• Tag Archives PC

  • PC world (June 1993)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: PC world – June 1993

    June 1993 was the month and year I graduated high school. I would buy my first “PC” (I had a Commodore 64 at the time) a couple of months later, right before going off to college. The June 1993 ‘Lotus Edition’ issue includes a special Lotus 1-2-3 insert with articles that I assume Lotus paid for. The normal contents of this issue includes:

    Cover Story

    • 486s for $1250 – Budget 486 systems reach new low prices. Current best buys include the Micro Express ME 486DLC/40, Acma 486SX-33 VESA, Blackship BLK 486DX/33 LB, USA Flex 486SX/25, and Diamond DT 486DLC/40. There are also categories for best price, best service and support and best performance. A total of 25 486 based systems are reviewed here.

    Spreadsheets

    • 50 Spreadsheet Tips – Tips and tricks for using Excel, Quattro Pro and multiple versions of Lotus 1-2-3.

    Windows

    • Windows NT: The New DOS? – Windows NT may be the future of PCs. Ultimately that would prove true when Windows XP took over circa 2001…but not in 1993.
    • Word Processor or Desktop Publisher – A comparison of Word Processing software vs. Desktop Publishing software. Software in the comparison includes Ami Pro, Microsoft Word for Windows, WordPerfect for Windows, Publish It, Express Publisher, and Microsoft Publisher.
    • Databases Come to Windows – A look at Database software for Windows including FileMaker Pro 2.0, AceFile 2.0, DataEase Express 1.0, Superbase 2.0, Microsoft Access 1.0 and Paradox for Windows 1.0.

    Top of the News

    • 1-2-3 Leapfrogs Excel and Quattro – An overview of the latest release of Lotus 1-2-3 (version 4.0 for Windows). Supposedly it offered more features and usability than Excel and Quattro Pro at the time.
    • In Touch on the Go – A look at the new HP 100LX palmtop/PDA which features an 80C186 processor capable of running DOS applications (up to 300K in size), a CGA black and white screen, and more.
    • HP’s LaserJet 4L Makes Itself at Home – A “low cost” $849 laser printer.
    • cc:Mail for Windows Plays by Your Rules – A look at cc:Mail 2.0, an e-mail system designed for local area networks (Internet e-mail wasn’t yet a thing for the vast majority of people).
    • How to Survive If Your PC Maker Doesn’t – There used to be far more major computer manufacturers and a seemingly unlimited number of smaller computer builders in the 1990s. However, it wasn’t uncommon for smaller computer makers to come and go, potentially leaving you without support.

    New Products

    • Zeos Contenda and Micro Electronics WinBook notebook PCs – A look at the new Zeos Contenda notebook featuring a 25 MHz 386SL processor, backlit VGA screen, 2MB of RAM and a 80MB hard drive for $1495 and the Micro Electronics WinBook featuring a Cyrix 25-MHz 486SLC CPU, 4MB of RAM and a 120MB hard drive for $1699.

