If you're thinking about visiting this and other CompuServe forums
regularly -- and we hope you do -- you'll want to consider one of the popular
"autopilot" programs to maximize your efficiency (and thus minimize the costs)
for your time online.
WHAT IS AN AUTOPILOT?
While there's a considerable variety of such programs, all of the
"autopilots" operate in roughly the same way: They AUTOMATE your online
actions, so everything you need to do while CompuServe's meter is ticking is
done automatically, at the highest speed your modem will allow.
HOW DO THEY WORK?
Rather than logging on manually, reading and replying to messages online
and then logging off, autopilots make it possible for you to select IN ADVANCE
the forums you want to visit and the actions you want to take there, whether
it's to read all new messages ... all new messages only in certain sections
... only messages addressed to you ... or even simply new message HEADERS,
allowing you to select which "threads" of interest you want to mark for later
download. Once you've made these choices, then all it takes is one keystroke
or mouse click to order your software to do its job. It will dial CompuServe,
make the connection, go to all the forums you've selected, carry out its
instructions there, and then log off ... all at your choice of modem speeds
right up to 14400 bps!
Then, at your leisure and without worrying about online charges, you can
read, consider and reply to all the forum traffic. Only when you've finished
do you send the computer back online to post your replies and log off ...
again, at your computer's highest speed!
In addition to reading and replying to messages, most autopilots can also
be set up to gather catalogs of library files and to download the files you
choose. Many offer scripts, either built-in or add-on, to automate other
services.
HOW MUCH DO THEY SAVE?
While individual mileage may vary, most users who switch to autopilots
from visiting forums "live" report significant savings, reducing their monthly
CompuServe bill to as little as one-fourth of their previous charges! (One
warning, though ... when you see how much you're saving, you'll be sorely
tempted to increase your participation in forums! But even in this case, if
your bill doesn't go down, you'll be getting far more for the same amount of
money.)
IS AN AUTOPILOT BETTER THAN CIM?
Define "better." The CompuServe Information Manager (CIM) products for
Windows, MS-DOS and Macintosh offer an excellent introduction to CompuServe,
and CIM may be THE best choice for interactive communications, including forum
conferencing and visits to the Basic Services (flat-rate) areas like Weather,
News and the Zagat Restaurant Guides. But CIM is not fully automated for
forum visits. Even if you take full advantage of its procedures for collecting
forum messages in your Inbox and reading them offline, it is still less
efficient with your time and money than any full autopilot. (As widely
discussed in the computer press, an undocumented, automated feature for WinCIM
is available as of this writing, but it is strictly experimental, very buggy,
not supported by CompuServe and NOT recommended.)
Nevertheless, because of CIM's clear advantages for NON-Forum work and
its attractive price -- actually free if you download it online, as the credit
for online time fully offsets its cost -- makes it well worth adding to your
collection for use in the appropriate areas of CompuServe. The CIMs are
available in French and German as well as English.
To order CIM, GO ORDER (a free area) and follow the menus to get disks
and a manual sent to you in the mail, or GO CISSOFT (also free) and follow
the menus to download the software.
HOW HARD ARE THEY TO SET UP?
We wouldn't be honest to tell you that getting an autopilot up and
running is a no-brainer. They're complex programs, and it takes a while to
get them configured to fit your exact setup and your personal choices of
online actions. But it's not rocket science, either; and if you read the
manual -- a procedure we strongly recommend even to people who don't usually
read manuals (i.e., 99 percent of computer users) -- you should be able to get
any autopilot up and running in an afternoon. Again, there's plenty of
support, not only from the experts in the various support forums, but from
people who use them in this forum or just about any other.
HOW MUCH DO THEY COST? WHERE CAN I GET ONE?
Most of the autopilot programs are available for downloading from
CompuServe, either as shareware or, in a few cases, for free! A few are sold
commercially. See the detailed reports on specific programs below for more
information on where to find them.
Costs vary from free to $99, not counting download time. However, even
the largest downloadable programs can be retrieved in less than an hour at
2400 bps or a fraction of that at 14400, an investment of under $5 in either
case. That's a mighty moderate price to pay for quality software that will
start saving you money as soon as you use it!
