The Internet Hotel

by Rich Cunningham

One of the running gags on the television show "Tool Time" is Tim's passion for tools, old ones, new ones, the latest and greatest ones, no matter what they do. Around my house, a running gag is my wife calling me the "Tool Time Man of the Internet", because of my fixation having the latest and greatest software for surfing the net. A product that has just crossed my desk has truthfully put me in hog heaven, at least as far as net tools are concerned.

The product is called Web 7, and is published by Andover Advanced Technologies from Acton, Massachusetts. It is a collection of utilities designed for use on the World Wide Web on the Internet. It is wide-ranging set of tools and includes something for anyone, irregardless of their experience level or expertise. It includes everything from a program to create web pages to Netscape plug-ins to enhance the performance of that web browser. All the programs included are full versions, not shareware or stripped down editions that are intended to make the user purchase more expensive programs.

The following programs are included on the disk. The number after the title is an indicator as to my opinion of the program, relative to the rating scale that is used by World Village (1=low to 5=superb). The ratings were arrived at after testing of the programs on my computer.

HOT DOG (standard) (3): this is an HTML Web page editor that allows the user to create and edit pages for sites on the World Wide Web without searching through pages and pages of code. This program not only is useful for it's function, but also teaches the novice user the ins-and-outs of HTML editing.

NETEXPRESS (3): This is program that allows the user to organize a potpourri of multimedia objects that have been gathered from the Internet, and to catalogue it in one location.

CRESCENDO PLUS (3): A Netscape plug-in that users to either add music to a site that is under construction, or to enjoy the same sound from a site that has been created with this program.

CYBERPILOT PRO (3): Create a map, visually, of a web site, either by downloading from the Internet, or while creating one to be published.

WIRL (3): A VRML browser plug-in for Netscape, allowing users to experience 3-D sites on the web.

ARENA DESIGN VRML (4): A tool that allows users to build virtual worlds for inclusion on Internet sites. Supports many popular 3D and imaging formats.

GENT/SUPERBOOK MARK PUBLISHER (3): A 2-in1 program that allows a user to store all or part of a site on their local hard drive for off-line browsing, with regularly scheduled updates. The 2nd program allows building and maintenance of a list of links to favorite sites.

While it would be impossible for any collection to be all inclusive for all aspects for the Internet, this collection comes very close. It does not feature run-of-the-mill generic browsers, FTP/email/newsreaders, or winsock programs. The programs featured on this disk, while in the intermediate to advanced category, are designed to be used by all levels of users, from novice to expert. The included documentation, while sparsely written in the manual, is adequate to get the programs up and running. All the programs have on-line documentation, with several having tutorials that teach the program basics.

Rather than give in-depth reviews of all the programs, it is sufficient to say that all are very adequate for their intended purpose. There were no problem with any of the installations, all installed without a hitch and ran as they were intended to. There is only one problem with this disk, and that is one of timeliness. The Internet is such a rapidly changing environment, that by the time a program is written and marketed, it is not long before it is obsolete or out-dated.

The problem with this disk is that the programs on it are available in stand alone versions, at a higher revision level than what is on the disk. Whether that is by accident or design, I am not sure. For example, the Hot Dog on this disk is version 2, and version 3 is the current level. CyberPilot Pro is version 0.9, and there is an ad included in the program documentation for an upgrade to version 1.0 for only $34.95. While the programs on this disk are as advertised ("No Shareware/No Timeouts/No Nagging Notices"), they do not seem to be at the current release levels that are available. That is the only problem I see with this disk.

If you want a variety of utilities that can expand your knowledge and experience on the Internet, then purchase this program. It will be of a benefit to you. And at $19.95 list, the price is definitely right.