SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS SOFTWARE CREATIONS BBS APRIL 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 the best developed and 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 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, and 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 which places 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 shareware 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 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, yet 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, 65 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; Dan's system is well worth the $45/year and is 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 several 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 and uploaded only to SOFTWARE CREATIONS. It is available to all callers, even new users, as freeware. A second version which contains in-depth longer reviews of each program with many more specifics and installation hints will be distributed by first class USPS on disk and will be available only by subscription at $30/year (12 issues). For $75/year, you can receive the long format reviews along with each shareware program in an archived (usually ZIP) format. That comes to 12 monthly issues with a yearly total of approximately 180 programs at cost of only $0.42 or less per program. Unless you live within 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 set of disks. These prices includes all costs: disks, shipping and handling. We hope to set an industry standard for shareware reviews. Glitzy no; valuable 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 a minimum of 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 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 writer of SHAREWARE REVIEWS at REALITY SOFTWARE, PO Box 105, Waldoboro, ME 04572 or leave e-mail at SOFTWARE CREATIONS. For those of you who may have acquired SHAREWARE REVIEWS from a colleague, and not from 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 that 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 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 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 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/yr) _____ Total _______________ Subscriptions to SR Long Reviews plus shareware ($75/yr)_____ Total_______ BACK ISSUES of monthly collections of shareware at $12/each: (All disks will be high density 5 1/4".) Indicate month/yr ________________________________ No. ______ Total ______ Method of Payment (circle): Check Money Order Credit Card (Visa, Master Card) Credit Card # __________________________________ Exp. Date ________________ Signature on Card ___________________________________________________ If we distribute our mailing list to other vendors, would you prefer your name be deleted? Y ___ N ___ 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 2CNVRT11.ZIP 184K APRIL 1993 2CONVERT (DOS) Vol.1, No.3 Latest file 8/1/92 2cnvt1.txt 2CONVERT is an in-depth conversion calculator that presents itself through windows and dialog boxes. It has real value for scientists and engineers, and for business people there is an in-depth currency conversion. Thirty categories are available within which basic units are organized. 2CONVERT can search for dimensionless units from a user chosen selection drawn from the basic conversion menu. Conversion between the three common systems of temperature measurement is available. There is a built in arithmetic calculator. 2CONVERT can also convert almost any number between two bases in the range from base 2 to base 36. Accuracy is deep with symbols employed to indicate powers of ten between +18 and -18. 2CONVERT is a powerful conversion tool available for $25 from Go Software, York House, Cross Road, Heald Green, Cheadle, Cheshire, England SK8 3LW. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS DIRECTORY 68: WINDOWS UTILITIES APRIL 1993 ACCP.ZIP 289K Vol.1, No.3 ACCESS PACK Latest file 4/3/92 access1.txt ACCESS PACK makes it easier for individuals with certain motor disabilities to use the keyboard and mouse under Windows. Its capabilites are: StickKeys, for single finger typing; SlowKeys which ignores keys barely touched or accidentally pressed; RepeatKeys for adjusting or disabling the keyboard rate; BounceKeys which ignore keys pressed simultaneously or too rapidly; MouseKeys for control of the mouse cursor via the keyboard; ToggleKeys which provides auditory cues when toggle keys are used; and ShowSounds which displays visual cues when sounds are generated. These features can be used separately, or in combination, and are transparent when disabled. ACCESS PACK consists of four drivers for keyboard (3) and mouse (1) and a Utilities program to set options. ACCESS PACK is freeware developed by the Trace Research and Development Center for Microsoft Corp. