BYTE THE SMALL SYSTEMS JOURNAL ® MARCH 1988 VOL.13, NO.3 $3.50 IN UNITED STATES $4.50 IN CANADA / £1.95 IN U.K. A McGRAW-HILL PUBLICATION 0360-5280 PRODUCT FOCUS Enhanced EGA/VGA Boards IN DEPTH The New Coprocessors The fastest-ever PC number crunching Compaq's Weitek Math Coprocessor System REVIEWS Mac II Color Monitors ZenithZ-386 Mac SE Accelerator Boards Microsoft Works Excel 2.0 PowerMate 2 and Vectra ES/12 Tandy 1400 LT Paradox: the top-rated relational mileworMi A-' ft S Paradox* 9 is once again the top-rated program, with the latest version scoring even higher than last year's top score." (Software Digest's July 1987 Ratings Report— an independent com- parative ratings report for selecting IBM PC Business software). All tests for the Ratings Report were done by the pres- tigious National Software Test- ing Laboratory, Philadelphia, PA, and the message is crystal clear: there is no better rela- tional database manager than Paradox. NSTL tested 12 different programs and amongst other results, discovered that Paradox is 3 times faster than dBASE; 6 times faster than R: BASE on a two-file join with subtotals testf . Paradox does the impossible: combines ease-of-use with power and sophistication 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 employs state-of-the-art artificial intel- ligence 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." dBase III PARADOX/^ pwe I Z!L ! o Den tee »v / r "AUD | ; R:B/> SE Syste ^ ual aEase i | i | ylPovJerBj se ■ 1 ! I ! ! I ! 1 i y/| 1 i 1 I 1 ^ 1 1 4 USAE > HUT 3 7 Y 3 9 1 Source: Software Digest* Ideal programs have high levels of both power and usability. Programs plotted in the upper righthand portion of the diagram above come closest to achieving that ideal. Why Paradi 66 Paradox still offers superior import/export facilities using Lotus 1-2-3, dBASE, ASCII and other file types. It transfers between formats with stunning speed Ruse I De Maria, PC Week J J Paradox responds instantly to "Query- by-Example ,f 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. Paradox, unlike other databases, makes it just as easy to query multiple tables simultaneously as it is to query one. Hi WIRE Starts the Job that smylRTM/ORK' - Finishes .ntroducing HiWIRE intek's smARTWORK® is used by thousands of engi- neers to design printed-circuit boards. Now Wintek intro- duces HiWIRE, an electronic- schematic program that is easy to learn and use. With a click of the mouse button, you can extract sym- bols from our library of over 700 common components and connect them with wires and buses. You can also easily modify the library's symbols or create your own by combining labels, lines, and arcs. HiWIRE Advantages □ Easy-to-learn mouse/menu- driven operation □ Complete documentation and tutorial □ Extensive TTL, CMOS, micro- processor, and discrete- component libraries □ Rubberbanding □ Moving, copying, mirroring, and rotating of symbols D Text-string searching D Multiple display windows D High-quality schematics from printers and plotters D Hierarchical-design sup- port; netlist and bill-of- materials utilities □ Schematic/layout cross checking □ 800 number for free tech- nical support System Requirements D IBM Personal Computer, PC XT, or PC AT with 320K RAM, parallel printer port, 2 disk drives, and DOS V2.0 or later □ IBM Color/Graphics Adapter or EGA with RGB color monitor □ Microsoft Mouse D IBM Graphics Printer or Epson FX/MX/RX-series dot-matrix printer, and/or: D Houston Instrument DMP-40, 41, 42, 51, 52 or Hewlett- Packard 7470, 7475, 7550, 7580, 7585, 7586 plotter High Performance at Low Cost At $895, HiWIRE delivers quality schematics quickly and easily. You don't need to guess whether or not HiWIRE is right for you. Our money- back guarantee lets you try it for 30 days at absolutely no risk. Call (800) 742-6809 toll free today and put HiWIRE to work tomorrow. Wintek Corporation 1801 South Street Lafayette, IN 47904-2993 Telephone: (800) 742-6809 or in Indiana (317) 742-8428 Telex: 70-9079 WINTEK CORP UD "HiWIRE" is a trademark, and "smARTWORK", "Wintek", and the Wintek logo are registered trademarks of Wintek Corporation. Europe: RIVA Terminals Ud.. England, Phone: 04662-71001, Telex: 8 59502/ Australia: Entertainment Audio Pry. Ltd., Phone: (06) 363-0454/ frazil; Comlcro Informatlca E Tecnologla Uda, Phone: (041)224-5616 EDITORIAL Not Just for the MacFaithf ul "Gridlock surrounds S.F. computer show" screamed the headline in the San Francisco Chronicle. "More than 20,000 people turned up for the first day of the three-day computer show, compared with 30,000 for all three days of the show last year. Hundreds . . . were unable to get into a packed keynote address. . . . There was almost complete gridlock from Mar- ket to Howard streets . . . and traffic backed up onto the Bay Bridge Some drivers complained that it took a half hour to go one block. " I'm writing this on the flight back from this winter's MacWorld Expo and can attest that it's all true— and perhaps even a little understated. It was a great show, in some ways reminiscent of the early days of microcomputing, with an electric atmosphere, a spirit of innovation and excitement, and a profusion of new hardware and software. It may be remembered as the show of the expandable Macintosh— a show when there finally were enough innovative products for the full Macintosh line (not just for the Mac II) to satisfy all but the most fanatical criticisms about limited RAM, small and monochromatic screens, inadequate expansion, and un- fulfilled visual potential. My briefcase barely fits under the seat in front of me: It's crammed full of litera- ture and sample software for everything from accelerators and expansion products for the Plus and SE; to 68030-based ac- celerators, professional-quality anima- tion, and digitized video products for the Mac II; and back to software that lets you accurately and flexibly drive color printers from monochrome Macs. The list goes on and on. It was a great show. And not just for the MacFaithful. Cross-Pbllination It's axiomatic that many of the concepts and technologies that had their first wide- spread commercial appearance on the Mac already have influenced and im- proved the IBM world. But, until re- cently, little has gone the other way. It's left the Mac world essentially isolated from the mainstream— a fertile but for- eign land to the overwhelming majority of microcomputer users. Some Mac users like it that way. They regard the "purity" of the Mac as an al- most religious issue. At several of the show's panel discussions, members of the audience actually castigated some manufacturers for "selling out" because they adapted Mac products for PCs, or vice versa. Some PC users like it that way, too. These are the folks who made up their minds about Apple's "little beige toaster" when it first appeared and don't realize that the current crop of Macs and third-party hardware and software em- body the most desirable traits of the IBM side (e.g., expandability and adaptability). It's silly— dangerous, even— to put on blinders and track only one class of ma- chine, or worse, only one brand of ma- chine: Good ideas know no boundaries, except artificial ones, such as closed minds and closed architectures. And that's why BYTE (which is some- times incorrectly perceived as an MS- DOS publication) attends Mac shows. Because no matter whether you're a Mac user or a PC user, you need to know what's going on in the other camp: Soon- er or later, you must deal with and choose among the best ideas that emerge there. This cross-pollinization benefits every computer user, and it's a fact of life of microcomputing today: The best features of hardware and software— wherever they originate— will eventually show up every- where. Keeping you informed of these developments, keeping your options open— that's what BYTE is all about. Some Specifics At MacWorld, we covered all the best product and technology news virtually live for the Microbytes Daily area of BIX. We then produced a Show Report (see below) immediately after the show closed. I've already mentioned some of the most interesting products— many of which we'll soon be reviewing. But if you've missed our earlier cover- age of MacWorld, here's a sampling of some of the show's other interesting items. As you read them, you'll see many examples of cross-pollinization. • Apple rolls out three new laser printers: from a $6599 model on the high end to a $2799 PostScriptless model on the low end, with a $4599 PostScripted model in the middle. • Sculley talks of twenty-first century "knowledge navigator. " • Mainstay announces "Agenda-like" program for Mac. • New Apple product lets MS-DOS PCs be AppleTalk nodes. • Apple and DEC share technology. • Activision program lets HyperCard users generate reports. • WINGZ "integrated spreadsheet" puts graphs, text on one page. • Truevision, maker of the Targa and Vista graphics cards for the IBM PC, an- nounced a similar card for the Mac II. • SuperMac's 24-bit color card for the Mac II. • MacNeal-Schwendler introduces engi- neering software for Macs. • Lotus introduces Modern Jazz. • Mac CAD package has modular design. • Kodak's first Mac projection pad. • Program lets you map "information. " • Summagraphics announces digitizer for the Mac. • Deutsch Research introduces a simula- tion program for analog and digital circuits. • SuperMac/Levco brought out program- ming environments for its TransLink ac- celerator card. • Apple Programmers Group offers new versions of MPW Pascal and MPW C. • Digital film recorder does slides from Mac graphics. • Two faxes for the Mac. • Apple resists display PostScript. • Cricket presents "Cricket Presents. " • Cricket shows beta paint program. • Radius accelerator runs at 25 MHz. • WordPerfect for the Mac: The "look and feel" of the Mac with all the key- board functions of the IBM version. And much more. We'll also be producing a Show Report after this month's West Coast Computer Faire. We'll be glad to send you a copy for just the price of the paper, printing, and postage. Just drop us a note (send it to WCCF Show Report, BYTE, One Phoe- nix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458); please enclose a check or money order for $3 and be sure to include your name and mailing address. —Fred Langa Editor In Chief (BIX name: f langa) 6 BYTE • MARCH 1988 The loneliest feeling on earth is the feeling that comes right after losing the data you've worked so hard on for so long. The solution? Maxell Advanced System l k" Data Cartridges. They're fully compatible with all standard and mini x k" data tape systems. Perfect for file-by-file backup or mirror-image streaming, creating archival tapes or off-loading data. And best of all, they bring you the peace of mind which can only come from seeing the Maxell name on your computer products. Talk to your Maxell distributor about backup for even the most sophisticated computer today. Before it slips your mind. maxell THE GOLD STANDARD Maxell Corp. of America. 22-08 Route 208. Fairlawn, N J. 07410 OTHERS PALE E SHIPMENTS BY MONTH The small printer on the left seems positively unexciting next to the new ALPS ALQ300. And its not just because of our colorful personality. You see, the ALQ300 is a lot faster. It handles bidirectional graphics with fly- ing colors. And for black and white work- spreadsheets, let i both offer the same great feature first dot matrix printers with reso :er quality. They quietly print at y're versatile. A full range of mod ths, transparencies, multiple-part f les, pitches and fonts. The ALQ300 prints everything from the letter quality text you see here, to high resolution graphics in seven colors. zips along as fast as 240 cps. It can do more things. It has snap in/out 24- or 18-pin print heads. Multiple font cartridges. Paper handling extras like auto- matic single sheet feed and bottom feed. And of course, it runs with all the most popular PCs and software. Its much easier to use, too. ters, you name it -the ALQ300 Because you do everything Y COMPARISON. SHIPMENTS BY MONTH on the front panel. Change type styles and print modes. Load paper. Even override your soft- ware. All without software commands or DIP switches. You may have also noticed that the ALQ300 looks more substantial. It is. Treat it right and it'll run over five years with- out a breakdown. You may also expect that the ALQ300 is more expensive. It isn't. Our 24-pin version has a sug- gested retail price of just $995. And our 18-pin model is $100 less. Now it's time to make your own comparison. Call us for a free demo or more information at (800) 828-ALPS. In California, (800) 257-7872. And you'll find there really isn't any comparison to make. ALPS Circle 12 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 13) AMERICA ITS TIME YOU SAW THE ALPS. ALQ300 is a trademark of ALPS Electric Co., Ltd. ©1986 ALPS America. : ■' ; ,.." ■■- ■t " " 1 '! - "- KEY SPECS -1600x1200 Resolution -150 DPI, 15" Diagonal - Price— $839.00 - LM-301 $750.00 -PG-1600 -1200x1664 Resolution -150 DPI, 15" Diagonal - Price— $839.00 - LM-300 $750.00 - Laserpage — — - CGA/MDA HARDWARE EMULATION THE OFFICE 1 PUBLISHER 1.0 WORKS WITH ! Dr. HALO II Ventura Publisher 1.1 THE OFFICE PUBLISHER 1.0 WORDSTAR PRO 4.0 PC PAINTBRUSH AUTOCAD 2.1 ' PC PAINTBRUSH fltct4. 1.0 j PUBLISHERS > m PAINTBRUSH jjj 1 WINDOWS 1.03 ^ 1.04/2.03 WORDSTAR GEM rdPe GEM RmeMokei: CT 1.0A PUBLISHERS PAINTBRUSH 1-2-3 1.A 1-2-3 1.A/2 i PRINCETON GRAPHIC SYSTEMS An Intelligent Systems Company THE VISIBLE EDGE 601 Ewing St., Building A, Princeton, NJ 08540 For information concerning software compatibility call 609-683-1660. Circle 205 on Reader Service Card MICROBYTES Staff-written highlights of developments in technology and the microcomputer industry. SQL Promises Portability, Becoming a Standard Incompatible database formats have long been a problem for computer users. It's not uncommon to find several dif- ferent database programs being used within a single organization, all gener- ating incompatible data. If we're to be- lieve industry watchers and prognosti- cators, however, this problem will be solved by making Structured Query Language (SQL) the standard. Although SQL is just a language for querying and communicating with data- bases, it requires a standard SQL "en- gine," or data format, to be used effec- tively . 'The real promise of SQL is the portability of files and indexes," pio- neering computer designer George Morrow told Microbytes. "If you follow the rules of SQL, everyone can use the data. " The problem, however, is that very little data is currently in SQL for- mat. "Unfortunately," said Ansa Soft- ware's cofounder Rob Shostak, "most of the world's data resides in flat files accessed by COBOL programs. " SQL may indeed be the next stan- dard. But how long will this standardiza- tion take? And how will it affect data- base developers? With Oracle's recent announcement of an SQL add-in pro- gram for Lotus 1-2-3, SQL products for the PC are becoming a reality. Mi- crorim also has announced SQL sup- port, but the new version of R: base im- plements only some SQL commands and has no provisions for transferring files between R:base and SQL. According to Morrow, R:base users "will be greatly disappointed" when they discover that their files are still incompatible. Shostak told Microbytes that Ansa is working on a version of Paradox that will accept data from SQL databases by providing a "seamless" translation of but It's Not Easy Paradox queries into SQL. "What users really want to do is access SQL data with commands they already know," Shostak said. But do MIS man- agers want microcomputer users to be able to modify or update mainframe databases? In a survey of Fortune 500 companies, "many executives said they don't want micro users to be able to update the mainframe," said Shostak. Ansa is debating whether to provide a mechanism for exporting data from Par- adox back into SQL databases. Another problem is performance. According to Morrow, the main bottle- neck in current PC database p 0ducts is I/O. "SQL will be even slower, be- cause the bottleneck is the CPU. SQL is highly interpretive. SQL gives you a nice language, but the price you pay is that it's CPU-bound," saici Morrow. Morrow's company, Intelligent Ac- cess, has been developing SQL inter- faces that are built into the hardware of disk controllers. Of course, Ashton-Tate is also working on SQL products and has hired several experts in the field. Industry speculation has A-T acquiring a com- pany with SQL expertise. But accord- ing to Oracle's marketing director, Gene Shklar, the first player to drop out of the SQL game will be A-T. "They sim- ply don't have the technology to com- pete with us," he claimed. Shklar said that products like dBASE III, R:base, and Paradox are not based on the SQL model and therefore can offer only par- tial support of SQL. In any case, no standardization takes place overnight. In the meantime, we'll have to thrash away at incompatible data files and put up with converting to ASCII format. New Approach Will Make Scanners Smaller Scanners will begin to change over the next 2 years as manufacturers adopt al- ternative technologies. The approach that looks to be the scanner technology of the future is called "contact image sensor. " It should enable manufacturers to design scanners that are much more compact, much less expensive, and have much less image fallof f than anything on the market today. One thing that makes today's charge-coupled device continued Nanobytes We'll resist unfair comparisons to glasnost, but IBM opened its doors a bit following published reports regarding PS/2 Model 50s showing up DOA. The company invited writers from several com- puter publications to its offices in White Plains, NY, to correct what it says are "misstatements" in the press. One person was quoted in a prominent news weekly as saying that 40 percent of the Model 50s he had ordered arrived defective; but IBM offi- cials said that the quoted person never ordered even one Model 50. We've heard about some minor problems with the machines but have yet to find the rumored graveyard. . . . Speech Systems Inc. (Tarzana, CA) is investigat- ing the use of a phonetics-based speech-recognition system to help improve the language abilities of people with hearing disabil- ities. The study is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. SSI' s Phonetic Engine converts speech to phonetic codes; the approach is based on phonemes (basic elements of speech) rather than on whole words Quintus Computer Systems (Mountain View, CA) is testing a version of its Prolog compiler for 80386- based computers. Quintus Prolog adheres to Edinburgh syntax and provides a complete split-screen development environment with full-screen editor, incremental compiler, debugger, on-line help, and interfaces to C, FOR- TRAN, and Pascal. The split screen puts source code in the upper window, while Prolog ex- ecutes in the lower window. . . . Teknowledge (Palo Alto, CA) is bringing its Copernicus expert- system environment to the MS- DOS world. The "knowledge en- gineering tool" runs under Microsoft Windows on 286- or 386-based computers and uses a continued MARCH 1988 -BYTE 11 MICROBYTES DOS extender to allow execution in protected mode. A company official told us that this version is aimed at programmers who want to do the development work on an IBM PC and port it to a main- frame or use the micro as an "in- telligent terminal. "... The new 24-bit Mac II display card from Jasmine Technologies (San Francisco, CA) uses "extensions" to the Mac QuickDraw routines to make it possible for existing programs to be compatible with the device. The software for the Rembrandt II and in cards em- ploys the PICT2 format used by QuickDraw, enabling you to paste an image to the Clipboard and then copy it into any applica- tion. The card is designed around custom gate arrays but makes use of the Texas Instruments 34010 graphics processor. . . . Having shipped its Pegasys I CAD pro- gram for the Macintosh, IGC Technology (Walnut Creek, CA) plans two more Mac CAD packages. Pegasys Expert, slated for this quarter, will add "true 3-D, macros, more menus," and more, said an IGC official. Pegasys II will run on the Mac II in full color and take advantage of that box's 68881 numeric co- processor Hewlett-Packard (Palo Alto, CA) plans to release its workstations based on Motor- ola's 68030 in mid- 1988. The new members of the HP 9000 Series 300 line will be object-code-com- patible with HP-UX. An 030 up- grade board will be available for the older, 68020-based models 330 and 350, HP said. . . . This WORM does not crawl. Micro Design (Winter Park, FL) said it has speeded up its LaserBank 800 WORM drive by replacing its 8-bit host adapter with a 16-bit device. Claimed DOS throughput is now 90K bytes per second. The $9995 unit can hold 800 megabytes of data Now there are mondo characters. Worthington Data Solutions (Santa Cruz, CA) has released a package that lets an HP LaserJet Plus-compatible printer print characters 2 inches tall, or what type-shop types would call 153 points. License cost for BIGfont is $159 Researchers at the California Institute of Technol- continued (CCD) based scanners so bulky and ex- pensive is the reduction optical system that requires an optical path— that is, the distance between the scanned docu- ment and the CCD sensing array— of nearly 400 millimeters. Most scanners aren't that thick because a series of mir- rors and lenses is used to reduce the optics. Adding to the bulk and cost is a reflection source, usually a fluorescent lamp. Contact image sensors, however, have a maximum optical path of not more than 50 mm and replace a bulky lamp with a strip LED array. In a typical contact image scanner, the paper origi- nal travels beneath two sets of LED arrays positioned roughly at 45-degree angles above the paper. The light that shines down on the paper is reflected up at 90 degrees through a rod lens array before reaching the photosensor array. Contact image technology is gener- ally viable right now, but scanner makers say it currently costs about 3 times more than the more commonly used CCD approach. Contact image has its limitations as well. The dynamic range, for instance, is restricted to 6 bits (64 levels) of gray, while it's possi- ble to push CCD to 8 bits, and even to 10 bits in some cases. How long before contact image sen- sor technology makes its presence felt? A representative of one scanner com- pany predicted that within 12 months, contact image sensors will be just as cost-effective as CCD, and within 18 to 24 months, it will be more cost-effec- tive. Most major scanner manufacturers, including Datacopy and Dest, admit that they are tracking the technology and say they will have contact image-based products, perhaps in the form of Sc- inch hand-held page scanners, ready when the market wants them. You, Too, Can Build a VGA Board Want to enter the fast-growing graph- ics-board business? Two companies want to help you by offering a "manufac- turer's kit" that they say will provide everything you need to build a VGA- compatible graphics board for the IBM PC. Award Software (Los Gatos, CA) is supplying the BIOS and the design for the card, while Cirrus Logic (Milpitas, C A) brings the VGA-compatible chips. Cirrus, which provides VGA chips to companies such as Video Seven, claims that its two-part chip set is the only VGA-compatible set currently available. Like many announced VGA cards, the Award/Cirrus board design features VGA, EGA, CGA, and Hercules com- patibility, plus support for both the new analog monitors and the older digital TTL monitors. The board also features autoswitching between the graphics modes. Other enhancements include an 800- by 600-pixel by 16-color mode, support for a mouse in hardware, and performance that Cirrus claims is 4 times that of the IBM EGA. According to Award, people who purchase the $5000 manufacturer's kit will be able to begin selling the board in 30 days. The kit includes an evalua- tion board, schematics, film for mak- ing the boards, manufacturing instruc- tions, the text for an owner's manual, and two color photographs for marketing literature. According to Award, even FCC certification has been taken care of; the board design has passed the cer- tification requirements, and getting a new version of it certified is a mere "paper formality," the firm said. Award and Cirrus said that several manufacturers, including some monitor makers, should have versions of the board ready to ship by now for retail prices of $400 to $500. One manufac- turer is even toying with the idea of bun- dling the board with a new desktop- publishing package; the board would provide high-resolution text. Air Forcfe takes Tip from PC Industry changeable printed circuit cards, like those in an IBM PC, instead of dedi- cated "black boxes" that have been used for the past few decades. "Instead of contracting for a com- pany to build an entire specialized radar set," Thurman said, "we'll contract for common cards. " The approach, which the Air Force refers to as "mod- ular avionics, " is not new, although the continued In a radical departure, Air Force plan- ners have decided to base the next gener- ation of USAF fighters and bombers around open-architecture hardware, an approach that they admit has proven successful in the personal computer in- dustry. According to Lt. General Bill Thurman, commander of the Air Force's Aeronautical Systems Division (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH), future aircraft will incorporate inter- 12 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Aztec C Power to go the distance... Whatever that distance might be 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-Z180-64180 • 8088-8086-80186-80286/8087-80287 • 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 COD., 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. Circle 151 on Reader Service Card 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 MARCH 1988 -BYTE 13 MICROBYTES ogy (Pasadena, CA) used a Macin- tosh II to control an experiment that measured chemical reaction times occurring in femto- seconds. (Light travels from here to the moon in about one second; in a femtosecond, light wouldn't even make it across the width of a human hair.) The Mac manipu- lated a data-acquisition system and a laser actuator controller, under a program written in LightSpeed C by research fellow Mark Rosker Hecht-Niel- sen Neurocomputer Corp. (San Diego, CA) has developed soft- ware for helping a neural network system learn patterns. AR/NET, in conjunction with the company's Anza add-in board for the IBM PC and compatibles, uses a mas- sively parallel structure to recog- nize a learned pattern immediate- ly. "Regardless of the number of patterns the network has learned, it can respond to any pattern it has learned," said company presi- dent Robert Hecht-Nielsen. The software can be set to signal the user when it encounters a pattern it doesn't understand Mac users can share PostScript fonts residing on a network with a print- ing utility from Olduvai (South Miami, FL). "The display fonts are the only ones that need to be present on the user's machine. The utility can find and down- load the PostScript font to the PostScript printer," said Olduvai president Juan Chotsourian. Font- Share costs $295 per network and is compatible with networks such as TOPS, AppleShare, MacServe, and HyperNet It's a Compaq 286 controlling the four robot-controlled cameras NBC now aims at Tom Brokaw on the Nightly News. . . . And now it's time for Digital Exer- cise! International Component Manufacturing gets our Who'd- a-Thought-It? award this month for its Exer-flex "exercise putty." The silicone-based putty "strengthens fingers and reduces operator fatigue among computer users," the company says. It can even improve your digital dexter- ity and reduce tension, ICM claims. Now we're awaiting little spandex leotards for our fingers to wear while exercising. Air Force's decision to support the concept is. "We want to develop architectures that will integrate avionics to cut weight and costs," Thurman explained. "By using highly specialized cards that have very high speed integrated circuits, which are just starting to become avail- able, we will reduce a 50-pound air- craft data processor to a 3-pound com- puter on a card." Among the planes that will incorpo- rate open architectures are the Advanced Tactical Fighters, which are the folio w- ons to the current generation F- 15S and F-16S, and the Advanced Technology Bomber (the "Stealth" bomber). Thur- man, who is often referred to as "the architect of the Air Force of the twenty- first century," told Microbytes Daily that some current planes, including pos- sibly the F-16, will be retrofitted with modular avionic systems "wherever ap- propriate," adding that "we just won't rip out the avionics of an F-16 for the sake of doing it." He sees modular avi- onics as a great opportunity for all card manufacturers. Valdocs Lives, New Owner Says RAM. The Z280 version of Valdocs Veteran microcomputer users may re- call TPM, the Valdocs text management and operating system that runs on the old Z80-based Epson QX-10 and QX- 16. Rising Star Industries, the devel- oper of Valdocs, went bankrupt about 2 years ago, leaving Valdocs at version 3 Plus. However, a small company called Interface Solutions (Yuba City, CA) has acquired the assets of Rising Star and plans to eventually release new products based on Valdocs. Don Soegaard, president of Interface Solutions, told Microbytes Daily that the company's first project is porting Val- docs 3 Plus to a single-board Z280 com- puter, which will plug into the QX-10 or QX-16. The Z280 is a 16-bit version of the 8-bit Z80 and has performance characteristics comparable to an 80286, according to Soegaard. The Z280 board will have up to 3 megabytes of on- board RAM, a SCSI port, serial and parallel ports, and an internal bus to allow additional card-to-card interfaces for a floating-point processor or more will initially be very similar to version 3 Plus, but it will support electronic mail in the background, using the Epson's on-board Z80 for that purpose. The next step will be to rewrite Val- docs in C and port it to MS-DOS and OS/2, said Soegaard. Valdocs is writ- ten in Z80 assembly language and in Forth. Soegaard said the rewritten ver- sion will include a relational database, an expanded indexing system, and a new editor, which will be "a stand-alone desktop-publishing system." Soegaard emphasized that Valdocs will be a starting point for a greatly ex- panded software system. "Unfortu- nately, the concept of Valdocs was to- tally lost, because it was too slow on the Z80 and was released with a lot of bugs." Soegaard said he believes that there is still a place for the Valdocs inter- face, and he estimates that there are some 50,000 QX-10 users. Interface Solutions welcomes inquiries from OEMs and software developers. Ethernet Inventor Speculates on Future LANscape By the year 2000, the local-area net- work (LAN) scene will consist of four standards, Ethernet inventor Bob Met- calfe told an audience recently. Met- calfe, who is a vice president at 3Com, said the surviving quartet will consist of AppleTalk, IBM's Token Ring, Ether- net, and FDDI (Fiber Data Distributed Interconnects). "You might have believed that I would say that Ethernet should be the only LAN, and I admit that that argu- ment does have a certain charm," he said, "but that won't be the case . " Metcalfe predicted that Ethernet will re- main the predominant LAN standard, since 500,000 Ethernet connections are currently in use today, and, he said, 3Com is shipping about 30,000 connec- tions per month. AppleTalk' s advantages, said Met- calfe, are that it is the easiest LAN to in- stall and it is built into the Macintosh. Its biggest drawback, he added, is its slow speed, especially when the LAN consists of more than four Macs; never- theless, it will be around for the next 12 years. Metcalfe characterized Token Ring technology as old (about 5 years behind Ethernet, he said) and slow (with data- transfer specifications of 4 megabits per second, as compared to Ethernet's 10 megabits per second) . IBM has been hurt by the comparison, Metcalfe said, continued 14 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Some of the world's biggest problems are being solved with a touch of Smalltalk. m ? French Ministry Abroad and involved of Foreign Affairs is ■ * ju %i(1 v , a , XX i mt ^ t responsible for keeping 111 lurBlgll BJtmVSm track of every French citizen living abroad and every foreigner living in France. Each day, they process thousands of requests for documents or information, each one of which takes at least fifteen minutes. Arthur Andersen, the worlds largest accounting firm, has developed a natural language processing application with Smalltalk/ V that enables clerks without computer training to extract the necessary data much faster. Thanks to Smalltalk and system developers Bart Schutte and Pascal Wattiaux, what once took fifteen minutes now takes 30 seconds. Vive la Smalltalk! On the ground floor of high-tech environmental control, ciimate, energy, fire and security are all critical aspects of envimnmental contmlin large office buildings. The challenge for Johnson Contmls, a leader in this industry, is to provide a control system that is both technologically advanced and simple to operate. Using Smalltalk /V, Research Scientists Gene Korienek and Tom Wrensch have created a work- space environment that allows rapid prototyping and modeling of future systems. At Johnson Controls this system is used to explore relationships between cognitive models of building operators and corresponding iconic representations of building components. Each system can then be tested by simply clicking a mouse and viewing the results in sophisticated color graphics on a PC. The world is made of objects. So naturally, the world is turning to Object- Oriented Programming (OOPS). And the fastest, easiest OOPS language and environment is Smalltalk/V. With OOPS you program by defining objects, their inter- relationships and their behavior. Objects can repre- sent both real- world entities —people, places, things —as well as useful abstrac- tions such as stacks, sets and rectangles. Smalltalk/V provides every- thing you need to solve problems big and small, in- cluding a com- prehensive tutorial to get you started. Who needs Smalltalk? i^'On short amount of time. Perfect for pro- grammers who are looking for a fast, efficient prototyping environment And anyone who wants to quickly and easily learn OOPS. Introducing Smalltalk/ V286. Our newest version of Small- talk offers faster and more power- ful OOPS capa- bilities. We've gone from 16 to 32-bit architecture. From 640K to 16 MB capacity for 25 times the memory And designed it to run on the next generation OS/2 operating system as well as DOS. Get Smalltalk for a small price. Smalltalk/V sells for just $99.95. Smalltalk/V286 is $199.95. The follow- ing optional applications packs are available for $49.95 each: Communi- cations; EGA/VGA Color; Goodies #1, Goodies #2, Carleton Tools and Goodies #3, Carleton Projects. And everything comes with a 60-day, money-back guarantee. So visit your nearest dealer. Or call toll-free, 800-922-8255 and order direct with MasterCard or Visa. Or write to Digitalk, Inc., 9841 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045. And let us help you put Smalltalk into action. Teaching students to think economically. With Smalltalk, even non-programmers can create exciting applications. Economics Professor Arnold Katz of the University of Pittsburgh developed Economics PC Discovery World, an intelligent tutoring system for beginning microeconomics students. Using a mouse to access windows and manipulate data, a student can call up a set of markets and commodities for an imaginary community. By changing the scenario, the student can not only study a variety of market behaviors, but also test the validity of his or her own reasoning. A process that provides a lot of food for thought. Because Smalltalk models the way people really think, it is perfect for scientists, engineers and professionals who have to solve tough problems in a Circle 79 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 80. Smalltalk/V digitalk Inc. Smalltalk/V requires DOS and 512K RAM on IBM PC/AT/PS or compatibles and a CGA, MCGA, EGA, VGA, Toshiba T3100, Hercules, or AT&T 6300 graphic controller. A Microsoft or compatible mouse is recommended. Smalltalk/ V286 requires a 286 or 386, DOS or OS/2 and 1 MB of memoi"y and one of the graphic controllers listed above. Mot copy protected. MICROBYTES as evidenced by "the great lengths which IBM has tried to prove that 4 is greater than 10." He alluded to IBM published documents stating that Ethernet oper- ates at only 20 percent of specification, which comes to about 2 megabits per second. "It is convenient that 4 is bigger than 2," he said while denying the IBM claims. In reality, Ethernet oper- ates at more than 90 percent of specifi- cation, or more than 9 megabits per sec- ond, he said. At more than $ 10,000 per worksta- tion, fiber-based FDDI networks cur- rently are cost-prohibitive for most sys- tems, Metcalfe said. But by the year 2000, lower costs, improved technol- ogy, and greater user needs will make FDDI much more common. One rea- son FDDI will become attractive is that the average LAN in the year 2000 will be carrying at least 10 megabits per sec- ond, as compared to today's average of about 1 megabit per second. "Ten-mega- bit Ethernet is empty today but will fill up by 2000," Metcalfe said. "By that time, FDDI will be there." Among the LANs that should not be in the repertoire, Metcalfe said, are AT&T's StarLAN and the proposed IEEE 16-megabit-per-second Token Ring standard, both for reasons relat- ing to lack of performance. StarLAN, which currently operates at 1 megabit per second, "will not be a major player," while the IEEE's 16-megabit- per-second proposal "does not offer a big enough [performance] advantage," Metcalfe said. Metcalfe obviously has his prefer- ences about which LANs should be around at the turn of the century, but he is realistic enough to know that there will be more than just four LAN envi- ronments. "The risk is that there will be too many members of the repertoire by 2000," he said, "not that there won't be enough." Transputer Board Boosts Sun to 640 MIPS A new Transputer-based board from Topologix (Denver, CO) converts Sun workstations to parallel processing supercomputers. The Topology 1000 board features four 32-bit INMOS T800 Transputers, each with its own memory array, which gives each board a peak performance of 80 reduced-in- struction-set computer (RISC) MIPS (million instructions per second). A maximum of 64 megabytes of high-speed dynamic RAM can be used per board. You can connect up to eight boards to a standard Sun workstation (via a simple wiring harness), yielding a peak performance of 640 RISC MIPS, the equivalent processing power of 40 or 50 68020s, Topologix claims. "The Topology 1000 is basically an accelerator board for the Sun," Topolo- gix president Jack Harper told Micro- bytes Daily. "But it gives you a lot more horsepower than an average accelerator board. " To illustrate the board's capabil- ities, Topologix ran the standard pro- gramming problem that determines the most efficient (in terms of time and money) travel plans for a sales rep visit- ing 12 cities. According to Harper, a standard Sun-3 takes 15 hours to solve the problem, while the same worksta- tion with one Topology board takes 20 continued WordPerfect®. . .without the Template!!! "Jh $169 / * F l 1 /*<** L'""' !»c, IWIIWII- */a \~3 Let's get right to the point! Now you can use your WordPerfect without a template. With our Soft- ware Integrated Keyboard, all WordPerfect commands are printed in color-coded multi- legends, directly on the keys in bold, easy-to-read acronyms. How about advantages? Ideal for 'dedicated environment' computing. Employee/student /novice training time is greatly reduced. Eliminates having to reference back and forth between the function keys and the template. Reduces 'hunt and peck' operations and/rm up your keyboard 'for placement of another 'often used' software template. What about desktop publishing? Add up our advantages and the answer is obvious. Make WordPerfect the efficient and cost effective tool it was intended to be with a PDi Software Integrated Keyboard. Contact PDi for additional keyboard and printed keycap applications. HfrA tnt $20 trade-in on your old keyboard. Return prepaid in PDi packaging and allow 2-4 wks for return check by mail. IBM PC /XT /AT are trademarks of International Business Machines. WordPerfect is a trademark of WordPerfect Corporation. For all IBM PC /XT/ AT & Compatibles See us at Booth 851 at the WFSTCOAST COMPUTER FAIRE. April 7-10, 1988 at the Moscone Center. San Francisco. PRECISION DECORATORS, INC. 14140 N.W. Science Park Drive, Portland, OR 97229 503/646-5024, FAX 503/646-7850 Name Address . City State Zip. Phone No PO box addresses please, shipping via UPS D Check Enclosed D VISA □ MC □ Discover Card # Expiration Date: Order options: □ 101 key (enhanced), ) HI-TEK (check one) D 84 key (standard AT) \ Keyboard Photocopy of order form is acceptable! 16 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Circle 22 on Reader Service Card This $ 1595 frame grabber price wont surprise you, once you knowour history. 1626: Chief Fred Sold Manhattan for $24 worth of beads. 1803: Fred "Napoleon" Bonaparte Sold the Louisiana territory for less than 3 cents an acre. 1987: FredMolinari, President Sells the DT2853 frame grabber for $1595. Nobody gets something for nothing. But through- out history, anyone dealing with our family has come awfully close. Take, for instance, our new DT2853 512x512x8-bit frame grabber that performs real-time image process- ing on the IBM PC AT. It has advanced features like built-in real-time math and logic operations; square pixel display (for perfect display without geometric distortions); and external trigger inputs (for machine vision inspection applications). And it's supported by a wealth of software. You get all that, and it's sold for the next-to-nothing price of$1595-wellbelowthe nearest competing board! Give us a call today. We don't offer prices like this very often, but when we do, they make history. Call (617) 481-3700 To learn more, see us in Gold Book 1987, or call to receive our first-ever 1987 3-Book Set, including 1987 Catalog, Product Summary Price List, and Applications Handbook. Image Processing Board Computer Resolution Gray Levels RS-170. NTSC, RS 330, CCIR, PAL Compatible VCR Compatible External Trig. Inputs Square Pixels Number of Video Inputs Real-Time Frame Grab Input and Output LUT's Memory-Mapped Frame-Store Memory Real-Time Processing Software Support Price DT2853 Frame Grabber IBM PC AT 512x512 256 Yes Yes Yes Yes 8* Yes Yes 2 buffers 512x512x8 each (512 Kbytes) Yes DT-IRIS DT/lmage-Pro PC SEMPER $1,595 *With DT2859 Vz size multiplexer board ($395). DATA TRANSLATION World Headquarters: Data Translation, Inc., 100 Locke Drive, Marlboro, MA 01752-1192, (617) 481-3700 Tlx 951646 European Headquarters: Data Translation, Ltd., The Mulberry Business Park, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG11 2QJ, U.K. (0734) 793838, Tlx 851849862 International Sales Offices: Australia (2) 662-4255; Belgium (2) 735-2135; Canada (416) 625-1907; Chile (2) 25-3689; China (408) 727-8222, (8) 721-4017; Denmark (2) 274511; Finland (90) 372-144; France (1) 69280173, (1) 69077802; Greece 951-4944, (03) 152-7039, (1) 361-4300; Hong Kong (3) 7718585; India (22) 23-1040; Israel (3) 32-4298; Italy (2) 81-821; Japan (3) 502-5550, (3) 375-1551, (3) 355-1111; Korea 778-0721/5; Morocco (9) 30-4181; Netherlands (70) 99-6360; New Zealand (9) 504-759; Norway (02) 55 90 50; Peru (14) 31-8060; Portugal (1) 545313; Singapore 7797621; South Africa (12) 46-9221; Philippines 818-0103; Spain (1) 455-8112; Sweden (8) 761-7820; Switzerland (1) 723-1410; Taiwan (2) 709-1394; United Kingdom (0734) 793838; West Germany (89) 80-9020. IBM PC AT is a registered trademark of IBM Corp. Data Translation is a registered trademark of Data Translation, Inc. Image-Pro is a trademark of Media Cybernetics, Inc. Circle 74on Reader Service Card MARCH 1988 -BYTE 17 HARMONY COMPUTERS 2357 CONEY ISLAND AVE., (BET. AVES. T & U) BKLYN. NY 11223 ORDER DEPT. ONLY 800-441-1144 OR 718-627-1000 - INFORMATION 718-627-8888 SL^ NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE FORCREDITCARDS IBMPSIIMODEL30(20Meg) $1699.00 EPSON LX 800 $189.00 Apple Image WTrterll Brother HH 40 BrotherHRtt Broffwr 1509 Citizen 120D Citizen 160D Citizen MSP 10 Cilizen MSP 15 Citizen MSP 40 Citizen MSP 45 Citizen Premier 35 Diconix Ink Jet 150 DtCDnw300W Epson LXBOO LX 60 and 66 Cuisheel Feed Epson LO5O0 IBM AND COMPATIBLES IBM PS/2 Model 30 (2 Drives) 1249 IBM PS/2 Model 30 (20 Meg ) 1699 IBM PS<2 Model 50 (20 Meg.) 2649 IBM PS'2 Model 60 (40 Meg.) 3599 IBM P/S 2 Mono Monitor 199 IBM PrS 2 Cotor 18512, Monitor 469 IBM P/S 2 Color (6513) Monitor 529 Hertz xt (10 MHZ) 640 K. w/Drive 499 Hertz A1286 w/1.2 Meg Drive 899 PC BOARDS, DRIVES, CHIPS Toshiba 31* Disk Dr AST Six Pack 64K AST Six Pack Premium 256 K AST Rampaoe (2S6) Hercules Color Card Hercules Monographic Plus NECEGAGB1 Ouad Prosync (with mouse) Ouadram Ultra VGA (with mouse) Video 7 Deluxe Video 7 VGA Genoa Hi Res Card Plus ATI Vender EGA ATI VGA Wonder ATlSmaiiWuoder Paradise (350) Paradise Auto Switch (480) Paradise VGA Everex Auto Sync (460) Everex EGA Deluxe (640x460) Inlel 6087-3 Intel 6087-2 Intel 80287-6 Intel 60287-6 Intel 60267-10 ATT 6300 Drive, 640K wOtfrytooard ATT Monochrome Monitor ATT 301 Keyboard ATT 302 Keyboard AMDEK 725 Color Monitor (720 x 400) "PRINTER SPECIALS" Epson LO 1000 Tractor Epson LO 850 Epson LO 1050 Epson FX 66E Epson FX 286E Epson EX800 Epson EX 1000 Epson LQ2500 IBM Propnnler II IBM Propnnler 2 4 NEC 3550 NEC 8850 NEC 2200 NEC P6 NEC P7 NEC Color P6 SEAGATE HARD DRIVES NEC Color P7 Okidata 182 Plus Okidata 192 Plus Okidata 193 Plus Okidata 292 w/JNTFC Okidata 293 w/lntfc Okidata 393 Panasonic KXP 1060 i Model 2 Pwiasonfc KXP 1091 i Uodct 2 Panasonic KXP 1092 i Panasonic KXP 3131 Panasonic KXP 3131 Tractor Hewiott Packard Lasariei 11 30 Meg. w/conlroller 30 Meg. AT #4038 40 Meg. AT #251 Tandon 20 Meg. Hard Card Mimscnbe 30 Meg. Hard Catd Tarxjon 40 Meg Hard Card Plus Hard Card (20, 30 or 40 meg ) (Miniscnbe) MAC 20 Meg External Hayes 1200B w/SmaMcom 2 Hayes 300 Hayes 2400 Hayes 2400B w/Smarlcom 2 Hayes Smaitcom it Mictomodem 2E Everex Internal 1200B Everex 2400 Internal Everex 2400 External Everex Mac 2400 External Capetronic 1200 External 2GS with 256K Apple Drive (5'.'*) Apple Drive (3"j| MAC Plus MACSE <2 Dnves) MACSE (20 Meg.} MACSE Keyboard MAC SC Extended Keyboard Image writer II Apple Cotor Monitor (RGB) Apple Black & White Monitor Maple Drive (2E. 2C, MAC) SW Miniscnbe MAC 20 Meg Ext Drive Everex MAC Modem 1200 Ext. 1599 2049 2599 PANASONIC 1091 i II COMMODORE 128D $179.00 $449.00 PORTABLES NEC Mullispeed EL NEC Multispeed H.D. (20 Meg.) Toshiba T 1000 Toshhiba T 1100 Plus (2 Drives) Toshiba T 1200 (20 Meg.) Toshiba T 3100 (20 Meg.) Sharp 4501 Zenith 181 (2 Drive) Dconex Ink Jel Porl. Printer Fastwire II (Dale Transfer Software) Amdek 310A Amdek4lOA AmdekColor 600S Amdek. Color 722 Princeton HX12 Plus Princeton HX12E Princeton Max 12E Princeton Ultra Sync Scan Doubter Video Card NEC Multisync II NEC Multisync Plus Gold Slar TTL Amber Gold Star RGB Color Coior Composite Magnavox (RGB, Composite) 8562 MACINTOSH SOFTWARE Mici Microsoll Word 3.01 Microsoll Works Spellwell More (Symartlie) Superswirl Panasonic KXP 3151 Panasonic KXP 1592 Panasonic KXP 1595 Panasonic 1524 S«kosha 1200 Slar NX 1000 Star NX tOOOR (color) Slar NX tOOOC Star NX1S StarND 10 StarND 15 Slar NB 2410 Slar NB 2415 Toshiba 341 SL Toshiba 351 Model 2 TbehJba 371 SL Toshiba 351 SX NEC POWERMATE COMMODORE Commodore 128 1571 Drive (5 1 4) Commodore 64C 1541C Disk Dnve 1581 Disk Drive (3 l 21 2002 Momlor 1351 Mouse Slar NX 1000C Amiga 500 wilh 1084 Monitor Amiga 1084 Color Monitor Amiga 500 Computer Amiga 512 RAM Upgrade dor Amiga 5001 IBM SOFTWARE Lotus 123 Ver 2 01 Lotus Symphoney DBase 3 + Framework 2 Microsoll Word 4 Microsoft EieeMlDMI Microsoll Windows 2 03 Word Perlecl 4 2 Word Perlecl Library OS A20 PFS Prolessionai Write Norton Utilities 4 Norton UimiiesAdvanced Microsoll Mouse (IBM PC a Logitech Mouse Logitech Painl Logitech with Publisher Logitech wilh Cad Wordstar Prolessionai Rei 4 Muilimate Advantage Rei 2 Ventura Deak Top Publishing Managing Your Money - Release 4 Fait Wre II (Data Transfer Software and cablet) 3 1/2 Inch Software a P52i ir Card and Visa welcome. For your protection we chock lor stolen credit cards. Shipping & handling extra. Detective merchandise will be replacod or repaired at our discretion within the terms of our warrantee All sales tinal. Price and availability subject to change withoul nolice We cannol guarantee compalibiiity MICROBYTES minutes. When the workstation has four Topology boards, the problem is solved in 5 minutes, he said. The system has parallel Common LISP software (which supports parallel processing applications) and an ex- tended C compiler (for parallel numeric applications). It also provides a Unix interface that permits Lisp and C access to Unix system calls. A non-bus-oriented architecture, in which all elements are linked, permits construction of computer networks of arbitrary size and topology. The result- ing flexibility is one of the board's strong points. On one hand, Harper said, you can overlay a grid onto an image, making each Transputer respon- sible for processing in individual grid areas. However, he said, the system can also be turned into a tree machine for other applications. Topologix will be targeting the Topology 1000 at "general-purpose" markets— simulation, image process- ing, and so on, Harper said. The board is available for "about $500 per MIP." Some Mac Developers Not Following Rules, Apple Says Software developers who take short- cuts when writing programs for the Mac- intosh may be getting by with it for the time being, but those shortcuts are short-sighted, Apple software engi- neers told Microbytes Daily. "If a programmer has adhered to In- side Macintosh rules," one Apple spokesperson said, "the software can very easily be ported to run under future versions of the Mac operating system." Apple has said to developers "that if they follow the rules of Inside Mac, they won't have any problems, and we mean it," he said. "But not all of them have listened to us, and they are going to have to recode in the future." How serious i s the problem? Ac- cording to another engineer, only about 15 percent of all Mac programs tested followed the Inside Mac rules. With about 50 percent of the programs, only slight edits and recompiles will be re- quired to operate properly in the fu- ture. The remaining 35 percent will need significant work, however. The Apple engineer pointed to Microsoft's Excel as an example of one program that hasn't adhered to the Mac rules. "The version of Excel you buy today won't run under the Mac oper- ating system 2 years from now, " he claimed. TECHNOLOGY NEWS WANTED. The news staff at BYTE is always interested in hearing about new technological and scientific developments that might have an impact on microcomputers and the people who use them. We also want to keep track of innovative uses of that technology. If you know of advances or projects that involve research relevant to microcomputing and want to share that information, please contact us. Call the Microbytes staff at (603) 924-9281, send mail on BIX to Microbytes, or write to us at One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. 18 BYTE* MARCH 1988 Upgrade Your Technology We're Programmer's Connection, the leading independent dealer of quality programmer's development tools for IBM personal com- puters and compatibles. We can help you upgrade your programming technology with some of the best software tools available. Comprehensive Buyer's Guide. The CONNECTION, our new Buyers Guide, contains prices and up-to-date descriptions of over 600 programmer's development tools by over 200 manufacturers. Each description covers major product features as well as special re- quirements, version numbers, diskette sizes, and guarantees. How to Get Your FREE Copy: 1 ) Use the reader ser- vice card provided by this journal; 2) Mail us a card or letter with your name and address; or 3) Call one of our convenienttoll free telephone numbers. If you haven't yet received your copy of the Programmer's Connection Buyer's Guide, act now. Upgrading your programming technol- ogy could be one of the wisest and most profitable decisions you'll ever make. USA 800-336-1166 Canada 800-225-1 1 66 Ohio & Alaska (Collect) 216-494-3781 International 216-494-3781 TELEX 91 02406879 Business Hours: 8:30AM to 8:00 PM EST Monday through Friday Prices, Terms and Conditions are subject to change. Copyright 1 988 Programmer's Connection Incorporated Sale Prices effective through 03/31/88 386 products List 0urs 386 ASM/386 LINK Cmss Asm by PfiarLap 495 389 386 DEBUG Cross Debugger by Ptiar Lap 1 95 129 NDPC-386 byMicroWay New 595 529 NDP ForTran-386 byMicroWay New 595 529 PC-fADS/ZNSingle-UserbyTbe Software Link 195 155 PZ-MS/Z&SHJsersbylhe Software Unk 595 539 PC-MOS/386 25-Useisbylhe Software Unk 995 869 blaise products ASYNCH MANAGER Specify C or Pascal 175 135 C TOOLS PLUS/5.0 129 99 PASCAL TOOLS/TOOLS 2 175 135 Turbo ASYNCH PLUS/4.0 129 99 TurboCTOOLS 129 99 Turbo POWER TOOLS PLUS/4.0 129 99 VIEW MANAGER Specify C or Pascal 275 199 borland products EUREKA Equation Sober 167 105 Paradox 1.1 byAnsa/Boiland 495 359 Paradox 2.0 by Ansa/Borland 725 525 Paradox Network Pack by Ansa/ Borland 995 725 Quattro: The Professional Spreadsheet New 195 1 25 Reflex: The Analyst 150 99 Sidekick 85 57 Superkey 100 64 Turbo Basic Compiler 100 64 Turbo Basic Database Toolbox 100 64 Turbo Basic Editor Toolbox 100 64 Turbo Basic Telecom Toolbox 100 64 Turbo C Compiler (Call for support products) 1 00 64 Turbo Lightning 100 64 Turbo Lightning Word Wizard 70 47 Turbo Pascal Sate 100 59 Turbo Pascal Database Toolbox 100 64 Turbo Pascal Developer's Toolkit 395 259 Turbo Pascal Editor Toolbox 100 64 Turbo Pascal Gameworks Toolbox.. . : 100 64 Turbo Pascal Graphix Toolbox 100 64 Turbo Pascal Numerical Methods Toolbox 100 64 Turbo PascalTutor 70 41 Turbo Prolog Compiler 100 64 Turbo PrologToolbox 100 64 c language Eco-C88 Modeling Compiler byEcosoft Sale 100 69 Lattice C Compiler vets. 3.2 from Lattice 500 265 Mark Williams Let's CwithFREEcsd 75 54 Uniware 68000 C Cross Compiler/) ySDS 995 829 UniwareZ-80C Cross Compiler/)/ SDS 995 829 database management Clipper by Nantucket 695 379 dBASE III Plus&yAsWon-Tate 695 389 dBXL by WordTech Systems 169 99 Fox Base Plus byFoxSoftware 395 249 Geniferfiyfiy/e/ 395 249 Ue\m\ker?\uz by WordTech Systems 259 209 Quicksilver byWordTech Systems 599 349 R:Base 5000 by Microhm 495 359 R:Base System VbyMicrorim 700 439 Tom Rettig's Library by Tom Rettig & Assoc 1 00 79 Ul Programmer byWailsoft 295 239 digitalk products Smalltalk/VoyD/ovM 100 84 EGA/VGA Color Option 50 45 Goodies Diskette #1 50 45 Goodies Diskette #2 New 50 45 Goodies Diskette #3 New 50 45 Smalltalk'Comm 50 45 logitech products L0GIM0USE4//l/Mes CALL CALL LOGITECH Modula-2 Development System 249 199 Modula-2 Compiler Pack i 99 75 Modula-2 Toolkit 169 139 microport products 0QSfAetQe2M Specify 2-Users or Unlimited 149 129 DOSMerge386 2-Users 395 345 DOSMerge386 Unlimited Users 495 429 System V/386 Complete Package 799 669 System V/AT Complete Package 549 465 Other Microport Products CALL CALL Flash-Up with FREE Mouse from Software Bottling of NY List $89 Ours $79 Flash-Up is a memory-resident macro, menu and note maker compatible with most languages. Easy-to-use features include a pull-down interface and on-line help. And until 03/31/88, you'll also get a Microsoft compatible mouse FREE. microsoft products Microsoft C Compiler 5 w/CodeView 450 285 Microsoft COBOL Compiler with COBOL Tools 700 439 Microsoft Excel 495 319 Microsoft FORTRAN Optimizing Compiler 450 285 Microsoft Learning DOS ., 50 38 Microsoft MACH 20 New 495 329 Microsoft Macro Assembler 150 99 Microsoft Mouse All Varieties CALL CALL Microsoft Pascal Compiler 300 1 89 Microsoft QuickBASIC 4 99 66 Microsoft QuickC 99 66 Microsoft Windows 99 66 Microsoft Windows 386 195 129 Microsoft Windows Development Kit 500 299 Microsoft Word 450 285 Microsoft Works 195 129 Circle 208 on Reader Service Card ORDERING INFORMATION FREE SHIPPING. Orders within the USA (including Alaska & Hawaii) are shipped FREE via UPS. Call for express shipping rates. NO CREDIT CARD CHARGE. VISA, MasterCard and Discover Card are accepted at no extra cost. 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Send mail orders to: Programmer's Connection Order Processing Department 7249 Whipple Ave NW North Canton, OH 44720 i tin in 1 1 imm \ ii inn ■ con: i m i i nn ii nmnnr peter norton products Advanced Norton Utilities 150 89 Norton Commander 75 55 Norton Guides Specify Language 100 65 Norton Utilities. 100 59 sco products SCO FoxBASE+ New 795 595 XENIX System V lor PS/2 by SCO New CALL CALL XENIX System V 286 by SCO 1295 979 XENIX System V 386 by SCO 1495 1145 Other SCO Products CALL CALL wiley professional products 50 MORE: FORTRAN 125 95 Scientific Subroutine Library /orS^S/C 125 99 Scientific Subroutine Li b Specify C or Fortran... 225 179 STATLIB.GL 295 239 STATLIB.TSF 295 239 other products ACTOR by Whitewater Group 495 419 AlsysAda Products A IIVarieLies CALL CALL Arity Prolog Products/V/lM/es CALL CALL Brief by Solution Systems 195 CALL Carbon Copy Plus Ay Meridian Technology 195 135 Dan Bricklin's Demo WbySoflware Garden 195 179 Desqview (rum Quarterdeck 130 115 Disk Optimizer bySoftlogic Systems 60 55 Disk Technician by Prime Solutions 100 89 Disk Technician + by Prime Solutions 130 119 MiniProbe byAtron 395 369 Mace Utilities Paul Mace Software 99 85 MathCAD byMathSolt New 349 319 Peaborfy by Copia Intl, Specify Language New 100 89 Personal HEXXbyMansfield Software Group 125 99 risC ftomlMSI Sale 80 59 TLIB by Burton Systems Software Sale 100 79 Turbo Professional 4.0 byTurboPower 99 79 TurboHALO fromlMSI Sale 95 69 TurboPower Utilities byTurboPower 95 78 Vcache by Golden Bow Systems 50 47 Ventura Desktop Publisher byXEROK New 895 459 Vleature Deluxe byGoldenBow Systems 120 111 Vop\ by Golden Bow Systems 50 47 XenoCopy-PC byXENOSOFT 80 69 CALL for Additional Prod iicts Ever ex — the # 1 ASIC Technology Everex, one of the leaders in graphics technology, offers a complete line of advanced graphics adapters for IBM PC™/XT™/AT® and compatibles. Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) designed by Everex, have led to the quality, features, price and performance of these products. Choose the graphics adapter to suit your needs and start enjoying the Everex difference today! EVGA Micro Enhancer True VGA on PC/XT/AT and compatibles 256 simultaneous colors from over 256,000 All 1 7 VGA modes implemented in hardware Runs VGA, EGA, CGA, MDA and Hercules® software Supports PS/2, multifrequency, EGA, CGA, and monochrome monitors 512 x 480 with 256 colors for true color video applications Special 1280 x 600, and 800 x 600 modes 132 column text modes High resolution EGA Compatible with IBM® EGA Supports automatic mode switching Extended EGA modes 752 x 41 and 640 x 480 132 x 44 and 132 x 25 text modes Supports multifrequency, EGA, CGA and monochrome monitors Can run Hercules software on an EGA monitor Includes feature adapter and RCA jacks Very attractively priced EVEREX, EVER for Excellence, Evergraphlcs Plus, EVGA, Evergraphlcs Deluxe, Ultra Graphics, Micro Enhancer, RamFont, IBM, PC, PC/XT, PC/AT, PS/2, Hercules and Microsoft are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective companies. ©1987 Everex Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 20 BYTE* MARCH 1988 Choice in Graphics. Ultra Graphics Very high resolution monochrome graphics adapter 1 1664 x 1200 resolution Ideal for desktop publishing Microsoft® Windows driver included Perfect for CAD applications AutoCad driver included Non-interlaced display Supports PGS 15" and Moniterm 19" high resolution monitors Co-exists with standard video adapters ROM BIOS to allow single display operation For more information or for the name of your nearest Everex dealer please call: Circle 93 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 94) Evergraphics Deluxe" • Supports standard monochrome monitors • High resolution 1024 x 704 and 1024 x 352 graphics modes • AutoCad® drivers included • Compatible with Hercules Ram Font™ modes • Displays foreign language, scientific, math characters instantly • Powerful, easy-to-use font editor • Over 3,000 characters in RAM simultaneously • Runs standard monochrome software without modification • 132 x 44 and 132 x 25 text modes m usa 1-800-82 1-0806 m caif 1-800-82 1-0807 Evergraphics Plus" • Low-cost monochrome graphics adapter • Compatible with Hercules graphics • Fast scrolling • 132 x 44 and 132 x 25 text modes • Configurable parallel port • MDA text compatible • Works with standard monochrome monitors *g&« 48431 Mllmont Drive, Fremont, CA 94538 MARCH 1988 -BYTE 21 LETTERS FEA Concerns Nicholas M. Baran's article, "ANSYS- PC/Linear and MSC/pal 2" (November 1987), failed to focus appropriately on the critical issues in the evaluation of a professional-level IBM PC finite-element analysis (FEA) system. The report was highly subjective and unjustifiably biased toward MSC/pal 2. Let me begin by stating that I am not without my own biases. I work for a mechanical engineering consulting firm that provides training and technical sup- port to users of the ANSYS program. Al- though Mr. Baran did note several of MSC/pal 2's deficiencies— limited prob- lem size capacity, lack of an adequate element library, and so on— he tended to dismiss these critical factors as unimpor- tant. On the other hand, he took every op- portunity to minimize ANSYS-PC/Lin- ear's superior features (e.g., interactive modeling capability, advanced analysis options, and upward compatibility with the mainframe version). Mr. Baran stated that ANSYS- PC/Lin- ear is a more expensive program than MSC/pal 2. This is true. However, in PC FEA, you do indeed get what you pay for. The degree of sophistication and com- plexity of professional-level FEA code is at least an order of magnitude above com- mon PC-based applications. The absence of an element as basic as a three-dimen- sional solid in MSC/pal 2 is a serious li- ability. We live in a world composed of three-dimensional solid objects; to model them effectively often requires a continu- um element of this type. Mr. Baran claimed that time-to-solu- tion on similar analysis problems was equivalent for both programs. He did not elaborate on the type of problem he solved; he stated only that the model contained 2000 degrees of freedom. ANSYS-PC/Linear uses a wave-front solution method, influenced by element rather than node order. If you don't know the value of the maximum wave front in the model, the number of degrees of free- dom is largely irrelevant. Numerous benchmark studies have shown that ANSYS-PC/Linear has the fastest time- to-solution of any MS-DOS finite-ele- ment program. Mr. Baran raised the issue of ease of use and learning. It seems he based his entire evaluation upon the single user's manual in his possession. Each ANSYS- PC/Linear lease or purchase includes training credits for an introductory semi- nar on using the program. Apparently Mr. Baran did not avail himself of this opportunity. He stated that ANSYS- PC/Linear is difficult to learn. I have to ask, relative to what— a spreadsheet? a word processor? We are talking about learning to effectively use a powerful en- gineering analysis tool; to use it properly requires an investment in time and effort. One of the most serious deficiencies in Mr. Baran's review is his dismissal of ANSYS-PC/Linear's interactive model- generation capability (which MSC/pal 2 lacks). He states, "The interactive mode is most suitable for issuing a few on-line commands to obtain a plot or a small list- ing. For creating a moderate-size model, I found it much easier to prepare the input file using a text editor and then to run PREP7 in batch mode using my input file." To prefer working in batch mode when an excellent interactive capability exists (with on-line help, immediate plot- ting, and error correction) is insane. I wonder if Mr. Baran prefers shaving in the dark— that's what it feels like to create an FEA model in batch mode. Now that I've gotten all that off my chest, let me say that Mr. Baran's criti- cism regarding difficulty in obtaining a hard copy in ANSYS-PC/Linear was en- tirely valid. However, Version 4.3 of ANSYS-PC/Linear is now available, and its new vector display mode option com- pletely corrects this problem. Victor R.Urbach Westbury, NY I stated in the article that ANSYS- PC/Linear is the more capable and flex- ible product. On the other hand, I think it 's a bit presumptuous to claim that the "degree of sophistication and complexity of a professional-level FEA code is at least an order of magnitude above com- mon PC-based applications. " It all de- pends on what you plan to do with the program. And though we do live in a three-dimensional world, a great many problems can be solved in two dimen- sions with beam or plate elements. In the years I worked as an engineer performing stress analyses of mechanical and structural components, I would say 80 percent of the problems involved beam and plate elements rather than solid ele- ments. Many of these types of problems can be solved accurately using MSC/pal 2 as well as ANSYS-PC/Linear. Since MSC/pal 2 does not use a wave- front equation solver, the value of the maximum wave front does not help us compare performance. I intentionally avoided attempting a formal benchmark because of the different solution meth- ods. My own experience in running iden- tical problems on both programs was that their performance is roughly equivalent. And let 'sface it, whether it takes 40 min- utes on one or 48 minutes on the other, both programs are pretty slow on an IBM PC. Let 's not confuse a program 's ease of use with the process of learning and ap- plying the concepts of finite-element analysis. While a great deal of training and education are involved in applying FEA competently, there is no reason why the user interface of a program like ANSYS-PC/Linear should be so complex. There is no reason that a beginning user should have to spend hours leafing through the manual trying to figure out how to generate a mesh pattern. Vm sorry, but all the finite-element programs I've seen, including MSC/pal 2, could benefit from improved user in- terfaces. There is no reason why engi- neers should have to continue to put up with terse command languages and for- bidding documentation. Finally, I stand by my evaluation of ANSYS-PC/Linear 's interactive modeler. No, I don 't like shaving in the dark, but I also don V like shaving with a dull blade. I still maintain that the interactive mod- eler is extremely difficult to use. Perhaps with a training course, my attitude would change, but I was evaluating the program continued LETTERS POLICY: When submitting a let- ter for publication, double-space it on one side of the paper and include your name and address. Express your comments and ideas as clearly and concisely as possible. We can print listings and tables along with a letter if they are short and legible. Because we receive hundreds of letters each month, we cannot publish all of them. We cannot return letters to authors. Gener- ally, it takes four months from the time we re- ceive a letter until we publish it. 22 BYTE • MARCH 1988 Announcing - the database development system that you designed. 9 «» C PROGRAMMERS- We asked what you wanted in a database development system and we built it! db_VISTA III™ is the database development system for programmers who want powerful, high performance DBMS capabilities y ... and in any environment . Based on the network database model and the B-tree indexing method, db_VISTA III gives you the most powerful and efficient system for data organization and access. From simple file management to complex database structures with millions of records. db_VISTA III runs on most computers and operating systems like MS-DOS, UNIX, VAX/VMS and OS/2. It's written in C and the complete source code is available, so your application perfor- mance and portability are guaranteed! With db_VISTA III you can build applications for single-user microcom- puters to multi-user LANs, up to minis and even main- frames. RAIMA'S COMMITMENT TO YOU: No Royalties, Source Code Availability, 60 days FREE Technical Support and our 30-day Money-Back Guarantee. Extended services available include: Application Development, Product Development, Professional Consulting, Training Classes and Extended Application Development Support. HOW TO ORDER: Purchase only those components you need. Start out with Single-user for MS-DOS then add components, upgrade ... or purchase Multi-user with Source for the entire db_VISTA III System. It's easy... call toll-free today! Thedb_VISTA III™ Database Development System Q d^VISTA 7 ": The High Performance DBMS The major features include: • Multi-user support for LANs and multi-user computers. • Multiple database access. • File and record locking. • Automatic database recovery. • Transaction processing and logging. • Timestamping. '» Database consistency check utjjlijy. • Fast access methods based on the network database model and B-tree indexing. Uses both direct "set" relations and B-tree in- dexing independently for design flexibility and performance. • An easy-to-use interactive database access utility. • File transfer utilities for importing/export- ing ASCII text and dBASE 11/111 files. • A Database Definition Language patterned after C. • Virtual memory disk caching for fast database access. • A runtime library of over 100 functions. • Operating systems: MS-DOS, UNIX V, XENIX, VMS, OS/2. • C Compilers: Lattice, Microsoft/IBM, Aztec, Computer Innovations, Turbo C, XENIX, and UNIX. • LAN systems: LifeNet, NetWare, PC Net- work, 3Com, SCO XENIX-NET, other NET- BIOS compatible MS-DOS networks. H db_QUERY:™ The SQ>bascd Query. • Provides relational view of db_ VISTA applications. • Structured Query Language • C linkable. • Predefine query procedures or run ad-hoc queries "on the fly". db_REVISE '": The Database Restructure Program. • Redesign your database easily. • Converts all existing data to revised design. All components feature royalty-free run-time distribution, source code availability and our commitment to customer service. That's why corporations like ARCO, AT&T, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Northwestern Mutual Life, UNISYS and others use our products. RELATIONAL DBMS INDEX NETWORK MODEL DBMS... db„VISTA RECORD 1 RECORD SET* I^| POINTER — ^ db_ VISTA out-performs relational DBMS *s with direct access to data and less data redundancy. Your applications run faster and more efficiently! db_VISTA III™ Database Development System db_VlSTAIir S595-3960 db.QUEfY ™ S595 - 3960 dh-IVpVlSE " S595-3960 db_Vl5TA* File Manager Starts at S195 We'll answer your questions, help determine your needs and get you started. CALL TODAY! 1-800-db-RAIMA (that's 1-800-327-2462) kl RAIMA \Jkk 1 CORPORATION CO 3055 112th Avenue N.E., Bellevue, WA 98004 (206)828-4636 m Telex: 6503018237MCIUW FAX: (206)828-3131 Attention all FX80, FX100, JX, RX, & MX owners: You already own half of a great printer LETTERS *£&****. Now for $79.95 you can own the rest. You see, today s new dot matrix printers offer a lot more. Like an NLQ mode that makes their letters print almost as sharp as a daisy wheel. And mode switch- ing at the touch of a button in over 160 styles. But now, a Dots-Perfect Now Onl upgrade kit will make your printer work like the new models in min- utes— at a fraction of their cost. And FX, JX and MX models will print the IBM character set, too. So, call now and use your Visa, MasterCard, or AmerEx. Don't replace your printer, upgrade it! 1-800-368-7737 (Anywhere in the United States or Canada) gSSil (Dots-Perfect) >D r esse I ha u 8560 Vineyard Ave., Ste. 405. Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 An upgrade kit for EPSON FX, JX, RX, & MX printers Sample of letter without Dots-Perfect g (714)945-5600 I H M It a rtgiitrrtdtrademark tcmallonalBuilneu UichlnuCorp., in irftdcmark of Epion America. Inc d trademark of Epivn Amtrlco. Inc Now there's a smart way to connect more than one printer Forget those dumb A/B boxes and those expensive switching devices. Now you can connect up to six parallel printers to your computer and let your programs do the switch- ing intelligently for only $119. SmartPorts automatically sends j V your output to the correct printer. You just add a simple code to your program or printer setup string. Or, select a printer from a pop-up window utility that's included. SmartPorts recognizes the code and makes the switch. So, call now and use your Visa, MasterCard or AmerEx. ' nm, ; It's smart! • . m * 1 Now Only 1-800-368-7737 (Anywhere in the United States or Canada) 4SmaitItats*> >DreSSelhaUS 8560 Vineyard Avenue, Suite 405. Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 A software-controlled printer switch for IBM PCs and compatibles from the point of view of users who might be trying to learn the program on their own. —Nicholas M. Baran Sign Language vs. Finger Talk Ohio State University's program, SpeechSign (Microbytes, December 1987, page 14), does not "help teach sign language." It teaches the manual alpha- bet, commonly known as "finger talk. " Finger talk is excruciatingly slow. Sign language positions the whole body, in the context of the surrounding environment, in symbols that transmit information. Fluent signers routinely transmit infor- mation at 100 times aural speed. There are three widely used sign lan- guages. The oldest is American Indian Sign (AIS), used by the Boy Scouts. Next came American Sign Language (ASL), used by the hearing-impaired and for cross-cultural communications. Last came Gorilla Sign Language (GSL), ASL restructured for the Great Apes. True sign language uses syntax and grammar radically different from aural language. NATO and the UN unofficially recognize ASL as a universal language. The Boy Scouts use AIS to conduct busi- ness and personal conversations during International Jamborees. GSL is the only language routinely used for two-way transmission of sophisticated abstract concepts between animals and humans. None of this is possible with language- bound finger talk. To reach the Dick-and- Jane kindergarten level of sign, the hard- ware would have to have at least 500 megabytes of RAM, with a clock speed of at least 50 megacycles and a graphics screen the size of a barn door. Then comes the program, which will, while under development, spin off sign lan- guage translators centuries beyond what we have today. Eugene Austin Tilden, NB "Information," Please I congratulate BYTE for printing "Infor- mation Theory" by Ramachandran Bhar- ath (December 1987). An open discus- sion in the computer field about defining the term "information" is long overdue, and maybe this article will lead the way. For too long, the term has been picked up and used without regard to its precise meaning. Mr. Bharath provided us with a com- prehensive introduction to information theory, and he made the technical nature of the theory crystal clear. The reader could easily see that the theory is based on mathematical proofs and, as such, could not be used to deal with the issues relating to the value of the contents of the continued 24 BYTE • MARCH 1988 Circle 86on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 87) tompureR uuflRSHOUje CALL TOLL FRE E J -800^528^1054 "LOWEST PRICES Air Express Shipping See Details Below <^J Alps All Models Call Brother All Models Call Citizen MSP-40 $285 MSP-45 $415 MSP-50 $355 MSP-55 $450 Premier 35 $450 Tribute 224 • - $605 120D $145 Citizen 180D S160 Citizen 15E $315 Dyconics 150 $299 Ip§5R AH Printer Models Call DISKETTES Maxell MD2(Qty 100) . M2S Sony DS/DD (Qty 100) 5.25 HD (100s) 3.5DS(100's) HARDWARE \ FAST DELIVERY $82.50 $65 $150 $105 Hewlett-Packard LazerJet II .... S1 779 NEC P2200 $335 850 $1539 860+ $1950 3550 $729 8810,8850 $1059 P6 $425 P7 $610 P9 $1035 MONITORS Amdek All Monitors Call Mitsubishi Diamond Scan $499 Other Models Call NEC Multisync II $549 Multisync Plus $875 Multisync XL $2005 Princeton Graphics All Models ... Call Sony Multiscanw/cable $665 Multiscan 1303 .Call Thompson Ultrascan $539 Zenith 1490 FTM $625 Other Models Call OKI DATA All Printer Models Call HAYES All Modems Call Panasonic 1091 Model 2 $ 1 80 1080 Model 2 S 1 65 1092 I $305 1524 $549 1592 $405 1595 $455 3131 $255 3151 $390 Laser Call STARMICRONICS All Printer Models Call Toshiba 321 SL $499 341SL $665 351 Modelll $899 Laser Printer Call Prometheus 2400Bw/Soft $120 Other Models Call US Robotics Courier 2400 $299 Password 1200 $149 DISK DRIVES Iomega Bernoulli 1Cmeg $865 Bernoulli 20 meg $1260 Bernoulli40 meg - $1605 Bernoulli Beta Internal (5K) $909 Bernoulli Beta External (5X) $1 645 Miniscribe Drives .Call Teac AT 1 .2 Meg Drive $1 00 XT Vz HT Drive S85 Magnum Tape Backu p Call Everex Tape Backup Call $389! BOARDS AST Six-Pack Plus $109 Hot Shot 286 $330 Other Models Call ATI EGA $175 VGA $265 Hercules Color Card S145 Graphic Card & Graphic Card + $1 75 Above Board PC 1010 $205 Intel Above Board PS/PC (1 1 10). . . . $239 Above Board AT (4020) $305 Above Board PS/AT (4120) $329 386 w/Cable $719 Inboardw/Cable $1005 i N EC Multisync Graphic Board $275 256 Memory, One 360K Brand Name 3£ _; ^ J- J , Orchid Tiny Turbo 286 $265 rzzsTutho PC/XT Floppy Drive • 135 Watt Power Supply, Slide Case, AT Style Keyboard • 4-10 MHz Clock Speed, (Keyboard Selectable), 8 Expansion Slots Turbo PC/XTw/640K & 1 Drive $415 Turbo PC/XT W/640K & 2 Drives .... $485 TurbO PC/XT W/640K, 1 Drive & 20 MG $729 PC/AT10 MHz W/1024K.1.2 FloppyDrive $989 PC/AT 10 MHz W/1024K, 1.2 Floppy, 40MG $1519 PC/AT12 MHZ/1024K.1.2 Floppy Drive $1049 PC/AT 12 MHz/1024K, 1 Drive, 40 MG $1 549 MonGraphics Card with Parallel Printer Port $55 Color Card w/Parallel Printer Port $55 Amber Monitor(TTL) $89 Amber Monitor w/Swivel Tilt $95 Color Monitor (RGB) $255 EGA+Card $145 I/O Card (Serial/Parallel) $38 l/OCard(Serial/ClockCalendar) S39 Enhanced Keyboard $69 ATMuIti I/O Card $69 XT Multi I/O Card $55 SEAGATE 20 meg w/Western I/O $290 Other Models .Call ' '\y-. KB5151 . KB5153 KB101 .. $145 $235 S99 Turbo EGA $449 Paradise Five Pak $99 Autoswitch 350 $1 35 Autoswitch 480 S150 VGA+ $239 VGA Professional $355 Plus Development Plus Hard Card 20 & 40 Megabyte Call Mountain Hard Cards Call Quadram Quad EGA+ $275 Video-7 Vega Deluxe & VGA Call VIDEO TERMINALS Qume 101 PlusGreen $315 101 Plus Amber $315 Wyse Call COMPUTERS AST Model 80 $1509 AST Model 120 $21 30 AST Model 140 $2475 AT&T Call NEC Multispeed $1375 NEC Multispeed EL $1609 Sharp Call Toshiba T1000 S785 T3120 $3068 T-1100 Supertwist $1 370 T-3100 $2799 Zenith Call PROJECT MANAGEMENT Harvard Total Project Manager II $289 Microsoft Project Call Super Project Plus $269 Timeline 2.0 $259 GRAPHICS Logi Mouse Call Logi Buss Mouse w/paint $85 Newsmaster S48 Microsoft Buss Mouse 1.0 Call MicrosoftChart3.0 Call MicrosoftSerial Mouse 1 .0 Call Newsroom $30 PC Mouse w/Paint $89 PC Buss Plus Mouse w/Paint $99 PFS: First Publisher $49 IMSI Mouse w/Dr. Halo II $88 PC Mouse w/Paint $89 Printmaster Plus $28 Master Presentation Pack $315 Turbo Graphix Tool Box $38 COMMUNICATIONS CompuServe Starter Kit $19 Crosstalk XVI $88 Carbon Copy Plus $1 03 Mirror II $33 Remote $88 Smartcomlll $136 SOFTWARE IBM PC and 100% Compatibles INTEGRATIVE SOFTWARE Enable 2.0 $359 Framework II $309 Smart Software System 3.1 ... Best Price Symphony $439 Ability Plus Call TRAINING MS Flight Simulator Call PC Logo $75 Typing Instructor $27 Typing Tutor IV $27 MS Learning DOS Call LANGUAGES C Compiler (Microsoft) Call Fortran Compiler (Microsoft) Call Macro Assembler (Microsoft) Call Pascal Compiler (Microsoft) Call Quick Basic 4.0 Call Turbo Jumbo Pack 3.0 $ 1 59 Turbo Pascal 4.0 $58 TurboC1.5 $58 Turbo Basic $53 Turbo Prolog $53 UTILITIES MS Windows 2.0. Call Copyll PC S18 IDIRPIus $46 Fastback Plus $87 Norton Utilities4.0 $46 Printworks For Laser $67 Sidekick (Unprotected) $44 Sideways3.2 $37 Superkey $53 Xtree $35 SQZ $45 Brooklyn Bridge $69 WORD PROCESSORS Word Perfect Executive $ 1 03 Leading EdgeW/Pw/Spell & Mail Call Turbo Lightening $52 Microsoft Word 4.0 S185 Multimate Advantage II $249 Wordstar w/Tutor $162 Wordstar Pro Pack 4.0 $205 PFS: Professional Write $99 Word Perfect (Ver.4.2)$189 Wordstar 2000 + 3.0 $189 SPREADSHEETS Lotus 1 -2-3 . . . $295 Multiplan3.0 Call $32 VP Planner Plus $82 [ Supercalc4 $269 | MONEY MANAGEMENT Dollars & Sense w/Forcast $92 Tobias Managing Your Money 4.0 S1 15 DATA BASE MANAGEMENT Clipper S3fifi Drase III Plus. . . . $374 Quickcode Plus .$138 ....$138 Reflex $78 DB-XL $79 PFS: Professional File S111 R:Base5000 System V $415 Many other titles available. Circle 64 on Reader Service Card for MS DOS Products. (All Others: 65) To Place an Order: 1-800-528-1054 To Follow-up on an Order: 602-944-1037 CDmPUTER WAREHOUSE 8804 N. 23rd Ave. Phoenix, Arizona 85021 Order Line Hours: Mon-Fri 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Saturday 9:00-1:00 Order Processing: 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Mon-Fri • No ChargeforVISAand MasterCard • You PaytheGroundShipping— We Pay the Air* Ground Shippings Handling $6.00 • Free Air applies ONLY to orders up to 10 lbs. & Over $50. • All products carry a manufacturers warranty. All Guarantees, rebates, trial period privileges & promotional programs are handled by the man ufacturer only. • NOAPO. FPO. or international orders, please- Call before submitting PO Numbers* Personal and Company Checks Will Delay Ship- ping 3weeks • Prices, Terms & Availability Subject to Ch ange Wit hout Notice • Add 5% f or COD Orders • We Do Not Guarantee Machine C ompatibility • We do notchargecreditcards until order is shipped. Circle 165 on Reader Service Card OUTSTANDING SOFTWARE LETTERS I For IBM PC 1 s and Compatibles $Q50 PER DISK Small Quantities $Q00 PER DISK | For Ten or More I SHIPPED WITHIN 24 HOURS! Satisfaction Guaranteed or Money Back! □ BUSINESS 1— EZ-FORMS business form generation, completion and printing program. Z\ CAD 3— The PC-Flow 1 .0 computer aided flow- chart generation program. Color graphics required. E COMM 4a,b,c,d,e— (5 disks) Join the world of sysopswith RBBS Bulletin Board System 14.1 D. U] DATABASE 1a,b— (2 disks) File Express 3.8 menu driven general purpose database manager. □ EDUCATION 1— Interactive DOS tutorial for new PC users. Makes learning DOS painless. [2] FINANCE 1a,b— (2 disks) PC Accountant 2.0 personal bookkeeping and finance management. I I GAMES 1— 3-D Pacman, Kong, Spacewar, Janit- Joe, futuristic Flightmare and more. Color required. n GAMES 2— Qubert, Pango, Centipede, dun- geons and dragons style Zoarre, etc. Color req. GAMES 3— Blackjack with customizable rules, Armchair Quarterback (you call plays), and more. □ GAMES 4— Star Trek, the Castle adventure game, and the original Colossal Caves Adventure. °g 1 | GAMES 5 — The Hack adventure game from the 55 universities. Like Rogue, only much richer. > □ GAMES 6— Pinball, Othello, Dragons, Sopwith (fly a Sopwith Camel) and more. Color required. [z] INFO 1a,b— (2 disks) Cooking recipes database with keyword/ingredient retrieval. Add your own. GO MUSIC 2a,b— (2 disks) PianoMan 3.0 polyphonic music recording and playback program. □ ORGANIZER 1— DeskTeam, a Sidekick clone, and the Judy personal calendar program. □ PRINTER 1— Resident print control and font utility, intelligent spooler, banner maker, and more. □ SIMULATION 1— Maze making program, MIT's Life simulation, starfields, etc. Color graphics req. UTILITIES 1— A collection of invaluable general purpose DOS utilities. An absolute must for all. G UTILITIES 2— More invaluable DOS utilities in- cluding screen burnout, ram disk, and more. 1 I UTILITIES 3 — A comprehensive set of debugging and diagnostic utilities for monitoring your computer. NEW RELEASES/UPDA TES ^ BUSINESS 2— Expressgraph business graphics. Chart your data and find trends. Color graphics req. \2\ CAD 1a,b— (2 disks) Fingerpaint 1 .2 advanced painting and Altamira object oriented design. Color. [U CAD 2a,b— (2 disks) DanCad3d, an advanced 2D/3D drafting program w/animation. 640K, color. [2] COMM 2a,b— (2 disks) Procomm 2.42, an excel- lent modem program with terminal emulation. □ EDUCATION 3— PC-Fastype 1 .20 typing tutor, ideal for beginners and advanced students alike. \2\ FINANCES 3a,b— (2 disks) Express Calc 3.12, a powerful and user friendly spreadsheet program. n GAMES 8— Striker helicopter attack and Risk, the game of world domination. Color required. I | GAMES 12 — Backgammon (play the computer) and Wheel of Fortune based on the gameshow. I I GRAPHICS 1— Record and play back screen im- ages! Excellent for demo, etc. Color required. [3] GRAPHICS 2a,b,c— (3 disks) An excellent 3-D surface modelling and shading program. Color. \2} INFO 2a,b— (2 disks) Zip-Phone, national areacode/prefix to zip-code cross reference. {2} LANGUAGE 3a,b-(2 disks) The A86 3.09 macro assembler and debugger for 8088/86/286s. HO SHELL 4a,b— (2 disks) Automenu and HDM II 4.04 hard disk prog, for custom full-screen menus. □ UTILITIES 5— Hard disk utilities for verifying, for- matting, parking and optimizing your disk drives. O UTILITIES 6— Advanced utilities including Mark/Release (remove resident progs w/o reboot!) J UTILITIES 7— More advanced utilities including Masterkey (undeletes files from hard disks). [U WORD 1a,b-(2 disks) PC Write 2.71, a powerful word processing system w/spell checker, laser supt. Most software listed is shareware or user-supported. 3.5" format add St/disk. 125 paae directorv. add $2. MicroCom Systems Cost of items 3673 Enochs Street Shipping Santa Clara, CA CA res tax. 95051 S3. 00 Total encl._ L (408) 737-9000 Hi ^^^™ Mon -Fri 7am-9pm, Sat-Sun 8am-5pm ^^^&- | messages being measured. Perhaps Mr. Bharath's warning and clarification of this fact at the end of the article was not strong enough. I would like to reinforce the warning. Information can be explained simply as data that is prepared into a form that makes it easier for someone else to use. Information theory provides us with mathematical tools to evaluate the reli- ability of information, not with a method- ology to evaluate its relative value. We tend to be too technical in our col- lective quest for systems solutions. We would be better off clarifying what infor- mation is and how it is processed, in the broadest sense of the word, so that we can provide more reliable, more effective, more acceptable systems solutions. Information is a dynamic and personal, yet powerful, thing. It changes every- thing with which it comes into contact. That is part of the nature of information. Information scientists and librarians have obviously given attention to this topic, as have economists, political scientists, and behavioral scientists. Now is a great time to learn from these discussions. We need more dialogue to discover just what infor- mation is. Kevin Stumpf The Infotorium Kitchener, Ontario, Canada Karmarkar Kudos Ever since I saw ' 'Karmarkar 's Algo- rithm" by Andrew M. Rockett and John C. Stevenson (September 1987), I have found more and more reasons to thank you for including material at this level of mathematics. The article is proving to be a most use- ful adjunct to lecture material in a course on linear programming that I am taking- even the errors in the BASIC listing made me think things through. Since I have found the spreadsheet a good self -instructional tool, I have con- structed a Lotus 1-2-3 worksheet that steps through the iterations of the exam- ple given. This worksheet provides a use- ful look at what is actually happening at each stage. I would be glad to provide BYTE read- ers with a listing of the formulas and a de- scription. If readers would send along a disk, I would copy the worksheet onto it and mail it back to them. H. J. Hunter P.O. Box 13398 Kanata, Ontario, Canada K2K 1X5 Semantic Accuracy In "Modeling the Brain" (December 1987), Matthew Zeidenberg asserts that the system makes "accurate role assign- ments" in such sentences as "The man hit the boy with the mallet." It's best not to say "accurate" in setting a default se- mantic value for an ambiguous sentence without context validation. The article deals with semantics at sentence level only, so matters of context are not consid- ered. Given that approach, ambiguous sentences are best left with semantics not fully resolved. The pleasure many people derive out of ambiguous sentences, simi- lar to that of enjoying optical illusions, argues that an isolated sentence does have a flip-flop semantic value. For a system to analyze syntactic ambi- guity, other input should be considered before making a semantic decision. Each relevant piece of data adds weight to an interpretation, and some particular (even externally set) weight of certainty sets the meaning, at least until contradictory in- formation is received. Since ambiguity can be resolved before or after its occur- rence, the system needs to look back as well as forward. Consider "The 4-year- old was showing his buddies his new mal- let when a car veered around the corner. They ran for safety, but the man hit the boy with the mallet." Or "The man hit the boy with the mallet, then the red- headed kid, but missed the baby, before he regained control of his car and rounded the corner." Not to mention "The man hit the boy with the mallet with his car." The fact that people do not stop at the end of each sentence for an interminable period of interpretation makes clear that once we think we know what we're talk- ing about, we suspend analysis (right or wrong). A computational model should likewise go to the heights and depths, at need only. Cathy Miller Salt Lake City, UT A Vote for Tweaking With regard to Fred Langa's December 1987 editorial on benchmarks, it was a shame that benchmark optimization (re- ferred to as "tweaking") came off so bad- ly. On the contrary, I assert that unless each benchmark is optimized, the results will have little meaning in the IBM PC marketplace. When compilers are benchmarked without "tweaking," we are verifying their ability to handle a particular source code. Source code compatibility is essen- tial in an environment that requires the continued use of many different machines and compilers. In the big-business man- agement information-systems environ- ment, programs can be distributed as source code, or perhaps a publisher will produce different versions of a program for the various target machines. In any case, source code compatibility is an ab- continued 26 BYTE- MARCH 1988 THE WORLD'S BEST-SELLING DRIVE Field-proven 30,000 hour. THE ST225 Proven reliability. That's the reason Seagate's 20 MB half-height hard disc drive is so popular, with over 3 million sold in less than three years. Who proved it? Millions of computer users around the world. They've benefited from our continued design and manufacturing improvements. And they've proved that the ST225 has an MTBF of 30,000 hours. Which means years of uninterrupted performance. And a disc drive you can rely on. Reliability has helped make Seagate the world's leading independent manufacturer of 5 ] A" and 3V2 ' hard disc drives. If you're looking for a proven 20 megabyte drive, ask for the ST225. Call Seagate at 800-468-DISC. Put the best seller to work for you. <3P Seagate The first name in disc drives. Circle 237 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 238) MARCH 1988 • B Y T E 27 LETTERS solute requirement in a big-computer environment. The basis for the IBM PC software markets is not source code but compati- bility at the machine level. PC programs are distributed as object code, and only object code compatibility is required. Users do not care whether the program source code is "compatible" with some standard, but they do care whether the object code program is compatible with their hardware and how fast it runs. If "incompatible" source code features would improve performance (and pro- duce the same results), this is a topic of real interest to programmers serving the PC marketplace. Performance optimiza- tions for particular languages and com- pilers are useful news. The thing that is constant about a PC marketplace is a "standard interface" be- tween hardware and software; that inter- face is where applications object code meets the operating system, BIOS, or other hardware interface code. When rat- ing new hardware or software, the only thing that matters is performance while using the standard interface. Applications If you think jrou can buy a better C compiler, don't. We'll buy it for you. Buy Let's C with cscT for just $75. If you're not satisfied, get Turbo Cor QuickC. Free* Why are we making this incredible offer? Because we're absolutely cer- tain Lets C and csd C Source Debugger are the best C programming tools you can own. Rest assured that, like its competition, Lets C features incredibly fast in-memory compilation and produces extremely tight, high quality code. The differences lie in how much faster you can perform other programming chores. Our debugger, for example, can cut development time in half. But that's not all: "csd is close to the ideal debugging environment.. . a definite aid to learning C and an indispensable tool for program development." -William G. Wong, BYTE And comparatively speaking: "AT o debugger is included in the llirbo C package. . . a serious shortcoming." —Michael Abrash, Programmer's Journal Unlike our competition. Let's C includes its own full-featured assembler, features documentation with complete examples and technical support with complete answers— thejlrst time you call. LETS C: LET'S C AND csd FEATURES csd: • Now compiles twice as fast • Integrated edit-compile cycle: editor automatically points to errors • Includes both small and large memory model • Integrated environment or command line interface • 8087 sensing and support • Fuit UNIX compatibility and complete libraries ■ Many powerful utilities including make, assembler, archiver « MicroEMACS full screen editor with source code included • Supported by dozens of third party libraries • Debug in C source code, not assembler • Provides separate source, evaluation, program and history windows • Abitity to settracepointsand monitor variables • Caninteractively evaluate any C expression • Can execute any C function in your program • Trace back function So if you're thinking about buying any other C compiler, think again. But you only have until Feb. 29 to order and take advantage of this special offer. So think fast. And call 1 -800-MWC- 1 700 soon. (1-31 2-472-6659 in Illinois. ) •Offer available on telephone orders only from Feb. 1 , 1988 to Feb. 29. 1988. 'lb exchange Lets C and csd for lUrbo C or QuickC, return registration card within 1 5 days of purchase date, notify Mark Williams Company that you are returning products and receive a return authorization number. Products must be returned within 30 days from shipping date. *^± . I Mark Williams Company 1 430 West Wrightwood, Chicago, Illinois 60614, 312-472-6659 J Mark Williams Company can be rated directly. Compilers can be rated as applications that produce appli- cations, and by the performance of the re- sulting applications. Hardware can be rated by the performance of known appli- cations that use the standard interface. Of course, "performance" is always relative to something; it is useful to inves- tigate software performance on some "standard hardware." Perhaps the stan- dard hardware in the 8086 environment would be both a classical IBM PC and a PC AT; in this way, programs that take advantage of the 286 could be identified. Different but similar hardware standards would apply to the various 68000 envi- ronments. To investigate hardware im- provements, there would be a suite of "standard software," and the compara- tive performance (between the "standard hardware" and the "improved" version) would indicate the effectiveness of the new hardware. In summary, the failure to "tweak" a benchmark for a particular compiler em- phasizes source code compatibility over object code performance, an emphasis that is misplaced in the PC marketplace. Optimizing each benchmark for each compiler (to produce the fastest and tight- est code to perform the desired function) should be a normal course of business— unless, of course, you're addressing a big-computer environment. Terry Ritter Austin, TX Fantastic I have one basic comment regarding the planned revision of your benchmark pro- grams (December 1987 editorial): Fan- tastic! There is a definite need for the re- vision, as the erratic results obtained by the current benchmarks demonstrate. I have a few thoughts regarding the revisions: • Retain the Sieve, Sort, Savage, Whet- stone, and Dhrystone tests for historical reasons, if no other; they're not all bad. The Float test should be discarded, since it doesn't represent any real-world pro- cessing and is susceptible to being re- duced to the trivial by better compilers. The Fibonacci test should be discarded for lack of interest; the algorithm used in the current form is terrible, and the Sieve and Sort tests do a better job of testing in- teger operations. • Provide for both higher-level and as- sembly language forms of the tests. In the higher-level language form, the programs test how well compilers make use of pro- cessors' features, and they can serve to compare a compiler's quality for a partic- ular processor. In the assembly language form, a better comparison of processors' continued 28 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Circle 152 on Reader Service Card w The bigidea behindthe PC system you cant outgrow We call it Modular Systems Architecture™: a building block approach that protects your PC investment against obsolescence. It makes up- grading Wyse PCs a snap— literally Because we've put all computing functions, even the CPU and its microprocessor, on plug-in boards. So as your needs grow, you can easily upgrade our 8 MHz AT compatible to a 12.5 MHz high perform- ance 286, or even a 16 MHz 386. When more powerful microprocessors are available, you'll even be able to upgrade our top-of-the-linel6MHz WYSEpc386. The WYSEpc 386: exceptional memory speed phis processing speed make it one of the most powerful PCs made. WYSE' 1 is a registered trademark of Wyse Technology. SystemWyse, WYSEpc 386, and Modular Systems Architecture are trademarks of Wyse Technology. IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines. Screen: Boeing Graph. Circle 287 on Reader Service Card It's this easy to upgrade the CPU and boost the power of a SystemWyse PC Introducing SystemWyse™ Wyse PCs are themselves building blocks in a comprehensive system for creating solu- tions. They link effortlessly with our terminals, moni- tors, and expansion boards in integrated solutions of exceptional quality and value, using industry standard software. And SystemWyse is backed by the company that sells more terminals than anyone but IBM. The big idea, above all, is to adapt more readily to change than any other PC system. Because survival belongs not merely to the fittest, but to those who remain fittest, longest. info™S e 1-800-GET-WYSE WYSE I We make it better, or we just don't make it. MARCH 1988 • B Y T E 29 LETTERS effects on performance can be made, since the variation introduced by com- pilers is eliminated, thus allowing more meaningful comparisons across proces- sor families. • Verify that the benchmarks' algorithms have been correctly transformed. The Savage program is relatively easy to ver- ify, since the result should be very close to the number of times the loop is exe- cuted. The number of primes found is a reasonable verification of the Sieve pro- gram. A visual inspection of the Sort pro- gram's results could suffice, but I would prefer something more automated, per- haps sorting randomly rearranged successive integers and then testing for successive integers. The Whetstone pro- gram produces some intermediate nu- merical results that can be verified. • Extend the Sieve and Sort tests such that 32-bit arithmetic and more than 65K- byte data referencing are required. In the case of the Sort test, make the record size greater than 64 bytes so as to make the test more realistic, and remove opportu- nities for playing silly games with the 68000 family of processors. CAN YOU REACH YOUR FULL POTENTIAL WITHONIY HALF THE VIEW? Let CPT give you the total view— today. Upgrade your PC, XX or AT- compatible computer with CPTs full-page displays, at a price far lower than you might expect. For more information on how CPT can expand your display-horizons, call 1-800-447-4700. More Than Office Automation . . . Office Productivity PC, XT and AT are trademarks of International Business Machines. Inc. • Devise one or more benchmark pro- grams to test character string manipula- tions. A large percentage of most com- puters' time is spent processing textual information, yet there is no well-known benchmark for this type of processing. Devising such a test will be difficult due to such things as character string repre- sentation and limits, providing standard text to process, higher-level languages' treatment of (or lack of) character string data types, and so on. Possibly, the char- acter can be combined with some sort of file-accessing benchmark. In any event, there should be more than 65K bytes or characters to process. • When publishing the benchmark re- sults, the length of time to generate the program, the amount of code generated (both with and without run-time library code), and the size of the translators (compiler, assembler, and linker) are useful data. This data, of course, applies only to the tools needed to produce the executable benchmark programs, but the numbers are of some value in their own right and are sometimes helpful in inter- preting the benchmark results. Everett M. Greene Ridgecrest, CA FIXES Photo Swap Snow Software informed us of a photo error in the What's New section of the January issue. The photo that appears on page 94 is the Snow Report Writer Screen, rather than Silverado, as it is labeled. The Silverado screen appears on page 96. Copy Protection and Drawbase In the What's New section of the January issue, on page 78, some new programs from Skok Systems Inc. are described as not copy-protected. Drawbase HLR is not copy-protected. However, Drawbase 2000, Drawbase 3000, and Drawbase 4000 are copy- protected. Data-Acquisition System Not Micro Channel-Compatible In the What's New section of the January issue, on page 86, we incorrectly stated that The Automation Group's MDL-16 data-acquisition system is a Micro Chan- nel-compatible product. It is not. The MDL-16 is a stand-alone RS-232C and RS-244 data-acquisition board. It oper- ates as an independent serial peripheral and does not require any slot space in your computer. ■ 30 BYTE* MARCH 1988 Circle 69 on Reader Service Card Imagine the speed and powei^of a $100,000 minicomputer in a desktop PC cost- ing under $7,000. Now imagine all that power going to waste because the operating system you chose was never meant to take advan- tage of a computer this powerful. It will take more than just a "window environ- ment" or an outdated operating system to unlock the 80386. It will take PC-M0S/386I M The First 80386 Operating System. Specifically designed for the 80386 computer, PC-MOS/386™ opens doors. Doors to more memory and multi-tasking. Doors to thousands of DOS programs as well as upcom- ing 80386-specific software. It's the gateway to the latest technology..., and your networking future. Memory Management Without Boards. PC-MOS exploits the memory management capabilities built into the 80386. So, up to four , GIGABYTES of memory are access- ible to multiple users and to future 80386-specific applications requiring megabytes of memory. Multi-Tasking, Multi- User Support for One, Five or 25 Users. PC-MOS/386™ allows up to 25 inexpensive terminals to be driven by a single 80386 machine. So the features of the 80386 can be utilized at eveiy terminal And it comes in three versions so you can Upgrade your system as your com- pany grows.. .without having to learn new commands or install new hardware. s UP TO 25 USERS. MADE FOR THE 80386. RUNS DOS PROGRAMS. MULTI-TASKING mM& Software Support for Thousands of DOS Programs. Although PC-MOS/386™ totally replaces DOS, it doesn't make you replace your favorite DOS programs, So you can run programs like Lotus 1-2-3, WordStar, dBASE III, and WordPerfect on the 80386. Best of all, it uses familiar commands like DIR and COPY-so you'll feel comfortable with our system. The Gateway to Endless Features. Distinctive characteristics like file/system security, remote access, file/record locking, and built -in color graphics support for EACH user set PC-MOS/386™ apart from all previous operating systems. Open the Doors to Your Future TODAY! Call The Software Link TODAY for more information and Ithe authorized dealer nearest you. PC-MOS/386™ comes in single, five & 25-user versions starting at $195. I PC-MOS/386 MODULAR OPERATING SYSTEM I THE SOFTWARE LINK - prompt instead of C:>, and the volume size (if the drive is like mine) will be around 41 .5 megabytes. When you choose the sector and clus- ter size, SpeedStor will warn you that CHKDSK.COM will not operate. That's true, but when you got Golden Bow's Vopt, you also got CHKDSK.EXE (on the distribution disk), which works just fine on the bigger volume and nonstandard cluster, as does Vopt itself. Incidentally, what do you think of the new enhanced keyboard? I love it— with one exception. Having two Control and Alt keys is /great— if only IBM (and, of course, everyone else) hadn't put the Control keys directly below the Shift keys. Because of that, I'm continually pressing the wrong one while typing. The solution would be simple: Reduce the keys to standard size and put them along- side each other next to the space bar, get- ting them out from under Shift. Do you agree? If so, you probably have the clout to suggest that to someone (say, Key Tronic) with some chance of getting it implemented. Ron J. Goodman Warrensville, OH Well, I could say I like having two logi- cal disk drives, but in fact I was just too lazy to figure out the proper installation the first time, and after that it was a bit late with stuff stored on both disks. I ex- pect I'd have done it differently another time. DataDesk keyboards come with a switch and replacement key caps; you can put the Control key to the left of the A key, where it belongs, and relegate the CapsLock down to below the Shift. I love DataDesk keyboards. 1 'm typing this on one. —Jerry Mouseless Microsoft Word Dear Jerry, Regarding the Delete Word command in Microsoft Word (Computing at Chaos Manor, October 1987): You can create a macro to delete a single word in Word, using SuperKey. Try this: (using SuperKey terminology). The left arrow command is to account for the case when the cursor is on the last character of a word that is followed by a punctuation mark, when pressing F8 would send the cursor to the punctuation mark. I wonder if PC-Write would get rave reviews if users had to pay the same for it as they pay for the "big" programs ($450 list, $229 street price). I've tried PC- Write, and I find its interminable dot commands and myriad special keystrokes for every little function illogical and con- fusing. Give me Microsoft Word's pop- up mnemonic menus (automated by a few SuperKey macros) any time. Robert Hawkins Greenville, MS 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 c/o BYTE, One Phoe- nix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458. ThanksToTheT320Q The Desktop PC Can NowTake Its Place In History When the eagerly awaited PC first hit the desks of the public, everyone figured it was there to stay. It was, after all, powerful and functional. And consider- ing it weighed about 40 lbs., it would take m a lot to unseat it. Introducinga lotThe newToshibaT3200. In a sleek 18.7 lb. package, theT3200 acts like no other portable, or overweight desktop PC Alf for that matter. With its two internal expansion slots, you can connect to a LAN, a mainframe, or add peripherals. It also has a 12 MHz 80286 micro- processor, a 40MB hard disk, and a 720KB 3W diskette drive. to » I I I I %T* 4 * if fr I And when it comes to memory, theT3200 rivals your clunky desktop. With its 1MB RAM that ex- pands to 4MB. We even gave it a built-in, gas plasma EGA display and monitor port. Which, by the way, are optional on your old desktop. All of which means you should call 1-800-457-7777 for your nearest Toshiba computer and printer dealer. And ask to see the first portable PC powerful enough to push the desktop right into the history books. The T3200 is backed by the Exceptional Care program. No cost enrollment required. See your dealer for details. PC AT is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. In Touch with Tomorrow TOSHIBA lbshiba America, Inc., Information Systems Division CHAOS MANOR MAIL Yeah, I know you can do almost any- thing with macros in Microsoft Word 4. 0. WordStar 4. is pretty good, too. I under- stand they 're adding macros to Word Per- fect as well. Every time one of the editing programs improves, the others do. Makes for an embarrassment of riches, but I'd rather have that problem than not enough choices.— Jerry Floatable Computer? Dear Jerry, I have a problem. I am lusting for a computer, and I live on a boat. Living on a boat means that I have only 12-volt elec- tricity, very little space, no proper light- ing, and so on. I would like to get an MS-DOS com- puter. It must run on 12 V DC, be very sturdy, and not drain too much electric- ity, and I must be able to buy (rather than transfer) software for it. You have written several times about the Zenith Z-181, but the problems you mention with regard to null modem cables and so forth seem too great for me. I have the boat in the Caribbean now, and I have enough problems getting things like lightbulbs. Could you please comment on the To- shiba T1100 Plus and the NEC Multi- Speed in relation to the Zenith Z-181? Can you think of any other portables that might be in this class? Bren Jacobson Northville, NY I may have made the difficulties of transferring software to the Z-181 sound greater than they were; anyway, given Traveling Software 's wonderful Laplink (which comes with cables), that's all history. I am told that Zenith makes a 12-V power adapter. I find my Z-183 (which has a hard disk drive) nearly perfect ex- cept for its weight. Whether it will stand up to a corrosive salt water atmosphere is another story. The Toshiba and NEC portables are also very nice. I prefer the Zenith, largely on the basis of the keyboard and backlit screen. Again, I'd be awfully concerned about corrosion. I used to have the smallest legal midget ocean racer (a 20-foot Weber-designed sloop) on the Pacific coast. That was be- fore computers. I miss her. —Jerry In Defense of DP Departments Dear Jerry, You've come down rather critically re- garding data processing departments hav- ing much control over the purchase/ setup/use of personal computers. My ex- perience in relatively small corporations having from 10 to 30 or so PCs at any one time leads me to the following con- clusions: Early in 1988 there are still many, many more totally new and completely naive PC users than there are even very moderately experienced users. Of every 10 users I've dealt with, only 2 had learned after 6 months how to use a utility program like PC Tools other than by rote while referring to written notes. For them, if it isn't on a menu, it isn't possi- ble to do without help. Only 1 in 10 had moved on their own to a level of compe- tence more than minimally acceptable within the one or two applications (word processing or Lotus 1-2-3) necessary to do their jobs. Fully 8 of every 10, if asked to do something that required learning a significant new area of an application that they had worked with for some time, de- manded training and hand-holding before they would even begin to approach the problem. For the large majority of users, there is no willingness to take a manual home or continued on page 269 Introducing the OpenEnder "Intelligent Multi-Channel Communications Board for PS/2 ._i n Andyour choice of 1/0 Mates!" ) — ir J Now, with DigiBoard OpenEnder™ Intelligent Communications Boards, you can channel the power of IE Personal System/2 to up to 32 users. 400% faster than the boards you're probably using now. — ^. ■ ^^-~_ But what really sets DigiBoard Lj|Q|i S!#>5! f"6 ■ intelligent communications boards, your I/O for the expensive intelligent part once. Because your I/O functions are handled by affordable 1/0 Mate™ modules that simply plug in. So, for the first time in the history of OpenEnders apart is that you" only have to pay ^ '^"plugging you into tomorrow, options are wide open. And they always will be. Call 1-800-344-4273. In Minnesota, (612) 922-8055. 36 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Circle 77 on Reader Service Card dBASE Users! Independent Reviewers Say: oi«*c' Nobody Beats The Fox . . . Nobody's Even Close FoxBASE+/386 FoxBASE + Quicksilver FoxBASE+ Clipper dBASE III PLUS Quicksilver Clipper dBASE III PLUS Data Based Advisor BYTE Magazine FoxBASE+ Fastest By Fat BYTE* benchmarks show that FoxBASE+ takes only 14 minutes to do what dBASE III PLUS needs an hour to do. The others are even slower. Clipper needs an hour and 17 minutes. Quicksilver needs an hour and 40 minutes. Nobody beat FoxBASE + in even one of the 27 BYTE benchmarks. FoxBASE+ zipped through the exhaustive Data Based Advisor** benchmarks in just 15.5 minutes. New FoxBASE + /386 ran them in only 7 minutes! By contrast Clipper took 53 minutes, Quicksilver took 59 minutes, and dBASE III PLUS took an hour and 18 minutes. Why Waste Your Time? BYTE's data shows FoxBASE+ is up to 7 times faster. DBA's benchmarks show FoxBASE + is over 5 times faster. You can run with Fox. . .or you can crawl with them. FoxBASE+ Delivers Now. . . The Others Only Promise We're totally committed to insuring that FoxBASE + will always be fastest . . . now and in the future. You can't buy a faster product. But that's not all... FoxBASE + offers other great features like: true compatibility . . . familiar interactive commands like BROWSE and EDIT. . /'dot-prompt" program- ming . . . major language extensions . . . ideal development environment. . .and a money-back guarantee. So call us for the details. After all. . . Nothing Runs Like a Fox. FoxBASE, FoxBASE* , and FoxBASE+ /386 are trademarks of Fox Software. dBASE III PLUS is a trademark of Ashton-Tate. Clipper is a trademark of Nantucket. Quicksilver is a trademark of WordTech Systems. * Using the benchmark timings published in BYTE, September 1987. **Using the suite of benchmarks published in Data Based Advisor, March 1987. Circle 98 on Reader Service Card Fox Software 118 W. South Boundary, Perrysburg, Ohio 43551 (419) 874-0162 Telex: 6503040827 FOX FAX: (419) 874-8678 MARCH 1988 -BYTE 37 ASK BYTE Steve Clarcia answers your questions on microcomputing. dBASE Deletions Dear Steve, At the office, I work on an IBM PC using various software packages, includ- ing dBASE II Plus. I discovered that, while using one database and executing an APPEND from another database, all the characters like the Hebrew letter "Mem" (on a Hebrew keyboard) are totally deleted. This ruins the whole display of the data that I've just added to the data- base with APPEND. (Every occurrence of the letter Mem is deleted, and the rest of the letters are carried back one space for each deletion.) The IBM guide (IBM Personal Com- puter—National Supplement— Israel) re- gards the Mem character as decimal 13 (hexadecimal OD). SideKick regards the character as decimal 141 (hexadecimal 8D). I am not a professional programmer; Fm working as a secretary while study- ing for my second degree in education, and most of my knowledge is self- learned. Therefore, I don't have the tools to solve this problem on my own. What could be the reason for the malfunction of dBASE that I described above, and what can I do to correct it and avoid the prob- lem in the future? Dalia Hasson Haifa, Israel I never cease to be amazed at the awful consequences of even simple changes to programs. In your case, dBASE is eating the disappearing Mem in the mistaken belief that it 's a carriage return instead of a printable character. In the ASCII character set, a carriage return is represented by a decimal 13 (hexadecimal OD), and that's what most programs expect to see. Some programs ignore the high-order bit when looking for control codes, so both hexadecimal OD and 8D are often treated as carriage returns because they differ only in that bit position. You can write a small dBASE program to see what ASCII code dBASE uses for Mem: CLEAR SET TALK OFF STORE TO key val DO WHILE keyval = @ 5 , 5 SAY "Press a key to display the ASCII value" key val = InKey( ) ENDDO 9 ? "The ASCII value is" ? keyval If Mem turns out to be OD, then there 's no simple fix. What you '11 need to do is write programs that convert Mem into some other (unused) character before storing it in the database, then convert it back before displaying it. This is barely acceptable if you're using programs to control all the database operations, but it 's unworkable if you 're doing it by hand. Perhaps a variant of that idea might be useful. You could write a program to scan a database file and replace all occur- rences of Mem with another character. You could write another program to con- vert them back after you've done the APPEND. This might work, but the scan- ning that the program will have to do might fail if dBASE filters out the hexa- decimal OD and 8D characters. You'll have to try it to see. I'd also expect that you 'd have prob- lems with Hebrew characters that map to other ASCII control codes, such as hexa- decimal OA (linefeed), OC (formfeed), and 07 (bell). I wish I had a clean solu- tion for you, but I suspect that there just isn 't one. It 's a shame that dBASE isn 't more international, but it 's also a shame that there isn 't a solid standard that would allow programmers to handle multiple character sets. —Steve A 360K-byte Apple Drive Dear Steve, I have an Apple II Plus, and I was won- dering why I couldn't rewire the disk drive card so that it could control a 360K- byte floppy disk drive (say, a Remex 480— cost around $35). If I could patch the card to do this, I could write software to control the drive appropriately. I know the Apple disk drive was done this way when Apple converted from DOS 3.2 to DOS 3.3. Leo Kratz Fairgrove, MI With the current availability of indus- try-standard disk drives at bargain prices, many Apple computer owners would like to make a switch. Actually doing so, however, is a major problem. When Apple introduced it 10 years ago, the Apple disk drive was an elegantly en- gineered solution to the need for a mini- mum-hardware disk system for Apple 's entry into the rapidly growing personal computer market. The Apple disk system uses a group coding (GCR) data format that uses soft- ware to perform tasks that are commonly done in hardware with industry-standard systems. The Apple disk drive/controller hardware remained essentially un- changed in the transition from DOS 3.2 to 3.3; a coding change in the PROMs en- abled the system to discriminate two con- secutive zero bits when reading the disk. This permitted an increase from 13 to 16 data sectors per track because of greater data density permitted by the larger num- ber of usable code groups. DOS 3. 3 thus uses a single-sided, 35-track, 16-sector GCR format. The only change required for the transition from 3.2 to 3.3 was a new disk controller PROM and the new master disk software; the drive it self was unchanged. When IBM established the de facto in- dustry standard as a double-sided, dou- ble-density 40-track 360K-byte disk drive, modified frequency modulation (MFM) encoding, using an NEC fiPDl 65 series controller chip, Apple's elegant solution became something of a mill- stone. Because of control signal and other differences, the Apple drives can- continued INASKBWE, Steve Garcia, a computer con- sultant and electronics engineer, answers ques- tions on any area of microcomputing. The most representative questions will be an- swered and published. Send your inquiry to Ask BYTE c/o Steve Garcia P.O. Box 582 Glastonbury, CT 06033 Due to the high volume of inquiries, we cannot guarantee a personal reply. All letters and photographs become the property of Steve Garcia 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. 