CompuNotes
Notes from The Cutting Edge of Personal Computing
September 9, 1997
Issue 98

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CONTENTS
My Notes:
1=> A Call for Writers!, mailto:pgrote@i1.net
2=> Our New News Section!, mailto:pgrote@i1.net
3=> This Issue's Winner!

Reviews:
4=> Product: TurboProject for Windows Version 1.01 by IMSI - business/applications
Reviewed By: Michael Gallo, mailto:gallomike@aol.com
5=> Product: Rapid Remote - communications/remote control
Reviewed By: Jaz Garewal, mailto:seelebrennt@theriver.com with additional help from Kevin Raubenolt, mailto:kevinr@azstarnet.com
6=> Product: Mechwarrior II: Mercenaries - games/action
Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com
7=> Product: Mechwarrior II BattlePack Edition - games/action
Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com
8=> Product: Presto! Multimedia Suite - graphics/multimedia
Reviewed By: Judy Litt, mailto:jlitt@qualitty.com

--- BEGIN ISSUE

1=> A Call for Writers!, mailto:pgrote@i1.net

Hey! Do you like to try out the latest in software or internet services? Do you have a flair for speaking your mind? Are you an expert in something and want to share it with the world? If so, have you ever thought about being a CompuNotes writer?

We are looking for review writers to help us make CompuNotes happen each week. They pay sucks, but you do get to keep whatever you review. 

If you have opinions others need to hear, let us know! We are also looking for columnists to share their worldly views with the entire internet! The pay sucks, but we do give you a soapbox to speak from!

The last type of writer we are looking for are the hardest to find: article writers. CompuNotes is expanding into informational type articles. We are looking for experts who can bring our readers a new perspective or fresh look on a topic. The pay sucks, but you do get the byline. 

If you are interested in writing for CompuNotes, send us a message at mailto:writers@compunotes.com. Our swift auto responder will send you the latest writer's guidelines. Read them over and let us know when you want to start!

---------------- Take a Few Moments to Read -------------------
VirtualBusiness.News       "Hard core 'How-To' for Small Business"

Improve cash flow, reduce expenses, save time, money and headaches. If you're a businessperson who wants practical info to help boost your productivity and profits without a lot of hype, VBNews is for you. Software reviews, networking tips, and feature articles about every phase of business, from people who've been there. No theory. No bizopps. And no trouble finding the articles between the ads.

Subscribe Today! Send any email to mailto:VBNews@just-business.com
---------------- Take a Few Moments to Read -------------------

2=> Our New News Section!, mailto:pgrote@i1.net

If you have been a CompuNotes subscriber for a while, you have noticed we continually add and delete sections as time goes on. One section we deleted, but regretted, was the news section. 

Doug and I have decided to bring this back with a twist. We won't print the whole text of the article, but include the link. As a bonus you get a one line commentary from me. Yes, me!

Enjoy!

Father of the Internet says Internet Taxes are Needed
PG: Um, Is He Suffering from the Heat?
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/news/1997/09/0909tax.html>

@Backup - Backup Files to the Internet 
PG: Free Microsoft Automap Just for Trying
<http://www.pcworld.com/market_watch/1.16/atbackup.html>

IBM Drops their NetPC Plans
PG: Maybe we can put this NetPC BS Behind . . .
<http://www.pcworld.com/cgi-bin/database/body.pl?ID=970909115015>

New DVD Standard Means More Rentals
PG: Gee, a new DVD standard, but this is cool. Really!
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/content/zdnn/0909/zdnn0012.html>

Pitching to Women on the Internet
PG: Um, I won't touch this one . . .
<http://www.wired.com/news/news/business/story/6715.html>

Minnesota Regulates Gambling on the Internet
PG: Great. Just great. One state ruining it for us all.
<http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,14074,00.html>

3=> Winner!
This week's winner: jhorton@ATTMAIL.COM.

