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GPSS on PC Magazine CD-ROMs


Last Updated 0900 Monday 30th March 1998

The GPSS 'Freebie'

GPSS can be downloaded from this Web Site with maps for your country. A free copy of GPSS, with UK mapping, is regularly distributed on PC magazine cover CD-ROMs, so you may have it on an old back-issue.

The free copy, which may be copied and distributed but not modified, includes mapping over the whole UK mainland, over 2200 petrol stations, 1000 towns, 850 eating places and 200 sleeping places. It also includes more detailed sample maps and an aerial photograph. If run on the desktop it will give a demonstration. If connected to an NMEA GPS receiver it will work for real 'on the road'.

The free copy has the same program, GPSS.EXE, as more expensive applications - which simply have hidden facilities switched on and supported by the required data. GPSS is unusual in having an 'open' design, which makes it simple to add more detailed maps, and configure it for a wide range of different applications.

PC Magazines with GPSS 'Freebie' on CD-ROM

The May '98 issue of 'Personal Computer World' has a copy of GPSS, Version 4.6 (Dec 97) on its cover CDROM. See below for details.

Prior to this, April '97 'Personal Computer World' was the last, with GPSS v4.0 on the CD-ROM. Others were recent issues of PCW, and the May '96 issue of 'What PC ?' which also included 1000 towns and 2200 filling stations. Very early releases of GPSS, years ago, did not include the towns and filling stations, but did include all the other data. All versions worked with an NMEA GPS receiver, but the later versions have more interactive facilities.

The magazines that are known to have published GPSS on their CD-ROM are listed below. Any mention in print appears in brackets.

See below for details on transfer of GPSS from CD-ROM via floppy disk, and the recent 'Personal Computer World' CD-ROMs.

The January 97 Issue of PCW includes both Version 3 and 4 of GPSS. Later issues carried Version 4. (Note that this is not Version 4.3 or later, available from this web site, or direct from Sunninghill Systems).

GPSS Version 4.6 on the May 98 PCW CDROM

A large number of changes were made to GPSS during 1997, and were made available via the Internet World-Wide off this web site, www.gpss.co.uk.

They have done a good job at PCW to make it easy to read a summary about GPSS, then download a running version off the CD onto your hard disk. Here are a few extra tips:

GPSS Version 4 on the April 97 PCW CD-ROM

Version 4 was extended to include an optional ‘Instrument Panel’ which makes the software more suitable for use on Notebook PCs which do not have sound. The panel shows ‘guidance to destination’ information, compass heading, and speed in analogue and digital form. Some people may upgrade from Version 3 just because they like the dials ! The panel will automatically switch side to avoid hiding the car symbol shown on the colour VGA (640x480) resolution maps. Alternatively it can be positioned to the side of the map for users who have the luxury of a new 800x600 SVGA Notebook PC. Version 4 will work with the new Garmin receivers which had given problems - see the page 'Problems Getting Your GPS Receiver Working ?'.

It has also been modified to permit the user to add overseas mapping in latitude/longitude, in addition to the UK grid based mapping supplied with the basic product and product options. 'Country Disks' are also available at £30. See the 'To those of you outside the UK' page for example map images with indication of the level of detail provided.

Jan, Feb, Mar, April 97 Personal Computer World CD-ROMs

January includes both the early Version 3 of GPSS, and Version 4 (September) of GPSS. Later Issues of PCW carry only Version 4.

Version 3 is held in the self extracting GPS.EXE in D:\HTML\RES\RESOURCE\GENERAL as for recent issues of PCW.

Version 4 (September) is held in the same directory but in ZIP files GPSDK1.ZIP and GPSDSK2.ZIP. If you don't have PKUNZIP.EXE you will find it on the CD-RO. The following DOS commands will extract GPSS V4 :
(copy PZUNZIP from the CD-ROM into GPSS04)
>MD GPSS04 (make a suitable directory)
>CD GPSS04 (change to that directory)
GPSS04>copy d:\html\res\resource\general\gpsdsk?.zip (copy ZIP files)
GPSS04>pzunzip gpsdsk1 (unzip contents of floppy disk 1)
GPSS04>pzunzip gpsdsk2 (unzip contents of floppy disk 2)
GPSS04>del *.zip (delete the .ZIP files which are no longer needed)
GPSS04>lha x gpss04a (use LHA to extract the executable GPSS files from disk 1)
GPSS04>lha x gpss04b (and disk 2)
GPSS04>del *.lzh (delete the .LZH files which are no longer needed)

Run GPSS.EXE from Windows. See the notes below for details of moving via two floppy disks onto other PC.

