From: jamesd@techbook.com (James Deibele)
Subject: Monthly CD-ROM for $10 announced
Organization: TECHbooks --- Public Access UNIX --- (503) 220-0636
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 05:05:43 GMT

[ This is a one-time-only product announcement.  But I thought (hoped)
that people might be interested. ]

Get your programs in bulk!  
 
Get 300, 400, 500, even 600 megabytes of NEW PC programs every month!  
All the thousands of files we receive each month are compressed, 
copied onto CD-ROM and sent to you.  Get the latest and greatest 
software available at the lowest possible cost --- less than an hour 
of CompuServe or long-distance!  

Each issue comes with a program to let you easily search by keyword, 
program name, etc.  Or browse up and down the directories, looking for 
interesting programs.  Each disc is readable by DOS, so you can these 
directly or as a cheap way to add files to your hard drive.  

Q: How can you do this?  

A: Besides files sent to us by the programmers and software companies, 
we call hundreds of technical support BBSs and access the huge 
archives on the Internet.  We check programs for viruses, add and edit 
description files, arrange them into directories, and make the main 
description database.  

Q: What's on the discs?  

A: Almost anything you can think of!  Everything from new releases of 
shareware programs to new device drivers for video cards; bit-mapped 
graphics for Windows to fonts for any printer; beautiful high-
resolution images (no "adult") to desktop publishing programs; 
everything involving bulletin boards, from BBS software to doors, 
games, and utilities; patches and programs direct from manufacturers.  

At less than 4 cents a megabyte, how can you go wrong?  

Q: How do I use this?  

A: Let's say you have a clone '386 system with an Adaptec SCSI 
controller, ET4000 VGA card, Chinon CD-ROM drive, DeskJet, etc.  You 
run some DOS programs and Excel, ProcommPlus, and SuperBase under 
Windows.  

You can search interactively each new disc for keywords like "1542B", 
"ET4000", and "SuperBase".  But what you'll probably do is put the 
keywords in MYSTUFF.LST (or WORK.LST or whatever).  Each time you get 
a new disc, you have the program look at your keyword file(s) and tell 
you the files that match. Adaptec releases a new driver for the 1542B?  
Someone writes a new .GIF display program especially for the ET4000 
series?  There's a patch to let Windows use less memory?  

You get them automatically a few days after their release.  No 
CompuServe charges.  No long-distance phone calls.  No more waiting 
forever to talk to tech support, only to hear "Oh, patch 308b fixed 
that months ago." 

Q: But I don't have a CD-ROM drive!  

A: Get one!  You can buy one from dozens of companies for under $200, 
including Software Etc., DAK (800) DAK-0800, and Damark.  Look for 
seek times under 400 milliseconds.  Kodak PhotoCD and MultiMedia 
compatibility are good ideas, but cost more.  Even if you don't get 
use it for anything else --- no encyclopedias, no games with 
incredibly detailed graphics, no huge collections of clip art --- a 
CD-ROM drive with PC GrabDisc will quickly pay for itself.  

PC GrabDisc makes your system faster, more reliable, and more fun!  

--------------------------------- Cut here ---------------------------

For fastest service, fill out this form and fax it to (503) 248-6320, 
email it to "Orders" on 1:105/54.369 or orders@techbook.com, or make a 
voice call to (503) 223-4245.  

Name:                                  Company/School: 
Address:                                         City:                      
State:            Zip code: 
Daytime phone:                    Heard about us from: 
Visa/MasterCard #:                            Expires: 
Signed: 

Subscription options:  [ ] 1 year   (12 discs) $119.95
                       [ ] 1 quarter (3 discs) $ 44.95
                       [ ] 1 sample disc       $ 19.95

Each disc you receive will contain at least 300MB of programs and 
files.  You may cancel at any time and get a prompt refund of your 
remaining subscription.  

Mail checks, purchase orders, or programs you want included on our disc 
to TECHbooks, 319 SW Washington; Suite 803; Portland, OR; 97204.  

[ Special offer: The advice and information in these newsgroups was 
incredibly valuable, much more so than anything we got from vendors.  
So order before 2/1/93, mention Usenet, & save $20 on an annual 
subscription (so it'd be $99.95).  And <thanks> again! ]