Issue 4.4 July / August 1999
This issue of KDP is sponsored by:
Personalized e-mail is analogous to personalized business letters, and variable data printing, wherein personal information is merged with a static form, boilerplate copy, or a background template. Each message, then, is slightly different, containing, at the very least, the name of the recipient, and possibly information about their interests, buying history, or other related data.
Personalized e-mail can be used by the digital publisher for several purposes, such as:
* Advising Web visitors of new information or features on the Web site. This serves to remind the recipient about the site and stimulate their interest to return. The e-mail can contain a live link that takes the recipient directly to the site, or multiple links to connect with various parts of it.
* Delivering a digital publication, either within the e-mail message itself, or as an attachment. Digital delivery benefits both the sender and the recipient, since it reduces costs and the time required to get information to its ultimate destination.
* Issuing billing or account information.
In each case, the use of e-mail saves the cost, handling, and time-delay inherent in paper-based mail. It can provide virtually instant delivery; making it easier to meet deadlines, and reduce the time inherent in collecting accounts receivable. In addition, it makes it fast, easy, and simple for the recipient to reply. The nature of the reply might be to ask a question, get further information, make a purchase, contribute a comment, offer a suggestion, or request removal from the list.
Although mailing lists can be maintained in almost all e-mail client software, it requires a special-purpose program to produce automated, variable data electronic messages. There are several products which do this, and most share a set of common characteristics, as represented by eMerge 1.6.1 for the Macintosh. eMerge is simple to use, yet very powerful in reaching any number of recipients with personalized messages containing a large number of standard and custom variable fields.
An e-mail campaign usually begins with the construction of the message. The message can be composed in any application, including directly in the composition window of the automated e-mail application itself. In order to add the variable fields, that is, the fields that will be replaced with the variable data for each recipient, the message must be available in the program's letter field. Within the letter field the user simply positions the cursor in a location where a variable name will be placed, and then selects it either from the standard or custom variable lists.
The standard variables are those which are reasoned to be either a required, or a likely part of an e-mail message. eMerge includes the following list, which would be typical of any such program:
Variable Name Variable Format Example Date <date> 8/18/02 Date long <longdate> Sunday, August 18, 2002 Time <time> 9:09:56 AM Subject <subject> Feature on Digital Typography Email Address <email> rkanter@merrit.jhs.com Full Name <fullname> Mr. Richard L. Kanter Title <title> Mr. First Name <firstname> Richard Initial <initial> L. Last Name <lastname> Kanter Iteration <iteration> 2878 Count <count> 12,837
The mailing list can be derived from any of several sources, including a list that has been created in an e-mail client, such as Eudora Pro. Rented lists, or information contained in a database, can also be used. In addition, eMerge has a special function, called Dredge, that can be used to extract e-mail addresses and user names from files stored on the user's hard drive, or other mounted volume. Dredge can be used in two ways; recursively dredging folders within folders, and/or restricting the process to certain file types or creators.
Once a record has been established for a recipient, it can be edited, if necessary. The variable information may have been imported from a database, or may need to be input by hand. The eMerge program itself is sufficiently intelligent to parse the name information, so that an e-mail address of ""richard_kanter@merrit.jhs.com"", for example, will produce a recipient name of ""Richard Kanter.""
An automated e-mail system may, or may not be dependent upon another program for sending its messages. eMerge is independent, and only requires an Internet connection and the specification of a mail server.
Prior to sending a mailing, the user should preview it, to be certain that all of the variable fields have been properly placed, and that each user's record is complete and correct. This is done in the eMerge program by using the Preview option, which shows what the recipient will see when the message is actually sent. The preview window substitutes the variable information from each user record in place of the variable names contained within the letter.
After the message or messages have been inspected and approved, they can be sent, either to the entire list, or a selected portion. The eMerge program keeps close track of the progress of the distribution, and records any unsuccessful attempts directly in the List window. $99
Contact: Galleon Software, 327-366 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, Ontario Canada MSA 3X9, 416 955-1777, http://www.galleon.com, e-mail: info@galleon.com, fax: 416 955-0696.
DTP Reviews
My Business Publisher (WIN )
My Business Publisher is a low-cost print and Web publishing package that uses "JumpStarts"TM to lead the user through the design of a project. JumpStart categories include brochures, business cards, flyers and signs, letters, newsletters, notecards and invitations, and postcards. The program includes hundreds of professionally-designed layouts, with support for placement of a user's logos, photos (including Kodak PCD) and graphics. A set of drawing tools is included.
The Web publishing capability is code-less, with no knowledge of HTML required. The interface works essentially like a word processor. Dozens of professional Web page templates are provided, as well as 1000 Internet format images.
A bonus collection of 15,000 clipart and border images, 500 color photos, and 100 MyTypeArtist typestyles are included. $49.95
Contact: MySoftware Company, 2197 East Bayshore Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94303, 650 473-3621, http://www.mysoftware.com, fax: 650 325-0873.
Print Explosion is billed as the new generation of desktop publishing programs for the consumer market. It contains over 4000 prepared templates for the automated production of a wide variety of printed projects, including greeting cards, signs, posters, banners, flyers, certificates, invitations, calendars, labels, letterheads, business cards, gift tags, and many more.
The greeting card category alone includes ready-made cards for all kinds of events and celebrations, including anniversary, birth, birthday, business functions, get well soon, and several more.
In addition to the templates, the package includes over 50,000 graphics, 1200 digital photos, 1000 works of fine art, 500 TrueType fonts, and dozens of special effects for text and graphics.
Projects are completed in three steps. First, the template is selected; second it is customized, and third, it is printed. Designs can be enhanced with user-supplied graphics and scans. The program supports EPS, PICT, TIFF, JPEG and GIF. The program includes a built-in PostScript interpreter, for printing EPS graphics on any inkjet, or nonPostScript printer; a very unusual, and valuable, capability for such a low-cost product.
New computer users will appreciate the flexible and extensive help system which includes full Balloon Help, context-sensitive help buttons, AppleGuide, and HTML-based AppleHelp, including Sherlock-based indexing.
$49.95
Contact: Nova Development Corporation, 23801 Calabasas Road, Suite 2005, Calabasas, CA 91302-1547, 818 591-9600, http://www.novadevelopment.com, fax: 818 591-8885.
Productivity Reviews
Cruise Control (MAC)
Cruise Control is an automation utility that simplifies the performance of a task by dragging its icon to its calendar interface, and s cheduling the operation once, or for repetition hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or yearly. The schedule can be adjusted to skip dates if so desired. The program is billed as "the first commercial independent-automation program for the Macintosh."
The program, which supports AppleScript, can support the scheduling of virtually any task, including multiple tasks. It can run utilities, access the Internet, turn the computer on or off, launch and quit applications, and much more. The program automates tasks through the use of three types of "objects"agents, actions and targets. The agent, typically the Calendar (but optionally other forms, such as voice), lets the user decide when or how a series of actions will be performed. Actions perform single tasks, such as defragmenting a hard drive, or downloading a file. Targets are used by the actions to specify files, folders, local and remote volumes, and even Web page locations. An agent can be combined with any number of actions and targets to create comprehensive automated solutions.
The program supports the use of plug-ins, the first of which is Voice Agents, a $29 add-on. The plug-in adds speech recognition to Cruise Control, making it possible to execute tasks, such as checking e-mail, through voice control. $99
Contact: Walnut Systems, POB 596, Middletown, NY 10940, 800 945-8024, http://www.walnutsys.com, fax: 914 343-2141.
Eudora Pro v4.2 is the latest version of this popular e-mail client for Macintosh and Windows users. Eudora has won more than 70 awards and honors, and continues to get better and better. New to this version are several enhancements that make the e-mail process more productive.
Perhaps the most awaited feature is a flexible search capability by which the user can search for any word, in any message field, and in any mailbox. It is a vast improvement over the previous search capability, and is most welcome given the large mail reserves that most users deal with.
