Copyright: Copyright® 1993 ZiffNet


Contents
Issue 8 - March, 1994

© Copyright 1994 Ziff Desktop Information, All Rights Reserved.

ZShare has expanded! This issue boasts many feature-length reviews of shareware programs available on ZiffNet. We have also made a few cosmetic changes that should make browsing through ZShare even easier than before. Also highlighted this month is a special look at Graphics viewing utilities, including a feature comparison chart. And if you are a shareware author (or just want to look like one) do not miss the column by Timothy Campbell which takes a look at the trials and tribulations of shareware authoring.

 For Information on how to download programs from ZiffNet, click here:   What is ZiffNet?

In This Issue:

 About ZShare

 Newest Titles

 Reviews

 Top 10 Downloads

 Author Spotlight: Rudy Ramsey

 Column: Timothy Campbell

  Special Report: Graphics Viewing Utilities


About ZMSR
ZiffNet Monthly Shareware Review

The ZiffNet Monthly Shareware Review is a publication of ZiffNet/ZDI.

© Copyright 1994 Ziff Desktop Information, All Rights Reserved.

Editor: Scott Arpajian (ZiffNet/CIS ID: 72241,1517  ZiffNet/PRODIGY: VMDH31A)
ZiffNet Software Manager: Thomas Barrett

Copy Editor: Doreen Maciak

Staff Reviewers: Dave Burton, Jim Edwards, Dick Mathes, Marcia Meier, Joyce Mosier, Don Cosseboom.


Newest Titles
The Newest Additions to Our Libraries

Below are listings of some of the newest files available for downloading on ZiffNet for CompuServe. ZiffNet for PRODIGY members can always find up-to-date lists of Newest Titles right on the service by selecting "Newest Titles" from the ZiffNet Software menu.

Downloading from ZiffNet

ZiffNet Originals

ZIFFNET TECHNICAL SERVICES BLACK BOOK (BLACK.ZIP)

PBS Professional, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

A listing of almost 100 hardware and software manufacturers in convenient Windows hypertext help file format.

Applications

MUSICEASE (MUSIC.ZIP)

PBS Applications, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

Create, Edit and play music notation.

DISC-O-FILE v7.0 (DOF7.ZIP)

PBS Home, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

Music library cataloging system.

MOVIES TO GO! v2.3 (MOVIES.ZIP)

PBS Home, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

Electronic Video Movie Guide / Video Catalog System for DOS/Windows.

COMPUTER SYSTEM MANAGER v1.41 (CSM.ZIP)

PBS Professional, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

Comprehensive computer system tracking for home users, small business, and corporate system managers.

Games & Entertainment

SCUBAMANS QUEST v1.0 (SCUBA1.ZIP)

PBS Arcade, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

Coolest VGA Underwater Action Arcade game.

ANACREON v1.3 (ANACRE.ZIP)

PBS Arcade, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

Compete with friends for control of the entire galaxy.

DOOM v1.2 (DOOM.ZIP)   UPDATE

PBS Arcade, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

The future action classic now supports head-to-head modem play.

STAX v1.5 (STAX.ZIP)

PBS Arcade, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

A Tetris clone for Windows with a twist -- you need to match up colors.

TANK v2.4 (TANK.ZIP)

PBS Arcade, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

Multiplayer 3D graphical tank battle game.

Utilities

ALVIDA (ALVIDA.ZIP)

PBS Utilities, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

A Windows quick-exit utility.

WINBADGE v1.1 (WINBDG.ZIP)

PBS Utilities, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

Keep track of Windows resources, memory and the system date and time.

PASE-O-MATIC v2.5 (PAR.ZIP)

PBS Utilities, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

Move data between different programs with ease.

Reference

US FEDERAL BUDGET PROPOSAL (USBUDG.ZIP)

PBS Home, Library 6 (Files in the News)

Complete text of the Fiscal Year 1995 US Budget proposal.


How To Download
How To Download from ZiffNet

If you are a ZiffNet member on CompuServe or PRODIGY, you can easily download all of the programs mentioned in this publication. If you are not already a ZiffNet subscriber, you can find out how to join by selecting "Becoming a ZiffNet Subscriber" below:

Becoming a ZiffNet Subscriber

ZiffNet/CompuServe

All of the programs mentioned in the ZiffNet Monthly Shareware Review are available directly from our Software Library (GO ZNT:SOFTLIB) or in one of the Public Brand Software Forums, PBS Arcade (GO PBSARC) and PBS Applications (GO PBSAPP). The correct forum is indicated in each program highlight, along with the specific library in which it can be found.

ZiffNet/PRODIGY

All of the programs can also be found on the ZiffNet for PRODIGY service. Simply [JUMP]: ZiffNet and select "Software" from the menu. Then perform a Search by Title for the program you are interested in.


Become a Subscriber
Become a ZiffNet Subscriber

Anyone with a modem and communications software can discover for themselves everything ZiffNet offers. It is easy! CompuServe members can simply type GO ZIFFNET. If you are not currently a CompuServe member, just follow these easy steps:

1. Set your communications software to seven data bits, even parity, one stop bit. Select a data transfer rate (bits per second) of 1200, 2400 or 9600 baud. Have your modem call the local ZiffNet number. (To find your local ZiffNet number: By modem, dial 800-346-3247 and at the User ID prompt type PHONES; By voice, dial 800-635-6225.)

2. Respond to the prompts by entering the information below:

When you connect: Press CTRL+C

Host Name: CIS
User ID: 177000,5555
Password: ZIFF*NET
Agreement Number: SREVIEW

3. Register your name and credit card number for billing.

You will receive your permanent User ID and temporary Password online. Write them down and use them to log on. You will receive your permanent Password within 10 days, as confirmation of your new ZiffNet membership.


