   ______                            _   __      __
  / ____/___  ____ ___  ____  __  __/ | / /___  / /____  _____
 / /   / __ \/ __ `__ \/ __ \/ / / /  |/ / __ \/ __/ _ \/ ___/
/ /___/ /_/ / / / / / / /_/ / /_/ / /|  / /_/ / /_/  __(__  ) 
\____/\____/_/ /_/ /_/ .___/\__,_/_/ |_/\____/\__/\___/____/  
                    /_/                                       
                         This Week's Contents:

My Notes:
1) Another Fine Publication
2) Laptops Stolen?

Columnists' Corner:
1) Is the Average Internet User Lost Today?
   By David Squier (dsquier@earthlink.net)

News:
1) CompuServe and the All Cyberspace Book!
2) Shop by Check on the Internet!

Reviews:
1) The Black Box 2.0, Reviewed by Judy Litt (jlitt@qualitty.com)
2) Descent 2.0 Reviewed by Doug Reed (dreed@panda.uchc.edu)
3) Entertainment on the Net Book, Reviewed by Richard T. Rushing
   (71154,1527@Compuserve.com)

Web Sites:
1) Ziff-Davis Technology Locator
   (http://www.techlocator.com)
2) LATimes Online
   (http://www.latimes.com)

FTP File:
1) 32 Bit Fax Program Replaces Windows95 Version!

Interview:
1) Matthew Harbert creator of Bodem

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date  : April 28, 1996    |CompuNotes is a weekly publication available
Issue : 44                |through email and many fine on-line networks.
--------------------------|We cover the IBM computing world with
CompuNotes is published   |software/hardware reviews, news, hot web
4Point, Inc.,             |sites, cool FTP files and interviews. We also
135 W. Adams, Suite G9    |give away one software package a week to a
St. Louis, MO 63122       |lucky winner for just reading our fine
(314) 909-1662 voice      |publication! Never dull, sometimes tardy, we
(314) 909-1662 fax        |are here to bring you the way it is!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Backroom Workers:                     |We are always looking for
Patrick Grote, Managing Editor            |people to write honest,
(pgrote@inlink.com)                       |concise reviews for us. Send
Doug Reed, Asst. Editor / Writer Liaison  |a message to Doug Reed at
(dreed@panda.uchc.edu)                    |dreed@panda.uchc.edu with
Judy Litt, Graphics Editor/Web Master     |your list of qualifications.
(jlitt@aol.com)                           |If Doug thinks we can count
------------------------------------------|on you to make things happen
I am looking for a collection of shareware|you'll receive free software
reviews I put out in the 87-88 timeframe  |of your choice for review.
under my handle of NEVER BEFORE. I think  |We like new writers!
they started as NB*.ZIP. Can you look     |-----------------------------
on your local BBS? THANKS!                |    Go St. Louis Blues!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Every issue of CompuNotes ever published can be found at the following
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------------------------------------------------------------------------
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                           SYSOPS READ HERE!

    Wanting to make CompuNotes available on as many BBS as possible, we
can't afford to call everyone's BBS every week. What we would like to do
is send those interested sysops a UUENCODED version for posting on their
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    If you are interested, fill out the following lines and send them
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BBS NAME:
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------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             Patrick's News
         Being The Publisher and Managing Editor Has Its Perks!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
RECOMMENDED .....|
------------------
I come across a number of publications. Here is one where if you are a
networking professional, you should be receiving:

In any networked environment there is a variety of hardware and software
being used, with a multitude of drivers and patches that you need to
know about. For the network professional, that's just the tip of the
iceberg on what you need to keep up on. There are various promotions
being offered by vendors on a regular basis, warnings about virus's, and
so much more. This isn't just a problem for the hands on technical
administrators. Whether you run the network or you run the company, if
you are involved in the computer networking industry in some way, the
free NetNotify newsletter is for you!

This bi-weekly publication will deliver up to date info on a variety of
issues from new patches and fixes to info about new products and
promotions within the networking industry.

If you or someone you know would like to start receiving a free
subscription to NetNotify, send an email to NETNOTIFY-REQUEST@KI.NET
with the word SUBSCRIBE in the body of the message, and you're in!

-------------------
A WORD OF WARNING!|
-------------------
FROM: Victor_Cruz <Victor_Cruz@LPP.com>

Have you heard about this scam or am I the last to know? 
Sent by a friend ...... pls pass on....

We've recently learned of a hustle that's being employed at airports all
across the country to steal notebook computers.  It involves two people
who look for a victim carrying a notebook who is approaching a metal
detector. They position themselves in front of the unsuspecting
passenger.  They stall until the "mark" puts the notebook computer on
the conveyor belt.  Then the first subject moves through the metal
detector easily.  The second subject sets off the detector and begins a
slow process of emptying pockets, removing jewelry, etc.  While this is
happening, the first subject takes the notebook as soon as it appears on
the conveyor belt and moves away quickly. When the passenger finally
gets through the metal detector, the notebook is gone.  The subject that
picks it up heads into the gate area and disappears among the crowd.
Sometimes a third subject will take a hand off from the first subject
and the computer is out of the restricted area before the mark even
knows that it is gone.

This is becoming a widely practiced problem and is happening at airports
everywhere.  When traveling with a notebook computer, try to avoid lines
to enter a metal detector when possible.  When you can't do that, delay
putting your luggage and notebook on the conveyor belt until you are
sure that you will be the next person through the metal detector.  As
you move through the metal detector, keep your eyes on the conveyor belt
and watch for your luggage and notebook to come through as well as
watching for what those in front of you are picking up.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Columnists' Corner - We bring you a different person each week!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-=> Forget Java, all I Want is a Decent Connection

What the hell is wrong with these Internet people?  They're WAY out of
control.  Why do we let fools with Sun's and T-1 connections lead the
Internet movement?  That's not really my question.  I am sure we all
know why -- they're the ones with the money.  My point is that these are
the exact OPPOSITE type of people we want blazing the trail.  At least
if you are like me, and access the net through a dial-up connection on
your home PC.

