273 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
273 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
ÕÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͸
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³ Information on different picture viewing programs - Updated 5th Oct 1991 ³
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ÔÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ;
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The following notes provide a guide to help people
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choose which picture viewing program to use.
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All the programs listed below are available for download
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from the State Of Chaos BBS, Ph (09) 410-3815.
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CSHOW833.ZIP - Cshow v8.33a - Latest version at 19-6-91
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This is one of the best known viewing programs.
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It allows viewing of the following picture types :
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CompuServe GIF Rix
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CompuServe RLE Targa
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MacPaint Deluxe Paint LBM, BBM
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PC Paintbrush PCX Windows BitMaP
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PC Paint PIC TIFF
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Dr. Halo
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Main Features :
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Supports EMS memory for panning of 1280x1024x256 pictures
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Microsoft mouse compatibility
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Tag groups of files for viewing and slideshows
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Supports most SVGA cards and video modes
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Scripts for controlling slideshows
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Images can be scaled to screen size
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Print pictures on a variety of printers
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*NOTE : I have seen several other copies of Cshow (up to
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version 8.51) claiming to be the latest. All of these
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have actually turned out to be quite old versions in spite
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of the version number. Version 8.33 is the latest as of
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June 91 and was received direct from the programs authors.
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GDS109.ZIP - Graphics Display System v1.09
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This program is quite new, the 1st release was Feb 91
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It allows viewing of the following picture types :
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CompuServe GIF Rix
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MacPaint Deluxe Paint LBM, BBM
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PC Paintbrush PCX
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Gds can alter brightness, contrast, colour, etc and
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write the changed picture back to disk.
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One especially good feature of Gds is its ability to
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create visual catalogs by grouping reduced pictures
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together to create a single picture file.
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Hundreds of individual pictures can be combined within
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a single picture.
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Main features :
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Supports EMS memory
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Uses mouse or keyboard
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Supports up to 60 rows by 132 columns
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Tag groups of files for processing
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Supports most SVGA cards and video modes
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Slideshows
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Alter colours, size, shape
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Zoom and clip sections of pictures
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Catalog multiple pictures into a single display file
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High quality image reduction
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Convert between different picture formats
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Most options user configurable
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GRAFWK60.ZIP - Graphic Workshop v6.0
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This version is a complete rewrite and represents a great
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improvement over previous versions I have used.
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It allows viewing of individual images but is really
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intended for conversion and manipulation of pictures
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rather than use as a straight picture viewer.
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It handles many different formats and is able to
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convert images between any of them.
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It can also produce self displaying *.EXE files for
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splash screens etc in a similar manner to GIFEXE.
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It allows viewing of the following picture types :
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CompuServe GIF Ventura GEM/IMG
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MacPaint TIFF
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PC Paintbrush PCX Deluxe Paint/Amiga IFF/LBM
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PC Paint Pictor PIC WordPerfect Graphics WPG
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Windows 3 BMP Encapsulated PostScript EPS
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Microsoft Paint MSP Text files
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Truevision Targa 24-bit files
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Main features :
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Supports Expanded/Extended/Virtual memory
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Print images on LaserJet, PostScript and other printers
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Self displaying pictures (doesn't support SVGA)
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Rotate, Flip and Scale images
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Produce clip art from colour images
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Special effects :
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Colour reduction, Grey scale, Sharpen
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Soften, Smudge, Posterization
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Script language
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Supports many SVGA cards
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Many options user configurable
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GIFDES40.ZIP - Gif Desk v4.0
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This program allows viewing of individual pictures or
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alternatively up to 80 Gifs on screen at one time.
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The multiple Gif mode can be used to create visual catalogs
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in a similar way to GDS109, however the quality of its
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image reduction is not as high and it cannot display as
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many images at once as GDS109.
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Main features :
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Supports most SVGA cards
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Catalog multiple pictures into a single display file
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Print pictures on Laserjet compatible printers
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Allows command files for automated usage.
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GIFEXE.ZIP - Gifexe v1.0
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This program is not a normal picture viewer.
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It is used to convert any Gif image into a self displaying
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*.EXE file that can be run from the Dos prompt.
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This is useful for displaying fancy splash screens before
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starting up an application program etc.
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Unfortunately the self displaying image is rather slow.
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The registered version supports SVGA modes.
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GIFFIE12.ZIP - Giffie v1.2
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This program is fairly ordinary but does have a couple of
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features the others don't - special effects & descriptions.
