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This electronic newsletter is registered – ISSN 1441-6840
Welcome to the CFS Weekly Newsletter.
The programs listed here are completely free for non-commercial use, even though some may be shareware or commercial products. None are time-limited and all are fully functional. If you know any that aren't exactly as specified, please let us know and they will be removed immediately.
If the link below does not work (does not take you directly to the program listing) it is probably because the site has been upgraded and the link is no longer valid. Please use the CFS Site Search facility (above) to locate the program.
COMPLETELY FREE SOFTWARE
StuntFighter v1.0 – Win9x
Due to our hardware limitations, StuntFighter has not been reviewed. The author states that you have to battle endless waves of aliens in this arcade action space shooter. It has 32 bit graphics and a 6+ minute rockin' techno soundtrack. The original concept for StuntFighter was for a quick and dirty clone of the original Space Invaders but it has progressed beyond that original simple concept. The game requires DirectX 7a or greater, and an 8MB AGP video card capable of 32 bit color. The stills from this game look great and we were disappointed we could not properly review it at this time. If you have the minimum requirements, and don't mind the size of the download, then we suggest that you try this game out. Could be a blast! Access this 7.82MB download from: Win9x General Games
AnalogX SuperShredder v1.00 – Win9x
SuperShredder is a super file deletion tool which can delete files using common methods such as Gutmann and NISPOM (DoD) and can be completely customized. It can receive files via drag 'n drop, by selecting files from inside the program, command line, or through the 'Send to...' menu inside Windows Explorer. The program is extremely easy to use while providing a safe way of totally shredding private files (specially ones which have been encrypted). You can not only configure the two main shredding methods included with the program, but you can add your own methods too. However, most people should find that the supplied methods quite sufficient. SuperShredder is an impressive little utility for those occasions when file security is of the utmost importance. Access this 231kB download from: Win9x Desktop Utilities
Windows Startup Editor v1.0.4 – Win9x
Windows Startup Editor allows you to add, delete and/or view items that are set to load as Windows loads, from either the registry or the startup folder. With a full list of programs launched when Windows boots up, you can select and entry and delete it, see what an entry shortcut loads (and the loadup options), and it even allows you to add other items or to modify existing loadup options. It has a pleasant enough interface – easy to use and easy to look at – and it does what it sets out to do very well. However, we cannot justify what this program does as against the size of the download – there seems to be a huge disparity between program size (124kB – about what we'd expect) and the download size (3.01MB), even taking into account that the program uses some of the VB6 runtime files. Strange! If you are prepared to download such a large utility program, you will be rewarded with a handy tool which gives back control of the programs loaded at startup. Access this 3.01MB download from: Win9x Windows Extras
Millennium Mp3 Studio v1.0 – Win9x
Millennium Mp3 Studio is a MP3 studio that allows you to play MP3 files, create MP3 CDs, decode MP3 files, offers studio mixing facilities with 24 band equalizer, playlist creator, ID3 tag editor, skin support, and more. Its appearance is similar to an old rotary telephone dialer but with an iris in the middle which contracts slightly when you click on the play button (located in the middle of there 'eye'). It might sound a little gauche but "in the flesh" it is quite attractive. The non-rectangular window, however, is obviously designed for a black background, as are the dialog boxes which look disembodied on a white background. The program is easy to use, has great sound, and lots of very worthwhile features. The graphics equalizer is great and the playlists easy to create. You can apparently change the skins ("masks") as much as you like and even create your own from any image using the mask's editor but we could not find that editor, not in the download and not on the author's site. There were a copuple of things which we really didn't like about Millennium Mp3 Studio. First, it does not give you any option where you want to place the Mp3 Studio folder – like it or not you have to use C:\Millennium\. We believe that users should have an option on where a program is stored on their hard drive. The second thing we didn't like was the advertising. While we happily accept advertising banners within a host program, when they alter other program, in this case the Web browser start page settings, we start to see red. Yes, you can easily change your start page back to whatever you had before the program altered it but you shouldn't have to. Millennium Mp3 Studio has a lot of great features, but we felt that the advertising was intrusive and that spoils the program for us. Still, it is certainly worth a look. Access this 1.38MB download from: Win9x Multimedia Programs
Quick Zip v1.50 – Win9x