Why?  I'm glad you asked.  Draw a parallel to the auto industry.  If you
are in the market for a new car, chances are you want one that is
reliable and performed well, yet affordable.  Similarly,  auto
manufacturers want to build cars which appeal to the greatest amount of
people as to maximize their potential market.  This being true, would
you want a bunch of Indycar people designing your car?  Not unless you
wanted an expensive, non-standard, awkward car that got really bad gas
mileage but could go real fast, that is, when you're not stuck in
rush-hour traffic.

See where I'm going?  What we have is a situation where companies are
busy making alliances, embracing bandwidth HOGGING technologies such as
Java, and creating gluttonous plug-ins such as Macromedia's Shockwave.
Meanwhile, the average person on-line is celebrates their birthday as
they wait for the latest and greatest web page to download over their
28.8k connection.  In the race for the hottest net technology, the
latest industry standard, companies have forgotten the bread and butter
of the Internet. No t everyone has a Sun with a T-1 connection to their
house, nor can they afford one.  The fact is, the Internet is accessed
overwhelmingly through 28.8k and 14.4k dial-up connections.  More
likely, it's split down the middle between 28.8k and 14.4k.

So, with the vast majority of the public accessing the net through
dial-up connections, why isn't more effort put towards designing more
efficient web sites as well as increasing the performance of the
software used to access the net?  

I'm not quite sure.  

True, Netscape makes liberal use of caching, which increases the
performance of web sites that have already been visited, but at what
cost?  A good majority of the sites I visit are ones that update their
content almost daily.  Despite the fact that I have the "Verify document
every time" box highlighted in my browser settings, I often get stale
information, forcing me to hit the "reload" button to get the new juice.

Oh, and this is my favorite.  For those of you who are not well versed
in creating Java applets for those neat-o special effects, another
simpler method exists.  It involves creating several different images,
and when run in a loop, give the impression of movement.  So Johnny
Internet can create a web site, and rather than take the time to learn
Java, can create simple and decent quality animations.  There's one
catch.  In order to create the effect of motion the web site continually
pushes information to y our browser, telling it constantly re-load a
particular image.  The net effect is your browser never rests.  The stop
button in Netscape blinks wildly as each image is consecutively loaded,
ad infinitium.  This, coupled with the constant hard drive hit that
occurs when you encounter such a page can get annoying, REAL fast.

You want to know the irony in all this?  Netscape itself makes use of
this technique.  Currently, their homepage has a pulsating icon for
downloading one of its browsers using this image push technique.  Now
you would think such a cutting-edge company as Netscape would employ one
of it's staff to come up with a nicer Java implementation.  After all,
their v2.0 browser has Java support built in.  Kinda makes you wonder,
eh? 

Which brings me to the topic of Java.  I don't want to rant on
incessantly about this emerging technology.  But I'd like to touch on it
briefly.  It sure seems that if you aren't supporting Java in one form
or another, you've missed the bus.  That may very well be, but you have
to ask, why? I don't proclaim to be a Java know-it-all, in fact, I
probably know about as much as you do.  That being, it's a pretty nifty
way of spicing up a web page, but sure slows things down.  About the
only examples I've seen of it are animations and a game or two on Sun's
own Java homepage.  Meanwhile, Microsoft, while supporting Java, is
plotting it's own course with it's Java-like technology, ActiveX.  But
it seems to me that Java's purpose in this whole Web revolution is to
set the bar for others. It will not become a cornerstone technology, nor
will it live up to all the hype.  And in a couple of years it will
probably be nothing more than a blip on the radar.  It has already
served its purpose, by showing others what is possible and give them
some direction in developing next-generation technologies.  Ones which
(hopefully) run more efficiently over dial-up connections.

Despite everything I've just said, I don't mean to come off as some net
basher, or eschew progress.  But I do think developers should pay more
attention to the average user and their needs.  The Web is currently the
greatest stage for progress we have on this planet.  It's forcing
companies to think in radically new ways, driving innovation and pushing
down costs as well as creating methods of communication that will
fundamentally change the world as we know it.

But it still has a long way to go.  

That's what I think,
David Squier dsquier@earthlink.net

----------------
LAST WEEK .....|
----------------
    Below are some responses to the story on Windows last week. For
those of you who asked Jefferson's email address is jbush@indirect.com.

RESPONSES:

From:             "George G. Kenyon" <gkenyon@netrover.com>

I really appreciated Jefferson Bushman's column in the April 21st
newsletter. I, too, am one of these people who use a computer a great
deal and tend to stick with DOS. I have windows (3.1) in my 386
non-Pentium machine and use it for only a very few applications (email
and net). I do not download the graphics on the NET because of the time
it takes. If I want to look at pretty pictures, I go to the Art Gallery.

The bulk of my work is done in DOS. Mainly I do bookkeeping,
word-processing and extensively use a DBASE type software package for
some research I'm doing. They serve me excellently.

I have felt for some time that we seem to be a race to develop larger
faster machines to cope with the massive software programs that were
developed to use the new higher capacity machines that were developed to
cope with the massive software programs.........

No thanks. 
George Kenyon, Burlington, Ontario, Canada

From:             nelsen@upanet.uleth.ca (David Nelsen)

>"I Don't Do Windows"
Sounds good, and I have like feelings about the need (?) for a GUI over top
of DOS.  There are three big limitations that I find in DOS however:

1.) I keep more than one application open during a session so as to be
able to cut and paste between them.  For example when I find a valuable
URL in a newsletter, I copy and paste it into a database, without
writing it down and keyboarding it.  I don't know how to copy and paste
in between applications DOS.

