Ŀ
 Special BBS Edition      TAKE A BYTE NEWSLETTER                      
͵
  June 15, 1993    Issue 36      Volume 3      Bi-Monthly      FREE   



*************
News Bits 
*************
-    Sierra On-Line is trying to push it's new On-Line BBS gaming system. 
     All you need is their own software that will hook up with their
     computer BBS.  This is supposed to be the new wave of BBS'ing since
     it involves VGA type graphics with characters and faces.
  
-    Cyrix and AMD will be trying to combine their resources to make a
     Pentium clone by the end of the year.  They also are working on a
     "triple clock doubled" 486 to run at 120Mhz.  Sure Cyrix, keep
     dreaming.

-    Billy Joel released a new album called "CyberPunks".  This album comes
     packed with a diskette (3HD) that apparently has a "Fanzine" type
     magazine on it.  Billy Joel said he was inspired by some of his
     friends who were " like way deep into computers".  Stick to music
     Billy.

-    The FBI and the Secret Service begin a new task force against BBS's
     with "CyberPolice".  These electronic police will patrol against BBS
     crimes, such as hacking and pornography.
                                                                         
                               
****************************************************
Special Editorial -- The Pentium Microprocessor 
****************************************************
     The Pentium chip will soon be released.  This chip will introduce the
public to the fastest computers yet.  The Pentium chip is rated to be twice
as fast as a 486DX/66mhz.  The Pentium chip itself runs at 66Mhz but the
architecture is far different.  The Pentium uses 3.1 million transistors
compared to the 1.3 million in a 486 chip.  This new processor also has a
new feature that no processor has yet to achieve.  It can execute two
instructions per clock tick.  
     How fast is it really?  Here is a small chart to give you a graphical
representation of the CPU's.

CPU                             Performance.
       ¿
8086                                                                       
8088                                                                      
80286                                                                    
80386SX                                                                 
80386DX                                                               
80486SX                                                          
80486DX  (32 Bit bus)                           
Pentium 
                                           (64 Bit bus)                    
       

     Now for the bad news on the new chip from Intel.  The Pentium will
become *very* hot.  Your 386 CPU gets about 120F, the 486 gets to about
200F, the Pentium will probably reach temperatures over 300F.  Solutions?
Well it is doubtful your ceramic heat sink (a device used to draw heat away
from the CPU) will work this time around.  It is suggested you get a CPU
fan (a miniature fan that clips onto the processor) and a fan card (an
accessory card with two fans inside the card.)  Your PC will have to be a
chilly one to keep up with the Pentium.
     Last, but not least, is the price.  Once the Pentium becomes available
on the open market, the first prices will range from $900 - $1,200 per
Pentium.  A Pentium system, with all the goodies and trimmings (Drives,
cards monitor, etc..), will run in the $3,000 - $4,500 range.
     Be prepared for the Pentium.  It is a very powerful processor and
should be used for upper end commercial use.  Do you need a Pentium?  Let's
see...

  Task             Minimum Processor     Maximum Processor    RAM 
Ŀ
Games                 286/12Mhz             386DX/33Mhz     640k/4MB  
Communications        386SX/16Mhz           486DX/33Mhz      4MB/6MB  
Word Processing       386DX/33Mhz           486DX/33Mhz      4MB/6MB  
Accounting            386SX/16Mhz           486DX/33Mhz      4MB/6MB  
Multimedia            386SX/16Mhz           486DX/50Mhz      4MB/6MB  
Multitasking          386SX/16Mhz           486DX/66Mhz      4MB/12MB 
Network Server        486DX/33Mhz           Pentium         12MB/256MB
Desktop Publishing    486DX/33Mhz           Pentium         16MB/20MB 
Computer Animation    486DX/50Mhz           Pentium         20MB/32MB 
CAD/CAM Work          486DX/50Mhz           Pentium         32MB/64MB 
Virtual Reality       486DX/66Mhz           Pentium         64MB/64MB 

*Note: The minimum processor figure is the processor "recommended" by the
manufactures of the combined software.  The maximum processor is what would
be perfect to get the job done.  The RAM (Random Access Memory) figure is
to give you an idea of what would be the right amount of memory for your
system to compliment your processor.
     As you can see, the Pentium isn't for everybody, but don't let that
stop  you from going out and buying one.  The Pentium will fit in boards
only  designed to the specifications for it.  Most of these boards are the 
486DX/50Mhz and the 486DX/66Mhz boards.  Consult your Users Guide or your
retailer for further information.  Intel is working on installing a second
Pentium chip in the Overdrive socket.  However, when the second Pentium is
installed it will not disable the other Pentium, unlike the 486's Overdrive
chip.


