The high performance, low cost, removable storage cataloguing utility
Copyright Matthew Bickham, November 1996. Blitz is a trademark of Matthew Bickham.
This Program is Shareware
Blitz is shareware, this means that you may use the program for 30 days, after which period you should register the program if you continue to use it. Blitz costs $US15.00 to register (quantity and academic rates are available). Registration for Blitz is handled by Kagi. More details on registering are below.
What is Blitz?
Blitz is a high performance file cataloguing utility. Unlike other programs, Blitz can catalogue all the files of a 650MB CD-ROM and take a mere 60K of disk space to do it (some programs I’ve seen use around 5MB of space to do this!). Finding a file on 10 of these catalogues (a combined storage size of nearly 7 Gigabytes) generally takes less than 10 seconds! (on a high-end 68k machine)
Blitz is ideal for use with CD-ROMs, Zips, Jazz and Syquests cartridges. Blitz can easily handle disks that have tens of thousands of files on them.
Blitz Instructions
To begin using Blitzs’ file searching capabilities, you must first create a catalogue. From the Finder, insert the CD-ROM (or cartridge) that you want to catalogue and then drag its’ icon to the Blitz application icon. This will open Blitz and create a catalogue of the volume. This method also works with cataloguing a specific folder.
You can also create a catalogue by clicking the ‘Create New Catalogue’ button in Blitz (or selecting the option from the ‘File’ menu). Select the volume in the file dialogue and Blitz will begin cataloguing the volumes’ files.
If you want to change the name of the catalogue, hold down the Option key when selecting the volume in the file dialogue or when dragging the volume to the Blitz application icon. This will allow you to enter an alternative name for the catalogue.
Depending upon the speed of your drive and computer, cataloguing should take about 10 seconds. Continue cataloguing as many volumes that you wish - they will all appear in the ‘Catalogues’ list.
Once finished cataloguing - you can begin searching. To find a particular file click the ‘Find File...’ button (or select the item from the ‘File’ menu). In the dialogue that appears type the search string for the file that you want to find - the string can either be the whole filename or a part thereof; for example: If you wanted to find the file “MacDraw” you could type the whole filename or a part like “draw”.
Blitz then displays all the files that match the search string in the ‘Find Results’ list.
It’s that simple! To cancel a file find part way through, simply type command-period.
Blitz v1.1 is fully backwards compatible with version 1.0 catalogues. To use catalogues you have created in a previous version, simply drag them from the old Blitz Catalogues folder into the new versions Blitz Catalogues folder. The version history file describes what’s new in this version of Blitz.
If you want to move a catalogue to the trash can, select the name of the catalogue in the ‘Catalogues’ list and press the ‘delete’ key on the keyboard.
Why Did You Create Blitz?
I created Blitz because all the other shareware disk cataloguing programs I’d seen either took enormous amounts of disk space (which I don’t have) to catalogue a large volume or took forever to find a file. I hope Blitz solves these problems. I was also sick of continually inserting and ejecting magazine CD-ROMs looking for that elusive file.
How Can I Register This Software?
Paying for Blitz is fairly simple. Open the Register program that accompanies the program. Enter your name, your email address, and the number of single user licenses (either at the standard or academic rate), site licenses (a site license is for use across a whole company or organisation), and worldwide licenses (a license to use the program in one organisation throughout the whole world) you desire for each program you wish to purchase. Save, Copy or Print the data from the Register program and send the data and payment to Kagi.
If paying with Credit Card or First Virtual, you can email or fax the data to Kagi. Their email address is sales@kagi.com and their fax number is +1 510 652-6589. If you are paying with Cash or USD Check you should print the data using the Register application and send it to the address shown on the form, which is:
Kagi
1442-A Walnut Street #392-NZ
Berkeley, California 94709-1405
USA
If you pay via check, it must be a check drawn in US Dollars. Payments sent via postal mail take time to reach Kagi and then up to 10 days for processing. If you include a correct email address, Kagi will contact you when the form has been processed.
Blitz Pricing
Blitz has the following pricing structure (all prices are in US dollars):
Standard Rates:
1-4 Single User Licenses, $15.00 per user
5-9 Single User Licenses, $12.00 per user
10+ Single User Licenses, $10.00 per user
Site License, $350.00 per site
Worldwide license, $2000.00
Academic Rates:
(available for students, teachers and academic organisations)
1-4 Single User Licenses, $12.00 per user
5-9 Single User Licenses, $10.00 per user
10+ Single User Licenses, $8.00 per user
Site License, $250.00 per site (campus)
Worldwide license, $1500.00
Registration of 10+ single user licenses, a site or worldwide license comes with a guaranteed reply to all email queries (sent to the bickham@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au address) within 2 days and support on using the program for all members of the company or organisation. Single user license queries are almost always replied to within 2 days, however a guarantee cannot be given.
Blitz Distribution
All distribution of Blitz must include the application, this ReadMe file, the version History file, the Register application and the ‘Blitz On The Net’ file. Blitz may be distributed electronically (i.e. across the net or online services) as long as no fee is charged for the actual program. Furthermore feel free to give copies of Blitz to friends etc. The program may also be distributed free of charge on magazine cover disks. If you wish to distribute Blitz on CD-ROM shareware collections it is asked that the organisation first Register the game at the standard rate - however other arrangements can be made by emailing the author at the address below. For clarification on the above distribution terms contact Matthew Bickham.
Another Shareware Plea
Please support shareware, I deliberately left any annoying ‘nag screens’ out of Blitz that continually ask for shareware payment as I wanted users to be able to try Blitz properly without annoyance. Registering version 1.1 of Blitz enables you to free upgrades for all versions up to 2.0. Registered users will also be notified of all upgrades and enhancements to Blitz.
If it is more convenient, registration cheques, money orders or cash can be sent direct to the author along with your name, address and email address (if you have one) to:
Matthew Bickham
12 Pinewood Drive
Hastings Victoria 3915
Australia
Any comments, bug reports, suggestions, questions, or just about anything else can be emailed to me at the address below. Alternatively, support and upgrades for Blitz and my other shareware programs can be found at my home page.
email: bickham@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au
blitz home page: http://yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au/~bickham/
I hope you find Blitz to be the best cataloguing utility around (and if you don’t write to me and tell me why), thanks in advance to everyone who registers,