2.) The internet access provider that I use gives to it's users a rather
involved logon script for Trumpet.  I have tried to help some folks with
8088s to implement slip/ppp with programs like SLIP4DOS, but I have been
unable to clone the  logon script.  To use the local machine as a dumb
terminal and go up on a text account would mean doing everything twice.
For example, a download to the access provider's machine from a remote
site, and then downloading again from the provider to the local P.C.
Thus the cost of internet use goes up by at least a factor of two.  Also
with the case of many web sites, without a graphical view, much
functionality is lost.  Some page authors give little or no thought to
the text-based user.

3.) The world and the use of computers is changing.  How many were on
the net two years ago?  With these changes come the need for new
software.  With each passing year fewer software authors are writing DOS
applications. Recently I added a scanner to my system.  The only driver
supplied was for Windows.   For another example, I haven't come across
an HTML authoring tool for DOS.  Millions of us who have a presence on
the net at least maintain personal web pages, and so require such a
tool.

So while I love the stability and economy of DOS, I don't know if it has
much life left.  Come to think of it, I would prefer using horses and
eliminating automobile related pollution.  Regrettably, preferring' don't
make it so.

Regards,
Dave

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS OF THE WEEK| This section is dedicated to verified news . . . All
News (C)opyright  Respective Owner - Will Only Reprint
------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMPUSERVE PIONEERS ALL CYBERPSPACE BOOK!|
-----------------------------------------
COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 25 /PRNewswire/- The printing industry has come a
long way since the days of the Gutenberg press.  "THINK FAST! The ADD
Experience" is the first book to be compiled entirely from articles and
material obtained in cyberspace.  Edited by Thom Hartmann, Janie Bowman
and Susan Burgess, the book is a compilation from message threads and
library files contributed by CompuServe members on the Attention Deficit
Disorder (ADD) Forum, the world's largest interactive ADD support group.

Published by Underwood Books, "THINK FAST! The ADD Experience" has
contributors from all ages and professions who share their perspectives
and knowledge.  Because most of the contributors have ADD themselves, or
a loved one who does, it offers uniquely personal experiences in
addition to vital information that can help individuals cope with ADD on
a day-to-day basis.

"This book is one of the most thorough and detailed overviews of ADD
available," said Paulette White, CompuServe's vice president of
information services.  "It is a resource book from cover to cover, but
what makes it so special is that CompuServe members contributed the
information in order to help others cope with the difficulties
associated with ADD.  It clearly demonstrates the sense of community and
caring that makes CompuServe Forums unique."

Author of three best-selling books on attention deficit disorder, Thom
Hartmann is the former executive director of a residential treatment
facility for abused and emotionally disturbed children and the father of
an ADD child.  He is the founder of the ADD Forum on CompuServe.

Janie Bowman is on the board of directors of the Olympia Chapter of the
Learning Disabilities Association of Washington, and a systems operator
on the ADD Forum on CompuServe.

Susan Burgess is the public relations systems operator on the ADD Forum
and handles online publicity for a large number of Forum(R) areas on
CompuServe.

Established in 1994, the ADD Forum boasts more than 70,000 members in
more than 27 countries.  ADD Forum members discuss coping with daily
life, therapy choices, counseling and more.  In the Forum libraries, the
world's foremost authorities on ADD contribute information on topics
ranging from diagnosis to treatment. CompuServe members can access the
Forum by typing GO ADD.

-------------------------------------
SHOPPING WITH CHECK ON THE INTERNET!|
-------------------------------------
SAN RAFAEL, Calif., April 26 /PRNewswire/ - Internet shoppers who don't
have a credit card - or who don't want to use one - can now bill
purchases directly to their checking account - without having to write
or mail a paper check.

Visitors to the Azteq Direct Internet Superstore home page
(http://www.azteq.com) can now order any of 25,000 different software
and hardware products by selecting a new online payment option called
the Azteq I-Check.

To place an order using the Azteq I-Check option, customers can provide
their checking account and bank routing information in any of three
ways: (1) via the Internet through an encrypted order screen, (2)
verbally by calling Azteq's order line, or (3) by faxing a copy of their
check to Azteq.

Orders are verified and processed within 24 hours, and shipped via
Airborne Express for overnight delivery.  (Orders placed in the morning
are often processed and shipped on the same day.)

Payments are processed as authorized demand drafts - also called
banker's drafts - by PhoneChex Systems, a check processing service
company based in Sherman Oaks, California.  For each order received from
Azteq, PhoneChex prints out a physical demand draft for deposit into
Azteq's bank account.  From there the demand draft is processed in the
same way as any standard paper check.

"Azteq I-Checks are for people who can't or don't want to pay by credit
card," says Tony O'Brien, president of Azteq.  "Now people can get
credit-card convenience and still pay by check."

To date, Azteq Direct is the largest Internet retailer to accept payment
using checking account demand drafts.  Widely used in the credit and
collections industry, demand drafts are now used by a growing number of
companies in other industries, including Pacific Bell and the Oakland
Tribune, and The Flower Company Nationwide, a California-based flower
retailer.

Based in San Rafael, California, Azteq Direct is the world's largest
provider of computer hardware and software over the internet.  With over
25,000 catalog items, Azteq Direct operates as a one-stop superstore
providing convenient overnight delivery of everything from the latest
games and productivity packages to networking products, motherboards and
CPUs.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
REVIEWS OF THE WEEK | Interesting software/hardware you may need . . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Product: The Black Box Version 2.0
Reviewed by: Judy Litt (jlitt@qualitty.com)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alien Skin Software, the creators of the Black Box, calls it "10 filters
that take the drudgery out of PhotoShop." They ain't kidding. They've
taken operations that can take many steps, and reduced them to the click
of a button.

