf6to20,hadoeencaughtin1991forhack-
itnhgeicnouarntotcahseeriinnctihdeeinrt,cobuunttrtyh,ettrhiealyb"ergeavinsjeuds"ttthhiesCfIalAl.hAongmreypoavgee,r AnOvercrowdedInfohighway
dubbingthemselves"PowerThroughResistance."Inadditionto
slammingtheSwedishprosecutorinthecase,thealteredsitealso WithsomanyusersgoingonlineandmergingontotheInternet,
includedlinkstovarioussex,music,andScandinavianhackersites, overcrowdinghasbecomearealconcern.Whilethere'snowayto
theNorwegiannewsagencyNTBreported. curbthegrowth,somemanufacturersproposetoaddresstheprob-
Thealteredpagewasupforonlyabout12hoursbeforethe lemthroughbandwidth-conservingtechnology.Suchtechnology
CIAtooktheserverdowntorepairthedamage.However,CIA exists,calledIPMulticast,makingtransmissionsmoreefficientto
spokesmanRickObornsaidthattherewasneveranydangerto multiplerecipients.
nationalsecurity."Thisisaseparatesystemnotconnectedtoany Itworksdifferentlyfromtraditionalbandwidth-hungry"uni-
CIAinternalfiles.ThereisnowayyoucanenterCIAinternal casts,"whichcreateaseparatepoint-to-pointdatastream
filesthroughthesystem."Suchattacksonhomepagesarecom- betweenthesenderandeachreceiver,orfrombroadcasts,which
mon.Amonthearlier,anonymoushackerschangedtheopening senddatastreamstoeveryoneonanetwork.Multicastsendsa
pageoftheU.S.DepartmentofJustice'ssitetoread"U.S. singlestreamofdatathatcanbeaccessedbyanyrecipientdesir-
DepartmentofInjustice." ingtheinformation.
NumerousvendorsnowarejointlypromotingtheIPMulticast
InitiativefortheInternetandcorporateintranets,including
MonopolyOnInternetAvenue? Hewlett-Packard,Intel,Microsoft,Netscape,Silicon'Graphics,and
SunMicrosystems.Thetechnologycanbehandledbymuchofthe
MicrosoftisonceagainundertheJustice interworkingsoftheInternetandhasbeguntoundergofieldtrials
Department'smicroscope;thistime,it'sto byseveralInternetserviceproviders.
{ determinewhetherthecompanyis
I* mploanyoipnoglifzaiinrgwtihtehInittserInnettemranertkebtrboywsneort InTheStatehouse
competitor,Netscape.ButastheJustice
Departmentreviewsthecase,italsomust Pryingsecretsfromfederalbureaucratshas
resolveatoughquestion:Canthesoftware dependedfor30yearsonalawwrittenin
companymonopolizeamarketinwhichitsproduct,Internet theageofcarbonpaper.Thisfall,the
Explorer,isadistantsecond? bureaucratsweregivenanudgetoward
Iftheinvestigationbroadensintoacourtbattle,thefocuswould theelectronicage.
probablybeontheissueofwhetherMicrosoftcanuseitsdominance Congresshasdecidedtobringthe
inonesegmentofthesoftwarebusinesstotakeoveranother. FreedomofInformationActup-to-date.
Netscapecomplainedtothegovernmentearlierthisyearthat Thenewactprodsfederalagenciestosharetheirdataelec-
Microsoftwasusingitsdominanceinoperatingsystemstoforce tronicallywhenthat'swhattherequesterwants.Whycould
personalcomputermakerstopre-installitsInternetprogramon thisbeimportant?Considersomerequestsinwhichagencies
theirmachinesinsteadoftheNetscapeNavigatorbrowser. providedtherequestedinformationonlistsofpaper—yards
TheJusticeDepartment'santitrustdivisionhashadMicrosoft's andyardsofpaper.
