The Cornerstone Database Database | |||
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("IPC" refers to Infocom Product Code, the company's internal part number) ("CS Part #" refers to Cornerstone 5-digit part number) (N/A = no part number is printed on this item) (??? = currently unknown whether this item has a part number) | |||
| Item | Description / Notes | IPC | CS Part # |
| Cardboard Shipping Carton | Brown corrugated cardboard box with Infocom and Cornerstone logos, sealed with brown paper packing tape. Measures 11" x 11" x 4.5". This is what the software was sent inside if you mail-ordered it from Infocom. Very hard to come by. I own one myself, have seen another in the home of a German collector, and know of a third included in an eBay auction by the former manager of corporate sales at Infocom. | ||
| Slipcover | Outer paperboard slipcover that goes over the case. Pictured prominently in the sales brochure, but almost always missing from opened copies. Both mine and the other I know of have "Release 5.1" on the system sticker. ISBN 0-87321-228-2. UPC barcode 51051-01228. | ||
| Plastic Case | Large blue plastic case with no handle, used in the first two releases. Measures 9.5" x 9.5" x 3-1/8". Opens hatch-like at the top to reveal four stair-stepped slots, three of which hold the thinner manuals (they fit in sideways), and the lowest of which is divided into two sections - one for the disk package and one for the smaller materials. The dividers look like they should be removable, but they are not. Attached to the underside of the hatch lid is a shorter piece with separators, which is removable, but is very difficult to get back in place if you do. | ||
| Cardboard Insert | A small piece of plain unmarked cardboard, fitted over the three large manuals (Beginner's Guide and Owner's Handbook I & II). | ||
| Quick Reference Card | 4-page quick reference card with creases for folding, initially unfolded. Measures 8.75" x 5.75". Two versions exist: One is dated "1984", blank on the back (just the grey stripes), and has a separate non-foldable card with TI Professional keyboard diagrams inside it; and one dated "1984, 1986", which has smaller keyboard diagrams on the back cover. The later version does not have the CS part number. | ||
| Infocom SASE | Pre-paid Infocom self-addressed business envelope, folded in thirds. Intended for mailing in the registration card. | ||
| "Read This First: How to Get Started", Large Booklet | 24-page booklet, measures 9" x 5.75". Dated 1984. Includes tear-out cards for upgrade notifications, newsletter subscription, and two for change of address. | ||
| "Read This First: How to Get Started", Small Booklet | 16-page (plus cover) booklet, measures 3.25" x 7.5". Dated 1985. | ||
| "Customer Assurance Program" | Paperboard foldout card with 7 "panels", the last 3 of which (replacement order, extended support plan, and program registration cards) have tear-off perforations. Measures 3.25" x 7.5" folded. | ||
| "Beginner's Guide: Ten Easy Lessons" | Coil-bound, 156 pages (plus 12 Roman-numeral intro pages and two-sided blank last page). Copyright date is 1984, first printing January 1985. No ISBN. Measures 6.75" x 9". Seems to have been included in both plastic case releases. | ||
| "Owner's Handbook I: Working with Cornerstone" | Coil-bound, 204 pages (plus title, TOC and preface pages). Copyright date is 1984, first printing January 1985. No ISBN. Measures 6.75" x 9". Included in the first release. | ||
| "Owner's Handbook II: Additional Information and Advanced Concepts" | Coil-bound, 259 pages (plus title, TOC and preface pages). Copyright date is 1984, first printing January 1985. No ISBN. Measures 6.75" x 9". Included in the first release. | ||
| Large 3-in-1 Manual | The second release of Cornerstone had the Beginner's Guide and Owner's Handbook I & II combined into this single thick manual. Page numbering is reset with each book. Owner's Handbooks are organized a bit differently than their individual versions, with 194 and 278 pages, respectively. Cover features a photograph of smiling people. Mentions the new price of $99.95 on the back. Dated "1985, 1986". ISBN 0-87321-255-X. Measures 6.75" x 9". The few I've seen have always been accompanied by the "1984, 1986" version of the quick reference card. I got one of these with a plastic case, though I'm not sure how it was originally packaged, as it doesn't fit inside. | ||
| Large Manual, Budget Release | Alternate version of the large manual with cartoon cover and "Now You're in Control" subtitle. Has the disks stuck inside the manual pages, then shrinkwrapped, with no outer plastic case. Dated "1985, 1986". ISBN 0-87321-255-X (same as the other large manual). ISBN-13 is 978-0873212557, according to Amazon. | ||
