[Please note: this is a text only version of the on-line magazine, OS/2 e-Zine!.  OS/2 e-Zine! is a graphical, WWW OS/2 publication and, if possible, should be viewed in its HTML format available on-line at http://www.os2ezine.com/ or zipped for off-line reading.  Some graphically oriented articles have been removed from this document.]


OS/2 e-Zine!		June 13, 1998		volume 3, number 8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 1998		Falcon Networking  	ISSN 1203-5696

         "Over Three Quarters of a Million Satisfied Visitors!"


OPINIONS:

  Chris' Rant


DEPARTMENTS:

  Answers from e-Zine!
  The OS/2 Project
  OS/21st


REVIEWS:

  FINANCIAL APPLICATIONS

  Electronic Teller v3.10 - Christopher B. Wright
  Money Tree v1.0 - Chris Wenham


  First Looks and Nifty Gadgets
    PMPopup/2 v1.0	Smart Windows demo v0.79


READER SURVEYS:

Results from our May 30th Survey
  Find out what your fellow readers told us last month! 

VoiceType: Talking Back to Your Computer
  Answer these simple questions and find out how you compare to
  other OS/2 users.  Results will be printed next month!

The OS/2 e-Zine! Improvement Survey Results
  Find out what your fellow readers want form OS/2 e-Zine!.


ARTICLES:

Just my opinion - Christopher B. Wright
  Christopher B. Wright investigates egos, scandals and journalistic
  integrity as he contemplates the recent commotion over
  Warpstock.

The OS/2 drinking game - Chris Wenham
  Hand the keys to the designated driver and pull up a chair.  Chris
  Wenham has the rules for the game that is sure to make you a star
  at the next frat party.


ENDNOTES:

Top Software:
  BMT Micro
  Indelible Blue
  Mensys


ADMINISTRIVIA:

* How to Subscribe to OS/2 e-Zine! for FREE.
* How YOU can Sponsor OS/2 e-Zine!
* The Sponsors that Make this Issue Possible


Copyright 1998   -   Falcon Networking
ISSN 1203-5696

***********************************

Chris' Rant	- by Chris Wenham

The Elitist's Manifesto

Excuse me for a moment while I call you a selfish, egotistical elitist.

Very rarely is the word 'elitist' used in a phrase that isn't meant to be an insult. But the premise that gives the insult strength hinges on the insulted person's values and judgment; it depends on you to feel guilty for being better than another person. But if you felt truly proud of your accomplishments and no shame at being smarter and more capable than others, then the insult wouldn't work. If you refused to accept mediocrity as a virtue, then the insult would have no power over you. This is the insult hidden in every sneer, frown and giggle that's expressed or implied when someone learns that you use OS/2.

As I see it, a major force driving people away from OS/2 is shame and apology, a peer pressure based on a moral code that penalizes you for making the right choice. This is only self destructive because caving in isn't going to earn you any respect and neither will sticking with it for all the wrong reasons.

So let's assume that you knew what you were doing when you bought OS/2 in the first place, meaning there aren't any wrong reasons in your mind. If that isn't the case, then you'd better rethink your premise and choose another platform before you do yourself a lot of harm. Yep, now is the time to bail out, or bail in if you're from another platform, reading this e-zine out of curiosity.

Warp 4 is an elitist's operating system. It is not a game machine, it is not a home entertainment center, and it isn't for grandma. PlayStations, WebTV and the Macintosh already handle those three niches quite nicely and far better than Warp can (although don't count out a stripped down OS/2 for these tasks either -- I think OS/2 could scale down way better than what Microsoft has done to make WinCE).

Its obscurity acts as a kind of automatic qualification system; only those smart enough to respect and handle its power are savvy enough to know it exists. This has helped OS/2 thrive and be profitable to write software for, since users are a lot more clued in and accustomed to taking initiative ("What? You installed OS/2 and increased your productivity 30%? Who told you to do that?") they need less hand holding and technical support. 

If we had the same average IQ as a Windows user, our population would never be enough to earn any apps. We'd require more marketing to get us to buy ("But I didn't see Photo>Graphics advertised in Readers Digest, so it can't be any good"), more support to get us to use the programs we buy ("The file menu, Sir.... File.... F-I-L-E. It's under the title bar... The blue strip with the name of the program on it"), and offer less feedback when the developers came to improving the product in a new version ("I guess it's okay, do you mind if I make copies of it for all my friends?").

Like amateur radio operators, who need to be a wee bit more technically adept than the average CB jockey, OS/2 users are both a valuable resource to the industry and a group that, by and large, pays its way. OS/2 users have given birth to, tested and refined new technology (e.g.: component software, object models, voice navigation), created a market for young companies to get their footing while remaining out of the glare of Microsoft (e.g.: Stardock, TrueSpectra, SouthSoft), increased awareness of the benefits of computers (such as through evangelical events, product demos at malls, and word of mouth), and been the first to add their voice to important issues that deal with the whole industry (witness the large presence of OS/2 users in the InfoWorld forums, focus groups, mailing lists and so on).

Warp's technical superiority has been discussed and studied in such detail that it feels clich now, yet that doesn't stop me from praising it again and again. Whoever chooses OS/2, doing so because they know what they're getting into rather than "because it's not Microsoft," are some of the most selfish, egotistical elitists in the world. They're not computing to be compatible with everyone else, they're not working to subsidize software who's only virtue is that "everyone else has it".  They're satisfying a selfish greed for power, capability, ability and excellence.

And its because only this kind flocks to OS/2 in droves that we have the stellar talent of some of the most capable people on Earth. Partition Magic, Photo>Graphics, ColorWorks, ZipStream, The Win32-OS/2 Project, you see examples of their work everywhere in software that embodies the technical excellence one comes to expect from the elite.

That's why OS/2 does not die, it's a magnet for brains who keep it alive.

So does this mean I'm advocating the status quo? For if Warp's obscurity has been helping it by screening out all the idiots (I'm sure they don't mind being called that, they seem to like those books...) then doesn't this mean it'd be hurt by any attempts to market it? That depends on what gets marketed. OS/2, or a product based on OS/2? When one company is proposing to put Linux in refrigerator-door embedded PCs (surf while you chug a carton of milk, hey!) it makes you realize that a blue and white box with the label "Warp" on the side isn't the only possible incarnation of OS/2, but that it is still the version you prefer.

Like a lock-pickers club can easily guarantee its membership by locking the door to the clubhouse (duh,) we could guarantee the elitist status of Warp by keeping its most powerful version out of the public circus and in the reach of only those who know how to reach. Let's seek to expand the user base, but not by stocking it on the shelves of K-Mart, not by advertising it in the Enquirer or on reruns of Star Trek. Advertise it in InfoWorld, and on Babylon 5. In other words, go to where the brains are.

If you're peeved about the insult at the top (I was assuming that you are a selfish elitist), or want to know if I've been going at the Ayn Rand again, (http://www.os2ezine.com/forums/get/forums/rant/June13-1998.html) drop into our Hypernews Forum and bite my head off. 

                         - * -

(chris@os2ezine.com) Chris Wenham is the Senior Editor of OS/2 e-Zine!, an Englishman living in Endicott, NY, who now thinks he owes someone a bar of chocolate for that Babylon 5 idea.

***********************************

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***********************************

Answers from e-Zine!

Welcome back to "Answers from e-Zine!", your source for answers to all your OS/2 questions!  In each issue we bring you tips, tricks, questions and answers from our readers and contributors.  If you've got a question or tip you would like to share with us, (feedback@os2ezine.com) send it in!

                         - * -

TIP --  In the (http://www.os2ezine.com/v3n07/answers.htm) last issue I found an error. You wrote regarding uninstallation of PCom/2: "Unfortunately, there is no uninstallation..."

The truth is that uninstallation is possible by running "INSTALL /D" from the \PCOMOS2 dir. I found the instructions for this in the Install help file. This requires a reboot, and you will have to manually delete the program and help file objects afterwards. 

 - (dleit@ibm.net) Dan Letner

                         - * -

TIP --  Further to (http://www.os2ezine.com/v3n07/answers.htm) Alex Newman's .CMD file to start NcFTP, here is another suggestion.

If all you want is an icon on your Desktop to start NcFTP, simply create a program object with the properties shown below:

Path and file name	*
Parameters			/k mode co80,50 & ncftp.exe & exit
Working directory		The directory ncftp.exe is in.  For example: E:\TCPIP\BIN

This method produces a window 80 characters wide and 50 lines high and will give you much more display room with NcFTP if you are using a resolution of 1280x1024 or greater.  If you are running at 1024x787, try "/k mode co80,40 & ncftp.exe & exit".

This idea can be used to run other programs too, of course.  Just substitute the program's .EXE name for 'ncftp.exe' and the directory the program is in for 'E:\TCPIP\BIN'.


 - (mturpin@igs.net) Morris Turpin

                         - * -

TIP --  In (http://www.os2ezine.com/v3n07/project.htm) "The OS/2 Project" in the last issue, you explained how to create .CMD files to boot to other partitions with SETBOOT.EXE.  Here is an easy way to create graphical dialogs to improve that idea.