38 BYTE* MARCH 1988 WEYE JUST MADE THE BEST EVEN Peachtree Complete II: The Business Accounting System The success story of Peachtree Complete (now with over 200,000 users) continues with the ewest member of the Peachtree family, Peachtree Complete II. Much more than just an update, Complete II builds upon the comprehensive features that have made Peachtree the leader in small busi- ness accounting software for nearly ten years. We've added many exciting new fea- tures and designed state-of-the-art methods for using the packages. The result — all eight modules are even more powerful and easy to use, yet still priced at just $199— a 96% price reduction from the original $4,800. fflT Windows and Pop-Up Menus. Complete II is designed for user conve- nience. Use the cursor throughout the system to make easy "point-and-shoot' ' selections. If you can't remember a customer or account number while using a program, simply open a window and scroll through your customer list or chart of accounts. Select the information you're looking for directly from the table! Of Short-Cut Keys. We speed you from one function to another without the time- consuming task of manually passing through multiple menus. 0* Smart HELP. If you get stuck, the same function key will always bring HELP to your rescue with pop-up windows of information that relate to your individual trouble spot at both program and field levels. (jf'Quick-and-Easy Error Handling. Complete II traps errors and gives a plain- English description of the problem along with suggested solutions. Q^Range Printing. Print all information on a report or select a specific range of information for print out. A great feature for restarting long reports or partial printing of certain sections. \yf Easiest Installation Ever. Enter your company's information once and it is reflected throughout the system. Complete II includes a separate Installation Guide, basic Accounting Primer, eight-volume Reference Library and extensive Tutorials on each package — all at no extra charge! EEf* Ideal for Service Businesses. Enter information free form on service invoices or store pre-defined paragraphs of up to 160 characters. Enjoy full editing capabilities at time of invoice entry. Eight Integrated Software Modules • General Ledger • Inventory • Accounts Receivable • Fixed Assets • Invoicing • Job Cost • Accounts Payable • Payroll Complete II includes eight software mod- ules that may be integrated or installed individually and may be distributed among separate computers. Install the most critical modules initially; add others later. COMPARE FEATURE FOR FEATURE System-Wide Features NEW Over 450 reports NEW Unlimited number of companies and consolidations NEW Automatic menu-driven conversion of your existing Peachtree Business Accounting data flies NEW Increased numeric capacities to J999.999.999. 99 in key areas General Ledger • Chart of Accounts includes 76 suggested and 26,00f user-defined accounts NEW I to 1J user-defined fiscal periods • Repeating journal entries NEW Financial statement comparisons may include current period and year-to-date with budget and/or prior period comparison NEW Reversing journal entries Accounts Receivable/Invoicing • Open item or balance forward customers NEW Up to 14,400 customers • Supports partial payments NEW User-defined terms codes and aging periods NEW Automatic transactions with monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual frequency options Accounts Payable • Up to 14,400 vendors NEW Partial payments of invoices • Cash requirements forecasting by due date NEW User-defined billing cycle on automatic invoices • Checks printed with unlimited invoice llstlngon stub NEW Ability to void and reprint checks Inventory • Supports average, last purchase and standard costing methods • Up lo 19,500 inventory items (SKUs) NEW Automatic price change on multiple items by percent or amount Fixed Assets • Handles 13.000 assets and 13 methods of depreciation NEW Updated to handle current tax laws Job Cost • Tracks costs and profitability on a job-by-job basis • Compares estimated costs with actual costs for specific tasks Payroll • Built-in current year federal, state, city and county tax tables for all 50 states with automatic calculation capabilities • Automatic payroll processing supporting hourly, salaried, commission or draw-against-commlssion pay types NEW New tax laws incorporated Into program • Processes up to 3,900 employees NEW Supports Cafeteria Plan • User modifiable tax tables with updates published regularly by Peachtree Software NEW Printed and magnetic media W-2s generated automatically Call Now to Order or for a Dealer Near You J^fff^^? 1 1-800-247-3224 In Georgia, call 1-404-564-5800 peachtree Ownriete The Business Arcountir^ero Z Money-Back Guarantee ^0^ When you purchase Peachtree Complete II directly from Peachtree Software, you're protected with a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee. If you're not satisfied, simply return the product in saleable condition within 30 days and your purchase price will be promptly refunded. (A $20 restocking fee will be charged if disk bag is opened.) And, of course, Complete II is backed by Peachtree Software's famous technical sup- port, labeled by InfoWorld as "the finest in the industry". Technical assistance is avail- able for $1 per minute with a 20-minute minimum via a toll-free telephone number. You only pay for what you need, without unnecessary support contracts. Buy Forms Direct from Peachtree Enjoy the convenience and economy of buying your forms directly from Peachtree Software with guaranteed compatibility. Gall 1-800-553-6485 to order forms. In Ohio, call 1-513-973-0110. Announcing PDQ II Transfer your valuable Peachtree account- ing information to Lotus 1-2-3®, dBASE™ and other programs for further analysis, plus create custom reports, invoices and statements with Peachtree Data Query II. Updated to take full advantage of the in- creased capabilities of Peachtree Complete II, PDQ II is priced at just $199. Call today to order! Hardware Specifications Requires PC/MS-DOS version 2.0 or higher with 384K of usable memory with a minimum 10 MB hard disk. For use with the IBM® PC, PC XT, PC AT, Personal System/2 TM and compatibles. 3 Vi" media optionally available. IBM is a registered trademark and Personal System/2 is a trademark of International Business Machines. Not copy protected. To Order by Mail, Send S199 Plus 112.50 Shipping and Handling to: (In Georgia, add applicable sales tax.) Peachtree Software A Member of the Intelligent Systems Family 4355 Shackleford Road, Dept. BYT, Not-cross, GA 30093 Circle 196 on Reader Service Card Circle 57 on Reader Service Card ASK BYTE ALL PRODUCTS, LOWEST PRICES, EXPERT ADVICE INTRODUCTORY OFFER Hitachi CDR-1503S CD-ROM drive S895 and your choice: — Grolier Electronic Encyclopedia (+S80 after 1/88) or —Microsoft Bookshelf with MS-OOS Extension or —McGraw-Hill Science and Technical Reference Set or -PC-SIG 817 PC Software Programs 1 Hitachi CDR-1503S CD-ROM DRIVE S729 with Digital Audio Input/Output S929 Full height - standalone - front auto load - Hi-Fi CD audio capa- bilities (withCO-PLAY described below) - daisy chain capabil- ities - for IBM PC/XT/AT and full compatibles. ■Hitachi CDR-3500 CD-ROM DRIVE S829 with Digital Audio Input/Output S979 Half height - internal mount - same features as Hitachi COR-1503S. ■WORM DRIVES— 400 MB S2799 -800 MB S3799 Full height - standalone- for IBM PC/XT/AT and full compatibles. Call for pricing on all Hitachi, Phillips. Denon. Sony and Panasonic drives. SOFTWARE FOR HITACHI AND COMPATIBLE CD-ROM DRIVES* ■CD-PLAY S95 Permits user to play CD audio disks. RAM resident "Pop-up" accessory - compat- ible with all major software - recognizes CD and displays track title information - outputs to headphones or stereo am- plifier. ■CD-PLAY + SAMPLER S195 Same features as CD-PLAY plus CD sam- pling functions for electronic musicians. ■CD-TEST S195 Tests accuracy of data storage on CD audio disks - for audiophiles, CD-Professionals (available soon). ■CD-UTILITIES S195 Quick Basic routines permit software developers to access CD- ROM/Audio drive capabilities. " Drive must have audiooutput capabilities CDP sells all software including the International Dictionary of Medicine and Biology- Med Line - Library References and Indexes - Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology - Corporate Databases. Call for Prices/Catalogues. Special prices for first time customers, computer dealers, corporate/government ac- counts, libraries, educational institutions. International ship- ments a specialty TO ORDER CALL 800-MEGABYTe (634-2298) INQUIRES CALL 212-996-6999 Policy: Shipping and handling extra. Personal and company checks require 3 weeks to clear. For faster delivery use your credit card (add 3% for MC and Visa, add 5% for AMEX) or send a cashier's check or bank money order. New York residents add 8.25% sales tax. All prices are U.S.A. prices and are subject to change and all items are subject to availability. Defective soft- ware will be replaced with the same item only. Hardware will be replaced or repaired 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. I CDP Compact Disc Products, Inc. 217 East 85th Street (Suite 216) New York, NY 10028 woa-ao whom WHOM tNOb 9 not be used with other controllers, and non-Apple-type drives cannot be used with an Apple controller. The Apple drive hardware and soft- ware is discussed in considerable detail in the following books: Understanding the Apple II by James Sather, Under- standing the Apple HE by James Sather, Beneath Apple DOS by Don Worth and Peter Lechner, and Beneath Apple Pro- DOS by Don Worth and Peter Lechner. All four books are available from Quality Software, Computer Book Division, 21601 Marilla St., Chatsworth, CA 91311. Atone time, there were several sources for kits to convert industry-standard drives made by Shugart and MPI to work with the Apple controller. You might be able to use one of them to adapt drives such as the Remex 480 you mentioned. I know of only one source now: W.M. En- terprises, 266 Hillsmere Dr. , Annapolis, MD 2 1403. -Steve An Apple Coxswain Dear Steve, I have a rowing exercise machine hooked up to my Apple II using the game I/O connector SW2 . It keeps track of the number of strokes I do, and, using the l / 60 second interrupt on my mouse card, I can display the time, strokes per minute, re- quired strokes per minute, and other cal- culations that I want. I would also like to monitor my heart- beat and increase or decrease my re- quired strokes per minute based on my pulse rate. I've seen several units that monitor your pulse using infrared sensors on either the finger (not good for rowing) ortheearlobe. I picked up an infrared phototransistor (TIL414) from Radio Shack and hooked it up to one of the paddle connectors. It works with a light source, giving differ- ent values as the distance from the light varies, but it isn't going to work on the earlobe or the finger the way it is. Can you give me some help with this? Dave Partyka Lorain, OH You 've already got about half of what you need to monitor your pulse. The other half consists of an infrared LED, which you can obtain from Radio Shack. You should connect the LED between +5 volts and ground using a series resistor with a value in the 100- to 500-ohm range. If you place the LED on one side of your earlobe and the phototransistor on the other, you should be able to monitor pulse frequency. You may need to experi- ment with various series resistance values (varying LED brightness) to ob- tain the best results. Fastening the rig to your ear may be the biggest headache. Perhaps you could use a post-type ear- ring, with the LED and phototransistor epoxied in position. A more sophisticated method might use a photodiode buffered with an op-amp in- stead of the phototransistor. This would give you a faster response, but you may not need it for your application. —Steve Love Me, Love My Imagewriter Dear Steve, I surrender! After a number of years as an Apple user, I have concluded that I must switch to an MS-DOS machine. However, I have developed a fondness for my 15-inch-carriage Imagewriter, and therein lies my question. Will my Image- writer work using the standard serial port on IBM clones? Will I have problems using my Imagewriter with products such as Lotus 1-2-3, dBASE, and Microsoft Word? I live in Heidelberg, West Germany, and technical assistance (in English) is hard to come by. I hope you can help. Alan P. Alborn APO, NY Your desire to keep your Imagewriter is understandable— it 's an excellent printer that 's worth holding on to. You can use it with an IBM-type computer with minimal effort. There is one potential problem that you may encounter, however, which leads us to the RS-232C follies. As many people have discovered, "RS-232C stan- dard" is an oxymoron, like "harmonious discord. " The Imagewriter is configured for DTE operation. If the serial port on your IBM PC is also configured for DTE, the result will be a conflict between the two devices. The simplest solution is to con- figure your serial port for DCE operation (if possible). Some microcomputers come with twe serial ports— a printer port wired for DTE and a modem port wired for DCE. Usually, you can alter confi- guations with shorting blocks or switch settings. Consult the documentation of whatever PC you obtain to determine the procedure for making the change. If you cannot configure the port suitably, you could use a null modem cable or adapter. As with RS-232C, there is no such thing as a standard null modem cable. To simplify the confusion, let's assume you 're using a cable with a DB-25 con- nector at each end. In all common varia- tions, pin 2 at each end is tied to pin 3 at the other, and pin 7 connects straight through. The rest of the connections vary considerably. Some of the possibilities are as follows: continued 40 BYTE- MARCH 1988 You've created a file or document on your PC. Now what? Because most business information needs to be communicated, most people print the computer file and send the papers by mail, courier or fax. Or maybe send a floppy disk. If the recipient needs to manipulate or revise the data, it must be rekeyed. That's the time-honored— and the time- consuming— way of doing business. What's a faster, cheaper, better way? Western Union EasyLink® service. Western Union EasyLink lets you send and receive data and documents between computers. Without a detour onto paper or the inconvenience of a courier. And you can be sure what you send is exactly what's received. You can use EasyLink to move the infor- mation that moves your business in sec- onds. You can move orders and text files. Receive reports and graphics. Even send product specs and spreadsheets. Fast revisions— without rekeying EasyLink connects the computers you use, regardless of type or location. Files on one computer can be sent to other computers, eliminating the need to rekey data. More than just computer communications EasyLink even lets you send messages to fax machines. Reach your company's IF YOU CREATE ITON A PC SENDITONAPC WITH EASYLINK mainframe. And communicate between offices or businesses. Best of all, the cost of sending a message is comparable to a postage stamp. And unlike telephone, the distance makes no difference. Western Union— a leader in electronic communication With EasyLink, we're bringing proven reliability to today's technology. And you'll get added value with EasyLink services like InfoMaster®the largest electronic library with more than 800 databases. Let EasyLink take your PCs from creation to communication. To learn how your business can benefit, return the coupon. Or call: 1-800-247-1373, ext 7181 YES, tell me more I Show me how EasyLink can turn my company's PCs into an efficient, economical new way to | communicate. Name I y jt | e (Please print) l Company Bus. Address I City/State/Zip Bus. Phone ( ) L Mail to: Western Union EasyLink RO. Box 37472 Omaha, Nebraska 68137 Or call: 1-800-247-1373, ext. 7181 .J © 1988 Western Union Corporation Circle 282 on Reader Service Card EH EasyLink CIARCIA FEEDBACK LABELING SOFTWARE For DOT MATRIX and Laser Printers (Epson/IBM/Okidata/ LaserJet) • Labels for shelves, bins, Inventory • Text readable up to 50 ft. • Bar Codes: I 2 of 5, UPC/ EAN MIL-STD, AIAG, Code 39 • Any size label • Flexible format • Color options • Reversals • Fast • File input • Menu driven • $279 • Other bar code programs from $49. • Not Copy Protected! 30 Day Money Back Guarantee! Bar Code Readers for PC, XT, AT, PS/2 • Reads 2 of 5, UPC/EAN, Code 39 • Attaches as 2nd Keyboard • No software changes to add bar codes to any program • Rugged stainless steel wand • Optional Magnetic Stripe Reader only $100 additional • External attach to all PS/2 models • External OR Internal to PC, XT, AT • Upgrade from PC to PS/2-only $30 PC, XT, AT model $385 PS/2 model $399 also RS-232 model $399 30 Day Money Back Guarantee! \ yORTHINGTON DATA SOLUTIONS 417-A Ingalls Street, Santa Cruz, California 95060 408/458-9938 • Tie pins 5, 6, and 8 together at each end, then connect them as a group to pin 20 at the other end. • Tie pins 4 and 5 together at each end; tie pins 6 and 8 together at each end, then connect to pin 20 at the other end. • Tie pin 4 at each end to pin 5 at the other; tie pin 20 at each end to pin 6 at the other. You can ignore pins that I haven 7 men- tioned above. You may need a breakout box, and you 11 certainly need a lot of pa- tience to get things working. You can sim- plify the situation somewhat by using a straight-through connecting cable to- gether with a prewired null modem adapter (both available from sources such as JDR Microdevices and Jameco Electronics— see the back of BYTE for their ads). It is usually easier to alter the connections inside an adapter than to re- wire the cable itself —Steve Parts Is Parts Dear Steve, I enjoy building interface cards for my Apple II (I purchase bare boards for this). Usually, I have no problems locating the parts I need. However, I have now run into a brick wall. I am looking for a Gen- eral Electric DS3D PC-mount nickel- cadmium battery and a TTLDM-100 time-delay IC. If you know where I can locate these components, please let me know. Joseph E. Pratt St. Ann, MO It 's always encouraging to hear from fellow "roll your own " types. In a field increasingly dominated by appliance users, putting together your own hard- ware can get pretty lonely. While I can make a number of suggestions regarding your quest for parts, it would be easier to be specific if you had provided more in- formation (such as the number of pins, the width of the sought-after IC, and the voltage/ amperage of the needed battery). Your best bet for obtaining the nickel- cadmium battery (GE DS3D) you require is probably an industrial supplier in a major nearby city, such as St. Louis or Kansas City. You can probably obtain the battery (or its equivalent) through sources you should be able to locate in the phone book. Digi-Key Corp. (P.O. Box 677, Thief River Falls, MN 56701), a frequent advertiser in BYTE and other publications, carries a line of nickel-cad- mium batteries in various sizes, although most are designed to be used in holders rather than soldered directly into a printed circuit board. You might be able to use one of these batteries with minor board modifications to accommodate the battery holder. It's important to match the battery's voltage, amperage, and charge/discharge rate if you make a sub- stitution. You may also have to make slight circuit modifications to permit sub- stitution of a nonrechargeable type (such as a lithium cell). The major component in such a circuit change is the addition of a diode such as a IN9I4, to prevent charging (you may also need a resistor). The IC designation you 've given— TTLDM-1 00— doesn't match anything I've been able to find in my references. Perhaps it is a manufacturer's in-house number. —Steve CIRCUIT CELLAR FEEDBACK Remember the S-100? Dear Steve, Several of my friends and projects are on hold for lack of information. For the most part, I've exhausted local sources, so my roommate, Alex Pournelle, sug- gested I write and ask you. At the moment, my main home com- puter is a CP/M Jade "Big Z" CPU card with a Z80 and one serial port, a Jade "Double D" 8-inch floppy disk control- ler and four 8-inch drives, a 64K-byte CMOS memory board (with the address range F000-FFFF hexadecimal locked out for the monitor/boot ROM and disk window), and a CCS 2830 six-port RS- 232C card. All these boards are suppos- edly IEEE-696 compatible, and I have mangled the BIOS to support them. This system runs in an old 12-slot Problem Solver Systems cabinet with two internal 8-inch drives. Over the years, I have reconfigured the system many times, but I always run into either power supply or slot-count limits. I have a number of S- 100 peripheral boards on the shelf, and I have recently been given another complete CP/M system consisting of an ICOM dual floppy disk drive system, a Soroc terminal, and an IMSAI 8080 S-100 frame holding even more S-100 boards. I'd like to convert the IMSAI itself to IEEE-696, so that I can move my existing system into the IMSAI frame (which has a much larger power supply and 22 slots). My problem is that I have not been able to locate any informa- tion about updating old S-100 bus equipment. I'm sure there are thousands of Altairs, IMSAIs, Vectors, and North Stars out there gathering dust. They only need up- dating to the IEEE-696 standard and add- ing some modern Godbout, Teletek, Lo- mas, or Advanced Digital S-100 boards continued 42 BYTE • MARCH 1988 Circle 274 on Reader Service Card - ^ rf o s <$*> WINDOWS FOR DATA® i Invoices: Create Reuieu Print Exit I M U I C E Invoice No.: 088784 Date: Search for customer record? (V/N): H Enter customer information? (V/N): N Enter billing address? (V/N): N Enter marketing information? (V/N): N "83/87 Time: 16:43: ■Customer Uilham Jones Innovative Software 351 Bulletin Avenue Needltam, MA 02194 <»> Cursor keys scroll i f you program in C, take a few moments to learn how Windows for Data can help you build a state-of-the- art user interface. ST Create and manage menus, data-entry forms, context- sensitive help, and text displays — all within windows. Hf Develop window-based OS/2 programs right now, without the headaches of learning OS/2 screen manage- ment. Run the same source code in PCDOS and OS/2 protected mode. Bf Build a better front end for any DBMS that has a CD- language interface (most popular ones do). FROM END TO BEGINNING Windows for Data begins where other screen packages end, with special features like nested pop-up forms and menus, field en- try from lists of choices, scrollable regions for the entry of variable numbers of line items, and an ex- clusive built-in debugging system. NO WALLS If you've been frustrated by the limitations of other screen utilities, don't be discouraged. You won't run into walls with Windows for Data. Our customers repeated- ly tell us how they've used our system in ways we never imagined — but which we anticipated by designing Win- dows for Data for unprecedented adapatability. \bu will be amazed at what you can do with Windows for Data. YOU ARE ALWAYS IN CHARGE Control functions that you write and attach to fields and;br keys can read, compare, validate, and change the data values in all fields of the form. Upon entry or exit from any field, control functions can call up subsidiary forms and menus, change the active field, exit or abort the form, perform almost any task you can imagine. OUR WINDOWS WILL OPEN DOORS Our windows will open doors to new markets for your software. High-performance, source-code- compatible versions of Windows for Data are now available for PCDOS, OS/2, XENIX, UNIX, and VMS. PCDOS versions are fully compatible with Microsoft Windows. No royalties. MONEY BACK GUARANTEE You owe it to yourself and your programs to try Windows for Data. If not satisfied, you can return it for a full refund. Prices: PCDOS $295, Source $295. OS/2 $495. XENIX $795. UNIX, VMS, please call. ext. 51 FAX 802-848-3502 Call: (802) 848-7731 Telex: 510-601-4160 VCSOFT Vermont 21 Elm Ave Creative Richford, Software VT 05476 Circle 248 on Reader Service Card UNIX is a trademark/ of AT & T Bell Laboratories. SORD Wins Hands Down I M68DE3 i Series • Operable with UNIX" • Astonishing speed: use of 32-bit Motorola 68020 CPU • Easy expansion: VME bus architecture Also available on OEM basis. Software & ha ED ware — Quality through technological innovation — SORD COMPUTER CORPORATION 20-7, Masago 5-chome, Chiba-shi, Chiba260, Japan TEL (0472)79-2671 TLX 3722484 SORDC J FAX (0472)77-6696 New York: (212)759-0140 UTAH COBOL NEW VERSION 4.0 [ For IBM^C's, XT's, AT's and other DOS machines. This istheoneyou'veheardso much about-withfast compile times, small object code modules, no royal- ties, and clear error messages. Version 4.0 is based upon ANSI-74 standards with new features including: • Multi-key Indexed files with up to 24 keys. This advanced feature requires the software package Btrieve^which is optionally available. • Windowing, pop-up's, color and overlays. This advanced feature requires the software package Saywhat?!™ which is optionally available. • ACCEPT numerics with decimal point alignment, numeric checking, AUTO-SKIP, SECU- RITY, LENGTH-CHECK, EMPTY-CHECK. • Fast memory mapped DISPLAY'S (1, 5) ERASE, BEEP, ATTRIBUTE. • Level 88's - READ INTO - WRITE/REWRITE FROM - and DELETE. • An easy to use, COBOL source code EDITOR with auto line numbering, A-margin, B- margin tabbing with full screen cursor control. Current customers can receive the new version by sending in their original diskette and $30.00. This offer expires Dec. 31 , 1 987 Also available: Utah FORTRAN, Utah BASIC, Utah PASCAL, Utah PILOT, Btrieve and Saywhat?!. Used by 50,000 professionals, students and teachers in 40 countries. To order call: (702) 827-3030 o SINCE 1977 ELLIS COMPUTING™ 5655 Riggins Court, Suite 10 Reno, Nevada 89502 IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines, Inc. Btrieve is a registered trademark of Softcraft, Inc. SAYWHAT?! is a trademark of The Research Group. Utah COBOL is a trademark of Ellis Computing. Inc. © 1987 Ellis Computing Inc. CIARCIA FEEDBACK to turn those computers back into con- tributing members of a computing soci- ety. Upgrading old S-100 equipment to IEEE-696 might make a good topic for an article. I will probably buy an SB 180 (Septem- ber 1985 Circuit Cellar) if I can modify it two ways: adding 512K bytes for an ex- panded RAM disk, and interfacing an ST-506 drive to it (sacrificing the SCSI port if need be). My application is a pro- cess control system that must be able to survive a very dusty environment, will be 30 miles from the nearest road (i.e., in- frequent service calls), and will be able to receive remote uploads via modem. I plan to buy your Home Run Control System (April 1985 Circuit Cellar) or build my own. However, I'd like to add to it a receiver for X-10 codes so I can con- tinue using my telephone responder and ultrasonic console (on different house codes to avoid undesired interaction). Have you considered this option? My house was built in the late 1930s, and it's extremely difficult to run any kind of wiring inside the walls or the attic. (The current Heathkit catalog has an X-10 module designed to connect to dry contacts on a household alarm system to output an "all lamps on" command or "all lamps on" plus "one appliance module on" command. This transmitter, modified for only the "appliance module on" code, would be ideal, if I could set up the Home Run Control System so it would receive the signal and then respond accordingly.) This is an idea for a future Circuit Cel- lar project: Many people (including my- self) are still using daisy-wheel printers on printer buffers. Often, when I'm printing a large piece of correspondence, I use several different print wheels, de- pending on what symbol I want. I might use one wheel for text, another for italics, and another for mathematical symbols. I have not yet seen a printer buffer on the market that accepts a "pause code" (i.e. , a series of bytes that I could send to the buffer, commanding it to pause so I can change print wheels, then push a Con- tinue button on the box so that printing resumes). Also, only one manufacturer that I have seen offers a buffer that allows you to select serial or parallel in and serial or parallel out, so that you can still use the buffer box even if you change your printer, your computer, or both. Mike Morris Arcadia, CA Let me get this straight: Alex Pour- nelle 's roommate is asking me for infor- mation ? This sounds like Dear Abby get- continued 44 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Circle 89 on Reader Service Card The best decision for millions of businesses, educators and home users. Quality. Reliable performance is our design objective. Our engineering team takes pride in the ex- ceptional quality they can produce utilizing our proprietary test equipment. The result: a 33,000-hour mean time between failure. Compatibility. Our MS-DOS® based computers are the best- selling PC compatibles in America. Tandy. 286- and 386-based business systems are Microsoft® OS/2 ready as well. Why Tandy Computers ? Because there is no better valued Technology. Innovative design, custom circuitry and dis- tinguishing features make our computers more than just clones. Plus, every Tandy desktop computer is designed and built in our own USA manufacturing plants. Connectivity. Tandy PC compatibles can be linked into a workgroup for communications with other PCs and mainframe computers alike. Longevity. Technology has been our business for sixty- six years. In 1977, we became the first com- pany to successfully manufacture and market a personal computer— nobody's been in the business longer. High performance, great prices and the best service and support in the industry. Tandy Computers: Because there is no better value. Radio /haek MS-DOS/Reg. TM Microsoft Corp. COMPUTER CENTERS A DIVISION OF TANDY CORPORATION Circle 223 on Reader Service Card MARCH 1988 • B Y T E 45 Circle 257 on Reader Service Card PowerStation A Complete VT220 / VT241 Work Station Upgrade for the IBM PC/XT/AT and PS/2 PowerStation™ 240 $435 VT240 style keyboard and ZSTEM VT240 Emulation Software. Optional WPS labelled keys (GOLD KEY MODEL) add $30. ZSTEM pc™ - VT240 Emulator Emulation Software only. S295 VT240/241 Emulation software with all the features of ZSTEM VT220 plus ZSTEM 4014, sixel and ReGIS graphics. PowerStation™ 220 $289 VT220 style keyboard and ZSTEM VT220 emulation Software. Optional WPS labelled keys (GOLD KEY MODEL) add $30. ZSTEMpc™-VT220 Emulator Emulation Software only. $150 All the features of ZSTEM VT100 plus 8-bit mode, downloadable fonts, user defined keys, full national/multi-national modes. Extended macros- /script language. True 132 columns on Hercules, VGAs, Super EGAs, and standard EGAs using the EGAmate option. 128 columns on CGAs. 43 line support on EGAs. Enhanced keyboard support. Ungermann Bass Net/One and VMS services for MS-DOS support. "Now true 800 pixel wide VT241 display and VT220/VT241 support for VMS Services for MS-DOS." EGAmate™ $39 Daughterboard option for 132 columns and 800 pixel ReGIS on standard EGA adaptors. PS220/2 $19 Keyboard adaptor cable for PS200 on PS/2 systems. ZSTEMpc™-4014 Emulator $99 Use with ZSTEM VT100, VT220, or stand-alone. Interactive zoom and pan. Save/recall images from disk. Keypad, mouse, digitizer, printer, plotter, and TIFF support. 4100 color and line style color mapping. 640 x 400 and 640 x 480 on some adaptor/monitors. ZSTEMpc™-VT100 Emulator $99 High performance COLOR VT100. True double high/wide, smooth scrolling. ISO and attribute mapped color. XMODEM and KERMIT, softkey/MAC- ROS, DOS access. KEA Systems Ltd. #412 - 2150 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6K 4L9 Support (604) 732-7411 TELEX 04-352848 VCR FAX (604) 732-0715 Order Desk (800) 663-8702 Toll Free 30 day money back guarantee AMEX/MC/VISA CIARCIA FEEDBACK ting another letter from the lads at Yale! I 've got to admit that all my S-100 and CP/M knowledge is rather dated by now— and not having done anything with it for a while, the grisly details are fading fast. The current repository of such knowledge may be the S-100 Journal, which you can reach at P.O. Box 1914, Orem, UT 84057. It's $14 for a year's worth of quarterly issues, $27 for 2 years. A letter to the editor ofS- 100 Jour- nal might well turn up someone who knows the answers to your 1EEE-696 questions. For the original SB180 design, 256K bytes is the upper limit on the RAM. The boot EP ROM shows up in the lower 256 K bytes of the total 512K bytes of address space and is not fully decoded. You could hack the board to " 'shadow " the EPROM and add more RAM on the expansion port, but it might be a little messier than you 'd like, because we didn 't really in- tend to expand the SB180's RAM. The newer SB180FX, which uses the same HD64180 as the SB180, allows up to 4 megabytes of RAM. As far as hitching an ST-506 hard disk drive directly to the SB180 goes, I think you 're wasting your time. Admittedly, the drive is cheap, but if you're figuring in any nonzero value for your time, the total cost is going to be a lot higher, particu- larly because this sounds like a one-time project. If you 're looking for reliability, you want a stock solution without little yellow wires hanging off the boards. It's always fun to mess around with (read "im- prove ") someone else 's circuitry, but is that really what your client wants? Re- member, he's paying for results, not "clever" design. Back to the SB180FX. It has a SCSI port on-board, so it 's easy to add an ex- ternal hard disk drive with an outboard SCSI controller, such as the XEBEC 1410 A. (You can usually find someone advertising the XEBEC controller in the back of BYTE. This device allows a SCSI port to control an ST-506 hard disk drive. ) Concerning your remarks about an X- 10 receiver, stay tuned for a few upcom- ing Circuit Cellar power-line projects. These projects should provide you with the X-10 control you appear to be longing for. Another upcoming project is the Cir- cuit Cellar SmartSpooler , which func- tions as a rather bright print spooler with all combinations of parallel and serial in- puts and outputs. I'm setting it up to allow downloading custom software through the standard printer port , so you can tinker with this project to add a "pause " code. —Steve ■ 46 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Circle 136 on Reader Service Card GET SERIOUS ba&ed. OptltHL ...ABOUT ANALYZING T/ f\ITD I\ATPA You might be spreading your IHJUlY Ui\li\. spreadsheet a little too thin. Or maybe you're starting from scratch. But if you're serious about data analysis, you're ready for SPSS/PC+ ,y - a full software family that brings you eight high-powered ways to complete any data analysis task. Enter it. SPSS Data Entry II" is a fully integrated data entry cleaning and editing tool. Analyze it The SPSS/PC+ base package provides a powerful array of statistical and reporting procedures. Picture it. SPSS/PC+ Graph-in-the-Box'" featuring New England Software's Graph-in-the-Box'" offers full color "snapshot" graphics. Examine it. SPSS/PC+ Advanced Statistics™ lets you get more serious with your data. Predict it. SPSS/PC+ Trends™-our latest option-is the complete time series analysis/forecasting tool. Table it. SPSS/PC+ Tables 7 " produces presentation- ready tables instantly. Chart it. SPSS/PC-h Graphics 1 " featuring Microsoft* Chart creates show-stopping graphs and charts. Map it. SPSS/PC-h Mapping™ featuring MAP-MASTER™ creates maps where vast amounts of data can be sum- marized and presented in one, simple picture. SPSS/PC-h products are being put to productive use by serious fact finders in business, government and edu- cation. For countless purposes such as market research. Wage and salary studies. Survey analysis. And quality control. Plus each product is superbly documented and supported by SPSS Inc., a leader in statistical software for nearly 20 years. While specially tailored customer support is available through the VALUE PLUS™ plan. And SPSS now offers a SPSS/PC-h version for Novell LANs. So if you're serious about data analysis, step up to SPSS/PC-h. Fa details, contact our Marketing cpartn™, CALL 1/312/329-3315 SPSS inc. SPSS Inc. • 444 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3000 • Chicago, Illinois 6061 1 In Europe: SPSS Europe B V • RO. Box 11 5 • 4200 AC Gorinchem, The Netherlands • Telephone: + 31 1 8303671 1 • TWX: 21019 SPSS/PC+ runs on IBM PC/XT/ATs with hard disk. Contact SPSS Inc. for compatible microcomputers, SPSS/PC + , SPSS Data Entry II, SPSS/PC+ Graph-in-the-Box, SPSS/PC+ Advanced Statistics, SPSS/PC+ Trends, SPSS/PC+ Tables, SPSS/PC+ Graphics and SPSS/PC+ Mapping are trademarks of SPSS Inc. VALUE PLUS is a trademark of SPSS Inc. Chart and Microsoft are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. MAP-MASTER is a trademark of AshtonTate. Graph-in-the-Box is a trademark of New England Software, Inc. © ^qq 7 SPSS Inc Circle 252 on Reader Service Card MARCH 1988 • BYTE 47 Introducing the two on earth ,T T T\T\T' T'rr T ; T""T i . i i The new COMPAQ DESKPRO 386/20 The world now has two new benchmarks from the leader in high-performance personal computing. The new 20-MHz COMPAQ DESKPRO 386/20 and the 20-lb., 20-MHz COMPAQ PORTABLE 386 deliver system performance that can rival minicomputers'. Plus they intro- duce advanced capabilities without sacrificing compatibil- ity with the software and hard- ware you already own. Both employ an industry- standard Intel* 80386 micropro- cessor and sophisticated 32-bit architecture. Our newest porta- ble is up to 25% faster and our desktop is actually up to 50% faster than 16-MHz 386 PC's. But we did much more than simply increase the clock speed. For instance, the COMPAQ DESKPRO 386/20 uses a cache memory controller. It comple- ments the speed of the micropro- cessor, providing an increase in system performance up to 25% over other 20-MHz 386 PC's. It's also the first PC to offer an op- tional Weitek™ Coprocessor Board, which can give it the performance of a dedicated engineering work- station at a fraction of the cost. They both provide the most storage and memory within their classes. Up to 300 MB of storage in our latest desktop and up to 100 MB in our new portable. It simply works better. most powerful PC's and off. and the new 20-MHz COMPAQ PORTABLE 386 Both use disk caching to inject more speed into disk-intensive applications and both will run MS* OS/2. As for memory, get up to 16 MB of high-speed 32-bit RAM with the COMPAQ DESKPRO 386/20 and up to 10 MB with the COMPAQ PORTABLE 386. Both computers feature the COMPAQ* Expanded Memory Manager, which supports the LotusVIntelVMicrosof f Ex- panded Memory Specification to break the 640-Kbyte barrier imposed by DOS. With these new computers plus the original COMPAQ DESKPRO 386™, we now offer the broadest line of high- performance 386 solutions. They all let you run software being written to take advantage of 386 technology, including Microsoft® Windows/386 Presen- tation Manager. It provides multitasking capabilities with today's DOS applications to make you considerably more productive. But that's just the beginning. For more informa- tion, call 1-800-231-0900, Operator 43. In Canada, call 416-733-7876, Operator 43. Intel, Lotus, Microsoft, and Weitek are trademarks of their respective companies. ©1987 Compaq Computer Corporation. All rights reserved. comma Circle 58 on Reader Service Card You Never Regret A VVYSE Decision l r Intel 80286 Running AT 8 and Phoenix Bios • 1.2 Meg Floppy Drive 102 - Key Enhanced PC - Style Key Board . 1 Meg of Parity Checked RAM Clock/Calender with Battery Backup WYSEwindow system status display 190 W Power Supply •• GW-Basic 3.21 1 Serial and 1 Parallel Port MS-DOS 3.21 and Guide 20 Meg 65ms Han - I Drive Intel 80386 Running AT 8 and Phoxiix Bios •• 1.2 Meg Floppy . 102-Key Enhanced PC - Style Keyboard 1 Meg of wait state static ram Clock/Calender with Battery Baekii .WYSE window system status displa 1 Serial and 1 Parallel Port GW- -Basic 3.21 ♦ 220 W Power Supply 1 * , : 28ms Hard Disk Drive $1,795 $2,295 !S COMPATIBLE M< EGA COLOR SYSTEM iGUj nMw i $3,750 $4,250 OPTIONS 2nd Floppy Drive 5 1/4" 360K $99 2nd Floppy Drive 3 1/2" 720K $155 41 Meg 28ms Hard Disk Drive $210 1200 Baud Interna* m w/Software $99 2400 Baud Internal Modem w/Software $199 12.5 MHz Speed Option $450 71 Meg 28 ms Hard Disk Drive $450 ^-Processor Extended Service Contract Available Other Options Available THIRTY-DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE You can return any B & W SYSTEMS, INC. computer system within thirty days of the date of shipment- Return the items like new with complete documentation, warranty cards and packing materia!. Return product cards and packing material. Return product must be labeled with a Return Merchandise Authorzation tRMA) number and shipped prepaid and insured. ONE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY We warranty our products to be free of defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of shipment. The Warranty covers the cost of all materials and labor. - WORLDWIDE SERVICE AND SUPPORT - QUANTITY DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE - No Extra Charge for Visa or Mastercard TO ORDER TOLL FREE 1-800-638-9628 For Information Call — (301) 963-5800 Visa • Master Card B & W SYSTEMS INC. 7877 Cessna Ave Gaithersburg, MD 20879 © B & W SYSTEMS, INC. Trademarks: WYSE — trademark of WYSE Technoloy • MS-DOS & OS/2 — trademark of Microsoft Corporation • Hercules — trademark of Hercules Computer Technology • NEC — trademark of NEC Corporation • PC-MOS/386 — trade mark of Software Link. Specifications, con- figurations, and prices subject to change without notice. Copyright 1987 B & W SYSTEMS, INC. 50 BYTE* MARCH 1988 Circle 35 on Reader Service Card BOOK REVIEWS THE MS-DOS ENCYCLOPEDIA Ray Duncan, editor IBM PERSONAL SYSTEM/2 AND PERSONAL COMPUTER BIOS INTERFACE TECHNICAL REFERENCE MEMORY RESIDENT PROGRAMMING ON THE IBM PC Thomas Wadlow THE MS-DOS ENCYCLOPEDIA Reviewed by Bill Bourn Microsoft Press, Redmond, WA: 1988, ISBN 1-55615- 049-0, 1570 pages, $134.95 What do you call a single volume containing over 1500 pages, 15 appendixes, and 5 sections, one of which contains 20 distinct articles? Suppose that material came from 14 contributors and 64 technical advisers. Microsoft Press calls this massive col- lection The MS-DOS Encyclo- pedia. With its multitude of distinctively presented exam- ples, written in both assembly language and C code, the book is closer to being a handbook, although you'd need Schwarzenegger's wrists to manage it with only one hand. I guess "encyclopedia" has become an unwel- come synonym for "comprehensive treatise" since Jiminy Cricket first defined the word. In addition to the 20 articles written by such MS-DOS experts as Ray Duncan, Charles Petzold, and Van Wolverton, the book contains 240 pages detailing individual descriptions of MS- DOS user commands, 200 pages of usage descriptions for pro- gramming utilities, and 250 pages devoted to the description of DOS system calls via the INT instruction. Much of that material is already available in the respective user guides for the various software. Why repeat it all here? There is, I suppose, a good reason, depending on your need: The descriptions in the book span all the versions and OEM sup- pliers of MS-DOS— pretty handy if, as a programmer, you don't have all the versions of all the DOS manuals from Compaq to Zenith at your disposal. Even though this material has been covered elsewhere, including it all in one volume (along with the possible error messages that you might get when using any command) turns that volume into the one to fetch for nearly all DOS-related questions. The Articles The most unique part of The MS-DOS Encyclopedia is the first section, whose 20 arti- cles delve into those mysteries that have tantalized the intel- lectual DOS user. I was disap- pointed that the internal con- trol structures are so lightly covered in the article on the components of MS-DOS; it's rather like describing a car as a chassis, engine, wheels, fenders, and passenger com- partment. I want to know about the pistons, crankshaft, and oil pump inside the MS- DOS engine. That level of de- tail is denied us here. Other articles deal with the structure of an application program; managing files, records, directories, and vol- umes; memory management; and several other topics— merely scanning the table of contents gives evidence of the breadth of coverage in this section. Nothing I read here (or elsewhere in the book) struck any discord with what I already knew about MS-DOS. I depend on the high caliber of the contributors for having checked the factual accuracy of the contents. A few articles deserve specific mention. In his article "Ter- minate-and-Stay-Resident Utilities," Richard Wilton does a creditable job of classifying the kinds of trouble you could have trying to write a TSR routine for MS-DOS. After the "rules of the residency-road," he presents two TSR routines in complete form, with accompanying explanatory text. The first routine is a simple, passive TSR that merely says "Hello." The second TSR is a more useful routine that attempts to cover all the conditions under which a TSR might be invoked. This sample TSR is in- voked from the keyboard, writes to disk, recognizes the status of pending hardware interrupts, and generally addresses all the other nitty-gritty details that appear to be required for a success- ful TSR. Microsoft has yet to publish an official method or set of guidelines for using this DOS function, which has been in place since release 2.0. A myriad of useful routines have been pub- lished in that vacuum; all take advantage of the TSR capability but have widely varying degrees of compatibility with each continued Illustration by Len Kulberda MARCH 1988 -BYTE 51 dBFast BOOK REVIEWS New dBase HI Plus ™ Compiler ■ Smaller EXE's ■ Faster compilation ■ Faster execution ■ Lower price! OPERATION dBFast Clipper Minimum .EXE Gle size lkb I40kb Compiling/Linking 2 Seconds 4 Minutes Execution time 6 Seconds 17 Seconds PRICE M»A. $695 oy d-Smallest! With Clipper™ the smallest program you can create is 140k. And it goes up from there! dB Fast™ creates programs as small as Ik with typical program sizes from 5 to 10k. Just think, now it's possible to fit all your programs on one floppy disk. And if you send files via modem — look what happens to your modem phone bill ... it almost disappears! d-Fastest! dB Fast compiles and links in a blistering 3 seconds. Clipper slugs along at 4 minutes. dB Fast compiled programs also run faster. A program that took over 1 full minute to run using dBase III Plus and an additional 17 seconds using Clipper, ran in just 6 seconds with dB Fast! d-Cheapest! See for yourself why dB Fast is d-Biggest Bang for d-Buck! Nowhere can you get all these features for such a low price: ■ dBase 111 Plus compatible ■ LAN compatible^ ■ Unlimited runtime ■ Protected source code ■ No need to modify your .PRG files ■ Speed, efficiency, price 60 day Guarantee Try dB Fast for 60 days. If you're not totally satisfied for any reason, just send it back for a full refund (less $10 handling fee). Call today! 1-800-356-6356 Dealer inquiries welcome dB Fast sales information call 1-206-392-0368 Qty Subtotal . @S69 ^ 1 fMaiterCardl 52 Shipping: S4U.S., S25 outside U.S. (add 14 for each additional package) WA residents add 8.1% sales tax. Total (U.S. funds only) Name: Name on Card: ■— dB Fasi is a trademark of dB Fast Inc. dBase 111 Plus and Clipper are registered trademarks of Ashton Tate Corp. and Nantucket Corp. respectively. 1420 Gllman Blvd. Suite 2857 Issaquah.WA 98027-5399 Profuse examples and minute details make The MS-DOS Encyclopedia's coverage of debugging a must for any programmer who knows that even the purest of heart are visited by gremlins. other. The MS-DOS Encyclopedia takes a brave step into the resulting melee to give us these examples of "decent" TSR be- havior. However, the volume includes a disclaimer: "Microsoft cannot guarantee that the information in this article will be valid for future versions of MS-DOS . " TSR programs come up again in an article on the Microsoft object linker program, as an example of using the linker to orga- nize memory. This article and the preceding one on the struc- ture of object files (also by Wilton) may well be unique among books on MS-DOS, and this is undoubtedly due to the extreme specialization of the topic. The articles go into great detail, which is welcome here, particularly if you need to know how to build some "food" for the linker program as a part of your large project. The feast includes analysis of every bit of every byte in any object module. Wilton must have been working with Micro- soft's internal documentation to provide such a complete description. Steve Bostwick's article, "Debugging in the MS-DOS Envi- ronment," vigorously attacks the problems facing a program- mer whose program doesn't work. Bostwick presents a variety of techniques, ranging from simple eyeball examination to com- plex analysis using CodeView, which comes with Microsoft's high-level language compilers. In one example, he uses a TSR program to echo data from the serial port onto the screen. The article briefly discusses hardware debuggers, their capabilities, and the circumstances for their use, but it avoids discussion of specific non-Microsoft hardware products. Profuse examples and details down to the byte in error make this coverage of de- bugging a must for any programmer who knows that even the purest of heart are visited by gremlins. What Could Be Missing? Amid the wealth of information included in The MS-DOS Ency- clopedia, it's hard to tell what might have been left out. Aside from a more detailed discussion of DOS's internal structure, I missed comprehensive discussions of networking and file-shar- ing. The first article, which describes the haphazard infancy of MS-DOS, includes a reproduction of a large scribbled diagram showing the original network support logic for MS-DOS 3.0, but the topic deserves an article of its own. (That first chapter, by the way, is of interest to all DOS users, not just program- mers, and it's worth borrowing the book just to read.) The book could stand to have a glossary and a bibliography, which are quite useful adjuncts to serious study— whatever the subject. It does have a two-part index that is unique; commands and system calls are listed separately from the other subjects. Getting used to this arrangement might take you a while. The complete set of the examples from the book is available on two 5 l A -inch floppy disks, or presumably one 3 !/2-inch disk, for the exorbitant fee of $50. This seems to condone the use of the examples, but Microsoft should make its intentions clearer about the use of sample code in a reader's own products. In continued 52 BYTE • MARCH 1988 Circle 75 on Reader Service Card Order Status, Technical & Other Info. (602) 246-2222 FAX # (602) 246-7805 Call for programs not listed SPECIAL MICROSOFT WORD 4.0 $195 No Charge for MasterCard or Visa TOLL-FREE ORDER LINE 1-800-421-3135 FREE SOFTWARE! FREE SOFTWARE! 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-A great assortment of utilities and games all packed on one disk. 2) PC-WRITE-Try this famous feature packed word processor. It's a winner! 3) FONT-SET-Lets you set popular fonts like bold, underline, etc. on most late model printers from Citizen, Epson, NEC, Okidata, Panasonic, Star, Toshiba, etc. You can even use your printer like a typewriter! 4) ABC-LIST— Great mailing list program! Sort on any field, do qualified searches, print reports and mailing labels, and more! - SOFTWARE - ACCOUNTING Cyma .Call Dae Easy Acct $54 Dae Easy Payroll 39 Dollars & Sense . 94 In House Acct .112 Managing Your Money 3.0 117 COMMUNICATION PROGRAMS Carbon Copy Plus 108 Crosstalk XVI 8*9 Crosstalk MK4 110 Remote 89 Smartcomll 79 DATA BASE MANAGERS Clipper . . . .375 Condor 3 .... ,325 DBase III Plus .Call DB-XL ,80 Fox Base Plus 195 Genifer ,189 Paradox 2.0 Premium .435 PFS: Pro File Call Powerbase 169 Q&A 189 Quicksilver 295 Revelation 464 R Base System V . .... .Call Reflex 81 Relate & Report .112 VPInfo ..,,.65 DESKTOP PUBLISHING Pagemaker 479 PFS: First Publisher . ... 59 Ventura Publisher . . . ..... 475 GRAPHICS Chartmaster 199 Design Cad 2 . . . 148 Diagram Master Call Easy Cad 109 Energraphics 2.01 294 Generic Cad 49 In-A-Vision .......... 270 Microsoft Chart 3.0 Call Newsroom Pro. ..... 65 Printshop. ... 33 INTEGRATED Ability . . 56 Ability Plus Call Enable Call Framework II K Call Smart System ....... 429 Symphony Call LANGUAGES Lattice C Compiler ... 242 Microsoft C Compiler ..Call Microsoft Fortran Call Microsoft Macro Assembler . . . 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Call PRINCETON Max 12. . .138 HX12E . . .460 SAMSUNG TTL Amber w/tilt 75 Color w/tilt. 249 PRINTERS CITIZEN MSP 10 249 MSP 15 315 MSP20 ......285 120 D ...... .142 Premiere 35. 471 Tribute 224 ......... 639 EPSON- Call on all models NEC P5XLP ... . . .... ..815 P7 Parallel ........ 595 8850 ... ,.1059 P6 Parallel ...419 P960XL 1005 P2200 ...335 OKIDATA- Call on all models PANASONIC 1080-I/M2 .... ... ...Gall 1090-I/M2 ........... Call 1092-1 . .... ... ...Call 1524 ..Call 1592 . ...... Call 1595 . ...... Call 3131 ... ...Call 3151 ;....,. Call STAR MICRONICS NB24-10 456 NB24-15 . ..-. 610 ND10 ,.275 NX1000 179 TOSHIBA 321 SL 510 341 SL Call 351 Modelll 910 RAM 64K150NS.,. ... .16.50 256K150NS . . ... 33 TERMS: Shipping on most software is $5.00. A2 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 re- turns are subject to our approval. There will be a 20% restock fee. Minimum phone order $50. All prices are subject to change. Due to copyright laws we cannot take back any open software. TOLL-FREE ORDER LINE 1-800-421-3135 WAREHOUSE DATA PRODUCTS 2701 West Glendale Ave. • Phoenix, AZ 85051 We do not guarantee compatibility r Monday, Wednesday & Thursday Tuesday & Friday Saturday - STORE HOURS - 9am-11pm EST 8am-1Dpm CST 9am-7pm EST 8am-6pm CST 11am-7pm EST 10am-6pm CST 7am-9pm MST 7am-5pm MST 9am-5pm MST 6am-8pm PST 6am-4pm PST 8am-4pm PST Circle 249 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 250) Expansion Chassis/Tape Back-up "" 2? ^ l«i- ;.:;■'.. ps ^™ l^™i ^B .iiiBB HHlj&i? mimMMHH hi r ■i « wmm§ ia3 Specification Model No. No. of Slot Space for % Height Drive Power Supply (Watts) Dimension DXWXH(cm) Price M-r 1 50 30x15x6.5 S139 M-2 3 3 100 42x25x16 $299 M-3 5 3 100 39x30x15 $239 M-4 12 2 100 40x49x14 $299 M-5 2 45 39x18x15 $149 M-6 1 50 26.5x18x13.5 $169 M-7 5 2 100 38.5x30x13.5 $299 M-8 2 45 39.5x18x13.5 $149 M-9 2 60 38.5x49x9 $249 M-10 8 4 135 43x49x14 $239 ' Extra space for a stand alone controller EXT and RCV Adapters (Interfacing Computer & Chassis With Slots).. Tape Back-up (With Controller & Cable).. ..$499 ORDER TOLL FREE: (800) 826-0267 In California Call (408) 434-0877 SOURCE ELECTRONICS CORP. 2380 Qume Drive, Suite A San Jose, CA 95131 Telex: 279366 Fax: (408) 434-0539 $149 BOOK REVIEWS New! 80286 Based Tandy 1000 TX TANDY America's #1 Compatibles! :si SAVE $360 OR MORE SAVE 20-40% OFFLIST ON ALL TANDY AND RS EQUIPMENT OSI2' ready 1 Features 37.-" d.sk driv 803S6 microprocessor and a lasi 16 WHm Idc \ speed '255000 ^ TANDY LAPTOP: Save $400 or More! v Save On STB, Zucker, And Other Non-TANDY Boards And Software! s Save On All Radio Shack Products ! CALL FOR LATEST PRICES! CALLTOLLFREE FOR ORDERS: Ytnt will be pleased with ou r courteous, efficient service... and with the knouiedge that we W!Ll. NOT be undersold! 1-800^47-4225 FOR COLORADO RESIDENTS AND INFORMATION CALL (303) 249-9125 Rfc/TT IfJESTERR ELECTROniCS 232 MAIN ST. • MONTROSE, CO 81401 • HOURS: 9-5 MST, M-F these days of copyright cupidity, I'd prefer to have a definite statement one way or the other. The code examples are set off by both typeface and color to good effect. As a rule, the typography is clean and uncluttered throughout the book. However, the tables are labeled inconsis- tently; many identical typographic structures face each other on opposite pages, one with a table designation and the other without. Similarly, the information about MS-DOS control structures is diagramed in two apparently arbitrary formats. One structure might appear in a table that lists field length and usage, while another is consigned to a more visual series of stacked rectan- gles, with descriptions inside. The cross-references to other articles are sometimes awk- ward. Whereas references to an appendix title include the letter designation, references to articles don't carry the corresponding article number, so the page headings (which appear on odd pages and which carry both the number and title) are less help- ful than they could be. Do You Need It? Why publish so extensive a work about MS-DOS now, on the verge of OS/2 ascendancy? Perhaps Microsoft thought that MS- DOS is now mature enough that The MS-DOS Encyclopedia won't soon go out of date. The preface claims 10 million copies of MS-DOS are working now. Does this book belong next to all of those systems? Emphatically not! The book's general editor, Ray Duncan, tags the book's audience as "the community of working programmers," but I have to wonder how many pro- grammers are currently engaged in new MS-DOS application development with OS/2 just around the corner. Is this book for you? Look at your shelf of software and man- uals. Do you have a version of an 8086 assembler there? If so, you may be able to use this book. Doubly so if that assembler is dusty. I bet the examples and lucid explanations here will cata- lyze you to use both the book and your assembler to overcome your previous frustrations with the quirks and mores of the world's most popular operating system. Bill Bourn is moderator of the ms. dos conference on BIX and president of the Central Connecticut PC User 's Group. You can reach him at P. O. Box 964, Glastonbury, CT 06033, or on BIX as "billbourn. " IBM PERSONAL SYSTEM/2 AND PERSONAL COMPUTER BIOS INTERFACE TECHNICAL REFERENCE Reviewed by Ben Myers IBM Corp. , Racine, WI: 1987, Publication 68X2260, Form S68X-2260, 214 pages, $75 For some time now, when I've had to refer to some detail about an IBM PC BIOS, I've found myself looking at sev- eral sources, none of them complete. Peter Norton's Program- mer 's Guide to the IBM PC has become somewhat dated by the author's original vision to produce a work that emphasized the IBM PC and PC XT, then predominant. Norton's book contains sketchy information about the EGA specification and few spe- cifics about the AT BIOS. Until the PS/2 computers came along, Ray Duncan's Advanced MS-DOS was a well-organized reference for some BIOS calls, but it curiously omitted most of the information about disk BIOS services, and it included noth- ing about the system services (interrupt 15H) on the AT. Fi- nally, descriptions of BIOS calling sequences are embedded continued 54 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Circle 110 on Reader Service Card Keep your mainframe in touch: Send your remote PCs a card! If a telephone line goes to wherever your remote PCs are, Sync-Up™ from UDS can now link them directly to your mainframe! Sync-Up fits a complete synchronous modem and a protocol converter onto a single card; no other modules are required. Add appropriate UDS- supplied software, and you'll have a fast, reliable micro-to-mainframe link. If your system is already supporting 201C, 212A, 208A/B and/or 9600B modems, no modifications are required at the mainframe end. Sync-Up boards may be specified with soft- ware to support 2780/3780 or 3270 BSC, and 3270, 3770 or 5251 SNA or a variety of other protocols. For complete technical data and quantity prices, contact Universal Data Systems, 5000 Bradford Dr., Huntsville, AL 35805. Telephone 205/721-8000; Telex 752602 UDS HTV. 01 Universal Data Systems @ MOTOROLA INC. Information Systems Group Circle 271 on Reader Service Card Created by Dayner/Hall, Inc., Winter Park, Florida The American Success Story Continues.. CLUB 286 (12MHz Zero Wait State (I6MH2 Throughput) Mono Syste • 12MHz, Z&q Wait State 80286 /• lt6$Bz Throughput /• Small Footprint Chassis /• Secured Hardware -Reset /• 12" Monochrome Monitor (800*35W* Hercules Compatible 13 : 2 Column^idieo Card • Speaker On/Off /• Standard 1MB Memory /• Norton SI: 15.3 • Keyboard Selectable Between 8/12 and Zero/1 Wait State • Plus Basic System Features /• Made in USA 12MHz EGA System $2065 ***** • 80286 10MHz Zero Wait State /• 8/10 Keyboard Switch • 12" Monochrome Monitor (800x350) /• Hercules Compatible 132 Column Video Card /• Wait State Insertable Slots -. • 12MHz Throughput /• 2 Serials, 1 Parallel Port Built In • Norton SI:V(3.0) 1 1.57* Plus Basic System Features /• Made in U.SA 10MHz EGA System $1895 Basic System Features: • 80286 16-bit CPU/« 512K Motherboard Expandable to 1MB • Clock Calendar with Battery Backup/* 195 Watt Power Supply 220/1 10V (UL, CSA)/« Fully Compatible AMI BIOS (Written in USA) • 200 Page Documentation and User's Guide/* Limited One Year Warranty • Optional Add Ons: 36OKB Floppy Drives/ Enhanced Keyboard/ 720KB Floppy Drives 3 1/2 " ORDER BY MAI!.: Check and Money Order California add 7*. Salt's Tax ^5^ ( ORDER BY PHONP: COD. Cashier Check. VISA (3%). American Fixpross ( 4'*.) or Approved Company P.O.'s- PIWb" Polio and Terms: All prices are subject to changes and quantities may be limited and we reservr the right to substitute equivalent items I nauthori/cd returns are subject to a 15% restocking fee. RMA numbers must be attached to all returned items and must be sent shipping prepaid by customer. 