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The BBS Callers Digest
(C) Copyright 1990, Richard Paquette, Publisher
Volume One, Number Seven
July, 1990
The BBS Callers Digest is made available for electronic display on Bulletin
Board Systems. Subscriptions are available by contacting: Richard Paquette at
P.O. Box 416, Mt.Laurel, NJ 08054. All rights reserved by the Publisher.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Five SHAREWARE REVIEWS!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are three shareware reviews this month.. so read on and hope that these
help you in some way.. if you own or have programmed shareware, public domain
or freeware, please feel free to send us your review for publishing...
PROGRAM: Duplicate File Locator - Version 1.01
AUTHOR: W.S. Ataras, PE
DATE RELEASED: November 27, 1989
REGISTRATION: $20.00
RESTRICTIONS: Hard Drive Needed
RATING: 4.0
NAME-SIZE ZIP: DFL101.ZIP,
Hard drives are wonderful objects. Rather than having to squeeze every last
byte out of it, you can usually let old stuff sit on it for forever. Heck,
you can even be lazy enough to have multiple copies of software laying
around on your system (IE: Protocols, compression program, etc.).
When you do start gasping for more space and the infamous "DISK FULL" error
pops its ugly head out on you, you need to do something quick. Usually,
rather than taking the time to find out what you need and don't need, you
find it easier to eliminate the duplicate software on your computer.
Finding the better known files such as FORMAT, DSZ, and PRINT are easy, but
what do you do about the tougher to dig out files like the README.1STs and
the READ.MEs that escape your notice?
You can painstakingly run through each directory with a DOS Shell type
program like Gordon Haff's Directory Freedom (really...not a plug...), or
you can use a program like DFL. Though, I am not sure that that is a better
idea.
USE: DFL's documentation is measly. All that you get is a page of hype
concerning what DFL should be able to do. No operational
instructions are given whatsoever.
No problem if the program is public domain, but we are talking
about a $20.00 investment here or a $45.00 one if you invest in
version 2.0. But I wouldn't go ahead and lay your money down on
version 2.0, for the program isn't even developed yet.
When you start the program, DFL spits out a screen that is fairly
complicated. It beckons you to "SELECT MODE AND DRIVE TO BEGIN."
Don't worry about the fact that you don't know what modes are
available, nor do you know what drives you can use.
Ah, you do remember two sentences in the "documentation" that
mentioned this spectacular feature called alias mode. You decide to
go ahead and start out with what has been mentioned, so you set it
up for ALIAS mode and drive C.
Whoops, you now notice that there is on line help. Flustered, you
hit the F1 key, about the only thing right, and notice that you are
presented with two screens of text. Of these two screens, half of
it is covered by DISCLAIMERS and LICENSE INFORMATION with the
other half being little bitty sentences on marking a first file.
To begin processing you hit F4. You wait...and wait...and
wait...and wait...and wait... Finally you get tired of this alias
mode and flip your computer off. See, what the alias mode does is
compare files of the same size, but different names. If you have a
lot of data files for a BBS, document files for a word processor,
or .DBF files for a database you are in for a long haul.
Giving in to your desire for brutality, you decide to give DFL
another chance using the other mode available, NAME. In this mode,
the computer simply looks for like filenames and ignoring size. Ah,
you sit back and watch the program blaze through the hard disk.
When it finishes you are presented with a neat list of files to
pick and choose from.
You decide to cursor through and hit the spacebar to tag them. No
dice. You have to hit the F7 key to individually delete each file.
What's worse is that you are asked a Y/N? question for each file!
No toggles or batch deleting are available.
Frustrated, you erase the executables and th archive.
SUMMARY: GOOD POINTS BAD POINTS
----------- ----------
+ Fast in NAME mode - Documentation
- User Control Keys
- ON LINE Help
- Speed in Alias Mode
- No Batch Delete
1-------5------10:
******
4.0
DFL reeks of immature ShareWare. ShareWare that is put out on the market
either to glorify the author's ego or to make a quick buck. Software that
has absolutely no basis to charge money. Although DFL ultimately works,
getting to that point is time consuming and tedious.
SHAREWARE REVIEW
PROGRAM: Super Search - Version 3 - File Finder and More...
AUTHOR: Thomas Price
DATE RELEASED: April 1990
REGISTRATION: $5.00
RESTRICTIONS: None
RATING: 8.75
NAME-SIZE ZIP: SSEARCH3.ZIP, 39K
Yes, it is a typical sunny day at the main office of ORKIN. A distressed
lady calls in. Dave, the supervisor, handles the call:
Dave: "Hello, Orkin man. Yep. Uh huh. Yep. Uh huh. Ok, maam. What history
do we have? Well, we have been known throughout the computing
world for getting rid of pesky software types. Uh huh. Yep. Uh huh.
