Compute! Magazine Issue 137

192 Pages·95.8 MB·English

GO GRAPHIC! 10 HAND SCANNERS TESTED!
JANUARY 1992
WE CHOOSE THE
TOP 20 POWER
PRODUCTS OF 1991
COMPUTER FLEA MARKETS I
TIPS FOR BARGAIN HUNTERS
NORTON DESKTOP
SONY LASER LIBRARY
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COMPUTE
VOLUME 14, NO. 1, ISSUE 137 JANUARY 1992
6 6O
EDITORIAL LICENSE PROGRAMMING POWER
By Clifton Karnes By Tom Campbell
What's the home Before you
computer market like start programming in
today, and Windows, take
what will it look like a deep breath and get
tomorrow? yourself ready.
8 62
NEWS & NOTES TIPS & TOOLS
Sierra refurbishing its Access a tool
classics, chest of tiny ML programs,
softening laser printers' take the delay
impact on the out of formatting disks,
environment, and more. and more.
12 66
FEEDBACK INTRODOS
Learn the subtleties By Tony Roberts
of program in Using a few
stallation, publish from your file-naming tricks,
desktop, count you can create
scientifically in Latin. a simple file-retrieval
and more. system.
16 68
READERSHIP SURVEY HARDWARE CLINIC
Tell us about By Mark Minasi
yourself and what you Now that laser printers
like and are affordable,
don't like about COMPUTE. it's time to learn what
Pete Turner's dynamic coverphotoshouts HappyNew Yearand can go wrong.
18 Congratulations to all the COMPUTEChoice
SHAREPAK awardwinners. Featuredisa TandyMFC, themultimedia machine
By Rchard C. Leinecker that's thisyear's winnerforbestpersonalcomputer. COMPUTE/NET
January offers a By Richard C. Leinecker
mix of programs sure to A game and two utilities
delight everyone. that are
absolutely free to you.
20 36 58
THE COMPUTE CHOICE AWARDS TEST LAB: HAND-HELD DISK UPDATE 74
What were the best SCANNERS By Richard C. Leinecker POINT & CLICK
software and hardware We hit the pages With COMPUTE/NET, By Clifton Karnes
products of 1991? running with ten hand it's easier than ever to get Give Windows a
Find out what the winners held scanners that technical help on drag-and-drop facelift
are in this issue. bring a world of images GEnie, AmericaOnline, and, with Norton's
And theenvelope please . . . to your desktop. soon, CompuServe. new Desktop for Windows.
COMPUTE(ISSN0I94-357X)ispublishedmonlhlyintheUnitedStalesandCanadabyCOMPUTEPublicationsInternationalLtd !965
Broacway,NewYork,NY 10023-5965 Volume 14,Number !.Issue 137 CopynghtQ 1991 byCOMPUTEPublicationsInternational Ltd
Allrightsreserved.Tel [phone] COMPUTEisaregisteredtrademarkofCOMPUTEPublicationsIniernaiional Lid Printedinthe
USAanddistributedworldwidebyCurtisCirculationCompany.PO Box9102,Pennsauken,NJ08109 Second-classpostaqepaidatNew
York,NY,andjatadditionalmailingoffices POSTMASTER:SendaddresschangesloCOMPUTEMagazine RO Box3245 Harlan IA
51537-3041. lei [phone] Entirecontentscopyrighled Allrightsreserved Nothingmaybereproducedinwholeorinpartwithout
writtenpermissionfromthepublisher Subscriptions:US.AFO-31994oneyear;Canadaandelsewhere-S2594oneyear snglecopies
5295inUS Thepublisherdisclaimsallresponsibilitytoreturnunsolicitedmatter,andallrightsinportionspublishedthereo'remainthe
solepropertyofCOMPUTEPublicationsinternationalLtd LetterssentloCOMPUTEoritseditorsbecomethepropertyo!themaaazine
Editoralofficesarelocatedat324W WendoverAve..Ste.200.Greensboro NC27406 Tel [phone]
COMPUTE JANUARY 1992
You must have heard how SOUND BLASTER
took the PC market by storm...
Now the HURRICANE..
