

                          PLUG-IN for WINDOWS
                           A Product Review
                       (c) 1995 by Frank McGowan


  A follow-up review of last months WindoWatch Plug of the Month

  PLUG-IN FOR WINDOWS

    Plannet Crafters, Inc.
    P.O. Box 450
    Alpharetta, GA  30239-0450
    Phone: 404-998-8664
    FAX:   404-998-8197


  Like the House Republicans, with another month's experience under my
  belt, I've kept my promise and am now an official, registered user of
  Plug-In !   So, do I still think it's worth the $20 (plus shipping)?  In
  a word, ubetcha! After less than two months as a user, I'm hopelessly
  hooked. After using it for just a few weeks, I couldn't imagine not
  having it at my disposal.

  I still haven't figured out all the bells and whistles, but I can claim
  a lot more insight than a month ago. For one thing, I know that it's a
  whole lot easier moving around from program to program via the QuickRun
  menu than it is the old Windows route: I can get to my best-loved
  programs, like File Manager and Print Manager, with just a couple of
  clicks, without having to switch to Program Manager and open up the
  group icon. The analogy is that of a direct flight compared to making a
  connecting flight with a long layover (and in a terminal on the wrong
  side of the airport).  It's not as good as non-stop, but it's a heck of
  an improvement all the same.  I also enjoy the flexibility of picking my
  "cursor of the day": I sometimes feel like using the guy with the big
  nose as a pointer and the stoplight as the wait cursor; and sometimes
  I'm more in the mood for a baton pointer and a "Please wait, I'm trying
  to think" wait cursor.  It seems like a little thing, but those little
  things do add up.

  Something that's a little more significant is the ability to put program
  groups inside other program groups. When you start approaching the
  Windows maximum, I believe it's forty, you will appreciate being able to
  stick your Accessories group inside your Main group, for instance. Once
  it's in there, you can spot it quickly, because it has little chevrons
  next to its >name< .... something like that!  And, you can put more than
  one group within another, so you can open up a lot of space on your
  desktop.

  Among the more meaningful features is the low resources alert, which can
  be a real lifesaver. If you're about to run out of memory or disk space,
  you'll be told far enough in advance to avoid a catastrophe - at least
  most of the time.  In truth, the warning came a little late for me on
  one occasion. I was lucky and was able to recover with little damage.

  Alarms, both simple and complex, are another neat bell and whistle and
  is literally so if you have a sound board. Even if you have just the
  rudimentary sound capability, you can set up an alarm that will make a
  suitably alarming noise at the appointed time. Again, this is a major
  improvement over the alarms you can set via the Calendar program.
  Another example of filling a gaping hole.

  One thing I especially like is that most,  although not quite all, of
  the Help screens come up maximized. It's really annoying to have to fish
  around for the scroll bar, only to realize that the screen is at only
  90% of its maximum size. One thing I would suggest, however, is that
  they teach the writer the difference between "it's" and "its." In case
  you're wondering, "it's" is a contraction for "it is"; "its" is the
  possessive form of "it." This kind of error is bothersome and detracts
  from the content.

  Also, while they're at it, they could tone down some of the snideness.
  Is it really necessary to chide Microsoft as in the Help screen
  describing the System Information feature, by noting that you can see
  how long it's been since you started Windows and have a contest with
  your friends to see who can keep Windows alive the longest? Although
  it's just a little sophomoric  and gratuitous, I suppose theres no harm
  done.

  Aside from these small niceties, Plug-In is just so darned convenient.
  It's always at your disposal, by means of a small icon in the shape of a
  (are you ready?) plug (which you can change to a socket), so you can
  easily reconfigure it to suit your needs or your mood. Or, if you decide
  you desperately need to have the Calculator on hand for immediate
  access, just click the plug and click Accessories. If that still isn't
  fast enough for you, make the calculator a menu item of its own.

  I suppose I have to point out the few warts I've found, just to give
  this some balance. I've already mentioned their confusion between it's
  and its - not a biggie unless you're an old fogy (like me). I should
  also mention that it's available for some programs, such as WordPerfect
  and AmiPro, only if you do some finagling involving the Exclude List,
  which lives in the Title Bar option of the Configure Plug-In menu,
  hidden under the General button.  All of this is explained in a Help
  screen, but of course, if you didn't know it was there, why would you
  ever try to find it? I actually didn't find it. A very inquisitive
  colleague with much too much time on his hands was the one who stumbled
  onto it, and only because he couldn't stand not having this feature
  available when he was using WordPerfect.

  I also think it would be a good thing to be able to double-click on Exit
  Windows, rather than having to click the OK button or press Enter. Phew!
  That about exhausts my long list of complaints. I'm just wondering what
  they'll do for an encore when Windows '95 makes its long anticipated
  debut. As for how sold I am - well, I'm one of those folks who never
  recommend anything (books, restaurants, movies, etc.) because invariably
  the people who take my recommendation end up hating the
  book/restaurant/movie (and, by extension, me). But with Plug-In, I'm an
  enthusiastic, if not downright zealous, proselytizer. I've turned
  several of my workmates on to it, and so far no one has been anything
  less than happy. Of course, there is this one guy for whom nothing's
  ever good enough...maybe this once I'll...nah, let that sleeping dog
  lie!


  Frank McGowan is a computer consultant with many years of tech writing
  and teaching under his belt. His background includes employment by some
  of the biggies in the industry. With his wife Sue, or he with her 'cause
  she's the proud owner of a CD Rom drive, they will start looking at some
  of the new CD Rom titles coming to market. Frank is a regular WindoWatch
  contributor.

                                  ww



