------------------------------------------------------------------------ REVIEWS OF THE WEEK | Interesting software/hardware you may need . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Product: Netmanage Chameleon NFS - Version 4.6 Reviewed By: Robert Hering (crhering@acy.digex.net) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This review was performed on a Pentium 90, using Windows 95 w/ 16MB RAM, 1 Gb mass storage, 4 speed CD Rom drive, and Number Nine video card. The installation was an upgrade to my previous Chameleon Ver. 4.5, and the review is limited to the Internet connection features and E-Mail/Messaging only. Chameleon NFS (Network File System), Version 4.6, is a very robust suite of fifty (50) applications, supporting individual TCP/IP connection to the Internet, workgroups (LANs and WANs), peer to peer PC networks client/server functions, network whiteboard with audio and video conferencing, and minicomputer and mainframe connectivity. The updated user interface changes are a definite improvement over the earlier version. System Requirements: 386/486 Enhanced Mode, Windows 3.1 or later, DOS 5.0 or later. InPerson requires 486/66, and 12MB of RAM. Diskette Installation: Chameleon 4.6 consists of 10 diskettes. The installation went smoothly, with the program detecting Windows 95 at initial setup. The program creates six (6) folders that contain the basic program categories. They are Host Access, File & Printer Sharing, Workgroup Collaboration, Internet Access, and E-Mail & Messaging. Depending on the options you select, the program uses approximately 24MB to 26MB of hard drive space. You are given the choice of using the Netmanage or Microsoft Windows 95 TCP/IP stack. The notes that came with the package refer you to Netmanage's web site which contains additional technical details on the difference between these choices (http://www.netmanage.com). In general, the site information is clear and informative. Using Internet Access: Chameleon NFS supports SLIP, CSLIP, PPP, and WinISDN dial-up connections. Internet access features include the "Websurfer" browser which supports HTML Version 3.0, Gopher, FTP, Telnet, Archie, newsgroups, IRC, True Speech, Talk, and Real Audio. There is an "Automatic Internet" utility that assists you in the selection of an Internet provider for new dial-up accounts. One nice feature, the "Netshooter" application, lets you jump to e-mail or the Web from any Windows application. The browser is quick and smooth, the only limit being the speed of your connection. The browser supports HTML3 extensions, in-line video, folder- based hotlists, a history list, connection status, and WYSIWYG style schemes for creating WWW pages. The help file is comprehensive and provides on-line tips for taking advantage of the browser's many features. The Telnet applications allow you to login to any other networked computer with a Telnet server. All emulation applications provide logging with playback, copy, and paste, scripting, scalable fonts, and drag-and-drop keyboard remapping. The access features worked well. Direct access to Gopher, Archie, and FTP is convenient for those searching for specific files and topics. One nice assist is the Ping utility that permits you to test the connection to the server or ISP site. Reading newsgroups is accomplished via the browser, or through "Newtnews," an independent program. Using E-Mail/Messaging: E-Mail/Messaging features include email, phone tag, and "Newtprofs", a Windows front end to IBM PROFS (Office Vision) mail system. The email application also include spell checking, MIME attachments, and uuencode/uudecode features. The program allows you to insert files into the body of the message directly, or as an attachment. The direct insertion is particularly useful for ASCII file contents. Another utility, "SmartPOP", lets the user choose the maximum message size to be downloaded. The "PhoneTag" feature will trigger a pop-up note on another user's screen, and there is a "NEWTCal" group calendar and scheduler. Conclusion: This program goes beyond the basics for Internet connection and email. Its primary focus is on workgroups and a wide range of connectivity. The many features can be overwhelming initially, but once you complete the learning curve, most should feel it was time well spent. Using other programs that lack some of these tools leaves you wishing they did. The program offers much more than the typical "shell" or browser capabilities, has many useful network tools, and you can even create your own HTML documents. At startup, the program even creates your own web page. Based on previous versions, Netmanage continues to make significant improvements, particularly networked solutions. Pricing: The list price for Netmanage is $475.00. Netmanage is currently offering up to 20% discount on the list price. An optional maintenance fee permits the user to receive two (2) free updates per year. The maintenance fee is 15% of the selling price. One other thing. If you simply want to surf the web through a dial-up account only, Netmanage offers Internet Chameleon. The list price for that product is $75.00, and also provides for the maintenance update option, at 15% of the list price. Street price should be somewhat lower. Netmanage, Inc 10725 North De Anza Blvd. Cupertino, CA 95014-9714 West Coast Sales Phone: 408-973-7171 West Coast Support: 408-973-8181 East Coast Sales Phone: 603-888-2800 East Coast Support: 603-888-3500 West Coast Fax: 408-973-8272 Web Site: http://www.netmanage.