This is the sixth volume of the compact disc archives of the Internet site at sumex-aim.stanford.edu, also known as Info-Mac. The Info-Mac archive is the definitive site for Macintosh shareware and freeware. Thousands of programs are uploaded to this site per year, featuring some of the best programs available anywhere for the Mac. The Info-Mac archive is mirrored by ftp sites all over the world, including our own ftp server (ftp://ftp.pht.com/).
This Info-Mac series is an attempt to archive and catalog the programs that have been uploaded, but more importantly, make the archive available to those who do not have access to the Internet or don’t have several gigabytes of hard drive space to download it all! Having this collection on CD allows you to search though the archive at your leisure without worrying about on-line costs and lets you test all the software yourself immediately.
A new addition to this disc is the Tool Chest. There are a certain few shareware or freeware programs that every Mac user should have. [You know, the ones that line the bottom of your desktop right now.] However, these would only appear on these discs if they have been updated in the time period covered. Even if they do appear, people may not have heard of all of these programs. That’s where the Tool Chest comes in. On every disc we will collect the best 15 or 20 programs that are indispensable to any Mac user and put them all in one folder. If you feel that your favorite utility or program was left out, please let us know. If enough people feel the same way, we'll make sure it gets into the next edition of the Tool Chest.
You may have noticed that Info-Mac V was a two-disc edition while this disc is just one. Some people found it annoying to have to switch discs constantly to browse the collection. We have decided to keep Info-Mac a one disc collection and release it more frequently so that you can have the latest files on your desktop, as well as keep it easier to browse through. We have also lowered the price of the disc to reflect this change.
Interfaces
Info-Mac VI debuts an exciting new tool for searching exploring the world of shareware and freeware on the Mac: Spelunker. Spelunker is our new interface for this CD. All the information about the software on this disc, the program names, the file sizes, authors, and more, are located in a catalog file that is specific to this disc. Install Spelunker by double-clicking on the “Spelunker Installer” program and follow the instructions. Spelunker is being released on this disc as a beta version — read the Spelunker Read Me to find out more about it and where to get the latest version. Currently, Spelunker requires a color monitor and at least a 640x480 screen.
The second interface is based on M. Akif Eyler’s wonderful program Easy View. This setext-based interface allows you to quickly navigate through the entire disc and find descriptions of any program. It is small and fast and allows you to do searches through the entire directory. This is the ideal viewer if you are low on memory or are limited to a black and white monitor.
Shareware Programs
Many of the programs on this CD-ROM are freeware or shareware, which may have restrictions and obligations regarding their use. Although freeware, as the name implies, involves no fee, there may be copyright restrictions as specified in the documentation or the program. Shareware, however, generally can be used on a trial basis after which you must pay the author a specified amount if you decide to continue using the program. By so registering with the author, you will often receive the latest version of the program as well as current documentation. Please read through the documentation and check the specific program for details.
Purchasing this CD-ROM in no way removes or reduces your obligation to pay the shareware fees that the individual authors request.
We at Pacific HiTech, Inc. have gone through every program included on the CD-ROM to check for copyright and distribution restrictions, and have done our best to include only unrestricted files, or files whose authors have given us permission.
Any author of a program on this CD-ROM is entitled to a free disk — please contact us for details.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the many people who have made this CD-ROM possible. This includes the moderators of the Info-Mac archive that this disc is based on, who always make sure things are running smoothly so that Macintosh users all over the world can share the latest, greatest cool thing for their Macs.
Credits and Copyright
CD development, design, and the Spelunker interface: Demitri Muna
Compiled by the Pacific HiTech Macintosh Team: Dave Boswell, James Hunter, Scott Lunt, & Demitri Muna
The Pacific HiTech interface program for “Info-Mac VI” may be copied and redistributed provided it is copied in its entirety and is not altered in any way.
Stanford University is not affiliated in any way with this CD or Pacific HiTech.
Demitri Muna (demitri@pht.com): the non-sleeping programmer type.
Dave Boswell (dave@pht.com): the apprentice, trying to find his identity.
James Hunter (james@pht.com): cataloging slave — (he doesn't surf the net, he takes the bike lane).
Scott Lunt (slunt@pht.com): rock wall designer, cataloging slave, really nice guy.
If you are interested in including your software on a future CD (in our Umich series, Info-Mac series, or any other CD), or have just released some shareware and would like to give us permission to include your software, please contact us at permissions@pht.com.