1 ~he limited warranty is 1 year on pans and 6 months on labor 56 BYTE- MARCH 1988 286 System Options 20MB 65ms Half Height $280 80287-8 $235 30MB 39ms Full Height $500 80287-10 $310 44MB 28ms Full Height $575 Optical Mouse $99 72MB 23ms Full Height $920 Mechanical Mouse $69 71MB 28ms Full Height $870 l4"Flatscreen Evervision 130MB 18ms Full Height $1800 Mono Monitor CALL NEC Multisync CALL NPC Hercules, Evervision. OS/2. OS/3. Xenix. Tnix. DBa.se 1II+. lotus. Framework. Sidekick Symphony. PC Limited Compaq and Premium 286 are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. And now, the most powerful lineup of machines from the leading manufacturing, design and engineering company in America..... Introducing the 12MHz Pulse computers is ready for OS/2 ™ and OS/3™. ^un Xenix, Unix, DBase III + , i ram Hl^ymphony and a host of all I ofroH [ffRhink of. £S£. American Technologies, Inc. 3401 W. Warren Ave., Fremont, CA 94539 FAX (415) 490-2687 (24 hrs.) Circle 52 on Reader Service Card MARCH 1988 -BYTE 57 Quaid Analyzer the tool that created CopyWrite Now you can debug your own programs with a professional quality debugger - the one that unraveled every form of copy-protection used on the PC. With the Quaid Analyzer, you can: □ See occurrences of any interrupt, with its meaning shown on the screen. □ View memory as text or instructions, scrolling as easily as you do with an editor. □ Run until a memory location or I/O port is changed. □ Protect your hard disk from accidental destruction. □ Analyze software without the source, even when it uses countermeasures to thwart tracing. □ See all stages of the boot load. We kept the Quaid Analyzer off the market to avoid helping publishers with copy-protection. Now that copy- protection is gone, we can sell it to you. The Quaid Analyzer is a software tool occupying 100K bytes. It runs on any IBM PC and most MS-DOS systems without hard- ware modification. can (416) 961-8243 r ., Quaid Analyzer $99 U.S. All orders shipped at our expense within a day. All major credit cards accepted. or return coupon to: 45 Charles St. East Third Floor, Dept. 605 Toronto, Ontario. M4Y 1S2 Payment method MC-Visa-Amex-Diners-Check Card No. = Expiry Date Name Address City/State Phone No. Signature _E^J Quaid Software Limited Ask about Disk Explorer the program that takes over where Quaid Analyzer leaves off. BOOK REVIEWS within the assembly listings contained in the older PC and AT technical references published by IBM. All in all, this is a very haphazard collection of reference materials, but it was the best available until recently. The IBM Personal System/2 and Personal Computer BIOS Interface Technical Reference gives the software developer a complete set of materials that describe how the various versions of the IBM PC BIOS work. IBM has not published assembly listings of the PS/2 BIOS; this reference documents the exter- nally visible features of the BIOS as a programmer doing clean BIOS-level programming would see and use them. The book covers the original IBM PC, PC XT, PC AT, PCjr, PC Convertible, and all announced models in the PS/2 product line. At $75, the BIOS Interface Technical Reference seems pricey at first, but no other single document today can match it for completeness in treating its subject. It comes with a hard three-ring slipcase binder, like most other IBM reference publi- cations. The typeface is a small but very readable Helvetica, so a lot of information is crammed into its 214 pages. There are few typographical errors. The meat of the book is the section that has detailed descrip- tions of all calls to BIOS services. If different models of the PC do not respond identically, the book lists exact differences by PC model and relevant BIOS date. For example, the printer BIOS (17H) section has six notes describing the actions taken by various models of PCs. The pages covering video BIOS (10H) describe the three VGA modes, as well as the other video modes. The system services interrupt 15H receives extensive treatment, including the multitasking services that are used by other parts of BIOS on the PC AT, PC XT Model 286, and PS/2. If another interrupt uses system services to relinquish control while waiting for completion of an external event, this information is also noted. The BIOS services are arranged in order by interrupt number, then by major function designation passed in the AH register value within interrupt, so everything is quite easy to find. For the money, it would have been nice if IBM had thrown in half a dozen blank thumb-index tabs, beyond the two labeled "BIOS" and "Supplement. " Then, I could have set up tabs to get quickly to the sections I use most often. In the section on data areas and ROM tables, the BIOS data area, extended BIOS data area, and disk drive parameter tables are laid out, byte by byte and bit by bit. The last section of the book, entitled "Additional Information," describes interrupt sharing, adapter ROM, video function compatibility, multitask- ing provisions, system identification, application guidelines, and scan code/character code combinations. I found the infor- mation on video function compatibility particularly useful, be- cause it told me, step by step, how to test which video functions are present. Using the procedure described, I can determine which video adapter— VGA, EGA, MCGA, CGA, or MDA— is present. The text also describes video mode-switching proce- dures. There is a vacant section for future supplements to be issued. The book has a standard glossary and index at the end. If you are an experienced software developer designing soft- ware that must interface with any version of BIOS, the IBM PS/2 and PC BIOS Interface Technical Reference is one of a kind and indispensable. It is not for the novice PC programmer, however, because it is almost entirely bereft of examples. In the personal computer industry, where it is fashionable to take potshots at IBM, the company is often overlooked as a source for complete, well-organized materials describing its products and, by logical extension, compatible products. Ben Myers has more than 25 years of varied experience in the computer industry. He can be reached at 73 Westcott Rd. , Har- vard, MA 0145 1. continued 58 BYTE- MARCH 1988 95% of the Top U.S. Companies Solve Their Complex Numeric Problems with APL . . . Shouldn't You? A PL is indispensable in devel- oping mathematical models for pricing financial securities such as options, futures, and bonds. Complex mathematical algo- rithms are programmed quickly and concisely. And, empirical research is facilitated by A PL's unmatched capabilities in manipulating and analyzing arrays of data. In businesses when complex numeric p vol are a daily challenge, professionals from all walks of life rely on the APL* PLUS® System. Mark Schroder Option Research Specialist Prudential Bache The APL* PLUS System Thousands of professionals in a wide range of fields— invest- ment research, insurance, cor- porate finance, engineering, and science— find the APL* PLUS System the per- fect software for complex prob- lem solving. That's because its natural mathematical orienta- tion and conciseness of code provide the ideal environment for model building, array han- dling, system prototyping, and matrix manipulation. And for your connectivity needs, the APL* PLUS System runs on a wide range of machines and operating environments. Why not give yourself the analytical edge, for only $695* Call 800-592-0050 and well show you how to put the APL* PLUS System to work in yur specific application. S1SC STSCInc. 2115 East Jefferson Street Rockville, Maryland 20852 800-592-0050 301-984-5123 in Maryland or Canada Telex 898085 When you need to consider three classes of service, numer- ous fare types, and multiple connections, fare pricing anal- ysis with out A PL is a Herculean task. A PL's ability to manipu- late tables of data with a single command enables us to explore a wider range of scenarios as fast as we can think of them. Mike Fisher Manager, Systems Development Pan American World Airways A PLU$*WARE PRODUCT The APL* PLUS System is available for the mainframe, IBM PC and compatibles. Macintosh, and machines running UNIX and VAX/VMS. The APL* PLUS System may be purchased through dealers and distributors worldwide. APL* PLUS and PLUS* WARE are registered trademarksof STSC. Inc. UNIX. Macintosh. and IBM are registered trademarksof 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. su^ested retail for DOS version. International prices slightly higher. Circle 253 on Reader Service Card Each quarter we consolidate and analyze historical data, current data, and forecasts from over 800 entities within GE 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 Systems Development General Electric Company Circle 109 on Reader Service Card Convert .DXF files to Gerber^with SoftWest" GPL Plot anything you can draw with SoftWest GPI, the DXF-to-Gerber conversion program. It is bi- directional ■ (it also converts Gerber back into AutoCAD®), and supports all popular Gerber photoplotters, includin the new laser plotters using Gerber pre Price in U.S.A.: $500.00. The Great SoftWestern Company® is also the creator of Auto-Board System®, SoftWest™ D2D, and SoftWest™ PPI. The Great) SoftWestern) Company. Inc. 1-800-231-6880 INFORMATION & ORDERS 1-817-383-4434 TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE The Original AutoCAD is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc BOOK REVIEWS CAU FOR OUR 386 PRICES^ FREE $70.00 Nylon Carrying Case with Purchase • YOUR ORDER SHIPPED WITHIN 24 HRS • • ONE YEAR WARRANTY AND 24 HRS REPAIR SERVICE • • MONEY BACK GUARANTEE* • * FOR YOUR ORDER CALL NOW (617) 655-3434 Prices quoted are for cash. We accept M/C and VISA 'Notice must be filed with us within 21 days of receipt Prices, terms and conditions are subject to change w/o notice Not responsible for typographical errors DIGICOM TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION 220 IV. Central St., Natick, MA 01760 • (617) 655-3434 PC/XT & AT are registered trademarks of International Business Machines. OS/2 is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. 88NE-8 BYTE- MARCH 1 988 Circle 488 on Reader Service Card 4 GOOD REASONS TO BUY AN INCOMM upgradable MODEM! Quantity 1 Quantity 1 *269 2400 BAUD SPEED $ 299 UPGRADABLE Industries Only Speed Upgradable 2400 baud modems with Immediate Delivery. Rainbow PC 2400 EC $ 369 2400 BAUD WITH $ 399 ERROR CORRECTION The first Upgrade featuring MNP® Level 4 Error Correction. Quantity 1 Quantity 1 $ 469 480 ° BAUD SPEED $ 499 UPGRADABLE WITH ERROR CORRECTION The second Upgrade featuring MNP® Level 5 Error Correction. 9600 BAUD WITH $ 999 ERROR CORRECTION This Upgrade is Only available on the Turbo Series at MNP® Level 6 Error Correction. BEED Cdll OU0-34b-2bb0 for prices and your nearest stocking dealer 652 S. Wheeling Rd. Wheeling, IL 60090 312-459-8881 TTirra Private Label/OEM Requirements Are Invited Circle 494 on Reader Service Card MARCH 1988 -BYTE 88NE-9 Circle 497 on Reader Service Card YOU FOUND IT! A Reliable Source for Your Computer Supplies. At Budget— Friendly Prices! Discover the quality magnetic media from 3M 5 1 /4" Diskettes 3 1 /2" Diskettes Sold 10/Box 3M Diskettes SSDDRH $ .69 Ea. DSDDRH $ .79 Ea. DSHD96TPI $1.54 Ea. SS MICRO $1.05 Ea. DS MICRO $1.55 Ea. DSHD MICRO $4.45 Ea. Min.: 50 Disks. Highland" diskettes Manufactured to meet your needs. Economical Diskette backed by 3M's reputation for quality and reliability Disks SSDD ..$ .47 DSDD ..$ .50 DSHD .$1.10 S & H: $4.00, FIRST 100 OR FEWER DISKS; $3.00, EACH SUCCEEDING 100 OR FEWER. MINIMUM ORDER: $25.00; S&H: Continen- tal USA. Foreign Orders, APO/FPO, please call. Ml residents add 4% tax. C.O.D. add $4.00; payment with case, certified check or money order. Prices subject to change. Hours: 8:30 AM— 7:00 PM ET. CALL FOR FREE CATALOG Precision Data Products™ P.O. Box 8367, Grand Rapids. Ml 49518 Cust. Service & Info.: (616)452-3457 • FAX: (616)452-4914 Toll Free Order Lines: MI 1-800-632-2468 Toll Free Order Lines: Outside MI 1-800-258-0028 C.O.D. 88 FIRST TOUGH™ Computer Protection Pads To keep your computer sane Your touch can drive your computer wild — unless you drain away built-up static charge with the First Touch Static Control Computer Pad. Equipment malfunctions, lost data, circuit failure, and more can be caused by static charges so small you can't see or feel it. Save your computer's sanity with a touch of First Touch™ Computer Protection Pads from 3M. BROWN # S&H: $2.00 $39.95 Important TIPS* for BYTE Subscribers: Receive Product Information 10 Days Earlier! FVTE THE SMALL SYSTB*5 JOURNAL ENTIFICATION CARD John Sample 785432189 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 88NE-10 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Complete, anxiL &aAy . . . awLonlif, $161 r^f^^ G^P^ C U^^° VISA, MasterCard & COD orders 1-800-223-6925 (in Canada 319/3957300) Here it is. You wont find software that's easier to use: • Requires no accounting knowledge • Completely menu-driven with on-line help • 93-page fully indexed tutorial manual (on disk) A Proven Track Record. Hard to believe the $16 price? Don't worry. MoneyCounts® has been marketed for three years and is continually receiving rave reviews. There's no catch. This is a fully functional system that compares with products selling for $99 and more. Same-Day Shipping. Order today and own MoneyCounts® for only $16! Add $3 shipping and handling (outside North America add $7). Iowa residents please add 4% sales tax. Send check or money order payable to Parsons Technology. VISA and MasterCard orders welcome HHHHHHHHHKI' Circle 498 on Reader Service Card ^^(£^m^m^ I 373 Collins Road N£ | Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 MONEY COUNTS" $16 + $3 Shipping I MoneyCounts'" requires tBMor compatible compute I with two disk drives (ore* hard d&k drive), 192k or mor€ memory. DOS 2.0 or later and printer. I ] Name: 1^ | Address: | City/State/Zip: [ I Phone: I Check Money Order . | Card # I i VISA . _ MasterCard . Exp. Date MARCH 1988 * BYTE 88NE-11 FScW Communications 194 MAIN ST. MARLBORO, MA 01752 CAD- GRAPHICS & ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING LOW COST SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR IMAGE PROCESSING NEEDS 19 Inch High Resolution Monitors! See more detail and reduce eye strain. Prices for 19" monitors start at under $900 for resolution at 1024 x 1024! Many are Multisync and VGA compatible. GRAPHICS CARDS from advanced EGA to a new frontier into 2048 x 2048 pixels are here! Call Us For Details! Microtek scanners will input any photo or drawing at 300 dots~ per inch into your computer, as either a half-tone or line art. Import these images to your favorite desktop publishing software or use it as a stand alone unit to output to your laser or dot matrix printer. An essential tool priced from $1485.00 The Summagraphic digitizer tablets allow electronic tracing at .001 inch resolution for any drawing or photos. Summa Plus 12"x 12" $399.00 Summa MM1812 I8"xl2" $675.00 Summa Mouse (optical) $87.50 LOW COST SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR GRAPHICS HARD COPY NEEDS HP 7475 A. $975. 00 %mm\ %, JKJJT.&'HH 5SS 5 6-Pen A/B size Plotter.. WHILE THEY LAST! mmmBEZ^ 300 dots per inch. Button selectable HP 7470A 2-Pen "A" plotter $299.00 The Mural 'D' size flatbed plotter emulation offers almost universal will plot media sizes to 25" x 34". compatibility at 8 pages per minute. Call for full details!! $2195.00 Blacker fill than others!! $1650.00 Let Us Quote a Package Price For The Best Product Combination For You Prices Change Often for the Better!! Houston Instruments Plotters! ! ! F&W offers the complete line of fine drafting plotters including the multi— media size DMP— 61 at prices too low to quote here. CALL US FOR THE BEST DEAL. Attention architects, artists, designers and publishers! Our unique experience allows us to offer you the equipment which will give you a competitive edge !! Want to Read More? Call Oiar Dial— Up Catalog/Bulletin Board (300-2400 baud) at (617)481—7222 to Access Our Database !! CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED! CALL! (617)485-1144 OR VISIT OUR DISPLAY ROOM WE ARE LOCATED OFF RT. 20 1 MILE EAST OF 1-495 IN DOWNTOWN MARLBORO, AT THE SIGN OF FARADAY AND WHEATST0NE 88NE-12 BYTE* MARCH 1988 Circle 491 on Reader Service Card SHORT TAKES BYTE editors offer hands-on views of new products. A New SideKick Experienced SideKick users will feel like kids in a candy store when they begin using SideKick Plus. The program is so packed with features that Borland's biggest problem may well be convincing current SideKick customers that the program is in fact a completely new program, not simply an upgrade of an existing product. Comparing the nearly 400- page SideKick Plus manual needed to document the program with the original 86-page SideKick manual underscores this. SideKick Plus (SK + ) has a memory-resident Notepad (text editor), a Calculator, and an ASCII table. Although greatly expanded in capabilities, these modules, and many other SK + features, should be familiar to current SideKick users. However, SK + also includes a disk organizer (File Manager), an outline processor (Outlook), a calendar (Time Planner), and a full communications package (Phonebook). The program is modular in that you can customize SK + . To save on memory and enhance performance, I set up my version to include only the applications I thought I'd use the most— File Manager, Notepad, Phonebook, and Calculator. Using a standard IBM PC with a Plus Hardcard 20, 1 focused on those features that I frequently use— the text editor and communications module. There were two things that I particularly liked about the SK + Notepad: the ability to have up to nine windows open at a time, and the size of the files that you can have in each window (up to 54K bytes) . I loaded nine chapters of a project I'm currently working on (the largest chapter was 49K bytes), switched from one chapter to another (by pressing F6), continued B:38a -»:»• Homing Planning fleeting Hooting tilth Hungers il:B8« CfiLL Fred ll:38a 12:86? Lunch 12:3Qp i:30? CALL Fhilippe 2:eep New Book «m Zoob m Tag J Print m Switch m PgUp/lhr-Bay Ctr l-PglhyBn-llonth Center- Today Ese-Schedu 1 e The Facts: SideKick Plus $199 $69.95 for upgrade Borland International 4585 Scotts Valley Dr. Scotts Valley, CA 95066 (408) 438-8400 Inquiry 859. Requirements: IBM PC, XT, AT, or compatibles, or IBM PS/2; DOS 2.0 or higher, 384K bytes of RAM, and a hard disk drive. SIDEKICK PLUS COMMAND SUMMARY File Manager Outlook (outliner) Time Planner Services Directory (for any disk or Line Spacing, Indent, New Book, Search (for an Edit Clipboard (uses the path), Search (for files or Hidden Text, Attached entry), Insert, Edit (uses Notepad's commands), text strings within files), Notes, Structured Output; the Notepad's com- Window Control, Copy Mark Entries (for further also, all the Notepad's mands), Print, (set) Alarm, from, Paste from Clip- processing), Copy, De- commands Resolution (set appoint- board, Quick Paste, Set- lete, Move, Rename, Print, ment book's increments, in up, Memory Sizes, Unload (change) Attributes, View Phonebook minutes), Begin Day, End SideKick Plus (files), Prepare (format) Search (for entry), Attach Day, Default Times, Go to Disk, Create Directory, Note, Edit Entry (uses the Vogon Poetry Order (sort directories) Notepad's commands), Calculator A just-for-f un item. In the Insert Entry, Delete Entry, Edit Tape, Variables, beta version we tested, this Notepad Communications (a full Functions, Memory, Block, command (from the open- File, Reformat, Search, telecommunications mod- Options, Type (of calcula- ing menu) called up a Block, Insert, Delete, Go ule), Glossary, Print, Op- tor: Scientific, Business, game— a clone of Space to, Marker, Options, In- tions, New Phonebook Programmer, Formula) Invaders. sert Mode, Auto Indent, Graphics, Hard Tabs, ASCII Table Margin Release, Right Mar- Control Characters, Edit gin, File Paste Buffer, Paste Options, Goto MARCH 1988 -BYTE 89 SHORT TAKES edited them, and copied and pasted text without any problem. At the same time, I loaded the same 49K-byte file into WordStar 3.3, and I found that I could move around the file faster with Notepad than with WordStar. (Executing a Control- Q-C to get from the top to the end of the file took SK+ about 2 seconds; with WordStar, it took about 9 seconds.) The system Clipboard made it very easy to cut, copy, and paste information between. SK+ applications. A feature called Quick Paste, which bypasses the Clipboard, let me paste text directly to the current cursor position in the WordStar file. The Notepad also uses WordStar-like dot commands and Control- key sequences to support almost all standard word-processing features. The Phonebook is a powerful communications program that supports background communication, auto-log-on, scripts, and other advanced features. Its Learn feature was nice; I easily created a BIX log-on script by turning Leam on, going through the standard dial-up and log-on sequence, and turning Learn off. I then edited the script to delete everything but prompt and response statements before finally activating it. It worked fine the first time. To test background communication, I logged onto a remote bulletin board system and, using XMODEM CRC protocol, downloaded a 7K-byte file. During the download, I switched back to DOS, loaded WordStar, created and edited a document, then switched back to my background downloading. It worked great, and the complete file was received with no errors. Although back- ground communication capability uses about 20K extra bytes of RAM, I know I'll use it a lot. One SK + feature that users may find troublesome is that the program is complex and has a confusing array of features that you can reach from Control-key sequences, function keys, and menus. You'll have to decide for yourself if the complexity of the program is worth the effort; I think it is. Another feature I found bothersome was the length of time it takes SK+ to appear on the screen— about 4 seconds to load and another 4 seconds to unload. The reason for the time delay is the method used to swap resident applications and data on and off the disk. There are ways to speed up the loading process, including an installation option that eliminates disk swapping, the use of a RAM disk or an Above Board, or the creation of an abbreviated customized version of the program (my option). Borland also indicated that speed optimization will continue to be a prime objective. Overall, I think I'll be one of many dedicated SideKick users who give up the simplicity of the original program for the power of SideKick Plus. —Jonathan Erickson Lotus's Outliner/Word Processor [Page .ffffinm loom Greeking Reverse Qti i t KDfi Expand the page contents to foil screen uidth ffi jstieRsss*™* - .j-s>~ tt^ key stetisf NqBUAwtiwirimprnuctf i ff^yr^r^T." T.\ "„"" * " " J . .. "~"-— , ^ — . Pwieu Status File: BELL. DOC lis j yk , igk, \^ ■ 3= J I ^m=t±dz'^s^^Mm i %r^^ Page type: Body sK Page: 2 Begin Section: 1 End Section: 4 Magnification: S c Press FIB for flemi Fl for Help ^Zi *J££ The Facts: Manuscript 2.0 $495 (Pre-2.0 copies purchased on or after December 1 , 1987 can be upgraded to 2.0 for free. Copies purchased before that date can be upgraded for $75.) Lotus Development Corp. 55 Cambridge Parkway Cambridge, MA 02142 (617) 577-8500 Inquiry 854. Requirements: Runs on MS-DOS computers (version 2.0 or higher) with at least 512K bytes cf RAM, a hard disk drive, and a 5 l A- inch or 3!/2-inch (1.44- megabyte) floppy disk drive; works with CGA, EGA, VGA, Hercules Mono- chrome, InColor, Toshiba T3100, and Compaq Portable III displays. Includes software drivers for most popular dot-matrix and laser printers. Manuscript 2.0 is easier to use, more powerful, and faster than version 1.0. Word-processing additions include macros; named text libraries for rapid insertion of boilerplate copy; multiline headers and footers; inclusion of Microlytics' Word Finder thesaurus, with definitions as well as synonyms; a new spelling checker from Sof tArt, and integration of spell- checking with the editor rather than as an external utility; the ability to see page breaks while in the editor; sorting of tables, using any column as the sort key; and automatic saving of an edit document at predefined time intervals. You can include Lotus 1-2-3 worksheets in a document by file reference and update them by command (the latest numbers from a worksheet are read into the document). Formatting and printing the six-page sample document, which contained three graphs, two equations, and two tables, took 59 seconds with version 1.0, while a prerelease version of 2.0 took 47 seconds. The final version will be still faster, according to Lotus. (Lotus reports it plans to ship Manu- script 2.0 in the first quarter of this year.) Previewing is also faster in version 2.0, thanks to an intermediate storage format for graphics images and changes in the product's overall memory management scheme. The edit document now remains in memory while the editor, print formatter, and previewer are swapped in and out. Manuscript 2.0 also includes some major enhancements and new features in the area of page layout and format: winding columns of text (one to nine columns); financial tabs, so numbers are properly aligned even when followed by symbols such as percent and minus signs; named blocks; full user control of parameters for hyphenation and microjustifica- tion; and logic for page and column breaks. I think Manuscript 2.0 should have broad appeal as a com- plete editing and layout system for large documents. It looks like a workable alternative to the traditional approach of using typesetting and layout services to create printable documents. — George A. Stewart continued 90 BYTE • MARCH 1988 OCR SCANNING Our "SCANNING CONNECTION" system can be used to read your paper documents into a PC. Pictures and graphs can be scanned and saved in various file formats for use by many word processing and desktop publishing systems. Text images can be converted to character text for use with most word processing and typesetting systems. Images can be sent over telephone lines to another PC or a facsimile machine. We have developed a special controller card for high speed compression of images and for character recognition. Books, magazines, newsprint, reports and typed documents can be read by our OCR software. The software can be trained to recognize almost any font style. System prices including scanner and software start at $1795. Circle 313 "JOIN" FLAGENG for vendor support on BIX! i 9-TRACK TAPE With our "TAPE CONNECTION" system you can read and write most 1 /2" 9-Track magnetic tapes using your PC. Tapes can be 800, 1600, or 6250. Our file transfer software can process ANSI labeled tapes from most computer systems including DEC. HP. HONEYWELL, and IBM. Large files from multivolume tape reels can be transferred to a disk at rates up to 5 MB/min. Software is provided to use the system for backup of the hard disk on your PC. With more than twenty years experience in working with tape drive systems, we can solve most PC tape conversion problems. We can supply more than ten different tape drive models. System prices including tape drive, controller card, and software start at $3495. Circle 314 FLAGSTAFF ENGINEERING DISKETTE CONVERSION We specialize in conversion systems and can transport your documents or images to almost any computer, word processing, or typesetting system. With our "DISKETTE CONNECTION" system you can read and write most 8", 5 1 /4", or 3 1 /2 M diskettes using your PC. We support systems from DEC, CPT, WANG, NBI, LANIER. HONEYWELL, and XEROX. We support most IBM systems including 3741, S/36, PC/36, 4300, and Displaywriter. Since 1 981 we have developed hundreds of software programs and designed many specialized diskette hardware products. With thousands of installations worldwide, we are probably the world leader in manufacturing diskette conversion systems. System prices including diskette drive, controller card, and software start at $1195. Circle 315 Circle 316 on Reader Service Card for Dealers. Compusol-Europe 1120 Kaibab • Flagstaff, AZ 86001 • 602-779-3341 12 Rue Rosenwald • 75015 Paris • Tel 530.07.37 • Telex 205431F • Telex U.S.A. 705609 To: Memo j in" o r honi ' ssed,as,month,s - v -- ^r'nr amesub ' ec,A ' so ' ,o,h ° se who ffc!da «■ and ought to ha>, Q ^ Subject: guis Data 1. Scanner Mode)32l -specially ^signed for FAX USE Easy to write software for. -also suitable for DTP /w k off . u,r ( h 'Qh cost- eff ness at under US$1 K ) 2- Fax Card.- to use W /Scanner 321 or alone (under US$o.8K) 3. Also. TellerFax on? o, ax 207 -Stand-al O ne G3 linkable with pp for wihi kl for max. fiex.'y * Tel.erFax now has desktop file conv. cap. 'y DiSt+OEM appr al | welcome Memo 2 -i rrius all others. To: A „ those o. Memo 1, P'us Subject: GUIS -New product , I aSerFax (9600 bps. G2/G3) Data: i ■ Laserr ^ , y (|ncL 2 . Linkable wth ^C T ™ DTP) 3 p, ai n paper laser printer '■.Retailing a, under USS4.5K. Suggested Action: contact guis de,o W . p s ■ C.B.TBB. Hannove, March 16-23. -88: booth B45(HalM6> WCC . Chicago. March 28-31.-88. booth 6419 SHORT TAKES GUIS A Little Giant in Telecommunications Glorious Union Information Systems inc. 1 4th Floor, 207 Tun-Hwa North Rd., Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. TEL: 2-7 1 53356 2-7I 68035 TLX: 22651 GUIS FAX: 2-7 1 34572 Agent In the Netherlands: Hy-Test Europe B.V. Edisonstraat 15 i-j 2723 RS Zoetermeer Netherlands TEL: (31)79-418841 FAX: (31)79-423973 Search and Cut/Paste Facility for dBASE Files ANGELAS EAST EOS ANGELES EAST LANSING "^OBANGE ANGELO T CLEVELAND EAST NOLINE EAST ST. LOUIS JLAUDERDALE LAKES YALLA WALLA tUNTINGTOH STATION H H-H ' CA 98822 213 UB817 CA 98052 - 213 2968579 NI 48823 517 40309 NJ 87819 * 281 77878 TX 76981 915 73248 OH 44112 216 36957 IL 61244 389 28987 IL 62281 * 618 55288 FL 33313 305 25426 UA 99362 589 25618 NY 11746 516 2B769 The Facts: Friendly Finder $99 Proximity Technology Inc. 35 1 1 Northeast 22nd Ave. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308 (305)566-3511 Inquiry 856. Requirements: IBM PC, XT, AT, or compatibles with DOS 2.0 or higher (DOS 3.0 required with the IBM PC AT); 75K bytes of free memory; hard disk drive (recommended). If you've ever needed information from a database while working in another application, you know that exiting the application, opening the database, and then finding the record can be frustrating. Using the patented search algorithm Proximity-Scan, Friendly Finder lets you search and retrieve information from dBASE files while working in other applications. Friendly Finder also works with fixed-length ASCII files, but it's primarily for use with files in dBASE format (DBF). You can use Friendly Finder with other database programs, such as Paradox or R:base, by first converting the data to DBF format, but then you have to reconvert your data every time you update the database. You can run Friendly Finder from the DOS prompt, but you would probably want to operate it in memory-resident mode (it takes up 75K bytes); this is really more useful because you can then access databases from within other applications. To invoke Friendly Finder in memory-resident mode, you press the default key combination Control -Right-Shift, or any other combination that you specify. Friendly Finder appears in a small window at the top of your screen with a list of available databases. You select the database you wish to search and enter your query. Friendly Finder finds all records that match the string in your query. Once you've found the record (or records) you're looking for, you can paste the data into your application, one field at a time. I tested Friendly Finder on an XT with an Orchid Turbo- EGA card and an Intel Above Board. With the Above Board, I was able to copy my database files to a RAM disk in expanded memory. While Friendly Finder is pretty fast on a hard disk, its performance is virtually instantaneous on a RAM disk. A search for a unique record in a 1000-record continued 92 BYTE • MARCH 1988 Circle 106 on Reader Service Card V ... QTHE FIRST DISKETTES DESIGNED FOR THE FORTUNE 500. ■ Today's new generation of personal comput- ers provides unprecedented power and capability. That's the good news. Now the bad news. Your diskette media is stretched to the limit every time it's taken for a spin. And, as diskette densities increase, so does the chance of failure. That's why Kao (pronounced cow) Corpo- ration re-thought the diskette. And applied its 100 years of expertise in surface science technology to developing the first diskettes designed for today's high performance computers. Kao diskettes employ patented, wear- resistant resins and surface-treated mag- netic particles for better head-to-surface contact, the key to diskette durability and performance. And unique surface lubricants actually extend the life of your drive's read/ write heads. Our new Canadian microdisk plant— the world's largest and most mod- ern—ensures that Kao diskettes exceed every industry standard worldwide. More than 12 million high performance Kao diskettes have been sold under many well-known brand names in the U.S.A. Now they're available from leading computer spe- cialty and office products dealers under the Kao name, la a complete selection of sizes, densities, and colors— all the way to 2MBytes in 3.5:' We even offer custom silkscreen designs— an innovative way to enhancainar- keting programs improve security, and sim- plify diskette identification. For the name of your nearest Kao dealer, call (800) 541-3475. (In CA: 800 548-3475). And getthe first diskettes designed for the Fortune 500. Or companies that wish to join them. ' ;.■ ; ' y_- Media from the Surface Scientists T WorldHeadquarters: Kao Corporation 14-10 Nlhonbashi Kayabacho 1-chome, Chuoku. Tokyo 103 Japan, 813-660-7690 Fax 813-660-7789Telex KAOTYO J24816 Corporate logotypes used are the trademarks of their respective In USAcontact: KaoCorporation of America Infosystems Division. 2065 Landings Drive, Mountain View, CA 94043 (415) 965-4188 Fax (415) 9650469 companies. They are intended to illustrate the Kao custom silk- In Canada contact: Kao-DldakLtd. P.O. Box 41, 10 Didak Drive, Arnprior. Ont. K7S 3H2 (613) 623-7901 fax (613)623-2886Telex 0533548 screen process and do not imply use of or endorsement by these In Europe contact: Kao Corporation QmbH Infosystems Division, Wanheimer Str. 57. 4000 Diisseldorf30, F.R Germany ,0211-4176-0 Fax 0211-413559 Telex 8587565 kaoe d companies of Kao diskettes. ©1987 Kao Corporation Circle 135 on Reader Service Card MARCH 1988 -BYTE 93 Circle 159 on Reader Service Card — IBM PC® COMPATIBLE- SINGLE BOARD COMPUTER Quark/PC + »v* 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"/5.25\ 360K/720K/1.2 MB) 3. SCSI Bus Interface (Hard Disk etc.) 4. Upto768K RAM 5. Battery- Backed-up Real-Time-Clock 6. 2 Additional RS232C Serial Ports To order or enquire call us today. Megatel Computer Corporation (416) 745-7214 FAX (416) 745-8792 174 Turbine Drive, Weston, Ontario M9L 2S2 US. Address: 1051 Clinton St., Buffalo, NY 14206 Distributors: Northern Europe: Mecom GMBH (Germany) (06071) 5495 Southern Europe: NCS Electronics (Italy) (0331) 256-524 U.K.: Densitron (0959) 71011 or (0959) 71015 Australia: Asp Microcomputers (02) 500-0628 Quark is a registered trademark of Megatel Computer Corp. Hercules is a registered trademark of Hercules Corporation. V40 Is a registered trademark of NEC Corp. IBM PC is a registered trademark of IBM Corporation, megatel SHORT TAKES IB 386 $2,245.00 COMPAQ 386 COMPATIBLE 16 MHZ, "0" WAIT 2 MEG MEMORY 1.2 MEG DISKETTE AT STYLE KEYBOARD ADD-ON OPTIONS MONITOR KIT HARD DISKS Monitor, Video Card, Parallel Port Monochrome $150.00 RBG Color $355.00 40 MEG $640.00 EGA/PGA Graphics. $705.00 70 MEG $925.00 (312) 450-6220 Additional Configurations Available BOX 1104 WESTMONT, IL 60559 TERMS: Prepaid. Illinois Residents Add 6 3 /»-% Sales Tax. Freight UPS Ground Rate Collect. InTrolBch, int database took a few seconds on the hard disk but completed almost instantly on the RAM disk. To customize Friendly Finder using its special customiza- tion program, you add submenus that appear when you invoke Friendly Finder. The customization program also lets you set up fixed-length ASCII files for use with Friendly Finder. You have to specify a field width and field name for each field in the fixed-length record. The fixed-length file can then be queried just like a DBF file. Friendly Finder is an extremely useful utility for database users. I hope that Proximity Technology will eventually make Friendly Finder available for other database formats. —Nick Bar an Recordkeeping Software Shows Potential of Macintosh HyperCard The Facts: Focal Point Requirements: $99.95 Macintosh Plus or equivalent, HyperCard 1 .0. 1 or higher, Activision Inc. and a second floppy disk P.O. Box 7286 drive or a hard disk drive. Mountain View, CA 94039 (415) 960-0410 Inquiry 857. One of the most alluring promises of Apple's HyperCard is the possibility of quickly storing, retrieving, changing, and cross-referencing "stacks" of whatever information you use regularly. Focal Point is a collection of 18 interrelated stacks that help you organize job-related phone, project, and billing data. The most valuable thing about Focal Point is that information needed in multiple places shows up automatically after you have entered it once. For example, when you dial a number from the Directory and Dialer stack, Focal Point creates a new record in the Outgoing Phone Log, filling in the fields for the date, time, person called, and phone number. The scheduling stacks include the Appointment Book, To Do List, Monthly Calendar, and Deadlines. In the To Do List, you can sort entries by priority; at the end of the day, pressing one button copies all pending items to the next day. The Deadlines stack shows all the project-related deadlines you've set, sorted by date. There are also project stacks that you can use to interrelate clients, vendors, and projects. The phone-support stacks include the Directory and Dialer stack, and the Incoming and Outgoing Phone Log stacks. For billing purposes, you can record the length of a call in both Phone Log stacks just by clicking on a call-finished button. And finally, there are expense accounting stacks. Focal Point is an excellent product, but as stackware, which sits "on top of HyperCard rather than a directly executable file, it has advantages and disadvantages. For example, if you don't like the way it works, you can modify it (with some difficulty) by changing the underlying HyperTalk scripts. On the other hand, it executes some actions slowly and has odd conventions, like wanting you to hit Tab or Enter but not Return when you finish a data item (this is an idiosyncrasy of HyperCard). You really need a hard disk drive, MultiFinder, and-at least 2 megabytes of memory (Focal Point is most useful when it is already in memory and can be called up in several continued 94 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Circle 123 on Reader Service Card Discover Parallel Processing! Monoputer The Most Cost Effective Transputer Development System MicroWay's MonoJDuter is the best selling Transputer-based PC copro- cessor in the world. It was the first board available to run the 20 MHz T41 4 or T800. \ As a result, it received many rave reviews ^k ^ in the UK (available on request) and became the standard Transputer software develop- ment tool. Parallel code can be executed on a single Monoputer or on an array of Mono- puters wired together by their external link lines. The Monoputer includes 2 megabytes of 100 nsec DRAM, a 20 MHz T414 or T800 and the MicroWay stand alone Occam Compiler, which generates Transputer code that runs under MS-DOS. Optional tools include our licensed version of the TDS and a Pascal, Fortran, C, and Prolog. 1 J .*__ ■• ..'^^i — Jd^ Mainframe Power For Your PC! „ ■££££■" MicroWay's Quadputer is the r& ,r£ ^^ most versat i' e multiple Transputer co- processor on the market today. It can be purchased with 2, 3, or 4 Transputers, each of which has 1 or 4 megabytes of local memory. Two or more Quad- puters can be easily cabled together to build larger parallel processor systems. A single Quadputer using four T800s pro- vides 40 MIPS of CPU and 6 megaflops of NDP throughput at one fiftieth the cost of a comparably performing mainframe. Attend MicroWay's Seminar on Parallel Processing, April 6th in Plymouth, Massachusetts! For more information please call (617) 746-7341. After July, 1988, call (508) 746-7341. icro The World Leader In PC Numerics P.O. Box 79, Kingston, Mass. 02364 USA (617) 746-7341 32 High St, Kingston-Upon-Thames, UK 01-541-5466 St Leonards, NSW, Australia 02-439-8400 TRADEMARKS: Quadputer, Biputer and Monoputer of MicroWay, Inc. INMOS, Transputer, TDS, OCCAM of INMOS Corp. MicroWay™ is a registered trademark of MicroWay, Inc. Circle 174 on Reader Service Card Circle 227 on Reader Service Card SHORT TAKES NANCY GRAHAM'S RAMBENDERS Nancy Graham, recognized nationally for her high-precision watercolors of classic cars, is creating a series of original paint- ings which explore the interplay of the power of the 50's. . . cars, and the power of the 80's. . . computers. Superb quality color reproductions of the first two paint- ings in this series, Power User, for IBM PC Polishing The Apple enthusiasts and Polishing the Apple for Macintosh enthusiasts, are available now. These illusionary images are reproduced for the first time on 100 lb. 15" x 19" acid free book weight coated paper with fade resistant inks to insure precise reproduction of the original watercolors. Each reproduction is signed by the artist. The price of these exact reproductions is just $30 each or both for $50. These in- troductory prices include shipment via UPS Blue Label (2-day delivery) and an unconditional 30-day guarantee. >^ RamBenders, 1988 Power User Order yours from RamBenders, 11100 Leafwood Lane, Austin, Texas, 787503409, (512) 25&0785. acw!rambenders®uunet.uu.net Mastercard /Visa accepted. KADAK's engineers bring years of practical real-time experience to this mature MULTI-TASKING SYSTEM (version 2.0) for the IBM® PC, PC/XT and PC/AT No royalties IBM PC DOS® support C language support Preemptive scheduler Time slicing available Source code of the C interface and device drivers is included Intertask message passing Dynamic operations: - task create/delete - task priorities - memory allocation Event Manager Semaphore Manager AMX86 1 " operates on any 8086/88, 80186/88, 80286 system. Demo package $25 US Manual only $75 US AMX86 system $2195 US (shipping/handling extra) Also available for 8080. 280. 68000 KADAK Products Ltd. 206-1847 W. Broadway Vancouver, B.C., Canada -- V6J 1Y5 ^^ Telephone: (604) 734-2796 \W Telex: 04-55670 seconds). The full set of stacks takes up 105 IK bytes of disk storage, although you can make do with less. Although Focal Point's price is too high and it has a few drawbacks, I think it's a worthwhile product. —Gregg Williams The Facts: PC WeatherPro $575 Technology Marketing Group Ltd. 4000 Kruse Way Place, Building 2, Suite 120 Lake Oswego, OR 97035 (503) 635-3966 Inquiry 855. Requirements: IBM PC, XT, AT, or compatible; DOS 2.0 or higher. A full-fledged weather monitoring system, PC Weather- Pro is based on a half-length plug-in card with a spiffy 80-pin custom IC developed specifically to process weather data. Packed into the chip is an A/D converter, a processor, memory, a real-time clock, a custom solid-state barometric pressure transducer, and the microcode that ties it all together. Since keeping the board powered up at all times is critical, a separate plug-in power supply keeps PC WeatherPro running even when your computer is powered down. But the board is only the beginning. It's what you hook up to it that counts, and that includes both internal and external temperature sensors, an electronic rain gauge, an anemom- eter, and a wind vane. Obviously, installing and hooking up all this stuff requires a certain amount of ambition, time, and skill. You'll need to plan wire runs and crawl around on your roof to mount the wind sensors and rain gauge. And you'll need both boiling and freezing water to calibrate the tempera- ture probes, as well as access to accurate barometric pressure to calibrate the on-board sensor. The software that keeps PC WeatherPro happily keeping track of conditions runs in the background, as you'd expect. You can call up the master Weather Bulletin screen at any time by pressing a hot key. The real power in PC WeatherPro, however, is its ability to log and plot all that weather data. At regular intervals, all the weather parameters that the system measures are written to a disk file. You can call them up at any time, and, with the press of a couple of keys, either display continued 96 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Circle 134 on Reader Service Card Circle 307 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 308) — * -3m Introducing The OmniScan SM multifrequency mon i tor... AN D...the Advanced EGA 900 OmniCardP Together they breathe new , fire and life into charts, graphs, documents, spreadsheets, CAD/CAM applications and desktop publishing. OmniScan...the high resolution monitor compatible with virtually all computers, software and graphics packages; VGA™ to EGA...Personal System/2™ to Macintosh II™ The Advanced EGA 900 OmniCard... the most versatile graphics card available. Supports virtually all monitors and software; i EGA,CGA, Hercules™ MDA,132 columns, VGA modes 11 and 12.. .and 800 x 560 high resolution graphics. OmniScan and OmniCard are a powerful and profitable sales combination. Each is engineered for outstanding quality and value. Together, they're a real fire breather. Call today-for complete specifications. Tatung Co. of America, Inc. We monitor the world. Western Region-2850 El Presidio Street, Long Beach, CA 90810 (213) 979-7055 Mid-West Region-3320 Dalworth St., Arlington, TX 76011 (817) 640-3175 Eastern Region-1075 Cranbury South River Road, Building A, Suite 8, Jamesburg, NJ 08831 (609) 395-6770 OmniScan and 900 OmniCard are sales marks of Tatung Co. of America, Inc. All trademarks are property of their respective manufacturers. 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 differenttypesof 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 most thorough 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 conf ig. RAM All Color Graphics & Monochrome Monitors Parallels Serial Ports Mono, CGA, Hercules & EGA Adapters All Keyboards & the 8042 Controller Jointhe 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 (48tpi drives) $ 50 Wrap-around Plug for PC, PC/XTand compatibles (parallel and serial) $ 30 Service Diagnostics for AT and compatibles only $169 Alignment Diskettefor AT and compatibles (96 tpi drives) $ 50 Wrap-around Plugf or AT (serial) , $ 15 ROM POSTfor 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 all other CPUs (386, V20.V30, Harris, etc.) $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 POSTfor PS/2 and compatibles only $245 Alignment Diskette forPS/2and compatibles (3.5 inch) $ 50 To order, call 800-762-6629 (in Illinois 21 7-359-21 1 2) , write to SuperSoft, or FAX 21 7-398-5923. SupetS ft FIRST IN SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY P.O.Box 1628 Champaign, IL 61820 (217)359-2112 Telex 270365 SUPERSOFT is a registered trademark of SuperSoft, Inc.; CDC of Control Data Corp.; IBM PC, AT & 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. or print out graphs of the data. You can also set alarms to go off when certain conditions that you've preset— such as low or high temperatures or wind— occur. With its $575 price tag, PC WeatherPro is for dedicated weather freaks or those with a real need to keep track of current and past weather information. It is kind of a pain to set up, but it's one of the few PC accessories that give you the guilty pleasure of having fun and doing something ostensibly useful at the same time. —Stan Miastkowski Technical Graphing for Lotus 1-2-3 The Facts: Tech*Graph*Pad2.1 $275 Binary Engineering Inc. 100 Fifth Ave. Waltham, MA 02154 (617)890-1812 Inquiry 858. Requirements: IBM PC, XT, or AT with 440K bytes of free memory, DOS 2.0 or higher, and CGA or EGA. Tech*Graph*Pad is a stand-alone technical graphing program that can read directly from Lotus 1-2-3 or WKS- format files. The version that I tested (2.1) had several serious bugs and an extremely clumsy interface for such an expensive piece of software. The program does, however, have many features that engineers and scientists need in a graphing program. It supports log-log and log-linear plot types, as well as polar coordinates. You can use up to eight data sets of 500 points each, which you can generate in ASCII format or WKS files. In addition, Tech*Graph*Pad supports a set of curve-fitting algorithms, including poly- nomial, power, spline, logarithmic, Bezier, and Savitsky- Golay. A host of other features for scaling, labeling, and customizing your graphs are also included. You can also convert data from Tech*Graph*Pad into multiple or merged PIC files if you need to use the Lotus PrintGraph facility. In the bugs department, Tech*Graph*Pad printed the x- axis coordinates incorrectly when I changed to an integer format (it printed one coordinate twice and put a minus sign in front of the coordinate). Also, the built-in line editor for editing data files did not work properly, introducing extraneous characters when I attempted to move the cursor or use the PageUp or PageDown keys. While bugs can be corrected, Tech*Graph*Pad suffers from more basic design problems in its user interface. Tech*Graph*Pad uses a series of pop-up menus, some of which have selections in columns. Unfortunately, you can't move the cursor horizontally from one column to the next. You have to scroll vertically to the bottom of one column and then start at the top of the next, even if you only want to enter commands in a single row. In addition to the menu problems, Tech*Graph*Pad does not support the Extended ASCII character set, so you can't label your plots with standard Greek mathematical symbols such as 6 or L, for example. Tech*Graph*Pad's most important feature is its ability to read WKS files. However, you can't view the data from the WKS file when you are prompted to enter cell ranges for each data set. This means that you have to write them down on paper while in Lotus 1 -2-3 before you load Tech*Graph*Pad. There is a need for a program with Tech*Graph*Pad's fea- tures. However, I think that the implementation of these fea- tures in Tech*Graph*Pad version 2. 1 is seriously flawed. ■ —Nick Bar an 98 BYTE* MARCH 1988 Circle 255 on Reader Service Card Now you can find a needle in the haystack in three seconds flat. With MemoryMate.™ Imagine tossing all your notes and files into a huge desk drawer. Then magically discovering that every time you want some- thing, it's right there on top. We call it MemoryMate. A new breed of data manager that reduces your paper clutter I and takes the mess off your desk. Unlike structured data bases, I MemoryMate is free-form and works intuitively. Once you enter a record (up to 60 lines each) every single word, phrase, and date is automatically in- dexed. And cross-indexea. Which means that MemoryMate can find that record later by using any word, date, or phrase in it. And MemoryMate does it fast. You can search 180K on a PC XT in three seconds! And since MemoryMate is memory-resident, it's always there. You can access it while other programs are running. You can even cut and paste between MemoryMate and other programs. And vice versa. Just enter your memos, notes, tables — anything — using the built-in word processor. You can forget designating "keywords." Just like you can forget where you stashed that important scrap of paper or yellow Post-it®. You can even forget all your to-do lists and deadlines. Because MemoryMate reminds you. Tickler messages pop-up on screen automatically on the days you select. So how complex is all this to operate? MemoryMate has only 15 simple commands and they're always on screen. So you can access all that power easily — without having to remember a thing. Find what you need using a single word. Or a sentence. Let's say you want to call an attorney you met playing ten- nis last May. But you can't remember his name. All you remember is that you put a note about him in MemoryMate. So you type in the word "tennis" and hit the search key. In seconds, all records containing "tennis" begin to appear. But let's say you also manage a tennis league. You've got tons of "tennis" entries. To narrow your search, you type "tennis and May and attorney". Bingo! You've got his name and phone number. Circle 45 on Reader Service Card Is a better memory worth $69.95? Much more, according to Michael J. Miller, InfoWbrld; "// you've got lots of unstruc- tured information to keep track of, MemoryMate is a wonder... And at $6995, it's a bargain." PC V\feek agrees: "Once you've unlocked MemoryMate 's power, you'll wonder how you ever got by without it." Syndicated column st Bob Schwabach is ecstatic: "/ don't know quite how they did it... but this thing is lightning fast" !#■ With all this praise and all these incredible features, you'd expect MemoryMate to cost a lot more than $69.95. But it doesn't. And, right now you can get a demo disk for less than six bucks — which can be rebated when you buy MemoryMate. So fill in the coupon below and send it in. And be sure to do it now, before you forget. After all, you don't have MemoryMate to remind you. Yet. I\/T7C. ^ enc ^ me tne MemoryMate demo disk for just | | I £jU. $5- 95 * tax and sh pp n included. I \THi A CCW T\ Send me the MemoryMate pro- I II 1V1 Dv/LLa gam for $69.95 plus $3.50 snipping. CA res. add 6% sales tax. DAYTIME TELEPHONE □Check/Money Order □Visa □MasterCard □American Express L.-.1 J i i i_ Account Number L Expiration Date Signature Order Toll-Free. 24 Hours. 1-800-527-6263 Order by Mail: P.O. Box 12947, San Rafael CA 94913-2947 33BY2 Post-it is Allow 4 weeks for del very. Demo d sk offer good while supplies last. Broderburuf trademark of 3M. MemorjMate is a trademark of Broderbund Software, Inc. © Broderbund Software, Inc., fi&L . ABOVE BOARD 2 LEAVES THE COM Above® Board 2 is the first memory board for the PS/2" that comes with the new expanded memory specification — LIM 4.0. Because only Above Board 2 comes from Intel. The company that developed LIM 4.0. So now your users can access more memory. And run the very latest DOS appli- cation software well beyond 640K. Which will give everyone powerful, new capabilities they never thought possible. Above Board 2 also promises 100% com- patibility with OS/2™ application software. Along with guaranteeing compatibility with the PS/2's microchannel technology. Add to that Intel's technical support, award-winning documentation and five-year warranty, and Above Board 2 is clearly your one and only choice. Of course you could always wait for the competition to catch up. But, where would that leave you? For more information. call 800-538-3J73. Trademarks/owner: Above, Intel/Intel Corporation: PS/2, OS/2 /International Business Machines Corporation. © 1988 Intel Corporation. Circle 122 on Reader Service Card intel PETITION Otlt ON A UM. PRODUCT FOCUS Enhanced EGA and VGA Boards Curtis Franklin Jr. The joy of a good video stan- dard is that you want to use the available graphics. EGA graph- ics have become the standard for business applications, offer- ing 640- by 350-pixel by 16- color resolution and text that is readable for extended periods of time. During the last year, companies pushed that standard higher by offering enhanced EGA boards with 640 by 480 or higher resolutions. IBM has since given the world a new graphics standard, the VGA, and early in- dications are that it is a good standard in- deed. People who make graphics boards recognize this, and so the rush is on to get VGA-compatible graphics adapters to market. In this mad rush, unfortunately, the word "compatible" takes on several shades of meaning. I looked at 22 boards and found that, in many cases, compati- bility is in the eye of the marketing chief. In broad terms, the boards in this re- view fall into two categories: VGA-com- patible boards and enhanced EGA boards that happen to have modes that coincide with one or more of the new VGA modes. Table 1 lists characteristics for the 14 en- hanced EGA boards I looked at, and photo 1 shows a sampling of these boards. Table 2 lists the 8 VGA boards, and photos 2 and 3 show what these boards look like. In both groups of boards, I found that performance and fea- tures varied widely from board to board. Sorting Out Standards The original EGA boards used a 16.257- MHz timing crystal to drive the display at the 640 by 350 resolution. This satisfied users until multiple-scan-rate monitors, like the NEC MultiSync, appeared. These monitors allow a much higher res- olution, and people soon realized that simply adding a faster crystal would give Curtis Franklin Jr. is a technical editor for BYTE. He can be contacted at BYTE, One Phoenix Mill Lane, Peterborough, NH 03458, or on BIX as "curtf. " Should you buy a VGA or will an enhanced EGA fill the same purpose for less money? them an EGA display with 640 by 480 resolution (now the standard for en- hanced EGAs). Some manufacturers are going beyond the new standard to 800 by 560 and higher resolutions. VGA arrived on the scene with the IBM PS/2 computers in April 1987. It brought five new BIOS display modes (two text and three graphics) and a new requirement for monitors. EGA (and ear- lier) graphics use TTL monitors for their display. The increased bandwidth of the VGA signals would require a TTL cable roughly the diameter of your thumb, so IBM engineers decided to switch to ana- log display technology. With an analog display, fewer wires are required to carry the signal from the display adapter to the monitor. Most mul- tiple-scan-rate monitors allow switching between analog and TTL input, so up- grading from EGA to VGA will not, for many users, require buying a new moni- tor, as did the switch from CGA to EGA. Most of the interest in VGA has cen- tered on the graphics modes. The three new ones are mode 1 1H, 640 by 480 by 2- color; mode 12H, 640 by 480 by 16- color; and mode 13H, 320 by 200 by 256- color. Modes 12H and 13H display their colors from a palette of more than 256,000 colors. You may have noticed that the resolu- tion of modes 1 1H and 12H matches the resolution of many enhanced EGA boards. This does not mean that all boards with 640 by 480 resolution are VGA-compatible. The BIOS entry loca- tions are different for EGA and VGA, even at the same resolution. Some manu- facturers solve this problem by offering software that switches the board between EGA BIOS and VGA BIOS. If you have specific needs for a particu- lar mode or resolution, you should read the specifications of the board and its attendant software carefully. Photos 4 and 5 show the difference be- tween EGA and VGA resolu- tion. (For a detailed discussion of the VGA standard, see "PS/2 Video Programming" by Richard Wilton in BYTE's Fall 1987 Inside the IBM PCs.) Wringing Them Out 1 used nine tests to check the features and compare the performance of the boards. The machine I used was an 8-MHz IBM PC AT with 2.5 megabytes of RAM, a 40-megabyte hard disk drive, and an NEC MultiSync XL monitor. The tests I used were the following: 1 . TORUS.BAS: A QuickBASIC 4.0 pro- gram that draws a torus (doughnut) on the screen at the highest available color/reso- lution, then cycles the colors. 