TAKING UP THE POINT OF DIFFICULTY IN REGISTERING PROGRAMS RAISED LAST ISSUE IS EDD AND BRIAN WHO GIVE US AN INSIGHT INTO HOW THEY HANDLE THINGS AND ALSO SOME HANDY ADDRESSES WHERE YOUR MONEY IS SURE TO FIND IT`S INTENDED TARGET. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF SHAREWARE USE AND ANY MORE INFO ON THIS SAME SUBJECT WOULD BE VERY WELCOME. THE ADRESSES GIVEN HERE SHALL REMAIN IN FUTURE ISSUES IN ORDER TO CREATE A LIST OF UP TO DATE ADDRESSES FOR REGISTERING SOFTWARE,IF YOU FIND OUT THAT ANY OF THESE ARE THEMSELVES UPDATED PLEASE CONTACT ME. PROGRAM REGISTERING *************************** At one time I was like everyone else who had a working demo of a program, I said to myself "Why should I send any money to the person who wrote the program". I can use the program okay and the bits that don't work I don't need, so it went on until I got a program (Address v1.6) that I was using all the time, but had a limited amount of records that I could input. The registration blurb said that registered owners could input records only limited by the computers memory. I thought about it for a bit and finally admitted that it would be a good idea if I did register it, after all it was only a measly œ5. The first thing I did was write the author a letter to confirm that he was still at the same address (very important to check before sending any money), the author sent me a letter confirming his address. Now there was nothing stopping me sending my œ5, except I still had this fear that I could still be ripped off (remember this was my first registration). Still feeling that I would never see anything for my money, I constructed a registration form with 1st Word (which I use for all my registrations) and with my œ5, posted it. Less than a week later I received a master disc of the program (which I immediately installed) plus 2 manuals, which where of almost professional quality. The author also sent me a personal number which I could use when I rang the help line (yes, you even get a help line). All in all it had a professional look to it and the program is excellent, which I use to this day to store all my address's. With that one letter all the lame excuses for not registering disappeared, so far I have registered a further 4 programs. I have to admit although they are PD, they still look commercial quality, imagine what you would have to pay if you had to register it on a commercial level. I highly recommend that you register any program that you use on a regular basis and support the authors. The following are a few things that you should do before registering any program: 1. Always check that the person that you are registrating with is still at the same address and hasn't moved. 2. Try and register the newest version that you can, you may not be able to register older versions. 3. Try and make sure the registration address is in the UK (see notes below). 4. If it's some other form of registration such as POSTCARDWARE, then drop the author a postcard (you'll be amazed what can happen). 5. If you don't register programs, then authors may stop producing program and cease to support the Atari. I wrote earlier that you'd be amazed what can happen if you send an author a post card or some other form of registration (most authors like to know where the programs have gone and who is using them). Well, I sent a postcard to Bob Kell (the author of this disc mag actually) and now I'm typing articles for his disc mag, which a few weeks ago I never dreamed I'd be doing. Sending registrations abroad is a bit tricky, because once you send your money abroad you may never see it again, although that can happen in the UK as well. In the UK you have more chance of doing something about it than out of the country, personally I will only register a program if the author's address is in the UK. But remember you don't have to register every single program you have, only those ones that you like and use the most. REGISTRATION ADDRESS'S My small list of address's I've regristrated software with: RUFTRADE Charles Edwards 3, Hunters Way Croydon CR0 5JJ GLASS BUTTOCK OF THARG/GRANDAD AND THE QUEST FOR THE HOLEY VEST/GRANDAD AND THE SEARCH FOR HIS SANDWICHES Ian Scott REPLACES 9,St Lawrence Close 99,Mill Lane Beccles Bradwell Suffolk Gt Yarmouth England NR34 9EW SUPERCARD V3.13a B.Ware Software 19, Southfield Road Hinckley Leics LE10 1UA I have also registrated a program called SCOUT v2, but the author no longer has an Atari so I'll be writing to him for permission to deal with the registration's on his behalf, I'll include it in the registration address software list if the author agrees. ************************************************************************** Dear Bob, During the first year that I had my St I sent off for a lot of PD disk's and tried to register several of them.I decided it was best to check out the address given before sending any money.I had no response at all.That was that until this year when on a cover disk was a program that I really wanted,it was ST Diary.Because it was on a cover disk I thought there might be a better chance of the address being ok.This proved to be the case and I posted off my œ9.00 registration fee to the nice man who programed the disk.In return I recieved a registered copy of the program with my name in it and more features in the program.A printed 35 page manual is also the reward for registering so allthough it seemed a bit expensive it turned out to be good value.I use the diary every day and the note pad and address data base make it a really good(High Res only) program. ST DIARY....SIMON WILKINSON WILKINSON ENTERPRISES(UK) 2,HIGH BUCKSTONE, EDINBURGH. EH10 6XS. B.G.S.