Rochester Computer Club Monitor - March 1998

Table of Contents

  1. Secretary Notes
    • Bill Wells
  2. BBS News
    • Charles Heisig
  3. SIG's & New Users Group
    • John McMillan
  4. Adobe Photo Deluxe 2.0
    • Sally Springett
  5. PC Anywhere
    • Greg Sayre
  1. ProVenture Billing
    • Frank Howden
  2. Kensington "Internet" Mouse
    • Jack Greenky
  3. Uninstaller 4.5
    • Jack Baly
  4. New Life for Old PCs
    • Karen Willbrant
  5. Aloha BBS
    • Anson Chong
  6. Membership Application (paper version)

Copies may be purchased at numerous fine stores here in Rochester, NY, USA.

In the absence of prior reserved or restricted rights, material published in the Newsletter is thereby copyrighted by the Rochester Computer Club, and subject to negotiation for reprints or further use.

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Inside Front Cover

Published monthly by the:
Rochester Computer Club
1945 Ridge Rd E. Dept. 5180
Rochester, NY 14622-2467
to promote the interchange of ideas and experiences that may provide help and consolation for users of personal computers- at least those utilizing some version of DOS, OS/2, or CP/M and environments like Windows and Geos.
We welcome letters, questions and contributions that may stretch our minds, help us laugh at ourselves and open new possibilities in the ways we put these machines to work.
Messages can be left on the BBS- the General Message area for anyone; Club Members may use Area 4. For full articles, do an ASCII-text version; if you have graphics, make them .PCX black-&-whites (please include a note on credits and copyright holders for all graphics); ZIP them all into one file; and upload it to File Area 8- The newsletter area; or attach it as a file to your message. We reserve the right to edit, but will strive to include all pertinent submissions in the earliest possible issue.
In the absence of prior reserved or restricted rights, material published in the Newsletter is thereby copyrighted by the Rochester Computer Club, and subject to negotiation for reprints or further use.
Advertising in the Monitor can be negotiated at the rate of:
$25/full-page/insertion; $15 half-page; $10 quarter-page.
Classifieds (1/16 page) are free to RCC Members; call for details. Contact the Editor by the 15th of the month.

-Steve Staub, Editor email:steve55@aol.com


Help Hours: 9AM to 4PM [m] 6PM to 9PM [l] Both [']

Basic Telecommunication
Charles Sumner
334-2989
'
C Compilers
Tom Walters
266-1712
l
d BASE Applications Programming
Warren Ganter
wpg5@stellar1.com
671-1601
l
DeskTop Publishing
Dick Comegys
436-3329
l
DOS Operations
Warren Ganter
671-1601
l
File Management (Housekeeping)
Warren Ganter
671-1601
l
Excel
Tom Walters
266-1712
l
GEOS (Ensemble / NewDeal Office)
Dick Comegys
436-3329
l
Imaging Operations
Warren Ganter
671-1601
l
Internet / Netscape
Tom Walters
266-1712
l
Phone Book
Charles Sumner
334-2989
'
Word Perfect
Charles Sumner
334-2989
'
Word Perfect
Geryll Norriss
865-7458
l
HELP Writing reviews for the club newsletter
Geryll Norriss
865-7458
l
HELP Writing reviews for the club newsletter
Norma Leone
385-1269
l
HELP Writing reviews for the club newsletter
Sam Scozzari
(315) 524-4411
l