First, download the freeware, (http://www.os2ss.com/archives/hobbes/os2/util/wps/pmpopup2.zip) PMPopup/2 (ZIP, 24k)

Next, following the PMPopup/2 instructions, create a simple script to call PMPopup/2 and perform the desired action.  Save the script in the same directory as PMPOPUP2.EXE and run it whenever you want to shutdown.  For example, this is a script I created to reboot to Win95:

   @echo off
   pmpopup2 "~Do you want to reboot to WINDOWS 95?" "System Reboot" /b1:"~YES" /b3:"~NO" /T:20 /bell /A:c

   if errorlevel 40 goto :40
   if errorlevel 30 goto :30
   if errorlevel 10 goto :10
   :40
    echo.
    echo TimeOut
    goto :END

   :30
    echo.
    echo 3. (NO) Right Button
    goto :END

   :10
    echo.
    echo 1. (YES) Left Button
    SETBOOT /IBA:"WIN_95"

   :END

This displays a pop-up window which asks if you want to reboot to Windows 95 and offers a "Yes" or "No" button.  If the "Yes" button is pressed, it uses SETBOOT.EXE to reboot to the partition named "WIN_95".  If "No" is pressed or if no button is pressed for 20 seconds, nothing happens.

Alternatively, if you want a more thorough system, try the script below which displays three buttons, one for Win95, one for Warp 3 and one for Red Hat (Linux).  Pressing any button causes a second PMPopup/2 window to be displayed asking for a confirmation of the reboot.  Pressing "Reboot" on this dialog reboots to the desired OS; pressing "Cancel" cancels the operation.

---
@echo off
pmpopup2 "~Choose a system to switch to:" "System Reboot" /b1:"~Win95" /b2:"~Warp 4" /b3:"~Linux" /T:20 /bell /A:c /SM

if errorlevel 40 goto :Abort
if errorlevel 30 goto :RedHat
if errorlevel 20 goto :Warp4
if errorlevel 10 goto :Win95


:RedHat
  pmpopup2 "~Are you sure you want to reboot to~Red Hat?" "System Reboot Confirmation" /b1:"~Reboot" /b3:"~Cancel" /bell /A:c /SM

  if errorlevel 30 goto :ABORT

  SETBOOT /IBA:"Red Hat"
  goto :END


:Warp4
  pmpopup2 "~Are you sure you want to reboot to~Warp 4?" "System Reboot Confirmation" /b1:"~Reboot" /b3:"~Cancel" /bell /A:c /SM

  if errorlevel 30 goto :ABORT

  SETBOOT /IBA:"Warp 4"
  goto :END


:Win95
  pmpopup2 "~Are you sure you want to reboot to~Win95?" "System Reboot Confirmation" /b1:"~Reboot" /b3:"~Cancel" /bell /A:c /SM

  if errorlevel 30 goto :ABORT

  SETBOOT /IBA:"Win95"
  goto :END


:Abort
  pmpopup2 "~Reboot Aborted" "System Reboot" /A:c /T:1 /SM

  goto :END


:END
---

 - (joswa@altavista.net) Jose Oswaldo Barros de Souza

                         - * -

That's it for this issue.  If you have a tip or question that you don't see covered here, don't forget to (feedback@os2ezine.com) send it in!

***********************************

The OS/2 Project

If you're looking for interesting and innovative ways to take advantage of OS/2's power, or if you just want a neat trick to impress you're friends, this is the place to look!  "The OS/2 Project" chronicles small endeavours intended to improve our systems, make us more productive and just generally make our lives easier.

In this issue, one Vancouver OS/2 user tells us how he and another member of the TEAM OS/2 Vancouver SIG created a program they call "Spike", a neat utility that allows users to store clipboard data.  It uses only one very small and simple executable and OS/2's built-in association model.

                         - * -

Purpose

Over time, what I found I needed on OS/2's Desktop was a place to quickly place and save clipboard data that I wanted stored for future reference.  In the past, I had to copy to the clipboard, make a temporary text file, place the text file on the Desktop for easy access, open the file, append the data, then close the file.  I found this procedure rather tedious, so I called a good friend, and asked him if a simple tool could be made....

His response was enthusiastic and he suggested that I make an icon for it.  He further suggested that the icon would take more time than the actual program.  He was right!

What You Will Need

For this project, all you will need is the "Spike" program.  This can be downloaded from the (http://www.lionsgate.com/vanos2) Vancouver OS/2 Users Group Home Page (click the "Links" button), Hobbes, the OS/2 Supersite or (http://www.os2ezine.com/v3n08/spike.zip) directly from OS/2 e-Zine! (ZIP, 27k).

Installation / Setup

When we created "Spike", we discussed the method of installation and decided that we would not write an installation script.  This decision was made so that we could use Spike as a lesson in OS/2's association methods.  Most of us already know how to use common associations with .EXE files. This project will show you how to make a new data file type, associate it with a SPIKE.EXE file, and then make the data file into a template.  The reward for going through this lesson will be a free utility that I think a lot of you will find useful.  Plus as a benefit, you will be able to use this knowledge in many other areas.

To "install" Spike, just unzip the archive into the directory named "\Spike".  For example, if you have downloaded spike.zip to your C: drive, the directory would be "C:\Spike".

Open your template folder, drag off a DATA FILE template.  Drop it into the same open template folder.  Change the name to SPIKEFILE.

Next, go to the first page of the Properties notebook of the new SPIKEFILE (the TYPE page) by right clicking on the "SPIKEFILE" object and selecting "Properties" from the pop-up menu.  Click in the "NEW TYPE:" entry field and type in "SPIKEFILE".  To the left of this entry field there is a push button labelled "<< _N_ew"; click it.  This adds a new data type to the list of available types (if you scroll down the "Available types" list, you'll see "SPIKEFILE" there now).

After doing this, look at the CURRENT TYPES box; notice that the current type listed is "Plain Text".  This is the default type for all data files.  Highlight the "Plain Text" selection and hit the "<< _R_emove" push button.  Next, scroll down through the types available and select your new type ("SPIKEFILE").  Then, after highlighting the SPIKEFILE selection, push the "_A_dd >>" push button.  This adds the "SPIKEFILE" selection to the Current types and makes SPIKEFILE the first or default action that is invoked when you click on its icon later.

Now scroll through the list and find the "Plain Text" selection that we removed before.  Highlight it and use the "_A_dd >>" button to put it back in the "Current types" list.  This allows for two associations; the first one is an association to the data type "SPIKEFILE", and the second to the "Plain text" type.

For the moment we are finished with this data file (just leave it open); now we will set up the actual executable file.  Drag a Program object onto the Desktop from the Templates folder, and enter "C:\Spike\spike.exe" in the "Path and file name" field.  Now add the SPIKEFILE to its association settings.  Click the "_A_ssociation" tab and from the "Available types" list, select "SPIKEFLE" then push the "_A_dd >>" button.  Click on the "Icon" tab and change the name "Program" to "Spike" and close the Properties notebook.

Now to finalize this lesson, we go back to the open SPIKEFILE Properties notebook and select the "Icon" tab.  Ensure that the title is "Spike File" or a similar name then click on the "Template" check box and close the notebook.  This allows us to rip off as many SPIKEFILES as we need to deal with as many different subjects as we want.

To tidy up the installation process drag the SPIKEFILE program object off the Desktop and into the Spike folder.  You can also make a copy of the SPIKEFILE template and place it in this folder as well by dragging the SPIKEFILE template while holding down the Ctrl key.  Now rip off a template and keep it in this folder, rename it for applicable use and then create a shadow for it on the desktop.  You can repeat this last process for as many "Spikes" as you need on your Desktop for various purposes.  Using this method you always keep your data files in a directory on the drive and can delete any shadow not required from the Desktop at any time.

Putting It to Use

What?  That's it?  Yep, that's it!

To use the SPIKEFILE, simply drag a SPIKEFILE template from the Templates object you created and drop it wherever you wish.  If you want, rename the new SPIKEFILE object with some relevant name.  Now when you have a clipboard full of data you wish to save, simply double click on this object and the text contents of the clipboard will be appended to this data file with a separator line between each insertion.  (Note, graphical contents of the clipboard will be ignored.)

If you wish to read or edit the file, right click on the SPIKEFILE object you have torn off to bring up its menu.  Select the arrow to the right of "Open as" and select the editor from the pop-up menu that you have associated with "Plain text" (this is why we added the "Plain text" association back in to the "Current types" list of the SPIKEFILE Properties notebook).  An editor window appears with all the clipboard contents you've been adding!

If you suddenly find you have more data in your clipboard that you want to save but that is not related to the tidbits you've saved earlier, rip off another SPIKEFILE template, drop it on the Desktop and double click it.  You've just started a new Spike file!

Other Stuff

We chose the name "Spike" to be reminiscent of the spike found on desktops in many offices.  This is the place where memos, invoices and Post-it notes go after they have been read or while they are awaiting filing.  It looks like a spike mounted on a pedestal.  Have a look at the icon for "Spike" and you'll know what we mean...

SPIKE was created by a couple of members of TEAM OS/2 Vancouver, BC SIG.  It is freeware.  All we ask is that you include all files when passing it on to others.  There is no support from the authors and we ask that you help others users requiring help as your "dues" for the free software.

That's it... enjoy!