WHICH ONE SHOULD I USE?
Users of MS-DOS machines have by far the widest choice of autopilots, but
one popular commercial program, Navigator, is available for the Macintosh, and
shareware programs are available for the Amiga, the Atari, Hewlett-Packard
palmtop machines, Unix-based systems and many more. If in doubt, check in with
the CompuServe support forum for your computer ... and please let us know what
you find, so we can update this file!
Here's some basic information (along with a few of the author's personal
opinions) about the most well-known autopilots. If you want to know more, we
suggest that you visit the forums where the ones of interest are supported, or
for that matter, post a question about them in the Friends & Fun section of
this forum, or the "chat" section of just about any CompuServe forum. You'll
get plenty of testimony from satisfied customers!
***** AUTOPILOTS FOR MS-DOS COMPUTERS *****
[TAPCIS]
Perhaps the most well-known of all autopilot programs, TAPCIS is
relatively streamlined (it can even be run from a floppy disk on a laptop),
and having been through five major revisions, it has stood the test of time
and eliminated most known bugs since the first introduction by its creator,
the late Howard Benner.
TAPCIS is shareware, with a requested price of $79, payable if you
continue using it after a trial period. Registered users can also get
printed, professional-quality documentation and free upgrades. TAPCIS
does not include sophisticated thread-mananagement utilities for handling
collected forum messages, but good add-on programs like Tappet and ReCon
are popular. Visit TAPCIS Forum for more details on these.
TAPCIS, now in Version 5.42, is downloadable from Library 1 (TAPCIS [R])
of TAPCIS Forum (GO TAPCIS). Look for the file TAPCIS.INF (20K bytes) for
more information about the program or download TAP.EXE (198K), the self-
extracting program files, and TAPDOC.EXE (157K), the manual.
(A major update to TAPCIS, Version 6.0, is reportedly in the works, as is
a long-rumored Windows version. We'll update this file with information as it
becomes available.)
[OzCIS]
OzCIS is extremely popular with people who have modern, fast MS-DOS
computers with lots of RAM. It has a Windows-like look and feel, with
pulldown menus and dialog boxes, and it supports (but does not require) a
mouse. Quite frankly, it has more features than TapCIS, including extensive
thread-management features; and it's much less expensive. Version 1 (which
remains available) is FREE, and the current version is just $20 as shareware.
The downside to OzCIS is that it is very large, requiring a couple of
megs of hard-disk room to operate at all. Here's the official word from
the program developers: "OzCIS Version 2 is a protected-mode DOS application,
requiring a minimum of 2Mb of free system RAM as either 'raw' memory or XMS.
EMS memory is not used. A minimum of 256K of free 'low' memory (below the
640K DOS barrier) is required. Minimum processor is a 386sx/16, with a 386/25
or better recommended. (In general, if your system cn run MS Windows
effectively and meet the above hardware requirements, it can run OzCIS.) An
EGA or better color video system is required for display of GIF graphics
images; otherwise any video system is fine. Mouse not absolutely required,
but strongly encouraged." In other words, it WILL NOT RUN on any machine
earlier than a 286 or smaller than 2 megs of RAM, and it won't run adequately
with less than a 386 and 1 meg RAM.
OzCIS is not guaranteed to perform well under Windows. While many users
are doing so without incident, success is not universal. I'm personally unable
to run OzCIS V2 under Windows on my Toshiba T4500C, for example, due to
instant, fatal General Protection Faults, for example, and neither Team Oz nor
the Toshiba support forum has been able to help; and while it is more stable
on my Dell 486/33 desktop, it is prone to unexpected crashes. My best advice:
If you want to run Oz, don't run it under Windows. However, it's well-
designed, well-engineered, and an outstanding choice for MS-DOS users whose
equipment can handle it.
OzCIS, now in version 2.0c(4), is available from its own forum, GO OZCIS.
It's a good idea to read the "brochure" files first (OZCIS2.BRO in Library 1,
General Information, 11K, for information on Version 2, and OZCIS1.BRO in Library 9, OzCIS V1 Files, 8K, for details on Version 1). Then go to OzCis Forum Library 2 (OzCIS V2 Files) for the self-extracting program files, OZ2D1.EXE (717K) and OZ2D2.EXE (483K). In addition to the $20 shareware price for V2, printed documentation is available by mail for an additional $20. Specialty items such as OzCIS T-shirts are also available.
