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Volume 1, Number 1 | November, 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Contents:
Shareware: The Inexpensive Alternative | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shareware: The Inexpensive AlternativeDepending on your experience with the software market, you may have heard of the alternative to commercial software, namely shareware. Shareware is a marketing method which allows products to be tested before a commitment to buy is required. The authors of shareware programs encourage people to copy and distribute their software. If, after testing the product, users decide to use it, they are expected to send in the registration fee to the author (usually between $20 and $60.) They are then sent a printed manual and the latest version of the product, and often receive free telephone support. While most of these products are designed to run on DOS based machines, there are also good quality programs available for many other machines. Let's take a look at some of these programs: File Express (see sidebar) is a medium level database that integrates ease of use with many very powerful features such as report writer, label printing utilities, and an extensive import/export feature. Rivalling many of the commercial word processors is QuickSoft's PC-Write. It boasts a 50,000 word spelling checker, laser printer support multiple fonts, and mail-merge capabilities among its features. PC Magazine has called HomeBase the "Software Product of the Year." This desktop organiser combines a database, text editor, calendar, calculator, DOS services, and a handy cut and paste feature with other tools. There are also shareware programs available for Macintosh fans. Among the best are BIPLANE, an excellent spreadsheet, and MaxWrite, a powerful word processor. Drawbacks, you ask? Of course, the programs listed are the cream of the crop and there are certainly some programs that are, quite simply, terrible. It's unfortunate that they exist as shareware, but don't let them stain an otherwise pleasant picture. So where can shareware programs be found? The easiest way to get them is to copy them from a friend or download them from any of the BBSs located all over town, but you can also write the authors and request more information. You can also gain access to the entire PC-SIG library of shareware programs (817 disks) at the Vancouver Public Library's Main Branch on Burrard Street. Shareware is an alternative to the high-priced commercial software industry. Since most shareware sells for less than fifty dollars, its biggest advantage is that it is affordable – especially when you consider that some commercial programs sell for $600 or more. Take a look, and you're sure to find a program that suits your needs – and your pocketbook. Tyson Schoeber |
Macintosh Shareware: BIPLANE: Alan G. Porter (address omitted) MaxWrite: MindVision Software (address omitted) MS-DOS Shareware: File Express: ExpressWare Corporation (Editor's Note: ExpressWare continued to develop File Express for some years after this issue came out, and the last version of File Express was released in 1995. However, the product never did make the jump to the Windows operating system.) PC-Write: QuickSoft, Inc. (address omitted) Church Membership System, Sermon Indexer, Church Prospect Program, Men of the Bible game: Ronald Bryan Byxbe (address omitted) HomeBase: Brown Bag Software (address omitted) Search the Scriptures: Biblesoft, Inc. (address omitted)
Viansoft Church Contribution System: Vian Corporation CProfile: Waterwares, Inc. (address omitted) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Review: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Textra: Fast, But Not ExpensiveTextra 5.2, Ann Arbor Software (address omitted) Word Processor, $74.95 How many times have you sat in front of your computer wishing nasty things would happen to the author of your word processor? Wouldn't it be nice if there was a word processor on the market which was fast, easy, and powerful? Wouldn't an on-line style guide to explain the proper methods of writing a bibliography, footnoting, and punctuation be helpful? How about a usage guide to explain the difference between effect/affect or accept/except? And a preview screen that could show an entire document at once? Or a spelling checker that could find capitalisation mistakes; and if it could automatically correct common spelling errors, wouldn't it be a great program? Let me introduce you to Textra. It combines all of these features with all the everyday tasks that make computers so useful when composing documents. And what's more, it's downright cheap. Textra is sold as subscription software (which means that when the authors have completed the next major update, Version 5.3, it will be sent to everyone who already owns a copy of Textra.) Textra's two greatest assets, speed and ease of use, are very difficult to describe. Using an extensive library of on-line help screens and a unique system of film-on-disk tutorials, it is very possible to learn how to use use the program without even opening the manual. Virtually every function has its own help screen that can be accessed with only one keystroke. The speed of the program cannot be done justice with mere words – it really should be seen. Since you probably don't have access to Textra at present, let me give you some examples of its speed. It spell checks a document at a rate of two pages per second on an AT (and only slightly slower on an XT.) Movement between sections of a document is almost instantaneous. Even notoriously slow features on other word processors, such as the page preview, are carried out instantly. Suffice it to say that you won't have to wait for Textra, it will be waiting for you. Tyson Schoeber |
Church-Related Computing Contacts: Accent Books; Computer Bible Games Books 1 & 2 (address omitted) Canada Remote Systems; Distribute Public Domain & Shareware, including the entire PC-SIG library. (address omitted) Christian Computer News; (address omitted) Church Bytes, Inc; Church Bytes Newsletter for Ministry – free sample copy (Editor's Note: After publishing for many years, Neil Houk sold Church Bytes to Deerhaven Press to press in 1996. Deerhaven changed it to a glossy magazine and changed the name to Scroll, but ended up ceasing publication in 1999.) Compact Disk Products; The Bible Library, Bible in several translations, plus dictionaries, on CD-ROM. (Editor's Note: After publishing for many years, Neil Houk sold Church Bytes to Deerhaven Press to press in 1996. Deerhaven changed it to a glossy magazine and changed the name to Scroll, but ended up ceasing publication in 1999.) Donaldson's Graphics; Christian Scenes & Symbols for Print Shop (address omitted) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Editorial: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Who else is out there?Like Elijah after Mount Carmel, I sometimes feel that "I alone" am