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ZIP Magazine Volume 4 Issue 6
Ú-----------------------------------------------------------¿
| É------------------» |
| ±±±±±±±±± Editors: | Volume 4 Issue 6 | |
| ±± Ron Alcorn | November 1991 | |
| ±± W.H. Lambdin È------------------¼ |
| ±± |
| ±±± Heres A Peek At What's Inside! |
| ±± ------------------------------- |
| ±± |
| ±± ZIPTOOL 1.81 ............... 5 |
| ±±±±±±±±± |
| WHAT IS SHAREWARE .......... 8 |
| ±±±±±±±±±± |
| ±± SHORT CUTS ................. 19 |
| ±± |
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| ±±±±±±±±± |
| ±± ±± |
| ±± ±± |
| ±± ±± |
| ±±±±±±±±± |
| ±± |
| ±± Ú¿ Ú-¿ Ú-¿ Ú-¿ Ú-¿ -Â- ¿  Ú-¿ |
| ±± | | Ã-´ | ¿ Ã-´ / | |À¿| Ã- |
| ±± Á Á Á Á À-Ù Á Á À-Ù -Á- Á ÀÁ À-Ù |
| ----------------------------------- |
| "For Home MS-DOS users" |
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| \ "Be sure to read every section in all issues!" / |
| / We hope you enjoy this issue a lot. Thank you! \ |
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| TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| |
| VOLUME 4 ISSUE 6 |
| |
Ì-----------------------------------------------------------¹
| |
| EDITORS CORNER .................................. Page 3 |
| FEEDBACK ........................................ Page 4 |
| ZIPTOOL 1.81 .................................... Page 5 |
| WHAT IS SHAREWARE ............................... Page 8 |
| SHORT CUTS ...................................... Page 19 |
| BBS LISTING ..................................... Page 21 |
| USERS GROUPS .................................... Page 24 |
| ZIP INFO ........................................ Page 25 |
| GREENLIEF ENTERPRISE AD ......................... Page 26 |
| |
È-----------------------------------------------------------¼
þþ EDITORS CORNER þþ
All good things must come to an end.
This is the last issue of ZIP Magazine that will be produced
by Ron Alcorn and myself.
Ron has a new Job that takes up most of his time, and I am
not able to manage everything myself.
With the next issue Lite Link will be taking over.
I am not totally walking out on ZIP. I will write articles
and reviews occasionally. Lite Link has the right to choose
their own distribution points, and subscription rates. All
submissions for ZIP Magazine should be uploaded to the
Strawberry Patch BBS (606) 432-0879
Over the next few weeks, I will be sending a check to cover
all unmailed issues.
I don't want more hurt feelings if I can avoid them. There
is two reasons why I an turning ZIP Magazine over to Lite
Link.
1. Terry West and company has been supportive from the very
first issue of ZIP Magazine in September 1988.
2. ZIP Magazine is a product of Kentucky, and I want it to
stay in-state.
I hope you will understand.
þþ FEEDBACK þþ
Great Issue........ Liked the article on the Virus..... was
almost better reading than you telling me (g). I am
uploading it to the Super regional (Hoosiers) tonight
(Tuesday) and should be on all his sysops boards (10 or so?)
by wednesday. Thanks as always.... keep up the good work!
Christine Blount
þþ ZIPTOOL 1.81 þþ
by
David L. Smith
ZipTool is one of the many ZIP utilities that exist in the
shareware market. I have tried several of them, but have
found ZipTool to fit my needs best. It is not as fancy as
Shez or contain the ability to work with ARC or LZH files,
although it does though have the ability to:
1) Split a ZIP file into various sizes. The included sizes
are 360k, 720k, 1.2meg, 1.44meg, space left on disk and
user selectable. It does this without unzipping the
original file.
2) Merge two or more ZIP files into one file, again without
unzipping the original file.
3) Selectively view any file within the ZIP without
unzipping the file.
4) Copy files out of a selected ZIP into another ZIP without
unzipping the original file.
5) Delete selected files out of a ZIP without unzipping the
file.
ZipTool is mildly crippled in the unregistered version. You
can ONLY process ZIPs that contain 20 or fewer files unless
you register the program. To register you send your name and
full address, along with $10, to the author. You will
receive by return mail a 10 digit registration number which
has been generated by your name, street address, etc. The
registration fee is good for ALL future versions of ZipTool,
which alone makes it worth the price.
Russell Pool, Sysop of the Pool Hall BBS in Rome, GA, is the
author of the program. I had a chance to talk with Russell
about ZipTool and he was kind enough to answer the following
questions:
Q: Why did you write ZipTool?
A: I wrote ZipTool because I had Large Zipfiles all over the
place that I couldn't copy on to floppy disks to get them
off of my hard drive. I figured that someone else out there
could probably use the utility also, so I wrote a program
called ZIPPACK and its twin ZIPMERGE. These were eventually
combined to make ZipTool.
Q: Did anyone help you make ZipTool?