Other new features include: automatic spell-checking that works as-you-type; support for IMAP; drag-and-drop support for files, messages, attachments, mailboxes and folders; viewing of graphics directly within messages; and sending and receiving voice messages using Qualcomm's PureVoice Eudora plug-in.
A particularly useful new feature is the capability to view the contents of a message without opening it. Each mailbox now has a Message Preview pane that shows the contents of any highlighted message. $49.95
Contact: Qualcomm Inc., 6455 Lusk Blvd., San Diego, CA 92121, 619 587-1121, http://www.qualcomm.com.
Spell Catcher 8 is a very important program for every digital publisher. It helps to ensure that text is properly spelled, and that writers can find and apply the best word for the purpose.
Spell Catcher 8 is a powerful interactive writing tool that works in all programs. The program incorporates one of the largest and most comprehensive packages of spell checking, thesaurus, and dictionary definitions available. The dictionary supports eight different languages (US English, UK English, French, Canadian French, German, Swiss, Spanish, and Italian), with others available at additional cost.
New to this version is the option to have a dictionary entry spoken, using one of the Macintosh voices. Other features include: a shorthand capability to explode a string of text from a few defined characters; access to supplemental resources supporting medical, legal, scientific/technical, computer, biological/geological, HTML, and other areas; two modes, interactive or batch; importation of user dictionaries from other sources; and more. $49.95 for the physical package, $39.95 for the downloaded version.
Contact: Casady & Greene, 22734 Portola Dr., Salinas, CA 93908-1119, 831 484-9228, 800 359-4920, http://www.casadyg.com, Internet: c&g@casadyg.com, fax: 831 484-9218.
Info Select Version 5 is a personal information manager for Windows 95, 98 and NT that now captures and organizes information from Web sites, along with more than 200 additional enhancements. The Web Transporter supports the transfer of information collected from Web pages, newsgroups, e-mail, word processors, and any other application. While at the Web site the user highlights the section of the page that they want to capture, clicks on the Transporter icon, and the information is instantly transmitted to Info Select.
Other new features include: encryption of confidential information; automatic Web address recognition; e-mail mailings to a group or database of people; improved scheduling, including free-form text ticklers; mouse support for controlling promote/demote of outlines; and much more. $99.95
Contact: Micro Logic, 89 Leuning St., So. Hackensack, NJ 07606, 201 342-6518, WWW: http://www.miclog.com; e-mail: staff@miclog.com, fax: 201 342-0370.
QuicKeys for Macintosh 4.0 (MAC)
QuicKeys for Macintosh 4.0 is the latest version of the venerable utility that has a well-deserved reputation as a productivity enhancer. This new version adds a new toolbar and 50 time-saving features.
QuicKeys, working with the Macintosh system software, creates "shortcuts" that work to automate common, repetitive computer tasks, that can be executed through a simple hot key combination. The process of creating (and editing) a shortcut is simple, especially with the new Setup Assistants.
Every digital publisher recognizes the tasks that must be accomplished on a regular basis. QuicKeys can assist with virtually all of them. In addition, since it is integrated with AppleScript, sophisticated operations that would otherwise be very time-consuming and complex, can be initiated fairly easily. $99.95
Contact: CE Software, 1801 Industrial Circle, POB 65580, West Des Moines, IA 50265, 515 221-1801, 800 523-7638, http://www.cesoft.com, e-mail: sales@cesoft.com, fax: 515 221-2694.
Addition / Extension Reviews
Conflict Catcher 8 (MAC)
Conflict Catcher 8 is an invaluable utility for Macintosh users who have a considerable number of extensions installed in their system. The program provides complete control over the start-up process, providing both the name and icon of each extension, and a detailed description of what the extension does.
Additional features include: Automatic testing to pinpoint extension conflicts and other start-up problems; easy updating of every extension with direct links to each publisher; easy management of start-up items and sets; auto scanning of folders for corrupted files; an informative tip system; easy clean system upgrades, with painless merging of previous system folder contents; integration with the Location Manager, and more. $79.95 for the physical package, $69.95 for the downloaded version.
Contact: Casady & Greene, 22734 Portola Dr., Salinas, CA 93908-1119, 831 484-9228, 800 359-4920, http://www.casadyg.com, Internet: c&g@casadyg.com, fax: 831 484-9218.
Speed Startup is a system extension that works to reduce the time it takes to start-up a Macintosh. The software is the first utility to address the fact that the start-up process is the one aspect of computer use that has not enjoyed the speed increases similar to those of CPUs, CD-ROMs, hard drives, and communication data rates.
The utility reduces start-up times from 10 to 50 seconds by intelligently handling the start-up process, and providing the option to turn off the animated zoom in the Finder, and turn off the automatic RAM testing when the computer is started. The reduced start-up time gets the digital publisher back to work faster. Cutting even a small amount of time during start-up can result in a considerable time savings over the course of a year. Available for purchase on-line only. $19.95
Contact: Casady & Greene, 22734 Portola Dr., Salinas, CA 93908-1119, 831 484-9228, 800 359-4920, http://www.casadyg.com, Internet: c&g@casadyg.com, fax: 831 484-9218.
Suitcase 8, the latest version of the venerable Macintosh font management utility, is the first version published by Extensis. The basic function of the program is to turn fonts on and off, either temporarily, with a specific application, as part of a set, via AppleScript activation, auto-activated in QuarkXPress, or at system start-up.
The program is bundled with MenuFonts, to display the actual font in WYSIWYG within a wide range of applications; Suitcase 8 XT, an XTension for QuarkXPress that automatically opens fonts associated with QXP documents and embedded EPS files; and FontAgent, which manages fonts by removing duplicates, separating TrueType from PostScript, and organizing fonts into folder sets. $99.95
Contact: Extensis Corp., 1800 S.W. First Ave., Suite 500, Portland, OR 97201, 800 796-9798, 503 274-2020, http://www.extensis.com, fax: 503 274-0530.
PhotoFrame 2.0 is an plug-in for Adobe Photoshop that supports the creation of hundreds of image frames and border effects. The package includes a collection of over 1000 high-quality, professionally designed frame files. Additional frames are available for on-line purchase through a companion Web site maintained by Dynamic Graphics (http://www.dgusa.com/eFrames.
Frames can be created from basic shapes, such as polygons, and modified with corner treatments, and other options. Frame edges can be distorted in a variety of ways, with bevels, glows, shadows, and textures. Combinations of effects can be saved in sets, for re-use.
The frame format is non-proprietary, meaning that the user can import frame files from other frame programs, and make their own. $199.95
Contact: Extensis Corp., 1800 S.W. First Ave., Suite 500, Portland, OR 97201, 800 796-9798, 503 274-2020, http://www.extensis.com, fax: 503 274-0530.
Troi Graphic Plug-in 1.0 (MAC)
Troi Graphic Plug-in 1.0 adds graphics functions to FileMaker Pro 4.0. It lets the user create container fields in any RGB color, capture the state of a screen into a container, and make thumbnails of large images. $49
Contact: Troi Automatisering, 31 172-426606, http://www.troi.com.
WebXPress is a set of QuarkXPress Xtensions that support the movement of QuarkXPress documents to the Web. WebXPress XT supports the exportation of QXP elements into their HTML counterparts. WebX Converter can be used as a standalone tool for batch processing Quark documents into HTML, with automatic conversion of images to GIF or JPEG. WebX Imap is a standalone application that supports the easy generation of image maps. $189
Contact: Gluon, Inc., 443 Greenwich St., 4A, New York, NY 10013, 888-GLUONXT, 212 343-1755, http://www.gluon.com, fax: 212-343-1758.
Image Collection Reviews
Portfolio Web Edition 4.0 (MAC/WIN)
Portfolio Web Edition 4.0 is an extension of the Portfolio digital asset management system that supports the sharing of Portfolio media catalogs on the Web, without the need for AppleScript or Visual Basic scripting. The program simplifies the local or worldwide distribution of digital assets for work group members, customers, or clients. A shopping cart can be used to maintain control over image selection and downloading.