■■■'.■■•
"It'sthenext-generationsoundcard
I
anditisloaded! Theoperativewordis
"twice." Ithastwicethesound M.
channels(22)oftheoriginalSound /Game Port
Blasterwithtwicethequalityofsound TfieMultimediaSoundStandard
instereo,aswellasstereoDACsfor
digitizedspeechandsoundeffects." "Withitsassociatedsoftware,ithas
Computer Gaming World quietly(nopunintended,butwhatthe
heck)becomethestandardsoundsystem
August1991
foradvancedPCs."
JerryPournelle, BYTE June1991
■■■"-.■■■
At a devastatingprice of $299-95
COMPUTEAugust1991 "Thebigquestionis,atalistpriceof
" ...CreativeLabsisnowturning and you get a "chock-full of features": $249.95,istheSoundBlasterworththe
investment? Yes,yes,athousandtimes
upthevolumewiththeSoundBlaster
* StereoDACfordigitizedsoundoutput yes!!!" PCHOMEJOURNAL
Pro. It'sbasicallytwoSoundBlasters
* Stereovoicerecordingfrommic,CDorLine-in
onasinglecardwithadditional * Samplingrate4KHzto44KHz How many"yesl!!"wouldyougivenow
multimediafeaturesthrownin. Ithas * Stereo22-voiceFMmusicsynthesizer thattheSoundBlasterlistpriceisreduced
twinFMchipscapableofcreating22 * Stereomixerwithdigitalvolumecontrols to$169.95! Andyouget:
individualvoices,twoDACsforstereo
* MIDIinterfacewithadaptorandcables * DACfordigitizedvoiceoutput
voiceandsound-effectsplayback,a
* Built-inCD-ROMinterface ' ADCforvoicerecording
stereomicrophonejack,andabuilt-in
* JoystickPort * 11-voiceAdLibFMsynthesizer
stereomixerthatcanadjustthe
* MicrophoneAGCamplifier * FullduplexMIDIinterface
volumeofallyourSoundBlasteraudio * Poweramplifier(4Wperchannel) ( * JoystickPort
sources(stereoDAC,stereoFM,
microphone,stereoline-in,CD-Audio andloadsofFREEbundled software: * Microphoneamplifier
* MIDISequencer I * Poweramplifier(4Wperchannel)
andPCinternalspeaker). * Pro-lntelligentOrgan ' Bundledsoftware:•IntelligentOrgan
Thebuilt-inmixermakesthe * VEDIT2-VoiceEditor&Utilities •TalkingParrot•VoiceToolkit
SoundBlasterProfullycompliantwith * SBTALKER-text-to-speech •SBTALKER•DRSBAITSO
Microsoft'sMultimediaLevel1 synthesizerwithDRSBA1TSO2 •JukeboxforWindows3.0
Extensionsto Windows. Multimedia
softwarewillbeabletofade-in,fade- " TalkingParrot-voicein/out SoundBlasterMicroChannelVersion
outandpanthevariousaudiosources application. isalsoavailable.
* MMPLAYMultimediaPresentation
tocreateelaboratesoundmontages.
TheSoundBlasterProincludes * CDmusicplayer NorthAmericamasterdistributor:
" Windows3.0DLLand Brown-WaghPublishing
aCD-ROMinterfaceforeitheran
soundapplications 130DKnowlesDriveLosGatosCA95030
internalorexternalCD-ROMplayer.
Foryournearestdealer,call1-800-4510900
There'salsoaninternalconnectorfor
Tel[phone] Fax[phone]
CD-Audio. TheMIDIinterfaceis
compatiblewiththeoriginalSound
Blaster'sMIDIinterfacebutaddsthe CREflTIVE LflBS, INC.
MIDItime-stampthat'spartof
Microsoft'snewmultimediastandard. 2050DuaneAvenueSantaClaraCA95054 .
Allinall,theSoundBlasterPro Tel[phone] Fax[phone]
isnhnnk-fuHofnewfeatures,vetit's
OutsideNorthAmerica,contact:
fullycompatiblewithitsyounger
3DUKQ
brother." BUSIER CREflTIVE TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD.
