Try these great Christian links – you won’t regret it!
The Completely Free E-mail Update #41
Issued May 5, 1998
Welcome to the forty-first 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 some 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.
COMPLETELY FREE SOFTWARE
Alien Launchpad – W95
Ed Caggiani's Alien Launchpad is an excellent buttonbar program launcher. With up to 12 preset program buttons (unfortunately just marked as 'A' to 'L' rather than by name) you can start your favorite program with the click of a button. The launcher can be minimized to a single icon which can be positioned anywhere on your desktop (click on the pointing finger and the button bar appears) and it can be configured for color, etc with the click of another button. Overall we were quite impressed with Alien Launchpad and found it a useful addition to the desktop. Unfortunately the download includes many runtime DLLs, etc which you are sure to already have on your computer which pushes the download file to 1.83MB. This compares to the Win 3.1 version (see below) which is only 15kB! Access the Win95 version from: W95 Desktop Utilities
Alien Launchpad – W31 (suitable W95)
Ed Caggiani has also a Win 3.1 version of Alien Launchpad which lacks some of the bells and whistles of the Win95 version (see above) and can only launch 11 programs from its buttons (the W95 version can launch 12). With a simpler configuration, balloon-type descriptions of the programs, etc, many users may find this a better version – specially if system resources are tight. When we fired up the 16-bit version we found that the launcher was on the extreme right hand side of our 800x600 screen and only the right-hand button was exposed (a 640x480 screen would not have shown the launcher at all!) but we could not move the program to a more accessible location without changing the screen resolution to 1024x768 so we could access the 'M' (Move) button. There is no titlebar which can be used to move the program so the hidden Move button was really a hassle. This might not be a problem with Win 3.1 machines but we could not check as we only have a W95 test computer. The Win 3.1 version does not have a "stay on top" facility which meant that we had to Alt-Tab to expose it (it didn't show up in the W95 taskbar). If resources are a problem then this buttonbar program launcher really is very good (if a little plain in appearance). And the download size won us because it's only 15kB. Access the Win 3.1 version from: W31 Desktop Utilities
Wumpus Cave – W95
This is a nostalgic game from the father of the shareware concept, Jim Knopf. Based off the early 1980's text adventure game, Wumpus Cave is both simple and fun. The purpose is to kill the Wumpus which is hiding in a cave with a grid of 5x5. You can fire an arrow in one of four directions but if you move in the same direction you jump over the grid where you shot your arrow and into the next one. Before falling into a bottomless pit, being snatched by a super-bat, or being eating by the Wumpus you get a warning ("I feel a draft" for the bottomless pit, or "I smell a Wumpus" when you are in an adjacent cell to it, etc). There is a cheat button but if you use it there is not much point to the game (is there much point anyway?) except to get used to the gameplay. There is also a sound button which gives you sound effects (the twang of an arrow, etc) and makes the whole game much more fun. We played a similar game in the mid 80's called "Temple Of Loth" by John Belew (Nurucc the Chaotic) which was written in BASIC. We would love to post 'Temple' on the CFS pages (we still have an old copy on a 360kB floppy!) but cannot contact Mr Belew to make sure that the game is free. Anyone help? Enough of that. If Wumpus Cave is for you, go grab this 430kB download from: W95 General Games
Extreme Power Tools – W95
EPT is a terrific suite of utilities and games for both Win9x and NT (a couple of the utilities are only suitable for NT) – 38 different applications in one download. Among a swag of great utilities, there are ASCII text editors, an excellent icon (ICO & CUR) editor, there are utilities to check out various functions on your computer, a terrific address book, CD audio player, etc. It also includes some excellent little games, like Othello and Supertic (be first to get five Xs in any direction on either a 10x10 grid or a 20x10 grid – play the computer or another human) and Royale, as played by James Bond. We could fill this entire newsletter with raves about each of these terrific applications but the best is for you to at least look at the author's homepage and read about each item yourself. This suite is officially shareware and you must register to continue using it. Registration is free and when you do you are not only sent the registration key by e-mail but a small zipped EXE file which loads that key into the Windows' registry. With a download of only 594kB for the entire fabulous suite, you can access Extreme Power Tools from: W95 Desktop Utilities