                         - * -

Thanks for this issue's OS/2 Project go to two very generous and anonymous members of the Team OS/2 Vancouver SIG.

If you have questions or suggestions for improvements to this project, (feedback@os2ezine.com) let us know.  Until then, enjoy!

                         - * -

Tools used in this project:

Spike
     by Team OS/2 Vancouver Members
     download from the (http://www.os2ss.com/archives/hobbes/os2/util/clipbrd/spike.zip) OS/2 Supersite (ZIP, 27k)
     Registration: FREE

***********************************


OS/21st	- by Sam Henwrich

As a new regular column here at OS/2 e-Zine! I'll be discussing new ways in which OS/2 can be used in both the consumer and corporate world, with technology that exists both today and which may be developed in the future. The purpose of this column is not to say what should be done, but what could be done, to feed a steady stream of ideas out there that may be picked up by others with the means to see them through, or merely to underline the fact that OS/2 does have a future.

But these won't be just my ideas. If you wish to contribute your own ideas, discuss ideas already presented here, or read what others have to say, then jump into our (http://www.os2ezine.com/forums/get/forums/os21st/June13-1998.html) Hypernews forum. I'll be checking it regularly to see what you have to say.

The Special Agent

Agent technology was a brief fad around the mid 90s, with companies like General Magic talking about intelligent personal software robots that would scan the 'net for the best shopping prices, tickets for your favorite performers, news articles pertaining to your interests and so on. The idea is that you'll be able to issue a command to your agent such as "Find me tickets to see Pink Floyd perform within 3 hours drive from here and buy them if the value is $50 or lower" or "Find me a mixer for my Sound Blaster card and register it if it's worth $20 or lower" or "Find me any article on the web, Usenet or mailing lists related to Lotus SmartSuite and print out any that relate to Organizer" and so on. As you can see, it's a little bit like matching a search engine with a robot that can do tasks for you with the results of the search query.

As hinted in the examples, authorizing an agent to actually make purchases for you could be possible and even desirable, but obviously only if they're good enough to earn that kind of confidence. By restricting the dollar value that the agent is allowed to spend, you minimize your losses in case the agent makes a mistake and orders the wrong thing or from the wrong source. But even with that, we may also be able to take advantage of the various "trusted vendor" rating services already out there to narrow down who you allow the agent to buy from. More about that later.

The Technology

As I see it, OS/2 already has almost everything needed to take a two-prong approach to this problem. These 'prongs' being: an agent that runs on your computer, using your resources; and an agent that runs on a web server, programmed from a web page form and using the server's resources.

First and foremost is the ability to get out there on the Internet and actually do the work of searching. IBM has been admirably dedicated to the maintenance of OS/2's TCP/IP stack (the part which handles connections to sites on the Internet), sometimes putting out three or four updates a month in their most prolific periods. Why is a sturdy connection important? Since the agent will be visiting a lot of sites during its quest for the wanted information it's going to come across a lot of duds. Without a human operator's judgement helping it pick sites, it's possible that it'll stumble across any number of unsavoury locations. Normally these would be rejected and forgotten about in the course of the search. But as seen with Windows, security holes and flaws in the browser or operating system open up the possibility that your data might be stolen, or the machine crashed. OS/2 hasn't suffered in this regard, making it ideal as the base for the unsupervised browsing of an agent.

Second is the Rexx scripting language. It's versatile enough and simple enough that powerful search queries and 'bots' can be constructed out of it. As shown in OS/2 e-Zine!'s regular Rexx column, "The Rexx Files", it's possible to write a Rexx script that can formulate, transmit and receive the results of a query from a major search engine like AltaVista. In the same way, it can also be used to issue orders to an e-commerce site should you have authorized it to buy items for you. Lastly, Rexx is capable of assembling the data it collects from its various searches into an easily browseable web page.

Making it Easy

The idea of writing complex Rexx scripts may be fine for those Rexx programmers with the skills to do it, but not a lot of fun for the average person who just wants to be alerted when an affordable airfare to Warpstock has come up. What's needed is an interface that presents to the user a simple way of programming the agent. This can probably be served easily with a form for filling in the search criteria, any limitations such as price and dates, and what it should do when a suitable match has been found. The programmer can provide a number of templates too, such as ones for finding an airline ticket (with destination, arrival and departure times), concert tickets (artist, distance in driving hours and seating), restaurants (cuisine, "star rating", proximity to a venue) and so on to minimize irrelevant hits.

The Rexx scripts themselves would also be constructed and customized from pre-written modules by the front end, saved, and run in the background seamlessly and transparently to the user.

This is also where Web-Site based agents step in. A large shareware archive such as the (http://www.os2ss.com/) OS/2 Supersite, (http://www.os2bbs.com/) Norloff's OS/2 BBS or (http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/) Hobbes could create a database of 'listening agents', programmed by users, that wait for perhaps months until a file or application matching the search criteria is finally uploaded. The agent then jumps to life and sends an e-mail to the user who programmed it, purges itself from the database once the task is completed or waits a couple of days to see if the user wants to come back and tell it to keep looking. The benefits in return traffic and user satisfaction could be enormous for the host site that implements this.

These server-based bots wouldn't be lots of individual scripts (something that would bog down the server after the first few hundred visitors who use it), but simply a database and one script. Each time a file is uploaded, the script checks it against the search queries stored. If one matches, the script takes action, then sets the database entry to expire.

Problems and Squeamishness

Security is likely the biggest concern for an 'Agent' given authority to search the 'net in your name, organize the results and possibly even make a purchase for you. What if it makes a mistake and orders the wrong thing? What if the popularity of such agents prompts swindlers to set up deliberately deceptive "agent magnets" that take your credit card number but disappear with the money? And how does a simple Rexx script handle a secure web site? All of these problems conspire to make the average user wary of placing their trust in a dinky little computer program.

First of all, we could ignore the possibility of letting the agent perform purchases by itself, and instead have it give the user a list of all the likely candidates it has found, linking to the appropriate order forms and letting the user have final judgement.

Second, if agents become popular a non profit group might be established that rates vendors on accountability and trust, issuing them certificates. The user can then tell the agent not to purchase anything unless it comes from a certified vendor. Something like this is already at work, for example, (http://www.thepubliceye.com/) The Public Eye's safe-shopping sites.

Likewise, you could maintain your own list of approved sites, giving the agent permission to register shareware for you only if it goes through (http://www.bmtmicro.com/) BMT Micro or the OS/2 Supersite.

For secure web sites (ones that encrypt the transaction information before sending it over the Internet), we would need a Rexx function library written to handle all the encryption both to and from the server. Until then, our agents would be restricted to non-secure sites and non-monetary transactions (like ordering free samples of something it thinks you'd like).

This combination of techniques, and the successful 'tuning' of agents that increases their success rate could be enough to satisfy the fears of squeamish users. Like a good secretary, they may one day book an entire vacation for us with only a few hints on our preferences.

Comments? Ideas of your own? Join in the discussion with our (http://www.os2ezine.com/forums/get/forums/os21st/June13-1998.html) Hypernews forum.

***********************************

Electronic Teller v3.10	- by Christopher B. Wright

I've read a lot of complaints lately that there are no true financial applications out there for OS/2.  That may be true; to be quite honest, I'm not sure what exactly an application has to do in order to be a "true financial application".  I do know, however, that if I want to keep track of my checking, savings, and credit card accounts there is an application available that will do it as well as any shrink-wrapped product on the market today.  It's called Electronic Teller and it's at version 3.10.

Some of you may remember that I reviewed an earlier version of this product (version 2.80, to be exact) in (http://www.os2ezine.com/v1n5/eteller.html) the March 1996 edition of OS/2 e-Zine!.  Back then, I started out by saying "once in a while you find a shareware application that is so stunning, so impressive, you wonder why people even bother buying "mainstream" products."  I find this statement to continue to hold true today:  Electronic Teller is a well-designed, well-thought-out program that can do just about anything you need it to do -- unless you want it to support online banking.

Installation

As a shareware application, Electronic Teller weighs in at 2 megabytes, much smaller than the 7 meg download required for Money Tree or the 5+ meg In Charge! demo. And Electronic Teller does not use IBM's standard installation program, it has its own which is pretty intuitive and painless to use.  The install program will create the application folder, the main program icon (the "Service Desk") and icons for the other two complimentary apps (a calendar and a calculator app) automatically.

The Basics

Electronic Teller manages all of its financial accounts from a program window called the Service Desk.  The Service Desk consists of two main areas, the Portfolio space, which lists all available "groups" of accounts, and an Accounts space which lists all the individual accounts in each portfolio.  You can organize your accounts any way you wish; for example, you can separate your portfolio's by bank (if you have accounts with separate banks) or you can organize them by type (for example, one portfolio can hold all checking accounts, one portfolio can hold all credit card accounts, one portfolio can hold all the accounts for your consulting business).

When creating a new account for the first time, basic account information is entered into the Account Management notebook.  This notebook stores all the information that an account needs to get started: what kind of account it is (bank, credit card, loan, etc.), starting balance, credit limit (if applicable), interest rate, etc.  Once this information has been entered, an icon appears in the accounts panel on the service desk.  When this icon is highlighted, its account information is displayed at the bottom strip on the service desk.

