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- ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
- │ │
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- │ C A R R I E R D E T E C T │
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- │ The PC Communications Journal For Every Modem User! │
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- │ Issue #2, July 1991 │
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- └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
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- Table of Contents:
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- Welcome ............................................. 2
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- Product Evaluations ................................. 4
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- Telemate Version 2.11 ........................... 4
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- Protocol Prowl ...................................... 7
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- Super Z Modem 1.44 .............................. 7
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- Sneak Preview ....................................... 11
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- Quick BBS 2.75 .................................. 11
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- Bonus Files ......................................... 15
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- Feedback ............................................ 16
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- Product Information ................................. 16
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- Carrier Detect is published Michael W. Crosson. Contents
- may not be reproduced without written permission from the
- publisher. All brand and product names mentioned in this
- publication are trademarks and registered trademarks of
- their respective companies.
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- (c) 1991 Michael W. Crosson. All rights reserved.
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- W E L C O M E
-
- Welcome to the second edition of Carrier Detect - The
- Bimonthly PC Communications Journal. I am very happy to
- report that the first issue was a huge success! Wherever
- I uploaded the Journal it proved to be a very popular
- file. Even more encouraging, Carrier Detect spread like
- wildfire to systems all over the country where it was also
- eagerly received! Many thanks to all the people and
- sysops who helped to distribute the first issue. Without
- your support Carrier Detect would never have gotten off to
- the great start that it has. I would also like to thank
- everyone who has contacted me. Keep those letters coming!
- All of your comments are appreciated and welcome. I want
- to provide the PC users with the best Telecommunications
- Journal anywhere and to do so I need your feedback.
-
- Many of the letters I received were enthusiastic
- about the content of Carrier Detect but suggested that I
- pay more attention to spelling and grammar. For the
- record, I did use a spelling checker with the first issue.
- In fact, I changed word processing programs near the end
- of the issue so it passed through two of the beasts!
- Apparently, this method of proofreading is not reliable
- and from this point on I will make a special effort to
- stamp out all errors before I distribute the journal. To
- those of you who trust in these electronic dictionaries
- like I did - Beware!
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- Besides being the first issue that is proofread by
- RightWriter, this edition is also the first to contain
- articles that have been submitted to me by readers. I
- hope that you will enjoy the contribution that these
- people have made and find the material to be as
- informative and entertaining as my own articles. Unless
- otherwise noted, the authors are very familiar with the
- subject or software they are writing about and you can
- trust their opinion to be a experienced. If you are
- interested in writing a piece for Carrier Detect, please
- contact me by one of ways listed in the Feedback section
- at the end of this issue. If there are enough quality
- submissions from readers, there is the possibility of
- making Carrier Detect a monthly publication!
-
- There is one more item of interest this time around.
- I am pleased to announce there will be a Carrier Detect
- Reading Door for sysops to install on their bulletin board
- systems! With this door, callers will be able to select
- individual articles to peruse while online. The reasons a
- caller might want to do this are numerous, but perhaps the
- most useful would be to help decide whether or not to
- start downloading a large software package. The door will
- be distributed FREE of charge and will work with most
- major BBS systems. Chances are by the time you read this
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 2
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- the Reader Door is completed and available on the Carrier
- Detect Home BBS or GEnie. For more information on how to
- contact the Carrier Detect Home BBS read the feedback
- section at the end of this issue.
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- Sincerely,
-
- Michael Crosson
- Publisher & Editor
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 3
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- P R O D U C T E V A L U A T I O N S
-
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- Each month Carrier Detect contains several product
- evaluations. Most of these will be software reviews but
- from time to time hardware will be discussed as well. The
- opinions expressed in Carrier Detect are solely my own or
- the respective author of the article. Carrier Detect
- strives to be as objective as possible when evaluating
- software. Judgments to suitability are made with the
- "typical" modem enthusiast in mind and are not geared
- toward the complete novice nor the power user. Exceptions
- to this are noted as such in the article.