| "Support Me! Inform Me!" Warranty / Registration Card | No-postage registration card, white with blue lettering. Measures 4.25" x 6". Included with the budget release. | ||
| "How To Choose an Information Management System" brochure | Blue brochure with black horizontal stripes. Measures 4" x 9". Ten panels, the last four are fold-out (12" x 9"). Included with at least one issue of The Status Line, and possibly distributed through other channels. | ||
| "The Joy of Cornerstone" Card | Mail-in card for ordering the Building Applications with Cornerstone book. Measures 4.25" x 6" (folded). Likely included with the budget release. | ||
| Diskette Package | Small paperboard box containing the five Cornerstone disks. Included in the plastic case releases. Has a license agreement sticker on the back. Measures 5-3/8" x 5.75" x 11/16". | ||
| License Agreement Sticker | Stuck to the reverse side of the diskette package. Non-removable. | ||
| "Cornerstone" Disk | 5.25" disk, contains the actual Cornerstone software. Release 5.1, 5.16 or 5.20. | PD-IB2-104 | |
| "Cornerstone Back-Up Copy" Disk | 5.25" disk, contains a backup copy of the Cornerstone program. Release 5.1. (I've never come across any later versions. This disk does not seem to have been included in any upgrade sets.) | ||
| "Sample Database" Disk | 5.25" disk, contains a demonstration database referenced in the manuals. Release 5.1, 5.16, 5.20, or 5.21. | ||
| "Client Tracking" Disk | 5.25" disk, contains a pre-designed client contract system and sample sales files for conversion to/from Lotus 1-2-3. Release 5.1, 5.16, 5.20, or 5.21. | ||
| "Beginner's Guide 1" Disk | 5.25" disk, contains accompanying lessons for use with the "Beginner's Guide" manual. Release 5.1, 5.16, 5.20, or 5.21. | ||
| "Beginner's Guide 2" Disk | 5.25" disk, contains accompanying lessons for use with the "Beginner's Guide" manual. Release 5.1 or 5.16. (I've never come across any later versions. This disk does not seem to have been included in any upgrade sets.) | ||
| "Sample Database Copy" Label | Disk label for a backup copy of the "Sample Database" disk. Comes on the same sheet as "Client Tracking Copy". Version 5.16. (I've never come across any later versions. The labels do not seem to have been included in any upgrade sets.) | ||
| "Client Tracking Copy" Label | Disk label for a backup copy of the "Client Tracking" disk. Comes on the same sheet as "Sample Database Copy". Version 5.16. (I've never come across any later versions. The labels do not seem to have been included in any upgrade sets.) | ||
| "Beginner's Guide 1 Copy" Label | Disk label for a backup copy of the "Beginner's Guide 1" disk. Comes on the same sheet as "Beginner's Guide 2 Copy". Version 5.16. (I've never come across any later versions. The labels do not seem to have been included in any upgrade sets.) | ||
| "Beginner's Guide 2 Copy" Label | Disk label for a backup copy of the "Beginner's Guide 2" disk. Comes on the same sheet as "Beginner's Guide 1 Copy". Version 5.16. (I've never come across any later versions. The labels do not seem to have been included in any upgrade sets.) | ||
| "Cornerstone Back-Up Copy" Label | Disk label for a backup copy of the "Cornerstone" disk. Has a space for writing in the serial number. Comes on the same sheet as a blank label. Version 5.16. (I've never come across any later versions. The labels do not seem to have been included in any upgrade sets.) | ||
| Blank Disk Label | Unused disk label. Has grey horizontal lines across it, but no text or Cornerstone logo. Comes on the same sheet as the "Cornerstone Back-Up Copy" label. | ||
| Plastic Function Key Template | Plastic overlay that goes around a 2x5 matrix of function keys (F1-F10) on older keyboards. There are two varieties: One thin, blue, and flexible; the other blue-grey and cut from thicker plastic. Another collector's plastic case came with both, as did mine. | ||
| "Don't Panic!" Button | Aside from its color (white letters on blue), it is identical to the Hitchhiker's Guide pin. Originally attached to a card. | ||
| New Support Number Card | Card holding the "Don't Panic!" button. Contains Infocom's new Cornerstone support number. | ||
| Cornerstone Demo Packet Mailing Envelope | 6.375" x 9.375" white cardboard envelope in which the Cornerstone demo packet was sent out. Has Infocom's return address in the upper-left, bulk rate mailing info in the upper-right, and "Cornerstone Demonstration Diskette Enclosed" and "Fragile: Do Not Bend" below those, all in blue lettering. Sealed on the reverse side with a plain white sticker. | ||
