• Tag Archives PC

  • PC World (July 1988)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: PC World – July 1988

    Computer magazines were pretty bulky back in the day. This issue of PC World, one of the more popular magazines at the time, from July 1988 weighs in at nearly 300 pages. It includes:

    Data Management

    • Omnis Quartz 1.13 – This was the first relational database manager for Windows.
    • Q&A 3.0 – The features included in the latest update for this database manager include better performance, overlapping windows, and better backup capabilities.
    • DataEase 2.5 release 3 – This database manager includes the use of forms and menus for all functions as well as its own command language.
    • Paradox/386 – An updated version of Paradox 2.0 that performs two to ten times faster by being able to directly address up to 16MB of extended memory.
    • FoxBase+/386 – Similar to dBASE III Plus but faster and includes improved developer tools.

    Word Processing

    • DisplayWrite 4/2 – A version of the DisplayWrite word processor for OS/2.
    • XyWrite III Plus 3.53 – This version of Xywrite adds desktop publishing features, a thesaurus and spell checker.
    • Nota Bene 3.0 – A word processor that was once popular in academic settings, it includes fast indexing, lots of style and formatting commands, and foreign language processing.
    • Q&A Write 1.03 – A relatively inexpensive (which at the time meant $199) and easy to use word processor that still has lots of features.
    • Microsoft Pageview 1.0 – A utility for Word that allows the import of graphics and previews of different font styles and column layouts.
    • ABC Word 1.0 – An electronic dictionary and thesaurus.
    • Microsoft Bookshelf – A digital reference library on CD that includes The American Heritage Dictionary, The World Almanac and Book of Facts, The Chicago Manual of Style, Roget’s II: Electronic Thesaurus, and Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations plus Houghton Mifflin’s grammar checker (Usage Alert) and Spelling Verifier and Corrector. The software cost $295 and also came as a packaged with a CD-ROM drive, interface and software (not at all common in 1984) for $1099.

    Spreadsheet Add-Ins

    • Lucid 3-D 1.0 – A pop-up spreadsheet that includes file linking, auditing functions, and more.
    • SQZ Plus – Helps you to save disk space and secure your data.
    • 3-2-1 Bastoff 1.0 – Speeds up recalculations in Lotus 1-2-3.
    • 4Views 1.0 – Adds better sorting, easier data entry features, and reporting features to Lotus 1-2-3.
    • The Worksheet Utilities – A collection of utilities than include autosave, file manager, and much more.
    • Cambridge Spreadsheet Analyzer 2.0 – Helps you find errors in Lotus 1-2-3 worksheets.
    • 101 Macros for 1-2-3 – A bunch of macros for Lotus 1-2-3 that add various capabilities.

    Desktop Publishing

    • PagePerfect – Combines the features of a word processor and page-layout program.
    • Publisher’s Type Foundry 1.02 – A font editor that works with LaserJet and PostScript.
    • Corel Tabin 1.00, Table Manners 2.2, VP/Tabs 1.0 – A collection of programs that help import Lotus 1-2-3 worksheets into Ventura Publisher.
    • Corel Ventura Utilities – More tools for Ventura Publisher that help with reorganizing files, creating macros and use laser printers.

    Business Graphics

    • Business Graphics Roundup – A category of software that was mostly consumed by Power Point. Products looked at here include Freelance Plus 2.0, GEM Presentation Team 1.0, Microsoft Chart 3.0, 35mm Express 4.1, and Windows Graph 1.0.

    Departments

    • In This Issue – A preview of this special “Software Update” issue.
    • Top of the News – The latest PC related news including: a new IBM Model 5535 laptop featuring a 10 MHz 286, 1 MB RAM, 1.44MB floppy, and 20MB hard drive for $4000; Ashton-Tate creates new dCAL language for dBASE; the debut of SuperCalc 5; new Full Impact spreadsheet program for Macintosh; new 2400bps and 9600bps Smartmodems from Hayes; new 286 based laptop from Mitsubishi; and more.
    • David Bunnell – The potential threat that Apple’s lawsuits against Microsoft and HP pose to creativity and innovation in the computer industry.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about the recent format change in PC World, a review of SmartKey, VP-Planner, Quattro vs. 1-2-3 benchmarks, public e-mail services, faxing vs. e-mail, and more.
    • Richard Landry – Vendors and proprietary “standards”.
    • Next In PC World – The next issue of PC World focusses on “low-cost computing”.
    • Stewart Alsop – IBM’s marketing hype for their Micro Channel bus included on PS/2 computers.
    • On IBM – A look at IBM’s strategy vs. Compaq’s strategy and how Compaq in winning.
    • Industry Outlook – The first Micro Channel clones arrive including machines from Tandy and Dell; Lotus 1-2-3 still leads spreadsheet sales; sales of DOS based spreadsheet programs expected to increase through 1989; Intel introduces lower cost 386SX CPU; Tandy introduces THOR, an erasable optical technology; memory prices rise dramatically; and more.
    • Preview – A preview of dBASE IV which includes a built-in compiler, 240 new commands, and support for SQL.
    • Product Outlook – Previews of upcoming products including ColorScript 100 (a postscript compatible color printer), SideKick Plus (memory resident utilities), AT&T WorkGroup System (a new powerful machine from AT&T meant for the Starlan network), DeskScan 2000 (A cheaper, lower-res scanner that uses ambient lighting), and more.
    • Briefly Noted – A brief look at Netremote (a Crosstalk compatible program that allows up to 15 PCs to share files and peripherals), Star 2 (low-priced printer), NX-1000 Rainbow (a 7-color dot-matrix printer), RamQuest II and RamQuest Extra (memory expansion boards for PS/2 computers offering up to 8MB of additional RAM), and more.
    • Update – A brief look at the latest versions of various products including Lap-Link Plus/Desk-Link (allows sharing resources between two computers), PopDrop 3.1 (provides info on memory resident programs), SuperProject Expert/2 (enables the use of 16MB of expanded memory), Powermate 1 (a program for the Powermate Portable that allows switching clock speeds and expanding memory to 10.6MB), and more.
    • The Hardware Shelf – A look at new hardware including the Stanford Systems 286-16 (a 12 MHz 286 base system with 1MB of RAM and 5.25″ floppy drive for #1479), the Hyundai Super-16 XT-Turbo (a 8-MHz 8088-2 based system with 640K RAM for $999), the NEC Multispeed HD (a laptop featuring a V30 CPU @ 9.54 MHz, 20MB hard drive and 640K of RAM for $3895), and more.
    • The Upgrade Path – A look at CSSL’s Awesome I/O Card which plugs into the back of an AT, Deskpro 386 or compatible and provides 128K cache (expandable to 512K) and also remaps the data structure if your hard drive resulting in a 25% increase in performance. Plus a look at a 1.2MB floppy drive upgrade for PC and XT computers.
    • The Help Screen – Questions answered about using a U.S. PC in Switzerland, leaving laser printers on, character conversions in PageMaker and the LaserJet Series II printer, the Tandy 1000SX and assembly programming, and using 1.44M 3.5″ drives in an IBM PC.
    • Sourcebooks – Reviews of books including Desktop Publishing Bible, The Illustrated Handbook of Desktop Publishing and Typesetting, and The Brady Guide to CD-ROM.
    • Another Angle – A criticism of shareware. The author seems to think that only free software and commercial software are valid options and other options are “greed”. And also that apparently time invested in something doesn’t count as a business expense. To be fair, some valid criticisms are made like unclear licensing terms, programs that expire without warning, etc.

