Dear fellow PC enthusiasts:

Summer will soon wind down and you'll be sitting in front of
your home computers more often. Your backyard will be less
inviting and the smells of grilled steaks and fresh-cut
grass will become a fond, olfactory memory.

On those colder, damper, darker evenings, I urge you to take
time to look back through your recent issues of On Disk
Monthly and explore some of those programs that you may have
dismissed as being too complex to think about on a warm
summer evening. Look carefully at our recent financial-
oriented programs such as Insurance Shopper (issue #70),
Loan Accelerator (issue #68) and Home Refinancer (issue
#67). We all dread delving into financial matters, but we
sure will benefit from everything we learn. Also, try out
some of our games and puzzles--even if you've convinced
yourself that you won't like them. I'm betting that you
will.

It's also a good time to make use of those programs that
sounded great but may have seemed too involved. Grocery Kart
(issue #70), for example, requires you to create a "master"
list of those items you regularly buy. Type in your next
handwritten grocery list for a start. And the next time you
go shopping, all you have to do to create a list is to
scroll to each of those items you want to buy, press the
space bar to "tag" them and print it out. Note the
price beside each item on your list as you shop, enter that
data when you get home and you will soon be able to estimate
your grocery bill--before you get to the store. Also, note
and enter the aisle numbers for each item and you'll be able
to print out a shopping "map" for yourself or your spouse.

Why am I writing about previously-published programs?
Because your Report Cards indicate that many of you don't
have time to look at every program on each issue before you
get the next issue and that many of you don't ever run some
of the programs. Sit back, relax, and try out a program
before you shelve it indefinitely. And, dig out those Back
Issue Catalogs and go shopping! At only about $1 per
program, every issue is a bargain.

Subscribers, please remember: this is YOUR disk. And your
requests actually do help shape On Disk Monthly. For
example, look at the contents of this issue. My
EntertainMate, a database for your home entertainment,
including music, books and videos, resulted from subscriber
requests for such a program. And your requests for a higher
graphic support and interface updates to Klondike and Print
Shop Utilities IV (both CGA only), resulted in Klondike2
(CGA, EGA & VGA graphics) and Print Shop Utilities 5.0 (CGA
& EGA). Also on this issue: a great selection of Print Shop
images; Appointment Calendar, an easy-to-use utility that
keeps you on schedule; and another installment of Word-Up,
your favorite reccuring "quiz."

I hope you enjoy this issue and that you'll look forward to
the next one as much as I do. Coming next month: Circuitry,
a tantalizing strategy game; more .PCX and Print Shop clip
art; a disk jacket-making program; and much, much more!
Until then...happy computing!

Ronda Faries
On Disk Monthly Product Manager