Inside: Bonus All-Mac Supplement (follows page 240) 0 44d235,llQ "" $3.50 U.S.A./$4.50 IN CANADA 0360-5280 The Revolution continues with our new . II •m msi ■'/;■ ■« WSm Mil bmu « Ov DC TURBO C hboc PK5SSS0M TURBO C PROFESSIONAL *S 1 '""" 1 £a ...."" TURBO TURBO „. IURB0 TURBO ASSEMBLER/ ASSEML. DEBUGGER DEBUGGER mi0NAL ROFBSOWi PASCAL * * o PH^ '"" Turbo Assembler, Turbo D What started modestly enough in November of 1983 with the launch of Borland's first program, Turbo Pascal® 1.0, became a revolution and it's been going like a rocket ever since. We've changed the way you program. We invented integrated environments with Turbo Pascal and we brought them to all our languages. Borland continues to bring you the best programming tools in the world. New! Turbo Assembler & Turbo Debugger Two state-of-the-art development tools in one package for only $149.95. New Turbo Debugger® debugs all sizes With EMS support, remote debugging, and 386 virtual machine debugging, there's no limit to the size of program you can debug. In fact with 386 virtual machine mode, debugging takes zero, bytes of conventional memory! See what's happening Overlapping windows give you multiple views of the program you're debugging: source code, variables, CPU registers, call stack, watches, breakpoints, memory dump, and more. And a new "session- logging" feature tracks and records your every move. You're in control Our breakpoints give you more control than anyone else's. Ordinary debuggers only get you to a stop, then they stop. When our breakpoints are triggered you can simply stop, or you can print expressions, run code, send messages to the session log, or even evaluate an expression with user-defined function calls. And all our breakpoints are conditional. Uieu Run Breakpoints Data Uindou Options leftcol* displayp|| men left print! y /* s\ uoid '<* Set| { ► int t| do -C Breakpoints Stack Lag Watches Uariables Module... AU-F3 File... GPU Dump Registers Numeric processor User screen Alt-PS 115 far * B00B:80B8 ZB944L Heffisters j — T ax 7110 c=8 bx 808F z=0 ex 688B s=l dx 0880 o=0 colstartCcol] = total: total *= coluidthlleftcol > ultile ((total <= 80) «S (leftc rightcol = leftcol * col - 2 printed (); ■Log Stopped at jna i n Stopped at MCflLCtll6Z J dump uatcli uindou to log Uatckes lertcol*coI-2 int 115 displayptr cliar far * 0808:0000 mem left long ZU'J44L 1-Hel» Ese-flbort Shown here are views of source code, CPU registers, watch expressions, and a session log. Unique Data Debugging Plain Vanilla debuggers can only give you code debugging. Our new Turbo Debugger give you data debugging too. You can browse through your data from the simplest byte to the hairiest data structure, inspect arrays, and walk through linked lists. All by point and shoot. Feature highlights Breakpoints ■ Actions: stop, run code, log expression ■ Break on condition, memory changed ■ Software ICE capabilites ■ 386 debug register support ■ Support for hardware debuggers Debug any program ■ Turbo Pascal, Turbo C, Turbo Assembler ■ EMS support ■ 386 virtual machine and remote machine debugging ■ Supports CodeView" and .MAP-compatible programs Data Debugger ■ Follow pointers through linked lists - Browse through arrays and data structures ■ Change data values New Turbo Assembler® lets you write the tightest, fastest code Turbo Assembler is faster than other assemblers, and you can use it on your existing code. It's fully MASM compat- ible, 4.0, 5.0, and 5.1; even MASM can't say that. Turbo Assembler takes you beyond MASM, with significant new Assembly language extensions, more complete error checking, and full 386 support. Turbo Assembler is designed for easy interfacing with high-level languages like Turbo Pascal and Turbo C. We use Turbo Assembler on Quattro,® our best-selling spreadsheet program; now you can write your own best-seller with Turbo Assembler! Feature highlights ■ Faster than other assemblers . MASM compatible (4.0, 5.0, and 5.1) ■ Significant new assembly language extensions ■ Easy interfacing with high-level languages including Turbo C and Turbo Pascal • Full 386 support TURBO DEBUGGER TURBO FEATURE COMPARISON DEBUGGER CodeView Multiple overlapping views Yes No 386 virtual-86 mode debugging Yes No Remote debugging Yes No Data debugging Yes Partial Generalized breakpoints Yes No Session logging Yes No Conventional memory used— 80386 ZeroK 230K Conventional memory used— remote 15K N/A Turbo Debugger version 1.0, Wicrosofl CodeView v ersion 2.2 TURBO ASSEMBLER TURBO Microsoft" BGIDEMO BENCHMARK ASSEMBLER Assembler Assembly time (seconds) 9.34 27.46 Link time (seconds) 4.15 10.51 FEATURE COMPARISON MASM compatible (4.0, 5.0,5.1) Yes No Thorough type checking Yes No Nested structures and unions Yes No Multimodule cross reference Yes No Assemble multiple files Yes No Run on IBM PS/2 model 60 using Turbo Assembler version 1.0, Turbo Linker version 2.0, Microsoll Macro Assembler version 5.10, Microsoll Overlay Linker version 3.64 ebugger, Turbo Pascal 5.0 New! Turbo Ce 2.0 with integrated source-level debugger New Turbo C 2.0 is the one C compiler that does it all; nothing is half done or not done at all— instead, your every program- ming need is met. We wrote our best- selling word processor Sprint9 with Turbo C; now you can write your own best seller with Turbo C 2.0. At better than 16,000 lines a minute,* Turbo C 2.0 compiles your code 20-30% faster than its predecessor Turbo C 1.5 which was already faster than any other C compiler. Make bugs bug off Nice bugs are dead bugs, and Turbo C 2.0's integrated source-level debugger lets you find them and flatten them in a flash. You can set multiple breakpoints, watch variables and evaluate expres- sions—all from inside your integrated C environment. Minimum syslem requirements: For tile IBM PS/2™ and Ihe IBM® family ol personal computers and all 100% companies. PC-DOS (MS-DOS) 2 0 or later. Turbo Debugger minumurn 384K. Turbo Assembler minimum 256K. Turbo C and Turbo Pascal minimum 448K (256K comment line version). Project Options Debug Bpeak/uatcli "Customer satisfaction is I twm in accordance wilfi o refund Prices and specifications sufjjecl lo charge nilnoul notice u main concern, it within 60 days ol purchase this product does no I per- claims. call our cuslomer service department, and we will at range a All Borland products are trademarks or regisleted Trademarks of Borland International, inc. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks ol ineir respective holders Copyright «19B8 Borland International, Inc Bl 1290 Line 1176 Col 13 Insert Indent Tab Fill | EtatiisLineC "Press any key to continue, ESC to1 cfetuieusettinsfsC ftup )J width a Cms>. right - uy fidd watch •- UAtcll tcli all Hatches .left) / 15; /* Begin breakpoint Ctrl-F8 11 breakpoints xt breakpoint /* For IB rows of boxes lort i=B ; K1S ; ++i ){ /* For 15 columns of boxes setf illstylet SOLID_FILL, color++ ): /* Set the color of box barC x, yi x 'width, y+height ): /» Draw the box x *= width • l; /» Advance to next col color = 1 + (color V. (llaxColors - 2)K /» Set neu color y /* End of COLUMN loop */ Uatch - fv: -f left:lf top:13f right:638, tjotlom:33fc, cllp:l > Debugging in the Turbo environment: shown here an expression is being added to the Watch window in Turbo C. The Execution Bar highlights the next line the debugger will execute. TURBO C 2.0 HEAPS0RT BENCHMARK TURBO C 2.0 Microsoft" C 5.1 OBJ size (bytes) 843 945 .EXE size (bytes) 6896 7731 Execution time (seconds) 8.1 12.2 FEATURE COMPARISON Integrated debugger Yes No* Inline assembly Yes No Auto dependency checking Yes No EMS support lor edit buffer Yes No Device-independent graphics Yes No Number of memory models 6 5 Price $149.95 $450.00 Heapsorl compiled with lull optimization. Benchmark run on an IBM PS/2 Model 60. "Integrated debugger included with Quick C. Turbo C and Turbo Pascal owners, upgrade now! CALL (800) 543-7543 If you're a registered Turbo C and/or Turbo Pascal owner, you can upgrade and get the latest version of your lavorite language, plus both Turbo Assembler and Turbo Debugger, all at special upgrade prices. Whether you order by phone or mail, be sure to include your old Turbo Pascal and/or Turbo C serial numbers and the code PL02. Mail coupon to: Borland, Attn: Dept. PL02, 1800 Green Hills Road, P.O. Box 660005, Scotts Valley, CA 95066-0005. UPGRADE OFFERS For registered Turbo Pascal" and Turbo C" owners! (Unregistered owners, see below*) Shipping address Cily ( I Stale Zip To qualify for the upgrade price you must give ttie serial number of the equivalent product you are upgrading. Turbo Pascal Serial Number Turbo C Serial Number Upgrades for registered Turbo C and Turbo Pascal owners Suggested Retail Upgrade Price Please check box(es) 1 □ Turbo C 2.0 Professional (Includes both Turbo Assembler and Turbo Debugger} 250.00 99.95 2 a Turbo Pascal 5.0 Professional (Includes both Turbo Assembler and Turbo Debugger) 250.00 99.95 3 □ Turbo Pascal with 5.0 upgrade manual and disks N/A 49.95 4 D Turbo C with 2.0 upgrade manual and disks N/A 4S.95 Please specify diskette size: Either n 5'// OR □ ZW Total product amount $ CA and MA residents add sales tax $ In US please add $5 shipping/handling for each product $ In Canada please add $10 shipping/handling for each product $ Total amount enclosed $ Payment: D VISA D MC D Check □ Bank Draft Credit card expiration date: / Card* I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Name as it appears on card "II you have not registered you Irto Pascal or Tuto C, you may quality lor the special price by including your completed registration card with this coupon and payment. Oiler good Seplember 1 through November 30, 1 Offer good in US and Canada only. This offer limited lo one upgrade per valid product serial number. Not good with any other oiler from Borland. COOs and purchase orders will not be accepted by Borland. Circle 39 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 40) 1 Coupon must be postmarked before December 31. and Turbo C ZO ! Turbo C 2.0 has the best of everything ■ Includes the compiler, editor, and debugger, all rolled into one ■ Integrated source-level debugger lets you step code, watch variables, and set breakpoints ■ Develop and debug production-quality code in all six memory models ■ Inline assembler support ■ Support tor Turbo Assembler and Turbo Debugger ■ Make facility with automatic dependency checking ■ Over 430 library functions, including a complete graphics library ■ Only $149.95 New Turbo C Professional Turbo C 2.0 plus both Turbo Assembler & Turbo Debugger: all three programs rolled into one— the one C package that has everything. 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OS/2 $395 XENIX $1295. UNIX, VMS, please call. Call: (802) 848-7731 Telex: 510-601-4160 VCSOFT Vermont Creative Software ext. 51 FAX 802-848-3502 21 Elm Ave. Richford, VT 05476 MlCROBYTES Staff-written highlights of developments in technology and the microcomputer industry OOPS Meets SQL in HP's Distributed Database System Hewlett-Packard has been nursing an odd combo in its Palo Alto, California, research dens that may prove to be just the ticket for graphics-intensive database chores like CAD, CASE, and corporate pub- lishing. Known as Iris, HP's prototype database mixes object-oriented pro- gramming methods and Structured Query Language (SQL) with relational algebra to produce a distributed database system. This tech- nology could enable data- base management systems not just to store informa- tion, but to spot flaws and in- consistencies in the infor- mation as well. Key to the real-world po- tential of Iris is its SQL mod- ule. SQL is already well- established as a database access language among cor- porate users. HP's object-ori- ented variant, OSQL, capi- talizes on the basic SQL syntax, substituting objects for field names in a query. The HP approach could, for example, enable administra- tive personnel in an engi- neering work group to use fa- miliar query tools to extract cost or productivity data from an object-oriented database. Since the objects contain not only data but also procedures for handling that data, such a database could easily handle a wide variety of data, including different types of graphics images. In some CAD applica- tions, OSQL can be used to help find flaws in designs. For example, according to Thomas Ryan, HP's prod- uct manager for database technology, the system can be used to find bugs in circuit diagrams. "Imagine a cir- cuit designer trying a com- mand like this with a regu- lar CAD system: 'Show me all the chips I haven't hooked wires to yet.' It can't be done." HP demonstrated the technology at a recent object- oriented-programming con- vention in San Diego, Cali- fornia, and said it was basically testing the waters. If response is compelling enough, HP could kick Iris out of research and into marketing. The company has no official timeline for commer- cialization. But according to Ryan, Iris has been essen- tially complete for 2 years. It currently runs on HP's Unix systems. Iris technol- ogy could be delivered on just about any computing platform, said Ryan. "That would be marketing's decision." Three-Dimensional Display: They Do It with Mirrors I t's not a hologram, and you don't need specially polarized glasses to see it, but a three-dimensional image on the new Space- Graph Display System ap- pears to float in a black void under the hood of the massive (150-pound) unit. BBN Laboratories (Cam- bridge, MA) has developed this unique system that gen- erates the images from any standard CAD files contain- ing x, y, and z coordinates, such as those produced by CADkey or AutoCAD. The heart of the $30,000 SpaceGraph Display System is a 16-inch circular mirror that's made of 3-mm-thick acrylic. Thirty times a sec- ond, the mirror is alternately deformed between concave and convex. What you see is the reflection of the face of the x-y display (the monitor mounted above). Because of the optics of curved mirrors, the CRT appears to move about 80 times as far as the center of the mirror actu- ally moves, effectively creat- ing a deep display from a tiny shift of the mirror. Ac- cording to BBN scientist Lawrence Sher, it's effec- tively the same concept as the three-dimensional display your eye would see if you could oscillate a regular monitor back and forth 30 times a second. Because of the persistence of vision, your eyes "see" a true three- dimensional image. The actual size of the visible display is a cube about 10 inches square, and the actual number of points that can be displayed in the visi- ble area is 32,768. You can move your head about 30 degrees to either side of the mirror's center line, and within these limits, you can look over, under, and around the image. BBN uses a unique meth- od to oscillate the mirror: sound. The acrylic mirror is designed so that it reso- nates at exactly 30 Hz, and a loudspeaker mounted in back of the mirror provides the 30-Hz tone. Sher said it's essential that an absolutely pure 30-Hz tone be created, continued NANOBYTES • The recent price hikes by Apple Com- puter (Cupertino, CA) drew more flack than any recent price changes we can recall. Users, even in the religious quarters of the Macintosh commu- nity, were steamed. Some few apologists justi- fied the Mac's relatively high price as a result of Apple's considerable R&D investment, but most users felt the com- pany went too far this time. Mac owners on BIX made it clear they were not happy; the messages commenting on the increases— which, for example, saw a 1- megabyte Mac II (with a 40-megabyte hard disk) jump from $5369 to $6169— were emphati- cally negative. Mac rooters felt the new prices make it tougher for their favorite machine to compete against IBM PC clones. An Apple spokesperson told us the increases were due to "many factors that are impacting our business, DRAM and component pricing among them." The DRAM defense was generally considered suspect, particularly since machines that use the same RAM did not go up in relative pro- portions. • If we want to give computing power to the people who need it, we have to isolate them from the confusion of multi- ple hardware and soft- ware standards, Bor- land International (Scotts continued DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 11 MICROBYTES NANOBYTES Valley, CA) president Philippe Kahn told the Capital Microcomputer Users Forum in Washing- ton, DC, recently. Things have gotten too confusing even in the Mac environment, Kahn said. "It's a mess. Now you can go and buy things and they won't work. You don't build products for functional- ity any more; you build them for check marks in product reviews." • Advanced Logic Re- search (Irvine, CA), which makes some very fast IBM PC-compati- bles, hopes to be the first company to bring to market a system based on the new EISA (Ex- tended Industry Stan- dard Architecture) speci- fication. ALR is aiming for the second quarter of next year. Most other manufacturers have said that they will not have such a machine until the second half of 1989. The ALR system, company officials said, will use a 33-MHz 80386 processor and have a 128K-byte memory cache and a 128-bit bus, 64 more bits than the EISA specification calls for. It would presum- ably have 64-bit-wide buses for both data and addresses, and would thus be faster than the pro- posed normal EISA bus. • Here's what IBM chairman John Akers had to say about the EISA gang. "We'll be trying to beat their brains out before they beat our brains out. Which is as it should be," he told a Yale Univer- sity audience. "I gather that they [the EISA con- sortium] won't be intro- ducing a product for at least a year," he said. continued both to move the mirror and to avoid harmonics that might be audible. The tone is stored as a digitized wave- form on a ROM in Space- Graph's interface board, and it's converted to frequency by a D/A converter. Accord- ing to Sher, this is one of the major secrets for highly accurate control of the mir- ror's motion. The display system's full-length interface board plugs into a 16-bit slot of any IBM PC AT or compat- ible computer. Because SpaceGraph uses a nonraster analog display, the board is packed with proprietary chips and four D/A con- verters. The unit comes with a command-driven program that performs some simple format conversion on CAD files. Sher said the U.S. Navy is using SpaceGraph to plot underwater weapon trajec- tories, and an aerospace firm is using it to graphically display finite element analy- sis. He said the price of SpaceGraph will drop when it goes into volume pro- duction. When the Decade Turns: What's Ahead for the Industry? As we get closer to the 1990s, the decade loses a little of its Flash Gordon sheen. It looks now like we won't all be walking around with wristwatch com- puters as powerful as the ones on our desks, with tiny screens showing full- motion video pictures sent through the air and con- trolled by software that's compatible with everything. (That stuff will have to wait for the late 1990s.) After sitting through facts and figures and projec- tions at a recent Dataquest- sponsored conference and consulting our own crystal ball, we have a more modest view of the next few years. And while we always view market projections cau- tiously and with a keg of salt nearby— as 3COM's Bill Krause joked, "They always start in the lower left-hand corner and go up at a 45 de- gree angle"— they provide at least a general picture of what's ahead. Analysts at Dataquest forecast early-'90s growth in the industry at about 12 percent worldwide, and most of the hardware and soft- ware executives at the confer- ence agreed. John Roach of Tandy said he didn't "like those figures worth a damn," but he expects his company to sell lots of equipment to a suddenly booming home-computer market. Europe is projected to be a slightly bigger mar- ket than the United States. Most of the computers sold will still be based on Intel processors, except that the majority of systems will use the 80386, and the minority will use the 8088 and 8086 (a reversal of the current situ- ation). Systems running on Motorola 680x0 processors will be popular but not pre- dominant (Dataquest pro- jects about 14 percent, but that could all change de- pending on the sales of Mac- intoshes, NeXT Com- puters, Suns, and so on.) Laptops, which will con- tinue to get lighter and yet more powerful, will finally tap into the market that's out there for portable comput- ing, including satellite offices and roving person- nel. The number of inte- grated circuits required to build a full-functioning per- sonal computer could drop to about 40 by 1992, com- pared to 200 ICs used in the PC AT in 1982 and about 80 ICs in the PS/2 Model 50. Recent developments, such as the LEAP chip set from Chips & Technologies, better methods of building display screens, and lightweight, high-capacity disk drives— a new company called PrairieTek (Longmont, CO) has announced a 20- megabyte 2 '/2-inch hard disk drive— point to im- proved laptops. Networks will have to get easier to install and operate if the real world is to come anywhere near matching the forecasts that see scenarios with 50 to 90 percent of all personal computers hooked into local-area networks (currently, it's 13 percent, Dataquest says). Major im- provements in network throughput or bandwidth will take place in the next de- cade, 3COM's Krause says. Ethernet currently has a bandwidth of 10 megabits per second. According to Krause, Fiber Distributed Data Interchange (FDDI) technology will allow trans- fer rates of 100 megabits per second. The network model will also change. The terminal-to-host model of the mainframe is already fading into the past, replaced by the client/server model. In the 1990s, according to Krause, networks will be served by "special-purpose" network computers with built-in circuitry for control- ling the network and the Ethernet bus. These ma- chines will act not only as file servers, but also as "compute servers," provid- ing databases and communi- cations control, as well as monitoring the network. If vendors develop "plug and play" networks, we could see an end to what Krause called "islands of LANs with no bridges." Despite the eagerness of some industry observers and their broadcasters to bury OS/2, evidence at the Data- quest conference indicated that the obituaries are pre- mature. The researchers continued 12 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 Ifamoie triesfotdl 301 that one the page. To each MaosoftQuickBASIC Microsoft. QuickC. File Kdit tfieu Search Run j Debug] Calls ; B icMsttit: "1988.MCS_ _Mon-^7am-S^n^^Suji_8am-5£m BY-12/BSj 24 BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 Letters Burks's Reply My wife, Alice R. Burks, and I greatly appreciate G. Michael Vose's review of our book, The First Electronic Com- puter: The Atanasoff Story (September). Vose provides an unusually perceptive account of John V. Atanasoff s electron- ic computer, emphasizing the signifi- cance of his original algorithm for the design of the entire machine. He also gives an excellent summary of the Honeywell-Sperry Rand court case that proved both the primacy of Atanasoff s computer and its influence on the ENIAC, emphasizing here the signifi- cance of John W. Mauchly's own admis- sions on the witness stand. My purpose now is to correct a mis- conception about my motivation in co- authoring this book, as expressed in Vose's statement that "[Burks] had no qualms about encouraging his later em- ployer, Honeywell, to challenge his old comrade's patent claims," and that the attendant "strong economic motivation taints ever so slightly Burks's role in tell- ing the story." It is true that I was a consultant for Honeywell in its suit against Sperry Rand over the validity of the ENIAC patent, but I actually worked in this capacity for only 12 days (over a period of 6 months) . Moreover, I also consulted for Sperry Rand, Bell Telephone Laboratories, and IBM, all with regard to legal actions in- volving the ENIAC patent. My income for these services was not great: a total of $7000 from all four parties. As to Vose's belief that I encouraged Honeywell to challenge the ENIAC pat- ent claims, this is simply not true. Honeywell neither needed nor received any encouragement from me in its pur- suit of this case. Indeed, only after its attorneys gave me copies of critical docu- ments that it (and Control Data Corp.) had unearthed did I begin to see that some of Atansoff's ideas had been incor- porated in the ENIAC (and the EDVAC). For Honeywell— as for the other firms— I merely provided information about the ENIAC as one who had been intimately involved throughout its design, develop- ment, and debugging stages. Let me also make clear that I had held a high opinion of John Mauchly, for both creative ability and professional integ- rity, up until my exchanges with Honey- well and the ensuing court case, when I became convinced that electronic com- puting concepts I had understood to be Mauchly's were actually Atanasoff s. In an early meeting on the EDVAC, for ex- ample, in which arithmetic circuits to in- teract with J. Presper Eckert's mercury- delay-line memory were being explored, Mauchly suggested a binary serial adder, radically different from the paral- lel decimal counters of the ENIAC. Needless to say, at that point in history we were all impressed, and no one thought anything of it when Mauchly and Eckert took out patents on several serial binary adders. Only through the ENIAC patent case was it revealed that the basic electronic element of Atanasoff s com- puter was just such an adder; that Mauch- ly had examined it and found it to work exactly as intended; and, indeed, that Atanasoff had designed his adder for use in conjunction with his own separate ca- pacitor memory. Thus, while the Hon- eywell-Sperry Rand patent trial was gratifying in that it finally established who invented what, for me it was disillu- sioning as well. Arthur W.Burks Professor Emeritus Philosophy and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI continued WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. Please double-space your letter on one side of the page and include your name and address. We can print listings and tables along with a letter if they are short and legible. Address correspondence to Letters Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. Because of space limitations, we reserve the right to edit letters. Generally, it takes four months from the time we receive a letter until we publish it. dBASF Users— Attack the Mac with FoxBASE+/Mac New Frontiers, No Fears. FoxBASE+/Mac gives you the unprece- dented ability to run your dBASE pro- grams on the Macintosh immediately— without changing a single line of code! But there's much more. With FoxBASE+/Mac you can create beautiful, robust applications that are truly Mac-like— using the familiar dBASE language! Speed and Power. FoxBASE+/Mac gives you speed to burn— plus the power and performance you've come to expect from Fox. 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FoxBASE and FoxBASE+ are trademarks of Fox Software. dBASE and dBASE III PLUS are trademarks of Ashton-Tate. Macintosh is a trademark of Mcintosh Laboratory, Inc., licensed to Apple Computer, Inc. You can create stunning screens like this with FoxBASE + /Mac— immediately! This actual FoxBASE + /Mac screen photo illustrates the View Window, Command Window, Integrated Graphics, Memo field editing, Trace and Debugging Facilities, and the BROWSE feature. Command Window. FoxBASE + /Mac's Command Window gives both experienced developers and novice user ultra-convenient access to the dBASE command language— just type a command into the Command Window, and it's executed! Get The FoxBASE +/Mac Facts Now ! Call (419) 874-0162 Ext. 320 for more information about FoxBASE +/Mac. Or visit your local software retailer. FoxBASE + /Mac is part of the award-win- ning family of products from Fox Software. For two years in a row, FoxBASE + has been given the prestigious Editor's Choice award by PC Magazine, and scored an impressive 9.2 out of a possible 10 when tested by InfoWorld's Review Board! Fox Software I Nothing Runs Like a Fox. Fox Software, Inc. (419) 874-0162 Ext. 320 118 W. South Boundary FAX: (419) 874-8678 Perrysburg, OH 43551 Telex: 6503040827 Circle 108 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 25 LETTERS AnthroCan and Technology Furniture are registered trademarks of Anthro. Where Blame Is Due In the Nanobytes column (August), Apple Chief Del Yocam was quoted as saying, "The scarcity of 1 -megabit chips is due to Japanese failure to foresee the growth in demand for 1 -megabit chips and the Reagan administration's trade embargoes." This statement backs up the axiom, "The half-life of the facts is about 90 days." The truth of the matter is that the Japa- nese are forced to limit their export of semiconductor memories to the U.S. by the protectionist measures put in place by the U.S. Congress. The Reagan adminis- tration opposed the measures. See you again in 90 days. Al Cacace Fort Lauderdale , FL Image Compression The advanced computer class of Rabat (Morocco) American School had been investigating fractal geometry when I read "A Better Way to Compress Images" by Michael F. Barnsley and Alan D. Sloan (January). In the interest of showing the class this impressive means of creating images with only a few bytes of information, I wrote a program in Applesoft BASIC using Barnsley and Sloan's random-iteration algorithm. I changed their "a, b, c, d, e, f" input to an input of rotation, scale factor, and trans- lation for each affine transform. Adapt- ing the iterated function system (IFS) image codes in the article's tables 1 to 4 into terms of rotation, scale factor, and translation was the beginning of our class solving the challenge of finding the two transformations that generate the spiral image in figure 13. To develop an understanding of how and why a transform works, we investi- gated simple, single, and double trans- forms point by point. Then we made horizontal, vertical, and diagonal line segments using two or three transforms. Here, clues from the IFS tables helped. Progressively, we came to understand these and other transforms— what they do and why they work as they do. At this point, we were prepared to tackle the challenge spiral. First, we made Archimedean spirals. Making measurements from figure 13, one can directly deduce the scale factor and rota- tion needed to make an Archimedean spiral with the same proportions as the figure's. But to restart the spiral inward, another transform is needed to relocate the point to the spiral's beginning (at point (1,1) in this case). This explains the translation of transform 1. Also, the continued sr J««« BM H? sfe ^w^ - ;"^-T^ ~~~_^zm v^ The Fortune Teller 11 11 ftP J:' — — KSSS5S: : sss 5S£ gszs££: r~^r™'.?-"~™ ™.'"n'.".r™™!z r^rrrfTT*"*' ~.~r srr~" "" PFKS/HYG, G5 in What You See Is What You Get. No translation needed. , * desktop publishing. And presen- tation applications that let you create a sophisticated graphics show, from your office instead of the art studio's. With Windows giving laser printers their marching orders, all manner of documents take on program, Micro- soft Excel, goes \ so far beyond w just simple number- crunching that it has received unparalleled acceptance in cor- porate America. More powerful than any other, it also easily deliv- ers sophisticated charts, graphs, text and data pulled simultane- ously from several sources. And to make it even easier, we built it to graciously accept files and macros from other programs. The new generation of PCs will run OS/2 with Presentation A simple point and click replaces mumbo-jumbo keyboard commands. Manager, taking our graphical screen to even greater heights. By unlocking the capability of these machines, users can easily switch between programs almost instantly Members of a workgroup can work together on an unlimited number of tasks. And finally every kind of pro- gram, from spreadsheets to elec- tronic mail to word processing, works in a common way To the user, learning one is a quick step toward learning them all. To the corporate bottom line, it means far less valuable time and money are spent on training. But the real practicality of the graphical user interface comes to life when, inevitably it appears on every computer screen, every- where. And networking becomes not only possible, but required in this competitive world. When you think about it, the goal Microsoft set in 1975 of see- ing a computer on every desk and in every home seems close at hand. Because, at Microsoft, our fierce pursuit of technology comes with a promise to keep. Making it all make sense. *i$ Making it all make sense: 61988 Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft, the Microsoft logo, MS-DOS and MS are registered trademarks and Making it all make sense is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Macintosh and Mac are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Micrografx Designer is a product ofMicrograh, Inc. and OPUS I is a product ofRoykore Software, Inc. e^ o^ ....-■ Microsoft Making it all make sense: For the first in a series of articles detailing Bill Gates' perspectives on personal computing into the 1990s, call Microsoft at (800) 323-3577. In Canada call (416) 673-9811, outside North America, (206) 882-8661. Chaos Manor Mail Jerry Pournelle answers questions about his column and related computer topics Keeping a Perspective on Viruses Dear Jerry, As a great admirer of your and Mr. Ni- vens's work, it saddens me to read of your exaggerated fear of viruses. I have been a sysop for several years on several different types of systems, ranging from an IBM PC AT to even 8-bit (a less repu- table computer type cannot be found) computer systems. My current system is an XT-class AT&T PC6300 with 60 megabytes of drive space. As a sysop of a larger-scale system, I have many files going in and out of my system, both from users and from the international FidoNet mail network. A virus cannot be transmitted through a dongle (a hardware security device) while it is attached to a parallel port; it's unlikely that a virus can enter any kind of data that would affect the system mem- ory or disk drive(s). Virus transmission can be done with expansion cards, but not with copy-protection dongles. As a rule, public domain (shareware, what have you) programs are usually well tested and devoid of harmful infec- tious programs. If we get an upload from someone we don't know, and we don't recognize it, we don't run it to begin with. If the program is then downloaded to another system of a user, and it proves to be harmful, it is then removed. At one point, my system was infected by a virus that allocated itself as bad sec- tors and was well beyond my reach to fix without reformatting my drive. I knew that it came from one of my users, but I didn' t know who or what program it was . We can at times have hundreds of ar- chived files to sort through, and if we get hit, there's nothing you can do but delete files and start over. The virus's sole pur- pose, by the way, was to fragment my hard disk drive, one sector at a time. Viruses can come from any source, truly enough. About your only clues are if a package comes from an unknown software house or user, contains no in- struction files (e.g. , *.DOC or *.TXT,), is distributed under public domain pre- cepts, or is simply unsavory looking. Be- yond that, and aside from a detailed de- bug or analysis of the program, you cannot tell if you're in for trouble or not. Oddly enough, if a program is pirated, it is more often than not quite safe. Many piracy groups mean to do nothing more than distribute the "broken" software. In general, if the source is older than 21 and/or is a relative or friend, you should be safe with duplicates. If a program is in any way suspicious, simply don't run it, or wipe it out. Also, programs from retail sources are usually reliable. . .most of the time. Lastly, beware of software that is packaged as public domain, shareware, and so on, that is actually a pirated ver- sion of a reputable package. One example is a package called FIGHTER. ARC, which was actually a cracked version of subLOGIC's Jet. All evidence of the original company was wiped out and re- placed with notices of the program's "public domain" origin. I got this pack- age from an upload from a user. I was lucky in that FIGHTER was harmless, but I've seen what not-so-harmless ones have done to other sysops. Michael Kitchin Potomac, MD Well, I wouldn 't call it an exaggerated fear of viruses; I go whole days without thinking about them. Perhaps I did over- dramatize, particularly in the case of the dongles. I really consider dongles an un- likely source of virus infection. But I don 't think it 's impossible. As for my protection system, I won 't run software of unknown origins on my primary system; and all my software is backed up on a WORM drive, so that if somehow I do get an infection, a disk re- format followed by a restoration from the WORM cures all. —Jerry continued Jerry Pournelle holds a doctorate in psy- chology and is a science fiction writer who also earns a comfortable living writ- ing about computers present and future. He can be reached do BYTE, One Phoe- nix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458, or on BIX as "jerryp. " Circle 36 on Reader Service Card Four ways to build better C programs. . . ^ 4$\ Power Screen $129 Screen I/O manager. Features: screen painter virtual screens data validation context sensitive help unlimited screens definable keys & much more! C Tools Plus $129 Full featured function library. For Microsoft C 5.0 and QuickC. Features: TSR support direct video access VGA and EGA support windows and menus DOS memory allocation interrupt service routines & much more! CASYNCH MANAGER $175 Asynchronous communication manager. Features: speeds to 19.2K baud XON/XOFF protocol hardware handshaking XModem file transfer I/O buffers up to 64K & much more! TURBOC TOOLS $129 Full featured function library. For Borland's Turbo C. Features: TSR support direct video access VGA and EGA support windows and menus DOS memory allocation interrupt service routines & much more! We're Blaise Computing, manufacturers of high quality function libraries designed to reduce the time and technical expertise required for serious applications development. All of our packages include a comprehensive user refer- ence manual with extensive examples, and sample programs, Satisfaction guaranteed or return within 30 days for a full refund. We have a full line of products for C and Pascal. For a free brochure or to order call 800-333-8087! BLAISE COMPUTING INC. 2560 Ninth Street, Suite 316 Berkeley. CA 94710 (415) 540-5441 DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 33 CHAOS MANOR MAIL Correcting Word 4.0's Macro Delays Dear Jerry, Allan Fries's advice on Microsoft Word 4.0's macro delays (July) was not quite correct; the delays are longer the further from the top of the current page you are, and Word is not page-oriented. You could type all day and still be on page 1 . So to reduce response time, you simply repaginate the document. Unless you're ready to print, don't even verify the page breaks. You'll see the macros react much faster than at the end of a long unrepaginated document. The delay, however, does need to be corrected by Microsoft, as does the fact that you can't view a simple list of macros and their hot keys— they're mixed up (in alphabetical order) with the rest of the glossary. Even so, as Mr. Fries says, Word 4.0 is the most elegant and versatile writing tool there is. Robert E. Hawkins Greenville, MS Thanks for the tip. I thought there was something odd about the way the macro delays happened. I'm not using Microsoft Word at the moment. It 's a good editor with a lot of features, though, and I sure don't dis- courage anyone from using it.— Jerry Found: Two Medical Dictionaries Dear Jerry, I noticed Michael Hanson's letter in- quiring about a medical dictionary (June), and I wanted to tell you about the dictionary I've been using. I'm a graduate student at the Univer- sity of Southern California, and I'm writing my dissertation on legal ethics. I've been using a legal dictionary with my IBM PC that has been very useful. The software is produced by R. A. Davis & Associates (520 South Marengo, Pasa- dena, CA 91101, (818) 794-6532). The version I am using works on all IBM PCs and clones, and it is compatible with a large number of word processing sys- tems. I understand that the company that wrote the package also has dictionaries available for medical, engineering, gen- eral sciences, and social science fields. Clifton V. Philpott Los Angeles, CA Thanks. — Jerry Dear Jerry, Aiming a spelling checker at a medi- cal CD-ROM is a clever solution for pro- ducing a dictionary, as you said in your reply to Michael Hanson. However, an easier and possibly cheaper solution for those without the CD-ROM would be to buy Stedman's Medical Dictionary ($89) from Reference Software (330 Townsend St., San Francisco, CA 94107). Stephen Furlong Randolph, MA Thanks.— Jerry The Case for GOTOs Dear Jerry, I have a few comments to make on your column entitled "Transparent Con- versions? Hah!" (March). First, your decision to use trial-and- error techniques for the program conver- sion violates one of the cardinal princi- ples of software engineering. The reason people go to universities to study com- puter science instead of computer art is because you're supposed to use scientific techniques in computing, and the trial- and-error approach is definitely not one of them. It might be OK if you're con- continued 34 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 277 on Reader Service Card Choosing the Right x Database Development / System Just Got Easier / / ■ ^.v^yjk db_VlSTA III Delivers High Performance With No Hidden Costs. Mr / For database applications devel- opment, you want a system with performance, portability, and full functionality at a competitive price. But there's more to it than that. The long term costs assoc- iated with extended development schedules, frequent maintenance, excessive royalties, or the inability to handle complex data relation- ships are often overlooked. These hidden costs can be quite a shock after you have made a commit- ment and are midway through application development, or worse yet, in production. With dbJVISTA III from Raima, there are no surprises. It provides powerful database capability with tremendous overall cost savings. The heart of the system is db_VISTA, a high performance DBMS that uses B-tree indexing and the network database model file structure to minimize over- head and provide fast data access. Our SQL-based db_QUERY provides a relational view of the network structure, without sacri- ficing performance. And dbREVISE lets you easily redesign your database. The entire db VISTA III system is fault tolerant and complete source code is available. db_VlSTA III delivers continuous high performance dbVlSTA III + Database size db_VlSTA ill provides consistent development schedules Design complexity db_VISTA: High Performance DBMS Multi-user Fast data access: B-tree indexing, network database model, virtual memory disk caching Multiple Database Access Referential integrity Automatic recovery Record and file locking Database consistency check Easy-to-use interactive access programs Data Definition Language patterned after C db_QUERY: SQL-based Query Relational interface to db_VlSTA databases Yields extraordinary performance Build ad hoc queries & reports db_REVISE: Database Restructure Program Redesign your database Converts existing data to revised design Upgrade remote end user locations easily Add WKS Library for Lotus 1-2-3 Fast C interface to Lotus, dBASE and others Operating Systems: VMS, ULTRIX, UNIX System V, BSD 4.2, SunOS, QNX, XENIX, OS/2, MSDOS, Macintosh, MS Windows C Compilers: VAX, UNIX, XENIX, SunOS, Microsoft, Lattice, TurboC, LightspeedC, MPW LANs: NFS, 3Com, NetWare, LifeNet, Banyan, and any other MS-DOS NetBIOS-compatible LAN. 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Raima Corporation 3245 146th Place S.E., Bellevue, WA 98007 USA (206)828-4636 Telex: 6503018237 MCI International: U.K.: (0992)500919 Germany: 07127/5244 Switzerland: (01)725 04 10 France: (1 )47 72 77 Finland: (90)42 051 © 1988 Raima Corporation rn raima L^^ CORPORATION 00 cvi UW FAX: (206)828-3131 In Texas call: (214)231-3131 £ 77 Benelux: (02159)46 814 Sweden: (013)124780 CO DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 35 CHAOS MANOR MAIL verting four lines of code, but not for anything more. Second, I agree with Bruce Tonkin's approach. In fact, that is the recom- mended style for interpretive BASIC. An understanding of the behavioral charac- teristics of interpreters and compilers will make this clear. An interpreter is a program that takes in each line of source code, converts it to machine code for the computer to under- stand, and executes it immediately. This process is repeated for each and every line of source code it encounters, irre- spective of how many times the line of code is encountered. This line-by-line interpretation results in slow program execution, since the computer spends more of its time interpreting rather than computing. One of the techniques of im- proving program performance is to use GOTOs wherever possible, instead of GOSUB-like commands when calling a module, since the latter require that the IF DESKTOP PUBLISHING WERE A BUICK, PClfeX WOULD BE A LAMBORGHINI. You'd expect us to say PCTffX is hot — so don't take our word for it. In their desktop publishing systems category, INFOWORLD rated PCTpX#l.They said: "...No non-Tp$C-based program has such typological aesthet- ics—enormously flexible and offers complete control over the output of your printer..." And from PC MAGAZINE: "...PC TpX offers ample rewards. You can WORLD 8.5 achieve incredible precision in formatting text, especially math- ematical expressions. ' I riZ — oo TRY THIS with a standard desktop system and you'll see that for complex scientific and mathematical formulation and notation, PC 1$C leaves the others back in the dust. FORMATTING with textbook quality and unsurpassed placement of TYPE that rivals professional typesetting: all yours. Pick the type you like from 30+ Bitstream font families. FLEXIBILTY Camera-ready, publisher-ready manuscripts are fast and easy. Author to printed piece lime reduces, author con- trol increases. That 's flexibility— that 's PC Tp^i. xy-z dt X-tY = £ (z4-*): Z -X5Y \ TEST DRIVE IT. For a free PC TfX demo diskette, the new PC TfX 88 product catalog and information on a PC TfX configuration for your system, give us a call at 415-388-8853 M PERSONAL II 12 Madrono Ave. INC Mill Valley CA 94941 VOR O O O O O M I PC T[X is o regislered TM of Personal TfX, Inc. TfX is an American Mathematical Society TM. Manufacturer's product aames are Iheir TMs. laquire oboul PTI distributorships. Site licenses available to qualified organizations. This cd was typeset using PCTf-X and Bitstream fonts. calling address be pushed into a stack and popped back after the execution of the module: GOTOs do not. A compiler, on the other hand, takes in the source program file, translates it into machine code once only, and creates an output object file that after linking is ready to execute. Program execution is fast, since the source code is translated only once, and the resultant module can be executed by the operating system as often as required without retranslation. Hence, GOSUB-like commands are preferable to GOTOs from the point of view of modularity and program readability. Third, I don't agree with either you or Edsger Dijkstra that GOTOs are harm- ful. Careless use of GOTOs, yes; con- trolled use, no. In fact, for certain real- time applications in which procedure or subroutine call overheads are undesir- able, or even when you're trying to es- cape the structured constructs due to a particular condition, GOTOs can be invaluable. There are certain taboos about GO- TOs, though. The main one is never to use a GOTO to pass control from one module or procedure into the middle of another. That will constitute what is known as "pathological connection" and can indeed be harmful. GOTOs can be likened to very sharp knives. To say, "very sharp knives are dangerous, so don't use them" is the wrong admonition. The proper advice should be, "very sharp knives are dan- gerous, so use them with care." Dogmatic use of the structured con- structs can be harmful. And structured programming does not mean GOTOless programming. Indeed, the key to suc- cessful computing is flexibility. Mobolaji E. Osunsanya Lagos, Nigeria Your letter brings back memories of the early days of my column, when GOTO was often — and vehemently — debated. My own view is that GOTO statements sometimes make things a lot easier, but the problem is not the GOTO; it's the label to which the GOTO refers: When you're trying to analyze code and you can 't figure out how the program goes to that label, you can go mildly nuts; then when you discover there are three differ- ent ways it can get there, it gets worse. Thus, when someone sends me a pro- gram, I really would prefer that it didn 't have GOTO statements. On the other hand, I'm not above using them once in a while myself when I'm in a hurry and no one 's looking. —Jerry ■ 36 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 Circle 218 on Reader Service Card (Leprecard Hard Disk Cards) Leprecards feature components utilizing the latest technology. Low power drives mean less strain on your systems, lower operating temperature, and longer component life. 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ATARI COMPUTERS 800XL 64K Computer 84.99 130XE 132K Computer 139.00 520ST-FM RGB/Color Syst 789.00 1040ST Color System Call SF1224 Color Monitor 329.00 XF551 Disk Drive (XL/XE). . . . 189.00 Atari 800XL & XF551 Disk Drive & Software §279 Includes: 800XL, 551 Drive, & Star Raiders, Missile Command, Asterioids, Defender, Qix. ATARI ST SOFTWARE Access Leaderboard Golf 24.99 Accolade Test Drive 27.99 Avant Garde PC Ditto (IBM Emulation) 64.99 Michtron Leatherneck 29.99 Soft Logik Corp. Publishing Partner 64.99 Timeworks Desktop Publisher 84.99 VIP Professional Gem 1 19.00 Word Perfect Corp. Word Perfect 189.00 Absoft AC Basic 139.00 Aegis Development Animator/Images 89.99 Draw Plus 149.00 Sonix 49.99 Discovery Software Marander II 31.99 Electronic Arts Deluxe Video 1 .2 89.99 Gold Disk Software Pagesetter w/Text ed 89.99 Micro Illusions Dynamic Cad 349.00 AMIGA SOFTWARE AMIGA SOFTWARE New Tek Inc. Digi-View 2.0 149.00 Digi-Paint 44.99 Sub-Logic Corp. 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Adapter 299.00 Zuckerboard Color Card w/Parallel Port 89.99 Ashton-Tate d-Base III+ 399.00 Borland Quattro 169.00 5th Generation Fastback Plus 89.99 Fox Software Fox Base & Development . . . .219.00 IMSI Optimouse w/dr. Halo 89.99 Logitec Hi-Res Buss Mouse 99.00 Lotus Lotus 1.2.3 299.00 Software Publishing First Choice (Special) 59.99 Word Perfect Corp. Word Perfect 5.0 229.00 MS/DOS SOFTWARE WE SHIP 90% OF ALL ORDERS WITHIN 24 HOURS y SELECT FROM OVER 3000 PRODUCTS COMPUTER MAIL ORDER 38 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 When you want to talk price. MONITORS Amdek Video 21 OA 12" Amber 89.00 Video 410 12"A/G/W (ea.) 149.00 Magnavox 7BM623 12" TTL Amber 79.99 CM8505 14" RGB/Composite .189.00 CM8515 14" RGB/Composite .269.00 9CM053 14" EGA 379.00 9CM082 14" VGA Display 429.00 NEC GS-1400 14" Monochr. TTL . .219.00 JC-1402 Multisync-M 619.00 Packard Bell PB-1418F 14" Flat TTL A/G/W (ea.) 119.00 PB-1420CG 14" Mid-Res CGA 269.00 PB-1422EG 14" Hi-Res EGA. .369.00 PB-8426-MJ Uniscan Monitor .399.00 Princeton Graphics Max-12 12" TTL Amber 149.00 Seiko CM-1430 14"VGA Display 649.00 Magnavox CM 8762 14" RGB/Comp. DRIVES $269 Atari AA314 DS/DD ST Disk 219.00 SHD204 20MB ST Hard Drive .619.00 C.LTD (For Amiga) C.LTD 20MB (A2000) 769.00 C.LTD 33MB (A2000) 879.00 C.LTD 44MB (A2000) 1099.00 C.LTD 50MB (A2000) 1139.00 C.LTD A500 SCSI Controller . .179.00 Indus GT Disk Drive Atari XL/XE .... 199.00 GTS-100 ST Drive 219.00 Sysgen Bridgefile 5W 259.00 Seagate Technologies ST-225 20MB Drive 249.00 Supra Atari ST 30 Meg Hard Drive . . 689.00 Amiga 2000 20MB Hard/Drive . 629.00 MODEMS Anchor 6480 C64/128 1200 Baud 99.99 520 ST520/1040 1200 Baud . .129.00 1200E 1200 Baud Internal 75.99 Atari XMM301 XL/XE 300 Baud 44.99 SX-212 St Modem 89.99 Avatex 1200 He External 99.99 2400 External 179.00 Best Products 2400 Baud Vz Card w/software 149.00 Everex Evercom 2400 Baud External . 209.00 Anchor 1200 Baud External $gg Hayes Smartmodem 300 Ext 159.00 Smartmodem 1200 Int 279.00 Packard Bell 1200 External 89.99 2400 External 169.00 Practical Peripherals 1200 Baud Internal 79.99 2400 Baud Stand Alone 189.00 Supra 2400AT 2400 Baud Atari 169.00 U.S. Robotics Direct 1200 Baud External 109.00 Direct 2400 Baud External 199.00 DISKETTES Maxwell MD1-M SS/DD 5V4" 8.49 MD2-DM DS/DD 5Va" 9.49 MF1-DDM SS/DD 3Vz" 12.49 MF2-DDM DS/DD 3V2" 18.49 MC-6000 DC-600 Tape 23.99 Sony MD1D SS/DD 5V2" 6.99 MD2D DS/DD 5%" 7.99 MFD-1DD SS/DD 3V2" 11.99 MFD-2DD DS/DD 3Vz" 16.99 PRINTERS Atari XDM-121 Letter Quality XL-XE 209.00 XM-M801 XL-XE Dot Matrix . . .199.00 XM-M804 ST Dot Matrix 199.00 Brother M-1509 180cps 132col 389.00 HR-20 22cps Daisywheel 379.00 Citizen 120D 120cps Dot Matrix 159.00 Premier-35 35cps Daisywheel . 549.00 Epson FX-850 240cps, 80 col Call FX-1050 264cps, 132 col Call LQ-500 180 cps, 24-wire Call LQ-850 330 cps, 80 col Call LQ-1050 330 cps, 24-wire Call FX-850, FX-1050 New Hewlett-Packard 2225A Thinkjet 369.00 NEC P2200 Pinwriter 24-wire 379.00 P5200 265 cps, 24-wire 599.00 P5300 265 cps, 132 col 789.00 Okidata Okimate 20 color printer 129.00 ML-182 180 cps, 80 col 249.00 ML-320 300 cps, 80 col 379.00 ML-390 24 wire, 270 cps 519.00 Epson LX-800 150 CPS Dot Matrix Panasonic KX-P1080i 144 cps, 80 col.. KX-P109H 194 cps, 80 col. . KX-P1092i 240 cps, 80 col . . KX-P1595 200 cps, 132 col. Star Micronics NX-1000 140 cps, 80 col . . . NX-1000C C64/128 Interface NX-15 120 cps, 132 col Toshiba P321-SL 216 cps, 24-wire . . P351-SX 300 cps, 24-wire . . $189 .169.00 .199.00 . 339.00 .479.00 .179.00 .179.00 . 329.00 . 479.00 . 999.00 In the U.S.A. and in Canada Call toll-free: 1-800-233-8950 Outside the U.S.A. call 717-327-9575, Fax 717-327-1217 Educational, Governmental and Corporate Organizations call toll-free 1-800-221-4283 CMO, 101 Reighard Ave., Dept. A1, Williamsport, PA 17701 MMC OVER 350.000 SATISFIED CUSTOMERS • ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED • CREDIT CARDS ARE NOT CHARGED UNTIL WE SHIP POLICY: Add 3% (minimum $7.00) shipping and handling. Larger shipments may require additional charges. Personal and company checks require 3 weeks to clear. For faster delivery, use your credit card or send cashier's check or bank money order. Credit cards are not charged until we ship. Pennsylvania and Maryland residents add appropriate sales tax. All prices are U.S.A. prices and are subject to change, and all items are subject to availability. Defective software will be replaced with the same item only. Hardware will be replaced or repaired at our discretion within the terms and limits of the manufacturer's warranty. We cannot guarantee compatibility. All sales are final and returned shipments are subject to a restocking fee. We are not responsible for typographic or photographic errors. Circle 66 on Reader Service Card A 1 1 2 Ask Byte Circuit Cellar's Steve Ciarcia answers your questions on microcomputing An EPROM Emulator Dear Steve, I am writing for two reasons. First, I have an EPROM board with its own operating system, but the "burn- test-debug-burn" cycle is a chore, and I'm losing EPROMs in the process. Stu- art R. Ball's emulator ("Build the Emulo-8," April 1986) is almost the ideal solution; it emulates EPROMs from 2716 up to 2764, but my needs are for 27128s to 27512s. Since Mr. Ball's article was published more than 2 years ago, I'm not sure that he is at the same address, so I'm writing to you. Could you tell me how you would modify his design to emulate a wider range of EPROMs, particularly the 27512? Or you could design one of your own from scratch. This project would be usable by any computer with a serial port, so BYTE readers would surely wel- come it. I would like to see the emulator do the following: • Emulate the full range of EPROMs currently on the market. • Provide a maximum of 64K bytes of RAM for socketed chips (e.g., eight 6264s). You shouldn't have to install the entire 64K bytes of memory. Regardless of what amount of memory you install, it would be mapped in a single, contiguous block. You would install the correct number of 6264s (eight, four, or two), depending on whether a 27512, 27256, or 27128 was being emulated. • Direct output to a specific 6264 RAM chip. A user- written assembly language program on the host computer would prompt for the number of 8K-byte blocks to be transferred. From the default start address, the program would transfer a block of data over the serial port. At the end of each block transfer, the emulator would switch to the next chip and down- load the next block until the designated number of blocks had been transferred. I foresee that, when debugging a ROMable development project, I could change a specific byte in a selected chip. In this way, I could download, test, return to the host, correct the error, and download however many bytes were required to fix the bug. Undoubtedly, a BASIC version of the program would come from the Circuit Cellar. You could challenge BYTE read- ers to convert it to write their own in as- sembly language for the microcomputer of their choice. BYTE could publish the best of the lot, and the authors would place them in the public domain. Regarding my second question: Often, IN ASK BYTE, Steve Ciarcia, a computer con- sultant and electronics engineer, answers questions on any area of microcomputing and his Circuit Cellar projects. The most repre- sentative questions will be answered and pub- lished. Send your inquiry to Ask BYTE One Phoenix Mill Lane Peterborough, NH 03458 Due to the high volume of inquiries, we cannot guarantee a personal reply. All letters and photographs become the property of Steve Ciarcia and cannot be returned. The Ask BYTE staff includes manager Harv Weiner and researchers Eric Albert, Tom Cantrell, Bill Curlew, Ken Davidson, Jeannette Dojan, Jon Elson, Frank Kuech- mann, Tim McDonough, Edward Nisley, Dick Sawyer, Robert Stek, and Mark Voorhees. I have read in the pages of BYTE and other computer periodicals that most knowledgeable engineers agree that the MC68000 processor family is superior to the iAPX. Though the 68000's superior- ity is arguable, no one denies that its lin- ear memory addressing is easier to pro- gram than the 80x86's segmented memory. Your Circuit Cellar designs usually use the latest chips, but I have yet to see one designed around a member of the MC68000 family. In recent years, you have given us ZAP (Z80), the SB 180 (HD64180 running Z-System), MPX-16 (8088 running CP/M-86 and MS-DOS), and the CCAT (POACH 80286 running MS-DOS). If there is a bias in favor of the Intel chips, please tell us why. If not, it should be a challenge for you to design a 68000-based computer. Basil Johnson Nepean, Ontario, Canada Stuart R. Ball 's design can be readily modified to accommodate larger EPROMs. To emulate a 27512, you need 16 address lines; the published design has 12 driven by IC2, a 4040 12-bit binary counter, and a 13th driven by half ofIC9, a D flip-flop clocked by the last stage ofIC2. The simplest way to get the 16 address lines is to replace IC2 and half oflC9 with two 74LS393 (or similar— e.g., 74HC393, 74HCT393) dual binary counters. These counters are cascaded in such a fashion that the high-order output of one counter drives the input of the next- higher counter. The 16 outputs of these counters become address lines, which can be buffered in the same way as the ones shown in Mr. Ball's design. You should add another 74LS244 package to the design in order to handle the extra lines. You could use multiplexers such as 74LS157s in place of the 74LS244 pack- ages to allow control of RAM addresses from two sources. For the additional RAM, the simplest route would be to use two 43256 32K- byte by 8-bit chips. The A15 line low en- ables one RAM, andA15 high enables the other (you'll need an inverter here). Given the relatively low cost of 43256s from sources such as Jameco and JDR (about $12), this approach makes consid- erable economic sense. A somewhat more complex approach, closer to your de- scription, would use a 74LS138 decoder with select inputs that are driven by A13-A15. The eight outputs of the '138 each enable a 6264 or similar 8K-byte by 8-bit RAM chip. A reasonable way to add address selec- tion to this design would be to replace the two 74LS393 counters with four 74LS161 presettable counters, with A-F readout thumbwheel switches to select the count, and a debounced push button activating the LOAD inputs of the counters to set the value selected onto the address lines. continued 40 BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 Circle 142 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 143) — INTERACTIVE The Choice is Clear 01386 systems INTERACTIVE A KODAK COMPANY 1-800-537-5324 INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation 2401 Colorado Avenue Santa Monica, CA 90404 O^nized For B,1C- 8' suPPortand f Uil too. r— . ""-"/TOO, Pricing *nce/Perfo, >rm* UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T. 38$/ix is a trademark of INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation. MS-DOS and XENIX are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. 4^.UU New Band Printer Maclnker $299.00 Eliminate expensive ribbon replacement with the famous Maclnker. The Universal Cartridge Maclnker ($68.50) will re-ink most cartridges with the appropriate adaptor. The Universal Spool Maclnker will re-ink all spools. Operation is very simple & automatic. Our extra dark, lubri- cated ink yields better than new printout quality and its cooling effect extends print-head life. New ink dispenser en- sures precise ink metering. Average num- ber of re-inkings/cartridge is 60-100 at an average cost of 5cents/re-inking. We al- so have dedicated Maclnkers for special cartridges. All Maclnkers, with appropriate Multicolor Adaptor can re-ink multicolor cartridges (2 or 4 colors). Or use your Maclnker to re-ink in 10 different colors: red, green, blue, yellow, purple, brown, orange, gold and silver. Our Customers range from individuals to Fortune 500 Corporations. In 1982 we pioneered re-ink- ing technology and are dedicated to its development. We have a complete range of accessories, heat-transfer re-inking adaptors, special inks and cartridges. Universal Cartridge Maclnker 68.50 Multicolor Adaptor (specify printer) 40.00 Imagewriter l/ll Maclnker mod 234 IM 42.00 Epson Maclnker mod 271 EP 42.00 Universal Spool Maclnker 68.50 Heat Transfer Adaptor 40.00 Extra Ink bottle 3.00 pint 1 8.50 All Maclnkers delivered with bottle of ink, ink meter, reservoir, reservoir cover. Black, uninked, colored, special cartridges available. Best ribbon quality at lowest costs. Call for free catalog Special Offer Just say, "I saw it in 'Byte' and get a free mousepad with any order >$60.00, or free key-beeper & flashlight combi- nation for orders >$1 00.00. | Buy the Universal Cartridge & the Uni- | versal Spool at the same time and get the second unit for $50.00 qqbq aa Multiuser Printer Buffers Let us configure the most economic & efficient buffer set-up when using two print- ers with one computer or two computers and two printers. We have the most com- plete range of buffers, converters, switches, cables & custom cables. Award win- ning Proteus switches manually or by software between 2 printers. Memory is au- tomatically partitioned & both printers can print simultaneously. UG-411, 1 comp. / 1 printer 64k 160.00 256k 230.00 UG-402 2 comp. / 2 printers 64k 199.00 256k 240.00 PROTEUS, 1 comp. / 2 printers 64k 199.00 256k 240.00 ug-402 UG-403 4 comp. / 2 printers 256k 275.00 UG-408 4 comp./ 4 printers 512k 375.00 UG-412 Serial buffer card 1 MEG 500.00 CBL-715 Univ. ser-par-ser converter 159.00 CBL-705 Ser-par converter 99.00 Autoscanning switches (4 to 1) 169.00 Proteus Satisfaction or 30 day refund on all products - Immediate shipment - Major credit cards Computer Friends, Inc. Order Toll Free 1-800-547-3303 14250 NW Science Park Dr. in Oregon (503)626-2291 Portland OR 97229 fax (503)643-5679 telex 4949559 CF Commodore, I couldn't see any graph- ics, because I must run VSET before working in graphics mode (when you re- set the PC 10-11, it sets itself up in text mode). What can I do to set the advanced graphics adapter to remain in emulation text mode? There should be a way to do it, perhaps by changing the reset routine. I have a second question. I would like to send tones down a wire— the telephone line, for example — and I'd like to choose those tones from those shown in table 1 . The tones work in the U.S. systems, and I believe they work here in Spain as well. They must be within 30 Hz of the fre- quencies I've shown and should have dis- tortion of less than 1 percent. What equipment should I use? Jordi Roca Mas Tarragona, Spain Table 1: List of requested frequencies Tone Number frequency 1 2600 Hz 2 1 740 & 1980 Hz 3 1 860 & 1980 Hz 4 1 380 & 1500 Hz 5 1 380 & 1620 Hz 6 1 500 & 1620 Hz 7 1 380 & 1740 Hz 8 1 500 & 1740 Hz 9 1 620 & 1740 Hz 10 1380 & 1860 Hz 11 1 500 & 1860 Hz 12 1 620 & 1860 Hz 13 1 740 & 1860 Hz There are often variations in the way similar computers function, and DOS is often "customized" by manufacturers; these differences and changes can create problems. There is no certainty, but you can probably solve your problems with the Commodore graphics adapter display modes by using the MS-DOS mode com- mand. You can issue the appropriate commands from the keyboard or in a batch file (see table 2). Check the MS- DOS manuals for more information. You can find information on DTMF tone encoding/decoding in the December 1981 Circuit Cellar, which can also be found in volume II of the reprints under the same title published by BYTE books. National Semiconductor's 1982 Linear Data book contains specifications and continued 44 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 65 on Reader Service Card The $29 Money Management Solution. = M3 '^ xCeP^a^aXUC' tot" B»*9ett' PC C\oneS i "1 WaS ^£e cott-ttteoXWe a*r«A." aVL_ PC. 'Wla.ga.-z.V^e Yt wins ' K "Jcton.^^0* "**■*► W10NEVC0UNTS "This ro'£>£,a£Z?1'r Waffs.--,., Program h ™^mS cost* : ™-V manager^ B L tlmK*n,,ich.' L-™rdHyre,PCMMaga:ine Guaranteed. =y management/ accounting program that offers outstanding value, we invite you to examine the evidence on MoneyCounts." It's the clear choice for home and business. MoneyCounts is CPA designed, easy to use, menu-driven with on-line help, and requires no accounting experi- ence. You'll appreciate the ease with which Money- Counts 5.0. . . . ■ Manages your cash, checking, savings, & credit cards ■ Prepares your budget ■ Balances your checkbook ■ Prints 5 types of financial statements (including net worth) ■ Prints 6 types of inquiry reports ■ Prints any type of pin-feed check & updates your records automatically ■ Prints general ledger & accountant's trial balance ■ Handles up to 999 accounts & 100,000 transactions a year with its fast financial data base ■ Estimates your 1988 personal income tax ■ Analyzes financing options & savings programs — computes interest rates & loan payments — prints amortization and accumulation schedules ■ Manages mail lists — zip and alpha sorts — prints labels and index cards ■ Displays and prints three-dimensional graphics — works with monochrome or color monitors ■ Provides password protection, fiscal year support, pop-up notepad, and much more! ^^d^^JtM^^' 375 Collins Road N.E. Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402 Circle 210 on Reader Service Card Hard to believe the low price? Don't worry! There's no catch. MoneyCounts has a proven track record, has been on the market over four years, and is continuously receiving rave reviews. If you're not 100% satisfied, return MoneyCounts within 30 days for a full refund (excluding shipping). Over 50,000 users have decided in favor of MoneyCounts! Order today and judge for yourself! For Same Day Shipping VISA, MASTERCARD & C.O.D. ORDERS CALL 1-800-223-6925 (In Canada, call 319/395-7300) Weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. CST Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. . Or send check or money order payable to Parsons Technology. r~" MoneyCounts '■/^•nL^^J^U^- Dept. B 375 Collins Road NE Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52402 NAME Version 5.0 $29 + $5 shipping NOT COPY PROTECTED INCLUDES PRINTED MANUAL ADDRESS . CITY . STATE/ZIP. . PHONE . CHECK □ MONEY ORDER □ VISA □ MASTERCARD D CARD # . . EXP. DATE . L. MoneyCounts 5.0 requires an IBM or compatible computer, 256K or more RAM, DOS 2.0 or higher, 2 disk drives (or a hard disk). Add $5 shipping/handling — $10 outside North America. Iowa resi- dents, please add 4% sales tax. I BYTE 45 DECEMBER 1988 DAZZLING PERFORMANCE. COMPLETE 12MHz 286 WITH 32MB HARD DRIVE ONLY $1295.00 ■ 80286 CPU, 6/12 MHz Dual Speed, Keyboard Selectable. ■ Zero-Wait State RAM, 512K expandable to 4MB on the motherboard (16MB System Total). ■ 32MB Hard Drive, 1.2MB Floppy Drive. ■ Ultra higfr speed Hard/Floppy controller. 1:1 interleave, 800 KB/sec transfer rate. ■ High Res 12" Amber Display with Tilt and Swivel Base. Compatible graphics controller. ■ ZEOS Enhanced Keyboard, Pleasant Tactile/Click Feel. ■ Serial and Parallel Printer Ports. ■ Clock/Calendar with Battery Backup. ■ 6-16 and 2-8 bit expansion slots. ■ 80287 support, up to 12 MHz. ■ Space Saver Case with Security Lock, LED indicators. 12MHz, 16MHz and 20MHz '286 HARD DRIVE SYSTEMS As high as 20MHz! Dazzling performance is yours with one of these high performance full size ZEOS '286 Systems. Each comes complete with our standard features includ- ing drives, monitor, high speed controller, etc. Our full size case features room for up to 5 half-high drives, two of which are internal. Incredible values. ■ 286/12 -Complete 12 MHz System with 512K of Zero- Wait RAM, High Speed 32MB Hard Drive and all the standard ZEOS goodies. ONLY $1395.00 ■ 286/16 -Complete 16MHz system with 1MB RAM on board and High Speed 32MB Hard Drive. Faster than a '386 16MHz when running 16-bit software! ONLY $1895.00 ■ 286/20 -At 20MHz, it's the fastest. Complete with our 32 MB, High Speed Hard Drive and 1MB RAM. This is what Dazzling Speed is all about. ONLY $2095.00 ■2861 FS DAZZLING PERFORMANCE. INCREDIBLE PRICES. Can you believe it? Yes, you can! We've proven it to thou- sands and we would like to prove it to you. ZEOS® sys- tems are sold complete, ready to plug in and fly right out of the box. And the quality and prices are incredible. How is it possible? Because your ZEOS com- puter comes to you factory direct, fully assembled, burned-in and tested in our own laboratories. Every system is built to order. Custom built actually right to your own specifications. And our quality and per- formance are second to none. We don't just say it. We guarantee it. That's why your new ZEOS system comes with a Full One Year Limited Warranty and our 30 day Full Refund Satis- faction Guarantee. So pick out your dream 46 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 All prices and specifications are subject to change without notice. Please call for current details, fall for complete warranty details. INCREDIBLE PRICES. '386/SS COMPLETE 16MHz '386 DESKTOP WITH 32MB HARD DRIVE. ONLY $2495.00 (20MHz add $500) ■ Genuine 32-bit Intel 80386, 16 or 20MHz parts. ■ 1MB of RAM Expandable to 16MB. ■ 32MB, High Speed Hard Drive, 1.2MB floppy drive. ■ Ultra high speed Hard/Floppy controller. 1:1 interleave, 800 KB/sec transfer rate! ■ High Res 12" Amber Display with Tilt and Swivel Base. Compatible graphics controller. ■ 101 Key ZEOS Tactile Click keyboard. ■ Serial and Parallel/Printer Ports. ■ Clock/Calendar with Battery Backup. ■ 2-32, 4-16 and 2-8 bit slots. ■ 80287 and 80387 support. COMPLETE '386 VERTICAL SYSTEM. 64MB DRIVE! ONLY $2995.00 (20MHz add $500) Acknowledged worldwide as the highest performance value anywhere. Same great standard ZEOS features found on our other complete systems plus: ■ 64KB Zero-Wait CACHE using 64K of SRAM. ■ 1MB of 32-bit RAM system expandable up to 16MB. ■ 65MB High Speed Seagate Hard Drive. ■ 80287 and 80387 optional. ■ Heavy Duty Vertical Case. Call about our new 25MHz systems. Now Shipping! '386/ V machine and order it now with confidence. Dazzling performance and incredible prices await you. Guaran- teed. Order now by calling 800-423-5891. Other ZEOS Options Include: ■ Basic Configurations: Call for prices on systems without drives, etc. ■ EGA/VGA Upgrades. 14" EGA color monitor with EGA card, add $495. 14" VGA system, add only $695 ■ High Capacity Drives. Many other drives and op- tions are available. Call Toll Free for details, 800-423-5891 ORDER NOW TOLL FREE 800-423-5891 FAX Orders Dial: 612-6332310 In Minnesota Call: 612-633-4591 530 5th Ave. NWSt Paul, MN551J2 Open days, evenings and weekends. MasterCard, VISA and C.O.D. Se habla Espanol. ZEOS International, Ltd., 530 6th Avenue, NW, St. Paul, MN 55112. ZEDS is a publicly traded company; MPLS/ST. PAUL Local (ITC. Circle 310 On Reader Service Card If it's all out warfare in today's software marketplace, you'd better have the best weapons. Phar Lap 386 development tools. The best weapons. Phar Lap 80386 development tools let you take full advantage of 386 protected mode architecture. You can break the 640K limit in the language of your choice; C, Fortran, Pascal, or Assembler. For fast compact code, use 386IASM, our full-featured 80386 assembler that's upwardly compatible with the MASM* 8086 assembler. Existing DOS and main- frame applications written in a high level language are easily ported by recom- piling. And 386ILINK,our 32-bit native mode linker, puts it all together. Debugging is made easy too. With our 386 symbolic debugger you can debug applications written in assembler or any high level language. Best of all, with Phar Lap's 3861 DOS-Extender* you can run your native mode program on any 386-based PC running MS-DOS*. And you have full access to DOS system serv- ices through INT 21. ASK BYTE NO COMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS Phar Lap's tools are compatible with the industry's leading sys- tems: DESKPRO 386* IBM Model 80* accelerator boards such as Intel's Inboard* 386 and 386 clones. Not only will your new applications be compatible with the leading systems, they'll run alongside all other DOS applications. NO ROYALTY PAYMENTS Once your 386 application is complete, all you pay is a low one-time fee to license 386 1 DOS- Extender for redistribution. This allows you to embed 386 1 DOS- Extender in your application so your customers can run it on any 386-based PC. Just one payment and you unlock the entire DOS market. We don't believe in a software tax on every sale. Don't wait for OS/3, get a jump on the competition today. Choose your weapons now. $495 386 1 ASM/LINK — Package includes 386 assembler, linker, MINIBUG debugger and 3861 DOS-Extender $895 MetaWare 80386 High C* compiler $895 MetaWare 80386 Professional Pascal* compiler $595 MicroWay NDP Fortran-386* compiler $195 3861 DEBUG symbolic debugger (617)661-1510 PHAR LAP SOFTWARE, INC. 60 Aberdeen Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138 "THE 80386 SOFTWARE EXPERTS" Pilar Lap and 386) DOS-Extender are trademarks o( Phar Lap Software, Inc. MS-DOS and MASM arc rfigislered trademarks of Microsoft Corp DESKPRO 386 is a trademark of Compaq Corp. Inboard 386 is a trademark of Intel Corp. NDP Fortran -386 is a trademark of MicroWay Inc High C and Professional Pascal are trademarks of MetaWare Incorporated. IBM Model 80 is a trademark of IBM Corp, Table 2: Mode command syntax. Command Description MODE CO80 Sets hi-res graphics, color enabled MODE CO40 Sets lo-res graphics, color enabled MODE BW80 Sets hi-res, color disabled MODE BW40 Sets lo-res, color disabled applications information for several per- tinent ICs. For information relating specifically to the Spanish phone system, I'd suggest vis- iting a technical or university library and researching the appropriate CCITT com- munications standards. —Steve Gotta Get That RAM Dear Steve, Many of us are looking at buying RAM chips on the open market to fill in a variety of boards and projects that come with that little "OK installed" note. However, there is often a question of speed to consider. Could you give me some idea of the upper limits of the clock speeds that can safely be run with the 150-nanosecond, 120-ns, and 100-ns RAM chips? I'd also appreciate general notes about any "got- chas" that might be hiding in the bushes for us novices, and any ideas about the future of RAM chip speeds. I noticed that some of the 20-MHz 80386 machines (like the new AST) say they have 13 megabytes of RAM that use one wait state and 64K bytes of cache memory that has no wait states. How fast does cache RAM have to be, or are there other considerations besides RAM speed? Jeffrey Kutz Los Angeles, CA The maximum access time for 21 64 A memory chips running with an 8086 pro- cessor at zero wait states is given in the Intel memory components handbook as shown in table 3. The 12-MHz point is extrapolated from the Intel data. The handbook also shows a sample design using 150-ns chips with an 8086 at 10 MHz. These times are probably optimized, in that there are likely to be some timing de- lays due to hardware design that are not accounted for in the Intel calculations. continued 48 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 219 on Reader Service Card Compaq introduces a revolutionary new personal computer. With new display technology breakthrough graphics technology Advanced storage technology New expansion technology mnoviiy6 modem technology Nev',7 ' " ' __ New sifeacerSmt technology Ad^iaBirii^^B^MiB^ogy And a battery Introducing the new COMPAQ SLT/286 Personal Computer. The first PC that puts true desktop performance in your lap. When you build a full- there's no room Before now, choosing a laptop PC meant choosing what you could live without. A manageable size. Bat- tery. Power. Speed. Screen quality. Full-size keys. We've changed that, with the new COMPAQ SLT/286. It's the first laptop from the company that set the standard in portable computing. And the first laptop to give you everything you want. Without compromise. Creating a new high- performance PC this small was no small feat. It took a series of engineering breakthroughs to build a smaller laptop that de- livers the performance of a desktop— on battery power. From its compact size to its high- performance components, you'll see that your needs shaped our thinking. First of all, we knew you wanted to wield a lot of power, without throw- ing around a lot of weight. The new COMPAQ SLT/286 weighs in at just 14 lb., with a space-saving footprint. That means The COMPAQ SLT/286 snaps into an optional Desktop Expansion Base for office use. r r i r i; u r~i> ■•!■ ~f-i'_ if v ) i F F F I c r c-i- F t" I" I) -jMhmimmivmmmmmmmmmmmm A removable keyboard offers your fingers full-size keys, with standard spacing. The first laptop from the company that set the standard for portable PC's it fits on an airline tray table with plenty of room to spare. When you're on the road, we won't leave you stranded, either. The COMPAQ SLT/286 uses inno- vative new battery technology that gives you over three hours of power. The battery is small, so carrying a spare is no problem. Replacement and recharging are fast and easy. But what's amazing about the battery is everything that runs on it. Every component is optimized to save battery life. So you can work longer. The COMPAQ SLT/286 has VGA graphics with 640x480 resolution with eight shades of gray. New backlit screen technology produces text and graphics with higher contrast on a 10" di- agonal screen. So things are easy to read. Now let's take an inside look. The COMPAQ SLT/286 iS A smaU wondeK Compared to other ii m Km laptops, the COMPAQ SLT/286 gives pOWered by a 12-MHZ you more PC inless space. -J -t "I It simply works better. function PC this small, for compromise. 80C286 microprocessor that drives software 20% faster than most 10-MHz 80286-based PC's. You get the capability to run the world's largest library of software with MS-DOS! Plus Microsoft8 Operating System/2. Flexibility is built in. You can choose a high-speed 40- or 20-MB fixed disk drive to comple- ment the standard 3V2" 1.44-MB disk- ette drive. Plus you can easily expand the 640K of standard memory to 3.6 megabytes internally. You'll find our keyboard is just your type. It has full-size keys, spaced just like the keys on a desktop PC. The keyboard is removable, so it adjusts to the way you work. You get all 12 function keys and an em- bedded numeric keypad. Or if numbers are your life, add a separate numeric keypad as an option. Other creature comforts are also on board. Like an optional internal 2400-baud modem. Room for two internal storage devices. Ports for a printer, external VGA monitor and other periph- Internal 2400-baud modem optional. Its footprint is small enough to fit on an airline tray table, with room to spare. erals. You can even add a 12-MHz 80C287 coprocessor as an option to speed number crunching. At this point you may be thinking that the COMPAQ SLT/286 does everything a desktop can do. You're right. In fact you can even do more at the office with its optional Desktop Expansion Base. Unlike competitive ex- pansion units, ours wasn't an afterthought. Its integrated design gives you two industry-standard expansion slots along with duplicate interfaces for your pe- ripherals. The expansion unit even recharges the battery for you. Best of all, the COMPAQ SLT/286 just snaps right into the Desktop Expansion Base. No cord. No wires. No hassle. With all these innovative fea- tures, you can see that the new COMPAQ SLT/286 leaves absolutely no room for compro- mise. It's simply high-performance personal computing in its most concentrated form. Battery included for over three hours of power. comma We have the world's best handle on portable computing. In 1982,Compaq introduced the world to the power of por- table personal computing with the COMPAQ Portable. Since then we've consist- ently delivered new levels of performance in consistently- smaller packages. Today we offer the world's highest-performing portable personal computers. COMPAQ products consistently earn the industry's highest ratings for quality and user satisfaction. And that's an achievement that stands unchallenged. You'll find that we've built these same uncompro- mising standards into the new COMPAQ SLT/286. To get a handle on more informa- tion, including a free brochure and the location of your nearest Authorized COMPAQ Computer Dealer, call 1-800-231-0900. Ask for Operator 71. In Canada, 1-800-263-5868, Operator 71. COMPAQ is a trademark of Compaq Computer Corporation. Microsoft? MS' and MS-DOS* are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. MS* OS/2 is a product of Microsoft Corporatio: Product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. 'Registered U.S. Patent andltrademark Office. ©1988 Compaq Computer Corporation. All rights reserved. Use of electronic equipment on board commercial aircraft is at the discretion of each airline. comma It simply works better. Circle 253 on Reader Service Card ASK BYTE Table 3: Maximum memory access times with associated CPU clock speeds. Clock speed (MHz) Access time (ns) 5 313 8 173 10 138 12 117 In a more conservative vein, IBM used 250-ns chips with zero wait states for nor- mal memory access but one wait state when direct memory access (DMA) is in use at 4. 77 MHz. Table 3 would lead you to believe that you don't need the wait state with chips that fast; indeed, some people have run IBM PCs at around 7 MHz with speed-up kits. The AST Premium/286 is also a little conservative compared to the table. It uses 100-ns chips at 10 MHz with no wait states in the 'Fast RAM" slots and one wait state in normal AT-style expansion slots. The AST Fast RAM slots contain a special connector to a bus with direct ac- cess to the CPU. The table indicates that 120-ns RAM is fast enough for this ma- chine, but it seems AST thinks differently. It probably pays to be a little conserva- tive with memory speed, and a practical limit for a zero-wait system probably is 100-ns chips at 10 MHz, possibly pushing to 12 MHz with a very well-made bus and some risk of errors. If one wait state is used, 120-ns chips should be okay at 12 MHz. The 20-MHz 80386 machines with zero-wait cache RAM use static RAM with access times around 55 ns, which is consistent with the table. There are tim- ing considerations other than access time in designing a memory system, but for es- timating, this is good enough. —Steve Pinning Down a Bug Dear Steve, Three months ago, I bought an IBM PC AT board from JDR Microdevices. The system is supposed to work fine at 6 or 8 MHz with one wait state, but since the beginning I have had I/O problems that the retailer has not been able to solve. Once I've done more than 20 or 40 disk writes, the system crashes completely with a message, RAM parity error. . . Offending segment 0000. It doesn't happen with a disk read. The BIOS is is- sued by Award. Otherwise, the system is running fine. I checked the disk control- ler by exchanging it with another, but I had the same problem, so I suppose it is coming from the same motherboard. How can I determine the cause? Philippe Wetterwald Ambler, PA Exchanging the disk controller pins down the problem to two areas: It 's either the system board memory or the interface between the system board and the disk controller, which is usually a timing problem. The timing for memory operations dif- fers depending on whether the processor is reading instructions, reading data, or performing a DMA operation. In the IBM PC AT, the hard disk doesn 't use DMA, so there 's actually less trouble with that than with a floppy disk. You don 't say which sort of disk you're using, but I'll bet it 's a floppy disk. I suspect that one of the RAM chips in the high-order addresses is "soft" and has a slightly slower timing than the rest. It works OK under normal reads and writes, but fails under the DMA timing. Here 's how to track it down. Your board uses 256K-byte dynamic RAMs, so there are four banks of nine chips each. If you don 't have a full mega- byte of RAM, there will be one or two empty rows; the problem isn't coming from those unless there 's a software bug that tries to read from memory that doesn 't exist. I'll assume that you 've got a megabyte of RAM, with all four banks full. Set the configuration so that you've got only 512K bytes of RAM defined, then remove the top two banks. See if the problem still occurs; if it doesn 't, the bad chip is in one of the two banks on your desk. If it still happens, swap one of the banks on the system board for one that you removed, and try again. If it still hap- pens, replace the other system board bank. If that doesn 'tfix it, you need more help than a letter can provide. Assuming that you 've pinned the bug down to one bank of RAM, replace it. Don 't try to isolate it to a single chip — buy nine more chips and replace the whole bank. You '11 have eight spare chips (and one dud that you '11 have to sort out later) in case a RAM chip dies later on. If you can 'tpin it down to a single bank of RAM, there may be two or more slow chips in the lot. Check to make sure that the speed rating (the number after the dash in the part number) is the same for all the chips: If one or two are different, those are the troublemakers. —Steve ■ Solving Your Scientific and Engineering Problems Just Got Simpler Science & Engineering Software Co. is the only source with all the software you need to solve your specialized problems: Statistical data analysis, circuit design, data acquisition and signal analysis and more. • No one offers you more variety with over 500 programs. • If you don't see a title or know a publisher, we'll find it. • We offer a 30-day Money-Back Guarantee* Call today and get our solutions working for you! LIST OURS CIRCUIT DESIGN/SCHEMATIC CAPTURE HiWIRE, WintekCorp $ 895 MICRO-CAP II, Spectrum Software 895 Schema II. Omation 495 smARTWORK, WintekCorp 895 Tango PCB, ACCEL Tech 495 DATA ACQUISITION/SIGNAL ANALYSIS Asyst $2,295 2,065 AsystantPlus 995 849 Asystant 495 449 Asystant GPIB 895 629 DADISP, DSP Systems 795 719 DADISP-488 195 Fourier PERSPECTIVE II, Alligator 395 LABTECH Notebook 995 PLOTTING AND GRAPHING Datatap Graph, Milhalism Assoc S 299 PC MAP III, Peerless Engineering 795 TECH -GRAPH PAD, binary engineering 395 EQUATION SOLVERS Eureka: The Solver, Borland $ 167 MathCAD 2.0, MathSoft 349 muMATH, Soft Warehouse 295 TKISolverPlus, Universal Tech Sys 395 CAD AutoCAD, Autodesk $2,850 AutoShade, 500 Autosketch, 80 Speed Enhanced Version 90 Design CAD, American Small Bus. 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Digitalk Smalltalk/If 286, Microsoft C Turbo Pascal 5.0, Borland $ 100 200 450 150 OTHER PROGRAMMING TOOLS CTOOLSPLUS, Blaise $ 129 Turbo C TOOLS 129 386MAX, Quahtas 75 Periscope III 1,495 GreenleafDataWindows 295 Graphic, Scientific Endeavors 395 HALO'88, Media Cybernetics 325 Sci/Engineering Tools, Quinn Curtis 75 Turbo POWER SCREEN, Blaise 129 129 229 499 459 359 349 359 749 549 709 429 469 299 529 479 119 85 179 299 105 99 99 66 1,196 209 322 229 69 99 Ordering Information we accept American ex- press, MC VISA and PERSONAL CHECKS There is no surcharge on credit, card or C O D New York State residents must add sales tax Ship- ping and handling S3 95 per item within the U S . sent UPS ground Hush and international service available Call for prevailing rates • Internationa orders add SID lor export preparation • Prices and policies may change without notice • Dealers and Corporate Beyers call for special rates. • Mail orders must include phone numbers. • Ask for details before you buy, some manufacturers won t take returns il disk seals are broken nith.-.us.ci, 1-800-333-3141 International Orders: 914-332-0756 Science 6 Engineering — * SOFTWARE CO. — ' 55 South Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591 DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 49 1024X768 IBM COMPATIBLE VGA VIDEO CARD vw TM H E C O N D WONDER UJZ 1 pi ■ ' w^ f] '"' V onitors Y, . es! the Phenomenal VGAWONDER does it all at IBM Hardware level compatibility with automatic monitor detect and no dip switches or jumpers to set. A HOT CARD for the 286/386 POWER USER with AUTO BUS DETECT for 8 or 16 bit slots, running with a 16 bit datapath with 1:1 interleave. 100% IBM HARDWARE LEVEL COMPATIBILITY means that ALL software and operating systems designed for IBM systems will run. 1024 WILL BE DISPLAYED IN COLOR ON STANDARD MULTI- FREQUENCY MONITORS. Although these features are expected from ATI they are NOT AVAILABLE from other manufacturers. EGA on all monitors including RGB & TTL means a perfect card for networks. MOUSE ON BOARD! ATI built the mouse right in to this one, why not? No extra charge! VGAWONDER is available in both 512K and 256K Versions. Ask your dealer for more information. Circle 25 on Reader Service Card ATI, VGA WONDER — ATI Technologies Inc.; Multisync — NEC Home Electronics Inc.; AUTOCAD — Autodesk Inc. : WINDOWS — Microsoft Inc.; GEM — Digital Research Inc.; VENTURA — Xerox Corp.; HERCULES — Hercules Computer Technology Inc.; IBM. VGA, EGA, CGA — International Business Machines Corp. &£&>, Mi TECHNOLOGIES INC. Technology you can Trust. ATI Technologies Inc. 3761 Victoria Park Ave., Scarborough, Ontario Canada M1W 3S2 Telex: 06-966640 (ATI TOR) Tel: (416) 756-0718 Fax:(416)756-0720 *. Book Reviews The Science of Fractal Images Edited by Heinz- Otto Peitgen and Deitmar Saupe Springer-Verlag, New York: 1988, 312 pages, $34 Reviewed by Eric Bobinsky Fractals are undeniably be- coming an important part of our high-tech world, quick- ly gaining ground in areas as diverse as pattern recognition, plasma physics, data compres- sion, and cell physiology, as well as in their established place in computer graphics. The professional program- mers, engineers, scientists, and educators who will be ex- pected to deal with them must learn what they are and how to use them. Fortunately , the last 2 years have seen the publica- tion of several excellent books on fractals. The latest and per- haps most distinguished addi- tion to this collection is Springer-Verlag 's The Sci- ence of Fractal Images, edited by Heinz-Otto Peitgen and Deitmar Saupe. Based on the notes of a very good intensive short course presented at SIGGRAPH '87, Fractal Images is written by six authors whose names con- stitute a Who's Who of some of the world's top fractal researchers. Following an amusing fore- word by Benoit Mandelbrot, the book contains five lengthy and expertly presented chap- ters on producing fractal im- agery: "Fractals in Nature: From Characterization to Simulation" by Richard Voss, "Algorithms for Random Fractals" by Dietmar Saupe, "Fractal Patterns Arising in Chaotic Dynamical Systems" by Robert Devaney, and "Fractal Modelling of Real %tim1/itll'n World Images" by Michael Barnsley. Three appendixes cover additional details, and a fourth, written by photogra- pher Michael McGuire, is an intriguing look at the aesthet- ics of fractal imagery, with the added pleasant surprise of nine photographs by Ansel Adams. As was true with Peitgen' s earlier book, The Beauty of ALSO REVIEWED Using QuickBASIC 4 Unix Programming: Methods and Tools A Few Good Men from Univac The Electronic Sweatshop Mind, Language, Machine: Artificial Intelligence in the Poststructuralist Age Artificial Intelligence and Human Learning Fractals (for a review, see the May 1987 BYTE), this work contains a wealth of beauti- fully reproduced color plates and numerous black-and- white images. The book contains many pseudocoded algorithms and is aimed at the professional who intends to produce and use fractal images in his or her work. The level of mathemati- cal sophistication is fairly high, and it would not be un- reasonable to assume that the reader has some knowledge of digital signal processing (or at least basic Fourier transforms and spectral analysis), basic probability theory and some statistical mechanics, affine transformations, and perhaps basic theory of dynamical sys- tems, with a little real or com- plex analysis thrown in for good measure. This book is not for the mathematically faint of heart, but it will be accessible to most college graduates with a sci- ence or engineering degree of some kind. In addition, the text is so clearly written and so easy to follow that even read- ers without knowledge of a particular specialty should be able to follow the arguments by their context alone. The Science of Fractal Images will no doubt be used as a textbook, a programming sourcebook, and, perhaps, a coffee-table conversation piece, but it will also prove in- valuable in helping guide a generation of researchers in many diverse fields into a new and provocative area of the imagination. Fractal geome- try may become as fundamen- tal a tool as calculus, which made it possible for us to reach the planets. As Mandelbrot exhorts in his foreword, "Let us all pay to the book the high compliment of promptly mak- ing it quite obsolete. " continued ILLUSTRATION: CATHY HULL © 1988 DECEMBER 1988 • BYTE 51 Circle 158 on Reader Service Card Quality Was Never Priced So Low! ONLY 2400 bps $ 2400/ 1200 /300 bps MODEM /l r 100 MADE IN U.S.A. 5 Year Parts and Labor Warranty Our 2400HC2 Hayes Compatible Half Card modem is for IBM PC/XT/AT and compatible computers. It uses the standard 'AT' command set. Included with our modem we supply communications software, a 7 foot cord and documentation. We build our modems at a mil-spec board house located in suburban Chicago, using quality components. We test every modem shipped and back our confidence in our quality with a 5 year parts and labor warranty from the factory and a 30 day money back guarantee. Ki *** Engineering Inc. 162 N. Franklin St. • 5th Floor • Chicago, IL60606 Toll Free Order Line lor orders only 1-800-442-2285 For orders in Illinois 1-312-358-1501 Kiss Engineering Technical Support 1-800-442-2285 Orders within (he USA (including Alaska & Hawaii) are shipped FREE via UPS. Payment in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank required. COD orders placed before 2 pm CST shipped same day. Illinois residents add 8% sales tax. We do not accept credit cards. BOOK REVIEWS The New Standard in Ease of Use ■ Value priced at $3,195 ■ One-year, no-cost warranty ■ Professional plot quality ■ Revolutionary plot utility eliminates learning curve ■ Supports HP-GL and DM/PL ■ Plot sizes from 23"x81" to 1.5"*1.5" ■ Optional oak stand available IOLINE" CORPORATION Call (206) 821-2140 or write for more information 12020 - 113th AVE. IM.E, KIRKLAND, WA 98034 BRIEFLY NOTED Using QuickBASIC 4 by Phil Feldman and Tom Rugg, Que Corp., Carmel, CA: 1988, 713 pages, $19. 95. Every time a software product undergoes a substantial revision, new books about that new version invariably appear. Often these books— presumably like the product itself— get better, and bigger, than previous similar versions. Later versions can build on earlier efforts. With books about software, there are two approaches. The author can create a compre- hensive volume that contains something for everyone; this tactic usually also means there will be some text everyone will skip. Alternatively, the author can focus on some subset of the software to provide a rich in- formation resource for people with special needs; this limits the book's potential audience. Publishers often use the first approach in hopes of sell- ing the greatest possible num- ber of books. Readers must then decide if they want to spend the cover price to ac- quire some information that they'll use. Using QuickBASIC 4 uses the comprehensive approach. But the book is intelligently broken into four segments, each of which might be useful to different groups of readers. The segments cover the funda- mentals of the software, such as loading and running the QuickBASIC environment; in- troductory programming; ad- vanced programming; and a 101 -page QuickBASIC refer- ence. The first section provides a rich overview of QuickBASIC , including some excellent ma- terial on the differences be- tween BASICA/GWBASIC and QuickBASIC. This material makes the section valuable for the person making the switch from the old to the new version of Microsoft BASIC. The sec- tion also provides a chapter called "Up and Running in Ten Minutes," which will help the person familiar with his or her machine and general BASIC programming princi- ples get started quickly. The second section covers programming fundamentals, including an excellent treat- ment of handling disk files. When I first learned BASIC, disk I/O routines were the hardest part of the language to understand. But this book's explanations, along with sim- ple but useful sample code, il- lustrates the key principles nicely. The Advanced Program- ming section deals with func- tions, subprograms, and QuickBASIC modules. It also has a good chapter on memory management and some excel- lent material on invoking MS- DOS and ROM BIOS inter- rupts from your QuickBASIC programs. As an experienced Quick- BASIC programmer, I found the last two sections of this book very useful. For a new- comer to QuickBASIC, this book would suffice both to get you started and as a reference for many months to come. — G. Michael Vose Unix Programming: Meth- ods and Tools by James F. Peters III, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York: 1988, 447 pages, $25. James Peters, a Ph.D. computer science stu- dent at Kansas State Univer- sity^ the author of a book de- signed specifically as a thorough and elementary pre- sentation of the use of Unix System V. The beauty of Unix Programming: Methods and Tools is in its pedagogy. Each chapter begins with amusing and relevant quotations from computer scientists and a series of "aims" clarifying the topics covered. At the end of each chapter is a summary, a review quiz, and a reading list. Peters sprinkles numerous examples throughout the book, and all of them have been tested under generic Unix System V and Xenix. Rather than treating many Unix topics superficially, Pe- ters focuses on the Bourne continued 52 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 145 on Reader Service Card THE INCREMENTAL ASSEMBLER DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT A complete, integrated macro assembler development environment for the 8086 family of processors under DOS. Including a powerful window- oriented source debugger, syntax checking editor, fast linker, and the FIRST INCREMENTAL ASSEMBLER. Other assembler development cycles look like this: Edit Program v Assemble Debug / Link Reassemble *" Correct Syntax Errors The INCRA development cycle looks like this: Edit <-> Debug Cycle Time: 2-20 minutes (or more) Cycle Time: Less than 1 Second! With other systems, the development cycle for large programs can take several minutes involving a lot of tedious hopping from one program to another. The INCRA Assembly de- velopment environment is completely integrated, everything you need to develop assembler pro- grams or routines for programs in other lan- guages, is available at the touch of a key. With INCRA you go from program entry and editing to debugging instantly because the INCRA assem- bler is INCREMENTAL It updates the executable code as soon as you change the source - in milliseconds. And the powerful INCRA debug window is always available at the push of a key to trace through the program. If you find a mistake, just flip to the editor and correct it, then flip to the debugger and continue testing. The INCRA editor checks your assembler syntax as you enter, giving intelligent error messages that make it clear what was wrong and how to fix it - you never have to worry about waiting 5 minutes for a program to as- semble, only to find you have to do it all over because you forgot to put in a comma! INCRA also contains a fast integrated linker that can quickly pull in procedures from other modules and libraries at the push of a button. The INCRA incremental assembler works just as well on linked programs as on single modules, so you can develop large, multi-module programs, and mixed language programs with ease. And with INCRA, macros expand as soon as you enter them, no need to wait for assembly to see if the macro expanded the way you thought it would! If there's a mistake, just edit the macro call, and the macro will immediately reflect the changes. If you're a serious programmer working with assembler, INCRA's power and speed will make your life easier. If you're just learning assem- bler, INCRA's ease of use will make it exciting and fun! If you've always thought of assembler pro- gramming as slow, time-consuming, compli- cated and tedious, wait till you get your hands on INCRA. You'll be saying assembler develop- ment with INCRA is Fast... $1QAOO Efficient. ..FUN! i80( ^ cfou do- amp OMmdien ^n<^tammmfataiC... ^ticta, & tAetocifo cue. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: IBM'PC OR COMPATIBLE WITH 256K Incra Features: Incremental Assembler ft Complete macro assembler ft Supports 8086/88, 80186, 80286, 8087, 80287 ft Also operates in batch mode (fasterthanMASM5.0) ft Compatible with MASM 5.0 (will assemble most MASM 5.0 programs without changes) Editor ft Full Screen, fully featured ft Syntax checking ft Automatic INCREMENTAL assembly ft Customizable Options ft Unique line buffer for moving and re-ordering lines ft Super fast search and page ft Instantly generates .exe and .obj files ft Template program files ft Lots more! Debugger ft Window-oriented -see all data, registers, flags, and executing source lines (with comments) at a glance ft Fully symbolic (no need to declare publics) ft Single step, multiple breakpoints, conditional breakpoints, check-trace ft Highlights changes to regis- ters, flags & data at each step ft Powerful symbolic data display options ft Save and restore data display definitions ft Dissassemble with symbolic names ft Flip to and from your pro- gram's display screen ft Lots more! Linker ft Faster than MASM 5.0 ft Link incra files, regular .obj files, and libraries Macros ft Full macro capabilities ft Macros can be instantly expanded in the editor to inspect resulting source ft Full conditional assembly is supported Calculator ft Available at all times ft Complete set of arithmetic and logical operations ft All program constant and offset values are available as operands ft Hex, decimal, octal, binary, ascii results and operands accepted Options ft Change environment features such as screen colors, cursor type, tabs, processor type, etc. ft Save options permanently Help ft Pop-up command descriptions available at all times To order: Call ( U.S.A. or Canada „ 1-800-263-5645 or send check or money order to: daysiar COMPUTING 25 Warrender Ave., Suite 809 Islington, Ontario Canada M9B 5Z4 (dealer inquiries welcome) 1-416-234-9347 Circle 80 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 81) DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 53 Circle 225 on Reader Service Card otect Intelligence With Intelligence Software Protection KEYs By ProTech ProTech KEYs □ are totally transparent to the end user □ allow unlimited back up copies □ tree up disk drives □ do not interfere with peripheral operations □ are easy to install □ protect software developers' revenues □ assembler based routines (not drivers) □ encrypted routines □ physically unique hardware KEYs □ sophisticated software installation advice □ provide the highest level of protection available THE KEY The KEY provides effective software protection while insuring customer satisfaction. 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Glen Wild, NY 12738 Call Now 1-800-431-3400 In N.Y. State 914-434-3338 shell, the C shell, sed, and awk. He also presents common user commands and the two most common Unix editors, edandvi. Unix Programming is one of the few books I have seen that would be an excellent self- teaching guide for beginners. Access to a computer running Unix System V is almost es- sential, even though the book goes further than most in showing and explaining out- put. It does not, as the title mightlead you to expect, teach anything about programming in C. Programs are written in the shell command language and awk. It is an excellent in- troduction to the methods and tools of Unix. —Jason Levitt A Few Good Men from Uni- vac by David E. Lundstrom, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA: 1987, 227 pages, $19.95. Author David E. Lundstrom recalls a time when the physi- cal impressiveness of com- puters matched their elec- tronic sophistication. The title of this book is mis- leading, for it is not really about the early Univac com- puters: It begins after the Uni- vac I and only briefly de- scribes the construction of the Univac II. Lundstrom concen- trates primarily on the forma- tion and rise of Control Data Corp. out of the Univac divi- sion of Sperry Rand. He writes from first-hand knowl- edge, having worked for CDC for many years. The early chapters are rich with interesting anecdotes about early computers: central processing units with "hall- ways" inside for access by en- gineers, massive disk drives whose spinning platters created eerie winds in the computer room, and the early exploits of Seymour Cray, CDCs hotshot designer who eventually left to form Cray Research and build super- computers. We get a fascinat- ing portrait of life in the Stone Age of the computer era, when each computer cost millions of dollars and Minneapolis/St. Paul (home to both Univac and CDC) was the Silicon Valley of the Midwest. The strongest section in A Few GoodMen is Lundstrom's description of a computerized radar-tracking system devel- oped by Univac for the Navy. The Naval Tactical Data Sys- tem (NTDS) seems to be an early predecessor of the con- troversial AEGIS system, and it is notable for its innovation and sophistication. The late 1950s were excit- ing times; large computers were being transistorized and coming into their own, and new applications like the NTDS were arising every day. What the early 1980s were to personal computers, this era was to mainframes: a period of unprecedented technical progress that was driving a young industry into exploding markets. Unfortunately, Lund- strom's story seems to follow a course similar to that of CDC It progresses from the compact and technically interesting world of computer design to the slow and bureaucratic realm of corporate planning and politics. The latter half of the book portrays mostly minor devel- opments in peripheral tech- nology and loses its technical interest, largely, I think, due to Lundstrom's career change from engineering to market- ing. The final chapters con- cern mostly salespeople and their stories, even recounting in detail CDC employees' va- cations in Acapulco. In a sense, the shift in focus of the book is appropriate, if a little disappointing, since it il- lustrates the evolution of a typical computer company from an exciting technical start-up to a clumsy technoc- racy. Apple, take note! — David A. Mindell The Electronic Sweatshop by Barbara Garson, Simon and Schuster, New York: 1 988, 288 pages, $17.95. Electronic automation has been hailed as a means to achieve increased efficiency and higher quality, continued 54 BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 Circle 138 on Reader Service Card Circle 312 on Reader Service Card — * Regular price $149.95. WALTER BRIGHT - Programmer This is a revolutionary product which reflects the fact that Walter Bright is one of the world's best programmers. ?? Andy Redfern, Personal Computer World I find it amazing that Walter continues to find ways to improve his already excellent product. ?? Scott Robert Ladd, Micro Cornucopia C is great! O* is better!! Performance benchmarks Benchmark Zortech C Zortech C+ + Turbo C 1.5 QuickC 1.0 Sieve 20.49 20.54 23.62 22.72 Rsieve 20.49 20.54 23.62 22.03 Integer 1.32 1.38 6.31 6.49 Float 0.17 0.22 52.29 51.03 ^m 'Float 32.73 37.74 52.39 51.63 41 ' Pointer 17.91 17.96 17.13 16.87 V Rpointer 17.79 17.91 17.14 16.64 W Loop 3.90 3.90 3.90 3.90 m Optimize 0.49 0.60 8.46 8.79 \ Benchmarks were run on an 80286 based IBM compatible at 6Mhz with no 8087. 'The float benchmark was re-run without optimization. ..▼ vpc; T, Zortech C++ is the first native-code C++ compiler for MS-DOS compatible machines. This means you don't need to spend a lot of money onaC compiler. In fact, Zortech C++ ^ YES! ^k comes with a C++ compiler, a C compiler, a linker, a librarian, a fully integrated editing ^r Rush me: environment, context sensitive help and the fastest graphics library you've ever seen! ^Lw Q Zortech C+ + • 99.95* n Library Source mem an rogemer wim a single commana; $49 95 * ^. □ Intro to OOP and C+ + $27.95* DThe C++ Programming Language support. ^^ Now you can move your Microsoft and Turbo C code over to ^r Zortech C++ -we've included compatible library functions! ^T Name Also, we have made Zortech C++ compatible with j^ .,, Microsoft 's Codeview debugger! f Address Enter the world of Object Oriented Programming ^P Phone (oops) with Zortech C+ J yjSA orMC# Exp dafe Zortech C++ comes with a complete C++ and C library, including compatibility with the ANSI C draft. Unique to Zortech C++ is support ^p for mice, fast screen writes, re-entrant floating point and speaker ^b ZORTECH $29 95 VISA/MC/COD CHECK ACCEPTED Sure, C is great - but C++ is better! NOW AVAILABLE... Sid. Library Source Code Only $49.95 • (with C+ + Purchase) B12 To: ZORTECH INC. 366 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA 02174. Tel: 617-646-6703. Fax: 617-643-7969. S CALL THE ORDER HOTLINE 1-800-848-8408 Come by and See US at OOPSLA '88! * Please add $5.05 shipping to your order (UPS Ground) Intel announces Attempt file transfer. Reread manual once again to figure out how to send file. Print document from PC. sending a document as big as the New York phone book. Now your faxes or files can fly cross country. And you can still be zooming around in your flight simulator. Or writing that letter to your biggest account. Or recalculating your spreadsheets for tomorrow's meeting. Without interruption or downtime. And when you fax, there are no more stopovers at the printer, or cooling your heels in line at the fax machine. Because Connection lets you do everything without leaving your PC. And when you send files directly to 3 Intel Corporation. Connection Coprocessor isa trademark of Intel Corporation. WordlVrfecl isa registered trademark of WordlVrfectCoqi.Syniantec isa inidenwk of ^^ trademark of Microsoft Corporation. *CAS (DCA/Intel Communicating Application Specification.) 56 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 Announcing the first non-stop communications route between businesses anywhere in the world. Intel's Connection Coprocessor™ It's a whole new way to send and receive programs, files, text, graphics and electronic messages. Not just between PCs, but with fax machines as well. The Intel Connection is a new . **** communications coprocessing board that frees your PC from the task of communicating. Which means you can work on your computer non-stop— even while non-stop flights. Transfer failed. Spend 17 minutes figuring out the problem. Resend document, cross fingers. Work through lunch to make up for lost time. Finally, you send, but FAX line is busy. another Connection-equipped PC,you won't have to fiddle around with modem parameters or protocols. Because the Connection Coprocessor sets them for you. At 9600 bps. Best of all, Connection supports CASfa new communication standard that is supported by major software and hardware developers like Symantec,™ BorlandfDCAfMicrosoftfandWordPerfectsWhich means you can send, for example, a word processing file to your London office, without ever exiting your WordPerfect program. You just send the document directly from your application. That's it. There isn't any complicated Corporation. DCA is a registered trademark of Digital Communications Associates, Inc. Microsoft is a registered Circle 140 on Reader Service Card communications software to learn. And everything is backed by toll-free technical support and a five-year warranty from Intel. So what are you waiting for? Call 800-538-3373 now for a free demo disk. Because with Intel's Connection Coprocessor, communication is really going to take off. irrtel ® DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 57 Circle 107 on Reader Service Card BOOK REVIEWS PHONE ORDERS ACCEPTED |k ^''INVADING THE COMPUTER WORLD" IN NYS (212) 643-3900 ON SAT (212)239-4350^^^ 1-800-242-4GUY ^pppia sharp amrnm J^TCITIZENLEAtS^EA CALL FOR LOWEST PRICES IN THIS MAGAZINE CALL THE OTHER STORES FIRST, GET YOUR BEST PRICE ON ANY NAME BRAND COMPUTER, PRINTER, MONITOR, MODEM, COPIER, FAX MACHINE, SCANNERS, FAX CARD OR SOFTWARE- ■THEN CALL 4 GUYS-AND WE'LL TRY TO BEAT IT! ^^VEREX- THE CREATED A MONSTER- STEP 386 f>A| S STEP 286 IsALL LEADING EDGE Model 0 51 ?f 1 Flooov n Al I Dos 3.2'Keyboard V/MLL CALL LEADING EDGE D2 AT Compatible 80286 (jjaa Processor _.M0K_ vj>l T UU Memory 1.2MB Roppv _ DOS 3.2 & GW Basic_ AT 101 Keyboard Leading Edge Word Processor kid. HYUNDAI XT 1 Year On-Sile Service Contact Incl. mK ,D™ COMPAQ DESKPRO 286 aTo™» Et, $H QQQ JfpFClAk EPSON APEX 12MHz 1.2Hoppy$H A"7C* EGA, 00B«M»HO v| 333 2J_E=^^ 00% IBM XT COMPATIBLE Drive 40MB HD 13/0 «l Monitor Purchase rEornpletevtith: MS DOS BASIC PFS 1st .DESK™°?86:2:*:::::rCAa. ^^ «SS «bate call orTom! in mmHAUmmtLlimiilOCK] commodore I IALL UH lOMc. IN w/ Pur chase ot 2nd LVive and Mcrntcr COLT FULL ON-LINE TECHNICAL SUPPORT FORTRAN for the 80386 d Source Level Symbolic Debugging cUses All Available Memory DRuns in the 32-bit Protected M6de d Royalty Free License on Developed Programs dDOS Support Library with Source code Put the full power of the 80386 into your programs. Our SVS FORTRAN- 386 compiler breaks DOS's 16-bit instruction and 640K memory limit. With SVS you can cut a typical program's run-time in half, while using up to 16 Megabytes of memory. SVS fully supports both the Intel 80287/80387 and the Weitek 1167 math co-processors. SVS FORTRAN-386 needs the Phar Lap-386 Linker. Supporting Software Tools: SSP(Scitech Scientific Package) with Source Code Included Mathematical and Statistical Routines - Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT) -Specialized Matrix-Inversion Routines ~ Integration Utilities ~ Polynomial Roots-Nonparametric Statistics SPP(Scitech Plotting Package) with Source Code Included Supports CGA, EGA, MCGA, VGA, Hercules and AT&T 6300 graphic displays. Plots can be created and displayed or saved in a disk file with provision for enlarging, reducing, translating and rotating the original plot. MAT(Maintainability Analysis Tool) MAT analyzes and diagnoses your FORTRAN programs, documents each. module's interface, including all intercommunicating modules and generates cross-reference tables. MAT provides the information you need to make your programs more reliable and easier to maintain. Prices: SVS FORTRAN-386 .$695 SVS PASCAL-386 $695 Phar Lap-386 ASM/LINK $495 Scltech Scientific Package $325 Scltech Plotting Package $325 Science Annlirratinn* Maintainability Analys.s Too,....$595 tSSSSSSSS^n For more Information call: 5150 El Camino Real, Suite C-31 l-ROO-^fi.^l^*) Los Altos' Cali,ornia 94022 In CA call (415) 960-5931 but Barbara Garson has a dif- ferent opinion. In her book, Garson suggests that comput- erization of the workplace is the effort of a mean-spirited top management to control workers and make them as in- terchangeable as automobile parts. The Electronic Sweatshop is based on a series of interviews with workers who labor in jobs in various states of automa- tion. The first two chapters focus on working conditions in industries we regularly en- counter: the high-tech fast- food restaurant and the streamlined airline reserva- tion system. It is almost fright- ening how easy it was for Gar- son to do some of her research , for these easily accessible en- vironments provided her with everything she was looking for. Workers describe stan- dardized and fast-paced pro- cesses, tasks that have been stripped of all skill or discre- tion required for their perfor- mance, and regular and strict electronic monitoring of per- formance statistics. As she moves to other in- dustries, however, Garson's data ceases to be so clear, but she is unwilling to modify her thesis accordingly. In a wel- fare office, both workers and managers are ambivalent about the effects of their new computer system. A financial office has an expert system that might replace the knowl- edge of the brokers, but none of those interviewed use the system. The middle chapters of this book suffer from a lack of coherence, leaving the read- er with a disconnected series of anecdotes. The book's strongest chap- ter is on a large corporate auto- mation project designed to break the "monogamous" re- lationships between bosses and secretaries. The questions thus raised are the source of Garson's best insights, for she recasts automation as a femi- nist issue. On one hand, com- puters are able to turn a highly skilled and multitalented sec- retary into a dronelike "infor- mation processor." On the other hand, newly created "administrative services" or- ganizations are large, power- ful, and composed primarily of women. This development provides a useful support structure for women within the company and can serve to insulate them from overly de- manding male bosses. Garson thus reveals automation to be a social issue as well as a tech- nological one. The personal-interview ap- proach of The Electronic Sweatshop furnishes valuable insights into the intelligence with which people handle un- intelligent jobs. Garson's the- sis, however, that automation is imposed not for efficiency or quality but solely for con- trol and domination, is at best questionable and at worst a generalized and unsupported case of technophobia. —David A. Mindell Mind, Language, Machine: Artificial Intelligence in the Poststr ucturalist Age by Mi- chael L. Johnson, St. Martin 's Press, New York: 1988, 339 pages, $29.95. During the 1960s and early 1970s, the fashionable style of literary criticism was called structur- alism, a method that adapted anthropological and linguistic theories about universal myths and mental structures to the analysis of literary texts. Structuralism in turn gave way to poststructuralism, which abandoned the quest for uni- versal and focused on lan- guage itself as a web of rela- tions that paradoxically describes and constitutes reality. In this book, English pro- fessor Michael L. Johnson reviews the field of artificial intelligence from the post- structuralist perspective. He discerns a grand convergence between the two fields, like the convergence between physics and mysticism out- lined by Fritjof Capra in The Tao of Physics. Johnson pitches his writing to an academic audience that presumably can digest sen- continued 58 B Y T E • DECEMBER 1988 Circle 248 on Reader Service Card How To Support Your Customers You can provide software updates, answer tech- nical questions, and offer reams of product information to anyone with a modem. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, unattended. All you need is a PC, XT, AT, or 386-compatible, and a Galacticomm multi-user hardware /software package. And some phone lines. 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I I $65.15 for credit card: □ VISA □ MC □ AMEX I Exp. Date Signature _1 (^GALACTICOMM Galacticomm, Inc. 4101 S.W. 47 Ave. Suite 101, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314 Circle 112 on Reader Service Card Modem: (305) 583-7808 Fax: (305) 583-7846 Voice: (305) 583-5990 DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 59 Circle 181 on Reader Service Card — IBM PC® COMPATIBLE- SINGLE BOARD COMPUTER BOOK REVIEWS QuarkPCH- 4" x 6" From 325. quantity one • Low Power — Less than 3 Watts • Optional on-board Video LCD Driver • Ideal for any PC compatible OEM product which is not a personal computer Includes 1. Powerful V40®CPU (Faster than a PC) 2. Math Co-Processor Socket 3. 5 Volt Only Operation (3 watts) 4. Speaker Port 5. Keyboard Port 6. Parallel Printer Port 7. PC Bus 8. PC Compatible BIOS ROM 9. 1 Serial Port On board Options Include: 1. 5 Mode video Controller Option (Monochrome, Hercules® Graphics, CGA, High Res CGA, LCD Driver) 2. Floppy Disk Controller (3.5'75.25", 360K/720K/1.2 MB) 3. 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(03) 317-5933 fences like the following: "Verbal language takes the (plexiform) form of a spoken or written text, a textus, some- thing cybernetically 'woven' of (open) binary events (the processes performed in rela- tion to it) in two dimensions, as it were, continually transmut- ing (as Walter Porzig has noted) all relationships into spatial relationships ..." Along the way, the familiar touchstones of artificial intel- ligence (AI)— Chomsky's transformational grammar, Weizenbaum's ELIZA pro- gram, Winograd's SHRDLU, Schrank's MARGIE, Hof- stadter's Strange Loops, and so forth— undergo similar treatment as Johnson weaves them into a discourse that, in the best poststructuralist tra- dition, tries to undermine it- self and succeeds. The interactions among minds, languages, and com- puters are mysterious and end- lessly fascinating. Does the mind compile language? Is thought like symbolic compu- tation? Can programs execute mental algorithms, and, if so, can they be said to think? Ex- ploring these issues, AI work- ers have wandered into deep philosophical waters. Lan- guage—the central mystery- remains the only vehicle for such explorations. Yet the theorists and modelers to whom Johnson refers manage to construct theories, build systems, and write books de- scribing their results. Readers interested in those theories and systems would be better off consulting the original sources or one of the many ex- cellent overviews that are available. This book sheds ob- scurity on subjects that al- ready have plenty of that to spare. —Jon Udell Artificial Intelligence and Human Learning, edited by John Self, Chapman & Hall, New York: 432 pages, $42.50. Anyone interested in applying computers to the improvement of instructional methods can- not ignore this book, which contains 24 insightful articles on the current status of ICAI (Intelligent Computer-Aided Instruction) by American and British researchers. The main topics consist of ( 1 ) theoretical issues common to all ICAI re- search projects, (2) specific tutorial techniques and meth- odologies, and (3) examples of ICAI application programs. The book is divided into three corresponding parts. Part 1 includes examinations of such topics as "Represent- ing Complex Knowledge in an Intelligent Machine Tutor" and "Requirements of Con- ceptual Modelling Systems." The articles are far from being unanimous on the direction of ICAI; for instance, Jim Ridg- way argues that current at- tempts are seriously deficient in both pedagogical and epis- temological assumptions. Part 2 treats specific tech- niques such as "failure-driven learning," a resolution-based method for discovering stu- dents' misconceptions. Im- portant topics in Part 3 include "Design Choices for an Intel- ligent Arithmetic Tutor," dis- cussion of the Writer's Assis- tant, ELECTRE Tutor, and the Help system for Unix Mail. The book ends with an ex- amination of PROUST, which analyzes programs written by novice programmers, and BRIDGE, a complete tutorial environment for beginning programmers. —Dong H. Kim U CONTRIBUTORS Eric Bobinsky works at the NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. G. Mi- chael Vose is coeditor of OS Report: News and Views on OS/2. He lives in Peterbor- ough, New Hampshire. Jason Levitt is a Unix consultant in Austin, Texas. David A. Min- dell is a writer and computer consultant living in Pittsford, New York. Jon Udell is a BYTE technical editor. Dong H. Kim is a researcher and consultant in artificial intel- ligence. He lives in Chapel Hill,NC. 60 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 58 on Reader Service Card Circle 114 on Reader Service Card — Zero To 2000 In 60 Seconds. 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MKS LEX & YACC work to- gether efficiently to simplify the creation of new lan- §uages for applications, or to evelop new programming language compilers. List: $249 Ours: $212 PARADISE 1-800-445-7; LIST OURS ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS Dan Bricklin's Demo II 195 179 Dan Bricklin's Demo Tutorial 50 45 MathCAD 395 282 Norton ON-Line Program Guides 100 75 Opt-Tech Sort PC/Tools Deluxe 149 105 80 70 Periscope 1 695 556 Periscope III 10 MHz 1495 1196 PolyAWK 99 79 PolyDoc 199 159 PVCS Corporate 39b 332 Realia COBOL 995 799 w/ REALMENU 1145 929 TK Solver Plus 395 382 Vfeature Deluxe 120 111 X-Tree Pro 129 111 GREENLEAF SOFTWARE INC. Greenleaf Functions 209 149 Greenleaf Comm Library 229 169 Greenleaf TurboFunctions 109 79 Greenleaf DataWindows 295 209 OS/2 Version 395 299 Greenleaf Bus. MathLib 325 229 Greenleaf SuperFunctions 265 189 Greenleaf MakeForm 125 99 OS/2 Version 170 135 Greenleaf DataMath Interface 75 69 MEDIA CYBERNETICS Dr. HALO III 140 101 HALO DPE 195 162 HALO '88 325 229 HALO '88 for 2 compilers 475 329 HALO '88 - MS Developers 595 399 TurboHALO for C 100 80 MICROSOFT MS BASIC/6.0 295 199 MSC 450 299 MS COBOL V. 3.0 900 599 MS Excel 495 329 MS FORTRAN 450 299 MS Macro Assembler 150 99 MS Mouse Serial or Bus w/Paintbrush & Mouse Menus 150 99 w/EasyCAD 175 119 w/Paintbrush & Windows 200 139 MS OS/2 Prog. Toolkit 350 229 MS QuickBASIC 99 69 MS QuickC 99 69 MS Sort 195 130 MS Windows/286 99 69 MS Windows/386 195 130 MS Windows Dev. Kit 500 319 MS Word 450 285 MORTICE KERN SYSTEMS MKS Awk 99 85 MKS Lex & Yacc 249 212 MKS Make 149 127 MKS RCS 189 161 MKS SQPS 495 420 MKS Toolkit 199 169 MKS Trilogy 119 101 MKSVi 149 129 SOFTWARE BOTTLING Flash-up 79 60 Flash-up ToolBox 69 45 SoftCode 79 70 Speed Screen 49 45 WEND1N Operating System Toolbox 99 80 PCNX 99 80 PCVMS 99 80 Wendin-DOS 139 109 Application Dev. Kit 99 80 PROGRAMMER'S PARADISE: HALO '88 The latest version of the industry standard. Now adds to the library, subroutines and devices which facilitate the development of contemporary applications such as Desktop Publishing, Document Management, Vision, and Imaging. HALO '88's powerful functions reduce development time by offering fast, effective subroutines. And no other graphics library supports more languages, more com- pilers or more devices. LIST: $325 OURS: $229 "HALO WENDIN-DOS VERSION 2.5 WENDIN-DOS is the new multi-tasking, multi-user MS-DOS replacement operating system for IBM compatible Personal Computers. Version 2.5 allows users to create hard disk parti- tions greater than 32 MB. WENDIN-DOS uses the MS-DOS file system, and supports MS-DOS commands while providing new ones to enable multi-tasking, file protection, and command language extensions and enables you to access your files with DOS, UNIX, or VAX/VMS style file names— whichever you prefer. WENDIN-DOS supports several users on the same com- puter. WENDIN-DOS now includes XTC, Wendin's ULTIMATE PROGRAMMER'S EDITOR! Minimum 512K memory. ""1 L/\/S ~- ,~^2TT LIST: $139 OURS: $109 WifflMff MICROSOFT MOUSE If your PC has you trapped into using the same old software, it's time you took a look at the new Microsoft Mouse. It's the fastest, most efficient way to tap into a wealth of business programs — at last count, over 250 compatible applications. It's also the mouse that outperforms all others. The new Microsoft Mouse points more ac- curately, works faster, takes up less desk space, and doesn't even require a pad. __. __«.„ LIST: $150 OURS: $99 MKPOSOtt VEDIT PLUS 3.0 vfgffs New VEDIT PLUS 3.0 is the ideal programmer's editor with stun- ning performance, speed and versatility. New features include 1000 level undo, columnar blocks, true regular expressions, an easy to use pull-down menu system and context sensitive help. You also get multiple file editing (any file size), windows, unlimited keystroke macros, total configurability and the most powerful macro programming language available. The new automatic compiler support isnignly flexible and comes ready to use for Microsoft, Borland and many other compilers and assemblers. LIST: $185 OURS: $115 CompuView 1-800-445-7899 Programmer's A Division of Magellan Software Corp 55 South Broadway, Tarrytown, NY 10591 HOW WE WORK PHONE ORDERS Hours9AM-7PMEST. We accept MasterCard, Visa, Ameri- can Express. Include $3.95 per item for shipping and handling. All shipments by UPS ground. Rush service available, ask for rates when you order. MAILORDERS POs by mail or fax are welcome. Please include phone number. RETURN POLICY Our "No Hassle" policy means if you're not satisfied with a product from Programmer's, simply return it within 30 days for a refund. Some manufactur- er's products cannot be returned once disk seals are broken, so check before you buy. INTERNATIONAL SERVICE Take advantage of our Inter- national business number for details on export charges and exchange rates. Payments should be made in U.S. dollars. DEALERS AND CORPORATE ACCOUNTS Call and ask for our catalog and special volume discounts. UNBEATABLE PRICES We'll match lower nationally advertised prices. In NY: 914-332-4548 Customer Service: 914-332-0869 International Orders: 914-332-4548 Telex: 510-601-7602 Fax: 914-332-4021 Call or Write for Latest Free Catalog! Circle 224 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 63 0 to 60 in 5 seconds -SlAfS" I Blrt BO IM-CH BCUIT ;MULA'IO!, with new UniLab Microprocessor Development Tools ■ 64Kbytes from hard disk to emulation memory in 5 seconds. That's moving. But today you've got to be fast just to stay in the race for better microprocessor designs. ■ The secret is a new, high-speed parallel interface: the Orion bus. Which zips data between your PC/AT and the 8620 analyzer- emulator, breaking the RS-232 bottleneck. ■ The 8620 with O-bus gives you complete program diagnosis — and solutions — in real time. For more than 150 different micro- processors. Using the same command set environment. ■ A generous 2730 trace-cycle buffer with selective filtering lets you cut through the clutter and display just the traces you wish. And you get ljusec resolution in program time measurement. Plus continuous InSight monitoring of your program's key functions as they are performed. register* ik wtarfai 1 fata* fH forfidf. G03X a- rnn-zL-frrti icam m'=«3 k«i tSn-tm EOieKBS2*72M8B-e8SSf73&4i2F8 .1. .-$--*.. Analyzer Triggers. Commonly used triggers can be selected quickly from a list of standard and user-defined triggers. 64 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 InSight Display. InSight blends analyzer- emulator techniques to give you continuous, real time monitoring of key processor functions. And still services user interrupts. It displays changing register contents, I/O lines, ports, iU D/-„„. .. , j ,t j . . .„■,. microprocessor, the 8620 is the top price/ user-defined memory windows. With your cr ' , , . ■ . 1 performance analyzer-emulator that does it all. At just $4380. With processor Personality Paks typically $550 each. ■ On top of that, you get UniLab's trade- . UniLab 8620. Fast-lane debugging that mark ability to debug by symptom, not just by gets you t0 market quicker breakpoint and single step. And, to help you complete the job on time, on the spot, a CaU t0U-free: 800/245-8500. stimulus generator and EPROM programmer 'n ^™: 415/3ol-8883 are included. ^^ =^ 0 ^^ = = ■ Ease of use, another Orion trademark, ^# 3-3 S w as is also built in. So you have all the familiar instruments features and formats you're used to working 702 Marshall St. , Redwood City, CA 94063 with. It doesn't matter if your project is a TLX 530942 FAX 415/361-8970 single chip controller or complex 16-bit Computer Integrated Instrumentation Circle 203 on Reader Service Card Products in Perspective 67 What's New 97 Short Takes Boomerang Think C SOTA 286i ALPS Allegro 24 FamilyCare Software 107 First Impressions The Compaq 286 SLT Reviews 162 183 Plotters in Perspective TheSun386i 193 Dell's System 220 199 207 215 QuickCapture Merge 386 Slick 223 231 Agenda MacDraw II 236 Review Update: Benchmarks at a Glance DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 65 IT'S TIME TO DO SOME SERIOUS 386 BUGBUSTING! PROBE'S menu- bar and pull- down menus set a new standard for debugger interfaces. PROBE has . source-level debugging to let you "C" your program. fttron's 88386 Source rrobe Version 1.88 I Initialize loner bound, upper bound, a (nit (dloucr. Supper, «step>.' /m Print tekle lie«der. _ fTlMC r C\>i"): Print telle. / f«hr = loner; utile (f»«r <= «ppef' I /m n , Compute celilos te«per.turtL "^ Iter Ine (Inactivate Set",.,, counter I telle Hoe, en.M.1 Etggl loueeeel immHimiimt . POP registers up and down with a single key. This is an out-of-range memory-overwrite bug. Since it is interrupt related, it only appears in real time. Welcome to your nightmare. Your company has bet the farm on your product. Your demonstration wowed the operating committee, and beta ship- ments were out on time. Then wham! All your beta customers seemed to call on the same day. "Your software is doing some really bizarre things',' they say. Your credibility is at stake. Your profits are at stake. Your sanity is at stake. THIS BUG'S FOR YOU You rack your brain, trying to figure something out. Is it a random memory overwrite? Or worse, an overwrite to a stack- based local variable? Is it sequence dependent? Or worse, randomly caused by interrupts? Overwritten code? Undocu- mented "features" in the software you're linking to? And to top it off, your program is too big. The software debugger, your program and it's symbol table can't fit into memory at the same time. Opening a bicycle shop suddenly isn't such a bad idea. THIS DEBUGGER'S FOR YOU Announcing the 386 PROBE ™ Bugbuster,*from Atron. Nine of the top-ten software developers sleep better at night because of Atron hardware-assisted debuggers. Because they can set real-time breakpoints which instantly detect memory reads and writes. Now, with the 386 PROBE, you have the capability to set a qualified breakpoint, so the breakpoint triggers only if the events are coming from the wrong procedures. So you don't have to be halted by breakpoints from legitimate areas. You can even detect obscure, sequence-dependent problems by stopping a breakpoint only after a specific chain of events has occurred in a specific order. Then, so you can look at the cause of the problem, the 386 PROBE automatically stores the last 2K cycles of program execution. Although other debuggers may try to do the same thing, Atron is the only company in the world to dequeue the pipelined trace data so you can easily understand it. Finally, 386 PROBE's megabyte of hidden, write-protected memory stores your symbol table and debugger. So your bug can't roach the debugger. And so you have room enough to debug a really big program. COULD A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP PUT YOU IN THE TOP TEN? Look at it this way. Nine of the top-ten software products in any given category were created by Atron customers. Maybe their edge is - a good night's sleep. Call and get your free, 56-page bugbusting bible today. Andifyou'reinthemiddle^ f»* of a nightmare right now, give us a purchase order number. We'll FEDEX you a sweet dream. Ik BUGBUSTERS -. •Versions for COMPAQ. PS/2-XOs and compatible!! Copyright ( A division of Northwest Instrument Systems, Inc. Saratoga Office Center • 12950 Saratoga Avenue Saratoga, CA 95070 • Call 408/253-5933 today. 1987 by Atron. 386 PROBE is a trademark of Atron. Call 44-2-855888 in the UK and 49-8-985-8020 in West Germany. TRBA Circle 26 on Reader Service Card What's New SYSTEMS 3Com's Answer to a LAN Workstation The 3Station/2E, built around an Ethernet local-area network, is 3Com Corp.'s latest answer to an intelligent personal com- puter for the business masses. Unlike the 3Station that it replaces, the 3Station/2E provides for graphics- and computation-intensive ap- plications such as desktop publishing and spread- sheets. It also has a faster clock rate. The 256K-byte video display buffer sup- ports the higher-resolution VGA (800 by 600 pixels) that is used in Microsoft Win- dows, AutoCAD, Ventura Publisher, and GEM Desk- top Publisher. Specifically, the 3Sta- tion/2E motherboard com- bines a 10-MHz 80286 microprocessor with a VGA graphics driver, 1 to 5 mega- bytes of RAM, an Ethernet connection, and a socket for an optional math copro- cessor. What this worksta- tion doesn't have is a disk drive— mass storage can sometimes best be managed by the network file server, 3Com says. With 3Com's Maxess SNA Gateway software/card combination, PCS/TCP, and PCS/XNS software, the 3Station/2E provides for communication with Sys- tems Network Architecture, Transmission Control Proto- col/Internet Protocol, and asynchronous host connec- tivity, respectively. You can connect some pe- ripherals with either of the two RS-232C asynchronous serial ports (9- and 25-pin), and you can connect a printer through the Centronics- compatible parallel port. Each 3Station/2E can function as a DOS worksta- tion or as an OS/2 worksta- tion. The network operating system software can be 3Com's 3+ or 3 + Open LAN manager or Novell's NetWare, version 2.1. Price: $2495, without a monitor. Contact: 3Com Corp., 3165 Kifer Rd., Santa Clara, CA 95052,(408)562-6400. Inquiry 1101. Laptops Follow Function The Toshiba T5200 lap- top, an 80386-based 20- MHz machine with 2 mega- bytes of RAM and a VGA slot, is now the company's most powerful portable. The gas-plasma display has built-in VGA capabilities, and there's a VGA port for add- ing a bigger monitor. It has 16- gray-scale functionality, with a resolution of 640 by 480 pixels. Standard equipment also includes a 40-megabyte hard disk drive and a 1 .44- megabyte 3'/2-inch floppy disk drive that's PS/2-compatible. The keyboard is a 91 -key AT compatible with separate cursor-control keys and a nu- meric keypad. In all, the por- table weighs almost 19 pounds and is about 4 inches thick — a tad heavy and prob- ably too big for your average briefcase. Each system comes with a full-length 16-bit expansion slot and a half-length 8-bit expansion slot. Options include an internal 2-megabyte memory module that's compatible with the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft Ex- panded Memory Specifica- tion, a 2400-bit-per-second in- ternal Hayes-compatible modem, and a carrying case. Price: $9499 with 40-mega- byte hard disk drive; $10,999 with 100-megabyte hard disk drive. Contact: Toshiba America, Inc. , Information Systems Di- vision, 9740 Irvine Blvd. , Irvine, CA 92718, (714)583- 3000. Inquiry 1100. Hewlett-Packard's 80386 The Hewlett-Packard Vectra QS/16 is a 32-bit, 80386-based desktop box that's basically a smaller ver- sion of the Vectra RS/16 floor-standing unit. The QS/16 can run MS- DOS, OS/2, or Santa Cruz Op- erations' Xenix. But HP Vec- tra DOS and Microsoft Windows/386 are included. The basic machine comes with 1 megabyte of memory (with space for 16 megabytes on the motherboard), a 1. 2-mega- byte 5 W-inch floppy drive, and seven expansion slots. Also standard is a hard disk controller, an RS-232C port, and a Centronics paral- lel port. There's an 80387 nu- meric coprocessor socket and an HP Human Interface Loop Port that simultaneously sup- ports up to seven input devices, such as a touchscreen, a mouse, and a graphics tablet. A 40-megabyte hard disk drive with disk caching is available as an option, as is a 14-inch color or monochrome display and a 3 Vi -inch floppy drive. An AT-style 101-key keyboard is also standard. Price: $3995; $5095 with a SEND US YOUR NEW PRODUCT RELEASE We 'd like to consider your product for publication. Send us full information, including its price, ship date, and an address and telephone number where readers can get further information. Send to New Products Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peter- borough, NH 03458. Information contained in these items is based on manufacturers ' written statements and/or telephone interviews with BYTE reporters. BYTE has not formally reviewed each product mentioned. These items, along with additional new product announcements, are posted regularly on BIX in the microbytes.sw and microbytes.hw conferences. 40-megabyte hard disk drive. Contact: Hewlett-Packard Co., Inquiries, 19310 Prune- ridge Ave. , Cupertino, CA 95014, or call HP as listed in your local white pages. Inquiry 1102. The Portable with a Desktop Punch Sporting a 20-MHz 80286 microprocessor and weighing much less than its desktop cousins is the LCD- 286 portable from Scantech Computer Systems. It comes standard with 1 megabyte of zero-wait-state RAM, a 20-megabyte hard disk drive, and a 1 .2-megabyte 5 !4-inch floppy disk drive. The LCD screen is 80 columns by 25 rows. Inside the ma- chine are three full-length and two half-length slots. Support for CGA and EGA graphics is also available. Price: $3495; $3995 for CGA version; $5495 for EGA version. Contact: Scantech Computer Systems, Inc., 12981 Ramona Blvd., Unit I&H, Irwindale, CA 91706, (818)960-2999. Inquiry 1103. continued DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 67 WHAT'S NEW PERIPHERALS Tapes Store Gigabytes at File Servers Because networks are generally using central- file-server technology, where the main memory back- up systems need to be located at the file servers, MIS manag- ers are interested in gigabyte- capacity tape storage. The portable MaynStream 2200HS allows for backup of more than 2 gigabytes of data on a removable and rewritable 8-millimeter cassette tape. Data transfer is rated at 250K bytes per second, and May- nard's standard multitasking software is included. About the size of a hard disk drive, the 2200HS is based on helical-scan tech- nology. This involves magneti- cally writing on the tape in thin diagonal stripes, reducing the size necessary for the Maxell cassette tapes. Each cassette tape is slightly larger than a standard audiocassette tape. Features include read- after-write error checking and automatic rewrite, an error- correction code that corrects up to 264 bytes in each data block, and a head-to-tape speed of 150 inches per second. The software has two main features to help you maintain up-to-date files. You can save backup specifications in a script file to automate routine backup sessions. You can also make the routine backups automatically using a back- ground program called Autoback. The Archive feature saves hard disk space by making it easier for you to transfer in- active hard disk files onto a backup cassette. The basic XT- and AT-compatible pack- age includes software, drive, controller cards, cables, and a cassette. PS/2 is offered as an option. Gigabytes for your file server. Price: $6995; $7095 for PS/2 models. Contact: Maynard Electron- ics, 460 East Semoran Blvd., Casselberry, FL 32707, (407)331-6402. Inquiry 1104. Portable Printer with Desktop Capabilities The ExpressWriter 3 1 1 is a compact, 11-pound, 24- pin letter-quality printer that prints 180 characters per sec- ond in draft mode and fea- tures a maximum resolution of 360 by 360 dots per inch. It includes a 16K-byte buf- fer with an additional 32K bytes available through an optional RAM card that can be used as a buffer or for down- loadable fonts. Three resident emulations include Toshiba/ Qume, IBM ProPrinter, and Epson LQ Series. Resident fonts include high-speed draft, Courier, Prestige, Elite, condensed, and proportional. Paper can be as wide as 10 inches. Price: $589. Contact: Toshiba America, Inc., Information Systems Division, 9740 Irvine Blvd., Irvine, CA 92718, (714) 583-3000. Inquiry 1105. Scanner Handles 4388 Pixels per Inch Nikon has a full-color film scanner for graphics art and desktop publishing. It's the Nikon LS-3500 film scanner, and it reads both color and monochrome 35mm film positives and negatives directly. Existing film scanners use a 300-pixel-per-inch reading resolution. The LS-3500 will read at a resolution of 6144 by 4096 pixels, or 4388 pixels per inch. It can be connected to computers through RS- 232C and GPIB interfaces, with half-length cards sold by many companies besides Nikon. Operation of the 11- by 15- by 6-inch, 13-pound scanner involves placing the 35mm slide in the film holder; the scanning sequence starts im- mediately. A CCD element strip, consisting of 4096 ele- ments in a vertical bar, reads image data in lines as the film passes in front of the CCD chip. The film passes three times in front of the CCD element— once each for blue, green, and red— with 6144 ver- tical increments scanned for each color. The image data is automat- ically, continuously trans- ferred to the computer for processing. At the GPIB rate of 750K bytes per second, a 4096-byte vertical strip is transferred every 5 millisec- onds to the host computer bus. The 6144 vertical readings take 15 seconds each, with three vertical readings per slide, totaling 45 seconds per slide. Once the image is stored in your PC, XT, AT, or Mac II, you can combine the image data with word processing data for printing, or you can store the image on a hard disk, for example. Price: $9995 without GPIB card (which is priced about $450 from other vendors). Contact: Nikon, Inc., Elec- tronic Imaging Division, 623 Stewart Ave. , Garden City, NY 11530, (516)222-0200. Inquiry 1106. Ventek Upgrades VGA Two pages side by side or one page with a display resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels are two of the features of Ventek 's AT-compatible AT 2000 desktop publishing/CAD system. The system consists of a board with built-in VGA and a 20-inch monitor. Each board includes proprietary hardware for updating a standard 640- by 480-pixel screen at twice the rate, Ventek claims. In its high-resolution mode, drivers are supplied for Microsoft Windows, Auto- CAD, Ventura Publisher, GEM, Lotus 1-2-3, and WordPerfect. With the MS- Windows driver, you can use Aldus PageMaker. Price: $2695. Contact: Ventek Corp., 31336 Via Colinas, Suite 102, Westlake Village, CA 91362, (818)991-3868. Inquiry 1107. continued 68 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Your pad or ours? If you perform calculations, the answer is obvious. MathCAD 2.0. It's everything you appreciate about working on a scratch- pad-simple, free-form math -and more. More speed. More accuracy. More flexibility. Just define your variables and enter your formulas anywhere on the screen. MathCAD formats your equations as they're typed. Instantly calculates the results. And displays them exactly as you're used to seeing them- in real math notation, as numbers, tables or graphs. MathCAD is more than an equation solver. Like a scratchpad, it allows you to add © 1988 MahSofl. Inc. Circle 174 on Reader Service Card text anywhere to support your work, and see and record every step. You can try an unlimited number of what-ifs. And print your entire calculation as an integrated docu- ment that anyone can understand. Plus, MathCAD is loaded with powerful built-in features. In addition to the usual trig- onometric and exponential functions, it includes built-in statistical functions, cubic splines, Fourier transforms, and more. It also handles complex numbers and unit conver- sions in a completely transparent way. Yet, MathCAD is so easy to learn, you'll be using its full power an hour after you begin. Requires IBM PC* or compatible, 512KB RAM, graphics card. IBM PC* International Business Machines Corporation. MathCAD* MalhSoft. Inc. What more could you ask for? How about two new applications packs to increase your productivity? The Advanced Math Applications Pack includes 16 applications like eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a symmetric matrix, solu- tions of differential equations, and polynomial least-squares fit. The Statistics Applications Pack lets you perform 20 standard statistical routines such as multiple linear regression, combinations and permutations, finding the median, simulating a queue, frequency distributions, and much more. MathCAD lets you perform calculations in a way that's faster, more natural, and less error- prone than the way you're doing them now- whether you use a calculator, a spreadsheet, or programs you write yourself. So come on over to MathCAD and join 45,000 enthusiastic users. For more information, contact your dealer or call 1-800-MATHCAD (In MA: 617-577-1017). MathCAD* MathSoft, Inc., One Kendall Sq., Cambridge, MA 02139 DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 69 WHAT'S NEW A D D - I N S Faxes Almost Send Themselves A non-board 80188 microprocessor lets the 9600-bit-per-second, %- length JT Fax 9600 PC board transmit to the 3 million Group III facsimile and PC faxes in the world, according to the manufacturer. Group III (denoting the best facsimile standard using analog telecommunications transmission) limits the data rate to 9600 bits per second. Group IV facsimiles can travel at up to 64K bits per second. But Group IV requires digital telecommunications trans- mission—something telephone companies are working furi- ously toward but that isn't cur- rently available on more than 10 percent of all telecommuni- cations lines. The JT Fax 9600 PC is de- signed with a proprietary "convert-and-send capabil- ity," Quadram claims, which automatically strips out printer-command sequences and subsequently converts the file to ASCII and to fax format as it's transmitting. For one page, it takes about 30 seconds. Software is memory resi- dent, using 190K bytes of RAM. Should you need that RAM for a memory-intensive application, for example, you can remove the software from active memory with an Exit command at the DOS prompt. Another helpful feature per- mits transmission of faxes using the software Print com- mand so a fax can be sent from the screen from a stored file, or created from previously re- ceived faxes or scanner input. Received faxes can be dis- played on-screen, stored on disk, or output to a dot-matrix or laser printer. Quadram adds luxury 9600 fax board. Other features include a graphics/text merge, a high- resolution mode, and a com- pressed print mode to reduce spreadsheets to 8 Vi-by-l 1 size. Price: $795. Contact: Quadram, One Quad Way, Norcross, GA, 30093, (404) 564-5566. Inquiry 1109. Double Your Disk Capacity The DiskDoubler is a half-length card that dou- bles storage capacity on all your disk drives— floppy drives, hard drives, and RAM drives. It uses a proprietary data- compression technology and is compatible with the IBM PC, XT, AT, and compatibles that operate under DOS 2.0 or higher. The DOS shell, a TSR (terminate-and-stay-resident) program called DD.COM, acts to compress and uncompress the files as they are handled by DOS. The interface to the disk is interactive and does not re- quire that the entire file be uncompressed for use— it auto- matically compresses and un- compresses only those being addressed. System files with the ex- tensions .EXE, .COM, .SYS, .BAT, and .BIN aren't auto- matically compressed or un- compressed because DOS can't recognize them in a com- pressed state. But you must manually compress these files for them to work with the add-in. The DiskDoubler works best with English text, though there are algorithms for data in the form of spreadsheets and dBASE files. Compression ratios vary, so some disk ca- pacities could be more than doubled. Price: $189. Contact: Datran Corp., 2505 Foothill Blvd., La Crescenta, CA 91214, (800) 332-0456; in California, (818) 248-8780. Inquiry 1111. A "Foxy" Development System The SC/FOX parallel co- processor and the Harris RTX 2000 real-time proces- sor come bundled with a soft- ware development system that includes a Forth optimizing compiler, editor, and run utility operating from MS- DOS. SC/FOX denotes the manufacturer, Silicon Com- posers, and the idea of the parallel coprocessor, Forth- Optimized Express. All you add is code, and you can per- form multiple applications, including real-time control, image and signal processing, data acquisition and compres- sion, and computation-inten- sive applications. All nonmemory access in- structions execute in one clock cycle. Memory access in- structions execute in two cycles. Up to five high-level Forth instructions can be com- bined and executed in paral- lel in a single clock cycle. Price: $1995. Contact: Silicon Composers, Inc. , 210 California Ave., Suite K, Palo Alto, CA 94306, (415) 322-8763. Inquiry 1110. Fiber Optic Integration Proteon has introduced integrated token-ring cards for its ProNet 10, which the company claims was the first commercially avail- able token-ring network in 1981. These new cards, model number pi 307, have the opti- cal fiber connection with an SMA 905 connector directly on the card rather than on a separate box, which the cards plug into with shielded twisted-pair cabling. Proteon's shielded twisted pair (unlike the unshielded twisted-pair cabling installed by telephone companies) allows transmission distances of up to 160 meters. Each pi 307 plugs into the expansion slot of an IBM PC, XT, AT, or compatible. Price: $1200. Contact: Proteon, Inc., Two Technology Dr., Westbor- ough, MA 01581, (617) 898-2800. Inquiry 1112. continued 70 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Why Paradox 2.0 makes your network run like clockwork Paradox® runs smoothly, intelligently and so transparently that multiple users can access the same data at the same time— without being aware of each other or getting in each other's way. With Paradox news travels fast and it's always accurate Paradox automatically updates itself with a screen-refresh that ensures that all the data is up to date and accurate all the time. Record-locking, Paradox- style, safeguards data integrity by preventing for example, two different users from making changes to the same record at the same time. How to moke your multiuser network work To run Paradox 2.0 or the Paradox Network Pack on a network, you need: ■ Novell with Novell Advanced Netware version 2.0A or higher ■ 3Com 3Plus with 3Com 3+ operating system version 1.0, 1.1 or higher ■ IBM Token Ring or PC Network with IBM PC Local Area Network Program version 1.12 or higher ■ Torus Tapestry version 1,45 or higher ■ AT&T Starlan version 1.1 or higher ■ Banyan VINES version 2.10 ■ Other network configurations that are 100% compatible with DOS 3.1 and one ol the listed networks System Requirements for the Network Workstation ■ DOS 3.1 or higher ■ 640K RAM ■ Any combination ot hard, floppy, or no disk drives ■ Compatible monochrome, color, or EGA monitor with adapter 'Customer satisfaction is our main concern; it within 60 days of purchase this product does not perlorm in accordance with our claims, call our customer service department, and we wilt arrange a refund. Paradox is a registered trademark ot Ansa Software Ansa is a Borland International Company Other brand and product names are registered trademarks or trademarks ol their respective holders. Copyrighl *1988 Borland International Bl 1243 it When I saw the record-locking and autorefresh in action, I couldn't believe it. Here was a true network application, a program that can actu- ally take advantage of a network to provide more features and functions, things that can't be done with a stand- alone PC. Aaron Brenner, LAN Magazine With Version 2.0, Paradox becomes a sophisticated multiuser product that boasts an impressive selection of data- production features and password- security levels. Rusel DeMaria, PC Week J J Paradox responds instantly to "Query-by-Example" The method you use to ask questions is called Query-by-Example. Instead of spending time figuring out how to do the query, you simply give Paradox an example of the results you're looking for. Paradox picks up the example and automatically seeks the fastest way of getting the answer. Queries are flexible and interactive. And in Paradox, unlike in other data- bases, it's just as simple to query more than one table as it is to query one. 64 The program elegantly handles all the chores of a multiuser database system with little or no effort by network users. Mark Cook and Steve King, Data Based Advisor J J it Paradox ... has quickly become the state-of-the-art product among PC database managers . . . Paradox still reigns supreme as the thinking user's DBMS. Jim Seymour, PC Magazine J J You don't have to be a genius to use Paradox Even if you're a beginner, Paradox is the only relational database manager that you can take out of the box and begin using right away. Because Paradox is driven by the very latest in artificial intelligence technology, it does almost everything for you— except take itself out of the box. (If you've ever used 1-2-3® or dBASE,® you already know how to use Paradox. It has Lotus-like menus, and Paradox documentation includes "A Quick Guide to Paradox for Lotus Users" and "A Quick Guide to Paradox for dBASE users.") Paradox, it makes your network work. 60-Day Money-back Guarantee* For a brochure or the dealer nearest you Call (800) 543-7543 Circle 43 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 44) BORLAND I N r C H N A r I O N A L DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 71 WHAT'S NEW HARDWARE • GRAPHICS Grabbing Frames Compatibly The Variable-Scan 100- AT, an AT-compatible image processor, works with more nonstandard video sen- sors than any other board, claims the manufacturer. Of course, it also works with all the standard video sensors as well. The board, from Imaging Technology, supports image acquisition of up to 1024 by 1024 pixels on RS-170 and CCIR cameras, as well as on CCD sensors that don't con- form to fixed industry stan- dards such as linescan, fast- frame-rate area scan, X-ray, and high-resolution cameras — which are used for many spe- cialized applications. The VS 100-AT includes a trigger that allows the board to be synchronized with exter- nal events, which helps in cap- turing images when a part of a conveyor belt passes under a camera for inspection. A 768- by 512-pixel image-capture mode provides for square pixel acquisition and display when working with CCIR cameras. A program- mable gain and level is used to correct fluctuations in light- ing and to interface with non- standard video signals with output levels. A digital input port eliminates the interim digitation step if the video sen- sor outputs digital data directly. Software support comes from a library that includes about 150 high-level image- processing and control func- tions. Included are functions that improve the signal-to- noise ratio of the captured image and find edges. Price: $4495; $995 for ITEX 100 software. Contact: Imaging Technol- ogy, Inc., 600 West Cum- mings Park, Woburn, MA 01801,(617)938-8444. Inquiry 1113. VS 100-AT grabs nonstandard images. Workstation-Quality Graphics The Artist Designer 16 MC is a 16-bit Micro Channel card for 1664- by 1200-pixel resolution for monochrome applications. Designed by Control Sys- tems, it supports the Direct Graphics Interface Standard developed by Graphic Software Systems through on-board firmware. DGIS drivers support VersaCAD, AutoCAD, Page- Maker, Ventura Publisher, Lotus 1-2-3, CADvance, P-CAD, and others. The Artist Designer 16 MC controller incorporates the Texas Instruments 34010 microprocessor, which uses display-list processing tech- niques for 5-MIPS RISC per- formance. This relieves the host CPU from complex pro- cessing tasks associated with graphics algorithms and soft- ware emulation, for example. It is especially useful in cus- tom graphics programming, the manufacturer claims. Operation can be either 1 bit or 2 bits per pixel, soft- ware-selectable. The display window of 4096 by 2048 pixels or 2048 by 2048 pixels is displayable memory. In the 2-bit-per-pixel operating mode, four shades of gray can be displayed, with a reso- lution of about 150 dots per inch on a page-size monitor. Price: $3995. Contact: Control Systems, Inc.,2675PattonRd.,St. Paul, MN 55113, (612) 631-7800. Inquiry 1114. Kit Transforms Your PC into a CAD System CADPak includes every- thing you need to trans- form your PC into a CAD system, says developer GTCO Corp. There's a CADcontroller graphics controller, an asyn- chronous communications adapter, a micro Digi-Pad digi- tizer, 1 megabyte of extended memory, and software. The controller offers 1024- by 768-pixel or 800- by 600- pixel resolution, interlaced or noninterlaced color graphics, and a Hitachi Advanced CRT Controller. The Micro Digi-Pad digi- tizer works in a 12- by 12-inch active area and includes a 4- button cursor with Binary Sty- lus with two barrel switches. The software disk drivers are included for AutoCAD Re- lease 9, VersaCAD, Generic CADD, and others. Price: $999; $1489 with 1 megabyte of RAM. Contact: GTCO Corp., 7125 Riverwood Dr., Columbia, MD 21046, (301)381-6688. Inquiry 1115. Scan Converters Enhance Graphics The RGB/Videolink con- verts microcomputer video graphics to NTSC video (television) for video- taping, video projection, and video transmission. RGB pre- viously offered scan convert- ers designed only for work- stations made by such companies as Sun and Apollo. The Mac II-, PC- and PS/2-compatible scan convert- ers offer 24-bit color and real-time performance as long as you have an EGA or a VGA frame buffer. An optional RGB/Video- link Plus includes a built-in video mixer that allows you to overlay computer graphics over live video — in windows or in the background, for example. The main feature of both RGB dedicated image proces- sors is a proprietary filter that eliminates the flicker problem, RGB claims. That flicker problem gen- erally accompanies interlaced video transmission. The fil- ter makes possible a composite television image similar to the original computer image in stability. The RGB/Videolink ac- cepts full-screen, noninter- laced RGB input and pro- vides genlock, sync generation, and encoding to output the NTSC video. Com- plete scan conversion is ac- complished in real time. The RGB/Videolink requires no software modifications, and it doesn't affect performance of the host or its RGB monitor. Price: $9900; $11,400 for the RGB/Videolink Plus. Contact: RGB Technology, 2550 Ninth St., Suite 114, Berkeley, CA 94710, (415) 284-4330. Inquiry 1116. continued 72 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 l+J&ft re easy ways to boost your BASIC ProDaStm^I HroK Professional Basic Programming Library Announcing ProBas Version 3.0, now with over 335 assembly routines to really kick QuickBASIC and BASCOM into high gear. BYTE magazine calls ProBas a "Super- charger for QuickBASIC". Thousands of programmers rely on ProBas to make their life easier and to enhance their programs with features like: • An 800-page 3 -part manual • Full-featured windowing • Screen snapshots (Text & Graphics) • String, array, and pointer sorts • Lightning-fast file I/O • Full mouse support Create dazzling screens in text mode, CGA, EGA, VGA or Hercules graphic modes. Save and restore screen snapshots to arrays, EMS memory or files. Full featured window- ing to meet the most demanding jobs. The ProBas system of virtual screens allows you to draw full or partial screens to memory, and then snap them on in an eyeblink. You can even create vitural screens far larger than the display screen. Sick of running out of string space? Store hundreds of K in numeric arrays or mega- bytes in extended or expanded memory. Tired of using a kludgy SHELL to DIR to read a directory or archive files? Scan sub- directories or .ARC files using wild-cards and store thousands of file names, dates, and times. Wish you could drag a window containing text or a menu around the screen with a mouse? It's easy! ProBas gives you a complete set of blazingly-fast file routines. Read or write huge chunks of data at a clip, with file lock- ing and error handling so that you can even use them in subprograms. You'll never want to use BASIC'S file I/O again! Sort data with lightning fast array and pointer sorts. Search files or arrays at assembly speeds. ProBas also has over 200 other essential services including handy string, date, time, directory and array manipulation, string, screen and data compression, full mouse support, valuable equipment and input routines and faster replacements for most BASIC commands. Whether you are a professional or a novice, ProBas will boost your BASIC in ways you never dreamt possible. ProBas allows pro- fessionals to save time and work and lets novices write professional-quality programs quickly and easily. After all, how much is a few hundred hours of your time really worth? For all versions of QuickBASIC and BASCOM including BASCOM 6.0 for OS/2. Just $135.00! ROIIEFtm On-Line Help For ProBas ProRef provides pop-up help for the routines in ProBas and is an extension of the QuickBASIC programming environment. Find help on any routine with a few key- strokes or mouse clicks. Pop-up an ASCII chart, calculator, scan code module, box diagram, your own help information or almost any DOS program via a hot-key. Just $50.00/ ProS CREENtm Professional Screen Management System ProScreen is a full-featured screen gener- ator/editor that will save you more design and coding time than you ever thought possible. ProScreen treats screens like a word processor treats text to provide com- plete control over characters, colors, and placement. Design input screens with up to 130 fields and 19 pre-defined and 2 user- defined masks. Use ProBas or the includ- ed BASIC/Assembler subroutines to access the screens. No kludgy code generators here! Comes with subroutine source, exten- sive on-line help, and a 285 page manual. Just $99.00! >^^dd^ ProIVIathtm ProMath is a collection of over 150 high- level routines that provide mathematical functions and operations for programmers who often work in mathematics, science, or engineering. Complex variables, real and complex matrices, real and complex trigo- nometric and hyperbolic functions and their inverses, solution of linear equations, in- tegration, differential equations, Fast Fourier transforms and many other useful routines are provided. For years Fortran has been the language of choice for scientific and engineering ap- plications, but it lacks many of the useful features of QuickBASIC. ProMath con- tains most of the Fortran mathematical and numeric functions and allows you to easily translate Fortran code to BASIC or write new programs in BASIC while retaining For- tran's numerical prowess. The ProMath manual is over 200 pages and provides a complete description of each routine, including any algorithm and the mathematical formula the routine uses, shown in standard notation. For Quick- BASIC 4 and BASCOM 6 only. Just $99.00! Circle 123 on Reader Service Card The ToolKit is a collection of assembly and BASIC modules that use the ProBas library to save you even more hours of grunt work. Why spend hundreds of hours re- inventing the wheel when you can just plug in ToolKit modules like: « Menu Generators • Fast B-tree indexing • Mini-editor with word-wrap • Patch .EXE files • Protected storage areas • Julian date routines The ToolKit also includes clock, calendar, windowing, BCD math routines and much more, complete with BASIC source code and a comprehensive manual. The ProBas ToolKit adds capabilities and helps con- serve your most valuable asset of all— time! Requires ProBas . Just $99.00! ProDastm TeleComm ToolKit The ProBas TeleComm ToolKit is a col- lection of high-level communications modules that you plug into your code to pro- vide popular file transfer protocols, terminal emulations, login scripts and baud rates up to 115,200 baud. You get: • Xmodem/Modem7/Xmodem-1 k • Ymodem (single and batch) • CRC-16 and Checksum • VT52, VT100, ANSI BBS etc. • Auto Dialer & data base • Documented BASIC source Why use clumsy SHELLS to complex terminal programs when you can plug just the communications routines you need into your code? Implement just the features and commands you want. Requires ProBas. Just $75.00! Our thirty day, money-back guarantee assures you the highest quality and our technical sup- port staff is always ready to help. Try our BBS at (301) 953-7738 or give us a call at: HfiMMERLY COMPUTER SERVICES, INC. 8008 SANDY SPRING ROAD • LAUREL, MD 20707 INTERNATIONAL CALLS: (301) 953-2191 (800) 343-7484 x ' FAX # 301-725-8147 Add $5.00 per item ($8.00 Canada) for shipping per order. Europe: $39.00 for 1st item plus $5.00 for each additional item. Visa, MIC, C.O.D. (US Only) checks and approved POs accepted. Trademarks ProBas, PhoRkf, ProScreen ProMath: Hammerly Computer Services, Inc. Quick- BASIC, BASCOM: Microsoft Corp. naked " : ^P* j^1 ■ ■ ■f|PS" ClearCasem Mouse-Special Edition From Logitech. To celebrate the shipment of our two millionth mouse, we took the covers off our winning technology But this mouse is a lot more than just a pretty case. Its compatible with virtually all mouse-based programs, plus you can program it to "mousify" any keyboard-based application. And it doesn't need resetting when you switch programs. High resolution, adjustable cursor control, and a program- mable 9,600 baud rate let you move the cursor quickly and accurately, even on detailed graphics-perfect for applications for Christmas taw— wJBBEfcJfcK w> wxy»f 7/fe PaintShow™ which, it so happens, comes with your ClearCase Mouse. You get everything for $149. The package includes: the Logtech ClearCase Mouse for IBM PC, XT, or AT and PS/2 or 100% compatibles; a 9-25 pin adapter; Plus Package™ software; and Logitech PaintShow™ (which requires a graphics card). Pick up the ClearCase Mouse atyour computer dealer or call: 800-231-7717. _ (In California call ffl LLX^I I bOH 800-552-8885.) Personal Peripherals. Worldwide. Circle 167 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 168) WHAT'S NEW HARDWARE • CONNECTIVITY Infrared Gateway Links Ethernets Sometimes there's a river between your two Ether- net local-area networks, and sometimes there's a city street 30 floors down. Both times it's just not cost-effective to run a coaxial or fiber link. But Laser Communica- tions' latest product solves that problem. The LCI Lace Model LOO- 18 is a 10-megabit- per-second, optical transmis- sion system that will link two Ethernet networks (at dis- tances of up to 1 kilometer) as long as there's a clear line of sight. It uses a gallium arsenide semiconductor laser diode as a light source and a silicon ava- lanche photodetector to receive the light signal. There's no need to lay cable, no need to obtain any rights-of-way, no licensing requirement, and no need for encryption for se- cure transmissions. Like optical-fiber cabling, the system is immune to elec- tromagnetic interferences (i.e. , the cable doesn't radiate and disturb other electrical equipment). Some critics have said that LCI's previously available products, which have trans- mitted at the telecommunica- tions data rate of 1 .544 mega- bits per second or lower, haven't worked in rain, snow, or even fog. But com- pany representatives vehe- mently reject this claim. The company claims that LCI Lace is "not dependent on visual sighting ability be- tween sites in poor weather." The company also says that the low level of power output of the lasers makes them "vir- tually harmless." Each Lace uses horizontal and vertical positioning ele- ments and visual and audio signals for aiming adjustment. Requirements are standard coaxial cabling with 15-pin D- Infrared beams fly between Ethernets. connectors on each end. AC power requirements are 1 15 volts. Each 4- by 6- by 20- inch unit weighs 10 pounds. Price: $14,190. Contact: Laser Communica- tions, Inc., 1848 Charter Lane, Suite F, Lancaster, PA 17601, (800) 527-3740; in Pennsylvania, (717) 394-8634. Inquiry 1117. Low-Level Network Uses AC Lines Instead of Cabling Carrier Current Technol- ogies designed the Car- rier Net, the CarrierNet Plus, and software for low-level net- working through your power lines. It's mainly designed for peripheral sharing, where file transfer is most important. The system transfers data through your network at 38.4K bits per second to the RS- 232C port on your computer or to the RS-232C port on the stand-alone CarrierNet Plus. Like similar recently in- troduced products, the network device plugs into the nearest wall outlet. The only limitation is that networked computers and peripherals must be on the same side of a power trans- former, which usually means intrabuilding communication is no problem. CarrierNet acts as a pe- ripheral designed for the IBM PC, XT, AT, and compat- ibles. CarrierNet Plus is de- signed to function separately, with its ability to store print commands with either 6K bytes or 1 megabyte of RAM. Up to 16 devices can be connected with both hardware and software on this Carrier Current network, the company says. Price: $199 to $219 for Car- rierNet; $395 for CarrierNet Plus; $89 for software. Contact: Carrier Current Technologies, Inc., 1804 West Southern Pkwy., Bldg. A- 112, Durham, NC 27707, (919) 490-4970. Inquiry 1120. Ethernet Concentrator Features Network Management David Systems has intro- duced electronics for your Ethernet LAN that work with the unshielded twisted-pair wiring the telephone com- pany has been installing in buildings and homes for years. The advantage of David Systems' ExpressNet network concentrator over recently in- troduced twisted-pair electron- ics products, the company says, is its provision for net- work management through RS-232C ports. An Intel 8031 microprocessor is designed into each ExpressNet specifi- cally for this function. Each ExpressNet is de- signed for a group of 12 users; additional ExpressNets can be purchased for adding more users up to the limit of 1024 users. The workstations can be organized in a star network configuration using existing building wiring, with Ethernet cards in the PCs connected to the wiring with twisted-pair interface devices called TP-MAUs. Network management can include diagnostics of packet count, collision count, and identification of links with traffic and collisions. In ad- dition, 17 LEDs on ExpressNet and 4 LEDs on the TP-MAUs give you a visual identification of the status without a net- work management terminal. Price: $2495 per hub; $149 for each TP-MAU. Contact: David Systems, Inc. , 701 East Evelyn Ave. , Sunnyvale, CA 94086, (408) 720-8000. Inquiry 1119. continued 76 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 I\ 11 the database Top Guns are JL JL flying SQL, the industry- standard data management language first delivered by Oracle. Why? Because one SQL statement replaces up to 20 lines of dBASE code. And because all the powerful multi-user and distributed databases use SQL —exclusively. Now you can turn your PC into a SQL trainer that will make you a database top gun: Introducing SQL*Tutor from Oracle, only $199. Become an instant SQL ace. After using SQL*Tutor, you'll be able to: • Construct simple and complex queries • Create tables, views and indexes • Manipulate information in data tables • Create reports • Use ORACLE'S powerful SQL extensions Lost that Lovin' Feeling for dBASE? Everybody has. And now, they're learning SQL. SQL*Tutor is the per- fect way to get ready for the emerging SQL database world. Use it to intro- duce SQL to your entire organization, to offer SQL refresher courses, or as a supplement to documentation. Or if you're already sold on SQL, then order Professional ORACLE today for $1295,* and get SQL*Tutor free! } According to PC Week, Professional ORACLE is "the most versatile data- * base management system available on the PC." It includes the ORACLE jpQL database engine, utilities and Oracle's 4th-generation application development tools. Professional ORACLE is network-ready, and is the same ORACLE that runs on minis and mainframes. Use it as your standard PC workgroup database, and to provide connectivi- ty to corporate data. Call 1-800-ORACLE1, ext. 4909 today. Or fill out and AIR MAIL the attached coupon. So your squadron can fly the latest data base technology into the 1990s. Enclosed is my □ check or □ VIS/ □ AMEX credit card number and for (check only one): □ 1199 for online SQL«Tutor and lntrodu to SQL so I can start developing in SQL. □ $1295 for Professional ORACLE, which includes SQL«Tut6r. $ Please add appropriate sales tax; $ Total. I understand Oracle pays shipping, and this offer is valid in the U.S. only. '.