    …and more!


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  • PC World (February 1985)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: PC World – February 1985

    PC World was one of the most popular magazines dedicated to IBM PC and compatible computers. I thrived in the 1980s and 1990s and survived well into the second decade of the new century. However, like pretty much all computer magazines, this one eventually died as a result of the Internet. The February 1985 issue includes:

    Getting Started

    • Strategies for Sharing Resources – A multi-user system with multiple terminals or a LAN may be a better alternative to simply buying more PCs when your business needs to expand.

    Community

    • The Organization LAN – The necessity of networking when dealing with a multitude of PCs.

    Review

    • Six Leading LANs – A comparison of the six leading Local Area Network solutions, including Netware/S-Net (Novell), EtherSeries (3Com), Omninet (Corvus Systems), PLAN 3000 (Nestar Systems), PCnet (Orchid Technology), and Net/One (Ungermann-Bass).
    • The Multiuser Dimension – An alternative to a LAN was a multi-user system with IBM PCs basically used as smart terminals. This article looks specifically at the North Star Dimension which supported 12 workstation, ran a custom OS and was compatible with MS-DOS 2.11.
    • Breaking Ground in Construction – A review of Software Shop, an accounting package specialized for the construction industry.

    PCjr World

    • Color on Command – A look at the Palette command provided on cartridge BASIC for the IBM PCjr. This was a command designed to allow for easily changing colors or even doing simple animations.
    • A Drive to Succeed – The PCjr was limited in a variety of ways compared to the PC. However, there were several add-ons that were made by third parties to improve the situation. This article looks at one such product, the “Drive Two Enhancement Package” from Rapport. This package includes a second disk drive, a parallel printer port, a clock/calendar with battery backup, and an optional 128K-384K memory expansion. It also increases compatibility with PC software.

    State of the Art

    • A New Focus on Data Management – A look at PC/Focus, a “fourth generation” computer language (Focus) for the PC. It’s main advantage seems to be making data management easier.

    Hands On

    • Untangling Networks – A guide to finding the Local Arean Network product that will work best for you.

    Departments

    • Davin Bunnell – An interesting story in which a user planted stolen credit card numbers on a BBS without the sysops knowledge. The phone company somehow discovered this through its own BBS snooping software and notified the police. The poor guy who ran the BBS had is computer confiscated (stolen) and was charged as an accessory to the crime. An argument is presented here as to whether the BBS operator is equivalent to a newspaper publisher or simply providing a communications medium. This argument has come up more recently with social media but as you can see, it’s nothing new.
    • Letters – Letters from readers about indexes of old articles, a tip for entering a date in Lotus 1-2-3 that auto updates, the PCs chess playing skills, Sargon III, and more.
    • PC World View – Microsoft debuts the Microsoft Press International Publishing Consortium through which it will publish various books around the world; the usage of personal computers in political campaigns increased greatly in 1984…most of the time, those using computers won; a prototype IBM PC AT was stolen from an IBM lab in Palm Beach County, Florida. The thief was not caught; IBM announces its own local area network product; and more.
    • The Help Screen – Questions answered about using RAM disks.
    • Compatibles Update – AT&T releases a video display adapter, image capture board, and other products for “AT&T and compatible computers”; Zenith awarded contract for 30,000 Tempest certified Z-150 PCs; Ford Aerospace buys $1.5 million worth of Seequa PC and XT desktop computers which will go to NASA engineers in Houston; the IRS field-tests GRiD Compass portable computers; and more.
    • From the Software Shelf – First impressions of various software including Macro-Toolkit for Lotus, SideKick Version 1.10A, A>Cook: The Complete Computer Recipe System, PC Abstracts, and Textra.

    …and more!


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