PEW VON OD,

MMC Matalan ke, HC Wizatt

aN

fiaalacenlcenvuone: Bravelay

What Can You Do with the Open

Multimedia Document Retrieval Systems

MagiComn, Ine. Parallax Development Corporation

Group Decisionware and Electronic Democracy

Consensus Systems, Inc. MagiComm, Inc. MajorSoft Inc.

Novell LAN Access Galacticomm, Inc.

Language Add-on Options

(Spanish, German, French, Italian, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, RiPscerip, etc.)

Astrocom Multimedia

BSI Technologies Galacticomm, Inc.

Infima

Medcom Information Systems Online Store

Studio 5 Liguria SRL

Techtrade

TeleGrafix Communications Inc.

Online Shopping/Order Entry/Auctions eS ae ;

BSI Technologies

DataSafe Publications

Durand Communications Network Excalibur! Software

Galacticomm, Inc.

Infinetwork

Developer’s Toolkit and C Source Code At g

Galacticomm, Inc.

Integrated Fax Capabilities Galacticomm, Inc. MagiComm, Inc.

The Business BBS

Super CD-ROM Management Farwest BBS Mountain Rose Multi Media

“Dial-Out” with Scripts

Galacticomm, Inc. Logicom, Inc.

Just about anything you want. That’s because The Major BBS is a completely open-ended platform for creating your own unique online service.

You can choose from a huge selection of off-the-shelf software — just a small fraction

a, ee ey

CPt Dee SENS

of which is represented here — offered by over 100 third-party developers.

Most of these add-ons integrate into your BBS as DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries). No shelling to DOS is required. And because these DLLs are written in C and Assembly,

they provide far greater performance and flexibility than script languages or dBase derivatives.

You can run all this from a single com- puter and support up to 256 simultaneous users via modems, serial connections, direct

Nee een eee anne

| Architecture of The Major BBS’?

Mail Networks of All Kinds (FIDO, RIME, QWK, MajorNet, etc.) Crystal Vision, Inc. DigiTel Inc. MLP Associates ProStar Computer Corporation Beer if PTT; Public Data Network : Tessier Technologies, Inc.

1] 1 eAen | —— Programmable xBase Capability ah , Integrated Solutions, Inc. a The Business BBS

Direct X.25 Connectivity Galacticomm, Inc.

———— Internet Mail and Newsgroups Galacticomm, Inc.

Teleconference Links and Worldwide Chat ProStar Computer Corporation Public Data Network Tessier Technologies, Inc.

Outstanding Multi-Player Games

Computel

High Velocity Software, Inc. Jabberwocky

Logicom, Inc.

MajorSoft Inc.

M.B. Murdock & Associates Tessier Technologies, Inc. WilderLand Software

Credit Card Verification DataSafe Publications

Photograph/Image Databases

Durand Communications Network The Business BBS

— Advanced Account Management East Side Computing High Velocity Software, Inc. : Parallax Development Corporation 4 ProStar Computer Corporation Sirius Software Tessier Technologies, Inc.

2X.25 circuits, and Novell LAN channels. No other BBS platform gives you this power. Need “doors” capability too? You can nook up additional machines and instantly wise the programs written for multi-node __BBBSes as well.

To quote Newsbytes, “The Major BBS is one of the most powerful and expandable boards available, yet it is extremely easy to install and run.”

For more information, see your local dealer, or give us a call at 1-800-328-1128

(outside U.S. and Canada call 305-583-5990). And team up with BBS developers that link you into everything else.

(GALACTICOMM

IF YOU HAD THREE

Takeaclose lookand you'llsee why so many sysops are switching tothe Synchronet Multinode Bulletin Board System. For one, message net-

working issecond nature for Synchronet. Notonly does Synchronet support FidoNet, QWK, and PostLink (RIME) message net- works, but network considerations are integrated intoevery aspect of the BBS. Synchronet'shierarchical message and file areasare the perfect organizational solution fortoday’s multi-network message and CD-ROM fileareas. Synchronethas many builtin features that other packages either don't offer or require an add on, suchas multichannel and private key by key chat, offline reader features, and multiuser CD-ROM support. First time operators appreciate Synchronet's elegant menudriven configuration, while experienced sysops revel in its wealth of optionsand flexibility. The list goeson andon. Butdon'ttake our word forit, checkout the competition first. With Synchronet, you won'tneed three wishes.

