Christ United Methodist Church, Newark, OH


A Guide To Free And Low-cost Software


For IBM and Compatible Computers


Contents:


MS-DOS - Windows 3x - Windows 95 - Linux - Essential Information












Dos Programs


DOWNLOAD WINDOS

WinDOS Graphical Desktop and File Manager

WinDOS GUI File Manager: free, v. 210, windos.zip, 1384 KB. WINDOS 210 provides a Win95 style desktop with icons, a File Manager (called "Disktop"), an editor, screensaver, icon library, and file compression manager.

DOWNLOAD PICTVIEW

PictView Image Viewer for DOS

PictView Image Viewer: free, v. 1.94, pictview.zip, 105 KB. PictView is a very fast image viewer/conversion program. Although the executable file is only 147 KB, PictView reads 40 image formats and saves as 28 formats. It is mouse-aware or can be used at the DOS command prompt.

DOWNLOAD ARACHNE

Arachne WWW Graphical Browser

Arachne WWW Browser: free, v 1.60 beta 1, arcn16b1.exe (self-extracting archive), approx. 900 KB. This graphical Web browser for DOS 5 or higher can function with any 80x86 having EGA/VGA, but a 386 and SVGA is recommended, hopefully with 4 MB RAM. The minimum conventional memory is 425 KB, or 490 KB if the built-in PPP dialer is used. 600 KB is suggested by this reviewer (do not use in a Win95 DOS box). Arachne supports tables, frames, forms, etc. with an e-mail feature.

DOWNLOAD DOSMAN

DOSMAN, a DOS Point-and-Click File Manager

DosMan: free, dosman.exe, 138 KB. This program will search for, create, edit, move, copy, print or delete files. It can change file attributes and create or delete directories. System requirements: a 386 with DOS 3.2 or higher. To install, copy dosman.exe to the root directory or a directory in the Path.

DOWNLOAD UNZIP

ALTERNATE SOURCE

Info-Zip's Unzip program

Unzip: unz540x3.exe, free, 241 KB, version 5.40. An unzipper is essential; Unzip also works in a Win95 DOS box (get unz540x.exe if you don't have a 386 or better). (1) Create an Info-Zip directory (at the C:\> prompt, type md info-zip and Enter). (2) Put the unz540x3.exe file in it (use an internet download or copy from floppy). (3) At the DOS prompt type cd info-zip and Enter. Type unz540x3.exe and Enter; this will self-extract the contents. (4) Type copy unzip.exe C:\ and Enter. The file is in the root directory-- no need to modify the Path statement. Unzipping is easy! Example: for SAMPLE.ZIP in directory STUFF, cd to C:\stuff>, type unzip sample.zip and Enter.

DOWNLOAD BIBLE PART 1

DOWNLOAD BIBLE PART 2

DOWNLOAD BIBLE PART 3

ALTERNATE SOURCE

King James Version of the Bible

Jon Hopkins' "BibleBasher" KJV Bible: free, v 1.0, bbash1_1.zip thru bbash1_3.zip, 83 KB/697 KB/724 KB. This exceptionally easy-to-use program includes four search options. It will run using virtually any PC with DOS 3.3 or better. The alternate source's bbash.zip is 1.47 MB. BB can use any text reader/editor (WP 5.1, DOS Edit, Word Pad, etc.) which accepts the length needed to read a text file for each of the 66 Books. If you do not have VGA or SVGA, run the program by typing BBS at the prompt. A total of 4.63 MB is needed on the hard disk.

DOWNLOAD THE APOCRYPHA

Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible (Apocrypha)

Project Gutenberg's Apocrypha: free (public domain), v 1.0, gapoc.zip, 286 KB; for DOS 3.3 or higher. Unzipping results in apoc10.txt, 843 KB, which is viewed with a word processor, or a text editor like DOS Edit, using Edit's search and print features.

DOWNLOAD ISHOW

ALTERNATE SOURCE

ISHOW gif viewer with slide show

IShow: v 1.0, ishow10.zip, 66KB, free. IShow displays a GIF image file, scaled for best fit on your screen. It also gives a random slide show of up to256 GIF's in the current directory, with variable time delay, etc. It runs in DOS and Win3 or Win95 DOS box. Add ishow.exe to a floppy full of GIF's and give it to a friend, who can then see the show by typing ISHOW at the DOS prompt! The author, John Holt, asks for a $5.00 donation.