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Giffie allows you to choose whether the pictures 'fade in',
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'zip up/down' or simply replace - only works for 320x200.
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It can also attach a description to each Gif file to help
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you keep track of what each picture is.
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Supports mouse and slideshows
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Print pictures on HP Paintjet or Plotter
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Supports standard Vga but SVGA support is very limited
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GIFWARP1.ZIP - Gif Warp v1.0
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This program is not actually intended as a viewer.
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It allows you to display a GIF file and then stretch
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parts of it to create weird effects.
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If you feel like putting long noses and big ears on
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people then this is the program to do it.
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Works with pictures up to 256 colours.
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Shareware version only works in 320x200 resolution.
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Registered version supports SVGA.
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Uses microsoft compatible mouse.
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Save warped Gifs to disk.
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PICEM21.ZIP - Picem v2.1
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This program is different to the others mentioned here
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in that it does not draw the pictures line by line but
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rather displays the completed image all at once.
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It allows viewing of the following picture types :
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CompuServe GIF PC Paintbrush PCX
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PC Paint PIC
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Main features :
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Tag groups of files for slideshows
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Alter brightness & contrast
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Write changed pictures back to disk
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Scale images to screen size
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Supports most SVGA modes
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Can utilize Bios modes specific to your video card
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Convert between different picture formats
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VUIMG.ZIP - VuImage v2.92
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This program displays both Gif and Tiff files.
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It can also print both picture types.
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Main features :
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Supports various SVGA cards (external drivers needed)
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Images can be scaled & zoomed
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Alter brightness and contrast
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Tag groups of files for slideshows
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Many options can be configured via command line switches
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ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
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³ So which viewer is best? ³
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ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
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The viewer you choose will depend on what hardware you have
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and what features you require. The following is therefore
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my opinion on what I have found suits my requirements best.
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Firstly a quick list of a few areas in which some of the
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above viewers are lacking or have problems.
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PICEM can't handle very large pictures due to memory constraints
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CSHOW can't save a changed picture although it can save settings
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in a separate file that it uses when redisplaying a picture
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GIFDESK quality of image reductions is fairly poor, and it
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can't alter contrast or brightness
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GIFFIE doesn't support very many video cards or SVGA modes
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I use 3 of the above programs regularly - CSHOW, GDS & PICEM
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- Cshow is good if you want a general purpose picture viewer
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that supports more than just the Gif format.
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It has a convenient mouse & keyboard interface that is easy
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to use. It handles the largest pictures and all video modes.
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- Picem is the viewer I use most. I find it convenient for
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quick command line viewing of single images. I also prefer
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its method of displaying the completed image rather than the
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line at a time method; this makes it good for slide shows.
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It also displays images automatically centred on screen.
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- Gds is the program to use if you are into 'patching' Gifs.
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It has an excellent mouse & keyboard interface. It supports
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several picture types, both viewing and writing them.
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Its editing features allow rotating & flipping images. It
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can alter aspect ratios, clip sections, zoom (magnify),
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change brightness, contrast, colour saturation etc.
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The quality of its image reductions is excellent and the
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cataloging feature is very versatile.
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I should point out however that some of its features are
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only available in the registered version.
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I believe that the 3 programs above should cover most users
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requirements. The other viewing programs, and others I have
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used but not mentioned here, do not in my opinion possess any
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worthwhile features not already covered by Cshow, Gds & Picem.
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However I should also make special mention of Graphic Workshop.
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Although I don't make much use of it myself, it is definitely
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a quality program. Its image conversion facilities are very
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good. The self displaying *.EXE files appear much faster than
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those produced by GIFEXE.
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ÕÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͸
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³ For The Highest Quality GIF Pictures, Dial ... ³
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³ ³
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³ Ûßß ßÛß ÛßÛ ßÛß Ûßß ÛßÛ Ûßß Ûßß Û Û ÛßÛ ÛßÛ Ûßß ³
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³ ßßÛ Û ÛßÛ Û Ûß Û Û Ûß Û ÛßÛ ÛßÛ Û Û ßßÛ ³
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³ ßßß ß ß ß ß ßßß ßßß ß ßßß ß ß ß ß ßßß ßßß ³
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³ ³
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³ Phone (09)-410-3815 24hrs ³
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ÔÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ;
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Written, and hopefully updated occasionally,
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by Geraint Bycroft (Sysop - State Of Chaos)
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