
Dear fellow PC Enthusiasts:

Welcome to another program-packed issue of ON DISK MONTHLY!
If this is your first issue of ON DISK MONTHLY, we urge you
try every program and read every word. Then share your
thoughts by sending us your completed Report Card.

We think that new subscribers, as well as the dozens of
long-time subscribers who have requested an update to
Enhanced Family Tree, are going to love Family Tree
3.0--along with the many other exciting programs on this
issue. So, be sure to check them out--one by one.

There is one "blue note" about this issue. On your disk
label you'll see a program called Grocery Kart. This program
was scheduled for the issue some time ago. By the time we
realized that the development time needed for this program
did not match the issue deadlines, we had already printed
the labels. You haven't been short-changed in any way. This
issue is just as full and rich as previous ones, and Grocery
Kart will "star" on a future issue.

                        *    *    *

This is the third issue of ON DISK MONTHLY that utilizes a
"new" menu system. Many of you have written to say that you
love the changes. We appreciate your comments. Some
subscribers, many of whom preferred the old menu system,
have asked: why change a perfectly good thing?

Here are a couple of frequently received comments about the
old menu system (issues #61-#66): you told us that the menu
animations were "cute" but you'd rather see that "extra
effort" put into the programs, and you strongly suggested
that we "reduce the size of the menu system and add more
programs." A careful study revealed that we could continue
to give all you EGA/VGA/SVGA monitor owners a graphic menu
system that was also much smaller in size than the previous
one (over 100K smaller). And, this smaller menu system would
mean that we could give you more fully-featured programs
with more pizzazz per issue. Just look at the contents of
this issue as an example!

The previous menu system included a "separate" text-mode
menu for CGA owners. In order to keep the new menu as small
as possible, this was not an option. Neither was abandoning
our loyal CGA subscribers. The solution was to use the same
resolution graphics mode--640 x 200--for both. This higher
resolution means that CGA owners won't see a menu system in
16-color text mode (80 x 25 resolution) or in 4-color CGA
graphics mode (320 x 200), but in 2-color CGA graphics mode
(640 x 200)--i.e. black plus a color. It also means that CGA
owners see the same size text and graphics, and use the same
mouse presses, etc., when running the menu that subscribers
with higher end systems do. How it works: once the ODM disk
has "detected" your system, it simply chooses which set of
graphics -- EGA or CGA -- to display. Though most programs
will be equally "colorful" in both CGA and EGA modes, some
complex graphics programs will have to utilize the higher,
two-color CGA resolution in order to include all the
features.

Admittedly, the issue #67 menu system was a bit slow (as
many of you were quick to point out), but we've continued to
refine it. In fact, the current menu now takes you to and
returns you from programs faster than the last menu system
did. If you have a hard drive--and our survey results say
most of you do--we recommend that you copy the issue to your
hard drive and run it from there. Why? Hard drives access
information much faster than floppy drives. Both our menu
and our programs naturally will run faster from your hard
drive.

If you experience display problems, remember that you may
force CGA mode by typing "GO /C" (instead of just typing
"GO" to run the disk), Monochrome mode by typing "GO /M" or
EGA mode by typing "GO /E". Also, those of you with two 360K
floppy drives may type "GO /2" to force the issue to operate
from both drives. You don't have to swap disks in one drive.
And beginning with this issue, you may type "GO /NOAD" to
turn off the Marketplace's "billboard ads." These ads, which
point out offers in The Marketplace department, will
appear--one at a time--as you exit programs on the disk. If
you aren't interested in these ads, just start our disk by
typing "GO /NOAD" and you won't see any ads.

You may find program-specific command line options, similar
to those mentioned above, in the HELP copy for each program.
All program documentation is now accessible and printable
from within the program. That way, when you've copied a
favorite program (this may be more than one file) to another
disk or to your hard drive, everything you need to know
about it will be at your fingertips. Be sure to actually
read our program help files or introductory text. You'll not
only learn what the program does and how to use it, but what
it can do for YOU.

We'll continue to refine ODM's menu system and programs. Our
goal is to send you the best possible product each month.
And your feedback is vital to achieving that goal. So keep
those letters and Report Cards coming!

Happy computing,

Ronda Faries
On Disk Monthly Product Manager