Portfolio is acknowledged as one of the most flexible digital asset management programs available, providing an unlimited number of custom fields. Over thirty file translators are included to support the viewing of virtually any file type.
In addition to sharing assets, the program can be used to automate Web catalog publishing, with live Web links embedded within Portfolio. Conversely, the user can script Portfolio to integrate with QuarkXPress to automatically pull graphics and text from a catalog and insert them on pages in a layout template. Web pages of Portfolio galleries can also be generated directly from the program to create an on-line collection of images. $399.95
Contact: Extensis Corp., 1800 S.W. First Ave., Suite 500, Portland, OR 97201, 800 796-9798, 503 274-2020, http://www.extensis.com, fax: 503 274-0530.
CD-ROM Reviews
HTML 4 (MAC/WIN)
HTML 4 is an interactive cross-platform CD-ROM consisting of an entire, comprehensive course on all aspects of the HyperText Mark-up Language. The author, Mark Fletcher, an expert Web page designer, has put together 11 hours of instruction, accessible either in course order, or randomly. It is an excellent off-the-shelf reference.
Major sections include: How the Web Works; What is HTML?; Creating the first page; Text Controls; Links; Graphics and Color; Tables; Lists; Forms; Frames; Image Maps; Style Sheets; Dynamic HTML; Netscape Layers; Plug-ins; Java; ActiveX and Objects; Web Site Design; Getting your site online; Search Engines and Indexing your pages; Directory Listings; Advanced Topics (Introduction to XML, XML in action, and more). $99.95
Contact: VTC, 2328E Walsh Ave., Santa Clara, CA 95051, 408 492-1051, 888-TRAIN-CD, http://www.vtco.com, email: mark@vtco.com.
MetaCreations Painter 5 Training (MAC/WIN)
MetaCreations Painter 5 Training is a 13.5 hour interactive, cross-platform training package covering all aspects of this program. The package is so inclusive, that it constitutes the first double-CD training package from VTC.
Like all VTC titles, this one consists of dozens of narrated QuickTime movies, showing and telling how to accomplish the full range of operations associated with the title program. The author, Andrew J. Hathaway, has put together 13 hours of training, allowing an in-depth treatment of this complex and sophisticated real media paint application.
Major sections include: Intro to Painter, Intro to the Interface, Art Materials,Brushes, Brush Palette Controls, Selections/Masks, Shapes, Floaters, Plug-in Floaters, Cloning, Effects, Plug in Brushes, Productivity Features, Scripts & Animation, and Techniques. $99.95
Contact: VTC, 2328E Walsh Ave., Santa Clara, CA 95051, 408 492-1051, 888-TRAIN-CD, http://www.vtco.com, email: mark@vtco.com.
New VTC Training Titles (MAC/WIN)
Other new VTC Training Titles include the following:
MetaCreations Poser 3 Training CD contains 4 hours of interactive instruction by Matt Neutra covering the intracies of this unique 3D figure animation and reference tool. $99.95
Adobe After Effects 3.1 Training CD features 5 hours of training by Yan Cowles. Major topics include: Concepts & Quickstart, Anatomy of After Effects, Projects, Compositions, Keyframes, Masks & Transparency, Effects, Effects In Action, Modeling Techniques, Complex Compositions, and Rendering. $99.95
Adobe Photoshop 5 Training CD has 10 hours of interactive training material presented by Rita Amladi. The content covers digital image enhancement, photo retouching, and image compositing. $99.95
Macromedia Flash 3.0 Training CD has 4 hours of instruction by Yan Cowles. Topics include:Basic Concepts, Basic Functions, Drawing Toolbox, Originating Shapes, Bitmaps, Functionality, Animating your Elements, Symbols, Scenes, Adding Interactivity, Using Sound, Web Export, Aftershock, Alternate Export, and Examples. $99.95
Contact: VTC, 2328E Walsh Ave., Santa Clara, CA 95051, 408 492-1051, 888-TRAIN-CD, http://www.vtco.com, email: mark@vtco.com.
Icones Historiarum Veteris Testamenti (ALL)
Icones Historiarum Veteris Testamenti (Images from the Old Testament) is a complete digital replicate of the 1547 book by Hans Holbein. Holbein created the woodblock prints, and is also known for his large body of work consisting of ornamental borders, printers' devices, and initials.
This Octavo edition, consists of the entire contents of the original, reproduced in high resolution and color. The user can examine every inch of the volume, down to the grain of the paper, and the imperfections of the type. This is one of the best uses of Adobe PDF technology, ironically for the preservation of the very earliest forms of printing.
Several screen resolutions are provided, with zoom levels up to 800%. There is searchable live (selectable) text in French and Latin, with a full English translation. It is interesting both for what it is, and the technology used to make it available. $30
Contact: Octavo Corporation, 580 Second St., Oakland, CA 94607-3543, 800 754-1596, 510 251-3880, http://www.octavo.com, e-mail: info@octavo.com, fax: 510 251-2153
Internet Reviews
VSE Be Found (MAC)
VSE Be Found is a utility program for maximizing the hit rate of a user's Web pages on popular search engines. The program does several things. First, it generates the META tag code for page descriptions and keywords. The keyword code can be generated automatically, or the user can input the keywords him or herself. The code is inserted automatically into the pages being processed. META tag information is the data that search engine spiders and bots search for, and use in part within their databases. Second, the program simplifies the submission of Web pages to all of the popular search engines. It assists in that process by analyzing the META tag data created by the user, and evaluating its suitability for the varying requirements of the largest search engines. $19.95
Contact: Voget Selbach Entertainment, Reuterweg 71, D-53332 Bornheim, Germany, http://vse-online.com.
MacTicker is a repositionable scrolling desktop stock market ticker that works in the background to provide up-to-date information on stock portfolios, mutual funds and major indexes from leading online financial sites.
The user can customize MacTicker to provide alerts if a particular stock has gone up or down a specified amount. The interface can be changed to show whatever information is of interest, in the size, location, colors, and scrolling direction that the user prefers. Any number of mutual funds, indexes and individual stocks can be tracked. The program, originally developed by Galleon Software (http://www.galleon.com), can be used to display, print or recompile detailed stock reports with the click of a button.
The user can specify their choice of financial data sources through an active Internet connection. $29.95
Contact: Aladdin Systems, Inc., 165 Westridge Drive, Watsonville, CA 95076, 408/761-6200, 800 480-4011, Internet: cust.service@aladdinsys.com, fax: 408/761-6206, WWW: http://www.aladdinsys.com.
WebFont Maker is a utility that makes it possible to present actual typefaces within HTML documents. Using Bitstream's own TrueDoc technology, WebFont Maker's Wizard converts user-selected fonts into browser-readable Bitstream PFR (portable font resource) files. The PFRs are stored along with the associated HTML documents on a user's server.
The necessary HTML code is produced automatically, and the user simply cuts and pastes it into the HTML document. WebFont PFR files work natively with Netscape Communicator, and appear correctly in MS Internet Explorer for Windows with a freely downloadable ActiveX plug-in.
The WebFont Maker package includes over 200 TrueType fonts and the Bitstream Font Navigator, a feature-rich Windows font management utility. $198.95
Contact: Bitstream Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, 800 522-3668, 617 497-6222, http://www.bitstream.com, http://www.truedoc.com, e-mail: info@bitstream.com, fax: 617 868-0786.
eMail inChorus is a form of Multi-Media E-mail. E-mail can be used for many purposes, many of which have a value-added component. E-mail is a very effective vehicle for the delivery of time-sensitive information, and may, in fact, be the fastest and most efficient way to deliver content-rich information. In recognition of this reality, there are e-mail products that integrate the digital publishing process directly into the e-mail function. The e-mail becomes the wrapper or envelope, the digital publishing product is the content.
The ""wrapper"" for eMail inChorus looks like a standard e-mail form, with the prerequisite header information and message fields. It serves as an introduction to the actual message contents, which are viewable with a free proprietary player available for Macintosh and Windows 95/NT. The player is attached to the first inChorus message that is sent to an individual, or can be downloaded from the inChorus Web site.
