BKDNLCMP.RVW   950208
 
"The Downloader's Companion for Windows", Scott Meyers/Catherine Pinch, 1995,
0-13-342254-2, U$19.95/C$26.95
%A   Scott Meyers download@prenhall.com
%A   Catherine Pinch download@prenhall.com
%C   113 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ   07632
%D   1995
%G   0-13-342254-2
%I   Prentice Hall PTR
%O   U$19.95/C$26.95 (515) 284-6751 FAX (515) 284-2607 beth_hespe@prenhall.com
%P   178
%T   "The Downloader's Companion for Windows"
 
Those who are promoting the advantages of the online world often cite the
enormous volume of programs, utilities, graphics, sound bytes and other files
available on BBSes, commercial services, and the net.  They seldom mention the
necessity for learning cryptic one- to three-letter codes that indicate which
of a bewildering variety of archival, compression, encoding, viewing, and other
programs need to be brought to bear on a given file, in order to make it yield
up its secrets.  The promoters often stress that much of this stuff is free (or
ridiculously cheap), but don't stress the fact that, for that very reason, most
of what you need simply cannot be found at the local "Computers-R-Us".
 
This slim volume is an excellent starter for newbies who want to begin
downloading.  The network cognoscenti will find nothing fresh here, but it is
pitched exactly right for the newcomer.  It covers the concepts of freeware and
shareware (though not, interestingly, public domain); the basics of
downloading; compression, archiving and encoding; media files; and some
resources and filename explanations.  The material is not exhaustive, but does
cover the important points--including how to read version numbers.  An included
disk provides the basic archiving, compression, encoding and viewing tools that
the Windows user will need to get started.
 
There are a few points one might want to argue.  (There is also a script font,
used for headers, which is very difficult to read.)  By and large, however,
there is nothing to block the value of this work for the new user.
 
For such a small book, the price might seem excessive.  However, the fact that
this book, and an hour or two of study, can get a neophyte online, would make
it well worth the cost.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995   BKDNLCMP.RVW   950208

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