Yam is a very Configurable e-mail program. It comes with versions for processors from the 68000 to the 040. It also comes with a few choices of well designed icons that you can choose from that you can install with the supplied installer script. It was a breeze to install with no bugs in the installer script. You can also insert ASCII text from your favorite word processor. You can also send attachments like programs and wavs with Yam. Yam uses alot of RAM, but with as many features as it has, and configurability, it's still a fantastic program!
Program Rating on 1 to 10 scale:
Overall rating............8-1/2
Yam is available on the aminet in the comm/mail directory as YAM13_4.lha Link to Aminet comm/mail
Aweb is a fast browser that doesn't use MUI. Aweb is 10 times faster than any other browser for the Amiga. Aweb is great for Amiga users that don't have alot of RAM. It can run on an Amiga with only 2 megs of RAM. Aweb is also compatible with any processor. However, with little RAM and a 68000CPU, you'll be very slow! Aweb needs Datatypes, but Amitrix puts all the necessary datatypes for Aweb on their home page for you to download so you won't have to run around for Datatypes. Aweb loads pages and images at lightning speed, and if you own an Amiga 4000, or an Amiga 2000 with an 040 accellerator needless to say, Netscape has nothing on Aweb! The only thing I didn't like about Aweb, is when you're exiting, Aweb doesn't clean up your disk cache, so you have a bunch of directories that you have to get rid of manually. Also, you have to spend alot of time getting the right colours. Aweb doesn't read the gifs and j-peg colour codes. Therefore, you better make sure your colours are right, or you'll have some gifs and j-pegs that look like Picasso was let loose inside your Amiga! Also, Aweb doesn't show your cps rate when you're downloading. But, Amitrix claims that Aweb 3.0 (Due to be released at the end of May 1997) Shows you your cps rate. Aweb 3.0 also promises to support frames, and more Html tags. Aweb also supports sound. Background sounds, and any other sound through an external viewer
Program Rating 1 to 10 Scale:
Ease of use..............9Overall Rating...........8
My evaluation was done on Aweb version 2.1 demo. The background sounds, ftp, and, mailto are disabled in the demo version.Aweb 2.1 demo is available from aminet in the biz/demo directory as Aweb.lha Link to biz/demo directory of aminet.
Program Rating 1 to 10 scale:
Ease of use....................9
Overall Rating.................9
Aweb3.0 demo is available from the Aminet biz/demo or recent downloads as: Aweb.lha
ClassAct 2 demo is available from the Aminet as: Classact2demo.lha
IBrowse is a very nice graphical browser. The colour mixing for gifs and j-pegs is superb. sound support, is excellent and downloading is easily done with the click of your mouse button. Using MUI, the GUI is second to none, totally configurable, and the browser supports cache cookies. All the gifs and j-pegs are viewde with IBrowser's internal viewers. Thus you don't need a gif or j-peg datatype! However, this browser is only for the elite Amigas, with a minimum 68020 CPU, and 4 megs of fast RAM. This program is a memory sucker! Although, you can run IBrowse with a 68000, and 3 megs of RAM, I suggest nothing slower than an 030 CPU, and at least 6 megs of RAM for you to get any decent speed on the net. IBrowse does support frames and html-3 tags, but you must own the commercial version 1.0 and then use the patches supplied by Omnipresence on the net. However, I found this pain staking, and realized this was to make Omnipresence's life easier rather than the registered owners! You must have patience, and do alot of "Trial and Error" to get everything working right. Once you have the settings, and all the patches patched, You will have a nice graphical, and full sound and frame supported web browser!
Program Rating 1 to 10 Scale:
Ease of use...............6Overall Program Rating....7-1/2
My evaluation was done on the IBrowse demo version 1.0 and the patched version 1.1 The same features that are disabled on Aweb, are disabled on the demo version of IBrowse.IBrowse 1.0 demo is available on the Omnipresence web site as IBrowseDemoV1.02.lha Link to Omnipresence IBrowse
The new demo of IBrowse has finally arrived! Version 1.12 is now available from omnipresence! It supports https:// the new encrypted submission tool, for secured, encrypted transfers over the net! My same evaluation applies from the 1.11 version of IBrowse, since not much has changed! The patch for registered users from 1.11 to 1.12 is also available from omnipresence.
OmnipresenceI was very impressed by Voyager! There is big speed increase from the 2.1 version! For speed, it is very close to Aweb. Image loading, jpeg decompression, and gif animations are fantastic quality. This version of Voyager has internal viewers, so you don't need the datatypes. This version is a combination of IBrowse, for nice colours, and internal viewers. And it combines the speed of Aweb, to make page & image loading faster! The only thing it does not support, is background sounds, and some gif animations tend to flicker. However, it does support frames! Plus, you have complete control of the frame operations with a click of the RMB! Another great thing about Voyager, is it's the least expensive browser! To register, send $35.00 can. and you'll receive the key file to unlock the 30 min time limit by e-mail, and you'll be a registered user. By being a registered user, you'll be on Vapor Software's Mailing list, and receive the new updates, and plugins! Also, Voyager is the first Amiga web browser to support https:// secured, encrypted file transfers over the net! Now you can order something with your credit card over the net, and not have to worry about a hacker getting hold of your number! With https:// your submissions are encrypted!
Program Rating 1 to 10 scale:
Overall program Rating................9
Voyager 2.88 demo is available from Vapor software asvng_288_usa.lhahttp://www.vapor.com/voyager
Vapor has released a 2.91 beta version for registered users. This version has many new features! You now can flush the document & memory cache from the menu. You can dis-able frames, and choose the kind of image loading you want. You get the size, and stats when you download, and in the settings; there is a Certs listing of many https:// secured sites. On the down side, and through further testing of the 2.88 release, I've found out that there are some sites that Voyager cannot get into. Also, with some other sites, you have to stop, and sometimes re-try the site 3 or 4 times before you finally get in. Also, after being on the net with Voyager a long time, it crashes. It is unknown why, but I know it's not because of not enough RAM, or HD space. I've re-rated Voyager as follows:
Program Rating 1 to 10 Scale:
Ease of use.................8
Overall Program Rating......7.5
The 2.91 NG version of Voyager, is now available for registered users from Vapor
I felt this program was well worth receiving a review. This is a basic web browser made for the 2.1 OS. If anyone has tried using WebView with the 3.x OS, then it won't work because the DataTypes conflict with the program. You can actually view gif images with WebView, and some small jpegs! Better than I can say for AMosaic! Sorry Mike! Anyways, I tried it out. I still had my 2.1 OS disks, and took it for a whirl. It is a bit buggy, and with some work could be a very good program. But, I have yet to see a browser for the 2.1 OS that can view gifs.
Program Rating 1 to 10 Scale:
Ease of Use.................7 Configurability.............7 Speed.......................6 Graphics....................8 Efficiency..................7Overall Program Rating......7
Of course it wouldn't be fair to compare WebView to the "Big Browsers" but, for a Web Browser on this platform, it is a good product.Webview 21i is available from the Aminet in the comm/www directory as:Webview21i.lha
Link to the comm/www directory of the Aminet
If you have any comments, or have a program that I should look at and evaluate. Then please e-mail me at the address below.
To contact mefreez@istar.ca