The Main eMail inChorus window has two check boxes, one for voice and one for graphics. Checking these boxes and selecting the ""Record Message”"" button results in the display of the inChorus Template window. The program includes dozens of professionally-designed templates grouped in five categories: notes, seasonal, everyday, layout and business. The selection of a template results in the display of that template in the inChorus Whiteboard window. The Whiteboard has voice recording controls along the bottom left, and drawing and layout tools along the right. The layout tools function in a manner similar to a presentation application, like Microsoft PowerPoint, and support the importation of graphics.
Multiple pages can be composed, made up of type, graphic primitives, live URL links, animations, and placed graphics. After the pages have been created, the user can add a running narration; drawing on the screen, adding arrows, highlighting text, and changing pages just as if giving the presentation to a live audience. The screens, the annotations, and the narration are all saved in a single compressed file that becomes part of the message. A one minute presentation, at a resolution of 500 x 400, that would require a 6MB QuickTime or AVI file, requires only 200KB. $49.95
Contact: Softlink, Inc., 2041 Mission College Blvd., Suite 259, Santa Clara, CA 95054, 408 496-6668, http://www.inChorus.com, e-mail: info@inChorus.com, fax: 408 496-6110.
Timbuktu Pro Mac Version 5.0 (MAC)
Timbuktu Pro Mac Version 5.0 is the latest incarnation of this powerful, dependable, and ultimately useful remote control application. Timbuktu makes it possible to remotely control either a Macintosh or Windows computer, transfer files, and communicate with another user.
New to this version, which is up to 200% faster, is Timbuktu Conference wherein a user can invite multiple Timbuktu users (using the same version, or Windows users using NetMeeting), to control their machine, observe a demonstration, or take advantage of another Timbuktu service.
Timbuktu works over dial-up lines and through an IP connection over the Internet.
A new program bundled with Timbuktu 5.0 is Timbuktu HouseCall (2 licence version). HouseCall lets the designated system administrator (the doctor), control any remote "patient," on an "as needed" basis. The patient versions must be purchased, the doctor version is free. The doctor can access the patient from anywhere, over a land-line or Internet connection. The doctor must request permission to connect; thereafter, he or she can perform any function, view and control the computer, exchange files, chat or use the intercom. Netopia maintains an on-line directory that matches a patient's e-mail address to their IP address, especially useful for users who have dynamically assigned addresses that change each time that they sign on. $99.95
Contact: Farallon Communications, Inc., 3089 Teagarden St., San Leandro, CA 94577, 510 346-8000, http://www.farallon.com, e-mail: info@farallon.com, fax: 510 346-8115.
IPNetRouter is a utility program that makes it possible to share a single Internet connection with all users on a LAN. It supports Internet connections of all kinds, including dial-up, ADSL and cable modem. $89
Contact: Sustainable Softworks, Inc, 134 Winthrop Street, Medway, MA 02053-2336, http://www.sustworks.com.
OT Advanced Tuner is a utility that supports the adjustment of TCP/IP network performance under Macintosh Open Transport. It supports adjustment of over 30 parameters, including Time Out Intervals, Maximum Segment Size, and TCP Window Size. $25
Contact: Sustainable Softworks, Inc, 134 Winthrop Street, Medway, MA 02053-2336, http://www.sustworks.com.
IPNetMonitor consists of a set of ten Internet tools which all deal with the process of monitoring an Internet connection. They are invaluable for evalating the quality of a connection, and for locating and alleviating problems. The tools include Ping, Trace Route, Name Server Lookup, Who Is, Finger, Monitor, TCP Info, Connection List, Address Scan, and Subnet Calculator. $20
Contact: Sustainable Softworks, Inc, 134 Winthrop Street, Medway, MA 02053-2336, http://www.sustworks.com.
Utility Reviews
MyDeluxeMailList (WIN )
MyDeluxeMailList is a utility to for bulk mailing that simplifies the input, management, and output of mailing lists in over 200 different formats for labels, envelopes, post cards, reports, and more. The program produces addresses in the exact format that the Post Office requires in order to qualify for bulk mail discounts. It also generates the mail tray or sack labels, and produces all of the forms required by the US Postal Service.
Addresses can be entered directly in the program, or imported from practically any database. Missing or incomplete Zip codes can be added the the Zip Look Up feature. Other program capabilities include exporting for mail merge, purging of duplicate names, printing of POSTNET Barcodes, and 1800 clipart and photo images. $49.95
Contact: MySoftware Company, 2197 East Bayshore Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94303, 800 325-3508, 650 473-3621, http://www.mysoftware.com, fax: 650 325-0873.
Spring Cleaning 3.0 is a multi-feature utility that combines twelve functions that can be used to clean a user's hard drive by removing unneeded files, folders, applications and fonts. Among the new features in this version are the capability to restore items, check for damaged files, and search for invisible files. In addition, the program has a new interface and works faster.
Also included with the program is the Aladdin Desktop Magician, a desktop management utility that helps to organize and arrange items on a user's desktop.
The heart of the program has always been the MacUninstaller, which not only removes a particular unwanted application, but also all of the files associated with it. Other features which help to keep a user's hard drives clean and efficient are: the Duplicate Remover, which finds and lists all duplicate fonts and files; the Fat App Slimmer, which searches for fat binary programs and reduces their size; the Orphaned Preferences Remover, which cleans out unneeded preferences files; the Alias Fixer, which repairs invalid aliases; the Empty Folder Remover, which eliminates empty folders; and more. $49.95
Contact: Aladdin Systems, Inc., 165 Westridge Drive, Watsonville, CA 95076, 408/761-6200, 800 480-4011, Internet: cust.service@aladdinsys.com, fax: 408/761-6206, WWW: http://www.aladdinsys.com.
Gemulator is a family of program offerings that support the emulation of a Macintosh computer on a Windows computer. The programs require either a set of Macintosh ROMs, that fit into an accessory PC board, or a ROM image. Users can run Mac OS 8 from within a window on the screen, and read Mac media directly.
Apple Macintosh ROMs can be purchased mail-order from Pre-Owned Electronics at 1-800-274-5343, Que Computers at 612-623-0904, or MediaGuide at 1-800-463-0686.
Interested parties can order a free Gemulator CD-ROM, or download a demo directly at http://www.emulators.com/dem o/index.htm.
Contact: Emulators Inc., 14150 NE 20th Street, Suite 302, Bellevue, WA 98007, 206-236-0540, http://www.emulators.com, e-mail: info@emulators.com, fax: 206-236-0257.
Documents To Go is a utility that supports the transfer of desktop documents, from popular programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel, to the Palm organizer. Documents are transferred by dragging them into the Documents To Go window on the desktop PC or Mac. The files are automatically converted and optimized for viewing on the Palm device. Subsequent connections automatically synchronize documents that reside on both the desktop and PDA device. $39.95
Contact: Dataviz, 55 Corporate Dr., Trumbull, CT 06611, 203 268-0030, 800 733-0030, http://www.dataviz.com, e-mail: info@dataviz.com, fax: 203 268-4345.
Multimedia Reviews
My TypeArtist (MAC/WIN)
My TypeArtist is a graphics utility that converts words and phrases into self-contained files (BMP (Windows), PICT (Mac), PNG, TIFF, JPEG and GIF) that can be imported into a wide variety of desktop publishing, Web page editing, and graphics-based programs.
The program provides 1000 typestyle designs arranged by style and theme. The user simply selects one, types their text, changes the size, spacing and background, and saves the file. $19.95
Contact: MySoftware Company, 2197 East Bayshore Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94303, 650 473-3621, http://www.mysoftware.com, fax: 650 325-0873.
HiJaak 5.0 is among the most capable programs for converting, capturing, and organizing graphic files. It supports over 115 filters for processing files from virtually any source, and converting them into a format compatible with virtually any need.
The program's Web capabilities have been extended to include HTML parsing, for the automatic stripping of images from any Web page, or an entire site. The program's capture capabilities have been extended beyond screen image capture to include the capture of entire Web sites, for off-line browsing.