-cltS STREET (no PO boxes, please) CITY ** ■ M state ZIP >HONE * 1 CREDIT CARD NO. %it - CARD EXPIRATION DATE TODAYS DATE Copyright © 1988 by Oracle Corporation. ORACLE is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation. dBASE is a trademark of Ashton-Tate. •Requires an 80286/80386 PC with 640KB RAM plus 1 MB of extended memory, running DOS 3.0+ . TRBA COMPATIBILITY • PORTABILITY • CONNECTABILITY Call 1-800-0RACLE1. ext. 4909 today. 20 Davis Drive, Belmont, CA 94002 • World Headquarters (4 1 5! 598-8000 ■ Calgary (403) 265-2622 ■ Ottawa (613) 238-2381 ■ Quebec (51 4) 337-0755 • Toronto (4 1 6) 596-7750 ■ ORACLE Systems Australia 61-2-959-5080 ■ ORACLE Europe 44-1-948-691 1 » ORACLE Systems Hong Kong 852 5-266846 DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 77 WHAT'S NEW HARDWARE • OTHER A Window on Processor Activity Secant Corp. has a device for observing processor activity on any IBM PC, XT, or AT compatible. The PCM displays all 20 address lines of the PC, XT, or compatible system bus or the most significant 20 address lines of the AT bus. Also dis- played are the eight data bus lines and the I/O read and write control signals. Sixteen of the LEDs on the panel can be turned on or off under program control, and the settings of sixteen toggle switches can likewise be read under program control. Because the memory bus address lines are displayed in a row of 20 LEDs, the current address of the executing pro- gram is always visible as a pattern of lights of varying in- tensity; thus, it can provide a good indication of program ac- tivity. That is, it gives an in- dication of whether the pro- gram is performing I/O, waiting on I/O, has died in the loop, or is executing normally. Data acquisition and pro- cess control applications can use the 16 LED's for annun- ciating events appropriate to their applications. The product includes source code to Hilite, a perfor- mance monitoring program. When the Hilite program is running as the lowest-priority task under any multiprocessing operating system, it uses the LED register as a horizontal bar graph that indicates the instantaneous percentage of processor cycles being used and the percentage of proces- sor capacity still available. Price: $349; $295 without switch registers. Contact: Secant Corp., P.O. Box 7000-733, Redondo Beach, CA 90277, (213) 378-7779. Inquiry 1125. Beta version of Secant 's CPU window. Videoconferencing Reaches the PC Affordable full-motion videoconferencing be- tween personal computers is now available from Concept Communications. You simply add a full-length IBM PC XT- or AT-compatible video pro- cessor board and an optional full-length audio processor board to your PC, hook up video cameras, and you're set to go. From one of the long dis- tance carriers or your local telephone company (depend- ing on what two points you need conferencing), you can purchase a "Switched 56" kilobit-per-second digital line. Or you can go through one of the satellite-transmis- sion services and purchase dig- ital transmission at up to 384K bps- much better quality if your subjects need to be seen moving around, for exam- ple. But 56K is sufficient for board meetings, company offi- cials are quick to add. Image 30 is full-motion in the same way television today is full-motion— with a re- fresh rate of 30 frames per sec- ond. Silicon on the video board compresses the video in 10 milliseconds, while sili- con on the audio board digi- tizes sound and mixes it into the video datastream. Or you can purchase the video board and use a speaker phone con- nected through standard tele- phone company analog tele- phone lines. Each board features four ports — one NTSC input, one NTSC output, one RGB in- put, and one RGB output. In each of these ports, you can support peripherals such as video cassette recorders and video printers. Price: $12,000 for video card; $2000 for audio card. Contact: Concept Communi- cations, Inc., Infomart, 1950 Stemmons Freeway, Suite 4038, Dallas, TX 75207, (214) 746-3888. Inquiry 1122. continued Document Reader Could Lower Cost of Optical Scanning Calera Recognition Sys- tems is offering a sys- tem that the company says significantly lowers the cost of scanning printed text and graphics into a computer and using that material in an ap- plication program. The TrueScan document recognition system consists of an IBM PC-compatible add-on board and software that works with most low- cost ($1000 or less) optical scanners . Calera says it is ca- pable of reading most fonts and maintaining formats. TrueScan processes what- ever document you have loaded into the scanner and allows you to convert it to a host of word processing, spreadsheet, or graphics file formats (including TIFF, PC Paintbrush, PCX, and CCITT Group IV for fax images). TrueScan can rec- ognize boldface, italics, un- derlines, and other text attri- butes and convert these to the host word processor's for- matting codes. You feed the document into the scanner and choose the appropriate word pro- cessing, spreadsheet, or graphics file format. True- Scan saves the scanned document as a file on disk that you can then load into your software package. While processing speed var- ies depending on the com- plexity of the document, a typical page of text takes about 45 seconds to convert. Using proprietary docu- ment-recognition algo- rithms, TrueScan can recog- nize virtually any printed font from typewritten to typeset, the company says. The algorithms "go beyond the limitations of matrix matching and feature extrac- tion. They work on a statisti- cal basis of certainty to iden- tify individual characters, as well as other page attri- butes," says the company. The basic system has 2 megabytes of RAM and scans documents at a speed of about 70 characters per second. A premium system with 4 megabytes of RAM is rated at a speed of 100 cps. Price: $2495 with 2 mega- bytes of RAM; $3495 with 4 megabytes. Contact: Calera Recogni- tion Systems, Inc. , 2500 Au- gustine Dr., Santa Clara, CA 95054, (408) 986-8006. Inquiry 1121. 78 BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 Oways Genoa takes the gamble out of data backup. It isn't the hardware or the software, it's the data that's the most valuable part of your personal computer. The hundreds of hours spent creating and editing data, plus its inherent value to your operation, make it priceless. Protect that expensive data with a dependable backup system. Only Genoa's Galaxy family of tape backup systems offers 6 high-performance advantages in data protection. 1. On-Line Galaxy software provides on-line net- work support. Galaxy and Galaxy/MC tape backup systems come with Genoa's Novell Advanced Netware 86 or 286 compatible software driver, a $200.00 value, free! 2. Fast At 5MB a minute, Galaxy systems are among the fastest tape back- ups around.You can back up the whole data file in just a few minutes. mat&#p. a**?. The SlimBox cassette is a space efficient way to provide tape backup for IBM PC/XT/ATs. 3. Easy Simple command menus make Galaxy systems so easy to operate: most users can start backing up data within minutes. 4. Automatic Never again will you worry about forgetting to back up data. Galaxy's autoscheduler feature lets you preset an exact date and time, then it automatically does the backup for you. 5. Reliable Galaxy boasts one of the lowest return rates in the industry. Plus a full year warranty. 6. IBM Compatible Galaxy works with all IBM PCs and compatibles, including the new Micro Channel. For the PC/XT/AX there are external and internal models. Both are available in cassette and cartridge versions. We also offer a SlimBox model for the PC/XT/AT It's an efficiently sized external cassette system. The Galaxy Micro Channel family makes it possible to exchange data between IBM PC/XT/ATs and PS/2 models 50, 60 and 80. For the Galaxy dealer nearest you, contact Genoa, 75 E.Trimble Rd., San Jose, CA 95131. Fax: (408) 434-0997. Telex: 172319. Phone: (408) 432-9090. Or fill out the coupon below, we'll send you more informa- tion.You've got nothing to lose- except the most valuable part of your personal computer. Genoa SYSTEMS CORPORATION I want to protect my investment in data! Please send me more information on Galaxy tape backup subsystems. Pictured are our internal and external cartridge backups for IBM PC/XT/ATs. 6 1988 Genoa Syslems Corporation. Galaxy is a trademark ol Genoa Sysiems Corporation. NetWare 15 a regisl AT, and PS/2 are trademarks ol International Business Machines. Circle 115 on Reader Service Card d trademark ot Novell, (no IBM. PC. XT, Name_ Title _ Company. Address City Phone ( . State _ .Zip. . Ext._ Please check all that apply: D PC DXT DAT □ PS/2, Model 50 □ PS/2, Model 60 □ PS/2, Model I Mail to: Geri Scheer, Genoa Systems Corporation, 75 E.Trimble Rd., San Jose, CA 951 31 DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 79 WHAT'S NEW SOFTWARE • PROGRAMMING A Clarion Call for Nonprogrammers Yet another easy-to-use custom application gener- ator comes from Clarion Software, best known for its Clarion database package. You might think of the Clarion Personal Developer (CPD) as the smaller (and less expen- sive) sibling of the company's still-available Clarion Profes- sional Developer. According to the company, you don't need any coding ex- perience or special technical knowledge to create eye-pop- ping programs with sophisti- cated features. You can rou- tinely include features such as point-and-shoot menus, scrolling data tables, pop-up data-entry forms, lookups, computed fields, and hot-key procedures. And Clarion doesn't require you to pur- chase a license if you want to copy and distribute your cus- tom applications to others. The CPD comes with eight ready-to-run applications that you can use as-is or modify. Once you think you've gone beyond the CPD's capabili- ties, you can use Clarion's Pro- fessional Developer package to enhance CPD-developed Clarion 's low-end package includes eight applications. programs. The professional package lets you add complex application code, C or assem- bly language, local-area-net- work support, and advanced file management such as trans- action processing and file encryption. To use the CPD, you'll need an IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or compatible with 512KbytesofRAM(640K bytes is recommended), a floppy disk drive, and a hard disk drive. The CPD runs on MS-DOS 2. lor higher. Price: $169. Contact: Clarion Software Corp. , 150 East Sample Rd. , Pompano Beach, FL 33064, (305) 785-4555. Inquiry 1128. Layout Makes the CASE Matrix Software calls its newest software contri- bution Matrix Layout, de- scribing it as a CASE (com- puter-aided software engineering) tool for users of the IBM PC, XT, PS/2s, and compatibles. Using Layout to create a custom application involves several steps, the first of which is creating an on-screen graphic flowchart. You then interactively design program- ming objects, such as files, graphics, and variables. After you're done, Layout does its Evertrak Tracks Your Programs If you're a professional programmer who makes your living off the software you develop and sell, the thorny problem of keeping track of the number of copies out in the field and avoiding "sharing" is one that can keep you awake nights. How do you control distribution without using copy protec- tion? Evertrak from Az- Tech Software can help. As its name implies, Evertrak can keep track of your software. Among its features are its ability to thwart reverse-engineering by keeping your program from being disassembled or run under a debug system. It also lets you place a secure alphanumeric serial-num- ber string in your program. The company claims this 60- character string is totally se- cure from hackers. Evertrak can also build an expiration date into your program that will limit the amount of time it can be used. It can also restrict the type of media your program will operate on. You don't need to make any changes in your source code to use Evertrak. The company says it will work with any program that runs under MS-DOS 2.0 or high- er on the IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2s, or compatibles. It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Price: $295. Contact: Az-Tech Soft- ware, Inc., 305 East Frank- lin, Richmond, MO 64085, (800) 227-0644; in Mis- souri, (816) 776-2700. Inquiry 1129. thing by creating the program in your choice of Turbo Pas- cal, Microsoft C, Turbo C, Lattice C, or QuickBASIC. You can also have Layout create an executable (.EXE) file. Layout also comes with Matrix Paint (a paint package), Matrix Helpmaker (a hyper- text-based help program), and Matrix Desktop, a DOS util- ity that works with files and disks. Price: $149.95. Contact: Matrix Software Technology Corp. , One Massachusetts Technology Center, Harborside Dr. , Boston, MA 02128, (800) 533-5644; in Massachusetts, (617) 567-0037. Inquiry 1126. Cause and Effect In an industry filled with acronyms, Cause surpris- ingly isn't one. But it is the name of a software package that Maxem calls a visual and intuitive programming envi- ronment. With Cause, you use a mouse, graphics, icons, windows, and color to create your own custom applications for either the PC or the Macintosh. With Cause, you don't need to learn a programming language and the associated syntax. In fact, the company claims you can create an en- tire application without having to touch the keyboard except to type in labels for windows and data. A B-tree/ISAM database is the underlying en- gine that Cause uses. Cause programming basically in- volves creating a series of windows. Price: Consumer version, $495; author version, $595. Contact: Maxem Corp. , 1550 East University Dr. , Mesa, AZ 85203, (602) 827-8181. Inquiry 1127. continued 80 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 crx CTX, already rated "Best Buy" by PC Digest and PC World for their multiscan and monochrome monitors, now presents its NEW 14" Multiscan and VGA monitors. The new CTX-3435 Multiscan monitor features a 14" diagonal non-glare CRT. The unit rests on a newly developed detachable swivel-tilt base designed for greater versatility and convenience. This monitor's wide range of compatibility includes Apple MacII and Commodore Amiga as well as CGA, EGA, MDA, and VGA video cards. The new VGA monitor, with its 30 MHz band width, is com- patible with all VGA cards on the market today. Availability is in both monochrome and color, each offering resolutions of 720x480, 720x400, or 720x350. For more information on these new CTX monitors and other high quality CTX products please contact our new headquarters at: CTX INTERNATIONAL, INC. 161 Commerce Way Walnut, CA 91789 EASTERN REGIONAL OFFICE CONTINENTAL TECHNOLOGY, INC. FACTORY 300 McGAW DRIVE TT7T (7Mlcnco QF R:BASE Circle 138 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 189) DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 83 WHAT'S NEW SOFTWARE • SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING Complete Chromatography Control Axxion says you can in- stall its Model 747-993 Chromatography Data Sys- tem Kit in any IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or compatible in less than 10 minutes. Besides the software, the kit includes a custom A/B board and gives you full operational control of up to three HPLC, GC, SFC, or CZE systems. Using auto-integration software or peak integration parameters, the package lets you store up to 150 user-defin- able manual or batch meth- ods in memory. While you're conducting new analyses, you can edit or recalibrate the prior completed runs that the software stores on disk. You access the Chromatog- raphy Data System Kit with a hot key. With an EGA card and monitor, the system can display high-resolution real- time chromatographic data from up to six detectors. Axxion also offers an op- tional pump interface board that gives you HPLC gradient control for up to six pumps in binary or ternary configurations. Price: $9600. Contact: Axxion Chroma- tography, 23966 Craftsman Rd.,Calabasas,CA 91302, (818) 346-1800. Inquiry 1134. Take an Active Role in Filter Design The newest release of Ac- tive Filter Design soft- ware from RLM Research can now perform sensitivity and worst-case analysis of the filter circuits that you've de- signed. AFD lets you design Butterworth, elliptic, Cheby- shev, and Bessel low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, band- The Chromatography Data System displays data in real time. stop, and all-pass active fil- ters. It also lets you directly enter pole and zero locations, or transfer functions. The package can convert low-pass prototype poles and zeros to your filter configuration. AFD is menu driven, and RLM says it's designed to be easy to use no matter what your experience level. The pro- gram supports manual or automatic pole/zero pairing as well as uneven gain distribu- tions. You'll also find active implementations of type MFB, VCVS, biquad, state variable, and Reticon or National MF-10 switched ca- pacitor filters. Once you've entered your data, you can output filter de- scriptions, pole/zero loca- tions, transfer functions, and component locations, as well as amplitude, phase, and group delay frequency response of the entire filter or of individual sections. There's also a graphics facility that lets you analyze impulse and step response. Price: $725. Contact: RLM Research, P.O. Box 3630, Boulder, CO 80307, (303) 499-7566. Inquiry 1131. Math Ed it Makes Your Equations Visible The limited number of characters available in most word processors can put a severe cramp into your style if you need to put complex math equations into a docu- ment. But help is on the way from K-Talk Communications, whose MathEdit package lets you construct even the most complex math equations for insertion into your documents. MathEdit can output equa- tions in two formats: WordPer- fect 5.0 for printing with an Apple LaserWriter, or TeX for typesetting use. Its makers say MathEdit has a particularly user-friendly interface that walks you through the process. The program has a display window that lets you view the equations as you create them. An EGA- or Hercules-compat- ible card is recommended for optimal on-screen viewing. MathEdit runs on the IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2s, and com- patibles and requires 256K bytes of RAM and MS-DOS 2.1 or higher. Price: $149. Contact: K-Talk Communi- cations, 50 McMillen Ave., Suite 100, Columbus, OH 43201,(614)294-3535. Inquiry 1133. continued Making Order Out of Chaos Nonlinear systems and chaos are hot topics to- day, and if you're a math- ematician, scientist, or ama- teur who's interested in learning more, Dynamical Software is your ticket to the nonlinear world. It comes in two flavors, with Dynami- cal Software 1.4 getting things started. It includes an Adams Type Integrator with noise addition, two-dimen- sional and three-dimension- al plotting, next amplitude, time-one and circle maps, and time-series embedding. Dynamical Software II. 2 takes you a step further: It includes a Runge-Kutta inte- grator, a delay-differential equation integrator, phase portraits, bifurcation dia- grams, spectral analysis, and fractal dimensions. Both versions use a com- mon file format, so the out- put of one can serve as the in- put for another. There are also standard shell scripts for automatic compilation and linking of external sub- routines. To enter the world of chaos you'll need an IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or com- patible with 640K bytes of RAM and a graphics card. A hard disk drive, mouse, and math coprocessor are rec- ommended, but not re- quired. If you'll be linking user-defined subroutines, you'll also need the Micro- soft FORTRAN compiler. Price: 1.4, $250; II.2, $350; both packages, $550; man- uals, $25; demo disk, $10. Contact: Dynamical Sys- tems, Inc., P.O. Box 35241, Tucson, AZ 85740, (602) 825-1331. Inquiry 1132. 84 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 WORDPERFECT 5.0 DISPLAYS MULTIPLE These Characters Are Shown Boldface and under 1 ine look fine, but Does your Italics look like this Before, you couldn't tell whether An outline font is good for titles, It is important to be able to tell And Small caps and double underline Redline is designed to When you want to display different YOU USED TO HAUE TO GUESS, BUT Without Hercules RamFont k FONTS USING HERCOL ES RffiFOHI CAROS W Uhile Ueiting And Editing. what about a 1 1 the other possibilities? L or can you really see italics? W you had typed subs cript or superscript. i only RanFont lets you display ©uticee. ^ s4-ri-te4}H?-e«g4r frof under 1 ine , y Do. Not Have To Be so cQiiLuain^. i help you rJIML'IS k character Ee Ee Ee Ee Ee Ee f HOU VOU Cffl SEE UHAT WB DEAN. ^L Doc 1 Pg 1 La 1" Pos 1" With Hercules RamFont Only Hercules video cards with RamFont allow WordPerfect 5.0 users to display multiple type styles and attributes while writing and editing. No other video cards offer these advanced capa- bilities. Add Hercules graphics for WordPerfect's new page preview and you've got the best display anywhere for WordPerfect 5.0. Hercules RamFont and graphics are available only on the Hercules family of video cards: The Hercules Graphics Card Plus, monochrome video with a parallel port. The Hercules Network Card Plus, monochrome video with a TOPS "FlashCard" compatible network port And the Hercules In Color Card, featuring the Hercules graphics and RamFont modes in 16 colors. Improve your system where you'll see it the most- on-screen. Hercules, the inexpensive upgrade. For more information about how Hercules improves WordPerfect 5.0 and other favorite programs, call toll-free 1-800-532-0600, ext.921(U.S.)or 1-800-323-0601, ext. 922 (Canada). Circle 127 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 128) ercu es The RamFont Advantage. ©Copyright 1988 Hercules Computer Technology, Inc., 921 Parker St., Berkeley. CA 94710. Hercules, InColor, and RamFont are trademarks of Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. All other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Technical Support 415-540-0749. Sales 415-540-0212. WHAT'S NEW SOFTWARE • BUSINESS Xerox Upgrades Ventura Xerox is shipping what it's calling a "new gener- ation" of Ventura Publisher. Version 2.0 has more than 70 new features that offer in- creased functionality and greater ease of use. The com- pany is also offering a Profes- sional Extension package and a Network Server package. Documents you've devel- oped on version 1 . 1 are up- ward-compatible to version 2.0. Among the new features are more than 250 context- sensitive help screens in dialog boxes, a combination of pull- down or pop-up menus, and in- creased mouse functionality. There's also increased image support and color con- trols, new pagination and page makeup tools, typography features such as discretionary hyphenation, more font con- trol, and increased printer support. Ventura Publisher's Pro- fessional Extension package is designed to help you if you're creating more sophisticated documents such as contracts, manuals, and technical documentation. The package has expanded memory support for long docu- ments and densely packed pages such as directories and catalogs. Professional Extension provides complete WYSIWYG generation of equations. It also has a cross-reference fea- ture that lets you mark loca- tions for later insertion of chapter and page numbers, as well as figures and tables. If you generate documents in an installation where there are multiple contributors, the Network Server supports 3Com, Novell, and PC Lan local-area networks. And with the Network Server, you can configure Ventura Publisher to accommodate individual re- Ventura Publisher 2. 0 has over 70 new features. quirements and preferences such as screen fonts and printer drivers. Price: $895; upgrade from 1.0 or 1.1, $100; Professional Extension, $595; Network Server with Ventura Publisher, $1295. Contact: Xerox Corp., P.O. Box 24, Rochester, NY 14692, (800) 832-6979, ext. 121E. Inquiry 1161. Point and Shoot 1-2-3 Chances are that just about anything you'd like to do with a 1-2-3 macro can be found in 101 Macros Plus for Lotus 1-2-3, the latest in- carnation of Individual Soft- ware's macro series for popu- Editing Gets Groupware Editing and reviewing documents, be they proposals, reports, or manu- scripts, is a process that usu- ally requires the input of a group of people. According to Mainstay, that makes it notoriously painstaking and time-consuming. So the company has entered the fast-growing "groupware" market with MarkUp for the Macintosh. If you're one of the many folks who need to comment on a document, you can use MarkUp to mark, high- light, expand, and annotate reports, spreadsheets, drawings, art, scanned photos, or other types of documents. MarkUp is based on the metaphor of marking a transparent overlay on the original document. The pro- gram's print driver produces an image of the original document that you load into a multiuser database. Each group member gets a set of tools for working with the document, including a text tool, a note tool for pop-up notes, a highlighter, and tools for lines, arrows, and rectangles, as well as alasso. The program can support a physical workgroup on a network like AppleShare, as well as a logical workgroup where the members are dis- persed and trade their files via disks or telecommunica- tions. Price: 2-user pack, $495; 5- userpack, $995; supplemen- tal user packs, $195 each. Contact: Mainstay, 5311-B Derry Ave., Agoura Hills, CA 91301, (818)991-6540. Inquiry 1146. lar application packages. The new package offers you a complete new organiza- tion, an instant macro loca- tor, a cherry-picking facility for gathering selected macros into a separate file, and a new point-and-shoot method of accessing macros through a pop-up list of macro "short names." Among the more than 30 new macros added to the col- lection are routines that allow you to calculate the median of a column of numbers, create organizational charts, print out check amounts in words, and calculate loans. Price: $69.95. Contact: Individual Soft- ware, Inc., 125 Shoreway Rd., Suite 3000, San Carlos, CA 94070, (800) 331-3313; in California, (415) 595-8855. Inquiry 1147. Word Does Windows The developers and major proponents of Windows have finally released a word processing package that's spe- cifically tuned for Windows' graphic interface. It's called Microsoft Word for Windows (WfW), and it offers all the features of Word's non- Win- dows sibling, plus lots more. WfW takes advantage of Windows' advanced graphics by giving you a full WYSIWYG view of your docu- ment along with full editing features. To use WfW, you'll need an IBM AT, PS/2, or compat- ible, Windows 2.0 or higher, and MS-DOS 3.0 or higher. Price: $495; network node package, $250; upgrade from any version of Word, $125. Contact: Microsoft Corp. , 1601 1 Northeast 36th St. , P.O. Box 97017, Redmond, WA 98073, (800) 426-9400; in Washington, (206) 882-8080. Inquiry 1149. continued 86 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 95% of the Top U.S. Companies Solve Their Complex Numeric Problems with APL . . . Shouldn't You? APL is indispensable in devel- oping mathematical models for pricing financial securities such as options, futures, and bonds. Complex mathematical algo- rithms are programmed quickly *5 and concisely. A nd, empirical £R research is facilitated by APL'skg unmatched capabilities in manipulating and analyzing arrays of data. Mark Schroder Option Research Specialist Prudential Bache In businesses where* complex numeric problems are a daily challenge, professionals from all walks of life rely on APL* PLUS®. ffi ,);,' a i n Sv, 11 ,<', n iiriiinrriii, Thousands of professionals in a wide range of fields- investment research, insur- ance, corporate finance, engineering, and science- find APL* PLUS the per- fect software for complex problem solving. That's because its natural mathe- matical orientation and concise code provide the ideal environment for model building, array handling, system prototyping, and matrix manipulation. Why not give yourself the analytical edge, for only $695? Call 800-592-0050 and we'll show you how to put APL* PLUS to work in your specific application. Many of our technical pro- fessionals are fluent in the use of APL. For us, A PL's combination of power, and expressiveness makes it the perfect tool for analysis and visualization of experimental data as well as scientific and engineering computations. Frederick J. Krambeck Manager, Process Development Mobil Research and Development Corporation STSC STSCJnc. 2115 East Jefferson Street Rockville, Maryland 20852 800-592-0050 301-984-5123 in Maryland or Canada Telex 898085 The APL* PLUS System is available for the mainframe, IBM PC and eompatibles, Macintosh, and machines runninfi UNIX and VAX/VMS. The APL*PLUS System may be purchased through dealers and distributors worldwide. APL* PLUS is a refiistered trademark of STSC. Inc. UNIX. Macintosh, and IBM are registered trademarks of AT&T Bell Laboratories. Apple Computer, and International Business Machines Corporation, respectively. Top companies according to the April 17. 1987 issue of Business Week. •U.S. suggested retail for DOS version. International prices slightly higher. Circle 267 on Reader Service Card Each quarter we consolidate and analyze historical data, current data, and forecasts from over SIX) entities within (ill and then quickly compile it into a comprehensive series of reports. With A PL we get it done in a third of the time it would take us using other methods. Eric Baelen Manager, Business System Development General Electric Company When you need to consider three classes of service, numer- ous fare types, and multiple connections, fare pricing anal- ysis without A PL is a Herculean task. A PL's ability to manipu- late tables of data with a single command enables us to explore a wider range of scenarios as fast as we can think of them. Mike Fisher Manager, Systems Development Pan American World Airwavs WHAT'S NEW SOFTWARE • BUSINESS SBT Goes to the Macs Small Business Technol- ogy Corp. , best known for its wide range of account- ing software for MS-DOS and Unix, has entered the terri- tory of the Macintosh with the first of its Series Six Plus/ Mac products. SBT has started the ball rolling with general ledger, inven- tory/accounts receivable, and accounts payable packages. The company claims the products, created with Fox- BASE+/Mac, take full ad- vantage of the Mac's menu and window control, typeface-se- lection, and screen manage- ment capabilities. Because the packages are built on a re- lational database structure, you get quick access to key in- formation and can easily modify data or look at areas that share common data. The modules, whose names are dLedger, dlnvoice/ dStatements, and dPayables, support up to 99 companies, with up to 999 departments per company. Besides being backed by a 5-year warranty, there's multilevel password protection and a variety of re- port formats. Series Six Plus/Mac re- quires a Macintosh Plus, SE, or II with at least a megabyte of RAM and a 20-megabyte hard disk drive. Versions are also available for MultiNet, as well as versions in Fox- BASE+/Mac source code. The company says it will ship eight more modules by the end of 1989. Price: Single-user compiled version, $295 per module; sin- gle-user source code version, $395 per module; MultiNet source code version, $595 per module. Contact: Small Business Technology Corp., One Har- bor Dr. , Sausalito, CA 94965,(415)331-9900. Inquiry 1145. Series Six Plus accounting software now runs on the Mac. A Pair for Forms Design One of the latest trends in business software is the proliferation of forms soft- ware, designed for automating the common and repetitive (not to mention boring) job of filling in those ubiquitous paper forms. Case in point: Deerfield Systems' Display- Form II is a data-entry tool that includes word process- ing, spreadsheet, and database management features, all fo- cused on the job of forms processing. With DisplayForm II, you can start with a form that you've entered into the pro- gram via an optical scanner or from any program (such as PC Paintbrush) that's capable of producing .PCX files. Once you've imported your form, it's displayed on-screen as a WYSIWYG image, auto- matically adjusted for the resolution of the monitor you're using. From there, you can place any information anywhere on the form by simply moving the cursor. The program can also merge data from dBASE II files, letting you generate multiple forms using database information. When every- thing's to your satisfaction, you can either print the data on preprinted forms or print both the form and text on any dot-matrix or laser printer. Phone Messages Get Computerized Those pink "while you were out" telephone message slips are the bane of many a businessperson's ex- istence. They're forever be- ing misplaced. So why not computerize them? That's exactly what En- hanced Systems has done. Its Pinksheet is a memory-resi- dent program that can be run on individual PCs or on a local-area network. Pinksheet gives the mes- sage-taker a simple notepad- like screen, as well as a di- rectory screen that shows extension status and messag- ing statistics. You can output messages to aprinter, as well as use archive and retrieve functions. The program also has a reports module that or- ganizes messages into de- tailed phone logs and follow- up reports. Price: $185. Contact: Enhanced Sys- tems, Inc., 6961 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Norcross, GA 30092, (404) 662-1503. Inquiry 1148. To use DisplayForm II, you'll need an IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or compatible, MS-DOS 2.0 or higher, 512K bytes of RAM, a hard disk drive, and a graphics display. If you don't have an optical scanner, the company will also scan your forms to disk. Price: $495. Contact: Deerfield Systems, Inc., 221 Elizabeth St., Utica, NY 13501, (315)797-1805. Inquiry 1143. And while we're on the subject, PenFORM from Delrina Technology is an- other package for handling lots of data and lots of paper. Using the GEM graphical in- terface, the package includes both a forms-design module and a form-fill module, both of which function independently. Although you can scan your preexisting forms into PenFORM, you can also use its forms-design module to create your own custom forms. This module's features include boxes with multiple lines, rounded-corner boxes, automatic line spacing, verti- cal and horizontal text in dif- ferent sizes and fonts, and exact placement of objects on- screen. The package prints either the entire form or text only. It will also print to disk. This enables you to delay printing or to send the completed forms via modem to a remote site for later printing. The package runs on the IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2s, and compatibles. A graphics card is also a necessity. Price: $259.95. Contact: Delrina Technol- ogy, Inc., 10 Brentcliffe Rd., Suite 210, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4G 3Y2, (416) 423-0456; in the U.S., (800) 268-6082; in New York, (716) 835-0405. Inquiry 1144. continued 88 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 COMPUTER READY Canon's RC-760 Still Video Camera. 2-inch floppy disk Y„ ou're looking at something your computer has always wanted: a camera. It's part of the Canon Still Video photogra- phy system. And it means that the days of struggling with a video camera to load inferior images into your computer are over. For good. For very good, in fact, because no video camera delivers both the Computer graphics come of age. , . . . convenience and high resolution of the Canon Still Video system. Take a good look. The Canon Still Video camera looks and feels just like a regular camera. You use it exactly the same way you use a regular camera. But there's no film. Instead, up to 50 images are re- corded on a 2-inch floppy disk. With a Canon Still Video Recorder/Player, these images can be loaded into any computer that has a video interface board com- patible with NTSC or RGB signals. Then the fun begins. Now you're ready to use the entire array of com- puter graphic capabilities at your computer's disposal. For CRT images are simulated. Canon's RR-450 Still Video^, Recorder/Player. desktop publishing. Pre- sentation graphics. Creat- ing your own image storage library. You name it. Play with the image any way you like. You can store the original and the changed image in the Recorder/Player. What kind of image quality are we talking about? How about 600,000 CCD pixel resolution. More than any other still video image system. Hard copy? Canon makes a full color printer that connects directly to the system. It delivers a remark- able 160 pixels per inch, with a 64-step gradation. If you're ready to hear more, the best thing to do is call Canon now. Our experts can tell you allyou need to know. Just call: 1-800-221-3333, ext. 313. The Canon Still Video System; it's what you, and your computer, have been waiting for. The Canon FP-510 Printer. Enjoy easy extended payments with the Canon Credit Card. Ask for details at participatins Canon dealers and retailers. Available only in U.S. Cation Circle 53 on Reader Service Card Canon U.S.A. Inc., One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, NY 11042 © 1988 Canon U.S.A. Inc. DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 89 _pnnt sl_ with T1200F purchase. nMade Behold the newToshibaT1200F It's easily small enough to fit in the average briefcase, yet it's packed with a full megabyte of RAM, two 720KB 3V2" diskette drives, and a variety of ports. It comes in either reflective or backlit LCD models. A full- size keyboard. And for a limit- ed time, it also comes with our exclusive version of Sprintf Borland's powerful word proc- essing software. Absolutely free. And because it weighs only 9.8 pounds, it's one of the lightest ... i • 1 i pi .J I : 1 i i IBM-compatible dual diskette PCs on earth. It even has remov- able, rechargable batteries, so you can work with it just about any- where you want. Those who've used theT1200F have hailed it as a small miracle. Because rarely has so much power been so easily wielded. 90 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 Where is it written that hard disk has to mean hard to carry? Witness the Toshiba T1200HB. It only takes up about one square foot of desk and weighs less than eleven pounds, but it's packed with all the features of our T1200F and comes with a single diskette drive and 20 megabyte hard disk.* Which means it's big enough to store just about all the applica- tions you'll ever use. All the time. And, like the T1200F, it has the convenience of Resume mode, which remembers your place even after the unit is turned off. For more information on all our computers and printers, call 1-800-457-7777 or visit one of our nearby Toshiba dealers. They'll make a believer out ofy< Toshiba PCs are backed by the Exceptional Care program (no-cost enrollment required). See your dealer for details. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Co! Sprint is;i registered trademark of Borland Corp. 'Excludes Sprint offe In Touch with Tomorrow TOSHIBA Toshiba America Inc.. Information Systems Division Circle 289 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 290) DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 91 WHAT'S NEW SOFTWARE • CONNECTIVITY Software Saves the Network Backing up data from multiple users on a net- work has always been a prob- lem for the system administra- tor. The basic problem boils down to keeping track of what data belongs to whom. But Emerald Systems says it has a solution in EmSave, the first backup software designed spe- cifically for performing and managing the backup chore on a network. EmSave works with all cassette and cartridge backup systems, though it's opti- mized for Emerald's Rapid- Recover hardware. If you're a local-area-network adminis- trator who performs backup and restore functions on multi- ple file servers, Emerald says the package will let you control those centrally located archi- val tasks more efficiently. For example, EmSave locates all network server files and vol- umes automatically, then shows them to you on-screen. There's also an intuitive mouse-based user interface; if you use the package on Em- erald's RapidRecover drives, you'll also get a graphical tree display of volumes, direc- tories, subdirectories, and files. EmSave is shipped with five data cartridges (or cas- settes) and a media-storage case. To use it, you'll need an IBM AT, PS/2, or compat- ible, along with MS-DOS 3.0 or higher. And of course, you'll also need a cartridge or cassette backup unit. Emer- ald's RapidRecover series of backup hardware starts at $995. Price: Cassette version, $350; cartridge version, $495. Contact: Emerald Systems Corp. , 4757 Morena Blvd. , San Diego, CA 92117, (800) 553-4030; in California, (619) 270-1994. Inquiry 1165. EmSave tracks and controls network backup. A School Mate for the Classroom The Radio Shack folks are making a concerted effort to make their Tandy PC com- patibles a big factor in the classroom. Their latest strat- egy is SchoolMate, a class- room networking system based on Tandy's DeskMate integrated software, MS- DOS, and either the low-cost TandyLink network or 3Com's3+Share. Tandy calls SchoolMate an integrated collection of appli- cations and utilities that are specifically designed to assist students, teachers, and ad- ministrators in organizing, creating, and sharing infor- mation, software, time, and resources. SchoolMate's classroom management applications in- clude Roster, Grade Book, Lesson Scheduler, and Exam Maker. The administrative system can be used on a stand- alone system as well as on a network. In any case, student access to the SchoolMate net- work is limited to teacher- scheduled applications. According to Tandy, there are currently more than 80 education-specific packages that run on SchoolMate, with more on the way. SchoolMate is compatible with the entire line of Tandy computers and can support up to 35 worksta- tions and 2000 student log- ins per network. Each work- station and file server needs 640K bytes of RAM. Price: $999.95 (includes 3+ Share). Contact: Radio Shack, 1700 One Tandy Center, Fort Worth, TX 76102, (817) 390-3700. Inquiry 1168. Remote-Control Connectivity Programs that let you take control of computers re- motely using modems and a telephone line have been grow- ing in popularity, especially for people who take their work home at night or need to sup- port computer users who are spread over a wide geograph- ical area. In the time-proven spirit of competition, each new genera- tion of these programs in- cludes new features. For in- stance, as its name implies, pcAnywhere III is the latest and greatest incarnation of pcAnywhere. The program lets you run any PC, terminal, non-IBM compatible with terminal em- ulation, or even a Macintosh from another PC at a remote location via modem, or locally through an RS-232C connec- tion. New features include automatic callback from the host machine to the remote PC. The pcAnywhere package comes with the software neces- sary for both sides of the connection. Price: $145. Contact: Dynamic Micro- processor Associates, Inc. , 60 East 42nd St., Suite 1100, New York, NY 10165, (212) 687-7115. Inquiry 1166. continued Time on Your LANs Project management software essentially be- comes groupware when it runs on a network. Recog- nizing that fact of local-area- network life, Symantec has moved its popular Time Line project management pack- age to PC -based LANs. Time Line 3.0 works on all popular LANs. Once you install the main File Server version on your network's file server, multiple users can share access to both proj- ect files and the program it- self. Each user on the net- work who wants to work with Time Line also needs an in- dividual LAN Pack. According to Symantec, one of the biggest advantages of Time Line on a network is the hefty amount of hard disk space it saves. Price: File Server version, $595; Individual LAN Pack, $195. Contact: Symantec Corp., 10201 Torre Ave., Cuper- tino, CA 95014, (408) 253- 9600. Inquiry 1164. 92 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 MINUTE. MAN UNINTERRUPTIBLE POWER SUPPLIES Ml "Mote Powerful TOTAL POWER PROTECTION Rl API/^ni ITC Enables user lo operale during complete loss DDHlAfMni ITO *-*ser 's protected from low AC voltage below OVERLOADS Automatic shutdown in overload situation to protect UPS from inverter burnout. I v^ Clamps transients above 200 volts with an energy rating of 100 joules or less. »■ Suggested Retail n\/CQ\fftl TAf E UPS runs on inver|er (117 vol,s) wflen Ac UVCnVULIHuL voltage exceeds 1 32 volts. SURGES/SPIKES EIVII/RFI Three s,a9e filtering for clean AC power, • FULL ONE YEAR WARRANTY • ORDER-SHIP SAME DAY o 1 MILLISECOND TRANSFER TIME* • SYNCHRONIZED SINEWAVE* *250 watt and 500 watt units offer 4 msec transfer time, PWM waveform PARA SYSTEMS, INC. NOVELL LABS TESTED and APPROVED Nt'lWafe Compatible 1455 LeMay Dr. Carrollton, TX 75007 Telephone: (2 14) 446-7363 1-800-238-7272 FAX: (214) 446-901 1 TELEX: 140275 OMEGA 1 ni*miVH*M'"i6o Optional Battery Packs Not Shown ®»o, 300 and 500 Watt Models Circle 209 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 93 WHAT'S NEW SOFTWARE • GRAPHICS Bring Perspective to Your Graphics Tired of flat and lifeless PC graphics? You can spiff up those two-dimen- sional charts and graphs with a new low-cost version of Three D Graphics' Perspective package. It's called Perspec- tive Junior, and with your in- vestment of $149, you can make your desktop publishing and spreadsheets come more alive. With a few keystrokes, Perspective Junior trans- forms your data into two- and three-dimensional color graphics. Perspective Junior can di- rectly import data from 1-2-3, SuperCalc, Quattro, Excel, and most other spreadsheets. After it's done its work, the program exports images di- rectly into Aldus PageMaker, Ventura Publisher, GEM Pub- lisher, WordPerfect 5.0, and most other desktop publishing packages. According to its makers, Perspective Junior features a simplified yet more sophisti- cated version of the user inter- face introduced by the origi- nal Perspective. It offers you 64 preset color combinations, as well as a custom color mix- er. You can also change the viewing angle of any of the program's three-dimensional graphics. Perspective Junior can out- put to most laser, dot-matrix, and color ink-jet printers. The program runs on any IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or compatible and requires 512K bytes of RAM, a hard disk drive, MS-DOS 2.1 or higher, and a color graphics or Hercules-compatible card. Price: $149. Contact: Three D Graphics, 860 Via de la Paz, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, (213) 459-7949. Inquiry 1138. Turn 2D into 3D with Perspective Junior. Draw, Pardner Micrografx is a company that has staked its claim on Microsoft Windows-com- patible graphics. And it has just introduced two new packages for that sometimes- venerable graphical operating environment. The first is Draw Plus, an enhanced version of the com- pany's Draw free-form graphics software. Draw Plus is designed for business pro- fessionals who want to create organizational charts, project flowcharts, or related graph- ics. It gives you both drawing primitives and design tools and includes enhancements such as context-sensitive help, the ability to use scanned images, object rotation, flexi- ble labeling and text editing, and 8 color palettes with over 100 colors, including gray scales. Draw Plus needs an IBM PC, XT, AT, or compatible with 512K bytes of RAM and an EGA or VGA card. It's compatible with all input and output devices that are com- patible with Microsoft Windows. Micrografx has also intro- duced four new ClipArt librar- ies. They are Anatomy, Sports and Recreation, Busi- ness Forms, and Headline Typefaces IV. Anatomy is a collection of professional illustrations de- tailing all aspects of human anatomy. Each illustration has layers, labels, and symbol IDs. Sports and Recreation is a collection of sports images useful for newsletters and other publications. Business Forms includes certificates, expense reports, invoices, ledgers, memos, order forms, and statements. Headline Typefaces IV has six new typefaces: African, Balloon, Bayou, Jersey, Scoreboard, and Surf. Each library includes Port- folio, a utility that lets you bring the art into programs such as PageMaker and Ven- tura Publisher. Price: Draw Plus, $395; ClipArt Libraries, $79.95 each, except for Anatomy, which is $149.95. Contact: Micrografx, Inc., 1303 Arapaho, Richardson, TX 75081, (800) 272-3729; in Texas, (214)234-1769. Inquiry 1140. Micrografx 's ClipArt has an Anatomy library. Navigate the 1-2-3 Waters Graphically For those of you with fa- tigued fingers from all the keystrokes needed to use Lotus 1-2-3, Marq Technol- ogies has relief in the guise of MarqNavigator, a graphical user interface for the popular spreadsheet that provides what the company calls "fingertip control." MarqNavigator lets you use a mouse with 1-2-3 to graphically perform common functions. You can, for in- stance, open and move work- sheet windows, use drop-down menus and submenus for se- lecting commands, drag or push worksheet portions off the screen, execute status and function keys, and accelerate data entry. Marq claims the package offers significant performance gains over the keyboard-only method. It's especially effec- tive if you work with large spreadsheets, where editing, moving, and cell positioning can be time-consuming indeed. The package works with Lotus 1-2-3 versions 2.0 and 2.01 and requires 30K bytes of RAM. And, of course, you'll need a mouse. Price: $149. Contact: Marq Technol- ogies, 6285 Nancy Ridge Dr., San Diego, CA 92121, (800) 336-8366; in California, (619) 452-2373. Inquiry 1142. continued 94 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Rack and (pinimfayourPC The HiREZ™ Mouse. You can feel j the difference onyour first lap around the screen. 1 The cursor responds more crisply to your control, moving 320 pixels for every inch on the desktop, versus 200 ^- for ordinary mice. Built-in ballistic ^sc" at- tuning and 30% less weight enable it to go the distance without dragging its tail, so you can cruise throughyour work in less time and deskspace. 0fas« tie* HiREZ brings high performance to all your favorite PC software. And the Logitech name on the hood means you can count on what's inside. SsL After all, we build mice for companies like Apple, AT&T, DEC, and H-P. A 11 this mousepower >* comes with the ordinary sticker <^ ^ price of $149.00. VV fyca» For the name of your nearest dealer, call 800-231-7717. In California- 800- 552-8885. In Europe: ++41-21-869-96-56. m LOGITECH Personal Peripherals. Worldwide. Circle 169 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 170) WHAT'S NEW SOFTWARE • OTHER Windows ClickStart Goes Express You Microsoft Windows users who crave more graphics menu options now have more choices than ever in hDC Windows Express 2,1, an enhanced version of the Windows graphic menu sys- tem that used to be known as hDC ClickStart. The hDC Windows Ex- press package gives you a larger number of display preferences and expanded fea- tures. For instance, you can create your own personalized icon libraries. A library with 50 icons is included. The program also gives you an uncluttered screen with color icons instead of a screenful of file and program names. You can also start applica- tions with a single keystroke or mouse-click, as well as store related applications and docu- ments in icon-represented folders. If others will be using your system, you can use passwords to guard access to sensitive files or restrict access to MS- DOS. hDC Windows Express makes Windows even more graphic. The hDC Windows Ex- press program is compatible with most Windows applica- tions. Price: $79.95. Contact: hDC Computer Corp., 15379 Northeast 90th St., Redmond, WA 98052, (206) 885-5550. Inquiry 1169. The Great HP Font Conversion If you own a Hewlett-Pack- ard DeskJet ink-jet printer and feel more than a little constrained by its limited se- lection of low-cost fonts, there's SoftFontWare's Laser- Jet to DeskJet font-conversion package. As its name implies, the package will happily convert any soft font designed for the LaserJet so it will work on the DeskJet. There are hundreds of widely available public domain and shareware fonts available from bulletin boards. Price: $42. Contact: S.H. Moody & As- sociates, Inc., SoftFontWare, 1810 Fair Oaks Ave. , South Pasadena, CA 91030, (818) 441-2260. Inquiry 1173. A File by Any Other Name Memory-resident pro- grams that let you use long textual descriptions of files instead of often-cryptic 8-character filenames are becoming a hot item. The latest comes from Carmel Computer Products, whose File Control lets you use names up to 108 characters long. But there's more. File Control also lets you orga- nize documents in named folders and manage individ- ual files or whole folders in a cross-referenced index. The only files you see in an index are the ones you store. The program has a natu- ral-language interface that's designed to let anyone who uses your computer system find a file easily. There's also a keystroke recorder that lets you create macros— which the company calls controls — for almost any ap- plication. Predefined con- trols are included for Word- Perfect, Lotus 1-2-3, WordStar, SuperCalc, and other programs. File Control works with most popular application programs, including those named above plus, among others, Quattro, Microsoft Word, Symphony, PFS:First Choice, and XyWrite III Plus. The program uses about 90K bytes of RAM and requires an IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or compatible with MS-DOS 2. 1 1 or high- er. File Control is not copy- protected. Price: $59.95. Contact: Carmel Computer Products, Inc. , Carmel Val- ley Village Center #8, P.O. Box 2 1 5 , Carmel Valley , CA 93924,(408)659-3155. Inquiry 1170. Products on the Stack The trickle of HyperCard stacks for the Apple Mac- intosh is fast becoming a tor- rent, and innovative uses are fast being found. Like shop- ping, for instance. Here are two prime examples: If you're an inveterate bar- gain hunter, HyperShopper will keep your attention for hours on end. It's a HyperCard stack that lists over a thou- sand discount mail-order com- panies and factory outlets. It also lists the products they sell and the brands they carry. In order to qualify for a listing in HyperShopper, a company must sell its prod- ucts at least 30 percent below retail or sell truly unique or hard-to-find merchandise. Price: $19.95. Contact: Camtronics Soft- ware, 224 Nelson Lane, P.O. Box 1, Camas Valley, OR 97416, (503) 445-2824. Inquiry 1171. And for Macintosh users, dealers, and consultants who need to keep track of the latest information about Mac- intosh-related services, prod- ucts, programs, and periph- erals, there's SuperMaster- File. It's a HyperCard stack with over 5000 Macintosh-re- lated product cards. SuperMasterFile runs on the Mac Plus, SE, and II and requires HyperCard 1 . 1 or higher, plus a hard disk with at least 3 megabytes of free space. The package includes five disks in a carrying wal- let, with the disks in Apple's HD Backup format. Quarter- ly updates are available. Price: $59.95. Contact: New Edge, Inc., Noone Falls, Peterborough, NH 03458, (800) 284-3330; in New Hampshire, (603) 924-9100. Inquiry 1172. 96 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 42 HICHTSTOWN, Nl POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE BVTE Subscription Dept. P.O. Box 550 Hightstown, N] 08520-9886 NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES Im.I„ImI,Im,I,III„,I,ImI„I,LI„II„,I„II INTRODUCTORY OFFER BEj§ C/5 o < Enjoy BYTE magazine's in-depth information on all the latest in personal computing each month at our special introductory rate! Subscribe now and save $19 off the newsstand price —12 issues for $22.95 instead of $42.00... and $7.00 off the regular subscription rate of $29.95. You'll also receive our special IBM PC issue as part of your subscription. □ U.S.A. $22.95 for I year \J Canada/Mexico $27.95 U.S. for 1 year □ Bill me □ Payment enclosed □ Charge to my □ MasterCard Account # Expires PJ This is a renewal order. Name (Please Print) D VISA Company Address _ If your idea of Romance Languages includes BASIC and C, then we have a BlM^V^ great deal for you. dBASE XENIX □ U.S.A $22.95 for 1 year □ Canada/Mexico $27.95 U.S. for 1 year □ Bill me □ Payment enclosed □ Charge to my ( ) VISA ( ) MasterCard Account # Expires Signature ~2 This is a renewal order. Packed with in-depth information on the lat- est in microcomputing, BYTE magazine is written to stimulate the minds of almost half a million personal computing experts. Now, you too can enjoy BYTE each month at our special introductory rate. Subscribe now and save $19 off the news- stand price... 12 issues for $22.95 instead of $42.00 . . . and $7.00 off the regular subscrip- tion rate of $29.95. You'll also receive our special IBM PC issue as part of your subscription! IBJ0139 Name (Please Print) Company _ Address City/State . Country . Code . Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing your subscription. 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(CANADA: FIRST GIFT $25.95, ADDITIONAL GIFTS $22.95 EACH.) DON'T GET CAUGHT IN THE HOLIDAY RUSH, SEND US YOUR GIFT LIST TODAY AND WE'LL DO THE REST. BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 42 HIGHTSTOWN, NJ NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE EVTE : • ■ Computers and Communications Information Group P.O. Box 550 HightStOwn, NI 08520-9893 sw wrtri WE WILL TRY TO BEAT ANY PRICE ON ANYTHING FROM ANYWHERE !!! A TRULY PROFESSIONAL STAFF WITH A COMMITMENT TO SERVICE !!! ITT - XTRA - XP - 80286 - POWER • I In a XT Compatible Computer System COMPARE: THIS IS THE BEST COMPUTER VALUE IN THE USA! BRAND NEW Base System Includes: 80286 Processor - FAST!! AMAZING." COST • 51 2K Installed • Expandable to 640K on the Motherboard 80287 Socket • 5 - XT Slots • Parallel/Serial Ports • Floppy Controller • Deluxe Keyboard • 155 Watt Power Supply • Small Footprint • Warranty by Servcom ■ 30 Days to the End User Requires ITT DOS 3.2 COST '39 HI •WflftflflWfc 'ITS 0MB Drive "' 249 319 39? to 640K Mono Card ••■■ Color Card . • • ■ _, yTL LIST $2185 $499 IBM 5182 •COLOR PRINTER* £499 0ATAMED1A eiQ tffw * *99 QUANTITY PRICING AVAILABLE!! m? gBE^ rffi«y LIST $575 jtf&L7NLY « Tetevkteo 950 and ADOS Viewpoint Compatibility t Non-glare • nicker Free • Hio* Resolution • GREEN • Powerful Local Editing Features • Detachable Keyboard • Buffered Operation • Block-Mode Transmission • 22 PROGRAMMABLE FUNCTION KEYS • PRINTERMODEM (RS-232C) CONNECTION • Swivel Base • TNIX 4015 -Hi-Res • RGB • CGA Color Monitor 14 .640 zoo.. 31 Dot Pitch L,ST$630 COST!219r- • TNIX 4035. RGB . CGA Color Monitor • 14" . 640 ,43 Dot Pitch LIST S550 200 _CpST_®l_7S *TNIX 12"»TTL-Amber « QUANTITY 100 AS LOW AS s49 GOLDSTAR, Monitors are Refurbished by Tel-ko, are labelled Tnix. and have a 60 Day End User Warranty - BRAND NEW CONDITION!! TNIX 41 75-EQA Co'01" Monitor 14"-Non Glare, 640x350, Aj „„t pitch • THOMSON 4160 * W CGA COLOR MONITOR Hi-Res. - .38 Dot Pitch - 640H x 240V RGB Input - Up to 256 Colors Switches to Amber or Green for Text LIST $550 BELOW DEALER COST s 199 FULL 1 YEAR WARRANTY Refurbished - Brand New Condition IBM-256K-MEMORY CARD Fully Populated with 256K Only Works at 4.77MHz Speed Cost $69 - Quantity 1 $59 - Quantity 12 UST $650 COST ,3Aoot' $269 LIST $1995 ■!- THIS IBM IS THE VALUE IN THE "' • * BRAND NEW • HEAVY DUTY * • • WIDE CARRIAGE (132 Column) » 200 CPS Draft, 110 CPS Correspondence, 35CPS NLQ • Prints Black, 4 Colors, and 8 Colors . BiDirectional Dot Matrix . 9 Wire-Parallel Interface . Tractor FRONT - BOTTOM - REAR PAPER FEED SOUND COVER BUILT IN, Up to 4-Part Farm. I PAPER RACK AVAILABLE-Stacks Printed Paper - ONLY $12.95 Easy Change Cartridge Ribbons ■ AVAILABLE „ n.v WAqn«ijTv • • QUANTITY PRICING - CALL III + * warranty • DIABLO D80IF • Letter Quality- 80 CPS * BRAND NEW * keuer vuamy ou vra list s207o-sold below cost With Dual Bin Cut Sheet Feeder Wide Carriage - Requires Cable your 30 Day Warranty cost «799 CENTRONICS HPC-136B LIST $899 (Centronics Now Owned By GENICOM) LIST $899 • 180 CPS • 34 NLQ * * WIDE CARRIAGE * THOMSON— 4375 W ULTRASCAN COLOR MONITOR DISPLAYS UP TO 256 COLORS $ • 31 mm dot pitch »8O0Hx560V resolution, compatible with CGA, EGA, PGC, MDA, VGA • Automatically ad|usis lo changes in modes or adaptors by switching to any horizontal Irequency between 15 and 35 KHz • Automatically scans vertical frequences Irom 45 to 75 Hz • 3 video input connectors; supports RGBI, RrGgBb, RGB Analog, monochrome TTL ano video composite • Super high-conirasi non-glare screon • Front mounted controls • Includes tilt-swivel stand • Toll-tree "800" technical support • 1 year warranty • Rolurbished - Brand New Condition BRAND • Full 1 Year Parts and Labor Warranty NEW • 4K - Print Buffer - Cartridge Ribbon. • DRAFT -11 x9 Dot Matrix, LIST * NLQ - 23 x 18 Dot Matrix $895 * ®M and Epson Emulation • With Push Tractor 449 • MULTI SCAN MONITOR CARDS STARTING AT !169 * Quantity Discounts Available! THOMSON 4120 • 14" CGA COLOR MONITOR For value and versatility, the 4120 has no competition. It's RGBI, RGB analog, and composite modes make the 4120 ideal lor IBM PC and compatibles. , iCT It's built-in speaker allows it to be used as a television monitor LiO I when connected to a VCR or tuner. It's compatible with IBM, $430 Apple, Atari, AMIGA, and Commodore computers with optional adaptors. $ COST 169 WITH ANY MONITOR PURCHASE - STB - CHAUFFEUR- HT. COLOR MONO VIDEO CARD ONLY $79 — BELOW COST!! Parallel $ Version $ 269 Serial/ Parallel Version QUANTITY PFIICINQ IS AVAILABLE 299 HEWLETT PACKARD laserjei II - Lowest Price PossiDie CALL NEC LC-850 P2200 5200 5300 CALL TOSHIBA .--.*» pliisT '459 P-341 was S559 NOW $499 P-341SL S569 P-351-SX 3995 * * Electrified Discounters * * - (203) 287-1976 DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED catalog, sewr WITH AU. ORDERS 1066 SHERMAN AVENUE HAMDEN, CT 06514 FAX 203-248-8680 Ail PiIch ii»«fl ■'• Cash OiKOuni*) I Add S.-ss tor M«i«iC»fd Vita, or L AME* Not 'OKWnsLbte '» tYfWO'Jpnicti I »mx% Pr'«»arBKbjBCtloc^angfl »itn- I aul nol>ce Conn rei.flnnls add /'■»", I Miojtai Ouary.!>B5 are lutviod' Pr'cui jo not include treinrtl. Afcw 3 «««» lew Mf unii corneal* ch«cJ> cim/him 2C*t ; ^iwctorig leo rjvrurnum on ail roW'n* L Comp»|iWir.i(ootC.u*r»nin«d. iBMii» I r»oliiernl lf»dima'* 01 &u»m*w Maeftinas. inc Circle 512 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 96NE-1 REGIONAL What's New METRO NEW YORK • NEW ENGLAND Group Helps Nonprofit Organizations One of the most impor- tant tasks of a nonprofit organization is to organize its information, especially regard- ing possible sources of hard- to-find funding. Many non- profits use donated computer equipment to accomplish this, but the equipment is often obsolete or the wrong solution. Connect is an organization dedicated to providing infor- mation and referral services to nonprofit organizations that don't have the money or the work hours to invest in sophis- ticated systems but need the technology to compete. According to Mitchell Ro- senberg, program director for Connect and vice president of parent company Technical De- velopment, since the spring of 1988, Connect has been sponsoring two-day courses on how nonprofit groups can use computers. This fall, the program started offering in- stant telephone support and referral services to members. According to Rosenberg, part of Connect's mission is to ensure that nonprofits not only get good technology but know how to use it effi- ciently, especially as large cor- porations start parting with their 8088-based machines. It's a complex job, but he said that donations from Lotus, the Fidelity Foundation, and the United Way have helped. Price: $150 to $250 fee (de- pending on your budget). Contact: Lisa Breit, Con- nect, c/o Technical Develop- ment Group, 11 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108, (617) 523-7557. Inquiry 918. Advanced LAN Conference Local-area networks are growing in popularity due to increased demand for pro- ductivity and efficiency in the work place. A conference that will deal with LAN pro- ductivity, management, se- curity, and standards will be held in New York from No- vember 30 to December 2. The conference is designed to help attendees define their requirements, choose the right system, and understand configurations available with today's LAN. The chairperson will be Roy Pepper, a consul- tant with 23 years of experi- ence in the communications field. The seminar is for busi- ness managers, technicians, and planners. Price: $995. Contact: Digital Consulting, Inc., 6 Windsor St., Andover, MA 01810, (508)470-3880. Inquiry 920. Shopping for the Silicon Set A museum that claims it's the only one in the world solely dedicated to computers and their impact on society is now offering a catalogue of gifts that you can give to your favorite techie for Christmas. If that human hard disk of continued Important TIPS* for BYTE Subscribers: Receive Product Information 10 Days Earlier! ■M BVTE IDENTIFiCATIOl THE SMALL SYSTEMS JOURNAL John Sample 785432189 SI* All you need is a touch-tone telephone and your subscriber I.D. number. See instructions facing the Reader Service Index in the back of this issue for outrageous time-saving opportunities! *BYTE's Telephone Inquiry Processing Service 96NE-2 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 ■rzrr~n ■i — j ■L! ■r INDEPENDENT STORE IN NYC DEDICATED TO IBM® PC SOFTWARE AND PERIPHERALS ONLY If We Don't Have It, It's Probably Not Worth Having. STORE HOURS: 9:00 A.M.-5:30 P.M. E.S.T. MON.-FRI. SATURDAYS: 10:00 A.M.-4:00 P.M. Terms, Conditions and Prices May Differ In Our Store. CORPORATE ACCOUNTS WELCOMED. PC LINK CORP. 29 WEST 38TH STREET. 2ND FL., NEW YORK, NY 10018 call TOLL FREE 1-800-221-0343 FOR ORDERS ONLY All prices listed in this ad are eftective Nov, 1-30, 1988. All Brands are Registered Trademarks. IBM is a Registered Trademark ol IBM Corp. in new yorkCALL 1-212-730-8036 FOfl ORDERS & INQUIRIES THIS MONTH'S SPECIALS—DECEMBER 1st through 31st LOGITECH. HiREZ MOUSE (Bus Version Only) Crosstalk Communications. .85.00 CROSSTALK MK.4 99.00 Crosstalk Communications. CROSSTALK XV1 V3.6 75.00 TOSHIBA. 321 SL [80 column. 24 Pin Printer). 469.00 BUSINESS SOFTWARE ASHTON-TATE dBASE IV CALL MULTIMATE ADVANTAGE II CALL BORLAND INT. EUREKA 99.00 ANSA PARADOX V 2.0 459.00 PROLOG 1.1 69.00 SIDEKICK PLUS 149.00 TURBO BASIC 69.00 TURBO C 2.0 105.00 TURBO PASCAL 5,0 105.00 QUATTRO 159.00 CLEAR SOFT. CLEAR (CHART dBASE CODE) CALL CONCENTRIC DATA R & R REPORT WRITER FOR DBASE III+ 139.00 CROSSTALK COMMUNICATIONS CROSSTALK MK.4 99.00 CROSSTALK XVI 3.6 75.00 REMOTE 2 109.00 FOX SOFTWARE FOX BASE PLUS V 2.1 239.00 FOX BASE+ MULTIUSER 379.00 GREAT PLAINS. ACCOUNTING PACKAGES CALL JAVELIN SOFT. JAVELIN 69.00 KORTEK. FREEWAY ADVANCED 79.00 LIFETREESOFT.VOLKSWRITER3 129.00 LOTUS DEV. CORP. LOTUS 1-2-3(SOLD IN OUR STORE) 329.00 SYMPHONY (SOLD IN OUR STORE) 479.00 AGENDA (SOLD IN OUR STORE) 295.00 MECA. MANAGING YOUR MONEY 4.0 139.00 MERIDIAN. CARBON COPY PLUS 139.00 MICRO PRO WORDSTAR 2000+ REL.3 249.00 WORDSTAR PROFESSIONAL REL.5 249.00 MICROSOFT CHART V 3.0 295.00 C COMPILER 309.00 FORTRAN COMPILER 309.00 MACROASSEMBLER 119.00 EXCEL 309.00 PROJECT 349.00 QUICK BASIC 69.00 QUICK C 69.00 WINDOWS 69.00 WINDOWS 386 145.00 WORD VERSION 4.0 219.00 WORKS 109.00 MONOGRAM. DOLLARS &. SENSE 109.00 NANTUCKET. CLIPPER 399.00 OWL INT. GUIDE 2.0 159.00 QUARTERDECK. DESQ VIEW 89.00 SBT. ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE (Sold in Store) CALL SSC. SOFTWARE BRIDGE 129.00 STSC APL'PLUS V 7.0 649.00 STATGRAPHICS 649.00 SOFTWARE GROUP. ENABLE V 2.0 399.00 SOFTWARE PUBLISHING HARVARD TOTAL PROJECT MANAGERII 369.00 FIRST CHOICE 99.00 PROFESSIONAL FILE/PLAN ea. 159.00 PROFESSIONAL WRITE 139.00 SYMANTEC. Q&A 3.0 259.00 WALLSOFT THE Ul PROGRAMMER 199.00 THE DOCUMENTOR 199.00 WORDPERFECT CORP WORDPERFECT V 5.0 259.00 WORDTECH SYSTEMS D B X L 95.00 QUICK SILVER DIAMOND 369.00 XYQUEST.XY WRITE III + 399.00 GRAPHIC & DESK TOP PUBLISHING ALDUS. PAGE MAKER (Sold in Store only). CALL ASHTONTATE CHART/DIAGRAM/SIGN MASTER CALL BRIGHTBILL-ROBERTS SHOW PARTNER 69.00 SHOW PARTNER F/X 249.00 DIGITAL. GEM DRAW PLUS 175.00 LOTUS DEV. FREE LANCE+(Sold In Store) 359.00 MICROGRAFX. WINDOWS DRAW 229.00 SOFTWARE PUBLISHING HARVARD PRESENTATION GRAPHICS... 295.00 XEROX. VENTURA (NEW) VERSION 2.0 .. CALL XEROX.VENTURA Professional Extension CALL Z SOFT. PC PAINTBRUSH + 99.00 Z SOFT. PUBLISHER PAINTBRUSH 179.00 UTILITIES CORE INT. CORE FAST 119.00 EXECUSYSTEMS.XTREE PRO 79.00 FIFTH GENERATION. FAST BACK+ 129.00 FUNK SOFT. SIDEWAYS 3.2 59.00 MICROLYTICS. GOFER 49.00 NORTON. UTILITIES V 4.0 59.00 NORTON. UTILITIES ADVANCED 4.0 99.00 REVOLUTION. CRUISE CONTROL 29.00 SOFT CRAFT. FANCY FONT 149.00 SOFT CRAFT. LASER FONT 149.00 TRAVELING SOFT. LAP-LINK 89.00 CRAPHICTABLETS,KEYBOARDS,MICE DATA DESK. TURBO KEYBOARD 139.00 LOGITECH. HiREZ MOUSE (Bus Version) . 85.00 LOGrTECH.C7 PUBLISHERS MOUSE 109.00 MICROSOFT. SERIAL OR BUS MOUSE .... 105.00 MICROSOFT. MOUSE WITH WINDOWS... 145.00 PRINTERS BROTHER. M-1709 240 CPS PAR/SER CALL HEWLETT-PACKARD.LASERJET IID (New) CALL HEWLETT-PACKARD.DESKJET CALL HEWLETT-PACKARD.PAINTJET CALL OUTPUT TECH. OT-850XL 850 CPS CALL TOSHIBA. P351SX 995.00 TOSHIBA. P321SL 469.00 HP LASER ACCESSORIES BrTSTREAM. FONTWARE (SOFT FONTS) 179.00 HEWLETT-PACKARD FONT CARTRIDGES (A,C,D,E,G,H.) . (B,F,J.K,L,M,N,P,Q,T,U,V,W,X,Y). (R,Z) . 129.00 219.00 295.00 169.00 SOFT FONTS ea. MEMORY FOR LASERJET II ONLY 1MB/2MB/4MB MEMORY BOARDS CALL IQ ENGINEERING. SUPER CARTRIDGE" 599.00 •Emulates 23 HP font cartridflej (Total ol 55 Fonts) IMAGEN. PC Publisher Kit adds DDL, HP-GL 8> PostScript to HP Laserjet printers. Emulates 15 HP Cartridges, HP 7470/7475 pen plotters. Diablo 630, Epson MX-80/FX-80, & more. Comes with 30 (1 to 254 point) Fonts, 2Mb Ram PC Publisher Kit for HP Laserjet II 1595.00 MONITORS AMDEK. 1280 MONITOR 739.00 AMDEK.410A MONITOR 189.00 Elite Business. Design VIEW/19 (1280X10241595.00 PGS. MAX-12 (MONO MONITOR) 189.00 PGS. ULTRASYNCH EGA MONITOR 589.00 NEC. MULTISYNC II EGA 689.00 SONY. CPD-1302/CPD-1303 MULTISCAN EGA CALL WYSE.700 1280X800 HI RES. MONITOR.. 789.00 MODEMS EVEREX.EVERCOM 1200 (Internal) 109.00 EVEREX. EVERCOM 2400 (Internal) 199.00 HAYES. SMARTMODEM 2400 499.00 HAYES. SMARTMODEM 1200 299.00 HAYES. 1200B+SMARTCOM II 299.00 HAYES. 2400B+SMARTCOM II 499.00 MIGENT. 1200 POCKET MODEM 139.00 MIDI PRODUCTS MUSIC QUEST MIDI Co-Processor Card 139.00 Starter System+ 199.00 Starter System 175.00 TWELVE TONE SYSTEMS CakeWalk 2.0 Sequencer 129.00 DISKDRIVES I OMEGA. 20MB BETA II INT. DRIVE 959.00 MINISCRIBE. 3085 70Mb hard disk for AT 859.00 MINISCRIBE. 3053 40Mb hard disk for AT 569.00 PLUS DEV. Passport 20 or 40MB CALL SEAGATE. ST-225 20MB With controller... 309.00 SEAGATE. ST-251-1 40MB FOR AT 549.00 SYSGEN.QIC FILE 60 EXT.BACKUP 859.00 SYSGEN. BRIDGE FILE 349.00 SYSGEN. BRIDGE TAPE 549.00 TOSHIBA. 3 1/2" & 5 1/4' Drives CALL EXPANSION BOARDS 64K 150NS RAM CHIPS CALL 256K 150NS RAM CHIPS CALL DCA. IRMA BOARD II 799.00 HERCULES. MONO GRAPHICS PLUS 199.00 INTEL. ABOVE BOARD PS/286 512K 459.00 TALLTREE.JRAM-3 0K(TO2MB) 159.00 VIDEO 7. VEGA DELUXE 199.00 VIDEO 7. VEGA VGA 295.00 VIDEO 7. FAST WRITE VGA 8 or 16 Bit .. 499.00 VIDEO 7. V-RAM VGA 8 or 16 Bit 599.00 NETWORKING INVISIBLE. NETWORK 200 299.00 SERVERTECHNOLOGY EASYLAN STARTER KIT FOR 2 PC'S 179.00 EASYLAN EXPANSION KIT FOR 1 PC'S... 99.00 SCANNERS & FACSIMILE BROTHER. PERSONAL FAX-1 00 975.00 DEST. PC SCANNERS CALL COMPUTERS PC LINK 386A MODULE1. 16MHZ, 1MB 32 BIT RAM, ONE 1.2MB DRIVE 2195.00 386AMODULE11. 16MHZ, 1MB 32 BIT RAM, ONE 1.2MB DRIVE, 40MB HARD DISK 2695.00 386A is a XT type chassis, can accommodate AT size adapters. 386B MODULE1 . 16MHZ, 1 MB 32 BIT RAM, ONE 1.2MB DRIVE 2295.00 3S6B MODULE11. 16MHZ, 1MB 32 BIT RAM, ONE 1.2MB DRIVE, 40MB HARD DISK 2795.00 386-20 MODULE1 . 20MHZ, 1 MB 32 BIT RAM, ONE 1.2MB DRIVE 2495.00 386-20 MODULE1 1 . 20MHZ, 1 MB 32 BIT RAM, ONE 1.2MB DRIVE, 40MB HARD DISK 2995.00 Desktop Publishing Special PC LINK 386B MODULE1 1, Amdek 1280 lull page monitor, HP Laserjet II with 512kb, Xerox Ventura 2.0, printer cable, Microsoft Serial Mouse, IBM DOS 3.3 5795.00 386B 8i 386-20 are a AT type chassis. STANDARD FEATURES FOR PC LINK 386. CHASSIS CAN ACCOMMODATE UPTO FIVE 1/2 HEIGHT DEVISES (3 are accessible), HARD/FLOPPY CONTROLLER WITH CABLES, 101 ENHANCED KEYBOARD, SERIAL/PARALLEL PORTS, BATTERY BACK REAL TIME CLOCK, ONE YEAR WARRANTY. TOSHIBA T1000 512KB ONE 3 1/2" DRIVE 4.77MHz.. CALL T1200HB 1MB 20MB HD. ONE 3 1/2" DRIVE CALL T31 00/20 640KB ONE 3 1/2", 20MB HD CALL T5100 2MB RAM ONE 3 1/2", 40MB HD .... CALL WYSE 2112 1.2MB DRIVE 1MB RAM 8/12 MHz CPU, 101-KEY KEYBOARD MS DOS 3.1 CALL PC 386 (16MHz) ZERO WAIT-STATES 1MB RAM, 1.2MB DRIVE.KEYBOARD.MS DOS 3.2 (8MHz) MODE, SERIAL/PARALLEL PORT.. CALL HAUPP AUGE COMPUTER WORKS. 80386-1 6MHz REPLACES IBM/XT MOTHER BOARD. 1MB RAM, FIVE 8-BIT (2 SHORT), 2-16 BIT, 1-32 BIT SLOTS & SOCKET FOR 80387. WORKS WITH MOST PRESENT HARDWARE INCLUDING HARD/FLOPPY DISKS DRIVES 8. KEYBOARD. OS/2, 1-2-3 (V2.01), dBASE, AUTOCAD.VENTURA, WINDOWS & OTHER MAJOR SOFTWARE COMPATIBLE 1495.00 TERMS AND CONDITIONS We reserve the right to repair, replace or return to manufacturer for repair, all goods acknowledged faulty or damaged on receipt by customer. Customer Must Call For Return Authorization Number Before Returning Any Goods. Prompt attention will be given to all damaged and faulty returned goods. Any goods returned tor credit are subject to 20% restocking charge, plus shipping charge. No Returns For Credit On Any Software. Customer must deal directly with the manufacturer if the customer finds any false claims made by the manufacturer. All goods are shipped VIA U.P.S. ONLY. Shipping charges are 2% of the total purchase price or $3 00. whichever is greater. Please call for shipping charges on Printers & Accessories. C.O.D. goods are shipped for Cash or Cashier's Check Only. Max $ 1 500. 00 Please allow 7 to 10 work_ ing days for personal or corporate checks to clear. To expedite shipping send money order or cashier's check, or charge to your VISA OR MASTERCARD, we DO NO' Add a Service Charge For Credit Card Usage. PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. Circle 515 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 96NE-3 REGIONAL WHAT'S NEW METRO NEW YORK • NEW ENGLAND yours, called the brain, has just gone blank on gift ideas, the catalog has everything from pins and earrings made out of circuit boards to an af- fordable make-your-own robot kit. The Computer Museum is also offering a collection of books to brush up on com- puter pioneers and history, cir- cuit-design silk ties for the fashion-conscious program- mer, and another tie with a scaled-down version of a slide ruler. Also available are com- puter puzzles, games, posters, and card sets. Price: The catalog is free of charge. Contact: The Computer Museum Store, 300 Congress St., Boston, MA 02210, (617) 426-2800. Inquiry 919. The Computer Flea Market Hits Northern New Jersey, Too Ken Gordon Productions has been sponsoring com- puter shows since 1980, and according to its president, it is the largest and oldest pro- moter of computer shows in the U.S. The show welcomes companies as large as Comput- erland Stores and as small as mom and pop (or kid) garage operations. One will be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Boxborough, Massachusetts, off Route 495's exit 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on December 11. An- other will be held at William Paterson College in Wayne, New Jersey, on December 17. Contact: Ken Gordon Pro- ductions, P.O. Box 13, Frank- lin Park, NJ 08823, (800) 631-0062; in New Jersey, (201) 297-2526. MacWorld Expo in San Francisco If you missed the crowds (and the heat) at MacWorld Expo in August, held in three locations in Boston, you have another chance to catch up on the latest new products and ap- plications for the Macintosh, only this time the Expo will be held in balmy San Francisco, from January 20-22. The Expo will start off with an industry day on Janu- ary 19, open only to dealers, vendors, and third-party devel- opers. More than 1200 booths and displays are ex- pected for the show. Price: $20 for exhibits only; $75 for the conference and exhibits. Contact: Mitch Hall Asso- ciates, P.O. Box 155, Westwood, MA 02090, (617) 329-9911. Inquiry 921. Send Us Your Local News BYTE is expanding its coverage of local events in the Metro New York/New England region. If you would like your events, seminars, conferences, or computer users group covered, please send information to: Regional Edi- tor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. Berkeley heights, nj "OUR SERVICE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE" new providence, nj LEADING EDGE® COTTAGE COMPUTERS IS A LEADING EDGE® AUTHORIZED RETAIL DEALER AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER Leading Edge® Computers From $595 i MODEL "D"® PC® XT® COMPATIBLE NEWD3 16 MHz 386 65 Meg Hard Drive 2 Meg RAM MS DOS® + OS/2 VGA Video Card TM MODEL D2 ,™ | AT® COMPATIBLE | IBM® COMPATIBLE 20 MONTH WARRANTY VGA Monchrome Monitor ■ or VGA Color Monitor Cottage Computers Mon.-Sat. 10-5:30 Thurs. til 8 ©1987, 1988 CC/DEI "OUR SERVICE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE" (201)464-8386 WE SPECIALIZE IN LEADING EDGE® COMPUTERS 1253 SPRINGFIELD AVE. NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J. 07974 QUANTITY PRICES CORPORATE ACCOUNTS DEFT. 96NE-4 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 509 on Reader Service Card Spear's Systems are becoming landmarks in the computer industry. 48houv fiuvn-'»n SUPER 386/20 $2995 — 80386 CPU, 20MHz SI = 23 ^~ 14" Flat Screen Hi-Res Mono Monitor | — — Evergraphic Mono Card __ 2 Serial & 1 Parallel Ports ^ 1.44MB 3 1/2" Floppy - 40MB HH Hard Drive Add S280 for Tower Case MONO-286/8 $995 ^ 80286 CPU 8/6 MHz - Hercules Compatible Mono card .-- Monochrome monitor EGA-286/8 $1620 _ ^ 80286 CPU 8/6 MHz - EGA monitor and EGA card - 20MB HH Hard Disk PRO-286/10 $2150 - 80286 CPU 10 MHz/lWS «. EGA card ^ Diamond Scan monitor — AT 30 MB Hard Disk MONO-286/12 $1499 _~ 80286 CPU 12 MHz/OWS _-~ Small footprint to save space -. Mono card -^»- Monochrome monitor * All systems come with 1.2MB floppy drive, and FD/HD dual controller. SUPER-286/12 ... 80286 CPU 12 MHz/OWS .<- Small footprint _^ EGA card and Diamond Scan monitor «. 1.44M 3 1/2" floppy drive _~. 40MB HH Hard Disk $2490 $2151 $2050 EGA-286/12 - 80286 CPU 12 MHz/OWS - Small footprint - EGA monitor and EGA card 20MB HH Hard Disk MONO-386 80386-16 CPU - 16/6 MHz/OWS Wait State - 64K SRAM Cache - Mono monitor and card EGA-386 $2540 -- 80386-16 CPU .-- EGA monitor and EGA card _-. 20MB HH Hard Disk SERVER-386 80386-16 CPU _— EGA card ■-. Diamond Scan monitor _ 71 MB Hard Disk $3295 OTHER PRODUCTS: | Everex Modems - 1200B Internal $99 — 2400B Internal $175 - 2400B External $199 Everex Tape Backup _-. 40MB External $620 - 60MB Internal $650 _^ 125MB Internal $1195 - 40MB Floppy Tape $399 Hard Disk .. 20MB (XT) $269 40MB (HH) S580 71MB $865 XT MONO System (10MHz) $599 BRAND NAME LAPTOP (640K, 2Drives) $1259 Graphic cards, EMS cards, monitors, printers, 3 1/2" floppy drives, etc. CALL To Order Call Our Toll Free Number: (800) 282-1212 (312) 480-7300 (Illinois) TECHNOLOGY INC. 710A Landwehr, Northbrook, IL 60062 Sales: (312) 480-7300 Tech Support (312) 480-7386 FAX: (312) 480-9538 Spear 03 VI. 2 7/20/88 Circle 517 on Reader Service Card Attractive Discount for Dealers and Quantity Buyers. Special Discounts for Students and Professors (ID required). Everex, Hercules, IBM, AT, Diamond Scan, and OS/2 are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective companies. Spear Technology, Inc. provides you with excellent quality and services. If you are not satisfied for any reason please call our president, Webster or V. P. Ahmed at (312) 480-7300. If you have any technical questions, our full- time technical support staff is there to answer them. Terms: We accept MasterCard, Visa, COD (Cashier check, cash, or approved check), Company/Institutional . P.O.. For returns and repairs, call for RMA number. A 15% restocking on all unauthorized returns item. No credit issued after 30 days from date of shipment. Copies of original sales order must accompany any return. Prices are subject to change. DECEMBER 1988 • BYTE 96NE-5 Nohow" I f) I / JCS& You can't accept "no way, nohow" answers when it comes to your Digital Equipment system. And you don't have to. The DEC computing know-how you must have is right here. Find it at DEXPO East 89. Test the latest VAX*, MicroVAX*, and PDP-1 1 * enhance- ments. Evaluate over 10,000 products for multi-vendor DEC systems. Compare new technologies from 250 suppliers. Explore The Apple-Digital Integration Center . It features leading edge solutions from Apple and dozens of Apple- Digital developers. Concurrent conference sessions explore Apple-Digital issues and trends. Develop strategies for the successful integration of VAX architecture into business environments. DEXPO's "Corpo- rate VAX" Conference features 50 practical sessions on all aspects of VAX management. Plus, build skills and pro- ductivity at Technical and Training Seminars pro- vided by ERI Training Save time and money by doing it all at one show. Call for FREE V.I. P. tickets to the show (each a $20 value). Plus, you'll get a FREE Preview of 100 products on exhibit and a complete Conference & Seminar schedule. Organized by Expoconsul International, Inc. 3 Independ- ence Way, Princeton, N.J. 08540 ' Registered trademark ol Digital Equipment Corporation DEXPO HOTLINE: 800-87-DEXPO Passenger Snip faminal • New York City • Feb. S-JO, 1989 (48tbVS5th Streets at 12th AveJ ' ' DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 96NE-7 The Complete DEC* Computing Exposition & Conference Com-Xbk Data Systems, Inc. SPECIAL COMPLETE SYSTEM MODEL IQ-8088— I SYSTEM 10 mhz Mother Board— 640K Ram (2) 360K Floppy Drives Mono Monitor— 84 Keyboard Multi-I/O— Phoenix Bios Parallel, Serial, Game Ports Printer Panasonic 1080i MS-DOS ver. 3.3 $1295°o MODEL IQ 8088-XT— THE WISE CHOICE POWERFUL Performance at a practical price is what you will get with COM-TEK's SUPER TURBO A/T, POWERFUL Performance at a practical price is what you will get with COM-TEK's SUPER TURBO X/T. Configured to your specifications at a very reasonable price, our X/T is built to suit your every need. $895 HARDWARE PRICES 20 Meg wllh Controller Card $275,00 40 Mag with Controller Card 5425.00 B0 Meg with Controller Card $775.00 360K Floppy Drive $ BO.00 1.2 Floppy Drive $115.00 35 Floppy Drive $120.00 1.44 Floppy Drive $130.00 Mono Card $ 49.00 EGA Mono Card $142,00 CQA Color Card $ 48.00 EGA Color Card $112.00 VGA Color Card CALL Taxan 770 Multl Sync Monitor S640.0O Packard Bell Mono Monitor , $ 85.00 Im-Tec Color Monitor 5245.00 Caaper Mono Monitor 5 8000 RelisyB EGA Monitor $435.00 NEC Multl Sync II VGA $640.00 Taxan EGA Monitor $47500 AT Controller Card $142.00 XT Controller Card $124 00 Floppy Disk Controller Card 5 1800 XT Multl I/O Card $ 58.00 XT Pre-built 3 In 1 Motherboard , . $23500 XT Pre-bullt Motherboard $185.00 AT 80286 Pre-bullt Motherboard $48500 AT 80386 Pre-bulll Motherboard $189500 AT 80286 Baby Pre-bulll M/B $495.00 84 Keyboard $ 48.00 101 Enhanced Keyboard $ 65.00 B0B8-10 MHZ 3 in 1 Motherboard $14500 80B8-10 MHZ Motherboard $120.00 80288-125 MHZ Molherboard $342,00 802B6 Baby 12,5 MHZ Motherboard $33800 80388-16 MHZ Motherboard with 1 Mag $1625.00 XT/AT Slide Case $ 34.00 AT Baby Ca» $ 5B.0O AT Slide Case $ 65.00 AT Tower Cue $285.00 Baby AT 200 Walt Power Supply $ 72.00 150 Watt Power Supply S 4800 200 Watt Power Supply S 6B.0O 40 Mefl Tape Backup System ... $349.00 MS-DOS 3.3 GW/BASIC $120.00 1200 Modem $ 85.00 2400 Modem $235,00 PrlnlerB 'CALL POWERFUL Performance at a practical price is what you will get with COM-TEK's SUPER TURBO IQ 80386. Configured to your specifications at a very reasonable price, our IQ B0386 is built to suit your every need. MODEL IQ 80386- THE SUPER WISE CHOICE! The Personal Computer that will run away with you. Home or Office. Complete System Includes * LS-A804 All in One Multi Main Board Selectable CPU speed of 4.77/10 Mhz Complete W/Multi I/O + MCGP-Mono+Graphics Card RS-232 Serial adapter, Parallel printer adapter Game Port adapter/360 Kbyte Floppy adapter Microsoft Bus versionmouse adapter Real Time Clock/Calendar CPU 8088-1/512 Memory Expandable to 640KB Award or Phoenix Bios Included Keyboard Lock, Power LED/Turbo Mode LED * 150 watt power supply/ X/T Slide case * 20 Meg Seagate Hard Disk/ 360K Floppy Disk * Keyboard 84 Key/ Packard Bell 12" Monochrome Monitor " Printers Optional" *" FREE Word Processing Software. . . SPECIFICATIONS MOTHERBOARD: STANDARD A/T MODEL IQ-80286 Intel 80266 microprocessor key selectable normal (8.0 mhz) and turbo (12.5 mhz) processing speeds, socketed for the 80287 math coprocessor, eight expansion slots (2 eight bit— 6 sixteen bit), clock- cal. 1 meg, RAM included. Multl I/O and Phoenix or Award Bios included, 200 watt, switching power supply with leads for 4 devices. (1) 1.2 meg, half height, dual sided— quad density floppy drive. (1) 40 megabyte, half height, fixed disk drive. 40MS access time. Full size AT style drawer cabinet with cor- porate security lock panel mounted reset switch, and status LEDs for turbo, power and fixed disk. Enhanced style, 101 keys with LEDs to indicate NUM locks and CAPS lock status, separate cursor pad, numeric touch pad, top mounted function keys, Hi-res. text and graphics, monochrome card (Here, compat.) hi-res, TTL amber monochrome monitor. 1 parallel port. 1 year on pans and labor limited depot warranty. 30 day money back guarantee If not satisfied with out product, for any reason. 'OPTIONS AVAILABLE KEYBOARD: DISPLAY SET: WARRANTY: Configured to your specifica- tions at a very reasonable price, our A/T is built to suit your every need. YOUR PRICE SPECIAL PRICE $1545.00 POWERFUL Perfor- mance at a practical price is what you will get with COM-TEK's SUPER TURBO A/T. Configured to your specifications at a very reasonable price, our A/T is built to suit your every need. MODEL IQ 80286— THE WISE CHOICE $3295 $3045 SPECIFICATIONS MOTHERBOARD: POWER; DISKS: DIBPLAY UNIT: WARRANTY: •OPTIONS AVAILABLE: Color syslem (CQA) EGA system VGA system Math co-pro A/T Additional 1.2 dr. 3S0K (loppy dr. 144 lloppy STANDARD A/T MODEL IO-803B6 Intel BQ386 microprocessor, user selectable (4.77, S.D and 16.0 mhz) upgradeable lo 20 mhz, Processing speeds, socketed lor the 60287 math coprocessor, eight expansion slots (2 eight Bit, 5 sixteen bit, end 1 thirty-two bit), elocx-cal, 2 meg. RAM included, upgradeable to S meg. includes Phoenix or Award Bios and Multi-I/O card. 200 watt, switching power supply with leads tor 4 devices, (1) 1.2 meg, hall height, dual sldBd— quad density floppy drive and 1.44 lloppy, (1) SO megabyte, lull height, llxed dlex drive. Seagate. Full size AT style drawer cabinet with corporate security lock panel mounted reset switch, and statue LEDe for turbo power and llxed disk. Enhanced style, 101 keys with LEDs to Indicate NUM lock and CAPS lock status, separate cursor pad, numeric touch pad, top mounted function keys. HI-reB, text and graphics, monochrome card (Here, compat.) hl-res, TTL amber monocrhome monitor, 1 parallel port. 1 year on parts and labor limited depot warranty. 30 day money back guarantee If not satisfied with our product lor any reason. 20 meg drive 40 meg drive 80 meg drive 3.5 floppy drive MS-DOS 3.21 MS-DOS 3.3 Mouse Award Bios Multl I/O 1200 modem 2400 modem Additional RAM ' Available In the tower case. Call and ask lor specifications. with EGA monitor $3495 COMTEK HAS DESIGNED THEIR POLICY TO BETTER SERVE, HELP AND PROTECT THEIR CUSTOMERS, •COMTEK MAKES SURE ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS GET 1st PRIORITY IN SALES— SERVICE-CUSTOMER RELATIONS ■ COM-TEK'S FRIENDLY STAFF IS BETTER TRAINED TO HELP AND SUPPORT YOU IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE WITHOUT LEAVING YOU ON HOLD. 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE FOR ANY REASON-NO QUESTIONS ASKED-1 YEAR ON PARTS AND LABOR-LIMITED DEPOT WARRANTY Pleoso Come See Us at Nashua Computer Fair, Nashua Sheraton, Tare Blvd., Booth #3062 December 17, 1988 Don't miss the bergaln on new and used computer peripherals, supplies, software, parts, and books. Featuring great buys on most major brands and PC clones, 100 tables all Indoors. Tables available for dealers. Con- tact Dan at C03-3G3-8333. SYSTEMS • SYSTEM OPTIONS • NETWORKING CALL FOR SPECIFICATIONS In N.H.: 603-363-8333 1-800-942-4255 Outside of N.H. , <& P.O. Box 221 -rfc> Corner of 9 & 63, Chesterfield, N.H. 03443 * Tech Support Call: 603-363-8334 XT and AT are registered trademarks of International Business Machines. s* 96NE-8 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 Circle 506 on Reader Service Card Buy with Confidence In an effort to make your telephone purchasing a more successful and pleasurable activity, The Microcomputer Marketing Council of the Direct Marketing Association, Inc. offers this advice, "A knowledgeable buyer will be a successful buyer." These are specific facts you should know about the prospective seller before placing an order: Ask These Important Questions • How long has the company been in business? • Does the company offer technical assistance? • Is there a service facility ? • Are manufacturer's warran- ties handled through the company? • Does the seller have formal return and refund policies? • Is there an additional charge for use of credit cards? • Are credit card charges held until time of shipment? • What are shipping costs for items ordered? Reputable computer dealers will answer all these questions to your satisfaction. Don't settle for less when buying your computer hardware, software, peripherals and supplies. Purchasing Guidelines • State as completely and ac- curately as you can what merchandise you want in- cluding brand name, model number, catalog number. • Establish that the item is in stock and confirm shipping date. • Confirm that the price is as advertised . • Obtain an order number and identification of the sales representative. • Make a record of your order, noting exact price in- cluding shipping, date of order, promised shipping date and order number. If you ever have a problem, remember to deal first with the seller. If you cannot resolve the problem, write to MAIL ORDER ACTION LINE, c/o DMA, 6 E. 43rd St., New York, NY 10017. This message is brought to you by: the MICROCOMPUTER MARKETING COUNCIL of the Direct Marketing Association, Inc. 6 E. 43rd St., New York, NY 10017 MMC MICROCOMPUTER MARKETING COUNCIL of the Direct Marketing Association, Inc. ® Direct Marketing Association, Inc. 1988 («. ccnf **■* DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 96NE-9 Orders, Call Toll Free Tech Support & Information 1-800-888-2983 1-612-881-9197 Mailing Address: 9801 Dupont Ave. So., Suite 175 Bloomington, MN 55431 ORDER DESK & TECHNICAL SUPPORT OPEN: M-F 9a.m.-5pim. CST EVEREX Model 3000A 16MHZ-386 •64 K Static RAM cache •1 MB-100NS Dram •1.2 MB Floppy •Hard drive floppy controller $1895.00 EVEREX Model 1700C 12MHZ-286 •1 MB 100NS Dram •1.2 MB Floppy •Hard drive floppy controller $1295.00 National On-site Warranty Service Available on ALL EVEREX Computers EVEREX Model 1800 8MHZ-286 •512 K RAM •1.2 MB Floppy •Hard drive floppy controller $869.00 LAPTOPS NEC Multispeed EL 1429.00 HD 2359.00 Toshiba T-1000 799.00 T-1200F 1595.00 T-1200FB 1789.00 T-1200H 2295.00 T-1200HB 2399.00 T-3100/20 (286) T-3200 (286) T-5100 (386) .2995.00 .3795.00 .4829.00 ACCOUNTANT 101 KEYBOARD Enlarged Enter, Shift, Backspace Key • Tactile/Click Key Switch • XT, AT and Novell Compatible Ctrl. Capslock On /Off Switchable For Numeric Pad and Calculator- WE WELCOME EDUCATION AND CORPORATE ACCOUNTS 96NE-10 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 504 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 505) On Site Service Contract Available Don't Just Buy a Computer Invest in a SF-286 SF-286 (Hard Drives Optional) 8MHz 10MHz 10MHz (0 WS) 12MHz (0 WS) 16MHz (386) Mono System EGA System $995 $1369 $1119 $1569 $1349 $1720 $1499 $1870 $2050 $2349 Basic System Features: 80286-1 8 bit CPU, 80287 socket, 51 2K RAM ex- pandable to 1 MB, fully compatible AMI BIOS, 1 .2MB Floppy Disk Drive, combined floppy/hard disk controller, Keytronlcs 101 enhanced keyboard, clock/calender with battery backup, 195 watt power supply, 48 hour burn-in testing, operations manual, one year limited warranty and optional on-site maintenance agreement. SF-286-SMHz 20Mb Mono Special.. ....$1249 Basic System features plus: Monographics board with printer port, Samsung 12" amber mono monitor and Seagate 20Mb hard driive. SF-286-8MHZ 20Mb EGA Special $1599 Basic System features plus: Everex EGA graphics board, Evervision EGA color monitor and Seagate 20Mb hard drive. SF-286-8MHZ 20Mb VGA Special $1839 Basic System features plus: Everex EVGA graphics board C 640x480, 800x600, up to 256 colors ), Evervision multisync color monitor and Seagate 20Mb hard drive. Add $60 for upgrade to Mitsubishi Diamond Scan Monitor. SF-286- 12MHz 20Mb Mono Special $1749 Basic System features plus: Monographics board with printer port, Samsung 12" amber mono monitor and Seagate 20Mb hard drive. Upgrade to 40Mb Seagate hard drive, Add $1 60 Upgrade to 80Mb Seagate hard drive, Add $449 Circle 516 on Reader Service Card EGA Bundle $479 Everex EGA autoswitch graphics board and Ever- vision EGA color monitor. Super EGA Bundle $579 Everex EGA Deluxe autoswitch graphics board ( 640x480, 752x410 ), and Evervision multisync color monitor. Add $60 to upgrade to Mitsubishi Diamond Scan Monitor. Super VGA Bundle $709 Everex EVGA graphics board ( 460x480, 800x600, up to 256 colors ) and Evervision multisync color monitor. Add $60 to upgrade to Mitsubishi Diamond Scan Monitor. Hard Disk Specials ( for PC ) Seagate ST225 20Mb + Controller $265 Seagate ST125 20Mb + Controller $329 Seagate ST238 30Mb + Controller $289 Seagate ST251 40Mb + Controller $449 Hard Disk Specials ( for AT ) Seagate ST125 20Mb (40ms) $269 Seagate ST138 30Mb (40ms) $339 Seagate ST251 40Mb (40ms) $369 Seagate ST251-1 40Mb (28ms) $429 Seagate 4096 80Mb ( 28ms ) $649 Everex Modems Everex Evercom external and internal modems ( fully Hayes compatible ) with Bitcom com- munications software. Internal 1200 Baud Modem $80 External 1200 Baud Pocket Modem $139 Internal 2400 Baud Modem $149 External 2400 Baud Modem $199 Misc. Specials Mini I/O ( PAR, SER, CLK, CAL ) $55 Mini I/O with Game Port $65 Mini I/O + Logitech C7 serial mouse $119 Teac 3.5" 720K floppy drive $99 Teac 3.5" 1.4Mb floppy drive., $129 150 Watt Power Supply $49 200 Watt Power Supply $79 MS Dos 3.3 with GW Basic $90 3Mb EMS memory board w/ OK ( AT ) $99 Seagate, Samsung, Everex, Evervision; Mitsubishi. Hayes. Bitcom, Logitech, are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respec- tive companies. SFMICR05 V.1 10/11/88 unWersmf r. ^eKOne »*U,rieS surcharge>. comP8"' lee tot l>"B" „ sttPP130 rhange " ' ,„ni «*ce' ije a'e no> items DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 96NE-11 REGIONAL WHAT'S NEW METRO NEW YORK • NEW ENGLAND Tape Backups for PC, PS/2 Support SCO Xenix 386 Maynard Electronics' MaynStream 150 is a 150-megabyte 3 Vi-inch cas- sette tape backup system for IBM PS/2s, including the Model 50Z and the three Model 70s. A separate sys- tem is also available for IBM PCs, XTs, ATs, and compat- ibles. The system for the PS/2s supports SCO Xenix 386 ver- sion 2.2 and can back up a cas- sette's worth of data in 24 minutes. The systems include scripts that let you back up re- lated files as a group, and an archive feature, which trans- fers inactive hard disk files onto a backup cassette, freeing more space on your hard disk. The systems' read-after- write and error-correction code capabilities can help en- sure data integrity. The sys- tems also feature electronic automatic-tension control and direct-drive tape motors. The MaynStream 150 is a digital data cassette system that uses standard d/CAS-85 tape format and works with most local-area networks, includ- ing Novell, 3Com, and IBM's Token Ring, according to Maynard. Both systems in- clude a half-height drive, cables, software, cassettes, and a controller card. The con- troller card for your PC or compatible occupies a half- length slot, and the PS/2 con- troller card occupies a full- length slot. To support SCO Xenix 386, Maynard pro- vides driver software that you can install using an auto-con- figuration routine. Price: $1525 for IBM PCs; $1725 for IBM PS/2s. Contact: Maynard Elec- tronics, 460 East Semoran Blvd., Casselberry, FL 32707, (800) 821-8782; in Florida, (407) 331-6402. Inquiry 90S. MaynStream 150 digital data cassette backup system. Windows-Based Word Processor Ami is a Windows-based word processor that lets you control more than just the words of your document. You can edit your document in either of two modes: Draft mode is for text-only work, and layout mode lets you edit in WYSIWYG format, com- plete with on-screen formatting of the document. In the pro- gram's layout mode, you can wrap text; control fonts, spacing, and text placement; and set up graphics frames, according to Samna, the pro- gram's publisher. Ami lets you import Samna, WordPerfect, Word- Star, and ASCII files or bit- mapped graphics in PCX or Tag Image File Format into the frames, which you can place anywhere in the docu- ment. You can scale, reposi- tion, or crop the graphics once you've placed them in the frame. Word processing capabil- ities include search and replace; cut, copy, and paste; a 130,000-word spelling checker, an undo command, and headers and footers. You can use the program's prede- fined style sheets or design the document's layout yourself. Ami requires an IBM PC AT, PS/2, or 80286/80386 compatible with a Hercules, EGA, VGA, or IBM 85 14- A graphics card, 640K bytes of RAM, a hard disk drive, and DOS 3.0 or higher. The pro- gram is bundled with a run- time version of Microsoft Windows and can run with a Microsoft or compatible mouse. Price: $199. Contact: Samna Corp., 5600 Glenridge Dr., Atlanta, GA, 30342, (800) 831-9679; in Georgia, (404)851-0007. Inquiry 907. Accounting Software for Quick Print Industry When a customer comes in with a big printing job, many "quick print" shops do the cost estimating for the job by hand. Because of the rush factor and the num- ber of elements involved, it's often easy to forget to account for the number of copies, color of ink, letterhead, enve- lope, typesetting, and layout requirements and thus miscal- culate the cost. With Printers Inc., you can automate this process. Once a customer's require- ments are entered, the program calculates labor, wash-up, waste, and registration costs and stores it in customizable tables. The program is fully integrated with the Great Plains Accounting Series, so you can use the information to generate a work order and invoice, along with entries in the accounts receivable and general-ledger programs. Printers Inc. works on the Mac II, Plus, and SE with a 20-megabyte hard disk drive, 1024K bytes of RAM, System 3.2 or higher, Finder 5.3 or higher, and a Imagewriter, LaserWriter, or compatible printer. A recommended start- ing configuration includes Great Plains' Accounts Re- ceivable ($795) and Printers Inc. Price: $1495. Contact: Great Plains Soft- ware, 1701 Southwest 38th St., Fargo, ND 58103, (701) 281-0550. Inquiry 915. Wendin-DOS2.15 Breaks 32-megabyte Hard Disk Partitions With Wendin-DOS 2. 15, you can create hard disk partitions of up to 4 giga- bytes. Based on a VAX VMS kernel, it lets you run most DOS-compatible programs that require less than 340K bytes of memory. The program in- cludes DOS 3.3 extended partition support and improved PIPING and SHELL OUT functionality. The operating system runs on the IBM PC, XT, AT, and compatibles and requires 300K bytes of memory. Price: $139. Contact: Wendin, Box 3888, Spokane, WA 99220, (509) 624-8088. Inquiry 913. 96NE-12 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 ^Turn Your PC Into A Duplicating Machine! Duplicating is a snap with THE DUPLICA- TOR TOOLKIT! Whether you need to make one copy or 100, this program is for you. It begins where DISKCOPY leaves off! SUPER SPEED. Copy, compare, verify and format in kss time than it takes to just copy with DOS! NO DISKETTE SWAPPING. Make only one copy of the source diskette in RAM while you are duplicating or conveniently store and retrieve it from the hard disk for future duplication. SUPPORT TWO DISK DRIVES. THE DUPLICATOR TOOLKIT switches from "A" to "B" drives on dual floppy systems for even faster copies! EVERY COPY'S AN ORIGINAL. Multiple verification settings let you choose the level of data checking to ensure reliable copies. MAKES LABELS TOO! You can even generate labels for each diskette. Optional serialization is included. YOU'RE KEYSTROKES AWAY FROM PERFECT COPIES! If even a quick guide is too much to read, this is the program for you. Easy on-screen prompts will have you duplicating in seconds. Get the power DISKCOPY can't give you. Order today! MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: IBM PC, XT, AT or compatible and 256K Ram. PC or MS DOS 2.0 or higher. Hard disk recommended. Not copy-protected. THE DUPLICATOR TOOLKIT and Copy Technologies are Trademarks of Copy Technologies. COPY TECHNOLOGIES 14252 Culver Drive, Suite 323 Irvine, CA 92714 (714) 975-1477 Circle 507 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 508) \B I've had it with DISKCOPY! turn my PC into a Duplicating Machine! Please send me: copies of THE DUPLICATOR TOOLKIT at S79-95 each plus S4.50 shipping (S10.00 Canada and outside U.S.). CA residents please add 6% sales tax. NAME ADDRESS CITY D Check/Money Order STATE □ Visa Account Number ZIP □ Master Card Exp. date mail coupon to: COPY TECHNOLOGIES 14252 Culver Drive, Suite 323 Irvine, CA 92714 REGIONAL WHAT'S NEW METRO NEW YORK • NEW ENGLAND Hard Disk System for the Amiga 2000 Supra's line of hard disk drives for the Amiga 2000 lets you connect an Amiga and an IBM PC XT running DOS to the same hard disk drive using the Amiga Bridge- board Interface. Running under that configuration, you can do multitasking on the Amiga while running an appli- cation in DOS using the disk drive's MS-DOS partitions. Both internal and external SupraDrives are available in 20-, 30-, 60-, 120-, and 250- megabyte systems. The inter- nal model comes with a di- rect-memory interface, disk drive, controller, cables, and screws. To plug in the external drive, you place the Supra in- terface in an Amiga expansion slot and plug in the hard disk drive. CLImate, a command- line interpreter, is also included. Supra Interface Kits are also available for those who al- ready have a hard disk drive and want to mount it inter- nally. The kits are available with or without controllers. Price: SupraDrive Hard Disk Systems: from $699 for the 20- megabyte system to $3995 for the 250-megabyte system. Supra Interface Kits: $399.95 with controller; $249.95 without controller. Contact: Supra Corp., 1133 Commercial Way, Albany, OR 97321, (800) 727-8772; in Oregon, (503)967-9075. Inquiry 917. Enhancement for DOS Command-Line Interface Enhance! 1 . 1 is a mem- ory-resident program that adds several features to DOS without supplanting DOS's COMMAND.COM func- tions. You can load and run the Supra 's double-duty hard disk drives. program in Lotus-Intel- Microsoft Expanded Memory. The program, which is not menu-driven, includes these enhancements: The ability to correct a lengthy command's typo with four keystrokes; display the last 20 commands entered; save current drive/ directory locations, switch to other drives/directories, and return to saved location by pressing the RETURN key; type several commands with- out entering them until you want to send them to DOS one at a time; display a sorted list of all files changed or called in a day; and copy all files on drive C changed within a week to drive D. You can also use it to display your hidden files in current and \BIN directories, prevent someone from undelet- ing your deleted files, change the time and date associated with a file to current time and date, and more. Enhance! 1.1 runs on the IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2s, and compatibles and requires 256K bytes of RAM and DOS 2.0 or higher. Price: $79.95. Contact: Cortex Computing Corp., P.O. Box 116788, Car- rollton, TX 7501 1,(214) 492-5124. Inquiry 914. Give Commands with Single Keystrokes Dos-Mate is an ASCII- based shell for PC users that lets you execute DOS commands such as Copy, De- lete, MAKEDIR, REMDIR, EDLIN, and other file man- agement commands with a single keystroke. The program displays help and status infor- mation at the top of the screen, while a 14-character column on the right side gives a direc- tory of your files and subdirectories. You can also use Dos-Mate to make, remove, change, and delete directories on your hard disk drive. The program has a built-in editor that's as powerful as WordStar, accord- ing to publisher Intuitive Software. You can also use the program to hide and protect files and directories protected under password protection. Dos-Mate runs on IBM PCs, XTs, ATs, PS/2s, and compatibles and requires 40K bytes of RAM and DOS 3.0 or higher. The program works with Hercules, CGA, VGA, EGA, and MCGA cards. Price: $49.95 Contact: Intuitive Software, P.O. Box 6041, Bozeman, MT 59715, (406) 587-3348. Inquiry 851. Analyze Source Code Complexity A program developed by SET Laboratories to de- termine the difficulty level of understanding, testing, and modifying another pro- gram's source code can now analyze multiple programs per run. If a project is divided among several programmers, the program can analyze the separate files as one unit. PC-Metric 2.0, a program that uses complexity metrics to analyze a program's source code, also has a bridge that lets you analyze the program's output using Lotus 1-2-3's sta- tistical and graphics capabilities. The program uses tech- niques such as the Cyclomatic Complexity and the Software Science measures to report on the likely number of pro- gramming errors in the code, amount of required time to write a program, and difficulty of working with the code. By analyzing multiple programs per run, PC-Metric 2.0 can take a program that's been seg- mented among several pro- grammers and analyze the pro- gram as one file, SET Laboratories reports. Versions are available in C, Pascal, COBOL, Modula-2, and FORTRAN. All versions run on IBM PCs, XTs, ATs, and compatibles with DOS 2. 1 1 or higher and 256K bytes of RAM. The program also requires Lotus 1-2-3 or a com- patible spreadsheet to use the 1-2-3 bridge. Price: $199 per language. Contact: SET Laboratories Inc., P.O. Box 03627, Port- land, OR 97203, (503) 289- 4758. Inquiry 853. 96NE-14 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 JASMINE COMPUTER SYSTEMS \fi~Ti\ XT-SYSTEM XT-3000 BY SAMSUNG • Small Footprint • Phoenix BIOS •8088-2 Turbo 4.77-8 MHz(SI 1.7) •512k RAM Expandable To 640k • 1 360 Floppy drive w/Controller • Parallel, Serial Port, Clock/Calendar • MS-DOS 3.2/GWBasic • UL/CSA Approved $699.00 $549.00 •4.77/10 MHz 0 Wait • 256K RAM up to 640K •1-360K floppy drive • Floppy controller • Math co-processor slot • 150 Watt power supply (UL) •101 Enhanced keyboard • Lock/Led/Reset/turbo case • Mono, monitor (tilt & swivel) • Monochrome graphics adapter • All Systems FCC Class B approved XT-COMPLETE $645.00 • Complete with XT-SYSTEM Plus: • 256K RAM (Total 51 2K) • Parallel, Serial, Game port, Clock/Calendar • All Systems FCC Class B approved 286-10 SYSTEM $999.00 (Optional 12, 16, 20 MHz) •6/10 MHz •512K RAM up to 4MB • 1-1 .2MB floppy drive • Harddrive/Floppy controller • Math co-processor slot • 200 Watt power supply (UL) • 1 01 Enhanced Keyboard • Lock/Led/Reset/Turbo case • Parallel, Serial Port, Clock/ Calendar • All Systems FCC Class B approved • Mono, monitor (tilt & swivel) • Monochrome graphics adapter 286-12 SYSTEM $1099.00 386-16 SYSTEM $1999.00 (Optional 20 MHz) •8/16 MHz 0 Wait • 1 ,024K RAM up to 2.048K • 1-1 .2MB floppy drive • Harddrive/Floppy controller • Math co-processor slot • 200 Watt power supply (UL) • 1 01 enhanced keyboard • Lock/Led/Reset/Turbo case • Parallel, Serial Port, Clock/Cal • Monochrome graphics adapter • All Systems FCC Class B approved • Mono, monitor (tilt & swivel) SEAGATE HARD DRIVE INSTALLED ADD: 20 MB 65 MS (ST-225) XT: $299.00 AT: $275.00 30 MB 65 MS (ST-238) XT: $349.00 AT: $349.00 40 MB 39 MS (ST-251) XT: $499.00 AT: $425.00 MONOCHROME TO CGA COLOR SYSTEM MONOCHROME TO EGA COLOR SYSTEM ADD: $199.00 ADD: $399.00 300 WATT 150VA-HOUR UPS Battery back-up with surge & filter $299.00 300 WATT 150VA-HOUR POWER CENTER with UPS surge & filter $335.00 TAESUNG INDUSTRIES, INC. Most items are ready for shipping within 24 hours. No shipping charge added with cash prepayment. 3% surcharge for visa and mastercard; 1 year parts and labor warranty; 24 hours turn around service; some areas on site service available; 30 days refund policy; all machines have been burned in 72 hours. Free software with any purchase. Business hours 9:00-6:00, Mon.-Sat. Circle 513 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 514) 1-800-848-1003 (Order Line) 1-800-222-4160 (Dealers) JASMINE COMPUTER SYSTEMS P.O. BOX 755 • 100 MAIN STREET SALEM, NH 03079 (603) 893-3332 (617) 682-5953 DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 96NE-15 REGIONAL WHAT'S NEW METRO NEW YORK • NEW ENGLAND Add Serial Ports to Your PC PC users are finding more and more uses for their machines these days- desktop publishing, telecom- munications, and network- ing, to name a few. But with the increasing capabilities, the number of peripherals you can attach to your PC can ex- ceed the number of unused serial and parallel ports. Boca Research has introduced the 10/ AT, an expansion board that has two options: the I0AT41 , equipped with a 25- pin parallel and 9-pin serial port; and the IOAT42, with both ports plus an additional 25-pin serial port. Running with two 10/ AT boards in tandem, your PC can support as many as four addi- tional serial ports and two ad- ditional parallel ports, enough to run any device- dependent system, the com- pany reports. Boca designed the board to run specifically with the IBM AT— the board uses a very-large-scale-inte- gration high-speed universal asynchronous receiver/trans- mitter NS 16450-compatible chip— but it will run on other machines, too. The short card (4>/2 by 4% inches) connects to any AT or 8-bit PC-style bus. No addi- tional software is required (you implement the board with jumper settings). Both cards work on the IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 Models 25 and 30, and compatibles. Price: I0AT41, $119; IOAT42, $129. Contact: Boca Research, Inc., 6401 Congress Ave., Boca Raton, FL 33487, (407) 997-6227. Inquiry 911. Boca Research 's 10AT41 in a 25-pin/9-pin configuration. Corporate Environment Manager Hardly a month goes by without corporate execu- tives having to hear or deal first-hand with the following horror stories: A disgruntled employee gets fired and de- stroys the last six months' worth of payroll files; workers are making unauthorized copies of expensive commer- cial or proprietary software for personal use; or someone uses an unauthorized public domain program infected with a virus that corrupts the com- pany's valuable files. Founda- tion Ware's Vaccine Corpo- rate 2.1 can prevent these and other mishaps, the company reports. A system manager can in- stall the program and desig- nate which company- approved commercial and proprietary software can run on company PCs. A 5K-byte memory-resident module in- tercepts any attempt to write directly to hard disk drives, and a lK-byte memory-resi- dent and disk-resident mod- ule checks each program and selected files for signs of tampering. A special disk, called the Blue Disk, is avail- able with a database of signa- ture checks for over 5000 certified virus-free public domain and shareware programs. Vaccine Corporate 2.1 runs on the IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2s, and compatibles with 384K bytes of RAM and DOS 3.0 or higher. A hard disk drive and a floppy disk drive are required. Price: $189. Contact: FoundationWare, 2135 RenrockRd., Cleveland, OH 44118, (800) 722-8737; in Ohio, (216)932-7717. Inquiry 912. Visualize Data with Perceptual Mapping Mapwise is a statistical program for marketing, research, and advertising companies that describes data relationships with a percep- tual map and creates scatter- grams. You can use the scat- tergrams in presentations as a visual description of your sta- tistical market data. According to the pro- gram's publisher, you can also use Mapwise to assess adver- tising effectiveness, position products, describe benefit segments, measure brand loy- alty, target new products, and more. Mapwise formats up to 10,000 numbers in a data file, and it summarizes up to 96 tables and up to 100 rows and 100 columns of data with one map. The program auto- matically tests for data significance. Mapwise runs on the IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2s, and com- patibles with 256K bytes of RAM. The program can also import ASCII and Lotus 1-2-3 data files. Price: $495; $9.95 for limited feature version. Contact: Market Action Re- search Software, Bradley Uni- versity, Business Technology Center, Peoria IL, 61625, (309) 677-3299. Inquiry 909. Analyze Transfer Functions to the Fifth Order Transfer Function Analy- sis can analyze transfer functions and polynomials up to the fifth order. It can list, plot, or file magnitude and phase versus frequency in both logarithmic (Bode) and lin- ear ranges. The program's full-screen displays with protected fields allow for coefficient entry and update. Transfer Function Analy- sis works on the IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2s, and compatibles and requires 64K bytes of RAM, DOS 2.0 or higher, and a CGA, EGA, or VGA graphics card. IBM mono- chrome graphics is not supported. Price: $40. Contact: CastleSoft, 990 Oakwood, Castle Rock, CO 80104, (303) 688-2954. Inquiry 908. 96NE-16 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 Short Takes BYTE editors offer hands-on views of new products Boomerang Think C SOTA 286i ALPS Allegro 24 FamilyCare Software Boomerang Makes Your System Bounce Back While the overall reliabil- ity of computers and pe- ripherals has continually got- ten better, there's not as much you can do about one part of your system, namely, the AC power. Surge protectors and RF filters make the power smoother, but you're up the creek if nothing is coming out of the wall. Backup power supplies are one solution. They're essen- tially high-capacity batteries with enough juice to power your computer for 10 to 20 minutes. However, they're big, they're expensive, and they don't help much if the power fails when your com- puter is working unattended. There must be a better way, and MicroSync has a unique solution in a product called Boomerang. You might think of it as a miniature backup power supply. But it's much more than that, with a few tricks up its electronic sleeve. Boomerang consists of a circuit board, a lithium bat- tery, and a few connectors. Measuring 5% by 3U by 3% inches overall, Boomerang is designed to fit inside your sys- tem unit. Using a cleverly de- signed bracket, it hangs in that previously unused dead space between the power supply and the expansion slot area. With its small battery , Boo- merang obviously isn't de- signed to be a full-fledged backup power supply. And it isn't. It works in concert with RAM-resident software. As soon as Boomerang detects a loss of AC power, the software saves an image of your RAM on your hard disk, parks the disk heads, and shuts down the system. This usually takes less than 30 seconds, depending on whetheryou'reusing extended or expanded memory, and it's all done automatically. When the power comes back and your system reboots, you just type a command, and your system is returned to the exact place it was when the power failed. You can even place the command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, let- ting you automatically return every time to where you were the last time you turned off your computer. Boomerang takes some time and a modicum of skill to install. You need to connect the unit between your power supply and motherboard, as well as place a jumper into a terminal of one of your expan- sion slots. Though I consider myself hardware-savvy, I had a difficult time interpreting the wordy installation instruc- tions. A few well-placed illus- trations would have made the process considerably easier. The fit is relatively tight, and if you're using an IBM PC AT or compatible, you really should have a second battery ($50), which fits piggyback on the first. This makes things even tighter. Once Boomerang is in- stalled, you'll have to get used to the strange sensation of not having your computer turn off when you turn off your sys- tem's power switch. Boomerang is a reasonably priced and eminently useful add-in to any PC. And if you live in an area that has fre- quent power burps, it can save your sanity. —Stan Miastkowski THE FACTS Boomerang $299; extra battery (for AT or compatible), $50 Requirements: IBM PC, XT, AT, or compatible, 256K bytes of RAM, internal hard disk drive, and MS-DOS 2.1 or higher. MicroSync 15018 Belay Dr. Dallas, TX 75244 (214) 788-5198 Inquiry 1001. Thinking of a Mac C Environment? Think of Think C Think Technologies intro- duced its Lightspeed C compiler for the Macintosh in 1986. It featured a novel inte- grated environment that com- bined the editor, C compiler, object linker, and resource linker in one application mod- ule. It supercharged a pro- grammer's edit-compile-link development cycle, producing tight, fast code to boot. And as icing on the cake, it cost only $175. Things have changed since then: We've got the Mac Plus, Mac SE, and Mac II computers. We also have sev- eral new software managers, color, and MultiFinder. Think Technologies (now owned by Symantec) has man- aged to keep pace with these new developments by provid- ing free updates to Lightspeed C owners via commercial on- line systems and bulletin boards. However, it reached the point where a major up- grade of the compiler was in order. The company has re- sponded to the need for change with Lightspeed C 3.0, which is now called Think C . The new compiler features user-selectable 68020 and continued DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 97 SHORT TAKES 68881 code generation, sup- ports the latest MultiFinder and Color QuickDraw traps, and generates debugging in- formation for MACSbug or TMON. When you build an application, you can specify its MultiFinder attributes (i.e., MultiFinder-aware, Can background, and Accept sus- pend/resume events) and its memory partition size. But the biggest news is that Think C sports a source code- level debugger. It lets you sin- gle-step through your C code in a source window while dy- namically displaying the con- tents of variables or structures you've selected in a second data window. This feat is ac- complished by running the de- bugger application in tightly coupled control with your ap- plication as it runs with Think C under MultiFinder. Think C operates comfort- ably in 1 megabyte, but you'll need 2 megabytes of RAM to support the MultiFinder/de- bugger environment. Perhaps the best part is that Think C still costs only $175. You can point and click on source code statements in the debugger's source window to set/reset breakpoints or to help set conditional break- points. You can single-step or trace into or out of functions either by clicking buttons on this window or by using a menu selection. An arrow in the source window points to the statement that's currently being executed. The debugger's data win- dow lets you examine vari- ables in the format you specify (i.e., hexadecimal, decimal integer, pointer, floating- point, address, or char). You can even examine the fine de- tail of structures by entering the appropriate C syntax statements. For example, the statement (**the_Palette) .pmlnfo- [count].ciRGB.red lets you look at the contents of the red component of a particular pal- ette entry as determined by the value in count. For compli- cated looping functions, you use an automatic mode feature THE FACTS Think C (Lightspeed C3.0) $175 (registered users can upgrade for $69) Symantec Corp. Think Technologies Division 135 South Rd. Bedford, MA 01730 (617) 275-4800 Inquiry 1000. that cycles continuously through source code state- ments and updates the data window as the variable con- tents change. I tried the debugger on a Mac II with 2 megabytes of RAM and two color monitors : an AppleColor 13-inch moni- tor and Mac II video board, and a SuperMac 19-inch monitor and Spectrum/24 video board. I also tried it on a Mac Plus with 2 megabytes of RAM to see how well the de- bugger fared on a typical low- end machine. On the large SuperMac screen, you get generously sized source and data win- dows. On the Mac Plus, these windows are cramped, but you can resize them to make it Requirements: Mac Plus, SE, or II running System 4.3/ Finder 6.0 or higher; 2 megabytes of RAM and MultiFinder required to use source code-level debugger. work. If you have a second monitor on your Mac II, you can redirect the debugger win- dows to it so that you can ob- serve your program's output without the screen becoming cluttered with debugging in- formation. This feature worked reliably no matter which monitor I used for the debugging output. The debugger worked ad- mirably on both machines, and it let me find some prob- lems I'd been having with a program within a matter of minutes— simply because I could see what was happening inside it. Think C comes with two softbound manuals: a user's manual and a libraries refer- ence. The user's manual pro- vides good information on how to call Mac Toolbox rou- tines. Unfortunately, the li- braries manual provides infor- mation only on the standard Unix-style C library func- tions. I sorely miss having the list of Toolbox calls and their Think C calling conventions that were available in the ver- sion 1.0 manual. And I still wish the compiler would give an assembly language listing, for help in those nasty debug- ging situations where the source code won't do or can't be used (the debugger works only on application programs). One thing you can't do is re- start the debugger once you ' ve reached the end of an interest- ing trace . You must exit the de- bugger, which in turn loses all your data window tracing in- formation. Think Technol- ogies is working on a way to save this information so that you can reenter the debugger without having to reenter the data. This is the only glitch I found marring the stellar per- formance of an already excel- lent development language. If you want a powerful C com- piler with a good debugging tool, at a cost that won't blow your budget, Think C is the one to buy. —Tom Thompson SOTA 286i Turns Dinosaur into Ripsnorting Demon So what if I work for a mag- azine at the cutting edge of personal computing tech- nology—my old Tandy model 1200 HD is just fine by me. The 8088 processor is steady and reliable, and I've heard too many horror stories about accelerators gunking up peo- ple's systems because of some indeterminate incompatibil- ity. After all, this old Tandy has never let me down, and I've been using it day in and day out for 3 years. But when we received a SOTA 286i uni- versal accelerator board con- taining a 12.5-MHz 80286 and the company promised it would be easy to install and sure to work, I decided to give it a shot. Putting the 286i into the Tandy was about as tough as changing the oil filter on a car, but much cleaner. I slipped off the case, removed the 8088 from the motherboard, stuck it into its slot on the 286i, ran a supplied ribbon cable from the 8088 's old socket to a spot on the SOTA board, and then put the 286i into a slot (it will fit in a long or short slot). I was able to boot the Tandy in 8088 mode and then, by throwing a toggle switch that sticks out of the back of the machine, boot up in 80286 mode. But that 80286 mode is pretty meaningless without in- stalling the accompanying software driver. When I installed the driver program and ran my most commonly used software, the difference in speed was re- markable. Xy Write, which used to chug into memory, now loads visibly quicker, and operations like formatting files are almost instanta- neous. Procomm fetches ma- terial for uploads to BIX fast enough to simulate use of a 2400-bit-per-second modem. continued 98 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 CrossCodeC for the 68000 Microprocessor Family .....umnjuiiiuijamiiui Embedded systems designers have already used CrossCode C in over 291 different applications. CrossCode C comes with four powerful tools to help you program your 68000-based ROMable applications From C source to final object, each tool takes you one step closer to your finished ROMable design CrossCode C is designed specifically to help you write ROMable code for all members of the Motorola 68000 family. Four powerful tools take you from C source to object code: 1. COMPILER: To get truly ROMable code, you have to start with a truly ROMable compiler. Here are three CrossCode C features that you won't find in any ordinary C compiler: • Compiler output code is split into five independent memory sections that you can assign into ROM or RAM as you please. • You can optimize the code for your application because you control the sizes of data types. For example, you can optimize for speed by using two byte ints, or get maximum versatility by using four byte ints. • You can easily write assembly language routines that call C functions and vice versa, because the compiler uses simple, well documented parameter passing conventions. 2. ASSEMBLER: CrossCode C comes with a Motorola-style assembler that has all the features that assembly language programmers require. In fact, you could write your whole application with it: • The assembler features an advanced macro language, conditional assembly, "include" files, and an unlimited size symbol table. • Detailed cross references show you where you've defined and referenced your symbols. • After a link, you can actually convert your "relocatable" assembler listings into "absolute" listings that contain absolute addresses and fully linked object code. 3. LINKER: The CrossCode C linker is designed to handle truly huge loads. There are no limits on the number of symbols in your load or on the size of your output file. And you can always count on full 32 bit target addressability, because the linker operates comfortably in the highest ranges of the 68020's address space. 4. DOWNLOADER: CrossCode C comes with a downloader that puts you in touch with all EPROM programmers and emulators. It can convert your load into Motorola S-Records, Intel Hex, Tek Hex, Extended Tek Hex, and Data I/O ASCII Hex. You can also produce a binary image and convert that image into any format you might want. In all formats, bytes can be split into EPROMs for an 8, 16, or 32 bit data bus. Why Wait Once you start using CrossCode C, you may just wonder how you ever got the job done before! It's available under MS-DOS for just $ 1595, and it runs on all IBM PCs and compatibles (640K memory and hard disk are required). Also available under UNIX & XENIX. CALL TODAY for more information: 1-800-448-7733 (ask for extension 2002) Inside Illinois or outside the United States, please dial PHONE: 1-312-971-8170 FAX: 1-312-971-8513 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS, INC. DEPARTMENT 22 31 10 WOODCREEK DRIVE DOWNERS GROVE, ILLINOIS 60515 USA CrossCode™ is a trademark of SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS, INC. MS-DOS® is a registered trademark of Microsoft. UNIX® is a registered trademark ol AT&T. XENIX® is a registered trademark of Microsoft. DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 99 SHORT TAKES ...the first completely integrated Ada Program- ming Support Environment priced for the individual programmer on a PC. Designed for the novice as well as the software engineer . with TEXTJO; use TEXTJO; procedure TEST is task CONTROLLER is entry TBD(_ :in out end CONTROLLER; IntegrAda Compiler QUIT Set Path Virtual Disk — E Optimizing Code Remove Unused Subprograms Target = > ALL Software Floating Point Debug Compile CtrlF4--Check Syntax Ctrl--F6--Compile CtrlF7-Bind Execute , task body CONTROLLER is FLOATING POINTS OUIT Software Hardware 80x87 Bu Wlthed Specs Library Manager CREATE Ada Structure— CREATE Ada Type SEARCH/REPLACE TBD'S- Ada SPECIFICATIONS — PASTE BUFFER Change Keys Screen & Cursor Search & Replace Marking Lines & Blocks Ada Syntax Generation Ada Compiler & Tools Save & Quit Controls Coram Interlaces Validated Production Compiler Use on 8086,80186,80286,80386. Full 640KB .EXE Programs No Extra Memory Required No Math Coprocessor required. On-Line Library Management Math, Text, Console Packages included Multiple File Code Retrieval Full-Color, Full Featured Editing Selectable Function Keys Ada Subprogram and Package Generation Ada Type Generation Ada Sensitive Cursor Interactive Cursor Error Correction Interface to Ada Design Language (ADADL) Ada Standard Pretty Printer DoD 2167 Documentation Features Optional On-Line Ada Training Course No Run-Time Royalties Introductory Offer $495.00 "... the first choice among the half dozen or so compilers now on the market".— PCWEEK AETECH 380 Stevens Avenue, Suite 314, Solana Beach, California 92075 USA (619) 755-1277 ncTccii 100 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 FAX(619) 755-7540 What's going on here is the 286i running the programs with no wait states on most read and write cycles . There's also a 16K-byte memory cache built into the board. SOTA says the cache hit rate with its proprietary ap- proach is 95 percent on the average. A driver that comes with the board lets you enable the cache to work with the hard disk and video BIOS. If for some reason you want to slow it down to approximate 8088 speed for timing-dependent programs, you can do so easily from the keyboard (it takes only three keys). SOTA rightfully warns about potential problems with caching on video RAM and the hard disk BIOS, butldidn't have any trouble with the Tandy system. There's also a RAM disk driver included in the software; the driver sup- ports conventional and ex- panded memory. Accelerator boards that soup up 8088- and 8086-based computers are plentiful, but I haven't seen one yet that' s eas- ier to hook up than the 286i. It took just a little more than a half hour to put the board in and install the software. I didn't have to mess with any- thing else, but you might have to make a few adjustments, de- pending on what brand of 8088- or 8086-based computer you have (SOTA notes a few minor tunings that have to be made with the AT&T 6300 and THE FACTS SOTA 286i $595 for 12.5-MHz version; $495 for 10-MHz version Requirements: 8088- or 8086-based computer with at least 64K bytes of available memory for the 286i, an expansion slot, and about 5 watts of power. SOTA Technology, Inc. 657 North Pastoria Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (408) 245-3366 Inquiry 1002. Circle 8 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 9) Zenith machines). The 286i works with the Lotus/Intel/ Microsoft Expanded Memory Specification, SOTA says, but I didn't test this capability. The replacement board also has a socket for an 80287 math coprocessor. The Norton SI program said the 286i make:; the Tandy 1200 about 11 times faster than it normally is. Numbers like that sound almost mean- ingless until you run some ap- plications. I prefer a real- world test like the Cup of Java benchmark: Operations that used to take long enough for me to go fetch a cup of coffee now are finished before I can even get out of my chair. — D. Barker continued Circle 113 on Reader Service Card — ► §§■ GnmiTim GATEWAY rains '■ ; : ■ i- ... : :.■■■■ m" ' ■■ top of the stack inboth price and performance, but it is your courteous service that is uncon- tested by the competition." - Pierce Haviland - Kingston, NY "Overall, I feel that your proc1 igren - Stonington, CT lafMhz 286 EGA. [ 80NS Ram idable to 4 Megs on MB • * 3le to 4 Megs on Ml laffSrive erleavq 14" EGA Monito ' EVEREX EGA CARD 1 Parallel / 2 f 101 Key Keybw. «MS DOS w/GW Basic $1895.00^ 16 Mhz 286 VGA 1 Meg -TONS -Ram M 0 Wait State S.I. 17.3 1 .2 Meg 51/4" Drive 1 .44 Meg 3.5" Drive 40 Meg Hard Drive 1 to 1 Interleave EVEREX VGA Board Paper White VGA Mon. 1 Parallel / 2 Serial Ports 101 Key Keyboard MS DOS w/GW Basic $2295.00 ,, , ,-.^m0~ fkMhz386yfcAl V 1 Meg 60N^Tm nSvTDriv-1 1.2 Meg 51/4 Drive* 1 44Maaaj5" Ddv ' Meg Hard Driv o 1 Interleave EVEREX VGA Board \" Multisynch Mor 00x600 Resolutu 1 Parallel / 2 Serial Por 1 01 Key Keyboard MS DOS w/GW Basic 80287 an ' Tower Ca $3795. fell for 2£ ame 386 as shown t mono desktop. $299500 Steve Apiki & Stanford Diehl Oct. 1988, BVFE Review of 20 386 "Emerging as truly exceptional. . . " "The Gateways delivers gpeec vithout ature. system of this' caliber selling fo less than $3000. " '•"When evaluating the whole package, The GATEWAY 386 surpasses all the others!" V.-' * ''//, ftlai'iLTr? teway2000 • P.O.Box 2000 • Sgt. Bluff, I A. 51054 °£JWT 800-233-8472/712-943-2000 ~f£a ; . 1 j, Jy ^ * v, iff C*j|^ f'^\_ ^ !'■!'* All systems have a 30 day Ivipney Back" Guarantee aW 1 Year Warranty. , :^m $** Vj»*tl? SSftS?^ Circle 328 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 329) SHORT TAKES Our New Plotter Was Designed Tb Satisfy These Specs. Encad's SP2800 CAD-compatible plotter delivers clean, whisper-quiet, 8-pen drawings on film, paper, or vellum media , * . from A to E size . Like our A to D size v SP1800, it's the ideal plotter for architec- ' i tural, engineering and scientific drawings. The spasoo $5,795. HPGL compatible, these plotters work with TheSPi8oo$4.695. AutoCAD, VersaCAD and all other CAD software packages. And, both r^rrrv^-//S, .-A feature our 2-Year/ 1000 Hour Warranty. ^^^l^Vr^TT To find out more and locate the dealer We've drawn nearest you, call: 1-800-356-2808. the line on noise. g\^"2& Create a keyboard so easy to use, costly training time turns into instant productivity! Custom Keys and Snap-On IBM KeyCaps: Available in a wide variety of colors and imprinted in your choice of colors and fonts. Keytop and Keyfront Labels: Supporting emulation, word processing or custom made to your specs. Won't wear out or come off keys until intentionally removed. FlexShield Keyboard Protectors: Extend keyboard life. Protect from dirt, liquid and damaging environments without restricting keyboard operation. Call for your FREE CATALOG of Custom Keyboard Enhancements. CATALOG HOTLINE: 800 628-2828, Ext. 650 ■ a^^^^.1^^^^0^. For orders or custom into, call: l-IOOieOn 602 634-7515 " I CORPORATION FAX: 602 634-4620 P.O. Box 201, Dept. BYTE, Cornville, AZ 86325 Flatbed 24-pin Printer Handles Paper Better Than Print The ALPS Allegro 24 is a $499 24-pin dot-matrix printer that goes head-to-head with other low-cost 24-pin printers, like the Epson LQ- 500 and the NEC P2200 (see the April BYTE for a review of 24-pin printers). The ALPS unit, though, takes a different approach to paper handling and to printing; as a result, it exceeds at one and falls short at the other. The Allegro 24 comes with four resident fonts, which can be selected from the front panel, and a 7K-byte RAM buffer (expandable to 32K bytes). An optional cartridge provides three additional fonts. Character pitch and pro- portional spacing are also se- lected from the front panel. The Allegro 24 uses its mem- ory rather than DIP switches for storing default settings. These can be easily modified in the printer' s memory mode, which lets you change settings by pressing selection buttons on the front panel. The Al- legro 24 emulates Epson LQ- 500 commands and control codes. The Allegro 24 performs comparably to other low-cost 24-pin printers. In draft mode, using the same test as in the April article, the Allegro printed about 85 characters per second (substantially lower than the 1 80 cps that ALPS claims). The Epson LQ-500 printed 100 cps using the same file. In letter-quality mode, the Allegro printed 39 cps versus 44 cps for the LQ- 500. The NEC P2200 printed THE FACTS ALPS Allegro 24 $499 ALPS America 3553 North First St. San Jose, CA 95134 (408) 432-6000 Inquiry 1004. at almost the exact same speed as the Allegro 24 in both draft and letter-quality modes. The print quality of the Al- legro 24 leaves something to be desired. In draft mode, the quality is inferior to that of my 9-pin IBM Proprinter. In let- ter-quality mode, the print is comparable to that of a good electric typewriter, but the density is not uniform. I would say that the suspended head does not print as consistently as the more standard platen- based design. Also, the some- what precarious ribbon prob- ably contributed to the unsat- isfactory print quality. What differentiates the Al- legro 24 from its competition is its flatbed paper guide. In- stead of traveling around a platen, the paper in this unit travels straight across the bot- tom of the printer, with the print head suspended above the paper. ALPS claims that this design virtually elimi- nates paper jams and lets you use a greater variety of paper thicknesses. The paper loads easily in the front of the printer. The Allegro has fold- up legs that raise the printer enough to store about 2 inches of pin-feed paper beneath it. The Allegro 24 has some good paper-handling fea- tures, like forms parking and automatic tear-off position- ing. The forms-parking fea- ture lets you "park" pin-feed paper while you're printing single sheets or envelopes. But I hit my first snag with the Al- legro 24 using this feature. While the flatbed design may be good for paper handling, the suspended print head is very sensitive to paper thick- ness. I found that switching from standard pin-feed paper to a standard envelope re- quired an adjustment of the paper-thickness lever. Other- wise, the envelope would push the ribbon out of its guide next to the print head. Infact, it was continued 102 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 Circle 133 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 134) r-rfi---„-:r^%||r.I-'.- 'Twas the night before Christmas... A hard disk crash can happen at any time. What might have been an inconvenience any other night is a disaster tonight. At Everex, we know that lost data can mean more than IjS^ r just time and money. Which is why we make a complete line of reliable tape backup systems. We don't compromise on the details, because there's too much to lose. Everex tape backups. Because you can't always save the day just by working into the night. 4H43 I Milmont Drive • Fremont, California 1-800-821-0806 1-800-82 1-0807 in California Circle 102 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 103) SHORT TAKES GET SUPERSOFT's Service Diagnostics All the software, alignment diskettes, parallel/serial wrap-around plugs, ROM POSTs and extensive, professional documentation to provide the most comprehensive testing available for IBM PCs, XTs.ATs and all compatibles under DOS or Stand Alone. No other diagnostics offers such in-depth testing on as many different types of equipment by isolating problems to the board and chip level. NEW: SuperSoft's ROM POST performs the most advanced Power-on-Self-Test available for system boards that are compatible with the IBM ROM BIOS. It works even in circumstances when the Service Diagnostics diskette cannot be loaded. NEW: 386 diagnostics for hybrids and PS/2s! For over nine years, major manufacturers have been relying on SuperSoft's diagnostics software to help them and their customers repair microcomputers. End users have been relying on SuperSoft's Diagnostics II for the mostthorough hardware error isolation available. Now versions of Service Diagnostics are available to save everyone (including every serious repair technician) time, money, and headaches in fixing their computers, even non-IBM equipment. All CPUs & Numeric Co-processors System Expansion & Extended Memory Floppy, Fixed & Non-standard Disk Drives Standard & Non-standard Printers System Board: DMA, Timers, Interrupt, Real-time Clock & CMOS config. RAM All Color Graphics & Monochrome Monitors Parallels Serial Ports Mono, CGA, Hercules & EGA Adapters All Keyboards & the 8042 Controller Join the ranks of XEROX, NCR, CDC, SONY, PRIME, ... who have bundled SuperSoft's diagnostics with their microcomputers at no risk because of our 30 day money back guarantee. Service Diagnostics for PC, PC/XT, and compatibles only $169 Alignment Diskette for PC, PC/XT and compatibles (48 tpi drives) $ 50 Wrap-around Plug for PC, PC/XT and compatibles (parallel and serial) . . $ 30 Service Diagnostics for AT and compatibles only $169 Alignment Diskette for AT and compatibles (96 tpi drives) $ 50 Wrap-around Plug for AT (serial) $ 15 ROM POST for PC, PC/XT and compatibles only $245 ROM POST for AT and compatibles only $245 Service Diagnostics: The KIT (Includes all of the above— save $502) . $495 Service Diagnostics for 386 or V2, V30, or Harris, etc. (please specify) ... $195 Diagnostics II is the solution to the service problems of users of all CP/M-80, CP/M-86 and MS-DOS computers $125 ROM POST for PS/2 and compatibles only $245 Alignment Diskette for PS/2 and compatibles (3.5 inch) $ 50 To order, call 800-678-3600 or 408-745-0234 FAX 408-745-0231, or write SuperSoft. Y>^^ ^*c*H^^ whfo**- SupetS ft FIRST IN SOFTWiRE TECHNOLOGY PO. Box 611328, San Jose. CA 95161-1328 (408) 74&0234 Telex 270365 SUPERSOFT is a registered trademark of SuperSoft. Inc.; CDC of Control Data Corp.; IBM PC. AT S XT of International Business Machines Corp.; MS-DOS of Microsoft Corp.; NEC of NEC Information Systems. Inc.. PRIME of PRIME INC.; Sony of Sony Corp. 104 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 Circle 272 on Reader Service Card difficult to install the ribbon in the print-head guide, and it tended to slip out. The printer's noise level, tested with a Radio Shack 33- 2050 sound meter, is about 72 decibels, which is about the same as that of the LQ-500 and theNECP2200. The real strong point of the ALPS Allegro 24 is its paper- handling features. However, oversensitivity to paper thick- ness and the inadequate print quality are major drawbacks. —NickBaran An Expert System for Family Health Care As a new parent and an arti- ficial-intelligence enthu- siast, I was particularly inter- ested in FamilyCare Soft- ware; it's advertised as an expert system that you can use to help diagnose children's medical problems. You use menus to select one of four areas (accidents, general, skin problems, and newborns) and a topic within that area (e.g., head injuries, fever, or cry- ing) . Then you engage in a dia- logue with the program; it so- licits the information it needs from you, in a question-and- answer format, and then dis- penses some advice. Since F ve got a 3 -month-old child, I picked the category newborns/crying. The pro- gram asked: "Does crying worsen when you pick up the baby and rock him/her?" I said no. (But if you answer yes, the program responds: "URGENT! Get medical help THE FACTS FamilyCare Software $99 Requirements: IBM PC or compatible with 256K bytes ofRAMandDOS2.0, or Macintosh with 512K bytes of RAM. Lundin Laboratories, Inc. 29451 Greenfield Rd. Suite 216 Southfield, MI 48076 (313) 559-4560 Inquiry 1003. now. Your child should see a physician within 60 min- utes.") Then the program asked: "Does your baby seem to be in severe pain, or pain that lasts for more than 2 hours?" Again I said no. (But again, if you answer yes, the program shouts the same stri- dent warning.) Finally, the program asked: "Are you afraid thatthe crying might make you lose your temper?" Well, yes, aren't we all? Again the pro- gram shrieked "URGENT!"; to its standard admonition, it appended the ominous words, "Avoid a tragedy, seek help." That's a far cry from the calm and reasonable advice in Dr. Spock 's Baby and Child Care. Other areas of the program exhibit the same behavior. You don't need artificial intel- ligence to tell you to get help if a child is unconscious or not breathing; you just need a smidgen of common sense. What knowledge the Fami- lyCare database does possess is hidden behind the question- and-answer interface; there's no provision for browsing, so you can't thumb through the information on the disk the way you can page through a book. To get at the program's expertise and data, you must engage in a question-and-ans- wer/symptoms-and-advice session. For the $99 price of this package, with its half-mega- byte nonindexed database, you could buy Dr. Spock' s well-indexed classic and a dozen other pediatric medical reference books. —Jon Udell m PC EXPERTS AGREE: Proteus offers the fastest for the least, and supports them the most. Proteus® sells the fastest personal computers you'll find. But as experts from BYTE, InfoWorld, Personal Computing, and others have discovered, our computers are more than just fast. They're also an excellent value. You can't find better performing computers at lower prices. And Proteus allows you to custom configure a system to your exact specifications. Finally, Proteus provides you with 15 months of Free on-site service and support. And if you're not "This IBM- compatible is so fast I have had trouble measuring its speed. " Business Computer Digest PROTEUS-286GTX 12MHz, ZERO WAIT STATE • Intel 80286-12 CPU • 640K RAM expandable to 16MB • 32KB cache memory • 8 expansion slots • 2 serial & 1 parallel port • 1.2MB floppy drive or 3.5" microfloppy • Dual HD & floppy controller • 200W power supply, 110/220V • 101 key tactile keyboard • 15-month free on-site service • Made in U.S.A. Complete Systems with Hard Disk and Monitor: • 20MB mono $1,995 • 20MB VGA color $2,395 • 20MB VGA plus $2,780 for 40MB add $142 for 80MB add $445 "The Proteus is one of the fastest desktop computer systems we tested, a zero- wait-state hotrod." InfoWorld Magazine PROTEUS 386/16 16 MHz opt. 20MHz ZERO WAIT STATE • Intel 80386 CPU at 16 MHz • Optional 80386 -20MHz • 1MB RAM -Expandable to 16MB, • Disk cache • 8 expansion slots • 2 serial & 1 parallel port • 1.2MB floppy drive • Dual HD & floppy controller • 200W power supply, U0/220V • 101 key tactile keyboard • 15-month free on-site service • Made in U.S.A. Complete Systems with Hard Disk and Monitor: • 40MB 28ms mono $2,899 • 40MB 28ms VGA color $3,299 • 40MB 28ms VGA plus $3,699 for 80MB add $185 for 100MB add $614 for 150MB add $1,420 for 340MB add ■ $2,675 "...the favorite system of our technicians because of its speed." InfoWorld Magazine ' fci m 1 1 ir mil i i hi i !■ :_v* i1 5 i i' , L 1 I i\ '' \ \\ satisfied with Proteus equipment within 30 days, you can return it for a full refund. These are the reasons why the experts are so impressed with Proteus. And they're not alone. NASA, Xerox, GE, RCA, Dupont, GM, Revlon, General Dynamics, the U.S. Government, the U.N., MIT, Harvard, and Cornell have all become big Proteus users. For the fastest, most economical, best supported computers available, follow the experts to Proteus. "Proteus is markedly faster than any other personal computer we've worked with, including Deskpro 386/20." Personal Computing Magazine PROTEUS 386/25 25MHz, ZERO WAIT STATE • Intel 80386 CPU at 25MHz • 1MB RAM expandable to 32MB • 8 expansion slots • 387 coprocessor support • Cache memory • 2 serial & 1 parallel port • Dual HD & floppy controller • 200W power supply, 110/220V • 1.2MB floppy drive • 101 key tactile keyboard • 15-month free on-site service • Made in U.S.A. Complete Systems with Hard Disk and Monitor: • 40MB 28ms mono $5,395 • 40MB 28ms VGA color $5,814 • 40MB 28ms VGA plus $6,195 for 80MB add $185 for 90MB add $1,129 for 150MB add $1,545 for 340MB add $2,675 PROTEUS POWER EXTRA PROTEUS POWER WITH CUSTOMIZATION • 1:1 interleave controller • ESDI HD up to 700MB • microfloppy drives • tape streamers, 40MB to 225MB • coprocessors • brand name monitors and cards • tower configuration on all models • custom configuration on all models To order, call us direct. 1-800-782-8387 For 24 hr catalog, call 1-201 -288-8577 using your modem set at 1200B/N/8/1. | jHE INTELLIGENT CONCLUSION Technical Support Hotline: 1-800-541-8933 Reseller/VAR programs available. 377 Route 17s, Airport 17 Center All trademarks recognized. © Proteus is a registered trademark of Proteus Technology Corp. All prices, terms, specs subject to change. Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604 Circle 226 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 105 to*****'' abetter *""" are ^age tin EG^- *nd v^e Enreen co^s. VGAmPapa'eUeof ^ror^AA colors) on 262.14* 5 screen leven^oseukeV,p denned ' **"„■*. BuV whUetW' \,GA system, vje VGA MW "3 wGAcard is a« Pe' l6.bit , 0UrShcsarraV^afd 9raph 'lale h'9h speed' tw chip...a lrt nas a d* weS tnar. moreffvGAboardf d\splaV rne Q_ Qur B°W'a£sV>n^r>tee exclusWe S* state maKes^ lStant wirtuaW n°'\fi colors, ie7NN^^eCasesto 300 % 600_ and the a^^HaSardcom- ^Z£b*f ffS^SU t^em-ersSr deVWer*e broadest «V s and &*» ^jJUiv Tor teaWj$0„0 VGA P*^ JJjS days, ' nor ,»vo. - dollar>e nts ^ charge *i* J ,utt GAa range ot bun* Tg value. TW othePN>se ** ,road rany n. comparao , tV,e 0t the eatores^ate.u d of *a»ue turer *J ca,d «'« triWte to W darK largest rnan ^ V d s>JPen,0VrP cPf 's, a^° otmon>tors r non-glare , ^ ca0 de ^ Tatu u mafic yert»ca> lor nn lunfl ?!* etnrv. «8-a.. e"codl^rse video add«ron; Ta hug( t«* °r ItO 22°V SVN, otters users a switch ^ sUppW; a6vanta9e- a A0C arw »•■» Pacn >" — r"onU°r! 640 x 480, 640* "resold00' 9rapWAn0irnes^r 720 X 400 w ^ tex^aS softer a broad rany corv ^oWdarK, ^Sr*JE? enable P°\lU| snivel bases- -a" f u year Warranty- „ers users g complete nro d the advantage, a ^ Q„/o c0^V>cations, a Mter a»i. s™ is believe- o Circle 331 on Reader Service Card ■1S believing- TATUNG We monitor the world. In Southern California: (213) 979-7055 In Northern California: (408) 435-0140 Outside California: (800) 421-2929 Tatung Company of America, Inc. 2850 El Presidio Street, Long Beach, CA 90810 Tatung Science & Technology, Inc. 2060 Ringwood Ave., San Jose, CA 95131 ' Warranty applies io IBM PC. XT, AT Syslems and their coirwhbles Reler lo Tatung VGA Caul Manual lor specific delails All detials included v, Irademaiked are FIRST IMPRESSIONS Frank Hayes Compaq's 286 SLT laptop finally arrives, featuring a high-resolution display, battery-boosting technology, and a silver-plated price tag It's been a long time coming, but Compaq— the company that made its name with IBM-compatible por- table computers — has finally pro- duced a computer for your lap. The Com- paq 286 SLT is a real laptop that actually pushes the state of the art forward — though not necessarily in the ways you might expect. With a high-resolution display and an innovative approach to conserving power, Compaq's new laptop At Long Last, Laptop is designed to harness all the power of a desktop PC in a computer that's genuine- ly portable. What You Get The Compaq 286 SLT is a battery- powered laptop that looks at first glance like a miniature version of Compaq's AC-powered portables; when it's packed for traveling it resembles a tool chest more than a briefcase. As you'd expect from its name, the processor is a CMOS version of the 80286, running at either 8 or 12 MHz. The standard complement of RAM is 640K bytes, expandable to 3.6 megabytes. There's a single 3 '/2-inch floppy disk drive built in, along with a hard disk drive— 20 megabytes on the Model 20, 40 megabytes on the Model 40. The price of the system starts at about $5400 for the 20-megabyte system. The first thing you notice when you turn on the Compaq laptop is that Com- paq has decided not to compete head-to- head with Zenith with its display. The "paper-white" LCD screen on the Zenith TurbosPort 386 makes it the envy of the industry; it would be hard to match the quality of that display. Compaq has taken a more standard approach, using a 10-inch LCD display with ordinary backlighting. But while Zenith's paper-white display is a beautifully clear, easy-to- read CGA screen, the Compaq screen is a 640- by 480-pixel VGA display with eight levels of gray. It displays anything in VGA, EGA, or CGA mode (with 16 levels of gray in CGA). I had no diffi- culty using the Compaq's display; it has good contrast, and is easily readable from a wide range of viewing angles. The detachable keyboard matches Compaq's standard layout. Compaq boasts that the keys are full-size with standard spacing; they were certainly easy enough to use, and felt normal for typing. There are LED indicators for Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock, continued DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 107 AT LONG LAST, LAPTOP and separate cursor-control keys. As on many laptops, there's also an embedded keypad: instead of a separate keypad, part of the regular keyboard doubles as the numeric pad. It didn't bother me, since I rarely use a numeric keypad, but it's an inconvenience at best for those who do. Fortunately, however, Compaq will be offering an external numeric key- pad ($129) that can be easily plugged into the system. The good news about the keyboard is that while you can use it attached to the main unit, it also easily detaches. In fact, the SLT is one of the few laptops to have this feature. When it is attached, it sits on a shelf above the floppy disk drive and in front of the LCD screen. When de- tached, the keyboard is linked to the main unit with a coiled cable. The de- tachable keyboard makes this laptop very comfortable to use at a desk. For actual use in your lap, it balances better with the keyboard nested in its niche beneath the screen. Even at 14 pounds, this com- puter still sits comfortably on your lap. Just below the keyboard in its niche is the rechargeable battery pack— it's spring-loaded, and easily pops in and out. The nickel-cadmium battery is spe- cially manufactured for Compaq to stretch the time between charges. Com- paq says the battery lasts about 3 hours between charges, assuming fairly heavy use of the hard disk. (One Compaq engi- neer told me that when he ran non-disk- intensive programs the system had lasted more than 5 hours.) The batteries charge automatically whenever the machine is plugged in, and there's a fast-charge mode when the computer's not in use— they'll fully charge in 1 Vi to 3 hours. Across the back of the machine runs the usual collection of connectors— par- allel printer port, serial port, external monitor port, and external disk drive connector. The external 5 lA -inch floppy disk drive ($275) works, but the version I tested was big and noisy. It also didn't seem to be well integrated with the lap- top—sitting next to the laptop on a desk, the external drive looked and felt like a gargantuan kludge. While I had no diffi- culty reading, writing, and formatting disks once it was properly installed, it took a while to get it working in conjunc- tion with the internal floppy disk drive. Until I reran the configuration program, the computer would recognize either the internal or external floppy disk drive- but not both. Compaq offers a 40-mega- byte tape backup unit ($799) as well; it plugs into the external disk drive port. There's also a connector for an exter- nal keyboard. It's possible to leave the Compaq laptop folded for traveling, at- tach an external keyboard and VGA monitor, turn it on, and use the computer without even opening it up. I tried vari- ous combinations of connecting an exter- nal monitor and keyboard, and they all worked as expected. Finally, there's a connector for what Compaq calls a Desktop Expansion Base. The idea behind the expansion base is to make it easier for those who want to use their laptop as a desktop ma- chine. Instead of constantly disconnect- Photo 1 : At the office, the Compaq 286 SLT can be placed in its optional Desktop Expansion Base, which contains two standard expansion slots. At the left is another option, a 5'A-inch external floppy disk drive. ing and reconnecting cables to the com- puter itself, the cables can be connected once to the expansion base; the computer slides into the base, and all the connec- tions are made automatically. The ex- pansion unit can also take up to two AT- compatible expansion cards, solving another common laptop problem. (The price of the Desktop Expansion Base will be $999. How well all this will work is speculation; Compaq didn't even have a working prototype available when I saw the laptop.) Expansion options inside the laptop's case are more limited but relatively pain- less: Remove six screws from the back and an internal chassis slides part way out, giving you easy access to most of the installable options. There are Compaq- standard memory-expansion slots for up to 3 megabytes of additional RAM (which is compatible with the Lotus/- Intel/Microsoft Expanded Memory Specification 3.2). There's also a modem slot, designed for either an inter- nal 2400-bps modem or an additional serial-port board. The one internal ex- pansion option that's not easily accessi- ble is the socket for an 8-MHz 80287 floating point coprocessor — it's well to the front of the machine, and requires more work to get at. Power Trip What makes the Compaq laptop unique is its approach to extending battery life. Like most laptops, the Compaq shuts down the display backlight when typing stops for a sufficient period of time, which saves a substantial amount of bat- tery power. But Compaq has taken that idea to new levels with this machine. Many parts of the system are powered down during pe- riods of inactivity (you can even modify the power-monitoring system defaults). The hard disk, for example, which nor- mally chews up lots of power, is powered down in a two-step process. Powering down the read circuitry adds an almost imperceptible delay in hard disk reads; powering down the motor adds a substan- tial delay when it's time for a hard disk access, but saves much more power. You can power-down parts of the modem if they're not being used. Only one bank of memory is at full power at all times. You can put the 12-MHz 80286 into standby mode, or run it at a slower speed (8 MHz), or bring it to a halt— all of which save power. Once power really does run low, this laptop goes to extremes to protect you from losing your data. At about 10 per- continued 108 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Introducing Exactly What Ifou Had In Mind D. C. servo drive motors provide fast and accurate pen positioning. Die-cast aluminum side supports add strength and durability. The New CalComp Artisan™ Pen Plotter Model 1023. Typical CalComp Quality And Performance At An Unusually Low Price. Artisan is an easy-to-use, full-featured, high performance pen plotter that draws a full range of plots from A to D size on cut- sheet paper and film. All with the speed, accuracy, reliability and quality output you would expect from plotters costing twice as much. An optional memory expansion cartridge (1 or 2 megabytes/for greater productivity arid convenience. But with none of the trade-offs you'll find in many other low-cost pen plotters. Artisan's high performance meets the new sophistication and power of today's microcomputers, workstations and CADD software. It turns your ideas and designs into plots at speeds up to 30 inches-per- second, with resolution of .0005 inch, acceleration at 2g, and capability for eight pens in any combination of ink color and pen type. All for less than $4900. The new CalComp Artisan. If you've got a mind for performance, quality and value, it's exactly what you've been looking for. Call us at 1-800-CALCOMP Or write CalComp, PO. Box 3250, Anaheim, CA 92803. In Canada, call (416) 635-9010. Wedrawon your imagination." alComp A Lockheed Company ©1988 CalComp Inc. We draw on your imagination and Artisan are trademarks of CalComp. Circle 48 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 49) DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 109 AT LONG LAST, LAPTOP cent power— roughly 20 minutes before the batteries run dry— the machine beeps, and begins blinking a low-battery light. When the system runs critically low on power, it beeps twice, then begins to put the system into standby mode. The standby mode simply shuts down the sys- tem as much as possible without losing what's in memory: It turns off the display backlight and clears the display, halts the CPU, powers down the hard disk and modem, and stops all memory access except refreshes. Once you've re- connected external power, you can re- turn from standby mode— and you're right where you left off, with your data intact and your program still running. Compaq claims that, in standby mode, a few minutes worth of battery power can be stretched to hours. You can also manually put the ma- chine into standby mode with a button on the front of the computer. This is a con- venient way to suspend work without MODEM BELL 103I212A CCITT V21 / V22 / V23 / V22 bis 1200, 2400, 9600 BPS AUTO-DIAL, AUTO-ANSWER HAYES™ COMPATIBLE MNP ERROR CORRECTION FCC & PTT APPROVAL •Discovery 2400P Port Modem™ (Pocket-Size Portable Modem) •Discovery 2400C Modem Dial-Up/Leased-Line/Sync/Asyn •Discovery 2100 Acoustic Coupler (Pocket-Size Acoustic Cup Set) <^fJ7 DATATIROtfllO Datatronics Technology, Inc. 172 Nan-King E. Rd, Sec S, Taipei 10572, Taiwan. Phone: (02) 762-3202 (3 Lines). (02) 768-6262 (3 Lines) Telex: 26440 DTXMODEM fax: 886-2-764-0614. In U.S.A. please contact; Sunhill Inc. TEL:(206)-575-4131 •Discovery 2400HK Modem Dial-Up/Leased-Line/Asyn actually turning the computer off— one of the nicest features of early laptops such as the Radio Shack Model 100. I tested the standby mode with several dif- ferent programs, and it suspended and resumed each of them perfectly. How It Performed In tests with a number of BYTE Lab benchmarks, the Compaq performed ad- mirably, if not spectacularly. In its fast mode, the system ran the CPU tests on par with some of the better 12-MHz AT clones— about 50 percent faster than an 8-MHz AT. (For comparison, see "Out- classing the AT," July BYTE; the Com- paq laptop was just slightly slower than the Arche Rival 286 in the CPU bench- marks, and in line with systems from Amdek, Dell, and Epson for hard disk tests.) Pricey, But Worth Carrying Around Compaq has plenty of experience build- ing computers that can be carried around, but this new laptop is clearly de- signed to be more than portable— it's made to be used in places where power is not available. It has much better battery life than other hard disk-equipped AT laptops, and far more power than ma- chines with a similar battery life, such as the Zenith Z-181 . It's light enough (at 14 pounds) to be carried easily, and power- ful enough that it's worth carrying around. The Compaq laptop also offers things you won't find in most laptops— like VGA graphics and a button that lets you suspend and resume your work. At $5399 for the 20-megabyte model ($5999 for the 40-megabyte model), this laptop is certainly pricey. And it will compete head to head with a number of lower-priced machines that are already firmly entrenched in the laptop market. These include Zenith, with its Super- sPort 286, and Toshiba and NEC, which have both recently introduced similar 80286-based systems. But it's the first laptop to carry the Compaq label, which has almost become synonymous with quality. We had expected that when Compaq finally introduced its laptop, it would be a significant machine, a system offering convenience approaching that of a Model 100 combined with the power and display capabilities of a desktop system. On the whole, Compaq has proved us right. ■ Frank Hayes is a BYTE associate news editor at the magazine's San Francisco office. He can be reached on BIX as "frankhayes. " 110 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 Circle 79 on Reader Service Card ECEIVEA FREE SIVA 386 SYSTEM (*2995 VALUE) the Holidays with the purchase of Qua Hardware/Software Products. See VNS America Corp. advertisements** in this issue or call VNS America Corp. Suite 270, 910 Boston Post Road Marlboro, Massachusetts 01752 U.S.A. In Massachusetts 508-460-0016 FAX: 508-481-2218 "Offer good until December 31, 1988. 'See Advertisers Index for pages. Circle 299 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 111 The Only Character Recognition System That Outperforms Ours. Consider the facts: Nature's character recognition system can be trained to read all characters and languages it sees. SPOT (Flagstaff Engineering's Optical Character Recognition program) is trainable too. It reads most printed documents in English and more than 130 other languages. Like nature's original, SPOT is very discerning. It can glance over an entire page or zoom in on a few lines of text. SPOT can read newspapers, magazines, books, manuals, invoices, contracts, government documents and much, much more. Your eyes are teamed up with that marvelous computer, the brain. SPOT uses the latest man- made personal computers in conjunction with the Circle 105 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 106) most popular low-cost scanners, and requires no additional hardware. SPOT'S advanced logic closely approximates what the human eyes and brain do. That's why SPOT will continue to be the leader in OCR ... with an intuition inspired by the original. Seeing is believing. Since 1982, Flagstaff Engineering has helped thousands of international customers read information from various com- puter and printed media. Demonstration pro- grams are available. Call today. 6 FLAGSTAFF ENGINEERING Helping People Read a World of Information 1120 Kaibab Lane • Flagstaff, AZ 86001 602-779-3341 • FAX 602-779-5998 EXPERT ADVICE COMPUTING AT CHAOS MANOR Jerry Pournelle Seeing Red Jerry deals with a temperamental VGA board and has an Amiga transplant I think these machines are trying to drive me crazy. They're all in it to- gether, you know. It all started when we got back from 2 weeks in San Antonio (mostly for work) and New Orleans (for the World Science Fiction Convention). The trip was great. The problem was that when I got back, I was confronted with about 21 cubic feet of packages— software, hard- ware, and letters— all of it unopened, and I had to deal with the stuff. Near the top was the latest version of Fractal Magic. I've mentioned the pro- gram before; it's a reasonable one for ex- amining fractal images. I'd hoped Sintar Software would improve the documenta- tion and user interface, but they haven't done much. (For example, you have to use the mouse to tell the program you want it to plot something; but then to get the menu of files it can plot, you must let go of the mouse and hit Return; after which, you must use the mouse again to choose one of the programs thereby dis- played. Why they couldn't have let the mouse handle it all is beyond me. Oh, well.) Anyway, it's a relatively painless way to look at recursive plots, things like the Mandelbrot set and the Ikenada equa- tions (which have some similarities to the Mandelbrot set). This was a new version that could make use of VGA resolution (as well as CGA and EGA) . Now all I had to do was put in a VGA board. I also had the new VGA Paint program from RIX SoftWorks, which is said to be a doozy. Certainly, their EGA Paint is excellent. Before I left for New Orleans, RIX's Doc Livingston said he'd arrange for a major outfit to send me a VGA board that showed up VGA Paint very well. When I looked in the huge stack of stuff, there it was. This, I thought, is go- ing to be easy. I'll put in the new board and test a whole slew of VGA programs. I got out the automatic screwdriver— I'm getting very fond of those things— and opened up the Zenith Z-386. Then I opened up the VGA board. It came with an invoice that said it was be- ing lent to me for 30 days (which had started 2 weeks ago), after which I'd be billed for it; and if I sent the board back without calling them first to get a return authorization number, they wouldn't ac- cept it. It also said that opening the pack- age constituted acceptance of those terms. Of course, I couldn't read the terms before opening the package. I can't possibly accept anything on a short-term loan like that, so the board went into the out stack. I don't have time to telephone them about it. If they really do refuse its return, I'm sure Notre Dame can use a VGA board. Then I noticed that there already was a VGA board in the Z-386. It turns out that when we were experimenting with Unix, we discovered that SCO Unix with the Locus DOS-under-Unix package won't work with the Zenith Z-448 EGA video board, so Alex had installed our Video Seven Vega VGA board. That had worked just fine to drive the Zenith Flat Technology Monitor for Unix. (See last month's column. Incidentally, Zenith says they'll have new video boards worthy of their wonderful FTM Real Soon Now.) I figured the Vega board was just what I needed. It's very fast. One thing I'll be working on with the Z-386 is Windows/ 386, and believe me, that needs a fast video board. Anyway, the Vega board was already installed, so all I needed to do was put the machine back together and install Fractal Magic. That was simple enough. The only thing was that when I turned the machine on, there was no color red on the screen. Plenty of greens and blues, in nice high resolution, but nary a flicker of red. I fussed about with it for a while. I was sure it wasn't the program, but just to be absolutely certain, I exited to DOS and invoked Norton Utilities to set the screen attributes to red on white. Nothing happened. When we took Unix off the Z-386, we installed IBM DOS 4.0, and Norton Utilities don't work with DOS 4.0. (I now have a ver- sion that does.) IBM DOS 4.0 has a bunch of reported bugs. So does the unofficial DOS 4.01; I've decided to wait for a real update, so that had to be removed. No time like the present. It didn't take long to go back to the Zenith clone DOS, which is some- thing like version 3.21-R. Now I could invoke Norton's screen attribute com- mand to tell it to display red on white. I got black on white. No red. OK, I thought. It's probably the board, but maybe it's the monitor. All I have to do is connect the FTM to the Cheetah's video output— the Award video card has both EGA and VGA outputs— and see if any red shows up. That monitor is heavy, and there wasn't any suitable table or other flat surface near the Cheetah, but I managed to get the FTM perched precar- iously on my desk— only to discover that I no longer have the Award EGA/VGA board in the Cheetah. The Award board had worked fine with the Electrohome 19-inch variable- sync monitor until I tried Windows/386; but that had been too much for the Award board, so I'd put a good vanilla EGA board in the Cheetah. The EGA board outputs EGA on a 9-pin output jack. The 31 -kHz analog FTM wants 15 pins. That took care of that test. I could have put a new board in the Cheetah, but working on a tower-configuration ma- chine isn't easy. You have to sit on the floor, and my knees were giving me fits anyway. Heck with it. Back to the Z-386. continued DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 113 CHAOS MANOR One thing the computer world desper- ately needs is some way to support the monitor on top of your computer and still be able to open up the computer. How- ever, with the FTM perched on my desk, it was easy enough to get inside the Z-386, so I took out the Vega board. The Award EGA/VGA board was handy, so I put that in the Z-386, plugged the FTM into the 15-pin output, and turned things on. Nothing. Snow. The Award board and the FTM had worked together fine in the 20-MHz Cheetah, but they didn't work with the somewhat slower Z-386. It's likely I could have got out the Award manuals and figured out what was going on, but I figured enough was enough. Time to go get the Z-448 board. It's slow, and it won't work with either Win- dows/386 or VM/386, but it does work. I dropped that in and turned on the system, and everything was fine. Entering Nor- ton Utilities' screen attribute command NEW: lst-CLASS HT. EXPERT SYSTEMS WITHOUT PROGRAMMING. HYPERTEXT WITHOUT HYPE. ■■■There's been a lot of talk lately about hypertext and expert systems. Now there's finally a product that does justice to both. ■■■ Introducing lst-CLASS HT. The first expert system pro- duct to combine the power and accessibility of the lst-CLASS line with the flexibility of hyper- text search and retrieval. §■■ The power you need. Without the programming. 