4=> Product: TurboProject for Windows Version 1.01 by IMSI - business/applications
Reviewed By: Michael Gallo, mailto:gallomike@aol.com
Requires: 386, 4MB RAM, 12MB HD, VGA, Windows 3.1 or Windows 95
Reviewed on: Pentium-100, 16MB RAM, SVGA, Windows 95
MSRP: $99.95

Project scheduling software isn't exactly the most exciting software you can buy. I don't know very many professionals who revel in breaking down a project into little pieces and then trying to estimate how long it should take and how much resources should be dedicated to the project. Good, solid, realistic schedules can really help ensure your project has the highest likelihood of succeeding. That's where programs like Turbo Project can become very valuable.

Project scheduling software allows users to break down their complex project into ever increasing layers of smaller simpler tasks. From these smaller parts, a schedule is built. This usually involves specifying start and end dates, resources tied to those tasks and any dependencies that task might have on other tasks.

This review touches on some of the highlights I discovered
while using the program.  The 500+page manual does a better job at
describing what Turbo Project can do.

The program has two methods of installation. They are single workstation and network installation. There is a third type of installation that merely copies the file to a file server so that users can install Turbo Project directly to their workstations without having the disks. This review is based on the Standalone installation. Installation took about ten minutes and went without a hitch. I did get a little confused at the end of the installation when a second routine fired up to install ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity) drivers. These drivers allows other programs to access your Turbo Project files. I wasn't quite sure what I should or should not be installing. There were no major hassles and after checking in the manual, my questions were answered.

Creating a schedule can be a very simple process. One, pick your work calendar. This tells Turbo Project what days are work days and what days are not either because of weekends, vacations, or holidays. The program is smart enough to know that a task that if a task is split across a weekend, it will not allow the task to finish on the weekend unless the user specified that weekend days are work days. Otherwise it will continue the task on the next available work day.

Two, break down your project into discrete and logical groups of work packages. The "outline" that describes how work is broken down into more specific levels of detail is called a "Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)". The manual provides some helpful hints for the user on how to create good WBSs.

Three specify when each task in the WBS starts and ends. This is followed by specifying what tasks are interrelated. This is where a computer really can make project scheduling more powerful. Most projects have tasks which have dependencies with other tasks. For instance, if we had a project called "Cake", some of the tasks would include preparing the ingredients, mixing the ingredients, baking, and finally the frosting.

Well. the frost the cake task cannot begin until the bake the cake task is completed. In Turbo project, users specify this relationship as a Finish to Start dependency. That way if it takes longer for the cake to bake, the start time of the frosting will automatically adjust since it is based on when the cake was done baking.

This information is helpful to determine what is called the critical path. This is the string of activities in your project that must be completed on time or else the overall project will be finished late. Turbo project will automatically calculate this for you so that you can see what tasks are critical and what tasks have slack(task that have a certain amount of time they can be late before they begin to affect the overall schedule). During the construction of the schedule users see horizontal bars that represent different tasks. Longer bars indicate longer tasks. Users can click on the bars to edit the information or even to drag out the task graphically instead of typing in the numbers.

Finally, users can add resources to their schedule to see how much their project will cost and if enough people are available to work on the project. Turbo project allows users to track resources by accounting codes so that they can precisely see how their costs break down by labor category. Another useful feature allows users to see what happens to their resources if the schedule is compressed. When a schedule is compressed it means that their is less time to complete the entire project. Since the amount of work does not change, more resources must be added to ensure that the project finishes on time. Turbo project can show also show users feasible schedules based on resource constraints.

Another useful technique called leveling will attempt to create a schedule that has the most constant level of resources over time. That way, companies won't have to hire 20 people one month and then fire 10 of the next month due to lack of work.