Double-clicking on an account brings up the Account window, which is where most of the day-to-day account management activities occur.  The layout of the Account window has been refined and streamlined significantly from earlier versions of this program.  Rows alternate with blue and white strips of color to make each entry easier to follow.  The display can switch from a "basic" list of transactions (date, check number, recipient, deposit amount, withdrawal amount, and adjusted balance in one row) to an "expanded" list of transactions (the previous row of information plus a second row that lists more detailed information).

Information in the account is separated by year.  At the bottom of the account window is one tab for each year the account has been active.  This can make searching for information about past transactions a lot easier.

When you want to add an expense (or a deposit) to the account window, you open an account transactions dialog box and start entering your data.  This dialog box has been significantly reworked from previous versions, and there are a lot of new features that I like (as well as some old features that I miss).

In older versions of Electronic Teller, the "date" field automatically displayed the current date, but could be modified by clicking on "up" and "down" arrows next to it.  Any part of the field could be modified -- month, day, or year -- depending on what was selected by your mouse.  In this version, the "up" and "down" keys have been replaced with a calendar icon that displays a calendar of the current month.  You can select the day of the month you wish to add an entry to and it will update the field automatically.  Unfortunately, however, you cannot use the calendar to select days in previous months -- you need to type those dates in the field manually.

In older versions of Electronic Teller, deposits and withdrawals from your account were entered into the same field.  This meant that if you didn't set it up right your paycheck might get recorded as a withdrawal, causing a large chunk of money to be deducted from your account until you figured out what the problem was.  Paul Caron has solved this problem by separating the deposit and withdraw fields into two distinct fields.  When you enter a sum into the Deposit field, it is always added to your account.  When you enter a sum into the Withdraw field, it is always deducted from your account.

Electronic Teller allows you to classify Categories and subclasses for your transactions so you can get a good idea of your spending habits.  This process has been automated to some extent -- when you type in a category or class for the first time, it is saved into Electronic Teller's memory.  The next time you begin to type in a category or class, it will attempt to match your keystrokes with an already existing entry.  This is a nice feature, and I wish it was extended to the "Payee/Description" field.  It would make entering bills a lot easier.

A useful feature of the account transactions window is that it allows you to make multiple entries in it, updating them all at the same time when you choose the "Save" option.  This is a lot more convenient than having to bring it up each time you want to add a new expense or deposit to your list.

There are a few features from older versions of the program that I miss, however.  First of all, the button bar that used to be at the top of the window was removed, forcing you to use the menus for everything.  I find this a bit awkward, mostly because I hate going to the "Options" menu every time I want to update the account window.  Also, if you close the window before updating your account you lose any information you'd entered into it.  This can be frustrating, especially if you've entered eight or nine transactions into the account transaction dialog.

Advanced Features

Aside from simply keeping track of each separate account balance, which is the most basic feature a financial application package should have, Electronic Teller has a lot of nice features that makes account management easier.

First and foremost, Electronic Teller recognizes that different accounts have different properties.  Savings and checking accounts often have monthly fees associated with them, which you can enter into the account management notebook so it will be automatically deducted for you each month.  Electronic Teller can also calculate your earned interest for each month (if applicable) alleviating you of that responsibility as well.  If you're managing a credit card account, Electronic Teller will keep track of your credit limit, your current balance, and how much credit you have left on your card.  It can also keep track of whatever interest rate you are being charged for its use.

If you pay off a credit card account from your checking account, not only will the amount you pay be deducted from your checking account, but it can also update your credit card account -- even if it's in a completely different portfolio.  This is a very, very nice feature to have, because it reduces the potential for errors that are likely to arise when you key in the same information over and over again.

If you're moving from the Windows world, you've probably used Quicken.  Electronic Teller comes with a utility called the QIF converter, which will either import a Quicken account into Electronic Teller or export an Electronic Teller account to a QIF-formatted file.  Quicken will not recognize some information that Electronic Teller recognizes, however.

Electronic Teller supports printing checks, though I've never used it.  The Cheque Printer (that's the way they spell "check" in Canada in case you folks in the US were wondering) allows a user to "send transactions from a ledger with a valid cheque number to a printer." (Taken from the help file).  The Cheque Printer is definable, so you can determine the number that will be printed per page, and the fonts that each field will use.  It defaults to printing out all information in the "standard" English way, but there is a secondary dialog box that allows you to edit the text if your country follows a different format.

Electronic Teller will generate both bar and pie graphs to help you get a feel for your spending habits.  They help you see at a glance where all your money goes (assuming you're disciplined about categorizing your expenses properly).  Electronic Teller will also generate financial reports for you, which may or may not be useful to you depending on what you need to do with it.

Also, Electronic Teller attempts to help you "reconcile" your accounts with your bank statement.  Since charges to your account often appear days or even weeks after you make them (especially if you pay via personal check), your information will be skewed slightly from your bank statement.  Electronic Teller has tools that will allow you to get the two statements to agree with each other.

Finally, Electronic Teller prompts you to back up your information every time you try to exit the application.  It can save up to 10 versions of your data -- after the 10th is saved, it will start overwriting earlier versions.

Nice Extras

Along with Electronic Teller itself, there is a calculator and a calendar application bundled with the package.  These apps can be launched from within the Service Desk, or they can be launched separately.  The calendar is used by Electronic Teller for scheduling monthly payments and the like, but it can also be used separately to remind you of events that have nothing at all to do with spending money. The calculator, which is modeled in the ticker-tape style, can also be used separately for normal everyday, non-finance related calculations.

Exclusions

Electronic Teller does not support electronic transactions.  If you're used to paying your bills electronically via Quicken or some other financial management application with CheckFree, you may find this disappointing, but I've never done that before so it doesn't particularly bother me.  But depending on what bank you use, you may find that you can download your account transaction history in .QIF format from the bank's web site, which Electronic Teller can then import. This is about as close as it gets to "e-banking", however.

Conclusion

Electronic Teller has continued to mature nicely and it's a great example of why OS/2 has some of the best shareware available in the computer world today.  It's a well-crafted, intelligently designed program that should be more than capable of managing your home finances.  I'd venture it might even be able to be used as a financial program for a small business, though I'd imagine a financial application designed specifically for business users would be ultimately more useful.  I classify Electronic Teller as a "must have" application for anyone who uses OS/2.

                         - * -

Electronic Teller v3.10
     by (http://www.travel-net.com/~phcaron/) Paul Caron
     download from (ftp://ftp.bmtmicro.com/bmtmicro/et310.zip) BMT Micro (ZIP, 2.3M)
     Registration: US$40.00 (Cdn$45.00)

(wrightc@dtcweb.com) Christopher B. Wright is a technical writer in the Richmond, VA area, and has been using OS/2 Warp since January 95.  He is also a member of Team OS/2.

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Money Tree v1.0	- by Chris Wenham

Money Tree from Mount Baker software is a study in the virtues of Workplace Shell integration. This capable home finance program's unique approach to the user interface utilizes and expands Warp's shell by creating several new classes of folder and object, to the point where it's hard to tell where the Workplace Shell ends and Money Tree begins. For a 1.0 release it's an excellent product. It will overwhelm you with new windows and folders flying open everywhere, but the idea is that as with any other Workplace Shell object, you can make shadows of commonly accessed ledgers and reports on the Desktop or in toolbars -- reducing the clutter and complexity yourself.

Installation, Documentation and Support

Money Tree uses a custom install program that handles the chore of copying files and registering the large number of new classes with the Workplace Shell. Its documentation centers around a tutorial which does a better than average job of introducing you to its concepts and guiding you through the creation of accounts, reports, categories, queries and other functions. 

Support is questionable, I was not able to get any response from Mount Baker software when I sent e-mail.

Using Money Tree

Being a particularly flexible program, Money Tree has features to handle almost every aspect of your financial life. It can keep track of not just savings and checking accounts, but loans, credit cards, budgets, petty cash, can generate net worth reports, amortize a loan, and play games of "What if?" to help you plan into the future and choose a savings plan intelligently. It has the ability to print checks, but unfortunately has no online banking features for paying bills.

Money Tree groups and organizes your accounts, portfolios, ledgers and reports in special adaptations of OS/2's folder and Launchpad class. Centering around what are called Master Portfolios, which group together all the ledgers and budgets and reports related to, say, your home and personal finances, the finances of your small business, another family member's personal finances and so on. You'd create a Master Portfolio for yourself and within it all your checking accounts, savings accounts, credit cards, loans, expenses and so on. 

The view for the folders is split into two panes, one where the user's objects are stored, and a thinner strip along the bottom that holds a tiny-icon view of available templates. This makes it easier to create new objects such as ledgers, check printing objects and such when the template for them is sitting right there. The "Launchpad clones" divide the Master Portfolios up into their different categories such as account ledgers, data trees, reports and budgets.

The power of Money Tree's workplace shell approach becomes evident whenever you want to make a shadow of your personal master portfolio or your checking account ledger available on the Desktop for instant access. It means that after scribbling out a check or making that impulse buy with your credit card for that Instamatic Combination Food Dehydrator/Blender and Coffee Maker on TV, you can instantly jump into your Visa card ledger and record the transaction. You don't have to fiddle around with starting the main program and loading your data file before you can jump to the appropriate account. These objects can be dropped onto the Warp Center, Object Desktop's Control Center or Tabbed Launchpad, or whatever other WPS compliant toolbars and launchpads you may have.

