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- WINDOWS INTERNET ("WINTER") SOFTWARE PACKAGES
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
-
- This is my first effort at providing a detailed listing
- of Windows based software packages for use in communicating
- on the Internet. This is not a complete listing but represents
- some of the best available shareware/freeware. All of these
- packages can readily be found on the Internet through search
- tools like Archie and Gopher, almost always in multiple
- locations which is why I have supplied file names and
- asociated data and not always location information which
- is subject to unexpected change anyway. I appreciate
- receiving any corrections, information on packages missed,
- or comments, good and bad, on any of these that you have
- tried out. I'll do an update if there's sufficient interest.
-
- Unless otherwise stated, using these packages with a modem
- requires:
- 1. Windows 3.1 or better.
- 2. A "slip" account from an Internet provider.
- 3. A special communications package capable of accessing
- the slip account through a modem. Peter Tattam's Trumpet Winsock
- version 1.0a (twsk10a.zip) is the best known and is widely
- available on the Internet, and I believe, on Compuserve. Normal
- modem communications packages by themselves do not currently work.
- 4. Patience and perseverance - documentation with these
- packages is often minimal at best, and many are still under
- development.
-
- Some of these packages I use myself on a regular basis, some
- I have tried out briefly and some not at all yet. Needless
- to say, you try out these packages at your own risk.
-
- Ed Sinkovits
- Compuserve: 73003,3065
- Internet: edsink@mbnet.mb.ca
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- =================ELECTRONIC MAIL===========================
- **E-MAIL: Programs which enable you to send and receive mail
- electronically from other people who also have Internet "POP"
- mail accounts.
-
- NAME: Eudora
- PRIME PURPOSE: Electronic mail
- FILE NAME: eu142b16.exe
- FILE SIZE: 298,354
- LATEST VERSION: 1.4.2b16 June 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST: No charge for non-commercial use.
- DOCUMENTATION: Lacking online help (at least in unregistered
- version)
- OTHER COMMENTS: Very popular. Latest version also now runs
- under Windows NT. Commercial version 2.0
- available with additional features for a fee.
- Recommended (icky bitty toolbar notwithstanding).
-
-
- NAME: Winelm
- PRIME PURPOSE: Electronic mail
- FILE NAME: winelm.zip
- FILE SIZE: 259,553
- LATEST VERSION: March 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST:
- DOCUMENTATION: Inadequate, almost none.
- OTHER COMMENTS:
-
-
- =============FILE SEARCH AND TRANSFER PROTOCOLS================
- **ARCHIE: An internet search tool.
- **FTP (File Transfer Protocal): A file retrieval tool.
-
- NAME: Wftpd
- PRIME PURPOSE: File retrieval server ("daemon" FTP)
- FILE NAME: wftbd18b.zip
- FILE SIZE: 151,461
- LATEST VERSION: 1.8b 1993
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST: Shareware $US 15
- DOCUMENTATION: Negligible with unregistered version.
- OTHER COMMENTS: Enables you to turn your PC into an Internet
- FTP server so that others can log on and
- retrieve files from your machine.
- Registration is reccommended!
-
-
-
- NAME: WinFTP
- PRIME PURPOSE: File retrieval tool (FTP)
- FILE NAME: winftp.zip
- FILE SIZE: 177,738
- LATEST VERSION: Jan 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST: Released to Public Domain.
- DOCUMENTATION: Good
- OTHER COMMENTS: Based on WSFTP with some added features
- such as a directory history.
- Program contains both 16 and 32 bit
- execution versions, your choice.
-
-
-
- NAME: WSARCHIE
- PRIME PURPOSE: File search tool (Archie)
- FILE NAME: wsarchie.zip
- FILE SIZE: 158,941
- LATEST VERSION: alpha .2 March 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST: No charge for non-commercial use.
- DOCUMENTATION: Good
- OTHER COMMENTS: Works well with WSFTP to retrieve files.
- Visually well laid out and functioning
- main screen.
- Recommended.
-
-
-
- NAME: WSFTP
- PRIME PURPOSE: File retrieval tool (FTP)
- FILE NAME: ws_ftp.zip
- FILE SIZE: 68,941
- LATEST VERSION: Mar 25/94
- AVAILABLE FROM: ftp.usma.edu: /pub/msdos/winsock.files/
- COST: Released to Public Domain.
- DOCUMENTATION: Good.
- OTHER COMMENTS: Recommended. See also WSARCHIE.
-
-
-
- =================FINGER IDENTIFICATION TOOLS===============
- *Finger: A very simple utility designed to identify users on a
- system, or find out basic information about a particular user.
