ࡱ> j  !"#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghiklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|}~Root Entry F󥥻CompObjnWordDocumentR;ObjectPool@L󥥻@L󥥻  FMicrosoft Word 6.0 Document MSWordDocWord.Document.69qࡱ_Oh+'0$ H l   D hC:\WINWORD\TEMPLATE\NORMAL.DOT Anne SkurnickAnne Skurnick@lܥe3 e[R;=X6666666:7:7:7:7:7 F7 P7.:7:1~7~7~7~7~77778888,89::T#;/:67~7~777:766~7~777776~76~786,6J66667877 New Features of Worldgroup 3.0 in Both NT/95 and DOS Editions Plug-in for Internet Explorer 3 - Microsofts newest browser can now launch Worldgroup client apps in a manner similar to (and simpler than) Netscape Navigator. Forum Grouping - in C/S mode, you can create tree-structured groups of forums. Users can then explore your forums either alphabetically as before or categorically through groups. Forum Manager is a separate app - in C/S mode, Message Center now no longer contains management functions like creating/deleting forums. These functions are now in the separate app Forum Manager, which also handles creating/editing forum groups. Offline Forum Erasure - in C/S mode, users have a single-button option to delete every offline forum message theyve read so far. Message Notes - in C/S mode, users can scribble private comments onto any message in their Message Center In Boxes or File Folders. These notes cannot be transmitted as part of replies, so users are free to make whatever candid comments they need. User-ID Notes - every user account now has room for Sysop comments which, like the message notes, cannot be transmitted to the user so managers can make whatever private notes they need about users. Mind you, anyone with access to Remote System Console can view these notes. Save Results of User-Account Searches - Remote System Console database search results (lists of User-IDs) can now be saved to disk. Account Display/Edit can now be read-only - every field displayed by AD/E is now CNFed, allowing you to display each field to the user yet not let him change its value. Worldgroup Manager URL hotspots now LAUNCH browsers - if no browser is currently running when a user clicks a URL in a WGM client app, WGM searches the users hard disk first for Navigator then for Internet Explorer and runs the first one it finds, passing the URL. Clickable URLs in Registry - users can now mention URLs in the fields of their Registry entries and these will be presented in C/S mode as clickable hotspots. URL list in Teleconference can be saved - the list of URLs that accumulates as a user watches teleconference text flow by can now be saved to disk as a new BOOKMARK file which can then be merged into a browsers main bookmark file. C/S-mode Ps & Qs can now ASK/ANNOUNCE - when you set a poll or questionnaire to ASK, INSIST, or ANNOUNCE itself, it appears to C/S-mode users as an entry on the same Announcement window which tells them they have new mail. Worldgroup 3.0 for DOS - In a Nutshell In most other respects, Worldgroup 3.0 for DOS is nearly identical to Worldgroup 2.0. The primary place youll see differences is in filenames, particularly *.DAT files and those beginning in BBS*.* In general, anything BBS*.* is now WGS*.* and most things *.DAT now have filenames ending *2.DAT. One other difference is that Introductory Menu options 8 and 9 have now been merged into 7. Offline Utilities includes a report utility and all add-on utilities show up in the same list with baseline utilities. The product dividing lines are pretty much the same for Worldgroup 3 for DOS as for Worldgroup 2, except that the baseline has gone back to including modem and serial channels as well as the TCP/IP support Worldgroup 2s baseline has. There is no such thing as Worldgroup 3 for DOS Dial-Up Option. GalactiBoards and GalactiBoxes are still supported by Worldgroup 3 DOS, as are the existing models of Equinox SuperSerial cards (SS64 & SS128). Novell LAN Option is mostly as it was in Worldgroup 2, but SPX only. IPX Direct and IPX Virtual are no longer supported at all in either NT/95 or DOS editions. X.25 Software Option for DOS 3 is still as it was in Worldgroup 2. The Advanced Internet Option for Worldgroup 3 for DOS has identical features to the Advanced Internet Option for Worldgroup 2. Worldgroup 3 for DOS definitely does continue to support a SLIP/PPP-to-ISP modem/ISDN link and with the Advanced Internet Option does definitely continue to provide user-SLIP/PPP. Worldgroup 3.0 for NT/95... What It Cant Do Microsoft NT is an overly protective mother. It rations its resources and actively hides the dirty details from its applications. The other side of that same coin, of course, is that Microsoft NT liberates us from having to concern ourselves with such potential headaches. As a result, a number of things we were able to get at in DOS are very difficult to reinvent in NT and