From: sip1@ellis.uchicago.edu (Timothy F. Sipples)
Subject: Reviews: GammaTech, Sytos Plus, PMFax, HA5
Reply-To: sip1@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: Dept. of Econ., Univ. of Chicago
Date: Sat, 10 Oct 1992 03:24:48 GMT

I thought I might sum up my impressions of some new software that has
just crossed my desk.

GAMMATECH

The new, 32-bit version of the GammaTech utilities has been released.
For more information on this product, contact GammaTech at
405-359-1219 or FAX 405-359-7391.

The GammaTech Utilities 2.0 come on a single, 3.5 inch diskette.
Installation was painless (go to a command line window and type
A:INSTALL -- the install program is PM).  Install will ask whether you
wish CONFIG.SYS changed or not (to add some path information).
Install then places a GammaTech folder on your desktop (which I moved
to another folder).

Inside the folder there are several little "applets."  One is
particularly intriguing, the Sentry.  This little gem can run in the
background and automatically monitor any set of files you care to
select and/or the boot sectors.  If an attempt is made to modify any
of these, Sentry will alert you.  Handy for viruses.

In general the utilities have become more graphical.  There's a nice
System Info utility which lists all sorts of characteristics about the
system.  HPFS Optimize is still there.  Analyze now combines disk test
and disk info functions.  There's UnDelete, of course, and Find.
Also, there are command line utilities which, for example, let you
delete an entire subdirectory tree, create a new tree, recover files,
reboot the system, and so forth.

They've done a very nice job.  The Norton and PC-Tools people should
take note.  The multithreading is particularly well done -- while HPFS
Optimize is running, for example, all the controls can still be
manipulated (like adjusting priority, requesting help, etc).  You
never see the clock pointer.

SYTOS PLUS

Sytos 1.35 for OS/2 now supports OS/2 2.0 along with a large number of
tape backup devices, diskette, and hard disks.  It is a slick package,
completely PM, and also makes excellent use of multithreading.  I've
heard complaints about Sytos hogging the CPU, but it didn't seem to be
that bad on my particular installation (with a Compaq 150/250 tape
drive).

When Sytos installs, it lists all the drivers in your CONFIG.SYS (with
comments), and unREMs only the one of interest to you.  Around this
block of REM'med DEVICE lines were further comments, so you could
clearly identify the section as "belonging" to Sytos.  Nice touch.
(PMFax does the same thing -- programmers should take note.  OS/2's
CONFIG.SYS supports REM, so explain changes you make to it by creating
your own "blocks" when your application installs.)

Sytos lets you create and delete backup "strategies."  These
strategies let you, for example, do a full backup and compare; do an
incremental backup; do a backup of just certain directories; etc.
Several canned strategies come with Sytos -- a folder is created for
you.  A minor complaint is that, while you can double click directly
on the strategy you want to use, if your tape drive is not ready, with
a tape already loaded, nothing will happen.  You won't get a warning
message of any sort -- Sytos will just abort.  (This doesn't happen
when you start Sytos itself directly.)

Sytos supports both QFA (Quick File Access) and compression (for most
devices).  Customization options are numerous but easy to manage.
Sytos will backup _everything_ on your OS/2 2.0 system (including
desktop and those notorious INI files) -- no file appeared to be
"locked" when I performed a backup, at least with just Sytos running.
On the off chance there's a locked file Sytos can't seem to backup,
you can customize how the program responds (keep trying forever, try
x times, try once, don't try).

The telephone number for Sytron, makers of Sytos Plus, is listed in
the FAQ List.  Sytos is a bit steep at $295 retail, but it was a $70
upgrade from my DOS version, and it is quite a nice piece of work.
However, if you are looking for non-PM, less expensive backup
software, try Sterling Software's Intelligent Backup (at $149 retail).

PMFAX (a.k.a. FAXIT or BitFAX for OS/2)

I do not have much to add to the glowing reviews this package has
received.  Suffice it to say that it is one heck of a nice piece of
work.  It multitasks beautifully, and the multithreading has again
been used well.  It supports Class 1, Class 2, SendFAX, Brooktree,
Intel SatisFAXtion, and a few other faxmodems.  It is available for
$99 by using the coupon in the OS/2 Solutions Coupon Book (which, if
you mailed in your registration card, you should have received in the
mail, at least in the U.S.)

PMFax includes both a main program and a printer driver.  The latter
is designed so that you can fax from any DOS, Windows, or OS/2
application directly simply by printing (in the case of DOS/Windows,
using an IBM Proprinter driver) to a standard printer port (default
LPT3, but LPT3 through LPT9 are available).  The printer driver will
beep once as the desktop comes up (to remind you, I guess, that it is
active).

FAXes can be scheduled for any time.  Full logging is available.  The
main program allows you to paste up a FAX for transmission much like
Pagemaker.  (You can also modify a received FAX for retransmission.)
Clipboard cut/paste is provided, as are text annotations (using ATM
typefaces) and file import (TIFF and PCX).  Group and individual
FAXing is available using phone books.  Cover sheets are fully
customizable (one can use a custom logo, for example).  The package
works very well on both dedicated and nondedicated lines.

I am reporting on Version 1.16.  I really like this program, and I
strongly recommend it.  Two thumbs up.

HYPERACCESS/5 3.0

Hilgraeve has updated HyperAccess/5, adding mouse support, virus
scanning within ZIP files, optional automatic ZIP file extraction on
download, and several other interesting features.  There's still no
long filename support under HPFS, nor is the program 32-bit.
Both are expected in the PM version, slated for delivery by year end.
Otherwise there's really not a feature this package is missing.  I
particularly like the learn mode available for creating scripts very
quickly.  The Zmodem now supports crash recovery.  There's even a
spell checker for the built-in editor!

I haven't spent much time with this upgrade, but it installed with a
minimum of fuss without disrupting existing settings in an existing
HyperAccess/5 2.1 installation.  The menus are generally a bit
friendlier.  The code is perhaps a bit speedier.  I think the strange
keyboard problems (where toggling NumLock would cure the problem) have
disappeared.  It still has a minor cursor positioning problem in
emacs, however.  (Deleting a character in the middle of a line will
result in the cursor popping to the end of the line.  However, the
true insertion point hasn't moved, and the cursor pops back into place
as soon as you start typing.  Occurs with VT-220 emulation, at least.)

A nice package that has gotten better.  About $115 from PC Connection;
$30 upgrade from previous versions.

STILL ON MY DESK...

Quercus is getting ready to release a new version of Personal REXX for
OS/2.  I'm about to take a look at a beta version.

-- 
Timothy F. Sipples      | The OS/2 FREQ. ASKED QUESTIONS LIST is avail. from
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of Chicago, 60637       | Family Values Means a Job