2 and 3. Two QuickBASIC programs that checked for support of VGA mode 13H. 4. VGADiag: This program comes with the SigmaVGA board and checks for sup- port of all EGA modes, enhanced EGA (640 by 480), and all VGA modes. 5 . Windows Draw: I measured the time to redraw the USA. PIC file that was sup- plied with Microsoft Windows Draw. 6. Windows Write: I measured the time needed to scroll from the top to the bot- tom of a file that measured approximately 40K bytes. For both Windows tests, I used Microsoft Windows version 1.03 (which was the latest version available at the time of this writing) and the Windows driver supplied with the individual board unless otherwise stated. 7 . DOS DIR: The time needed to display a 53-entry directory using the DIR com- mand of DOS 3.2. 8. AutoCAD: I timed a regeneration (RE- GEN) of the STPAULS file supplied with AutoCAD version 2.52 with ADE 3 ex- tensions. I used the AutoCAD driver sup- plied with each board to perform this test. continued 102 BYTE- MARCH 1988 EGA Boca Research MultiEGA Genoa SuperEGA HiRes + IGC EGAcard Logitech EGA MitacSEGA NSI Smart EGA Plus Paradise Autoswitch EGA480 Quadram Quad ProSync! SCOA Star PGA SMT Pro-EGA Tatung 900 OmniCard Tecmar EGA Master 800 Thomson EGA Ultra Version Tseng EVA480 VGA ATI VIP VGA Tatung Platinum Card Compaq VGC Board IBM PS/2 Display Adapter SigmaVGA STB VGA Extra Video Seven VEGA VGA Zenith Z449 Photo 1: The NSI Smart EGA Plus, Thomson Enhanced Graphics Adapter Ultra Version, Paradise Autoswitch EGA480, and Quadram Quad ProSync! are typical of the half-slot enhanced EGA boards. Photo 2: IBM's Personal System/2 Display Adapter, the standard by which most other VGA boards are judged. Photo 3: The first crop of VGA boards include the ATI VIP VGA, Compaq Video Graphics Controller Board, SigmaVGA, STB VGA Extra, VEGA VGA, Tatung Platinum Card, and Zenith Z449. MARCH 1988 -BYTE 103 EGA AND VGA BOARDS Table 1: Enhanced EGA boards. Product Boca Research MultiEGA Genoa SuperEGA HiRes + IGC EGAcard Logitech EGA Mitac SEGA NSI Logic Smart EGA Plus Paradise Autoswitch EGA480 Maximum resolution 640 x 480 x 16 colors 640 x 48(1 x 16 colors 640 x 480 x 1 6 colors 640 x 480 x 16 colors 640 x 480 x 1 6 colors 640 x 480 x 1 6 colors 640 x 480 x 1 6 colors VGA modes supported None Modes 0, 1,2, and 3 None None None None None Drivers supplied Windows, AutoCAD Windows, AutoCAD, GEM, Lotus 1-2-3, Framework II, Ventura Publisher, Volkswriter 3 AutoCAD Windows, AutoCAD, GEM Windows, AutoCAD, Lotus 1-2-3 Windows, AutoCAD, GEM, Lotus 1-2-3, Ventura Publisher, Symphony, WordStar, Framework II, WordPerfect Windows, AutoCAD, GEM, Lotus 1-2-3, Ventura Publisher, Symphony, WordStar, Framework II, WordPerfect Size 5V2 x 4" 5V2 x 4" 7 x4" 6 1 /2 x4" 5V 2 x 4" 5V 2 x 4" 5 1 /2 x 4" Special features TTL and 9-pin analog output; cable Comes with three-button mouse and mouse driver software Compatible with drivers for other EGA boards Documentation 46-page Owner's Manual 57-page User's Manual 25-page User's Manual 4 7 -page Installation Manual 28-page Guide to Operations 39-page User's Guide; 4-page addendum 35-page manual; 31 -page Software Manual Price $299 $489 $450 $399 $199 $499 $349 Inquiry 924. Inquiry 925. Inquiry 926. Inquiry 927. Inquiry 928. Inquiry 929. Inquiry 930. All drivers supplied used the ADI driver hooks available in AutoCAD. 9. Lotus 1-2-3: I timed the drawing of a graph within the spreadsheet. The graph was a stacked bar chart of 48 data points in 1-2-3 version 2. 1 used the 1-2-3 graph- ics driver supplied with the board or the Lotus EGA driver if no graphics driver was supplied. The applications (Windows, AutoCAD, and Lotus 1-2-3) test the performance and features of a graphics board/driver combination. I used the highest-resolu- tion driver available in each case. The performance of the board with a lower- resolution driver might be much dif- ferent. Figure 1 shows the benchmark re- sults for the enhanced EGA boards; figure 2, the results for the VGA boards. Boards Beyond EGA All boards in this category support at least 640 by 480 by 16-color graphics, driving them on a TTL monitor. Some of the boards provide BIOS hooks for VGA software in certain modes, but most sim- ply list themselves as enhanced EGA boards. In addition to the drivers and software listed with each product, the boards generally include software to display the version and date of the motherboard ROM, a program to change video modes in software, and a program to allow games that auto-boot to run. The boards are listed in alphabetical order. The Boca Research MultiEGA ($299) is a PC-bus half card. The MultiEGA uses the Chips and Technologies EGA chip set and the Boca Research BIOS, and it contains one switchblock and three jumpers for setting mode and monitor type. It includes drivers for AutoCAD and Windows and a Screensaver. Its performance places the MultiEGA solidly in the top tier of the enhanced EGA boards, taking 22.77 seconds to re- generate the STPAULS file in AutoCAD, the fifth fastest time, and 95.98 seconds to scroll through the Windows Write text file, the second fastest time. Boca does not claim that the MultiEGA emulates any VGA video modes. The Genoa SuperEGA HiRes + ($489) is a half-length board that uses a Genoa EGA chip set and EGA BIOS to provide enhanced EGA functions and compatibil- ity with VGA text modes 0, 1 , 2, and 3 through a TTL video port. The board provides VGA BIOS entry points, but the tests I ran showed that the VGA emulation is not perfect. For example, the TORUS program gave an initial display of EGA- type colors, but it would not cycle the colors. In addition, a large green band ran down the right side of the screen. Genoa includes drivers for AutoCAD, GEM, Windows, Lotus 1-2-3, Frame- work II, Ventura Publisher, and Volks- writer 3. With each test program, the SuperEGA HiRes + brought up the dis- play on the far left side of the screen and then shifted it to the center after about Vi second. The jumping display was discon- certing but did not seem to have any effect on the performance of the programs. This board had the worst performance in Lo- tus 1 -2-3 , taking more than twice the time of the next slowest board. In other pro- grams, it scored in the middle. The Intelligent Graphics Corp. EGA- card ($450), based on the Chips and Technologies chip set and Phoenix BIOS, has a number of features that make it stand out from the rest of the boards in this group. The EGAcard does not in- clude VGA BIOS hooks or emulation, but it does have (9-pin) analog output in addi- tion to the standard EGA TTL. IGC even included a 9-pin to 9-pin cable with the 104 BYTE- MARCH 1988 EGA AND VGA BOARDS Quadram Quad ProSync! SCOA Star PGA SMT Pro-EGA Tatung 900 OmniCard Tecmar EGA Master 800 Thomson EGA Ultra Version Tseng Labs EVA480 640 x 480 x 16 colors 640 x 480 x 16 colors 640 x 480 x 16 colors 800x560 x 16 colors 640 X480 x 16 colors 640 x 480 x 16 colors 640 X480 x 16 colors Modes 1 1 H and 12H None None Modes 1 1 H and 12H Modes 1 1 H and 12H None None Windows, AutoCAD, GEM, WordStar, WordPerfect Windows, AutoCAD, GEM, CADVance, Lotus 1-2-3, WordStar, Symphony, Ventura Publisher Windows, AutoCAD, GEM, CADVance, Lotus 1-2-3, WordStar, Symphony, Ventura Publisher Windows, AutoCAD, Lotus 1-2-3, WordStar Windows, AutoCAD, GEM, Lotus 1-2-3, Ventura Publisher AutoCAD Windows, AutoCAD 5V2 x 4" 5V2 x 4" 5V 2 x 4" 5V 2 x 4" 5V2 x 4" 5V 2 x 4" 13V 4 x 4" Driver upgrade for VGA: $10 < Microsoft In Port connector and mouse driver 25-pin RS-232C port; Hercules emulation 52-page Operations Manual: 30-page driver appendixes 60-page User's Manual 60-page Instruction Manual 45-page Operations Manual 70-page user's guide; 38-page cover removal guide 44-page User's Guide 51-pagel/ser's Guide; 35-page Driver Notes $395 $399 $249 $399 $595 $395 $480 Inquiry 931. Inquiry 975. Inquiry 976. Inquiry 977. Inquiry 978. Inquiry 979. Inquiry 980. board. While other boards in this review concentrated on the VGA standard, IGC designed this board to work "in series" with its PGC (Professional Graphics Controller) compatible adapter. Accord- ing to the manual, connecting the two boards allows the EGAcard to provide PGC colors at EGA resolution. A driver for AutoCAD was included with the board but, unlike the drivers for the other boards I looked at, this one didn't work. When I tried to install it, I got an Unknown Hardware error. The AutoCAD timing test was run using the AutoCAD EGA driver. The Logitech EGA ($399) comes with a three-button Logitech mouse and a mouse port. The Logitech EGA is based on the Chips and Technologies chip set and Logitech BIOS, and it uses one switchblock and two jumpers to set video mode and monitor type. The board comes with drivers for Windows, GEM, and AutoCAD and drives all three at 640 by 480 resolution. I did not test the mouse or its. drivers. The Logitech EGA board continued Photos 4 and 5: Microsoft 's Windows 1. 03 running under EGA (left) and VGA (right) modes illustrates the increased resolution that VGA offers. MARCH 1988 -BYTE 105 EGA AND VGA BOARDS Table 2: VGA boards. Product ATI VIP VGA Tatung Platinum Card Compaq Video Graphics Controller IBM Personal System/2 Adapter SigmaVGA STB VGA Extra Video Seven VEGA VGA Zenith Z449 Maximum resolution 640 x 480 x 1 6 colors 640 x 480 x 1 6 colors * 640 x 480 x 16 colors 640 x 480 x 1 6 colors 640 x 480 x 16 colors 640 x 480 x 1 6 colors 640 x 480 x 16 colors 640 x 480 x 1 6 colors VGA modes supported All All All All All All All All except mode 13H Drivers supplied Windows, AutoCAD, GEM, Lotus 1-2-3, Ventura Publisher Windows, AutoCAD, GEM, Lotus 1-2-3, Ventura Publisher None None Windows, AutoCAD, Lotus 1-2-3, WordStar, GEM Windows, AutoCAD, Lotus 1-2-3, Symphony Windows, AutoCAD, Lotus 1 -2-3 Windows, AutoCAD, GEM, Symphony, Lotus 1-2-3 Size IVi x 4" 7V2 x 4" 9 x 4" 13V2 x 4" 13V2 x 4" 10 x 4" 5V2 x 4" 13V2 x 4" Special features Also supports EGA, CGA, Hercules, and MDA Loads video ROM into RAM Also supports EGA, CGA, Hercules, and MDA Documentation 49-page Operations Manual 49-page Operations Manual • 29-page Installation and Operations Guide 21 -page Installation Instructions; 22-page addendum to DOS Guide 63-page Installation and User's Guide 57-page user's manual 52-page User's Manual 24-page Installation Guide; 20- page Driver Installation Guide Price $449 $445 $599 $595 $499 $395 $499 $499 Inquiry 981. Inquiry 982. Inquiry 983. Inquiry 984 Inquiry 985. Inquiry 986. Inquiry 987 Inquiry 988. worked flawlessly and turned in a better- than-average performance. The Mitac SEGA ($199) is built around the same Chips and Technologies chip set and Phoenix BIOS as many of the other boards, but it deserves special note as the least-expensive board I looked at. The SEGA performed as a standard enhanced EGA, with one exception: In the VGA- Diag test, where all other boards gave a full-size screen for both the 320 by 200 by 16-color and 640 by 200 by 16-color tests, the SEGA gave split screens, with identical half -size images appearing in the top and bottom halves of the screen. In all, the Mitac board looks like a good bet if your needs are confined to the capa- bilities of an enhanced EGA. The N SI Logic Smart EGA Plus ($499) supports VGA modes 11H and 12H through its TTL video port. The docu- mentation also lists other boards that this NSI chip-set- and BIOS-based board is compatible with. According to the docu- mentation, this board is compatible with, and can use the drivers from, the Paradise Autoswitch EGA480, Video Seven VEGA Deluxe, Quadram Quad Pro- Sync!, and PCG Photon Mega. In addi- tion to this bounty of drivers, the Smart EGA Plus comes with drivers for Win- dows, 1-2-3, Symphony, and AutoCAD. The major flaw of this board was the noticeable and very annoying flicker in the Windows and AutoCAD displays. The Smart EGA Plus was the only board to have a problem with severe flickering. The Paradise Autoswitch EGA480 ($349) is a half-length card that uses the Paradise single-chip EGA and Paradise BIOS to provide enhanced EGA capabil- ity. This board offers the same basic functionality as the other boards in this group, and it provides software drivers for Windows, GEM, AutoCAD, Ventura Publisher, 1-2-3, Symphony, Frame- work II, WordStar, and WordPerfect. The most outstanding feature of the Autoswitch EGA480 is its documenta- tion, which is well written, professionally presented, and clearer than any other board's documentation on how the instal- lation procedure for each driver works, including the response shown on the screen at each step. The quality of the documentation make this board good for users who do not have a lot of experience installing boards and drivers. The Quadram Quad ProSync! ($395) supports VGA modes 1 1H and 12H, as well as enhanced EGA modes. When I tested the board, which uses a Chips and Technologies chip set and the Phoenix BIOS, I found that on TORUS I got VGA colors, but no color cycling, indicating limits to the completeness of the emula- tion. The Quad ProSync! comes with drivers for 1-2-3, Windows, AutoCAD, GEM, WordPerfect, and WordStar. My only problem with the board came in using AutoCAD. When STPAULS first appeared, the colors were dramatically different than those of other boards, with red replacing blue, and green replacing white. When I regenerated, the colors corrected themselves, but throughout the AutoCAD session, random characters would occasionally appear at the top of the menu section. The SCOA Star PGA ($399) confused my poor little brain. First, the box said "Intelligent EGA." Next, while I would assume that "PGA" related to the IBM PGC board, this is simply another en- hanced EGA board that uses the Chips and Technologies chip set and the Phoe- nix BIOS. There was nothing unusual in the operation of the board, but it was the only product I looked at that had no switches set at the factory. Most of the boards came set up for EGA graphics on a standard EGA monitor, but this board simply came with all switches on. The SMT Pro-EGA ($249) is a half- length card that uses the Paradise chip set continued 106 BYTE- MARCH 1988 CGA EGA VGA [PS-2] MULTI-SCAN / ANALOG DUAL SCAN GREEN/ AMBER/ WHITE 132 COLUMN ALL WITH TWO-YEAR WARRANTY U.S. HEADQUARTERS: CTX INTERNATIONAL, INC. 260 PASEO TESORO/WALNUT, CA 91789 TEL: (714) 595-6146 FAX: (714) 595-6293 EASTERN REGIONAL OFFICE CONTINENTAL TECHNOLOGY, BMC. 300 McGAW DRIVE EDISON; NEW JERSEY 08837 TEL: (201) 225-7377 FAX: (201) 225-6355 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTOR ELCO COMPUTERS 215 S. RAYMOND ST. ALHAMBRA, CA 91803 TEL: (818) 284-3281 FAX: (818) 284-4871 FACTORY CHUNTEX ELECTRONIC CO., LTD. ROOM 401, NO. 50 SEC.l, HSIN-SHENG S. RD„ TAIPEI, TAIWAN, R.O.C, TEL: (02) 3921171 FAX: (02) 3919780 PS-2 is a trademark of International Business Machine Corp. Circle 70 on Reader Service Card (Dealers: 71) EGA AND VGA BOARDS 625-, 125- -o c o o CD 5 o CO CO o o 25- 5- CO O c\i C0 CO CM CO c\i CM cvi m o o 00 CM in CO o CM CM CO NT c\i CM 00 CM O CM CO lO 00 O) CO CM CM O) CM CM CM f ■& &f _a> CO o CO o I CO O) o 25- 5 - CD 1^. o CO CO O GO O) CO CO CO O CO CO 00 U Draw D Write I DOSDIR D AutoCAD D Lotus 1-2-3 CO CM CO *r o CVJ o CVJ CVJ CD CO CVJ CO CVJ -€<* Srjjjft jf aCT ^ & or V # Figure 2: Compaq 's VGC Board scored best on the benchmark tests for VGA boards, followed by Video Seven 's VEGA VGA. Video Seven includes drivers for Auto- CAD, Windows, and 1-2-3 with the board. The experience with the first board left me a bit leery of the VEGA VGA, but based on the performance and features of the second board, this product's a winner. The Zenith 1449 ($499) is a full-length VGA board that supports all but one of the VGA modes. Unfortunately, the mode left out (mode 13H) is the 256- color mode that helps make the VGA standard so nice. The Z449, based on the Chips and Technologies chip set, tries to make up for the missing mode by provid- ing lots of backward compatibility, offer- ing EGA, CGA, MDA, and Hercules support. It almost succeeds. In addition to the hardware features, Zenith shows nice attention to detail by being the only manufacturer to provide its drivers for AutoCAD, GEM, 1-2-3, Symphony, and Windows on both 514- and 31/2 -inch disks. If it weren't for the missing mode, this would be the top board of the group. The Best of a Big Bunch If an enhanced EGA board with no pre- tensions to VGA is all you need, the Mitac SEGA board is the clear winner on the basis of price. If you feel that high-qual- ity, detailed documentation is important, by all means check out the Paradise board. Other than these two, the en- hanced EGA boards offer a lot of similar- ities across a wide range of prices and secondary features. There were none that I would warn against. And given the cur- rent lack of software that supports VGA, these boards may be more than adequate for most applications. On the VGA side of things, one fact be- came quite clear: If you need VGA, buy VGA, not an enhanced EGA board that happens to have a mode or two that coin- cides with VGA. For one thing, you really need an analog display to take ad- vantage of VGA, and with the exception of the Intelligent Graphics EGAcard, none of the enhanced EGA boards offer analog. For another, the quality of the "VGA emulation" provided by the en- hanced EGA boards simply wasn't up to the standards of the "real" VGA boards. Finally, most of the VGA boards re- viewed here claim BIOS-level versus reg- ister-level compatibility with VGA. Since I began this review, many companies, in- cluding Paradise, Sigma, and others mentioned here, have announced boards that claim to be hardware-compatible with VGA and so able to more fully sup- port future VGA software and offer faster performance. But if I were in the market today for a VGA board, the SigmaVGA would be my choice. It offers complete VGA imple- mentation and a nice variety of drivers in a well-documented package. The VEGA VGA from Video Seven is also a top- notch board, with good features and per- formance. If you need VGA and have only a half-length slot open, the VEGA VGA is the way to go. ■ 112 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Ah, the big idea. Everyone has one. But not everyone can afford a plotter to plot one on. Which got us thinking. What if there was an HP quality plotter so reasonably priced you could afford to hook one up to every PC CAD workstation in the office? Presenting the HP DraftPro Plotter. For only $4900 any architect, engineer or designer can create perfect plots time after time. Consider what the DraftPro can do: It can draw straight lines, smooth arcs and perfectly-formed characters. All on C and D-size drafting film, paper or vellum, using eight different pen colors. Furthermore, it works with just about any PC, such as the HP Vectra PC and IBM PCfe. As well as popular PC CAD programs like VersaCAD and AutoCAD. If the idea of having HP reliability with a low price tag makes sense to you, call us now For a brochure and sample plot, call 1 800 752-0900, Ext. 901A. The HP DraftPro Plotter: high-quality drafting for only $4900.* The drawing shown below was produced on the HP DraftPro with VersaCAD software. 7/1 ■"> 71 m HEWLETT PACKARD VersaCAD is a registered trademark of T & W Systems. AutoCAD is a registered trademark of AutoDesk, Inc. 'Suggested U.S. list price. Circle 114 on Reader Service Card How to pull off a fantastic HP plot for only $4900. Insist on a Sysgen 5W drive for your PS/2. Here's why: A Sysgen™ Bridge-File™ gives a PS/2™ full access to your current data and software, with unparalleled 5 X A" disk drive performance and reliability. You get: A larger capacity drive. Two modes — a 360Kb and a powerful 1.2 Mb — assure you comprehensive transfer cap- abilities and convenience for total office needs. Others, like IBM®'s, offer only 360Kb. Proven reliability. In fact, Sysgen is the choice of over 100,000 satisfied Bridge- File and tape back-up users. No slot loss. The Sysgen 5 l A" drive adapter card doesn't take any additional slot space. IBM's does. Built- in flexibility of an external connector. You can add another Bridge-File drive or Sysgen's high-performance tape back-up system, Bridge-Tape"' (As a Bridge-File owner, you receive a total savings of $135 on Bridge-Tape!) What's more, Sysgen's footprint is smaller. A full 50% smaller than IBM's. For the best PS/2 access to 5 l A" disks, and the best value at only $325, insist on Sysgen Bridge-File. Sysgen offers the only complete family of data transfer products: Including the V/tl' Bridge-File floppy disk drive, for transferring information from any PS/2 to any PC. And the Bridge-Tape subsystem that's PC and PS/2 com- patible, giving you total tape back-up and data transfer flexibility. Call for Sysgen literature or for the location of the Sysgen dealer nearest you. INFO HOTLINE 1-800-821-2151 SYSGEN I NCOR PORATED Sysgen Incorporated, 556 Gibraltar Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035, (408) 263-4411. © Copyright Sysgen, Inc., 1988. Trademarks: PS/2 — IBM Corporation, Sysgen, Bridge-Tape, Bridge-File — Sysgen, Inc. Registered trademarks: IBM — IBM Corporation. SYSTEM REVIEW The Zenith Z-386 Ed McNierney The Z-386 backplane design features an unusual approach to high-speed bus expansion. In this design, the backplane, or system board, serves as a power and bus connection system into which you plug other circuit boards. One advantage to this is that if a part fails, it is likely to be on a removable circuit board. The Z-386' s backplane has two 8-bit slots, two AT- compatible 16-bit slots, and six 32-bit slots. The Z-386, at the high end of Zenith's MS-DOS desktop computers, combines the speed of a 32-bit 80386 processor with IBM PC AT compatibility. The basic system comes in two models, differentiated by the amount of hard disk space: The Model 40 ($6499) contains a 40-megabyte hard disk drive, and the Model 80 ($7499) has an 80-megabyte hard disk drive. Both models include a 16-MHz 80386 processor, which requires one 32-bit slot and has a socket for either an 80287 or 80387 math coprocessor; a Z-505 memory board containing 1 megabyte of two- wait- state 100-nanosecond RAM (it requires one 32-bit slot); a 1.2-megabyte floppy disk drive and one of the hard disk drives (the disk controller requires one 16-bit slot); an I/O board containing one serial port and one parallel port (the board re- quires one 32-bit slot); a 31.5-kHz video display board, which occupies one 8-bit slot and includes EGA, CGA, and Her- cules hardware and software support; and five additional expansion slots— one 8- bit, one 16-bit, and three 32-bit slots. The basic system also includes MS-DOS 3.2 and Microsoft Windows/386. You can expand memory in either 1- megabyte increments with the Z-505 memory card ($699) or 4-megabyte in- crements with the Z-515 memory card ($2199); each card of either kind requires Faster than the PS/2 Model 80 and fully compatible with the IBM PC AT one 32-bit slot. You can provide the Z-386 with a maximum of 16 megabytes of RAM by filling the three remaining 32-bit slots with Z-515s and substituting another Z-515 for the Z-505 that comes with the basic system. You can add Zenith's optional Z-525 64K-byte, zero- wait-state, 40-ns cache- memory board ($599), which requires a 32-bit slot, and you can add another 1 .2- megabyte or 360K-byte floppy disk drive, as well as another hard disk drive. The Z-386's 195-watt power supply and disk controller provide all the power and cabling necessary to support two floppy disk drives and two hard disk drives without upgrading or requiring additional expansion slots. The system I reviewed was a Z-386 Model 80 with a 1.2-megabyte 5V4-inch floppy disk drive, an 80-megabyte hard disk drive, the Z-449 video display board, and Zenith's ex- cellent ZVM-1380-C 13-inch EGA color monitor ($799). The review system also came with the optional 64K-byte cache memory board to cache the en- tire address space. Adding this optional board boosts system performance, as the bench- marks will show. The Hard Facts The Z-386 has a modular de- sign based on Zenith's familiar "backplane," with plug-in components including the CPU, system memory, disk controllers, and standard I/O services. Most 80386 micro- computers feature at least one 32-bit expansion slot into which you can add fast peripherals such as memory. However, many slot designs are propri- etary, and 32-bit hardware de- signed for one system can't be used with another. Much of the time, you can use these 32-bit slots only with special 32-bit circuit boards; if you are running out of slots, you may not be able to use a stan- dard IBM PC or AT peripheral device in an unused slot. While the 32-bit bus layout for the Z-386 is also proprietary, it is designed to be an extension of the AT's 98-pin con- nector. The 16-MHz, 32-bit, 160-pin slots can accept Zenith peripheral boards as well as AT-compatible boards. Those AT boards containing descenders— that is, portions of the board that drop down beyond the edge connector to gain more board space— won't fit, because the de- scenders hit the connector on the Z-386. continued Ed McNierney is a principal engineer at Lotus Development Corp. You can con- tact him at 54 Pleasant St. , Groton, MA 01450, or on BIX as "meed. " MARCH 1988 -BYTE 115 REVIEW: THE ZENITH Z-386 Zenith Z-386 Model 80 Company Zenith Data Systems 1000 Milwaukee Ave. Glenview, IL 60025 (312)699-4800 Components Processor: 16-MHz Intel 80386; socket for optional 80287 or 80387 math coprocessor Memory: 1 megabyte of two-wait-state RAM, expandable to 1 6 megabytes; 64K bytes of cache memory optional Mass storage: One 1 .2-megabyte 5V4- inch floppy disk drive; one 80-megabyte hard disk drive; expandable to one more floppy disk drive and one more hard disk drive Display: MDA, PGA, Hercules, EGA, Enhanced EGA, and VGA Keyboard: Modified 101 -key enhanced keyboard layout I/O interfaces: One serial port; one parallel port; five free slots: one 8-bit slot, one 1 6-bit slot, and three 32-bit slots Other: Real-time clock/calendar with battery, 195 watts; 1 1 0-/220-volt switchable power supply; one year carry-in warranty Size 6V2 by 21 by I6V2 inches; 38 pounds Software MS-DOS version 3.2; Microsoft Windows/386; Video Drivers software support Options 80287 math coprocessor: $525 80387 math coprocessor: $1 199 Z-505 1 -megabyte RAM expansion: $699 Z-515 4-megabyte RAM expansion: $2199 Z-525 64K-byte cache memory: $599 40-megabyte hard disk drive: $1699 80-megabyte hard disk drive: $1 999 Documentation 1 30-page High-Performance Workstation Owner's Manual; 475-page MS-DOS Version 3.2 User's Guide and User's Reference; 20-page Video Drivers installation Guide; 46-page MS-DOS Version 3.2 Quick Reference Guide Price Model 40: $6499 Model 80: $7499 Inquiry 885. Z-386 Model 80 PS/2 Compaq IBM no cache, cache, Model 80 386 PC AT Test no FPU no FPU 80387-16 80387-16 80287-8 Dhrystone* 3821 4136 3626 3748 1590 Fibonacci 53.17 49.43 57.26 53.11 126.22 Float 35.70 33.45 1.62 1.43 10.98 Savage 314.06 280.89 9.49 8.95 37.30 Sieve 5.84 5.38 6.45 5.98 24.60 Sort * For the Dh 8.02 6.92 7.74 5.58 43.17 jres denote faster performance. ystone test only, higher f igi DISK ACCESS IN BASIC (IN SECONDS) WRITE READ 5 10 15 20 25 5 10 15 20 25 MMMMMI ■ 6.0 I I BASIC PERFORMANCE (IN SECONDS) SIEVE CALCULATIONS 20 40 MM 28 ■127 161 ■ 23 5 10 15 20 25 2 20 MMMH8.5 ■■■■Ml MM 6.8 SPREADSHEET (IN SECONDS) LOAD 5 RECALCULATE 20 25 MB 2.0 MM1.8 SYSTEM UTILITIES (IN SECONDS) 40K FILE COPY 10 15 20 25 ■ 0.7 ■ 1.1 5.0 ZENITH Z-386 IBM PS/2 MODEL 80 COMPAQ DESKPRO 386 IBM PC AT (8 MHZ) The table contains the results of C language benchmarks (see "A Closer Look" by Rich- ard Grehan in the September 1987 BYTE). All times are in seconds, except for the Dhry- stone, which is in Dhrystones per second. The Disk Access benchmarks write and then read a 64K-byte sequential text file to a hard disk. Sieve runs one iteration of the Sieve of Eratosthenes. Calculations performs 10,000 multiplication and division operations. The Spreadsheet tests load and recalculate a 1 00-row by 25-column M ultiplan (1 .06) spread- sheet. The 40K File Copy benchmark copies a 40K-byte file on the hard disk. All BASIC benchmark programs were run with MS-DOS 3.20 and GWBASIC 3.20 on the Zenith Z- 386 Model 80; PC-DOS 3.3 and BASICA 3.3 on the PS/2 Model 80 and PC AT; and Compaq DOS 3.1 and Compaq BASIC 3. 1 1 on the Deskpro 386. 116 BYTE- MARCH 1988 REVIEW: THE ZENITH Z-386 However, most AT boards will fit, and the added flexibility is convenient. The Z-386 features standard EGA- compatible graphics that can send video output to a variety of different monitors. In addition to supporting MDA, CGA, Hercules, and EGA monitors, the Z-449 video adapter can drive a 3 1.5 -kHz ana- log monochrome or color monitor, such as those supported by IBM's PS/2 com- puters. The Z-449 directly supports a special EGA-like 480-line display on VGA analog monitors, and Zenith pro- vides a disk of video drivers to support the 480-line mode in Lotus 1-2-3, Lotus Symphony, AutoCAD, GEM, and Micro- soft Windows. [Editor's note: For further discussion of the Z-449, see "Enhanced EGA and VGA Boards " by Curtis Frank- lin Jr. on page 102 of this issue.] On the rear of the system unit are two sockets for monitors: one for a VGA or compatible monitor and one for the other supported monitors. The sockets are easy to differentiate, however: The VGA monitor socket has 1 5 pins in three rows, and the other has 9 pins in two rows. In other words, the plug on your monitor will fit only in the appropriate socket, so there's no chance of mixing them up. When I connected the monitor to the system unit, it displayed only a solid white screen. Even though the review system came with an EGA monitor, Ze- nith configured the system at the factory to support an analog VGA monitor. I solved the display problem by setting off video DIP switch 6 (accessible from the outside of the unit)— but only after searching the documentation for the solu- tion and finally finding it in Chapter 4 of the owner's manual. I think Zenith should include information addressing common setup problems in the "Getting Started" chapter at the front. The on/off switch for the monitor is on the front; it is a push button labeled "1/0. " The monitor also has a feature I haven't seen before: On the front is a three-posi- tion dial that lets you choose either the standard color output (black and white for text at the default settings) or mono- chrome output in amber or green. Zenith's enhanced 101-key keyboard closely emulates the 101 -key layout used on IBM's PS/2 and AT computers, and it has a soft touch with an audible clicking feedback system in the keyboard unit it- self. Zenith has made one change to the IBM layout: Instead of placing the back- slash (\) key to the left of the single- width Backspace key, as IBM does, Ze- nith has enlarged the Backspace key to double-width and placed the backslash key to the right of a truncated right Shift key. It's a small change, but I find it diffi- cult to switch between layouts. On the positive side, the Z-386's key- board features a well-designed acceler- ated key-repeat feature. When you press a key and hold it down, it begins to repeat at a standard rate; but the longer you hold it down, the faster it repeats, making long cursor movements convenient and rapid. You can use the keyboard with either AT- or XT-compatible computers; there is an AT/XT switch under the nameplate on the upper left. The keyboard comes set up for AT compatibility, and if you wish to use XT compatibility, you need to add appropriate firmware and change the switch setting. The Software Scene In addition to MS-DOS 3.2 and Micro- soft Windows/386, the Z-386 comes with a ROM-based Monitor program that pro- vides access to: a Setup/Configuration program that lets you configure your sys- tem from the keyboard; a Test program that has extensive disk-read, keyboard, base-memory, expansion-memory, and power-up diagnostic tests; a series of de- bugging tools, including Eaddress (ex- amine memory), Iport (input from port), R [register] (examine register), T[eount] (trace program), and U [range] (unassemble program), where brackets denote an optional parameter. To activate the Monitor program, you press Ctrl- Alt-Insert. The Z-386 provides a flexible disk- boot mechanism. The Setup/Configura- tion program lets you tell the system where to look for its bootstrap record; you can choose to boot automatically from the floppy disk or the hard disk, or from the floppy disk when it is mounted and from the hard disk when it isn't. You can also choose to have the system come up displaying the Monitor program's prompt, at which time you can boot from whatever drive you wish with the boot command B [parameters] . Although the Z-386 comes with Ze- nith's version of MS-DOS 3.2, the oper- ating system is not preinstalled on the hard disk. When I first powered up the re- view system (after setting the DIP switch), the screen displayed the error message Not a bootable partition. The "Getting Started" section of the owner's manual explained that at this point you reset the computer with the Ctrl- Alt-Insert combination to go to the Monitor program. From there, you mount the first MS-DOS disk and enter B F (which stands for "boot from flop- py"). The boot sequence on the floppy disk initiates the MS-DOS SETUP utility. This reveals a couple of problems that Zenith could easily have avoided. First, SETUP is not the same as the Setup/Con- figuration program, but Zenith doesn't tell you that there are two different pro- grams involved. This is confusing; you think you're going to enter the Setup/ Configuration program, but you aren't. So, any attempt to jump ahead can easily put you in the wrong place. For instance, if at the monitor prompt you select the op- tion for the Setup/Configuration pro- gram, you have actually bypassed the SETUP utility, and your hard disk has not been formatted. Thus, you can find your- self in quite a mess. A different name for one of the programs would have avoided this confusion. Second, Zenith has set the system to automatically try to boot up on the hard disk. This doesn't make much sense when you consider that the hard disk doesn't contain an operating system; in fact, it isn't even formatted. It would make more sense to set the initial system default to boot from the floppy disk. The SETUP utility formats your hard disk and transfers your system to it, if you wish, through a user-friendly conversa- tional interaction. The hard disk comes unformatted with one partition. If you want more than one, you can use the MS- DOS PART utility to set them up. SETUP tells you when to exit and execute PART, and the two utilities give you instructions on all the procedures you need. You can also use some other MS-DOS utilities if you need to modify the hard disk organization and protections. You can use DSKSETUP and ASGNPART to create more than one MS-DOS partition and assign disk drive letters to those par- titions. Then you can format the parti- tions with the MS-DOS FORMAT com- mand to make them usable and bootable. The DSKSETUP utility adds a conve- nient feature to the hard disk layout: for- mat protection. With DSKSETUP, you can protect each partition on the hard disk from accidental reformatting; only an- other DSKSETUP command can release the protection and allow the disk to be refor- matted. ASGNPART lets you assign the connections between MS-DOS disk drive letters and the logical disk partitions created by DSKSETUP. Partitions can all receive flexible name assignments. Zenith's version of MS-DOS includes a number of custom software utilities, in- cluding APPLY (to execute a command re- peatedly while varying a specific param- eter); CONFIGUR (to tell the system the correct protocol to use for a serial or par- allel device and display the system con- figuration); FC (to compare two files and send any differences it finds to the screen or to another file); RTCLOCK (to read the real-time clock and set the MS-DOS clock to that date and time, and reset the real-time clock); SEARCH (to scan a disk continued MARCH 1988 -BYTE 117 Circle 103 on Reader Service Card REVIEW: THE ZENITH Z-386 • Up to 16 modems on one single-slot plug-in card • Up to 64-user capability simultaneous & interactive • Runs on any PC compatible under MS-DOS V3.X • User-modifiable C souice code included • Menu-oriented operation • Complete accounting capability w/audit trail • Extensive SYSOP displays • Powerf ail-protected data • "Midnite-Cleanup" featuie • Full one year warranty on hardware Mega BBS applications on Microcomputers • Teleconferencing • Electronic Mail • File Upload/Download • Order Entry • Database Look-up • On-line Expert Systems • Catalog Scanning • Classified Advertising Svcs • Educational Services • Banking/Financial Services • Brokerage Services •Customer Service • Insurance Claims Processing • Multiple Listing Services • Field Quotes • Sales Office Communications • Reservations Services • SIG Conferences • Stock Prices • Telephone Directories • Travel Agency Services • Yellow Pages • Surveys/Polling • Multi-Player Games BREAKTHROUGH! Combine our single-slot card with our sophisticated BREAKTHROUGH software and you have a BBS that performs like a mainframe on a 286/386 machine . . . with only one cable coming out the back! Completely self-contained, with no external hardware necessary, the system is extremely reliable, flexible and fast. Successfully in useatoverone hundred installations, BREAKTHROUGH allows up to 64 users to interact with each other and with the system simultaneously. Up to 16 modems are available on one single slot card. Extensive and growing third party developer support offers a wide variety of applications for many fields. The only way to experience our BREAKTHROUGH is by trying it yourself. For $59.00 we'll rush you a copy of The Major BBS (our multi-user Bulletin Board System), the C source, and a 175 page book explaining the system. This includes everything except the single- slot modem card and the low-level "device driver" object library package. Single slot modem cards are available separately in a variety of configurations and with any number of modems (up to 16) that you may require. 3 05/58 3-5990 (f)GALACTICOMM The Leader in BBS for the PC 4101 S W 47th Avenue, Suite 101 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314 and display all files that match the input specification); ZC0M (to use a modem or direct serial communications to transfer files between two computers); and ZSP00L (to create a print buffer in either conventional or expanded memory). In addition, the Expanded Memory Specification device driver, EMM. SYS, comes on the MS-DOS distribution disk. You can set up as much of your memory as you wish to be EMS memory, as long as your first memory card reserves at least 640K bytes as system memory. The Z-386 is completely AT compat- ible, running all the tested software and hardware without any problems, includ- ing Microsoft Windows version 1.03, Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.01, SideKick ver- sion 1.56 A, the Microsoft bus Mouse version 6.10, the Everex Evercom 1200- bit-per-second modem, and Lotus Manu- script version 1.0. As is common with 80386 systems, the Z-386, via the Setup- /Configuration program, lets you select one of three operating speeds: Slow, which is a constant 8-MHz operation; Fast, a constant 16-MHz operation; or Smart, in which the CPU runs at 16 MHz for processing and slows to 8 MHz for disk I/O operations. The default mode, Smart, lets you install (and deinstall) copy-protected software, such as Lotus 1-2-3 version 2.01, on the hard disk without difficulty. [Editor's note: While we were working with the Z-386, the system hung on two separate and unrelated occasions. We could enter nothing, and we got no re- sponse; we couldn 't even reboot. We had to turn the machine off and then on again to free it. We also couldn 't re-create the situations. Thus, we have no idea wheth- er this is a recurring problem or a fluke. ] On the Bench Zenith's literature claims a 40-millisec- ond average access time for the 80-mega- byte hard disk drive, but Core Interna- tional's Coretest utility measured a much more respectable 27 -ms average seek time, with track-to-track seeks requiring only 4.3 ms. The drive also performed well on the disk-transfer-rate test, with a transfer rate of 205. 5K bytes per second. The EGA display system ran all tested graphics software, including Microsoft Windows versions 1.03 and 2.0 and PC Paintbrush Plus version 1.0, with no problems. Video memory required 30 wait states for each access, but this is not unusual for an EGA board running in a 16-MHz 80386 machine. As 32-bit ma- chines become more common and users become more demanding of graphical in- terfaces, EGA-compatible hardware will need to be redesigned for higher speed, so that it fits more appropriately with the 118 BYTE- MARCH 1988 performance of the rest of the system. BYTE's BASIC benchmarks show that the Z-386 without its optional cache memory is generally comparable to other 80386 machines; its performance is slightly slower in some tests and slightly faster in others. The Z-386 becomes more impressive in the C benchmarks, which are more in- dicative of computing power and ability among the 80386 machines. Without its optional cache, the Z-386 exceeds the performance of the IBM PS/2 Model 80 by 5 percent on the Dhrystone test, and it beats that of the 16-MHz Compaq Desk- pro 386 by 2 percent. With the cache memory, these figures jump to 14 per- cent over the PS/2 and 10 percent over the Compaq (and an 8 percent increase over the Z-386 without the cache). On the Fibonacci test, the Z-386 shows a slight edge over the Model 80 and a speed equal to the Compaq's. Adding the cache boosts performance by about 8 per- cent. The review system didn't have a floating-point coprocessor, so the Float and Savage benchmarks indicate only that if you do many floating-point or transcen- dental calculations, you will want one. On the Sieve test, the Z-386 shows a 10 percent improvement over the Model 80 and a small (2 percent) improvement over the Compaq. The Sort benchmark is the only one in which the Z-386 falls behind the others. It lags behind the Model 80 by 4 percent, and behind the Compaq Desk- pro by a whopping 44 percent. The cache memory boosts the Z-386's Sort time by 16 percent, however. Coupled with Zenith's reputation for service and reliability, the benchmarks overall indicate that the Z-386 is an excel- lent machine to use as an 80386 comput- ing platform. They also indicate that the additional expense of the Z-525 64K-byte cache memory board is well worth the performance boost it provides. An Outstanding Machine The Zenith Z-386 is a powerful machine and a sound value for your computing dollar. Its compatibility with the PC AT is flawless, and its performance is among the best in its class. Its raw computing horsepower is made even more useful by Zenith's unusually helpful assortment of ROM and MS-DOS utility software. The manual could be better organized and some of the setup choices more logi- cal. However, these things bothered me partly because the Z-386 is such an out- standing machine: It's frustrating to have a terrific machine at your fingertips and then have a struggle setting it up. Take the instructions slowly and carefully, and don't try to jump ahead, and I think you'll avoid the troubles I had. ■ Circle 262 on Reader Service Card — * >|n- n«* ,.,, hiiii; ■!■■■ An Incredible Display Of Power And Versatility For just $599,* the new 965 gives you ASCII, ANSI and IBM® PC com- patibility in one terminal. The new 965's versatility is unparalleled. It supports 23 ter- minal emulations, more than any other model in its class. You even get your choice of ASCII, ANSI or IBM Enhanced PC keyboard styles. There's a 14" flat display in green or page-white with crisp, clear characters in a high-resolution 10x16 matrix. A 2-position keyboard with a true accounting keypad, 20 user- programmable editing keys, and 128 programmable function keys. The 965 can display up to 49 data lines, enough to show large spreadsheets or two normal display pages of text at the same time. No other terminal this affordable can do that. The 965's state-of-the-art single board design uses a 16-bit CPU and sophisticated gate array to give you a high-performance, very reliable terminal with a full one-year end- user limited warranty. The 965. A whole new look in terminals from TeleVideo. Call us toll-free or write today for more information. TeleVideo Systems, Inc., 1170 Morse Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3568. fclfeleVidecr THE VISION YOU NEED TO SUCCEED. Call 1-800-835-3228 WATCH WHAT YOU'RE DOING. ORION Introducing UniLab 8620 analyzer-emulator with InSight ■ There's nothing like InSight.™ A feature of the new 8620 that lets you actually watch your program go through its paces. So you can debug faster. And speed up microprocessor development. For demanding applications like the automotive controller shown. ■ An exciting industry first, InSight blends analyzer/emulator techniques to give you continuous, real time monitoring of key pro- cessor functions. See changing register contents, I/O lines, ports, user- defined memory win- dows.With your own labels. And all at once. Interactively Without stopping your program. ■ InSight is made possible by the 8620s advanced bus state analyzer, its 2730-bus- cycle trace buffer, and a new high-speed parallel interface that eliminates RS-232 bottlenecks. ■ The fast interface also speeds data throughput. From your hard drive, you can load a 64K program into emulation memory in five seconds. ■ On top of that, you get a new, crystal- controlled 1 /isec clock for super precise event timing. Circle 191 on Reader Service Card ■ Computer integrated instruments from Orion prove debugging needn't be costly or tedious. For more than 150 processors. Like all our analyzer-emulators, the 8620 debugs by symptom. Via advanced truth table triggering. Always included is enough breakpointing and single stepping (now faster than ever) to assure optimum efficiency. We even provide a stimulus generator and built-in EPROM programmer to help finish the job. ■ Get serious about price/performance. Save big on design, test, and support costs. UniLab 8620 analyzer- emulator. ■ Look into it. Toll free: 800/245-8500. InCA:4l5/36l-8883. INSTRUMENTS Computer Integrated Instrumentation 702 Marshall Street, Redwood City, CA 94063 Telex: 530942 *lnSi^lu is a trademark of Orion Instruments. Inc. SYSTEM REVIEW NEC PowerMate 2 andHPVectraES/12 John Unger The NEC APC IV PowerMate 2 and the Hewlett-Packard Vectra ES/12 represent two of the best of a generation of microcom- puters that are based on IBM PC AT compatibility and the 80286 CPU. Both NEC and HP apparently believe that com- puters based on the 80286 have not reached the end of their de- velopment. The companies of- fer the PowerMate 2 and the Vectra ES/12 as the best price/ performance solution for many business and personal needs. The Vectra and the Power- Mate both have dual-speed 80286 processors: The Power- Mate can be switched between 10 MHz and 8 MHz, and the Vectra runs at 12 MHz or 8 MHz. The machines are more than adequate for nearly all the needs of the average microcom- puter user. Furthermore, they are compatible with the multi- tude of software and hardware developed for the IBM PC AT. The PowerMate I reviewed had 1 megabyte of 120-nano- second and 150-ns RAM; the Vectra had 640K bytes of 120- ns and 100-ns RAM. They both came with EGAs and monitors and high-per- formance hard disk drives: The Power- Mate had a 67-megabyte drive, and the Vectra had a 40-megabyte unit. The PowerMate also came with an optional 1 megabyte of extended RAM. In these en- hanced configurations, the PowerMate costs $5595, and the Vectra $5535. The basic version of each computer comes with one 1.2-megabyte 5 ! 4-inch floppy disk drive, a floppy disk/hard disk drive controller card, and 640K bytes of RAM. In these versions, the PowerMate costs $2595 and the Vectra is $2995. Internal Circuitry Both computers use very-large-scale inte- gration (VLSI) chips from Chips and Two mature AT-compatible designs that offer higher speed and greater reliability The NEC PowerMate (left) and HP Vectra (right). Technologies (C&T). The Vectra uses five of these surface-mounted packages on its motherboard, and the PowerMate uses six. The optional EGAs that were part of my review systems each used two of these C&T packages. VLSI packages reduce the total chip count in the com- puters and allow a cleaner design. Like many other AT clones, both use Phoenix Technologies' ROM BIOS— firmware well known for its compatibility with the IBM operating-system ROM. In addition to five 16-bit and two 8-bit expansion slots (the disk controller occu- pies one of the 16-bit slots, and the EGA card fills one of the 8-bit slots), the Vec- tra' s motherboard holds a special ex- panded memory slot, which can only be used for an optional Vectra ES expanded memory card. This slot looks like an 8-bit slot, but the board connector has been moved for- ward on the motherboard. The slot can't be used for standard PC expansion boards. You can populate the expanded memory board with up to 8 megabytes. The slot runs at 12 MHz, rather than 8 MHz like the other slots on the expansion bus; this factor gives the Vectra faster memory I/O for those applications that use expanded memory. The PowerMate has six 16- bit expansion slots and two 8-bit slots on its motherboard. The PowerMate' s disk controller card occupies one of the 16-bit slots, and the EGA card fills one of the 8-bit slots. The op- tional NEC memory board that I installed in my review ma- chine fits in one of the 16-bit slots. This board comes with 18 256K-bit by 8-bit 120-ns RAM chips soldered to it, for a total of 5 1 2K bytes of additional memory. Three more memory kits consisting of 18 256K-bit RAM chips may be added for a total of 2 megabytes of RAM for each board. You can add a total of five fully populated boards to each PowerMate. The PowerMate features a zero-inser- tion-force (ZIF) socket for its 80286 pin- grid-array CPU. This makes removing or replacing the chip very easy. Both systems let you switch speeds either from the keyboard or with simple software commands. I had no difficulty switching speeds on either computer, even in the middle of a program. The continued John Unger is a geo physicist for the U.S. government. He writes graphics software and uses computers to study the earth 's crust. You can reach him at P. O. Box 95, Hamilton, VA 22068. MARCH 1988 -BYTE 121 REVIEW: POWERMATE 2 AND VECTRA ES/12 PowerMate has a convenient LED indica- tor on the front panel that lights when the computer is running in the high-speed or 10-MHz mode. The Vectra gives one beep when you shift to 8 MHz, and two beeps when you go to 12 MHz. Each computer's motherboard has a socket for an optional 80287 numeric coprocessor. Storage The PowerMate' s larger size provides room for five half -height storage devices. The Vectra has a more conventional lay- out, with space for three half -height stor- age devices. The hard disk drive that came with my PowerMate was NEC's D5452, a high- performance 67-megabyte model with a data transfer rate of 247. 4K bytes per second, an average seek time of 25.3 mil- liseconds, and a track-to-track time of 6.3 ms, according to the Coretest pro- gram. Vectra's 40-megabyte Seagate ST- 251 hard disk drive is only slightly slower: It has a data transfer rate of 244.7K bytes per second, an average seek time of 26.7 ms, and a track-to-track time of 10.5 ms. Because MS-DOS 3.2 does not sup- port a logical disk drive larger than 32 megabytes, I partitioned the 67-megabyte drive into two 32-megabyte drives and one 3 -megabyte drive. The utility setup and formatting programs that came with the Vectra and the PowerMate were easy to follow, and getting the hard disks set up properly was not difficult. The Vectra comes with HPCACHE, a disk-caching utility program for the com- puter 's hard disk. This versatile program lets you set aside either normal or EMS memory as a cache. Disk-cache routines such as HPCACHE can improve the overall performance of your system, particularly if you use software that frequently ac- cesses the hard disk— such as a program that uses overlays or a compiler that stores and retrieves intermediate tempo- rary files as it compiles source code. In use, the cache provided a 1 percent to 40 percent improvement in the benchmark results. The Vectra and PowerMate disk con- troller cards come with cabling and con- nectors for a total of two floppy disk drives and two hard disk drives. This set- up gives you a variety of possible combi- nations of hard and floppy disk drives for the systems. Both systems' software and hardware support the addition of 3 !/2-inch floppy disk drives; the Vectra can handle either 720K-byte or 1 .4-megabyte drives, while the PowerMate only has the option of adding a 720K-byte drive. The Vec- tra's disk controller card also contains the logic for the serial and parallel ports. On the PowerMate, the two DB-9 serial NEC PowerMate 2, Hewlett-Packard Vectra ES/12, Model APC-H503C Model 42 Company Company NEC Information Systems Inc. Hewlett-Packard Corp. 1414 Massachusetts Ave. 3000 Hanover St. Boxborough, MA 01719 Palo Alto, CA 94304 (617)264-8000 (415)857-1501 Components Components Processor: 10-MHz Intel 80286; socket Processor: 12-MHz Intel 80286; socket for optional 80287 math coprocessor for optional 80287 math coprocessor Memory: 1 megabyte, expandable with Memory: 640K bytes of RAM on 2-megabyte expansion boards to 10.6 motherboard standard; up to 8 megabytes megabytes on optional Vectra ES Mass storage: One 1 .2-megabyte 5Va- expanded memory card inch floppy disk drive; 67-megabyte hard Mass storage: One 1 .2-megabyte 5 1 /4- disk drive inch floppy disk drive; 40-megabyte hard Display: MultiSync monitor and EGA disk drive card Display: EGA card standard; 13-inch Keyboard: 101 full-size keys with 12 enhanced color display function keys and separate editing keys Keyboard: 1 01 full-size keys with 1 2 and numeric keypad function keys and separate editing keys I/O interfaces: Two 8-bit and six 1 6-bit and keypad expansion slots; two RS-232C ports (DB- I/O interfaces: Two 8-bit and five 1 6-bit 9); one parallel printer port (DB-25) expansion slots; one expanded memory slot; one RS-232C port (DB-9); one Size parallel printer port (DB-25) 6 1 /3 by21 1 /3 by 17 inches; 41 pounds Size Software 6V2 by 16% by 15 1 /2 inches; 34 pounds MS-DOS 3.2; GWBASIC 3.2 Software Options MS-DOS 3.2; HP utilities and system Color graphics adapter board: $225 diagnostics, including Personal Advanced Graphics Board plus Applications Manager, DOS shell, PowerMate MultiSync monitor: $1350 terminal-emulation program, disk-cache Memory expansion board with 512K program bytes of RAM: $395 Options Documentation 3 1 /2-inch 1 .44-megabyte floppy disk 69-page PowerMate 2 Owners Guide; drive: $325 407-page GWBASIC User's Guide; 468- 5 1 /4-inch 360K-byte floppy disk drive: page MS-DOS User's Guide $225 80287-8 math coprocessor: $450 Price Monochrome monitor: $325 Model APC-H503C (unit reviewed): Enhanced graphics monitor: $845 $5595 Expanded memory card with 2 Model APC-H500K (no hard disk drive megabytes of RAM: $1695 or monitor): $2595 J:'» „. , :. ' Model APC-H501 D (40-megabyte hard Documentation disk drive and EGA monitor): $4345 120-page Vectra MS-DOS 3.2 Vol. 1, Introduction; 585-page Vectra MS-DOS Inquiry 884. 3.2 Vol. 2, User's Reference; 245-page Setting Up the Vectra ES; 1 1 0-page HP Terminal Program User Manual; 1 46- page Using Personal Application Manager; 1 1 2-page Using the Multiple Character Set Utilities Price Model 42 (unit reviewed): $5535 Model 1 (640K bytes o< RAM and one " 1 .2-megabyte 5 1 /4-in ... 1 floppy disk drive): $2995 Model 20 (same as Model 10, plus a 20-megabyte hard disk drive): $3195 'odel 40 (same as Model 10, plus a 10-megabyte hard disk drive): $4195 Inquiry 883. 122 BYTE- MARCH 1988 REVIEW: POWERMATE 2 AND VECTRA ES/12 DISK ACCESS IN BASIC (IN SECONDS) WRITE READ 1 56 _L BASIC PERFORMANCE (IN SECONDS) SIEVE o 100 150 200 250 ■ 13 11 ■ 61 )1 CALCULATIONS 10 20 30 40 50 iM SPREADSHEET (IN SECONDS) LOAD RECALCULATE 5 10 15 20 25 5 10 15 20 25 ■■ 2.4 2.3 WW 2.6 ■■ 8.1 WM 6.9 5.8 86 SYSTEM UTILITIES (IN SECONDS) 40K FILE COPY 5 10 15 20 25 0.9 0.9 NEC POWERMATE 2 HP VECTRA ES/12 IBM PC AT (8 MHZ) IBM PC - ' The Disk Access benchmarks write and then read a 64K-byte sequential text file to a hard disk. Sieve runs one iteration of the Sieve of Eratosthenes. Calculations performs 1 0,000 multiplication and division operations. The 40K File Copy benchmark copies a 40K-byte file on the hard disk. The Spreadsheet tests load and recalculate a 1 00-row by 25-column Multiplan (1.06) spreadsheet. The BASIC benchmarks were run with MS-DOS 3.2 and GWBASIC 3.2 on the NEC PowerMate and HP Vectra; tests on the IBM PC and PC AT were run with PC-DOS 3.3 and BASICA 3.3. ports and the DB-25 parallel port are part of the motherboard's circuits. Externals The most obvious difference between the two computers is their size. The Power- Mate is about 4 inches wider than the Vectra and uses this extra space to pro- vide two more half -height slots for stor- age devices. Both computers have keyboards pat- terned after the IBM enhanced keyboard. The feel of both keyboards is good, even though they are rather different. I fell in love with the PowerMate' s the first time I used it. It has a rather light touch, with a mechanical click built into the keys, and it is good for fast typing. The Vectra 's keyboard is a bit stif fer, but it has a simi- lar feel, with a definite break before the key actually enters its character. I just can't seem to type as fast on it as I can on the PowerMate' s. The key click on the Vectra comes from software rather than from the keyboard, and you can easily change its amplitude or remove it alto- gether by using the Control, Alt, and Plus ( + )keys. The EGA boards and monitors on both computers performed flawlessly, and the colors and resolution of the displays were good. You might expect this from the PowerMate; the "Advanced Color Display" sold with this system is the pop- ular NEC MultiSync, which has received well-deserved praise in many reviews. Mitsubishi manufactures HP's enhanced graphics display. It has a fine screen and great color, and it automatically selects scan frequencies between 15.75 and 2 1 . 85 kHz. I give the edge to the Power- Mate 2's display; it is crisper, and the character set used by NEC is easier on the eyes. Because of its 35-kHz maximum scan frequency, the MultiSync monitor also has the advantage of upward com- patibility with VGA cards' higher-resolu- tion graphics modes. Performance and Compatibility There are no mysteries when comparing these two computers. As the benchmark results show, the Vectra' s 12-MHz mode gives it a 3 percent to 27 percent perfor- mance edge over the PowerMate running at 10 MHz. The Vectra's performance edge increases when it is run with the disk-caching program in place. Although it is not explicit from their specifications, both of these machines operate with one wait state and therefore give up a slight speed advantage. Both computers are probably in the top 10 per- cent of all AT clones in terms of calculat- ing speed; the only 80286 machines that outperform them are those few that run at continued MARCH 1988 -BYTE 123 HOW DO YOU GET A JOB 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 experi- ence while they're still in college. 