Full text of ' Upgrading Your Old PC To Multimedia: Is It Worth It? Mm PERSONAL COMPUTERS IN PLAIN ENGLISH 1 ROMs op 10 MS & Wlngt Buvlna & Insta CD lc L: lll III PfML'CLini 1 05 o'4' I $2.95 May 1995 $3.95 Canada Vol.6 Issue 5 T wouldn 't be nice to buy a COMPUTER from someone WHO'S down-to-earth f it seems like you need a degree in physics to find the right computer, then maybe it's time you shopped Sears Brand Central. Where you'll meet patient, knowledgeable salespeople who can help you figure out exactly what you want.

• Imsi Masterclips 250 Celsius To Fahrenheit

And explain it all in plain English, without the technical talk. Hether you're a chess fiend, gourmet cook or astronaut in training, you'll find row after row of software for the whole.' In the latest formats, from multimedia CD-ROM to Pentium. Plus top- name systems like Apple, Compaq and Packard Bell. Omputer shopping can be complicated. So shoot for Brand Central and keep it simple.

J uu- VtUES CN f^ gel When trouble is mounting.solve Mac to PC file exchange problems with Conversions Plus. CONVERSO Gone arc the days when your work came to a grinding halt because you were working in a PC environment and someone passed you vital infor- mation on a Macintosh disk. Conversions Plus allows you to put a Mac in your PC. Open it, convert documents between PC and Macintosh software automatically, and save Mac files to the disk - all while retaining the orig- inal formatting, including embedded graphics. You can even format Mat- disks on your PC!

External cables and cards are unnecessary. Just load the Conversions Plus software and stop your Mac to PC troubles from mount- ing, instantly. To learn more about Conversions Plus, and its more than I (XX) file translation paths, call us at 800-254-1 1 16 Ask about our multi-packs, site licenses, and Macintosh products. DATA ■ TM 55 Corporate Drive. 20.V26X-0030 CO MP.kBasmsmsg GMwsopimte MGE:- CONTENTS. VOLUME 6. MAY 1995.

ISSUE 5 FEATURE ARTICLES 20 DOS COMPUTING In Search Of True Multimedia Slapping a program on a CD-ROM doesn't make it a multimedia package. We discuss tricks manufacturers use to pass off programs as multimedia. WINDOWS COMPUTING A/jThelO Best CD-ROMs dJO For Windows Looking to add a few shelves to your mul- timedia library? Here are 10 of the best CD-ROM titles for Microsoft Windows. COMPUTING BASICS 34 Choosing A CD-ROM Drive 22 Top 10 DOS CD-ROM Titles DOS users of all interests take note: We describe the best CD-ROMs for you. Intimidated by the jargon surrounding CD-ROM drives?

We'll decipher the ads to help you make an informed purchase. BEYOND THE BASICS /J '7 How To Install A O I CD-ROM Drive Installing a CD-ROM drive can cause novice PC users all kinds of problems We'll show you how to do your own installation with this step-by-step guide. PC OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS -I Q Personalizing Your DOS I O Prompt Learn to give that tired, old C prompt a little more personality.4 A Challenging DOS Shell To A I T' Dual Display DOS Shell's dual display lists allow copying and moving of files with just a few mouse clicks or keyboard strokes. 1£ Using The DOS Prompt D With Windows And Without Windows has its own gateway to DOS with the MS-DOS prompt. Leam when, and when not, to use the prompt in Windows. 18 DOS Command Dictionary Commands covered this month: APPEND, DISKCOPY, MSAV, MSD, RMDIR, and TREE. 36 Installing Software COMPUTING BASICS 30 Overhauling For Multimedia Your old computer isn't cutting it anymore and you want to run multimedia software.

You've got two choices: Up- grade your present computer or buy a new one. Which one is right for you?

We'll give you some advice on obtaining multimedia capabilities. Once a painful process, software installation has become increasingly automated. Despite improvements, the experience can be confusing for novices. We'll walk you through several types of installation FAMILY COMPUTING 38 How Do They Rate? New rating systems take the guesswork out of learning the amount of violence and sexual content in computer games. 42 Interactive Encyclopedias Multimedia encyclopedias bring topics to life in ways no book can match. Check out the 1995 versions.

WORKING AT HOME 48 Getting Started With Quicken: Part III In the final installment of our series, we'll teach you to research mutual funds and track investments with Quicken's Financial Suite. 52 How To Buy A Database These database buying tips will help relieve some of the anxiety associated with purchas- ing new programs.

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AT THE OFFICE C A Working With Microsoft Ot Word 6.0: Part II This month, we show you how to customize your documents with Word's design features. PQ Changing Text In DO WordPerfect Wondering how to bold text in WordPerfect for Windows!?

Want to move a paragraph? We cover these basic actions this month. 61 Working With Ami Pro Ami Pro's Smartlcons and Status Bar buttons can make your word processing job easier, if you know how to use them. 62 Using 3-D Ranges In Lotus 1-2-3 Working with multiple worksheets and 3-D ranges in Lotus 1-2-3 for DOS is so easy you'll do away with indi- vidual spreadsheet files. 63 Creating Excel Workbooks After reading this tutorial on Microsoft Excel, working with workbooks and worksheets will be a snap. ( A Creatin 9 Charts With T' Quattro Pro With Novell's Quattro Pro, creating charts from spreadsheet data can be as uncomplicated as following these steps.

