August 1998

This section features the newest and hottest software programs released on the Internet.

By Kieran McNamee

1-4-All is a tag-based HTML editor, and although it doesn't have a WYSIWYG interface, it has many powerful features that makes creating Web pages simple. If you know very little about HTML programming then it would probably be wise to just stick with a WYSIWYG Web page creator such as Word 97 or Netscape Composer.

The 1-4-All program window is split into three main sections. The main window is where HTML pages are edited, and has a directory and file listing to the left, and a button panel at the top. The files displayed on the left can be dragged and dropped onto the HTML code and a link is automatically created.

An impressive feature of 1-4-All is Code Quick, which uses a pop-up box to list the tags that would be suitable for use at the point where your cursor is. Previewing Web pages can be done through external browsers or 1-4-All's internal viewer. Instant colour coding allows you to quickly distinguish between tags and text. Tables and frames can be created effortlessly with the built-in smart table editor and frame wizard. And when it comes time to publish your masterpiece, the Integrated Publishing Wizard will upload your files to a Web server without the need for an FTP program.

Windows 95

Download the version for your operating system here:

Windows 95 (1,956K)

The Beatnik Plug-in manages the playback of audio files within your Netscape Web browser. RMF, MIDI, MOD, AIFF, WAV, and AU audio files are all looked after by Beatnik, and the sound quality produced is very good. The potential for interactivity is also impressive. JavaScript can be used by Web page developers to make a more personalised musical experience within a Web page. Apart from playing music when the page is opened, Beatnik allows events such as mouse-click or mouse-over to trigger different music, or even to change the tempo, volume and pitch of the music.

FTPPro98 is a fairly basic FTP program with a couple of features that make transferring files a simple procedure. With a similar look to Windows Explorer, FTPPro98 is set out with four panels: two panels for the local computer and two for the remote FTP site.

Uploading and downloading files is performed by dragging and dropping between the local computer and the FTP site. Unlike in other FTP programs, copying entire folders can be done in one step. Configuring individual FTP sites is easy with a separate profile for each one.

The asking registration fee of $US95 seems very steep. As a shareware or freeware program, FTPPro98 is very good, but as a professional application worth $US95 it doesn't come up to scratch. For one thing, the menus at the top of the window are misused and should be set out better.

Windows 95

Download the version for your operating system here:

Windows 95 (218K)

Small businesses and the self-employed may find this little program very useful. If you can't afford to have a set of business cards made professionally, then making your own is not that bad an idea.

Business Card Designer makes the creation of business cards a simple task. With tools such as shadowed text, backgrounds, shapes and lines, your business cards will look very authentic. Images can be acquired from TWAIN sources such as scanners and digital cameras, and there is support for JPG, TIF, PNG, BMP, PCX and WMF clipart.

Card Expert allows you to enter all your details and then select a template and appropriate layout for the card. If you have a small business, multiple users can be set up so that similar-looking cards can be printed with each person's details.

The Brain is a revolutionary information management system that was released in January this year. What it basically does is allow you to visually manage the data on your PC in a similar way that information is organised in your mind. This concept seems daunting at first, but after consultation with the huge 54-page manual, things begin to make sense.

The makers of The Brain want you to forget about the Start Menu and Windows Explorer, and to access all of your data through its system. With The Brain, you organise the information in your computer in the way that makes most sense to you, so you can concentrate on content instead of its container.

Thoughts are the basic building block of The Brain, and they can represent anything from a concept to a document or a Web page. The big feature that was released with Version 1.5 was the ability to publish your Brain on the Internet. This feature, pushed especially towards big business, would allow more effective communication and the sharing of information between people.

The Brain will definitely take some time to get accustomed to but I think that you will benefit if you spend enough time with it and are able to use it completely without the need of the Start Menu or Explorer.

People who use recordable CDs (CD-Rs), for whatever purpose, will find the CD Box Labeler very useful. All the dimensions of the label have been worked out so all you have to do is create the design. There are two separate windows to design the front and the back sides. The back side also includes the two flaps that fold over to become the CD case's spine (and it fits perfectly).

Images can be dragged and dropped into a desired position and can even be stretched to the edges of the label. Along with images, background colours can be used to liven up your CD label design. Text editing is not perfect and could have been implemented better, but it's not that big a worry. When your design is complete, both back and front labels can be printed on the one page for manual cropping with a pair of scissors.

Windows 95

Download the version for your operating system here:

Windows 95 (1,810K)

RealPlayer has been around for a while, and with this G2 release comes some additional features. If you have never used RealPlayer before, it is the ultimate tool for experiencing live or pre-recorded events over the Internet. Streaming audio, video, and now text and pictures, can be viewed using RealPlayer. RealPlayer has three different viewing sizes: original, double and full screen. Full screen has a loss in clarity, as would be expected, but for viewing low-detail clips such as cartoons it is quite good.

Content can be accessed by entering a URL into RealPlayer, clicking on a link in your Web browser that launches RealPlayer, or through channels. Channels have numerous topics such as news, sport, movie previews, and music. In one sense this kind of streaming media could one day replace television, but the quality is not good enough yet. One problem is the fact that most of the content comes from the US, which results in minor delay problems. However, using the new SmartStream technology, bit rates are dynamically adjusted to match available bandwidth.

RealPlayer Plus is a step up from this version which includes added features — but for a price. The extra features include a graphic equaliser, colour controls, spectrum analyser and the ability to record clips to your hard drive.

