Wired Librarian’s Newsletter

The cup runneth over, I was impressed with our December contributions.  Thanks to EN of RC, RG of PI, KT of U/I; and GP got her Xmas present.

Homeword

            As a closing shot for ’83, I gave a program entitled Homeword from Sierra Online my number three spot on the “best of” software list.  Again the bible of lisci was responsible for putting it in my hands, and for those of you  who have not seen it yet, it will have such an effect on the market that old copies of Bank street Writer will be used as data disks for Homeword.

            The only reason I ever liked BSW was because some of our kids at at school who never touched computers found it easy enough to use: they started doing their assignments with it.  The mentality of some of our instructors is in question:  they should have taken the godsend of reading the kids work for the first time rather than the uncipherable scribble was often mistaken for Zambesian hieroglyphics and the computer produced work was readable but no…they didn’t like the spacing or the margins.

            BSW was always a pain in the posterior to use.  Up to the menu, escape back to the text, up to menu, back to the text.  When you are the only ballgame in town you get a lot of play.  Homeword  takes everything you liked about BSW: ease of use and gives you a lot more.  Homeword is easier to use (I know this is hard to believe) and costs $20 less than the Broderbund version and $45 less than the New York Rip off version.

            First off margins and spacing can be changed throughout the document; where you want it when you want it.  For beginners there is a cassette tape introduction to walk you through, and the menu uses icons.  The actual work display has three components: the top third is a work area (yes Virginia we are still  in an forty column world) below it there is an indicator of disk and memory space, and then the blow you away part is the display showing the actual page!!!  You can’t make out the individual characters, but you can see your little cursor blinking where it is on the actual page.

            Once you get the hang of Homeword, WP commands can be entered directly from the keyboard.  You can print documents from the screen, and when you create files they are standard Apple text files: not the monstrous binary buggers ala BSW.  Another touch of class is the display of embedded commands:  they come up in full English on the page where they will be in effect.  No need to learn a WP language to use Homeword.

            It’s better, cheaper, and easier to use than it’s rival.  It may even knock out some of the other low end work processors.  Well BSW was an interesting chapter in software marketing.

ELMS

It’s good library and it’s good micro.  Nice touches (something other software writers need consider) are the absolute ease of use, the ability for the user to “back up” screen by screen at their discretion.  For fourth grade reading and up.  Can’t wait to see the last three modules.

Calling all survey junkies

            The bible once again provided another package that some of you may find useful – Telefacts 2 from dilithium press.  If you do surveys and need to easily manipulate tons of data, you ought to take a look at this package.

Nolan’s latest  

            No question about it, Jeanne Nolan’s been a busy lady lately.  The latest library edition of Micro Software Report just hit the (WLN: not the bibliographic utility) offices.  It greatly expands on the HOHOHO issue of WLN and does a much more thorough job.  Of course that’s the difference between your cost effective WLN (also great for wrapping fish) and $49.95.  For the record, Nolan’s is better.

Finding Micro Inforation

            For several month’s I have been working (re-working) a piece on the microcomputer indexes: Microcomputer Index (MCI); Literature Analysis of Microcomputer Periodicals (LAMP) and Adrian Vance’s new Apple Periodical Information Thesaruas (TAPIT) for short.  The first two are publications, the final is a funky Apple based data base (running on one drive nonetheless).  For those who care for the complete comparison I direct you to the March/April issue of Book Report and my micro column therein.  Until then you will need to settle for this terribly brief summary. (And Ma said I never learned anything from reading Charles Dickens.)

            MCI is the granddaddy, going into it’s fourth year.  It covers 48 titles, and is available online from the DIALOG service.  It is unique in it’s abstracts.  LAMP covers 116 titles (although some of them are very “far-out”) and is also available in fiche.  TAPIT is Apple only, covers 18 titles, but allows for users inputting their own data.  For the complete story, don’t forget to see the March/April issue of Book Report.  Need a subscription do ya?  Contact them at Linworth Publiching, 2950 High St., Columbus OH  43214.

Other electronic bibliographic rumblings

            Progress ais being made in CL at delivering electronic bibliographic records with orders.  BF mentioned the possibility in the Book Trak newsletter.  I expect to see a release of it soon.

            BS and JW at LSC have signed a major deal, allowing Random House to market Overdue Writer.  Marion, my west coast eyes, ears, nose, throat, and (guess her profession) also reports new products just over the horizon.  Perhaps by next issue we will have some silicon excitement for us.

            Zambesie Microsystems have sent a most interesting product announcement: a library circ/cat/ordering/card production/serials/calendar/personal fun window package designed to run on their Zambesie processor driven by remote peanuts (w/infrared) connected by trunks to big grey something or others.  Big Blue is rumored to be very interested: it could be the sixth package

announced for their dilemma.  Your humble editor is rather skeptical: the manual sent with the demo was written worse than (WLN: not the bibliographic utility).  Why did god ever let micros create macros?