BEYOND THE BASICS '7( Troubleshootin 9 General 1 J Protection Faults A PC user's worst nightmare, a GPF can lock your Windows or even your system. Before you call tech support, read our tips for do-it-yourself troubleshooting. TIDBITS 74 Using TSRs In DOS And Windows TSRs are handy in DOS and Windows. Learn to avoid some common TSR problems that occur when using both environments. MOBILE COMPUTING 78 Power Struggle Squeezing life out of a portable PC's battery is a challenge for most users. Learn how to con- serve your valuable energy.

PLUGGED IN Q / Senior Citizens Go OU Cybersurfing Encouraged by their children, grandchildren, and peers, senior citizens are carving their niche in cyberspace. Q O Caring For OO 1 Your CDs Compact discs, though sturdy, are vulnerable 1 to scratches and other ', dangers.

We provide advice for protecting your CD and CD-ROM investments. 4 Technology News 8 Novice Notes 59 Binders/Back Issues 60 Article Index 85 Q&A 89 800 Reader Service 89 Letters To The Editor 90 Glossary Of Terms 91 Subscription Form EDITORIAL STAFF Ronald D. Kobler. Cindy Krushenisky. Trevor Moors. Juliet Osaka.

Whitney Potsus' KyieSchurman ART AND DESIGN Dave Fiala. Diane M. Hunt. Randy Koach. Heath Miller.

Lesa Scarborough. ReBecca M. Tool CIRCULATION DEVELOPMENT Blaine Burmeister. Sheila Cieslik ' Joe Collins. Eric Dale. Shannon Diedhchsen. Alison Gibbs.

Kimberty Greenwood. Kim Homes. Patti Karabel. Sarah Polzin. Elizabeth Rambacher.

Kevin Sander. Brian Shelboum. Natalie Sime.

Jill Sundquist. Shannon Vandewege NEWSSTAND Stephanie Contreras. Garth Lienemann. Mark Peery.

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Grant Ossenkop PEED CORPORATION President. Thomas J.

Peed Executive Vice President. Rhonda Peed Vice President. Mitchell W. Schainost Vice President. DaveSteen Subscriber Service Information: For Subscription Information Or Service: (800)424-7900 To Order Back Issues/Reference Binders: (800)367-7333 Authorization For Reprints: (800)334-7458 Editorial Staff: Advertising Staff: (800)544-1264 (800)848-1478 Staff Hours: 8 a.m.

CST Mon-Fri FAX (402)479-2104 Mailing Address: 1 20 W. Harvest Drive Lincoln, NE 68521 TECHNOLOGY NEWS Compiled by Cindy Krushenisky Technology Outruns Mother Nature Yes, it may finally be true. Technology may be able to operate faster than Mother Nature. At least, that's what the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) are hoping to find out during an 18-month test that began earlier this year. They will be testing real-time earthquake moni- toring with a small network of 20 digital seismometers linked to a Pacific Bell digital telecommunications service called Frame Relay. Frame Relay is high-speed transmission technology with a large bandwidth.

Data can travel over the service at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), which is faster than an earthquake's shock- waves that move considerably slower at two miles per second. Caltech and USGS scientists anticipate that the test will show them how to construct a full-scale, digital seismographic network with hundreds of monitoring stations. With such a network, the seismologists believe they could cut as much as 30 minutes off the time it takes to collect, calculate, and broadcast vital data for major earthquakes to hospitals or public safety personnel. Despite the $20 million the network could cost to build, metropolitan Los Angeles might receive as much as a one-minute warning to close bridges, pause rail traffic, stop the flow of hazardous chemicals, and inform school children to duck and cover.

Apartment 2000 What will the apartment of the future be like? GE Capital-ResCom (a unit of General Electric Capital Corp.) says it has a pretty good idea. Along with the National Multi Housing Council, GE Capital-ResCom introduced 'Apartment 2000' this January at the National Multi Housing Council annual meeting in Phoenix. Apartment 2000 is a full-scale, 1,150-square-foot apartment that fea- tures advanced household appliances and home furnishings to give a glimpse of apartment life in the near future. Some of the features include front-door video security, finger- print keyless entry, automated shopping lists, and interactive, intelligent entertainment centers. Apparently, apartments won't be left off the Information Superhighway.

Apartment 2000 is equipped so occupants can shop and purchase just about anything from their apartment, choose from thousands of movies, and access libraries, universities, and specialized databanks around the world through their PC. Phone Numbers With A Real Following 'Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was light as snow, and everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.'

Too bad 4 PC Novice. May 1995 ere' 500 Mary didn't have one of those new 'foflow-r phone numbers. He could have just called. B^esTIPs true. YouGuTge^a^M^^BrjPTrhat will follow you around. Companies like AT&T and BellSouth Telecommunications have just begun distributing phone numbers with a 500 prefix. Here's how it works.