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Product: Government Online - Book Reviewed By: Stephen Jackson (jacksosm@ctrvax.vanderbilt.edu) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ One of the most unfortunate manifestations of "newspeak" today is the expression "information superhighway." It is unfortunate because it is both vague and misleading. The words "information superhighway," as Max Lent, author of GOVERNMENT ONLINE, makes clear, are meant to refer to a national communications infrastructure which will enable everyone on the planet, or at least everyone on the planet who is appropriately "wired," to search the world's libraries for answers to our most burning questions. The end result of this process is that we will soon evolve, if we haven't already, as Marshal McLuhan once predicted, into a kind of global village where everyone's business becomes electronically connected with everyone else. Whether or not this is a good thing is a matter for sociologists to ponder. But if anyone believes we are just around the corner from having immediate and easy access to the wisdom of the ages, then GOVERNMENT ONLINE should set you straight. Experienced internet surfers have known for some time that what is needed today is not more information, but more and better tools to enable you to locate the information you are seeking. Without an experienced guide to help you in your search, you may soon find yourself getting lost in a labyrinth of bureaus, departments, agencies and archives, both federal and state, whose doors are often locked behind acronyms and signs known only to insiders. Max Lent's GOVERNMENT ONLINE can get you inside those doors. GOVERNMENT ONLINE is a directory of electronic federal, state, and local government resources available online to anyone with a computer and a modem. Thousands of databases, containing everything from the latest studies on air borne carcinogens, to Congressional hearings on the licensing of nuclear power plants, information that heretofore was beyond the reach of the average citizen, are now available online-- IF you know where to look. One of the nice features of Max Lent's book is the clarity of its information. It was not designed merely for information retrieval experts, but for anyone interested in going online. He succinctly explains how to get online and what you can expect to find when you get there. A detailed table of contents provides you with a clear and sensible view of the book's overall structure. Early chapters include getting started with the basics, a description of the internet, and an overview of commercial online service providers. The best part of this book, as you might expect from its title, is devoted to listing numerous online resources of government agencies. As the author freely admits, any gathering together of online resources, no matter how well intended and comprehensive, is bound to be incomplete. The internet today is simply too vast for any individual to index. It is, in fact, a rapidly expanding universe whose constellations have scarcely been identified, much less catalogued. At the time this book was written, just one short year ago, the world wide web had not yet assumed the dominant presence on the internet it has since achieved through the wide distribution of web browsers like Mosaic and Netscape. Some of the author's remarks about the instability and unreliability of the web may seem dated and suggest a lingering bias against the use (or abuse) of web pages. But with today's broad acceptance of the new 28.8K standard for modems and improved performance from upgraded versions of Netscape, there is no longer any reason to abstain from the web. However, Lent's caution that a significant volume of government resources is still accessible only through electronic BBS's and gopher sites remains true. And given the idiosyncratic nature of electronic bulletin boards, it is certainly helpful to follow in the footsteps of someone who has already tread these difficult paths, mastering the logon procedures and search strategies for BBS's which are usually privately funded and maintained as a public service. At $15 a shot, GOVERNMENT ONLINE is worth every penny in the time and aggravation you will save when going online. If you are in the market for a good reference tool that unlocks the mystery of government online resources, look no further. HarperPerennial Harper Collins Publishers, Inc. 10 East 53rd Street New York, NY 10022 (212) 207-7000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Product: WordPro 96 for Windows 95 Reviewed By: Judy Litt (jlitt@qualitty.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ WordPro . . . WordPerfect . . . Word . . . do you get the feeling that these companies want us to be confused? It seems, IMHO, that word processors are locked in an eternal war of leapfrog. One pulls ahead with nifty new features, then the other two scramble to catch up. Then another leaps ahead of the competition -- but eventually they all pull pretty much even. I started out using Ami Pro. I still use it, but I use Word as well, because most of my clients do. I wasn't planning to upgrade from Ami Pro to WordPro -- but then this opportunity came along and I grabbed it; I'm glad that I did. Installation Make sure your hard drive is cleaned up -- because this program is space hungry. There are three different install modes: Default -- 41 MB Minimum -- 17 MB (for laptops) Customize I chose customize, which gives a "pick & choose" option under the following categories: WordPro Program Proofing Tools Text file filters Spreadsheet filters Database filters Graphics filters SmartMaster Templates Even after picking and choosing, the program still weighed in at 32 MB. First Use WordPro has definitely caught up with Word -- and begun to look a lot like Word, too. It opens with a dialog box where you can choose to use a SmartMaster or create a new document. There's now a smartcorrect feature -- which automatically corrects commonly misspelled words, a lowercase following a period, etc. -- as you type. Help has been changed to something very similar to wizards and cue cards (I'll get into that a little more in depth later). You can still drag and drop text; doubleclicking still selects word, etc. But WordPro also makes