- Only operates with hosts which have a finger server.
-
- NAME: WS Finger
- PRIME PURPOSE: Finger query tool
- FILE NAME: wsfinger11.zip
- FILE SIZE: 91,785
- LATEST VERSION: 1.1 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST: Freeware
- DOCUMENTATION: Minimal, but little required.
- OTHER COMMENTS:
-
-
-
- NAME: Mfinger
- PRIME PURPOSE: Finger query tool
- FILE NAME: finger31.zip
- FILE SIZE: 68,108
- LATEST VERSION: 3.1
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST:
- DOCUMENTATION: Minimal, but little required.
- OTHER COMMENTS: Contains two executables, one for Berkley
- style synchronous blocking, the other for
- asynchronous winsockets.
-
-
-
- ==================GOPHER SEARCH TOOLS=======================
- Gopher: A simple software package designed to burrow through
- the Internet.
-
- NAME: BCGopher
- PRIME PURPOSE: Gopher search tool
- FILE NAME: bcgopher.zip
- FILE SIZE: 151,533
- LATEST VERSION: .7 beta April 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM: bcinfo.bc.edu:/ftp/pub/bcgopher
- ftp.ucdavis.edu:/win-public/Winsock
- boombox.micro.umn.edu:/pub/gopher/Windows
- COST: Freeware.
- DOCUMENTATION: Start up information and online help file
- with a brief explanation of the term "gopher"
- OTHER COMMENTS: Deserves an award for best gopher icon I've seen.
-
-
-
- NAME: Gopher Book
- PRIME PURPOSE: Gopher search tool
- FILE NAME: gophbook.zip
- FILE SIZE: 888,666
- LATEST VERSION: 1.1 May 1993
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST: Freeware. Winjpeg, included as a default image
- viewer, shareware $US20.
- DOCUMENTATION: Good.
- OTHER COMMENTS: Menus are displayed as pages in a book. Rather
- large package for a gopher.
-
-
-
- NAME: HGopher (Hampsons Gopher)
- PRIME PURPOSE: Gopher search tool
- FILE NAME: hgopher2.4 (If found in this unDos format,
- download, rename to hgopher.zip then unzip.)
- FILE SIZE: 199,833
- LATEST VERSION: 2.4 Jan 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM: sunsite.unc.edu:<somewhere>
- boombox.micro.umn.edu:/pub/gopher/Windows
- COST: No charge for non-commercial use.
- DOCUMENTATION: Good. This version now has online help.
- Good/bad news: huge detailed help file (739K)
- OTHER COMMENTS:
-
-
-
- NAME: WGopher
- PRIME PURPOSE: Gopher search tool
- FILE NAME: wgopher.zip
- FILE SIZE: 109,947
- LATEST VERSION: 2.2 Feb 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM: ftp.cuhk.hk:/pub/gopher/PC/wgopher.zip
- COST: No charge trial version.
- DOCUMENTATION: Minimal, no online documentation yet.
- OTHER COMMENTS: Under development.
-
-
-
- NAME: WSGopher
- PRIME PURPOSE: Gopher search tool
- FILE NAME: wsg-10.exe
- FILE SIZE: 320,705
- LATEST VERSION: 1.0 May 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM: boombox.micro.umn.edu:/pub/gopher/Windows
- sunsite.unc.edu:/pub/micro/pc-stuff/ms-windows
- /winsock/apps
- COST: No charge for non-commercial use.
- DOCUMENTATION: Good. Now has an online help file.
- OTHER COMMENTS: May not work with Windows NT
-
-
-
-
- =======================MISCELLANEOUS====================
-
- NAME: NCSA WinTel
- PRIME PURPOSE: Telnet
- FILE NAME: wintelb3.zip
- FILE SIZE: 55,834
- LATEST VERSION: Unsupported beta 3
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST:
- DOCUMENTATION:
- OTHER COMMENTS: Not currently under development
-
-
-
- NAME: WinVN
- PRIME PURPOSE: USENET NEWS reader
- FILE NAME: winvn_91.zip
- FILE SIZE: 121,422
- LATEST VERSION: .91.4 June 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM: ftp.ksc.nasa.gov (128.159.4.20):/pub/win3/winvn
- COST: Public Domain
- DOCUMENTATION: Good.
- OTHER COMMENTS: Not as good as the news reader in WinQVT.
- Can also send but not receive mail.