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 students 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. Gxncfl A Public Service of This Publication ©1987 National Commission for Cooperative Education 124 BYTE • MARCH 1988 REVIEW: POWERMATE 2 AND VECTRA ES/12 10 or 12 MHz with zero wait states. The high-performance disk drives add to the overall speed of the two systems. I had no problems running my normal stock of software, which includes Word- Perfect 4.1, Reflex 1.1, Condor 3 , Multi- plan 1.06, a variety of C compilers (Turbo C 1.0, Microsoft C 4.0, and DeSmet C 2.5), and the C-terp 3.00 in- terpreter, on either computer at its high- est speed setting. Most of the games I ran— Jet, Starf light (which needs an EGA patch), Pinball Construction Set, and Flight Simulator— functioned reliably. Warranty, Service, and Quality HP has a well-deserved reputation for making reliable and well-designed com- puters. Its dedication to quality carries over into its Vectra series; my review sys- tem was a well-built, well-designed piece of hardware. HP offers a limited one-year warranty that covers carry-in service at an authorized dealer or the manufacturer. The first microcomputer I reviewed for BYTE was the NEC APC III, a predeces- sor to the PowerMate reviewed here. The qualities that impressed me in the APC III— its design, construction, and graph- ics—are even more apparent in the APC IV PowerMate, and this time the system is 100 percent compatible with the IBM PC AT. NEC has a one-year warranty for its machines that is similar to HP's. Ser- vice should be easy to find due to NEC's extensive national network of dealers. Up to Snuff, and Then Some The 80286 AT-compatible market is now at a mature stage. This means that poten- tial buyers of this class of microcomputer must look at small, perhaps even subjec- tive, features when comparing different machines. The NEC and HP systems have an advantage over most of the no- name AT clones now flooding the mar- ketplace because they are backed by com- panies with large, well-known sales and service groups. The Vectra ES/12 and the APC IV PowerMate 2 are both going to be supported for years to come. The amount and quality of documentation is also quite good— an important point for less-experienced users to keep in mind. If you want a high-performance AT- compatible computer with excellent ex- pansion capability, either of these ma- chines will do the job for you. Obvious differences are the Vectra 's lead in com- puting performance and the PowerMate's larger expansion chassis. My choice would be the PowerMate, because of the feel of its keyboard and the extra serial port, and because it is available at highly discounted prices from many dealers and so is simply a better value at retail street prices. ■ The $19.95 High-Performance C Compiler Mix Software presents Power C . . . Our n ew cost- efficient alternative to high-priced C compilers. Now you can create high-performance programs without spending all your hard-earned money. But price isn't the only reason to choose Power C over the competition. "Lorn pare the performance. Power C's integrated Make saves you time and effort by automatically managing your large programming projects. And with Power C, your programs can be as large as available memory. As for speed, the performance chart speaks for itself. Power C executes most of the benchmarks faster. And Power C creates smaller EXE files, out-performing the competition. Performance Chart (execution times in seconds) Power C MSC Turbo C 1) fib* 23.8 47.0 26.4 2) sieve* 27.6 40.2 25.5 3) tdbl* 3.5 9.0 9.6 4) diskio* 13.5 14.2 14.3 5) report** 11.0 86.3 60.7 6) drystone** 36.6 38.2 31.8 Compile/Link 73.9 187.6 81.4 EXE File Size 25120 29008 27184 Compare the functions. With over 400 functions, the Power C library is vastly superior. Our library is a superset of Microsoft C and Turbo C. Plus, we've added an extensive set of graphics functions for drawing lines, boxes circles, pie charts, and more. Compare the portability. Power C supports the latest features of the proposed ANSI C standard. Plus, Power C is compatible with both Microsoft C and Turbo C. All of which makes it easier to move programs to and from Power C. t-ompare the documentation. Our competition assumes that you're already a C wizard. We don't. Power C includes a step-by-step tutorial and sam- ple programs with every function. With our com- plete documentation, programming in C couldn't be easier. rower C is factors less expensive. And the source code to our function library is available at a fraction of their price. Technical Specifications Power C includes: Power C compiler with integrated Make, Power C linker, Power C Libraries, Power C book, and support for... £ ANSI standard *s IEEE floating point • 8087/80287 coprocessor * auto-sensing of 8087/80287 • automatic register variables *s mixed model (near & far pointers) • CGA, EGA, & Hercules graphics Options are... • Library source code • BCD business math Order Power C now by calling our toll free number or mail the coupon to Mix Software, 1 1 32 Com- merce Drive, Richardson, TX 75081. 1-800-523-9520 For technical support and for orders inside Texas call: 1-214-783-6001 Minimum System Requirements: MSDOS or PCDOS 2.0 or later, 256K memory, 2 floppy drives or hard drive recommended, Runs on IBM PC, XT, AT, and compatibles, and IBM PS/2 model 25, 30, 50, 60, or 80. Price Chart C Compiler Power C $19.95 MSC $450.00 Turbo C $99.95 Library Source Code Option $10.00 N/A $150.00 Total Cost with Source $29.95 N/A $249.95 Benchmarks from Dr. Dobb's Journal* & Computer Language**. First four programs test 1) function calling, 2) loops/integer math 3) floating point math, &4) disk I/O. Pro- grams 5 & 6 simulate typical applications. Tests compiled from command line using Make supplied with each com- piler. Tests run on 8 MHz AT with medium model of Power C 1.0, MS (Microsoft) C 4.0, & Turbo C 1.0. Circle 180 on Reader Service Card 60 day money back guarantee Name Street City State Telephone. Paying by: D MC/Visa#_ Computer Name ^Zip □ Check □ Money Order Exp_ Disk Size □ 5V4" D3V 2 " Product(s) (Not Copy Protected) □ Power C ($19.95) $ □ Library Source Code ($10) $ (includes an assembler} □ BCD Business Math ($10) $ Texas Residents add 8% Sales Tax $ Add Shipping ($5 USA - $20 Foreign) Total amount of your order $ Power C is a trademark of Mix Software. Microsoft C is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Turbo C is a registered trademark of Borland International. B MARCH 1988 -BYTE 125 CLEO now delivers 3278 coax cards at $ 795.0QJ l\\ IJIWMUffl CLEO is your SNA or BSC Gateway I Remote Sites Communication Whatever your industry, your remote computers need to share information with your mainframe. Or, they need to exchange data with other remotes. In either case, you need a total solution at the remote sites. You need software, hardware interfaces and modems that all work together smoothly. You need CLEO! CLEO software products allow micro- computers to communicate with mini- computers and mainframes, and to emulate their workstations. Since 1981, CLEO has provided remote communications between micros and mainframes for the automotive, insurance, medical and banking industries. Today over 66,000 CLEO users worldwide are running on all major brands of micro- processors. The greatest number of these users run CLEO software on IBM Personal Computers and NETBIOS LANs. Complete Software/Hardware Package Every CLEO package contains all the soft- ware and hardware accessories needed at the remote site. Your selected CLEO SNA or BSC software is packaged with 1) an internal modem card for dial-up applications, or 2) an interface card and cable for use with your existing modem. There's no waiting for non- CLEOadd-ons. And, you get prompt, single- source service. Package prices range from $795-00 for most stand-alone packages, up to Si, 995.00 for the 32-user SNA gateway. Call u s today to discuss your application. CLEO Software 1639 North Alpine Rd. Rockford, IL 61107 Telex 703639 FAX 815/397-6535 Headquarters: USA: 1-800/233-2536 Illinois: 1-800/422-2536 International: 815/397-8110 Sales and Distribution: Benelux: 31 (71) 215281 Canada, East: 800/361-3185 Canada, West: 800/361-1210 Canada, Montreal: 514/737-3631 Colombia, S.A.: 12172266 Denmark: 1628300 England: 0908667737 France: 146861136 Italy: (0331) 634 562 Mexico City: 596-5539 Sweden: 8 740 5070 CLEO CLEO and 3780P!us arc registered trademarks of CLEO Software. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. SYSTEM REVIEW The Tandy 1400 LT David Satz At $1599, the Tandy 1400 LT is less expensive than most other portables and laptops. It enters the field of IBM PC-compati- ble laptop computers in the middle in terms of processor power and portability, and near the bottom in terms of price. The speed of its 8088-compat- ible NEC Y20 is software- switchable between 7.16 MHz and 4.77 MHz, placing its top speed between those of the 4.77-MHz IBM PC and the 8- MHz IBM PC AT. At ISVi pounds, it is lighter than some portables (the Compaq Portable 386, for example, weighs in at 20 pounds) and heavier than others (the Toshiba T1000 weighs only 6 l A pounds). The Tandy 1400 LT has 768K bytes of RAM, two 720K- byte 3 ] /2-inch floppy disk drives, and a backlit supertwist LCD screen. As configured by Tandy, the 128K bytes of mem- ory beyond the 640K-byte DOS limit is set up as a RAM disk. Unfortunately, however, its contents are not maintained when you shut the power off. The Tandy's user- replaceable and rechargeable internal nickel-cadmium battery pack gives 4 to 5 hours of service per 13 -hour charge cycle. An AC adapter also comes with the machine. An optional internal 300-/1200- bit-per-second (bps) Hayes-compatible modem card is available for $199.95. To the Rear The rear access panel contains all exter- nal power and data connectors, including one serial port and one parallel port, RGB-intensity (RGBI) and composite video outputs, a keyboard input, and a socket for an external floppy disk drive. Also, the rear panel has a slot for an inter- nal modem and an unlabeled access panel. The motherboard has a socket for an optional 8087-2 numeric coprocessor. This portable strikes a sensible balance between basic performance and economy other tiny slide switch on the right side of the case that lets you select the internal or exter- nal disk drive as the default boot device. The system ROM contains the Phoenix BIOS, and the system software includes MS-DOS 3.2 and Tandy's version of GWB ASIC 3.2. The system also contains a setup mode from which you can alter system parameters at any time. For exam- ple, the F7 option lets you change the sys- tem clock speed from the default 7.16 MHz to 4.77 MHz, if you should need to for program compatibility. The rear panel is protected by both a plastic door flap and two sets of protrud- ing ridges that let you stand the computer safely on end. You can connect an IBM PC-compatible external keyboard, as well as an external RGBI monitor; a tiny slide switch on the back panel allows you to specify either the LCD screen or an ex- ternal monitor as the default display. In addition, you can also connect an external 5 14 -inch floppy disk drive; there is an- Stand By Standby mode in the Tandy 1400 LT is the timed, automatic shutdown of the screen elec- tronics, including the battery- eating fluorescent backlight- ing. It is triggered when the computer has been waiting for keyboard input for a specified length of time— 10 minutes as configured by Tandy, but you can set this interval to any num- ber of hours and minutes up to 3:59 with the setup mode. The computer most often waits for keyboard input at the DOS prompt. However, key- board-driven applications pro- grams such as word processors can also be left suspended while waiting for the next command; their execution then resumes along with screen illumination as soon as you press any key to continue operation. The value of this feature is in preserv- ing battery-charge life and sometimes (especially in cases of user oversight) im- portant program data. The normal bat- tery charge lasts only about 4 hours in ac- tive mode, while the standby mode, which uses less than half as much cur- rent, can preserve the contents of mem- ory and the status of a running program for up to 1 1 hours on a fully charged bat- tery, provided that you don't turn off the power switch in the meantime. A green LED in front of the B drive lights up when you are in standby mode. continued David Satz (118 State St. , Apt. C, Brook- lyn Heights, NY 11201) is a classical musician and recording engineer. You can reach him on BIX as "dsatz. " MARCH 1988 • B Y T E 127 REVIEW: THE TANDY 1400 LT Tandy 1400 LT Company Tandy Corp./Radio Shack 1800 One Tandy Center Fort Worth, Texas 761 02 (817)390-3011 Components Processor: 4.77- 17 A 6-MHz NEC V20; socket for Intel 8087-2 math coprocessor Memory: 768K bytes of RAM; 16K bytes of ROM (Phoenix BIOS) Mass storage: Two 720K-byte 3 1 /2-inch floppy disk drives; optional 5 1 /4-inch external floppy disk drive can be used Display: Backlit supertwist LCD, 25 lines by 80 columns, 640- by 200-pixel color graphics (partially simulated by shading); A%- by 9%-inch screen; optional external RGBI monitor can be used Keyboard: 76 keys, including 12 function keys; special editing-key cluster; embedded numeric keypad in ASCII keyboard; optional external keyboard can be used I/O interfaces: RS-232C serial port; Centronics-compatible parallel port; external floppy disk drive port; RGBI video output (IBM PC-compatible); composite video output; external keyboard port; telephone line and instrument Other: Built-in clock/calendar; internal nickel-cadmium battery pack; A/C adapter; carrying handle Size 14y 2 by 12% by 3 1 / 2 inches; 13 1 / 2 pounds Software MS-DOS 3.2; GWBASIC 3.2 Options 300-/1 200-bps Hayes-compatible CMOS internal modem: $199.95 Additional nickel-cadmium battery pack: $79.95 Carrying case: $39.95 Intel 8087-2 math coprocessor: $250 MS-DOS/GWBASIC Reference Guides: $29.95 Documentation 77-page A Practical Guide to the Tandy 1400 LT Price $1599 Inquiry 895. WRITE DISK ACCESS IN BASIC (IN SECONDS) READ 40 60 80 100 20 40 60 80 100 1 u^ ^■30 33 WB9.3 BASIC PERFORMANCE (IN SECONDS) SIEVE CALCULATIONS 50 100 150 200 250 50 100 150 200 250 ■^■136 55 on 20 an 69 SYSTEM UTILITIES (IN SECONDS) 40K FORMAT/DISK COPY 40K FILE COPY ■ 12 am 14 N/A 3.6 ■ 11 12 ■MB 5.8 SPREADSHEET (IN SECONDS) LOAD RECALCULATE 5 10 15 20 25 5 10 15 20 25 3 7 9 .4 ■16.7 10 1.2 ■■■3.0 81 TANDY 1 400 LT(7. 1 6 MHZ) TANDY 1 400 LT (4.77 MHZ) ■■ IBM PC AT (8 MHZ) ■■ IBM PC (4.77 MHZ) The Disk Access benchmarks write and then read a 64K-byte sequential text file to a blank, formatted floppy disk. Sieve runs one iteration of the Sieve of Eratosthenes. Calculations performs 10,000 multiplication and division operations. The 40K Format/Disk Copy formats and copies a 40K-byte file with the system utilities. This test was not performed on the PC AT because the computer had only one floppy disk drive. The 40K File Copy benchmark copies a 40K-byte file from one floppy disk to the other. The Spreadsheet tests load and recalculate a 25-row by 25-column Multiplan (1 .06) spreadsheet. All benchmark programs on the Tandy 1400 LT were run with MS-DOS 3.20 and Tandy's version of GWBASIC 3.20; tests on the IBM PC and PC AT were run with PC-DOS 3.2 and GWBASIC 2.02. Screen and Keyboard The lid containing the 4!/ 8 - by 9%-inch LCD screen hinges from the center of the main chassis and is adjustable to any viewing angle from upright to nearly flat. Be careful, however, not to let it fall shut on your fingers or on disks that you haven't fully inserted into the drives. The 80-column by 25-line screen is only half as tall as it is wide, and there is no margin at all between the descenders of one line of characters and the ascend- ers of the next. But the font is a well- chosen mixture of double- and single-dot thicknesses, and it has sufficient contrast to be easily legible under all normal am- bient lighting conditions— or even in total darkness. A contrast control on the right side of the case sets the shading for the royal-blue characters and the silver-gray background, a combination I found ex- tremely readable and easy on the eyes. The plastic-film surface coating over the screen tends to reflect some glare, but 128 BYTE- MARCH 1988 REVIEW: THE TANDY 1400 LT you can usually adjust the screen tilt to avoid any problems. The fluorescent backlighting also "sings" noticeably at about 660 Hz when energized, but this sound is disturbing only in quiet sur- roundings. The fluorescent panels have an estimated life of 3 years; Tandy com- puter-service personnel can replace them. The Tandy 1400 LT simulates the CGA 640- by 200-pixel graphics mode. By varying the refresh cycle of the LCD pixels, you can obtain four degrees of shading: the basic silver-gray back- ground, royal blue for fully darkened pixels, a dull brownish foreground shade, and a lighter background shade. The slow darkening characteristic of supertwist LCD pixels is observable here just as it is on the NEC MultiSpeed (see my review "The NEC MultiSpeed" in the September 1987 BYTE). But due to the Tandy's slower processor, the smear- ing effect that you get when you scroll text (e.g., disk directory listings) is less pro- nounced. You can also see a slight down- ward ripple effect, particularly when the background setting is on the dark side. This ripple is not a product of interfer- ence from other lighting; it is visible in total darkness as well. Keyboard preferences are even more intensely subject to personal tastes and acquired habits than screens are. The Tandy 1400 LT's keyboard arrangement features 12 function keys in three groups across the top, the Escape key to the left of the numbers row, and minor punctua- tion character keys to the left and right of the space bar. The cursor-control cluster is at the extreme bottom right, and you must combine cursor keys with a left- hand Function key to produce commands such as PageUp, PageDown, Home, and End. This arrangement conserves space on the keyboard, but not in the mind. It results in four different shift-type keys: Shift, Control, Alt, and Function. It also makes you use three fingers, as well as extra eye motions, to generate several of the most common word processor com- mands, such as PageUp (Ctrl-Fn-PgUp) or End (Ctrl-Fn-End) . Even CapsLock, the purpose of which is to free your hands, ironically requires both hands to set or reset (Ctrl-Fn-CapsLock). The keyboard action provides some re- sistance and requires a firm touch— a slight punching action. Getting used to the touch required to depress the keys is easier than getting accustomed to the keys popping up when you release them. They make a hollow popping sound both when you depress them and when you let them go. The keyboard is not conducive to quiet typing or to an extremely light typ- ing touch. On the other hand, you're not likely to enter extraneous characters by mistake; these keys require a definite key- stroke to produce a character. You can use an alternative keyboard, if you wish, by plugging it into the keyboard socket provided on the rear panel. Modem, Size, and Battery I installed the optional 300-/ 1200-bps Hayes-compatible modem card with very little difficulty. To use it, you must select the F4 option in the setup mode and switch from the default RS232C to MODEM. The modem functioned flawlessly on both local and coast-to-coast connec- tions. It lets you use acoustic cups at both 300- and 1200-bps speeds, making it use- ful in hotels and pay phones where direct access to modular phone sockets may not be available. The modem's implementa- tion of the AT command set includes all the normal S register controls and the ex- tended verbal/numeric result codes. Overall, the computer is neither as small as the Toshiba Tl 100 Plus (or any of the Toshiba laptops, for that matter) nor as large as the NEC MultiSpeed. The Tandy 1400 LT is light enough to carry across a large airport terminal, but it is heavy enough to cause eventual discom- fort, rather like an early-model portable electric typewriter. The weight is mostly at the rear of the computer. This is under- standable: The keyboard is in the front, and the boards and disk drives are in the rear. However, taking the Tandy 1400 LT at its name, I tried it as a laptop, balanced on my knees. Its rear weight and slightly longer footprint (14V2 inches versus 12 inches for the Toshiba T1100 Plus and 13V2 inches for the NEC MultiSpeed) gave it a tendency to slip of f my lap. The nickel-cadmium battery pack comes in its own externally accessible compartment, so you can easily replace it with an optional extra battery pack. This will be good news for travelers and those of us who never quite seem to get the long-life performance that modern, prop- erly cared-for nickel-cadmium batteries are supposed to offer. The battery power supply takes over automatically if it con- tains an adequate operating charge and the AC power supply is removed or inter- rupted. However, you can't change the battery safely while the computer is ac- tive or in standby mode. The manual in- structs you to turn off the power and dis- connect all peripherals and accessories first. Checking Out the Software A single 3 14 -inch floppy disk contains a complete implementation of MS-DOS 3.2, including the hard disk drive-ori- ented utilities such as BACKUP, RESTORE, JOIN, and SUBST (although no hard disk drive is available). GWBASIC 3.2 comes on the disk as well. Up-to-date versions of MOUSE . COM and MOUSE. SYS are included to support a Microsoft serial Mouse if you wish to add one. The DOS disk also has the program- mer-oriented utilities LINK, LIB, and EXE2BIN, and a bunch of lesser-known DOS utilities. These would have sent me running to the DOS manual to see what they're good for if the Tandy 1400 LT had come with one. But it didn't; the manual is an optional extra. The Tandy 1400 LT showed no soft- ware- or hardware-compatibility prob- lems with Flight Simulator 2.13, Turbo Pascal 3.01a, SideKick 1.56a, MEX.PC 1.65a, Microsoft Word 3.1, or Quick- BASIC 2.01. However, I did have trouble with version 4.0 of Microsoft Word. Ear- lier versions of Word worked perfectly well; however, due to the increased de- fault key-repetition rate in version 4.0, you get a runaway-keyboard condition that you can stop only by rebooting. To prevent this problem, you must use the DOS DEBUG utility to patch a single loca- tion in the MW . INI file in the WORD direc- tory. (Microsoft's customer service is aware of this problem and can advise you of the precise patch.) The Microsoft serial Mouse (original style) worked per- fectly well with the supplied version of M0USE.C0M. The softcover manual, A Practical Guide to the Tandy 1400 LT, devotes 28 pages to DOS concepts and functions, but the explanations are so concise that I wonder whether many nontechnical read- ers could really profit from them. An- other strange aside: The manual contains two indexes— one at the end of the hard- ware section (48 pages into the manual), and another at the end of the DOS sec- tion, which is at the end of the book. So, if you're looking for something to do with the hardware, you won't find it in the in- dex at the end of the book, where you'd normally look. Testing the Tandy I tested the 720K-byte floppy disk drives with the Coretest, which showed an aver- age access time of about 225 millisec- onds; this is typical of the drives on cur- rent-model laptops. The operating noise level of the disk drives is higher than average, although, like the noise of the screen, it should be disturbing only in quiet environments, such as libraries or classrooms. I also ran BYTE's BASIC benchmarks with Tandy's version of GWBASIC 3.2 and MS-DOS 3 .20. Disk Read and Write, Sieve, Calculations, and Spreadsheet Load and Recalculate all give the Tandy continued MARCH 1988 -BYTE 129 Circle 256 on Reader Service Card SPEEDUP YOUR PC/XT NOW NORTON SI = 9.4/10.3 You know that SPEED is the only thing your PC/XT never has. Its brain takes too much time to think. 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"EDITOR'S CHOICE'* .the most robust compiler tested." .the ultimate fully-blown ANSI FORTRAN 77.. a fantastic product." PC Australia F77L-EM/16 - Breaks the DOS 640K barrier with extended memory. The most powerful PC FORTRAN available. $595 FORTRAN TOOLS: Profiler, Mathematical Functions Library, Overlay Linker, Utility Libraries, Windows Library, Toolkit. The difficult decision is not from whom you should buy your PC FORTRAN, but which Lahey compiler you should purchase. Call us today to discuss your PC FORTRAN needs. FOR INFORMATION OR TO ORDER: 1-800-548-4778 30-Day Money-Back Satisfaction Guarantee Lahey Computer Systems, Inc., Box 6091, Incline Village, NV 89450 Tel: 702-831-2500 TLX: 9102401256 REVIEW: THE TANDY 1400 LT 1400 LT at 4.77 MHz the edge over the 4.77-MHz IBM PC. The formatting and copying tests, however, are a different story. On the 40K Format/Disk Copy, the IBM PC is more than 40 percent faster than the Tandy 1400 LT (9.6 sec- onds for the PC and 13.5 for the 1400 LT); and on the 40K File Copy, the IBM leaves the Tandy in the dust, with more than a 98 percent advantage (5.8 seconds for the IBM versus 1 1 .5 for the Tandy). When you compare the Tandy 1400 LT at 7.16 MHz with the 4.77-MHz IBM PC, the results change, as you would ex- pect. The Tandy shows a significant ad- vantage on the Disk Write and Read, the Sieve, and the Calculations tests. Then the advantage dissolves. The 4.77-MHz IBM PC outperforms the 7.16-MHz Tandy 1400 LT on the 40K Format/Disk Copy by more than 20 percent (9.6 sec- onds for the IBM and 11.6 for the Tandy). And the IBM continues to blow the Tandy away on the 40K File Copy by 88 percent (5.8 seconds versus the Tandy's 10.9). On the Spreadsheet Load, the 1400 LT at 7.16 MHz performs at al- most exactly the same speed as the 4.77- MHz IBM PC, although the megahertz advantage does show up in the Recalcu- late figures (the Tandy outperforms the IBM by 64 percent: 6.7 seconds versus 1 1 seconds). Needless to say, the 8-MHz IBM PC AT steals the speed awards by a healthy margin. Little New Ground Tandy, with its massive distribution net- work of Radio Shack stores, has the power to make waves with any serious computer product it introduces. The Tandy 1400 LT is a solidly designed lap- top that breaks little new ground, but— if you accept its keyboard feel and layout and slow disk drives— it avoids any seri- ous design flaws. Its hardware capability will be particularly noteworthy if a rea- sonably priced expansion chassis and a hard disk drive become available in the future. The Tandy 1400 LTs processor power and backlit LCD screen make it a low- cost alternative to the successful Zenith Z-181 ($2399). The Z-181 screen is taller but is hinged from the back of the case, making it harder to use on most airplane or train seat backs. If you need compact- ness, processor power, and battery life, you may prefer the somewhat higher- priced Toshiba T1100 Plus ($1999)— or the NEC MultiSpeed ($2195), a backlit LCD machine that is more powerful than either the Tandy 1400 LT or the Toshiba T1100 Plus. However, at $1599, the Tandy 1400 LT achieves a sensible and moderate balance between good basic performance and economy. ■ 130 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Circle 140 on Reader Service Card PROGRAMMER'S PARADISE PRESENTS MICROPORT SYSTEM V/386 THE BEST INTEL 80386 SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT. PERIOD! Jo^ ^■JnTru» ^RiT u^>T3ciTy T^^^^W ^^^TOg I^^J B^I^E^E ^^^w T77»H Software developers, Microport knows your job is difficult. That's why they've created the best 80386 development environment on the market, giving you the tools you need to do your job successfully. 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RUNTIME SYSTEIV One of the most comprehensive UNIX V operating systems available on the market today, it includes the screen editor "vi" and contains over 180 utility programs. List: Runtime System (2-user): $199 Ours: $169 Runtime System (unlimited users): $448 Ours: Call SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM The Software Development System includes both the Green Hills C-386 compiler and the AT&T 386 pec C compiler. Also avail- able are Green Hills Fortran 386 and Pascal 386. A family of com- pilers with call sequence compatibility. Each compiler conforms to relevant standards, generates small/ condensed code, and features global optimization for fast execution. List: $499 Ours: $429 UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T. System V/386 is a trademark of Microport Systems. Circle 209 on Reader Service Card 1 TEXT PREPARATION SYSTEM This package consists of the complete System V, Release 2 Doc- umenters' Workbench (DWB). 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List: DOS Merge 386 (2 User) $395 Ours: $345 DOS Merge 386 (Unlimited) $495 Ours: $429 Microport System V is also available for the PC/AT List Ours System V/AT (Complete) Runtime System $549 199 $465 169 Software Development System Text Preparation System Unlimited License Kit 249 199 249 209 169 209 DOS Merge 286 149 129 Put Micropores System V/386 or System V/AT Software Development Environment to work for you. Call PROGRAMMER'S PARADISE! 1-800-445-7899 In NY: 914-332-4548 **— \ Programmer's roJmm A Division of Hudson Technologies, Inc. 42 River Street, Tarrytown, NY 10591 MARCH 1988 -BYTE 131 PHACTMANAGER XQL 249 795 219 599 Programmer's Paradise Gives You Superb Selection, Personal Service and Unbeatable Prices! Welcome to Paradise. The microcomputer software source that caters to your programming needs. Discover the Many Advantages of Paradise . . . • Lowest price guaranteed • Huge inventory, immediate shipment • Special orders > Latest versions • Knowledgeable sales staff • 30-day money-back guarantee* »— — 'sss^w We ' u Match An y Boye du7ouots»'" lbenen Nationally Advertised Pric< e . ■ 386 SOFTWARE ADVANTAGE 386 C 895 ADVANTAGE 386 PASCAL 895 DESQVIEW NEW 130 MICROPORT DOS/MERGE 395 MICROPORT SYSTEM V/386(COMPLETE) SPECIAL 799 MSWINDOWS/386 SPECIAL 195 PC-MOS 386 CALL PHARLAP 386IASM/LINK 495 PHARLAP 386 DEBUG 195 SCO XENIX SYS V 386 (COMPLETE) 1495 VM/386 245 386-TO-THE-MAX NEW 75 APL APL*PLUS PC APL*PLUS PC TOOLS POCKETAPL 829 829 109 349 669 125 CALL 419 155 1195 179 65 695 499 295 205 95 79 ARTIFICIALINTELLIGENCE ACTIVE PROLOG TUTOR 65 ARITY STANDARD PROLOG 95 LPA PROLOG PRO COMPILER 895 LPA PROLOG PRO INTERPRETER 395 MULISP-87INTERPRETER 300 MULISP-87INTERP COMPILER 400 PC SCHEME 95 SMALLTALK/V SPECIAL 99 STAR SAPPHIRE LISP 495 TURBO PROLOG 100 TURBO PROLOG TOOLBOX 100 VP EXPERT 100 ASSEMBLERS/LINKERS ADVANTAGE DISASM SPECIAL 295 ASMLIB 149 DR ASSEMBLER + TOOLS 200 MS MACRO ASSEMBLER 150 OPTASM NEW, SPECIAL 195 PASM86 195 PLINK86PLUS 495 RELMS, UNIWARE, X-ASMS VISIBLE COMPUTER 80286 BASIC DB/LIB FINALLY! FLASH-UP INSIDE TRACK MACH2 MS QUICKBASIC QBASE QUICKPAK QUICK-TOOLS QUICKWINDOWS SCREEN SCULPTOR STAY-RES TRUE BASIC TURBO BASIC DATABASE TOOLBOX EDITOR TOOLBOX TELECOM TOOLBOX 55 79 759 339 199 269 85 79 445 69 69 269 125 179 99 165 115 279 CALL CALL 100 RUN/C 120 79 RUN/C PROFESSIONAL 250 155 C LIBRARIES BASICX 175 139 BLACKSTAR FUNCTIONS 125 99 CASYNCH MANAGER 175 135 C-FOOD SMORGASBORD 150 95 C TOOLS PLUS/5.0 129 99 C UTILITY LIBRARY 185 125 C-XPERT 395 339 ESSENTIALCOMMUNICATIONS 185 125 COMMUNICATIONS PLUS 250 195 GREENLEAFC SAMPLER 95 69 GREENLEAFCOMM LIBRARY 185 125 GREENLEAF FUNCTIONS 185 125 MULTI-C 149 135 PFORCE 295 215 RESIDENT CW/SOURCE 198 169 THE HAMMER 195 119 TIMESLICER 295 279 W/SOURCE CODE 1000 895 TURBO C TOOLS 129 99 WKS LIBRARY 89 79 COBOL COBOLSPII 395 329 E-Z PAGE 295 259 MICRO FOCUS COBOL/2 COBOL/2 TOOLSET PC-CICS LEVEL II COBOL PERSONAL COBOL OTHERS MICROSOFT COBOL MICROSOFT SORT OPT-TECH SORT REALCICS REALIA COBOL W/REALMENU RM/COBOL RM/COBOL-85 RM/SCREENS SCREENIO SCREENPLAY GENIFER GENIFER SOLUTIONS HI-SCREEN XL QUICK ENTRY R&R REPORT PLUS SEEKIT SILVERCOMM LIBRARY SQUISH TOM RETTIG'S LIBRARY UI PROGRAMMER DEBUGGERS ADVANCED TRACE-86 BREAKOUT C-SPRITE PERISCOPE I PERISCOPE II PERISCOPE II-X PERISCOPE III 8 MHZ PERISCOPE III 10 MHZ PFIX 86 PLUS SOFTPROBEII/TX T-DEBUG PLUS 395 NEW 95 149 NEW 99 150 NEW 150 NEW 100 150 NEW 79 100 295 175 125 175 345 175 145 995 1095 395 750 60 DISK/DOS/KEYBOARDUTILITIES 900 729 V 900 729 1500 CALL 349 279 149 119 CALL CALL 700 449 195 129 149 105 995 785 995 785 1145 899 950 759 1250 999 395 315 400 379 175 129 65 75 SPECIAL 99 89 69 130 99 125 69 100 100 100 100 100 79 55 59 65 79 59 109 89 95 55 79 C COMPILERS AZTEC C-COMMERCIAL AZTEC C-DEVELOPERS C86PLUS HIGHC LATTICE C W/SOURCE MICROSOFTC QUICKC TURBO C C + + ADVANTAGE C + + PFORCE++ C INTERPRETERS C-TERP INSTANT C INSTANT C/16M 900 450 SPECIAL 99 100 SPECIAL 495 SPECIAL 395 499 CALL 299 CALL 497 375 595 CALL 500 269 HARDWARE PRODUCTS AMDEK 722 MONITOR 750 499 AMDEK 730 MONITOR 899 569 AST ADVANTAGE PREMIUM W/512K 495 319 AST RAMPAGE! 286 W 2M 849 545 AST RAMPAGE! 286 W/512K 545 349 HERCULES GRAPHICS CARD PLUS 299 195 HERCULES IN COLOR CARD 499 329 IRMA2 1195 779 ORCHID TURBO EGA 749 495 ORCHID TURBO PGA 1495 1099 PARADISE SYSTEMS AUTOSWITCH EGA 480 CARD 349 169 VGA PLUS CARD 399 269 VGA PROFESSIONAL 599 409 VEGA DELUXE 379 259 BACK-IT BOOKMARK COMMAND PLUS DISK OPTIMIZER FANSI CONSOLE FASTBACK FAST FORWARD FETCH INTELLIGENT BACKUP MACE UTILITIES NORTON COMMANDER NORTON UTILITIES ADVANCED NORTON UTILITIES PDISK Q-DOS II TASKVIEW VFEATURE VFEATURE DELUXE EDITORS BRIEF W/DBRIEF CVUE W/SOURCE CODE EDIX EMACS EPSILON FIRSTIME (C) KEDIT MKSVi PC/EDT 130 100 NEW\. 2.0 80 60 75 175 70 55 150 99 75 100 150 145 70 80 80 120 279 79 119 89 129 129 89 139 69 79 239 119 89 119 275 139 105 799 875 215 119 79 129 59 45 135 89 55 59 99 105 59 55 75 110 PI EDITOR PMATE SPF/PC VEDIT PLUS XTC 195 295 195 295 125 75 250 SPECIAL 195 195 195 185 195 CALL 275 CALL 250 199 165 265 149 229 99 69 229 155 115 145 129 79 499 285 65 65 469 199 298 229 495 379 895 CALL DATABASE COMPILERS CLIPPER FORCE III FOXBASE PLUS QUICKSILVER R:TURBO DBASE-TOOLS APPLICATION PLUS DBASE III PLUS DBASE TOOLS FOR C DNPL REPORTER DONE TWO THREE 695 399 129 115 395 269 599 369 695 CALL 499 279 695 429 90 65 90 79 99 89 FILE MANAGEMENT BTRIEVE 245 185 XTRIEVE 245 185 REPORTOPTION 145 99 BTRIEVE/N 595 455 XTRIEVE/N 595 455 REPORTOPTION/N 345 269 CBTREE 159 139 C-TREE . 395 315 R-TREE 295 239 C-TREE/R-TREE BUNDLE 650 519 DBCII1 250 169 DBC III/II W/SOURCE CODE 500 359 DBC III PLUS 750 595 DB-VISTA OR DB.QUERY SPECIAL 195 159 SINGLEUSER/SOURCE SPECIAL 495 399 MULTIUSER SPECIAL 495 399 MULTIUSER W/SOURCE SPECIAL 990 789 INFORMIX ESQL/C 595 CALL INFORMIX 4GL 995 CALL INFORMIX SQL 795 CALL FORTRANCOMPILERS DIGITAL RESEARCH FORTRAN 77 350 319 LAHEY FORTRAN S77L SPECIAL 695 CALL LAHEY PERSONAL FORTRAN 77 95 89 MICROSOFT FORTRAN 450 285 RM/FORTRAN 595 479 WATFOR FORTRAN 375 335 FORTRANUTILITIES/LIBRARIES AUTOMATED PROGRAMMER 995 949 DIAGRAM'EROR DOCUMENT'ER 129 115 EXTEND 150 129 FORTRAN ADDENDA 165 139 FORTRAN ADDENDUM 95 85 GRAFMATIC OR PLOTMATIC 135 119 MAGUS NUMERICAL ANALYST 295 249 MATHPAC 495 445 NO LIMIT 129 109 PANEL 295 199 SPINDRIFTLIBRARY 149 135 SSP/PC 350 269 TEKMARGRAPHICSLIB. 195 165 GRAPHICS ADVANTAGE GRAPHICS(C) 250 229 ESSENTIALGRAPHICS 250 189 GRAPHIC 350 279 GSS GRAPHIC DEV. TOOLKIT 495 375 HALO 300 209 HALO (5 MICROSOFT LANG.) 595 389 METAWINDOW 195 159 METAWINDOW PLUS 275 229 TURBO WINDOW/C 95 79 TURBO HALO (FOR TURBO C) 99 79 LINT PC-LINT 139 99 PRE-C 295 159 MODULA-2 LOGITECH MODULA-2 COMPILER KIT 99 79 DEVELOPMENTSYSTEM 249 199 TOOLKIT 169 139 REPERTOIRE 89 75 STONYBROOKMODULA-2 195 169 W/UTILITIES 345 299 OPERATING SYSTEMS MICROPORT: 286 DOS MERGE 149 129 SYSTEM V/AT SPECIAL 549 469 RUNTIME PACKAGE 199 169 SOFTWAREDEV. PACKAGE 249 209 TEXT PREPARATION PACKAGE 199 169 UNLIMITED LICENSE KIT 249 209 SCO: XENIX SYSTEM V (COMPLETE) 1295 995 DEVELOPMENTSYSTEM 595 489 OPERATING SYSTEM 595 489 TEXT PROCESSING PACKAGE 195 145 XENIX FOR PS/2 50,60,80 CALL CALL WENDIN: OPERATING SYSTEM TOOLBOX 99 79 PCVMS 99 79 PCNX 99 79 WENDIN-DOS SPECIAL 99 79 WENDIN-DOS APPLICATION KIT 99 79 PASCAL COMPILERS MARSHAL PASCAL 189 155 MICROSOFT PASCAL 300 189 PASCAL-2 350 319 PROFESSIONAL PASCAL 595 CALL TURBO PASCAL 100 69 TURBO PASCAL DEV. LIB. 395 289 FEATURED PRODUCTS OPTAS M —High-speed assemb ler is source compatible with MASM 5.0 and four times faster. Multi-pass design eliminates inserted NOP's and forward reference problems and automatically expands jumps out of range. Supports large symbol table, local labels, and includes built-in MAKE for Special Price: $165 SEIDL VERSION MANAGER— SVM a source code mangement system, with an easy to use full screen interface, space saving ability to compress data on archive files and a powerful r.eport generator which can generate detailed audit trail reports with all the information archived. List: $379 Special Price: CALL Lahey S77L-EM/16 Fortran Compiler — Now! Breaks 640K barriers on PC/AT's and 386 based micros. A tremendous aid to downloading huge mainframe FORTRAN programs. Support for NAMELIST and many other extensions make Eortingmuch easier, ist: $695 Special Price: CALL ADVANTAGE Disassembler— Disassembles .exe and .com files for comprehensive, well-documented assembly language source code. Latest version is now able to disassemble memory resident code and the internal symbol has been rearranged so listing the symbol table or writing to a file will be faster. List: $295 Special Price: $269 TURBO PASCAL ADD-ONS ASCII TURBO GHOST WRITER STARTER NEW 99 89 COMPLETE NEW 289 259 AZATAR DOS TOOLKIT NEW 99 85 DOS/BIOS & MOUSE TOOLS 75 69 FLASH-UP 89 79 FLASH-UPTOOLBOX 49 45 INSIDETRACK 65 55 MACH2 75 59 METRABYTE DATA ACQ. TOOLS 100 89 SCIENCE AND ENGIN. TOOLS 75 69 SCREENSCULPTOR 125 95 SYSTEMBUILDER 150 129 IMPEX 100 *9 REPORTBUILDER 130 115 T-DEBUG PLUS 60 49 TURBO ADVANTAGE 50 45 TURBO ADVANTAGE COMPLEX 90 79 TURBO ADVANTAGE DISPLAY 70 65 TURBO.ASM 99 69 TURBO ASYNCH PLUS 129 99 TURBO GEOMETRY LIBRARY NEW 100 89 TURBO HALO 99 85 132 BYTE* MARCH 1988 TURBO MAGIC 199 TURBO POWER TOOLS PLUS 129 TURBO POWER UTILITIES 95 TURBO PROFESSIONAL 4.0 99 TURBO WINDOW/PASCAL 95 UNIVERSALGRAPHICS LIBRARY 150 SCREEN DISPLAY/WINDOWS 79 79 79 119 PRO-C SAPIENSV8 SET: SCIL SOFTSCREENHELP SOURCE PRINT THEWEINERSHELL TREEDIAGRAMMER 399 300 349 195 95 379 269 319 149 75 179 C POWER WINDOWS 130 115 C-SCAPE 279 265 CURSES W/SOURCE CODE 250 169 GREENLEAF DATA WINDOWS 225 155 W/SOURCE CODE 395 259 JYACC FORMAKER 495 449 JYACCJAM 750 679 MICROSOFTWINDOWS 99 65 MS WINDOWS DEVELOPMENT KIT 500 319 PANEL 295 199 PANEL PLUS 495 395 PANEL/QC (QUICKC) 129 95 PANEL/TC (TURBO C) 129 95 SCREENSTAR W/SOURCE 198 169 VIEW MANAGER 275 199 VITAMINC 225 155 VCSCREEN 99 79 WINDOWS FOR C 195 149 WINDOWS FOR DATA 295 239 W/SOURCE NEW 590 CALL TRANSLATORS BASX OR BAS.PAS CALL CALL BASTOC 495 399 DB2C 299 CALL DBX TRANSLATOR 350 299 RTCPLUS 325 299 TURBO TO C 495 469 ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES/ PRODUCTS ACTOR SPECIAL 495 409 CARBON COPY PLUS 195 159 DAN BRICKLIN'S DEMO PROGRAM 75 59 DAN BRICKLIN'S DEMO TUTORIAL 50 45 FLOAT CHARTING II 229 205 HS/FORTH 395 359 JANUS/ADA C PACK 95 89 LATTICE RPG II COMPILER 750 629 MASTER FORTH 125 115 MKS AWK 75 69 MKSRCS NEW 189 169 MKS TOOLKIT 139 115 NORTON GUIDES 100 65 PC FORTH 150 109 PERSONAL REXX 125 99 PL1-86 750 675 XENIX/UNIX SOFTWARE MICROPORT-f SCO PRODUCTS CALL CALL ADVANTAGE C + + 695 625 DIRECTORY SHELL (286) 349 315 DIRECTORY SHELL (386) 495 445 FOXBASEPLUS 795 649 INFORMIX PRODUCTS CALL CALL JYACC FORMAKER 895 809 JAYCCJAM 1350 1219 KORN SHELL 145 129 MICROSOFTLANGUAGES CALL CALL PANEL PLUS 795 675 RM/COBOL 1250 949 RM/FORTRAN 750 549 WINDOWS FOR DATA 795 CALL BLAISE AS YNCH MANAGER (C/PASC AD 175 135 C TOOLS PLUS/5.0 129 99 EXEC 95 79 PASCAL TOOLS/TOOLS 2 175 135 TURBO ASYNCH PLUS 129 99 TURBO C TOOLS 129 99 TURBO POWER TOOLS PLUS 129 99 VIEW MANAGER (C/PASCAL) 275 199 BORLAND TURBO BASIC COMPILER 100 69 DATABASE TOOLBOX 100 69 EDITOR TOOLBOX 100 69 TELECOM TOOLBOX 100 69 TURBO C COMPILER 100 65 TURBO PASCAL 100 69 TURBO PASCAL DEV. LIB. 395 289 TURBO TUTOR 70 45 NUMERICAL METHODS TOOLBOX 100 69 DATABASE TOOLBOX 100 69 EDITOR TOOLBOX 100 69 GAMEWORKS TOOLBOX 100 69 GRAPHIXTOOLBOX 100 69 TURBO PROLOG COMPILER 100 69 TURBO PROLOG TOOLBOX 100 69 GREENLEAF GREENLEAF C SAMPLER 95 69 LIST OURS GREENLEAFCOMM LIBRARY 185 125 GREENLEAF DATA WINDOWS 225 155 W/SOURCE CODE 395 259 GREENLEAFrUNCTIONS 185 125 LATTICE LATTICE C 500 W/SOURCE CODE 900 C CROSS REFERENCE GENERATOR 50 C-FOOD SMORGASBORD 150 W/SOURCE CODE 300 C-SPRITE 175 CURSES SCREEN MANAGER 125 CVUE W/SOURCE CODE 250 DBC III 250 DBC III/II W/SOURCE CODE 500 DBC III PLUS 750 W/SOURCE CODE 1500 LMK 195 LSE 125 RPG II DEVELOPER SYSTEM 1400 RPG II COMPILER 750 RPG II SEU 1 250 RPG II SORT/MERGE 250 RPG II SCREEN DESIGN AID 350 SECRETD1SK 120 SIDETALK 120 SSP/PC 350 TEXT MANAGEMENT UTILITIES 120 LIFEBOAT ADVANTAGE 386 C OR PASCAL 895 ADVANTAGE C + + ADVANTAGE DISASM ADVANTAGE GRAPHICS ADVANTAGE LINK ADVANTAGE MAKE ADVANTAGE VCMS PANEL PLUS QUICKSCREEN RUN/C PROFESSIONAL TIMESLICER W/SOURCE CODE SPECIAL 495 SPECIAL 295 250 395 125 379 495 195 250 295 1000 MICROSOFT MS BASIC COMPILER (XENIX) 695 MS BASIC INTERPRETER (XENIX) 350 MS C COMPILER 450 MS COBOL COMPILER 700 FORXENIX 995 MS FORTRAN 450 FORXENIX 695 MS LEARNING DOS 50 MS MACRO ASSEMBLER 150 MS MOUSE SERIAL OR BUS 150 W/MS WINDOWS 200 W/EASYCAD 175 269 499 39 95 179 119 89 199 169 359 595 1185 139 99 1119 629 89 89 269 89 829 469 269 229 379 99 329 395 175 155 279 895 LIST OURS MSMUMATH 300 185 MS PASCAL COMPILER 300 189 FORXENIX 695 449 MS QUICK BASIC SPECIAL 99 65 MS QUICKC SPECIAL 99 65 MSSORr 195 129 MS WINDOWS 99 65 MS WINDOWS DEVELOPMENT KIT 500 319 MS WINDOWS/386 SPECIAL 195 125 PHOENIX PASM86 PDISK PFANTASY PAC PFINISH PFIX86PLUS PFORCE PFORCE++ PLINK86PLUS PMAKER PMATE PRE-C PTEL 195 145 995 395 395 395 SPECIAL 395 495 125 195 295 115 109 599 215 215 215 199 279 79 115 159 39 POLYTRON POLYBOOST POLYDESKIII ADD-ONS 80 69 99 75 CALL CALL MOUSE PRODUCTS LOGITECH SERIAL OR BUS MOUSE W/PLUS, SOFTWARE 119 99 W/PLUS, LOGICPAINT 149 119 W/PLUS, LOGICADD MOUSE 189 149 W/PLUS, PUBLISHER MOUSE 179 145 W/PLUS, PAINT, CADD 209 169 W/PLUS, CADD PUBL. MOUSE 239 189 W/PLUS, PAINT, PUBL. MOUSE 199 159 W/PLUS, PAINT, CADD, PUBL. 253 205 LOGITECH SERIES 2 W/PLUS 99 79 MICROSOFT SER OR BUS MOUSE 150 99 W/EASYCAD 175 119 W/MSWINDOWS 200 139 PC MOUSE BUS W/PNT & POPUPS 179 129 PC MOUSE SER W/PNT & POPUPS 159 115 SUMMAMOUSE 119 99 Special Savings from Paradise POLYLIBRARIAN 99 89 285 POLYMAKE 149 129 POLYSHELL 149 125 POLYTRON CBEAUTIFIER 49 45 99 POLYTRON C LIBRARY I 99 75 POLYXREF 219 185 139 PVCSCORPORATE 395 329 PVCS NETWORK CALL CALL PVCS PERSONAL 149 129 MICROSOFT WINDOWS/386 Windows/386 gives you the look and feel of OS/2, by IBM and Microsoft — the standard for tomorrow. Turns your personal computer into a multi-tasking, virtual machine, where any number of DOS and Microsoft Windows applications can run at the same time. Each DOS application runs in its own 640K — even memory resident programs. Copying and passing of selected data between DOS and Windows application is supported. Features greatly enhanced /UIJCfTlSOlt^ support for DOS applications, they can run in a window or use the full screen. List: $195 Special Price: $125 QuickC QuickC gives you the features that you need to learn C quickly. It's the best for fast and easy compilation and prototyping, compiling programs at 10,000 lines per minute. Features a built-in editor with selectable insert or overtype mode, automatic MAKE file creation, context-sensitive help for easy learning and an integrated debugger that lets you set breakpoints, animate through your program and add watch variables. QuickC is completely source code and JUI/CfOSOft^ object compatible with Microsoft C 5.0. List: $99 Special Price: $65 QuickBASIC/4.0 QuickBASIC 4.0 eliminates the time-consuming compile step. Run your program, stop to edit and debug, then continue running without recompiling. When you edit your code, QuickBASIC automatically incorporates your changes - usually at 150,000 lines per minute. Includes a built-in, full-screen editor with automatic syntax checking and formatting, advanced threaded p-code intrepreter, support j^ - *>- ^ for 8087/287 math co-processors, a subset of the Code View f¥Mtt&S&ii debugger, plus other new features. List: $99 Special Price: $65 PI EDITOR Turbocharge your productivity with PI, the only editor that automatically highlights your compilation errors and displays error messages. Slash development time in- stantly with Pi's intuitive mnemonic commands, enhanced pop-up menus, contextual help and on-line manual. Bring out your best with Pi's blazing/ speed, undo, macros, 'Find All,' regular expressions, lan- guage support, and full DOS access. The ultimate editing environment with built-in speed. List: $195 Special Price: $155 WENDIN-DOS WENDIN-DOS is the new multi-tasking, multi-user MS-DOS replacement operating system for IBM compatible PC's. WENDIN-DOS uses the MS-DOS file system, and supports MS-DOS commands while providing new ones to enable multi-tasking, file protection, and command language extension and enables you to access your files with DOS, UNIX, or VAX/VMS style file names — whichever you prefer. Provides pass words and run privileges for system securing. WEND IN-DOS supports several users on the same computer. To add new users, the rnmpntrr — 7] y \ / / operator just adds communications ports and describes them \yW/?/j$/WflIj$ in his configuration system file. Minimum 512K memory. " ^ *"' " List: $99 Special Price: $79 ADVANTAGE C+ + Add ADVANTAGE C + + to your C compiler and enhance your existing C tools with new object-oriented capabilities. Now available with MS Windows Support this super set of C gives you the speed, support and reliability you need to develop large and complex programs with greater f ICCD^mKm resilence, and fewer bugs. The latest version supports MS **• fcfl#WJ Iff C4. 0/5.0, and QuickC. List: $495 Special Price: $469 Terms and Policies • We honor MC VISA. AMERICAN EXPRESS No surcharge on credit card or C.O.D. Prepayment by check. New York State residents add applicable sales tax. Shipping and handling S3. 95 per item, sent DPS ground. Rush service available, prevailing rates. • Programmer's Paradise wit match any current nation- ally advertised price (or the products listed in this ad. ■ Prices and Policies subject 10 change without notice. . Hours 9AM EST — 7PM EST • Well Mat ojimy Nationally Advertised Price • .Hail Ord m include your phant number •Ask for details. Some manufacturers will not allow returns once disk seals are broken. Dealers and Corporate Buyers— Call for special discounts and benefits'. 1-800-445-7899 In NY: 914-332-4548 Customer Service: 914-332-0869 International Orders: 914-332-4548 Telex: 510-601-7602 Programmer's *f-v programmers nvvmu A Division of Hudson Technologies, Inc. 42 River Street, Tarrytown. NY 1«591 Circle 210 on Reader Service Card MARCH 1988 -BYTE 133 HARDWARE REVIEWS Screening Macintosh II Color Monitors Joel West and Neil Rhodes The Macintosh II (unlike its predecessor, the Mac Plus) was designed without a built-in video display device. This means that you can select display hardware (monitors or video cards) that are suitable for the specific demands of your work- color or gray scale, or larger monitors with more pixels. Apple's Mac II video board gives you a 640- by 480-pixel display with 16 colors or gray scales for $499, and up to 256 colors or grays if you add extra video memory to the board (for an additional $149). For displays, Apple offers a choice of a 12-inch gray-scale monitor for $399 or a 13-inch color monitor (which was in short supply last year) for $999. Since the Mac IPs introduction, third- party vendors have brought out alterna- tive monitors for it, including larger mon- itors displaying more pixels to meet the needs of those doing extensive CAD/ CAM or graphics work. We evaluated some of the first available Mac II dis- plays: two large-screen monitors from Personal Computer Peripherals Corp. (PCPC) and SuperMac Technology, and a standard-size monitor from 4Site Technologies. The Mac II architecture supports display formats of arbitrary resolution; the video card's configuration ROM sup- plies the screen dimensions and pixel depth to the operating system when the computer starts up. Both SuperMac and PCPC take advantage of this flexibility by supplying video boards that provide more pixels than the standard Apple display. The PCPC II [Trinitron] uses a 19-inch color Trinitron monitor and a video Joel West is president and Neil Rhodes is manager of software development for Palomar Software Inc. (P. O. Box 2635, Vista, CA 92083). They are coauthors of the firm 's Colorizer software package for the Macintosh II. A look at the PCPC II, the SuperMac Color Trinitron, and the Machroma C2D monitors board that displays 1027 by 768 pixels. This combination costs $5295. Super- Mac Technology offers a 19-inch color Trinitron monitor and the Spectrum 1000/8 video board, which provides a 1024- by 768-pixel display. This monitor and video board combination costs $5190. Both companies offer alternative lower-cost 19-inch displays (discussed later). 4Site Technologies' Machroma C2D is a 14-inch color monitor that can display 926 by 580 pixels and costs $895 . It does not use its own video board; you can use Apple's Mac II video board or another third-party video board. (For a look at IBM-compatible multiscan-type monitors that can be used on Mac lis, such as the Sony Multiscan and NEC MultiSync, see "Multiscan Color Moni- tors" by George A. Stewart in the Febru- ary BYTE). We noted qualitative impressions of the monitor/video card combinations during normal use, including testing with vari- ous Macintosh software packages. We used our own Colorizer software pack- age, several MacApp demonstration pro- grams from Apple's Advanced Technol- ogy Group, and Spinnaker, a Palette Manager test program by Art Cabral of Apple. In addition, quantitative results were obtained at the laboratories of Microvision, which used its SuperSpot 100 CRT analysis system on the three monitors. For reference purposes, we compared these systems with Apple's AppleColor color monitor and the Mac II video board. The Monitors The PCPC and SuperMac monitors are based on the 19-inch Trinitron manufac- tured by Sony, the GDM 1950 monitor (termed the GDM 1952 when equipped with a tilt/swivel base). The PCPC is available only with the tilt/swivel base. The two moni- tors appeared to function identi- cally during normal use, al- though testing showed a few subtle differences. These monitors are very bulky and heavy; in fact, under Federal Occupa- tional Safety and Health Administration employee guidelines, they require two people to move them. Due to their weight, you can't place them directly on top of a Mac II, as you can with smaller monitors. Thus, you need either more desk space or a stand that's sturdy enough to support 84 pounds of monitor (the tilt/swivel base in- creases this load to 90 pounds). Super- Mac offers a tilt/swivel stand to support its monitor; it costs $250. According to the manufacturer, the Trinitron can display 1280 by 1024 pixels, but the nominal resolution with both of the supplied video boards is 1024 by 768 pixels. This provides approxi- mately 250 percent of the screen pixels of the standard 640- by 480-pixel Apple Mac II monitor, and 450 percent of the Macintosh Plus and SE's 512- by 342- pixel displays. The pixel density is ap- proximately that of the standard displays, so the net effect is a lot more screen area to work with when positioning applica- tion windows. This is particularly useful when working with MultiFinder, where the windows of all running programs must share the screen. A larger screen area lets you place application windows where you can bring them to the fore- ground at a mouse click instead of need- ing to pull down the desk accessory menu. The 4Site Machroma C2D monitor is based on the Magnavox Professional 8CM873 monitor. It has a 14-inch screen with a 13-inch viewing area. Combined with Apple's video card, it offers a display of 640 by 480 pixels. It is slightly taller than the Apple monitor and is 5 pounds lighter. The Machroma is the only one of the 134 BYTE* MARCH 1988 Photo 1: The three monitors reviewed. Top: 4Site's Machroma C2D. Bottom left: The Super Mac Color Trinitron. Bottom right: The PC PC II [Trinitron]. Inset: The video boards for the large monitors. Top: The SuperMac Spectrum 1000/8. Bottom: The PCPCCGC/1. four monitors to include a 3-inch speaker and an audio input jack. It also has a Text switch that turns off the red and blue in- puts, producing a black-on-green display with the Mac II. The AppleColor High-Resolution RGB Monitor, which we used for refer- ence, uses a 13 -inch Trinitron tube with Apple electronics. All the monitors except the Apple- Color have a nonreflective coating, which is an advantage in normal and bright office lighting. Both of the large screens are switch-selectable for 220/240 volts AC, although different fuses are re- quired for the different voltages. The AppleColor monitor automatically ad- justs to higher voltages, while the Ma- chroma was supplied in the 120- V ver- sion only. PCPC and SuperMac each offer an- other 19-inch model, made by Mitsubishi and Ikegami, respectively. The PCPC II [Mitsubishi] costs $4995; the SuperMac Standard Color Monitor costs $2995. SuperMac also sells a 16-inch Trinitron that displays the same number of pixels at a higher density and costs $2495, and a 19-inch gray-scale monitor that costs $1695. Video Cards To use one of these monitors, you must install a NuBus-compatible video card in the Mac II chassis. Opening up the Mac- intosh and installing the card may seem foreign to owners of earlier Macs, but it's a simple task, accomplished in less than 5 minutes. No DIP switches are present on any of the boards: Following the NuBus standard, it's up to the board's configura- tion ROM to provide the computer with the necessary information and driver code. The output device for all the video cards is a RAMDAC by Brooktree Corp. This IC passes a digital value retrieved from video RAM to three built-in D/A converters that drive the RGB analog sig- nals supplied to the monitor. Neither PCPC's nor SuperMac's video cards supported exactly the 1024- by 768-pixel display their manufaturers claimed. The PCPC board provided QuickDraw with 1024 by 767 pixels, while the SuperMac board supplied 1016 by 768 pixels. Neither variation was sig- nificant in actual use. The PCPC video board is the smallest, at 10 inches long. The board is designed around the 75-MHz Brooktree 458 and the Texas Instruments TMS 34061 video system controller. It has 768K bytes of video RAM, allowing it to display 256 colors; however, it supports only the 256- color mode and not the 2-, 4-, and 16- color modes available on the other boards. The lack of a 2-color mode is a serious limitation, since a number of pro- grams (e.g., MacPaint 1.5, SuperPaint 1.0, and TMON) expect a 1-bit deep (2- color) display; otherwise, they garble the screen image. With other video boards, the easiest fix for this problem is to set the display to the 2-color mode. Since the PCPC board doesn't have a 2-color mode, you're stuck until a new genera- tion of programs arrives that can properly handle a 256-color display. PCPC is aware of the situation and says it will have a video board that supports a 2- and 256- color mode by the time you read this. The SuperMac is the longest of the three boards at 13 inches. It uses the same TMS 34061 and a 66-MHz Brooktree 453. It also uses 768K bytes of video RAM to provide 256 colors. The tested board included version D 1 1 of the Super- Mac ROMs— the third revision offered, correcting problems with the 4- and 16- color display modes. This version was made available to all customers late last year, according to the company. The SuperMac board demonstrated a minor (but annoying) display defect. When we changed the standard Quick- Draw color table, the top display line no- ticeably flashes to black before showing continued MARCH 1988 -BYTE 135 REVIEW: MACINTOSH II COLOR MONITORS Company Information Personal Computer Peripherals Corp. 6204 Benjamin Rd. Tampa, FL 33634 (813)884-3092 SuperMac Technology 295 North Bernardo Ave. Mountain View, CA 94043 (415) 964-8444 4Site Technologies Inc. Machroma Division 200 Seventh Ave. Suite 120 Santa Cruz, CA 95062 (800) 634-7483 Apple Computer Inc. 20525 Mariani Ave. Cupertino, CA 950 14 (408)996-1010 Spot size, center 0.9 ■ A £ 0.7 0) Q) E 1 0.5- ® A O ® O A 0.3 ■ II i : : 1 2 3 I 4 Monitors ® = at center, ▲ = at corner the proper color. However, before this ar- ticle went to press, SuperMac sent us a new version (1 .0B 1) of the configuration ROM that corrects this problem. For comparison, the 12-inch Apple Macintosh Video Card uses a 40-MHz modified version of the Brooktree 453 . The board is built around a custom frame-buffer chip instead of the Texas In- struments controller. It supports 2-, 4-, and 16-color modes standard, while the optional expansion kit (or its third-party equivalent) is needed for a 256-color mode. As shipped, the board comes with eight video RAMs and sockets for eight more. The additional RAM (sold by Apple as the Mac II Video Card Expansion Kit) is required for a 256-color display. Monitor Tests and Results A series of 10 tests was performed at the offices of Microvision in Campbell, Cali- fornia. The tests were run using the firm's SuperSpot 100 CRT analysis sys- tem. The standard SuperSpot test pat- terns are available only for MS-DOS ma- chines, so we wrote a comparable pro- gram for the Mac II using Color Quick- Draw calls and MacApp. The tested hardware included the AppleColor High-Resolution RGB Moni- tor; video cards from PCPC and Super- Mac and their monitors; and two Mac II Video Cards, with the optional video ex- pansion kits, to drive Apple's monitor and the Machroma monitor. The monitors were allowed to warm to operating temperature (about 30 min- utes), and the brightness level was ad- justed for best definition. The entire screen was flooded with green, since the sensor was most sensitive to this color, and the intensity was measured. The light levels in foot-lamberts for each monitor were as follows: PCPC, 19; SuperMac, 16.7; Machroma, 17; and AppleColor, 15. The tests measured the spot size; time variance effects such as jitter, swim, and drift; misconvergence; and voltage regulation. Spot size is the minimum size that can be illuminated by the electron beam. The tests provide separate readings for hori- zontal and vertical dimensions. Measure- ments were made in the center and the corner of the screens. The square root of the sum of the squares of the horizontal and vertical measurements provides a single number that corresponds to the length of a diagonal line across a spot. Spot size shows the fineness of the display beyond the nominal dot-pitch specification. The spot sizes are shown in figure 1 ; they have been normalized for a screen size of 13 inches. The two 19-inch Trinitron monitors did not perform identically. The spot size for the PCPC monitor was measurably smaller than that of the SuperMac moni- tor—in fact, it was the smallest for the monitors tested. This result was repeated when testing the PCPC monitor with the ^Figure 1: Measured spot sizes for the monitors in millimeters. Figure 2a: Jitter measurement. Figure 2b: Swim measurement. Figure 2c: Drift measurement. All measurements in millimeters, y (a) 0.15- 0.1 o CD > 0.05 Am 2m 0- i 0.015 3« (b) 0.3 0.2 o "■c CD > 0.1 • 3 4 • 2 • • 1 0.02 0.025 Horizontal 0.03 0.02 0.04 0.06 Horizontal 0.08 0.1 136 BYTE- MARCH 1988 REVIEW: MACINTOSH II COLOR MONITORS SuperMac card. Other measurements, such as line variation, were better for the SuperMac; this suggests sample-to- sample variations in factory adjustments. The Machroma monitor had the largest spot size and the largest variation between the center and the comer of the screen. Time variance measures undesirable fluctuations in the beam position. Jitter is high-frequency movement (measure- ments were made over half -second inter- vals), swim is medium-frequency move- ment (measurements were made over 10- second intervals), and drift is low- frequency movement (measurements were made over 60-second intervals) . Jit- ter can cause eyestrain; large amounts of drift can make precision graphics or CAD work difficult. Microvision measured horizontal and vertical variance separately. Maximum variance and average variance for jitter, swim, and drift were recorded. Measure- ments were made only in the center of the screen. Again, linear measurements have been adjusted for a 13-inch screen. Fig- ures 2a, 2b, and 2c present the results for average variance of the three measure- ments. The SuperMac and Apple moni- tors had the lowest time variance, and the Machroma monitor had the highest. Misconvergence measures errors in the electron beam/phosphor dot alignment; these errors cause color fringing. Mis- convergence was measured at the center of the screen (usually best case) and the upper left corner (usually worst case). The amount of error in the red-green, blue-green, and red-blue convergence in horizontal and vertical directions was measured separately. Linear measure- ments were adjusted for screen size. (See figures 3a and 3b.) There were no clear winners here, but the SuperMac had the best horizontal convergence, and the Machroma had the best vertical convergence. You can gauge the quality of a moni- tor's voltage regulation by how much a line's position is displaced when the screen is black versus when the rest of the screen is filled with white. Ideally, the line shouldn't move. We compared a horizontal line's position on the screen when the rest of the screen was black, and then when the screen was white; a verti- cal line was similarly compared. Again, the results were normalized for screen size. Figure 4 shows the voltage regula- tion test results presented as horizontal and vertical displacements. The Apple- Color monitor showed exceptionally good voltage regulation. The Machroma monitor was the only one of the four to show poor high-voltage regulation; the test pattern moved noticeably as the num- ber of displayed pixels changed. The Price of a Large Screen None of the three rival monitors was quite as good subjectively as the AppleColor continued Key to Charts 1 PCPC II 2 SuperMac Machroma AppleColor All measurements are normalized for a 13-inch screen. Figure 3a: Horizontal misconvergence at center, in millimeters. Figure 3b: Vertical misconvergence at center, in millimeters. Figure 4: Line displacement in millimeters . ▼ (a) Horizontal misconvergence 0.2 0.1 - 1 o A A A 8 -0.1 -0.2 - i i i i i i i i i 12 3 4 Monitors (b) Vertical misconvergence 0.2 i 0.1 - CO I -0.1 ■ -0.2 - i i i i i i i 12 3 4 Monitors A = red-to-green error • = blue-to-green error ■ = red-to-blue error (c) U.3-1 3« 0.2- 1 0.1- • i4 < n- ► 2 0.04 0.06 0.08 Horizontal 0.1 0.12 Line displacement 0.8 0.6 "-E 0.4 0) > 0.2 - 3 • 1 12 »4 0.2 0.4 Horizontal 0.6 MARCH 1988 -BYTE 137 Circle 184 on Reader Service Card REVIEW: MACINTOSH II COLOR MONITORS High-Performance IEEE-488 Solutions for your IBM PS/2 I COMPARE THESE BENEFITS Runs on Personal System/2 models 50, 60, and 80 (Micro Channel™) Most extensive software library - program in the language of your choice Highest performance available - up to 1M bytes/sec data transfer rate using NI Turbo488 ni gate array ON SRQ interrupt response Applications Monitor - real-time error checking and program tracing with pop-up windows -J — l— Best price/performance FREE technical support with toll free telephone service 30Tday money back guarantee 2 -year warranty ■ r™"nTT , n"T ; i IEEE Tie CALL 800/53 Lender Aus tin, 10S Te chnology Blvd Texas FGRJWSE in 78727-5204 l-4742»>i:S/2 50-91 19 355 CATALOG Monitor PCPC II [Trinitron] SuperMac Color Trinitron 4Site Machroma C2D AppleColor High-Resolution RGB Monitor Screen size 19 inch 1 9 inch 14 inch 13 inch Resolution 1 1024 by 768 1024 by 768 926 by 580 640 by 480 Display area 1 (in mm) 360 by 270 360 by 270 250 by 180 235 by 176 Aspect ratio 1.33 1.33 1.39 1.33 Dot pitch 0.31 mm 0.31 mm 0.31 mm 0.25 mm Scanning frequencies 1 49 kHz by 60 Hz 63 kHz by 60 Hz 35 kHz by 60 Hz 35 kHz by 66.7 Hz Bandwidth 100 MHz 100 MHz 25 MHz 23 MHz Power consumption 220 W 300 W 132W 160W Power input 100/120 V 220/240 V 100/1 20 V 220/240 V 120V 85/270 V Antiglare Yes Yes Yes No Signal connector type Video Audio 3BNC male N/A 3BNC male N/A DB-9 female RCA jack DA- 15 female N/A Dimensions 19 by 21 by 19 18by21 by19 13 by 14 by 15 1 2 by 1 4 by 1 5 Weight 90 pounds 8 4 pounds 29 pounds 34 pounds Tilt and swivel Standard $250 $35 $89 Warranty 1 year 90 days 1 year 90 days Price $52952 $51903 $895 $999 Inquiry 888. Inquiry 889. Inquiry 890. Inquiry 891. Notes: 1 . Horizontal by vertical. 