Copyright: Copyright® 1993 DPM Computer Solutions


CONTENTS
Volume 1 Number 1 - November/December 1993

 Windows Reviews

 DOS Reviews

 Game Reviews

 Programmers Corner

 Read Only! Reviews

 Features

 Subscription Form

 Advertisements

Notice

This is the last free issue of The Shareware / Freeware Report. To continue receiving this newsletter, you will need to subscribe. The subscription cost is only $6 for 6 issues plus distribution costs. See the subscription form for more information.


WINDOWS REVIEWS
MicroLink 1.04

FontShow 5.1a

PrintEnvelope 2.32c

UltraClip 1.7


MicroLink 1.04

If your looking for the best Windows communications package, commercial or shareware, MicroLink is that program!

Not only does MicroLink come with just about any feature that a commercial package has, it's fast, easy to use and you can't beat the registration price.

I searched for over a year to find a Windows based communications program. Most were hard to use and hard to configure.  I finally settled on ProComm for Windows (before I found MicroLink).  Though ProComm worked just fine, it had one major problem. Whenever I started or used another program while ProComm was downloading a file, it caused numerous errors or Bad CRC.  It even caused errors just by minimizing the program.  This makes the downloading time much longer or even quite often can lock up the computer or the BBS system on the other end.  Now what's the point in even using a Windows  communications program if it can't upload and download efficiently in the background.?

Then came MicroLink. MicroLink is a highly configurable program which features:

•	100 different preset modem configurations. That list includes a generic option, just in case your particular modem is not on the list

•	A large colorful button bar (20 buttons) with an option to create your own buttons to invoke scripts

•	Modem status lights

•	2000 line scroll-back feature

•	Scripting language with auto-record (registered version)

•	Set the typeface, fore and background colors for each session

•	Copy and paste text to and from the session window. Even copy text to a file

•	Print text from the session window

•	Batch dialing

•	Host and auto-answer modes

•	On-line help

Almost every option is configurable to your tastes. From the transfer protocol settings to the terminal settings.  MicroLink comes with a excellent Windows on-line help system and a users guide (that you can print from Write) that is over 80 pages long.  The users guide is worded such that anyone from a beginner to an advanced user will find it helpful.

The biggest advantage to using MicroLink, besides it's ease of use, is that it uploads and downloads files in the background without causing any problems.  It even has a background button that when pressed during the uploading or downloading procedure, minimizes itself and displays the percentage complete and file name as an icon. I run many disk I/O intensive Windows programs while MicroLink is in the background without it causing any errors.  I even installed WordPerfect  5.2  for Windows while downloading files, with no errors! Now that's amazing!

I conducted a file download comparision between MicroLink and Procomm (see "MicroLink vs Procomm" inset).  While MicroLink may not have had a CPS rate higher than Procomm, it did not generate any errors during the two tests. During the second test with MicroLink, after WordPerfect was started, the CPS rate jumped to 1550.  This is a miscalculation on the part of MicroLink.   The elapsed time was also miscalculated.  This a bug in the program and does not effect the actual download.

The test was done with a AST Premium II 386/33 computer using a Ven-Tell 9600 internal modem. The file downloaded was a 262,550 byte file with a estimated download time of 4:39.

The first test was done with both programs in the foreground. During the second test we started WordPerfect 5.2 for Windows at 10% completion, Lotus 123 for Windows at 40%,  AmiPro 3.0 at 50% and FontShow at 70%.

Tests done on a 2400 baud modem produced similar results.  On those tests, MicroLink actually had CPS rates higher than 240 with no corrections!

Another time saving feature is batch dialing.  You can configure MicoLink to call a list of numbers. If the first number is busy, it dials the second and so on.  When it connects to a remote computer, after the session is completed, MicroLink starts dialing the other numbers on the list, untill all numbers have been called or the user cancels the batch dial.  If you combine this feature with the scripting feature (which is available in the registered version), it's concevable to call a long list of BBS systems and send and receive  messages without any intervention by the user.

If you're looking for a easy to use, professional shareware communications package, MicroLink is for you!

MicroLink Is Developed By:

MicroWerks
PO Box 768273
Roswell, GA 30076-8273.

Registration is only $35 plus $4 shipping within the US.


FontShow 5.1a

If you're like me and have collected many TrueType and ATM fonts (I have 191 installed with hundreds more on floppy disks), this program is a must!  It's designed to be a font viewing and cataloging program.

FontShow is compatible with Adobe Type Manager, Bitstream Facelift, SuperPrint, Publisher's PowerPak and TrueType fonts. As long as the font is currently loaded in Windows, FontShow can use it.

The most useful feature is for printing catalogs of fonts.  One to all fonts loaded can be printed to a catalog. There are many different type of catalogs too.  The style one font catalog prints a one line summary of the font. The font name is printed on the left and a sample of each font is printed on the right side of the page. The style two catalog prints a sample of each font  using the font name as the sample text.  Other catalog options include a sample page of each font, ANSI maps and keyboard maps.

When printing any of the catalogs, be prepared to do something else for awhile, especially when printing a sample page or the ANSI and keyboard maps. Printing a catalog of my 191 fonts on a HP LaserJet III took 11½ minutes to create the 865K print file, and another 3½ minutes to print. When FontShow is printing, it seems to take over the Windows  resources and makes it hard to use other programs.