ReprintedbypermissionolCOMPUTE ©1901, 75AyerRajahCrescent#02-04Singapore0513
COMPUTEPublicationsInternationalLtd Tel[phone]" Fax[phone]
MicosollandWindowsateregisterediracemaifcsolMicrosoft
CoipandAdLibisaregistereOtrademarkolAdLibInc.
SoundBlasterisatradernarkolCreativeLabs.Inc.
CircleReaderServiceNumber125
COMPUTE
90
76 MULTIMEDIA PC
SONY LASER LIBRARY By David English
By Peter Scisco Something unusual
All you need to enter was born in the Hall of
the world of Meteorites
CD-ROM from your PC on October 8, 1991.
78 93
WORKPLACE WORLD OF ELECTRONIC
By Daniel Janal GAMES
Find out how one manager Games Gone Global,
reaches out Principles ofGood Game
to touch home base. Design, Computer
Game Ethics, The Ultimate
80 Game Machine
COMPUTER FLEA MARKETS
By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols 110
Finding the best bargains GAMEPLAY
means you have By Howard Millman
to look in the right places. What are the psychological
payoffs for playing
84 computer games, and what
ARTS & LETTERS are the drawbacks?
By Robert Bixby
Is the computer a creative 113
artist or REVIEWS
simply a clever artifact? We check out The
Terminator,
86 the hard-hitting game from
SID MEIER'S CIVILIZATION Bethesda Softworks,
By Keith Ferrell as well as an inexpensive
Find out notebook computer,
what it takes to create, Leading Technology's
rule, and 9800NB. We also
manage a civilization. look at today's leading
computer software
88 and hardware, including
PATHWAYS FastLynx LapPack,
By Steven Anzovin 144 Teenage Mutant Ninja
Using fractals, CONVERSATIONS Turtles World
we can re-create natural By Darren P. Mckeeman Tour—Electric Crayon
scenes and explore The human side Deluxe. NEC
unknown landscapes, but of the Strategic Defense Graphics CDs, Mace
we can also spy buster. Express Recovery,
compress images in a way What did it take to crack ThunderStrike, Flow
that actually the German spy Charting 3,
adds detail to the original ring? Clifford Stoll tells all. and Dvorak on Typing.
artwork.
COMPUTE GOES ONLINE
Join COMPUTE'S editors
and contributors
onAmerica OnlineorGEnie.
Get wired with
our expert online guide
following page 72.
COMPUTE JANUARY 1992
Slusuatiurraaicdv.HhMfcrografixIX-sipx-r1".andprintedby(beCitizenGSX-HOPLUSpnffiiiwilloptionalCok*OrCommand
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EDITORIAL LICENSE
Clifton Karnes
ACOMDEX/Fall, held this they're going to use their new And as Star's Gallup sur
oast October in Las Ve computer to earn money. vey shows, the home market
gas, Nevada, printer man- This was a surprise, as was isanything butone-dimension
i ufacturer Star Micron- the fact that nearly a third of al. In fact, home users place
ics hosted a breakfast press all homemachinesare current demands on their machines
conference to present the re ly being used to earn income. that far exceed the responsi
sults of a Gallup survey it had A large number—76 per bilities given to the home PC's
commissioned on the home cent—say they want to use corporate cousins.
computer market. their PCs to bring work Nothing demonstrates this
Some of the results were home. More than half of this multifaceted nature of home
startling, some were what we group think that the comput computing or shows the
expected to hear, butall point er will increase their chance range of COMPUTE'S cover
ed to a growing, healthy of a promotion (or increase age better than our annual
home computer market. Here their chance of keeping their COMPUTE Choice Awards,
are some highlights. present job if their company wherewechoosethebestsoft
downsizes). ware and hardware products
A look at this
About 80 per for the year.
year's COMPUTE
centofthoseplan In this issue, you'll find our
Choices will
ning to buy a PC choices of the best products
convince you that
say they're inter for 1991 in the categories of
home computer
ested in the ma homeoffice,entertainment, dis
users are a varied and
chines as educa covery (education), and tech
exciting group.
tional tools—both nology.
for their children A look at this year's Choic
and themselves. es will convince you that
Of those plan home computer users are a
ning to buy for varied and exciting group.
the first time, 59 The awards show that home
percent state that users are interested in every
they want a com thing from the best operating
puter to play systems to the tops in educa
games. For those tion for their children, from the
upgrading, this mostdemanding fantasy/role-
number is slightly playing game tothe best utili
higher—about 62 ty, from the hottest arcade ac
percent. tion to the most feature-rich
Obviously, programming language.