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Add the opportunity to browse through multiple levels of text- then immediately act on what you find- and we're sure you'll agree that lst-CLASS HT is the first truly grown-up hypertext/expert system package. ^^HB You'll be joining over 7500 lst-CLASS users from startups to Fortune 500 companies like Chrysler, Du Pont, and IBM by using lst-CLASS HT. So why settle for less? ^^M Just $20 gets you a tu- torial package. It has everything you need to get moving fast. And just $2495 gets you lst-CLASS HT itself. t^SM Why wait? Call now to order your tutorial package. Toll-free: 1-800-872-8812. r-CLASS Expert Systems, Inc. One Longfellow Ccnler, 526 Boslon Post Road Wayland, MA 01778 800-358-8812 (508-358-7722 in MA). lst-CLASS Expert Systems priced from $495 to $2495. For the IBMBPC. For the DEC VAX* © Copyright 1988, lst-CLASS Expert Systems. Inc. SA WHITE ON RED gave me white letters on a red background. I decided that the problem wasn't the monitor. Possibly settings on the Vega board? I got out the documentation, which is very well done. Among other things, it says that there are two classes of monitor, Variable Frequency Display and IBM Enhanced Color Display. There are two kinds of VFD monitors, giving three possible cases. Each case needs a different setting of the board's switches. Finally, there's this note: "If your moni- tor is not included in the above list, you may need to try different switch settings to see which works." There was certainly nothing about the FTM in the list, so I changed the switch settings, put the Vega board back in, and fired up. Voila. Perfect. Plenty of red signal. Now all I had to do was turn things off, put the case back on the computer, put the screws in, hoist the monitor onto the Z-386's case, turn it on. . . . No red. None. You don't have to open up the com- puter to change the switch settings on the Vega board. Turn off the computer. Change to a different setting. Turn it on. No red, and after a couple of minutes, I was convinced there never would be any red. Take out the board. Put in the Z-448 again. Plenty of red. Now, just for luck, try the Vega board. Plenty of red. Put the case back on. Works fine. No problem. I fired up Fractal Magic. As it happens, there is no red in the default color pattern— wouldn't you know it?— but you can change the colors, so I used that feature to put in plenty of red. The picture is gorgeous. Curved lines look like curves. Diagonals look like di- agonals. No question about it, VGA is nice. I let Fractal Magic run for the eve- ning. It's got apparent motion, and with mixed colors, you have to see it to believe it. Eventually, I turned the system off for the night. Next day I turned it on to show off the Fractal Magic to Mrs. Pournelle. No red. The only way to get red was to open the machine and take the Vega board out. Put it back in. Still no red. Put in the Z-448. Plenty of red. Take it out and put in the Vega board. Plenty of red. All right, I thought, it must be the Vega board. Video Seven had never heard of a problem like this, but they ex- press-mailed another board. Same situation. Fire up the computer with the Z-448, and there's red; leave the monitor on and install the Vega board, continued 114 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 2 on Reader Service Card WE WELCOME INTERNATIONAL ORDERS 1 818 705-4885 FAX AMERICAN SMALL BUSINESS Design Cad 159.00 Design Cad 3D 159.00 ASHTON TATE Multimate II 279.00 Dbase III Plus 395.00 Rapidfile 195.00 Framework II 429.00 Chartmaster 229.00 Master Graphics 299.00 ASK SAM SYSTEM Ask Sam 235.00 AUTODESK Autosketch Enhanced 65.00 BLOC DEVELOPMENT Formtool W/Grealest Hits 59.00 BOEING COMPUTER SERVICES Boeing Graphics (3D Color) 209.00 BORLAND Spt nt 125.00 Sidekick 55.00 Sidekick Plus 125.00 Eureka 99.00 Ouatlro 149.00 Turbo Database Toolbox 62.00 Turbo Graphix 62.00 The Developer's Library 235.00 Turbo Lightning 62.00 Reflex 90.00 Superkey 62.00 Turbo Prolog 62.00 Turbo Basic 62.00 Turbo C 62.00 Paradox V 2.0 429.00 Turbo Pascal 4.0 62.00 Turbo Tutor 4.0 45.00 BREAKTHROUGH Timeline V 3 339.00 BROOERBUND Print Shop 35.00 Memory Mate 45.00 BUTTONWARE PC File + 45.00 CENTRAL POINT Copy II PC 25.00 Copy II PC Option Brd Dlx 109.00 PC Tools Deluxe 39.00 COMPUTER ASSOCIATES Supercalc IV 299.00 Superproject Expert 445.00 ACCPAC BPI 275.00 Silverado 99.00 CONCENTRIC DATA SYSTEMS R & R Relational Report 109.00 CORE INTERNATIONAL Cotelast 89.00 DAC Easy Accounting 3.0 59.00 Easy Payroll 3.0 59.00 Bonus Pack 3.0 115.00 UTILITIES Org Plus 59.00 1 Dir PLUS 55.00 Duet 49.00 Direct Access 55.00 Grammatik III 55.00 X Tree 37.00 X Tree Pro 69.00 Sideways 40.00 Max Think 45.00 Tornado 59.00 Graph-ln-The-Box 55.00 Mace Utilities 55.00 Norton Utilities 50.00 Norton Utilities Advanced 79.00 Norton Commander 49.00 Disk Technician 59.00 Disk Technician Plus 79.00 Copywrite/Zerodisk CALL Desqview 2.01 75.00 Rightwriter 59.00 Mirror II 35.00 Flash 5.6 49.00 Q & A 3.0 199.00 Laplink Plus 85.00 Note-It-Plus 49.00 SQ2 Plus 59.00 Cambridge Spreadsheet Analyst 89.00 The Documentor 179.00 dFlow 89.00 ADVANTAGES •Orders placed before 3 p.m. (PST) shipped same day •We welcome corporate accounts •Immediate replacement of defective goods. •Bulk discounts DATASTORM Procomm Plus 52.00 DBFAST Dbtast 62.00 DIGITAL RESEARCH Gem Desktop 32.00 Gem Draw Plus 179.00 Gem 1st Word Plus 115.00 Gem Word Chart 115.00 Presentation Team 285.00 Desktop Publisher 179.00 DIGITALK Smalltalk V 75.00 Smalltalk V 286 145.00 FIFTH GENERATION Fastback 79.00 Fastback Plus 99.00 FOX SOFTWARE Foxbase Plus 199.00 Foxbase Multi-user 299.00 Foxbase Runtime Unlimited 265.00 GENERIC SOFTWARE Generic Cad 3.0 55.00 Dot Plot 27.00 Auto Convert 27.00 Auto Dimension 27.00 3D Solid Modeling/Rendering 179.00 GIBSON TECHNOLOGY Spinwrite 55.00 GOLDEN BOW V Feature Deluxe 125.00 V Cache 45.00 HAVENTREE Interactive Easyflow 129.00 HAYES Smartcom III 149.00 HILGRAEVE Hyper Access 89.00 IBM Displaywrite IV 299.00 DOS 3.3 95.00 LATTICE Lattice C Compiler 229.00 LEADING EDGE Word Processor W/Spell/Merge 59.00 Word Processor V1.5 89.00 LIVING VIDEOTEXT Grandview 159.00 LOTUS DEVELOPMENT ALL PRODUCTS CALL MATHSOFT Mathcad 2.0 225.00 MECA Managing Your Money 4.0 125.00 MERIDIAN TECHNOLOGY Carbon Copy Plus 115.00 MICROGRAFX Designer 465.00 MICROLYTICS Gofer 42.00 MICROPRO Wordstar Professional 249.00 Wordstar 2000 Plus 239.00 MICRORIM Rbase for Dos 475.00 MICROSOFT Pageview 35.00 Quick C 67.00 Word 225.00 Quickbasic 67.00 C Compiler 299.00 Fortran Compiler 299.00 Cobol Compiler 599.00 Macro Assembler 99.00 Learning DOS 35.00 Flight Simulator 35.00 Excel 309.00 Windows 386 129.00 PC Works 129.00 MICROSTUF Crosstalk XVI 99.00 Crosstalk Mark 4 125.00 MIGENT Ability Plus 145.00 NANTUCKET Clipper 439.00 NASHOBA Nutshell Plus 159.00 NORTH EDGE SOFTWARE Timeslips ill 115.00 PAPERBACK, SOFTWARE VP Info 65.00 VP Planner 55.00 VP Planner Plus 95.00 •Immediate shipment on purchase orders from qualified institutions (schools and universities included) •No hidden charges. TERMS: All prices are subject t change without notice. We WE WELCOME INTERNATIONAL ORDERS PATTON ft PATTON Flowcharting II Plus 145.00 PC SUPPORT GROUP Lightning 55.00 Lucid 3D V 2.0 89.00 PEACHTREE Complete Accounting II 159.00 PERSOFT Smarterm 240 209.00 Referee 45.00 SANTA CRUI OPERATION Xenix 286 Operating Sys 439.00 Xenix 286 Developement Sys 439.00 Xenix 386 Operating Sys 5O9.00 Xenix 386 Developement Sys 5O9.00 SCITOR Project Scheduler Network 365.00 SIMON ft SCHUSTER New World Writer II 99.00 Typing Tutor IV 32.00 SOFTLOGIC SOLUTIONS Disk Optimizer 42.00 Cubit 42.00 Double DOS 42.00 % Liberty 115.00 Magic Mirror 59.00 SOFTWARE PUBLISHING PFS First Publisher 79.00 Professional Write 119.00 Professional File 179.00 PFS Professional Plan 59.00 PFS First Choice 89.00 Harvard Total Project II 379.00 Harvard Graphics 299.00 STORAGE DIMENSIONS Speedstor 49.00 TRANSEC SYSTEMS Masterkey Unlock 109.00 dAnalyst 135.00 TURBO POWER TDebug 35.00 Turbo Professional 65.00 UNISON WORLD Printmaster Plus 32.00 Art Gallery I & II & III (Each) 19.00 Newsmaster il 49.00 WISEWARE Prime Time 65.00 WORD PERFECT CORPORATION Word Perfect 5.0 239.00 Word Perfect Network Server 349.00 Word Perfect Network Add-On 75.00 Plan Perfect 195.00 Data Perfect 299.00 Word Perfect Executive 125.00 Word Perfect Library 65.00 WORD TECH DBXL Diamond 115.00 Quicksilver Diamond 345.00 XEROX Ventura Publisher 1.1 519.00 HARDWARE ARRAY TECHNOLOGIES (ATI) VIP VGA 279.00 EGAWonder 189.00 AST RESEARCH Advantage Premium 512K 379.00 Six Pack Plus 3B4K 269.00 Six Pack Premium 256K 269.00 Rampage AT 512K 439.00 AST 5251/11 Enhanced 579.00 Hot Shot 286 395.00 ATD IUCKER Monographics Short Card 79.00 Memory Expansion 384K 219.00 Modular I/O Bare P/S/Clock 75.00 Clock Board Standalone 35.00 1200 Baud Internal Modem 85.00 CITIZEN 120D 159.00 MSP 40 349.00 MSP 15E 359.00 MSP 50 445.00 COMPUTER ACCESSORIES P15 Power Director 99.00 EVEREX EV 1800 8MH2 AT System 985.00 EV 1800 10MHZ AT 0 Wait 1249.00 Evercom II 1200 Modem 75.00 Evercom III 2400 Int Modem 155.00 Magic I/O For AT 59.00 RAM 3000 EMS Expansion 99.00 do not guarantee compatibility. No surcharge for VISA or MasterCard 2% surcharge American Express. No returns without RA#. Short shipments must be notified within 48 hours. 15% restocking lee on non- defective goods: S3. 50 C.O.D. charge Shipping S4.50 minimum per item, less on bulk orders. (S8.50 Blue Label.) (Higher for some software or hardware items.) FIFTH GENERATION Logical Connection 256K 379.00 HAYES Smartmodem 1200 , 299.00 Smartmodem 1200B W/Software 299.00 Smartmodem 2400 465.00 Smartmodem 2400B W/Software 465.00 HERCULES Hercules Monochrome Plus 189.00 HEWLETT PACKARD Laserjet II 1849.00 Fonts/Cartridges for Laserjet II CALL INTEL Above Board PC 64K 269.00 Above Board 286 W/512K 369.00 8087-3 (5MHZ) 109.00 8087-2 (8 MHZ) 159.00 80287 (6 MHZ) 175.00 80827 (8 MHZ) 250.00 80287 (10 MHZ) 319.D0 Inboard 386 PC or 386 AT 1099.00 1 MB Exp for 386 Inboard 675.00 INTERNATIONAL BATTERY AT Replacement Battery 19.50 AST Six Pack Battery 3.50 IRWIN MAGNETICS 120 XT 20MB Internal 339.00 125 AT 20 MB Internal 339.00 KENSINGTON Masterpiece 89.00 Masterpiece Plus 105.00 Masterpiece Remote 115.00 LOGITECH Logimouse C7 75.00 Logimouse Hi Rez 99.00 Logimouse C7 + Paintbrush 95.00 Logimouse W/Cad/Paint 125.00 Publisher Mouse 125.00 MICROSOFT BUS Mouse W/Paintbrush 109.00 BUS Mouse W/Windows 145.00 Serial Mouse W/Paintbrush 109.00 Serial Mouse W/Windows 145.00 MICROSPEED Fast Trap 95.00 MIGENT Pocket Modem 115.00 MOUSE SYSTEMS PC Mouse BUS Plus 95.00 PC Mouse Serial Plus 95.00 NEC HOME ELECTRONICS Multisync II 629.00 NEC INFORMATION SYSTEMS P 2200 80 COL 379.00 P5200 589.00 P5300 769.00 PANASONIC KX-P1091I 209.00 KX-P1595 479.00 KX-P1524 649.00 KX-10921 365.00 PARADISE Autoswitch 480 169.00 VGA Plus 279.00 PLUS DEVELOPMENT Hardcard 20 MB 569.00 Hardcard 40 MB 709.00 POLAROID Polaroid Palette 1499.00 Polaroid Palette Plus 2399.00 PRACTICAL PERIPHERALS Practical Modem 1200 Internal 69.00 Practical Modem 1200 SA 109.00 Practical Modem 2400 INT 155.00 Practical Modem 2400 SA 185.00 SAMSUNG Amber Monitor 85.00 SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY ST 251 40MB No Controller 389.00 ST 225 20MB W/Controller 295.00 ST 238 30MB W/Controller 319.00 ST 251-1 No Controller .445.00 SUMMAGRAPHICS Summasketch 1201 Plus 389.00 SYSGEN Ext 5Vi" Drive 289.00 TOUCHBASE Worldport 2400 Modem 269.00 Worldporl 1200 Modem 159.00 TOSHIBA T 1000 Laptop 875.00 T 3100-20 Laptop 3415.00 P321 SL Printer 549.00 P341 SL 759.00 P351 SX 1175.00 Call for prices for any software Item not Included in this price list. Order desk & technical support open 8 a.m to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday (PST) P.O. BOX 1588 6934 Canby St.. Suite 1109-110 Reseda, CA 91335 Telex 291415COMPU UR/Fax 818 705-4885 1818 705-1895 US 1 800 231-6603 CA 1 800 328-4473 US Circle 59 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 115 CHAOS MANOR and there's still red. Turn off the moni- tor, and when you turn it back on, there won't be any red until you get out the Z-448 board. ... That seems an unduly complex start- up procedure, so I asked Zenith to swap monitors. I know that the FTM with the Vega board works, because Wayne Rash is using that setup and loves it. I have one of the very first FTMs Zenith ever made, and I suspect it has a flaky chip. I don't know anyone who ever had the kind of problem I have. The new monitor came this morning. It works fine with the Vega board. I sent the old one back; maybe Zenith can fig- ure this out. As for me, every now and then I find myself going "beedee, bee- dee, beedee. ..." VGA Paint Once I had the Vega board installed, I was able to play around with VGA Paint. As I'd expected, it's great. I'm no artist, but certainly VGA Paint lets you do all the things you expect in a paint program. A smooth function deliberately blurs sharp edges and lines. There's a zoom that lets you get right down to individual pixels and play with them. Some of the demonstrations are spec- tacular. Just for the heck of it, I got out my Datacam computer screen camera and took a couple of shots. The Datacam can use ordinary film or a special Polaroid 35mm slide film. Both give nice results when you use them to shoot stuff done with VGA Paint. It all looks especially nice when it's done on the FTM. The Vega board and the FTM are a winning combination. Standards change. The first IBM PC color board, CGA, was just too fuzzy; if you had to stare at screens of CGA text for long, you'd go blind. When EGA came out, it rapidly became the default business color standard because it is good enough; in fact, I'm writing this now using Q&A Write, a vanilla EGA board, and the Electrohome 19-inch color monitor to display white letters on a blue background. I don't mind it at all. Programmers, however, hate EGA be- cause the board and chip set were badly designed. You can't read the EGA regis- ters, meaning that you can't tell what state the silly thing is in, meaning that it's hard to write software that takes ad- vantage of all its capabilities and yet doesn't get confused. You can do fairly nice color work in EGA; RIX SoftWorks has an excellent paint program for it. However, EGA is nowhere near as nice as VGA. I've heard stories that even VGA isn't really good enough to be a standard. Of course, the question is, "Good enough for what?" By me, VGA is plenty good enough, especially the fast Vega board driving an FTM. My next step is to get Candy Cable to make me up a 15-pin-to-9-pin video cable so I can run my Electrohome 19- inch monitor off the Vega board. I expect it will be spectacular. Amiga 68020 Longtime readers will know I've some- times had problems with Amiga com- puters. Part of the difficulty is me: the Amiga is a powerful multitasking ma- chine, with a fairly complex operating system. Unlike the Macintosh, which is easy to use but limited in what it can do— you can learn almost all you ever will continued FIVE GOOD TO BUY A MOUSE-TRAK -~j Count them. With MOUSE-TRAK, 1 five fingers do all the work. Because ' it uses trackball technology, input and precision control is at your fingertips, not your elbow. With CAD, Desktop Publishing or Spreadsheet applications, MOUSE-TRAK is easier, faster, more relaxed and a lot more comfortable to use than ordinary input devices. MOUSE-TRAK OFFERS YOU OPTIONS speed control Multiple Interfacing MOUSE-TRAK is stationary. Only the highly 1 efficient trackball moves, eliminating tiresome arm and wrist movement. You can operate MOUSE-TRAK in your hand, even sit back with it on your knee. It plugs into your computer and needs no additional power supply. User definable input keys are in easier-to-use locations. The uniquely patented shape has been developed through rigorous ergonomic studies of hand "•--.,, sizes and finger geom etry. Made "•' - in the U.S., MOUSE-TRAK is already in use by the military in planes, subs and tanks. Engineers at IBM™, Texas Instruments™ and Motorola™ are also using MOUSE-TRAKS. MOUSE-TRAK carries a money back guarantee. If you don't like using MOUSE-TRAK within 30 days, we'll refund your money. And, if you do like it, we'll give you $10 '• for your old mouse. N MOUSE-TRAK ranges in price from $139-$189. Call us toll- free for the complete story on MOUSE- TRAK and the name of a dealer near you. Our new brochure is available upon request MOUSE-TRAK combines mouse inter- face technology with the convenience and precision of a tracking ball. There's no wasted motion or lime. 1-800-533-4822 (in Texas 214-494-3073) *4l, •Irak 3121 Benton Street. Garland. Texas 75042 USA. Telefax 2 14^94 ^f 1 59 IBM. Texas Instruments and Motorola are registered tratlemarks of their respective companies. MOUSE-TRAK is a registered trademark of ITAC Systems. Inc. 116 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 146 on Reader Service Card Mastering HyperTalk Keith Weiskamp & Namir Shammas An intermediate to advanced-level guide complete with numerous script examples, special tips and warnings, il- lustrations, and diagrams designed to reinforce concepts and make learning quick and easy. (1-61593-5) $24.95 The New DOS 4.0 Ken W. Christopher, Jr., Barry Feigenbaum & Shon O. Saiiga The design architects for IBM PC DOS Version 4.0 provide invaluable tips and techniques for getting the most out of this more powerful and versatile ver- sion. (1-50257-X) $22.95 i /sing the Newest Tools in Software Development Alan S. Fisher This essential new guide provides cut- ting edge information on every aspect of computer-aided software engi- neering. (1-63747-5) $24.95 When you go to work with your computer, sit down with the best. Wiley Computer Books give you incisive, on-target instruction, top authors, and a complete selection that covers the latest software, hardware, and applications. Get smart - with Wiley. • The PC Upgrader's Manual How to Build and Extend Your System Gilbert Held (1-63177-9) $1995 DOS Productivity Tips & Tricks Gilbert Held (1-60895-5) $22.95 IBM™ PS/2 A Business Perspective Revised Edition JimHoskins Includes all new models (1-62126-9) $19.95 R:BASE™ for DOS A Business User's Guide Susa Condliffe (1-60064-4) $21.95 Hard Disk Smarts Chris A. Bosshardt (1-63847-1) $21.95 Hands-On HyperCard™ Designing Your Own Applications Mimi Jones & Dave Myers Covers Version 1.2 (1-61513-7) $22.95 Applying Turbo Pascal® Library Units Narnir Shammas Compatible with Version 5.0 Wiley works for your computer. AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR CALL 800-526-5368 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158-0012 i In Canada: 22 Worcester Road, Rexdale, Ontario M9W 1 L1 Circle 271 on Reader Service Card 80286-12 ~f* COMPLETE Zi/MB EGA SYSTEM..* ZERO WAIT STATE MHz 1595. • 80286-12 (12/6) CPU • 512K (EXPANDABLE TO 640K, 1 MEG 2 MEG, 4 MEG ON THE CPU -EXT. OR EMS) •20MB HDD (ST-225) • 1.2 MB FDD • CONTROLLER (2 FDD, 2 HDD) • EGA CARD W/AUTO SWITCH • 14" EGA COLOR MONITOR W/TILT & SWIVEL BASE • SERIAL, PARALLEL PORT • CLOCK CALENDAR W/BATTERY BACKUP • TURBO SPEED 8. RESET BUTTON • 200W POWER SUPPLY • 101 ENHANCED KEYBOARD • 6-16 BIT, 2-8 BIT SLOTS • 80287 MATH SOCKET • OS/2 COMPATIBLE • NORTON V3 SI - TESTED 15.3 CHOICE OF CABINET *FUU (2TWx 16.5"Lx6"H) • COMPACT (14.5"W X 161 X 7"H) 12MHzZWSSYS 20 MB ST-225 (65MS) 40 MB ST-251 (40MS) 40 MB ST-251 -K28MS) 80 MB SM096 (28MS) EGA SYS $1595. $1760. $1860. $2050. VGA SYS w/MULTISCAN MONITOR $1860. $1995. $2095. $2285. CTTCiiq TURBO-XT MONO SYSTEM W/20MB HDD • 8088-2 8 MHz CPU W/640K RAM • 20MB HDD W/CONTROLLER • 360KB FLOPPY DISK DRIVE • MONO G CARD (720 X 348 RES) • 12" nL AMBER MONITOR • SERIAL, PARALLEL, CLOCK CALENDAR • 101 ENHANCED KEYBOARD • FRONT RESET SWITCH • POWER, TURBO LED 80386 • 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. You complete satisfaction Is our top priority. Any Suntfonlcs system may be relumed within 30 days from Ihe date of be as- new without modification or damage. All manuals and packaging must be Included. Return shipping must be prepaid and Insured bearing a RMA CALL FOR OTHER CONHGURATtONSI SUNTR0NICS, INC. Since 1976 VISA/MASTERCARD ACCEPTED 1-800-545-9777 I YEAR WARRANTY- PARTS A, LABOR ALL ITEMS IN STOCKI Prices sublocl to chango wllhout notice COD toqulros cosh. COMPUTER SYSTEM W/40MB HDD • 32 BIT 80386-16 (20 MHz OPTION) • 1 MEG RAM (SONS) •40MB HDD • 1.2MB FDD • 200W POWER SUPPLY W/DESKTOP CASE • MONO G CARD w/14" TTL FLAT MONITOR • SERIAL, PARALLEL, CLOCK CALENDAR • 32KB (4-8 SRAMs) CACHE MEMORY • 1-32 BIT (MEMORY), 5-16 BIT 8t 2-8 BIT SLOTS • RELOCATABLE EGA & BIOS TO RAM shipment (of refund less shipping charge. Items returned must (Return Material Authorization) on the shipping label. MAIN OFFICE (21 3) 644-1 1 40 12603 S. CRENSHAW BLVD. HAWTHORNE. CA 90250 M-F 8:30-5:30 ORANGE COUNTY (714) 538-0929 108 W. KATELLA AVE. ORANGE, CA 92667 M-F 10-6 SAT 10-5 CHAOS MANOR learn about using the Mac in a couple of days— the Amiga has lots of capabilities, and it deserves more time than I've been willing to give it. On the other hand, the machine is sometimes beastly slow, especially at disk access. Recently, some of that changed. Com- modore sent Andy Finkel ("afinkel" on BIX) out to update my Amiga 2000 and see that I got properly checked out on using it. I also invited the local Amiga guru, Joanne Dow ("jdo\v"), to come over so she'd know what Andy did in case I needed help after he left. The first thing Andy did was quite lit- erally jack up my hard disk drive and run a new machine under it. While we were at it, we looked for a place to put a Supra hard disk drive, but there just isn't room for two of them inside the Amiga 2000's case. The new Amiga has a 68020 proces- sor. It also has new ROMs with the ver- sion 1.3 operating system. Prior versions of AmigaDOS required you to boot up the machine with a Kickstart floppy disk, even if you had a hard disk drive in- stalled. No more. Now the Amiga boots up from the hard disk, just like any other computer. The next thing they did was save all the stuff from my hard disk and reformat it. There are new disk-access techniques that speed things up something wonder- ful. You no longer have time to grow a beard while the Amiga loads files. Then they did a lot of tricks with the start-up sequence. I don't understand most of them. It's not that I can 't under- stand, just that it will take time: the Amiga is a bit different from any other machine we have here. For example, to the Amiga, the command to get the disk directory is just another command file on the disk; before it can give you a direc- tory, the machine has to go get the direc- tory reading program and bring that into memory. Needless to say, that slows things a bit. However, with the new AmigaDOS, it's possible to make that directory com- mand a memory-resident program. DOS does this automatically— that is, a cer- tain number of DOS utilities like DIR are brought into memory and left there on start-up. AmigaDOS 1.3 will let you do the same thing, except that, unlike PC- DOS, AmigaDOS lets you choose which utilities you want in memory and which stay as disk files. Interlacing The normal video mode for an Amiga is 200 lines. Actually, the machine traces out 400 lines per frame, but lines 201-400 are identical to lines 1-200 and are put right on top of the previously painted set. There's another mode, called inter- lace, in which lines 201-400 are differ- ent from lines 1-200. Line 201 goes in between line 1 and line 2; 202 between 2 and 3, and so on. The result is higher res- olution. Alas, on the usual monitor, the image seems to jump up and down, and if you watch it long, you'll get a headache. You can make interlace mode usable for some programs by careful attention to colors and contrasts, but at its best it won't be all that easy to look at. The problem is that for good CAD pro- grams, you can use the higher resolution you get from interlace. One of the better programs, Intro CAD, doesn't even have a noninterlace mode. No matter what you continued 118 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 What's Your Excuse? Over the years, we've heard a lot of excuses. We thought it was time to set the record straight. The ten most used excuses for not buying FLASH The Disk Accelerator. 1. It won't work for me because I've got extended memory! 2. My machine runs fast as it is! 3. Installing TSR's is too complicated! 4. Disk Cache? 5. I got one from IBM free! 6. Disk caches won't speed up floppies; that's all my portable has! 7. They're all the same! 8. I've heard disk caches will blow up my drive! 9. I've already got one, why spend more money? 10. All of the above. FLASH is the hands down winner . . . A feature rich caching program with adjustable Cache sizes and support for extended memory. Still the best caching software for your money." - Winn L. Rosch, PC Magazine November 24 1987 - ME The ten best reasons for buying FLASH The Disk Accelerator. 1. LIGHTNING won't work for you but FLASH will! FLASH not only accesses AT extended memory but uses AT extended, EMS expanded and conventional memories separately or in any combination of the three. 2. This is one of the biggest misconceptions! The fact is, the faster your processor the more you need a disk cache. Your 386 system won't be running at top speed until FLASH is installed! 3. We take pride in how hard we work to make your work easier. FLASH comes equipped with an organized, easy to use, easy to understand manual and command language. Not to mention, a sensible menu installation and command help screen! 4. We want everyone to be familiar with the fantastic benefits of increased system speed. We encourage you to call us or see your local dealer for information! 5. You get what you pay for!! 6. The popularity of portable systems has our competition scrambling to create a program that does cache floppies. FLASH , however, has been there all along. In fact, FLASH will buffer a whopping 26 device driven drives! 7. Please, don't be misled. FLASH, because of it's wide range of options and superior speed, is guaranteed to be the fastest and most versatile cache on the market. PC Magazine seems to agree! 8. Most can, but FLASH won't! Its unmatched level of compatibility helps generate the safest information transfer available! 9. Why? Because it's well worth the price! We want you to find that out. And, the price can't be beat. If you already own a disk cache we'll sell you FLASH for just $19.95! Call for more details! 10. There aren't any reasons not to! Editor's Choice FLASH stands at the top of its class . . FLASH offers all the options of LIGHTNING and more." - Whitney Bolton, Byte Magazine April 1987 - "Better than several others ... a clean little program . . . impressive!" - Howard W Sams & Co. Publishing - FLASH The Disk Accelerator. from SOFTWARE MASTERS® SOFTWARE MASTERS Smart Products for Smart People $69.95 Software Masters Inc. Circle 262 on Reader Service Card Please call today 1-800-25 FLASH CACHE OWNER $ 19.95 or see your local dealer. 6352 North Guilford Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46220 (317) 253-8088 DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 119 business Since 1980 CW Marketim DATA BASE MANAGEMENT Clipper $405 dBase IV Call dBase IV LAN Call DB-XL Diamond 107 Eureka Call Genifer 188 Nutshell 123 Paradox 2.0 Call PFS: Professional File 119 Q&A 185 Q& A Write 105 Rapid File 182 Revelation 463 R:BaseForDOS 425 Reflex Call VP Expert 115 VPInfo 56 PROJECT MANAGEMENT Harvard Total Project Mgr. Ill . . $349 Microsoft Project 4.0 279 Timeline 2.0 259 WORD PROCESSORS Easy Extra $53 Word (Microsoft) 179 Multimate Advantage II 259 PFS: Professional Write 102 Volkswnter3 132 Volkswriter Deluxe Plus 63 Webster New World Writer 53 Webster Pro Spell Checker 32 Webster Thesaurus 37 Word Perfect 5.0 219 Word Perfect Executive 117 Word Perfect Library 58 Wordstar Pro Pack 4.0 Call Wordstar 2000 Plus 3.0 Call DESKTOP PUBLISHING Newsmasterll $38 Pagemaker 489 PFS: First Publisher 65 Ventura Publishing 469 SOFTWARE GRAPHICS Energraphics $199 Freelance Plus 289 Generic CAD w/Dot Plot 3.0 ... 72 Harvard Graphics 2.1 249 In-A-Vision 260 Microsoft Chart 3.0 223 News Room 30 News Room Professional 42 PrintmasterPlus 28 PrintShop 32 Turbo Graphix Tool Box 58 VPGraphix 56 Windows Draw!! 165 MICE PCMousellw/Paint (Buss or Serial) $82 PC Mouse II w/Autosketch(BussorSerial) 99 Microsoft Buss Mouse 1 .0 89 Microsoft Serial Mouse 1.0 89 MS Buss Mouse w/CADD 104 MS Serial Mouse w/CADD ....104 MS Buss Mouse w/Windows ..119 MS Serial Mouse w/Windows 119 Optimouse (PC Mouse) w/Dr. Halo III 78 INTEGRATIVE SOFTWARE Ability Plus $137 Enable 2.0 352 Framework III 419 MS Works 76 PFS: 1st Choice 76 Smart Software System 395 Symphony 409 ACCOUNTING ACCPAC Easy $53 Bedford Accounting 139 ACC PAC BPI Call DAC Easy Accounting 53 DAC Easy Payroll 53 In-House Accountant 103 One Write Plus 2.0 117 One Write A/R. A/P, Payroll .... 117 Time Slips III 108 UTILITIES 1 DIRPIus $46 Bookmark 56 Brooklyn Bridge 69 Carousel 2.0 43 Copy II PC 18 Copywrite 40 Corefast B5 Cruise Control 29 DiskOptimizer4,0 37 Disk Technician 56 Double DOS 4.0 37 DSBack-UpPlus 45 Fastback 75 FastbackPlus Call Keyworks 53 Laplink 69 Mace Utilities 47 Microsoft Windows 286 54 Norton Commander 43 Norton Editor 35 Norton Utilities 4.0 46 Note It Plus 45 PC Tools Deluxe 36 Printworks for Lasers 67 Referee 38 Sidekick Plus 125 Sideways 37 Smart Notes 43 SQZPIus 53 Superkey 58 Unlock D Plus 52 Unlock Masterkey 99 XTree Professional 61 ACCESSORIES Copy II Option Board Deluxe ..$99 Masterpiece 79 Masterpiece Plus 92 Masterpiece Remote 107 MousePad by Mousetrac 9 Summasketch 12 < 12 Plus .... 365 NOVELL ANW/286w/KeyCard $1710 SFTNW286w/Key 2975 SFT/286LVLIw/KeyCard ...1899 All Others Call B LANGUAGES Basic Compiler (Microsoft) . . .$167 C Compiler (Microsoft) 254 Cobol Compiler (Microsoft) ...508 Fortran Compiler (Microsoft) 4.1 254 Lattice C Compiler 209 Macro Assembler (Microsoft) . . .84 Pascal Compiler (Microsoft) ... 170 Quick Basic 4.0 56 QuickC 56 Ryan McFarlan Fortran 375 Ryan McFarlan Cobol 579 Turbo Basic Call Turbo C Call Turbo Pascal 4.0 Call Turbo Prolog Call Turbo Prolog Toolbox Call TRAINING Chuck Yeager Adv Flight Simulator $25 LetsC 38 Mavis Beacon Typing 28 MS Learning DOS 29 MS Flight Simulator 29 PC Logo 79 Turbo Tutor4.0 42 Typing Instructor Encore 25 Typing Tutor IV 27 SPREADSHEETS Cambridge Analyst $80 4 Word 55 HAL 89 Lotus 1-2-3 Ver. 2.01 285 Lotus Manuscript 289 Lotus Report Writer 57 MS Excel 269 Multiplan 4.0 (Microsoft) 110 PFS Professional Plan 51 Quattro 140 Supercalc4 278 Twin Classic 32 VP Planner 47 VP Planner Plus 112 m visa mmc MICROCOMPUTER MARKETING COUNCIL • No Charge lor VISA and MasterCard. ■ We Do Not Charge Your Card Unlil Your Order is Shipped. • You Pay the Ground Shipping S6.00 (except Alaska and Hawaii) We Pay the Air Diflerence. ■ Free Air applies ONLY to orders op to 10 lbs. 8 Over S100 1-10 lbs. S6.00: 11-20 lbs. S10. • Add5°oforC.O.D Orders. All products carry only manufacturer's warranties We do not honor guarantees, rebates, trial period privileges or promotional programs offered by manufacturers. No AP0. FP0, or international orders, please. Call belore submitting P.O.'s. Ask lor National Accounts. Personal and Company Checks Will delay Shipping 3 weeks. Prices. Terms & Availability Subject to Change Without Notice #&m&^iw::, Exclusive Offer! Get Your Hands on A $1500 Rebate (See Back For Details) PC Mouse II® . . . 2000 cpi The Next Generation PC Mouse II advances the standard in precision pointing devices for PC's to a new level. This high-end optical mouse has a new ergonomically designed two-button case and comes from Ultra-Res 2000®, variable resolution software from 20 to 2000 cpi with nine different speed settings for fast and accurate operation. PC Mouse II is 100% Microsoft compatible. Get The Next Generation Mouse with either PC Paint Plus® and Designer Pop-up® Menu software, or bundled with Autosketch at a slightly higher price. PC Mouse II is available in either serial or bus versions. Technologies, Inc. the New Mouse Systems 47505 Seabridge Drive ■ Fremont, California 94538 (415) 656-1117 $ Exclusive Offer! Get Your Hands on A 1500 Rebate (See Back For Details) Exclusive Offer! f 15.00 Rebate When You Purchase Your PC Mouse II® from M M IWf M Send this rebate coupon along with a copy of your Telemart invoice to MSC Technologies, Inc. at the address below and claim your $15.00 cash rebate. the New Mouse Systems 47505 Seabridge Drive ■ Fremont, California 94538 Technologies, Inc. (415) 656-1117 Name Address City State Zip Offer Expires March 31, 1989 Exclusive Offer! f s15.00 Rebate When You Purchase Your PC Mouse II® from Send this rebate coupon along with a copy of your Telemart invoice to MSC Technologies, Inc. at the address below and claim your $15.00 cash rebate. the New Mouse Systems 47505 Seabridge Drive ■ Fremont, California 94538 Technologies, Inc. (415) 656-1117 Name Address . City State Zip Offer Expires March 31, 1989 ORDER LINE • 28-1054 PRINTERS Alps Allegro $345 ALQ224E 599 ALQ318 575 ALQ324E 749 2418 885 2424 955 Other Models Call AST Turbo Lazer 3639 Citizen Printers 120D 149 180D 165 MSP 40 299 MSP 45 395 MSP 50 329 MSP 55 465 Premier 35 505 Tribute 124 Call Diconix 150 309 300 485 Epson Printers Call Hewlett-Packard DeskJet 719 Lazer Jet Series II 1805 PaintJet 1090 NEC P2200 350 P5200 515 P5300 679 Other Models Call Okidata 320 330 390 459 Lazerline6 1325 Panasonic 1080 1 M2 165 1091 IM2 189 3131 305 3151 475 Lazer 4450 1635 StarMicronics Call Toshiba 321 SL 489 341 SL 665 351 SX 939 Page Lazer 2415 HARDWARE DISK DRIVES Bernoulli Box 10 Meg $889 20 Meg 1245 40 Meg 1559 Beta Ext20 Meg 1005 Beta Int 20 Meg 789 Seagate 20 MG w/WD Controller 275 251-1 40 Meg AT 455 AT40MEG251 375 Other Models Call Teac 1.2 MEG AT 89 Floppy F55BV 79 Toshiba 3.5Dr720K 89 3.5DM.4MG 99 HARD CARDS PIUS20MG $519 Plus40MG 659 KEYBOARDS Keytronics KB5151 $119 KB5153 150 KB101 - 85 MONITORS Amdek 410 $130 432 149 V210A 80 NEC Multisync II $595 Multisync Plus 899 Multisync XL 2065 Monographic System 1289 Other Models Call Princeton Ultrasync 515 Samsung Call Sony Mulhscan(1303) 535 Mitsubishi Diamond Scan 499 Zenith 1490 605 BOARDS AST HotShot $345 Six Pack Plus US' Xformer 579 Other Models Call ATI EGA Wonder 220 VIP 260 Hercules ColorCard 145 Graphics Card Plus 170 Incolor 199 Intel Inboard 386 PC 760 Inboard 386 AT w/cable 1025 4020Aboveboard 369 80287-6 155 80287-16 345 Orchid Designer VGA 299 Tiny Turbo 259 Twin Turbo 359 VGA 199 Paradise Autoswitch350 155 VGA+ 259 VGA Professional 380 Video-7 FastwriteVGA 355 VGA 265 Vega Deluxe 199 V-RAM 469 NOVELL Altec Passive Hub $29 AQUILA 8 Port Active Hub ....279 AQUILAArcnetCard 99 SMCHOArcnet 129 AHOthers Call TERMINALS Wyse 30 $285 50 369 85 439 FREE AIR EXPRESS SHIPPING You Pay the Ground Shipping , We Pay The Air Difference C0MP0TERS AST Model 80 $1440 Model 140 2685 Model 340 3999 Model 390 5409 Other Models Call NEC MultispeedELII 1479 Toshiba T-1000 785 T-1200F 1370 T-1200FB 1569 T-1200H 2285 T-1200HB 2415 T-3200 3785 T-5100 4895 Zenith Supersport/2 1655 Supersport20MG 2479 Supersport 286/Model 2 . . . . 3445 MODEMS Hayes 1200 $275 1200B 259 2400B 399 Prometheus 1200Bw/Soltware 70 2400Bw/Software 125 Other Models Call US Robotics Password 1200 150 Courier 2400 289 Courier2400E 335 HST9600 635 ■ Order Processing (602) 944-1037 10:00 a m. -3:00 pm, Mon.-Fri. ■ To Place an Order: 1-800-528-1054 • To Follow Up on an Order: (602) 944-1037 • Order Line Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. -6:00 p.m. Saturday 9:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. • We Do Not Guarantee Machine Compatibility Mailing Address: 8804 N. 23rd Avenue • Phoenix, Arizona 85021 ORDER LINE 1-800-528-1054 ::::'v::P!^^^:^^^^^^'.^^^^s.^?:^^#hj?: \{m.-bpieH. W# BfiOEMBE$:!S88.o:#;V:£$ CHAOS MANOR do, trying to use the program with an or- dinary monitor is nearly impossible; after a while, the flicker will drive you nuts. However, if you're willing to spend the money, there's an elegant remedy. The Amiga has built-in video and stereo output, but there's also a video slot that can accommodate a third-party video board. Joanne Dow brought over the most popular one, a board called Flicker Fixer from MicroWay. Flicker Fixer out- puts analog color at 3 1 kHz, and thus will play to most multiple-frequency moni- tors. In particular, it works with the NEC MultiSync monitor, and spectacu- larly well with the FTM. (We had no problem with red, even on my flaky old FTM.) The result is gorgeous. Make Your Own Movies One of the standard programs for the Amiga is Deluxe Paint II from Electronic Arts . At least one version of Deluxe Paint 6» sort aoo%f<^s, t&F CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-828-6107 has been around since the early days of the Amiga, and indeed, the program helped make the machine popular. Now there's Deluxe Productions, which lets you take pictures drawn with Deluxe Paint II (or, for that matter, pictures taken from any other source, including scanned-in pictures, provided only that they're stored in the Amiga standard image data format) and mix them. You can also mix in images from a VCR. The results can be rather spectacular. Bring in, say, a map of the U.S.; overlay that with clouds and lightning; move the clouds across the map as the lightning flashes; bring in other weather fronts and move those; add titles and text boxes; and so forth. You can do an illustrated weather show that your local TV station would be proud of. Deluxe Productions is quite easy to use, in the sense that it won't take an hour to learn how to do what I described above. It might take a lot longer than that to get it right , but that's a matter of artis- tic talent, not understanding the pro- gram. There is a learning curve, but much of what you must do is intuitive, and the rest is fairly simple to remember. Deluxe Productions is capable of a kind of animation. It has a dozen ways to wipe images on and off. ( "Wipe" is the term used to describe the way the image appears: does it start at the upper left corner and wipe itself on down to lower right? Or perhaps start in the middle and sort of spiral on?) You can bring in vari- ous objects, move them, and control how long they move and how long they pause. Wipe in a new background picture. Bring in more objects. Edit all the scenes that you've created. There are a bunch of other features, all described in a thick manual that for once has lots of examples and is easy to read. I don't create ads, but if I did, I'd want a capability like this. It's sure great for just noodling around with images. The manual says you need an Amiga with at least 1 megabyte of RAM. More memory helps; so does a hard disk drive. The manual also says you need Kickstart 1.2. We found that the program works fine with the 68020 machine running AmigaDOS1.3. Coining Attractions The Deluxe Productions manual informs you that the program uses all the "chip RAM" it can get, and it warns you to close all extraneous windows before you use it. Chip RAM is peculiar to the Amiga: the special Amiga chip set has 512K bytes of very fast "video RAM" continued 122 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 285 on Reader Service Card ^ STOP and Compare Our Quality and Prices Our Standards Are Their Options IEEE 12 MHz 286 IEEE 16 MHz 286 EGA Color System $1850 EGA Color System $2250 •Samsung 14" EGA Color Monitor* 12 • Running at 21 MHz • 0 Wait: State MHz PC-AT Computer • Baby AT Case • Samsung 14" EGA Color Monitor with Key Lock, Turbo, Power and Hard 1 ^MM| • 16 MHz PC-AT Computer • Baby AT Drive LEDs • Everex Enhanced Auto HRJKfi.1 l ?Tase,™th K^ L°ck>Jurbo' *™er an^ Switch EGA Card 640 x 480 • Intel 80286 - 1 I ■ "atrd ?™ LE£S a ^T£n S ^nn.w ... ,,,0/,n,m,„ ~ HE** lilaRi? ■ ' Auto Switch EGA Card 640 x 480 CPU.Multi-speed6/8/W12MHz.Key- | fj 0 § . Intel 80286 CPU • Multi-speed 8/16 romcs 101 Enhanced Keyboard • 640k j ," __J MHz • Landmark Test of 21 MHz Memory Expandable to 1 Meg«200Watt Bk===» -, , Keytronics m Enhanccd Keyboard Power Supply • Seagate Model SI 23 1 ^^m,-~.-—~-^ . 1 Meg Memory Expandable to 8 Meg 42+ Meg Hard Disk Drive • 5Vi ' 1.2 Meg *jos» i~~ -.^ i H on the Motherboard • 200 Watt Power Floppy Drive • Western Digital 2 Hard ' ' M Supply • Seagate Model ST251 42+ Disk and 2 Floppy Controller with ■*' ■ i iuibm t ■ iai K Meg Hard Disk Drive • SVi" 1.2 Meg Cables • Serial / Parallel & Game | ! 't ! '"V ',',', if; Floppy Drive •Western Digital 2 Hard Port • Complete Operations Manual ' ',' '\' .'.'j [\\ \ \ Disk and 2 Floppy Controller with Cables • 80287 Math Co-Processor Slot • One p ' % • Serial /Parallel & Game Port •Corn- Year Warranty ooc ie Mu7 n Wait State plete °Perations Manual • 80287 Math J ASb 7 G MHZ V Wail HXaie Co-Processor Slot • One Year Warranty With EGA Multisync (Analog) $1 950 Running at 21.0 MHZ ^ £GA ^^ (Ana|og) £235() With Monochrome + 40 Meg (ST-251) .... $1 450 With Monochrome + 40 Meg (ST-251) .... $1 850 With Monochrome + 20 Meg (ST-225) .... $1 350 With Monochrome + 20 Meg (ST-225) .... $1 750 IEEE 20 MHz 386 EGA Color System $2995 • Samsung 14" EGA Color Monitor • 20 MHz 0 Wait State Computer • Everex Enhanced Auto Switch EGA Card 640 x 480 • AT Case with Key Lock, Turbo, Power and Hard Drive LEDs (Tower Case available, see below) • Intel 386-20 CPU (not a 386-16) • Keytronics 101 Enhanced Keyboard • 1 Meg Memory • 220 Watt Power Supply • Seagate Model ST251 42+ Meg Hard Disk Drive • 5lA" 1.2 Meg Floppy Drive • Western Digital 2 Hard Disk and 2 Floppy Controller with Cables • Serial / Parallel & Game Ports • Math Co-Processor Slot • Complete Operations Manual • One Year Warranty 386-20 MHz EGA Tower Case 40 Meg (ST-251) $31 95 386-20 MHz EGA Multisync (Analog) 40 Meg (ST-251) $3295 386-20 Mhz EGA Tower Case 80 Meg (ST-4096 28 ms) $3495 386-20 MHz EGA Multisync Tower Case (Analog) 80 Meg (ST-4096 28 ms) $3595 a All Systems Also Available with VGA &',* T° Order, Call: y 1-214-931-3777 Jeee, inC. 17120 Dallas Parkway Suite 212 •Dallas, Texas 75248 TERMS: One Year Warranty (12 months parts / 12 months labor). 30 day money-back guarantee (excluding shipping charge). We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover (add 3% for credit cards), cashier's check, money order, wire transfer and personal checks (personal checks, please allow 10 working days to clear). Shipping and insurance extra. Prices and availability subject to change without notice. IEEE reserves the right to subsu'tute equivalent or better products. No COD'saccepted. 15% restock- ing feeon unauthorized returns. IBM XT/ AT are trademarksof IBM Corporation. HOURS: (Central Time)9a.m. to 7 p.m. MondaythroughFriday,9a.m.to5 p.m. Saturday. MEMBER DALLAS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Circle 137 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 123 CHAOS MANOR built into the system. (There is also "fast RAM," which corresponds to "mother- board RAM" on an IBM PC.) Chip RAM controls the Amiga's screen images. Programs can get into trouble if you have left a lot of screen windows open and the program needs more chip RAM than is available. By the time you read this, Commodore will have upgraded the Amiga: there will be an optional new chip that contains a full megabyte of chip RAM, enough that no program should have any problems. The PC Side The Amiga 2000 was designed to com- pete with the IBM PC. The notion was that the PC is boring; the average banker or businessperson would really prefer an exciting computer like the Amiga but un- fortunately has no choice because the work must be done. Enter the Amiga 2000, which has an IBM PC built into it. This was no bad marketing notion, but it wasn't carried out very well. For one thing, there's no real attempt to marry the Amiga capability to the PC side. As far as graphics are concerned, the Amiga side of the system might as well not exist. Another problem is that the PC side is ab- solutely and completely vanilla— a slow, cumbersome, and rather boring ma- chine; the rest of the world has moved on to PC AT technology. Worse, most avail- able speedup boards that convert a va- nilla PC into an AT don't work on the Amiga 2000, which isn't quite 100 per- cent PCompatible. It's pretty close to 100 percent, how- ever. The standard test programs, like Flight Simulator, work well enough. So do most DOS utilities, like Norton Util- ities and Norton Commander. We were even able to get the LAN- tastic local-area network running. (You have to set the LANtastic board to use in- terrupt request 5, but that's no problem.) As a result, you can access CD-ROM and WORM (write once, read many times) drives through the network, making the PC side of the Amiga a great deal more useful. You can also use LANtastic to ac- cess the PC side of the Amiga from your remote PC or AT. The Amiga itself is a fascinating ma- chine, the sort of thing most BYTE read- ers always wanted, especially back in the early days when all we really wanted from our machines was a bit of fun. It's the greatest games machine in existence. (Wait until you see Rocket Man. Also, about the time you read this, Dungeon Master will be available for the Amiga.) The Amiga also has enormous poten- tial for education. It's cheaper than a Mac II, and powerful enough for nearly anything you'd want in a classroom. Unfortunately, there isn't much busi- ness software for the Amiga side of the 2000, and while the Amiga in the hands of an expert can do things few PCs will ever do, it takes, if not an expert, at least someone very dedicated to learning the machine to get serious work out of it. There are still bugs, and AmigaDOS, while powerful, has some odd quirks. Commodore is making progress. The 68020 Amiga with AmigaDOS 1.3 is a giant step in the right direction. Scanning, Faxing, and Printing The Amiga doesn't have much business software, but the Mac II certainly does. It's got other stuff, too. We recently got an upgrade for the LaserWriter. Plugging it in is no prob- continued $> sv-1 SONY Quality The perfect solution for upgrading your existing PC/XT/ AT to "State Of The Art" 3.5" floppy disk technology! The Model 853W(720K) and Model 873W (1.44MB/720K) 3.5" drives are "drop-in" replacements for 5.25" drives! Disk format is fully compatible with popular Laptops (IBM, Toshiba, Zenith, etc.) and the new IBM PS/2 models. Both units come com- pletely assembled and contain everything that you need, including Premium SONY drive, interface adapters, soft- ware device drivers and complete documentation. These drives utilize your existing controller so no additional slots are required (1.44MB requires AT class controller or spe- cial PC/XT High-Density Controller available from Tiger- tronics). Available with gray or black bezel (specify). Model 853W (720K) $129.95 Tig] Ertran/cs INCORPORA TED 400 Daily Lane • P.O. Box 5210 Grants Pass, Oregon 97527 Model 873W (1.44MB) $159.95 IMMEDIATE DELIVERY! Call 503 474-6700 or 503 474-6701 FAX 503 474-6703 A Message To Our Subscribers FROM TIME TO TIME WE MAKE THE BYTE subscriber list available to other companies who wish to send our subscribers material about their pro- ducts. We take great care to screen these companies, choosing only those who are reputable, and whose pro- ducts, services, or information we feel would be of in- terest to you. Direct mail is an efficient medium for pre- senting the latest personal computer goods and services to our subscribers. Many BYTE subscribers appreciate this controlled use of our mailing list, and look forward to finding infor- mation of interest to them in the mail. Used are our subscribers' names and addresses only (no other information we may have is ever given). While we believe the distribution of this information is of benefit to our subscribers, we firmly respect the wishes of any subscriber who does not want to receive such pro- motional literature. Should you wish to restrict the use of your name, simply send your request to the follow- ing address. Kir 1 1 Magazine Attn: Subscriber Service P.O. Box 7643 Teaneck, NJ 07666-9866 U 124 BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 Circle 287 on Reader Service Card Pick your printer problem and we'll show you a solution. Check off your biggest frustrations with your printer, and we'll tell you about a state-of-the-art remedy from AEG Olympia. □ Poor quality print: Never send out a shoddy or unreadable document again. Let us show you what first class printing looks like on everything from a daisywheel to our Laserstar 6. □ Too slow: How does 240 cps on a 24-pin dot matrix sound to you? Or a laser printer that goes almost twice as fast? □ Hard to operate: We have 8 different models with simplified front-panel controls. Easy to learn. Easy to run. D Clumsy paper handling: Too hard to switch between fanfold and single-sheet feed? How about a machine with Paper Parking that you don't have to switch at all? D Limited compatibility: Our printers can make just about any PC look good, from IBMs to Apples, and they'll run on all popu- lar software programs. □ Too noisy: Shut your eyes, and you can't tell whether our Laserstar 6 is on or not. □ Not enough fonts: We have 24-pin dot matrix models with 4 resident fonts, our Laserstar 6 has 9, and for each you can get additional plug-in font cards. □ Too expensive: If you want price/value, look at our best selling dot matrix model NP30. □ No support: Part of our "product" is our nation- wide dealer network. If you have questions about any AEG Olympia printer, the answers are only a phone call away. Tear out this page and mail it with your name and address to AEG Olympia, Dept. ADV, Box 22, Somerville, NJ 08876-0022. Or if you're in a hurry, call us at 1-800-999-6872. It's the first step to making your problems go away. Name Title Telephone Company Address City State Zip 985 AEG OLYMPIA Circle 7 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 125 Circle 223 on Reader Service Card MMMMM&Bim CHAOS MANOR helps save time, money, and cut frustrations. Compare, evaluate, and find products. FREE Magazine! And newsletter by respected industry opinion leader Bruce Lynch! Keep up with industry trends and events. Learn about intriguing new products and technologies. Get the informed opinion of development experts on programming strategy. 1 year (6 issues) of Programmer's Update PLUS periodic issues of The Programmer's Letter for only $50! Call for your FREE sample issue of each! Mention BYC88. New Discovery D the data taaaaag* by Caltex Software, Inc. 4GL relational data management system. 3-step data manipulation (isolate, arrange, report). Extensive file import /export. Unlimited number of data files per database. Example database online. $395 Assemblers Debuggers j MS Macro Asm Turbo Assembler/Debugger Visible Computer 80286 List Ours 150 105 Periscope II - breakout switch 150 105 Periscope III - 10 MHz version 100 89 List Ours 175 139 1395 1129 C Language - Compilers AZTEC C86 - Commercial High C-286 - by MetaWare Lattice C - V3.3 Microsoft C 5.1 - w/CodeView Microsoft QuickC Turbo C - by Borland Watcom C6.5 - highly optimized Dbase & Tools CLEAR for dBASE Clipper Summer '87 dBASE IV dBRIEF w/BRIEF dBug - source debugger Documentor DBLX Interpreter FoxBASE + - V2.1 FoxTool Box Genifer - code generator R&R Relational Report R&R Clipper & FoxBASE Quicksilver Diamond UI Programmer 499 595 450 450 99 150 295 100 695 795 275 195 295 199 395 295 395 149 55 599 295 Editors BRIEF Call Edix Call Epsilon - like EMACS 289 KED1T - like XEDIT, V.4 299 Personal Rexx 69 ME Macro Editor ■ Source 105 MKS VI 269 PC/EDT - macros SPF/PC - V2.0 Vedit Plus Text Screen C Worthy w/forms with source Curses - by Aspen Scientif 239 Greenleaf DataWindows 149 PowerScreens - by Blaise 259 Vitamin C - source, menus 279 Windows for Data 259 139 Note: Mention this ad. Some prices are specials. Ask about 45 COD and POs. Formats 3" laptop now available, plus 200 369 others. UPS surface shipping add $3/per normal item. All prices 249 subject to change without notice. 195 Cal 195 159 195 159 150 129 125 109 189 159 149 129 295 269 245 189 185 139 295 Cal 295 Cal 119 109 295 219 129 99 225 169 295 265 Established 1983. We carry over 1,100 different products. Call today for complete technical information and advice, our catabg, literature, and solid value. Hmk.iKhi S-B Pond Park Road , MA 02043 0-442-8070 r 617-7402510 10/88 Telex: 671-5348 FAX: 749-2018 800-421-8006 HOURS: MF8:30 ■ 8:00 Sal: 10:00 - 4:00 UTAH For IBM® PC's, XT's, AT's and other DOS machines. Needs only 1 disk drive and 128K memory. This is the one you've heard so much about - with fast compile times, small object code modules, not copy protected, no royalties, and clear error messages. Version 5.0 is based upon ANSI-74 standards with new dynamite features including: • Nested IF's and nested conditions. • Indexed files (ISAM) with up to 24 keys (includes START verb). This advanced feature requires the software package Btrieve® which is optionally available. • ACCEPT (line, column) numerics with decimal point alignment, numeric checking, AUTO-SKIP, SECURITY, LENGTH-CHECK, EMPTY-CHECK, ATTRIBUTE (color), FROM ES- CAPE KEY, DAY, DATE, TIME, DAY-OF-WEEK. • Fast memory mapped DISPLAY'S (line, column) ERASE, BEEP, ATTRIBUTE (color). Can display entire screen with one DISPLAY statement. • Windowing, pop-ups, color and overlays. This advanced feature requires the software package Saywhat?!™ which is optionally available. • An easy to use, COBOL source code EDITOR with auto line numbering, A-margin, B-margin tabing with full screen cursor control. Also available: Utah SuperSort®, a fast sort program callable from Utah COBOL; Utah FORTRAN; Utah BASIC; Utah PASCAL; Utah PILOT. Used by 50,000 professionals, students and teachers in 40 countries. 30-day money back guarantee. Discover the ease and simplicity of COBOL, today! Phone order rushed by UPS 2nd Day Air: (702) 827-3030 Since 1977 Ellis Computing, Inc. 5655 Riggins Court, Suite 10 Reno, Nevada 89502 IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines, Inc. Btrieve is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc. Saywhat?! is a trademark of The Research Group. SuperSort is a registered trademark of Micropro International Corporation. Utah COBOL is a trademark of Ellis Computing, inc. © 1987 Ellis Computing, Inc. lem, or at least it isn't for ordinary estab- lishments. My LaserWriter sits on a low shelf below the Hewlett-Packard Laser- Jet in the printer corner of the office; get- ting at that sucker in order to change boards isn't easy. It's especially hard just now, since every rolling test stand and table seems to be covered with machin- ery. They're all in this together, I tell you. Anyway, eventually we cleared off a test stand so we could work on the Laser- Writer. After that, upgrading it to NTX II status was a snap: loosen two screws, pull out the old smarts board, and insert the new one. Whole operation took about a minute. Of course, it took another 10 minutes to get the upgraded LaserWriter back where it belongs and connect all the cables, but that's not the machine's fault. (Actually, it is Apple's fault: not that the LaserWriter is large and heavy, but that the silly little cables are small, delicate, and a bear to connect properly.) Once that was done, we could connect up the Apple scanner. That turns out to be easy: it's a small-computer-system- interface device, so all you have to do is select a unique number for it and connect the cable. Naturally, the cable Apple supplied is just too short to let me put the scanner in the most convenient place, but why did I expect anything else? Using the scanner seems to be easy enough. There are a lot of fine points I haven't picked up, but in general the Macintosh philosophy has been fol- lowed: the way to do something is gener- ally obvious, and if you noodle around with menus to see what various options do, you'll learn quickly enough. There's also quite a nice tutorial. Once an image has been scanned in, you can diddle with it a bit, then save it. The software recognizes two save for- mats—a PICT format, which can print to PostScript printers, and a MacPaint for- mat. The MacPaint image can't be big- ger than 8 by 10 inches. The AppleScan software can read only PICT files. When you have your image in mem- ory—it will be a big file, and you'll much appreciate having Priam's 330-megabyte MacDisk if you're going to save many images— you can print it on the Laser- Writer II, or send it by facsimile if you have an AppleFax board. You can also accept an incoming fax to be printed on the LaserWriter or stored on disk. We've got AppleFax, but what with all the other activity around here, it never got in- stalled. Next week for sure. I have no doubt it works. Apple equipment isn't cheap, espe- continued 126 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 99 on Reader Service Card Order Status, Technical & Other Info. (602)246-2222 FAX #(602) 246-7805 Call for programs not listed UflREHOUSES^m products MICROSOFT PC Excel SPECIAL $250 Call on all Microsoft Mouses TOLL-FREE ORDER LINE 1-800-421-3135 Holiday SPECIALS Complete Epson Equity I Plus w/Printer $1249 Complete Epson Equity II Plus wl Printer 2369 Complete AT&T 6386 WGS w/Printer 2795 -SOFTWARE- Accounting Dae Easy Acct. 3.0 Low Price Dae Easy Light S39 Dae Easy Payroll Low Price Dollars & Sense 94 In House Acct 112 Managing Your Money 4.0 117 Communication Programs Brooklyn Bridge Universal S75 Carbon Copy Plus 108 Crosstalk XVI 92 Crosstalk MK4 110 Flying Dutchman 64 PC Anywhere III 65 Data Base Managers 325 DataPerfect DBase til Plus Low Price 375 115 Fox Base Plus 2.1 194 189 Paradox 2.0 Premium . . PFS: Pro File 435 Call . ... 1 69 Q&A3.0 Call Quicksilver Diamond . . . Revelation Advanced . . R Base For DOS 329 485 425 90 112 VPInto 63 Desktop Publishing Pagemaker Ver. 3.0 $475 PFS: First Publisher 2.0 73 Ventura Publisher Call Graphics Boeing Graphics Chartmaster Design Cad 2D & 3D Diagram Master Easy Cad Generic Cad In-A-Vision Microsoft Chart 3.0 Newsroom Pro Printshop Languages Lattice C Compiler $220 Microsoft C Compiler Ver. 5.0 Call Microsoft Fortran Ver. 4.1 260 Microsoft Macro Assembler Ver. 5.1 84 $200 .199 .148 .199 ..109 ...49 .270 .225 ...65 ...33 Integrated Ability Plus S145 Enable 352 Microsoft Works 108 PFS 1st Choice 79 Smart System 380 Symphony 465 Multi-User Software Fox Base - S299 Microsolt Word 205 Word Perlect 5.0 355 Word Perlect Modules ea 79 Project Manager Microsoft Project $299 Super Project Plus 255 Timeline 3.0 323 Harvard Total Project Mgr 355 1 Utilities Core Fast 75 Copy II PC $19 Copywrite 39 Cubit 39 Desgview 2.01 72 Direct Access 49 Eureka 99 Fastback Plus Call Formtools 56 Graph in the Box 2 Call Mace 55 Microsoft Windows 286 Ver. 2.1 .... 55 Norton Advanced 75 Norton Utilities 48 PC Tools Deluxe 37 Prokey 4.0 70 Q DOS II 49 Rightwriter 75 Sidekick Plus 115 Sideways 39 SQZ Plus 55 Superkey 59 Lightning 79 XTree 35 ] Languages ..$176 Microsoft Quick Basic 4.0 59 Microsoft QuickC ...Call Ryan McFarlan Fortran . ... 390 Ryan McFarlan Cobol ...612 Turbo Basic ...Call Turbo C 2.0 ...Call Turbo Pascal . . . Call Turbo Prolog 2.0 90 Word Processing Microsoft Word 4.0 S185 Multimate Advantage II 285 QandAWrite 110 Webster Spellcheck 37 Word Perfect Ver. 5.0 Call Word Perfect Executive 124 Word Perfect Library 2.0 65 Wordstar Pro 5.0 239 Wordstar 2000 + 229 Spreadsheet Lotus 1-2-3 Microsolt PC Excel $295 1 250 1 ...143 1 ... 329 1 Plan Perfect Call 1 ...117 1 -HARDWARE- Accessories Copy II PC Deluxe Bd $101 Curtis Ruby t 69 Logical Connection 429 Mach III Joystick 36 Masterpiece 85 Masterpiece + 95 150 Walt Power Supply 69 AST B°ardS Rampage/2 Rampage 286 W/512K SixpacPlusw/64K Call $399 ...129 All Other AST Products .Call EVEREX 2MB Above PC/XT w/o Mem . .... 79 3MB Above AT w/o Mem .... 89 ORCHID Ram Quest Extra PS/2 ..Call INTEL Above 286 W/512K ... 344 J-Ram/J-Laser Call Orchid Tiny Turbo .289 COMPUTERS EVEREX 286, 10MHz, 0 Wait $1149 286, 10MHz, 1 Wait ... 999 286, 12.5MHz, 0 Wait .1349 ACER 710 w/o Monitor . . Call 900 w/o Monitor ..Call SHARP . $765 PC 4502 . . Call PC 4521 ...Call AT&T 6286 WGS .1499 6300 WGS .919 6386 WGS. 40 MB H.D . . 2999 G386. 135MBH.D . . 4599 ZENITH Super Sport 286/20MG ...Call Super Sport 8088/2-Floppies . . . Call Super Sport 8088/20MG .... . Call NEC Multispeed-2 Call All Other NEC Products . . . Call VGA/EGA Boards AST VGA + (16 Bit) $349 ATI EGA Wonder 800 229 Genoa Super EGA Hi-Res + 186 Orchid Designer VGA 309 Paradise Auto 480 179 Paradise VGA Plus 269 Paradise VGA Proff 399 Vega VGA 275 All Other EGA Products Call EGA Monitors Casper $410 Princeton Ultra Scan 539 Mitsubishi Diamond Scan 509 NEC -Multisync II 599 Zenith 14" Flat Screen 650 Hard Cards Plus 20 MB . Plus 40 MB $529 .659 Hard Drives Seagate ST-225 20 MB w/cont . Seagate ST-238 30 MB w/cont . Seagate 40 MB AT 251-2 Seagate 80 MB AT Seagate ST-125 w/cont Seagate ST-138 w/cont Priam .$265 .295 Call .579 ..319 .399 . . Call Mor itors AMDEK ...$145 MAGNAVOX RGB .... 255 SIGMA Laserview + 19" . . ...Call SAMSUNG Flat Amber .... Call TTL Amber w/tilt . 76 Color w/tilt .... 249 VIKING ... Call TERMS: Shipping mininmum is S5.00. AZ orders +6.7% sales tax. Personal check/company check - allow fourteen (14) days to clear. We accept purchase orders from authorized institutions for 3.5% more than cash price. All returns are subject to our approval. There will be a 20% restock fee. Minimum phone order S50. All prices are subject to change. Due to copyright laws we cannot take back any open software. Printers CITIZEN MSP 40 . . . $285 120 D 146 MSP 50 385 EPSON LQ500 349 LQ850 .559 FX-850 . Call LASERS Other Lasers ASTTURBOPS OKIDATA LASERLINE 6 OKIDATA OKI 320 Call Call 1379 ...Call OKI 321 . . Call OKI 390 499 OKI 391 . 679 STAR MICRONICS NX 1000 179 NX 1000 Color 238 Modems AZ 2400 INT w/o Soft ..$129 Everex 300/1200 w/ Soft Everex 2400 EXT, Error Cor Hayes 1200 EXT w/o soft Hayes1200BINTw/Soft Hayes 2400 EXT w/o Soft 69 189 299 289 435 .114 U.S. Robotics 2400 w/o Soft . . ... 335 Mice Z-Nix $37 Logitech 68 Microsoft Bus w/Paintbrush 92 Microsoft Serial 92 Optimousew/Dr Halo III 89 Optimouse w/DPG 185 FREE SOFTWARE! Purchase over $100 and receive one of these disks absolutely FREE! Purchases over $250 get two free disks, over $400 get three, or get all four disks when your purchase is over $500! 1) MIXED BAG. 2) PC-WRITE. 3) FONT-SET. 4) DR. DATA LABEL. ) WAREHOUSE DATA PRODUCTS 2727 West Glendale Ave. * Phoenix, AZ 85051 We do not guarantee compatibility MoslcrCaid No Charge for MasterCard or Visa Servicing our PC buyers with low pricing and technical experience since 1979. Phone Hours: Monday thru Friday 6:30 am-9:00 pm. Saturday 9:00 am-5:00 pm MST. Circle 303 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 127 Circle 156 on Reader Service Card PoiverStathm CHAOS MANOR If you have PCs and VAXes, you NEED these products! For connecting your PC to a VAX, ZSTEM software includes DEC the PowerStation provides the VT240, VT220, VT100, IBM 3101, ultimate solution: a VT200 layout TEK 4014 and DG D400 terminal keyboard bundled with sophisti- emulation, cated ZSTEM terminal emulation software. "Its performance is as perfect as an emulator can get ..." DIGITAL NEWS For true terminal emulation call (800) 663-8702. KEA Systems Ltd. #412-2150 West Broadway Vancouver, B.C. CANADA, V6K 4L9 Tel: 604-732-7411 Telex: 04-352848 VCR FAX: 604-732-0715 People are talking about us. F77L-EM/32- FAST 32-bit processing on 80386s with programs up to 4GB. $895 F77L-EM/16-Use extended memory to write 15MB programs on 80286s. $695 F77L— The compiler of choice among reviewers and professionals. New Version 3.0. $477 Lahey Personal FORTRAN 77- Full 77 Standard and Debugger. New Version 2.0. $95 ftft fcftl^ Contact us to discuss our products and your needs. (800) 548-4778 Lahey Computer Systems, Inc. P.O. Box 6091, Incline Village, NV 89450 Tel: (702) 831-2500 FAX: (702) 831-8123 Tlx: 9102401256 daily top-of-the-line stuff like I have, and particularly since their latest price increases; but the Macintosh and its soft- ware are easy to learn, and everything works. For desktop publishing, the Mac II with its built-in fonts works better than anything we've seen on a PC. The other day, my son Phillip, the U.S. Navy Midshipman, had to put out a newsletter for his battalion. The material was all written on PCompatibles (the Navy, like the other services, uses the Zenith Z-248). Alex transferred the files from the PC to the Macintosh with Trav- eling Software's PC Mac Link, then set up the newsletter on the Mac II with Al- dus PageMaker. They had the whole job printed on the LaserWriter II in one eve- ning, even though neither had much ex- perience with PageMaker before. Alex also found a use for the Multi- Finder: you can play Spectrum Holo- byte's Solitaire Royale while PageMaker is formatting and sending your docu- ments off to be printed. There are eight different solitaire card games, including two I never heard of before. They play smoothly, and the cards have changeable backs. Changing the backs changes the figures on the court cards. Alex is partic- ularly fond of the vampire deck. Mean- while, PageMaker was doing a fine job with the newsletter. What with IBM and the Gang of Nine fragmenting the PCompatible world, Apple looks better every day. There's even a good Lisp for the Mac II. Photon Paint Everyone writes paint programs, but Microlllusion has come out with the neatest Macintosh paint program I've ever seen. They call it Photon Paint, and what you can do with it on a Mac II is just plain spectacular. It makes me sad that I can't draw, since we're in the middle of preparing the Lunar Society's briefing for potential sponsors; I could make some really great color slides with the Datacam screen camera, if only I could draw. Photon Paint says it's compatible with other third-party art and presenta- tion software and can handle imported pictures of any size, so I presume I can scan images into the Mac II, then tweak them with Photon Paint. We'll be making up our final briefing charts pretty soon; more next month. Stars! Years ago, the Los Angeles Science Fan- tasy Society took a trip out to the desert. One chap had never been outside LA be- fore. He stared up at the sky and was lost. continued 128 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 161 on Reader Service Card "TOPSPEED EARNS A STANDING OVATION? — Kent Porter, Dr. Dobbs Journal "...TopSpeed is surely one of the finest new products introduced to date in the PC arena . . . DDJ doesn 't give unqualified raves very often, but there's no question about it in this case; JPl's TopSpeed Modula-2 is first-rate'.' Kent Porter Dr. Dobbs Journal "J PI Modula-2 looks like another classic in the making. It generates code as good as or better than lead- ing C compilers and the program- ming environment is a genuine pleasure to use'.' Dick Pountain BYTE Magazine "/ liked all of the hard-disk space that was recovered after I deleted my BORLAND. MICROSOFT, and LOGITECH compilers, because with TopSpeed Modula-2 all the rest are obsolete'.' Robert D. Randall Donnelley Marketing In England and Europe contact: Jensen & Partners UK Ltd. . 63 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5NP. Phone: (01)253-4333. Compiler Kit: £59.95, TechKit £34.95, VID £34.95, DOS 3-Paek £109.95 (£119.95 after Dec. 31,1988). Handling charges: In UK please phone for VAT and P&P. In Europe, add £6 tor up to 3 products, £2 for each add'l product. The successor of Pascal : JPI TopSpeed™ Modula-2 pn duces better code than Microsoft C, Turbo C, Logitech Modu a-2 and Turbo Pascal 4.0. Debug with VID: The easy-to-use, source-level debug >er. Single-step and trace through source in multiple modules. Examine and modify all variables in symbolic form, includ- ing arrays, records, enumerated types and pointers. P( int and shoot breakpoints including "One-shoC "Sticky',' "De- layed" and "Monitor!' Watch both variables and Modu a-2 expressions during execution. Automatic variable trace of all variables accessed, and assembler, registers and procei .ure call-stack trace windows. Package includes symbolic d s- assemblerand execution profiler. 72-page manual. The Compiler Kit includes: High-speed optimizing compiler (3.000-5,000 lines/min. on a PC AT 8MHz), integrated menu-driven environment with multi-window/multi-file editor, automatic make, fast smart linker. All Modula-2 sources to libraries included. BONUS: Complete high-speed win- dow management module included with source. 258-page User's Manual and 190-page Language Tutorial. The TechKit™ includes: Assembler source for start-up code and run-time library. JPI TopSpeed Assembler (30.000 lines/min.), TSR module, communica- tions driver, PROM locator, dynamic overlays, and technical information. 72-page manual. System Requirements: IBM PC or compatible, 384K available RAM, two floppy drives (hard disk recommended). Circle 151 on Reader Service Card TopSpeed 's seamlessly integrated environment. VID (Visual Interactive Debugger): power without complexity. Sieve benchmark measured by the British Standards Institution (BSD- 25 iterations on an 8MHz AT. Compiler Kit $99.95 TechKit $59.95 VID $59.95 DOS 3-Pack $179.95* (Compiler, TechKit & VID) •SI99.95 after December31. 1988 To Order: In the US, call: 1-800-543-5202 In Canada, call: 1-800-543-8452 Or mail us your order with a check, money order, or VISA/MC information. 30- day unconditional money- back guarantee. Shipping & handling charges: In North America: add $5. plus $2 for each add'l product. CA residents please add applicable sales tax. Overseas: add $20. plus $8 for each add'l product. Jensen & 0J Partners International 1101 San Antonio Rd. Suite 301 Mountain View, CA 94043 Phone: (415)967-3200 TopSpeed and TechKit arc trademarks of Jensen & Partners International. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. CHAOS MANOR Items Discussed Datacam instant $545-$595 35mm $875-$925 Photographic Sciences Corp. 770 Basket Rd. Webster, NY 14580 (716) 265-1600 Inquiry 1011. Deluxe Paint II IBM $99.95 Amiga $129.95 Deluxe Productions $199.95 Electronic Arts 1820 Gateway Dr. San Mateo, CA 94404 (415)571-7171 Inquiry 1012. DESQview $129.95 Quarterdeck Office Systems 150 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 (213) 392-9851 Inquiry 1013. .$595 .$35 .$25 Flicker Fixer Micro Way, Inc. P.O. Box 79 Kingston, MA 02364 (508) 746-7341 Inquiry 1014. Fractal Magic IBM others Sintar Software P.O. Box 3746 Bellevue, WA 98009 (206) 455-4130 Inquiry 1015. LANtastic $399 Artisoft, Inc. 3550 North First Ave., Suite 330 Tucson, AZ 85719 (602) 293-6363 Inquiry 1016. $300 .$795 .$595 MacSpin D2 Software, Inc. P.O. Box 9546 Austin, TX 78766 (512)482-8933 Inquiry 1017. PageMaker IBM Macintosh Aldus Corp. 411 First Ave. S, Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 622-5500 Inquiry 1018. Photon Paint $299.95 Sky Travel $69.95 Microlllusion 17408 Chatsworth St. Granada Hills, CA 91344 (818)360-3715 Inquiry 1019. . $34.95 .$499 Solitaire Royale Spectrum Holobyte 2061 Challenger Dr. Alameda, CA 94501 (415) 522-3584 Inquiry 1020. Vega VGA Video Seven, Inc. 46335 Landing Pkwy. Fremont, CA 94538 (415) 656-7800 Inquiry 1021. VGA Paint $199 RIX SoftWorks, Inc. 18552 Mac Arthur Blvd., Suite 375 Irvine, CA 92715 (714) 476-8266 Inquiry 1022. Come morning, he was lying fully clothed on the sand, still staring up at the sky and muttering, "Stars!" You won't get quite that experience with this program, but it's close. Sky Travel is also published by Micro- Illusion. Available for the Commodore 64/128, the Mac II, and the Amiga, this is billed as "an all-encompassing astron- omy program" and pretty well lives up to it. Want to know where the planets are, will be, or used to be? Look at distant galaxies? Find constellations and see them from any point on the earth? Like to know which star was the North Star when the Great Pyramid at Giza was built? Take a guided tour of the universe? Any of that and more comes with this program. If you or anyone in your family is interested in science or astronomy, you can't afford not to have this. Highly recommended. DESQview vs. OS/2 I presume that everyone knows that DESQview is a sort of MultiFinder for DOS: it lets you keep a number of pro- grams running concurrently. I generally turn off the capability that lets applica- tions run in the background (unless they're communications programs, of course); that way, I have only one pro- gram running at once, but several are loaded into memory, so that I can jump from one to the other almost instantly. I have a beta-test copy of the latest ver- sion of DESQview. (You should be able to buy it about the time you're reading this.) It has a couple of silly bugs that Quarterdeck's people won't have any trouble fixing. Otherwise, it's very nice. For one thing, it's a lot smaller than the old DESQview, meaning that you can have larger windows. For another, you can change program parameters on the fly. With the earlier DESQview, you had to reset the system before parameter changes took effect. No more. The new DESQview doesn't work with IBM's DOS 4.0, but then nothing else works very well with it, either. We can be certain IBM will clean up their act. When that happens, you'll be able to have large disk drives— as large as you like. You can, using the Phar Lap exten- sions, write programs larger than 640K bytes, and, using Quarterdeck's new API (Application Programmer Inter- face), you can adapt those programs for smooth data transfers, graphics, and other stuff, as well as have multiple pro- cesses at work. Finally, since it is DESQview, you can run a number of programs at the same time or, like me, keep a number of them in memory and flash back and forth be- tween them. Given all that, it's hard to understand what OS/2 is going to do for us. DESQview, after all, runs the pro- grams you already have. In theory, OS/2 can do that— that is, it can run one of your existing programs at a time in a thing called the compatibility box. How- ever, your program will run quite slowly compared to its speed outside OS/2. If you want to run more than one program at a time with OS/2, the programs have to be specially rewritten so they can run under OS/2. The big surprise is that if you get specially rewritten versions of your programs, the results will be disap- pointing. Even programs written for OS/2 are blooming slow. continued 130 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 All the edtement of the Air Im% without shaving to head. You have a choice: You can take flight school, about a year of it, get your pilot's license and then enjoy the sensation of landing at O'Hare at midnight or catching a bird's-eye view of the Statue of Liberty. Or you can do it on a PC. This afternoon In your office. With the new Microsoft® Flight x. ... — 77777 Simulator® version 3.0. New Microsoft Flight ^T . ,, , Simulator. It's not a game. New as in the most it's an adventure, realistic flight simulator available on the PC. New as in a choice of three different planes: Lear Jet, Cessna Turbo 182 or WWI Top Gun. Weather conditions? You decide: Calm, turbulent, sunny, cloudy. Yes, you'll see light- ning. Enough to make the wholeplane shake. Flight Simulator also lets you glide, loop, spin, attack, roll out or just cruise inside 10,000 square miles of airspace. And if flight school didn't teach you how, this will. On screen. Plus it's the only simulator with a modem hookup so you can fly with a friend. And check each other out, right from your own screens. For a heavy dose of reality, go see Flight Simulator 3.0 at your local Micro- soft dealer. If that isn't exciting enough? Go see your local recruiter. Microsoft ©1988 Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft and the Microsoft logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Flight Simulator is a registered trademark of SubLOGIC Corporation, used under license by Microsoft Corporation. One cockpit, two windows: One shows where you are in the sky. One shows where you are in the country. Complete on-screen aircraft library shows detailed specs on all three planes: Lear Jet, Cessna Turbo 182 and WWI Top Gun. Try this: Hook up our phone modem and head into the wild blue yonder with a friend. Day or night. Keep your eyes peeled for balloons, towers, mountains, buildings, bridges, you name it. Welcome to the real world. Nervous? Relax, new Flight Simulator teaches you, on screen, how to do everything . . . except bail out. DECEMBER 1988 "BYTE 131 Circle 263 on Reader Service Card CHAOS MANOR BRIEF Users: NOW you can have fast compilation AND an integrated, productive environment. Over 5,000 of you were forced to make sacrifices to use BRIEF, The Programmer's Editor. Advanced com- pilers and new programming environ- ments, like Turbo C and QuickBASIC, took up so much RAM that BRIEF could not fit in the same 640k. If you wanted to retain BRIEF's uniquely powerful features1 while working with larger programs, you had to sacrifice speed and continuity. Instead of a tight Edit-Compile-Edit loop, you had to slog through an obso- lete Edit-Exit-Compile-Exit-Edit loop. Now you no longer have to make that sacrifice. You can enjoy the features1 that have made BRIEF the best-selling and the best regarded2 programmer's editor without sacrificing environ- ment integration. Version 2.1 of BRIEF can be swapped in and out with a single keystroke — allowing immediate compilation with even the largest compilers: Microsoft C5.0, QuickC, Turbo C, Lattice C, dBXL, FoxBASE+ vZ.O, Clipper, etc. 1 For example: real multi-level Undo (not simply Undelete), flexible windowing, unlimited file size, unlimited number of simultaneous files, automatic language sensitive indentation. 2 For example; "The quintessential programmer's editor." — Dr. Dobb's Journal "Right out of the box, it's a versatile, extremely powerful editor that handles most any programming task with aplomb." — Computer Language "Simple to learn and use and extremely sophisticated. Strongly recommended." — PC Magazine "Not only the best programmer's text editor I've ever seen, but it is also a tourde force in the way it was conceived and implemented."— Computerworld "So far surpasses users' expectations that it is revolutionary." — MioroTimes Magazine "BRIEF is truly outstanding." — Microsoft Systems Journal Current BRIEF Users: Call Ann for details on 4 other important enhancements. Registered users of versions 2.0 or 2.01 update for only $35. Haven't tried BRIEF yet? BRIEF retails for $195. Call Ann today for a no-risk, 60-day trial with a full, money-baok guarantee. Call toll-free today 800-821-8498 Jsqlution .Systems 841 Main Street, Suite 410 South Weymouth, MA 08190 617-337-6963 DESQview, on the other hand, runs existing DOS programs about as fast as they ever ran under DOS without DESQ- view. If you have a lot of programs run- ning in the background, you certainly can slow things down; but that shouldn't surprise you. DESQview and OS/2 both are nothing more than ways to let your programs share cycle time on the CPU chip, and, fast as our machines are, you can overload them. The point is that, in general, your standard DOS program will run faster under DESQview than the specially written version of the same program will run under OS/2. I am fast coming to the conclusion that OS/2 is just too big and too late to keep up with the competition. If you're in pro- gram development, you can't afford not to keep up with where DESQview is heading. Toning Up Mrs. Pournelle had just finished the out- line and some sample chapters of her new book when her Mannesmann Tally laser printer started spewing out blank pages. This shouldn't have surprised us. We've had that printer a long time, and we've put a lot of paper through it without ever changing cartridges or doing any other maintenance; and since they're all in it together, it should be no surprise that the printer waited for a Friday afternoon with a critical job before it complained. Actually, it could have been worse. We had a couple of hours before every- thing closed for the weekend. A quick inspection of the printer's documents revealed that it is built around the Kyocera laser-printer engine. It doesn't use cartridges of the kind favored by the LaserJet, with its Canon laser en- gine, Instead, you put in toner. I had a horrible memory of trying to pour toner into an ancient Xerox copier, but that wasn't to be: the toner comes in a sealed container. Quick calls to Priority One and the local ComputerLand revealed that nei- ther one stocked Mannesmann Tally— or Kyocera— toner cartridges. "Call Mannesmann Tally," I told Ro- berta. "They'll know." Indeed, they did, and there was a store not far from us. The cartridges aren't cheap: $150 for four of them. On the other hand, they last quite a while. The documents say 3000 sheets, but in our case it was well over 5000. We've been using that machine pretty heavily for months. Replacing the toner box turned out to be a bit beyond Roberta's strength: she could get the box in place all right, but when it came time to pull the tape out (thus releasing the toner), she just couldn't do it. I had to come help, al- though I suspect that Roberta could have done it if she'd been confident that all she had to do was pull harder. We sealed up the toner well and turned on the printer. It complained that its case door was open. Then it jammed a sheet of paper. There were a couple of other minor glitches, none serious, and prob- ably all caused by our being in a hurry. I cursed the machine horribly, turned it off, and turned it back on. It worked fine, and now I know how to change the toner box. Procomm Plus and Zenith While we were off on our trip, I used the Zenith SupersPort Z-286 portable to keep in touch. Just before we left Los Angeles (by train), I used LapLink to squirt over the entire Procomm Plus sub- directory to the SupersPort. When we got to San Antonio, I called to get the local Tymnet access number, added that to the Procomm Plus menu, and fired up. The result was goofy. Procomm Plus announced that I was connected at 300 bits per second. Of course, I had set the system for 1200 bps; and when I tried to send anything, Tymnet curled up and died. Clearly, I was trying to communi- cate at the wrong speed. If I altered my program to communi- cate at 300 bps, it worked fine— except that I was connected at 300 bps, and that's horrible. For a couple of days I made do, while asking on BIX if anyone had ever had this experience. After all, the identical soft- ware had worked perfectly when run on my 20-MHz Cheetah driving the US- Robotics Courier HST modem; why didn't it work now? I still don't know the answer to that, but I did get things working. There is among the Procomm Plus menus a set of options. One of them is automatic baud rate adjustment. I had that set to On. When you first access Tymnet, it sends you some stuff at 300 bps. Then, when you transmit back at some other speed— 1200 or 2400 bps— Tymnet ad- justs. However, the combination of Pro- comm Plus and the Zenith internal 300-/ 1200-bps modem in the SupersPort did something else. When the Zenith modem heard that initial 300-bps signal from Tymnet, it locked onto that speed, and it apparently even sent some kind of ac- knowledgment. Thus, Tymnet thought I was connected at 300 bps. Then, when Procomm Plus started transmitting at continued 132 BYTE" DECEMBER 1988 In 1988, $3.5 billion in micro- computer software will be sold worldwide. During that same time, another $3.0 billion in sales will be lost to free distribution — better known as software piracy. And right now, Rainbow Technologies' Software Sentinel™ is protecting close to $1.0 billion in software for developers who never wanted to be part of the free software distribution network in the first place. ( j The Software Sentinel hardware key is "execution control" software protection. It ships with the software and simply plugs into the PCs parallel port | PHH t0 t>e one hundred percent invisible to both user and jpw | ^ the soft- ware. Users can make as many copies as ^jg^ygj they want. Make working submasters. Use a hard disk. Virtually anything that can be done with Jt - ----*$■ unprotected software. Except start freely distributing Rainbow fam- lected by the that software to other users. { j The ily of Software Sentinel products. Se- very big to the not-so-big developers of DOS, OS/2 and Xenix software in worldwide markets. To the cool tune of close to a billion dollars. So far. i«&£-V. s# RAINBOW TECHNOLOGIES 1801 1-A Mitchell South, Irvine, CA 92714 '(714) 261-0228 'TELEX: 386078 • FAX: (714) 261-0260 Rainbow Technologies, Ltd., Shirley Lodge, 470 London Rd„ Slough, Berkshire. SL3 8QY. U.K.. Tel: 0753-41512, Fax: 075343610 Copyright = |98S Rainbow Technologies. Inc. Software Sentinel and Sentinel Pro are trademarks of Rainbow Technologies, Inc. Xenix is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. OS 2 is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Circle 240 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 133 CHAOS MANOR 1200 bps, Tymnet died. The remedy was to set that automatic baud rate adjustment option to Off and leave it that way. After that, I'd get on at 1200 bps, Tymnet's introductory 300- bps string would show up on my screen as gibberish, then we'd lock on at 1200 bps for the rest of the session. Worked fine. I still don't know why the Zenith and USRobotics modems work differently with identical software. I expect it's all part of the plot. They really are all in this together. Winding Down Once again I've been unable to finish the piles of stuff I laid out. I still owe you a report on FastTRAP, the mouse substi- tute (I am beginning to like it). I have new advanced versions of Norton Com- mander and Norton Utilities; if you have a PC and don't have the Utilities, you're nuts; and for that matter, there's really nothing better for cleaning up your disk and organizing things than Norton Commander. I haven't mentioned GrandView, Sy- mantec's new outline and word process- ing package: this software is so good you could write books with it, and I might be tempted to try it except that Q&A Write has been improved again, largely at my suggestion. w hen I tried to send anything, Tymnet curled up and died. I've got a new version of MacSpin for the Macintosh: this is a statistics pro- gram designed by some of John Tukey 's graduate students. Tukey is one of the top figures in statistics. The program re- flects his philosophy of examining your data and playing with it so you under- stand it before applying various statisti- cal formulas. If you have a Mac and you work with statistics, get this program. The book of the month is John Kee- gan's The Mask of Command, an entirely different kind of military history by the man that Tom Clancy says is the best mil- itary historian alive. The computer book of the month is LaserJet Unlimited by Ted Nace and Michael Gardner (Peachpit Press, 2nd ed., $24.95). I didn't much care for the first edition, but this one is an excellent reference work on every- thing you ought to know about LaserJet printers. Almost everything, actually: they don't seem to know that all these ma- chines really are plotting insurrection. ■ Jerry Pournelle holds a doctorate in psy- chology and is a science fiction writer who also earns a comfortable living writ- ing about computers present and future. Jerry welcomes readers' comments and opinions. Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Jerry Pournelle, do BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. Please put your address on the letter as well as on the envelope. Due to the high volume of letters, Jerry cannot guarantee a personal reply. You can also contact him on BIX as "jerryp. " The File Organizer - $145 MultiTack™ - $79.95 Add pages to the Clipboard with PubTech MultiTack. Build libraries of graphics and text that can be used and re-used in Windows, or use MultiTack's snapshot utility to capture bitmapped screens to the Clipboard. MultiTack optionally saves all cuts and copies. CALL 1-800-PUBTECH 7719 Wood Hollow Dr., Suits 260 Austin, TX 78731 PubTech end MultiTack ere trademark! of Publlehlng Technologlee. Inc. Wlndowe le e regletered iredemerk of Microsoft Corporation. Dailgner le e tredemerk of Micrografx, Inc 134 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 227 on Reader Service Card Aztec C Power to go the distance... Whatever that distance might b From real time embedded applications to comprehensive commercial applications on Macintosh, IBM PC, Amiga, Atari, and others, Aztec C has earned a well-deserved reputa- tion as an innovative, tough to beat, rock-solid C development system. But don't just take our word for it — try it yourself. We know that the best way to understand what puts you ahead with Aztec C is to use it. That's why Aztec C systems purchased directly from Manx come with a 30-day, no questions asked, satisfaction guarantee. Call for yours today. We can also send you informa- tion that details the special fea- tures and options of Aztec C. Plus information on support soft- ware, extended technical sup- port options, and all of the services and specialized sup- port that you may need when you're pushing your software to the limits and... beyond. MS-DOS Hosted ROM Development Systems Host + Target: $750 Additional Targets: $500 Targets: • 6502 family • 8080-8085-Z80-Z1 80-641 80 • 8088-8086-801 86-80286/8087-80287 • 68000-68010-68020/68881 Components: • C compiler for host and target • Assembler for host and target • linker and librarian • Unix utilities make, diff, grep • Unix vi editor • debugger • download support Features: • Complete development system • Fast development times • Prototype and debug non-specific code under MS-DOS • Compilers produce modifiable assembler output, support inline assembly, and will link with assembly modules • Support for INTEL hex, S record, and other formats • source for UNIX run time library • processor dependent features • source for startup Aztec C Micro Systems Aztec C is available for most micro- computers in three configurations: The Professional; The Developer; and The Commercial system. All systems are upgradable. Aztec C68k/Am Amiga source debugger-optional Aztec C68k/Mac . . . Macintosh MPWand MAC II support Aztec C86 MS-DOS source debugger • CP/M libraries The followng have special pricing and configurations. Call for details. Aztec C68k/At Atari ST Aztec C80 CP/M-80 Aztec C65 Apple II & II GS Standard System $199 • C compiler • Macro Assembler • overlay linker with librarian • debugger • UNIX and other libraries • utilities Developer System $299 • all Standard System features • UNIX utilities make, diff, grep • UNIX vi editor Commercial System $499 • all Developer features • source for run time libraries • one year of updates C.O.D., VISA, MasterCard, American Ex- press, wire (domestic and international), and terms are available. One and two day deliv- ery available for all domestic and most international destinations. Manx Software Systems One Industrial Way Eatontown, NJ 07724 Aztec C is available on a thirty-day money back guarantee. Call now and find out why over 50,000 users give Aztec C one of the highest user-satisfaction ratings in the industry. Call 1-800-221-0440 In NJ or outside the USA, call 201-542-2121 Telex : 499581 2 Fax 201 -542-8386 Circle 173 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 135 And you can bet they'll be saying it again. ADVANCED MS-DOS PROGRAMMING— the preeminent source of MS-DOS information for assembly-language and C programmers — has just been expanded and completely updated. Included is a wealth of new data and program- ming advice in several significant areas: ■ ROM BIOS for the IBM PC, PC/AT, PS/2, and related peripherals including disk drives, video adapters, and pointing devices ■ MS-DOS through version 4 ■ version 4 of the Lotus/Intel/Microsoft Expanded Memory Specification ■ writing "well-behaved" vs "hardware-dependent" applications ■ compatibility considerations for OS/2 "Advanced MS-DOS PROGRAMMING exemplifies how a highly technical book can be both informative and read- able Duncan's strengths include a style that is at once easily read, a thorough coverage of the subject matter heretofore unknown, and the frequent use of examples in the form of assembly language programs and code frag- ments." 986 "Makes good reading out of even the most elaborate technical descriptions." Online To' "One of the most authoritative in its field .... The book deserves a place on the shelf of everyone who has ever given a fleeting thought to programming the IBM PC and compatibles." Ray Duncan, DOS authority and noted columnist, explores key programming topics including character devices, mass storage, memory allocation and manage- ment, and process management. In addition to his expert advice, he has packed his book with a healthy assortment of updated assembly-language and C list- ings that range from code fragments to complete utilities. These include a fully functional terminal- emulation program, a nifty DOS shell, and the frame- work for customized critical-error interrupt handlers. And the reference section in ADVANCED MS-DOS PROGRAMMING, detailing each MS-DOS function and interrupt, is virtually a book within a book. ADVANCED MS-DOS PROGRAMMING. Your key to fast, efficient, robust programs. ^tJA 0? Microsoft Press Hardcore Computer Books Available wherever books and software are sold. Or order directly from Microsoft Press. 800-638-3030 (In MD, 824-7300) 8:15AM to 4:15PM (EST). 136 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 192 on Reader Service Cant EXPERT ADVICE APPLICATIONS PLUS Ezra Shapiro o CRASH! Aharddiskwipeout points up the Mac's fragility, and 1st Aid Kit comes to the rescue OK, OK. I admit it. I got what I deserved. A couple of weeks ago, I managed to trash all 160 megabytes of the external Jas- mine hard disk I have hooked up to my Macintosh SE. I was running a bunch of older programs under MultiFinder— a dangerous practice— when all of a sud- den, in the middle of writing a file to disk, the cursor froze in the upper right corner of the screen next to the Multi- Finder icon. Blam! I hit the reset switch as quickly as I could, but by then it was too late. I have to tell you, there is nothing more ominous than the silence that greets you when you're waiting for a corrupted hard disk to boot. The damage was nearly total; I'd managed to wipe out the entire directory structure of the disk. Since I'd actually remembered to back up my per- sonal files several weeks earlier, my life wasn't completely ruined, but finding and loading all the original program disks took the better part of a week. This ugly lesson has me out in the stores, checking the prices of tape drives; I sim- ply can't afford the time this has cost me. I'm also really upset with the Macin- tosh operating system. Like all Mac own- ers, I've grown accustomed to the spo- radic system crashes that characterize life on the Mac. Every so often, the ma- chine grinds to a halt with no discernible explanation, but usually the only files af- fected are unsaved documents still open at the time of the crash. I really wasn't expecting to utterly destroy the disk sim- ply by using software. With years of rig- orous use of both CP/M and MS-DOS computers, I have never produced such a disastrous effect without deliberately fiddling with areas I knew I shouldn't touch. With fonts and desk accessories and MultiFinder and CDEVs and INITs and such, the Mac operating system— none too stable to begin with— has reached the point of no return. My Macintosh system is now more fragile than my MS-DOS machine loaded with its most cantanker- ous pop-up programs. It's a sorry state of affairs when using my two primary com- puters fills me with dread. To make matters worse, Apple claims to be rewriting the operating system from the ground up. This should be cause for rejoicing, but I note that Apple's frequent system releases have been more bug- laden and crash-prone than Microsoft's MS-DOS updates, and Microsoft has managed to compile a pretty dismal record on that front. So what are we go- ing to get from Apple? The equivalent of OS/2 for the Mac? The mind reels. Seems to me that it's time the micro- computer industry got its act together. I don't care how it's done, nor which oper- ating system triumphs. As a lowly end user, I'm just tired of excuses, rational- izations, explanations, and the sick feel- ing in the pit of my stomach every time I use a personal computer. The computer revolution is no longer a new phenome- non; how long must we wait for our data to be safe? Life saver When the hard disk crashed, I was smart enough to ignore the warning messages that told me to reinitialize the beast; I knew that by so doing I would forfeit any chance I had to peel off some of the lost data. I booted off the Mac SE's internal drive and tried to see if any of the utilities I had would recognize the Jasmine. continued ILLUSTRATION: RICHARD A. GOLDBERG © 1988 DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 137 APPLICATIONS PLUS Nothing worked. I tried Apple's util- ities, Jasmine's utilities, and a couple of long-shot disk-editing tools that I thought might do the trick. Zilch. In desperation, I went out and found a copy of 1 st Aid Kit (1st Aid Software, $99.95), which sev- eral Mac hackers had told me was the best product on the market for recovering seemingly dead hard disk drives. To my amazement, the program did work. It recognized the disk that every other program had told me was gone for good, read through it sector by sector, derived a full directory, and asked me if I wanted to try to resurrect the files. This was a tedious process, as I had to select files one at a time and off-load them onto floppy disks, but I had just about given up hope. And the miracle was not a com- plete success; many of the files that had been fragmented into discontiguous blocks through normal hard disk use were beyond repair. However, the fact that I was able to salvage even a few files was impressive. I believe that 1st Aid Kit (not to be confused with Apple's Disk First Aid program) is one of those lifesaving util- ities that no Mac owner with precious files should be without. Even if you never use it, you'll sleep easier. If you do need it to recover from a bad crash, either on a hard disk or a floppy, you'll thank all the gods you pray to for its existence. The documentation that accompanies the program is at least as important as the software itself. The manual contains the most comprehensive and intelligent dis- cussion of the Mac's filing system I've ever seen. It's thorough, logical, and dis- armingly easy to read; though the mate- rial is technical in nature, you won't have to slog through it. If you've ever been frustrated with Apple's skimpy efforts at documentation, buy 1st Aid Kit for the manual alone. This one is highly recommended. Maccessories On a brighter note, I recently bought my- self a couple of dandy Macintosh periph- erals and found the perfect software to go with them. The prize of the lot is the ProPoint trackball (Abaton, $139.95). I'd noticed an unpleasant stiffness in my mouse elbow, so pronounced that it ached for hours after a long session with a graphics program. There's been no re- currence since I retired my mouse and started using ProPoint. The ProPoint unit itself plugs into the ADB port on either the keyboard or the Mac SE itself. It's about the size of a de- tached numeric keypad, and it greatly re- duces the space you need in your work Items Discussed Crystal Quest $39.95 QuickDEX $60 Greene, Inc. 15 Via Chualar Monterey, CA 93940 (408) 375-0910 Inquiry 1005. $99.95 1st Aid Kit 1st Aid Software, Inc. 42 Radnor Rd. Boston, MA 02135 (617)783-7118 Inquiry 1006. HyperDialer DataDesk International 7651 Haskell Ave. Van Nuys, CA 91406 (818) 780-1673 Inquiry 1007. ProPoint Abaton 48431 Milmount Dr. Fremont, CA 94538 (415) 683-2226 Inquiry 1008. . $39.95 .$139.95 area. My favorite feature is the location of the two buttons to the lower left of the ball. With your fingers on the ball, a large click/drag button rests conveniently under your thumb. A smaller lock button lies directly below it, for use in long-dis- tance dragging. As a result of this design, you don't have to lift your fingertips from the ball to work the buttons. You can operate Pro- Point in much the same fashion as you would operate a mouse; no other track- ball I've seen makes the transition this painless. The buttons are built for right- handed people, but if you're a lefty, they're no more inconvenient than the buttons on some other trackballs. I have been honing my trackball skills with Crystal Quest (Greene, $39.95), a mindless but addictive shoot-'em-up game. You maneuver a "ship" around obstacles, while nasties converge on you from all directions; you can either shoot at them or avoid them to rack up points. It's wonderfully effective training for eye-hand coordination on the trackball, and I don't feel at all guilty for playing it. After all, it's part of my work, isn't it? The other hardware add-on I've ac- quired is HyperDialer (DataDesk, $39.95), a telephone-dialing peripheral that plugs into the Mac's sound port rather than tying up a serial port and a modem. It's basically a teeny tone gener- ator that attaches between the handset and the base of a Touch-Tone phone, and it cheerfully plays the little seven-note melodies that represent phone numbers in this digital age. HyperDialer comes from the same folks who bring you the DataDesk key- boards, and it's a quality item. I passed this product by for some time because I thought it worked only with HyperCard (a logical conclusion, considering the name). Wrong. It can also be driven by QuickDEX (Greene, $60), a truly mar- velous desk accessory for storing free- form text data. QuickDEX is ideal for address material, and a built-in Dial command will send a selected phone number to HyperDialer. QuickDEX lets you create half a dozen databases made up of individual cards. No field names are required, and a speedy search function is the major oper- ating feature. The fact that there are no stylistic limitations on the text you enter means that you can store notes (as well as phone directories) either in separate databases or all jumbled together. I find it faster to load and much more useful for the way I work than either the outliner desk accessories (like Acta) or the minia- ture editors (like MockWrite and Mini- Writer). In many respects, it's the Macintosh equivalent of Memory Mate, my favorite memory-resident program on MS-DOS machines. My only gripe is that the cards are only about a third the size of the Mac- intosh screen and hold only 12 lines of data, not nearly enough for serious note- taking. But QuickDEX is rapidly becom- ing indispensable, especially teamed with HyperDialer, and I don't know how I survived without the duo. These are all relatively inexpensive products, further proof that you don't have to spend a fortune to get quality goods. Any or all of them are definitely worth buying. ■ Ezra Shapiro is a consulting editor for BYTE. You can contact him on BIX as "ezra. " Because of the volume of mail he receives, Ezra, regretfully, cannot re- spond to each inquiry. Your questions and comments are wel- come. Write to: Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. 138 BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 Turn your favorite C compiler into a powerful database manager with the '/Database Toolchest The C/Database Toolchest™ adds sophisticated file manage- ment functions to your Power C™, Turbo C®, QuickC®, or Microsoft® C compiler. With the C/Database Toolchest™, your data requires much less disk space than with programs like dBASE®, and you can access your data much faster. Of course the full power of C provides you with an unlimited amount of programming flexibility. The C/Database Toolchest™ includes three major components: 1) An advanced B+tree library gives you instant access to your data. 2) A high-level ISAM library provides you with an easy-to-use C interface, and Order now by calling our toll free number or mail the coupon to: Mix Software 1132 Commerce Drive Richardson, TX 75081 1-800-333-0330 60 Day Money Back Guarantee Not Copy Protected ■ Royalty Free For technical support, please call: 1-214-783-6001 Name. StreeL 3) A complete database manager (with C source code included) shows you how to create impres- sive applications. You also receive a comprehen- sive 350 page manual and a utility for converting dBASE® files. The C/Database Toolchest™ supports features that you'd expect to find only in products costing ten times as much. Advanced features include variable length records, variable length keys, multiple keys per index, and multiple indexes stored in a single file. Your data files can contain an unlimited number of records, and each record can be as large as 32K bytes in length. About the only thing that the C/Database Toolchest™ doesn't do is cost you a lot of money. We've kept our price low so you can manage your budget as easily as your data. Now Only $19.95! "i Order Coupon Telephone. Paying By- Visa. .Zip.. . Money Order- _MC AX. jheck .Disc. Exp. Date- Disk Size. -57/ .37; Product Price C/Database Toolchest S19.95 C/Database Library Source.. S10.00 B+tree & ISAM library source code Add Shipping (S5 USA, S20 Foreign) Texas Residents Add 8% Sales Tax Total Amount of Your Order Subtotal Bj C/Database Toolchest and Power C are trademarks of Mix Software. QuickC and Microsoft C are registered trademarks of Microsoft. Turbo C Is a registered trademark of Borland. dBASE is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tate. Circle 194 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 139 Make your programs millions of times smarter. More and more, programmers and work- station builders are using DESQview 2.0 as a development tool. The reason is simple. They can create powerful, multitasking solutions today for the millions of DOS PCs in use today. Solutions comparable to those promised for tomorrow by OS/2. The API Advantage Programmers who take advantage of DESQview's API (Application Program Interface) get access to the powerful capabilities built into DESQview-multitasking, window- ing, intertask comunications, mailboxes, shared programs, memory management, mousing, data transfer, menu- building and context sensitive help. Bells and Whistles A program taking advantage of the DESQview 2.0 API can spawn subtasks for performing background operations or new processes for loading and running other programs concurrently. It can schedule processing after an interval or at a certain time. It can use DESQview's intertask commu- nications to rapidly exchange data between programs, share common code and data; or interrupt at critical events. It can use DESQview's menuing and mousing capabilities to create menus. And there's lots more it can do. Some of the applications under development right now using DESQview 2.0 API Tools: CAD, medical systems, insurance, 3270 mainframe communications, network management, real estate, typesetting, point of sale, education, commodity trading, stock trading and online voting. 80386 Power 80386 programmers can take advantage of the 80386' s protected mode for large programs, yet run on DOS and multitask in DESQview-side by side with other 80386 and DOS programs. The breakthroughs that make this possible: DOS Extenders from PharLap Software and AI Architects and DESQview support of these DOS extenders. DESQview Developer Support So if you are a developer, looking to create programs with mainframe capabilities, but wanting to sell into the existing base of millions of DOS PCs, we can be very helpful. We offer DESQview API Tools for assembler or C programmers: a debugger, a Reference Manual. And lots more tools on the way. Plus, we offer DESQview API Developers Conferences. Come learn about the DESQview 2.0 API and 80386 DOS Extenders. Meet 80386 experts as well as those smart people who are creating DESQview 2.0 API workstation solutions. For more information call or write us. New Power to DOS. ew 2.0 API Toolkit Quarterdeck Office Systems, 150 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405 (213) 392 9851 140 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 235 on Reader Service Card EXPERT ADVICE DOWN TO BUSINESS Wayne Rash Jr. ♦ Do You Really Need a LAN? If all you need for your . office is a way to share one laser printer, a LAN might be overkill A recent BYTE survey revealed that 9 out of every 10 large businesses (over 1000 employ- ees) intend to install a local- area network sometime in the next few months. That's a lot of LANs. Many of them will do much to facilitate commu- nications within their companies. Many will allow employees to share files, coor- dinate their activities, and make better use of expensive resources such as laser printers. Some, on the other hand, will accomplish a great deal less. One of the first things that I usually notice when I talk to clients about install- ing a LAN is that their ideas about the network's function are not fully formed. "We've got to communicate," one will say. "I want to move stuff around," an- other will explain. "We all need to use the printer," a third client will state. All these factors are valid uses for a LAN, provided these vague require- ments can be translated into more spe- cific information. What kind of commu- nication, and with whom? What kind of "stuff needs moving, how often, and to how many users? What kind of printer, and how often are there overlapping needs to use it? Answers to these questions will tell you a lot more about the requirements for the LAN. They may also tell you that a LAN really might not be the answer. A good example is the person who will tell you he or she needs a LAN so that several people in the same office can use the laser printer. This is usually thought of as a normal use for a LAN. A laser printer is an expensive resource, and it is fast enough that several people's printing ILLUSTRATION: TOM CENTOLA © 1988 requirements can be satisfied by one printer, such as the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet II. As it turns out, though, there are alter- natives to buying and installing a LAN. One answer that can be quite useful for a small business or a small department within a large business is a device called a printer server. Essentially, this is a print buffer that is set up to take input from several sources and send it to one or more printers. Exactly how this device works will depend on the individual server. A typical example of an office where a LAN might be overkill is the law office of Bill Miller, a patent attorney in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Bill has a fairly typical legal office with three attorneys and one legal secretary. He's adding an HP laser printer and he wants it to be available to the entire staff. A LAN could do the job for him, but so could a printer server. It's Bill's computer inventory that tips the balance. As is the case with many of- fices, not all his computers are IBM PC clones. He also has some Victor com- puters that probably won't support most LANs. A printer server will work just fine, though, and it will cost a lot less. He can use the standard serial or parallel output that he would send to any other printer and send it to the server instead. The server will store the text and send it to the laser printer as required. Printer Servers Since Bill is planning to use an HP LaserJet II, it makes sense for him to use printer servers designed specifically for this printer. Two of these are the Simp- LAN ServerJet II and the Extended Sys- tems ShareSpool. Both these devices are circuit cards designed to fit into the LaserJet IFs expansion slot. They have sockets for four modular plugs like the ones on your telephone. These are for serial connections. The ServerJet II also has a parallel port. To use these devices, you remove a cover from the rear of the HP, then slide in the card until it is seated. Next, you continued DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 141 DOWN TO BUSINESS attach to your serial port a special DB-25 or DB-9 connector (depending on what your particular computer requires). These connectors have a modular socket to which you attach a piece of standard modular telephone cable. The other end of the cable attaches to the socket on the card that you just installed in the laser printer. Once you have done this, you can use any computer that will attach to a stan- dard serial connector. I was able to use my old Zenith Z-100 with this device, along with a Tandy XT clone and a Ze- nith Z-248. All of them worked fine, and the printer servers were able to handle files from all the machines at the same time. As long as you have only four or five users and you want to use an HP LaserJet II, these devices will work fine. They are controllable through commands em- bedded in your text files, and they have enough memory (256K bytes standard) to handle the needs of most offices. Larger Needs, Larger Boxes While both the internal printer servers above will meet Bill's immediate needs, they won't offer much room for growth. If he adds another secretary, for exam- ple, the ShareSpool's capacity will be ex- ceeded, and there's no way he can add another printer to the system. SimpLAN and Extended Systems have both anticipated this situation. Simp- LAN has its Printer Server, a device that allows you to attach six computers and four printers. Extended Systems still limits you to four computers with its desktop publishing MultiSpool, but with this product, you can operate up to three printers. Because these servers are capable of more complex tasks, they are more com- plex to use. The MultiSpool, for exam- ple, requires that you add a device driver through the CONFIG.SYS file in MS- DOS. This effectively limits its use to PC clones. On the other hand, you can configure the SimpLAN Printer Server using information embedded in the data stream, just as you would with its Server- Jet II stablemate. This opens it up to use by a wider variety of computers. Neither server is particularly difficult to set up and use, although, since Multi- Spool will use your computer's parallel output, it probably is slightly easier. The SimpLAN Printer Server I tried uses serial data from the computer. This de- vice is slightly more complex to set up but lets you move the data over longer distances, which could be important where users are a good ways apart. Items Discussed LaserJet Series II $2695 Hewlett-Packard 3000 Hanover St. Palo Alto, CA 94304 (800) 367-4772 (415) 857-1501 Inquiry 957. MultiSpool $1695 (desktop publishing) ShareSpool $495 (for HP LaserJet Series II) Extended Systems, Inc. P.O. Box 4937 6062 Morris Hill Lane Boise, ID 83711 (208) 322-7163 Inquiry 955. Printer Server $695 Serverjetll $495 Intelligent Buffer $395 SimpLAN ASP Computer Products, Inc. 1026 West Maude Ave., Suite 305 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (800) 445-6190 (408) 746-2965 Inquiry 956. While the versions that mounted in- side the LaserJet were fairly similar, these devices are quite different from each other. The MultiSpool has only a reset button on the front panel, while the SimpLAN Printer Server has a full con- trol panel. With the Printer Server's panel, you have more control over the flow of information to the printers and are able to use functions such as a pause button to halt output while you add or change paper. Finally, there's the SimpLAN Intelli- gent Buffer. This device attaches to the parallel ports of up to three computers and funnels output to a single printer. It's probably the easiest of the lot to use because it requires no configuration in the computers. You simply hook up the cables and run. Because the Intelligent Buffer sup- ports only parallel connections, the dis- tance the computer or printer can be from the buffer is only about 10 feet. This setup is fine in a small office but could be very limiting in a large one. On the other hand, it is easy to use and works well with most software. I did have to change its built-in timer so that it would wait for drawings from Generic CADD instead of ejecting them while they were about one-third finished. Which One to Use? For offices that have only one printer and no plans to add more users, the obvious choice is one of the devices that fits in- side the LaserJet II and lets you connect four or five computers to it. People in these offices have only one printer that they plan to use, and they don't plan to add any more users. This solution is a simple and effective one. The SimpLAN Intelligent Buffer meets similar needs, but it will support only three users. The SimpLAN 's ad- vantage is that it will work with any par- allel printer, so your choice is not limited to the HP LaserJet II. Either of the two more capable printer servers is a good solution for an office like Bill Miller's. Both will allow him to use more than one printer— an option that would be an advantage to a patent attor- ney who may need to use a plotter to pro- duce drawings. The SimpLAN Printer Server, however, is the best choice for Bill's office. The MultiSpool would not be able to handle even one more user. With the Printer Server, he can send doc- uments to the printer from any of his computers, and because the SimpLAN Printer Server uses serial communica- tions, he can send them from quite a distance. On the Other Hand... Maybe Bill does need a LAN. If you al- ready generate a hefty load of docu- ments, it would be convenient for others in the office to be able to review them. You might also like to have electronic mail and a way to keep up with the sched- ules of several busy people. These issues bring us back to the origi- nal question. Clearly, not all offices need a LAN— sometimes there's an al- ternative. On the other hand, sometimes the need for a LAN is more obvious. How do you tell? Check back here next month. ■ Wayne Rash Jr. is a member of the profes- sional staff of American Management Systems, Inc. (Arlington, Virginia), where he consults with the federal gov- ernment on microcomputers. You can reach him on BIX as "waynerash. " Your questions and comments are wel- come. Write to: Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. 142 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 lA^rif 7b Kno^j fa 'oe-crer ? filePrO is the software of choice in FORTUNE 1000 companies, govern- ment, thousands of businesses, and VAR's worldwide. The choice is simple when you want portability, a powerful development environment, a fast and efficient database engine and significant productivity when developing applications. Yet, with all these customers and file- Pro's capabilities, we wondered why filePro wasn't as well known as some other DataBase Management Systems. We found out that we had to tell more people about filePro, but calling all of you on the phone would take too long. So we decided to let you try filePro yourself. Key Features: • Total Portability from single-user to multi-user to networks. DOS to XENTX® to UNIX® to ULTRK®. • Full Screen Editor; Fast, Easy Layout for Screens & Reports. • Development Environment, Powerful & flexible - great productivity. • Relational Database Management System. • Report Writer: Fast prototyping,and flexibility. • Award Winning Manual - covers everything filePro offers - cover to cover. ...And Many More Features that will excite you. "Small Is Better" The Small Computer Company, Inc. 41 Saw Mill River Road, Hawthorne, NY 10532 (914) 769-3160 XENIX is a registered trademark of Microsoft. UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T. ULTRIX is a registered trademark of Digital Equipment. Circle 260 on Reader Service Card Clip coupon and send check or use your credit card. If you decide to buy filePro we'll reimburse the cost of the demo system. !" )fes! leT roe >^ on"^He Secret | Please send me a complete filePro demonstration system for only $50.00. Name Phone Company Name: Address City State Zip \ Credit Card: □ MC □ VISA # □ Check Enclosed Expiration Date: /_ DDOS: □ 386 XENIX . (Hardware) (Hardware) □ UNIX: . □ 286 XENIX . (Hardware) (Hardware) Your Demonstration System will be shipped within 3 weeks upon receipt of your order. DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 143 AW. . WHAT THE HECK! n!^i w The first question asked by many people is, "Why is DesignCAD 3-D priced so low?" The answer? After developing DesignCAD 3-D we were unable to decide how the product should be priced. We consulted experts. We used xv the finest spreadsheets on the market We took employee polls. We asked /SoX our lawyers and accountants for their opinion. We even asked our Mothers, 7^ ^/XA^\ ! Wives> an^ childhood Sweethearts! Finally in the greatest American /A A'^y\(y§\ Tradition, we said, "Aw . . . What the Heck! Let's see the other guys beat this 'xSh price!" DesignCAD 3-D sellsfor$299 complete. No add-ons, nothing else to K/v i ^uy! *»s DesignCAD 3-D is a complete 3-Dimensional CAD system. Itoffers most, if M, riot all, the features found on programs costing more than $3000! In fact, %*. ^s^§k \K PC Magazine says, "For a low-cost, self-contained 3-D package Design- r^. CAD's range of features steals the show. The package offers more than ^(\ adequate features for a wide range of professionals and hobbyists alike." ^Vy\ Once again, American Small Business Computers has proved that you iuJ don't nave to sPent* a lot °f money to get quality software. DesignCAD 3-D WJfp provides features such as Shading, Solid Object Modeling, Hidden Line %// Removal, Cross Sectioning capability, ability to output shaded drawings to laser printers, dot-matrix printers, or pen plotters, extensive file transfer capability, all for only $299! No other 3-Dimensional CAD system can come close to providing the price/performance of DesignCAD 3-D. There is a very important reason to buy DesignCAD 3-D other than price: PERFORMANCE! DesignCAD 3-D provides complete 3-Dimensional drawing capabilities. It's not a "warmed-over" 2-D program. DesignCAD 3-D allows you to draw any entity in3-D space. This means, for example, that you can draw a curve in the shape of a spring. You can draw a circle or arc at ANY angle on ANY plane. o DesignCAD 3-D allows up to 4 simultaneous views - any angle or perspective -on J the screen. DesignCAD 3-D also provides complex extrusions— linear, scalar, Ji and circular. Extensive 3-D text capabilities and auto- dimensioning are provided, at no extra charge, of course! DesignCAD 3-D almost certainly is compatible with the. computer system you now own. DesignCAD 3-D supports more than 200 dotrmatrix printers, at high resolution. DesignCAD 3-D supports more than 80 plotters, and most digitizers, mice, and graphics adapters available for "PC and PC Compatible" systems. Shaded and wireframe models can be output to the printer or plotter YOU own. DesignCAD 3-D provides the capability to read drawings from most other CAD systems (DesignCAD/ProDesign II, AutoCAD's DXF, Hewlett Packard's HPGL, and IGES). DesignCAD 3-D will also write GE, and POSTSCRIPT files. This file exchange utility is included at no extra charge, of course. DesignCAD 3-D does not require expensive graphics adapters and monitors - even shading can be done on ordinary displays, such as the Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA), Color Graphics Adapter (CGA) and Hercules Monochrome Adapter. DesignCAD also supports many of the ultra high resolution graphics adapters, with more hardware being supported daily. However, the best reason to buy DesignCAD 3-D is not the low price. It's not the outstanding performance. It's not the extensive hardware compatibility. The best reason to buy DesignCAD 3-D is for its amazing ease of use! What else do you need to know about DesignCAD 3-D? Only this: "Included at No Extra Charge." What is included at no extra charge? EVERYTHING! $299 BUYS IT ALL! $299 Oh yes, we also market a 2-Dimensional version of DesignCAD 3-D with special drafting and design functions. Can they work together? Naturally . . . Our Mothers, Wives, and childhood Sweethearts would see it no other way! The price? . . . $299, of course! How do you get one? See your local computer store or dealer, or contact: To quote PC Magazine . . . "DesignCAD 3-D, the latest feature-packed low-cost CADD package from American Small Business Computers, delivers more bang per buck than any of its low- cost competitors and threatens programs costing ten times as much " American Small Business Computers, Inc. 327 So. Mill Street • Pryor, OK 74361 Phone: (918) 825-4844 Fax: 01-918-825-6359 Telex: 9102400302 Write or phone us for FREE DEMO DISK and information on DesignCAD 3-D and DesignCAD 2-D products. 144 B Y T E • DECEMBER 1988 Circle 21 on Reader Service Card EXPERT ADVICE MACINATIONS ■ Don Crabb ^ VLSI Design and Network Help A look at a CAD package and a network troubleshooting application Although a large number of gen- eralized CAD systems (such as VersaCAD, Claris CAD, MicroCAD, and others) are currently available for the Macintosh II, those that focus on very-large-scale-inte- gration circuit design are almost non- existent. It's a shame, too, since the very features of a Mac II— its high-resolution color graphics and built-in math copro- cessor—that make it so suitable for CAD work also make it suitable for VLSI de- sign. It also happens that one good sys- tem for teaching and researching VLSI design techniques doesn't come from a commercial vendor: It's the Magic sys- tem from the computer science division of the electrical engineering and com- puter sciences department of the Univer- sity of California at Berkeley. Spurred on by the need for such soft- ware on low-cost workstations and the availability of the source code from Berkeley, the University of Chicago is in- vestigating the porting of Magic to the Mac II running A/UX. We've under- taken this investigation despite the fact that Magic has been superseded in recent years by better commercial Unix-based VLSI design tools because these pack- ages are currently expensive ($20,000 to $30,000) and the source code is not available for porting. First, let me explain what Magic is and then what we're doing. Magic and its re- lated VLSI tools all run under various flavors of Berkeley Unix, which isn't too surprising given their origins. Naturally, the software will run on VAXes running 4.2 and 4.3 BSD, as well as under DEC's Ultrix, Sun 2s and 3 s running SunOS (versions 2 and 3), and under OSx on a Pyramid minicomputer. Magic lets you design and modify VLSI circuit layouts using an interactive, multiwindow display system. Magic works with a color graphics display workstation and needs a mouse or a graphics tablet. Magic enables you to de- sign basic circuit cells and assemble them into complete logic systems. Unlike some other VLSI layout editors on the market, Magic does not just automate electrical drafting with its color display. It under- stands some basic "facts" about how cir- cuits operate. This built-in knowledge base permits Magic to provide a number of design aids that are especially helpful in learning VLSI design methods and in validating a circuit topology. Built-in Rule Set Magic "perceives" how logical compo- nents can be connected and understands how a transistor functions. It actually in- cludes a built-in hierarchical circuit ex- tractor to provide high-level layout checking. When you're using Magic to create a VLSI layout, its built-in rule set constantly monitors your design and editing. When you attempt to create a structure that violates its rule set, Magic warns you of the inconsistency. Magic includes a function known as Plow (probably from its operation on the display) that can compact or stretch the dimensions of the circuit cells. Connect- ing the modified cells is also a snap since Magic provides a set of routing tools that allow you to make the necessary (and op- timized) interconnections among larger circuit components. The rule set programmed into Magic follows the Mead-Conway simplified style of design. These rules allow VLSI novices to create working designs quick- ly, supported by Magic's design aids. There are drawbacks associated with Magic's Mead-Conway implementation, of course. The most serious is that com- ponent density is compromised by its simplified rule set, which doesn't let you cram as many components into a given physical space as some sophisticated de- signers might like or as would be possible under more complex rules and their re- sulting structures. In VLSI design parlance, Magic per- mits only "Manhattan" designs, where the topology of the cell edges is vertical or horizontal. Put another way, wedge or corner design topologies cannot be ac- commodated directly. According to pro- fessional circuit designers who have used Magic, the simplified rule set results in a loss of theoretical circuit density of about 7 to 10 percent. While such density losses may be important in commercial VLSI applications, they mean practically nothing in instruction and research, where the function of the design is to educate, not necessarily to be cast in silicon. Magic comes as part of a total VLSI design and analysis package from Berke- ley called VLSI Tools. The package in- cludes more than a dozen different pro- grams, authored by Gordon Hamachi, Robert Mayo, John Ousterhout, Walter Scott, George Taylor, and other re- searchers outside Berkeley. In addition to Magic, the design pack- age offers a timing analyzer, known as Crystal, that helps circuit designers find performance problems in the design; a logic equation converter (Eqntott) that converts logic equations into a truth-table format for design input; and a high-level description compiler (Peg) that compiles a high-level description of a finite-state machine into logic equations that can be input into the layout tools for automatic layout and finite-state-machine optimi- zation. A separate program, called Spice2summary, provides summary in- formation about a circuit's operating speed, power, and electrical properties as it has been designed using Magic. Magic needs a color display with enough bit planes to render all the circuit continued DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 145 MACINATIONS layers clearly. Single-bit-plane mono- chrome monitors can display Magic de- signs, but the resulting use of hatched and dotted lines makes it tough to keep your layers clear. The color displays sup- plied with VAXstation, AED, Sun, Apol- lo, and Lexidata workstations can be used with the monitor drivers supplied. At the University of Chicago we teach VLSI using Magic on Sun-3/160s that in- clude 19-inch, 8-bit-plane color moni- tors. On Suns, Magic requires the Sun- Tools windowing environment to display its multiple windows (display, command, etc.). Sun versions for X- Windows, NeWS, and Open Look do not yet exist. Slow Progress At the University of Chicago we are try- ing to port Magic and the other Berkeley VLSI design tools to run under A/UX on Mac lis. The progress so far has been slow for several reasons. First of all, A/UX is a System V release, and Magic was developed under Berkeley Unix and is full of "Berkeleyisms." Second, we need to write color-output A/UX console drivers for the Mac IPs 13-inch RGB monitor. Furthermore, version 1.0 of A/UX is excruciatingly slow for graphics operations (we're hoping that versions 1 . 1 and 2.0 will be much faster). On a Mac II, Magic really works best on a 19-inch RGB monitor like the Super- Mac Trinitron unit, for which a special A/UX driver must also be written. Cer- tainly, 256 different colors are adequate for rendering circuit layers and cells, but when the new 24-bit Mac II color cards become more prevalent, I expect that Magic drivers will be written to take advantage of their multimillion-color display capabilities. Almost any interested designer or re- searcher can obtain the Berkeley VLSI Tools since they were developed, in part, with National Science Foundation grants, giving them a kind of public do- main status. The price (approximately $100) reflects the costs of preparing and mailing a nine-track tape (1600 or 6250 bits per inch) that contains Magic, the other tools, and their combined docu- mentation (ditroff source files and Unix man pages). The tape contains about 20 megabytes of Unix tar binary files, including installation scripts for BSD 4.3 and Sun OS 2.0. As I mentioned, we've used Magic and its related tools for the last couple of years in my department to teach VLSI. Because it is easy to install and maintain on our Unix workstations and minicom- puters, it has worked well in our instruc- tional and research situations. That's the Items Discussed InterPoll NetWork Administrator's Utility $129 Apple Computer, Inc. 20525 Mariani Ave. Cupertino, CA 95014 (408) 996-1010 Inquiry 1150. Magic VLSI Tools $100 Computer Science Division Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences Department University of California Berkeley, CA 94720 (415) 642-3214 big reason we're so closely following the effort at A/UX ports of programs such as Magic. While we don't expect A/UX Mac lis to replace Suns and Apollos in our department or on our campus, we do expect them to turn up in a number of lo- cations, because of the great Apple Uni- versity Consortium price and their abil- ity to run both Unix and Mac software— a big win in our environment. InterPoll— An AppleTalk Network Management Tool Network management ranks right up there with ingrown toenails, fever blis- ters, and sunburn as being both annoying and painful. Although my experience with managing AppleTalk networks leans toward the annoying side of that du- ality, it's still not one of my favorite duties. One example typifies the kind of prob- lems that crop up with a network. Re- cently, some of my students and I spent several days trying to figure out why a Mac II on a lab LocalTalk network wasn't showing up under TOPS when we looked from other TOPS nodes on the same network. We replaced the Local- Talk connector and the section of cable leading into it, and still it wouldn't show up. We were about ready to pull out all our cabling and install new cables— a bad scene— when we came across Apple's In- terPoll NetWork Administrator's Utility. We fired this baby up, and lo and be- hold, we found the problem: a broken cable at the opposite end of the network. No, I'm still not sure why this made the Mac II at the opposite end of the network disappear, but at least I knew what the problem was. With the recabling disaster averted, I played with InterPoll some more to find out what it could and couldn't do. As far as I can tell, it's based on the old freeware program called NetCheck 2.0 that used to be found on several on-line services (including Ap- pleLink) and was useful for monitoring AppleTalk networks. What the Tools Can Do InterPoll encompasses a bunch of tools, all of which are pretty helpful. The list includes ones that give you a complete or selective list of devices that are active on any AppleTalk network (although I have yet to try it over EtherTalk) and help you create a network topology map, perform network integrity tests (the tool we used successfully to find our busted cable), report on the versions of the systems files being run at each AppleTalk node, and report network status across inter- network bridges (such as the Kinetics FastPath and Hayes InterBridge). Should your desires tend in that direction, Inter- Poll can also create readable network management reports. InterPoll runs on a Mac II, SE, or Plus running System Tools 6.0.2 and comes with three disks: the InterPoll adminis- trator's disk (for the network manager), an 800K-byte workstation disk (for each user on the network), and a 400K-byte version of the workstation disk. You'll receive a decent manual, too. The AppleTalk Responder INIT has to be in- stalled in the System Folder for InterPoll to work properly. InterPoll does its dirty work by using five of the AppleTalk protocols: the Name Binding Protocol (NBP) to find network devices, the Link Access Proto- col (LAP) to find unnamed devices, the Echo Protocol (EP) to determine link in- tegrity and performance, the Printer Ac- cess Protocol (PAP) to get information about the status of printers on the net- work, and the AppleTalk Transaction Protocol (ATP) to get general system information. If you have AppleTalk networks, In- terPoll is a handy item to keep in your toolbox. It certainly beats pulling new cable. ■ Don Crabb is the director of laboratories and a senior lecturer for the University of Chicago department of computer sci- ence. He is also a consulting editor for BYTE. He can be reached on BIX as "decrabb. " Your questions and comments are wel- come. Write to Editor, BYTE, One Phoe- nix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. 146 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 Systat. Because other statistics and graphics packages are not enough. Systat now offers more statistical graphics than any other PC or mainframe package. And we still give you less bulk with more statistics. 8UVMEJI A ps£ i** M. '& ^ *£ H A 4 *"&<&•*" "£*•** ******** Statistics Basic statistics, frequencies, t-tests, post-hoc tests Multiway crosstabs with log-linear modeling, association coefficients, PRE statistics, Mantel-Haenszel, asymptotic standard errors Nonparametric statistics (sign, Runs, Wilcoxon, Kruskal- Wallis, Friedman two-way ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U, Kolmogorov- Smirnov, Lilliefors, Kendall coefficient of concordance] Pairwise/ listwise missing value correlation, SSCP, covariance, Spearman, Gamma, Kendall Tau, Euclidean distances, binary similarities Linear, polynomial, multiple, stepwise, weighted regression with extended diagnostics Multivariate general linear model includes multi-way ANOVA, ANOCOVA, MANOVA, repeated measures, canonical correlation Principal components, factor analysis, rotations, components scores Multidimensional scaling Multiple and canonical discriminant analysis, Bayesian classification Cluster analysis (hierarchical, single, average, complete, median, centroid linkage, k-means, cases, variables Time series (smoothers, exponential smoothing, seasonal and nonseasonal ARIMA, ACF, PACF, CCF, transformations, Fourier analysis Nonlinear estimation [nonlinear regression, maximum likelihood estimation, and more]. Graphics Overlay plots Drivers for most graphics devices Two dimensional: Error Bars Scatterplots Line and Vector Graphs Vector, Dot, Bubble and Quantile Plots Bar Graphs [single, multiple, stacked, range] Box plots (single and grouped] Stem-and-leaf diagrams Linear, quadratic, step, spline, polynomial, LOWESS, exponential smoothing Confidence Intervals and ellipsoids (any alpha value] Smooth mathematical functions Rectangular or polar coordinates Log and power scales ANOVA interaction plots Histograms (regular, cumulative, fuzzy] Stripe and jitter plots Gaussian histogram smoothing Scatterplot matrices Voronoi Tesselations Minimum spanning tree Maps with geographic projections (U.S. state boundary file included] Chernoff faces Star plots Fourier plots Pie charts Contour plots on regularly and irregularly spaced points Control charts and limits Three dimensional: Data plots Smooth function plots Vector plots Linear, quadratic, spline, least squares surface smoothing Three- dimensional type fonts. Data Management Import/export Lotus, dBase, and DIF files Full screen data editor Full screen text editor Unlimited cases Missing data, arrays, character variables Process hierarchical, rectangular or triangular files, irregular length records Character, numeric, and nested sorts Merge and append large files Unlimited numeric and character variable transformations Subgroup processing with SELECT and BY Value labels and RECODE Statements Macro processor with programming language, screen control, file manipulation, applications generation, and report writing. SYSTAT Systat operates on IBM PCs and compatibles, MS-DOS and CP/M machines, several UNIX minicomputers, and the VAX/Microvax. Menu/windowed Macintosh version also available. Single copy price $795 USA and Canada, $895 Foreign. Site licenses, quantity prices and training seminars available. No fees for technical support. Statistics and graphics available separately. For more information, call 312 864.5670 or write Systat Inc., 1800 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201. The following are registered trademarks: CP/M ot Digital Research, Inc., IBM PC of IBM, Inc., MS-DOS of Microsoft. Inc., Macintosh of Apple Computer Inc., UNIX of AT&T and VAX of Digital Equipment Corporation. Systat. Intelligent software. Circle 275 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 276) DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 147 Are you tired of seeing If you are developing a network application for the PC or PS/2, you should consider MicroLINK Network Developer's Kit. MicroLINK Network Developer's Kit will give you a complete SMB protocol redirector, server and memory management for use on any standard NETBIOS. Very High Performance MicroLINK is a very high performance network operating system. In most environments it is 75% faster than the so-called industry leader. Easy to Implement MicroLINK comes as stand alone software modules. MicroLINK can be interfaced through MS C or MASM calls. Low Memory Requirements MicroLINK requires less than 40k bytes for a user, or 64k bytes for a nondedicated server. MicroLINK can also use EMS memory for even lower memory requirements. Four Complete MicroLINK 1 gives you four vork Developer's Kit ) nodes to develop yoni f You can easily purchase ilTionTm Ms as you need them. Yo will also receive NETBIOS interfaces for /D8003E and WD8003ET/A ethernet ! and others. Complete developer's documentation is included whicISjutlinesaltsjeUvork programming interfaces. ■ 'f V 7 5^ For network developin^vithou [tooLINK NetwflrkU Available ^Programmer's Shop, Programmer's Connection and Progra iche, Simple NET Systems, Inc. • 545 West Lambert Road • Suite A • Brea, Califotj (800) 262-801^^ EN CALIFORNIA (714) 529-8850 • fax 2621 4 MicroU^Aji registered trademark of BCSoft Co .are trademarks of J ftive holders. 148 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 258 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 259) EXPERT ADVICE C0M1: Brock N. Meeks X.400 Grows Up The final version of this international standard should advance global E-mail interconnectivity Electronic message delivery has entered a new era. This year, deemed the "Year of Intercon- nectivity" by the Electronic Mail Association, will see the approval of the final version of X.400, the inter- national standard for interconnecting electronic mail systems. In 1980, the International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee (CCITT) initiated formal work on a uni- versal interconnection standard via a working group referred to as a "special rapporteur." In 1984, the first X.400 standard was hammered out in CCITT volume VIII— Facicle VIII. 7, known as the "Red Book." Since 1984, the standard has been undergoing revision. The 1988 version, though not ratified at this writing, was expected to be ratified in November. The new X.400 standard will be contained in the "Blue Book." Before X.400, residents of the so- called global village who needed world- wide communications capability made do with adequate, but antiquated, tools such as the telex— a real-time, dial-up communications technology from West- ern Union. But in today's high-tech envi- ronment of global competitiveness, the telex machine is too slow and unreliable, and it's useless for binary file transfers. It's a small leap from the telex to the Advanced Research Projects Agency net- work, a worldwide E-mail network used first by the military to link its research labs and installations. ARPAnet deterio- rated (some say evolved) into several other networks, such as Usenet and Bit- net, that still function today. But years of neglect and apathy have taken their toll on these networks; they resemble the root system of a weeping willow more than a sophisticated and efficient mes- saging system. Until X.400 became a reality, the idea of a universal electronic messaging sys- tem that worked on any mainframe and down to the personal computer level and allowed anyone to send a message to any- one else, worldwide, regardless of what E-mail system he or she used, was only so much science fiction. But X.400 will move us from fiction to fact. X.400 provides for the sending of mes- sages, files, and even telexes among dif- ferent mainframes. Users of X. 400-com- patible E-mail systems won't have to concern themselves with the idiosyncra- sies of host-system protocols. The X.400 standard outlines the ar- chitecture, protocols, and message "en- velope" formats that allow E-mail users to exchange messages independently of the E-mail systems they use. For exam- ple, X.400 makes it possible for DEC'S All-in- 1 to swap messages with Data General's CEO, and MCI Mail users can trade messages with users of Compu- Serve's EasyPlex E-mail service. "Four years ago, the ink was just dry- ing on the X.400 draft standard," says Richard Miller, president of Telematica, a data communications consulting firm specializing in electronic messaging pro- tocols. "The childhood of X.400 is at an end, and with some 40 vendors now of- fering X. 400-compatible products, we're seeing an era of 'plug and play' systems hitting the market." Products include X.400-compliant E-mail systems and X.400 gateways, which allow inter- connection between proprietary E-mail systems that do not support X.400 internally. Inside X.400 X.400 is part of the International Stan- dard Organization's Open Systems Inter- continued ILLUSTRATION: ROB EBERSOL © 1988 DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 149 connection model. OSI's seven layers can be compared to a cake; each succes- sive layer builds on those below it. The lowest layers, which are closest to the communications hardware, make certain that the raw bits of data make it through the physical medium intact. The upper layers preserve the integrity of the data; they ensure that the bits sent have the same meaning when you receive them at your end. X.400 is the first stable proto- col in OSI's application layer— the high- est level in the protocol stack. To establish a truly universal store- and-forward (E-mail) network, you need to specify the interface details for all E- mail systems to be interconnected. X.400 provides the technical glue for these systems and their interfaces, and it does so in enough detail to satisfy the needs of anyone who wants to build his or her own X.400 message-handling system (MHS). Not surprisingly, the language of the X.400 specification is technically precise. Some critics say it's too com- plex, but X.400 products are alive, well, and in use. The X.400 specification itself con- tains several components. First, the COM1: Y ** .400 is the first stable protocol in OSI's application layer. MHS is a group of interconnected store- and-forward systems. Messages them- selves can contain any kind of electronic data. The messages you generate are sent to a User Agent, which functions like a post office box. It provides a place for messages to be delivered to each user on the system. The UA acts on your behalf to exchange messages between your key- board and the Message Transfer Agent. MTAs function as post offices. Each MTA serves a particular group of UAs, just as your local branch post office han- dles your paper mail. It collects mes- sages, sorts them by destination, and then forwards them, in bulk, over the network. The MTA also routes messages to all recipient UAs and makes copies automat- ically if a message is being sent to several people in a distribution list. Likewise, the MTA sorts and delivers incoming messages. The X.400 P3 protocol de- fines the method for submission and de- livery of messages between a UA and an MTA. MTAs perform these store-and-for- ward functions via the X.400 PI proto- col, which defines the rules of the road for how interactions between MTAs take place. PI also defines how a particular system deals with the delivery of mes- sage envelopes. All the MTAs working together are defined as a Message Trans- fer System. Thus, ACME's corporate mainframe in Toledo, Ohio, is con- sidered an MTA, as is the branch office mainframe in Hoboken, New Jersey. The interconnection of these MTAs is the MTS. There also may be direct interaction between cooperating UAs on, say, the same local-area network. This is defined by the P2 protocol and includes the capa- bility for services such as finding out if the recipient UA has enough room to hold the message you've sent, and sending an How the competition stands Introducing the modem with a sleek new stand-up* design. Telebit's new T1000 Multi- Speed modem. The modem that not only looks different, but is different. With more features. More performance. And a surprisingly low price. More modem for less money. What makes the T1000 so different? For one, you get a choice of more speeds. The T1000 can send and receive data at 300, 1200, 2400, or 9600 bps using ordinary dial-up phone lines. So the T1000 can talk to your installed base of low-speed modems, plus the large installed base of Telebit" and other PEP™ high- speed modems. But it costs about the same as a 2400 bps error-free modem. Another difference? The T1000 runs at 9600 bps with any type of data— without com- pression. Error free. With MNP and PEP error detection and correction. The T1000 fits right in. The T1000 Multi-Speed modem even talks Hayes— right from the box. And if you're using the AT command set or even Smartcom III software, we're compatible. You won't need new software. And you won't need new commands. The T1000 also has internal support for the most widely-used communications protocols — Kermit, Xmodem, Ymodem and UNIX's UUCP So you can transfer files up to 3 times faster than any other modem. acknowledgment when the recipient UA has read the message. Sorry, No Listing To have any kind of global intercon- nected network, you need a directory of some sort. The standard for establishing such a directory is X.500. Even though some systems, such as MCI Mail and CompuServe, currently provide inter- connection via X.400, users of either system must already know the address of the intended recipient; there is currently no provision to look up a CompuServe user's electronic address from within MCI Mail. Enter X.500. Think of it as a kind of digital directory assistance and then some. According to the X.500 standard (which is expected to be ratified along with X.400), individual entries will con- tain information "corresponding to each of the communications methods by which that person can be reached, se- lected from an open-ended list which in- cludes at least the following: Telephony, E-mail, telex, Integrated Services Digi- tal Network, physical delivery (postal address), and facsimile. In some cases, COM1: T i hink of X.500 as a kind of digital directory assistance. such as E-mail, the entry will have some additional information, such as types of information that the user's equipment can handle." The X.500 standard enables users to implement a distributed global- directory (the specification doesn't mention any time frame for this to take place or ad- dress its feasibility, of course, and both are points of controversy). On the local level, X.500 would enable users in an IBM PROFS environment to look up the E-mail addresses for users within the same company who are using a different system, such as DEC's All-In-1. X.500 will let users browse through user listings just as if they were looking through a telephone book. It could also set up a type of Yellow Pages browsing capability based on the type of business or service. The growth of a global directory would come from major E-mail service vendors and private networks linking their perspective user lists. Jeanne Bracken, Pacific Bell director of mes- sage-handling systems, says the standard would create a "basic directory assis- tance [service] magnified a million times in terms of information you can get. " Where's the Beef? If X.400 is as grown up and worldly as its supporters claim, why can't you simply log on to an E-mail system and exchange electronic messages with anyone, any- where, at any time? Good question. The answer has to do with conformity and commerce. First, no standard exists for testing the conformity of X.400 products, and no public E-mail system is going to allow an untested X.400 product to connect to its backbone without some kind of proof that it won't sabotage the entire system. Some companies, such as Telenet, have insti- continued up to Tblebit's newest modem. And here's another big difference. Since the T1000 runs the most popular communi- cations software at the highest possible speeds. You can take full advantage of packages like HyperACCESS, Crosstalk-Fast, MicroPhone II, and Acknowledge. Just plug us in, and the T1000 will fit right in. No matter what your environment. Remote management for ease of use. Here's the final difference. The T1000 offers a host of remote management features. Including remote access, remote configuration and remote diagnostics. So get the modem that's head and shoulders above the rest. In features and per- formance. At just the right price. Telebit's new T1000 Multi-Speed Modem. Calll-800-TELEBITor (415) 969-3800, today. Or write Telebit at 1345 Shorebird Way, Moun- tain View, CA 94043-1329. Fax: (415) 969-8888. Because no one gets the message through like Telebit. T1000. nF TELEBIT ■I ■ 1988 Telebit Corporation. Telebit is a registered trademark and PEP is a trademark of Telebit Corpora- tion. Other brands or product names are trademarks of their respective holders. ^optional Circle 282 on Reader Service Card McGraw-Hill Computer Sciences for the Forward Thinking Books published bv Academic Press 1. Fractals Everywhere by Michael Barnsley. An exciting new area with appliction to computer graph- ics and image compression! Illus. 400 pp. $39.95 2. Curves and Surfaces for Computer Aided Geometric Design A Practical Guide by Gerald Farin. For software developers for CAD/CAM systems, geometric modeling researchers, graphics programmers. 150 diagrams, 352 pp. $39.95 3. Creating User Interfaces by Demonstration by Brad A. Myers. New for creating interaction techniques.. .Peridot is fully described as to design, implementation and research. 320 pp. $29.95 4. Object-Oriented Forth Implementation of Advanced Data Structures edited by Dick Pountain. Makes object-oriented programming available to users of small home computers. II9 pp. $19.95 paper 5. Introduction to the Graphical Kernel System (GKS) 2nd ed. by Hopgood, Duce, Gallop, Sutcliffe. Highly acclaimed, now with thorough coverage of GKS international standard. 272 pp. $29.95 paper 6. Neural and Brain Modeling by Ronald J. MacGregor. For researchers & students in neuro- science, computer science, cognitive science, artifi- cial intelligence, bioengineering. 643 pp $35.00 pap. 7. Mathematics for Dynamic Modeling by Edward Beltrami. Intended for applied math students but the accessible presentation makes it of interest to non- specialists in related fields. 277 pp. $27.50 ■L, , „ INTRODUCTION TOTHEOfiflPHICAL KI-RNet 8V5TI:W| (OKS) Neural and Brain Modeling 03 O O COMl: ; gMtftiffSS ,1 00iifi f McGraw^HilT BookstoFe" 1221 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10020 iSend me (circle) book #12 3 4 Number of copies [Check or credit card: Visa Amer.Exp.. lAccount No. MB12 M Mastercard _Expires_ Name lAdress |City_ State _Zip_ j Add applicable sales tax, plus $2.50 postage and handling. i tuted proprietary conformity testing pro- cedures. That's fine for vendors target- ing their products at Telenet's network. However, Telenet's conformity proce- dure doesn't apply to any other system, such as Dialcom. This lack of a standard- ized conformity test will hamper the rapid implementation of X.400 products universally. The other major issue is that public E- mail networks will not interconnect worldwide until administrative ques- tions, such as billing procedures, are ad- dressed. How will the revenue be split between service providers when a mes- sage is sent from the U.S. to the German PTT's system? Should the revenue be split evenly? What if the message from the U.S. consists of a distribution list? If the PTT has to deliver hundreds of copies of a single message sent from the U.S., how does the revenue from that message transfer get fairly distributed across the two commercial systems? Such questions are stumbling blocks to true inter- connectivity. Global Grab Bag The technology for a ubiquitous E-mail network has been available for years. The standards are now in place. But we may be well into the next decade before anything approaching global connectiv- ity emerges. In the meantime, there will be limited interconnections. And if your corporation needs worldwide messaging, you can certainly pay dearly for it by signing on with one of a few companies, such as Dialcom and Telenet, that pro- vide international E-mail service. Of course, you'll also have to convince your clients to sign on with the same system. Individual users will have to wait out the corporate suits while they negotiate in high-tech board rooms, and rely on the ARPAnet offspring, if they can stomach the inherent irritations and frustrations associated with such systems. Or they can use the rather limited existing com- mercial interconnections (MCI Mail and CompuServe) or commercial third-party message "porting" services. Or they might simply do as the two most powerful offices in the world— the White House and the Kremlin— have done for decades: Use a telex. ■ Brock N. Meeks is a San Diego-based freelance writer who specializes in high technology. You can reach him on BIX as "brock. " Your questions and comments are wel- come. Write to: Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. 152 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 1 76 on Reader Service Card Our Printer Sharing Unit Does Networking! An Integrated Solution Take our Master Switch 1M , a sophisticated sharing device, combine it with MasterNet " networking software for PCs, and you've got an integrated solution for printer and plotter sharing, file transfer, electronic mail, and a lot more. Of course you can also share modems, minis, and mainframes or access the network remotely. Installation and operation is very simple. Versatile Or you can use the Master Switch to link any computer or peripheral with a serial or parallel interface. The switch accepts over 20 commands for controlling the flow of data. It may be operated automatically, by command, or with interactive menus. Its buffer is expandable to one megabyte and holds up to 64 simultaneous jobs. The MasterLink ' utility diskette for PCs comes with every unit and unleashes the power of the switch with its memory-resident access to the commands and menus. Other Products We have a full line of connectivity solutions. If you just want printer sharing, we've got v^VROSE X^ ELECTRONICS (%cae 10" 0.01%, move < 10" 0.2 mm 0.1 mm CPGL, HPGL, CalComp 960, PCI 10 RS-232C 2g 30 0.01 (0.1%) 0.127 mn HPGL, SPGL 18 RS-232C, Centronics 3g 14 N/A 0.1 mm HPGL 19 RS-232C 2g 31.5 0.02 (0.2%) 0.1 mm Language Character Interfaces Acceleration Axial Accuracy Repeatability Resolution Dimensions Weight Doc. sets pen speed (inches) (same pen) (addressable) (inches) (lbs.) (pp) Ops) 0.025mm 22.6x17.9x4.1 14.3 327 0.025 mm 20.4x23.2x14.2 31 185 0.025 mm 24x12x10 32 240 0.0125mm 37.5x21x42.5' 79' 218 0.025mm 18x3.2x11.5 8 23 0.025 mm 41x39x8' 143' 139 10 0.01(0.5%) 0.1mm 0.025 mm 16.5x10x4 10 108 15.7 0.02(0.2%) 0.1mm 0.025 mm 40.6x45x20.5' 66' 149 0.025 mm 5x22.4x14.5 16 313 0 1 mm 0.025 mm 8.5x26.4x17 38 563 0.025mm 18.7x8.6x5.3 13.5 64 0.025 mm 18.9x8.6x5.3 14.3 91 0.025 mm 36.4 x 33.5 x 9.6' 52' 66 0.025 mm 42x41x24' 52' 213 0.025 mm 9.2x17.5x7.8= 6.5 62 0.025mm 5x18.4x12.3 12 310 0.025 mm 26.4x17x8.5 38 398 16.5 0.02(0.2%) 0.1mm 0.025 mm 40.6x44.9x20.5 66 186 7.7 0.5% 0.1mm 0.025 mm 5.9x8.3x31.9' 50' 43 0.1mm 0.025 mm 24x16.3x4.2 12.6 203 0.1mm 0.025 mm 24x16.3x4.2 12.6 203 0.05mm 0.0125mm 30.9x5.5x23.2 38 178 0.1mm 0.025 mm 52.8x48.2x21.1' 132' 370 HPGL 19 RS-232C, Centronics ig HPGL 19 RS-232C, [HPIB] 2g HPGL 19 RS-232C 2g HPGL 19 RS-232C, HPIB eg HPGL 19 RS-232C, Centronics ig HPGL 19 RS-232C, Centronics ig DM/PL 8 RS-232C 4g DM/PL 11 [12] RS-232C 4g DM/PL IBM-GL, HPGL IBM-GL, HPGL 8 19" 20 RS-232C (RJ-12port) RS-232C, [IEEE-488] RS-232C, IEEE-488 N/A 1.2g 6g IBM-GL, HPGL 33 RS-232C, [IEEE-488] 2g HPGL 20 RS-232C, [IEEE-488] N/A HPGL, DXY-GL 9 RS-232C, Centronics N/A HPGL, DXY-GL 9 RS-232C, Centronics N/A RD-GLII 9 RS-232C, Centronics N/A RD-GLII 9 RS-232C, Centronics 3g 15 N/A 0.1 mm 31.5 N/A 0.1 mm 7.9 0.008 (0.4%) 0.3 mm 15.7 0.008 (0.3%) 0.2 mm 16 0.01 (0.1%) 0.05 mm 32 0.01 (0.2%) 0.05 mm 3 N/A 0.1 mm 16 N/A 0.1 mm 31.5 N/A 0.1 mm 16.5 0.1 (0.3%) 16.5 0.1 (0.3%) 15.7 0.002 (0.2%) 23.6 0.004(0.1%) HPGL RS-232C N/A 0.35% 0.089 mm 0.089 mm 4 x 45 x 31 50 66 N/A=Data not available from manufacturer. DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 173 PRODUCT FOCUS PEN PLOTTERS Photo 1: The CalComp Artisan 1023 rated tops overall for an outstanding combination of features and performance. Photo 2: Houston Instrument 's DMP-61 was the fastest plotter we tested. It also came out on top in our quality ratings. when you ignore the time wasted switch- ing pens yourself. Pen adjustments re- quire tweaking of inconveniently located hexagonal screws, and the haphazard documentation doesn't simplify matters much. On top of all that, the plots were of poor quality. Small-Format Plotters Bruning Zeta 8: At $5950, the Zeta 8 is by far the most expensive of the small- format plotters we tested. But it offers a good return on your investment: It's a fast, versatile device that produces above-average plots. The Zeta 8's drum and continuous- feed mechanism can generate repeated plots on paper rolls or fanfold media without pausing. If you don't need con- tinuous A- or B-size plots, Bruning of- fers a D-size version for the same price that also handles cut sheets from A through C size. Front-panel controls, though extensive, require entering cryp- tic key combinations without benefit of a display. A terminal interface avoids that problem and makes the plotter suitable for a mainframe environment. One small flaw mars this otherwise superior plotter: the use of a moving pen- carrier mechanism rather than a carousel and moving arm design. While the car- rier provides excellent pen-changing speed, the physical hold on the pens is limited, and they occasionally work their way out of alignment. Enter SP600: Designed primarily for use with business graphics, the $995 Enter SP600, the "Sweet-P," offers economy at the expense of performance and plot quality. Even quiet operation and user controls are sacrificed for low cost. Front-panel control is almost nonexis- tent, with three switches allowing pen se- lection, pausing, and the running of a demonstration plot. Application software often provides drivers for this popular plotter; for software that does not, a com- patible driver for the Hewlett-Packard 7475A will work'. Dual Centronics and RS-232C ports make interfacing easy. Fujitsu ImageGraph: The ImageGraph suffered more from a lack of adequate pen support than from any glaring design defect, but the result was the same: poor- quality plots. While the other plotters were benchmarked using fine-tipped pens, Fujitsu offers only the 0.5-mm size. Unfortunately, the plotter will not accept a more standard pen format (like the Hewlett-Packard pen type), so you're stuck with the Fujitsu offering. A small continued 174 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Cut loose from the LAN tangle with SCO XENIX and SCO FoxBASE+! £T> '«* Enhanced dBASE III PLUS FunctionaUty. SCO FoxBASE+ works just like dBASE III PLUS, only better. It reads and writes the same data files, and runs your source code at compiled speed — without having to compile — for a shorter development cycle. Future Compatibility. An SCO XENIX system protects your investment because future compatibility is built in. By migrating your dBASE III PLUS applica- ) r> T J|f 5 With industry-standard SCO'" XENIX® System V and SCO FoxBASE+,™ you'll enjoy a real multiuser system that runs your existing dBASE III PLUS® code faster, easier, more reliably — and at half the cost! Greater Performance. With only a single PC and none of the traffic overhead required by a LAN server, The SCO Solution is lean and fast. Users share SCO FoxBASE+, applications, and data files via inexpensive terminals — all with greater performance. Greater Profitability. The SCO Solution gives you more for your money for greater profit- ability. An 8-user SCO XENIX system costs about half as much as an 8-user LAN — and adding each new user costs two-thirds less! Greater Reliability. Because an SCO XENIX system is more reliable than a LAN, you'll spend less time solving LAN problems and more time creating SCO XENLX-based solutions. Easier to Aclminister. SCO XENIX systems can be easily adminis- tered by end users. LANs are much more complicated — multiple PCs, multiple PC configurations, and multiple sources of failure. Circle 335 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 336) SCO XENIX System V and the SCO XENIX family of software solutions are available for all 80286- and 80386-based industry-standard and Micro Channel™ computers. SCO and the SCO logo are trademarks of The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. Micro Channel is a trademark rf International Business Machines Corporation. dBASE III PUIS is a registered trademark of Ashton-Tate.XF.NK is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. FoxR^SE+isatrademarii of 0.48 0.05 Shell 1.5 14.05 7.5 2.13 0.55 0.1 1.52 0.7 0.20 0.12 Loop Real User System Real Real Real User System Real User System Sun386i AT&T PC 6300 AT&T Unix PC Sun-3/160 VAX 8600 0.5 4.42 2.4 0.73 0.32 0.3 0 3.85 0.40 2.1 0.0 0.62 0.00 0.28 0.00 0.4 7.23 3.9 1.33 0.32 0.3 17.35 11.6 1.00 0.13 1.8 0.2 12.38 0.43 5.1 0.2 2.78 0.08 1.07 0.00 0.6 3.98 1.2 0.77 0.15 1.2 16.62 6.8 2.00 0.73 0.9 0 15.8 0.37 6.2 0.1 1.80 0.02 0.60 0.00 Multitasking Unix benchmark (real time) Unix Number of concurrent processes Machine version 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sun386i SunOS 4.0 2.0 3.4 4.9 6.1 7.5 8.7 AT&T PC 6300 Xenix V 12.52 16.38 22.97 28.33 35.78 43.33 AT&T Unix PC System V 6.3 8.7 12.7 19.2 22.8 29.8 Sun-3/160 4.2 BSD 2.63 3.14 3.69 4.25 4.85 5.51' VAX 8600 4.3 BSD 1.17 1.51 1.83 2.17 2.53 2.83 User time is time spent executing nonprivileged instructions. System time is time spent executing privileged (kernel) commands (i.e., system calls) plus system-level overhead (e.g., context switching between processes). Real time is elapsed time, and it is often not the sum of the user and system times; the difference is the time spent waiting for I/O operations to complete, waiting for a signal from another process, "sleeping," or being swapped into memory or out to disk. Pipe measures how long it takes to set up a pipe and pass 0.5 megabyte of data through it. System call queries the operating system 25,000 times concerning its process identity with the getpldt ) system call. Function call runs two programs: One uses a function call to accomplish a goal, and one doesn't use the function call for the same goal. The user time of the program not using the function is subtracted from the user time of the program using the function; the differ- ence is function-caii overhead, shown in the table as Delta user. Sieve runs one itera- tion of the Sieve of Eratosthenes. Write and Read test the random-access disk imple- mentation. Write creates, opens, and writes a 256- by 51 2-byte file. Read reads this file and then removes it. The Shell tests invoke background processes. The shell statement wait causes the shell script in multi.sh to pause until all the requested background processes have terminated. The background process tst.sh invokes several com- monly used Unix commands and exercises disk access with them. Loop tests long- integer arithmetic and is mostly processor-bound. All times are in seconds. but the multitasking benchmark (see table 1). That's an impressive showing. A true test of Unix performance would be to benchmark the Sun386i against an- other 25-MHz 80386 system running Xenix, A/UX, or SCO Unix. But there's no doubt that this system runs Unix as well as computers that have traditionally been considered fast, multiuser Unix workstations. On Balance As I've already said, you have to view the Sun386i primarily as a Unix worksta- tion. As such, it excels. If this machine had been available when I got my Sun- 3/110, which I use for three-dimensional geological modeling, I'd have bought the Sun386i instead; it's cheaper and more versatile. But the point bears repeating: You'll be disappointed if you think of the Sun386i as an 80386 DOS machine that also runs Unix. If you want serious DOS- only performance, this is definitely not the machine for you; get one of the many 20-MHz or 25-MHz 80386 microcom- puters now on the market. If, however, you require a top-quality Unix worksta- tion that can (as a bonus) multitask DOS programs and seamlessly exchange data between Unix and DOS, then this is the computer for you. The cost of the Sun386i seems high, and it is; but be sure to take a close look at what you get for your money. Consider the features that are standard on the Sun386i but that would be options on most other systems: a 25-MHz 80387 co- processor, complete Ethernet hardware and software, 8 megabytes of RAM, and complete Unix and DOS system soft- ware, as well as all the Sun View applica- tions. Don't forget the important fact that all hardware and programs come from the same vendor. They're integrated from the ground up, and they work well together. And finally, even if you don't specifi- cally require the Sun386i's graphical ca- pabilities in your work (as I do in mine), you'll love the way the iconic SunView desktop spruces up Unix. There's no substitute for the way SunView repre- sents processes as windows; it makes Unix's multitasking capabilities concrete and useful in ways that— for me, any- way—they never were before. ■ John Unger is a geophysicist for the U.S. government and lives in Hamilton, Vir- ginia. He writes graphics software and uses computers to study the earth 's crust. You can reach him on BIX as "junger. " 188 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 rchase of* 2995++ of software or $4995++ of hardware. Standard 386 Features: • 32-bit Intel 80386-16 CPU. • 1MB of 32-bit RAM on board. System expandable to 16MB. •8/16/20 MHz Keyboard selectable. • ST-251-1 Seagate 40MB Formatted 28 ms high speed, with ultra high speed Controller 1:1 interleave. • 1.2MB High Capacity Floppy Drive. • Super deluxe heavy duty tower case with 6 half-height drive openings. • High-resolution 12" Non-Glare Amber Display. Tilt and Swivel base, Hercules- compatible Adapter. • 101 Key Enhanced Keyboard, Pleasant "Tactile/Click" Feel. • 80287/387 Math- Coprocessors optional. • Fully compatible with virtually all XT/AT and 386 software. Upgrades for your FREE 386 System: • VGA Color Upgrade — add only $495. • 20 MHz CPU Upgrade — add only $195. 1 Call for all other options and upgrades. A hardware purchase of $4995 or more is required to receive the SIVA 386 System FREE. QMS PS 800II Postscript Laser Printer $5995 QMS PS 810 Postscript Laser Printer $4995 CDC WREN IV 300MB SCSI $2595 Hard drive with Controller CDC WREN III 155MB SCSI $1795 Hard drive with Controller CDC WREN II 86MB ST506 $ 895 Hard drive with HD/FD Controller Eight Port RS232 Intelligent Card $ 995 with Xenix Driver 32-Bit 8MB Memory Expansion Board $2997 Intel 80387 — 16 Coprocessor $ 495 '■•*■"* .