full use of the right click button. Highlight a word, right click, and you can: Cut Copy Paste Change Style Select Word Select Sentence Select Paragraph View Text Properties View Page Properties If you choose to view either text or page properties, you get one of WordPro's new infoboxes. Infoboxes combine all formatting options into one box. So you can easily choose fonts, text size, alignment, color, spacing, and more in one box (for those of you familiar with CorelDRAW!, it's similar to the rollups in that program). Best of all: the box stays on the screen until you close it, and it can be collapsed down to a title bar so that it does not take up much screen space. It's in the Details It's attention to details that makes us prefer one program over another. For instance, it's easier than ever to bold or italic a word. Just click in the word and click the appropriate button; you don't have to highlight the entire word. "Ask the expert" is a new and innovative feature. Basically, it's a help facility. What's different is that you can ask for help in your own words. Just type "how do I create an envelope" and sure enough a box pops up with step by step instructions. Related topics are also shown, as is a history of questions you've asked before. And speaking of envelopes, WordPro 96 has some great new features. It's mind boggling easy to make envelopes. If you're already in a letter, just click on create envelope. You can change the size. And if you print the letter, the envelope will print automatically -- to the correct bin -- at least on my printer. And for the first time I was able to do something I've never been able to do in any other word processor -- place a graphic on the envelope. Perhaps Word for Win95 has these features, but at present time I don't have it. The print envelope bar, the ask the expert bar, and spell check are all among WordPro 96's new "modeless" bars. They go across the screen just below the toolbar, and they stay there until you turn them off. WordPro 96 will even open html documents -- and the display is semi-WYSIWYG. Inline graphics are displayed, but not background graphics. Things that are centered appear centered. Bugs Life is never perfect, and neither is software. The manual that comes with this program is a joke -- it's possibly the slimmest manual I've ever seen. I know to some people that's a good thing, but sometimes it's easier to find answers in a manual than in online help. There are some things I still can't figure out. For instance, I created a new style that has the proper margins for my letterhead -- but I haven't figured out yet how to make that appear as a choice in all documents. Right now it's only a choice in the document where I created the style. Apparently it's lost in the great style black hole. As easy as envelopes are to set up, the recipient address is printing way over to the left. It's not as easy as it was in Ami Pro to fix it. Conclusion There's a great deal of "team" stuff that I couldn't explore, being a sole proprietor. The ability to set up a whole group of editors, attach notes, set different levels of access to certain editors. I wouldn't have gone out and bought this program, but I'm glad I got it. I'll probably use it more than Word. I don't know if it's the fact that I started out on Ami Pro, but I still like the program. However, think about what you need in a word processor before you buy one. Do you need to be compatible with other companies or clients? Then find out what they're using. Lotus WordPro 96 Requires: Windows 3.1 or Windows 95 8 MB RAM 35 MB hard disk space Lotus Development Corp. Word Processing Division 1000 Abernathy Road Bldg. 400, Suite 1700 Atlanta, GA 30328 CompuServe: GO LOTUS WWW: http://www.support.lotus.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Product: Office Central Reviewed By: Gail B.C. Marsella (71551.3200@compuserve.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Office Central is yet another entry in the contest to get your computer files organized enough so you can work efficiently. It has a pleasantly arranged desktop, with folders at the upper left, the file list of the selected folder in the lower left, and a central workspace for viewing application icons and the contents of files. A toolbar and menus at the top allow you to manage folders and files, and tile or cascade the view. You create folders, choose what files to add to them, and launch programs by clicking either a document file linked to an application, or the application icon itself. If this is beginning to sound real familiar, it is. That's the way Windows itself works. In spite of this redundancy, Office Central does have a couple of nice touches. It incorporates a few of File Manager's features right on the main screen, so you can print, find, and delete files without opening a separate program. It also allows you to assign long file names to files, view file contents without opening the associated application, and send E-mail over a network. If you don't already have utility programs to take care of the latter three features, this program may be attractive. The file viewer in particular is quite good. You can open several files at a time and tile their windows to look at them all side by side. There are some puzzling parts of Office Central, too, however. For example, it has a built in folder for templates. You're supposed to copy your commonly used templates into this space, and then open copies of the templates to do common tasks (fax cover sheet, letter, spreadsheet report, and so on.) That sounds good in theory, but in practice Office Central does not handle it well. First of all, the dialog box that opens when you want to add a template to the template folder does not have common template file types in it. (I tried to add a .DOT file from Word, for example, and had to search through all the files.) Also, the procedure to make the copy