amc-cd

After much extensive editing of the old data and the addtion of newer archived text from www.amxfiles.com (Jim Stone's AMXfiles.com page) we have a major update to the Archives CD. Now with this CD disk you can copy the data and search program file onto your local hard disk drive and you can immediately search this data file from end to end in just a few seconds.

Anything on the CD that you may want quick access to can be copied to your local hard disk and this is recommended for faster results and will preserve the integrity of the files on the CD which you can use to replace damaged or corrupted files as they may occur on your hard disk.

The data file is approximately 245 MB and contains 194,402 document records now. It is generally one record per posted message. Using the furnished ASViewer v. 6 software makes all this information instantly available to you. Just type in your search words and click "Search". It delivers a list of message hits which you can page through and select whatever needed document text you desire and paste it into a new document or email or text file

There is nearly 12 years of AMC-List archives data from 4/10/1995 through December 31, 2006. All text records are in lineal order by date and time. The retrieval software included on the CD disk is the "ASViewer.exe" from Asksam Systems Software of Perry, FL (web site: www.asksam.com). This is their latest updateed retrieval program which is available free at their web site downloads pages.

Just about anything to do with AMC and Rambler has been hashed over on this mail list over the last twelve years and all new members seem to ask the same OLD questions. You can get the information when you want it and as you need it. Just put the CD disk in and click on the "Search Data" link on the menu bar across the top to start the ASViewer program (askSam viewer) program, browse to the Ask folder select the AMCL2007.ASK data file and you're in business. Just enter your key words to retrieve the information records dealing with the items you want to find out about, and you get your answers in seconds. This is much faster than emailing the AMC-List and awaiting responses while our good old members dig it all up again and post their responses, again.

Our AMC-List actually does have about the quickest information responses of any internet list that I have ever been involved with on about any subject, but there is still a need for this information to be available on a personal casual basis as with this CD disk. You will find alternative fixes and work-arounds that don't generally find their way into shop manuals, if you are lucky enough to have those.

Just realize that times change, though, and what was true in days or years past is not necessarily true yet today. At least you can acquaint yourself with all past information of a subject and then post your queries from a more informed viewpoint. Knowledge is power, and this CD can help you get this knowledge...

Something new added is the preconfigured slideshows in the AMC Slideshows folder which is made with the graphics softer program ACDC v.7. Just double click on them to get a slideshow going. These are preconfigured without music and you can play your own music with your system media player or can select your choice of the midi music files in the MidiMusic folder. Nearly all the image files were edited for better viewing. Depending upon your system, these may not work on the older Windows versions. They work fine on any Windows XP systems that I have tried. Perhaps the error messages (if you have trouble) will explain what is needed for your computer.

Another slideshow system is included using "gPhotoshow" which can be installed and used as a screensaver and you can go to it and click on the "Preview" button to run the slideshows. Just right-click on your "Desktop" and select "Properties" and select the "Screensaver" tab to get to that program. You can direct it to use image files from whatever picture folders you choose. The same goes for music if you want it to play with the picture shows. I see there is 2490 image files in 41 folders for your use.

The price is $32.00 each (US funds). Send me a draft or check for this amount to Ralph Ausmann - 2971 S E Timberlake Drive - Hillsboro, OR 97123 and I will send this to you by first class mail (sorry, no credit cards). Be sure to specify where to send the CD.

(I'm not anticipating adding updates to this CD for the present. If I do there may be reasonable price considerations for updates)

All it takes is to merely insert it into your CD drive and on most machines it will start itself. If not, then you can use Windows Explorer program (File Manager) and use it to open the CD drive and then can click on "CDRun.exe" file or else go into the folder "Ralph's AMC-STUF" and double click on the file named "index.htm". It should then start your web browser and begin to run the program. From then on it is pretty much like browsing through a regular web site on the internet. It should be noticeably faster, is all since you won't be waiting for your machine to load up all the online graphics as they are all contained on the disk itself. And you won't be held up by slow modem speed or unresponsive web servers.

Once the CD starts all the options are on the top border menu bar and in the body of each page. Use the "Back < " button to return to the previous pages. Using this method you can navigate the entire CD disk and view and run the programs. select your multimedia options, cruise through the picture galleries, run the preconfigured slideshow programs, review the test drive articles, or the specs info, or read the newsletters, magazine articles, or just search for info from the AMC-List archive data.

I do suggest that you copy the CD disk onto your hard disk (if you have the disk space). The reason is that it will be quite a bit faster for searching the data and displaying the pictures. You can save the CD for restoring the files to your hard disk again if and when they become corrupted. You can delete them and simply copy them back onto the hard disk at any time. It will save wear and tear on the CD itself. But, it will run acceptably well directly from the CD disk itself.

Some of the files on this CD...

	Four test drive articles from the Mechanix Illustrated magazine (Jeep, AMX, Javelin, Concord)
	Specification sheets for my first AMC '69 Javelin given to me by the local dealer in 1969.
	Eagle ignition articles and Eagle parts listing by Terry Warren (list member).
	Illustration and instructions for Competition Plus Hurst Shifter for the AMC T10.
	Newsletters of the Classic AMX Club of Portland Since October 1999.
	Pictures... all AMC models plus miscellaneous AMC Stuff. (Over 2000 pictures)
	A number of Magazine articles relating to AMC models (and other models, as well)
	Goodies pages with clip art, multimedia files, movie clips by list members at races, Little Nash Rambler song (MP3), a bunch of midi music files, lot's of miscellaneous files to review (text files, or document files, etc...) all accessible from your Internet Explorer web browser and the Windows Explorer folder and file browser.
	An incredible "Appliance FAQ" which is a very large file of "Notes on the Troubleshooting and Repair of Small Household Appliances or Tools". It seems to have something on just about everything. Someone went to a lot of work compiling this.

There are a number of magazine articles that were reproduced for viewing on your web browsers. One interesting article is an interview with Roy Chapin on how they were planning to save AMC. Others are Mechanix Illustrated’s Tom McCahill test driving Javelin, AMX, Jeep, etc. Some are simply displaying pictures of the new cars being previewed. It’s kind of interesting to view all the various makes and models and compare them to your favorite AMC cars in the same model years.

AMC-List Archives CD

Ralph Ausmann