businesspracticesunderscrutinysince1993.In1994,Microsoft Nowthebillwouldcompelagencies,whichreceiveabout
enteredaconsentdecreewiththeagencyinwhichitagreedtocease 600,000FOIArequestsayear,toreleaseinformationinthefor-
itsdiscountingpracticesrelatedtotheMS-DOSandWindowsoper- matrequested,whetheritbeoncomputerdiskettes,CD-ROM,
atingsystems.However,Microsoft'sproductsrunthebasicfunc- orthroughtheInternet.Thebillwouldalsotackle"themotherof
tionsofnearly90%ofPCs.Thisrequestforinformationisthefirst allcomplaints"againsttheFOIA,theoftenludicrousamountof
bytheJusticeDepartmentsincesummer1995,whenitexploredthe timeittakesforaresponse.FOIArequestsansweredbytheFBI
company'splantostartanonlinenetwork. in1995hadbeenpendinganaverageof923days.However,
IfacourtfindsthatMicrosoftviolatedthe1994agreementwith somesaythebillisnotnecessarilyrevolutionary;itjustgivesthe
itsInternetproductsandsalestactics,theJusticeDepartment signaltogovernmentagenciesthattheyneedtoshapeup.
couldseekmonetarypenaltiesandotherrestraints.Althoughthis
4PCNovice/December1996
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
willcontinuethistrendtowardspecialization,designedtodoone
thingwell. A >
PackardBellhasagreedtolabelcom- Analystsalsoexpectsystemstotakeonnewcolorsanddesigns.
putersandmonitorsthatcontain Alongwiththebasicbeige,today'sPCsareavailableinblack,
usedcomponentsaspartofa green,andpurple.Inthenextfewyears,youmayseemodels,for
settlementinvolving22 instance,trimmedinwood.Laptopsmaycomewithhandles
states.Asuitalleged moldedintothesystemsforbetterportability,andmorebusiness
thatPackardBellwas monitorsmaybereplacedwithsleek,flat-panelscreensbecause
sellingPCpartsfrompreviouslysoldcomputersandpromoting theyuselessenergyandrequirelesscooling.
thesystemsasnew.Althoughthecompanyadmittednowrong- Andyou'llgetalotmorePCforthemoney.Systemsinthe
doing,thecomputermakeragreedtobeginlabelingcomputer $2,000rangein1998willlikelybepoweredbyPentiumProor
cartonswithanoticeexplainingtheuseofrecycledpartsstart- PowerPCchipsrunningaround300megahertz(MHz),withthe
ingJan.1,1997.Thecompanyalsomustprovidematerialsfor mostexpensivemodelsrunningatabout450MHz.By1998,
displayatstoresthatoutlineitspracticeofusingpreviously harddriveswilltypicallyholdthreegigabytes(GB)to4GBof
soldparts,andPackardBellmustcoveranyusedcomponent data.CD-ROMdriveswillpresumablybereplacedbyDigital
containedinequipmentsoldasnewunderitsnew-productwar- VideoDisc,orDVD,drivesinwhichdiscscanholdsevento14
ranty.Aspartofthesettlement,PackardBellalsowillpay$1.54 timesasmuchdata.
milliontocoverinvestigativecosts,witheachofthe22states Modemspeeds,whichhaveacceleratedfrom9,600bitspersec-
receiving$70,000. ond(bps)twoyearsagototoday's33.6Kilobitspersecond(Kbps),
arenotexpectedtoexperiencethesamekindofjumpby1998,sim-
plybecauseofthephysicallimitsoftelephonelines.However,
SegaSurfing mRoocdkewmellteSchenmoilcoognyduthcattortakheassaidnvtarnotdaugceedofadingeitwal5p6hKobnpescaonnanleoc-g
tionsofferedbyInternetserviceproviders,enablingmoreband-
titiTohn.eNnoeww$y5o0u0cIantnertnuertnbyooxurcoSmepguatSeartsujrunstggaomtespolmaeyemroirnetocaomWpeeb- nwairdythphfoorneInltienrens.etSeavnedratlemleocdoemmmunciocmaptainoinescohnanveectainonnosuonvceerdotrhdeiy-
browser.PlanetWebJnc.(408/982-4688)hasdevelopedsoftware willproducesuchmodemswhenRockwellreleasesthe56Kbps
thatwillbebundledwiththeSegaSaturnNetLink,aplug-in modemchips,whichshouldbeavailablenextyear.
modemfortheSegaSaturn.
