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Welcome To Stroud's CWSApps List!
 Purpose (Statement
of Intent) |
Structure of The
CWSApps List |
| The Top Ten Tips List |
The Rating System |
| Acknowledgements and
Thanks |
Software Status |
| Copyright Notice |
Limitations |
Purpose
These pages represent my best efforts at helping 'net users stay current on the latest,
greatest winsock applications (Internet applications for Windows 3.x/95/NT). The Introduction
page (this page) has been designed to introduce new users to The CWSApps List and to
provide insight into the prodigious amount of information contained within. Before
continuing, please read the copyright and disclaimer notice.
E-mail me at neuroses@sprynet.com if you have
any questions, comments, or suggestions concerning the list.
The Structure of The CWSApps List
The CWSApps List is designed to take advantage of high-end web browsers, primarily Netscape and Internet Explorer.
If you're using another browser I highly recommend downloading one of the two browsers
listed above -- they will greatly enhance the value of your trips to The CWSApps List and
other sites. Also, the site is targeted towards monitors with a resolution of 800x600,
lower resolution screens will still work but information may not appear properly on all
pages. If at all possible, check out the list at 800x600 or higher. The following paragraphs detail the structure of the list itself and are designed to ensure that your viewing experience is both intuitive and enjoyable. To begin, the top-level page for The Consummate Winsock Apps List (The CWSApps List) is index.html. This 'front door' page displays the official logo for The CWSApps List, provides the date of the most recent update (clicking on the date will also show the recent changes to the list), and provides a toolbar of icons for checking out all that The CWSApps List has to offer. From this page users can travel to this Introduction page, to the 16-bit Main Menu - 16menu.html (for applications that run on Windows 3.x and/or Windows 95), or to the 32-bit Main Menu - 32menu.html (for applications that run on Windows 95 and or Windows NT).
Both the 16-bit and 32-bit Main Menu pages list the available application categories as well as other CWSApps List specialized pages. The specialized pages and their functions are listed in the next section. The application category links will take you to a page that lists the applications contained within the given category -- for example, the Newsreaders link in the 32-bit apps section, 32news.html, will list all of the 32-bit winsock apps that are considered to be newsreading clients. These application pages list information for each app, including a link for downloading the app; a rating (for more information on how the ratings are developed, see the The Rating System section of this page); links to additional sources of information; version, date, and size statistics; the app's icon; and a link to the app's Full Review.
The Full Review is an exclusive and beneficial source of information for users who have not previously used the application in question and also for users who have used the app but want to know more about it or its new features. Each app's review can be retrieved by clicking on either the app's 'Full Review' link or on the 'Stroud's Reviews' button at the top of each category listing. In addition to the 1-4 paragraph description/review of the app, the app's pros and cons are listed, as well as the version reviewed, the date of review, and the new features in the version reviewed. All reviews for apps in a particular category are listed on the same page so that these apps can easily be compared to one another; additionally, each full review can be retrieved on its own page for quick access. An example of a review page for an entire category is that of the Newsreaders, 32news-reviews.html. An example of an individual review of a specific newsreader (Free Agent in this case) is 32news-agent.html. Clicking on the app's name at the top of the review page will take you back to the app's listing.
Here are short descriptions for additional pages found in The CWSApps List:
Introduction (intro.html) -- Helps acquaint new users
with The CWSApps List
Index of Apps (inx.html) -- An alphabetical listing of all
apps reviewed on The CWSApps List
What's New (new.html) -- Lists daily updates and recent
changes to The CWSApps List
The Newest Apps (16newapps.html) -- Lists all Win 3.X
apps released within the past two weeks
New for '95 Apps (32newapp.html) -- Lists all Win 95
apps released within the past two weeks
Cool App of the Week (coolapp.html) -- Features a new
and exciting app each week
The Top 20 Apps (top20.html) -- A listing of the top 20
apps for the last two weeks
The CASPER Page (casper.html) -- A 'best of' recommended
starting package for new users
Honors & Awards (honors.html) -- CWSApps List
accolades, awards, and press reviews
Press Releases (press.html) -- A listing of recent press
releases for The CWSApps List
The Top Ten CWSApps List Tips
here are the top ten hints for making the most of The CWSApps List:
10. Want to know about the latest and greatest apps to hit the 'net? For a text-based listing of all of the recently added 16 and 32-bit apps (within the last month), check out the What's New page. For a tabular listing of the 16-bit apps that have been released within the last week, check out the New 16-bit Apps page. And finally, for a similar listing of 32-bit apps, check out the New 32-bit Apps page.
9. Many of the graphical icons (including logos, bullets, and app icons) have links associated with them (even when there is no tell-tale colored border surrounding the icon). If your cursor is positioned on one of these icons and it changes from an arrow to a pointing hand, click on the icon to download the app (in the case of an application icon), for additional graphics (in the case of a logo), for an easter egg (in the case of a bullet icon), and so on...
8. Got an idea, suggestion, or complaint about The CWSApps List you'd like to share with the author? Feel free to send e-mail to Forrest H. Stroud at neuroses@tcac.com. Also, if you have your own tip for how to get the most out of The CWSApps List, let me know.