Synchronet Wildcat!IM PCBoard/M MaiorBBS Node license $199 $799 $440 $508 Multitasker $200 $200 $200 Yes Yes 8 port I/O $300 $800 $995 $575 $500 Multinode chat Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Multichannel chat Yes Extra No Yes Yes Private key by key chat Yes No No Yes Yes | Offline reader support Yes Yes Extra $199 $99 QWK networking Yes Yes Extra No Yes FidoNet import/export Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Send/receive NetMail Yes Yes No No Yes PostLink (RIME) support Yes Extra Yes Extra No RIPscrip GUI support Yes No No Extra No Novell/DOS support Yes Yes Yes Yes No 976/900 billing support Yes No No Extra Extra Real-time node activity alerts Yes No No Yes Yes Enhanced CD-ROM support Yes Yes Yes Extra Extra Multiuser SDK Yes No Extra Extra Extra Incoming FAX support Yes No No No No Chat between doors Yes No No Yes No Bidirectional file transfers Yes Yes Yes No No Multiple user command sets Yes No No No No | Supports DOS doors 6 types Lye 3 types No No Hierarchical msg & file areas Yes ° Oo No No External transfer protocols Yes Yes Yes No No Total price $699 $1799 $1635 $1282 $1494 Prices donot include CPU ormodems. Features und prices compiled from vendor supplied information 2/93, are subject to change without notification. Wildcat!IM, PCBoard/M, MajorBBS, TBBS, QWK, FidoNct, PostLink, RIME, RiPscrip, Novell, and DOS are wademarks or their respective companies. Commercial or Shareware Toss/Scan utilities are required for some message network technologies.

YOU COULD TOSS THE OTHER TWO.

le | Ay DDD Synenronady (B35

— Multinode Bulletin Board System Software

Why doesn’t Synchronet have a special “multi- port” version? Because Synchronet was de- signed from the ground up as a high-speed multinode BBS capable of running up to 10 nodes ona single 486. It’s advanced inter- rupt driven output design combined with DES Qview optimizations maximize CPU utilization, allowing Synchronet to out perform other systems running special “multiport” versions on expen- sive coprocessed I/O cards. For performance, features, and value, nobody beats Synchronet.

AiDigital Dynamics’ P.O. Box 501 Yorba Linda, CA 92686 (714) 529-6328 voice (714) 529-9721 FAX

Undeniable Value

2 Node License $ 99

4 Node License $ 149 16 Node License $ 199 250 Node License $ 399 Multiuser SDK FREE

Node license upgrades are available for the difference plus 10%. Minor revision upgrades can be downloaded free of charge.

Download the Free demo version: (714) 529-9525 2400bps (714) 529-5313 9600+bps v.32 (714) 529-9721 9600+bps ZyXel (714) 529-9547 9600+bps HST

ee

THE BULLETIN DOARD SYSTEMS MAGAZINE

PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Richard Paquette

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER John P. Carcione

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Richard W. Robinson Jr.

DESIGN AND ILLUSTRATION Terry Wilson, Rainbow Creek Studios

ART DIRECTOR

Jeanne Lorenzo

PRE-PRESS PRODUCTION Beth Tomasello

NEWSSTAND CONSULTANT

William A. Townsend

BNL Distribution Services, Inc.

100A Centre Blvd. Marlton, NJ 08053 Tel: 1-609-985-8550

SUBSCRIPTION FULFILLMENT Starr Fulfillment Corp. 900 Haddon Ave., Ste 326 Collingswood, NJ 08108 1-609-858-4411

Editorial and Advertising — We can be contacted online at “The Livewire BBS,” which is the support BBS, set modem al 8,N,1] and call 1-609-235-5297. Voice Office number is: 1-609-953-9110; Fax is: 1-609-953-7961]; hardcapy mailing address is: Callers Digest Inc, 701 Stokes Rd, Medford, NJ 08055.

Subscriptions USA CANADA/

MEXICO 1 Yr. (12 issues) $30 $50 2 Yrs.(24 issues) $50 $90

Call our order HOTLINE at 1-800-822-0437 8am-4pm EST, Mon-Fn, and charge your subscription to your Visa or MasterCard, or send check, money order payable to Callers Digest, Inc.

Entire contents copyright ©1994 Callers Digest, Inc., all rights reserved. Material in this publication MAY NOT be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher of BBS Magazine.