| "Cornerstone Demo" Disk | 5.25" disk with a demo version of Cornerstone. Dated 1985. A second label on the disk's sleeve contains loading instructions. Included in a disk pouch which was attached inside a sales brochure, part of a demo packet sent out by Infocom. | ||
| "Cornerstone Demo" Disk Pouch | Paper pouch containing the "Cornerstone Demo" disk. Measures 5.5" x 6.25". Originally attached inside a sales brochure, part of a demo packet sent out by Infocom. | ||
| Sales Brochure | 10-page (not counting the front and back covers), 6" x 9" glossy sales brochure showing pictures and screenshots of Cornerstone. Front cover shows a bunch of smiling business people with the text, "Cornerstone. The sophisticated database system for the non-programmer." Pouch containing "Cornerstone Demo" disk is attached along a perforation inside. Includes pictures of the elusive slipcover and an alternate version of the "Ten Easy Lessons" book that I've never seen. Part of a demo packet sent out by Infocom. | ||
| Barry Jacobson Letter | A letter by Barry Jacobson (not hand-signed), Director of Business Products Marketing at Infocom. Expresses thanks for your interest in Cornerstone and provides brief info about the software's availability. Two slightly different versions are known to exist. One describes the contents of the demo packet it was included in, the other mentions periodicals that have published favorable reviews of Cornerstone. | ||
| Popular Computing Review | Glossy, two-sided reprint of a favorable article about Cornerstone in the June 1985 issue of Popular Computing magazine. Included in some versions of the demo packet. | ||
| Review Flyer | Two-sided flyer, one side with a collage of articles and positive reviews, the other showing positive letters received from users. Included in the demo packet. | ||
| Dealer Lists | 11" x 17" list of retailers who at the time carried the Cornerstone software. Included in the demo packet. Four-page foldout, printed on light blue copier paper. I'm aware of lists for Eastern and Western U.S. dealers. Other variations may exist. | ||
| Cornerstone Consulting Group Letter | Letter dated 5/21/1986, soliciting training and consulting services for Cornerstone users. "Signed" by Barry Jacobson and Richard Weissberg. Either sent out to registered users, or possibly included in later demo packets. | ||
| Cornerstone Dealer Kit Box | Two-piece box with a white paperboard insert. The top box piece is blue with white text reading, "Introducing Cornerstone. The sophisticated database system over 5 million non-programmers have been waiting for." A glossy picture of the smiling business people is attached to the inside of the top box piece. The bottom box piece is white and unmarked. Sent to computer retailers to convince them to carry the software. The insert has slits for the 10-page sales brochure and "Introduction to Cornerstone" disk, some blue text in the lower left corner, and a boxlike enclosure in the lower right corner to hold the demonstration cassette. Instructions for syncing the audio cassette with the Cornerstone demo disk are printed in blue lettering on the cassette enclosure. | ||
| Cornerstone Dealer Kit Letter | A letter from Thomas E. Smaldone (not hand-signed), Cornerstone Product Manager. Printed on Infocom stationery. Included with the Cornerstone dealer kit, thanking the dealer for requesting it. | ||
| "Introduction to Cornerstone" Disk | Included in the Cornerstone dealer kit. 5.25" disk, contains some kind of intro to the software. I have no idea how these were distributed, but it's not the same as the demo. Says release 5.1 on the label. A second label on the disk's sleeve says it is designed for use with the Cornerstone demonstration cassette. | ||
| Demonstration Cassette | Included in the Cornerstone dealer kit. Follow-along audio cassette designed for use with the "Introduction to Cornerstone" disk. Another collector who owns one has said the narrator sounds somewhat like Rod Serling. | ||
| "Please Note" Card | Small white paper containing instructions for synchronizing the Cornerstone demo disk with the audio cassette. | ||
| 30-Day Evaluation Cover Letter | Apparently Infocom sent out a number of copies of the Cornerstone software for evaulation. These came with a cover letter printed on Infocom stationary. The one I have heard of was dated December 16, 1985. | ||
| 30-Day Evaluation Form | The evaluation cover letter mentions this form, requesting that it be filled out and returned after the 30-day evaluation period. | ||