Other useful features include: support for CAD and 3D file formats; easily executed batch operations; raster-to-vector conversion; viewing of any 2D or 3D file; support for animation files, such as animated GIF; support for native digital camera files, such as FlashPix; and digital asset management. $149.95
Contact: IMSI, 1895 Francisco Blvd. East, San Rafael, CA 94901-5506, 415 257-3000, http://www.imsisoft.com, fax: 415 257-3565.
Electrifier Pro for Macintosh simplifies the assembly of Rich Media components by supporting drag-and-drop authoring onto the Layout view of the Movie window. The Movie window contains three views: Layout, Preview and Structure. A component that has been placed on stage is called an ""actor;"" and each actor can have a number of assigned Actions and Effects, each of which is attached by dragging the attribute directly onto the actor. The relationships between various actors, and their assigned Actions and Effects, can be seen in the Structure view. Here the components are arranged in reference to a timeline. The timeline makes it possible to control when an actor appears on the stage, and for how long, with precision to 1/1000 of a second. At any point in the development of a project, the user can see his or her progress in the Preview view. Very complicated presentations can be assembled without the need for any coding or scripting. Completed presentations are saved as either QuickTime movies or animated GIFs. Electrifier Pro's animation is considerably more compact than comparable animated GIFs.
Electrifier Pro supports the importation of over 30 file formats covering virtually every major graphic (both bitmap and vector), audio, and video format that a user is likely to have. This essentially means that a user can take advantage of virtually all of the content that they have already produced, and repurpose it for the Web.
Sound, from almost any source, including MP3, MIDI, and audio CDs, can be mixed, with fade in or out, varying balance level, and switching between tracks. Sound can be compressed using QDesign 2.0 or Qualcomm PureVoice compression.
Other features include: 150 special effects TV-style transitions; no bandwidth media effects such as clouds, fire, and interactive ripples; low-bandwidth video supporting side-by-side video clips; smooth anti-aliased vector animation; video animation with no file size overhead; and automatic rebuilding of files in response to changes in original versions of content. The program is bundled with a full version of Apple's QuickTime Pro 4.0.
The output from Electrifier Pro is compatible with Netscape Navigator and MS Internet Explorer. The same files can be used on intranets and CD-ROMs without reauthoring. $395
Contact: Electrifier, Inc., 207 S. Elliot Road, Suite 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, 800 933-7303, 919 968-0701, http://www.electrifier.com, e-mail: info@electrifier.com, fax: 919 968-0801.
SoundJam.MP is an MP3-based digital audio system for the Macintosh. Users can convert audio CDs into MP3, or convert between MP3, CDs, AIFF, WAV, QuickTime, and other formats. Existing personal music collections can be converted, compressed, and organized in a digital collection, searchable by artist, track, song, and music style.
The program includes a 10 band graphic equalizer for the controlled playback of MP3 music. The package includes a 6 foot cable to connect a Macintosh to an external stereo sound source, and a collection of over 100 MP3 songs. $49.95 for the physical package, $39.95 for the downloaded version.
Contact: Casady & Greene, 22734 Portola Dr., Salinas, CA 93908-1119, 831 484-9228, 800 359-4920, http://www.casadyg.com, Internet: c&g@casadyg.com, fax: 831 484-9218.
e-Picture is a Web animation program, honored as Best of Show at Macworld Expo in July 1999. The program simplifies the creation of Web animation with simple point and click operation. It is the only program of its kind that supports the importation and manipulation of 3D models.
Basic to the program is its integration of vector graphics and bitmaps, providing animations with the editable properties of vectors, and the photographic properties of bitmaps. The program features a full Toolbox Panel, so that users do not need to leave the application to create or edit graphic elements.
All editing takes place on a single layer, making it easy to make movement changes. An animation can be made from just two original frames. By noting the initial and final positions, the program an automatically generate the necessary number of intermediate frames to create the necessary movement. This "tweening" allows designers to focus on creative input rather than the technical aspects of animation. The program uses the live updating capabilities of the Be operating system to enable designers to create an image and simultaneously view it in various color depths.
Animation frames are generated by recording the position and properties of an object over time. Motion is created when the user changes one or more of an object's properties. Once created, the user has the ability to play the animation right from within the document window, without exporting. Edits can be made directly in the playback window. There is only one instance of any object per animation, so that adding, deleting or editing an object need only be one once, and will be carried through all frames of the animation.
Other features include: draw or fill any object with textures, patterns or gradients; appliation of filters and special effects to any object; editing of any object at any time; minimization of file size while maintaining image quality; unlimited undo; and more.
e-Picture can also generate JavaScript automatically, to create interactive Web buttons. Files can be exported as Animated GIF, GIF, JPEG, PNG, BMP, Targa, or JavaScript. Examples of animations are available for viewing at http://www.b eatware.com/products/epicture/examples.html. $199
Contact: BeatWare, 1779 Woodside Road, Suite 200, Redwood City, CA 94061, 650 556-7906, http://www.beatware.com, fax: 650 556-7902.
Canoma is an amazing program that defies description. People who see it are fascinated by its capabilities...and impressed with its potential applications.
What the program does is let the user take a two-dimensional scanned image, or digital photograph, and build it into a photorealistic 3D model, using powerful, but easy-to-use tools. In simple terms, the user builds a wireframe geometry directly over portions of the original image, and then applies the underlying image's texture. The result is a 3D model that can be output in several formats, including MetaCreation's MetaStream format, and VRML2 for the Web. Canoma files can also be used with MetaCreation's Ray Dream Studio, Poser, Bryce-4, and 3D Studio Max, exporting both the textures and geometry. Files can be output in two-dimensional format, 3D, and animation formats. $469
Contact: MetaCreations, Inc., 6303 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, CA 93013, 805 566-6200, http://www.metacreations.com, e-mail: metasales@aol.com, fax: 805 566-6385.
Stagecast Creator is a customizable simulation toolkit that enables users to create interactive stories, puzzles, games and simulation models, all of which are know as "worlds." A world can be published on the Web with a single keystroke.
The program has a user-friendly graphical interface, requiring little or no training. The software was developed by Larry Tesler, former vice president and chief scientist at Apple Computer. $59.95
Contact: Stagecast Software, Inc., 580 College Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94306, 877-STAGECAST, 650 354-0735, http://www.stagecast.com, e-mail: info@stagecast.com, fax: 650 354-0739.
QTVR Software, covering virtually every application of QuickTime Virtual Reality imaging, is available for Macintosh and PC users from VR Toolbox.
VR ObjectWrox is used to produce object movies, wherein the viewer can control the movement and rotation of a single object, viewing it from all sides. $149.99
VR PanoWorx is used to produce panoramic movies in 360-degrees, so that the viewer can turn in all directions and see a vista from all angles. $149.99
VR SceneWorx is a multi-mode scene designer that can be used to generate photorealistic, interactive, virtual environments. $89.99
Contact: VR Toolbox, Inc., POB 111419, Pittsburgh, PA 15238, 877 878-6657, http://www.vrtoolbox.com.
OCR Reviews
Pagis Pro 3.0 Scanning Suite (WIN )
Pagis Pro 3.0 Scanning Suite is a collection of five integrated programs aimed at sharing and managing information using the PC and the Internet. The programs include TextBridge Pro 9.0, a powerful OCR application that maintains the layout and formatting of the original document; Adobe PhotoDeluxe Business Edition, providing an easy way to customize photos and add them to sales and marketing materials; Pagis, a utility that converts Windows Explorer into a visual filing system, by creating visual thumbnails for scanned documents, photos, application files and Web pages; Pagis Copier, which converts a scanner and color printer into a color copier; and Pagis Forms Fill-In, which lets users fill in forms that they have scanned in.
