Specifications and Requirements ------------------------------- Software Title: BusinessCards (Version 3.01) Author or Company: Michael Dvorkin P.O. Box 862 San Bruno, Ca, 94066-0862 TEL: 415-588-6215 FAX: 415-588-6149 E-Mail: MiD@aol.com 73773.2527@compuserve.com Registration Fee: $29.95 Availability: Windows Forum Software Library Filename: BCR301.ZIP (this file will be renamed BCARDS.ZIP in subsequent versions.) Filesize (zipped): 206,831 bytes Filesize (unzipped): 466,518 bytes Keywords: Dvorkin, Data base, Address, Cardfile, Blackbook, VB, Win 3.1 Requirements: Windows 3.1, mouse recommended. Rating (1-10): 9.5 Date of Review: 6/21/95 Installation ------------ Installation Rating: (Manual Installation) Description of Installation Process: First, create a permanent directory for the program's files to be placed into. Next, unzip the program's files (from the downloaded BCR301.ZIP), into the directory you created. Finally, add the program's icon to an existing Program Manager group (or create a new group for it). Features -------- Listing/Description of Features: BusinessCards uses an attractive "ring binder" interface which has tabs, for the letters of the alphabet, along the right edge of the screen. Clicking on a tab takes you directly to that section. Each page of the binder can display from one to three cards (card size depends on the number of cards on each page with one card per page being the largest). You can also use the "View" feature to call up a scrollable table of contents that lists all of the cards in the currently open database (this is displayed on the right-hand page of the binder). Double-clicking on any table of contents entry takes you directly to the selected card. This program is not limited to just entering your contacts and phone/address listings. Each card entry is a scrollable "freeform" note field where you can enter ANY data you want (this lets you create databases of: software you own, plant and gardening information, your video/audio tape collection, genealogical information - ANYTHING!). BusinessCards allows you to attach one or more external files to specified cards. Just select the card you want then choose "Attach". This calls up the "Attachments Dialog Box" where you can either directly enter the name of the file you want linked (and a description) or you can use its "Browse" feature to find the file. You can also create a note which will be associated with the selected card (notes are displayed in the Attachments Dialog Box). Once this is done, a small paper clip will be fixed to the top of the card. Click on this clip to open the Attachments Dialog Box. From here you can view/edit the associated note and/or select which attached file you would like to run (to do this click on the Launch button - this will launch the program associated with the attached file). It has very powerful Search and Sort capabilities. Selecting the Find feature opens the Search Dialog Box. Simply enter the text you want to search for and set any options you desire (options are: search the notes associated with the cards - as well as the cards themselves - and/or make the search case sensitive). Then click on the "Search" button. A list of the cards containing the "searched for" text will be displayed. To look at any of these cards click on its entry in the list and then click on the "Turn To" button. This will display the card without closing the Search Dialog Box (so you can make another selection). Click on the "Close" button to close the Search Box. You can also go directly to a card and close the Search Box by double-clicking on any card in the Search List. BusinessCards lets you Sort cards (and their attachments) alphabetically by the first letter in each card or by last names. It is able to read Windows Cardfile files and also allows the transfer of data between BusinessCards' format and Windows Cardfile file format. BusinessCards has a variety of printing options you can specify which include: how many cards are to be printed, how much of a card's contents are printed, what printer font you would like the card(s) to be printed with, whether or not to print the first line of each card in uppercase, to not print empty lines, to print files which have been attached to cards (if any), to print the contents of each cards note field (if any), to print one card per page or one card after the other, and whether or not to retain cards margin settings or specify new ones. In printing envelopes you can: specify a return address to be saved for future use and/or immediate printing. You can also specify the font (size, style and type) to be used for the return address. In printing labels you can specify: the number of labels which will appear per page, label margins and label size, the position of the first label to be printed (any row or column), and the distance between labels. BusinessCards File Menu has options for: New File, Open File, Save File, Save As, Merge (copies data from a selected BusinessCards file into the currently open one, combining the contents of both), Print, Printer Setup, Sort Cards, and Exit Program. Its Edit Menu's options are: Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Clear (deletes selected text from a card but, does NOT place it onto the clipboard), Select All, and Attachments (Attaches a file to a specific card). The Card Menu has options for: Insert (inserts a blank card in the current position), Append (adds a blank card to the end of the current tab), Duplicate (inserts a new card with the contents of the current card), Delete (deletes currently selected card) and Dial (launches the BusinessDialer v1.0 program which is included with BusinessCards - see my seperate review of BusinessDialer in this edition). The View Menu's options include: Contents (opens the Table of Contents View), Expand (expands