Those of you using modems may or may not be aware of the large Information Services available to you. Most likely you can access them with a local phone call if you live near a city with a population of 50,000 or greater.
The most famous is probably CompuServe. This is a very good service. I was a member for several years. There is a Timex Sinclair Sig located in the Computer Club Forum.
But then I switched to the GEnie Service primarily because of support of the Z88 in the Laptops Roundtable. At the time there was little or no support of the Z88 on CompuServe.
Most of you know from my articles that I am just crazy about the Z88. It is a fantastic computer. It can do some things that are impossible for other 8 bit machines. But I am getting off track here.
GEnie has separate Bulletin Boards called Roundtables. These are further subdivided into Categories and then into Topics.
At the time that I joined GEnie the Z88 had a Topic in the Laptops Roundtable. Since then we now have a Z88 Category. Maybe in the future there will be a Z88 Roundtable. There certainly seems to be enough Z88s being sold to justify it. You do need a sponsor for a Roundtable though.
Currently the sponsor of the Laptops Roundtable is Traveling Software. They make Link-up software for PCs. In the past they produced Tandy Model 100 products.
The earlier Sinclair related computers such as the QL and the 2068 are supported in the TI Roundtable under Category 13 Orphans. Currently there are only topics available.
Right now there are few if any messages being written for these machines and no files are being uploaded. I think that if more people contributed there can at least be a 2068 and QL Category.
There is some incentive in joining GEnie rather than CompuServe. GEnie just reduced their rates. There are some other information services out there. One is a mainly IBM service called Prodigy. Prodigy just reduced their services to $5.00 a month. In response GEnie now provides over 100 services including Electronic Mail and an Electronic Encyclopedia at $4.95 a month. Any interests besides computers can be supported for this price.
Any of the Computer Roundtables and all of the download areas in the Roundtables are not supported under this plan. You must pay $6.00 an hour for 300, 1200 and 2400 baud to access these.
But still this is significantly less than CompuServe. They have rates of $6.00 an hour for 300 baud and $12.50 an hour for 1200 and 2400 baud. For some reason CompuServe does not offer flat rates like the other services.
GEnie is part of the General Electric Company. Their offices and computers are located in Rockville Maryland. Their Computer Network has phone numbers located in most larger cities.
To join GEnie call 1-800-638-9636 (voice).
Or set your modem for half duplex at 300 or 1200 baud. Dial 1-800-638-8369. Upon connection enter HHH. At the U#: prompt enter: XJM11999,GENIE. There will be a brief explanation and you will be given the opportunity to sign up.
You should have a major credit card handy or you can have the fees deducted from your checking account.
Your permanent password will be mailed to you. You will also get a User’s Manual and a subscription to the GEnie Magazine LiveWIRE.
By Dave Bennett