of the template is several steps long, and you still have to be careful to change the file extension so that you don't overwrite the template itself. You would be better off just opening the application and selecting the template you want; Word already knows to open a copy rather than the original template. Also important to mention is that Office Central can only handle OLE 2.0 applications. All of us have favorite old workhorse programs that we aren't going to give up, and that means that Office Central won't be able to deal with them; we'll have to go back to Windows or File Manager to launch them. The manual is part of the problem, too. It gives all kinds of direction for creating, editing, filling, deleting, and rearranging folders, but there is no discussion on the specific efficiency gains that will happen if you do all of this start-up work. It is fairly easy to import all of the Windows program groups as folders, but there is no advantage to doing that if you already had Windows itself arranged properly. (Office Central does not allow folder nesting or any other specific improvement on Windows, either.) Maybe the template idea works on some level, or the chapter on DDE macros (so you can save files to Office Central directly from applications) will save me time somehow, but neither the manual nor the program is at all convincing on either subject. In summary, then, if you are intrigued by the long file name, link to your E-mail program, or file viewing capabilities of Office Central, take a look at it. Panther Software 2629 Manhattan Avenue, Suite 278 Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310-372-6806 http://www.panthersoft.com CompuServe: 71223,2636 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Product: PC Anywhere 32 Reviewed By: Dennis MacPherson (pctc@infi.net) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Norton pcANYWHERE32 is Symantec's remote control software for Windows95 and WindowsNT. The primary purpose of remote control software is to allow us to access PCs and networks from a distance. If we're on the road, we sometimes need to access data on the network back at the office or the desktop at home. With pcANYWHERE32 you can do the following: remotely control one PC from another; transfer files and synchronize folders between two PCs; connect to a variety of services like the Internet, CompuServe, a BBS; and become a node on a remote network. With pcANYWHERE32 the task of remote access has truly been simplified. I played with it using the two systems described above and was both amazed and tickled at how easy it was to setup and use. First, let me tell you about some of the other things this program does in addition to remote control. or straight dial-up capability, pcANYWHERE32 supports IPX, NetBIOS, TCP/IP, DEC, ACS, asynchronous, and gateway connections. It does not support multiple connections nor wireless transfers. It has one of the fastest file transfer utilities in the business via parallel or serial hookup with file synchronization, background operation, and virus scanning prior to transmission. It offers security features like passwords, auto call back, data encryption, screen blanking, session logging and recording, and s ral others. And finally, there's an extensive scripting language for automating repetitive tasks and sessions. Norton pcANYWHERE32 is definitely feature-rich compared with other programs in this category. Symantec recommends at least a '486 processor, 8MB of RAM, and 16MB of free hard disk space to run smoothly; although it says it will work on less ('386/4MB/VGA). It's a 32-bit application that needs Windows95 or WindowsNT 3.51 or later, but it can be used to remotely control PCs running pcANYWHERE for DOS and Windows 3.x. It comes on four floppies with two manuals and a special cable for file transfer between two systems. Like all Symantec products, the User's Manual is well written and hence easy to r . Terms you need to know for connecting to remote systems are clearly defined and procedures are described in a step-by-step manner. Anxious to run a friend's computer from a distance of ninety miles, I popped the first disk into the drive and away I went. As expected, installation was a breeze. The main screen is small and clean with large buttons clearly labeled and nicely iconned. There's a Quick Start button with "wizards" for walking you through the program's primary functions. Or you can use the Be A Host button, Remote Control, File Transfer, Be A Gateway, Remote Networking, or Call Online Service buttons and go straight to yo connection. I clicked on Remote Control because I wanted to operate the computer at the other end; my friend would click on Be A Host and set himself up to "be controlled." Several icons appeared in the folder area of the screen. I double-clicked on the one labeled Add Remote Control Item because it seemed the most logical thing to do. That put me in the hands of the Remote Control "wizard" which proceeded to ask me a few questions like what did I want to call my new remote control item (I typed 'Friend'); what connection device would I use (my modem was listed and checked); and the host's phone number. That was it. Simple and quick. My friend with the AST mirrored my acti using the Be A Host button and we were ready to fly. Making the actual connection was as simple as double-clicking on the icon "Friend." pcANYWHERE32 then dialed the phone and less than a minute later I was looking at my friend's Windows95 desktop. At the top of my screen was a menu of icons for recording the session, scaling the screen, transferring either PC's clipboard, transferring files, entering chat mode and even performing a Ctrl-Alt-Del on his system! I immediately clicked on Chat so I could share my excitement. A box opened up at the bottom of screen and I typed the message "Watson, come in here, I need you" or something to that effect. Several