-
-
-
- ==============MULTIPURPOSE PACKAGES===========================
-
- NAME: WinNET Mail and News
- PRIME PURPOSE: Electronic mail and Usenet News
- FILE NAME: wnmai211.zip
- FILE SIZE: 687,008
- LATEST VERSION: 2.11 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST: Free if used to connect to WinNET service
- @$8.00/hour, otherwise shareware @ $US 99.00
- DOCUMENTATION: Good.
- OTHER COMMENTS: Registered users get additional features.
- Built in winsock. This crippled
- unregistered version limited to 2400 bps
- My preliminary opinion (without actually using it)
- is that this appears to be a very nice package,
- but the high registration and usage costs are
- a real turn-off.
-
-
- NAME: WinQVT
- PRIME PURPOSE: Mail, File Transfers (FTP),Usenet News reader,etc
- FILE NAME: qvtws397.zip
- FILE SIZE: 288,373
- LATEST VERSION: 3.97 March 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM: biochemistry.cwru.edu:/pub/qvtnet
- ftp.cica.indiana.edu:/pub/pc/win3/uploads
- COST: Shareware $US 40, only $20 for students.
- DOCUMENTATION: Considerable documentation, but often
- confusing with instructions for their other
- related packages for networks, for Windows
- NT, etc. liberally mixed in.
- OTHER COMMENTS: Capability to operate as either a server or
- a client. Required minimum of a 386 processor.
- Very confusing package if you don't understamd
- the lingo. An excellent newsreader, and I have
- seen its telnet capability mentioned favorably
- elsewhere, but the FTP is inferior to other
- specialized shareware packages which are
- available in my opinion.
-
-
-
- ==============PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS/CHAT=====================
-
- NAME: Internet Voice Chat
- PRIME PURPOSE: 2 way internet voice(!) communications
- FILE NAME: ivc10.zip
- FILE SIZE: 331,720
- LATEST VERSION: 1.0 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST: Shareware $US 20
- DOCUMENTATION: Good
- OTHER COMMENTS: Requires microphone, sound card etc.
-
-
-
- NAME: WS IRC
- PRIME PURPOSE: Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
- FILE NAME: wsirc12.zip
- FILE SIZE: 414,254
- LATEST VERSION: 1.12-S April 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST: Shareware $US 29.95
- DOCUMENTATION: Good
- OTHER COMMENTS: Also available in a simpler freeware version.
-
-
-
- NAME: Wintalk
- PRIME PURPOSE: Two way online communications
- FILE NAME: wtalk11.zip
- FILE SIZE: 142,801
- LATEST VERSION: 1.1 March 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST: Freeware
- DOCUMENTATION: Good, but no online help
- OTHER COMMENTS:
-
-
-
- ==============WORLD WIDE WEB BROWSERS=========================
-
- NAME: Cello
- PRIME PURPOSE: World Wide Web (WWW) Browser
- FILE NAME: cello.zip
- FILE SIZE: 328,429
- LATEST VERSION: 1.01a March 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM:
- COST: No charge for non-commercial use.
- DOCUMENTATION: Good
- OTHER COMMENTS: A good WWW viewer, easier to run than Mosaic,
- fewer bugs, and less demanding on your
- systems resources.
-
-
-
- NAME: NCSA Mosaic (16 bit)
- PRIME PURPOSE: World Wide Web (WWW) Browser
- FILE NAME: wmos20a2.zip
- FILE SIZE: 243,749
- LATEST VERSION: 2.0 alpha 2 March 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM: ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu: /PC/Mosaic
- COST: No charge for non-commercial use.
- DOCUMENTATION: Good
- OTHER COMMENTS: Regular 16 bit version. Not compatible
- with WFW 3.11. Probably no further
- development, see 32 bit version below.
-
-
-
- NAME: NCSA Mosaic (32 bit)
- PRIME PURPOSE: World Wide Web (WWW) Browser
- FILE NAME: wmos20a5.zip
- FILE SIZE: 272,435
- LATEST VERSION: 2.0 alpha 5 June 1994
- AVAILABLE FROM: ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu: /PC/Mosaic
- COST: No charge for non-commercial use.
- DOCUMENTATION: Good
- OTHER COMMENTS: 32 bit version for WFW 3.11 (or win32s.zip
- upgrade to Windows 3.1). Under major development.
- Minimum 486DX33 w/8meg reccommended.
- New version just released, but still
- buggy and slow.
-
-
-
- ____________________________________________________
- This article is Copyright June 1994. It may be further
- freely redistributed provided this is done intact
- without changes to the contents.
- Ed Sinkovits
- Compuserve: 73003,3065
- Internet: edsink@mbnet.mb.ca
-
-
-