^^ $1595 $ 595 $ 895 $1295 $ 995 $ 495 CALL CALL • Complete SCO Xenix System (including Operating System, Developing System and Text Processing System for 80386-based System) • SCO Lyrix System • SCO Professional • SCO Integra • SCO Foxbase Plus • SCO VP/IX (integrated DOS environment — two users) • Language & Development Tools • Networking & Communication Packages A software purchase of $2995 or more is required to receive your FREE SIVA 386 System. Mix and match to meet your needs! Prices are for Industry Standard 80386-based Computers. For all other systems and items please call: 1-800-252-4212 VINo America Corp. Suite 270, 910 Boston Post Road Marlboro, Massachusetts 01752 U.S.A. In Massachusetts 508-460-0016 FAX: 508-481-2218 "Offer good until December 31, 1988. Circle 300 on Reader Service Card • SCO is a trademark of The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc. ■ XENIX is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. • VIVix is a trademark of INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation. ■ PS/2, XT and AT are trademarks of IBM Corporation. Prices are subject to change without notice. Call for complete warranty details. More fountains Ifycm Bomo bovtevard* tfcm Paris: Kan sos Crfy iiWi/ surprise Mbu with its diversify, JlUrffe, ancV aSorm I n'ssti, Kansas City. NewOr- LIANS MEANS Mil AND NEW YOHK 0LIT2Y SHOPS, SlAnil MIANS RAIN AND Miami SUN. Uthei cities ate known for then itin- nig. their afis, then historic inleftsl. ll tltt) surprise vou In learn Thai Kajtm (iiy is all these things rod then sonic Willi nunc fountains lliail Home and mere boulevards than I'aris. this cily (s one ol America's underrated Have! destinations t-'roin the -symphony U> the Chiefs paint-, ft Otn gleaming shopping plazas in rtntored Homier stores, from art galleries to |*W nightspots -Kansas City is a smorgasbord ot diversions The uiy has ilearlv canH-d lis nickname. "The Heart (if America " ARCMrTECTURE A visittx id Kansas Ciiy can't help hui he struck by die contrast between old and new. uuh the budding boom of the la*r lew years inserting steel skjst'rapen next in cen- tury-old -store ftontt, But budding hooms are nothing new here, ami the city ipofll an unusual r"""^B>pra| array |9ih V 2(Hh-eewun buildings. A casual walk through town re- veaU the architectural cvi- I denec nf t'39 yciirs of vigoi- H ous growth. The highlight. especially tor history huffs, is Wesiport. a lov- ingly resided trading village that was a major mil fit! inf. tenter for westbound travelers in the IX5(to. Also of special interest is Country Cluh Pls/a Btiili in the (9201 and famous as the Igjjfc nation's first shopping center, if* a startling sight m the middle of a larscMidweslcmcit)'. ucol- j, lection of sumptuous £ , buildings, modeled af- 2r ler those in Seville. The area's best i: sample of late llih remury ViUn n.m art hurt inrc it. tome Ml miles Irutn downtown, hut wort hi he mp If'* in Independence, and ft't, the lormei home o] President Hairs S human Nitw under ihe Me wardship of the N:ilinnal Hark Service. the hottSC is open lothc public. Ami while you're hi Independeiiic. slop in the Truman Lihruiy fin i ok at the huge rmitalhvThn mas Marl llrulon uiiliclnhhv entitled "Independence and du- Opening "i die West SHOPPING f he vim o( Kansas Cits shopping is the Crown Cemei, an KVacrc "tiij within a city" built by Hallmark Cards down Cental offer. Mil shops, depanmeni stores, and restaurants nf every mmttrfrrmTi i THE CREATIVE SIDE OF PAGEMAKER. There's only one desktop publishing program that's equally adept at producing stunning graphic design and powerful business reports. It's Aldus PageMaker.® And it means desktop publishing to more people around the world than any other program. For creative professionals, PageMaker offers powerful features for precise page composition, document formatting, spot color, and text handling. All in a friendly, intuitive way. For business professionals, PageMaker offers features like built-in templates and comprehensive support for long documents. It's the first desktop publishing program to run on both Macintosh • and PC computers. And it's compatible with more business software and peripherals than any other 190 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 GLOBAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY Financial Report To Division Managers 0 The first quarter numbers are in ncs m m m Three Months Ending Six Months Ending MARCH 31, 1088 MARCH 31. '987 MARCH 31 19118 MARCH 31. 1987 SALES US. 4,657.770 i 23 1 1 18 K.7(*,iJl»l 2.185,070 Kim.fv i,r:i>.2!i. 978310 7,013.520 i imm A«Wl B3I55.1 244*27 1,7 V, ISO *rnm Nel Salei 1, Ui.'.W iijf..:n i-iumiii 1,170,1411 OPERATING EXPENSES Cos! .11 -,l aa .:,ii«l.'/r.l 21)1.1)111 3.82.3.581 3M.W) Selling. >$i nt'ivtl. and .Klmnii>li'.itiw 3*44*39 9?W» B,«5°j883 ljtWO.362 Ketwrcb utd tfevek Mil H1H .|„-..4«-, Mil i i! (W6J.7I 5,853.865 2*2,8W !iia>mc ir im openti 1 i •■..«.) u:s..)ii IUBJJm? Kquilv m ,i^.i(K.( operations tlSMQS (218,1341 Interest Income 73,473 53478 108,171 SM13 Income before federal iiu iimc i.im- l'ri'Vi>!un fur federal Income bum i.n2 i 115,000 1,178,891 511,000 ! 743,9(22 2,175,000 1 115420 'Jll.lKKl Net income Net income per sh.irv cif common ItOCk IMS.lffl SBJ7 Mi7,.S1I HUM 3368,903 SIUI 1,204,32" 50.11 ...and they look very good. In the first quarter ot 1988 flftch division took advantage of strong economic conditions in their respective territories to post sales figures well in excess ot I heir goals. Rigorous cost cutting combined with the new distribution system have helptid^keyp our operating expenses in line. Wt.in.-> s. fife tax <.- increased 28591 over the SfiJ There is every ini Continue through the next t good work. THE BUSINESS SIDE OF PAGEMAKER. desktop publishing program available today. Which explains why over 200,000 creative and business professionals around the world have chosen Aldus PageMaker. To get a closer look at the creative and busi- ness sides of PageMaker, visit your authorized Aldus dealer, or call 1-800-33-ALDUS to order a $4.95 self-running demo disk. Or you can order a colorful videotape demonstration for just $9.95. In Washington state call (206) 628-2375.* 411 First Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 622-5500. "Offer good in U.S. and Canada only. The PC demo disk requires an IBM PS/2, PC AT, or compatible with EGA or VGA card and color monitor. 'Hie Macintosh demo disk requires an Apple Macintosh 512K Enhanced. Plus, SE, or II; at least 1 MB RAM; Apple System file 4.1 or higher; Finder 5.5 or higher. Aldus, the Aldus logo, and PageMaker are registered trademarks of Aldus Corporation. Apple and Macintosh are registered trademarks and Kinder is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc. IBM is a registered trademark and PS/ 2 is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. ■'■'. 1!)8H Aldus Corporation. All rights reserved. Circle lion Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 12) DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 191 SHECBM COMPUTERS 10 MHZ 286 Mono System • Intel 80286 6/10 MHz clock • 640K RAM (upgradeable to 1 MEG) • 1.2 MB 5.25" floppy drive • 1 parallel - 1 serial I/O port • 200 watt power supply • 14" monochrome monitor • 101 enhanced keyboard • Real-time clock calendar w/battery • 2 year warranty • Oper. sys. w/manual & tutorial $1,195 1 MEG RAM up-grade $260 For RGB color monitor/card, add $1 80 For EGA color monitor/card, add $380 For Multiscan monitor With 800X600 contrl card. .. $480 IBM PS2 30-002 10MHz 8086 2 drives S1.250 30-021 10MHz 8086 20mbHD. ... $1,695 50Z-031 1 0MHz 286 30mb HD. . . . $2,950 50Z-061 10MHz 286 60mb HD. . . . $3,400 70-E61 16MHz 286 60mb HD $4,435 70-121 20MHz 2861 20mbHD.... $5,915 8503 12" monochrome monitor. .. . $ 205 8513 12" color monitor $ 545 851 3 14" color monitor $ 475 8514 16" color monitor $1,250 5.25" 1.2mb external drive 255 Pro-printer II 80col 200cps 440 Pro-printer X-24 80col 240cps 650 IBM & PS/2 are registered Trade Marks ot International Business Machine Corp. USA 6-8-10-12 MHZ 286 System Monochrome • Intel 80286 6/1 2 MHz clock • 1 MEG RAM • 1.2 MB 5.25" floppy drive • 1 parallel - 1 serial I/O ports • 200 watt power supply • 101 enhanced keyboard • 14" TTL monochrome monitor • Real-time clock calendar w/battery • 2 year warranty • Oper. sys. w/manual & tutorial $1,595 For RGB color monitor/card, add $1 80 For EGA color monitor/card, add $380 For Multiscan monitor With 800X600 contrl card. .. $480 COMPAQ Deskpro 286-20 12 MHz 20mbHD. $2,520 Deskpro 286-40 1 2 MHz 40mb HD. . . $3,150 Deskpro 386-60 20 MHz 60mb HD. . . $5,875 Deskpro 386-130 20 MHz I30mb HD. $7,235 VDU Board $ 170 VGA Board $ 525 11" Amber or Green Monitor $ 230 1 4" Videographic Color Monitor. ... $ 565 Portable-ll/4 8MHz 20mb HD $2,950 Portable-lll/20 1 2MHz 20mb HD. . . $4,850 Portable-386/40 20MHz 40mb HD. . $6,355 51 2k-2mb upgrade kit for 286 $ 405 1 -2mb upgrade kil for 386 $ 595 Compaq & Deskpro are (he registered trade marks of Compaq Computer Corporation USA !T3 16 MHZ 386 Mono System '16 Intel 80386 CPU .1 MEG RAM '1.2 MB 5.25" floppy drive '40 MB 28 MS (fast) hard drive ' 101 enhanced keyboard ' 1 parallel - 1 serial I/O ports ' 200 watt power supply ' 14" TTL monochrome monitor ' Real-time clock calendar w/battery ' 2 year warranty ' Opers. sys. w/manual & tutorial $2,750 386 Color System For EGA HI-REZ monitor $380 For Multiscan monitor With 800X600 card $480 CHIPS -CHIPS -CHIPS Simm — Sipp— Modules $ CALL 256-1 20/1 00/80ns $ CALL 1 MEG all speeds $ CALL 287 Math-Co's all speeds $ CALL 387 Math-Co 16 & 20 MHz... $ CALL 80387 16 MHz $ CALL 80387 20 MHz $ CALL 2754/256 EPROMS $ CALL DRAMS SRAMS ALSO AVAILABLE 8088TURB0 SYSTEMS • 5/8 MHz-1 floppy-mono- clk/cal-256K $645 • 5/8 MHz same as above W/640K $785 • 5/1 0 MHz same as above +2 floppies $895 • 5/10 MHz as above -FRGB $10,900 • 5/10 MHz as above +EGA. $12,850 • 2 year warranty • Opers. sys. w/manual & tutorial TOSHIBA Laptop Computers T1 1 00 plus 5/8 MHz w/640k. . $1,480 T1 200 as above + 20 MB h.dr. $ CALL (New w/backlite twist LCD) T31 00/20 w/20 MB hard drive $2,990 T3200 6/12 MHz 286 w/40 MB $3,695 T51 00 8/1 6 MHz 386 w/40 MB $4,795 ONE YEAR WARRANTY LAZER PRINTERS HP Laser Jet $1,750 Panasonic 4450 $1,595 Toshi Pagelaser-12 $2,650 SCANNERS Panasonic $995 (With contrl card & software) »re^T« j =v< TAPE BACKUPS & ADD-ONS Irwin-I20/5 20MBXT/AT $380 MS DOX 3.3 with GWBSIC S manual lrwin-145 20 MB AT Internal S515 OS/2 vert oper sys 8, manual .„..„„.,-,.•» 2mbXT/AT/PS2Rampaqewitn512kon Archive 40 MB XT/AT S CALL 800x600 Genoa super EGA card Archive 60 MB Internal $ CALL 800x600 Genoa 5t n0 super VGA card Archive 60 MB External S HALL mr ™n.:_.i». SI OS $280 S450 160 370 520 440 . 610 $645 $510 SMS HARD DRIVES ST-225 20mb ball height 65ms. ST-238 30mb half height 65ms. ST-251-2 40mb bh 40ms ST-251-1 40mb hh 28ms ST-4096 80mb full height 28ms Miniscribe 8425 20mb 3.5" 28ms. Miniscribe 3053 40mb hh 28ms. . Miniscribe 6085 80mb fb 28ms . . $255 $290 $395 $475 $750 $345 $590 $790 FLOPPIES Toshi/Fuji/Epson 360 K $ 75 Epson/Nee 1.2 MB $ 95 Toshi/Panasonic 760 K $110 Nec/Toshi 1.4 MB $120 CONTROLLER CARDS 20/30 MB cntrl card $ 50 1 1 200 Bauds internal modem S j5 13" Technika PGA/VGA/EGA monilor/sld.. . 1 200 Bauds external modem 5155 15" Idek MGA/PGA/VGA/EGA/CGA monitor. 2400 Bauds internal modem 2400 Bauds external modem $240 '3" ^ony ^03 niolliscan monitor .37m. . . 14" phosphor white monocrome monitor 20/30 WD RLL Card . $ 60 20/30 WD Adpt RLL $ 55 ■ " 1 ■• I Panasonic TOSHIBA KX1080i 144cps draft/28cps NLQ+cond. mode . KX1091i 1 92cps draft/38cps NLQ+cond. mode . KX1092i 240cps draft/48cps NLQ+cond. mode . KX1592i 180cps dratt/38cps NLQ+cond. mode . KX1595 240cps draft/51 cps NLQ+cond. mode . . KX1524 240cps draft/1 60cps text+80LQ+cond. $180 $215 $329 $429 $459 $580 OKIDATA P32ISL 216 cps draft/72cps LQ 3 fonts built-in. . $ 495 P341SL 216 cps draft/72cps LQ 3 fonts built-in ... $ 625 P351SX 360 cps draft/1 20cps LQ 6 fonts built-in . $1,025 Color upgrade for P351 SX $230 (ALL PRINTERS INCLUDE 6' CABLE) ML182+ 180/30cps NLQ $ 245 ML192+ 200/40cps NLQ $ 360 ML292 240/1 OOcps NLQ $ 495 ML390 24-pin 350cps $ 510 ML391 wide carriage $ 690 SHECOM COMPUTERS Circle 256 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 257) INC. Call before you buy and $&$?££> K& 22755-G Savi Ranch Parkway SAVE! SAVE! SAVE! U'"f '" Yorba Linda, CA 92886 Most orders shipped with 48 hours or less FAX (818) 912-^17 HOURS M-F 8 a.m. -6 p.m. SAT 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. PACIFIC TIME Apple & Add-Ons & Enhancements Prices subject to change without notice TECH SUPPORT 714-637-5921 $ff£ t*fffi INQUIRIES 714-637-4800 SALES ORDERS CALL 1 -800-366-4433 System Review A Nimble AT Dell's System 220 puts AT speed in a new class Jeff Holtzman How do you stuff 10 pounds of sand (well, silicon) into a 5- pound sack? Several compa- nies have tried, but Dell has come closest to figuring out the secret. With its 20-MHz 80286, the Dell System 220 marks the high end of AT compat- ibles and even holds its own against 80386-based machines. It's a compact, lightweight system with all the basics on the motherboard: video adapter, I/O ports, and disk controllers. Just plug in the keyboard and VGA monitor. You can buy the System 220 in three configurations. The base model, which has a list price of $2299, includes 1 megabyte of 80-nanosecond dynamic RAM (DRAM), one 1.44-megabyte floppy disk drive, one parallel and two serial ports, a VGA port, a monochrome VGA monitor, a 101 -key Enhanced-style keyboard, floppy and hard disk control- lers, and three empty 16-bit expansion slots. For color VGA, add $200 to the price of the desired model; for a fine- pitch color VGA monitor, add $300. A 12-month on-site service contract is in- cluded with these systems at no extra charge. The motherboard has a socket for an 8- MHz 80287 math coprocessor and space for an additional megabyte of RAM. Dell plans to introduce 1 -megabyte single in- line memory modules that can be substi- tuted for the standard 256K-byte SIMMs. This would let you pack a maxi- mum of 8 megabytes of RAM on the motherboard. However, pricing and availability have not yet been estab- lished. Maximum system memory is 16 megabytes. The review unit came with 2 mega- bytes of 80-ns DRAM, an 8-MHz 80287, a single Sony 1.44-megabyte 3!/2-inch floppy disk drive, a 40-megabyte 3'/2- inch Conner Peripherals CP-342 hard disk drive, a Mitsubishi color VGA moni- tor, and MS-DOS 3.30 (a $120 option). Packing It In Two 3'/2-inch disk drive bays dominate the clean front panel. In the lower right corner is the power switch, and in the upper left corner is a keyboard interlock switch. An LED indicates hard disk ac- tivity. There is no reset switch. The System 220 has space for only two 3 '/2-inch floppy disk drives and a single 3 Vi-inch low-profile hard disk drive. There is no provision for internal tape backup. The power supply (rated at 85 watts) is about two-thirds the size of a normal AT power supply. As in the PS/2 Model 30, the three 16-bit expansion slots are horizontally oriented. The motherboard uses the Chips & Technologies chip set. Many of the chips are prominently marked as working at 20 MHz. The motherboard has a number of jumper blocks that let you disable the on- board VGA, hard and floppy disk con- trollers, and so on, should one develop problems or if you want to add your own video card or another conflicting device in an expansion slot. The review unit's motherboard also had four engineering- change jumpers. A large motherboard diagram and in- struction sheet is affixed to the case, en- suring that essential setup information will remain with the machine. Interest- ingly, an edge connector corresponding continued DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 193 Circle 139 on Reader Service Card Integrand's new Chassis/System is not another IBM mechanical and electrical clone. An entirely fresh packaging design approach has been taken using modular construction. At present, over 40 optional stock modules allow you to customize our standard chassis to nearly any requirement. Integrand offers high quality, advanced design hardware along with applications and technical support all at prices competitive with imports. Why settle for less? REVIEW A NIMBLE AT PC/AT Chassis Rack & Desk Models Accepts PC, XT, AT Motherboards and Passive Backplanes Doesn 't Look Like IBM Rugged, Modular Construction Excellent Air Flow & Cooling Optional Card Cage Fan Designed to meet FCC 204 Watt Supply, UL Recognized 145W & 85W also available Reasonably Priced RESEARCH CORP. Call or write for descriptive brochure and prices: 8620 Roosevelt Ave. • Visalia, CA 93291 209/651-1203 TELEX 5106012830 (INTEGRAND UD) EZL1NK 62926572 We accept BankAmericard/VISA and MasterCard IBM. PC. XT, AT trademarks of International Business Machines. Drives and computer boards not included. Dell System 220 Company Dell Computer Corp. 9505 Arboretum Blvd. Austin, TX 78759 (800)426-5150 Components Processor: 20-MHz 80286 with zero wait states; socket for 8-MHz 80287 math coprocessor Memory: 1 megabyte of interleaved DRAM standard, expandable to 8 megabytes on system board Mass storage: 1 .44-megabyte 31/2-inch floppy disk drive; 40- and 100-megabyte hard disk drives optional Display: On-board VGA; monochrome VGA monitor standard, color monitors optional Keyboard: 101-key IBM Enhanced- style keyboard I/O interfaces: Two DB-9 RS-232C ports; one DB-25 parallel printer port; three standard 16-bit expansion slots Size 4x15x16 inches; 22 pounds Options MS-DOS 3.30: $120 Microsoft OS/2 version 1 .0: $325 8-MHz 80287: $400 1 megabyte of RAM (SIMMs): $1000 31/2-inch floppy disk drive: $200 31/2-inch 40-megabyte hard disk drive: $700 31/2-inch 100-megabyte hard disk drive: $1599 Serial mouse: $60 Color VGA monitor: $200 Fine-pitch color VGA monitor: $300 Documentation 85-page System 220 Owner's Manual; 134-page System Support Manual Price Base model with VGA monochrome monitor: $2299 With 40-megabyte hard disk drive: $2999 With 100-megabyte hard disk drive: $3799 System as reviewed: $4719 Inquiry 884. to the VGA feature connector runs along the left edge of the motherboard. The System 220 is FCC class B certified. What Works and What Doesn't Using the System 220 is a pleasure. The Key Tronic keyboard has an excellent feel— not as springy as IBM keyboards, but much better than cheap clone key- boards. You can slow the System 220 down to an 8-MHz clock rate at any time by pressing Ctrl- Alt- \. Using a ROM- based program, you can also set the ma- chine up to boot at either 8 or 20 MHz. The Mitsubishi monitor provides a clean, stable image in both text and graphics modes and has front-mounted power, brightness, and contrast controls. However, it has no tilt-and-swivel stand— just a single bar on which the front of the monitor can be propped. I had no trouble installing and using a Tandy serial mouse with various graph- ics packages, including AutoCAD re- lease 9.0, AutoSketch enhanced version 1.01, and Windows 2. 1 , as well as Excel 2.0, PageMaker 3.0, and Micrografx Designer 1.2 running under Windows. Microsoft's extended-memory driver (HIMEM.SYS) ran fine, giving Win- dows about 58K bytes more workspace. I also had no trouble installing and run- ning DESQview 2.01, WordStar Profes- sional 4.0, a beta version of WordStar Professional 5.0, Turbo Pascal 4.0, Microsoft BASIC 6.0, Lotus 1-2-3 ver- sion 2.01, VP-Planner 1.0, Professional CED 1.01a, DeskLink2.21, and Brook- lyn Bridge 2.0. I also installed a Hayes 2400-bit-per- second modem, which worked fine with Procomm 2.4.2 but would not work with Smartcom III. Whenever the program tried to access the modem, the system crashed. Dell's technical-support people tracked down the problem to a conflict between the COM port on my modem and the motherboard COM chip. The company says a patch is available now, and a revised BIOS will be available to all registered System 220 owners. How It Runs The System 220 has an interleaved mem- ory system that operates with zero wait states with 1 or 2 megabytes of DRAM. On the original version of the review sys- tem with 1 megabyte of DRAM, one wait state was forced. With the new "en- hanced" Phoenix 80286 ROM BIOS Plus version 3. 10 15, 1 -megabyte systems run with zero wait states. All current ver- sions of the 220 will have the new BIOS. The benchmarks were run with 1 mega- byte of DRAM on the motherboard. In a 1 -megabyte system, you can use the extra 384K bytes as extended mem- ory. Otherwise, you can use it to run copies of the system BIOS and the VGA BIOS, both of which run several times faster from RAM than from ROM. In systems with 2 or more megabytes of memory, you cannot use the extra 384K continued 194 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Dell System 220 APPLICATION-LEVEL PERFORMANCE Dell System 220 11.4 WORD PROCESSING XyWrlte III +3.52 Load (large) Word count Search/replace End of document Block move Spelling check Microsoft Word 4.0 Forward delete Aldus PageMaker 1 .0a Load document Change/bold Align right Cut 10 pages Place graphic Print to file Medium/Large :11 :03/:21 :05/:23 :01/:15 :09/:09 :09/1 :03 :14 05 28 22 21 06 54 DATABASE dBASEIII+ 1.1 Copy Index List Append Delete Pack Count Sort 1:19 :21 1:28 2:00 :02 1:25 :18 1:36 D Index: SPREADSHEET Lotus 1-2-3 2.01 Block copy Recalc Load Monte Carlo Recalc Monte Carlo Load rlarge3 Recalc rlarge3 Recalc Goal-seek Microsoft Excel 2.0 Fill right Undo fill Recalc Load rlarge3 Recalc rlarge3 2.71 03 02 18 05 04 01 03 :06 2:11 :01 :29 :01 D Index: SCIENTIFIC/ENGINEERING AutoCAD 2.52 Load SoftWest Regen SoftWest Load St. Pauls Regen St. Pauls Hide/redraw STATA 1 .5 Graphics ANOVA MathCAD 2.0 IFS 800 pts. FFT/IFFT1024pts. 1.39 1:15 1:03 :15 :09 15:49 :26 :16 :22 :24 Compaq 386/20 17.9 11.4 D Index: COMPILERS Microsoft C 5.0 XLisp compile Turbo Pascal 4.0 Pascal S compile 2.55 :05 D Index: D Index: 2.11 Compaq 386/1 6 10.4 IBM PS/2 Model 80-071 10.9 IBM PC AT □ Word Processing m Spreadsheet □ Database H Scientific/ Engineering □ Compilers 2.68 All times are in minutes:seconds. Indexes show relative performance; for all indexes, an 8-MHz IBM PC AT=1 . "Cumulative applications index. Graphs are based on indexes at left and show relative performance. LOW-LEVEL PERFORMANCE' Dell System 220 CPU Matrix String Move Byte-wide Word- wide: Odd-bnd. Even-bnd. Sieve Sort 4.25 40.55 30.69 20.27 22.83 19.01 □ Index: 2.72 FLOATING-POINT Math 26.73 Error2 Sine(x) 11.73 Error e* 9.89 Error DISK I/O Hard Seek3 Outer track Inner track Half platter Full platter Average DOS Seek 1 -sector 32-sector File I/O4 Seek Read Write 1 -megabyte Write Read 1 Index: □ Index: 1.73 VIDEO Text 3.31 ModeO 3.31 Model 8.31 Mode 2 9.99 Mode 3 6.23 Mode 7 Graphics 14.64 CGA: 45.40 Mode 4 Mode 5 0.09 Mode 6 1.19 EGA: 1.06 Mode 13 Mode 14 6.57 Mode 15 7.12 Mode 16 VGA: 1.40 Mode 18 Mode 19 Hercules 5.00 5.02 4.89 4.89 N/A 1.98 1.98 2.09 3.63 3.88 N/A 3.87 4.01 2.03 N/A ■ Index: 2.02 Compaq 386/20 N/A=Not supported by graphics adapter. 1 All times are in seconds. Figures were generated using the 8088/8086 and 80386 versions (1 .1) of Small-C. 2 The errors for Floating-Point indicate the difference between expected and actual values, correct to 10 digits or rounded to 2 digits. 3 Times reported by the Hard Seek and DOS Seek are for multiple seek operations (number of seeks performed currently set to 100). 4 Read and write times for File I/O are in seconds per 64K bytes. 5 For the Livermore Loops and Dhrystone tests only, higher numbers mean faster performance. CONVENTIONAL BENCHMARKS LINPACK 557.99 Livermore Loops5 (MFLOPS) 0.04 Dhrystone (MS C 5.0) (Dhry/sec) 4945.00 Compaq 386/1 6 IBM PS/2 Model 80-071 IBM PC AT □ CPU □ FPU □ Disk I/O □ Video For a full description of all the benchmarks, see "Introducing the New BYTE Benchmarks," June BYTE. DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 195 REVIEW A NIMBLE AT bytes as extended memory, but you can still use it to run the BIOS. The benchmark results, run with a 1- megabyte system, put the System 220 's performance in perspective. The 220's CPU index indicates a raw speed nearly three times that of a stock IBM PC AT. That score also makes it from 25 percent to 100 percent faster than typical 10- and 12-MHz AT compatibles, placing the System 220 squarely in the ballpark with Compaq's new 386s, the older 16-MHz Compaq 386, IBM's 16-MHz Model 80, and other low-end 80386-based systems. The 20-MHz Model 80 is only slightly faster. The 220's excellent CPU perfor- mance is due to the fast clock rate, the fast 80-ns DRAM, and the interleaved memory system. The floating-point ratings, on the other hand, show that an 8-MHz 80287 is simply no match for an 80387, even the 16-bit version used in the Compaq 386s. The System 220 was a healthy 73 percent FREEWARE ONLY S2.99 par disk! ONLY *2.99 par dlak! ONLY $2.99 par gUKI ONLY *2. Public. Domain and Shareware for IBM™ and Compatibles, DOS™ 2.1 or higher. Programa and Utllltlea to meet all your compntlng needs. |:|lr--WIJ=fcl \*^J a Ez-rojura rot. dib imi (or, misc. skeleton form*. O REAL KSTATK ANALYST [Ml - Menu driven, mortgages. Interest, etc. 3 EXPRESSCHBCR V2.14, (SSI) ■ Checkbook program n-iih report*. Budget O FASTBBCKa V3.1S-C (191) - Menu- driven home finance package. Easy to u*e. Support* a Microsoft Mouie. P IH COKTROL (174* 1751- 12 disk set) The ultimate prospect/client /customer tracking system. Hard drive req. OreaL □ Buawroa letters ims ft 304) - 12 dl*k set) 650 business letters to [It all your needs. Edit wl any word processor. r) LEGAL LETTERS (611)- 100 legal let- ters. Edit vl any word processor. OWL BILL V3.27(311 a 312;. |2dlsk setl Time & billing package: costs, credits, reports, audit trail, etc. 3 PC-PAYROLL V2.48 !«64) - Menu drtv. en payroll system; 100 employees or less. G LANDLORD V3.03 [B851 - Fast 4 friendly renul property mgmt. 3 EMPLOYEE MGMT SYSTEM (0*81 - Determines requirements for Jobs, tests employee*/ applicants. & prints report. a SOAR VI. 92 (449 ft 4001 - 12 disk set) Accounts receivable program. Handles a variety of services or products. O BILLPOWWl V3.B (8011 - A timekeep- ing, billing & bookkeeping program for small firms. Req. 450K 4 hard drive. 3 PRO PCACCT SYSTEM (626) - Fully Integrated GIL, KIV, A/R system. Menu driven, on.screen help, crocs posting, un. limited accounts. & much more. Req 380 K. TjIIiIy D QMODEM V3.1 (393 ft tured modem program. 200 number dialing directory, etc. 3 PROCOMM PLUS TEST DRIVE [004] Everything J»U could possibly want in a communications package. Req modem. O PC-DIAL V2.0 [46S) - Modem program by Jim Burton. Smartkeys & more. nANTMAL MATH/MOSAIC |181| - Count objects & graphic learning tool. Ages A & up . CGA required. 55 raaa 0 SLEUTH V4.1 1001 - Mur- der mystery game similar to the board game 'CLUE*. G BLACKJACK |9B) - Advanced black- Jack game with tutor, multiple player*. Best one yet, CGA or Hercules. D MONOPOLY V6.7 (106) ■ Just like the board game. 2 to 4 players. CGA req. □ CUNNING FOOTBALL (693) -A dynam- ic game with excellent graphics, EGA req. □ LAS VEGAS (116) - Craps, Roullele. Poker. & more. CGA req.. Basic on some. O 30 CHESS V1.01 PIS) - Excellent chess game. Switch between 2D & 3D. D SAM SPADE V1.0A (2201 - Great de- tective game. Mazegame: creates mazes. 3 SUPER FTNHALL J212J - 5 different game*. CGA required, D WORDPLAY (367] - Wheel of Fortune clone, ibu provide the prizes. CGA req. □ ADVENTURE GAME TOOLKIT (B98 ft 896) - (2 disk set) Create & play your nwn text adventure games, 2 levels. G PC-Pro GOLF |667 ft 038] ■ 12 disk set] A graphic based golf game. CGA req. □ RECIPES V1.0 [4401 ■ Over 125 reci- pes, adjust serving sires from 1 .99. O EDNA'S COOKBOOK VI. 16 (866) - Record, file, list & print recipes, 2 drives G WEIGHT CONTROL [886] - Programs designed to gel rid of unwanted Inches. D WORDPERFECT MACROS (1891 ■ Over 80 macros for WordPerfect V5.0, 4b HiWiim G FILE EXPRESS V4-22 (33 ft 34| ■ 12 disk set) Menu driven. easy to use database lor begin- ners to experienced. 0 PO-TTLZ « V3.0 (493 - 49B)- 13 disk sell F\iU-feaiured database; help screens, menus, macros. One of the besL J Button ms3sjm 6 4J^ G COMPOSER {31 ■ Create, save. edit, play. & print your music. OLETTERFALLVl.I 11191 - lm. prove your touch typing skills; 16 levels. □ ALGEBRA TUTOR |8771 - By Professor Weissman. teaches operations. CGA req. G BEGLrimNG SPANISH (1211 - Teaches vocabulary, phrases, etc. Basic required. G THE WORLD 3D 1127]- DU play maps of the world. CGA required. G FUNNELS ft BUCKETS V2.0 11301 - ply. & divide. Age* 5 - 10. 3 MATH-WHIZ |16S] - Teaches various . Ages . You . Basic required. 3 AMY'S FIRST PRIMER 1133]- Alphabet numbers, counting, shapes, matching, etc. Ages 4 - S, CGA & Basic req. 3 GRADE GITDK V3JS (118) - Store, re- trieve*! analyze students' grades. G PC-gUTZZER V2.1 (308) - A testing and training package. Requires 384K. UiUfa Ci FTNGERPA1NT V2.0 |282l - Palm program: 6 fonts. 8) siz- es . Use for desktop publishing, allde- show & cartoon playing. CGA, EGA. or Hercules. G PRINTMASTER GRAPHICS |319| - Over 200 graphics. Prlnlm.TSter Plus req. Order Disk *330 for Ptlntsbop version. G PRINTMASTER GRAPHICS I 2 1MB] ■ Contains 169 graphics relating to men. women & people. Prlntmastcr Plus req. Order Disk 1889 lor Print tooD version 3 PRINTMASTER GRAPHICS / 3 I860] - Contains 165 graphics relating to anl- mals & transportation. Prlnlmasler* req. Order Disk «B90 for Print loop version G PRINTMASTER GRAPHICS ; 4(701;- Contains 86 graphics relating to comput- ers, music & medical. Prlntmastcr* req. Order Disk #702 Tor Prlntsbop version □ PC-KBY-DRAW [034-536] - 13 disk sell - Combination CAD & paint program for power & flexibility. Does drawing, paint, inci Imultlple fonts), animation, etc, 1 DAHCAD 3D V2.0E 1424 ft 420) - 12 disk set! Advanced 2D/3D drafting pro- gram. Stereoscopic 3D wire frame anima- tion. EGA. CGA. Hercules. 640k req. G CITY DESK V7.01 (1971 • Desktop publtaher with graphic* capability. 3 FLODRAW VI. 00 (B42 ft 543] - 12 disk set) Produces flowcharts, organiza- tional charts, system diagrams, etc. CGA liiiiiiHii'iiiffPl G LQ V2.28 IBM) - Produces high quality text on dot matrix printers. Mulllplr fonts with G LASERJET FONTS/I I327| - 30 + downloadable fonts for LaserJet Plus/11. G LASERJET FONTS / If (471 ft 472| - 12 disk setl More downloadable fonts for HP LaserJet Plus/ II. Helvetica. Script, etc. 3 SPOOLERS |4S| - Contains 4 different O ON-SD3B (BOO) - Sideways printing program. Req. IBM or Epson printer. MBBSm G COMPASS (894) - inter. E23EH133 O PC CALC . V 1.0 (B37-B3B) - O LOTUS PROGRAMS (28 - 321 - (3 disk sell Contains as many applications and utilities that ore could find. Requires Lotus G AS EASY AS V3.0 (302] . Lotus clone. □ SLW-CGA 1220] - Great for mc grams that need colorlCGAI to run 3 HOMEBA8E V2.5 IS2B-S30) ■ G MASS APPEAL (630) - Superb mailing list manager. Requires hard drive. □ SELECTA-COLLEaK 88-89 (338] - What to look for In a college, plus de- scribe* colleges and helps in the applica- nt PERSONAL POET |718| - Create cus- torn poems from a variety of choices. 3 HOME BARTENDER GUIDE (708 ft 709] - 12 disk setl Recipe* for 149 differ- G GRASP VI. IOC (689 ft 890) - |2 disk set) A simple graphics programming psuedo-languange. 3 THE NUTRITIONIST (670 ft 671] - 12 disk sell Rapidly and comfortably evalu- ate foods for Ihe proper nutrlotlonal con- □ FORTUNE TELLER V1.0 (87B1 . Con- tains various programs for foretelling the future. Loads of fun. □ EGA TREK V1.0 [877] - Fight the KUngons and Komulans. Go where no man has gone before. Great graphics. EGA required. 3 WBTACALC V2.S0 (OB?) - A full- powered, memory rrsldent *preadsheet. U'l -. Ill wty. So mk< ORDGK IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS GIFT- GIVING BY ORDERING TODAY CALL FOR FASTER BEKVTCE. appl.t 1/ paste opera IW?MIM»U G TURBO "C" TUTOR (489 ft 490) - 12 disk setl 14 lesson tu- language. G "C" LANGUAGE V2.1 (299 ft 300] - 12 disk setl Complete programming environ- menl. Source, compiler, samples. liM^s'* ■Lf ■»»| □ BTRES8 ft SHRINK 174] - Stress - stress lest. Shrink - personality analysis, 3 HORSERACWG j343) - Handicapping 3 ASTROLOGY VB.B 12841 ■ Read your G DOS HELP (288] ■ Help screen for D05 I commands, functions & batch files at your fingertips. For DOS 3. XX. a DOS TUTORIAL V4.4 (286) - Menu 3 AETOMENU V4.01 (280] - Access pro- O ALT VI. 08 (881 ft B82| - 12 disk setl Puts the power of Sidekick. Superkey it Norton Utilities, rolled Into one at your fingertips. Hard drive required. G VACCINE |841) ■ Various programs lo fight against the 'VIRUS' tt "TROJAN HORSE" programa. A MUST FOR ALL... G BEST UTILITIES (B40| - Over 40 of the best utilities we could find. j^ mmmmn G SIDEWRITER [fl] - 'Sideways' printing: great for GCATALIST V3.2 1183 ft 164] - 12 disk set) One of ihe most powerful mailing lists on the market. Excellent. 3 PC-WRITE V3.0 (9 ft 10) ■ 12 disk setl Full featured word processor, all Ihe tea- G LETTERHEAD |09| - Create and print lopes. IBM /Epson comp. printer req. G GALAXY V2.3 (11) - Easy lo use word processor: menus fi quick keyboard com- PHONEi^ Multiple disk sets count as the i I of disks in a set .■> S2.99e*ch. i 3.5" media- 33.99 ea ■ or5.25"dlste (582.99- i CA Res. Sales Tax l6.5%l = Shipping & Handling - 3.00 | Orders ihipoed UPS ground TOTAL = 8====-=== ! Cm.d. orJtr. iJJ i!>.0u more, Inltmilionil W | d,n iJd S7.00nort for Shipping* Hioiiling. ] Piymtnl mint bt in US fundi. ' Cstitttenla FREEWARE 1 466 Sprlngllne Dr. Dept & ! Palmdale. CA 93550 ! (808) 273-0300 Hours: M-F 8 am - 4 pm j Call ov writ* for a fre* cata- | log containing ovar 700 disks j of quality software. J Phone orders placed before J 12 pm P8T sect same day. ] Byre 1 298 [ faster than the IBM PC AT, but that is less than one-third the speed of the 386s. The hard disk and controller combo is about 40 percent faster than a stock AT and about 10 percent faster than the bet- ter AT-clone disks, and it is again compa- rable to that of the low-end 80386 ma- chines, including both Model 80s and the 16-MHz Compaq. The video system's 16-bit bus interface and its ability to run the video BIOS from RAM allow the System 220 to perform more than twice as fast as an AT or the high-performance compatibles. The application benchmarks turned up few surprises. As expected, the Sys- tem 220 outscored the 10- and 12-MHz AT-class machines in all categories, was generally competitive with the low-end 80386 systems, and fell behind the faster 80386 systems. The exceptions were the math and CAD tests. Because of the 8-MHz 80287, the System 220 did not do well in the MathCAD FFT calculations. Given those results, you might also expect poor AutoCAD performance, but such, was not the case. The 220's fast system clock and its excellent video performance helped the machine put in a respectable performance. Running the benchmark tests with 2 megabytes of RAM should improve the performance slightly because of in- creased efficiency in the memory inter- leaf circuitry. Having It All The Dell System 220 isn't the ultimate performance machine. Its 8-MHz math coprocessor is a weak point for serious CAD or numerical analysis work, and its three expansion slots, 85-W power sup- ply, and lack of 5 '4 -inch disk drive bays are also limiting factors. You'll also have to consider carefully whether raw per- formance today is most important, com- pared to 80386-based machines with memory management and virtual-mode capabilities in the future. On the other hand, if you're looking for a fast, sleek, and cost-effective AT compatible, the System 220 has it all: all the hardware necessities, speed, excel- lent documentation, toll-free telephone support, on-site service contracts, and the best price/performance ratio in its class. ■ Jeff Holtzman owns Publishing Con- cepts, a firm that specializes in evalua- tion, verification, and documentation of high-technology products. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and he can be reached on BIXc/o "editors. " 196 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 Circle 50 on Reader Service Card THE NEW STANDARD FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE STATISTICAL SOFTWARE CSS COMPLETE STATISTICAL SYSTEM WITH OATA BASE MANAGEMENT AND GRAPHICS A powerful, comprehensive, elegant, and super-fast statis- tical package for IBM (PC, AT, PS/2) and compatible computers. I The CSS optimized user interface with fast hierarchical menus incorporates elements of artificial intelli- gence; even complex analyses require only a few keystrokes (batch processing is also supported). I CSS features compre- hensive, state of the art implementations of: Bask statistics, Multi-way frequency tables, Nonparametric statistics, Exploratory data analysis with analytic graphs, Multiple regression methods, Time series analysis with modeling and forecasting (incl. full ARIMA), General ANOVA/ANCOVAJ MANOVA, Contrast analysis, Discriminant function analysis, Factor analysis, Principal components, Multidi- mensional scaling, Item analysis/Reliability, hog-linear analysis, Cluster analysis, Non-linear estimation, Logit/ Probit analysis, Canonical analysis, Survival and Failure Time analysis (Censored data), Quality Control analysis, and much more. I All statistical procedures are integrated with fast data base management and instant, presentation quality graphics (over 100 types); full support for all mono and color graphics boards (incl. VGA) and over 100 plotters and printers (incl. the HP and Postscript standards). ■ All CSS screen output is displayed via customized Scrollsheets™ (i.e. , dynamic, user controlled, multi-layered tables with cells expandable into pop-up windows); all numbers in a Scroll- sheet™ can be instantly converted into a variety of presentation quality graphs; contents of different Scroll- sheets™ can be instantly aggregated, combined, compared, plotted , printed , or saved . I The flexibility of the CSS input/ output is practically unlimited: CSS offers an intelligent interface (read/write) to all common file formats (Lotus, Sym- phony, dBII, dBIII + , DIF, SYLK, . . . ) and special utilities to easily access data from incompatible programs; graphics can be saved in files compatible with desktop publishing pro- grams (Aldus, Ventura). I CSS data files can be as large as your operating system (DOS) allows; OS/2 version coming soon. I CSS precision exceeds the standards of all common precision benchmarks. I Technical note: The CSS user interface and all I/O were written in Assembler and bypass DOS; graphics and data management were written in Assembler and C; the computational algorithms were written in Assembler and optimized Fortran. ■ $495 (plus $5sh/h); 14-day money back guarantee. Circle 266 on Reader Service Card StatSoft 2325 East 13th Street ■ M>a, OK 74104 ■ (918)583-4149 Fax: (918) 583-4376 . =" "5SS,"*" ■""WIS • — ■"■ • „Z£~::Z: " ■ : "c^. ■te=r ■- ™"r'^:rP:^; „..- ., ,. .,....., „ ., - — tw- — ._ 41 1 — -% ■ '. sa HESXS& :-„.„.„.„ ™,7. ,« _ ,-*.. . ..,-rrH-yj=. n)^r~ -3SS wq jzt • ■::. "JSMSSSWK.-. - • - ■■■..■:■-;- Overseas Offices: StatSoft ot Europe (Hamburg, FRG), ph: 040/4200347, StatSoft UK (London, UK), ph: 0438/310056 or 316561, Hearne Software (Melbourne, Australia), ph: 613-497-4276 The Hot Performers. 'J ME 386-20 20 MHz 80386-20 processor Microsoft OS/2 and DOS compatible 1 MB 32-bit RAM running at "0" wait state (upgradable to 8 MB) Socket for 80387/80287 math co-processor High performance NCL floppy/hard disk controller 1.2 MB floppy disk drive CMOS clock /cal- endar with battery back-up Enhanced keyboard ^ *$2350 Upright Case Add $300 ME Roadrunner 12 MHz 80286 processor Socket for 80287 math co-processor 640K memory (1 MB option) New Super-Twist LCD with Backlit and Reverse; 640 x 200 dots (640 x 400 option); 80 char, x 25 lines I Monochrome/Color graphics card for external monitor 6 expansion slots 3 Floppy/hard disk controller Serial/- parallel/clock-calendar 1.2 MB floppy disk drive _ 20 MB hard disk (30, 40, or 60 MB optional) 12-function AT style keyboard 110/220V auto-switchable : 20 pounds $1 7QQ ME 386-18 18 MHz 80386 processor Microsoft OS/2 and DOS compatible 512K 32-bit memory on board Two 32-bit expansion slots Socket for 80387 math co- processor High-performance NCL floppy/hard disk controller 1.2 MB floppy disk drive CMOS clock/calendar Enhanced AT keyboard $ 1 ^ QQ * SPECIAL * . tfn ME V20 64K jfJjpgj^blito^OK) 36Q^to^disJarive Monochrome graj^csrard Monochrome monitor Keyboard Complete system . . . $499.00 ORTABI Roadrunner Plus (386) Intel 80387 processor 6/16 MHz clock speed 1 MB of memory Socket for math co-processor Floppy/hard disk controller 1.2 MB high capacity floppy disk drive 42 MB fast access hard disk (60 MB optional) Serial/parallel ports Color/ mono display card for external monitor New Super-Twist LCD with Backlit and Reverse; 640 x 400 dots; 80 characters x 25 lines 6 expansion slots 12-function keyboard 110/220V auto-switchable 20 pounds $3399 ME 286-12 8/12 MHz 80286 processor 512K memory (upgradable to 1 MB on board) "0" wait state option (s.i. 15.3) Micro- soft OS/2 and DOS compatible 8 I/O expansion slots High-performance NCL floppy/hard disk controller 1.2 MB floppy disk drive CMOS clock/calendar Enhanced keyboard $QQQ The Network Solution ELS Network for two-to-four users. Increase your company's productivity without making a big increase in expen- ditures. Complete software. Call for all Novell Products $499 Prices and availability subject to change without notice. V/SA JKUPJL Vlwptf CALL TOLL-FREE (800) MICRO-21 in Calif. (714) 662-1973 MICRO EXPRESS 2114 South Grand Avenue Santa Ana, California 92705 Fax: (714) 662-1258 - Telex: 910 240 3029 1VE Circle 183 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 184) Hardware Review A Quick Look at QuickCapture Spice up your work with video and other gray- scale images on your Mac II Joel West and Dwight Newton new generation of devices for the Macintosh promises to do for data input what the Laser- Writer did for output. One such product is Data Translation's QuickCap- ture package ($1139), consisting of a video digitizer board (or "frame grab- ber") and software for the Mac II. QuickCapture records still gray-scale images from any video camera or VCR. The board can connect up to four devices simultaneously, although you can cap- ture images from only one device at a time. Captured images can be displayed, enhanced, and written to files in various image formats. Although most useful for desktop publishing and graphics design, digitized images have applications in everything from medical imaging to slide making— basically, any application that can benefit from visual data. Early input devices for the Mac were stand-alone units with their own power supply. QuickCapture takes advantage of the Macintosh II' s ability to accept a plug-in board, which offers advantages in data transfer rate, economy, and power requirements. QuickCapture is a standard-length NuBus board with a DB-15 connector mounted on the rear panel; you'll also need an external cable harness ($125) to convert this to more standard BNC video connectors. If you want to connect the board to your VCR or video camera, you may also need a converter (which is not available from Data Translation) for an RCA phono jack. QuickCapture uses the Mac II' s ROM- based Color QuickDraw capability, which lets each pixel of an image assume one of 256 gray levels or 16.7 million colors. While resolution is a relatively well known factor in image fidelity, the number of distinct colors (or shades of gray) available is just as important. QuickCapture gives you the maximum number of gray levels (256) that the Mac II supports. A Gray Area The QuickCapture board can capture only gray-scale images, even though you can connect it to a color input source and it comes preconf igured for one. The Mac II, however, supports color directly, so you have to consider the trade-offs be- tween gray scale and color. Several color digitizers for the Mac II are available from, or being readied by, companies such as RasterOps, Truevi- sion, and Data Translation itself. These digitizers vary greatly in features and price: You can expect to pay anywhere from $1500 to $3000. Due to current memory prices, some companies, in- cluding Data Translation, add a RAM surcharge to their basic package cost. Gray-scale digitizers provide an af- fordable alternative to the high cost of color. Current output technology also favors gray scale. You can print a decent gray-scale image on a dot-matrix or laser printer with little trouble. Generating color output with more than a handful of hues requires either the costly process of four-color printing or an expensive ther- mal color printer. In addition, only the Mac II supports color directly: The Mac Plus and SE are strictly black-and-white machines (although the Mac SE can use add-in cards for gray scale and limited color). Right now, in everything short of continued DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 199 REVIEW A QUICK LOOK AT QUICKCAPTURE QuickCapture Type Frame-grabber board and software for Macintosh II Company Data Translation, Inc. 100 Locke Dr. Marlborough, MA 01 752 (508)481-3700 Features NuBus board with 60-kHz scan rate; support for 256 gray scales; 640- by 480- pixel resolution; RGB NTSC-compatible; QuickCapture 1 .0 software Hardware Needed Macintosh II with at least 1 megabyte of RAM; VCR or video camera; 20- megabyte hard disk drive recommended Software Needed Finder 6.1 /System 6.0 Options EP205 cable harness: $125 Documentation 137-page User Manual Price QuickCapture board and software; $1139 With ImageStudio: $1299 With Digital Darkroom: $1215 With GraphistPaint II: $1465 With LaserPaint Color II: $1565 (Prices include $144 DRAM surcharge) Inquiry 883. monitor display, gray scale is the more realistic technology. What You'll Need Although QuickCapture will operate in a two-color environment, you'll definitely want a gray-scale monitor and gray-scale (or color) card to view your creations in their full glory. We used Apple's stan- dard 8-bit video card with a Sony Extra Fine Pitch 12-inch monitor. The QuickCapture application soft- ware is a real memory hog; the company suggests 2016K bytes for the application partition. Due to the peculiarities of Mac II memory upgrades, you'd need at least a 4-megabyte machine for that. You can get by adequately with a 2-megabyte ma- chine (as we did) by resetting the applica- tion partition to a more modest 1024K bytes. If you want to use MultiFinder, you'll probably need to decrease the ap- plication partition again or trim out un- necessary fonts, desk accessories, and extra INITs. We ran all our tests under System 6.0. You'll also want at least a 20-megabyte hard disk drive, although we recommend 40 megabytes or more if you want to cap- ture lots of images. Each uncropped QuickCapture image is roughly one-third of a megabyte, so it doesn't take long to fill up a hard disk. Last, you'll need a video input source. For testing purposes, we used an inex- pensive VCR and a hand-held color video camera. Unfortunately, the camera was not particularly sharp, and it produced low-contrast images indoors. The cam- era itself, not the QuickCapture board, limited the quality of our images. Before acquiring any video digitizer, think about the video source you'll use with the board. The best procedure is to find a camera with only the features you need and with the same limitations of image quality as the QuickCapture board. Also, if you're using a video cam- era, you'll need a tripod. As with still photography, steadiness and focus are crucial if you want good-quality images. Ready to Roll Data Translation is an established vendor of add-on boards for the IBM PC. But QuickCapture is the company's first Mac- intosh product, and a few rough edges were still visible. Getting the board ready to use for the first time was not quite up to the plug-in-and-use nature of other Mac products. Installing the board was no more diffi- cult than for any other Mac II board, but connecting a video signal was another story. If you don't buy the EP205 cable harness, you'll have an afternoon of sol- dering in front of you. The harness is op- tional, but it's essential if you plan to use the product with off-the-shelf cabling. We used the cable harness, which lets you connect four input sources to the board. The harness consists of a 15-pin female connector at one end, which at- taches to the QuickCapture board, and an eight-headed Hydra of BNC connector cables at the other end for connecting in- put and output devices. Even with the harness installed, don't expect to try out your board without the manual: The only labels on the connectors are the numbers 0 through 7 , with no clue to what they do . Although BNC connectors are typical for professional video production, we found them inconvenient for use with common home video electronics. We had several composite video sources with RCA phono jacks, but no BNC jacks or cables. Since no cables are supplied with the board or harness, we weren't able to use the board right out of the box. We solved the problem by buying a simple male BNC-to-RCA phono jack adapter from Radio Shack (#287-254, $2.49). After that, the video signal could be connected using a simple dual-RCA patch cord, something any audiophile or videophile will probably have on hand. The QuickCapture board has several rarely used settings that are controlled by jumpers. These include low-pass filters for noisy signals (1 MHz) and color chro- minance information (3.58 MHz) for capturing from color cameras, as well as three choices for synchronization. The default settings were fine for our pur- poses: The input limiting filter was dis- abled, and the chrominance filter and standard video sync were enabled. But using these jumpers is a pain in the neck. After powering off the machine, you must open the Mac II, pull the board out, move the jumper connector, and then reassemble and reboot the machine. Maybe jumpers are the norm for IBM PC products, but software control of the var- ious settings would be far more appropri- ate for the Mac II. Even DIP switches on the rear panel would be satisfactory, as- suming the changes took place immedi- ately rather than when the machine was rebooted. Not Ready for Real Time The QuickCapture board comes in two configurations. The one we tested is de- signed for North American and Japanese markets, with 60-Hz National Television System Committee (NTSC) video sig- nals and a frame size of 640 by 480 pixels. The other configuration is the 50- Hz phase-alternate line (PAL) model, consistent with the standard for most of Western Europe and with a frame size of 768 by 512 pixels. When viewing the output of an NTSC video camera on a television, you see a 60-Hz interlaced (updated in pieces) image, each piece of which is updated 60 times a second, so that the total image is completely updated 30 times a second. This is called real-time video. Real-time video is extremely nice since it lets you quickly adjust equipment and your sub- ject without switching between adjusting the environment and capturing and dis- playing the image to see what it will look like. The faster the refresh rate, the greater the control you have over light- ing, camera focus, composition, and so on, particularly when you're photo- graphing a moving subject. Both the QuickCapture application continued 200 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 QuickAccess. Easy Edit. Vq gives you fast free-form retrieval and a powerful editor, for the files and programs you're using now! Vq finds disk information fast, no matter how it's formatted. You don't have to index or restructure your data to retrieve it. Just describe what you want, in plain English, and it's on your screen— fast! Then edit it with Vq's full-featured editor, or call up your own word processor, compiler, or custom macro for processing. It's easy to define complex searches, in natu- ral language or as regular expressions. You can find all this year's mail-order customers, or you can find just those who ordered encyclopedias or dictionaries but not atlases. You can even "fuzzy search" if you're not sure how to spell encyclopedia. Vq will search one or more files or direc- tories, or a whole disk, to show you all the files which contain the target information. You can look at each hit in each file, high- lighted in full context, to find what you need. When you've found it, call up your applica- tion program to process it, or use Vq's own powerful editor. Its features and flexibility expand your creativity into a screen-full of windows, for different files or different views of the same file. Compare files, edit them in parallel, or copy-and-paste to a new file— Vq makes it easy! $270 $5 shpg/hdlg (US) CA orders add 6.5% 800/284-3269 Best of all, Vq is fault-tolerant. While you're working, Auto-save is working too, so you can start each session where the last one ended— even if it ended unexpectedly! Vq's macros make it easy to add its retrieval and editing power to the applications you're using now. You can call up a program and pass it a file with a Hot Link, or create your own library of custom sequences to invoke with a keystroke. You can find and edit a document before passing it to your desktop publisher, or even Compile and Display Next Error! Vq doesn'tTomplicate your life. It just adds what's been missing— fast free-form retrieval with integral multi-window editing, for your files and programs. Vq is for DOS and OS/2 systems. THE MATCHMAKER GOLDEN BOW SYSTEMS 2870 Fifth Avenue, #201 San Diego, CA 92103 619/298-9349 FAX 001/619/298-9950 TELEX 201520 GBS UR Vq is a trademark of Golden Bow Systems Circle 117 on Reader Service Card REVIEW A QUICK LOOK AT QUICKCAPTURE and the drivers for third-party image- editing software fall short of real-time video. The refresh rate for the applica- tion is four frames per second for a full- size image window. The rate for the drivers is about two frames per second for Letraset's ImageStudio and about one per second for Silicon Beach Software's Digital Darkroom. The closest we were able to get to real-time display was to shrink the image window in the Quick- Capture application to its minimum size. Although this makes the window too small to give you a good idea of how the captured image will look, you can get re- fresh rates close to real time. One solution is to hook an additional analog monitor to the board via the EP205 cable, allowing live, real-time video display on the analog monitor while you capture and edit on the other. This requires the extra expense of an- other monitor, but an old black-and- white television set is probably adequate for most applications. Editing Images The board comes with an 800K-byte 3 Vi- inch disk containing the QuickCapture 1 .0 application, the QuickCapture INIT, a sample IRIS image (IRIS is Data Translation's proprietary file format), and a manual. The company said it would also be releasing source code for the ap- plication (which should now be available) for around $300 to $400. The software installation, which is documented in the manual, is trivial. Once it was installed, we found that the QuickCapture application provides com- plete control of the hardware and offers plenty of options for capturing, saving, and manipulating images. The software also boasts extra features that are usually found only in gray-scale editing pro- grams, such as ImageStudio and Digital Darkroom. The QuickCapture application has six menus: File, Edit, Image, Grayscale, Enhance, and Windows. The File menu contains the usual options for manipulat- ing files, plus an option (Save A Copy) that lets you save an intermediate copy while you work with an image. Currently, QuickCapture can store files in IRIS, PICT, TIFF, RIFF, and Encapsulated PostScript File format but can read only files stored in its propri- etary IRIS format. Although other gray- scale image-editing software can edit files saved in any of these formats except IRIS, it would be useful if the QuickCap- ture application could read these formats as well. The Edit menu also has the usual op- tions, including Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Clear, Select All, Show, and Clipboard. An additional option is Disable Undo. Since it's possible to Redo (i.e. , to Undo an Undo), the utility of this option is un- certain, except perhaps as extra insur- ance against mistakes. The Image menu gives you options to capture, display, or both capture and display an image. The most useful choice, though, is Live Video, which dis- plays continuous images from the camera to the screen prior to capture. In Live Video, images are passed to the camera at the rate of four per second for a full- size image window, but nothing is cap- tured until you click the mouse button. Using this option, you can interac- tively focus the camera, set up the light- ing, and compose the image. Even if you've set up the shot, the Live Video op- tion is very useful, and we used it almost If you think all copiers are ft Look at guarantees. You can look at copiers for days but, in many cases, there's no real way to tell them apart. Here's our suggestion. Look at copier guarantees. That's where you find out if a com- pany stands behind its copiers. If they're as committed as you are to keeping your business running smoothly Once you look at guarantees, your job will be easy Because Harris/3M copiers come with the best guarantee in the business. Take a look at our Promise. Compare it to the guarantee on your present copier. Then send in the coupon. Or give us a call at 1-800-TLC-COPY. We'll send you a free copy of our 8-page Consumer Guide to Copiers. Harris/3M copiers have features for all sizes of offices. That includes the 6070. Seventy copies a minute, guaranteed. 202 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 REVIEW A QUICK LOOK AT QUICKCAPTURE exclusively. An additional Statistics fea- ture displays a histogram of the image's gray levels— a nice feature for image analysis. Options on the Grayscale menu let you capture and display images in 256, 64, 16, or 2 gray levels. You can also select either positive (normal) or negative (in- verted) modes. All the gray-scale op- tions work with Live Video capture, so you can see exactly what the image will look like before you capture it, as op- posed to after-the-fact editing using Dig- ital Darkroom or ImageStudio. You can also multiply or divide the image by a factor of 2 or 4, providing a crude form of brightness control. We would have preferred slider controls for the bright- ness, as they are much easier to use and allow greater control. There's also an option to custom-con- figure the thresholding for two-gray- level capture. You can choose the range of values that will be mapped to the fore- ground color and background color, and you can change the foreground and back- ground colors to shades other than black and white. By experimenting with the gray-scale features, you can easily achieve some dramatic effects that you can see in Live Video form before you capture them. The Enhance menu offers such fea- tures as image sharpening, smoothing, and four different types of edge detec- tion. In all cases, the process of enhanc- ing a full-size image was relatively quick (8 to 9 seconds at most). The results of applying the detection filters to the image were a little disappointing, as the resulting images were all white-on-black and generally muddy-looking. Digital Darkroom's trace-edges capability was much better for most graphics purposes; QuickCapture's edge detection was more suitable for analytic purposes. The QuickCapture software also lets you do histogram equalization on a captured image, which heightens image contrast. A unique feature for enhancing images is an "image calculator" that per- forms operations on images as if they were numbers. You can subtract one image from another, add two images to- gether, multiply and divide an image by a constant (i.e., change its brightness), and perform logical functions (AND, OR, NOR, XOR) on images. Although the manual provides only a single exam- ple for using the image calculator, it's likely to be a nifty tool. For example, you could capture images of a scene at two different times and use the subtract operation to find out what changed dur- ing that interval. Although the image calculator certainly has artistic possibili- ties, it is probably of most use in image processing or analysis. Finally, the Windows menu lets you fit an image within a window and switch back and forth easily between multiple open windows. Even with an application partition of 1024K bytes, we were able to have several windows open at once, al- though we were probably pushing it a bit. Editing Alternatives The QuickCapture application provides good image-editing features, but image- editing software like Digital Darkroom and ImageStudio give you even more ca- pabilities. These include, for example, touching up images with an airbrush or pen tool, scaling the image, and arbi- trarily modifying the gray-level histo- gram. You can transport images from continued 3 same, dorit look at copiers. Yes, I'd like to know more about Harris/3M copiers and the Harris/3M copier Promise. Please send my free guide. NAME COMPANY NAME ADDRESS CITY "I _STATE. _ZIP_ PHONE /( )- — I'd also like information on your full line of fax machines. Harris/3M P.O. Box 785, Davton, OH 45401 j HARRFS/3M Offer is valid for a limited time and other restrictions and limitations apply; see your Harris/3M sales representative for details. ©1988 Harris/3M Document Products, Inc. Harris is a trademark of the Harris Corporation. 3M is a trademark of the 3M Company. Circle 126 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 203 REVIEW A QUICK LOOK AT QUICKCAPTURE QuickCapture to Digital Darkroom or ImageStudio in TIFF, PICT, or RIFF files. Drivers for Digital Darkroom and ImageStudio let you operate the Quick- Capture board from within these applica- tions. We used ImageStudio 1.5, which supports 256 gray levels in its native file format and provides a realistic rendition of images. We found ourselves using ImageStudio for most of our testing, since we could do almost everything we needed from within the application. ImageStudio contains two special op- tions in its File menu: QuickCapture and Digitize. The QuickCapture option brings up a configuration dialogue, with choices to select either single-image or continuous capture, automatic or exter- nal trigger, and one of the four Quick- Capture input channels. The external trigger option allows frame acquisition according to a signal originating outside the computer (such as a camera button). Selecting the Digitize option brings up a scanner display window. In continu- ous-capture mode, ImageStudio displays a dynamically updated (V2 second per frame) image that you can capture to the image buffer by a single mouse-click. You can then manipulate the image in the same way as any other ImageStudio document. We experienced intermittent problems when capturing images from ImageStu- dio. We could capture, display, and edit the images nicely, but when we tried to print them, all we got was a black dot in the center of the page. Further investiga- tion revealed that the input image buffer had been scrambled so that ImageStudio thought we had a very tiny picture at about 7000 dots per inch instead of 75 dpi. (The resolution of an image and its dimensions are inversely proportional: The larger the dpi, the smaller the image. This allows the total number of pixels to remain constant.) The result was an image printed at one one-hun- dredth of the actual size. When we tried to reset the settings using the Set Image Size option under the File menu, the program asked if we wanted to save the old image and then created a new blank image with the input image settings we specified. When we read the old image back in, it looked fine, but it still had incorrect image buf- fer settings. We tried saving it in PICT and other formats, but we couldn't read it from any application, including ImageStudio. Letraset says that this is indeed a bug. The company hasn't yet tracked down its source, but if the problem occurs in ver- sion 1.5, you can remedy it by holding down the Option key while selecting Set Image Size from the File menu. This brings up a dialog box where you can re- set the dpi value. We also tried Digital Darkroom 1.0 with the QuickCapture card. Silicon Beach provided a prerelease version of a QuickCapture driver, although the final driver will be sold by Data Translation. The company said that the driver would be available by the time you read this, al- I nitially, the QuickCapture board was inconvenient to configure. though a price had not been set as of this writing. The driver is implemented as a Digital Darkroom plug-in module. Selecting the QuickCapture module from the soft- ware's Acquire menu brings up an image display window and places the board in continuous-capture mode. The version of the driver we tested had a refresh rate that's half the speed of the ImageStudio module, which made focus- ing and image composition much more difficult. This driver is also hard-coded to use channel 0 video input, with no op- tions regarding continuous capture or ex- ternal triggering. We experienced none of ImageStudio's image size problems, though, which made Digital Darkroom much more straightforward to use. QuickCapture is also available bun- dled with GraphistPaint II and Laser- Paint Color II. We did not test these packages, however. Getting Help The 137-page QuickCapture manual is straightforward and clear, although not lavish. It's illustrated with simple line drawings (dealing with card installation and video hookups) and digitized images (for application examples). Actual pic- tures of the board and its hookups would have been far more explanatory than the simplistic line drawings. The manual thoroughly covers the in- stallation procedures and software. It has a good reference section that deals with troubleshooting, changing jumpers, con- nectors (which novices will appreciate), and specifications. Also included is use- ful information for programming the board and pin assignments for the board's 15-pin male connector for do-it- yourself cablers. Although the latter in- formation seems skimpy, Data Transla- tion says that it's sufficient for bypassing the expense of the EP205 cable harness. The manual is complete enough to get started with, but those wishing to cus- tomize the hardware or software will probably require extra support. Data Translation provides a phone number (not toll-free) for technical sup- port. We never had a problem getting a call through, and we were generally con- tent with the technical support we got. Although the manual provides infor- mation on programming the QuickCap- ture board, you'll probably be forced down into assembly language at some point or another. For those who don't like to get down to such low levels of cod- ing, a nice shortcut is to build a Hyper- Card stack based on QuickCapture XCMDs, which let HyperCard access external devices. Data Translation in- cludes a stack with the board. The stack serves as an animated set of release notes with cutesy sounds, and it's heavy on the marketing hype. A Good Image Initially, we found the QuickCapture board somewhat inconvenient to config- ure, but once it was installed, we had nary a problem with it. We would have preferred an easier means than jumpers for switching settings; in our case, though, this was no real problem, since our requirements didn't change while we were using the card. We were pleased with the QuickCap- ture application, although we think that most users will quickly want to graduate to a full-featured gray-scale image-edit- ing program. Overall, coupled with a full-function gray-scale editing program and an appropriate camera, QuickCap- ture makes a convenient and cost-effec- tive way to create and manipulate gray- scale images for graphic art, desktop publishing, or any other application that might benefit from manipulation of black-and-white visual data. ■ Joel West is the president ofPalomar Soft- ware in Oceanside, California, and a regular contributor to BYTE. Dwight Newton is a graduate student at the Uni- versity of California, San Diego, and de- velops image-conversion software for Palomar. They can be reached on BIX c/o "editors. " 204 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Here's One y&Bfmfmm^ That Worn Be Shocked By The Next Generation. AST Premium /286 ■ ■ -■■■■■ ; ■.■■.■*. - k\\ ' > ''» > m& :v •£ AST Advanced FASTRAM FASTbtwrd 3S6 $ -iv":'\ »V ♦ i :>. *>"■: Two kinds of people buy the award-winning AST Premium® /286: those who live for today and those concerned about the future. People who live for today buy the AST Premium/286 because it's the hottest 286 on AST Premium/286 Model 140X IBM8 PS/2" Model 50Z 031 Compaq* DeskPro286" Model 40 CPU speed (MHz) 10,8,6 10 12,8 Wait States 0 0 1 Max. 0 Wait-State Memory 16MB 2MB 0MB Expanded Memory EEMS'EMS 4.0 Included Extra Cost Extra Cost Hard Disk Size/Speed 40MB/28ms 30MB/39ms 40MB'28ms DOS3.3andGW-BASIC-'- included Extra Cost Extra Cost Easy 386 CPU Upgradeability Yes No No the market. In fact, among its many distinctions is the "Best of '87" award given by PC Magazine. But for those who can't stop thinking about the demands of the next generation of application software, the AST Premium/286 represents something different. Security. Only the AST Premium/286 offers up to 1 6 MB of zero wait-state RAM, using AST Advanced FASTRAM™ memory. Which is the kind of wide- open power you need to run memory-intensive Lotus® 1-2-3® and dBASE® applica- tions today. Plus, you're all set to take advantage of applications written for MS® OS/2™ from AST in the future. In fact, in NSTL's latest independent OS/2 system benchmarks, AST Premium/286 finished first. * And when you're ready for 386™ CPU power, AST's proprietary FASTslot™ architecture pro- vides easy upgradeability. Simply plug in the AST Premium FASTboard/386™ for true 32-bit, 1 6 MHz power with high-speed 64Kb cache memory. To find out more, visit your nearest AST au- thorized system dealer today, or call (714) 863-0181 and ask for operator AA75. • *** Top Rated '286 PC —PC Digest" May 1988 DPlease send information on the AST Premium/286. □Yes, have an AST respresentative call me. Name Title Company Address City '"I State . Zip_ Phone L I am an nEnduser □Reseller. Send to: AST Research, Inc. 2121 Alton Avenue Irvine, California 92714-4992, Attn: M.C. AST Ls prund to sponsor NBC's teIeeastofthel988 J. Summer Olympics *A^±* r88J ® nesenncH inc. Times Have Changed. * PC Digest. May 1 9H8. Independent Comparative Ratings Report for selecting PC Systems and Peripherals. AST markets products worldwide— in Europe and the Middle East call 44 1 568 4350; in Japan call 813 447 8303; in the Far East call 852 5 717223; in Canada call 4 16 S26-751 4. AST, AST logo and AST Premium registered and FASTslot, FASTRAM, and AST Premium FASTboard 386 trademarks AST Research, Inc. 386 trademark Intel Corp. All other product and brand names are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective companies.Copyrighi 3 1 988 AST Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Circle 318 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 319) NEW MINI PORTABLE BEST-286 LCD n 10 MHZ 0 WAIT (12 MHZ Option) D 512 K RAM D 1.2 M. Floppy Drive U 20 MB Hard Disk D 200 W DC Fan Power Supply D Serial & Parallel □ Non-Glare LCD Screen D Super Twist a Built-in Back Light □ 640 x 200 Dots D Weight 22 lbs a Padded Soft Carry Bag &-4 fif\g\ D Dimension 16" x 8" x 9" ^ ■ W\l VTI-33 SYSTEM D 8088-2 10 MHz a 640 K RAM D 2 360K Floppy Drive • O Serial, Parallel Port D Clock, Calender D AT Style Keyboard D Build in Mono/Color Graphic D MONO MONITOR *—,,-> D MS-DOS 3.3, GW Basic $ 7 4 9 COLOR SYSTEM $919 BEST-286 PORTABLE Q 12 MHZ D 512 K RAM D One 1.2 MB Floppy Drive D 7 Expension Slots a 200 W DC Fan Power Supply □ 9" Dual Amber Screen O Mono or Color Graphic Card □ Serial & Parallel Port D 84 Key Soft Tough Key Board $1115 BEST-88 PORTABLE $845 386 SYSTEM D 16 MHZ 80386 CPU 8/16MHZ Q 20 MHZ (Option) ■0-80287 & 80387 Socket D 1 M RAM D One 32-bit, Five 16-bit. Two 8-bit Expansion Slots D 1.2 M Floppy Drive ■O WA2 or NCL Control Card D 3.5" Drive (Option) D Tower Chassis $1995 VTI-55 SYSTEM 286 BABY MOTHER BOARD 10 MHZ $265 12 MHZ S295 8088 Mother Board $95 Mono Monitor S79 Fujitsu 102 Enhance Keyboard $45 EGA PLUS WO • 4S0 tlV) ""» «»"■ Microsoft just eliminated a 3000-poundheadacheformain- frameprogrammers. With Microsoft" COBOL Optimizing Compiler3.0. Now instead of endlessly waiting formainframe time, you can bring your COBOL programs right down to the PC on your desk. Suddenly youVe got control unknown in other platforms, as well as serious speed and power. YouVe gotfullMS8 OS/2 supportto letyoubreakthe 640K memory barrier. YouVe got fast execution because Microsoft COBOL is now a native code compiler. YouVe got a rich development environment thanks to the Microsoft COBOL Animator source level debugger, Microsoft Editor and otherpowerful utilities. mum MteiestftdtiBOL One final assurance. Because Microsoft COBOL3.0is now mainframe COBOL compatible, you'll enjoy a seamless flow of source code between mainframe and PC environments. Feel free to also enjoy the highly technical information in the adjacent column. Then call usat800-541-1261formore information and the dealer nearest you. The mainframe wait is over withMicrosoft COBOL 3.0. Ap- pearing soon on a PC near you. Microsoft il988MkmsoftCorpomtwnMicmsoft^keMkmsoftb&,MSandMS-DOSarem&teredtmdemarkofMkmsoftCo Microsoft COBOL Optimizing Compiler Version 3.0 for MS OS/2 and MS-DOS* Complete COBOL Solution for Application Maintenance and Development on the PC. • Develop and port large mainframe applications on the PC • Break the 640K barrier with OS/2 support including dynamic link librar- ies and multi-thread support. NEW! • Develop programs that run in both MS-DOS and OS/2. NEW! • Compatible with several different COBOL dialects. (IBM® VS COBOL II,™ IBM OS/VS™ COBOL, IBM SAA, Data General, and others.) • Call Microsoft C and Macro Assembler routines. NEW! • HUGE memory model allows data items to be greater than 64K. NEW! • Full network support with record and file locking including Novell. NEW! Powerful COBOL Development Environment • Animator source level debugger. NEW! Trace execution, backtracking, breakpoint DO statements, and periodic breakpoints. • Microsoft Editor, the programmer's editor for both MS OS/2 and MS-DOS. NEW! Reconfigurable and extendable editor that even lets you run your programs from within it. • Incremental linker for MS OS/2 performs partial links up to 20 times faster than a full link - only changed modules are relinked. NEW! ANSI 85 COBOL support NEW! • Certified HIGH by National Bureau of Standards. • Structured language enhancements: Scope delimiters In-line PERFORM statement CALL BY CONTENT statement EVALUATE statement Negated conditions Global variables Reference modifications Nested programs Native Code compiler with fast execution. NEW! • 10x faster computations than MS COBOL 2.2. • 30% faster I/O than MS COBOL 2.2 REVIEW MERGE 386 handles spooling more efficiently than DOS does, but you can't use pr to print from a physical DOS device (e.g. , a DOS floppy disk). The Unix spooler does han- dle the Print Screen function. Curiouser and Curiouser Confusion inevitably arises in a complex hybrid system like Merge 386. Unix and DOS use different symbols to separate the directories on a search path (colon versus semicolon), to separate the ele- ments of a file specification (slash versus backslash), and to signal arguments to commands (hyphen versus slash). Under Unix, for example, you can type dir to get a list of files, but you can't type dir /w to get a wide list— you have to type dir -w. All these commands will work: $ copy / test /f oo /test /bar $ cp /test/foo /test/bar Ocopy \test\foo test\bar Ocp \test\foo \test\bar But none of these will: $ copy \test\foo \test\bar $ cp \test\foo \test\bar Ocopy /test/foo /test/bar C>cp /test/foo /test/bar Since Unix allows longer filenames than DOS does and also allows file- names that contain characters that are il- legal under DOS, Merge 386 sometimes needs to alter filenames to make them acceptable to DOS. If you run Is at the root, you'll see the standard Unix direc- tory lost+found; dir displays the same directory as LOST_F'D. In general, Unix maps characters that DOS can't handle, such as + , to the underscore. Of course, a number of commands work differently. Typing cd under DOS with no parameters displays the current directory, but under Unix, it changes you to the root directory; the Unix command to display the current directory is pwd. The find command in DOS searches a file for a text string, but in Unix, it searches the disk for a file. More serious is the fact that wild cards expand differ- ently. A legal DOS operation like Ocopy*.* \usr\bin won't work from the Unix command line; instead you must type $copy"*.*\usr\bin" or precede the asterisks with backslashes: $copy\*.\*\usr\bin DOS Applications I tested a variety of DOS applications; most of the applications ran happily. I was able to log on to BIX using Procomm 2.4.2 with a Hayes 2400-bit-per-second internal modem. WordStar 5.0 worked fine, as did Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.1. There were some problems when I tried to transfer files to the system. DeskLink 2.21 repeatedly hung. I had better luck with PC Hooker 1.4— it didn't work at 115 kilobits per second, but it did fairly well at 56 kbps. I also had some trouble getting a Microsoft Serial Mouse to work, but I eventually figured out the proper proce- dure. It turns out that Merge 386 runs DOS at an interrupt rate of about 1 per second, not at the standard DOS rate of about 18.2 per second. The Merge 386 command merge set f astclk on will in- crease the interrupt rate to the DOS stan- dard. Since you can't change the inter- rupt rate until after you've booted DOS, I still couldn't get MOUSE. SYS to work correctly, but I was able to use the alter- nate scheme— running MOUSE.COM explicitly— to get the mouse to respond. Once I'd gotten the mouse working, I tried using AutoSketch Enhanced 1.0, a CAD program. In standard EGA mode, the program's performance was atro- cious. (Mouse sensitivity was also much lower than usual.) I'm accustomed to seeing the program fill areas instanta- neously. Under Merge 386, I could al- most see individual pixels change color. To compensate for this poor graphics performance, Merge 386 provides a spe- cial fast EGA driver that increases per- formance to an acceptable level, but it precludes switching from the screen while that session is running. You can switch from the screen in standard EGA mode, but the task is suspended; CGA and monochrome screen groups do run in the background. To verify that, I ran AutoSketch in CGA mode and asked it to regenerate a drawing in the background while I ran Unix tools in the foreground. It does the job, but I wouldn't want to use CGA mode for serious graphics work. Benchmarks for Multitasking DOS I used the BYTE CPU benchmarks to evaluate the performance of Merge 386 as a single-user system running one or more DOS processes. Table 1 presents the results. The first row of numbers es- tablishes the baseline— the times under raw DOS, before I installed Merge 386. The remaining groups of rows illustrate the performance of Merge 386 under varying conditions. The second group continued DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 211 Circle 135 on Reader Service Card ChiWriter REVIEW MERGE 386 How are you currently producing your scientific documents? Are you using a "golf ball" style typewriter? A regular word processor, hand let- tering the special symbols? Are you fighting against a "what-you-see-is-definitely-not-what- you-get" system with a special command language? Or are you using one of our com- petitors' expensive and inflexible programs? Find out how ChiWriter can solve your scientific word processing problems. From an actual ChiWriter screen display Powerful Scientific/Multifont Word Processing at a Reasonable Price ChiWriter is a complete word processor, designed especially for scientific and foreign language text. Its features include: intuitive formula editing com- mands, automatic pagination, variable headers and footers, footnotes, box draw mode, a notepad window, and an integrated spelling checker. Best of all, ChiWriter is completely "what-you-see- is-what-you-get." Even complicated formulas can be entered easily because the screen display cor- responds exactly to the printout. ChiWriter runs on an IBM PC with CGA graphics, 2 floppy or 1 hard/1 floppy drive, and an Ep- son/IBM compatible 9 pin printer. Hi res screen suport (Hercules, EGA, VGA, AT&T), 24 pin printer support, and laser printer support (HP LaserJet, PostScript) are available. "Chi Writer is a nifty product with a price I defy you to beat and performance I defy you to snub. . . I know of several $500 programs that will do the job, but for the same money you could buy ChiWriter and a vacation" Phil Wiswell, PC Magazine D ChiWriter Program $24.95 $99.95 □ Hi Res Screen Support $24.95 D 24 Pin Printer Support $24.95 D Laser Printer Support $59.95 □ International Keyboard Support $19.95 □ Chemistry Support $49.95 a Word Perfect Converter $49.95 □ Conographic Font Set $149.95 □ MergeChi Mail Merge Facility $24.95 D IndexChi Index Generator $59.95 D Shipping & handling $ $5 U.S. & Canada, $10 Europe, $15 elsewhere Name Aririmiq City State Zip Country Phnne 1 ) Payment by □ Check D Purchase Orde r □ VISA D MC Card # Exp. / L 212 -^ Q "BSP88" [ Horstmann Software Design Corporation 140 E. San Carlos St./P.O. Box 5039 San Jose, CA 95150-5039, USA (408) 298-0828 horstmann mffltomm BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Table 1: In single-DOS-task mode, DOS. All times are in seconds. Merge 386 ran some tests faster than pure Matrix Move byte Move word odd Move word even Sieve Sort DOS 4.1 25.5 31.3 12.5 25.7 28.3 Merge 1:1 Merge 1:1 * 3.3 4.2 24.4 26.0 30.4 32.5 12.6 13.1 24.7 26.6 27.7 29.5 Merge 1:2** Merge 2:2 9.6 8.2 49.7 49.4 61.6 61.3 24.7 24.7 50.7 50.7 54.7 56.1 Merge 1:3** Merge 2:3 Merge 3:3 14.5 13.5 11.9 75.1 74.8 74.8 92.6 93.2 92.6 37.6 37.9 37.9 76.8 77.1 77.1 82.9 85.5 85.5 ' FASTCLK on. * * Foreground task compares the performance of a single DOS process (with Unix idling) running at the default Merge 386 interrupt rate and at the faster rate obtained when you enable FASTCLK. Interestingly, when you use the default interrupt rate, some of the tests run faster under Merge 386 than under DOS. When FASTCLK is on and Merge 386 is emulating the DOS in- terrupt rate, the tests are a little slower than under pure DOS. Under Merge 386, the faster interrupt rate slows the system by from 2 percent to 8 percent. The third group shows the results for two concurrent DOS processes, each running a copy of each of the bench- marks; again, Unix was idling at the time. And the fourth group repeats that experiment for three DOS processes. Two points are worthy of note. First, the two- and three-process numbers are very close to integer multiples of the single- process times; the penalty for multitask- ing is relatively small. Second, Unix gives foreground and background tasks nearly equal priority, in contrast to OS/2, which (by default) strongly prefers the foreground task. So, under Merge 386, you should expect response time to degrade as a linear function of the num- ber of processes you're running. Who Needs It? This product isn't for a casual DOS user who's curious about Unix. A two-user license costs $795, and you need an 80386-based machine with at least a 40- megabyte hard disk drive to do any seri- ous work. Nor is it for a DOS-only user looking for a good 80386 control pro- gram. Products like VM/386 and DESQ- view do the job much more cheaply. Merge 386 is really for dedicated Unix users and software developers who work mostly under Unix but would like to use DOS software in the Unix environment, or who need to port software between the two environments— for example, a tele- communications specialist who requires access to the Unix uucp facilities and also to DOS communications packages. In that context, I doubt that Unix's multi- user capability would come into play; it's more likely that the 80386 running Merge 386 would function as a single- user machine possibly communicating with larger Unix machines and DOS-ori- ented LANs. Merge 386 could also function as a multiuser system. A systems integrator might use this product to create a multi- user DOS environment in which a group of users would share the use of a database package. Users accustomed to dedicated PCs would likely perceive slower re- sponse time, but the system administra- tor would be happier since Unix would provide uniform backup and security procedures. I had a few problems with Merge 386. I couldn't access the physical DOS parti- tion, timing-sensitive DOS communica- tions programs were balky, and the mixed syntax was confusing. Overall, though, the system performed as adver- tised. It's not likely to convert legions of DOS users to Unix, but for those who need the capabilities of both operating systems and want them in a single box, Merge provides as good a compromise as we're likely to get. ■ Jeff Holtzman owns Publishing Con- cepts, a firm that specializes in evalua- tion, verification, and documentation of high-technology products. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and he can be reached on BIX c/o "editors." The shortest distance between two points. Pro-C System design Finished application The C source code applications generator. At last, the distance between system design and final application is shorter than ever before. Pro-C maximizes your productivity by creating commercial applications in C source code. Pro-C quickly generates well-structured, fully-commented C code the way you would write it. This allows you to concentrate on systems design instead of wasting time repeatedly rewriting code. Plus, Pro-C can also be used as a powerful prototyping tool that readily converts system design into clean, professional code. Learning to use Pro-C is simple: Menus guide you through every step, and context-sensitive help is always avail- able. Pro-C quickly generates source code for screen pro- grams, reports, menus, and multi-file updates, as well as concise system documentation and context-sensitive help. PC Tech Journal applauded the power of Pro-C in a recent review: "The generated C code is excellent, includ- ing many comments and the type of functional organi- zation that a good programmer would choose. . . Pro-C excels at what it was designed for." MS-DOS & Microsoft are registered trademarks ol Microsoft Corp. UNIX is a trademark ol AT&T Belt Laboratories. Turbo C is a registered trademark of Borland International. QNX is a trademark o! Quantum Software Systems Ltd. Lattice is a registered trademark o! Lattice. Inc. Zortech is a trademark of Zortech, Inc. Circle 298 on Reader Service Card Pro-C is the only source code generator that runs under the MS-DOS™ QNX™ XENIX™ and UNIX™ operating systems. Unlike most 4GL's, Pro-C doesn't require a run time environment — increasing performance without royalty fees. For added flexibility, a separate product, Pro-C Workbench™ provides the C source code for over 60 Pro-C library routines that can be modified to your requirements. Pro-C code is optimized for a variety of compilers, includ- ing Microsoft™ C V5.0 and later, Quick C VI. 0, Turbo C® VI. 0 and later, Lattice® C V3.2, and Zortech™ V2.05. Pro-C: Beyond programmer productivity tools Eliminate repetitive programming. Streamline application development. Achieve maximum productivity. Order Pro-C today. Call (800) 265-2682. For information on corporate purchases, call Chris Finnegan at (519) 745-2700. VESTRON1X ALLEN SQUARE 180 KING STREET SOUTH SUITE 230 WATERLOO. ONTARIO, CANADA N2J 1P8 (519) 745-2700 ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS' UNITED KINGDOM 01-790-2424 GERMANY 6155-6008-0 JAPAN 034078561 DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 213 Cut development time 40-80% With a GSS Graphics Development Toolkit Need graphics in your DOS or OS/2 applications? GSS® Graphics Development Toolkits for DOS and OS/2 include more than 65 bitmap and vector graphics functions, numerous device drivers, and provide the first source code- compatible graphics path between DOS and OS/2! 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Printed in th Software Review o Slick When it comes to programmer's text editors, Slick lives up to its name Namir Clement Shammas The investment in time and effort to select and learn a new pro- gramming editor is a nontrivial exercise. Programmers seem to become very attached to specific text editors. A newly adopted text editor must offer many new features, such as a good user interface and programmability. The latter covers many areas— macros, a command language, and reconfigurable keys, to name just a few. Slick, a $195 programmer's text editor from Micro- Edge, offers just those features. Slick is aimed at programmers in gen- eral and at Pascal and C programmers in particular. The name "Slick" perhaps reflects on some of the interesting fea- tures, such as the file manager, the Slick programming language, a rich set of editing commands, and several enhanced and smart text-editing capabilities. Dual Personality The distribution disks contain two ver- sions of Slick. The first works with DOS 2.x or higher, while the second is for OS/2 and DOS 3.x or higher. Slick re- quires 820K bytes of hard disk space for the DOS version and 1080K bytes for the OS/2 version. In operation, the program requires 300K bytes of RAM. The pack- age also includes a grep utility and a Slick translator, both of which come in two versions similar to that of the Slick editor. I ran Slick using PC-DOS 3. 1 and OS/2 version 1.0. The Slick editor comes on four 360K- byte floppy disks. The manual recom- mends that you install the editor on your hard disk, although you can use two 360K-byte floppy disks. I easily in- stalled Slick on a single 1.2-megabyte floppy disk and often copied the files to my 2-megabyte RAM drive to gain speed. The installation utilizes a batch file and is very straightforward. The power and versatility of Slick first becomes evident when you examine the options involved with invoking it. For ex- ample, you can specify a list of text files for editing; the list may be based on wild- card filenames and/ or a lineup of unam- biguous filenames. Alternately, you can invoke the command shell. This shell prompts you for the full name of the cur- rent directory and displays the DOS error code for the last operation. You can also invoke Slick to execute a command and then exit or let it remain resident. The Slick editor saves and updates its configuration in a "state" file. The de- fault state file is SLICK. STA, although you can save and load other state files. When you invoke Slick, you can specify a state file other than the default. Conse- quently, each class of editing job you perform can have its own state file that configures Slick accordingly. The default screen displays the edited filename (also called the buffer), the edited text, the command line, the mes- sage line, and the function-key line. You can elect to display a buffer in an entire screen or use multiple windows in view- continued DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 215 REVIEW SLICK Type Text-editing environment Company MicroEdge, Inc. P.O. Box 2367 Fairfax, VA 22031 (703)378-4716 Format Four 360K-byte 51A-inch floppy disks Language C Hardware Required IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2s, or compatibles with 300K bytes of RAM, two 360K-byte floppy disk drives or one 1 ,2-megabyte floppy disk drive, and one hard disk drive (recommended) Software Required DOS 2.x or higher, or OS/2 Documentation 304-page Editor Reference Manual Price $195 Inquiry 904. ing the same file. Slick also supports the editing of multiple files and permits you to have windows viewing multiple files. A Plethora of Commands Slick employs a large number of com- mands, many of which are not mapped onto a key. Consequently, the command line is frequently invoked, with either the Escape key or the Ctrl-A key combina- tion. Slick maintains a stack for the com- mand lines; this lets you swiftly and conveniently execute previous com- mands without retyping them. You can also edit the command lines and then execute them. You use the message line to display error messages or provide help messages regarding the typed com- mands. The Slick command line enables you to type many of the frequently used inter- nal DOS commands, such as CLS, COPY, PATH, DATE, TIME, RE- NAME, DEL, and so on. It also has its own DIR command, so to execute the DOS DIR command, you must type DOS DIR from the command line. To invoke a copy of DOS, you type DOS. In addition, Slick passes any commands it does not recognize to DOS. The successful exe- cution of a DOS command depends on the memory requirements to execute that particular command. Slick provides a one-line calculator that you can activate from its command line. The calculator handles numbers and operators, including logical and bit- wise operators. There are three versions of the math calculator: decimal, hexa- decimal, and octal. The decimal version handles integers and floating-point num- bers, while the hexadecimal and octal versions handle integers only. Each ver- sion is able to process expressions con- taining decimal, hexadecimal, and octal numbers— the difference is that the re- sults are converted to the numeric base of the invoked calculator version. The default function-key menu line displays the action task associated with each function key. Each key can obtain on-line help, save a file, edit a new file, edit the current configuration of Slick, move to the next buffer, undo line changes, and display a context-sensitive menu. The on-line help is extensive and places help information into a buffer. The topics in question are available for you in the buffer list until you remove them explicitly. The list of general topics in the initial menu window lacks a sorted order; until you get used to them, you have to do a lot of reading. I hope that fu- ture versions present these items in a more orderly fashion. Each topic causes another help menu to pop up, displaying the exact commands or functions. When you select a function or command, the screen puts the related help information into a new buffer. Items are selected using the light bar and cursor-control keys— you cannot directly jump to a se- lection by typing a hot-key letter. User Interface The keyboard layout, the ability to reconfigure the keyboard, and the ease of doing so are major factors in establish- ing a good interface between a program- mer and a text editor. This is Slick's weakest point. MicroEdge decided to implement its own default configuration for the keyboard layout. So, regardless of where you are coming from, your fingers need to go back to boot camp. Slick lets you bind and unbind com- mands to keys in two ways. First, you can perform the command binding from the command line. The message line pro- vides context-sensitive guidance and dis- plays any related error messages. You are limited in that you can bind a command only to a single keystroke, with or with- out Shift, Control, or Alt-key combina- tions. The second method of binding commands to keys involves the Slick lan- guage and enables you to assign multiple keystrokes to a single command. You can prompt Slick to display the list of default keystroke assignments. If you alter the keyboard layout, the above in- formation becomes of little use. Alterna- tively, you may inquire about the func- tion of a specific keystroke. Slick reacts in an interesting way: It displays a de- scription of what that key does and lists any other keystrokes that perform the same function. Slick dynamically up- dates the list of keystrokes to reflect any changes made. Slick supports three types of block op- erations: line-based, character-based, and screen blocks. The line-based blocks span entire lines. The character-based blocks mark all the text between two characters. The screen-based blocks en- able you to mark screen characters by row or column, or by defining an area. Standard text-block operations, typi- cal of any text editor, are supported; plus, Slick throws in a few new zingers. For example, you can swiftly move a block to the left or to the right and effort- lessly adjust its indentation; alter the case of the text in a block; overlay marked text; reformat marked text; sort marked text; and quickly fill a block with a single character. For example, I can mark a row-wise screen block and fill it with comment characters. I found these fea- tures to be very useful and truly time- saving. Slick's search-and-replace capabilities include the ability to use regular expres- sions. Such string expressions enable you to, for example, search for text using wild-card characters. Slick supports reg- ular expressions containing character ranges, subexpressions, ORed expres- sions, and reversed matching (i.e., the search fails if a match is found), to name just a few. In addition, Slick has prede- fined classes of character sets, such as al- phanumerics, blanks, alphabets, digits, hexadecimals, integers, floating points, filenames, directory paths, quote strings, C variables, and words. These arm Slick with a powerful regular ex- pression capability. The regular expres- sion search engine is also integrated with a grep utility that you can invoke from the Slick command line. Manipulating Files Slick's file manager is a versatile add-on feature. While not directly involved with 216 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 REVIEW SLICK the heart of the text-editing process, the file manager provides you with a savvy way of accessing and managing files. The DIR and LIST commands are used to invoke the file manager. Basically, these two commands are identical and are implemented with different default options. The general syntax for the DIR and LIST commands are as follows: DIR (FILESPEC | [-|+ OPTIONS]) and LIST (FILESPEC | [-|+ OPTIONS]). By default, DIR lists the file entries and the subdirectory names in the specified subdirectory path. By contrast, LIST leaves out (by default) the subdirectory names and includes the names of all matching files in the subtree of the speci- fied subdirectory path. A number of DIR and LIST options enable you to list hid- den, system, archive, and directory files. Other options enable you to turn the tree- file listing on or off (the default sets it off for DIR and on for LIST). The tree-file listing option makes the LIST command work like the Norton FINDFILE utility. This is a valuable file management tool for PC users, not to mention programmers. By default, the output of the DIR and LIST commands is sent to a separate buf- fer. Slick supports various options to select and deselect files. Using the 2 key and the 8 key, you can select individual files and move the cursor down and up, respectively. This process is reversed using the 9 and the 3 keys. You activate the file manager menu by pressing the FlOkey. When a DIR or LIST buffer is dis- played, the F10 key selects the main menu for the file manager. The main op- tions let you back up, copy, select, de- lete, and edit files, as well as change file attributes, select or deselect files, and update or change the list of filenames. The copy option copies the selected files from the list into a target directory. While the original copies of the selected files may be located in different subdi- rectories, they end up in the same target subdirectory. The backup option copies the selected file and simultaneously creates the same subdirectory tree in the target path; this option resembles the XCOPY command. The move option moves the selected files to a target sub- directory without duplicating the source subdirectories. The delete option works by erasing files from various subdirec- tories without deleting the subdirector- ies, even if they become empty. You can use the LIST command to re- move from a directory files that were previously loaded from a specific set of disks. The LIST command is first ap- plied to the source disks. Next, you edit the drive name and the path name to re- flect the drive and subdirectory name where the file purge takes place. Using the edited list of filenames, you proceed to delete the undesired files. The file-attributes option enables you to toggle the hidden, system, read-only, and archive file attributes. This feature protects certain files by making them read-only or hidden files. The file-selection option lets you ap- pend more files, unlist files, and read/ write a file list to disk. You can append more files by using one of two options that perform a DIR or LIST command. The unlist options enable you to unlist all the files (by file extension name), unlist the selected files, or search for particular filenames in the list. Slick permits you to manipulate file selection by providing you with a set of options. These options enable you to continued C AS" y h 1! mm MSKt 7b H Tmm ;:'.:« ■:;)■ fiili HP Ji Pi II P'mli'' it '#yp aw 9 m '111* Jr '■■■■"'••' I» ' - ■ 'jBK . ■■■■■■■,■■ -:-:':v ■ ■■>, • ' - ■ .:-;-.. ■ • •" -- DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 217 Herb Schildt is the author that over 600,000 programmers turn to for the word on languages. That's because Schildt 's expertise in programming is unprecedented. And he is unsurpassed in C. In fact, out of the 2 1 books Herb's published, all 9 of his books on C are bestsellers. Find out why over 600,000 programmers can't be wrong. See C Writer, Herb Schildt. "Schildt' s books offer first rate material" Computerworid "... Noted author and veteran C programmer ... produce(s) the kind of book programmers like best ..." Philippe Kahn, President, Borland International, Inc. 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BaiffflnTa X RTctfTTO SI 2600 Tenth Street Berkeley, California 94710 irks: OS/2 is a trademark of Inlcrnalio V Copyright© I 'WKMtGn REVIEW SLICK select all files, unselect all files, reverse the selection, select by file extension name, select by file attribute, and select and deselect a block of marked files. The file manager options are translated into various forms of FOR-SELECT com- mands that appear on the command line. Slick Programming Language The Slick language was designed for batch programming and as a program ex- tension language. The language is in- fluenced by REXX, Modula-2, and C. String handling in the language resem- bles that in REXX, while Modula-2 in- fluences scoping and calling convention. Comments in the Slick language are handled in two ways. The first method inserts comments after a colon. The sec- ond method is patterned after REXX (and also C): The comment text is en- closed in the /* and */ character pairs. The Slick language supports string con- stants that are enclosed in either single or double quotes (the same type of quote must be used throughout, though). Special characters, such as the new line, carriage return, tab, formfeed, and Backspace are represented using the C- like syntax of "\." The same type of syntax is applied to other ASCII characters represented by their decimal or hexadecimal code numbers. Like REXX, Slick uses strings as the base type. Consequently, numbers are stored as string images. The Slick language supports the decla- ration of constants using a Modula-2-like syntax: CONST MyName = "Namir Shammas" , MagazineName = 'BYTE' CONST Volume_Number = 13 Slick supports four types of variables: universal, global, buffer, and local. The first three types must be declared. All modules can access universal variables, and all routines within a module can ac- cess global variables. Buffer variables are accessed by any module— they differ from universal variables by the fact that each buffer created receives its own copy of the buffer variables. Examples of de- claring variables are shown below: UNIVERSAL Studios = 'Hollywood' GLOBAL menu_strlng = "Fl=Help "| | "F2=Quit"|| "F3=Save"|| "F4=Read" BUFFER state_f lie = 0 The Slick language does not implement arrays or record structures like those found in REXX, Modula-2, and C. Slick supports arithmetic, relational, logical, and bit-wise operators. The arithmetic operators include the integer division, modulus, and power operators. The relational operators come in two sets. The first operator set (made up of = = , <>, >>, <<, > = = , and < = =) performs string comparisons, treating numbers as strings. The second set (made up of =, >, <, > = , and < =) compares numbers as numbers and strings as strings. In both cases, this set of operators removes any leading and trailing spaces before comparing the expressions. The Slick language supports the IF statement with THEN, ELSE, and ELSEIF clauses. No CASE statement is implemented. The program also sup- ports the WHILE, OPEN, and FOR continued 1. Buy this. «— Circle 204 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 219 REVIEW SLICK Support America;s colleges. Because college is more than a place where young people are preparing for their future. It;s wnere America is preparing for its future. If our country's going to get smarter, stronger— and more competitive— our colleges and universities simply must become a national priority It;s an investment we all share in. Govern- ment. Private citizens. And the business commu- nity After aH; the future of American business depends on it. So help America prepare for the future with a corporate gift to the college of your choice— and you'll know your company has done its part. Give to the college of your choice. UXIKH « 220 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 I A Pubic Service d This Put*cahon COUNCIL FOR AID TO EDUCATION (TAE loops. The WHILE loop comes in two syntaxes: WHILE (expression) DO ENDWHILE and DO WHILE (expression) END The FOR loop has an optional BY clause to alter the loop control variable by a value other than 1 . The REXX-like DO loop is also supported and acts just like the FOR loop. The Slick language enables you to de- fine commands, procedures, keys, key tables, and macros. Commands are de- fined using the DEFC declaration, which takes a number of arguments. You can access the arguments with the use of the predefined ARG() function, which can fetch any argument by its index. Thus, ARG(l) returns the first parameter, ARG(2) returns the second, and so on. A RETURN statement returns an error code to a universal predefined variable called RC Procedures are declared using the DEFPROC declaration. Appending the keyword GLOBAL after DEFPROC sig- nals that the procedure is not universal by default. The argument list of a proce- dure is enclosed in parentheses and may contain up to 15 arguments. Parameters can be passed by reference using the VAR declaration. Like Slick commands, you can access procedure arguments by using the ARG functions. By default, param- eters are passed by value. Procedures re- turn values: If none are explicitly re- turned, a null string is the default result emitted by the procedure. Like C func- tions, the Slick procedures can be used as functions or procedures. A CALLed procedure causes the returned value to be discarded. You can define keys and key tables by using the following syntax: DEF [prefix] [key-key] , key [-key] = command The command bound to the DEFined key must be defined by DEFC. You define keyboard macros by using the DEF- MACRO command that binds a macro name to a sequence of key names. You use the Slick translator to compile the source code file into a p-code, which the Slick editor can execute. The transla- tor serves to catch errors in the source REVIEW SLICK code. You use the LOAD command to load a module into the editor. If the source code is not compiled or up-to-date, a make utility is automatically invoked. I found that it is better to edit a Slick source code file using the editor, save the file, and then immediately load it. The make utility will be invoked, a message will identify any error, and the cursor will indicate the offending location. Writing batch files using the Slick lan- guage requires you to use the DEFMAIN (which parallels the main( ) function in C) and the DEFINIT primitives. The Slick batch file first executes DEFINIT procedures, then DEFMAIN. Slick batch files can have the .S and .CMD (for OS/2) file extensions. Variables and Strings Slick comes with a rich set of predefined variables and string-handling functions. The predefined variables enable you to query and set the state of the different variables to influence or fine-tune your defined commands, procedures, keys, and macros. The string-handling func- tions offer additional support for text processing. For both the C and Pascal program- mer, Slick offers a special treat. It moni- tors what you type, looking for keywords related to loop and decision-making con- stucts. Whenever the editor detects such a keyword, Slick inserts a skeleton place- holder for the construct that you type. For example, while you're editing a Pas- cal file (with the extension PAS), typing FOR and a space causes the following to appear: FOR : = TO DO BEGIN END; You simply enter your variables in the ap- propriate locations. Since the source code for the Pascal and C language support modules are pro- vided, you can alter the inserted place- holders. While testing Slick, I did just that for the Pascal language support module. First, I made Slick display the Pascal keywords in uppercase rather than in lowercase (the default setting). Sec- ond, I expanded the IF statement to in- clude a BEGIN-END block after the THEN clause and added an ELSE clause with its own BEGIN-END block. Editing the language module was easy since Slick employs verbose commands, functions, and variables. Powerful Alternative Slick is a sophisticated text-editing envi- ronment for programmers. This initial release can benefit from improved orga- nization in the on-line help, easier key- board customization, and a more detailed manual that is written for users, not just for programmers. On the positive side, Slick combines an editor with a programmable file manager and a batch processor. The pro- gram's numerous combination of fea- tures ranges from interesting to impres- sive. If you are really tired of the limitations of your current text editor, Slick is worth considering. Even if you are not about to abandon your current editor, I still recommend Slick as an alternative text editor. It can make dif- ficult editing tasks much faster and easier. ■ Namir Clement Shammas is a columnist for several computer magazines and a freelance writer living in Glen Allen, Virginia. He can be reached on BIX as "nshammas. " 2 Get this free. For a limited time, buy or lease an AT&T 6386 WorkGroup System and we'll give you a terminal and all the extras you need to hook up a second user free. A free terminal can do more for your business than you might think. When two people share software and data they can solve twice as many problems. And by dou- bling employee access to software, data, laser printers, and other resources, you can double die usefulness of your investment. Whether your business needs to calculate spreadsheets, write reports, analyze 'MS-DOS and XENIX are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation 'XT and AT are registered trademarks of IBM. Duration of offer may vary. databases, or use any of hundreds of other applications, the 6386 WGS makes perfect business sense. By unleashing 80386 power to a second user, the AT&T 6386 WGS gives twice as many people the option to run applications writ- ten for MS-DOS,1 UNIX' System V, or XENIX? Plus it's XT and AT2 compatible. For more i nformation on how your busi- ness can benefit from this special 6386 WGS offer, contact your participating AT&T Autho- rized Reseller, your local AT&T Account Executive, or call 1 800 247-1212, ext. 930. AT&T The right choice. DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 221 CLEO is your SNA, BSC and Coax Gateway r VMS UNIX XENIX PC-DOS Macintosh NetBiosLAN m Sharing Information Whatever your industry, your computers need to share information with your mainframe. Or, they need to exchange data with other computers. In either case, you need a total communications solution. You need software, hardware interfaces and modems that all work together smoothly. You need CLEO! 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Call Jones by this Friday - tell hln that Snlth 09/89/8B says to finish the eualuation by the end of the Month so thai purchasing procedures can begin on tine. • Heet oith .Jones In tuo ueeks to finalize -89/2Z/flfl purchasing report contents. taiti «!«» . Call Jones by this Friday - tell hln that, Snlth 89/89/88 says to finish the evaluation by the end of the north so that purchasing procedures can begin i... i .... • Call Salt!) about neu product. ltl| I Mil | Can H I n...i- »— t Hgr| Ren Agenda takes a flexible approach to database construction Lamont Wood Databases are powerful tools, but real-world information can't always be shoe-horned into the precise data formats required by most database programs. With that idea in mind, Lotus Develop- ment has developed an alternative. Agen- da is a $395 information manager that at- tempts to organize desktop notes on your personal computer. Lotus recommends running Agenda on an IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or com- patible with 512K bytes of RAM, DOS 2.0 or higher, and a hard disk drive. I ran it on a 16-MHz 80386-based AT clone with 640K bytes of RAM, a 40-megabyte hard disk drive, and one floppy disk drive. When you first run Agenda, you see a title screen, where you can enter a name and brief description of the database you want to create. You then see a screen with a control-panel status line across the top, a list of function-key names across the bottom, and a blank work area in be- tween. Pressing F10 replaces the status line with Agenda's main menu. Before you can start building a database, how- ever, you'll have to master a new set of concepts and terminology. Getting the Idea To understand what Agenda does, sup- pose you find yourself jotting down the following thought: Call Jones by this Fri- day—tell him Smith says to finish the evaluation by the end of the month so purchasing procedures can begin on time. If you had to categorize this thought, it might go under any number of headings, including "Jones," "calls I should make," "Smith," "things to do by Friday," "the evaluation," "this month's projects," "complaints from the purchasing department," and so on. Of course, there's no need to catego- rize this memo unless you've been jot- ting down more observations than you can track. But if you do have a lot of memos, you might want to sort them to get a list of everyone you need to call by Friday. Each memo to yourself would, in Agenda's parlance, be an item, the basic information element in an Agenda data- base. If you flipped the scrap of paper over and wrote Jones's phone number or other supportive information on the back, that secondary text would be a note. In Agenda, items can be 350 charac- ters long. Notes can be up to 10K bytes long. Notes are always associated with the item they're attached to, but they aren't treated as part of the database. In fact, a note can reside in an external text file. You enter items by pressing the In- sert key, and you can attach a note to an item by highlighting it with the cursor and pressing the F5 key. A musical note symbol precedes each item that has an at- tached note. All items appear under a category name. Initially, all the items you enter appear as indented, bulleted items under continued DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 223 REVIEW THE DATABASE REDEFINED Agenda 1 .0 Type Information manager Company Lotus Development Corp. 55 Cambridge Pkwy. Cambridge, MA 02142 (617)577-8500 Format Five 51/4-inch floppy disks and two 31/2-inch floppy disks Language C Hardware Needed IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or compatible with 51 2K bytes of RAM, DOS 2,0 or higher, a hard disk drive, and one floppy disk drive Documentation 430-page Users Guide, 98-page Tutorial, 32-page Sample Applications Manual, 50-page Definition Files Manual Price $395 Inquiry 903. the initial category Untitled. You can edit this section head to put all the items that you have entered under one category, or you can create a new category, such as Purchasing. Once you update the data- base by selecting Utility and Execute from the main menu, Agenda automati- cally scans the text of all items and as- signs those containing the word "pur- chasing" to the new category. Some items will then belong to both the Pur- chasing and the Untitled categories. A category heading and its list of items is called a section. A screen of informa- tion, which may contain several interre- lated sections, is called a view. A data- base of items, categories, and view definitions can be about 3.5 megabytes in size, of which about 200K bytes can re- side in memory. Categorizing If Agenda could only list items that con- tain a specific text string, you could save your money and get by with the DOS Find command. But Agenda's real power lies in its Category Manager. At any time, you can go to this screen to add, delete, or rearrange the list of cate- gories and relationships that Agenda uses to sort items. The Category Manager looks like a list of outline headings, with indented child- category headings subordinate to nonin- dented parent headings. For instance, you might set up a parent category called People. Indented below it, you could write a list of the people you interact with— Smith, Jones, and so on. You could then return to the initial view screen and instruct Agenda to sort the items in the People category and update the database to reflect this change. Then you could create a new view, called Staff. From the pop-up menu, you would select People as the category and indicate that child categories should be displayed. In the Staff view, you'd see sections headed by each child category for People (i.e., each name). Under each name would be all the items associated with that category. Items containing two names would appear in two sections (see the photo). In conventional database terms, you would sort a file on the basis of fields that you defined after the fact. You could redefine, expand, and edit the fields at any time. Suppose that you don't want to bother reading the items to see what you're sup- posed to do with Smith, Jones, and so on. You could go to the Category Manager screen and set up a parent category called Action, with the child categories Meet and Call. You could then go back to the staff view and add a column called Ac- tion. When you update the database, the new column will contain the words Meet or Call, or it will be blank, depending on what words appear in each item. For blank items, you must enter Call or Meet in the Action column manually. One po- tential problem with this automatic up- dating feature is that some words can have more than one meaning and might be falsely associated with a category; for example, the word "purchasing" could be used as a verb or could be a depart- ment name. In that case, you must unas- sign the item manually. Agenda also lets you filter views or categories to show, for example, only those items that occur this week, or only those that pertain to a particular subject. You might include only those items that mention the evaluation, or purchasing. Or you could specify only those items that did not contain either subject. Another interesting feature is the abil- ity to designate some items as prerequi- site and others as dependent. For exam- ple, you may not be able to meet with Joe until after Bob gives you the report re- sults. Once item relationships are de- fined, you can set Agenda to display only prerequisite items. Dependent items then appear automatically when prerequisite items are done. Category definitions can be quite com- plex. You can equate a list of words so that, for example, items containing the words "meeting," "seminar," or "con- vention" will all be assigned to the Ac- tivity category. You can impose logical operators (AND, OR, and NOT), use single-character and multiple-character wild cards, choose whether to ignore suf- fixes or uppercase and lowercase status, and use phrases as categories. The Dating Game Most people keep notebooks for personal scheduling purposes, and Lotus built some interesting date-tracking capabili- ties into Agenda. The program has three date categories: Entry, When, and Done. The Entry date is the date on the system clock for when you enter in the item; When is the date on which you expect an item to be finished; and Done is the date on which you actually designate an item, such as an appointment, to be finished. Entry and Done are logged in automati- cally. You must enter the proper date for When. You can enter the date by typing it in month/day/year format, or you can simply type "two weeks from today" or "next Tuesday." Agenda then enters the proper date for you. You may not even have to enter a date for a new item if a date or reference is included in the item text. For example, if the item is "Call Jack this Friday," Agenda puts the correct date in the When column for you. Had the item said "every Friday," the date in the When column would change each week. Agenda also understands "today," "tomorrow," "tonight," "fortnight," and more vague references like "end of the month," "two weeks from Friday," or "the third Tuesday." Similar hints of artificial intelligence are shown in other functions within the program. For example, whenever you name a column heading or sort field, Agenda checks what you are typing and beeps as soon as you have entered enough characters to make a unique match with an existing category. Then the only thing you have to do is press Enter to select that category. Whenever you have to enter an option in a dialog box (i.e., choose between Enter, When, and Done for specifying the type of date category you're creat- continued 224 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 "I brought the excitement back to project scheduling with a product that really works for you" ROGER MEADE, PRESIDENT, SCITOR CORPORATION It Qmris ttttr&ili -. ■•'■--»■! ■>&' Project Scheduler 4. The difference is graphically clear.™ "Software products claim- ing to be #1 in project management aren't living up to their boasts. They have evolved by tacking new power features onto outdated versions at the expense of speed and usability. Their basic re- ports continue to be con- fusing and unreadable. "I challenged my devel- opment team to reverse this trend and build a totally new product with unmatched speed, power, and ease-of-use. They met this challenge with Project Scheduler 4. "Project Scheduler 4 is the first PC-based pack- age that integrates high- resolution graphics with all the management tools you need. You understand more because you see more on the screen. At last, PERT and Gantt charts make sense. And responsibilities, deadlines, and resource bottlenecks are all spotted at a glance. "You see more on paper, too. Project Scheduler 4 gives you beautiful, graphic reports that don't require tedious cut-and- paste assembly. They're instantly understandable. Not to mention simple to generate for impressive presentations. "Because scheduling is primarily a visual pro- cess, Project Scheduler 4 uses an intuitive, graphic interface that gives you a clear view of the big picture. Gone are hard- to-remember commands and keystroke sequences. Here is the future of ad- vanced productivity tools. "A project scheduler should help you manage your time, not waste it. Project Scheduler 4 is fast. In fact, it's much faster than most character- based systems. Its tremen- dous power is provided with ease and elegance. In other words, it's a proj- ect scheduler that really works for you!' When your time is on the line, you should be using Project Scheduler 4. For more information and a free brochure, call 415 570-7700 or write us at 250 Lincoln Centre Drive, Foster City, CA 94404. BScitor Corporation * REVIEW THE DATABASE REDEFINED ing), you can press the space bar to display the options one at a time. Alter- nately, you can call up the list of possibil- ities in a pop-up window by pressing the Plus key on the numeric keypad. You then scroll through the list and highlight the option you want. The function keys all have special functions that vary depending on what you are doing. Function-key descriptions are displayed along the bottom of the screen. These keys have additional func- tions that you invoke in combination with the Alt key, and you can view these func- tion-key descriptions by holding down the Alt key. The Fl key brings up contextual help screens. From one help screen, you can usually toggle to related subjects or to a central help index. The documentation includes a tutorial that walks you through the use of several sample files. Agenda also includes sev- eral sample applications using rather WHY DESIGN YOUR PRODUCT AROUND A COMPUTER? Design the computer in. little Board 7286 Built-in vs. built-around. External systems mean boxes, boards, backplanes, cables, and reliability problems. Ampro's Little Boards give you a complete system on a single board you can build right into your product. Small size. Big power. Eliminate the bulk and constraints of multi-board, backplane-based systems. Embed a Little Board that requires just 2/3rds the power and volume of a 5 '/< " floppy drive. But with the full power of a PC or AT®. Fully compatible. Little Board/286 and Little Board/PC are functionally identical to multi-board PCs and ATs. They run PC-DOS'" 2.0 to 3.X. They run DOS languages, compilers and applications. You'll be standing on a proven foundation of hardware and software. Ampro's Single Board Systems. It's all there. Up to a Megabyte of RAM. RS-232C and Parallel ports. AT/PC-compatible controllers and bus expansion. EGA/CGA/MDA and HerculesT"-compatible video little Board/PC options. Even optional solid-state disk. Plus SCSI support for hard disk, tape, optical drives, bubble drives . . . you name it. And, low power consumption (+5VDC, less than 8W) and a wide operating temp- erature range (0 to 60°C). Perfect for standalone operation and harsh environments. Anywhere that reliability is a critical consideration. Available worldwide. For information and the name of your nearest U.S. or international Ampro representative, call us at the number below. Or write for Little Board Product information. 408-734-2800 Fax:408734-2939 TLX: 4940302 COMPUTERS, INCORPORATED 1130 Mountain Vicw/Ahiso Road Sunnyvale, CA 94089 Reps: Australia— 61 3 720-3298; Austria— 43-222/45 45 01; Canada— (604) 438-0028; Denmark— 45 3 66 20 20; Finland— 358 0 585-322: France— 331 4502-1800; Germany, West— 49 89 611-6151; Israel— 972 3 49-16-95; Italy— 39 6 811-9406; Japan— 81 3 257-2630; Netherlands— 010-411 85 20; Spain— M34 3 204-2099; Sweden— 46 8 55-00-65; Switzerland— 41 1 740-41-05; United Kingdom— 442964-35511;USA— contact AMPRO Trademarks: IBM, AT— IBM Corp.: Hercules— Hercules Computer Technology, Inc.; MS-DOS— Microsolt Corp.; UttleBoard - Ampro Computers, Inc. sophisticated databases and category def- initions. These samples are fully docu- mented in a separate booklet. Import Quotas Items in Agenda don't all have to be notes jotted to yourself. You can also im- port existing ASCII text files, although this involves a two-step process. First, you create a structured file out of the ASCII file by running a stand- alone utility called TXT2STF. It at- tempts to turn every block of text be- tween blank lines into items. If the block is more than 350 characters long, it turns the leftover text into a note attached to that item. Then you go into Agenda and use the Import command to bring in the file. Once the process is finished, the program will arrange the new items within any of the categories that you have setup. For text that's in a standard format, you can set up definition files to guide TXT2STF. For example, text following the word "To:" could be defined as a category. Agenda comes with a preset definition file to deal with text from Lotus Express electronic mail files. Agenda also comes with two pop-up terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) util- ities, called Items and Clipboard, which you can use to import information from other applications. Both are based on Lotus Metro, Lotus's TSR desktop-man- agement program. Items is a pop-up text editor for jotting down up to 10 new Agenda items while running other pro- grams. You invoke Items by pressing the Shift-Alt-I keys, and you can transfer in- formation created in Items to a struc- tured file for importing later as items or notes in your Agenda database. You can also set Agenda to automatically import structured files each time you run the program. Clipboard allows you to grab the con- tents of a screen and transfer it to an item or note in Agenda. You invoke the pro- gram by pressing the Shift- Alt-D keys. Clipboard can save an entire screen, or you can specify lines or blocks of text and format them as items or notes. Later, when you run Agenda, you can move the cursor where you want the information, call up the Clipboard, and import the data. Lasting Impression As a note processor, Agenda works well. After I learned all the ins and outs of categories, items, filters, views, and so on, Agenda was fun to work with. There seemed no end to adding new categories continued 226 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 Discover Parallel Processing; ■ ' '$&%*. C/^-rr— -,.. /•< Monoputer/2 The World's Most Popular Transputer Development System Since 1 986, the MicroWay Monoputer has become the favorite transputer develop- ment system, with thousands in use world- wide. Monoputer/2 extends the original design from 2 to 16 megabytes and adds an enhanced DMA powered interface. The board can be used to develop code for transputer networks or can be linked with other Monoputers or Quadputers to build a transputer network. It can be powered by the 20 MHz T414 or T800 or the new 25 MHz T425 or T800. Parallel Languages Fortran and C Make Porting a Snap! Microway stocks parallel languages from 3L, Logical Systems and Inmos. These include one Fortran, two Cs, Occam, Pascal, and our own Prolog. We also stock the NAG libraries for the T800 and Rockfield's structural and thermal finite element package. A single T800 node costs $2,000, yet has the power of a $10,000 386/1 167 system. Isn't it time you considered porting your Fortran or C application to the transputer? #^%;..: *>^- Quadputer Mainframe Power For Your PC! MicroWay's Quadputer is the most versatile multiple transputer board on the market today. Each processor can have 1, 4 or 8 megabytes of local memory. In addition, two or more Quadputers can be linked together with ribbon cables to build large systems. One MicroWay customer reduced an 8 hour mainframe analysis to 15 minutes with five Quadputers, giving him realtime control of his business. Micro Way- For further information, please call MicroWay's Technical Support staff at (508) 746-7341. World Leader in PC Numerics P.O. Box 79, Kingston, MA 02364 USA (508) 746-7341 32 High St., Kingston-Upon-Thames, U.K., 01-541-5466 USA FAX 617-934-2414 Australia 02-439-8400 Germany 069-75-1428 /sJKKOT* LQ-2500 ^CCEL^OO 11/7' l ". -** ARE REGISTRA TED MARKS — OF TFL GROUP PC AT/XT PS/2 ARE REGISTRATEO MARKS OF ISM APPLETALK. MACINTOSH AND MACINTOSH PLUS ARE REGISTRATED MARKS OF APPLE COMPUTER. INC on multiple layers at once. This leads to exceptional control over a drawing since you can treat all layers as a single unit or separate them as necessary. Since layers are so easily defined, selected, and moved, anyone should be able to benefit from these features, not just advanced graphic artists. Image Libraries MacDraw II also features some fine document-level controls. You can save a drawing as stationery, meaning that you can use it as a template for later draw- ings. Along the same lines, MacDraw II Y„ oucan set the program to work on multiple layers at once. features a document-oriented library feature that lets you select any object and save it as a library item. You can even select several objects (or even all objects) in a drawing and then save them one after the other as library objects. Each library object has a name, and it is displayed in a dialog box with its picture and percent- age of reduction. You can even paste in library objects with automatic scaling (i.e. , an object created originally in one scale can be resized automatically to fit in another drawing with a different scale). This principle even applies with ordinary cut-and-paste from the Clip- board. For instance, suppose you rescale an existing drawing. The existing objects will not change in scale, but if you cut or copy them, then paste them back using Command-Shift- V, they will paste back to the document rescaled. Although each library is specific to a document, you can use any document's library as a source for images, so there is nothing to prevent you from sharing li- braries. In fact, some documents might be designated as source libraries, and you open them whenever you require par- ticular graphics elements. MacDraw II has a few nice text fea- tures. You can easily create labels or multiple-line, word- wrapped text ob- jects. In addition, you can cut, copy, and paste text to and from text objects. One example showed a newsletter created with MacDraw II. The text areas were predefined, and the text for each section was pasted in from a word processor. Pasted text automatically wraps to the text-object borders. Change the size or shape of the text object, and the text wraps to the new borders. You can even select specific sections of text and change fonts, sizes, line spacing, and color. In short, MacDraw II offers good text-control features that go beyond the capabilities of most drawing programs. Although MacDraw II is not a Post- Script-based program and won't save PostScript files, it does print to Post- Script or QuickDraw printers and pro- duces smooth and accurate results. In larger documents, you can choose the order of pages to print; with color docu- ments, you can even print color separa- tion layers automatically with industry- standard registration marks. The Final Draw My only major complaint about the prod- uct is its use of memory with color sys- tems. There seems to be plenty of room if you set your system to monochrome (two-color) mode or allocate all RAM to MacDraw II, but memory quickly evapo- rates in color modes. In fact, people using Macs with 1 megabyte or less and with large system files, INITs, or other RAM eaters may not be able to load doc- uments of any reasonable size. MacDraw II is a basic drawing pro- gram; it doesn't have heavy-duty CAD or exotic drawing features. If you are look- ing for more CAD features, you might do well to look at Claris CAD. It is a super- set of MacDraw II with more CAD-like features. And if you have a need for spe- cial drawing effects, such as shadowing, fountain shading, curved text, automatic stenciling, and the like, you might look at Illustrator 88, FreeHand, or Cricket Draw. Still others might prefer some combination of paint and draw programs and should look at SuperPaint, Pixel Paint, or even MacPaint to work in con- junction with MacDraw II. I found MacDraw II to be easy to learn and use, versatile enough for many draw- ing tasks, and a fine program overall. It does not have many "Gee Whiz" fea- tures, but its list of basic features and its human engineering are all to its credit. If you are already a MacDraw user, you can still use your existing drawings, and, of course, MacDraw II is compatible with other Claris products. ■ Rusel DeMaria is a freelance writer living in Kula, Hawaii. He can be reached on BIX as "demaria." 234 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 OUR pt? DEVELOPMENT TOOLS HELP PROJECTS GET ON THEIR FEET. The "creature" shown above doesn't depict a futuristic lunar landing. Rather, it represents a polar landing of a sophis- ticated weather monitoring device. A new parachute-deployed device that instandy transmits vital environmental data to waiting scientists. And whose Antarctic installation and erection now happen automatically, in a matter of minutes, allowing critical data collection in remote areas that were impossible to reach before. This "Self-Erecting Weather Station," sponsored by the National Science Foundation and designed and developed by Polar Research Lab, was made pos- sible by Avocet and AVSIM™, Avocet's unparalleled simulator/debugger. Unequaled capability Polar Research needed AVSIM's sophistication to control the sensors in the weather station's "legs" and to create its transmitter. AVSIM's detailed on-screen CPU simulation, unlimited breakpoint facility, and unique "undo" capability gave their engineers the ease of use and flexibility that allowed them to execute and test the software even before the hardware was ready. Saving crucial time and frustration in both the programming and testing phases of development. And money, too: at only $379, AVSIM is a fraction of the cost of additional hardware. Complete compatibility: from the ground up Best of all, AVSIM is completely compatible with our AVMAC™ macro assemblers and our AVOCET C™ cross compilers - the ideal combination of tools which gives you a comprehensive development solution. Get your own project off the ground: try before you buy Try the AVSIM demo yourself for 30 days. If you're not satisfied for any reason, return the unopened program disk for a full refund -less $35 for the demo disk and manual, which are yours to keep. Free Catalog The AVSIM Full-Screen Display AVH5CET SYSTEMS® INC. THE SOURCE FOR QUALITY jiP DEVELOPMENT TOOLS Call Toll-Free 1-800-448-8500* For your free catalog, to order, or for more information about AVSIM and other Avocet products. Call Avocet today and ask about our complete line of affordably priced soft- ware and hardware pt? development tools. Discover how we can help you get your next project on its feet, too. ©1988 Avocet Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Avocet Systems, Inc., 120 Union St., P.O. Box 490AX, Rockport, ME 04856 / *In Maine, or outside U.S., call (207) 236-9055 / TLX: 467210 Avocet CI / FAX: (207) 236-6713 Circle 27 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1 988 • B Y T E 235 Review Update Benchmarks at a Glance Here are the combined results of all the microcomputer systems tested to date using the new BYTE benchmarks Compiled by Steve Apiki and Stanford Diehl BYTE BENCHMARK INDEXES Machines tested with a coprocessor (descending order, fastest overall machines first) Computer Month reviewed FPU type Low-level Applications Cum. appl. indx. CPU FPU Disk Video WP SS DB Sci./ Eng. Cmplr. ALR FlexCache 25386 Nov. 88 80387 5.07 10.55 2.74 2.57 4.41 4.13 2.83 5.80 4.08 21.24 Compaq 386/25 Aug. 88* 80387 4.22 10.37 2.55 3.38 3.72 3.94 3.71 5.38 3.69 20.45 Dell System 310 (386/20) Oct. 88 80387 3.91 8.38 3.21 2.45 3.45 3.56 2.84 4.98 3.41 18.24 ALR FlexCache 20386 Jun. 88 80387 3.92 7.93 2.50 2.01 3.44 3.51 2.88 4.66 3.44 17.94 Compaq Deskpro 386/20 Feb. 88 80387 3.61 8.34 2.23 2.54 3.20 3.51 3.09 4.67 3.45 17.93 IBM PS/2 Model 70-A21 (386/25) Sep. 88* 80387 4.71 10.23 1.64 2.96 3.42 3.75 1.52 5.33 2.62 16.63 AST Premium/386 (386/20) Sep. 88 80387 2.51 5.26 2.41 1.90 2.80 2.90 2.42 3.98 2.74 14.85 Tandy 5000 MC (386/20) Sep. 88* 80387 3.71 7.91 1.25 2.26 2.97 3.23 1.50 4.35 2.23 14.27 Everex Step 386/20 Aug. 88 80287 4.11 5.96 1.41 1.59 2.94 3.37 1.55 3.67 2.46 13.98 Dolche 386 P.AC.-20C (386/20) Jan. 89 80387 3.30 5.35 1.41 2.23 2.96 2.78 1.68 3.79 2.37 13.58 IBM Model 80-1 11 (386/20) 80387 2.68 6.97 1.53 2.31 2.81 3.07 1.45 3.63 2.21 13.16 Sun386i (386/25) Dec. 88 80387 3.61 6.02 5.87 0.70 3.24 2.66 2.36 1.94 2.96 13.16 IBM PS/2 Model 70-121 (386/20) Jan. 89 80387 2.66 6.84 1.74 2.34 2.63 2.74 1.46 3.75 2.15 12.72 Compaq 386/20 portable Nov. 87 80387 2.81 7.37 1.30 2.47 2.59 2.83 1.35 3.69 2.14 12.61 Proteus 386A (386/20) Aug. 88 80287 2.94 1.42 1.44 1.18 3.02 3.20 1.45 2.34 2.22 12.23 Toshiba T5100 (386/16) Sep. 88 80387 2.39 4.53 4.06 1.90 2.32 2.47 2.23 3.05 1.51 11.59 Compaq 386s (386SX/1 6) Nov. 88 80387SX 1.86 5.03 1.78 1.87 2.24 2.15 2.06 3.01 2.05 11.51 Dell System 220 (286/20) Dec. 88 80287 2.72 1.73 1.40 2.02 2.71 2.68 1.39 2.55 2.11 11.44 IBM.PS/2 Model 80-071 (386/16) Nov. 87 80387 2.36 5.49 1.46 1.97 2.18 2.39 1.40 3.01 1.93 10.92 Tatung TCS-8000 (386/20) Aug. 88 80287 3.04 1.74 1.18 0.94 2.41 2.98 1.13 2.09 1.92 10.53 IBM PS/2 Model 70-E61 (386/16) Jan. 89 80387 2.11 5.50 1.55 1.93 2.28 2.18 1.35 2.94 1.78 10.52 Compaq Deskpro 386/16 Nov. 86 80287 2.20 1.52 1.45 1.49 2.26 2.40 1.52 2.25 1.96 10.38 Amdek System/286A (286/1 2.5) Jul. 88 80287 2.19 1.56 4.16 1.01 2.02 2.21 1.53 1.72 1.70 9.17 Dell System 200 (286/12.5) Jul. 88 80287 1.60 1.72 4.05 1.09 1.83 2.01 1.31 1.74 1.46 8.34 GRiDCase 1530 (386/12.5) Sep. 88 80387 1.68 2.09 3.12 1.25 1.67 1.91 1.29 2.03 1.36 8.25 IBM PS/2 Model 50Z (286/10) Jan. 89 80287 1.85 1.80 1.24 1.42 1.76 1.72 1.17 2.00 1.47 8.12 Arohe Rival 286 (286/12) Jul. 88 80287 1.51 1.50 2.50 1.49 1.75 1.43 0.96 1.84 1.14 7.12 Leading Edge D2 (286/10) Jul. 88 80287 1.27 1.25 3.86 0.79 1.63 1.24 1.32 1.28 1.21 6.68 Epson Equity II +(286/12) Jul. 88 80287 1.28 1.21 3.43 0.92 1.54 1.47 1.07 1.22 1.24 6.54 IBM PS/2 Model 50 (286/10) Jul. 87 80287 1.34 1.70 0.82 1.16 1.38 1.33 0.85 1.69 1.04 6.28 IBM PC AT (286/8) 80287 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 5.00 Dell System 100 (8086/9.54) 8087-2 0.40 1.42 0.59 0.42 0.48 0.59 0.44 0.59 0.29 2.39 IBM PC XT (8086/4.7) 8087 0.22 0.71 0.32 0.25 0.33 0.28 0.22 0.35 0.29 1.47 * First Impression— not a full review. 236 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Our new benchmarks debuted in June this year, and since then, we've put dozens of new machines through their paces. Because our benchmarks are the most detailed available, we have reams of data to help you differentiate among even extremely similar machines. But the down side to having this much data is ob- vious: Over a period of months, it can be difficult to remember just where each machine fits into the grand scheme. That's why we've collected 6 months' worth of system benchmarks into the graphs and charts on these pages. At a glance, you'll be able to see where each machine falls in terms of its overall per- formance (the cumulative applications index) and for each of nine separate mea- sures of application-specific and subsys- tem performance. Whether you need first-approximation information or high- ly detailed data on a machine's subsys- continued Low-level I I I 1 I I H [~TT n cm n i i i IX rr~r I L 1 1 i i i i i i i i i LT I LT □: i i i i i i i i LT IE LT UL K CPU □ FPU O Disk I/O □ Video ALR FlexCache 25386 Compaq 386/25 Dell System 310 ALR FlexCache 20386 Compaq Deskpro 386/20 IBM PS/2 Model 70-A21 AST Premium/386 Tandy 5000 MC Everex Step 386/20 Dolche386P.A.C.-20C IBM Model 80-1 11 Sun386i IBM PS/2 Model 70-121 Compaq 386/20 portable Proteus 386A Toshiba T51 00 Compaq 386s Dell System 220 IBM PS/2 Model 80-071 Tatung TCS-8000 IBM PS/2 Model 70-E61 Compaq Deskpro 386/16 Amdek System/286A Dell System 200 GRiDCase 1530 IBM PS/2 Model 50Z Arche Rival 286 Leading Edge D2 Epson Equity II + IBM PS/2 Model 50 IBM PC AT Dell System 100 IBM PC XT KEY: Applications ~i r I 21.24 I 20.45 ■ 18.24 I 17.94 1 17.93 IT ~l I 16.63 14.85 IT 1 114.27 I T~T I I I I 3 13.98 ~l I 13.58 "I I 13.16 ] 13.16 12.72 TU TT | 12.61 ] 12.23 i i i n 11.59 r i li I 11.51 I I 111.44 I I I I III I I I I I 1 10.92 ] 10.53 ] 10.52 I 10.38 nzr IT TT~r ] 9.17 I I 8.34 T~l 8.25 □ 8.12 1 7.12 6.68 I I I I 6.54 I I I I I 6.28 II 5.00 LTD 2.39 DID 1-47 I I Word Processing | | Spreadsheet | | Database I I Scientific/Engineering Q Compilers DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 237 REVIEW UPDATE Machines tested withoi Low-level BYTE BENCHMARK IN Jt a coprocessor (descending DEXES order, fastest overall machines first) i Applications LL 1 Micro Express ME 386 Gateway 386 Fortran 386 Zeos 386 Tower DataWorld 386 Spear Mono-386A Northgate386/16 Micro 1 Power 386/20 Club 386 Whole Earth 386 VIPC Micro 386 Compu-Add Standard-386 Pacesetter 386 Suntronics-386 Blackship 386 Bus 386 Value 386 GCH EasyData 386 PC Network THE PC 386 Uniq386 Hertz 386 Ogivar 286 Laptop Zenith SupersPort 286 Mitsubishi 286 Laptop Epson Equity LT HPVectraCSMod20 NEC MultiSpeed HD 1 III M1.54 [ 1 i i II II 111.21 i i I III I 10.74 1 1. :' I III 110.64 1 1 1 I I II I 10.29 1 1 1 I III I 10.09 1 1 1 I III 110.05 1 1 1 I III I 10.03 1 1 1 I III I 9.76 1 1 1 I III I 9.68 1 1 1 I III I 9.68 I 1 1 I III I 9.27 1 1 1 I III I 9.08 1 1 1 I III I 8.93 1 1 1 I III I 8.88 1 1 1 II II 18.81 1 1 1 I III I 8.74 1 1 1 I III I 8.74 1 1 1 I III I 8.67 1 1 1 I III I 8.44 1 1 1 I III I 7.59 1 1 1 I III I 6.79 1 1 1 I III I 6.43 III I I I I I 5.64 1 1 1 I I II I 3.94 1 II I I II 13.19 1 1 1 I III I 2.96 For the Macii BYTE BENCHMARK INI ltosh (descending order, fash )EXES sst overall machines first) 1 1 1 Macintosh llx Macintosh II Macintosh SE Macintosh Plus III I 115.67 1 1 1 III I 112.69 1 1 1 I II I I 5.00 ELT 4.36 □ CPU \Z\ Disk I/O CH Video KEY: [ _] Word Processing | ] Spreadsheet | l Database I I Scientific/Engineering | | Compilers 238 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 is a terrible thing to waste Rolodex'"/Autodialer Communications "TAKE CHARGE! packs an extraordinary amount of power into 20Kof RAM... the best bargain you'l find in PC software —Charles Olsen Review Editor, HAL-PC (Houston Area League of PC Users) Cruise Control™ .Disk Optimizer "...features not often found. ..packed desktop organizer. . .value-priced . . . less than half the memory of Sidekick Plus., lets you take charge of your PC..." —Jonathan Matzkin PC MAGAZINE Only 20K Memory Resident • Point and Shoot • Powerful File/Systems Services* • Powerful Utilities/Disk Services* • No Technical Skills Required • Allows creation of unlimited menus • Communications: (ASCII, Xmodem, Kermit) • Terminal Emulation (VT52 , VT1 00 , ANSI) • Active Support Circle 85 on Reader Service Card One Integrated Disk Program Does What All These Do. And More ... In Only 20K of RAM. Take Charge! includes: File manager (Copy Delete, Rename, View, Print, etc. appointment book/calendar, Rolodex®-type card file system (with autodialer and labelmaker, virtual memory text editor (edit up to 10 files at once), ASCII table, alarm package/clock, sophisticated RPN Calculators (financial, scientific, com- puter science, statistical, tape), printer redirect, speed key, cut/paste, clipboard, notepad, screen-save security keyboard lock, system reset, DOS command line editor, hex editor, directory editor, disk optimizer, directory sort, tree directory, file locator, undelete, format recovery, communications and more. Now Take Charge! is better than ever . . . CONFIGURE IT YOUR WAY — Exchange any one of Take Charges! memory res- ident utilities with your favorite Utility or application programs and make them part of Take Charge! Just a hot key away.* — ^ Charge! LIKE NOTHING IN RECENT %— J MEMORY "TSR not supported by this feature. Call your local dealer. Or write: DEPARTMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC. P.O. Box 645 Andover, NJ 07821 (201)786-6878 Credit Cards Accepted System Requirements: IBM"1 PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or 100% IBM compatible. Requires hard disk. MS/DOS 2.0 or greater. 320 K minimum. Network compatible. All product names are trademarks ol their manufacturers. Copyright 1988. Departmental Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. REVIEW UPDATE tems, it's all here. Of course, speed isn't everything. So we've also included a column that tells you in what issue each machine was ini- tially reviewed. Those reviews will give the additional information you need to make a truly informed decision about order of decreasing speed. The bench- any of these computers. The machines are placed in two main groups: those tested with a math copro- cessor and those tested without. Within each group, the machines are listed in marks listed here incorporate all changes and revisions made since June. We've also included a separate table of Mac benchmarks, including preliminary benchmarks on the new Mac IIx. ■ BYTE BENCHMARK INDEXES Machines tested without a coprocessor (descending order, fastest overall machines first) Computer Month Low-leve Applications Cum. reviewed appl. CPU Disk Video WP SS DB Sci./ Eng. Cmplr. indx. Micro Express ME 386 (386/20) Oct. 88 3.30 1.47 2.58 3.46 2.73 1.73 1.31 2.32 11.54 Gateway 386 (386/20) Oct. 88 2.77 1.55 2.80 3.16 2.25 2.39 1.14 2.27 11.21 Fortran 386 (386/20) Oct. 88 2.77 1.33 2.84 3.15 2.78 1.54 1.12 2.15 10.74 Zeos 386 Tower (386/1 6) Oct. 88 2.61 1.97 2.25 3.08 2.67 1.54 1.05 2.30 10.64 DataWorld 386 (386/16) Oct. 88 2.20 1.52 1.64 2.76 2.34 2.15 0.90 2.14 10.29 Spear Mono-386A (386/1 6) Oct. 88 2.61 1.38 2.28 3.01 2.66 1.45 1.05 1.92 10.09 Northgate386/16 Nov. 88 2.61 1.38 2.27 2.86 2.75 1.34 1.06 2.04 10.05 Micro 1 Power 386/20 Oct. 88 2.54 1.44 1.86 2.90 2.39 1.69 0.98 2.07 10.03 Club 386 (386/1 6) Oct. 88 2.62 1.39 2.28 2.91 2.17 1.56 1.05 2.06 9.76 Whole Earth 386 (386/1 6) Oct. 88 2.75 1.30 2.25 2.92 2.16 1.50 1.05 2.05 9.68 VIPC Micro 386 (386/20) Oct. 88 2.91 1.33 1.90 2.72 2.46 1.54 1.07 1.90 9.68 Compu-Add Standard-386 (386/16) Oct. 88 2.20 1.43 1.66 2.64 2.34 1.50 0.88 1.91 9.27 Pacesetter 386 (386/20) Oct. 88 2.36 1.43 2.06 2.60 2.15 1.48 0.97 1.88 9.08 Suntronics-386 (386/16) Oct. 88 2.20 1.23 2.33 2.62 2.15 1.44 0.90 1.83 8.93 Blackship386(386/16) Oct. 88 2.43 1.33 1.48 2.74 2.01 1.43 0.89 1.81 8.88 Bus 386 (386/1 6) Oct. 88 2.20 1.04 1.63 2.57 2.14 1.51 0.89 1.70 8.81 Value 386 (386/16) Oct. 88 2.20 1.22 1.65 2.66 2.00 1.32 0.87 1.84 8.74 GCH EasyData386 (386/16) Oct. 88 2.42 1.34 1.84 2.45 2.00 1.50 0.90 1.90 8.74 PC Network THE PC 386 (386/16) Oct. 88 2.20 0.93 1.63 2.54 1.97 1.43 0.91 1.83 8.67 Uniq 386 (386/16) Oct. 88 1.87 1.26 1.50 2.47 1.91 1.45 0.82 1.78 8.44 Hertz 386 (386/1 6) Oct. 88 2.03 1.32 1.57 2.09 1.61 1.32 0.82 1.79 7.59 Ogivar 286 Laptop (286/12.5) Feb. 89 1.70 1.19 1.38 1.75 1.63 1.34 0.62 1.45 6.79 Zenith SupersPort 286 (286/12) Feb. 89 1.55 1.06 1.38 1.59 1.53 1.28 0.64 1.40 6.43 Mitsubishi 286 Laptop (286/12) Feb. 89 1.62 0.92 1.29 1.45 1.41 1.05 0.59 1.13 5.64 Epson Equity LT (NEC V30/10) Oct. 88 0.93 0.61 0.82 1.01 0.86 0.92 0.34 0.81 3.94 HP Vectra CS Mod 20 (V30/7.16) Jun. 88 0.64 0.26 0.62 0.77 0.84 0.68 0.25 0.65 3.19 NEC MultiSpeed HD (V30/9.54) Jun. 88 0.68 0.47 0.59 0.74 0.89 0.41 0.27 0.64 2.96 BYTE BENCHMARK INDEXES For the Macintosh (descending order, fastest overall machines first) Computer Low-leve Applications Cum. appl. indx. CPU Disk Video WP SS DB Sci./ Eng. Cmplr. Macintosh IIx 4.57 3.02 2.59 2.60 2.06 3.15 5.32 2.53 15.67 Macintosh II 3.81 2.56 2.35 2.00 1.75 2.53 4.24 2.16 12.69 Macintosh SE 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 5.00 Macintosh Plus .81 .75 .91 .80 .88 .93 .91 .84 4.36 240 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 ELECTRONICS 19 8 9 MAIL ORDER ELECTRONICS - WORLDWIDE Advertising supplement to Byte Magazine, December 1988 NEW! AMI 80386 MOTHERBOARDS Speaker Output Keyboard Lock and Front Panel LED Connections Advanced AMI BIOS ROMs (AT Compatible) JE3025 Pictured State-of-the-Art VLSI Circuitry (Very Large Scale Integration) 80386 CPU (Central Processing Unit) Optional 80387-20 Math Coprocessor — Not Included (See page 360 in Byte) NEW! 2 Megabyte (Zero-K RAM) 32-Bit Expansion Card included with JE3020 and JE3025 - Optional 8 Megabyte Daughterboard Available (Part No. JE3030) See Below One 32-Bit Expansion (Bus) Slot Six 16-Bit Expansion (Bus) Slots One 8-Bit Expansion (Bus) Slot External Battery Connector Keyboard Port Standard Power Connector 80386 Power and AT Compatibility in an XT Footprint! The AMI 80386 motherboards are available in either 16MHz or 20MHz versions. The AMI 80386 motherboards fit into an XT, AT or Baby AT chassis so that the board delivers 386 power/ performance and AT compatibility in an XT footprint size. The motherboards are ideally suited for a variety of applications including Multiuser (Unix, Xenix, PC MOS), Networking (Novell, 3-Com), CAD applications (Autocad) and Multitasking (Windows, OS/2, Desqview). The board features one 8-bit slot, six 1 6-bit slots and one 32-bit slot as well as 80387-20 math co-processor capability for the JE3025 and 80387-16 for the JE3020. Both motherboards are keyboard switchable between low and high speed and 1 or 0 wait states. The 20MHz board features a Norton SI rating of 24.2 in the 20MHz mode, while the 16MHz board features a Norton SI rating of 18.7 in the 16MHz mode. AMI BIOS ROMs are included. RAM is mounted on a 32-bit expansion card (included) which utilizes (72) 41256-100 (JE3025) 256K chips to reach 2 Megabytes (the JE3020 utilizes 41256-120 chips). A daughterboard is available (Part No. JE3030) which accepts (72) 51 1 000P-1 0 1 Meg chips for an additional 8 Mega- bytes, bringing the total memory of the system to 1 0 Megabytes. BIOS options include built-in set-up and diagnostics. Special features include 64K of high speed static cache RAM on the motherboard and the AMI EGA BIOS which allows for incredibly fast EGA performance when shadowed. • Size: 8.5" x 13" • Weight: 4 lbs. • One- Year Warranty JE3030 - 8 Megabyte Daughterboard Option (Zero-K RAM) RELATIVE PERFORMANCE IBM PC/AT I I JE3005* Part No. Description Price JE3020 16MHz 80386 AT Compatible Motherboard (Zero-K RAM). $1399.95 JE3025 20MHz 80386 AT Compatible Motherboard (Zero-K RAM) $1699.95 JE3030 8 Megabyte Daughterboard for JE3020 and JE3025 (Zero-K RAM) $299.95 I For complete product fine, request Jameco's new 74 page 1 989 Catalog Jameco IBM Compatible PC/XT/AT Motherboards 1-YEAR WARRANTY! IBM AT Compatible 12MHz 80286 Motherboard Expandable to 1 MB RAM using 256K DRAM chips* ' Expandable to 4MB RAM using 1MB DRAM chips* ■ Expandable to 2.5MB RAM using a combination of 256K and 1 MB DRAM chips* ■ 8 or 12MHz hardware or keyboard selectable operation • Front panel LED indicators supported Six 16-bit and two 8-bit expansion bus slots AMI BIOS ROMs included Zero wait states Selectable RAM chip speed (80 or 100 nanosecond) 80287-8 Math Co-processor capability* • Norton SI rating of 13.7 Size: 13"x8.75" ■ Weight: 2.25 lbs. IBM AT Compatible 16MHz 80286 NEAT Motherboard AMI BIOS ROMs included Supports all NEAT One Year Warranty! JE3005 8/1 2MHz AT Compatible Motherboard . . $329.95 Expandable to 1MB RAM using 256K DRAM chips or 4MB using 1MB DRAM chips* Additional 1MB with 256K DRAM SIPs or 4MB with 1 MB DRAM SIPs for a total of 8MB* ■ 8/12 or 8/16MHz hardware or keyboard selectable ■ Front panel LED indicators supported • Five 16-bit and three 8-bit expansion bus slots functions including shadow RAM, EMS 4.0, RAM re-mapping, selectable wait states, etc. 80287-10 Math Co-processor capability* Norton SI rating of 15.6 Size: 13"x8.5" ■ Weight: 2.25 lbs. Latest One Year Warranty! Technology! I,i- ■l: „.l "J!1.1.1,! lllllllHHyi!lfllllll..l.]Mll.ll.Bi'-t^"' LL""!" '■■!: NM£: JE3010 8/12/16MHZ AT Compatible Motherboard $499.95 IBM PC/XT Compatible TURBO 8MHz Motherboard ■ Expandable to 640K RAM using 41 64 and 41 256, 1 50ns chips* 4.77 or 8MHz hardware or keyboard selectable operation Front panel LED indicators supported Eight expansion bus slots ■ AMI BIOS ROMs included 8087-2 Math Co-processor capability* Performs at an average speed of 75% faster than the original IBM PC/XT Norton SI rating of 1 .7 Size: 12"x8.5" Weight: 1.75 lbs. IBM PC/XT Compatible TURBO 10MHz Motherboard 8087-1 Math Co-processor capability* One Year Warranty! Expandable to 640K RAM using 4164, 41256 & 41464 120ns chips* 4.77 or 10MHz hardware or keyboard selectable operation Front panel LED indicators supported Eight expansion bus slots ■ AMI BIOS ROMs included Performs at an average speed of 100% faster than the original IBM PC/XT Norton SI rating of 2.0 Size: 12"x8.5" Weight: 1 .75 lbs. One Year Warranty! JE1001 4.77/8MHZ PC/XT Comp. Motherboard .. $89.95 JE1 002 4.77/10MHz PC/XT Comp. Motherboard $109.95 -: -:■ See Jameco advertisement in Byte Magazine, page 360 for RAM and Math Co-processor pricing • Quality Components * Competitive Pricing • Prompt Delivery • (415) 592-8097 Jamecd Ulrt<;l.|,'IIEl IBM™ COMPATIBLE COMPUTER KITS NEW KITS! Jameco's new IBM PC/XT/AT compatible kits allow you to build your own computer and come with complete step-by-step assembly instructions. FREE Word Processing and Diagnostic Software included! Please note: JE3008 and JE3013 shipped in 1 box (35 lbs, total) - JE3002 and JE3003 shipped in 2 boxes (50 lbs. total) IBM AT 12MHz Compatible Kit • Free! QAPLUS Diagnostic Software Included! . Free! PC Write Word Processing Software Included! • 80286 CPU, Optional 80287-8 Math Co- processor Capability . 51 2K RAM included— See descrip. on page 2 for expandability . 8 or 12MHz Keyboard .S%%fR°opM%ation - Included • Save $744.57 ' " ' imi *=2i"a"-- Shown with EGA Option (not included) JE1059 Monitor and Adapter Card $519.95 (See page 5) Part No. Description Price JE3005 8/1 2MHz Baby AT Motherboard $329.95 (Zero-K RAM - includes AMI BIOS ROMs) JE1016 Enhanced AT Style Keyboard 69.95 JE1019 Baby AT Flip-Top Case 69.95 JE1022 5.25" DSHD Disk Drive (Beige Bezel) 109.95 JE1032 200 Watt Power Supply 89.95 JE1 043 360K/720K/1 .2MB/1 .44MB Floppy Controller 49.95 41256-100 512K RAM (18 chips) 224.82 Save $144.57 Regular List $944.52 JE3008 IBM Compatible AT 12MHz Kit $799.95 IBM PC/XT 8MHz Turbo Compatible Kit • Free! QAPLUS Diagnostic Software Included! • Free! PC Write Word Processing Software Included! • 256K RAM Included, Expandable to 640K • 4.77or8MHz Switchable Operation • AMI BIOS ROM Included • Save $128.06 IBMAT 16MHz NEAT Compatible Kit Latest Technology! • Free! QAPLUS Diagnostic Software Included! ; • Free! PC Write \ s Word Processing i I '4 Software Included! *' »«*i«r — ■ -* • 80286 CPU, Optional k 80287-10 Math Co- processor Capability *> • 2 Megabyte RAM Included, Expandable to 8 Megabyte • 8 or 16MHz tj 1 1 1 t mjjjji i i i iiauces \ Keyboard Switchable titJp;. >" ; V ,/ , ' ,' , ' , ' ,*in fflamt\ ' Operation gggeEgSSBJi J&*\ 'i \ U . • AMI BIOS ROMs Included Shown with JEVGA Option (not included) • Save $208 85 JEVGA Monitor and Adapter Card $649.95 Part No. Description Price JE3010 12/16MHz NEAT AT Motherboard $499.95 (Zero-K RAM - includes AMI BIOS ROMs) JE1016 Enhanced AT Style Keyboard 69.95 JE1019 Baby AT Flip-Top Case 69.95 JE1022 5.25" DSHD Disk Drive (Beige Bezel) 109.95 JE1032 200 Watt Power Supply 89.95 JE1043 360K/720K/1.2MB/1.44MB Floppy Controller. .. . 49.95 511000P-10 2MB RAM (18 chips) . 719.10 Save $208.85 Regular List $1 608.80 JE3013 IBM Compatible AT 16MHz Kit $1399.95 IBM PC/XT 10MHz Turbo Compatible Kit • Free! QAPLUS Diagnostic Software Included! I jP Gfoip • Free! PC Write j \jtAM; Word Processing t Software Included! - 640KRAM Included • 4.77 or 10MHz Switchable Operation • AMI BIOS ROM Included • Multi I/O Card , , , , , , • Save $192.50 j j jj ^,',v,V,v ,'v ,'•'£ ij^mmm Part No. Part No. Description Price JE1001 4.77/8MHZ Turbo Motherboard $89.95 (Zero-K RAM - includes AMI BIOS ROM) JE1010 Flip-Top Case 34.95 JE1015 XT/ AT Compatible Keyboard 59.95 JE1020 5.25" DSDD Disk Drive (Black Bezel) 89.95 JE1030 150 Watt Power Supply 59.95 JE1040 360K Floppy Controller 29.95 JE1050 Mono/Graphics Card with Printer Port 59.95 AMBER 12" Monochrome Amber Monitor 99.95 41256-150 256K RAM (9 chips) 103.41 Save $128.06 Regular List $628.01 JE3002 IBM Compatible PC/XT 8MHz Turbo Kit . . $499.95 For complete product line, request Description Price JE1002 4.77/1 0MHz Turbo Motherboard $109.95 (Zero-K RAM - includes AMI BIOS ROM) JE1014 Turbo Flip-Top Case 69.95 JE1015 XT/ AT Compatible Keyboard 59.95 JE1021 5.25" DSDD Disk Drive (Beige Bezel) 89.95 JE1031 Mini 1 50 Watt Power Supply 69.95 JE1071 Multi I/O with Controller and Graphics 119.95 AMBER 1 2" Monochrome Amber Monitor 99.95 4164-120 Parity RAM (2 chips) 5.90 41256-120 512K RAM (18 chips) 215.10 41464-12 128K RAM (4 chips) 51.80 Save $192.50 Regular List $892.45 JE3003 IBM Compatible PC/XT 10MHz Turbo Kit $699.95 Jameco's new 74 page 1989 Catalog Jameco IBM Compatible Computer Products 1-Year Warranty'. IBM PC/XT Compatible Flip-Top and Slide Cases New Slide Version Available! • Metal housing and chassis • Anti- static coated plastic face plate ■ Flip-up/Slide models available • Back plate set for 8 expansion card slots and power supply mount • Will hold up to 4 drives • Color: grey • All necessary hardware incl. • Size: 19.5"Wx16.5"Dx5.75"H • Weight: 17 lbs. JE1 01 0 Flip-Top PC/XT Case. JE1 01 1 Slide PC/XT Case. . . JUggM , $34.95 . $39.95 JE1010 Baby PC/XT/AT Flip-Top and Slide Cases ■ Metal housing and chassis • Anti-static coated plastic face plate • Flip-top/slide models avail- able • Back plate with 8 expansion slots and power supply mount • Switches on front for Turbo mode and Reset • Indicator lights for Power, Turbo mode, Hard disk operation • Key- board lock with 2-key set • Will hold up to one hard and two floppy drives • All necessary hard- ware is included ■ Color: Beige • Size(JE1014):14.5"Wx17"Dx6.75"H • Weight: 17 lbs. • Size(JE1018/JE1019):17.125"Wx17"D x 6.5"H • Weight: 21 lbs. JE1 01 4 Flip-Top Baby XT Turbo Case $69.95 JE1018Slide Baby AT Case $69.95 JE1 01 9 Flip-Top Baby AT Case $69.95 JE1019 IBM PC/XT Compatible150W Power Supplies +5VDC@15A -5VDC @ 0.5A +12VDC @ 5.5A -12VDC @ 0.5A ■ Input: 90VAC-130VAC @ 47-63HZ (110/220V switchable) • Output: +5V @ 15A, -5V @ 0.5A, +12V @ 5.5A, -12V@0.5A- Plug compatible connectors ■ Built-in fan • Size (JE1030): 5.5"W x 9.5"D x 4.625"H, Wt: 6 lbs. • Size (JE1031): 6.25"W x 6"D x 6"H, Wt.: 5 lbs. • Spec, included JE1030 PC/XT $59.95 JE1031 Baby PC/XT.. $69.95 Reduced Pricing! IBM AT Compatible 200W Power Supply JE1030 +5VDC @ 20A -5VDC @ 0.5A +12VDC@8A -12VDC@0.5A • Input: 90VAC-130VAC@47-400Hz (110/220V switchable) • Output: +5V @ 20A, -5V @ 0.5A, +1 2V @ 8A, -12V@0.5A- Plug compatible con- nectors • Built-in fan • Size: 6.5"L x 5.88"Wx6"H- Weight: 6 lbs. • Spec, included JE1032 $89.95 Floppy Disk Drive Controller Card for IBM PC/XT and Compatible Computers • Run up to four 360KB disk drives • Includes cable for two internal drives • DC37S con- nector allows for an additional two external drives (external cable not included) • Complete with manual JE1040 $29.95 360KB/720KB/1.2MB/1.44MB Floppy jtfjrftfe Disk Drive Controller Cards ^?SJ!^for IBM PC/XT/AT and Compatible Computers » The JE1043 allows connection of one or two 360KB, 720KB, 1.2MB Or 1.44MB floppy disk drives • The JE1 049 allows connection of up to four 360KB, 720KB, 1.2MB or 1.44MB floppy disk drives • The JE1049 comes with a DC37S connector allowing two external drives to be connected (external cable not included) • Both units include cable for two internal disk drives and manual JE1043 2-Drive Controller $49.95 JE1049 4-Drive Controller $59.95 JE1043 ';::::::: Expansion Memory Half-Card for IBM PC/XT and Compatible Computers • Expands your system to the maximum 640K (zero-K on-board) • Accepts either 64K memory chips (4164) or 256K chips (41256) ■ Eight possible memory configur- ations ranging from 64K to 576K • Fits any slot (except slot 8 on IBM XT) • Manual included JE1080 $49.95 2Mbyte Memory Expansion Card for IBM AT and Compatible Computers • 2Mbyte (zero-K on board) memory expansion card for the IBM AT or com- patible computers ■ Utilizes (72) 41 256-1 20ns chips for the full memory capacity of 2Mbyt.es • Offers conventional, expanded and extended memory capabilities- Features auto-parity check • EMS compatible driver ■ RAM disk and Print Spooler software included ■ Manual included JE1081 $119.95 IBM PC/XT/AT Compatible Keyboards rm z^'i-i'^Vi'i'iyi!!^ ■i ftprjMmlMTwilMi'iwiiiii ii T 111 i it fc m ffl • 84-key • AT style layout • Tactile touch keyswitches • Switch selectable between PC/XT or AT • Illuminated LED indicators for Num Lock, Caps Lock and Scroll Lock ■ Low profile design • Manual included • Color: Beige ■ Size: 1 9.5"W x 7.5"D x 1 .33"H • Weight: 4.6 lbs. JE1015 $59.95 EJ Illllll'I'lUHIlll:^ ujamiaiaiii* 2S1B1HPPPPPPP -3S ppppppppppu.w • 101 -key Enhanced keyboard layout • Tactile touch keyswitches- 12 function keys • Illuminated LED indicators for Num Lock, Caps Lock & Scroll Lock • Sep- arate cursor pad ■ Low profile design • Automatically switches between PC/XT or AT- Manual included- Color: Beige- Size:19"Wx8"Dx1.33"H- Wt: 4.6 lbs. JE1016 $79.95 $69.95 Quality Components • Competitive Pricing • Prompt Delivery • (415) 592-8097 CASPER DISPLAY MONITORS Casper 14" EGA and Multiscan Monitors for IBM PC/XT/AT and Compatible Computers The TM5154 EGA Monitor and TM5155 Multisync Monitor are ideal for text as well as CAD and other graphics applications. Both monitors come with a tilt/swivel base, manual and cable. TM51 54 (Specs.):- EGA/CGA compatibility • Input: DB9 (TTL) • Scanning freq.: 1 5.75kHz to 21 .85kHz • Resolution: 720 x 350 (max.) • Bandwidth: 25MHz • Size: 15'W x 14.25"D x 14"H • Weight: 35 lbs. TM5154 JE1055 JE1059 14"CGA/EGA Monitor $399.95 EGA Card (Used with TM51 54 and TM51 55 Monitors) . , $1 59.95 TM5154 and JE1Q55 SAVE $40.00. $519.95 TM5155 (Specs.): • MDA, CGA, EGA, PGC, VGA compatibility ■ DB9-pin male connector for TTL and DB1 5-pin adapter for analog input ■ Switch on back for TTL or Analog input • Scanning frequencies: 15.5kHz to 40kHz • Max. resolution: 800 x 600 • Band- width: 40MHz • Size: 15"W x 15"D x 13.5"H • Weight: 35 lbs. TM5155 14" MDA/CGA/EGA/PGC/VGA Monitor $549.95 £CTX NEW! 13" VGA Monitor and Adapter Card This VGA package offers a clear 1 3" color display with the ability to dis- play up to 256 colors simultaneously from a palette of 262,144. The fully compatible VGA card from ATI sup- ports all VGA modes. Features:' 1 3" Color Screen ■ Max. resolution: 800 x 560 • Bandwidth: 17MHz • 256 colors from a palette of 262,144 • Upgrades any PC/XT, AT or hardware compatible to VGA graphics ■ Softsense Automatic Mode switching compatability with VGA, EGA, CGA, MDA, HGA • Anti- reflective coated, non-interlaced, flicker-free screen • Size (monitor only): 15"Wx 15.5"D x 11.25"H • Weight: 30 lbs. JEVGA VGA Color Monitor and VGA Card. VGA Compatibility at EGA Prices! $649.95 NEW! RIX EGA Paint 2005 NEW! i This powerful EGA Paint program gives you the following and much more at a reasonable price: • Pop-up menus • Zoom image windows • Image library • Color mixing capability • Small function allows you to save your image in 50% to 90% less disk space • Text editing with 9 to 72 point and 34 contemporary fonts- Line smoothing capability ■ Capture capability • Mouse or keyboard operation • Print capability for almost any dot-matrix, color, or laser printer available • Slide show capability allows creation of presentations • Plus much, much more! EGAP EGA Paint 2005 $89.95 12" Amber Monochrome Monitor for IBM PC/XT/AT and Compatible Computers • Input: DB9 (TTL) • Bandwidth: 20MHz • Horizontal scanning frequency: 1 8.432kHz ■ Character display: 80 characters x 25 rows • Weight: 1 9 lbs. • Size: 1 2.5"W x 1 2"D x 1 2"H • Compatible w/JE1 050, JE1 055 and JE1 07 1 (see below) • Cable and manual included AMBER $99.95 CTX 14" RGB Color Monitor for IBM PC/XT/ AT and Compatible Computers • Input: DB9 (RGB) • Horizontal scanning frequency: 1 4.5kHz to 17.8kHz • Video band- width :18MHz- Display area: 13.1 "diagonally • Resolution: 640x200 ■ Controls: (Front) Brightness, Contrast, V-Hold; (Rear) H-Phase, H-Hold, V-Lin., V-Size • 70W • Switch for Amber, Green or Color Screen • Size: 14.6'W x 15.5"D x 13.6"H • Weight: 27 lbs. • Com- patible with JE1052 and the JE1055 (see below) ■ Cable and manual included CTX2410 $279.95 J ameco IBM PC/XT/AT Compatible Display Cards Monochrome Graphics Adapter for IBM PC/XT/AT Compatible with IBM Monochrome and Hercules Graphics Standards The JE1050 is a monochrome graphics card with parallel printer port and features the following: • Text mode: 80 x 25; Graphics mode: 720 x 348 ■ Compact half-card ■ Parallel printer interface with transfer rate up to 1000 characters per second • Manual included JE1050 $59.95 Enhanced Graphics Adapter for IBM PC/XT/AT Compatible with IBM Enhanced Graphics Standard The JE1055 is an IBM EGA/CGA/MDA/HGA compatible card featuring the following: • Text mode: 80 x 25; Graphics mode: 720 x 348 • Reserved video jacks and feature connectors • Light pen interface • 256K Video RAM • Dip- switch on back of card allows changing of switch settings without opening case • Displays 16 out of 64 colors • Manual included JE1055 $159.95 1-Year Warranty! %■ . .; s „_ mm *, ■ ^0mtt. §| iiWMM ■ *& &M!S£S;iftJa*w3llt 'm* Color Graphics Adapter for IBM PC/XT/AT Compatible with ti&mSns IBM Color Graphics Standard The JE1 052 is a color graphics adapter card capable of operating with either IBM RGB or composite monochrome monitors and features the following: • Parallel printer port • Text modes: 40 x 25 or 80 x 25; Graphic modes: 320 x 200 or 640 x 200 • Light pen interface • Includes composite video monitor adapter • Manual included JE1052 $49.95 Multi I/O with Controller and Graphics for IBM PC/XT The JE1071 is a mufti I/O card with six add-on functions, uses only one slot and features the following: • Text mode: 80x25; Graphics mode: 720x348 • One RS232C serial communication port (expandable to two — see page 8 for 2nd Serial Port Kit) selectable for COM1 thru COM4 ■ Game port • Real-time clock calendar with replaceable battery back-up • 5.25" floppy disk drive controller capable of handling up to two 360K drives • Parallel printer port • Print spooler software • Manual and cables included JE1071... $119.95 For complete product line, request Jameco's new 74 page 1989 Catalog new! 3.5" AND 5.25" FLOPPY DISK DRIVES NEW! Mitsubishi 720KB 3,5" Internal Floppy Disk Drive for the IBM PC/XT/AT and Compatible Computers Includes 5.25" mounting frame tor IBM PC/XT/AT and compatible computers. May require DOS 3.2 or higher for operation. The MF353B is compatible with the JE1043 and JE1049 Interface Cards (see page 4). Specifications: • 720KB formatted storage • Double-sided, double-density • 1 35TPI • 1 60 tracks • Rotation speed: 300rpm ■ Track to track access time: 3ms • Full installation documentation included • Size: 5.75'W x 8.25"D x 1.75"H- Weight: 1.7 lbs. MF353B $109.95 x-t Mitsubishi 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Disk Drive for the IBM PC/XT/AT and Compatible Computers Includes 5.25" mounting frame for IBM PC/XT/AT and compatible computers. May require DOS 3.3 for operation. Also compatible with 720KB floppy disks. The MF355B is compatible with the JE1 043 and JE1 049 Interface Cards (see page 4). Specifications: • 1.44MB formatted storage • Double-sided, high density • 135TPI ■ 160 tracks • Rotation speed: 300rpm • Track to track access time: 3ms ■ Full installation documentation included • Size: 5.75'W x 8.25"D x 1 .75"H • Weight: 1 .7 lbs. MF355B $129.95 Jameco 5.25" Half Height Drives for IBM PC/XT/AT and Compatible Computers JE1022 JE1020 - IBM PC/XT/ AT Compatible • 360KB, double-sided, double density • 48 TPI • 80 tracks ■ Spec included • Color (bezel): Black • Size: 5.75'W x 8.1 3"D x 1.63"H • Weight: 2.7 lbs. JE1020 $89,95 JE1021 - IBM PC/XT/AT Compat. • Same specs as JE1020 except comes with beige color bezel. JE1021 $89.95 JE1022 — IBM AT Compatible (Also compatible with IBM PC/XT when used W/JE1043 and JE1049, see page 4) • 1 .2MB, double-sided, high density • 96 TPI • 160 tracks • Spec included • Color (bezel): Beige • Size: 5.75"W x 8.13"D x 1 ,63"H • Weight: 2.7 lbs. JE1022 $109.95 TEAC 5.25" Half Height Drives for IBM PC/XT/AT and Compatible Computers FD55B FD55B - IBM PC/XT/AT Compatible • 360KB, double-sided, double density ■ 48 TPI- 80 tracks ■ Spec included • Color (bezel): Black • Size: 5.75"W x 8. 1 3"D x 1 .63"H ■ Weight: 3.3 lbs. FD55B $99.95 FD55GFV — IBM AT Compatible (Also compati- ble with IBM PC XT when used with JE1043 and JE1049, see page 4) • 1 .2MB, double-sided, high density • 96 TPI- 160 tracks • Spec included • Color (bezel): Black • Size: 5.75"W x 8.13"D x 1.63"H- Weight: 3.3 lbs. FD55GFV $119.95 Tandon 5.25" Full Height Drive for IBM PC/XT and Compatible Computers IBM PC/XT Compatible! TM100-2 - IBM PC/XT Compatible • 360KB, double-sided, double density • Full height drive • 48 TPI • 80 tracks (40 tracks per side) ■ Rotation speed: 300rpm • Track to track access time: 5ms • Documentation included ■ Color (bezel): Black • Size: 5.75"W x 8.00"D x 3.38"H • Weight: 5 lbs. TM100-2 $99.95 The JE1020, JE1021, JE1022, FD55B, FD55GFV and TM100-2 DO NOTinclude case, power supply, cables, mounting hardware or manuals. All disk drive manuals are $5.00. JMR FLOPPY DISK DRIVE ENCLOSURES JMR 3.5" Floppy Disk Drive Enclosure Houses One Half-Height 3.5" Disk Drive (Horizontal Mount) • Power: +12V (&■' 1.2A. +5V(« 1.0A- Textured beige paint • Slot for data cable • Complete with power supply, switch, power cord, fuse holder and connectors • Size 4.125"W x 2"Hx 10.5"D- Weight: 6 lbs. DDE3HH $59.95 s 5.25" Floppy Disk Drive Enclosure Houses One Full-Height 5.25" Disk Drive ^ v (Horizontal Mount) • Power: +5V S 1.0A, +12V @ 1.2A • Textured beige paint • Slot for data cable • Unit comes complete with power supply, switch, power cord, fuse holder and connectors • Size: 5.87'Wx3.25"Hx11.5"D • Weight: 6 lbs. DDE1FH $59.95 Dual 5.25" Floppy Disk Drive Enclosure Houses Two Half-Height 5.25" Disk Drives (Vertical Mount) • Power: 2 x +5V @ 1 .0A*, 2 x +1 2V @ 1 .2A* (*not simultaneously) • Textured beige paint • Data cable strain relief for operation safety - Complete with power supply, switch, power cord, fuse holder and con- nectors • Size: 3.5'W x 5.78"-6.19"H (slope) x 12.87" (bottom) - 13.13"D (top) • Weight: 6.5 lbs. DDE2HH $69.95 5.25" Floppy Disk Drive Enclosure Houses One Half-Height 5.25" Disk Drive (Horizontal Mount) • Power: +12V @ 1 .2A, +5V @ 1.0A ■ Textured beige paint • Slot for data cable • Complete with power supply, switch, power cord, fuse holder and connectors • Size: 5.87'W x 2.25"Hx 11.5"D- Weight: 6 lbs. DDE1HH $59.95 •^ "CLOSE-OUT PRICING - PART NUMBER WILL BE DISCONTINUED WHEN STOCK IS DEPLETED! Quality Components • Competitive Pricing • Prompt Delivery • (415) 592-8097 ^Seagate HARD DISK DRIVES ^Seagate 40 and 60 Megabyte Half-Height Hard Disk Drives QU jcayatc for the |BM pc/XT/AT and Compatible Computers Seagate Hard Disk Drives provide the IBM PC/XT/ AT or compatible computers with 20, 30, 40 or 60 Megabytes of formatted capacity in a shock resistant, half-height package. These drives are easily installed and ideal for applications ranging from rugged industrial use to quiet office and home environments. High reliability is assured through the use of LSI and a single circuit board. The drives may be purchased with or without controller cards. Controller cards are capable of con- trolling two hard drives. Cables provided for connecting one hard drive only. 90-Day Warranty. Documentation included. ST225 (20 Megabyte):- Available for PC/XT or AT- Track to track •J^^^'lf 33BS5I1M access time: 20 msec. max. • Average access time: 65 msec. • Data J1^ 20 ^y transfer rate: 5.0 Megabits/sec. • Tracks: 2,460 • Bytes per track (for- -^ Meg9" A. tS'='i® 98t^B matted): 8,704 • Read/Write Heads: 4 • Cylinders: 615 • Size: 5.75'W x Ll. byte! JT Part No. Description Price 20MB Hard Disk Drive Only for IBM PC/XT/AT and compatibles t ST225 (MFM Controller needed) $224.95 \ 20MB Hard Disk Drive, MFM Controller and Cables for IBM PC/XT * • ST225XT and compatibles $269.95 20MB Hard Disk Drive, MFM Controller, Software and Cables for ST225AT IBM AT and compatibles $339.95 „ , __-__ „„„„ . , .