According to the survey, there's a lot of overlap in Star's Gallup survey and
about 25 percent ofall Ameri these figures. It's clear that our own COMPUTE Choice
can households have home most people planning to buy awards give a clear idea of
computers. That's no sur a PC are interested in all home computer users in
prise. The news is that 23 per three areas—home office, ed broad strokes, but we're inter
cent of all households plan to ucation, and entertainment. ested in our readersas individ
buy a computer in the next What does all this boil uals, too. That's why, every
two years. That's 21 million down to? In short, a phenom fewmonths, weincludearead
households. enal growth in home comput ership survey in our pages. In
Of this 21 million, roughly ing that's being fueled by a this issue, you'll find such a
one-quarter are upgrading; combination of interests in survey, and we hope you'll
the majority, however, are first- home office, education, and take the time to fill it out. This
time buyers. This means that entertainment. surveywill provideuswith spe
the installed base of home At COMPUTE, we have cific information about you,
computers is going to nearly more than a passing interest in your equipment, what you
double in the next two years. the home computer market. like about COMPUTE, and
Why are all these Ameri For 13years, it'sbeenourman what you'd like to see
cans buying PCs? The three date as a magazine to serve changed. We use the results
E's: earnings, entertainment, this exciting and constantly from these surveys to fine-
and education. evolving group. We're dedicat tune COMPUTE so it's the
Of those planning to buy a ed tothe home computer as a magazine you want. Talk to
machine, nearly half say tool for the entire family. us. Were listening. O
6 COMPUTE JANUARY 1992
Before GeoWorks Writer:
After GeoWorks Writer.
Ican'tbelievehoweasyitwas documentsaredazzling!And Ididitall lishingfeatureslikemulti-column layouts,
tocreateanewsletterthatlooksthisgood. myselfinafewminuteson myfirstdaywith easyimportingofgraphics (itcomeswith
Evenprinteditonmydoggyolddotmatrix GeoWorksWriter. clipart!)...evenitsownaward-winning
printernoless!Yousee, beforeGeoWorks Hardtobelieve?Well,GeoWorksWriter graphicalenvironment* thatmakesusing
Writer'" mydocumentswereweak, Hut isthecompletewordprocessorthatcomes itaseasyasclickingamouse.Andifyou
nowit'sanewme. I'mpumped up!My withover-n templatesforeverythingfrom thinkit'samazingalone,justwaituntilyou
businessformsto resumestonewsletters. secitworkingwiththerestofthePersonal
jiiinmiiniuiiiniiif
Justcustomizeoneofthemfcttyourbusi OfficeSeriesteam.
ness,that'sall/did. Idroppedinthe Soifyou'retiredofwimpywriting, make
Writer words,andbingo. Beautiful. Itwaseven achange. GoforGeoWorks.'" Ifitcan make
WYSIWYGsotherewasnotime-wasting melookthisgood, imaginewhatitcando
surprises.What1 sawon myscreenwas foryou."
whatcameoutinlaser-quality,on my SeeYourDenierOrOrderNow,
littleprimer. 30-DayMoney-BackGuarantee!
Vup.GeoWorksWriterhaseverythingI 1-800-772-0001 Ext. 10W
needtolookgreatincludingdesktoppub 1-800-465-1234Ext, towinCanada
*PCComputingsMostValuableProduct.InfoWorldsProductOfThetear,Compute'sEditor'sChoice,SoftwarePublishersAssociation:CriticsChoice;
BestCreativity/Productivily:BestConsumerProduct:BestNewUseofaComputer.PCMagazineTechnicalExcellenceAwardFinalist.