*****************  
My DOS Prompt
*****************  
     I was on the modem yesterday and all of a sudden I was knocked off
line by line noise we all know what that looks like.  Well my modem
software wouldn't dial anymore.  The software sucked anyway.  Now I have
to BBS because I'm as addicted as you are.  How was I going to dial?  I was
scared, lonely, and getting the shakes.  I needed to dial fast.  So, I
turned to my ever faithful DOS prompt.  Yes, you can dial from your DOS
prompt.  
     Dialing from your DOS prompt is easy.  You need to know which COM port
your modem is on.  Type "ECHO ATDT 555-5555 > COM#" (Example: C:\>ECHO ATDT
555-5555 > COM2)  It's that easy, then simply return to your communication
program to log on.

*DOS Tips*
     Do you have DOS 5.0 or 6.0?  Are you still using Edlin or COPY CON? 
Well, STOP!  You are wasting your time and productivity.  Use the DOS
command EDIT.COM.  It's a full screen editor that's easy and menu driven.

         
********************
Breaking Windows  
********************                      
     As you delve deeper into applications for Windows you will see prices
rise higher and higher.  Why?  Shareware (a term for software that is used
for a full working "demo" of a program with a registration fee) has found
a new market.  Windows.  Many programmers and shareware producers are
turning toward the Windows environment to introduce their wares.  This
seems all well and good except this shareware for Windows doesn't seem to
be working well on individual PC's.  So, as a test I downloaded 15
shareware products for Windows from a local BBS.  These programs had
various uses for tracking free system resources to simple games.  The
results were astonishing.  
     Out of the 15 products (I will not mention the names or makers in order 
to save me from a law suit and save face) tested, 5 programs locked up my PC, 
3 programs didn't work at all, and 4 sent the system berserk.  That  leaves 3 
programs that worked properly.  Now I'm sure your questioning the system that 
on which this software was run.  I used an Everex 386/16Mhz with 4 Megs of 
RAM, a 60MB hard drive, loaded with DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1.  That's a pretty basic system and there were no
conflicting device drivers either.  Now I'm not going to say that all
shareware is bad, but I think that maybe companies should be more careful
in releasing shareware for a complicated environment such as Windows.

*Windows Tips* 
     If you have a IDE compatible hard disk then turn on Windows' 32 bit
disk access.  Just click on the 32 Bit access box in the Enhanced 386
options in your Control Panel group.  This option will bypass the DOS bios
calls to your hard disk.  Windows will have control over your hard disk to
speed up disk access.


*****************
BBSing Around  
*****************
     Many issues ago, we had a survey for people who BBS a great deal.  We
asked what they liked, what they didn't like, and all sorts of other 
questions.  Well, we have finally compiled all the results and tabulated
all of the percentiles.  We surveyed 43 people from ages 10 - 60. So here
are the results:                                                         
                                                                         
   (+/- .02%) 
        1) Do you think an age requirement on a BBS is fair?
                   Age Bracket     Yes, It's Fair   
                    
                      10 - 17         12% 
                      18 - 20         45%
                      21 - 25         63%
                      26 - 38         87%
                      39 - 60         92%

        2) What BBS software do you prefer?
                   Age Bracket     RBBS   WWIV     DLX   MAJOR
                 
                   10 - 17          08%    13%     67%    12%
                   18 - 20          09%    05%     21%    65%
                   21 - 25          07%    18%     29%    46%
                   26 - 38          62%    12%     17%    09%
                   39 - 60          17%    00%     83%    00%

         3) Do you think that being deleted from one BBS is fair
            if you are telling people about another BBS?
                         Age Bracket     Yes, It's Fair
                         
                             10 - 17         00%
                             18 - 20         00%
                             21 - 25         00%
                             26 - 38         14%
                             39 - 60         00%

         4) Do you think the Sysops read your private e-mail or watch
            your private chats or watch a private message (aka /p)? 
            Do you think that is ok?

