Software for a song - 30 shareware packages for under $30 - Buyers Guide

Home Office Computing, Nov, 1995 by Lynn Ginsburg, Mark Binder

Late at night, you're burning the midnight oil to finish a client proposal. Your fonts are all wrong. There's an ugly production flaw in a photographic image. And you're missing zip codes for tomorrow's mass mailing. What do you do?

If you've got a modem, why not dial into one of the numerous 24-hour-a-day software stores that offer shareware online? Shareware is available through online services, the Internet, and independent bulletin board systems. Dial up the service with your modem, search for the right application, and download it onto your system. This can take anywhere from a minute to half an hour, depending on the speed of your modem, the highest available access speed of your service provider, and the size of the file you're downloading. Once you've downloaded shareware, it's typically less expensive than commercial software.

Shareware are registration fees typically range from $5 to $30. Register and you'll get the program on floppies, expanded functionality, or free upgrades to later versions. Freeware, on the other hand, requires no registration after you download it.

The drawbacks to shareware and freeware? Support is primarily by fax or e-mail. Although some shareware authors offer phone support, they'll probably have limited hours.

Here, we've culled the 30 best business shareware products that sell for less than $30.

Acid Jazz 1.2v2

MAC

A simple telephone dialer program with an excellent name, Acid Jazz has made our lives infinitely easier. We keep all our business and research contacts in FileMaker Pro. The problem was that, without a dialer in FileMaker Pro, the phone numbers were on our computer and a telephone was at our fingertips. We constantly got wrong numbers. Any program that can send an Apple Event can access Acid Jazz. The phone number in FileMaker Pro can go straight to Acid Jazz. Now with one keystroke, the computer records the client, dials the number, and changes to the input screen. It's as elegant as it gets. $15; Kevin J. Jundt, acidjazz@aol.com

Address Book 3.7

MAC

Throw away your Rolodex! Address Book tracks your business contacts' names and addresses and takes detailed notes. The auto-dialer makes calling a snap, and for mass mailings, it can sort by zip code and print labels or envelopes - with bar codes. After you register, simply import records from your old database. With both a desk accessory and application version, choose the amount of memory you need, and keep the program running at all times. Heck, if you still like paper, the program can even print out new Rolodex cards. $30; Pegasus Software, victork736@aol.com

All the Time 3.4

WIN

One of the first signs of an aging computer is an internal clock that refuses to keep the correct time. Delay the effort of having to go out and buy a new battery for your system by downloading All the Time. It's freeware, so it only costs you the online time. Besides being an attractive time and date utility for Windows, it keeps your computer's clock running regular by dialing your local atomic clock to reset the time. Don't know your local atomic clock's number? All the Time includes a drop-down list that provides the location and phone number nearest you. All the Time disproves the notion that time is money. Freeware; Wilson Smith and Carole Rodgers, neslon@panix.com

AreaCodeFinder 4.1

MAC

Have you ever gotten an important phone call with a mysterious area code? If you're on the phone a lot and don't know an area code, AreaCodeFinder helps you out. The interface is simple - type an area code and hit return. The software tells you the state, time zone, and gives you a list of possible cities. Reverse the process to find an area code for a specific city. The latest version is faster than its predecessor, includes area code changes as of early 1995, and has a nifty map. $15; John J. Calande III, jjciii@aol.com

BarClock 4.1a

WIN

BarClock packs a clock, scheduler, and memory resource manager onto the title bar at the top of any application. The program displays the time, date, and icons for any applications currently running. Click on any icon to instantly switch to it. Click on the time or date display and you toggle between system resource information and a timer. The timer can track hourly billing for clients or give you an update on your online connect time for such services as Compuserve and America Online. Use the program's calendar to set appointments and reminders. An alarm function alerts you to repeat events. $15; Patrick Breen, 617-396-2673, pbreen@world.std.com

Beginner's Guide to the Internet 2.0

DOS

If you think Gophers live underground, and Veronica and Archie are comic book characters, then you need Beginner's Guide to the Internet. Gophers, Veronica, and Archie are just some of the Internet vocabulary words that BGI helps clarify. Both beginners and experienced users will appreciate BGI's thorough and clear tutorials. The program takes you through the basics for getting up and running on the Internet, describing options for connecting, transmission lines, line speeds, and file transfer times. Consider BGI an essential read if you want to get the most out of the Net. $25; Suarez Associates, 513-323-6121, pat@bgi.com