Two types of people will benefit immensely from Window Washer: those wanting to enhance their privacy on their computer, and those who need to conserve hard disk space. Window Washer cleans up your activities on a computer by deleting files that are created while you are on the Web and the details left behind in Windows.

Parts of Windows that can be washed include the Document menu, the Find and Run histories, your temp directory, as well as the Recycle Bin. Window Washer also integrates with Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer and ICQ to remove Web-related data like the cache, history and cookies. There is also the option to add Custom Items that you want cleaned, which can be other files, folders or Registry entries.

Window Washer has a nice, easy-to-use interface and can be set up to clean on a scheduled basis as well as when Windows is started or shut down. The trial version has a few features disabled, such as the washing of the recycle bin and the ability to exclude specific cookies from being washed.

Warning: If your temp directory is used as a working directory, do not select it to be washed; and don't mess around with the scheduling either.

Windows 95

Download the version for your operating system here:

Windows 95 (655K)

Out of Context is a shell context-menu extension that gives you access to common operations with a simple right-click on a file or shortcut. Out of Context has three different menus that become part of the right-click pop-up menu. Combining a Shift or Ctrl key with your right-click determines which Out of Context menu you will get.

Configuring the Out of Context menus is simple. The configuration program has an Explorer-like interface where you can customise your menus with more than 75 different items. Along with items such as Copy To, Extract To, and Explore, you can define where you want the separators and submenus to be.

If I were going to use this program seriously I would probably forget about the Shift and Ctrl menus and just put the important items I would use into the one menu. There are many items to choose from, but some are more useful than others. Out of Context may take a while to get accustomed to, but once you can utilise all its features you will become a more productive user of Windows.

The Power Toys compilation was created by the Windows 95 shell team. It contains many useful utilities that many think should have been included with the Windows 95 operating system. Tweak UI is one of the better components of the Power Toys set, as it allows you to finetune the Windows 95 user interface.

After installation, Tweak UI can be accessed from the Control Panel. The settings are arranged under a number of headings. The settings of your mouse can be changed with varying sensitivities for double-clicking and dragging as well as different speeds for the menus that appear after right-clicking. In addition to the settings concerned with the desktop and Explorer there are booting options such as whether to show the splash screen and whether to autorun ScanDisk with or without a prompt. One of the best options is the removal of entries from the Add/Remove Programs panel that have already been removed from the system. Automatic network logon is an option of Tweak UI and the histories of the Run, Document and Find File features can be cleared with every logon. Tweak UI can also repair RegEdit, system files and file associations if anything should go wrong with them.

1X Net Browser is a Web browser that includes most of the features of Netscape and Internet Explorer but will not eat up a huge chunk of your hard drive. Its developers are proud to say that 1X Net Browser is so small that it can fit onto a floppy disk. The developers also seem to have an interest in ActiveX technology: half of the default bookmarks are ActiveX related and 1X will ping if a page contains an ActiveX control.

There are a couple of handy features that are built into 1X Net Browser. The Internet time synchroniser is especially useful and the modem usage log can display your connection details. Bookmarks can be made while surfing and important pages can be put in the PickList for instant access. There is also the option to check bookmarks for new content while you browse.

Clipboard Magic is a very simple and unobtrusive program that archives all the pieces of data you copy onto the clipboard. It is not really a replacement for the standard clipboard, it is more of an enhancement.

Clipboard Magic runs from the system tray. When you want to change the contents of the clipboard to something that you have copied previously, you run the program and find the archived piece of data. Just clicking on the selected data will copy it to the clipboard, ready for pasting. My only grumble is that when the data is pasted from the archive it is not always pasted at the same size that it was copied at.

Windows 95 relies too much on virtual memory and does not make full use of the system's disk cache. To improve system performance many users have resorted to editing the SYSTEM.INI file to set the maximum and minimum cache sizes. Now Cacheman removes the hassle of editing the SYSTEM.INI file by allowing you to easily change the size of your disk cache. Cacheman's easy-to-use interface also removes some of the insecurity that some users have with editing system files.

Cacheman has five different optimal cache settings that have preset maximum and minimum sizes. These settings are for a standard system, systems with CD writers, power users, and users with low physical memory. There is even a setting for users who play Quake 2.

Duplicate files on your system may take up valuable disk space that could be used for other things. Dupeless finds duplicates by comparing the name, size and contents of all the files on your hard disk. Duplicates are then listed so that you can select which files can be safely removed. It takes some time to go through the grid of duplicate files, but if you are in need of some extra hard disk space or wish to find conflicting files of the same type, this may be your answer.

The source code of Dupeless has also been included with the install files so that curious programmers can see how Dupeless works. If you are interested, Dupeless was programmed using Borland's Delphi programming language.

Windows 95

Download the version for your operating system here:

Windows 95 (400K)

Vopt97 is a damn good utility that defragments and packs FAT16 and FAT32 drives. It's much better than the standard Windows 95 Defrag utility for a number of reasons. First of all, it's is fast. Of course, if there are a lot of fragmented files, then it will take longer than if there are only a few, but compared to Microsoft's Defrag the time saving is noticeable. Because of the minimum amount of time required, the task of defragmenting the hard drive regularly becomes less of a chore.

Using Vopt97 is easy and it has informative graphs that illustrate what is happening. When a drive is being defragmented an allocation map displaying what is happening to your disk's clusters is displayed, along with an informative summary as well as the graphs.

Vopt97 is also safe to use, as it builds a new copy of the data it is defragmenting before it removes the original. Even in a system crash your data is protected.

Windows 95

Download the version for your operating system here:

Windows 95 (1,048K)