SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS SOFTWARE CREATIONS BBS MAY 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 provide 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 it 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 (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, 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, 95 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 which 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 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. At 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 $96/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 $0.53 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 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 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 ($96/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 ANAD207.ZIP 137K MAY 1993 ANADISK (DOS) Vol. 1, No.4 Latest file 9/3/92 anadisk1.txt ANADISK is a very powerful utility for analyzing, editing and repairing diskettes. It will also format and copy nearly any diskette and some of its features, such as copying an area of diskette to a DOS file and the ability to read and print files with serious sector damgage before repair, are not available elsewhere. Examine Files allows you to look at data on a file by file basis. Edit Sectors allows for data to be inspected, changed and printed on a sector by sector basis with either pure ASCII or a mixed ASCII hexadecmial display/print. Search will examine an entire diskette, active file or deleted area for character keys. Repair will copy data from sectors containing errors to a free area on the diskette. And more ... ANADISK contains a suite of powerful surgical tools. Registration is $25 from SYDEX, PO Box 5700, Eugene OR 97405. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS ASEASY55.ZIP 300K MAY 1993 ASADOC.ZIP 105K Vol.1, No.4 AS-EASY-AS (DOS) Latest file 12/23/93 aseasy1.txt AS-EASY-AS is a comprehensive spreadsheet that is very deep in features and easy to use. Features include: up to six resizable windows; integration with dBASE files; extensive math, statistical and string capabilities; file-linking text search, what-if models, named ranges, powerful versatile graphics and an extensive macro cability. Monitor modes from CGA through SVGA are supported. AS-EASY-AS can be run either from the keyboard or with your mouse. The copying and moving of ranges is a snap and the creation, viewing and printing of graphs and charts is user friendly. These few comments but hint at the depth in AS-EASY-AS which is a marvelous alternative to the rather expensive mainstream spreadsheets. This shareware version includes a comprehensive manual. The file asadoc.zip includes sample worksheets which can be used as templates. Registration is $69 from Truis, Inc., PO Box 249, N. Andover, Mass. 01845. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS ATTACK.ZIP 109K MAY 1993 LETTER ATTACK (DOS) Vol.1, No.4 Latest file 2/25/93 attack1.txt LETTER ATTACK is a terrific challenge against which to test your typing skills. Words drop from the top of your screen; type them accurately before they reach the bottom or the game ends. Take LETTER ATTACK seriously and your concentration and typing skills will really improve and like me, you might find yourself, spontaneously laughing out loud. I can't explain it, but LETTER ATTACK is great fun and very relaxing. Games are scored so you can track your progress systematically if you wish. Best of all, registration is only $6! from Eldon Martin, HCR 75, Box 99, McConnellsburg, PA 17233. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS CALJNC.ZIP 62K MAY 1993 CALC_JNC (DOS) Vol.1, No.4 Latest file 1/1/93 calc1.txt CALC_JNC is a superb dual function calculator with both floating point and programmer modalities. All data entry and results are displayed in decimal, hexadecimal, octal and binary formats. There are 10 addressable memories which can easily be displayed and left on screen as the calculator window itself is small, but very adequate, and can be positioned with cursor keys. Entries are retained upon exit and CALC_JNC can be loaded as a TSR. Sexagesimal (digital time) calculations can be performed. The syntax of CALC_JNC is straightforward and up to 15 levels of parentheses can be accomodated in expressions. This shareware version contains a well written on-line manual which is awkward to access. Registration for this extremely good calculator brings a printed manual and is $25 from James N. Cox, 418 Erie Avenue, Quakertown, PA 18951. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS DAZZLE50.ZIP 178K MAY 1993 DAZZLE (DOS) Vol.1, No.4 Latest file 5/25/92 dazzle1.txt DAZZLE is pure beauty and represents what I believe computer art should be; imagery generated by creative programming coupled to a fine aesthetic sensibility. In its simplest mode, DAZZLE will run automatically forever, cycling its algorithms through a clock driven rotation of the DOS color palette. It is compatible with older EGA machines and various command line options at startup can control the cycling speed. When active, the user may interact with the imagery in order to change cycling speed, freeze an image for study or saving to PCX file, reinitialize the color palette, and select specific fade algorithms. A semi-auto mode accesses more control over developing imagery. DAZZLE is spectacular and registration is only $15 from MicroTronics, PO Box 8759, Spring, TX 77387. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS DPWR13.ZIP 108K MAY 1993 DOCUPOWER (WORD FOR WINDOWS) Vol.1, No.4 Latest file 2/26/93 docpwr1.txt DOCUPOWER is a superb set of enhancements for Word for Windows 2.x. It adds a module to the file or tools menu that allows for the creation of 'folders' that contain documents whose titles are not limited to the infamous DOS limit of 8 characters. The files within a folder may occur in any location, hard drive, floppy, etc. as the process of configuring a folder includes the addition of path statements. Files may be opened or printed directly from folders. Files from folders may also be inserted at the cursor postion in any open document. DOCUPOWER PLUS, which is included in this archive, adds valuable enhancements to Word's file menu. The shareware version of DOCUPOWER is limited to two folders with five documents each. Registration for this terrific Word for Windows enhancement is $24.95 from Total Systems Solutions, Inc., 1530 E. 18th St., Suite 6H, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11230. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS FW21.ZIP 183K MAY 1992 FILEWARE (WORD FOR WINDOWS) Vol.1, No.4 Latest file 3/5/93 fw1.txt FILEWARE is a fine example of an add-on to a major Windows application that provides important new functionality. File management from within Word for Windows, and quick access to frequently used documents, is very restricted. After installing FILEWARE, files may be copied, deleted, and renamed from options on the file menu. Directories may also be created as easily. Fast Files allows frequently used documents to be accessed by descriptions written in plain English! Run buttons allow you to launch programs of your choice from within Word. Templates may be edited and there is a Word Lock and Password capability in FILEWARE. The manual could not be better and does double duty as a program installer. Registration is $39.95 from Total Systems Solutions, Inc. 1530 East 18th Street, Suite 6H, Brooklyn, NY 11230. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS GLRY11E.ZIP 366K MAY 1993 IMAGE GALLERY (DOS) Vol.1, No.4 Latest file 1/10/93 gallery1.txt IMAGE GALLERY is a well known graphics program that catalogs bit mapped graphics images into user defined groups that are called gallery files. There are six types of gallery files possible: portrait or landscape orientation in either two or sixteen 'colors' which may be shades of grey or colours. Adding or deleting thumbnail images to a gallery file could not be easier. IMAGE GALLERY also allows you to easily view your graphics images and provides a number of different drivers that may be installed via an installation program. IMAGE GALLERY via an Export Function will also convert between the 14 file formats supported. On line help is quite abbrevated but the manual provided is quite good. Registration is $40 from Alchemy Mindworks, Inc. PO Box 500, Beeton, Ontario L0G 1A0, Canada. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS GEPASI.ZIP 520K MAY 1993 GEPASI AND GNUPLOT (WINDOWS, DOS) Vol.1, No.4 Latest file 11/24/92 gepasi1.txt GEPASI is a powerhouse, Ph.D level physical bio-chemistry program that simulates both the dynamic and steady states of metabolic models. Starting from an initial state, concentrations of metabolites and the magnitudes of fluxes are produced. A structural model of the metabolic pathway must be built beforehand which identifies steps, internal metabolites, external effectors and feedback loops. Kinetics must be identified and values for constants assigned. Finally, concentrations of external metabolites must be defined and for simulations, concentrations of internal metabolites must also be identified along with final time. Report files are directed to Windows Notepad and time course results are put into a file that can be read with any text editor. Appropriate commands directed to GNUPLOT, which a professional plotting program of enormous depth, will produce plots of results. GEPASI and GNUPLOT are graduate school/research level computing tools. If you are not a metabolic specialist, find one in a neaby medical school and present this freeware as a gift. Point them toward the Help File (there is a brief manual) and they will be speechless with gratitude. GEPASI is the product of Pedro Mendes of the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 675 Mass Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS IEDIT101.ZIP 431K MAY 1993 INI-EDITOR (WINDOWS) Vol.1, No. 4 Latest file 12/27/92 ini1.txt INI-Editor is an exceptional utility that not only performs its task superbly but deserves to be studied as model for other programmers. Call either your system.ini or win.ini file and INI_Editor displays it in a window adjacent to its own Windows reference .ini file. You may then copy any line item from the reference file to your own; edit the value portion of any line item; delete any section heading or line item and search for text within your own or the reference .ini file. Backup copies of your original .ini file are made if any editing changes are saved. However, what really makes INI-Editor special, is the Information Tool. Select a section heading or line item and INI-Editor will display a clear explanation with both sensible recommendations and cautions if you are about to edit. The Information Tool thus provides a good tutorial about the systems files of Windows, something lacking in most Windows books, and forces you to think about editing changes. Be certain to read the two readme. files. Registration for this gem is $20 from Slightly Tilted Software, 2613 Silver Creek Court, Garland, TX 75040. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS MAZEWAR.ZIP 20K MAY 1993 MAZEWARS (DOS) Vol.1, No.4 Latest file 12/12/92 mazewar1.txt MAZEWARS is a simple, yet thoroughly enjoyable virtual reality aracade game that has no learning curve and is great fun. Use your mouse to navigate through a maze of rectangular walls and corridors while attempting to destroy rather cute pyramid-shaped 'monsters' that dart out from time to time. Although they never attack, their destruction is mandatory or you will not be allowed out of the maze even if you find the exit. Poor little monsters! The virtual reality illusion is very good, the design of the maze are simple yet attractive and effective. The hand-eye coordination challenge is considerable and there are multiple levels of play. Registration for MAZEWARS is $15 from Amazing Graphics, 430 East Glenn Avenue, Auburn, AL 36830. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS NEOPNT20.ZIP 648K MAY 1993 NEOPAINT (DOS) Vol.1, No.4 Latest file 3/29/93 neopnt1.txt NEOPAINT is an amazingly deep combination graphics editor, paint and draw program for PCX, GIF and TIFF images. A very attractive main screen not only presents the working screen, but a color palette window, fill pattern window, drop down brush style selection box, menu bar, tool bar and cursor coordinate box. There are twelve font choices for text work. Selected areas cropped from an image may be saved to a file. Colors from the surface of an image may be placed into the color/pattern selection box. There is a Highlighter tool for transparent washes. Fine control with the Air Brush tool allows for modelling. There is a Radiant Line tool for starburst/fan effects and a Bezier Line tool for curves whose shapes are only limited by your imagination. 3-D squares and pyramids can be rotated and subject to extrusion. And much more ... wait till you see the Stamp Pad in NEOPAINT!! The depth of features in NEOPAINT is so impressive, that I highly recommend it. Registration is $45 from OSCS Software Development, Inc., 354 NE Greenwood Avenue, Suite 108, Bend OR 97701. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS PCW401-1.ZIP 303K MAY 1993 PCW401-2.ZIP 168K Vol.1, No.4 PCW401-3.ZIP 148K PCW401-4.ZIP 301K PC-WRITE (DOS) Latest file 11/16/92 pcw1.txt PC-WRITE is the first full featured word processor to appear as shareware and it represents an exceptional value. It contains virtually all the features you would need to write documents from single page letters to long reports. Twenty different fonts may be selected and used in combination with any one of seven effects. A menu bar and ruler are present on the main screen where you begin writing on a single working row highlighted in blue which expands as the document lengthens. PC-WRITE has full mouse support. Some keyboard commands require unusual key sequences such as F1 F3 to save and F4 twice to delete marked text. Cut and paste has a 'mark-undelete' metaphor. Be certain to work through the tutorial provided which also is the manual. Registration is only $59 or $89 depending upon the depth of features desired from Quicksoft, Inc., 300 Queen Anne N. #224, Seattle, WA 98109. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS UCLP15.ZIP 76K MAY 1993 ULTRACLIP (WINDOWS) Vol.1, No.4 Latest file 1/2/93 uclp1.txt ULTRACLIP is a marvelous enhancer for the anemic Windows Clipboard. You can store a series of objects which have been placed on the Clipboard, including OLE objects, create thumbnails of graphics and view full size windows of unformatted text. Thumbnails and windows can be printed individually or in gallery collections. Thumbnail graphics can be viewed full size. Objects are copied back to the Clipboard with a single mouse click. ULTRACLIP windows can be saved to disk in CLP format and then later reloaded and copied back to the Clipboard, if you wish. ULTRACLIP is a very creative and useful Windows utility and registration is only $5! from Doug Overmyer, 1817 San Pedro Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94707. SOFTWARE CREATIONS: SHAREWARE REVIEWS VGAPAL40.ZIP 30K MAY 1993 VGAPAL (DOS) Vol.1, No.4 Latest file 1/25/93 vgapal1.txt VGAPAL allows you to customize the DOS color palette and in the process will provide a user friendly lesson about color mixing. Each of the 16 colors available to DOS can be remixed; each is mixture of red, blue and green components. When the palette has been customized to your liking, it may be saved in an ASCII file which is easily loaded from the command line. Your customized palette is now utilized by your applications. VGAPAL allows you to create up to four customized color palettes. Options exist for loading your favorite palette upon boot-up but they are tricky to implement. The main screen on which you remix colors is well designed with all essential commands summarized at the bottom. VGAPAL comes with a short but complete set of instructions. Registration is $10 from Malcom Drury, 11 Adele Crescent, Nepean Ontario K2J 2T7, Canada.