2. Includes price of video board (video board and monitor sold as a set). 3. Price of monitor and video board (monitor alone is $3695). Board PCPC CGC/1 SuperMac Spectrum 1000/8 Apple Macintosh II Video Card Resolution 1 1016 by 768 1024 by 767 640 by 480 Scanning frequencies Horizontal Vertical 49 kHz 60 Hz 48.2 kHz 59.3 Hz 35 kHz 66.7 Hz Connector DB-9 male DA- 15 female DA- 15 female Board length 10 inches 13 inches 12 inches Warranty 1 year 1 year 90 days Price $1595 $1495 $648 2 Inquiry 892. Inquiry 893. Inquiry 894. Notes: 1 . As measured; horizontal by vertical. 2. Price includes 256K-byte video RAM upgrade for 256 colors (without upgrade, price is , $499, and card displays only 1 6 colors). 138 BYTE* MARCH 1988 REVIEW: PUSHING THE MAC SE monitor. The tests indicate that although the AppleColor's convergence and spot size is not as good as that of the larger monitors, the low time- variance mea- surements and the superior voltage regu- lation probably contribute to the favor- able impression. From the standpoint of display quality, the two 19-inch monitors were very good. The colors were as good as the AppleColor's, although the displays did not appear to be quite as sharp. The much larger display area is a decided advantage for many applications. Remember, how- ever, that since there are more pixels to update, the two 1024- by 768-pixel moni- tors are considerably slower than the 640- by 480-pixel screens. Of course, whether the bulk, weight, and price of these moni- tors is likely to rule them out must be up to you. The Machroma C2D was disappoint- ing in comparison to the other three mon- itors. The display did not appear to be as sharp as the others, and the contrast was low. This observation was confirmed ob- jectively by the test results. In addition, the white had a marked greenish tint. The saturation of pure colors was poor, par- ticularly for red. We found little reason to recommend the Machroma monitor. If you're looking for a medium-size moni- tor other than the Apple, then you should consider one of the better multiscan mon- itors reviewed in the February BYTE, such as the Sony CPD 1302 or the Taxan 770 Plus. Among video cards, the Apple board again set the standard: It worked flaw- lessly, and it supported the 2-, 4-, 16-, and 256-color modes without any prob- lems. The PCPC video board showed no real problems, but the lack of a 2-color mode made it incompatible with the TMON debugger and SuperPaint. Also, all software works considerably faster when updating 87 percent fewer video bits in a 2-color mode ( 1 bit instead of 8) . We run our Mac II monitors in the 2-color mode for development work a significant portion of the time, and a board like the PCPC that does not support this would be unacceptable for our own purchase. The 4-color mode is rarely of use, but the 16- color mode frequently proves to be an acceptable compromise between speed and color fidelity. The SuperMac video board performed capably, but only after the problems with the configuration ROM were corrected. If you decide to buy the SuperMac board, we recommend that you check to see that it has the latest version of the configura- tion ROM. ■ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS David Buckstad of Microvision per- formed the quantitative tests on the four monitors at his company's facilities. David Gelphman of Adobe Systems lent his Mac II and Apple monitor for use dur- ing those tests. ■ Pushing the Mac SE Laurence H . Loeb Macintosh SE accelerator boards plug into the SE's single expansion slot to let SE owners upgrade their computers to near-Macintosh II power without buying a new and more expensive machine. The two accelerator boards examined here, the Radius Accelerator ($995) and Mac- Memory's Turbo SE ($599), claim to more than double the Mac SE's process- ing power. The idea of a plug-in board that by- passes the Mac SE's processor is not a new one. In a previous review (November 1987 BYTE), I looked at two of the first accelerator boards for the SE: the Prodi- gy SE from Levco and the HyperCharger 020 from General Computer Corp. (GCC). These two boards boost the Mac SE's computing power by supplying a 16- MHz 68020 processor and 1 megabyte of 32-bit memory that replaces the com- puter's original 8-MHz 68000 processor and 1 megabyte of 16-bit memory. The Radius Accelerator and Turbo SE, however, use different approaches to en- hance the Mac SE's performance. While the Radius accelerator has an on-board 16-MHz 68020, it uses 32K bytes of zero-wait-state 32-bit-wide cache mem- ory. The MacMemory board uses a 16- MHz 68000, clocked at twice the speed of the SE's processor, but it still uses the Mac SE's 16-bit memory for program storage. Like the Prodigy SE and Hyper- Charger, both of these boards have a socket for an optional 68881 floating- point unit (FPU). The Radius Accelerator The first board I examined was the Ra- dius Accelerator. I looked forward to evaluating this product because it offered a reasonably priced board with a 68020 processor and the 68881 FPU socket (the review unit contained the 6888 1 ) . The installation documentation that came with the board was abysmal: It con- sisted of a single sheet of paper with text printed on each side. The documentation cautions that only a Radius authorized dealer should install the board. There's good reason for this: Its design results in an installation procedure that, with some bad luck, could damage your Mac SE motherboard. The SE motherboard is hinged on one side. To remove it, you shift the mother- board along its axis, then swivel it out of its locked position (much like pulling up on a door before swinging it open) . The Radius daughterboard contains a connec- tor that coincides with a hole in an inter- nal metal strut when the board is installed on the Mac SE motherboard. The con- The MacMemory Turbo SE board (left), and the Radius Accelerator board (right). nector implements Radius's "Magic- Bus," an expansion bus for additional hardware add-ins. Currently, it connects only to Radius's Full Page Display. The MagicBus connector prevents you from reinstalling the motherboard in the same way that you took it out (i.e., you can't swing the door shut, then let it drop down). Radius's installation notes say that "you will not be able to slide the Macintosh board back into the chassis and will have to pop it back into place by putting first one edge into the side rail and then prying with a flat blade screw- driver to pop the other edge into the side rail." In almost a year of product re- views, this is as close as I have come to cracking the Mac SE's motherboard in half. Until this installation procedure is changed, I recommend that your Radius continued MARCH 1988 -BYTE 139 REVIEW: PUSHING THE MAC SE Radius Accelerator Turbo SE Type Type Macintosh SE accelerator board Macintosh SE accelerator board Company Company Radius Inc. MacMemory 404EastPlumeriaDr. 2480 North First St. San Jose, CA 951 34 San Jose, CA 95131 (408)434-1010 (800) 862-2636 (408)922-0140 Features 1 6- MHz 68020 processor; socket for Features 68881 math coprocessor; 32K bytes of 16-MHz 68000 processor; socket for zero-wait-state cache memory; 68881 math coprocessor; uses memory connector for Radius Full Page Display already in Mac SE; adds 1 28K bytes of memory for use by video and sound Size circuitry; connector for The Big Picture 8V2 by 4V4 inches video display from E-Machines; Turbo881 INIT file for 68881 support Hardware Required Macintosh SE Size 8V2 by 5 inches Software Required System 3.2/Finder 5.3 or higher Hardware Required . Macintosh SE Documentation Two-page Installation Guide; 1 2-page Software Required User's Manual System 3.2/Finder 5.3 or higher Options Documentation 16-MHz 68881 math coprocessor: 57-page Turbo SE Installation and $395 Owner's Manual Price Options $995 1 6-MHz 68881 math coprocessor; $399 Inquiry 886. 4 megabytes of 120-ns RAM: $1798 (price varies) Price $599 Inquiry 887. dealer install the board, even if you are technically competent. Once installed, the accelerator board doesn't require any further adjustments via the Control Panel or a desk accessory. A 12-page user's manual provides tips on using the board. It shows you simple things such as how to tell when the accel- erator is active (it displays a start-up screen) and how to turn the accelerator off (hold down the mouse button after you power up the computer— you can turn it off from a preferences panel that ap- pears). If you use Mac Write 4.5, you don't have to add a special compatibility file, as some accelerator boards require, because the Radius board patches the of- fending TRAP vectors automatically. This feature is of limited value if you're using Mac Write 4.6, which works cor- rectly with all Macintoshes. A yellow insert in the package advises you to back up your hard disk before in- stalling the Accelerator because some formatting software "has exhibited in- compatibility problems with the Acceler- ator, destroying data on start-up." Ra- dius also provides a list of tested hard disk drives. Backing up the hard disk drive is a good idea before doing any major hard- ware change. The Radius board requires that you power down the Mac SE to switch be- tween the 68020 mode and the 68000 compatibility mode. Some users may find fault with the need to power down the Mac to change modes, but I never found this procedure necessary because I en- countered no software incompatibilities. The latest versions of all the software I normally use worked with the Radius's 68020 mode. Several programs that use the 68881 floating-point processor also worked just fine, including beta versions of Borland's Eureka for the Mac and Super-3D by Silicon Beach Software. Red Ryder 10.3 worked well with the board, too, although version 9.4 of the program had caused problems with the Prodigy SE and HyperCharger boards. This indicates that software vendors have tried to make their code 68020- and 68881-compatible since the Mac II's introduction. Fast Cache Memory The problems with installation should not blind you to the immediate benefits of using the Radius Accelerator: Programs run noticeably faster, and the screen re- freshes itself faster. One example is re- turning to Finder from an application. With a hard disk, Finder can take a few seconds to redraw all the icons on a crowded desktop. Maybe it's my Type A personality, but waiting for this redraw annoys me. With the Radius board in- stalled, this redraw time is decreased to acceptable levels. A significant factor in the Radius's performance is its one unique feature: cache memory. Unlike the Prodigy SE or HyperCharger boards, the Accelerator doesn't have a megabyte of 32-bit mem- ory to store the executing program. It has 32K bytes of zero-wait-state 32-bit cache memory, of which 22K bytes is used to store the memory-mapped screen (one of the reasons the board appears to work fast is the quick screen-refresh time), 8K bytes is for program data, and 2K bytes is for "housekeeping" information. When a cache miss occurs, the program code (which is in 16-bit memory) is simulta- neously executed and copied into the cache, avoiding a separate copy operation that would slow the processor down. As a result, the computer stores the most recently used parts of the program (whether executing code or Macintosh ROM calls) in cache memory. This mini- mizes the Mac SE' s number of slower 1 6- bit memory accesses and allows the 68020 to do fetches from cache memory at the maximum data transfer rate. Ra- dius's 32K bytes of cache memory is faster than the HyperCharger' s and Prod- igy's 1 megabyte of memory because these boards' memories always run at one wait state, while Radius's always runs at zero wait states. The Turbo SE MacMemory takes a completely different approach in its Turbo SE board. It uses a 16-MHz 68000 processor clocked at 15.8 MHz (from the C16M signal present in the SE) to speed things up. The company says it took this approach (which none of the other boards uses) to offer compati- bility with all existing Mac software. (However, as I stated earlier, I didn't find software incompatibility with the 68020 to be a problem.) continued 140 BYTE- MARCH 1988 AutoSketch A Resource to Draw Upon To get any job done, you need the right tools. Ideally, they should be extensions of your talents, freeing you to do what you do best. And speed, precision, flexibility, and consistency arealwaystoppriorities, no matterwhatthejob. --If communicating with drawings is part of your job, "> AutoSketch should be one of your resources. AutoSketch from Autodesk, the developers of AutoCAD,® is the precision drawing tool for professional use. It's fast, powerful, and simple to learn . The price is right, too. With AutoSketch and your personal computer, you'll enter the world of computer-aided drawing with ease. You may never have designed with a PC before, and you may think it's bound to be complicated and time-consuming. Surprise! With AutoSketch, you'll probably be up and running in about an hour. Despite its ease of use, AutoSketch is a full-function, object-oriented CAD program. Pull-down menus and dialog boxes help you each step of the way. With a click of the mouse, you can draw, then copy, mirror, or move objects, even create symbol libraries. AutoSketch automatically updates measurements whenever you stretch, scale, or rotate dimensioned objects. It even keeps track of everything you do, so that you can delete and restore parts of your drawing as easily as you change your mind, using successive undo or redo commands. We know you'll be impressed with the professional results. So will your clients and colleagues. AutoSketch runs on the IBM PC/XT/AT and 100% compatible systems with a minimum of 512K RAM and either color or monochrome display. If your PC has an 8087 or 80287 math coprocessor, the standard version operates about three times faster. The speed-enhanced version, requiring ^ the coprocessor, is three times faster still. Call 800-445-5415 for the name of the AutoSketch Dealer nearest you or more information on supported peripherals. To order direct with MasterCard or Visa, ^311800-223-2521,0^415-331-0356. Circle 28 an Reader Service Card AutoCAD and AmoSkcicli . red in the U.S. Patei irk 01 lire by 'Autodesk'. Incorporated. REVIEW: PUSHING THE MAC SE Table l:As these benchmarks show, the Radius board outperforms the Turbo SE and boosts the Mac SE's performance to close to that of the Mac II. All times are in seconds, except the Dhry stone, which is in Dhry stones per second. Prodigy SE Hyper- Charger 020 Standard Mac II Radius Accelerator MacMemory Turbo SE Standard MacSE Dhrystone* 3125 3125 2631 2941 1470 887 Fibonacci 51.81 52.08 58.9 59.78 126.7 203.1 Float 17.98 27.54 14.4 32.57 24.32 123.0 Savage 52.08 52.69 226.2 457.2 43.79 1927 Sieve 10.58 10.63 11.9 9.87 26.88 46.22 Sort 18.56 18.60 19.6 18.35 41.67 74.10 Open spreadsheet N/A N/A 8.59 11.24 14.36 21.9 Recalculate spreadsheet N/A N/A 1.99 1.99 2.67 4.90 Scroll N/A N/A 111 100 149 273 Price, with 68881 FPU (for boards only) $1499 $1699 N/A $1390 $2796 with 4 meg. of 120-nsRAM N/A * For the Dhrystone test only, higher numbers denote faster performance. Notes: 1. The Radius tested had 1 megabyte of memory and 32K bytes of fast hardware cache memory. The Turbo SE had 4 megabytes of 1 20-ns memory. The HyperCharger used the SE memory as a 1 -megabyte RAM disk and had an additional 1 megabyte of 32-bit memory. The Prodigy had 1 megabyte of SE memory and 1 megabyte of 32-bit memory. The Mac SE and Mac II had 1 megabyte of memory each. For details on the C language benchmarks, see "A Closer Look" by Richard Grehan in the September 1 987 BYTE. The Spreadsheettests open and recalculate a 25- by 1 00-cell Excel 1 .04 spreadsheet. Scroll shows how long it takes to scroll through a 40K-byte MacWrite 4.6 text file from beginning to end. The Turbo SE also installs differently from the others. One of the ways that MacMemory achieves its low price is to use the 16-bit memory of the Mac SE— which makes sense because its 68000 processor can't use 32-bit-wide memory. But you must take the SIMMs (single in- line memory modules) from the mother- board and put them into the accelerator card. This is not beyond what a techni- cally competent user can do, especially with the 21 -page well-illustrated installa- tion section in the Turbo SE manual (which is the best such manual I have seen so far). MacMemory also recommends that you take the two Mac ROMs and place them in sockets on the Turbo SE daugh- terboard. They work faster that way, but jumper blocks on the board let you leave the ROMs on the motherboard if you don't want to move them. MacMemory supplies two 64K-byte SIMMs that you plug into the now-vacant SIMM3 and SIMM4 motherboard mem- ory sockets. The Mac then uses this memory for the video display, leaving the remaining memory for other uses. Ac- cording to the company, these changes "increase screen drawing speed by al- most 50 percent above the speed gained by doubling the Mac SE's clock speed. " Once you have installed the ROMs and SIMMs, the board inserts into the SE ex- pansion connector without problems. The two plastic retainers that connect the accelerator and motherboard are the best way of providing mechanical support that I have seen in all the boards I have reviewed. They are much easier to install and remove than the plastic post and the metal-screw-with-nonremovable- lock-washer system that Radius uses. The last step of the installation process is to set the on-board jumpers to the cor- rect positions for the RAM/ROM config- uration installed. The board can accept up to 4 megabytes of 120-nanosecond (ns) memory, although the Mac SE's memory (which will go on the Turbo SE board unless you buy new SIMMs) is 1 megabyte of 150-ns memory. The Turbo SE's manual is' clearly de- signed to assist the technically competent user in installing the board. But, like Radius, MacMemory insists that only certified technicians should do the instal- lation, to keep from voiding AppleCare coverage and any Apple warranties. The Turbo SE's options include E- Machine's Big Picture video display (which connects to a socket on the board) and the 68881 floating-point copro- cessor, which was installed on the board I reviewed. MacMemory provides a soft- ware INIT file to patch the calls from the Apple SANE (Standard Apple Numerics Environment) to use the 68881. This allows Excel, for instance, to recognize that the 68881 is present even though a 68020 isn't. To install INIT, drop it into the System Folder of your start-up disk (whether a hard or floppy disk), then re- start your Mac using this disk. Ranking Performance Once installed, how do these boards stack up? To get an objective measurement, I ran BYTE's set of C benchmarks with both boards, using Lightspeed C 2.01. I also checked the boards' performance on a couple of applications-oriented tests with Excel 1.04 and MacWrite 4.6. For the Excel and MacWrite tests, the System Folder had no unnecessary INIT and cde v files, and there was no caching from the Control Panel. To measure its maxi- mum performance, I tested the Turbo SE with 4 megabytes of 1 20-ns (one-wait- continued 142 BYTE- MARCH 1988 Wm DesignCAD3-D is a complete 3-Dimensional CAD system. It com- pares favorably with systems costing more than $3000! But, in the great American tradition, we said "Aw . . . What the Heck! Lets see the other guys beat this!" DesignCAD 3-D is $299. Complete. Once again, American Small Business Computers has proved that you don't always have to spend a lot of money to get quality soft- ware. DesignCAD 3-D provides features such as Shading, Hidden Line Removal, Printer and Plotter support, and extensivefile trans- fer capability, allfor $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-Dimen- sional drawing capabilities. It's not a "warmed-over" 2-D program. DesignCAD 3-D allows you to draw any entity in 3-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. DesignCAD 3-D allows up to 4 simultaneous views - any angle or perspective - on the screen. DesignCAD 3-D also provides complex extrusions - linear, scalar, and circular. Extensive 3-D text capabili- ties and auto dimensioning are provided- at no extra charge, of course. DesignCAD 3-D provides the capability to read drawingsfrom most other CAD systems (DesignCAD/ProDesign II, AutoCAD's DXF, and IGESfileformats}. You can also send a view ofa3-D drawing to other CAD systems. These features are included 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 dot matrix printers, at high resolution. DesignCAD 3-D supports more than 80 plotters, and most digitizers and graphics adapters avail- able for "PC Compatible" systems. Shaded and wireframe models can be output to the printer or plotter YOU own. 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, or Hercules monochrome adapter. 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! DesignCAD 3-D provides powerful commands you can use to pro- duce professional 3-Dimensional drawings in less time than you thought possible! DesignCAD 3-D commands can be selected from the menu or entered as fast, single keystroke commands. We have found DesignCAD 3-D to be easier to learn and easier to use than any 3-Dimensional CAD system for the IBM PC, at any price! 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! How do you get one? See your local dealer, or contact American Smalt Business Computers, Inc. 118 South Mill Street Pryor, OK 74361 (918) 825-4844 Telex 9102400302 REVIEW: PUSHING THE MAC SE state) memory. All four accelerator boards had a 68881 installed. In all the tests except the Float and the Savage, the Radius board outperformed the Turbo SE, turning in times from 50 percent to almost 300 percent faster (see table 1). The Turbo SE outranked the Radius board in both the Float and the Savage; the Turbo SE's performance on the Savage benchmark was more than 10 times better than the Radius's. True to the company claims, both ac- celerator boards significantly outper- formed the Mac SE. In all but the Float and Savage benchmarks, the Radius board matched or topped the Mac II. The Turbo SE beat the Mac II in the Savage only, falling short on the other tests. Neither the Radius Accelerator nor the Turbo SE matched the Dhrystone perfor- mances of the Prodigy SE and the Hyper- Charger 020. However, the Radius Ac- celerator approached their performances in several of the tests. The Turbo SE came close to or beat their performances in the Float and Savage benchmarks only. The times for the Savage benchmark deserve some interpretation and qualifi- cation. The Radius board does poorly (457.2 seconds) because it uses the SANE routines to calculate the transcen- dental functions that the Savage bench- mark emphasizes. The HyperCharger's time of 52.69 seconds is achieved with the use of GCC's numerics package, which is less accurate than Apple's SANE, but much faster. (The SANE package, based on an IEEE floating- point arithmetic standard, is much more precise than most applications require— the GCC numerics package has an error of 6 x 10 -14 compared to the SANE's re- sult.) Note that when the HyperCharger uses the SANE package, it achieves a time of 45 8. 91 seconds— virtually identi- cal to the Radius's result. A spokesperson at Radius said that the company is now testing its own faster math package, which may be available by the time you read this. Like the Hyper- Charger, the Levco Prodigy uses a nu- merics package that's less accurate but faster than SANE; it offers no option for using SANE, however. Most Bang for the Buck? Although the Radius Accelerator has a risky installation procedure, I prefer this board to the Turbo SE. Its increase in per- formance is worth the extra $400 (or less, depending on street prices) over the base price of the Turbo SE. If you're really on a tight budget, the Turbo SE with 1 megabyte of 150-ns memory offers an improvement over an unenhanced Mac SE. However, if you buy 4 megabytes of 120-ns SIMMs from MacMemory for maximum perfor- mance, the price of the Turbo SE jumps to about $2796— about $1400 more than the cost of the Radius board. Keep in mind, though, that MacMemory's SIMMs are pricey; you can buy less ex- pensive ones from other vendors. Overall, though, the performances of the Levco Prodigy SE and the GCC HyperCharger 020 make them still better choices— even over a Mac II— if you can afford them. ■ ACKNOWLEDGMENT / would like to thank Rich Siegel, cus- tomer support representative of Think Technologies, whose help with 68881- related matters contributed to the back- ground of this review. Laurence H. Loeb is an electrical-engi- neer-turned-dental-surgeon and is co- moderator of the macintosh conference on BIX. He can be reached at PBC Enter- prises, P. O. Box 925, Wallingford, CT 06492,oronBIXas"lloeb." Howa software engineer got to captain the lunar landing module. The Computer Museum is everything you'd expect, and a lot of things you wouldn't. Of course, the museum contains a collection of the most significant accom- plishments in the history of information processing. But it's not just a great place to see things, it's also a great place to do things. There are over twenty interactive ex- hibits at The Computer Museum. You can design a car, create your own fractal land- scape, or even captain the lunar landing module on the Apollo flight simulator. So, the next time you're in Boston, stop by The Computer Museum. You'll discover it's more than a lot of machines, it's also a lot of fun. For more information, or to become a Museum Member, write The Computer Museum, or call (617) 423-6758. The Computer Museum T N There's something in it for everyone 300 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210 144 BYTE- MARCH 1988 ALL CLONES ARE CREATED EQUAL....BUT CMO MAKES THE DIFFERENCE GREAT PRICING • EXPERT CONSULTATION • ONE YEAR WARRANTY BASIC SYSTEM CONFIGURATION: 8 MHz 80286 16-Bit Microprocessor 512K Motherboard Memory Expandable to 1 MB 12 I/O Expansion Slots (6 16-Bit & 2 8-Bit) Clock Calendar with Battery Backup 1.2 MB Floppy Disk Drive Hard Disk/Floppy Controller Card 238 Watt Power Supply Fully Compatible High Speed BIOS 84 Key 5151-Type Style Keyboard Microsoft MS-DOS with GW Basic 5 Half-Height Front Storage Slots (4 exposed) 24 Hour Burn-In DOS with GW Basic BASESYSTEM PRICE: No CA5170 01 Monitor Optional $ 999 BASIC SYSTEM CONFIGURATION: NEC V-20 CPU, 12 MHz Speed 640K Mother Board Memory 8 I/O Expansion Slots 360K Floppy Disk Drive Floppy Disk Drive Controller Clock Calendar with Battery Backup 150 Watt Power Supply IBM Compatible BIOS 4 Half Height Front Storage Slots 100-Key AT-XT Switchable Keyboard 24 Hour Burn-In BASE SYSTEM PRICE: No CAPC12-01 Monitor Optional *579 BASIC SYSTEM CONFIGURATION: 10 MHz 80286 16-Bit Microprocessor 512K Motherboard Expandable to 1 MB 12 I/O Expansion Slots (6 16-Bit & 6 8-Bit) Battery Backed-up/Real-Time Clock 1.2 MB Floppy Disk Drive Dual Hard Disk/Dual Floppy Controller Card 238 Watt Power Supply Fully Compatible High Speed BIOS 5 Half-Height Front Storage Slots (4 exposed) 101 -Key Enhanced Keyboard 24-Hour Burn-in BASESYSTEM PRICE: No CA5191 01 *1199 Monitor Optional COMPUTER MAIL ORDER 477 East Third Street, Dept. 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MAXELL Double & Hi Density • 5V4 DS/DD 10 Pk No. MXD2 $8.99 • 5V4 Hi Dens. 10PkNo. MXD2HD $18.99 SOFTWARE REVIEW □ Trilogy: A New Approach to Logic Programming Alex Lane Trilogy version 1.15 ($99.95) from Complete Logic Systems (CLS) is a new logic program- ming language that combines the best features of logic, proce- dural, and database program- ming. Trilogy is an example of the current trend in logic programming languages, which centers on the introduc- tion of types (domains), constraints, I/O annotations, arrays, and reassignable variables. (For a discussion of this trend, see the Prolog-related articles in the Au- gust 1987 BYTE.) As a logic programming language, Trilogy most resembles Prolog. Both lan- guages are based in mathematical logic, support lists, and are capable of manipu- lating symbolic variables. Running pro- grams in either language consists of ask- ing questions (called executing a query) . The programming language can use back- tracking to find alternative ways to satisfy a query. Trilogy improves upon the blind backtracking approach of Prolog, however, by incorporating constraint logic. Program source code reads a lot more like Pascal than Prolog; Trilogy supports arrays, enumerated types, and subrange declarations, and provides if . . . then . . .else and case control structures. You can express and compile procedures straightforwardly into nonbacktracking modules. While Trilogy provides no ex- plicit control structures for iteration or looping, it conserves stack and heap space by performing tail recursion opti- mization (a technique for saving space and time in recursive programs) on non- backtracking modules (procedures and subroutines). Finally, Trilogy provides a set of rela- tional database operations for creating, updating, and querying database files. Database files may have variable record sizes, and you can place these records anywhere within a file or insert them in order. You can store anything (e.g., a list, a tree, or an array) as a field. You can insert, delete, and update records anywhere in a file. The database predi- on alternative to Prolog, with windows and other interesting twists cates work with both Trilogy database files and ASCII DOS files. The package requires an IBM PC, XT, AT or compatible with 512K bytes of RAM running DOS 2.0 or higher. You can run Trilogy from dual floppy disk drives, but a hard disk drive is highly rec- ommended. I used a 4.77-MHz IBM PC XT with 640K bytes of RAM, a hard disk drive, and an 8087 coprocessor. The op- erating system I used was PC-DOS 3.1. The Trilogy package consists of a spi- ral-bound user's manual and two 5 l A- inch floppy disks that contain an installa- tion program, the Trilogy compiler, source and object files for system mod- ules, a number of sample programs, and a supplemental documentation file. Language Features Trilogy is a fairly compact language, hav- ing only 22 reserved words and 12 re- served names. The standard system mod- ules math.l, files. 1, strings. 1, and windows. 1 add support for, respectively, mathematical functions, file-access func- tions, functions for manipulating strings, dates and times, and windowing func- tions. Unlike Pascal or C, Trilogy is case- sensitive. In a reversal of the Prolog nam- ing convention, Trilogy variables and symbols start with lowercase letters, while the names of procedures start with uppercase letters. Trilogy is a strongly typed language. Its four fundamental types are long (32- bit) and short (16-bit) integers; real num- bers; and strings denoted by L, I , R, and S, respectively. Typed variables buy you faster execution and source code that's easier to read. However, the greatest ben- efit of using typed variables lies with Tril- ogy' s ability to use decision procedures that modify constraints associated with the variables. Constraints are pieces of information that Tril- ogy places in the environment as it computes a solution. The programming language associates different constraints with different data types. For example, the constraint conditions put on a short integer variable x are xop n x op var + n where op is a relational operator (i.e. , = , < , and >), n is a short integer, and var is a short integer variable. Whenever Trilogy encounters an expression with short inte- gers and a relational operator, it attempts to transform the expression into one of the short integer constraints by using alge- braic rules. If Trilogy cannot get the ex- pression into one of these forms, it will backtrack in an attempt to calculate a value for one of the variables, and if this fails, it will flag the error with a message such as too many backtracks. Consider the query all x::I & y::I & x>0 &y>0 &x = 3*y +9. Translated, this says: "Find all values of x and y when both are short integers, both are greater than zero, and x = 3*y +9." This query will fail because the system cannot trans- form the expression x = 3*y -I- 9 into one of the constraint forms for short integers; nor can Trilogy find a finite number of values for either x or y. If, however, we add the condition that y = 2, then the query has a solution. Constraints for long integers are more complex than those for short integers: tl*vl + t2#v2 + . . . + tn*vnop m continued Alex Lane is a knowledge engineer for Technology Applications Inc. and moder- ator of the prolog conference on BIX. He can be reached at 6621 Southpoint Dr. N, Suite 310, Jacksonville, FL 32216, or on BIX as "a. lane. " MARCH 1988 -BYTE 145 REVIEW: TRILOGY Trilogy 1.15 Type Programming language Company Complete Logic Systems Inc. 741 Blueridge Ave. North Vancouver, BC Canada V7R 2 J5 (604)986-3234 Format Two 5 1 /4-inch floppy disks Language C and assembly Hardware Required IBM PC, XT, AT, or compatible with 512K bytes of memory and a hard disk drive (recommended) Software required DOS 2.0 or higher Documentation 229-page user's manual Price $99.95 Inquiry 899. where tl, t2, . . . , tn and mare long inte- ger values and vl, v2, . . . , vn are long integer variables. If, in the previous ex- ample, you declare x and y to be long in- tegers, you don't have to put a value on y for the query to succeed because the ex- pression x = 3*y +9 fits the constraint decision procedures for long integers. You can use Trilogy's pairing operator on the four basic types (I, L, R, and S) to construct other data structures. A pair consists simply of any two terms separat- ed by a comma, optionally set off with parentheses for clarity. You can create a list data structure by pairing the basic types with the symbol Nil. Trilogy also lets you declare your own types, including enumerated types and unions (similar to Pascal case-variant types). The user's manual uses the con- vention of appending t to all user-defined types. Type declarations can be Pascal- like subranges, like Digit_t = [0..9], or tuples like Date_t = (year:I, month: [1.. 12], day: [1J1]) where you can select the individual fields year, month, and day by, for example, declaring a variable anniversary to be of type Date_t and using the terms an- niversary.year, anniversary.month, and anniversary, day. Advocates of typeless programming need not feel left out of Trilogy. Every data type in what is called the Trilogy universe belongs to a universal data type (denoted by U). Using the U data type in predicates (denoted as pred) lets you write predicates that take terms of any type as parameters. Having a universal type also makes possible conversions from one data type to another via coer- cion (which is an automatically occurring mechanism) and casts (which the pro- grammer specifies). Predicate Classes Trilogy provides three classes of predi- cates: true predicates, procedures, and subroutines. Like predicates in Prolog, a true predicate in Trilogy expresses a quality, property, or relationship pos- sessed by a term or a group of terms. In Trilogy, only true predicates exhibit backtracking (i.e., nondeterministic) be- havior. The system doesn't perform tail recursion optimization for pred because of the uncertainty involved in satisfying constraints. Unlike Prolog, there are no extralogical operations (i.e., predicates that lie outside the logic programming model). Some examples of extralogical predicates are predicates for user I/O, for interaction with the operating system, and for program manipulation such as the cut, assert, and retract predicates. While backtracking is a powerful re- source in logic programming, it becomes a handicap when executing once-through procedural code. To permit efficient pro- cedural programming, Trilogy provides the procedure (proc) predicate. Because there can be no possibility of backtrack- ing inside a procedure, the manual speci- fies several rules for coding a procedure. For example, you can't use a logical or, symbolic parameters, or symbolic local variables in the procedure body, and the procedure cannot call any true predicates without using the all construct. Like true predicates in Trilogy, proc predicates can fail. Prolog veterans will recognize this behavior as that of "deter- ministic predicates. " You can view a pro- cedure, whose last parameter is an output mode parameter, as a function, and you can (using functional notation) use it as a term in an expression. The third and most important class of Trilogy predicate is the subroutine (subr). Subroutines are special proce- dures that access data external to the Tril- ogy environment (e.g., system time and user input). It is this access that distin- guishes subr predicates from proc predi- cates in Trilogy. Were it not for this dis- tinction, Trilogy would fail to maintain its logical integrity. Since the behavior of subroutines is unpredictable, you cannot call them from either proc or pred predi- cates, but only from other subr predi- cates or directly from a query. Variable Modes Unlike traditional Pascal-like program- ming languages, where only a variable's type is declared up front, variables in Trilogy are declared in terms of both type and mode. The mode tells the Trilogy compiler what, if anything, is known about a variable's value upon entry to a predicate. Trilogy has four variable modes: symbolic, input, output, and I/O. Symbolic mode (denoted by : : in the variable declaration) is used exclusively in predicates, where little or nothing is known about the value of a variable passed as a parameter to a nondeterminis- tic predicate. You use input and output modes in proc and subr predicates to de- note whether to expect a value upon entry to or exit from such predicates. For example, the expression x:L says that you will know x upon suc- cessful exit from a predicate. The major difference between sym- bolic-, input-, output-, and I/O-mode variables is that you cannot reassign the first three types. You can, on the other hand, reassign I/O variables, which con- serves memory use. Trilogy's Windows Trilogy provides a window-oriented in- terface that lets you edit, compile, and run programs and build, query, and up- date databases. Available functions are listed at the top of the screen: Options, Query, Modules, Files, Library, and DOS. Context-sensitive help is available for both general information and errors encountered when running programs. From the Options menu you can choose your screen colors and activate or deactivate the error-bell tone. You can also enable or disable the generation of .MOD files when compiling queries and determine whether these .MOD files will generate code that makes direct calls to the 8087 or only emulate it. In addition, you can choose to back up or restore li- braries, or call the editor to edit a non- Trilogy file. As with Prolog, a prior familiarity with the code you're going to run is nec- essary. You run programs by entering a query using the name of a predicate state- ment like ZebraAnsw( a, b) into a one- line query window near the top of the 146 BYTE- MARCH 1988 REVIEW: TRILOGY screen and pressing the F2 key to compile the query. If the compiler detects an error, the machine beeps and places the cursor at the spot where the compiler de- tected the error. Here, pressing Fl ac- cesses a context-sensitive help window that attempts to explain the problem. In general, I found Trilogy's help screens to be an invaluable aid in learning the language. Sometimes, however, the displayed message made no apparent sense. For example, when I executed the mistaken query all Append ((l,l,Nil):rt/Export Data SYLK, DIF, and text with serial port and file communication control iFinder™ Fully supports background processing under MulttFinder™ .ch/Sort Multiple conditions, ad hoc queries, wildcard, programmable searches ick Reports Instant report generation Business Graphics 8 kinds of graphs (pie, bar, column, etc. plus custom pictures) Passwords 32,000 levels Programming Over 200 built-in commands and operators Variables Jp to 32,000 External Routines Add external routines written in Pascal, C, and other languages Customization Custom menus, check boxes, radio buttons, and dialog boxes To receive a demo version call (800) 538-8157 x 840 outside California, (800) 672 - 3470 x 840 inside California. Circle 3 on Reader Service Card ACIUS 20300 Stevens Creek Blvd. Suite 495 Cupertino, CA 95014 (408) 252-4444 4th DIMENSION is a trademar ider are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. REVIEW: TRILOGY every time it backtracks. Progress toward finding a solution occurs in one quantum leap when all variables happen to satisfy all the declared facts. On the other hand, Trilogy uses relation variables and injec- tion types in conjunction with its built-in constraints to carry forward increments of the final solution. Relation variables express some relation that exists between objects, and injection types never have the same value for different sets of argu- ments. The result of this approach is that the Trilogy program to solve the Zebra Puzzle backtracks only 17 times before obtaining a solution. [Editor's note: The Trilogy source code (BMARKS.L) for the benchmarks is available on BIX, on BY- TEnet, on disk, and in the Quarterly List- ings Supplement. See "Program List- ings " in the table of contents. To "find" source code in the Listings areas on BIX and BYTEnet, search by article title, au- thor, or issue date. ] Worth Taking a Look As an experienced Prolog programmer, I have found one of the practical problems of writing procedural code in that lan- guage is the awkward mind-set that must be adopted to tame the language's tenden- cy to backtrack. Trilogy addresses this by offering programmers the flexibility to write both logic and procedural code. I am generally impressed with this package, although minor things about it bother me. For example, I wish I could exit to DOS to view a directory or file without having to exit Trilogy com- pletely. (According to the company, a toolkit containing a graphics module and a DOS module along with utilities will be available for $50.) I would like more de- tail in the user's manual concerning the nuts and bolts of the language. In terms of hands : on use, the editor was not the best I've used. Also, having to learn a new set of editing commands was inconvenient. (Of course, those peo- ple familiar with the IBM PE editor will not have this problem.) When running a query, it shouldn't be so easy to run out of stack or heap— and it would be nice to have a subroutine that could report on the status of those resources, too. Trilogy is a unique product. It's the only product I have seen that combines logic programming with procedural and database concepts. The Pascal-like syn- tax makes it easier for people familiar with Pascal and C to learn Trilogy than Prolog. The stack/heap problem shows that the product perhaps isn't mature, yet new languages often have a few initial kinks. I cannot see Trilogy taking the microcomputer world by storm, but for $99.95, it's worth taking a look at if you are interested in logic programming. ■ The Ultimate MS-DOS MS-DOS — the starting place for the development of over 20,000 software applications. THE MS- DOS ENCYCLOPEDIA — the starting place for data, advice, and insight that will make your MS- DOS programs reliable, robust, and efficient. THE MS-DOS ENCYCLOPEDIA is a programmer's dream. 1600 pages packed with version-specific data. Annotations of more than 100 system function calls, 90 user commands, and a host of utilities. Hundreds of hands-on examples and thousands of lines of code. Plus articles on debugging, installable device drivers, TSRs, Windows, memory manage- ment, the future of MS-DOS, and much more. Researched and written by a team of MS-DOS ex- perts — many involved in the creation and develop- ment of MS-DOS. Covers MS-DOS through version 3.2, with a special section on version 3.3. $134.95, Microsoft Press Quality Computer Books Available wherever books and software are sold. Or call in your credit card order. 800-638-3030 (In MD 824-7300). Refer to ad BM38. Circle 1 73 on Reader Service Card MARCH 1988 -BYTE 151 POWER The FlexCache 386 series from Advanced Logic Research FlexCache 386 series: The performance of 80386/82385 technology with the power of advanced FlexCache architecture. "Spending more money doesn 't guarantee that you '11 end up with the system you need. Make some serious comparisons of features and prices and then get the most for our money" The philosophy of getting more for your money has become an unbroken tradition with ALR. A tradition that has been recognized by all the major trade journals with excellent reviews. ALR 386/220, PC magazine's choice as "The Best of 19871 Based on the ALR 386/220, PC magazine's choice as "The Best of 1987", ALR extends its product line and introduces the FlexCache 386 series. Now the fastest PCs available, the FlexCache 386 series approach minicomputer proportions and offer two new ways to get the most for your money: FlexCache 16386 - a 16MHz, 0-wait-state, 80386/82385 based system. FlexCache 20386 - a 20MHz, 0-wait-state, 80386/82385 based system. Both systems have ALR's advanced FlexCache architecture. The flexible dual bus design provides a wide open, high-speed data channel for up to 60% faster CPU/memory through-put than the IBM PS/2 model 80-071 with the much touted microchannel architecture. ALR FlexCache 20386 - 150 $ 7490.™ 557 PMU Compaq DESKPRO 386/20 $ 7490. a? ALR 552 PMU FlexCache 16386 - 60 $ 4690. a? Compaq DESKPRO 386 379 PMU 318 PMU Power Meter Performance Index FlexCache 386 series edge out Compaq 's DESKPRO 386/20 & DESKPRO 386 in CPU /memory aggregate performance test. The cache memory controller can eliminate wait-states 95% of the time by keeping frequently used data close at hand, eliminating the need for the CPU to address main memory. This powerful blend of enhancements allows a FlexCache 16MHz CPU to move data along as fast as many 20MHz CPUs and a FlexCache 20MHz CPU to move data even faster than a Compaq DESKPRO 386/20™. The FlexCache 386 series comes equipped with the most fixed disk capacity for your money. The FlexCache 16386 has a 66 or 100 megabyte fixed disk. The FlexCache 20386 will give you an extra 45,000 pages of document disk storage for free. The FlexCache 20386 comes with either a 100, 150, or 300 megabyte fixed disk. The FlexCache 20386 will give you an extra 45,000 pages of document disk storage for free when you compare it to the performance and price of Compaq's DESKPRO 386/20 model 60. Compaq DESKPRO 386/20 $ 7490.°° ALR FlexCache 16386 - 60 $ 4690.°° 345 KB/sec 60 MB 650 KB/sec 66 MB Compaq DESKPRO 386 $ 6490.® ~~ 236 KB/sec 40 MB Disk Capacities & Transfer Rates FlexCache 386 fixed disks store more pages of documents and achieve transfer rates of up to twice that of the competition. FlexCache hard disk controllers transfer a full track of data in one disk revolution (1:1 interleave) instead of several disk revolutions as with (2:1 interleave) most current systems. Full track data transfering plus ESDI (Enhanced Small Device Interface) look-ahead buffering, turns what used to be a data traffic bottleneck into a super high-speed corridor. So, FlexCache 386 systems achieve transfer rates twice that of Compaq's DESKPRO 386 and 386/20 model 60. Advanced Logic Research offers the FlexCache 386 series as a powerful solution for today's business growth and performance needs. The FlexCache series offers power and expansion possibilities not easily exhausted. The minicomputer-style chassis of FlexCache 20386 offers space for five internal peripheral devices, allowing more data storage devices than any other PC available. With the money you save on a FlexCache system you can afford additional data storage options. ALR FlexCache 20386 -150 $ 7490.* Compaq 3.5" support DESKPRO 386/20 Full height $ 7490. ao Full height Half height Half height Internal Device Support With the future in mind, the FlexCache 20386 is built to accomodate growth. To make some serious feature and cost comparisons give ALR a call at (800) 366-2574 for the name of the dealer nearest you. FlexCache 386 Series Specifications ALR designed and proven mufti-layer system board Socketed for 80387 support 1 MB 32 bit RAM, expandable to 2MB on system board O-wait-state cache memory controller with its own 32KB of high-speed (35 ns) static RAM Enhanced 101 keyboard Phoenix BIOS Dual drive support OS/2 compatible FlexCache 16386 Model 60 ...$4690 59 • FlexCache 386 series specifications • 80386 CPU with 16M Hz system clock • 80387 support with 16MHz clock • 66Mbyte <30ms hard disk FlexCache 16386 Model 100 ...$5690 23 • FlexCache 386 series specifications • 80386 CPU with 16M Hz system clock • 80387 support with 16M Hz clock • 1 00Mbyte <30ms hard disk FlexCache 20386 Model 100 ...$6490 23 • FlexCache 386 series specifications • 80386 CPU with 20MHz system clock • 80387 support with 20MHz clock • 1 00Mbyte <30ms hard disk FlexCache 20386 Model 150 ...$7490 ss • FlexCache 386 series specifications • 80386 CPU with 20MHz system clock • 80387 support with 20MHz clock • 1 50Mbyte <23ms, track buffered. ESDI hard disk FlexCache 20386 Model 300 ...$9990** • FlexCache 386 series specifications • 80386 CPU with 20M Hz system clock • 80387 support with 20MHz clock • 300Mbyte <20ms, track buffered, ESDI hard disk Advanced Logic Research, Inc. 10 Chrysler, Irvine, CA 92718 714-581-6770 FAX: 714-581-9240 Telex: 5106014525, Answer back Advanced Logic From Asia or Europe call: ALR/ Wearnes Technology (65) 2592521 (Singapore) Telex: RS38113 WRNTEC FlexCache Is a trademark of Advanced Logic Research, Inc. Compaq, DESKPRO 386 8t 386/20 are trademarks of Compaq Computer Corp. Circle 6 on Reader Service Card (DEALERS: 7) MARCH 1988 -BYTE 153 With a LaserPro on your desk, iin^uuv/iu^vn Q JEXPmS5& Instead, your software will stay on the job. Working better than ever. Because now it's linked to LaserPro™—the laser printer line with a range of emulations unmatched in the industry. The emulation advantage. Put your software to work with LaserPro's wide selection of emula- tions. Our laser printers are compatible with all software programs that support the HP LaserJet Plus™ Diablo® 630, Epson® FX-80I M Qume Sprint® 11, and NEC Spinwriter® printers. Which means that the money you've already invested in software is still well-spent. Even today's newest software packages will leap into action with LaserPro. Printing everything from business presentations to bar codes, graphics to CAD/CAM drawings. wmmmmmmmmmsm No hidden costs. With LaserPro the compatibility is built right in. Our entire selection of emulations is standard . No extra cartridges. No optional cards. No ex- tra costs. Just push-button access and hassle-free operation. And there's more. Prices for our full line of printers are amazingly low. Each model brings you versatile performance that over-powers the competition, but not your budget. So hang on to your software— and hook up with LaserPro. The full-featured printer line that's truly "top shelf." For more information, contact Office Automation Systems, Inc. (OASYSJ, 8352 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92111. (619) 576-9500. CMe m Qn Reader Servke Caj ^ (DEALERS: 188) APPLICATION REVIEWS □ Excel Extraordinaire Rich Malloy In two words, Excel does. Microsoft has moved its popu- lar Macintosh spreadsheet over to the IBM PC AT with all fea- tures, such as windows, pull- down menus, dialog boxes, and multiple fonts, still present. The new version also has features that were not present on the Macintosh ver- sion. These include better keyboard, font, and auditing support. Speed is the only remaining question. Is the 80286 ar- chitecture overtaxed by the superb graph- ics, and is the program overly slow as a result? Common sense and conventional wisdom suggest that the program's per- formance will suffer for its graphical lar- gesse. But a detailed look at benchmark results yields some dramatic surprises. The new Excel for IBM systems, offi- cially called Excel 2.0 ($495), follows the original Macintosh version by about 2 years. On either the Macintosh or the AT, Excel is the paragon of bells and whistles. It does so many things, in so many differ- ent ways, that it tempts you to spend countless hours merely exploring. You might quickly conclude that the program is huge. It comes on five 1.2- megabyte 5 Va -inch floppy disks or seven 720K-byte 3!