After constructing the schedule, users can print out custom charts that can be very detailed or provide just summary information. To use this feature however, a separate program must be activated. It can be activated from within Turbo Project, or it can be done separately from the file manager. I don't know how I feel about this 'feature'. On the one hand, it's more efficient because users aren't unnecessarily loading down their system by loading one huge program that might not all get used. On the other hand it seem to me that there is more of a chance of a crash since the modules must still be able to communicate correctly in order to transfer the right data. I didn't have a problem with the graphics program and my test project schedules printed out just fine.

Turbo Project and its separate graphics program seemed to run fine on my desktop Pentium. I did experience some GPFs when trying to run the program on my notebook computer. I suspect it might have had something to do with the LCD display graphics driver. Otherwise the program ran fine.

Installation: Silver.  The ODBC installation was a little confusing.
Usability:  Gold.  The manual does an excellent job of walking users
through creating a project schedule.

Overall: Silver.

IMSI
1895 Francisco Blvd East
San Rafael, CA 94901-5506
Tel (415) 257-3000
Fax (415) 257-3565
E-Mail: mailto:sales@imsisoft.com
<http://www.imsisoft.com->

5=> Product: Rapid Remote - communications/remote control
Reviewed By: Jaz Garewal, mailto:seelebrennt@theriver.com with additional help from Kevin Raubenolt, mailto:kevinr@azstarnet.com
Reviewed on: Pentium 200MHZ, 64 MB RAM, Windows 95, 33.6 modem and Pentium 100MHZ, 16MB RAM, Windows 95, 14.4 modem
Requires: Windows 95
MSRP: $49.95

Your colleague calls you up at home Sunday afternoon. He wants you to help him set up Microsoft Exchange on his computer, but you are tied up at home, what do you do? I was faced with this situation about a month ago. At that time I tried to talk him through the process over the phone, but that was hard because he didn't know the difference between POP3 and popcorn. I gave up in exasperation and told him I would come over and set it up later that week. That later never arrived. Then I got Rapid Remote. I sent a copy to my friend which he promptly set up with ease on his computer, and within ten minutes of setting it up I was clicking away at his desktop from my computer, and five minutes after that his Microsoft Exchange was setup.

Quarterdeck's Rapid Remote is a Windows 95 program much like the DOS base PC Anywhere. Rapid Remote allows a caller (client) to easily connect with another machine running Rapid Remote, referred to as the host. The client is allowed access to the host machine using Windows 95 and its environments.

The installation and configuration of Rapid Remote is simple, and fast. The initial copying of the files is easy; due to the small size of the program. A 3.5" floppy easily holds the entire program, making it a relatively  unnoticeable  addition for a cramped hard drive. The only inconvenience experienced during installation is the absence of a reminder to eject the floppy out of the drive after installation.

Configuration of the program is smooth thanks to the client and host setup wizards. Rapid Remote allows the client to connect to the host via modem, null modem cable, LAN, and over the Internet (TCP/IP). The client setup wizard allows for the setup of options like whether the client sees the host's desktop as a full screen on startup, or a window residing on the client's desktop (this can also be changed while running a Rapid Remote session). The host setup wizard allows you to setup options like whether or not the host computer's keyboard and mouse are locked when a client connects to prevent anyone from tampering with the computer, and interrupting the client during a Rapid Remote session.

After the client and host sections of Rapid Remote are setup, it's time to setup an account for a client, or setup Rapid Remote for a connection to a host. Setting up a caller on the host computer (labeled as 'Add caller' on the Rapid Remote main menu) is real easy. The client account setup allows the host computer's maintainer to set restrictions on individual clients, such as whether the client can send and receive files to the computer, and whether the client has access to the host's Rapid Remote settings. When setting up a host computer account (called 'Add entry' on the Rapid Remote main menu) options range from locking the host computer's screen and mouse when you connect to it to having the host computer hang-up and call your computer as soon as you connect. This is a really good feature of Rapid, it can be a big money saver for people who have to access their office or home computer from a laptop in a hotel to work on a file, they avoid paying the extra price hotels charge for calling out.