Quick Zip is a ZIP archive manager which can create ZIP and SFX archives, and extract files from ZIP, ARJ, CAB, LHA, LZH, RAR, TAR & TGZ archives. It features a built-in viewer, an internal e-mail client, a password remover and a ZIP repair function. It also offers disk spanning, can create an install pack for programs, and can handle ZIP archives in batches. This is quite a selection of features! The interface is excellent, with a series of icons becoming available on the left hand side of the window as different features are accessed. Very neat and highly practical. Alas, it seems to have a problem saving settings between sessions and not all options remain as required for more than the session involved. We were also disappointed that it is very heavy on resources, demanding more than 12% of precious system resources to run the program and even more when you open or create archives. System resources are the one thing which adding more memory (RAM), etc will not increase so any program which grabs more than its fair share is likely to run you too low for the computer to continue to work properly (often causing the "blue screen of death"). However, if a lack of system resources is not a problem for you then you would do well to check out Quick Zip. It has an amazing array of features and the interface makes it very easy to use. Except as noted, we were most impressed with this archive manager. Access this 1.43MB download from: Win9x General Programs
Ftp2Mail v1.0 – Win9x
Ftp2Mail allows you to receive any file by e-mail instead of using FTP or HTTP download. It features optional auto-capture for EXE, ZIP, MP3 & Webpage processing files plus a choice of FTP and HTTP servers to handle the request. Instead of waiting while a file is downloaded to your computer via your Web browser or an FTP manager (Net Vampire, NetAnts, Go!Zilla, etc), files can be sent to your e-mail server and can be retrieved from there at full modem speed. Before using a program like this, users should check with their ISP for the maximum size of their mailbox because some downloaded files could be too large. The program has a simple interface and is extremely easy to use. You can right-click in the program's main window to manually process a file. There are also menu items for saving the file, etc but none seemed to work for us. Maybe they are for future use... We suggest that you use the auto-capture feature with caution because you could end up e-mailing yourself files which you don't want simply because you copied a URL to the Clipboard. Assuming that your mailbox is large enough to handle a reasonably large file, Ftp2Mail is a superb way of downloading files without having to wait around if the Internet is slow (isn't it always?). You can come back later and retrieve the file from your e-mail server very quickly. Even if you only use it occasionally, this is one program we consider a "must have". Access this 177kB download from: Win9x Internet Related
Piky Basket v1.1 – Win9x
Piky Basket is a shell extension which makes copy, paste, drag 'n drop file management much easier and faster than using Windows Explorer. You can select a number of individual files, or groups of files, and 'drop' them into the Piky basket. This can be done over a period of time and can be from a number of folders. Once you have collected all the files that you want to move or copy, just go to the folder where you want them to reside and click on "Copy All" or "Move All" and those files will be copied or moved to that directory. The program has some nice little sound effects which tell you when a file has been placed in the basket and when the final command is completed. We seldom get highly excited about file management using the Windows shell extension but Piky Basket is different. There is no equivalent task in Explorer and the best that the Windows juggernaut can handle is to copy or move a batch of files from the same folder. However, there are many occasions when you want to move/copy files from different locations into the one location and it is under these circumstances that Piky Basket is on its own. Use this utility for 5 minutes and you too will become a devotee – it is just so handy! If you don't download anything else this month, grab a copy of Piky Basket... Access this 313kB download from: Win9x Desktop Utilities
Snake v3.02 – Win9x
Snake is a remake of the classic Snake/Worm/Nibbles game. It features level-play, growth-play and high score tables, plus you can create your own levels. The game requires a 1024 x 768 screen plus the VB5 runtime files. The interface is plain but the game is reasonably fast and quite playable. It has a number of levels and you can add your own quite easily. The high scores can be posted on-line at the author's Website. Overall, a pleasant enough game which, unfortunately, demands that you use a screen resolution larger than 800 x 600. Access this 107kB download from: Win9x General Games
3S Accounting v2.0 – Win9x
3S Accounting is a professional service-industry accounting package. It features general ledger, invoice/order entry system, bank reconciliation, automated check printing, report/statement design, etc and it export reports directly to MSOffice and Corel WordPerfect Suite. The package is primarily designed for the service industry because it doesn't include an inventory control module, though distribution-type industries would still find the program of value if inventory control was not required. It has a "no-date" General Ledger using "periods" rather than months as the base unit so that various fiscal years can be incorporated for different countries and different requirements (13 periods plus 1 opening balance period). The program defaults to a "desktop" view which looks, and acts, like a regular Windows desktop and where shortcuts can be stored for the myriad of modules offered. We could fill pages with the extensive features of 3S Accounting – it seemed to do everything required of a professional accounting program (apart from inventory control) though we are unsure of how it would handle the UK's VAT or Australia's GST (added at the point of sale but requiring credits for previously paid tax). However it handles sales tax OK. We were most impressed with 3S Accounting and consider it quite a heavyweight in the single-computer accounting stakes. This version is advertiser supported (through Aureate/Radiant) but no ads appeared during the extensive period we had the program open on our desktop (and connected to the Internet). If you have a small or medium business then 3S Accounting could be exactly what you want. Access this 8.62MB download from: Win9x General Programs
