Preface by:
Jim Thompson of Western News Service

As Managing Editor of Western News Service and Technology columnist for
Boardwatch Magazine, I have had a front row seat to the center stage
drama of the online world.  From the beginnings of home-grown bulletin
board programs to the newest in client-server systems, I have watched
this passing parade both as a journalist and a sysop.  During this time,
few things have seized my attention or captured my imagination.  But,
like any great drama, just when you think you have seen it all, along
comes a new twist on an old plot.  With the release of RIPmaster, Alan
McNamee has created that new twist.

Thanks to Alan, I have had the unique opportunity to watch from the
front row as RIPmaster evolved from an idea to the remarkable program
that it is today. After looking at, and reviewing every other system on
the market that promises a full graphical interface, I have chosen
Alan's program for our use at Western News Service.  For me, that choice
was easy.  Our system is dedicated to providing working journalists with
information and news.  When you are on a deadline, aside from accuracy,
the most important thing is speed -- the news just can't wait.  For us,
RIPmaster was a natural because of its incredible speed.  It is almost
like magic to watch a menu, that is comprised of various fonts, graphics
and photos, display in the blink of an eye. RIPmaster is the fastest
online graphical system, period.

But Alan's obsession with making this the fastest system in the world
did not end there.  He has also created one of the most flexible and
adaptable programs that I have ever encountered.  As you use the
program, you will find that there are few limitations here.  The news
reader allows you to duplicate a letterhead or page layout.  This was a
major advantage for us since it allows for the replication of a
newspaper format.  The ability to link a database to the news reader
provides a whole new dimension to an online system and pushes the
boundaries of information dissemination. The capability of creating
three-dimensional charts "on-the-fly" is an important tool for the
sysop.  It also provides the user with a easy-to-understand graphical
representation of complex data.  Of course, these are only a few of the
innovations that Alan has built into RIPmaster.

As a reporter, it is my job to be skeptical especially when it comes to
claims of something being the best.  I have examined this program from
every angle both as a reporter and a user.  I can say without
reservation, that RIPmaster is the best, fastest and most versatile
online graphical system available.

Jim Thompson







RIPscrip 3.0 PRESS RELEASE

The electronic world known as the information superhighway just took a
left turn thanks to a small company in Winchester, Virginia named
TeleGrafix Communications, Inc.  They released a new version of their
previously available RIPscrip graphics technology to revolutionize the
online industry.  This new level of online graphics allows anybody who
runs an online service to show their customers high-quality graphics, 
photos and audio clips over normal telephone lines, the World Wide Web,
Telnet or just about any other kind of data communications link.

What makes all of this possible is the way that RIPscrip is designed - the
entire language is entirely text-based.  Unlike other textual graphics
languages, RIPscrip is very compact by design.  This allows for very
extensive graphics to be shown without bogging down the communications
line.  A side effect of its text nature is that it can be
transmitted over any online service that can transmit text. That is over
99.9% of the online community.  This makes it perfectly suited for the
Internet and the nearly 100,000 BBS systems throughout the world servicing
millions of computer users.

With the addition of JPEG images, digitized sound, 24-bit color, and a
high-tech font system, RIPscrip has the means to launch the online world
into the 21st century.

And now TeleGrafix has offered its award winning technology to Microsoft
Windows users.  Their new RIPtel Visual Telnet software brings graphical
communications to the world of Telnet.  This previously text-only
interface has been a great barrier to end-users who are just starting to
get online.  Those users who are bored of the World Wide Web and want
more, find it frustrating when they try to use Telnet to get different
kinds of information.  Having to know what type of command to enter, or
how to navigate around different, dissimilar computer systems is a
daunting task, fraught with frustration and dissatisfaction to the general
consumer.  But with RIPtel Visual Telnet, companies and organizations
running Telnet sites can turn their systems into a totally "point-and-click"
graphical online service, much like the World Wide Web is today.  All that
is needed is RIPscrip-3 technology from TeleGrafix!

And if that wasn't enough, TeleGrafix has now brought its technology to
the World Wide Web!  New plugins for Netscape and Internet Explorer let
Windows 95 and NT users enjoy the efficient, high-quality graphics of
tomorrow, without the painfully slow download speeds of the Web today. 
These soon to be released plugin products will enhance the World Wide Web
with a graphics technology that has been proven in the online industry
since 1992, and continues to evolve on a daily basis.

Two plugins will be available.  The first, RIPview, is an inline viewer of
RIPscrip graphics for Netscape or Internet Explorer.  It allows you to
view online RIPscrip graphics directly in your Web browser's HTML pages. 
The second plugin, the Inline RIPtel plugin, allows you to have inline
telnet sessions embedded directly in your Web pages.  Running an online
BBS via Telnet?  Simply make a Web page with all of your important
information, and add a RIPtel Visual Telnet embed command in the page, and
when the user goes to that page, he will automatically open a telnet
connection to your system - right there in your web page!

For more information about these products, and this exciting technology,
visit TeleGrafix's Web site at www.telegrafix.com.

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