A: I called Douglas Hay of PKWARE and he told me some tricks
about handling zips and finding the end of the zip. I told
him what I was working on and he mentioned that it would be
nice to have a utility that would copy files within a Zipfile
to another Zip without having to uncompress the file and
re-Zip it. So from that point on, I have valued every
suggestion I have gotten about ZipTool and it is a mixture of
several persons ideas.
Q: What language is ZipTool written in?
A: It was written using Borland's TURBO BASIC and Specta
Publishing POWER BASIC. Some functions of ZipTool, neither
language supported or weren't fast enough for me, so I wrote
some key routines in Assembler. The title screen for example,
is 44000 bytes of pure machine code. Currently ZipTool is
almost 6500 lines of code.
Q: Have many people registered ZipTool?
A: So far, I have had about 25 registrations for ZipTool.
Almost all of the registered users have had some sort of
comment or suggestion toward ZipTool. All have been very
positive. I feel that if the users keep making suggestions
and the registrations keep coming in, I'll never stop making
changes to ZipTool. I'm even planning a Windows Version of
ZipTool (When I learn OOP programming).
Q: Do you ever plan to market ZipTool commercially?
A: I would be ecstatic if I could market ZipTool
commercially. What I would really like is if Phil Katz
(PKZIP Author) would distribute ZipTool with his software,
and let him charge what he wants people to register it for,
and I get 10%-20% royalties or something like that.
Q: How old are you and how long have you been programming?
A: I'm 24 years old and have been programming for 13+ years.
I started out in the late 70's playing video games on an
Apple II. Being inquisitive, I started wondering how those
games worked and how that computer worked. Before I knew it,
I had stepped with both feet into programming. I am a
self-taught programmer. I have had many computer classes, but
always ended up teaching the teacher more that he/she taught
me. Its a hobby for me. It sure is nice making a living doing
your hobby.
Q: Do you work with computers as a living?
A: I'm a full time IBM programmer for Greenwood Mills based
in Greenwood, SC. The Lindale Plant takes in raw bales of
Cotton and makes all sorts of Denim for Levi, Wrangler,
Oshkosh and many other customers. I write all the custom PC
software for this plant and I'm responsible for all of the PC
equipment at this plant which is about 70+ PC's (8088/286/386
machines) and all the hardware. I'm also responsible for
buying the PC equipment, fixing it, upgrading it, etc.
Basically, I'm a one-man-show.
Q: Have you written any other utilities?
A: I'm working/planning on several utilities. Being a Sysop
of a BBS (The Pool Hall BBS in Rome, GA. 404-235-7235), I am
always needing some sort of customization done for my board,
like manipulating data. Most of the time, I take the record
layouts for my board's (The software is Genesis Deluxe v3.2)
datafiles and write my utilities around the record layouts.
I'm planning to write a NET-MAIL package that uses the
message bases of my board. As far as writing non-bbs related
utilities, I have written a program called DISKPACK. It reads
the files in a given directory, figures out how many
diskettes it will take to copy those files off, the proceeds
to copy the files off, picking and sorting the files so that
there is minimal wasted space on the diskettes. I'm planning
a rewrite of this program, since the current version as too
many limitations and I've had several requests to rewrite it.
þþ W H A T I S S H A R E W A R E ? þþ
-------------------------------------------
W H A T I S T H E A S P ?
------------------------------------
_______
____|__ | (R)
--| | |-------------------
| ____|__ | Association of
| | |_| Shareware
|__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___|
Reproduced
with permission
by
Tim Trimble
SysOp of Bear Waller Holler BBS
-------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
-------------------------------------------------------------
Some Definitions .................................... Page 9
The Shareware Concept ............................... Page 10
The Virus Problem ................................... Page 11
The Association of Shareware Professionals .......... Page 13
Contacting ASP Members Via CompuServe ............... Page 15
Author Address Changes .............................. Page 15
ASP Ombudsman Statement ............................. Page 15
For More Information ................................ Page 16
Some Definitions:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You've probably heard the terms "public domain", "freeware",
"shareware", and others like them. Your favorite BBS or disk
vendor probably has many programs described by one or more of
these words. There's a lot of confusion about and between
these terms, but they actually have specific meanings and
implications. Once you understand them, you will have a much
easier time navigating the maze of programs available to you,
and understanding what your obligations are, or aren't, with
each type of program.
Let's start with some basic definitions.
"Public domain" has a very specific legal meaning. It means
that the creator of a work (in this case, software), who had
legal ownership of that work, has given up ownership and
dedicated the work "to the public domain". Once something
is in the public domain, anyone can use it in any way they
choose, and the author has no control over the use and cannot
demand payment for it.
If you find a program which the author has explicitly put
into the public domain, you are free to use it however you
see fit without paying for the right to use it. But use care
- due to the confusion over the meaning of the words,
programs are often described by authors as being "public
domain" when, in fact, they are shareware or free,
copyrighted software. To be sure a program is public domain,
you should look for an explicit statement from the author to
that effect.