The Black Box is10 filters that work as plugins in PhotoShop (they also
work with Picture Publisher and Corel PhotoPaint; they're working on
getting it to work with other programs as well).

If you're a graphic designer who designs for the World Wide Web (web)
and you use PhotoShop, you need this software.

Installation
There were no problems installing the program. The package I received
had 2 disks: one was a 16 bit version (for PhotoShop 2.5.1) and the
other was a 32 bit version (for PhotoShop 3.0). Because I'm still using
the older version of PhotoShop, I used the 16 bit version disk -- which
even reminded me that if I was using version 3.0, I should use the 32
bit version.

The Filters
All of the filters work with the selection you create. They come with
several "presets" -- different variations of that particular filter.
There are several variables that you can adjust for each filter.

Drop Shadow
This is the first filter from Alien Skin I ever saw - a couple of years
ago. They put it out as a demo on CompuServe, and I, along with many
others, scarfed it up! It's been on my computer ever since. This filter
creates a shadow of the current selection -- and you can place it where
you'd like, make it as light or dark as you'd like, etc.

Glow
This filter puts a neon glow around part of an image.

Glass
This filter makes your selection look as though it's under glass.

Motion Trail
Smears the selection in one direction. In some ways, it's similar to
CorelDRAW's extrude effect.

Outer Bevel
Makes the selection look embossed around the outside. This is a filter
every web designer needs -- for the ubiquitous beveled buttons.

Inner Bevel
Similar to the out bevel filter -- except it makes the bevel on the
inside of the selection.

Carve
Similar to the inner bevel filter; makes a selection look as though it
was carved out of the image. You can get interesting effects by playing
with the lighting variable.

Cutoout
Makes the selection a hole. What's unique is that it makes the hole look
3D by the use of shadows.

HSB Noise
Similar to PhotoShop's add noise filter, but more customizable. Lets you
add TV static to selected parts of the image's color.

Swirl
Smears the image using simulated whirlpools.

The Program
Those familiar with Kai's Power Tools (KPT) will find the Black Box
interface familiar. The dialog boxes have a psychedelic background, with
big red buttons as sliders.

All of the filters have several customizable variables. And there's a
preview to show you what your changes will look like before applying
them. On my 486DX2/50 with 24 MB RAM, the previews were rather slow --
but I'd rather wait to see the preview than have to wait for the effect
to be applied and then possibly undo the entire operation and start over
again. You can save a set of variables, so that you can apply the same
effects to multiple objects.

Many of the operations these filters perform can be done in PhotoShop
without the filters, but the process is usually long and tedious. You
could save the steps and run them as a macro, but when was the last time
you did that?

Several of the filters  -- drop shadow, glow, motion trail, and outer
bevel -- draw outside your selection. What this means to you is that
after you run these filters, your selection is lost. So make sure to
save your selection before running these filters!

Conclusion
If you do a lot of image editing or web design with PhotoShop, this is a
must-have software. It makes tedious imaging processes fun and simple.

The Black Box, Version 2.0
Alien Skin Software
322 Chapandee
Suite 101
Raleigh, NC  37603
919-662-4934
919-662-1336 FAX
America Online: Alien Skin
eWorld: Alien Skin
CompuServe: 72773,777
Internet: alien@mercury.interpath.net

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Product: Descent II
Reviewed By: Doug Reed (dreed@panda.uchc.edu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Descent II is the sequel to the smash hit Descent, a first-person action
game touted as "the Doom-Killer" when it debuted.  Descent offered a
full 360 degrees of motion, taking the player on a roller coaster ride
through mine shafts and tunnels attempting to rescue hostages and
destroy the renegade robots.  The gameplay was action packed and tougher
than most games of this type, and combined with great graphics and
stomach churning three-dimensional play Descent was an original and
incredibly fun game.  Descent II is a more than worthy descendant.

At the conclusion of Descent, the player defeated the big boss robot and
narrowly escaped with his life.  The beginning of Descent II has the
player traveling to a PTMC mining station in the asteroid belt to
replenish supplies and collect his payment. However, the PTMC uses the
small print in the contract to force the material defender to
investigate systems that are farther out.  The PTMC outfits the material
defender's ship with an experimental warp coil after which the player
proceeds to the Zeta Aquilae system and prepares for Descent... In many
ways, Descent II is the same game as Descent, albeit with some
enhancements in gameplay and considerable chrome and polish.  The
gameplay is the same; the player enters the mine, finds any hostages,
and then destroys the reactor in order to complete the destruction of
the enemy robots.  However, while the basic gameplay is the same, a
number of enhancements dramatically improve gameplay.  Water and lava
now flow, and some of the missions purportedly take place underwater.
Seismic disturbances can also occur, leading to new and previously
undiscovered riches and enemies.

All of this comes in improved graphics, with options including a 640x480
hi-resolution cockpit to 800x600 mode (sans cockpit).  As with the
original, be prepared to accept the fact that hi-res graphics require
heavy-duty CPU performance.  Windows 95 owners should also be aware that
although Descent II is capable of being played in Windows 95 (as opposed
to DOS mode), it requires twice as much RAM as running Descent II in DOS
mode (16 megs as opposed to 8).

