SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS SOFTWARE CREATIONS BBS JULY\AUGUST 1993 (508) 365-2359 (8, 1, N) Welcome to SHAREWARE REVIEWS, a new, innovative, electronic newsletter that will review the best of the latest uploaded shareware in all areas. Our objective is to help you select the software that will best fulfill your needs from among the many hundreds which are published each month. We are truly in the midst of a creative explosion by many fine shareware authors but the quantity is overwhelming. How can you select the very best from among a bewildering variety of publications? Let SHAREWARE REVIEWS help you by selecting from among the finest new releases and then providing you with brief, yet information packed reviews to help you decide what is worth your downloading dollars and valuable time. We have vast experience to bring to bear upon this endeavor having had over 20 years of professional experience in academia, advanced scientific and humanities research, technical and journal publication, public school education, and entrepreneurial private business. Furthermore, we are consultants in applied statistics and shareware authors ourselves. What is shareware? Shareware is computer software created by small companies, often a single person operation, that is marketed on a "try before you buy" basis. An informed decison by any consumer should be based upon maximum knowledge. As a sales approach, which is remarkable for its generosity to potential customers, shareware authors create and distribute their work in a format which has at least partial or often complete functionality. Distribution is via mail order companies which specialize in selling shareware on disk and Bulletin Board Systems, such as SOFTWARE CREATIONS, whose sysops are committed to the promotion of shareware. By not investing in expensive brochures or the usual sort of advertising, shareware authors are determined to hold down costs and thereby, the retail prices of their products. Successful shareware benefits everyone because the retail price is as low as possible, placing the least stress on a user's wallet. Hopefully, a large selling volume will increase the income for the author/publisher. Shareware authors are unusually generous and trusting. If their product is fully functional in the shareware version, which is often the case, users must feel honor bound to purchase it after the fact. Purchase is termed registration and is by mail order via forms provided within the shareware package. We urge you to register any and all shareware you try out, like and decide to use. If the shareware does not fulfill your needs, pass it on to someone who might be interested, thereby giving the shareware more exposure. Unlike browsing in a book store where there is no possibility of keeping the book without payment (short of theft), all of us could "steal" our favorite shareware if so inclined. If we are not honorable, this generous marketing approach is in danger of disappearing. Furthermore, many authors are highly creative and innovative while exploring areas still untouched by major corporations. Often their products are as full featured and "deep" as any offered in the mainstream, highly advertised marketplace and may, in fact, incorporate an approach that cannot be found anywhere else. SHAREWARE REVIEWS (versions 2 & 3) will be available only through SOFTWARE CREATIONS which is an extraordinary Bulletin Board System. The founder and sysop is Dan Linton who is perhaps the most aggressive promoter of shareware in the country. He is also a very successful software author and publisher in his own right. SOFTWARE CREATIONS is huge and very user friendly, as I'm certain you've already discovered if you downloaded SHAREWARE REVIEWS. Personally, I have never seen a board whose menus and screens are this attractive! As of this date, Dan has over 8GB of files in well organized directories, 85 phone lines and provides many other interesting and valuable services. Everything reviewed in SHAREWARE REVIEWS may be found at SOFTWARE CREATIONS, which you can consider your one stop shareware warehouse. I urge you to subscribe because Dan's system is well worth the $45/year, perhaps the lowest subscription fee for any board of this size in the U.S.: SOFTWARE CREATIONS, 26 Harris St., Clinton MA 01510. Phone lines are BBS (2400) 508 365-2359, BBS (9600) 508 368-7036 and voice 508 368-8654. SHAREWARE