A Few Recent QPD/Shareware Utilities



Author: Ralph Gonzalez, M.U.D. Slinger

Date: October November, 1992

Keywords: shareware program review utility

Text:
Review by RalphGonzalez, in the September 1992 issue of the
M.U.D.slinger (Macintosh Users of Delaware Newsletter.)
At a MUD meeting last fall, I demoed several of my favorite public
domain and shareware utilities, control panels (CDEVs), and extensions
(INITs). Since then I've encountered a few more neat programs, mostly
downloaded from the USENET (a bulletin board for the international
education and research community). If you can't get hold of one of
these, send me a disk and a stamped mailer at 1687 Concord Pike,
Wilmington, DE 19803, specifying which you want.
Applicon 2.2 -- an improved version of the freeware control panel I
showed at the aforementioned MUD meeting. Applicon places a ''tile'' --
a small window -- on the desktop for each application you have running.
This makes it easier to remember which applications you have running
and to switch among them. Requires System 7. Rick Holtzgrafe, Semicolon
Software, PO Box 371, Cuper-tino, CA 95015-0371.
BeHierarchic 1.0.2 -- a $10 shareware control panel pro-ducing a
hierarchical Apple menu under System 7. That is, folders in the Apple
menu expand to show their contents, recursively. I think this is the
cheapest such software available. Fabien Octave, Logical Plus, Avenue
de l'Aigle 12, B-1150 Brussels, Belgium.
CFloppy 1.0 -- an extension which displays full-color desk-top icons
for floppies under System 7. Freeware. Andrew Welch (address unknown).
Darkside of the Mac 3.1.1 -- an improved version of the free-ware
screen saver I mentioned at the MUD meeting. Version 3.1.1 has several
new modules including ones for showing QuickTime movies, animated PICT
files, and random circuit diagrams. The latest version will choose
which module to invoke randomly, if desired. Requires System 7. Tom
Dowdy, 1610 Kamsack Dr., Sunnyvale CA 94087.
Desktop Textures 1.0 -- a free application which installs any of
several 64x64 pixel color desktop patterns in place of the usual 8x8
pattern. Compatible with the existing 8x8 patterns. Requires System 7?
Geoff Adams & Stephen Krauth (address unknown).
Dialscript 1.6 -- a free communications application which lets you
write a ''script'' of instructions for dialing and logging onto a
remote computer, and then launching your usual terminal emulation
program. Very useful for automating long log-on procedures if your
terminal program doesn't do this for you. Peter Newton, 8524 Brunet Rd.
#431, Austin, TX 78758.
Drop Obliterate 1.0 -- a free trash can substitute which immediately
deletes files ''dropped'' into it. I use it with AppleShare volumes
where it seems to be more robust than the trash can. Requires System 7.
Robert Gibson, RR#1 Carrying Place, Ontario, Canada, K0K1L0.
Notify 2.1.2 -- a free control panel which chimes and dis-plays a brief
reminder at whatever time(s) and date(s) the user specified. Useful and
easy to use. Requires System 6 or 7. Steve Stockman, 1325 W. Bewick,
Fort Worth, TX 76110.
PICTCompressor -- a free application for viewing and compressing PICT
files using various techniques, including JPEG. Also imports GIF
(slowly!). Mark Kruger (address unknown).
PostScript Trimmer 1.0.1 -- a free (optional $10 contribution) Control
Panel that removes fonts and LaserPrep in PostScript file dumps created
via the LaserWriter 6.x or 7.0 driver. This enables these files to be
printed on non-Mac  systems and avoids the huge files created when
TrueType is present. H. M. Ayala, 496 W. Charleston Rd. #201, Palo
Alto, CA 94306.
ResCompare 2.4.5 -- free programmer's utility to compare different
versions of resource files. Michael B. Hecht, SAS Institute Inc., Cary,
NC.
Save a BNDL 1.3 -- a free application which updates the Desktop
information on a file ''dropped'' into it, and restarts the Finder.
This eliminates the need to reboot and rebuild the Desktop to display
the correct icons for files downloaded from bulletin boards, etc.
Requires System 7. Michael S. Engber, 1585 Ridge Ave., Evanston, IL
60201.

Copyright © october november, 1992 by Ralph Gonzalez, M.U.D. Slinger