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- * Telemate v2.12
- Review by Thomas O'Hara
-
- Pros: Multitasking capabilities
- Multiple window environment
- Built in text editor
- Shareware with an attractive price
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- Cons: High memory requirements
- Transfers prone to errors if multitasking
- Technical support by BBS only
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-
- There are many GOOD telecommunications packages
- available these days. ProComm Plus, HyperACCESS/5, Commo
- and Z Comm are just a few of the choices facing the
- consumer. All of these packages have supporters and
- detractors. And for each BBS user, there probably is an
- ideally matched Comm program, one that fits your
- particular needs. I chose, as my best match, a program
- called TeleMate. No, I don't believe the author spells
- the name that way, but I do, since it is nearly a perfect
- mate to my needs. What drew me to it and away from the
- others, such as Q-Modem, Telix, and Boyan, was that it
- allowed me continue working with my computer while I was
- transferring files.
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- My favorite use of a BBS is as a file transfer point.
- Many other users probably look at BBSes as places for
- carrying on remote conversations in the message bases. I
- prefer to read the message bases as soon as I log on to a
- board. Then I go directly to the file sections. For my
- use, TeleMate is the perfect communications package. My
- normal approach to a board with good message bases is to
- read them non-stop. Though I only have a 2400 bps modem,
- this is far too fast, so obviously I am not really reading
- the bases. However, TeleMate faithfully stores everything
- that scrolls past my eyes in the "back" window, so I
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 4
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- haven't lost anything. You may ask, "What is a back
- window?" And to that I would have to say just ONE of the
- great features in TeleMate.
-
- We should take a closer look at the program.
- TeleMate, like many recent communication packages, has a
- set of internal transfer protocols that include at least
- one of the new, high speed streaming ones. In the case of
- Telemate, it is Z Modem. Also, like other progressive
- programs, it allows easy access to a set of external
- protocols. The difference is that if the protocol is
- internal, the program retains control of the computer.
- Everything the program needs to perform the transfer is
- built into the term. When the protocol is external, the
- transfer is handled by a separate program dedicated to
- this purpose. The Term program must transfer control of
- the computer to the protocol for the duration of the
- transfer, usually by shelling to DOS. When using external
- protocols, TeleMate is no better or no worse than any
- other. However, since Z Modem, a reliable and popular
- protocol is internal, TeleMate often proves to be more
- convenient and easier to use than its rivals.
-
- Among its many attributes, TeleMate has a set of
- windows that allow the user to do lightweight
- multitasking. I mentioned the back window already. What
- this window does is keep a "memory image" of everything
- that has scrolled through the terminal window since the
- program was first started. The number of lines that is
- retained in this "memory image" is configurable, and, in
- my case, is set for 2000 lines. This is how I am able to
- scroll through the messages and respond to those that I
- would like to before I log off. TeleMate has other
- windows too! In addition to the "back" window, there is,
- of course, the terminal window. The terminal window is
- where you work while you are actively on a board. A third
- window, is called the "view" window. With this window,
- you can browse through any text file, including file
- lists, and *.doc files. Yet another window, the "edit"
- window, is what makes TeleMate so useful to me.
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- With the edit window I can compose a response to a
- message that I am reading in the back window. And since I
- can use "cut and paste" from either the view window or
- back window to the edit window, I am able to "quote" from
- messages without having to use the BBS's quote feature (if
- it has one at all). The effect is similar to responding
- to messages off line. In addition, you can draw
- information from the view window as well, allowing you to
- "quote" material from a *.doc file or file list. All of
- this while a file transfer is taking place. Any of the
- windows can be resized and repositioned to whatever
- arrangement is most pleasing to you. One possibility is
- to have a small window opening into the "back" window, and
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 5
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- have another small window where you are working - perhaps
- writing a response to a message visible in the reduced
- sized "back"window.
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- So how do the "messages" get from the edit window to
- the BBS? It's simple really. After you are done with
- your transfers, you go back to the message base that you
- wish to post on. Once you have logged to the base, you
- either go to the message you wanted to answer, or just
- post to the person. Either way, once have the base ready
- to receive your post, you go to the "edit" window, and
- mark the text for copying. Then you switch back to the
- terminal window, and paste the copy to the message base.
- It will go out through the terminal as if you were typing
- it, only much faster.
-
- And, since you write your message while the system is
- performing a file transfer, you can take your time and
- even check your spelling - with a bound dictionary, of
- course, not from within TeleMate. It has a good word
- processor built in, but no provision for a spell checker.
- Nor can one be run as a TSR, since TeleMate takes up
- nearly all available memory - it requires at least 500K to
- run properly. However TeleMate can swap itself to disk,
- EMS, XMS, or to unused RAM on the video card to free up a
- larger amount of free memory when it shells.