Since Money Tree's internal structure seems to come in two parts -- a front end of folders and objects, and a database that's started and closed in the background whenever needed -- you'll see a small status bar open in the bottom left corner of the screen from time to time. The closing of the database is evidenced by a dialog that pops up at unprompted times and simply says "Money Tree is unloaded from memory". This action seems to be on a timer and appears after a minute or so if you don't open any more ledgers or reports after the last one you closed. It's annoying, and there doesn't seem to be a way of changing the limit on this timer.

Money Tree's ledgers come in several different varieties for savings accounts, checking accounts, credit cards, loans, petty cash and so on. With each variety come a few slight differences in the types of transactions you can enter in them. Savings account ledgers deal in withdrawals, deposits, interest and fees; Checking accounts add checks (normal and printed), debits and ATM transactions; Credit card accounts deal with payments, purchases, credits and interest charged against you; and so on into loans and cash. These specialized ledgers make it easy to record transactions in a logical and clear way, instead of trying to boil it down to a case of simple deposits and withdrawals.

The ledger is set up to navigate through easily with the arrow and tab keys, but still feels too dependent on the mouse. Each new transaction, starts with a popup menu that requires you to select what kind of transaction it is (deposit, check, interest, payment etc.) and moves on to the payee, category, and amount. On each field Money Tree usually has a tool that pops up automatically or with the click of a button. The date field has a mini calendar, the payee field has a drop down list of previous payees as well as a popup category tree, and a small but fully functional calculator is available with the click of a button when you come to entering the dollar value.

What I didn't like about the ledger was its tendency to pop up a dialog box right when it would interrupt your flow. It'll confirm every new payee you add to your list and every transaction you finish entering, but there doesn't seem to be an option anywhere to switch these confirmations off. There's also the problem where the ledger will repaint itself four or five times when it's first opened.

A bonus is the ability to easily customize the toolbar that runs along the top by dragging and dropping any menu item. Just navigate to a menu option you wish represented as a button, hold down the right mouse button and drag it onto the toolbar. 

Reports and "What If?"

Money Tree has the ability to generate a number of reports and graphs that chart your financial situation but at the moment this is limited to Cash Flow and Net Worth reports only. What's more interesting is the "What If?" modules that let you play with your figures to see what would happen if you put a few extra dollars than usual in your retirement account, or chose a different plan for paying off a loan. 

Money Tree's principle "What If?" modules are: Annual Yield (convert a periodic interest rate to an annual yield), Credit Card payoff, Future Value (find out how much you'll save if you pay a regular amount on schedule), Loan Amortization, Present Value (find out how much to contribute to meet a savings goal) and Rate of Return.  

For both reports and "What Ifs?", not only is each module powerful, with the ability to handle several different conditions and payment strategies, but the graphs and tables they generate are easily customized too by right clicking over the labels and elements you want to modify. Once generated, they can also be saved to the clipboard in bitmap or OS/2 Metafile format to be used in another program such as a word processor. 

Import/Export

Money Tree is unique in that it includes a Rexx API for users to write their own import filters, although this is really only useful if you know Rexx and understand the structure of the file format you wish to import. Nonetheless, Money Tree comes with two filters already written for you that will import .QIF (Quicken Interchange Format) and .MBF ("predefined category") files. What's disappointing is that the export function has not yet been implemented at all -- not even the Rexx API, so you couldn't write an export filter even if you did know Rexx. There's a button for it in every ledger toolbar, but clicking it only produces a "coming soon" message.

Conclusions

Money Tree is a superb display of OS/2's Workplace Shell harnessed and put to use for something other than launching programs and managing files. Its roughness shows where the program occasionally crashes and the incessantly disruptive confirmation dialogs break up your flow. But I must still concede that it's a world class job, superbly thought out and designed, with a strength in home and personal finances.

                         - * -

Money Tree v1.0
     by (http://www.mount-baker.com/) Mt. Baker Software
     download the preview from the (http://www.os2ss.com/archives/hobbes/os2/apps/money/mtree10.zip) OS/2 Supersite (ZIP, 6.8M)
     MSRP: US$69.95

(chris@os2ezine.com) Chris Wenham is the Senior Editor of OS/2 e-Zine! -- a promotion from Assistant Editor which means his parking spot will now be wide enough to keep his bicycle and a trailer.

***********************************

First Looks and Nifty Gadgets

First Looks and Nifty Gadgets brings you reviews of the new and novel.  In each issue we take a look at what's just hitting the streets and some tiny, but tried and true products that are still helping people be as productive as possible.

     In this issue we look at: Smart Windows demo v0.79 | PMPopup/2 v1.0

Smart Windows demo v0.79

Just when we had rediscovered and reinstalled (http://www.os2ezine.com/v2n9/first.htm) CandyBarZ (after reinstalling OS/2 one time, we forgot to reload this great WPS enhancer), the developer of Smart Windows releases his first public demo.  Formerly planned as "Tabbed Windows", this newly renamed product promises a host of WPS enhancements, including (but definitely not limited to!) a spiffed up title-bar.

Smart Windows should eventually deliver helpful features to the Desktop such as pointer hiding (if the mouse hasn't been moved for a few seconds); extensive mouse button remapping and some keyboard remapping; and a selection of bitmaps for titlebar buttons and the ability to move or disable the close button (an ability we wanted when Warp 4 was first released).  And, of course, Smart Windows will allow users to customize their titlebars with horizontal of vertical "shading", or with bitmaps -- a beautiful effect!

The entire product will be controlled from one very well laid out settings notebook which should impress even the most Windows-envious OS/2er.  Every feature has its own page with a corresponding "exception list" page for that feature (in case you don't want fancy titlebars with Lotus 123, for example).  Changing the titlebar bitmaps is as easy as clicking on the sample in the notebook; a new pop-up dialog appears listing all the possible bitmaps you can use, or allowing you to define a colour or shade.

While this is only a demo of what the program will do (the Smart Windows demo doesn't actually affect your Desktop at this point, just its own settings notebook), the author says on his web page that he expects, "to release a first beta before the end of June."  If the beta is half as good as the demo, expect it to be a winner.

Smart Windows demo v0.79
     by (http://ghostbbs.pandora.it/~alcant/) Alessandro Cantatore
     download from the (http://ghostbbs.pandora.it/~alcant/smwdemo0.zip) WarpWare Home Page (ZIP, 570k)
     Registration: FREEWARE

                         - * -

PMPopup/2 v1.0

PMPopup/2 is a small program that does just one thing: create pop-up dialog windows on your Desktop.  These pop-ups can have buttons, they can be set to disappear after a certain time, the text on them can be modified and they can even generate a short "warning beep" when they pop up.

The real power of PMPopup/2 though, is that when its pop-up windows close, they generate an "errorlevel".  This just means that they generate a code when they close, which will be different depending on how the dialog was closed (by a button click or by a timeout).  With some simple REXX scripting, you can create a short .CMD file which will pop up a window displaying some information, wait for a button to be pressed, and act accordingly.

PMPopup/2 is not new, but it's a good way to create quick and dirty "graphical" front ends for simple REXX programs.

PMPopup/2 v1.0
     by (christian.biskup@bonn.netsurf.de) Christian Biskup
     download from the (http://www.os2ss.com/archives/hobbes/os2/util/wps/pmpopup2.zip) OS/2 Supersite (ZIP, 24k)
     Registration: FREEWARE

                         - * -

That's it for this issue.  Tune in next time for more reviews of neat gadgets and first looks at new OS/2 tools.

***********************************

May 30, 1998 Reader Survey Results

OS/2 users often live a strange paradox.  They experience bitterness towards IBM for perceived marketing ineptness or disinterest in OS/2 while, at the same time, they love OS/2 itself.  But IBM's indifference to the SOHO and home users of OS/2 is nothing new.  For some time, many people in the OS/2 community have been pursuing strategies designed to eliminate IBM from the OS/2 market or at least minimize their importance.  Some argue that we could go it alone, and some even argue that we should.

To find out exactly how much we really value IBM's involvement, last issue we asked you about "IBM's Support".

Answers to our survey were accepted from May 30th until June 11th.  We had a total of 1,346 replies to our questionnaire with 84 "spoiled" entries (replies were considered "spoiled" if they did not contain an e-mail address, if all questions were not answered or if they were duplicates).  This left 1,262 valid replies.  The results were as follows:

Is it important for IBM to adapt OS/2 to run (well) on the (http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/sp100997.HTM) Intel Merced CPU?

Intel, second only to that other master of vaporous announcements, recently revealed some of the details of its next super-processor, code named "Merced".  Many operating system vendors immediately jumped on this bandwagon with their own announcements that they would port their products to "full 64-bit compatibility".  Notably absent from this list of early adopters, however, was IBM with an announcement about an OS/2 update.

Do you care?  Yes!  Almost three quarters of our readers (74.0%) told us that they felt Merced updates from IBM would be very or somewhat important.  A significant group were indifferent or unsure (17.7% -- possibly due to the fact that "Merced" does not even exist yet) but with only 8.1% reporting that they felt Merced support was unimportant, it's clear OS/2ers want to maintain support for the latest Intel chips.