WithPlanetWeb'sproduct,Internetpagesaredisplayedonacon-
nectedtelevision.Thishasbeenaprobleminthepast,asInternet TuningIntoTheInternet
textcanlookblurrywithalotofflickeronatelevisionset.Butthe
NetLinkhasspecialbuilt-insoftwarethatthecompanyclaims TheRoadRunnerbeganspeedingontoOhiotelevisionsets
smoothespicturesandmakestextmorereadable.NetLinkalso thisfall,butWileE.Coyotewasnowheretobefound.This
comeswithelectronicmail(E-mail)capabilitiesandparentalcontrol RoadRunnerisanInternetaccessservicethatletsuserscruise
features. theInternetthroughtheexistingcabletelevisionsystemanda
Thepackageshouldbeavailablethiswinterforabout$200. cablemodem.
Consideringit'sonlyanother$200tobuytheSegaSaturn,that Afterallthetrialsandtests,TimeWarner'sserviceisfinallyin
makessomestiffcompetitionfortheInternetboxcompanies. place.UserscangetunlimitedInternetaccessfor$39.95,plusnet-
workstoragespaceforapersonalWorldWideWebpageanda
ClassOf‘98 acobloluetcttiwonicoefaTsimmeucWharansearvienrfaogremaInttieornnestersveicrevsi.ceWhpirolveidtheersprmiicgehits
charge,theuseofthecoaxial/fiber-opticcablesystemwillpro-
Whatwillcomputersbeliketwoyears videconnectionsmorethan100timesfasterthanordinarytele-
fromnow?Mostconsumersanticipatethat phonelines.
PCmakerswillcontinuallyincrease Morethan2,000subscriberswereonawaitinglistfortheservice
speeds,lowerprices,andaddnewoptions, whenitbeganinthenortheastOhioarea.TimeWarneralsoplanned
, '• •/ bburtowahdaetn'sthteoircopemrecempatyionmsakoefccoomnpsuutmeerrss StoanexDpiaengdoitnheeasrelryvi1c9e97i.ntoPortland,Maine,thisyearandtheninto
altogether.
PCsalreadyare-performingmoretasks.Gateway2000's
Destinationsystemsinclude31-inchmonitorsthatalsocanserveas DigitalDissidents
televisions.Acerincludesphoneswithitsnewestmodels,while
PackardBellsystemsletyoucontrolatelevisionoptionortheCD Ifyouthinkthere'saproblemwithfreedomofinformationinthe
playerwithapushofabutton.(See"YourGuideToTheHoliday UnitedStates,checkoutwhat'shappeninginChina.TheChinese
ConsumerPCs"inthisissue.)Industryauthoritiespredictsystems governmentiscensoringtheInternetbyblockingWorldWideWeb
December1996/PCNovice5
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
tsiotoespoolfitUi.cSa.llnyeswesnsmietdiiva9,®«d|ilssidHents,andothergroupsBeijingdeems vicAe,tgeesttwciulslthoompeerfufleleydbdaectke,rmainndedae'treeramsionneabwlehaptricfeeaftourretshewoserrk-
BeijinggovernmentofficialsearlierthisyearorderedallInternet best.Ifallgoeswell,thesystemcouldbecomewidelyavailable
serversinChinaberoutedthroughtheMinistryofPostsand sometimenextyear.
Telecommunications,makingitrelativelyeasyforthegovernment
topreventChineseInternetusersfromconnectingtocertainWeb
sites.Onceofficialsdecideasiteshouldbebanned,routerscanbe TechShorts
programmedtodenyinformationcomingfromthatsite.Morethan
100,000WorldWideWebsitescurrentlyhavebeenblocked,includ- Charactersintheonlinevirtualworld
ingnewspaperssuchasTheLosAngelesTimesandTheWallStreet aregettingabiggerstompingground.
Journal,aswellashomepagesofgroupsthatmonitorhumanrights Anopenstandardforonlinevirtual
abusesinChina,suchastheTibetInformationNetworkand worldsnowallowsavatars,oricons
AmnestyInternational.Chinaisalsocuttingoffpoliticallysensitive representingusersinthesechat
sites,suchastheTaiwanGovernmentInformationOffice,andques- domains,tomoveamongvirtual
tionablesitessuchasPlayboy's. orldsandkeepthesamethree-dimen-
ThegovernmentannouncedthatChina'slawsagainstpornogra- sionallookandidentity.ThenewUniversalAvatarstandard
phy,socialdisturbances,andbreachesofstatesecurityapplyon wouldmakeitpossibleforuserstocreateavatarbehaviorsfor
theInternet.GermanyandSingaporealsohaveblockedInternet differentmoodsandactionsorvirtualpetstofollowavatars.It
usersfromviewingpornographicandotherbannedsites,but mightalsoallowinformationtobeattachedtoanavatarthatis
China'srestrictionsappearbroader.TheSingaporeinformation searchablethroughInternetsearchenginesbyotheruserslook-
ministerhassaidthegovernmentwillonlycensorafewdozen ingforavatarswithsimilarinterests.