Sessions run amazingly fast with Rapid Remote. You can play simple games (like Solitaire) with a little bit of lag. You have the options of reducing the screen resolution and shutting off the host's screen saver and wallpaper to allow for a faster connection. Chat sessions can be initiated by the client or host just by clicking a chat button located in the Rapid Remote window. If the client is getting bothersome or is doing some damage the host can click a button that makes the client's mouse and keyboard useless while in the Rapid Remote window. A few problems arise with Rapid Remote sessions. One is that when the host and client are working together on the host computer, they only get one mouse cursor to work with which makes cursor control struggles possible, and numerous. Another problem switching positions(the client's computer becomes the host, and the host becomes the client) requires logging off, and having the former host call the former client's computer. Certain tasks would be much easier if the host-client switch could be initiated by the click of a button and a quick login.

I would strongly recommend Rapid Remote to anyone who is in the situation of having a computer at the office and a laptop with them everywhere else. Instead of constantly copying files to and from each computer with floppies, you can do it via Rapid Remote. I would also recommend Rapid Remote to any computer consultants who have clients who need help setting up programs, or working out bugs on their computer. I would not recommend this program to the casual computer user who uses their computer for games, e-mail, the world wide web, and word processing.

Installation/Ease of Use: Gold
User-Friendliness: Gold
Quality: Gold
User: Business

Quarterdeck Corporation
13160 Mindanao Way
Marina del Ray, CA 90292-9705
1-(800)-683-6696
<http://www.quarterdeck.com>

6=> Product: Mechwarrior II: Mercenaries - games/action
Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com
Requirements: DOS, 486/66, 8MB RAM, 2x CDROM, SVGA, sound card (Pentium for Win95 version, both included on CDROM
Tested on: Pentium-166, 16 MB RAM, Nitro 3D, Win 95, 16x CDROM
MSRP: $49.95

As you stare out over the horizon, you look in desperation for your objective. You are beginning to wonder if taking this mission was worth the extra cash. As you top a rise, your radar detects an enemy mech powering up: an ambush! Grimly you accelerate your mech, selecting your target, aiming, and watching with satisfaction as your weapons bleed armor off the enemy and destroy one of its arms. Then you get hit by the return fire and your mech staggers but you keep your feet, turning and aiming again, watching as the other mech suffers a critical internal hit in its torso that sets off the missile ammo stored inside, destroying your enemy. Smiling, you punch your comlink and report "HQ, the enemy is destroyed. The salvage rights are mine!"

Mechwarrior II: Mercenaries is an entirely new game from Mechwarrior II, including an enhanced game engine and a different perspective on the Battletech universe. Much like the original Mechwarrior, the premise of Mercenaries is that the player begins the game as a mercenary for hire, seeking to acquire fame and glory. Again, as with the original, the player accepts contracts with the various Houses that comprise the nation-states of the galaxy, making money and improving his/her status as they go. Eventually a plot does develop, pushing the player down a more linear path of missions (assuming you want to take it; as with Mechwarrior, it isn't required). All of this takes place before the clans invade the Inner Sphere. For those of you not familiar with the Battletech universe, it breaks down something like this. In the distant universe, mankind has settled a small portion of the galaxy (called the Inner Sphere). At one time, the five lords of the different Houses worked together as part of the Star League, which was ruled by the First Lord. When betrayal and civil war destroyed the Star League, the 5 Houses set against each other in a brutal and prolonged series of wars that resulted in another Dark Ages, albeit more technologically advanced than the previous one. Just as the Inner Sphere was emerging from this period, the old armies of the Star League, reborn as the clans returned to the Inner Sphere, intent on reconquering the Inner Sphere before being stopped short of their goal of Terra (Earth). Mechwarrior II: Mercenaries takes place just prior to this invasion.

