home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
The World of Computer Software
/
World_Of_Computer_Software-02-386-Vol-2of3.iso
/
b
/
bblplace.zip
/
DISKID9
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1992-11-09
|
13KB
|
241 lines
OFFICIAL MESSAGE AS OF 11/09/92
This message and prices are subject to change as we grow or fade away.
INDEX
1. The Alternative Software idea
2. Retail Outlets
3. Mail order catalog
4. Double Density vs High Density Disks
5. Return Policy
6. What is Shareware
7. Why register your Shareware
8. Statement of Warranty and Disclaimer
THE ALTERNATIVE SOFTWARE IDEA =================================================
ALTERNATIVE SOFTWARE
(P.O. BOX 161 - WILLOUGHBY, OHIO 44094)
Hopefully you will here more about or buy more from ALTERNATIVE SOFTWARE in
the future. We are trying to become Clevelands dominant retail source for
shareware. Unlike other sources our goal is to have things menued and ready
to use, not presented in a zipped format. We are also going to try to
review as many programs as we have time for before resale. (Being that there
are currently about 75,000 shareware programs on the market we of course will
not be able to try them all. We will try to give you as much guidance as
possible. If we get our retail store open we will have many of the programs
set upon systems for you to try. If you would like to be on our mailing list
and be informed of our future plans send us your name and address. We are
planning to give shareware a good name. Watch for us.
Our "best shareware" should soon be available in retail stores
throughout the Cleveland area. These will be only titles that we have
reviewed and think are among the best of the availble shareware titles.
You may watch this file for a list of retail locations to find our hand picked
shareware. Below is the current list of retail locations which currently
carry our products.
For beginners our shareware has a big advantage over most of the
other shareware distributors. Each of our shareware disks has a
customized menu system to make access and use easy. Most dealers
send you a disk and let you figure out how to work it. They assume
everyone knows how to go throught the directory of a disks and figure
out what's what. Not so, this is ususally an aquired skill after hours
and hours of frustration. A "zip file" is a foreign word to many users.
When you get our disks they all begin the same way. Switch to the appropriate
drive and enter the command "START". You will get a menu with everything
laid out for you!
RETAIL OUTLETS=================================================================
Prices of our products may vary in dealer outlets. The maximum they
may charge for our programs is $4.95 each. Dealers may or may not offer
discounts on our programs. THIS IS NO DIFFERENT than commercial software
stores. If you call Micro Center, LDI and Babbages you will likely get three
different prices on any piece of commercial software.
The selection at each dealer will also vary. Some of our dealers
carry only a few of the very best and others carry a wider selections
depending on their available space and theme of the store.
DAVES COMPUTER STORE - 5259 MAYFIELD ROAD - LYNDHURST, OHIO
216-646-1124 (Dave specializes in used software. Bring your
old programs in and trade for something you want. A unique
store in the Cleveland area.)
HILLCREST VIDEO - 5852 MAYFIELD ROAD - MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, OHIO
216-442-8900 (Bobs store has a wide variety of video rentals
both family and adult. The shareware titles are not for rent
but for purchase only.)
WB COMPUTERS - Heisley Road and Rt 20 in Mentor, Ohio. Sam
custom designs computer systems built around the Acer systems.
Acer has been a well respected system board for many years in
business circles. Good prices and our shareware. Call and
ask for Mr. Sam Den at 255-5634. Tell em we sent ya.
DIGITAL ONE - 7601 MENTOR AVENUE - MENTOR, OHIO 44060
216-951-8088 Known for their customer support Digital One
is a great place to purchase a PC. They also trade-in and
sell used equipment.
JAMIE'S FLEA MARKET - Rt 113, 1/2 Mile West of Rt. 58
AMHERST, OHIO 216-986-4402. Here is something different.
One of the largest indoor/outdoor flea markets in Ohio. Open
Wed & Sat from 8-4. 250 Indoor vendors including an Alternative
Software shareware outlet. This is a temporary setup but I
expect to maintain this outlet until the end of 1992. Call
first and make sure we are there. It is worth the trip just
to see everything else. An Ohio tourist attraction.
COMPUEDGE - 29518 LAKE SHORE BLVD - WILLOUGHBY, OHIO 44095
If you need corporate training for your company this is the
specialty of CompuEdge. They also sell systems at excellent
prices. Ask for Bob, tell em the "shareware" sent you.
A2Z COMPUTERS - 5218 WILSON MILLS ROAD - RICHMOND HEIGHTS, OHIO
44143 - (216) 442-8889: Just like it says, A-2-Z for your systems.
Sound boards, systems, software, printers, something for everybody.
Even a good supply of the best shareware in Cleveland.
THE ARENA - 5890 MAYFIELD ROAD - MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, OHIO
(In the Mayland Shopping Plaza) The Arena is a gamers specialty
store for games and card collectors. The selection of shareware
titles carried here are strictly game titles, no utilities or
other formats.
THE WILLOUGHBY FLEA MARKET - 30150 Euclid Avenue - 943-3552
The largest indoor flea market on the East side of Cleveland.
20,000 square feet with 250 vendors. Great parking and easy
access. Just West of East 305th street and Euclid Avenue (Rt20)
MAIL ORDER CATALOG=============================================================
We have been asked many times about mail order of our products.
We can take mail order requests with the following price guidelines.
