|
 |
E-mail Update Newsletter #58
Issued September 1, 1998
|
Welcome to the fifty-eighth 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
Midnight Sunitaire – W9x
This is a fabulous solitaire cardgame from Norway (the Land of the Midnight Sun – Sunitaire, get it!) which will test your patience if not your determination. With only one chance in 60 of winning (this is the author's stats), be prepared to put up with 59 failures... The game comes complete with superb sounds, superb graphics, plenty of options, lots of toolbar buttons and a really neat appearance. Animation is smooth and the whole game is professionally presented. We like! You don't have to be a 'solitaire collector' (as many people are) to find room for this little gem on your hard drive, anyone who needs to kill a few minutes (and doesn't mind losing!) will revel in this game. Oh, and just in case this isn't enough, the author has hidden an "Easter Egg" in the program which, if you can find it, will tell you of 90 games which are winnable. Now, if only the author would give us the number of just one winning game so we know we are playing it properly... Get your copy of this 1.04MB download from: W95 General Games
Baby Progress – W31 (suitable W9x)
Expectant parents know the worry about dates when it comes to the "big day". Baby Progress is a special calendar which helps put those days in order. Presenting the baby's age in days, weeks and months, the calendar offers a 'due' date plus an expected minimum and maximum (one week either way). It also counts down the number of days to go. The program is simple to use and even expectant fathers (never known to be rational!) could use this one. The author even recommends that you put it in your start-up group so that every time you switch on your computer you get a reminder (as if you'd need a reminder!!!). With a download of only 131kB, there is no reason why you shouldn't be kept up-to-date about your offspring's birth. Get your copy from: W31 General Programs
Mini CD Player – W9x
There are so many audio CD players around that we sometimes cringe when asked to look at yet another. They are either desktray-based iconized programs which just automatically play audio CDs, or they are cumbersome programs which demand an excessive amount of desktop space while offering a few enhancements over the simpler iconized versions. Mini CD Player is different. Yes, it is an iconized desktray program which can be optioned in Windows to auto-play audio CDs. But it also offers a small (2 inch long) bar incorporating the regular CD buttons (like a 'real' CD player) and showing the track number. This small window can be positioned anywhere you like on the screen and will remain on top. This can further be expanded to include the time that the current track has been playing, and a Repeat button. When made the active screen, there are even quite a few quick key commands (ie 'p' for play, 'e' for eject, etc). With or without the on-screen commands, right clicking on the desktray icon gives you control of most of the normal commands – stop, pause, repeat, eject, (go to) track, etc. Access this 64kB download from: W95 Multimedia Programs
Cool Timer – W9x
If you have the need (or desire) to know how long Windows has been open in the current session then you will love Cool Timer 'cos that's exactly what it does! Hover the mouse cursor over the neat analog clock icon in the desktray and you get the message "This system has been running for..." You don't even need to have it open when windows starts up – anytime you open it within a session it will tell you how long Windows has been running. The download at 1.38MB does not reflect just how small this program really is (the unzipped executionable is only 56kB) but it carries the baggage of the VB5 runtime DLLs, all of which you probably have anyway. The program needs to be registered if you want to use it beyond the evaluation period but it is free for non-commercial use so all the author will get from you is your name and e-mail address. Commercial users will have to pay $5. Whether or not the program is as cool as the author claims is another matter. Certainly, if you want to know how long the current Windows' session has been then this is a great way of finding out. Shame about the VB5 download baggage. Access this 1.38MB download from: W95 Desktop Utilities
HyperTerminal PE – W9x
Hilgraeve's enhanced replacement for the HyperTerminal program supplied with Windows is so chock full of improvements there is no reason why anyone would use the tired old Microsoft version of this telnet/communications package. The latest version of Hilgraeve's HyperTerminal PE boasts the following features: define macro keys; define the colors used by the terminal screen; set the terminal screen size (rows and columns); full color support when emulating VT100 terminals; pass-through printing now lets host systems control your printer; ability to exit the program automatically when you log off; includes updated entries for BBSs and systems that you can call; adopts Windows new "flat" toolbar style; etc. We were most impressed with this program and have replaced our Microsoft version for this one. Try it, you'll agree! Grab this 741kB download from: W95 Internet Related
Sokoban 97 – W31 (suitable W9x)
There are quite a few versions of Sokoban available. Meaning 'Warehouse Keeper' in Japanese, this puzzle will give you days or weeks of fun trying to solve all the levels. Traditionally there are 50 levels but this version includes a further 40 and the author's website offers links to many more again. Without doubt, this is the best version we have seen of this classic puzzle game. It has superb graphics, terrific sounds, mouse control (this is quite rare amongst sokoban games) and a playing area large enough to see without requiring a magnifying glass. Impressive! If you have tried other Sokoban puzzles then this one is a 'must'. If you haven't yet, what are you waiting for! Caution: Sokoban is addictive – be warned! Push yourself a little and grab a copy of this 280kB download from: W31 General Games
URLMenu – W9x
