Completely Free Software - e-mail update #17

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The Completely Free E-mail Update #17

Issued Oct 28, 1997

Welcome to the seventeenth edition of the 'Completely Free Software E-mail Update'. Over the past week we've added many new programs, including the ones listed below.

The programs listed are completely free for non-commercial use, even though they may be shareware or commercial products. None are time-limited and all are fully functionable. If you know any that aren't exactly as specified, please let us know and they will be removed immediately.

We are interested in hearing about your favorite freeware and freebie websites so we can share them with others. The Internet is (or should be) about sharing – us to you, you to us, all of us to each other. If you find any of the links broken or changed, please let us know immediately so we can amend the CFS website.

FREE WIN95 PROGRAMS

CyberMind
There is no way that a few words would do justice to the awesome graphics of this game. Based off the old Mastermind game (we remember it as a plastic tray with brightly colored pegs), CyberMind incorporates a non-rectangular screen with slinky smooth graphics. You'll need a display with a minimum of 64k colors and an 800x600 screen to really see the beauty of this version. If you tried Simon32 (also from the same authors) you will understand what these guys can do when they want to blow people's minds – and CyberMind is better! There is no traditional menu bar with this game, move your cursor over one of the 10 buttons on the 'toes' of the boot-shaped screen and a button description appears. Press on the Help button (or press F1 – most of the buttons have function key alternatives) and you get a regular Windows Help file (about the only standard thing on this program!). The game itself is a great mind bender which will keep you amused for hours – maybe even longer than just gazing at the stunning graphics! Just try to guess the order of the colored spheres (they've replaced those pegs we remembered). CyberMind will tell you the number of spheres you have right. Try again after you've changed some around and, again, you will be told the number of right colors (but not which ones). CyberMind has a Hint feature (if you can't think what to do next), multi-levels, high scores, timer, etc. You can also change the options for the prospective number of colors used, and for the number of spaces to fill. If you wish to see the graphics of the 21st Century then get this one. If you want the best version of Mastermind available (for any price), get this one. If you are just mildly curious, get this one. Do you think we're trying to tell you something? Access this 1.57MB download from: W95 General Games

AOLpress
AOLpress is a WYSIWYG HTML editor with a dizzy array of features. It has a spell checker, HTML validator, built-in browser, etc, etc, etc. While the built-in browser isn't a patch on either Netscape Communicator (our preference) or Microsoft's IE 4.0, it is adequate for off-line browsing so you can check your pages. One of the nice features of AOLpress is the link verifier, while another is the ability to view all your pages as a mini-web, with links between all the graphics and pages in your directory (don't bother if you run a really big site!). AOLpress opens multiple pages (very handy for bulk editing) and is generally an excellent program. Available in both Win 3.1 and Win95 versisons, you can access the W95's 3.43MB download from: W95 Internet Related

Letter Chase Typing Tutor
In view of the amount of time we all spend in front of a keyboard, very few computer users have good typing skills (you aught to read some of the e-mails we receive!!!). There are a number of typing tutors around but most have one drawback. When you learn the basics of touch typing you are left to practice on your own, which people usally don't, and their speed soon falls off. Letter Chase is somewhat unique in our experience because not only does it give you a structured learning path (from beginner through intermediate to advanced) it also encourages you to improve your typing speed. This is achieved with the 'game' of Letter Chase where you must try and catch up to the characters being printed on your screen. When you get within one character of the computer you are considered the winner. Beauty of this little 'game' is that you can adjust ther WPM of the characters you're chasing so that you are always pushing yourself. There is provision for four separate family members to be monitored – all the program needs is your name when you start it up. Also available in Win 3.1 and DOS versions (see the Win 3.1/DOS section below), Letter Chase Typing Tutor for Windows 95 (to give it its full title) is the best aid to touch typing we have ever seen. Professionally presented with good graphics (even in the DOS version!), Letter Chase is a definite 'must have' because if you don't even have the program, you will never ever progress beyond hunt and peck typing. If you are an accomplished touch typist then you can use this program to increase your speed. Anyone for 200 WPM? Access this 1MB download from: W95 General Programs

Connect 4 for Windows 95
Connect 4 has been around for a long time, both as a 'board' game and on the computer. This is an excellent version which has five levels of difficulty and which is winnable (a big plus for us). The Help file aims you at 'Connect 4' resources on the Net so you can improve your game. The computer plays its pieces quickly and the whole program has a 'nice' look and feel about it and plays like a Swiss watch (well, it was created by Martin Fierz of Switzerland!). For devotees or just casual users, this version of Connect 4 is a 'must have'. Access this 53kB download from: W95 General Games