DOWNLOAD ACCOUNT PRO

Account Pro for DOS

Account Pro: free, v 1.11d, apdos.zip, 274 KB, (runs in DOS 3, Win3, Win95). This double entry system handles up to 528 accounts with 16,300 entries, and includes explanations of the procedures in manual.zip, the 17 KB manual. Account Pro for Win95 is $100, but the DOS version IS free, contrary to some internal text.

DOWNLOAD MEDLIN ACCOUNTING

Medlin Accounting for DOS

Medlin Accounting: $35, v 5.0, medlin5.zip, 312 KB. This excellent and time-tested program will function in nearly any IBM/compatible computer, including 286's and most XT's. It consists of a central menu and five programs (fully functional for shareware evaluation). Version 5.0; $35 to register General Ledger (double entry). Pay $35 each if you need Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Invoice. The complete set is 355KB installed; it also runs in a Win3 or Win95 DOS box. Versions are available for Win3, or for Win95/98/NT/2000 at $38 each.

DOWNLOAD PCLOCK

PClock Analog Clock and Calendar

PClock Analog Clock and Calendar: pclklw17.zip, 83 KB, v 1.7, free. PClock shows the hour/minute/second in color with current calendar. It works with older computers; it also has an ASCII text viewer.

DOWNLOAD F-PROTECT

F-Protect Anti-virus Program

F-Protect: free, fp-308b.zip, v 3.08b, 1.1 MB, (1.71 MB installed). F-Protect is an excellent program which checks for 47,000 viruses, etc.. Free viruslist updates are available; check SIMTEL virus prevention index for the latest version or fp-def.zip update.

DOWNLOAD STBFP

STBFP Save The Boot sector, FAT, and Partition info.

STBFP: stbfp20.zip, v 2.0, 44.2 KB, free for personal use (or $10), 87.8 KB installed. Three utilities that save, compare, or restore vital info, in order to fix a damaged disk or hard drive.

DOWNLOAD GIFTHING

Jan Verhoeven's GIF to/from BMP Converter

Convert GIF and BMP graphic formats with GIFTHING: gifthing.zip , 196 KB, free. Unzip the file, and create a text file (content doesn't matter) named 938am.txt , placing it in the same directory as gifthing.

DOWNLOAD CARVE

ALTERNATE SOURCE

Carve, a tiny file splitter

Carve: free, v 2.0a, carve20a.zip, 24.5 KB. Carve will split any file or program into parts of a specified "chunksize" (1423K for 3.5 disk), and then rejoin the parts when copied to a new directory. Unzip Carve, and put carve.exe in your root directory. Then at the DOS prompt of directory containing ANY.XXX, type carve /s any.xxx 1423K and Enter. Copy the parts to disks and transport them (and Carve) to another computer. At the directory prompt, type carve /j any.xxx and Enter. Delete all superfluous parts.

DOWNLOAD SLICE

Slice (and Splice), a tiny file splitter

Slice: free, v 1.3, slice.zip, 11 KB. Slice will split large files onto multiple floppy disks (up to 99 of them) for transport to another computer. PC Magazine offers this easy-to-use program, which requires DOS 3.0 or higher. Unlike the BACKUP and RESTORE method of splitting, the two computers do not need to have the same version of DOS.

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Win 3.x Programs

DOWNLOAD MuSH

MuSH Music Service Helper database for Churches

MuSH: free, mush102.zip, v 1.02, 3243 KB. This attractive and easy-to-use program by David Andrews lets you enter data and select music by title, subject, or Bible verse. Dates may be entered to log when a song was or will be used, etc. DB export permits sharing music information with others rather than "reinventing the wheel".