OzCIS is supported by its author, Steve Sneed, and a group of volunteers
known as "Team Oz" in Section 12, "OZCIS," of the IBM Communications Forum (GO
IBMCOM). Sneed plans many future enhancements, including a "lite" version for
laptop computers, a Windows version, and a version which uses CompuServe's HMI interface - the same interface CIM uses to allow such things as file downloads and message downloads to occur at the same time.
[AutoSig (ATO)]
Another FREE autopilot, and one of the oldest and most time-tested
programs available, is ATO, a gift to the online community by programmer
Vern Buerg, now largely programmed by Jim McKeown.
Although system hackers endlessly debate the differences between TAPCIS
and Autosig, in my opinion, they're as similar as, well, Ford and Chevrolet.
Different style, but essentially the same features. For most users, the
preference seems to rest largely on which of the programs you tried first.
'Nuff said. The people who use ATO love it and speak highly of it. Ditto for
the partisans of TAPCIS. You can't get better testimony than that.
ATO Version 6.9a is available for downloading from IBM Communications
Forum (GO IBMCOM), Library 1 (Autosig [ATO]). Look for the self-extracting
program file, ATOSIG.EXE (135K) and user's manual, ATODOC.EXE (71K). Want a
shell to run ATO under Windows? Grab WATO15.EXE (178K).
[CISOP]
One more option, CISOP, is a script that adds CompuServe autopilot
functions to the commercial (MS/DOS) comms programs CrossTalk Mark 4 or
Communicator. I haven't tried it, but I've been impressed with the near-
evangelistic attitude of many of its users.
At one point, CISOP's developer Dean Ammons withdrew from active support
of the program, causing it to fall behind changes in the CompuServe message
software, thus making it a poor choice for current users. However, I
understand that new developers have taken over, and the program remains
available, and receives at least basic consumer support, on the CrossTalk
Forum.
To get CISOP Version 5.03a, join CrossTalk Forum (GO XTALK) and go to
Library 4 (CrossTalk Mark 4) or Library 7 (XTALK Communicator), where you'll
find identical copies of the program file CISOP.ZIP (423K), and the help and
documentation files CISHLP.ZIP (167K) and CISDOC.ZIP (102K). It's shareware,
requested price $40.
[NavCIS]
Although primarily a Windows application, NavCIS from Dvorak Development
is also available in both freeware and timed shareware GUI-based (graphics
interface) version for MS-DOS. For more information, see "NavCIS" under
"Autopilots for Windows."
[TeePee]
Largely supplanted by WigWam for Windows, TeePee is a British offline
reader for DOS from Ashmount Research. For more information, see "TeePee and
WigWam" under "Autopilots for Windows."
***** CONFERENCING AUTOPILOTS FOR MS-DOS *****
[CISCO and CoExpert]
While most autopilot programs are dedicated mostly or entirely to forum
message areas and libraries, these two first-rate programs automate the forum
CONFERENCE areas. No, they won't write snappy bon mots or automate your wine
or beer tasting notes <grin>, but they will, once set up with your parameters,
log you on to CompuServe, take you to the forum conference room of your
choice, set your "handle" and present you with an easy-to-follow split screen
for online communications.
CISCO is very simple, compact, and easy to use. CoExpert is similar, but
with lots more bells and whistles. Both are in Library 2 [Help & Information]
of the Zenith Data Systems Forum (GO ZENITH), and they'll work on all MS-DOS
machines, not just Zenith portables.
You'll find Version 1.3 of CISCO as the compressed file CISCO.ZIP (40K).
Version 1.1b of CoExpert is CEXPRT.ZIP (47K). They're free, although CoExpert
is billed as "attaboyware," meaning that if you think it's a goodie, it's
appropriate to EMail the developer and tell him so.