| Cornerstone Posters | Large roll-out poster displayed at trade shows and given to Cornerstone dealers. Two versions, one with a group of smiling people at computers, the second showing a smiling guy lying on his side while floating in midair. | ||
| Cornerstone Preview Announcement | 5" x 7" folded mailing card, blue with white lettering. The front reads "From the company whose first software product outsold Lotus 1-2-3." (Referring to the Zork trilogy.) Inside reads "NOV 1" in large letters, and informs the recipient of a special preview kit (likely referring to the Cornerstone demo packet) being sent to them. The reverse side has Infocom's Wheeler Street return address. Originally sealed with a small white sticker. | ||
| "Selling Cornerstone" | 8.5" x 11", 12-page brochure for salespeople, with information about Cornerstone and lots of cartoon illustrations. | ||
| Cornerstone Dealer Offer | 8.5" x 11" flyer, blue text on white, offering dealers a $100 rebate if they purchase a three-pack of Cornerstone by October 31, 1985. | ||
| Cornerstone Sell Sheet | 8.5" x 11" glossy page, black and white, containing two- and three-column consumer ads for Cornerstone, the product's logo, and illustrations of the package cover. | ||
| "Building Applications with Cornerstone" | Softcover book by Laura Buddine, edited and published by Infocom. ISBN 0-87321-264-9. 318 pages. (I also have 0-31860-211-3 as an alternate ISBN, but none of my copies have it, so I'm not certain where that came from.) | ||
| "The Cornerstone Book: Twenty Blueprints for Applications" | Alternate working title for Building Applications, when Addison-Wesley was slated as the publisher before Infocom took over and published it themselves. Amazon still lists the old version. ISBN 0-20112-589-7. ISBN-13 978-0201125894. According to the author, Addison-Wesley may have backed out when Cornerstone initially proved to not be a big enough seller, but Infocom still wanted a book. This would have happened pretty early on. | ||
| InvisiClues for Cornerstone | Personally, I doubt these exist, but they are clearly listed in the product inventory included with some later issues of The Status Line, and it even gives an IPC number. Priced at $14.95, so it likely refers to the Building Applications book, although the IPC is nowhere to be found on it. | ||
| Micro/Answer for Cornerstone | From what little information I could find, it looks like Micro/Answer was a joint effort between Informatics and Infocom, created to extract data from mainframe database formats to a PC client using Informatics' Answer/DB product. One article I found priced it at $550, more than Cornerstone itself, even before the price drop. The horizontal slipcase, suggesting a three-ring binder, is made of the same hard clothbound material that early versions of DOS came in. It measures 8.75" x 9.25" x about 2.5" and is surprisingly light. If anyone ever comes across an already-opened one, let me know! | ||
| Micro/Answer License Agreement | Attached to the reverse side of the Micro/Answer package. | ||
| "Off the Record" | Cornerstone newsletter, mentioned in the "Customer Assurance Program" flyer and by name in the larger "How to Get Started" booklet. Described as a quarterly newsletter, though I have no idea how many issues were printed and sent out. A former Infocom employee has confirmed that at least Vol 1, No 1 exists, and suspects that this was the only one. | ||
Revision history:
| 1.0 | 03/22/2003 | Initial version of the Cornerstone Database Database. |
| 1.1 | 05/12/2003 | Added details about the Micro/Answer package. Corrected the source of the "How To Choose" brochure, which was included with at least one issue of The Status Line. |
| 1.2 | 09/22/2003 | Added the 30-day evaluation form and cover letter to the parts list. Added details on the cardboard shipping carton, and slipcover (including CS part number). |
| 1.3 | 03/06/2004 | Added cardboard insert, after one collector found it upon opening his shrinkwrapped CS (the HORROR!) |
| 1.4 | 05/30/2004 | Added ISBN on slipcover. (Got a shrinked one of my own now!) |
| 1.5 | 11/3/2013 | Added entry for the demo packet mailing envelope, and modified a few details on the demo packet contents. |
| 1.6 | 5/9/2015 | Added new entries for recently acquired items, revised and clarified some earlier entries, some formatting changes. |
| 1.7 | 5/25/2015 | Revised notes on the alternate title of the Cornerstone book, after hearing from the author herself. |
| 1.8 | 5/2/2017 | Added notes on the Cornerstone dealer kit after being contacted by a collector who owns one. |
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