seconds later, he responded by saying he was watching every movement of my mouse on his screen. Response, in terms of refresh-rate, was pretty darn good, I thought, for two 28.8 modems. There was some delay, but nothing intolerable. As a scientific test, I opened up his solitaire game and began to play. The ace of hearts didn't instantly fly to the top row when I double-clicked on it. There was a one-second delay before it moved. Not a big deal. I moved a couple more cards, then noticed that cards were moving by themselves. My friend was playing also. Interesting. I then wondered about copying some of his files to my hard drive. Would I have to read the manual first? Nahhh! I clicked on the File Transfer button at the top of my screen and was immediately greeted with a file-manager-like screen showing r two hard drives side by side. Nice. File transfer was a piece-o-cake. And fast! I highlighted four files from his root directory, clicked on the arrow pointing at me, and zip, they flew over as though I typed the copy command from my DOS prompt. I'd seen enough. The possibilities of pcANYWHERE32 were filling my head with ideas. Updating client files, trouble-shooting long distance, sharing presentations...what a great tool. I tried one other connection with my friend before writing this review: I tried operating his system over the Internet--but I was unsuccessful. Not because pcANYWHERE32 couldn't do it, but rather because of the way we were connected. According to the User's Manual, remote control is possible over the Internet if both systems are running pcANYWHERE32 using a TCP/IP communication device (which we were). What the manual did not say was exactly how to do it. So I called Symantec's Standard help line. Symantec has several telephone numbers for various levels of free and subscription service help. Since I was a registered user, for the price of the phone call, I was eligible for 90 days of free help. I was on hold for a mere ten minutes, listening to semi-elevator music and frequently reminded that "my call was important to them, and please not to hang up..." When the tech finally came on. He was very friendly, and proceeded to set up my account; asking for name, address, and telephone number. I then ed him how I could operate my friend's computer over the Internet. He told me he had to go do some research (and I thought "he doesn't know the answer") and asked if I wouldn't mind waiting. No problem. After another four minutes, he returned. To make a long story short, he did know the answer, explained it very well, and made sure I understood before we were done. Turns out I needed to know my friend's IP address when he was on the Internet, which was impossible, because our Internet Service Provider provi des IP addresses dynamically. My mission was accomplished, however, because I was able to reach Symantec, speak to a technical person, and get an answer to my question all within twenty minutes. I was satisfied. In summary: I like pcANYWHERE32 and I believe it does everything it was designed to do and that it does it all very well. In terms of speed of screen refresh and file transfer--excellent; installation--a snap; ease of use--wonderfully easy to use; and mutifunctionality (security, connectivity, general communications)--exhaustive. An overall excellent product. I'm not alone in my praise of the product, either. PCWEEK (Feb 12) gave pcANYWHERE32 its Analyst's Choice Award after comparing it with Avalan Technology's Remotely Possible/32, Traveling Software's LapLink for Windows95, and Triton Technologies CoSession 6.0 for Windows. In a similar comparison, however, the LAN Times (Feb 19) gave its Best of Times award to LapLink for Windows95. After reading both reviews, I think most users will be satisfied using either product for their remote access utility. My advice: carefully read the specs of both products and choose the one that meets the majority of your needs. Symantec Corporation 10201 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 95014 (800)-441-7234 http://www.symantec.com CompuNotes - The Best Free Publication Available! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Product: Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Gardening Reviewed By: Dan Carmichael (resume@nr.infi.net) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dan Carmichael (resume@nr.infi.net) Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Gardening The enveloping beauty and warmth of Spring will soon be upon us. For those of you in the Central and Eastern U.S. who are looking out the window at 10-foot snow drifts while reading this, that sounds like a very welcome prospect. For the rest it means only one thing: mow that lawn, mow that lawn, mow that lawn. However, whether you find gardening a joy or a burden, this CD-Rom is for you. It contains a wealth of information that will enable the beginning as well as experienced gardener to perform gardening tasks quicker, easier, and make it more enjoyable in the process. The CD-Rom is divided into four main sections: Garden Fundamentals, Garden Types, Gardener's Almanac, and Gardening Index. Gardening Fundamentals contains a wealth of information on gardening basics, climate information, pests and diseases, gardening techniques, and tools. Even gardening professionals will find useful tips and information here. Garden Types is divided into 14 different sub-categories and covers every imaginable type of indoor and outdoor plant and tree. From lawns to annuals and from wildflowers to fruits, nuts, and vegetables - if it grows, it's probably covered here. Gardener's Almanac is divided by months and contains calendar-specific information in a variety of categories. It also contains a database of preset reminders and seasonal information. For the gardening enthusiast, they've even included a calendar of flower and garden shows across the U.S. You can also add