Table of Contents display), Collapse (collapses Table of Contents display), Prior Page, Next Page, First Page, Last Page, Goto (takes you directly to a defined page number), and Search (opens Search Dialog Box). The Format Menu has options for: Regular Text, Bold Text, Italic Text, Left Justify, Right Justify, Center Text, Font (change font type, style, size and color), and Color (changes card color). The Options Menu's choices are: Toolbar Configuration, Preferences, Information (current open filename, database version, last saved date and time, total number of cards, total number of attachments, CPU type, Windows operating Mode, Free Memory, and Free Resources - System, User and GDI), and Save Settings on Exit (on/off). Its Help Menu's options are: Index, Search Help, Using Help, Register BusinessCards, and About Business Cards. BusinessCards has a fully configurable Toolbar which starts with buttons for: Help, Open Database, Save Database, Print, Sort, Insert a Card, Delete a Card, Attach a File, View, Find, Font (type, style, size and color), Preferences, Information, and Exit Program. Some of the other buttons you can add to BusinessCards' Toolbar include: Cut, Copy, Paste, Dial, Undo, Merge, Expand, Collapse, Goto, Tools, and much more. It also has a Status Bar which displays the number of cards read (upon opening a database) and what each menu option (or Toolbar button function) is. It also displays the number of characters in the current card and the number of files (if any) attached to that card. Some of BusinessCards other features include: "exploding" dialog boxes, 3D dialog effects, the option of having vertical scroll bars visible on cards, and creating automatic file backups. Help/Documentation Rating: 8.75 The program comes with "readme" text and Windows format Help files which adequately answer most of the questions you may have. Summary ------- BusinessCards v3.01 is one of the most versatile and useful programs I have seen. This database system can be used to keep records of almost anything you can think of. It is very rare to find a program that is both easy to use AND very powerful (usually these are contradictions) but this program is both! I wish BusinessCards could be used to train other programmers how software should be written. It has so many features and nice touches I don't think I listed them all. I really hope we see more from Michael Dvorkin (and SOON!). BusinessCards gets my full recommendation (as you can tell by its already being added to my list of all time favorite/best shareware programs). Download and register this one right away - you will not be disappointed! Problems and Suggestions ------------------------ List of Problems found: There were no confilcts, General Protection Faults (GPF's) or program errors encountered during my evaluation of this software. Suggestions for improvements: The only improvements I could think of (and it took me quite some time to think of any) were already thought of by its programmer (Michael Dvorkin) and are among the features being added to version 3.1 (the upgrade to version 3.1 is free to all registered users). NOTE: Some of the features that will be included with version 3.1 are: the ability to Drag-and-Drop a card directly into any Windows word processor or text editor (I love this feature!), the addition of "command line" parameters which will allow you to make files read only (really nice if you do not want other users changing/deleting your data - like on a network) and/or change the size of the programs main window (very useful with displays having high screen resolutions), the ability to keep BusinessCards "Always On Top" of other applications (aids in the Drag-and-Drop process), and the addition of an installation/setup program (the current version requires manual installation). Technical Support ----------------- Technical Support Rating: 9.5 Description: Inquiries made about the program were answered in less than 24 hours (via E-Mail) with comprehensive and intelligent responses. What do you get when you register? ---------------------------------- You are entitled to an original diskette containing the most recent versions of both BusinessCards and BusinessDialer plus (as a registration bonus) you will receive a copy of "BrainCubes" (a game for Windows). You also receive a personal serial number which registers both programs (If you provide an E-Mail address, your serial number will be E-Mailed to you within 24 hours (in most cases)so, you can quickly register your existing copies). Entering this serial number removes the initial registration reminder dialog box which appears at the beginning of the programs, displays your name in the Help/About dialog box, removes the word UNREGISTERED from the programs title bar, removes registration reminder phrases from your printed output and BusinessDialer will once again become a completely integrated part of BusinessCards (beyond the initial 30 day trial period BusinessDialer cannot access phone numbers directly from any cards until the program is registered). Registered users are also entitled to free minor updates of the program and significant discounts on major upgrades. They are also entitled to free unlimited technical support (via E-Mail or FAX) for both BusinessCards and BusinessDialer. Disclaimer ---------- (DISCLAIMER: This review is provided for information/entertainment purposes only. The author will not be held responsible or liable for any problems which may occur in the use of any of the reviewed software. The author will also not be held responsible if the program reviewed does not operate, in the way stated. With there being so many system configurations possible confilcts/problems can arise which may prevent the reviewed software from operating in the way indicated. This is not the responsibility of the reviewer.)