GPSDSK1.ZIP and GPSDSK2.ZIP contain the original two floppy disk installation files, so you can easily transfer GPSS onto PCs without CD-ROM, or give copies to friends.

Sept, Oct, Nov and December 96 Personal Computer World CD-ROMs

You will find GPSS under 'Resources' in CD-ROM directory:
D:\HTML\RES\RESOURCES\GENERAL
compressed into a self-expanding GPS.EXE file. The procedure below requires 13.5 MB of your Hard Disk to be available, but you can immediately reduce this to 7.7 MB by deletion of GPS.EXE which holds the compressed files. If you are not going to transfer GPSS onto two floppy disks, you can delete the two files GPSS03A.LZH and GPSS03B.LZH, which brings the total GPSS03 directory down to 4.8 MB.

I suggest you use the following DOS commands to create a directory, copy the GPS.EXE file, and expand it.

>MD GPSS03
>CD GPSS03
GPSS03>COPY D:\HTML\RES\RESOURCE\GENERAL\GPS.EXE
GPSS03>GPS
- the .LZH archive and executable files should now be available.
Run GPSS.EXE from Windows. See the notes below for details of moving via two floppy disks onto other PC.

August 1996 Personal Computer World CD-ROM

PCW made life easy for you by providing the original two floppy disk contents as two directories DISK1 and DISK2, in addition to the expanded software which is in D:\DEMOS\GPSS03. Just copy the DISK1 files to one floppy, and DISK2 files to the other, then make two labels that look something like those below.

GPSS 'FREEBIE' DISK1 OF 2.
Global Positioning System Software.
Copyright (c) 1995 Robin Lovelock, Sunninghill Systems.
You may copy but not modify this free version of GPSS.
You may copy and give it to others, but not sell it.
RUN A:INSTALL installs to C:\GPSS03
then install disk2 for the remaining files.

GPSS 'FREEBIE' DISK2 OF 2.
Copyright (c) 1995 Robin Lovelock, Sunninghill Systems.
Latest information on GPSS is on Web pages
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/gpss
RUN A:INSTALL after DISK1
Run C:\GPSS03\GPSS.EXE from Windows with sound.
Hit ? for help. User book is in file BOOK.TXT.
Use with an NMEA GPS receiver.

NOTE THAT FOR VERSION 4 THE DIRECTORIES ABOVE SHOULD BE C:\GPSS04

If you simply run GPSS from the PCW CD-ROM, you will probably find it very slow, and it may show strange colours. I reccomend that you copy D:\DEMOS\GPSS03 to your hard disk (e.g. C:\GPSS03) then execute GPSS.EXE.

If you have difficulty copying D:\DEMOS\GPSS03 direct from CD-ROM, I suggest you just copy LHA.EXE and the two .LZH archive files, then expand them as described in the general section below.

The whole of the GPSS03 directory only occupies 7.31 MB of your hard disk, and this reduces to 4.57 MB if you delete the two .LZH files after use.

If you like what you see (and hear) you can then think about moving it onto your Notebook PC. Don't forget that this is not just a demo. You may want to use the GPSS Freebie on your desktop as a GIS to decide 'where shall we go today'. Read the online Help under the ? key, and read BOOK.TXT then 'have a play'. Use 'on the road' with a GPS receiver is what GPSS is really for - but please drive with care.

Transfer from CD-ROM to two Floppy Disks - General

GPSS is distributed to the user and to PC Magazines on two floppy disks. Files are compressed using LHA into two archive files. LHA.EXE and the two .LZH files are normally held on the CD-ROM in addition to the executable files. It is therefore normally a simple process to copy LHA.EXE and the first .LZH file onto one floppy, followed by the other .LZH file onto the second floppy disk. These may then be used to load GPSS onto a Notebook PC without CD-ROM, or make copies of the 'Freebie' for friends. To load the software, create a suitable directory, copy both disks, then expand the files.

e.g. using simple DOS commands
MD GPSS03 (make directory called GPSS03 on your hard disk)
CD GPSS03 (change to that directory)
COPY A:*.* (copy all files on first floppy disk)
COPY A *.* (copy all files on second floppy disk)
LHA X GPSS03A (expand first archive file)
LHA X GPSS03B (expand second archive file)
Then use FILE NEW to set up an Icon to run GPSS.EXE under Windows.