-
- As with all modern comm programs, TeleMate comes with
- a script language that makes it easy to log onto boards
- unattended. I have never used the script capabilities of
- the program since I don't like to leave the computer
- running unattended. As a result, I cannot comment on how
- good the script language is compared to its contem-
- poraries. Rest assured though that Telemate does include
- what seems to be a robust script language and an easy to
- use script learn function to learn log on sequences.
- With the upgrade from V1.20 to 2.00 and beyond, the
- program started using overlays, which means that all its
- functions are not in memory at the same time. To this
- end, the program has been downgraded, not upgraded.
-
- Telemate incorporates its own multi-tasking kernel and
- when portions of the program are swapped in and out, the
- program must cease all data transfer at this time. Since
- I am not privy to the best time to decide when to use a
- different TeleMate function, I may make the switch near
- the end of a block of data being transferred. This would
- cause the program to suspend receiving, cause an error,
- and force the block to be resent. With a Z Modem
- transfer, that could be a 1K block, adding a considerable
- amount to the transfer time if this occurs frequently. In
- many ways version 1.20 may have been the best, since it
- was the last version not to use overlays.
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 6
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- There are some who claim that TeleMate has problems
- running on slower machines. I have found that TeleMate
- WILL run on an XT. In fact, if it didn't, I would not
- have been using it for all this time. If you prefer to do
- something - ANYTHING! - while doing a file transfer,
- TeleMate may be the ticket. You can write the "great
- American novel" while downloading the latest copy of List.
- Of course, you can do this with many others, but if you
- own an XT, your choices are limited. Most people can get
- the same effect using a multi-tasking environment such as
- DesqView. They can run a small communications program in
- one window and work on something else in the other. Commo
- comes to mind as perfect for this. However, if you are
- running on an XT, performance may become so sluggish that
- you may wonder if you are running at all!
-
- Which is why TeleMate works for me. It performs all
- the functions I need and does it without the heavy
- degradation of performance that you get in a true
- multitasking environment. I highly recommend that anyone
- interested in pseudo-multitasking give TeleMate a trial.
- It is big, a RAM hog and a trifle slow, but it may keep
- you happy while you are doing file transfers. Telemate is
- available as shareware and I was so pleased with it when I
- first saw it a few years back that I registered it and
- haven't looked back. If there is something about TeleMate
- that I might be able to help you with, please leave a
- message for me at the home board for this journal. If I
- can help, the information will be posted as quickly as
- possible.
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- P R O T O C O L P R O W L
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-
- Protocol Prowl is the place to look to keep up with
- the latest protocols that hit the streets. In this issue
- Super Z Modem by Scott Baker is reviewed.
-
- * Super Z Modem Version 1.44
- Reviewed by Michael Crosson
-
- Z Modem is fast becoming the protocol of choice for
- most people when it is available for use. If one was to
- imagine what the perfect protocol might be, Z Modem might
- come pretty close. It is fast, tolerant of poor
- communcation conditions, and best of all, ultra reliable.
- Many communication programs and BBS programs now have Z
- modem built in and those that don't are scrambling to add
- it in a future upgrade. While the number of
- communications programs that do not incorporate Z Modem
- internal is shrinking, by no means does everyone enjoy
- this luxury. In fact, there are quite a few popular
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 7
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- communication programs that do not support Z Modem
- internal including: Bitcom, Boyan, Commo, Crosstalk XVI,
- MicroPhone, Relay Gold and SmartComm III. And for BBS
- software, having an internal implementation of Z Modem is
- more the exception rather than the rule. Of the major BBS
- packages only Quick, Remote Access, and Wildcat! contain
- this feature.
-
- For those that do require an external Z Modem protocol
- driver, there have been few choices traditionally. The
- large majority of people installed DSZ by Omen Technology.
- DSZ has proven to be the absolute best all around protocol
- - bar none. The communication routines in DSZ are as
- rock solid as external protocols come and if that was all
- people wanted in a protocol this review would end now.
- However, I believe that there are times when people *do*
- want more out of their transfer protocol. While DSZ is
- admittedly the most reliable and technically excellent, I
- also think it is one of the most pedestrian and
- utilitarian protocols at the same time.
