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You've got a lot to say. But, no longer do you have to
convince some fossil-brained editor at a magazine or newspaper or publishing house to give you a forum.
Today, you've got the World Wide Web.
A personal Web page is an incredible way to make your point. You can be as effective as you'd like, as passionate as you'd like, and as persuasive as you can. About anything. Or everything.
You already know the effect that some Web pages are having nationally. Like the politics or not, The Drudge Report is responsible for breaking the Monica Lewinsky story before any of the established print and broadcast media. Hobbyists flock to key sites for any variety of information, from Barbie to Batman.
So What Do You Have To Say?
Are you proud of your family? The World Wide Web is a great place to share stories with your far-flung friends and relatives. Spice it up with photographs, stories about the family pet, a chart of your son's girlfriends since eighth grade - you can do anything and nobody will stop you. Plug-ins let you post video and audio clips - whether it's your garage band's latest song or Baby's first steps.
The World Wide Web Means Business, Too
The Web is one of the most inexpensive ways to promote your business there is. Advertising can cost thousands by the time you spend enough to make multiple impressions. On the Web, once your site is up, it's there, and can be accessed time and time again. And here's another exciting fact about the Web: People with access to it are educated and affluent. That's not a bad group to reach if you're selling something.
Real Stories From the Information Superhighway
One example of the value of a Web site is how it can help community groups. One Quid'·nunc customer, Mark Minckler, keeps a site for the West Seattle Pee Wee Baseball League. Others, including, Big Mama's Sauces, Aaron's Bicycle Repair and DK Studios, sell their products and services via the Internet. No middlemen, just pure profit. (For a list of Quid'·nunc-related sites, click here)
Even if you don't have a business you can use the Web for a personal page. Two store employees do just that. Wally Wilson offers links to Internet-related download and support sites; Edgars Klepers offers links to Internet gaming sites and games.
| Want Some Help Writing Your Web Page? Take A Class!
Quid'·nunc will be offering a Web-authoring class for beginners. Become an instant on-line author and publisher. Promote your business on-line without paying those high Web design costs. Heck, just have more fun with your computer! |
What You'll Need
Hardware: If you're going to publish on the Web, you need the appropriate software. And, to some degree, the appropriate hardware. Wintel machines can create your Web site with a machine as old as a 386 running Windows 3.1. I would strongly recommend at least a 486, 16 Mb of RAM and
Windows 95, mostly because you'll find more software that works with that combination. You're going to want to have at least 1-megabyte of free disk space if you want to incorporate anything but text on your site.
Living in Macworld? Relatively the same rules apply: You're best with a 68040 or better processor and 16 Mb of RAM. And leave that 1 meg of space, too.
Your modem should be at least a 28.8 because you'll be transferring files. Don't buy a 57.6 modem for publishing to the Web; they only send files at 28.8 or 33.6, anyway. And don't worry that it might be complicated. Most Web publishing software comes with a transfer program so you don't have to learn a separate program to load your Web site onto the server.
Software: One of the most powerful software packages available to write HTML is Microsoft FrontPage. It lets you publish directly to the web site. That may not sound special, but most other programs make you create your page on your system, then upload the site to the host.
Of course, to permit that, the host must be FrontPage-savvy. Many sites aren't; it's a massive install and it's not cheap. Luckily for Quid'·nunc customers, Quid'·nunc ISP has FrontPage installed.
If you want to spend a little less, Quid'·nunc carries a wide assortment of Web publishing software. Claris Home Page is available for both Wintel and Macintosh. It's probably the easiest to get started on. For most home users, this will be quite sufficient.
For those who need a step up, there's Adobe PageMill (Wintel/Macintosh). Except for a couple of small features and the ability to publish directly to the Web, it's got just about everything FrontPage has.
Finally, there's Symantec's Visual Cafe (Wintel). It's a full Web site development kit that can be used by professionals or just ordinary folks who are running a site. Its big advantage is its Java plug-in.
Don't stop at software: Quid'·nunc also offers books and magazines with how-to articles and design ideas.
Index
Web Glossary
Bill's Byte
Bill's Picks
Hardware Pick Of The Month: 3DFX Video
Software Of The Month: Mysteries of the Sith
Productivity
More Accessories Than You Can Shake A Mouse At
Any hotter and the Disk Would Melt
Pre-owned
Quid'·nunc Related Web Sites
New From Quid'·nunc: 48-Hour Installation Or It's Free!
Changes To Your Scorecard: Meet Danen Romine
Spring Cleaning Sale!
Quid'·nunc Best Sellers (February/March '98)
Calendar & Schedule
Classes
Coupon Specials
Bill's Picks
HARDWARE PICK OF THE MONTH: 3DFX Video
There's a lot more going on in the games you're playing now than you're probably seeing. But, get one of these cool 3DFX Video cards, and you'll be blown away by the detail that game programmers have put in their games - that couldn't be seen before now! Technically, this is a chip set on a card, but you won't care when you see the result on your monitor. Sure, some games even require 3-D cards these days, but unless you have one of these from Intergraph - Voodoo Rush (with 6 MB of memory), or the soon-to-be-released Voodoo II (in 8-MB and 12-MB flavors) - you'll be playing in murk. Trust me. Expect to pay about $199 for Voodoo Rush, $229 for the 8-MB Voodoo II, and probably less than $300 for the 12-MB version of Voodoo II.