Is it important for IBM to release Netscape Communicator 4.0 for OS/2?

A long time ago, in an IBM far, far away, there was a brief period of intense euphoria when it seemed that the world's most popular web browser suite would be ported to OS/2.  Reports on this often promised, never delivered product have ranged from "it's dead" to "it's done but will not be released".  Nevertheless, the fact is that IBM and Netscape have been "working on" an OS/2 port of Netscape Communicator 4.0 for over a year and most of us have not seen a glimpse of it.  To complicate things, when Netscape announced they would release the source code for Communicator 5.0 (one revision newer than the product IBM has yet to finish porting!), numerous people in the OS/2 community immediately announced they would take the code and produce a public freeware OS/2 port.

With all this delay and confusion, does anyone care if IBM ever finishes their interminable project?  Surprisingly, yes.  If you walked into a room of OS/2ers it might be hard to find anyone that didn't think it was important for IBM to release Communicator 4.0 -- only 3.0% of our readers told us they didn't think so.  A whopping 94% felt it was important with nearly three in four (74.0%) saying it was very important (emphasis added).  We fear that the private individuals' port of Communicator 5 may see the light of day (or the LA Kings might play an outdoor home game) before IBM ever releases theirs, but we can always hope...

Is it important for IBM to offer free technical support for OS/2?

In the dim past of computer history (1995, to be exact), when IBM was actually pursuing the desktop operating system market, many of us got our first taste of OS/2 Warp (then version 3.0).  Naturally, as was the style at the time, Warp 3 came with free tech support.  Those days seem to be long gone as far as OS/2 is concerned and it is questionable whether the tech support IBM could now provide for OS/2 is really very valuable anyway.  Regardless, our readers still want IBM's help with OS/2 and they want it for free.  While slightly more people felt it was "somewhat important" than felt it was "very important", the two categories combined accounted for 71.0% of those replying to our survey last time.

However, the minority that felt free tech support from IBM was unimportant should not be discounted.  More than a quarter (27.5%) felt it was somewhat or very unimportant or were just plain indifferent.

What are your plans for IBM's (http://www.software.ibm.com/os/warp/swchoice/) Software Choice subscription?

Some time ago IBM announced that the only way to purchase future versions of some products (including OS/2 itself) would be to purchase a "Software Choice" subscription.  This program is clearly targeted at businesses as it is not the traditional sales model end-users are familiar with.  Not surprisingly, not many of our readers have subscribed yet (only 7.4%) and only a handful (4.1%) are definitely planning to do so in the future.  However, nearly a quarter (23.4%) tell us they probably will subscribe eventually.  All these together make only 34.9% -- a little over a third of people responding.  Compare that to those who will probably or definitely not subscribe (40.1%) and you can see that OS/2ers are nearly evenly split on the value of Software Choice.

                         - * -

That's it for this issue.  Don't forget to fill out this issue's questionnaire and check back on June 13th for complete results.




                         Complete May 30, 1998 Survey Results

Is it important for IBM to adapt OS/2 to run (well) on the (http://www.intel.com/pressroom/archive/releases/sp100997.HTM) Intel Merced CPU?


Category							Count	Percentage
Very important					561		44.5%
Somewhat important				372		29.5%
Somewhat unimportant				69		5.5%
Very unimportant					33		2.6%
I am indifferent					141		11.2%
I am not sure						82		6.5%
I do not understand the question	4		0.3%
TOTAL							1,262	100.1%



Is it important for IBM to release Netscape Communicator 4.0 for OS/2?

Category							Count	Percentage
Very important					934		74.0%
Somewhat important				252		20.0%
Somewhat unimportant				26		2.1%
Very unimportant					11		0.9%
I am indifferent					34		2.7%
I am not sure						5		0.4%
I do not understand the question	0		0.0%
TOTAL							1,262	100.1%



Is it important for IBM to offer free technical support for OS/2?

Category							Count	Percentage
Very important					397		31.5%
Somewhat important				499		39.5%
Somewhat unimportant				170		13.5%
Very unimportant					54		4.3%
I am indifferent					122		9.7%
I am not sure						19		1.5%
I do not understand the question	1		0.1%
TOTAL							1,262	100.1%


What are your plans for IBM's (http://www.software.ibm.com/os/warp/swchoice/) Software Choice subscription?

Category							Count	Percentage
I have already subscribed			94		7.4%
I will definitely subscribe		52		4.1%
I will probably subscribe			295		23.4%
I will probably not subscribe		398		31.5%
I will definitely not subscribe		108		8.6%
I am not sure						300		23.8%
I do not understand the question	15		1.2%
TOTAL							1,262	100.0%

***********************************

June 13/98 Reader Survey

Have you ever wondered what your fellow OS/2 users are doing with their computers and how they're doing it?

Each issue, OS/2 e-Zine! takes the pulse of the OS/2 community on a different topic and presents you with the results.

Just fill in the form at http://www.os2ezine.com/v3n08/survey2.htm and check our next issue to find out how "normal" you really are!

                         - * -

Do you have an idea that you think would make a (feedback@os2ezine.com) good survey question?

Don't forget to check out the complete results of last issue's survey, in this issue!

          This issue's topic: Talking Back to Your Computer

Notes:
1. Only one entry per reader will be counted.
2. All questions must be answered to be counted.
3. Information must be received on or before June 25, 1998.

Complete results of this survey will be printed in our next issue (June 27, 1998).

***********************************

May 30 "How Can We Improve?" Survey Results

In our last issue we asked some simple questions of our readers to determine what direction they want to see OS/2 e-Zine! go.  While these surveys are done mainly for internal purposes, we assume many of you might be interested in what your fellow readers have to say.  So below you will find the complete results of our questionnaire.

Answers to our survey were accepted from May 30th until June 11th.  We had a total of 373 replies to our questionnaire with 35 "spoiled" entries (replies were considered "spoiled" if they did not contain an e-mail address, if all questions were not answered or if they were duplicates).  This left 338 valid replies.  The results were as follows:

Would you like a print version of OS/2 e-Zine! delivered to you via postal mail?

When we first started OS/2 e-Zine!, a prominent OS/2 developer told us that we should seriously consider creating a print version.  Over the years we have resisted this temptation for many reasons: printing and distribution costs, marketing difficulties, and lack of experience to name a few.  But we wondered if we were missing a potential "gold mine".  The obvious thing to do was ask, so we did.

A surprising number of readers (62.4%) told us that they did not want a print version of OS/2 e-Zine!.  This may be due to the fact that a print version would obviously be much less timely than the electronic 'zine we've been putting together for almost three years.  Still, a significant number of you (26.0%) did express interest in the idea, so it's not something we're dismissing at this point.  For now though, our main priority will be ensuring the long term stability of the traditional electronic version.

What _yearly_ subscription fee would you pay for regular delivery of a print version of OS/2 e-Zine! every _two_ weeks?

Paradoxically, considering the number of people who said they did not want a print version of OS/2 e-Zine!, only about one in four (27.5%) told us they would not pay any fee for such a product delivered every two weeks.  While this was our largest single group of respondents, many more (42.7%) felt they would pay somewhere between US$15 and US$50 per year for bi-weekly delivery.

What _yearly_ subscription fee would you pay for regular delivery of a print version of OS/2 e-Zine! every _four_ weeks?

Another option that has been suggested for a print version of OS/2 e-Zine! is to print only once every four weeks, combining two issues at a time before sending them.  For this type of service, your responses were roughly the same as for a bi-weekly product.  Again, a little over a quarter of readers (26.3%) would not pay any fee but this time a little over 40% (42.6% to be exact) told us they would pay only between US$15 and US$30 per year.

                         - * -




                         Complete Survey Results

Would you like a print version of OS/2 e-Zine! delivered to you via postal mail?
	

Category					Count		Percentage
Yes	88	26.0%
No	211	62.4%
I have no opinion / I'm not sure	38	11.2%
TOTAL	338	99.6%


What _yearly_ subscription fee would you pay for regular delivery of a print version of OS/2 e-Zine! every _two_ weeks?


Category					Count		Percentage
I would not pay any fee	93	27.5%
I would pay less than US$15	13	3.8%
I would pay US$15	34	10.1%
I would pay US$20	4	1.2%
I would pay US$24	1	0.3%
I would pay US$25	2	0.6%
I would pay US$30	64	18.9%
I would pay US$36	1	0.3%
I would pay US$40	3	0.9%
I would pay US$50	35	10.4%
I would pay US$60	1	0.3%
I would pay US$100	6	1.8%
I would pay more than US$100	1	0.3%
I have no opinion / I'm not sure	79	23.4%
TOTAL	338	99.8%


What _yearly_ subscription fee would you pay for regular delivery of a print version of OS/2 e-Zine! every _four_ weeks?