-
- In contrast, Super Z Modem is an attempt at creating
- what is perhaps the most ambitious protocol engine ever.
- It contains the same reliable 32-bit CRC Z modem routines
- that other Z modems use but the philosophy behind the
- design is completely different. Super Z Modem was
- designed around the idea that you should be able to do
- other useful things with your computer while a transfer is
- taking place. To this end Scott Baker has added chat
- capability, single and multi-player games, and a simulated
- DOS environment that can be used while the transfer is in
- progress. As such, Super Z Modem has become the
- "Veg-A-Matic" of protocols.
-
- Installation of Super Z Modem (or SZ Modem for short)
- is a straight-forward process for those that have
- installed external protocols in the past. A program
- called SZconfig is included to make the installation even
- easier. SZconfig creates a default settings configuration
- file that stores port, baud, modem, and directory
- information so the actual command line to call Super Z
- Modem is as simple as possible. Any of these defaults can
- be overridden on the command line transfer time. Scott
- Baker also thoughtfully made the command line parameters
- as similar as possible to DSZ's, making the most vital
- settings instantly familiar to thousands of users. Many
- advanced options can be specified on the command line
- including: packet compression, a "turbo" mode, hardware
- handshaking, long transfer blocks, EGA/VGA video mode, no
- paging and more.
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- So after you get this new package configured and
- installed on your system, how useful is it? To judge the
- practicality of SZ Modem, we have to consider two
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 8
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- criteria, the performance of the protocol in the actual
- transfer of files and the value of the enhancements that
- Scott Baker added. Let's discuss the performance of Super
- Z Modem first since the package would be of little use to
- anyone regardless of the quality or quantity of
- enhancements if the engine did not transmit files in an
- acceptable fashion.
-
- Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised at SZ Modem's
- performance in handling file transfers. After several
- months of use, (and several version later), I can feel
- confident that SZ Modem is a reliable and efficient
- implementation of the Z modem protocol. In my testing I
- tried SZ Modem in a wide variety of situations and
- installed it on several different BBS systems. I used it
- at bauds rates from 1200 to 9600, with and without a
- locked comm port. In most cases the latest version of
- Super Z Modem worked as it should and with a minimum of
- fuss. I tested Super Z Modem transfers with a variety of
- Z Modem drivers without compatibility problems. The
- protocol drivers I tested it with included DSZ, PCZ, and
- the internal Z Modem options in Crosstalk Mk4 V2.0 and
- HyperAccess 5 V2.0.
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- The one area that SZ Modem does have intermittent
- trouble relates to a Timeout problem. This was especially
- true when I attempted to use the protocol over PC Pursuit,
- a networked outdial system. In this instance, SZ Modem
- worked fine until it needed to retransmit a packet that
- was not sent properly. At this point the protocol
- unsuccessfully attempts to restart the transfer or else
- Just sits there idle until it "Times Out." I understand
- that the author is aware of this problem and is working on
- a solution. This mysterious glitch aside, the protocol
- otherwise achieves excellent results. In fact, my
- transfer speeds were compatible to DSZ! File Compression
- can boost the already excellent throughput even higher on
- files that are not archived. Reliability of transfers is
- on par with other Z Modems as Super Z uses the same CRC-32
- error checking as others. And finally, SZ Modem's resume
- feature, auto-DU, and "turbo" modes all work exactly as
- promised.
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- Now that we've discussed the technical side of SZ
- Modem, we can turn our attention to the goodies it offers
- that may persuade you to use it, rather than your normal Z
- Modem. The three major means Super Z Modem contains to
- detract your attention from passively watching a file
- transfer progress screen are Chat, Simulated DOS, and
- Games.
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- Chat allows you to carry on a conversation with the
- user on the other side of the connection while the
- transfer is taking place. The chat facility in SZ Modem
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 9
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- is rather basic however. In SZ Modem, the top third of
- the screen is devoted to transfer information. When you
- call up the chat function, the bottom two-thirds are split
- in half into a local and remote conversation window. This
- split screen design makes it easy to keep track of the
- conversation. Some characteristics of this chat are
- slightly troublesome and could stand some improvement.
- The inward flow of characters as they appear on your local
- screen is very choppy. So, sentences sent from the remote
- computer do not usually appear on the screen smoothly as
- they are typed, instead they are sent in bursts. This
- does not really detract from the usefulness of the Chat
- enhancement though, and if you find yourself chatting to
- the sysop often you probably will find this feature to be
- wonderful. Please note that this feature requires the use
- of Super Z Modem on both sides of the connection.