DOWNLOAD GRAPHX

GraphX Image Viewer

GraphX Viewer: v 1.51; 864 KB download as gv16_151.exe (self-extracting archive), free, or $29.95 for commercial use. Graphx Viewer works in Win95 also. Requirements: 4 MB RAM, 3 MB hard disk; file size 1.85 MB installed. This is an excellent viewing or conversion program with many features including "thumbnail" images with database storage. If only 256 colors are available to you, GraphX will give a superior display of 16.7 million color JPEG graphics, etc. This program displays, converts to, and saves BMP, GIF, JPEG, PCX, PNG, TGA, TIF, RAS and EPS formats. Group42, Inc., PO Box 787, Milford, OH 45150 (no phone orders).

DOWNLOAD LVIEW PRO

LView Pro Image Editor

LView Pro: free, lviewp1b.zip, 307KB. This high-quality program has excellent editing, retouching, conversion and slideshow capabilities. It displays or saves JPEG, Win BMP/DIB, OS/2 BMP/DIB, GIF 87a/89a, TGA, PCX, PPM, PGM, PBM and TIF formats. It gives a very good 256 color presentation of 16.7 million color JPEG images. This version IS free, as its Help File states: "Individual or home users may utilize shareware copies for leisure purposes. In this case, registration is NOT required." For work related use, registration is $30 for the first computer, $20 thereafter. LView Pro runs in Win95 also.

DOWNLOAD WINBAR

WinBar, a Win95 style taskbar

WinBar: free, v 1.2, pcmwnbar.zip, 176 KB. This very useful, free program will add a taskbar to the bottom of the Win3x screen. WinBar can display groups and launch programs from a pop-up menu or keep track of running programs. A date/day/time and/or system free memory display is included.

DOWNLOAD BIBLE PLUS

Bible Plus for Windows

Bible Plus for Windows: free, v 1.0, biblepls.exe self-extracting file, 2.8 MB. This KJV of the Bible displays verses or chapters. A powerful search feature is included and an Essay editor enables you to make notes or write sermons (with verses inserted) which can be transferred to a word processor, etc. by copying and pasting. Contact Plus Corporation provides this free, public domain program. It can also be used with Win95.

DOWNLOAD N.T. GREEK

A Brief Intro. to New Testament Greek

Bible Knowledge Accelerator #38: version 5.7.96, bkngrk.zip, 286 KB, free (with a $5.00 donation requested). Topics included: alphabet, pronunciation, breathing marks, accent, and punctuation. This program was written for Win95 but it will run in Win3.1 with lower quality graphics. An alternate source: http://www.hotfiles.com ; type GREEK#38 in the Search box.

DOWNLOAD HEBREW

The Hebrew Language

Bible Knowledge Accelerator #37: version 5.7.96, bkahbr.zip, 255 KB, free (a $5.00 donation is requested). Topics included: alphabet, writing the alphabet, Begad Kefat consonants, final consonants, vowel signs, consonants as numbers, examples, Biblical names, history, related languages. This program was written for Win95 but it will work in Win 3.1 with lower quality graphics. An alternate source: http://www.hotfiles.com ; type HEBREW#37 in the Search box.

DOWNLOAD FULL BRUSH

ALTERNATE SOURCE

Full Brush Paint Program

Full Brush: free, version 1.1, fbrush11.zip, 644 KB. This unusual paint program uses full color brushes; initially, it appears to produce novel but garish results but it can also produce bland backgrounds for text, etc. It works with a minimum of a 386 with 4 MB RAM; Full Brush will run in Win95.

DOWNLOAD NAVIGATOR

Netscape Navigator Web Browser

Netscape Navigator: free, v 3.04, n16e304p.exe, 5.7 MB. As of this writing various Netscape products are free for schools and churches, if without technical support.

DOWNLOAD PAGE AFTER PAGE

Page After Page Word Processor

Page After Page: v 2.3, page23.exe, 1.2 MB, $14.95, for Win3.1 and Win95. The required file vbrun300.dll available, free, from PAP if you don't have it already. This fine program has TrueType fonts, color, graphics, mail merge, large dictionary, etc.

DOWNLOAD SNAPGRAPHICS

Snap Graphics Chart And Diagram Maker

Snap Graphics: free, snapgrfx.zip, 1.2MB. Make impressive charts, diagrams and presentations! The program offers excellent Quick Tour and Samples demos. Snap Graphics is 16-bit, but runs in Win95 also.