              Age Bracket     Yes, I think they do.       It's Ok 
              
                 10 - 17         89%                        00%
                 18 - 20         90%                        02%
                 21 - 25         89%                        13%
                 26 - 38         94%                        24%
                 39 - 60         50%                        45%

          5) Do you lie on your questionnaires?  Do you think it is ok
             to lie on those questionnaires?                             
                Age Bracket     Yes, I lie        It's Ok to lie
               
                 10 - 17         83%                    92%
                 18 - 20         22%                    84%
                 21 - 25         17%                    50%
                 26 - 38         28%                    26%
                 39 - 60         54%                    57%

*BBS Tips*  
     You should change your logon password every few months to hinder those
hackers who would give their left arm to be able to read your private e-
mail.  Also, you should stay away from passwords such as: PASSWORD, QWERTY,
or your first or last name.  Also, find out if your passwords are stored
on the BBS encrypted or as a normal text file.


****************
Compile This
****************
     Want to add a little bit of security to your PC?  At least enough to
out smart your kids, or is that possible these days?  Anyhow, I dug up a
little more DEBUG code (like assembly) for you to play with.  Even if you
don't understand computers or programming, at least give it a shot, what 
have you got to lose?
     First think of a password.  Now copy all the text in the box below to
a text file.  I suggest using the DOS editor (EDIT.COM).  Then simply run
DEBUG and you have yourself a Poor Man's password.

Listing for PASSWORD.SCR
Ŀ                 
 N password.com                                       
 E100 BE 48 01 E8 30 00 C6 06 47 01 00 BF 7C 01 B9 08 
 E110 00 32 E4 CD 16 3A 05 74 04 FE 06 47 01 BE 7A 01 
 E120 E8 13 00 47 E2 EB BE 6A 01 80 3E 47 01 00 75 01 
 E130 C3 E8 02 00 EB CA B4 0F CD 10 FC AC 3C 24 74 06 
 E140 B4 0E CD 10 EB F4 C3 00 0D 0A 45 6E 74 65 72 20 
 E150 38 2D 63 68 61 72 61 63 74 65 72 20 41 63 63 65 
 E160 73 73 20 43 6F 64 65 3A 20 24 0D 0A 41 63 63 65 
 E170 73 73 20 64 65 6E 69 65 64 24 2A 24             
 A17C                                                 
 DB 'PASSWORD'                                        
                                                      
 RCX                                                  
 84                                                   
 W                                                                     
 Q                                                    


*Instructions*
1)  Copy all the text above into an ASCII text file. (Copy Con or EDIT.COM)
2)  Replace the word PASSWORD with the password of your choice, the
    password must be 8 characters long.
3)  Save the file as PASSWORD.SCR
4)  Type at your prompt DEBUG < PASSWORD.SCR
    (Example: C:\>DEBUG < PASSWORD.SCR)
5)  Insert PASSWORD.COM into your AUTOEXEC.BAT file or any other batch file
    of your choice.

*Programming Tips*                      
    Always make a hard copy of your programs (Print them) and then file
them so you can have something to refer to later on as your programming
knowledge grows.


**********************
The Expansion Slot 
**********************
    In our last issue, we left off describing several basic hardware 
components.  This issue we will resume the reviewing of more components and
cover some other newer technology.  We covered monitors, the CPU, the 
keyboard, and the mouse in the previous issue.

Hard Disk Drive - A fixed storage unit inside your computer that is used
to store all your computers software.  A hard disks storage is referred to
in Megabytes. The disk cannot be removed.

Video Card - A card that controls your monitors resolution and color 
output.  A video card is needed in order to view anything on your monitor.
They are available in all resolutions.

Floppy Drives - A storage device that is used to store your computers 
software.  Unlike a hard disk you may remove the floppy disks.  Disks come
in generally two sizes, 5" and 3".

Modem - A telecommunications device used by a computer to transfer data
from one computer to another over phone lines.

Sound Card - A card that provides stereo sound to your computer and may 
include a MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) interface.  

CD-ROM - A device used to play digital Compact Discs on your computer. 
These discs may contain data or music.  The standard capacity for a CD is
640 Megabytes.

RAM - Random Access Memory.  RAM is used by your computer to run all the
programs or applications inside your computer.  RAM is also called
"volatile memory" since its contents empty when you shut off the computer.

ROM - Read Only Memory.  Your computers ROM contains information that your
computer uses to communicate with all the devices installed into your
computer.  ROM will keep its contents after you shut off your power.

*Hardware Tips*
    Ever turn on your computer and see "Enter Password" before your
computer boots?  Well that's your CMOS password system built into your
computer motherboard!  Ever forget your password?  Well some people do and
if you have you're not alone.  Now I know that pesky salesman told you that
the password system isn't software and your computer can't be hacked.  He
was wrong.  Remove your computer's shell (take out those screws and pull
off the cover).   Now look for a little battery, it will be about two
inches long by a half-inch thick.  The battery will have a wire running
from itself to the motherboard.  Pull that wire.  Bingo!  Your back in
business.  Now make sure the kids don't find this secret out.