£>GEOWOR.I<S Btrkeley.CA (iecffibite.RtmiiiiiIOfficeScrii-sandGeoWorbDesfeuerareir.tiltmarksofCtuWurks,Inc.£ 1991
CircleReaderServiceNumber155
NEWS & NOTES
Redesigning the Classics Scott Murphyand Mark Crowe size mouse pad that comes
Some of Sierra On-Line's clas have whipped up some brand equipped with a transparent
sic role-playing games are new space magic. plastic cover into which a va
getting dramatic facelifts. The Space QuestI VGAisavail rietyoftemplate sheetscan be
"new" classics feature the able now for a suggested re inserted for at-a-glance key
same characters and stories, tail price of $59.95. Look for board and mouse operating
but animation, background, VGA versions of Police Quest commands.
musical scores, and sound ef I and Quest for Glory I to Templates,availablefor Win
fects have been greatly en come soon. For more informa dows3.0, WordPerfect5.1, Ex
hanced totake full advantage tion, contact Sierra On-Line, cel for Windows 3.0, Lotus 1-
of high-resolution VGA color, P.O. Box485, Coarsegold, Cal 2-3 release 3.1, PC/MS-DOS
stereo sound capabilities, ifornia 93614; [phone]. 2.1-4.1, and Word for Win
and Sierra's new point-and- JILLCHAMPION dows (and there's one you
click interface, which means can customize yourself), sell
no more type-in commands Politically Correct for $9.95 to $14.95 each. Sug
and lots of character action. Laser Printing gested retail price for the pad
Space Quest I now joins Ifyou work for a politically cor alone is $12.95. A special
King'sQuestI, Mixed-UpMoth rect, environmentally aware mouse pad kit, including the
erGoose, and LeisureSuitLar- "green" office, you've already mouse pad, one template,
begun recycling alu and an eight-page booklet on
Space Quest I fans minum soft drink mouse use and care is avail
can expect cans and used pa able for $19.95.
lifelike characters, per, and you've Educational Systems says
stereo sound, stoppedusingStyro- the SmartPad is actually one
and some spacey new foam coffee cups, of the best pads going and
twists In You can help re would be even without tem
the classic game's duce the load on plates. Its hardtopsurface pro
redesign. overflowing landfills vides a blend of low friction
even more by recy for high-speed mouse control
cling the toner car and texture to ensure traction.
tridges used in la The SmartPad could only be
ser printers, thanks better if the mouse could
to a free cartridge- readthe template!
recycling program For more information, con
from Lexmark, a tact Educational Systems, 706
worldwide manufac Landwehr Road, Northbrook, Il
turer and marketer linois 60062: [phone].
ofdesktop and per ALANBECHTOLD
sonal printers, type
writers, keyboards, GeoWorks in Progress
and supplies. The folks at GeoWorks were
By providing spe busy in 1991. Last summer,
cial prepaid return they released a much-im
ryand becomes thenewestSi postage mailers, Operation Re proved GeoWorks Ensemble
erra original to be released in source, as the new program is version 1.2 package. The new
VGA. The game has been re known, encourages IBM Las- release builds on Ensemble's
designed to emulate a 1950s erPrinter customers in the U.S. high performance and ease of
sci-fiflick—campy spacecrea to return used cartridges to use by providingarangeofad
tures and all—without chang Lexmark. The cartridges are ditional features, including a
ing the story's essence. then disassembled and sentto spelling checker for GeoWrile,
However, along with the ar various recycling centers. support for more than 300 ad
rivalofanew-and-improvedlife IBM LaserPrinter customers ditional printers, the popular
like Roger Wilco, a dynamic with questions about Opera game Tetris. numerous tem
soundtrack based on the origi tion Resource can call (800) plates, and more. Version 1.2
nal Space Quest theme, and 848-9894 foradditional details. is sent free to all registered
dramatic newbackground illus
owners of version 1.0.
trations, Sierra warns experi Helpful Mouse Pads
Earlyinthefall,GeoWorksre
enced players who think they The Microref SmartPad from leasedthreenewadd-on,easy-
know the game that creators Educational Systems is a full- to-install font libraries—Fun
8 COMPUTE JANUARY 1992