Top10 Lists
Pickle Wars Goes Sour

After a strong debut at number 7 in the Top 10 Games list, Pickle Wars dropped to 10th place. A new update of DOOM kept the popular 3D action game in first.

Rank	Prev.	Program	Filename/Location
1	2	PKZip	PK204G.EXE
		Compression Tool	PBS Applications, Library 17
2	1	WinZip	WINZIP.ZIP
		Windows Zip Front End	PBS Utilities, Library 1
3	3	PixFolio	PIXFOL.ZIP
		Image viewer and manager for Windows	PBS Applications, Library 4
4	-	Computer System Manager	CSM.ZIP
		Comprehensive system tracking	PBS Professional, Library 1
5	7	ViruScan	SCAN.ZIP
		Find viruses on your system	PBS Utilities, Library 3
6	4	FontShow	FNTSHW.ZIP
		Font management for Windows	PBS Applications, Library 4
7	6	Drag & Zip	DRAGZP.ZIP
		Drag & Drop Zipping	PBS Utilities, Library 4
8	5	Paint Shop Pro	PSPRO.ZIP
		Image editing program for Windows	PBS Studio, Library 3
9	-	All the Time	ATT.ZIP
		Versatile desktop clock for Windows	PBS Utilities, Library 1
10	9	Drag & View	DRAGVW.ZIP
		Drag & Drop file viewing in Windows	PBS Utilities, Library 4
Rank	Prev	Program	Filename/Location
1	1	DOOM	DOOM.ZIP
		3-D Milestone action game	PBS Arcade, Library 1
2	2	Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold	BLAKE.ZIP
		New 3-D Action game from Apogee	PBS Arcade, Library 3
3	-	Laser Light	LSRLT1.ZIP
		Race the clock light & mirrors game	PBS Arcade, Library 1
4	-	ScubaMans Quest	SCUBA1.ZIP
		Underwater adventure game	PBS Arcade, Library 1
5	5	Halloween Harry	HHARRY.ZIP
		Fast arcade excitement	PBS Arcade, Library 3
6	-	Tank	TANK.ZIP
		Multiplayer graphical tank battle game.	PBS Arcade, Library 1
7	3	Duke Nukem II	4DUKE.ZIP
		Duke Nukem is back.	PBS Arcade, Library 3
8	6	3Point	3POINT.ZIP
		Basketball 3-point shooting tournament	PBS Arcade, Library 1
6	4	Epic Pinball	SPIN.ZIP
		256 color Pinball excitement	PBS Arcade, Library 3
10	7	Pickle Wars	PICKLE.ZIP
		Stop the invading pickles	PBS Arcade, Library 3

About the ZiffNet Top 10 Lists

The ZiffNet Top 10s are compiled monthly and are calculated using download statistics from both ZiffNet and ZiffNet for PRODIGY. You can download the top 10 files each month by searching for them individually or by browsing the Top 10 Special Collection found on both services.


Reviews

We have expanded our reviews section this month. Among the highlights is a review of Galactix, a free arcade game that has its roots in the early 1980s arcade genre. Also reviewed is Cumberland Story, a program designed in response to the growing fascination with genealogy. And if you are fed up with harassing phone calls from unscrupulous creditors, be sure to check out our review of Battling the Bill Collectors.

About the Ratings

Galactix

Classic arcade-style space shoot-em-up.

Battling the Bill Collectors

Fight back against unscrupulous collection agencies.

Boxer for OS/2

Full-featured text editor for OS/2.

Express Check

Use the power of your computer to simplify the task of balancing your checkbook.

SolveIt!

Even the math-impaired can solve complex equations with this handy application.

Magic Desk

Windows-esque menus for DOS lovers

Earth Centered Universe

Travel to the stars without leaving your desktop.

Cumberland Story

Compose your family history on computer.


Galactix Review
Galactix

Reviewed by Don Cosseboom

Has winter got you down? Has your bloodlust been satisfied by Doom? Do you feel like being a hero? If you answered yes to any of these questions (or even if you did not keep reading), Galactix is the game for you. It is the year 2019, you are sitting peacefully at home watching the Channel 24 news. Just as the announcer reports that the Acme toothpick company has razed the last tree in the rain forest in order to make the more toothpicks, the broadcast is interrupted. Xidus has intercepted your nightly news broadcast to tell you he is coming to take over earth. With no training, and no pilot skills you jump at the chance to attack the Xidus armada hoping to protect your rain forest depleted planet.

Galactix is the debut release from Cygnus software. Although undoubtedly you have heard this story before, and possibly defended that blue sphere you call home before, Galactix is a very addicting game. Galactix falls into the Galaga genre of shoot-em-space games. I know, you might hate games like Galaga. I can remember spending hot summer days in the confines of an arcade wondering what was what the big attraction to Galaga was. Subsequently, in my older jaded days, I normally look at these Galaga-like games and say with much cynicism, "It is called Space Invaders, look it up." But my game playing friends, this is truly a great game. I spent many hours bent on decimating the Xidus Armada until that fateful hour came when I finished Galactix.

Galactix shows that it is not necessary to have 3-D, full-motion video, and surround sound to have a truly entertaining game. The plot on which the game is based is a tongue-in-cheek look at the not-so-distant future. The animated introduction to the game, your lift-off, the intermission, and the grand finale are really well done. I feel the sound and graphics in the game itself are very well done. The game play and ship control, although a bit difficult using the keyboard, I found to be very challenging and progressive in difficulty.