„:■_, „. Seagate ST225XT 20MB Hard Disk Drive Kit ST238 (30 Megabyte): • Available for PC/XT or AT • Track to track access time: 20 msec. max. • Average access time: 65 msec. • Data JT' 30 transfer rate: 7.5 Megabits/sec. • Tracks: 2,460 • Bytes per track (for- Jp ,,''na. matted): 13,312 • Read/Write Heads: 4 • Cylinders: 615 • Size: 5.75"W x Y lVe?ri 8"D x 1 ,63"H • Weight: 5 lbs. TV, by«e;^j* Part No. Description Price 30MB Hard Disk Drive Only for IBM PC/XT/ AT and compatibles (RLL ST238 Controller needed for operation) $249.95 30MB Hard Disk Drive, RLL Controller and Cables for IBM PC/XT ST238XT and compatibles $299.95 30MB Hard Disk Drive, RLL Controller and Cables for IBM AT and ST238AT compatibles $389.95 ,.,.... , Seagate ST238XT 30MB Hard Disk Drive Kit ST251 (40 Megabyte): • Available for PC/XT or AT • Track to track access time: 8 msec. max. • Average access time: 40 msec. • Data J** 40 transfer rate: 5.0 Megabits/sec. ■ Tracks: 4,920 ■ Bytes per track (for- .JF Mead" matted): 8,704 • Read/Write Heads: 6 • Cylinders: 820 • Size: 5.77"W x Y "LTrfe' : 8"Dx1.63"H ■ Weight: 5 lbs. Part No. Description Price 40MB Hard Disk Drive and Software Only for IBM PC/XT/AT and ST251 compatibles (MFM controller needed) $429.95 \ \ V 40MB Hard Disk Drive. MFM Controller and Cables for IBM PC/XT ~^HM N ST251XT and compatibles $469.95 .m -^ «l 40MB Hard Disk Drive, MFM Controller, Software and Cables for rJ&-^ ST251AT IBM AT and compatibles $539.95 NEW! Fast 28ms 40MB Hard Disk Drive and Software Only lor IBM ST251-1 PC/XT/ AT and compatibles (MFM controller needed) ..$499.95 „ ,. . „ ._ . . Seagate ST251 AT 40MB Hard Disk Drive Kit ST277 (60 Megabyte): • Available for PC/XT or AT • Track to track access time: 8 msec. max. • Average access time: 40msec. • Data transfer rate: 7.5 Megabits/sec. • Tracks: 4,920 ■ Bytes per track (formatted): 13,312 ■ Read/Write Heads: 6 • Cylinders: 820 • Size: 5.77"W x 8"D x 1.63"H • Weight: 5 lbs. Part No. Description Price 60MB Hard Disk Drive & Software Only for IBM PC/XT/ AT & compat- ST277 ibles (RLL Controller needed for operation) $499.95 60MB Hard Disk Drive, RLL Controller and Cables for IBM PC/XT ST277XT and compatibles $549.95 60MB Hard Disk Drive, RLL Controller and Cables for IBM AT and ST277AT compatibles $639.95 Seagate ST277AT 60MB Hard Disk Drive Kit See Next Page for Hard Disk Drive Controller Cards For complete product fine, request Jameco's new 74 page 1989 Catalog J ameco |3|Jh1:!.).'IW^ MULTIFUNCTION INPUT/OUTPUT CARDS 1-YEAR WARRANTY! RS232 Half Card for IBM PC/XT/ AT and Compatible Computers • Fits the difficult to use half card slot or any long slot • RS232 card comes with one ready- to-go serial port ■ Expandable to 2 ports by user (parts for expansion not included — see below for 2nd Serial Port Kit) ■ Selectable for COM1 thru COM4 ■ The user is able to select addresses for ports A and B as well as interrupt requests • Manual included JE1061 RS232 Card for XT $29.95 JE1062 RS232 Card for AT $34.95 Input/Output Cards for IBM PC/XT/ AT and Compatible Computers Four Functions on One Card! The JE1060 and JE1065 Input/Output cards for the IBM PC/XT/AT feature the following-. • Parallel printer port • RS232C serial com- munication port (expandable to two by user - see below for 2nd Serial Port Kit) • Selectable forCOMI thru COM4- Ability to change inter- rupt requests on all ports • Game port • Cables and manual included ■ JE1 060 (Only): Real- time clock/calendar with replaceable battery JE1060 back-up and print spooler software included JE1060 l/OCardforXT $59.95 JE1065 I/O Card for AT $59.95 Multifunction Card for IBM PC/XT and Compatible Computers The JE1078 features: ■ Add up to 384K (zero-K on-board) using (54) 4164's • Parallel printer port • RAM disk and print Spooler software • One RS232C serial communication port • Selectable for COM1 or COM2 • Game port • Real-time clock/calendar with replaceable battery back-up • 4.77MHz oper- ation • Manual and cables included JE1078 $69.95 Five Functions on One Card! Multi I/O with Floppy Controller fea for IBM PC/XT/AT and§^,;»|| Compatible Computers ®J:,Si@gfes The JE1077/1079 are multi I/O cards JE1079 with up to 5 additional features • One RS232C serial communication port (expandablelo two — see below for 2nd Serial Port Kit) ■ Selectable tor COM1 thru COM4 • Game port • Real-time clock/calendar (JE1 079 only) • 3.575.25" floppy disk drive controller capable of handling up to two 360K, 720K, 1 .2MB or 1 .44MB drives • Parallel printer port • Print spooler software • Manual and cables included JE1 079 Multi I/O and Controller for XT $79.95 JE1077 Multi I/O and Controller for AT $79.95 3Mbyte Memory Expansion and Multifunction Card for IBM AT and Compatible Computers The JE1 082 is a 3MB Multifunction Memory Expansion card for the IBM AT and compatible computers. Expandable to 3MB (zero-K on-board) with (108) 41256-120 chips. Can be used as expanded (up to 2MB) or extended memory (up to 3MB). Also included is one Serial port (selectable for COM1 thru COM4) expandable to two (see right for 2nd Serial Port Kit), parallel port and game port. Piggyback board for expansion to 3MB, RAM Disk/ Print Spooler Software and manual included. JE1082 $169.95 Second Serial Port Kits for JE1 060, JE1 061 , JE1 062, JE1 065, JE1071,JE1077,JE1079andJE1082 • Kits contain all components and instruc- tions for adding a 2nd Serial Port to the above cards • The new SSP4 is a high-speed version for the JE1062, JE1065, JE1077 and JE1082 - Some soldering required. (r: t tl^^jiijflJD SSP3 SSP4 2nd Serial Port Kit for JE1 060, JE1 061, JE1 071 &JE1079 $9.95 Hi-Speed 2nd Serial Port Kit for JE1 062, JE1065, JE1 077 & JE1 082 $1 4.95 Jairheco HARD/FLOPPY CONTROLLER CARDS new! Hard Disk/Floppy Controller for IBM PC/XT and Compatible Computers The JE1044 is an 8-bit floppy and MFM hard disk controller for the IBM PC/XT and compatible computers. The JE1044 will allow connection of up to two hard disks and two floppy 360KB drives. Cables are included to allow connection of one hard disk and two floppy disk drives. To connect a second hard disk drive, an additional cable will be required. JE1044 $129.95 Hard Disk/Floppy Controller for IBM AT and Compatible Computers The JE1 045 is a 1 6-bit floppy and MFM hard disk controller for the IBM AT and compatible computers. The JE1045 will allow connection of up to two hard disk drives and any combination of two floppy disk drives (360KB, 720KB, 1 ,2MB and 1 ,44MB). Cables are included to allow connection of one hard disk and two floppy disk drives. To connect a second hard disk drive, an additional cable will be required. JE1045 $149.95 RLL Hard Disk Controller Cards for IBM PC/XT/AT and Compatible Computers The JE1042 is an 8-bit RLL hard disk controller card for the IBM PC/XT and compatible computers. The JE1042 should be used with hard disks designed for RLL formatting such as the Seagate 30MB ST238 and 60MB ST277. Cables and documentation included. JE1 042 RLL PC/XT Hard Disk Controller Card $99.95 The JE1 047 is a 1 6-bit RLL hard disk controller for the IBM AT and compatible computers. The JE1047 should be used with hard disks designed for RLL formatting such as the Seagate 30MB ST238 and 60MB ST277. Cables and documentation included. JE1 047 RLL AT Hard Disk Controller Card ■ $1 89.95 MFM Hard Disk Controller Cards for IBM PC/XT/AT and Compatible Computers JE1041 The JE1 041 is an 8-bit MFM hard disk controller card for the IBM PC/XT and compatible computers. The JE1 041 can be used with many types of hard disk drives including the Seagate 20MB ST225 and 40MB ST251/ST251 -1 . Cables and documentation included. JE1 041 MFM PC/XT Hard Disk Controller Card $79.95 The JE1 046 is a 1 6-bit MFM hard disk controller for the IBM AT and compatible computers. The JE1046 can be used with many hard disk drives including the Seagate 20MB ST225 and 40MB ST251 /ST251 -1 . Cables and documentation included. JE1 046 MFM AT Hard Disk Controller Card. $129.95 Quality Components • Competitive Pricing • Prompt Delivery '(415) 592-8097 a Logitech MICE, MOUSE PAD AND SCANNER a Logitech Logitech M8 Mouse for IBM PC/XT/ AT and Compatible Computers AD925 (not included) The LOGITECH M8 mouse features opto-mechanical technology at a com- petitive price. This new two-button mouse requires one male DB25-pin serial port and comes with a female DB25 cable assembly. A DB25 to DB9 adapter (AD925, see below) may be needed if the serial port you plan to use has a male DB9 connector. The mouse comes standard with a six foot cord and features 200 dpi resolution. • Color: Light Gray ■ Size: 3.8"L x 2.7"W x 1.06"H • One- Year Warranty Part No. Description 1-9 10-99 M8 M8 Mouse with Driver Software $49.95 $44.95 DB25-pin male to DB9-pin female adapter AD925 for Serial applications $4.95 $3.95 Logitech HiREZ Bus Mouse for IBM PC/XT/AT & PS/2 (Model 25, 30) and Compatible Computers ' ^ 3* "^N^ A Lifetime Warranty! The new LOGITECH High Resolution Mouse is the only mouse designed expressly for today's new generation of high resolution displays, such as EGA, super EGA and VGA. The mouse is ideal for desktop publishing as well as CAD applications. With 320 dots per inch (dpi) resolution (compared with 1 00 or 200 dpi mice), the LOGITECH HiREZ covers the same area on your screen, but uses 62% less desk space to do it. This saves you valuable desk space, and effort. Mouse maneuvers that used to require a sweep of the hand are now reduced to a flick of the wrist. Includes Plus Package software with mouse drivers, text editor, menu building and point-click software (Lotus 1-2-3) • Size: 3.8"L x 2.7"W x 1.06"H - Color: Light Gray • Lifetime Warranty -|_g 10-99 High Resolution Mouse. Bus Board and HIREZ Plus Package Software $99.95 $94.95 Logitech Desktop Publishing Mouse and Software for IBM PC/XT/AT & PS/2 (Model 30) and Compatible Computers This sophisticated yet easy to use desktop publishing package includes the Logitech Serial (C7PLUS mouse - right) or BUS Mouse (right), PLUS Package Software and Publisher desktop publishing software. The package is the complete solution for people who want to produce great looking, attention-getting documents without having to master a lot of complex commands and typographical jargon. If s easy to learn, fast to use; and it gets you the results you need right now. • Lifetime Warranty: C7PLUS and BUS Mouse only Page Layout Made Easy . . . You don't have to be a graphic designer to get professional- quality results. Create and edit text right on the page. The package offers design tem- plates, automatic layout in 1-4 columns, automatic flow of text around graphics, and vertical and horizontal rulers to guide you. Typography Made Easy . . . Select from over 61 fonts representing 1 4 typefaces, in sizes suitable for headlines, subheads and text. Graphics Made Easy. . . using our ClipArt, You can shrink or expand your graphic images, modify, rotate or copy them to fit the area you desire. LPP7 C7PLUS Mouse & Publisher Package Software $1 29.95 LPBUS BUS Mouse and Publisher Package Software $1 29.95 Logitech Serial and Bus Mouse for IBM PC/XT/AT & PS/2(Model 25, 30) and Compatible Computers The LOGIMOUSE C7 features opto-mechanical technology, programmable baud rate up to 9600 baud, and excellent tracking. LOGIMOUSE is fully compatible with all mouse-based application pro- grams (e.g. AutoCad, MS Windows, etc.). Logitech PLUS package software features drivers, LOGIMENU (Programmable Pop-up Menu System), CLICK (sets mouse to predefined settings), POINT-AND-CLICK SHELL (for Lotus 1 -2-3), and POINT EDITOR (Mouse Based Program Editor). The C7PLUS requires one serial port. • Size: 3.8't x 2.7"W x 1 .06"H • Color: Light gray • Lifetime Warranty Part No. Description PC/XT/AT&PS/2 (Model 25, 30) Compatible! 1-9 10-99 C7 Mouse and C7PLUS Logitech PLUS Package Software $79.95 $74.95 BUS MOUSE frees your serial port. The Bus Board installs easily in a half slot in your computer and leaves your system's serial port free for other peripherals. Part No. Description 1-9 10-99 BUS Logitech Mouse, Bus Board and Logitech PLUS Package Software $79.95 $74.95 NEW! Mouse Pad Prevents Dirt Contamination! Cleans, protects and prevents wear on your mouse's roller ball. Sensitive, accurate and prevents dirt contamination. Tough non-skid neoprene backing with smooth gliding anti-static plastic coating on top surface. Size: 1 1 "L x 8.5"W MP Mouse Pad $5.95 Logitech ScanMan Hand-Held Scanner for IBM PC/XT/AT & PS/2 and Compatible Computers The Logitech ScanMan Portable Scanner makes adding graphic images to computer documents affordable! The ScanMan offers the largest handheld scanning window available — a full four inches at 200 dpi resolution (most scanners only offer 2.5 inches). Graphics are scanned directly to the powerful ScanWare™ Graphics editor where a full range of paint utilities and tools are available for editing the scanned image. ScanMan combines power and flexibility in one neat package. Scan directly to the powerful graphics editor, directly to a file, or to an MS Windows'" clipboard using the Logitech WinScan'" utility. You can scan photographs, newspaper and magazine articles, books, drawings, logos and business cards. Scanned images may be stored and used in many of the most popular applications, including: LOGITECH Publisher, Aldus PageMaker™, Ventura Publisher™, PFS: Rrst Publisher™, ZSoft PC Paintbrush™ and many, many more. Includes driver controller card and cable. • Size: 5.25"W x 3.5"D x 1 .25"H ■ Color: Light Gray • One-Year Warranty SCAN ScanMan Hand-Held Scanner, Software and Driver Board $199.95 For complete product line, request Jameco's new 74 page 1989 Catalog NEW! MODEMS SALE! 1 -DAlTATROinnCE 2400/1200/300 Baud Internal Modems for IBM PC/XT/ AT and Compatible Computers Internal Card Frees Your Serial Port! • Hayes command compatible • Bell 103/21 2A compat- ible • Auto-dial and auto-answer • Tone or pulse dialing capability • Call progress detection • Easy access DIP switch • Supports COM1 , COM2, COM3 and COM4 • Two modular phone jacks • Built-in speaker with adjustable volume control • FCC approved • Includes MaxiMite communication software by Mycroft Labs ■ One-year warranty 1200H 1200/300 Baud Internal Modem (% Card) .... 2400S 2400/1200/300 Baud Internal Modem (% Card) . $69.95 $139.95 $129.95 1200H Includes MaxiMite Software! ^II. ^ U DAWATKomcs 1 200/300 Baud Pocket Modem for ibm pc/xt/at g and Compatible Computers Also compatible with other computer systems that have an RS232 port. This shirt pocket-sized, lightweight miniature modem is perfect tor the computer user on the move. Features the following: • Hayes command compatible- Bell 103/212A compatible • LED status lights for. Battery, High Speed and Carrier Detect ■ Auto-dial and auto-answer • Tone, pulse or adaptive dialing • Call progress detection • On-board speaker • Two modular telephone jacks ■ Uses standard 9VDC battery or 9VDC trans- former (not included) for power • Includes: 9V battery, carrying case, telephone connector cable and manual • Size: 4"L x 2.375'W x .875"H • Weight: 0.25 lb. • One-year warranty 1200P 1200/300 Baud Pocket Modem. . . . $109.95 $99.95 3 DA\irA\reoin«c§ 2400/1200/300 Baud External Modems for IBM PC/XT/AT & Compatible Computers | Also compatible with other computer systems ! which have an RS232 port ■ Hayes command compatible • Bell 103/212A compatible • Auto- 2400E dial and auto-answer • Tone, pulse or adaptive dialing capability • Call progress detection • Two modular phone jacks • Built-in speaker with adjustable volume control • FCC approved * Includes MaxiMite communication software • Size: 5.75'W x 1 0"D x 1 .6"H • Weight: 3.25 lbs. ■ One-year warranty Part No. Description Price 1200C 2400E 1200/300 Baud External Modem $119.95 $ 99.95 2400/1200/300 Baud External Modem . ..$179.95 $169.95 ZOOM 300 Baud Modems for Apple II, II+ and He ZM300 Two versions available: (NM300) Manual dial, manual answer or (ZM300) Auto-dial, auto-answer • Hayes compatible ■ Includes call progress monitor, speaker, Zoom Communications Software and manual • Made in the USA • Two year warranty • Also available is the NMS software enhancement for the NM300 and ZM300 which allows Xmodem file transfer, storage, editing and printing of files Part No. Description Price NM300 300 Baud Manual Dial/Answer Modem (II, II+ and lie) S29r95 $19.95 ZM300 300 Baud Auto Dial/Answer Modem (II, II+ and He) $49.95 NMS Software Enhancement for NM300 and ZM300 $19.95 Makm. 1200/300 Baud External Modem for Commodore C-64 and C-128 Hayes and Commodore 1670 Compatible! ■ Plugs directly into the Commodore user port • Runs at either 1 200 or 300 baud • Full Hayes compatibility including terminal emulation and file transfer ■ Auto-dial and auto-answer • Touch tone or rotary dialing capabilities- Seven LED status indicators for send data, off hook, 1 200 baud, carrier detect, receive data, auto answer and ready ■ FCC approved • Includes Multiterm communica- tion software for Commodore 64 and 128 • Size: 4.75"L x 2.75"W x .7"H • Weight: 0.25 lb. • 1 -year warranty MMC 1 200/300 Baud External Modem (C64/1 28) $79.95 COMPUTER POWER PROTECTION #■••■••** Jameco Power Base with 6 Control Switches and 6-Outlet Power Strip The JE1 1 90 Power Base utilizes solid state line conditioning JE1 191 circuitry and fully shielded sockets to protect your computer from harmful power surges and EMI noise. Each device within your computer system can be turned on or off by individual illuminated rocker switches or the entire system can be turned on by the master switch. The Power Base eliminates the maze of power cords normally found behind most computer systems. • JE1 190 Specifications: • 5 outlets • 1 5A, 1 25VAC, 1 875 Watts, 60Hz • Max. spike: 80 joules one time • Energy dissipation: 25 joules repeated, self-restoring • Max. spike volts: 6,000V ■ Max. spike current: 4.500A • Clamp volts: 175V • Clamping response time: 10ns • Color: Beige • Size: 12"W x 12.75"D x 2.25"H ■ Weight: 5.25 lbs. The JE1 191 Power Strip with built-in circuit breaker gives you continuous spike protection. JE1 191 Specifications: • Master switch with pilot light • Built-in safety circuit breaker (15 amp) • UL listed- Durable enamel finished housing- Three-prong, 6-foot power cord • Color: Beige- Size:12"Lx2.25"Wx1.5"H • Weight: 2 lbs. Part No. Description Price JE1190 JE1191 Power Base with 6 Control Switches and Surge Protection. Power Strip with 6 Outlets and Circuit Breaker $29.95 $11.95 Lifetime Warranty! AfEW/TrippLite Isobar Command Console Plus Complete Isobar protection with fingertip control for all your systems' components plus new Modem and FAX protection outlets • Each outlet offers Isobar surge suppression and filter isolation ■ Mounts conveniently between your CPU and CRT • Command console provides one main on/off switch and five individual component switches- 6outletstotal ■ Two New RJ1 1 receptacles for modem/FAX/telephone line spike protection • Built-in static guard • 1 5 amps on one receptacle • Color: Beige • Size: 1 2.5"L x 1 3.5'W x 2"H • Weight: 8 lbs. CCI6P Command Console Plus with Modem and FAX Protection $99.95 • Quality Components • Competitive Pricing • Prompt Delivery •(415)592-8097 10 Jameco SOLDERLESS BREADBOARDS & ACCESSORIES W A. A. Breadboarding Versatility! • Low static, plastic body - CMOS safe • Nickel plated clips designed to withstand up to 5,000 insertion cycles • Breadboard strips easily connect together to form larger working areas • Screen printed color coordinates make circuit design easier TF" • Larger models come with heavy duty aluminum backing and grounding posts for long life and durability • Components are easily interconnected using 20-29 AWG wire (see JE10 and JE11, below) • The JE31 offers all the advantages of the JE26 plus a wire jumper kit containing 140 assorted wire jumpers JE20 JE23 JE24 JE27 JE31 Part No. Terminal Strips Bus Strips Contact Points Binding Posts Jumper Wires Component Case Size L x W (Inches) 1-9 10-99 JE20 0 2 200 0 0 0 6V2 X 3/4 S 2.95 $ 2.49 JE2 i 1 2 400 0 0 0 31/4 x 2Vs $ 4.95 $ 4.49 JE22 1 0 630 0 0 0 6V2Xl3/8 $ 5.95 $ 4.95 JE23 1 2 830 0 0 0 6V2 X 21/8 $ 7.95 $ 6.95 JE24 2 1 1,360 2 0 0 6V2 x 316 $14.95 $12.95 JE25 2 4 1,660 3 0 0 6V2 x 4V4 $22.95 $19.95 JE26 3 5 2,390 4 0 0 6% x 5% $27.95 $24.95 JE27 4 7 3,220 4 0 0 7V4 X 7'/2 $37.95 $34.95 JE31 3 5 2,390 4 140 Stores Wire Jumpers 6% x 5% $31.95 $28.95 Jl^eco JE450 Solderless Prototype Builder The JE450 Solderless Prototype Builder provides the user with a quick and efficient system for bread- boarding electronic circuits without soldering. Configured with 3 power supplies, the JE450 is ideal for lC breadboarding of TTLs, CMOS, ECLs, microprocessors and op-amp circuits. Components and wire leads can be quickly inserted, removed and changed without the need for soldering or desoldering. The 3 power supplies incorporated in the JE450 provide the user unlimited use in prototyping circuits. • Size: 9%"L x 6%"W x 3V4"H • Weight: 6 lbs. ■ Power supplies, regulated: 5V @ 1 A, +5V to +1 5V @ .5A, -5V to -1 5V @ .5A • Power: 1 20VAC, 60Hz fused • For recommended wire jumpers see JE1 0 and JE1 1 , below 1-9 10-99 JE450 Solderless Prototype Builder $119.95 $109.95 J ameco IdU.Hil.l.'II.H Jameco's IC Test Clips are de- signed to facilitate temporary connections to DIP package components. A heavy-duty spring-loaded hinge provides positive contact even after thousands of uses. IC Test Clips .IWttXl Part No. Description 10-99 JTC16 1 6-pin (used for 8, 14 and 16-pin IC's) $4.49 $3.95 JTC20 20-pin (used for 18 and 20-p'in IC's) $5.95 $5.49 JTC24 24-pin $6.95 $5.95 JTC28 28-pin $7.95 $6.95 JTC40 40-pin (used for 36 and 40-pin iC's) $9.95 $8.95 Jameco mMi:m«*i Wire Jumpers • The JE1 0 Wire Jumper Kit comes with 350 assorted lengths and colors of pre- stripped and pre-formed 22AWG solid wire jumpers all in a handy, durable plas- tic case. The kit includes 25 each of the following lengths: .9", 1.0", 2.0", 3.0", 4.0" and 5.0' same wire jumpers included in the JE10 and makes a con venient refill package. Part No. Description , .2", .3", .4", .5", .6", J", The JE1 1 contains all of the 1-9 10-99 JE10 JE11 Wire Jumper Kit 350 ea. (includes case). . Same as JE1 0 except case not included. $7.95 $7.49 $6.95 $5.95 11 For complete product line, request Jameco's new 74 page 1989 Catalog Kingdom MULTIMETERS METEX Kingdom Handheld Analog Multimeters Kingdom • Mirrored Scale for Accuracy • Audible Continuity Test • Fusel Diode Overload Protection Both units come complete with probes, batteries and manual. Size: 6'H x 4.125'Wx 1.75'D ET207 Specifications: -AC Voltage: 10-1000VAC -DC Voltage: 0.25-1000VDC -DC Current: 50.JJA-10A • Resistance: 1 Q to 1 0MQ • Decibels: - 1 0 to +62dB at ACV ranges • Accuracy: ±3 to ±4% on all ranges • Sensitivity: 9KQ/VAC, 20KQ/VDC • Audible continuity test • Battery Tester *fc I 207 20KD/Volt Analog Multimeter w/DC Current Measurement and Battery Tester . . .$15.95 ET302 Specifications: ■ AC Voltage: 2.5-1 000VAC • DC Voltage: 0.25-1 000VDC ■ AC Current: 12A • DC Current: 50/JA-12A • Resistance: 10 to 5MQ ■ Decibels: -20 to +64dB at ACV ranges • Accuracy: ±3 to ±4% on all ranges • Sensitivity: 10KD/VAC, 30KD/VDC ■ Audible continuity test . . $22.95 ^t I 302 30KQ/Volt Analog Multimeter with AC and DC Current Measurement. RANGE | ACCURACY | RESOLUTION AC VOLTAGE 200mV ±1,2% of reading lOOfjV 2V ±0.8% of reading 1mV 20V 10mV 200V 100mV 700V -1.2% of reading 1V DC VOLTAGE 200mV ±0.5% of reading lOOfjV 2V 1mV 20V 10mV 200V lOOmV 1000V 1V RANGE | ACCURACY RESOLUTION AC CURRENT 20J/A ±1.0% of reading 10nA 200pA 100nA 2mA 1/jA 20mA 10uA 200mA ±1.8% of reading ±3.0% of reading lOOfM 2A 1mA 20A 10mA DC CURRENT 20/jA ±0.5% of reading 10nA 200uA 100nA 2mA 1uA 20mA 10|JA 200mA ±1.2% of reading 100uA 2A 1mA 20A ±2.0% of reading 10mA RANGE | ACCURACY | RESOLUTION RESISTANCE 200O ±0.5% of reading 0.1Q 2KQ ±0.5% of reading 1Q 20KQ 10O 200KQ 100Q 2MQ 1KO 20MQ ±1.0% of reading 10KO Unit comes complete with probes, batteries, carrying case and manual. Size: 6.75'H x 3.5"W x 1.25'D Measures: AC/DC Voltage, AC/DC Current, Resistance, Diodes, Transistor hFE, Audible Continuity Test • Auto Zeroing • Input Impedance: 10MQ ■ Overload Protection: 1000VAC/VDC • One- Year Warranty M3800 3 5 Digit Multimeter $39.95 METEX Handheld Digital Multimeters A\ETEX Overload Protection • Jumbo 3.5 and 4.5 Digit (.7" High) LCD • Audible Continuity Test • 1 Year Warranty • Ruggedized Case AC Voltage (for M3610, M3650 and M4650) Resistance (for M3610, M3650 and M4650) Range ACCURACY RESOLUTION M3610/M3650 M4650 M3610/M3650 M4650 200mV 2V 20V 200V ±1.2% of reading ±0.5% of reading 100)JV 1mV 10mV 100mV 10uV 100(JV 1mV 10mV ±0.8% of reading 750V ±1.2% of reading ±0.8% of reading 1V 100mV Range ACCURACY RESOLUTION M3610/M3650 M4650 M3610/M3650 M4650 200O. ±0.5% of reading ±0.2% of reading 0.1O .010 2KO 20KQ 200KO 2MO ±0.5% ol reading ±0.15% of reading 1Q 10Q 100Q 1KQ 0.1O 10 10O 100O 20MO ±1% of reading ±0.5% of reading 10KO 1KO DC Voltage (for M3610, M3650 and M4650) Range ACCURACY RESOLUTION M3610/M3650 M4650 M3610/M3650 M4650 200mV 100uV 10(jV 2V 1mV 100(JV 20V ±0.3% of reading ±.05% of reading 10mV ImV 200V lOOmV 10mV 1000V ±0.3% of reading ±0.1% of reading 1V 100mV Capacitance (for M3650 and M4650 only) Range ACCURACY RESOLUTION M3650/M4650 M3650 M4650 2000pl 200nf ±2% of reading 1pf lOOpt O.lpf lOp! 20(Jf ±3% of reading lOnl 1 nf Frequency (for M3650 and M4650 on y) Range ACCURACY RESOLUTION M3650/M4650 M3650 M4650 20KHZ 200KHZ ±2% of reading 10Hz 100Hz 1Hz 10Hz ET302 /WETEX Handheld Digital Multimeter /VlElEX The Economical Choice for a High Quality, High Accuracy Digital Multimeter - 3.5 Digit (.5" High) LCD Readout • Audible Continuity Test • 1-Year Warranty AH units come complete with probes, batteries, carrying case & manual. Size: 7"H x 3.5" Wx 1.5"D M3610: • Measures: AC/DC Voltage, AC Current (200uA to 20A), DC Current (200/jA to 20A), Resistance, Diodes, Transistor hFE, Audible Continuity Test • Auto-Zeroing • Input Impedance: 10MQ • Overload Protection: 1000VAC/VDC M3610 3.5 Digit Multimeter $49.95 M3650: • Measures: AC/DC Voltage, AC Curr. (2m A to 20A), DC Curr. (200uA to 20A), Resistance, Diodes, Transistor hFE, Audible Continuity Test, Freq. & Capacitance • Auto-Zeroing ■ Input Imped.: 10MO ■ Overload Protection: 1000VAC/VDC M3650 3.5 Digit Multimeter with Frequency and Capacitance Measurement $69.95 M4650: • Measures: AC/DC Voltage, AC Current (2mA to 20A). DC Current (200J/A to 20A), Resistance, Diodes, Transistor hFE, Audible Continuity Test, Frequency and Capacitance • Auto-Zeroing • Data Hold Switch ■ Input Impedance: 1 0MD • Overload Protection: 1000VAC/VDC M4650 4.5 Digit Multimeter with Freq./Cap. Measurement and Data Hold Switch. $99.95 . ■ :;■• ( Kffii "if*- ^ ';i»^,r,;JV 20A A COM WO : OOP 1 ■ :^ -SI :.»?;•".•" ■•J3EV »* •:. <•■ «H» ■'-• .tt* — — f © ©s®*® SOA A \ COM WO ■oiai^BCESB M3610 • ,. .... ,., i I- ou JU 1 1B==S— ■ SS, « -,v';: m^ pf •■ V: fa © © © © 2QA A 'CLOSE-OUT PRICING - PART NUMBER WILL BE DISCONTINUED WHEN STOCK IS DEPLETED! • Quality Components • Competitive Pricing • Prompt Delivery • (415) 592-8097 12 ameco ■JI^J:l.l?IH51 JE680 UNIVERSAL IC PROGRAMMER Jl^l Programs 16K to 512K EPROMs, EEPROMs and PROMs, PALs, GALs, EPLs and PLDs JE680 Features: • Universal IC Programmer: memory and logic devices • Stand-alone or computer- controlled modes • Parallel printer port and RS232C port • Automatic self-test on power up • Auto-Sense • Pin Check • Split/Shuffle • Full functional test on logic devices • Patented design for programming reliability • No personality modules needed • Variable baud rates - up to 9600bps JE680 Description of Operations: One-Year Warranty! JE680 Universal IC Programmer The new JE680 Universal IC Programmer supports and programs virtually all devices from 1 6K to 51 2K and with up to 28 pins. The JE680 will program memory-type ICs such as MOS and CMOS EPROMs, EEPROMs and PROMs as well as logic-type ICs such as PALs, GALs, RALs, PLDs, EPLDs, EEPLDs and FLPDs. The JE680 programming algorithms meet all manufacturers' specifications and support STANDARD, INTELLIGENT and QUICK PULSE methods. The JE680 supports 1 8 data formats, such as JEDEC, INTEL HEX, ASCII HEX, Motorola S and Binary. It is compatible with virtually all software package programs including: PALASM, PLAN, CUPL, ABEL, AMAZE and SGAPL. The RAM buffer EDIT function allows you to LIST, SET, INSERT, MOVE, DELETE and SWAP data. Incorporated with the JE680 is a full array of TEST functions including Automatic Self-Test, Insertion and Backward-Device Check. The Auto-Sense allows the user to insert and remove ICs sequentially to automatically repeat an operation; no other action is required. The Pin Check examines individual pin continuity using pulse- reflection techniques; displays bad pin numbers. The Split/Shuffle function allows you to split your data up into even (high) and odd (low) bytes (8-bit), words (1 6-bit) or long words (32-bit). The Shuffle function allows you to reverse the procedure (see diagram, right). After programming your logic device, a full functional test ensures that your device has been programmed in accordance with your design. In addition to the loop test, the JE680 will perform consecutive test cycles to simulate worst-possible conditions so as to weed out logic devices with intermittent or other performance problems. While the JE680 can be operated as a stand-alone unit, it can also be linked to an IBM PC/XT/ AT or other compatible computer or to a data terminal. The user may output fuse-pattern and vector-table data or memory data to a printer. Specifications: • Input: 1 1 5VAC, 60Hz • Size: 1 5.6"L x 1 2"D x 3.7"H • Weight: 1 2.8 lbs. • One-Year Warranty SPLIT BYTE EXAMPLE 1 SPLIT AND SHUFFLE BYTE 1 2 3 3 5 • 4 5 6 2 7 4 • 6 • Part No. Description Price JE680 JE680AP Universal IC Programmer (Includes MS-DOS Menu-Driven Software, a ^ -re\c\ f\c DB25 male to female cable and Centronics 36-pin male to female printer cable) ..... Ij> I #"9.95 Software option package for logic design applications (assembler package) — **»*» provides Boolean conversion, auto compiling and fuse map generation. $29.95 13 For complete product line, request Jameco's new 74 page 1989 Catalog [ FOR OFFICE USE ONLY ORDER** ORDER FORM 24 HOUR ORDER HOTLINE (415) 592-8097 The Following Phone Lines Are Available From 7AM-5PM P.S.T.: • Customer Service (415) 592-8121 • Technical Assistance (415) 592-9990 • Credit Dept. (415) 592-9983 • All Other Inquiries (415) 592-71 08 1355 Shoreway Road Belmont, CA 94002 Telex 176043 MasterCard FAX Your Order To Us! (415) 592-2503 -or- (415) 595-2664 V/SA" 1989 CATALOG Business Hours: Monday thru Friday 7AM - 5PM P.S.T. Effective October 7, 7988 Expires October 1, 1989 Prices Subject to Change Mail Key: 989 Customer Account No. EXPEDITE YOUR ORDER BY INCLUDING YOUR SIX DIGIT CUSTOMER ACCOUNT NUMBER SHIP TO: NAME: ADDRESS: . Floor. Room, Suile No CITY:_ STATE: .ZIP: DAYTIME PHONE NO. VERY IMPORTANT!!! EXT. METHOD OF PAYMENT: □ Prepaid (check enclosed) □ COD □ Credit Card □ Net 30 Days (Account must be previously established) PURCHASE ORDER NO.: Please check one: D MasterCard Expires Name or number of bank thai issued VISA or MASTERCARD _ AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE: NAME (Please Print): Item No. PART NUMBER DESCRIPTION DATA SHEETS PRICE EACH AMOUNT EXTENDED 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 k.ji QUCCTC lncludes descriptive data and UAIA oHfct I O basic electrical requirements only. TOTAL DATA SHEETS DOMESTIC ORDERS: United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands Postage and Handling: • First Class Mail - approx. 10% of the total order ($4.00 min.); UPS Ground -approx. 5% of the total order ($2.00 min.), carrier delivery 5-7 days. • UPS 2nd Day — approx. 10% of the total order ($3.00 minimum), carrier delivery 2-3 days. UPS Next Day Air - approx. 10% of the total order ($11 .50 min.). Charges will vary by weight. Insurance: $1.50 (not responsible for uninsured parcels) Tax: California Residents only — "Please include applicable sales tax for your area (i.e., 6%, 6V2%, 7%) Front and Attached Sheet Sub-Total CALIFORNIA ONLY 6%, BVHb, 7% TAX* FOREIGN ORDERS: Canada, and all others not Domestic Postage and Handling: 25% of total order ($6.00 minimum) Insurance: $3.00 (only where postal regulations allow). NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CASH SENT WITH ORDERS OR UNINSURED PARCELS. Payment: Cashier's Check, Money Order, VISA or Master Card (U.S. Funds only, payable through a U.S. Bank — please do not send cash) $1C 10.00 24 Hour Service Charge Non Refundable Shipping and Handling: D FCM UPS: □ Ground i"! 2nd Day U Next Day Air Jaf ■=ii*»;T..;irei CHANGE OF ADDRESS IF YOU HAVE MOVED Please write your old and new address in the spaces provided. Jameco OLD ADDRESS - Company OLD Address - City NEW ADDRESS - □ $1.50 Fee Insurance Credit Memo (Must send orig. packing slip) TOTAL NEW Address _ City JAMECO THANKS YOU FOR YOUR ORDER! • Quality Components • Competitive Pricing • Prompt Delivery • (415) 592-8097 14 Mill Ortic-r Elaclfonics ■ Worfdwid* ELECTRONICS 1355 Shoreway Road Belmont, CA 94002 (415) 592-8097 24-Hour Order Hotline (415) 592-8121 All Other Inquiries (7AM-5PM PST) FAX 415/592-2503 • TELEX176043 FAX 415/595-2664 U.S. MAIL • INCOMING P ^^^M ^_^^_^__^___ ^_^^_^^__ 5SING • Q.C. INSPECTION^! UPONENT PACKAGING • CUSTOMER SERVICE ^ 24 HR ORDER HOTLINE - AUTOMATED PROCESSING Mac llx Object-Oriented Programming Mac II Expansion Boards Short Takes • Plus More . Drive Safely Safety first. That's the basic rule of thumb with disk drives because you can't risk crashing. And that's precisely why you should buy a Jasmine DirectDrive™ Ranging in storage from 20MB up to 140MB, all DirectDrives have to first pass the Jasmine torture test: 10 million read/write commands with stop starts at low voltages. Equipped with Symantec'" Utilities for Macintosh, you can even recover data from a mistakenly initialized hard drive— something nobody else can do. Q DirectDrive 20 by Jasmine 0 DirectDrive 45 i>yi™ 0 DirectDrive 70 i,y Jasmine :^l 0 DirectDrive 140 by jK! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm » i ,i . mmmmmmmm © 1988 jasmine Technologies, Inc. DirectDrive is a trademark of Jasmine Technologies, Inc. Symantec Utilities for Macintosh is a trademark of Symantec Corp. Redux is a trademark of Microseeds. Prices subject to change. Then back everything up with Microseeds' simple yet power- ful Redux™ software that's included too. And our true SCSI partitioning means you can allocate distinct storage "partitions" to different users, managing everything from the control panel. Yet another Jasmine exclusive. We drive faster than the competition and offer a no-nonsense two year limited warranty It's storage you can definitely afford. And given the value of your data and our safety record, you can't afford to consider anything else. DirectDrive 20- $549 DirectDrive 45- $799 DirectDrive 70- $999 DirectDrive 100-11249 DirectDrive 140- $1499 Call for P.O. pricing. £ Jasmine 1-800-347-3228 1 Jasmine Technologies, Inc. 1740 Army Street San Francisco, CA 94124 415-648-1625 (FAX) 415-282-1111 Circle M12 on Reader Service Card ■ ■'■'. DECEMBER 1988 VOLUME 13 NUMBER 13 BYTE Macintosh Special Edition Editorial: A Great Race by Gene Smarte 2 Modeling Made Easier by Don Crabb 5 Bulletin Board Software for the Mac by Brock N. Meeks 11 Short Takes 19 The 68030 Mac IIx by Nicholas M. Baran and Tom Thompson 24 Mac Expansion by Glenn Hartwig 29 Writing Macintosh Device Drivers by Joel West and Mark Anderson 32 How the Macintosh II NuBus Works by Trevor Marshall and Jim Potter 38 Program Extenders by Laurence H. Loeb 52 Editorial Index by Company 61 Why I Like the Macintosh by Harry Conover 64 Why I Still Don't Use a Macintosh by Stan Miastkowski 64 BYTE (ISSN 0360-5280) is published monthly wilh an additional issue in October by McGraw-Hill, Inc. Founder: James H. McGraw (1860-1948). Executive, editorial, circulation, and advertising offices: One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458, phone (603) 924-9281. Office hours: Monday through Thursday 8:30 AM^*:30 PM, Friday 8:30 AM-1:00 PM, Eastern Time. Address subscriptions to BYTE Subscriptions, P.O. Box 551, Hightstown, NI 08520. Postmaster: Send address changes, USPS Form 3579, undeliverable copies, and fulfillment questions to BYTE Subscriptions, P.O. Box 551, Hightstown, NJ 08520. 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BYTE is available in microform from University Microfilms International, 300 North Zeeb Rd., Dept. PR, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 or 18 Bedford Row, Dept. PR, London WC1R 4EJ, England. Subscription questions or problems should be addressed to: BYTE Subscriber Service, P.O. Box 551, Hightstown, NJ 08520. COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: PAUL AVIS © 1988 Second 1988 Mac Special Edition 'BYTE MAC 1 EDITORIAL Gene Smarte A Great Race ... in which users prove to be the big winners Cometimes things seem to work out better when there's a little competition. It brings out the best in almost everybody. Take, for example, the two main con- tenders in the microcomputer race, the Macintosh and the IBM crowds. To be sure, some strong feelings are found on both sides. Still, both have in- corporated some of the other's successes into their own arsenals, benefiting users. In fact, you and I have had a hand in shaping the computing environments in which we work. Let's Go Racing This microcomputer business is a little weird; it's hard to come up with a meta- phor that accurately represents it. In an automobile race, for example, you have backers, owners, designers, mechanics, drivers, and others, all of whom work to- gether. All things being nearly equal, there are lots of little self-contained orga- nizations or teams. If a team's mechanic improves on a fuel-metering system or builds an inno- vative suspension system, that team might have to show it to the sanctioning body, but not to its competitors. The members of that team might win more races, claim more prize money, and chuckle to themselves, but, generally, their secrets are protected. When a company innovates in just about any area of microcomputer tech- nology, it might surge ahead in the race. Yet, eventually, it gives its competitors, in the form of production units, the de- tails of its hard work. Legalities notwithstanding, a com- pany's secrets are available for all to di- gest and mimic. Most important of all, you and I can scrutinize all the entries, and if we, the "spectators," are not satis- fied, we send the deficient teams back to their drawing boards. We hold a lot of power in our fingertips. All this competition and innovation provides a great benefit, though: We spectators get to enjoy a really great race. The race cars are competitive, and we can pick a favorite based on what brand, model, or other subtlety we like. Why, sometimes we can even influence the features of the racecourse: If we are willing to pay for a certain feature, just about every competitor will add a special interpretation of it next year. The Green Flag In the early days of microcomputing, when the Apple II began to succeed, it founded an entirely new class in the great computing races. The prize money looked attractive to old pro IBM, and it wanted to compete. Thus, it unveiled the IBM PC, complete with expansion slots, something that Apple had shown to be at- tractive to spectators. Two favorites emerged, sleek versus boxy, and, fol- lowed by other contenders in all shapes and horsepowers, the race was on. When Apple introduced the mono- coque Macintosh, the race began to take on a whole new look. Though flawed with small memory, a single disk drive, no expansion slots, and more appear- ances of the system Bomb than was appreciated, the Mac's icon-based aero- dynamics and Motorola power pushed the competition up a notch or two. A Design Hiccup? IBM's new Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) induction system was supposed to bring the next leap in performance. But racing teams and fans seemed a bit disen- chanted. A new fuel (OS/2) was very ex- pensive (memory) and difficult to obtain in a complete blend (the missing add-on Managers). Some performance was to be gained in an endurance race, but a large season-pass investment was required of the spectators. This new design, similar but not quite equal in magnitude to the Macintosh's, has not become the darling of the racing set. In fact, some mutual competitors, after test-driving the MCA machines, decided to form their own racing consor- tium. They are using the proven AT-bus design and will try to take on IBM and Apple using the large numbers inherent in spectator power. Meanwhile, Apple pulled the tarp off a boxy entry called the Macintosh II, com- plete with expansion slots. And while it retains the spirit behind the technology of the original Mac, physically it looks like an IBM design. Then, unexplain- ably, partway through the season, Apple decided it has a winner and raised the ad- mission prices. Well, as I said, it's tough to find a really accurate metaphor. You might argue that all this copying and trying to please all the spectators breeds a dull homogeneity. But as long as there are enough devotees to support a concept, that concept can live. The hard- ware and software that we see are reflec- tions not only of the inventors but also of the environment in which they exist. Where will the race end? We hope it never does. What's under the Hood The foregoing brings us to this, BYTE's second Macintosh Special Edition for 1988. You knowledgeable and skillful spectators asked for a bigger Macintosh venue, and we have responded. In 1989, four more Macintosh Special Editions are scheduled to appear, in March, June, August, and December. As the Mac continues to evolve, BYTE will continue to provide you with practi- cal information and theory that will help you build and maintain a personal com- petitive edge. See you at the races! — Gene Smarte Special Projects Editor (BIX name "gsmarte") MAC 2 BYTE' Second 1988 Mac Special Edition The Mac II Workstation • Recapture Desk Space Held Hostage by your Computer! • Radial Arm Suspends the Monitor above the Desk Top. • Adjustable Processor Shelf Keeps CPU out of the way, yet still within easy reach. • Instant "touch-of-a-hand" Monitor Adjustments: - 6-inch Vertical - 20-inch Horizontal - 360° Swivel/20o Tilt • Position Beside or Behind Existing Desk or Table. • Available with Mobile Frame and Adjustable Worksurface. • Multiple Arm Capability. • Priced from $500.00 Compatible with: - Apple 12" - Apple 13" - Macintosh SE - Mac Plus - Monochrome 19" Monitors - 19" -24" Monitors weighing up to 62 lbs. Macintosh SE Call toll free (800) 888-8458 for a free Installation Planning Guide. GRGU i Hon 3450 Yankee Drive Eagan, MN 55121 (612) 452-8135 • (800) 888-8458 Circle M10 on Reader Service Card Second 1988 Mac Special Edition -BYTE MAC 3 NATURAL LANGUAGE INTERFACE . ■ - .'.••<; THE COMPUTER CHRONICLES MAKES KEEPING UP WITH THE INFORMATION AGE EASY Stewart Cheifet and Gary Kildall are your eo-hosts for a weekly half-hour television program aimed at computer users, owners, educators and computer industry pro- fessionals. If you're looking for help in finding out what's new and what's news, tune in to THE COMPUTER CHRONICLES every week on your local public television station. Regular commentators are Jan Lewis, President of Lewis Research Corporation and publisher/editor of JAN LEWIS GEORGE MORROW The Computer Chronicles is funded in part by McGraw-Hill's E YTI magazine. The Computer Chronicles is a co-production of WITF/ Harrisburg and KCSM/San Mateo. HyperAge magazine, and George Morrow, founder of Morrow Designs. Topics this season include: CD ROMS — Shareware — Multitasking — Business Graphics — Investment Software — PC Imaging — PC Networks — Decision Support Software — Laser Printers — HyperCard — Input Devices — and MUCH MORE. Each week THE COMPUTER CHRONICLES looks at the top stories of the week in Random Access, a news segment designed to keep you informed about the latest developments in the computer industry. THE COMPUTER CHRONICLES, a weekly half- hour of public television that just might be the help you need. THE COMPUTER CHRONICLES IS NOW ON BIX Bix, the Byte Information Exchange, now has a conference for the Computer Chronicles. Now you can communicate directly with the staff of the Computer Ch ronicles to suggest topics for future shows or to request information or details on past shows. Once on Bix, just type "join comp.chron" at the colon (:) prompt. MAC 4 BYTE* Second 1988 Mac Special Edition BYTE MACINTOS* cniTif>M Modeling Made Easier Don Crabb Writing simulations usually isn't consid- ered trivial, but when you possess the proper environment and tools, you can do some pretty impressive work. In this article I would like to introduce you to a commercial software product that mar- ries simulation modeling and object-ori- ented programming (OOP). Together, they make a very productive combination on the Mac. However, before I can talk about the software and how it works, we need to look at OOP in general. Although much has been written about it in the last two years (see August 1986 BYTE), OOP can be reduced to a couple of fundamental notions. First of all, OOP looks at programming problems differently than more traditional meth- ods. Programmers using non-OOP pro- cedural languages such as FORTRAN or Pascal might think about creating a pro- gram as a series of black boxes, each of which solves one part of the problem at hand. In this case, they would construct a new program by first breaking the prob- lem down into its constituent parts (the divide-and-conquer strategy), writing program segments to solve each part of the problem, and then assembling the program parts in the proper order. Blocks, structure, order of execution, and timing are critical to this kind of pro- gramming orientation. Doing It the OOP Way Programmers using OOP languages or tools don't need to decompose a problem in this manner, nor do they need to reas- semble it in a structured way. Their con- cern is not with composing algorithms or specifying precise data types. Instead, OOP programmers concentrate on the objects that need to be manipulated and how they can be manipulated. OOP pro- gramming considers data and algorithms to be inseparable because they join to form the objects. OOP languages are not procedural; they are declarative. OOP emphasizes definitions. Objects, then, form the basis for any Simulation modeling meets object-oriented programming OOP language or development environ- ment. The agents that act upon objects are called methods (they correspond to functions or procedures in a procedural language). Objects communicate among themselves using messages, which are kind of like function or subroutine calls. All the actions that take place in an OOP system result from objects sending mes- sages to other objects. OOP systems also support sophisticated object classifica- tion methods, called object classes, so you can assign like properties to a group of objects (individual objects in a class are called instances). Inheritance is perhaps the most power- ful construct found in OOP languages and systems. It allows instances of the same class to inherit properties or be- haviors from all those classes that pre- cede it in your overall object classifica- tion scheme. Inheritance saves you from a lot of repetitive coding, helps simplify overall application design, speeds up compilation, and allows you to concen- trate on creating your application rather than concentrating on the development environment. Now that you know a bit about what makes up an OOP language and environ- ment, consider what happens when you combine "OOPness" with another inter- esting programming class, simulations. Computer simulations attempt to imitate naturally occurring processes in as much detail as possible without requiring a real-world interface. The simulation oc- curs strictly in the memory of the com- puter and in the display on the screen. Naturally, simulations can be difficult to create and program, although main- frame simulation tools have been around for a while. Simulation on the Mac Simulation software for the Mac has just gotten off the ground. A program called Stella was an early pioneer, and it has been updated several times since its re- continued ILLUSTRATION: KEVIN HAWKES © 1988 Second 1988 Mac Special Edition -BYTE MAC 5 MODELING MADE EASIER lease. The program that best typifies the happy marriage of OOP and simulation programming, however, is called Ex- tend. Created by Bob Diamond and pub- lished by Imagine That! (I love that name!), Extend uses block diagram models to represent the essence of a sim- ulation and to display the behavior of a complex simulation system. But it is Extend' s ability to build libraries of dia- gram blocks, each with custom icons, di- alog boxes, on-line help, and separate behaviors, that gives you some OOP power, because blocks can be manipu- lated in ways similar to OOP objects. E xtend's power comes from its modeling capability. Extend includes its own modeling lan- guage, called ModL. Extend reminds me in many ways of HyperCard. Not that it's stack-oriented, because it's not. Not because HyperTalk looks like ModL, because it doesn't. Not because they both cost $49.95; Extend costs $495. No, Extend reminds me of HyperCard for three other reasons. First, Extend works with what can be called an object-like orientation— not the true object orientation I described above, but more like the partial OOP features found in HyperCard. Second, Extend permits nonspecialists to create com- puter simulations in the same way that HyperCard permits nonspecialists to create their own stacks. And third, Ex- tend's ModL language, like HyperTalk, provides for message handlers (on handlers). As with any simulation system, Ex- tend's power comes from its modeling capabilities. Unlike some mainframe simulation systems I've played with, Ex- tend provides an integrated environment for the development of simulations. It in- cludes a graphics window in which you can run existing simulations from their block diagrams (Extend includes useful samples), build new simulations from li- braries of existing blocks, or create new block diagrams entirely and incorporate them into new simulations. Extend also continued Listing 1: A sample simulation script from Extend. This one is called EarthQuake. Notice the similarity to the C language. constant Pspeed is 3.6; ** miles/second constant ratio is 0.3; ** ratio of S to P wave speed integer nuniP, num2P, numS, num2S, iiP, iiS, jjP, jjS; real PArray[], SArray[]; ** here is the user-defined function that calculates the ** wave propagation for the media Real waveCalc (integer num2, integer i, integer j, real waveArrayf], real wavein) { integer k; ** Wave propagation k = 1-1; if (k < 0) k = num2-l; ** exponential decay of waves waveArray[i] = wavein-. 25*waveArray [i]-.125*waveArray [k] ; return (waveArray [ j ] ) ; } on simulate { . integer k; real SWavePart, s, p; DistanceOut = Distanceln+Distance; ** sum all distances ** for final magnitude ** calculation if (numP) ** if more than zero elements in transmission line ** S Wave propagation iiS = iiS%num2S; jjS = jjS%num2S; sWaveOut = waveCalc (num2S, iiS, jjS, Sarray, SWavein) ; iiS++; JJS++; ** P Wave propagation iiP = iiP%num2P; jjP = jjP%num2P; pWaveOut = waveCalc (num2p, iiP, jjP, Parray, PWavein) ; iiP++; JJP++; } else { sWaveOut = sWaveln; pWaveOut = pWaveln; on endsim { disposeArray (SArray) ; d i spo se Array (P Array) ; simulation is over, throw away dynamic arrays continued MAC 6 BYTE- Second 1988 Mac Special Edition IBM PCs and Macintoshes in the same office? 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S? / v.v.vrvrV.'.v, ' *T T* *T *T *~l * \ " i '*» '*■- * i_ A— S_ t_ |_ Ji. 1. 1— 1_ .. / -LJ /iiii Dayna Communications, Inc., 50 South Main Street, Fifth Floor, Salt Lake City, Utah 84144, 801 531-0203 Circle M5 on Reader Service Card Second 1988 Mac Special Edition "BYTE MAC 7 MODELING MADE EASIER includes various kinds of output win- dows, although you might typically trace the behavior of your simulation through a plot. Requirements for Extend are a Mac Plus, SE, or II with 1 megabyte of RAM. The program is available only on 800K- byte floppy disks, and a hard disk drive is recommended. And if you use Multi- finder, you can set up your simulations to compute in the background while you continue on with other work in the fore- ground. You represent blocks by icons, which are the objects of the system. Each block can be as simple or complex as your E xtend manages the interblock messaging that makes the process work. needs dictate. The actions a particular block takes are governed by its script, written in ModL, a C-like language. Blocks are connected to other blocks through lines (that represent signal paths, for example), while the lines themselves end in symbols called con- nectors. Extend supports only two types of con- nectors, input and output. Extend signals work much like OOP messages; they are the means by which blocks communicate with each other, passing along the results of a block's processing so it can be used by the other blocks in the simulation model. Each block supports its own dialogs, so you can query the user of the simula- tion for specific inputs. This dialog box support is standard Mac stuff, so the simulation you build acts much like any other Mac application. The block dialog boxes support the usual interface conven- tions, including such items as edit fields, push buttons, radio buttons, and check boxes. When a simulation is running, Extend manages the interblock messaging that makes the process work, informing each block of the current state of the simula- tion by sending it system messages. The ModL language won't win any awards for originality, but it does have a shallow learning curve, especially for on ok ** check for acceptable values before closing dialog { if (noValue (distance) II distance < 0.0) ( userError ("Please enter a positive value for Distance") ; abort ; on checkdata ** check for acceptable values before simulation ( if (noValue (distance) I I distance < 0.0) abort; on stepsize { ** calculate the deltaTime to give us at least 4 elements ** in the array. Extend TM will use the minimum deltaTime ** of all the blocks, so that you may end up with more ** than 4 elements deltatime = distance/ (4 .0*Pspeed) ; ** minimum of 4 elements ** in array on initsim ( ** here we now know the deltaTime that Extend TM is using ** so we can build the array used for our transmission ** line model ** calculate the number of elements necessary for the S wave numS = distance/ (deltaTime*Pspeed*ratio) +0.5; num2S = numS*2; makearray (SArray, num2S) ; ** initialize the array to zero for (iiS=0; iiS; MAC 34 BYTE* Second 1988 Mac Special Edition WRITING MACINTOSH DEVICE DRIVERS All entry points return a status value as a function result. The DRVRRuntime.o glue places this value in DO, but DRVR- Open must place the return value in pb-> ioResult instead, because the Device Manager clobbers the return code in DO. Most device drivers require internal storage to maintain information about the device and any I/O that's in progress. The dCtlStorage field is used to store a handle allocated by DRVROpen and de- allocated by DRVRClose. A driver de- signed to run in the application heap should set dNeedGoodbye to clean up on termination; the Device Manager calls DRVRControl with csCode = -1 before quitting the application and wiping out the heap. Three Kinds of Traps Each of the seven basic Device Manager traps can be made in one of three ways, distinguished by bits in the trap word, as shown in figure 2. Two of these ways— synchronous and asynchronous— go through the I/O queue, while the third, immediate, does not. The default and most common case is for an application to use a synchronous call. The Device Manager waits for the driver to set io- Result to noErr or to a negative value. However, an application may not wish to wait until a driver call (usually a _Read or _Write) is completed. Each of the low-level Device Manager calls can be made asynchronously, either by pass- ing true for the async parameter to PB- Read or PBWrite, or by setting the asyn- chronous bit on the assembly language trap. The application must pass the ad- dress of its completion routine in the pa- rameter block. This routine has to pre- serve registers A2 through A6 and D3 through D7 if it uses them, and it cannot call the Memory Manager, either direct- ly or indirectly. Normally, the Device Manager han- dles an I/O request by placing the appli- cation's parameter block into the operat- ing system queue referenced by dce-> dCtlQHdr. As the driver satisfies a re- quest, the Device Manager removes it and calls the driver with the next request. Any JCilllO call completely empties the queue; it also sets the pb-> ioResult field to abortErr and then calls the ap- plication-specified completion routine. In some cases, you may wish to bypass this queuing mechanism and let an appli- cation perform an operation directly. For example, if your application wants to find out the status of a pending I/O re- quest, it should probably use an immedi- ate _Status call. Since the standard De- vice Manager glue doesn't support A 0 "A" trap code Synchronous 0 Immediate 2 Asynchronous 4 _Open _Close .Read .Write .Control .Status .KilllO Figure 2: Device Manager trap word. Notice the seven possible traps and the three ways— synchronous (normal), immediate, or asynchronous— in which each can occur. immediate calls, you need to write your own glue (see listing 2). (Note that the Device Manager always treats the JCill- lO trap as immediate.) Asynchronous calls are primarily in- tended for DRVRPrime, and immediate calls for DRVRControl and DRVRStatus. The two are mutually exclusive— that is, immediate calls are never asynchro- nous—and neither type of call is valid for DRVROpen or DRVRClose. IODone When a driver responds to a trap, it may need to perform some standard house- keeping tasks before returning. DRVR- Open and DRVRClose routines are the simplest, since they are always called synchronously and they always return normally. If a DRVRPrime, DRVRControl, or DRVRStatus entry point has been called via a synchronous request, your driver should usually jump to the IODone rou- tine, as pointed to by low-memory global JIODone (at location 0x8FC). It's up to your driver to determine how it was called, normally by checking the trap word stored in pb->ioTrap. The IODone routine removes this request from the I/O queue, executes the application-supplied completion routine (if any), and calls the driver to execute the next I/O request. It's possible that the completion rou- tine could start another I/O request, thus causing the size of the stack to grow. To avoid this problem, you should write each driver entry point in assembly lan- guage to jump directly to IODone with its return address on the stack. (You can also call IODone as a subroutine, via glue.) The MPW 2.0 DRVRRuntime.o glue tries to handle this problem for the driver writer by automatically providing an IO- Done call for all DRVRPrime calls. Unfor- tunately, it doesn't provide the IODone calls required for control or status calls. Listing 2: The "glue" needed to support an immediate call. ; pascal OSErr PBStatusImmed (ParamBlkPtr pb) ; PBStatusImmed PROC EXPORT MOVEA.L (A7)+,A1 MOVEA.L (A7)+,A0 _Status IMMED MOVE.W DO, (A7) JMP (Al) Also, asynchronous read and write calls can't call IODone before the I/O is complete. In actual practice, few DRVRPrime routines actually call IODone. If the driver is performing direct I/O via 68000 memory-mapped locations, it will trans- fer the first data byte and then return. It's up to the driver interrupt routine to trans- fer any additional data or to call IODone if no more data is left. Note that the DRVRControl routine must treat any JCilllO trap (indicated by pb->csCode==l) as immediate. It should clean up its internal state, but it doesn't have to empty the queue or abort the completion routines— the Device Manager handles these. Figure 3 con- tains a flowchart illustrating the general algorithms for the control and status en- try points, while figure 4 shows the DRVRPrime and driver-supplied interrupt routines. A Test Drive Let's take a functional skeleton driver, .Shadow, as an example. The driver is written primarily in MPW C, with some assembly language code and Rez re- source definitions. [Editor's note: The source code listing for the program .Shadow is available in a variety of for- mats. Seepage 3 for further details.] The continued Second 1988 Mac Special Edition -BYTE MAC 35 WRITING MACINTOSH DEVICE DRIVERS DRVRControl Yes Reset driver state DRVRStatus Perform call Yes < Return No (synchronous, asynchronous) JMP lODone Figure 3: Flowchart illustrating control- and status-completion logic. DRVRPrime Interrupt routine Read/write first char Indicate I/O pending No Clear interrupt source Return ] Yes ( Return Yes Read/write another char Clear interrupt source JMP lODone J Figure 4: Flowchart illustrating read- and write-completion logic. .Shadow driver sits between any applica- tion and the real driver, functioning much like a software breakout box. You could use this skeleton to log the calls to an arbitrary driver by adding code to write debugging traces to a reserved block of memory , to a serial port, or even to disk. As configured, .Shadow receives the calls for modem port .AOut and then passes them to the real .AOut driver. .Shadow contains the five standard en- try points DRVROpen, DRVRClose, DRVR- Prime, DRVRControl, and DRVRStatus. The general strategy is to receive a pa- rameter block from an application, patch the appropriate fields of that block, call the real driver, restore the parameter block, and return. The task is compli- cated by the various ways— synchronous, asynchronous, and immediate— in which you may call a driver routine, and by the completion mechanism of each. How It Works Let's start with the simplest case: imme- diate calls. The .Shadow driver replaces our driver's reference number in the pa- rameter block with the reference number of the real driver. The same call is made to the real driver with our modified pa- rameter block. Our driver then passes along the return value to our calling rou- tine and restores the reference number. For a synchronous call, our driver can use essentially the same method that it used for the immediate call: Install the real reference number, call the real driver, and then restore our driver's ref- erence number. Instead of returning, however, the entry point calls the lODone routine to terminate the request to .Shadow. For an asynchronous call, we must also call the lODone routine when the re- quest is complete. In addition, the appli- cation may have specified an ioComple- tion routine. The problem with asynchronous calls lies in determining when we can safely call the lODone routine. We can't simply call the real driver's entry point and then call the lODone function when it returns; this would prematurely call the applica- tion's ioCompletion routine. Instead of patching our parameter block, we have to allocate a new one and fill in the appropriate fields. We must specify our own completion routine that calls the lODone function at the correct time. Our ioCompletion routine also has to copy the returned parameters back into our original parameter block and free the allocated memory. The task is further complicated be- cause we can't call the Memory Manager MAC 36 BYTE- Second 1988 Mac Special Edition WRITING MACINTOSH DEVICE DRIVERS from inside a completion routine, since such a call during interrupt processing could confuse either the Memory Man- ager or the application. To avoid using the memory management routines within our completion routine, our driver main- tains a list of previously allocated blocks. The driver's ioCompletion rou- tine places the block back on our list of unused blocks. When an asynchronous call needs a new block, it checks the list of free blocks. If the list is not empty, an old block is reused. If the list is empty, a new block is allocated from the system, but not until it's safe to use the Memory Manager. When the driver terminates, all the free blocks are returned to the Memory Manager. What to Call and When You always call open routines synchro- nously and complete them with a return call. Our DRVROpen routine patches the name of the real driver into the ioName- Ptr field of the parameter block (.AOut in .Shadow). If the open is successful, we allocate memory in the system heap. Then we store the reference number of the real driver in this memory and ini- tialize our list of free blocks to zero. Like opens, you also call close rou- tines synchronously and complete them with a return call. Our DRVRClose rou- tine first calls our routine Return- Memory, which disposes of each block on our list of used blocks. Then we call CloseDriver with the reference number of the real driver and return its return value as our own. You can call the DRVRPrime, DRVR- Control, and DRVRStatus entry points as synchronous (queued), asynchronous (queued), or immediate (nonqueued). The ioTrap field of the parameter block determines the calling method: If bit 9 is set, it signifies an asynchronous call; if T he author of a device driver meets programming obstacles that are different, if not more difficult, than those facing the application programmer. bit 10 is set, it signifies an immediate call. After determining the calling meth- od, we proceed as above. A call to DRVRControl of csCode=l, representing _KillI0, is a special case. We have to call _KillI0 on the real driver instead of just passing along the _Control call. Otherwise, the real driver's I/O queue will not be cleaned up properly. The Challenge In addition to device dependencies, the author of a device driver encounters pro- gramming obstacles that are different, if not more difficult, than those facing the application programmer. Debugging a program that runs at interrupt level is in- herently difficult. Nonrepeatable timing errors, interactions with debuggers in in- terrupt routines, and differences in inter- rupt levels between different Macintosh models make it more difficult to find the problem. Many standard debugging techniques, such as writing information to a status window, are simply unavail- able. Each Macintosh device driver is unique, and the problems that you will encounter are different from those you may be used to. But these rules and guidelines should help you get started writing device drivers. ■ BIBLIOGRAPHY Designing Cards and Drivers for the Mac- intosh II and Macintosh SE. Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley, 1987. "Device Manager," Inside Macintosh, vols. II (1985), IV (1986), and V (1987). Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley. Joel West is president of Palomar Soft- ware, Inc., in Oceanside, California, and author of Programming with Macin- tosh Programmer's Workshop (Bantam, 1987). Mark Anderson is a software engi- neer for Palomar Software and wrote the device drivers for Tara Four + One, a Mac II communications board. They can be reached on BIX c/o "editors. " We richest and most expressive programming language I've ever used' A/p/wPop Pop-11 for the Macintosh 'the ideal language... an artful blend of Pascal, Lisp, and Forth with a dash of Smalltalk and Prolog" Quotes: Dick Pountain, BYTE May 1988 For orders, information, and free HyperCard stack about AlphaPop, please contact: Computable Functions Inc. • 35 South Orchard Drive, Amherst, MA 01002 U.S.A. • 413-253-7637 Circle M3 on Reader Service Card Second 1988 Mac Special Edition -BYTE MAC 37 MAC 38 BYTE- Second 1988 Mac Special Edition ILLUSTRATION: JOHN S. DYKES© 1988 BYTE MACINTOSH SPECIAL EDITION How the Macintosh II Nu Bus Works Trevor Marshall and Jim Potter One of the nicest things about the Mac II is that most expansion boards plug into it with a minimum of fuss. That is, you don't have to tinker with switch positions or jumpers to get the board to work with the machine. Although this makes things easy on the computer user, it puts a lot of responsibility on the board designer. We built a coprocessor board based on the AMD 29000 reduced-instruction- set-computer microprocessor for the Mac II. In the process, we learned a lot about how Apple's implementation of the Nu- Bus works. As we describe what we did to build an expansion board, you'll see the intricate concert of hardware and software that lets you plug a board into a Mac II and "forget about it." The NuBus The NuBus is a full 32-bit, multiplexed bus (i.e., the address information is multiplexed on the same lines as the data) with the ability to handle 8-, 16-, and 32-bit transfers. It is a synchronous bus, with a 100-nanosecond bus clock that ensures that all transactions occur at the correct intervals. The NuBus was developed at MIT. Originally, it bore little resemblance to the NuBus of today. It was soon licensed by Western Digital, a company that con- tinued its development, and a number of smaller firms began producing NuBus products. By the time NuBus was li- censed to Texas Instruments for that company's range of minicomputers, it had become a synchronous bus. In 1986, the IEEE decided to form a committee to create a standard specification, the IEEE-1 196 NuBus. When Apple was looking for a 32-bit bus for the Mac II, it found the NuBus attractive because of a number of factors : It had the high performance necessary to match the 68020 processor's throughput, yet it used a low-cost, reliable, 96-pin Euro-DIN socket connector that was eas- ily adapted for the automated assembly lines Apple was planning. The starkly Some of the information is not in the manuals simple approach to resolving a board's address mapping on the NuBus would avoid many user-installation problems. In addition, the NuBus specification was just going through the IEEE standards committee, giving Apple the opportunity to incorporate special features it wanted into the bus standard. One modification made to the stan- dard was the addition of a PC form fac- tor. The original NuBus proposal called for a large, triple-height board (1 1 by ap- proximately 14% inches), suitable for minicomputers but not for personal com- puters. The PC form factor that was adopted is approximately the same size as an IBM XT card (4 by 12% inches). The industry had shown that quite com- plex functions could be packed onto a board of that size. The NuBus uses a single 4-gigabyte address space and supports a maximum of 16 card slots. Each slot is uniquely identified and has its own dedicated 16- megabyte slot space within the upper 256 megabytes of the NuBus address space (see figure 1). A NuBus board senses which slot it is in and adjusts its address mapping automatically. This prevents a board from clashing with the address spaces of other boards on the bus, and it eliminates the need for address jumpers or DIP switches to set the board's address space. Detailed operation of the NuBus can be found in Designing Cards and Drivers and won't be repeated here. The current Mac II has only six slots with slot IDs from 9 to E hexadecimal. If you look inside the Mac II, you can see the slot ID silk-screened onto the motherboard alongside each NuBus con- nector. Apple has also defined a super- slot space that associates an additional 256 megabytes per slot. Thus, the 256- megabyte superslot spaces for the current Mac II NuBus implementation range from 9000 OOOOh to EFFF FFFFh, and the 16-megabyte slot spaces range from F900 OOOOh to FEFF FFFFh. It is unlikely that more slots will be made available in the near future. As fig- ure 1 shows, additional slots can't be mapped into the 24-bit addressing mode of the Mac II, even though the hardware decode could address slots 6,7, and 8. In addition, only the bottom megabyte of each slot space is available to programs running in the 24-bit mode (see below). It is possible to connect an expansion chassis mapped into a Mac's unused superslot spaces. The expansion chassis then decodes the 256-megabyte superslot into extra 16-megabyte slot spaces. Macintosh Hardware Overview Figure 2 shows a block diagram of the Mac II's hardware system. The address- mapping unit (AMU) isolates the 68020 CPU and the 68881 math coprocessor from the memory and peripherals, which are connected directly to the 32-bit ad- dress space that the NuBus uses. The AMU may be Apple's custom hardware memory-mapper unit (HMMU), Motor- ola's 68851 paged memory management unit (PMMU), or the Motorola 68030 CPU itself. The I/O chips (VIA1 , VIA2, SCSI, SCC, IWM, and the Apple Sound Chip) are located between addresses 5000 OOOOh and 5FFF FFFFh. The ROM containing the system software sits between 4000 OOOOh and 4FFF FFFFh. In the 32-bit addressing mode, this sys- tem layout allows for 128 megabytes of on-board RAM (from 0 to 3FFF FFFFh). Getting more down-to-earth, when 4- megabit-density single in-line memory continued Second 1988 Mac Special Edition -BYTE MAC 39 HOW THE MAC II NUBUS WORKS modules become available, they will plug directly into the Mac II ' s motherboard and provide 32 megabytes of on-board RAM. Note, however, only software written in the 32-bit mode can take advantage of on- board RAM beyond 8 megabytes (the cur- rent limit using 1-megabit-density SIMMs). This is because applications using the 24-bit addressing mode cannot address the physical address space where this RAM is located. Why is this? Since the address space in the 24-bit mode is limited to 16 mega- bytes, and half of it is already reserved as on-board RAM, something has to give. The compromise is that the Mac IPs Nu- Bus slots are mapped to 1 -megabyte sec- tions (instead of 16 megabytes per slot), and only six slots, with IDs from 9h to Eh, are provided. If you look at the mem- ory map of the Mac II in figure 1 , you can see that this arrangement of the slot space, plus the address space for I/O and ROM, pretty well fills the remaining 8 megabytes of RAM in the 24-bit mode. Obviously, additional RAM must reside continued 256 megabytes Unused 1 6 megabytes FsFF FFFF- FsOO 0000' Macintosh II NuBus slot 4 gigabytes FF FFFF F0 0000 EF FFFF 90 0000 8F FFFF 80 0000 7F FFFF 00 0000 Slot space / Superslots 1 6 megabytes Unused I/O I/O Slots ROM RAM ROM RAM FFFF FFFF F000 0000 EFFF FFFF Slots Unused SlotO Slot F 1 FFFF FFFF | FF00 FFFF FEFF FFFF FsFF FFFF FsOO 0000 F900 0000 F8FF FFFF F100 0000 F0FF FFFF F000 0000 Slot space 9000 0000 8FFF FFFF 6000 0000 5FFF FFFF 5000 0000 4FFF FFFF 4000 0000 3FFF FFFF 0000 0000 Macintosh II 24-bit physical address space Macintosh II 32-bit address space Note: The NuBus address space is identical to the Mac H's 32-bit address space with the following exceptions: ROM address space: F080 0000 -F0FF FFFF I/O address space: F000 0000-F07F FFFF Figure 1: Memory map of the Macintosh II, 24-bit mode and 32-bit mode. Note that in the 24-bit mode, 8 megabytes of the available 16 megabytes is dedicated to on-board RAM. To properly fill the rest of the 24-bit address space, slots must have IDs ranging from 9toE hexadecimal and are allocated only 1 megabyte. MAC 40 BYTE* Second 1988 Mac Special Edition HOW THE MAC II NUBUS WORKS NuBus 68881 FPU 68020 16 MHz BIU BIU AMU PMMU/ HMMU Interrupts iz. Slot interrupts I 1 I RAM 1-2 MB (256K-byte chips) 4-8 MB (1 -megabyte chips) I ROM 256K bytes A 1 1 SEC INT ADB RTC "VBL" INT PWR i: "Slots" INT S C S I IRQ.DRQ . The displayed address will vary de- pending on which slot the video board is placed in. This address points to the base address of the video board, so other Monitor commands can be issued using only the lower part of the full slot ad- dress. If the NuBus Monitor fails to de- tect the presence of a video board other than the two described, you can enter the address offset manually by issuing the command o fNOOOOOO. This sets the Nu- Bus Monitor's operational address offset to slot n. Use the offset number n (9h to Eh) appropriate for your video board location. MAC 42 BYTE* Second 1988 Mac Special Edition HOW THE MAC II NUBUS WORKS The command d f f f 80 dumps the block of memory starting at the top of the video board's declaration ROM. This ROM is used by the Slot Manager soft- ware in the operating system to identify the card, set its byte lanes, and allow exe- cution of start-up code for the device. Table 2 shows the format of this ROM. The examples given here were ob- tained using an Apple Macintosh II video board and an AppleColor 13-inch RGB monitor. If you are using a different video board or a larger display, your re- sults can vary, depending on the board's resolution and the byte lanes it uses. For a Mac II video board, you will see the following at the bottom of your display: f9fff80: 0 0 0 0 f9fff90: 0 0 0 0 f9fffa0: 0 0 0 0 fffffbO: 0 ffOOOOOO fDOOOOOO 14000000 fffffcO: 0 0 10000000 0 f9fffd0: 72000000 97000000 55000000 f8000000 f9fffe0: 1000000 1000000 5a000000 93000000 ffffffO: 2b000000 C7000000 0 elOOOOOO The top byte of the ROM is the word elOOOOOO. This means that the ROM is organized with only 8 significant bits per word (byte lane 0 of the NuBus). "Word" used in this context is a NuBus word, which is 32 bits in size. Since the NuBus Monitor allows only 32-bit transfers, there is no way to isolate the bytes that the ROM uses from the unused NuBus byte lanes (the zeros). Thus, you have to manually extract 1 byte from each word in your display and piece the bytes to- gether to form the sequential data in the declaration ROM. The test pattern 0x5A932BC7 (which is used by the Slot Manager to verify that a valid declaration ROM is present) is visible in NuBus words e8 through f4. The ROM format is type 1 , as is the revi- sion level. You can decode the rest of the ROM using the information in Designing Cards and Drivers. To obtain this ROM dump, the NuBus Monitor has switched the bus to 32-bit mode prior to each read from the NuBus address space used by the peripherals, then has switched back to 24-bit mode to use the Macintosh Toolbox routines to display the data. The BIU chips are doing simple 32-bit reads and writes. An immediate anomaly should be ap- parent: Figure 1 shows that the declara- tion ROM is at the top of the slot space, yet we are dumping memory 1 megabyte above the bottom. The Mac II graphics card is designed with 24-bit "aliasing" (see table 1) by ignoring address lines AD20*, AD21*, AD22*, and AD23*. Thus, the ROM is visible at the same off- set in both the 24- and 32-bit modes. In- deed, the ROM upgrade (to revision B) required on all the early Mac II produc- tion machines was necessary because the early Slot Manager software omitted to check for a ROM using the true 32-bit offset in addition to the aliased 24-bit configuration. Now try f 0 1000 ffffOOOO, which fills the addresses f9000000h to f9001000h with the 32-bit word ffffOOOOh. You should see a series of ver- tical black bars at the top of your screen as you write directly to video memory. Don't worry about your display; it will return to normal either when you exit the NuBus Monitor or when a complete screen redraw is performed, usually by changing the depth of your display. You can experiment and find out how the video board memory is displayed on the screen by carefully filling portions of video memory and then watching where and how the screen changes. Try using the Monitors cdev in the Control Panel DA to change the color or gray-scale as- pects of your monitor screen. With the two-color mode, the same fill command yields wider and taller black bars on the screen, while in the 16-color mode the bars cover a much narrower and smaller area. This is due to the "chunked," or adjacent, positioning of data in video memory. The result is that even though you are still filling the same amount of memory, it covers more of the display when you're using fewer colors. Now change to the 24-bit address mode by giving the m command to the NuBus Monitor program. This toggles the NuBus Monitor's operating mode from 32 bits to 24 bits and lets you ex- periment with the address offsets needed in the 24-bit compatibility mode. Typing the command o 900000 sets up the cor- rect standard board base address in this mode. Again dump from fff80h. You will again see the declaration ROM, mapped by the HMMU from its true 32- bit address (f 9000000) to 900000. Now fill from 0 to 1000 with OOOOffffh. You'll see that the bars have offset slight- ly to the right on your screen, as the Nu- Bus data word used this time reversed the position of the 00 and ff bytes. Memory can also be substituted on a 32-bit basis by typing s 0. This instructs the NuBus Monitor to display 4 bytes at the current offset plus an additional dis- placement (in our example, zero): f9000000: ffffOOOO You can enter up to eight hexadecimal digits at the vertical bar prompt. The digits are converted to a 32-bit value and written into that memory address, and the next 4 bytes are displayed. A simple carriage return without any numeric en- try skips the current address and leaves the memory contents unchanged. Typing a minus character moves the current ad- dress backward, and typing a period places you back in the NuBus Monitor's command mode. You can also copy and move memory by giving the command c 0 200 7000, which copies the contents of addresses 0 through 200h to addresses 7000h to 7200h. If your screen is still in the two-color mode, this command copies the menu continued Table 2: The contents of a configuration ROM's format block. Offset from top of slot space Contents Description 0 Byte lanes NuBus byte lanes to use when accessing the declaration ROM -1 Reserved Must be 0 -2 Test pattern 5A93 2BC7h -6 Format 1 = Apple format -7 Revision Current ROM version; can be 1 through 9 -8 CRC Checksum to verify the declaration ROM -12 Length Number of bytes from the start of the ROM to the start of the ROM's sResources1 -16 Directory offset Signed offset from the offset itself to the sResource directory1 'Values are ir byte lanes. Second 1988 Mac Special Edition -BYTE MAC 43 The Texas Instruments NuBus Chip Set Texas Instruments recently released two chips to ease interface design for the NuBus. The first chip, the 74BCT2420, supplies NuBus-compat- ible address/data transceivers and regis- ters. The second, the 74ACT2440, sup- plies the NuBus master-/slave-state machine logic. If we were to redesign the NuBus Test Card using these new chips, then two 74BCT2420s would re- place the 74ALS651, 74LS374, and 74F521 components. One 74ACT2440 replaces the programmable array logic devices in the NTC schematic. Figure A shows the logic diagram of the 74BCT2420. At the top of the dia- gram are the comparators used to deter- mine whether the NuBus slot ID match- Compare SSEG IDEQ AEN A0-A15 ACLK DEN D0-D15 DCLK < ID0*-ID3* 8(A8-A15) Register ALE ^> G D\-^ A 16 Register G D A V Ah Latch Q D Latch DLE ADSEL ADEN QD MUX >>J ADO*- AD15 Bus Interface I Figure A: Block diagram of the 74BCT2420 logic. es the current address on the bus. The detailed logic of this comparator is illus- trated in figure B. Since the 74BCT2420 is only 16 bits wide, you need two to accommodate the 32-bit- wide NuBus. Both superslot and standard slotspace address allocation of the NuBus are de- coded. The superslot output (SSEQ) compares A12, A13, A14, and A15 with the slot ID to uniquely decode a 256-megabyte address space. The IDEQ output signals normal slot space by checking to see that the superslot is space F while also comparing A8, A9, A10, and A with the slot ID. If you're having difficulty correlating these ad- dress bits with the address map in figure 1 , remember that these parts are only 16 bits wide. Thus, the address bits on the comparator diagram labeled A12-A15 would actually be A28-A31 on the 74BCT2420 connected to the upper half of the 32-bit NuBus, and A8-A1 1 would be A24-A27. The SSEQ and IDEQ out- puts from the 74BCT2420 connected to the lower half of the NuBus would not be used. The maximum delay time between address clock and decoded outputs of this part is 20 nanoseconds, slightly slower than a 74F521 but probably acceptable unless you are trying to de- sign a board that operates with zero Nu- Bus wait states (one cycle for the ad- dress and one cycle for the data). The companion controller does not sample these decodes until the cycle following the address cycle, which seems to pre- clude any possibility of zero- wait opera- tion with this chip set. The chip set is intended to operate in both NuBus master and slave modes. The operation of the buffers and latches in the slave mode is fairly conventional. Data present at the AD0*-AD15* bus pins is buffered and fed to two 16-bit registers, one for the address and one for the data. During the address cycle (START* is asserted), the control cir- cuitry activates ACLK on the sampling edge of the NuBus clock (see figure C). If the AEN signal is active, then this ad- dress data will appear at the A0-A15 pins and remain latched for the whole NuBus transaction. Similarly, during the final data cycle, when the ACK* has been asserted, the control circuitry will activate DCLK and DEN to allow the latched valid data to be presented at the D0-D15pins. In the master mode, AEN and DEN are disabled and ADEN is asserted. When the valid address has been set up MAC 44 BYTE- Second 1988 Mac Special Edition on AO to A15, then ALE is activated to latch it, so it can be fed to the NuBus through the multiplexer (MUX). This is the first significant functional differ- ence from the 74ALS651 approach. The address in the master mode is fed to the NuBus through a transparent latch, allowing valid data to be set up long before the sampling edge of the NuBus clock. Using the 74ALS651, all internal registers are edge- triggered, forcing a master to keep address and data stable throughout the requisite por- tions of the NuBus transaction. In the case of our coprocessor, after a master transaction has commenced, the READY signal is not returned to the CPU until the NuBus has totally fin- ished the cycle, so the CPU holds both the data and address valid during the whole transaction. The74ALS651 parts can thus be used in their transceiver mode, and no latching function is nec- essary. The master data cycle is con- trolled similarly, with the MUX steer- ing signal ADSEL kept at logic high. The 74ACT2440 NuBus Controller executes only a subset of the IEEE 1 196 standard functions, because external logic is needed to implement the high- speed burst mode of data transfer (which, in any case, is not used in the Mac II). It will operate in master only, slave only, or master/slave applications, and it generates signals intended to drive two 74BCT2420 parts. It directly generates the ARB0*-ARB3* and RQST* arbitration control signals, as well as the TMO*, TM1* (transfer mode), ACK*, and START* signals. This controller does correctly per- form the locked bus transactions that the NTC PALs fail, but many of its other functions are very similar to those of the NTC PALs. The introduction of these NuBus in- terface chips considerably eases NuBus interface design. The chips reduce the NuBus interface to the level of a "black box" that the designer really does not have to be unduly concerned with. Conversely, however, some flexibil- ity is lost, especially if the ultimate in speed is needed. The chips offer little additional functionality over the dis- crete approach used in the NTC. If you use a socket to hold the 68-pin PLCC packages, there is little savings in printed circuit board space over the dis- crete alternatives. In addition, the cur- rent pricing of the chip set is higher. Nevertheless, as the price drops and application support improves, this chip set will help NuBus peripherals prolif- erate and ensure the success of the bus both in the Mac II and in other NuBus computers. Figure B: Logic diagram of the 74BCT2420's comparator. C,\K* i I ADx* /Addres START* l i AC.K* ! I 1 i i -X Data >- 1 1 1 h 1 1 \ 'v i I 1 I 1 I 1 I I I Figure C: A NuBus write cycle. Second 1988 Mac Special Edition -BYTE MAC 45 HOW THE MAC II NUBUS WORKS bar to about the middle of the screen. No- tice also that when the window scrolls up, it carries the new screen pattern along with it, while the portion of the image that lies outside the NuBus Moni- tor window remains in place. When you quit the NuBus Monitor, all the changes you made to the video mem- ory disappear, and the screen returns to its original state. This is because the Finder refreshes the screen memory with its best guess as to what the screen looked like. If the NuBus Monitor went through some QuickDraw calls to write to the screen, the Finder "remembers" those portions when it redraws the screen. With careful experimentation, you can now determine the inner workings of the Mac II. However, a word of caution is in order here. Since all the NuBus Monitor operations consist of reading and writing directly to NuBus memory, the system software doesn't have any idea what we're doing to its memory; thus, care must be taken while exploring it. We have not crashed a system by modifying the video board memory, but you have to be careful when examining other address spaces, such as the address space where the small-computer-system-interface port and other I/O devices reside. Filling or copying to the Mac IF s main memory can yield fatal results. You should not write to low memory where the CPU vectors and the Macintosh glob- al variables reside unless you really know what you're doing. It's a good idea to back up your file system before you ex- periment with the Mac II' s memory, even if it belongs to just the video board. Bus Errors The NuBus has a time-out feature. If the 68020 addresses a slot in which no board is present, then no response or acknowl- edgment signal (ACK*) will be gener- ated. (We'll use SIGNAL to indicate an active low signal on the board, and SIG- NAL* to indicate a NuBus signal.) This situation normally causes a bus to freeze, since either the processor or a board will wait for a response signal that it will never get. To prevent this, after 25.6 microseconds a bus timer generates the ACK* signal automatically for the Nu- Bus and supplies a bus error code to the 68020 processor. The 68020 uses this value to locate the address of a "handler" (procedure code) in an exception vector table. This handler is executed in re- sponse to this error. Unless the software supplies a handler and the vector table address to it, the 68020 has nothing but nonsense to execute when this type of error occurs, and the Mac II hangs. Listing 1 shows code to support the bus error code. It is a short fragment of in-line assembly language written for the Lightspeed C compiler. At the com- mencement of program execution, the MySwap routine locates the bus error vec- tor in low RAM and replaces it with a pointer to our error handler, MyBerr. When a bus error trap occurs, the 68020 execution is vectored to the My- Berr routine, which calculates the ad- dress (from the stack) at which the error occurred, increments it past the instruc- tion that gave the error, and returns exe- cution to that point. Note that this routine will work only if the bus error is gener- ated by a 2-byte memory reference in- struction. This is the case with Light- speed C, but other languages may behave differently, requiring that you modify the code in listing 1 . At the end of the program, the routine CleanUp must be called. This reinstalls the original bus error vector to point back to the Finder. Apple frowns on di- rect replacement of such vectors, yet there seems to be no alternative for trap- ping the bus errors at this time. The NuBus Test Card Apple designed the NuBus Test Card so Mac II motherboards could be fully exer- cised during burn-in with both slave- and master-mode transfers. The design of the NTC has been made available to develop- ers. It has also been published in Design- ing Cards and Drivers, complete with all the programmable array logic equations. The NTC gives designers an excellent opportunity to evaluate NuBus operation without first having to complete and de- bug their own designs. In addition, the Listing 1: Software to install a custom bus error routine (MyBerr) for use with debugging NuBus hardware and software. Routines to allow NuBus exploration without Mac system errors. MySwap must be called BEFORE any questionable accesses are made to the NuBus. It swaps out the regular Macintosh BusError handler vector and substitutes a handler that is more forgiving, and won't bomb the whole system if you look in the wrong place at the wrong time. MyBerr is the routine that handles the actual NuBus Bus errors that might be encountered. It does nothing but bounce back to the user's program, but skipping the actual instruction that caused the bus error. CleanUp MUST be called by the user's program after fiddling with the NuBus; It returns the' original Macintosh bus error handler to the vector area so that the Mac works the same way as before the user's program started. MySwap : move sr, -(sp) move #$2700, sr move.l $8, aO move.l aO, vect lea MyBerr, aO move.l aO, $8 Save the current status register on the stack. We need to turn off the interrupts and get into supervisor mode for this replacement operation. This puts us into Supervisor mode, and turns off interrupts while we are in here doing this. Get BusError vector from address hex $8 in the vector table, move it into address register zero. We performed a "move long" because we want the whole four byte vector. Save the vector into a previously set up variable called 'vect'. Load the Effective Address of our new Bus Error handling routine. Put our routine's address into the Bus Error Vector at address hex $8. continued MAC 46 BYTE' Second 1988 Mac Special Edition HOW THE MAC II NUBUS WORKS PAL equations are easily modified to form the basis of a slave, master, or com- posite design. The PAL listings are avail- able in Designing Cards and Drivers. YARC Systems built its NTC on a wire-wrap prototype card. Except for giving a lot of trouble due to short circuits between the card gridding and the IC pins, it worked fine and provided a short- cut to understanding multimaster opera- tion on the NuBus. From this basis, we quickly evolved our final master and slave control PALs for the McCray. . Figure 3 shows the NTC's schematic diagram. Ul through U4 are 74ALS651 bidirectional latches with bus drivers. These chips can look like either two 74ALS374 latches or 74ALS245 trans- ceivers, as determined by control signals applied to them. The CAB and CBA sig- nals are equivalent to the clocks of a 74ALS374, and the GAB and GBA sig- nals determine which side of the part is the output and which is the input. The SAB and SBA signals determine whether the outputs are driven from the internal transceivers or from the latches. U5 through U12 are the 74ALS374 latches used to store the address and data that are used to generate the master-mode cycles. The NTC powers up as a slave on the NuBus. In addition to providing slave read/write capabilities, it can be pro- grammed to automatically take control of the NuBus in a master mode and per- form a read or write as the bus master. When data is written to NuBus address FssO OOOOh, it is stored in latches U5 through U8. It can be read back from the same location. This is the address that the NTC uses during the master cycles it generates. Note that the address data (sp)+. rts ; Recover the original status ; register value off of the stack, ; and return it to the sr. ; scram. Now comes the routine that pops up every time that we explore the NuBus in a place when there isn't anything there . MyBerr: move.b $a(sp), dO bclr #0, dO move.b dO, $a(sp) move.l 2(sp), dO addq.l #2, dO move.l dO, 2 (sp) rte Get the first byte of the 68020' s Special Status Word. This is hex $a (ten) bytes up on the stack. Clear the "Rerun Flag" bit so that the 68020 won't continue on and re-run the instruction that started the Bus Error. Move the adjusted value back onto the stack . Get the Program Counter of routine that caused the error, it's a four byte value (long) that's two bytes up on the stack. Add two to the Program Counter, to make the user's program return to the instruction after the one that caused the offending Bus Error. Move the adjusted Program Counter back onto the stack, in the same place where we found it . Return from Exception, get back to the user's program. ; This routine sets back the Mac Bus Error handle Cleanup: sr. •(sp) move #$2700, sr move.l vect, aO move.l aO, $8 move (sp)+, sr rts r's vector. ; Save 68020 Status Register, and ; turn interrupts off again for a ; moment . ; Again, go to Supervisor mode and turn ; off any interrupts. ; Restore the original Bus Error Vector. ; And move it back to the Vector Table. ; Restore interrupts, etc.. ; and return. must be scrambled to account for the byte-lane positioning. The data to be used in the master cycles is written to ad- dress Fss4 OOOOh. Finally, the control word is written to address Fss8 OOOOh. This control word determines whether the master cycle is a read or a write and whether a locked or normal transaction is generated; it also sets an 8-bit value that determines the delay between the write to this register initiating the master cycle and the actual master cycle itself. U14 is a 74F521 8-bit comparator used to compare the NuBus slot ID with ad- dress lines AD24* through AD31* and thus generate a mySLOT signal. The slave PAL uses mySLOT to detect a Nu- Bus start cycle to the board. U23 and U24 are 74LS161 counters. They are programmed with the delay value, and they produce the signal MAS- TERD after they have counted the requi- site number of NuBus clock pulses. When both MASTER and MASTERD are valid, the master PAL (U18) initiates a master NuBus transaction. The slave PAL (U16) generates signals to indicate whether the NTC is operating in the mas- ter or slave modes, as well as the ROM control signals ACKCY, A19D11L, and A18D11L. The latter two signals deter- mine the mode of operation and usually will be replaced by terms more applica- ble to the environment of your design. The master PAL generates the timing control signals corresponding to NuBus arbitration, address, and data cycles. The busy signal indicates that the NuBus is in the midst of either a master or slave transaction. The LOCKED signal is gen- erated during a locked NuBus transac- tion. Unfortunately, the NTC PALs do not allow locked transactions of more than one cycle in length, limiting the use- fulness of the feature of the NuBus. The ARB PAL arbitrates for bus ac- cess by placing the card's NuBus ID on ARB0* through ARB3* and sensing whether a higher priority value is pres- ent. If not, then GRANT is asserted. The NBDRVR PAL generates the RQST* signal during the arbitration phase of a master transaction. It also drives the NuBus control lines START*, ACK*, TMO*, and TM1* during both master and slave cycles. Note that in the listing for the NuBus driver PAL on page A-2 of Designing Cards and Drivers (nbdrvr2) PAL has a misprint in the pin- list. The pin labeled START should be /START. The MISC PAL drives the NTC clock and buffer enable signals. This is the PAL that will need the most customiza- continued Second 1988 Mac Special Edition -BYTE MAC 47 NuBus byte lane 3 C 2 1 0 CBA SBA GL3A i ACLK A DE 1 , nn k hop ■ 1 ■ JAB Vcc - 5AB CBA - 3AB SBA - \7 -, GBA - \6 I B7 - \5 4 B6 - U L B5 - « S B4 - \2 6 B3 - VI 5 B2 - \0 1 B1 - 3nd BO - 24 i >~ 2 ; 23 3 \ 22 H» 20 4 l 21 i, i> 11 V Vcc D7 7 Q7 D6 4 Q6 D5 |_ Q5 D4 g Q4 D3 \ Q3 D2 Z. Q2 D1 7 Q1 DO 4 QO Gnd OE 20 11 ■ * Vcc - D7 7 Q7 D6 4 Q6 D5 |_ Q5 D4 g Q4 D3 , Q3 D2 * Q2 D1 7 Q1 DO 4 QO Gnd OE AD31* ~ 5 20 " " 18 19 18 ' 19 AD30* ~ 6 ' 19 17 16 17 16 AD29* - 7 ' 18 14 15 14 15 AD28*~- 8 ' 17 13 12 13 12 AD27* 9 ; 16 8 9 8 9 AD26* 10 ' 15 7 6 7 6 AD25' 11 ' 14 4 5 4 5 AD24*-~ 12 ' 13 3 2 3 2 < 10 -,1 (I 10 31 (» IC1 24 j y i IC5 IC9 CAB Vcc SAB CBA GAB SBA A7 ? GBA A6 ' B7 A5 ** B6 A4 L B5 A3 S B4 A2 6 B3 A1 5 B2 AO 1 B1 Gnd BO ■ I GAB— **- , 2 23 ;ARpm — . 3 22 -4 ,o " 4 21 ii (1 11 ^ Vcc D7 7 Q7 D6 4 Q6 D5 L Q5 D4 s Q4 D3 3 Q3 D2 ? Q2 D1 Q1 DO QO Gnd OE 20 ,. 11 :> vcc D7 7 Q7 D6 4 Q6 D5 L Q5 D4 s Q4 D3 3 Q3 D2 ? Q2 D1 ' Q1 DO 4 QO Gnd OE AD23* 5 20 ° ° 18 19 " 18 19 AD22* - 6 19 17 16 17 16 AD21* 7 18 14 15 14 15 AD20* 8 17 13 12 13 12 AD19* 9 16 8 9 8 9 AD18* 10 15 7 6 7 6 AD17* 11 14 4 5 4 5 AD16* 12 13 3 2 3 2 10 T1 II 10 31 V 1 IC2 J < ' IC6 IC10 CAB Vcc SAB CBA GAB SBA cA | » , 2 23 , 3 22- -< " 4 A7 , GBA A6 ' B7 A5 f B6 A4 L B5 A3 S B4 A2 6 B3 A1 5 B2 AO 1 B1 Gnd BO 21 II (I 11 >> Vcc D7 7 Q7 D6 4 Q6 D5 |_ Q5 D4 g Q4 D3 * Q3 D2 * Q2 D1 7 Q1 DO 4 QO Gnd OE 20 11 18~ * Vcc D7 7 Q7 D6 4 Q6 D5 |_ Q5 D4 g Q4 D3 3 Q3 D2 ^ Q2 D1 ' Q1 DO 4 QO Gnd OE 20 AD15* - 5 20 " ° 18 19 19 ADM* - 6 19 17 16 17 16 AD13* - 7 18 \ 14 15 14 15 AD12* " 8 17 \ 13 : 12 13 12 AD11* " 9 16 8 9 8 9 AD10* " 10 15 7 ; 6 7 6 AD9* " 11 14 4 5 4 5 AD8 12 13 3 2 3 2 10 T1 1. 10 31 ( 1 IC3 J i 1 IC7 IC11 CAB Vcc SAB CBA GAB SBA A7 , GBA A6 ' B7 A5 7 B6 A4 L B5 A3 S B4 A2 6 B3 A1 5 B2 AO 1 B1 Gnd BO dA 2 23 I 3 22 20 4 21 11 * Vcc D7 7 Q7 D6 4 Q6 D5 L Q5 D4 s Q4 D3 3 Q3 D2 Q2 D1 ' Q1 DO 4 QO Gnd OE 20 11 * Vcc D7 7 Q7 D6 4 Q6 D5 L Q5 D4 g Q4 D3 Q3 D2 * Q2 D1 ' Q1 DO 4 QO Gnd OE AD7* : — r- 20 18 19 18 19 AD6* =- 19 17 16 17 16 AD5 y 18 14 15 14 15 AD4* a 17 13 12 13 12 AD3* g 16 8 9 8 9 AD2* 1Q 15 7 6 7 6 AD1* u 14 4 5 4 5 ADO* y£ 13 3 2 3 2 10 -1 10 31 IC4 J ' j IC8 IC12 MAC 48 BYTE- Second 1988 Mac Special Edition A31D7 A30D6 A29D5 A28D4 A27D3 A26D2 A25D1 A24D3 CLK* A19D11 ■A18D10 ■A17D9 MSTDN • MASTERD IC22 MASTER Lxry 6 I •/ A13L 21 A12L 19 A11L 22 A10L 23 A9L A8L A7L A6L A5L A4L A3L A2L ROMOE- £%. 24 A11 A10 A9 A8 A7 A6 A5 A4 A3 A2 A1 AO OE CE Vex: GND D7 D6 D5 D4 D3 D2 D1 DO 17 16 Figure 3: The Apple NuBus Test Card (NTC) schematic. This is a modified schematic from Designing Cards and Drivers for the Macintosh II and Macintosh SE. The components U14 and U15 have been replaced by the 74F521 comparator labeled U14. All other numbers have been retained for comparison with the old schematic. 15 14 13 11 10 +5 -T L S 1 6 16 15 14 13_ 12_ 11 10 9 IC23 +5 L S 1 6 1 4P 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 IC24 IC13 12 continued Second 1988 Mac Special Edition 'BYTE MAC 49 +5v ID3* — ID2* ■ ID1* — IDO*-* CLK* START* ACK* — i 20 AD31* AD30* AD29* AD28* GND GND GND GND AD27* AD26* AD25* AD24* 15 14 16 Vcc 7 4 F 5 2 1 19 mySLOT 3 Gnd RESET* ■ MSTDN- TM1*- A19D11- A18D10- IC14 10 IC17.20 ARBCY- I p Vcc () I 'A I/O L I/O I 1 I/O I 6 I/O I L I/O I 8 to I B 0 Gnd 101 ARB & CLK IC16 20 CLK Gnd Vcc R R R R R R R R OE 19 17 16 15 14 13 12 101 Pf SLAVE ACKCY ROMOE MASTER TM1L A19D11L A18D10L SLAVE 1C18 j 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 - GRANT - arb2oe - arbloe - arbOoe ARB3* ARB2* ARB1* -• ARB0* MASTER GRANT RQST* START* ,; ACK* MASTERD RESET* A17D9 19 -fg— ARBCY — -yj— ADRCY -^g— DTACY -fg— OWNER ~T2~ busY —^2 — arbdn 13 ^^^ ■J2 — LOCKED — ri — A17D9L MASTER IC19 1 20 IC20 CLK- SLAVE • TM1L- A19D11L- A18D10L- ARBCY- ADRCY- DTACY ■ ROMOE ■ MASTER ■ 1 I Vcc I P o I A VO I L lO I 1 vo I 6 M I l >° I ft vo ' B ° I Gnd 2 19 3 18 4 17 5 16 6 15 7 14 8 13 9 12 11 GAB3 ACLK DCLK APE DOE CAB GBA GAB210 10T MISC A19D11L A18D10L 19 18 17 ~ o I AH I 16 AL»I\ 15 14 13 12 -TM0* GBA ARBCY ADRCY -0* ^X^- SAB CBA SBA IC21 ACLK- DCLK- NBDRV ACLK DCLK MAC 50 BYTE- Second 1988 Mac Special Edition HOW THE MAC II NUBUS WORKS Circle M26 on Reader Service Card tion for your particular hardware. If this all seems a bit complicated, re- member that the NuBus, while simple in design, is sophisticated in its operation, including master/slave functions and bus arbitration. Texas Instruments has re- cently introduced a set of chips that im- plement most of the NuBus functions in two chips that should greatly ease the construction of new peripheral boards (see the text box "The Texas Instruments NuBus Chip Set" on page 44). The NTC's ROM can be programmed with data (such as that in table 2) to more fully exploit the capabilities of the Slot Manager software and the byte-lane ca- pabilities of the Macintosh. Normally, a board's driver software will be located in this ROM. The Slot Manager installs this driver code into the Mac IPs main mem- ory when the computer boots. What We've Learned The NuBus used in the Mac II is a power- ful bus with speed and capability match- ing the power of the 68020 CPU. Design of boards and peripherals for the NuBus is fairly straightforward, thanks to the clean logic of the NuBus and the techni- cal support provided by Apple. We en- countered some problems during the con- struction of our board; some will go away as Mac II software evolves toward a 32- bit addressing mode, but a mechanism where a developer can cleanly replace the bus-error vector should be looked into. Despite these incidents, we did suc- ceed in constructing our board, which means the problems encountered were not insurmountable. We hope that the in- formation provided here and our NuBus Monitor will make future developers' jobs a little easier. ■ Editor's note: The source code and execut- able code for the NuBus Monitor described in this article are available in a variety of formats. See page 3 for details. They are also available on the Thousand Oaks Tech- nical Database, (805) 492-5472 and (805) 493-1495. The NTC schematic and PAL listings are also available on BIX. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors wish to thank Ron Hoch- sprung at Apple for his patience and sup- port while helping us become acquainted with the NuBus quirks. Trevor Marshall is the chief engineer at YARC Systems Corp. in Thousand Oaks, California. He can be reached on BIX as "tmarshall." Jim Potter is the 29000 software team leader at YARC. You can reach him on BIX do "editors. " GOOD WAY As a professional manufacturer of data communication equipment and network accessories especially in macintosh computer for the detail please contact: / ■' :tof Compatible Kits // 9U If. Terminator & Cable Other main products: (1) Computer cable (2) All kinds gender changer (3) Data switch GOOD WAY INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. OFFICE: RM. 902, 9TH FL. NO. 185, SUNG CHIANG RD., TAIPEI, TAIWAN P.O. BOX 91-202 TAIPEI, TEL: (02)5017197-8, 5055285 TELEX: 12445 SUWORS FAX: 886-2-5056377 FACTORY: NO. 14-1, DAH HER LANE 2 SHI TWEN DISTRICT TAICHUNG, TAIWAN TEL: (04) 2551192-3, 2551220 FAX: (04) 2542648 INERTIA Engineering in Common Sense Analysis & Design For Manufacturers and Designers of Mechanical, Structural, Electrical, Aeronautical, and Architectural systems. Productivity via graphical modeling, speed and power. Free video tape and seminars. Tel: 800-444-6223 Fax: 317-463-7166 Dealer Inquiries Welcome. Circle M13 on Reader Service Card Second 1988 Mac Special Edition -BYTE MAC 51 ^^^^hk^n^MMK!::!?>S>-'< " ~'?','*V?&&9e'K- r^*? ;.■.■■;■■.-" ''" "~!c*' MAC 52 BYTE* Second 1988 Mac Special Edition . -- ----- ^ "' ILLUSTRATION: JOHN STEWART © 1988 BYTE MACINTOSH SPECIAL EDITION Program Extenders Laurence H. Loeb Lately I seem to be getting a lot of letters on BIX (where I comoderate the macin- tosh conference) that are disturbingly similar. Always polite, the writer will say something like "Hi! My company just got some Mac lis (finally!), and I've got a lot of ideas about the programs I want to do. What's a good start on how to program the Mac? Can I just use the non- Mac C code subroutines I've got al- ready? I said I'd be able to show them something in a few weeks, so I'd appre- ciate any help on this." I tend to look at the screen for a while, mumbling, wondering where to start. I feel for the programmer who has to show some results quickly, but I usually write back that it isn't that easy. And it's not. The paucity of experienced Mac pro- grammers has caused something of a minor bidding war for their services as more companies enter the Mac software market. Supply and demand are in the driver's seat again. But what of the unfilled demand when the supply runs out? Simple. Program- mers who have worked on other ma- chines start in on the Mac. And write me letters on BIX, hoping for a quick tech- nofix. So what I'm going to do for the rest of this article is write a letter of reply to all you folks out there. If you want more details on the nit-and-grit of code calls, the selected bibliography that ends this piece will be useful. I'm going to point out the general terrain here and of- fer some specifics on useful stuff to get you up and running. Some Starting Points If you have never seen a Mac program be- fore, you might want to consult Apple Computer's Programmer's Introduction to the Macintosh Family. It covers a lot of things that a programmer approaching the Mac for the first time would find use- ful. It's hard to program the events for a GoAway box if you don't understand what it is, right? As befits an introductory tome, its breadth is greater than its depth. Specialized tools make it easier to jump into Mac programming Depth is where Inside Macintosh (all five volumes and its separate X-Ref [cross- reference] volume) comes in. If you get seriously into Mac programming, you'll need Inside Macintosh. Your first Mac program, however, may not require you to go out and buy it— especially if you use one of the language extenders I'll be discussing. Some of the extenders may have a necessary subset of the Inside Macintosh information available as part of their manuals. Some other introduc- tory books (especially Chernikoff s and Knaster's) show how to use the informa- tion far better than Inside Macintosh, which is an encyclopedia, not a tutorial. Shift That Paradigm One of the steepest parts of the Mac learning curve occurs smack dab in the beginning. You can't design a Mac pro- gram (it used to be called flowcharting) in the pre-Mac manner. That's because the way a program works (its paradigm or technique, if you will) has to change. Generic programs (the ones you may have done in, say, COBOL) will get in- formation from the user, go away to pro- cess it, and come back when some out- putting is needed. The means of putting in the data may be an on-screen menu choice or cards in a deck or something else, but the overall process remains the same. An action is specified (the mode), and then the program performs that ac- tion on data. With a Mac, the sequence of this process is turned inside out. One must specify the data first and then the action. As an example, a word processor will have a delete mode to remove specified text while in that specific mode. In a Mac word processor, you would specify the text by selecting it, then tell the pro- gram the action to be performed. A Mac program tries for a "modeless" environ- ment. This is both the foundation of the Macintosh interface and a reason neo- phyte Mac programmers get lost at the beginning. I think that Macs will make the com- puting history books because of the pop- ularization and refinement of this con- cept, not for the elegant hardware, neat as it is. The first time you use a machine that does things this way can be a tran- scendent experience. You gain control of computing in ways that had not been pos- sible before. Doing things this way re- moves a layer of abstraction between the worker and the work. (You don't have to remember the name of the file you want to open because you select the file first from a list of choices, then open it.) The style of feeding information back to you (e.g., when you press a button its color inverts) is the heart of the Macin- tosh implementation of this concept (a.k.a. "being Macish"). To allow for this complex "human interface," the major executing time of most Mac pro- grams is spent waiting for the user to do something: to create an event that is then handled. An event is usually a keystroke or a mouse movement or some other physical user/machine interaction. The offshoot of event handling is that the user gains control of the program's logical flow. It may not be the 1-2-3 you envi- sion. It may be 2-3-1 once and 3-2-1 the next time. Once you fully appreciate this shift in paradigms, the programming tools avail- able on a Mac become less opaque and more systematically interrelated. They are there to do the repetitive tasks that continued Second 1988 Mac Special Edition 'BYTE MAC 53 PROGRAM EXTENDERS this interface requires of a program, so you don't have to code them yourself. Why Do I Need the Toolbox? The Mac operating system software uses a 68000-family assembly-level feature called "interception of unimplemented A traps" when a program makes a call for external code. Instead of specifying the exact address at which the external code will be found, a program instead gener- ates an A-trap exception 4 bytes long. The processor then fobs off to the operat- ing system the job of dealing with this ex- ception. The operating system, in turn, has a patch table where it finds the physi- cal address of the code to be executed. (When Mac programmers talk about a "handle" to some data, it is this doubly indirect method of generating actual ad- dresses that they are referring to.) You pass the handle to your data or event when calling one of the operating system's Managers, not the data's ad- dress. Doing things this way lets your code reference logical objects without worrying about where in memory those objects will be at execution. The operat- ing system takes care of that. Using the code routines that Apple has already written and actively supports (collec- tively called the Mac Toolbox) in your software helps it be more bulletproof in execution. The actual Toolbox code is usually solid and optimized. If it's not, the operating system can patch it easily when Apple finally gets it right. (Don't laugh. This is what happened with the SCSI Manager between 1985 and 1986.) It also gives you a much better shot at up- ward compatibility as the operating sys- tem and the hardware of the Mac change over time. The Toolbox is something to embrace in your code, not to ignore. Debuggers The macintosh conference on BIX has shown me that the debate on the choice of a debugger can grow very heated, very fast. I really don't want to fan those flames. But I have used Apple's Macs- Bug 6.0 for the last six months and am very happy with it. It is a vast improve- ment over its predecessors, which were based on the Motorola 68000 debugger. Information is now presented in a much more logical manner, and the on-line help has been invaluable. While not as full-featured as TMON (especially with the Extended User Areas that have been developed), it does the things that I need to do almost all the time. And it's always there just waiting for something to hap- pen, because the operating system is set to install it upon boot-up (which, to be fair about it, TMON can also do). Another useful tool in my bug-catch- ing armamentarium is Steve Jasik's pro- gram, Debugger. It might overwhelm beginners, but it can provide a whale of a lot of information about an application through a multiwindow display of what is going on inside it. It is a unique program, providing me with a complete low-level analysis. It hasn't let me down yet. Cranking Something Out Fast Suppose your jump into Mac program- ming requires fast turnaround. You have to get something up on a Mac screen, but it doesn't require blazing performance. You want some buttons for the user to press or some other simple sort of inter- action, and you want it quick. How about using HyperCard? HyperTalk (the lan- guage that controls HyperCard's actions) is close enough to English syntax that it's APPLE AND OOPS. APEAGHOFAPAIK Romeo and Juliette. Lucy and Desi. Fred and Wilma. Sometimes couples just seem made for each other. And now when you put Smalltalk/V and your Macintosh together you've got a marriage made in heaven. Object Oriented Programming was made for Macintosh. Smalltalk/V Mac lets you develop Mac applications easier than ever before using the prototype style that Smalltalk is famous for. You also get push-button debug- ging; multi-processing; complete Toolbox access; MultiFinder compatibility; a rich class library; and a bushel basket of Smalltalk source code. All in our high-performance 32- bit architecture. Interestingly enough, Macintosh was made for oops. Much of the unique hardware and interface design in Mac development came directly from Smalltalk research. This is no casual affair. Love, it is written, is not selfish or arrogant. So when you become passionately involved with Smalltalk/V Mac, your work is fully compatible with Smalltalk/Von IBM PCs (and clones) operating with DOS, OS/2 and Presentation Manager. The new Smalltalk/V Mac sells for a peachy $199.95 and comes with our no- questions-asked 60 day money-back guarantee. If your dealer isn't into oops, order toll free, 1-800-922-8255. Or write to; Digitalk, Inc., 9841 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045. Smalltalk/V and Apple. Now there's an »puppe,elmg Smalltalk/VMac MAC 54 BYTE- Second 1988 Mac Special Edition Circle M6 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: Ml) PROGRAM EXTENDERS possible to get up to speed in a few days, especially if you have one of the better- written HyperCard introductions at your side. (Danny Goodman's Complete HyperCard Book, the first one out, still shines in the rapidly crowding field.) Using HyperTalk is sort of an exten- sion of the concept of letting the Toolbox handle the events. Event handling is done on a logical scale in HyperTalk, instead of on an assembly-language microscale. You tell HyperTalk to "answer MyQues- tion with 'OK' and 'Cancel'" rather than calling the individual Managers necessary to put up a dialog box with two buttons, waiting for the mouse click to happen, and finding out from a Manager which button was pressed. HyperTalk will just get the value of the response for you. The programmer (or "stack scripter," in Apple parlance) concentrates on the logical relationships of the user's actions rather than the ac- tual generation of the interface necessary to elicit the action. In the August BYTE Macintosh Sup- plement (page 75), I wrote about how I used HyperCard to solve one of my spe- cific work problems. More can be found in that article on using HyperCard. How- ever, I think it's important not to get daz- zled by HyperCard's accessibility. There are drawbacks. For one, users can get to your underlying script code and change it. This may pose a security/mainte- nance problem. Second, it's a little too easy to reintroduce modal operation in HyperCard. Because of the lack of Hy- perTalk verbs for every occasion, it's rather tempting in the logical operation of a stack to restrict what users can do and when they can do it. This is one way to break a large problem into smaller, more manageable tasks— but try really hard not to, even if you're itching to take an IBM PC program and put the "screens" you have onto "cards." It may even require you to be somewhat clever in how you approach and script what it is you need to do. On the other hand, the extra effort re- quired to maintain the "modeless" ap- proach is worth the trouble. Without it, you will lose one of the things that users have come to expect and demand from Mac pro- grams. But if the tasks are just too complex for HyperCard to handle (say, complicated printing) or HyperCard per- formance in that particular area is not acceptable (say, complex database search- es), be prepared to do it another way. ZBasic Before HyperCard, there was BASIC. Lacking the satanic bracing conventions of C, it shares with HyperCard scripts a quasi-English readability. Some say this makes for easier maintenance of a pro- gram. I only know that one of my con- sulting clients demanded BASIC as the language for an application so he could maintain it on his own should I be— uhh— hit by a truck. So I wrote this Mac- to-Wang-terminal program that commu- nicated at 19.2 kilobits per second. I compiled it and produced a double-click- able application. All in ZBasic from Zed- cor. ZBasic got me paid for the job. The major part of the code from that terminal program is shown in listing 1 . While this is the main loop of code, you miss in it the simple way ZBasic can handle events. The Init procedure (listing 2) illustrates more, and listing 3 shows the event han- dlers the program will branch to. There is also a "construction set" for continued PROGRAM EXTENDERS Listing 1: Some primary code for a Mac-to-Wang-terminal program emphasizes simplicity. 00010 00020 00030 00040 00050 00060 00070 00080 00090 00100 00110 00120 00130 00140 00150 00160 00170 00180 00190 00200 00210 WINDOW OFF:REM Compiler directive (turn off default TTY window) DEFINT A-Z:XONS=CHRS (67) :XOF$=CHR$ (72) : REM constants and types GOSUB "Init" :REM Do initialization stuff, like open the serial port "C" REM Then display characters from C and send keystrokes to C BL=2000:DIM 6 STUFFS (2000) :REM ZBasic's array setup syntax here "Loop" : REM Logical branch labels instead of line numbers are used Q=0 MENU ON:DIALOG ON:REM That's all you have do to check for most events! If an event occurs (or gets loaded into the event queue and gets checked here) the program branches to the event handler JFLAG =0:TRY=0:QFLAG =0:REM Reset my flags DIALOG OFF:MENU OFF :REM Shut off event traps (so execution speed of the program is increased without the event trapping overhead) "TimeoutTrap" : IF TRY > 50 THEN GOTO "SerialTimed" :REM Timed out on serial port "ReadPort": READ #-l,L$;0 :REM Read the modem port IF L$="" THEN TRY=TRY+l:GOTO "TimeoutTrap": REM Nothing there? Increment and do again Q=Q+1 :REM Read returned something (L$ isn't empty) DUM= BL - 1 :REM Syntax dummy since IF statements can't compute IF Q > DUM THEN STUFFS (Q) =L$ :GOTO "ConvertBuf fer" : REM Overflow buffer check here; the goto will execute if true since it's on the same line STUFFS (Q)=L$ :REM Put character into buffer array TRY = 0 :REM Reinitialize loop breaker for events GOTO "ReadPort": REM Go back and read the serial port Listing 2: An Init procedure in ZBasic. 01080 "Init": 01082 WINDOW 1, "McWang by PBC", (2, 38) - (510, 335) ,5: REM Set up my window here 01084 WINDOW OUTPUT #1:CALL OBSCURECURSOR: COORDINATE WINDOW 01090 ON MENU GOSUB "HandleMenu" :REM On a menu event go to my handler 01100 ON DIALOG GOSUB "HandleDialog" :REM Go to my handler for others OHIO TEXT 4,9,0,0:REM Style of text to be used in my window 01120 REM Set up menus for my window 01130 MENU 1,0,1, "File" 01140 MENU 1,1,1, "Quit" 01150 REM Open Communications port with lK-byte input buffer 01160 OPEN "C", -1,19200,1,0,1,1000 01162 BUTTON #1, 1, "Load/Run", (10, 280) - (80, 295) , 1 : REM Specify a button 01170 RETURN ZBasic, called Generator, that automati- cally puts out source code. You place but- tons, menus, and "edit fields" (areas in ZBasic where text is entered or dis- played) where you want them on the Mac screen. Generator then produces source code automatically. The handlers you de- vise are added to this outline (or skele- ton) code to make the complete program. This combination can significantly shorten ZBasic programming time for novices. In particular, the syntax of plac- ing event handlers within a program is the thing that most ZBasic first-timers seem to have trouble grasping. Generator puts the event skeleton code into the pro- gram in the correct manner, based on the events you show it you want to trap. I consider Generator an intelligent program extender; that is, it takes care of the code syntax for you and frees you to concentrate on what it is you want the Mac to do. ZBasic 5.0 (promised by Zed- cor to be out by the time you read this) will have a command that allows any new Toolbox calls (say, from a 68030-based Mac) to be inserted into ZBasic code through the use of a Font/DA Mover-like utility. This should enhance the ability of ZBasic programmers to use the newest system features, as well. It's on my Hot List, anyway. Oh Say, Can You C? I think that "MacJumpers" who have to plunge into a C (or Pascal) programming effort their first (or second) time out should seriously think about using some sort of program extender written specifi- cally for the Mac. Using the prewritten (and hopefully debugged) functions that such an extender provides is a great way to get up and running without having to offer up the hair of one's head in ritual sacrifice to the programming gods. The specifics of which extender is best for you to use can admittedly be a prob- lem. Some have had their core source routines written in a manner that does not allow much in the way of eventual user modification. However, Invention Software's Professional Programmer's Extender fulfills all the criteria I can set for such a product. The over 800 pages of documentation are clear, crisp, and copi- ously illustrated with examples of source code. Invention Software makes the ex- tenders for Lightspeed C, Lightspeed Pascal, TML Pascal, Turbo Pascal, Az- tec C, and Macintosh Programmer's Workshop (MPW), so just about any- one's choice of compiler should be covered. Invention Software also offers the extender in two volumes to lessen ini- continued MAC 56 BYTE* Second 1988 Mac Special Edition Neural Network Development Tools on the IBM PC, XT, AT and SUN workstations for rapid prototyping and concept testing of neural network designs from NeuralWare™ W NeuralWorks Professional II Includes 13 network types plus the ability to define your own network, 14 learning rules, 10 transfer functions, 11 summa- tion functions. IBM PC $995; SUN $2,995. MAC $995. NeuralWorks Explorer Lets you get your feet wet in neural computing without in- vesting a lot of money. IBM PC $199; SUN $795. Seminars Five-day, hands-on, applica- tions oriented. Available throughout the country. Also available for customized in- house presentation. Custom engineering Let us help solve your special problem. Call TODAY or write for informa- tion about NeuralWare's software, seminars, and custom engineering services. Ask for Jane Klimasauskas, Vice-President Sales & Marketing. Pop-up menus make NeuralWorks Professional II easy to learn, easy to use Full color screens and effective graphics guide you through the network- building and testing process Documentation includes extensive introduction to get you up to speed in neural computing Solve modeling and forecasting problems • finance and economics • servo control • sensor processing • CAD/CAM modeling Solve signal processing problems • noise filtering • matched filters & speech recog • data compression Solve expert systems problems • adaptive expert systems NeuralWare, Inc. 103 Buckskin Court Sewickley, PA 15143 U.S.A. 412-741-5959 Predicting the S8P 5BB Ueekly Closing Price Uliat is Hie training input File ?sp5Bfl . in Trends: Net: 8B''i44 (fjlz), flue Err=S . 4BfjV! ; 1B-Ueek: 77/144 (53/.) Stock Market Forecasting Neural Netuork Sunday Afternoon fldui k SU. Enter 'Work Feelings' (E^End): Hone Ronantit Enter 'Horh Feelings' (E'-End): ? Expert Systems HGISE FILTERING EXrtflPLE Eli * cnfTT_TTrnrf Filtered Output Signal '--vv ^^^!^^.J?^:^-^4Lj-'Uf"'-^^'-;i;rf(::. !« ^^^ Noisy Input Signal » ■■■ill ■ ■■■!■■• •>■ Itou Much Noise B-lSBz: Hit (RETURN) to continue Noise Filtering Modeling a CoHplex Surface Copyright (c) 1987, type to continue i NeuralWare, Inc. fill Rights Reserved. Modeling \ EURALI AREINC NeuralWare™ is applied neural computing. Circle M18 on Reader Service Card PROGRAM EXTENDERS Listing 3: Examples of event handlers coded in ZBasic. 01180 "HandleMenu": 01190 DIALOG OFFrREM Stop trapping so current event can be handled 01195 MENU :REM Invert the active menu like the "Human Interface Guidelines" suggest 01200 IF MENU(0)<>1 THEN RETURN :REM Only one menu in my application 01210 IF MENU (1) =1 THEN "Endit" :REM Quit has been selected from menu 01220 RETURN: REM Go back and wait for serial port /keyboard events 01230 "HandleDialog" : 01240 DIALOG OFF:MENU 01250 DZ= DIALOG (0) :DWON =DIALOG (1) :REM Figure out what kind of event 01260 IF DZ = 0 THEN RETURN 01270 IF DZ = 1 THEN GOSUB "DoButton" :REM Button event 01272 IF DZ =16 THEN PRINT #-1, CHR$ (DIALOG (16) ) : REM Keyboard event 01280 RETURN:REM Back to where the handler was called 01282 "DoButton": 01283 IF DWON =1 THEN BUTTON #1, 1, "Load/Run", (10, 280) - (80, 295) , 2:PRINT#-1, "LOADRUN"; :PRINT #-1, CHR$ (13) ; : BUTTON #1, 1, "Load/Run", (10,280)- (80,295) , 1:REM Button actions to perform invert of button, sending the button message to C, and "deinverting" the button 01288 CALL OBSCURECURSOR : REM Direct toolbox call here 01289 RETURN Listing 4: "Extended" source code shows greater functional orientation of the program. #include /* get the extender headers and equates*/ /* tell the program what the local variables are*/ EventRecord event; /* event record structure instance */ EventStuff whatHappened; /* event detail structure instance */ WindowRecord WR1,WR2; /* window record structure instances*/ WindowPtr windowl, window2; /* window record structure pointers */ Rect myRect; /* rectangle data structure instance*/ MenuHandle appleMenu, fileMenu,editMenu; /* handles for standard menus*/ MenuHandle hideltMenu, showItMenu, select ItMenu; /*start of the program proper*/ main () ( XTendlnit ( ) ; /* Extender initialization routine must always be first statement*/ /* do the menu and window setups*/ StdMenus (SappleMenu, Sf ileMenu, SeditMenu) ; /* set up standard menus */ /* set up custom menus, with Pascal-formatted (\P) text used for literals*/ hideltMenu = BuildMenu (20, "\PHide It", "\PHide Windowl;Hide Window2") ; continued tial cash outlay, but only the "profession- al" package comes with all the source code. What does extender code actually look like? I mostly filed off the serial numbers on the program in listing 4 (which will post two windows and select/show/hide one of them based on menu choices) and added some commentary. The idea here is to show how "extended" source code reads compared with normal C coding. The program flow is remarkably read- able for a C program. You may notice that the event flow is, in fact, similar to that of the previous ZBasic example. Most of the program is just waiting for an event, with event handlers providing the bulk of the code. With Extender calls such as XTGetNextEvent and Handle- Event available, the program becomes far more functionally oriented. Just as ZBasic gives BASIC the verbs necessary to avoid confusing "spaghetti" code, In- vention's Extender does much the same for C. All C programmers I know (my- self included) seem to have their own routine libraries of things that work. The Invention Extender is like having a pre- built collection of those routines. The Lightspeed C 3.0 version of the Extender greatly impressed me for both the variety of routines included and the clarity of the documentation that explains how to use them. Another tool for my Hot List. MPW/MacApp I haven't mentioned MacApp thus far. MacApp is the "Official Programmer's Extender of Apple Computer" because the company has put a fair amount of both time and money into it. In 1985 or so, there was a hue and cry from the pro- gramming community trying to get up to speed on the Mac. Apple realized it had to provide some way to allow coders who were not used to the intricate Mac way of doing things to participate in Mac devel- opment. If there wasn't a way for compa- nies to assign teams to a software proj- ect, a lot of commercial development would never even be undertaken. In re- sponse, Apple came up with an upgrade to the Lisa Programmer's Workshop that ran on the Mac, not the Lisa (which was the recommended development machine at that time). Called Macintosh Pro- grammer's Workshop, its shell runs "tools" as well as compilers. MacApp is such a tool. It uses Object Pascal (a spin- off of the Lisa Clascal) to let you do in- heritance-based object-oriented pro- gramming. MacApp has things like windows already built in. You select the "view" of an object to be worked with continued MAC 58 BYTE- Second 1988 Mac Special Edition PROGRAM EXTENDERS Circle Mil on Reader Service Card showItMenu = BuildMenu (21, "YPShow It", "\PShow Windowl;Show Window2") ; selectltMenu = BuildMenu(22, "\PSelect It", "\PSelect Windowl; Select Window2") ; SetRect (SmyRect, 100, 100, 350,250) ; /* set window boundary rect */ /* next make the window*/ windowl = CreateWindow(SWRl, SmyRect, "\PWindowl",0, TRUE, TRUE, TRUE, TRUE, TRUE) ; SetRect (SmyRect, 150, 150, 400, 300) ; /* do it for window 2*/ window2 = CreateWindow(SWR2, SmyRect, "\PWindow2",0, TRUE, TRUE, TRUE, TRUE, TRUE) ; /* All set up, so now let's do something!*/ do ( do { /* the following three lines are the crux of any Mac program and show the extender's syntax. It only requires 4 calls to do all event intercepts! */ SystemTaskO ; /* allow for DA handling */ } while ( IXTGetNextEvent (everyEvent, Sevent) ) ; /* until event occurs */ HandleEvent (Sevent, SwhatHappened) ; /* get event info */ if (whatHappened.MenuNum > 0) /* if user selected a menu item */ DoWindMenu (SwhatHappened) ; /* handle the menu item selection */ /* note that ONLY menu events are handled by this program; other handers would be called at this point. */ } while (ExitRequest (SwhatHappened) == FALSE) ; /* if close box hit or quit from std menu*/ KillWindow (windowl) ; /* dispose of windows and exit */ KillWindow(window2) ; ) /*end of program, now follow up with its subroutines*/ void DoWindMenu (ES) /* handles menu item selections */ EventStuff *ES; { switch (ES->MenuNum) ( /* Extender gives case numbers from SwhatHappened event record*/ case 20: /* 'Hide It' menu is selected */ switch (ES->ItemNum) ( case 1: /* 'Hide Windowl' is selected */ HideWindow (windowl) ; break; case 2: /* 'Hide Window2' is selected */ HideWindow (window2) ; break; } break; case 21: /* 'Show It' menu is selected */ switch (ES->ItemNum) { case 1: /* 'Show Windowl' is selected */ ShowWindow (windowl) ; break; case 2: /* 'Show Window2' is selected */ ShowWindow (window2) ; break; } break; continued lOtech offers the widest selection of easy-to-use IEEE 488 (GPIB) interfaces for the Macintosh. •NuBus IEEE board for the Macintosh II •SCSI / IEEE controlli the Macin Plus, S •Seria contr . .. ■. . ... >30 day money-back guarantee »2 year warranty 'Call or send for your FREE Technical Guide IOtech...the choice is easy ID :ec <~\ (21 6) 439-4091 KS53S3S. 25971 Cannon Road • Cleveland.Ohio 44146 London (0734)86-12-87 ■ Paris 0) 34810178 * Zurich (01) 821 944 Milan 02-4120360- Unkoping 013 II 01 40 • Gorinchem 01830-35333 Sidney (2) 452 3831 • Seoul 784-9942 ■ Munich and other European, Nonh African and Middle Easi countries not listed (089) 710020. Second 1988 Mac Special Edition -BYTE MAC 59 Circle Ml on Reader Service Card Equations Made Easy with Expressionist 2.0 The Personal Mathematical Equation Editor About the Finder.. Calculator Chooser Control Panel BEBBsaas Find File Key Caps Scrapbook "An excellent toolkit that all technical people should have..." - Jean Louis Gassee, Apple Computer Inc. 1.) Select the DA... I eHpression scratchpad I TSU j?lUg -» A c: M d2 z-a I u !o°i m i ISM 2.) Create your equation ... Tins is equisvlent to listing Cauchy's integral formt - il.if a is within C T zct ■2af(g):i, ifauonC J iO, if cr is outside C We shall new consider the question of the existence of pnncips integrals. Let us first recall the definition of a Holder (or H-)cond function [cf. Section S.2). A Function is said to satisfy o Holder ton 3.) Copy & paste into your word processor! and get Results like this: 2 2 c2 dt 2 2 c 3/ erfc Z1-Z2I V2 Ni-3 N2-3 I M = i u0(z')dz 2m J (z' - z) Isend $129.95 for the completeH ] package, or for a brochure j . and FREE Demo disk , 1 write to: I 1 allan bonadlo associates 814 Caslro Street -54 , I San Francisco, CA 94 1 1 4 I \ (415)282-5864 j PROGRAM EXTENDERS case 22: /* 'Select It1 menu is selected */ switch (ES->ItemNum) { case 1: /* 'Select Windowl ' is selected */ SelectWindow(windowl) ; break; case 2: /* 'Select Window2 ' is selected */ SelectWindow(window2) ; break; } break; and add local "methods" to it. If the time and labor assigned to a first Mac programming effort are both going to be significant, MPW and MacApp may be one way to allow many people to work on the same project and have the code all work together. Both MacApp and MPW have steep learning curves, but the payoff is the "industrial- strength" programming environment. Joel West's excellent Programming with Macintosh Programmer's Workshop is both a tutorial and a reference I would recommend to anyone trying to learn MPW. Since Apple supports MacApp and MPW, upward compatibility to new hardware platforms or software features is virtually guaranteed. If you like Pas- cal, you'll feel at home with MacApp. MPW 3.0 will introduce a source-level debugger running under MultiFinder, which will be a very welcome addition to the environment. Lab View Lab View is a specialized development tool from National Instruments that creates "virtual instruments" that actu- ally do something. If you want to make a data-acquisition or measurement system out of your Mac, I strongly suggest you look at this product. Version 2.0 (prom- ised by the company to be out before the end of the year) will compile the now- interpreted "v.i." This should give users execution speeds comparable to a spe- cial-purpose program written in C. NI also has a good record of user support, having gone through two major upgrades of the program since it shipped. LabView is a "graphical" extender that lets you design the features and the output of your "v.i." on the Mac's screen rather than having to specify them for execution by the underlying code (as you do in SPICE on a mainframe). It is a good example, in my eyes, of a program removing an intruding and annoying layer of abstraction between users and their work, albeit specialized work in this case. The company sells hardware boards for doing measurements, but you can use any instrument that is capable of understanding GPIB commands to gen- erate usable data. Wrap It Up! I think that if you can program, you can program the Mac. The recent evolution of extenders has simply made it easier to jump into the field. No extender tools will replace a programmer's ingenuity, but they make it a lot easier to get results while you're learning the lessons that give the basis for that ingenuity. Yes, Real Programmers do use extenders. Es- pecially if they have to get work out the door in a reasonable time. ■ BIBLIOGRAPHY Apple Computer. Inside Macintosh, 5 vols. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1986-1987. Apple Computer. Inside Macintosh X-Ref. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1987. Apple Computer. Programmer's Introduc- tion to the Macintosh Family. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1987. Chernicoff, Stephen. Macintosh Revealed, vols. 1 and 2. Indianapolis, IN: Howard W. Sams, 1987. Goodman, Danny. The Complete Hyper- Card Book. New York: Bantam Books, 1987. Huxham, Fred A., et al. Using the Macin- tosh Toolbox with C. Alameda, CA: Sy- bex, 1985. Knaster, Scott. How to Write Macintosh Software, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ: Hay- den Book Company, 1986. Knaster, Scott. Macintosh Programming Secrets. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1987. West, Joel. Programming with Macintosh Programmer's Workshop. New York: Bantam Books, 1987. Laurence H. Loeb is an electrical-engi- neer-turned-dental-surgeon in Walling- ford, Connecticut. He is comoderator of the macintosh conference on BIX. He can be reached on BIX as "lloeb. " MAC 60 BYTE* Second 1988 Mac Special Edition Editorial Index by Company Index of companies covered in articles, columns, or news stories in this issue Each reference is to the first page of the article or section in which the company name appears INQUIRY # COMPANY PAGE INQUIRY # COMPANY PAGE INQUIRY # COMPANY PAGE M70 ACCESS TECHNOLOGY MAC19 M174 E-MACHINES MAC29 M176 NETWORK SPECIALTIES ADDISON-WESLEY MAC38 M171 AOX MAC29 M172 APPLE COMPUTER MAC29 M72 ASHTON-TATE MAC19 BANTAM BOOKS MAC52 M71 BRAINPOWER MAC19 M173 DOVE COMPUTER MAC29 M183 FREESOFT MAC11 M181 HARRY CHESLEY MAC11 M170 IMAGINE THAT! MAC5 M175 MERCURY COMPUTER SYSTEMS MAC29 MAC29 M177 NOVY SYSTEMS MAC29 M178 ORCHID TECHNOLOGY MAC29 M179 RADIUS MAC29 M180 RASTEROPS MAC29 M182 RES NOVA SOFTWARE MAC 1 1 M184 TERRY R. TEAGUE MAC11 READER SERVICE To get further information on the products advertised in BYTE, fill out the reader service card by circling the numbers on the card that cor- respond to the inquiry number listed with the advertiser. This index is provided as an additional service by the publisher, who assumes no liability for errors or omissions. * Correspond directly with company. Alphabetical Index to Advertisers Inquiry No. Page No. M1 ALLAN BONADIO ASSOC MAC60 M2 APPLIED DATACOMM MAC12 * BIX MAC28 M3 COMPUTABLE FUNCTIONS, INC. MAC37 * COMPUTER CHRONICLES MAC4 M4 COREL SOFTWARE MAC15 M5 DAYNA COMMUNICATIONS MAC7 M9 D.C.M. DATA PROD MAC22 M6 DIGITALK MAC54.55 Inquiry No. Page No. M7 DIGITALK MAC54.55 M8 DOUGLAS ELECTRONICS MACCIII M10 ERGOTRON MAC3 M26 GOODWAY MAC51 M11 IOTECH MAC59 M12 JASMINE TECHNOLOGIES MACCII * MCGRAW-HILL BOOKS MAC10 M13 MCAE INC MAC51 M14 MICRO CAD/CAM MAC17 Inquiry No. Page No. * MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUNCIL . MAC62 M17 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS .... MACCIV M18 NEURALWARE MAC57 M19 ODESTA PUBLISHING MAC16 M20 PARAGON CONCEPTS MAC9 M22 PREFERRED SOFTWARE MAC21 M23 SCOTT FORESMAN & CO MAC14 M25 VAMP, INC MAC18 * Correspond directly with company. Index to Advertisers by Product Category Inquiry No. Page No. HARDWARE M28 ADD-INS M11 IOTECH MAC59 M29 DRIVES M4 COREL SOFTWARE MAC15 M5 DAYNA COMMUNICATIONS MAC7 M12 JASMINE TECHNOLOGIES MACCII MISCELLANEOUS M2 APPLIED DATACOMM MAC12 M30 NETWORK HARDWARE M26 GOODWAY MAC51 Inquiry No. Page No. SOFTWARE M31 APPLE2/MAC APPLICATIONS Business/Office M19 ODESTA PUBLISHING MAC16 M20 PARAGON CONCEPTS MAC9 M22 PREFERRED SOFTWARE MAC21 M32 APPLE2/MAC APPLICATIONS Scientific/Technical M1 ALLAN BONADIO ASSOC MAC60 M13 MCAE INC MAC51 M17 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS .... MACCIV M18 NEURALWARE MAC57 M33 APPLE2/MAC — CAD M14 MICRO CAD/CAM MAC17 M25 VAMP, INC MAC18 M34 APPLE2/MAC — LAN M8 DOUGLAS ELECTRONICS MACCIII Inquiry No. Page No. M35 APPLE2/MAC — LANGUAGES M3 COMPUTABLE FUNCTIONS, INC. MAC37 M9 D.C.M. DATA PROD MAC22 M6 DIGITALK MAC54.55 M7 DIGITALK MAC54.55 M36 MAIL ORDER/RETAIL M10 ERGOTRON MAC3 * MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUNCIL MAC62 M37 EDUCATIONAL/ INSTRUCTIONAL * COMPUTER CHRONICLES MAC4 * MCGRAW-HILL BOOKS MAC10 M23 SCOTT FORESMAN SCO MAC14 M39 ON-LINE SERVICES * BIX MAC28 Second 1988 Mac Special Edition • BYTE- MAC 61 Buy with Confidence In an effort to make your telephone purchasing a more successful and pleasurable activity, The Microcomputer Marketing Council of the Direct Marketing Association, Inc. offers this advice, "A knowledgeable buyer will be a successful buyer." These are specific facts you should know about the prospective seller before placing an order: Ask These Important Questions • How long has the company been in business? • Does the company offer technical assistance? • Is there a service facility ? • Are manufacturers warran- ties handled through the company? • Does the seller have formal return and refund policies ? • Is there an additional charge for use of credit cards ? • Are credit card charges held until time of shipment? • What are shipping costs for items ordered? Reputable computer dealers will answer all these questions to your satisfaction. Don't settle for less when buying your computer hardware, software, peripherals and supplies. Purchasing Guidelines • State as completely and ac- curately as you can what merchandise you want in- cluding brand name, model number, catalog number. • Establish that the item is in stock and confirm shipping date. • Confirm that the price is as advertised . • Obtain an order number and identification of the sales representative. • Make a record of your order, noting exact price in- cluding shipping, date of order, promised shipping date and order number. If you ever have a problem, remember to deal first with the seller. If you cannot resolve the problem, write to MAIL ORDER ACTION LINE, c/o DMA, 6 E. 43rd St., New York, NY 10017. This message is brought to you by: the MICROCOMPUTER MARKETING COUNCIL of the Direct Marketing Association, Inc. 6 E. 43rd St., New York, NY 10017 MMC MICROCOMPUTER MARKETING COUNCIL of the Direct Marketing Association, Inc. © Direct Marketing Association, Inc. 1988 MAC 62 BYTE* Second 1988 Mac Special Edition m CCf'F W,C* a continued from page MAC 64 already-learned behaviors. I also like the Mac's ability to run smaller programs, called desk accesso- ries, while other applications are in memory. I can increase my productivity as a result of the ready availability of these applications. They give me the abil- ity to work on the Mac in the nonlinear way I do things on a desk. I may do one task in my main application, another task in a desk accessory, and then go back to the main application. These are different from PC terminate-and-stay-resident programs. I can just load a collection of them into the Mac system without worry- ing if they will conflict or which must be loaded first. It's easy to use them, so they're sure to be used. I have a choice of Mac hardware plat- forms on which to run my software, ranging from the very adequate Mac Plus to the powerful Mac IIx. Because of the discipline Apple insists on for program- mers, its software will run on any Mac. A few programs require a Mac II to run, but very few. There is a consistency of operation with the hardware as well as the software— a flexibility that allows you to operate with a variety of con- figurations. For example, some programs take ad- vantage of the extra function keys on my Mac SE to simplify the operations. But I don't have to have an extended keyboard, because Mac programs will adjust to my existing hardware. I don't have to config- ure hardware cards or flip the DIP switches on a Mac. Cards added to a Mac IFs NuBus will configure themselves. The hardware is designed to take care of itself, so I don't have to. Another thing about the hardware that I like is the networking support that has been part of the standard Mac hardware since Day One. Called LocalTalk (nee AppleTalk), it allows easy networking of peripherals like the LaserWriter. This standard protocol has now blossomed to the point where I can choose from many network implementations, all of which keep the Mac metaphors constant across the network. So the skills I learned on a single-user Mac do not have to be re- learned or rethought when I use a Mac in a network environment. My Mac makes my work easier for me. That's the bottom line. I don't have to fight my machine to get things done. Rather than describe the cell I want in a spreadsheet, I point to it and select it with a mouse-click. I am telling the Mac what I want done in a way that is intuitive to me, rather than having to remember how to tell it in a way the Mac will under- stand. The intervening layer of abstrac- tion is gone. While other machines may imitate the Mac's way of doing things, I haven't seen any with the Mac's sophistication and at- tention to detail. Until I see something better, I'm sticking with the Mac. ■ Harry Conover is CEO of Computer Sim- ulated Sports, a Boston-based sports database company. He can be reached on BIX do "editors." continued from page MAC 64 But you're up the creek unless you can find a friendly dealer who still has the parts and pieces you need and who is willing to part with them without charg- ing an arm and a leg. Compatibility and RAM Requirements Although there are parallels to this in- compatibility situation in the PC AT world, they're nowhere near as severe. With few exceptions, I can take any con- temporary MS-DOS software package off the shelf and have it run just fine on a circa-1983 IBM PC or compatible. I might need to beef up the memory a bit and add a more contemporary version of MS-DOS or PC-DOS, but, with a mini- mum of hassle, I can run the latest and greatest software on a 6-year-old PC. Of course, the situation will get more com- plicated when (and if) OS/2 becomes an industry standard, because I won't be able to run OS/2 applications without an 80286-based system and plenty of mem- ory. But I already have an AT clone with 3 megabytes of RAM. Another pet peeve I have with the Macintosh is the ever-increasing amount of RAM needed to do anything useful. A friend of mine uses a Mac Plus for desk- top publishing. Although he had it up- graded, even his 2 megabytes just isn't enough. The latest models of the Macin- tosh II are coming with 4 megabytes of RAM, an amount that's quickly becom- ing a standard. With today's memory prices, though, it adds quite a few bucks to the price. And many Macintosh appli- cations I've looked at require huge amounts of RAM while delivering virtu- ally the identical functionality of DOS applications that need half the memory. Interface and Architecture Trade-offs There's no denying that the Macintosh graphical interface offers distinct advan- tages for nontechnical types who are learning to use computers. But in my opinion, it, too, has limitations. As naive users develop into power users, they often find that they want alternate means of performing common procedures. And, as I see it, those alternatives, such as an optional or switchable command- line interface, just aren't there. In my view, the Mac interface, though slightly improved, still shoehorns you into one set way of interacting with your system. Some commonly required opera- tions become a real trial. But PCs give you a choice. And if you really want that Mac-like interface, there's Microsoft Windows and Presentation Manager. I'm also unhappy with Apple's grudg- ing reluctance to open up the Macintosh architecture. To a degree, Apple made a stab at doing so in the Mac SE and II. But even nearly 2 years later, the add-in choices are limited compared to the thou- sands of boards and peripherals available for PCs. And what's available almost al- ways comes at wallet-clearing prices. The last straw for individual users came when Apple made an all-out push to go after that ever-lucrative "Fortune 1000" market. Suddenly, the rest of us were out on the street. Those without deep pockets need not apply. As I write this, Apple has just raised its prices for the Macintosh SE and II. Though the company cited increasing RAM prices and heavy demand for the increase, I don't buy it. The Macintosh is now out of my reach and, I'd guess, out of the reach of the vast majority of individual or small-business users who were the Mac's first enthusiastic buyers. It's all more than a little ironic in a number of ways. Apple, a company that got its start with a definite countercul- ture thrust, has turned into a typical cor- porate giant. Had it played its cards dif- ferently, there might be a Mac on nearly every office desk and in every home in the U.S. Meanwhile, IBM has estab- lished the real standard by opening up the architecture and making PCs truly ubiquitous. ■ Stan Miastkowski is a BYTE contributing editor, director of K+S Concepts (a documentation and consulting firm) , and editor of the "OS Report" newsletter. He can be reached on BIX as "stanm. " Second 1988 Mac Special Edition 'BYTE MAC 63 BYTE MACINTOSH SPECIAL EDITION Why I Like the Macintosh Harry Conover [2 Hp Welcome to Macintosh! That W—^yi simple three-word salutation is the very essence of why I continue to use the Macintosh line of personal com- puters as my "tool of choice." In that cheerfully disarming greeting, you real- ize the significance of the concept ad- vanced by Apple Computer: Computer use should be a seamless extension of the user's expression. I remember my initial Macintosh ex- perience at the 1984 rollout in Boston. The expressions of hundreds of people sitting in front of Macintoshes turned from puzzlement to appreciation as they changed from observer to participant. Five years later, the Macintosh is still evolving. The core ideas at the root of the Macintosh experience are being main- tained while this evolution is opening the door for users to migrate to higher- performance platforms. Those are the global reasons I con- tinue to use the Macintosh. They are sup- ported by my real- world considerations: ease of use of both the machine and its software, hardware reliability and exten- sibility, and consistency across the board in terms of Apple's commitment to the machine and to increased productivity. Let's talk about consistency, since it's the springboard from which all Macin- tosh tasks are launched. Apple has pre- scribed some very high standards for Macintosh developers — some may say some very rigid ones as well. Although they force a certain amount of constraint on a developer, these standards provide users with long-term benefits. By aban- doning the archaic command line inter- face used in pre-Mac days and creating the desktop metaphor environment, Apple has set up an atmosphere in which you will enjoy the experience of truly in- teracting with a Macintosh. You can easily see this verb-object type of processing when you want to ob- tain a file or start an application. Instead of typing in a name and/or a path in which to find a file, you visually identify the object and initiate an action (click on it). You could call this a primitive way of "transaction" processing: Select object. Do Object. This commonality is extended across the range of Macintosh applications so that the skills you learn in one applica- tion are transferable to another. Thus, the Macintosh's learning curve can be thought of as "soft," a feature that makes it easier to train Mac users and reinforce continued on page MAC 63 Why I Still Don't Use a Macintosh Stan Miastkowski H One of those "no-name" IBM PC AT clones sits on my desk. I use it daily, and it does everything I need. Why isn't a Mac sharing the space, or occupying the place of honor? There are a variety of reasons. Heaven knows, I've been tempted to buy one. But since I make my living with a com- puter, I quickly came to the conclusion that the first Mac was a crippled ma- chine. Because there wasn't much soft- ware for it and it had only 128K bytes of RAM, it simply wouldn't do the things I needed. So I waited. An Arm and a Leg The Mac 512 came soon thereafter, but the software still wasn't there for me. And as it began to appear, Apple threw me a curve again with the Macintosh Plus. At last, a powerful machine with the then-unheard-of full megabyte of RAM and the first implementation of a small computer system interface (SCSI). The Mac Plus was innovative. It was ex- citing. But it was also ridiculously expen- sive, especially since it appeared at the same time that low-cost IBM PC clones were becoming widely available. The Macintosh Plus fostered an ava- lanche of useful software and periph- erals. But the fact remained that outfit- ting a Macintosh to make it really useful (e.g., extra RAM, a second floppy disk drive, and a hard disk drive) brought the price into the $3500 to $4000 range. It cost easily three times as much as a com- parably equipped PC clone, and twice the price of an AT clone. When Apple rolled out the Macintosh SE and II, I was tempted again. But I still couldn't afford a Mac. Another thing that bothers me about the Mac's evolution is Apple's propen- sity for leaving loyal users behind in the dust. To my mind, if you don't own the latest and greatest Macintosh, you have problems. Case in point: Models prior to the Mac Plus had 64K-byte system ROMs. But it wasn't long before lots of the most useful software required 128K- byte ROMs, along with at least a mega- byte of RAM. If you own a 512K-byte Mac or (heav- en forbid) a 128K-byte model, you've got problems. Not to mention the fact that these "oldies but goodies" have 400K- byte floppy disk drives. Since 800K-byte drives have been standard issue from the Mac Plus on, most software is shipped on 800K-byte disks. Usually, manufac- turers will send you 400K-byte disks if you return the 800K-byte versions. But it's a pain, and many companies charge extra for it. Sure, you could upgrade your system ROMs, memory, and floppy disk drives. continued on page MAC 63 MAC 64 BYTE- Second 1988 Mac Special Edition Macintosh Supplement inn tion To receive free information on Macintosh products and advertisers in this special supplement, just follow steps 1, 2 and 3. 1 Circle numbers on reply card which correspond to numbers assigned to items of interest to you. 2 Check all the appropriate answers to questions "A" through "F". 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PLEASE PRINT. Request s cannot be honored unless the zip code is included Supplement inquiries cannot be requested via TIPS. This card is valid for 6 months from cover date. A. Do you have managemen D. For how many Macintosh E. In total, how many Macintosh F. What type of personal computer do you primarily use? responsibilities within your personal computers will you buy, personal computers is your entire company? l □ Senior-level management specify or approve brands of products within the next two organization considering for purchase within the next twc 1 □ IBM AT or 80 compatible 2 □ Compaq 386 based compa 3 □ IBM PS/2 (wit Channel) or c 286-based 2 □ Other management 3 □ Non-management years? 1 □ 10 or less years? (□10 or less or 80386- ible B. Reason for request: (Check all 2 D 11-25 2 □ 11- 25 i Micro- that apply.) 3 □ 26-99 sd 26 -99 omDatible 1 □ Business use for yourself 4 D 100 or more 4 □ 100-499 4 □ Apple Mac (except Mac II) 2 D Business use for /our 5 □ 500 or more 5 □ Apple Mac II company b □ Other 3 □ Personal use C For how many Macin tosh you Name personal computers do Title currently buy, specify or approve Business Phone ( ) brands of products? Company i □ 10 or less 2 □ 11-25 Address 3 □ 26-99 4 D 100 or more City State Zip Enter The New Age of Electronic CAD I The wait is over for a powerful, easy to use electronic design workstation. With the new Douglas CAD/CAM Professional System, you can now experience computer-aided design without going over hudget and without sitting through months of tedious training. Running on the Apple Macintosh Plus, SE and II, the Professional System from Douglas Electronics excels in price/performance, short learning curves and ease of use. As the newest addition to the Douglas CAD/CAM line of printed circuit board design and manufacturing systems, the Profes- sional System is a fully integrated engineering tool that will take you from the schematic drawing to the final routed board. The soft- ware features full color, unlimited multi- Circle M8 on Reader Service Card layers and .001" control which makes surface mount technology (SMT) and other difficult tasks a snap. Professional Layout includes a parts placement facility. Schematic includes fully interactive digital simulation and net list generation. A flexible, multi-pass router completes the design cycle with a 16 layer routing capability. The new age of electronic CAD has come with the high resolution and speed of a Macintosh engineering workstation. You'll be designing your first circuit board just minutes after the Professional System software has been loaded into your computer. In addition, the Macintosh's graphics capa- bilities allow for powerful features such as the ability to transfer Professional System drawings into final engineering documentation. Computer-aided design wasn't meant to be time consuming and complicated. If your present CAD system has got the best of you, it may be time you enter the new age of electronic CAD with the powerful, easy to use Douglas CAD/CAM Professional System. Take your first step by ordering a full- feature Demo. All three programs are included for just $25. Call or write for more information and to place your order. Douglas Electronics S1988 Douglas Electronics Photography: ©1987 Ted Jew Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. 718 Marina Blvd. San Leandro, CA 94577 (415)483-8770 LabMEW Instrumentation Software Our Users Tell the Story. EDUCATION University of Southwestern Louisiana 'LabVIEW is the best single software entity that has been written to date for any com- puter for any purpose." Dr. John O'Dell, professor of Me- chanical Engineering, uses LabMEW in his course on computer-controlled systems. MEDICINE Sahlgren University Hospital-Sweden ■Without any earlier experi- ence with programming, we were writing our own applica- tions after the LabVIEW 3-day training course." Dr. Anders rilman uses LabVIEW in clinical pharmacology. Muscle contractions evoked by nerve stimulation or by different drugs are measured via iso- metric force transducers with a plug-in analog input board. Each channel is monitored on a LabVIEW strip chart. OPTICS Newport Corporation "LabVIEW is the software sys- tem we needed to complement our instruments." Scott Jordan includes LabVIEW with a New- port Optical Power Meter and a Newport Programmable Con- troller in a laser control system marketed by Newport Corporation. SEMICONDUCTOR RESEARCH Raytheon Company "LabVIEW is the system of choice for data acquisition." John Day uses LabMEW and GP1B instru- ments to measure physical proper- ties of GaAs semiconductors. LabVIEW generates graphs of capacitance versus frequency and capacitance versus voltage. Now. . .LabVIEW®2.0 Faster, more versatile, and even easier to use. Graphical Instrumentation Software for Data Acquisition, Analysis, and Presentation. fT NATIONAL "INSTRUMENTS The Software is the Instrument ™ 12109 Technology Blvd. Austin, Texas 78727-6204 512/250-9119 800/531-4742 800/IEEE-488 in Texas AUTOMATED TESTING Sundstrand-Sauer "With LabVIEW, I have re- duced testing time for our control panels from 15 minutes to less than 1 minute." Jay Herman is in charge of testing Sundstrand control panels used on con- crete paving machines. A GPIB- controlled power supply tests the power requirements for these machines. Analog and digital lines on the control panel are tested with the NB- MIO-16 board. PHYSICS The University of Texas at Austin "We initially set up our sys- tem on a MicroVAX. It took 6 months. With LabVIEW and a Macintosh II, we got it work- ing in a couple of weeks." Azuccna Overman, graduate student in the Physics Depart- ment, researches the chemical properties of surfaces. In her research. LabVIEW controls GPIB instruments and graphs the data collected. CIVIL ENGINEERING Stanford University "LabVIEW is the most flexible data acquisition software I've ever seen — it's also a bit of fun." Dr. Steven Monismith of the Civil Engineering Depart- ment uses an experimental pond to research double di- ffusive systems. LabVIEW and an NB-MlO-16 board measure signals from temperature and conductivity probes in the pond, and control a motor that varies the depth of the probes. SIMULATION Engineering Measurements Company "LabVIEW saved me several months of development." John Wacrs simulates digital signal pro- cessing algorithms with LabVIEW. The algorithms are burned into EPROMs on intelligent flow meters manufactured by Engineering Mea- surements Company. 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TOLL-FREE NUMBERS FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE: Subscriptions 8c Back Issues: 1-800-423-8272 (in N.J., 1-800-367-0218) BIX: 1-800-227-BYTE Program Listings Orders: 1-800-258-5485 BYTE :i It's indispensable. IN DEPTH Groupware 245 Working Together by Douglas Engelbart and Harvey Lehtman 256A Where the Action Is by Terry Winograd 261 Perils and Pitfalls by Jonathan Grudin 267 Intelligent Software Agents Kevin Crowston and Thomas W. Malone 275 A Groupware Toolbox by Susanna Opper Working together is not a new idea. We've been doing it since the days of the hunters and gatherers. And we've done lots of it at our various workplaces. In fact, sometimes coordinating the dif- ferent parts of a workgroup so that they can work together takes more time and effort than the job we're trying to accom- plish. That's where groupware comes in. The purpose of groupware is to provide both structure and support to aid us in working together. One definition for it might be "software for a group." An- other is "computer-supported coopera- tive work." We are pleased to begin our In Depth section with "Working Together" by Douglas Engelbart and Harvey Leht- man. Some of the earliest work in collab- orative work systems was done by Doug- las Engelbart, and this article defines the elements involved in groupware and dis- cusses the importance of both the tool and the human elements. In "Where the Action Is," Terry Win- ograd looks at the specifics of one type of groupware system, an action-coordina- tion system. One part of working in a group is, quite naturally, coordinating the actions of its various members. It's interesting to see how a groupware sys- tem can actually help you do that. "Perils and Pitfalls" by Jonathan Gru- din provides insight into the problems, many of them people problems, that you can encounter in trying to create group- ware or in converting a product aimed at individuals to one for a group. In "Intelligent Software Agents," Kevin Crowston and Thomas W. Malone discuss the various research efforts under way in using the techniques of arti- ficial intelligence to enhance the capabil- ities of groupware. And then, in "A Groupware Tool- box," Susanna Opper takes a look at a variety of microcomputer groupware products. This article, in effect, contains this month's resource guide and more. It's not just a product listing; it includes explanations of each product as well. While the concepts behind groupware may not be new, the application of those concepts in the microcomputer world certainly is. With all the research under way, groupware can only grow and ex- pand. Perhaps we'll eventually learn to place cooperation above competition after all. —Jane Morrill Tazelaar Senior Technical Editor, In Depth 242 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 \ s ILLUSTRATION. ROBERT TINNEY © 1988 DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 243 W~-. V TRANSIENT / \ .' -^.-_-_ MONTtcmVD V \\ \ „ }j \rzz % v rt-i ■., vrr-t ~» w«*-v yn-.-rT rrr~r \ \ i ' i i m i>n o i rrrpT//)-/777/) MICRO-CAP III. / THIRD-GENERATION INTERACTIVE CIRCUIT ANALYSIS. MORE POWER. MORE SPEED. LESS WORK. MICRO-CAP III,™ the third generation of the top selling IBM® PC-based interac- tive CAE tool, adds even more accuracy, speed, and simplicity to circuit design and simulation. The program's window-based opera- tion and schematic editor make circuit creation a breeze. And super-fast SPICE- like routines mean quick AC, DC, Fourier and transient analysis — right from schematics. You can combine simulations of digital and analog circuits via integrated switch models and macros. And, using stepped component values, rapidly gener- ate multiple plots to fine-tune your circuits. We've added routines for noise, impe- dance and conductance — even Monte Carlo routines for statistical analysis of production yield. Plus algebraic formula parsers for plotting almost any desired function. - ', ■ '''.'