Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!ucbvax!hplabs!hp-sdd!ucsdhub!loral!jcb From: jcb@loral.UUCP (Jay C. Bowden) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Automated news reading software for IBM-PC Message-ID: <1884@loral.UUCP> Date: 13 Dec 88 17:02:58 GMT References: <239d4b73@ralf> Reply-To: jcb@loral.UUCP (Jay C. Bowden) Organization: Loral Instrumentation, San Diego Lines: 79 In article <239d4b73@ralf> Ralf.Brown@B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU writes: To paraphrase his thoughts: Why buy something when you can build it yourself? Because your TIME is worth something (well, mine is, anyway :-). >In article <1880@loral.UUCP>, jcb@loral.UUCP (Jay C. Bowden) writes: >}In article dmocsny@UCENG.UC.EDU (daniel mocsny) writes: >}>.....assists PC-based CompuServe subscribers. ..... >}>... The TAPCIS user tells TAPCIS to get the article titles >}>in the ``forum'' (CompuSpeak for newsgroup) of interest. TAPCIS logs into >}>the CompuServe host, grabs the titles, and then logs off. >} >}Now, all you need for for complete automation is a device that turns >}your PC on every day at 3AM, gets this list, and prints it for your >}perusal the next morning. Real Electronic Newspaper! >} >}(Ref: LATER-ON, $139.95, from >} Kenmore Computer Technologies >} 30 Suncrest Drive >} Rochester, New York 14609 (716) 654-7356 > >Why spend $140 when a ten-dollar appliance timer and two-three dollar >three-plug cube (or five-ten dollar cube with spike protection) will do just >as well? ^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^ So I lose the grounding on my computer because I need the 3 prong adapters to use the appliance timer. My PC then comes on once a day, same time every day. Even weekends. That's not so bad, I suppose. But how do I turn the PC on when I am sitting in front of it? Just reach down and turn the squirly little knob on the timer, right? > Then put in a timed ask program in your AUTOEXEC.BAT, so that it ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Do you write this, or buy it? If it is bought, where and how much? >will branch to the routine to get the news if there is no keypress within a >certain amount of time. That's the setup I use here to get Netnews on my >PC. > >I'm afraid my package is a terrible kludge, though it does work about 97% of >the time It is a hell of a clever kludge, and I'm sure it serves you well. And maybe for people with as much savvy and spare time as you have, it is the most effective approach, even considering the limitations. It seems to be human nature to say "why should I buy [a clean, well thought out, professional, supported, hardware-software system] to do what I can do with an "appliance timer". Then, they start out down the timer route, maybe even buy one, but become dissatisfied with the limitations, and the time they have to invest to make it work right, and the inconvenience it causes to "normal" use of the PC, and end up doing nothing. Silly humans! > >-- >UUCP: {ucbvax,harvard}!cs.cmu.edu!ralf -=-=-=- Voice: (412) 268-3053 (school) >ARPA: ralf@cs.cmu.edu BIT: ralf%cs.cmu.edu@CMUCCVMA FIDO: Ralf Brown 1:129/31 >Disclaimer? I |Ducharm's Axiom: If you view your problem closely enough >claimed something?| you will recognize yourself as part of the problem. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ You said it, not me! :-) So if you had it to do over again, wouldn't ya buy the gadget? Please? Oh and it comes with the (external) modem power-on section, too, if you want to call IN to your PC! - Jay ------------------------------------------------------------------ Jay Bowden, EE/Consultant; see also Bowden Engineering Currently contracted at Loral Instrumentation, San Diego {ucbvax, ittvax!dcdwest, akgua, decvax, ihnp4}!ucsd!loral!jcb