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BBS (613) 745 8015 Messages. (613) 723 1329
3 Thatcher Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K2G 1S6 June,l988
Measures file size
CHECKUP may solve 'virus' problem
by Mike Luckham into contact with an 'infected' com- computer, or erase your disk; in
puter or computer disk! short, whatever The programmer
Jackson Hibler's been talking a Downloading game programs from intended the virus to do!
lot about 'viruses' lately. You remem- BBS's has entered The realm Of Too bad, but computers lack
ber, the kind that 'infect' your old Russian Roulette! Once the virus has even the simplest of immune
familiar .COM and .EXE programs taken hold on your disk, it remains systems! They're just not capable of
and cause schizophrenic behavior, or dormant for hours... days... even recognizing or dealing with viruses
worse! Trouble is, you don't usually years, and when conditions are right, by Themselves... they weren't
know when a virus has invaded your it activates itself and does its dirty designed for it. 'Anti-virus' programs
system until it's too late! work! . such as FLUSHOT can help, but
According to Jackson's research, These viruses sound like tough must-be carefully matched to each
your computer can 'catch' a virus the nuts to crack! Even the Pentagon's virus; a different virus may slip
same way you or I would... by worried! Can't anyone do something? through unnoticed.
coming Well, a virus is just a Lucky for us that Jackson's not
self-replicating computer program just a doom-sayer... he thinks he has
which tacks a copy of itself on the a solution. He's been pushing the idea
Program end of a . COM or .EXE file. When
an infected program is run, in effect
of a 'CRC Check' program as the best
general-purpose anti-viral defence,
the virus program runs too and can
raffle... infect more files, or transmit a copy
and I agree with him. That's why
I've
of the virus to another continued on page 2
Help one of Canada's top
chess players and possibly WordPerfect v5.0
win the accounting package
Clan Accountant. The
package is the prize in a raffle
New kid on the block
scheduled for the June 29
By Mike Roy
meetings of the OPCUG.
OPCUG
Proceeds from ticket sales, at
$2 minimum, will go towards
WordPerfect version5.0 (WP) is the newest kid on the block in the
blind chess player Donald
word processing world. And like any new kid, it has a few teething
Beaulieu.
problems.
The same meeting will
The first problem I encountered was WP's refusal to install
feature Nancy D'Amico of
properly. The program kept identifying files it couldn't find. One in
SirTech who will speak on
particular was the spelling dictionary.
accounting, and games. Plan
continued on page 4
to attend this last meeting
before the summer break.
Ottawa IBM-PC Users Club Page 1
$20 to $25 per chip
Micro-chip prices are on the increase
By Terance P. Mahoney $25 range. There are significant almost 15 percent. The 640k AT
shortages of all widely used and clone is making a comeback as well
Prices for DRAMS have been spi- some not so widely used DRAMS as the 512k model.
ralling upwards with no sign of early e.g. (four x 64k). Market predictions We thought the 640k AT had
relief. This week the lowest vary, but no relief has been predicted disappeared like the dinosaurs. One
wholesale level quote we received on before the fall, if then. Some pundits meg ATs had become the standard.
100ns 256k chips was just under $20 say no relief until next year. Usually these were accompanied by
per chip. No significant quantities How does this affect you? Com- print spooling and ram disk software.
were available at this price. Many puter prices have started to increase. In some cases they had software
quotes were in the One well known manufacturer has capable of using the additional RAM
raised prices by about 10 per cent as expanded (Lotus/Intel) memory. I
Disk - 52 is across the board. Prices on expansion
products have started to rise. One
still think a 640k AT is a dinosaur. If
you expand memory in the future
popular EGA board with eight 256K you will have a handful of 64k chips
fully packed hips on it has increased in price by you can
continued on page 6
by Chris Taylor
Software Librarian
As the deadline for the newsletter
CHECKUP may solve virus problem
from page 1 CONFIG.SYS) to be checked each
approaches, the contents of Disk-52
written his program, placed it the time his computer is turned on, so
has growntomorethan500k. And the
public domain, and called it he's added this tine to his
documentation is not yet complete!
CHECKUP. AUTOEXEC.BAT fife:
Guess I have some editing to do.