DOWNLOAD SPANDISK

SpanDisk File Splitter

SpanDisk: free, spands13.exe, v 1.3, 72KB. This fine program splits files and writes them to floppy disks; it accepts long filenames and works with Win3, Win95, Win 98 and NT. It requires the file vbrun300.dll, available free. Transport the split file and SpanDisk to another computer, then reassemble the file easily.

CLICK HERE and type mastersplitter in the Search box.

MasterSplitter for Windows 3.1

MasterSplitter for Windows 3.1: v 2.1, mspl16.zip, 296 KB, $10. MS is a very nice, easy-to-use, fast program. It splits files into sections which are small enough for e-mail or floppy disk use. It can create a reassembly file usable by others who lack MS.

DOWNLOAD ICONEDIT PRO

Icon Edit Pro 16-bit Browser and Editor

Icon Edit Pro (16-bit): $11, v 1.0, iconed.zip, 84KB. See the comparable Win95 listing for details.

DOWNLOAD DISK DUPLICATOR

NBL Disk Duplicator Classic

NBL DiskDuplicator Classic: free for personal use, v 1.2, classfree.zip, 106 KB. This clever program reads only once to make multiple copies. It reads to the hard drive and offers several other archiving advantages.

DOWNLOAD ACROBAT

Adobe Acrobat Reader for Win3.1

Acrobat Reader: free, v 3.01, ar16e301.exe, 3.9 MB. Use AR to view PDF format documents. Register at time of download. A version with a search feature is also available. Minimum requirements: 386, 8 MB RAM, 5 MB hard disk.

DOWNLOAD CDPLAYER

CDPlayer for Win3x

CDPlayer: free, v 1.0, cdplay.zip, less than 17 KB. Normally requires Win3.1, can be used with Win3.0 with added files. Available from PC Magazine.

DOWNLOAD ALLWRITE

AllWrite HTML Editor

AllWrite: free, v 1.0, html16.zip, 1.27 MB (1.24 MB installed). This WYSIWYG editor has many features (not including frames). It can be used with MS Exchange for HTML e-mail.

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Win95 Programs

The previously listed programs function in Win95 (use "DOS7" for Arachne). Sometimes an improved 32-bit version is available in the list which follows. PClock and WinBar are superfluous; use SpanDisk rather than Carve or Slice.

DOWNLOAD SCRIBE E-MAILER

i.Scribe E-mail Program

i.Scribe: free, v 1.34, scribe-win32.zip, 317 KB. This full-featured program uses only 405 KB when "installed." Once unzipped, there is no installation. For setup, double-click on scribe.exe and File, Options to enter your ISP information. That's it! Use Win9x Dial Up Networking to connect to your ISP, double-click scribe.exe, and you can e-mail without a browser, and even do so from a floppy disk. Note: Scribe cannot function with proprietary systems like AOL.

DOWNLOAD DAY'S EASE CALENDAR

Day's Ease Calendar Maker

Day's Ease calendar maker: free, v 1.1, daysease.zip, 357 KB. This useful program from PC Magazine has a very full set of features on four tabs. It's great for newsletters.

DOWNLOAD WINAMP MP3 PLAYER

WinAmp Audio Player

WinAmp MP3 Audio Player: free, v 2.64, winamp.exe, 2 MB for full version. This pace-setter replaces Windows Mediaplayer because it not only handles CD-ROMs but in addition offers a playlist, graphic equalizer, and other features. It handles MP3, MIDI, and other formats (but not Windows .rmi sample sounds-- try renaming to .mid). High-quality MP3s (legal and otherwise) abound on the Web; begin searching at http://www.mp3.com .

CLARISYS INC. HOMEPAGE

3S Accounting from Clarisys Inc.

3S Accounting: free registration and 30 day telephone support, 3sinst.exe or 3s16a.zip, 8019 or 8009 KB. This superb package offers a Windows-like desktop with menu bar, tool bar, shortcut icons, etc. It handles check writing, bank reconciliation, export of reports to MS Office 97 or WordPerfect Suite 7/8, and so on.