QuickLink Explorer Freeware Edition – W95
QuickLink is an excellent URL management tool which keeps all your Bookmarks/Favorites/Hotlists in the one Explorer-like program. Complete with a large number of URLs already programmed in (the version we downloaded had 47 directories in 12 categories with a total of 491 URLs but a later version has been released), QuickLink will allow you to store all those URLs in one handy database. You can add URLs from your browser into QuickLink by simply clicking on the AddURL button. But wait, there's more! You can also download two optional add-ins for QuickLink (not reviewed). WebWizard can reproduce the QuickLink database in HTML form, with or without descriptions – perfect for that page of links you have on your website. WebBowser is a simple browser. WebWizard is a 773kB download and WebBrowser a 720kB download. With excellent external browser integration (as well as Netscape and IE, it supports three versions of Mosaic as well as Opera) this program is the best URL manager we have seen to date. QuickLink Explorer Freeware Edition is now a 5.48MB download (the version we downloaded was just 4.07MB!) which you can get from: W95 Internet Related
Corkboard – W95
Corkboard is a 'pretend' screensaver which operates like a regular screensaver except that it doesn't shimmer and shake like regular screensavers (supposedly to prevent monitor burn-in when something is displayed for long periods of time) though it does have a similar feature and you can set it to start a real screensaver after a preset time. If it's not a screensaver, then what is Corkboard? Corkboard is a desktop where you can 'pin' sticky notes, see a 'to-do' list, activate your telephone dialer, have the time and date displayed, etc, etc, etc. You are limited to what you can display by what iconized programs, called 'objects', you have. When you download Corkboard you get quite a few sample objects but when it is registered (yes, it is shareware – no cost shareware - and it does expire after 10 days if you don't register it) you get a lot more. With more and more objects being offered, Corkboard almost becomes a de facto desktop with program launchers, etc. You can change the background (quite a few are offered, or you can use your own), have it activated after a preset period of time (like a normal screensaver), have it password protected so you can 'lock' your screen with Corkboard exposed – even use it to play pranks on other people in a LAN should you be connected to one. Obviously trying to be all things to all people, Corkboard is certainly a worthwhile 'desktop' which breaks free from the traditional Win9x style. With a tremendous configuration array you can set Corkboard up to suit yourself. Sort of like the ultimate desktop gizmo, we think that Corkboard is the 'bees knees' in fun and functionability. Go grab this 2.05MB download from: W95 Desktop Utilities
Photonizer 97 – W95
Photonizer is rather a nice electronic photo album with provision for multiple albums, creating thumbnails of the images in an album, turning an album into a slide show, etc. With an excellent viewer and support for BMP, DIB, GIF, JIF, JPG, RLE, TGA and PCX formats you can add single images or entire directories to your album. Many people use these photo albums as a great way of storing clipart, specially with a program like this one which creates thumbnails. The search feature is also helpful for finding images. Photonizer 97 is a 1.21MB download which can be accessed from: W95 General Programs
TeraLogic Texture Maker – W95 (DOS version also available)
This one is truly awesome! TeraLogic Texture Maker makes backgrounds for websites, and for any graphic images, and it does it with a tremendous variety of controls - almost too many controls! A short time with the tutorials – or just by playing around with the program (rewarding but, believe us, you'll miss 90% of what TeraLogic can do!) – you'll soon be mastering it. A texture can be created automatically using the Witch (yeh, the author's name for a 'Wizard') or you can play around with different settings to create your own masterpiece. When you have created it, you can then convert it to 3D if you want, setting the light source, etc so you get the exact effect you want. Even if you never have a real need to create textured backgrounds, you will get hours and hours of fun just experimenting with TeraLogic – it really is that good! The kids (big as well as little) will find it is a real time waster. One point worth noting. TeraLogic requires a minimum of a 800x600 screen, and even then some of the elements are partly off screen (they are accessible and can be dragged into the viewing area when required), but the program is much more suitable for a 1024x768 screen. Having read the rave, what are you waiting for? Go grab this sensational 911kB download from: W95 Graphics Programs