"Copyrighted" is the opposite of public domain. A
copyrighted program is one where the author has asserted his
or her legal right to control the program's use and
distribution by placing the legally required copyright
notices in the program and documentation. The law gives
copyright owners broad rights to restrict how their work is
distributed, and provides for penalties for those who violate
these restrictions. When you find a program which is
copyrighted, you must use it in accordance with the copyright
owner's restrictions regarding distribution and payment.
Usually, these are clearly stated in the program
documentation.
Maintaining a copyright does not necessarily imply charging a
fee, so it is perfectly possible and legal to have
copyrighted programs which are distributed free of charge.
The fact that a program is free, however, does not mean it is
in the public domain - though this is a common confusion.
"Shareware" is copyrighted software which is distributed by
authors through bulletin boards, on-line services, disk
vendors, and copies passed among friends. It is commercial
software which you are allowed to use and evaluate before
paying for it. This makes shareware the ultimate in money
back guarantees.
The Shareware Concept:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Most money back guarantees work like this: You pay for the
product and then have some period of time to try it out and
see whether or not you like it. If you don't like it or find
that it doesn't do what you need, you return it (undamaged)
and at some point - which might take months - you get your
money back. Some software companies won't even let you try
their product! In order to qualify for a refund, the
diskette envelope must have an unbroken seal. With these
"licensing" agreements, you only qualify for your money back
if you haven't tried the product. How absurd!
Shareware is very different. With shareware you get to use
it for a limited time, without spending a penny. You are
able to use the software on your own system(s), in your own
special work environment, with no sales people looking over
your shoulder. If you decide not to continue using it, you
throw it away and forget all about it. No paperwork, phone
calls, or correspondence to waste your valuable time. If you
do continue using it, then - and only then - do you pay for
it.
Shareware is a distribution method, NOT a type of software.
Shareware is produced by accomplished programmers, just like
retail software. There is good and bad shareware, just as
there is good and bad retail software. The primary
difference between shareware and retail software is that with
shareware you know if it's good or bad BEFORE you pay for it.
As a software user, you benefit because you get to use the
software to determine whether it meets your needs before you
pay for it, and authors benefit because they are able to get
their products into your hands without the hundreds of
thousands of dollars in expenses it takes to launch a
traditional retail software product. There are many programs
on the market today which would never have become available
without the shareware marketing method.
The shareware system and the continued availability of
quality shareware products depend on your willingness to
register and pay for the shareware you use. It's the
registration fees you pay which allow the authors to support
and continue to develop these products.
Please show your support for shareware by registering those
programs you actually use and by passing them on to others.
Shareware is kept alive by YOUR support!
The Virus Problem:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We've all heard the horror stories about computer viruses.
Unfortunately, we have also heard lots of conflicting
statistics and opinions. When it comes to the virus problem
there is a lot of confusion among users and even developers.
The sad truth is that some unscrupulous publishers of
anti-virus products are using half-truths,
overdramatizations, and outright fabrication to promote sales
of their products. They delight in manipulating statistics
to support their marketing efforts. While not illegal, these
snake-oil tactics are certainly not ethical.
To make matters worse, the media has frequently promoted the
misinformation promulgated by these unscrupulous individuals
rather than the straight facts. While the misinformation
may be more interesting than the actual facts, the media is
not doing the computer industry any favors by spreading
inaccurate information. To be fair, many newspapers,
magazines, and news networks are beginning to realize which
"virus experts" are reliable and which "experts" say whatever
is in their own best interest.
One of the most interesting myths that has been promulgated
by these snake-oil salesmen is that BBSs (Bulletin Board
Systems) and shareware programs are a major source of virus
infections. Some corporations are now afraid of shareware and
BBS activity because of this misinformation.
In the October 11, 1988 issue of PC Magazine, publisher Bill
Machrone's editorial was entitled "Shareware or Scareware?".
In his article, Bill Machrone points out "The truth is that
all major viruses to date were transmitted by commercial
[retail] packages and private mail systems." That sounds a
little different than the claims being made by less
knowledgeable journalists.
Let's consider for a moment, the distribution differences
between retail software and shareware software. Company XYZ
releases a new version of its retail software product. At
the same time company XYZ ships tens of thousands of copies
to its retail distribution channels, it also ships 30,000
updates to loyal users. Most of those loyal users will
receive the update within a few days of each other. This can
be a big problem if the update happened to be infected with a
virus.
"Not likely", you say? It has already happened! Several
times! There have been seventeen (17) major incidents of
virus and trojan horse problems in retail software. Some of
these incidents affected tens of thousands of users.
What about shareware? To date there has been one case of a
shareware author shipping an infected product. The virus was
detected by the disk vendors and the problem was corrected
immediately. No users were infected.
"But it makes sense that programs which are passed around
have a greater chance of virus infections, doesn't it?"
Think about it. Who has the most to lose if viruses were
spread by BBSs and shareware programs? The BBS operators,
shareware disk vendors and the shareware authors, of course.