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS AWIN20.ZIP 318K APRIL 1993 ARCHIVER (WINDOWS) Vol 1, No.3 Latest file 6/23/92 archive1.txt ARCHIVER for Windows is a well designed shell for both creating and extracting archived files in the most common formats you will encounter. It may be configured to use Windows Notepad or an alternative file viewer of your choice. ARCHIVER also supports Viruscan by McAfee Assoc. and VIRx by Microcom for the automatic scanning of viruses. ARCHIVER's main screen displays all files in both target and source directories and employs a Windows point and click approach to selecting files; no notes or memory tests are required of the user. The archive tools must be acquired elsewhere and this version only supports v110 of Pkzip/Pkunzip. Archive shells for Windows that work both ways are a rarity and this is a good one! Registration is only $25 from Miller Ware Devlopment, 11103 Aries Drive, Orlando, FL 32837. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS BOOTMA33.ZI[P 148K APRIL 1993 BOOT MASTER (DOS) Vol.1, No.3 Latest files 7/1/92 boot1.txt BOOT MASTER is a valuble utility for choosing between different system configuration files (autoexec.bat, config.sys) for boot up. Unless you work entirely in DOS or with just a few high end dedicated Windows applications, alternative configuration files are essential for different work environments. BOOT MASTER could not be simpler; set a few defaults in the Configuration menu and choose the system configuration to boot. Presto! Just remember the author refers to any file as an "archive". BOOT MASTER comes with instructions and registration is $20 in US funds from RoSi Software, Keithstr. 4, W-1000 Berlin 49, Germany which can also be reached on Compuserve at I.D. 100031,2222. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS FRCAL032.ZIP 344K APRIL 1993 CAL (DOS) Vol.1, No.3 Latest file 10/20/92 cal1.txt CAL is a fractal generator that is well designed for a first experience with the imagery of nonlinear dynamics. It comes with 16 fractals which represent a variety of equation systems. These may be loaded, drawn and studied via a display screen that presents the underlying equations and explains the math clearly and concisely. Image drawing by CAL may be interrupted via CTL-C and then easily resumed. Batch mode will provide a demonstration by cycling through all the fractal files. There is no manual but limited context sensitive help is available via F1. CAL is windows compatible. The author is Timothy Harris, 5 Burnham Park Rd, Peverell, Plymouth, England PL3 5QB and he requests only œ2.20 for registration! Flucuating exchange rates aside, that works out to about $4.10; round up to $6 to include postage and you have quite a bargain! SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS CHART103.ZIP 144K APRIL 1993 CHARTIST (WINDOWS) Vol.1, No.3 Latest file 3/3/93 chart1.txt CHARTIST is a full featured flowcharting program for Windows that is very well designed for ease of use and precision in design. Rulers, fine grained grid points and a center line ensure symmetrical placement of shapes. The cursor changes into one of 9 shapes, depending upon the action. Symbols are easily sized by handles as with any Windows graphic object. Text placed inside symbols may utilize any font and size available in your Windows configuration. True type fonts thus become a major asset in design. Text may be copied into shapes from other applications via the clipboard. Lines are routed automatically between shapes. Editing functions are deep and equal to any task. And much, much more! CHARTIST comes with built in help and several good instruction docs. Registration brings a printed manual and is $69.95 from Novagraph, 10014 Lawler Rd., Dallas, TX 75243. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS DTPM30.ZIP 358K APRIL 1993 DESKTOP PAINT (DOS) Vol.1, No.3 Latest file 9/23/92 dtpm1.txt DESKTOP PAINT is a fine black and white paint program that emulates Windows Paintbrush but provides many additional features. It is intuitive, very easy to learn and will not consume megabytes of hard drive space. DESKTOP PAINT supports most bitmapped image formats. The menu bar is reduced in size to maximize the size of the drawing screen. A clipboard holds fragments cut or copied from images or copied from the Gallery. The Gallery stores image fragments and makes them available for the paste function. Twelve Edit functions are available including Fatten and Smudge. There is an Extra Menu for additional editing functions and setting the options for several paint and drawing tools. Valuable tools include Lasso, which selects irregular areas of a drawing, and Local Undo. Registration for this terrific paint program bargain is $40 from Alchemy Mindworks, Inc., PO Box 500, Beeton, Ontario L0G1AO, Canada. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS DIRECTORY 53: Desktop Publishing April 1993 EVP100A.ZIP 368K, EVP100B.ZIP 328K Vol.1 No.3 Envision Publisher (DOS) Latest file 10/8/92 evp1.txt ENVISION PUBLISHER is the first shareware desktop publishing program and certainly deserves many accolades. ENVISION PUBLISHER contains many features usually only found in expensive high end programs, yet it reflects a wonderfully user-friendly design. Its ease of use belies its depth and the design of the interface makes very effective use of a Windows approach. Best of all, it is truly WYSIWYG! ENVISION PUBLISHER handles documents up to 120 pages in length and imports PCX graphics files. For the quick, efficient production of elegant memos and newsletters, this program is also a gem. The shareware version comes with three fonts, a library of clipart, 30 page tutorial and 65 page manual. Registration brings a 270 page users guide and 40 additional fonts. ENVISION PUBLISHER exemplifies the best in the world of shareware and is only $69 from Software Vision Corporation, PO Box 1734, Pinellas Park, FL 34664. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS GRFWK61M.ZIP 362K APRIL 1993 GRAPHIC WORKSHOP (D0S) Vol.1, N0.3 Latest file 3/12/92 GWSWIN11.ZIP 483K GRAPHIC WORKSHOP (WINDOWS) Latest file 12/26/92 grfwk1.txt GRAPHIC WORKSHOP FOR WINDOWS is a powerful graphics editor for bitmapped image files that features a highly innovative approach to the Windows interface. It supports JPEG compression, JFIF format and can create a thumbnail picture gallery for your disks complete with attached comments. Upon loading, the interface displays buttons for all files in the current directory and its subdirectories and all other available drives. Editing functions are very deep: interconversion between 17 formats; five algorithms for dithering with variable size; seven effects that access 10 color palettes and four alogorithms; scaling, and five transform options. A very helpful manual is also provided. GRAPHICS WORKSHOP FOR DOS is the parent program, uses less conventional memory and can handle huge files more easily. Registration for GRAPHIC WORKSHOP FOR WINDOWS is $40 from Alchemy Mindworks, Inc., PO Box 500, Beeton, Ontario L0G1AO, Canada and well worth it! SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS I-M141.ZIP 312K APRIL 1993 INTEGRITY MASTER (DOS) Vol. 1, No.3 Latest file 1/16/93 im1.txt INTEGRITY MASTER is a powerful program that examines the physical integrity of your disks AND comprehensively checks for viruses. INTEGRITY MASTER can recognize both known and unknown viruses and then guide you through their removal. It can also detect sectors and files that are physically damaged or corrupted, either from viruses or other causes. INTEGRITY MASTER can reload system sectors on disks so badly damaged that DOS cannot recognize them. It also provides elaborate protocols for PC security if that is your concern also. Error messages are informative, not inscrutable, and individual files with sector damage are identified by name. In spite of the highly technical level at which INTEGRITY MASTER operates, it is beautifully written for the novice. When each menu item is selected, a brief explanation of its funcion appears on screen automatically. Do not confuse INTEGRITY MASTER with a virus scanner that simply gives you options to reinoculate, superficially repair or delete infected files. INTEGRITY MASTER operates at the bottom line: the physical construction of disk sectors. Truly heavy duty protection for only $35 from Stiller Research, 2625 Ridgeway St., Tallahassee, FL 32310. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS DIRECTORY 46: PERSONAL AND HOME APRIL 1993 M&MM100.ZIP 111K Vol.1, No.3 ME AND MY METABOLISM (DOS) Latest file 9/09/92 m&mm1.txt ME AND MY METABOLISM will guide you through a self examination of eating habits, caloric intake and activity levels in order to generate an approach towards modifying eating behavior for either weight gain or loss. What is most impressive about ME AND MY METABOLISM is the fine grained approach to the questions, analysis and results. The shareware version includes modules about Balanced Energy Flow, Physical Activity and Eating Style Evaluation. The overall impression is that of a consultation with a professional nutritionist highly trained in the interaction of eating behavior and daily activity. ME AND MY METABOLISM focuses upon metabolic rate as the key variable; it does not delve into the caloric values of individual foods. ME AND MY METABOLISM does not have mouse support and no docs accompany it. Registration brings three additional modules and a print utility. ME AND MY METABOLISM costs $20 from Harry Iwatsuki, Moonstone Software, PO Box 32727, Phoenix AZ 85064. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS MORT102.ZIP 141K APRIL 1993 MORTGAGE ANALYZER (DOS) Vol.1, No.3 Latest file 1/11/93 mort1.txt MORTGAGE ANALYZER is a powerful suite of financial calculators designed to explore mortgage analysis in depth through an interface of easy to use data base templates. A single main screen provides access to the modules via keyboard input; there is no mouse support. Mortgage schedules are designed on a template that offers four types of mortgages with 11 payment options to explore. The depth is impressive with the option to input variables such as points, property tax and closing costs. A Loan Qualification analysis allows the monthly and yearly pain to be studied and principal, payment, duration or interest may be made the unknown in exploratory calculations. Two mortgage schedules may be compared side by side and schedules may be saved, edited and printed. If you ever finance a real estate purchase, MORTGAGE ANALYZER will prove to be a valuable tool. This would be an excellent tool for real estate agents for providing their clients with financing options for their real estate purchases. A manual is included and the on-line help is superb. Registration is $25 from Insight Software Solutions, PO Box 354, Bountiful, Utah 84011. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS PETPE300.ZIP 295K April 1993 pE (DOS) Vol.1, No.3 Latest file 11/15/92 pE1.txt pE (the "perfect" Editor) is a successful approach to designing a professional text/programmers editor that is user friendly and also incorporates true word processing features such as word wrap, text flow when editing and automatic reformatting. The author has also emphasized important features of the windows approach that are very useful. Up to four windows may be tiled, cascaded or sized and the ASCII character table is called in a true windows as well. When menus are selected from the title bar, their available commands are listed on the status line at the bottom of the screen. Edit...Commands brings up dozens of fully functional choices within a window: simply click upon the command desired and it is executed! pE's approach to graphics is the best I have yet seen in a text editor; drawing boxes or using the arrow keys as drawing tools could not be easier. Try pE, you'll like it, obviously there is much, much more. Registration is a shareware bargain at $39 from Just Excellent Software, Inc., 220 High View Lane, Suite 220, Media PA 19063. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS DIRECTORY 8: GAMES APRIL 1993 1SCV171.ZIP 284K Vol.1, N0.3 STELCON (DOS) Latest file 10/28/92 stelcon1.txt STELCON is a superb space strategy and battle game with exceptional graphics. It has great depth and complexity; this is not a diversion which will be exhausted in one hour. For the first game or two, choose the minimum number of stars and, if playing against the computer, level 1 (easy). Each game consists of an unlimited number of turns, each of which is divided into a production and movement phase. The initial production phase will give each player a space fleet and at least one star. Each star can be used as "currency", you may deplete its "build points" to increase the size of your star fleet. The movement phase offers opportunities to deploy your fleet against an enemy star, launch SSM's for instant battle or invest credits in military R & D. Then again, you may sit tight; after all - galactic empires cannot be conquered in one day. There are no defined criteria for "winners" and "losers" in STELCON; surrender or peace will emerge when appropriate. Registration is only $20 from Yu Truong, PO Box 146, Canoga Park, CA 91305. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS XCONQ.ZIP 441K APRIL 1993 XCONQ (DESQVIEW/X) Vol. 1, No.3 Latest file 9/14/92 xconq1.txt XCONQ is the ultimate battle/strategy game! It has bottomless depth and complexity, enough to last for literally years of exploration. On a single user PC, XCONQ will load a default game within an historical scenario that is 1945, the last years of WWII. One human plays against the computer on a randomly generated 60 x 30 hex map. You get one city and no knowledge of the "world" beyond your immediate vicinity with extensive message screens, useful prompts and on screen help. As you move, explore and contact other players, battles are inevitable as you attempt to defend your territory, survive and prosper. The initial single city will automatically produce a military unit which is then moved to begin play and your territory and additional resources will gradually reveal themselves. All the expected elements of land, sea and air forces are available. Success is achieved by neutralization or defeat of the enemy. The options available for expanding number of players, alternative scenarios and network play are truly mind boggling! Take it slow and read the 26 page manual provided. XCONQ requires an X Window system, which on a PC, will usually mean DESQview/X. XCONQ is freeware from Stan Shebs, Dept. of Computer Science, Unversity of Utah who may be reached on the Internet at xconq-request@uunet.uu.net.