(Editors note: We gave you that tip in good conscience, please do not use
the tip to get into your boss' computer and change his Lotus figures on
your commission. Thank You.)


*****************
Gonzo's Games
*****************             
    Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe a game from Lucasfilm who has brought
you exciting games like Monkey Island brings you a flight simulation game. 
This game comes on disk and CD-ROM and requires an EGA or better display
at least a 286 processor and 2 Megs of RAM, it also occupies about 10 MB's
of disk space.  This game can be controlled via mouse, keyboard, or
joystick.  The game also supports popular sound boards (i don't know why
because there is no real good music or sounds).
     First i have to say that the game looks like Sierra's Red Baron. The
flight looks the same, as well as how everything is controlled, right down
to the mission playback recorder.  The game is set in WWII and puts you
right in the middle of famous battles and experimental aircraft.  This game
has the realistic look and feel of a aircraft but lacks in fun.
     The game is not user friendly and requires you to at least read the
manual to find out what the heck your doing and what you are supposed to
be doing.  The games' real fault is the fact that there are way too many
keys being used as function keys.  To many to remember, to many to use, and
to many to hit by mistake and ruin the game.  It's complicated and I don't
recommend it for kids under 10 because they will get frustrated and
impatient for a dog fight.
     The game only has a few good points.  One being that the game is very
authentic for you plane hobbyists.  Two the game doesn't last very long.
I still think Red Baron has Luftwaffe in the crosshairs.  Secret Weapons
of the Luftwaffe, Lucasfilm Games; $59.99

*Gonzo's Tips*  
    For Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe, shoot as much as you can.  Keep
your finger on the fire button cause the missiles are a waste of time.  Fly
around in tight circles and keep your nose up to avoid enemy fire.


***************
ROM Teasers
***************
**Scrambled Words**
Unscramble the word, if you can.
(Last issues word: MICROSOFT WINDOWS)
This issues scrambled word: NARROFT
Clue - An old computer language developed in 1957 by IBM.

**Answer & Question**
We give you the answer, you think of the question. 
(Last issues question: Who is TEAC?)
This issues answer: It's a device essential to Windows.
Clue - Tom & *JERRY*


********************
Buy, Spend, Sell
********************
Top 5 Selling Software                Top 5 Shareware
1) DOS 6.0 Upgrade Kit                1) Pkware 2.04G
2) Windows 3.1                        2) Wolfenstein 3D 1.0 
3) Lotus Improv for Windows           3) McAffee Scan
4) QEMM 6.0                           4) Icon-Do-It
5) PC Tools for Windows               5) Tempest Shell


*******************
Shameless Plugs
*******************
 **  MODEM BUTTERFLY'S BBS  Spread your electronic wings! Instant Access!
      Outrageous intelligent fun, 32 chat lines, 1200/2400/9600, 1 gig
      lib., PC Pursuitable, writers workshop, trivia contests, spec. int.
      SEX, trekkies, MarriedButNotDead, singles, MENSA, and mo'
      (818)842-6900

 **  The Bell Business Report is a nationally distributed newsletter.  4th
      year of publication. For anyone interested in biz. Available in DTP
      or electronic format. $50 a year - upload to sysops. Laura Bell 365
      W. Doran, #212, Glendale, CA 91203, 818-547-1192.

Ad's will be free for the first 4 issues then will cost fifty cents a  line
($0.50) for each issue after. Just drop us a note.


*******************
The Slave Drive
*******************

     **EDITORIAL**                           **MARKETING**

Editor: The DLF Group                        Coordinator: Tim (Dark Shadow) 
Publisher: The DLF Group                     Circulation: Report Dist. Inc.
Game Consultant: Tom (CENSORED)              BBS Coordinator: Chris L. DOS
Consultant: Chris L. (CyberChrist)           Advertising Exec: Chris L.
Hardware Consultant: Position Open
Windows Consultant: Chris L. (CyberChrist)
Editor in Chief: Chris L. (CyberChrist)


** Watch for a peek into Windows NT next issue!! **

** Position open - Wanted: hardware consultant, you must know how a
computer works and know about all hardware areas.  Must like to for free. 
Equal Opportunity Employer.

All trademarks & right reserved to the respective companies.
Copyright (C) 1993 Byte Productions
ID#TNB36