-
- Several games are built into the SZ Modem protocol
- engine including, Blackjack, Four In A row, Guess A Number
- and a Trivia Quiz. While including games in a protocol
- engine is novel, the actual implementation here is
- disappointing. Most of these games could be hugely
- improved with making better use of graphics. In this
- release there really are no graphics to speak of!
- Blackjack probably has the most potential for long term
- interest but currently it would fascinate only the most
- die-hard blackjack fan. Hopefully in the future Scott
- Baker will revamp the game section entirely or else scrap
- this part of the project. With users increasingly spoiled
- by games with VGA graphics and Sound Blaster support it is
- getting harder to entertain the masses.
-
- Finally we come to what I consider the most useful
- feature that SZ Modem offers, access to DOS commands in a
- simulated DOS window. Some of the DOS commands available
- are copy, erase, zipview, dir, browse, debug, and zipview.
- There is online help for each command simply by typing
- "Help" and then the command you want help on. The
- routines incorporated in these DOS commands are careful
- not to step on the transfer in progress and generally do
- not cause errors in the transfer when using them. Of
- course if you are doing something very disk intensive,
- (such as copying a huge file), it is impossible to prevent
- all errors and some packets may have to be resent. The
- command line implementation of these DOS functions is
- excellent and if not for the smaller display space and
- blue background, you could forget you are even in a
- simulated DOS! All kinds of long and obscure DOS command
- line conventions are accepted with no need for modifi-
- cation. Not every DOS command is implemented however and
- SimDos could be made stronger with more commands in its
- toolbox. An Archive Viewer that supported archives other
- than ZIP, Move command, Format command (limited to
- floppies), Whereis command, Tree command, and Command Line
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 10
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- Editor and History are some examples. A Zoom mode would
- also be welcome. At times the DOS window is too small to
- see everything unless you are using Super Z Modem in it's
- EGA/VGA line mode.
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- Is Super Z Modem a contender in the neverending
- battle protocols? The answer is an unqualified yes. SZ
- Modem is a fast and safe choice to transfer files from one
- PC to another. Is Super Z Modem for you then? Well, the
- answer to this one is maybe. Some people are adventurous
- and like bells and whistles, and if you one of these kinds
- of modem fanatics then SZ Modem is a dream come true. On
- the other hand, other people may be happier using
- conventional Z modem. I think the largest group of people
- that will adopt SZ Modem are those that are happy with
- their current communications package and do not want to
- get involved in Desqview or Windows. For this group of
- people it makes what is often thought of as a tedious task
- more fun. The chat feature especially can help to take
- the drudgery out of long transfers. Productivity can
- increase when using the program too. I've found that the
- browse command is perfect for reading the documentation of
- newly downloaded shareware. Finally one last benefit that
- everyone can appreciate is that Super Z Modem could help
- reduce your phone bill. If you call out to long distance
- BBS systems for files but frequently find yourself
- chatting away with the sysop at all hours of the night -
- get this program today!
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- S N E A K P R E V I E W
-
-
- Occasionally Carrier Detect will describe forthcoming
- releases of popular software. Often this information is
- difficult to obtain because software publishers can be
- reluctant to reveal the direction of their products.
- However, future enhancements should be of great interest
- to the end users running the software. It can help
- determine whether or not a program will continue to meet
- an individual's needs in the future or if the upgrade will
- address a deficiency that the owner has perceived. In
- short, it can heighten anticipation or alert someone it is
- time to go shopping. Please remember that products in a
- testing stage are likely to change. The public release of
- the software may or may not be similar to what is
- described below.
-
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- * Quick BBS V2.75 (soon to be released)
- Reviewed by Secret Sysop
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- PROS: Very flexible bulletin board
- FidoNet compatible (with front end mailer)
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 11
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- Large amount of third party software
- Now Multi-Node capable
- Built-in Call Back Verification
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- CONS: Initial installation difficult
- Hard coded message area commands
- File system is still ASCII based
- Poor external protocol support
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- I have been a registered user of QuickBBS since
- version 1.64. This was back in the days when the original
- author, Adam Hudson, was still developing it. I am also a
- beta tester for V2.75. Amazingly, though much has been
- added with each new version, QuickBBS has remained true to
- it's name. It is still the fastest operating BBS package
- I have ever used. I am always interested in trying new
- BBS software and have yet to come across a better func-
- tioning program for electronic communication.