Category					Count		Percentage
I would not pay any fee	89	26.3%
I would pay less than US$15	17	5.0%
I would pay US$15	72	21.3%
I would pay US$18	1	0.3%
I would pay US$20	2	0.6%
I would pay US$22	1	0.3%
I would pay US$24	1	0.3%
I would pay US$25	1	0.3%
I would pay US$30	66	19.5%
I would pay US$40	1	0.3%
I would pay US$50	8	2.4%
I would pay US$100	3	0.9%
I have no opinion / I'm not sure	75	22.2%
TOTAL	338	99.7%

***********************************

Just my opinion	- by Christopher B. Wright

Scandals, Egos and Anger

Over the last week or so the OS/2 community has been embroiled in a scandal of sorts.  Certainly not a terribly large one by any account: no one was killed, no one embezzled any money, there were no death threats (that we know of, anyway), and no one took compromising photos of anyone for the purposes of extortion. This was essentially no more complicated than a simple power struggle: one side won, one side lost.  The result, however, is a bunch of confused OS/2 advocates and a situation that leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

But that's not what I want to talk about.  At least, not directly.

What I want to talk about is that nebulous concept called "the press" and how it affects small, tightly-knit communities like the OS/2 home and SOHO market.  Specifically, I want to tell you how the press, when it's doing its job right, will make you very, very angry.

When I read the first announcement on (http://www.32bitsonline.com/) 32 Bits Online (a news publication not affiliated with OS/2 e-Zine! in any capacity), I was furious.  Not at being "scooped", mind you (though in some respect I suppose I was a bit embarrassed about that).

No, I was furious as an OS/2 user.  I was filled with indignant rage when I saw the announcement that magazine's publisher had posted on Usenet newsgroups talking about how 32 Bits Online had exclusive information on why Warpstock was cancelled.  I was even angrier when 32 Bits Online reported that the (http://www.warpstock.org/) Warpstock Steering Committee was in shambles and disorganized, a complete wreck.  I was infuriated when a self-styled "former OS/2 user" wrote an op/ed piece claiming that Warpstock '98 was dead and would never get off the ground.

At the same time, I found myself wanting to put the whole mess behind me.  I wanted (and still want) Warpstock to happen.  I've already bought my platinum pass and look forward to seeing a lot of you (all of you!) there, to be able to place faces with signatures and meet the people behind the web sites.  So anything that seemed to endanger this event, especially negative press, I wanted to go away.  I wanted it buried by any means necessary.

I was wrong.  Completely wrong.

Different Group, Same Problems

Ignoring conflict within the OS/2 community creates a skewed and unrealistic picture of the world we live in.  OS/2 users are, by and large, intelligent, stubborn, independent, and have big egos.  These are personality traits that are necessary for people who are being ignored by a company that wishes we would just go away.  Unfortunately, this also means we constantly step on each other's toes, bruise egos, and start wars and revolutions.  Unless we realize this and are willing to work around it, the OS/2 community will ultimately go away.

The successes of the OS/2 community are something to be proud of.  While large computer chains refused to stock OS/2 software, the OS/2 ISVs and software resellers created a digital market.  Despite IBMs best efforts, there are still forums for OS/2 users to get help, find out what's new in our community and hear about the latest cool software available on the market.  Despite a general lack of enthusiasm from outside the community, there was enough enthusiasm from within to make Warpstock '97 a success, and there is still, despite recent problems, enough enthusiasm from within the community to make Warpstock '98 a success as well.

But despite our successes, we still need to be aware of our problems.  Without knowing where the friction is and what works badly, how can we be expected to avoid these problems in the future?  As the saying goes, "he who doesn't learn from the past is doomed to repeat it."

We should all be willing to admit that not everyone in our community gets along.  Allegedly, the Warpstock Steering Committee and the Chicago Organizing Committee could not get along because neither side was willing to relinquish power they saw as "rightfully" theirs.  There will probably always be cliques within this community.  Those cliques must be identified and those cliques must learn to work together, or OS/2 will never be any more than what it is today.  And recognizing and studying the disagreements, the infighting, and the unpleasantness that sometimes happens between people as they try to make something happen, while not particularly fun or encouraging, is a necessary part of understanding how to make an organization better.

Journalistic Responsibility

It is difficult when you advocate a product (or an ideology) and you are faced with news that makes the product (or ideology) look bad.  Many people would have the same reaction I did, wanting to brush the bad news away and try to focus on only the good things, or focus on how to recover from the bad situation.  This would, however, be inappropriate for a media source that reports news.  The recent Warpstock turbulence affected the OS/2 community.  It was news, and as a source of news, 32 Bits Online is to be commended for informing its OS/2 readers about it.  OS/2 e-Zine!'s news service, (http://www.warpcast.com/) WarpCast also reported on much of the happenings as they unfolded, and I have been told that Warp City did as well.  It would have been irresponsible for any source that considers itself to be a news service to have ignored this topic.

However, I have some problems with the way 32 Bits Online reported this news.  I was frustrated by their apparent glee over the entire Warpstock fiasco.  I was troubled by their one-sided reporting on the Warpstock split, first when they implied that Warpstock was cancelled, then when they refused to get the whole story.  It seemed to me that no attempt was made by 32 Bits Online to contact any member of the Warpstock Steering Committee.  Only oblique references were made to the WSC's announcements after the Chicago Organizing Committee had resigned, yet repeated negative reports were made regarding Warpstock's status and much space was dedicated to the Chicago Committee's statements.  Certainly the Chicago Committee's input was important, but if they have stepped down, the fate of Warpstock rests with the WSC -- why ignore their announcements?

Finally, I was unhappy with 32 Bits Online's decision to publish other people's private email and wondered at their arrogance in doing so (they published email exchanges from a private Warpstock organizational mailing list and my sources tell me that the WSC did not grant permission for its portion of these messages to be reprinted).  From what I understand of copyright law, this is illegal in the United States -- and any other country that has signed the Berne Copyright Convention (which is most industrialized nations).

Obviously, as a Contributing Editor to OS/2 e-Zine! and as a moderator of WarpCast I can not be considered unbiased, but I feel that more diligence should have been shown by Medullas Publishing Company (the company that produces 32 Bits Online).  There are at least two sides to every story; the Warpstock "scandal" has reaffirmed this fact.  Medullas should have attempted to present both those sides.

But, despite my initial reaction, I am not sorry that they reported this story.  It was news, they are a news agency, they ran it.  Now we need to decide what we're going to do with it.

Conclusions

As I stated above, I will be going to Warpstock '98.  And since the Warpstock Steering Committee has confirmed that the event will be held in Chicago, it looks like I'll be attending it in "the windy city".  And, if rumours are true, it looks like I'll be seeing quite a few of you there -- supposedly a great number of people and companies have already committed to attending Warpstock this year.

Are there problems?  Definitely.  Were mistakes made by both sides in the "scandal"?  Probably.  Can we all learn to deal with these problems and forge ahead?  I believe we can.

I'll see you in Chicago.

                         - * -

(wrightc@dtcweb.com) Christopher B. Wright is a technical writer in the Richmond, VA area, and has been using OS/2 Warp since January 95.  He is also a member of Team OS/2.

***********************************

The OS/2 drinking game	- by Chris Wenham and OS/2 e-Zine! staff

Disclaimer: This article in no way intends to promote drinking or irresponsible use of alcohol.  If you get slammed, plastered, hammered, sloshed, whammed, or call your friend 'Ralph' on the big white telephone, it isn't our fault.

Requirements

A beverage. 

The Rules

Sip your drink if:

 o A Win95 user sits down in front of your computer and asks you how
   you changed the bitmap on the 'Start' button. 
 o You use Alpha-release software for mission-critical work
 o You lose your mouse cursor after shutting down Lotus Organizer
 o Esther Schindler bets you a big bar of chocolate
 o You have more than 5 tasks running at the same time
 o You are angry at Mary Jo Foley but you don't remember exactly why
 o You are angry at Sandy Reed but you don't remember exactly why
 o You've ever read OS/2 Magazine
 o You've ever read OS/2 Professional
 o You know who Will Zachmann is
 o Ziff Davis reports the death of OS/2

Swig your drink if:

 o CHKDSK at boot-up takes longer than the time it takes you to
   microwave a pizza
 o Your swap file grows larger than your copy of SmartSuite
 o Your background bitmap collection is larger than your copy of
   SmartSuite
 o You're looking forward to the year 2000 so you can earn supreme
   Told-You-So rights
 o You stare stupidly at the Shutdown confirmation dialog for five
   minutes before you realize you don't have Process Commander or CAD
   Commander installed
 o You scroll too fast with the arrow keys in the System Editor and
   it beeps a recognizable tune
 o InJoy redials so fast you get the same IP address as before and
   your download goes uninterrupted
 o When using VoiceType Navigation you end commands with "Dude" (as
   in, "Open Window... Dude")
 o Every time your OS/2 machine crashes at home, you blame it on
   hardware; every time your Windows 95 machine crashes at work, you
   blame it on Microsoft
 o You ask computer manufacturers if they will preload OS/2 not
   because you think they will, but because you enjoy the sound of
   fear on their voice when they ask you to, "hold, please."
 o You wear a T-shirt that says "Kiss me, I multitask"
 o 32 Bits Online reports the death of OS/2

Chug your drink if: 

 o Someone points to the box on the shelf and says to you, "Does
   that, like, run under Windows 95?"
 o You've ever created a REXX script that will let you vote for OS/2
   over and over again on a web poll
 o You've been accused of creating a REXX script that lets you vote
   for OS/2 over and over again on a web poll
 o You win the big bar of chocolate
 o You've ever insulted Warp City
 o You've ever defended Warp City
 o You're a member of Warp City
 o You've ever been refused membership to Warp City
 o Your membership at Warp City was revoked
 o You think you know who "The OS/2 Guy" really is
 o "The OS/2 Guy" reports the death of OS/2

Take a break if:

 o The Macaw parrots turn to you and say "Hey buddy, give us a rest
   will ya?  My beak and feathers are killing me!"
 o You like the idea of software companies announcing their products
   three years in advance because it gives you enough time to save
   your money for the upgrade
 o You've ever wanted people to describe you as a "Cyber cowboy"
 o You're really sorry Ginger Spice left the group because now your
   Desktop background wallpaper is inaccurate
 o Dan Rather reports the death of OS/2

                         - * -

(chris@os2ezine.com) Chris Wenham is the Senior Editor of OS/2 e-Zine! -- a promotion from Assistant Editor which means his parking spot will now be wide enough to keep his bicycle and a trailer.

