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^C^1Blue Notes

Dear Sir:

   I sent for your BIG BLUE DISK in October and received the first issue in 
about two weeks.  I am just a beginner on the computer, but so far I enjoy it 
very much.  I have not had time to run all the programs on the disks yet, but 
I am having a problem with issue 14 disk 2.  I was trying to run PC-General 
Ledger, PC-Payroll, PC-Accounts Receivable, and PC-Accounts Payable, and the 
computer keeps putting on the screen ^1YOU HAVE PASSED AN ILLEGAL PATH PARAMETER 
^1TO THE PROGRAM.  I CANNOT FIND THE PATH: .\^0.  I would like to know what I am 
doing wrong, or if something is wrong with the disk.

   Thank you for any help you can give me.

^RTodd A. Roth
^RSandusky, OH

^1>Several people have reported this problem.  It seems it is caused by an 
^1>incompatibility between different DOS versions.  Some versions allow reference 
^1>to the path ".\" meaning the current subdirectory.  This construction is 
^1>used in the batch file which calls the programs from the BIG BLUE DISK menu.
^1>However, there are some DOS versions that don't allow this syntax from the root
^1>directory of a disk.  This causes the programs to crash when run from the menu,
^1>but they should run fine when you run them separately by typing their names
^1>from the DOS prompt (e.g., PC-GL) with no parameters.  In addition, if you copy
^1>the issue to a subdirectory of a hard disk, it should work there, since the
^1>".\" syntax works in subdirectories.
^1>
^1>Another reported problem with the accounting programs is that sometimes after
^1>PC-Payroll has been run more than once, it crashes when you start it up.  This
^1>could be caused by a lack of disk space; once you set up data files and try to
^1>save them, they get cut off in the middle since there isn't enough room on the
^1>BIG BLUE DISK to save them.  Next time you try to run the program, it tries to
^1>load the data, finds it incomplete, and aborts.  The solution is to copy the
^1>programs to your own disk which has sufficient free space for the data files
^1>you will be creating.  A hard disk is best of all, if you have it.
|5 

Dear Sirs:

   A few days ago I purchased my first copy of BIG BLUE DISK.  It was a spur-
of-the-moment purchase in a local grocery store.  I am somewhat of a beginner 
with computers and I thought I would see what I could learn about this method 
of transferring information.  I found it quite interesting.  I had never owned 
any games that could be played on a computer.

   However, when I went to look at the second disk included with this issue, I 
could not bring it up on the screen.  The instructions say to type GO and Enter.
I cannot get it to work and it is one of the reasons I purchased the issue.  
Please advise.

^1>There often isn't room for our menu system on the second disk.  Hence, you 
^1>should start up the issue with the first disk.  The menu will let you run 
^1>programs on both disks, and will prompt you to swap disks when necessary.  To 
^1>run the special program (or anything else on disk 2) separately without 
^1>starting up our menu, follow the instructions given in the "Read It" text.  
^1>For instance, in issue 12, you can run ExpressCalc by placing disk 2 in your 
^1>drive and typing CALC.
^1>
^1>This month we had room on both disks for the menu, so you can type "GO" from 
^1>either disk and enter the issue without swapping.
|5 

Dear Big Blue;

   I subscribe to a number of magazines and when I see some code that I think I 
might like, I have to wait for the U.S. Snail to make a round trip with the 
disk before I can see if I really want it.  Of course, the big advantage is 
that I also get the source code.  But on the other hand, I have never gotten 
PC-WRITE or some of your other fine programs from a magazine article. 

   I work out of my house as a consultant and the modem is my primary means of 
exchanging information and mailing disks is number two. Therefore I find your 
diskazine very refreshing. I also see a whole new area for sniglets, or 
sayings, i.e., "Read between the tracks", "Or on the other side" 

   As for your packaging, I realy don't care. I already have a very large 
collection stored in filing cabinets.  So I first print all the documentation, 
scan it, look over the disk, copy what I want, and then the disk and the doc's 
are filed for friends and future use. 

   I see remarks about "Why read articles from a screen?". I think they missed 
the point. Good magazine articles must be cut out and/or xeroxed. Disk 
articles can be printed any time you want. I find ascii and cad files are a 
much more flexible means of transfering information. Besides, a diskazine 
without the added ascii files would lose the "Human Touch" that is so hard to 
hold on to with these dang machines. 

   The Fractal Landscape, level 7 on a hi-res EGA is outstanding.  But it will 
not use the EGA on some machines as you pointed out. Unfortunatly your new 
method mentioned in issue 14 for detecting EGA will not work either. 

   A lot of the "inport" EGA cards load their drivers in ram on boot-up and 
so interrupt 10h does not go to segment cxxxh. For example the Twinhead EGA 
bios vectors to 0d83:05f2 with DOS 3.2 and is not found by Fractal or your new 
method. Possibly an "if not" approach might solve the problem. 

   Keep up the good work as I extended my subscription (love your menu).

^RBob Holland
^RToms River, NJ

P.S. I ar a enginer so u may want 2 corekt the speling!