weve had to prioritize tasks on our wish-lists. Worldgroup 3 for NT/95 wont have support for SLIP to ISP. This is because Windows NT and Windows 95 both take care of these internally. Therefore, nothing was needed on our part. Pass through SLIP/PPP is not offered, see the section titled, Information on Worldgroup for NT Solutions for PPP Access later in this document for more information. Galactiboards and Galactiboxes dont work with Worldgroup 3 for NT/95 on either operating system because Galacticomm hasnt written hardware driver software for either NT or native Windows 95. We did for DOS of course, but at the time we did so it made lots of economic sense. Although well continue to support existing GalactiHardware, were almost certainly going to stop selling it the day we begin shipping Worldgroup 3. A big influence on our decision here was simply that non-intelligent serial hardware of any brand is a bad fit for NT. NT demands far more of its CPU than DOS does. A DOS-running CPU can handle the traffic of a significant number of non-intelligent ports, but an NT-running CPU will take a sizable performance hit unless it has some way to offload the traffic onto a subprocessor -- an intelligent serial subsystem like Equinox. Youre welcome to try using non-intelligent cards with NT, but we dont advise it. X.25 isnt directly supported by Worldgroup 3 for NT/95 for the same reason: no driver for the OST card. Novell SPX very much is supported by both NT and 95, so there is a Novell LAN Option add-on for Worldgroup 3 for NT/95. It does require that you use the Microsoft default Winsock, however. That Winsock is primarily the source of NTs and 95s TCP/IP connectivity, but it also contains code to provide SPX connectivity. IPX Direct and IPX Virtual are no longer supported at all in either NT/95 or DOS editions. Worldgroup 3.0 For NT/95 - What It Can Do Because Microsoft NT makes hardware manufacturers meet application writers halfway, Worldgroup 3 for NT/95 now has access to a much wider range of hardware solutions. Serial solutions can be divided into two broad categories: terminal servers and the more familiar in-PC subsystems like Equinox. If the manufacturer has written NT or 95 drivers for his cards, Worldgroup 3 for NT/95 can assign its COM ports as modem and/or serial channels. In the case of separate terminal servers connected to the Worldgroup server via network connection, the terminal server itself turns the RS-232 sessions into TCP/IP sessions so Worldgroup sees them as TCP/IP channels. Worldgroup doesnt need to know that there are modems involved. This is particularly powerful in remote campus arrangements. Firms that need remote employees to log on from remote offices can put a terminal server in those offices and run either private intranet or a public Internet link between those offices and the home office. Another thing Microsoft NT hides from applications is how many CPU chips are in the computer. At the moment, Worldgroup 3 for NT/95 is Intel-only, but there are a lot of Intel-based multiprocessor systems out there which can deliver as much processing power as you could ask for. Windows 95 does have performance limitations compared to NT of any flavor. One of the performance advantages of NT over Windows 95 is the ability to run Worldgroup Server as a Service. NT can load Worldgroup 3 for NT/95 at startup independent of any Windows user logon. System Requirements for Worldgroup 3.0 To run Worldgroup 3.0, even the DOS one, you must upgrade every add-on. Weve changed large sections of the programming code with the result that add-on software compiled for versions prior to Worldgroup 3.0 wont work until recompiled (and to at least some extent rewritten). Conversion from Worldgroup 2 to Worldgroup 3 will convert every datafile, so plan on a long downtime. Time is strongly dependent on how much data you have, so it could be anywhere from 3 hours to all day and night. Those of you who upgraded from The Major BBS to Worldgroup v1 have a good idea of how long it will take. To run Worldgroup 3.0 for NT/95 on an NT platform: Minimum CPU: Pentium 60Recommended: Pentium 90 or betterMinimum RAM:16megRecommended: 32megUsable Operating Systems:Microsoft NT 3.51 Workstation with or without service packs Microsoft NT 3.51 Server, Microsoft NT 4.00 ServerSerial Port / Modems:Theoretically, any hardware which has NT drivers and can be presented as COM ports (COM1, COM37, etc.) can be used as MODEM or SERIAL. At the present, weve confirmed motherboard COM ports (COM1-COM4), Equinox and Stallion systems. Also, external terminal servers are valuable solutions, especially for remote campuses. These devices feed COM ports into TCP/IP connections, so Worldgroup sees them as TCP/IP channels. Terminal servers can be placed anywhere on the planet and link