Matthew Jones
Last month, "Online Connection" reviewed World-Wide Web sites that sell hardware, such as computers, printers, and network interface boards. (See "Online Connection: Shop Around," NetWare Connection, Nov. 1997, pp. 4748. Now that you have stocked up on hardware, you probably need to purchase the latest software to go with it.
The web sites mentioned in this article feature all types of software, from operating systems to management utilities. You can browse these web sites for the software you need, or you can fill your virtual shopping cart with holiday gifts for your friends and family. If you still need gift ideas for some of the people on your shopping list, you might want to read about this month's games, or you can check out this month's new products. (See "Product Snapshots.")
The name says it all: Software.net (http://www.software.net) offers one-stop shopping for all of your software needs. Because the software featured on this site is divided into categories, you can find particular products quickly and easily. For example, you can visit the Windows 95 Center, the Macintosh Center, and the Internet Center, or you can browse specialized areas such as Graphics & Design. You can also check out new software and the top ten products purchased through Software.net. In addition, you can view a list of current rebate offers, and you can get information about corporate software sales.
If you order software through Software.net, you must wait to receive this software in the mail. Unlike Software.net, BuyDirect.com (http://www.buydirect.com) provides instant gratification. At this site, you can purchase software and then download it directly from the manufacturer. Not only do you avoid shipping costs, but you can also begin using the software immediately.
BuyDirect.com offers another useful feature as well: BuyDirect.com automatically detects the operating system your workstation is running and customizes the home page accordingly. If your workstation is running Windows, the home page displays a list of Windows-compatible software. If your workstation is running Macintosh, on the other hand, the home page displays a list of Macintosh-compatible software. (You can view software for a different platform by selecting the Windows, Mac, or All button on the home page.)
E-Warehouse (http://www.e-warehouse.net) offers the best of both worlds for purchasing software online. Although this site doesn't provide the extensive selection of Software.net or the customization features of BuyDirect.com, E-Warehouse does give you a choice between downloading the software you purchase and receiving a shrink-wrapped copy of this software by mail. E-Warehouse also helps you save money. For example, you can visit the Software Specials section, or you can visit the Free Zone section to download freeware utilities, trial versions, and other types of free software.
You can't get much better than free, but USoX (http://www.midwinter.com/usox) offers the next best thing: great prices on used software. USoX also features more advanced search capabilities than most other sites that sell software. You can search for the software you need by category, platform, title, manufacturer, medium, and price, and you can specify that USoX return the results of your search by listing the newest or cheapest software first. If you register for a USoX account, you can even sell your own used software at this site.
Tex Murphy: Overseer is the latest installment in a series of mystery games from Access Software. As in Under a Killing Moon and The Pandora Directive (other games in this series), you assume the role of private investigator Tex Murphy in Tex Murphy: Overseer. This time, you are hired to investigate a suspicious suicide. While you are on the case, you uncover a conspiracy involving an extreme, right-wing political group and U.S. government agents. To win the game, you must solve the mystery behind the alleged suicide and foil the evil government plot--all in a day's work for the legendary Tex Murphy.
Like Under a Killing Moon and The Pandora Directive, Tex Murphy: Overseer is a combination game and movie. Tex Murphy: Overseer, which is directed by Adrian Carr, features a stellar cast, including actors such as Michael York and Rebecca Broussard. Tex Murphy: Overseer also features 3-D graphics, audio clips using Dolby digital surround sound technology, and movie-quality video clips based on the MPEG-2 standard.
In fact, Tex Murphy: Overseer is so packed with multimedia capabilities that only a digital versatile disc (DVD) could hold the entire game. Because DVD technology is relatively new, you probably have not installed a DVD drive yet. As a result, Tex Murphy: Overseer includes both a DVD and 4 CD-ROMs. Although these CD-ROMs are graphics intensive, they do not contain all of the multimedia capabilities offered on DVD.
Tex Murphy: Overseer is available only for Windows 95. You can purchase Tex Murphy: Overseer through retail channels at the suggested retail price of U.S. $79.95. For more information about Tex Murphy: Overseer, visit Access Software's web site (http://www.accesssoftware.com). You can also call 1-800-800-4880 or 1-801-359-2900.
Dark Reign from Auran is a science-fiction adventure game that gets my vote as one of the best games of 1997. Dark Reign takes place in the 27th century, when water has become a scarce resource that is more precious than gold. A powerful group of people called the Imperium controls the remaining water supply and, therefore, the fate of every planet in the galaxy. However, a rebel force called the Freedom Guard has begun a civil war to topple the Imperium. You can choose to fight on the side of the Imperium or the Freedom Guard.
Dark Reign consists of several missions, most of which require you to quickly establish a base of operations and deploy combat units to accomplish the goals of the mission. For example, if you were fighting for the Imperium, you might be required to subdue a riot and execute the rioters. If you were fighting for the Freedom Guard, on the other hand, you might be required to infiltrate the Imperium and steal strategic battle information.
Depending on which side you choose to fight for, you have a variety of combat units at your disposal. The Imperium has more vehicular units than the Freedom Guard, including plasma tanks, tachion tanks, and troop transports. Although the Freedom Guard is outgunned, it has more manpower than the Imperium, with infantry units such as mercenaries, snipers, and engineers.
All of these combat units offer a range of artificial intelligence settings that you configure, allowing you to determine each unit's behavior. For example, you could place one unit in sentry mode to guard your base of operations, and you could send another unit on a suicide mission. You can also determine each unit's tolerance for damage, configuring a particular unit to fight to the death or to retreat from battle if injuries occur.
Dark Reign, which is distributed by Activision, is available only for Windows 95. You can purchase Dark Reign through retail channels at the suggested retail price of U.S. $49.95. For more information about Dark Reign, visit Auran's web site (http://www.auran.com) or Activision's web site (http://www.activision.com). You can also call 1-800-477-3650 or 1-310-255-2000.
NetWare Connection, December 1997/January 1998, pp. 47-48