RAndY s RumOR RaG September 1993 PHOTOCD TALK A couple of months ago, I slammed the DOS version of Kodak s PhotoCD Access software. I recently acquired the Windows version and, while being basically the same thing, it seems to work better in Windows. I see this package as a basic conversion tool. You can't print from it or do any editing with Access. Basically, you use it to convert to a format you can import into another program. For the first time since converting to a local bus system, I installed the True Color driver and the images are gorgeous. Unfortunately, the performance hit is substantial. Kodak is still having trouble establishing PhotoCD as something the average consumer will buy. Too many of them don't understand that a compact disc can contain photographic quality images. Besides not understanding the technology, the consumer- level PhotoCD players are way over-priced. If they can get them down under $150, the medium will catch on. Computer people, however, are going nuts over PhotoCDs. I did a piece in last month's RaG about Corel planning to have 100 theme- oriented PhotoCDs by the end of the year. I've even seen an ad for an adult PhotoCD. The quality of the images is outstanding - the possibilities are incredible. In the beginning PhotoCDs were restricted to 35mm images, but now the technology is there for up to 4x5 format. I haven't seen any of these yet, but based on what I've seen of the 35mm PhotoCDs the larger format should be outrageous. If you haven't seen a PhotoCD, you owe it to yourself to check it out. --------------- MS-DOS 6.2 Get ready for an update to MS-DOS 6. Two alleged problems have plagued DOS 6 since its introduction earlier this year. Users have complained about losing data with SmartDrive s write-behind caching. This is a feature which can be disabled, but the only way to lose data is to shut your machine off too soon. I don t see how this can be blamed on software when the user is at fault. The primary complaint has been random problems with DoubleSpace. I have done quite a few DOS 6 installations, some without but mostly with DoubleSpace. I have had NO problems - nada, zero. Those experiencing problems can usually be attributed to user error or strange hardware configurations. Microsoft will be taking care of these complaints with a release to be called 6.2 (avoiding name confusion with IBM s DOS 6.1). Users will be given the option of disabling write-behind caching as the default setting with SmartDrive. There will be a new feature to un-install DoubleSpace more easily and a protective layer making it safer to use. Memory requirements for DoubleSpace will also be reduced.. The release of this update is anticipated for this fall, and will be available free through CompuServe or for a minimal fee through the channel. ScanFix is a new diagnostic technology which can be used as a stand-alone module or launched from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. It will scan for damaged clusters and other disk problems before DoubleSpace runs. Also, a check-summing algorithm will validate the integrity of DoubleSpaced data structures and code. If the sums don't change from a baseline, it writes to disk. If the checksum changes, the system will halt and won't write to disk. The performance of Defrag will be enhanced even for compressed drives. The interactive boot feature will be enhanced to allow users to step through AUTOEXEC.BAT line by line. Copy overwrite protection will warn users not to unintentionally overwrite existing files. --------------- CYRIX UPGRADE The 386DX is not dead yet. Cyrix recently released their Cx486DRx2 chips to breath new life into 386DX systems. This new chip uses internal clock doubling technology, operating at twice the speed of the 386 chip it replaces. Support for 386SX chips is expected later this year, but there are no plans to support the 386SL. All you do is pop open your computer, remove the 386 processor, and snap the new chip into place. A self-stick heat sink is then attached. You need to run a software utility to enable the internal 1K cache, but it unloads after doing its thing and there is no RAM loss. The list price for the 16/32MHz version is $299, the 20/40 and 25/50 versions are priced at $349 and $399 respectively. --------------- NEWS IN YER FACE The effects of the Sumitono Chemical Company fire linger on with no definite signs of relief. As you recall, this factory produced 60% of the epoxy resin supply used in chip manufacture. There was some epoxy resin in the pipeline to last manufacturers for months, but prices jumped almost instantly. Some US firms are discussing getting into this business, but profits are slim and require volume sales. It is estimated that it will take Sumitono at least a year to rebuild. --------------- A federal judge recently ruled that resellers must stop selling Quattro Pro which infringes on Lotus Development's copyright. Affected products include Quattro, Quattro Pro 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 4.01, and SE. A new version which does not infringe on Lotus copyrights, Quattro Pro 5.0, will ship by the time you read this. --------------- Rumors are flying about an IPO from WordPerfect. Many in the industry feel that this could be one of the largest microcomputer software deals of the decade with estimated stock sales of over $100 million. The groundwork has been laid, but WordPerfect executives are not saying anything yet. --------------- Corel is planning to acquire Ventura Publisher, Ventura Database Publisher, and related technologies. Maybe they'll get the quirks out and make it a first-class Windows product. --------------- Interesting - did you know that Novell has not upgraded to Version 4 of NetWare internally? And they have no immediate plans to do so. What does that tell you? --------------- WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows is still ontrack for a 4th quarter release. The Tables feature will contain advanced spreadsheet capabilities including formulas, numerical cell formatting, automatic recalculation, data fills, and named ranges. You'll also have a full charting module with 3-D, surface, line, area, bar, hi- lo, "exploded", and "exploded pie" charts. WordPerfect will finally get collapsible outlining, automatic bullets, irregular text wrap around graphics, border options, and a more WYSIWYG display (headers and footers showing on the screen). --------------- PC PHOTOGRAPHER Since I've been a photographer for almost 27 years, I take interest in the melding of computer technology and the art of photography. Kodak has a program called PC Photographer which teaches the basics of photography. You can learn about how shutter speeds and f/stops work, different films, and much more. The program has horrible EGA graphics, but they're good enough considering the program sells for about $30. You can adjust the controls of your electronic camera or put it in program mode just like a real one. You also have your choice of lenses and film to photograph one of several static and "action" scenes. Your film is "developed" and prints are placed in an electronic album. You can peruse the album and see the settings your pictures were taken at as well as get a commentary on how you did. There is instruction for using a light meter and a stand-alone database provided detailed information on Kodak products. Kodak has always had excellent instructional materials and for thirty bucks or so I guess this isn't a bad deal. The graphics are poor and after you take a picture, it defaults back to an electronic dummy-proof camera (I hate idiot-proof cameras). But if you want to learn about photography while using your computer, this may just be the trick. --------------- Well, that's it for this month. Not much happening, partly due to Comdex coming up. Nobody want to talk. Catch you next month... ================================= DISCLAIMER RAndY's RumOR RaG is published on a monthly basis by AINSWORTH COMPUTER SERVICES and is available on various local BBS's, GEnie, and America Online as well as in Modem News. In case anyone cares, RAndY's RumOR RaG is produced on a 486- 50 with 8 megs of memory, Diamond Stealth Pro VESA VLB (1 MB), 105 MB Toshiba IDE hard drive, Teac 1.2 MB and 1.44 MB floppies, Pro Audio Spectrum 16 running a Hitachi 3750 CD ROM drive, Sceptre SVGA display, Microsoft mouse, WordPerfect for Windows and transmitted through a US Robotics HST Dual Standard modem. 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