***** AUTOPILOTS FOR WINDOWS *****
The field of autopilots for Windows has blossomed since the last edition
of this article, with a variety of shareware and free programs becoming
available, and the expected rivalries and debate about which one's best, and
how they compare with the Big Three MS-DOS autopilots, OzCIS, TAPCIS and ATO.
Here's a cautionary view of the Windows-autopilot category, thanks to
WineForum Section Leader Arnd Wussing: "All of the Windows product support
forums, regardless of the product type, are full of complaints and comments
regarding speed. It seems as if most application users think that text mode
and GUI (i.e. Windows) applications are basically identical. This is
definately not the case. Most of the CPU time in a text-based program is spent
working on the program; under Windows most of the processor capacity is
usually occupied updating the screen objects as well as in process
control/switching, what little is left goes towards the application. What
applies to processing power is doubly important regarding memory usage.
Basically, you pay for the comfortable, colorful and detailed picture with
both CPU and memory. I think the appropriate term coined by Heinlein is
TANSTAAFL [There aint no such thing as a free lunch]."
In short, if the color and graphics look-and-feel of Windows applications
appeals to you, that's fine, but don't expect the speed or simplicity of the
DOS-based autopilots.
Here, listed alphabetically, are the current options:
[FlexCIS]
Although it's one of the least-known of the Windows autopilots, FlexCis
Off-line Browser 1.3 for CompuServe has received good reviews from those who
use it. It is available from Windows Shareware Forum (GO WINSHARE) Library 3
(Comm/Fax Apps), where you can review the information file CISOBR.TXT (3K)
before downloading the program files, CISOBR.ZIP (445K) and the necessary
support files, CISSUP.ZIP (520K). It's $65 shareware.
[GoCIS]
After a long period of public beta testing and a name change from WinCIS
to GoCIS, the production version of this package has been released as "GoCIS
Version 1.01." You'll need 1.5 megs of free disk space to install GoCIS, and
its space requirements will grow quickly with use if you keep forum messages
and library descriptions around for a long time. Initial setup is not
complex, but the learning curve is a bit steep. Thread-handling is rather
limited, but message searches and, particularly, library search and download
features are simple and powerful.
GoCIS is $59 shareware. It can be downloaded from Windows User Group
Forum (GO WUGNET) Library 12 (GoCIS), where you'll need the program file,
GOCIS.ZIP (777K) and, if you don't have it, VBRUN3.ZIP (230K), a Windows DLL
library file that GoCIS requires.
[NavCIS]
A controversial Windows autopilot from Dvorak Development, NavCIS has its
ardent supporters and noisy foes. If you've noticed messages on CompuServe
forums with a long string of "garbage" characters as the last line, NavCIS is
probably the culprit: It's a string that NavCIS users send to activate
attractive screen fonts when reading each other's messages; but if they leave
it toggled on in general forums, it imposes an ugly line on all other members,
a situation that I consider poor cyber-citizenship on the part of the
developers. In its early development, NavCIS also offered a large
"crippleware" download, a less-than-fully featured version, another move not
calculated to win friends and supporters. This approach, however, has been
modified in the current release, which offers the user a choice of SE
("Special Edition") versions, billed as "less-than-full-featured" but
FREEWARE, or TE ("Timed Edition") versions, which are fully functioning but
quit working after 30 days. They can be brought back to life by registering
them for the $69 shareware fee.
For more information, join the Dvorak Development Forum (GO DVORAK or GO
NAVCIS), Library 1 (NavCIS Software) and download the Windows Help File
DVORAK.EXE (80K) for a colorful and graphic description of the program
options.
Then you've got a choice of four downloads: WPROTE.EXE (778K) is the 30-
day test version of the full-featured NavCIS Pro 1.1 for Windows. WNAVSE.EXE
(564K) is the freeware NavCIS SE Windows version 1.15. DPROTE.EXE (790K) is
the 30-day test version, full-featured NavCIS Pro 1.1 for DOS, and DNAVSE.EXE
(749K) is the freeware NavCIS SE DOS version 1.11A.
[TeePee and WigWam]
Two programs designed by the British developer Edward Hasted and
supported on the United Kingdom Computing Forum (GO UKCOMP) are worth a look
by PC users in any part of the world. Ashmount Research supports TeePee (for
DOS) in Section and Library 13 (TeePee) and WigWam (for Windows) in Section
and Library 12 (WigWam). For basic descriptions of these programs, download
TPDES.TXT (2K) and WWDES.TXT (7K) for TeePee and WigWam, respectively.