Yep. Do you remember the boom of compression software? Good. We
took care of those. Yep. Uh huh. Yep. Uh huh. Ok, remember the
obscene outbreak of small terminal programs, well we killed those.
Ok. Yep. Uh huh. No problem maam, we can help you get rid of those
pesky file find programs!"
Me: "Dave, you mean to say there has been another outbreak of
ShareWare software typing again?"
Dave: "Yeppers. We are seeing more and more people try to through their
hats into the ShareWare ring with fast file finders. What a
pandora's box has been opened."
Me: "Can you elaborate?"
Dave: "Sure. The proliferation of these types of programs has saturated
the market. Where there used to be two, there are now twenty. Most
are the same, some have different features, but almost all are
slow, sludgy, and stupid."
Me: "Stupid?"
Dave: Yep, just like an ant. They aren't an extension of a user. User
can't tell the computer, "Hey, find me all files created before May
1st, but that have the ING string in them." They are just like the
termite, no good.
Me: "Are there any good file find programs out there?"
Dave: "The praying mantis of the bunch has to be SUPER*SEARCH. This baby
is hot. We are talking turbo searches with MENSA type awareness."
Me: "Oh, come on. How can one program stand out above the rest? Will it
eat it's mate?"
Dave: "You've been breathing these fumes for too long! No, it is not
carnivorous. What does SUPER*SEARCH do? Well, first off it will
search for files the old fashioned way: *.ZIP, ZIP.* and so on.
Where SUPER*SEARCH comes into its own is now. Rather than taking
the old *.* approach to finding a file, most of the time you may
not know just WHAT the file is named. SUPER*SEARCH can help. It
lets you search on date and size criteria also."
Me: "So, if I don't know the name, how will I know the size?"
Dave: "You have definitely been breathing these fumes for too long. No
problem, though. You have two choices: A) You can estimate the
approximate size or B) If you know that the file had the word TRY
in it, you could search for *try*.*, this would give you all files
with the string TRY in its name."
Me: "Impressive. How is the user interface?"
Dave: "Well, the program is limited by a command line. That shouldn't
hamper most people except neophytes, though. The command
nomenclature is fuzzy. Instead of using operators such as =, <, >,
or <> the program forces you to use /? where ? equals a letter.
After these two hang ups are overcome, you will notice that the
program is a breeze to use. In fact, there is even a separate
configuration command that will allow you to set up your own
colors, which drives to search, report size, and pause on screen.
Why the author didn't include a section on modifying the commands,
I don't know."
Me: "<YAWN> Excuse me, but it just seems that the interface is fairly
standard. Is there anything earth shattering?"
Dave: "The documentation is fair to midland. In more or less topic form,
it is a sleeper. What is really dazzling is the report that it can
generate. An example:"
-=>ss *zip* [This was the command issued. Look for all files with ZIP in
the filename with any extension.]
SUPER*SEARCH V1.2 - Copyright (c) 1990 - by Thomas Price
─────────────────────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────
Apl 04-90 7:00a 1,364 │ ZIPCOM .TXT │ C:\
Oct 16-89 11:42a 17,253 │ STRIPZIP.EXE │ C:\COMMON
Dec 04-89 7:32p 37,186 │ ZIPLOGO .EXE │ C:\COMMON
Mar 15-90 1:10a 23,528 │ PKUNZIP .EXE │ C:\COMPRESS
Mar 15-90 1:10a 34,296 │ PKZIP .EXE │ C:\COMPRESS
─────────────────────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────
File Spec ..... (*ZIP*.*) Possible Match ..... 1,817
Files FOUND .... 5 Dirs Searched ..... 55
Appnt Storage .. 113,627
True Storage .. 118,784 Megabytes Spanned .. 31.7
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
"Notice that the program breaks things down for you and lets you
know what it did. Very impressive compared to those programs that
just sit there and do nothing but spew forth numbers."
Me: "Ok, what can you do with the information now that you have it?"
Dave: "Well, you got me. Pretty much nothing. The program doesn't provide
support for any output other than the screen, nor can you delete
the files that you have found."
Me: "How long did the search take? Can you compare it to other file
find programs?"
Dave: "Sure can! The search was almost twice as fast as my precious file
find program. The documentation gives you a test to put
SUPER*SEARCH head to head with other file find programs;
SUPER*SEARCH won every time."