/2-inch floppy disks (you can order a set of 360K-byte floppy disks by a special card). By the time you finish loading the program, you gobble up 3.6 megabytes of hard disk space. When the program is executed, it takes up the lion's share of the 640K bytes of memory that it nominally requires, yet even that is not enough. The program must frequently swap overlays into and out of memory from the hard disk. The frequency of the overlays increases as the size of your spreadsheet increases. Although the package is popularly called Excel for the PC, Microsoft spe- cifically states that the software requires an IBM PC AT or compatible. Several non-AT compatible machines, such as the AT&T PC 6300, are supported, how- ever. The program can use a CGA graph- ics card, but an EGA, VGA, or Hercules Microsoft's Macintosh spreadsheet shines on the IBM AT, but is it fast enough? adapter is highly recommended. In the same way, a mouse is not required but is well worth the additional investment. (Excel supports any mouse compatible with Windows version 2.0.) Since Excel uses up such a large amount of memory, an expanded memory card (Expanded Memory Specification version 4.0) is also recommended. As for software, Excel comes with its own run-time version of Windows 2.0. If you have a full copy of Windows 2.0, however, you can have Excel interact with other Windows applications. The Mac Interface on an AT The most dramatic distinction between Excel and a horde of other spreadsheet programs for the IBM PC is its user inter- face. Thanks to the run-time version of Windows 2.0 that comes packaged with the spreadsheet, Excel functions almost exactly like its cousin on the Macintosh. In some ways (e.g., keyboard and font support), it is actually better than the Macintosh version. Excel' s keyboard support lets you ac- cess every one of Excel' s multitudinous commands and functions without ever touching a mouse. In most cases, the key- board is fairly efficient— in some cases more efficient than the mouse. Each menu or dialog box you choose contains an underlined letter. You can quickly choose an option by pressing that letter, or by pressing the letter in concert with the Alt key. The alternative is to press the Tab or Down Arrow key to cycle through the selections. One problem with this technique oc- curs in cases where several choices begin with the same letter. The designers did, however, provide a number of shortcuts for keyboard users, and generally, the keyboard support is very good for a mouse-based product. You don't really need a mouse, but if you get one, you'll find it is icing on a very rich cake. Ironically, the one major fault with the interface is not with the keyboard but with the mouse support. I asked a very experienced Mac- intosh user to try Excel on the IBM to see his reaction. He faulted the general "feel" of the mouse, saying it was too sensitive. (He was using the most recent Microsoft Mouse.) Excel apparently by- passes the Control program that comes with the mouse and offers only limited control over the mouse sensitivity: nor- mal, high, or very high. The program de- faults to the high selection. But even at the normal selection, the mouse seemed too sensitive; it was easy to overshoot a target area. Microsoft claims the problem is the sensitivity of the mouse and that you can adapt to the new mouse in about a week. Maybe so, but I hope they can fix this problem soon. Excel for the IBM also has better font support than its Macintosh cousin. The Macintosh version allows only one font in a document at a time, with three varia- tions on it: plain, bold, and italic. The IBM version allows four different fonts. Dyed-in-the-wool Lotus 1-2-3 users could adapt to Excel fairly quickly. One possible problem might be the general command style of Excel. In 1-2-3, you use a verb-object command structure (e.g., Copy Al . . B5 to C4) . Excel uses an object- verb structure (e.g., A1:B5 Copy to C4). This takes some getting used to. Macros Do Menus At Excel 's introduction, Microsoft offi- cials said that they were using Excel to continued Rich Malloy is a BYTE senior technical editor. He can be contacted at BYTE/ McGraw-Hill, 1221 Avenue of the Ameri- cas, New York, NY 10020, or on BIX as "rmalloy. " MARCH 1988 -BYTE 155 REVIEW: EXCEL EXTRAORDINAIRE Excel 2.0 Type Spreadsheet program with graphics and database support Company Microsoft Corp. 16011 Northeast 36th Way P.O. Box 97017 Redmond, WA 98073-971 7 (206) 882-8080 Format Five 1 .2-megabyte 5 1 /»-inch floppy disks or seven 720K-byte 3 1 /2-inch floppy disks Language C Hardware Required IBM PC AT or compatible with 640K bytes of RAM, graphics support, and a hard disk drive. Hercules, EGA, or VGA graphics card and mouse are recommended. Software Required MS-DOS 2.1 or higher; Windows 2.0 is recommended. Documentation 775-page Reference Manual; 395-page Functions and Macros Manual; 38-page Getting Started booklet; 82-page Sampler Price $495 ($250 for network user packs) Inquiry 898. build prototypes of new applications software. What makes this possible is Excel' s extensive support for macros. With the program's exhaustive list of macro commands, you can set up a whole new system of menus and dialog boxes and even control other Windows appli- cations. Excel boasts many macro commands. However, most of these commands are merely other ways for you to execute Ex- cel menu commands. But even if you only look at true macro commands (i.e., com- mands that perform a function that could not be performed by any other means) you would still find that Excel has an im- pressive number of commands. One of the reasons that Excel has so many macro commands is that it pro- cesses macros in a unique way. Most other spreadsheets treat macros as strings of keystrokes. For example, a 1-2-3 macro to copy a cell to the right and move to the next row might have seven keystrokes: /c~(right)~(left](down] where ~ represents the Return key, and (right] the right arrow key. Excel, how- ever, converts the keystrokes into a series of commands. The copy operation would require six keystrokes (Alt-E, Alt-C, right, Enter, left, down) but would be represented by six commands: =C0PY() =SELECT("RC[1]") =PASTE() =CANCEL.C0PY() =SELECT("R[l]C[-l] n ) =RETURN( ) Were it not for the equal signs (which dif- ferentiate a macro command from a com- ment), the macro would look like some odd variation of BASIC. Excel's approach leads to large macros, but the macros are easy to under- stand. And in cases where you may just want to play back some keystrokes, there is a SEND . KEYS command. It would be very difficult to describe the power of Excel's macros in this small space. Like a programming language, it would fill a book. Instead, let me provide a few examples. The ADD. BAR command lets you re- place the main menu bar of the program with your own. If you are so disposed, you can probably replace the menu bar with a 1-2-3-style menu bar. The ADD. MENU command lets you add pull-down menus to the preexisting menu bars or to your new menu bars. These menus can have commands that are grayed out or checked, just like Excel's menus. The DIALOG. BOX command lets you construct a dialog box containing scroll- ing lists, radio buttons (a menu of choices that lets you have only one choice active at one time), and other Macintosh goodies. The EXEC command can execute Excel itself, or another Windows application. Once open, Excel can communicate in various ways with another application. If the application supports DDE (the Dy- namic Data Exchange message-passing protocol), you can use an INITIATE com- mand to open a DDE channel to it. If DDE is not supported, you can use the clipboard or the SEND. KEYS command to send keystrokes to that application. Two commands, CALL and REGISTER, let you access all functions in Windows' dynamic libraries. Microsoft has very lit- tle detailed information on this but hopes to have more information available for de- velopers soon. Excel has FOR. . .NEXT and WHILE . . . NEXT loops, too. You can set up auto- start and auto-close macros that execute each time you open or close a particular worksheet. You can also have macros ex- ecute at a particular time of day, or when you choose a particular command. As in most programming languages, you can insert comments anywhere and single-step through the execution of the macros. And unlike most programming languages, you can highlight areas of the macro with various fonts and shading. Your code may look as impressive as it performs. Mac-Style Data-Entry Forms Excel has a good complement of database features that are similar to those of 1-2-3. Excel also has a good data-entry-form feature. Data-entry forms greatly ease the process of getting information into a database. With Excel you can create not just a database form, but a Macintosh- style database form. That is, you can use radio buttons and scrolling lists just like Excel itself does. These forms are a little difficult to set up, and they run a little slower than Excel's normal dialog boxes, but they are impressive nonetheless. Excel supports data tables in much the same way as 1-2-3 does, which is to say it does not make the job excessively easy. However, once a data table is set up, Ex- cel lets you set up recalculation for every- thing but the table, thereby greatly speed- ing up operation. Finding Your Mistakes In any worksheet larger than a single screen, auditing becomes very impor- tant. Excel lets you give cells meaningful names that you can use in formulas and lets you attach notes to particular cells. It also lets you highlight all cells that are de- pendents or precedents of a particular cell. One of the most interesting features of Excel is its Info window. You can set up this window to sit in the background and report various pieces of information about any cell you select. It will tell you the formatting, the precedent or depen- dent cells, and any notes that attach to the cell. With the Info window set up, you can easily scroll around a worksheet and check this information. No Three-Dimensional Graphics Excel can generate a good selection of graphs. These include the obligatory bar, area, line, and scatter graphs, as well as the old favorite pie chart. One advantage of Excel is its ability to do several varia- tions on each of these common themes. The program also features high-quality text fonts and the ability to paste the graphs into Windows Write, the word 156 BYTE- MARCH 1988 REVIEW: MICROSOFT WORKS processor that comes with Windows ver- sion 2.0. Macintosh users may be happy to know that macros can now access all the graphics commands. Unfortunately, Excel cannot do three- dimensional graphs. These graphs are in- creasingly popular and are included in some of the competing new spreadsheet programs, such as Surpass and Quattro. This review just barely scratches the surface of Excel's features. I should also mention that color is available, if you have an EGA or VGA. The program is not copy-protected, and it includes the ability to print wide worksheets sideways. Head-to-Head: Excel Versus 1-2-3 After reading about all these features, you might conclude that Excel just has to be slow. But is it? And if so, by how much? To find out, I tested Excel on an AT clone with a 6-MHz clock speed, 640K bytes of RAM, and a 20-megabyte hard disk drive. The system was also equipped with a Hercules-style graphics card, a monochrome monitor, and the new Microsoft Mouse. The only software I ran with Excel was MS-DOS 3.1, the mouse driver, and the mouse control panel. For each test, the program and the benchmark worksheets were "maxi- mized" to their largest sizes. For comparison, I tested 1-2-3 (version 2.01) on the same machine. I was tempted to use 1-2-3 with Lotus Develop- ment's Speedup add-in program, since this program can dramatically speed up 1-2-3. But in these benchmarks, where each cell is dependent, the add-in actu- ally has the effect of slowing the program down by a small amount. Thus, I did not use this feature. The tests I used were the same as those used in the article "Spreadsheets" in BYTE's Applications Software Today (Summer 1987). Three of the tests in- volved a simple 100- by 25-cell work- sheet, where each cell was a multiple of the previous cell. The fourth test was the so-called Savage benchmark, which mea- sures floating-point accuracy and perfor- mance by using logarithmic and trigono- metric functions. As you can see by the results in table 1 , Lotus's 1-2-3 is still number one in the Simple Recalculate and Insert Row tests. Excel was only 60 percent as fast as 1-2-3 in simple recalculations and was even worse when inserting rows. However, the other two tests yielded surprising results. In the Scroll Right test, where the charac- ter-based 1-2-3 should have had a hands- down advantage, Excel was 18 percent faster. In addition, in the Savage test, both programs had approximately the same results and the same error (approxi- mately 10 -8 ). Excel still has some catching up to do when it comes to simple recalculations. But it is interesting to note that, as you might expect, you can make Excel go faster by decreasing the size of its viewing windows. When I decreased the size of the benchmark window to 2 by 2 cells, the Recalculate speed increased by 48 percent. Also, I was very amused and in- trigued when I found that Excel's results on the AT clone matched pretty closely with those measured on the Macintosh last year. For each test, the difference is less than 10 percent. Documentation Goes Electronic The most exciting thing about Excel's documentation is a program called the Feature Guide. This is a Windows appli- cation that runs in conjunction with Excel and communicates with it by DDE. The Guide functions sometimes as a slide show, showing graphics and displaying various worksheets and charts. In certain practice sessions, it lets you try out a par- ticular feature and advises you when you make a wrong keystroke. This is an im- pressive program and a necessary intro- duction to a feature-rich product such as Excel. It also is a good example of what can be done with the DDE channel of Windows. The rest of the documentation is two fairly conventional three-ring binders; one is a general reference, and the second is on functions and macros. A small booklet shows a short introduction and has instructions on how to get started. A fourth, thin book (with disk) is a "Sam- pler" of very interesting applications. In- cluded, for example, is a worksheet for a Table 1 : In the head-to-head benchmark comparisons of Excel and Lotus 1-2-3, 1-2-3 still maintains supremacy in the Simple Recalculate and Insert Row tests. But, surprisingly, Excel is 18 percent faster in the Scroll Right test. Both programs are in a dead heat in the Savage test. All times are in seconds. Test Excel 1-2-3 Simple Recalc Insert Row Scroll Right Savage 4.48 2.68 4.06 1.75 47.38 55.81 33.02 33.55 new business plan and a set of macros for solving simultaneous equations. I might suggest that the company add more examples to the Functions and Macros Manual. Several of the macro commands are intricate, and examples of each command would be helpful. A Rare Product The only things I might fault in Excel are the less-than-stunning recalculation speeds and the mouse support. But in view of the power and flexibility pro- vided by the program, these criticisms seem empty. This rare product combines extreme ease of use and exceptional power. It is one of the first products to establish a common interface across the AT and the Mac. I heartily recommend it— for both novice and expert— on both machines. ■ Microsoft Works Nicholas M. Baran An integrated program for the IBM PC and compatibles, Microsoft Works 1.00 ($195) offers word-processing, spread- sheet, database, and communications modules. The package also includes a chart facility for creating graphs from spreadsheet data and a separate memory- resident macro-command processor. Though sufficient for most tasks, Works' s modules do not quite measure up to full-featured, stand-alone applications packages. The word processor module includes all the text-handling functions required for basic text processing, but it does not have the sophisticated graphics or document management capabilities of Microsoft Word. The spreadsheet mod- ule is a basic Lotus-compatible spread- sheet without the Lotus macro language, and the database module is a nonpro- grammable, single-table file manager or "flat file" system. The communications module is fine for dialing bulletin boards or conferencing systems and download- ing and uploading files, but it does not include a programming or command language. While Works is primarily intended for novice users, it has adequate capabilities continued MARCH 1988 -BYTE 157 REVIEW: MICROSOFT WORKS Microsoft Works 1 .00 Type Integrated software package with word processor, spreadsheet, database manager, telecommunications program, and separate macro-command processor Company Microsoft Corp. 16011 Northeast 36th Way P.O. Box 97017 Redmond, WA 98073-971 7 (206) 882-8080 Language C and assembly Hardware Required IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2, or compatible with 384K bytes of RAM, two 360K-byte floppy disk drives or one 720K-byte floppy disk drive (or a hard disk drive), and a CGA, EGA, VGA, or Hercules graphics adapter card; mouse, modem, and printers are optional Format Eight 5 1 /4-inch floppy disks and four 3 1 /2-inch floppy disks Documentation 578-page Microsoft Works Reference Manual; separate appendixes covering printers, modems, using a mouse, and MS-Key macro processor; Quick Reference card; keyboard guide Price $195 Inquiry 897. for experienced users and offers the ad- vantage of complete integration between these four basic software applications at a reasonable price. The package requires 384K bytes of RAM, MS-DOS 2.0 or higher, two 360K-byte or one 720K-byte floppy disk drive, and a CGA, EGA, VGA, or Hercu- les graphics adapter card. The program can use a Microsoft Mouse and Hayes- compatible modems. I tested Works version 1 .00 on an IBM PC XT with a Microsoft Mouse and an Orchid TurboEGA card. The program is easy to install and uses the standard setup system found in all Microsoft applica- tions for the IBM PC. Works comes on eight 5 % -inch floppy disks and four 3 Vi- inch floppy disks. It includes a spelling checker and an extensive on-line tutorial. Without the tutorial, Works requires about 1 megabyte of hard disk storage; with the tutorial, the program requires 1.8 megabytes. You can configure Works to operate with the mouse or keyboard. With the mouse option installed, you can still use all available keyboard commands and functions. However, the macro processor cannot incorporate mouse actions into re- corded macros. Works also supports a wide range of printers and, by default, supports Hayes-compatible modems for communications. You can, however, configure Works for use with other types of modems. Works uses a pull-down menu inter- face that is consistent throughout the four modules. You access the menus by press- ing the Alt key and then selecting the command or simply pressing Alt fol- lowed by the first letter of the command. A description of the command you select appears at the bottom of the screen, and, in most cases, a dialog box appears for making additional selections or entering command parameters. With a mouse, you can point to and click on menu op- tions and dialog boxes, and you can block off text or scroll through files. I often pressed the Enter key at the wrong time in dialog boxes and discov- ered through trial and error that the Tab key was required to move to the next com- mand parameter. Works truly qualifies as an integrated package. You can access any of the four main application modules at any time. It assigns default file extensions to different file types so that it automatically knows which application to load with an existing file. For example, if you save a script file for a communications session, Works automatically assigns it a .WCM file ex- tension. The next time you load the file, Works will automatically invoke the com- munications module, Similarly, special file extensions are assigned to spread- sheet, word-processing, and database files. You can override the assigned file extensions if you wish. Works also lets you temporarily exit to DOS. Works lets you open up to eight files at one time. Even though you can work only on one file (i.e. , the active file) at a time, you can switch from one file to the next with a single command. You can cut and paste data interchangeably between text documents, spreadsheets, graphs, and database files. The ease with which you can move data from one application to an- other is one of Works's most impressive features. For example, to copy data from a spreadsheet into a word-processing file, you define the block of data in the spread- sheet, copy the data into a buffer, open the word-processing document, move the cursor to the desired location for the spreadsheet data, and press the Enter key. You can do the same between data- bases and text documents and also be- tween spreadsheets and databases, pro- vided the data formats are consistent. Word Processor The Works word processor is the closest of the four modules to what I would ex- pect of a stand-alone word-processing program and is really the best part of Works. I used the BYTE standard tests to get a feel for the performance of the word processor and was impressed with the re- sults. [Editor's note: See "Word Proces- sors 'by Phillip Robinson in BYTE's Ap- plications Software Today, Summer 1987.] The BYTE 4000-word benchmark file loaded very quickly. A global search and replace of a word that was found 400 times throughout the document took only 5 seconds to complete. Resetting the mar- gin and subsequent document reformat- ting occurred almost instantaneously. Converting the file to ASCII format took about 20 seconds, and saving it as a Works document took about 8 seconds. I also worked with a 20-page document converted from WordPerfect. The Works word processor handled all editing func- tions admirably within the large docu- ment. You can convert Works's text doc- uments to straight ASCII format with linefeeds at the end of each line (e.g., suitable for transfer via modem), or into a text format with carriage returns at the end of each line, which other word pro- cessors can read. You cannot load Works documents directly into Microsoft Word; you have to save the document as a text file first. The Works word processor includes automatic pagination and reformatting. I found the reformatting function a bit dis- tracting when I was inserting text into an existing document. From the corner of my eye, I could see the lower text con- stantly repositioning itself; however, this is a characteristic I could get used to. The formatting commands for page layout, headers and footers, italics and underlining, and so on, are all easily ac- cessible from the pull-down menu bar on the top line of the screen. You can also switch between windows and work on dif- ferent open documents. Works shows page numbers but does not provide line numbers or cursor posi- tion and also has no facility for obtaining a word count. The spelling checker in- cludes 80,000 words and is similar to other word processor spelling checkers, such as the one used with WordPerfect. Perhaps the best feature of the word processor is the ease with which you can merge text from the database module for continued 158 BYTE « MARCH 1^ Write. Right. 7 . & mm If you' ve got better things to do than debug pages and pages of code, you need ASYST? 1 It's the programming environment developed specifically for scientific and engineering applications. ASYST simplifies data analysis and graphic display, and integrates them with data acquisition. Using ASYST, you can replace pages of low-level code with a few specialized commands. And it's easy to tailor to your changing applications. ASYST's simple configuration menus and our technical support will get you up and running quickly— and keep you there. Call and discuss your application with one of our technical specialists. Or request more information. Just make the next line of code you enter 1-800-348-0033 . It ' 11 put you on-line with ASYST, the scientific way to program . Features: ■ Analog-to-Digital t Digital-to- Analog, and Digital I/O Support ■ GPIB/IEEE-488 Interface ■ RS-232 Interface ■ Sophisticated Analysis and Graphics System requires IBM PC, XT, AT, or 100% compatible. SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES. INC. 100 Corporate Woods Rochester, NY 14623 716-272-0070 System Developers: Ask about our new ASYST Run-time License. ASYST is a trademark of Asyst Software Technologies, Inc. IBM, IBM PC, IBM PC/XT and IBM PC/AT are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Circle 24 on Reader Service Card REVIEW: MICROSOFT WORKS The Works spreadsheet does the job, but it is the weakest module. It takes almost 1 minute to load a 1000-row by 5- column spreadsheet. form letters and printing mailing labels. You simply select the Insert Field command from the Edit menu and select and locate the appropriate field names from your database. When you print the document, Works automatically inserts the database data, one record at a time, generating as many documents as there are records in the database. You use the Print Labels command to generate the labels from the database. The word processor is more than ade- quate for most straightforward writing tasks. I would not hesitate to use it for most of my writing requirements. The mail-merge facility is actually quite a bit easier to use than comparable mail-merge utilities in some of the high-end word processors, such as Microsoft Word or WordPerfect. The word processor is also the easiest to learn of the four modules. I'll discuss ease of use in greater detail at the end of this article. Database The Works database is a simple flat-file system and is adequate for maintaining straightforward databases, such as mail- ing or contact lists or simple financial and statistical tables. A single Works database table can contain up to 4096 records and 256 fields. You can work with a database in form or list mode. In list mode, records are displayed in rows on the screen. In form mode, one record at a time is displayed on a screen form, which you design when you define the database. To define a database, you simply set up a form on the screen, similar to the proce- dure in PFS:File or Symantec's Q&A. However, I did find Works's use of the Enter key confusing. Pressing the Enter key defines the form rather than a single field. I kept losing defined fields by pressing the Enter key at the wrong time. Once I got the hang of it, however, it was simple to define fields and also to cus- tomize the form. Works provides func- tions for moving fields around the form and performing modifications to the data structure. The Works database supports text and numeric formats, as well as date, time, and logical data types. In spite of its simplicity, the Works database includes a good query facility and options for embedding formulas in fields. Field formulas can reference other field values in the database. The database uses the same library of functions as the spreadsheet module. The report genera- tor includes options for specifying break- points and formatting and selecting spe- cific data values. As mentioned in the section on the word processor, it is very simple to transfer database field values to the word processor for form letters. As with the word processor, I ran some of BYTE's standard tests and found the performance of the database to be better than I expected for such a low-priced product. While the Works database does not include an indexing or key-field scheme, sorting a 1000-record file took only about 4 seconds. Searching the same file for a value in the last record took about 5 seconds. My main complaint about the database is that you can't change the field de- limiters if you want to save the database in ASCII format. This means that quotes surround all field values when saved in ASCII delimited format. There should be a facility for changing the delimiter to a blank or a space. On the positive side, the Works database provides a range of oper- ations for formatting database fields and forms. The database is quite easy to learn, though it takes a bit more effort than the word processor. Spreadsheet The Works spreadsheet does the job, but it is the weakesfof the four modules when it comes to performance. It takes almost I minute to load a 1000-row by 5-column spreadsheet, and then the screen hangs temporarily (i.e., keystrokes are not rec- ognized) until Works gets its bearings again. Another quirk is that the spread- sheet status line reports that recalculation is completed about 30 seconds before it really is. It was disconcerting to try to move on to another task and then realize the spreadsheet was still recalculating. Actual performance of the BYTE stan- dard tests [Editor's note: See "Spread- sheets " by Rich Malloy in BYTE's Appli- cations Software Today, Summer 1987] was comparable to other spreadsheet pro- grams. A compounded calculation in- volving the 1000-row by 5-column matrix and using a formula where each cell multiplies the value of the immediately previous cell by 1 .001 produced an insig- nificant error of 2. 14~ 8 over the total cal- culation. This result is a good indicator of the accuracy of the spreadsheet compiler. The compounded calculation took about 60 seconds, while a recalculation of a 100- by 25-cell spreadsheet took about 1 2 seconds. Cursor speed is also compara- ble to other spreadsheets, requiring about 24 seconds to traverse 100 columns. The spreadsheet includes a standard li- brary of arithmetic, financial, and logical functions and produces files in Lotus .WKS file format. While files are inter- changeable with Lotus 1-2-3, the Works spreadsheet does not support Lotus macros or the Lotus database functions (understandably, since Works has its own database). The spreadsheet's charting function produces the basic graph types (e.g., line, pie, bar, and area). You first select spreadsheet ranges and then assign them to the axes of the chart. The chart facility provides the normal formatting and label- ing functions found in most business graph utilities. The spreadsheet seems fine for mod- est-size applications, but the false com- pletion signal with the 1000- by 5-cell spreadsheet makes me hesitate to rec- ommend Works for large spreadsheet applications. Communications I tested the communications module by logging onto the BYTE Information Ex- change (BIX) and uploading and down- loading files. The communications mod- ule includes a handy script-file recorder for saving sign-on or log-on sequences. It recorded my log-on sequence to BIX, and from then on, I just opened the Works window and called up the BIX communi- cations file; Works then dialed BIX and logged on. The Works communications program supports both text and XMODEM file- transfer protocols. File transfers and cap- tures worked without a hitch. Documents from Works' word processor saved in plain-text format transferred perfectly. While the communications package does not include a command language, it is perfectly adequate for most users log- ging onto bulletin boards or conferencing systems. However, it took trial and error to get the communications system to work properly. At first, I couldn't figure out what should go in the " Modem Type" field of the dialog box. As it turns out, if you have a Hayes-compatible modem, nothing should be entered in that field. I found this out by trying various alterna- tive values for about half an hour.. Select- ing different modem types is covered in the appendixes to the Microsoft and MS- Key macros reference, a separate manual included in the package. As with the other functions of Works, once 1 got the hang of it, the communica- continuetl 160 BYTE • MARCH l c . How to look good from start . . we never asking $** Pacific *ss5P r^2wu*«i M»» Mfe j^r»v,r^"5*; ekzzssszzzzu. HrPAllJ ~W.m». tSSSr^§ IliJisI SSS3SSESI 1 ■ COMPETlTIVi MARKF1 PROFIIE CZ3 ■■■ C23 . -1 1 J £ t 1 a IE to finish. The HP LaserJet Series II Printer. Nothing brings your ideas to life like the HP LaserJet Series II Printer— from office memos to forms to newsletters. As the leading laser printer, it works with all popular PCs and PC software packages. And, with a wide range of fonts, you get more options to create superior looking documents. With additional memory you can even print sophisticated 300 DPI full-page graphics. And with HP's ScanJet scanner, you can also easily add photographs, illustrations and text. No wonder more people choose the original over all other laser printers combined. So caJl 1 800 752-0900, Ext. 900D for your nearest HP dealer. m HEWLETT PACKARD © Hewlett-Packard 1988 Circle 115 on Reader Service Card Print samples were created using Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Aldus PageMaker. MARCH 1988 -BYTE 161 REVIEW: REFLEX PLUS tions module was easy to use and did the job. Macro Processor I worked with the macro processor only briefly. Called MS-Key, the macro pro- cessor is a separate module invoked from the DOS prompt. It can run from a disk or as a memory-resident program. You can adjust the amount of RAM used by MS-Key, and you can deactivate it. I had WordPerfect's Repeat Performance key- board enhancer (version 2.0) already loaded when I first tried MS-Key and hung up the system. So, you may have to experiment a bit if you want to run MS- Key with other memory-resident pro- grams. MS-Key can record any sequence of keystrokes used in Works. It includes a special macro editor for modifying previ- ously recorded key sequences. As men- tioned earlier, it does not recognize oper- ations that the mouse performs. The MS-Key macro processor is defi- nitely useful for executing repetitive tasks. I tested it by recording a sequence of commands for loading a particular document and performing some search functions. With MS-Key loaded, an addi- tional macro menu appears in the Works menu bar for executing, editing, and re- cording macros. Since MS-Key is really a separate program, instructions on its use are provided in a separate appendix to the Works user manual. Ease of Use Microsoft's sales pitch is that Works is an absolute snap for first-time users to learn and that in no time at all, novice users will be blazing through form letters, in- voices, and mailing lists and downloading stock quotes from Dow Jones. I would dispute these ease-of-use claims. The package does include a good on- line tutorial that lets you work through all the capabilities of Works. You can even start up the tutorial from within an appli- cation that you are working on. Works also includes a large on-line help facility with a topic index, explaining the various functions and commands in Works. In contrast to the impressive on-line tu- torial, the Microsoft Works Reference Manual is mediocre. I spent almost an hour trying to figure out how to log onto BIX or to find some information on the "Modem Type" field. There is no men- tion whatsoever of field delimiters in the database section. The index does not in- clude a topic on data types. There is no direct information on how to obtain a di- rectory of files that don't have Works file extensions. I figured out that you use * . * for that purpose. I don't think a novice user would necessarily figure that out. Many of the technical details not covered in the reference manual are in the appen- dixes manual. While this criticism may seem a bit heavy-handed, it is important not to mis- lead new users into thinking that Works represents a revolutionary breakthrough in ease of use. This is simply not the case. While it is easier to learn than Word- Perfect, Word, or Paradox, Works re- quires considerable effort from the nov- ice in understanding its concepts and capabilities. Working Opinion In spite of the criticisms regarding its ease of use, Works is overall an excellent pack- age for the money. The mail-merge facil- ity alone may be worth the money to many users who don't want to struggle with the control codes and other confus- ing mail-merge commands found in most word processors. The Works word pro- cessor is competitive with many stand- alone word processors, as long as you don't need document summaries or WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) text formats on the screen. The com- munications and database modules do the job, and, in spite of its quirks with large spreadsheet files, the spreadsheet does the job, too. I recommend Microsoft Works. ■ Nicholas M. Bar an is an associate tech- nical editor for BYTE. He can be reached at 425 Battery St. , San Francisco, CA 94111, or on BIX as "nickbaran. " Reflex Plus for the Macintosh Charles Spezzano When it comes to relational database managers for the Macintosh, Reflex Plus is the fastest and easiest to use that I have seen. It lets you create relational data- bases from which you can link files to allow cross-accessing of information. Al- though it does not let you create custom menus and dialog boxes to shield the end user from the underlying structure of the program and create the illusion of a cus- tom-designed program, it has few other shortcomings. Reflex Plus version 1.0 runs on any Macintosh with at least 5 1 2K bytes of RAM and 800K bytes of floppy disk or hard disk storage. Reflex has evolved in three stages. It began as a program called Interlace, which was a good program from the start. Then Borland bought it, renamed it Re- flex for the Macintosh, and removed the copy protection while also improving the highly visual interface. The company up- graded Reflex further and called it Reflex Plus: The Database Manager. The changes are far more than nominal. The entry forms now allow default fields, calculated fields, and display-only fields. The calculated fields automati- cally perform a variety of calculations during data entry. You can also create multiple entry forms for each database. One entry form might display data one record at a time, while another displays all records at once in a tabular format. Report design has also been improved with new functions such as GROUPBY, which shows records grouped by com- mon values in fields. Reflex for the Macintosh could have records with a maximum size of only 1000 characters. That is the default maxi- mum record size in Reflex Plus, but if you need more space for each record in a file, you can select Configuration from the Apple menu and then select a new maximum size of 2000 or 4000 charac- ters. The number of characters you can enter in a single text field is limited only by the 1000-, 2000-, or 4000-character record limit minus the number of charac- ters in other fields in the record. The pro- gram's other structural aspects are un- changed: 254 fields per record, as many records in a file as your disk can hold, and up to 15 files open simultaneously. The new Paste Choice function serves a dual role. It lets you quickly de- fine formulas by pointing and clicking with a mouse; and it can be used to copy a formula or field, with its attributes, from a database into another entry or report form. When defining a formula, you can create an entire path name by selecting a database file, expanding the file to see its fields and links, clicking on a linked file continued 162 BYTE* MARCH 1988 we If you can see the difference, you must be looking at the price. The New HP DeskJet Printer. Laser-Quality Output for Under $ 1000. m HEWLETT PACKARD ©Hewlett-Packard Co. 1987 Circle 116 on Reader Service Card MARCH 1988 -BYTE 163 REVIEW: REFLEX PLUS Reflex Plus: The Database Manager 1.0 Type Relational database manager Company Borland International 4585 Scotts Valley Dr. Scotts Valley, CA 95066-9987 (408)438-8400 Format Three 3 1 /2-inch floppy disks Language Assembly Hardware Required Any Macintosh with at least 512K bytes of RAM and 800K bytes of floppy disk or hard disk storage Documentation 576-page Reflex Plus User's Guide 1 80-page Learning Reflex Plus Price $279; upgrade for Reflex owners: $95 Inquiry 896. and expanding it to see its fields and links, and clicking on a field in a file. Other changes in the program take care of annoying features in the previous ver- sion. In Reflex, for example, if you se- lected Show Header but did not put any- thing in the header, space was still reserved for that header. To remove the blank header, it was necessary to select the header and choose Clear from the edit menu. In Reflex Plus, by contrast, if you don't create a header, the command displayed is New Header. If you don't place anything in the header, it does not officially exist, and the command re- mains New Header. Only after you actu- ally place something in the header does the command become Show Header. The two-step process is identical for footers. You pay a lot for those improvements. Reflex used to be the greatest bargain in the Macintosh database market, retailing for $99.95. The suggested retail price for Reflex Plus is $279. Reflex owners can upgrade for $95. In comparison with the competition— most of which sell for just under $500— Reflex Plus is still a good buy, if not a great bargain. Easy and Flexible Reflex Plus is the easiest to use of the top five fully relational Macintosh databases (including Omnis 3 Plus, dBASE Mac, 4th Dimension, and Double Helix II). Many users could probably muddle their way through setting up a simple name and address database without reading the new improved reference manual or the tutorial learning guide. That's because much of the program is self-evident, and its over- all design fits well into the Macintosh environment. Typing and use of a command lan- guage is minimal. For example, when you want to use one of the 55 built-in functions that give Reflex Plus many of the capabilities of a spreadsheet, you click on the field to write the formula that will incorporate the function. Then you click in the formula panel in the place that you want to paste the function name. When you choose Paste Function Name, a dialog box appears, listing the available functions. You then click on the function name you would like to paste into the for- mula. The program not only pastes the name, but also a generic template show- ing the correct syntax of the arguments of the function. At this point, you have to re- place the generic syntax with actual field names and values before the formula is functional, but that's about all Reflex Plus asks of you in this ordinarily compli- cated process. Building a database i s just a s easy . You name the database, and a screen appears displaying the database name and a blank space under it for the first field name. You type the field name, press Return, and then type the next field name. In a simple name and address database, noth- ing else would be required before data en- try. Reflex Plus automatically sets all new fields to contain text. But if you want to specify other types of fields, six others are available: number, integer, date, logi- cal, time, and sequence. Reflex automat- ically checks for data of the correct type for each field, and you can further define more specialized data checks for each field. A number field provides up to 15 deci- mal places of precision and accepts expo- nential notation in the range of E308 to -E324. An integer field can contain whole numbers from -2,147,483,647 through 2,147,84,647. If you specify a field as a sequence field, Reflex Plus automatically assigns consecutive num- bers to the records you enter in a data- base. A file can contain only one se- quence field. Every database file must include at least one key field or you cannot save the design. There can, however, be multiple key fields in a record. Taken together, the key fields of a record constitute the key of that record. This is an important concept in Reflex Plus, since there are no in- dexes. The key for each record is unique, and Reflex Plus automatically sorts records by the key fields and displays the records in that sorted order. That can be a problem if you want to go back and check the last record entered in a database, but it makes searches very fast. It is also a very flexible system. You can change a nonkey field to a key field, even after en- tering records into a database, simply by moving the field above or between other key fields in the list. The change happens instantly, but when you next save the database and quit Reflex Plus, the pro- gram must then write the change to disk. Equally flexible is Reflex Plus's toler- ance for changes in the structure of a database that has records in it. You can add a new field, delete or rename an existing one or change its type, reorder the fields on an entry /display form, and change links between files— all with automatic restructuring of data by Reflex Plus. Relational Linking Another feature that makes Reflex Plus special is its method of creating links be- tween files. This is the essential test of a program that claims to be relational, and Reflex Plus passes it with flying colors. When you decide to link two files, you simply add link fields to the images of the database files that you want to connect, draw a line between the link fields, and specify a type for each link. Reflex Plus lets you set two different types of links: a single link, where a record in one file links to only one record in the other file; or a collection of links, where a record in one file links to multi- ple records in another file. For example, if you connect a customer file with an in- voice file, the link from the customer file would be a collection of links to invoice records, because one customer record might be associated with more than one invoice record. By contrast, any single in- voice record will be associated with only one customer record, so the link from the invoice file would be a single link to one customer record. Once you link files, changes made in one file are automati- cally reflected in the others. In addition, when you look at a record in one file, such as the customer file used in the previous example, and you want to find information in another linked file, such as an invoice file, simply select Show Linked Record from the utility menu. This displays the record (or records) in the other database file that link to the current record in the current file. Once data is in your files, Reflex Plus provides powerful search and sort capa- continued 164 BYTE* MARCH 1988 Every presenter wants to make a com- pelling, persuasive case. And color, you'll agree, makes all the difference. It's more eye- catching. More S readily under- " * -■ -». ' stood. More memorable. In short, color makes any desktop presentation more effective. And research proves it. All you need is a Hewlett-Packard ColorPro Plotter like we used here, or the HP PaintJet Color Graphics Printer, "together with a PC— IBM compatible or Apple Macintosh— you can use all the popular graphics software like Lotus Freelance Plus, Cricket Presents, HP's Graphics Gallery (used below), Microsoft Chart and Harvard Graphics. At under $1,300, the HP ColorPro Plotter may be just where you want to start. It will turn your ideas into colorful, easy-to-gr asp visuals. Or, if you need to combine near-letter quality text with color graphics, you can rely on the HP PaintJet Color Graphics Printer for under $1,400. Whichever you choose, you'll create desktop presentations with startling color and greater impact. For a colorful sample overhead and the name of your nearest dealer, call 1 800 752-0900, Ext. 903A. Freelance Plus* and Lotus* are U.S. registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. Microsoft® is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. © Hewlett-Packard 1988 m HEWLETT PACKARD - Circle 117 on Reader Service Card Guess whichpresentation made the sale. REVIEW: REFLEX PLUS Table 1: In the benchmark tests, Reflex Plus was much faster than Double Helix II. (All times are in minutesiseconds.) Reflex Plus 1.0 Double Helix I1 1.0 Search for last record Search for nonexistent record Index a field :05 :05 <:0V 1:13 1:14 2:08 *Time does not include updating the disk, which took 1 minute upon exiting from the program. bilities. You can use the "FormulaBuild" dialog box to easily retrieve records based on qualifications of values in fields combined with AND or OR. By pointing and clicking, you can paste the operators Equal, Not Equal, Less, Less or Equal, Greater, Greater or Equal, Starts With, and Includes into the query formula. As with constructing cal- culation formulas, the FormulaBuild fea- ture lets you set up complex searches without having to memorize search for- mula syntax. Unlike some relational databases, Re- flex can also serve as a text-oriented data- base. The 4000-character maximum field size is large enough for comments on a client or the abstract of a journal article. The Start With and Include operators can handle key word or phrase searches adequately. Even with these capabilities, text entry could be cumbersome, because you move from one field to the next by pressing the Return key. That could pre- clude creating separate paragraphs within a field, but Reflex Plus gets around this potential problem by letting you insert line breaks in a text field by pressing Shift-Return. Formulating Reports The Reflex Plus report generator is as simple and sophisticated as the rest of the program. There are two ways to create a report. The quickest is to use the built-in table-style report that shows one record per row. Customized reports let you place fields wherever you like on the re- port form. You can create free-form re- ports that combine data from several dif- ferent databases. Finally, you can also use custom report forms to create spreadsheet-style reports where you use calculated fields to auto- matically perform operations on the values you enter. You might, for exam- ple, set up a tax form in which you enter values into some fields, and Reflex plus automatically calculates the value of other fields from those values you enter. Formulas allow the inclusion of sum- mary fields in reports for such statistics as counts, sums, averages, minimums, maximums, and standard deviations. Nesting lets you create sophisticated re- ports that show hierarchies of records and that can use data-file links and the con- tents of other reports. Unlike Reflex, Re- flex Plus lets you sort on as many fields as you want, in any way you want. When Borland transformed Interlace into Reflex, one of the improvements was to build in support for nonstandard sizes of paper. When you use the Apple Image- writer— not the LaserWriter— you can SohitionsU)u Can See. Color display monitors for personal computers. XC1409C CGA Compatible XC1410C EGA Compatibh XC1412C PGC Compatible XC1430C EGA Compatible XC1434C AT&T Compatible © 1988 Mitsubishi Electronics America, Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp. Apple is a registered trademark c AUM1371A screen image by Visual Information, Inc. XC1429C screen image by Glen Schofield of EASI. REVIEW: REFLEX PLUS change the width and height of the paper on which Reflex Plus prints your docu- ments. This capability lets you use a broad variety of different sizes of paper, envelopes, and labels. Reflex Plus im- proves further on Reflex's report-print- ing capability by letting you select several fonts from those you have available, whereas Reflex lets you select only the first 16 fonts that appear in your fonts menu. Fast Performance I ran some benchmark tests comparing Reflex Plus version 1 .0 to Double Helix II version 1.0, a well-known relational database manager for the Macintosh (see table 1). I ran the tests on a Macintosh 512E that had been upgraded to 1 mega- byte of RAM with a Dove 524S MacSnap memory board and SCSI port upgrade. Attached to the SCSI port was a Super- Mac DataFrame 20 hard disk drive. The test file I used consisted of approximately 900 records with 10 fields of data. This file, originally created with Double Helix II, was tested first on Helix and then exported from that program as an ASCII text file and imported into Re- flex Plus. The importing process was straightforward and flawless. With the first test, I searched for the last record in the database on a nonkey (Reflex Plus) or nonindexed (Double He- lix II) field. Then I ran a search on that same field for a nonexistent record— one that, if it did exist, would be at the end of the file. Double Helix II took about 14 times as long as Reflex Plus to perform both tests. Finally, I indexed that field (Double Helix II), or turned it from a nonkey into a key field (Reflex Plus). Here, Reflex Plus had a built-in advantage. Helix in- dexed the records permanently on disk, while Reflex Plus, which loaded all 900 records into memory, only had to manip- ulate the order of records in RAM. How- ever, it took only a few seconds to save the reindexed Helix database. By con- trast, when I tried to quit Reflex Plus, it asked if I wanted to save the changes. The only change was that I made a field into a key field. It took 1 minute to make that change on disk. At first Reflex Plus seemed slow, but it is still faster than He- lix with a database this size. What doesn't Reflex Plus do? Besides custom menus and dialog boxes, Reflex Plus still doesn't have graphic fields, macros, or a programming language. It is not a multiuser program and, probably Besides custom menus, Reflex Plus still doesn 't have graphic fields, macros, or a programming language. for that reason, does not offer password security. However, if you can get by without these features, Reflex Plus is a fast, easy-to-use, highly visual, fully relational Macintosh database program that retails for about $200 less than its competition. ■ ACKNOWLEDGMENT The author gratefully acknowledges the help of Rick Larson of North American Services Software Division in Denver for his help in obtaining the benchmarks. Charles Spezzano is the author of "Data- base Managers " in BYTE's Applications Software Today (Summer 1987). He can be reached at 950 East Harvard Ave. , Denver, CO 80210. 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Te rms & Availability Su bieci 10 Change W«h out Notice Add 5% for C D Orders We Do Not Guarantee Machine Compatibility failing Address: 8804 N 23rd Avenue Phoenix Arizona 85021 To place an Order 1 -800-634-040 2 Tololiowupon an Order (602)944-2552 Order Line Hours Mon-Fn 7am -6pm Saturday 9a m -1pm Order Processing Hours (602) 944-1037 iOa m 3pm Mon -Fr. Circle 240 on Reader Service Card for MS DOS Products. (All others: 241) COMPUTING AT CHAOS MANOR Transparent Conversions? Hah! Jerry Pournelle It has been quite a month, what with getting Prince of Merce- naries finished, going off to New York to make speeches and confer with my editors about Wrath of God, keeping up with the columns, and so forth. Meanwhile, it's time for my annual pure- ly subjective awards for last year's most useful products. The New York trip was fun. Ed Your- don hosts an annual gathering for authors who write books for the Yourdon imprint at Prentice-Hall, and he wanted someone to talk about modern technology, writ- ing, and the future. The neat part was that he had some other speakers, so I learned a lot about publishing. I'd meant to have this column written by now. I even set aside the whole week- end to get it done. Alas, the fates inter- vened. For my sins, I decided to translate a GWBASIC program into both Micro- soft QuickBASIC 4.0 and Borland Turbo BASIC before I started. That shouldn't have been hard, right? I mean, the pro- gram ran fine in interpreted BASIC; how hard could it be to compile it? Hah. I soon learned, and if I never see another GOTO statement, it will be too soon. A Simple Job What happened was that a couple of years ago we decided to turn Mrs. Pournelle's reading instruction system, which then existed as a series of paper workbooks, into a program for the IBM PC and compatibles. This was long enough ago that I was still very much a BASIC enthusiast. I had the notion that it ought to be a fairly sim- ple job, and that BASIC was the obvious choice of language. After all, once it was written, Roberta could learn enough BASIC to modify and maintain it, and I wouldn't be wired into the loop. We did an analysis of the program requirements, and it didn't look complicated; indeed, it all seemed pretty simple. Alas, time went by, and I never got a QuickBASIC 4.0 vs. Turbo BASIC and "Jerry's Choice Awards for 1987 chance to do the program, but people kept asking us about it. Clearly, some- thing had to be done. That was when we asked Bruce Tonkin of T.N.T. Software to help us. Bruce writes all his software in BASIC and has done some amazing things with it. He's got a wide variety of products, all at low cost. His My Word! text editor competes in features and ease of use with some of the expensive ones, but it sells for less than $50. You can even buy the source code (in BASIC). It's always worth hav- ing Bruce's latest catalog. Anyway, Bruce took Roberta's notions and her paper worksheets and turned them into a GWBASIC program that presented the lesson elements quite well. Just about then we got interested in the Atari ST, and Alex Leavens— "alexl. " on BIX— did a C version that makes use of the GEM interface on that machine. No one had time to work on the IBM PC ver- sion until the Atari ST version was done; but just this month the Atari version was finished. The PC version hadn't been com- pletely neglected. Our friend Joyce Jumper plugged away at it. In particular, she added a bunch of visuals clipped from the various Fontasy libraries. The Fon- tasy art folders have a wide variety of interesting sketches and drawings, rang- ing from people working to bundles of firecrackers going off. The visuals are mostly intended for printing by desktop publishers, but they look fine on a PC screen. Joyce set things up so the program can use the illustrations as rewards when the students get things right. She also added a number of tunes that the machine will play. (Naturally, we set it up so nothing interesting happens if the pupils get things wrong; after all, you don't want them to make mis- takes just to see the error messages.. . .) Meanwhile, Roberta had learned a lot from finishing off the Atari ST version of her pro- gram. No matter how much planning you do, when you actually get a program out there in testing, you'll find you've left out a number of things, and some of them, particularly in the user interface, will be important. Naturally, Roberta wanted to incorpo- rate her new features into the PC version. Unfortunately, interpretive BASIC isn't really ideal for as large and complex a program as this had become. Roberta is pretty new to programming, and this was just too much. There was also the problem of market- ing a program written in GWBASIC. Not everyone has BASIC. If your program is in interpreted BASIC, you have no choice but to distribute the source code. This may be no tragedy, but publishers don't see it that way. Also, GWBASIC can be pretty slow. It was clearly time to do something about it. At this point, I must have taken leave of my senses. "I'll take care of it," I said. "I'll just translate the program into a compiled BASIC. Shouldn't take long." Hah. Conversions I suppose I should have known better, but after all, the program was running fine on Atilla the Honey, Roberta's AT&T PC 6300 Plus. It takes scads of files: as it's set up at present, there are some 65 les- sons, and each lesson has a lesson-text file, a banner file that contains an illus- tration used to begin the lesson, and a re- ward file with more illustrations. 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. MARCH 1988 -BYTE 169 CHAOS MANOR Clearly, the files should be consoli- dated, but that's no great trick. Transfer- ring all those files took time, but that wasn't a problem either. Eventually, everything, including the ASCII GW- BASIC source code, was on one high- density floppy disk, and I was ready to get started. The next step went well, too. I copied all those files onto Fast Kat, the Kaypro 386, brought up Turbo BASIC, imported the GWBASIC source code, and told Turbo BASIC to begin compiling. There was one error, a missing REMARK symbol. Turbo BASIC'S integrated editor dropped me out precisely where the error was. In seconds that was fixed, and in less than a minute, the program had compiled just fine. Turbo BASIC compiles fa st. Running it was a different matter. The program started fine, but then it left out great hunks of the lessons. There weren't any reward illustrations, nor any tunes played. When the first lesson was done, it told me I'd completed the entire reading program. Clearly, there were a few more problems than I'd anticipated. Still, this couldn't take long. After all, I started with a working program. Terminate the GOTO The first thing was to get inside the pro- gram. It couldn't be too hard to under- stand, because the program itself is sim- ple: it puts up text on the screen to be read by the instructor (who can be any literate person); then it puts up simple exercises for the student who's trying to learn to read; and, depending on the student's answers, it gives more instructions and more exercises. That shouldn't be too hard to follow.. . . Alas, I'd reckoned without the GOTO statement. Back when I first began writing this column, we had a considerable debate about GOTO: should the statement exist in modern computer languages? I took the view that it wasn't inherently bad and sometimes was the cleanest way out of a complex nest of conditionals and loops. These were times not so long after Edsger Dijkstra wrote his now famous piece, "GOTO Seen Harmful," and the craze for structured programming began. I believed in top-down structure, but I wasn't ready to give up GOTO. I am now. Bruce Tonkin is probably as good a BASIC programmer as there is to- day, and the code he wrote works flaw- lessly in interpreted BASIC. He provides plenty of comments. Even so, I found it nearly impossible to follow the program flow without making extensive flow- charts and diagrams. Every time I thought I'd found a program thread, I'd come across something like the code in listing 1 . Incidentally, line 10070 was the one that caused the only compiler glitch: it needed a ' after the last colon and before TEACHER'S TEXT. Anyway, there were dozens of statements terminating in GOTO. It was clear they were part of the lesson parsing system, and if I looked at the code long enough, I could sort of see what was going on; but it wasn't easy. It was also clear that this was the block where the program was going wrong. For some reason, Turbo BASIC was taking those instructions and doing something entirely different from what interpreted GWBASIC was doing. There were also statements like 54140 Listing 1: The section of the GWBASIC code where the conversion problem was discovered. 10040 IF FLAG= =1 THEN 11000 GOSUB 54000 :B0X=7: GOSUB 52000 :GOTO '.'SCREEN COMMAND 10060 IF FLAG= =8 OR FLAG=9 THEN GOSUB 54100: GOTO 11000 10070 IF FLAG= =5 THEN 54300 B0X=2:LSET SMALL$ (LINE. COUNT) :GOSUB :GOTO 11000 .-TEACHER'S TEXT 10080 IF FLAG= =4 THEN 51000 X=1:WHILE X