Here is a list of some other features of FontShow:

•	Display individual characters on screen

•	Display user entered text on screen

•	Print a formatted listing of all or selected available fonts by name

•	Display font metric information for the selected font

•	Send reformatted text to Word or Excel

•	Send user text to printer or screen to enable font comparisons

I could not test sending reformatted text to Word or Excel, because I don't have those programs.  I did test all the other features and they all work great! This program is highly configurable and comes with excellent on-line help.

FontShow Is Developed By:

Harvey J. Kaye
633 Bay Street  Suite 1701
Toronto, Ontario CANADA  M5G 2G4.

The registration fee is only $15. A low price like that is definitely worth it for anyone with more than a few fonts. Registered users receive one year of free technical support.


PrintEnvelope 2.32c

This easy-to-use program creates professional looking envelopes complete with postal bar-code to speedup your letter. It can also print labels!

PrintEnvelope uses Windows Cardfiles as your address book. You can also use files from a PIM ,Dbase or a ASCII delimited file. Or if you choose, type the address in the recipient window and print the envelopes one at a time.

PrintEnvelope allows you to store 4 different return addresses. A BMP graphic can also be added to the upper left corner.

In the bottom left corner note text such as "Urgent" or "Rush" can be printed. The program comes with some of these pre-loaded or you can permanently add your own.

The type of envelope or labels being printed is highly configurable.  There are seven of the most common envelope sizes pre-configured or add your own size (from L3.75" x 14" to W6.35" x 14"). There are also seven pre-configured label sizes or add your own (from L.5" x 8.5" to W1.5" x 14". When printing labels, you can configure it to put the labels in a buffer so it only prints a page when one is full.

Of course you can use any font currently loaded in Windows. A different font, size and attribute can be configured for the return address, addressee and note text. You can also configure it to not print the postal bar-code.

I did a test to see if adding the postal bar-code to a letter made any difference in speed. I did two tests, one group of letters came from Arizona to California and the other group was from New York to California. Each test batch consisted of three letters. The first one was hand written, the second was printed using PrintEnvelope without using the postal bar-code and the third was printed using PrintEnvelope with the postal bar-code. In each test, all three letters arrived in California on the same date. So using the postal bar code does not speedup your mail. I'm sure it keeps the amount of handling to a minimum and maybe it will keep down the number of disgruntled postal employees.

To run PrintEnvelope you must have VBRUN200.DLL in your Windows directory. Depending on how many envelopes you're printing you will also need plenty of hard disk space. When printing, PrintEnvelope creates a temporary print file for each envelope

PrintEnvelope Is Developed By:

Maurer Associates
15 Lakeside Plaza
164 Lake Street
Newburgh, NY 12550-5243

Registration is $30. In my opinion, that's a little high unless you'll be using the program a lot.


UltraClip 1.7

Have you ever wished that the Windows clipboard would hold more than one item at a time? There have been many times I've switched back and forth between programs to copy and paste different items. Well now the program called UltraClip allows multiple pasting.

UltraClip intercepts text or graphics being copied to the clipboard and makes a copy for itself.  It keeps each copy in an individual (child) window.  The information is stored until the individual window is closed, cut to the clipboard, or UltraClip is closed. The only limit on the amount of text or graphics that can be kept in UltraClip is the amount of memory that is available to Windows.

When using UltraClip, text or graphics can be cut to the clipboard, copied to the clipboard, and/or pasted from the clipboard. Using the icons at the top of the screen a window can be deleted, the clipboard cleared or arranged as thumbnail views.  Some of the buttons support drag-n-drop. If you want to copy a graphic to the clipboard, simply drag it over the icon. Graphic files (BMP, PCX, GIF) can be read from a file into UltraClip and then copied to the clipboard.

Text objects that are less than 55K in size can be edited. When editing, you can even use the drag-n-drop feature found in most of the Windows word processors.

UltraClip supports OLE. It can't embed or link objects but will pass on OLE data to other applications.

The status display shows following information about the selected window: the amount of memory the window is using, status of Auto Paste and Auto Trak mode, free global memory and the module / program name of the source data.

Each window can be saved as a CLP file. All the windows in a current session can be saved in one file and retrieved later. A printout of all the thumbnails can be printed as well as any graphic file that UltraClip reads. When printing a graphic from disk, it produced a run-time error and closed UltraClip.

One ingenious feature is that this program can copy the image back to the clipboard in a different format. For example, the screen capture of UltraClip from AmiPro can be copied to the clipboard in the following formats: Ami Frame Format, Native, OwnerLink, ObjectLink, Picture or a Bitmap.

The only drawback to using UltraClip that I found was that depending on what is being pasted to the clipboard, it might take up to twice as long to do so. Even with that, the features of this program out weighs the extra time. I've tried another program of this type, and it took much longer than twice the time to paste.

UltraClip requires Windows 3.1.  It is not compatible with Norton Desktop for Windows 1.0. Printing from UltraClip requires a printer driver that supports StretchDIBits. If your printer does not support StretchDIB (most modern printers do), UltraClip will work just fine, it just won't be able to print.

UltraClip Is Developed By:

Doug Overmyer
1817 San Pedro Ave
Berkely, CA 94707

This program is Freeware! You can't beat that price.


