by Mark Bell
Wrapping up...
WinComm
Cyberjack
Cyberwizard
Web Browser
News Reader
Stop the Presses! -- Cyberjack upgrade released
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One of the best reasons to upgrade to Microsoft Windows 95 is the robustness of the operating systems
communications and networking capabilities. This month we'll wrap up our review of Delrina's CommSuite
95 which takes advantage of these enhanced communications abilities. The two remaining modules include
WinComm Pro 7.0 and a new product, Cyberjack.
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CommSuite's data communications module, WinComm PRO, remains a solid, though basic, data-communications program. In the current incarnation, Delrina has integrated Norton virus detection for downloaded files, an image viewer, a .ZIP file manager, and support for the RIPscript graphical interface, which is growing in popularity among BBS users. In addition, advanced users will appreciate a host mode to answer incoming data calls automatically and the simple Delrina Basic language to create online scripts. Full implementation of Windows 95 features include the ability to drag and drop short-cuts to your desktop for quick and easy connects to systems you use frequently. The Norton virus signatures may be updated online, from within the program. A nice touch, but not really surprising in light of the acquisition of Delrina by Symantec.
Click Here for a full-screen view
of the WinComm Pro 7.0 'command centre' screen. (33kb)
Setup and installation of the program went smoothly, as did customization of the toolbar to suit our particular needs. The use of familiar tabbed dialogue groups keeps information in logical order for easy access.
The program itself is, of course, fully TAPI compliant, allowing it to share communication ports with other TAPI compliant programs such as WinFax Pro. This allows the program to 'listen' to the incoming call to determine if it is a voice, fax or data call and have the appropriate program intercept the incoming data.
Right mouse click support is fully utilized and Windows 95 users can ex-pect a full bevy of functions to be available on-screen for the various tools, including uploading, downloading and capture.
Most users will find WinComm PRO has all the features they need for accessing their favorite online service
or Bulletin Board Service (BBS). Although not as powerful as other products on the market, when used in
conjunction with WinFax Pro 7.0, the combination is, undeniably powerful and complete.
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Delrina's Cyberjack 7.0 is the first Internet suite designed to take advantage of the Windows 95 32-bit environment and communications capabilities. The key to all this is how Cyberjack utilizes multithreading, the ability to carry simultaneous connections to the various components of the suite. These components include, among others, a Web Browser, FTP client, newsgroup reader and a newly-released Telnet client.
The core of Cyberjack is the Guidebook, which acts as a personal library of OLE object-based links (icons) that can, among other things, be dragged to your desktop for easy and immediate access. The Guidebook module may be installed on your Windows 95 desktop during the installation process if you wish, or may be accessed via the start menu. By double-clicking on a particular site listed in the module, you will launch the corresponding, appropriate client software and even bring up the connection dialogue box if you are off-line at the time. The Guidebook allows the user to save and categorize Internet links for the varied clients included in the suite. So, if you have a folder for sports, as an example, OLE icons for Web, IRC, FTP, Telnet and Newsgroups can all be accessed from within the same folder via an easy-to-recognize icon representing each site saved to the Guidebook. Cyberjack comes with a healthy selection of basic links which may be installed to get the novice up and running quickly.
The Guidebook also allows for the importing of Netscape 'bookmark' files to add pre-existing or acquired lists to the repository.
The other benefit for the new user, or 'newbie', is the liberal use of 'wizards', interactive tour guides that lead you through the process from connection to hang up. This makes learning about the Internet somewhat more enjoyable, as it reduces your immediate learning curve. These Wizards may be 'put away' once a user is comfortable with the application.
Cyberjack is not typical of the majority of online software suites on the mar-ket today. The clients are actually all separate applications that may be accessed separately. The clients included with the initial release include all of the standard clients with the exception of Telnet, which is now available from Delrina as part of a major update (see sidebar, facing page).
An e-mail client is not included with Cyberjack, either. One must assume that Delrina intended Cyberjack users to use a MAPI-compliant e-mail utility such as Microsoft Exchange, which is included with Windows 95. This may be something of a tactical error, however, as Exchange is somewhat 'feature challenged' and I would strongly recommend that Cyberjack users grab a separate application such as Qualcomm's Eudora e-mail client or the mail handling component of Netscape Navigator. Other applications include an image viewer, which works extremely well, an archive manager for unzipping your downloads and an upgrade module allowing the user to automatically check Delrina's Internet site for upgrades to the suite -- a nice touch.
Windows 95 ergonomics are fully implemented. Right-click menus are well developed to keep the tools you need at your fingertips. We found this feature one of the most enjoyable aspects of working within the suite. The Ping client is only a right-click away and, because of this accessibility, becomes immensely more useful.
The components that make up Cyberjack are indeed complete and varied. Let's take a look at some of the
principal components that make up the Cyberjack suite...
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This is the GUI front-end for the whole suite, complete with funky animation of a phone jack plugging into the world -- cute, I guess. This point-and-click menu is the 'stable' for the wizards which will guide you through most common tasks. Select what you want to do and the appropriate wizard will guide you from there.
Click Here for a screen shot
of the Cyberjack 7.0 'Cyberwizard' screen. (28kb)
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Although an adequate application, the Web browser included with Cyber-jack is limited by its incomplete implementation of HTML standards. It is only compliant with HTML level 2. Some features of HTML spec. 3.0 are implemented, and Table support has recently been added (see side bar, above), but some features which Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer users are accustomed to are not supported. One would assume that these new features will be added to future upgrades which will be made available online.
With the number of Netscape-enhanced sites on the Web, Cyberjack users may wish to implement Netscape
Navigator as their primary Web browser.
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I personally liked the implementation of this client.
The tools included are intelligently integrated to automate the process of using the Usenet. Wizards simplify the task of selecting and finding a news-group. Filters provide a method of sorting through the thousands of currently available newsgroups.
Downloading and decoding of uuencoded binaries is integrated into this client so that a user may, in a
couple of clicks, view a downloaded image. Simply select the postings for downloading and Cyberjack can
automatically decode and save these files to disk and launch an appropriate application to display, play
or use the download. Cyberjack users can save frequently accessed newsgroups to the Guidebook for
convenient retrieval during a later session.
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