Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site entropy.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!uw-june!entropy!fetrow From: fetrow@entropy.UUCP (David Fetrow) Newsgroups: net.micro.cbm Subject: Review: Quantumlink Message-ID: <248@entropy.UUCP> Date: Sat, 1-Feb-86 20:56:20 EST Article-I.D.: entropy.248 Posted: Sat Feb 1 20:56:20 1986 Date-Received: Mon, 3-Feb-86 05:08:30 EST Organization: UW MathStat, Seattle Lines: 31 Keywords: Not bad Quantumlink came in the mail today so, after a few hours, a quick review seems appropriate. The software itself is stunningly beautiful to the eye, it only runs on a C64 (or C128 in C4 mode), but that's o.k. This is tailormade to the system so not only do the screens look good but a lot of overhead is taken care of automatically. It's a very menudriven approach (the menus' are slightly inconsistent but well labelled and very pretty) which is easy to find things in. It has some nice touches: If your reading the first of several screens of data the modem fills a buffer in the backround which speeds thing up a bit. It has a rather nice selection of PD software and a "software preview" from commercial developers (Timeworks, Epyxx, EA) that allows you to download demo programs, the latest corporate propaganda (press releases) are available from Commodore, an electronic encyclopedia,etc. This is the thing to show your friends who own more expensive computers to make them envious. At this time the system doesn't seem overloaded BUT expect a whole lot of people jumping on system soon which will be the real test. Bug fixes are, of course, available. The pricing is reasonable and the phone taps cover most large towns and cities. Availability is evenings and weekends only. It is (ugh!) copy protected. It is much easier to use than Compuserve but also much narrower in focus. -- - Dave Fetrow { ihnp4, fluke, tektronix, uw-june }!uw-beaver!entropy!fetrow :UUCP entropy!fetrow@uw-june.arpa :ARPA fetrow@UWALOCKE :BITNET 74175,1724 :Compuserve