DOS REVIEWS
PostCardMaster 4.11

The Invoice Store 3.0

SkyGlobe 3.5


PostCardMaster 4.11

Since mailing a postcard is cheaper than mailing a letter, this program prints postcards that can be used for personal and business purposes. Send a note to your friends on your latest trip or alert customers to sales at your store. This program makes it easy.

PostCardMaster creates a database of  addresses. Each address can also include a salutation, telephone number, remarks and a search key.  The search key can be used to group addresses into categories.  Any ASCII delimited address file can be imported or exported. I tested this feature and could not get it to work.

This program comes with many printout options. It can print address labels, postcards, 2 way cards, 3x5 cards and rolodex cards. It can also create postcard from you, which would most likely be used as a return card by a business. It also prints "from" labels.  All or specific records can be chosen to print. Every field in the address information can be used as a search criterion.

Many options in this program can be custom configured. Such as the printer and screen color.  The shareware version comes with an executable file as the manual, which did not work and locked-up my system. The on-line help is very weak.  Though this program is very easy to use, the help system was no use with trying to learn how to import and export address files.

PostCardMaster Is Developed By:

Unicorn Software Limited
P.O. Box 911
Wabash, Indiana 46992-0911

Registration  is $25 plus $4 shipping.


The Invoice Store 3.0

For use with small business or a home business this program is a complete receivables, billing and point of sale system.

The developer of this system really knew what he was doing. It's very easy to use and comes with an excellent on-line help system. Even though it does come with documentation, most users won't even need to use it. Like most DOS based programs, it's very fast!

Of course the heart of the system is the customer data base and inventory data. Each customer can be custom configured. Everything from how much tax they are charged, terms, credit limit, salesman, shipping address and billing address.  Customers are given a customer number automatically by the system.

When entering inventory, product codes are also automatically assigned.  Every item can include the vendor, price, cost, stock on hand, low stock limit, weight and if it's taxable. There are also menu selections to add salesmen and vendor information.

Filling in an invoice is fast and easy. Just enter the customer number and the customer's name and address automatically appears. If you forget the customer number or product codes, just press enter and a list pops up with all the customer names or product codes. Select the correct one and it returns to the invoice. Just enter the quantity and the program does all the math.  Discounts and shipping fees can also be entered.  Invoices can be printed individually or in a batch run.

When printing reports, each report can be sent to the printer or to the screen. Some of the reports available are aging report, summary report, detail report, listing report, salesman sales, product lists and payment history.

The Invoice Store in not without a few weak points.  Like most programs I review, I try to use them for a while before the review.  I run a computer consulting business and I usually bill by the half or quarter hour. The Invoice Store does not accept anything but whole numbers, so I can't bill for 1.5 hours of work.  This is a major problem for me. This would also be a problem for a store that sells products by the pound, etc.  Also, I don't keep an inventory, so when I charge for service I get a warning that I don't have enough stock for that. I get around this by entering a value of 999 for service items, even though it does not really exist.

Another problem I ran into was printing.  When I tested the printing features I used a HP DeskJet 500.  The program comes with an invoice template to printout on a DeskJet and then re-send through the printer to add the data. The problem is that the data does not line up correctly on the preprinted form. Taking time to reposition the data would work. I'm assuming that dot matrix users will have no printing problems, just LaserJet compatible users. All of the invoice fields can be positioned to printout on a pre-made custom invoice.

This program is designed to run on any IBM PC compatible computer with at least 512K of memory and a hard disk drive. This program is very unstable in a DOS window in Windows.

The Invoice Store Is Developed By:

Michael Colucci
PO Box 562
Oakdale, NY 11769-0562

The Invoice Store registration fee is $35. Registered users receive unlimited free upgrades and unlimited free support. Michael has a dedicated customer support BBS system.


SkyGlobe 3.5

This is a very fun and educational astronomy program. When I received this program to review, I put it in the bottom of the review pile. I was never into astronomy, my brother was the astronomy nut in my house when we were kids. One day I was looking for something different to review and out from the bottom I pulled out SkyGlobe.  After trying it for about thirty minutes, I wanted to learn more so I decided to print the 30 page manual. I read it word for word. Not only is the manual well written, I learned a lot about astronomy too!

I could not wait to get back to the computer to tryout some of the features I learned from the manual. One of the first things I did was to watch the 1991 solar eclipse again! Here in San Diego we had a great view of it. There it was, right on the screen. I quickly switched back to the current time and date and changed the view direction to the approximate direction from my back porch faces. I then printed out a view of the stars, ran to my porch and saw ... nothing. In San Diego, it usually gets cloudy in the evenings. I'll try that again on a clear night.

SkyGlobe is packed with lots of features. Enough to satisfy the hard-core astronomer and the not - so - hard - core like myself. When you first start - up SkyGlobe, it gives you a view of the southern sky from Caledonia MI for the current time and date. When you register, you can pick the city you would like it to start - up in.  Most of the commands require only a single keypress or mouse click.

SkyGlobe can display 24,000 stars, all the planets in our system and the sun. One of the most interesting features is the auto-increment or animation mode.  This simulates the passage of time. The speed of the animation can be controlled. You can also jump ahead the display by a minute, hour, day, month, year, century or millennium.

