• Tag Archives DOS

  • PC World (April 1996)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Though I was never really a subscriber to PC World, I did get the occasional issue over the years. It was probably the best general magazine dedicated to the PC though I preferred Maximum PC which came along a little later. The April 1996 issue of PC World includes:

    Cover Story

    • Windows 95 at Warp Speed – Tips from PC World editors on using Windows 95 including advice for managing your files, on shortcuts, performance tips, and more.
    • Close Encounters With Windows 95 – Readers speak out about what they like and dislike about Windows 95.

    Special Report: Small Office, Home Office

    • Home Office Before and After – A guide to transforming a room in your house to a home office.
    • The Procrastinator’s Guide to Last-Minute Tax Tips – Help with your taxes.
    • Hot Picks for the Home Office – Choosing the right chair, laser printer, operating system, and more to choose for your home office.

    Personal Finance

    • Quicken Versus Money – A comparison of the latest versions of Microsoft Money and Quicken for Windows 95.

    Top 20 PCs

    • The Top 20 Power Desktops – At the top of this list is the Dell XPS P120c featuring a Pentium 120, 1GB hard drive, and 16MB of RAM. I was a big fan of Gateway 2000 so I would have probably chosen number 15 on this list, the Gateway 2000 P5-166XL featuring a Pentium 166, 1.5GB hard drive, and 16MB of RAM.
    • The Top 20 Budget Desktops – Coming in at the top of this list is the Dell Dimension XPS P100C featuring a Pentium 100 CPU, 16MB of RAM and a 1GB hard drive.
    • The Top 20 Notebook PCs – The top power system is the Toshiba Satellite Pro 400CDT featuring a Pentium 75, 800MB hard drive and 16MB of RAM. The top budget system is the Dell Latitude LX 4100D featuring a 486 DX4-100, 420MB hard drive and 8MB of RAM.

    Top of the News

    • Turbocharge Your Pentium PC – A look a the performance of Intel’s latest overdrive processors. There was the OverDrive-120 for upgrading Pentium 60 systems, the OverDrive-125 for Pentium 75 systems, the OverDrive-150 for upgrading Pentium 90 systems, and the OverDrive-166 for upgrading Pentium 100 systems.
    • Internet PCs: Next Wave or Nonsense? – So called Internet Appliances were a relatively short lived fad. The idea was that these would be cheap, (very) low end PCs to be used for internet access. A few are mentioned here including the TransPhone, Sun’s Java Terminal and the ViewCall America WEBster. These devices were around $500. However, despite being cheap for their time, they just didn’t offer enough bang for the buck. They were basically modern terminals.
    • DVD Drives: Giant CD-ROMs and Movies – The DVD standard had just been finalized with Toshiba to ship the first DVD player later in the year (for about $600). By the end of the year, $500 DVD-ROM drivs for PCs were expected.
    • Completely Focused: New NEC MultiSyncs – A look at the NEC 15-inch M500 monitor for $599 and the 17-inch M700 for $849.
    • HP Targets Small Business – A look at HPs Vectra 500 series of machines with CPUs ranging from the Pentium 75 to the Pentium 166.

    Top 10 Printers

    • Personal Printers: Quick, Cheap, and Colorful – The top monochrome printer in this list is the Panasonic KX-P6100 while the top color printer is the HP DeskJet 850C.

    Top 10 Hardware

    • Top 10 15-inch Monitors – The best 15-inch monitor in this month’s list is the NEC MultiSync XV15 for $460.
    • Top 10 Graphics Boards – The best graphics board this month is the Diamond Stealth64 Video 3200 featuring the S3 Vision968 chip and 2MB VRAM for $269.
    • Top 10 Modems – The top external modems were the Microcom DeskPorte 28.8P and Motorola ISG Lifestyle 28.8 though out of this list I would have picked the U.S. Robotics Sporster V.34 which is number three here. The top internal modem is the Zoom V.34C Model 520.