DOWNLOAD CWORDPAD

CWordPad Text Processor

CWordPad: free, cwordpad.zip, v 3.0, 1626 KB. This improvement upon MS WordPad offers spell check, dictionary, thesaurus, and a better Help file. For some people, this might well be the only "word processor" you need! CWordPad is no longer being formally distributed-- get it now.

DOWNLOAD ABIWORD

AbiWord Word Processor

AbiWord: free, v 0.7.8 setup.exe, 1.18 MB (2.1 MB installed). This useful word processor offers many features. It opens ABW, ZABW, TXT, RTF, UTF8 and DOC files; it saves as TXT, ABW, ZABW, RTF, UTF8 and HTML. AbiWord is user friendly and free, and this "preview" WP is still improving!

DOWNLOAD POWERZIP

POWERZIP HOME PAGE

Power Zip Archiving and Unarchiving Tool

Power Zip: free??, v 5.01, powerzip.exe (self-extracting), 1.9 MB. This program can view the contents of an archive before it is expanded or installed. It zips and unzips, creates self-extracting EXE files, accepts long filenames, and handles additional archive types also. Free for home use and for educational or non-profit organizations.

MEGALUX'S UP HOME PAGE

Ultimate Paint Graphics Creator and Editor

Megalux Ultimate Paint: free v 1.91f, up.zip, 1916 KB. This excellent program handles JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, PCX, TGA, WMF/EMF, IFF/LBM, and is twain compatible (AVI and ICO read only). UP uses 24-bit true color internally; it runs in true color or 16-bit high color (not 16 or 256 colors). There are numerous features and tools. The shareware $39.95 version 2.2 (up22.zip) will accept Adobe plug-ins, has 49 additional filters, and much more.

DOWNLOAD ICON MAKER

Icon Maker

Icon Maker: free, v 1.0, imak05.zip, 939 KB. This program by Robert Smyth creates or edits 16x16, 32x32, and 48x48 icons in 256 colors, with curved lines, anti aliasing, and more. Many sample icons are included.

DOWNLOAD ICONEDIT

IconEdit Icon Editor

IconEdit: free, v 1.0, iconed.zip or pcmicone.zip, 149 KB (by Michael Mefford, of PC Magazine). Creates and edits 32x32, 16 color icons; it's easy and fun to use. It gets icons in ICO, EXE, and DLL files (saves only as ICO). An alternate source is available at http:www.hotfiles.com ; type ICONEDIT in the Search box (two versions of IconEdit Pro are also listed; see below).

DOWNLOAD ICONEDIT32

Icon Edit32 for Win95

IconEdit32: free, v 1.0, iedit32.zip, 537 KB. This updated version of IconEdit (Mar. 21, 2000 PC Mag.) is by Neil Rubenking. It creates and edits 16x16, 32x32, and 48x48 icons in 2, 16, or 256 colors.

DOWNLOAD ICONEDIT PRO

Icon Edit Pro for Win95

IconEdit Pro: two versions-- full install $20, v 6.0, about 3.3 MB. This superb editor by Hagen Wieshofer has features too numerous to mention. It browses and edits, stores in a file which saves hard drive space, offers 3D, saves as ICO or BMP, and handles 256 colors. Supporting files are available from http://pcwww.uibk.ac.at/subz/c40551/iconedi2.ssi

DOWNLOAD ICONXTRACTER

IconXtracter

IconXtracter: free, v 1.0, xtract1.exe, 941 KB. IconXtracter will find all icons in a selected file, display them, and save them in ICO or BMP format.

DOWNLOAD IMAGOWEB

ALTERNATE SOURCE

Imagoweb Graphics Viewer

Imagoweb: free, iwsetup.exe, 702 KB. The program views BMP, GIF, JPG, PNG, WMF, ICO, TIF, and PCX formats and converts them to JPG, GIF, PCX, BMP, PNG or TIF. It includes special effects, slide show option, set as wallpaper, and a Twain interface for scanning.