Other controls include adjustment of the magnification of the view, brighten the stars to see more of them, reduce the display to stars and constellation lines only, reduce the display to starts only and artificially brighten the background when the Sun or Moon is above the horizon. When you move the mouse over any star (the 300 brightest ones) or planet, the name is displayed in the bottom left corner.

Of course the display of planets can be controlled too. Planets can be turned - on and their names displayed  next to them too. For computers that use EGA or VGA monitors, the planets are displayed in more or less appropriate colors. If a .PCX graphic is available, pressing the left mouse button will display the graphic.

Other features include printing a snapshot of the screen. Lines showing the constellation can be turned on or off.  The Milkyway can be displayed ( as seen in the figure) and its colors changed.

SkyGlobe requires 470K of free memory. It is also compatible for use in Windows (only in the full screen mode). SkyGlobe supports EGA monitors and above.

SkyGlobe Is Developed By:

 KlassM Software
284 142nd Ave
Caledonia, MI 49316

The registration fee for SkyGlobe is $20. Registration goodies include a new version (if available), professionally printed SkyGlobe manual, one page reference card, SkyGlobe - like screen saver for Windows, SkyGlobe - like VGA display of our nearest 3800 neighboring stars, notification of new releases and upgrades of half off the regular price. Wow! Educational discounts are available.


GAME REVIEWS
1993TRIS 6.0


1993TRIS 6.0

This DOS based game is designed for all of you TETRIS lovers out there. There is one difference, instead of lining up boxes you lineup flies. That's right, those pesky little creatures that invade your house every summer.

The object of the game is to lineup three flies of the same color diagonally, vertically or horizontally. To aid you in this, the game comes with different weapons to kill the flies. I never got beyond the first level, so I only had the use of the gun so I have no idea what the other ones do.

To progress to a new level, you must have a score of 600 and receive a password for that level. This game has 18 levels and 9 speeds. The game ends when your speed equals 9 and you reach level 18.

The graphics are above average in this game. I played it on a 486/25 and it ran slow and was jerky. Especially when a group of flies were descending and I shot off the gun at the same time.  You must have a VGA monitor or better to run this game. 1993TRIS comes with no documentation and very poor help. I would definitely try this game before sending in the registration fee.

1993TRIS Is Developed By:

Young K. Chung
1205 E. Apache Blvd. #128
Tempe, AZ 85281

The registration fee is $20 including shipping.


PROGRAMMERS CORNER
MessageBox Value


MessageBox Value

If you are like me, I can never remember all the different Message Box values available for use in Visual Basic for Windows. When ever I create a new message box, I always have to consult the Visual Basic help file.  MessageBox Value takes care of this problem!

With MessageBox Value, you choose what buttons you want to use, which icon, which button is the default, task or system modal and MessageBox Value displays the Message Box value to use. You can even copy the value to the clipboard and paste it into Visual Basic.

This program is great for (as the developer puts it), "people with small memories", like me.

MessageBox Value Is Developed By:

Gavin Lazarow

This program is freeware!


READ ONLY
Sorry... nothing for this issue. Be sure to catch the next issue when we review shareware / freeware books, documents, text files etc.


FEATURES
Editors Two Cents

Letters To The Editor

New And Improved

ScoreCards

Upcoming Reviews

Hall Of Fame

Old Reviews Listing

About The Publisher

Newsletters Goal

Subscription Form

Where To Find The Programs Reviewed In This Issue

Glossary Of Terms


Editors Two Cents

Shareware Is Not Freeware

Although most people think that shareware is free programs for the taking, it is not. Most of us need to be reminded (including myself) that shareware refers to a method of distribution.

Below is an excerpt from a shareware developers help file which puts it best by saying:

Shareware is copyrighted software which is distributed by authors through bulletin boards, on-line services, disk vendors, and copies passed among friends.  It is commercial software which you are allowed to try before you pay for it.  This makes shareware the ultimate in money back guarantees.

Most money back guarantees work like this:  you pay for the product and then have some period of time to try it out and see whether or not you like it.  If you don't like it or find that it doesn't do that you need, you return it and you get your money back.  Some software companies won't even let you try their product because in order to qualify for a refund, the diskette envelope must have an unbroken seal.

With Shareware you get to try it for a reasonable limited time (like 30 days), without spending a penny. You are able to use the software on your own system(s), in your own special work environment, with no sales people looking over your shoulder.  If you decide not to continue using it, you throw it away and forget all about it.  No paperwork, phone calls, or correspondence to waste your valuable time.  If you do continue using it, then - and only then - do you pay for it.

Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software.  Shareware is produced by accomplished programmers, just like retail software.  There is good and bad shareware, just as there is good and bad retail software.  The primary difference between shareware and retail software is that with shareware you know if it's good or bad before you pay for it.

As a software user, you benefit because you get to use the software to determine whether it meets your needs before you pay for it, and authors benefit because they are able to get their products into your hands without the hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses it takes to launch a traditional retail software product.  There are many programs on the market today which would never have become available without the shareware marketing method.

The shareware system and the continued availability of quality shareware products depend on your willingness to register and pay for the shareware you use.  It's the registration fees you pay which allow us to support and continue to develop our products.  Please show your support for shareware by registering those programs you actually use and by passing them on to others.  Shareware is kept alive by your support!

There are many advantages to shareware! Below are just a few:

1	Shareware programs are usually affordable. Sometimes you can get a program that is just as good, or even in some cases better than the commercial counterpart for a lot less money.