Prime Style – W95
If you ever have to make a small amendment to dozens, or even hundreds, of webpages you will appreciate the virtue of using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). A single CSS file can hold all your basic webpage style information. CSS gives much more control to webpages than straight HTML so the advantages aren't just in ease of making changes. However, creating CSS pages (until now) hasn't been all that easy unless you're armed with a fistful of dollars to get the latest HTML editor which not only supports CSS, but offers an easy way of creating it. Enter Prime Style. This excellent – and free!!! – CSS editor will create your CSS form and also supply the HTML to add to your pages so it can be linked (a single line of code is usually all that is needed so that browsers know where to access your CSS information). Simple, easy to use, with the modern 'flat button' look, Prime Style is an essential tool for the aspiring (or was that 'perspiring'?) web author. Just to make us all feel old, Prime Style was written by a 13-year old Australian farm boy! Completely professional in its presentation, accurate in its use, Prime Style is terrific. Kick the hay out from between your teeth and go get this 2.35MB download from: W95 Internet Related
DomiNOTE – W95 (W31 version also available)
There is NotePad, and there are dozens of replacements which try to overcome some of NotePad's deficiencies. We have listed a few but many have so many built-in extras you may feel daunted using them. Not so DomiNOTE. This is one of the simplest and easiest to use programs we have seen for some time. Overcoming NotePad's file size deficiency, DomiNOTE can open or create as many files of whatever size you like (subject to the PC's memory) and it offers a terrific 'tab' option where open documents can be selected easily from the bottom of the screen by just clicking on the exposed tab. It also features HTML coloring so you can easily view – and modify – HTML documents. For finding and replacing text, the excellent "StayOnTop" FindAgain panel sits in the upper left hand corner of the screen, slightly minimized, so it can be easily accessed from there without it covering the text it's supposed to be highlighting. With full control over screen and printing fonts – and font size – DomiNOTE has the look and feel of a million dollar program. If all you need is a functional ASCII text editor to replace Microsoft's NotePad but don't need some of the fancy features found on larger programs, go grab yourself a copy of DomiNOTE. Available in both Win95 (181kB download) and Win 3.1 (177kB download) versions, you can access them both from the Win95 link: W95 Text Programs
Unfrag – W95
Applications which use OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) have a habit of creating compound files which waste enormous amounts of hard disk space. Unfrag fixes those compound files and saves that hard disk space which can soon overwhelm even the largest hard disk. For example, on one 600MB drive we saved 214kB in 280 compound files – files which we didn't even expect to have found because we don't normally use OLE (and certainly not on that particular drive). It therefore pays to check your hard drive(s) and get rid of the dead wood with this very handy PC Magazine free utility. With a download of only 29kB there is no excuse for not trimming some of the fat off your hard drive. Access it from: W95 Desktop Utilities
UPDATES
PowerZip – the *only* zipping and unzipping tool we use – has been updated to version 3.6. Download size has also been reduced to 1.07MB (the last two versions have got smaller, which is a sign of good programming). There are so many fabulous features of this program that we urge you to at least check out the author's webpage and read them for yourself. Let it be suffice to say that of ALL archiving tools we have used (free and commercial), our preference is for this one. And it just gets better, and better, and better! One tip, if you're already a PowerZip user, uninstall the old version before loading the new one. Now, zip right on over and get your copy from: W95 General Programs
COMMENTS
We would like to thank the regular visitors to the CFS site who have told us their favorite freeware. If you have a favorite program which isn't listed on the CFS pages we invite you to share that information with everyone through this site and this newsletter.
If you enjoy the Completely Free Software site please don't feel shy about letting others know.
ADVERTISING
Would your company benefit from being exposed on the CFS site? We have discerning (like you!) software-oriented visitors who would love to know about your company and it's product or service.If you wish more information about staking your claim on the CFS site, please visit: CFS Advertising Rates
ReturnTo E-mail Index
Member of the Software HyperBanner !
To Top Of Page
|