You'll find WigWam Version 2.00f, described as "The first fully
functional Windows in the self-extracting file WW2DEM.EXE (924K). It's $99
shareware.
TPEVAL.ZIP (312K) is the latest evaluation copy of TeePee, Version 1.30,
a complete offline reader for CompuServe using MS/DOS. For documentation,
download TPMAN.ZIP (59K).
[WinNAV]
WinNAV / The CompuServe Navigator(tm) for Windows, version 1.0, is CompuServe's own offline navigator for Windows. It's available by mail, with documentation, by GO ORDER ($79.95, on sale for $50, less a $25 credit for online time); and it can be downloaded online, GO CISSOFT, for $30 less a $10 online credit.
Comments by Arnd Wussing:
"WinNAV is BIG. You'll need to download two files totaling 2.3 megs!
However, CISSOFT is a free forum, so you're not charged for the download time.
WinNAV can be installed in the same directory as WinCIM; the two products
coexist perfectly. In fact, with WinCIM in use, the full WinNAV installation
does not require a single keystroke! Everything can be done with a mouse. The
term "highly graphical" is a true understatement in this case; and this is one
of the few times that the user interface is truly intuitive. The scripts to be
run online can all be generated completely by mouse: merely click on
appropriate forum in the services window to add it to the session, then open
up the forum and choose the type of actions to be executed. After the script
is completed a click on the "run" icon fires up the modem.
The ease of use is exceptional. For those who already know WinCIM,
WinNAV is definitely THE solution. Unfortunately the extended graphical front-
end exacts its price. Compared to GoCIS I have seen performance of 1/3 longer
up to twice as long at 9600 bps. The *FREE* support Forum (WNAVSUPPORT)
contains a number of messages to this effect, along with the promise that
upcoming versions will address the online performance issue.
Other CompuServe users have given WinNav mixed reviews:
Tim Wallace: "I can't say enough good about it. I use WinNAV almost
exclusively now. It's incredibly easy to use, full of useful features, as
automated as I could want it to be."
Bob McCracken: "It's pretty slick, but it is not quite as polished as it
should be. It is powerful, but not as intuitive, and some of the options don't
work the way they should. Lately mine has been giving me fits at home, so I
am a little prejudiced. Maybe the thing to say is that since it is a V1.0, it
needs to be refined."
Russ Nixon: "I used it for quite a while, and it caused General
Protection Faults on a daily basis and corrupted my file cabinet several
times. It's better than no Autopilot at all, as long as it's not causing
problems. It's okay if the user is computer literate enough to recover data
that occasionally gets lost or deleted. Once the authors get all the bugs out
of the software it will be an excellent autopilot for novices."
***** AUTOPILOT FOR OS/2 *****
[Golden CommPass]
If you're running OS/2 on your computer, you'll definitely want to
consider Golden CommPass (GCP) Version 2.0, a slick program that began life
as TAPCIS dressed up to run under OS/2 but has matured into an independent
program with exceptional multitasking power. It's particularly easy for
TAPCIS users to simply port over TAP's parameters and sections files to
configure GCP instantly, and once you master the intuitive GUI-type interface, you'll find all the familiar TAPCIS elements available in new, high-tech form.
As you'd expect with an OS/2 program, GCP is bulletproof in multitasking
situations. You can let it run in the background while doing other work, or
if you're capturing multiple forums, you can start reading and replying to
messages in the first forum it reaches while it's still moving along to the
next.
GCP is commercial software, available for $99 from Creative Systems
Programming Corp., POB 961, Mount Laurel, N.J. 08054-0961. For more
information call (609) 234-1500 or EMail Creative Systems at UserID 71511,151.
It's available for downloading from the Golden CommPass Support Forum (GO
GCPSUPPORT), where you'll find the information file COMPAS.FAQ (11K) and the
program file GCP21D.ZIP (930K) in Library 1 (Golden CommPass). WARNING: This
application, despite its size, is a crippleware demo version, capable of
visiting only the IBM, OS2, Golden CommPass and Practice Forums. The full-
featured version is available ONLY with registration.