2	When you have a problem or suggestion for a shareware program, when you write, call or send e-mail to the developer, you are usually talking to the person that programmed it! Not some operator, at some huge corporation who does not really care about you or your problem. How many suggestions have you had for WordPerfect or Lotus and seen them in the next release? During the evolution of TSFR, every developer that I sent a review of their program, made the changes or enhancements that I suggested.

3	Shareware programs usually fill the holes left by commercial software. Many shareware programs are just too small for the big companies to devote millions to release it commercially.

The continued existence of shareware rests solely on the shoulders of the users. Its livelihood depends on users being honest and paying for the programs that they use after the trial period. I believe the shareware market will only get bigger and stronger!


Letters To The Editor

Outdated Program Reviews

I found your Beta Report interesting but a bit out of date. Russell N. - Sunnyvale, CA

In the shareware world, versions are released a lot more often than with commercial programs. We strive to continually review the latest and greatest version of a program. We have to rely on developers sending their latest version or someone at TSFR to find it on a BBS system or on a InterNet system.

   The Editor

InterNet, ScoreCards And Ethics

I would prefer to receive a newsletter of this sort over the InterNet. You could use a distribution list and uuencoded .hlp file to send it out. This would cut down on your postage costs and make sending it out rather easy.

A legend about your rating scale would help.

A standard disclaimer stating that you are totally unbiased and an all-around nice person who's not taking anything from the authors in return for a good review might look good. Ryan S. -  Ellicott City MD

When I first released the Beta issue of TSFR, I had no idea that it would receive such a response from the InterNet world! Most of you that sent in TSFR questionnaire were from InterNet. I have now changed how TSFR will be distributed. I will send it to subscribed users across the InterNet. This will give those subscribers a much lower subscription rate. I have tried sending a file thru InterNet to a distribution list with another freeware help file that I've written called Visual Basic Tips & Tricks. It works great and is painless.

Due to the lack of time, I did not include in the beta version how I arrived at the scores on the ScoreCards. Starting with this issue, every issue will carry an explanation.

One of the main reasons I started TSFR was that most major publications (PC Magazine) seem only to review programs that pay for advertising in their magazine. This is a sore subject with me. I believe this is one major reason they seem to never to review shareware programs. Have you noticed that right in the middle of a review there is a full page ad for one of the programs they are reviewing? Anyway, I do not receive anything from developers to review their programs or to give them a good review. I let you, the reader, know exactly how I feel about the program . . good or bad. Even though I offer advertising for developers in TSFR, you will never see a ad for a program in the same issue that the program might be reviewed in.

   The Editor

Spelling In TSFR

The reviews seemed poorly written, spelling errors etc. John S. - Ann Arbor MI

I never claimed to be a writer or a good speller. I'm just a pc user who wants to try to let the world know about the shareware & freeware market. I try to catch these kinds of errors. I use spell checkers, grammar checkers and as many humans as I can to look over the reviews for errors before TSFR is published. Sometimes errors will get through all that. I can promise that as soon  as I can hire people to do this for me, like the big magazines do,  I will.
   The Editor

Program Locations

You might want to include in your report, where the shareware / freeware program you review might be found on the InterNet. Michael H. - Rochester NY

I plan to tell readers not only where to find the files on the InterNet, but what BBS systems they can be found on too.
   The Editor

Where To Write To The Editor:

We welcome all comments about this newsletter or any reviews! Your comments will help shape this newsletter. Please write to:

The Shareware / Freeware Report
Attn: Editor
8430-D Summerdale Road
San Diego, CA 92126-5415


New And Improved

PaintShopPro 2.0

This program is one of my favorite programs! When I first saw the 2.0 update file, I just though it was maybe a minor upgrade. Was I wrong. This fantastic program made a giant leap and got a lot better! They have added many features. Here are just a few:

•	A floating tool box

•	Batch conversions to convert multiple files at once

•	Lots more user defined configurations

•	Histogram that displays a graph of the luminance of the active image

•	Image manipulating features such as adding a border, edge filters, normal filters, special and users defined filters

•	Color manipulating features like highlight / shadow, solarize and user defined palettes

Graphics are now contained in windows, so one can have many graphics up on the screen at one time (as available memory will allow). They also have included viewing enhancements too! The registration price has jumped from  $49 in version 1.01 to $69. Ouch! I feel that is too high for most users. If you manipulate graphics a lot, it might be worth it. Check it out first.

PaintShopPro Is Developed By:

JASC, Inc.
10901 Red Circle Drive
Suite 340
Minnetonka, MN 55343   USA

Original Review: Beta Issue - August 1993

About New & Improved

This section is reserved for updates of programs that have already been reviewed by TSFR.  The only qualification is that the program must be a major update (not a minor bug-fix release). There will also be no ScoreCards for this section.


ScoreCards

Each program is ranked in the following categories:

Bang For The Buck

This grade just means how much program your getting for the money. Many programs are overpriced for what they do. For example, a Windows screen save that costs $25-$30, would score low because for a simple utility type program, it's overpriced.  A grade of "A" or "A+" indicates that this program is very useful and being priced right is a must! A grade of "C" to "B+" in this category would be average to above average. I would not bother with any program with a grade of under "C". For scoring purposes, freeware and shareware will be scored the same. Even though freeware programs cost nothing, it does not indicate that it's any good.