7. New user? After checking out the Introduction page (this one), check out The Critical Applications Starter PackagE and Recommendations page (CASPER) for a collection of the best apps on the 'net. There are two lists of apps featured, one for the budget-conscious (the total package is under $100) and the other for those who will accept nothing but the best. This page is Netscape-specific and is targeted towards Windows 95 users.
6. The latest and greatest 32-bit Windows 95 apps can be found on the Windows 95/NT Apps page. The Windows 95 section has recently expanded its coverage of apps in order to ensure that it remains the best site on the 'net for Win 95 clients. To this end, I have made the Win 95 section easier to use, and I have recently added a New for '95 Apps Page to help users stay current on the latest and greatest Windows 95 applications.
5. Can't find an app? Check out the Index of Apps page, inx.html. This page alphabetically lists all the apps featured and reviewed by The CWSApps List. In addition, there is also a section the lists all the apps sorted by category and by platform.
4. Still can't find what you're looking for? Check out the Search page or input your query on the Front Page. The Excite search engine will return a list of pages that are most likely to contain the information you are looking for.
3. Are you interested in the coolest apps on the 'net? How about the most popular? If so, check out two of The CWSApps List newest features, the Cool App of the Week page and the Top 20 Apps page. The Cool App of the Week features an exciting new application each week, including a full review and download links. The Top 20 Apps page, updated twice a month, lists the most popular applications downloaded from The CWSApps List official FTP site, The Papa Winsock-L site. Your trip to The CWSApps List will not be complete without a visit to each of these pages.
2. Clicking on the date at the top of any page will take you to the What's New page, new.html. This page lists recent changes to The CWSApps List and is the best way for users to stay on top of the latest applications (in conjunction with the Newest Apps Page, newapps.html, and New for '95 Apps Page, 95newapp.html). There is also an archive of What's New pages that lists all the changes to The CWSApps List.
1. Enjoy!
...For Dummies is a registered trademark of IDG Books Worldwide, Inc.
Acknowledgements and Thanks
Acknowledgements go out first and foremost to all of the mirror site administrators for
their work in helping The Consummate Winsock Apps List become what it is today. I'd also
like to thank the folks at The Internet Movie Database
for creating such an immensely useful site and also for allowing me to make use of some of
the icons that adorn the toolbar section of many CWSApps List pages. Finally, my sincere thanks and appreciation to my beautiful wife, Joanne, for putting up with me through all of this :-)
The Rating System
A quick note on the blue stars. I have graded the apps very subjectively - how can a grade
based on one person's opinions not be subjective? I do not claim to be an expert on any
one of these applications, no less all of them. I have, however, worked with and tested
each of these apps and have found some to be better than others. For this reason I supply
my own grade for each application, ranging from 1 to 5 stars. What the ratings mean:
5 stars: Excellent application; an absolutely critical, must-have client
4 to 4.5 stars: Great app; definitely worth the download and price, if there is one
3 to 3.5 stars: Good application; but may not be the best in its class
2 to 2.5 stars: Fair application; may/may not be worth the download
1 to 1.5 stars: Who in their right mind created this abomination?
Software Status
The status line for each application depicts the cost associated with that application. Freeware means that the app is free but usually only for non-commercial use. If you are a commercial institution wanting to use an app listed as freeware, please consult the developers first.
Shareware typically entails a thirty day free evaluation. If you like the app and will continue to use it, please support the developers by paying the price associated with that app. In many cases, support, manuals, upgrades, and other benefits can be obtained by purchasing the shareware applications.
Donation-ware means that the software is free for use, but if you enjoy and regularly use the program, then please be sure to donate to the developers. A little cash infusion is the best way to insure that your favorite programs will be updated and improved in the future. Speaking of which, a little donation here every now and then wouldn't hurt, either.
Postcard-ware is unique to the Eudora client. If you send the developers a postcard, the client is yours to use for however long you like.
Commercial versions of many freeware and shareware applications are also available. For information about purchasing these products, please contact the developers.
Limitations
As with every web site, there are some inherent limitations of The
CWSApps List. Most of these are covered in the succeeding Warning and
Quick Disclaimer section, but there are also a few additional limitations. In order to
provide the necessary resources for tracking the latest and greatest winsock applications,
there must be some restrictions set in the scope of applications included. For this
reason, several types of apps will not be found on The CWSApps List. These include MUDs,
MOOs, and the like, as well as Internet Games in general. For more information on these
applications, check out: 
Yahoo's
List of MUDs, MOOs, MUSHes, etc.
Happy Puppy's Games On The Internet
The Windows Client Resource Page --
great list of MU*s
The MUD FAQ
The MUD Resource
Welcome to
MUDdom
If you know of any additional links that should be provided here, let me know.
Copyright Notice and Quick Disclaimer
Please review the copyright notice, legal disclaimer, and terms of services agreement before viewing The CWSApps List.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and visit Stroud's Consummate Winsock Applications List!