The CDROM includes versions of Mercenaries for both DOS and Windows 95. If you have the horsepower (a Pentium-75 with 16 MB RAM is recommended, I would suggest at least a Pentium-120), I highly recommend the Windows 95 version. The Windows 95 version makes use of the DirectX drivers to deliver a smooth, intense graphical feast for the eyes. Installation gives you three options - a minimum, average, and large install. The large install is enormous but it is the only version that will allow you to play cut scenes in all their glory at 640x480 resolution. As with the original Mechwarrior II, the cut-scenes are incredibly detailed and even by themselves would be a blast to watch. I can't imagine the time and effort that went into generating them, but it provides some incredible eye-candy! Even in the game itself, the graphics are incredible - all the eye-popping detail from Mechwarrior II thrown in along with improved light- sourcing and a smoother, stabler engine. Among other things you will see are mechs painted in camouflage to match their surroundings, wickedly beautiful explosions with mech limbs flying, and light-sourcing that adds a whole new element to the game. Light- sourcing means two things; first that the intensity diminishes with distance, and that light is cast off by things such as lasers, explosions, etc. On a nighttime mission, this can lead to some rather interesting scenes.

The main menu gives three options: instant action, mercenary, and mercenary commander. The first should be self-explanatory, while the primary difference between the second and third choices is that the mercenary commander includes an economy model. The economy model means that as a mercenary you must watch every penny; this adds a definite twist to gameplay. For example, in one of the early contracts you can take you fight for the Draconis Combine, assisting in putting down a rebellion. In the first mission you are ambushed by rebel forces; do you duke it out, leading to the almost total annihilation of your mech, or do you escape to fight another day? If money were a factor, you would choose the latter option. For me, this is what the Mechwarrior II lacked; in that game there were no restraints on damage or ammo expenditure; you could even switch back and forth between mechs at will, picking the mech that best suited the mission. In Mercenaries this isn't possible; the costs would be enormous! So instead you have to make do with the mech you have, hoping it will be sufficient. Although I will admit to enjoying Mechwarrior II and competing for a blood name, I prefer the economy model in Mercenaries.

Like any simulation, the Mechs in Mercenaries come with a considerable number of things to do and keypresses to learn in order to master your mech. Each cockpit is distinct and can be further customized by the player to suit your needs. Aside from the occasional need to play with the external camera or switch on the thermal sights, the majority of time will be spent using the arrow keys and the mouse. Just as with Mechwarrior II, the arrows control turning the entire mech while the mouse controls the turret, meaning that you can be running in one direction while aiming in another; a tricky proposition but essential for survival. The only stationary mech is a dead one.

As is the case with most games these days, Mercenaries does come with the ability to play human opponents although I didn't have the chance to test this. With Mechwarrior II it was called NetMech; for Mercenaries it is called MercNet, and essentially allows the player to compete with up to 8 opponents via LAN or 1 opponent via modem or null-modem connection. Reportedly Mercenaries can also be played over the Internet via a number of on-line gaming systems, including Kali. To tell you the truth, I was having far too much fun with the single player aspects of this game to ever try out the multi-player options.

The bottom line is that Mechwarrior II: Mercenaries is a terrific game! Definitely the best yet in the Battletech saga; it is too bad that Fasa decided to switch to Microprose for Mechwarrior III. I can honestly say that I think Fasa will come to regret that decision. In the meantime, go out and buy Mechwarrior II: Mercenaries, and starting racking up that salvage!

Activision
P.O. Box 67713
Los Angeles, Ca 90067
Voice: (310) 479-5644
<http://www.activision.com>
Email: mailto:support@activision.com

Installation: Gold
User-Friendliness: Gold
Quality: Gold
User: All, but especially anyone who is a fan of big giant robots!