Through the new services, the 500 prefix commonly is followed by a special number that identifies the long-distance or wireless carrier to which the customer sub- scribes. When the carrier is identified, the call is routed to the carrier, who then forwards the call to any location provided by the customer. This number can be programmed to ring any tele- phone, cellular phone, pager, fax machine, or personal computer that can be dialed directly. The benefit is that the phone number can be programmed to fol- low you from hotel room to hotel room, or from home phone to office phone to cellular phone, no matter how frequently you move. AT&T has already begun providing the 500 numbers to National Football League players, the American Institute for Foreign Study, and Cross Country Healthcare. It also is selling the service to tens of thousands of customers who reserved the numbers last summer, as well as customers currently signing up. BellSouth expected to begin its service no later than the end of April.

Networks In Space Networks bring people together in remote locations here on earth, why not in space? The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Russian Space Agency (RSA) are work- ing on a historic, joint mission in which they will install a Cabletron Ethernet hub (the central components of a local-area network that connect computers) aboard the Russian Mir Space Station in the Spektr Laboratory Module. The Cabletron hub will be the first of its kind, and will network space-based, on-board, life science experiments. It should provide easy data transfer from in-flight experiments to the Mir Space Station telecommunications technology and then to earth. Crews will be able to use the same type of hardware and software used in their labs on earth in their research in space. The prior system used by space crews was complicated and time consuming.

Each spacecraft platform had to uniquely pack- age experimental data to a special 'down-link' before it could be sent to earth. Launch time for the Mir 1, which will carry the Cabletron hub, was scheduled for mid-Spring from Russia. Next year, a second Cabletron hub will be carried to space by the NASA Space Shuttle. This Spektr mission is the first of a series of Russian launches and NASA Shuttle flights to the Russian Mir Space Station to conduct joint scientific and technological research, as well as to upgrade the Mir's on-board equipment. TECHNOLOGY NEWS Virtual Reality A Reality?

Up to this point in time, what some companies nave been calling virtual reality (VR) in their personal computer software products is far from what most people would envision as virtual reality— being able to 'walk through' an environment in three-dimensions. Apple Computer Inc. Is hoping to change that with a new award-winning software technology it is licensing to soft- ware developers, called QuickTime VR. You'll probably see this term in upcoming multimedia titles.

QuickTime VR is software that lets a user view a photographic or rendered representation of a scene. Developers can create scenes that let the user explore the scene on all sides, in 360 degrees, through a special panoramic technology, or they can use an interaction technology that would let users pick up and interact with objects on-screen. As the viewer changes his or her view of the screen by turning his or her head or zooming in or out, the perspective of the scene is maintained, meaning there isn't any cutting in or out or any image distortion. So you get the effect of being at the location and looking around.

Apple claims it will let developers create scenes in which users can get the feeling of the size and intricate design of the Great Wall of China, or 'walk down' the corridors of a newly planned office building. QuickTime VR will be operable on Macintosh-based com- puters and on computers running Microsoft Windows. 3-D TV O Remember black-and-white television? It l was innovative enough until color television L came along. Now television is in for anoth- I er big change, and we aren't talking about W the kind of programming it offers.

Rather, it's the boring old two-dimensions to which we are accustomed. In January at the 1995 Winter Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sanyo Fisher Corp. Displayed three-dimensional, liquid-crystal display (LCD) television screens.

My invoices and estimates software. Sanyo contributed to the development of these four-, six-, and 10-inch LCD video screens that don't require any special eyeglasses or headgear to see images in '3-D.' An image-splitting technology has potential in applications such as video games, car navigation systems, three-dimensional medical and educational displays, and three-dimensional television. In order for us to enjoy these three-dimensional screens, the images we view have to be captured in three-dimensions as well. Several companies are working on this 3-D video capturing method. One company, 3D America of Burbank, Calif., debuted such a sys- tem at the National Association of Television Program Executives Expo in Las Vegas this January.

Using a unique detachable camera lens device, 3D America can capture three dimensions on live video broadcasts. These broadcasts are compatible with all existing television broadcast systems world- wide. The company's three-dimensional Envista system is currently up and running. In fact, it was tested last May on the Fox network.

Virtual Reality On The Move Students in numerous science classes across 14 western states from Oregon to Nebraska are really getting into their school work, thanks to a 'virtual reality roving vehicle' (VRRV) funded by the US West Foundation that has been visiting their classrooms. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step inside a water molecule? While it may be impossible in the real world, the VRRV is making it possible in virtual reality. Wearing a special helmet, students can view a 'wrap-around' screen that allows them to 'walk around' and view a water molecule or visit a realistic wetland environment. The students themselves designed a lot of what they are study- ing.

They designed elements of the virtual worlds using school com- puters and then sent the information to the Human Interface Technology Laboratory, a joint research unit of the Washington Technology Center and the University of Washington, where the information was turned into virtual reality. When the van visits a school, students can put on the helmet and see their work and the work of other students.

The first VRRV van began visiting schools in Oregon and Washington early this year. A second phase of the program will begin in Nebraska this fall, followed by a third in a different state late this year or early next year. Tech Shorts You've probably heard of the U.S. Peace Corps sharing their expertise with devel- oping countries.