.,' " ~. -"-J 2! lllllffii Transient analysis Modeling power leaps upward as well, to Gummel-Poon BJT and Level 3 MOS — supported, of course, by a built-in Parameter Estimation Program and extended standard parts library. There's support for Hercules® CGA, MCGA, EGA and VGA displays. Output for laser plotters and printers. And a lot more. The cost? Just $1495. Evaluation ver- sions are only $150. Naturally, you'll want to call or write for a free brochure and demo disk. Schematic editor Monte Carlo analysis 1021 S. Wolfe Road, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (408) 738-4387 MICRO-CAP III is a registered trademark of Spectrum Software. Hercules is a registered trademark of Hercules Computer Technology. IBM is a registered trailemark of International Business Machines, Inc. 244 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 265 on Reader Service Card IN DEPTH GROUPWARE Working Together The "human system " and the "tool system " are equally important in computer-supported cooperative work Douglas Engelbart and Harvey Lehtman The emergence of the personal computer as a major presence in the 1970s and 1980s led to tremendous in- creases in personal productiv- ity and creativity. It also caused setbacks in the devel- opment of tools aimed at in- creasing organizational effec- tiveness—tools developed on the older timesharing sys- tems. To some extent, the per- sonal computer was a reaction to the overloaded and frus- trating timesharing systems of the day. In emphasizing the power of the individual, the personal computer revolution turned its back on those tools that led to the empowering of both co-located and distrib- uted work groups collaborat- ing simultaneously and over time on common knowledge work. The introduction of local- and wide- area networks into the personal com- puter environment and the development of mail systems are leading toward some of the directions explored on the earlier systems. However, some of the experi- ences of those earlier pioneering systems should be considered anew in evolving newer collaborative environments. Computer Supported Cooperative ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT TINNEY © 1988 Work (CSCW) deals with the study and development of systems that encourage organizational collaboration. Most groupware products fall under this clas- sification. CSCW projects can be classi- fied into three categories: tools for aug- menting collaboration and problem solving within a group geographically co-located in real time (e.g., CoLab at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center); real- time tools for collaboration among people who are geo- graphically distributed; and tools for asynchronous col- laboration among teams dis- tributed geographically. In our work at the Augmen- tation Research Center (ARC) at the Stanford Research In- stitute (SRI) International be- ginning in the mid-1960s, we developed a system called NLS (On-Line System) and tools that supported these forms of collaboration. How- ever, we placed the greatest emphasis on collaboration among people doing their work in an asynchronous, geographically distributed manner. Our original goal at ARC was to "augment" individuals doing knowledge work. (See the text box "The NLS/ Aug- ment Architecture" on page 247.) In fact, some of the tools, techniques, and artifacts we devel- oped then have become widely used in personal computer environments. These include full-screen windowed editing systems, mouse-controlled cursors, hy- pertextual linking of documents, and consistent user interactions across all as- pects of a system. As timesharing sys- tems and then wide-area networks (such continued DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 245 IN DEPTH WORKING TOGETHER as the ARPANET) were introduced, the domain we attempted to augment wid- ened to include groups collaborating in the same place, as well as over distances bridged by the networks and over time bridged by tools for creating a recorded dialogue among the collaborators. One of the key strategies at ARC was the notion of bootstrapping: making use of available technology to create tools, techniques, and methodologies for knowledge workers in general, and the ARC group in particular, to use in fur- ther development of the tools. We served as the developers of the technologies, as well as the subjects for the analysis and evaluation of the augmentation system we had been developing. Many of the sur- face features of the system appeared in fancier dress as bit-mapped graphical hardware that became available first at Xerox, then later, much more widely, at Apple. While it was exciting to see bits and pieces of the original NLS, now called the Augment system, appear commer- cially over the years, many elements of the system's conceptual core have only recently been recognized: outline editors (for easy manipulation of ideas); hyper- textual linking capabilities fully inte- grated into the system; a system of re- corded group dialogue that transcends most mail systems; user programmability and customizability of the system; and, most important, tools for augmenting not just individual knowledge workers but also teams of people both coresident and distributed over the world interacting through a networked environment. We thought that success in creating tools for collaborative knowledge work was essential to the necessary evolution of work groups in increasingly knowl- edge-rich societies and to increasing or- ganizational effectiveness. Until the re- cent growing interest in CSCW, most developers limited their analyses to tech- nical issues and ignored the social and organizational implications of the intro- duction of their tools; such consider- ations were, however, key to our work. There is growing recognition that some of the barriers to acceptance of fully integrated systems for augmenting groups of knowledge workers may be more significantly social, not solely technical. The availability of rapidly evolving new technologies implies the need for concomitant evolution in the ways in which work is done in local and geographically distributed groups. ARC experienced this phenomenon continuously. The bootstrapping ap- proach, so important to the continuing evolution of the system, caused us to con- stantly undercut our world: As soon as we became used to ways of doing things, we replaced platforms to which we were just becoming accustomed. We needed to learn new roles, change attitudes, and adopt different methods because of growth in the technological system we ourselves produced. We brought in psychologists and social scientists to serve as observers and facili- tators. They were as important to our team as the hardware and software devel- opers. The resistance to change, which we soon realized was an essential part of introducing new technologies into estab- w e brought in psychologists and sociologists to serve as observers. lished organizational settings, and the psychological and organizational ten- sions created by that resistance were ap- parent in ourselves. We were required to observe ourselves in order to create ap- propriate methodologies and procedures to go along with our evolving computer technologies. Our lab was concerned with augmen- tation, not automation. The choice of this term was significant. Aspects other than introducing new technological tools into the workspace (e.g., conventions, meth- ods, and roles) are at least as important to the success of any CSCW system. The el- egant tools available now and in the fu- ture—superlative graphics, artificial in- telligence services, and so on— only make sense in an integrated workshop of tools in which information may be ex- changed. The tools in such an integrated workshop need to be conceptually and procedurally consistent. We expect that as tools are introduced and used, a co-evolution will occur be- tween the tools and the people using them. Thus, WYSIWYG systems eased the acceptance of computer systems by nontechnically oriented users; however, these systems produce a map of what you would see on paper as opposed to a hy- perdocument with structural links evolv- ing over time. We are now seeing the in- creasing acceptance of other presentation metaphors (such as Apple's HyperCard and Owl International's Guide) incorpo- rating some of the nonlinear linking ca- pabilities that were present in Augment. The architecture and character of Augment were directly oriented toward augmenting the capability of humans to deal with tough knowledge work and to process effectively the large volumes of information with which knowledge workers must deal. A subgoal was to sup- port active collaboration among groups of workers. To gain experience with the issues and needs associated with this support, we developed and operated the Network Information Center (NIC) for the original ARPANET user and re- searcher community. Creating a Collaborative System The following elements are necessary in- gredients in a system designed to support collaboration in a community of knowl- edge workers. The sequence represents an explicit progression that begins with tested techniques whose "cultural shock" and financial investment are rel- atively low; it proceeds through paced, open-ended evolution with time, experi- ence, and perceived payoff toward tools and techniques that involve a greater in- vestment in both financial and social • Collaborative dialogue. Computer tools for the composition of messages and for their subsequent reviewing, cross- referencing, modification, transmission, storage, indexing, and full-text retrieval are a necessary part of a CSCW system. A "message" in such a system can be of any length. It can contain formalized ci- tations pointing to specific passages in prior messages, so that a group of related messages becomes a network of re- corded-dialogue contributions. There should also be automatic mes- sage delivery; full cataloging and index- ing; on-line accessibility both to message notification and to the full text of all messages; and open-ended storage of the dialogue records. These services enable a community of people who are distrib- uted in space and time to maintain effec- tive, recorded, collaborative dialogue in a manner that qualitatively differs from most ordinary electronic-mail systems. With Augment, real-time remote dia- logue (teleconferencing) was supported by a "shared screen" facility through which users could "link up" their dis- plays; each party to the link sees a com- mon display view. Any party to the link is able to point to or control or execute continued 246 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 IN DEPTH WORKING TOGETHER The NLS/Augment Architecture The On-Line System, or NLS, was designed to support members working in varied disciplines, including software engineers, managers, and so- cial scientists. There were core tools used by all these knowledge workers, as well as specialized tools developed for particular requirements. All the tools shared the commonality of design prin- ciples that we thought essential to the success of what we termed a knowledge workshop. Early development began in 1963 and proceeded until 1976. (See photo A.) The physical environment on which Augmentation Research Center (ARC) members (and collaborators across the country) worked evolved along with our system and externally available technol- ogies. Back when the project started, display technologies were extremely primitive: Most people were still using punched cards and paper tape. Few computer users had direct access to a computer. A Revolutionary Console In that context, the NLS terminals were especially revolutionary. The display consoles were equipped with typewriter- like keyboards, a five-finger keyset for one-handed character input, and a mouse, invented in our lab, for cursor control (see photo B) . The keyset was useful for most mem- bers of ARC, as commands were gener- ally recognizable by single-character mnemonics, with appropriate feedback provided by the system. Most team members became proficient at one-hand text input, leaving the other hand avail- able for cursor control by means of the mouse as they moved through the in- formation space on their terminal screens. Initially, screens were generated on small CRTs in our machine room and transmitted via closed-circuit television to the ARC workstations. Later on, as char- acter-based displays became commer- cially available, we created external boxes to those terminals for attaching mice and keysets and controlling the cur- sor and screen updates in the manner re- quired by our essentially nonlinear sys- tem devices, which were developed principally as "glass teletypewriters." Those boxes, or line processors, were eventually made available to users over the ARPANET so they could experience the display -based version of NLS. How- ever, because of the initially limited availability of displays, we also created a typewriter version of the system (TNLS), which had a complete mapping of the display NLS (DNLS) interface and permitted ready access to informa- tion across the country through the then more cost-effective typewriter ter- minals. NLS was the core workshop software application system. It centered around the composition, modification, and study of structured textual material. Graphics were available in a primitive manner on the early terminals; the later line-processor-based systems made graphics available on additional, exter- nal graphics displays. The type of bit-mapped graphics sys- tems and hard-copy printers readily available today were not available to us at the time, although later evolutions of our file-system content architecture could accommodate graphical entities as data nodes. Moreover, there were im- portant areas associated with the text domain that needed exploration. A Hierarchical Structure The underlying NLS document archi- tecture was hierarchically structured; the structure of a file was separated from its content. Originally, content nodes were strictly textual in nature; eventually, each structural node re- ferred to a property list of content nodes of varying types, including other hier- archies (i.e., text, graphics, code, and so on). The structure made for rapid naviga- tion through the information space created by a file or collection of files. Its complexity was hidden from novice users (who didn't need to know about its implementation and, in fact, could ig- nore the hierarchy if they wished as they created linear documents in the NLS editor). However, more sophisticated users continued Photo A: A 1985 augmented meeting. This configuration is similar to more current systems, such as Xerox PARC's CoLab. DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 247 IN DEPTH WORKING TOGETHER could address any point in any file throughout a network via a link— a syn- tactic address, which could be em- bedded anywhere in other files. These links were essential to the first imple- mentation of the sort of system later called hypertext by Ted Nelson. (See the October BYTE.) The basic node in an NLS file was a statement, most often used to represent a paragraph in text, a line of code in a program. The user could impose filters on the content or structure through tools either built into the system (view speci- fications) or installed through a user- programming facility. Thus, users could look at a particular number of lines of those statements at a particular level in a file. This facility was similar to those in so-called idea processors, such as Living Videotext's More. Asso- ciated with each statement was the date and time of its last edit as well as the identifier of the community member who created or edited it. Document fil- ters over authors and time could also be installed. Because of the collaborative nature of the development of NLS, there were tools and conventions for group author- ship. Only one person could have write- access to a file at a time. Other team members could have read access to the file, minus the edits currently being made. A lock was placed on a file being written; if another team member ac- cessed the file or attempted to write on it, that person would be told who had the file locked. Photo B: A display 'NLS workstation with video overlay. Note the chord keyset input device used as a supplement to the keyboard. (The mouse may be seen in the video overlay on the screen.) A Variety of Tools NLS had tools for moving through the information space, using the mouse to select locations on the screen or the ad- dressing capability (using the link syn- tax) to specify locations not directly ac- cessible from the screen. You could jump to locations related to structural entities (successor, predecessor, and so forth), or you could jump via links by pointing to a textual link in a file or typ- ing one in when prompted. Users could have up to eight windows on a screen with different files or different parts of the same files visible. Material could be copied across windows. Programmers had access to a number of languages we created: Tree Meta, a compiler-compiler, was used to boot- strap us onto different machines (XDS 940, PDP-10, PDP-11, and DEC 20) and to create the other compilers and as- semblers we used. L10 was a block- structured language with pattern- matching and string-construction facilities. The same pattern-matching syntax was used by less sophisticated users to generate filters in the core workshop. The Command Meta Lan- guage (CML) was used to create user in- terfaces that were independent of termi- nal type (display or typewriter) and individual user preferences. CML grammars were interpreted. Contextual entries into syntactic and semantic help systems were generated from the CML grammars. The Output Processor inter- preted a comprehensive document-for- matting language. Programmers could look at proce- dures on the display and, encountering a reference to another procedure, jump to it. If it was not within the currently open file, the jump took place indirectly through a procedure catalog automati- cally generated by the automated pro- gram librarian. The program librarian operated over system databases at night (or whenever it was invoked). If a code file had been modified, it would be automatically compiled; if all compilations took place without error (errors were recorded in other NLS files), a new system would be linked and created. The catalog was sorted alphabetically and, in addition to links to the files containing the proce- dures, included comments and calling sequences that were extracted from the procedure. Programmers could view and modify procedures, compile them indepen- dently into their own address spaces, and automatically "replace" the exist- ing versions of the procedures in the system to try out variations. Users could install (automatically when entering the system) alternative versions of standard system procedures. A symbolic debug- ger could be called up in a separate win- dow, and breakpoints could be set by pointing at procedure names in the source-code file with the mouse. We had tools for creating recorded di- alogues with other users: Our Journal provided the usual message-passing fa- cilities available on other timesharing and networked systems. However, we 248 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 IN DEPTH WORKING TOGETHER could also submit larger documents or parts of them for permanent storage and retrieval or for the information and col- laboration of other users. Shorter mes- sages could be transmitted directly to a user's Initial File (the file seen on enter- ing the system, similar to the desktop on current systems). Citations to larger documents would be delivered. On seeing one of those citations, which included links to the document's location in the Journal, a user could jump to that document. The documents in the journal were permanent, read- only records of the dialogue within the community. Links to these documents were created, and evolving commentary on the design and implementation issues were always available. These facilities are similar to those currently advocated as "hypertext publishing systems." NLS also had tools for interactive real-time collaboration. For example, users could link their terminals together and share screens; this made it possible for them to view the same material and collaboratively edit it. As the ARPANET became available, we were among its first users. We found it necessary to tune the network to the then unique characteristics of our high- ly interactive system. It was also useful to separate the architecture of the sys- tem into a front end (which handled the user-interface interactions) and a back end (which handled the execution of commands). The front end could operate on a sep- arate machine and communicate with back-end resources through a network. Commonly used resources could be res- ident on the front-end machine; re- sources that were most usefully shared would reside on the back end. We also created the Network Infor- mation Center (NIC) at the Stanford Re- search Institute to serve as an informa- tion resource for the emerging ARPANET. We used our tools to create the ARPANET Resource Directory, which was made available in both on- line and hard-copy form. NLS included facilities for document development, production (including early computer phototypesetting facili- ties), and control. These facilities incor- porated tools for successive refinement and editing by teams of writers, editors, and reviewers and were built on other parts of the core workshop, such as the editor, Journal, and programming tools. any of the capabilities of the workshop. Such capabilities assume a high degree of responsiveness and bandwidth in the communication channel in order to sup- port the high degree of interactivity in the system. (Our developments in this area required extensive tuning of the original ARPANET algorithms.) • Document development, production, and control. This system capability in- cludes tools for composing, studying, and modifying document drafts and for high-quality photocomposition. In addi- tion to the page-layout tools that have be- come widely available, Augment offered tools for collaboration between several authors and editors in the process of evolving a final draft. These included tools for controlling changes, new ver- sion distribution, and automatic index generation for complex documents or sets of documents. Page-layout programs such as Page- Maker have entered widespread use in recent years. However, the tools for col- laborative control of other aspects of a document's evolution are equally impor- tant. Augment permitted establishing su- perdocuments that were hypertextually linked combinations of the whole or parts of many pieces of information. This link- ing implies and reflects underlying meaning in ways that mere typesetting, which deals primarily with layout, can- not. While the typeset, WYSIWYG view should be available, it should not be the only way to view a document in its larger sense. We also assume the need for tools to authenticate submissions and comments, provide administrative support to edi- tors, offer sequential delivery and track- ing for approval chains, and show auto- matic "ticklers" to those who do not respond to requests for comments, modi- fications, and approvals. A backlinking facility within the re- corded dialogue system is also necessary to handle superseding of old documents by new. Recent versions of the Augment Journal provide such a capability, per- mitting users to request current or older versions of an evolving document. • Research intelligence. The tools within the Collaborative Dialogue Support Sys- tem for cataloging and indexing inter- nally generated items should also sup- port managing externally generated items— bibliography, contact reports, clippings, notes, and so forth. With centrally supplied (and hence uniformly available) services such as these, a community can maintain a dy- namic and highly useful "intelligence" database to help it stay up-to-date on ex- ternal happenings that affect it. Citations of external items from within the inter- nally generated dialogue base, in the form of annotations, commentary, or supportive references, offer computer- sensible interlinking of the external in- formation with the internal information and facilitate browsing, retrieval, searching, back-citation, and so on. • Community handbook development. This includes extending this research service toward the coordinated handling of a very large and complex body of documentation and its associated exter- nal references. This material, when inte- grated into a monolithic whole, may be considered a "superdocument." Tools for the responsive development and evo- lution of such a superdocument by many (distributed) individuals within a disci- pline- or project-oriented community could lead to the maintenance of a "com- munity handbook," a uniform, com- plete, consistent, up-to-date integration of the special knowledge representing the current status of the community. The handbook would include princi- ples, working hypotheses, practices, glossaries of special terms, standards, goals, goal status, supportive argu- ments, techniques, observations, how- to-do-it items, and so forth. An active community would be constantly involved in dialogue concerning the contents of its handbook. Constant updating would pro- vide a "certified community position structure" about which the real evolu- tionary work would swarm; flexible tools for on-line navigation and view genera- tion would be very important, as would the facility for generating hard-copy equivalents. The "handbook cycle" includes the incorporation of ongoing dialogue and intelligence mediated by professional fa- cilitation to create evolved versions of the community handbook. • Computer-based instruction. We as- sume that the special training needs of a community of collaborating knowledge workers will be supported by computer- based instructional tools. These would make use of the other knowledge work- shop services described, especially dy- namic filtering of the community hand- book. A "shared screen" facility is useful for instruction so novices can get access to expert users or coaches in parts of the system for which other instructional tools are inadequate and for which local teachers are unavailable. Having an ex- pert take you along for a ride is an ex- tremely effective learning technique. continued DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 249 IN DEPTH WORKING TOGETHER • Meetings and conferences. At ARC, we made extensive use of augmentation tools in our local and distributed meetings. Projected display images, video over- lays, and split-screen image superimpo- sition were first used to great effect by Engelbart in the 1968 IFIP Fall Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco. Dynamic control of the agenda and the collaborative creation of position papers are some typical uses of these services. • Community management and organi- zation. Conventional project-manage- ment operations can be augmented through the use of computer-based proj- ect-management tools with the enriching services of dialogue support, document development, and the handbook, which would include plans, commitments, schedules, and specifications. • Special knowledge work by individuals and teams. The tools supporting a col- laborating community should be avail- able to the team members in their roles as Ctalk The Practical Union of C and Smalltalk Add a new dimension to your C compiler. From C: ■ Ease of application delivery - portability ■ Performance - speed and efficiency of C ■ Familiarity of C - use all your existing C code From Smalltalk: ■ Data abstraction - data hiding/encapsulation ■ Full object inheritance ■ Polymorphism - message sending with dynamic binding Boost Your Productivity! C_talk 's practical approach to object-oriented program- ming in C allows you to realize substantial productivity gains using these tools: ■ An automatic Make utility - for building applications ■ A Preprocessor - for converting objects into C source code. ■ A set of Foundation Classes - to use as basic building blocks. C talk's Browser - a powerful Smalltalk-like browser for building software objects Why C_talk? 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Some of these specialized extensions became part of the more widely available tools for the entire workshop community. A Formula for Success As Augment evolved, we realized some assumptions that we think are applicable to any successful CSCW system: • Coordinated set of user-interface prin- ciples. There should be a common set of principles over the many application areas. This does not mean that the user interface itself is necessarily the same across all domains. It does mean that a common underlying style of communica- tion is present. While each domain with- in the core workshop area or specialized application system may have a vocabu- lary unique to its area, this vocabulary should be used within language and con- trol structures common throughout the tool environment. Users learn new func- tions by increasing vocabularies, not by learning separate "foreign" languages. When in trouble, they will invoke help or tutorial functions in a standard way. This point has become apparent in the Apple Macintosh environment. Users of different applications have a common method of interacting with each applica- tion. This makes it easier to learn new applications and to move between sys- tems. A single interface metaphor is neither required nor ideal. Interaction styles suitable for a particular application do- main and user group may differ from those for other domains and users. Apple's HyperCard provides an example of an environment that offers interaction metaphors different from the original Apple Desktop with minimal confusion to users. • Grades of user prof iciency . Users who are not experienced in using the system are part of the community; they will want to be able to get at least a few straightforward things done with a mini- mum of learning. Even an expert user in certain domains of the collaborative workshop environment will be a novice in less frequently used domains. Atten- tion to novice-oriented "easy to use" fea- tures is required. However, users should be rewarded for their increasing proficiency with a rich tool environment that offers ad- vanced vocabularies and the opportunity continued 250 BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 Circle 56 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 57) REAP THIS Sfc (jpr ^ BUY THIS! ■PC-OUTLINED Looking for a Personal Information Manager? "Look no further . . . PC-OUTLINE T^^tm is the one to buy! " PC Week PC-Outline Plus is an intuitive tool that manages words, projects, thoughts, ideas, people and, yes . . . your productivity. With astounding efficiency, speed and ease! PC-Outline t!^ It thinks of things you're too busy to think of. For instance, putting random information in its right place. It does to ideas, tasks and projects what spreadsheets do to numbers. The text editing features are so Powerful you can actually use C-Outline Plus as your pop-up word processor! 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No hassles. No fooling! (This free 30 day evaluation period is available on all brown Bag Software® products.) Lotus8? Load US! Quantity discount and site licenses available. To order call: 800-523-0764 In California, call (408) 559-4545. Introductory Price: $1 q r (750 shipping & handling X"3 CA residents add sales tax) Brown Bag Software® File #41719, Box 60000 San Francisco, CA 94160-1719 RIM BROWN BAG *pcf>W< are— State-Of-The-Smartr Offices in London 01 831 1106— Koln 0221 7710923— Copenhagen 01 933837— Amsterdam 020 233408— Zurich 01 2146224 DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 251 Subscription Problems? We want to help! If you have a problem with your BYTE subscription, write us with the details. We'll do our best to set it right. But we must have the name, address, and zip ol the subscription (new and old address, if it's a change of address). If the problem involves a payment, be sure to include copies of the credit card statement, or front and back of cancelled checks. Include a "business hours" phone number if possible. BYTE Subscriber Service P.O. Box 7643 Teaneck, NJ 07666-9866 m IN DEPTH WORKING TOGETHER for individual customization in every specialized domain. • Ease of communication among, and addition of, workshop domains. We think that there will be many different parts of an augmented-knowledge work- shop, each with its own tools. You should never be bound to isolated areas of the workshop. It should be possible to move and communicate information between domains easily. It should also be possible to install new tools as needed. • User-programming capability. Users must be able, with various levels of ease, e can 't ignore the social implications of our technical progress. to add or interface new tools and extend the language to meet their needs. They should be able to do this in a variety of programming languages in which they may have training, or in the basic user- level language of the workshop itself (e.g. , through a macro facility.) • People-support services. The com- puter-based tools will be insufficient by themselves. The CSCW technologies will create opportunities and needs for highly specialized professional services, such as database design and administra- tion, training, cataloging, and retrieval formulation. • Recognition of standards for informa- tion interchange and ranges of hardware. We should not have to assume the pres- ence of a particular type of machine in a user's work environment. It should be possible to exchange information and get a reasonable representation of the infor- mation shared across system environ- ments. • Careful development of methodologies . The elements involved in augmenting communities of knowledge workers in- clude the development of both "tool sys- tems" and "human systems" (the set of skills, methods, languages, customs, procedures, training, and organization structures needed for effective use of tools). New technologies, even those such as CSCW that aim at improving group interaction, contribute directly only to the tool system. The cultural evo- lution that led to the current state of the human system took place with a very primitive tool system. As much care and attention needs to be paid to developing the procedures and methodologies associated with the peo- ple-support services and the organiza- tional and societal effects of introducing new technologies as is spent on develop- ing the technologies themselves. • Co-evolution of roles and organiza- tional structures and technologies. The widespread availability of successful CSCW services will create the need for new organizational structures and roles. These structures and roles need to co- evolve with the technologies. For exam- ple, we found there was a need for what we called knowledge-workshop archi- tects who served as "change agents" in introducing new technologies into their organizations. To take advantage of the radical, emerging tool-system inventions associ- ated with CSCW, it is inevitable that the evolution of the human system will begin to accelerate. The optimum design for either a tool system or a human system is dependent on the match it must make with the other. The high degree of mu- tual dependence implies that a balanced co-evolution of both is necessary. The bind we are in is that our society encour- ages and rewards progress in the techno- logical and material sense and often ig- nores the human and social implications of that progress. ■ FURTHER READING Ambron, Sueann, and Kristina Hooper. In- teractive Multimedia. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Press, 1988. Greif, Irene. Computer-Supported Cooper- ative Work: A Book of Readings. San Ma- teo, CA: Morgan Kaufman Publishers, 1988. Johansen, Robert. Groupware: Computer Support for Business Teams. New York: Free Press, 1988. Grimsdale, R. L., and F.F. Kuo, eds. Computer Communication Networks. Ley don: Noordhof, 1975. Goldberg, Adele, ed. A History of Personal Workstations. New York: ACM Press, 1988. Rheingold, Howard. Tools for Thought. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1987. Douglas Engelbart, a senior scientist at McDonnell Douglas , recently created the Bootstrap Institute to further CSCW re- search. Harvey Lehtman is manager of the New Media Group at Apple Com- puter. They can be reached on BIX do "editors. " 252 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 STAT ^PHICS INCOME VS SAVINGS ANALYSIS VIA INTERACTIVE OUTLIER REGRESSION Select the points you want to remove from your regression model. . . 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Windows opens up the world of visual thinking to all 286 and 386 owners by offering the power of graphics. Everything you can do on your PC, you can now do better, faster and with greater imagination. Whetheryou're creat- ing documents or trying to get a clearer picture of your work. What used to take complicated key- , strokes can now be accomplished with jl the simple click of a mouse. With Microsoft Windows, you access pull- down menus. Simultaneously work with different programs as well as cut and paste between them to create graphic examples within different bodies of text. And what you see on the screen will appear on your printedpage. And once you've learned Micro- soft Windows, you'll have thebasis for scores of otherprograms because all the countless newWindows applications are based on the same easy, logical format. Since Microsoft Windows vir- tually looks andworkslikeMS® OS/2 Presentation Manager, you wont have to worry about it becoming obsolete in a couple years. We made both sys- tems compatible. So, Jg|£*E£ in the future, you'll N™ ^f^P"^ ? ' J a simple poml and dick be able to share «** the Micms°ft Mm^ data between them. And your knowledge of Windows will give you a jump on learn- ing MS OS/2 Presentation Manager. You'd expect a program this powerful to require a more powerful machine. But we consistently create software that makes ©Copyright 1988. Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, the Microsoft logo and MS are registered trademarks, and M^imgit all make sense is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The following products have been used courtesy of their respective developers: Lotus and 1-2-3 by Lotus Development Corporation; WordPerfect by WordPerfect Corporation; PageMaker by Aldus 254 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 What you could havebeen doing. m*\ With Windows/286, you could have been seeing things much more clearly. Windows/386, you could have been seeing a bt more things much more clearly. the best use of your present hardware. For example, Microsoft Windows/ 286 will work with as little as 640K and instantly make your machine more sensi- tive, intuitive and highly visual. It gives you the ability to run every Windows application available. And with access to all those powerful programs, you'll be able to extend the life and usefulness of your 286 well beyond the introduction of MS OS/2 Presentation Manager. With version 2.1 you also get the benefit of increased speed. So you'll blaze through Windows applications up to 87% faster. Microsoft Windows/386 will give you eveiything that Windows/286 gives you. Plus multitasking with most DOS applica- tions. Nowyoucanfinallyutilizethespeed and power of any 386 machine. Imagine creating a complicated spread- sheet. Then while a macro is being run, open up a word processor. Type a docu- ment, open and work with a graphics pro- gram. Cut and paste between programs and even call up electronicmail.AndstiIlbeabletocheckon the status of your spreadsheet at any time. Considering all you can do with Micro- soft Windows, youhave only one question to ask yourself. What have youbeen doing withoutit? Microsoft Corporation; dBASEHIPLUS by AshtonTate Corporation; NWwwkCoiirier by Consumers Software ,Iiicorpor.iU;d;.Mitrogi'afx by Microgiafx,hicorportiti'd;PacUSi/ by Polaris Software; and CFO Advisor by Financial Feasibilities, Incorporated. PackBai is a trademark of Polaris Software. CFO Advisor is a trademark of Financial Feasibilities, Incorporated. DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 255 GRXSeries: • Utilizing revolutionary micro-stepper motors, f Roland has attained superior plotting speed of 24 ips (600mm/sec.) while maintaining superior mechanical resolution of 0.0006"/step (1 .5625ft/step). © B:Decline A:Cancel B:Cancel A:Cancel Figure 1: Basic conversation diagram. The heavier circles represent states of completion. (Adapted from Winograd and Flores , 1986, page 65.) conversations based on requests and promises. You might say that conversa- tions and actions are the bricks and gird- ers of which the organizational structure is built. They are crucial to building technology for organization and manage- ment, and they are universal with respect to time and culture. So long as people live and work together, they will coordi- nate their actions in requests and prom- ises and the expectations derived from those requests and promises. But there is a larger structuring that is particular to the practices of the organi- zation. (By practice, I mean a recurrent pattern in which conversations are gener- ated and related to one another.) As a simple example, we find some standard practices in the menus of the Coordinator (for more detailed informa- tion, see the text box "Coordinating Con- versations" on page 256D). The item "Delegate it" in the menu of photo C is not a simple conversational move. When I delegate a request from you to a third party, I am really entering into a new conversation with that party, with its own conditions and dates. Although the inter- face makes this a simple menu item, it is really a way of linking two distinct conversations. Conversations dealing with the new design specification (in the text box) in- volve another kind of practice. On com- pleting the specification, I initiate stan- dard conversations to make sure that the documentation is kept up-to-date and that the programming is done. This same pat- tern is followed again and again for dif- ferent design projects. The Coordinator makes it possible to generate the individ- ual conversations, but it doesn't provide for capturing the regularity of conversa- tions—how certain conversations follow others in a standard way. This regularity includes the types of conversations, the people they are with (e.g., the documen- tation editor and the programming man- ager), and some of the content (e.g., the documentation that needs updating is re- lated in a systematic way to the code being written). Group work is organized around col- lections of practices. Some are on a small scale, linking only a few conversations. Others are larger and include many con- versations, such as those required for managing a software development effort or those involved in materials acquisition or payments and accounts. If conversa- tions and actions are the bricks and gird- ers, then these practices are the larger ar- chitectural elements that make up the design of the organization. continued 256B BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 ) Eastman Kodak Company, 1988 The KODAK SV7500 Still Video Multidisk Recorder. Imagine this: a library of photos, slides, charts, graphs, and other visuals cap- tured and stored on 2-inch magnetic disks; then, committed to a memory that will cross- reference them by subject, dates, uses, or other categories. A library instantly available for dis- play on color monitors for meetings, reviews, training, or reference. And imagine transmitting those images over telephone lines — in seconds. Or, printing hard copies just as quickly. If you're intrigued by such advances in communications, investigate the SV7500 still video multidisk recorder, from the family of Kodak products that capture, store, display, print, and transmit high-quality video images in continuous-tone color. For more information and the name of a dealer who can arrange a demonstration, send the coupon or call 1 800 44KODAK (1 800 445-6325), Ext 110. Imaging Innovations For The Workplace. BUSINESS IMAGES COMMITTED TO MEMORY BY KODAK The new vision of Kodak Circle 315 on Reader Service Card Rfl Send me information on the products I have checked. □ KODAK SV9600 Still Video Transceiver □ KODAK SV7500 Still Video Multidisk Recorder □ KODAK SV7400 Still Video Recorder □ KODAK SV6500 Color Video Printer □ KODAK SV5035 Slide/Video Transfer Unit □ KODAK SV5000 Video Transfer Stand □ KODAK SV1300 Color Monitor Eastman Kodak Company Dept412-L Rochester, NY 14650 □ Please have a sales representative contact me. Name Title Organization. Nature of Business Address City Phone No. L State. .ZIP BY88123 IN DEPTH WHERE THE ACTION IS Coordinating Conversations The first commercial product to pro- vide the functionality of an action- coordination system was the Coordina- tor, introduced by Action Technologies in 1985 (version 2 is now out). The fol- lowing brief scenario introduces the basic concepts of conversation manage- ment as exemplified in the Coordinator. What Is There to Do? Photo A shows the screen that faces me when I begin work for the day. It in- cludes my schedule, reminders I have set for the day, a list of conversations that need attention, and a list of new mail that has arrived. Much of this will be familiar if you use message systems and computer desk utilities, but the structure is different. My work is orga- nized around the collection of conversa- tions in which I am currently engaged, and I operate by taking actions in those conversations. Today I choose to look first at the new message dealing with "article on reliability. " It comes up on my screen as shown in photo B. All messages in the Coordinator are identified as expressing a conversational action, in this case "Chapman@cpsr requested. . . " In ad- dition to specifying that it is a request, the sender has included explicit dates by which she wants a reply and completion of what she requested. This message also includes an enclosure, a file that I can examine and store on my own sys- tem for later use with whatever applica- tion is appropriate to it. Making a Response Having read the message, I call up the response menu, as shown in photo C, and select from the different kinds of re- sponses shown. The primary responses are those in- dicated in the network of conversational moves. I can say "Yes," promising to do as requested; I can say "No" to decline, or I can counteroffer with either "OK, except. . ." (indicating I'm willing but not exactly as specified) or "No, how- ever ..." (indicating that I want to sug- gest an alternative). I can also select "This is done," jumping directly to a state indicating that I have reported completion of what was asked. In each case, a new composition win- dow will appear on my screen with a brief standard message for the selected action, which I can edit or expand as the text of my response. In many instances (e.g., "I'll do it" is the text for "Yes"), no more text is necessary, and I imme- diately activate the Send command. In others, I may type in something like "I can't do it by the 10th, how about the 15th?" (in a counteroffer) or "The orig- inal hardback was published by Ablex and the paperback by Addison-Wesley" (in response to a question). The system is guiding me in the steps of the conversational dance. At any point, certain moves are possible and others aren't. The menus are designed to provide only the set of possibilities that make sense, and to distinguish them so that the recipient can see my in- tent and be guided in the next move. In addition, I have menu options for several standard practices, such as ac- knowledging the receipt of the message, postponing action to a specific date, and delegating the matter to someone else. Or I can just send a comment (equiva- lent to ordinary electronic mail). In this example, I select "Yes," and with a tap on the function key for "Send," a return message is on the way to Susan, and the promised completion date is recorded in my calendar. Keeping Track of Completion Returning to my schedule (see photo A), I note three conversations listed as requiring action by today. Macken has made a request concerning the research catalog and asked for a response by to- day. Since I have not yet responded in that conversation, it shows up on my cal- endar. I have promised Cbell to do a de- sign task by today and have not yet re- ported it complete, and I have requested that Hartley get back to me about travel requests and have not received a reply. The inclusion of reply and complete dates is optional when an action is taken. Experienced users almost always include one or more of them. Explicit dates associated with conversations identify potential breakdowns in the progress toward completion. Their use in organizing what is brought to the at- tention of the user each day plays a sur- prisingly large role in producing effec- tive conversations. In fact, this is the essential core of "time management," as embodied in many of the standard practices of organizations, such as proj- ect plans, tickler files, reminder sys- tems, and much of what goes into a daily calendar. The explicit use of con- versation theory makes it possible to in- tegrate these into a unified approach to the question of "What do I need to pay attention to now?" The distinction between open and Photo A: The screen that faces me when I begin work for the day. Notice that my work is organized around the conversations in which I am currently engaged. Photo B: A new message. Notice the expressed conversational action, in this case, "Chapman@cpsr requested. . ." and explicit dates for completion or reply. 256D BYTE- DECEMBER 15 «*s Subscribe to BYTE now and save $19 off the newsstand price of $42.00 ... and $7.00 off the regular subscription rate of $29.95. You'll also receive our special IBM PC issue as part of your subscription. □ U.S.A. S22.95/1 year [ | Canada/Mexico $27.95 U.S./1 year □ Bill me □ Payment enclosed □ Charge to my □ VISA □ MasterCard Account # Expires Signature □ This is a renewal order. Name (Please Print) Company . Address _ City/State . Country _ IBJ5120 . Code . Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing your subscription Subscribe to BYTE now and save $19 off the newsstand price of $42.00 ... and $7.00 off the regular subscription rate of $29.95. You'll also receive our special IBM PC issue as part of your subscription. LI U.S.A. $22.95/1 year | | Canada/Mexico $27.95 U.S./1 year □ Bill me □ Payment enclosed □ Charge to my D VISA □ MasterCard Account # Expires Signature □ This is a renewal order. Name (Please Print) Company . Address _ City/State . Country _ IBJ5120 . Code . Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing your subscription m BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 42 HIGHTSTOWN, NJ POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE BVTE Subscription Dept. RO. Box 550 Hightstown, NJ 08520-9886 NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES IH...I..I..I.I...I.IM...I.I..I..I.I..I..II...I..II BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 42 HIGHTSTOWN, NJ POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE BVTE Subscription Dept. P.O. Box 550 Hightstown, NJ 08520-9886 NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES m,I„ImI,I,„I,III„.I.ImI,.I,ImImIIm,I,.II IN DEPTH WHERE THE ACTION IS completed conversations is fundamental to keeping track of where things stand. Certain acts (marked with asterisks in the menus) move the conversation to a state in which nothing more is expected, although further comments can always be added. Completed conversations do not normally appear in schedules and conversation lists, unless specifically requested. The list of open conversa- tions is a map of what still needs to be done. The structure and status of con- versations are the primary basis for or- ganizing retrieval and review in the sys- tem. To put it simply, the structure is organized to provide straightforward and relevant answers to "What's next?" Keeping Records I decide to look more carefully at the conversation with Cbell, selecting it and selecting the menu operation to produce a status report (see photo D). The con- versation was initiated by my offer in September. Cbell made a counteroffer, and I accepted it. This acceptance was the last communication in which the state of the conversation advanced to- ward completion. Then, there was an exchange of comments between Cbell and Avra (who was copied in the origi- nal request), and a follow-up from Cbell. I also set a reminder for myself, which noted this conversation on my calendar on November 1, with a com- ment about reading the specs. By select- ing any of these lines, I could go back and read the specifics of the message. Much of what is recorded in conver- sation records is already part of stan- dard practices, but with a different orga- nizing structure. Records (including the Table A: Menu items for initiating a new conversation. Request Sender wants receiver to do something. Offer Sender offers to do something, pending acceptance. Promise Sender promises to do something (request is implicit). What if Opens a joint exploration of a space of possibilities. Inform Sender provides information. Question A request for information. Note A simple exchange of messages (as in ordinary E-mail). files that appear as enclosures) are orga- nized around distinct conversations, providing quick access to the history that provides the context for the action I am considering at the moment. Openings I report to Cbell that the design is com- plete by selecting "It's done" from the response menu and enclosing the file containing my new specs. I then want to inform the editor of the manual that the corresponding section needs to be up- dated, and to start people going on the programming. I bring up the menu for new conversations, which includes the items listed in table A. I choose "Inform," type in the de- tails about the section I have rewritten, and send it. I then choose "Request," type in my instructions for the program- ming team, and send that as well. Al- though occasionally an unstructured exchange of notes is called for, one of the explicit conversation types is usually more appropriate. In fact, there is often a benefit in being asked to think about which one it is. Everyone makes requests and prom- ises, but we often cause confusion by not being clear about what we expect. On getting a message, the conversa- tional types provide a clear guide to what is being called for in response, without a lot of words. They also set into motion the conversation-management mechanisms that provide options and bring things up on the schedule. The Coordinator has no magic to co- erce people to come through with what they promise, but it provides a straight- forward structure in which they can re- view the status of their commitments, alter commitments they are no longer in a position to fulfill, anticipate coming breakdowns, make new commitments to take care of breakdowns and opportu- nities appearing in their conversations, and generally be clear (with themselves and others) about the state of their work. ■ .T«»T ^^^^^^^^ — — — 1 Conua ■satton Status Report j Subject Redesign of display nodule !t: cbell Redesign of display nodule 6-Sep cbell counter -> ne Redesign of display nodule jlfl-Sep ne accept -> cbell Redesign of display nodule 1B-Sep aura connent -> cbell Redesign of display nodule IB- Sep cbell connent -> awa Redesign of display nodule 1-Hoy reninder Be sure to read the new specs 15-Noy cbell follouup -) ne Redesign of display nodule Photo C: The response menu. This contains the different kinds of responses I may select. Notice that they include promise, counteroffer, report, and decline responses. Photo D: A status report. It contains the details of my conversation with Cbell, followed by the history of all activity related to that conversation. DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 257 PROGRAMMERS FOR IBM PC/XT/AT ■ Select Device with vender name S type number directly I Enable user to set up Program Pulse Width. Vpp. Vcc. Over-program Pulse Width & Iteration Counts. Capable of set & 8/1 6/32-bits wide-word programming. XP60O0A Adapter & cable installs in PC for 355 connecting programmer externally XP6001 1 -socket 1 M-bits EPROMs programmer S160 XP6002 8-socket 1 M-bits EPROMs programmer 3375 XP6003 1 -socket MCS-48 micros programmer $215 XP6004 1 -socket MCS-51 micros programmer $270 XP6014 4-sockets 1 M-bits EPROM programmer $260 AT-101/A EPROM Eraser erases 30 24-pin ICs $195 with timer 2 YEAHS GUARANTY ♦ 30 DAYS MONEY BACK WARRANTY Xender Corporation 28M. KENNEDY III.VD..IFU.IERSEV CITY.NJ 07306 TH.-J0HS5M29I TfciJlO'-ill (ill CHAMPION Fax: 201-86-1-9M: Circle 309 on Reader Service Card TRANSLATE BASIC TO PASCAL P-TRAL, Woodchuck Industries' program for IBM PC and MS-DOS compatibles translates Microsoft BASIC source code to Turbo Pascal source. Comes with full documentation and tutorial. $179.00 P-Tral is also available for the Apple II series. Write or call for more details. WOODCHUCK INDUSTRIES, INC. 340 WEST 1 7 STREET Ste 2B NY, NY 1 001 1 (212)206-6490/924-0576 Circle 308 on Reader Service Card Get the whole story on graphics terminal emulation. To find out more about software that lets your PC emulate TEKTRONIX™ 4105/6/7/9 and DEC VT100™ terminals, call or write: <| GRAFPOIflT 4340 Stevens Creeks Blvd., Suire 280, San lose, CA 9SL29 [408) 249-7951 Circle 119 on Reader Service Card IN DEPTH WHERE THE ACTION IS Current computer systems provide two distinct worlds for dealing with prac- tices. On one side are the elementary fa- cilities provided by connectivity and compatibility: shared files and electronic messaging. These are totally general, but offer almost no structure to build with. On the other side are conventional data- processing systems for practices such as order entry, airline reservations, and in- tegrated CAD/CAM. In these, a particu- lar collection of practices is fossilized in the design of the information structures and operations. Although such systems can be very efficient and effective for the practices designed into them, they tend c omputers offer tremendous potential for improving our interactions with one another. to be difficult to build, inflexible in use, and poorly adapted to change. The challenge for groupware is to pro- vide an effective way of designing and continually evolving the collections of practices that constitute an organization. Action-coordination systems offer a promising approach. In a generalization of systems like the Coordinator, you can provide mechanisms that let people in or- ganizations design the appropriate archi- tectural elements— the patterns of inter- related conversations. In doing so, they aren't being asked to provide a set of pro- cedures that would let the machine make the decisions; they are constructing a range of possibilities for effective human action. As a simple example, I might find it difficult or impossible to make rules for exactly when I should send a design off to the documentation people, or which pro- gramming team I want to handle it. These decisions may depend on factors that aren't captured in the computer sys- tem at all. But what the system can do is provide me with a menu of appropriate possibilities. On sending the "This is done" action in a conversation about a design, I could be shown a menu with special items for "Inform documenters" and "Initiate programming." When I choose one of these items, the initial text in the message I compose would not be the generic text for an inform or request, but a text I have designed for this specific conversation, with data filled in automat- ically from the conversation I just com- pleted (e.g., the identity of the relevant files). As a further step, I can encode rules for those parts of the practice that are standard enough for a program (either a conventional algorithm or a rule-based system) to determine. As opposed to the artificial-intelligence approach, which tries to simulate the user's thinking pro- cess, the action-coordination framework focuses on providing an appropriate tai- lored set of actions to choose from. Thus, it provides a framework for incremental user-driven automation. The Office of the Future At first, computers were seen as number machines to be used in scientific quanti- tative applications. Today, you hear a lot about how they are really symbol ma- chines or knowledge machines. This is all true; however, computers are also "action machines"— machines with which you take linguistic action. They offer tremendous potential for improving our capacity to interact with one another. This potential is just being touched on by networking, electronic messaging, tele- conferencing, and the like. But it will really come to fruition when these are in- tegrated into a deeper understanding of how language serves as a medium in which people bring forth their own ac- tions and those of others. The development of conversation- action systems will make possible a new level of integration— not just of computer networks or standards, but of what peo- ple do. As we move from software to groupware, we will be able to create people-centered systems that bring new clarity and simplicity to the coordination of human action. ■ BIBLIOGRAPHY Winograd, Terry, and Fernando Flores. Understanding Computers and Cogni- tion: A New Foundation for Design. Nor- wood, NJ: Ablex, 1986; paperback, Reading, MA: Addison- Wesley, 1987. Winograd, Terry. "A Language/Action Perspective on the Design of Coopera- tive Work." Human- Computer Interac- tion, vol. 3, no. 1, 1987/88, pp. 3-30. Terry Winograd is an associate professor of computer science at Stanford Uni- versity. He can be reached on BIX c/o "editors. 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Features that make these large-format plotters so popular include: an 80 cm/s pen speed, vector optimization, 0.005 mm mechanical resolution, HP-GLIM emulation and GP-GL" command sets, and a long list of automatic functions. Get serious about your work, get a Graphtec. Recording the past Plotting the future GRRPHTEC W/A GRRPHTEC CORPORATION Mita 43rd Mori Bldg., 13-16, Mila 3-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108, Japan Tel:(03)453-0511 Telex:02422687(GRAPH-J) U.S.A.: American Graphtec Inc. 11 Vanderbilt, Irvine, California 92718-2067 Tel: (714) 837-9232 Europe: Graphtec Europe GmbH Borsteler Chaussee 85-99A 2000 Hamburg 61, West Germany Tel: (040)511-5059 Telex: 2165630 (GTEC D) 260 BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 United Kingdom: Graphtec (UK) Ltd. Environ House, Welshman's Lane, Nanhvich, Cheshire CW5 6AB, England Tel:(0270)625-115 Fax:(0270)626-733 Circle 120 on Reader Service Card IN DEPTH GROUPWARE Perils and Pitfalls To succeed with groupware, you must first clear these hurdles Jonathan Grudin Groupware devel- opment has not al- ways been either profitable or suc- cessful. This failure hasn't been because the products were dull or unoriginal or the companies were poorly run, but because the products at- tempted to change the way in which people interact in a work environment. Sound simple? It isn't. Group interaction is a com- plex web of political, motiva- tional, economic, and social currents. Our knowledge in these areas is largely uncon- scious, so tutoring computers to help us collaborate can be slow and difficult— that is, until product designers and purchasers alike acknowledge the stumbling blocks to user acceptance. The obstacles described here are not unsolvable, and they are not intended to devalue group- ware's goal. You can implement useful groupware applications if you invest suf- ficient resources to solve the problems, develop the appropriate research and de- velopment methodologies, and find niches where the problems don't arise or where applications will succeed in spite of them, and if you adequately prepare users for the new applications. ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT TINNEY © 1988 A Collective Benefit? An application can fail if it requires that some people do additional work, espe- cially if they are not the ones who per- ceive a direct benefit from using it. Groupware supports people who work in different roles, such as an author and an editor, a manager and individual con- tributors, or a professional and a secre- tary. To succeed, a groupware applica- tion must be used by all the relevant people. But often some will benefit more than others, while others will have to do extra work. Doing the extra work can- not be left to individual dis- cretion. Nor will each group- ware application be important enough to mandate that reluc- tant individuals take on the extra work; in many cases, the cost will outweigh the benefit. If it can be deter- mined that the application really does provide a collec- tive benefit to the group, edu- cation and leadership may be critical in convincing people to do the required work. The best solution is to en- sure that everyone benefits di- rectly from using the applica- tion by building in additional features, eliminating or mini- mizing the extra work re- quired of anyone, or reward- ing people for doing it. User interfaces must be provided that are matched with user backgrounds, jobs, and preferences. This is a substantial undertaking, but there may be no other option. Fact vs. Tact Applications can fail if, through igno- rance, they violate social taboos, threat- continued DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 261 IN DEPTH PERILS AND PITFALLS en existing political structures, or other- wise demotivate some users. The computer is happiest in the world of information— explicit, concrete facts or images. Accessing and manipulating information is central to the tasks for which individual users rely on their com- puters. Central to the dynamics of groups, however, are much less explicit social, motivational, political, and eco- nomic factors. Often without thinking about it, we rely on social conventions and our knowledge of the personalities of those around us to guide our actions. It will be difficult to make these con- ventions, personal agendas, and so forth available to the computer. Even trying to make these things explicit may be a prob- lem in itself: Often we tactfully keep our motivations and agendas (and our views of other people) to ourselves. Yet unless this information is made explicit, group- ware will be insensitive to it. Allowing for Error Applications can also fail if they do not allow for the wide range of error, excep- tion handling, and improvisation charac- teristic of much group activity. Software may be developed to support group activities or procedures as they are "supposed to" happen. But our descrip- tions of "typical" procedures may be misleading. Close examination may re- veal that group activity is particularly variable and that strict adherence to a standard procedure is more the exception than the rule. Designer's Intuition The design process sometimes fails be- cause our intuitions are poor for multi- user applications— no one person's intu- ition is likely to foresee the full range of user reactions in a complex social situa- tion involving the simultaneous partici- pation of people with different back- grounds, preferences, and jobs. Decision makers rely heavily on intu- ition. The track record of a development manager considering a groupware proj- ect is generally based on single-user ap- plications, where intuition may be a far more reliable guide— a manager with good intuition may quickly get a feel for the user's experience with a word proces- sor, spreadsheet, and so forth. Not sur- prisingly, the decision maker may be drawn to groupware applications that se- lectively benefit one subset of the user population: managers. Managers may see the potential benefit for people simi- lar to themselves, but may not see that extra work may be required of others, that social conventions important to others may be violated, or that the actual work activity of others may in practice vary from the prescribed procedures the manager sets out to automate. Evaluation Difficulties Groupware applications can be difficult to analyze and evaluate. Task analysis, design, and evaluation are never easy, but they are considerably more difficult for groupware than for single-user appli- cations. An individual's success with a particular spreadsheet or word processor is not likely to be affected by the back- grounds of other group members or by the administrative or personality dynam- ics within the group. But in a group, motivational, social, M any applications will fail if, through ignorance, they violate social taboos. and political factors come to the fore, and these factors do play an important role in the success of groupware. Evaluating groupware "in the field" is complex due to the number of people to observe at each site, the wide variability in group composition, the time over which group processes unfold, and the range of factors that play a role in deter- mining acceptance, such as user train- ing, management buy-in, and vendor fol- low-through. In fact, you may have to fully implement a groupware application to really evaluate its potential. Groupware's Heritage The two historical influences on group- ware are single-user applications written for minicomputers and microcomputers, and multiuser systems written for main- frames. Each brings with it certain as- sumptions that, because they don't hold for groupware, contribute to our failure to recognize the problems we face in de- signing and evaluating groupware. A groupware application can be a logi- cal extension of a single-user application, such as a coauthorship application that goes beyond word processing. Word pro- cessing does not become groupware by virtue of permitting different users to ac- cess and edit the same document sequen- tially. But a coauthorship application supports document preparation as a group activity if it allows coauthors to work simultaneously, if it identifies edits by the user making them, or if it interacts with users according to their role— prin- cipal author, coauthor, editor. Similarly, providing sequential, multiuser access to a database isn't enough: Database products such as Para- dox, Ingres for PCs, or Professional Ora- cle do allow multiuser access but don't distinguish among users beyond pass- word access. Multiuser databases are a foundation on which groupware will be built; for example, a groupware applica- tion might monitor changes in such a database and alert different people to specific changes according to their job. (Of course, a group could use a word pro- cessor or a database as a kind of electron- ic mail system, leaving notes for one an- other, thus turning what wasn't designed to be groupware into something that does support group activity.) Whether we are designers, imple- menters, users, or managers, our com- puter experience has generally been with single-user applications. Our intuitions are based on this experience. As a result, we are not accustomed to thinking in terms of the needs and preferences of dif- ferent users. The single-user application does not train us to consider users of the same product who have a crucial but en- tirely different engagement with it. At times we may think about novice, casual, and power users, but rarely about the different roles people play in relation to one application: author and editor, sender and receiver, enterer and moni- tor, and so forth. Intuitions formed around single-user applications do not prepare us to consider the complex social and political context that applications are used in, yet this context is critical for groupware, which influences the way communication and coordination occur. Experience with single-user applications does not prepare us for the difficult job of evaluating the more complex work pat- terns and longer time intervals that mark group activity. The Mainframe Legacy Groupware designed for users linked by minicomputers or networked microcom- puters can also be based on larger, main- frame-based systems. Corporate infor- mation systems centered on multiuser databases are common. Experience with these multiuser mainframe systems molds our intuitions regarding group- ware. They have similarities, but there continued 262 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 HOW TO AVOID A STROKE! POWERMENU Press 1 Key To Run 10,000 Programs PowerMenu becomes your friendly interface to your computer. No more changmg directories and then typing out a program command to run your program. With Power Menu, you press a single key to run your program. When you exit your program, you're taken directly back to PowerMenu again. Reduces User Support Requirement . 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BROWN BAG State Of The Smart Offices in London 01 831 1106 Koln 0221 7710923 Copenhagen 01 933837 Amsterdam 020 233408 Zurich 01 2146224 Copyright 1988 Brown Bag Software, Campbell, CA 95008 Circle 284 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 263 IN DEPTH PERILS AND PITFALLS are critical differences, particularly at the time of introduction. A mainframe system has a much higher cost, greater visibility, and stronger commitment from upper management. As a result, a new system brings with it the expectation of organizational change. The far less ex- pensive groupware application will not carry the same visibility, commitment, or expectation of change. The strong management commitment to ensuring the success of a new main- frame system means that the collective benefit of the system is recognized to be high; the organization may create new jobs to achieve success, if necessary; ways will be found to work around a few important individuals who will not use the system (the manager who won't use a terminal, for example); and pressure from management to try the system may be high. Even with these forces working to the advantage of the mainframe sys- tem, successful implementation is diffi- cult. Introducing groupware applications without this backing will be more diffi- cult, all else being equal. The much less expensive application program may provide a smaller or less certain collective benefit and won't have the same degree of management commit- ment. The organization cannot restruc- ture itself around each new groupware application, nor will management work as hard to ensure full participation. To a greater degree, groupware must fit more smoothly into existing work patterns and appeal to all the people needed to sup- port it. In general, the organization may adapt to a mainframe system, but a groupware application program must adapt to the organization. A large system may support several editors to choose among, for example, but all authors working together must use the same co- authoring application. Groupware must be more "group-friendly" than previous software has been. Learning from Failures Digitized voice, as in voice annotation or voice mail, has some advantages as a computer-based communication me- dium. But despite 25 years of research, voice technology has been highly un- profitable, and projected sales of voice products continue to be revised down- ward. Why? The advantages of digitized voice over typed input are almost all ad- vantages for the speaker. The disadvan- tages to digitized voice, however, are mostly problems for the listener. It is harder to understand, slower to take in, not easily scanned or reviewed, and more likely to contain errors. The speaker benefits from voice appli- cations, and the listener does additional work. When will it be acceptable for speakers to thus burden listeners? Some- times there is little alternative: A sales force on the road, for example, may have no E-mail option. A disparity may be acceptable when the speaker is of higher status than the listener, as with dictation machines, or when all users are speakers and listeners in roughly equal measure, sharing the burdens and benefits. Group decision support is another groupware area that hasn't yet caught on. The appeal to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of decision making in meetings or groups is obvious, but writ- ing software that can do it will be tricky. The decision-making process is often complex and subtle, with participants holding partially hidden agendas, rely- ing on knowledge of the personalities of the others involved, and so forth. Such factors may be difficult or impossible to represent explicitly in the system, and thus the computer may participate at a great disadvantage. In addition, group decision-support systems are expressly designed to benefit decision makers. But others may need to take time to learn and use the system. The system may encounter resistance if significant learning is required, if much effort to put information on-line to make it publicly available is necessary, if the system records information that a partici- pant would prefer not to spread outside the meeting, if it blocks other means to influence decision making (such as pri- vate lobbying), or if it undermines man- agement authority. Automatic meeting scheduling is my last example of a faltering groupware area. For automatic meeting scheduling to work efficiently, all involved must maintain personal calendars and be will- ing to let the computer schedule their free time. These requirements are not met. Electronic calendars are not elec- tronic versions of paper calendars. They serve communication functions, primar- ily for managers and executives with per- sonal secretaries who maintain the cal- endars. Most individual contributors get by fine with portable, compact paper calendars. This has dire consequences for auto- matic meeting scheduling. If a manager wants to meet with nonmanagement sub- ordinates, few of the latter are likely to maintain their electronic calendars. The scheduling program will find all times open and schedule a meeting, and con- flicts will ensue. The one who benefits from the feature is the person who calls meetings— the manager. Those who have to do additional work to make the appli- cation succeed are the individual contrib- utors, who would have to maintain elec- tronic calendars that they would not otherwise use. Analysis of a Success: E-Mail How have E-mail and bulletin boards avoided these pitfalls to become the clear groupware success story? To begin with, there is an equitable division between who does the work and who gets the ben- efit. In some situations, everyone takes equal turns sending and receiving; in other cases, the person with a message to communicate does a little more work to type it, while the receiver can easily read or ignore it. The basic conversation for- mat fits in readily with our social con- ventions (although the differences lead to potential problems, such as "flaming" and "junk E-mail"). But E-mail is peculiarly anomalous in some interesting respects. It is coming into wide use less through a normal prod- uct-development and marketing process than by spreading from academic and public sources. Unlike many groupware products, the obvious beneficiaries are not managers or decision makers. Its asynchronous nature may even bother managers whose time is tightly bud- geted: The ability for anyone to rapidly disseminate information (including ru- mors) can create new and not always wel- come challenges for managers, whose jobs often involve managing and control- ling communication. Because it is so dif- ferent from most groupware, it may be a mistake to look at E-mail as a model for groupware development. In fact, for groupware to succeed, it must be less technology-driven than it has been. We must start with a better un- derstanding of how groups and organiza- tions function and evolve, and we must be more systematic in evaluating the ef- fects of introducing technology into groups. We also need a better under- standing of our own decision-making processes. The intuitions that guided us in the past are breaking down as we move from single-user applications and main- frame systems to the new world of networked minicomputers and micro- computers that will support groups. We need better science and better intuitions in this area, because failure is so expen- sive and time-consuming. ■ Jonathan Grudin is a member ofMCC's Human Interface Laboratory in Austin, Texas. He can be reached on BIX do "editors. 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Box 906 State College, PA 16804 (814) 234-8087 IN DEPTH INTELLIGENT SOFTWARE AGENTS Circle 243 on Reader Service Card system would ask for the names of re- viewers, request their recommendations, and get the editor's final decision on the paper. • Argnoter will be part of the CoLab, a face-to-face meeting-support system. Argnoter is designed to support a group evaluating proposals— for example, for the design of a piece of software. Individ- uals suggest arguments for or against each proposal and compare proposals, using the system to prepare summaries of the arguments. As participants discuss the arguments, they can state their un- derlying assumptions and evaluation cri- teria and have the system quickly evalu- ate proposals under different sets of assumptions. Just the Beginning At present, AI techniques for group work are still in their infancy. These tech- niques, however, have the potential to dramatically alter the way we choose to organize our work. For instance, imag- ine a future in which you work at a work- station connected to many others on a corporate network. Vast amounts of knowledge are stored on-line. Your workstation contains most of the letters, reports, calendars, business cards, drawings, and other papers that clutter your office today. It also "knows" what tasks you are working on, what products your company makes, and who has dif- ferent roles in your organization. Other BIBLIOGRAPHY Barber, G. R. "Supporting Organizational Problem Solving with a Workstation. " In J. O. Limb, ed. Proceedings Supplement of the Conference on Office Information Systems. Philadelphia, PA: ACM, 1981, pp. 33-44. Croft, W. B., and L. S. Lefkowitz. "Using a Planner to Support Office Work." InR. B. Allen, ed. Proceedings of the Conference on Office Information Systems. Palo Alto, CA: ACM Press, 1988, pp. 55-62. Denning, P. "Electronic Junk." Communi- cations of the ACM, vol. 23, 1982, pp. 163-165. Fikes, R., and T. Kehler. "The Role of Frame-Based Representation in Reason- ing." Communications of the ACM, vol. 28, 1985, pp. 904-920. Hiltz, S. R., and M. Turoff. The Network Nation: Human Communication via Computer. Reading, MA: Addison-Wes- ley, 1985. Kaye, A. R., and G. M. Karam. "Cooper- ating Knowledge-Based Assistants for the Office." ACM Transactions on Of- computers on the network know how the components in new products fit together, which outside firms can supply them, and why the major design decisions were made as they were. Imagine further that you are the mas- ter of dozens of "intelligent agents." These automated servants tirelessly do your bidding, searching for meeting an- nouncements, news stories, engineering- change notices, and other information that might interest you. They also sort, prioritize, and keep track of all the infor- mation you receive. Sometimes these servants schedule meetings for you (ac- cording to your own priorities); at other times, they suggest how you may want to handle a message you have just received. Often they advise you about how to get things done: who to ask, what procedures you need to follow, what you haven't done yet. These servants sometimes act as your representatives in answering other people's questions, in negotiating project schedules, and even in buying parts from outside suppliers. Of course, no system today can per- form all this magic. But researchers are making significant progress in using techniques from AI to help solve some of these problems. ■ Kevin Crowston is a doctoral student and Thomas W. Malone is a professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management. They can be reached on BIX c/o "editors. " fice Information Systems, vol. 5, 1987, pp. 297-326. Kedzierski, B. I. "Communication and Management Support in System Devel- opment Environments." In Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computer Systems. Gaithersburg, MD: ACM, 1982. Malone, T. W., K. G. Grant, K-Y. Lai, R. Rao, and D. A. Rosenblitt. "Semi- structured Messages are Surprisingly Useful for Computer-Supported Coordi- nation." Transactions on Office Infor- mation Systems, vol. 5, 1987, pp. 115-131. Malone, T. W., K. R. Grant, F. A. Tur- bak, S. A. Brobst, and M. D. Cohen. "Intelligent Information-Sharing Sys- tems." Communications of the ACM, vol. 30, 1987, pp. 390-402. Sathi, A., T. E. Morton, and S. F. Roth. "Callisto: An Intelligent Project Man- agement System." AI Magazine, winter 1986, pp. 34-52. Winston, P. Artificial Intelligence, 2nd ed. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1984. TRY THE NEW GENERATION FOR $30 KNOWLEDGEPRO KnowledgePro uses TopicsJo_stefe-^rlTunks^of knowledge." Topics can contain data,BHB^r^| procedures, calculations, rules, lists and pictures. 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The Database Toolkit (for access to dBASE and Lotus 1 23 files) costs $49 and the Graphics Toolkit (for access to PC Paintbrush pictures) costs $89. Our KnowledgeMaker induction system (for creating rules from data) costs $99. KnowledgePro runs on IBM PC, AT and PS/2 compatible machines with 640K memory. TO ORDER Call 518-766-3000 (Amex, Visa, M/C accepted) or send $30 + $5 shipping & handling for the demo ($38 total foreign) or $495 + $8 shipping & handling for the full system ($553 total foreign) to Knowledge Garden, Inc., 473A Maiden Bridge Road, Nassau, NY 12123. In NY State please add 7% sales tax. KnowledgePro® By Bev & Bill Thompson The first Knowledge Processor. published by Knowledge GARDENhc. In association with KnowledgePro is a registered trademark of Knowledge Garden, Inc., Lotus 1 23 is a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corp., dBASE is a trademark of Ashton Tate. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Inc., KnowledgeMaker is a trademark of Knowledge Garden Inc. Photo Tcherevkoff © Circle 159 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 273 EPSON ■Wide Protection Plan) EQUITY II PLUS • 1.2 Meg Floppy • 40 Meg Hard Disk • 640K Ram • Serial/Parallel/C/C • 80286 CPU 12 MHz • Monochrome Monitor • Graphic Card • MS DOS • GW Basic In order lo provide the best service, EPSON EQUITY is exclusively sold on location. EQUITY 1+ 360K Floppy 20 Meg Hard Disk 640K Ram Serial/Parallel Port Monochrome Card Monochrome Monitor MS DOS GW Basic $1195 EQUITY III+ ■ 80286 CPU 6-8 12 MHz ' 1.2 MEG Floppy ■ 40 MEG Hard Disk ■ DOS 3.2 Mono Monitor & Graphic Card LOW PRICE LEADER SINCE 1983 Everex Step 286 - 12 & 16 MHz 1 Meg RAM Set up utility in ROM S/P, C/C Enhanced keyboard 1.2 MB floppy DOS/BASIC ■VEREX- Call! for your configuration $2195 Everex Step 386-20 MHz & 16 MHz 256K cache of very high speed RAM 2 Meg RAM, expandable to 16 Meg S/P, C/C Enhanced keyboard 1.2 MB floppy DOS/BASIC Everex 286/8/10 MHz available Call! comma 386 S40 Meg 3995 386 130 meg/20 MHz 6295 286 40 meg 2395 386 110 meg/25 MHz 7495 386 60 meg/20 MHz 5295 Portable III 40 meg/12 MHz 4195 CARD & MONITOR EXTRA PS/2 model 30/20 meg 1775 PS/2 model 50/20 meg 2595 PS/2 model 60/40 meg 3395 PS/2 model 60/71 meg 4100 PS/2 model 80/40 meg 4595 PS/2 model 80/115 meg 6295 LAP-TOP Toshiba S100-40 4695 Toshiba 3200-40 3595 Toshiba 3100-20 Call Toshiba 1000 Call NEC Multispeed 1295 NEC Multispeed EL 1595 EPSON LT Call WE STOCK CITIZEN 0KIDATA EVEREX GOLD STAR TOSHIBA PRINCETON GRAPHICS AMDEK PC MOUSE IRWIN & ARCHIVE NEC SONY HAYES MICROSOFT MICE TAPE BACK WYSE ACER SAMSUNG LOGITECH TAXAN HITACHI HOUSTON INSTRUMENTS CALCOMP MITSUBISHI MAGNOVOX Macintosh Mac-SE/20 Meg 2895 Mac-ll/40 Meg 4550 Mac-SE12 Drive 2350 Call for 60 and 100 Meg ARCHE RIVAL 386 Arche Rival 386/286 3100/2200 Hundai 286 1295 SOFTWARE Microsoft Word 239 Word Perfect 5.0 249 Lotus 1-2-3 297 dBase III+ 385 AND MANY, MANY MORE! SPECIALS of the Month Microsoft Mouse $119 Microsoft Excel $299 Aldus Pagemaker . . . .$459 AST AST 386 model 340 4395 AST 286 model 80 1595 AST 286 model 120 Call AST 286 model 140 2595 CARD & MONITOR EXTRA EPSON® PRINTERS Epson FX850/1050 ...$379/535 Epson LQ850/1050 ...$559/785 Epson LQ500/2500... $359/895 Epson LX800/EX800 . . $199/445 Epson LQ2550 $970 CITIZEN PRINTER 180D/15E $179/385 MSP40/45 $299/439 MSP50/55 $399/509 Tribute 124/224 $425/645 OverTure/Lazer $1295 HP LASER Jet II 1750 WE ACCEPT LC, CASHIER CHECKS, MONEY ORDERS, VISA, MC, AmEx 3% charge on VISA, MC & 5% on American Express COMPUTERLANE HOURS: M-F 9-6 CORPORATE ACCOUNTS WELCOME CALL FOR VOLUME DISCOUNTS CONSULTANTS CALL FOR PRICING 1-800-526-3482 (outside ca> (818) 884-8644 (In CA) (818) 884-8253 (FAX) 22107 ROSCOE BLVD. CANOGA PARK 1/2 BLOCK W. OF TOPANGA CA 91304 Prices subject to change without notice Compaq is a Registered Trademark of Compaq IBM is a Registered Trademark of International Business Machines 274 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 Circle 68 on Reader Service Card IN DEPTH GROUPWARE A Groupware Toolbox These products prove that personal computer groupware is real Susanna Opper The population of groupware prod- ucts increases each week. And there's no doubt that a virtual baby boom of entries will blossom with OS/2 and the Presenta- tion Manager. Even though many per- sonal computer groupware products are still in their in- fancy, some are young adults. The products mentioned here are a sampling of the more popular and promising pro- grams available. The Toolbox It's useful to think of group- ware as a class of products — similar to a toolbox contain- ing tools for diverse tasks. Like the tools in the box, vari- ous groupware products are suited to different jobs or workgroup missions. Here are some emerging categories: • Document editing. This software auto- mates the process of capturing and track- ing editorial comments on a document by several people. Proposals, legal docu- ments, and sales literature are examples of work in this category. • Forms centered. These systems are de- signed to coordinate routine transactions through a standard cycle. The processing ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT TINNEY © 1988 of order forms, insurance claims, and customer complaints are examples. • Team development. This is an emerg- ing category that includes products de- signed to assess and provide feedback to groups about individual styles and team makeup. • Workgroup communication manage- ment. This includes structured and semi- structured electronic mail-based sys- tems that enable groups to have discussions, take mes- sages, coordinate calendars, track projects, and follow up on details. Some observations hold true for many or all of the products I'll discuss. The first is residence. Where your groupware product resides makes a big difference. If you've bought a program to enable anyone in your work- group to take phone messages for anyone else, but message takers must quit another pro- gram each time the phone rings, you'll have a lot of un- answered calls. Some pro- grams that don't have this drawback are noted below. Otherwise, investigate a multitasking environment such as DESQview from Quarterdeck Office Systems. You should also consider your resources. You need to know up front that many of the products on the fol- lowing pages are "hogs." Whether a groupware product will strain your re- sources and whether it's worth the cost of adding memory or bumping other appli- cations are questions you may need to bear in mind. Connectivity is your next concern. continued DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 275 IN DEPTH A GROUPWARE TOOLBOX Local-area networks are gaining great popularity. But some managers recog- nize danger in having a LAN here, an in- compatible LAN there, and a third else- where. Few workgroups in companies work in isolation. Manufacturing needs to talk to sales; everyone needs to talk to personnel; the controller needs to talk to everyone. This means groupware in one department must connect to the same product or another groupware product elsewhere in the company— often at a dif- ferent location. Furthermore, many or- ganizations require links to the corporate mainframe. Who connects to whom is a lengthy, complicated, and ever-changing discus- sion, and I'll not list connectivity for in- dividual products here. But before you settle on your short list for groupware, check to be sure the product makes the connections you need. And finally, you should consider stan- dards. While CCITT's X.400 will prob- ably be the interconnection standard, its implementation today is neither consis- tent nor universal. Some groupware products will provide an X.400 gateway via Action Technologies' Message Han- dling System, which was included with Novell's software starting in January. MHS is a store-and-forward message- handling service that allows program-to- program transfer of data. The Coordina- tor, Higgins, and WordPerfect Office support MHS. Familiar Faces The following products have all been around for a while, typically 2 or 3 years, and most have been upgraded at least once. Each has an installed base and loyal user support. • ForComment. Ever since the Founding Fathers framed the Constitution, collab- orative writing has been the American way of putting ideas into print. By 1984, in spite of computerization, group writ- ing hadn't improved much. This both- ered university professors Mark Edwards and Jim Levine, who spent their lives writing research grants, commenting on colleagues' papers, reviewing student writing, and preparing manuscripts for print. Both programmers on the side, they figured there had to be a better way. They began to sketch out the characteris- tics of what the ideal product would look like. Not long after that, they brought in Midian Kurland, another scholar cum programmer whose speciality was cog- nitive psychology. The result of their efforts, ForCom- ment, now marketed by Broderbund Software, is a document-editing package that supports up to 16 users. It's now available for the IBM PC or compatibles with 384K bytes of RAM, a word proces- sor, and DOS 2.0 or higher. ForComment allows multiple review- ers to comment on a document, seeing and adding to each other's remarks with- out actually altering the original version. That privilege rests with the designated author, who alone can choose to incorpo- rate someone else's comments into the document. Each of up to 16 commentors' contributions is automatically initialed in the document, which can be printed with the annotations. A "cover page" tracks reviewers' activities. Menus and context-sensitive help screens give users support during the process. ForComment is compatible with most popular word processing programs. Al- though it works much better in a LAN environment, it can be used as a stand- alone product also. • Higgins. Conetic Systems' Higgins is the granddaddy of traditional LAN- based workgroup productivity software. It's built around a relational database that gives each user keyword access to group calendars, shared project information, and a personal filing system. It includes standard features like E-mail, schedul- ing, and project tracking, as well as ex- pense reporting plus accessories— calcu- lator, notepad, and telephone dialer. Two levels of password and full encryp- tion of all text files keep data secure. The product requires an IBM PC Network-compatible LAN, including 3Com's 3 + , Novell's Advanced Net- Ware, Banyan's Vines, IBM's Token Ring, and AT&T's StarLAN. The latest Higgins feature is a trans- parent, menu-driven facsimile delivery for E-mail. This means users can select a name from their previously specified personal directory, and recipients who aren't on E-mail will receive the message as a fax. Higgins even creates a cover page indicating the sender, recipient, subject, number of pages, and date. In- coming fax messages are stored until printed. The add-on costs $995. Currently, the Higgins scheduler doesn't automatically notify meeting at- tendees of get-togethers or add dates to the calendar as tentative until con- firmed. Howard Case, marketing vice president at Conetic Systems, says an up- grade is in the works. • The Coordinator. This LAN-based product from Action Technologies is de- signed to allow organized information exchange between members of an elec- tronic workgroup. More than just E- mail, the product helps those who send messages to clarify their requests, and it helps those who receive messages to re- spond to requests made of them by either accepting the request, rejecting it, or proposing alternatives. The Coordinator also keeps track of all interaction. continued Don't buy a "smart" modem that can't talk! /MODEM PLUS \ modem: it gives you auto I \folCEMAIl" / answer, voice mail, speed \ $1QQ / dial, database access. Plus \^}2Z^y a full-featured 1200-baud modem. Over 25,000 Watsons have been sold. Voice quality is amazingly life-like, and an optional programmers kit lets you build applications. For a phone demo, dial 1 (800) 6-WATSON (in Mass., (508) 651-2186). To order, call 1 (800) 533-6120 (in Mass., (508) 655-6066). Watson Natural Microsystems Corporation 276 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 Circle 197 on Reader Service Card TrueVista™ Videographics Adapters Adjust Made Choosing Your Graphics Card As Easy As 1,2,4. You've probably seen ourTrueVista products, or you've heard about their powerful features like the real-time frame capture, on-board Tl 34010 coprocessor, large frame buffer, NTSC/PAL compatibility and more. Recently, we announced several new products in the series, each with unique potential for your TrueVista Series applications^m video to digital pre-press to image processing. So now, whether your choice is an AI-ciass platform or the Macintosh® II, you qjafly,heed one source for your graphics needs, the TrueVista series. The chart below filines several key differences in the iro&ucts. FEATURES ATVistalM ATVista2M ATVista4M NuVista2M NuVista4M BUS AT AT AT NuBus NuBus MAXIMUM 32 bits/pixel ADDRESSABLE 16 bits/pixel RESOLUTIONS 8 bits/pixel 512x512 1024x512 1024x1024 1024x512 1024x1024 2048x1024 1024x1024 2048x1024 2048x2048 1024x512 1024x1024 2048x1024 1024x1024 2048x1024 2048 x 2048 VMX EXPANSION 2-10 Mbytes 2-10 Mbytes 2-10 Mbytes TBA TBA PRICE $2995. $4250. $5995. $4250. $5995. Now There's Software You Can Count On, Too. To complete the equation, add in STAGE™ , our comprehensive graphics environment for the 34010. Since STAGE is host-independent, it allows you to access the coprocessor directly, regardless of the bus. So your program on the AT can be quickly ported to the Macintosh II. Customers will not be tied to one platform either, as files and programs will be compatible across both hosts. STAGE is currently available for the AT Vista series, and will be available soon for the NuVista as well. With the new members of the TrueVista family and the release of STAGE, you now have everything you need to develop exciting new products for the next generation of computer graphics. And many applications are already appearing to assist you in your immediate needs. Contact us to learn more about our products or our third-party developer program and the support available to you. You'll soon see how you can count on Truevision to provide all your graphics solutions. Truevision 7351 Shadeland Station, Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46256 800/858-TRUE INTERNATIONAL: Canada 416/499-9400 France 33-13-952-6253 Italy 39-2-242-4551 Switzerland 41-1-825-0949 U.K. 44-1 -991 -0121 West Germany 49-89-612-0010 Other 617/229-6900 Prices quoted are US Domestic suggested retail prices. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. drcl€ 294 Otl Redder S€fViC€ Ctttd ruevision, Inc. 1988 IN DEPTH A GROUPWARE TOOLBOX The Tools Caucus Higgins Workgroup communication Workgroup communication. Perfect Timing (computer conferencing). Conetic Systems, Inc. Workgroup communication. Metasystems Design Group, Inc. 1470 Doolittle Dr. Imagine Software 2000 North 15th St., Suite 103 San Leandro, CA 94577 19 Bolinas Rd. Arlington, VA 22201 (415) 430-8875 Fairfax, CA 94930 (703) 243-6622 $995 per server for up to 20 users; (415) 453-3944 From $350 for the PC version. $995 additional for unlimited users. $295 for starter kit: server and up to Inquiry 961. Inquiry 959. three workstations; $150 for additional three-workstation node kits. The Coordinator LIfE Inquiry 966. Workgroup communication. Forms centered. Action Technologies Motorola Computer Systems SuperSync 2200 Powell St., Suite 1100 10700 North De Anza Blvd. Team development. Emeryville, CA 94608 Cupertino, CA 95014 SwixTech USA (415) 654-4444 (408) 255-0900 2102 Business Center Dr. , Suite 130 $995 for LAN 10 users; $1990 for LAN $1195 for LIfE-Forms and LIfE-Lines; Irvine, CA 92715 30 users; $495 for stand-alone version; $795 for LIfE-Plans; $2000 for LIfE- (714)253-5715 $100 for hub software for connecting Works for one to eight users. $295. remote LANs. Inquiry 965. Inquiry 964. Inquiry 960. Office Works WordPerfect Office ForComment Workgroup communication. Workgroup communication. Document editing. Data Access Corp. WordPerfect Corp. Broderbund Software, Inc. 14000 Southwest 1 19th Ave. 1555 North Technology Way 17 Paul Dr. Miami, FL 33186 Orem, UT 84057 San Rafael, CA 94903 (305) 238-0012 (801) 225-5000 (800) 527-6263 $1395 for LAN version; $195 for single $495 for file server; $150 for each addi- (415) 492-3200 user. Free demonstration disk available. tional station. $995 for network/workgroup version, Inquiry 962. Inquiry 963. allows up to 16 users; $295 for individ- ual user version. Inquiry 958. The product requires a LAN server with 640K bytes of RAM, Novell's Ad- vanced NetWare (version 2.0 or higher), or a LAN operating system that fully supports DOS 3. 1 or higher. The Coordinator differs from other groupware in two important ways— one technical, one philosophical. Techni- cally, the Coordinator's server is like a post office (a major metaphor in the sys- tem's design). When the recipient picks up a message, it moves to the user's PC and is no longer in the server. Thus, group members have their own unique Coordinator files right in their PCs. The good news is ease of access; the Coordi- nator is the place where work is done. The bad news is that if you travel, you must take your computer with you every- where. And if you lose your files, you can't count on the server for a backup. Philosophically, the Coordinator is designed to change the way people work. It's based on the concept of records pro- viding a context or history for each con- versation. It includes a mechanism for people to make commitments to action and a calendar system designed to track those commitments. This theory led the original Coordinator to a structured dia- logue of "conversations for action" and "conversations for possibility," which included such "canned" messages as "I decline your offer." (For more informa- tion, see the text box "Coordinating Con- versations" on page 256D.) The Coordi- nator Version II provides clearer menus, revised language, and greatly reduced learning time. • Caucus. This system, from Metasys- tems Design Group (MDG), is the most versatile of a handful of computer con- ferencing products that run on small sys- tems. Computer conferencing allows communication across organizational and geographic boundaries on many sub- jects at any time of the day or night. Cau- cus, running on an 80386-based machine with multiple serial ports, can handle up to 16 simultaneous users, which equates to a population of several hundred occa- sional callers. It's this capability and the ability to separate discussions by topic that set real conferencing systems apart from bulletin board systems, with which they are often confused. The system's minimum requirements are an IBM PC or 100 percent-compati- ble machine running MS-DOS 2.0 or higher, complete with a 20-megabyte hard disk drive. Not only does Caucus run on every- thing from a PC to a mainframe, but its built-in dictionaries give system adminis- trators a powerful tool with which to cus- tomize commands. User interfaces can easily be translated into foreign lan- guages or industry-specific jargon. The Defense and Space Systems Inte- gration Group at Boeing Computer Ser- vices in Seattle is one of more than 100 continued 278 BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 Usersoft/C Means Business UserSoft Business C is the finan- cial C compiler that makes sense to both clients and programmers. It is not /ust another C compiler. Business C Development Tools'", consists of SCREEN™, S/AM™ and SUPERIOR™, regular price at US$299.95. Comdex '88 special at US$199.95. System Requirements for the IBM PS/2™ and the IBM® family of personal computers and all 100% com- patibles. PC-DOS (MS-DOS) 2.0 or later. 384K RAM. Compiler Library Models SMALL to HUGE. Commercial C Development Tools'", consists of S/AM™ and SUPERIOR™, regular price range from US$499.95 to US$999. Comdex '88 special at US$399.95. Commercial Development Tools are currently available for UNIX (Sun, VAX), and other systems. Versions for Macintosh™, IBM/VS™ and XENIX'" will be released early in 1989. S/AM -the revolutionary data- base management system that gives you unlimited growth and ease of usage. There are no limitations on any of the follow- ing features: key types (alpha- numeric, integer, float & image), # of key parts, # of data fields, size of any key and/or data, and # of alternative keys. Other features includes automatic management of alternative key files (virtual tables); encryption on file, record, dataf ield or even a byte; privacy prevention option (in the event of three or more illegal attempts to access the file, future access to that level will be prohibited until reset); high- language access for non-image data; mixed (fixed and variable) data field/key length for storage compression & for special applications. &*& USERSOFT ♦♦%%%♦ If within 60 days of purchase, Ihis product does not perform in accordance with our claims, coll our customer service depart- ment and we will arrange a refund. All UserSoft products are trademarks or registered trademarks of UserSoft Systems Limited. Other brand and prod- uct names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Copyright1 1988 UserSoft Systems Limited SCREEN is a superset of UNIX curses; supports large window buffer with scroll, wrap, hori- zontal scroll etc.; has multiple windows & sub-windows, direct screen read/write and auto CGA/monochrome capabilities. Optimized for developing spreadsheet and word pro- cessing programs. SUPERIOR -the world's first breakthrough in making C "The language for developing busi- ness application programs". It is capable to manipulate the format for inputing or outputing values with just one statement which could not be done by any of the other languages from BASIC, conventional C, COBOL, FORTRAN, SNOBOL to 4GL. It includes functions for strings manipulation, conversion, busi- ness calculation such as regres- sion, standard deviation, innova- tive complex matrix operations, and most built-in functions com- patible to those of WANG™ BASIC/2, IBM™ PL/1 subset G and TH EOS '"BASIC. Our September and October ads in BYTE give detailed com- parison of the functions, port- ability, documentation, product and price. Why do project managers buy? UserSoft's Tools minimize training costs, increase pro- ductivity, reduce stress and development time; and eliminate complexities of project through "programming compression™", also provides privacy to information. Why do COBOL programmers buy? It has superpowerful routines for screen handling, flexible and unique input/output formatting, easy-to-use BASIC and PL1 functions. It, increases project performance and soft- ware portability, makes C easier to use than COBOL & other languages. UserSoft Systems Limited Suite 1512, 409 Granville St Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 1T2 Telephone 604/681.8872 Power C is a trademark of Mix Software MS-DOS, Microsoft C is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation Turbo C is a registered trademark of Borland International IBM, MVS and VSAM are trademarks of International Business Machine Sun Is a trademark of Sun Microsystems DEC. VMS ond VAX ore trademarks of Digital Equipment Corporation UNIX is a trademark of Bell Loboralory VS is a trademark of WANG Laboratory Why do C programmers buy? It reduces coding, debugging, testing and programme main- tenance time. It provides easy portability and conversion to other systems. It is the most com- plete, powerful and flexible set of tools ever required for software development. Why do educational institutes buy? It is the world's most ver- satile Data Management system yet practical and easy to be taught. UserSoft Development Tool is the possible replacement of COBOL, PL/1, FORTRAN, BASIC. It prepares student to be highly productive and competi- tive in the industry. Can you afford to wait? Many with no computer experience have already claimed to have acquired C programming skills in just one week. Business C Development Tools'" could make you more competitive increasing productivity manyfolds. Circle 296 on Reader Service Card This special offer must be posted before December 31, 1988. YES . . . Please Rush me copies of the following products. Business C Development Tool ■ US$199.95 (includes S/AM, SUPERIOR and SCREEN - PC/XT/ AT only) Commercial C Development Tool (includes S/AM and SUPERIOR) For non-PC productplease call (800) 663-0322 UNIX (reg. $499-$1999) ■ US$399.95 □ Apollo D Honeywell DSun DVAX D UNISYS DWang/INEX WANG/ VS (reg. $1499) ■ US$399.95 OTHER (reg. $999-$1999) ■ US$999.95 □ VMS fjMVS DPRIMOS DVS/VS1 Individual Tools for PC only: □ S/AM US$99.99 □ SUPERIOR US$99.99 □ SCREEN US$69.99 Circle for my: MicroSoft-C/Turbo-C/Lattice- C/Advanced-C + +/ □ 5'/4" disk (360k/1.2M) or □ 3V5" disk I'll like to have more information for system. ZIP/PHONE CARD* □ VISA D MASTERCARD D AMX □ CHQ. EXPIRATION DATE To order Call: 1-800/663-0322 Shipping and Handling: North America (US$10 UPS; $20 Air); Overseas US$50. General: (604) 681-8872, or FAX (604) 685-1207/Telex 04-508312 VCR ATTN USERSOFT All dealers/wholesalers/educators are welcome, call Mr. S. Cherry (604) 681-8872 DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 279 IN DEPTH A GROUPWARE TOOLBOX sites using Caucus for on-line meetings. With the system's special macro com- mands, each conference is linked to a database that provides users with back- ground technical information and other data appropriate to the topic. The same programming tool has been customized by Caucus's distributor, MDG, to keep track of prospects. If anyone in MDG's six-person office gets a lead, they begin a conference on the subject by invoking a macro-triggered program that interac- tively prompts for basic data on the pros- pect. Caucus's indexing feature enables MDG to generate lists of prospects for review and follow-up by the more than 20 associates and affiliates located around the world. MDG holds electronic meetings for all prospects with existing clients who meet on-line to share common challenges of running a conferencing system and to let developers know where they think the program is lacking. These support groups are essential in computer confer- encing, because the technology usually meets resistance when first installed in organizations where familiar in-person exchanges are replaced by lines on a screen. Using the dictionary capability, devel- oper Charles Roth is working on a Japa- nese version of Caucus. The development team— the members of which have never been able to meet in person— are working together on-line. New Introductions The next four products were introduced in the past year, have generally received good press, and have some loyal users. • Office Works. This product from Data Access is designed to automate what peo- ple do in offices every day. The soft- ware's phone message slip, for example, looks like the standard paper form. The product promotes efficient message han- dling and calendar planning. For example, Access Graphic Tech- nologies in Piscataway, New Jersey, uses Office Works for all phone messages routed throughout the company. Suppose a call comes in to Joe McCaffrey, techni- cal service manager for AGT, when he isn't at his desk. The receptionist would take the message and assign it a priority. If the priority is high enough, it would beep its presence for McCaffrey when he gets back to his office. Once he returned the call automatically through the pro- gram using his modem, he would file the message on the system and add his new- found contact to a database. He could send the message to someone else in the office if desired, since all 15 workers in the graphic-distributors organization, from the president to the receptionist, use Office Works. While Office Works can handle a lot of phone messages, it also provides a so- phisticated graphically presented calen- daring feature. The program's schedul- er, unlike some others, is very complete. If you want to set up a meeting, you indi- cate the time and desired attendees, and Office Works takes you through the whole process, from showing conflicts to placing the meeting tentatively on the targeted attendees' calendars and send- ing E-mail notification messages. If you don't get a confirmation, you know to follow up by other means. Office Works also includes a com- pletely searchable name, address, phone, and company-information database for clients, vendors, and business contacts. Unfortunately, the first release was not compatible with other DataFlex data- bases, causing some users double work. The company plans to correct that and introduce a multi-site version soon. The product handles traditional E-mail, in- cluding forwarding and future-delivery options, and it includes automatic routing for fax and telex messages. Its document- control feature lets you find any indexed items by ownership, author, recipient, date, or user-provided keyword. The system requires an IBM PC, XT, AT, or compatible with 640K bytes of RAM and 2.5 megabytes of disk storage. Support is provided for multiuser-com- patible operating systems, including No- vell Advanced NetWare 2.0 and higher, 3Com 3 + version 1 . 1 and higher, IBM PC Network/LAN Program 1.12 and higher, IBM Token Ring/LAN Program 1.12 and higher, and other NetBIOS- compatible networks. • WordPerfect Office. At Lugenbuhl, Burke, Wheaton, Peck, and Rankin, a New Orleans law firm, WordPerfect Of- fice is used by a dozen secretaries and several adventurous attorneys with per- sonal computers. The firm uses the prod- uct's calendar in conjunction with the scheduler for controlling the docket and scheduling appointments, meetings, and resources, such as conference rooms and court runners. With WordPerfect Office, unlike some other programs, if the phone rings while you're in the middle of typing, you can pull up your calendar without leav- ing your word processing program. That's because WordPerfect Office has a shell program that directs traffic among WordPerfect applications and even allows easy access to third-party data- bases and other software. This module also has a "clipboard" that makes it easy to move text from one place to another. The program includes a notebook that makes it easy to organize information into separate records (e.g., a telephone directory). Other features are a file man- ager that helps organize program and data files on both local and network di- rectories, four different calculators, macro and program editors, and, of course, E-mail. WordPerfect Office grew from user demands— specifically, requests by the U.S. Department of Justice, which was interested in an enhanced version of WordPerfect Library for use with its Data General hardware. That, coupled with continued user requests for a multi- user version of WordPerfect Library, led to the current personal computer version. Future versions will have greater con- nectivity capabilities. This LAN application can run on most network systems that support DOS file- locking features. DOS 3.0 is required for the WordPerfect Office document-lock- ing feature. Each workstation requires 384K bytes of RAM. • SuperSync. You could argue that Su- perSync, from SwixTech USA, isn't a groupware product at all, but rather a stand-alone package designed to analyze group behavior. The "groupware" part comes in feeding back to the group the results of their electronic sociograms. Sociograms are pictures of how members view the group, and with SuperSync, de- veloper Tony Adams has automated the process of discovering in advance how individuals are likely to function as a group. Adams spent many years as a manager in the U.S. and Switzerland and found group formation a major head- ache, so he developed this program. According to Stein Roaldset, who heads Scandinavian Management Devel- opment in Madison, Connecticut, Super- Sync is the most exciting product in the training and development field in many years. He uses it in his business, consult- ing and training in small-group forma- tion. As a test of the program's accuracy and effectiveness, he and a colleague ex- perimented. The colleague took 4 days of traditional individual interviews before forming a group. Roaldset spent just 30 minutes with the same population using SuperSync and came up with similar re- sults, but in more detail. The software requires an IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or 100 percent-compati- ble computer with 5 12K bytes of RAM and DOS 2.0 or higher. To use Super- continued 280 BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 Share your laser with Buffalo! All ten ports are user configurable as either an input or output so you can build your own peripheral sharing network with the Buffalo SL .® FAST: can run your PC at 19,200 baud AFFORDABLE: $500 plus EXPANDABLE: from 0 - 4MB buffer FLEXB3LE: 6 serial, 4 parallel ports POP-UP MENU: even over graphics GUARANTEE: 45 day money back BUFFALO ® The inexpensive peripheral sharing solution (800) 345-2356 Buffalo Products, 2805 19th Street SE, Salem, OR 97302 (503) 585-3414 Circle 46 on Reader Service Card IN DEPTH A GROUPWARE TOOLBOX Sync, you list team members and select questions they will each answer. Then you can create your own questions or use those included in the program— for in- stance, "You will most probably obtain the best advice from whom?" The pro- gram prints a questionnaire that group members answer with the name of an- other person or persons. Then the data is entered back into the computer, and you can see a bar chart showing centers of in- fluence and the individual having the most influence in each center. It's not that simple, of course. In fact, the pro- gram is mostly being used by consultants with considerable group-behavior ex- perience. • LIfE. These products from Motorola Computer Systems are short for Linked Information Environment. Four modules are available: LlfE-Forms produces electronic forms that look like paper ones already in use. It facilitates paperwork, such as purchase orders, billing, employee HOW DO YOU GET AJOB WITHOUT EXPERIENCE? AND HOW DO YOU GET EXPERIENCE WITHOUT A JOB? Most young people have one answer to this problem. They avoid it until they're out of college. But they could be getting solid work experience while they're still in col- lege. With your company's help. And ours. We're Co-op Education. A nation- wide program that helps college students get real jobs for real pay, while they're getting an education. But we can't do it without you. Those real jobs have to come from real companies. Like yours. For more information on how you can participate in this valuable program, write Co-op Education , Box 775E, Boston, MA 02115. Not only will you be giving stu- dents a chance to earn money and pick up the most valuable kind of knowledge, you'll be giving yourselves a chance to pick up the most valuable kind of employee. Co-op Education. You earn a future when you earn a degree. QxncH A Public Service of This Publication 'S1987 National Commission for Cooperative Education forms, and tax records. LIf E-Works pro- vides high-end data entry for back-office activities. LIfE"Plans offers high-speed, high-capacity workgroup spreadsheets. In addition, LIf E-Lines is a workgroup E-mail system. The products are de- signed to be easy for end users, and re- sults from one application can be used di- rectly by another application. Note, however, that all these products require Motorola hardware and the Unix operating system. In Development Soon to arrive is Perfect Timing from Imagine Software. Because it's a Macin- tosh desk accessory, it's only a mouse- pull away from any task you are involved in. The program provides the standard functionality— calendaring, to-do lists, scheduling, reminders— with the ease of Macintosh graphics. Want to extend the meeting time? Just grab that section of the calendar and stretch it. Want to change a task from Wednesday to Thurs- day? Just highlight it and move it. Imagine Software's other offerings- Smart Alarms and Appointment Diary- have been popular products for the Mac. But Perfect Timing was created from scratch— taking two programmers 14 months to develop. The software re- quires an Apple Macintosh network via AppleTalk over LocalTalk or equivalent cabling; it requires no additional soft- ware. It is compatible with AppleShare, TOPS, and other networking packages. Groupware Is Real Macro trends in business portend well for the future of groupware. These trends say companies will be trying to do more work faster with fewer people, that the "time to decision" will be shorter, and that small groups rather than individuals or large committees will be the agents getting things done. But groupware has a long way to go. While it saves time to automate message- taking and meeting scheduling, this isn't the stuff of breakthroughs. Groupware will reach a level of heightened utility when it enables people to do work they were never able to do before. SuperSync hints at what this could look like— pro- grams that actually enhance the way a group works together, that improve group decision-making, and that in- crease group synergy. Those products have yet to appear. ■ Susanna Opper is a New York City-based consultant in workgroup communication and productivity. She can be reached on BIX c/o "editors. " 282 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 MS-DOS $99 We call PolyAWK our "tool- box language" because it is a general-purpose language that can replace a host of specialized tools or programs. You will still use your standard language (C, Pascal, Assembler or other modular language) to develop applications, but you will write your own specialized development tools and programs with this versatile, simple and powerful language. Like thousands of others, you will soon find PolyAWK to be an indis- pensable part of your MS-DOS toolbox. If you don't have enough OS/2 development tools, now it's easy to write your own. A True Implementation Under MS-DOS & OS/2 Bell Labs brought the world UNIX and C, and now professional pro- grammers are discovering AWK. AWK was originally developed for UNIX by Alfred Aho, Richard Weinberger & Brian Kemighan of Bell Labs. Now PolyAWK gives MS-DOS & OS/2 programmers a true implementation of this valuable "new" programming tool. PolyAWK fully conforms to the AWK standard as defined by the original authors in their book, The AWK Programming Language. A Pattern Matching Language PolyAWK is a powerful pattern matching language for writing short programs to handle common text manipulation and data conversion tasks. A PolyAWK program consists of a sequence of patterns and actions that tell what to look for in the input data and what to do when it's found. PolyAWK searches a set of files for lines matched by any of the patterns. When a matching line is found, the corresponding action is performed. A pattern can select lines by boolean combinations of regular expressions and comparison operations on strings, numbers, fields, variables, and array elements; patterns may reference properties of the current input line or any other program variables. Actions may perform arbitrary processing on selected lines. The action language looks like C, but there are no declarations, and sttings and numbers are built- in data types. You can have multiple input files and output files, regular expressions, user-defined func- tions, and run other programs. Saves You Time & Effort The most compelling reason to use PolyAWK is that you can literally accomplish in a few lines of code what may take pages in C, Pascal or Assembler. Programmers spend a lot of time PolyAWK. The Toolbox Language! For C, Pascal, Assembly & BASIC Programmers OS/2 $199 • Default initialization and the absence of declarations shorten programs. Large Model & Math Support PolyAWK is a large model imple- mentation and can use all of available memoty to run big pro- grams or read files greater than 64K. PolyAWK also includes exten- sive support for math functions such as strings, integers, floating point numbers and transcendental functions (sin, log, etc.) for scien- tific applications. Conversion between these types is automatic and always optimized for speed without compromising accuracy. PolyAWK Comes With The Book writing code to perform simple, mechanical data manipulation — changing the format of data, checking its validity, finding items with some property, adding up numbers and printing reports. It is time consuming to have to write a special- purpose program in a standard language like C ot Pascal each time such a task comes up. With PolyAWK, you can handle such tasks with very short programs, often only one or two lines long. The brevity of expression and convenience of operations make PolyAWK valuable for prototyping even large-sized programs. Very Concise Code Where program development time is mote important than run time, AWK is hard to beat. These AWK characteristics let you write short and concise programs: • The implicit input loop and the pattern-action paradigm simplify and often entirely eliminate control flow. • Field splitting parses the most common forms of input, while numbers and strings and the coercions between them handle the most common data types. • Associative arrays use ordinary strings as the in- dex in the atray and offer an easy way to imple- ment a single-key database. • Regular expressions are a uniform notation for describing patterns of text. When you order PolyAWK you receive a copy of The AWK Programming Language written by the authors of the original UNIX- based AWK. The book begins with a tutorial that shows how easy AWK is to use, followed by a comprehensive manual. Because PolyAWK is a complete implementation of AWK as defined by the book's authors, you will use this book as the manual for PolyAWK. PolyShell Bonus For MS-DOS! PolyShell gives you 96 of the most useful UNIX commands and utilities under MS-DOS in less than 20K. You can still use MS-DOS commands at any time and exit or restart PolyShell without rebooting. MS-DOS programmers — discover what you have been missing! UNIX programmers — switch to MS-DOS painlessly! PolyShell and PolyAWK are each $99 when ordered separately. Save $50 by ordering the PolyShell + PolyAWK combination package for $149 (MS-DOS only). 30-Day Money Back Guarantee You can purchase PolyAWK and the book, The AWK Programming Language, for $99 (MS-DOS) or $199 (OS/2), or $249 for both. If you already have the book, deduct $14. The combination package includes only one book. Order PolyAWK (MS-DOS 6k OS/2) plus PolyShell (MS-DOS) for $348. To Order: 1-800-5474000 Ask for Dept. BYT. Send Checks and P.O.s To: POLYTRON Corporation, 1700 NW 167th Place, Beaverton, OR 97006, (503) 645-1150 - FAX: (503) 645-4576, TELEX: 325800 POLYTRON. Call About Our OEM/VAR Strategic Alliance Program. OLY High Quality Software Since 1982 Circle 220 on Reader Service Card ® PICK BIX BRAINS . . . With a 10 Day Trial Membership If you've thought about joining BIX before but weren't sure it was what you needed, now is the time to try it. Because now for a limited time, we're inviting you to try BIX for 10 days. If at any time during this 10 day trial period you don't feel BIX has made you a more knowledgeable microcomputer user, we'll refund your entire registration fee. You pay only for time spent on the system.* (See log-on instructions for hourly rates). Explore BIX in your home or office. Put its power to work for you and un- leash your full microcomputer potential — programming, designing, specifying, researching — and more. Try BIX for 10 full days and see what it can do for you. 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Rates from other areas are available from BK. Circle 450 on Reader Service Card I BIX is easy to join To log-on to BIX, simply: Set your computer's telecommunications program for full-duplex, 8-bit characters, no parity, 1 stop bit OR 7-bit characters, even parity, 1 stop bit. Use 300 Or 1200 baud. Call your Tymnet number ** and respond as follows: Tymnet Prompt You Enter Garble or request for "terminal identifier" BIX logo/name: bix bix.038 can reach BK by entering 310690157800. To commence registration, enter the code listed at the BIX logo/name: prompt. After you register, you'll automatically be taken to the BEX Learn Conference, an online tutorial that will show you how to begin using the system immediately. Time spent in the Learn Conference is FREE. Complete system documentation will be sent to you within a few days. Access time will be billed at the following hourly rates, t piAiugu/udiuc: u1a.»JOv^ off-PeakTimeiSll/hr. ( $9 BK, $2 Tymnet)tf Callers outside the U.S. who have a communicat- (7PM~ 6M weekdays, all day weekends and holidays) ing computer or terminal and a packet switching Peak Time $20/hr. (S12BK, $8Tymnet)ft account with their host country phone system (6 am -jpm weekdays) II Wa BYTE INFORMATION EXCHANGE One Phoenix Mill Lane Peterborough, NH 03458 FEATURE FACE TO FACE WITH Open Look Can a new graphical interface make Unix friendly after all these years ? Tony Hoeber or years now, the Unix operating system has been like an athlete with potential— it has great talent but somehow has never lived up to expec- tations on the playing field. While Unix is one of the most capable and powerful operating systems available, it still has a very small installed base (about 350,000 licenses and some 1 million users) compared to the MS-DOS operating system (more than 10 million users) or even the Macintosh Finder (close to 2 mil- lion). Many industry observers would agree that the main prob- lem with Unix has been its lack of an accessible, easy-to-use interface. In April 1988, AT&T announced a new graphical user inter- face called Open Look, destined to be the user interface for Unix System V version 4.0, the converged version of the three most popular variants of Unix: System V, Berkeley (BSD) 4.2, and Xenix. Designed for AT&T by Sun Microsystems, and based on technology licensed from Xerox, Open Look was de- signed to be independent of the hardware and software on which it runs; as such, it can be used with operating systems other than Unix. The Graphical Interface Story The development of graphical user interfaces can be traced to commercial products such as the Xerox Star, Smalltalk, and the Macintosh; to academic projects such as the Andrew system from Carnegie-Mellon; to research systems such as Diamond and Sapphire; and to many applications in areas like CAD and desktop publishing. The roots of all these systems go back to work done at Xer- ox's Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) in the 1970s. Among the more influential of the Xerox systems are Smalltalk, the Star (and its successor ViewPoint), the Bravo Editor, and the Cedar development environment. These systems introduced many of the ideas that have come to be taken for granted as the basic elements of graphical user interfaces: windows, icons, menus, the desktop metaphor, and direct manipulation of ob- 286 BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 jects on the screen by the user. The designers of the Star, in particular, placed great emphasis on the consistency of the user interface. In the early 1980s, the designers of the Apple Macintosh took those ideas and combined them in a design tuned for a spe- cific machine, market, and price point. The Macintosh had a single-process operating system and a small screen. This led to a user interface based on a single top-of-the-screen menu bar used by whatever program was currently active. The designers envisioned an interface that was simple and accessible to non- technical people. This emphasis on simplicity also led to the choice of a single-button mouse. The Open Look user interface for Unix builds on and en- hances both of these traditions— the consistency of the Star and the simplicity of the Macintosh. Beyond specific features, how- ever, the major significance of Open Look is that it is not tied to a particular computer or operating system. The "Open" in Open Look The Xerox Star was a tightly integrated, closed system. The hardware, operating system, windowing system, user interface, and applications were all built by the same company, so consis- tency was ensured. Similarly, the Macintosh was a closed system, though Apple broke the applications out of the bundle. As independent soft- ware developers began to supply applications for the Macin- tosh, consistency across applications emerged as a crucial issue. Apple addressed this issue by publishing user-interface guidelines and creating a culture that encouraged application developers to follow the conventions. With the advent of open systems like the Mac II, hardware as well as software is now available from companies other than Apple. Meanwhile, a variety of graphics-oriented system soft- ware (e.g., Windows and the Presentation Manager) is now available for 8086/80286/80386 machines. In graphics-based systems, the trend from tightly integrated, continued "■'WW"**';" ILLUSTRATION: GARY HENRIE © 1988 DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 287 FEATURE OPEN LOOK single- vendor systems toward loosely integrated, multivendor systems has important consequences for user interfaces. The designers of the Star took the position that the hardware should be designed specifically to fit the software. The designers of the Macintosh also designed their look and feel with reference to a particular operating system, display, and mouse. Open Look takes this evolution to the next step. It was de- signed from the start to accommodate different keyboards, mice, and screen resolutions. The interface is not tied to a par- ticular piece of hardware, operating system, or windowing sys- tem, so it is possible for applications to have a consistent look and feel, regardless of what hardware or operating system they happen to be running on. First Look at Open Look In Open Look, the display screen is called the workspace. The workspace contains windows and icons representing applica- tion programs. An application typically consists of one main window (in which the application's data is displayed) and sev- eral pop-up windows that you use to manipulate the data. Figure 1 shows a typical Open Look screen with sample ap- plications called Draw and Write. Notice the L-shaped corners on the applications' windows, suggesting picture mounts from a photo album. By clicking and dragging these mounts, you can resize a window from any corner. At the top of each application window is the header, which contains the name of the application and a window mark that closes the application when you click it. Below the header is the application's control area, which provides access to the application's main functions, such as opening and closing files. The control area typically consists of a single row of buttons. You "push" these buttons by moving the mouse pointer over it and clicking the Select mouse button. (For an explanation of Open Look's approach to mice, see the text box "Open Season for Mice.") As you can see in figure 1, there are two styles of buttons: Those with a single, heavy shadow are simple buttons, repre- senting a single command. Those with a double shadow are but- ton stacks, representing several related commands. To perform the default action on a button stack, you click the Select mouse button. Pressing the Menu mouse button calls up the menu associated with the stack. The Edit button's menu in figure 1 has been opened up in this way. Notice that the menu itself contains buttons and button stacks. By using the two types of buttons in combination, an application can support far more commands than it could display on the control panel. Below the control area is the pane, in which the application displays its data. The form that data takes is up to the applica- tion; usually it is text, a drawing, or a spreadsheet. To the right of the pane is a scroll bar that lets you move the contents of a document within the pane. As you can see in fig- ure 1 , the Open Look scroll bar resembles an elevator riding on a cable that is anchored at either end. Clicking on the top arrow moves you one line toward the top of the document; clicking on the bottom arrow moves you one line toward the bottom. Be- cause the arrow buttons are located next to each other on the elevator instead of at either end of the scroll bar, you need only move the mouse a short distance to reverse directions. To jump directly to the beginning or end of the file, click on the top or bottom cable anchors, respectively. Finally, you can move to any part of the document by pressing in the middle of the elevator and dragging. Property Windows Open Look's debt to the Xerox Star is evident in its use of prop- erty windows that let you view and modify the properties of any object you can see on the screen. To change an object's properties, you first select the object of interest. Then choose Properties from the appropriate menu (which will change depending on the application and the object you select). This will bring up a window with controls that you continued Figure 1: A typical Open Look screen with edit and draw applications. Each application consists of one main menu (which you can resize using the L-shaped corners) and several pop-up windows that you use to manipulate the data. Dituu: colors Q Wiite f~EcJir here i:- hi ! world wh Vinci in i ■ ;; [hvenl his i' Unttnes ind what tppeus mos .nation is the insi provided by his iv envisioned [echn which pWce him ahi Hai ( Undo Cut Previous ) ' ("ah Copy ) Paste (One \ ■■■;- si d ::: >;!:::.(• .-:: ::; ■:, ■■:■:?•..■. ends itself to the makingof thus anticipithigeveii the t the piototype. TlVe ' est i :: •:.:: !e ot Leon irdo use of a model is provided by his td of his time. Gen* giUisauon h^s become unavoidable. He's the' rather of the airplane, the helicopter, the parachute, the submarine, the auto mobile, and now even the bicycle. Drawing is the language with which he commits lit!: Ideas to paper. The way he ptesents the structural and operational LEONARDO DA VINCI An Introduction by Carlo Pedretti Page 1 of 5 , 288 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 195 on Reader Service Card —■ 20TH OUTSIDE USA— CALL (718)692-0071 fOR CUSTOMER SERVICE Call Mon-Fri:9:30am-4:30pm (718)692-1148 elaiTOutlet: Penn Station, Main Concourse - (Beneath Madison Square Garden) NYC.N. Y.1 0001 I or write to- Store Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am-8pm/Sat-Sun 9:30am-7pm I Montflome^GVamiteiiOrderDept FOR ORDERS & INFORMATION CALL TOLL FREE | P.O. Box 58 Brooklvn.NY 11230 IffiM FAX NO. 7186923372 ■TELEX 422132 MGRANT EXTENDED HOLIDAY SEASON ORDER HOURS: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-8:30pm/ Saturday & Sunday, 9:30am-7pm (EST) NO SURCHARGE FOR CREDIT CARD ORDERS / WE INVITE CORPORATE & EDUCATIONAL CUSTOMERS CORPORATE LEASING AVAILABLE LAPTOPS AMSTRAD PPC-640 SD • 640K $700 :SfflD"" Y' ' ' Baud Modem AMSTRAD PPC 640 with Two Drives 4899 NEC MULTISPEED EL.II $1 399 NEC MULTISPEED HD $2179 TOSHIBA 1000 $749 TOSHIBA 120 F $1549 TOSHIBA1200H $2199 TOSHIBA 1200 HB $2399 TOSHIBA 31 00/20 $2929 TOSHIBA 3200 $3669 TOSHIBA 51 00 $4649 ZENITH 184 w/ 2 FLOPPYS $1469 ZENITH 184-2 w/ 20MB $21 99 ZENITH 286 w/20 MB $3299 ZENITH 286 w/ 40 MB $3969 SPARK EL $1099 EPSON EQUITY LT $1 099 MODEMS, EXTERNAL DRIVES & ACCESSORIES available lor all laptops IBUXTCOMPA T. ROB COLOR PKGU ' A-2000 Computer w/Keyboard • 1 MbI Expandable 10 9 MB • Built-in 3.5"| Disk Drive • RGB Color Monitor • 2088 IBM Compatible Bridge Card w/| ' "7 Floppy Disk Drive $2049 FREE MOUSE AND SOFTWARE RGB COLOR PACKAGE Amiga500w/512K • Built-in 3.5" Disk Drive Mouse "RGB Color Monitor. All Power Supplies and Cables • FREE Software $759 RGB COLOR SYSTEM Amiga 500 with 10S4S RGB Color Monitor Amiga 500 Computer w/l 084S : GRaphic Animation System for Professionals Convince yourself! Send us $2.00 for Episode I "The Adventures of Ferguson Floppy" Animation tools that "far outshine those of other popular graphics presentation packages." — PC Resource Program in the 4th Dimension... AMIMATE! Get unlimited action and interaction with the most powerful PC animation system available, by calling Grasp routines from your programs in C, Pascal, Basic, and other languages. Or develop your graphics applications directly in Grasp! Take advantage of • 74 animation & effects commands • 25 predefined fades • single-command animation all major graphics modes • screen capture and graphics printing utilities Includes Pictor, a full-featured paint program, completely in- tegrated with Grasp for fast development and editing of programs and graphics. GRASP 3.1 $149 Paul Mace SOFTWARE 400 Williamson Way Ashland, OR 97520 800-523-0258 Circle 212 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 291 FEATURE OPEN LOOK interface: the background of the screen, the background of each window, and the currently selected object. This use of color serves several purposes. The backgrounds of the windows are colored with neutral tones so that they will not overwhelm whatever information the application is displaying. Also, since a single background color is used for all the windows of a given application, you can tell at a glance which pop-up window goes with which application. Against this neutral background, the eye is naturally drawn to the brightly colored selection (e.g., the block of yellow text in figure 1), which is the focus of the user's attention. Open Look provides several palettes from which you can choose the colors of the screen background, window back- grounds, and the current selection. The colors in each palette have been chosen by the graphic designer so that they go well together. This approach accommodates individual tastes while ensuring that the overall effect will be pleasing and the text will still be readable. Simplicity, consistency, and efficiency are the basic princi- ples that guided the Open Look design. When you're doing a new task, you want the interface to be simple. If the interface is similar to that of a task with which you are already familiar, learning will be easier. And when you are doing a task over and over, you want the interface to be as efficient as possible. It is hard to overemphasize the importance of consistency. Consistency lets you learn many applications and switch easily among them. Several aspects of the Open Look design reflect this empha- sis on consistency. Throughout the system and across applica- tions, a given mouse button is used for only one function. We aimed for visual consistency in the design of controls: Buttons and settings look the same, regardless of whether they appear in a pop-up menu or in a window. The help window is another example of consistency: You can point to any object on the screen and get help, regardless of whether it is a standard ele- ment of the system (such as the pushpin) or an application-spe- cific object such as a particular button. Open Look has taken many other well-established conven- tions of graphical user interfaces and applied them in a more consistent way. For example, in Open Look, we extended the familiar selection paradigm to include the screen background, so you can select multiple windows and move or close them in a single operation. Another example: While earlier interfaces let you manipulate graphics objects directly, Open Look lets you select and drag arbitrary pieces of text as well (see figure 5). Efficiency is easier to measure than simplicity or consis- tency. The fewer moves needed to perform a task, the more ef- continued Figure 3: Open Look 's three-dimensional notice windows alert you to actions that could result in loss of data. You have unsaved edits. Do you want to save them, or discard them before loading? ( Save ~) ( Discard ) k *0 Write: File H31 1 File Name: byte .doc - \ 0 rpidad) (Store) (include Fil x- •* Figure 4: The Open Look help window, called by pointing to an object on the screen and pressing a Help key, contains a help message and a help lens, with a snapshot of the object for which you have requested help. # Paint: Load / Save o-M Paint type: [ Picture | Region 1 File type: [ Raster | Icon j Directory: /horne/ol_images2 <0 Help: Pushpin Use the pushpin to keep a pop-up window pinned to the desktop for continued access. Move the pointer to an unpinned pushpin and click SELECT to push the pin into the hole. Click SELECT on a pushpin that is pinned to pop it out of the hole. When the pin is lying on its side, the pop-up window is removed from the screen the next time you click SELECT on a control in that window. 292 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 Digitizers 18"x24" thru 9'x9'x9' All our digitizers come complete with RS- 232 output format, power supply, two-way communications, a stylus, optional one but- ton and four button cursors, a five function menu, and are IBM-PC compatible. So no matter what your size requirements are, we've got you covered; (at low cost too!). We'll cover your digitizer needs with twelve different active areas to choose from. From the GP-7 Grafbar Mark II, ("Flexible, Precise, and Elegant . . .", PC Magazine), all the way through the 60" x 72" GP-8, and of course the user adjustable active volume, (up to 9 ft. cube), of the GP-8-3D. And you can digitize on any work surface. OEM versions available. Directly supported by AutoCAD, ProDesign II, Generic CADD, CAD- VANCE, CADKEY, Easy Digit, etc. Also, com- patible with Lotus Measure. For more information contact: Skip Cleveland (203) 255-1526 We've got your size. SAC SCIENCE ACCESSORIES CORPORATION 970 Kings Highway West, P.O. Box 550 Southport, CT 06490 (203) 255-1526 • Telex 964300 FAX (203)254-7271 Circle 252 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 "BYTE 293 FEATURE OPEN LOOK D esign is never done in a vacuum. The user will always approach a new interface with a background of experience with existing interfaces. Every change comes at the price of a learning effort for the user. r # Wri te 4. C File )j C View } ( Edit } A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or [BB what's a Heaven? 1 1 \ S \? '// Write ^x ( File ) C View )) ( Edit } A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or \m what's a Heaven? CD l~l Da. [?- 0 Write ( File ) ( View ) fTdit ), A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a Heaven 233? _£l Figure 5: While earlier graphical interfaces pioneered the direct manipulation of graphics objects, Open Look extends this, allowing you to select and drag arbitrary pieces of text as well. ficient the interface. This means minimizing keystrokes, mouse travel, and the need to switch back and forth between the keyboard and the mouse. Minimizing mouse travel becomes more important as more systems use large screens. One way to reduce mouse motion is by using pop-up menus. In Open Look, each region of the screen— the workspace, the window background, scroll bars, and each application pane— has its own pop-up menu with rele- vant buttons. Instead of having to move all the way to the con- trol area, you simply press the Menu mouse button, which ef- fectively brings a control area to wherever the pointer happens to be. Another way that Open Look minimizes mouse travel is by jumping the mouse pointer to a default button when a pop-up window (such as a notice) appears. If you click on the default button in the window, the pointer jumps back to its original position— saving two mouse motions. A more subtle aspect of efficiency is allowing users to take advantage of the multitasking capability of an operating system like Unix. Take the problem of how to indicate that a window is busy and will not respond to input. Most systems change the mouse pointer into an hourglass or timer. In a single-tasking system such as the Macintosh, this is appropriate, since you can't do anything else until the active window is finished. In multitasking systems, however, the hourglass is only visible when the pointer is over the window that is busy. This approach requires you to keep the pointer in the busy window so you can see when it becomes responsive again. In contrast, when an Open Look window is busy, the window header (or icon, if the window is closed) turns gray. Thus, you can move the pointer out of the window and work on something else, and still tell at a glance when the window is again responsive. Device Independence Open Look was designed specifically to be used across a wide range of hardware. This requirement means that the visuals must work well on displays of various resolutions and sizes and on both monochrome and color. It also means that all the de- tails of the look— each graphical element and the amount of white space between elements— must be specified in device-in- dependent terms rather than as bit maps. continued Application Open Look user-interface toolkit Window system Operating system Hardware Figure 6: Toolkits for the Open Look user interface will allow software developers to develop applications for a variety of windowing systems running on widely disparate hardware and operating systems. The first toolkits available will be for Unix systems. 294 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Why LAP-LiNKHas Connected Over 200,000 Computes. i In less than two years, LAP-LINK has connected over 200,000 computers to become the standard in accessibility software for IBM's and compatibles, laptops, and Apple Macintosh computers. But outstanding sales aren't the only way to recognize great software. Consider what the experts have to say. Fast and accurate. '.'. . LAP-LINK. . . sets a record for the fastest serial trans- fer on a P. C. 'Howard Marks, P. C. MAGAZINE -July 21, 1987. And LAP-LINK is not only the fastest, it's also the most accurate. LAP-LINK's error checking system guaran- tees that all data is transferred with 100% accuracy. Easy to set up. "LAP-LINK is the absolute easiest, simplest and most convenient" 'Harry Newton, TELECONNECT- April, 1987. LAP-LINK comes with everything you need to set it up — including 3l/2" and 5lA" disks, documentation, and Traveling Software's universal cable with both 9-pin and 25-pin connectors. Easy to use. ". . . / don't know if the manual is any good or not: I've never had any reason to open it. LAP-LINK is so thoroughly intui- tive, fast and simple to use, the manual is blooming near superfluous:' 'Jerry Pournelle, BYTE MAGAZINE -July, 1987. All you need to do is connect our high quality univer- sal serial cable (no need to unplug your printer's parallel cable), type "LL" on both computers and LAP-LINK will automatically connect itself, ready to transfer single files, entire sub-directories, or hard disks. Award winning. "If you like a package that's fast, efficient, and easy to use, LAP-LINK is clearly the. ..program ofchoice."M. David Stone, P.C. MAGAZINE -January 12, 1988. PC. Maga- zine was so impressed - ill. 1 V i ranee that they gave it their Editor's Choice and "Best of '87" awards. LAP-LINK LAP-LINK transfers files between IBM and compatibles, laptops and desktops, including the new IBM PS/2. It installs in seconds, features a split-screen design for show- ing files in both computers, and transfers data at incredible speeds of over 115,200 baud. LAP-LINK Plus With all the simplicity and file transferring capabilities of LAP-LINK, LAP-LINK Plus also offers the option of direct disk drive and printer sharing between any two connected computers. It's like having a two computer network. You can easily switch between local and remote printers using a pop-up window without leaving your application. LAP-LINK Mac Everything you need to share files between any model of the Apple Macintosh (512, Plus, SE and Mac II) and an IBM compatible laptop or desktop computer (including the IBM PC, XT, AT, and PS/2). It's easy to use and it's fast, over 57,000 baud. LAP-LINK Mac is also fully compatible with both Macintosh Finder and MultiFinder, as well as AppleTalk, TOPS, and 3Com. New release 2.0 now includes 14 file translators! So for the best Accessibility Software, stop by your local computer or software dealer today. Or call us at: 1-800- 343-8080 or in Washington: 1-206-483-8088. Ask about our free catalog. LAP-LINK is surprisingly affordable at $129.95, LAP-LINK Plus $139.95 and LAP-LINK Mac $139.95 (Suggested retail prices including cable). Trave Traveling Software • 18702 North Creek Parkway • Bothell, WA 98011 Macintosh toBleTalk Kinder. MulliFinder, and Apple are trademarks of Apple Computer. Inc.. IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines Corp., 3Com is a trademark of 3Com Corp., Novell is a trademark^ Novell. Inc.. TOPS is a trademark of Sun Microsystems. Inc., TravelinR Software, LAIM.INK, LAP-LINK Plus and LAP-LINK Mac are registered trademarks d Traveling Software, inc. Circle 292 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 295 FEATURE OPEN LOOK Hardware differences on the input side are also significant. The number of modifier keys (e.g., Alt, Option, and Control) varies on different keyboards, as does the number of buttons on different mice. As far as possible, Open Look insulates you from such variations by allowing a great deal of flexibility in mapping mouse buttons and modifier keys to functions. Changing Horses Design is never done in a vacuum. The user of a new interface will always approach it with a background of experience with existing interfaces. This means that every change comes at the price of increased learning effort on the part of the user. The Open Look design team envisioned a typical user who wants to switch easily between Open Look, the Mac Finder, and the Presentation Manager. We therefore ruled out design possibilities that would make this switch too difficult. Take the example of scroll bars. There are endless variations on the scroll bar concept, and many other possible ways to scroll that don't even involve scroll bars. After considering many of these possibilities, we became convinced that Open Look's scrolling mechanism had to be similar enough to what people were used to so they could use it successfully right away. The design task, then, was to refine the familiar scroll bars, making them more visually attractive and more efficient. An Open Look at the Future The Open Look Functional Specification— a thick book ad- dressed to the developers of user-interface toolkits and describ- ing the look and feel in great detail— was distributed to over 1000 firms for review in July 1988 and will be published this month. (A toolkit is a set of system-specific libraries contain- ing the standard building blocks— such as windows, menus, and scroll bars— that an application developer uses in creating an application. Figure 6 shows where a toolkit fits into the over- all software architecture.) The Open Look Application Style Guide, a somewhat thin- ner book addressed to application developers, gives guidelines for how to use the various building blocks that Open Look pro- vides. The Style Guide will be published in early 1989. Since the Functional Specification does not specify a partic- ular hardware or software platform, it leaves room for different toolkits to implement the Open Look user interface on different systems. The first two Open Look toolkits— available in the first quarter of 1989— will be XT+ from AT&T and View2 from Sun, both based on MIT's X-Windows, a windowing sys- tem for Unix. Sun is also developing an Open Look toolkit called NDE (for NeWS Development Environment) based on the NeWS window system. NeWS is a portable, PostScript-based window system that is commercially available for many platforms, including Unix, OS/2, and the Macintosh. Thus, when NDE becomes available in the second quarter of 1989, Open Look will be able to provide a common look and feel across a wide variety of computers and operating systems. ■ Tony Hoeber is the leader of the Open Look design team for Sun Microsystems (Mountain View, California). He can be reached on BIX do "editors. " HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPUTER PRODUCTS FOR BLIND PEOPLE? The American Foundation for the Blind's (AFB) National Technology Center maintains an information system to provide data on consumer products ranging from canes, braille watches and games to sophisticated computers, training centers, demonstration facilities and evalua- tions of devices. The system also includes AFB's Job Index/User Network which features information from over llOO blind and visually impaired people who use adaptive equipment in a variety of jobs. These individuals are willing to share their experiences and provide valuable advice to assist you in your educational and employment pursuits. For information in print, large print or braille, contact: National Technology Center American Foundation for the Blind 15 West 16th Street New York, NY lOOll (212) 620-2080 296 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 1 5 sure steps to a fast start as a high-paid computer service technician Choose training that's right for today's good jobs L I L 1 ft < DMPUTER 3ERVICE-hs -JOBS W > w ^ w - J f F> 4 r 2000 Jobs for computer service technicians will almost double in the next 10 years, according to the latest Department of Labor projections. For you, that means unlimited opportunities for advance- ment, a new career, or even a com- puter service business of your own. 1 989 But to succeed in computer service today, you need training- complete, practical training that gives you the confidence to service any brand of computer. You need NRI training. Only NRI— the leader in career-building, at-home electronics training for 75 years— gives you practical knowledge, hands-on skill, and real- world experience with a powerful XT-compatible computer you keep. Only NRI starts you with the basics, then builds your knowledge step by step until you have everything you need for a fast start as a high-paid computer service technician. 2 Go beyond "book learning" to get true hands- on experience NRI knows you learn better by doing. So NRI training works overtime to give you that invaluable practical experience. You first read about the subject, studying diagrams, schematics, and photos that make the subject even clearer. Then you do. You build, examine, remove, test, repair, replace. You discover for yourself the feel of the real thing, the confidence gained only with experience. 3, :■■ ! :■. inmmnnmmmmmti Get inside a powerful com- puter system If you really want to get ahead in computer service, you have to get inside a state-of-the-art computer system. That's why NRI includes the powerful new Packard Bell VX88 computer as the centerpiece of your hands-on training. As you build this fully IBM PC XT- compatible micro from the keyboard up, performing key tests ^„___« and demonstrations at each stage of assembly, you actually see for yourself how every section of your computer works. You assemble and test your computer's "intelligent" keyboard, install the power supply and 5lA" floppy disk drive, then interface the high-resolution monitor. But that's not all. You go on to install a powerful 20 megabyte hard disk drive— today's most-wanted computer peripheral— included in your training to dramatically increase the data storage capacity of your Circle 177 on Reader Service Card ■?■ computer while giving you lightning-quick data access By getting inside this powerful computer, you get the confidence-building, real-world experience you need to work with, troubleshoot, and service today's most widely used computer systems. 4. lm Make sure you've always got someone to turn to for help 4 :^v« Throughout your NRI training, you've got the full support of your personal NRI instructor and the entire NRI technical staff. Always ready to answer your questions and help you if you should hit a snag, your instructors will make you feel as if you're in a classroom of one, giving you as much time and personal attention as you need. 5. Step into a bright new future in computer service— start by sending for your FREE catalog today! Discover for yourself how easy NRI makes it to suc- ceed in computer service. Send today for NRI's big, t 100-page, full-color catalog describing every aspect of NRI's one-of-a-kind computer training, as well as training in robotics, TV/video/audio servicing, electronic music technology, security electronics, and other growing high-tech career fields. If the coupon is missing, write to: NRI School of Electronics, McGraw-Hill Continuing Education Center, 3939 Wisconsin Avenue, Washington, DC 20016. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. I i«a McGraw-Hill Continuing Education Center 3939 Wisconsin Avenue Washington, DC 20016 School of Electronics For career courses approved under GI Bill U check for details. gf CHECK ONE CATALOG ONLY □ Computers and Microprocessors □ Robotics □ TV/Video/Audio Servicing □ Communications Electronics □ Security Electronics □ Electronic Music Technology □ Digital Electronics Servicing U Data Communications D Basic Electronics Name . I Address j City I State . _Zip_ Accredited bv the National Home Study Council #170-128 I DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 297 THIS AD WAS TYPESET ON A LOW COST LASER PRINTER USING "". ; I : 1 J(R£,(Z1985 Santas Family more goods. Either you have discovered some hitherto un- known loophole in the physics of warehouse management or, more likely, you have discovered a problem with your cal- culations. The problem is that, regardless of the value of the widget in- ventory you are storing, it seems to cost about $100 per month to store them. Thus, the linear connection you are trying to make between the inventory dollar value and storage fees sim- ply does not exist. The small numbers you are computing for the slope of the best-fit straight line through the data are really trying to tell you that no such relationship exists— the slope of the line is about zero. The apparent extreme sensitivity is due to K eep in mind that the results of any computation are only as good as its most questionable step. the fact that almost any change in something that is about zero is going to amount to a large percentage of that something. Caveat Emptor The tests I've described for unearthing analytical blunders are only a few of many possibilities and, sadly, are not guaranteed to turn up all your potential computation flaws. That is, signifi- cant errors can exist in computations that pass all these tests. Conversely, even some perfectly valid results would look suspi- cious under one or more of these tests. There will even be some cases where all these tests either are inapplicable or return in- conclusive results. Overall, however, if you can apply them, testing your results is a lot better than the alternative of doing nothing and hoping for the best. While it could be argued that the actual spreadsheet exam- ples described here illustrate blunders that were intuitively ob- vious to the most casual observer, such errors often appear that way only after they have been discovered. I deliberately simpli- fied these examples to illustrate what was going wrong and how these five validity tests can alert you to the problems. In more real- world examples with huge spreadsheets, obvious inconsis- tencies between the entries in cells Al and ZZ312 may not be all that easy to spot. Keep in mind that the results of any computation are only as good as its most questionable step. This point is neatly illus- trated by "Burns' Hog-Weighing Method," generally attribut- ed to Scottish poet Robert Burns: 1 . Select a well-balanced board and place it symmetrically on a fulcrum. 2. Place the hog to be weighed on one end of the board. 3. Pile rocks on the other end of the board until they exactly balance the weight of the hog. 4. Carefully guess the weight of the rocks. ■ Ronald Pearson holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and is employed by a Fortune 500 company. He can be reached on BIX c/o "editors. " 304 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 hen you combine powerful tools with powerful thinking, you get powerful products. • PC Designs puts this combination together for you. They've designed and manufactured microcom- • puters in Oklahoma for over three years. Innovation, high performance, reliability — they're powerful tools in the hands of PC Designs. • Take the GV-286 and GV-386, for example — two of the fastest, and fairest priced, microcomputers around. The 286 was "Editor's Choice" in PC Magazine last year — one of PC Designs' many successes. • Whatever choice you make, PC Designs offers you unparalleled service and support. Through Sorbus,sm you have the option of a maintenance contract for nationwide on-site or carry-in service. • But service is more than a contract. In Oklahoma, it's a Product Center with customer- centered attention. Nationally, it's putting your needs first — offering informed advice, solving complex problems, providing excellent warran- ties. • So whatever you're building — build it with the powerful tools of PC Designs. Sorbus A Bell Atlantic Company HOURS 8:00-6:00 CST, Monday-Friday 9:00-3:00 CST, Saturday CALL USM 1-91 8-251-5550 (in Oklahoma) 1-918-251-7057 (Fax) BBS ON-LINE 24 HOURS 1-918-252-9137 All prices are subject to change without notice. Circle 213 on Reader Service Card Putting the Pomp in Your Hone's 286M0DEL16-$1599 GV 286* ■ $1299. 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Certainly many of the programs I write are file filters to process text files, but even in the most numerically inten- sive programs, the user interface section, error handling, and help all involve a lot of string manipulation, and nowadays these areas tend to be the largest parts of a program. The Pascal Bonds I write many of my programs in Turbo Pascal. Standard Pascal is poorly equipped to handle strings, regarding them simply as packed arrays of characters. All commercial implementations of Pascal have had to introduce more sophisticated string han- dling as nonstandard extensions to make it a viable language. The extensions introduced in UCSD Pascal seem to have caught on and become a de facto standard; at any rate, Borland adopted them for Turbo Pascal as well, which gives them a sizable user base. In case you're not familiar with the string-handling facili- ties of UCSD/Turbo Pascal, I'll recap them briefly, but a lan- guage manual is the obvious place to look for a fuller account. You can use the built-in type called STRING to represent semidynamic character strings, whose maximum storage size is static and must be declared at compile time but whose actual size can be varied dynamically at run time (up to the maxi- mum). You can think of them as being a compromise between the totally static character arrays of standard Pascal and the fully dynamic strings of interpreted BASIC, whose actual stor- age size can be altered at run time. You can declare a variable like VARMystring: STRING[80]; and then assign a string of any length up to 80 characters to it using, for example: Mystring := 'short string1 ; If you assign a 90-character string to Mystring, it would be ac- cepted but truncated to 80 characters and the excess 10 charac- ters thrown away. The maximum size of a string is 255 charac- ters, determined by the single-byte count that is stored in the first byte of a string variable and records its current length. You can manipulate strings using a number of built-in string functions. The function Length ( ) returns the current length of astring. The f unction Pos( target, source) finds out whether the substring target exists in the string source. If so, Pos( ) returns the position of its first character; if not, it returns zero. The function Copy (source, start, size) returns a new string formed by copying size characters from source begin- ning at the position start. You'll often see Pos( ) used to find the start position for a Copy ( ). Concat(sl,s2) returnsanew string formed by joining si and s2 together, an operation you can also perform in a string expression with the binary operator + (e.g., sl+s2). Finally, the two functions Insert ( ) and De- lete ( ) insert or remove, respectively, a substring from a tar- get string. These functions are quite efficient and well chosen in the sense that almost any string operation you can imagine can be performed by using them in some combination. I had begun to feel that for many of my purposes these string functions were too low-level and often led to opaque and un- readable code when I used them in their raw state. For exam- ple, I often found myself writing expressions like copy(paramSTR(l),l,pos(,.,,paramSTR(l)))+lPAG'; and worse. So I resolved to try to discover a small set of higher- level string functions that would do most of what I needed to do to strings in a tidier and more readable way— and with reason- able efficiency. In deciding what functions to include in my set, I scoured around some other languages of my acquaintance for hints. The first port of call was BASIC because everyone remembers BASIC as being good for handling strings. In fact, to my mild continued DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 307 FEATURE UNTANGLING PASCAL STRINGS surprise, I discovered that the string functions in BASIC are almost identical to Turbo Pascal's and not really any more ex- pressive. MID$( ) is effectively the same as Copy( ) when used as a function, and INSTR( ) is the same as Pos( ) . BASIC has the extra functions LEFT$ ( ) and RIGHT$ ( ) , but they contribute little to readability and you can easily simulate them by using Copy( ) . A quick look at some of my old BASIC programs con- firmed the impression that I should look elsewhere for beauty and elegance: 5247 LOCATE 1*3+1, H : COLOR 11,2: PRINT "$";RIGHT$(STR$(M(I,9)+STAKE1), LEN(STR$(M(I,9)+STAKE1))-1);" ": COLOR 0,2 I moved on to look at functional languages like Lisp and POP-1 1 , but the solution didn't dawn on me until I was examin- ing the string functions in SNOBOL4, the best string-handling language ever invented (rivaled only by its more modern off- spring, Icon [see "An Icon Tutorial" by Ralph E. Griswold and Madge T. Griswold, October 1986 BYTE, page 167]). The Turbo Pascal and BASIC string functions are index-oriented; that is, they want you to tell them which numeric position in a string you're interested in. But my problems tended to be pat- tern-oriented: replacing the extension on a filename, for exam- ple, which involves looking for the period that separates name Listing 1: Source code for the author s pattern-oriented string-handling functions , Before ( ) and After ( ) . function Before (Source, Target : String) : String; begin if pos (Target , Source) = 0 then Before := Source else Before := Copy (Source , 1, pos (Target, Source) -1) end; function After (Source, Target: String) : String; begin if pos (Target ,Source) = 0 then After . _ ii else After := Copy(Source, pos (Target, Source) , length Target) , length (Source) ) end; and extension but whose actual location in the filename string is of no interest at all. I therefore decided to start with two pattern-oriented primi- tive functions that I call Before ( ) and After( ) . You can eas- ily implement them using Copy( ) , Pos( ) , and Length ( ) , but if you are more concerned with efficiency than I am, you might want to rewrite them in assembly language or in-line code. I've reproduced their definitions in listing 1 . Both functions look for a target string in their source string. If the target is found, Be fore ( ) returns all the source string up to but not including the first occurrence of the target string, while Af ter( ) returns all the source string that follows (but does not include) the first occurrence of the target string. If the target is not found, Be- fore ( ) returns the whole source string while After ( ) returns a null string. A Working Example To illustrate their effects, Before ('potomac1 , 'to') would return po while After ( 'potomac' , 'to' ) would return mac. These two simple operations, together with a third that I'll de- scribe later, turn out to be of surprisingly wide application. To illustrate with an example, I'll use my old favorite of replacing the extension part of a filename with a new one. I do this fre- quently as a way of distinguishing the output file produced by a file filter from its input file; for example, my page-making pro- gram changes the input filename to end in .PAG. The code I used to use to perform this chore looks like this: if pos('.',paramSTR(l)) =0 then OutputFileName : = paramSTR(l) + '.PAG' else OutputFileName : = copy(paramSTR(l) ,l,pos( ' . ' ,paramSTR(l) ) ) + ' PAG' ; Using Before ( ) reduces this to OutputFileName := Before (paramSTR(l) ,'.') + ' .PAG' ; which to me is a lot more readable as well as prettier. Using Before ( ) and After ( ) in combination, it's possible to per- form quite complex manipulations in very little code. For ex- ample, to transpose two sentences: Textstring := 'This is sentence 1. This is sentence 2. ' ; Textstring := After(Textstring, ' . ') + '.' -(-Before (Textstring, '.') + '.'; It's possible to emulate the effects of Insert ( ) and Delete ( ) using only Before ( ) and After ( ) , as the following two code fragments show. The task is the replacement of one substring by continued 308 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 ILLUSTRATION: CATHARINE BENNETT © 1988 MORE GREAT RATES FROM THE EMPLOYEE-OWNERS* OF AVIS, INC. ^^^^^^■j ^^P^^^^ harder ror Rent Pontiac Grand Prix Pontiac Bonneville $ 39 $. 41 per day per day The employee-owners of Avis, Inc. meet the competition head- on. Check our rates and compare for yourself. Since we bought the company one year ago, we've been trying ever to give you more for less. More late- model GM and other fine cars. More fast, efficient service. In other words, more value for your money To get these low rates, here are some things you should know. These rates include a free mileage allowance, but there's an additional charge per mile thereafter. There is no refuel- ing charge if you return your tank full. These rates are available at participating US. locations and are higher in the metro N.Y area. They are nondiscountable and may change without notice. These cars are subject to availability and blackout peri- ods and additional ^ seasonal charges P may apply For renters under 25 and additional drivers, there are extra charges. Cars must be returned to renting location. Taxes and optional Collision Damage Waiver Cadillac sedan de viiie ($9.95/day higher in ^K m ^^ certain areas), Personal ^h/l L~ Accident Insurance, ^y I ^^ Personal Effects Protec- | TtW tion and Additional Liabil- per day ity Insurance are extra. To find out what an owner can do for you, call 1-800-331-1212, or call Avis features GM cars. •Employees at all corporate locations. ® 1988 Wizard Co., In your travel consultant. AVIS We're trying harder than ever.51 DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 309 NOW YOU CAN DESIGN JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.. .INCLUDING YOUR OWN CADD SYSTEM! Anyone can produce a com- puter-aided drafting and design package that sells for thousands of dollars. But creating one that's fast, powerful, and afford- able takes real ingenuity. That's exactly what we've done at Generic Software? We sell the most widely used CADD program in the world for under $500. PC Magazine ranked it "Editors Choice" in a face off with 17 low-cost CADD pack- ages. "This product is an out- standing value from every point of view and is highly recom- mended." "A paperback version of AutoCAD", stated PC Week. And our CADD programs are just part of what we offer. You can start with Generic CADD Level 1,™ then advance to other levels as your needs— and skills — expand. And you can use our CADD add-ons, Utilities, and symbols libraries to design the CADD system that fits your needs. You only pay for the func- tionality you need, and the functionality you get has depth. Critic tested, market approved. Generic Software offers price, quality, and sup- port. Match our customer support against anyone! • Unconditional 60-day guarantee on most products • Unlimited free technical sup- port • Free monthly newspaper • Regular updates at modest prices. All adding up to prove that the only thing generic about us is the price. Call us for a free CADDalog™ or for the name of your local dealer: 1-800-228-3601. © Generic Software lnc.y Level 1 and Generic CADD are trademarks of Generic Software Inc., 11911 North Creek Parkway South, Bothell, WA 98011. Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Com- puter Inc. Generic Circle 333 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 334) FEATURE UNTANGLING PASCAL STRINGS another in a piece of text, for example, in the search-and-re- place function of a text editor. Using Insert ( ) and Delete ( ) , posn : = pos (oldstring, textstring) ; delete ( textstring, posn, length( oldstring)); Insert (newstring, textstring, posn); Using Bef ore( ) and After ( ) , Textstring := Before(textstring, oldstring) + newstring + After (Textstring, oldstring) ; There is more to this example than meets the eye. In a real ap- plication you would very likely want to replace all the occur- rences of oldstring in the text, and so you would iterate the above routines until all were replaced. But the Be fore ( ) and After ( ) solution is inefficient in such a case because it will unnecessarily copy the same parts of textstring repeatedly, whereas Insert ( ) and Delete ( ) simply scan down the string. Benchmarking shows that the second routine using Before ( ) is in fact some 80 percent slower than the first. This, then, is not a happy application for the new functions. An application that demonstrates their virtues much more clearly is parsing command strings. Suppose you have a file of commands to control some program, say a style sheet for a word processor. The commands are all strings of the form < command name > : < parameter 1 > , < parameter2 > , and they are stored in the file one to a line, separated by new lines. An instance of a command string might look like page- size^, 66. My program reads in one line at a time and ex- tracts the components of the command using Be fore ( ) and After() (see listing 2). Freeing Up Memory Notice that the use of pattern-oriented functions avoids placing any restrictions at all on the size of the fields in the command, which may be of varying size from one line to the next. In the interests of memory economy, you would probably want to de- clare commandcode and the rest to be of some reasonable size- string [12] , perhaps— so that only the first 12 characters of a command name were significant. On this subject, note that these functions also reduce the amount of memory that is per- continued Listing 2: Using Before( ) and After( ) to parse a command line. while not eof (commandf ile) do begin readln (commandf ile, commandstring) ; commandname := Before (commandstring, ' : ' ) ; parml := Before (After (commandstring, ':'),','), parm2 := After (After (commandstring, '■'),',') ; more processing Outline: The infinite f ont=cartridge. Imagine: You have a font-cartridge for your laserprinter: You need more fonts. You can tell this cartridge to do it and use them immedia- tely in yourtextprocessor. Large fonts, small fonts, decorative fonts, shadow fonts . . . You want to change something? Just tell your font-cartridge. The font change is made in the font selection menu automatically. You want a new cartridge? Save the old and select the fonts for a new one. As many times as you want. An infi- nite number of soft-cartridges. An in- finite number of fonts. THAT'S OUTLINE. s.a.x. software Roonstr. 