Even at the low end, however, Descent II's bitmapped graphics look
fantastic, with terrific explosions and robots that look better than in
the original.  On a Pentium with SVGA graphics..., well let's just say
it has to be seen to be really experienced. Descent II does not offer
much in the way of massive technological advancements over Descent; the
major advancements are in the graphics (SVGA is now supported) and in
the sound (redbook CD audio featuring Ogre from Skinny Puppy).  However,
the most significant improvement most people will notice is the addition
of considerable chrome and polish.  The game now has a killer
introduction scene that rivals that of another recent classic,
Mechwarrior II.  Descent II has better sound, so I give it the nod.  The
scenes between missions are better looking, and the soundtrack is
fantastic.  I definitely recommend playing the game with the redbook CD
audio turned on.  I could sit here and rave about the CD sound all day -
it really is incredible background music.  The soundtrack is definitely
a noticeable and enjoyable improvement over Descent. Gameplay also
offers a number of improvements.  When firing a missile, you get a
missile cam view until the missile hits its target.  New guided missiles
allow you to control the missile after launching it.  Now you hide in a
safe place and hit those boss robots with impunity!

A "guide-bot" is available that can help you find your way through the
mines (more on this in a minute).  A "thief-bot" will also occasionally
appear, stealing all of your accessory weapons if you aren't careful and
fast on the draw.  Thirty new types of robots with improved AI are
waiting to test you.  A headlight that you can find in the mines will
help light up those dark areas, and a wide variety of new weapons and
powerups will help in blasting those evil bots!  Among the more
interesting powerups is the afterburner (Yeehaa!) and the energy to
shield transfer device (very handy!). New missile types include flash
(blinding) and stun missiles, as well as the aforementioned guided
missiles.  New energy and projectile weapons can also be found, like the
gauss cannon.  My only complaint with the original was that you couldn't
refuel and restock your ship in between missions: in Descent II you are
on your own, out in the deepest reaches of space, so the story line
itself takes care of that little quandary this time around.

As mentioned above, there are thirty new types of robots to test your
skills.  The guide-bot does exactly that; he guides you through the
mine.  A word to the wise, though: the guide-bot finds the quickest way
to the reactor and the exit, without considering such vital things as
hostages or powerups. The guide-bot will come back and get you, so it is
pretty safe to run off on your own and then follow him when you need to.
The thief-bot is a nasty customer, because he is very fast and steals
all of your powerups.  On top of that, the thief-bot is small,
hard-to-hit, and takes a large number of shots to kill.  New enemy bots
include snipers and energy drainers, as well as bots with more than one
weapon type and advanced AI including trying to surround the player or
come up from behind. The quality of the enemy bots as opponents was one
of the best features about the original Descent.  The robots were tough,
smart, and hard to beat.  Descent II improves on this in a big way.
Many of the offensive and defensive tactics remain the same, but the
robots seem to have a better sense of when to gang up on you and when to
lurk around the corner and get a potshot at you. I have even seen
smaller robots run away as I approached, as if sensing they didn't have
a chance and needed reinforcements.  And sure enough, around the next
corner, there they were!

Advancing from one level to the next, even at the beginning of the game,
takes considerable planning and skill.  If the robots aren't enough,
well, Descent II offers new enhancements to Descent's multi-player
capabilities.  A new capture the flag game mode has been added, as well
as time limits, handicapping, and a number of options for improving
network game play. Descent II gives all the appearances of having been
loving crafted and well made: unlike so many games today, it appears to
be a relatively bug-free game.  The game is relatively easy to install
and configure to your system for optimal play.  A very large number of
sound cards and joysticks are supported, as well as all of the current
virtual reality headsets on the market. Descent II also offers support
for the new 3-D graphics accelerator cards, which should tremendously
enhance graphics and gameplay even on older 486 systems.

Be sure to check various sites on the web (such as
http://www.gamesdomain.co.uk/moonglow, which has a very nice
Decent/Decent II area) which keep pretty current on hints, cheats, and
patches for both Descent and Descent II.  If you have played the
original and the Descent II demo, be aware that those cheat codes not
only do not work, but they will strip you of your power and shields!

The demo gives you the first three missions of Descent II, but the intro
seen is very different (otherwise you would end up with one of those
huge downloads like with Wing Commander 4). So, is Descent II really
worth it?  Well, if you liked the original and are hungry for more, then
yes, Descent II is definitely worth it.  If you didn't like the original
or had your fill of blasting robots into space dust, you must be crazy!
(seriously, if you didn't like it, look elsewhere: Descent II is in many
ways the same as the original).  If you haven't played the original,
then I still highly recommend Descent II.  I love the challenge of
exploring the mines, peeking around corners, nerves tensed, sweat on my
brow, wondering if that last 10 points on my shield will be enough to
get me through, all the while knowing that it isn't.  I give Descent II
high marks all around, and the highest possible recommendation.
Interplay and Parallax have another huge hit on their hands.

Interplay, Inc.
17922 Fitch Avenue
Irvine, CA 92714
(714) 553-6678
http://www.interplay.com
(check out the Descent II demo at http://www.happypuppy.com!)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Product: Entertainment on the Net  (Book Review)
Reviewed By: Richard T. Rushing"  (71154,1527@Compuserve.com)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Entertainment on the Net is the ultimate bookmark, with a listing and
review of 1000's of Web pages, Mailing list and Newsgroups.  This guide
concentrates on the Entertainment with listings of Movies, Celebrities,
Television, Music, Humor, NewsGroups, Games and other  unclassified
Internet oddities all with a pop-culture slant.

What this book does not included are fine arts references, On-line
services and getting started on the Internet.  This book is designed for
recreational web surfers not the Internet novices.  If your looking for
a book to filter out some of the fluff on the net then this is the book
for you. The book is divided into five sections: General Entertainment,
Movies, Televisions, Music, Fun and Games.