BBS Magazine (ISSN #1055-2812) is published monthly by Callers Digest, Inc., 701 Stokes Rd., Medford, NJ 08055. Callers Digest, Inc. is not responsible for the opinions expressed by contributors. Questions and comments are wel- comed. Unless otherwise instructed, we assume all rights to letters, articles, or other communications sent to Callers Digest, Inc. as unconditionally assigned for publication. Material not accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope will not be returned. Uploads are accepted only in ZIP format al “The Livewire BBS,” 609-235-5297 (HST, 8,N,1).

POSTMASTER: Please send all change of address (with old Jabel and new address) to: Starr Fulfillment Corp., 900 Haddon Ave., Sle 326, Collingswood, NJ 08108.

PRINTED IN UNITED STATES

JANUARY 1994 BBS MAGAZINE

CONTENTS

VOLUME 5, NUMBER 1 JANUARY 1994

FEATURES 10 Probing the Pro

A Friendly Mac GUI Host that Doesn’t Discriminate? by Scott Edwards

16 A Peek into Powerboard

Staff Report

COLUMNS

22, The Data Bank, The Wizard’s Palace,

Deep Cove, Brave Dave's BBS Notebook by Alan R. Bechtold

34 Common Carrier Status and BBSs

The Law and BBS Users by Shari Steele

36 “Honey, Did You Download the Mail?”

Are We Having Fun Yet? by Lance Whitney

38 Doing the Impossible

Commodore Connections by Gaelyne R. Moranec

40 Chasing Down the Deals

Modem Discounts by Victor R. Volkman

46 You Called?

InterNet Made Easy by Mike Robinson

48 Keep the Kids Coloring

Uncle Hank’s Shareware Reviews by “Uncle” Hank Hurteau

0 Getting Online...

Macintosh Online by Michael A. Kuykendall

52 A Ticket to Ride

BBS Callers: Who Are They? By Richard Lowell Harding

DEPARTMENTS 4 readme.txt

6 Newswire 56 Authorized CD Sub BBS List 58 Classified Ads

60 Advertiser’s Index

Rusty Edie Dual Eliminator

Rusty n Edie’s BBS announces the introduction of their Dual Eliminator. Simply plug your phone line to the Dual Eliminator and then plug the Dual Elimin- ator into your modem. This devide consists of 2 passive electronic filters that handle both high and low frequency noise from the phone line. Both high and low frequency are independently adjustable with knobs that mount on the front of the unit. Surge protection is provided by an electronic varistor.

A light emitting diode, also mounted on the front of the unit, glows whenever the device is eliminating noise from the phone lines. This device can solve the majority of noise problems associated with telecommuni- cations today, and is sold with a 30 day, money back guarantee. They sell for $25 each plus $4 shipping and handling. To order, call Rusty n Edie’s at 216-726-4217, fax to 216-726-3595 or call their BBS number 216-726-2620; they will accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

Rusty n Edie’s BBS 7393 California Ave. Youngstown, OH 44512

a you'd like to know everything about the expanding network of information | “systems,

bulletin board software, discounted modems, your rights on the Info

h Superhighway, shareware programs, the ha = latest news about the

i \telecommunications industry? Well, you chose the right source.

? BBS Magazine has been covering bulletin board systems and related subjects for years. With an eye on static events in the world of BBSing and another on system operators and callers, we've continually brought readers analysis and reports in an intelligent, yet simple manner.

If you are getting acquainted with the magazine for the first time, you might be interested to know a little more about us. For the veterans, bypass the next paragraph.

BBS Magazine published its first issue in September, 1990, to help members of the expanding bulletin board subculture figure out who to dial, and to shep- herd novices getting online for the first time. Since then, the world of BBSing has changed tremendously: Four million calls a day are made to thousands of boards smattering the cyberscape with myriad special interest files, programs, messag- ing, conferences and services. Corporations have gotten involved — companies who two years ago knew only faxes and the U.S. Mail for information exchange now take orders through the office BBS. Politicians are talking information high- ways over cocktails and everywhere people are wondering, “what’s this all about?” And they’re getting involved. Our goal now is to continue bringing you the latest in BBSing, from reviews of cutting edge software to commentary on special interest bulletin boards and everything in between.

You'll notice the look of the magazine has changed. We've added a graphical interface, if you will, with the intention of making it a little easier to get from page one to the back cover. The changes will be moderate and incremental — allowing longtime readers to keep their footing — but the thrust of the content will remain intact.

In future issues, this space will be devoted to introducing stories and columns. You also might read a comment or two on the increasing importance of BBSs in everyday life. We have a penchant for humor here, so don’t take it per-

sonally if we poke fun now and then. But most of all, this and other pages in the magazine will serve as a guide for those maki tions. So hit the pause key, the page.