32 • D7500 Karlsruhe • Tel. 01049/721/814078 Outline supports all HP and compalible laser printers. Outline supports MS Word', WordPerfec Windows* [PageMaker*, Excel..). " registered trademark Please contact in USA: Digital Type Systems Ltd 38 Profile Circle ■ Nashua NH 03063 Tel. (603) 880-7541 Circle 250 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 311 FEATURE UNTANGLING PASCAL STRINGS manently tied up in temporary variables; one attraction of this style of programming by function composition, or nested appli- cation, is that all the space used while extracting the substrings is allocated on the stack and reclaimed after the functions fin- ish evaluating. However, there is a limit to the degree of nesting that is desirable. Looking at a new command file with com- mand strings of the form window : 10, 10 , 20 ,40 , my problem is Listing 3: Improved command-line parsing action. function Parse (VAR Source: String; Separator: String) : String; begin Parse := Before (Source, Separator) ; Source := After (Source, Separator) end; Listing 4: Parse ( ) in action. while not eof (commandf ile) do begin readln (commandf ile, commandstring) ; cornmandname := Before (commandstring, '); parms parml parm2 parm3 parm4 After (commandstring, ' : ' ) , Parse (parms, Parse (parms, ' Parse (parms, ' Parse (parms, ' more processing. Listing 5: Using Parse ( ) to extract an unknown number of command-line arguments. while not eof (commandf ile) do begin readln (commandf ile, commandstring) ; cornmandname := Before (commandstring, ' : ' ) ; parms := After (commandstring, ':') ; count := 0; while parms <> ' ' do begin val (Parse (parms, ' , ' ) , ParmArray [count] , Error) ; if Error <> 0 then write ('Bad parameter number ' , count) ; count := count + 1; more processing Listing 6: Noblanks( ) strips all leading and trailing blanks from a string. function Noblanks (s : String) : String; var lead , trail: Integer; begin lead : = l; while s[lead] = ' do lead := lead + 1; trail := length (s) while s [trail] = ' 1 do trail = trail - 1; noblan <.s := copy(s lead, trail - lead + 1) end; how to extract that last 40 from the string. The statement required is parm4 := After (After (After( After (commandstring, ': ') , ii\ ii) ii). Now how about a command with 12 parameters? It's clear that a third function is needed to deal with unlimited runs of sub- strings separated by the same symbol. A Happy Answer Parse ( ) , defined in listing 3 solely in terms of Before ( ) and After(), solves the problems I mentioned above. Parse() takes a string and treats it as a stream of tokens, separated by a string that forms its second argument. Each time you call Parse ( ) , it returns a single new token from the stream. When the tokens are all used up, it continues to return null strings. If you are familiar with C, there is a C library function often called strtok ( ) that does something similar, except that on all but the first call it must be given a null argument. Parse has some slightly unsavory characteristics that distin- guish it from Before( ) and After( ). The latter are "pure" functions in that they do not modify their arguments in any way and have no side effects. Parse ( ) is not, as it consumes its source string argument and leaves it empty. Parse ( ) is also an odd kind of function in that it returns different values on differ- ent occasions when given the same arguments; in mathematical terms, it lacks the property of idempotency. Nevertheless, it is quite easy and obvious to use in practice. Also, unlike Be- fore ( ) and After ( ) , Parse ( ) has a VAR parameter for its first argument that restricts the sort of object it can be given as a first argument. In particular, you may not use a literal string con- stant, an expression, or paramstr( ) as a first argument; only string variables are allowed. It also means that in Turbo Pascal you must compile Parse ( ) using the {$V-} compiler switch to disable strict type checking of string parameters. The second command-parsing example above, window: 10, 10,20,40, can now be accomplished far more tidily using Parse ( ), as shown in listing 4. In fact, by using Parse ( ) you can easily parse command strings that have a variable and un- known number of items in their parameter lists so long as you know the maximum number there can be. In listing 5, 1 convert the parameters to numbers and then store them in an array. The array ParmArray clearly has to be declared to be as large as the maximum number of parameters expected. When using functions like Before(), After(), and Parse ( ) to parse strings, the question of leading and trailing spaces is bound to crop up. For example, if the user of the pro- gram chooses to insert spaces in the command string window : 10, 10, 20, 40, what is to happen? The bad old answer would be to make it a syntax error, preferably announced by a short, brutal message such as FATAL ERROR IN CMDFL- 3456:8950. In the civilized world it would make the program easier to use if you allowed arbitrarily placed spaces between (but not within) tokens. The problem is that our functions, say Parse (parms, ' , ' ) , will return any leading or trailing spaces along with the parameter, for example, ' 40'. It so happens that the Turbo Pascal procedure Val( ) is quite happy with number strings that contain leading blanks, but it hates them with trail- ing blanks and spits them out. Clearly I ought to strip out all leading and trailing blanks for safety. After some agonizing, I concluded that this should not be the duty of Before(), Af ter ( ) , and Parse ( ) . I believe they should remain primitive continued 312 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 VAX Power - PC Price! If you need or are accustomed to the throughput of a 32-bit mini, including any of DEC'S VAX series, MicroWay has great news for you. The combination of our NDP compilers and our mW1 167 numeric coprocessor gives VAX speed to your 386 PC! If you don't own a 386 PC, we provide a number of powerful PC and AT upgrade paths. MicroWay offers transputer based parallel processing boards and languages for the PC, AT, or 386. Each T800 RISC processor on these boards packs the power of a 20 MHz 386/1167. A Quadputer, with four T800s, boasts 40MIPS/6 megaflops of throughput. Many NDP Fortran-386 users are reporting turnaround times that are two to six times faster than their VAX. They are a function of the VAX processor being used, the speed of the 386, the number of users served by the VAX, and the coprocessor being used with the 386. Dr. Robert Atwell, leading defense scientist, calculates that NDP Fortran-386 is saving him $12,000 per month in rentals of VAX hardware and software while doubling his productivity! FredZiegler of AspenTech in Cambridge, Mass. reports, "I ported 900,000 lines of Fortran source in two weeks without a single problem!" AspenTech 's Chemical Modeling System is in use on mainframes worldwide and is probably the largest application to ever run on an Intel processor. 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CALL mWl167™is built at MicroWay using Weitek components and includes an 80387 socket. mW1167-16 $995 mW1167-20 $1595 mW1167Microchannel-16 $1295 mW1167Microchannel-20 $1595 Weitek 31 67-25 $2495 80387-20 $595 80387-25 $695 8087 $99 8087-2 $145 80287-8 $239 80287-10 $279 80387-16 $425 80387-16SX $450 80387-20 $595 80387-25 $695 287Turbo-12 (for AT compatibles) . . . .$450 256K 100ns DRAM $13 256K SIMMS $119 1 MB SIMMS $450 (All of our Intel coprocessors include 87Test.) Intelligent Serial Controllers MicroWay's AT4™, AT8™, and AT16™, the fastest intelligent serial controllers, run in AT, 80386 and PS/2 PCs. They come with drivers for UNIX, XENIX, and PC MOS. AT4...$795 AT8...$995 AT16 ... $1295 32-Bit Applications PSTAT-386 — Popular mainframe statistics package. The full version was ported . . . $1495 NDP/NAG™ — Features a library of 268 en- gineering and scientific numerical algorithms. Callable from NDP or3L Fortran $895 FastCACHE-286 12 MHz $299 SuperCACHE-286 12MHz $399 FastCACHE-286 9 MHz $199 World Leader in PC Numerics P.O. Box 79, Kingston, MA 02364 USA (508) 746-7341 32 High St., Kingston-Upon-Thames, U.K., 01-541-5466 USA FAX 617-934-2414 Australia 02-439-8400 Germany 069-75-1428 Circle 193 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 313 FEATURE UNTANGLING PASCAL STRINGS Listing 7: Spaces ( ) simply returns a string of Num blanks. NStr( ) provides conversion from number to string in the form of a function rather than a Pascal procedure. function Spaces (Num: Integer): String; const Blanks = ' i . begin Spaces := Copy (Blanks, 1, Num) e non- function NStr(Num: Real; Len, Places: Integer): String; var Temp: String [20]; begin Str (Num: Len: Places, Temp) ; NStr := Temp end; Listing 8: Parsing header information to yield the format shown in figure 1. function ExpandHeader (template : String): String; var a,b: integer; left, mid: String [80]; begin if pos ('$$$', template) <> 0 then template := Before (template, '$$$' ) + NStr (Pagenumber, 0, 0) + After (template, '$$$') ; left := Parse (template, '/') ; mid := Parse (template, '/') ; a := (Pagewidth - length (mid)) div 2 - length (left) ; b := Pagewidth - (length (left) + a + length (mid) + length (template) ) ; Expand := left + Spaces (a) + mid + Spaces (b) + template end; Listing 9: The author's great contribution to ergonomics: proper pluralization in system messages. function Plural (Num: integer; Thing: String): String; var Temp: String[10]; begin Str (Num, Temp) ; case Num of 0: Plural := 'No ' + Thing + ' s ' ; 1: Plural := Temp + Thing; else Plural := Temp + Thing + 's'; end end; Dick Pountain page <14> Byte September Figure 1: The heading for the author's correspondence, as printed by PC-Write. operations and that any stripping of blanks should be done ex- plicitly at the point of use of the parsed tokens. I've included a function called Noblanks( ) (see listing 6) that does this job, though such a routine really ought to be written in assembly language or in-line code for efficiency. For a more substantial example of the use of these functions, I'll write a function that expands word processor header tem- plates into strings ready for the printer. I'll borrow the syntax for the header template from a real program, PC -Write, which is the word processor I use every day. In PC -Write, you specify headers using a dot command like this: .H:Dick Pountain/page <$$$>/Byte September The header template is divided into up to three parts by the "/" symbol, and these parts are correspondingly left-justified, cen- tered, and right-justified when the header is printed (figure 1). The optional $$$ symbol gets translated into the current page number, if present. However, the $$$ can occur anywhere at all in the header, and any of the three parts can be omitted alto- gether, so the syntax is actually more complex than it at first appears. In order to write a function ExpandHeader ( ) that parses and expands such templates, I intend to call on two more special string functions. One is Spaces ( ) , which I have pub- lished before (see March BYTE, page 255), when the typeset- ters lost the end of the string constant Blanks and caused no end of fun. (Just in case it happens again, Blanks is supposed to be just 80 space characters in single quotes.) Spaces ( ) returns a string of spaces equal in length to its argument. The other new function is NStr( ), which converts a number into a string. Turbo Pascal already has a perfectly good routine to do this, called Str( ), but it is a procedure, not a function, and so it returns no value and cannot be used in expressions. I prefer, for consistency, to redefine it as a proper function. My version ex- ploits Turbo Pascal's implicit typecasting to work with all nu- meric types, and it takes extra arguments to specify the write format; you might prefer to define separate functions for each type in Modula-2 style. Both functions are defined in listing 7. I can now define ExpandHeader( ) , as shown in listing 8. Suppose that you have just read the above dot-command line into a variable called dotline and ascertained that it is indeed a header command by examining Before (dotline, ' : '). Then a call to ExpandHeader(After(dotline, ' : ' ) ) will re- turn a full header string justified to the current Pagewidth and numbered with the current value of Pagenumber, the latter be- ing two global variables. Final Indulgence The last of the chosen string functions is a piece of total indul- gence on my part. For years I've been irritated by programs that announce that there is " 1 bytes of memory free. " Even the compromise "1 byte(s) of memory free" cannot console me. I finally swore a solemn oath that I would never write such a pro- gram again, and hence the function Plural( ) (see listing 9). Try it out with: for 1 : = 0 to 10 do write(Plural(i, ' green bottle' )) ; Please don't bother to write in and point out that it doesn't work with "little piggy"; I have to draw the line somewhere. ■ Dick Pountain is a BYTE contributing editor, a technical au- thor, and a software consultant living in London, England. You can contact him on BIX as "dickp. " 314 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 FEATURE THE CD-ROM Connection Compact disks may unlock hypertext's potential, but a tightly structured database is a necessity Tim Oren he CD-ROM provides inexpensive storage for massive amounts of information. However, get- ting at all that information can be a problem. Also, since you can't write to CD-ROMs, they are good for distributing databases, but not for storing your personal files. These properties of CD-ROM make it a natural as a storage medium for hypertext. The fact that CD-ROM is static (i.e., it can't be altered) is a selling point, because large, editable hy- pertext systems can be difficult to update. Every time you edit, move, or delete a document, links connected to that node may have to be changed. Al- though suitable data struc- tures do this, it can place quite a computational load on your microcomputer if you're dealing with a database con- sisting of hundreds or thou- sands of nodes. You com- pound the problem when you distribute a hypertext data- base across machines or let multiple users update the database simultaneously. With CD-ROM, you can't remove or alter the basic document. You can add anno- tations or new nodes via mag- netic disk, but the node struc- ture on CD-ROM doesn't change. This relieves the up- date problem. Capacity is the other major attraction. A single CD-ROM can store a hypertext equiva- lent of about 100 printed vol- ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT TINNEY © 1988 umes. A CD-ROM hypertext system can also store links for fast retrieval. The pointers can be stored within the document it- self, rather than in a disjointed database. Also, duplicate tables of incoming and outgoing links for each document can be placed on the disk, eliminating the need for multiple accesses to the CD-ROM when you request these summaries. Where to Begin Before CD-ROM and hypertext can truly fit, a few database design problems have to be resolved. What we need are, in Alan Kay's words, "conventions that work." These conven- tions should support the hy- pertext paradigm of augment- ing human thinking, while including some of the familiar information-organization techniques found in existing printed media. CD-ROM hypertext is in- herently different from Ted Nelson's Xanadu environ- ment. Where dynamic hyper- text is a tool for cooperative writing and on-line publish- ing, hypertext on CD-ROM is a stored medium that trans- mits human communication without feedback from reader to author. In this situation, you can't hope for hypertext's desirable properties to emerge through use; you must design them into the product. The first design task worth solving is to alleviate those continued DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 315 FEATURE CD-ROM CONNECTION CD-ROM problems already discovered. One such problem is that documents stored electronically, like those stored on CD- ROM, lose the desirable qualities of information stored on paper. Paper documents use location, closure, unity of type, and state preservation as visual and tactile reader cues. Another problem with CD-ROM databases is that they use full-text, Boolean-algorithm searches. These search methods are flawed because they make trade-offs between retrieval pre- cision and recall, and between inconsistent human selection and automatic choice of indexing terms. A larger design problem is how to improve communication between the hypertext author and user. Recovering the Benefits of Print A valuable attribute of printed documents is state preservation. A printed volume stays the same when you aren't looking at it. You can put bookmarks or your finger between pages to save locations or write notes in the margins and underline items. All these will stay put until you remove them. A hypertext browser should have similar properties. In fact, an electronic equivalent of a finger in a book is a browser that remembers its previous positions when following a link. One way to accomplish this would be to generate a new view window at each jump, leaving the previous document, scroll point, and selection in the old window. Multiple windows let you compare documents side by side and specify new links by direct manipulation. They can, however, clutter a small microcomputer display. As a compromise device, a browser window could jump to the target document but preserve the state of the previous document and restore it upon return. Then, you could request a new window to restore the side-by-side viewing benefits. Hypertext bookmarks are simply links to a document, gen- erated at the user's request and stored with some associated comment or picture. For easy access, bookmarks should be collected as a full-fledged hypertext document that can be searched and targeted by a link. To simulate writing in a book's margins or otherwise mak- ing notes, CD-ROM hypertext systems require some form of document versioning. Since neither margin notes nor highlight- ing delete information or change a document's structure, you can store them as an increment file associated with the docu- ment. Making full copies of changed documents can quickly fill up a magnetic disk if you annotate a large CD-ROM data- base frequently. You can also construct the equivalent of Post-its or paper- clipped notes by placing a link in the increment file targeted to a new notepad document stored on magnetic disk. Again, you should be able to search notes and marginalia. If one notepad document or bookmark set is allowed to link to another, the hypertext update problem is reintroduced. When this happens, you must choose between the benefits of such links and the dif- ficulties of implementing them. Unity of Type Books have an interface unity seldom achieved in software, simply because everything is printed on the same paper. In a hypertext system, you should avoid needless multiplication of data types. For example, a document's storage medium should be transparent to the user. Links, bookmarks, and document references generated through searches should be of one type. Hypertext documents, user notes, bookmark sets, search result lists, and tours should also form one type. Of course, some of hypertext's dynamic elements have no print equivalent: animated graphics and video and sound se- quences. In some applications, you can bury these complexities within the scope of a document. The onus is on the hypertext system browser to determine the correct type of display for a document or object within a document. Serendipity Printed books encourage serendipity. They can fall open at an unintended place. Interesting pictures may draw your eye into articles that you would otherwise miss. A passage that you read may adjoin another that catches your eye. Unfortunately, the perennial shortage of computer screen space often forces the removal of just this sort of "irrelevant" information. You must try to return serendipity without intrud- ing on the main retrieval task. You can do this by inserting links in a hypertext system to simulate the physical proximity of page layout. These links don't need to obey conventional topology; they can lead any- where in the database. They don't need to be strongly relevant to the subject matter, either. They can be links that might inter- est the kind of person who's likely to be reading a particular node or article. For this feature to be used, however, the cost to explore a link must be very low— a single mouse-click or key- stroke with almost no pause on the jump and return. Because pictures are gestalts, they are another effective way to draw attention to documents otherwise missed. Many printed publications, such as The Whole Earth Catalog, have deliberately used this technique to promote discovery. Truly random jumps have limited appeal in hypertext sys- tems, because a document you find this way might already be familiar. If it isn't familiar, it might be difficult to understand because it appears out of context. To make random jumps use- ful, you must have strong location cues and tools available. This aspect may be better handled by tours. The Importance of Closure Closure tells you when you are done or how far you have to go. In a conventional book, the end is obvious; in hypertext, it isn't. But you can simulate closure if you set up the hypertext sys- tem to remember user actions — which documents have been viewed and which links followed, and in what order. The sys- tem can then generate simple statistics that tell the users what fraction of the database has been read or, more important, which portion of the database is undiscovered. "Show me something new" or "Show me a new path to something I've seen before" are now meaningful requests. Any such request can be filled without a deep understanding of the contents of documents. The idea does suggest, however, that document and link objects should be able to record requests made of them, and that a global record of features used will be more than an interface designer tool. Location A well-designed book uses print conventions to give you a sense of location. Chapter titles, section headings, type styles, and indentation situate the current passage in the work's hierarchi- cal or narrative structure. Positioning of images and tables rein- forces the topic under discussion. Many print conventions are lost in electronic media because they are designed as peripheral cues that you only occasionally bring into focus. When you re- move the physical proximity of information and constrain lay- outs because of the computer's small screen, it's easy to aban- don these cues. Hypertext systems exacerbate the problem by encouraging the proliferation of small nodes. Achieving a sense of location in a hypertext system is not continued 316 BYTE" DECEMBER 1988 Ultimate Power. Ultimate Confidence. Ultimate Freedom. Experience 20 MHz 386™Power,ASTStyle The sky's the limit. That's how you might describe the power-packed capabilities of the AST Premium® /386C ...and how far we'll go to provide out- standing products, service and support. Only the 20 MHz, Premium/386C, with its advanced bus technology (SMARTslot™) and uncompromising compatibility, eliminates the tradi- tional restrictions placed on AT® per- formance and speed while providing future upgradeability You also get the comfort that comes from choosing a company with a solid worldwide reputation for reliable, high-quality technology. So while others are caught up in compatibility and support problems, you're completely free to enjoy the highest AT-compatible '386 system performance available today... and take advantage of performance- oriented upgrades in the future using SMARTslot architecture. And because of our many years of working with key leaders in the in- dustry, we're able to maximize the capabilities of the most advanced operating systems and application software available, including MS® OS/2 from AST, IBM® OS/2™ UNIX™ Windows™ 386 and MS-DOS® For more information call (714) 863-0181 and ask for operator AA10, or fill out the coupon. D Please send me more information. DPlease have an AST representative call me. Name Title Company _ Address City/State/Zip _ Phone AST Research, Inc., 2121 Alton Ave., Irvine, CA 92714-4992 Attn: M.C. BYTE 12/88 AST Markets products worldwide — in Europe and the Middle East call: 44 1 568 4350; in the Far East call: 852 5 717223; in Canada call: 416 826 7514. AST, AST logo and AST Premium registered and SMART- slot trademark AST Research, Inc. 386 trademark Intel Corp. All other products and brand names are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright © 1988 AST Research, Inc. All rights reserved. Image courtesy of Versa CAD. I® R€S€fiRCH INC. AST Ls proud to sponsor NBC's telecast of the 1988 rp Summer Olympics %• * Circle 325 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 326) Times Have Changed. DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 317 FEATURE CD-ROM CONNECTION t s easier to jump around in hypertext than it is to thumb through a book, so it encourages investigation. easy. You can adopt or convert some print conventions, such as running titles and headings, into hierarchical or linear links among documents. But these won't work in a complex database with thousands of nodes. Hypertext designers usually approach this problem by pro- viding a tool so users can "view" the neighborhood. These browsing tools show you a "zoom out" or "road map" sche- matic view of adjoining nodes. Such views can be generated automatically at the time of request, built manually during the editorial process, or defined by the user. Neighborhood views can take many forms, all in the general class of contiguity maps. Any of these views can be over- whelmed by heavy branching at a node or by attempts to view at a distance of several links from the current document. As the number of nodes in sight grows, the view either becomes clut- tered or is forced to multiple screens, defeating the purpose of synopsis. Filtering methods and focused or distorted views help overcome this problem. Filtering removes documents from the view based on simple criteria. If the documents are typed, a subset of these types can be displayed. If links are typed, the view can be generated by moving along a subset of link types . Users must manipulate fil- tering criteria. Distorted views use more complex criteria to determine whether nodes are rejected or included in the view. Choice is determined usually by global or regional properties of the data- base. For instance, the fish-eye viewing technique developed by George Furnas shows samples from the database in relation to their distance from the viewing point. Clusters are another type of distorted view. Here each docu- ment is assigned to one or more clusters, which means the view from a node shows adjoining clusters rather than single docu- ments. One document can be chosen to stand for the cluster, or a separate designator can be generated. As with other views, you can deliberately create clusters as part of the editorial process, perhaps as an extension of the reg- ular hierarchical outlining process. You can also assign docu- ments to self-defined clusters upon retrieval. Other, less intrusive, ways to provide hypertext location are through subliminal or periodic cues not explicitly requested. For example, movement between documents might include a sequence in which the browser zooms back to a cluster view, pans to a cluster of the new document, and zooms into the text level. You can also use colors, background patterns, or icons to indicate a document's topic or its level in a hierarchy. In a mul- Kecemng Report Transmitted Invoice Price, Qty, Part# Matched Invrv'-> stamped •loded (0 ij4 n^ ' JU^sSS ion Checks Printed & Signed 1 1 T T 1 1 T Check Register Open Accounts Payable ! (e) (e) T l.„> A/P Distribution ^'V** %W** ia\^0' ,u&e •«*&** otvty m# Cotf" •ss- k\so" *0&^£tf»* BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 PATTON& RATION Software Corporation 81 Great Oaks Blvd., San Jose, CA 95119 1-800-525-0082, Outside California 408-629-5376, California/International 'plus shipping. In California add tax. Excellence in charting the flow of ideas Circle 211 on Reader Service Card FEATURE CD-ROM CONNECTION timedia system, you can use sound as a peripheral cue to location. When Searches Need Help Boolean full-text search is the de facto CD-ROM retrieval method for a number of reasons. First, users, implementers, and data providers experienced in on-line retrieval are accus- tomed to Boolean search, so they carried their experience to CD-ROM. Second, it's easy to precompute the inversion tables required in Boolean search and to optimize their layout on the CD-ROM. And third, the technique makes modest demands on microcomputer processing power. Unfortunately, Boolean searches have well-known flaws: the search trade-off between precision (i.e, the portion of retrieved items actually of interest) and recall (i.e., the fraction of truly relevant items that the search finds). You can attribute these failings to users who choose imprecise or incomplete search terms, the lack of semantic analysis of the documents, and the difficulty of determining a node's relevance through a binary decision. Whatever the reason, unaugmented Boolean search techniques shouldn't be used unless you realize the trade-offs involved and are willing to formulate complex que- ries. A false sense of completeness or a plethora of irrelevant document references is particularly dangerous with sensitive databases, such as those used in law or medicine. Probabilistic and weighted Boolean full-text searches offer substantial improvements, but they have been slow to appear on CD-ROM because they impose a higher processing load and are more difficult to implement. In the interim, the network structure of hypertext databases may improve the apparent per- formance of Boolean searches. Failing Gracefully If you build links between nodes into the CD-ROM database, it's no longer so important if searches fail to find every relevant document. If the target is documents that have related seman- tics, it should suffice for the search to retrieve a subset of these documents, leaving the remainder to be found by browsing. You can also use the hypertext network as a direct component of a search. Bibliographic and cocitation analysis can dramati- cally increase search performance in hypertext, presumably because the links directly trace the evolution of ideas. When appropriate, you can use these techniques to augment CD-ROM hypertext searches. Even when the links are not explicitly bibliographic, the hy- pertext network can be used in relevance feedback. Spreading activation along links from user-marked nodes can be used to generate document weights. Marking could be explicit, or the browser could simply record the nodes visited by the user since the last search, with an option to forget a document that was a false path. Regardless, it's the hypertext designer's responsibility to en- sure that these techniques work. Links must be true reflections of semantic relevance, if not exact bibliographic relationships . Improving Communication For hypertext to succeed, it must have advantages not offered by printed or isolated electronic documents. One such advan- tage of CD-ROM hypertext is that it can support the iterative communication of ideas. For example, ideas exist in the mind as a dense web of enti- ties and relations. Hypertext honors these connections by mak- ing relations explicit; you can explore them until the idea is clear. Because it's easier to jump about in hypertext than it is to thumb through a book or return to the shelves, investigation is encouraged. Therefore, hypertext communicates ideas, as op- posed to transmitting disconnected bits of information. You can store many inquiry paths on CD-ROM. The problem CD-ROM hypertext architects face, however, is how to antici- pate and build the most useful paths, given that it is impractical to provide all paths due to production costs and time. Beyond the economic limits, there may be a cognitive limit to the optimum and maximum number of useful links per docu- ment. A small hypertext constructed in Xerox's NoteCards sys- tem has an average of slightly greater than 2 links per card. Other experimenters with constructed hypertexts report ranges of 4 to 8 and 2 to 10 links per screen. Interestingly, these fig- ures are close to the number of items considered optimal for menu selection: 7 ± 2. Do these numbers represent a fundamental limit on the num- ber of competing items humans can simultaneously consider? If so, the consequences of exceeding this number in hypertext documents should be obvious. You could expect choosing a path from such documents to take longer because of the need to reload links while reaching a decision. A related question is, what is the optimum size of a document in a hypertext system? Documents created in a hypertext system tend to express one idea and tend to be smaller than traditional print documents or text files. This fits well with the notion that links capture relations between ideas. If these suggestions are true, the burden on the author and editor of a CD-ROM hypertext is clearer. As yet, there are no automatic tools to extract idea-size chunks from linear text. The need for parsimony of linkage suggests that, as in print, what is not said is as important as what is represented. The bur- den of expression and selection is on the human creator. Contiguity and Similarity When you are trying to decide which types of links to include in a CD-ROM hypertext, two associative principles, similarity and contiguity, will help. Objects in a similarity relation share properties but no fur- ther association; they are members of a set or class. On the other hand, contiguity puts objects and events into a spatial or temporal relation. The relation may be simple, as in a time line, or complex, as in an organized scene or script. Contiguity rela- tions are more readily learned and recalled than abstract con- cepts of hierarchies. This is not surprising, since contiguity is the rule in our everyday life. Printed media show contiguity relationships with time lines, maps, or narrative. Computer scientists have represented conti- guity relations as frames, scripts, and schemata. When you at- tempt to understand stories with these tools, you'll find that the information transferred is not enough for understanding. The text assumes a certain amount of underlying knowledge on your part. It is a narrative convention that expected behavior is not mentioned. You might say that the value of a narrative is pre- cisely in its novelty, its deviation from the expected script. This narrative convention causes communication breakdown when the reader doesn't have the appropriate abstraction in mind or can't extract it from the story. This type of failure means that the experience cannot be generalized and reapplied. You use similarity relations to codify and retrieve knowledge and build classification hierarchies that exhibit the common elements of experiences, objects, and concepts. Similarity rela- tions capture the generalizations deduced from narrative and experience. Similarity enables metaphorical and analogical reasoning by highlighting the common features among the re- lated elements. continued DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 319 FEATURE CD-ROM CONNECTION Printed documents show similarity relations via outlines, tables of contents, formal taxonomies, and encyclopedic classi- fications. In electronic media, key-term indexes define similar- ity classes, and structured documents and outline processors emulate print conventions for classification. It's difficult to communicate similarity relations because they are very general. You must have some common experi- ences between you, the author, and the reader to ground the argument, or the concepts abstracted become meaningless buzzwords. Thus, the reader can't learn the similarity relation because it can't be restated in familiar terms. Printed textbooks try to overcome this problem by providing examples that the student reads to overcome limited experience. Unfortunately, there is a practical limit in breadth and depth of coverage in textbooks. Some level of prior experience must be assumed. Happy Trails The value of hypertext is that it gives access to multiple classifi- cation hierarchies and many trails of narration and experience. When you find a narrative unclear because of a missed concept, you can examine other documents in a similarity class. If an explanation of similarity becomes murky , you can follow a trail of examples. The user who retrieves desired facts can move smoothly into the learning experience. Because hypertext can represent multiple hierarchies (and printed outlines can't), it lets you explore multiple points of classification, which provides a greater chance of discovering analogies and metaphors. Different hierarchies can also em- body competing views of the same experiences. Multiple hypertext narratives correspond to Vannevar Bush's concept of memex trails. They are also called tours or paths. Since hypertext is a multivoice medium, tours can em- body differing pedagogical approaches to material, or different points of view. For instance, the same generalized material on ecology can be illustrated with different examples, depending on the view- er's bioregion. A tour can simply determine the next document presented by default, or it can be a dynamic presentation with real-time sound, video, and animation components. Building structure into CD-ROM hypertext databases is very important. It's analogous to the production value added to printed works by editors, designers, and publishers. Successful products in the new medium require just as much creative ef- fort, though it may take different form. CD-ROM has already won a position as an archival system for existing data. To go further, opening new markets and competing with other media, databases and retrieval systems must be specifically crafted for CD-ROM and the new audi- ences it can reach. This will happen if technologists and pub- lishers ally in a conscious search for new forms. The hypertext technique is a good place to start. ■ Editor's note: Adapted from the Hypertext '87 conference pro- ceedings. Copyright 1987 by the Planning Committee for Hypertext '87. Tim Oren is a senior engineer at Apple Computer in Cupertino, California. He can be reached on BIX c/o "editors. 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Date Signature Date_ Please allow 4-8 weeks for delivery. □ Check enclosed □ MasterCard D VISA D U.S. Funds enclosed (If ordering from outside the U.S. please remit in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. Thank you.) BVTE ■ FOLD HERE BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 10 PETERBOROUGH, NH POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE BYTE Listings NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES One Phoenix Mill Lane Peterborough, NH 03458-9990 III II. . I. , I.I. I.I. .I.I. I.. 1. 1. .I. I., II II. I FOLD HERE FEATURE Light, Bright and White Laptop screens have been getting more readable lately, thanks to a new look at fluorescents Wayne Rash Jr. inding the proper display for portable com- puters has always been a challenge. These peri- patetic machines need a screen that is light and easy to read, and consumes little power. From the beginning, the liquid-crystal display (LCD) has been an obvious answer, but developing one that provides adequate performance takes careful engineering and precision manufacturing. As the demand for screens grew and the de- mand that their quality improve became clear, new techniques for producing such displays were needed. LCD screen development has continued apace. In the last few years, we have gone from bare displays to displays with backlighting, and then to supertwist LCDs. At this writing, the state of the art re- sides with Zenith Data Sys- tems' fluorescent-backlit, dual-layer, supertwist LCD. Zenith calls its display "page white." This means that the background areas are white rather than light blue, and the dark areas are black or gray rather than dark blue. In addition, the new Zenith display demonstrates a con- trast ratio of about 20 to 1, while its predecessors oper- ated at a ratio of about 12 to 1 . Taking Apart the Zenith Display Zenith's new version of its LCD, used in its new 80386- based laptop computer, gets ILLUSTRATION: ROBERT TINNEY © 1988 its clarity and lack of color through a new backlight and an ad- ditional layer in the LCD panel itself (see figure 1) . In addition, some engineering changes were required to realize the screen's potential clarity. The rear of the typical backlit display differs from the famil- iar reflective LCDs by having a light source instead of a reflec- tor. While this reduces the ability of the display to work with available room light, the significantly greater amount of light shining out from the screen results in a brighter display. The only exception to this is viewing the screen in direct sunlight, which can overwhelm most light sources. Even in direct sunlight, however, the limited reflective capability of the backlight is adequate for viewing. In the past, the backlight has been an electrolumines- cent panel. This panel gener- ated white light, which was transmitted through the LCD's polarizing layers, emerging as blue-tinged light. The light areas normally ap- peared as light blue, and the dark areas looked dark blue. In their most recent imple- mentations, these screens were clear and visible, dem- onstrating a contrast ratio of about 12 to 1 . The Backlight The differences in the newest Zenith display begin with the way in which the light is gen- continued DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 321 FEATURE LIGHT, BRIGHT, AND WHITE erated. To produce a brighter light source, Zenith chose fluo- rescent tubes in place of the electroluminescent display used in its (and other companies') laptop computer designs. The fluo- rescent tubes produce a much brighter, but much less consis- tent, light. The problem with making the light even was solved by creat- ing a reflector and diffuser that blocked most of the light di- rectly in front of the tubes. Essentially, the diffuser was made partially reflective in front of the tubes. The level of reflectiv- ity was reduced farther away from the tubes. This reduced the level of light directly in front of the tubes to keep them from showing through the display, while not wasting the light they generated. The light comes from a pair of 2.5-watt tubes designed for this application. The differences from standard tubes include a more constant light level, the ability to handle more than 10,000 on-off cycles, the ability to have a variable light level, and the ability to start instantly. Polarization and Blue The light emerges from the diffuser as white, nonpolarized light. Immediately in front of the diffuser is the rear polarizer, which passes only vertically polarized light. This readies the light for the next stage, the supertwist LCD. The LCD material is a super-rotator: It will rotate light through several thousand degrees per millimeter. According to Kevin Menkin, Zenith's material will rotate light through about 30,000 degrees per millimeter, compared with quartz, which rotates light only about 20 degrees per millimeter. This high rotation allows an extremely thin layer of LCD ma- terial to be used. The light gets a net rotation of 90 degrees from the material, although the actual rotation is likely to be a multi- ple of 360 degrees, plus 90. While this high rotation allows for extremely thin liquid crystals, it also causes some serious engi- neering problems. The glass facing the liquid crystal must be manufactured with extreme precision so that the thickness is uniform. Even very slight differences can result in areas where the light gets twisted more or less than is desired. In a display, this appears as a blotchy area. When power is applied to the LCD material, the normally twisted crystals untwist. This allows the polarized light to pass through unchanged. If the light was vertically polarized when it went in, it will stay that way when it emerges. The problem with the liquid-crystal polarizing material is that it treats blue light differently from the other components of white light. Depending on the material, it can rotate blue light either slightly more than other light or slightly less. In either continued Glass (rear); liquid-crystal layer (white is rotated horizontal by default, or transmitted vertical, — but both whites are blue-shifted); glass (front) Rear polarizer (vertical) Reflector (high-intensity white fluorescent backlight diffuser White (unpolarized) Compensating layer (corrects blue) I — Front polarizer (vertical) Anti-glare coating White (vertical-polarized) Blue-white (horizontal) liquid crystals = off or blue-white (vertical) liquid crystals = on White or black - Transmitted or blocked White (horizontal) (blue reabsorbed) or white (vertical) (blue reabsorbed) Figure 1 : Structure of the Zenith supertwist LCD, showing two unusual features— the diffuser layer and the compensating layer. 322 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Princeton's UltraSync. The clear winner! Editor's Choice Winner* May 31, 1988* Dec. 22, 1987 ((. . . the UltraSync has the edge in brightness and sharpness over the (NEC) MultiSync, making its text easier to read ... the Ultra- Sync's sharp display topped the fuzzy (IBM) 8513 dis- play hands down . . . display image is as sharp as a stiletto and as bright as an arc lamp. . . Even as the brightness is turned up . . the characters displayed on the . . screen remain clear and sharp . . . excellent video qualities. )) PersonaiXomputim THE PERSONAL SYSTEMS MAGAZINE May 1988 (( Picture quality was excellent, and results for features available were far above average. . .Colors maintain their consistency and sharpness over the whole screen . . . has excel- lent placement of controls . . .widest combination of vertical scan rates . . . takes up little space on a desk . . . the top multiscanning monitor in our ratings. }} •'Supports CGA, EGA, PGC, MDA, Hercules, MCGA, VGA and more. Circle 222 on Reader Service Card mnum .28mm dot pitch, 800x600 resolution. When it comes to high-resolution autosyn- chronous color monitors that are IBM PC, PS/2, Apple Mac II and SE Series com- patible, the experts point to UltraSync. Why? UltraSync's brilliant color display and superb high-resolution, for starters. Also because UltraSync offers extensive graphics standards** compatibility due to its wide autosynchronizing frequency ranges. It adjusts automatically to prac- tically any standard. Then there's Ultra- Sync's automatic picture sizing. Built-in text switch. Ergonomic design. And its affordable price ($849). But don't take our word for it. Read what the experts have to say. UltraSync, the only real choice. For more informa- tion, contact Princeton Graphic Systems, 601 Ewing Street, Building A, Princeton, New Jersey 08540, (609) 683-1660. GRAPHIC SYSTEMS AM INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS COMPANY THE VISIBLE EDGE INFO WORLD August 22, 1988 ((. . . its finer dot pitch produced crisp images with none of the graininess found on some monitors . . . produced some of the brightest and clearest colors we saw. . . Ease of use rates a good score . . . outperforms many compet- ing monitors in both color duplication and text clarity ... a very good buy. )) FAMILY JAIWMIOfFIClL^ August 1988 CC. . .easy on the eyes and sharp enough in the text mode for long, eye strain-free word process- ing. . .colors are bright and rich, and the display seemed sharp from corner to corner. . .the quality is superior. . .the Princeton UltraSync is one of the best monitors available for less than $1,000... a superlative buy. }) BlResourte September 1988 (C. . .very crisp display ... its colors are better than those on NEC's Multisync II. )} DECEMBER 1988 •BYTE 323 FEATURE LIGHT, BRIGHT, AND WHITE Ultraviolet Polarized (vertical) white Infrared Ft = horizontal — ► | 0 = h Y = h .-v^ G = h B = h V = h "On" liquid-crystal layer (transmits nonblue unchanged and rotates blue slightly) Compensating liquid-crystal layer (always off) (reorients blue back to vertical) Front (vertical) polarizer Blue and nonblue blocked Black Figure 2: An "on " pixel polarizes light, which is then blocked by the front polarizer and appears as a black pixel on the white background. Ultraviolet Polarized (vertical) white Infrared f "Off" liquid-crystal layer J (rotates blue to and | nonblue near horizontal) {Compensating second liquid-crystal layer (always off) (shifts nonblue to horizontal) J Front (vertical) ._ "S polarizer White Figure 3: Light passing through an "off" pixel is not blocked by the front polarizer and appears as white. case, a relatively greater amount of blue light emerges from the liquid crystal. Zenith counteracts this by adding an additional optically active layer after the liquid crystal. This layer over- or under-rotates the blue light in the opposite amount that the liq- uid crystal did. The net result is that the blue component of the light is in proper proportion with the rest of the light passing through the display. Once the light emerges from the color-compensating layer, it passes through the final polarizing layer. This layer, which is also vertically polarized like the first layer, blocks out light with horizontal polarization. This means that when the light passes through the liquid crystal that is turned on, it picks up an additional 90 degrees of polarization, won't pass through the front polarizer, and shows up as a dark area (see figure 2). Light that passes through a pixel that is off will remain verti- cally polarized and will show up as a light area (see figure 3). The result of the compensation is an LCD that appears black and white. In reality, there is still a slight blue tinge, but it tends to be very slight. One advantage of having the brighter light source is that the contrast gets higher. This happens because more light can be blocked out by the polarizing layers and still have acceptable brightness. The higher contrast ratio also produces a better gray scale. Zenith's Kevin Menkin explained that the wider range of con- trast also gives a wider range of grays. The gray scales are pro- duced by turning the LCD material in each pixel on and off quickly. The ratio of on versus off determines the gray level. Capabilities and Problems Zenith clearly has high hopes for this display technology. The company says that this LCD can be made to be faster than a CRT. In addition, there are strong indications that the company is planning a color version of this display. From the user's standpoint, there are a few problems with the fluorescent-backlit LCD. It is, of course, expensive, which explains why the company has it only on its top-of-the-line 80386-based laptop. In addition, the diffusing panel is less than perfect from some vantage points. In fact, at some angles you can see a faint indication of the fluorescent tubes. Otherwise, this display limits its problems to engineering. According to Menkin, most of the display development prob- lems relate to engineering rather than technology. The high level of precision required for the glass in the LCD was the thorniest, but it was eventually solved. The other problems relate to the backlight. Without the great quantity of light produced by the fluorescent tubes, the com- pensated supertwist display would not work. Zenith tested this on traditional backlighting and created a screen that no one could read. The fluorescent backlit display is as readable as a CRT because of the light levels. In fact, it is so bright that it puts out more light at its lowest setting than traditional Zenith lap- tops do at their highest. Bright Future The compensated, fluorescent-lit LCD is clearly the next step in the evolution of flat, portable display technology. It con- sumes less power than gas plasma displays and is more read- able. It is also brighter and clearer than traditional LCDs, and once it becomes possible to engineer this form of display into more traditional laptops, we should see plenty of them. ■ Wayne Rash Jr. is a member of the professional staff of Ameri- can Management Systems, Inc. (Arlington, VA), where he con- sults with the federal government on microcomputers. You can reach him on BIX as "waynerash. " 324 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 FIGURE ILLUSTRATIONS: LORI BAKER© 1988 Our Profile Will Make You Smile! JiilelllSunu Our Price Will Make Y)u Happy! Introducing Intellisync." The New Intelligent Multi-Frequency Monitor From 3LYNX® It starts with the outstanding design features such as the small foot print, and streamlined profile (even slimmer than single frequency color monitors). Next the IntelliSync is compatible with the CGA, EGA, VGA, and more, as well as being an excellent companion to all PC/XT/AT? Apple Macintosh II? and the new IBM PS/2* systems. The cost of IntelliSync is nearly 1/3 less than its major competitor. Most impressive is that it is manufactured by 3LYNX, a video display monitor manufacturer pro- ducing critical video components for the majority of the top FORTUNE 500 computer companies for years. For information on the new 3LYNX IntelliSync Monitors call or write today. Call toll free 1-800-243-5969. Or 1-800-24-3LYNX. Fax tt (408) 434-0466. International Calls (408) 432-8833. IntelliSync Monochrome Monitor 15" flat screen with vivid gray scale. IntelliSync The Best Choice FEATURES 3LYNX INTELLISYNC NEC MULTISYNC IP Size 14" 14" Front Controls Yes Yes Auto Horizontal Frequencies 15.50-35KHZ 15.50-35KHz Tilt & Swivel Yes Yes Intellisync has in Multi ;orporated all of the sync II plus more... features of Auto Vertical Frequencies 45-1 20 Hz 50-80 Hz Inverse Video Option in MDA Mode Yes No Selection of Text Color Auto Manual Color Text Options 7 3 Dimensions (mm) 341 (w) 346(h) 386(d) 369 (w) 357(h) 406(d) Weight 29(lbs) 31 (lbs) Suggested Retail Price $695.00 $899.00 3Lynx 1450 Seareel Lane San Jose, CA 95131 * Registered trademarks of their respective companies. 3LYNX and IntelliSync Circle 3 on Reader Service Card are registered trademarks of 3LYNX Technologies Corp. DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 325 We Guarantee Good News Every Monday Morning! v ( .OS A:3 In fact, we'll guarantee the best news— 100% factual, accurate and unbiased expert analysis of signifi- cant developments in the personal computer industry. Just straightforward, no-nonsense professional reporting of in- dustry news, product announcements and key events as they happen each and every week. BYTEweek, McGraw-Hill's new weekly newsletter, is devoted to helping you stay on top of the dramatic changes in the continually-evolving business computing arena. BYTEweek is devoted to reporting and analyzing these changes and developments through its timely, compact, one-stop news format. BYTEweek keeps you on top of significant industry trends and developments through its coverage of the IBM, IBM-compatible, Apple Macin- tosh and workstation markets. BYTEweek gives you the full details of significant new product announcements with in-depth analysis. 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Through these resources, you are kept on top of issues such as: 1 New data storage techniques, in- cluding CD-ROM, erasable optical and other text, graphics, and video storage technology. • Expert systems, with an ex- amination of both the technical and human aspects of implementation. • Bus standards and the war be- tween IBM and the clone manufacturers— with critically BVTE One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458 1-800-258-5485 Charter subscription just $395 for 50 weekly issues important user ramifications. • Legal skirmishes and "look and feel" suits, which can put the manufacturer of your favorite software out of business. • Software emulation that will allow new, exotic computer systems to run software written for IBM PCs. • LAN system developments, including all pertinent aspects of connectivity and inter-operability. • Network management, a complex and increasingly important topic for per- sonal computers in both small and large offices. • PostScript clones, which promise faster, lower-cost laser printers with the same capabilities as the Apple LaserWriter. • New, easy-to-use programming systems such as CASE and 4th Genera- tion Languages, that can allow non- programmers to develop powerful applications. BYTEweek offers you what no other in- dustry publication can: timely news on the rapidly evolving computer industry as it happens, framed by interpretation and evaluation that only BYTE's experienced editorial staff can provide. Subscribe now and take advantage of the special one-year charter subscription rate of $395 ($495 outside the U.S. and Canada)-a savings of $100 off the regular rate. Your subscription to BYTEweek in- cludes 50 issues and a free subscription to BIX, which includes access to the award-winning Microbytes Daily on-line news service. Your hourly usage rates will be billed separately. Don't miss this opportunity! Call BYTEweek's toll-free number: 1-800-258-5485 to order your subscription or request more information and a free sample issue. M 326 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR II Steve Ciarcia Part 3 A Supercomputer This final part looks at hardware nuts and bolts and also at the driver program The first two parts of this article gave you a background in multi- processor architectures and de- scribed the basic algorithms used in the Circuit Cellar Mandelbrot en- gine. In this part, I'll go into the nuts and bolts of the engine's hardware and ex- plain how the driver program in the IBM PC AT controls the engine. Many Processors A multiprocessor system is made up of perhaps hundreds or thousands of sepa- rate computers. The overall cost of the system is largely determined by the cost of each individual computer, so there is a strong motivation to keep costs under control. If a system uses 256 processors that each cost $1000, few people can af- ford the full system. As I explained in Part 1 , the multipro- cessor's hardware architecture must match the problems that it will solve. If the problems require extensive commu- nication between processors, the hard- ware must provide high-bandwidth inter- computer channels. The fact that those links are expensive simply means that's the price of solving the problem in the fastest way possible. The iterative formula that produces Mandelbrot- set images is ideal for a mul- tiprocessor implementation. The calcu- lations require high-precision arithmetic but need little communication to set up the processors and report the results. A simple processor with low-cost commu- nications can handle the problem ade- quately. The Mandelbrot engine uses the Intel 8751 single-chip microcontroller as its basic building block. Figure 1 shows all the circuitry associated with a single pro- cessor. The hardware is deceptively sim- ple, because the 8751 is a complete com- puter on a chip— there's a lot of hardware behind those pins! I've long believed that something was lost when computers stopped sporting front panels with blinking lights, so there are two LEDs for each processor. The program turns on one LED when it's computing and the other when it's done. A glance at the front panel indicates the state of every processor in the engine. The LEDs also assist in program and hardware debugging, because the pro- gram blinks them in specific patterns when it's waiting in various loops. The 8751 receives data and setup in- formation through its serial input port, which is driven by a buffer that is shared by all the chips on a single card. The re- sults of the Mandelbrot set calculations, as well as ID and version information, are sent over the 875 l's serial output port. Each chip has a separate output buffer that drives the single serial output line leaving the card. The chain-in and chain-out lines pro- vide control and timing information dur- ing the calculations. When the program finishes evaluating the iterative formula for its current point, it waits for a pulse on the chain-in line before transmitting its result. After the final stop bit of the result message is finished, the chip pulses its chain-out line to signal the next processor in line that the serial output is available. With those simple connections, each processor can receive data and send re- sults in an orderly manner. The next step is to connect 256 of these processors into a single system. It's in the Cards Although I could have designed a single card with 256 40-pin DIP sockets and 512 LEDs, I figured that it made more sense to build the engine from smaller units. After all, a single-card computer would occupy about 5 Vz square feet and cost a small fortune. Each 8751 is rated at no more than 250 milliamperes of current from the 5-volt power supply. While lA ampere doesn't sound like much, a full-bore engine with 256 processors will draw about 64 A! The two LEDs at each processor add an- other ampere or so to the bill. Obviously, there would be some problems getting enough power onto that single board. After worrying about the problem for a while, I decided that a board with eight 8751s made a nice unit. Photo 1 on page 332 shows a hand-wired prototype with all eight processors installed and 16 LEDs peeking over the edge of the card. The card draws about 2 A of current, low enough not to pose a problem for the edge connectors. Figure 2 shows the connections for a single card. To reduce the complexity of the drawing, I've shown the eight proces- sors as blocks with I/O connections continued COPYRIGHT © 1988 STEVEN A. CIARCIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 327 Vcc CLOCK C>- RESET fZ>" CHAIN IN O- u /tT SWITCHES IQ.i.7) Q-K8WITCH0 v SWITCH3 SWITCH4 V SWITCH5 \SWITCH6 .SWITCH? IC1 8751 EA/VP INTO INT1 TO Tl P1.0 Pl.l PI. 2 P1.3 P1.4 P1.8 P1.6 PI. 7 -^^>CHAIN OUT PO.O P0.1 P0.2 P0.3 P0.4 P0.5 P0.6 P0.7 P2.0 P2.1 P2.2 P2.3 P2.4 P2.S P2.6 P2.7 j[D WR P~SEN ALE/P TXO RXD -^SERIAL 0UT SERIAL IN E2>- Figure 1: The schematic for one processing element of the Mandelbrot engine. HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR rather than as separate chips. Notice how the serial I/O ports are connected in common to all chips, while the chain-in and chain-out lines snake throughout the card. The LEDs are connected to output- port pins on the 8751 through 3.3- kilohm resistors that limit the current to about 1 mA. Normally, a transistor buf- fer providing 10 mA or 20 mA drives the indicator LEDs, but I didn't think the ad- ditional hardware was worth it. Instead, I used high-efficiency red LEDs that are surprisingly bright at 1 mA. The 8751, like all computers, requires a clock signal to sequence its internal registers and buses. Normally, a crystal connected directly to the 8751 provides that clock signal; each 8751 would then use a separate crystal. In this applica- tion, it didn't make much sense to have eight crystals on one board, so I included some circuitry to buffer the clock signal from one 8751 to the other seven. The few parts needed for the buffer cost much less than seven more crystals. Because all the processors are driven by a common clock signal, their internal bus activity is synchronized. This can GowpahS/y yours, Dos Pick a card, any card! That's how easy it can be now that GTEK® has developed the PCSS-8X, PCSS-8TX, and PCSS-8I. All of our products are compatible with your IBM, PC, XT, AT, and compatibles. So, for the solution to your serial communication problems call GTEK®. All of our multiport cards have been signed, "COMPATIBLY YOURS, DOS!" / ■ A PCSS-8TX l_ -Same features as PCSS-8X, W but uses RJ45 modular connectors. —Fits in half sized slot. —Up to 5 card (40 ports) /com- puter. V ORDER TOLL FREE 1-800-255-GTEK (4S3S) FAXM-601-467-0935 TELEX 315814 (GTEK UD) MS & TECHNICAL SUPPORT 1-601 -467-8048 PC/XT/AT Is a registered trademark of IBM Corp. G TEK S DEVELOPMENT HARDWARE & SOFTWARE .- . _ P. O. BOX 2310 , INC. BAY ST. LOUIS, MS 39521-2310 U.S.A. 328 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 121 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 122) HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR produce awesome current spikes on the 5-V supply, a situation that demands 100-nanofarad bypass capacitors across every IC on the board. These capacitors supply the transient current needed by each processor and reduce the spikes on the rest of the card. In addition, the cards have a ground plane on the top surface and heavy power-bus lines on the bot- tom, so there is a relatively low imped- ance connection to the 5-V supply. One port of the 8751 is dedicated to switches that provide setup and test infor- mation. Rather than put a separate DIP switch on each card and risk having one switch in the wrong position, I used a sin- gle DIP switch for all the cards. Figure 2 shows port PI connected to eight card- edge pins that provide the switch infor- mation. Since the software can handle any number of processors, it made sense to design the hardware the same way. A jumper block on the card connects the chain-out line from each processor to the card's chain-out line. The first processor must be installed in socket IC1, and all processors must be contiguous, but by setting the jumper correctly, you can in- stall any number of 8751s on the card. Notice that, since I stored the Mandel- brot engine program in EPROM in each processor, there is no boot sequence be- fore the program is ready to run. Unlike IBM PCs and other common computers, the Mandelbrot engine is easily and quickly reset. In fact, all the 8751 reset lines are connected together and driven by the DTR line from the AT' s serial port (through a level converter and buffer, of course), so that the AT can reset the en- gine at the start of calculations. This en- sures that the engine is in a known state and ready to receive setup information. Cards on the Rack A complete Circuit Cellar Mandelbrot engine consists of 32 cards with 8 proces- sors on each card (256 processors) . Since that would require a card rack about 1 % feet long and involve distributing 64 A of power supply equitably along the rack, I decided to take a more modest ap- proach—only 64 processors. Photo 2 shows a prototype rack that holds eight Mandelbrot engine cards. The power requirement for this rack is about 15 A, which is reasonable for a sin- gle power supply. (One point that bears mentioning is that a failure in the power supply can crisp 64 processors in one shot, so the rack also includes an over- voltage crowbar protector. Figure 3 shows the connections for one rack, with each card shown in place. One of the cards, the Rack Master, has a socket for the DIP switch needed to tell the 64 processors what serial-port rate to use, and so forth. The switches in each rack are identical. A full Mandelbrot engine requires four racks. Figure 3 also shows the PC serial-port connections required to con- trol the whole multiprocessor. As is indi- cated, you need relatively few wires for a computer with 256 processors. (The 64- processor engine we put together at the Circuit Cellar has about $6000 in hard- ware and 250 hours of wiring. Using a conservative $40-per-hour technician rate, our 64-processor Mandelbrot en- gine cost about $16,000.) I've glossed over one small complexity up to this point: The serial-port connec- tions from the PC use the standard RS- 232C voltage levels, while the connec- tions within the Mandelbrot engine are strictly TTL. One card, the Array Mas- continued KILL 8051 BUGS FAST. * *' *fr % IHI BB IBR Break on Trace trig — "CODE UIHI10I!. BBt Breakpoint Rode Register .121: counter - first; /• Initia Si. Set tine Breakpoints 1. 1122: valve - 8x4E; SLR Set Line Breakpoints tiffi ,»23: last value ■ B; BB Break on internal bit 1.124: value - read_blt(P3_2_bit); j J25: if ((value -1)11 ( last.value CU> Clear breakpoints .126: if (counter « 1B8B) ] IB Internal Break on pstf .127: counter - B; ~~!J else .829: counter"; .138: last.value - value; ,131: A ram restart process «/ Nohau's EMUL51-PC emulator and trace board make a sophisticated bug- hunting pair for your 8031/8051 projects. Plug the EMUL51-PC into your PC, XT, AT or compa- tible and find bugs that other emulators can't. 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Trace board optional. noHau CORPORATION 51 E.Campbell Ave. Campbell CA 95008 (408)866-1820 Circle 198 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 329 HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR ter, includes an MCI 45406 level con- verter (IC5) that handles the translations between the two standards. That card is also the Rack Master for the first rack, so it also has a DIP switch. Skipping Jumpers From reading the description of the Man- delbrot engine, you'd think that there are three different types of cards: a single Array Master, three Rack Masters, and 28 ordinary cards. While I could have designed three cards with three layouts, it made a lot more sense to design a single card that could serve in all applications. The ordinary way to do that would use a set of jumpers on the card to select vari- ous I/O configurations and route signals to the appropriate places on the card. You could then select the "personality" of the card by the various jumper locations. In this application, I decided that using personality jumpers was a bad idea. With up to 32 cards in a full Man- delbrot engine, it was almost certain that one or two jumpers would be misplaced, and it could take hours to track down the offending card. So the ideal goal was to eliminate jumpers entirely, except for the single jumper that designates a card with fewer than eight 8751s. If you refer back to figure 2, you'll see the schematic for the Array Master card. The three Rack Master cards omit the MC145406 level converter and the LS21 chip that combines the serial data from the racks. All the cards can be identical, with the appropriate chips omitted from cards that don't need them. It turns out that all the connections normally made through jumpers can be made by back-panel wiring between the cards. This explains the odd connections shown in figure 3. For example, the AT's serial port con- nects to the serial data-in line on pin A7. The MC145406 converter translates the RS-232C signal into TTL voltages and drives four gates in the 74LS241 buffer. One of these connects to all the serial- port inputs on the card, and when the card operates as the Array Master, it also drives the seven other cards in the rack through pin B 15. The other three gates drive the re- maining three racks through pins B14, B13, and B12. Because only the Array Master card has the 74LS241 buffer, each line from the Array Master to a rack connects to pin B 15 on all the cards in that rack. If you trace the circuitry, you will see that pin connected to all the pro- cessors on the card; the pin doesn't care which way the electrons are flowing. continued SWITCHESIO.. R9 270ft -VW RESETfZ>- CHAIN IN Q>- CHAIN IN LAST fJI>- SERIAL IN RACK 0| >-f SERIAL IN RACK l[> SERIAL IN RACK 2[>- SERIAL IN RACK 3 \^> R5 270ft — wv— R6 270ft R7 270ft R8 2 70ft — */w— IC7 74LS21 y RS232 LEVEL CONV. V0D o- Vss»- IC5 145406 001 on D02 DI2 D03 DI3 'DD 'SS RX1 TX1 RX2 TX2 RX3 TX3 VCC GND Vcc ~2 INSTALL LS241. 145406. LS21 ON ARRAY MASTER CARD ONLY Figure 2: The schematic of a Mandelbrot engine card. 330 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 ELEMENT SERIAL IN SERIAL OUT CHAIN IN CHAIN OUT RESET CLOCK SWITCHES (0. .7) SERIAL IN SERIAL OUT CHAIN IN CHAIN OUT RESET CLOCK SWITCHES (0. .7) ELEMENT SERIAL IN SERIAL OUT CHAIN IN CHAIN OUT RESET CLOCK SWITCHES (0. .7) ELEMENT SERIAL IN CHAIN IN RESET CLOCK SWITCHES (0.7) SERIAL OUT CHAIN OUT ELEMENT SERIAL IN CHAIN IN RESET CLOCK SWITCHES (0...71 SERIAL OUT CHAIN OUT ELEMENT SERIAL IN CHAIN IN RESET CLOCK SWITCHES (0...7) SERIAL OUT CHAIN OUT ELEMENT SERIAL IN CHAIN IN RESET CLOCK SWITCHES (0...7) SERIAL OUT CHAIN OUT 4^ L. £* IC4 7407 4> -£> IC3 7407 "I 4>h • SERIAL OUT ENGINE • CHAIN OUT ENGINE VCC IC6 74LS241 1A1 1A2 1A3 1A4 2A1 2A2 2A3 2A4 1Y1 1Y2 1Y3 1Y4 2Y1 2Y2 2Y3 2Y4 -O CHAIN OUT & pt. •SERIAL OUT -<~| SERIAL OUT RACK 0 -<^2 SERIAL OUT RACK 1 -| 1* VI 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 350 pixels T 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 ... 0 1 2 3 If !• 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 . . . 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 I Figure 5: Assigning pixels to processors. If you 're running a four-processor engine, the control program assigns pixels to successive processors by moving through the screen buffer horizontally left to right, then down. 21 scan lines for split-screen window 640 x 350 EGA visible screen window 960 x 525 graphics buffer Figure 6: A map of the EGA video buffer (256K bytes), as used by the Mandelbrot driver program. DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 337 HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR might compare the Mandelbrot engine against other Mandelbrot-set programs that run strictly on a PC. The problem here is that the programs on the two ma- chines are totally different, so it's not clear what "performance" the bench- marks would measure: hardware, soft- ware, or firmware. Worse, the Mandelbrot engine re- quires a driver program running on a PC to handle all its setup and I/O. Obvi- ously, a faster PC will run the driver pro- gram faster, so the performance will in- crease, even though the engine itself remains unchanged. Should the bench- marks include testing on various PCs to isolate the effects of the driver? I decided that the only reasonable way to benchmark the Mandelbrot engine was to add code to DRIVER that simulated the engine's calculations. The compari- sons could then take DRIVER as a con- stant and concentrate on the differences between the engine and the PC simula- tion. This also ensured that any hardware differences on the PC would affect the engine and the PC simulation equally. DRIVER can handle three levels of simulation. You can run it to plot the Mandelbrot set directly without the Man- delbrot engine. Entering the command- line switch -FAKE : 1 invokes double-pre- cision floating-point calculations with about 52 bits of precision. The -FAKE : 2 switch uses single-preci- sion floating-point math with about 24 bits of precision. The -FAKE: 3 switch triggers a precise emulation with fixed- point numbers identical to those used in the engine. The two floating-point simulations (as well as the rest of the code) take advan- tage of a math coprocessor if the PC has one available. The fixed-point simula- tion is written in C rather than tightly op- I he AT is slower than the Mandelbrot engine by a factor of 22. timized assembly language, so the per- formance is excruciatingly slow. The comparisons shown below use only the -FAKE : 1 simulation mode. Figure 7 summarizes a head-to-head competition between an 8-MHz IBM PC AT and a Mandelbrot engine with 64 pro- cessors. The AT takes 85 minutes to gen- erate the same image that a 64-processor engine knocks off in 3.9 minutes. Add- 9 8 7 6 5 O 4 X 3 CO CD D 2 C 'E CD I 9 i ? < 3 2 1 hnx< isar =! extrai >olat 3d \m IPC AT w th 80 17 *L i-^ I :2 3,800 b Eiand_aei tspf ialli ar Tlit ±-y t9 X 2 3 4567891 2 3 45678 X1 X10 Mandelbrot engine proces 91 2 3 4 5 6 789 X100 sors Figure 7: The log-log plot of elapsed time to calculate a given portion of the set versus number of processors. Also shown is the time for an AT to plot the same image. ing a 10-MHz 80287 to the AT improves its performance to 9.7 minutes, while the engine drops to 2.8 minutes because of the improved speed in DRIVER. Those numbers are worth examining in more detail. The AT is slower than the engine by a factor of 22! Adding an 80287 improves the AT by a factor of 8.8, but the engine is 3.5 times faster than that. Not bad for a bunch of single-chip microcontrollers. Remember that engine calculations use more precise numbers to derive the results, so the Mandelbrot-set images will be slightly different. I suspect that the engine results are more "correct," but I don't have any way to prove it (I'm certainly not going to run the calcula- tions by hand). The engine's performance depends on how many processors are sharing the work load, as with any multiprocessor system. Figure 7 plots the total elapsed time for each calculation against the number of processors, using log-log axes to show equal percentage changes as equal distances (I ran the tests with a maximum iteration limit of 64 to provide a better load on the processors, but the image area is the same as on the previous test). With the exception of the 64-pro- cessor engine, the results fall on a nearly perfectly straight line, which indicates that the additional processors are sharing the work load equally— the more proces- sors, the better it runs. The AT (with an 80287) takes 21.7 minutes to generate the test image, which is equivalent to a engine with only 13 processors. Although I didn't try it with- out the 80287, the factor of 8.8 found in the previous test indicates that it would take about 191 minutes. A Mandelbrot engine with 2 or 3 processors will do bet- ter than that! The 64-processor engine is slower than the trend line for the other six con- figurations would indicate. Recall that each processor delivers its results in strict order, so any processors that get done calculating "early" must wait their turn on the serial link. This contention will increase as more processors share the link. We considered changing the 8751 program to buffer the results of one or two calculations so that the program can continue even if the link isn't ready, but there's no room left on the 8751 for even a tiny buffer. It's worth noting that serial-link trans- mission time doesn't slow down the re- sults by a significant amount. A byte on the link takes about 450 microseconds at 28,800 bits per second, so a complete Mandelbrot set with 224,000 points will 338 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 HANDS ON CIARCIA'S CIRCUIT CELLAR take 1 .7 minutes to transfer if every pro- cessor is ready on time. Iteration limits above 255 require 2-byte counts, so the transfer time would double to 3.4 min- utes. You can see that the serial link is not the limiting factor for "serious" calculations. Conclusion During this three-part article, I've ex- plained why single-processor computer systems suffer from performance limita- tions that can't be wished away and how multiprocessor systems are able to "get around" some of those limits. The Cir- cuit Cellar Mandelbrot engine demon- strates some of the design issues that arise in a multiprocessor computer and shows how you can get high performance from very simple computing elements. ■ Special thanks to Ed Nisley and Merrill Lathers for their expert contributions to this project. Editor's Note: Steve often refers to previous Circuit Cellar articles. Most of these past arti- cles are available in book form from BYTE Books, McGraw-Hill Book Co., P.O. Box 400, Hightstown, NJ 08250. Garcia 's Circuit Cellar, Volume I covers articles in BYTE from September 1977 through November 1978. Volume II covers December 1978 through June 1980. Volume ///covers July 1980 through December 1981. Volume IV covers January 1982 through June 1983. Volume V covers July 1983 through De- cember 1984. Volume VI covers January 1985 through June 1986. There is a multiline Circuit Cellar bulletin board system (running TBBS 2.0M) that sup- ports past and present projects in BYTE and Ink. You are invited to call and exchange ideas and comments with other Circuit Cellar sup- porters. The 300-/1200-/2400-bps BBS is on- line 24 hours a day at (203) 871-1988. To receive information about the Circuit Cellar Ink publication for hardware de- signers and developers, please circle 100 on the Reader Service inquiry card at the back of the magazine. Steve Ciarcia (pronounced "see-ARE- see-ah ") is an electronics engineer and computer consultant with experience in process control, digital design, nuclear instrumentation, and product develop- ment. The author of several books on electronics, he can be reached on BIX as "sciarcia. " Your questions and comments are wel- come. 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Addil9ahipalng for EXPRESS APO/FPO order., MDeyOjlganleocoBdjtjoBBito BYT12M 340 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 Circle 124 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 125) HANDS ON SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED Rick Grehan ^ An Overview of Overlays Often the only option for large programs, overlays permit memory to do double duty Sometimes, as I sit nearly coma- tose before my CRT waiting for a compilation to finish, I dream of a world of limitless RAM, 64- bit microprocessors with flat address spaces, and multiplatter optical disk drives. In a world like that, I might not have written this column, because we wouldn't need overlays— hardware and software schemes that swap portions of large programs into and out of memory. But in the real world, we do need over- lays, and we'll probably need them for some time to come. As long as people dream up programs bigger than memory will allow, overlays offer the means to give a program breathing room that is tied to disk space, not RAM space. And with RAM prices still climbing (at least as I write this), who knows how impor- tant that may be in the future? When I Was Your Age: BASIC A good— well, easy, at least— place to start in a discussion of overlays is BASIC. That's right, old reliable interpreted BASIC (the example I'll give uses GW- BASIC) supports overlays. Listing 1 shows a simple overlay system. Right off, you can see the components common to all the overlay techniques I'll discuss: the root (listing la) and the over- lays (listings lb and lc). The root pro- gram is the core (or kernel) of the system and acts as a switching center, calling the proper disk-stored overlay code into memory. The overlay processes are inde- pendent of one another; for example, the root might call in one overlay to sort the contents of a file, then call in a file-main- tenance overlay when— the sort having been completed— the user needs to move the file to another directory. The two overlays execute in the same memory area (though at different times), so the effect is that you've doubled the capabili- ties of a single block of memory. The steps are as follows: 1. Execute the root. 2. The root loads an overlay into the overlay region. 3. The root transfers control to the over- lay. 4. The overlay does its work, then re- turns control to the root. 5. The root does whatever housekeeping it needs to do. 6. Return to step 2 as many times as you like. The command that BASIC uses to load the overlay is CHAIN MERGE, which is a souped-up version of the MERGE com- mand. CHAIN MERGE reads a BASIC source file (which must be stored in ASCII form) into the program area— pre- serving the program already there, namely, ROOT.BAS— and transfers con- trol to the overlay. You can specify the overlay's entry point in the second argu- ment of CHAIN MERGE; in my exam- ple, the entry point (and the start of the overlay region) is line 500. There are some problems with using CHAIN MERGE. First, since the over- lay files must be in ASCII, the loading process is slower than if the files were in compressed form. (That's all you need: something in interpreted BASIC to go slower, right?) Also, the CHAIN com- mand resets the subroutine stack; if you try to CHAIN MERGE from within a subroutine, you get a RETURN WITH- OUT GOSUB error when your program encounters the associated RETURN statement. This means that an overlay must return to the root via a GOTO state- ment that uses an explicit line number- not a very flexible approach. As usual, when a piece of software doesn't do exactly what you want, you write a piece that does— no matter how daunting. Handcrafted Overlays: Forth Constructing your own overlay system for a high-level language is not that diffi- cult, provided you have a clear picture of the memory configuration that an appli- continued Listing 1: Overlays in GWBASIC: (a) the root, (b) the first overlay, and (c) the second overlay. (a) (b) 100 REM ** OVERLAYS IN BASIC 500 REM ** FIRST OVERLAY 108 DEFINT A-Z 510 PRINT "...Overlay 1..." 110 PRINT "This is the Root." 519 REM RETURN TO ROOT 120 PRINT "Loading overlay 1..." 520 GOTO 140 12 9 REM ** CALL OVERLAY 1 130 CHAIN MERGE "OVERLAY1 .BAS" , 500, ALL 140 PRINT "The Root is back." 150 PRINT "Loading overlay 2..." (c) 15 9 REM ** CALL OVERLAY 2 160 CHAIN MERGE "OVERLAY2 .BAS", 500 REM ** SECOND OVERLAY 500, ALL 510 PRINT "...Overlay 2..." 170 PRINT "The Root is back." 519 REM RETURN TO ROOT 180 STOP 520 GOTO 170 DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 341 Stepping>^R ( SAVE FLAG ) BEGIN SCR @ BLOCK SOFF @ + SWAP DUP B/BUF SOFF @ - MIN SWAP OVER - SOFF ! >R >R DUP R> R> R IF >R SWAP R> CMOVE ( READ ) ELSE CMOVE UPDATE ( WRITE ) END IF SOFF @ -DUP ( DONE? ) WHILE + SOFF @ 0 SOFF ! 1 SCR +! ( NEXT SC REPEAT DROP R> DROP FLUSH ( WRITE I STORING THE OVERLAY — YOU SHOULD DO THIS IN INTERPRETIVE MODE SO AS NOT TO WASTE DICTIONARY SPACE. FIRST, GET THE WORDS YOU'RE GOING TO STORE INTO THE OVERLAY LOADED, SET SCR TO STARTING SCREEN #, THEN ENTER: 0 SOFF I CURRENT @ 2 0 SR/W 2 SOFF ! ' NFA SP@ 2 0 SR/W DUP HERE SWAP - NBYTES ! 4 SOFF ! NBYTES 2 0 SR/W 6 SOFF ! NBYTES @ 0 SR/W \ SAVE CURRENT \ SAVE OVERLAY START \ CALC # OF BYTES \ SAVE OVERLAY SIZE \ SAVE OVERLAY NOTE: IS THE FIRST — I.E., LOWEST IN MEMORY -- WORD IN THE OVERLAY. WHEN ' OLOAD ' [NEXT SCREEN] LOADS THE OVERLAY, CONTROL TRANSFERS TO THE TOPMOST [I.E., LATEST] WORD IN THE OVERLAY. OVERLAY LOAD ROUTINE ) OLOAD ( READS FROM CURRENTLY ACTIVE SCREEN FILE ) CURRENT 8 2 1 SR/W 0 SP@ 2 1 SR/W 0 SOFF 2 SOFF DUP 4 SOFF ! NBYTES 2 1 SR/W 6 SOFF ! NBYTES @ 1 SR/W NBYTES @ + DP ! LATEST PFA CFA EXECUTE ( RESTORE CURRENT ) ( GET START ADDR ON STACK ) ( DUP START ADDR FOR LATER ( READ # OF BYTES ) ( READ IN OVERLAY ) ( FIX DICT. POINTER ) ( VECTOR TO TOP WORD ) cation created by that language will ex- hibit at run time. In the case of Forth, the run-time environment is well docu- mented and, thanks to the structure of Forth' s dictionary , easily accommodates a workable overlay scheme. (I'll be using the PC version of FIGForth as distrib- uted by the Forth Interest Group.) I won't go into a complete description of Forth; there are scads of books on the shelves with plenty of room to talk about the language. Forth's primary data structure is its dictionary, an upward- growing region in memory onto which the programmer adds the definitions of the executable code, variables, con- stants, and other more elaborate struc- tures that ultimately make up a program. All definitions, whether they refer to data items or executable items, are called words. How words are attached to the dictionary is, of course, under the control of the language. The simple overlay handler that I've built (see listing 2) assumes that you've created a root program that resides at the HANDS ON SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED top of the dictionary and above which is the overlay region. To create an overlay, you simply add words to the dictionary (above the root) and save those words in overlay form. You can then FORGET (Forth 's term for erasing words from the top of the dictionary) the words of the first overlay, define a new set of words for a second overlay, save the second overlay, and so on, until you've created all the overlays your application needs or until your disk runs out of space. Each overlay is stored on disk starting on a screen boundary, and you select which screen an overlay is saved on by storing the screen value in the system variable SCR. Once you've saved the overlays on disk, you can call them up at run time using the OLOAD word. Simply store the screen number corresponding to the overlay to load in SCR and execute OLOAD. OLOAD reads the overlay into the overlay region, attaches it to the dic- tionary, and then transfers control to the overlay's topmost word (which has be- come the dictionary's topmost word). Each overlay is copied into memory at the same location from which it was saved, so the dictionary must be in the same state at load time as when you origi- nally built the overlays. In all fairness, the example I've given is not the final word in overlays for Forth. Several commercial products have refined the technique beyond what I've shown. MicroMotion (8726 South Sepulveda Blvd., Suite A-171, Los An- geles, CA 90045) sells a complete line of Forth packages for a variety of micro- computers and offers an optional relocat- ing loader utility. The utility's net effect is similar to the method I've presented in that it allows your program to load a memory image into the dictionary, thus bypassing Forth's time-consuming inter- pretive phase. However, the MicroMo- tion scheme allows relocatable over- lays—that is, the overlay region need not be fixed in memory— and is therefore more flexible than my example. It also has a friendlier user interface; you don't have to remember screens and offsets. The preceding examples are overlay schemes tied intimately to languages, not to a particular piece of hardware or oper- ating system; therefore, the overlay man- agement occurs at a higher level. Higher, that is, than the assembly language level, where the machine's total resources are at your beck and call. Until it crashes. On the Metal 1: Macintosh On the Macintosh, when an application program is loaded, there's no telling where it will end up in physical memory; the application heap's location depends on the size of the system heap, which de- pends on the number of INITs you've set up on your Mac. This means applications on the Macintosh must be relocatable. In other words, all instructions that make 0 verlay management can happen at a high level, or at the hardware or OS level. address references— branches and sub- routine calls— have to use program- counter-relative addressing; the effective address is calculated by adding a 16-bit offset to the program counter. The exclu- sive use of this addressing mode restricts code size to 32K bytes, since a 16-bit off- set allows an address reference within a window of ±32,726 bytes. But Macin- tosh programs are not restricted to 32K bytes. The secret to this magic is the Mac's segment loader, which is, in many ways, a transparent overlay system. Macintosh application programs are divided into segments of up to 32K bytes each. Associated with every segment is a jump table, a collection of 8-byte ele- ments. This jump table is referenced off the processor's A5 register. For a given segment, there is one element for each externally referenced entry point in that segment. The content of a jump-table ele- ment is dependent on whether or not the segment containing the associated entry point is loaded in memory. Figure la shows an entry for an entry point whose segment is not currently loaded. When the application program performs a subroutine call (or a branch) to that entry point, program control first passes to the MOVE.W instruction that pushes the segment number onto the stack. Next, the LoadSeg trap is exe- cuted. LoadSeg reads the associated seg- ment into memory (in the application heap) and scans through that segment's jump table, altering the jump-table ele- ments to the loaded state, as shown in figure lb. Finally, LoadSeg jumps back to the modified jump-table element (now containing a JMP instruction), which passes control to the routine the program was trying to get to in the first place. Since all jump-table entries for the loaded segment have been modified to continued 1 word (16 bits) (a) Offset from beginning of segment High memory MOVE.W* ,-(A7) i • _LoadSeg (b) High memory Segment number JMP < address > ' r Figure 1: A Macintosh jump-table element for (a) an entry point whose segment is not currently loaded and (b) an entry point whose segment is loaded. DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 343 HANDS ON SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED include JMP instructions, any future jumps or calls to a routine in that seg- ment simply cause it to perform an extra branch on the way to its final destination. The operating system has loaded the seg- ment transparently to the program. Once the segment is in the application heap, the system locks it; that is, the seg- ment is unpurgeable and unrelocatable. In most cases, the segment simply hangs around until the application shuts down. But if loading a segment was all that the Mac allowed, not only would this scheme be prone to system lockups under large programs, but Macintosh segments would not truly be overlays (since they couldn't be overlaid!). You can unload a Macintosh segment using the UnloadSeg system trap. You call UnloadSeg by pushing the address of any routine in the target segment onto the stack and executing the trap. UnloadSeg just undoes the work of LoadSeg, chang- ing the jump-table entries back to their unloaded state and marking the block of memory used by the segment as purge- able. The freed memory is now available for some future segment. The beauty of this system is its trans- parency. The executing application is completely unaware of the activities of LoadSeg. The only work you have to do is keep your code modularized to the de- gree that no routine grows larger than 32K bytes. You don't have to worry about segments while you're creating the source code. If you call a subroutine in another segment using a JSR (jump to subroutine) instruction with an absolute destination, the Macintosh Development System (MDS) assembler automatically changes the JSR instruction's destination to the routine's jump-table entry. If you're creating an application pro- gram large enough to require multiple segments, and it's time to link object modules together using the MDS linker, you indicate the start of a new segment using the " < " symbol in the link-control file. (Typically, you'll only have to wor- ry about this if you're working in assem- bly language. Most high-level languages automate the process of dividing the ap- plication into segments.) Listing 3 shows a sample link-control file. Object mod- ules Module 1 and Module2 are in one segment, Module3 is in a second seg- ment, and Module4 is in a third. The T he Macintosh Toolbox does much of the work that you have to do by hand on the PC. linker handles the job of building the jump tables; once again, the Mac's Tool- box does much of the work that you would have to do by hand on the PC . On the Metal 2: MS-DOS MS-DOS's EXEC function (INT 21h, function 4Bh) lets an executing program load another program, transfer control to it, and then regain control when the loaded program terminates (the first pro- gram is often referred to as the parent, and the second is called the child). This is the way many programs let you "drop into DOS": They transfer control to the COMMAND.COM program via func- tion 4Bh. In fact, EXEC is the mecha- nism by which MS-DOS loads and exe- cutes programs (.EXE and .COM files). Listing 3: A link-control file for the MDS linker, illustrating the commands used to instruct the linker on how modules are grouped into segments. (This particular example produces an executable with three segments.) ; Linking multiple modules ; on the Macintosh ! Start .-Program start location ] /Listing off Modulel ;First code module Module2 /Second code module < /Start a new segment Module3 : Third code module < /Yet another segment Module4 /Fourth code module $ /End of link Though you could certainly use this function to manage overlays, with the parent as the root and the child as the overlay, this doesn't create an overlay structure in the same spirit as what I've discussed so far. Specifically, the child process is more or less an independent program, not a collection of routines that the parent can call over and over again. So I've chosen to use the MS-DOS mem- ory allocation capabilities to implement a modest overlay system. Figure 2 shows the overlay system's memory map and segment register as- signments. You'll find a template pro- gram in listing 4. When the root program is loaded, EXEC allots space for the pro- gram's code, data, and stack segments. Unfortunately, EXEC gets carried away with its allocation and gives all available memory to the program, starting with that program's PSP (program segment prefix, which is a 256-byte area that MS- DOS loads at the base of any executing program; it holds system data associated with that program). In figure 2, the PSP would appear below the root code seg- ment. So the root program's first job is to return any unused memory back to the operating system. It does this using the DOS INT 21h function 4Ah ("shrink al- located memory block"). Referring to listing 4, you can see that I've defined a dummy segment called ZSEGMENT. Furthermore, I've used the .ALPHA directive, which tells the assembler and linker to load segments into memory in alphabetical order. This means that ZSEGMENT will load high- est into physical memory, and since EXEC always puts the PSP beneath the executing program, I can determine how much memory my root program is actu- ally using by subtracting the PSP's seg- ment offset from ZSEGMENT 's seg- ment offset. Fortunately, EXEC also loads up the ES register with the PSP's segment, so calculating the program's memory is just some easy math that ap- pears at the front of the listing. Now that the program has returned its unused memory to the operating system, it's time to ask for some back so there is a place to load the overlay. DOS INT 21h, function 48h allocates a block of mem- ory; you store the number of paragraphs (16-byte blocks) you want in the BX reg- ister, and function 48h returns an initial segment offset in the AX register. The program in listing 1 saves the initial seg- ment offset in OVSEG (which it uses later as an indirect pointer) and the ES register. The memory map now looks like the diagram in figure 2a. Memory is now set to accept the over- 344 BYTE" DECEMBER 1988 HANDS ON SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED Circle 4 on Render Service Card The best * (a) * * - ES | - ss 1 High memory - DS CS (b) < CS, DS < SS Overlay segment Overlay segment Stack segment Stack segment < ES Root data segment Root data segment 1 Root code segment Root code segment i ' il * *** Figure 2: Memory map for an overlay system under MS-DOS. (a) This part shows the segment register assignments while the root program is executing. When the root calls a routine in the overlay segment (b), the DS and ES segment registers are swapped so that the overlay can access its local memory without having to perform segment overrides (of course, since the overlay is executing, the CS register points to the overlay segment as well). Also, since overlays and the root have access to the root data segment, that area could be used as a communications area for messages larger than the stack can comfortably handle. Listing 4: Template source code for performing overlays under MS-DOS. Turn on alpha ordering of segments so ZSEGMENT loads highest in memory. .ALPHA ZSEGMENT SEGMENT PARA PUBLIC ZSEGMENT ENDS DATASEG SEGMENT PARA PUBLIC 'DATA' ... Root program's data segment ... ; Overlay files pathnames OV1NAM DB 'OVERLAYl.OVY',0 OV2NAM DB ' OVERLAY2 . OVY ' , 0 ; Pointer for indirect call. OVOFF ; is the offset of the first instruction ; in the overlay to execute. OVOFF DW 0 OVSEG DW 0 ; Overlay size in paragraphs. OVSIZE EQU 100 DATASEG ENDS STAKSEG SEGMENT PARA STACK 'STACK' DW 80 DUP (?) 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MenaSlpna j ,"0 fSi'viKCj. -3:i® i'SSllS ople: INTERFACE TECHNOLOGIES 3336 Richmond, Suite 323 Houston, TX 77098-9990 (713) 523 8422 Dealer inquiries welcome International Austria: 0222/4545010 United Kingdom: 01/6567333 Belgium: 071 /366133 Germany: 02983/8337; France: 20822662 0731/26932; Italy: 02/405174 0821/85737; Scandinavia: +45/3/512014 04106/3998; Switzerland: 01/9455432 0531/347121 A. + L. Meier-Vogt Im Spaten 23 CH-8906 Bonstetten/ZH Switzerland Tel. (41)(1)700 30 37 DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 345 'EXACT TERMINAL EMULATION AND COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE' • PRECISE EMULATION OF THE DECVT52, VT100, VT102.VT220 » EXPANSION MODULES FOR OVER 40 EXACT EMULATIONS •9 FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOLS. • EASY TO USE, QUICK TO INSTALL, AND MUCH MORE • IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 FOR INFORMATION 800/548-9777 SDFTRONICS 303/593-9540 TELEX 450236 Circle 261 on Reader Service Card PAL/EPROM PROGRAMMER for PC VERSION 2 of Software and Hardware s475 ■ Programs 20 and 24 pin MMI. NS. TI, Altera, Cypress. 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Of course General Statistical Analysis Forecasting and Modeling Quality Improvement To find out more contact: Scientific Computing Associates Lincoln Center, Suite 106 4S13 Lincoln Avenue Lisle, Illinois 60532 Telephone: 312-960-1698 Circle 254 on Reader Service Card HANDS ON SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED CODESEG SEGMENT PARA PUBLIC 'CODE' ASSUME CS: CODESEG, DS:DATASEG ASSUME SS:STAKSEG,ES:NOTHING START: ; Set up data segment register MOV AX, DATASEG MOV DS,AX ; Deallocate any memory the root is not ; using. MOV AX,ES MOV BX, Z SEGMENT SUB BX,AX MOV AH, 4 AH INT 21H ; Get memory for the overlay. MOV BX,OVSIZE MOV AH,48H INT 21H JNC L01 ; Allocation failed ... If control comes here, there was . . . either some error or not enough ... memory for the allocation. . . . Error code is in AX ; Allocation worked - segment is in AX. ; Save AX in ES and in jump pointer. L01: MOV WORD PTR OVSEG,AX MOV ES,AX ; Load in first overlay MOV DX, OFFSET OV1NAM CALL LOADJDVLAY OR AX, AX ;Ok? JZ L03 ; Overlay load failed ... If control comes here, the first . . . overlay failed to load. ; Overlay succeeded - jump to overlay ; Note: We assume the first executable ; instruction in the overlay is at offset ; 0, so we don't load OVOFF. L03: MOV BX, OFFSET OVOFF CALL DWORD PTR [BX] ; Overlay returns here. . . . Root can do what it wants to . . . here . ; Load in second overlay MOV DX, OFFSET OV2NAM CALL LOAD_OVLAY OR AX, AX ;Ok? JNZ L04 ; Overlay load failed. ... If control comes here, the second . . . overlay failed to load. ; Overlay succeeded - jump to overlay MOV BX, OFFSET OVOFF CALL DWORD PTR [BX] ; Second overlay returns here. ... Root can do what it wants to here. ; Release the memory we got with ALLOC_MEM. ; Note: ES must contain the segment of the ; memory to be released — in this case it ; already does. MOV AH,4 9H INT 21H HANDS ON SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED XOR AL,AL ; Return to DOS LXX: MOV AH,4CH INT 21H ; Clear return code ;Bye LOADJDVLAY - Load the overlay file into memory. ENTRY : DS:DX: Pathname of file to open. ES : Segment to load overlay into. EXIT: AX = 0 if OK AX = errorcode if failure LOAD OVLAY MOV AX,3D00H ;Open file for reading INT 21H JNC LD01 ;Open failed RET ;Return with error code ; Determine the file length LD01: MOV BX,AX ;File handle in BX XOR CX,CX ; Offset is 0 XOR DX,DX MOV AX, 4202H /Position to EOF INT 21H JNC LD02 .■Position failed RET .-Number of bytes in file is in AX (# of bytes is actually ;AX+1 since AX is an offset) . ;Note that this assumes the file we're loading is less /than 64K big. LD02: PUSH AX ;Save filesize XOR CX,CX /Offset is 0 again XOR DX,DX MOV AX, 4200H /Rewind the file INT 21H POP CX ;Get filesize JNC LD03 ; Rewind fa iled RET ;Now read the file into the segment pointed to by ES LD03: INC CX ;Make it proper PUSH DS ;Save our data segment MOV AX,ES MOV DS,AX ;DS is ES MOV AH,3FH ,-Read file INT 21H POP DS ; Restore DS JNC LD04 ;Read fail ed RET ;Close the file and go home LD04: MOV AH,3EH /Close INT 21H XOR AX, AX /All's well RET CODESEG ENDS END START Circle 5 on Reader Service Card A new concept in managing Megabytes of memory IX-BoX* Have you ever spent hours - searching for a letter which you know, exists, but can't seem to find? - looking for an address which you can only re- member half of? -tracking down a variable which was initiali- sed somewhere in your programs, and which is now causing them to crash? - rummaging through your ultra-modern data- base, simply because you omitted to define a simple key field when setting it up? - searching'your literature index for an urgently needed article? -looking and looking, but without suc- cess? Then we can help! IX-BoX will instantly find all your correspondence, addresses, programs, entries, summaries - in fact, anything and everything stored on your computer. IX-BoX delivers the document you require in seconds, and you can carry out any necessary changes to it using the built-in editor. What more could you possibly need? IX-BoX is much more than a simple informa- tion retrieval system, yet it only costs $ 275 Demo disk costs $ 10 * IX-BoX is a trade mark of Snark AG, Zurich. Farsight ; Once you've used the Farsight integrated soft- ware package, you'll know the fun of working with and exploiting Megabytes of memory. Window manager, word processor and spread- sheettogether cost only $ o# Graphics $ 29 Texas residents add 8% sales tax. Interi Orders add S 20 shipping. .ERFACE TECHNOLOGIES 3336 Richmond, Suite 323 Houston, TX 77098-9990 (713) 523 8422 Dealer inquiries welcome International Austria: 0222/4545010 United Kingdom: 01/6567333 Belgium: 071/366133 Germany: 02983/8337; France: 20822662 0731/26932; Italy: 02/405174 0821/85737; Scandinavia: +45/3/512014 04106/3998; Switzerland: 01/9455432 0531/347121 A. + L. Meier-Vogt Im Spaten 23 CH-8906 Bonstetten/ZH Switzerland Tel. (41)(1)700 30 37 DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 347 HANDS ON SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED lays. Subroutine LOAD_OVLAY reads an overlay file into the overlay segment, and since the overlay segment has been stored into OVSEG, it's a simple matter to execute a far subroutine call into the overlay code. You'll notice that the example I've given assumes that location 0 is the over- lay's execution entry point. This is sim- ply a requirement that I've imposed for this example— nothing you have to ad- here to. You can get as elaborate as you want with how your root program trans- fers control to overlays; for example, you might have a jump table at the beginning of the overlay for multiple entry points. Listing 5 is the source code for a possi- ble overlay. It looks a lot like a .COM program— one segment, no apparent stack— and, indeed, you build it as you would a .COM program. That is, after you assemble and link the program, you pass it through EXE2BIN to create a core 0 verlays are more or less a kludge, a way around a problem. image file. But this program has no ORG 100H, as a .COM program would have at its beginning. This is because .COM programs require the ORG 100H to make room for the PSP, and since the program in listing 5 is not a stand-alone program, it needs no PSP. Finally, notice that the overlay's first job is to swap the DS and ES registers. Listing 5: Sample for an overlay that can be loaded by the program described in listing 4. Overlay file OVSEG SEGMENT PARA PUBLIC 'CODE' ASSUME CS: OVSEG, DS: OVSEG ASSUME ES:NOTHING,SS:NOTHING ; First , swap the cor tents of ES and ;DS so that our segment is in DS and ;the ROOT program's data segment is ;in ES CALL SWAPDSES ;Tell sveryone we ' re here . MOV DX, OFFSET OVHELLO MOV AH, 9 INT 21H ;Put DS and ES b ack. CALL SWAPDSES /Return to root. RETF ;Swap 3S and ES register. ;Uses AX and BX. SWAPDSES: MOV AX,DS MOV BX,ES MOV DS,BX MOV ES,AX RET ; Data follows CR EQU ODH LF EQU OAH OVHELLO DB "Hello from overlay 1 ! ' ,CR, LF, ' $ ' OVSEG ENDS END This sets the DS register to the overlay segment so the overlay can access its local memory (see figure 2b). And since the ES register now points to the root's data segment, the root and the overlay can agree on a communication area in that segment for data exchange. Of course, before the overlay exits, it has to swap DS and ES back. You can make as many overlays as your disk drive can hold. This scheme should be particularly handy for a termi- nate-and-stay-resident program that you want to hang a passle of features on with minimum memory expense. You could create a root program that sets up an overlay block and simply plays menu manager, loading in one overlay for an editor, another overlay for a terminal emulator, and yet another for a spelling checker. Overlay Exit Although this column hasn't been the final word on overlays, I hope it has given you some idea of their utility. Keep in mind that overlays are more or less a kludge— a way around the problem of large (or numerous) programs trying to survive in memory limited either by size or by processor architecture. More so- phisticated operating systems— Unix, for example— sport virtual memory man- agement that handles overlays beneath the application program; users don't have to worry about overlays at all. And when the day comes that we all have 32-bit CPUs and memory management units and virtual memory operating systems in the microcomputers on our desks, that paradise I spoke of will be a reality and we can leave worrying about overlays to the system programmers. But until then. . . . Next Month I'll look at a keyed-file system: rapid data retrieval for those monster hard disk drives coming down the pike. ■ [Editor's note: Listings to accompany this article are available in a variety of formats. See page 3 for details.] Rick Grehan is a BYTE senior technical editor at large. He has a BS in physics and applied mathematics and an MS in computer science/mathematics from Memphis State University. He can be reached on BIX as "rick_g. " Your questions and comments are wel- come. Write to: Editor, BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. 348 BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 -The Buyer's Mart- A Directory of Products and Services THE BUYER'S MART is a monthly advertising section which enables readers to easily locate suppliers by product category. As a unique feature, each BUYER'S MART ad includes a Reader Service number to assist interested readers in requesting information from participating advertisers. RATES: Ax-$525 3x-$500 6x-$475 12x— $425 Prepayment must accompany each insertion. VISA/MC Accepted. AD FORMAT: Each ad will be designed and typeset by BYTE. Advertisers must furnish typewritten copy. Ads can include headline (23 characters maximum), descriptive text (250 characters is recommended, but up to 350 characters can be accomodated), plus company name, address and telephone number. Do not send logos or camera-ready artwork. DEADLINE: Ad copy is due approximately 2 months prior to issue date. For ex- ample: November issue closes on September 9. Send your copy and payment to THE BUYER'S MART, BYTE Magazine, 1 Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. For more information call Mark Stone at BYTE 603-924-3754. ACCESSORIES FREE CATALOG Thousands of parts and new surplus electronic parts at super low prices. FAST ORDER PROCESSING AND SHIPPING (95% of all orders shipped within 48 hours). CALL OR WRITE FOR A FREE CATALOG. . . ALL ELECTRONICS CORPORATION P.O. Box 567, Van Nuys, CA 91408-0567 1-800-826-5432 ACCESSORIES FREE CATALOG A complete source for computer supplies at low prices, Fast Service: Diskettes • Latest Accessories • Books • Software • Dust Covers • Furniture • Data Cartridges • Plotter Pens • Cleaning Supplies • Tapes • Ribbons • Printers • Computer Paper • Copier Supplies • Surge Protectors • Cables • Print Wheels • MUCH MORE!!! Call, write or circle inquiry card (or a FREE CATALOG GAAN COMPUTER SUPPLIES 186 B East Sunnyoaks Ave., Campbell, CA 95008 (800) 523-1238, In Calif. (40S) 370-6747 Inquiry 576. Inquiry 581. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LISP on a MAC Get all the functionality of the Franzlisp dialect of the Lisp language. $20 purchases a 64K Lisp program, which will run on a MAC plus or equivalent. 1MB RAM recom- mended for this program. Send order to: Oosson Software Box 33113, Coon Rapids, MN 55433 Inquiry 585. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE How to Protect Your Computer and make it work better Call or write today! Best Power Technology, Inc. World's largest manufacturer of single phase uninterruptible power systems. P.O. Box 280, Necedah, Wl 54646 TOLL FREE (800) 356-5794 ext. 1006 or (608) 565-7200 ext. 1006 Inquiry 577. CUT RIBBON COSTS! Re-ink your printer ribbons quickly and easily. Do all cartridge ribbons with just one inker! For crisp, black professional print since 19B2. You can choose from 3 models.- Manual E-Zee Inker — $39.50 Electric E-Zee Inker — $89.50 Ink Master (Electric) — $159.00 1000's of satisfied users in 5 years. Money back guarantee. BORG INDUSTRIES 525 MAIN ST., JANESVILLE. IA 50647 1-800-553-2404 In IOWA 319-987-2976 Inquiry 578. SELF-INKING PRINTER RIBBON Awarded United States Patent #4701062 Lasts 10-15 times longer than the conventional ribbon For printers using Va" width open spool ribbon: Okidata-82A-B3A.84-92-93 Dec LA 180/120 Teletype-33, 35 Dec LA 30/IBM 1443 Star Gemini 10X Teletype- Model 40 Extei Tl 800/810.820, 880 Contact us by mail, phone or telex and we will forward you a brochure. CONTROLLED PRINTOUT DEVICES, INC. POB 869, Baldwin Ftd.. Arden. NC 28704 (704) 684-9044 • TELEX: (FILMON-AREN) 577454 EXPERT SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT Get AGNESS to develop network based expert systems using multiple inference methods, the Merit scheme for efficient data collection, and unique explanation facilities. Use the AGNESS C_talk Toolkit to embed an expert system into your application under an object oriented environment. Applied Information Systems, Inc. 2117 West Hoyt Ave., St. Paul, MN 55108 (612) 641-9947 Inquiry 582. ATHENA High Performance Rules Based Expert System Shell Artificially high expectations have become reality! Thousands of rules with no degrading ol performance. High performance rules based export system in any area. Extendable to an almost Indefinite degree of complexity. Neural design olfers almost unlimited interconneclivity. Advance Al programming techniques maximise capability. Integrate with your existing data base. Easy to use, no knowledge ot programming required. Applications: Medical diagnosis, fault diagnostics, business, admin, banking, linance, insurance, law, engineering, education, military command and control and many oiher application areas. Available on PC/XT/AT, MS-DOS, Xenix, Unix. Demo copy $64 (with facility to creato 300 rules]. Full version $21,000 Horizon Software Ltd. 27 East Street, Leicester, LE1 6NB U.K. Tel (44) 533 556550 FAX (44) 533 470942 Inquiry 583. NanoLISP $99.99 An MS-DOS Common LISP interpreter that sup- ports most Common LISP operations and strictly adheres to the standard. Numerous advanced and extra features, excellent debugging facilities, sam- ple Al programs, fully-indexed manual, free technical support. Microcomputer Systems Consultants P.O. Box 6646, Santa Barbara, CA 93160 (805) 967-2270 muLISP™ 87 for MS-DOS Fast, compact, efficient LISP programming environ- ment. muLISP programs run 2 to 3 times faster & take Vz to '/s the space of other LISPs. 450 Com- mon LISP functions, multi-window editing & debug- ging, flavors, graphics primitives, lessons & help, demo programs, comprehensive manual. Soft Warehouse, Inc. 3615 Harding Ave., Suite 505, Honolulu, HI 96816 (808) 734-5801 Inquiry 586. ATTORNEYS FREE BROCHURE SOFTWARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTION IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES If you sell or want to sell your software in other countries, write for information about international copyright, what it is and who it protects. Written for software developers, vendors, programmers, and company owners. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS in selling software in other countries. DR. FREDRIC ABRAMSON, ATTORNEY AT LAW Intellectual property and international business law 21155 Burntiam Rd., Gaithersburg, MD 20879 (or) 2121 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Suite 330, Washington D.C. 20012 Adm. in MD.; not Adm. in D.C. 301-840-9733 Inquiry 587. BAR CODE PRINT BAR CODES, BIG TEXT, LOGOS On EPSON, IBM, OKI dot matrix or LaserJet. Design any for- mat/size on ONE easy screen. 1-120 fields/label. 13 text sizes to 1" — readable at 50 ft. AIAG, MIL-STD, 2 of 5, 128, UPC/EAN, Code 39. File Input, FAST— $279. Logos. Product Symbols. Other menu-driven bar code programs from S49. 30 day $ back. Worthington Data Solutions 417-A Ingalls St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (800) 345-4220 In CA: (408) 458-9938 Inquiry 579. Companion and Extender The PS/2 COMPANION lets you add an extra keyboard and monitor up to 150 feet away from your system unit. It comes complete with all connections and supports both color and monochrome monitors. Prices start at $249 tor a 25' unit. EXTENDER lets you move the keyboard and monitor up to 150 feet from the system unit. Prices start at $149. Cybex Corporation 2800-H Bob Wallace Ave.. Hunlsville. AL 35805 205-534-0011 Inquiry 580. NEW EXPERT SYSTEM FirstExpert - A unique expert systems tool that you can master in a few hoursl Generates the complete system based on your specification! Built-in learning procedure automatically creates knowledgebase. Interactive structured induction allows you to add new knowledge at any time. Includes con- sultancy system. Handles up to 10,000 rules on a PC! Demos included! IBM pc's /PS-2's. An ingenious program at a sensational price! $99.95 NovaCast Expert Systems 2530 Berryessa Rd. Suite 607, San Jose. CA 95132 (408) 272-4071 Fax: (408) 437-7777 Inquiry 584. BAR CODE READERS From the manufacturer for PC/XT/AT, & PS/2. At- taches as 2nd keyboard, reads as keyed data. Ex- ternal or bus install. With steel wand— $399. Sup- ports All Novell! Kimtron, Link, Wyse, RS-232. Sup- ports Alloy PC-TERM. Portables, Lasers, Badge. 30 day $ back. Worthington Data Solutions 417-A Ingalls St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (800) 345-4220 In CA: (408) 458-9938 DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 349 The Buyer's Mart- BAR CODE PRINT BAR CODES/BIG TEXT FROM YOUR PROGRAM Add bar codes and big graphics text to your program. Print from ANY MS-DOS language. Bar codes: UPC, EAN, 2 of 5, MSI, Code 39. Epson, Oki, IBM dot matrix text up to V2". LaserJet up to 2" . Font cartridges not required. S159-S239. 30 day SS back. Worthington Data Solutions 417-A Ingafis St.. Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (800) 345-4220 In CA: (408) 458-9938 COMPLETE LINE OF BAR CODE PRODUCTS • PrintBar II • PrintBar Softfonts • PrintBar I • CodeScan 2000 FREE BROCHURES (916) 622-4640 Bear Rock Software Co. 6069 Enterprise Dr. Placerville, CA 95667 Inquiry 757. BBS/PUBLIC DOMAIN 350+ New Titles Added Each Month 18+ Special Interest Forum message bases plus Real Time Conferencing. USA TODAY Decision- Line News Service. Quarterly Newsletter & BBS System Users Guide. PC Pursuit Accessible. Fee: $10/3 Mo. — $25/Yr. 9 Incoming lines. FREE DEMO MODE (503) 761-8100 12/2400 N,8,1 RANDOM ACCESS Information Network P.O. Box 16675, Portland OR 97216 Inquiry 591. CAD/CAM PHOTO PLOTTING from your Smartwork Edit file or any RS-274 Gerber Photo Plot file. Raster type Photoplotting supplied on .007" thick Kodak Ullraline film. Plot data accepted by modem, 5V» ", 3V2" MS-DOS format disks or 9 track mag tape. Gerber plot file 8"x10" plots start from $15.00. Call for details. KEPRO CIRCUIT SYSTEMS Fenton, MO 1-800-325-3878 / 1-314-343-1630 in MO. Inquiry 592. CD/ROM CD-ROM Drives & Titles Largest selection for PC & Mac. Microsoft Programmers Library & Drive $995 Drives from $699. Hundreds at titles from S29. MC/VISA/AMEX, Money-back Guarantee. Call or write for free 88 page catalog. Get It all from "The Bureau" Bureau of Electronic Publishing 121 Norwood Ave., Upper Montclair, NJ 07043 (201) 746-3031 Inquiry 597. Public Data on CD-ROMs • Econ/Stats I — Prices, Employment • Consu/Stats — BLS/Census 1984 consumer data • Agri/Stats — Agricultural series • Makes tables, DIF, or ASCII • $49 each, req. MS-DOS • CD-ROM publishing services available Hopkins Technology 421 Hazel Lane, Hopkins, MN 55343 (612) 931-9376 CompuServe 74017,614 Inquiry 598. BAR CODE SOLUTIONS We make bar coding very easy with our complete line of readers. Our PC-Wand readers network, or work with your keyboard or terminal, or are carried around taking inventory, entering sales and clocking time. Our bar code label print- ing software packages work with MS-DOS or PC-DOS and most matrix or laser printers. We also sell pre-printed labels. Our hardware can work with nearly every computer in the world. International Technologies & Systems Corp. 635-C North Berry St., Brea, CA 92621 (714} 990-1880 FAX: 714 990-2503 TLX 6502824734 MCI Inquiry 588. P-CAD MOUSE A quality mouse designed to run with the P-CAD soft- ware. It requires one RS232C COM Port for the con- nection. No external security device is needed any more. Complete hardware and documentation for $575. Call or write for more information. Three years warranty Checks, COD, VISA, MC accepted. UNITEK SYSTEM 9228 Vancouver Drive, Sacramento, CA 95826 (916) 962-6075 P-CAD trademark of Personal CAD System, Inc. Inquiry 593. COMMUNICATIONS MULTI-LINE PC-DOS BBS The Bread Board System (TBBS). Secure, reliable, full- featured commercial information system for IBM XT/AT/3867PS2 or compatible. Menu editor allows customization by non prog rammers. Kermit, X & Y- Modem. High performance allows up to 32 simultaneous callers. User audit trail. 300/1200/2400/9600 bps. eSoft, Inc. 15200 E. 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Bi-Directional File X-fers Multi-Corn telecommunications program offers the following •j Simultaneous Downloading/Uploading • Send/Receive Console Messages During File Transfers • 100% Line Utilization During Multi-File Transfers • Uses Full Duplex ADLC Protocol ■ More Efficient Than Xmodem, Kermil, etc. • Saves Time and Cuts Connect Costs Information & 5Va" Demo Disk $5.00 + $3 s/h Program Pkg„ 3W & 5V*B disks, manual. . . .$49.95 + $4 s/h Multiplex Systems (412) 276-3374 24 hrs. P.O. Box 16174, Pittsburgh, PA 15242 Inquiry 600. PC BAR CODE SPECIALISTS Bar code readers designed for fast, reliable, cost effective data entry. Looks just like keyboard data! Choose from stainless steel wand or laser interface. Also, powerful Bar Code and Text printing software. Great warranty. Dealer inquiries welcome. Seagull Scientific Systems 15127 N.E. 24th, Suite 333, Redmond, WA 98052 206-451-8966 FINITE STATE PROGRAM COMPILERS Develop & document software faster, as state programs that execute quicker & use less memory: Ada, Basic, C, Fortran & Pascal. IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 200K RAM Dos 2.0+ Price: $200.00 per language {With Primer and Debugger) AYEC0 5025 Nassau Circle, Orlando INCORPORATED FL 32808 (407) 295-0930 Inquiry 595. FAX MACHINES $395 MURATA FAX M1/1200/1600 S695/CALL SHARP FO300/420 $1095/1295 SHARP FO220/550 $CALL Low Price RICOH 10/20 $CALL/1595 SANYO SF100/SF200 $995/1195 CANON 20 (100J/8 $1075/CALL TOSHIBA Laptop Computers $759 & up Prepay prices VISA/MC 2% COD 2% restock 20% TELEPHONE PRODUCT CENTER 12603 Hoover St.. Garden Grove, CA 92641 800-444-3199 Inquiry 601. COMPUTER INSURANCE DATA INPUT DEVICES Bar Code & Magnetic Stripe Readers for microcomputers & terminals, including IBM PS/2 a others, DEC, Macintosh, AT&T, CT, Wyse, Wang. All readers connect on the keyboard cable & are transparent to all software. Low cost bar code print programs, magnetic encoders, & portable readers are also available. GSA contract #GS0OK87AGS5346. TPS Electronics 4047 Transport, Palo Alto, CA 94303 415-856-6833 Telex 371-9097 TPS PLA FAX: 415-856-3843 Inquiry 590. 350 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 JOINT APPLICATION DESIGN and PROTOTYPING WORKBENCH Developersl Reduce your costs and improve user satisfaction. Give users a hands on feel for the system. Build a full working model of a system in just hours. PC-PROTO is easy to use, flexible, and writes the documentation for you. From $149. Kartech, Inc. (416) 656-2032 165 Pinewood Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6C 2V6 Inquiry 596. INSURES YOUR COMPUTER SAFEWARE provides full replacement of hardware, media and purchased software. As little as $39 a year provides comprehensive coverage. Blanket coverage; no list of equipment needed. One call does it all. Call 8 am-10 pm ET. (Sat. 9 to 5) TOLL FREE 1-800-848-3469 (Local 614-262-0559) SAFEWARE, The Insurance Agency Inc. Inquiry 602. The Buyer's Mart- COMPUTER RENTALS CROSS ASSEMBLERS DATABASE MGMT SYSTEMS RENTALS WEEKLY MONTHLY YEARLY $179, IBM PS/2 Model 30/286 IBM - APPLE COMPAQ Full Stock/Next Day Delivery Free Service & Maintenance 800 PC-RENTL Inquiry 603. CORRESPONDENCE MGMT ASSEMBLERS & TRANSLATORS Over 20 high quality, full function, fast relocatable and absolute macro assemblers are available im- mediately. Source language translators help you change microcomputers. Hosts: MS/DOS, CPM80, ISIS. RELMS™ P.O. Box 6719, San Jose, CA 95150 (408) 356-1210 MC/VISA TWX 910-379-0014 AMEX Inquiry 609. SOFTWARE KIT PACKAGING OEM supplier to one of the world's largest computer companies offers quality packaging and supplies for your software products. From diskettes to printed manuals. Quality products reflecting your company's image is our highest priority. Call or write. COMPUTER LOGICS LIMITED 4845 Transit Road Unit K-8, Depew. NY 14043 (716) 633-2810 Fax (716) 633-2813 Inquiry 615. DATA/DISK CONVERSION CORRESPONDENCE MANAGEMENT Mail Management for busy offices. Online help, menus, validation, pop up notes. Author/subject fields are free text and text indexed. Instant word, date, and code retrieval. IBM PC, Color Monitor. 1,000,000 records. US$890, Demo US$30. Knowledge Vanguard 32 Kin Kora Dr., Gladstone, Qld. 4680. AUSTRALIA (079) 783031 6800-Famlly Development Software Combine our software and your PC for a powerful develop- ment system for the Motorola 6800, 6801, 6809, and 68HC11. Our C Compilers feature a complete implementation (ex- cluding bit fields) of the language as described by K&R and yield 30-70% shorter code than other compilers. Our Motorola-compatible Assemblers feature macros and condi- tional assembly. Linker and Terminal Emulator included. Wlntek Corporation 1801 South St., Lafayette, IN 47904 (800) 742-6809 or (317) 742-8428 QUALITY CONVERSIONS • Disk • Scanning • Tape ■TYPEWRITTEN $.33 per page to ASCII •TYPESET 6-24 point Low Rates (*WP Formats available) IMAGES Logos/Line Art/Glossies 1st Run Computer Services Inc. 1261 Broadway, Suite 508, New York, NY 10001 (212) 779-0800 Inquiry 604. Inquiry 610. Inquiry 616. CROSS ASSEMBLERS CROSS ASSEMBLERS Universal Linker, Librarian Targets for 36 Microprocessors Hosts: PC/MS DOS, micro VAX, VAX 8000 Developed and supported at: ENERTEC, INC. BOX 1312, Lansdale, PA 19446 215-362-0966 MC/VISA Inquiry 605. Z80/HD64180 SLR Systems cross assemblers run on PC and are compatible with Microsoft M80/L80. $195.00 for assembler and linker. We have CP/M emulator cards for PC. Up to 125 mhz Z80 clock speed, start- ing at $249.95! Also Z80/HD64180 C compilers. Z-World 1772 Picasso Ave.. Davis, CA 95616 (916) 753-3722 Please see our ads on page 372. Inquiry 611. Get the Expertise You Need! Disk/Disk • Tape/Disk • OCR Over 1,000 formats! 3Vz, 5V., Bed 13 | XC556V T1»<. Yellow 17 XC556G T1k Green 17 | XC555C Tin. Clear/Red. ... 17 IC SOCKETS Low Profile 8LP 11 14LP. 12 16LP. 13 24LP 25 28LP 27 40LP 29 Wire Wrap (Gold) Level 112 8WW 59 14WW 65 16WW 69 24VVW 1.19 28WW 1.39 40WW. Soldertail standard (Gold & Tin) & He3iterP1ug Sochats Also Available 74HC HI-SPEED CMOS Part No. 74HC00 Price 19 19 19 19 Part No. Price 74HC02 74HC04 74HC08 74HC221 74HC240 74HC244 74HC245 74HC253 74HC259 74HC273 74HC373 74HC374 74HC595 74HC688 74HC943 ... 74HC4040 74HC4049 74HC4050 74HC4060 74HC4511 .89 .69 .79 74HC30 74HC32 74HC74 74HC75 74HC76 74HC85. . . 74HC86 74HC123 .25 29 29 35 35 55 35 .49 .59 .69 .69 1.29 1.49 8.95 74HC125 .39 .99 1.19 74HC138 74HC139 74HC154 45 45 74HC163 74HC174 49 74HC4538 74HC4543 1.19 74HCT — CMOS TTL 74HCT00 . . .17 74HCT139 39 74HCT02 .17 74HCT157 29 74HCT04 .19 .17 74HCT08 74HCT175 39 74HCT10 .17 74HCT240 69 74HCT32 .19 74HCT244 59 74HCT74 29 74HCT245 69 74HCT86 .25 74HCT373 49 74HCT138 .39 LINEAR DS0026CN, . , . TL074CN. . . . TL084CN AF100-1CN LM307N LM309K LM311N LM317T LM318N LM319N LM323K LM324N LM338K LM339N LF347N LM348N LM350T LF351N LF353N LF355N LF356N LF357N LM358N LM360N LM361N LM380N-8 LM386N-3 LM387N LM393N LM399H LF411CN TL497ACN NE540H (C540HI. . NE555V XRL555 LM556N NE558N LM565N LM567V NE592N LM741CN LM747CN MC1350P MC1377P MC1398P LM1414N 1.95 .99 . 1.25 . .39 . .65 . .99 . 1.29 .3.49 . .35 4.49 . .39 . 1.49 . .69 . 2.95 LM1458N 35 LM1488N 45 DS14C88N (CMOS)... 1.19 LM1489N 45 DS14C89N (CMOS)... 1.19 LM1496N 69 MC1648P 2.95 LM1871N 1.95 LM1872N 195 LM1896N-1 1 49 ULN2003A 75 XR2206 3.95 XR2211 2.95 XR2243 1.95 26LS29 2.95 26LS31 99 26LS32 99 26LS33 1.49 LM2901N 25 LM2907N 1.29 LM2917N (8 pin) 1.79 MC3419CL 3.95 MC3446N 99 MC3450P 49 MC3470P 1.19 MC3471P 99 MC3479P 3.95 MC3486P 1.19 MC3487P 99 LM3900N 49 LM3905N 1.25 LM3909N 89 LM3914N 1.79 LM3916N 1.49 NE5532 69 NE5534 69 7805K(LM340K-5)....1.39 7812KILM340K-12I...1.39 7815K(LM340K-1S).,.1.59 7805T (LM340T-5) ... , 45 7812T (LM340T-J2) ... ,45 7815T (LM340T-15) , . . .45 7905K (LM320K-5).... 1,49 7905T (LM320T-5) 49 75472 49 75477 1.29 MC145106P 1.95 MC145406P 2 95 PARTIAL LISTING • OVER 4000 COMPONENTS AND ACCESSORIES IN STOCK! • CALL FOR QUANTITY DISCOUNTS *RAM'S SUBJECT TO FREQUENT PRICE CHANGES 360 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 Circle 148 on Reader Service Card See our 16-page, 4-color outsell in this month's issue or our insert in the November BYTE with New Products, Computer Peripherals & Much More! MARKETING ASSOCIATION MICROCOMPUTER MARKETING COUNCIL COMPUTER PRODUCTS Jameco \BM AT Compatible 16MHz 80286 NEAT Motherboard • Expandable to 8MB RAM (Zero-K included) • 8/12or8/16MHz switchable - Supports all NEAT functions including shadow RAM, EMS 4.0, RAM re-mapping and selectable wait states • 80287-10 Coprocessor capability ■ Norton SI rating of 15.6 • AMI BIOS ROMs included • One-year warranty JE3010 8/i2/i6MHzwe/ir(AT) . . $499.95 — Additional Motherboards — JE1001 4.77/8MHZ (PC/XT) $ 89.95 JE1002 4.77/1 0MHz (PC/XT).. .$109.95 JE3005 8/12MHZ (AT) $329.95 Jameco IBM PC/XT/AT Compatible Keyboards m mx3 :-nmgM8*Ka&sftSs.35r«ss3 ■ .■:■:: ■-■' -» m. m. a? & $ & & \& m* JE1016 Pictured JE1 01 5 Standard AT layout (XT/ AT) .. $59.95 JE1016 Enhanced layout (XT/AT) ...$69.95 TEST EQUIPMENT Metex M4650: ■ Handheld, high accuracy • 4& Digit LCD ^,M \. ■■ ■■■■■":; ■ Manual ranging with Overload ''Worn Ru ; ■"-■ M ^ ; Protection 'Wtt IsS ' -* --■ ■ • Audible continuity tester ■ Tests: AC/DC Voltage, S i 1 l £ Resistance, Continuity ■ ''6"^ Capacitance, Frequency Wok} # - One Year Warranty • Size:7"Lx3.5"Wx1.5"H M4650 $99 95 nM 1 ;■: : t& >■ ':>m ■■->»:' i tffiair > ' wfjryt^wk'i il'Wj - JAMECO SOLDERLESS BREADBOARD SOCKETS JE23 Part No. JE24 Dim. Contact L" x W" Points Price JE20 JE21 JE22 JE23 JE24 JE25 JE26 JE27 7V. x 71! 6'A x 3A 3'/« X 2'A m x 1% 6V2 x 214 6* x 3'A 6M> X 4V< 6% x 5* 200 400 630 830 1,360 1,660 2,390 3,220 S 2.95 $ 4.95 S 5.95 S 7.95 $14.95 $22.95 $27.95 $37.95 DATA BOOKS 400041 NSC Linear Data Book-Vol. I (88) $1 4.95 400042 NSC Linear Data Book-Vol. II (88). . . . S 9-95 400043 NSC Linear Data Book-Vol. Ill (88) $ 9.95 210830 Intel Memory Handbook (88) $17.95 230843 Intel Microsystem Hndbk. Set (88) $24.95 Jameco IBM PC/XT 8MHz Hirbo Compatible Kit With 256KRAM ■ Free! QAPLUS Diagnostic Software Included! ■ Free! PC Write Word Proces sing Software Included! ■ 256K RAM Included, Expandable to 640K ■ 4.77 or 8MHz Switchable ■ AMI BIOS ROM Included ■ Save $128.06 Part No. Description 'Or JE1001 . S89.95 4.77/BMHz Turbo Motherboard (Zero-K RAM - includes AMI BIOS ROM) JE1010 Flip-Top Case 34.95 JE1015 XT/AT Compatible Keyboard 59.95 JE1020 5.25 " DSDD Disk Drive (Black Bezel) 89.95 JE1030 150 Watt Power Supply 59.95 JE1040 360K Floppy Controller 29.95 JE1 050 Mono/Graphics Card with Printer Port 59.95 AMBER 1 2" Monochrome Amber Monitor 99.95 41256-150 256K RAM (9 chips) . 103.41 Save $128.06 Regular List $628.01 JE3002 IBM Compatible PC/XT 8MHz Turbo Kit. ■ ■ ■ $499.95 IBM COMPATIBLE DISPLAY MONITORS AMBER 12" Amber Monochrome ■ ■ . $99.95 XA CTX2410 14" rgb Color $279.95 ' ■ 1 4" EGA Color - EGA/CGA Compatible, 720 x 350 Max. Resolution (PC/XT/AT) TM5154 $399.95 Crx24io 14" EGA Monitor and EGA Card - ega compatible, 720 x 350 Max. Resolution - displays up to 16 colors (PC/XT/AT) JE1059 SAVE $40.00 $519.95 14" MultiSCan Color-VGA/PGC/EGA compat.. 800 x 600 Max. Res. (PC/XT/ AT) TM5155 $549.95 13" VGA Monitor and VGA Card - vga compatible, 800 x 560 Max. Resolution - displays up to 256 colors (PC/XT/AT) JEVGA $649.95 JAMECO IBM PC/XT/AT COMPATIBLE CARDS Graphic Display Cards JE1 050 Mono Graphics Card w/Printer Port (PC/XT/AT) $59.95 JE1 052 Color Graphics Card w/Printer Port (PC/XT/AT) $49.95 JE1 055 EGA Card with 256K Video RAM (PC/XT/AT) $159.95 .-.. „-.. Multi I/O with Drive Controller JE1 071 and Mono Graphics (PC/XT). ■ $119.95 Multifunction, I/O and Expansion Cards I/O Card with Serial, Game, Parallel Printer ■»,.,»„■- JE1 060 Port and Real Time Clock (PC/XT) $59.95 JE1061 RS232 Serial Halt Card (PC/XT) $29.95 JE1062 RS232 Serial Halt Card (AT) $34.95 JE1 065 I/O Card w/Serial, Game & Parallel Printer Port (AT). ■ . $59.95 2MB of expanded or extended memory ~. .- rtr_ JE1081 (zero-K on-board) (AT) $119.95 3MB of expanded or extended memory, parallel printer ,_..„ port, serial port and game port a-nennc JE1082 (zero-K on-board) (AT) $169.95 Floppy and Hard Disk Controller Cards JE1041 20/40MB Hard Disk Controller Card (PC/XT) $79.95 JE1 043 360K/720K/1.2MB/1.44MB Floppy Disk Cont. (PC/XT/AT) $49.95 JE1 044 360K Floppy/Hard Disk Controller Card (PC/XT). ... $1 29.95 360K/720K/1.2MB/1.44MB Floppy/Hard Disk -...„„,- JE1045 Controller Card (AT) $149.95 COMPUTER PERIPHERALS AMI 80386 tfmfo Motherboards fy*** • Expandable to 2MB (2ero-K incl.) ot 32-bit RAM with expansion board (included) • Expand an addi- tional 8MB using the JE3030 (below. Zero-K incl.) ■ XT footprint-AT compatible • 80387-16/20 ca- pability Built-in set-up and diagnostics ■ Includes AMI BIOS ROMs • One-year warranty JE3020 1 6MHz 80386 (AT) ... $1 399.95 JE3025 20MHz 80386 (AT) ... $1 699.95 JE3030 8MB (Zero-K) Daughterboard . . . S299.95 Seagate 20,30, 40 and 60MB Half Height Hard Disk Drives ST225XT (Pictured) ST225 20MB Drive only (PC/XT/AT) $224.95 ST225XT 20MB w/Controller (PC/XT) $269.95 ST225AT 20MB w/Controller (AT) $339.95 ST238 30MB Drive only (PC/XT/AT) $249.95 ST238XT 30MB w/Controller (PC/XT) $299.95 ST238AT 30MB w/Controller (AT) $389.95 ST251 40MB Drive only (PC/XT/AT) $429.95 ST251 XT 40MB w/Cont. Card (PC/XT) $469.95 ST251 AT 40MB w/Controller Card (AT). . . . $539.95 ST251-1 40MB Fast 28ms (Drive only). . . . $499.95 ST277 60MB Drive only (PC/XT/AT) $499.95 ST277XT 60MB w/Controller (PC/XT) $549.95 ST277AT 60MB w/Controller Card (AT) $639.95 40MB Tape Back-Up for ibm pc/xt/at DJ10 >40MB Back-Up and Tape, . . $349.95 TB40 40MB Tape Cartridge. $24.95 Jameco 5.25" PC/XT & AT Compatible Disk Drives JE1 022 (Pictured) JE1020 360K Black Bzl. (PC/XT/AT)... $ 89.95 JE1021 360K Beige Bzl. (PC/XT/AT)... $ 89.95 JE1022 1.2MB Beige Bzl. (PC/XT/AT) . . $109.95 3.5" PC/XT/ AT Compatible Disk Drives 3.5" 720KB (Mounting Frame Included) MF353B (PC/XT/ AT) $129.95 $109.95 3.5" 1.44MB (Mounting Frame Included) MF355B (PC/XT/AT) $149.95 $129.95 Datatronics 2400/1200/300 Modems NEW, Packet Version! ■ Hayes command compat- ible • Bell 103/212A com- patible* Auto-dial/auto- answer ■ FCC approved 1-year warranty ■ Includes MaxiMite Communication Software (except 1 200P) 1 200P 1200/300 Baud Pocket Modem $ 99.95 1200H 1200/300 Baud Internal Modem. ... $ 69.95 2400S 2400/1200/300 Internal Modem $129.95 1200C 1200/300 Baud External Modem $ 99.95 2400E 2400/1200/300 External Modem . . . $169.95 U.S. Funds Only Shipping: Add 5% plus $1.50 Insurance (May vary according to weight) California Residents: Add 6%, 61/2% or 7% Sales Tax c 1988 Jameco Electronics 12/88 $20 Minimum Order IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines VISA' Data Sheets - 500 each Prices Subject to Change Send $2.00 Postage for a FREE 1989 CATALOG FAX Numbers: 415-592-2503 or 415-595-2664 Telex: 176043 1355 Shoreway Road, Belmont, California 94002 24 HOUR ORDER HOTLINE (415) 592-8097 • The Following Phone Lines Are Available From 7AM-5PM P.S.T.: Customer Service (415) 592-8121 • Technical Assistance (415) 592-9990 • Credit Department (415) 592-9983 • All Other Inquiries (415) 592-7108 Circle 148 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 "BYTE 361 Circle 89 on Reader Service Card *FREE! DataSaver . . . a $13.95 diskette filer!! B QG! Q uuanniy Discounts Avaiiatjie min. 5 boxes 5.25" 3M Diskettes 3.50" 3M Diskettes 8.00" 3M Diskettes DS-HD 1.29 3.95 2.15 i Mark Q PC "Formatted" Disks DS-DO .69 1.59 1.89 .85* .45 .... 3M Highland Box Diskettes (mm to ta) DC-1000 12.60 DC-300XLP ....19.40 DC-2000 17.05 DC-600A 21.45 3M Mag. Tapes 2400' WTS (mm 10 reels) 12.50 3M Mag. Tapes 1200' WTS (mm 10 reels) 9.25 IBM 3480 Cartridges (min 30 cartridges) 5.65 •FREE Plastic Library Box 3S DSHD .87 1.89 Quantity Discounts Available min. 5 boxes . 5.25" BASF Diskettes . . 8.00" BASF Diskettes . 3.50" BASF Diskettes in FREE « ^ ft . Color-Coder a S149S Value ...0.99 . . 5.25" DS/DD BASF Diskette with FREE BASF VCR Tape or Plastic Box . . 5.25" DS/DD BASF NoLogo Diskettes with Tyvek sleeves, labels & w/p. | MD2-DMP Bn'-^.'W'.i. I MF-2DDM .72* HSi 1.69 ORIGINAL BRANDED "BOXED" DISKETTES 5.25" DSDD 5.25 DSHD 3.50" DSDD .45 3M Highland .87 BASF 1.25 BULK DISKETTES KAO I PLASTIC CASE Black Disks Minimum too Color Disks .29 .... 5.25" DS/DD/48TPI ... .39 .59 .... 5.25" DS/HD96TPI 86 .99... 3.50" DS/DD/135 TPI .. 1.20 5.25" FREE SLEEVES, LABELS AND W/P TABS RIBBONS STORAGE — Please call for information — TERMS: No surchage on VISA. Mastercard or AMEX. COO only add S3. 00 Prepaid orders deduct 2% cash discount. PO's accepted from recognized institutions and corporations on Net 30. Bank draft, T/T or L/C acceptable Shipping: S4/100 or fewer disks. Reduced shipping charges on larger quantities. Price quoted for case {100 disks) quantities less than a case add 5% (Min order S25.0O) WE BEAT ANY PRICE! Toll Free Order Line: Information Line: 1-800-523-9681 TLX-91 0240471 2 1-801-255-0080 FAX-801 -572-3327 n DISKCOTECH DISKCO TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 213 Cottage Avenue P.O. Box 1339 Sandy, Utah 84091 362 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 HARD DISK ACCELERATOR • Caching eliminates repetitive disk accesses • Use up to 15 Mb of extended/ expanded or 500 Kb of standard memory DISKETTE ACCELERATOR SCREEN ACCELERATOR FAST - FRIENDLY - SAFE VCACHE GOLDEN BOW SYSTEMS $59.95 Add S3 for shipping/handling California residents add 6% sales tax 2870 fifth Avenue Suite 201 San Diego. CA 92103 800/284-3269 Circle 330 on Reader Service Card 6809 Single Board Computer .^;|:-S|r WffWivm ' RAM; EPROM, recti-tlme;eiact« wotc timer, 44-pin 4.5" « 4.5" PCB EXPANSION MODUUS: RAM, EPROM, CMOS RAM/battery, analog I/O, serial I/O, parallel I/O, counter/timer, IEEM88, EPROM programmer, floppy disks, cassette, breadboard, keyboard/display. U' I V 'V V K I 1801 Soulh slreet I lA I l>l V I Lafayette. IN 4W04 1 317-7428428 Circle 307 on Reader Service Card ON TARGET ASSOCIATES Products and Services for Design and Manufacturing Engineers. Micro Channel Design Consulting Prototype Cards -Newsletter "777ArCdS Extender Cards Adapter Bracket Sets Bum-in Mother Boards We will move your PC/XT/ AT products to the Micro Channel, or create your new design. CALL: (408) 980-7118 for our Free catalog ON TARGET TARGET TARGET ...the PS/2 leaders. PS/2 and Micro Channel arc Iradcmarks of IBM Corn. Circle 202 on Reader Service Card This real time MULTITASKING KERNEL simplifies real life product development ■ No royalfies ■ IBM PC DOS* support ■ C. PI7M. Pascal ■ Preemptive scheduler a Time slicing if needed ■ Essential source code included AMX86" rt.O tor BOB6/88, Demo package 125 US Manual only 175 US AMXB6 system 12195 US Full source Ada M05 US ■ Intertask messages ■ Dynamic operations • task create/delete - task priorities - memory allocation ■ Event Manager ■ Semaphore Manager 801B6/88, 802B6 systems { J KADAK Products Ltd. 206- 1847 W Broadway Vancouver, 8 C Canada V6J 1Y5 Telex. 04-55670 Fax (604| 734-6114 Telephone (604] 734-2796 Circle 155 on Reader Service Card DYNAMIC RAMS 1MBIT 100ns 514256ioons 41464 150ns 41256 100ns 41256 120ns J> 41256 150ns 51258 100ns J>4164 150ns * For high-speed, Zip, Pier, $38.00 $43.00 $12.50 $13.25 $12.50 $12.25 Circle 136 on Reader Service Card 9-TRACK MAG. TAPE SUBSYSTEM* FOR THE IBM PC/XT/AT AND... For information interchange, backup and archival storage. AK Systems offers a 9-lrack, IBM format-compatible '•;»" magnetic tape subsystem lor the IBM PC. featuring: ■ IBM format 1600' 3200 and 800 cpi. ■ Software for PC-DOS. MS-DOS. XENIX. ■ Also for AT&T. DEC, VAX. VME,S-100, RS-232, IEEE 488. B. ptione o< TWX tor m AKSystems 20741 Manll O.V.-v.i.rth. CA 91311 (BIB) 709-8100 TWX 910-493-2071 Circle 10 on Reader Service Card Special COMPLETE-PC ANSWERING MACHINE ... $229 FAX -PC ... $299 HAND SCANNER ...$169 ups ShipMate"" PC-Manifest System $199 mmmm<:-:- PRODUCTS NOT LISTED ... CALL! It PAYS to AAH ^*^ ■■buy-mht cad.. .etc SINCE 1984 New Orders: 1-800-621-3999 PC & MAC AST Premium 286/386 Call SWEET-P 600 6 Pan Plotter $589 PRINTERS & LASERS 1 Canon BJ-130 689 Citizen180-D 157 MSP-15E 295 MSP-40 269 MSP-45 389 MSP-50 345 MSP-55 440 Premiere35 439 Tribute 124 439 Trbute 224 579 Dioonix150 299 HP LaserJet II 1690 I JDL 850 Series Call NEC LC890 Call Panasonic 1080i-m2 155 1091i-m2 189 1592/1595 382/418 1524 515 I Toshba321-SL 465 341-SL 609 351-SX 888 Others Call MONITORS | Amdek 1280 & Card 639 210A 87 722EGA 431 Cornerstone Call Hitachi Call Mitsubishi Diamond Scan 479 Mon'rterm Viking Call NEC Multisync II 565 Multisync GS 185 Others Call RasterOps 1648s 1995 1948s 2949 j Samsung Call Sigma Designs LaserView Call Sony Muriiscan 1303 495 Zenith 1490 Flatscreen 579 ! SOFTWARE I AutoSketch® 59 BoeingGraph 195 By-Line 169 | Carbon Copy Plus 103 Clipper 355 Copy II PC 18 i Corefast 87 Dae Easy 3.0 58 lase 111* 355 DeslgnCad 149 Desklink 92 DesqView 69 Drafix 1 Plus Call Drafix 3D Mod & Options Call Dollars & SenDDS Back-Up Plus . . 33 , Excell PC 281 ZENITH 1490 FlatScreen $579 DESIGN CAD Standard or 3D $149 FastBack 75 FastBaokPlus 85 FormTool 52 Freelance Plus 293 Fox Base Plus 179 GEM Draw Plus 159 Generic Cadd 3.0 4B Generic Cadd Others Call Harvard Graphics 255 In House Acct 107 LaplinkPlus 74 Lighting Hard Disk Speedup 69 LIGHTING Disk Speed Up Increase your Hard Disk Speed as much as 40% III $69 Lotus 1232.01 280 Lotus Agenda Call Managing Your Money 113 MathCad2.0 199 Microsoft Windows 2.0 56 MS-Dos3.3 95 Norton UUI4.0 45 Novell Netware 286 Call PageMaker3.0 460 Paradox2.0 391 PC Tools Deluxe Call PathMinder4.0 55 Peachtree Accounting II 145 PFS: First Choice 77 PFS: First Publisher 54 PFS: Professional File 129 PFS: Professional Plan 51 PFS: Professional Write 102 Plan Perfect 185 Q&A 177 Q&A Write 115 Quattro 132 Rapid File 172 R:BaseforDOS 419 ShipMate™ (ups Manifest) 1 99 SideKickPlus Call Smart Sysmen 418 Sprint 115 Tops 101 Turbo Basic, C, or Pascal 57 CAD CORNER SPECIAL AST Premium 286/140 DlamondScan Monitor Summagraphics 12x12 Plus Intel 80287 Chip $3360 DRAFIX 1 Plus or 3D Module Call SMART MODEM 1200Blnt. $59 2400BM. $115 WANTED Programs - original utilities, applications, etc. Earn royalities in just 90 days. °Mail or Fax your info to altn: Bill. MS-DOS a MAC compatible only. Ventura Publishing 2.0 469 VersaCad & Libraries Call Windows Call WordPerfect 5.0 Call X-TreePro 58 DIGITIZERS & PLOTTERS ■MWWMWMMMWMMMMMMWBWMMWMWWMM. Calcomp 1023-GT Call 1043-GT 5990 Digitizers Call Enter Sweet-p 600 598 Others Call Houston Instruments Call DMP 41/42 Call DMP51MP 3550 DMP 51/52MP 3200/2700 DMP 52 2300 DMP56A 3800 DMP 61 Call DMP 62 Call MP Options Call Hitachi PumaPad(IOYearWarranty) . HDG-12X12D-4 398 HDG-12X12D-12 4B6 HDG-15X15D-4 598 HDG-15X15D-12 659 loline Call JDL850 Series Call Kurta IS 12x12 285 IS 12x17 485 Summagraphics 12x12Plus 335 18x12 Pro w/4 Butt & Stylus . . . .569 Mac Bit Pad 12x12, 4But,Sty ...299 Novell NetWare Customiatlon ... CALL HITACHI Digitizer 10 Year Warranty HDG-1212D-4 Includes: 4-Butt Cursor, 1-Butt Pen & Mouse Emulator. $398 MITSUBISHI 40/70 Mb Disk l 23n Diamond Scan $477 $439 VENTURA PUB 2.0 $469 PAGE- MAKER $460 PANASONIC 1091i-m2 $195 SCANNERS ScanMan or Complete PC HandScanner $169 DRIVES, MODEMS & FAX COMPUTERS Mteubishi 40/70 Mb Hard Drive 1/2 MAT, 23ms 439 Panasonic FAX Board 689 Seagate ST225 w/card 260 ST238 30Mbw/card 285 Smart Modem 1200B int w/sw 58 2400Bintw/sw 115 Toshiba 3.5 XT/AT 720k Drive .... 89 5.25 XT/AT 360k Drive 75 US Robotics Courier 2400 299 BOARDS & NETWORKS OMMOOCOXXl«MXM«O.COTOOOOJ3C«OQ««nO10MHz) 239 80387-16 Call 80387-20 Call 80387-25 549 80387-SX 398 MOUSE MMMMWMflMMHWMMWMMMMWQMWWMMB Logitech C7 Serial or Bus 65 HiRezBus 83 Bus & Paint 83 Serial & Publisher 104 Microsoft Serial 95 PC Mouse Call HELPERS ttwwoQQccooawooMQOMmMomMwmHmoeQwomt | Logical Connection 256/512k CaJI OTHERS CaJI ScanMan Call i NEW! Optical Disk Interface / 40ms Filesize up to 21 GigaBytes and limited by DiskOnly. Speed resembles a 40ms Hard Drive. OptiDrfver supports most Optical drives including ATG Gigadisk, ISI 525WC, LMSI LD-1200, Maxtor TXT 800S, Mitsubishi MW-5UI, Optimem 1000. Optotech 5984, Panasonic LF-5000, Ricoh RO-5040WL, Sony WDD-3000. Host Adapters supported include Adaptec, Future Domain, Rancho Technology, Scientific Micro Systems, and Western Digital. Opti- Driver is an applications interface for attaching optical disk drives to an IBM PC/XT/ AT or compatible computer system. Low memory usage, approximate- ly 50kb, is required for the master program. NASA is now a proud user of this revolutionary interface. Kit includes OptiDriver, Host Adapter, and Manual. In- stalls as drive "0" with batch file. $525 $695 list | Pre-approved P.O.'s are welcome. Prices reflect cash discount and are subject to change without notice. Product com- patibility, warranties, & claims are responsibility of manufacturer only. All returns are subject to a restocking fee. Per- sonal/Company checks delay shipping. AZ orders only add 6.7% tax. Orders are processed same Day. International orders Call (602)861-1090. Volume Bids Wecome! VISA MASTERCARD PO's Just Call First. MHI Warehouse, Inc. 8129 N. 35th Ave. #2-306 \ Phoenix, AZ 85051 New Orders: 1-800-621-3999 Order Info: 602-997-8877 Fax:602-943-3833 Circle 196 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE "363 Circle 91 on Reader Service Card WE OFFER: 1 . Same Day Service - All orders shipped, insured, within 24 hrs 2. Guaranteed Satisfaction - Lifetime warranty, 30-day return guarantee 3. In-stock Inventory - No delays, no disappointments 4. No Minimum Order - Quantity discounts also available 5. Pre-Approved Purchase Orders and Visa & Master- Card Accepted AND GREAT PRICES! 5.25 Black Disks, DS/DD 36 ea. 5.25 Color Disks, 8 Colors Available, DS/DD 46 ea. 5.25 Black Disks, DS/HD 82 ea. 5.25 Color Disks, 8 Colors Available, DS/HD 94 ea. 3.5 Blue or Gray Disks, DS/DD 1.12 ea. 3.5 Color Disks, 5 Colors Available, DS/DD 1.28 ea. 3.5 High Density, Black only 3.80 ea. 1 00% certified and tested. Error free lifetime warranty. All disks include generic white box, Tyvek sleeves, labels, write protect tabs, shrink wrapped. CONTINUOUS FORM LABELS Size Across BoxOty. Price/1,000 23/4x7/16 1 across 10,000 $1.95 23/4X7/16 4 across 20,000 $1.95 2V2 X 15/16 1 across 5,000 $2.18 2V2 X 15/16 3 across 15,000 $1.98 23/4 x 23/4* 1 across 2,500 $12.00 23/4Xl-7/16 1 across 5,000 $3.00 3x15/16 4 across 20,000 $2.00 3.3x15/16 4 across 20,000 $2.05 3V2X 15/16 1 across 5,000 $1.90 3V2X15/16 2 across 10,000 $1.90 3V2X 15/16 3 across 15,000 $1.90 3V2X 15/16 4 across 20,000 $1.90 4x15/16 1 across 5,000 $3.21 4x15/16 3 across 15,000 $3.21 4x1-7/16 1 across 5,000 $3.25 4x1-7/16 3 across 15,000 $3.25 Prices quoted for full boxes only. 'Designed for the 3'/2" disk. "The Quality Disk & Label Specialist Since 1982" 1040 Broadway Westville, NJ 08093 Fresno, CA 609-456-6996 FAX# 609-456-71 72 1-800-426-3303 All products assembled in the U.S.A. All orders ROB. Westville, NJ C.O.D. orders add $2.20 364 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 A VOICE FOR YOUR PC! VOXX °n|y*7995 ■- Unlimited vocabulary "■ Text-to-speech software Included - Speaks English text and numbers ► Also speaks Spanish and Italian - 16 different, easy to understand voices *■ Automatic Inflection •- Easy to use with DOS, BASIC, etc... *■ Uses one PC/XT/AT type short slot *• Better than units costing much more ► Audio amplifier and speaker Included Add 13.00 p«r ordor lor shipping. Visa. MC. checks. M.O. welcome. CT rtaldenti add aalea tax. C.O.D. add 53.00 .tiro. Canada: snipping la S3 Ovaiiaaiadd 10* ALPHA /M (203)656-1806 242- B West Avenue, Darien, CT 06820 Circle 14 on Reader Service Card PALMERASE World's Smallest UV Eraser $4995 PALMERASE™ can erase 20, 24, 28, and 40pin EPROMs in less than 3 minutes! Also, larger erasers are available to handle EPLDs, MICROS and other UV erasable devices. Please call today for more information on an eraser that's right for you. LOGICAL DEVICES, INC. 1201 N.W. 65th Place, Ft. Lauderdale, FL ^3309 1-800-331-7766 -in Florida: (305) 974-0967 Circle 163 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 164) Satellite Communication MICR0SAT II Expansion Board $700 • For IBM PC/XT/AT and compatible. • Satellite data receiver - 9600 baud. • Satellite bulletin board. • Satellite video and audio option - Add $200 PERSONAL SPACE COMMUNICATIONS 707 Johnson Road, Blaine WA 98230 1604)597-6298 TLX 04-508306 FAX (604)597-6214 Circle 21 7 on Reader Service Card 9-Track Tape Drives: Yes! for IBM PC/XT/ AT/386 and PS/2 ^Jl Interchange tapes from mainframes. Important features: • 800, 1600, 3200, 6250 BPI • EBCDIC/ ASCII conversion • IBM & ANSI labeled tapes • Network backup • DOS, XENIX, Microport • Highest quality customer service For quick delivery we stock all major manufacturers' tape drives, including Cipher, Kennedy, M4 Data, Qualstar. Prices start at $3,755. Call Today! Overland Data, Inc. 5620 Kearny Mesa Rd. • San Diego, CA 92111 Tel: (619) 571-5555 • FAX: (619) 571-0982 Circle 205 on Reader Service Card the HUSKY7 PC based PROGRAMMER $599.00* •modules not included. From A Name You Can Trust LOGICAL DEVICES, INC. 1201 N.W. 65th Place, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309 1-800-331-7766 Telex 383142 (305) 974-0967 Fax (305) 974-8531 Circle 165 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 166) IC PROMPT DELIVERY!!! C SAME DAY SHIPPING (USUALLY) ** QUANTITY ONE PRICES SHOWN for OCT. 11. 19B OUTSIDE OKLAHOt M: NO SALES TAX DYNAMIC RAM SIMM 1Mx9 85 ns $425.00 1Mbit 1Mx1 100 ns 38.50 41256 256Kx1 60 ns 14.25 41256 * 256Kx1 70 ns 14.10 41256 256KX1 100 ns 13.75 51258 * 256KX1 100 ns 13.50 41256 256Kx1 120 ns 12.85 41256 256KX1 150 ns 11.90 41264 + 64Kx4 120 ns 19.70 EPROM 27C1000 128Kx8 150 ns $36.95 27C512 64Kx8 200 ns 13.95 27256 32KX8 250 ns 7.25 27128 16Kx8 250 ns 6.60 STATIC RAM 43256L- 10 32Kx8 100 ns $18.50 |6264P-12 BKx8 120 ns 12.50J M1-10PM- SHIP VIA FED-EX ON SAT. WE EXPORT ONLY TO CANADA, GUAM, PUERTO RJCO & VIRGIN ISLANDS SAT DELIVERY INCLUDED ON I FED-EX ORDERS RECEIVED BY: ■ Hi : Sid Air $6/3 ft IfcM 11025/1 lb MasterCard/VISA or UPS CASH COD Factory New, Prime Parts jjPoo MICROPROCESSORS UNLIMITED, INC. l^-c5^r-(918)267-4961 NO minimum Order. Please nolo trial pneas are surged 10 g & insurance extra, & up 10 51 lor packing materials. Order) received by j»u»lly be delivered the next morning, vie Federal Express Standard guaranteed next day Priority One (n S10.2S! Circle 187 on Reader Service Card Compu$ave Circle 62 on Reader Service Card IMC BOARDS Adv. Dig. Slave 545 Orchid Tiny Turbo 262 AST 5251 -1 1 E 545 Panasonic Fax 642 AST Adv. Prem 299 Paradise VGA+ 16 .295 ATI VGA Wonder ... CALL Paradise VGA Pro ... 395 BOCA RAM AT 142 STB VGA EM 512K . 299 Genoa VGf* Hffies ... 345 Sigma VGA H 242 Intel Above Board Call Video 7 V RAM 482 Orchid Designer 329 Video 7 Vega VGA ..259 Adaptec, Artist, Hercules, Metheus, Number 9 .... CALL Quadram, Talltree, West. Digita, /Verticom, VMI . CALL DISK DRIVES CDC 150 Mb 1,445 Micropolis 1355 1325 Bernouli II 20 Mb 799 Seagate 20Mb Kit 262 Miniscribe 3053 449 Seagate 30M bKit 279 Miniscribe 71 Mb 635 Seagate ST251-1 429 Moutain TD 4440 379 Toshiba 720 K, 3.5" Kit ... 89 PlusCard 20Mb 518 WORM Drives CALL AST, Archive, Alloy, Genoa, Micropolis CALL Maynard, Maxtor, Teacjecmar CALL SOFTWARE Carbon Copy* 5.0 ...107 Paradox 2.0 412 DBase III Plus 389 Peachtree Complete 145 Fastback Plus 104 Q & A 1 90 First Publisher 2.0 83 Quattro 139 Harvard Graph 2.1 .299 R:BaseforOS2 545 LOTUS 123 295 Sprint 119 Microsoft Excel-PC .289 SYMPHONY CALL Microsoft Works 9 6 Top for DOS 1 05 Microsoft Word 4.0 ... 209 Ventura Publisher .... 495 Mullimate Advan. II .. 257 WordPerfect 5.0 225 COMPUTERS Acer 1100 B4 3250 Toshiba 1000 769 Acer 20 Mhz CALL Toshiba T1200F 1 459 AST Model 80 1525 Toshiba T1200HB 2455 AST Model 300 2777 Toshiba 3100/20 2995 AST Model 340 3999 Toshiba 3200 3750 AST 3320 6935 Toshiba 5100 4899 Intel 25 Mhz 3899 Toshiba 5200 CALL NEC 386: 2 Mb 2995 Wyse 2108 1 1 95 NEC EL II 1 465 Wyse 2112 1 659 NEC Powermate ...CALL Wyse 2214 CALL Packard Beil 1 2 Mhz .. 1 265 Wyse 321 6 2795 Samsung 20 Mhz 2899 Unisys 386 2695 Samsung S500 /40 ... 1565 Zenith Supersport 1625 Televideo 386 2Mb ...2595 Zenith Supersport 286 3395 Mitsubishi MP286: 12 Mhz / 40 Mb Drive 1 925 Mitsubishi MP286 Laptop : 20 Mb 2337 Sperry PC IT : 51 2kb / 44Mb HD / Keyboard 2795 Altos, ITT, Sharp & Other Models CALL TERMINALS Altos V 485 Televideo 965 41 2 Adds 1010 299 Wyse 30 289 IBM 31 51 389 Wyse 50 355 Kimtron KT-70 PC 359 Wyse 60 395 Link MC-5 409 Wyse85G 379 Televideo 955 375 Wyse 99GT 469 Visual, CIE, Link, Qume, Falco & Other Models CALL MICE Logitec C7 67 Logitec HiRes 92 Microsoft w/paint 9 9 Microsoft w/windows ..132 Mouse Systems 95 Summa Mouse 79 1-800-877-8855 Government P.O.'s are Welcome! PLOTTERS Calcomp 1 023GT 3785 HP 7550 A 2895 Calcomp 1043 GT 5645 HP7570A 3045 Calcomp 1044GT 10,245 HP 7595 7795 Calcomp Colormaster ..3395 Mine 3700 3065 Houston DMP 52 2399 loline 4000 3995 Houston 41/42 2110 JDL850 GL 2799 Houston 56A 3850 Roland 885 1095 Houston 61 3025 Roland 980 1195 Houston 62 4495 Roland 990 1595 HP 7475 A 1395 Roland GRX CALL Numonics, Taxan, Versatec, JDL, Other Models ... CALL DIGITIZERS Calcompl 2x12 348 Kurta IS 3 CALL Calcomp 44 x 60 3745 Kurta IS 8.5 x 11 249 Calcomp36 x 48 31 95 Kurta IS 12 x 12 309 GTCO 24 x36 1945 Kurta IS 12 X 17 535 GTCO 36 x 48 2395 Summa 12x12 + 348 Hitachi 11x11 439 Summa 12x18 579 MODEMS ATI ETC 155 Practical 12001 65 Anchor 2400E 1 45 Prometheus 2400B/2 .... 1 29 Avatex 1 200 Ext 9 5 Prometheus 2400G 149 Cardinal 2400 Ext ... 1 39 Racal-Vadic 2400VP 388 Cardinal 2400 Int 1 09 USR 2400E 345 Hayes 1200 279 USR Courier 2400 299 Hayes 2400 415 USR HST 9600 649 Migent Pocket 1 09 USR Sportster 1200 85 Multitech 224 EH 388 Ven-Tel 18000 939 Multitech 224 EC 305 Zoom 2400 HC 1 45 Case, Packard Bell, UDS, Other Models CALL PRINTERS Alps Allegro 24 349 Panasonic 1080M2 162 Alps 324 E 745 Panasonic 109HM2 185 Canon BJ 130 665 Panasonic 1124 CALL Citizen120D 149 Panasonic 1524 549 Citizen 180D 162 Star NX-1000 171 Citizen MSP 40 ...299 Star NX-1000R Color .299 Fujitsu DL3400 525 Star NX-2400 318 Okidata 390 475 Toshiba 321 SL 499 Okidata 393 9 5 9 Toshiba 341 SL 645 NEC P2200 328 Toshiba P351SX 979 NEC P5200 515 Canon 8II Lazer 1565 NEC P5300 679 NEC LC 890 3165 NEC P9XL 1038 HP Lazer Jet II SAVE Brother, C.ltoh, Data Products, Diconix CALL Epson, Genicom, QMS, OTC, Varrfyper, Tl CALL MONITORS Amdek 310A 69 PGS Ultra Sync 522 Amdek 1 280 645 PGS UltraSync 1 6" . 895 Gold Star RGB 235 Samsung TTI 79 Mitsubishi 1381A 509 Sigma Laser 19" ....1765 Seiko 1430: 599 Sony Mutliscan Call Mitsubshi 6905TK ...2375 Tatung Multiscan 475 NEC Multisync II 579 Wyse 650 VGA 459 NEC Multisync + 9 1 5 Wyse 700 678 NEC Multisync XL ...2089 Zenith 1490 598 NEC Multisync GS .... 1 89 Other Models CALL SCANNERS Datacopy 830 1725 Panasonic 505 969 Logitec Scam Man 1 91 PGS LS-300+ OCR . 965 AST, HP, Taxan, PC Hand Scanner Call Mail Address: 42(17 S. 37th Street - Dept It 1 2 - Phoenix* AZ X5040. HOURS: MON-KKI 7 AM-fi I'M, SAT: •> AM- 2 I'M. Prices reflect cash discounts and are .subject to change without notice. We do not guarantee compatibility. DOA's are repaired or replaced, please call lor a R.VI A. Major credit cards and selected PO's are accepted. INTERNATIONAL SALES (602)437-4855 - FAX (602)437-9685 - CUSTOMER SERVICE (602)437-4856. §®afa0Q ©@mi°)®p® ©w ¥^S®i ©mHy* \ \ JEMl M§® @mMf * ' PCI-286-12 MONO SYSTEM • W/Mono Monitor PS •80286-12 • 20 MB Hard Disk ""'fin •1.2 MB Floppy Drive $1255 ^p • 640K RAM KEKAagjK* ■ Serial / Parallel / Game VGA COLOR SYSTEM .■ii..^**?"!^'" ■ 101-Key Enhanced Key Board • W/VGA Card 8. Monito ■SI = 13.3(1 Wait) • 20 MB Hard Disk PCI-386-16 SI = 15.2 (O Wait $100 Option) $1855 • W/40 MB HD • 6/12 MHz Key Board Switchable EGA COLOR SYSTEM $2395 • WA2 HD & FD Controller • W/EGA Card + Monito • 80287 SOCKET • 20 MB Hard Disk PCI-386-20 •200W POWER SUPPLY $1640 $2695 LCD-286-10 PORTABLE $1655.00 •10 MHZ 80286 SI =10.3 •12 MHZ SI = 13.3 (Option $50.00) •16 MHZ SI = 18 (Option $250.00) • 640K RAM • LCD Screen 640 X 200 (Option 640 X 400 $180.00) — «■— • Super Twist & Back Lighting ||i* LCD-386-16 $2795.00 • 86 Key Board • 80386-16 MHZ • External / Parallel / Game ■ 40 MB Hard Disk • 1.2 MB Floppy drive jgp i i ' • 80387 Socket • 20 MB Hard Disk • 80287 Socket *SW?r'"' jg , LCD-386-20 $3095.00 • 200 W Power Supply •Side153/«"X9 VX8" ' ^ll^'*^^ • 80386-20 MHZ ■ 40 MB Hard Disk • 23 LBS • 80387 Socket GAS PLASMA 286-12 ■ 80286-12 CPU • SI = 13.3 • 3V2" FD 1 .44 MB • 20MBHDST-138 ■ LCD Screen (640 X 400) __ • I/O Card Parallel/Serial/Game Si • 640K RAM "~--:~ __$2295 GAS PLASMA 286-16 _. • CPU 80286-16 • SI = 18 $2495 CRT-PORTABLE-286 $1449 • Compaq Type •80286 (10 MHz or 12 MHz) • 12 MHz SI = 13.3 (Option $50. • 16 MHz SI = 18 (Option $250) • One 1 .2 MB Floppy Drive • 200 W Power Supply • TTL Disply 9" Amber • AT Key Board ■ Serial / Parallel / Game • WA2 HD & FD Controller • 20 MB Hard Disk CRT-386-16 •80386-16 $2595 CRT-386-20 $2895 PCI PACIFIC COMPUTER 702 S. Del Mar Ave., #B, San Gabriel, California 91776 (FAX) 818-286-8662 (818) 571-5548 (Technical support) (800) 421-1102 (IN CA) ORDER ONLY Mon " Sat (800) 346-7207 (OUT CA) 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM •ALL SYSTEMS COME WITH ONE YEAR PARTS & LABOR WARRANTY SB ^^& *2^ I Circle 206 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 207) DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 365 This could be the most productive phone number you call today* Toll free. 1(800)531-5369 (Or, if you prefer to FAX your order— 1 (512) 344-2985.) . $:1 QQQ nn TrippLite® Battery Back-Ups Protect your equipment and data by providing safe shut down time for your computer systems and other sensitive equip- ment during black or brown-outs. Data loss from one $ EQQ 00 black-out can cost you hundreds, if not | O *f*f. thousands of dollars. $, These units feature AC line 299.' spike and noise suppres-* , sors, status indicator lights and heavy gel- cell batteries— a regu- lated battery charger automatically restores BC battery to full charge 200-w when AC power returns. 00 This complete TrippLite® Series offers reliable battery back-up at an extremely $7QQ 00 low price" $399 00 BC-325 325-W BC-750 750-W SC-BC-2000 2000-W BC-1200 1 200-W tnssrss^37 TrippLite® Voltage Regulator — Line Conditioners $ 1 go 00 $jg 00 BC-450 450-W 149. Ha 'dDri{ v*Ca, ses 95 LS-600 LC-1200 LC-1800 TrippLite® Line Stabilizer/Conditioners automatically adjust varying input voltage to provide full voltage support during a low voltage condition while suppressing spikes and line noise. Cable Assemblies I! \L / 0 SDH-2H s 00 P'han It* n79.9i] PC/AT Parallel Printer Cables DB-25 - 25 Line Cables Male-Male Length 10 ft! 15 ft. 25 ft. 6 ft. Price $ 6.95 7.95 11.95 17.95 12.95 Stock # 25MM-6 25MM-10 25MM-25 25MM-50 25MM-100 Length 6 ft. 10ft. 25 ft. 50 ft. 100 ft. Price t 6.95 7.95 17.95 | 33.95 62.95 POPULAR CABLES DB-25 - 25 Line Cables Male-Female ca* Other cables available Price $5.95 Stock # 3.95 25MF-6 ,,,; 25MF-10 *" 25MF-25 bB& 25MF-50 25MF-100 Length 6 ft. 10 ft. 25 ft. 50 ft. 100 ft. Price $ 6.95 7.95 17.95 33.95 62.95 lA'61 , e"oS>*sv"o Altex Electronics, Inc. "Your Electronics Supply House" TERMS: Minimum order $1 0.00. We accept Mastercard, Visa, and American Express at no additional charge For C.O.D. orders, add $2.20. For orders under $100.00, add $3.00 handling and actual UPS shipping charges. For orders over $100.00, we pay handling charge— you pay actual UPS shipping charges plus insurance. Purchase orders accepted from approved accounts. All returns require an RMA# and are subject to a restocking fee. Texas resi- dents add 7.5% sales tax. Prices subject to change and we are not responsi- ble for typographical errors. Store Hours: 8:00-6:00 M-F, 10:00-2:00 SAT CST~ 10731 Gulfdale, San Antonio, Texas 78216 Istpcir# ffo25-3 1^2S-1 Iff25"* OB-2525u ^"J if i 29.9sl Cen, C^oZn .« *^B36-y Fivon ."'on Jo S3 1 K4a^ Iff; 366 BYTE • DECEMBER 1988 Circle 15 on Reader Service Card IBM-PC BUS Input/Output Cards DIP-24 Opto-isolated digital input DOP-24 Opto-isolated Darlington output PIO-48 TTL level digital input/output DPC-10 Pulse counter/timer/generator DCM-16 8 Inputs, 8 Outputs, CTC A1P-24 12 Bit ADC input AOP-8 12 Bit DAC output AIS-16 12 Bit isolated ADC input TIP-8 Thermocouple input SIO-2 RS232/422/485/20mA I/O ST-24 Screw terminal adaptors BXT Backplane extenders BP-5/11 5/11 Slot backplanes Blue Chip Technology Main Avenue Hawarden Industrial Park Manor Lane, Deeside CH5 3PP Telephone: (0244) 520222 Circle 37 on Reader Service Card 8051 FAMILY EMULATORS —us. See our ad §Bjf on page 329. For info call: mm Austria 02 22 38 76 38-0 Australia 02 654 1873 Denmark 02 65 81 11 Finland See Sweden France 01 69 412 801 Great Britain . - 01 464 2586 03 499034 02 784 7841 New Zealand 04 886 375 Norway See Sweden Portugal 01 83 56 70 Spain , 03 217 2340 Switzerland 01 740 41 05 West Germany 08 131 16 87 Sweden 040 92 24 25 U.S.A 408 866 1820 noHau 51 E- Campbell Ave . 'M07E Campbell. CA 95008 CORPORATION (408) 866-1820 Circle 199 on Reader Service Card The Bible Library 29 titles: 9 bibles + 20 reference works on one CD-ROM laser disc. The most comprehensive Bible study tool availeble for the minister and layman $495 CD-nOM/WORM OUTLET Save While Supplies Last TOSHIBA DRIVE DISCOUNTED HITACHI DRIVES 2 for 1 Sale MS DOS & MAC S/W DISCOUNTED: Groliers, McGraw-Hill Science, Supermap, U.S. Atlas Geovision, Comstock — 449 photos. PC-SIG (25,000 programs], Public Domain — Aide [5,000 arced programs). 'Prices subject; to change. CALL 1-800-543-1734 ANYTIME [716] 852-6711 One Day Service C.O.D./AMEX/MC/VISA JASON ENTERPRISE Dept. D, 5459 Main Street Williamsville, NY 14221 Circle 149 on Reader Service Card RS-232C INTERFACE AND MONITORING EQUIPMENT CATALOG FROM B&R ELECTRONICS WRITE or CALL for YOUR FREE COMPREHENSIVE B & B ELECTRONICS CATALOG TODAY! Pages and pages of photo- graphs and illustrated, descrip- tive text for B&B's complete line of RS-232 convert- ers, RS-422 converters, current loop converters, adapters, break-out boxes, dataswrtches, data splitters, short haul modems, surge protectors, and much, much more. Most products meet FCC Part15J. Your RS-232 needs for quality, ser- vice and competitive prices will be more than met by B&B ELECTRONICS. Manufacturer to you, no middleman! Money-back guarantee! Same-day shipment! One-year war- ranty on products! Technical support available. Write For Your FREE Catalog Todayl B&R electronics ■0 MANUFACTURING COMPANY 1502M Boyce Memorial Drive • P.O. Box 1040 • Ottawa, IL 61350 Phone: 815-434-0846 Circle 29 on Reader Service Card \ bigm(q|uth ; REAL VOICE Digital Recording lor your PC, XT, AT or Compatible \ ♦VOICE MAIL SYSTEM ♦TELEMARKETING % - Inbound & Outbound ♦SMARTEST ANSWERING MACHINE ♦AUTODIALER— DATABASE ♦VOICEPAD'" - Voice lor your Programs t ♦ PROGRAMMER'S TOOLKIT i -(optional ^7^°) A '/? card, software, cables, and speaker I B *269°°+5s/h M (415) 652-9600 Talking Technology, Inc. 4383 Piedmont Ave. Suite B i Oakland. CA 94611 I Circle 279 on Reader Service Card Circle 90 on Reader Service Card Easiest IEEE 488(GPIB/HPIB) Interfaces for your PC, PS/2, Macintosh, HP and more! • Controllers • Converters • Extenders • Buffers • Boards Please see our ad in the mac Call or send Supplement on , PageM59. for your FREE Technical Guide (216)439-4091 o 25971 Cannon Road • Cleveland, Ohio 44146 Telex 650S820664 • Fax (21 6) 439-4093 Circle 144 on Reader Service Card RIBBONS S DISKS 3.5" DS 1.0 MB #6404107 0095 OO50 0095 fcwThx *""5tK *"*"10t 1 10bx 3.5" HD 2.D MB #6404078 &R95 4550 Ufi '"Wlhx ~*» Shx "10b: MObx PFOPRINTER XL 42Q2 #1040150 *79-gE„ Delaware 1-800-451-1849 P.O. BOX 10247, WILMINGTON. DE. 19850 r»:iTLjJ.„ , Oklahoma 1-8OO-654-4058 ^ISKOTTO f- P.O. BOX 1674, BETHANY. OK. 73O0Q f ,nilHPmnH"" Nevada 1-800'621'6k£i V^UIllTOUtlUII P.O.BOX 12396, LAS VEGAS, NV. B9112 TELEX-4933362 FAX-405-495-4598 FOR ONLY 29a With Tyvek Sleeves & Write on Labels 51/4" DS-DD Ji\ Delaware 1-800-451-1849 RO SOX 10247, WILMINGTON. DE 19650 Oklahoma 1-800-654-4058 PO BOX 1674, BETHANY. OK. 73008 '/inBPr/i'fin" Nevada 1-800-621-6221 J\J%\%\T->\j\.WJ/2 Size 79°° WAH 16 Bit Hard Drive Controller 129°° RA2 16 Bit RLL Hard/Floppy for AT 159°° MEAD Floppy Disk Controller for XT 29°° MEAD 1.2 Meg & 360K Controller for XT 59™ Hard/Floppy Cable Set 5™ FLOPPY DRIVES FROM^^ YOUR LOW PRICE LEADER ^^ 360K Vz Ht. PC Compatible - Mitsumi 69°° 1.2 Meg Mitsubishi Black Face 79™ 720K 3Vz" Epson Drive w/5'/4" mounting 89°° 1.44 Meg 3Vz" Drive w/5'A" mounting — Sony 119°° 360K Tandon TM100-2 Full Ht 89°° 160K Tandon TM100-1 Full Ht 39°° fr PRINTERS BY Panasonic KXP1080I 144CPS 199 KXP1091I 192CPS 229 KXP1092I 240CPS 379 # CITIZEN 180D 180CPS 9 Pin 10" .179 MSP15E 160CPS 9 Pin 15" 369 MSP40 250CPS 9 Pin 10" 369 OUR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS TO YOU AT OUR COST (See Below) LETTER QUALITY PRINTER DAISYWHEEL PRINTER MANUFACTURED BY C.ITOH Why pay $1149 lor a Clloh STARWRITER™F-10 When our 40 cps letter quality daisywheel printer from the same manufacturer is only $299°? ' 6 ft. Serial Cable $ 19™ 1 Bidirectional Tractor 149™ ' Cut Sheet Feeder 199™ STANDARD FEATURES • 40 CPS • Accepts Paper to 15 inches • Form Length and Pitch Set from Conrol Panel • Industry compatible ribbon, printwheels and control commands • RS232 Serial Interface RAM UPGRADES 4164 150 NS 2°5 4164 120 NS 3" 4164 100 NS 3« 41256 150 NS 1111 41256 100 NS 12" 41256 80 NS 13" 4464 150 NS 15" 1Meg x 1 120 NS ...37™ Simm Modules 256x9 100 NS 129°° 256x9 120 NS 119™ 1Meg x9 120 NS 399°° 1Megx9 100NS 429™ 1Meg x9 80NS 549™ 41256 120 NS 11" 1Meg x 1 100 NS . . . .39°° 1Meg x 8 120NS 399™ STATIC BUSTER Attached to the CRT face and keyboard, Static Buster works just like a sponge, dissipating static at a rated 20,000 volts in less than two seconds. List 4995 Mead 3995 CLOSEOUTS Intel 2764 New Eproms Original Compaq 360K Drives Demo Mono Monitors 5 Meg Hard Drive 300 4900 4900 .69°° 10 MEG HARD DISK KIT Includes Controller & Cables • V2 Height • 80 Msec Brand New/Major Manufacturer Mead 179°° NO SLOT CLOCK • Plugs into Motherboard • 10 Year Battery • Never Set Date & Time Again List 49°° Mead 34°° AT CASE • 2 Bay Standard AT Style Case Keylock Power and Hard Drive LED's List 99 Mead 39°° TAPE CASSETTE/CARTRIDGE DC2000, 3M 22" DC1000, 3M 9°° DC300XLP 45Meg. .14™ DC300A Used. . . .5™ CS500 19™ CS600 24™ 800-654-7762 SALES: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. PST 702-294-0204 CUSTOMER SERVICE / ORDER STATUS: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. PST FAX 702-294-1168 sBmsffls are Registered with their respective Co S Prices Sufi/eci to Change "RAM not include All are new. 90 Day warranties All RAM items subject to price change All Products 90 Day Warranty unless stated otherwise NO SURCHARGE FOR MC/VISA TERMS: MC • VISA • COD • CASH Purchase Orders from Qualified Firms Personal Checks ■ AE add 4°/o 20% Restocking Fee on Non-Defective Returns VISA' mzsssm (MottofOoral , v_x_y 9h 1000 Nevada Hwy. • Unit 101 • Boulder City, NV 89005 WE ALSO PURCHASE EXCESS INVENTORY SHIPPING: (min 6«) UPS Circle 178 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 "BYTE 369 Circle 316 on Reader Service Card UNIVERSAL E(E)PROM PROGRAMMER $495 • No personality modules; Menu driven device selection. • Built-in Eraser/Timer option (S50); Conductive foam pad. • Direct technical support; Full 1 year warranty. • STAND ALONE duplication & verify (27XXX parts). • Quick pulse & Intelligent algorithm (27256 under fit) sec). • 27xxx to 1 Mbit; 25xxx; 68xxx; CMOS; EEPROMS. • 8741,-2,-4,-8,-KH,-9,-9H,-51,-C5l,-52,-55, 9761 & more. • Offset/split Hex, Binary, Intel & Motorola 8,16,32 bit. • User friendly menu driven driver program included for IBM-PC/XT/AT/PS2, APPLE MACINTOSH or CPM. MC/VISA/AMEX Call today for datasheets! B&C MICROSYSTEMS INC. 355 WEST OLIVE AVE. SUNNYVALE, CA 94086 PH: (408) 730-5511 FAX: (408) 730-5521 TELEX: 984185 PC485D [RS 485/422 INTERFACE] • Meets the E1A RS-485 standard for multipoint bus transmission and the EIA RS-422A standard. • Can be configured as COM1 or COM2. • Line terminators are jumper selectable. • High speed differential drivers allow fast data transfer over long cablesupplT «nd p. ALSO WE HAVE THE MOST COMPLETE DATA CONVRRTER I UNIT CONVERTS RS232 SERIAL TO CENTRONICS PARALLEL OR VICE VERSA, IUST BY MOVINO JUMPERS BAUD RATE AND PROTOCOL FULLY PROORAMABI.E FROM 1BO TO 19200 BAUDS | 1N0LUDBS : DTR, RTS, XON/XOPF, PARITY, « DCB-B-2&CK \ 255 1*1 ill*! iblei lud* N«w Menu Kay -Do Lotu»123 WordPerfect or 89 $60.00 ZENITH 7^MONITOR Model DJ7NK2 HIGH RESOLUTION'AMBER Rat faceplate 900 lines at center 650 lines at comers Operates from 12VDCatT.4amp e Vertical input is 47 to 63 Hz e Horizontal frequency: 15 Khz^^, (adjustable) bandwidth For split video (TTL inputs) operation. Not composite video. $29.95 4 for $99 POWER SUPPLY YOUR CHOICE! BLOWOUT! $12.00 | Please check dimensions.These are open frame supplys. | Minimum 2 per Order 188 Watt Switching Power Supply. On/off switch in the front. Built in filter for easy power cord plug-in. Open frame, L-bracket type. Two 4-pin power plugs for floppy and/or hard disk drives. Output: + 5.05V @ 22A, + 12.02V @4A, -12V @.5A, +12.59 Reg. @ 1.5A DC. Dimensions: 13HL X 5HW X2HH Compower 130 Watt supply. Unit is open framed. Output:+5V@5A, + 12V@5A, -12V@.5A Dlmtmlont: B'/iL x 4'UW » 2V,H Power Systems— 180 Watt supply. Unit is open framed with 2 four pin power connectors built onto the unit. + 72V @ 4A, Output: +5V -12V Dimensions: 3> 20A, 5 5A Pal x 4V,W X 2V:H ^h % 3* THE RETURN OF THE SPY IN THE SKY NEC UPD791D — (CHARGE COUPLED DEVICE) 4096 ELEMENT - LINEAR IMAGE SENSOR The charge coupled device is soldered to a pre-amplifier board. (We sold out of the A/D board that accompanied the unit . . . They went fast!) Since this is an analog device, the circuitry to provide timing signals and con- vert analog outputs to digital MUST BE SUPPLIED BY THE PURCHASER to interface to a microprocessor based system. g. Timing requirements could be determined from a NEC manual on the QQ 791 D or from the schematic on the A/D board. PLEASE NOTE: We have the A/D board schematic, but unfortunately, we do NOT have the NEC manual.Deslgned for page scanning applications including facsimile. (Optical character recognition and otheY imaging applications which require high resolution and high sensitivity) 1 10 Milliwatt-Helium Neon ,,NEC52562160) LASER TUBE $99.00 (Same as 5260) 1Q Mj||iwatt (Max 0utput)-5 Mw (minimum) Tube Is in cylindrical housing 15" long. Emits Red beam. -Class II lb Laser-Random Polarization-Non-polarized Laser- Mode:TEMoo-Beam diam. at 1/e2.83mm-Beam divergence: .96mrad-Operating Voltage: 2350Vi100-Starting Voltage: <10KV-Operatinq Current:6.5 mA VGA Color Graphics Package EPSON QX-10 MOTHERBOARD w/your cholceiASCIl Keyboard (Enciq**dJor HASCIjtture) fWfftfciisifdS, *V! • I J.PO7B0AC-1 (ZSOAcomnaliblo. 4 MM/") •"Memory- RAM 255K on board. C-MOS HAM 2K. EPttOM: 2/4/ZK. (In. IPL| Clock CMOS real-time Clock tnlerfaco: Serial nncl Parallal DMA T ch,innRl5 ["upl levols: 15: Counlct 'timer 6 channels Card slols with any TTL monitor Weighr 10 lbs wilh « keyboard $649.00 UPDATE YOUR XT/ ATTO VGAGRAPHICSwa"anty on the monitor, two yeai Cstt tor Qly. Discounts wa"arl> °" u,e c*a 1490 W. ARTESIA BLVD, GARDENA, CA 90247 Order Desk Only OEM Inquiries Welcome Possible Display Modes VGA Graphics: 800x560x16 colors 320x200x256 colors 640 x 480 x 1 6 colors 640 x 350 x 1 6 colors 640 x 200 x 1 6 colors 640 x 200 black and white 320 x 200 x 4 colors 40 and 80 column character mode The manufacturer ol this monitor H«TOM*«s~Qr«phlcs CompatfbJ* S?J""™NDAHDF0RC0L°H * Ma* resolution (800x560! GRAPHICS Thecard is an ATI . Bm*„* 17 n, improved VIP CARD. The package Bandwidth. 1 7 Mhz comes with user Inendly manual and • Software Selectable to VGA, EGA step-oyslep instructions One year CGA, MDA, HGA •Anti-relleclive, coated non-interlace flicker free screen • .31 dot Ditch Inside California Continental USA (800) 223-9977 (800) 872-8878 L.A. Area & Technical Info. (213) 217-8912 15% Restocking fee for returned orders. Miminum Order $20.00. Shipping & handling charges via UPS Ground: $.50/lb. UPS Air: $1.00/lb. Minimum Charge: $4.00. We accept cashiers checks, MC or VISA No personal check COD's. California residents add 6Vi% sales tax. We are not responsible for typographical errors. All merchandise subject to prior sale. Phone orders welcome. Foreign Orders require special handling. Prices subject to change without notice. Circle 288 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 371 Circle 74 on Reader Service Card SPEECH PRODUCTS For PCs and compatibles SYNTHESIZER-only $79.95 The next versatile and best sounding speech product available for under $4000! The amazing Speech Thing provides text-to- speech as well as PCM and ADPCM speech and music repro- duction. Comes with "Thing" D/A converter that attaches to the parallel printer port outside the computer-Ideal lor laptops. Will not intertere with normal printer operation . Also comes with audio amplifier/speaker and power adapter. Software Includes two ad- vanced text-to-speech programs, digitized speech and music tiles, full screen waveform editor, sampling music keyboard, special effects mixing board, and drivers so you can add speech and sound effects to programs written In BASIC , C , PASCAL, and others. Includes 54 page manual. SPEECH THINB-S79.95. DIGITIZER-only $89.95 The Voice Mister PC Digitizer Is a full 8-bit PCM sampler board. Fits in any available slot. Up to 15,000 samples per second. Input pre-amp has automatic gain control and 4.5 Khz low pass filter. Includes a quality headset microphone. Software included for recording and editing sound files lor playback through Speech Thing. Also includes a real-time spectrum display and oscilloscope display as well as assembly language source list- ings tor writing your own drivers. BONUS: Voice recognition pro- gram included which is callable via an interrupt vector. Demon- stration program written in GWBASIC. VOICE MASTER PC DIGITIZER— SB9.95. VOICE RECOGNITION- only $49.95 A price/performance break-through! Equal In performance to other systems costing hundreds more $$$. The amazing Voles Milter Key program adds voice recognition to Just about any pro- gram or application. You can voice command up to 256 keyboard macros. Fully TSR and occupies less than 64K. Instant response time and high recognition accuracy. Easy and tun to use— no compilers or editors required. Works with CAD, desktop publish- ing, word processor, spread sheet, even other TSR programs. A genuine productivity enhincer. Volet Hatter Key can also be called from within a program for adding voice recognition to custom applications. Voice Milter Key requires the Voice Mister PC Digitizer lor operation. (Please note: Voice Muter Key will not replace the keyboard or mouse except under certain circum- stances. Not to be contused with the still unavailable "voice typewriter. ") VOICE MASTER KEY-S49.95. BONUS OFFERI Buy Voice Muter Key with PC Digitizer for only 5129. 95— you save $10! BETTER BONUS OFFERI Buy all three: Speech Thing, PC Digi- tizer, and Voice Muter Key tor only J189.9S— you save $20! ALL OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE OF PROFESSIONAL QUALITY. ORDER HOTLINE: (503) 342-1271 Monday-Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM Pacific Time Add $5 lor shipping and handling on all orders. Add an additional $3 lor 2nd day delivery. All goods shipped UPS. Master Card and VISA, money order, cashiers check or personal checks accepted (allow a 3 week shipping delay when paying by personal check). Foreign Inquiries contact Covox for C&F price quotes. Specify computer type when ordering. 