Because of this, reputable BBS operators, disk vendors and
shareware authors are very careful with the programs they
handle.
Think about it. Hundreds (even thousands) of BBS operators
and disk vendors are carefully examining the programs they
receive and distribute. Their business depends on it. This
means that any given shareware program can go through
hundreds (even thousands) of checkpoints where the program is
carefully examined. If a problem is found, word spreads
incredibly fast. News travels "on the wires" even faster than
the proverbial small town gossip. Programs have disappeared
almost overnight as a result of this highly efficient
communication network.
If a shareware program has been around for a few months, it
has been checked for virii and trojan horses many more times
than any retail software could hope to be checked. Retail
distributors don't check the disks they sell. Even if the
publisher checks their masters for virii (few do), this is
still far less than the scrutiny to which shareware programs
are subjected.
There's something else to consider. Most retail distributors
have a return policy. What do they do with packages that are
returned? They shrink-wrap them and resell them, of course.
How can you be sure that you are the first person to
purchase the package you just bought at your friendly
neighborhood computer store? You can't. On the other hand,
most shareware authors erase, reformat, and reduplicate the
disks that are returned to them. Which do you think is
safer?
Bill Machrone's article in PC Magazine goes on to say "It's
time to recognize that there's nothing to fear in shareware.
As a distribution medium, it saves you money and helps you
try out new genres of software with minimum risk."
Does this mean that we should all start buying shareware
instead of retail software? Not at all (although few
shareware authors would object). Let's face it, more data
has been lost to power failures and spilled cups of coffee
than all virii, trojan horses, and worms combined! An even
bigger threat is plain old human error, a mistake, a wrong
key press, turning off the power while files are open, and so
forth. Accurate information and common sense (regular
backups) are the best defenses against lost data.
Sure, the virus problem is real. Virii exist. But shunning
shareware is not the answer. Shareware and BBSs are, quite
simply, NOT a major source of virus infections. Some
corporations have even banned shareware entirely because of
fear of infections. This is not only unreasonable, it is
also expensive. Think how much they could save in software
costs if they would only try software before they buy it!
Is there anything you can do to help protect yourself from
virus infections? Absolutely! Fortunately, the best
preventive measures are also the least expensive!
If you need informative, accurate and practical information,
please read the treatise on "Computer Virus Myths" written
by Rob Rosenberger and Ross M. Greenberg. This treatise is
available as a text file on many BBSs and online services. It
not only gives you the facts, it also provides the best
overall strategy for protecting your computer system.
Don't let fear stop you from saving money on software.
Don't let fear prevent you from trying some of the best
software available. Shareware is an important market for
software. Take advantage of it. You'll be glad you did!
The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the early days of shareware there were no real standards.
Independent authors had no efficient way to learn from each
other or to work together to improve the overall image of
shareware. There was no system in place to ensure that users
were treated fairly and professionally. There was no way for
users to find an address for an author who had moved. In
short, the shareware community was disorganized and each
author did things the way he or she thought was best. It was
clear that if shareware was ever to become a viable and
respected marketing alternative, there had to be some
standardization. There had to be some guidelines to best
serve the users.
In 1987 a handful of shareware authors founded the
Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). In forming
this industry association, these shareware authors had
several primary goals in mind, including:
o To inform users about shareware programs and about
shareware as a method of distributing and marketing
software.
o To foster a high degree of professionalism among
shareware authors by setting programming, marketing, and
support standards for ASP members to follow.
o To encourage broader distribution of shareware through
user groups and disk dealers who agree to identify and
explain the nature of shareware.
o To assist members in marketing their software.
o To provide a forum through which ASP members may
communicate, share ideas, and learn from each other.
The newly formed Association of Shareware Professionals
worked together to draft a code of ethics for all
present and future members. This code of ethics
included several requirements that soon became very
popular among users (customers), including:
o A member's program (evaluation version) could not be
limited (crippled) in any way. In the true spirit of
Try-Before-You-Buy, users must be able to evaluate all
the features in a program before paying the registration
fee.
o Members must respond to every registration. At the very
least they must send a receipt for the payment.
o Members must provide technical support for their products
for at least 90 days from the date of registration.
A new system was put in place to help ensure that users were
treated fairly and professionally. If a user was unable to
resolve a problem with a member author then the user could
contact the ASP Ombudsman with their complaint. The
Ombudsman would then try to help resolve the dispute. For
more complete details regarding the Ombudsman, please refer
to the "ASP Ombudsman Statement" below (page 8).
As of March, 1991, the ASP had over 300 author members and
almost 200 vendor members, with new members joining every
week.
Contacting ASP Members Via CompuServe:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is an easy and convenient way to speak directly to
many ASP Members (both authors and vendors). Visit the
shareware forum on CompuServe. Simply type "GO SHAREWARE",
"GO SHARE", or "GO ASPFORUM" from any CompuServe ! prompt.