And by the way,

ng the leap into online communica- find a comfortable chair in a sealed room and tum

readme.txt cannot be deleted. NEXT MONTH: Want daily access to the Internet work, continuously updated info 24. hours a day bill 80 percent? Pick up the February issue and

and nearly any conference net- all while cutting your telephone we'll give you the whole story:

flor

evore? metensscaebeneptaaseerreese tee eee. cc pcqayannosenneseseset® Treen eee eessrecorstesennaavensecaaneanenonsscacsssnecenensereene!

JANUARY 1994 BBs MAGAZINE

_ Online Photograp a tales Orden Entry

Durand Communications Network praddnet announces the DC

Net Online Photograph Database. This powerful multi-line

database is 100% configurable to meet your application

needs. Now you can create your own business database

application or use one of our ‘turn-key’ applications to provide

| complete database services. With DC Net, you can have up to 16 databases online at one time.

The latest addition to the DC NET Online Photograph

Database family of products is Order Entry v1.0. Callers can

search a graphical database, view photographs and order |

products online. Order Entry can link to any custom designed

DC NET database application. | |

| Features

DC Net v2.0 / Multiple images and text on the same screen 4 1. 0) ORDER ENTRY i / Move, resize or tile multiple images online or offline —

Y Terminal program is 100% RiPscrip compatible ee

/ Attach up to 10 photographs or text files to any record / View up to 7 pages of detail for every record

/ Print photographs online or offline

Y Bill only successful database searches

/ Offline viewing of images with DC Slideshow

/ Support for BMP, PCX, GIF, TIF, TGA and CMP

Y/Y Most images compress to 8k-15k

Y Shareware terminal program distributed royalty free

[ Onder Entry v1.0 — in = - | i Y 100% configurable to meet your Order Entry needs : | | Y Configurable shipping and payment methods Y Define distributor discounts | / Complete user-account level security / Review orders and totals before ordering / Automatically calculates taxes and shipping Y Automatically generates E-Mail P.O. Y/ Complete mouse support

--+---RIPscrip graphics

WM] ROAST At Datasce

i | | |

‘ae ES Hollister Ave., Suite #405 46 rps Suite #1130 z a 2220

DEMO. 1 805-964-2833 eRe)

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1b ERE

Move Over Bureaucrats — ZyXEL Puts the Citizens Online

Diamond Bar, CA — Unaccountable bureaucrats, red tape and the dreary Muzac behind the hold button getting you down? One Orange County, CA, city has — with the help of ZyXEL voice/fax modems — found a way to beat the sys- tem (and clean up the air).

The town of Diamond Bar last fall implemented a telecomm pilot program enabling residents to use their PCs to access city documents, read announce- ments, send electronic mail to officials and staff members, and to complete city surveys.

Called City Online, the system was put in place without the use of tax money. The computer/telecomm system is made up completely of hardware and software donated by various vendors.

Key components of City Online are four ZyXEL U-1496E voice/fax modems which the Anaheim, CA-based supplier of high-speed land and cellular modems donated to the city. The ZyXEL modems offer integrated voice and fax line shar- ing, call forwarding, remote access and private mailboxes.

A thrust behind the communications project is a recent California law requir- ing municipalities to create ways to reduce auto usage, thereby improving air quality: fewer cars traveling to city hall, less air pollution.

But what about those without comput-

ZyXEL’s U-1496P

The New Portable Maser Tas wets Vows

ers and modems? The city plans to install City Online terminals in local supermarkets and libranes, enabling them to consolidate short errands, too. For more information, contact ZyXEL at 4920 E. La Palma Ave. Anaheim, CA 92807, or call voice (714) 693-0808, fax (714) 693-0705, BBS (714) 693-0762.

Stryker Wins Dvorak/Zoom Award

Fort Lauderdale, FL — Timothy J. Stryker, creator of the Major BBS mullti- user bulletin board software and founder of Galacticomm, Inc., received a Dvorak/Zoom Award for Technical Excellence at the second annual ONE BBSCON in Colorado Springs, CO.

An “all-around industry guru,” accord- ing to John C. Dvorak, Stryker founded Galacticomm in 1985, then designed The Major BBS, making the source code avail- able to encourage third-party develop- ment. Today, with an installed base of over 14,000 and more than 100 third- party developers, The Major BBS supports 256 simultaneous users on a single CPU, 3,500 public forum areas and one million files in the libraries. Add-on options include fax-mail, online order entry and Internet connectivity.