    Here’s How

    • Help Line – Questions answered about resiszing the task bar in Windows 95, copying system files from .CAB files, using your modem from DOS, and more.
    • Spreadsheets – Questions answered about moving averages, truncating, deleting empty rows in Excel, and more.
    • Word Processing – Questions answerd about timestamping WinWord files, selecting large text blocks, underscores in WordPerfect, and more.
    • Windows 95 Advisor – A guide to running your programs in a batch.
    • Hardware – Questions answered about Plug and Play, preventing Windows 95 crashes, write back cache, and more.

    Departments

    • Letters – Letters from readers about disk compression, hard drive upgrades, AOL, e-mail glitches, and more.
    • Real Problems, Real Solutions – Adding TV capabilities to existing PCs.
    • Full Disclosure – The difficutly in getting data into programs.

    …and much more!


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  • PC World (November 1984)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    As far as mainstream PC specific magazines go, PC World was probably the best. I preferred Maximum PC but that one was a little more specialized. Plus it came along more than 20 years after this issue. 1984 was still early days for the PC and PC magazines. The November 1984 issue includes:

    Getting Started

    • Of Spreadsheets and Models – A look at financial modeling programs that started life in mainframes including Micro/Prophit and Encore! Micro!

    Community

    • World Class PC – Readers pick their favorite PC software and hardware. Some items here include the Compaq-Plus Portable Computer, Lotus 1-2-3, Peachtree Accounting, Tallgrass TG-3012 12MB hard disk and 20MB tape backup combo, Hayes Smartmodem 1200, Tandon TM 100-2 floppy drive, SixPakPlus, Wordstar, Smartcom II, Microsoft Flight Simulator, PC-DOS 2.10, and lots more.
    • In Quest of True BASIC – The creators of BASIC discuss the past and future of the language.

    Review

    • Framework: Simplicity and Synergy – Framework is an integrated software package from Ashton-Tate that includes word processing, spreadsheet, data management, graphics, communications, and more.
    • Planning for Profit – A review of Micro/Prophit, a financial modeling and analysis program.
    • Follow the Yellow Brick Road – A review of Oz, a financial modeling package that helps analyze budgets, create org charts, and more.
    • The PC’s Space Program – A review of Spacemaker, a program designed to reduce wasted disk space.

    PCjr World

    • PCjr Gets Bigger and Better – The latest iteration of the PCjr includes an improved keyboard and 128K more RAM. However, the PCjr was never a good deal as far as low end computers go.
    • Two Word Processors in Search of a Home – A look at Bank Street Writer and WordPlus-Jr.

    State of the Art

    • 80286: Intel’s Multitask Master – Details of Intel’s new 286 processor and how it may eventually give the PC the power to run four programs simultaneously, act as a server in a 16 PC network, and more.
    • Toward a Graphics Standard – A look at the NAPLPS standard for graphics communication and display.

    Hands On

    • Frame by Frame – A hands on example using Framework.
    • Personal Macro Economics – Using Lotus 1-2-3’s Macro feature to help keep track of your budget.

    Departments

    • David Bunnell – A history of MITS and the Altair.
    • Harry Miller – A look at recent changes in PC World with the goal of making information more accessible.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about warranties, copyrights and trademarks, repair costs, and more.
    • PC World View – A look at a company called Namelab that helps companies figure out how to name themselves.
    • The Help Screen – Advice about switching printers, software for managing apartments, changing cursor shape, and more.
    • Compatibles Update – Using PCs as workstations, Wang improves PC compatibility, the TI Professional Computer, sluggish sales of the DEC Rainbow, and more.

    …and more!


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  • PC World (November 1988)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    PC World was probably the best general PC specific magazine (though I preferred Boot/Maximum PC when it came along much later). The late 1980s and early 1990s were probably peak for PC World, at least in terms of page count. The November 1988 issue of PC World includes:

    Review

    • LAN E-Mail: Power to the Work Group – A look at four LAN e-mail packages including cc:Mail 1.2, The Network Courier 1.0, InBox/PC 1.24, and Da Vinci eMail 1.2.
    • In Search of Forgotten Text – A look at four programs for searching for text on your hard drive including ZyIndex Professional 3.0, Memory Lane 2.0, SearchExpress 2.30, Gofer 1.0, and The Text Collector 1.5.
    • Project Management – For Professional Only – A comparison of five project management packages including SuperProject Expert 1.1, Time Line 3.0, Micro Planner 6, Harvard Total Project 2.0, and Microsoft Project 4.0.
    • Multitasking Without OS/2 – A look at four operating environments that are alternatives to OS/2 for multitasking. They use the virtual 8086 mode of the 80386. These operating environments include Windows/386 2.1, Desqview 2.01, VM/386 1.1, and PC-MOS/386 2.10.
    • The Hardware Shelf – Reviews of: The Micro 1 Tower 386-20MHz featuring a 20 MHz 386 CPU, 2 MB RAM, and 110 MB hard drive for $4424; SnapShot, an “image processing system” capable of capturing images from video sources such as video cameras, VCRs, live TV broadcasts, etc.; HP PaintJet (a color inkjet printer), Zoom HC 2400 (internal 2400bps modem), and Panasonic KX-P4450 Laser Printer.
    • The Software Shelf – Reviews of: Sprint 1.0 (word processor), VP-Planner Plus 2.0 (spreadsheet), PFS: First Publisher 2.0 (desktop publishing), GrandView 1.0 (personal information manager), EasyCAD 2 2.05, and HB-Browser (utility for previewing spreadsheet and word processor files).

    News

    • Top of the News – Clone makers challenge IBM’s micro channel architecture with EISA; IBM introduces 386 based PS/2 Model 30; postscript capabilities to be added to HP’s LaserJet; Ashton-Tate releases dBASE compiler; Compaq introduces laptop and the smaller footprint Deskpro 386/20E; and more.
    • Preview – A first look at new 386 and 286 based laptops including the NEC ProSpeed 80386, ProSpeed 80286, and UltraLite, Compaq SLT 286. Plus an early looks at the Compaq 386/20E.
    • Industry Outlook – Oracle’s SQL; more PS/2 clones unlikely; Peachtree reintroduces accounting software; and more.
    • Product Outlook – A look at new products including SuperCalc (spreadsheet), Fast Talk (communications program), The Picture File (art program), SmallTalk/V 286 (programming), Paragon 286V (PC), 386 Motherboard/AT (386 motherboard upgrade from Hauppage for PC ATs) and more.
    • Briefly Noted – A brief look at new machines from Tandy including the 3000 NL, 1000 TL, and 1000 SL.

    Feature

    • Beyond E-Mail: The Groupware Potential – A new type of network software includes features such as conference calls, electronic meetings, and more.
    • OS/2 Extends Its Reach – OS/2 Extended Edition adds additional networking and communications features.
    • Buyers’ Guide: Accounting Tools of the Trades – A round-up of a ton of accounting software packages including one specialized for point-of-sale, construction, medical, and more.

    How To

    • How Hard Is Your Money Working? – A guide to determining your return on investment and if your investments are performing sufficiently.

    Perspectives

    • Richard Landry – The industry standard EISA bus strikes back against IBM’s proprietary MCA architecture.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about IBM’s licensing, shareware, the future of computers, PagePerfect problems, Epson dot-matrix printers, and more.
    • David Bunnell – The customers’ relationship to software companies.
    • Stewart Alsop – A look at the various GUIs available with an emphasis on Microsoft’s Presentation Manager.
    • On IBM – A look at what IBM can learn from its “successes”, including the PS/2.
    • Another Angle – Cutting through the jargon of the PC industry.

    Departments

    • Consumer Watch – Even back in the day, unscrupulous vendors would misleadingly overclock systems. For example, it was not uncommon for a vendor to sell 25 MHz 386 that was really an overclock 20 MHz part.
    • The Upgrade Path – A look at a device called the Chargecard that plugs into the CPU socket between the CPU and motherboard of a 286 based system to allow it to address up to 16MB of RAM.
    • The Help Screen – Answers to questions about tape backup drives, twisted pair cables, keyboards and the cent symbol, .BAK files, cleaning floppy drives, and more.
    • Tech Notes – A guide to how multitasking works in OS/2.
    • Sourcebooks – Reviews of Alfred Glossbrenner’s Master Guide to CompuServe and Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams.

    …and more!


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