            Last month about forty press releases and some sixty odd letters were sent out concerning the Library Microcomputer Template Clearinghouse.  Although responses have trickled in (and a few templates too) I really need your help to get this thing off the disk drive.  If you have any DB Master ™ or Visicalc ™  templates that work in your library and you would be interested in sharing them with the clearinghouse, please contact me.  If you just  want to leave a name and message, my phone answerer is hooked up 24 hours a day at 815-235-2955.

My Second computer

Continued

            Many of us hjave been waiting for MAC from the fruit company.   As usual, talking to them about something that hasn’t been released is like 200,000 questions.  My best information is that it will be announced in a very unique manner.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE MAC WITH THE FIRST OF US MAKE SURE YOU WATCH THE SUPER BOWL.  I not very interested in the game, it’s the commercials that will get me going.

            To relieve some of the pressure around the office, Santa Claus brought Becky a TI99/4A for the season.  I could not resist buying it ($49.95) although I was a little upset that the cable to connect it to a tape recorder cost $15.  What the heck, $50 is less than I paid for my first calculator.  I don’t intend to support it with software although I did pick up the Creative Programming manuals (see track 06 for my very favorable comments on the Apple versions) and they are better for the TI than fruit.  It’s hard to believe the wired librarian’s kid likes to write code.

            A group of area educators were invited to Rockford (our big town) to see the IBM PCjr.  The meeting was held just before turkey time, and when we got their of course they failed to produce the promised vegetable (although the wine and cheese was OK).  We got the standard devotional message about big blues commitment to education: they underlined this by saying educator’s would get a 20% discount.  Unfortunately they didn’t tell the rest of the folks that the standard business discount was 25% (ignorance is IBM?)  Fof those of you who have never been to a big blue talk, it is the most canned thing since spam.  Nice ties, four color graphics, emotional appeals to the leader (follower) etc. etc. etc. etc.  Unusually when they got past the PC and onto the peanut, things went to pot.  No worse that that.  The went to ludes.

            When we asked questions, it took three and sometimes four nice suites to answer (very un-blue). Prices were displayed on thermofaxed overheads (extremely un-blue).  What really bugged me was the way they ended: an extremely emotional appeal to let the nice suits solve all of our educational computing problems.  At the close of the session I bet the Illinois statewide rep five bucks the machine would never be released the way it was presently configured.  If it is, I still won’t have one.  One chiclet keyboard in the house is enough

Radio Shack has just released a machine with a lot of promise.  In may ways it is the best one they have ever offered because it is designed with an open mind.  The 2000 runs MS-DOS (thank the big micro chip in the sky big blue doesn’t own everything) and the model in my local store has a color monitor and is tagged under $3,000  Now if I could get it to read Apple text files, they would throw in a word processor, spreadsheet, data base and dictionary they might have a sale.  Also, they put a Tandy label on it instead of the RS; do you suppose if I go to summer camp the 2000 will make me a pair of moccasins. ......to be continued

Smitty’s corner

            No parms to report, but I have been playing with one of those add-on copy cards lately.  Although I have one that is supposed to make the option of bootable copies, it is a memory eater.  I have been promised a new one, and will report more at a later date.

Corrections

            In Track 08 I presented the best of ’83, my listing of the best software for the late great year.  In reviewing the list, I noticed I made one grievous error.  It would be horrendous of me to leave out something I use everyday: my big boy online circ software.  Get your pencils and scorecards ready please, and insert Book Trak Online Circ right at the top of the list.  Please accept my humble apologies for leaving it off.  If I didn’t make mistakes, I wouldn’t edit WLN: not the bibliographic utility.

65535

            Do you know why a programmer can’t change a lightbulb?  It’s a hardware problem.

Track 10: Next Issue

            Do you know the way to San Mateo?

Also

A very big thank you to Frank, Cathy and the Crew(?) at Alpine Computer in Rockford for allowing me the privilege of using my newest girlfriend, LISA, to prepare this issue.  Now if I could only figure out a way to put one into the office.

Statement of Responsibility

            The Wired Librarian’s Newsletter (WLN: not the bibliographic utility) is the sole responsibility of Micro Libraries, 145 Marcia Drive, Freeport IL 61032.  All opinions expressed are solely those of Eric S. Anderson.  If you don’t like what we say you can 1) forget about us (our choice) 2) write a letter of complaint to SCIL 3) Sue.  Be prepared that the last option won’t get you much more than a lien against and Apple II Plus.  It’s got a 16k card though.

            Product names are of course registered by their owners.  If  you can’t figure that out, you need more help than WLN can give you.

            There is no subscription fee, although donations are always appreciated.  Normally they come in the form of Ronnie Reagan inflation fighters (normally 20/$4 but rolls are cool too) and may be directed to our offices.  You are given the right to reproduce, wrap fish, or do anything except publish any of the material in this journal.  Instead of asking to be added to the mailing list keep stealing it out of the trash in the next cubicle.  If your friends want it really bad, why not Xerox yours for them.  If you are in the publication business, we know this semi-intelligent, semi-knowledgeable guy who is will to write things on demand. Contact Dept H, The Wired Librarian’s Newsletter.

An Index to the Online Issues

1983 - When there were four microcomputers at the ALA show

December 1984

1985 - wow we've got hard drives !!!