I highly recommend this game. It is fun and enjoyable, everything you would want and expect in a game. You should really download this game. If my review has not peaked your interest, the mere fact that the game is free might. Yes I said FREE. I was very surprised to see a piece of software with clearly a lot of work put into it, being given away. I look forward to seeing more software from Cygnus, and wish them luck on their future releases.

  More Info.: Galactix

   Main Reviews Page


Battling the Bill Collectors Review

Battling the Bill Collectors

Reviewed by John Doe

Did you know that someone attempting to collect a debt cannot lawfully call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.? This is just one of the useful facts you will learn by using Battling the Bill Collectors, a tutorial that guides you through the angst of being delinquent on your financial obligations.

As American consumers continue to mirror the Federal deficit in their own spending habits, debt collection has become as big of a business as the credit card companies themselves. If you have ever had the misfortune of falling a month or two behind on a credit card or other installment payment, you have likely found out firsthand how humiliating it is to be prodded and interrogated by both creditors themselves, as well as their collection agencies.

When this occurs, you need ammunition, and BBC provides it. You will be guided through the letter-writing process, how to handle phone calls, and how to document all of your communications with those to whom you owe cash. All in all, this program will probably be a real eye-opener if you have thought you were powerless in your fight to stay financially afloat in the face of indebtedness.

Battling the Bill Collectors draws its facts from elements of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a 1977 act of Congress that spells out exactly what a creditor can and cannot do as he pursues payment of overdue funds. (The program includes the full text of this legislation.) BBC distills this very crucial, need-to-know data into a very easy-to-use and palatable piece of software.

Here are some other little-known rights you have a delinquent bill-payer:

Privacy

When a debt collector contacts a third party while attempting to locate you, he cannot tell that person you owe money.

Keeping things discreet

Debt collectors cannot use post cards, nor any envelope that indicates the sender as a debt collector, when sending any correspondence about your delinquency.

Harassing others

The collector can only contact you, your lawyer, or a credit reporting agency with regard to your indebtedness.

Reasonable bounds

It is unlawful for anyone attempting a debt collection to publish a public list of delinquents, or to advertise a sale of the debt to another creditor to coerce payment.

Phone abuse

Debt collectors cannot use the telephone to either harass someone by continual ringing, or engage them in repeated harassing phone conversations.

Fair play

Creditors cannot cash a postdated check or money order before the date indicated.

Check out Battling the Bill Collectors and find out even more tips and facts about your bill-paying rights. The program includes full phone, fax, and BBS technical support.

  More Info.: Battling the Bill Collectors

  Main Reviews Page


Boxer for OS/2 Review

Boxer for OS/2

Reviewed by Don Cosseboom

Working in the computer industry has taught me a few things, one of the more intriguing things for me has been to see how people who write software use computers. You can always separate the real programmers from hackers by what kind of text editor they use. When I first started out, I used Microsoft Word for everything, but I was mostly writing. However the more I had to work with text files to create OS/2 help, the sooner I began to realize Word was not the tool for editing large text files.  Old habits die hard, but one of my programmer friends at work showed the true path to ASCII file editing. I am a convert, I no longer use Word to edit and debug my large OS/2 help files, I use a an ASCII editor.

Although OS/2 is great, it is not exactly an operating system deluged with native software. That is changing slowly as the industry begins to bring multi-platform products to market. However IBM does not provide any astounding editors with OS/2. I normally use the Enhanced Editor, however as the files grow large the editor can be a bit slow. This is a problem symptomatic of most GUI text editors, with the UI overhead many are not as responsive as the character based DOS applications you have grown to love. As many people begin to see the light, and buy OS/2, along with the conversion comes a clamor for better OS/2 shareware applications. Boxer for OS/2 is a DOS application that has been ported to run as a 32-bit, multi-threaded, OS/2 application.

Boxer is a dream come true for programmers. Because it is aimed at programmers, Boxer recognizes most programming languages and automatically highlights code syntax. If the highlighting is not extensive as you would like, or your language is not supported, then you can edit the word syntax list.  This is a very powerful feature which would not only make programming errors easier to detect, but make other syntax sensitive commands that much easier to edit. I can imagine how much easier it would make OS/2 help creation. See your syntactical errors before you compile.

There are many other features as well. You can hook your favorite compiler into Boxer, so you can compile the your newly written code without exiting Boxer. It also has such incredibly helpful functions such as a version comparing utility, simultaneous window scrolling, a large undo buffer, redo, and keystroke support for other popular editors such as Brief. In addition has standard features as on-line help, keyboard customization, macros, and color customization.

If you do heavy text editing or are a programmer, this is the editor to take a good hard look at. Registration is $89 + $6 for shipping and handling.

  More Info.: Boxer for OS/2

   Main Reviews Page


Express Check Review

Express Check

Reviewed by Ron Bel Bruno

Try as they might, both banks and software companies alike have come up dry in their efforts to put link computer users to their banks via modem. However, application such as Quicken illustrate that when spoon-fed personal finance software in small dosages, both home and business-based computer users alike will at least put their checkbook register information and budget numbers on a hard drive.

Express Check is a comprehensive and graphical introduction to the wonderful world of computer-based personal finance tracking. Though it might not have the graphical finesse or notoriety of Quicken, this program touts similar functionality at a fraction of the cost.

This DOS-based application lets you set up multiple bank accounts and develop corresponding budget records based on your account data. It should be of interest to virtually anyone who has an interest in expense accounting and basic financial planning--from the students to professionals and small business owners.