Win Barometer v1.0 – Win9x
Win Barometer is a tool to monitor the weather network and collect information about temperature, humidity & pressure. It can display weather info for almost any location in the world, including quite small cities. The program has a good selection of cities pre-programmed but, if your nearest city or large town is not listed, there is a good chance that it can be located on the main database and the information transferred back to the program. By default it is scheduled to collect new data every 30 minutes so, if you are connected to the Net, you can get up-to-date information about the air temperature, the current humidity and the barometric pressure outside your own door. Temperatures are offered in both Centigrade (Celsius) and Fahrenheit. Residents of Ontario, Canada, can also get air quality data. Win Barometer lives as an icon in the desktray (next to the clock) until required and uses virtually no system resources (less than 1%). We were very impressed with this little utility – it offers up-to-date weather information on even quite small cities. It is easy to change locations if you wish to view the weather details of another city. It looks cool too! Win Barometer is well worth having on hand to know if you should go outside or continue to sit on front of the computer. Access this 40kB download from: Win9x Internet Related
UPDATE
BigGuns: the Battleship Simulator – a 3D ocean action as the USS New Jersey (player 1) and the USS Iowa (player 2) battle it out in this split-screen simulator – has been updated to version 3.3. The author advises that the new version has a new help screen with keyboard commands, has 300 feet streaming vapor trails behind harpoon missiles, has new radar aid to prevent collisions and do intercepts, all ships now make random turns, new zoom ship (move fast) in grid option for Practice mode, and a new option in the menu to turn missiles off. Access this new version from: DOS General Games
PowerArchiver 2000 – an excellent archive manager – has been updated to version 5.6 beta 2 with a new download size of 2.02MB. This version adds a tool for repairing corrupted ZIP archives, it can now create RAR, ACE, ARJ, LHA and BH SFX archives, plus it includes many minor bug fixes and updates (including optimizations). Alas, the author has not fixed the excessive resource drain which was reported when we first reviewed this program. Access this latest version from: Win9x General Programs
VCW VicMan's Photo Editor – a powerful graphics editor for BMP, JPEG and GIF images – has been updated to version 5.02. The author advises that this version has a new 'cool' interface, can work with more than 1 picture, and more. Access this update from: Win9x Graphics Programs
Westfront PC: The Trials of Guilder – an RPG (role playing game) text adventure – has been updated to version 9.50 with a new, smaller download size of 604kB. The author says that the help system has been improved dramatically, several improvements have been made to the inventory system, the buy/sell menu, several bugs have been fixed (a few major ones!) and MIDI music has been added as well as additional sounds (WAV files). He also advises that five new quests have been added, forty new rooms, and some additional monsters, items, weapons, armor and other niceties. If you like RPG text adventures then you'll love this one. Grab a copy of this new version from: Win9x General Games
eQNotes! – a program for jotting down and saving information before you forget it – has been updated to version 1.6.4 with a slightly larger download size of 160kB. We were pleased that see that our previous comments about this handy little program had been noted and that the program now minimizes to an icon on the desktray (next to the clock). The author has also removed the incongruous buttons and implemented a more standard menuing system which now includes a copy and paste function. The new look and the new features are most welcome. Access this latest version from: Win9x Text Programs
NetAnts – a resumable multi-thread FTP download file manager – has been updated to version 1.21 with a new download size of 864kB. While this latest version is mainly just bug fixes, over the past few updates there have been some major changes to this excellent program. These include: skin support; support for SOCKS4a with DNS lookup; remember last download directory; customize toolbar button; use default proxy for all jobs; retrieve username and password from DUN; backup download database every day; and fix corrupted ZIP archive. Whatever download manager you have been using, do yourself a favor and check out NetAnts – and be prepared to be impressed! Access this latest incantation from: Win9x Internet Related
COMMENTS
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