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E-mail Update Newsletter #59
Issued September 8, 1998
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Welcome to the fifty-ninth 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
SpiroDraw – W9x
This pattern-maker has 182 built-in patterns which can be re-produced with your selection of background and drawing color. You can draw new patterns over the top of previous patterns, fade colors, change the picture size (three sizes are available) and change the definition of the drawing (three levels from "Vague" through "Medium precision" to "Very precise"). This is an easy to use drawing program which most members of the family can use without instruction. The finished drawings can also be saved as BMP files. Not a small download at 1.96MB (mainly made up of common DLLs, etc) but well worth having a look at. Access your copy of SpiroDraw from: W9x Graphics Programs
Gag the Billionaire – W31 (suitable for W9x)
This is an amusing time waster from a company which states "Software that Promises Nothing... and Delivers!" The best description of this program comes from the author's website: "Silence the rich and powerful with the nagging, babbling entertainment software the 'powers that be' don't want you to see! Gag the Billionaire features a well-known software tycoon chattering away ad nauseum about nothing in particular. When you've had your fill, simply apply a handy "virtual-gag" and mum's the word!" Don't expect this program to do anything in particular but here is a certain amount of satisfaction of quieting the world's richest software boss. Access this 157kB from: W31 General Games
EZpad – W9x
EZpad is an HTML source-code editor with some terrific features. It has 10 separate Wizards to do everything from add color to create complicated frames. It is the Frames' Wizard which impressed us most about EZpad as it offered a huge variety of frames configurations in one of the easiest to follow color-coded schemes we have seen. Offering nine configurations, you just click on the layout you want and the Wizard adjusts itself to that configuration. Sooo simple. EZpad will also add the date for you – in either Icelandic (the authors' home language) or English. We were disappointed that it didn't feature tag coloring, and the Image Wizard not only doesn't add the image size (nor does it offer the facility to add it yourself), but it includes the location on your hard drive where the image was found. This must be manually edited before the page can be posted. Generally, source-code editors offer more control over page layout than do WYSIWYG editors which makes them more appealing to professional webauthors – but when you have hand-edit code supplied by the editor's own Wizards... EZpad has its own in-built page viewer but it doesn't render accurately enough to really make it valuable. We will be keen to see the next version of EZpad because if it has rectified some of these deficiencies it will be an editor to be reckoned with. If you want to add frames to your site, or just want to try out this editor, grab a copy of this 1.39MB download from: W9x Internet Related
StoryBook – W9x
StoryBook is an interesting multimedia authoring program which allows you to create a presentation as a story book. Create BMP images of what you want to display (text and graphics), then WAV files for the voice-over, and finally a text file to control the entire presentation. The 'pages' of your story book (those BMP files) can be set to automatically scroll through at a preset interval, or to be advanced by a keypress – or by clicking on the page with the mouse cursor – and your pre-recorded voice message will play while that page is displayed (it's not hard to set the timing so that as soon as the voice-over description finishes, the display 'advances' to the next page). Designed to be created totally within existing Windows programs (PaintBrush for the BMP file, SoundRecorder for the WAV file and NotePad for the controlling text file), StoryBook can create some quite sophisticated presentations. There is a sample presentation in the download file (which accounts for the vast majority of the 768kB download) which not only demonstrates the program but also provides a tutorial. We were impressed by the program's simplicity. Access StoryBook from: W9x Multimedia Programs
OEM Logo Changer – W9x
In Control Panel's System applet there is provision for the inclusion of an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) logo. OEM Logo Changer can change that logo to your own design, adding text supplied by you at the same time. All you need is a BMP file with a maximum size of 180 x 114 pixels (it will be stretched to fit this size so it's better to design something near to those dimensions) and it can be inserted into the System applet. Surely this is the ultimate in personal customization! Access this 164kB download from: W9x Windows Extras
Backup And Restore – W9x
There are six main Windows files which, if corrupted, can cause Windows to crash or not load correctly. These are: autoexec.bat; config.sys; win.ini; system.ini; system.dat; and user.dat. If you keep a copy of these files handy, and a nasty program trashes any of these files, you can quickly restore either an individual file or all six. The easiest way of doing this is with a program like Backup And Restore. It will save these files on your hard disk and then selectively restore them if you have a problem. The program requires free registration to remove nag screens (the author will send you a key), which is one way of keeping track on who is using your program. While not the most elegant program, it is, never-the-less, quite practical – specially if you load a lot of programs and cannot be sure what they might be doing to your registry. Access this 394kB download from: W9x Desktop Utilities
CoinManage Lite – W9x
If you collect US or Canadian coins you will love CoinManage Lite. This inventory program features a database of over 5,300 coins, complete with mintage information, photos, and provision for entering an enormous amount of detail about coins you have in your collection. Information can be sorted, printed, and stored in multiple collections. You can keep track of your sales and purchases – even consult a bullion database (all you need enter is the current price of gold and silver). Fabulous. Whether you're serious about your coin collection, or just an occasional dabbler, CoinManage Lite (or its big brother shareware version) will find a place on your hard drive. Access this 5.93MB download from: W9x General Programs
DoubleDesktop – W9x
This clever little program effectively doubles the size of your desktop – or creates a second desktop if you like – and then allows you to move windows between them. We prefer to think of it as two separate desktops and when you click on the desktray icon (either a left or right arrow depending on which desktop you have active) the alternative desktop appears. You can run two separate groups of programs on each of the desktops but still move the windows (not maximized!) between them by dragging them to the side of the screen and then letting them 'overhang' onto the other screen. Switch screens and you can then finish moving the window completely onto the other desktop. It might sound a little complicated but it is really easy to use and we can see great potential in this program (apart from having a copy of Solitaire running on one desktop and your normal work on the other). You could even use the program as a privacy tool, clicking from a 'private' desktop to one which anyone could view should you have sensitive material on your screen. Cool bananas! Don't walk, run to get a copy of this 206kB download before they're all gone (?). Get your copy from: W9x Windows Extras
bCAD – DOS (suitable for Windows)
bCAD is a fascinating 3D data viewer and renderer which can handle a wide variety of 3D formats as well as the most popular raster (bitmap) formats. It supports: 3DS (native Autodesk 3D Studio files – import only); ASC (Autodesk 3D Studio ASCII files); DXF (AutoCAD Data Exchange Format files); NFF (Sense8 Neutral Format Files – import only); and BDF (bCAD native files). It also supports the following bitmap formats: TGA; JPEG (JPG); BMP; GIF; TIF; PCX (export only); plus PIC & CEL (import only). In rendering it supports: flat shading; gouraud; phong z-buffered; and ray-tracing. Even though it's a DOS program, it supports high and true color modes as well as screen sizes up to 1024x1280. The program has a quasi-Windows look and feel, with fly-over balloon help, mouse-support, scroll bars and other Windows-like features. Suitable for creating/rendering smaller images, it is very suitable for fancy 3D Internet graphics. Access this 626kB download from: DOS General Programs
Kings Corners – W9x
This is a terrific solitaire cardgame where the object is to get the, yep, you guessed it, the kings into the four corners of a 4x4 grid. You also have to position the queens on the sides and the jacks on the top and bottom. The game is a lot of fun and is not as easy as it looks to win. When the board is entirely filled with cards you can remove the unwanted cards by clicking on a pair to equal 10 (aces count as one). The program has an autodraw mode so you can just keep on clicking into the grid to place cards from the stockpile and there is also a mini cheat mode which tells you what the next card will be. We like! Card graphics are excellent and the whole game has a good look and feel to it. This is one game to which you could easily get addicted! Shuffle over and grab a copy of this 768kB download from: W9x General Games
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