^1>As several people have noticed, our new "sure-fire" EGA-detection method isn't
^1>quite as foolproof as we thought.  There are just so many not-quite-compatible 
^1>cards out there that it's a nearly impossible task to detect all of them 
^1>reliably.  We've taken to simply asking people what card they've got at the 
^1>start of a program with different CGA and EGA modes.  We also added an option
^1>to tell our menu system which card you're using if its internal detection
^1>screws up; see "Diskovery" in this issue for details.
|5

To the Editors,

   Well, I really enjoyed my first experience with the Big Blue Disk. I like the
format of your table of contents. It has a clean look and it's easy to move
through it. I tried another magazine disk called "Uptime" and I didn't like the
way it was formatted.

   My first issue of BBD was #12. My wife and I immediately played Calc-Man.
When I tried to play Alfredo's Whopping Wattage I was disappointed. We do not
have a color monitor. I have an Epson Equity 1+ with a Epson monochrome monitor.
Still, the other programs were worth the purchase. I was especially pleased with
ExpressCalc. This was my first introduction to a spreadsheet. I never realized
how they worked. I'm still using it and realizing I can use a spreadsheet on a
daily basis. I'm not sure if I will be purchasing ExpressCalc or buying a more
powerful one, but at least BBD made me realize what a spreadsheet was. Thanks!

  Because of my enjoyment of BBD I sent in for a back copy of Issue #4. In
particular my interest was in getting PC Write. I didn't like it compared to
my CELEBRITY word processing program, but I'm glad I compared.

   Here I am 2 months later and I have not purchased another copy of BBD! The
main reason for this is because most of your programs are in color. They don't
do me any good. That's too bad! I eventually would like to have a color monitor
but it may be 3 to 6 months before I purchase one... I wonder how many other
computer owners have monochrome monitors so they don't purchase BBD for that
reason. It really is frustrating to buy a disk and only be able to use a part
of the program - it's like eating only half a meal!

   Anyways, keep up the good job and good luck with the business. I may be
talking with you again after I get my color monitor.

^RBasil Wiszczur
^RBrighton, MI

^1>We have to balance the needs of monochrome and color users.  We try to have 
^1>programs that don't require graphics so that monochrome users aren't entirely 
^1>shut out.  On the other hand, since most of our users do have color graphics 
^1>capability, we like to have some programs making use of the attractive screens 
^1>possible in graphics mode.  Sometimes we manage to get the best of both 
^1>worlds, as with last month's Klondike, which worked in monochrome but 
^1>displayed graphics for color users.
^1>
^1>One final thing on the subject of graphics:  If you have a Hercules monochrome 
^1>card, you may be able to run our color graphics programs with the help of one 
^1>of several programs out there which emulate a CGA on a Hercules.  A few of 
^1>these, including SIMCGA, are available for download on our bulletin board 
^1>system, reachable at (318) 222-3503.
|5

Dear Mr. Tobias:

   Last summer, while wandering through one of the nearby shopping malls 
during a "Sidewalk Sale" I noticed "Big Blue Disk" volume 4, on a special 
sale at the Dalton book store for $3.95.  Says I, "I'll buy that! Might be 
something interesting at that price."  I brought the disks home but didn't sit 
down with is right away.  About a week later I started looking through "Big 
Blue" "Hey, this is pretty good", says I.  A few days later I was in another 
Daltons and saw Volume 7, bought it, and tokk it home with me.  Now I'm 
hooked.  I have subscribed, bought all the issues I didn't have and every 
month I look forward to the mail with my newest issue of "Big Blue". Keep up 
the great work.  While on this same subject, I noticed that one of your 
"competitors(?)" just dropped his price from $89.00 a year.  Can't they take 
your competition?  Also, I just today bought a copy of PC Life, based on the 
cover statement "The best diskmagazine I've ever seen!"... a statement 
attributed to John Dvorak.  Either Dovrak hasn't seen many diskmagazines or 
his comments were made with "tongue-in-cheek" as he so often does in his 
column in PC Magazine.  The bottom line is that I think "Big Blue" is 
GREAT!!! 

   It's too bad you are stuck with the telephone service you have in 
Shreveport. You have a great bulletin board but with all the noise on the 
line, trying to download programs from it becomes an impossible dream.  I know 
it isn't your fault and from comments you have made in response to notes left 
on the bulletin board, you are as frustrated as many of us are.  I know you 
will keep trying and so will those of us who use the bulletin board. 

   Another kudo for you.  I recently bought 50 computer disks from Softdisk. 
The response time in sending them out was great and the disks themselves are 
every bit as good as ones for which I paid $1.50 each.  I hope others become 
aware of the supplies you have available and their costs. 

   Keep up the good work.  I'm waiting with baited breath for the Volume 15 of 
"Big Blue".  One suggestion I have concerning "Big Blue", would it be pos-
sible to include a printed index along with the disks?  If their was one, it 
could be filed for easy reference in finding articles, programs, etc. when we 
are loking for them at a later date. 

   One last thing, is there any way "Big Blue" can be run using two floppy
drives?  I have An IBM XT with a hard disk and two floppies.

^RL.W. Henderson
^RMurrysville, PA

^1>We don't presently support having both disks in drives at once, since our
^1>programs expect to be run from the default drive.
^1>
^1>We have just begun including a printed cover and contents sheet with
^1>subscription copies.  We hope you like it.
