Review of: |
In 1991 I entered the "Online Age." I was running a 286-12 with a 2400
baud modem and a huge 40 Mg hard drive. I used a shareware version of Procomm
to shake hands with the Alamo-PC BBS and other local BBSs. I was very pleased
to have the opportunity to see the newest version of Procomm Plus 32 put
through its paces. An old favorite had improved significantly in order
to keep up with the changes.
INSTALLATION:Procomm Plus 32 loaded from the CD to my partitioned hard drive on my 486 without any major problem. I tried to load it onto the "F" drive, but the program demanded a chunk of my very full "C" drive. After taking out the trash on the C drive, the installation proceeded without a hitch. The majority of the program was indeed on my F drive.When I tried installing the software on my Pentium 200 at work, it did not want to load all its web browser features unless I had Microsoft's Internet Explorer v.3.2 or better on my hard drive. Internet Explorer v.3.2 is included on the Procomm Plus 32 CD. I loaded Internet Explorer v.4 from another CD and then proceeded with the installation. Aside from these minor inconveniences, installation was easy. You do not have to load all of the features. The minimum install option requires that you have the Procomm Plus 32 CD in the CD ROM drive in order to use the program. This would allow the user with a crowded hard drive to conserve some space. The program ran noticeably slower on my 486 when installed using the minimum install option. It was uncomfortably slow! It ran only a little slower under minimum install on the Pentium 200. A novice could load the communications and fax features, and load the other features at a later time if desired. This ease of loading and options offered deserve three of four jalapenos. Configuring the software did not take long. A novice PC user could be intimidated by all of the options and questions. Help for the user was available from a host of sources. I found the people on the tech support phone line to be helpful. It did take 7 minutes on hold before I received the help I needed. I pretended to be a novice. The tech support person explained things very well to me. The soft-bound manual that came with the software was also clearly written and helpful. There is also a help feature built into the software. These features did help shorten the learning curve for the software. It did not take me as long to learn how to use the main features of Procomm Plus 32 as it took for me to learn Delrina's (now Symantec's) Communications Suite. This shorter learning curve earns four jalapenos. Tech support and the manual earn three jalapenos. FEATURES: (Communications, Faxes, Remote Access, Internet Access) Procomm got its start as software that made BBS connections easy. Procomm Plus 32 allows 36 of the world's most common terminal emulations. The user can customize these features to match the host system or application. Eleven different file transfer protocols are supported. I tried these features with several public, private, and government BBSs. I then used the software to access my sister's computer to upload and download several different types of files in different formats. One of the terminal emulation features that is handy is the ASPECT scripting language. ASPECT enables the user to automate fax operations such as forwarding faxes to another location or locations, transfer files in the background while you perform other tasks, developing a new user interface with the Procomm Plus 32 engine, and create fully automated operations. I admit that I only played with ASPECT. It is a powerful tool for the person who is willing to learn how to use it. The learning curve with ASPECT is longer than the novice might expect. Quarterdeck has made ASPECT easier to use than it once was. Procomm Plus 32 has a web browser feature that plugs into Microsoft's Internet Explorer. It adds more features to Explorer. Procomm Plus 32's browser enhancement features mad the acquisition of email easy. These "enhancements" are handy, but are not Procomm Plus 32's strongest features in my opinion. I admit to being a loyal Netscape user. It is hard to get me to switch. The faxing features of Procomm Plus 32 were very useful. I tried sending and receiving simple faxes. The Fax Manager allowed me to take documents created with Word Perfect, change them, add my signature that had been scanned, schedule their transmission for a later time, and many other useful features. The learning curve on this feature is reasonable. The fax capabilities will meet the needs of most people in the business world. You could use this feature to allow other users to access your PC to obtain faxes that you had already prepared. I give the fax features 3 jalapenos. The final stroke was the performance of a remote control session
using the RapidRemote feature. "Wizards" made the setting up and use of
RapidRemote easy. The RapidRemote feature would be used, for example, by
a businessman who needs to upload and download files between his/her laptop
computer and a PC in the office. You can easily drag and drop whatever
you need to send or receive, while maintaining security. RapidRemote allows
you to password protect this easy access to the PC. The entire process
was made easier than you might expect. Everything worked great. RapidRemote
earns 3.5 jalapenos.
SUMMARY:The terminal emulation features and fax features are first class. They are relatively easy to use. The learning curve for these features is not long. "Wizards" show up at convenient times to help you configure, make use of, or change applications. I definitely favor Procomm Plus 32's terminal emulation over anything else I have seen. I have ben using the Symantec Communications Suite. I find the Procomm Plus 32 communications "suite" easier to use than the competition. It is easy to use and does not fail. On a scale of one to four, I give Procomm Plus 32 a score of 3.5 jalapenos. Enjoy! Quarterdeck Corporation, 13160 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey, CA,
90292-9705, USA
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