events, tips, reminders, and notes of your own. The Gardening Index allows you to easily and accurately search all databases by category, plant type, plant name, or by individual keywords. The cross-referencing of information is thorough and easy to navigate. The help option is complete and easy to understand. Information on individual plants and trees is comprehensive. Included is information on planting, care, maintenance, irrigation, fertilizing, pruning, climate zones, height and width, shade density, soil and light preferences, flower and plant characteristics, varieties, harvesting information, and more. It will even suggest how to design your gardens to enhance the beauty of both your garden and your home. If you do not know what you want to plant, there's help for you too. The search feature allows you to input different criteria such as: climate zone, interest (flowering, fragrance, etc.), plant type, shape, and size then suggests different plants for you. The entire learning process is enhanced by instructional multimedia videos, animations, slide shows, full-color photos, illustrations, and audio tracks. Each time you start the program, you are randomly given one of over 300 useful hints and tips. Another nice feature is it's ease of use. I received the CD-Rom for review without an instruction manual, but none was needed. Choosing the Introduction option plays an animated tutorial that runs only a few minutes and tells you everything you need to know to utilize all features of the program. The CD-Rom was easily installed, smooth running, and error-free. I tested it on a system using Windows 95 and multi-tasked back and forth to write this review without a hitch. Better Homes and Gardens Complete Guide to Gardening CD-Rom is for both the IBM-PC under Windows and Macintosh platforms. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Product: Earthworm Jim for Windows 95 Reviewed By: Michael Gallo (gallo-michael@hq.secnav.navy.mil) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The first word uttered as the game fires up summarizes Earthworm Jim nicely, GROOVY! Earthworm Jim for Windows 95 is yet another in a stream of 2D scroller type games similar to Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. This popular Super NES and Sega cartridge game has finally come to the PC platform courtesy of Activision. EWJ works with Windows 95 only. Minimum system requirements include 486/33 CPU, VESA/PCI video(256 color), 8MB RAM, and a 2X CD ROM drive. No hard disk space is required. First a little information about the game. Earthworm Jim is an otherwise forgetful wriggling nightcrawler who has been endowed with "super-worm" capabilities thanks to a space age jump suit. Without the suit, Jim is very wimpy and can do very little(as you'll find out on certain levels). Your mission: Get through every level and defeat all boss monsters and rescue Princess What's Her Name(really that's her name). All sorts of "critters" constantly pick on JIM and challenges are everywhere that must be overcome. Ordinarily, I'd yawn at the prospect of another Mario-Sonic type of game, but once you play EWJ, I think you'll agree, these designers and programmers are warped. Where else would you expect to find a junkyard boss who vomits fish when hit or a lawyer who yells, "I'll SUE" when hit, or a level called "What the Heck", where you'll hear the occasional scream of some poor suffering soul. If you stop and let Jim stand around, he becomes bored and does all sorts of random things from singing to blowing his head off accidently while looking at his plasma pistol. Gameplay is very simple, Jim can run, duck, jump, shoot, and use his head as a whip. Jim's whipping head can kill monsters, activate items, or grab hooks to swing on. In some places, the only way to continue is by swinging on a hook. Sometimes it is not obvious at all where to move to next. Some of the places were too difficult for me to figure out(even at the easiest level) and I needed some on-line hints from the internet to get me through. The game will remember what levels Jim has already completed. However, there is no way to save the game in the middle of a level. Graphics performance was surprisingly good. There are four different resolutions to play in: Two full screen and two windowed. The highest resolution offered is 640x480 in a window. This was the only mode where I noticed some screen "flicker". I think this was due to the fact I was running my Windows '95 in 800x600 mode with 16K colors. I suspect that running Windows '95 at a lower 640x480x256 mode will result in acceptable performance. The two full screen mode are 320x200 and 320x224. These were very fast, crisp, and smooth. All modes are 256 colors. It looks like the designers put a lot of effort into the game's graphics screens. They are very rich, but still have that cartoon like quality. The sounds and music are superb. The quality of the music is very high because EWJ uses a real CD audio track to store the music. I put the CD into a normal CD player and was able to play all the musical tracks except for track 1 which must be where the actual program code is stored. Just think, you can listen to EWJ on your way to work in the car! As a side note: there are two tracks near the end of the CD. One is a humorous biological review of worms while the other is some sort of congratulations for winning the game at its most difficult level. I'm sure there must be a cheat code to activate these tracks while playing the game. The CD also includes an option to install the Earthworm Jim desktop theme. This is only available to users who have the Microsoft Windows 95 Plus Pack installed. The theme pack allows custom cursors, sounds, and wallpapers, and screen savers. This option requires minimal hard disk space of about 1 MB. No other hard disk space is required because the game runs directly off the CD. This was fine since I have a 4X CD drive, however, owners of 2X CD drives may take a performance hit. I thought Earthworm Jim was fun to play and easy to learn. I recommend the game for anyone who wants a simple don't think too much kind of game and for anyone with a warped sense of humor. Activision P.O. Box 67713 Los Angeles, CA 90067 (310) 479-5644 Compuserve: GO GAMBPUB E-Mail: support@activision.com Web: http://www.activision.