7=> Product: Mechwarrior II BattlePack Edition - games/action
Reviewed By: Doug Reed, mailto:dr2web@sprynet.com
Requirements: Pentium-100, Win95, 16 MB RAM, 1 MB SVGA video,  2x CDROM, sound card, 116 MB Hard drive space minimum, 14.4 modem, Internet connection
Tested on: Pentium-166, Win95, 24 MB RAM, 4 MB SVGA, 16x CDROM, 16-bit sound card, 56k modem
MSRP: $39.99 (there is also a rebate for those who already own Mechwarrior II)

Attention freebirths! I have found the ultimate Mechwarrior challenge for aspiring clan warriors, and its name is the Battlepack Edition of Mechwarrior II. This re-release of Mechwarrior II and the expansion pack Ghost Bear's Legacy features tons of new features and enhancements, as well as the one thing that freebirths and truebirths have wanted most: Internet play. Combined with the Official Mechwarrior II Battle Guide from Brady Games, this is an unbeatable package! Activision has thrown in a rebate for people who already own Mechwarrior II, and believe me you will want to take advantage of this deal. Prepare for battle, freebirth!

I have to admit I jumped at the chance to review this when I found out about the ability to play over the Internet. In truth, there was already a way to play over the Internet with the previous edition - you had to purchase Kali and connect to a server over the Internet, but you could do it. The Battlepack Edition includes an enhanced version of NetMech which includes free access to Activision's own server called ActiveNet. You cannot play with people using previous versions of NetMech, even via Kali - you have to be using the enhanced version of NetMech (the "old" version of NetMech is also included with the game in case you do). By far this is the most significant improvement in the game, and it is incredibly easy and fun to play! You simply enter a callsign, select the server to connect too, and find your opponents. On the occasions that I have played, I was able to find three or four opponents very quickly. One player is the host and the others enter that player's Ready Room. Up to 8 people can play at any one time. In the Ready Room you can select the mission, both team and free-for-all missions are available. There is also a wide variety of options, such as Regeneration, unlimited ammo, heat tracking, splash damage, collision damage, radar, gravity, weight limit, and still more options are available. You can also choose your mech and (if allowed) custom variants you have designed. This is about the only disappointing element to the game- only the mechs from the original Mechwarrior II & Ghost Bear's Legacy are allowed; none of the mechs from Mercenaries are available. You still have a pretty good selection, especially with the custom variants, but it would be nice to be able to play Inner Sphere versus Clan Mechs. We can always hope that a future patch or release will add this enhancement. Speaking of which, a patch is already available which fixes several minor problems. The problems are so minor that I didn't even notice them when I was playing without the patch!

Playing over the Internet seems like it is almost always a dicey situation; the screen can flicker or jump occasionally or crash, especially during peak hours. Playing at around 10 PM on a Saturday night, however, I had absolutely no problems playing. Internet play was just as smooth as the single player version; opposing mechs move with an almost disturbing ease and fluid motion as they run towards you, weapons blazing. The first time I logged on I ran into a player whose name was Atlas - so named because he played with an Atlas mech. Atlas was a superb player; he killed the rest of us consistently, despite the fact that his namesake mech was not the most powerful on the field. So I quickly found that my carefully honed skills against computer opponents was not much help against human opposition (I did manage to kill the other two guys, who went by the names JoeJoe and Career Ender). Needless to say, I was hooked! This is an incredible game!

For those who are interested, there is a single player game as well. All the original missions from Mechwarrior II and Ghost Bear's Legacy are here, along with the same mechs and gameplay options. The game's engine has been updated to the same one used in Mechwarrior II: Mercenaries. Essentially this new engine is smoother, more stable, and features incredible light-sourcing. I mentioned this in my review of Mercenaries - the light-sourcing is spectacular, especially during night or low-visibility missions. It was thrilling enough to see weapons blazing during single player missions; with human opponents the effect is certain to get the adrenaline pumping at high speed!

The BattlePack edition also includes the Official Battle Guide from Brady Games. This is a very nicely done book, including a lot of background on the Battletech universe and the invasion of the clans. Each of the missions in the original Mechwarrior II is explained in detail, showing the location of the targets and the probable location and identity of enemy mechs. The book is a very nice addition to the games, although it doesn't cover Ghost Bear's Legacy.

