From the Editor - January 1996
David M. Kalman
A Slipped Disc
Perhaps you saw it Sunday, November 5 on CBS. A NASDAQ ad equated
Bill Gates with Thomas Edison, claiming that Gates "invented"
the software that runs our computers. Sorry NASDAQ, but not even
close. Gates may be a visionary and a marketing genius, but he's
no Thomas Edison. Operating systems and computer applications
existed for years before Gates was even born. Gates applied existing
technology to new markets, and to a new platform: the microcomputer.
Edison, in contrast, invented several new "applications"
of basic electro-mechanical principles, including the incandescent
light bulb (1879) and the phonograph (1877). Next thing you know,
children will learn in school that Microsoft invented the GUI
and the use of the mouse as a computer input device. Not!
Install and Run our New CD-ROM
Speaking of inventions, you'll find a nifty one slipped in with
this issue of DBMS. I'm talking about our new
Buyer's Guide and Client/Server Sourcebook CD-ROM. This is the
second edition of this popular disc, and this year it's loaded
with software and information. The disc contains our popular Buyer's
Guide, both in HTML and executable formats, and a database of
more than 43,000 U.S. five-digit zip codes. Also on the disc,
you'll find a copy of the entire DBMS Web site
that you can use for local viewing. If you do not have a Web browser,
we provide Netcom's NetCruiser software (in standalone and Web-capable
versions). For accessing CompuServe, we provide the latest version
of Dvorak Development's NavCIS Pro, preconfigured to access the
DBMS CompuServe Forum.
I'm getting a bit winded listing all of the goodies on this disc,
but there's more. The disc includes a variety of document viewers,
including: the Microsoft Word 6.0 viewer, the Adobe Acrobat 2.1
viewer, the PowerPoint 4.0 slide viewer, the Microsoft Video for
Windows 1.1 Runtime, and the Common Ground document viewer. In
addition, DBMS Contributing Editor Ralph Kimball
has provided his Star Tracker data warehouse reporting tool, and
Great Lakes Business Solutions Inc. has supplied a demo version
of its Wise Installation System (which we used to create the disc's
setup program).
The CD-ROM also contains software and info from advertisers who
would like very much to get your attention. Btrieve Technologies
provides spec sheets and white papers on the company's products;
Cast Software provides a demo of its repository-based development
tools; IBM offers a self-running demo of DB2 version 2; Intersolv
provides product white papers and a self-running demo of its DataDirect
products; JYACC includes product info in HTML format and a demo
version of JAM 7 for Windows; Oracle provides a complete Personal
Oracle7 desktop DBMS, Oracle7 Workgroup Server for Networks, and
Oracle Power Objects; Popkin Software includes a self-running
demo of the System Architect CASE tool; Sybase offers an HTML
presentation on its Portfolio, PowerBuilder, S-Designor, and Watcom
SQL DBMS. Finally, on the disc you'll find some DBMS
writer's guidelines and subscription information. To purchase
additional copies of the CD-ROM, contact Gae Reck at 415-655-4245.
DBMS Tech Editor Maurice Frank handled the production
of the CD-ROM, coordinating the software vendors, developing the
setup routine, and writing the readme files, all in his spare
time. Of course, Maurice had the help of his cats, Spock and Micro,
whose images you'll find in the \dbmswww directory. Way to go
Maurice, Spock, and Micro.
Surfing for Dollars
I almost forgot to mention that 10 copies of the CD-ROM include
a secret button hidden in one of the advertisers' demonstrations
or documents. The first eligible person to activate the secret
key and return his or her disc will receive $500 (and a replacement
CD-ROM). The next nine eligible winners to send in their discs
will receive $50 each.
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Updated Sunday, December 1, 1996