To start, you simply select the "O" window (Open Another Account) and enter the new account data (this includes such typical information as the account name and number, while also providing for a low-balance warning amount (I selected $100.00) and an option to make the account either a "small" or "large" account. The larger account provides for address data.

The Transaction window gives you a view of an on-screen check. In addition to the standard check elements, these versions also provide for budget coding. This means you can indicate for which budget category (as represented by a number of your previous choosing) the check was written.

The "F" (find a transaction) window uses a similar format to let you search and retrieve a check based on any of the data fields you have inputted. If, for example, you were looking for a $45 grocery check, you would simply type in the amount and budget category number to find the appropriate transaction.

The check register itself pretty much mimics the paper format, with the check number, description and clearing status standard. Unlike your checkbook, though, you can sort these transactions by payee, number, input order, date or amount.

The Report module offers a bevy of information alternatives. You can print out budget code totals for selected codes (categories), monthly totals, and transactions not yet marked as cleared. Transaction lists cover selected budget codes and payees. There is even an activity log for the current session of Express Check you have conducted.

Maintenance functions include editing of account definition sand payment group definitions. From this menu, you can also reconcile your account, do a current balance recalculation, and set up the application unit for printing.

Express Check has dual capabilities--being both a check register and budget monitor--make it as practical of a choice as flossing daily. In fact, it is an extremely capable low-cost program with minimal system requirements (read: it is not a Windows hog). It would benefit, however, from some security features (given the personal nature of its data). But you can compensate for this if you already have a DOS shell or similar password-based security utility.

Technical support information here is free flowing, with generous printed and online documentation. You probably will not however, have to refer to it too much, since most of the functions and their commands are intuitive, and its well designed interface is easily negotiated. Who says only Windows programs are easy-to-use?

If you have heard about "home banking," but have yet to check it out, this might be a good way to find out if it is going to be a part of your financial future.

Program Information: Express Check

   Main Reviews Page


SolveIt! Review

SolveIt!

Reviewed by Ron Bel Bruno

There is no getting around it, especially at this time of year. Whether you are just starting your wage-earning years, or you are a seasoned small-business professional, you at some point have to figure out an interest rate, the cost of a mortgage, or even how much money you can allocate in your monthly budget for those weekend trips.

Sometimes, the calculation can get really ugly, especially if you have the financial acumen of an accounting flunky. If that is the case, read on, troubled one. SolveIt! is chock full of financial formulas. In fact, it touts 32 financial "routines" that range from calculating the interest due on a loan to determining your net worth.

The program documentation lists "101 Uses" for the program--I think you would have to be a monk who has taken a vow of poverty not to be able to use at least 1 of these functions at least once.

The areas of expertise are divided into the areas of Finance, Loan Analysis, Depreciation, General Business, Real Estate, Net Worth, Budget and Bonds.

If you are a bit timid about financial formulas and calculations, give that up. All you do with this program is answer the questions as prompted and press the <F9> key--it does the rest. Though you probably will not need it much, pressing the ubiquitous <F1> key gives you context-sensitive help. Likewise, if you are at the main menu and want more data about a particular function, just highlight it on the menu, press <F1>, and it will describe the function.

Since the online help is so self-explanatory, the 100-plus page documentation is geared towards real-life applications of SolveIt! For example, you can compute use the Future Value function to compute the value of a money market fund for your child at the time he will be ready for his first college tuition payment.

Say that in 10.5 years your 8-year-old son will be starting college. The fund currently has $8500 in it, which is earning 7% compounded daily. All you have to do to compute the value in 2004 is enter the present value, set the Payment Period to "Semiannually," Total Periods to "21" (reflecting 21 6-month periods, the easiest was to break down the 10.5-year period), the compounding period to "Daily," "$0" in the Deposit field, and 7% for the annual rate. Press <F9> and SolveIt! tell you that you will be $17,725.33 ahead of the tuition game. At the rate of college tuitions these days, it looks like Junior should be mowing a few more lawns if he is going to make that first payment in full, huh?

This highly versatile application works for both personal and business applications. Say, for instance, you want to create a personal or small-business budget. This new version of SolveIt! accommodates either, with its Projected and Actual Budget sequences, and the ability to rename categories. (Thus, "House Payment" can become "Chamber of Commerce Dues.") You can track up to 12 monthly budgets, and get annual totals for each budget category.

Also of versatile interest is the net worth calculator. Assets and liabilities of up to 9,999,999.99 are accepted (you should be so lucky). Like in the budget module, you can alter these personal categories to reflect small-business income and outgo.

SolveIt! is a real winner--and you will not have to run many formulas to figure that one out. It encourages financial responsibility and efficiency, and can even be used to instruct financial principles by showing real-life examples.

  More Info.: SolveIt!

  Main Reviews Page


Earth Centered Universe Review

Earth Centered Universe

Reviewed by Jan Smith

If you want to see an awe-inspiring display of star-spangled cosmic enormity, look up at the sky on a clear night in a dark place. If you want to know exactly what is going on up there, download Earth Centered Universe and run it from Windows.

Earth Centered Universe is a learning experience you and your kids will not readily forget. The program is so easy to use, the knowledge it conveys so fascinating and its documentation so informative that you will soon be hooked. If, that is, you have ever felt curious about the constellations; if you have ever wanted to know which "stars" in the night sky are really planets or even whole galaxies; if you have ever wondered what astral bodies share the universe with us.

If you just want a picture of the night sky, Earth Centered Universe can provide it easily. Just run the program under Windows, choose Set Menu, and enter your local time and geographic location. But if you want to get the most out of the program, a good book for beginners in astronomy will provide an understanding of the concepts used in the program.