SOFTWARE OF THE MONTH: Mysteries of the Sith
This is the long-awaited add-on to Jedi Knight from LucasArts. Yes, it gives you extra levels. But, even better, it finally allows you to play multi-player over the Internet, or on a LAN. (Wintel only. Sorry, Macheads.)
KID STUFF
Humongous is at it again: Check out Freddi Fish III (for both Wintel and Macintosh). And if someone you know is a Barbie fiend and has a Macintosh (maybe it's you), MacBarbie is out now.
PRODUCTIVITY
Honestly, I've never quite been a big believer in diagnostics software (for Wintel machines, anyway). I've sometimes found they cause more problems than they fix.
But now there's Norton Utilities 3.0 (Wintel). Peter Norton seems to have done it right. I've used Norton to fix problems unidentified (or caused!) by certain unnamed other software (which I'll sell you if you insist). Norton Utilities 3.0 will help you keep your hard drive in good condition so you'll run less risk of losing that important file just when you need it most. And it has a new feature called WinControl that checks potential problems in the system registry. This is one of those items that you won't believe you need until it's too late - so get it now.
Coming Soon: Starcraft for Macintosh; Half Life (from Sierra, demonstrated at Quid'·nunc in October); Mech Warrior 3.
MORE ACCESSORIES THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A MOUSE AT
There's a surfeit of Hewlett-Packard LaserPrinters in West Seattle. And now Quid'·nunc is where you can get toner cartridges for them! We stock the most popular ones. . . so next time you need a new cartridge for your H-P 4, 5 or 6, just stop in here.
Also new: Tape cartridges in TR-1 and TR-3 formats. With the right backup program, you'll find backing up is a breeze.
Got a monitor meant for that "other" platform? Well, now that Quid'·nunc is stocking special adapter plugs, so that you can use your Aunt Sylvia's Mac monitor with your Windows 95-powered Dell computer. Or vice-versa: Use your cousin Vinny's Acer monitor with your brand-new 9600.
ANY HOTTER AND THE DISK WOULD MELT!
Just in are two games for which you've waited with bated breath (just what is bate, anyway, and wouldn't it smell bad on your breath?): Rebellion, the great space game from LucasArts, and Starcraft, the interstellar shoot-'em-up game.
Microsoft is hot. Even dedicated Gates-haters love Microsoft Office 98 for Macintosh; Microsoft Office Professional 97 (Wintel) sizzles at just $279.95. Load it on a new 4.3-gigabyte SCSI hard drive - only $289.95!
And while you're putting stuff on that new hard drive, look at what else is scorching the shelves on the way to the cash register: Cyber 16-Pack, which includes Grolier's 98 encyclopedia; Mavis Bacon Teaches Typing 8.0; A.D.A.M.; Chessmaster 5000, and more. All for just $39.95. All well off the Kelvin scale.
Software doesn't just wear out. So why not buy used? There are some great bargains in our used rack. For example? WordPerfect For Windows 6.0, just $59.95. . . Flight Simulator 5.1, just $29.95. . . Braveheart for just $19.95. . . or Quicken Family Lawyer and Aces of the Pacific, each just $9.95? For Macintosh, the deals are just as good: KPT Convolver only $59.95. . . Ray Dream Designer for only $33.95. . . Symantec C++ for only $39. . . Ram Doubler only $19.95. . . Richard Scarry's Busy Town only $14.95. . . or Sim Tower only $9.95.
Web Glossary
by Bill Kresge (of A: Drive Designs)
Here are some terms you'll hear when people talk about the World Wide Web and the Internet.
Browser: The program used to request HTML documents from Web servers and then displays them on your computer (e.g., Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer).
CGI (Common Gateway Interface): If you want to do something other than publish, you need this. It creates a mechanism that allows users to send information to servers on the WWW.
Cookie: a small set of data that is sent from a Web server to your computer's browser, where it is checked and then saved. One common use is site personalization, which allows you to specify the items on a site of individual interest. If your browser is storing a cookie, each time you return to that site, the cookie allows the server to send you information specifically tailored to your interests.
Domain Name: Assigned by an organization called InterNIC, this is a unique address on the Internet. In an E-mail address, it is the part that follows the "@" sign; in a World Wide Web address, it's the part that follows (usually, but not always) www. For instance, if you have a Web page on Quid'·nunc, it would be at www.quidnunc.net/~yourpage, unless you paid for your own domain name, in which case it would be www.yourpage.net.
Forms: Links on a home page that enter data in a specific way on the server (with CGI). An example might be a name, address and telephone number.