Secretary Notes

RCC26 PLANNING MEETING 1\20\98 ST. STEPHENS CHURCH

Vice Pres. FRANK HOWDEN worked through the adgenda.
Mail Box; Vice President is responsible for the mail box but for convience Software Chair TOM BOLLAN offered to take over the operation. Whoever empties the box should have a standard form for inventory of contents. If box is full a slip will be there to check shelves.
Secretary should have a sheet showing SIG progress.
Membership cards will be re-designed as follows. Front of card will show soft logo in background, member name in large letters and expiration date. Back side will have contact information. Names and numbers of selected members, BBS number, Web Page number, e-mail number and regular mail numbers.
BBS; CHARLIE HASLIP reported. He and CHARLES SUMNER are working with BOB FRANK. Every SIG Chair should put pertinent information on board. BOB FRANK can handle messages and distribute them to who needs them. He also promises to have special sections for various functions.
Web Site; TOM BOLLAN is seeking a professional imprint or style to enhance our site. Club business and activities would greatly spice up the Web Site.
Internet; TOM WALTERS is waiting and eager to air whatever is thrown his way.
DAVE OSOFSKY will contact TOM WALTERS and MARTY BECKTELL and look into finalizing our name.
Pres. JOE PIA will designate two members to help his office in the execution of duties. First willing volunteer is JEAN BRADT who will make necessary phone calls. He has been empowered to once again spearhead an effort to start non-profit proceedings and report back. This needed act has been attempted before. We wish him success. A motion was made by FRANK HOWDEN to allot $600.00 for expenses. It was seconded by STEVE STAUB and passed.
Budgets; They are required and needed by the March Program Meeting. SIG Chairs and any other club activity expenses must be submitted.
Publishing Committee oversees everything that goes out under RCC name.
V.P FRANK HOWDEN proposed that any member who might have knowledge or access to larger meeting places please step forward. Form sheets will be available to jot down information; two data sheets, one for large groups and one for small.
How to pass out by-laws was raised. Suggestions included asking members to bring a disk to meeting for down loading or put on BBS in club area.
Help's Half Hour needs new leader. Contact Pres. JOE PIA at 647-6278.

New schedule for PROGRAM MEETING:

Help's Half Hour 6:30 - 7:00
Business 7:00 - 7:20
Presentation 7:30 - 8:50
Raffles and out
Membership Chair KAREN POLLAND needs private area on BBS for members only. Data Base should be available with pertinent information of members willing to have it there and also helpful levels of expertise.
BOB FRANK, TOM BOLLAN and KAREN POLLAND will work out information needed for BBS Data Base.
At PROGRAM MEETING KAREN would like to be out in the hall with table and help. It would control member and guest flow into the room and facilitate handling of chores and problems. A good idea.

RCC28 PROGRAM MEETING 2\10\98 BRIGHTON HIGH SCHOOL

Vice Pres. FRANK HOWDEN opened the meeting with the announcement that in an effort to encourage member participation a different member each month will host Help's Half Hour. This month's draftee was DICK COMEGSY. It's a good format as questions varied and most of the answers came from within the group. It was disclosed that answers to most problems can be found on Web Page of vendors.
Acting somewhat like a dentist pulling teeth FRANK HOWDEN finally got a response from LAURILYN BAYER who will serve next month. Any member at home who might be so inclined and willing to host please contact FRANK HOWDEN at 271 -0921.
Pres. JOE PIA stressed the importance of forming a New Directions Committee to decide our course and future. Urging short term action, knowing that long term will evolve with steady planning and attention. Publishing Committee must meet and finalize why's and wherefore's of future operations. As of now continuing use of St. Stephens Church looks good.
Non-for-Profit interest is once again front and center and those willing to serve on a Corporation Committee to help please reach JOE PIA at 647 -6278.
CHARLIE HASLIP and CHARLES SUMNER have been working diligently with BOB FRANK. They are still trying to learn how much interest, if any, exists and if the members really want a BBS. BBS or not, we have a Web Page. Call TOM WALTERS at 266 -1712.
Software Chair TOM BOLLAN announced a different raffle procedure, combining 50\50 with presenters perks resulted in a much bigger money pot. There were some objections that were worked out and whatever evolves will be satisfactory to all.
Software Chair TOM BOLLAN introduced SCOTT NEWLAND and L.D. LOUKS from SYMANTEC's. NORTON Utilities have been solving software problems for over fifteen years. Now through SYMANTEC their influence has spread around the world to every continent. Also shipping such items as NORTON Anti-Virus, WnFax Pro, Norton Crashguard and Norton Unnistall and with a generous support system, their gratefull costumers run well into the millions.
L.D. LOUKS, Product Support Manager, conducted the presentation with rich southern humor, a clear, crisp grasp of the product and a smooth hour enjoyed by all. Questions were handled adroitly and I am sure the capacity crowd went home happy and wishing for more. All in all a first rate appearance.
Respectfully,
Bill Wells, Sect'y