New features include: fast searching inside scanned and electronic documents; Web page capture with the creation of visual bookmarks; visual thumbnails for application files (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) in addition to scanned documents and photos; an electronic document viewer that lets users view files independent of the original application; self-extracting e-mail Mini Viewer to send scanned documents and photos to others; and more. $119
Contact: Xerox ScanSoft, Inc., 9 Centennial Dr., Peabody, MA 01960, 978 977-2000, http://www.pagis.com.
Networking Reviews
HomeLINE (MAC/WIN)
HomeLINE: Networking for the SOHO Market. The first popular solution for networking personal computers was incorporated in the original Apple Macintosh design in 1984. The LocalTalk protocol, working through one of the computer's serial ports, supports data connections at 230,400 bps. Initially the prime motivation for networking Macintoshes was to support connection to an Apple LaserWriter, a very expensive laser printer costing considerably more than an individual workstation. By sharing the printer, its cost could be divided among all of the network clients. Other benefits to networking quickly became obvious.
It was not until the fall of 1998 that a simple plug-and-play solution for connecting PCs and Macintoshes was released by the Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HomePNA).* The HomePNA is a non-profit association formed by 11 founding companies, including 3Com, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Compaq, Intel, Lucent, Tut Systems, Conextant, AT&T Wireless Services, AMD, and Epigram, and now consisting of over 100 companies. The HomePNA specification for home phoneline networking at 1Mb/S (Megabits per Second), is based on technology developed by Tut Systems using Intel's HPNA chipset. It was developed to support the sharing of peripherals and a single Internet connection over existing telephone wiring, without causing the interruption of standard telephone service. Up to 25 personal computers, peripherals and network devices can be supported on a single home network by using frequency division multiplexing. According to an Alliance spokesperson:
"The Alliance is committed to the concept of 'no new wires'
networking technologies
that are simple to install. The Alliance's specifications will be
used to create
an Ethernet-compatible LAN over the complex, random-tree wiring
found in nearly
all homes. It does not require any hubs, routers, splitters,
filters or terminations.
Initial products will include both stand-alone adapters for use
with any device
having a 10Base-T interface, and PC network interface cards (NICs) for direct
connection of PCs to the in-home telephone jack."
(*http://www.homePNA.org,
c/o Interprise Ventures, 925 277-8110, fax: 925 277-8111. "The Home Phoneline
Networking Alliance is an association of industry-leading companies working
together to ensure adoption of a single, unified phoneline
networking standard
and rapidly bring to market a range of interoperable home
networking solutions."
)
The HomePNA networking solution addresses needs that have developed as a result of several factors, including:
* The growth in the number of home offices and work-at-home professionals.
* The growth in the number of multi-PC homes. According to Forrester Research, 60% of new consumer PC purchases are made by families that already have at least one computer.
* The contention for a single Internet connection.
* The need to share printers, faxes, scanners, and other peripherals among two or more computers.
* The popularity of two-player, or multi-player games that can be played over a network.
The initial HomePNA specification has been extensively tested, and is expected to work successfully in over 99% of U.S. homes. It supports the sharing of cable modems, ISDN, xDSL and satellite Internet connections, one of the strongest drivers of in-home networks. The data rate of 1 Mb/S has been found to be more than adequate for the communication of files composed mainly of text and graphics. A second-generation implementation, running at 10 Mb/S, has been developed by Epigram, and supports higher bandwidth uses, such as voice, video and high volume data applications.
Farallon HomeLINE. The first HomePNA networking solution to support both Macintosh and PCs on the same network was introduced by Farallon in May of 1999. The HomeLINE networking solution makes it possible to connect Macintoshes to PCs, Macintoshes to Macintoshes, or PCs to PCs, through the installation of HomeLINE PCI cards in the computers, and the installation of bundled software.
Farallon has extensive experience in the area of networking, having introduced the PhoneNet system for Macintosh. PhoneNet makes it possible to connect Macintoshes using ordinary telephone wire and inexpensive connectors. Macintoshes in the same room can be connected by daisy-chaining them together. Macintoshes that are not in the same room can be connected though a phone jack, using a pair of unused telephone wires. There are likely to be a set of unused wires in most telephone jacks, since standard telephone cable contains four wires, colored red, green, yellow and black. The telephone line is connected using the red and green pair. The remaining yellow and black pair is used for the PhoneNET network. PhoneNET works fine, but it is limited to the speed of LocalTalk.
Each HomeLINE card includes two telephone jacks, one used to connect to the telephone wall jack, and one serving as a replacement for the wall jack, supporting the connection of a phone, fax, modem, or other telephony device. There is no need to be concerned about the telephone wiring, or the availability of an unused pair of wires. HomeLINE is plug-and-play.
The HomeLINE system, not only provides the hardware, which is the Intel AnyPoint Home Network PC Technology card, but also a variety of software that helps the user to realize the advantages of networking. The software includes:
* Software to share a single Internet connection. This is HomeLINE Internet sharing software for Windows, and VicomSoft SurfDoubler 6.0 for Macintosh.
* Software for printer sharing, file transferring, and multi-player gaming. This includes Miramar PC MacLAN (free trial version) for cross-platform printer and file sharing; Netopia Timbuktu Mac and PC (free trial versions) for cross-platform collaboration; and Netopia Virtual Office personal web site software for Macintosh and PC.
HomeLINE is available in two different packages: a Starter Kit, containing two PCI cards, software, cables, and documentation, for $139; and a Single Pack, with one PCI card, software, cable, and documentation, for $79.
Contact: Farallon Communications, Inc., 3089 Teagarden St., San Leandro, CA 94577, 510 346-8000, http://www.farallon.com, e-mail: info@farallon.com, fax: 510 346-8115.
Digital Imaging Reviews
SilverFast (MAC)
SilverFast is an award-winning Photoshop plug-in that optimizes the scanning and color reproduction process. It can be used in place of the control software that is bundled with flat-bed, drum, and film scanners.
Why pay for software that replaces free scanner control software? Because it is better. SilverFast provides more control, and incorporates more intelligence, producing better results. Features include: an on-screen densitometer; scanning directly into RGB, CMYK, or CIE-LAB; optimized color separation tables; on-screen preview; ScanPilot step-by-step scanning; unlimited undo; novice and expert interfaces; automatic image enhancement; before/after preview of unsharp-masking; integrated calibration of standard IT8 target; and more.
Versions of SilverFast are available for most popular scanners from Agfa, Apple, Canon, Crosfield, Epson, Howtek, Imacon, Linotype, Microtek, Nikon, PFU, Praktica, Quato, Sharp, and Umax. Prices vary according to model.
Contact: LaserSoft Imaging, Inc., 6529 Gulfside Rd., Longboat Key, FL 34228, 941 383-7496, http://www.LaserSoftInt.com, e-mail: LaserSoft@earthlink.net, fax: 941 387-7574.
Entertainment Reviews
Solitaire Antics Deluxe (MAC/WIN/PALM)
Solitaire Antics Deluxe is a collection of 50 solitaire games with in-depth record-keeping, double deck games, new backgrounds and card deck options. What is particularly unusual about this collection of games is that a single CD-ROM contains versions for Macintosh, Windows, Windows CE, and the Palm OS (21 games for CE and Palm). $29.99
Contact: Masque Publishing, POB 5223, Englewood, CO 80155, 303 290-9853, http://www.masque.com, fax: 303 290-6303.
Alley 19 Bowling was the runner-up for "Best Sports Game of the Year" in a competition sponsored by Inside Mac Games. It features realistic graphics and action, along with full network play by up to four bowlers. $29.99
Contact: Masque Publishing, POB 5223, Englewood, CO 80155, 303 290-9853, http://www.masque.com, fax: 303 290-6303.
Guitar instruction is a field that has never been able to find its medium (except for a personal instructor, which is expensive). Guitar books can never convey how something is supposed to sound and instructional cassettes and videos are generally too hard to navigate. eMedia has taken a stab at combining the best of both worlds with their "Guitar Method" CD-ROM. Like a book, it will show you how to read tablature, where to put your fingers, and how to hold a pick. Like a tape, it will give you some music to play along with. The combination works relatively well although the experience is very book-like. Navigation through the program is almost exclusively linear, like turning the pages of an instruction book. Still, there is a wealth of music to play along to and a remarkably large number of techniques are covered. This disc is definitely for beginners and avoids advanced technique. For someone who has never picked up a guitar before, skip the books and tapes and try out eMedia's "Guitar Method".