Ease Of Use

This grade indicates how easy the reviewed program is to learn and use. Most shareware / freeware programs should be very easy since most are not as complex as commercial programs. Windows programs should adhere to the Windows standards put out by Microsoft. A grade of "B" to "A+" indicates that most users should be able to learn and use the programs easily. A grade of  "C" and below indicates that the user will have to devote much time trying to learn and use the program.

Help System

This grade shows how much on-line help or documentation is available. This grade is VERY important and greatly affects the other scores.  Any program that is not very easy to use needs a good help system and / or good written documentation. All Windows programs should have a Windows Help File. A Windows Help File should be written so that it provides help! I've seen many Help Files that developers don't take the time to do it right and it ends up not being any help at all, just a waste of disk space. If a Windows developer writes a Help File correctly, I don't see any reason to provide documentation.  Even though it's harder to provide on-line help in DOS programs, developers should try as much as they can. If there is no on-line help (or very limited), then the developer should provide well-written documentation in ASCII format.

Other things that could effect this score:

•	How easy it is to contact the developer. Many developers only provide support through the mail. In most cases this is unacceptable. Developers should be available through e-mail (CIS, AOL, InterNet etc..). I can almost guarantee that a user would rather not use a program than write a letter and wait a week or two for a response.

•	A Grade of "B+" to "A+" indicates that the program has good to excellent help. A grade of "C" to "B" indicates that the help system is average and could make things hard for a computer novice.  A grade under "C" would indicate that the program sorely lacks  in this area and would make it difficult for most users to use or understand.

Overall

This is the average of the other scores. A grade of "B+" to "A+" would indicate that this program is excellent and is worth the download time and registration fees. A grade of "C" to "B" would indicate an average to above average program. A grade of "D" indicates that the program below average and should be heavily considered before downloading or registering. A grade of under "F" indicates that the program needs much work and should not (in our opinion) be considered by users. It would not be worth the download time (especially if you use CIS or AOL).


Upcoming Reviews

Visual Help 2.0e

Drag & Zip / Drag & View

UUCODE 3.0

Time & Chaos

Professional Capture Systems

Morf Programs- Rmorf 0.4

Straight Forward Accounting Software

FormatQM

From Scratch 2.0

Icon Library

pE - The "perfect" Editor

Making The Grade 3.0

Boxer Editor

Ucalc 1.2

MultiLabel

Almanac

Icon Manager

Address Manager 2.0b

Chartist 1.04

MegaEdit 2.07

MGWalk 1.0

And Much, Much More!!!


Hall Of Fame

The section contain all the programs that receive a grade of "A" or "A+" from previous reviews. Refer to this section to find the best shareware or freeware programs on the market!

CopyQM

This DOS based program the the best full featured disk copier around! A must for anyone who does a lot of disk copying (like shareware or freeware developers).
Shareware fee is $15
Developed By: Sydex
Issue Reviewed In: BETA (S&FBETA.ZIP)
OverallGrade: A

WINWHEEL

WINWHEEL is a Windows games just about the same as Wheel-Of-Fortune. Great for anyone who loves the show. Shareware fee is $21.
Developed By: Russel Mueller
Issue Reviewed In: BETA (S&FBETA.ZIP)
Overall Grade: A


Old Reviews Listing

Beta Issue [August 1993]


BETA ISSUE
Beta Issue [August 1993]

Graphics Conversion Programs

•	Paint Shop Pro 1.01

•	WinGif 1.4

•	Graphics Workshop 1.0e

Windows Reviews

•	Rockford 2.0

DOS Reviews

•	Over_LAZ 3.0

•	CopyQM 3.02

•	MicroMacroBat

Game Reviews

•	WinWheel 1.6

File: S&FBETA.ZIP


About The Publisher

The Shareware / Freeware Report

     Editor-in-Chief: David McCarter

The Shareware / Freeware Report is published by:

DPM Computer Solutions
8430-D Summerdale Road
San Diego, CA 92126-5415 USA.

InterNet: MCCART@VAXD.GAT.COM
CompuServe: INTERNET:MCCART@VAXD.GAT.COM

All  brand names and product names used in this newsletter are rademarks, registered trademarks or trade names of their respective holders.

Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

Subscription rate, one year: US. and US. possessions, is $6 plus distribution costs (see the subscription form). The Shareware / Freeware Report is published bi-monthly. Please allow four to six weeks for delivery of the first issue.

Send address changes to The Shareware / Freeware Report,  Subscription Department, 8430-D Summerdale Road, San Diego, CA 92126-5415.

Copyright 1993, DPM Computer Solutions, all rights reserved.

Non-Biased

To keep our reviews as non - biased as possible, TSFR is not affiliated with ANY software developer, BBS system or on-line service (CIS, AOL etc.).

Developers ...we need your programs for review!

Rules for submitting your program: All programs submitted must be  compatible with DOS 6.0 or Windows 3.1. Programs must not be crippled in anyway or missing features (the ASP guidelines apply). Programs must be submitted on a 3 1/2 floppy disk mailed in a floppy disk mailer. If you submit a 'Press' or 'Registered' copy, please also submit the shareware or
freeware version zipped using the latest version of PKZip. Also supply the easiest way to get in contact with you. I prefer CompuServe or InterNet.