This is a terrific little utility which resides in the desktray and gives quick access to your Netscape Bookmarks and IE Favorites. It can also give fast access to URLs which can, in effect, become 'hyperlinked' even if the document they're in doesn't support this function. Highlight the URL and copy it twice to the Clipboard very quickly (speed can be varied, the default is 0.5 seconds) and your browser will open and get the page. Neato! The Bookmark listing (in Netscape anyway) goes off the screen when you're using an 800x600 resolution as we do and you actually have to access a Bookmark to clear the screen. That little "undocumented feature" aside, URLMenu is well worth the download – even if just to be able to turn URLs in any document into virtual hyperlinks with the simple action of quickly double-copying that URL into the Windows' Clipboard (we just held down the Ctrl key and tapped twice on the 'c' key). With a tiny 143kB download, we strongly suggest that you grab this beauty and try it out. Get your copy from: W95 Internet Related
TClockEx – W9x
The desktray clock which Microsoft supplies with Windows lacks one major thing – the date. This tiny utility (using an unusual 'hook') converts that simple clock into a combined clock/date display without resorting to using icons. The date (long form, short form or custom format) appears next to the clock, though you can decide which style you want – date/time or time/date. You can also set the color and the font of both the time and the date should you so desire. Close the program (actually it's the setup utility) and the date will remain there until you reboot the computer. Want to change the format? Load the executionable file again and the setup menu appears. The first time it is loaded in a session the previous layout will be used (except for the very first use). Load the program again in the same session and the setup utility will appear. We suggest that you put it into the startup menu so it will just automatically appear every time you run Windows. We'd like to thank Stephen Cerruti from Freeware Forever! for suggesting we add this program. We can see why it is one of his personal favorites! Just to add some cream to this terrific utility, the download is a miserly 77kB! Grab your copy from: W95 Desktop Utilities
WnBrowse – W9x
WnBrowse is a simple but very effective file viewer, capable of viewing files in both ASCII text and hex formats. If PKUNZIP is in the DOS path, it can even view files within zipped archives. Other features include the ability to copy highlighted text to the Windows' Clipboard, file printing, customization of the toolbar, fonts and colors, conducting both hex and text searches, and searching for unicode strings. The author lists the following features: support for files of any size (top limit 120MB for text files); integration with the Windows shell; support for long file names; files may be viewed in a text or hex format; text can be selected and copied to the clipboard, printed or saved to a file; the file or a selected portion can be printed with optional user defined running headers/footers; font selection capability; selectable color schemes; drag and Drop file support; one-click operation via the toolbar; and online Help. This is a very impressive file reader and one which even non-programmers will find very useful. The ability to be able to view the hex form of a file can be helpful if, for example, you are trying to locate a text string within an executionable file (find embedded copyright information, author's e-mail address, version number, etc). Access this 146kB download from: W95 Text Programs
UPDATES
Arachnophilia – our favorite HTML source-code editor – has had a minor upgrade to version 3.5 build 3822. Available as a full download at 1.76MB, as a "small" download (for people who already have the common DLLs) at 685kB, and just the new EXE file for existing users. This last download is only 114kB. If you create webpages and use a source-code editor (not a WYSIWYG editor), then Arachnophilia is our recommendation. Get it from: W95 Internet Related
Eudora Light – the e-mail client we use – has been upgraded to version 3.06 with a slightly increased download size to 4.4MB. Access this new version (both 16 and 32-bit systems in the same download) from: W95 Internet Related
File Investigator – a terrific utility to find out everything you ever wanted to know about a particular file – has been upgraded to version 1.22 with an increase in download size to 329kB. Get you copy from: W95 Desktop Utilities
Search & Replace 98 – the superb utility to replace text, specially HTML code, in all files in a directory – has again been upgraded (we also mentioned it last week in the Updates' section!). This upgrade to version 2.2 is a bug fix. It has also been decreased in download size from 264kB to 214kB. If you got it last week, sorry, better grab another copy. If not, don't miss out on this fabulous program: W95 Internet Related
Solitude for Windows – a set of 77 solitaire cardgames for Win95 – has been upgraded to version 1.35. According to the author, it contains many small bug fixes and a few new enhancements. The download size has been increased slightly to 3.13MB. If you like cardgames then this is one huge collection! Get your copy from: W95 General Games
Copernic 98 – an excellent Internet-based search utility – has been upgraded to version 2.5 with a slightly larger download of 2.09MB. the new version is reported to be much faster, with an improved interface, a new Search Wizard – even a "Send by e-mail" feature to share the search results with friends or colleagues. Get this latest version from: W95 Internet Related
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 are an author of a freeware app (or would just like to suggest a program) and would like it listed on these pages, please fill in the Submit Software form.
If you enjoy the Completely Free Software site please don't feel shy about letting others know.
ADVERTISING
We ask all our visitors to support our advertisers by visiting their websites and checking out what they offer. In any dealings with them, please mention that you saw their banner on the Completely Free Software site. Advertising helps keep this site alive.
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
|