sites,andwillinsteadfocusontargetingproducersanddistribu-
torsofpornographyinSingapore. Although"smartcards"maynotyetbeprevalentinwallets
Ofcourse,Chinatightlycontrolsallinformation.News- aroundthecountry,nextyearyoumaynotleavehomewithout
papersandtelevisionreportsarecontrolledbythestate.The one.MicrosoftisworkingwithcompaniessuchasHewlett-
newrestrictionsarejustthelatestwayChinaattemptstocon- Packard,France'sGroupeBull,Germany'sSiemensAG,and
trolinformationenteringthecountryandkeepoutcriticismof SchlumbergerLtd.tointegratesmartcardswithPCs.Smart
thegovernment. cardsareanotherwaytokeepcashonhand;youpurchasean
amountofcredit,andthecardstoresthemoneyamountona
chip,electronicallydeductingforpurchases.Imaginebuyinga
ElectronicPostmarks newsoftwaregameviatheInternetbypluggingasmartcard
intoaslotonthesideofyourcomputer.Currently,thecompa-
^,'Snailmail"islookingforawayto niesaredevelopingtechnicalstandardsforsmartcards,smart-
epupinanelectronicworldofinstanta- cardreaders,andPCs.Microsofthopestoincorporatesupport
eouscommunication.TheU.S.Postal forsmartcardsintoitsWindowsoperatingsystemandInternet
erviceisworkingonaprogramin productsandprovidepreliminaryreleasesofkeycomponentsto
"whichcustomerscouldmaildocumentselec- developersbytheendofthisyear.
tronicallythroughthepostoffice,ensuringthedocu-
mentswouldarrivesecurelyandintact. IfyouconsidertheInternetafaceless,virtualworldofscam
TheInternet'sgrowthhasledtoanexplosiveincreaseinE-mail artists,nowyou'vegotaplacetoturnforguidance.TheBetter
useasmorepeopleandbusinesseshavecomputers,butcopiesof BusinessBureauhasanonlinesiteathttp://www.bbbonline.org
contractsandotherbusinessdocumentsstillmustbesentonpaper dedicatedtoonlinebusiness.It'saplaceyoucanidentify
forlegalpurposes.Thenewsystemcouldchangethat,permitting onlinebusinessesthathaveagreed"toadheretotruthfuland
contracts,governmentapplications,financialdocuments,andother accurateadvertisingclaims"andresolvetofairlytakecareof
itemstobesentelectronicallywiththepostofficeprovidingproof anycomplaintsthatarise.Thecompaniesalsomustbeinbusi-
theyweresentandguaranteeingtheaccuracyofthecopies.The nessaminimumofsixmonthsandprovideatangiblestreet
agencyalsocouldprovideanarchiveservice,maintainingcopiesof addressandtelephonenumberthatisverifiedbytheBBB.
documentsifproofwereneededofwhatwassentandwhen. CompaniesthatmeettheBBB'sstandardscandisplayan
Unfortunately,thesystemwon'tbeassimpleasyoumightthink. encryptedBBBOnlinesealintheironlineadvertisingandwill
SayyouwanttosendE-mailtoabank,andyouneedtoproveit continuallybemonitoredtokeepthatstampofapproval.
wassentbyacertaindate.Themessagemightbesentfroman Throughtheseal,userscanlinktoaBBBreliabilityreporton
onlineservice,suchasAmericaOnline,tothebank,viaapostoffice thecompany.Thesiteisexpectedtobefullyoperationalinthe
computer.Thepostofficecomputerwouldreceivethemessageand firstquarterof1997andhasbeenfundedinitiallybysponsor
stampitwithanelectronicpostmarkbeforepassingitalongtothe companiessuchasAT&T,EastmanKodak,GTE,Hewlett-
bank.Forsecretdocuments,itgetsmorecomplexwithanencoding Packard,Netscape,Sony,andVisa.
systemrequiringsoftwarethatwouldbesoldcommercially.