Send to:
The Shareware / Freeware Report
Attn: Reviews
8430-D Summerdale Road
San Diego, CA 92126-5415 USA

All programs submitted will be reviewed!. When reviewed you will receive a free copy of the review.

Attention Developers Of Windows 3.1 Help File Creators:

We plan to do a feature on Windows 3.1 help file generators. If you develop such a program, please submit it to us no later than January 5, 1994.

Attention Develpers Of Morphing Programs:

We plan to do a feature on morphing programs (DOS & Windows). If you develop such a program, please submit it to us no later than February 1, 1994.

Attention Developers Of Graphics Cataloging Programs:

We plan to do a feature on graphics cataloging programs (Windows). If you develop such a program, please submit it to us no later than February 1, 1994.


Newsletters Goal

Our Mission

Since most computer publications totally ignore shareware and freeware programs, our goal is to provide a forum to report to computers users which shareware and freeware programs are available.  There are hundreds of these programs that are as good or even better than their "off the shelf" counterparts.  We will review if they are worth the down load time and money, how much they cost, where they are available and when updates on current programs are released.

We will review DOS and MS Windows programs only.

This report will be written with the common PC user in mind.  We will try not to use too much off-the-wall computer jargon, so that most everyone will understand what is written.

The source of most programs reviewed will be from BBS systems, InterNet FTP sites and developers.

We also welcome comments from developers and users on any shareware and freeware program.

We hope everyone will find this report useful.  We will continue to publish this report if there is enough interest. Please fill out the questionnaire.

Non - Biased

To keep our reviews as non - biased as possible, TSFR is not affiliated with ANY software developer, BBS system or on-line service (CIS, AOL etc.).

Growing Pains

During the first few issues you might or might not see a lot of changes to TSFR.  This newsletter is very influenced by reader comments and want to make appropriate changes. We are also in the search for a good (shareware) Windows help file creator. I'd like to see as much time as possible testing and writing reviews for programs, not hassling with creating the help file. We used QDHelp for the first issue, which is an excellent program, but very time consuming to use.  This issue is being created by Visual Help. We'll see how it goes. Please bear with us as we go through our "growing pains".

  The Editor


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The subscription cost will be $1 per issue plus distribution costs. Since TSFR will be available a number of different ways, the distribution cost will be different accordingly. At this time we plan to release 6 issues a year.

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Authorized BBS Systems


AUTHORIZED BBS
Authorized BBS Systems To Carry TSFR

Windows-R-Us (San Diego, CA)

(619) 944-7368 - 2400/1200/300 Baud
(619) 944-8583 US Robotics 14.4

Join conference SFREPT for file listings or to leave messages for the editor.

We will be adding more BBS Systems as soon as we can!


Where To Find The Programs Reviewed In This Issue

Below are the programs reviewed in this issue. Next to each program name are the names of the BBS or InterNet systems that we were able to find them on. Of course, by the time you might read this, a newer version might have been released. Also, some systems might use a different file name. If the file name is not on the listed system, preform a text search using the program name.

1993TRIS 6.0 (1993TRIS.ZIP) - HIGH COUNTRY, LAKESIDE, WINDOWS-R-US

CopyQM 3.10 (COPYQ310.ZIP) - HIGH COUNTRY, LAKESIDE,WINDOWS-R-US

FontShow 5.1a (FNTSH51A.ZIP) - CENTRE, CICA, HIGH COUNTRY, LAKESIDE, WINDOWS-R-US

The Invoice Store 2.0 (INV30.ZIP) - HIGH COUNTRY, LAKESIDE, WINDOWS-R-US

MessageBox Value (MSGVAL.ZIP) - HIGH COUNTRY, WINDOWS-R-US

MicroLink 1.04 (MLINK104.ZIP) - CENTRE, CICA, HIGH COUNTRY, LAKESIDE, WINDOWS-R-US

PaintShopPro 2.0 (PSP20_1.ZIP/ PSP20_2.ZIP) - HIGH COUNTRY, LAKESIDE, WINDOWS-R-US

PostCardMaster 4.11 (PCM411.ZIP) - HIGH COUNTRY, LAKESIDE, WINDOWS-R-US

PrintEnvelope 2.32C (ENVEL232.ZIP) - CENTRE, HIGH COUNTRY, LAKESIDE, WINDOWS-R-US, WINDOWS SHOP

SkyGlobe 3.6 (SKYGLO36.ZIP) - CENTRE, HIGH COUNTRY, LAKESIDE, OAKLAND, WINDOWS-R-US

UltraClip 1.7 (UCLP17.ZIP) - CENTRE, CICA, HIGH COUNTRY, LAKESIDE, WINDOWS-R-US, WINDOWS SHOP

WINWHEEL 1.6 (WINWHE16.ZIP) - HIGH COUNTRY, LAKESIDE, WINDOWS-R-US

(The) Centre - BBS (New Zealand):

9-443-7679 / 24 hours (V22bis, V32, V42bis, MNP5)

CICA- FTP InterNet Site:

ftp.cica.indiana.edu [129.79.20.17]

High Country East - BBS (San Diego, CA):

619-789-4391  USR Dual Standard V32bis,   619-788-0831  Compucom. Featuring quality PD and Shareware software.  San Diego callers use 619-440-0231