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ REVIEWS OF THE WEEK | Interesting software/hardware you may need . . . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Book Review: Perl 5 Desktop Reference Reviewed by: Dr. Mark (mrln19@woodtech.com) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Perl 5 Desktop Reference written by Johan Vromans and published by O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., is the perfect companion to the books Learning Perl and Programming Perl. This handbook contains all the programming conventions broken down into subject matter headers with alphabetic order of information. This handbook is 39 pages long and is the perfect desktop reference for those programmers who like to have their "peripheral brain" resources nearby freeing up ones mind to concentrate on coding. Johan Vromans has been involved with software engineering since 1975 and is an expert in using GNU Emacs and the Perl programming language. O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. has demonstrated through this cooperative effort there resolve to providing the programming world with their definitive books on the Internet, Unix, and GNN (Global Network Navigator). O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. 103 Morris Street Sebastopol, Ca. 95472 Voice: (707) 829 - 0515 http://www.ora.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Product: AskSam Professional 3.0 Reviewed By: Dennis MacPherson (pctc@infi.net) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ AskSam Professional 3.0 is an information manager and freeform database. It comes on two 3-1/2 inch floppy disks with two manuals: a User's Guide and a Getting Started guide. I had to use these manuals several times in order to learn how to use askSam. The manuals also helped me understand the overall concept of the program and how best to use its unique features. The overall concept of askSam is this: feed it data and it will organize that data for easy retrieval later. The data can be structured, like names, addresses, and telephone numbers; or unstructured, like text in faxes and memos. Regardless of what form the data is in, askSam will find any field, word, or phrase in seconds. You can also use askSam to create hypertext documents, similar to Windows' help screens, as well as HTML documents used on the World Wide Web. Other features include traditional mail merge ge, report writing, extensive importing and exporting of various file formats, plus graphics and OLE. As an instructor, designer, and experienced user of conventional database programs like dBASE, Paradox, and Access, my objective during this review was to see if askSam had anything new or better to offer than the more traditional relational database programs. What unique features did it possess, and could it be used more effectively in lieu of the full-blown database management systems I was used to working with? The opening screen does not resemble the typical database program; it looks more like a basic word processor like Word or WordPerfect. From top to bottom: there's a menu bar, tool bar, formatting tool bar (bold, italic, underline, justification, etc.), command line (for entering search strings), ruler, workspace, and status bar. Unfortunately, askSam does not have the handy little tool tips for its buttons, like Word or Excel. When you point at a button, however, a brief explanation of the button appears in the status bar at the bottom of the screen, which is just as helpful. Data entry screens, reports, and individual records are created and displayed as though you were using a word processor. In a few minutes time, and with the help of the User's Guide, I was able to create a very simple database for storing information about my wife's collection of Precious Moments figurines. I found the interface awkward, however. For example, in askSam, a record is called a document. After creating a data entry form (which was as simple as typing field names on the screen), you add records by clicking on a button whose function is to "Add a document with an Entry Form." You can add as many documents (records) as you want and a set of arrow keys on the tool bar make it easy to move from document to document. What you can't do very easily, however, is view the database as a conventional table. For that you need to create a report with the Report Writer. The Report Writer is not unlike most database report writers: you place field names on the screen (with graphics, if desired) to form a layout for the data. Since it works like a word processor, it's easy to add color and lines and special formatting to dress up the report. A button on the tool bar lets you run the report anytime you want. The search capability of askSam is excellent. It supports wildcard searches, fuzzy searches, and proximity searches. Here is where the concept of askSam begins to depart from that of the traditional database. In askSam you can easily create a database of text documents, like memos, faxes, or email. Each memo or fax is stored as a searchable document which makes it incredibly easy to find any word or phrase as well as the surrounding context (proximity). I demonstrated this for myself by importing several Eu dora mailboxes into an askSam file. With that done, I was then able to quickly find all messages sent to CompuNotes, for example, with the keyword `review.' Eudora's .MBX format is included in askSam as one of fifteen file types for importing. Other unique and useful