Chairman of the board Stryker is cur- rently working on two new ventures, as well: Consensus Systems, Inc., a third- party developer for Galacticomm, and the Superdemocracy Foundation, a non- profit corporation encouraging participa- tion in electronic democracy and voting.

For more information, contact Galacticomm at 4101 SW 47th Avenue, Suite 101, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314 or call them at voice 800-328-1128, fax (305) 583-7846, BBS (305) 583-7808. For information on Consensus Systems or the Superdemocracy Foundation, call (305) 370-7850.

cam JANUARY 1994 BBS MAGAZINE oaeree

ee ee es ee ee

New Version of SemWare’'s QEdit Products Hits the Streets

Marietta, GA — SemWare Corporation recently began shipping version 3.0 of its flagship line of QEdit products, including QEdit Advanced, QEdit TSR and QkEdit for OS/2. Each has been enhanced with greater editing control.

SemWare has been recognized for incorporating ease-of-use in its power- ful, quick and configurable products.

New features in QEdit 3.0 products include a fully integrated spelling checker, increased maximum line length (1,000 characters), enhanced printing options allowing users to select print device, adjust the line spacing and print numbers. Improved macro capabilities make it even easier to develop macros to further personalize QEdit.

For more information, contact SemWare at 4343 Shallowford Road, Suite C3A, Marietta, GA 30062-5022 or call: voice (404) 641-9002, fax (404) 640-6213, BBS (404) 641-8968.

Hayes Announces JT Fax 1446 Dual

Atlanta, GA — Hayes Microcomputer Products, Inc., recently announced Hayes JT Fax 14400B Dual (JT Fax 144Dual), an internal, dual port fax board that sup- ports Group 3 fax speeds of 14,400 bit/s and full-featured digital voice capability. The high-performance fax board can be used in LAN fax server or gateway appli- cations, as well as for enhanced fax ser- vices such as fax-on-demand.

JT Fax voice capability eliminates the need for an additional voice card and provides voice announcement and prompting, voice record and playback and Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF)

ecesconersonsoccsnaserversesrscrncceserepsevenesns secspccrescouraccovesssccesearacssecessaneusonscncsnescneereasteccnscnasnepacyeness,

encode/decode, allowing commands to be entered from a TouchTone tele- phone. The product comes with two dedicated fax and voice units, each with a 16 MHz microprocessor allowing send and receive conversions on-the-fly.

The JT Fax Applications Programming Interface (API) enables fax developers to compose or adapt applications with ease. Applications include FACSys from OPTUS Software, Inc. and FaxFacts from Copia International.

For more information, contact Hayes Customer Service at voice (404) 441- 1617, BBS (800) US-HAYES, ISDN (404) 729-6525.

Synergy Comm. Presents Worldwide Desktop

Santa Barbara, CA — Synergy Communications’ FILE EXPRESS, “The Worldwide Desktop” for Windows, allows users to view local and remote hard drives on a single Windows desktop. FILE EXPRESS owners can click-and-drag files from their system in Toledo to the one on their desk in New York...or Miami, for that matter.

Via modem or direct link, FILE EXPRESS provides “server” capability so a remote PC’s hard drive structure can be viewed from anywhere. Pass- words are provided for security and an activity log, including messages, is maintained.

For more information, contact Synergy Communications at 5276 Hollister Avenue, Suite 405, Santa Barbara, CA 93111 or call: voice (805) 964-1755, fileX (805) 964-1962, Fax (805) 964-4418.

Version 6.0 of

Ready,Set,Go! Released

Hartsdale, NY — Manhattan Graphics Corporation has released Ready,Set, Go!, the high-end Mac desktop pub- lishing package first offered in 1985. Version 6.0 includes many new fea- tures, including object-level trapping, multiple master pages, gradient fills and EPSF export. Auto scaling of text and graphics, XTND support, auto drop caps, floating tool palettes and a pre-

eeaneeevaravesvescecssencensenevaseunacsoescoccorseenseusverevesvenveessesceuesseasonerene

sentation module all are incorporated in the package.

Says MGC: It’s System 7 savvy, with support for QuickTime, Apple Events and Publish & Subscribe (of formatted

text and graphics). SS Ready,Set,Co! as supports multiple lan- Os guages in a single document with automatic hyphenation and spell- checking. Stylesheets can be language- specific or shared globally. For color, a separator provides complete spot and process functions, including RGB-to- CMYK conversion of TIFF/RIFF/EPSF files, dot shape selection, screening control and GCR/UCR control. For more information, contact Manhattan Graphics, 250 East Hartsdale Avenue, Hartsdale, NY 10530, or call 1-800-572-6533.

