My modus operandi in compiling this column usually involves remaining attentive to the INFO-MAC Hyperarchive http://hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/HyperArchive/Abstracts/Recent-Summary.html , as well as visiting sites like VersionTracker http://www.versiontracker.com/ to stay abreast of the latest software updates. This month, however, press releases form the basis of my recommendations (along with a really cute little game I found at INFO-MAC). It really does pay to advertise.
 
Slip-Slidin' Away
 
CineSlider
Do you need to give a presentation, but don't necessarily want to shell out hundreds of dollars for PowerPoint? Or perhaps you've declared your hard drive a Microsoft-free zone? Either way, you'll love CineSlider. CineSlider by OneApp (v.4.2, Jan '99, 2259 K) is a slide show and presentation tool for multimedia files, QuickTime movies, sounds, and images. You can customize your slide shows with different backgrounds, play them back automatically or manually, and create standalone "projections" for distributing your presentations. CineSlider supports a wide array of multimedia formats: QuickTime Movies, QuickTime VR Movies, and AIFF audio files. It also supports many of the main graphic formats: JPEG, TIFF, PICT, Photoshop, PNG, MacPaint, GIF, animated GIF, Windows Bitmap BMP, and SGI.
For just $25, CineSlider is a tremendous value. This shareware is available from http://www.kagi.com/oneapp/cs/default.html .
 
Time,Time,Time, See What's Become of Me
 
PopCalendar
According to James Taylor, the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time. But even if you're not deriving pleasure from the creeping petty pace from day to day, you still might appreciate PopCalendar by Cristiano Verondini. PopCalendar (v.1.1.2, Jan '99, 213 K) is a small extension that puts a mini-icon in your menubar which displays the number of the current date. Clicking the icon from within any application brings up a small month-view calendar, which you can even use to jot down notes and appointments.
PopCalendar costs only $10 and it seems to be a reasonably stable INIT. Get it from http://come.to/popcalendar/ and mark the passage of days.
 
Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect Windows Licensing Fees
 
Cyberopoly
In childhood, I learned many things: dog biscuits taste pretty good, never correct teachers when they err in statements of fact because it makes them cranky, and never, ever start a game of Monopoly if you have anything else to do that's even remotely interesting, because the game will last for days and it'll probably cause bad blood between you and your friends and/or siblings anyway.
Having said that, I was surprised and pleased to find that I really enjoyed Cyberopoly by John Mauro. Monopoly with a computer-industry theme, Cyberopoly (v.3.0, Jan '99, 2674 K) is both a clever satire and an eminently playable game. Interestingly, the results of my first test game were that "Bill Gates" (the computer player) was hauled off by the Department of Justice, and his third attempt to roll doubles generated an infinite repetition of the error message, "Alas, poor Bill Gates, his attempt to flee the Dept. of Justice was futile." I don't know about you, but personally, I think that's pretty funny!
Cyperopoly is $15 shareware, and it can be downloaded (along with John's other games) from http://cs.alfred.edu/~maurojc/software/ — otherwise, see below for your chance to win a free copy of Cyberopoly.
 
Dark Star
 
Garcia's Guitars
One can never really have enough mindless fun, and in that spirit, I commend to you a little game called Garcia's Guitars by Jason Rainbows. In this cute, non-violent diversion, you use the mouse to move a little Jerry Garcia around the screen to collect and hug all the guitars in the allotted time. Watch out for the law enforcement officers, who will detain Jerry while time ticks away. Grab the bonuses (sugar cubes, hookah pipes, tarot cards) and help Jerry's karma points advance him from cloud to cloud. Best of all, there's no "game over," so you can play as long as you want with only your own self-restraint to govern you.
Garcia's Guitars (v.1.2.1, Feb '99, 494 K) is $10 shareware. Even if you're not a DeadHead, this game is really cute and fun and (dare I say it?) addictive. Go get it from http://www.mindspring.com/~jasonrainbows/Xmpls.html .
 
'Warehouse Trivia Contest
  This month we're giving away three copies of John Mauro's
Cyberopoly. More fun than a barrel of anti-trust lawsuits, Cyberopoly
excels as both a game and as a satire.
With "Contest" in the subject line, email your answers to brian@applewizards.net .
The Five Apple Wizards Questions for March 1999
1. What is the code-name of Mac OS X Server?
2. In Outlook Express 4.5, what does Command-Option-P do?
3. Who is the developer of the shareware SimpleText Color Menu?
4. Who was Apple Computer, Inc.'s first president?
5. Which iMac flavor is best? Justify your answer.
The winners for January were Dierk Seeburg (again!), the illustrious Jon Pugh, Martin Stephens, and Tony. Honorable mention goes to "Tony," who answered the essay question with a rant of such monumental biliousness that reading it completely exhausted me. ;-) Congratulations to all.