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BBS NEWS - by Charles Heisig

As discussed by SYSOP Robert Frank in the RCC Monitor, Feb. 1998, his BBS NEW YORK ONLINE (NYONLINE or NYOL) will have certain Message and File Areas devoted to RCC affairs. We, as a club, should be very appreciative of his generosity and use NYOL properly by showing courtesy to him and all others using the BBS and message services and by abiding by the 8 Commandments for Echo Mail by Steve Shapiro, (posted monthly in the FIDONET Echo, COMM, as Echo Rules) and such local rules as may be set up by the SYSOP (Robert Frank). Those of you who feel that this is being rather arbitrary, please remember that it is his BBS and that our usage of NYOL for RCC affairs is a priviledge offered to us by Bob, not a right!
Added to the 8 Commandments mentioned above are the following:
1. Communicate with the SYSOP via the BBS rather than by voice.
2. No voice calls to the SYSOP between 10:00 PM and 10:00 AM. no matter how urgent a matter it is to you. SYSOP will reboot the system in the morning before he goes to work.
3. Failure to observe these rules and common courtesy will result in loss of access to the BBS.
Bulletin Board Systems vs Internet Services
Most if not all of the following is familiar to those of you who have been using a modem for any length of time. It is intended for those individuals who have little or no experience with them and are interested in learning how.
Usage of BBS systems in general has fallen off dramatically with the rise of the WorldWideWeb (www) fostered by the introduction of numerous programs designed to simplify the usage of the web for the average user. This raises the question, "Why should I use BBS's when I can have access to the entire Web?"
The answer is really quite simple. Access to BBS systems is generally free of charge and can be accomplished by means of hardware and software that ranges from simple to very complex. The hardware can range from a basic XT machine without Windows fitted with a 2400 bps modem to the latest gee whizz items. SIG groups are set up by the club to help club members solve problem in a given area.

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SIG & New Users Group

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Wayne Howard 359-0782
Looking for a permanent site - Call Wayne for more information
4th. Thursday 7- 9
INTERNET
Tom Walters - 266-1712
3rd. Thursday 6:15-8:30 call Tom for location.
NEW LIFE FOR OLD PC'S
Karen Willbrant 346-3029 after 6:00 PM or email: kwill@fronttienet.net for more information
LOTUS 123 SIG
Help information shared by phone or e-mail
Bob Cleland 865-2113
e-mail: cleland@netacc.net
WINDOWS NT SIG
Marty Becktell 473-7644 email:martyb@netacc.net 4th. thurs. of the month, 105 Hampshire Rd. 7PM
Games SIG
Stu Becktell 473-7644, 1st. Tues of the month, 105 Hampshire Rd. 6:30PM
New users group is set up to solve computer related problems that someone new to computing might have. This group is opened to both members and guests.
Group Leader: Peter Moore - 235-8746 Media Play Henrietta - South Town Plaza
1st. Tuesday 6:30 - 7:30
New User Group Meeting - Feb. 3, 1998
The February 3rd new users meeting at Henrietta Media Play reached a new high with 25 attendees. Before the meeting began a user asked me (one on one) how to access a Windows scroll bar which was off the screen. It was suggested that he shrink the window by putting the cursor on the left border (it converts to a double headed arrow) and dragging the edge to the right. Positioning the cursor on the title bar and dragging the window to the left would probably bring the scroll bar into position or if not, the right border of the window could be moved outward using the same technique.
When members began plying Peter Moore with questions the ambient noise of the stores public address system and some would be Paderweski's practising on a nearby piano coupled with technical difficulties (I haven't mastered the tape recorder yet so what can you expect of my computer capabilities) prevented my summarizing the questions Peter faced and the paraphrasing the discussions which followed.
Needless to say Peter answered all questions with his usual skill and ability. There is no substitute for being there to absorb all the information first hand and in particular to be sure that questions which you may have are answered.