***********************************

OS/2 Top Sellers Lists

Each month OS/2 e-Zine! gathers data from various OS/2 retailers on the hottest selling OS/2 applications from around the world and presents the findings right here.  Because of the unique on-line OS/2 community, these lists may represent shareware, commercial software or a combination of the two.

We are pleased to bring you the top selling software lists from the following vendor(s):

o BMT Micro

o Indelible Blue

o Mensys

Note: These lists represent only the monthly sales figures of the respective retailers.  The list above is presented in alphabetical order.  It is not OS/2 e-Zine!'s intention to recommend one retailer over another.  Please see our disclaimer below for more information.

***********************************

May's Top Selling Apps from BMT Micro


This		Last		Product				Developer
Month	Month	
1		3		PMView				Peter Nielsen
2		--		Virtual Pascal		fPrint UK Ltd.
3		1		InJoy				F/X Communications
4		4		PMMail				SouthSide Software
5		2		ProNews/2			Panacea Software
6		6		X-File				CodeSmith Software
7		7		ZOC					EmTec
8		--		File Commander		Brian Havard
9		--		OpenChat/2			Max Mikhanosha
10		8		HomePage Publisher	JBC


                         - * -

This list is compiled by (http://www.bmtmicro.com/) BMT Micro -- Your Source for Over 100 Quality Shareware Applications.

***********************************

May's Top Selling Apps from Indelible Blue

This		Last		Product						Developer
Month	Month	

1		1		Smartsuite OS/2 Warp 4 Beta	Lotus
2		--		BackAgain/2 Pro				Computer Data Strategies
3		5		IBM AntiVirus					IBM
4		--		BlueCad						Cadware
5		7		QuickMotion					Practice Corporation
6		--		FaxWorks Pro					Keller Group
7		8		Unite CD Maker				Cirrus
8		--		VisualAge Java				IBM
9		9		Partition Magic				PowerQuest
10		3		BackMaster					MSR Development
	

                         - * -

Compiled by (http://www.indelible-blue.com/) Indelible Blue, Inc. - Your Single Source for OS/2 Solutions.

***********************************

May's Top Selling Apps from Mensys

This		Last		Product					Developer
Month	Month	

1		2		OS/2 Fixpack CD			Mensys
2		--		DriveImage v2				PowerQuest
3		4		Lotus Smartsuite Upgrade	Lotus
4		--		Process Commander			Stardock Systems
5		3		Partition Magic			PowerQuest
6		--		Warp 4 US/NL Upgrade		IBM
7		10		DriveImage Professional	PowerQuest
8		--		BackMaster				MSR Development
9		--		Impos 2.1 Upgrade			Compart
10		--		GalCiv Gold Upgrade		Stardock Systems


Developers' names highlighted with links are OS/2 e-Zine! Sponsors or Advertisers.

                         - * -

Compiled by (http://www.mensys.nl/indexuk.html) Mensys - The one place to go in Europe for all OS/2 Warp software.

***********************************
Top Sellers Lists Disclaimer

Our "top sellers lists" represent sales figures compiled for OS/2 e-Zine! by (http://www.bmtmicro.com/) BMT Micro, Inc., (http://www.indelible-blue.com/) Indelible Blue, Inc., (http://www.os2store.com/) J3 Computer Technologies and (http://www.mensys.nl/indexuk.html) Mensys.  Falcon Networking does not verify these lists and makes no guarantee of their authenticity.  All inquiries regarding products appearing or not appearing on these lists should be directed to the relevant retailer.

The publication of these lists is not meant to indicate an endorsement by Falcon Networking of any of these companies or of the products featured on the lists.

Readers should note that the rankings indicated in each of these lists represent only the sales of each individual retailer.  They do not, necessarily, represent sales across the entire OS/2 industry.

There are many different sales channels in the OS/2 industry and different software vendors rely heavily on some while other vendors rely more heavily on others.  Also, not all retailers carry all existing OS/2 products.  Readers should take these facts into consideration when interpreting the "top sellers lists".

The BMT Micro "top sellers list" represents only the top selling OS/2 shareware applications available through BMT Micro, Inc.  The BMT Micro CD is excluded from the figures to avoid distorting the results.

The Indelible Blue "top sellers list" represents only the top selling OS/2 applications sold by Indelible Blue, Inc.  OS/2 Warp and OS/2 Warp Connect are not included in these rankings.

***********************************

Subscribe for FREE

If you would like to receive notification when new issues of OS/2 e-Zine! are posted or remove yourself from our notification list, use our on-line subscription form at http://www.os2ezine.com/subscrib.htm -or- send an e-mail to subscribe-request@os2ezine.com with only the word:

     subscribe 

in the body of the message. 

Please make sure your software is properly configured with your e-mail address! 

If you have problems please (feedback@os2ezine.com) e-mail us or contact us at:

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(902) 461-2266

***********************************

Sponsor OS/2 e-Zine!

* Corporate Sponsors

OS/2 e-Zine! has space for a limited number of corporate advertisers.  A variety of affordable advertising options are available including high impact, inline graphical advertising.  Arrangements are available for multiple issue insertions.

For more information please e-mail admin@os2ss.com or phone at (800) 595-1974 (Toll free - US & Canada) or (352) 335-9693 (Outside US & Canada).

* Readers Can Sponsor Too!

If you feel OS/2 e-Zine! is useful, entertaining or educational, please send what you feel a one year subscription is worth.  Even sponsorship of a few dollars is appreciated.  Individuals sponsoring US$15 or more will be listed in our Sponsors Page (with an optional link to their home page).

Just send your cash, cheque or money order (made payable to Falcon Networking) along with:

o  a note stating that it is for OS/2 e-Zine! sponsorship
o  your name
o  your address (city, state/province and country)
o  your e-mail address
o  your web URL if applicable

Alternatively, you may choose to sponsor OS/2 e-Zine! by credit card through BMT Micro, Inc. (http://www.bmtmicro.com/).  BMT Micro acccepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Diner's Club and many other credit cards.  Just call:

o (800) 414-4268 (Voice) 9:00am - 7:00pm EST
o (910) 791-7052 (Voice) 9:00am - 7:00pm EST
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o (910) 799-0923 (Modem) Direct 28.8K line

o Or, use BMT's (https://secure.falcon-net.net/BMT/order0261.html) Secure Order Form.  It's safe, fast and simple!

Any amount is appreciated and whether you choose to sponsor or not, you will still be able to enjoy every issue of OS/2 e-Zine! on the WWW!

For more information or any other questions please (feedback@os2ezine.com) e-mail us or contact us at:

Falcon Networking
4302 NW 25th Terrace
Gainesville FL, 32605
U.S.A.

(902) 461-2266

***********************************

Corporate Sponsors

(http://www.bmtmicro.com/) BMT Micro
Your complete source for over 175 of the best OS/2 shareware applications available.  Drop by today and check out our WWW catalog or download the .INF version.

(http://www.ChipChat.com/os2ezine) ChipChat Technology Group
ChipChat produces excellent 32-bit OS/2 software for wireless text paging and state-of-the-art multimedia Sound Cards for Micro Channel PS/2 computers.

(http://www.indelible-blue.com/) Indelible Blue
Indelible Blue, a mail order company, provides OS/2 software and hardware solutions to customers worldwide.

(http://www.mensys.nl/indexuk.html) Mensys
The one place to go in Europe for all OS/2 Warp software.

(http://www.prominic.com/) Prominic Technologies, Inc.
On-line sales & solutions for VisualAge, DB2, OS/2 Warp, Workspace on Demand, Notes/Domino, AIX Firewall, and Net.Commerce (design/hosting).  The best deals on IBM and Lotus software and hardware (PCs, Servers, and RS/6000s) -- with OS/2 preloads!

(http://www.prioritymaster.com/) ScheduPerformance, Inc.
Dramatically improve performance on your OS/2 system now with the patented priority scanning logic and visual priority identification of Priority Master II.

(http://www.stardock.com/) Stardock Systems
Providing quality software for the home and office.

(http://www.warpspeed.com.au/) WarpSpeed Computers
Developers of The Graham Utilities -- the largest, most comprehensive suite of disk, file and general utilities specifically written for OS/2.

***********************************
Copyright 1998   -   Falcon Networking
ISSN 1203-5696