to the Worldgroup server via the Internet.Novell SPX channels:Supported via NT/95 Novell LAN OptionX.25 Network channels:Not supported unless translated into TCP/IP connections by some external router-type equipment.To run Worldgroup 3.0 NT/95 on a 95 platform: Minimum CPU:486/66Recommended:Pentium 60 or betterMinimum RAM:16megRecommended:32megUsable Operating Systems:Windows 95 with GUI running with or without Service Pack 1Serial Port / Modems:At the present, weve only confirmed motherboard COM ports (COM1-COM4). Equinox does NOT yet have 95 drivers. Stallion does and has been tested. External terminal servers also work.Novell SPX channels:Supported via NT/95 Novell LAN Option provided you use the default Winsock for Windows 95 (it has SPX extensions built into it as well as TCP/IP).X.25 Network channels:Not supported unless translated into TCP/IP connections by some external router-type equipment. To run Worldgroup 3.0 DOS on a DOS platform: The exact same requirements as for Worldgroup 2.0 Minimum CPU:486 or betterRecommended:Pentium or betterMinimum RAM:8megRecommended:8-16megUsable Operating Systems:DOS v6 or better or Windows 95 with GUI disabledSerial Port / Modems:Motherboard COM ports, non-intelligent devices such as Galactiboards and Galactiboxes, intelligent devices using Equinoxs SuperSerial technology External terminal servers also work.Novell SPX channels:Supported via DOS Novell LAN OptionX.25 Network channels:Supported via X.25 Software Option User Interface Paradigms -- Introducing Active HTML With Worldgroup for NT, Galacticomm will introduce yet another built-in method of user interface: Active HTML. Active HTML follows ASCII, ANSI, RIP, and client/server as the latest user interface trend in this exploding online market. It addresses the universal client or thin client issue by allowing users with Web browsers to access Worldgroup services without the need for hefty plug-ins or ActiveX controls. For a very long time, standard ASCII/ANSI/RIP terminal mode was an acceptable method for computer users to access online applications and resources. As time went on, though, desktop applications diverged in user interface. They became easier to use, employing more and more sophisticated user interface elements. The average computer user learned to expect these rich, easy-to-use interfaces. Many groups of online enthusiasts still prefer the traditional terminal mode user interface paradigm, so Galacticomm has continued to support it. But, Galacticomm has focused more and more on the new user interface paradigms that have promised to attract the average computer user into the online world. Galacticomm developed its client/server platform to harness the best of the desktop user interface paradigms in the online world. The dream was to take the best of workgroup user interface and features and combine them with the best of the online service features. Worldgroup was born. Supporting Novell SPX, TCP/IP, dial-up, and X.25 access, Worldgroup servers could truly serve whats now known as the expanded intranet as well as the traditional online service market. Enter, the World-Wide Web. Through a browser plug-in and ActiveX control, Galacticomm helped bridge the gap between traditional Web browsers and the Worldgroup client. Users could surf the Webs rich set of published documents and jump straight into full client/server applications as need be. Local software continued to allow the benefits of client intelligence (such as reduced need for bandwidth, more rich user interface, offline operation, etc.). Galacticomms current client/server platform is largely proprietary at heart. (When practical, Galacticomm has embraced standards like TCP/IP in order to enhance client/server access. But, the central client/server protocol is still proprietary, even though it may ride on TCP/IP.) Galacticomms client can be considered to employ thick client technology. Local intelligence reduces the need for bandwidth and allows things like on deck (offline) operation. But, that benefit requires an investment on the part of the user: downloading and dedicating hard drive room to the client. Standard Web browser access to multi-media on servers (without the need for plug-ins or ActiveX controls) is considered thin client technology or universal client technology, since browsers operate based on reasonably open standards. This has appeal to many people. Information is easy to create and convenient to access. It does, however, require more bandwidth, have a less rich user interface, and make on deck operation difficult (if not largely impossible). In many ways, the Web browser has become the thin client of today, as the terminal programs (ASCII/ANSI/RIP) were the thin client of yesterday. See http://www.microsoft.com/cio/groupWebClients.htm for the META Groups