 This
program from Symantec
in Cupertino, California combines several access tools to let you conveniently
search, monitor and download from Web and FTP sites. The user's guide claims
the program "finds what you're really looking for fast!" It does, in fact,
do that and a lot more!
Internet FastFind will run on any Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0
system and takes up less than 8 MB of disk space. The minimum requirements
include a 486/33 PC with 8 MB of memory.
The install is automatic once the CD is inserted and the program
can be uninstalled through the Windows 95 Control Panel - Add/Remove Program.
When launched the console displays buttons for eight separate tools: WebFind,
NetFileFind, EasyFTP, PatchConnect, Notify, WebLaunch, EasyZip and LiveUpdate.
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WebFind - initiates a two minute (or
longer, if you choose) search by sending simultaneous requests to the top
search engines (Alta Vista, Excite, Infoseek, Magellan, Lycos, WebCrawler,
Yahoo, etc.) based on your descriptive words. It then eliminates duplicates,
assigns a score to each find based on the match criteria, prioritizes according
to score and creates a HTML document and, after launching your browser,
it displays the results. Documents for the last ten searches are maintained
for easy retrieval.
-
NetFileFind - searches when you know
only the file or folder name (or part of the name) but not its location.
It also facilitates your search by supporting wildcards (* or ?) if you
are looking for specific types of files.
-
EasyFTP- integrates with the Explorer
to access a favorite entertainment, hardware or software vendor FTP site.
After installation, the icon for this tool is found on the desktop. The
help menu explains how to add EasyFTP sites and folders.
-
PatchConnect - inventories your system's
software and hardware components and will connect to the appropriate vendor's
Web or FTP site. You may then locate and download the software patch or
driver that you need. This is comparable to the "Oil Change" program.
-
Notify - Upon request or at scheduled
intervals, monitors selected FTP sites, Web pages, files or folders for
changes. When changes are detected, the icon located in the Windows taskbar
flashes, and can automatically retrieve the changed items, depositing them
into a specified folder.
-
WebLaunch - creates a menu based on
bookmarks and favorites you have identified in your browser. When activated,
the WebLaunch icon located in the Windows taskbar launches the browser
and opens Web pages directly from the desktop.
-
EasyZip - as part of the Explorer menu,
lets you extract files from or compress files into a ZIP file and also
supports expansion of files in ARC, LZH and LHA formats. LiveUpdate - a
Symantec specific tool that lets you update Internet FastFind and other
Symantec products when new versions are made available.
The documentation provided is easily read and followed, as is the help
menu. Being a relative novice on the Internet, I found the entire program
extremely productive and very easy to use. I certainly spend much less
time now getting what I want from the Internet! The software sold for $44.93
at the former Egghead store using the Cue card and is worth every penny!
Unlimited technical support is available 24 hours daily online
(http://www.symantec.com/iff)
and to download technical notes and patches you can FTP directly with the
program. (ftp.symantec.com)
Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Pat was transplanted to Texas
in 1968 thanks to the Air Force from which she retired in 1976. She is
a real estate broker and owner of Pat Farrell, REALTORS and teaches Real
Estate Professional Standards to boards and associations around the state.
She also teaches Meeting Management and Parlimentary Procedures to various
groups. |