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARAN- TEE IF NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED. ONE YEAR WARRANTY ON HARDWARE. Call or wrlti for FREE product citilog. COVOX INC 675-0 CONGER ST. EUQENE, OREGON 97402 U.S.A. TEL: 503-342-1271 FAX: 503-342-1283 EPROM PROGRAMMER * MOGHAMMtll 27513,27011, 68764. 68766, 2804-2S256. etc • Optional microcontroller heads support. 874k and H7C51 si-ries • Improved design noiv programs over twice as fast • Automatically uses the fastest algorithm mriim mended by the manufacturer to ensure reliable data storage • Connects via RS-232 to any computer: PC, XT, AT, PS/2, Mac, etc • Supports XMODEM/XMODEM CRC protocols & ASCII file xfers • Supports Intel, Motorola, hex-space, straight hex and binary files • Checksums supported • 8 baud rates to 38.400 • 30-day money-back guarantee • Collates 16 U 32-bit data • Engr support team (or fast updates ■ Cold Textool 211- 1C socket • One-year warranty (parts and labor) • Same day shipment • Toll-free technical support • UV erasers from $34.'J5 • Thousands of satisfied customers attest to the EIM's great value • Low price of 5349 includes I13M compatible communications pro- gram, user's manual and two free firmware update coupons CALLTOIIA^ roil MORI INTO 1-81)11-223-2102 BP n_n_n_ru MICROSYSTEMS 11M1 Haddington 500) S219 II Panasonic 1080. printer Schwab Computer Center "The Everei Store" — Authorized Everest Dealer 3292 El Camino Renl, Santa Clara. CA 35051 4QB-24L1210 Fax » 408-341.1279 Dally UPS M-F 10-7; SAT 11-4 VI Prices change without notice Circle 251 on Reader Service Card HARD DRIVE SALE SEAGATE ST- 225 $ with controller and cable 255.00 ST- 238 $ with controller and cable 265.00 ST- 251 $ 325.00 ST- 251-1 $ 420.00 ST- 125 $ with controller and cable 289.00 ST- 138 $ with controller and cable 359.00 ||||1§ A.N. Wholesale & Retail, Inc. ^*^ 1320 South Dixie Hwy. Suite 256 Miami, Fla 33146 Phone: (305) 284-0827 Fax: (305) 284-0831 Circle 22 on Reader Service Card AUTOMATE ANYTHING WITH YOUR PC & LAB 40 e Local Applications Bus ] JKla&40 Daughter boards for: • STEPPER driver, 4 axis with software & motor $120. • DC SERVO, smart 2 axis controller,' CNC, contouring, expandable $400. • FAST A/D 650KHz, four inputs programmed gain $220. Scope-FFT avail. • 12 bit A/D • RS-232 controller option. • Relays. FREE SOFTWARE - $250 Value - Join Club Call BBS (415) 775-1524 Use Modem 24 hrs. For Orders, FREE literature & technical consultation call (415) 755-1978. (omputer^Jntmuum 75 Southgate Ave.. Daly City. CA 9401 5 (415)755-1978 Circle 64 on Reader Service Card Best Quality At Big Bargain File Server System 286 ■■Only at S895HH 80286 CPU. 5/8 MHz ■ 640K Memory 2 Ser. 1 Par Port ■ Clock/Cal. w/Bttry 1 1.2 MB FDD ■ 101 Keyboard Mono Graphic Card ■ Dual FD/HD Controller ■ 238 WT Power Supply ■ 12 Expansion Slots ■ MS-DOS V3.21 GW-Basic V3.2 w/Manual ■ Monitor not included ■ One Year Limited Warranty ■ Optional: HDD. EGA Super 480, Modem For Order & Systems Quotes: (408) 262-8877 ^f TriGem Computer, Inc. 1465 N. Milpitas Blvd., Milpitas, Ca 95035 Circle 322 on Reader Service Card The Amazing A-BUS\& An A-BUS system with two Motherboards A-8US adapter (IBM) In foreground Plug into the future With the A-BUS you can plug your PC (IBM, Apple, TRS-80) into a future of exciting new applications in the fields of control, monitoring, automation, sensing, robotics, etc. Alpha's modular A-BUS offers a proven method to build your "custom" system today. Tomorrow, when you are ready to take another step, you will be able to add more functions. This is ideal for first time experimenting and teaching. A-BUS control can be entirely done in simple BASIC or Pascal, and no knowledge of electronics is reguired! An A-BUS system consists of the A-BUS adapter plugged into your computer and a cable to connect the Adapter to 1 or 2 A-BUS cards. The same cable will also fit an A-BUS Motherboard for expansion up to 25 cards in any combination. The A-BUS is backed by Alpha's continuing support (our 11th year, 50000 customers in over 60 countries). The complete set of A-BUS User's Manuals is available for $10. About the A-BUS: • All the A-BUS cards are very easy to use with any language that can reactor write to a Port or Memory. In BASIC, use INPand OUT (or PEEK and POKE with Apples and Tandy Color Computers) • They are all compatible with each other. You can mix and match up to 25 cards to fit your application. Card addresses are easily set with jumpers. • A-BUS cards are shipped with power supplies (except PD-123) and detailed manuals (including schematics and programming examples). Relay Card RE-140:$129 Includes eight industrial relays. (3 amp contacts. SPST) individually controlled and latched. 8 LED's show status. Easy to use (OUT or POKE in BASIC). Card address is jumper selectable. Reed Relay Card re-i56:$99 Same features as above, but uses 8 Reed Relays to switch low level signals (20mA max). Use as a channel selector, solid state relay driver, etc. Analog Input Card AD-142:$129 Eight analog inputs. 0 to +5V range can be expanded to 1 00V by adding a resistor. 8 bit resolution (20mV). Conversion time 120us. Perfect to measure voltage, temperature, light levels, pressure, etc. Very easy to use. 12 Bit A/D Converter AN-146:$139 This analog to digital converter is accurate to .025%. Input range is -4V to +4V. Resolution: 1 millivolt. The on board amplifier boosts signals up to 50 times to read microvolts. Conversion time is 1 30ms. Ideal for thermocouple, strain gauge, etc. 1 channel. (Expand to 8 channels using the RE-1 56 card). Digital Input Card in-i41:$59 The eight inputs are optically isolated, so it's safe and easy to connect any "on/off" devices, such as switches, thermostats, alarm loops, etc. to your computer. To read the eight inputs, simply use BASIC INP (or PEEK). 24 Line TTL I/O dg-i48:$65 Connect 24 input or output signals (switches or any TTL device) to your computer. The card can be set for: input, latched output, strobed output, strobed input, and/or bidirectional strobed I/O. Uses the 8255A chip. Clock with Alarm cl-i44:$89 Powerful clock/calendar with: battery backup for Time, Date and Alarm setting (time and date); built in alarm relay, led and buzzer; timing to 1/100 second. Easy to use decimal format. Lithium battery included. Touch Tone® Decoder ph-i45:$79 Each tone is converted into a number which is stored on the board. Simply read the number with INP or POKE. Use for remote control projects, etc. A-BUS Prototyping Card pr-i52:$is 3 'A by 4Vz in. with power and ground bus. Fits up to 10 I.C.s ST-143 CL-144 RE-140 IN-141 AD-142 Smart Stepper Controller sc-149: $299 World's finest stepper controller. On board microorocessor controls 4 motors simultaneously. Incredibly, it accepts plain English commands like "Move arm 1 0.2 inches left". Many complex sequences can be defined as "macros" and stored in the on board memory For each axis, you can control: coordinate (relative or absolute), ramping, speed, step type (half. full. wave), scale factor, units, holding power, etc. Many inputs: 8 limit & "wait until" switches, panic button, etc. On the fly reporting of position, speed, etc. On board drivers (350 mA) for small steppers (M0-1 03). Send for SC-1 49 flyer. Remote Control Keypad Option RC-1 21 : $49 To control the 4 motors directly, and "teach" sequences of motions. Power Driver Board Option PD-1 23: $89 Boost controller drive to 5 amps per phase. For two motors (eight drivers). Breakout Board Option BB-1 22: $1 9 For easy connection of 2 motors. 3 ft. cable ends with screw terminal board Stepper Motor Driver st-143:$79 Stepper motors are the ultimate in motion control. The special package (below) includes everything you need to get familiar with them. Each card drives two stepper mptors (1 2V, bidirectional. 4 phase. 350mA per phase). Special Package: 2 motors (MO-1 03) + ST-143: PA-1 81 : $99 Stepper Motors mo-1 03: $1 5 or4 tor$39 Pancake type. 2'A" dia, Vi" shaft, 7.57steo. 4 phase bidirectional. 300 step/sec. 1 2V, 36 ohm, bipolar. 5 oz-in torque, same as Airpax K82701 -P2. Current Developments Intelligent Veice Synthesizer, 1 4 Bit Analog to Digital converter, 4 Channel Digital to Analog converter. Counter Timer, Voice Recognition. A-BUS Adapters for: IBM PC. XT. AT and compatibles. Uses one short slot. AR-133 ..$69 Tandy 1000,1 000 EX& SX, 1 200, 3000. Usesone short slot AR-1 33.. $69 Apple II, II+. lie. Uses any slot. AR-134...S49 TRS-80 Model 1 02, 200 Plugs into 40 pin "system bus" AR-1 36.. .$69 Model 1 00. Uses40 pin socket, (Socket is duplicatedon adapter). AR-1 35. ..$69 TRS-80 Mod3.4,4D. Fits 50 Bin bus. (Wi Ih hard disk, use Y-cable) AR-132 ..$49 TRS-80 Model 4 P. Includes extra cable. (50 pin bus is recessed) AR-1 37...S62 TRS-80 Model I. Plugs into 40 pin I/O bus on KB or E/l. AR-1 31 ...$39 Color Computers (Tandy).Fits ROM slot. Multioak. or Y-cable AR-1 38. .$49 A-BUS Cable (3 ft, so cond.) ca-163: $24 Connects the A-BUS adapter to one A-BUS card or to first Motherboard. Special cable for two A-BUS cards: CA-1 62: $34 A-BUS Motherboard mb-i2o:$99 Each Motherboard holds five A-BUS cards. A sixth connector allows a second Motherboard to be added to the first (with connecting cable CA- 1 61 : $1 2). Up to five Motherboards can be joined this way to a single A- BUS adapter. Sturdy aluminum frame and card guides included. Add $3.00 per order for shipping. Visa, MC, checks, M.O. welcome. CT & NY residents add sales tax. C.O.D. add $3.00 extra. Canada: shipping is $5 Overseas add 10% ALPHA ^mshMk a Sigma mom» company 242- B West Avenue, Darien, CT 06820 Technical info: (203)656-1806 °A°$ 800 221-0916 Connecticut orders: (203) 348-9436 All lines open weekdays 9 to 5 Eastern time Circle 13 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 373 DATA SWITCHES DS 252 AS. 25 pin s19,s DS-254 ABCD, 25 pin.... s29" DS-362 AB, Centronics... s24*s DS-364 ABCD. Centronicss34" DS-902 AB. 9 pin s22" CB-252 Crossover, 25 pin. s29" CB-362 Crossover, Cenlronics s34" GENDER CHANGERS AND ADAPTERS GC-25MM DB25 HIM s4!s GC-25FF DB25F/F s4" GC09MM DB9 MJM s41! GC09FF DB9F/F s4!! FM0925 DB9FloDB25M....s6"s MF0925 DB9M(oDB25F....s6*! FM-Z536 DB25 F to 36 pin M..s7" 36 PIN CENTRONICS MALE TO MALE CABLES MM-3606 6 fool.. MM-3610 10 foot.. MM-3615 15 foot. MM-3625 25 foot. MM-3650 50 fool. S12»! s19e£ :s34si PRINTER CABLES IIM s4 PR-1806 6 fool s4's PR-1810 10 fool s7" PR-1815 15 foot "11" PR-1825 25 fool 519" PR-1850 50 fool s34'5 PR-RT06 6 foot right-angle. s9" RS-232MALETO MALE CABLES SC95 \J UP MM-2503 3 foot s5'! MM-2506 6 loot s6" MM-2510 10 foot s8,! MM-2515 15 foot s11,! MM-2525 25 foot s19'! MM'2550 50 foot S34B! PS/2 ADAPTERS AND EXTENSION CABLES $Q95 U up PS-0506 AT Keyboard to PS/2 Adapter s9"s PS-0915 0B9 Monitor to PS/2 Adapter s98i PS-6915 6' DB9 to 15pins11" PS-0606 6' PS/2 Keyboard Extension s8*s PS-1515 6' PS/2 Monitor Extension s9,s FLOPPY DISK CABINET c— - $2295 1 3 Drawers •Capacity 300 5'/." Diskettes » Sturdy wood-product con- struction with plastic drwrs '6!/."x 19'A"x12V."(HxWxD] •Will also hold compact discs • Pari Number: WD-30! RS-232MALETO FEMALE CABLES $C95 i U up MF-2506 6 loot. MF-2510 10 loot. MF-2515 15IOOI.. MF-2525 25 foot.. MF-2550 50 loot.. ,S11S! s19'- .534"! MONITORS KEYBOARD EXTENSION CABLES ~.b ' keyboard Exl..s49! KB-0512 12' keyboard Ext.. 7*! MR-0906 6' Monitor Ext... s5*! MR-0912 12' Monitor Ext... 58*! COMPUTER COVERS $495 t UP CC-050 64-Key Keyboard CC-051 101-Key Keyboard.... CC-080 Printer CC-100 Computer and Monitor CC-132 Wide Carriage Printer. CC-200 Monitor (small) CC-201 Monitor {large) CC-300 Computer (w/o Monitor) S49S 5495 s595 s8»5 Sg95 SC95 SR55 DISK DRIVE HEAD CLEANING KIT $495 *T UP • Easy to use • Contains cleaning diskettes and fluid • 15 cleanings DC-514For5V," Drives . ...s4" DC-312For3V Drives . ...s58i COMPUTER FLOOR STAND S-J495 •Adjustable Supports (4 '/."to 7'/.") • Accommodates both AT and XT compatibles • Molded Plastic Construction •Pari Number: CS-200 SURGE PROTECTOR POWER STRIP $Q95 ■ Six Outlets • Lighted Rocker Switch • 15 AMP Circuit Breaker • UL Approved • Part Number: SP-300 SURGE PROTECTOR POWER CENTER $2995 ******* • Six lighted rocker switches • 15AMPCircuil Breaker • To be placed under monitor • 12.1" x 2.1" x 13.6" (WxHxD) • UL Approved • Part Number: SP-500 COMPUTER STAND KEYBOARD DRAWER • Reinforced 20 gauge sieel platlorn • Ball bearing slides ■ Will hold keyboards up to 20"."x1D,.'.-x2,',!"(WxDxH) • Overall dimensions: 22"x15V."x3Vi"(WxDxH) • Part Number: KD-100 fcbnkis /Ttouse GM6+ PACKAGE WITH DR. HALO I • Genius 3-butlon Dyna Mouse • Dr. Halo III Software • Menu Maker Software • Mouse Pad • Mouse Pocket • 100-800 dots per inch • 25 pin female connector • Part Number: SM-600 HAND GRIP JOYSTICK $2495 • Three buttons •Suction cup feet • 4V2 foot cord • 15pinmaleconneclor • For use with IBM" and compatibles JS-909 Joystick S24B- CD-215Two Port Game Card s16fl! 120 CAPACITY 5 V DISKETTE CASE $Q95 • DH-070 5 V 70 capacity (lengthwise) • DH-120 5'V 120 capacity (side by side) •DH-350 3'V 50 capacity (lengthwise) • DH-351 3 V 100 capacity (side by side) sgss sg»5 sg»s SQ95 • VISA, MC. UPS COD. PREPAYMENT • SHIPPING: Exact UPS plus S1.90 per order handling • COD'S: S3.50 additional per shipping carton, cash or cashier's check • 15% restocking fee on return merchandise • Prices and availability subject to change (916)441-1568 HOURS: M-F 8 am • 5 pm PST National Computer Accessories 1609 Dreher Street, Unit E • Sacramento, CA 95814 1985 1986 1987 1988 Jan. $4.00 $6.00 $6.00 Feb. $4.00 $6.00 $6.00 March $4.00 $6.00 $6.00 $6.00 April $4.00 $6.00 $6.00 May $4.00 $6.00 $6.00 June $4.00 $6.00 $6.00 $6.00 July $6.00 $6.00 $6.00 Aug. $4.00 $6.00 $6.00 $6.00 Sept. $4.00 $6.00 $6.00 $6.00 Oct. $4.00 $6.00 $6.00 $6.00 Nov. $4.00 $6.00 Dec. $4.00 $6.00 $6.00 $6.00 BACK ISSUES FOR SALE SPECIAL ISSUES and INDEX BYTE '83-84 INDEX $3.00 BYTE 1985 INDEX $3.00 BYTE 1586 INDEX $3.00 BYTE 1987 INDEX $3.00 1985 INSIDE THE IBM PCs $4.00 1986 INSIDE THE IBM PCs $5.00 1987 INSIDE THE IBM PCs $6.00 1988 INSIDE THE IBM PCs $6.00 APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE TODAY SPECIAL $4.00 □ Check enclosed Payments from foreign countries must be made in US funds payable at a US bank, □ VISA □ MasterCard Card § Signature Circle and send requests with payments to: BYTE Back Issues One Phoenix Mill Lane Peterborough, NH 03458 (603) 924-9281 __ Exp. Date The above prices include postage in the US. Please add $ .50 per copy for Canada and Mexico; and S2.00 per copy to foreign countries (sur- face delivery). Please allow 4 weeks for domestic delivery and 22 weeks for foreign delivery. European customers please refer to Back Issue order form in International Advertising section of book. Name Address - — City State Zip 374 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 EDJTORS CHOICE We are proud to feature Top Performing Products at LOW PRICES! Computer Systems Jade Turbo XT *398 Jade Turbo 286 10 MHz s998 AST model 80/140/170 Call Everex 386 16 MHz *1848 Everex 386 20 MHz Call Compaq DeskPro Call Compaq Portables Call IBM PS/2 models 30/50/60/80 . . Call Disk Drives 360K half high s68 360K full high *88 TEAC 55 BV s78 1.2 MB for AT 588 314" 720K s88 314" 1.44 MB M18 5V4" ext. 360K for PS/2 s218 5%" ext. 1.2 MB for PS/2 s258 Hard Disk Drives 10 MB w/controller s198 20 MB w/controller s268 30 MB w/controller *288 40 M B w /control ler 5393 40 MB for AT 5333 ST 125 20 MB S248 ST 138 30 MB ^298 ST 251-1 40 MB s368 ST 251-1 40 MB M48 ST 4096 80 MB s548 Tape Back-up Mountain 40 MB XT ^378 Mountain 40 MB AT s378 Mountain external 40 MB s498 CMS 60 MB tape »498 Monitors Amdek 31 0A amber s98 Amdek 410A «145 14" amber flat screen s128 RGB 640 x 240 color s258 EGA 640 x 350 color *378 VGA 800 x 560 M88 NEC MultiSync GS M88 NEC MultiSync II '588 NEC MultiSync Plus s888 NEC MultiSync XL =2068 Mutsubishi Diamond Scan s498 Zenith 1490 flat *608 Terminals WYSE model 30 *288 WYSE model 50 *368 WYSE model 85 M38 Keyboards 84 Key AT-Style *68 101 Key Enhanced s78 Printers EPSON LX-800 9 PIN *188 EPSON FX-850 Call EPSON FX-1050 Call EPSON EX-800 Call EPSON FX-286e Call EPSON LQ-500 24 PIN *299 EPSON LQ-850 Call EPSON LQ-950 Call EPSON LQ-1050 Call EPSON LQ-2550 Call EPSON SQ-2500 s398 Okidata 320 *338 Okidata 321 H68 Okidata 390 «468 Okidata 391 *638 Okidata 393 sg28 Citizen 120D 5158 Citizen 180D S168 NEC P2200 *348 NEC P5200 551 8 NEC P5300 s688 Toshiba 321 SL M88 Toshiba 341 SL 5598 Toshiba 351 SX sg48 Diconix 150 Portable s308 Daisywheel Printer 40 CPS Parallel and Serial s298 Hewlett Packard DeskJet DeskJet sgg8 128K PDP Desk RAM 598 EPSON emulation cartridge ....s68 TMS RM/HELV Soft Font *98 Ink cartridge =19 Hewlett Packard LaserJet LaserJet II s1698 25 in One Font Cartridge *398 4MB card w/o memory S188 1 MB memory card s348 2 MB memory card 5543 4 MB memory card s1148 Toner cartridge *g8 Buffers EPSON/Comrex 128K sg8 Quadram Microfazer 8K s128 Quadram Microfazer 64K s128 Quadram Microfazer 128K $228 Quadram Microfazer 512K s598 Logical Connection 256K *448 Logical Connection 512K s528 Joystick Kraft 3 button Joystick s18 Kraft 3 button Joystick $28 Plotters Roland DXY-885 *898 Houston Instruments Call Hewlett Packard all models .... Call Cal Comp all models Call Scanner Logitech Scan Man s248 Diamond Flower 3000 Call Princeton LS-300 s760 Hewlett Packard ScanJet Call Microtek all models Call Dest 1020/2020 Call Digitizers Summa Sketch 12x12 !378 Summa Sketch 12 x 18 s638 Kurta all models Call Cal Comp all models Call with Software LogiTech LogiMouse Bus 578 LogiMouse Serial *78 LogiMouse Hi-rez $88 Mouse Systems PC Mouse with Paint S88 Microsoft Mouse w/Paintbrush s98 Mouse w/CAD M08 Mouse w/Window *128 Complete^ PC Complete Hand Scanner M78 Complete FAX Board $343 Complete Answering Machine .s248 Switch Boxes Parallel or Serial 2 way AB s28 3 way ABC *38 4 way ABCD 553 5 wayABCDE s68 Crossover X sg8 AutoSwitch 3 way s198 AutoSwitch 6 way s248 Cables 6' printer 512 10' printer «18 25' printer 28 9' serial *18 25' serial «28 50' serial *38 100' serial *58 Keyboard extender s1 2 Monitor extender s16 Printer extender s16 Modems 1200 internal w/software *58 2400 internal w/soflware s98 1 200 external s88 2400 external s158 2400 PS/2 internal M78 Intel 2400B for PS/2 S278 Intel Above board PC 64K s268 Above board 286 512K 5368 In board 386 S1098 8087 5 MHz sg8 8087-2 8 MHz s-|48 8087-1 10 MHz s-|98 80287-6 8 MHz si78 80287-8 10 MHz *238 80287-10 12 MHz =278 80387-16 16 MHz *448 80387-20 20 MHz >678 80387-25 25 MHz «878 Boards Monographics w/Parallel s48 Color Graphics w/Parallel s48 EGA card *138 VGA card =248 AST EGA Par/Ser/Clock s168 Dual game port *18 XT I/O Par/Ser/Clk/Game s58 AT I/O Par/Ser/Clk/Game s58 360/720K 1.2/1.44 MB M8 AT FDD/HD controller M28 XT Hard Disk controller s58 AST SixPak Plus S118 AST XFormer =578 Paradise auto EGA M58 Paradise VGA =258 Surge Protection Isobar 4 outlet »48 Isobar 8 outlet 68 Isobar modem protector s24 S.L. Waber 6 outlet si 8 Tripplite Battery Back-up 450 Watt UPS «398 750 Watt UPS Mg8 1200 Watt UPS s6g8 Tripplite Line Stabilizer 600 Watt LC '98 1200 Watt LC *158 1800 Watt LC «188 Accessories Kensington Master Piece s88 MicroSpeed PC-Trac Ball «78 Vertical CPU stand 18 Keyboard drawer *58 Monitor Tilt-n-Swivel s18 Printer muffler 80 *48 Printer muffler 132 *68 Printer stand 80 sg Printer stand 132 s14 4901 W. Rosecrans Ave. Box 5046 Hawthorne, California 90251-5046 California Torrance, Santa Ana, Woodland Hi Kearny Mesa, Sunnyvale Texas Addison, Houston Georgia Arizona Smyrna Phoenix Not all items in stock at our nine retail locations. JADE COMPUTER Place orders and use our technical support toll tree! Continental U.S.A. 1-800-421-5500 Inside Calitornia 1-800-262-1710 Fax machine 1-213-675-2522/AII others 1-213-973-7707 MMC We accept checks, credit card or purchase orders from qualified firms and institutions. No surcharge on credit card orders. CA., TX. GA. & AZ. residents add sales tax. Prices and Circle 147 on Reader Service Card availability subject to change without notice. Shipping and handling charges via UPS ground 500/lb. UPS air s1.00/lb. Minimum charge s3.00. DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 375 HARD DISK CONTROLLERS ADAPTEC PC/XT Controller ST506M12 145 2070 PC/XT to 506/412 RLL S69 2071 PC/XT 10 ST506 RLL (1 drive) S59 2072 PC/XT RLL S™ 2370 PC/XT 10 ST506 RLL 199 3530 SCSI 10 Tape CMC 36 S7B 4000 SCSI 10 ST506/412 $89 40O0A SCSI to ST506/412 S129 4070 SCSI to ST506/412 RLL S98 4520 SCSI to ESDI S98 5500 SCSI to ST506/412 S125 5580 SCSI to SMD S175 XEBEC S1410 SASI Controller $89 S1420 SASI to 5Va" Floppy & Hard Disk Controller . .$29 Apple II, lit, HE Host Adapter $29 OTHERS DTC 510A SASI controller $98 DTC 5187 AT to ST506/412, No Floppy $98 Konan DJ-210 354" SASI to ST506/412 (Xebec 1410 clone) $89 WD 1002-SHD Xebec Compatible SASI Controller . -$109 Western Digital 1003WAH $119 Manuals $8 each Cables Available Ask lor Pricing Hard Drives 20-380 MB Call Computer Surplus Store 715 Sycamore Dr. • Milpitas, CA 95035 Phone: 408-434-1060 Fax: 408-434-0931 Twx: 1561447 "We Buy and Sell" Circle 67 on Reader Service Card S^r Sure Ws insured? SAFEWARE® Insurance provides full replacement of hardware, media and purchased software. As little as $39/yr. covers: • Fire • Theft • Power Surges • Earthquake • Water Damage • Auto Accident For information or immediate coverage call: 1-800-848-3469 In Ohio call 1-614-262-0559 SAFEWARE, The Insurance Agency Inc. Circle 247 on Reader Service Card tynamu 'lectronics 23552 1 Commerce j Center Dr. ! Suiie 1. I LagunaHtlli CA "265.1 Stocking Distributor of Semiconductors 8087 • 5 • 8 • 10 80287 • 6 • 8 • 10 MEG 80287 80387 16 • 20 MEG 256K • 64K • 128K • V20 • V30 Fast* Reliable • Everytime I Phone: Fax: 714-855-0411 714-855-8504 No refund - exchange only - Exchange good lor 30 days unless manufacturer warranties merchandise longer Circle 95 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 96) The $595 Solution to 8051 Product Development The PDK51 is a powerful and economical choice for the development of 8051-based systems. The PDK51 is used with an IBM-PC or equivalent and includes: • SIBEC-II 8052 Basic Microcontroller • SXAS1 Cross Assembler • ROM-Based Monitor/Debugger • PROM Programmer • Power Supplies • Documentation, Tutorial and More Call Now! (603) 469-3232 Binary Technology, Inc. Main St., P.O. Box 67, Meriden, NH 03770 CI (0 (0 0 J 3 L All Items In Stock ~ 100% Guaranteed MC, VISA, COD Accepted H4 Hour Shipment Call For Our Monthly Specials 3.5" DS/DD ■ SONY 1-29 ■ DATASAFE 1-19 ■ TDK DS/HD 3.85 5.25" DS/HD ■ TDK 1.29 ■ DATASAFE .89 5.25" DS/DD ■ MAXELL .64 ■ VERBATIM .59 ■ 3M .57 ■ DATASAFE .35 Prices based on 200 Disks Includes Labels, Sleeves £ Tabs Smaller Quantities Available inNJ 800-426-0247 fax 201-B92-5655 S01-892-B186 PRINCETON \\\ DISKETTE 432 rVUcarthur Dr. ■ Brick, MJ 08724/ Circle 221 on Reader Service Card merican Semiconductor Complete units as low as XT, AT, & 386 Compatibles Not a Lease— You own it • 2,500 Service Centers! • Instant Credit! • Technical Support! Call for Details 1-800-825-SAVE Circle 20 on Reader Service Card Fix common problems fast! You don't need to be an expert to diagnose and correct problems involving PC setup. All you need is HELPME™ software! More than 300 tests. On-screen help for under- standing and correcting iden- tified problems. Quick identification of system con- figuration and compatibility. $99 plus shipping and han- dling. MC and VISA accepted. California Software Products, Inc., 525 N. Cabrillo Park Drive, Santa Ana, CA 92701 (714) 973-0440. Circle 51 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 52) DATA ACQUISITION TO GO INTERFACE FOR ANY COMPUTER FREE IBM SOFTWARE Connects via RS-232. Fully IBM com- patible. Built-in BASIC. Stand alone capability. Expandable. Battery Option. Basic system: 16 ch. 12 bit A/D, 2 ch. D/A, 32 bit Digital I/O. Expansion boards available. Direct Bus units for many computers. (201) 299-1615 P.O. Box 246, Morris Plains, NJ 07950 ELEXOR Circle 98 on Reader Service Card Communications Analyzer l 1 RS-232 I— ^-k Device - Monitors and stores to disk RS232 async data in real time - Dual line DCE over DTE format - Perform action on any data pattern - Interactive mode - Fully configurable, includes cables - For IBM/PC/XT/AT or compatibles Palladia!! $395.00 Technologies demo $10 Incorporated 1-800-537-5046 (301)576-0575 Circle 208 on Reader Service Card California Digital 17700 Figueroa Street • Carsoi Color Monitor Better Than fe£t.-.'.!JWr EGA '289 Ideal for CAD/CAM and Desk Top publishing applications- The Roland CD/240 color monitor has a resolution of 720 pixels by 400 lines on a .31 mm dot pitch 12" non-glare screen. VGA specifications in text mode EGA in graphic mode. Comparable monitor and card packages retail at over S1095. California Digital has made a special purchase and is able to offer the CD/240 and 1 32 column VGA/EGA graphic card (or only $389. 20" Analog Color '6$9 vm Ever try gathering a classroom of stu- dents around a 1 2 inch monitor? This 20 inch analog RGB monitor is the ideal solution. High screen resolution of 1 200 pixels by 950 lines allow extra fine detail without the dots looking like golf balls. 256 colors and VGA compatible. Super value originally sold for over $2000. Only 350 available. ali fornia 90248 teM v NEC/890 User Printer 329$ PC Magazine has chosen lhe'NEC-890 best laser printer of the year. (Jan. 12, 1988). And its obvious why... the printer is Post- script, Hewlett Packard, and Apple compatible, and comes stan- dard with three megabytes of memory. The 890 accepts data from parallel, serial and Apple-Talk devices. NEC has also incorporated 40 built-in fonts along with two paper trays into this industrial quality laserprinter. Hewlett Packard Laser II, 8 pages per minute $1659 QMS PS/810 2 Meg., 35 fonts, Postscript 8 pgs 3879 Apple Laser Writter II 1899 Texas Instruments 2115 Postscript 15 pgs 5426 QuadramQuadlaser with 5 megabytes 2995 40 Meg. Tape Back-up Hitachi CD-ROM '49$ • GO Compact disk is a relatively new medium for storage of read-only digital data. One removable disk is capable of storing over 500 megabyte of data on a disk the same size as an audio CD. The CDR-3500 will install in a PC in the space of one 5W drive. Other CD/ROM ProrJucls Available: Sony 51 0 internal S539; Amdek Laserdnve/1 system S679; Hitachi CDR-1503SUY external with IBM host adapter and MS ext. DOS $699; Panasonic WORM drive S1 895, «T- Head Crash, Power Spikes or just poor disk maiotenance... Don't loose data because you didn't back up. The All/40 is an inexpensive way to save and restore files in the event that your data has been distroyed. This 40 megabyte halt height tape back is manufactured by North Americas largest producer of data retrieval equipment. No need to purchase a separate tope controller... the ALL/40 attaches directly to your existing floppy disk controller. Supplied software allows your computer to back up any time Day or Night. Come back in the morning and 40 megabytes of irreplac- able data has been stored on one Scotch DC/2000 data cassette. Back up entire hard disk, modified files only, or by file name. Loss of data is inevitable but when you are backed up on an ALL/40 its not a catastrophe. *«K1 One Two Ten TEC501 W height sgl.side 49 39 35 TANDON101/4fullht.96TPI. 99 89 79 FUJITSU 51A" half height 65 63 57 MITSUBISHI new 501 half ht. 119 109 105 MITSUBISHI 504A AT comp. 149 139 135 TEACFD55BV half height 89 85 79 TEACFD55FV96TPI, halfht. 119 109 105 TEAC FD55GF for IBM AT 109 105 99 PANASONIC 455 Half Height 109 99 89 PANASONIC 475 1.2 Meg. /96 119 115 109 Switching power supply 49 Dual enclosure for 5'A" drives 59 3y2" DISK DRIVES SONY MP-53W 720K/Byte 129 125 119 SONY MP-73W, 2 Meg. TEAC35FN 720 K/Byte TEAC 35HN/30, 2 Meg. 5'A" form factor kit 159 149 call 129 119 115 159 149 145 20 8" DISK DRIVES QUME 842 double sided 189 179 175 QUME 841 single sided 119 109 99 SHUGART 851 Rdbl. sided 319 309 299 REMEXRFD4000dbl. sided 189 179 165 OLIVETTI851 189 179 165 Mutataim m '7$9 PRIIMTRONIX 4160 CAD . m**^ Printer *f£fy$> ?m The 41 60 is a bond paper printer that emulates the Versatec model V/80. 1 200A and 3200A plotters. This is the idea! heavy duty printer for CAD/CAM applica- tions. The perfect printer for high speed CAD proofs, bar codes, schematics or anywhere that fast graphic output is required. Other Printronix available: P300....S3795; • P600....S5795. Texas Instruments 4 ProCah 95 xoa 8$ The ProCalc 95 Scientific fea- tures a full alphanumeric key- board along with a two line dot matrix LCD display. Complete with hard carrying case. Texas Instruments original price S200. Now available from Calif- ornia Digital tor only S85, Printers S software cartridges available. ^00p£l*rS***$- hxtord Turn your PC into a FAX Machine! The FaxCard 200 gives you the capability oi sending and receiving World wide FAX transmissions. Preprogram your computer to send FAX messages to all your branch offices at a specific time. Foreground and background reception Man- ual auto dial and redial • Communication log look-up • Software compatible with PC paintbrush, Wordstar, Dr. Hallo and any AS- CII text editor- *m The Murala 1200 is a medium duty desktop copier and facsimile machine. Automatic record keeping of transmit and rece-ve reports. CCITT group II and group III compatible. Capable of scanning 10" documents. LCD display. Other FAX Equipment available: Canon Faxphone 20. ..51259; Panasonic 1 200.. .Si 1 59; Sharp 80 (flat copier). ..$395. Also: Ricoh; Toshiba; Brother; Cobra; NEC; Xerox; PacTel. 2400 Baud Modem 2400 baud with forward error correcting make the fvloxon MAX/2400 an unbe- lievable value at only S1 19. Fully compatible with the Hayes command set and CCITT V.22 standards. Error correcting, autobauding and "adaptive equali2alion" allow the MAX/2400 to maintain reliable data transmission over marginal phone lines. Manufactured by Maxon Systems, one of the Worlds largest producers of consumer electronics. Orginally priced at S295. While supplies last California Digital is offering the MAX/2400 at onlv Si 1 9. Hitachi 11 by 17 £Zf%JP Plotter m9OT> The Hitachi 672/XD is a four color 1 1 by 1 7 (B size) plotter with superior accuracy and repeatability (.3mm). The 672 accepts HPGL 7475 commands and is botn Centronics parallel and RS232C compatible. The 672 plots at a fast eighl Inches per second in axial direction and eleven inches at an angle of 45 degrees. The plotter also features a sell contained digitizing function that allows data to be entered into your computer from printed graphs and blue prints. Four different color pens are supplied with the plotter but a wide variety of technical pens are available. Heath HI 89 40 Megabyte Hard Disk Hit Forty megabyte internal hard disk drive, controller and cables all for only $397. The kit includes the a 40 mil- lisecond Miniscribe 3650 drive and a half slot Western Digital controller. #. 397 veamti/ify j — ^ Computer ]m '179 Hard lo believe... but we found a slash ol brand new Zenith/Heath Model H/89 computers. These computers leature the Zilog Z-80 CPU and operate under CP/M The unit incorporates a 12 inch green screen, three serial ports and one 5'/i" disk drive Zenith's original price was SI 895. We have 350 units available for sale, while supplies last we are offering the H/89 at only $179. Word processing and communication software included DIRECT MRRKET1HG ASSOCIftTIOH , I Five Inch Winchester Disk Drives Price does not include controller, each two+ SEAGATE 225 20 Meg. Va Ht. 239 229 SEAGATE 238 30 Meg. RLL 259 249 SEAGATE 251/151 M.28mS. 459 445 SEAGATE 4096 96 M.35mS. 659 639 MINISCRIBE 8425 25 M 65ms239 227 MINISCRIBE3650 50M 61ms. 419 399 MINISCRIBE 6085 90 meg. 795 779 MINISCRIBE305325 ms. 'Aht.459 439 FUJITSU 2242 55 M.35mS. 1299 1229 FUJITSU 2243 86 M.35mS. 1695 1619 R0DIME RO-204E 53 Meg. 895 859 MAXTOR XT1140 140 Meg. 1595 1550 MAXTOR XT2190 192 Meg. 1919 1875 TOSHIBA MK5670 M.30mS.1289 1229 CONTROL DATA WREN "V" call i Winchester Controllers lor IBM/PC • XEBEC 1220 with floppy controller 159 DTC 5150CX 119 OMTI 5527 RLL controller 99 ADAPTEC 2070 RLL controller 99 ADAPTEC 2372A 1/1 interleaf 159 WESTERN DIGITAL WD/1002WX2 89 WESTERN DIGITAL 1003WAH orWA2 139 WESTERN DIGITAL 1007/WA2 ESDI 239 • SCSI/SASI Winchester Controllers • XEBEC 1410A5V«" foot print 239 WESTERN DIGITAL 1002-05E5'/a" OMTI 20L 229 89 VISA 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Pacific Time Every year since 1 973, customers from virtually every nation in the free World have chosen California Digital for their data processing requirements. | If its computer, California Digital has it... complete minisystem or just one microchip. California Digital offers over 1 0,000 unique computer products. Regardless of how specialized your data processing requirements... California Digital is your one stop shopping solution. • Winchester Accessories • Doal floppy enc. and powersupply 59 Winchester enclosure and supply 139 Switching powersupply 49 TECHNICAL & CALIFORNIA (213)217-0500 TOLL FREE ORDER LINE (800)421-5041 Telefax • (213)217-1951 DECEMBER 1988 • B YT E 377 Back, by popular demand. Just a few years ago, illegal hunting and encroaching civilization had all but destroyed the alligator population in the south. They were added to the official list of endangered species in the United States. Now alligators have made a comeback. M Conservationists intent on preserving this legendary reptile helped the alligator get back on its feet Once again some southern swamps and marshes are teeming with alligators. With wise conservation policies, other endangered species have also made comebacks . . . the cougar, gray whale, Pacific walrus, wood duck, to name a few. If you want to help save our endangered species, join the National Wildlife Federation, Department 106, 1412 .«•»/. 1 6th Street, MW, 4SP%2> Washington, DC W*^l 20036' ! Parts, Components ACPhasthe West Coast's Largest MEMORY LOSS? Don't feel like the Lone Ranger... we are also suffering from loss of memory. ACP sells more Memory Upgrade IC's than other other mail order supplier.. .But!. ..the present shortage is driving us up a wall!. We can't get them at the right price, but we are getting them. PLEASE BEAR WITH US...as the market price comes down, so will our price! Selling Chips? Callus, we're buying. 14.95 DYNAMIC RAM SIMM 1 Mux9/IBM. 120ns '499.00 SIMM 1 Mbx8/APPL, 120ns 399.00 SIMM 256Kx9/IBM. 120ns 130.00 SIMM 1 Mbx8/APPL, 120ns 110.00 IMbiMMbx 1,100ns . IMbiMMbx 1,120ns . 1 Mbit 256Kx 4. 100ns 1Mbit256Kx4, 120ns •51258 256Kx1, 80ns •51258 256Kx1, 100ns. 41256 256Kx1,80ns.. 41256 256Kx1. 100ns. 41256 256Kx 1,120ns. 41256 256Kx 1.150ns +4126464Kx4, 120ns . 38.00 35.00 38.00 35.00 13.95 11.95 12.95 12.50 10.95 10.50 19.95 t41264 64Kx4. 150ns 41464 64Kx4.100ns. 41464 64Kx4, 120ns 41464 64Kx4, 150ns. . 4164 64kx1. 100ns .,, 4164 64kx1, 120ns ... 4 1 64 64k x 1 . 1 SOns ... 4164 16kx4. 120ns 1 Mb xi ZIP, 100ns ... 1 Mb x 1 S0J, 100ns ... IMbxlPLCC. 100ns.. 256Kx1 ZIP, 120ns... 256K x 1 PLCC, 120ns 256Kx1S0J, 120ns .. 74LS SERIES 27512 200ns 27512250ns 27C25632kxS, 150ns 27C256 32kx8. 200ns 27256 150ns 27256 200ns 27256 250ns 270128200ns .... 27128A16kx3. 150ns. 27128A16kx8, 200ns 27128A 161o<6. 250ns 27C64 SlkxB. 150ns 27C64 8kx8. 200ns . 2764 150ns 2764 200ns 2764 250ns 2732A 250ns 2732A 21V 200ns . . BEHBEBgMI 62256-32Kx8. 120ns .. '14.95 6264-8kx8. 150ns .. 9.95 62C64, 150ns ... 10.95 6116,2kx8, 150ns 7.95 68000 /8Mhz . 68010/8Mhz.. 68010/10Mhz . 68020/ 12Mliz, 68020/ 16Mhz. 68450 49.95 6881 M2Mnz 179.95 6881 /16Mhz 219.95 ■ I I I I I I I I I — 80387-20 '729.00 80386-16/20 call. . call. . 3.75 3.35 . 2.95 . 8.95 39.00 42.00 42.00 12.95 13.95 13.95 13.95 12.95 8.95 5.95 8.95 5.95 5.50 5.95 0.95 5.75 4.95 5.95 4.95 5.95 4.95 3.95 4.95 5.95 '12.95 19.95 39.95 149.95 249.95 80387-16 80287-10 469.00 285.00 80386-20 235.00 V-308Mf!Z. 159.00 V-20 10Mhz 8087-1 /8Mbz 189.00 V-2Q8Mti? 8087-2/1 OMhz 145.00 8087 (5 Mhz) 99.00 729.00 469.00 12.95 12.95 10.95 6.50 JUUIJ 7220. B0C31 80C35 8035 8039 . 8049 . 80C85A 8085A CA3086 CA30B9 ... CA3403 LF347N . .. LF348N LF356H . . . .. LF441 LM301. . . LM309K . ... LM317K .... LM317T ... LM318 LM319... LM320T-XX. LM320K-XX LM323-K LM324 . LM335D2 ... LM336D2 LM337H LM337K ... LM338K . . .. LM340T-XX LM340K-XX LM358 . LM376 2.49 8226 2.95 8283. 1.95 8237A-5 . 4.50 8284A 3.95 82C51A ... 3.95 8286 2.95 8251A .... . 2.95 8287 5.95 82C53-5 . . 3.95 8288 4.9b 8253-5 . . . 2.95 8748. b.bu 82C55A-5. . 3.95 8749. 5.95 8255A-2 . 3.95 8755 4.yb LU3900 LM3909 .30 I.M3911 .30 LM3914. .30 LM3915 .60 LM3916 .65 LM4024 1.49 LM4044 3.29 LM4136 1.95 LM4558 1.25 LM7555 1.95 LM7556 LM1372 2.25 LM7660 LM1408L8 . . 2.50 LM7663 LM1458 40 LM78H05 LM1488 60 LM78H12 LM1489 60 LM8038 LM566 LM567 LM723 LM733 LM741 LM747 LM748 LM1414 LM1B86 LM1330 LM1350 LMI358 4.95 LM1889 LM2003 LM2206 LM2111 6.95 LM2211 •60 LM2240 1.35 LM2900 -45 LM2901 1.69 LM2917 1.29 TDA11 ■*!*H =1:11*1 59 74F241 '59 74F243 '59 74F244 '59 74F245 '59 74F251 '59 74F258 '59 74F280 '69 74F373 ' 74F374 . 74F379 2 99 74F399 499 74F521 ,',9 74F533 ' 74F534 LM380 95 LM3045 LM386 95 LM3054 LM393 65 LM3079 .... 1.49 TL082 . . LM497 ... 2.50 LM3130 .95 TL084 . . LM565 30 LM3140 95 ULN2003 LM556 .45 L.M3160 .1.95 ULN2064 LM558 85 LM3161 1.95 ULM2074 LM564 ..... 2.75 LM3162, . 1.95 ULN2061 LM565 ... 1.50 LM3852 . .1.49 ULN2981 Mail Order: P.O. Box 17329 Irvine. CA 92713 Retail: 1310-B E. Edinger. Santa Ana. CA 92705 NEW PHONE FOR ALL USA 800-FONE ACP 800-366-3227 • 714-558-8813 t^K Advanced Computer Products. Inc. Authorized Dealers lor Hyundai • AST ■ Epson • Oilmen * NEC ■ Qkidat.i • Sony • Maxell • Seagate * Toshiba ■ Sharp • Magnavox / ' • ACP Heiail pricing may vary, Not responsible^ for typos. • Supply timiited on certain items £ • Pricing subject to change without notice 378 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 Circle 28 on Reader Service Card the Complete FAX!£% m fa /vew-349. CFAX/CFAX 4800 i PC FAX Card 48,000bps CFAX/CFAX 4800 with a 4,800bps facsimile modem and an optional 2,400bps Hayes© compatible modem. Fax to any Group III. Card + software included. s^r^J CHS 200dpi "i 7Q ^H Hand Scanner Uwi m^, a.:> Scans any image up to 2.5"x10" at 200 dpi resolution. Software allows edit and merge. ..use like a mouse. LOW COST COMPATIBLE CARDS ACP Advanced Cards/IBM Monographics/HGA w/prinl port . . 55. Colorgraphics w/prmier port 55. SuperEGA. Genoa Compatible ,. 149. SuperVGA, 1024x768 269. Diamond Multi l/0,2s,p,g,c/XT. . 139. XT Six-Pak compatible/OK 89. XT 286 Accelerator card 269. XT Multi I/O w/lloppy contr 69. XT dual Floppy controller 29, XT Serial I/O card 29. XT/AT Parallel I/O card 29. AT Serial I/O card 39. XT/AT Game adapter port 29, XT/AT EPROM programmer. . . 149. XT floppy conlroller. 1 ,44Mb AT3.0Mbw/Multil/O.0K AT SuperMULTI l/Ow/lloppy PS/2 Multi I/O PS/2 Floppy conlroller 1 4Mb. HP Laserjet 1Mb Ram card MOTHERBOARDS XT Turbo w/BIOS, 8MHz . XT Turbo w/BIOS, 10MHz . . AT 286 w/BIOS, 10 MHz . AT Baby w/BIOS, 12MHz . AT 386 w/BIOS, 16MHz . . Special Buy!!! DPI Hand Scanner (4") ..... 199. 119. 279. 299. .1499. Your Choice... Advantage AT or Rampage AT 99. OJADFV\M Silver Quad OQ (Sixpak compat'hlfi) D^jJ b Liberty XT, EMS s89. Quadsprint Accellerator....s89. EXPANSION CARDS AST Research X1ormer/286,512K, 10MHz.. Advantage 2/386,mod.8D.1 Mb Advantage 2/286, PS/2, OK , . Advantage Premium 286.512K. Rampage 2/286.PS/2.512K. . Rampage 286, 512K ASTSixpakplus.OK ATI Technologies EGA Wonder 800 VGA/VIP 2400etcinl. Modem w/MNP-5 GENOA Super EGA/Hi-Res Super VGA/1 024x768 Super VGA/Hi-Res INTEL Inboard 386/PC to 386 Inboard 386/AT with cable... . Above Board PS/286. 51 2K ... Above Board 2BB.AT.512K Above Board 2, 512, PS/2 .... 8087 (5MHz) 8087-1 (10MHz) 8087-2 (8MHz) call. 725. 349. 389. 499. 199. 349. 449. 975. 1175. . 475. 379. 475. 102. 205. 158. (6MHz) (8MHz) 80287-10 (10MHz) 80337-16 (16MHz) 80387-20 (20MHz) ORCHID Technology Tiny Turbo 286 -REDUCED! . . Designer VGA Board Designer VGA-2, PS/2 Board RAMQUEST 50/PS/2, 2Mb.,. PARADISE Autoswitch 480 VGA Plus OUADRAM Ouad386XT Prcsync(640x480.752x410)EGA Quad VGA Microfazerll buffer w/64K Quadspnnl XT accelerator Liberty EMS XT card, OK 89. Silver Quadboard, Sixpak comp. ... 89. VIDEO 7 VEGA Deluxe 219. Vega VGA 299. V-RAM VGA/AT 549. 185. 255. 309. 549. 799. 299. 319. 499. 699. 199. 299. 799. 269. 299. 269. ONUMONICS SPECIAL PURCHASE!! CORPORATION Cordless Mouse QQ95 Includes drivers, charger, reciever. ^TM^TM T-mouseS PC Paint Manager Mouse Includes drivers, charger, reciever. T-mouse & PC Pain! 59 Reg. 199.95 95 149.95 MICE • JOYSTICK • KEYBOARDS Advanced PC Keyboards 5160 84key XT/ATswitchable .. 59, 5161 1 01 key XT/ATswirchable .... 79. CH Products Mach II Joystick-IBM 30. Mach III Joystick-IBM 44. Gamecard Ill/IBM 44. KEYTRONICS KB101 101 key/AT 97. KB5151 99 key deluxe 135. KRAFT IBM PC/XT/AT Joystick/3 button , 24. LOGITECH^ Bus Mouse PC/XT/AT Serial Mouse PC/XT/AT . ... Serial Mouse PS/2 MICROSOFT Bus Mouse w/PC Paintbrush . . Serial Mouse w/PC Paintbrush . Serial PS/2 w/PC Paintbrush . . MSC Technologies PC Mouse serial PC/XT/AT , . . PS/2 Mouse serial PC Mouse bus PC/XT/AT .... SUMMAGRAPHICS SummaSketch Plus/IBM. ... ] Box of | 10. $9 ~ Qty. 5 Quantity of 1 to4, only 7.50 each Hereto choose... i Polaroid® DataRescue7 •3-5"DS/DDiMb 1|-|^ IBM DS/DD Gray Disks .3.5" HD 2MD...-.--J ■ . I Backed by DATARESCUE.. Polaroid v .5.25" HD VDlNro^X-Jretreive your data FREE if yiu lose it! ACP Super Sale Priced! 1.2Mb AT Floppy Drive Gray bezel, P/N ND-08DE-G V^^-^-^ftMAX/Advanced 286/10 MHz BareBones Includes 101-key keyboard, 1.2Mb floppy, floppy/HD controller card, OK expands to 1 Meg. Call for Custom Configurations... FLOPPY D SC DR VES PRINTERS SONY 31/2'Micro Floppy 1.44Mb TEAC 55BV 360K Floppy/ PC/XT/ AT TOSHIBA AMERICA FDD4403 31/2" Micro 720K . . 31/2" Micro M<1Mb w/kil. . .. ND04D360KFIoppyPC/X1 , . ND04E-G 360K Floppy AT gray ND08DE-G 1.2Mb AT gray .... ADVANCED 360K Floppy-Black Bezel 1,2Mb Floppy-Black Bezel 3.5' 1.44Mb Floppy w/kit 3.5" 720K Floppy w/kit 85Mb Hard Drive fS^fft Includes EDSI AT Controller... "7QSZ ACP's Special IZKtm Year-End Sale 20MbHar Drive Kit 20 M&Hard Card At this low low price, you can't afford not to buy one 288, DICONICS/KODAK 150P Portable printer(par) 300P w/wide carriage(par) EPSON LX800 BOcolumn, 180cps 209. EXB00,FX286e,FXa6e,LQ850, LQ1050.LQ500, etc call. ACP is your lull line Epson dealer HEWLETT PACKARD Laserjet Series II Deskjet w/laser quality Scanjet llalbed scanner IBM PRINTERS Proprirtter II, 240cps ProprinterX24.240cps24pin Proprirtter XL24, 240cps 24pin 339. 539. call. 895. call. 435. 635. 835. NEC P2200, 24pin(360x360dpi) LC39Q Silenrwriter Laser . . . 399. 3395. OKIDATA ML393.180cpsNLQ Laserline 6 (req.lBM int.) PANASONIC KX-P1091i,192cpsdratl,par KX-P1092i,240cpsdran.132 KX-P1524,24pin,80cpsNLO TOSHIBA P321SL,24pin,216cps P341SL,24pin.216cps P351SX/351C 999./1099. Pagelaser 12, High volume 2299, 995. 1399. 339. 549. 499. 699. HARD DISK DRIVES MICROPOL1S 1333A'53Mb.Fullht.,30ms 1335/85Mb,Full hl„65ms MAXTOR XT 1085/85Mb,MFM XT 11407143Mb, MFM XT 4380/380Mb, ESDI PLUS Development Plus20 Hardcard, 20Mb,49ms. . . Plus40 Hardcard, 40Mb.39ms. . SEAGATE ST225 25Mb, 65ms. wAM3co.nl ST138 38Mb New! 31/2V 849. 1495. 2995. 549. 699. 299. FNewM- ! I Backup your data wit ^^H ^H removable cassettes. ^^H Hi^ your choice Model 1040i ^^^^ XT/AT, 1040 PS/2, Call for other models and external systems... ST238 38Mb,65ms.wAVDRLL ST251 51Mb.40ms ST251-1 51Mb.28ms ST4038 38Mb,40ms-R£Oi/C£Or. ST4096 96Mb.2Bms-flEot/e£D.'. WESTERN DIGITAL FilecardPS30 PS/2mod,25/30 .. Fi!ecard30 1006RAH Contr. 1:1inlerleave . . 1003RAH Controller RLL/AT ... 1003WA2Floppy/Hard/AT 1002-27X Conlroller RLL/XT. 1002-WX1 Controller/XT CITIZEN • 120d ^i80d 189. CITIZEN MODEMS 389. 399. Advanced MODEMS 120QtKuidw/so!tware(int) ..... I200baud External 2400baud w/software(int) 2400baud External HAYES Smartmodem 2400B w/sw(int) . Smartmodem 2400 External 447. 447. MIGENT Pocket MO0EM 1200 PROMETHEUS 2400G External 2400B/2 w/software (int) .. . 2400PS PS/2 w/software(in1) . 1200B/2w/sottware(in!)sale! .. Tallgrass Technologies NEW! 40Mb TAPE BACKUP!! 338. MONITORS TAPE BACKUP/VIDEO ALPHAMICRO VCR Video tape backup card IOMEGA Bernoulli 20Mb 51/4" internal. . Bernoulli 20Mb 51/4'ext Tn-pak20Mbcartridge,51/4" Tri-pak 20Mb cartridge, 8' .... PC3B Adapter card PC/XT/AT PS4 AdapterPS/2mod.50,60,80 110DXT/AT10Mbbackup(inl) 120DAT20Mbbackup(int] . . . 145CAT40Mbbackup(int) 499. TALLGRASS Technologies 1020iXT20Mbbackijp(int) 319. 1040i AT 40Mb backup(int) . (see box) 1040iXT40Mbbackuo(inl) . {see box) AMDEK VIDEO 310A 12" amber TTL 99. 410A 12"amber grn or white 153. 12801 3" graphics(1 280x800). ... 799. LaserDrive CD ROMw/Mic'soft 899. IBM MONITORS 8503 12' Mono(640X480) .... 228. 851214"Color analog 527. 8513l2-EGA(640x480) 595. 8514 16-Hi-res(1024x7&8).... 1395. MAGNAVOX Mulliscan 14" EGA 399. CGA 13' color 288. TTL Mono 12' grn or amber 89. NEC Multisync II 1 3' TTL/analog . . Multisync Plus 15' VGA/EGA. Multisync XL 20"(1024x768) . Monograph sys {1024x1024). . SAMSUNG/LTI/IMTEC 14' Multisync (NEC Compat.) Mono 12" amber TTL CGA 14- RGB Color ....... EGA 14' EGA'CGA Color . VGA14" Color WYSE WY30 14' terminal WY5014" terminal WY6014" terminal ASCII... . 595. 945. 2275. 1555. 349. 419. 519. from RAY-O-VAC® ACP's Special Introductory Price. AT Replacement Battery Direct replacement for AT/286/386 real-time clocks 9* Look at these Deals. ..ACP--#1 in Toshiba T-1200F reg. $2099 ACP 1399. T-1200H reg. $3499 ACP 2395. T-3100/20 reg. $4699 ACP 2995. T-3200 reg. $5799 ACP 3995. T-5100 reg. $7499 ACP 4995. SOFTWARE 'SPECIALS!! Lotus 1-2-3 325. Ventura 499. PageMaker 499. Word Perfect 239. Excel 299. ACP's Sale Price 439 MULTISYNCH |\^ O ^ | JO p (Multisyncn Compatible) s5* Advanced Computer Products. Inc. Authorized Dealers (or Hyundai * AST • Epson • Citizen • NEC * Okidata ■ Sony • Maxell • Seagate ■ Toshiba • Sharp • Magnavox Mail Order: P.O. Box I7329 Irvine. CA 92713 Retail: 1310-B E. Edinger. Sanla Ana. CA 92705 for Fast Service Order by Phone! NEW PHONE FOR ALL USA 800-FONE ACP 800-366-3227 • 714-558-8813 • $25 00 Minimum MAIL ORDER • No Surcharge for VISA or Mastercard L • Volume purchasing agreements available • Orders subject to availability • Pricing subject !o change without notice • Supply limlited on cerlain items • ACP Retail store pricing may vary Nol responsible for lypos. • Limited warranties and other condilions may apply Call for Corporate VPA's. Circle 28 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 379 MICROCOMPUTER MARKETING COUNCIL JDR Microdevices ® 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE ■ 1 YEAR WARRANTY ON ALL PRODUCTS • TOLL-FREE TECHNICAL SUPPORT COMPLETE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ■ SUPERIOR SERVICE ■ FRIENDLY, KNOWLEDGEABLE SALES STAFF STATIC RAMS PART SIZE SPEED PRICE PART SIZE SPEED 2112 256x4 450ns 2.99 4116-200 16384x1 200ns 2114 1024x4 450ns .99 4116-150 16384x1 150ns 2114L-2 1024x4 200ns 1.49 MK4332 32768x1 200ns TC5516 2048x8 250ns 3.95 4164-150 65536x1 150ns TMM201 6-200 2048x8 200ns 3.25 4164-120 65536x1 120ns TMH2016-150 2048x8 150ns 3.29 4164-100 65536x1 100ns TMM2016-100 2048x8 100ns 4.29 TMS4164 65536x1 150ns HM6116-4 2048x8 200ns 4.95 TMS4416 16384x4 150ns HM6116-3 2048x8 150ns 5.95 41128-150 131072x1 150ns HM6116-2 2048x8 120ns 6.45 TMS4464-15 65536x4 150ns HM6116LP-4 2048x8 200ns 5.95 TMS4464-12 65536x4 120ns HM6I16LP-3 2048x8 150ns 6.45 41256-150 262144x1 150ns HM6116LP-2 2048x8 120ns 6.95 41256-120 262144x1 120ns HM6264LP-15 8192x8 150ns 9.95 41256-100 262144x1 100ns HM6264LP-12 8192x8 120ns 10.95 41256-80 262144x1 80ns HM43256LP-15 32768x8 150ns 12.95 HM51258-100 262144x1 100ns HM43256LP-12 32768x8 120ns 14.95 1 MB-120 1048576x1 120ns HM43256LP-10 32768x8 100ns 19.95 1 MB-100 1048576x1 100ns DYNAMIC RAMS 6.95 2.89 3.19 3.95 2.89 8.95 5.95 10.95 11.95 12.45 12.95 13.45 13.95 13.95 34.95 37.95 m CALL TO CONFIRM CURRENT PRICES ■ CALL TO CONFIRM CURRENT PRICES EPROMS PART SIZE SPEED Vpp PRICE 2708 1024x8 450ns 25V 4.95 2716 2048X8 450ns 25V 3.49 2716-1 2048x8 350ns 2SV 3.95 2732 4096x8 450ns 25V 3.95 2732A 4096x8 250ns 21V 3.95 27C64 8192x8 250ns 12.5V 4.95 2764 8192x8 450ns 12.5V 3.49 2764-250 8192x8 250ns 12.5V 3.69 2764-200 8192x8 200ns 12.5V 4.25 MCM68766 8192x8 350ns 21V 15.95 27128 16384x8 250ns 12.5V 4.95 27128A-200 16384x8 200ns 12.5V 5.95 27C256 32768x8 250ns 12.5V 7.95 27256 32768x8 250ns 12.5V 5.95 27256-200 32768x8 200ns 12.5V 7.95 27512 65536x8 250ns 12.5V 11.95 27C512 65536x8 250ns 12.5V 12.95 27C101-20 131072X8 200ns 12.5V 34.95 CALL TO CONFIRM CURRENT PRICES . CO-PROCESSORS 8087 5 MHz 99.95 8087-2 8 MHz 139.95 8087-1 10 MHz 194.95 80287 6 MHz 159.95 80287-8 8 MHz 229.95 80287-10 10 MHz 289.95 80387-16 16 MHz 449.95 80387-20 20 MHz 599.95 80387-25 25 MHz 699.95 amw<> I iny i 5 4* / YEAR ^7 WARRANTY INCLUDES MANUAL S SOFTWARE GUIDE CALL OUR WHOLESALE OEPT. ORDER TOLL FREE MICROPROCESSORS Esaa 8000 Bsaa 6502 2.25 8031 3.95 8253-5 1.95 6502A 2.69 8035 1.49 8254 2.79 6502B 4.25 8039 1.95 8255 1.49 65C02- 7.95 8052AH 8255-5 1.59 6520 1.65 BASIC 34.95 8256 15.95 6522 2.95 8080 2.49 6259 1.95 6522A 5.95 8085 1.95 8259-5 2.29 6526 13.95 8085A-2 3.75 8272 4.39 6532 5.95 8086 6.49 8274 4.95 6545A 3.95 8088 5.99 8275 16.95 6551 2.95 8088-1 12.95 8279 2.49 6551 A 6.95 0088-2 7.95 8279-5 2.95 •CMOS 8155 2.49 8282 3.95 8156 2.95 8283 3.95 8155-2 3.95 8284 2.25 8741 9.95 8286 3.95 8742 29.95 8287 3.95 EBOO 8748 8749 7.95 9.95 8288 4.95 6800 6802 6803 1.95 2.95 3.95 8755 80286 80286-8 14.95 79.95 249.95 Z-BO 6809 2.95 Z80-CPU 1.25 68B09 6809E 5.99 2.95 8BOO Z80A-CPU 1.29 Z80B-CPU 2.75 68B09E 5.49 8205 3.29 Z80A-CTC 1.69 6810 1.95 8212 1.49 Z80B-CTC 4.25 6820 2.95 8216 1.49 Z80A-DART 5.95 6821 1.25 8224 2.25 Z80B-DART 6.95 68B21 1.85 8228 2.25 Z80A-DMA 5.95 6840 3.95 8237 3.95 Z80A-P1O 1.89 6845 2.75 8237-5 4.75 Z80B-P10 4.25 68B45 4.95 8238 4.49 ZSOA-SIO/0 5.95 6847 4.75 8243 1.95 Z80B-SIO/0 12.95 6850 1.95 8250 6.95 Z80A-SIO/1 5.95 68B50 1.75 8251 1.29 Z80A-SIO/2 5.95 6883 22.95 8251 A 1.69 Z80B-SIO/2 12.95 L 68000 9.95 8253 1.59 Z8671 BASIC 9.95 LINEAR COMPONENTS TL071 .69 LM380 .89 XR2206 3.95 TL072 1.09 LM383 1.95 XR2211 2.95 TL074 1.95 LM386 .89 LM2917 1.95 TL061 .59 LM393 .45 CA3046 .89 TL082 .99 LM394H 5.95 CA3146 1.29 TL084 1.49 LM399H 5.95 MC3373 1.29 LM301 .34 TL494 4.20 MC3470 1.95 LM309K 1.25 TL497 3.25 MC3480 8.95 LM310 1.75 NE555 .29 MC3487 2.95 LM311 .59 NE556 .49 LM3900 .49 LM311H .89 NE558 .79 LM3909 .98 LM311K 3.49 NE564 1.95 LM3911 2.25 LM312H 1.75 LM565 .95 LM3914 1.89 LM317T .69 LM566 1.49 LM3915 1.89 LM318 1.49 LM567 .79 MC4024 3.49 LM319 1.25 NE570 2.95 MC4044 3.99 LM323K 3.49 NE590 2.50 RC4136 1.25 LM324 .34 NE592 .98 RC4558 .69 LM331 3.95 LM723 .49 LM1360 1.49 LM334 1.19 LM733 .98 75107 1.49 LM335 1.79 LM741 .29 75108 1.49 LM336 1.75 LM747 .69 75110 1.95 LM338K 4.49 MC1330 1.69 75150 1.95 LM339 .59 MC1350 1.19 75154 1.95 LF347 2.19 LM1458 .35 75188 1.25 LF353 .59 LM1488 .49 75189 1.25 LF356 S3 LM1489 .49 75451 .39 LF357 .99 LM1496 .05 75452 .39 LM358 .59 ULN2003 .79 75477 1.29 KiGM-T* SPCmtGHT SCSI HOST ADAPTOR $43. 35 30 DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE TOLL-FREE TECHNICAL SUPPORT 74LSOO TTL LOGIC HIGH SPEED CMOS LOGIC 74HC00 .21 74HC244 .85 74HCT138 .35 74HC04 .25 74HC245 .85 74HCT139 .55 74HC08 .25 74HC273 .69 74HCT157 .59 74HC14 .35 74HC367 .69 74HCT161 .79 74HC32 .35 74HC373 .69 74HCT240 .89 74HC74 .35 74HC390 .79 74HCT244 .89 74HC138 .45 74HC374 .69 74HCT245 .99 74HC139 .45 74HC4040 .89 74HCT273 .99 74HC154 1.09 74HCT00 .25 74HCT373 .99 74HC157 .55 74HCT04 .27 74HCT374 .99 74HC161 .65 74HCT08 .25 74HCT393 .99 74HC164 .65 74HCT32 .27 74HCT4040 .99 74HC175 .59 74HCT74 .45 74HCT4060 1.49 STANDARD CMOS LOGIC ' 4001 .19 4028 .65 4069 .19 4011 .19 4040 .69 4070 .29 4013 .35 4042 .59 4081 .22 4015 .29 4044 .69 4093 .49 4016 .29 4046 .69 14411 9.95 4017 .49 4047 .69 14433 14.95 4018 .69 4049 .29 14497 6.95 4020 .59 4050 .29 4503 .49 4021 .59 4051 .69 4511 .69 4023 .25 4052 .69 4518 .85 4024 .49 4053 .69 4528 .79 4025 .25 4060 .69 4538 .95 4027 .39 4066 .29 4702 9.95 74LS00 .16 74LS112 .29 74LS241 .69 74LS01 .18 74LS122 .45 74LS242 .69 74LS02 .17 74LS123 .49 74LS243 .69 74LS03 .18 74LS124 2.75 74LS244 .69 74LS04 .16 74LS125 .39 74LS245 .79 74LS05 .18 74LS126 .39 74LS251 .49 74LS08 .18 74LS132 .39 74LS253 .49 74LS09 .18 74LS133 .49 74LS257 .39 74LS10 .16 74LS136 .39 74LS258 .49 74LS11 .22 74LS138 .39 74LS259 1.29 74LS12 .22 74LS139 .39 74LS260 .49 74LS13 .28 74LS145 .99 74LS266 .39 74LS14 .39 74LS147 .99 74LS273 .79 74LS15 .26 74LS148 .99 74LS279 .39 74LS20 .17 74LS151 .39 74LS280 1.98 74LS21 .22 74LS153 .39 74LS2S3 .59 74LS22 .22 74LS154 1.49 74LS290 .69 74LS27 .23 74LS155 .59 74LS293 .89 74LS28 .26 74LS156 .49 74LS299 1.49 74LS30 .17 74LS157 .35 74LS322 3.95 74LS32 .18 74LS158 .29 74LS323 2.49 74LS33 .28 74LS160 .29 74LS365 .39 74LS37 .26 74LS161 .39 74LS367 .39 74LS38 .26 74LS162 .49 74LS368 .39 74LS42 .39 74LS163 .39 74LS373 .79 74LS47 .75 74LS164 .49 74LS374 .79 74LS48 .85 74LS165 .65 74LS375 .95 74LS51 .17 74LS166 .95 74LS377 .79 74LS73 .29 74LS169 .95 74LS390 1.19 74LS74 .24 74LS173 .49 74LS393 .79 74LS75 .29 74LS174 .39 74LS541 1.49 74LS76 .29 74LS175 .39 74LS624 1.95 74LS83 .49 74LS191 .49 74LSS40 .99 74LS85 .49 74LS192 .69 74LS645 .99 74LS86 .22 74LS193 .69 74LS670 .89 74LS90 .39 74LS194 .69 74LS682 3.20 74LS92 .49 74LS195 .69 74LS688 2.40 74LS93 .39 74LS196 .59 74LS783 22.95 74LS95 .49 74LS197 .59 25LS2521 2.80 74LS107 .34 74LS221 .59 26LS31 1.95 74LS109 .36 74LS240 .69 26LS32 1.95 7400 SERIES LOGIC 725A. *12V@2A, -12V @ 1A > *5V@5A. IF +12 NOT USED PS-ASTEC $24.95 DISK CONTROLLERS 4.95 9.95 9.95 12.95 12.95 19.95 19.95 2797 29.95 8272 4.39 UPD765 4.39 MB8876 12.95 MB8877 12.95 1691 6.95 2143 6.95 IDC CONNECTORS I RIBBON CABLE DESCRIPTION SOI DFR HFADFR RIGHT ANRLF SOI DFR HFAnFR WIRFWRAP HFADRR RIGHT ANGLE WIREWRAP HEADER SOCK RIBBON HEADER RIBBON EDGE CARD 10' PLASTIC RIBBON CABLE CONTACTS ?n I ?fi I 34 | in jQ_ m J3J9. .6.63 7.30 JL6S_ 8.50 FOR ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS. SEE D-SUBMINIATURE CONNECTORS BELOW D-SUBMINIATURE CONNECTORS DESCRIPTION ORDER BY CONTACTS 9 15 19 25 37 50 SOLDER CUP MALE DBxxP .45 .59 .69 .69 1.35 1.85 FEMALE DBxxS .49 .69 .75 .75 1.39 2.29 RIGHT ANGLE PC SOLDER MALE DBxxPR .49 .69 -- .79 2.27 - FEMALE DBxxSR .55 .75 .85 2.49 WIREWRAP MALE DBxxPWW 1.69 2.56 3.89 5.60 - FEMALE DBxxSWW 2.76 4.27 6.84 9.95 - IDC RIBBON CABLE MALE IDBxxP 1.39 1.99 2.25 4.25 - FEMALE IDBxxS 1.45 2.05 2.35 4.49 _ HOODS METAL MHOODxx 1.05 1.15 1.25 1.25 - PLASTIC HOODxx .39 .39 - .39 .69 .75 ORDERING INSTRUCTION S: INSERT THE NUMBER OF CONTACTS IN THE POSITION MARKED "xx" OF THE 'ORDER BY- PART NUMBER LISTED. EXAMPLE :A1S PIN RIGHT ANGLE MALE PC SOLDER WOULD BE Ds,5m MOUNTING HARDWARE S9( IC SOCKETS I DIP CONNECTORS DESCRIPTION ORDER BY CONTACTS 8 14 16 18 20 22 24 28 40 SOLDERTAIL SOCKETS xxST L_ -11 11 17 15 18 15 20 ?? 30 WIREWRAP SOCKETS xxWW .59 .69 69 99 1 09 1 39 1 49 1.69 1.99 ZIF SOCKETS ZIFxx - 4.95 4.95 - 5.95 _ 5.95 6.95 9.95 TOOLED SOCKETS AUGATxxST .62 .79 .89 1.09 1.29 1.39 1.49 1.69 2.49 TOOLED WW SOCKETS AUGATxxWW 1.30 1.80 2.10 2.40 2.50 2.90 3.15 3.70 5.40 COMPONENT CARRIERS ICCxx .49 .59 .69 .99 .99 .99 .99 1.09 1.49 DIP PLUGS (IDC) IDPxx .95 .49 .59 1.29 1.49 -- .85 1.49 1.59 FOR ORDERING INSTRU ;r/ows see d-subm NMTI IREC ONNl cm ■iSAb OVk 75 WATT SUPPLY a UL APPROVED a +5V@7A, +12V@3A. •5V @ 300MA. - 1 2V @ 250MA PS-1558 $34.95 MICRO SUPPLY a UL APPROVED, 144 WATTS a +5V@ 1BA. +12V@4A, -12V@500MA PS-1554 $29.95 "SNAPABLE" HEADERS CAN BE SNAPPED APART TO MAKE ANY SIZE HEADER, ALL WITH .1" CENTERS '1x40 STRAIGHT LEAD .9 1x40 RIGHT ANGLE LEAD .4 2x40 2 STRAIGHT LEADS 2.4 2x40 2 RIGHT ANGLE LEADS 2.9 GENDER CHANGERS GENDER-FF FEMALE- FEMALE 7.95 GENDER-MM MALE-MALE 7.95 GENDER-MF MALE-FEMALE 7.95 GENDER-NM NULL MODEM 8.95 GENDER-JB JUMPER BOX 8.95 GENDER-MT MINITESTER 14.95 I Win f RS-B3E BREAKOUT BOX FOR TROUBLESHOOTING SERIAL COMMUNICATIONS I OPEN/CLOSE INDIVIDUAL CIRCUITS I 20 JUMPERS CROSS-CONNECT ANY TWO CIRCUITS r 10 LEDS SHOW CIRCUIT ACTIVITY | GENDER-BO $34.95 EPRDIM ERASERS SPECTROIVICS CORPORA TIOX Model Timer #ol Chips llntensily (uW/Cm1) Unit Cost PE-140 PE-140T PE-240T NO YES YES 9 9 12 8,000 8,000 9,600 $89 $139 $189 DATARASE *34.B5 ERASES 2 EPROMS IN 10 MINUTES VERY COMPACT, NO DRAWER METAL SHUTTER PREVENTS UV LIGHT FROM ESCAPING [ SHORTING I BLOCKS S/SI.OD • 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE ■ 1 YEAR WARRANTY ON ALL PRODUCTS ■TOLL-FREE TECHNICAL SUPPORT ■ COMPLETE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ■KNOWLEDGEABLE SALES STAFF LITHIUM BATTERIES a 6.8V FOR 286/386 COMPUTERS B MOTHERBOARD CONNECTOR (5 | a ADHESIVE VELCRO STRIP FOR EASY MOUNTING --S" ] LITHIUM 6.8V $11.95 " ;/7 LITHIUM-3V 3V-MHW 3V COIN TYPE LITHIUM BATTERY BATTERY HOLDER $1.95 $1.49 JDR MICR0DEVICES, 110 KN0WLES DRIVE, LOS GAT0S, CA 95030 LOCAL (408) 866-6200 FAX (408) 378-8927 TELEX 171-110 RETAIL STORE: 1256 SOUTH BASC0M AVE., SAN JOSE, CA HOURS: M0N.-FRI. 9-7, SAT. 9-5, SUN. 12-4 (408) 947-8881 TERMS: MINIMUM ORDER $10.00 FOR SHIPPING AND HANDLING INCLUDE $2.50 FOR UPS GROUND AND $3.50 UPS AIR ORDERS OVER 1 LB. AND FOREIGN ORDERS MAY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SHIPPING CHARGES— PLEASE CONTACT THE SALES DEPARTMENT FOR THE AMOUNT. CA RESIDENTS MUST INCLUDE APPLICABLE SALES TAX. PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES AND TO SUBSTITUTE MANUFACTURER. ALL MERCHANDISE SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE. A FULL COPY OF OUR TERMS IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. ITEMS PICTURED MAY ONLY BE REPRESENTATIVE ORDER TOLL FREE 800-538-5000 COPYRIGHT 1988 JOR MICRODEVICES CONTINENTAL U.S. AND CANADA Circle 153 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 381 MICROCOMPUTER MARKETING COUNCIL JDR Microdevices - 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE • 1 YEAR WARRANTY ON ALL PRODUCTS • TOLL-FREE TECHNICAL SUPPORT • COMPLETE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ■ SUPERIOR SERVICE ■ FRIENDLY. KNOWLEDGEABLE SALES STAFF \zaaa e/*& voDtyg as 35 SAVE TIME AND TELEPHONE CHARGES WITH A HIGH SPEED 2400 BAUD MODEM FROM JDR. INTERNAL S400 BAUD B AUTO DIAL ANSWER ■ SELF TEST ON POWER-UP ■ TOUCHTONE OR PULSE DIALING ■ HAYES & BELL SYSTEMS COMPATIBLE ■ FULL OR HALF DUPLEX * MIRROR II COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE INCLUDED PRO-24I $129.95' PRO-1 21 1 200 BAUD 1 12 CARD $69.95 PRO-24M 2400 BAUD FOR PS/2 $249.95 EXTERNAL B400 BALD m 2400/1200/300 HAYES COMPATIBLE ■ 8 EASY-TO-READ STATUS LED'S B CALL PROGRESS MONITORING & ADJUSTABLE VOLUME ■ 2ND PHONE JACK FOR VOICE COMMUNICATIONS B REQUIRES SERIAL PORT & CABLE (OPTIONAL) PRO-24E $169.95 PRO-1 2E 1200 BAUD EXTERNAL $99.95 APPLE/MACINTOSH MODEMS MACINTOSH 2400 BAUD EXTERNAL AS ABOVE WITH CABLEAND PROCOM-M SOFTWARE. PRO-24EM $199.95 PRO-24A APPLE II 2400 BAUD MODEM $179.95 PRO-12A APPLE 111200 BAUD MODEM $139.95 j POCKET MODEM YOU'LL NEVER BE FAR FROM YOUR DATA WITH THIS 6 OUNCE HAND-HELD POCKET MODEM ■ 1200/300 BAUD ■ BATTERY & AC POWER ■ SERIAL INTERFACE (DB25) ■ 4 STATUS INDICATORS PRO-1 2P KEYBOARDS MODULAR CIRCUIT TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED STYLE LAYOUT ■ AUTOSENSE FOR XT OR AT COMPATIBLES B LED INDICATORS ■ AUTO REPEAT FEATURE ■ SEPARATE CURSOR PAD BTC-5339 $79.95 84 KEY LAYOUT ■ SOFTWARE AUTOSENSE FOR XT OR AT COMPATIBLES B LED INDICATORS ■ AUTO REPEAT BTC-5060 $59.95 MAXI-SWITCH KEYBOARDS WITH TACTILE FEEDBACK MAX-5339 ENHANCED STYLE LAYOUT MAX-5060 84 KEY LAYOUT AUDIBLE "CLICK" KEYBOARD B ENHANCED STYLE, 101 KEY KEYBOARD B LED INDICATORS ■ AUTO REPEAT K-103-A $84.95 $64.95 $84.95, HANDY SCANNER INSTANT SCANNING OF IMAGES UP TO 4" WIDE ■ 100, 200, 300, 400 DPI \l BOTH DIRECTIONS a B&W AND 3 HALF-TONE \ MODES F 32 LEVELS OF GRAY SCALE I HERCULES, CGA AND EGA COMPATIBLE F INCLUDES HALO DPE AND IMAGE EDITOR SOFTWARE .HS-3000 LOGITECH HIREZ MOUSE *aoB5 HIGH RESOLUTION BUS MOUSE FOR BETTER RESPONSE AND LESS HAND MOVEMENT, IDEAL FOR CAD WORK B 320 DPI a INCLUDES DRIVER, TEXT EDITORS POP-UP MENUS a NO PAD, POWER SUPPLY OR PORT REQUIRED LOGITECH 3-BUTTON MOUSE PC MAGAZINE EDITORS CHOICE! ALL MODELS HAVE SERIAL SUPPORT (COM1/COM2), 200 D.P.I. RESOLUTION, LOTUS 1-2-3 SHELL, SELF-INSTALLING SOFTWARE AND "POINT EDITOR" LMOUSE $79.95 LMOUSE-P SERIAL MOUSE W/LOGIPAINT $99.95 LMOUSE-BP BUS MOUSE W/LOGIPAINT $99.95 LMOUSE-BPL BUS MOUSE W/PUBLISHER PKG $139.95 LMOUSE-BPC BUS MOUSE W/LOGIPAINT/CAD $149.95 CALL OUR 24-HOUR BBS (408J 374-E171 JOB'S ELECTRONIC BULLETIN BOARD OFFERS TECHNICAL SUPPORT. CONFERENCING AND MORE CITIZEN PRINTER spinas A RELIABLE. FAST AND INEXPENSIVE ALL PURPOSE PRINTER THAT'S LOADED WITH FEATURES a 9 PIN DOT MATRIX PRINT HEAD a 180 CPS DRAFT MODE, 29 CPS NLQ MODE a CENTRONICS PARALLEL INTERFACE, SERIAL OPTIONAL a DUAL PITCH, DOUBLESTRIKE. ITALICS S SUPERSCRIPT a EPSON FX S IBM GRAPHICS a COMPRESSED, EXPANDED S EMPHASIZED PRINT a DOT ADDRESSABLE GRAPHICS IN SIX DENSITIES CITIZEN-180D RC-180D REPLACEMENT RIBBON CARTRIDGE 6.95 J MOLDED LADLES CBL-PRINTER PC PRINTER CABLE $9.95 CBL-PRINTER-25 AS ABOVE - 25 FOOT $15.95 CBL-PRINTER-RA RIGHT ANGLE PRINTER $15.95 CBL-DB25-MM DB25 MALE TO DB25 MALE $9.95 CBL-DB25-MF DB25 MALE TO DB25 FEMALE $9.95 CBL-9-SERIAL 9 PIN TO 25 PIN SERIAL $6.95 CBL-KBD-EXT KEYBOARD EXTENSION $7.95 CBL-CNT-MM 36 PIN CENTRONICS-M/M $14.95 CBL-HD-20 20 PIN HARD DISK CABLE $3.95 CBL-HD-34 34 PIN HARD DISK CABLE $4.95 CBL-HD-34D 34 PIN DUAL HARD DISK $6.95 CBL-FDC-EXT 37 PIN EXTERNAL FLOPPY $9.95 VGA COMPATIBLE PACKAGE I 800 X 560 MAXIMUM RESOLUTION ' 640 X 480 IN 16 COLORS ' 320 X 200 IN 256 COLORS ' IBM STYLE. ANALOG MONITOR I FULLY VGA, EGA. CGA, HERCULES S MONOCHROME COMPATIBLE NEC MULTISYNC II B AUTO FREQUENCY ADJUSTMENT B RESOLUTION AS HIGH AS 800 X560 CASPER EGA $533.35 $333.35 F 640 X 200/350 RESOLUTIONB 31 MM DOT PITCH F 14" BLACK MATHIX SCREENB 16 COLORS CASPER RGB 5B73.35 F COLOR GREEN AMBER SWITCHB 39MM DOT PITCH F 640 X 240 RESOLUTIONB 1 4" NON-GLARE SCREEN SAMSUNG MONO $103.35 B 12" NON-GLARE LOW DISTORTION AMBER SCREEN B 720 X 350 RESOLUTION B SWIVEL BASE MONITOR STANDS MODEL MS-100 $12.95 B TILTS AND SWIVELS MODEL MS-200 $39.95 B TILTS AND SWIVELS B BUILT-IN SURGE SUPRESSOR B INDEPENDENTLY CONTROLS UP TO 5 AC OUTLETS TOWER CASE SAVE DESKSPACE AND ADD STYLE TO YOUR OFFICE WITH THIS SLEEK UPRIGHT DESIGN B ACCOMODATES ALL SIZES OF MOTHERBOARDS B 250 WATT POWER SUPPLY INCLUDED B MOUNTS FOR 3 FLOPPY & 4 HARD DRIVES B TURBO 8 RESET SWITCH B SPEED DISPLAY, POWER S DISK LED'S B MOUNTING HARDWARE, FACEPLATES S SPEAKER INCLUDED CASE-100 CASE-FLIP FOR 8088 MOTHERBOARDS CASE-SLIDE FOR 8088 MOTHERBOARDS CASE-70 FOR 286 MOTHERBOARDS „ CASE-JR MINI-286 W/POWER SUPPLY ■sill 'iSiiia-ifl $34.95 $39.95 $89.95 $149.95. POWER SUPPLIES $59.95 135 WATT 110/220V B UL APPROVED B IBM XT COMPATIBLE B +5V.15A, +12V4.2A, -5V ,5A, -12V 5A PS-135 PS-150150W110/220V 200 WATT 110/220 a UNAPPROVED B IBM AT COMPATIBLE B <-5V22A, +12VBA, -5V 5A, -12V 5A PS-200 PS-250 250 WATT 1 10/220V $129.95 $69.95 $89.95 Q* JDR MICRODEVICES AND THE JDR MICRODEVICES LOGO ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF JDR MICRODEVICES. IBM. AT. PS/2 ARE TRADEMARKS OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES. 382 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 Circle 154 on Reader Service Card 1.44 MB 3 Ve DRIVE H^ki, $sea m ULTRA HIGH DtNSITY ■ ALSO WORKS WITH 720K DISKS FDD-1.44X BLACK FACEPLATE FDD-1.44A BEIGE FACEPLATE 1IB HEIGHT FLOPPY DISK DRIVES FD-55B FD-55G M2551A M25S3K FDD-360 FDD-1.2 FDD-3.5A FDD-3.5X TEAC DS/DD360K TEAC DS/HD 1 .2M FUJITSU DS/DD360K FUJITSU DS/HD 1 ,2M DS/DD 360K DS/HD 1 .2M MITSUBISHI DS/DD(BEIGE) MITSUBISHI DS/DD(BLACK) $99.95 $129.95 $89.95 $119.95 $69.95 $109.95 $129.95 $129.95 TAPE BACK-UP DRIVES AR5240X ARCHIVE TAPE DRIVE -XTS & ATS $369.95 AR5540A FASTER TAPE DRIVE -ATS ONLY $369.95 AR340 40 MB TAPE CARTRIDGES $24.95 DISKETTES N-MD2D BOX OF 10 5-1/4" 360K DS/DD $6.95 N-MD2H BOXOF 105-1/4"1.2MBDS/HD $13.95 N-3.5DS BOXOF 10 3-1/2" 720K DS/DD $16.95 N-3.5HD BOX OF 10 3-1/2" 1.44 MB DS/HD $49.95 N-MD2DBULK 360K DS/DD (MIN. 50 DISKS) EA. 494 DRIVE ACCESSORIES FD-ARAIL MTG. RAILS FOR AT COMPATIBLE $2.95 FD-55FP BEIGE FACEPLATE FOR TEAC DRIVES $2.95 FD-55MHW HALF-HEIGHT COUNTING HARDWARE $2.95 FD-5Y Y-POWER ADAPTOR FOR DRIVES $2.95 gate HARD DISKS Whatever your hard disk needs, we have reliable high quality Seagate drives at the lowest prices available. Buy them alone, or with an MCT disk controller for even greater savings! mm SIZE MODEL AVG. SPEED HEIGHT DRIVE ALONE WITH MCT CONTROLLER HDC RLL AFH AFH-RLL 20MB ST-225 65 ms Half $225 $269 - $339 - 30MB RLL ST-238 65 ms Half $249 - $299 - $389 40MB ST-251 40 ms Half $379 $419 - $489 - 40MB ST-251-1 28 ms Half $469 $509 - $579 - 60MB RLL ST-277 40 ms Half $449 - $499 - $589 30MB ST-4038 40 ms Full $559 $603 - $659 - 80MB ST-4096 28 ms Full $629 - - $739 - NEW II SIGMA VGA CARD *sa~*asa 100% REGISTER COMPATIBLE VGA DISPLAY CARD ■ VGA. EGA. CGA, HGC & MDA COMPATIBLE ■ 320 X 200 IN 256 COLORS ■ 640 X 480. 800 X 600 IN 1 6 COLORS ■ 80 X 25, 1 32 X 44 TEXT MODES ■ SUPPORTS STANDARD DIGITAL & ANALOG MONITORS ■ UTILITY SOFTWARE INCLUDED MCT-VGA Your products and prices have kept us coming back now for two years...keep up the good work." -P.S., Sterling Heights, Mf "We'll continue to do business with you whenever we can." ~James Hillegass, Minneapolis, MN "...I will not hesitate to order anything from JDR —because I know your policy is to stand behind your products 100%." -Robert Rindy, Grand Forks, NB "I found JDR's tech support to be responsive, helpful and honest." -N.G., Meadvllle, NY INTERFACE CARDS BY MODULAR CIRCUIT TECHNOLOGY DRIVE CONTROLLERS FLOPPY DISK CONTROLLER $B9.95 SINGLE SLOT CONTROL OF 4 FLOPPIES ■ INTERFACES UP TO 4 FDD'S TO AN IBM PC OR COMPATIBLE ■ SUPPORTS DS/DD AND DS'OD VII DOS 3 2 MCT-FDC 1.B MB FLOPPY CONTROLLER $B9.95 ADD VERSATILITY AND CAPACITY TO YOUR XT ■ SUPPORTS 2 DRIVES, CAN MIX 360K AND 1 .2 MB ■ ALLOWS DATA TO FLOW FREELY FROM XTS TO ATS MCT-FDC-1.2 FLOPPY I HARD CONTROLLER $139.95 XT SYSTEM SHORT OF SLOTS? THIS CARD FREES ONE UP! * INTERFACES UP TO 2 FDD'S S 2 HDD'S, CABLING FOR 2 FDD/1 HDD a SUPPORTS BOTH DS/DD & DS/QD W/DOS 3.2 MCT-FH BBBI3BB FLOPPY IHARD ff49.95 FLOPPY/ HARD DISK CONTROL IN A TRUE AT DESIGN a SUPPORTS UP TO 2 360K /720K/ 1 .2 MB FDD'S a SUPPORTS 2 HDD'S USING STANDARD TABLES MCT-AFH HARD DISK CONTROLLER $79.95 HARD DISK CONTROL AT AN ECONOMICAL PRICE B SUPPORTS 16 DRIVE SIZES INCLUDING 10.20,30 S 40 MB a DIVIDE 1 LARGE DRIVE INTO 2 LOGICAL DRIVES MCT-HDC RLL CONTROLLER $119.95 TRANSFER DATA 50% FASTER a SUPPORTS UP TO 2 RLL HARD DRIVES a DESIGNED FOR XT COMPATIBLES MCT-RLL BBB/3BB FLOPPY/HARD RLL $199.95 IMPROVE SPEED AND STORAGE OF YOUR AT COMPATIBLE a SUPPORTS UP TO 2 RLL HARD DISCS AND 2 FLOPPIES a SUPPORTS 360/720/ 1 .2 MB FLOPPIES IN 5.25" S 3.5" MCT-AFH-RLL MULTIFUNCTION CARDS IULILTI I/O FLOPPY CONTROLLER $73.95 A PERFECT COMPANION FOR OUR MOTHERBOARDS a SUPPORTS UP TO TWO 360K FLOPPIES. 720K W/ DOS 3.2 a SERIAL. PARALLEL. GAME PORT, CLOCK/CALENDAR MCT-MI0 MIO-SERIAL— 2ND SERIAL PORT $1 5.95 imjLTUIOCARO $59.95 USE WITH MCT-FH FOR MINIMUM OF SLOTS USED B SERIAL PORT, CLOCK/ CALENDAR WITH BATTERY a PARALLEL PORT ADDRESSABLE AS LPT1 OR LPT2 MCT-10 B8B/3BB MULTIFUNCTION $139.95 ADDS UP TO 3 MB OF RAM TO YOUR AT a USER EXPANDABLE TO 1.5 MB OR 3 MB WITH OPTIONAL PIGGYBACK BOARD (OK INSTALLED) a INCLUDES SERIAL AND PARALLEL PORT MCT-AMF MCT-AMF-MC PIGGYBACK BOARD $29.95 AMF-SERIAL 2ND SERIAL PORT $24.95 BBB/3BBMULTI I/O CARD $59.95 USE WITH MCT-AFH MINIMUM OF SLOTS USED a SERIAL, PARALLEL AND GAME PORTS a USES 16450 SERIAL SUPPORT CHIPS FOR HIGH SPEED OPS MCT-AI0 AI0-SERIAL 2ND SERIAL PORT $24.95 MEMORY CARDS S7BKRAMCARB $59.95 A CONTIGUOUS MEMORY SOLUTION IN A SHORT SLOT a USER SELECTABLE CONFIGURATION UP TO 576K a USES 64K & 256K RAM CHIPS (OK INSTALLED) MCT-RAM EXPANDED MEMORY CARD $189.95 2MB OF LOTUS INTEL MICROSOFT MEMORY FOR AN XT a CONFORMS TO LOTUS INTEL EMS a USER EXPAND- ABLE TO 2 MB B CAN BE USED AS EXPANDED OR CONVENTIONAL MEMORY, RAMDISK AND SPOOLER MCT-EMS MCT-AEMS 286/386 VERSION $1 39.95 DISPLAY ADAPTORS MONOCHROME BRAPHICS $59.95 TRUE HERCULES COMPATIBILITY SUPPORTS LOTUS 1-2-3 B PARALLEL PRINTER PORT CONFIGURES AS LPT1 OR LPT2 a USES VLSI CHIPS TO ENSURE RELIABILITY MCT-MGP EBA ADAPTOR $149.95 100% IBM COMPATIBLE PASSES IBM EGA DIAGNOSTICS a 256K OF VIDEO RAM ALLOWS 640 X 350 IN 16 OF 64 COLORS a COMPATIBLE WITH COLOR AND MONO- CHROME ADAPTORS a HERCULES COMPATIBLE MCT-EGA COLOR BRAPHICS ADAPTOR $49.95 COMPATIBLE WITH IBM GRAPHICS STANDARDS a SUPPORTS RGB, COLOR, t, COMPOSITE MONOCHROME a 640/320 X 200 RESOLUTION, LIGHT PEN INTERFACE MCT-CG MBNOBRAPHICS MULT 1 1 IB $119.75 TOTAL SYSTEM CONTROL FROM A SINGLE SLOTI B CTRL 2 FLOPPIES. SERIAL. PARALLEL. GAME PORT, CLOCK CAL a RUN COLOR GRAPHICS SOFTWARE ON A MONOCHROME MONITOR MCT-MGMI0 BBBI3BB MBNOBRAPHICS l/B $99.95 VIDEO DISPLAY AND I/O FUNCTIONS IN ONE CARD a 720 X 348 RESOLUTION, 80 S 132 COLUMN TEXT a PARALLEL . SERIAL 8. GAME PORTS MCT-MGAIO TS|B**5r JDR MICR0DEVICES. 110 KN0WLES DRIVE, LOS GAT0S, CA 95030 LOCAL (408) 866-6200 FAX (408) 378-8927 TELEX 171-110 RETAIL STORE: 1256 SOUTH BASC0M AVE., SAN JOSE, CA HOURS: M0N.-FRI. 9-7, SAT. 9-5, SUN. 12-4 (408) 947-8881 TERMS: MINIMUM ORDER $10.00 FOR SHIPPING AND HANDLING INCLUDE S2.S0 FOR UPS GROUND AND S3. 50 UPS AIR. OROERS OVER 1 LB. AND FOREIGN ORDERS MAY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SHIPPING CHARGES— PLEASE CONTACT THE SALES DEPARTMENT FOR THE AMOUNT. CA RESIDENTS MUST INCLUDE APPLICABLE SALES TAX. PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES AND TO SUBSTITUTE MANUFACTURER. ALL MERCHANDISE SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE. A FULL COPY OF OUR TERMS IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. ITEMS PICTURED MAY ONLY BE REPRESENTATIVE ORDER TOLL FREE 800-338-5000 COPYRIGHT 1988 JDR MICRODEVICES CONTINENTAL U.S. AND CANADA Circle 154 on Reader Service Card DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 383 BUILD YOUR OWN SYSTEM! Tover 20,000 jor systems have already beem built, easy to assemble in just r? hours with A SCREWDRIVER. SAVE MONEY AND LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR COMPUTER AT THE SAME TIME! W MHz TURBO 8088 VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS $ *S§9S EE1 00 WITH KIT PURCHASE A JOB EXCLUSIVE! 20-MIN. VHS OR BETA TAPE SHOWS YOU STEP-BY-STEP HOW TO BUILD AIM XT COMPATIBLE SYSTEM. WIOKITSm.BS IB MHz MINI-B8B B INCLUDES SERIAL PORT, 2 PARALLEL PORTS. CLOCK/' CALENDAR AND GAME ADAPTOR ■ RUNS COLOR GRAPHICS ON A MONOCHROME MONITOR. B MOTHERBOARD ■ 256K RAM MEMORY ■ 135 WATT POWER SUPPLY ■ FLIP-TOP CASE ■ 84 KEY KEYBOARD ■ 360K FLOPPY DRIVE B MONOGRAPHICS I/O CARD ■ MONOCHROME MONITOR IB MHz 1 Mb 38B B348 65 |:Tff-\ ■ 12 MHZ MINI-286 MOTHERBOARD B 512K RAM MEMORY ■ MINI CASE WITH POWER SUPPLY ■ 84 KEY KEYBOARD ■ MONOCHROME MONITOR B 1.2 MB FLOPPY DRIVE B FLOPPY / HARD CONTROL B GRAPHICS ADAPTOR B MYLEX 386 MOTHERBOARD B 1 MB RAM ON BOARD B 200 WATT POWER SUPPLY B CASE B ENHANCED KEYBOARD B 1.2 MB FLOPPY DRIVE B FLOPPY/HARD CONTROLLER B MONOGRAPHICS CARD B MONOCHROME MONITOR MOTHERBOARDS TURBO 4.7718 MHz 993.35 B XT COMPATIBLE B NORTON SI 1.7 B 4.77 OR 8 MHZ OPERATION WITH 8088-2 AND OPTION- AL 8087-2 CO- PROCESSOR B FRONT PANEL LED SPEED INDICATOR AND RESET SWITCH SET SUPPORTED B CHOOSE NORMAL/TURBO MODE OR SOFTWARE SELECT PROCESSOR SPEED MCT-TURBO MCT-XMB STANDARD MOTHERBOARD $87.95 IO MHz TURBO SINGLE CHIP BOBB 9103.35 B XT COMPATIBLE B NORTON SI 2.1 B USES LESS POWER, IMPROVES RELIABILITY B KEY SELECTABLE SPEED, 4,77 MHZ OR 10 MHZ B 2,3 TIMES FASTER THAN A STANDARD B RESET SWITCH. KEYLOCK, AND SPEED / POWER INDICATORS SUPPORTED MCT-TURBO-10 BO0BBB/1OMHz 9379.95 B AT COMPATIBLE B LANDMARK AT SPEED 10 MHZ B NORTON SI 10.3 B 8 SLOTS (TWO 8-BIT, SIX 16-BIT) a HARDWARE SELECTION OF 6 OR 10 MHZ B FRONT PANEL LED INDICATOR B SOCKETS FOR 1MB OF RAM AND 80287 B ONE WAIT STATE a BATTERY BACKED CLOCK B KEYLOCK SUPPORTED B RESET SWITCH MCT-286 IB MHz MINI- BBG 9333.35 a AT COMPATIBLE a LANDMARK AT SPEED 13,2 MHZ B NORTON SI 11.6 B 6 MHZ, 10 MHz (0/1 WAIT STATE), 12 MHZ (1 WAIT STATE) B ZYMOS ASICS FOR FEWER CHIPS, GREATER RELIABILITY B SUPPORTS 51 2K-1 024K MEMORY B RECHARGEABLE HIGH CAPACITY NI-CAD BATTERY B SIX 16-BIT SLOTS. TWO 8-BIT SLOTS B MOUNTS IN STANDARD XT CASE MCT-M286-12 MCT-M286 6/10 MHZ MINI 80286 BOARD $389.65 91G33.00 IB MHz MYLEX 3BB B 1 MB RAM ON BOARD B 8 SLOTS (TWO 8-BIT. SIX 16-BIT) B USES AMI BIOS B SUPPORTS 80287 MATH CO-PROCESSOR B SUPPORTS 80387 WITH ADAPTOR B 64KB CACHE FOR NEAR 0 WAIT STATE B 20 MHZ VERSION AVAILABLE MY-386MB MY-386MB-4 FOUR MB MEMORY INSTALLED $2999.00 MY-386MB-MCB MATH CO-PROCESSOR ADAPTOR BOARD $149.00 IB MHz MYLEX MINI 3BE M LANDMARK AT SPEED 23.2 MHZ B NORTON SI 1 8.7 B 64KB HIGH SPEED DIRECT MAPPED STATIC RAM CACHE B 1 MB OR 2 MB MEMORY ON STD. MEMORY BOARD B UP TO 8 MB OF 32-BIT MEMORY ON PIGGYBACK MEMORY BOARD. FOR TOTAL OF 10 MB B AMI BIOS WITH 32 BIT EGA SUPPORT B SOCKETED FOR 80387 MATH CO-PROCESSOR B ONE 8-BIT FOUR 16-BIT AND ONE 32-BIT SLOTS B DALLAS CMOS /CLOCK DEVICE ON BOARD W/ BATT. MY-386 JR (MEMORY CARD REQUIRED) MY-386JR20 20 MHZ VERSION $1695.00 MY-386JR-M 1 TO 2 MB MEMORY CARD (REQUIRED) 01 INSTALLED $159.00 MY-386JR-M8 8 MB PIGGYBACK MEMORY BOARD OK INSTALLED $159.00 NEW! MODULAR PROGRAMMERS THE IDEAL SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPERS. ALL MODULES USE A COMMON HOST ADAPTOR CARD HOST ADAPTOR CARD 929.35 B A UNIVERSAL INTERFACE FOR ALL THE PROGRAMMING MODULES B USER SELECTABLE PROGRAMMABLE ADDRES- SES PREVENT ADDRESSING CONFLICTS B MENU-DRIVEN SOFTWARE PACKAGE B INCLUDES MOLDED CABLE MCT-MAC *o»" EPROM MODULE 9113. 35 B PROGRAMS 24-32 PIN EPROMS, CMOS EPROMS AND EEPROMS FROM 16K TO 1024K MCT-MEP MCT-MEP-4 FOUR-EPROM PROGRAMMER $169.95 MCT-MEP-8 EIGHT-EPROM PROGRAMMER $259.95 UNIVERSAL MODULE 9499.99 B PROGRAMS EPROMS. EEPROMS, PALS. BI-POLAR PROMS 8748 8, 8751 SERIES DEVICES B TESTS TTL. CMOS. DYNAMIC 8. STATIC RAMS MCT-MUP DIGITAL IC MODULE 9109.95 • TESTS TTL. CMOS, DYN. 8 STATIC RAM a AUTO SEARCH MCT-MIC PAL MODULE 9B49.95 B PROGRAMS MMI. NS. Tl 20 8 Tl 24 PIN DEVICES MCT-MPL B74B MODULE 9179.95 a PROG. 8741, 8742, 8748, 8749 & 8750 EPROMS 8 PROMS. MCT-MMP BI-POLAR MODULE 9B59.95 B PROG. AMD. MMI. NS. Tl 8 SIGNETICS BI-POLAR PROMS MCT-MBP MEMBER VISA MMC *JDR Microdevices • JDR MICRODEVICES, 110 KN0WLES DRIVE, LOS GAT0S, CA 95030 LOCAL (408) 866-6200 FAX (408) 378-8927 TELEX 171-110 ORDER TOLL FREE 800-338-5000 COPYRIGHT 1988 JDR MICRODEVICES BBS (408) 374-2171 CONTINENTAL U.S. AND CANADA 384 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Circle 154 on Reader Service Card Can you graph, solve, find minima, maxima points of inflection, etc... of this equation in 5 minutes or less? 5 * COS (x * (1/x)) + 10 * EXP (SIN (x)) - (x3) = F (x) WithTHIRD you can do this and much more! Demo Diskette $5.00 TRILOBYTE, INC. 596 Abolioion St. Hato Rey, P.R. 00918 (809) 767-1839 1 TRILOBYTE ■ Tango. Now More Than Ever, The Best Value in PCB Design. Take a look at [he all new Tango Series II. Our pop-up menu interface sets a new slandarcl for ease-nf-use and productivity. Lay out simple prototypes or complex, multi-layer, SMT designs with over 100 new features including user-delinable tracks, pads, and grids. For iBM-PCs and compatibles, Tango-I'CH Series II, just $595. Tango-Route Series II autorouter. just $h')5. Both include one year's updates, free tech support. 30-day money-back guarantee. * FREE EVALUATION PACKAGE 800-433-7801 619-695-2OO0 «XEL Technologies, 7358 Trade Street. San Diego, CA 9212 1 ^^8-eSV S A B I N A/ MfflflW SAME DAY SHIPMENT D - RAMS 41256 -06 . .... $12.30 41256 -10 . $11.00 41256 -12 . .... $10.80 41256 -15 . .... $9.80 1mg x 1 -10 . . . $35.00 1mgx 1 -08 . . . $40.00 MATH CO ■ P 8087 . . . . $98.00 8087- )2 . . . . . $140.00 80287 ■ 08 . . . $220.00 80287 - 10 . $270.00 80387 - 16 . $360.00 80387 - 20 . $510.00 80387 - 25 . $620.00 1-800-2-SABINA SABINA INETRNATIONAL, INC. 657 Bra Canyon Road Suite 04 Walnut, California 91789 (714)594-6336 • FAX (714)595-4008 PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE Circle 293 on Reader Service Card Circle 6 on Reader Service Card Circle 246 on Reader Service Card Okidata ML 82A and ML 83A Printers: IBM EMULATION "PLUS" Epson Compatabihiy/Lener Qualnv PC-WRITER" ONLY $99.oo plus shipping 8i sales lax (Calif addiessesl Money back guarantee •FULL EMULATION OF THE IBM PC GRAPHICS PRINTER • LETTER QUALITY PRINTING • ELITE CHARACTER PITCH •SUBSCRIPTS/SUPERSCRIPTS • 00T ADDRESSABLE GRAPHICS •FR0NTPANEL FEATURE SELECTION To Order: (714) 261-0228 Deals' Information Available O RAINBOW TECHNOLOGIES. INC 18011-A Mitchell So., Irvine, CA 92714 (714) 2610228 Telex: 386078 EPR0M PROGRAMMER CROSS ASSEMBLERS y MODEL SX151 RS232C OR STAND ALONE (all models), Com- munication protocol: XMODEM, HEX, and BIN. Programs: EEPR0MS, 2716 - 27512 and CMOS, Programs (w/adapter): 25XX, 27101 (and above), 68701, 68705, 68764/6, 8741/2, 8744, 8748/9. 8751/2, 8755, 87252. and CMOS. More available soon. Model SX151 S214 (assembled with case). Other models are available Irom S49 (kit). Cross assemblers by Pseudocode for IBM- PCs S35. Z80, 1802, 6502, 6800/1/2/3/5/8/9/ 11, 68000/8/10 8048/9, 8051/2, 8080/5, 8096, and more soon. K0RE, Inc. 6910 Patterson S.E. Caledonia, Ml 49316 (616) 791-9333 S5 for shipping (USA), plus S3. 00 COD. 23B - "^« »** • ALLOWS VOU TO USE YOUR COMPUTER AS A CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ENERGY MANAGEMENT, EQUIPMENT AUTOMATION, EXPERIMENTS, ROBOTICS OR OTHER APPLICATIONS WHICH REQUIRE SOFTWARE CONTROL OF EXTERNAL DEVICES. ©PROVIDES OUTPUT CHANNELS TO CONTROL 16 RELAYS. EXPANDABLE TO 128 RELAYS WITH 1 PORT, 16 , 38m RELAYS WITH 2. #WIDE VARIETY OF RELAYS AND OTHER ACCESSORIES. ..SEND FOR MORE INFO. • PLUGS INTO SERIAL PORT (PRINTER, 1/0, R5-232, R5-M22 , etc.) #USE WITH IBM AND COMPATIBLES, TANDY, APPLE AND MOST OTHER COMPUTERS. 2h HOUR ORDER LINE (61 4 > m6m-mh70 VISA, MASTERCARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, COD ELECTRONIC ENERGY CONTROL, INC. 380 S. FIFTH STREET SUITE 60<4 COLUMBUS, OHIO 43215 Circle 241 on Reader Service Card Circle 160 on Reader Service Card Circle 323 on Reader Service Card Advertise your computer products through BYTE BITS (2" x 3" ads) For more information call Dan Harper at 603-924-6830 BYTE 70 Main St. Peterborough, NH 03458 DIGITAL VOICE CARD (DVC) for IBM PC, XT, AT and compatibles Interrup and B DMA sup 32K bi second rats (o s por 1 stored™ PC - — -J GET A VOICE CARD TODAY AND LET YOUR l*C DO THE TALKING. The DVC comes complete with driver software and demonstration programs in C, BASIC, PASCAL and DBASE. I! is simple to program and ready for use. A built-in VLSI \oitc processor handle itiL' L-tiiiif ill iligilmng and modulation. Il digitize* voice input at UK samples per second. 10 bits A/D, D/A. Voice data arc transferred bet- ween processor and memory through Selectable DMA Channels, The record- ing and playback arc done Concurrently with user programs and «ilh minimal CPU overhead. It does not lie up CPU lime while processing (he mice data. The DVC can continuously record and plathjck Mute for up lo 1711 minutes on a 20M harddisk CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA Use DVC to editvour Voice Greet- ing and Sound [; fleet, store them on an EPROM chip. Send your voice chip for [hi- Chrislmus on ;i small Voice in a Box (VPB). It is your ultimate Maice Greeting Box. APPLICATIONS • Sales, exhibit presentation • voice message management in a store, lactory, office, and hospital • Computerized security and monitoring system • Voice alarm and rominder for busy executives • Speech analysis and voice synthesis • \feice mail on a lloppy or through a modem • Voice quoslion and answer • Sound-effecl In games and simulation • Voice output lor industrial control/automation DVC (Digital Voice Card for PC'XT/AT) S95.00 MIC (Microphone lor DVC) S12.00 SPK (Speaker lor DVC} S9.00 VPB (Voice in a Box, up to 32 seconds) SB0.00 VPB-II (up to 64 seconds) 595.00 We ureal VISA. Mailcrcard. to order in US please call 1-800-263-7487 Computer Age Ltd. UNIVERSAL PROGRAMMER ■ UMVBKSAl . I'KiXiUAMMER - programs E(E)PROMs (up lo 1 Meg Bit). PAL FPL bipolar PROM, H7« & - tests Sialic and Dynamic RAM*, TTL and CMOS logic chips. i INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMMERS are also avjlable. (E(E)PROMproljrpnimer(].4,H.lrjioctcis).PALp(osrimmcr.UI),OL,Uf|.r B74H series programmer, H75 1 scries programmer, Memory IC & TTL leslt Circle 63 on Reader Service Card Circle 324 on Reader Service Card Editorial Index by Company Index of companies covered in articles, columns, or news stories in this issue Each reference is to the first page of the article or section in which the company name appears INQUIRY # COMPANY PAGE INQUIRY § COMPANY PAGE INQUIRY # COMPANY PAGE 1008 ABATON 137 960 ACTION TECHNOLOGIES 275 ADOBE SYSTEMS 11 ADVANCED LOGIC RESEARCH ... 11 ADVANCED PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGIES 11 1018 ALDUS 113 1004 ALPS AMERICA 97 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ... 1 1 AMERICAN MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 11 APOLLO 11 1150 APPLECOMPUTER 11,145 1016 ARTISOFT 113 AT&T 286 AT&TBELLLABS 11 1134 AXXION CHROMATOGRAPHY .... 67 1129 AZ-TECH SOFTWARE 67 BBN LABORATORIES 11 BORLAND INTERNATIONAL 11 958 BRODERBUND SOFTWARE 275 1121 CALERA RECOGNITION SYSTEMS 67 1009 CALIFORNIA SOFTWARE PRODUCTS 155 1171 CAMTRONICS 67 CAPITAL MICROCOMPUTER USERS FORUM 11 CARLETON UNIVERSITY 267 1170 CARMEL COMPUTER PRODUCTS 67 CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY 11 1120 CARRIER CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES 67 CHAPMAN AND HALL 51 CHIPS & TECHNOLOGIES 11 1128 CLARION SOFTWARE 67 901 CLARIS 231 COMPAQ COMPUTER 107 1122 CONCEPT COMMUNICATIONS .... 67 959 CONETIC SYSTEMS 275 1114 CONTROL SYSTEMS 67 1017 D2 SOFTWARE 113 962 DATA ACCESS GROUP 275 883 DATA TRANSLATION 199 1007 DATADESK INTERNATIONAL .... 1 37 DATAQUEST 11 1111 DATRAN 67 1119 DAVID SYSTEMS 67 1143 DEERFIELD SYSTEMS 67 884 DELL COMPUTER 193 1144 DELRINA TECHNOLOGY 67 DIGITAL EQUIPMENT 1 1 , 267 DIGITAL RESEARCH 11 1166 DYNAMIC MICROPROCESSOR ASSOCIATES 67 1132 DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS 67 1012 ELECTRONIC ARTS 113 1165 EMERALD SYSTEMS 67 1148 ENHANCED SYSTEMS 67 955 EXTENDED SYSTEMS 141 1006 1ST AID SOFTWARE 137 1005 GREENE 137 1115 GTCO 67 HARCOURT BRACE JOVANOVICH 51 1169 HDC COMPUTER 67 957 1102 966 1113 1147 1133 1117 HEWLETT-PACKARD 11, 67, 141 IBM ENTRY SYSTEMS 11 IMAGINE SOFTWARE 275 IMAGING TECHNOLOGY 67 INDIVIDUAL SOFTWARE 67 INTEL 11 K-TALK COMMUNICATIONS 67 LASER COMMUNICATIONS 67 COMING UP IN BYTE PRODUCTS IN PERSPECTIVE: The subject of January's Product Focus will be the graphics tablet, an input device for both the IBM PC and the Macintosh that's steadily growing in popularity. Graphics tablets can come with a drawing device that lets you translate a drawing more accurately into digitized data. This makes them useful for CAD, paint programs, business graphics, desktop publishing, and other applications that rely on drawing or tracing. Graphics tablets come in a wide range of sizes. Some of the smallest have a drawing area of about 6 by 8 inches, while the largest freestanding units give you a drawing area of about 44 by 60 inches. Our Product Focus will compare the features and capabilities of IBM PC-compatible graphics tablets in 12- by 12-inch and 12- by 18-inch formats, two of the most popular sizes for use on desktop computers. Last summer, IBM introduced a slew of new PS/2 computers. Among the seven new systems are the 16-MHz and 20-MHz Model 70s, the first desktop 80386-based systems from IBM. Also new is the Model 50Z, which IBM claims is 35 percent faster than the older Model 50 and faster than any 80286 machine from competitors. In January, we'll look at all three in system reviews. The Dolch P.A.C. from Dolch Computer Systems is an 80386-based portable that's designed to serve a dual role as both a high-powered portable and a desktop system. We'll also have reviews of add-ins and peripherals. Intel's Connection Coprocessor is an add-in board for IBM PC compatibles that's geared strictly for communications. This "intelligent" board is equipped with its own microprocessor, and it can carry on communication tasks in the background. Our review will examine how well the board manages your communication tasks. High-resolution graphics for PS/2 systems has been slow in coming. Next month, we compare two high-resolution graphics boards, IBM's own 8514/A graphics adapter and Control Systems' Artist 10 MC, both of which offer a resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels. Language reviews: Microsoft's QuickBASIC compiler for the IBM PC world received an enthusiastic welcome from BASIC programmers. Now that the company has released its Macintosh version of QuickBASIC, we're 386 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 INQUIRY § COMPANY PAGE INQUIRY tt COMPANY PAGE INQUIRY tt COMPANY PAGE 902 LOCUS COMPUTING 207 903 LOTUS DEVELOPMENT 223 1003 LUNDIN LABORATORIES 97 1146 MAINSTAY 67 1142 MARQ TECHNOLOGIES 67 1126 MATRIX SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY 67 1127 MAXEM 11,67 1105 MAYNARD ELECTRONICS 67 MCGRAW-HILL BOOKS 327 961 METASYSTEMS DESIGN GROUP 275 904 MICROEDGE 215 1140 MICROGRAFX 67 1019 MICROILLUSION 113 MICROMOTION 341 1149 MICROSOFT 11, 67 1001 MICROSYNC 97 1014 MICROWAY 113 MIT 267 MIT PRESS 51 MOTOROLA 11 anxious to see if Macintosh programmers will be as excited. In addition, we'll be looking at IntegrAda, an Ada programming support environment from Aetech. Our lineup for application reviews includes Mathematica from Wolfram Research. Mathematica solves algebraic and calculus problems in symbolic form and will be bundled with the NeXT computer. Opus 1 is a combination of a database manager and a user-designed graphical interface. IN DEPTH: January will see the first Expanded In-Depth section in BYTE. This is a new opportunity to provide significantly expanded coverage of major growth technologies in our industry. This expanded section will recur from time to time, as warranted by industry trends and interest. Next month's subject will be communications, an area that has grown at a phenomenal rate. Our regular In-Depth section would be too short to adequately cover a field that includes both point-to-point communications and networks. This expanded coverage includes a variety of articles on local- area networks, their operating systems, standards, and protocols. It also deals with various issues involved in designing and managing LANs. The section is not confined to LANs, but they are its largest component, as indeed they are the major part of the microcomputer world's current focus on communications. FEATURES: Features for January will provide, as usual, a glimpse at the constant variety of microcomputing. For example, Dick Pountain has written an authoritative article on the inner workings of X Windows. A panel of world- renowned experts has been polled for their views on what we can look forward to in the next 12 months. Rick Grehan continues his exploration of language subjects in Some Assembly Required with a look at a keyed-file database. A new feature, Under the Hood, introduces Brett Glass, who offers penetrating and informed commentary on the hardware side of microcomputing, this month on token rings. Finally, BYTE begins a new tradition with its first Excellence Awards. BYTE editors and contributors have surveyed the field of products first introduced or that rose to prominence in 1988 and have come up with those that have the greatest potential for affecting microcomputer usage. 965 MOTOROLA COMPUTER SYSTEMS 275 NEURON DATA 11 1172 NEW EDGE 67 1106 NIKON 67 PCPI 11 1011 PHOTOGRAPHIC SCIENCES 113 1112 PROTEON 67 1109 QUADRAM 67 1013 QUARTERDECK OFFICE SYSTEMS 113 QUE 51 1168 RADIOSHACK 67 1116 RGB TECHNOLOGY 67 1022 RIXSOFTWORKS 113 1131 RLMRESEARCH 67 1173 S. H. MOODY & ASSOCIATES 67 1103 SCANTECH COMPUTER SYSTEMS 67 1125 SECANT 67 1010 SHARPE SYSTEMS 155 1110 SILICON COMPOSERS 67 SIMON AND SCHUSTER 51 956 SIMPLAN ASP COMPUTER PRODUCTS 141 1015 SINTAR SOFTWARE 113 1145 SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY 67 SONY SUPERMICRO SYSTEMS .... 1 1 1002 SOTA TECHNOLOGY 97 1020 SPECTRUM HOLOBYTE 113 SPRINGER- VERLAG 51 ST. MARTIN'S PRESS 51 STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE INTERNATIONAL 245 885 SUN MICROSYSTEMS 11, 183 964 SWIXTECH 275 1000 SYMANTEC 67,97 1164 TANDY 11 THE OPEN SOFTWARE FOUNDATION 11 1101 3COM 11,67 1138 THREE D GRAPHICS 67 1100 TOSHIBA AMERICA 67 UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AT AMHERST 267 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA 267 1021 VIDEO SEVEN 113 VIRTUAL MACHINE 11 963 WORDPERFECT 275 1161 XEROX 67 XEROX PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER 245,267,286 ZENITH DATA SYSTEMS 1 1 , 32 1 DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 387 READER SERVICE To get further information on the products advertised in BYTE, fill out the reader service card by circling the numbers on the card that cor- respond to the inquiry number listed with the advertiser. This index is provided as an additional service by the publisher, who assumes no liability for errors or omissions. Alphabetical Index to Advertisers Inquiry No. Page No. 2 1ST CLASS EXPERT SYSTEMS 114 3 3LYNX 325 4 A & L MEIER 345 5 A & L MEIER 347 6 ACCEL TECH 385 28 ADVANCED COMP. PROD. . 378,379 7 AEGOLYMPIA 125 8 AETECH 100 9 AETECH 100 10 AK SYSTEMS 362 11 ALDUS 190,191 12 ALDUS 190,191 M1 ALLAN BONADIO ASSOC. . MAC60 13 ALPHA PRODUCTS 373 14 ALPHA PRODUCTS 364 15 ALTEX ELECTRONICS 366 19 AMERICAN RIBBON 168 20 AMERICAN SEMICONDUCTOR 376 21 AMERICAN SM. BUS. COMP. .144 • AMPRO 226 22 A.N. WHOLESALE & RETAIL . . 372 • ANTHROCORP 26 M2 APPLIED DATACOMM MAC12 23 ARCHE TECHNOLOGIES 31 24 ARCHE TECHNOLOGIES 31 318 AST RESEARCH 205 319 AST RESEARCH 205 325 AST RESEARCH 317 326 ASTRESEARCH 317 25 ATI TECHNOLOGIES 50 26 ATRON . . 66 • AT&T 217 ' AT&T 219 • AT&T 221 • AVIS 309 27 AVOCET SYSTEMS, INC 235 29 B & B ELECTRONICS 367 316 B&CMICRO 370 317 B&CMICRO 370 31 BAY TECHNICAL ASSOCIATES 271 32 BEST COMPUTER 206 33 BEST COMPUTER 206 34 BINARY ENGINEERING 166 • BINARY TECH 376 450 BIX 284,285 • BIX MAC28 36 BLAISE COMPUTING INC 33 37 BLUE CHIP TECHNOLOGY ...367 38 BOFFIN LTD 306 39 BORLAND CM 40 BORLAND Cll 41 BORLAND 1 42 BORLAND 1 43 BORLAND 71 44 BORLAND 71 45 BP MICROSYSTEMS 372 283 BROWN BAG 251 284 BROWN BAG 263 46 BUFFALO 281 " BUYER'S MART 349-359 • BYTE BACK ISSUES 320,374 • BYTE BITS . . .• 385 • BYTE CIRCULATION 241 • BYTE SUB.MESSAGE 124 • BYTE SUB.SERVICE 252 • BYTE WEEK/NEWSLETTER .326 48 CALCOMP 109 49 CALCOMP 109 • CALIFORNIA DIGITAL 377 50 CALIFORNIA FREEWARE ....196 51 CALIFORNIA S/W PRODUCTS. 376 52 CALIFORNIA S/W PRODUCTS . 376 53 CANON USA, INC 89 54 CENTROID 342 • CLEO SOFTWARE 222 55 CLUB AMER. TECH 28,29 56 CNS, INC 250 57 CNS, INC 250 58 COMPACT DISK PROD, INC. ..60 • COMPAQ 48A-F 59 COMPUCLASSICS 115 60 COMPUCOM CORP 368 61 COMPUQUEST 368 62 COMPUSAVE 365 M3 COMPUTABLE FUNCTIONS, INC. M AC37 63 COMPUTER AGE 385 64 COMPUTER CONTINUUM .... 372 65 COMPUTER FRIENDS 44 66 COMPUTER MAIL ORDER. . 38,39 67 COMPUTER SURPLUS STORE 376 68 COMPUTERLANE 274 72 CONTECH 370 73 CONTROL VISION 269 M4 COREL SOFTWARE MAC15 74 COVOX 372 75 CTX 81 76 CTX 81 Inquiry No. Pago No. 77 CYBER RESEARCH 269 M9 D.C.M. DATA PROD MAC22 78 DATA TRANSLATION 233 79 DATATRONICSTECH. LTD. ... 110 • DATAWORLD 230 M5 DAYNA COMMUNICATIONS MAC7 80 DAYSTAR COMPUTING 53 81 DAYSTAR COMPUTING 53 82 DAYTRON 342 83 DELL COMPUTERS (INT'L) . 158,159 84 DELL COMPUTERS (N. AMER.) 158-161 85 DEPARTMENTAL TECH., INC. .239 86 DIGITAL RESEARCH 19 87 DIGITAL RESEARCH 19 M6 DIGITALK MAC54,55 M7 DIGITALK MAC54.55 88 DISC INTERNATIONAL 368 89 DISKCOTECH 362 90 DISKETTE CONNECTION ....367 91 DISKS TO GO 364 92 DIVERSIFIED COMP. SYS. ... 368 MS DOUGLAS ELECTRONICS MACCIII 93 DSP DEVELOPMENT CORP. ... 42 94 DYNA COMPUTERS 298 95 DYNAMIC ELECTRONICS .... 376 96 DYNAMIC ELECTRONICS .... 376 315 EASTMAN KODAK 256C 97 ECOSOFT 167 323 ELECTR. ENERGY CONTROL. 385 98 ELEXOR 376 99 ELLIS COMPUTING INC 126 101 ENGINEER'S COLLABORATIVE .370 328 ENTER COMPUTER 102 329 ENTER COMPUTER 102 M10 ERGOTRON MAC3 102 EVEREX 103 103 EVEREX 103 104 FIVESTAR COMPUTER 8,9 105 FLAGSTAFF ENGINEERING ..112 106 FLAGSTAFF ENGINEERING ..112 107 FOUR GUYS COMPUTERS .... 58 108 FOX SOFTWARE 25 109 FTGDATA 368 110 FUJITSU AMERICA 22,23 111 FUJITSU AMERICA 22,23 112 GALACTICOMM 59 113 GATEWAY 2000 101 333 GENERIC SOFTWARE 310 334 GENERIC SOFTWARE 310 114 GENICOM 61 115 GENOA 79 117 GOLDEN BOW 201 330 GOLDEN BOW 362 M26 GOODWAY MAC51 119 GRAFPOINT 258 • GRAPHICS SOFTWARE SYS.. 214 120 GRAPHTEC 260 121 GTEK, INC 328 122 GTEK, INC 328 123 HAMMERLYCOMP. SERV 73 124 HARD DISK DRIVES INT'I 340 125 HARD DISK DRIVES INT'I 340 126 HARRIS/3M 202,203 127 HERCULES 85 128 HERCULES 85 129 HEWLETT-PACKARD 181 130 HEWLETT-PACKARD 182 131 HIGH RES TECHNOLOGIES ..370 132 HITECH EQUIP. CORP 342 133 HOOLEON 102 134 HOOLEON 102 135 HORSTMANN 212 136 IC EXPRESS 362 137 IEEE 123 138 IMPACT 54 • INTECTRA 370 139 INTEGRAND 194 140 INTEL 56,57 142 INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS 41 143 INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS 41 144 IOTECH 367 M11 IOTECH MAC59 145 IOLINE CORPORATION 52 146 ITAC SYSTEMS 116 147 JADE 375 148 JAMECO 360,361 M12 JASMINE TECHNOLOGIES MACCII 149 JASON ENTERPRISE 367 150 JB COMPU-TRONIX 272 151 JENSEN & PARTNERS 129 153 J.D.R. MICRODEVICES . . 380,381 154 J.D.R. MICRODEVICES .. 382-384 • J.D.R. MICRODEVICES . . 393-408 155 KADAK 362 156 KEA SYSTEMS 128 157 KEA SYSTEMS 269 158 KISS ENGINEERING 52 Inquiry No. Page No. 159 KNOWLEDGE GARDEN 273 160 KOREINC 385 161 LAHEY COMPUTER SYS. INC. ..128 286 LASER CONNECTION 27 162 LINK COMPUTER GRAPHICS .346 163 LOGICAL DEVICES 364 164 LOGICAL DEVICES 364 165 LOGICAL DEVICES 364 166 LOGICAL DEVICES 364 167 LOGITECH 74,75 168 LOGITECH 74,75 169 LOGITECH 95 170 LOGITECH 95 171 LOGITECH 17 172 LOGITECH 17 173 MANX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS. 135 174 MATHSOFT 69 175 MATRIX 266 * MAXELL DATA PRODUCTS 7 M13 MCAEINC MAC51 * MCGRAW-HILL BOOKS ...MAC10 176 MCGRAW-HILL BOOKSTORE .152 177 MCGRAW-HILL NRI 297 178 MEAD COMPUTER 369 179 MEGASOFT 370 180 MEGASOFT 370 181 MEGATEL 60 182 MERRITTCOMP. PRODS 304 M14 MICRO CAD/CAM MAC17 183 MICRO EXPRESS 198 184 MICRO EXPRESS 198 185 MICROCOM SYSTEMS 24 * MICR0C0MP. MKTG. COUNCIL . MAC62 187 MICROPROCESSORS UNLTD. 364 188 MICRORIM 82,83 189 MICRORIM 82,83 * MICROSOFT 13-15 * MICROSOFT 32A-H " MICROSOFT 131 * MICROSOFT 210,211 * MICROSOFT 254,255 192 MICROSOFT PRESS 136 * MICROWAY 227 193 MICROWAY 313 194 MIX SOFTWARE 139 195 MONTGOMERY GRANT 289 196 M.H.I 363 M17 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTSMACCIV 197 NATURAL MICROSYSTEMS .276 " NATL COMP. ACCESSORIES . 374 * NEC INFO. SYSTEMS Clll M18 NEURALWARE MAC57 198 NOHAU CORP 329 199 NOHAU CORP 367 200 NUMONICS 177 M19 ODESTA PUBLISHING .... MAC16 215 ONLINE STORE 179 202 ON-TARGET ASSOC 362 * ORACLE 77 203 ORION 64 204 OSBORNE/MCGRAW-HILL ...218 205 OVERLAND DATA 364 206 PACIFIC COMPUTER 365 207 PACIFIC COMPUTER 365 208 PALLADIAN TECH 376 209 PARA SYSTEMS 93 M20 PARAGON CONCEPTS MAC9 210 PARSONS TECHNOLOGY 45 21 1 PATTON & PATTON 318 212 PAUL MACE 291 213 PC DESIGN 305 214 PC NETWORK 265 216 PERISCOPE 303 217 PERSONAL SPACE COMM. ... 364 218 PERSONAL TEX 36 219 PHAR LAP SOFTWARE 48 220 POLYTRON 283 M22 PREFERRED SOFTWARE . MAC21 221 PRINCETON DISKETTE 376 222 PRINCETON GRAPHIC SYS. . . 323 223 PROGRAMMERS SHOP 126 224 PROGRAMMER'S PARADISE 62,63 225 PROTECH MARKETING 54 226 PROTEUS TECH. CORP 105 227 PUBLISHING TECHNOLOGIES 134 228 QUA TECH 339 229 QUA TECH 339 230 QUA TECH 339 231 QUA TECH 339 232 QUA TECH 339 233 QUA TECH 339 321 QUALSTAR CORP 272 235 QUARTERDECK 140 236 QUARTERDECK 154 237 QUICKSOFT 32 238 RADIO SHACK CIV 239 RADIO SHACK 209 Inquiry No. Page No. * RAIMA 35 320 RAINBOW TECH 18 240 RAINBOWTECH 133 241 RAINBOWTECH 385 243 REALTIME DEVICES 272 244 ROLAND 256 245 ROSE ELECTRONICS 153 246 SABINA INT'L 385 247 SAFEWARE 376 248 SAIC 58 335 SANTA CRUZ OPERATION ...175 336 SANTA CRUZ OPERATION ...175 250 SAX SOFTWARE 311 251 SCHWAB COMPUTER CORP. . 372 252 SCIENCE ACCESSORIES .... 293 253 SCIENCE & ENG S/W 49 254 SCIENTIFIC COMP. ASSOC. . . 346 * SCITOR CORP 225 M23 SCOTT FORESMAN & CO. . MAC14 255 SHAMROCK COMPUTER 37 256 SHECOM COMPUTERS 192 257 SHECOM COMPUTERS 192 258 SIMPLE NET SYSTEMS 148 259 SIMPLE NET SYSTEMS 148 260 SMALL COMPUTER CO., INC.. 143 261 SOFTRONICS 346 * SOFTWARE DEV. SYS 99 262 SOFTWARE MASTERS 119 263 SOLUTION SYSTEMS 132 264 SOTA TECHNOLOGY 165 265 SPECTRUM 244 266 STATSOFT 197 267 STSC 87 268 STSC 253 269 SUMITRONICS 30 270 SUMITRONICS 30 271 SUNTRONICS 118 272 SUPERSOFT 104 273 SURAH CORP 372 274 SYSGEN, INC 21 275 SYSTAT 147 276 SYSTAT 147 277 SN'W ELECTRONICS 34 278 TAIWAN FIRST LINE CABLE . . 234 279 TALKING TECHNOLOGY 367 280 TALLGRASS TECHNOLOGIES . 43 281 TALLGRASS TECHNOLOGIES . 43 331 TATUNG 106 282 TELEBIT 150,151 69 TELEMART 120,121 70 TELEMART 120,121 285 TELEX CORP 122 287 TIGERTRONICS 124 288 TIMELINE 371 289 TOSHIBA COMPUTERS .... 90,91 290 TOSHIBA COMPUTERS .... 90,91 291 TOUCHBASE SYSTEMS INC. . . 20 292 TRAVELING SOFTWARE 295 322 TRIGEM COMPUTER, INC. ...372 293 TRILOBYTE 385 294 TRUEVISION 277 296 USERSOFT 279 M25 VAMP, INC MAC18 297 VENTURA PERIPHERALS 228,229 ' VERMONT CREATIVE S/W .... 10 298 VESTRONIX 213 299 VNSAMERICA 111 300 VNSAMERICA 189 301 VNS AMERICA 259 302 VNS AMERICA 333 303 WAREHOUSE DATA 127 305 WIESEMANN & THEIS 186 * WILEY & SONS 117 306 WINTEK CORP 5 307 WINTEK CORP 362 308 WOODCHUCK IND 258 324 XELTEK 385 309 XENDER CORP 258 310 ZEOS INTERNATIONAI 46,47 311 ZERICON 169 312 ZORTECH 55 313 Z-WORLD 368 314 Z-WORLD 368 INTERNATIONAL SECTION 96 IS 1-48 No North American Inquiries please. 401 ACER 96IS-34.35 402 ALADDIN 96IS-18 403 APRICOT COMPUTERS . . 96IS-2.3 404 BIX 96IS-46 * BYTE BACK ISSUES 96IS-38 438 BYTE BITS 96IS-30 * BYTE CIRCULATION .... 96IS-47 * BYTE INT'L POSTCARD . . 96IS-26 388 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 READER SERVICE Advertising Supplement included with this issue: Jameco Electronics (U.S. and Canada Subscribers) * Correspond directly with company. Inquiry No. Page No. • BYTE SUB. SERVICE .... 96IS-20 405 CALEND 96IS-23 406 CUBIX 96IS-31 407 DATEX 96IS-13 408 ELONEX 96IS-27 409 FLEMING SOFTWARE . . . 96IS-32 431 FORMOSA 96IS-48 410 GAMMA PRODUCTION .. 96IS-22 411 GREY MATTER 96IS-42 412 GSE 96IS-39 413 GTCO 96IS-17 414 HM SYSTEMS 96IS-41 415 INES 96IS-30 416 INK INTERNATIONAL ... . 96IS-16 432 INTERQUADRAM 96IS-15 417 IRIS 96IS-10 418 KADOR .-.. 96IS-28 41 9 LOGIC PROGRAMMING ASSOC. 96IS-20 420 MICRO TECHNOLOGY... 96IS-43 421 MICRO U.S 96IS-30 • MICR0C0MP. MKTG. COUNCIL 96IS-44 422 MUTEK 96IS-28 423 NOVELL 96IS-11 424 OLIVETTI 96IS-24.25 433 PHILIPS I & E 96IS-9 425 PHILIPS PERSONAL MONITORS 96IS-4 " SEMI TECH MICRO 96IS-33 426 SIEMENS AG 96IS-19 • SOFTLINE CORPORATION 96IS-21 435 STONE COMPUTECH CO. 96IS-32 436 STONE COMPUTECH CO. 96IS-32 427 S-100 96IS-45 434 TEAM TECH 96IS-37 428 TRIANGLE DIGITAL SERV. 96IS-28 Inquiry No. Page No. 429 UNICOMAL 96IS-29 430 U.S.A. SOFTWARE 96IS-7 MAC SUPPLEMENT MAC1-64 M1 ALLAN BONADIO ASSOC. . MAC60 M2 APPLIED DATA C0MM MAC12 • BIX MAC28 M3 COMPUTABLE FUNCTIONS, INC.MAC37 * COMPUTER CHRONICLES . MAC4 M4 COREL SOFTWARE MAC15 M9 D.C.M. DATA PROD MAC22 M5 DAYNA COMMUNICATIONS MAC7 M6 DIGITALK MAC54.55 M7 DIGITALK MAC54.55 M8 DOUGLAS ELECTRONICS MACCIII M10 ERGOTRON MAC3 M26 GOODWAY MAC51 M11 IOTECH MAC59 M12 JASMINE TECHNOLOGIES MACCII M13 MCAE INC MAC51 • MCGRAW-HILL BOOKS ...MAC10 M14 MICRO CAD/CAM MAC17 * MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUNCIL . M AC62 M17 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTSMACCIV M18 NEURALWARE MAC57 M19 ODESTA PUBLISHING .... MAC16 M20 PARAGON CONCEPTS .... MAC9 M22 PREFERRED SOFTWARE . MAC21 M23 SCOTT FORESMAN & CO. . MAC14 M25 VAMP, INC MAC18 Inquiry No. Page No. REGIONAL SECTIONS Midwest 96MW1-8 • BYTE TIPS 96MW-2 494 COMPARE COMPUTERS. 96MW-3 495 COMPARE COMPUTERS 96MW-3 • COMPUTERS FOR THE BLIND .96MW-4 496 COM-TEK DATA SYS., INC. 96MW-5 497 SPEAR TECHNOLOGY .. 96MW-1 498 Y.E.S. MULTINATIONAL . . 96MW-7 Mld-Atlantlc 96M/AT1-8 • BYTETIPS 96M/AT-2 487 COMPARE COMPUTERS 96M/AT-3 488 COMPARE COMPUTERS 96M/AT-3 • COMPS. FORTHEBLIND96M/AT-4 • EXPOCONSUL 96M/AT-6.7 489 OWL COMPUTER 96M/AT-1 Northeast 96 NE 1-16 • BYTETIPS 96NE-2 504 COMPARE COMPUTERS . 96NE-1 0 505 COMPARE COMPUTERS. 96NE-10 506 COM-TEK DATA SYS., INC. 96NE-8 507 COPY TECHNOLOGIES . . 96NE-13 508 COPY TECHNOLOGIES . . 96NE-1 3 509 COTTAGE COMPUTERS . . 96NE-4 512 ELECTR. DISCOUNTERS . 96NE-1 • EXPOCONSUL 96NE-6.7 513 JASMINE COMP. SYS. . . 96NE-15 514 JASMINE COMP. SYS. . . 96NE-15 Inquiry No. Page No. • MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUNCIL 96NE-9 515 PC LINK 96NE-3 516 SF MICRO 96NE-11 517 SPEAR TECHNOLOGY . . . 96NE-5 Pacific Coast 96 PC 1-12 523 3F 96PC-5 524 ALTEC TECHNOLOGY .... 96PC-2 526 JOKER SOFTWARE INT'L . 96PC-1 527 KNAPCO 96PC-6 528 MASTER PROGS., INC 96PC-1 2 529 SAK TECHNOLOGY 96PC-3 530 SEVERE DISCOUNT 96PC-4 531 SF MICRO 96PC-11 532 UNDER WARE ELECTR. . . 96PC-9 Southeast 96SE1-8 • BYTE TIPS 96SE-2 476 COMP. MASTERS OF AUGUSTA 96SE-8 • COMPS. FOR THE BLIND 96SE-4 477 KNAPCO 96SE-1 • MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUNCIL 96SE-3 Southwest 96SW1-8 • BYTE TIPS 96SW-2 • COMPS. FOR THE BLIND 96SW-4 481 DALLAS SYSTEMS 96SW-3 482 GENERAL BUS. MACHINES . . . 96SW-1 483 UNDER WARE ELECTR. . 96SW-8 * Correspond directly with company. BYTE ADVERTISING SALES STAFF: Steven M. Vito, Associate Publisher/V.P. of Marketing, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458, tel. (603) 924-9281 Dennis J. Riley, Eastern Regional Sales Manager, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458, tel. (603) 924-9281, Jennifer L. Bartel, West Coast Regional Sales Manager, 8111 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1350, Dallas, Tx 75251, tel. (214) 644-1111 NEW ENGLAND ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, ONTARIO CANADA & EASTERN CANADA John C. Moon (617) 2*2-1160 McGraw-Hill Publications 575 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116 ATLANTIC NY, NYC, CT, NJ (NORTH) Leah G. Rabinowitz (212) 512-2096 McGraw-Hill Publications 1221 Avenue of the Americas— 36th Floor New York, NY 10020 (203)968-7111 McGraw-Hill Publications Building A— 3rd Floor 777 Long Ridge Road Stamford, CT 06902 EAST PA, NJ (SOUTH), MD,W.VA,DE,D.C. (215)496-3833 McGraw-Hill Publications Three Parkway Philadelphia, PA 19102 SOUTHEAST NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, TN, VA Thomas Tolbert (404) 252-0626 McGraw-Hill Publications 4170 Ashford-Dunwoody Road Suite 420 Atlanta, GA 30319 MIDWEST IL, MO,KS,IA,ND,SD,MN, KY, OH, Wl, NB, IN, Ml, MS (312) 751-3740 McGraw-Hill Publications Blair Building 645 North Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 606 11 SOUTHWEST, ROCKY MOUNTAIN CO, WY, OK, TX, AR, LA, UT Karl Heinrich (713) 462-0757 McGraw-Hill Publications 760OW. TidwellRd.-Suite500 Houston, TX 77040 International Advertising Sales Staff: Mr. Hans Csokor Publimedia Reisnerstrasse 61 A-1037 Vienna, Austria 22275 76 84 Mrs. Gurit Gepner McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. PO Box 2156 Bat Yam, 59121 Israel 3 866 56132139 Mrs. Maria Sarmiento Pedro Teixeira 8, Off. 320 Iberia Mart 1 Madrid 4, Spain 145 52 891 Michael Karnig Andrew Karnig & Associates Finnbodavagen S-131 31 Nacka, Sweden 8X0005 Ros Weyman Mr. Alain Faure Serving Germany, Austria, & Switzerland McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. 128 Faubourg Saint Honore 34 Dover St. 75008 Paris London W1X4BR France EnglandOl 493 1451 (1) 42-89-03-81 SOUTH PACIFIC SOUTHERN CA, AZ, NM , LAS VEGAS Jack Anderson (714) 557-6292 McGraw-Hill Publications 3001 Red Hill Ave. Building #1— Suite 222 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Tom Harvey (213) 480-5243 McGraw-Hill Publications 3333 Wilshire Boulevard #407 Los Angeles, CA 90010 NORTH PACIFIC HI, WA, OR, ID, MT, NORTHERN CA, NV (except LAS VEGAS), W. CANADA (415)362-4600 McGraw-Hill Publications 425 Battery Street San Francisco, CA 941 11 Bill McAfee (415) 349-4100 McGraw-Hill Publications 951 Mariner's Island Blvd.— 3rd Floor San Mateo, CA 94404 Karen Lennie McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. 34 Dover St. London W1X4BR England 01 493 1451 Emilio Zerboni McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. Via Flavio Baracchini 1 20123 Milan, Italy (2) 89010103 BYTE BITS (2x3) Dan Harper (603) 924-6830 BYTE Publications One Phoenix Mill Lane Peterborough, NH 03458 The Buyer's Mart (1x2) Mark Stone (603) 924-3754 BYTE Publications One Phoenix Mill Lane Peterborough, NH 03458 Regional Advertising Scott Gagnon (603) 924-4380 BYTE Publications One Phoenix Mill Lane Peterborough, NH 03458 Larry Levine (603) 924-4379 BYTE Publications One Phoenix Mill Lane Peterborough, NH 03458 Seavex Ltd. 400 Orchard Road, #10-01 Singapore 0923 Republic of Singapore Tel: 734-9790 Telex: RS35539 SEAVEX Seavex Ltd. 503 Wilson House 19-27 Wyndham St. Central, Hong Kong Tel: 5-260149 Telex: 60904 SEVEX HX Elisa Lister (603) 924*830 BYTE Publications One Phoenix Mill Lane Peterborough, NH 03458 Liz Coyman (603) 924-9281 BYTE Publications One Phoenix Mill Lane Peterborough, NH 03458 BYTE Deck Mailings National Ed Ware (603) 924-6166 BYTE Publications One Phoenix Mill Lane Peterborough, NH 03458 A/E/C Computing Deck Computing for Engineers Mary Ann Goulding (603) 924-9281 BYTE Publications One Phoenix Mill Lane Peterborough, NH 03458 Hiro Morita McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. Overseas Corp. Room 1528 Kasumigaseki Bldg. 3-2-5 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-Ku Tokyo 100, Japan 3 5819811 Mr. Ernest McCrary Empresa Internacional de Comunicacoes Ltda. Rua da Consolacao, 222 Conjunto 103 01302 Sao Paulo, S.P. , Brasil Tel: (11)259-3811 Telex: (100) 32122 EMBN DECEMBER 1988 • B Y T E 389 READER SERVICE To get further information on the products advertised in BYTE, fill out the reader service card by circling the numbers on the card that cor- respond to the inquiry number listed with the advertiser. This index is provided as an additional service by the publisher, who assumes no liability for errors or omissions. * Correspond directly with company. Index to Advertisers by Product Category Inquiry No. Page No. HARDWARE 340 ADD INS 13 ALPHA PRODUCTS 373 25 ATI TECHNOLOGIES SO ' BINARYTECH 376 37 BLUE CHIP TECHNOLOGY ...367 63 COMPUTERAGE 385 64 COMPUTER CONTINUUM .... 372 73 CONTROL VISION 269 78 DATA TRANSLATION 233 431 FORMOSA 96IS-48 112 GALACTICOMM 59 413 GTCO 96IS-17 121 GTEK.INC 328 122 GTEK.INC 328 127 HERCULES 85 128 HERCULES 85 415 INES 96IS-30 140 INTEL 58,57 432 INTERQUADRAM 96IS-15 144 IOTECH 367 M11 IOTECH MAC59 198 NOHAUCORP 329 199 NOHAU CORP 367 216 PERISCOPE 303 217 PERSONAL SPACE COMM. ...364 433 PHILIPS I & E 96IS-9 228 QUA TECH 339 229 QUA TECH 339 230 QUA TECH 339 231 QUA TECH 339 232 QUA TECH 339 233 QUA TECH 339 243 REALTIME DEVICES 272 264 SOTA TECHNOLOGY 165 279 TALKING TECHNOLOGY 367 428 TRIANGLE DIGITAL SERV. 96IS-28 294 TRUEVISION 277 313 Z-WORLD 368 314 Z-WORLD 368 341 DRIVES 22 A.N. WHOLESALE & RETAIL . . 372 M4 COREL SOFTWARE MAC15 M5 DAYNA COMMUNICATIONS MAC7 M12 JASMINE TECHNOLOGIES MACCII 269 SUMITRONICS 30 270 SUMITRONICS 30 287 TIGERTRONICS 124 342 HARDWARE PROGRAMMERS 316 B&CMICRO 370 317 B&CMICRO 370 45 BP MICROSYSTEMS 372 160 KOREINC 385 162 LINK COMPUTER GRAPHICS .346 165 LOGICAL DEVICES 364 166 LOGICAL DEVICES 364 324 XELTEK 385 309 XENDER CORP 258 Inquiry No. 343 Page No. INSTRUMENTATION 64 COMPUTER CONTINUUM .... 372 93 DSP DEVELOPMENT CORP. ...42 98 ELEXOR 376 150 JBCOMPU-TRONIX 272 203 ORION 64 344 KEYBOARDS/MICE 133 HOOLEON 102 134 HOOLEON 102 146 ITAC SYSTEMS 116 167 LOGITECH 74,75 168 LOGITECH 74,75 169 LOGITECH 95 170 LOGITECH 95 252 SCIENCE ACCESSORIES .... 293 302 VNS AMERICA 333 345 MASS STORAGE 10 AKSYSTEMS 362 102 EVEREX 103 103 EVEREX 103 115 GENOA 79 • MAXELL DATA PRODUCTS 7 205 OVERLAND DATA 364 321 QUALSTAR CORP 272 274 SYSGEN, INC 21 280 TALLGRASS TECHNOLOGIES .43 281 TALLGRASS TECHNOLOGIES .43 MISCELLANEOUS 14 ALPHA PRODUCTS 364 • ANTHROCORP 26 M2 APPLIED DATA COMM. . . . MAC12 • AVIS 309 31 BAY TECHNICAL ASSOCIATES 271 53 CANON USA, INC 89 54 CENTROID 342 61 COMPUQUEST 368 74 COVOX 372 315 EASTMAN KODAK 258C 323 ELECTRONIC ENERGY CTRL. . 365 101 ENGINEER'S COLLABORATIVE . 370 126 HARRIS/3M 202,203 • INTECTRA 370 139 INTEGRAND 194 418 KADOR 96IS-28 163 LOGICAL DEVICES 364 164 LOGICAL DEVICES 364 528 MASTER PROGRAMMERS, INC. .96PC-12 182 MERRITT COMPUTER PROD. . 304 285 TELEX CORP 122 346 MODEMS/MULTIPLEXORS • CLEOSOFTWARE 222 60 COMPUCOM CORP 368 79 DATATRONICSTECH. LTD. ... 110 112 GALACTICOMM 59 158 KISS ENGINEERING 52 197 NATURAL MICROSYSTEMS ..276 Inquiry No. Page No. 434 TEAM TECH 96IS-37 282 TELEBIT 150,151 291 TOUCHBASE SYSTEMS INC. . . 20 347 MONITORS 3 3LYNX 325 75 CTX 81 76 CTX 81 425 PHILIPS PERSONAL MONITORS 96IS-4 331 TATUNG 106 348 NETWORK HARDWARE 31 BAY TECHNICAL ASSOCIATES 271 46 BUFFALO 281 406 CUBIX 96IS-31 407 DATEX 96IS-13 M26 GOODWAY MAC51 422 MUTEK 96IS-28 217 PERSONAL SPACE COMM. ...364 245 ROSE ELECTRONICS 153 278 TAIWAN FIRST LINE CABLE ..234 305 WIESEMANN & THEIS 186 349 POWER SUPPLIES 209 PARASYSTEMS 93 350 PRINTERS/PLOTTERS 7 AEGOLYMPIA 125 31 BAY TECHNICAL ASSOCIATES 271 48 CALCOMP 109 49 CALCOMP 109 328 ENTER COMPUTER 102 329 ENTER COMPUTER 102 110 FUJITSU AMERICA 22,23 111 FUJITSU AMERICA 22,23 114 GENICOM 61 120 GRAPHTEC 260 129 HEWLETT-PACKARD 181 130 HEWLETT-PACKARD 182 138 IMPACT 54 145 IOLINE CORPORATION 52 286 LASER CONNECTION 27 200 NUMONICS 177 222 PRINCETON GRAPHIC SYS. . . 323 244 ROLAND 256 297 VENTURA PERIPHERALS 228,229 311 ZERICON 169 351 PRINTER RIBBONS 19 AMERICAN RIBBON 168 65 COMPUTER FRIENDS 44 352 SCANNERS/DIGITIZERS 105 FLAGSTAFF ENGINEERING ..112 106 FLAGSTAFF ENGINEERING ..112 131 HIGH RES TECHNOLOGIES ..370 417 IRIS 96IS-10 171 LOGITECH 17 172 LOGITECH 17 Inquiry No. 353 Page No. SOFTWARE SECURITY 402 ALADDIN 96IS-18 225 PROTECH MARKETING 54 230 QUA TECH 339 233 QUA TECH 339 320 RAINBOWTECH 18 240 RAINBOWTECH 133 354 SYSTEMS 401 ACER 96IS-34.35 524 ALTEC TECHNOLOGY .... 96PC-2 20 AMERICAN SEMICONDUCTOR 376 " AMPRO 226 403 APRICOT COMPUTERS . . 96IS-2.3 23 ARCHE TECHNOLOGIES 31 24 ARCHE TECHNOLOGIES 31 318 AST RESEARCH 205 319 ASTRESEARCH 205 325 ASTRESEARCH 317 326 ASTRESEARCH 317 • AT&T 217 • AT&T 219 • AT&T 221 32 BEST COMPUTER 206 33 BEST COMPUTER 206 55 CLUB AMER. TECH 28,29 • COMPAQ 48A-F 496 COM-TEK DATA 96MW-5 506 COM-TEK DATA 96NE-8 • DATAWORLD 230 83 DELL COMPUTERS (INT'L)158,159 84 DELL COMPUTERS (N.AMER.) 158-161 408 ELONEX 96IS-27 104 FIVESTAR COMPUTER 8,9 113 GATEWAY2000 101 414 HM SYSTEMS 96IS-41 137 IEEE 123 513 JASMINE COMP. SYS 96NE-15 181 MEGATEL 60 183 MICRO EXPRESS 198 184 MICRO EXPRESS 198 ' MICROWAY 227 424 OLIVETTI 96IS-24.25 489 OWL COMPUTER 96M/AT-1 213 PC DESIGN 305 226 PROTEUS TECH. CORP 105 238 RADIO SHACK CIV 239 RADIO SHACK 209 241 RAINBOW TECH 385 • SEMI TECH MICRO 96IS-33 516 SF MICRO 96NE-11 531 SF MICRO 96PC-11 426 SIEMENS AG 96IS-19 517 SPEAR TECHNOLOGY . . . 96NE-5 497 SPEAR TECHNOLOGY . . 96MW-1 271 SUNTRONICS 118 289 TOSHIBA COMPUTERS .... 90,91 290 TOSHIBA COMPUTERS .... 90,91 299 VNSAMERICA 111 300 VNSAMERICA 189 301 VNS AMERICA 259 498 Y.E.S. MULTINATIONAL . . 96MW-7 310 ZEOS INTERNATIONAI 46,47 390 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 READER SERVICE Advertising Supplement included with this issue: Jameco Electronics (U.S. and Canada Subscribers) Correspond directly with company. Inquiry No. Page No. SOFTWARE 355 APPLE2/MAC APPLICATIONS Business/Office 108 FOX SOFTWARE 25 M19 ODESTA PUBLISHING .... MAC16 M20 PARAGON CONCEPTS .... MAC9 M22 PREFERRED SOFTWARE . MAC21 M32 APPLE2/MAC APPLICATIONS Scientific/Technical M1 ALLAN BONADIO ASSOC. . MAC60 M13MCAEINC MAC51 M17 NATIONAL INSTRUMENTSMACCIV M18 NEURALWARE MAC57 M33 APPLE2/MAC — CAD M14 MICRO CAD/CAM MAC17 M25 VAMP, INC MAC18 Inquiry No. Page No. M34 APPLE2/MAC — LAN MS DOUGLAS ELECTRONICS MACCIII M35 APPLE2/MAC- LANGUAGES M3 COMPUTABLE FUNCTIONS, INC.MAC37 M9 D.C.M. DATA PROD MAC22 M6 DIGITALK MAC54.55 M7 DIGITALK MAC54,55 356 IBM/MS-DOS APPLICATIONS Business/Office 2 1ST CLASS EXPERT SYSTEMS 114 283 BROWN BAG 251 284 BROWN BAG 263 109 FTGDATA 368 410 GAMMA PRODUCTION .. 96IS-22 416 INK INTERNATIONAI 96IS-16 188 MICRORIM 82,83 189 MICRORIM 82,83 423 NOVELL 96IS-11 • ORACLE 77 210 PARSONS TECHNOLOGY 45 211 PATTON & PATTON 318 237 QUICKSOFT 32 • RAIMA 35 • SCITOR CORP 225 260 SMALL COMPUTER CO., INC. .143 357 IBM/MS-DOS APPLICATIONS Scientific/Technical 6 ACCEL TECH 385 34 BINARY ENGINEERING 166 97 ECOSOFT 167 409 FLEMING SOFTWARE . . . 96IS-32 123 HAMMERLY 73 135 HORSTMANN 212 41 9 LOGIC PROGRAMMING ASSOC. 96IS-20 174 MATHSOFT 69 254 SCIENTIFIC COMPUTER ASSOC. 346 265 SPECTRUM 244 266 STATSOFT 197 268 STSC 253 275 SYSTAT 147 276 SYSTAT 147 358 IBM/MS-DOS APPLICATIONS Miscellaneous 526 JOKER SOFTWARE INT'L . 96PC-1 359 IBM/MS-DOS APPLICATIONS /Spreadsheet 2 1ST CLASS EXPERT SYSTEMS 114 117 GOLDEN BOW 201 360 IBM/MS-DOS — CAD 21 AMERICAN SM. BUS. COMP. .144 333 GENERIC SOFTWARE 310 334 GENERIC SOFTWARE 310 306 WINTEKCORP 5 307 WINTEKCORP 362 361 IBM/MSDOS — LAN 523 3-F 96PC-5 43 BORLAND 71 44 BORLAND 71 335 SANTA CRUZ OPERATION ...175 336 SANTA CRUZ OPERATION ...175 258 SIMPLE NET SYSTEMS 148 259 SIMPLE NET SYSTEMS 148 362 IBM/MS-DOS — GRAPHICS 53 CANON USA, INC 89 82 DAYTRON 342 315 EASTMAN KODAK 256C • GRAPHICS SOFTWARE SYS.. 214 293 TRILOBYTE 385 363 IBM/MS-DOS -LANGUAGES 4 A&LMEIER 345 8 AETECH 100 9 AETECH 100 39 BORLAND CM 40 BORLAND Cll 41 BORLAND 1 42 BORLAND 1 405 CALEND 96IS-23 56 CNS, INC 250 57 CNS, INC 250 99 ELLIS COMPUTING INC 126 412 GSE 96IS-39 123 HAMMERLY 73 151 JENSEN & PARTNERS 129 161 LAHEY COMPUTER SYS. INC. 128 173 MANX SOFTWARE SYSTEMS. 135 • MICROSOFT 13-15 • MICROSOFT 32A-H • MICROSOFT 210,211 Inquiry No. Page No. 219 PHAR LAP SOFTWARE 48 220 POLYTRON 283 267 STSC 87 429 UNICOMAL 96IS-29 296 USERSOFT 279 298 VESTRONIX 213 312 ZORTECH 55 364 IBM/MS-DOS — UTILITIES 5 A&LMEIER 347 26 ATRON 66 27 AVOCET SYSTEMS, INC 235 36 BLAISE COMPUTING INC 33 51 CALIFORNIA SAV PRODUCTS . 376 52 CALIFORNIA SW PRODUCTS . 376 507 COPY TECHNOLOGIES . . 96NE-13 508 COPY TECHNOLOGIES. 96NE-13 80 DAYSTAR COMPUTING 53 81 DAYSTAR COMPUTING 53 82 DAYTRON 342 85 DEPARTMENTALTECH., INC. . 239 117 GOLDEN BOW 201 330 GOLDEN BOW 362 123 HAMMERLY COMP. SERV 73 132 HITECH EQUIP. CORP 342 155 KADAK 362 175 MATRIX 266 194 MIX SOFTWARE 139 219 PHAR LAP SOFTWARE 48 227 PUBLISHING TECHNOLOGIES 134 529 SAK TECHNOLOGY 96PC-3 250 SAX SOFTWARE 311 262 SOFTWARE MASTERS 119 272 SUPERSOFT 104 • VERMONT CREATIVE S/W ....10 308 WOODCHUCK IND 258 365 IBM/MS-DOS COMMUNICATIONS 92 DIVERSIFIED COMP. SYS. ... 368 119 GRAFPOINT 258 156 KEASYSTEMS 128 157 KEASYSTEMS 269 208 PALLADIAN TECH 376 261 SOFTRONICS 346 292 TRAVELING SOFTWARE 295 366 OTHER -CROSS DEVELOPMENT • SOFTWARE DEV. SYS 99 Inquiry No. Page No. 367 MAIL ORDER/ RETAIL 523 3-F 96PC-5 28 ADVANCED COMP. PROD. 378,379 15 ALTEX ELECTRONICS 366 19 AMERICAN RIBBON 168 29 B & B ELECTRONICS 367 38 BOFFIN LTD 306 * BUYER'S MART 349-359 • CALIFORNIA DIGITAL 377 50 CALIFORNIA FREEWARE ....196 58 COMPACT DISK PROD., INC. ..60 487 COMPARE COMPUTERS 96M/AT-3 488 COMPARE COMPUTERS 96M/AT-3 494 COMPARE COMPUTERS . 96MW-3 495 COMPARE COMPUTERS. 96MW-3 504 COMPARE COMPUTERS. 96NE-10 505 COMPARE COMPUTERS. 96NE-10 59 COMPUCLASSICS 115 62 COMPUSAVE 365 66 COMPUTER MAIL ORDER.. 38,39 476 COMP. MASTERS OF AUGUSTA 96SE-8 67 COMPUTER SURPLUS STORE 376 68 COMPUTERLANE 274 72 CONTECH 370 509 COTTAGE COMPUTERS . . 96NE-4 481 DALLAS SYSTEMS 96SW-3 88 DISC INTERNATIONAL 368 89 DISKCOTECH 362 90 DISKETTE CONNECTION ....367 91 DISKS TO GO 364 95 DYNAMIC ELECTRONICS .... 376 96 DYNAMIC ELECTRONICS .... 376 512 ELECTRIFIED DISC 96NE-1 M10 ERGOTRON MAC3 107 FOUR GUYS COMPUTERS .... 58 482 GENERAL BUSINESS MACH.96SW-1 411 GREY MATTER 96IS-42 124 HARD DISK DRIVES INT'L.... 340 125 HARD DISK DRIVES INT'I 340 136 IC EXPRESS 362 138 IMPACT 54 147 JADE 375 148 JAMECO 360,361 514 JASMINE COMP. SYS. . . .96NE-15 153 J.D.R. MICRODEVICES .. 380,381 154 J.D.R. MICRODEVICES .. 382-384 • J.D.R. MICRODEVICES . . 393-408 527 KNAPCO 96PC-6 477 KNAPCO 96SE-1 528 MASTER PROGRAMMERS, INC. 96PC-1 2 178 MEAD COMPUTER 369 179 MEGASOFT 370 180 MEGASOFT 370 421 MICRO U.S 96IS-30 185 MICROCOM SYSTEMS 24 • MICROCOMP. MKTG. COUNCIL . M AC62 • MICROCOMPUTER MKTG.CNCL96IS-44 • MICROCOMPUTER MKTG.CNCL96NE-9 • MICROCOMPUTER MKTG.CNCL 96SE-3 187 MICROPROCESSORS UNLTD. 364 • MICROWAY 227 193 MICROWAY 313 195 MONTGOMERY GRANT 289 196 M.H.I 363 • NAT'L. COMP. ACCESSORIES 374 215 ONLINE STORE 179 206 PACIFIC COMPUTER 365 207 PACIFIC COMPUTER 365 515 PC LINK 96NE-3 214 PC NETWORK 265 221 PRINCETON DISKETTE 376 223 PROGRAMMERS SHOP 126 224 PROGRAMMER'S PARADISE62.63 246 SABINA INT'L 385 251 SCHWAB COMPUTER CORP. . 372 253 SCIENCE & ENG. S/W 49 530 SEVERE DISCOUNT 96PC-4 DECEMBER 1988 • BYTE 391 READER SERVICE Advertising Supplement included with this issue: Jameco Electronics (U.S. and Canada Subscribers) * Correspond directly with company. Inquiry No. Page No. 255 SHAMROCK COMPUTER 37 256 SHECOM COMPUTERS 192 257 SHECOM COMPUTERS 192 277 SN'W ELECTRONICS 34 • SOFTLINE CORPORATION 96IS-21 263 SOLUTION SYSTEMS 132 435 STONE COMPUTECH CO. 96IS-32 436 STONE COMPUTECH CO. 96IS-32 273 SURAH CORP 372 427 S-100 96IS-45 69 TELEMART 120,121 70 TELEMART 120,121 288 TIMELINE 371 322 TRIGEM COMPUTER, INC. ... 372 532 UNDER WARE ELEC 96PC-9 483 UNDER WARE ELECT. . . . 96SW-8 430 U.S.A. SOFTWARE 96IS-7 303 WAREHOUSE DATA 127 MISCELLANEOUS • MICROSOFT 131 • NEC INFO. SYSTEMS Clll Inquiry No. Page No. 202 ON-TARGET ASSOC 362 247 SAFEWARE 376 368 EDUCATIONAL/ INSTRUCTIONAL 404 BIX 96IS-46 • BYTE BACK ISSUES 320,374 • BYTE BACK ISSUES 96IS-38 • BYTE BITS 385 438 BYTE BITS 96IS-30 • BYTE CIRCULATION 241 • BYTE CIRCULATION .... 96IS-47 • BYTE INTO. POSTCARD . . 96IS-26 • BYTE SUB. MESSAGE 124 • BYTE SUB.SERVICE 252 • BYTE SUB.SERVICE .... 96IS-20 • BYTE TIPS 96NE-2 • BYTE TIPS 96SE-2 • BYTE TIPS 96SW-2 • BYTETIPS 96MW-2 • BYTETIPS 96M/AT-2 • BYTE WEEK/NEWSLETTER ..326 Inquiry No. Page No. * COMPUTER CHRONICLES . MAC4 ' COMPUTERS FOR THE BUND96M/AT-4 • COMPUTERS FOR THE BLIND 96SW-4 • COMPUTERS FOR THE BLIND 96MW-4 * COMPUTERS FOR THE BLIND96SE-4 77 CYBER RESEARCH 269 * EXPOCONSUL 96M/AT-6.7 • EXPOCONSUL 96NE-6.7 149 JASON ENTERPRISE 367 159 KNOWLEDGE GARDEN 273 * MCGRAW-HILL BOOKS . . . MAC10 176 MCGRAW-HILL BOOKSTORE . 152 177 MCGRAW-HILL NRI 297 192 MICROSOFT PRESS 136 204 OSBORNE/MCGRAW-HILL ... 218 M23 SCOTT FORESMAN & CO. . MAC14 • WILEY & SONS 117 369 DESKTOP PUBLISHING 11 ALDUS 12 ALDUS . 190,191 190,191 Inquiry No. Page No. 94 DYNA COMPUTERS 298 • MICROSOFT 254,255 218 PERSONAL TEX 36 250 SAX SOFTWARE 311 370 OPERATING SYSTEMS 86 DIGITAL RESEARCH 19 87 DIGITAL RESEARCH 19 142 INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS 41 143 INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS 41 235 QUARTERDECK 140 236 QUARTERDECK 154 248 SAIC 58 371 ON-LINE SERVICES 450 BIX 284,285 ' BIX MAC28 420 MICRO TECHNOLOGY IS 96IS-43 SEND FOR YOUR 1) SUBSCRIBER I.D. CARD SUBSCRIBERS ONLY!* Use BYTE's Telephone Inquiry Processing System Using TIPS can bring product information as much as 10 dayB earlier. If you are a new subscriber or have lost your I.D. card, circle #1 on the Reader Service Card; attach mailer label. We will immediately send your personal TIPS subscriber card. GET PREPARED 2) Write your Subscriber Number, as printed on your Subscriber I.D. Card, in boxes in Step 5 below. (Do not add 0's to fill in blank boxes) 3) Write numbers for information desired in boxes in Step 7b below. (Do not add 0's to fill in blank boxes.) CALL TIPS 4) Now, on a Touch-Tone telephone dial: (413) 442-2668 and wait for voice commands. ENTER YOUR SUBSCRIBER AND ISSUE NUMBERS 5) When TIPS says: "Enter Subscriber Number" (Enter by pushing the numbers and symbols [# or * enclosed in the boxes] on telephone pad ignoring blank boxes) Enter DDDQDDDD11 6) When TIPS says "Enter magazine code & issue code" Enter LTJ BE LTJ H El BE BE ENTER YOUR INQUIRIES 7a) When TIPS says "Enter (next) Inquiry Number" Enter one inquiry selection from below (ignore blank boxes) b) Repeat 7a as needed (maximum 17 inquiry numbers) 1. □ □ □ DH HO 6. DDDBEQE io.QDDI 2. D D D BE BE 7. nnnBEBE ll.DDDB 3. n n n be be 8. dddbebe 12. □□□a 4.DDDII 9. D D D BE BE 13. D D D II 5. □ □ □ BE BE i4. n n n is. n n n 16. □ □ □ _ 17. D D D BE END SESSION 8) End session by entering E S O LD BE BE 9) Hang up after hearing final message If you are a subscriber and need assistance, call (603) 924-9281. If you are not a subscriber fill out the subscription card found in this issue or, call BYTE Circulation 800-423-8272. •Domestic and Canadian Subscribers Only! 392 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Macintosh Supplement mation To receive free information on Macintosh products and advertisers in this special supplement, just follow steps 1, 2 and 3. Circle numbers on reply card which correspond to numbers assigned to items of interest to you. 2 Check all the appropriate answers to questions "A" through "F". 3 Print your name and address and mail. Circle lor FREE INFORMATION M3 M4 M10 M11 MS M12 M16 M17 M18 M19 M23 M24 M25 M26 M32 M30 M31 M37 M38 M44 M51 M6 M13 M20 M27 M33 M34 M40 M41 M39 M45 M46 M47 M48 M52 M53 M54 M55 M58 M59 M60 M61 M62 M65 M66 M67 M68 M69 M72 M73 M74 M75 M76 M7 M14 M21 M28 M35 M42 M49 M56 M63 M70 M77 M78 M8S M92 M99 M106 M113 M120 M127 M134 M141 M148 M79 M86 M93 M100 M107 M114 M121 M128 M135 M142 M149 M80 M87 M94 M101 M108 M115 M122 M129 M136 M143 M150 M01 M88 M95 M102 M109 M116 M123 M130 M137 M144 M1S1 M82 M83 M89 M90 M96 M97 M103 M104 M110 M111 M117 M118 M124 M125 M131 M132 M138 M139 M145 M146 M152 M153 M84 M91 M98 M105 M112 M119 M126 M133 M140 M147 M154 M155 M162 M169 M176 M183 M190 M197 M204 M211 M218 M225 M156 M163 M170 U177 M184 M191 M198 M205 M212 M219 M226 M157 M158 M164 M165 M171 M172 M178 M179 M185 M186 M192 M193 M199 M200 M206 M207 M213 M214 M220 M221 M227 M228 M159 M166 M173 M180 M187 M194 M201 M208 M215 M222 M229 M160 M161 M167 M168 M174 M175 M181 M182 M188 M189 M195 M196 M202 M203 M209 M210 M216 M217 M223 M224 M230 M231 M232 M239 M246 M253 M260 M267 M274 M281 M288 M295 M233 M240 M247 M254 1.1261 M258 M275 M282 M289 M296 M234 M241 M248 M255 M262 M269 M276 M283 M290 M297 M235 M242 M249 M256 M263 M270 M277 M284 M291 M298 M236 M243 M250 M257 M264 M271 M278 M285 M292 M299 12MAC2 M237 M238 M244 M245 M251 M252 M258 M259 M265 M266 M272 M273 M279 M280 M286 M287 M293 M294 Fill out this coupon carefully. PLEASE PRINT. Requests cannot be honored unless the zip code is included. Supplement inquiries cannot be requested via TIPS. This card is valid for 6 months from cover date. A. Do you have management responsibilities within your company? 1 □ Senior-level management 2 □ Other management 3 □ Non-management B. Reason for request: (Check all that apply.) i □ Business use for yourself 2 □ Business use for your company 3 D Personal use C For how many Macintosh personal computers do you currently buy, specify or approve brands of products? 1 □ 10 or less 2 □ 11-25 3 □ 26-99 4 □ 100 or more D. For how many Macintosh personal computers will you buy, specify or approve brands of products within the next two years? 1 □ 10 or less 2 □ 11-25 3 D 26-99 4 □ 100 or more Name Title Company Address _ City E. In total, how many Macintosh personal computers is your entire organization considering for purchase within the next two years? 1 □ 10 or less 2 □ 11-25 3 □ 26-99 4 D 100-499 5 D 500 or more F. What type of personal computer do you primarily use? 1 □ IBM AT or 80286-based compatible 2 □ Compaq 386 or 80386- based compatible 3 □ IBM PS/2 (with Micro- Channel) or compatible 4 □ Apple Mac (except Mac II) 5 □ Apple Mac II 6 □ Other . Business Phone (_ . State . Zip. NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 176 PITTSFIELD, MA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE BVTE READER SERVICE PO Box 5110 Pittsfield, MA 01203-9926 USA Macintosh Supplement ree Informatio To receive free information on Macintosh products and advertisers in this special supplement, just follow steps 1, 2 and 3. 1 Circle numbers on reply card which correspond to numbers assigned to items of interest to you. 2 Check all the appropriate answers to questions "A" through "F". Print your name and address and mail. NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 176 PITTSFIELD, MA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE EVTE READER SERVICE PO Box 5110 Pittsfield, MA 01203-9926 USA Circle for FREE INFORMATIO Ml M2 U3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M78 M79 M80 M81 M82 M83 M84 M155 M156 M157 M158 M159 M160 M161 M232 M233 M234 M235 M236 12MAC2 M237 M238 M8 M9 M10 M11 M12 M13 M14 M85 M86 M87 M88 M89 M90 M91 M162 M163 M164 M165 M166 M167 M168 M239 M240 M241 M242 M243 M244 M245 M15 M16 M17 M18 M19 M20 M21 M92 M93 M94 M95 M96 M97 M98 M169 M170 M171 M172 M173 M174 M176 M246 M247 M248 M249 M250 M2S1 M252 M22 M23 M24 M25 M26 M27 M28 M99 M100 M101 M102 M103 M104 M105 M176 MOT M178 M179 M180 M181 M182 M253 M254 M255 M256 M257 M258 M259 M29 M30 M31 M32 M33 M34 M35 M106 M107 M108 M109 M110 M111 M112 M183 M184 M186 M186 M187 M188 M189 M260 M261 M262 M263 M264 M266 M266 M36 M37 M38 M39 M40 M41 M42 M113 M114 M115 M116 M117 M118 M119 M190 M191 M192 M193 M194 M195 M196 M267 M268 M269 M270 M271 M272 M273 M43 M44 M45 M46 M47 M48 M49 M120 M121 M122 M123 M124 M125 M126 M197 M198 M199 M200 M201 M202 M203 M274 M275 M276 M277 M278 M279 M280 MSO M51 M52 M53 M54 M55 M56 M127 M128 M129 Miao M131 M132 M133 M204 M205 M206 M207 M208 M209 M210 M281 M282 M283 M284 M285 M286 M287 M57 M58 M59 M60 M61 M62 M63 M134 M135 M136 M137 M138 M139 M140 M211 M212 M213 M214 M215 M216 M217 M288 M289 M290 M291 M292 M293 M294 M64 M65 M66 M67 M68 M69 M70 M141 M142 M143 M144 M145 M146 M147 M218 M219 M220 M221 M222 M223 M224 M295 M296 M297 M298 M299 M71 M72 M73 M74 M75 M76 M77 M148 M149 M150 M151 M152 M153 M154 M225 M226 M227 M228 M229 M230 M231 Fill out this coupon carefully. PLEASE PRINT. Requests cannot be honored unless the zip requested via TIPS. This card is valid for 6 months from cover date. code is included Supplement inquiries cannot be A. Do you have manag responsibilities within y company? 1 □ Senior-level mana 2 G Other manageme 3 □ Non-management B. Reason for request: that apply.) i □ Business use for 2 □ Business use for company 3 □ Personal use C. For how many Macin ;ment our Dement it (Check all /ourself iOur tosh you r approve D. For how many Macintosh personal computers will you buy, specify or approve brands of products within the next two years? 1 □ 10 or less 2 □ 11-25 3 □ 26-99 4 □ 100 or more Name E. In total, how many Macintosh personal computers is your entire organization considering for purchase within the next two years? 1 □ 10 or less 2 □ 11-25 3 D 26-99 4 □ 100^199 5 □ 500 or more F. What type of personal computer do you primarily use? 1 D IBM AT or 80286-based compatible 2 □ Compaq 386 or 80386- based compatible 3 □ IBM PS/2 (with Micro- Channel) or compatible 4 □ Apple Mac (except Mac II) 5 □ Apple Mac II 6 □ Other personal computers do currently buy, specify o brands of products? Title Company B usiness Phone ( ) 1 □ 10 or less 2 □ 11-25 Address 3 □ 26-99 4 D 100 or more City State Zip INFORMATION Want More Information About the Products and Advertisers Featured in this Issue? Circle numbers on reply card which correspond to numbers assigned to items of interest to you. Check all the appropriate answers to questions "A" through "C". El Print your name and address and mail. Fill out this coupon carefully. PLEASE PRINT. Nam3 < 1 Title Phone Company Address 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 48 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 64 55 56 57 5B 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 32 63 64 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 160 181 162 183 184 165 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 City A. What is your level of management responsibility? 1 D Senior-level Management 2 □ Other Management 3 □ Non-Management B. What is your primary job function/principal area of responsibility? (Check one.) 1 D Administration 2 Q Accounting/Finance 3 D MIS/DP/Information Center 4 D Product Design and Development 5 D Research and Development 6 D Manufacturing 7 D Sales/Marketing 8 D Purchasing 9 □ Personnel 10 □ Education/Training 1 1 □ Other: State Zip 2 □ Computer Retail Stores 3 D Consultants 4 □ Service Bureau/Planning 3 □ Distributor/Wholesaler 6 □ Systems House/ Integra tor/ VAR 7 □ Other: Non- 8D 9D 242 243 244 272 273 274 302 303 304 332 333 334 362 363 364 392 393 394 422 423 424 452 453 454 245 246 247 275 276 277 305 306 307 335 336 337 365 366 367 395 396 397 425 426 427 455 456 457 248 249 250 251 252 276 279 280 2B1 282 308 309 310 311 312 338 339 340 341 342 368 369 370 371 372 398 399 400 401 402 428 429 430 431 432 458 459 460 461 462 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 313 314 315 316 317 31B 319 320 321 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 463 464 465 466 467 466 469 470 471 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 10 D 11 D 1 2 D 13 n 14 n C. Please indicate your organization's primary business activity: (Check one.) Computer-Related Businesses: 1 D Manufacturer (Hardware, Software) ISO 16 n 17 D 18 D Computer-Related Businesses: Manufacturing Finance, Insurance, Real Estate Retail/ Wholesale Education Government Military Professions (Law, Medicine, Engineering, Architecture) Consulting Other Business Services Transportation, Communications, Utilities Other: 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 468 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 516 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 536 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 656 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 566 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 813 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 674 675 676 677 678 679 680 681 682 663 664 665 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 DECEMBER 48CRSU 1081 1111 1141 722 723 724 725 726 727 728 729 730 731 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 741 752 753 754 755 756 757 758 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 767 768 769 770 771 782 783 784 785 786 787 788 789 790 791 792 793 794 795 796 797 798 799 800 801 812 813 814 815 816 817 818 819 820 821 822 623 824 825 826 827 828 829 830 831 842 843 844 B45 B46 847 848 849 850 851 852 853 854 855 856 857 858 859 360 861 872 873 874 875 876 877 678 679 860 881 882 863 884 885 886 887 888 889 890 891 902 903 904 905 906 907 908 909 910 911 912 913 914 915 916 917 918 919 920 921 932 933 934 935 936 937 938 939 940 941 942 943 944 945 946 947 948 949 950 951 962 963 964 965 966 967 968 969 970 971 972 973 974 975 976 977 978 979 980 981 992 993 994 995 996 997 998 999 1000 1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 10081009 1010 1011 1022 1023 1024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029 1030 1031 1032 1033 1034 1035 1036 1037 1038 1039 1040 1041 1052 1053 1054 1055 1056 1057 1058 1059 1060 1061 1062 1063 1064 1065 1066 1067 1068 1069 1070 1071 1082 1083 1084 1085 1086 1067 1088 1089 1090 1091 1092 1093 1094 1095 1096 1097 1098 1099 1100 1101 11121113111411151116111711181119112011211122112311241125112611271128112911301131 1142114311441145114611471148114911501151 11521153115411551156115711581159 11601161 1172117311741175 11761177 1178117911801181 11821183118411851186118711861189 11901191 742 743 744 772 773 774 802 803 804 832 833 834 862 863 864 892 693 894 922 923 924 952 953 954 982 983 984 101210131014 104210431044 10721073 1074 110211031104 113211331134 11621163 1164 119211931194 745 746 775 776 805 806 835 836 865 866 895 896 925 926 955 956 985 986 10151016 10451046 10751076 11051106 11351136 11651166 11951196 747 748 777 778 807 BOB 837 638 867 868 897 898 927 928 957 958 9B7 988 1017 1018 10471048 10771078 11071108 11371138 11671168 11971198 749 750 779 780 809 810 839 840 869 870 899 900 929 930 959 960 989 990 10191020 1049 1050 1079 1080 11091110 11391140 I I Please send me one year of BYTE Magazine for $22.95 and bill me. Offer valid in U.S. and possessions only. NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 176 PITTSFIELD, MA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE READER SERVICE PO Box 5110 Pittsfield, MA 01203-9926 USA ,II,I.I„I,I„,,I,I,ILLI,I INFORMATION Want More Information About the Products and Advertisers Featured in this Issue? j Circle numbers on reply card which correspond to numbers assigned to items of interest to you. J Check all the appropriate answers to questions "A" through "C". Print your name and address and mail. NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS MAIL PERMIT NO. 176 PITTSFIELD, MA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE READER SERVICE PO Box 5110 Pittsfield, MA 01203-9926 USA mmII„I,III„,„II,I,I„I,I„mI.I,ILI.,I.I Fill out this coupon carefully. PLEASE PRINT. Name Title (- Phone 61 62 91 92 121 122 151 152 161 162 211 212 3 4 5 6 7 33 34 35 36 37 63 64 65 66 67 93 94 95 96 97 123 124 125 126 127 153 154 155 156 157 163 164 185 186 187 213 214 215 216 217 10 11 12 13 38 39 40 41 68 69 70 71 98 99 100 101 128 129 130 131 158 159 160 161 168 169 190 191 218 219 220 221 42 43 72 73 102 103 132 133 162 163 192 193 222 223 74 75 104 105 134 135 164 165 194 195 224 225 16 17 1B 19 46 47 48 49 76 77 78 79 106 107 108 109 136 137 138 139 166 167 168 169 196 197 198 199 226 227 228 229 Company Address City A. What is your level of management responsibility? 1 □ Senior-level Management 2 □ Other Management 3 n Non-Management B. What is your primary job function/principal area of responsibility? (Check one.) 1 D Administration 2 □ Accounting/Finance 3 □ MIS/DP/Information Center 4 □ Product Design and Development 5 □ Research and Development 6 □ Manufacturing 7 □ Sales/Marketing 8 n Purchasing 9 □ Personnel 10 □ Education/Training 1 1 □ Other: State Zip C Please indicate your organization's primary business activity: (Check one.) Computer-Related Businesses: I D Manufacturer (Hardware, Software) 2 □ Computer Reutil Stores 3 D Consultants 4 □ Service Bureau/Planning 5 D Distributor/Wholesaler 6 □ Systems House/ Integra lor/VAR 7 D Other: Non-Computer-Related Businesses: 8 □ Manufacturing 9 □ Finance, Insurance, Real Estate 10 □ Retail/Wholesale 1 1 n Education 12 Q Government 13 □ Military 14 D Professions (Law, Medicine, Engineering, Architecture) 15 □ Consulting 16 □ Other Business Services 17 D Transportation. Communications, Utilities 18 □ Other: DECEMBER 48CRSU 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 264 285 286 287 288 289 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 3E1 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 451 452 463 454 455 456 457 458 459 160 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 481 482 511 512 541 542 571 572 601 602 631 632 661 662 483 484 485 486 487 513 514 515 516 517 543 544 545 546 547 573 574 575 576 577 603 604 605 606 607 633 634 635 636 637 663 664 665 666 667 693 694 695 696 697 1021 1051 1061 722 723 724 752 753 754 782 783 764 612 613 814 842 843 844 872 873 874 902 903 904 932 933 934 962 963 964 992 993 994 1022 1023 1024 1052 1053 1054 1082 1083 1064 1112 1113 1114 114211431144 117211731174 725 726 727 755 756 757 846 ! 847 875 876 877 905 906 907 935 936 937 965 966 967 995 996 997 10251026 1027 1055 1056 1057 108510661067 111511161117 11451146 1147 117511761177 488 489 490 491 518 519 520 521 548 549 550 551 578 579 560 561 60S 609 610 611 638 639 640 641 666 669 670 671 698 699 700 701 728 729 730 731 758 759 760 761 788 789 790 791 818 819 820 821 848 B49 650 851 878 679 860 88! 908 909 910 911 938 939 940 941 968 969 970 971 998 999 1000 1001 028 1029 1030 1031 058 1059 1060 1061 088 1089 1090 1091 118111911201121 148 1149 1150 1151 1781179 11801181 492 493 522 523 552 553 582 583 612 613 642 643 672 673 702 703 732 733 762 763 792 793 822 823 852 853 882 883 912 913 942 943 972 973 1002 1003 1032 1033 1062 1063 1092 1093 11221123 11521153 11821183 494 495 524 525 554 555 584 585 614 615 644 645 674 675 704 705 734 735 764 765 794 795 824 825 654 855 864 885 914 915 944 945 974 975 1004 1005 1034 1035 1064 1065 1094 1095 11241125 1154 1155 : 118 496 497 498 499 526 527 528 529 556 557 556 559 586 567 588 589 616 617 618 619 646 647 648 649 676 677 676 679 706 707 708 709 736 737 738 739 766 767 768 769 796 797 798 799 826 827 628 829 856 857 856 859 886 867 888 889 916 917 918 919 946 947 948 949 976 977 978 979 100610071008 1009 103610371038 1039 1066106710681069 1096 10971098 1099 1126112711261129 1156115711581159 1 1186116711 20 21 50 51 80 61 110 111 140 141 170 171 200 201 230 231 260 261 290 291 320 321 350 351 380 381 410 411 440 441 470 471 500 501 530 531 560 561 590 591 620 621 650 651 660 661 710 711 740 741 770 771 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 82 S3 84 85 86 67 68 89 90 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 262 263 292 293 322 323 352 353 382 383 412 413 442 443 472 473 264 265 266 267 294 295 296 297 324 325 326 327 354 355 356 357 384 385 386 387 414 415 416 417 444 445 446 447 474 475 476 477 268 269 270 298 299 300 328 329 330 358 359 360 388 389 390 418 419 420 448 449 450 478 479 480 502 503 504 606 506 50/ 508 509 510 532 533 534 535 636 537 538 539 540 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 652 653 654 655 658 657 668 669 660 682 683 S84 685 686 697 688 669 690 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 860 861 890 891 920 921 950 951 980 981 1010 1011 1040 1041 I 070 1071 11001101 11301131 1601161 1901191 742 743 744 772 773 774 802 803 804 832 833 834 862 663 864 B92 893 894 922 923 924 952 953 954 982 983 984 101210131014 1042 10431044 1072 1073 1074 110211031104 113211331134 116211631164 11921193 1194 745 746 747 748 749 750 775 776 777 778 779 780 805 806 807 808 809 810 835 836 837 838 839 840 865 866 867 868 869 870 895 B96 897 898 899 900 925 926 927 928 929 930 955 956 957 958 959 960 985 986 987 988 989 990 10151016101710181019 1020 104510461047 104810491050 107510761077107810791080 110511061107110811091110 1135 11361137113811391140 116511661167116811691170 11951196119711981199 1200 □ Please send me one year of BYTE Magazine for $22. 95 and bill me. Offer valid in U.S. and possessions only. Flyer #12: Holiday Gifts iJtiJDR Microdevices ® Price breakthrougl aCJDR Microdevices Happy Holidays from JDR! All of us at JDR Microdevices wish you and your family a happy holiday season and a healthy 1989! To make your holiday shopping a little easier, we've put together this "wish book" of JDR gift ideas for the computer enthusiast. Just call us toll-free by December 1 9th, and we'll guarantee delivery of in-stock items by Christmas! See some items that you'd really like? Just tear out the page and put it where your someone special will find it (after all, you don't really want another tie, do you?). You will be pleased to know that every item JDR sells is backed by the industry's finest guarantees and an organization dedicated to 100% customer satisfaction. And, when you buy from JDR, you can buy with confidence because all of our products are supported with these services: • 1 year limited warranty on all products* • Toll-free technical support • 30 day money back guarantee* • Most orders shipped within 24 hours • Toll-free customer service • No credit card surcharge from our cover: 1.44 Mb 3-1/2" floppy drive Join the 3-1/2" revolution for under $1 00! With a format capacity of 1 .44 Mb, this high density drive doubles the capacity of older 3-1/2" drives (720K) and holds 17% more data than 5-1/4" high density drives in a smaller, more convenient diskette. For added flexibility the drive also works with 720K floppy disks. Optional software driver available for some versions of BIOS that do not support 1 44 Mb drives (requires MS-DOS 3.2 or above). FDD-1.44X (Black) $99.95 FDD-1.44A (Beige) $99.95 FDD-1.44SOFT Software driver $19.95 3 1/2" Nashua Diskettes A great stocking stuffer - everyone needs more diskettes. These high quality Nashua diskettes protect valuable data for a lifetime. Sold in boxes of 10. N-3.5DS 720K Double Sided/Double Density N-3.5HD 1 .44 Mb Double Sided/High Density £P Seagate SCSI hard disk drives Choose from the full line of embedded SCSI drives from Seagate. This popular standard offers speed, expandability and the advantages of using a device independent bus. Compatible with a variety of systems including Macintosh, Tandy and Amiga. $16.95 $49.95 - Avg. L Size Model # Mb Speed Price 1 3-1/2" ST-125N 21.5 40MS $399 1 3-1/2" ST-138N 32.2 40MS $399 1 3-1/2" ST-157N 48.6 40MS $499 5-1/4" ST-225N 21.3 65MS $349 1 5-1/4" ST-251 N 43.1 40MS $449 1 5-1/4" ST-277N 64.9 40MS $549 1 5-1/4" ST-296N 85.0 28MS $995 1 1 A full copy of our policy is available on request ™ *""•" =' wa «"u i.o..u„„H inuuua «.su .or ur-a t,rouno and sa.su lor UPS Air. Orders over 1 lb. and foreign orders may require addilional shipping charges - please contacl the sales department tor the amount. CA. residents must include applicable sales tax. Prices are subject to change without notice. We are not responSlble lor typographical errors. We reserve the right to limit quantities and to substitute manutacturer. All merchandise sub,ect to prior sale. A tull copy ol our terms is available upon request. Items pictured may only be representative. 394 BYTE* DECEMBER 1988 Seagate hard disk drives are renowned for their quality and reliability. Our hard disk kits come complete with controller, cables and all mounting hardware. Installation is easy with the step-by-step instructions that lead you through mounting, formatting and partitioning. 20 MB Kit $269 30 Mb Kit $299 buy a controller with a hard disk for extra savings! c2? Seagate Size. Model # Size Avg. Speed Drive Alone Packaged with MCT Controller MCT-HDC MCT-RLL MCT-AFH MCT-AFH-RLL 20Mb ST- 125 3-1/2" 40MS $259 $303 .... $373 r 30MbRLL ST-138 3-1/2" 40MS $289 $339 $429 20Mb ST-225 5-1/4" 65MS $225 $269 .... $339 r 30Mb RLL ST-238 5-1/4" 65MS $249 $299 .... $389 40Mb ST-251 5-1/4" 40MS $379 $419 .... $489 ._._ 40Mb ST-251-1 5-1/4" 28MS $469 $509 .... $579 r 60Mb RLL ST-277 5-1/4" 40MS $449 — - $499 .... $589 80Mb ST-4096 5-1/4" 28MS $629 $739 1 Floppy/hard controller This 16-bit controller card for AT compatible computers supports up to two floppy drives (5-1 1 A" or 3-1 12" floppy, 360K, 720K, 1 .2Mb or 1 .44Mb) and two hard disks. It has a high speed (16 bit) bus to take advantage of the fast 80286 microprocessor. Includes support for disk activity LEDs. MCT-AFH $149.95 Floppy/hard RLL Increase hard disk performance and free up an expansion slot at the same time! This controller card combines functions normally requiring two expansion cards. Supports up to two RLL hard drives (such as the ST-238 or ST-277) for better hard disk performance, and two floppy drives (5-1/4" or 3-1/2" floppy, 360K, 720K, 1 .2Mb or 1 .44Mb). Its non-interleaved operation provides faster controller/hard drive performance. Designed for AT compatibles. MCT-AFH-RLL $199.95 Hard disk controller This versatile hard disk controller will support just about any hard disk you wish to install. It will work with 5, 10, 20, 30 and 40 megabyte drives. Designed for XT compatibles. MCT-HDC $79.95 RLL controller RLL controller Transfer data 50% faster! This RLL controller records and retrieves hard disk data much faster than ordinary hard disk controllers. Supports up to two RLL hard disk drives (such as the ST-238 or ST-277). Designed for XT compatibles. MCT-RLL $119.95 COPYRIGHT 1988 JDR MICRODEVICES JDR Microdevices and the JDR Microdevices logo are registered trademarks of JDR Microdevices. IBM.AT.PS/2 are trademarks of International Business Machines. Order Toll Free: 800-538-5000 LOCAL (408)866-6200 FAX (408) 378-8927 DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 395 Build your own systei JDR has sold over 25,000 systems to thousands of satisfied custom- ers. We're the leader in build-your-own systems because we provide all the support you need to be quickly up and running. All you need is a screwdriver! In less than two hours, you can easily build a fully functional, IBM compatible computer, and you'll also have gained a fundamental understanding of your computer's architecture. Our tutorial video and our PC software allow you to get the most out of your new computer almost immediately. If you're new to computing, and you intend to become proficient, this is a great way to start! Before adding an item to our product line we perform rigorous tests for compatibility and performance, pjus we provide clear, understand- able and detailed documentation and toll-free technical support. Here are just two examples of our most popular configurations: " Yesterday I spoke with a wonderful woman named Jill and I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated her help. I called your company knowing little to nothing about computer parts etc., and Jill was absolutely magnificent! I'd like to thank her for all the help, patience and wonderful knowledge that she gave me." Louise Morley, Fort Lauderdale, Fl Business system Mini 286 12 Mhz motherboard 640K RAM memory Flip-top case and power supply Samsung monochrome monitor Enhanced 101 -key keyboard Fujitsu 1.2 Mb 5-1/4" drive 3-1/2" 1.44 Mb drive 20 Mb Seagate Hard drive Floppy/hard controller Monochrome graphics adaptor MCT-M286-12 $399.95 18x41256-120 233.10 18x4164-120 57.42 CASE-JR 149.95 MONO-SAMSUNG 129.95 BTC-5339 M2553K FDD-1.44A ST-225 MCT-AFH MCT-MGP Complete system (Unassembled) 79.95 119.95 99.95 339.00 59.95 $1769.17 Basic starter system Standard 8088 motherboard MCT-XMB $87.95 256K RAM memory 9x41 256-1 50 1 1 2.05 135 watt power supply PS-135 59.95 Flip-top case CASE -FLIP 34.95 Monochrome monitor HM-1210 69.95 Standard keyboard BTC-5060 59.95 360K floppy disk drive FDD-360 69.95 Floppy drive controller MCT-FDC 29.95 Monochrome graphics adaptor MCT-MGP 59.95 Complete system (Unassembled) $584.65 Visit our retail store: 1256 S. BASCOM AVE, SAN JOSE, CA (408) 947-8881 M-F 9-7, SAT 9-5, SUN 12 2 396 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 PC software With any 'purchase over $100 you are entitled to a copy of one of these popular 'Shareware' programs. Baker's Dozen - Does nearly every- thing! Disk utilities, calendar, mini- spreadsheet and more! PC Dial - A full featured communica- tions program for your modem! PC Tickle/XD Extended DOS - Auto- matically helps you keep appointments. Includes extra DOS utilities. PC File+ - Faster than most databases and easier to learn. PC Calc - A "business-strength" spreadsheet that's suitable for home or office. PC Type/PC Style - This all-purpose word processor includes a spelling and style checker. MS-DOS 3.3 MS-DOS is the industry standard operating system that you'll need to run most software. DOS 3.3 supports the latest high-density 3.5" drives (see our cover) and 1 7 new commands for quicker, more efficient computing. The extensive, well-written manual helps you to get the most out of this time- proven DOS. MS-DOS $79.95 "Shareware" is software based on the honor sytem. Try the program out at your own pace. If you continue to use the program you pay the manufacturer and become a registered user. These programs are from "Buttonware", a leading publisher of shareware. Video assembly tutor Only $4.95 when purchased with a motherboard, $19.95 when purchased sepa- rately. JDR's video tutor makes building your XT compatible even easier. This easy-to-follow video walks you through assembly, from memory installation to final system testing. This videocassette helps you learn about your computer as you build it! VHS or Beta formats available. JDR-VHS JDR-BETA $4.95 with motherboard $4.95 with motherboard $19.95 alone $19.95 alone PC educational video Learn about your computer the easy way! Discover more about the internal work- ings of your computer's operations with this easy-to-follow video.The 90 minute video presentation covers internal/external components, the video display system, input and output, storage devices and common DOS commands. You'll also learn some powerful DOS commands using a walk-through tutorial diskette. DOS-VIDEO $79.95 Order Toll Free: 800-538-5000 LOCAL (408)866-6200 FAX (408) 378-8927 DECEMBER 1988 ■ B Y T E 397 Desktop publishing Logitech Hirez mouse An incredibly responsive bus mouse for those who want the very best! This high resolution (320 dpi) mouse is ideal for desktop publishing and CAD programs. Requires less desk space to use. • 320 dots-per-inch resolution • No pad, power supply or serial port required • Includes driver, text editor & pop-up menus • Superb high-resolution tracking • Bus card included • Reliable opto-mechanical technology LMOUSE-BH $99.95 Handy Scanner This hand-held scanner is more cost effective than flatbed scanners and is also much easier to use. Just roll the Handy Scanner over the image you want displayed on the screen — it's that simple! The DFI Scanner HS- 3000 scans images up to 4.1 " wide with a maximum resolution of 400 DPI and is ideal for desktop publishing. • User selectable 100, 200, 300 or 400 DPI in both directions • 2 encoding methods: B&W (High contrast) & half-tone (3 modes) • 32 levels of gray scale • User adjustable brightness control • Hercules, CGA & EGA compatible • Image editor utility permits 90s rotation & the ability to save in Windows, GEM, Halo & PC Paintbrush formats • Includes bus interface card, no serial port required • Includes Halo DPE, a sophisticated Desktop Publishing Editor • Complete documentation • Attractive case for manuals and software HS-3000 $249.95 Logitech Hirez mouse 2-button mouse An inexpensive but very capable mouse for the occasional mouse user. • Device driver software included • Connects to standard serial port • Reliable, accurate opto-mechanical design LMOUSE-2 $49.95 S3 LOGITECH 398 RYTR • DF.rFMRFR 1Q88 Logitech - editors' choice! El bl fe Special Edition: see-through mouse This serial mouse is clearly a conversation piece and more! It's compatible with virtually all mouse-based programs, and programmable to adapt any keyboard based application. High resolution, adjustable cursor control. Programmable 9600 baud rate. Includes LOGIPAINT and a 9 to 25 pin adaptor. CMOUSE-P $109.95 Logitech 3-button mouse Our best selling mouse! Voted PC Magazine's "Editor's Choice" and now the standard in the industry. This all-purpose opto- mechanical mouse is fully compatible with with most any software that supports a mouse. All versions support the following features: • Serial support (COM 1/COM2) • Lotus 1-2-3 compatible with software shell. • 200 dots per inch resolution • "Click" software adjusts programs for mouse use automatically • "Logimenu" adapts keyboard-only applications for mouse use with pop-up menus • "Point Editor" — an easy-to-use mouse-based editor LMOUSE $79.95 Serial mouse with Logipaint Includes LOGIPAINT — a powerful and versatile painting program. c>watcH' LMOUSE-P $99.95 ^^ Bus mouse with Logipaint Includes bus interface card and LOGIPAINT. No serial port required. TChi! LMOUSE-BP $99.95 ^p"bcHAS Bus mouse with Logipaint/CAD Everything you need to turn your PC into a full CAD workstation. Includes Generic Cad 3.0 with dot plot. LMOUSE-BPC $149.95 Logitech publisher mouse Complete desktop publishing package includes 3 button mouse, bus interface card and Publisher software, a sophisticated page layout program. LMOUSE-BPBL $139.95 ffl LOGITECH Free gift with purchase! Logitech watch! We'll send you this attractive watch as an extra gift when you purchase either the Serial mouse with Logipaint or the Bus mouse with Logipaint — two of our most popular packages. Order Toll Free: 800-538-5000 LOCAL (408)866-6200 FAX (408) 378-8927 nrrininrn irvoo t» \r nr n Modems Internal modems for Apple II An internal 2400/1200/300 baud intelligent card modem for the Apple II family, now at a great price! • Hayes compatible • Auto answer/auto dial • Built-in speaker with volume control • Auto redial on busy • Includes ProCom-A Communications & Word Processing software PRO-24A $179.95 PRO-12A 1200 baud version $139.95 2400 baud external modem A 2400/1200/300 baud Hayes compatible modem packed with features you'd expect to find only in higher priced models. An excellent value! • 8 easy-to-read status LED's • Adjustable volume control • Call progress monitoring • 2nd phone jack for voice communications • Comprehensive user documentation • Requires one serial port & cable (optional) PRO-24E $169.95 Macintosh 2400 baud external modem Includes ProCom-M communications software and cable for Mac Plus, Macintosh SE and Macintosh II. PRO-24EM $199.95 S/s y s Call home from anywhere with the pocket modem This take-everywhere modem is great for laptops and portables and has all the power you'd expect from a full size model. Now wherever you are, you're just a phone call away from your data. Quality design in a small package. • Operates off one 9 volt battery (included) • AC power pack & phone line cord included • Switchable Bell/International protocol • Serial interface (DB25 connector) • 1200/300 baud operation • 4 status indicators • Weighs only 6 ounces PRO-12P $99.95 Hayes compatible 2400 baud internal modem This well designed and solidly built IBM compatible modem offers 2400bps performance at an incredibly low price . Made in the U.S.A and packed with features, this modem is an exceptional value. • 2400/1 200/300bps operation • Includes Mirror II communications software • Automatic answer/dial/redial • Call progress monitoring • Can be configured as COM1 , COM2 or COM3 • Second phone jack for voice communications PRO-241 $129.95 imoitfMMis rvcr,T:\.fX)CD moo nnte Epson LX-800 Affordable high performance! With its quick printing speed, built-in memory buffer and convenient paper-handling features, the LX-800 represents one of the finest printer values in its class. 180 CPS draft, 30 CPS NLQ mode 3K memory buffer Friction feed and tractor feed Auto-load for single sheets 3 fonts: Draft, Roman & Sans Serif Fonts & print mode are selectable from front control panel 9-pin dot matrix print head Parallel interface (serial optional) LX-800 $199.00 Epson LQ-1050 Built for heavy workloads! This wide-carriage model handles the toughest print job with ease. It's very fast, very quiet, and features j push-button paper handling. Simply press one button to select between fan-fold, single sheet, forms or envelopes. • 24-pin dot matrix print head • 264 CPS draft, 88 CPS letter quality • 6K memory buffer • Prints up to 132 columns • 3 fonts: Draft, Roman, & Sans Seriff • Tractor feed & friction feed • Auto load for single sheets • Parallel and serial interfaces • Options include font modules, a sheet feeder & a 32K print buffer LQ-1050 $999.00 • EH D HP Visit our retail store: 1256 S. BASCOM AVE, SAN JOSE, CA (408)947-8881 M-F 9-7, SAT 9-5, SUN 12-4 Epson LQ-500 An exceptional value! Using a 24- pin print head and bidirectional text and graphics printing, the LQ-500 is able to print even letter quality documents at a high rate of speed. Ideal for business, home and student use. • 24-pin print head • 180 CPS draft, 60 CPS letter quality • 8K memory buffer • Tractor feed & friction feed • Auto-load for single sheets • Parallel interface (serial optional) • 3 fonts: Draft, Roman, & Sans Seriff • Optional font modules & sheet feeder available LQ-500 $399.00 Epson LQ-850 Lightning fast! Every office could use one of these printers. The LQ-850 has an extremely fast print speed of 264 CPS — just what you need for high volume work. And it does all this at a very quiet 55 decibels. • 24-pin dot matrix printer • 264 CPS draft, 88 CPS letter quality • 6K memory buffer • 3 fonts: Draft, Roman, & Sans Seriff • Pushbutton selection of font & pitch • Bidirectional in text & graphics mode • Tractor feed & friction feed • Auto load for single sheets • Parallel and serial interfaces • Options include font modules, sheet feeder & 32K printer buffer LQ-850 $699.00 Epson EX-800 This is one of the fastest 9-pin printers available! It prints at 300 CPS in draft mode, and in letter quality mode, the EX-800 is more than twice as fast as a daisywheel printer. This printer is built for performance! 300 CPS draft, 50 CPS NLQ 8K memory buffer 3 fonts: Draft, Roman, & Sans Serif Bidirectional in text mode Tractor feed & friction feed Auto load for single sheets Parallel & Serial interfaces Emulates Epson or IBM Proprinter Options include image scanner, sheet feeder & 32K print buffer EX-800 $579.00 Order Toll Free: 800-538-5000 LOCAL (408)866-6200 FAX (408) 378-8927 Stocking Stuffers Binder for your manuals One binder for all of your manuals! Designed to hold JDR, MCT and other product manuals, this binder features the JDR Microdevices logo. Durable vinyl cover wipes clean easily. • Attractive vinyl binder and slip-cover • Accepts 8.5" x 5.5" paper (standard manual format) • 1 1/2" binder rings • Durable spine-riveted rings • Includes 5 labelled dividers JDR-BINDER $9.95 Supercharge your XT Replacing the 8088 microprocessor in your XT or compatible with the more efficient NEC V-20 can improve performance up to 30%. The V-20 is functionally identical to the 8088. • Pin compatible with 8088 • Uses superset of 8088 instructions • High speed address calculation in hardware • CMOS design requires less power V20 4.77 Mhz $8.95 V20-8 8 Mhz $10.95 V20-10 10 Mhz $12.95 Soldering station With precise temperature controls and accurate heat sensing for fine PCB work, this soldering tool is suitable for the hobbyist or professional technician. • UL approved • Thermostatically controlled heat • Adjustable temperature setting • Range 200s - 900gF • Quick heating & recovery • Power-on & Heater-on LEDs • Replaceable solder tip 168-2C $49.95 168-TIP Replacement tips $2.95 \ 8-bit prototype card Decode support for a wide range of applications! The PR2 provides decode & buffering circuitry. Use as designed, or modify to suit your application. • XT compatible • Buffering & decode circuitry • Silk screened labels on both sides • Labelled component & test points • +5V and ground planes, • All holes plated through • Projects & instructions for beginners JDR-PR2 $29.95 PC accelerator The Nickel Express improves the per- formance of your PC! By installing this inexpensive device you can make your PC, XT or clone run up to 67% faster. Requires no slot and is easy to install within a few minutes. • 3 different operating speeds for maximum compatibility • Super-fast NEC V20-8 processor • Turbo switch • Speed-change software • Includes mounting bracket & cable NICKEL-X $69.95 Computer Floor Stand A great way to reduce desk clutter! This floor-mount stand enables you to move your computer from your desktop, freeing valuable desk space. It has a wide, sturdy base, and fits virtually every standard PC case. • Attractive beige design • Fits PC/XT and PC/AT CPU cases • Designed for 4 to 7-1/2" case widths • Rugged plastic construction • Easy to assemble/disassemble CASE-STAND $19.95 0^ Smart solutions Monitor Stand Compute in comfort! This swivel-tilt stand lets you position your monitor at just the right angle for you. No more sore muscles and eye strain due to bad viewing angles. A great gift idea. • Sturdy ABS plastic construction • Adjustable tilt and swivel base • Can be locked in one position or allowed to swivel • Padded base protects your monitor • Base dimensions: 11" x 10" MS-100 $12.95 Stand & Power Station Centralized power for your whole system! This stand provides one location for all the power outlets you need. Control your computer, printer, monitor and other peripherals with individual outlet switches, or simply use the master switch for everything. • Adjustable tilt-swivel base • Five individually controlled sockets • 15-amp circuit breaker and line protection circuitry • UL approved MS-200 $39.95 Surge protector This sturdy power strip has six outlets for your computer and peripherals. If you plug it into your computer power supply using the CBL-PS-MNTR cable, you can control your computer, monitor, printer, and other peripherals with your computer's power switch. • UL approved • 15 Amp circuit breaker • Surge protection circuitry • 5-foot power cord POWER-SURGE $12.95 CBL-PS-MNTR $3.95 Long life battery Install this long-lasting lithium battery in your AT compatible or 386 com- puter! It has a longer life than ordinary batteries and is much more reliable. Plus, it's small enough to be installed virtually anywhere in your computer. • 6.8 volts • Lithium for longer life • Adhesive/velcro mounting strip • Includes wiring & connector for motherboard battery pins LITHIUM 6.8V $11.95 Printer Stand You'll want two of these — one for home, one for your office! This stylish printer stand helps reduce the clutter around your desk. It provides a raised surface for your printer, so you can put your fan- fold printer paper directly (and neatly!) beneath the printer. • Large enough for wide-carriage printers • Attractive smoky brown acrylic • 4 rubber pads protect desk surfaces • Approx. 23-1/2" x 11-3/4" x 3-7/8" H YU-S22B $49.95 Keyboard Drawer Increase your desk space! This clever keyboard storage drawer fits under your computer and allows you to simply slide your keyboard out of the way when not in use. • Sturdy metal housing with slide-out drawer • Drawer fits all standard keyboards • Provides a large base for computer & monitor • 15-1/2" x 24" x 4"H YU-E21B $49.95 Order Toll Free: 800-538-5000 LOCAL (408)866-6200 FAX (408) 378-8,927 Keyboards 12 function keys Lighted Num, Caps and Scroll Lock Large Shift & Return keys Separate curser keypad Separate numeric keypad ' ----- EJ y^a QQLE] \*MM MsM • bat « I'-y aw LylagLLfrtfiatfijaiiara^BE jL* La Iw -I*-* !■** -I* Kin 1 1 ii ialttMhi ETC standard keyboard Just like IBM's original AT keyboard! This 84-key keyboard has the same compact layout as the IBM AT keyboard. This makes it ideal for the many software programs that were designed for this keyboard. XT and AT compatible Automatically adjusts to XT or AT 84-key AT style layout 1 0 function keys Extra large Shift & Return keys LED indicators for Scroll, Caps & Number lock Auto-repeat feature BTC-5060 $59.95 New! Enhanced keyboard with a "click" Sounds and feels like a typewriter! This "key-click" keyboard is designed for those who miss their old typewriter keyboard. Each key makes a clicking sound upon the completion of a keystroke. XT and AT compatible. K103-A $84.95 BTC enhanced keyboard A keyboard for the power user! This 101 key keyboard is designed for maximum efficiency. It has separate cursor and numeric keypads for more convenient cursor movement and number entry. • XT and AT compatible • New enhanced layout • Separate cursor & number keypads • 12 function keys • Large shift and return keys • LED indicators for scroll, caps, and number lock. • Automatically adjusts to XT or AT • Auto-repeat feature BTC-5339 $79.95 i , i— .mi ■ ffiflUiuup.ifirinEit Visit our retail store: 1256 S. BASCOM AVE, SAN JOSE, CA (408)947-8881 M-F 9-7, SAT 9-5, SUN 12-4 d v t c . ncrcx^DUD 1flQO Graphics VGA Compatible Package This VGA display system offers an unbeatable combina- tion of color and clarity — with it, you can display a vivid array of up to 256 colors simultaneously! Other modes support 800 x 560 or the standard 640 x 480 in 1 6 colors from a palette of 64 colors. In addition to its color and clarity, this VGA system offers full compatibility with IBM's VGA. Consisting of a fully compatible VGA card from ATI, and a professional graphics analog monitor, the VGA system offered by JDR Microdevices is now available at a price comparable to EGA display systems. • 640 x 480 in sixteen colors for VGA compatibility • 320 x 200 with 256 colors from a palette of 262,000 • SoftSense Automatic Mode switching for transparent downward capability with EGA, CGA, Monochrome & Hercules graphics • Comes with support & drivers for 1 -2-3, Symphony, Windows, GEM & AutoCad • User friendly manual with step-by-step instructions • Includes Mode Switching, Screen Saver & Diagnostics software VGA-PKG $649.95 Sigma VGA Board Here's an intelligent graphics card that offers a universal solution to the multiple PC display standards. It supports nearly all the current IBM PC and PS/2 display modes and monitors, and it's 100% hardware compatible in all modes. The SIGMA VGA is ideal for the NEC Multisync II. 1 00% register compatible VGA, EGA, CGA, HGC & MDA compatible _ 320 x 200 in 256 colors §__ -_ = 640 x 480, 800 x 600 in 1 6 colors ~ --"= 80 x 25, 132 x 44 text modes ~ Supports all standard digital & analog monitors (9 &15 pin) SIGMA-VGA $297.50 NEC multisync II monitor Breathtaking color display! You'll be hard pressed to find a better monitor — at any price. The Multisync has a remarka- bly clear display with crisp, distinct colors and is ideal for graphics-intensive applications like CAD, CAM, & windows. • Super-sharp resolution (800 x 600 max) • Compatible with VGA, MCGA, PGC, EGA, Hercules, CGA & other display adapters • Automatically adjusts to any standard display adapter • Front-mounted power, brightness & contrast switches • Monochrome text mode & text color switches (green, amber & white) • 9-1 5 pin adapter for PS/2 computers NEC-MULTI $599.95 "...if I were in the market today for a VGA board, the Sigma VGA would be my choice. " — Curtis Franklin Jr., BYTE, March 1988 Order Toll Free: 800-538-5000 LOCAL (408)866-6200 FAX (408) 378-8927 DECEMBER 1988 -BYTE 405 eral cards Supports 2 floppy drives— 360K or 720K (includes cables) Parallel, serial, & game ports with socket for dptional 2nd serial port Clock-calendar, battery, & RAM disk software Hercules compatible monographics High resolution (720 x 348 pixels) ~ MODULAR CIRCUIT TECHNOLOGY Graphics, floppy control and I/O in one card! The only card your XT compatible computer needs! This card is almost a computer in itself: it provides monochrome graphics, support for two floppy drives, a clock-calendar, a parallel port, a serial port, and a game port. All you need is this card and a motherboard for a fully functional computer. MCT-MGMIO $119.95 286/386 display and I/O control using one slot! Create a complete system using only two cards! Use this "do everything" card to hook up a monochrome monitor, parallel printer, modem, and game joystick at the same time. The only other card your system needs is a floppy// hard controller. ■ AT compatible • Hercules compatible monographics • High resolution display (720 x 348 pixels) • 80 & 132 column text modes • Serial port (w/ optional 2nd serial port) • Parallel port & game port • Includes software for running color graphics programs on a monochrome monitor MCT-MGAIO $99.95 Add inexpensive color to your computer! Great for home computing! This card has the versatility you need-- it works with monochrome or color monitors (RGB), displays a medium resolution for graphics or a higher resolution for text, plus it displays up to 4 colors for computer games. • Two display modes: monochrome (640 x 200) and color (320 x 200) • Works with monochrome or RGB monitors • Light pen interface • XT and AT compatible MCT-CG $49.95 Inexpensive Hercules compatibility! Great for word processing! Our mono- chrome graphics card has true Hercules compatibility and uses VLSI chips for reliability. The software driver allows most color graphics programs to run on a monochrome monitor. • 720 x 348 resolution in graphics mode, 80 x 25 in text mode • Includes parallel printer port configured as LPT1 or LPT2 • Lotus 1-2-3 compatible MCT-MGP $59.95 Visit our retail store: 1256 S. BASCOM AVE, SAN JOSE, CA (408) 947-8881 M-F 9-7, SAT 9-5, SUN 12-4 406 BYTE- DECEMBER 1988 Modular Circuit Technology 2MB RAM capacity (0K installed) for expanded or part expanded/part conventional memory. Accepts 64K or 256K DRAM chips Conforms to LIM EMS version 3.2 Software for EMS drivers, RAM disk & more Compatible with Lotus 1 2 3 XT compatible Add memory to your XT compatible! Go beyond the limits of 640K! This card provides additional RAM for improved performance. It allows you to add up to 2 megabytes of RAM (0K installed) — ideal for the fast RAM disks and disk caches you need to speed up your computer's operation. MCT-EMS MCT-AEMS $129.95 286/386 version $139.95 MODULAR CIRCUIT TECHNOLOGY Serial/parallel ports plus clock/calendar Combines I/O ports with a clock- calendar! The MCT-IO adds parallel and serial ports to your XT compatible system, and a clock- calendar that keeps the right time and date — even when your com- puter is turned off. • Parallel port is addressable as LPT1 or LPT2 • Serial port is addressable as COM1 , COM2, COM3, COM4 • Socketed for optional 2nd serial port • Selectable port addresses • Real time clock/calendar & battery • Includes software for RAM disk and clock MCT-IO $59.95 IO-SERIAL 2nd serial port $24.95 Easily program your own EPROM's Our best selling EPROM programmer supports various manufacturers' formats with 12.5, 21 and 25 volt programming.The menu-driven software allows you to easily manipu- late data files, split or combine the contents of several EPROMS and perform many functions with just a single keystroke. • Read, Write, Copy, Erase, Check & Verify with one easy key selection • Includes software for standard Hex and Intel Hex formats • Programs 27xx & 27xxx series EPROMS up to 27512 MCT-EPROM $129.95 I/O and floppy control in one card! Combines controller & I/O functions! This card does a lot of things at once: it controls your floppy drives, provides parallel, serial & game ports for your printers, modems, mice & joysticks; and it even has a clock-calendar to help your computer keep the right time. • XT compatible • Supports two floppy drives • Parallel port • Serial port (2nd serial port optional) • Game port • Includes floppy drive cables and DB9-DB25 converter • Clock-calendar with battery • Includes software for RAM disk and more MCT-MIO $79.95 MIO-SERIAL 2nd serial port $1 5.95 Order Toll Free: 800-538-5000 LOCAL (408)866-6200 FAX (408) 378-8927 DECEMBER 1988 'BYTE 407 The ultimate hand-held multitester This full function 3.5 digit DMM offers highly accurate performance and a host of added features like audible continuity, capacitance, transistor, temperature, and conductance to help you do the job) — fast. Temperature probe, test leads and battery included. DMM-300 $79.95 Fully overload protected Transistor Tester: 0s - 2000BF 9 functions, 34 ranges Conductance Tester: 200ns range Temperature Tester: 0B -2000B F Full function DMM Get highly accurate performance from this 3.5 digit full function DMM at a very affordable price. Rugged construction, 20 amp current capability and 22 ranges make it a perfect choice for serious field or benchwork. Low battery indicator and tilt-stand, Probes and 2000 hour battery. • Basic DC accuracy: ± 0.25% • DC voltage: 200mv - 1000V, 5 ranges • AC voltage: 200mv - 750V , 5 ranges • Resistance: 200 ohms - 20M ohms, 6 ranges • AC/DC current: 200uA - 20A.6 ranges • Input impedance: 10M ohm • Fully overload protected • Approx. 7" x 3-1/2" x 1-1/2" Wt. 11ozs. DMM-200 $49.95 pa pi Ea.pn 2 YEAR REPLACEMENT WARRANTY ON| ALL JDR INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS! TZ 3.5 digit probe DMM Custom 80 pin LSI chip provides accuracy and reliability in a very compact size. Autoranging, audible continuity and data hold features help you pinpoint the problem quickly. Case and batteries included. • Basic DC accuracy :± 1% • DC voltage: 2V - 500V, autoranging • AC voltage: 2V - 500V, autoranging • Resistance: 2K ohms - 2M ohms.autoranging • Fully over-load protected • Input impedance: 11M ohm • Approx 6 1/2" x 1"x3/4" • Weighs under 3 ozs. DPM-1000 $54.95 Order Toll Free: 800-538-5000 408 BYTE' DECEMBER 1988 Basic DC accuracy: plus/minus 0.25% DC Voltage: 200mv - WOOv, 5 ranges AC voltage: 200m v - 750v, 5 ranges Resistance: 200 ohms - 20M ohms, 6 ranges Capacitance: 2000pf - 20 uf, 3 ranges Input impedance: WMohm. Pocket size DMM Perfect for the field service technician. Shirt pocket size doesn't compromise features or accuracy. Large, easy to read 1/2" LCD display. Fully overload protected for safety. 2000 hour battery life with standard 9V cell. Probes and battery included. • Basic DC accuracy: plus/minus 0.5% • DC voltage: 2V - 1000V, 4 ranges • AC voltage: 200V - 750V, 2 ranges • Resistance: 2k ohms - 2M ohms, 4 ranges • DC current: 2mA - 2A, 4 ranges • Input impedance: 10M ohm • Fully overload protected • Approx. 5" x 3" x 1 ". Under 7 ozs. DMM-100 $29.95 LOCAL (408) 866-620C FAX (408) 378-8927 OUR NEW PRINTERS MAKE EVEN BAD WRITING LOOK GOOD. CHAPTER ONE TllE BLUEST HOU» IS M.ON.OHT P1.SSWH. Arizona !»• ^^ tMt +n be trouble this ma tMre « BO.na ^ ^iwed up ««, ausl ,„1««»«"™ . „ M aK,»W so on or »> „„„„, », - - «7'n e Mord . « C„CK - - - - r: « - - - — * - v C« anything excepx We're sorry that our new 24-wire Pinwriter8 P5200 and P5300 printers can't do much for the quality of your writing. But they can certainly do wonders for the way it looks. The secret is the ribbon. Other dot matrix printers only use a fabric ribbon. Our Pinwriters print with both a fab- ri^ and a letter-quality, multi-strike film ribbon— the same kind used on executive typewriters. The NEC Pinwriters can also enhance your writing in other ways. They have seven resident quality 01 your writing, cut tney can certainly ao wonders tor tne way it iooks. i ne secret is tne ribbon. Other dot matrix printers only use a fabric ribbon. Our Pinwriters print with both a fab- ric and a letter-quality, multi-strike film ribbon— the same kind used on executive typewriters. The NEC Pinwriters can also enhance your writing in other ways. They have seven resident type styles. Plus four more are available on plug-in font cards. Which means you can express your thoughts with just the right typeface. You can also get an inexpensive, user-installed color option. And if graphics are part of your story, these Pinwriters produce the highest resolution of any printer you can buy. Call NEC Information Systems at 1-800-343-4418 to see JpXHgjTE^raEYQjay STO how much better our new Pinwriter P5200 and the wider ^ P5300 can make your writing look. Whether you're a budding Hemingway, or a M Hemingway & Company. WULC U1C lllgllCdl 1COVJ1ULHJ11 NEC PRINTERS.THEYONLY STOP WHENYOUWANTTHEMTO. NEC CsC NEC Information Systems, Dept. 1610, 1414 Massachusetts Ave., Boxborough, MA 01719. Computers and Comm Tandy® Computers: The broadest line of PCs in America The Tandy 5000 MC i C.J3 ■