-
- What follows is simply the new features found in the
- upcoming release of version 2.75, currently in beta
- testing. If you have never run QuickBBS some of the
- following may seem difficult to follow. However, I hope
- that it peaks your curiosity enough to take a close look
- at QuickBBS if you are thinking of starting a BBS. Most
- of what follows are excerpts from beta site documentation.
- Since the program is still in testing, any of the
- following information could change before the actual
- release.
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- NEW FEATURES OF QUICKBBS V2.75
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- As mentioned above, this version is multi-node capable.
- Some of the added commands that go along with this feature
- are:
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- * Type 52 - Show users currently on line.
- * Type 53 - Toggle "do not disturb" flag.
- * Type 54 - Send on-line message to other node.
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- Alt-C is now an internal split-screen chat.
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- Type 60 - An internal callback verifier has been
- added.
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- The local status bar has been enhanced and now includes
- 4 screens.
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- Internal file ratio support has been added.
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- The format of the nodelist files has changed completely
- making for a much smaller file. This also speeds up the
- search for a node in the nodelist when sending NetMail.
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 12
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- QuickBBS now swaps itself out to disk or EMS on a shell
- and when loading the full screen editor.
-
- Shell commands can now be performed from a text file.
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- Type 57 - Change home/voice telephone number.
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- Type 58 - Change business/data telephone number.
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- The "EXITINFO" file is now reloaded after a shell.(Type 7)
-
- Passwords are now case insensitive.
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- Entering a null password to get back to the user name
- prompt works only in local mode.
-
- OUTRATIO.A??" files are displayed when a users ratio is
- out of balance.
-
- Auto-ANSI detect. (Automatically detects if the remote
- system is capable of displaying ANSI codes).
-
- New control codes have been added to the text files.
-
- * ^F2 will display the current setting for the "do not
- disturb" flag.
- * ^F3 will display the user's download ratio.
- * ^F4 will display the user's download K ratio.
- * ^KW will display the node number, as determined by
- the -N parameter when you fire up QuickBBS as
- a multi-node system.
-
- The capability to change the destination or subject of
- a message has been completely revamped.
-
- Type 42 - Alias support has been added. This menu type
- allows the users to pick one "registered" alias each.
- Once a user picks an alias, nobody else on the system
- Is allowed to use it until it's owner decides to start
- using a different one. Any mail addressed to an alias
- will be picked up on a new mail scan in addition to
- mail addressed to the user's real name. The alias may
- be used to log onto the system instead of the user's
- real name.
-
- A different message can be displayed at logon for each
- node in a multi-node system by making a "NODExx.A??"
- file.
-
- Point support has been added in the netmail section.
-
- * ^F5 - in a text file now displays the user's alias.
-
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 13
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- Message base "Templating"
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- * ^KY - Displays name of currently selected message
- area.
- * ^KO - Displays the number of messages in the
- currently selected message area.
- * ^KO - Displays the number of the currently
- selected message base.
-
- Overlay Version is available and uses only 185k of RAM.
-
- Type 44 - Prompts users for their Birthday and Sex.
-
- * ^F6 - Displays the users age.
- * ^F7 - Displays "BIRTHDAY.A??" if the caller happens to
- call on their birthday.
-
- Questionnaire language now has IF statements with ELSE
- capability.
-
- An all new User Editor with mouse support has been
- created.
-
- A new Configuration Editor is planned also. It too
- supports a mouse.
-
- Questionnaire language has a command that makes a log
- entry.
-
- ALT-E pops up an edit screen for editing the user record
- of the user currently on-line.
-
- Type 59 - will update your last message read pointer as if
- you had logged off the system and then logged back on.
-
- The "Barefoot" version will now send an ATA to the
- modem for answering the RING. No more need for setting
- the modem to auto-answer.
-
- That wraps up the new features of V2.75 so far. As
- you can see, the authors are working hard to offer their
- users the types of features they have requested. QuickBBS
- is no slouch. It is as powerful as any commercial BBS
- package on the market that I am aware of. In many
- respects QBBS is also easier to use than several that I
- have looked at.
