Software
I believe in high-quality tools and software solutions.
I believe in intuitive, functional and attractive user interfaces with underlying efficient programs that not only perform a given task, but perform it well. Each program is highly customisable so it can be tailored and tweaked, and comes with easy install and un-install facilities.
Software is developed for Windows (Win32 and .NET), the Web (HTML, ASP.NET) and UNIX (Solaris/Linux) and is listed on the left-hand side menu.
Shareware and registration
I use the shareware concept to allow free download and use of products, for a specified evaluation period.
After that time, if the software is felt useful, it must be purchased for a modest fee. All my shareware programs have a Register button, which can be clicked to see the length of the evaluation period, the registration price, and any other relevant information.
To register a product, follow the instructions given when you click the Register button. Essentially, you will be asked to mail the specified fee, indicating the product being registered, and to provide your name and a valid email or postal address.
By return mail, you will receive a registration code, which must be entered on the same screen. When the program is registered, all traces of ‘shareware-ishness’ will disappear, and the program will proudly display your name as its owner.
Do note that the code you receive is a bit lengthy – 32 characters or more – and is actually an encrypted string. If you are able to use the cut and paste facilities of your computer to extract it from the return email message, and paste it into the program’s registration screen – then great, you will not have any problems. However, if you need to type it, please be careful to copy the registration code exactly as given. Should you continue to have difficulty in entering the code, do not hesitate to contact me.
Registration is appreciated, and allows my products to be developed further. Registration is permanent, and will be valid for all future versions of the product that has been registered.
Rewriting …
For those interested, many of my applications were written using Borland’s Delphi. I was a big Delphi fan from versions 2 through 7. I switched to Visual Studio.NET when it was released – particularly after a tremendous education I got in it from Microsoft themself when I was invited to participate in a VS.NET beta workshop in November 2000. Microsoft flew me to Redmond and the actual team who made .NET showed a small group of us how it worked! Incredible stuff.
As I move my development onto newer equipment it’s becoming more troublesome to reload Delphi 7 and all my third-party components (including QuickReports which ceased being auto-installed as of v7). Thus, my goal – when time allows – is to rewrite all these apps in C# and make the move onto the .NET platform.