The General Entertainment section contains several entertainment news,
gossip sites and a very limited list of celebrity pages. Most of the
sites are very well put together and reviewed. Highlights include
http://web3.starwave.com/showbiz and http://www.gigaplex.com/wow . The
General Movie section has listing for movie databases, film magazines,
studio sites, movie reviews, and cult movies. This section includes some
of the more popular as well as some unknown sites. The Internet Movie
Database is one of the more popular and rates high in the reviews, it is
located at http://www.msstate.edu/Movies . Other sites include The movie
deaths, movie studios, film festivals and some interesting Library of
Congress links.  The popular cinema section includes coming attractions,
movie reviews, box offices figures, and awards information.  Some of the
better pages reviewed Movie Mom guide to Movies and Videos located at
http://pages.prodigy.com/VA/rcpj55a/list.html  this is a fine example of
areas often over look during a web searches. Several other good review
sites are listed for different movie interests: teen, general, adult and
children. Cult and Fantasy describe several science-fiction pages with
some cult movie references and some unusual pages such as left-wing film
guide and Our Secret Century: Revelations from the Prelinger Archives.
Several good NewsGroups and Gopher sites are listed.

The Television section is split into three parts the first dealing with
general TV resources.  This includes guides and several listing and
reviews and TV network sites.  One of the more interesting sites is the
Media Watchdog site that has resources for both the left and right
political spectrums. Listings are weak in the TV newsgroups listings
where a complete list would be an asset. The News and Talk sections
gives a complete list of the major news channel offerings on the Web.
The talk sections gives the afternoon talk shows as well as the Late
Night shows including Letterman and the Tonight Show sites.  The final
television section is the Series, Sitcoms, and Animation section this is
one of the best sections it covers most the classic and current
television shows. They include a links of several useful web pages like
http://tvnet.com/UTVL/utvl.html which provides links to over 300
television shows.  One item that is missed from this section is a good
list of NewsGroups found on the Internet.

The Music section is divide into two sections the Music Resources and
the Music, which is divided into each type of music.  This is the
strongest section of the book.  The Music Resources contains many good
web resources from guides, mail-order, record labels and  music lyrics.
This section includes a great section on Mailing Lists for music. The
music section is divided into rock & roll, alternative, R&B, blues,
jazz, rap, country-western, folk, christian, ethic, and classical.  Each
section contains web pages of artists, reference pages, and mailing
lists for artists and types of music.

The Fun and Games section is divided into Humor, Games, Sports and
Oddities.  The Humor section contains list or archives, canonical list,
cartoons, and magazines. This is a great place to look for the new
office joke or cartoon.  The games sections cover computer, video,
MUD's, Online and traditional games.  Since the game market is moving so
quickly the list of game pages is somewhat outdated. The online games
section contains many fun and interesting links.  The Traditional
section provides a nice selection of puzzles and drinking games.  The
sports section is divided into coverage sites, specific sport sites, and
recreational sports sites.  The coverage section is one of the best
around, contains many converge sites for most major sports both
collegiate and professional.  The recreational site list is small and
would have been better if it provided a more diverse list of sporting
activities.  The Oddities section is described as "Everything you wanted
to know about the Internet but were afraid to ask".  This contains links
and pages that just don't fit into any category. Like Steve's Ant Farm,
Brian's Lava Lamp, Diaries and Fortean Times. These included some good
sites and links but most of the links and sites are just worthless, but
still worth a look.

The book contains easy reference items at the end of each chapter and
also contains many "Try this" section that describe some fun and less
know links and pages.  The book strong point is it music section which
is vast and accurate.  The only item not very covered are the Usenet
NewsGroups which a list of current groups on the various topics would be
very helpful.  Otherwise this is a great book to add to your ever
growing Internet library.

Que Corporation
201 W. 103RD Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46290
CompuServe:  GO QUEBOOKS
Internet:  www.mcp.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEBSITES OF THE WEEK! | This section is devoted to cool WebSites . . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ZIFF-DAVIS TECHNOLOGY LOCATOR|
------------------------------
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 25 /PRNewswire/ - Ziff-Davis, the world's
leading computer publisher, today introduced Tech Locator, the most
comprehensive World Wide Web-based directory of computing product and
company information.  Tech Locator (http://www.techlocator.com) is the
first online directory to provide comprehensive aggregate information
about a company, such as contact information, stock quotes, and complete
product listings, as well as the option to conduct related searches
throughout both ZD Net and the Web.

Tech Locator, which joins the robust technology-focused content and
service offerings on the ZD Net Web site (http://www.zdnet.com), is an
extensively searchable listing of more than 1,100 computing technology
companies and 6,800 products, updated weekly with an average of 20 new
company listings.  It is the first Web navigation tool that links search
results not simply to the home pages of relevant sites, but to the
specific Web pages within a site which contain the end user's particular
information needs.  In addition to its listings of company contact
information, products and stock quotes, Tech Locator provides links to
company home pages and into targeted site areas, such as technical
support, price lists and customer service.

"Since our goal is to make the ZD Net Web site the definitive resource
for all product buying information, Tech Locator is a key addition to
our site," said Jim Savage, vice president and general manager, ZD Net.
"Tech Locator is a powerful product buying research tool that enables
users to seamlessly go between Ziff-Davis online publications and actual
vendor sites.  Now, users can augment the editorial perspective from
Ziff-Davis product news and comparative reviews with their own research,
using Tech Locator's complete listing of product and company Web links."

Users can find Tech Locator's company listings using a text search on
the company name or product, as well as through browsing alphabetical
and product category lists.  From a company listing, users can also
conduct focused searches for company and product information through the
rich computing content of ZD Net as well as the World Wide Web.

Companies involved in the design and manufacture of computer products
and services are encouraged to register their Web site with Tech Locator
at http://www.zdnet.com/locator/feedback.html.