More advanced guitar players might enjoy eMedia's collections of guitar songs, featuring everything from The Who to Willie Nelson. The song volumes feature an excellent combination of visual representations of how to play each song along with the audio. Some of the vocals are a little lacking (they are not the original artists) but if you're a guitar hobbyist and want to learn some of your favorites, these discs are exactly what you need.
Reviewed by Scott J. Kleper
Contact: eMedia Corporation, 2403 East Aloha St. Seattle, WA 98112. (206) 329-5657, http://www.emedia.org.
Miscellaneous News and Reviews
Starry Night Pro (MAC/WIN)
Starry Night Pro provides a unique view of the universe. For the first time, a computer user can fly through space, quickly and smoothly, viewing the sky from up to 20,000 light years away. The program incorporates a unique 3D implementation of the Hipparcos/Tycho star database providing the most realistic and visually stunning astronomy program in its class.
Astronomy enthusiasts will delight in the powerful capabilities of the program, which include: selection of any planet, moon or comet; detailed information about any object; generation of QuickTime movies; journey into the past or future; realistic 3D horizons, with shadow cast trees; magnification levels up to 600,000 times; a database of over 19 million celestial objects; print personal star charts; and much more. $149
Contact: Sienna Software, Inc., 411 Richmond St. East, Suite 303, Toronto, ON, Canada M5A 3S5, 416 410-0259, 800 252-5417, http://www.siennasoft.com, e-mail: contact@siennasoft.com, fax: 416 410-0359.
Book Reviews
DHTML for the World Wide Web Visual QuickStart Guide
Teague, Jason Cranford
The fastest and most enjoyable way to learn the basics of Dynamic
HTML. The introduction explains the purpose and background of DHTML.
Chapters include CSS Basics, CSS Fonts, CSS Text Control, Using the
List Style Properties, Using the Color and Background Properties, CSS
Margins and Borders, CSSPositioning, The Document Object Model,
JavaScript, and more. The book also includes a section of on-line
resources. Like all QuickStart Guides, this book includes a high
density of graphics. A companion Web site is maintained at http://www.peachpit.com/vqs/DHTML<
/a>.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201353415/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-35341-5 248 pp. $17.95
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Henderson, Chuck
An in-depth and comprehensive directory of virtually every Macromedia
Xtra. Every listing includes complete descriptions of each Xtra with
its purpose, cost, application support, platforms, distributor,
command summary, and more. The accompanying cross-platform CD-ROM
includes over 100 demos plus trial versions of several Macromedia
products.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=020168893X/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-68893-X 1257 pp. $49.99
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Langer, Maria
An easy-to-follow guide to the features of Macintosh OS 8.5. Major
chapters include: Setting Up Mac OS 8.5, Finder Basics, File
Management, Advanced Finder Techniques, Applications, Apple Menu
Items, Utilities, Working with PC Files, Printing, Networking and
Telecommunications, Connecting to the Internet, Customization, and
more. Explanations are brief and concise and are accompanied by a
profusion of illustrations. The book can be used both as a general
introduction and a handy reference.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201353571/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-35357-1 308 pp. $17.95
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Weinmann, Elaine; Peter Lourekas
The shortest route to learning, or finding, how-to information about
Adobe Photoshop 5.0. This Visual QuickStart contains a full overview
of all major Photoshop capabilities. Each and every major tool, menu
item, and dialog box, is covered. Clear step-by-step instructions are
provided for accomplishing many essential operations.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201353520/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-35352-0 350 pp. $19.95
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Vander Veer, Emily A.
A guide for first-time JavaScript users that shows how to utilize
predefined JavaScript components. Users can create dynamic Web pages
and Web-based applications. The accompanying Windows CD-ROM includes
Java interactive development environments from ModelWorks, Penumbra,
and TEK-TOOLS Software.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0764502867/7550-9049184-399541.
0-7645-0286-7 378 pp. $29.99
Contact: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 155 Bovet Road, Suite 610, San
Mateo, CA 94402, 800 762-2974, http://www.idgbooks.com.
Schwartz, Steven A.
A complete illustrated guide to FileMaker Pro 4.0 with an emphasis on
database publishing on the Web. Every tool and capability is covered
in clear text, and supported with profuse illustrations. The
accompanying cross-platform CD-ROM includes a variety of useful
information, layout buttons, utilities, shareware, and demos.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=x0764531646/7550-9049184-399
541.
0-7645-3164-6 718 pp. $39.99
Contact: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 155 Bovet Road, Suite 610, San
Mateo, CA 94402, 800 762-2974, http://www.idgbooks.com.
Snell, Ned
A book designed to bring the new Macintosh or Windows user up to
speed on Web page development through the use of 24 one-hour lessons.
The lessons do not require learning HTML, and include explanations on
the use of pictures, color, backgrounds, formatted text, links,
imagemaps, sound, video and animation. The accompanying
cross-platform CD-ROM includes copies of Netscape Communicator, Web
graphics, and multimedia editing tools.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0672313464/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-672-31346-4 428 pp. $24.99
Contact: Sams, 201 West 103rd St., Indianapolis, IN 46290.
Goodman, Danny
A comprehensive source for virtually everything related to Dynamic
HTML. The author provides complete information for the creation of
functional cross-platform Web applications, including: reference
material for all HTML tags, CSS style attributes, browser document
objects, and JavaScript objects.
Due to differences in browser support, the book clearly indicates
specific support for every entity. A sample chapter from the book is
available free on the Web at http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/dhtmlref/sample_chpt/dhtml_sample.htm
l.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1565924940/7550-9049184-39954
1.
1-56592-494-0 1096 pp. $39.95
Contact: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 103 Morris St., Suite A,
Sebastopol, CA 95472, 800 998-9938, 707 829-0515, http://www.oreilly.com, e-mail:
info@oreilly.com, fax: 707 829-0104.
Hester, Nolan
An indispensable guide to the use of Equilibrium DeBabilizer, among
the most powerful graphic utilities available. Chapters include:
DeBabilizer Basics, handling Image Files, Handling Animation and
Video, Selecting and Sizing Images, Editing Images, Palette Basics,
Modifying Palettes, Using SuperPalettes, Manipulating Colors,
Batching Basics, Batching Actions, Scripting Basics, and Special
Scripting Actions. The book is supported with a companion Web site at
http://www.peachpit.com/vqs/debab<
/a> that has updates, tips, and more.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201353865/7550-9049184-399541. <
P>
0-201-35386-5 319 pp. $18.99
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Glossgrenner, Alfred and Emily
An interesting guide to maximizing the effectiveness of Web
searching. The authors cover every aspect of search engine design,
with specific details about AltaVista, Excite, HotBot, InfoSeek,
Lycos, Yahoo, and more. A pull-out cover includes addresses for all
major search engines as well as a list of specialized search engines.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201353857/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-35385-7 274 pp. $17.99
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
St. Laurent, Simon
A concise guide to learning the features of XML, the expected
successor to HTML. Major topics include: XML Building Structures,
Document Type Definitions, Re-creating Web and Paper Documents with
XML, XML for Commerce, XML for Document Management, XML for
Data-Driven Applications, and more. The book features a glossary, and
a supporting Web site at http://www.mispress.com/xml.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=155828592X/7550-9049184-39954
1.
1-5582-8592-X 348 pp. $24.99
Contact: MIS Press
115 West 18th St.
New York, NY 10011
Fulton, Jennifer
A book covering all aspects of the use of Netscape Navigator 4 and
Communicator. The accompanying Windows CD-ROM includes the Netscape
Communicator and EarthLink Network TotalAccess.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0764531077/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-7645-3107-7 655 pp. $39.99
Contact: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 155 Bovet Road, Suite 610, San
Mateo, CA 94402, 800 762-2974, http://www.idgbooks.com.