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Adobe PhotoDeluxe 2.0 (for Windows and Macintosh)

The Getting Started Guide is clear and easy to follow. In the docs it is explicitly stated that the "typical" installation includes Microsoft Internet Explorer and, if you choose not to install Explorer, you will be unable to use your Internet connection to get "new and updated PhotoDeluxe tips, techniques, and resources over the World Wide Web." Despite that statement I found that it works just fine with Netscape. The Adobe site does, indeed, provide some interesting suggestions.
The CD also includes Adobe Acrobat Reader software, a trial version of DiAMAR Interactive's Better Photography (includes PhotoLab for experimenting with exposure settings and seeing results on-screen), and EasyPhoto Organizer (which lets you manage your photos in convenient galleries you can create), Adobe Connectables software, and tech notes.
My scanner came with PhotoDeluxe 1.0 so I have had some experience with the software but version 2.0 has a somewhat different interface. It is possible to acquire an image from many more sources including a scanner, a digital camera, your hard disk or a floppy, video camera or VCR, or photo CD. It also includes a file of clip art images.
Once you have loaded your photo you can touch it up, crop it, rotate it, automatically improve color and brightness, manually adjust color or exposure, and remove red eye. You can also change the size of the photo and add text to it. I found doing any and all of these things to be very easy. The docs are good but the program has been organized so well that you can work directly with the program without even reading them.
It comes with templates for greeting cards, calendars, sports cards, business cards, pages for photo albums, reports, magazine covers, signs, stationary, and certificates. There are labels for cassettes, bookplates, gift tags, and frames. It also has the ability to make, with the right paper, iron on T-shirt decals. It also has more than 30 one-click special effects. For instance, you can replace George Washington with yourself on a dollar bill (but you spend it at your own risk).
My son made an invitation for a surprise 30th birthday party that looks like the cover of Time Magazine and features three pictures of his friend. He was able to distort one of the pictures hilariously and add as much text as he wanted. Even with no previous experience it took him only about an hour and it looks great.
I highly recommend this relatively inexpensive, low-end package ($49 from Adobe) to anyone whose needs are relatively simple.
--Sally Springett

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PC Anywhere 32, version 7.5 -- by Gregg Sayre

SMOOTH INSTALLATION

I installed PC Anywhere 32 version 7.5 on my work machine (docked Compaq laptop, Pentium 133, 32 MB RAM, Win95, Megahertz PC card 28.8 modem) and my home machine (Zeos Pentium 100 desktop, 56 MB RAM, Win95, Logicode internal 28.8 modem). Windows 95 or NT is required, but the manufacturer claims the program will run under Win 95 on a 386 with 4 MB RAM. Good luck. Symantec recommends a minimum of a 486 with 8 MB RAM. The program came on 4 floppies and installed without a hitch. I chose the on-line registration option. The modem check during this process left dial tone on for a long time, but worked properly. The program immediately and automatically found and correctly identified the PC card modem in my laptop and the internal modem in my desktop.

DANGER - NO PASSWORD, AND OTHER SECURITY ISSUES

I first set up my work PC as a host by creating a new host session ("add Be a Host PC Item"). I thought I was setting a password for callers in the property sheet of the new host session (right click on the session and choose "properties" from the context menu) when I put a password in the "Protect Item" tab. Wrong! I was only protecting the property sheet with a password, not the computer or the connection. I found later that to set a login password I had to "specify individual caller privileges" in the "Callers" tab of the property sheet for the host session, "Add a New Caller" (which creates a new property sheet for the caller) and put a password in the "Settings" tab of the individual caller's property sheet. The login password is NOT set in the "Security Options" or the "Protect Item" tab of the session property sheet. Not very intuitive. What this meant is that my office computer was wide open to anyone calling the (unlisted) number of the telephone under my desk to which I hook my analog modems. Please don't tell my Information Technology department -- they'd skin me alive!
I also noted that the predefined "Modem," "Direct" and "Network" sessions under "Be a Host PC" did not automatically change to "specify individual caller privileges" when I changed my new host session to require a password. The predefined sessions continued to "allow full access to all callers," a dangerous default and in my view a potential security breach. But it's easy to change the defaults once you know that you have to change them.
Once I knew what I was doing, I elected to "specify individual calling privileges" in the "Callers" tab, and set myself up as the only authorized caller. On top of that I also set up the software so that after a password is entered successfully, the program will hang up and dial my home number to which my home computer's modem is attached. You can set it to allow the caller to specify the callback number, but that would ruin the value of this security option. The callback process works just fine, and my IT department should be proud of my (now) excellent security. You do this in the settings for each individual authorized caller. I think it would be better (more secure) also to be able to set this option globally in the settings for the host session.
Of course to run PC Anywhere at all, I have to leave my work PC on, which means that the cleaning crew (or a thief with a key) could use my computer. Maybe I'd better not tell the IT department after all, even though I have separate passwords for both the screen saver and my cc:Mail application. The main problem is that my work station logs into my corporation's LAN on bootup, which means that I can only run PC Anwhere while logged into the LAN. Maybe I can find a way around that problem.

EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE

I've used prior DOS versions of PC Anywhere, and I was prepared for s.l.o.w. screen updates of my Windows 95 desktop. I was very pleasantly surprised by the speed of the interface. The main thing I need to access from home is Lotus cc:Mail on the company LAN. With this new Win 95 version of PC Anywhere, I generally have to wait only about 5 seconds for a full screen refresh, and the program is smart enough to update only the portion of the screen that changes. It's also smart enough to save time by ignoring my workstation's wallpaper (it uses a plain desktop background). It's certainly slower than the Ethernet LAN connection at work, but it's more than adequate to scroll through my e-mail and type in responses. I also tested it with windowed DOS applications and Microsoft Word on my work PC, with no problems and good response time. Be sure to try the "screen scaling" button; without it, I had to scroll around to see the whole Host PC desktop (requiring a full screen refresh each time I moved around), even though both the host and remote were operating at 800x600 resolution.
I set the program up for file transfers between my work and home PCs (by clicking an icon), and again was pleasantly surprised at the speed. You can set up groups of files to keep synchronized, but I didn't try this option. I tagged 4.1 Meg worth of files to transfer from work to home -- the program estimated 1 hour 10 minutes, but the download actually completed in 37 minutes. It consistently errs on the high side in its time estimates. On my second test with 1.9 Megs, the program estimated 30 minutes but completed the file transfer in 16 1/2 minutes. This isn't blazingly fast (around 15000 - 16000 bits per second throughput), but it's far better than anything I get off the Internet, and my home phone line (quite possibly due to crummy inside wiring done by me and by the first owner of my house) only rarely supports a full 28.8. I should also note that the files were encrypted, which is a "worst case." It means that there were little or no potential savings from file compression during transfer. You will probably do better with cleaner lines and faster modems, which should also give you faster screen refreshes.
The program also supports direct parallel port connections via a cable. I haven't had a chance to try that yet. It also has options for infrared ports, ISDN and Internet connections.

CONCLUSION

I have always liked PC Anywhere and this new version is better than ever. I recommend it for folks who need to access and operate a remote PC.

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ProVenture Billing Solution - by Frank D. Howden