***** AUTOPILOT FOR THE MACINTOSH *****
[Navigator]
There is only one full autopilot for the Macintosh, and it's commercial
software, marketed by CompuServe.
You can't download Navigator, but you can order it online directly from
Compuserve; and once you've got a registered copy, you can download future upgrades online. Version 3.2.1, with a list price of $70, is currently available for $50 sale price, and it comes with a $25 online credit, bringing the effective price down to just $25. GO ORDER and follow the menus to place an order and have it billed to your CompuServe account.
Navigator is also sold by software retailers.
***** AUTOPILOTS FOR HP PALMTOPS *****
[acCIS]
acCIS SM V2.0, used with the FastComm! or Commo communications programs
for automated access to CompuServe, is small but quick, and gets good reviews
from its users on the HP95LX and HP100LX. It's available from HP Handheld
Forum (GO HPHAND) Library 5 (95LX Datacomm) as the file ACCIS9.ZIP (121K).
It's shareware, $35.
acCIS 2.35 for DOS, requiring the Commo program and an editor, is found
in the same library as ACCIS.ZIP (80K). It's free.
[MESSAGE]
MESSAGE 2.0, a competitive program using FastComm! or Commo, is in the
same library as MESSG.ZIP (88K). This one is $20 shareware.
***** AUTOPILOTS FOR THE AMIGA *****
[AutoPilot]
The venerable Whap! program for the Amiga has apparently been
discontinued, replaced by the newer and much more full-featured AutoPilot.
AutoPilot Version 1.72 is available in Amiga Vendor Forum (GO AMIGAV)
Library 9 (AutoPilot). You'll need the self-extracting program file AP.LHA
(393K) and either of two documentation files, ADDOCS.ASC (109K) or the
compressed version ADDOCS.LHA (43K). AutoPilot is $69.95 shareware.
***** AUTOPILOT FOR THE ATARI *****
[ST/Forum]
A popular autopilot for Atari users. Release 2.0 of ST/Forum is
available from Atari Computing Forum (GO ATARICOMP) Library 2
(Telecommunications) as the compressed file FORUM.ARC (78 K). Also look
for TUTOR.STF (15K), the tutorial. This program is free~!
[QuickCIS]
Also free to the Atari community, Jim Ness's QuickCIS for the Atari 68000/68030 is available from ATARICOMP Library 2 (Telecommunications). Download the file QWKCIS.TXT (4K) for program information, and the program files QWKCIS.TOS (126.K).
***** AUTOPILOT FOR THE ARCHIMEDES *****
For British users of the Archimedes, a RISC-based computer developed by
Acorn in the U.K. (not IBM-compatible), the autopilot of choice is Richard
Proctor's ARCTIC.
ARCTIC is available from Library 8 (Acorn/Z88) of UK Computing Forum (GO
UKCOMP), where you'll need the compressed files ARCTIC.ARC (109K) and
RUNIMG.ARC (178K). It's shareware, registration 15 pounds ($22.50), plus 5
pounds ($7.50) for a copy on floppy disk.
***** AUTOPILOT FOR UNIX COMPUTERS *****
Unix hackers can have their own autopilot program now!
The program XC, which runs on Xenix, SVR3 Unix, SVR4 Unix, Sun, Coherent,
AIX, and other variants, is available in two forms on Unix Forum (GO UNIXFO)
Library 4 (Communications): XC.SHK (148K), a self-extracting ASCII file, or
SC.TAG (79K), a Gzipped tar archive. Either way, XC is free except for the
download time.
----------
This file last revised May 8, 1993. Thanks go in particular to WineForum
Section Leader Arnd Wussing for his extensive assistance; and also to the many
CompuServe sysops and members who joined in the research, including Ed Flinn,
Tom Pinkerton, Kathy Morgret, Steve Szabo, Bob McCracken, Russ Nixon, Tim
Wallace and many more.
----------
(c) Copyright 1993 by Robin Garr. May be reproduced freely and without
charge, provided that WineForum is mentioned as the source.