ASP Adopts Shareware Info System

Muskegon, MI — The Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) voted last fall to adopt the VENDINFO Software Distribution Information System developed by Rams’ Island Software of Parker, CO.

VENDINFO conveys software product information and distribution permissions from author to distributors. A standard file (based on a public format) will carry extensive information in a compressed format. The associated tool set will aid the author in constructing the record, and will allow the distributor to extract por- tions of the record, or to make distribu- tion decisions based on its content, in a highly automated fashion. Operations currently performed manually by sysops and disk vendors will be automated.

VENDINFO will also increase use of the author-provided product descrip- tions, and improve compliance with product distribution policies.

It is expected the VENDINFO.DIZ record will replace the VENDOR.DOC, SYSOP.DOC, LICENSE.DOC, WAR- RANTY.DOC, SITELICE.DOC, FILE_ID.DIZ and DESC.SDI usually found in shareware and public-domain software packages.

For more information, contact the ASP at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427, or call Rudi Ramsey at (303) 841-2848.

JANUARY 1994 BBS MAGAZINE

Plug-and-Play Mobility with Wireless LAN Adapter

San Diego — Soloctek Corp. recently introduced AIRLAN/PCMCIA, the lat- est member of its AIRLAN wireless Ethernet product family.

Designed for use with PCMCIA equipped notebook computers, AIR- LAN allows mobile LAN connections giving users the freedom to about their workplace uninhibited by power cords and network cables.

AIRLAN operates a 2 Mbps and supports all major network operating systems including Novell NetWare, Artisoft LANtastic and Microsoft Windows for Workgroups. No line-of- sight operation is required: the technol- ogy passes data through walls, ceilings and floors up to 800 feet.

AIRLAN is just 5.25 ounces and small enough to be tucked in a purse or pocket. Use is simple and without the need for external AC power or cabling. The antenna comes with a self-mount- ing bracket for easy connection to the notebook, no matter where it is.

For more information, contact Solectek Corp. at 6370 Nancy Ridge Drive, San Diego, CA 92121, or call 1- 800-437-1518.

Searchlight Makes its Move

Cleveland, OH — Searchlight Software has moved its corporate headquarters from Stony Brook, NY to Cleveland, OH.

The BBS Software developer said the November move was the first in a series of dramatic announcements planned for its users.

“Once we’re in Cleveland, we can begin taking the next steps,” said Frank LaRosa, Searchlight President. “We'll be making a major announce- ment in each of the next six months; I think our users will be thrilled to see what we have planned for them.”

After considering Boston and San Diego as possible sites for relocation, Searchlight finally chose Cleveland for its business cost-effectiveness. Cleveland is the country’s seventh largest metropol- itan area and ranks as the third lowest in cost of living, not to mention the city offers low-interest loans to businesses

CONTINUES...

relocating there, noted Geoff Beckman, vice president of operations.

Searchlight’s new address is Searchlight Software, 6516 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44102. They can be reached at (BBS) 216-631- 9285, (voice) 216-631-9290, (fax) 216- 631-9289. The Orders line remains 800-780-LITE.

The Skinny

NEC AMERICA INC. recently announced its Dr. Bond collection of bandwidth- on-demand dial routers now supports AppleTalk via AppleTalk Remote

Access Protocol.

PRACTICAL PERIPHERALS, a leading manufacturer of modems and other peripherals, has appointed John W. Murphy as president.

XIRCOM INC. has introduced its Pocket Ethernet Modem.

VON BULOW ASSOCIATES is now offer- ing its Voice Tree and Fax Tree System. The computer-based fax-back system is programmable and interactive.

ONE CALL Gets It ALL"!

* Live Internet feed with ftp & telnet * Full Usenet feed with 4,000 + Newsgroups

AU.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES subcommittee in Washington has OKd a bill funding pilot programs to connect schools, health care facilities, local gov- ernment and library systems via the lat- est in telecommunications technologies.

MICROCOM, INC., released in late October two 28.8 Kps V. fast modems at a suggested retail price of $499. Microcom is a leading developer of remote PC connections.

INTERNIC INFORMATION SERVICES recently launched its premier issue of NICLink, a CD-ROM-based quarterly

periodical.