-
- Future versions of QuickBBS will deal with the
- problems that I mentioned at the start of this article
- in the CONS section. As BBS software becomes more
- sophisticated and the number of large systems continues to
- grow, the need to revamp QuickBBS's file handling and
- message handling is increasingly important. If the
- development patterns of the past are any indication, I
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 14
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- feel certain that these deficiencies will be addressed
- soon by the QuickBBS development group.
-
- The current release version of QuickBBS is V2.66 and
- can be found many bulletin boards. If you are looking
- for a BBS that you can be as creative with as you
- want then take a good hard look at QuickBBS. It can look
- like any BBS package, but more importantly, it can look
- like no other BBS package. With this software I can have
- a BBS that is unique. For me this is the single most
- important selling feature of the system.
-
- Please remember, QuickBBS is not a free program. It
- is distributed as shareware. If you like it and use it,
- you should pay for it.
-
-
- B O N U S F I L E S
-
-
- In each issue of Carrier Detect you will find some
- accompanying files within the ZIP archive. The files will
- usually be related to the products discussed in the
- current issue. Hopefully the files will find a niche in
- your telecommunications toolbox and make your day more
- productive, easier or fun!
-
- For this edition I've included an alternate Trivia
- File for Super Z Modem that will please music fans. The
- file contains roughly 150 trivia questions, all dealing
- with rock or pop music! These are original questions that
- have never been seen anywhere else. Billboard Magazine
- was the source for all chart information. To use this
- trivia file instead of the standard one distributed with
- Super Z Modem, simply copy the file SZMODEM.TRV found in
- this ZIP over the old one.
-
- To test your Pop Music I.Q. install Super Z Modem in
- your communications package as described in the SZ Modem
- documentation. Then call your favorite BBS that supports
- any kind of Z Modem transfer. Start a Z Modem upload or
- download and fire up Super Z on your side of the
- connection. Press (F8) for "GAME" and then (4) for
- "Trivia Master". The first question should be visible!
- If SZ Modem reports that SZMODEM.TRV could not be found
- change to that directory before starting the transfer and
- try again.
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 15
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- F E E D B A C K
-
-
- I am interested in getting as much feedback as
- possible regarding Carrier Detect and welcome suggestions
- or any other comments you may have. If you are a software
- publisher or shareware author and want to submit your
- program for possible inclusion in future issues you are
- welcome to do so. Finally, if you are interested in
- writing an article or review, please let me know!
-
-
- Prospector BBS - The Home of Carrier Detect
- (916) 921-9949, 24 hours, 2400 to 14.4K (v.32bis)
- First call access to Carrier Detect Related Files and
- shareware programs reviewed in the current issue.
-
- Home Mailing Address:
- 811 San Juan Road #199, Sacramento, CA 95834
-
-
- P R O D U C T I N F O R M A T I O N
-
-
- Following is product information for the products
- reviewed in this issue of Carrier Detect. If you are
- interested in purchasing or evaluating any of the products
- please note the publisher's address listed below. In
- addition, all current shareware programs featured in
- Carrier Detect will be made available to first time
- callers on the Carrier Detect Support BBS.
-
-
- TELEMATE
- distributed as shareware
- version 2.11 (latest at time of distribution)
- cost - $40 registration fee
- published by - Tsung Hu, Post Office Box 938, Unit 105,
- St Catharines, Ontario, L2R 6Z4 Canada,
- (416) 682-2342 (fax).
- Available for download on GEnie as files 18762,18763,18764
-
-
- SUPER Z MODEM
- distributed as shareware
- version 1.44 (latest at time of distribution)
- cost - $25 registration fee
- published by - Scott Baker, 6431 Tierra Catalina #48,
- Tucson, AZ, 85718.
- The Not Yet Named BBS
- (602) 577-3650 (node 1) V.32/.42
- (602) 577-3419 (node 2) USR Dual
- Available for download on GEnie as file 23478
-
-
-
- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 16
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-
-
- QUICKBBS
- distributed as shareware
- version 2.66 (latest at time of distribution)
- cost - $45 registration fee
- published by - Steve Gabrilowitz and Richard Creighton
- P.O. Box 678255, Orlando, FL, 32867
- Support BBS (407) 380-1701
- Available for download on GEnie as files 3494,3496
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- Carrier Detect - Issue 2 - page 17
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