REVIEWS is published monthly by SOFTWARE CREATIONS and is provided in three versions. In each, the reviews will be in "plain vanilla" ASCII format so that any DOS based, generic file viewer can be used to view and print them. An electronic newsletter of brief one paragraph reviews, of which you now have a copy, will be distributed around the first of each month (except for August). At SOFTWARE CREATIONS, it is available to all callers, even new users, as freeware. The second version contains in-depth longer reviews of each program with many detailed specifics and important installation hints. The long reviews are usually a full page or more about each of 15 different shareware programs, highlighting the most important aspects of the program. This will be distributed by first class USPS on disk and will be available only by subscription at $30 for 12 issues. The third version is available for $96 and you will receive the long informative reviews along with each shareware program reviewed in an archived (usually ZIP) format. That comes to 12 monthly issues with a total of approximately 180 programs at a cost of only $0.53 or less per program. SHAREWARE REVIEWS will publish 11 issues per year (with a combined July/ August issue), therefore, a subscription will encompass 13 months. Unless you live within the SOFTWARE CREATIONS area code, your phone bill to download this many programs would exceed the subscription price. Single back issues of each month's shareware files are available at $12/monthly for a set of disks. These prices includes all costs: disks, shipping and handling. We hope to set an industry standard with SHAREWARE REVIEWS. Glitzy no; valuable intelligent reviews, yes. If you find only one program each year that dramatically increases either your business productivity, education, or enjoyment of life, the subscription cost will be well worth it. Each newsletter will contain 15 reviews in both the short and long versions. You can subscribe on line at SOFTWARE CREATIONS with your credit card. At the Main Menu, type 'DOOR' and the Door Menu will give you access to an on-line subscription script (item 5) with the various options described above. If you wish, you may subscribe by mail using the form provided below. We welcome feedback, comments and suggestions for new shareware to review. You may write to me, Ben Blumenberg, the author of SHAREWARE REVIEWS at REALITY SOFTWARE, PO Box 105, Waldoboro, ME 04572 or leave e-mail at SOFTWARE CREATIONS. My other e-mail addresses are: America On Line benb12; Compuserve 71044,1645; and on the Internet at benb12@aol.com or 71044.1645@compuserve.com (notice comma must be replaced by a period). An interesting article which you might enjoy which looks at the problems in designing a user friendly interface for Windows applications is Moss, D. 1993. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". WINDOWS USER Vol. 2, No. 1, pp 136-140. REALITY SOFTWARE is also a creator and publisher of shareware and our products can be found at SOFTWARE CREATIONS. We specialize in historical timelines and the history of religion and mythology. Our studies are scholarly and for serious, thinking adults. They are not high school level programs nor are they filled with New Age nonsense. We will mail a catalog on disk of our software for a $1.50 fee to cover costs and shipping. Please note that requests for this catalog must go directly to REALITY SOFTWARE, PO Box 105, Waldoboro, ME 04572, NOT to SOFTWARE CREATIONS. We hope you enjoy SHAREWARE REVIEWS and find it a valuable tool for selecting the very best of the newest shareware available. Ben and Leslie Blumenberg REALITY SOFTWARE SOFTWARE CREATIONS is a division of Linton Enterprises, Inc. .__________________________________________________________________________ MAIL IN SUBSCRIPTION FORM for SHAREWARE REVIEWS DATE __________ NAME _____________________________ COMPANY ______________________________ ADDRESS __________________________________________________________________ TOWN OR CITY ______________________________ STATE __________ ZIP ________ Subscriptions to SR Long Reviews only ($30 for 12issues): Number of subscriptions:______ Total $__________ Subscriptions to SR Long Reviews plus Shareware ($96 for 12 issues): Number of subscriptions:______ Total $__________ BACK ISSUES of monthly collections of Shareware and Long Reviews at $12 each: Indicate Month(s) and