Anyway, look forward to SOME With CHECKUP, you can take a
of the following: an April fools trick program's 'temperature'! CHECKUP checkup -i checkup.lst
(slightly late) for your friends or carefully examines your file and
enemies, a very nice backgammon comes up with a number... very likely The '-i' tells CHECKUP that the
game, a CHECKSUM program to a different number for every file you file CHECKUP.LST contains the
help detect if a virus has bitten you, a try. Jot the number down! If you ever names of the files he wants checked,
utility to compare files and show the CHECKUP a file and get a different such as:
differences on screen and in context, number, watch out! Something has
and an arcade game where you must changed in that file. Perhaps it's been /command.com
serve some very demanding infected by a virus. /config.sys
customers. CHECKUP uses an advanced /autoexec.bat
Disk-52 also contains a very nice CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) /dos/format.com
program for slowing down your Checksum algorithm which detects /dos/chkdsk.com
computer with a pop-up window for missing, added or scrambled infor-
changing the speed, a mation. The number which When AUTOEXEC.BAT is exe-
calendar/appointment manager, a CHECKUP calculates is derived cuted, CHECKUP reports the CRC
utility that will graphically display from close scrutiny of each and every of the group of files in this way:
disk usage and technical stars, a byte byte in your file! You can use it on
editor, a nifty replacement for the document files too! 42152 (23152 bytes checked)
boring old PAUSE command, some Jackson's been using CHECKUP
funny one liners, and a utility that for a few weeks now. He has a The left-hand number (in our
can cross-reference any source code number of strategic files (like example '42152') is what you want to
or document. COMMAND.COM and continued on page 3
Ottawa IBM-PC Users Club Page 2
50 disk inventory
OPCUG library has interesting history
In the May edition of the Ottawa gant BASIC program to provide a nice As I was sure many novices would
IBM-PC Users Group newsletter, a menuing system for the monthly disks. be confused by the 'No system' error
system failure destroyed part of the I joined the club at Disk-15 in message provided by DOS if they
article by Chris Taylor on the history October, 1984, and got involved with attempted to boot from the monthly
of the OPCUG library. Here is the The library a month later. Mike disk, I borrowed a technique from
complete article. We apologize for any Schupan was sole librarian at the time. Peter Norton. Norton found a way to
inconvenience this error may have My job was to gather software. I was use most of the boot sector to run a
caused. not too good at that, but did manage small program displaying a message.
to come up with a few programs a Try booting any monthly disk pur-
month. As l became more proficient, chased after February, 1988.
By Chris Taylor Mike let me take over more and more The library continues to grow by
Software Librarian of the duties. I became the librarian at leaps and bounds. The entire library,
Disk-26 in November, 1985. which consists of The monthly disks,
There is something about round At that time the monthly disks had a the specialty library and demo disks,
numbers that cries out for attention. copy of IBM BASICA on them in now contains more than 300 disks.
As this is Disk number 50, I would order to run Gord's menuing system. There are programs of virtually every
like to take a look at some of the People with Clones would have their type in the library. My thanks to eve-
changes that the software library has computers hang-up if they booted ryone who has made the library what it
seen during the past few years. with the monthly disk, as it required is today.
Disk-01 was released in March, the IBM ROM BASIC as well as the
1983. The librarian's name on The BASICA on the disk. I decided to
monthly disk was missing until Barry return to a batch file menuing system
Armstrong's name appeared at Disk05 starting with DISK-30 in April, 1986.
in October, 1983. A few utilities from the library were Calendar ...
At Disk-07, in January, 1984, Gord used for control. It was a simple sys- Meetings of the Ottawa
Hopkins and Mike Schupan took over tem, small, and not too slow. Several IBM-PC Users Group are held
as librarians. The library benefited variations were used as different utili- on the last Wednesday of the
greatly as Gord had come from the ties became available. month except in July and
Northern Alberta PC Users' Group When PC-Magazine published the December. The Meeting are
and had brought their library with him. Lotus-style menuing system SLASH- held at the National Research
Also, Gord had written an ele- BAR, I changed the format of the Council Auditorium, 100
monthly disks to use it. I was im- Sussex Drive (Gothic Building
pressed with it's small size, flexibility, facing King Edward Avenue).
ease of use, and speed. It has been Memberships and club disks
used since Disk-41 in May, 1987. are available at 7:30 p.m. with
Paranoia about virus programs the regular meeting starting at
CHECKUP... prompted the IBM-PC Users Group 8 p.m. Free parking is available
from page 2 to drop the operating system from the at the rear of the Gothic
monthly disks. On the positive side, Building.
remember. CHECKUP will always
there will now be 40K more space
give the same number for the same
available each month for useful pro- The next meeting will be
group of files so long as the file names
grams. Any disk purchased after on:
are in the same order, and so long as
February, 1988 will not contain the
the contents or sizes of the files have
operating system.
not changed. And a virus. any virus,
has to change files to replicate itself!