Borneo
Borneo is a source-code HTML editor with a surprising number of features but which is a miniscule 315kB when unzipped, and is only 151kB as a download. When unpacked there are only two files, the program file and a file_id.diz file. When used for the first time, Borneo will create an ini file which will save your desktop preferences. The toolbar (with fly-over help) includes quick access to the most popular tags (bold, align, image source, anchor reference, etc) as well as for the regular 'open document', cut, copy & paste commands, etc. Borneo does 98% of what most the 'big boys' do but lacks those little touches, like colorized tags, which do make for easier editing. Still, being such a small program it delivers great 'value' for money when it comes to speed of use. Being so small it is easy to run off a floppy for those quick off-site jobs. While you may use AOLpress (see above) or some other 'main' HTML editor, Borneo is a great backup for when you don't want to wait 5 minutes for one of the 'big boys' to load just to change a tag or two. Access this beaut little HTML editor from: W95 Internet Related

NarkoMania
NarkoMania is the minesweeper clone Microsoft should have included with Win95. Not only does it have a High Score feature (for each level, plus for best, worst and even cheaters!), but it also has multi-levels of play. The Beginner level is played on a 8x8 grid with 10 hidden mines, the Intermediate on a 16x16 grid with 40 mines, Expert on 30x16 with 99 mines, plus Challenge with a 40x24 grid and 200 hidden mines. Not only that, you can create your own level with your choice of the number of squares each way (the grid) and the number of hidden mines. Whatever combination you choose you get the percentage of difficulty for it. There is also an optional 'speed graph' which indicates how well you are going against a time line. In case you were wondering, 'narke' is greek for 'mine'. If you've ever played Microsoft's Minesweeper then try this one, you'll love it – and even the download is small! Access this 138kB download from: W95 General Games

ESP Mail Check
ESP (Extremely Simple POP) Mail Check is a handy utility if you don't want to keep your normal e-mail program running while you're on-line. ESP Mail Check just sits in your W95 desktray and watches out for any mail. It can be configured to launch your e-mail program if desired. Most people would just have the icon in the desktray which indicates that the program is monitoring your mailserver in the background. When mail arrives it will indicate the number of letters awaiting downloading and can even play a sound to notify you. When you wish to check the mail, just click on the ESP Mail Check icon and your e-mail program will be launched. Unless you are getting bulk mail, this is a much smarter alternative to leaving your e-mail program running when you're on-line (and sucking up extra system memory/resources). ESP Mail Check has a good install/uninstall feature and is simple to use. Access this 669kB download from: W95 Internet Related

Task-Saver
Ever thought there should have been an easier way of controlling screensavers? Well, here it is! Task-Saver gives you full control over your screensavers, enabling or disenabling screensavers, changing screensavers, altering passwords, or other properties. No more wending your way through "Start/Settings/Control Panel/Display/Screen Saver" with Task-Saver all you have to do is click on the icon in your desktray and you are instantly there. It also has a quick change feature so you can quickly change your screensaver, or click on the popup menu and enable your screensaver immediately (handy if the boss is prowling around). Task-Saver is not a small download at 1.43MB, but that is because it includes all those DLLs which you probably already have anyway (an alternative smaller download would have been nice). Still, at least this way you know you are getting the latest VB40032 runtime file and other DLL essentials (Comdlg.dll, Mfc40.dll, Mscvrt20.dll, etc). If you're a screensaver collector you'll be jumping at the bit to get this little (well, maybe not so little) beauty from: W95 Windows Extras

FREE WIN 3.1 & DOS PROGRAMS

Account Pro for DOS
Account Pro was a full commercal product which the publishers are now offering for nothing because, in their words, you can't sell DOS software anymore. Don't let that fool you, Account Pro is a full-on double-entry bookkeeping system suitable for private use, clubs, small and medium-sized offices, etc. While it's not a toy, it does have an easy interface (albeit a graphical DOS one) and can handle sufficient entries for most uses – 152 accounting systems, 528 accounts per system, 16,300 (double entry) transactions per system and business year, and 18 standard transactions. As the website says: "An accounting period in Account Pro can have a length of between two days and one year. It can start in any month and it may overlap two calendar years." Network capable, mouse operationable, Account Pro comes with a number of standard charts of accounts which can very easily be adapted to particular user requirements. So if you are after an accounting system you won't go far wrong with this one. Access this 267kB (it's DOS, remember) download from: W31 General Programs

AOLpress
A WYSIWYG HTML editor which is also vailable in a Win95 version (details in the Win95 section above). Access this 3.25MB download from: W31 Internet Related