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The Completely Free E-mail Update #9
Issued Sep 2, 1997
Welcome to the ninth edition of the 'Completely Free Software E-mail Update'. Over the past week we've added a great 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
PagePlus Intro 95
This is a desktop publishing program with so much grunt that we believe even the 'Intro' version leaves programs like MS Publisher for dead. Yes, it IS a large download at 7.7MB but once you've loaded and used this program you will wonder how you ever did any DTP without it. The program features: Wizards to help you create stunning layouts; terrific control over all elements of the page – either freeform or in frames – kerning; rotation; justification of text; etc, etc. You can also import images in nine formats – all the major ones like BMP, WMF, TIF, GIF, etc It also includes LogoPlus, an OLE program which not only creates terrific logos, but also has a number of samples which you can modify to suit yourself if your creative juices have dried up a little. We could write pages on the features – and quality – of PagePlus Intro 95 but it's better if you bite the bullet and download this monster to see for yourself. If you have more than just a passing interest in DTP you could find yourself as enthusiastic about PagePlus as we are. The program must be registered (free) with Serif within 30 days (easy from the US and the UK – for others e-mail us here at CFS for more information). Access this sensational desktop publishing program from:
W95 General Programs
FTPEdit
Every now and again a program comes along which is decidedly different from others. FTPEdit is one such program. With it, you can edit your homepage in situ, directly from your server's hard disk. It will allow multiple accounts (your page on different sites), macros for quick preset amendments – it even has provision for firewalls! The actual editor is fairly basic, but more than enough for quick amendments, which is really where this little beauty shines. Oh, and you can access a local file too if you like. One downside is that the FTP server must give unix-like directory listings and paths, though they are the most common by far. You won't go wrong having a copy of this fabulous free (for non-commercial use only) program. Access this 1MB download from:
W95 Internet Related
aha... Gotcha!!
This graphical representation of a card trick is really a tutorial so you can re-create the card trick (using real cards) and irritate your friends with just how clever you are. You'll need a pack of cards with you when you go through this tutorial as you will be doing the trick with those cards, entering the information of what cards you turned over into the program. You can do the same thing with a Java version on the author's website. Best features of the program? The piccy of the two guys pulling faces (talk about ugly!) and the author's multi-page description of himself ("I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook Thirty-Minute Brownies in twenty minutes. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru." etc). If this sounds like you, access this 990kB download from:
W95 General Games
Neko
Neko is an amusing little cat which sits and sleeps on your desktop – until you move your cursor. Then he will bound after it and, when it stops, sits above it. Neko then scratches, yawns and settles down for a sleep until you move the cursor again. Configurable and IE4 aware (which is going to become very important because IE4 alters the way your desktop is used), Neko is a fun little desktop 'toy' to brighten up even your worst days. Get a dose of Neko fun by accessing this 54kB download from:
W95 Desktop Utilities
MasterMind2
Like the old boardgame of the same name, MasterMind2 is a puzzle where you try and guess the correct location of the 'peg' colors and where you are prompted with a type of true or false answer. MasterMind2 will keep you amused for hours if you are prepared to persevere. Graphics are reasonable but not terrific (compared to, say, Simon32) and you'll have to rename the files after you've unpacked them. This is another case of an author using more characters than the old 8.3 filename allowed under Win 3.1, but having a zipping program which truncates those filenames back to the old system. MasterMind2.exe, for example, becomes mastermi.exe. Annoying. Still, the price is right for all you budding masterminds! Access this 109kB download from:
W95 General Games
NoteBook for Windows 95/NT
This is one very handy little program which is useful for keeping short notes and lists. These are the author's comments: "The main window displays a table of contents built from the first line of each notebook page. Double-click on an entry in this table to display and edit the specific note. Notes can be easily marked and sorted by priority. Search and Replace text in individual notes or throughout an entire note pad. Drag & drop files to quickly make new pages. Each NoteBook Pad can contain up to 50 individual pages of text. Each note page may contain up to 5K of text. NoteBook for Windows 95/NT can be configured to optionally place its program icon in the taskbar notification tray." There is also a Windows 3.1 version (see below) which can also be used for W95. Access the 112kB download from:
W95 General Programs
Bubble Puzzle 97
This is an endearing arcade-type game for all ages. Simple in its concept, it borrows a little from Tetris in that the idea is to keep and/or get the playing area free of bubbles. Join three bubbles of the same color and they fall (this is like an upside down Tetris), taking anything clinging to them with them. You fire the bubbles up at the clusters hanging above you with a 'canon', taking as long as you like in which to fire (except when the ceiling starts to be lowered on you!). When the lowest hanging bubble touches the ground the game is over. This game needs DirectX 3.x installed, though doesn't really like DirectX 5.0 (which we have installed). We also had to remove Stiletto, a button launcher which always remains on top (we presume this would be the same for other program launchers, like the MS Office bar), which always remain on top. The only other downside was that top scores never changed at 85239, even though the BubbleHighscore.ini recorded different scores for the different games. Even with these minor gliches, Bubble Puzzle 97 will get well used on our test computer (specially when work has to be done). Access this fun 1.35MB download from:
W95 General Games
FREE WIN 3.1 & DOS PROGRAMS
Webford HTML Editor
This is a terrific HTML editor which both W95 and Win 3.1 users will rave over. A list of its features would take pages but here's a couple to start with: a Wizard to help establish that 'first' web page; great control over things like background and text color; easy to read buttonbar with tooltips; pre-defined forms; JavaScript functions; search engine links; template facility (includes a sample template which many will find suitable for their homepage); etc. Really, the list is just so long. But what of the downside? Webford does not color tags (helpful for de-bugging, as well as making it easier to use) and nor does it automatically add the size attribute to an image. It offers space in the image dialog box for size attributes, but does not tell you the size of the image (a feature we use in other editors). Unlike some other HTML editors, this one allows you to open multiple pages – another feature we use to full advantage. Webford 2.0 is purported to be a Win 3.1 and Win95 program – which most authors state to indicate that their Win 3.1 program will still run under Win95. But load Webford on to a Win95 machine (like ours) and it takes on such a Win95 look and feel that we believe that there may be two versions here pretending to be one. When loaded on to a Win95 machine we got the full 'Install Wizard' treatment (typical of W95 programs) and, when loaded, there is an uninstall icon as part of the Program Group – very Win95ish. On top of that, the Win95 folder which houses this program only contains 544kB of files – which isn't much from a 1.01MB compressed file even allowing for some DLLs in the C:\Windows\System directory. We will be contacting the author to see if it should also be listed under Win95. In a word (well, two words!), Webford is 'highly recommended' for all HTML authors. Access this 1.01MB download from:
W3.1 & DOS
NoteBook for Windows
This handy little program is much more than a simple Post-It note, but not quite a full word processor. Read the comments in the W95 section above for most of the features of this program (except where it mentions about placing its program icon in the taskbar notification tray). Access this 58kB download from:
W3.1 & DOS
ABC Snap Graphics
A few years ago this was one of the top commercial graphics/drawing programs for the creation of all different sorts of charts – flow charts, organization charts, Venn diagrams, etc. Don't let that put you off if you don't want to create a chart but still want a program which has heaps of 3D symbols of all types, can do bezier curves, squares, circles, etc and has a powerful text insertion facility – all in full color. ABC Snap Graphics is a fabulous addition to any software library, and even if you have a more modern commercial drawing program you will find use for many of its unique features. Well worth the 1.3MB download, access this gem from:
W3.1 & DOS
VARIOUS FREEWARE RESOURCES
Best Freeware for DOS and Windows 3.1
Yves Bellefeuille has been running this sensational site for quite some time now but recently it disappeared so we removed it from our listing. Now it's back in a new home and we're pleased to be able to re-list it on our 'Various Freeware Resources' page. Yves also has a zipped file you can download with all his resources on it! If you haven't visited the CFS Various Freeware Resources page yet you might be amazed at the breadth of resources listed there, most with comments to assist you with selection so you don't waste your time visiting sites which don't offer what you want. Don't forget, before you race off and visit another site, bookmark the Completely Free Software pages so you can find your way back easily. Go check out all the resources on the various Freeware Resources page by going to:
Various Freeware Resources
Crimperman's Christian Freebees
This is a terrific site featuring Christian MS Plus Themes as well as other Christian freeware. Certainly on our 'must revisit often' list. Access it from:
Various Freeware Resources
Desktop Themes Unleashed
Talking about MS Plus Themes, we have added a link from our Various Freeware Resources page to Desktop Themes Unleashed, the largest and most authoritative listing we have found on the net. Allow plenty of time for a look because this site has listed more themes than we've had hot dinners! Set out in categories, Desktop Themes Unleashed can be accessed from:
Various Freeware Resources
FINALLY
Some people have asked why we don't normally display version numbers and 'last updated' dates to individual programs. The reason for this is that we usually link to the main information page for that program (to give you much more information before you decide if you will download) and to not limit the information presented. While we regularly check that the link is still active (using InfoLink – see our Win95 Internet Related page), we don't have the time to go and check each individual program each week (essential if the version number information is to be kept up-to-date). If we did that then we wouldn't be able to download and review the number of programs that we do.
Whenever an author advises us of an update we always make mention of it – as we do when we find out from other sources. But there is nothing more frustrating that having an 'almost right' resource listing where you are relying on published version numbers being correct (we still see resource sites which link to Netscape 2 – to us their credibility is zero!). If you have a program which you use often, regularly call on back and visit the program's homepage to see if it's been updated. You can also use Catch-UP, a program you'll find on our Win 3.1 page.
Please note that Solitude, the terrific Win95 cardgame suite, now has a new ftp home (and a new version – 1.10). Access it from:
W95 General Games
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