Armchair view of the vote; watchers can get the results as quickly as newscasters do

Article Abstract:

Microcomputer owners can use online information services to gain speedy access to the results of the Nov 1992 presidential and general elections. Via a modem, subscribers to the Prodigy Service Co's Prodigy network can obtain customized election tallies updated four to eight times an hour by entering their zip codes. Prodigy also offers profiles of the major candidates, transcripts of their addresses and comparisons of their positions on major issues. H. & R. Block's Compuserve Information Service offers message boards and electronic forums that can be used to monitor election returns. Compuserve also carries the text of Bill Clinton's answers to voter questions sent to his campaign and an indexed file of clippings from news services such as the Associated Press, Reuters and the Washington Post. Contact Software offers a customized database named Write Your Congressman! that automates the process of writing to federal representatives, providing their addresses, telephone and facsimile numbers and committee assignments. Envelopes, mailing labels and letter composition are handled by a word processor.

Information retrieval services, Product information, Column, Political aspects, Elections, Information services industry, Product introduction, New Technique, Prodigy Services Co., CompuServe (Online information service), Contact Software International Inc., CompuServe Corp., Write Your Congressman (Word processing software)

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Dialing for data

Article Abstract:

Some of the most educational and entertaining information can be found on-line through the Prodigy Information Services. Prodigy software costs $30 at most stores and is available for Apple Macintosh or MS-DOS operating systems. Prodigy information costs $12.95 per month or $9.95 a month if purchased yearly. The services offer educational programs, news services, research data bases, games and other information sources. Users must have a modem, but do not necessarily have to dial long distance to access the information. Most users can dial a local number or dial into the nearest major city. The system has a few drawbacks. Users may tie up the phone lines for several hours if they use Prodigy regularly. Users must also disable the call waiting feature to avoid unwanted interference. Prodigy also has advertisements that some parents and teachers may find objectionable.

Database industry, Educational software, Information Services

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