Bottom Line: The BattlePack is an incredible enhancement of the original Mechwarrior II, well worth the cost even if you don't get the rebate. With the new Internet features and enhanced play you will be playing it over and over, even if you were already burned out on this game before. Now, if I can only find the weakness of that Atlas mech - stravag dog!

Activision
P.O. Box 67713
Los Angeles, Ca 90067
Voice: (310) 479-5644
<http://www.activision.com>
Email: mailto:support@activision.com

Installation: Gold
User-Friendliness: Gold
Quality: Gold (I'd rate it higher if I could!)
User: Action fans, especially those who loved the original Mechwarrior II

8=> Product: Presto! Multimedia Suite - graphics/multimedia
Reviewed By: Judy Litt, mailto:jlitt@qualitty.com
Reviewed on: Pentium Pro 200, 64 MB RAM, Windows 95, HP Scanjet IIcx
Requires: 386 or higher; 4 MB RAM (8 MB recommended); Windows 3.1 or higher; MS Video for Windows Run-time drivers; 30 MB free hard drive space (60 MB recommended for VideoWorks); cd-rom
MSRP: $39.95

Presto! Multimedia Suite includes the following programs:
ImageFolio (image editing software)
VideoWorks (create & edit digital video)
MediaPlayer (play MPEG videos, audio CDs, view photo cds)
Kai's Power GOO SE (warp & distort graphics - requires Windows 95)
MediaClips (royalty free clip art, video, animation, and sound files)
PageManager (scanning & OCR software)

Presto! MediaPlayer
This is basically a cd player, whether it's photo, video, or audio. It looks a bit like a video editing station. The manual - both printed & in Adobe Acrobat format - was a bit skimpy. Basically, there's screen shots of the mediaplayer with the buttons identified. Apparently the design must have changed since the printing of the manual, because many of the buttons were wrongly identified. If you already have a video or cd player with your computer, you probably don't need to load this component.

Kai's Power GOO SE
Like all of Kai's (Kai Krause) tools, Kai's Power GOO SE is a lot of fun. It's sort of morphin' software. You can take a picture and do all sorts of weird effects to it - like smear & smudge. You can also do this on a frame by frame basis, and then save the entire file as a .avi animation (which can be imported into VideoWorks and edited).

All of Kai's tools take a little getting used to; their interface is supposed to be very intuitive, but the truth is I find it very confusing. However, the manual explains it very well. Kai's Power GOO SE lets you take a static picture and make some wild and wacky videos with it.

Presto! MediaClips
This is a collection of animations (both avi & flc formats); midi sound clips; wav files; videos in avi format - some come in two different resolutions; and images (in bmp, jpg, pcx, tif, and gif formats). You can use all of these in VideoWorks to create your own original videos. Since I don't usually do multimedia work, I played around with these supplied files to create my own videos.

Presto! PageManager
PageManager is another one of those "manage your scanned images" software packages. It's nice software, for what it does. It works with the scanning software you already have. You can scan in documents, and then easily highlight, annotate, and straighten documents. You can also drag and drop scanned images to a number of preconfigured applications (email, fax, write, ImageFolio, and VideoWorks).You can also add other programs.

When you do add other applications, make sure you pay attention to the file format assigned to it. I added Word, and I couldn't understand why I couldn't drag and drop a file I'd OCRed. It would open, but it was obviously trying to open a binary file. Turns out the preferences for that application were set to image files. I changed it to ASCII, and everything worked.

Since you can only export in ASCII format, you lose almost all formatting - including graphics. This is a major design flaw. On the other hand, this simple little program actually does one of the best jobs of OCR I've seen. Although extra paragraph marks were thrown in here and there, there were only one or two words that were actually misspelled.

Presto! ImageFolio
ImageFolio is Presto's image editing program. I'll admit to only taking a quick look at this program. I already have three image editing programs on my hard drive, and I've reviewed what feels like countless others, so image editing isn't a hole in my toolbox.