When you run Earth Centered Universe, you will see the Status Display on the left side of the screen. This tells you what you are looking at on the right, where the sky is pictured. The Status Display includes Geographical Location (by city name or latitude and longitude); Time (Local Mean Time and Universal Time, that of the Greenwich meridian); Right Ascension (in hours and minutes); Declination; Azimuth and more. Many of these can be changed using the Set functions.

All of this information is needed to determine the locations of stars. Stars are seen in more or less the same relative positions, which is why you can locate specific ones. But the celestial sphere appears to rotate westward because of the eastward rotation of the Earth. The apparent motion of the Sun among the other stars is due to the annual orbit or the Earth around the sun.

Some stars are not altogether fixed in their relative locations because they are moving at various speeds, measured as changes of direction in fractions of a second of arc per year. Most of the faint stars are truly fixed as viewed from Earth and are used as reference points for the minute motions of nearby stars.

Objects within the Solar System are subject to the parallax of the observer, an apparent shift of the position of an object for observers at different locations on Earth. Events like Solar eclipses are only observable from certain locations because of this phenomenon. When using Earth Centered Universe to simulate events that are location-specific, be sure to enable the Observer Parallax function under Set Solar System.

For the most part, the beginner astronomer will want to use the program to identify stars. Once you have got it set up to display the night sky at your location, you can use the Zoom buttons to enlarge one portion of the view. Now you are ready to find out what it is you are looking at, and the simplicity of doing so is one of the strongest features of the program. Use your mouse to move the crosshairs within a few pixels of the center of an object and click the left mouse button.

This opens the Identify Object Dialog Box. For any object, you will find out information pertaining to its location, the time the object rises and sets, and the object type. Other information is particular to the type of object you have selected. If it is a planet, you will learn its magnitude (brightness), distance from Earth, size and phase. If you choose a Deep Sky Object, you will learn its magnitude, name, description, size and object class.

The databases in Earth Centered Universe are extensive, and most of the information is beyond the ken of the casual user. You can either ignore what you do not understand or learn more about it. For example, if you select a Deep Sky Object, the program will tell you if it is a Bright Nebula, a Globular Cluster, a Quasar, a Galaxy or something else. To get the most from the program (and from your stargazing), it would help to find out what those things are.

If you download Earth Centered Universe and it inspires you to go out and buy an astronomy guide, you are ready for the next logical step: a telescope.

Equipped with those 3 things, you will be ready to open the door to the final frontier.

  More Info.: Earth Centered Universe

  Main Reviews Page


Magic Desk Review

Magic Desk

Reviewed by John Taschek

Dull DOS screens getting you down? Add some wizardry to your desktop with Magic Desk, a wonderful--and powerful--graphical menuing utility. With an assortment of colors that matches the best Windows screens, and an interface that looks even better, Magic Desk makes computing a lot more fun. Everyone uses the DOS prompt at some time or another, and almost everybody has gotten lost. There are so many commands and programs available from the DOS prompt that even the most sophisticated computer users lose their way. Who has not forgotten the location of at least one application or file? And no one remembers the syntax for every available DOS command. That is why graphical interfaces became so popular. Windows put most of those commands in easy reach. DOS menuing utilities did the same. But few of those utilities offer the speed, the elegance, and the ease of Magic Desk. This one-of-a-kind wonder does not even take any memory when it is used to launch an application. It can even run Windows without difficulty. You may never have to see a command line again.

Magic Desk starts as simple menu with just a few options. Enter Magic in the MDESK directory after you install it, and the new menu pops up. Magic Desk assumes you have never used the program before and offers a New User icon. Click on the icon to access the user guide, the registration form, and additional documents.

It is a snap to add programs to the Magic Desk desktop. Click on the red cross icon on the top right of your screen, and the Helper window opens. This allows you to easily add a new program, remove a program, change your colors, or set up a screen saver. Almost everything can be done without leaving this screen. To add a program, simply click the blue button next to the option, and a dialog pops up. Fill in a title, place a password on the program, and browse for the program name. It is so easy, you will get the hang of it in a single try. Once you are done, click the oversize OK button, and Magic Desk set ups an icon that can run your application with a single click. Now add some pizzazz to your screen picture. Magic Desk uses icons, so it makes sense to have a 2d-to-none icon editor built into the program. Click the Picture icon at the top right of the screen and the picture editor opens up. Now you can copy any icon with an .ICO extension directly into Magic Desk. You can then modify and beautify it anyway you want. Once you are done, you will want to add your artwork to a program.

Save the icon, then click the red cross again, and choose the View/Modify option. Click the icon button, and a file manager utility lets you search for the icon you created. Select it, and Magic Desk places it on your desktop. You will not find many products so easy to use.

Repeat the process for every program you have, including Windows, and you will have bragging rights for the best looking desktop on the block. Need more icons? Magic Desk comes with 30. Register the product and you will get 400 more. Why not jazz up your DOS world with Magic Desk? You will never need to use a dull screen again.

  More Info.: Magic Desk

  Main Reviews Page


Cumberland Story Review

Cumberland Story

Reviewed by Ron Bel Bruno

Back in the 1970s, quite a scandal erupted when a con artist attempted to market a fictional "autobiography" of Howard Hughes. If Howard had used Cumberland Story, this might have never happened.

Cumberland Story is a dedicated word processor that helps your write your life story with the structure and detail of a James Michener epic. It provides a loose structure of topics within chapters. These topics, which might include people, places and things like "father," "mother," "family vacations," and "childhood friends," encourage you to narrate your life story on paper (once you are done typing, that is)--even if you are not a great writer.