Now there's the Massachusetts Tech Corps, a group of technology professionals who are sharing their knowledge to get local schools up and running with today's computer tech- nology. The group of volunteers was formed in cooperation with the Massachusetts Software Council, Computerworld Inc., and the professional services company Deloitte & Touche LLP. Got a lot of CD-ROMs lying around and don't know what to do with them? Fisher Audio/Video (of Sanyo Fisher Corp.) recently unveiled the first prototype of a 24-disc, CD-ROM changer at the 1995 Winter Consumer Electronics Show. The Studio 24 CD-ROM changer should soon hit stores with the ability to store and orga- nize 24 CD-ROMs, Photo CDs, and audio CDs. Need tickets to the latest show?

Want money for a night on the town? Have to take care of an overdue parking ticket? TransActive Technologies Inc.

Of Seattle is hoping that you will be using their SuperTerminals to do all these things in the near future. Promoting the SuperTerminals as making access to the Information Superhighway as easy as using an automatic teller machine, the machine uses multimedia and touch screens for a friendly inter- face. If everything goes as planned, the company projects that con- sumers will see SuperTerminals sometime this spring. May 1995.

PC Novice 5 TECHNOLOGY NEWS PRODUCT PREVIEWS 1 ■ w CD For Your TV Why get a PC when you have a TV to entertain you? There are a lot of reasons, but a new company based in Tel Aviv, Israel (with offices in the United States) has just eliminated one of them. Digital Interactive Systems Corp. PISC) recently unveiled a line of 'MultimediaCD' players called DISCover that allow you to play CD-ROM programs on your television. Based on a 486 processor, the DISCover line has the power and capabilities of a MPC Multimedia PC capable of playing MPC2 CD-ROMs (which include most CD-ROM titles now available), as well as audio CDs and Photo CDs.

You operate the titles on your television through infrared remote controls, on-screen virtual key- boards, and an on-screen front control panel. The system even is equipped with a Sound Blaster-compatible sound card and Microsoft Windows.

However, when you consider the cost of the units, you may want to save up and get a PC. A basic unit costs $995. A player with Video CD (which can operate MPEG full-motion videos) costs $1,295. The home theater unit runs about $1,595, and the Deluxe home theater unit, including a built-in modem and quadruple speed CD-ROM, costs $1,995.

For more information, you can contact DISC'S U5. Office at (213) 912-3163. Talk Back Does your automobile talk to you?

If so, what does it say? Does it remind you to fasten your seatbelts or that your trunk is open? What if it could remind you about your dentist appointment and the address for a client you need to visit?

That would probably be more useful, not to mention less annoying. Panasonic has figured out a way for your car to inform you of the things you need to remember. The company has placed a built-in recordable chip into its model CQ-R535 car stereo, making it the first interactive, recording car stereo.

The CQ-R535 works somewhat like an electronic memo device. Users can record anything they want, as long as it is only 20 seconds long, into the chip. Then they can play back the record- ing later to remind themselves about appointments, to-do lists, directions, greeting messages, or phone numbers received on a cellular phone call.

When you want to listen to your reminders, a press of a button plays back the recording, temporarily overriding music from the cassette player or radio tuner. An auxiliary power pack will be available soon so users can record messages outside the car using only the stereo's antitheft removable faceplate.

Go ahead and record all you like; because the system relies on a microchip, new messages will suffer little loss in quality. When it's not recording your messages, the CQ-R535 can handle a six- or 12-disc Panasonic CD changer, a cassette deck, and a FM/AM radio with all the extras. The new car stereo was expected to be available in March for a suggested retail price of $299. For more information, you can contact Panasonic (a division of Matsushita Consumer Electronics Co.) at (201 ) 348-9090. A CD For The Road If you're a mover and a shaker who just can't be without your CDs, Sony has a product for you. It's the CD-ROM Discman: a com- pact CD-ROM /audio player for people on the go. The Discman, weighing a sleek 10 ounces, includes a double- speed CD-ROM that provides MPC2 multimedia performance to operate IBM and compatible CD-ROMs, as well as Photo CD appli- cations.

It also operates as a full-function audio CD player, with features such as Program, Shuffle, and Repeat. And all this on two AA batteries. That means when you're finished listening to your favorite CDs, you can plug the CD-ROM Discman into your desktop computer via a parallel port connection (a port on the back of your computer where peripherals can be plugged in), or into a portable computer via a PCMCIA connection (a credit-card-sized storage media). But you will have to be fast. Two batteries will provide you one to one-and-a-half hours of CD-ROM operation and /or up to six hours of music listening. The CD-ROM Discman was made available early this year. Several models range in price (suggested retail price) from $380 to $750.

The more expensive models also will include the Sony Soundbox, which has a built-in stereo card and speaker. For more information, contact Sony at (800) 766-9236. 6 PC Novice. May 1995 r44 JJ33 hE'FREE!

««£ to Z.©tr. R^^wfts AS SEEN ON TV! C °^tulaf Wl.d./oy °.s» For your FREE. copy of Greetings for Windows, Call ^1-800-710-1222 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or fax the attached order form to 1-319-395-7449 or mail it to the address below srYes! Send me Greetings for Windows FREE!