6PCNovice/December1996
GoSpotGoMobileDogWash
SteveJordan,ChiefDogWasher
ThingsToDoToday:
•e-mailFleaFleeshampooorder
•faxdesignernewadcopy
•schedidefollow-upappt.fordogbite
•researchnewtrucksontheWeb
•e-mailfanlettertoEddiec/oFrasier
•faxtaxman!attachP&Lspreadsheet
•pageMr.Fungre:Hootie’sfleadip
•vacuumdoghairoffkeyboard
(picturedhere,“Rufus”)
How you use our
free software is your own business.
Nobodypromisedrunningasmallbusinesswouldbeadog’slife.Butitsurecanbealotmoreefficient,affordableand
funwhenyougetarisk-free30-daytrialofthenewMagicCap®forWindows®95software.
Thiseasy-to-usecommunicationssoftwareletsyouuseyourPCtoaccessAmericaOnline®oranInternetservice
providertosendmessagestoanyonewithane-mailaddress,browsetheWorldWideWebwiththeMicrosoft®Internet
Explorer,andfireofffaxesattheclickofabutton.
fh fGoert3a0fudlaylsw.orCkalilngtolvle-rfsrieoe.nrisk-free yourmeMsasgagiecs,CakpeepfortrWaickndofowadsdrceasnsesinastnadntplhyosnoert,nufmilbeearnsd,osrcghaendiuzlee
gRMCCVl a1nd(8ask8fo8r)of*fe2r3159122-.4824 moneleytitnhgisnganitdccano’ntfidromisapfpeotcihntymoeunrtss.liAppbeorsut—the
buthey,whendoyouhavetimetorelaxanyway? GeneralMagic
©*1D9u9e0-t1o9a96raGpeinderdaepllMeatigoinc,oafInn(dc8.0o0At)lhlenrurmicgbohuetnrstsr,riees(se8r8ov8ef)dM.iiscGrneonoseowrfatalnCMooarfgpfiioccria,atlittohonel.lG-AfermneeeerrpairelcfaMixaO.gnAilcimnlyeosgtioseraainorudesgMicsahtgaeirrecgdeCttaroapPdlaeurmteaorrkewgioilsfltAenmroeetdraitpcrpaaedaOernmlaoirnnkeys,oouIfnrcGp.ehnAoelnrleaoltbiMhlealr.gitYcro.audrIencmcaa.lrlMkiascnradorseyoopfurtorpa3en0rd-tydWaoiyfnstdohofeitwrwsarraeersepterrciteaiglviesatroeewrneadebrstosrl.audteelmyafrrkese.iLnitmhieteUdn-ittiemdeSotfafetre.s
—
.
Novice
A Computerized
Christmas
Youmightnothaverodents Popinhiscappoppedthisdandy
scurryingacrossyourfloor applicationintothePC,anditmol-
thiswinter,buttheseseasonal lifiedthekids.
bapeplaitcalteiaosntsoennesurmeouthsaet—thearecowiml-l maCslepmoeenmt,Mo"oTrhee'sNcilgashsticBCehrfiosrte-
phtouodtmdeelrertmhsoistuohsoteleie—dns-atayigresrreisan,sgohnie.nrFeyroaourmre CNCrhiargfihtsstt&mBaeAfsco,tr"ievicCtohymrCeiessnttmearla.isvCeHhoiillniddTraheyen *W*m,mmmammim
threeChristmasprogramssureto canhearthepoemreadtothemor PrintPaks’HolidayOr- traditionalChristmasandHa-
pleasethechildreninyourhome. guidethemselvesthroughan namentsKit.Thisyear,make nukkahscenes.
interactiveversionofthepopular yourowndecorationsforthe Afterprintingtheimagesona
ChristmasInComfyLand. Christmastale.Theprogramalso Christmastree.No,we'renot colorprinter,thekidsjustneedto
ChristmasInComfyLand,aholiday allowsyoungsterstobuilda talkingaboutpopcornstringsand cutoutthepictures,constructthe
frolicthroughtheChristmassea- snowman,decorateaChristmas ceramicangels.PrintPaks'Holiday ornamentsfromthematerials
son,willdelighttheyoungestPC tree,orsendalettertoSanta OrnamentKitletsyoucreatedeco- includedwiththesoftware,and
audience.Childrencanfollow Claus.Theycanobtainrecipesfor rativeornamentsforyourtannen- hangthemonthetree.
