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1993-06-15
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The Best on the Boards
Copyright (c) 1993, Russell Mirabelli
All rights reserved
Many bulletin boards across the nation have a huge amount of
software to choose from for download. Most have so many titles
that determining which ones might be worth the download time is
difficult. In this column, I will attempt to help you sort through
the huge morass of shareware available and let you know which
titles I feel are worth your evaluation. All the software reviewed
in this column is available on many bulletin boards throughout the
country. If you have difficulty locating a particular title, I
recommend that you contact its author at the address listed.
THELMA THISTLEBLOSSOM, by Timp Software, is a comprehensive
stand-alone spelling and grammar checker. This package allows a
user to review his or her documents for spelling and basic
grammatical errors. Although it has its weaknesses, Thelma is a
sound product.
The first thing that you encounter when you start this program is
a "beg screen" accompanied by the theme from Beethoven's Ninth
Symphony. This is a welcome item in the eyes of this reviewer, as
sometimes when these opening screens stay up too long, I will
reboot my system, suspecting a crash. The tune lets me know that
I'm intentionally being held at this point.
Once the intro screen goes away, Thelma asks for the file you wish
to check. It accepts documents in two formats: ASCII text and
WordPerfect. The WP format is nice for those users who don't wish
to export from their word processor. It also is not a surprise, as
Timp software comes from Orem, Utah (the city where WP
headquarters is located). It uses a relatively strong file-opening
dialog sequence, though the user does need to understand the use
of DOS wildcards to get full use.
The first of Thelma's two functions is that of a spell checker.
Although people who use a full-featured word processor might not
need this, those (like myself) who prefer small text editors will
find this useful. Thelma's dictionary size of 89,000 words is
actually a bit small compared to other shareware spell checkers,
but it certainly is adequate. Upon finding a misspelled word, it
will offer selections for replacement (using letter keys), or allow
the user to edit the word manually (if the word is not found).
The spell checker falls down in one major respect: the dictionary is
fixed. I personally dislike the fact that my name is considered
misspelled every time it comes up, or that major computer terms
are not in the dictionary. A user-extensible spell checker would
take care of this problem.
The second and more unique of Thelma's functions is that of a
grammar checker. It checks for technical errors, such as doubled
words, overuse of technical words, and long sentences. Its
function in that regard is adequate: it does help pick up on things
that I might have missed otherwise. I personally have the problem
of overuse of the passive voice, and Thelma reminds me to not
overuse it.
The grammar functions are not entirely perfect, either. For
example, the proper way to use a period on a typewriter is to
follow it with two spaces, but on a laser printer (especially with
good fonts) it is proper to use a single space. Also, the advice
given is a bit stoic: it offers no real solutions to your problem,
it merely points out the problem.
Thelma's registration fee is $29.00, and for this you get quite a
bundle of goods: a grammar reference and tutorial, a printed
manual and quick reference, and one shareware update. The intro
screens also go away. Comparatively, this is a quite good value,
and extremely competitively priced in comparison to commercial
products (Grammatik, Correct Grammar, etc.).
My rating for THELMA THISTLEBLOSSOM: (1-10)
Value 8
Usability 5
Performance 6
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Overall 6
Thelma Thistleblossom performs as well as one would expect, and it
compares favorably to commercial software. However, grammar is not
a set of cut-and-dry rules, and this makes it a difficult task for
any computer program. If your writing could use a little touch-up,
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend that you give Thelma
Thistleblossom a try!
THELMA THISTLEBLOSSOM
Timp Software
758 East 100 North
Orem, Utah 84059-4910
If you are a shareware author and would like to see your product
reviewed in this column, please contact me either via e-mail at
the STTS bulletin board, through RIME (->SUNLIGHT), P&BNet, TTN (Net
Chat conference) or via conventional mail. My conventional
mail address is:
Russell Mirabelli
1216 Lamar Blvd E #508
Arlington, TX 76011