Lakeside Wildcat!- BBS (San Diego, CA):

(619) 390-7328 9600 HST, (619) 443-4089 Dual Standard

Oakland - FTP InterNet Site:

[141.210.10.117]

Windows-R-Us - BBS (San Diego, CA):

(619) 944-7368 2400/ 1200/ 300. (619) 944-8583 USR 14.4.  **Offical site of TSFR! Carries all programs reviewed and the latest issues. Join conference SFREPT for file listings or to leave messages for the editor.**


GLOSSARY
Glossary Of Terms

A

AOL

ATM

B

Bad CRC

baud

BMP

C

CIS

CLP

CPS

D

DIB

G

GIF

I

ICO

IMG

J

JAS

M

MAC

MSP

O

OLE

P

PCX

PIC

PIM

R

RAS

RLE

T

TGA

TIFF

TSFR

W

WMF

WPG

WYSIWG


ADS
Advertisements

Windows-R-US

TSFR accepts advertising! We provide a cheap way to advertise your software or BBS system. For more information write to:

The Shareware / Freeware Report
Attn: Advertising Dept.
8430-D Summerdale Road
San Diego, CA 92126-5415
USA


WINRUS
Windows-R-Us Is The First Official Site Of The Shareware / Freeware Report!

All reviews and programs reviewed in TSFR will be available on Windows-R-Us in San Diego, CA. Until the next issue is released, everyone will be able to access TSFR conference "SFREPT". When the next issue is released, only users with TSFR subscriptions will be able to access the conference. Users with subscriptions will also be able to access the high speed line FREE!


AOL

America On-Line


ATM

Adobe Type Manager


Bad CRC

When using the Z-Modem protocol a bad CRC is usually caused by noise (static) on the phone line.  This usually can not be avoided.  With using a package such as this one in the Windows environment, a bad CRC is caused when the modem buffer becomes full and tries to write to the hard drive while another program running in Windows is trying to write or read from the hard drive at the same time.


baud

Transfer rate of a modem. 2400=240 characters per second. 9600=960 characters per second and so on.


BMP

The BMP, DIB, and RLE files are known as "Device Independent Bitmap" files, or "DIB's".RLE files are Windows "DIB" files that use one of the RLE compression routines.  Thus, saving an image as a "DIB" using one of the RLE compressions would produce an identical file as saving the image as an RLE file.  The only difference would be the file name extension.


CIS

CompuServe


CLP

Windows Clipboard format


CPS

Characters Per Second


DIB

The BMP, DIB, and RLE files are known as "Device Independent Bitmap" files, or "DIB's".RLE files are Windows "DIB" files that use one of the RLE compression routines.  Thus, saving an image as a "DIB" using one of the RLE compressions would produce an identical file as saving the image as an RLE file.  The only difference would be the file name extension.


GIF

GIF files were designed to create the smallest possible image files for uploading and downloading from electronic Bulletin Board Systems (BBS).


ICO

Windows Icon File


IMG

IMG files were designed to work with the GEM environment.  The files were originally the result of the GEM Paint program.  Since the application Ventura Publisher worked in the GEM environment, it also supported the IMG file format.  In order to maintain compatibility, various other desktop publishing applications have added support for importing and exporting this format.


JAS

The JAS format files were designed to create the smallest possible image files for 24 bits-per-pixel color images and 8 bits-per-pixel grey scaled images. JAS uses a discrete cosine transformation to alter the image data and then compresses that data.  This process results in a substantial reduction of the file size when the image is saved to the disk.  Saving and retrieving an image using the JAS file format will result in some loss of image data.  The amount of loss is dependent on the compression level that you use.


MAC

MAC files come from the Macintosh program MacPaint.  Large libraries of clip art exist in the MAC format.  When the MAC files started migrating from the Macintosh to the PC world, a header was added to the file format.


MSP

MSP files come from the Microsoft Paint program (that came with Windows versions prior to version 3.0)


OLE

Object Linked Embedded


PCX

PCX files were originally created for use with the Zsoft Paintbrush program. With no standard to the industry, this format became the standard by default. This format is supported by more applications than any other format.


PIC


PIM

Personal Information Manager


RAS

RAS files are Sun Microsystems raster file format files.


RLE

The BMP, DIB, and RLE files are known as "Device Independent Bitmap" files, or "DIB's".RLE files are Windows "DIB" files that use one of the RLE compression routines.  Thus, saving an image as a "DIB" using one of the RLE compressions would produce an identical file as saving the image as an RLE file.  The only difference would be the file name extension.


TGA

The Targa TGA format was developed by Truevision for their Targa and Vista products.  It is an industry standard although not as widely supported as PCX or TIFF formats.  TGA files may be saved as non-compressed or compressed (run-length encoded).


TIFF

The Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) was designed to become the standard format.  In order to become the standard, the format was designed to handle just about any possibility.  The result of this design provided the flexibility of an infinite number of possibilities of how a TIFF image is saved.  Therefore, no application, can claim to support all TIFF variations.  The best that an application can do is to support as many TIFF variations as possible, but there will always be an obscure variation that will cause a problem for some applications.


TSFR

The Shareware / Freeware Report


WMF

Windows Metafile Graphic


WPG

WordPerfect Graphic


WYSIWG

What You See Is What You Get