Ml O. m m tit Mtar trim mUtMt Honk Dmtrtct). mrcHrnt trim. Htm.MMM ur area, (818) 780-3344 Starring 2 Stupid Dogs Snagglepuss Pixie & Dixie Huckleberry Hound ino & Cavemouse astardly & muttley Complete the form on the right and mail it to - Jasmine Multimedia, 2 6746 Valjean Ave. 3 Van Nuys, CA 91406 4 Name Address Phone SCREEN 1 SCREEN 2 SCREEN 3 I. If f SCREEN 4 All characters names, likeness and related indicia are trad C 1994 Hanna - Barbera Producbons, Inc All Rqhts Reserved. R EPA POLLUTION PR E^V ENTER i i This symbol identifies energy-efficient computers that save you money and reduce air pollution by 'powering down' when not in use.

Over 2000 computers, monitors and printers have earned the right to bear the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star SM logo. These comput- ers are so smart, they go to sleep when not in use and wake up with a sim- ple touch of the keyboard or mouse. Energy Star. 1. Computers don't cost any extra, will save money on your energy bill, and prevent pollution from electricity generation. Be part of the solution and look for this logo when you make your next computer purchase.

To receive a list of available prod- ucts call the Energy Star SM Hotline at 202 775-6650. PC OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS Personalizing Your DOS Prompt Day after day the same old DOS prompt stares back at you— the one that indicates the current drive and directory.

Did you know that you can change the look of your DOS prompt by adding a few simple words to one of your computer's system startup files? It's easy and it's fast, so why not take a stab at personalizing your prompt?

You can make your prompt say something like 'Bob's Computer' or you can display the date and time. Some folks like to add funny mes- sages that have special meaning for them. The Tools Of The Tradeoff All you need is DOS and about 10 minutes of your free time.

But be- fore we begin, let's look at how that DOS prompt of yours is displayed. When your computer first powers up, it runs a file called Autoexec.bat. This batch program file is found in the root directory of your C: drive. It's called a batch file because it is designed to run a whole batch of DOS commands without requiring you to type them in over and over again! The look and feel of your computer's DOS prompt is controlled by one of the commands found in this batch file. ■ Making The Change You can change your DOS prompt so that it will display just about anything in text.

Here's a brief run-down of things you can display: 'You Buy and I Fly!' Or 'I'm Juliana's Computer!'

If you can display the characters on your screen, you can create your own tailored DOS prompt with those same characters. You can display the equal sign (-), dollar signs, the current time and date, the current drive and path name (this is the popular standard). Display the version of DOS that you're using.

Exhibit the greater than character, the less than ( prompt. The prompt may also look like this: C:.

The backslash represents the root directory, the main directory in DOS. When you want to change to another directory, type cd and the directory name at the prompt and press ENTER. To append directories, type the APPEND command followed by a space, then the appropriate drive, a backslash, and the directory name. The following command will allow programs to open data files in the NEWS directory (which is on a diskette in the B: drive) as if those files were in the current directory. B4 append b: news If you'd like to append multiple directories, separate the directory names with a semicolon (;).

To see a list of appended directories, type append and press ENTER. To cancel the existing appended directories, type append. APPEND is available in DOS 3.2 and higher. There are some switches that can be added to the APPEND command for different results. Switches are typed after the command name, and after the drive and path when they are used. The Ix switch is available only in versions 3.3 and above.

It lets you run applications from appended directories even when none of those directories are the current directory. The /path switch controls whether a program will search an append- ed directory for a data file even if you have already specified the drive and directory with the file name. These files are processed when the path switch is on. A The It switch gives DOS access to a list of appended directories.

This switch can only be used the first time the APPEND command is execut- ed after starting the computer. After that, you'll get an Invalid Switch error message.

18 PC Novice. May 1995 To see a list of appended directories, type set at the prompt and press ENTER. At the bottom of the list that appears you'll see the word APPEND followed by the list of appended directories. Gaff^ DISKCOPY DISKCOPY, introduced in DOS 2.0, is a handy command used for copying one floppy diskette to another. (Sorry, no hard disks allowed.) Using it is as simple as giving the DISKCOPY command followed by the drive containing the source followed by the drive containing the destination disk: diskcopy source diskette drive destination diskette drive In order to copy the contents of the diskette in drive A: to the diskette in drive B:, type: diskcopy a: b: at the DOS prompt. If you do not specify source and destination drives, DOS will use the current drive (whichever one the diskette is in) as both, and will prompt you to switch diskettes periodically within that drive as it copies the information.

The addition of the /v switch at the end of the command will ensure that the data copied is correct. MSAV MSAV is a DOS 6.0 command that scans your system for computer viruses. A virus is a program that 'infects' com- puter files by attaching itself to other programs or data.

Viruses are usu- ally intended to disrupt processing of information on a computer. They reproduce themselves and spread to software that is not yet infected.

After the MSAV command, type a drive letter followed by a colon to tell the command which drive to scan for viruses (for example, msav c). The current drive is scanned if no drive is specified. There is a long list of switches that can be used with MSAV.