This is a great tool for generating bills, invoices, estimates, and simple contracts. It is not an accounting tool which allows such displays as "general ledger." It would be more than enough for a small 'home improvement contractor,' but totally inadequate for anyone who required third-party payments [medical, psychological, clinical social-work, etc.] The published requirements are: 486 Processor with Windows 95, 25 MB hard drive space, 8MB RAM, mouse, printer and CD-ROM drive.
Installation on a Pentium [100 MHz,] 64 MB RAM was flawless and consumed 26 MB of a non-partitioned 180MB hard drive.
Basically, this program beats hell out of 'Word 7.0' or 'Excell 7.0.' The basic differences are:
1. It automatically calculates taxes, Federal, State, and local. {including Canadian}
2. Easily coverts estimates into contracts and/or invoices without new data entry.
3. Tracks outstanding contacts, estimates, contracts, payments, etc. This makes it outstanding for and independent or semi-independent insurance or real estate agent.
4. Automatically posts data like ' exceeds credit limit,' etc.
5. Generates lists by contacts, customers, sales by customer and/or product, salesman, etc. (The example is a pest-control company whereby breakdowns by product, customer, application, method, etc. are listed separately.)
6. Records and tracks payments by customer, contract, job order etc.
7. Summarizes sales reports by customer, contract, job order, salesman, etc.
8. Tabulates sales receipt and tax reports.
9. Allows generation of your design for all sorts of forms, invoices, contacts, etc. with flexible sentence and paragraph length in variable fonts.
10. Records last activity on accounts, keeps phone numbers, addressed and contact persons, keeps track of customer discounts, specials, etc.
In short, this is a Great Program, if it meets your needs! On the one hand, if you are just starting to computerize your customer base and want to keep a 'general ledger,' and such like separate for a while, this may be the program for you. On the other hand, if you are into a much more sophisticated situation, get a 'general ledger program.'
Note also: "Billing Solution" unlike 'general ledger' programs does not have the usual accounting controls that are desired by auditors, whether private or IRS. This merely means that you will have to keep written [paper, autographed,] instruments for 'back-up.'
[No reproduction or storage in a retrevial system without permission Released without restriction to the Rocherster Computer Club for: 1. Reproduction in the newsletter of that Club, 2. Posting on the BBS and/or web site of the Rochester Computor Club provided: a. Any "down loads" are restricted to two (2) per person and/or site, and b. credit and attribution is given in each and every case. 3. Commercial reproductions,quotations only by written permission of the author.]

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Kensington Internet Mouse (4 button) - by Jack Greenky

138 Indiana St
Rochester NY 14509
(716)288-1210 H
(716)288-5790 W
jack_greenky@mlsonline.com
February 1998
System Tested on: (I got it used, added, modified some)
IBM Clone (built from parts- Tower configuration) 486DX4-100
1 GB Hard Drive divided into C and D drives
4X CD Rom Drive, 16MB Ram
3.5" drive and 5.25" floppy drives
Sound Blaster 16 Sound Card
Windows 3.1 (Dual Booted with OS/2)
SVGA Video - 1MB video ram used at 256 color or 64K color -640x480, 800x600, 1024x768,1152x864 resolutions tried "Internet Controller for PCs and Compatibles" from : Kensington Technology Group, Kensington Microware Limited 2855 Campus Drive, San Mateo, CA 94403 (800) 535-4242 (questions, comments, requests)
(650) 572-9675 Fax line (24 hours) or (650) 572-2700 regular number On Line: www.kensington.com (American Online: Kensington)
Mail: info@kensington.com
tech@kensington.com (tech support robot)
help@kensington.com (tech support: human)
Comes with 90 day free trial, 5 year warrantee.
Will work on: "Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT (3.51 and 4.0), DOS"
and limited Drivers available for DOS 3.3 and higher, OS/2 2.1 and higher.
Two Floppies enclosed have Windows 3.1, 95, NT and DOS Drivers.
MouseWorks Software version 5.03 (MouseWorks Quickstart)
Other drivers available to download from their internet site or can be sent to you on disk.
(look for OS2SETUP.EXE for OS/2)
The mouse comes with a 9 Pin serial port plug, and adapters for PS/2 and adapter for the old larger serial port (the last one is not mentioned in the instructions.)
The mouse is compatible with other earlier drivers, so it can just be plugged in (after turning the computer off first, of course) before installing the new drivers. I installed the Windows 3.1 and DOS drivers, from the Windows installation program.
The new functions available include the obvious scroll up and down as shown on the two additional mouse buttons, and a context sensitive menu on the right mouse button (which can be switched for those who click the other way.)
The context sensitive menu works in most programs I have tried it on, which brings the menu showing across the top of the program right to the mouse on clicking the right button. The sub menu, if any, also shows to the right or left of the drop down type menu, depending on where there is space to show it on the screen. There are two menus available in some programs, like on the internet, one by clicking both mouse buttons, and one by the right button only. There is some intelligent mouse movement, so it usually shows up on the most applicable button on screen.
There also seems to be a problem in some applications which do not recognize the automatic scrolling, in that when clicking on a button, the mouse arrow moves by itself into an unrelated part of the screen, about 1 inch to the left, and it may take a couple of tries before it stops moving when you try to do something. This seems to happen only on the right side of the screen, and may have something to do with the particular video driver controller I have (InControl Tools) which is active at the same time and lets me change video resolutions on the fly (using the context sensitive menu with the mouse).
On the Internet, the mouse works much as advertised and lets you do scrolling up and down on most pages, without having to move the mouse to the corners or using the keyboard. On most newer Windows applications, the mouse also worked as it was supposed to, and it even worked on some older mouse -using DOS programs.
I used Netscape 3.04 to check it on the internet.
Street /list price according to review on line on CNET is $49.99
The review on CNET stated the
mouse worked better in Internet Explorer.
I tried calling the 800 number for support, to determine why the mouse jumped in certain applications, and waited for technical support on line (in the afternoon) for over 10 minutes before giving up. There was no annoucement of how long the wait would be.
I went to their Internet site, answered their "survey " (for a prize) and looked around.
Online support includes FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) for all products, ability to email them directly, or look for specific answers to specific questions. There are also directions for cleaning the products, on line registrations, and software downloading.
I registered my mouse on-line. FYI: the site is best viewed in 800x600 mode.
Further information: Kensington is a part of ACCO Brands Inc.