And that is the great thing about this program--it makes no distinction as to who can use it. You may not be the next Hemingway, but that is not the issue here. If you can string together noun-verb-noun sentences into intelligible paragraphs, then stop fretting and start writing! Your software is here.

Pull-down menus and a totally mouse-driven interface take even more pain out of the writing process. To begin your saga, all you have to do is select a "new book" from the menu, and start writing your introduction. (So much for that manual typewriter mystique!) Your first words typically describe your motivation for writing the book, and might even include thank-yous to "all the little people" that made your epic possible. From this point on, Cumberland Story prompts you to enter prose under each of the aforementioned topics it suggests. You can omit a topic or add your own; up to 240 topics are allowed per chapter, and 240 chapters are possible per book (be careful, though, concise prose is among the traits of any good writer; Topics can be as long as 6600 words (about 10 pages).

The word processor features a 60,000-word spell checker, full cut-and-paste functions, and searching capabilities.

Once you have written your tale, it is time hit the presses--or your printer, in this case. Story prints out pages in a number of ways, so you can bind them into a loose-leaf or staple them together. To brighten up those text-based pages, leave some blank pages to add such ephemera as birth certificates, photos, and other graphic memorabilia. The best way to bind the tome is probably with a soft-covered loose-leaf--you can add pages later, and pages will be protected against wear and tear.

Cumberland Story is part of a shareware triple-play which also includes Cumberland Family Tree and Cumberland Diary, genealogy tracking and personal-journal programs respectively. It seems as if the Story software is the final program you will need of the threesome: First you track your ancestors with Family Tree, then you record your thoughts on life for awhile with Diary. When these 2 programs provide enough fodder for your memoir, you can register Story and start writing. Faulkner should have had it so good.

  More Info.: Cumberland Story

  Main Reviews Page


Galactix

GALCTX.ZIP - PBS Arcade, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

Galactix puts you in a the seat of a high-tech space fighter flying against invading fleets. Defend Earth with rapid fire guns, missiles, and megabombs. Program highlights include commercial software-quality graphics, extended sound card support  (AdLib, Sound Blaster, Sound Blaster Pro), and game input from joystick or mouse. Requires 560K RAM, 2.5MB hard disk space, DOS 5.x, and VGA graphics. Bannerware. 708,196 bytes.


Battling the Bill Collectors

BBC.ZIP - ZiffNet Software Library (GO ZNT:SOFTLIB)

Learn how to deal with unscrupulous debt collection agencies. Based on the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act of 1977, this program is written clearly and concisely. It contains a tutorial and form letters you can use, as well as an advisor outlining how to deal with situations that arise in the collection process. There is even a fast-response matrix to use when you are on the phone with a collection agency. Shareware, $30. 314,038 bytes.


Boxer for OS/2

BOXOS2.ZIP - PBS Utilities, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

A powerful text editor for OS/2. BOXER is a full-featured editor with a smooth, courteous interface. Color Syntax Highlighting, multi-level Undo and Redo, full mouse support, macros, column marking, WP, keyboard reconfig, & much more. This 32-bit character mode program uses OS/2 virtual memory to edit large files, and has support for HPFS filenames. Shareware, $89. 404,770 bytes.


VENDINFO

VNDINF.ZIP - PBS Utilities, Library 1 (Hot Off the Presses)

VENDINFO file format allows the author to communicate a great deal of product and distribution policy information to shareware distributors. Distributors can then automate distribution-rights testing and information extraction. This package includes VendEdit editor for authors, VendPrcs processor for distributors as well as examples and test files. Shareware, $20-45. 534,783 bytes.


Express Check

EXPCHE.ZIP - PBS Professional, Library 3 (Business & Finance)

From the same good people that bring you File Express, Express Graph, etc. A full-featured home checkbook system that can handle multiple accounts and ATM transactions. Has pizzazz and some real plusses like a bill-payment reminder and the ability to split checks over up to 5 expense categories. Shareware, $35. 261,066 bytes.


SolveIt!

SLVIT.ZIP - ZiffNet Software Library (GO ZNT:SOFTLIB)

This is a stand-alone financial calculator with 30 modules for every conceivable calculation, including: future value of a series of deposits, daily return on investment, time to withdrawal, required payment for future value, interest rate and equivalent rate, full loan calculator, gross profit margin, annuity payouts, balloon payments, depreciation, and more. It includes excellent documentation, and a toll-free 800 number for support. Shareware, $90. 424,923 bytes.


Magic Desk

MAGCDS.ZIP - PBS Utilities, Library 3 (DOS Utilities)

Magic Desk is a graphical DOS menu system that lets you easily run all of your programs without having to remember DOS commands. Magic Desk is unique because of its simplicity. You can use Windows icons or you can design your own with the built-in icon editor. You can set up multiple levels of menu pages and add password protection. It even has a screen blanker. Magic Desk does not remain in memory while running your programs. Shareware, $20. 181,696 bytes.


Earth Centered Universe

ECU.ZIP - PBS Home, Library 3 (Home & Hobby)

This star-gazer program for Windows simulates the heavens with stars, planets, the sun, the moon, comets, and deep space objects. You can set the time, geographic location, solar system, and magnitude of objects displayed. Controls include zoom, object selection, grid, center, object names, and animation. The program will print star charts on any printer supported by Windows. Shareware, $35. 337,077 bytes.