CHECKUP will be available at August 3 1.
the June meeting of the OPCUG on
Disk number 52.
Ottawa IBM-PC Users Club Page 3
Clip-art graphics included
Major improvements added to new version
from page 1 key while F1, used as the HELP key in then PAGE PREVIEW shows the
It seems that in its haste to market many programs, was the CANCEL results of the changes. This feature also
WP v5.0, the programmers had key. WP v5.0 has changed all that. offers both 100 and 200 per cent views.
renamed the spelling file but Yes, it still offers the older v4.2 set-up To move from page to page, you
forgot to tell anyone. WP kept
looking for WP{WP}EN.LEX use the PgUp or PgDn keys.
and all I had to offer was WP v5.0 offers a choice of
WP{WP}UK.LEX (a British ... WordPerfect v5.0 has screen measurements. For
spelling dictionary). The solution example, it
answered the needs of writers Defaults to inches and iden-
is to copy WP{WP}UK.LEX to
a blank disk, rename it
and word processors with a host tifies the position of the cursor
WP{WP}EN.LEX and then send of features... by inches from the top and the
it back into WP. left margins of the page. It also
offers the same style of meas-
urements in centimetres,
points and the older WP v4.2
A toll-free call to WP's Canadian
method, ie: line number and
distributor, JB Marketing, provided
some of the answers for the other
files. The service representative but the ALTERNAT.WPK file cursor position in the text that will be
suggested removing all of The WP changes Fl to the HELP key and F3 appreciated by typists and word proc-
v5.0 stuff from the hard disk and then becomes a REPEAT key (sound fa- essing operators.
doing a manual installation (a:\ copy miliar?). There's also another optional Getting started in WP v5.0 is rea-
*.* c:\ wp50) of the six major disks, keyboard file for the IBM enhanced sonably easy. There's both a separate
ie: WP 1 and 2, the Speller, the keyboard. book full of lessons that corresponds
Thesaurus, the Learning disk and the Other Changes to the function keys with the tutorial files on the learning
Fonts/Graphics disk. Having done include: SETUP for identifying where disk or you can use the on-screen
that, WP settled down and began to backup files are stored, etc., STYLE tutorial which gives you a good, basic
operate properly. for style sheets and GRAPHICS, yes instruction in the program. The
graphics, for clip-art graphics included owner's manual comes in the familiar
with the program. There's 30 of them three-ring format plus there's two
While there are those who detest including a pencil, a clock, a map of keyboard templates, one for the stan-
complex programs with complex the U.S.A., a flag, a gift wrapped dard IBM keyboard and the other for
keyboard commands, WP v5.0 had package, etc. Depending on your the enhanced keyboard and a quick
come a long way from v4.2. printer, you can incorporate these reference card showing all the key-
Because it's loaded with features graphics into your text. It's a type of board commands.
such as 'page preview', 'graphics' and low level PageMaker program. WordPerfect v4.2 has become one
'style sheets', it's easy to see why it Microsoft Word users will recognize of the most popular word processing
gobbles up 384k and why WP Corp the PAGE PREVIEW feature of WP programs in North America.
recommends installing the program on v5.0. It does what the name suggests. WordPerfect v5.0 offers more fea-
a hard disk. Its ancestor, WP v4.2 used When entering this mode, a page tures, has corrected some of the short-
only 205k. appears with text on it to show what comings found in v4.2 and now offers
Keyboard changes the text will look like in the final a logical, powerful approach to word
One of the biggest changes is an document. If a letter is too high on the processing. Yes, there's the odd bug
optional keyboard file, page or if you want to reformat the but so far The bugs have been more of
ALTERNAT.WPK, which allows the margins to improve the appearance, a minor nuisance instead of a major
user to change some of the function problem. This new kid can hold its
keys. WP v4.2 had the bad habit of own.
using Function key F3 as the HELP
Ottawa IBM-PC Users Club Page 4
COMMENTARY
IBM, the PC and the computer marketplace
by Jackson Hibler cajoling and stroking that small but vital pand and proliferate the machine. It
OPCUG link in the marketing chain. IBM was The fact that lots of equipment and
realized early on that it would pay them software could be seen accumulating
Conventional wisdom would have it to go one-on-one even many-on-one around the machine that brought in the
that IBM is The master marketeer. with these people. They did, and the customers still jaded from the failure of
And indeed, if success in the personal results are history. This was big CP/M. This machine was open ended;
computer field is to be taken as marketing, no doubt, but not mass it had a future! Suddenly it wasn't going
sufficient evidence, who can argue? marketing. What IBM was about to get to be just 50,000 units a year anymore...