-------------------
LOS ANGELES TIMES!|
-------------------
LOS ANGELES, April 25 /PRNewswire/ - The Los Angeles Times' Web site has
averaged 500,000 hits a day since its public launch on April 8. Users
are also registering at the rate of 1,000 a day for access to AP Online
and Hunter, the site's free custom news service.

In addition, the site has earned praise from a number of sources.
LATimes.com was named Site of the Day by iWorld, a well respected source
of information on new sites.

A reviewer for the Newspaper Association of America's "HOTLINKS" Web
site commented:  "The new Times site on the Web sets a new standard for
creativity, depth and reader usability. . . . Publisher's Tip:  The LA
Times just raised the bar."

Steve Outing, in his online review for E & P, wrote that the site "is
impressive and offers a great deal of depth."

LATimes.com has also been featured as Windows Magazine's HotSpot of the
Day and The Spider's Pick Of The Day.

The majority of LATimes.com's traffic is from the United States, but the
site also attracts visitors from around the globe - including Canada,
Chile, Japan, Kuwait, England, the Ukraine and Nepal.

The Times' Web site can be found at http://www.latimes.com. LATimes.com
is the most comprehensive source of information for and about Southern
California available on the Internet.

It includes content from the daily paper, information from scores of
other information providers, Hunter and SoCal Excite, a new regional
search engine that is the first of its kind on the Internet. SoCal
Excite rounds up for users all the information and resources about
Southern California that are on the Internet, including content from The
Times' Web site.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
COOL FTP FILE OF THE WEEK | You may need this file . . .
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Complete faxing program for Windows 3.1x, 95 and NT. Allows printing
from any program that can print. FaxMail Network for Windows makes
creating high quality faxes as easy as printing. Includes a
Fax/Modem-tester. -timed sends - broadcast queue holds 32,000 -works in
DOS and Windows -GOOD help system -all functions very fast -background
FAX printing

      You can find this as FAX_N103.ZIP in the following FTP site:
                     ftp.coast.net/SimTel/win3/fax/

------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERVIEW WITH ????? | Weekly Interviews with the Movers and Shakers!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
We recently electronically interviewed Matthew Harbert, a visionary in
the electronic publishing field. He is found of BODEM . . .

You can contact him at bodempub@nando.net.

PG: What is Bodem?
MH: Bodem Publishing Company (BPC) is an experiment in Internet
electronic publishing. It embodies the concept that artistic writing and
great story-telling should be unfettered from the heaps of filters
presently at play in the publishing industry. It is an attempt to
connect serious writers, writers who write for the love of language and
the joy of creation, directly to the public without the grinding
slowness, and filtration process that stifles real genius and decides in
a meeting room what kind of book people will be lead to read two years
from now.

BPC is, for all practical purposes, a virtual bookstore. It has no
physical reality and only exists on the Internet. Bodem books are not
available in paper form, however we hope that at least some of our
authors will be "discovered" on Bodem, and will find commercial success.
A Bodem book is obtainable immediately on-line and is downloaded in its
entirety from our website to the customers machine. The name "Bodem"
comes from BOok + moDEM.

PG: How did Bodem start? What was the inspiration?
MH: Typically, this is a personal story of mine. My name is Matthew
Harbert, I am a professional engineer in North Carolina, and an
inventor.  I invented something, an improvement to ozone generators, and
started a little company to try and offer the world my invention and its
progeny. It didn't work (the business, not the ozone generator [the
ozone generator works great]). In the depth of my despair, and under
very trying conditions, I turned to writing to keep from going crazy. I
was down and out in El Centro, California, which is about as pitiful as
a man can be. But I had a story, a really good story about the next
great leap in Man's understanding of the universe.

I asked the question once, "What is Gravity?" and to my utter amazement,
my question was answered. From there I wrote about it, and authored
"Nation Of One", a modern day science fiction story about the true
nature of gravity, its artificial manipulation, and what one man who
knows the secret does with the knowledge. It was my first attempt at
creative writing, and it turned out very well. I tried to get it
published.

My first inkling that something was amiss was when an agent said the
book "had promise" but could I re-write it to make the hero (Jeff
Hopewell) a lesbian? I said "no, if you want a lesbian hero, write your
own book", and she said "Bye". Then I tried getting published via
queries, synopses, and sample chapters. I sent out eleven packages
simultaneously. Nine came back within six weeks with form rejection
letters and an obvious sense that the material had not been afforded
even passing review.  One came back eleven months later with a polite
rejection letter saying how they were swamped and not looking for "new
talent". The final one came back 18 months later with a very nice,
personalized rejection letter stating that I nearly made it, the last
slot in their next year's budget was between Nation Of One and one other
book, but the other book won.

Now, I should say that I brow beat several acquittances into reading the
manuscript, and they universally gave it glowing praise. I've read it
several times and it is still good in my opinion. At least as good as
the pulp fiction available in any drugstore. This last rejection made me
angry. At that time I was just getting into computers, and the Internet.
First I thought "I'll post it on a BBS with a note, like shareware, to
send me money if the reader liked it."  Then it occurred to me that
there must be a lot of frustrated authors in similar situations, and
POW! Bodem was born.

I called up my natural entrepreneurial inclinations and reasoned problem
solving skills and just waded in. The result is BPC.

PG: How does BPC  prevent unauthorized duplication?
MH: The short answer is: we don't. On the other hand, how does any
publisher prevent unauthorized duplication? The answer: a system of law.
There is no technical artifice that cannot be defeated. There is no
encryption scheme that is fool proof, but the implementation of such
puts technical constraints on the reader. Many of BPC's customers have
enough trouble downloading books or just filling out the order form.  It
is against the interests of readers and authors alike to require
anything above a minimal understanding of computers and software to make
our books available. Our goal is access, not security. Our understanding
with our authors is that it is their responsibility to copyright their
work. We tell them how, we keep a record of their submission that can
prove in a court of law when they submitted it.