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UnInstaller Version 4.5 -- by Jack Baly

Your mate may not do windows, but CyberMedia¡s UnInstaller does clean up Windows 95 and NT. UnInstaller helps you remove unwanted files from your hard drive. The program has many features and operating modes such as:

Applications:

  1. Deleting
  2. Moving
  3. Archiving
  4. Transporting

File Cleanup:

  1. Applications & groups
  2. Duplicate files
  3. Disconnected shell items
  4. Old data files
  5. Internet files
  6. Outdated Registry entries
  7. Non-critical files

Archiving:

  1. Compressed backups
  2. Seldom used programs
  3. Restore
  4. File viewer
  5. Installation monitor
  6. Reports
  7. Oil Change updating provision
That's a lot of file handling, but it did work. rather well. The basic advantage this program brings to your hard disk housework is that it will search your hard drives for the culprits you¡re looking for. This is especially helpful for all those threads left throughout your system by programmers who never worried about a clean uninstall. It can also find all those broken links and disconnected ties you created.
The program does not remove files automatically, which would be very dangerous. Instead it creates a listing for the criteria you select and gives a green, yellow or red coding to each item. There is an advice section that describes the possible consequences of deleting files with each code. Greens being safest or go ahead and waste it, yellow for caution and red for extreme caution or don¡t touch. You can set a safety preference to never delete a red item, a very good idea. When you chose to delete a file there is an option to create a backup or really trash it. This lets you have a go at it, but undo any damage if the file is really needed. There are reports and logs created to keep track of all this.
One of the program options is called Quick Cleanup. In this mode you tell the program how much space you need to recover and it attempts to find the safest files to delete to meet this goal. Some can be hard choices or force you to archive things if you really want the space.
Since CyberMedia recently acquired UnInstaller from MicroHelp and wasn¡t sure it changed or improved as planned, they include a limited version of their Oil Change product as an update vehicle. This consumes about 2 MB of disk space and requires you have an ISP.
Installation from the CD ROM was uneventful and easy. The program found enough junk on my system on my first use to make room for itself. Subsequent runs enabled me to shed another 7 MB of useless files. My system is a 66MHZ 486 DX with 16 MB RAM. It takes a few minutes for the program to load and create its index on this system. A Pentium system will load much faster.
Bottom line, a useful package to help with your hard drive housework.
The system requirements are:
  1. IBM PC or 100% compatible
  2. Intel 486 DX or higher
  3. Microsoft Windows 95 or NT
  4. 8 MB hard disk space
  5. 8 MB RAM for 95, 16 MB RAM for NT
  6. VGA or higher video
  7. CD ROM
Estimated street price under $40.