Year(s) (First issue is February 1993): ________ ________ _________ ________ _________ _________ _________ _________ Total monthly collections:______________ Total $ ___________ Canadian subscribers, please add $5 for postage per subscription: Total $_______ (in US funds) All other foreign subscribers, please add $10 for postage per subscription: Total $_______ (in US funds) Total Payment Enclosed $____________ (All disks will be high density 5 1/4".) Method of Payment (check one): Check (US funds)______ Money Order (US funds)______ Credit Card: Visa______ Master Card______ Credit Card # __________________________________ Exp. Date ________________ Signature on Card ___________________________________________________ Where did you obtain this issue of SHAREWARE REVIEWS? ______________________ If we distribute our mailing list to other vendors, would you prefer your name be deleted? Yes ______ No ______ MAIL TO: SHAREWARE REVIEWS SOFTWARE CREATIONS 26 Harris St. Clinton, MA 01510 Be certain to notify SOFTWARE CREATIONS if you move and your mailing address changes. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS 2DOV10.ZIP 847K JULY/AUGUST 1993 2DO (WINDOWS) Vol.1, No.6 Latest file 3/15/93 2do1.txt 2DO is a powerful Personal Information Manager (PIM) with an exceptionally well designed interface and exceptional depth of features which makes powerful use of the drag and drop capability of Windows. Unlike most PIMs, the primary object in 2DO is not time but the obvious and intuitive task itself. The template for adding a task to the To Do List is user friendly and all fields except Title are optional. 2DO supports many types of recursion and provides drop boxes that take the guess work out of assigning Date Codes. A Calendar, Day Glance and Week Planner supplement the To Do List and can be used with drag and drop to rapidly edit task entries. A handy Trash Can knows not to delete recursive tasks. Extensive customization of sorting, display and desktop is a breeze. Daily work will be a bit more enjoyable with 2DO; not too many PIM's are this fun to use. Registration is $30 from William Anderson, 13020, N.E. 71st Court, Kirkland, WA 98033. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS COLMEN2.ZIP 34K JULY/AUGUST 1993 SCREEN COLOR CHANGE (DOS) Vol.1, No.6 Latest file 2/18/93 colmen1.txt After some weeks or months of PC use, staring at the white on black DOS prompt becomes boring. Change your DOS background and foreground screen colors with SCREEN COLOR CHANGER; the procedure could not be easier. Add SCREEN COLOR CHANGER to your autoexec.bat file and have the option to change colors before each day's work session. SCREEN COLOR CHANGER is begware from Exordia Enterprises Inc., Midlake PO Box 48095, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2X 3C0 and will cost either $2 or $7 (see colmen2.doc). SHAREWARE REVIEWS: SOFTWARE CREATIONS COMMO541.ZIP 188K JULY/AUGUST 1993 COMMO (DOS) Vol.1, No. 6 Latest file 2/13/93 commo1.txt COMMO is a terrific communications program designed for power users that is exceptionally well designed and user friendly. If you know what baud rate your modem uses and which port it is connected to, you can enjoy the power and speed of COMMO at any level of experience. When first starting COMMO, type 'guide' at the DOS prompt and the demo will lead you into the Setup File and Dialing Directory which you must customize for your equipment and preferences. Few changes are needed and well written context sensitive help is available. X and Y modem are built into COMMO; if you wish to use Z modem you need obtain it separately as shareware. A powerful macro processor comes with COMMO and can be used to automate unattended file transfers. A comprehensive, highly informative manual is included. Registration is $50 and brings additional utilities and a printed manual from Fred P. Brucker, New Standard Software, PO Box 9103, Santa Rosa, CA 95405. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS DEBT120.ZIP 116K JULY/AUGUST 1993 DEBT ANALYZER (DOS) Vol.1, No.6 Latest file 3/13/93 debt1.txt DEBT ANALYZER is a crystal clear, user friendly data base with which to look at your current debts and loans and to determine a payoff or loan consolidation scenario. You may customize the pain of payments with a variety of options which include nine choices for methods of debt payoff. Client debt profiles and reports may both be saved and reports may be viewed on screen or printed in one of four formats. An Effective Rate Calculator will determine true interest rates based upon various approaches to compounding. On line help is superb as is the manual. Registration for DEBT ANALYZER is $20 from Insight Software Solutions, PO Box 354, Bountiful, Utah 84011. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS HYPGEO21.ZIP 339K JULY/AUGUST 1993 HYPERGEO (DOS) Vol.1, No.6 Latest file 2/10/93 hypgeo1.txt HYPERGEO(metry) is marvelous, superbly crafted and supremely educational. If you have any taste for mathematical philosophy, explore the fourth dimension that our physiology cannot perceive and contemplate a wider universe. HYPERGEO displays 3-D projections of 4-D geometric objects (the section produced by slicing the 4-D object with a hyperplane) which may be scaled, rotated, have their parameters altered, captured to a PCX file and animated. Topological changes produced by different values assigned to the fourth dimension W axis are given visual form and thus our perception is extended beyond our sensory limits. The manual is extraordinarily deep, enjoy a quick start with readme.1st. Registration brings 3-D glasses and is only $20 from WareCraft, PO Box 139, Bedford, MA 01730. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS LEONRDO2.ZIP 53K JULY/AUGUST 1993 LEONARDO (DOS) Vol.1, No.6 Latest file 1/30/93 leonrd1.txt LEONARDO is a user friendly ANSI graphics program that also supports files in ASCII and binary format. For those who wish to quickly create display screens, or just experiment with ANSI imagery in a free form manner and who do not need great depth of features, LEONARDO is a fine tool. Its approach to animations is superb and the learning curve for all of LEONARDO's capabilities is extremely short. Beginners must be careful to save their images with an .ANS extension. A mouse is required to work with LEONARDO. A manual and screen capture utility are also included in this archive. Registration is $29.95 from Roberto Tauler, 6039 S. Kolmar, Chicago, IL 60629. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS MATHPL131.ZIP 122K JULY/AUGUST 1993 MATHPLOT (DOS) Vol.1, No.6 Latest file 10/18/92 mathpl1.txt MATHPLOT is a well designed mathematics plotting program whose clean, uncluttered interface belies its power and sophistication. Any of four types of equations may be entered, domains for calculation specified if desired, and plots easily generated. Up to four equations of the same type may be plotted simultaneously and pi and e are available as constants. Up to nine parameters may be incorporated in functions to take numeric assignments. A long list of functions is available including several that allow for work with integrals, gamma and bessel functions. A variety of commands access utilties and allow the user to customize the display. Registration is $25 from Phillip H. Sherrod, 4410 Gerald Place, Nashville, TN 37205 and MATHPLOT comes with a good manual. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS MSYS12.ZIP 65K JULY/AUGUST 1993 MULTISYS (DOS) Vol.1, No.6 Latest file 1/31/93 msys1.txt MULTISYS is a straightforward, user friendly multiple configuration manager that can create and store up to 50 sets of system files. The instructions are very clear and your default system files are protected from editing. When adding a new configuration, MULTISYS loads your default system files into its editor (copies not originals) which is an approach that saves many keystrokes and much time. Simply Select a configuration by name and rebooting takes place. This very well designed configuration manager is better designed than the one included with DOS 6 and is another shareware bargain at only $10 from John P. Corea, 3 Primrose Lane, Brick, N.J. 08724. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS NTRAID01.ZIP 712K JULY/AUGUST 1993 NIGHT RAID (DOS) Vol.1, No.6 Latest file 6/1/93 ntraid1.txt NIGHT RAID is one wicked good arcade game in which you maneuver an enormous artillery cannon to shoot down enemy planes and blow their paratroopers out of the sky. If three of the enemy reach the ground, your doom is sealed as they sneak into your bunker and blow you sky-high. While successfully destroying the enemy's planes and troops is not difficult, accumulating points during competitive play is the real challenge. Granted you have unlimited ammunition but you are penalized one point for each shot taken. The graphics are terrific, the adrenalin rush right on target and the illusion of instant success a challenge to be overcome. NIGHT RAID is $15 plus $2 s/h from Software Creations, 26 Harris St., Clinton, MA 01510. On line purchase may be made at the Software Creations BBS 1 508 368-7036. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS OMWTRVO1.ZIP 164K JULY\AUGUST 1993 OUR MYSTERIOUS WORLD (DOS) Vol.1, No.6 Latest file 1/21/93 omw1.txt Among the 15 categories in this OUR MYSTERIOUS WORLD TRIVIA SHELL are Angels, Ghosts, Near Death Experiences, Reincarnation, Crystals, Mysterious Places, Crop Circles and Dreams. Did you know that ancient Teutonic and Norse peoples used runes to divine the future...Abraham Linclon dreamed of his own death...telekinesis is the moving of objects without physical contact? What is a phantom crystal...who are the Zobop...where do fairies come from? How much do you really know about the supernatural world and the people who are studying psychic phenomonenona? Our modern world is built upon the truths and myths of thousands of years of cultural evolution. In the last analysis, the magnetism of any TRIVIA SHELL rests upon the depth and fascination of the information available and there is an abundance of that in OUR MYSTERIOUS WORLD. This terrific game will stretch your imagination, test your intellectual skills and maybe guessing the correct answer is really your psychic abilities "feeling" the right answer! TRIVIA SHELLs are fascinating, engaging, interactive games which will challenge your knowledge about your favorite subject. TRIVIA SHELLs have three levels of play: Beginner (true-false), Intermediate (default, multiple choice) and Advanced (fill-in-the-blank). You can you choose the level of play, and also toggle such features as Humor (you will get teased!), Sound, Randomize Questions, Allow Hints, Display Answer, Repeat Wrong Answer and Timed Play (default is 30 seconds). The Browse menu allows you to choose groups of questions to examine by keyword and review their answers. Each game of TRIVIA SHELL may be individualized from the Setup Game menu. From one to four players may play a game of TRIVIA SHELL and you can specify the number of questions to be answered in each round: other options involve bonuses and penalties. TRIVIA SHELLs are published in four versions. 1) The shareware version of each game contains 150 questions and has some functions disabled. 2) The Classic contains 300 questions and sells for $11.95. 3) The Deluxe contains 600 questions and sells for $16.95. 4) The Gold, which is not yet available for all published TRIVIA SHELLs, has a 1,000 question database and retails for $22.95. TRIVIA SHELLS are published by Software Creations, 26 Harris St., Clinton, MA 01510. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS RIPTM153.ZIP 585K JULY/AUGUST 1993 RIPTERM (DOS) Vol.1, No.6 Latest file 6/3/93 ripterm1.txt RIPTERM is a major BBS interface innovation now under development which offers the user a graphical interface with buttons to mouse click upon. The potential for displaying gorgeous graphics and attracting a host of new BBS users is there, if they can be made comfortable with the familiar ANSI prompt demands which remain under and between the graphics screens. Read the enormous manual thoroughly and follow the installation and setup procedures carefully. Call Arena BBS, the home base for RIPTERM (listing provided) for a full demonstration which does not require additional icon files. Performance will be quirky but this is not a finished product: the look into the future is breathtaking! The extraordinary RIPTERM is freeware from TeleGrafix Communications, 16458 Bolsa Chica #15, Huntington Beach, CA 92649. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS RROVER2.ZIP 175K JULY/AUGUST 1993 RESCUE ROVER (DOS) Vol.1, No.6 DIR 5: Gamer's Edge Latest file 4/16/93 rr1.txt Poor Rover is trapped in a maze from which he must be rescued before he dies from lack of food, water and love. Roger, his heart-broken owner, must meet this most difficult challenge or lose his beloved friend forever. Killer robots roam the maze and wickedly accurate laser turrets, programmed to fire at Roger, are everywhere, yet assistance and protection is available also. RESCUE ROVER is great fun and played from the keyboard or with a joystick. The shareware version comes with 10 levels of play enabled. Registration at $14.95 brings 29 levels plus valuable hints from Gamer's Edge, Softdisk Publishing, PO Box 30008, Shreveport, LA 71130. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS SPTTROV01.ZIP 156K JULY\AUGUST 1993 SPORTS TRIVIA (DOS) Vol.1, No.6 Latest file 1/13/93 sports1.txt Among the 15 categories in this SPORTS TRIVIA SHELL are Baseball, Horse Racing, Olympics, Golf, Tennis, Football and Auto Racing. Did you know that the cat gut strung on old fashioned tennis racquets was in fact alligator hide...warriors in ancient China invented soccer as a fitness exercise...the largest outdoor skating rink is in Japan...the Boston Bruins once scored 3 goals in 20 seconds...or that only three professional sports teams are named after birds? In the last analysis the magnetism of any TRIVIA SHELL rests upon the depth and fascination of the information. All you sports trivia buffs will find yourself challenged to remember the statistics and names of players you impressed your friends with as kids! TRIVIA SHELLs are fascinating, engaging, interactive games which will challenge your knowledge about your favorite subject. TRIVIA SHELLs have three levels of play; Beginner (true-false), Intermediate (default, multiple choice) and Advanced (fill-in-the-blank). You can you choose the level of play and also toggle such features as Humor (you will get teased!), Sound, Randomize Questions, Allow Hints, Display Answer, Repeat Wrong Answer and Timed Play (default is 30 seconds). The Browse menu allows you to choose groups of questions to examine by keyword and review their answers. Each game of TRIVIA SHELL may be individualized from the Setup Game menu. From one to four players may play a game of TRIVIA SHELL and you can specify the number of questions to be answered in each round: other options involve bonuses and penalties. TRIVIA SHELLs are published in four versions. 1) The shareware version of each game contains 150 questions and has some functions disabled. 2) The Classic contains 300 questions and sells for $11.95. 3) The Deluxe contains 600 questions and sells for $16.95. 4) The Gold, which is not yet available for all published TRIVIA SHELLs, has a 1,000 question database and retails for $22.95. TRIVIA SHELLS are published by Software Creations, 26 Harris St., Clinton, MA 01510. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS SQZDE101.EXE 156K JULY/AUGUST 1993 SQUAREZ (DOS) Vol.1, No. 6 Latest file 6/14/93 sqz1.txt Need a break from fast-paced aracde games? Want a fun-filled brain challenge? SQUAREZ is truly the next generation of puzzle games. The objective is deceptively simple: create as many 3 x 3 squarez as you can as quickly as possible, from the tile groups (2 or more) presented by the computer. Fascinating complexity is built-in it at the two highest levels of play where a variety of dynamic tiles and objects add a great many options, some of which are presented by the computer at random. Bombs, missiles, barriers, splooge, corrosive acid, spikes, pyramids and tiles that can turn into anything when activated are just some of inhabitants of SQUAREZ. This shareware version allows play only against the computer: registration brings additional dynamic objects and the ability to play against a live opponent. SQUAREZ is most attractively designed, exciting and utterly satifying. Registration is $20 plus $2 S/H from Software Creations. 26 Harris St., Clinton, MA 01510. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS WNGRPH11.ZIP 83K JULY/AUGUST 1993 WINGRAPH (WINDOWS) Vol.1., No.6 Latest file 3/6/93 wngrph1.txt WINGRAPH is a superb graphing program for Windows aimed at students and teachers who possess an intermediate level of mathematics capability. Employing a simple, straighforward syntax, equations are entered in a dialog box and then quickly plotted. Two equations may be displayed simultaneously and solutions based upon cursor postion are quickly calculated for 2-D graphs with a click of mouse button. A symbol box may be displayed while entering equations so that beginning students will be at ease: I cannot imagine a graphing program with an easier learning curve than WINGRAPH. Axes rotation and and solution range may be user specified and the display customized. Graphs may be exported to the Clipboard or easily printed. WINGRAPH is $35 from XWare, Inc., 850 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1101, New York, N.Y. 10019.