I was, once again, pleasantly surprised by this module. This program does just about anything an image editing program should do. You can rotate, mirror, resize, resample, change formats, apply various filters, and mask - pretty much all standard stuff.

ImageFolio goes beyond the standard, too. You can see "variations" of your graphic. This means you can see what it looks like lighter, darker, with more cyan, more magenta, etc. You can use an image hose - just like in Painter (an image hose is a tool that arbitrarily sprays around a defined graphic, like butterflies). You can convert between formats - and you can batch convert, also. For instance, you could batch convert tifs to jpgs.

This is not a professional's program. There's no support for CMYK. There is, apparently, no layers. You can save in jpg, bmp, tif, tga, & pcx (no apparent support for gif - although the online manual states you can). You can open the same formats, as well as wmfs. I was initially baffled by the fact that I seemed unable to deselect the current selection. Turns out there's a button on the toolbar, but it's not mentioned anywhere in the help file or online manual that I could see. I just stumbled across it by accident. You have to perform another process before the current selection is deselected.

However, the real reason for the inclusion of this module in the suite is so that you can edit (lighten, change colors, etc.) a single frame of the video you're working on easily - and it more than does its job. And if the only image editing program you currently have is Paintbrush, this is a huge step up.

Presto! VideoWorks
This is the heart of the suite, and the main reason I was interested in it. I figure at some point the Web will actually figure out a way to deliver video, easily, in real time. Therefore I should start to play around with it. The Presto! suite is probably a great place to start. Let me say that I've never used any sort of video editing program, and I'm well aware that there are more powerful packages out there. Since I haven't used them, I don't know what I'm missing.

One of the few things that annoyed me was the warning I got every time I started this module: "Warning: failed to connect with capture device." There was no obvious way to turn this off. I know I don't have a video capture device!

When you open a video in VideoWorks, you're in the working screen. You see the first frame of the video in a window. From this window you can import a wav file; get information on the video (file name, file size, number of frames, duration, frame rate, format, compression, and track size); and you can also get into the film edit window.

The film edit window shows you each frame of the video. From this window you can also access the file information and import a wav file, but that's just the beginning. It's easy to create new videos from two different videos. Just select the frames you want & drag & drop them into place. You can choose how you want to combine the frames - replace the frames entirely, fade in, or fade in with a wide variety of cool effects (circles, wipes, lines, and more). It's really, really easy.

Some of the other cool effects you can apply are embossing, slanting, and mosaic. You can reverse the order of the frames, change the frame rate, link the audio with the video, convert the image type (8-bit, 16-bit, or 24-bit). You can change the amplitude of the audio on a frame by frame basis, change the audio format, or produce an echo.

If you have a video camera or a digital camera, you can capture images from them.

One of the minor/major annoyances is that there's no tool tips for the icons, and deciding what does what is just a matter of pressing buttons (or looking in the manual).

Conclusion
I know nothing about multimedia, but I could easily make little videos with this program. And I could make little videos with some cool effects. It's not true multimedia software to my mind - when I think multimedia, I guess I think authoring when I think multimedia - as in the ability to author a cd-rom.

All the helper applications are quite robust (although I still think the MediaPlayer is unnecessary).

The manual is quite skimpy, but it will give you a starting point. And how many of you actually read those manuals anyway? More and more software companies are going to manuals on CDs. Personally, I hate the practice. Nothing can replace a book.

Presto! Multimedia Suite is a good introduction to video editing.

NewSoft, Inc.
47400 Seabridge Drive
Fremont, CA 94538
Voice: 510-252-0267
Fax: 510-252-0536 
<http://www.tophat.com>

Ratings:
Installation/Ease of Use: Gold
User Friendliness: Silver
Quality: Silver
User: Anyone interested in editing and creating small videos for the web, or for personal uses.

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