The Is switch scans the drive, but does not remove any viruses that are found. Viruses are found and removed with the /c switch. To scan all drives except A: and B:, use the /a switch. Use /I to scan local drives, but not net- work drives. (When you're on a network, a group of connected computers that share information, a local drive is one that you access on your com- puter but that other members of the network cannot access.

The network drive, on the other hand, can be accessed by everyone on the network.) PC OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS To create a report based on MSAV information, add the /r switch. This creates the Msav.rpt file, which lists the number of files scanned by MSAV, the number of viruses found, and the number of viruses removed. The file is placed in the root directory. Any switches used with the MSAV command are placed after the command name, and after the drive letter when one is used (for example, msav c/I). MSD MSD (Microsoft Diagnostics) is a DOS 6.0 command. Use it to display technical informa- tion about your system. You can access the MSD interface on-screen to obtain information, or use MSD to compile data into a report.

Either way, you can access details about your system's processor, memory, version of DOS, mouse, disk drives, device drivers, and other system specifications. MSDs main screen contains burtons that you press to access informa- tion on different specifications. To start the MSD program, type msd at the prompt and press ENTER. Switches can be added to the MSD command to make reports that contain technical data about your system. To create a file named Computer.txt to hold the report, you would type msd /p computer.txt and press ENTER. You can add your name, address, phone number, and other data to the report by using this command line: msd li computer.txt The program will prompt you to enter information.

The /s switch creates a summary report. When you do not add a switch, the report will appear on-screen.

The /i switch is used when you're having trouble starting MSD or if it's not running properly. And the lb switch runs MSD in black and white for monitors that do not display MSD color correctly. All switches are typed after the command name, followed by a drive and directory name, if necessary. RMDIR Introduced with DOS 2.0, the RMDIR, or RD, command is basically a hard drive main- tainence tool that's used to eliminate directories, subdirectories, and files. Before a directory can be removed, all of its files and subdirectories must be deleted. For example, if you want to delete a subdirectory of expense accounts you have in Lotus 1-2-3 4.0 called EXPENSES in your SALES direc- tory, you first need to delete the individual files.

To do this, type: c: 123r4d sales expenses del. DOS will display a confirmation message that reads, 'All files in directory will be deleted!

Are you sure (Y/N)?' The. after the DEL (delete) command is a wildcard that tells DOS to delete everything in the EXPENSES directory. (Wildcards are symbols used in DOS to represent characters. The asterisk is used to represent any number of characters, while the question mark represents one char- acter.

For example,.wk3 tells DOS to look for any files with the.WK3 extension. Sales.wk?, in which the question mark could represent a sin- gle digit, tells DOS to look for any Sales files with an extension of.WK and another digit.) Now you can delete the EXPENSES subdirectory.

One important note about RMDIR /RD is that you cannot remove the current directory. To change directories, type cd c at the DOS prompt and press ENTER. To remove the EXPENSES directory, type: rd 123r4d sales expenses or rmdir 123r4d sales expenses at the DOS prompt and press ENTER (you will not be given a confirm message as you were with the DEL command). Now when you use the DIR command to view your SALES directory in Lotus, you will no longer see an EXPENSES directory.

If you want to delete the entire SALES directory in Lotus, you would follow the same steps. If you have DOS 6.0 or later, you can save several steps with the DEL- TREE command. With this command and the above scenario, you would type: del tree 123r4d sales expenses DOS will display the message, 'Delete directory ' 123r4d sales expenses' and all its subdirectories? Type your response and DOS will then display the message 'Deleting 123r4d sales expenses ' TREE You've seen drawings of family trees, with relatives connected by lines. The TREE command displays DOS' version of a family tree, graphically showing the connections between directories and the system's structure. To use TREE, type tree at the DOS prompt followed by the drive or path you want displayed.

If you don't specify a drive or path, the cur- rent directory will be used. You can use the li parameter, which would cause the names of files in each directory to be listed as well. And if you use! MORE after the parameter, the directories will be displayed one screen at a time. Examples of the TREE command, which was introduced with DOS 3.2, are: tree (which would display the directory structure for the current directory).

Tree b: If I more (which would display the directory structure for the diskette in the B: drive; all file names would be included, and the information would be displayed one screen at a time). May 1995. PC Novice 19 DOS COMPUTING In Search Of True Multimedia As multimedia races to become the most-used English word since 'the,' software makers are pumping out waves of the little reflective compact discs you thought were for your stereo. These CD-ROM discs— masters of sounds, pictures, and text— march across store shelves promising sensory experiences beyond the imagination. But that shiny, new (and often expensive) disc won't necessarily make your computer dance the lambada. The 'M' in CD-ROM stands for memory, not multimedia, after all.

In fact, more than a few CD-ROM programs are basically identical to their boring 3.5-inch diskette brethren. With consumers enraptured by CD-ROM technology, though, companies are slapping the majority of new software on disc— even programs better served by diskette. Peering symphonies and animation wizardry, often are disappointed by more than a few CD-ROM offerings. When choosing CD-ROM software, it helps to know exactly what you're considering. CD-ROM, or compact disc, read-only memory, is a form of data storage that uses laser optics rather than magnetic means.