DOWNLOAD IRFANVIEW

IrfanView Graphic Viewer

IrfanView32: free for personal use, $10 requested, v 3.12, iview312.zip, 426 KB. This outstanding, full-featured program displays and converts a wide variety of formats: AIF, ANI, AVI, BMP, CAM, CLP, CPT, CUR, DCX, DIB, EMF, EPS, G3, GIF, ICO, IFF, LBM, JPG/JPEG, LWF, MID, MOV, MPG/MPEG, PCX, PGM, Photo-CD, PNG, PPM, PSD, RAS/Sun, RLE, RMI, TGA, TIFF, WAV, and WMF formats. The formerly available 66 KB tutorial by S. E. Clark was in HTML format (use a Windows-- not DOS-- unzipper to unzip the tutorial; view by opening index.html in your browser.)

DOWNLOAD INFO-ZIP ARCHIVE

Info-Zip Archive of Archiving Tools

Info-Zip Archive: free, v 1.2, infozip.exe, 263 KB. These programs are 32-bit and handle long filenames: gzip.exe, unzip.exe, zip.exe, funzip.exe, unzipsfx.exe .

DOWNLOAD EXACTTIME

ExactTime Non-Internet Clock Synchronizer

ExactTime: free, v 1.0, 81.2KB, exactt.zip . This easy-to-use program makes a brief toll call to connect to the US Naval Observatory or the National Institute of Standards and Technology. It resets your system clock's date and time automatically.

DOWNLOAD ACROBAT

Adobe Acrobat Reader For Win95

Adobe Acrobat Reader: v 3.51, free, use to view online PDF format documents. Register at time of download. Minimum requirements: 386, 8 MB RAM (16 preferred), 10 MB hard disk space.

DOWNLOAD SPLITIT95

SplitIt95 File Splitter

SplitIt95: free, v 1.0, spltit.zip, 273 KB. This fine, easy-to-use program will split even huge files into segments appropriate for saving to floppy disks, etc. There are several other useful options.

DOWNLOAD CAPTION-IT!

Caption-It! Password Recovery Tool

Caption-It!: free, caption_it.zip, v 1.0, 160 KB. This program reveals the password hidden by asterisks in a text box, label or window. Run Caption-It! and place the mouse cursor over an asterisk; the password is displayed in Caption-It!'s window, even if it is encrypted.

DOWNLOAD TREESIZE

TreeSize Tool For Finding Directory Size.

TreeSize: free, treesize.zip, v 1.51, 264 KB. This useful tool scans five levels of directories ("folders") and displays lots of information concerning program size versus allocation units size.

DOWNLOAD NAVIGATOR

Netscape Navigator Web Browser

Netscape Navigator: free, v 3.04, n32e304p.exe, 5.7 MB. As of this writing various Netscape products are free for schools and churches, if without technical support.

DOWNLOAD BOOKLIBRARIAN

ALTERNATE SOURCE

Jan Verhoeven's Book Librarian

Book Librarian Program: booklib2.zip, v 2.0 (30 Oct '98), 208 KB, free. Jan's 32-bit program inventories, searches, and records borrowers using a simple comma separated file. The password is 1119am . As of 30 Dec. '98, booklib2.zip is available in a collection of 8 database programs, libsuite.zip , 524 KB, password 201pm .

DOWNLOAD PUTVEN

ALTERNATE SOURCE

Jan Verhoeven's PUTVEN Database Program

Putven: free, v 4, putven.zip, 213 KB, password 835am. This small but useful DB program creates CSV (Comma Separated Variable) files and displays them in table form. Other DB programs and the mail merge feature of some word processors can import and export the CSV format. At Christ UMC our Church Management program's membership list is placed on a floppy disk with Putven and given to members. Putven can create other tables of whatever information you choose.

DOWNLOAD WIN95 Y2K UPDATE

Microsoft Upgrade of File Manager, command.com, etc.

Win95 Year 2000 Update: w95y2k.exe, 2.17 MB, Feb 17 '99, free. In Windows Explorer or File Manager, double-click the file to install updated versions of files related to 11 date/time issues, then create a new bootable "Emergency Rescue Disk."

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Linux Programs


The Linux Operating System

The Linux OS and related programs represent the ultimate in "free" and low-cost software. It is generally "free" and it is "freely available" as source code usable by any competent programmer. The concept of Free or Open Source Software involves the voluntary cooperation of individuals and groups who contribute to the development of projects offered under a General Public License.