Cumberland Story

CSTORY.ZIP - ZiffNet Software Library (GO ZNT:SOFTLIB)

This program helps you write the life stories of your ancestors. It can create up to 240 chapters on 240 topics (10 pages per topic). It includes pop-up menus, on-line help, a printable table of contents, and many word processing features. This is a handy tool for the genealogy hobbyist. Shareware, $25. 247,665 bytes.


Featured Author
Rudy Ramsey

Author of  VENDINFO

Name

H. Rudy Ramsey

Computer System

Currently my main development system is a Compaq 386/20e, with 4M of memory and a 110MB hard drive, which I have had since 1989. I am replacing it with a Pentium system soon.

Favorite Text Editor

Boxer, of course!

Language/Compiler of Choice

C++.  I am currently using Borland 3.1, and about to upgrade to 4.0. However, as I move into Windows, I will have to pay attention to Microsoft Visual C++. I am going to play a bit with Visual Basic as I start learning Windows, but I suspect I will only be happy when I move back to C++.

Programming Hours

I tend to work 9:00 AM to about 11:00 PM, with time out for meals, helping son with homework, and whatever special events are on the calendar. I work "seriously" Monday-Friday, and do clean-up and catch-up things on Saturday and Sunday. From about October through November, as I was finishing the first release of VENDINFO, I was working 100-hour weeks fairly consistently, but I normally try for 50-60 hours.

Favorite Programming Snack

I like peanuts and candy orange slices. I am cursed with good metabolism, however, and really have to watch my intake, unless I am in shape and doing serious amounts of running (I wax and wane).

Marital Status

Married 27 years, with two sons in college and an 8-year-old.

Last Non-Computer Book Read

I am an avid mystery fan, and active in a local mystery book club. The latest was A Matter of Perspective, by Kevin Robinson.

Other Hobbies/Interests

I am a very active student of Taekwon-Do, along with my 8-year-old son. I should be promoted to 2nd gup red belt about the time this interview appears, which would leave me about 70% of the way to a first-degree black belt. I also race a Hobie Cat 16, and devour mystery novels.

Favorite Pizza Topping

Mushrooms. Unfortunately, nobody else in the family likes them on pizza, so it is an all-too-rare treat.

H. Rudy Ramsey is an unusual combination of human factors psychologist and computer scientist. He holds a Ph.D. in experimental psychology, and has wide experience in basic and applied human factors research, and in human factors as applied to actual computer system design.

Complementing these human factors capabilities is his extensive experience in software design and programming. Over the years, he has designed and implemented a variety of interactive systems, translator-writing systems, a programming language, and a precompiler system for government and commercial customers,

For fourteen years, he has been heavily involved in research and development of computer-based systems to support individual and cooperative work. In 1989, he formed Rams Island Software, a software development and consulting firm in Parker, Colorado.  Rams Island Software creates and markets shareware products.

Rudy is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Shareware Professionals.

 More Info.: VENDINFO


What is ZiffNet?
ZiffNet is the online information service all about computing. It is the first place to turn for the best in software, plus all kinds of useful information about buying, using, supporting and understanding personal computer products.

Created by Ziff Communications, publisher of the leading PC and Macintosh magazines, ZiffNet brings together the best in downloadable freeware and shareware selected for quality and reliability, discussion forums where you can talk to industry leaders and product experts, buying advice to help you make the best purchasing decisions, technical support to help you get the most from your PC, and computing news to keep you up-to-date on the industry. In addition, ZiffNet gives you access to editors and writers from the major Ziff publications, including PC Magazine, PC/Computing, PC Week, MacUser, MacWEEK, Computer Shopper and Windows Sources.

The ZiffNet membership fee is just $2.50 a month. Standard CompuServe connect-time charges apply for certain services like downloading software. For more information on the rates please check online.

For details on how to sign up for ZiffNet, please see Downloading from ZiffNet

PRODIGY members can [JUMP]: ziffnet for full details on the ZiffNet for PRODIGY service.


About the Ratings

All of the shareware ZiffNet offers is provided through Public Brand Software, one of the leading vendors of shareware in the world. PBS has the largest dedicated staff of professional reviewers in the industry, and each program is put through rigorous testing before it becomes available online.

Part of the review process is the assignment of a program rating. This rating is measured is stars, on a scale from 1 to 4. In addition, the best programs for a particular computer task are assigned a "Trophy" rating (5 stars).


Timothy Campbell Column

So You Want To Be A Shareware Author

by Timothy Campbell

In part 2 of this article, Timothy Campbell explores the trials, tribulations and rewards of pursuing a career as a shareware author.

In the last issue, we discussed some of the advantages of a career in shareware.  These included: "Be your own boss", "Set your own schedule and priorities", "Handle all aspects of the business yourself" and so on. As Chris Thornton of Thornton Software Solutions says, "Shareware is the only means left where you can invent something, and market it on a shoestring budget." If this appeals to you, your next step is to decide what kind of product you will write.

Actually, your first decision may be to design not one but several products. George Campbell of OsoSoft advises new authors, "Create several useful, narrowly-focused programs which have few competitors." Once you have this, he says, "Be sure to market your other products to every registered user." George tells us, "... a major source of [my] registrations comes from registered users purchasing additional products, with over 75% of all registered users buying additional programs." Once your customers are familiar with your company and products, their sales resistance is greatly reduced and they are much more likely to buy another program from you.  A wide product line lets you take advantage of this.

In the short term, however, you should start by writing a fairly simple program that will let you break into the shareware market sooner rather than later. This will let you learn your lessons early and apply what you have discovered to more ambitious products.