'Compact disc' refers to the storage medium itself; CD-ROMs look like audio CDs. 'Read-only memory' refers to the fact that most computers cannot 'write' to a compact disc they way they can to diskettes. You can store all sorts of files to a diskette with a diskette drive, but a CD-ROM drive only can read information from the disc. Read/write The 'CD-ROM Version!' Slogan on the box be- comes a selling point in an overhyped market.

The truth remains that multimedia is, at best, a loosely defined term. One definition calls mul- timedia the combination of text, video, audio, and animation in an interactive computer pro- gram. But any program that contains text and lets out a 'beep' now and then could be multi- media in the strictest sense of the word. That's not to say most CD-ROMs don't go beyond the basics.

Many programs even come close to de- livering the goods promised in those splashy magazine ads. But today's software buyers, ex- 20 PC Novice. May 1995 CD-ROM drives are on the horizon, but they are rare and expensive at this time. Despite the read-only drawback, CD-ROMs have several advantages that lend themselves to multimedia applications. First, they can hold volumes more information than diskettes (a CD-ROM disc can hold 600 megabytes MB of data, compared to 1.4MB for a typical diskette). Second, CD-ROM drives can access data much faster than the standard magnetic hard drives found in most computers. Multimedia isn't the only useful aspect of CD-ROMs, though.

The compact disc's ability to store vast amounts of information makes it great for pure text as well. Many CD-ROM book collections, for instance, are popular not because of fancy whistles and bells, but simply because one disc can store information from dozens of books.

■ CD-Rebirth With the average Joe Windows more and more likely to sport a CD-ROM drive on his new computer, compact discs become a good way to push old software. For example, a manu- facturer might take a word processor, utility, or game that had been selling on diskette and create a CD-ROM version. Another tactic is to slap a few extras into a program and market it on CD-ROM.

Many re- cent applications sport these slightly improved CD-ROM alter egos. The latest version of Quicken, a popular home finance program, is available on both diskette and CD-ROM. The only difference is the compact disc version in- cludes 'multimedia tutorials' and on-screen user manuals as opposed to the static user guides shipped with the diskette version. Some users may find the extra help worth- while, but it comes at a cost— we found the Quicken CD-ROM selling for about $7 more than the diskette set. In the realm of gaming, CD-ROMs have po- tential but face a demanding audience. With the success of adventure CD-ROMs such as Mysf, many game publishers attempt to breathe new life into older games by piecing in multimedia sequences and packaging the hybrid on com- pact disc. Unless programmers design a game with multimedia in mind from the ground up, though, the results are mixed.

Maxis produced a CD-ROM version of its best seller SimCity, but many players find the interspersed live-action segments interfere with game play rather than enhance it. Haphazard multimedia isn't neces- sarily better than no multimedia. Despite the growing pains, CD-ROM tech- nology represents an exciting development for games, educational tools, and all other types of software. Some of the newest multimedia of- ferings are truly taking advantage of anima- tion, text, and sound rolled into a single package.

While you still have to take some claims of 'multimedia' with a grain of silicon, CD-ROMs are here to stay. The M-word is finally begin- ning to live up to its overused name. # fry Mm Phelps ^ FAMILY ENTt J BROUGHT TO YOU tyt. A v THROUGH ^& $ AWARD WINNING AND%A INNOVATIVE CD-ROM TITLES. «r c4 EXPLORE esop s multimedia story Peter and CLASSICS the Wo lf.

Narrated by Jack Lcmmon OUfes A Cnrv^v INTERACT 5 wLa. W1TH THE Western Art ARTS Renaissance Meters Volume I EXPERIENCE INTERACTIVE MUSIC Vivaldi Tfic Four Seasons REVISIT GREAT MOMENTS IN HISTORY Twelve Roads to Gettysburg. ALL WHILE HAVING., FUN fc Wflfsw wi ™ YOUR bit oSfcltefesgH COMPUTER ku V OVER 20 CD-ROM TITLES AVAILABLE on MAC and MPC. Award Winning Title TDC INTERACTIVE LOOK FOR US WHEREVER CD-ROM TITLES ARE SOLD! DOS COMPUTING Top 1 DOS CD-ROM Titles No Windows Required Most of the personal computer world does Windows for good reason. Programs that run under Microsoft Windows' graphical interface are often easier to use and more powerful than their DOS brethren. DOS is an older standard, and programs that run under DOS are gener- ally older and less sophisticated.

A vocal minority of people, however, prefer the less-complex DOS interface to that of Windows. And there are a surprising number of excellent CD-ROM titles designed specifi- cally for DOS fans. The following selections offer programs for all interests from computer hobbyists to students to business users. ■ Tool work s Reference Library This title, from the MindScape, is the DOS equivalent of Microsoft Bookshelf, the top-selling Windows CD-ROM reference title. Like Bookshelf, Toolworks Reference Library in- cludes a number of useful works on one CD-ROM disc.