TRIBUNE COMPANY, Ticketmaster Corp. and America Online, Inc., have formed an alliance allowing Chicago Online members to check schedules and buy tickets for concerts in the Chicago area and Florida. AOL is also offering the Cowles/SIMBA Media Daily, an elec- tronically delivered assortment of daily media and publishing news.

IBM IS PRESENTING a new group of per- sonal computers, Personal System/1, that the company claims will greatly reduce the leam- ing curve for neo- phyte home and small business PC users.

SUPRA CORPORATION

* 1,000 International mail conferences from: ILink, Rime, FidoNet, SmartNet, Treknet, Annex & Internet E-mail.

* HOT Adult BBS action with original Gifs, Textfiles, massive archive collection, game doors & sizzling network mall fromThrobNet, AdultLinks, AduttNet & AfterDark * Diverse |0 gigabyte file library with daily submissions from the Internet, 30 file distribution networks,

original author postings & ASP files. * Local Access Telephone Numbers in 350 Cities, Call (800) 521-2733 for the Local DSC Number in Your Area

reached an agree- ment in late September to acquire assets of PSI integration, the modem manu- facturer based in Campbell, CA. Supra manufac- tures communica-

tions products for Macintosh, DOS and Windows operating systems.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATES is expanding its line to include Macintosh. The comm-products maker is offering CrossTalk for Macintosh.

INFO ENTERPRISES has announced an online service offering digital informa- tion, multimedia, messaging and more by way of wide area network or modem.

AIR COMMUNICATIONS INC. has announced AirCommunicator. The device supports 57,600 bps data trans- mission over the current cellular tele- phone network.

PIICEON, the modem and memory man- ufacturer, is distributing it’s cell- ready/full-featured PCMCIA with SmartConnect. The entire PCMCIA line has undergone price reductions of near- ly 30 percent.

IBM PC CO. recently announced its Windsurfer Communications Adapter for Micro Channel Systems. The device is said to turn the PC into a “complete telecommunications center.”

AT&T'S INTERSPAN frame relay in Europe will be expanded to allow cus- tomers to connect their LANs directly to InterSpan.

MICROSOFT CORP. is set to release upgraded e-mail clients with built-in remote features and more user-interface customizing ability.

EDIFY CORP. has announced v.3.0 of its Edify Electronic Workforce, the agent- based software that automates the han- dling and communication of information.

AT&T PARADYNE has released a non- proprietary multimedia modem that will allow users to send and receive still images, graphics or data while talking onthetelephone. ama

UNCLE HANK’S SHAREWARE REVIEW NEWSLETTER

Published bi-monthly, this newsletter takes a good look at some of the best Shareware available today. Each issue contains reviews from a wide variety of areas. Always in

Datamax/Satalink Connection BBS V.32bis 14.4 (215)443-7390 HST/DS(215)443-5830 telnet via Internet: dsc.voicenet.com

plain English.

For a sample issue, send $2 to: Uncle Hank's Shareware, 8 Hendrick St., Easthampton, MA 01027

Send $10 with this ad, you can subscribe for 1 yr. (6 issues) & save $2. Make checks payable to Hank Hurteau

JANUARY 1994 BBS MAGAZINE

Thé Pier Shareware CD-ROMs

Thé HOTTEST and most CURRENT CD-ROMs on the market! THREE-DISC SET SPECIAL FoR onLY $59.00

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uch has been written over the past few months about GUI (Graphical User Interface, or goo-ey) hosts for the Macintosh. In gener- al, most find that graphical bulletin board systems are more exciting and easier to use than the traditional command-line user inter- face, common to most PC- based systems. There are three main contenders in the Macintosh BBS software market: TeleFinder by Spider Island Software, operating out of California, First Class by Soft Arc in Canada, and NovaLink Professional (NLP) by ResNova Software, also headquartered in California. First Class has garnered plenty of good press, but I would like to focus on one of the three packages:

NovaLink Professional.

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NovaLink, the first version of NovaLink Professional, was written by Alexander Hopmann (currently ResNova presi- dent) in 1987. March of 1992, ResNova Software was formed to develop, pro- mote and sell the NovaLink information server technology. Since that time, NLP has gone through a continuous cycle of improvements and has received world- wide support. Above all, ResNova’s product support is the best I’ve seen shy of Scott Watson in his Red Ryder days.

The Features...