SUMMARY: GOOD POINTS BAD POINTS
----------- ----------
+ Fast - No alternate output
+ Great search criteria - No delete function
+ Great on screen report
+ Superb configurability
1-------5------10:
**************
8.75
SUPER*SEARCH is the best file find type program I have ever ran. It is
fast, flexible with criteria, and is a breeze to learn. I did miss the fact
that I could not set up my own command, and that a delete function did not
exist.
SHAREWARE REVIEW
PROGRAM: PC FAST TYPE - Typing tutor and Teacher
AUTHOR: William J. Letendre, Jr - Trendech Corporation - Member,
Association of ShareWare Professionals
DATE RELEASED: February 1990
REGISTRATION: $25.00
RESTRICTIONS: Color Graphics Adaptor Needed
RATING: 8.3
NAME-SIZE ZIP: PCFASTYP.ZIP, 179K
When you enter the business world, certain skills are required by almost
every employer. It used to be that you had to know how to use a 10key
calculator, now it is a Personal Computer.
In High School you would sit as a Freshman, Sophomore, Junior or Senior and
question why and the heck you needed these damn typing skills. You wrote
faster than you typed and you looked so goofy hovering over a piece of
metal that binged. Your teacher, probably a track coach or a football
coach, would come over and try to put things in perspective. Mumbling about
"necessary skills" and "work ethics," you quickly got the idea that Coach
didn't know why and the hell you were typing either. He just knew that to
pick up his paycheck he needed to go through the geeky motions of typing.
See, Coach was enthusiastic about typing. He would stand up in front of the
canvas typewriter face and move his hands around. He looked like a flailing
jellyfish. He'd ask if you had followed. You'd shake your head agreeably
hoping that you could talk your big sister into doing the homework for you.
Ah, but now you're in the business world where the 10key has been replaced
by a 101 Enhanced Keyboard that controls a vital cog in your work wheel.
The days spent in the typing room don't seem that bad now, because you're
laughing your head off at the project leader who can't type.
For those of you who missed out on Coach, don't fret. PCFASTYP is a great
way to learn how to type using the PC. Of course, it doesn't tell you
stories about the undefeated seasons nor does it mention the fact that it
was injured scoring the last touchdown of the state playoffs. It will,
though, lead you in learning a necessary skill for life -- typing.
USE: PCFASTYP offers great documentation. As you read, you will notice
that the author has painstakingly crafted the manual as an all
encompassing resource. Rather than putting instructions down on
paper, the author has taken this a step further and placed
everything you ever wanted to know about the software into a
logical, concise package.
When you first load the program, you notice that it contains very
sharp color usage, as well as very good use of windows. This may
not seem like a very big deal, but with such a touchy subject like
typing, the more a person feels at ease, the better the person will
learn. (Yes, the pun was intended)
The menus are a combination of easy and hard to navigate. The menus
are windows which overlay each other as a deeper level is selected.
Soon, you can have five windows covering each other up with only a
line from each showing. The easy part about the menus is that you
can either select your option by pressing a function key, or you
can cursor down and hit your return key.
The meat of the program, the configuration menu, happens five levels
down. A pain if you are familiar with the program and want to
change one option. The configuration menu allows you to change the
sound, hidden keys, outlining of the home keys, beep on errors,
aligning of finger positions, word wrap, keyboard helpers, and
drill count.
Each option is fantastic. You run into one big problem, though,
after you set what you want: there is no way to save your options.
This is very frustrating, but one might construe this as an
exercise in typing.
Selecting what type of EXERCISE you would like to do allows you to
choose from three skill levels (Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner).
Inside of each skill level is the ability to run certain test on
your typing skills. The Beginner level allows basic home key finger
placements, while the Advanced section sports the ability to type
your own text (IE: Book Report).
At the end of your typing exercise, a quick break down of how you
did is displayed. Showing Drill Length, Number of Errors, and
Elapsed Time, the computer calculates your Words Per Minute.
Displayed are the Computed Speed (Without errors) and the Raw Speed
(With Errors).
The problem is you cannot print the scores out, nor can you track
your progress. These features would be simple to add, yet they
would improve the programs functionality ten fold for learning.
SUMMARY: GOOD POINTS BAD POINTS
----------- ----------
+ Fast - No Record Keeping
+ Very Configurable - No Configuration Save
+ Documentation
+ Flexibility
1-------5------10:
*************
8.3
PCFASTYP is not unique. Other typing programs can do what PCFASTYP does,
yet PCFASTYP has the impact of real learning on people. You can chalk that
up to its ease of setup. Grossly lacking were any forms of continuing
monitoring of progress. This feature alone would propel PCFASTYP into
typing stardom.