** Alternative Software - P.O. Box 161 - Willoughby, Ohio 44094 **
CATALOG ONLY: Send $1.00 to above address.
Be sure to include your address with your request.
DISK (PROGRAM) PRICES:
Unlike many shareware distributors our decision to use high density
disks will pay off for you here. Many mail order companies charge on a
"per disk" basis. If the program requires 3 double density disks you get
charged for each included disk. Our programs requireing multiple double
density disks are instead put on one high density disk. This saves you
money but does leave out some of you with older computers.
Also, our programs are normally shipped on 5.25" disks unless
otherwise requested. There is an additional fee for 3.5" disks. A
catalog of available programs will be included with each request.
1 PROGRAM = $4.95
2 PROGRAMS = $4.25 Each
3-5 PROGRAMS = $3.95 Each
6-7 PROGRAMS = $3.50 Each
8-9 PROGRAMS = $2.95 Each
10+ PROGRAMS = $2.50 Each
EXAMPLE (3 PROGRAMS)
$ 11.85
OHIO RESIDENTS AT 7% SALES TAX....... 7% .83
SHIPPING & HANDLING ON EACH ORDER.... $2.00 2.00
14.68
ADD .50/Disk for 3.5" disks
DOUBLE DENSITY VS HIGH DENSITY DISKS===========================================
Here is one area some people will be disappointed with and others will
be happy. We have decided to use HIGH DENSITY disks for programs containing
more than 360,000 bytes of files (The limit on double density disks). This
was a decision based on the sales of computers over the last few years.
Almost all systems now have high density drives. Chances are most computers
purchased within the last three years have high density floppy drives and
prior to 1979 may have either, please check your manual. The rule of thumb is
if you have an PC, XT, or 8088 system you probably have double density.
If you have an "AT", 286, 386 or 486 you probably have high density drives.
The advantage of this decision is that we can sell almost any shareware
program on one disk. To accomodate older systems most shareware dealers
will send large programs on multiple double density disks, sometimes as many
as three or four. The catch...they usually charge you on a per disk basis.
Example, a shareware company charging $3.00 per disk will charge $9.00 for
a three disk program. We can get the same program on one high density disk.
This means a one disk charge. AT THIS TIME (10/15/92) we still charge the
same price for programs on either capacity disk, we don't charge extra for the
high density disk programs. We have averaged the extra cost in an across
the board price structure. Convienent for you and us.
RETURN POLICY==================================================================
Our current return policy is for replacement of defective diskettes only.
We cannot guarantee you will like your program or that it will be exactly what
you would like it to be. Let's face it, at $4.00 a pop you don't have much
to lose and everything to gain. This is the whole idea of shareware. "Try
before you buy"! You can by ten shareware programs for the price of one average
retail program to try out before paying the authors for the ones you decide to
keep. Please write to us if you have an operational problem or a bad disk and
we will try and help you. We will call you back and replace your disk if
necessary. Hopefully you will enjoy and purchase enough of our programs that
we will be able to add a phone number to this file.
If your program has a "bug" or flaw please contact the author per
his warranty instructions.
WHAT IS SHAREWARE =============================================================
SHAREWARE - WHAT IS IT?
The many mystical meanings and perceptions that follow the word shareware
might boggle the mind. Let's make it simple. First, shareware is not free
software. Free software is known as public domain. Consider "shareware" a
marketing concept. These are programs written by individual programmers or
small companies trying to earn a living like you and I. They can not afford
beautiful boxes or captivating ads in magazines. So, they create a program,
copyright it, and set it free in the public arena for people to find and
evaluate. Then on the honor system, they require that if you continue to use
their program after a resonable trial period that you pay them for their work.
Imagine if you went to work everyday and then gave it away in hopes
someone would pay you if they used it. Scary isn't it?
The small fee that you pay to shareware distributors like us is for the
diskette, our time to find and review the program, packaging and making sure
your disk is virus free. (And if you don't mind, a little profit.) Our disk
fees DO NOT go to the author. Registration and payment is up to you.
{We are going to try to become an authorized registration center}
{for many of our programs. Ask us about this. We will also offer}
{an incentive if it becomes possible. }
**********
PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE is the software that is free. This software was
written by someone who does not want any money for the program and has
released it to the public at no charge.
WHY REGISTER YOUR SHAREWARE ===================================================
We ask that if you do like and keep using the shareware that you purchase
from us that you please register and pay for the program as the author
requests. This will insure that shareware continues to come to you and
the author is not trying to write his next program while standing in some
bread line. Many times you will also benefit from your registration as
many authors will return with updated program disks, printed manuals,
and continued information on updates. Maybe you'll even just feel like
a nice guy knowing you did the right thing. Someday when people are tired
of paying outrageous prices for software they don't like shareware may
become the mainstream sales idea in premium software.
COMPANY STATEMENT OF WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER===================================
*** DISCLAIMER/LIMITED WARRANTY ***
This disk is warranted to be readable only. The programs and other files
on this disk are provided AS IS without any warranty, express or implied
for perceived quality or application. Neither Alternative Software, its
employees or owners will not be liable for any direct or consquental damage
to your system or lost profits and or time that may result from use of these.
Any warranty beyond readability may only come from the author of this program.
We suggest users follow recommended computing practices backing up your
system often.