take on thick versus thin client technology. While maintaining yesterdays thin client technology (terminal mode) as well as todays thick client technology (client/server), Galacticomm will embrace todays thin client technology with Active HTML. This will support access to Worldgroup applications from standard Web browsers without the need for any plug-ins or ActiveX controls. (People often refer to this general class of technology as dynamic HTML.) Active HTML will be included in Worldgroup for NT 3.0. The first HTML Activated application will be the File Library. Galacticomm will make other HTML Activated applications available as soon as possible (making post-3.0 patches available as need be). Galacticomm will also work diligently with ISVs to facilitate adding Active HTML to their applications. Galacticomms initial work on Active HTML applications will focus on universal support among popular browsers. That means sticking to a basic HTML subset that most browsers support. However, Sysops will be able to edit the HTML template files for each application. Those templates or DynaFiles will be used at run-time to dynamically generate HTML for Web browsers. Galacticomm and enterprising Sysops will soon integrate Java applets and ActiveX controls into the Active HTML interface for particular application areas. (A good example would be the pie vs. bar graph for poll results. A simple script with an ActiveX control or Java applet would allow users to switch between different graph views on a Web page.) Looking further into the future, more and more intelligence can be moved back onto the client with Java and ActiveX. The market will dictate the level of acceptance to this trend. Eventually, Java applets and ActiveX controls may very well be talking directly to the server via dedicated client/server byte pipes (resembling more and more todays thick client). This evolution is planned for, but not in any way required by our initial Active HTML platform. Active HTML is yet another step in the direction of embracing open standards and migrating Galacticomms efforts to better and better dovetail with the efforts of others in the industry. The power of Worldgroups upcoming Active HTML interface is not in it standing alone. Standing alone, it can be compared to CGI, although it will be a much more rich environment for dynamic HTML applications than CGI. The idea of dynamically-generated HTML as a user interface is not at all unique. However, the integration of it into the Worldgroup environment certainly is. Active HTML will allow straight, no-plug-in browser access to Worldgroup applications and data. The user interface wont be nearly as rich as that of client/server mode. Getting work done on a plane or at a client site with no outside (Internet) connection wont be possible. But, you know the benefits (mainly no big, proprietary client). The real power of Active HTML (today) is its availability as a constant alternative to client/server mode on Worldgroup 3.0 systems. Those that commonly use their companys Worldgroup expanded intranet or their favorite Worldgroup online service will likely have the client always available on their personal laptops. They will likely be able to work faster, more efficiently, and more flexibly with the client. If they use it enough, and they run MS Windows, it will have been worth it to them to spend the time getting and installing the client. If theyre using a customers machine without the client available, they can still use any available browser. If they only have a UNIX machine available, fine. They can still access the same applications and data. More casual users (Web surfers, for instance) may only experience the Active HTML interface. But, as casual users turn into frequent users, the advantages of thick client technology may very well lure them into investing the time to get and install the Worldgroup plug-in. On any one Worldgroup system, we expect there to be a healthy mix of people accessing services in Active HTML and client/server mode at any point in time. We call this universal access, and its something weve continually strived for over the past 10 years. So, in this regard, Active HTML is in a totally different class than standard CGI sorts of things. It should be noted that Scott Perry of Computerized Horizons, a prominent ISV, has been a real pioneer in the area of dynamic HTML access to Worldgroup. Galacticomm is obviously working with Scott Perry in order to synergize our respective efforts in this area. You can visit the Computerized Horizons Web site at http://www.fcc.com/isv. Stay tuned for more announcements from Galacticomm and Computerized Horizons for specifics. Joint Galacticomm/Vircom Online Announcement -- NT PPP Solutions It has been announced that Worldgroup NT will not have an Advanced