Here you will be able to talk to the authors of your favorite
shareware programs, learn about other programs, ask
questions, make suggestions, and much more.
Author Address Changes:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
People move. Forwarding orders expire. What can you do?
"I got a copy of a shareware program written by an ASP
Member. I sent in the registration fee and the post
office returned my letter saying that it was
undeliverable. Now what do I do?"
If the author has moved then chances are very good that you
have an old version of the program. This is another
situation that the ASP can help you to resolve. ASP Members
are required to keep the ASP informed of address changes. If
you need to obtain the current address for a member, simply
write to the following address:
ASP Executive Director
545 Grover Road
Muskegon, MI 49442-9427
U.S.A.
or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe MAIL to ASP
Executive Director 72050,1433. You may also FAX your
request to the ASP Executive Director at 616-788-2765.
ASP Ombudsman Statement:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This program is produced by a member of the Association of
Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that
the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to
resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by
contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The
ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with
an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for
members' products.
Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at:
ASP Ombudsman
545 Grover Road
Muskegon, MI 49442-9427
U.S.A.
or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe MAIL to ASP
Ombudsman 70007,3536.
For More Information:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you would like to learn more about the shareware
phenomenon, there are several excellent sources of
additional information. Two of the best books ever written
about shareware are described below.
Dr. File Finder's Guide to Shareware:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By Mike Callahan and Nick Anis. Foreword by John C. Dvorak.
"[Mike's] book distills thousands of hours of his online
search for the crown jewels of Shareware into one usable
guide. As such, it may be the most valuable computer
book you'll ever buy."
--Jack Rickard, Publisher, Boardwatch Magazine
"No one combines Dr. File Finder's comprehensive
knowledge of the Shareware genre with his good taste in
software. This is sure to be the definitive place to look
for insight and program information."
--Barry Simon, Former President of the Association of
Shareware Professionals, PC Magazine Columnist, and
Coauthor of Stackey, Batutil, and Ctrlalt
"GREAT! Every PC user will find something of value
within these pages. This book will save you a bundle."
--Alfred Glossbrenner
"If I were going to buy only one computer book, this
would be it."
--Tom Scott, Publisher, Telecomputing Magazine
Nobody knows Shareware like the illustrious Dr. File Finder,
known off line as Mike Callahan. Now, in Dr. File Finder's
Guide to Shareware, you can learn about dozens of leading
Shareware programs, including where and how to get them. In
the true spirit of Shareware, this book/disk package includes
a disk full of top programs that you can try out yourself
before registering. Send in the card at the back of the book
and you'll get two additional disks with more software.
Mike Callahan, AKA Dr. File Finder, is the world's leading
authority on Shareware. He regularly accesses thousands of
bulletin board systems and has been a major force in
promoting many of the top Shareware packages. Callahan has
spent several years and thousands of hours helping people
around the world learn more about Shareware.
Nick Anis is the coauthor of several acclaimed best-sellers
in the Dvorak*Osborne imprint, including Dvorak's Guide to PC
Telecommunications, Dvorak's Guide to Desktop
Telecommunications, and Glossbrenner's Complete Hard Disk
Handbook.
$39.95, ISBN: 0-07-881646-7, 950 pp. 7 3/8 X 9 1/4.
AVAILABLE NOW AT YOUR LOCAL BOOK OR COMPUTER STORE OR CALL
TOLL-FREE 1-800-227-0900 (M-F, 8:30 - 4:30 PST)
Shareware: "Try Before You Buy" Software:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perhaps you've read Rob Rosenberger's well known and highly
acclaimed treatise on the computer virus problem. If you
liked that article then you'll love his excellent book on
Shareware. This book is a must for anyone who is interested
in Shareware, what to look for (and look out for), and where
to find it. In this book, shareware author and writer Rob
Rosenberger delves into the very heart of Shareware, telling
you who developed the concept and why.
You'll know why these programs: * undercut the price of
retail software * helped bring down the use of copy
protection schemes * receive numerous editorial and reader
survey awards * generate more sales than retail software in
some cases * make retail OS/2 software developers so nervous
* are falsely accused of spreading computer "viruses".
Rob shows you where you can find good Shareware. You'll
learn to beware of companies that make money by abusing the
"try before you buy" concept. And you'll discover where
Shareware is heading in the near future.
"A lot of good books devote just one or two chapters to
the concept and history of Shareware. I'm pleased to say
there is finally a reference book on the subject."
--Jim Button, cofounder of the Shareware concept
"It's filled with accurate information for anyone who
wants to learn about one of the most significant sources
of high- quality software."
--Edward Mendelson, contributing editor, PC Magazine
Here's all the information you need to obtain your copy of
this outstanding book:
Shareware: "Try Before You Buy" Software.
By Rob Rosenberger.
Third Edition. Only $6.95!
Paradise Publishing Phone: (800) 233-2451
3111 S. Valley View Blvd., Suite B-105
Las Vegas, NV 89102 U.S.A.
