Sorcerer Software Users Newsletter Issue 0211 Welcome to our monthly newsletter, covering the latest updates, tips and user questions about our software programs. If you have an issue or question you would like to see addressed in a future newsletter, either by me or by your fellow users, please email me and I'll include it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- November 30, 2002 CONTENTS: 1. The Abacus 2. CD Stripper / Try-before-you-buy software 3. This month's worthless trivia 4. Halloween poll follow-up -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Abacus http://www.TheAbacus.biz A few months ago we released our new freestanding version of the Abacus which we dubbed "Abacus 4.0". Although it has been well received since its release, some confusion about the program's naming system has arisen. Some users thought Abacus 4.0 was an upgrade from version 3.0 (a logical conclusion), which is not what we intended. So we decided to rename the new program "Abacus SE" (Special Edition). What is Abacus SE? First, it is a standalone Abacus program. It is not a Word add-in like the original Abacus. Second, it contains some upgraded features (from the initial release of Abacus 4.0) designed to improve efficiency and offer more options. And finally, we hope to decrease the possibility of bugs and adverse Abacus-Word interactions. The other day I received an email from a user who is considering adding Abacus SE to her computer. She already is an Abacus (version 3.0) user, and thought there might be advantages to having both. After all, she can add Abacus SE for half price since she is a current Abacus user. But she was concerned about whether the two versions of Abacus could co-exist, and wanted to know about differences in speed of line counting between the two versions. Here is what I told her: 1. Yes, you can use both versions of Abacus on the same computer. I have my main computer set up that way as I am involved in programming issues of both versions every day. 2. Abacus 3.0 is slightly faster than Abacus SE, but there are all kinds of exceptions and special cases; and it depends on how you count (read on). 3. Abacus 3.0 and Abacus SE count at about the same speed if you have Windows 2000, NT, or XP, with version 3.0 being slighly faster in most cases. But on Windows 95, 98, and ME there is a big difference IF you count gross lines. With gross line counting, version 3.0 is much faster. 4. Making Abacus count things you don't need slows it down. If your documents don't have headers or footers, uncheck the options box for counting them. If you count characters but don't count bold, italicized, or underlined characters, uncheck these options. They take up a lot of processing power and really slow things down. 5. The faster your computer, the faster Abacus will count. Factors that particularly affect speed include the amount of your computer's RAM the speed of the CPU. 6. The version of Word does NOT affect the speed of counting. I know that some of the other commercial line counting programs on the market are faster than both versions of the Abacus. One user recently emailed me and said: "I was used to using the Sylcount in Wordperfect and it takes just a few seconds to count 900 files - whereas Abacus takes 5-10 minutes." I don't know which version of Abacus she was using, or what counting method and options she employed, but she certainly got her point across. I would love to make Abacus faster, but my primary considerations are to develop a program that is accurate and user friendly. Since Abacus is designed for use with MS Word and not WordPerfect, there are certain limitations imposed on me that affect what Abacus can do. So if you're counting 900 files at a time like Denise is, just start Abacus and go get a cup of coffee. The current version 3.0 Abacus build is 020911. If you have an earlier build of version 3.0, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. This is the macro "add-in" version. The current Abacus SE build is 021120. If you have an earlier build of Abacus SE/4.0, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. This is the freestanding version. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CD Stripper / Try-before-you-buy software http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/cdstrip.htm Although I don't have any CD Stripper news to report, I received two CD Stripper related emails in the last month that touched a nerve. And since I'm the one who gets to write this column, in response to those two emails I want to write about the concept of try-before-you-buy software, also known as "Shareware". Here's what one of the emails said: "I want the unlock code to the program but don't want to pay for it. Please email it to me." (The other email, and my response to it, was pretty much unprintable in a family oriented document such as this one.) Which brings us to the point of try-before-you-buy software, which would include most of our retail products. This software is available for a free trial. Most of our software is. Download it, use it, beat on it, try it out, do what you want with it. But if you want to keep it and remove the nag screens and limitations, please pay for it like you would any other product! And don't pay for it first and then complain that it's not what you expected. On our web sites we try to make two things clear to users and potential users: 1. Try the program out BEFORE you buy it. Make sure it works for you and you are happy with it; because... 2. We don't make refunds. (Note: software developers seldom do. After all, once the software is on your computer, how can we get it back? You can return a book, or a shirt, or even an entire computer. But how do you return a software program that has already been placed on your computer, short of us sending out the software police?) This, in a nutshell, is what "shareware" is all about. We make it and let you (ASK you) to try it free of charge before buying it. But we don't give it away, as we have to feed our children, too. The current CD Stripper build is 020820 of version 4.0.1. If you have an earlier build or version, you may want to download and upgrade to this build. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More interesting but worthless trivia... My wife always tells me when I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep, I should read a book. She pretty much guarantees that James Michener does the job -- at least for her -- but I haven't found my "special author" yet. In fact I just finished (at 4 am) a Michener novel about the publishing/writing business. The novel, which is cleverly named "The Novel" and published in 1991, is a very interesting look at what goes into publishing a novel from the point of view of the author, editor, critic, and reader. If this sounds especially dry to you, I recommend you pick up a copy for your sleepless nights. On the other hand if you love reading and are curious about what goes on behind the scenes ("Ignore that man behind the curtain"), you will enjoy this one. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A follow up on last month's poll... Last month's newsletter came out on Halloween, and I asked for your votes for favorite (and scariest?) Halloween movie. Here's what I got back: Several votes for: The Terminator Silence of the Lambs Alien And a few choice comments from one reader of my generation: "I'll never forget the very first time I saw Night of the Living Dead. Jeez, I couldn't sleep." and... "Forget those stupid Jason/Freddy/Chuckie slasher movies. Give 'em something different and go for the old stuff!" Amen. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That's all, folks. Look for our next newsletter in about 4 weeks... -- Bill bill@sorcerersoftware.com Sorcerer Software http://www.sorcerersoftware.com To read all the old newsletters, go to: http://www.sorcerersoftware.com/archives.htm To be removed from our mailing list, send me an email with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.