Frames: Coding that allows multiple HTML documents to be presented as independent windows (or sub-windows) within one main browser window. This allows the presentation of two or more documents at the same time.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol): An Internet file transfer service based on TCP/IP protocols that provides the framework used to copy files to and your computer and a server on the Internet.
Home Page: The Web page that is the main or default page of the site.
HTML: (HyperText Mark-up Language) HTML instructions design, format and link your documents on the Web. It makes it possible for everyone on any platform to see the same thing.
Hyperlink (or HyperText links): HTML programming that permits a user to click on text or an area, linking the user to a different document (or part of a document).
ISP (Internet Service Provider): the organization that provides individuals or other organizations with access to the Internet.
Java: A programming language created by Sun Microsystems that allows people to create small programs (commonly called applets) to attach to Web pages and be used regardless of the computer hardware (or platform) involved. These programs can be delivered effortlessly to any computer connected to the Internet.
jpeg/gif: the two prevailing formats used for graphics on the WWW. The GIF format is more suitable for graphics with few colors, the JPEG (or JPG) format is more suitable for complex images, such as photographs. JPEG and GIF files can be read and uploaded from either Windows or Macintosh platforms.
| QUID'NUNC RELATED WEB SITES Check out these Quid'·nunc customer (and employee) Web sites!
NOTE: With the exception of the Big Mama site, all of these were designed and posted by the person whose site it is. However, even if you want to publish your own Web site, it's a good idea to consult with an expert. Quid'·nunc recommends A: Drive Designs, which has created sites for, among others, the West Seattle Junction Association (www.wsjunction.com) and the West Seattle Herald (westseattleherald.com). Got a site we didn't list? Let us know! |
New From Quid'·nunc: 48-Hour Installation Or It's Free!
Here at Quid'·nunc, we like to think that we offer the best service in the Puget Sound region, regardless of size. Here's our latest way to prove it: Buy any hardware item from Quid'·nunc and have us install it. We'll do it in just 48 hours (or probably less). We charge just $45 for any fraction of the first hour and $45 per hour thereafter. If we don't complete your installation in 48 hours - the installation is free! Hey: Our technical staff is growing. . . now we've got to challenge them!
Changes To Your Scorecard: Meet Danen Romine
As Quid'·nunc grows (with much thanks to you), you'll find more and more fresh faces around the store working hard to please you.
Our latest part-timer is Danen Romine. Right now he's studying to be a LAN master and hardware service technician at South Seattle Community College. He's 18, but he's been working with computers since he was 9. Not so much booting up the latest gameware, either; mostly, he's been fascinated by hardware. Perhaps it was growing up on Camano Island, where "there was nothing to do. I just like to get things working better," he'll tell you. "I'd take a machine and put in upgrades, or, really, anything that looked interesting." He built a computer from scratch with used parts and spare parts he had sitting around the house. (Spare parts hanging around the house used to be a big problem, but it's neater now, he says. We haven't checked with his mom.)
Danen will be helping Wally and Bill as he trains to be an alpha geek. Already he's learned that commercial repair is lots faster than tinkering in your room, but he's definitely up to the challenge.
From May 1 through May 16, Quid'·nunc will be offering deal after deal on pretty much everything in the store. We call it our Spring Cleaning Sale - and we do that because we're closing the store on May 17 for inventory. The less stuff we have to count, the happier we'll be. So come on by and spend a couple of bucks, save some bucks . . . and make inventory day a half-day for the staff. You'll be amazed how much nicer they'll be when we reopen on Monday the 18th.
Want an example? How about our T-shirts and sweatshirts? T-shirts were formerly $16.95, but now you'll be able to pick up that one you've been wanting for months for just $9.95. The sweatshirts? Formerly $27.95, but now just $19.95. Who says cleaning is a chore?
Quid'·nunc Best-Sellers
February/March '98
Indicates second month as best seller
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Calendar of Events April 16-30 ... Tax Rebate Month At Quid'·nunc! So this month the IRS takes its pound-and-a-half of flesh. Well, Quid'·nunc won't participate. No, we can't stop the IRS . . . but from April 16 through April 30, every purchase you make at Quid'·nunc (except for hard drives and video cards) will earn you a coupon equal to the tax on your purchase price. These will be given on any purchase, and be good for any future purchase. Spend $300 on Zip disks to back up that new hard drive in April. . . and you might be able to buy a game in May with the $25.80 rebate you earn. Get back some of that money Uncle Sam took. What a deal! May 17 ..............................Closed For Inventory
Class Schedule
Essentials of E-Mail
Introductions to Computers
Web Site Design
Essentials of Web Surfing
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| What Now? The Official Quid'·nunc Newsletter Published by Quid'·nunc......Your Neighborhood Software Store
4306 SW Oregon Street - Seattle, WA USA 98116 Tel: 932-8795. Fax: 932-8183 quidnunc@quidnunc.net
24 hour Quid'·nunc Internet Status Line: 935-4783
Hours |