This document has had many contributors, it has been edited
and reproduced with express verbal permission of the
original author Falk Data Systems.
þþ SHORTCUTS þþ
NEW PROMPT
If you liked my Brother's prompt in the last installment of
SHORTCUTS. Here is one that you will like better. It can be
used by either standard DOS or 4DOS. Naturally you will
receive more benefit from it if you use 4DOS. This prompt is
very long so look for the BAR.BAT inside the ZIP Magazine
archive. This prompt will not work properly under Desqview
because it uses ANSI calls, and DVANSI isn't 100% compatible
with ANSI.SYS.
it does the following tasks.
1. tells you what shell you are in
2. Date with the day of the week.
3. the current time. This clock is only updated when
the prompt is updated.
4. ZIP Magazine in the upper right of the screen
5. If you load COMMAND.COM. MS-DOS will appear before
the path statement
W.H. Lambdin
4DOS ALIAS' VS BATCH FILES
Did you know that every .BAT file you have on your hard disk
is taking 2K or more?
A 10 byte batch file will take one cluster. of your Hard
drive's available room. When you save a file to your hard
drive. It marks one cluster as used whether the file uses it
all or not. If you have 10 batch files that is 20K that you
could use for something else.
Alias' in 4DOS could be considered as batch files residing on
one line. Alias' can be up to 255 characters long. You use
the ^ symbol in place of carriage returns.
I have alias' programmed to do all sorts of tasks. One of
them is in replacement of SHEZ or other .ZIP file managers.
ZM could easily be written as a .BAT file, but it would take
a batch file of 17 lines.
ZM=SELECT PKUNZIP (*.ZIP) D:\^D:^CLS^SCAN D:^PAUSE^SELECT
LIST (*.*)^COLOR WHITE ON BLUE^CLS^SELECT MOVE (*.*)
%&^COLOR GREEN ON BLACK^CLS^D:^DEL *.* /Y^END
I run this alias like this. ZM (Path I want to extract the
files to.
1. displays the .ZIP Files in the current directory.
2. Unzips the tagged .ZIP files to my RAM disk D:.
3. Logs onto D:
4. Runs McAfee's Scan on the files to check for virii.
5. Pauses so I may read the virus report
6. Displays all files on D:
7. Lists all tagged files to the screen. I press
Escape to jump between files.
8. Changes the screen color to alert me the tagged
files will be moved to the path I specified on the
command line
9. Moves the files
10. changes the screen color back to normal
11. Deletes all files from D:
12. END is another alias that only clears the screen
and returns me to the normal prompt.
Naturally this alias won't work under COMMAND.COM because it
uses some special 4DOS commands.
I have more than 50 useful alias' like this but they only
take 4K on my hard drive instead of 100K if I used .BAT
files. Alias' run faster than .BAT files too. W.H. Lambdin
DOS 5.0 FORMAT
I have heard some people say they don't like the FORMAT
routines under DOS 5.0 because it is slower because it writes
the Unformat data.
DOS 5.0 has a little known trick to get around this. Use the
/U parameter when you format diskettes. This tells DOS 5.0 to
perform an unconditional format.
While I am mentioning the format routine in DOS 5.0.
Don't ever abort a DOS 5.0 format. Because you will never be
able to format the disk again. I even ran one through a bulk
eraser, and it wouldn't format. I never tried the Bulkerase
program from Central Point Software. W.H. Lambdin
þþ BBS LISTING þþ
201 471-6391 PASSAIC BBS. Baud 300 - 19,200 using Hayes
V-series. Storage unknown. Sysop James Roy.
207 374-2303 CELEBRATION SHOP. Baud 1200, soon to be 2400.
Storage unknown. Operates 24 hours a day, Sysop Paul
Stookey. #3 Neworld Square, Blue Hill Falls Maine, 04615.
Paul Stookey was Paul in the singing group {Peter, Paul,
and Mary.}
216 264-5116 <TRI>-<WAY> BBS. Baud 300 - 2400 24 hrs.
Running Wildcat 2.0 multinode. Storage 130 meg. Carrying
ZIP Magazine. Over 500 files. Located in Wooster, Oh.
Sysop Dann Way
314 774-2736 The Waynesville BBS. Baud 300 - 2400. Running
Wildcat 1.13. with 104 meg. Sysop Raynond Andrell.
Specializes in FUN!!!
318 352-8311 Genesis BBS. Baud 300 - 2400. operating 24
hours a day. 65 meg storage. Sysop James Pottorff.
Genesis BBS is located in Natchitoches, LA.
318 457-1538 Toepfer's Electronics BBS. Baud 300-2400 Running
M&M BBS on a C-64. 24 hours of operation. Free
Registration. Storage 2 meg. Files for C-64, and MS-DOS
computers. Member of KSAT QDP. Home BBS of Citizens
Aligned for Better Television. SYSOP Darrel Toepfer.
Located in Eunice, La.