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News from "New Life for Old PC's"

The "New Life for Old PC's" group was started in the spring of last year. The mission of the group was to refurbish PC's and donate them to schools and non-profit organizations. The group met every other Saturday throughout the summer in Marty Becktell's garage. Several computers were refurbished and donated to schools and other non-profit organizations. Participants included Marty and Stu Becktell, Karen Willbrant, Mel Parrish, Don Rechlin, Rodney Gregory, Dudley Pease, Charles Sumner, Qian Zhao, and several others, both members and non-members, who donated equipment, software, books, etc.
As the cooler weather set in, we packed up the leftover equipment and donated it to Community Technology Network (CTN), an organization dedicated to bringing access to the technology "have-nots" of Rochester.
Maria Larracuente of CTN made a presentation during the fall at the monthly RCC meeting at Brighton High. She described the group's efforts, which included a completed public access lab at the Mongomery Neighborhood Center . CTN's current efforts include a multimedia lab, located at the Channel 15 building. The lab will provide an introduction / access to multimedia technology to students of city schools. An invitation is extended to all to attend an opening for this lab on Saturday, March 14th, from 1:00 - 5:00 PM. Guest speakers will include Nick Francesco.
We are currently discussing a partnership with CTN to recycle old PC's. Maria has secured additional space for this purpose at the Channel 15 building. Once the project is underway, CTN plans to establish a JTPA job site; providing summer jobs for city youth involving technology. The recyled PC's will initially be utilized in a pilot crime prevention program (Citizen Reporting Centers) as described at last fall's meeting. Two RCC representatives will attend a planning session on the 14th of March to discuss details such as procedures for donating equipment, along with a schedule for volunteers who would like to help in this effort. The results of this session will be published in a future issue. If you would like to be added to the list of interested members, please e-mail Karen Willbrant at klwill@frontiernet.net, or call 346-3029.

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ALOHA-BBS GROUP, QUIET BUT EFFECTIVE - by From: Anson Chong

Last September the Aloha-BBS (424-4871) quietly celebrated its first full-year of operation. Now going into its eighteenth month, the slow (2400 baud), little-known BBS (Bulletin Board System) serves as a useful tool for "budget challenged" RCC members and the greater Rochester community.
Because it is DOS- based (non-Windows), people with so-called obsolete PCs could call in, log-on, and practice sending and receiving messages. They could also practice uploading and downloading files.
More importantly, former and current RCC member volunteers regularly monitor the BBS and slowly bring newbies into the world of cyberspace. Arthur Abel, sysop for the Greece Education BBS, Charles Sumner, Jean Bradt, James Davidson, Larry Delahooke, Jack Greenky, Jack Abendroth, Marie Gibson and others made sure that no one felt left out or abandoned when they logged on for the first time.
We also found the Aloha-BBS useful as a testing ground for the Master Manini software designed specifically for "obsolete," non-Windows, DOS PCs - particularly the two-drive PCs with 8088 CPUs using the now defunct 5-1/4" floppies that hit the market in the mid-80s. (For background on this software, see back copies of the RCC Monitor's predecessor, the Lilypad.)
Another community service component of the Aloha-BBS is the acquisition, repair and placement of obsolete PCs and the Master Manini software to individuals and non-profit organizations. Over the past 18 months, PCs and the software have been placed with several half-way houses in the Rochester area, an inner city family, several nursing homes, a ward at Strong Memorial Hospital, an inner city school and with an East European U of Rochester student on scholarship.
In short, our tiny Aloha-BBS ad hoc project has been quietly providing free hardware (the ancient fixed-up 8088 PCs), free DOS software (the Master Manini) and free access to a BBS (Aloha- BBS).
On May 1, however, it'll be two-pronged unless we can find a volunteer to take-on the BBS component. Why? Because yours truly, the ad hoc coordinator of Aloha-BBS is moving back to his home state of Hawaii and is now in the process of phasing out his Rochester activities. If there is anyone out there willing and able to install an extra phone line to carry on this little project, do it! (smile)
In the meantime, feel free to dial into and log-on to the Aloha-BBS and join the chat group there. And, of course, be sure to download the useful "Hawaiian Phrases" file in the HAWAII directory in preparation for your next vacation to Hawaii! If you have questions, send me an e-mail note or post a message on Aloha-BBS. You'll get a quick response, for sure! Aloha!


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