home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
-
- Date: Sat, 22 Jan 1994 14:53:12 MDT
- From: Rob Slade <roberts@decus.ca>
- Subject: Book Review: "Compuserve CIM Running Start" by Campbell
-
-
- BKCSVCIM.RVW 931202
-
- Sybex Computer Books
- 2021 Challenger Drive
- Alameda, CA 94501 USA
- 510-523-8233 800-227-2346
- Fax: 510-523-2373
- or
- Firefly Books
- 250 Sparks Avenue
- Willowdale, Ontario M2H 2S4
- 416-499-8412 Fax: 416-499-8313
- "Compuserve CIM Running Start", Campbell, 1993, U$17.95/C$22.95
- 71650.2556@compuserve.com
-
- Let's review this on the basis of the cover blurbs.
-
- "Exclusive Two-Part Format, Designed to let You Get the Most Out of
- CompuServe." The two-part format is a tutorial and a reference
- section. Hmmm. Somehow that format sounds vaguely familiar.
-
- However, if you need this tutorial to get you started, I doubt that
- you are ever going to get the most out of CompuServe. Remember, this
- is a tutorial on how to use a graphical interface, which is, itself,
- an aid to a menu interface. "If you want to add an address to your
- address book, just press the Add button when you are in the Address
- Book Screen!"
-
- "Nine Simple, Step-by-Step Lessons to Help Make You a CompuServe Ace."
- Simple? Yes. Ace? See above. Let us suppose, though, that this
- book is aimed at the complete and utter computer neophyte. There is
- nothing here about the really hard part of communications: setting up
- the modem and making the first few calls.
-
- "Covers both WinCIM and DOS CIM." On the inside back cover is a
- sample screen from CIM for DOS. There are twelve references to
- differences between the two versions. Otherwise, this is about
- WinCIM.
-
- "Special Bonus Offer! FREE CompuServe Introductory Membership Plus a
- $15 Credit towards Your Usage." If there is anyone who has been
- involved in the computer world for a while and hasn't had dozens of
- such offers -- how did you avoid them?
-
- Now all of this may be amusing, but is it fair to the author? After
- all, it is the publisher who decides on such things as the cover, and
- often even the title. However, what is really at issue to the
- "consumer" is the book as a whole. Campbell has done a reasonably
- good job. The material is fairly clear, and the work is well written,
- as far as it goes. However, the concept of the book, as a whole, is
- one that boggles the mind. Do people really need documentation for
- this? Do they need a third party book?
-
- A while back a friend and I were delving into CompuServe via WinCIM.
- There were a number of "features" which we thought should probably be
- there, but we couldn't figure out how to make it work. This book was
- no help either in terms of finding those features, or in terms of
- confirming that they were or weren't available. Third party books on
- systems generally either help to mitigate the shortcomings of the
- existing documentation, or teach more advanced "tips and tricks".
- This book doesn't, and there seems to be little chance that such is
- possible with this topic.
-
-
- copyright Robert M. Slade, 1993 BKCSVCIM.RVW 931202
- Permission granted to distribute with unedited copies of the TELECOM
- Digest and associated mailing lists/newsgroups.
-