    • CompuAdd 450SLC2 486 desktop PC – This PC features a 486SLC2-50 CPU and 4MB of RAM for $1695.
    • Pinnacle RCD-202, RCD-200 CD ROM recorders – What would eventually be called CD-RW drives were not really affordable/popular until around 1998 or so (even then they were pretty expensive). However, they were available much earlier. Here’s a couple from Pinnacle Micro for a mere $4095 and $4195 (five years later such drives would be priced in the hundreds of dollars).
    • Packard Bell 486 PCs – In the Pentium era, Packard Bell developed a very poor reputation. However, before that I think there hardware tended to be more standard and more reliable. In 1993 they introduced a whole new line of 486 PCs.
    • Maxtor MXL-105-III – Tiny PCMCIA based 42MB and 85MB hard drives for $475 and $600. I have a 1GB IBM PCMCIA hard drive lying around somewhere…
    • Adobe Photoshop 2.5 for Windows – Photoshop used to be a Mac only program. Not anymore…
    • MapInfo Maps&Data – Presentation/mapping software designed for things like illustrating layouts of sites for new proposed commercial buildings and such.
    • Microsoft Visual C++ 1.0 – A much easier way to develop Windows apps than there had been up to that point.
    • Serif PagePlus 2.0 desktop publisher – A desktop publishing package that would have competed with things like PageMaker.
    • Asymetrix Compel 1.0 presentation software – Presentation software with new features such as video, sound and animation. Would have competed with software like Lotus’s Freelance and of course Microsoft’s PowerPoint.
    • Polaris PackRat 5.0 – A personal information manager with features such as a calendar, tools to organize your documents, and more.
    • askSam for Windows – A database management program with a friendly user interface.
    • Artisoft LANtastic 5.0 – Software for setting up a local area network which includes software and features for voice chat, sharing text/graphics/sound via the Scrapbook, sharing files (of course), support for 500 users, and more.
    • Quick Takes – A brief look at new products including Searcher 3.0 (Windows file manager), Strategic Mapping’s Eurostat Editions (mapping software), Diamond Stealth Pro VLB and Viper VLB video cards, FilemakerPro Translator (translates Symantec’s Q&A database format to FileMaker Pro), Matrox MGA Impression video cards, and more.

    Here’s How

    • Help Line – Questions answered from readers including tips about terminal auto-dialing in Windows, using Print Screen, choosing an on-line service, using XCOPY, and more.
    • Spreadsheets – Questions answered about spreadsheet programs including using edit, search and replace in Quattro Pro, hiding and formatting columns in Excel, using macros in Excel, book recommendations and more.
    • Word Processing – Word processing question answered about changing the font in WordPerfect 5.1, temporary files in WordPerfect for Windows, converting documents from WordPerfect 5.1 to Ami Pro 3.0, and more.
    • Windows – Windows questions answered about drag and drop in Windows 3.1, using file manager, removing Norton Desktop (I loved this program back in the day), managing postscript fonts, and more.
    • Data Management – Database questions answered about printing and dBASE III Plus, saving deleted dBASE records, counting records in Paradox, formatting Paradox 4.0 reports, and more.
    • Publishing & Presentation – Publishing and presentation related questions answered about backgrounds in Harvard Graphics 3.0, creating fractions in PageMaker, and printing transparencies in CorelDraw 3.0 (another program I loved though I may have had 3.x or 4 .x).
    • Communications – Telecommunications questions answered about Internet access and e-mail addresses and hanging up in Procomm Plus for Windows with a Zoom modem.
    • Hardware – Hardware questions answered about upgrading hard drives, upgrading 486 CPUs to clock doubled models and dead batteries.
    • Star-Dot-Star – Miscellaneous questions answered including questions about importing data into Lotus 1-2-3 from comma delimited files, dialing a modem direct from DOS, and more.
    • Instant Reference Card – Detailed reference cards for Microsoft DOS 6.0.

    Departments

    • Letters – Readers write in about organizing your hard drive, tax software, multiboot in DOS 6.0 and DR DOS 6.0, shareware, and more.
    • Consumer Watch – Mail order company BCS violates FTC rules, Dataworld disappears, Bulldog Computer Products fails to deliver, and more.
    • Real Problems, Real Solutions – Linking remote offices via a dedicated data line offers solution to inconvenient faxes, phone calls and overnight delivery of documents.
    • Business Fixtures – A look at Improv, a simplified spreadsheet program from Lotus.
    • Games: Break Time – A look at some recent PC games including Ultima Underworld II – Labyrinth of Worlds, Contraption Zack, David Leadbetter’s Greens, and Links 386.
    • Home Office – A look at a few programs for Windows that help to make sure all pieces of uninstalled software are really gone. Software examined includes Uninstall for Windows, The Uninstaller, and System Engineer.

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Computer Arcana DOS 📎and tagged

  • PC World (February 2006)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    PC World was one of the most popular PC magazines published in the U.S. It always felt a bit generic to me but it’s still great for nostalgia. 2006 really wasn’t that long ago but computer ears are more like dog years…or even more accelerated. The February 2006 issue of PC World includes:

    Sites & Services

    • New, Improved Web – An introduction to what has been referred to as Web 2.0.