For your first program or your one hundredth, you should pick a product that is "meaningful" to you. If the product sells well, you may be working on it for many years. Do you care about what you are writing about? If not, maintaining the program will become a tedious chore. If you wanted that kind of work, you could have continued doing the 9-to-5!

Be careful, though: just because a project interests you does not mean that it will be marketable. As Dan Veaner of EmmaSoft says, "When you write software it is for your users, not just for yourself. Listen to what they want and give it to them even if it is not what you would prefer for yourself." If your treatment of the program appeals only to a small segment of the public, your registrations will be low. Worse still, many of the traditional shareware channels -- especially disk vendors -- will ignore your product because it does not have a wide enough appeal. With this in mind, Gary Alston of Alston Software Labs advises, "Bigger targets are easier to hit. Aim for the BIG audience."

It is a balancing act, though: you want a product that has a small enough audience that the competition is sparse, but the audience must be big enough to make it worth your while. In order to make an informed decision, you need to learn about the current state of the market. If you do not, you will waste a lot of time and effort.

The shareware world is overflowing with screen savers, disk cataloguers, lotto-pickers and similar products for which there seems to be a large market. A recent survey turned up forty-five different file finder utilities in the IBMSYS library on CompuServe! If you intend to compete in a hotly contested market, you will need a new twist.

A "new twist" means a different way of looking at the problem the program seeks to solve.  Many new authors think they can compete by writing a program that does everything the old programs do ... and more! They usually find, however, that by the time they finish coding, the "old" programs have new versions with even more features.

This touches on the issue of your qualifications. When you pick a project, ask yourself if you are an expert at the subject at hand. Can somebody more technically proficient negate all your hard work with relatively little effort?

This is not as big a problem as it might seem, however. As David Snyder of MVP Software explains, "Making a living at shareware is only a little bit about programming." The primary skill required by a shareware author is marketing. Indeed, Steve Hudgik of HomeCraft, like many authors, reports that he spends 80% of his time on marketing. Many superb programs have been pushed aside by lesser products because of marketing issues. Nevertheless, when picking the product you will write, it helps if you have some particular expertise to impart; this reduces the number of authors against whom you will have to compete.

When choosing your product, you should also ask, "Do people really need this? Do they need it enough to pay for it?" The shareware industry has seen hundreds of programs fall by the wayside because while they were interesting and well-written, people could do without them.  Your program must address a real need. (In the case of games, we address the very real human need to be entertained!)

To judge the extent to which your program addresses a need, ask yourself, "Would I mail a check for this program? Would I open up my desk, take out an envelope, write a check, address the envelope, insert the check ..." If the program is not compelling, you will not be getting many checks.

There is no "Royal Road" when you are deciding which way to go. Indeed, the path to a career in shareware is full of potholes, with thorns and brambles on either side. But there are signposts along the way to guide you.

You must be well informed about the computer industry in general and the shareware industry in particular. Bob Ostrander, the founder of Public Brand Software, recommends, "Get, read, register, and read again the Shareware Book. by Bob Schenot" (The self-extracting file SHAREBK.EXE is available in the CIS:SHAREWARE forum, in library 5.) Dave Hamel, author of the Boxer text editor, suggests, "Look at the top programs in shareware to see the quality level which is needed to succeed."

You can also obtain a wealth of information by reading ZShare regularly, and by participating in the discussions in the CIS:SHAREWARE and CIS:UKSHARE (STAR) forums.

Thus armed with information, you can spend a week jotting down any ideas that come to mind, then writing up a list of "Pros and Cons" for each idea. You can also benefit by clearing your mind of preconceptions by using some applied meditation -- either the traditional variety, or simply by taking a long walk.  You have to apply your best resources, because your decision will affect everything you do in shareware. Do not make the mistake of many new authors and make this decision lightly. As Charles Schell of Unicorn Software says, "Do not get into it for a quick buck. It takes time and patience to do it right and start making a decent income from it."

In the next (and final) installment of this series, we will discuss the methods by which you can get your product distributed. That column will appear one month from now, so you have plenty of time to pick your first shareware project!


Graphics Programs

Graphics Viewing Utilities

By Dave Burton

Graphics. Pictures. Images. Trailing behind games, it is one of the hottest categories of software. There are entire forums on the major online services dedicated to nothing but pictures, and dozens of small bulletin boards across the country featuring nothing but graphics files running the gamut from of missing children to hard-core pornography.

A graphics viewer was one of the first pieces of software I looked at when I first got a DOS machine. It displayed only files in the MAC format, in their wonderful low-resolution and stunning range of 2 colors: black and white. Looking back at those old images is a good way to see just how far the technology (in both software and hardware) has come to get us to the point we are at today. The advent of better scanners, SVGA monitors, and software capable of considerably higher resolutions have taken the images from being somewhat cartoonish to being extremely detailed and realistic, in any one of dozens of formats.

And the fact that there are so many different file formats can create a problem. Unless you want to keep several different viewers around for individual formats, you need to have a viewer that supports the largest number of formats. For Windows, the best of the current programs seems to be one called ThumbsUp.

It is an excellent program for working with your graphics files. Besides viewing just about any graphics file format (see the chart for specifics), it lets you create printed catalogs of your images in "thumbnail" format, print them out full-sized, and do a limited amount of manipulation. Another feature is the ability to create slide shows with your images - very handy for presentations and demonstrations. And it can save an image in another format directly as a bitmap and use it as your Windows wallpaper. Additionally, you can configure the program to call a specific editor (such as Windows Paintbrush) to work on the file. And you can even use it to view your Windows icon and True Type fonts.

To help you pick from the many viewers available, we have prepared this chart of some of the more popular ones for both Windows and DOS.