409 362-2020 Almost Heaven BBS. running Remote Access on 386
with 65meg HD. A Zip Magazine dist. point & other news
files. Online Reading of Zip and others news ; Caller
can d/l these on first call with no u/l's . 24 hour a day
. SysOp Woody Angel in Chireno,Texas
416 751-6337 (Data on 20 Node RBBS Customized System) Operate
BBS under the name of THE TORUS SUPPORT NETWORK,
Division of PCanada Systems Inc. 3 Giabytes on-line
including 4 CD-ROM's and operate primary server under
Microsoft OS/2 base LAN Manager (330 megabyte Priam Main
Server on a 386 20 Mhz Acer platform). System Sysop is
Bob Eyer, and we are currently in our seventh year of
operation.
501 273-9257 THE CHICKEN COOP. Baud 300 - 2400.
501 273-0152 THE CHICKEN COOP. Baud 9600. FOR HST, and V.32
modems. Running TBBS 2.1m. 130 meg of storage. Has many
online features including ZIP Magazine, InfoMat, and USA
Today. A member of the Software Distribution Network
which supplies virus and trojan free software direct from
the author's. SysOp Don Chick.
501 422-8777 The Personal Resource System. Baud 300 - 2400
501 444-8080 USRobotics Dual Standard (HST/V.32). This BBS
has several online publications such as InfoMat, Business
Sence, ZIP Beep, NASA Press, Online Digital Music Review,
USA Today, Amy Info, C-News Letter, and ZIP Magazine.
24 hours of operataion with 260 MEG of storage.
606 432-0879 The Strawberry Patch BBS; 1.1 gigabytes; Using
PCBoard 14.5a/E6 and US Robotics HST's. Instant access
via callback door. Soon to be 3 nodes. SysOp: Terry West
Home of the LiteLink network.
606 789-3423 The AdventureComm BBS. Running ProLogon 1.0, and
ProDoor 3.2. Baud 300 - 9600 (HST). Storage 95 meg.
Sysop Charles Baldridge. Located in Paintsville, Ky.
606 878-9500 ZIP BBS. Baud 1200 - 9600 using USRobotics Dual
Standard (HST/V.32). Running Spit Fire 2.8 on 12 Mhz AT
machine. Storage 60 MEG. Files for MS-DOS. Download
ratio 25 to 1. Full access on first call, no
registration hassles. Operates from 7 P.M. to 7 A.M.
(EST) 7 days a week. Sysop's Ron Alcorn & W.H. Lambdin.
Located in London, Ky.
609 327-5553 UNION LAKE BBS. Baud 300 - 2400. Running PC
Board on an 8088 machine. Free Registration. Storage 94
meg. Sysop George Cuccia. Carries 29 mail conferences.
612 654-8372 G C B BBS. Baud 1200 - 9600 Using U.S. Robotics
HST. Storage 200 meg. Online 24 hours a day. SysOp
Christine Blount. 30 minutes access on first call. This
BBS is located in St. Cloud, Mn.
616 382-3555 BIOS. Baud 300 - 9600 HST. Running WWIV v4.10
on a 8 MHz 8088 Turbo XT Machine. Storage 100 Meg. WWIV
national network node 6650 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Large
MS-DOS file selection, interesting message base and many
on-line games. SysOp Scott Randall.
703 742-6279 CORVETTE DRIVERS. Baud 1200 - 19,200. Running PC
Board on a 386 machine. Storage unknown. Files for
MS-DOS Download ratio 25 to 1. 45 mins access on first
call. Sysop David Arline.
714 785-9176 THE SOLID ROCK (CACOL) BBS. Baud 1200 - 38400
HST Running Spitfire 3.0; 165 meg storage. Sysop Ron
Hossack. Christian oriented system and doors available.
Solid Rock is located in RIverside, CA.
818 961-7903 CALIFORNIA BUILDERS BOARD - (A MicroLink PCUG
SubBoard). Baud 300 - 2400. Running PCBoard 14.1/E3
919 383-8707 Bull City BBS. Baud 300 - 2400. Running Wildcat
1.13 on an 8088 machine. Storage unknown. 24 hrs
operation. Sysop Roy & Shirley Gurley. This BBS has over
55 doors.
If you would like to advertise your BBS in ZIP Magazine,
leave a message on either of the two home BBS's. If you have
access to the ZIP Magazine message conference (Part of the
Intelec network) you may leave you BBS ad's there. We would
allow you to leave a message on any support BBS, but they are
getting to numerous, and also the busy signal doesn't help us
any either.
þþ USERS GROUPS þþ
É-----------------------------------------------------------»
| |
| B.G.A.M.U.G. |
| The Bowling Green Area MS-Dos Users Group |
| |
| BGAMUG meets the 4th Tuesday of the month in the library |
| of Bowling Green High School at 7:00pm. Beginning Dos |
| classes are being planned and will be held in the |
| Computer Science classroom of Bowling Green High School |
| on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. |
| |
| For more information contact: |
| |
| BGAMUG |
| P.O.Box 20384 |
| Bowling Green, KY |
| 42102 |
| |
È-----------------------------------------------------------¼
P.A.C.E User's Group
(Prestonsburg Area Computer Enthusiasts). We meet at 7:00pm
each first and third Tuesday at the Prestonsburg Public
Library. All age groups are welcome. We provide guest
speakers, DOS instruction, and are preparing to start a Q&A
column in the Floyd County Times. The group also supports a
BBS, The PACE/Library BBS, 1200-2400 baud, 24hrs at (606)
886-8403.