There are two key elements to this client-server software package. NovaLink Professional is the server/host software and NovaTerm is the client/terminal software. Beyond standard bulletin board functionality, NLP is full featured, including a GUI for both Mac and PC users, message forums, e-mail, file libraries, confer- encing, a built-in scripting language, external applications support (similar to “doors” in the DOS world), gateways to e-mail packages and interconnectivi- ty to Internet, Fidonet and InfoLink.

User Interfaces

There are many “looks” to a NovaLink board. Each interface is designed to meet the needs of a specific user in the on-line community. The choices are cus- tom graphics, icon-driven and the tradi- tional text-based interface (VT100).

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Custom Graphics

With the unlimited flexibility of custom graphics, system operators (Sysops) can design unique systems reflecting their personality. For server navigation, sysops can create their own custom icons, unique buttons and menus. Custom GUIs are available to Mac (NovaTerm graphics), Windows and DOS users (Remote Imaging Protocol- RIPscrip).

NovaTerm graphics can either be imported from your favorite paint pro- gram or created in a utility called NovaMondrian. NovaMondnian allows the sysop to define mouse sensitive regions, so that an easy-to-use point and click environment can be implemented. On the other hand, RIPscrip is used to design a GUI for DOS and Windows users. The RIPscrip package includes RIPaint (used to create the interface) and RIPterm (the client software).

Novatiew

The icon-driven GUI, also known as NovaView, is similar to the Macintosh desktop with folders, scrollable win- dows and clickable icons. The NovaView interface is automatically generated as you design the server. All

CONTINUES

Beyond GUI, NovaLink fully supports VT100, ANS! and TTY. With this range of support, literally any computer can logon to a NovaLink server including Unix, Amiga, Atari, dumb terminals

and more.

a sysop has to do is run NLP, open a new design file and drag miniature icons from a tool palette into a folder. It’s that easy.

Traditional Interfaces

Beyond GUI, NovaLink fully supports VT100, ANSI and TTY. With this range of support, literally any computer can logon to a NovaLink server includ- ing Unix, Amiga, Atari, dumb terminals and more. Historically, Mac-based BBSs did a poor job of implementing command-line user interfaces, but with NLP Mac users can rival PC-based sys- tems.

Elements of the Server

NovaLink Pro has an excellent messag- ing system. Message forums are thread- ed, so the original message and all its replies are chronologically organized. The software creates folders for each new post and stores all replies to that message in the same folder. (With all mes- sages located in one place, life is a little easier). Other message forum features include quoting, message scanning and auto deletion of stale messages; both message forums and e-mail support stylized text. Similar to a word processor, font sizes, style and color can be altered to add excitement to any mes- sage. No more unfamiliar word process- ing environment, like the clumsy line editors in some host software packages.

Additionally, you can send files with your message by simply pressing the “Attach” button. Further e-mail fea- tures include off-line mail notification, message forwarding, quoting, return receipts, mailing groups and browsing lists.

Two other elements of the NovaLink server are file libraries and conferenc- ing. NovaLink has complete file library support, including auditing, CD ROM support, simultaneous uploads/down- loads in the background and searching by short and long description. NovaLink offers several options for internode communication. NLP can have any number of real-time telecon- ferences, bulletins, two-person chats, sysop chats and special sysop supervi- sion control.

NovaScript

Beside all the built-in capability of NovaLink Pro, the package allows you

A colorful example of custom graphics possible with NovaLink Pro. Shown Is the Secret World BBS.

to add even more flexibility to your BBS. This is achieved through the user scripting language, NovaScript. NovaScript is similar to HyperTalk in appearance, and allows you to create

JANUARY 1994 BBS MAGAZINE

things like on-line quizzes; restriction of certain nodes to authorized clients; dis- plays of varying graphics based on user criteria; and, plenty more. But the excit- ing way to add more pizzazz to your board is through the use of externals.

Externals

Since NovaLink has been around in some form or another since 1987, there are a substantial number of externals available in the public domain. There are games, BBS list utilities, sysop tools, and many more utilities. Externals can be developed in C or Pascal. ResNova promotes and encour- ages the development of externals, making C libraries available to every- one on their BBS, NovaCentral (714- 379-9004). In fact, Omeed Fanaian, a college student, has developed and is marketing — with the help of ResNova — an “External Power Pack,” complete with an array of useful tools, including:

@ Bulk Mailer, which allows sysops to

mail to multiple users at once, based on access level, computer type, number of calls, ete.

m E-Mail Director, which allows you to combine all of a user’s mail into one text file for mailing.

@ MenuGen, which lets you automati- cally generate a RIP or NovaTerm Graphics menu for those areas you haven’t gotten around to yet