file types include .HTM (HTML), .WPD (WordPerfect 6.x), .DOC (Word 6.x), and CompuServe formats such as .ART, .MSG, .NWS, and .THD. The importing ability of askSam makes it very convenient for organizing the hundreds of text files we tend to accumulate on a daily basis. I next played with askSam's hypertext capabilities. Linking documents or files is a two-step process: first you set bookmarks in the documents you want to link to, then you define hypertext links to each bookmark. I believe this is askSam's forte. I was able to create a small menu rather easily that allowed me to jump to a quick report of my data or to the names and address database or to the Eudora file as easily as moving around the Web. The professional version, reviewed here, also comes with two pre-built sample databases ready for immediate use: askSam Internet and askSam Office. Like a mini PIM, the askSam Office is a set of six predefined applications. The Office includes an Address file, Notes file, Todo file, as well as Memo, Fax, and Letter files. It is an excellent example of what you can do with askSam and it works very well. For the cyberjunkies, askSam Internet contains six applications for managing the Internet. There's an email database for storing Eudora .mbx files and other email messages; an HTML archive, a directory of Internet sites, a Newsgroup database, a file for creating pre-defined Web pages, and an Internet FAQ file. Both of these samples highlight the capabilities and features of askSam quite well. Learning how to create your own applications, however, is quite the challenge. AskSam Professional 3.0 Seaside Software, Inc. D.B.A. askSam Systems Perry, Florida http://www.asksam.com CompuServe Forum, type GO ASKSAM info@asksam.com 904-584-6590 (9:00 - 6:00 EST) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Product: Shannara by Legend Entertainment Reviewed By: Nathan Kay (nathan13@aol.com) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shannara, by Legend Entertainment is a role playing game based on the Terry Brooks book, 'The Sword of Shannara'. In Shannara, you are the son of Shea Ohmsford, the hero of the book. The ancient evil your father thought he'd destroyed forever has returned, and the legendary Druid mystic Allanon has come to warn you, and command you to take up the fabulous sword of Shannara to defeat the evil yet again. As is normal for me when reviewing a new product, the first thing I noticed about Shannara, by Legend Entertainment was the install program. In the case of Shannara, this was one of the most simple installations I've ever done for a CDROM game. Under Microsoft's Windows '95, Shannara will automatically start it's graphical installation program when I put the CDROM in my drive. On my other DOS based operating system, the install instructions provided were very clear and easy to follow. The game can be installed two ways, depending on how much space is available. If there was 107 megabytes free (at least), I could choose to copy all the files needed to my hard drive, resulting in much faster access times, or choose to install only the critical game files, leaving the sound and graphics files on the CDROM drive. The graphics and sound are wonderfully done in Shannara, adding to the smooth feel of the game. Characters talk in their own voices, the background music sets the mood, and the graphics have been almost perfectly synchronized to match the sounds. In all, it's very impressive, but it also means that a faster CDROM drive is important. Also, with characters talking in their own voices, I found that I could always read the text on the screen much faster than I could listen to them talk. Thankfully for those of us impatient people, speech can be turned off easily. Another good point of Shannara is the beautifully drawn 256 color user interface. Any game can have a pretty interface, but a game which has both a good looking screen and a very simple to use interface is rare. In Shannara, I found I could click on just about anything on the screen and be given a list of things I could try to do to the object. For example, if I clicked on a small rock, then clicked on my sledgehammer, I would be given a list of things I could use the sledgehammer to do to the rock (such as, smash the rock into powder). The dialogue adds a lot to the game, with it's sparkling humor and witty charm. The random humor and understated comedy helped me to stick with the game, even when I was having problems figuring out what to do next. I found the combat system to be powerful, allowing me to give orders to the characters in my party with ease. Fighting isn't the major point of the game, but it does happen, and is dealt with rather nicely. I was presented with a screen showing my enemies and my party, and their health. From there, I could choose which monsters to attack. A nice little touch that I enjoyed a lot was that Terry Brooks' book, 'The Sword of Shannara' is included in the package I received, so that if you want to go back, and read about the adventures of Shea Ohmsford, which the whole game was a squeal to, the book is already right in your hands. The system requirements are a 486/33 or better, at least four megabytes of RAM, a CDROM drive, a Microsoft compatible mouse, and a VGA graphics card. A sound card is needed for the speech and music functions. Shannara will run under the DOS operating system, as well as OS/2 and Windows 95. Practically, I found that while a 486/33 was good enough, but with my double-speed CDROM drive, I spent most of the time waiting while animations and sounds were loaded from the CDROM. If at all possible, a quad-speed CDROM drive will make game play much more enjoyable. Of course, having enough hard drive space free to install the full 107 megabytes will solve any CDROM speed issues. Legend Entertainment PO Box 10810 14200 Park Meadow Drive Chantilly, VA 22021 Voice: (800) 658-8891 þ