Snailythesnail,Jumpythedog, Christmascookiesaswell. baumthisChristmas.
Buddythebear,Feelytheele- Kidscanusethebuilt-inpaint ForMoreInformation:
phant,andComfythelittleboyas ForMoreInformation: utilitytodrawandpaintanorna-
theypreparefortheholidaysin menttheydesignthemselves,or PrintPaksInc.
ComfyLand.Theprogramalso Bell-FordEntertainment theycanimporttheirfavorite Price:$19.95($9.95forrefillmate-
teacheschildrenaboutcolors, Price:$19.95 imagesorphotographstodec- rials)
sounds,andtheweather.Most Targetages:3to10 orateanornament.TheHoli- Targetages:5andup
importantly,ChristmasInComfy- [phone] [phone] dayOrnamentKitalsoincludes [phone] [phone]
Landencouragesafamiliarity http://www.OneNorthPole.com nearly50colorimagesthatdepict http://www.printpaks.com
withthefamilyPCbygiving
youngchildrenhands-onaccess The SurveySays Asthesunsetson1996,
btooatYrhodeucimnomuopsrutdteehrrat.voeutsheetCheompfroygrKaemy.- ofthemoreinterestingfactoidsweencounterweed'dthilsikyeeators.h.aresome
Thiskeyboard,whichwasde- Despitesomeofthenegative Market:1996-97Review,Trends, lostapercentagepoint,drop-
signedforsmallhands,usesmulti- publicitytheyreceive,shoot- andForecast. pingfrom5%ofPChouseholds
colored,multishapedbuttons;atoy 'em-upgamesarethefavorite FourteenpercentofU.S.house- inJanuarytoacurrentrateof
telephone;andaroller-bartocon- among80%ofPCgameplay- holdsarenowonline.Forty- 4%.TheMicrosoftNetwork
troltheactionon-screen. ers.Thisseemsevenmoresur- eightpercentofthesewired heldsteadywith1%ofPC
prisingwhenyouconsiderthat homesuseanInternetservice homes.—From the Odyssey
ForMoreInformation: 36%ofgameplayersareolder provider(ISP)toconnecttothe HomefrontSurvey.
than25.—Fromthe1996SIMBA Internet,while35%relyon Eighty-ninepercentofcon-
Comfy GamePlayerSurvey. onlineservicesfortheironline sumerhouseholdsagreethat
Price:$29.95(ComfyKeyboard SalesofCD-ROMdriveshave connection.—FromtheOdyssey computerskillsarenecessary
retailsfor$129) increasedfrom2.5million HomefrontSurvey. forastudenttosucceed.—From
Targetages:2to6 drivesin1992tomorethan50 Theyear1996wasunkindto theNorthlichStolleyLaWarrel
[phone] [phone] millionin1996—Fromthe1996 onlineservices.AmericaOnline TechtelConsumerTechnology
DISK/TRENDReport. wastheonlyonlineserviceto AttitudeSurvey.
TheNightBeforeChrist- Schoolsspentmorethan$1.25 increaseitsholdonthehome Badnewsforadvertisers:Only
masHolidayCrafts&Ac- billiononelectronicmediain market:18%ofhomeswitha 47%ofwomenfindadvertis-
tivityCenter.'Twasthemonth 1996,upfrom$1.09billionin PCcurrentlysubscribetoAOL ingforcomputer-relatedprod-
beforeChristmasandallthrough 1995.Softwaresalesaccounted comparedto14%inJanuary. ucts appealing.—From the
thehouse,thechildrenwerewhin- fornearly$740millionofthis CompuServedroppedfrom6% CondeNastPublications!Intelli-
ingbecausetheyhadnothingto year's total. From SIMBA inJanuarytoacurrent5%of QuestWomen&Technology
do.ThenMominherkerchiefand ElectronicMediafortheSchool PChouseholds.Prodigyalso Survey.
8PCNovice/December1996