    Features

    • Greater Graphics – A look at some of the graphics cards available in 2006. Included in this round-up are the EVGA e-GeForce 6800 GS, ATI All-in-Wonder X800 XL, BFG Technologies GeForce 6600 GT OC, PNY GeForce 6600 GT, Aopen Aeolus 6800 GT, EVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX KO (with 256 MB RAM and at $570 this was PC World’s ‘Best Buy’), BFG Technologies GeForce 7800 GTX OC, XFX GeForce 7800 GT, ATI Radeon X1800 XT, and MSI GeForce 7800 GT.

    • Fakes! – This problem seems less common now but fake and remarked products used to be fairly common among unscrupulous retailers. From exploding counterfeit batterie to overheating remarked CPUS, counterfeits were not uncommon.

    • 23 Things to Do With a Thumb Drive – I think everybody knows what to do with a thumb drive these days but this article offers suggestions from creating a bootable Linux drive, storing portable apps, keeping data safe and encrypted and more. A 1GB drive would set you back about $100 at the time.

    Reviews & Rankings

    • 32-inch LCD TVs – 32-inch LCD TVs were considered a good mid-size option at the time.

    • Wireless Networking – A budget Wireless-G router would set you back around $150-$200 or so.

    • Top 5 Ultraportables – At the top of the list is a Lenovo ThinkPad X41 featuring a 1.6GHz Pentium M, 12.1″ screen, DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, and 512MB of RAM for a mere $2199.

    • Cell Phone/PDA – A review of the BlackBerry 8700c.

    • Accounting Software – A review of QuickBooks 2006.

    • Top 10 Desktop PCs – On the Power System list I would have liked to have had that Alienware Aurora 7500 featuring a 2.8GHz Athlon 64 FX-57 and 256MB EVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX x 2 for $4835. On the budget list maybe the CyberPower Gamer Ultra 7500 SE featuring a 2GHz Athlon 64 3200+ and 256MB EVGA e-GeForce 6600.

    • DVD Recorder – A review of the Sony DVDirect VRD-MC1, an external DVD recorder that could operate as a standalone device or with your PC.

    • Productivity Suite – A look at Microsoft’s Works Suite 2006.

    • Notebook Add-On – Review of the DualHead2Go, a device that allowed you to connect two external monitors to your laptop. Most laptops at the time only supported a single external display.

    • Top 5 Photo Printers – PC World ranks the Canon Pixma iP6600D as the best photo printer.

    • Digital Audio – Review of the Squeezebox Wireless Network Music Player, a device for streaming music over your wireless network.

    • Top 5 IM Clients – Of the instant messaging clients listed here, I think Trillian is the only one that is still around.

    • Digital Camera – A review of the Nikon Coolpix P1 digital camera. It’s an 8-megapixel camera featuring wireless connectivity for $549.

    • Desktop PC – Though not exactly big on Mac coverage, PC World did occasionally review new hardware. Here is a look at the 20-inch iMac G5.

    Departments

    • Up Front – A look at the past and future of innovation in the PC world.

    • Letters – Letters from readers about price-comparison sites, new products vs. better products, iTunes on the PC, and more.

    • Consumer Watch – On-line tools to help with tech support, how to clean a PC before selling it or giving it away, and more.

    • Hassle-Free PC – Ways to reduce spam and alternative ways to send text messages.

    • Gadget Freak – A look at new video enabled iPods including 30GB and 60GB models.

    • Bugs and Fixes – Internet Explorer security threats.

    • Full Disclosure – Web 1.0 problems that Web 2.0 doesn’t solve.

    News & Trends

    • A Smart New Office – Microsoft introduces XML-based file formats, a major interface revamp and much more with the upcoming “Office 12”.

    • Sneaky Copy Controls: How Far Will They Go? – Sony’s invasive rootkit-based copy protection.

    • New Ways to Access Your Files Anywhere – New online services to sync or otherwise access shared files. None of which are around anymore as far as I am aware.