Linux and other software such as the Apache web server program are outstanding achievements which refute the idea that free is cheap and cheap is shoddy. As one manual states it, "The majority of software which serves to make the Internet work (at all levels) is Free Software" (Linux-Mandrake 6.1 User Guide, p. xii).

Linux "Distributions"

All of the numerous components of the OS can be downloaded from the Internet, but it is helpful to have a "distribution" which assembles a package of selected options on a CD-ROM. I have recently seen CD-ROMs for 99 cents, but bundles which include a variety of installation aids, printed manuals, tech support, etc. vary in cost from $19.95 to $69.95 at stores such as Staples, Office Max, and Office Depot.

Selecting a Distribution


Distributions listed by the essential Linux Web Site.


Choose carefully: some packages have been "optimized" for higher-performance CPUs only. Otherwise, Linux is compatible with the 386 SX /DX /SL /DXL /SLC; 486 SX /DX /SL /SX2 /DX2 /DX4; AMD K5, K6, K6-2, K6-3 and K7/Athlon; Cyrix 6x86, 6x86MX; Intel Pentium, Pentium Pro and Pentium III. You might well decide to forego "optimization."

Notes:

It is usually possible to dual boot with DOS/Win. You may install when NO operating system is present-- this is helpful if someone gave you a computer with a HDD wiped clean! Linux, itself, is unsurpassed for stability-- if your installation is not stable, don't live with it, get another distribution. If you are reading this, vow to never by a modem labeled as a "winmodem." If you have a fast CPU, you will probably have lots of RAM; for lesser CPUs, this reviewer suggests you buy more RAM first, then a less expensive distribution, if necessary.

Note also that some proprietary installation aids may only permit you to install on one computer. Aside from this, you may install the same Linux package on every computer in the church, or throughout the entire denomination for that matter. You may "burn" more CD-ROMs for that purpose also (using a free program) if you include the mandatory items required by the GPL.

Some Suggested Links:

A Buyer Guide and Product Comparisons Linuxcare.com
The K Desktop Environment Home Page KDE.org
The Maxwell Word Processor Home Page Eeyore-Mule
AbiWord W. P. (it keeps getting better!) AbiSource.com
WordPerfect 8 (see Academic Edition, below)Corel
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Miscellaneous Tips and Required Reading

"Street" Sources of Software:
One way of finding the sources with lower prices is to check the Computer ESP listing at http://www.uvision.com/

Academic Editions:
Some corporations offer low-cost and fully functional versions to schools, etc. Virtually all of
Corel's products (WordPerfect Suite 8, etc.) are available to churches and their staff members
at very low cost. United Methodists should telephone Cokesbury for current information.

Manufacturer's Addresses:
An extensive, alphabetical list of corporations and manufacturers is currently available at http://www.bestbargains.com/cidx/A.html

Things Change:
URLs may change and newer versions appear frequently. If you cannot find a program
listed in this guide, use a Search Engine-- at least you know the file's name! Try FTP Search
at http://ftpsearch.ntnu.no/ftpsearch ; if all sources and SIMTEL "mirror sites" have dropped
some useful program, get a copy from a friend.

Statement Of Purpose:
This guide is made available by Christ United Methodist Church of Newark, OH
in the hope it will be useful to churches with limited budgets or those who have
been given older computers they wish to use in their office. Parishoners may be
able to help solve the "chicken or egg" dilemma: how do you download a free
browser, etc. without purchasing a browser to do so?

Be Fair To Software Authors:
If you provide a program to a friend, include ALL of the program author's files
to ensure the essential copyright and registration information is available.

Disclaimers And Copyrights:
The mention of a program, commercial product, or company in this guide is not
intended to suggest an endorsement by The United Methodist Church. Users
are responsible for carefully reading program files to learn of any restrictions or
fees imposed by the program author for the type of usage they intend to make.
Windows, MS-DOS, Netscape, Acrobat, etc. are registered trademarks.

Thank You:
The space for Christ UMC's Web site has been provided by the courtesy of The
United Methodist Church's General Board of Global Ministries.

Christ UMC's Home Page

Updated March 6, 2001. Direct any comments to Christ UMC's WebServant

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