But having 'given the name' to the PC into with the PC, however, was a mass an embarrassment of riches that seems
arena does not mean IBM is the market. to have concerned IBM more with the
master player therein. Lets look back a IBM may have now convinced itself embarrassment than with the riches.
bit: that the personal computer's 'time had At the moment, there appear to be
When IBM introduced the PC in come' and they just happened to be at
1981 their marketing people projected the right place and time in 1981...
sales of about 50,000 a year over the nonsense! The PC's 'time' had come a
first five years. In fact they sold a whole couple of years before with the
order or magnitude more in those first maturation of CP/M... people were
five years... some 3,000,000. Now you ready to buy a PC! But that operating
would think that they would have system's 'device independence' had not The PC population
revised their marketing thinking in the triggered easy transportability of
face of such results. But have they? programs and expansion equipment is estimated to be
Perhaps not. between machines as had been hoped...
disk formats under CP/M
close to
proliferated... it was still 'Babel' in the 11,000,000...
personal computer market place.
PC sales were
... Customers? "No, thank you."
Back then some very bright people in
projected to the Entry Systems
Division of IBM decided to some 11,000,000 PCs, XTs and ATs
reach 50,000 standardize the operating system and out there and IBM has sold some 40 to
disk format (to start); but most 50percentof`them. You'd think they
units a year importantly, they opened the would be delighted, right? Nope.
architecture of the machine to allow Instead they grind their teeth over the
expansion of the hardware as well as 6,000,000 PCs they didn't get to sell...
the software. The idea probably wasn't as if they would ever have got to sell
First of all, The PC was just a blip in to open the market to competitors so their pile without the presence of the
a much larger chart of endeavor back much as to open the machine to other clone makers that legitimized the
then. The mainframe and mini arena third-party sources of parts. market. I contend that without the
was where IBM concentrated its Paradoxically it was opening the clones, IBM would have been right
efforts. Its marketing strategy and machine to competition that really about selling 50,000 a year. Apple, with
knowledge really related to that field... 'made' the machine! You don't see a superior equipment, operating system
and still does. Of prime importance 'standard' develop unless it is darned and software has endured a long costly
were the several thousand 'information handy for a very large number of battle to establish itself in the market.
systems managers' that made the players. An open architecture let add-in But IBM Looks to Apple with envy for
computer buying decisions and then manufacturers and, later, 'clone' its closed architecture and stranglehold
sold their decisions to management. manufacturers enhance, ex on its market niche.
IBM has concentrated on selling to continued on page 6
those individuals: coddling,
Ottawa IBM-PC Users Club Page 5
Comment
IBM and the personal computer marketplace
from page 5 The operative dard architecture, and ultimately it just remain another incompatible
word is niche! seems, inherit it! machine on The fringe of the standard
So now IBM is trying the Apple I wonder if IBM realizes how close PC world... sold to old information
route with the Microchannel PS/2 they are to 'betting the company' on systems manager groupies and darned
architecture; and the CP/M route with the Microchannel PS/2? Sure, the few others.
a 'device independent'... really meaning market is bigger now and IBM will get There's an old adage from the stock
a slightly, but significantly, differ- to sell a lot of 'them no matterwhat market: "Bulls can make money. Bears
can make money. But pigs get
slaughtered. " I don't think it is yet
they do. But if the time to buy IBM's stock again... or a
Microchannel PS/ Microchannel PS/2 either!