There are eight reference books in all: New York Public Library Desk Reference, Dictionary of 20th Century History, J.K. Lasser's Legal and Corporation Forms for the Smaller Business, National Directory of Addresses and Telephone Numbers, Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotable Definitions, Webster's New World Guide to Concise Writing, Webster's New World Dictionary, and Webster's New World Thesaurus. 22 PC Novice. May 1995 Toolworks Reference Library isn't flashy- there are no multimedia features, not even any graphics. But the program is faster than most CD-ROM reference works. Though it's DOS based, it supports a mouse.

To navigate the program, you select one of the reference works listed to the right of the screen. You also can search for subject matter using the AND or OR Boolean operators.

The DOS version of Toolworks Reference Library lists for $79.95. A new Windows ver- sion should also be available by the time you read this. Toolworks Reference Unary, $79.95 MindScape (800)234-3088 (415)883-3000 ■ New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia This is the most comprehensive general-in- terest CD-ROM encyclopedia available today.

On a single CD-ROM, it includes all the text in the 21 volumes of the hardback Grolier' s Academic American Encyclopedia. You'll find 33,000 separate articles and 10 million words, more than in any other CD-ROM encyclopedia. You won't find all the pictures that are in the hardback version, but the CD-ROM ver- sion does include more than 3,000 color and black-and-white images, from Michelangelo's David to Alaska's Columbia glacier. What's more— and you won't find this in any hard- cover encyclopedia— there are nearly 150 video and animation sequences and excerpts of 21 famous speeches. With some of the speeches, but not all, you view the speaker as you hear the speech. The multimedia capabilities of Grolier are first-rate. You can view, for instance, footage of Neil A.

Armstrong's first step on the moon. You can hear the best part of Martin Luther King's '1 Have a Dream' speech. And you can view and hear Richard Nixon's farewell speech. By TV standards, the video is small and sometimes jerky, but you still get the picture.

You can have great fun browsing the ency- clopedia. But when you need to get down to work and research a subject, you'll find the search facility to be friendly and sophisticated. You click on the magnifying glass icon and can, among other things, search for words using AND or NOT Boolean operators in ar- ticle text, article titles, captions, or all three. The 1995 version of New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia is available only in Windows and Macintosh versions. But the 1994 version, a terrific program in itself, is still on the market for DOS users. It lists for $149.95. New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, $149.95 Grolier Electronic Publishing (800)356-5590 (203)797-3530 DOS COMPUTING ■ Science Navigator This reference work is a combination of two hardcover books— the McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science k Technology and the McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Science and Technical Terms.

The encyclopedia includes 7,300 articles written by, among others, 19 Nobel laureates. Also included are 1,200 graphic elements such as photos, line drawings, charts, tables, for- mulas, and chemical structures.

The dictionary consists of more than 100,000 definitions. The program doesn't include the flashy multi- media effects found in other CD-ROM products. There are no videos, no animation, and no sound. But the scope and depth of the informa- I Hon are impressive.

The McGraw-Hill Science and Technical Reference Set covers 75 areas of 1 theoretical and applied science. Much of the in- i formation covered is technical, but not all.

There's a listing, for instance, for ice cream in the ' dictionary. 'Dictionary' is a bit of a misnomer, I since even the dictionary listings are several; paragraphs long.

Navigating is much like moving around an outlining program. With your keyboard, for instance, you can use the up or down arrow keys to highlight a range of subjects, then press the right arrow key to expand this range. You continue to expand until you find the subject you want, then press the ENTER key. Like all good CD-ROM products, Science Navigator includes tools not found in paper-based references. You also can use the search feature to find all references to a topic in all the articles and definitions. And you can use the program's hypertext links to quickly jump to a topic related to the one you're cur- rently reading. The program lists for $149.95 and requires Super VGA graphics.

Science Navigator also comes in versions for Windows, Macintosh, and networked computers. Science Navigator, $149.95 McGraw-Hill (800)722-4726 (6 ■ Library of the Future This CD-ROM title is more aptly named Library of the Past— it includes the complete, unabridged text of 1,750 of history's greatest literary works. The scope of the material boggles the mind.

It includes religious works such as the full text of Science Navigator provides an impres- sive scope of information about theo- retical and applied sciences. The King James Bible, the Koran, the Egyptian Book of the Dead, and the Bhagavad Gita. Its political treatises include the complete Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, and the U.S. Literary works include the complete works of Shakespeare, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Edgar Allan Poe, and the full text of 'Canterbury Tales,' Milton's 'Paradise Lost,' Hawthorne's 'Scarlet Letter,' Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights,' Shelley's 'Frankenstein,' Bram Stoker's 'Dracula,' Dostoevsky's 'Brothers Karamazov'. And hundreds more. This wealth of wisdom is compressed onto one CD-ROM, which includes interfaces for DOS and Windows (a Macintosh version should be available by the time you read this). Surprisingly, loading and using the program is fast, though you won't find many multi- media flourishes.

One way to use the program is to find the title you want and display the text on-screen. You can list all the works included on the CD-ROM along with their authors, or instead list all the authors. Choose an author's name, and you're shown the masterpieces he or she has written that are included on the disc. You read the text of the individual works by scrolling down the screen instead of flipping ■ lt-t «II MI ht.» ttmmM IN mmr. ami.mI - mV Trrvor Mm. Finally, a computer store for the way you live.

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