Most of BPC's authors are motivated to get their books read at all.  BPC
does not own any rights to any BPC book. Authors are free to leave us if
a better offer comes along. They like the control that affords them. We
like the freedom it allows. Freedom and security are opposite ends of
the same spectrum. One cannot have unlimited quantities of both. BPC
chooses freedom.

When BPC was negotiating with DS Products for the rights to offer a
modified Q-Read, a Windows compatible reading program recommended for
viewing Bodem Books, we discussed the inclusion of an encryption
algorithm to make Bodem Books unreadable with anything but Q-Read. We
both decided it was not in the interest of our customers to do that. Our
goal is to get our books read by as many people as possible. Will piracy
take place? probably eventually. Can the author do anything about it?
Absolutely, sue the son of a bitch. The Law is where such things are
handled, not techno-tricks.

PG: What is the future of electronic publishing?
MH: I see the future of electronic publishing as the free market testing
ground for new authors and fresh ideas. Eventually, paper publishers
will base their decision on the merits of paper publishing a work based
on it's electronic sales impact.  The goal of Bodem is to bring this
future about, to remove the power of literary life or death from a small
group of people who may try to unjustly influence the views of the world
based on their often shallow opinion of how things should be. My
experience with the agent about a lesbian character is exquisite in the
demonstration of how literary decisions should NOT be made.  Political
agenda and pop political opinion need to be eradicated from the
publishing process all together. I want a system where anyone's opinion
lives or dies on its merits, not on the perceived political expediency
during the brief flash of time the work is reviewed.

Electronic publishing also has the powerful advantage that it is
inexpensive. Bodem now has forty or so books, more are coming in.  What
other year old publisher can boast so many titles?  A Bodem Book is a
very green thing to do as well. No trees are cut to print a Bodem Book,
no chemicals consumed, no garbage ultimately generated.

Finally, electronic publishing will become standardized. I suspect the
winner of this standardization will be a future version of the Adobe
reader. At present, with so many competing formats and word processors,
Bodem is compelled to use a more generic format (presently, all Bodem
Books are in ANSI text), but I expect that to change in the future. But
ANSI is nice, it does not allow graphics and that is a drawback, but on
the other hand we are a literary service; the author draws his pictures
on the canvas of the mind.

PG: What do you do when you aren't working?
MH: BPC is my part time job now. My full time job is as an environmental
engineer. I figure out how to clean up industrial scale messes. Other
than that, I have a new bride and a teenage son that keep me quite busy.
I enjoy building things (it does not really matter what. I've built
gadgets and blimps and canoes and treehouses) and I am going to get
myself a Harley as soon as I can jam it into the budget.

PG: What is BODEM's best seller?
MH: Bodem's bestseller is a book title "Molasses Moon" by Linda
Shelnutt.  The sales are attributable to Linda's tireless efforts at
getting people into Bodem's website. She is a real believer in
electronic publishing and a tremendous help to me and Bodem.

PG: What advice would you give budding writers?
MH: First: For God's Sake TELL A STORY!!! A story has a beginning,
middle, and end! Most of Bodem's authors know this, but I get books that
do not actually tell a story, but are just musings of the author.
Second: Do not be so full of yourself. Let your characters act out what
you believe, don't state it in essay form. Other people really have
experienced the depth of perception you ascribe only to yourself.

Third: Punctuation counts! I have had authors bridle at my rejections
because of spelling and other grammatical errors. I'm sorry, but the
most noble purpose I can serve has nothing to do with  correcting your
sloppy grammar.

Fourth: Write from your heart, give verbage to your dreams. Take that
wisp of a memory dreamstate and give it life in words. That's the stuff
that is great.

Fifth: If you have had a life experience that is worthy of writing
about, be sure to examine the events from all participants perspective,
even your enemy. Write as your enemy when writing about your enemy's
actions. After all, your enemies are people too (unless they are hideous
mutant things from the planet Zok).

PG: Is there a difference in writing for the electronic market as
opposed to the paper market?
MH: Well, its a hell of a lot easier to get published. Maybe the
greatest difference is the difference of appellation.  To get published
now, you must first write what the publisher wants. In electronic format
that is not as true. Also, the electronic market favors visual impact.
Even the most dazzling words look boring unless they are actually read.
Future authors may be required to be graphic artists as well.
Personaly, I hope that is not the case. Technically, write short
paragraphs and break them up with blank lines.

PG: Where do you see BODEM in 5 years?
MH: I see a full time and rewarding career. I see a thousand or more
books and a website so active that I run my own hub. I see paper
publishing houses on friendly terms and authors from all over the world
getting their message out. I see controversy about that author's ideas.
I see relaxation in the immersion of a riveting story well told. I see
little tiny computers dedicated to book presentation that one can
snuggle with in bed. I see a stake driven through the heart of pop
political culture decision making, an end of arrogance.

PG: What has been your favorite story relating to electronic
publishing?
MH: There are a thousand of them.  I guess my favorite is that my most
developed competition is, believe it or not, in the same small town I
live in. Their name is Boson Books, and they also operate out of Cary,
NC. I had breakfast with them recently, a couple, he is a computer
science professor at NC State, and she is an English teacher with thirty
years experience with the Publishing industry. To contrast, 18 months
ago I didn't even know what a DOS prompt was and I have no experience in
writing except my own novel. Our philosophies are different, but there
is common ground in the belief that the publishing industry needs to
shed some of its holier than thou arrogance. They marvel at my back end
UNIX scripts, and I marvel at their author presentation. Who knows,
maybe we'll even join forces.
 
                                --END OF ISSUE--