Cassel, Paul
A guide to using every aspect of the Windows NT Workstation 4. Major
topics include: Using, Communicating, Networking, and Managing the NT
workstation. Many procedures are supported by step-by-step
instructions.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0789716488/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-7897-1648-8 591 pp. $29.99
Contact: Que Corporation, 11711 North College Ave., Carmel, IN 46032.
Siyan, Karanjit S.
A book containing everything necessary for the successful
implementation of TCP/IP, written by the author of the original
TCP/IP specification. Major topics include: How to troubleshoot the
installation; the use of protocol analyzers; advanced TCP/IP
configuration using the Registry and Perl; configuration and
administration of DCHP clients and servers; managing Microsoft
networks with SNMP, and more.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1562058878/7550-9049184-399541
.
1-56205-887-8 458 pp. $29.99
Contact: New Riders Publishing, P.O. Box 4846-V, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360.
Kitchens, Susan A.
A step-by-step guide to creating and using Quicktime Virtual Reality
movies, both panorama and object varieties. The book is supported
both with an accompanying cross-platform CD-ROM containing QTVR
demos, and a Web site at http://www.auntialias.com/qtvr/.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201696843/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-69684-3 260 pp. $39.95
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Stern, Judith; Robert Lettieri
Another in the series of Visual QuickStart Guides, composed in an
easy-to-follow format, with brief text and a profusion of
illustrations. Major topics include: QuickTime Basics, MoviePlayer
Basics, Playing QuickTime Movies, Interacting with QuickTime VR,
Basic Movie Editing, Working with Tracks, Working with Visual Tracks,
Video and MPEG Tracks, Text Tracks, Sprite and 3D Tracks, Audio
Tracks, Sound and MPEG Audio Tracks, Music Tracks, Delivery Basics,
Movies on Web Pages, and more.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201353490/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-35349-0 247 pp. $17.95
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Patterson, Jeff; Ryan Melcher
A brief, yet comprehensive, book covering the basics of digital
audio, its file formats, and streaming audio technologies. The
authors show how to process and produce audio and apply it in Web
design. The book features a foreword by Todd Rundgren. The
accompanying cross-platform CD-ROM includes sample files and free and
demo software.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201696134/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-69613-4 203 pp. $34.95
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Carlson, Jeff
A helpful guide to the efficient set-up and use of the Palm III
personal digital assistant. The author shows clear step-by-step
instructions for dealing with every aspect of the Palm system,
including the basic operation, the Palm OS, the HotSync process, the
built-in applications, and more.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201353903/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-35390-3 252 pp. $15.99
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Pogue, David
This guide is an indispensable accessory for every PalmPilot user. It
includes hundreds of time-saving tips and tricks, and a valuable
cross-platform CD-ROM containing 900 ready-to-install programs,
illustrated and organized in an interactive, searchable database.
The getting-started tutorial includes tricks for maximizing the use
of the PalmPilot's Graffiti handwriting recognition character set.
Other major topics include the HotSync process for connecting with a
Macintosh or PC, using the PalmPilot for Web browsing,
troubleshooting, upgrading, and accessorizing.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1565924207/7550-9049184-39954
1.
1-56592-420-7 450 pp. $29.95
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Microsoft Press
A collection of over 7600 terms related to computing, and covering
PC, Macintosh and Unix computers and operating systems. The
dictionary includes pronunciation guides, parts of speech, and, of
course, definitions. Quarterly updates are available on an associated
Web site. The entire dictionary contents are available on an
accompanying CD-ROM, which is readable using MS Internet Explorer.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=157231446X/7550-9049184-39954
1.
1-57231-446-X 539 pp. $29.99
Contact: Microsoft Press, POB 3019, Bothell, WA 98041-9910
Pickering, George; Shelley Powers, Ron Johnson
A how-to guide which presents over 110 real-world JavaScript
problems, with step-by-step solutions. The accompanying CD-ROM
contains all of the code mentioned in the book, ready to be dropped
into the user's own programs.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1571690476/7550-9049184-39954
1.
1-57169-047-6 598 pp. $44.99
Contact: Waite Group Press
200 Tamal Plaza
Corte Madera, CA 94925
Smith, Dori
An easy-to-follow guide to the use of the Java language. The author
explains the history of Java, its basic attributes, how to apply it
to Web pages, writing applets, creating an interface, animation, and
much more. The appendix contains extensive listings of Java-related
resources.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201353407/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-35340-7 221 pp. $17.99
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Weinmann, Elaine
A well-organized and intensive overview of the major functions,
capabilities, and features of QuarkXPress 4.x. Contents include:
Basic Operations, Startup, Navigation, Text Input, Text Flow,
Formats, Typography, Multiple Items, Pictures, Pictures and Text,
Lines, Béziers, Style Sheets, Master Pages, Color, Libraries,
Search & Replace, Preferences, and Output.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201696231/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-69623-1 352 pp. $18.95
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Langer, Maria
A book covering all of the ways in which a FileMaker Pro database can
be accessed through the Web. This includes FileMaker's own integrated
Web publishing features, as well as those from third parties, such as
Tango, Lasso and WebFM. The author covers the Claris Dyanmic Markup
Language (CDML), transaction processing, the use of graphics,
automatic table creation from database information, and much more.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201696657/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-69665-7 419 pp. $29.95
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Persidsky, Andre
Presented as a self-teaching course in a book, this volume presents
the complexities of Macromedia Director 7 in an easy-to-understand
progress process. Chapter contents include: Basics, Assembling Casts,
Building a Score, Animating Sprites, Playing and Refining Movies,
Using Paint Tools, Drawing Vector Shapes, Drawing on the Stage,
Managing Color, Adding Digital Video, Adding Text, Adding Sound,
Creating a Projector, Making Web Movies, Using Xtras, Adding
Interactive Behaviors, Scripting Lingo, and more.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201353989/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-35398-9 387 pp. $19.99
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Williams, Robin
A short but useful guide to Macintosh font management. The author
covers the differences in font formats, their on-screen display,
their installation, font organization, and font-related utilities.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0201696401/7550-9049184-39954
1.
0-201-69640-1 188 pp. $16.95
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 Eighth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510
524-2178, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510
524-2221.
Siever, Ellen; Stephen Spainhour, Nathan Patwardhan, et. al.
A complete library on Perl in a single printed book and CD-ROM. The
contents of six best-selling books on Perl are all contained on a
single discProgramming Perl, Learning Perl, Perl in a Nutshell,
Perl Cookbook, Learning Perl on Win32 Systems, and Advanced Perl
Programming. The printed book is actually the Perl in a Nutshell
Desktop Reference.
The indexes from all six volumes are searchable from a single browser
window. There is extensive cross-referencing, enhancing the value of
the separate volumes. The CD form factor reduces the bulk of the
volumes down to a single slim disc.
Available for on-line ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1565924622/7550-9049184-39954
1.
1-56592-462-2 654 pp. $59.95
Contact: O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 103 Morris St., Suite A,
Sebastopol, CA 95472, 800 998-9938, 707 829-0515, http://www.oreilly.com, e-mail:
info@oreilly.com, fax: 707 829-0104.
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Photoshop 5 for Windows & Macintosh Visual QuickStart
Netscape Visual JavaScript for Dummies
Sams Teach Yourself to Create Web Pages in 24 Hours
Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference
DeBabilizer for Windows & Macintosh Visual QuickStart
Search Engines for the World Wide Web Visual QuickStart Guide,
Second Edition
Netscape Navigator 4 and Communicator Bible
Using Windows NT Workstation 4, Second Edition
QuickTime and MoviePlayer Pro 3 for Windows & Macintosh
Microsoft Press Computer Dictionary, Third Edition
Java for the World Wide Web Visual QuickStart Guide
QuarkXPress 4 for Macintosh Visual QuickStart
Database Publishing with FileMaker Pro on the Web
Director 7 for Macintosh & Windows
How to Boss Your Fonts Around, 2nd Edition
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