PAK 2.50 (C) 1989-90 NoGate Consulting September 20th, 1990 Page 2 The Shareware Concept PAK is distributed as shareware. Shareware is commercial software distributed in an unconventional manner. Microcomputers copy information very easily. Instead of trying to frustrate this through copy protection, shareware takes advantage of it to reach as many users as possible at the lowest cost. Anyone may copy a shareware program and distribute it to whomever they desire, provided they do not charge a fee or alter it. Shareware isn't free. Serious shareware is as polished as any conventional commercial product, and represents just as much programming effort. If you use it regularly, the authors expect compensation. However, unlike conventional distribution, shareware allows you to evaluate the product before you decide to purchase it. The price is often lower, as well, because there are no advertising, packaging, or distribution costs. It can only work with your support. If you are still using a shareware product after a couple of weeks, then it is obviously worth something to you, and you should register it. Registration and Benefits There are three editions of the compression routines in PAK available. The first is the command line edition, included in the evaluation package (of which this file is a part) distributed as shareware. Registration of this edition is $15, and entitles you to a disk with a copy of PAK registered in your name. The second is the full screen edition, also known as PAKF. PAKF is a fully windowed program which displays archive contents and file directories, and allows easy tagging of files to be compressed or extracted. Registration of this edition is $30, and entitles you to a disk with both the full screen and command line editions. The third, for programmers, is a library of data compression routines suitable for inclusion in your own programs. This toolkit can be used in practically any application, since all compression is done on buffers in memory, not on disk. Programs created with the toolkit do not require a royalty so long as they do not compete with PAK. For example, you can compress your own program's data, or distribute your software in compressed form without royalty. On the other hand, a general-purpose archiving, installation, or backup utility would require a special licensing agreement. Registration of this edition is $75, and entitles you to a disk with object files suitable for use with Turbo Pascal, Turbo C, Microsoft C, or assembler. The toolkit is usable with OS/2 and Windows 3.0. The toolkit disk also includes the other two editions of PAK, as well as example programs in Pascal and C. To register your copy of PAK, send in a completed copy of the enclosed order form, call the NoGate BBS to order via questionnaire, or call NoGate Consulting at (616)455-6270. Obtaining Updates The fastest way for registered users to obtain an update of any of the editions of PAK is to call our bulletin board at (616)455-5179. The BBS has a 9600 baud US Robotics Dual Standard modem, so any modem from 1200 to 9600 baud should work. If you have never called the BBS before, you will have to start as a new user, even if you are a registered PAK user. This entails choosing a password and leaving some information such as your phone number and city. If you are a registered user, you can download PAK, PAKF, and the Toolkit through the Update Door. Before you can do so, however, you will have to leave a message to the Sysop asking for access to that door. If you don't have a modem, or don't want to call our BBS, you can call for an update at (616)455-6270, FAX us at (616)455-8491, or send us a letter. Updates are free from the BBS, and $5.50 by mail within the United States or $7 overseas. Updates of the Toolkit from release 1.6 or earlier are $25. Credits ARC is a registered trademark of System Enhancement Associates, and PKZIP is a registered trademark of PKWare, Inc. NoGate Consulting is not associated in any way with System Enhancement Associates or PKWare. We would like to thank several people: The various authors of the public-domain De-Arc'ing utility, for providing insights into the (sometimes very strange) internal workings of ARC: Roy Collins, David W. Carroll, Richard P. Byrne, Robert D. Tolz, and Jim North. We must also credit Terry A. Welch, whose article "A Technique for High Performance Data Compression", IEEE Computer Vol 17 No 6 (June 1984) seems to have started all the research on Lempel-Zev coding. Spencer W. Thomas, Jim McKie, Steve Davies, Ken Turkowski, James A. Woods, and Joe Orost, who are the authors of the UNIX compress utility. Ray Kaliss of SDNet/works!, who proposed the Security Envelope concept. And all of the people whose suggestions we added to PAK, such as the temporary path, sorting, wildcards for archives, path support, and remarks. PAK version 2.50 Order Form ----------------------------------------------------------------- Make checks payable to: NoGate Consulting P.O. Box 88115 Grand Rapids, MI 49518-0115 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Qty ___ Command line edition of PAK @ $15 each $______ ___ Full screen edition of PAK (PAKF) @ $30 each $______ ___ Programmer's edition of PAK @ $75 each $______ Subtotal $______ Michigan residents please add 4% sales tax. $______ Shipping and handling - inside the United States $3.50 - or - - overseas $5.00 Credit Card orders add 3% surcharge $______ Total $______ Diskette type (check or circle one): [ ] 5.25" [ ] 3.5" Payment: (check or circle one): [ ] Check [ ] Money Order [ ] Visa [ ] MasterCard [ ] AmEx Credit Card #__________________________________________________ Expiration Date _______ Signature ____________________________ Credit Card Orders may be made by phone - (616)455-6270 or via the NoGate BBS - (616)455-5179 or via FAX - (616)455-8491 Checks and Money Orders must be drawn on U.S. banks in U.S. funds ----------------------------------------------------------------- Name_______________________________________________________ Company_______________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ Phone_________________________ Bus.________________________ Where did you obtain PAK? _______________________________________________________ Comments_______________________________________________________