From lpsmail@access.digex.netFri Oct 13 10:41:57 1995 Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 08:22:24 CDT From: Shipment Reply to: Discussion of Government Document Issues To: Multiple recipients of list GOVDOC-L Subject: ADNOTES: NTDB SOFTWARE TO BE UPDATED ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- THE MESSAGE BELOW IS FROM ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES, VOL. 16, #13 (Oct. 15, 1995). NTDB SOFTWARE TO BE UPDATED: LIBRARY INPUT SOUGHT [The following announcement was received from the Director, STAT-USA, U.S. Dept. of Commerce.] STAT-USA is working on an update to the National Trade Data Bank CD-ROM software to make it more usable, correct problems with the current software, and bring it up to date with current PC technology such as Windows. The new software will use the same Inquery search engine found on the Internet version of the NTDB. Access to the search engine will be through a new interface program now being developed for STAT-USA by Auto-Graphics, Inc. The Browse/Romware interfaces to the data bank will be discontinued as we roll out the new software. One issue we are confronting is whether to continue to support personal computers running 8086 or 80286 processors, i.e., very old equipment. The new software will support 16 bit operating systems (386 or higher processors); it will be very difficult to alter the software to run on the older 8-bit systems. We need to know the impact of this change on depository libraries. We have received anecdotal evidence from GPO and a few librarians that suggest this will not be a problem but would like to hear from others who may be affected. We are posting this notice in GOVDOC-L and GPO will print it in the October 15, 1995 issue of Administrative Notes. Please post your response through GOVDOC-L or you may fax your response to Ken Rogers, STAT-USA, (202) 482-2164. Finally, we hope to have the DOS version of the software for the January 1996 issue of the NTDB and the Windows version by March, 1996. Ken Rogers Director, STAT-USA Phone: (202) 482-1405 Fax: (202) 482-2164 krogers@doc.gov