Internet Option add-on that directly supports Worldgroup-hosted PPP accounts for dial-up users. It was announced that other solutions would fill the gaps in this new NT version. One such solution is obviously NTs native support for RAS. But, on August 2, 1996, Galacticomm announced that it was supporting Vircoms efforts to provide more direct, easy-to-use solutions on NT. This was announced as a major move for Galacticomm and Vircom to dovetail their efforts in the best interests of their mutual customers. (This, rather than Galacticomm and Vircom continuing to pursue competing solutions for PPP under Worldgroup.) Upon the formal execution of multiple agreements between Galacticomm and Vircom, more details are now available. The following describes the solutions for direct PPP support under Worldgroup NT. (All information herein is, of course, subject to change without notice.) Vircom will develop two products implementing two different architectures for providing PPP accounts under NT. Both will be well integrated within the Worldgroup environment: PPP Server for NT: a software solution (which RAS is) that allows you to use standard Worldgroup channels to provide PPP accounts; and RADIUS Server for NT: a hardware solution whereby terminal servers are used in conjunction with Worldgroup user accounting and security to provide PPP accounts. Precise specifications for these products will be made available by Vircom separate from this announcement. Vircom will offer these products directly through its reseller network. Galacticomm will also OEM both solutions, selling and supporting them as Galacticomm products. Availability The RADIUS Server product will be available for NT very soon. While Worldgroup NT is still in beta, only Vircom will offer this solution. Once Worldgroup NT has been released, Galacticomm will also offer it. The PPP Server product is still in development. It will be released by the end of 1996. End-User Pricing -- New Customers End-user pricing will be the same whether purchased as a Galacticomm product or a Vircom product. Support and upgrades will be handled differently depending on which is purchased. The RADIUS Server for NT will be $500. The base RADIUS Server product supports 32 terminal server ports. Additional 32-packs will be available for $200. Additional 128-packs will be available for $700. The PPP Server for NT will be $500. End-User Pricing -- Upgrades For all practical purposes, the NT versions of these packages have involved entirely new software being researched, developed, and tested. Although these are being considered by both Galacticomm and Vircom to be new products (as opposed to upgrades from DOS products offering similar functionality), a special upgrade path is being offered for some customers. Those upgrade paths are exclusively as follows: Major TCP/IP DOS customers will receive a special price of $400 when purchasing the PPP Server for NT product. Advanced Internet Option customers with active ASUPs will receive a special price of $400 when purchasing the PPP Server for NT product. From Here Reseller pricing and other details will be made available to the appropriate companies and individuals. Galacticomm and Vircom will continue to work together in an alliance to provide the best possible solutions to its mutual customer base.  Galacticomm, Inc. 4101 SW 47th Avenue Suite 101 Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33314 Voice: (954) 583-5990 Fax: (954) 583-7846 BBS: (954) 583-7808 Web: http://www.gcomm.com ࡱ 88ssi.:3V L cc  d  d cC dd(dP3f333f3333f3ffffff3f̙3f3f333f333333333f33333333f33f3ff3f3f3f3333f33̙33333f3333333f3333f3ffffff3f33ff3f3f3f3fff3ffffffffffff3ffff̙fff3fffffff3ffffff3f333f3333f3ffffff3f̙̙3̙f̙̙̙̙3f3f333f3333f3ffffff3f̙3f3f3f333f3333f3ffffff3f̙3f3f (((555CCCPPP]]]kkkxxxׁ00&Q"P"K2ࡱ> jSummaryInformation(<@Y@*(]@F#Microsoft Word 6.04ࡱ> DFe%!v|)NX c }  *  DG+Q<>","Z"^"g"l"}##--FFMMTTUUWW?ZIZ<[=[>[[[[n$uuDacU^cUZ^^cUccZ^uD\LDEF()W X b c   h 4h h 4h! $%$%  &' "","-"--"B#C#$$$$$$$$$$% % %% %!%;%%%%''' ((%(((((((((((())) l$ "*)))/)j)k)):*;*P****[+\+]+++++++++++, , ,,",#,=,n,o,,=->-S-w-x--- l$ "*------//L2M2*4+455@8A8::; ;<<??CCEEFF[I\I K KKKMMMMMPPQ l$ "+QQFRGRRRpSqSSSTTTTfUgUUUUVVfWgWWWWWDYEYYY>Z?ZIZJZZZ<[=[  4h&=[?[[[[[[K@Normala c"A@"Default Paragraph Font @ Header ! @ Footer !X\!       %c4 HUX n$ -")-Q=[[>$ Anne SkurnickC:\WINWORD\DOCS\LOGO.DOC Anne SkurnickC:\WINWORD\DOCS\WALTON.DOC Anne SkurnickC:\WINWORD\DOCS\WALTON.DOC Anne SkurnickC:\WINWORD\DOCS\DESBIENS.DOC Anne SkurnickC:\WINWORD\DOCS\WG3LH.DOC Anne SkurnickC:\WINWORD\DOCS\WG3LH.DOC Anne SkurnickC:\WINWORD\DOCS\WG3LH.DOC@HP LaserJet 4/4M\\Server1\laser3pHPPCL5MSHP LaserJet 4/4M@g XX@MSUDNHP LaserJet 4;d HP LaserJet 4/4M@g XX@MSUDNHP LaserJet 4;d ****1Times New Roman Symbol &Arial"h+ K f$/ Anne Skurnick Anne Skurnickࡱ> j