þþ ZIP INFO þþ
by W.H. Lambdin & Ron Alcorn
This is ZIP Magazine, a paperless publication. All
submissions will be printed, unless you ask us not to. We
will not modify any text you submit except for spell checking
and delete foul language. So views expressed here do not
necessarily reflect views of editors.
If you want to send us a submission, upload it to one of
BBS's with a * beside it. You can also send them to ZIP BBS
at (606) 878-9500, or the Intelec BBS in New York. The phone
numbers are (516) 867-4446, 4447, and 4448. Upload material
to conference number 58, the ZIP Magazine conference. When
you upload a submission, use MAG as the extension. We would
appreciate it if all submissions were just ascii, and margins
set at 10 on left, and 10 on right. This isn't demanded, it
would just be easier on us. If you want to submit programs
you have written, send them along in an archive with your
text. We will check all programs and if they prove to be
unsuitable, we will reject them. (You know, trojans,
viruses, and other harmful programs).
If you submit a review, follow examples here. If you think
it is a very good program, rate it at 5 stars. If you think
it is of poor quality, then give it one star. If you think
it falls between grades, use a plus as this. ***+ This means
a rating of 3 1/2 stars, or a little better than average.
We will not make you run from place to place in order to read
one article. When we start an article, it will be printed in
it's entirety before another article will be started. All
advertisements will be found in back. I like to read articles
with as little trouble as necessary, and the same goes for
ad's. We will have advertisements, but the editors take no
responsibility in what you may see advertised, so buy at your
own risk.
With Volume 3 Issue 6 of ZIP Magazine, we are using Galaxy
Lite 1.6. It has all the features in Galaxy 2.43, but more
features have been added. Galaxy Lite is produced by Star
Lite Software. Omniverse has released version 3.0 of Galaxy.
I think they made a mistake!
In order for this magazine to survive, it will need help from
it's readers. If you wish to correct us on something, or
write an article or review for ZIP, please send us your
responses. Any help would be greatly appreciated. If you
wish to reprint an article or review from ZIP, feel free to
use it any way you wish, we only request that you give author
credit, and report that the article appeared in ZIP.
þþ GREENLIEF ENTERPRISES AD þþ
12MHz 286 Bare Monochrome Color VGA Hi-Res SVGA
Ú-----------Â-----------Â-----------Â-----------¿
No HD/ctrl's| 409.58 | 515.94 | 740.49 | 830.00 |
Ã-----------Å-----------Å-----------Å-----------´
40MB HD | 624.44 | 730.74 | 955.38 | 1084.82 |
Ã-----------Å-----------Å-----------Å-----------´
89MB HD | 749.13 | 855.45 | 1080.07 | 1169.51 |
Ã-----------Å-----------Å-----------Å-----------´
130MB HD | 825.67 | 932.00 | 1156.61 | 1246.05 |
À-----------Á-----------Á-----------Á-----------Ù
16MHz 386SX Add $150
20MHz 386SX Add 200
25MHz 386 Add 260
33MHz 386/64K Cache Add 460
40MHz 386/64K Cache Add 560
Upgrades:
Extra Memory $ 50.00/Meg 2400 Baud Modem $61.00
256K Video upgrade 17.00 1.44 Meg Floppy 61.00
Delievery 10.00 Setup 10.00
Each system comes with 1 year parts and labor.
price update: Augest 15, 1991
GREENLIEF ENTERPRISES
HARD DRIVE PRICES
prices effective August 30, 1991
30 Meg Kalok (40ms) Bare $160.48
40 Meg IDE ST-157a Bare 190.08
40 Meg Kalok IDE Bare 191.33
40 Meg WD Caviar IDE Bare 227.12
42 Meg ST-251-1 (28ms) Bare 264.16
68 Meg Toshiba MK-134 (22ms) Bare (RLL) 234.54
80 Meg IDE WD Caviar Bare 327.13
80 Meg IDE Maxtor (18ms) 327.13
89 Meg Seagate IDE Bare 314.79
112 Meg Rodime IDE (19ms) Bare 456.74
130 Meg Seagate IDE Bare 391.28
145 Meg Seagate IDE Bare 459.21
150 Meg Nec ESDI Bare 691.28
200 Meg Rodime IDE Bare 604.87
200 Meg WD Pirhanna IDE Bare (15ms) 703.62
200 Meg Seagate IDE Bare 740.66
Marty Greenlief - Sysop: TRT BBS
voice (aft 6pm MST) (801) 566-4829