    • Wi-Fi Reaches the Speed of Ethernet – New Wireless-G based routers match ethernet speeds…at close range anyway.

    • Command-Line Comeback – Microsoft increases the power of the command line interface with the upcoming Windows Vista.

    • Plugged In – Microsoft makes its XML file formats public; new FBM-DIMM memory coming in 2007; Tivo service enhanced to sync with iPod; and more.

    Here’s How

    • Backup Tips – Tips on making backups including partitioning tips and what folders in Windows are important. Plus what media and software to use.

    • Windows Tips – A quick way to make multiple folders, customizing the command prompt, and more.

    • Internet Tips – A glossary of Internet terms.

    • Hardware Tips – Free software tools to help you identify hardware, find drivers, and more.

    • Answer Line – Questions answered about slow hard drives and using screen savers.

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Computer Arcana 📎and tagged

  • Next Generation (May 1995)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Next Generation was a magazine that covered “next generation” systems if the title didn’t make it obvious. Primarily that included 16-bit systems and beyond as well as the PC. It also was written with a little bit older audience in mind than the typical gaming magazine. The May 1995 issue of Next Generation includes:

    Talking

    • Can Sony handle the PlayStation? – An interview with the person in charge of the Sony PlayStation launch in North America, Steve Race.

    Breaking

    • News – Sega Saturn launch planned for September 2, 1995 with 20 games on the shelves; stats on Saturn sales in Japan; Nintendo adds satellite gaming to the Super Famicom; Tao Systems develops high end arcade/VR hardware that includes a Pentium based motherboard with four PCI cards each featuring a 100MHz PowerPC chip and a 50MHz 3Dlabs GLINT processor; and more.

    • Joyriding – A look at the Internet and stuff you can find there such as PC gaming newsgroups, FTP sites, and this new fangled thing called The World Wide Web.
    • Arcadia – A look at new stuff in the arcade including Battle Tek, Sega Championship Rally, Virtua Fighter II, Street Fighter: The Movie, Cyber Commando, and more.
    • Generator – A look at a new optical disc format that would become DVD and Peter Molyneux talks about cartridge vs. CD formats.

    NG Hardware

    • Ultra 64: the story so far… – A look at rumors, speculation and facts surrounding the upcoming Nintendo Silicon Graphics machine then known as the Ultra 64.

    NG Special

    • The ripe stuff – A look at the history of Apple and their latest strategies which include Apple clones, the Bandai Power Player and more…which was all a pretty massive failure for Apple as a company, but not to worry, Steven Jobs would soon be back…

    NG Software

    • Alphas – Previews of upcoming games including Daytona USA (Sega Saturn), Prisoner of Ice (DOS), Panzer Dragoon (Sega Saturn), Kingdom (DOS), Jumping Flash (PlayStation), Secret of Evermore (Super NES), MechLords (DOS), Cyber Commando (Arcade), and Chrono Trigger (Super NES).

    Rating

    • Finals – Reviews of 54 new games for the PlayStation, 3DO, Atari Jaguar, Sega 32X, Neo-Geo, PC, Macintosh, Sega CD, Genesis, SNES, Saturn, CD-i and arcade. Some highlights include Raiden for the PlayStation, Theme Park for the 3DO, Burn Out for the Jaguar, Mortal Kombat II for the 32X, Night Trap for the Sega CD, Samurai Showdown II for the Neo-Geo, Atari Action Pack for the PC, Descent for the PC, Discworld for teh PlayStation, Heretic for the PC, Dark Forces for the PC, Spaceward Ho 4.0 for the Macintosh, Dungeon Explorer for the Sega CD, Lords of Thunder for the Sega CD, Earthworm Jim for the Sega CD, Lemmings 2 for the Genesis, Kirby’s Avalanche for the Super NES, and much more.

    Corresponding

    • Letters – Letters from readers regarding Doom at the shareware method of marketing, the upgradeability of the 3DO, supporting the Macintosh, PC gaming, the Atari Jaguar, and more.

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Retro Games 📎and tagged