Both IBM and Apple picked 2 is to take off like P.S. The day after the above article
different routes for their products the original PC did, was filed, the Globe and Mail (May 31,
and the jury is still out on naming the competition 1988) reported that IBM and Chips &
MUST adopt the Technologies have jointly agreed that
the winner... architecture. Per- licences or royalties will not be asked
haps the smart of C&T for Their 'clone' components.
marketing people in This is understood to include C&T's
IBM know this: But PS/2 chipset. It is still mooted,
the talk is ail however, that IBM plans to charge
royalties to actual PS/2 'clone'
ent version for each individual ma- manufacturers. I wonder, did IBM
about 'licensing' the PS/2. Is IBM
chine... OS/2 operating system. blink... or just wake up?
really trying to reopen the clone
Meanwhile, Apple is struggling to
kitchen with royalty nibble rights? If
'open' its machine with the MAC II,
that works, IBM may well get to have
and the 'device independent' CP/M
its cake. But if the competition isn't
withers for lack of devices! Funny, isn't Remember, there's no
encouraged to crowd around the table
it. Instead of dominating its standard, OPCUG meeting in July. Next
real soon now, IBM may have to dine
leading it and floating ever higher on meeting - Aug. 31.
alone: the Microchannel PS/2 will
top of a mass of clones, IBM has let
companies like Compaq and AST lead
development of the stan-
Medicine for your computer
Stabilant 22 is a prescription chemical that provides an ounce of
Micro-chip... prevention or a pound of cure. Stabilant 22, a 'Byte Product of the
from page 2 Year', is a contact enhancer, lubricant and cleanser. Prescribed in
throw away. These chips will have cost small doses, this $35 wonder drug is known to cure parity errors,
you about 30 percent of the cost of flaky drives and many contact related difficulties. Sufficient
256k chips today, but if you use disk dosage is supplied to solve problems for many years. P.S. Try it on
caching or memory swapping software your VCR or stereo connections. For a prescription call your bulk
you gain more than that in utility. purchasers and ask Terry, Tim or Suzanne (225-2630 or 226-
When you expand you will pay retail 2615).
prices for chips. Chips already installed
in computers are purchased at the
manufacturing level to volumes of
100,000 or more.
Ottawa IBM-PC Users Club Page 6
The Aliens are coming!
Software librarian picks favorite game
By Chris Taylor ROUND42, found on Disk-33. It's an round. You must kill all the aliens in
OPCUG arcade-style game that requires a CGA each round before advancing to the
(Color/Graphics Adapter). It will run next.
I'm often asked what is the best disk on a composite monitor, but to enjoy The arrow keys let you move any-
/ game / utility / program in the soft- it in all its glory, a color monitor is a where on the screen. Your arsenal
ware library. A very difficult question must. consists of an unlimited number of
to answer. But I can pass on some As the name implies, the game bullets and a very limited number of
comments on some of the programs I provides 42 rounds of battle. The type phasers which are guaranteed to take
Re. of enemy (alien ships, of course) and out an alien. The aliens have a non-
One of my favorite games is the way they act changes with each ending arsenal of bombs.
Not all rounds are unique. Every
fourth round is a 'warp' round, where
you must manoeuvre though a narrow
path. Not counting duplicates, there
1988 IBM - PC Club Executive are actually 19 unique alien killing
rounds. The author saved the prettiest
round for last.
President Harry Gross 7337989 If you manage to survive all 42
Past President Anne Moxley 5924933 rounds, don't expect any congratula-
Treasurer Mike Luckham 8323829 tions. It all starts over at round 1 and
the easy rounds are eliminated. I only
Secretary Eric Clyde 7492387 found one extra unique round in play-
Membership Chairman Claude Jarry 5213366 ing a total of 101 rounds (my personal
Meeting Facilities Stu Moxley 592 4933 best).
Publicity Gord Hopkins 828 3834 The game is fast paced and tricky.
For those with 'turbo' computers or
Software Librarian Chris Taylor 7231329 80286/386 processors, check out the
Software Assistant John Ings program 'WHOA!' on Disk-52. It will
Newsletter Editor André Cyr 5615207 allow you to slow down your com-
Newsletter Team Ted Havrot 733 2710 puter and enjoy the game.
Jackson Hibler 8364863
Mike Luckham 832 3829
Marc Riou 733 2092
Mike Roy 7440047
BBS Sysop Bruce Miller 7451151
Bulk Purchasing Terry Mahoney 2262615
SURVEY...
Look for a special mem-
bership survey coming
Special Interest Groups in July. Members will be
asked their views on the
PCjr club's bulletin board
Enable Bob Laidlaw 995 3708 service, the newsletter
PC/AT Gord Hopkins 828 3834
and the club's dues
Packages Eric Clyde 7492387
Whole Bit TV Show Sandy Shaw 733 5088
structure.
Ottawa IBM-PC Users Club Page 7
