NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/comp/bbs/misc/1674

Internet Message Format | 1992-12-30 | 3.7 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!munnari.oz.au!spool.mu.edu!olivea!mintaka.lcs.mit.edu!knight
From: [e-mail] (Knight Before Christmas)
Newsgroups: comp.bbs.misc
Subject: Windows 3.1 and BBS software
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 30 Dec 92 21:15:30 GMT
Sender: [e-mail]
Organization: Free Software Foundation
Lines: 60

>|> I am basically looking for some BBS package that runs CORRECTLY under
>|> MS Windows 3.1 enhanced mode.  I'd prefer to use Maximus BBS, which I
>|> am most impressed with, but it only works under standard mode.

> While I was waiting for a firmware upgrade to a new harddrive controller
> which didn't like QEMM/Desqview, I ran my Wildcat 3.55P BBS (2 nodes) under
> Windows 3.1 for a while (one local node, one com port locked at 19200 with
> a V32bis modem, and a BinkleyTerm mailer frontend). While I can't say I
> particularly loved the speed of the sessions (I was, after all, running
> on only a 386DX-20), It was an acceptable stop-gap until I could run Desqview
> again. Frankly, I'd recommend Desqview, as it's friendlier to comm-intensive
> applications, and you can run Windows (albeit in standard mode... never tried
> it in enhanced mode) from within a Desqview session).

Although Desqview is very good with telecommunications, it really is
hard to use with packages such as Borland C++ IDE and such.  Admittably,
I'm not so hard pressed to use the BBS computer these days since I
got the new machine, but the 486-50 is a household favorite and my 33-386
never gets used (it also has the 180 watt stereo and 15" loudspeakers
on it -- you haven't lived if you don't have a soundcard.)

>   The disclaimer here is that Wildcat is not free, nor is it cheap ( $99-$149
> dollars for the single line version, depending upon what store you buy it
> in - I saw the $99 at Software Etc), and most utilities for it are also in
> the 50-99 dollar range. Figure a full setup with maintenance tools, and
> Fido-net style networking capabilities will set you back about 200-250. The
> only good side of the cost is that they have provided excellent support to me
> when I've needed it, including rebuilding my file database once when a
> drive glitch rendered it unreadable. Saved me at least 100 hours of having to
> re-load all my files into the BBS. I'm sure others have had negative
> experiences, and it's not my aim to debate BBS software packages. Simply
> put, I run Wildcat, and it worked fine under windows unattanded for a
> period of 2 months.

First of all, thank you for giving me a valid answer to the question.
Ultimately, I might have to take the path you suggest, but...

Okay, maybe I should have been a bit more specific.  I happened to see a
version of Wildcat! at the Software Etc in Pueblo, CO. but I'm not likely
to spend $179 for Desqview and $125 for proprietary BBS software that is
nearly impossible to modify.  The reason I liked Maximus is because it
came with full C source code, and the author didn't charge a cent for
letting a non-commercial user run the software.

I'm not beyond shelling out $50 or so for a BBS program, or even $75 if
there is source code included.  That seems reasonable to me, and since
there are many other BBS programs on the Internet that have $50-$75
registration fees, I'm more likely to go with them.

Anyway, I should rephrase the question to something along the lines of
"low cost" or "cheap" BBS software that is compatible with Microsoft
Windows 3.1 in enhanced mode.  If I can't find one, I'll stick with
Maximus if I can find the source code for 2.00+. (If anyone knows where
the source code is, preferably on the Internet, please let me know.)

> Cheers,
> Kevin

-- Eric Knight
(Future SysOp of The Bangkok Riot BBS [phone])