involved in using computers to further the work of my church. When I go to computer shows, or fill in subscriptions for computer magazines, I am frequently asked to tick the appropriate box to describe my "business." Granted, there isn't as much money in your average church as in law firms or government departments, but it's just a bit annoying to have to tick off "Other" all the time. So what I want to know is, how many of us are out there, using computers in churches? Fortunately, I am not alone in wanting to know this. In September, 1987, the Interchurch Communications Committee, representing Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, and Anglican churches in Canada, conducted a survey of computer users in their denominations. The results can be very interesting. Of the 376 respondents to the survey, 357 reported having at least one computer, either in the church, or being used at home by members. That should not be interpreted to mean that 95% of churches use computers, since churches which have no interest in computers would not have responded to the survey. However, some conclusions can be drawn from the results. For example, we can see which computers are most popular amongst churches which do use computers. (MS-DOS computers far outrank the rest of the pack, with almost as many being reported as all other computers combined. Next most popular are Apple II and compatibles.) Also interesting is the geographic distribution of computers. For example, 53 of the 357 churches reporting computer use are in B.C., but only 4 are in New Brunswick. Even taking into account the differences in population between the two provinces, it is clear that B.C. churches are making more use of computer technology. That is where CAMsoc comes in. The aim of the society is to provide a link between churches (and church-related agencies) and developers and vendors of the hardware and software tools which can aid the spread of the gospel and the building up of the body of Christ. This newsletter is part of the means for achieving that aim. Your letters, articles, and reviews will enable other church computer users to improve their own understanding of computers and their uses in the church. Bi-monthly meetings (held on the first Thursday of January, March, May, September, and November) will enable users to get together and share common problems and fixes on an informal basis, as well as providing an opportunity to hear about new tools, such as Bible programs, Church management software, graphic libraries, and so on. Speakers will also be available who can point the way beyond simple computer literacy to the broad vistas the information revolution has opened to the church, as well as considering the challenges and opportunities computers provide to our theological understandings. If, like me, you wonder "Who else is out there," you are invited to join CAMsoc, using the membership application form on the last page. If you want to obtain your own copy of the survey, send $3.00 to The Division of Communication, United Church of Canada, 85 St. Clair Avenue East, Toronto, ON, M4T 1M8 | Computers in Use in Churches
Note: Percentages are rounded to the nearest digit. Also, since some churches report using more than one computer, the percentages do not equal 100. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Data Security: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Woodwork teacher I had in High School kept a poster on the wall of the classroom. It said, "Learn from other people's mistakes; you can't possibly live long enough to make them all yourself!" I try to follow that philosophy in life, and specifically when it comes to computing, since mistakes can result in intense frustration as well as inconvenience and even expense.
Unfortunately, circumstances are not always "under our control." Even after I learned to avoid the most potentially destructive blunders (like formatting a disk containing files I need), there were times when I lost data (and time) through the action of outside forces. Like the time my roommate tripped over the plug and cut the power while I was right in the middle of a paper – losing everything. Or the time when, two hours before class, a voltage "spike" scrambled my system in the middle of printing a 22 page term paper. Even though I had made a backup the day before, the last six pages were lost, because I hadn't "saved" before printing. Or maybe the day when I slammed a floppy disk full of articles between the edges of my briefcase while closing it, producing a horrifying crease right across a disk full of information which I had not yet submitted, and hadn't backed up. Or there was the church I visited where their computer and program disks and data disks had all been stolen. Even though they kept backups, none were kept off-site. The result? Three volunteers spent six months re-entering the information lost.
There are many ways to keep backup information. Several good programs are available to backup information from hard disks onto floppy disks. Some people keep duplicate files on separate hard disks. In the eventuality that one "crashes", the other can carry on. Streaming tape backups can do automated backup procedures, even in the middle of the night when nobody is using the system. There are even devices to allow users to back up data onto (relatively) inexpensive video cassettes!
In these days when it is becoming more and more common (almost essential) for computer users to keep information on hard disks, (my church's membership database is 1.7 Megabytes and growing) it is equally essential to follow a regular habit of backing up information. (Who wants to retype 1.7 Megabytes?) Whichever method you use to back up your data, you will need to decide on a schedule. The method I personally prefer (because it's easiest to remember) is to keep six sets of backups. One set is labelled for each weekday, and two sets (labelled "A" and "B") for Fridays. At the end of each day, the automated backup procedure is run for that day's disks. This saves keeping tables with dates and directories backed up.) On Fridays, the "A" disks are taken to the secretary's home, and the "B" set is brought in on Monday (or vice-versa). In this way, we can lose no more than a day's work due to a hard disk crash, and we would have backed up data no more than a week old, even if the computer is stolen or the office completely destroyed.
[The last page of the printed copy contained a Membership Application Form. CAMsoc does not currently have a paid membership. CAMsoc's information on the web is available to anyone. The Home Page for CAMsoc is at: http://www.associate.com/camsoc/index.html.]
CAMsoc Update is a newsletter on computing in general, and Christian computing specifically. The contents are copyrighted © 1988-2005 by Greg Slade and contributors, and may not be reprinted nor copied in any form without prior written permission from the author.
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