Releases for Desktop versions / GeoBook

This page lists the current versions of my applications which are specifically targeted at "desktop versions" (i.e. Ensemble and NewDeal) of GEOS and, where possible, makes them available for immediate downloading. I will be trying to include new programs "as they appear".

What makes these applications "desktop" specific is usally the way the UI has been designed. For this reason, most of these will also work on the GeoBook with its large screen as well. Some of them will also work on the Zoomer.

see also:

V-Convert

[current version: 0.2 "preview"] A program to import HPGL and CGM vector graphics files into Geos. I have optimized this program quite a lot since the last public release, and even though it is not quite finished, I believe that it won't get any better just sitting on my hard disk and not getting any testing... So you can either go for the "tried and true" 0.1 version, or test your luck with the 0.2 "preview". One of the most important new features is the ability to create editable objects, which was probably the #1 complaint about the first release.

Breadbox Macro Demonstration App

The program allows recording of up to 128 mouse clicks and/or keystrokes in Ensemble and NewDeal Office and plays them back as often as you want. The current version is limited to only one macro that can be active in memory at any time, and it cannot yet save macros to disks - but it is already quite useful for performing repetive tasks.

Font Lister

This little program can help you keep track of all the fonts installed in your Geos/NewDeal system by providing an easy way for creating samples of every printable font. This program is also "Euro-compatible": it will show you quickly whether a font supports the Euro currency symbol in the way defined by Burkhard Oerttel, which is for example used by the Optifonts collection.

Updated: This version allows you to define your own sample text in case you have any special wishes or experience crashes with the provided sample.

FontMagick 1.0 info

[last "freeware" version: 0.3] FontMagick can help you create special font effects, like those found in the GeoBanner program, for inclusion in your documents. You can choose from a number of shadow types, create three-dimensional letters or add outlines to any Geos font.

Following is a list of the most important new features in Version 1.0:

Starting from version 1.0, new releases of FontMagick were distributed under the Breadbox label and will eventually become part of the #FreeGEOS project.

Geo Raycast

A 3D graphics demo for Geos and the OmniGo. In this sample program, you can walk through a maze of texture-mapped walls. This program is based on a Macintosh version by Stefan Becker published in the German c't magazine (issue 2/96). Full source code included.

IconMake

[current version: 1.11] Iconmake enables you to create your own icons for PC/Geos by converting existing picture files (PCX and Windows ICO). These icons can be assigned to Dos files using the GEOS.INI settings. The method is the same as for the built-in icons and for those from other icon collections...

mg's Help Viewer / PaperClip

[Help Viewer current version: 1.1] The Help Viewer program allows you to open PC/Geos help files by double-clicking. In addition, you can use it to create self-running presentations from help files. The Viewer will probably not be developed any further, because the Book Reader provides a better way of of presenting content files to the end user. As a migration option, there is PaperClip which converts help files to Book Reader documents.

OS/2 Task Switching Driver for Geos

This driver causes DOS applications to be started as separate sessions without shutting down when Geos is run under OS/2 2.1 and above.

Patches for the CompuServe Client for Geos

[current version: 2] This patch modifies the CS4GEOS client originally designed for use on Zoomer-type devices to run on the OmniGo 100 and under Ensemble 2.0. The client itself is available on CompuServe for $10 and permits the retrival of Mail, Stock Quotes, Weather and News from within Geos - in particular, Forums and file downloads are not supported.

Please note that installation of the client on the OmniGo's internal RAM disk (if no RAM card is available or the PCMCIA slot is used by another card) requires some sort of data compression to be installed to make the program fit into the avilable space. I'm personally using dLite for this purpose (see blow).

Time Guardian - keep Geos from messing up System clock

[not actually new, but I never put it up on this page before.] This is a simple TSR which prevents access to the system clock to a DOS window in OS/2 or Windows 95. This fixes a problem with Geos which causes the system clock to be incorrectly set after Geos is terminated.

Token Deleter

This simple program removes selected "tokens" (icons) from the Token Database. Source code for this program is available on the Development page.

VNC Client for Geos

With this VNC Viewer for Geos, you can remotely access a machine running a version of the VNC Server (e.g. Windows 95, 98, NT, Unix with X-Windows, Macintosh, Acorn RISC OS) from NewDeal Office 3.0 or a GeoBook connected to the Internet (typically via PPP dial-in). VNC was developed by ORL, the Olivetti & Oracle Research Laboratory, which has now become AT&T Laboratories Cambridge.

(For those wo remember it, this is the program I demoed on the 1998 Basel meeting.)

WebMagick - HTML Browser

An advanced version of WebMagick, which is now a "real" browser with actual Internet connectivity, used to be distributed by NewDeal under the name "Skipper" and is now part of the #FreeGEOS project under the old name.