Path: cdrom.com!barrnet.net!sgiblab!swrinde!emory!news-feed-2.peachnet.edu!news-feed-1.peachnet.edu!news.duke.edu!eff!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!wariat.org!config!info From: info@config.com (config.sys, Inc. Information Account) Newsgroups: alt.cd-rom Subject: CD-ROM Review; CICA for Windows Message-ID: <767223673.38snx@config.com> Date: Sun, 24 Apr 94 21:41:13 GMT Organization: config.sys, Inc. Reply-To: info@config.com Lines: 128 CD-ROM Review: Walnut Creek's "CICA for Windows" by John Husvar jhusvar@nimitz.mcs.kent.edu The Center for Innovative Computing Applications, eh? Hmmmm. Well, they're that. Innovative, that is. 613 point Megs worth so far. Pushing the heck out of 614 and it's all Windows freeware and shareware with bug fixes, patches and quite a lot of Microsoft's development and historical information thrown in. It's worth reading some of that just for the historical insights. Not to mention all the discussions they recorded from various on-line forums. Those folks at Indiana apparently love playing with Windows and, from taking a look at their public directories, just about everything else. I don't doubt Walnut Creek will be publishing another edition sometime soon. There was a file in CICA's \win3 directory labeled "last100uploads." Somebody out there is writing a lot of Windows applications. Incidentally, Walnut Creek notes that this CD was made with the permission but not the endorsement of CICA and that no public funds were used in producing it. But this is about CICA for Windows. Walnut Creek CDROM has collected it all as of November, 1993. There is enough on this disc, in my not-so humble opinion, to keep the most dyed-in-the-wool Windows junkie happy for a very long time. I don't doubt more than 3000 files could keep one busy. The only problem I see is my usual one with collections like this. If I let myself go I'd be bankrupt in about...oh...2, maybe 3, hours. I'm a firm believer in the shareware concept. If I'm not satisfied with the product after a week or two playing with it, I delete it. If I am satisfied, it's only fair to send the programmer a check. Otherwise, send the software to the bit-bucket, or pass it along to someone who might like it better and register it. After all, whoever made the thing put some effort into it. Just about everything one could want or need for Windows or Windows NT is here. There are icon files, mouse drivers and cursor modifiers, games, image viewers and manipulators, screen savers and modules, typing tutors, macros for word processors, sounds, pictures, compilers, program development information, collections of Windows Journal and other publications, utilities, and who knows what all else? Walnut Creek must just say, "Write 'em all! Let God and our customers sort 'em out." I like that attitude and I like this CD. There's a section for BBS operators, too. That, I presume, even further encourages wide distribution of shareware. The interface is skeletal but worked just fine for me, load the disc, type "go" and it sets up a CICA directory on your HD, from then on all that's necessary is to run VIEW.EXE from File Manager. Selection is by arrow key and which brings up a dialog screen to confirm unzip and the directory for the uncompressed files. The README file contains good instructions for setting up the results to run under Windows. I wondered why a CD of Windows software doesn't have a Windows interface but, in a way, that makes sense. Why use up space for an interface when the object is to store software? Windows programs tend to run large and the space is better used for programs. The directory structure, though, appears pretty well thought out. It's not like a department store with all the screen savers here and all the GIF files there, but, with the effort of taking a note or two, finding things isn't difficult. There are a few duplications but very few that I noticed. *************************************************************** Who's the reviewer? John P. Husvar (jhusvar@nimitz.mcs.kent.edu) Art Historian at-Large, Kent State University (Yes, THAT Kent State!) I come neither to praise nor to bury Caesar, just to talk about him. (Sorry, Will!) Reviews are my opinion only and should not be taken as an inducement either to purchase or not to purchase any item reviewed. Comments and criticisms about this and any of my reviews are welcome. I want to be fair and I'll be the first to admit I don't know everything about anything. I'm certainly not so expert that I couldn't possibly miss something. So fire away. I'll reply, assuming I have time and I'm not in a snit. (See below) I even occasionally enjoy warming my hands at an intelligent flame. (The rude, obnoxious and snotty ones are routed directly to /dev/null, though). >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> APPENDUM NOTICE <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< This review was provided by the author along with authorization for redistribution by config.sys, Inc., in an unedited state above this appendum. Reformatting may have been necessary for various operating systems. The reviews provided by config.sys, Inc. reflect the opinions of the reviewer and not necessarily that of config.sys, Inc. They are provided solely to serve as a guide for information to determine the potential purchase of a CD-ROM disc. Any copyrights are retained by the author. Not all CD-ROM discs reviewed are available through config.sys, Inc. A catalog of over 2260 discounted CD-ROM discs is available upon request. The author(s) have not been compensated by config.sys, Inc. Enjoy! Joe Rinehart joe@config.com config.sys, Inc. CD-ROM Division P.O. 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