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E-mail Update Newsletter #57
Issued August 25, 1998
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Welcome to the fifty-seventh edition of the 'Completely Free Software' E-mail Newsletter. This is a selection of the programs we've added over the past week.
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.
COMPLETELY FREE SOFTWARE
Windows Make-Up – W95
This is an excellent program to control the Windows' desktop. With it you can change the size of dialog and combo boxes (hooray!), change the 'OK' and 'Cancel' buttons (the default with the program uses buttons with both graphics and words on them) and various other Windows graphics (the 'Start' button is one). This really is terrific! The program arrives complete with a 'themes' editor (though still very much in beta) and a bunch of replacement icons, buttons and themes. We liked the new OK and Cancel buttons which come with the program, the OK one has a tick on it and the Cancel button has a cross. You can nominate which controls get the new-look buttons. Listed with the program's setup is "OK', 'Yes' and 'Accept' but not 'Open' (which we added). Dialog box sizes, by the program's default, we felt were too large and we reduced them both to 130% (height and width) which we felt was more appealing. You cannot make these boxes smaller than 100% (ie, the size the original program author has decreed) and going larger stops when you hit the maximum screen size. As we said, we felt that 130% of the original seemed to work well. One default we increased was the combo box size. Combo boxes are those drop down boxes, like the 'Fonts' selection in, say, WordPad. You can increase the size the box opens to so that more choices are displayed. The combo box can never be larger than the number of items in it, nor can it be larger than the height of the screen. With other controls available, this is one program which you will be happy to have loaded at StartUp. Maybe the best part is exploring the possibilities. Please note, there is a Win98 version coming. Win98 actually does some of the things which this program can do (but not all). If you think that Windows needs a make-up, grab this 1.29MB download from: W95 Windows Extras
Klik-A-Dir – W95
If you've ever wanted an easy way to explore your hard drive(s), want to be able to launch programs, access DOS and just do all those little maintenance jobs which you need to do on a computer, we suggest that you give Klik-A-Dir a try. This little gem has one of the neatest front ends we've seen on this type of program (just because it's a utility doesn't mean that it has to look utilitarian) which is highly – and easily – configurable and which quickly hides from sight when not in use. Hiding in the desktray next to the clock, Klik-A-Dir can be brought to the top with a single click on the icon. There are three choices for accessing each menu item – DOS Prompt, Open and Explore. This allows you to browse your hard drive using the 'Explore' feature, accessing a drive or individual directory (whatever you decide), 'Open' a particular program or file, or access the DOS Prompt at any point in your directory structure. It is easy to add or subtract entries, to nest entries, to even copy a path to the Windows' Clipboard. Is there nothing this little beauty can't do? You deserve to grab this program and have a look for yourself. With a download of only 139kB, access it from: W95 Desktop Utilities
NoteMaid – W95
There are many free ASCII editors available to replace NotePad but NoteMaid stands out from the crowd. Featuring a tiny footprint (the executionable file is less than 94kB for the larger 'Internet' version), NoteMaid can edit both standard text files and binary files (though it is not a true hex editor) in ASCII and ANSI formats, it can split and join files, obtain HTML documents from the Internet (the 'Internet version') and then strip them of their HTML coding (it will even download and store in memory while you're working on another document). It also provide stats on the open files – number of characters, number of words, document filesize and available memory.Oh, and it is not limited to the stupid Windows' 64kB filesize either – it can load a file as large as the available memory. We were impressed! You can change the display fonts (how the document looks on the screen and prints) but this doesn't affect the document which is saved without font information being added. However, there is one major drawback. Apart from storing a downloaded HTML document in its buffer ('Internet' version) NoteMaid can only open one document at a time. You can open multiple copies of NoteMaid, but only one document in each copy. As you've no doubt guessed, there are two versions of NoteMaid, the 'Internet' version and the 'non-Internet' version (for those who want a smaller executionable file!). We didn't check the 'non-Internet' version but its download size was only 4kB less than the 'full' version... Better go grab a copy of this 54kB download (yep, just 54kB!) before they're all gone. Get yours from: W95 Text Programs
Mancala! – DOS (suitable for W95)
Mancala! is a terrific strategy-based boardgame where you play against the computer or against a human opponent. The idea is to move as many stones as you can into your 'mancala' (the storage area on the right-hand end of the board) until all the stones are gone. There are some rules/strategies to learn before you can master this program but it is very enjoyable and will keep you amused for hours. The interface is excellent, the options good, and the download is a tiny 46kB (even better!). Access Mancala! from: DOS General Games
Splitit95 – W95
Transporting large files without a Zip or Jaz drive can be quite hard. Splitit95 will split files into chunks small enough to go on to floppy disks and will re-join them on the other end. The author has included provision for using preset sizes (to suit most floppy disks) and also to split the file into a customizable size (as long as it's larger than 1024 bytes). You can elect to specify whether you want the file split into predetermined segments, into a configurable number of sections (for example, splitting a file into 40 pieces) up to 65,000, or splitting it up into download time segments (specify the number of hours and minutes you want the segments to take, and the baud rate, to be sent over a network, based on 10k bits or bytes per second – the Helpfile isn't clear on this as it says 10/bits/bytes but probably means 10k/bytes). The 'join' program is a DOS one which will work on most Wintel systems. This means that you can transfer files from a Win98 computer to an old 286 machine running DOS and all you have to worry about is long file names. Go grab this 274kB download from: W95 General Programs
Printer Changer – W95 (we think!)
If you often change between different printers – even just between your regular printer and your fax driver – then Printer Changer is just what you want. Sitting in the desktray as an icon, left or right click on it and you can quickly select whichever printer driver you want. As an added bonus, the icon carries the day's date. The latest version (v2.0) even includes a fix for the MS Word HPGL printer bug. Only 5,372 MS Word bugs still to be fixed!!! There's not a lot we can say about Printer Changer except to explain our comments in the title. This is a 16-bit program which uses the Win95 desktray. Even the program's author doesn't know if it works under Win 3.1! If you want to instantly change your printer drivers then get this 101kB download from: W95 Desktop Utilities
!conMania 98 – W95
This is a superb collection of over 550 icons (and a couple of cursors) for your Windows' desktop. Arranged in 19 separate categories, including Animated, Computer Games, Space, Television & Movies – even Video Games and Websites! The icons are good quality and overall the collection is excellent. Whether you are a programmer looking for an icon to suit your program, or whether you're a person who dislikes to submit to the same old collection which comes with Windows, !conMania will put a smile on your face (yes, there's even a smiley face!). Access this 364kB download from: W95 Windows Extras
UPDATES
Search & Replace 98 (formerly SR-HTML32) – the superb utility to replace text, specially HTML code, in all files in a directory – has been upgraded. This terrific little program does not have the Windows file limitation size of 64kB which it had before. This makes it much more valuable as a working tool. It has also been increased in download size to 264kB. Get this fabulous program from: W95 Internet Related
COMMENTS
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