Compares and evaluates three CD-ROM products for the ERIC database: (1) DIALOG OnDISC; (2) OCLC's Search CD450; and (3) SilverPlatter. The focus is on search capabilities and features. (1 reference) (MES)

Discusses the application of cellular technology for cellular data communications (CDC). The cellular phone system industry and market are described; barriers to CDC are explained; CDC applications for online searchers are discussed; and problems with using CDC for online searching are reviewed, including cost, portability, ease of use, and…

Describes Windows-based multimedia authoring programs that cost less than $1000. Discusses text support, interface variety, title creation, search and retrieval capabilities, special features, platform requirements and cost, design, royalty-free use, distribution and selling. (AEF)

Describes MICROsearch, a self-contained system developed at the ERIC Clearinghouse on Information Resources for searching selected portions of the ERIC database on a microcomputer, and recommends that library media specialists use the program to teach basic online searching skills to teachers who are planning to take summer courses. (BBM)

These three articles discuss communications software that is designed for use in online searching on a personal computer. Highlights include criteria for choosing software; a review of general purpose communications software packages and their suitability for online searching; software for end users; future possibilities; and five experts' top…

Discusses ways in which online searching promotes the development of research, computer, and critical thinking skills, and reviews two databases that offer access to information on elementary school science. Lesson activities for grades four through six are suggested, and information on the vendor, system requirements, and cost of each database is…

Discusses client-server architecture in dumb terminals, personal computers, local area networks, and graphical user interfaces. Focuses on functions offered by client personal computers: individualized environments; flexibility in running operating systems; advanced operating system features; multiuser environments; and centralized data…

Describes a portable CD-ROM machine intended for the mass market that provides access to searchable text, graphics, and audio through a user-friendly interface. Six search modes and other system features are reviewed, and electronic texts for the unit are introduced. A table compares features of the two available models. (NRP)

Describes five interfaces to remote, full-text databases accessed through distributed systems of servers. These are WAIStation for the Macintosh, XWAIS for X-Windows, GWAIS for Gnu-Emacs; SWAIS for dumb terminals, and Rosebud for the Macintosh. Sixteen illustrations provide examples of display screens. Problems and needed improvements are…

Describes a HyperCard-based simulation/tutorial for the Macintosh that is designed to teach users to search the Medline CD-ROM database on an IBM microcomputer. Results of a user survey are reported, and the potential of HyperCard for bibliographic instruction, including the use of the tutorial to develop transparencies, is discussed. (MES)