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[Vic Dura]

Agent 2.0 is bloated and unstable, and so therefore is FA. Add to that
the 'crippleware' status of FA - especially in respect of yEnc - and it
can't compete with, eg, Dialog.

Does Dialog do email and newsgroups offline?

 

[jo]

I think the situation has changed. IIRC last year an older version was
still available that was "cleaner".

1.21 is still about everywhere; it has been left behind a bit by
developments though, and is weaker in certain respects than the later
'bundled' versions of FA

 

[MLC]

_Vic Dura_, domenica 17/ott/2004:

Does Dialog do email and newsgroups offline?

Yes.

 

[jo]

Does Dialog do email and newsgroups offline?

Dunno.

FA doesn't do pop at all, of course...

 

[Rod]

On a related note: AFAIK in order to install the current version of OE
you have to download and install the current version of IE with it.

Actually, to install OE you have to download the setup for IE, but you can
choose to just install OE and not IE.

 

[Susan Bugher]

Actually, to install OE you have to download the setup for IE, but you can
choose to just install OE and not IE.

I could be wrong (I'm going by my memory of installing OE 5.5). I know
*some* components are optional installs - I didn't think IE was one of
them. Have you installed OE 6 and kept an older version of IE? If not is
there a web page with installation info that spells out this option?

Susan

 

[Susan Bugher]

1.21 is still about everywhere; it has been left behind a bit by
developments though, and is weaker in certain respects than the later
'bundled' versions of FA

The nomination could be changed to an earlier version if it's legally
available (redistribution is permitted).

Just FYI - this is the first PL2004 description - showing the version
that was voted on last year - IIRC it's no longer available on the site.

Free Agent
(Liteware) (Free for personal use only) (Nagware)
OS: Windows (32-bit)
Languages: English, (Dansk, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano,
Nederlands available as separate downloads)
Description: Usenet and email client for text and binaries, with a
recognized excellent user interface. Free Agent 1.93 is a
feature-restricted version of Agent that is free for personal use. The
main restrictions are no yEnc binaries (must be saved as text and
decoded separately), and no watch/kill filters in the free version.
COMMENTS: Agent and FreeAgent are the most used newsclient for text
groups. Great user interface. An important missing feature for heavy
users is the restriction of a single server per instance.
Author: -- Company: Forte Internet Software
Home Page:
http://www.forteinc.com/agent/index.php
Program Description
http://www.forteinc.com/agent/features.php
Download v 1.93 (2001) (2.29 MB) (a32en193.exe)
ftp://ftp3.forteinc.com/pub/agent/english/a32en193.exe
(desc. rev.: 2003-15-08)


Susan

 

[omega]

Did that have Y2K issues, btw? I looked on the forteinc site for release
histories, but didn't manage to find info there predating v1.8.

The nomination could be changed to an earlier version if it's legally
available (redistribution is permitted).

Just FYI - this is the first PL2004 description - showing the version
that was voted on last year - IIRC it's no longer available on the site.

Free Agent
(Liteware) (Free for personal use only) (Nagware)
Download v 1.93 (2001) (2.29 MB) (a32en193.exe)
ftp://ftp3.forteinc.com/pub/agent/english/a32en193.exe
(desc. rev.: 2003-15-08)

I've just finished doing a short (10 minute) run in FA mode, on both the
v2.0 and the v1.93. The v2.0 options dialog has many SOL parts. But the
part of the experience that was particularly repellent (nauseating) to
me, it came about in both those versions. Those many commands I'd click
which then resulted in FOAD dialogs jumping into my face...

Interface like that, it is not liteware -- not freeware at all. It is a
"demo tour," a walking advertisement.

Either one of those on the ballot, my vote is decided.

 

[jo]

Did that have Y2K issues, btw?

No

 

[jo]

Just FYI - this is the first PL2004 description - showing the version
that was voted on last year - IIRC it's no longer available on the site.

1.93 is essentially the same as 2.0, and is still available on the site

http://www.forteinc.com/agent/download-all.php

Note that describing it as an email client is silly. FA does not do pop.
See the features comparison page

http://www.forteinc.com/agent/features.php

Note also, as per the brief discussion in the Ware thread, that FA
satisfies most/all definitions of crippleware.

 

[Roger Johansson]

I could be wrong (I'm going by my memory of installing OE 5.5). I know
*some* components are optional installs - I didn't think IE was one of
them. Have you installed OE 6 and kept an older version of IE? If not is
there a web page with installation info that spells out this option?

Microsoft uses IE to update windows.
That is why we often must update IE before updating windows.
That has nothing specifically to do with OE.
OE is an optional part in the free update of windows operating system.

Does that make OE freeware?

Yes, I think so.
But I can understand people who think otherwise.

 

[Susan Bugher]

Microsoft uses IE to update windows.
That is why we often must update IE before updating windows.
That has nothing specifically to do with OE.
OE is an optional part in the free update of windows operating system.

I installed OE5.5 a while back - IE5.5 was installed too (I had an
earlier version of IE when I started the install).

IIRC *IE5.5* was a mandatory part of the install - OE5.5 was one of the
*optional* extras.

I think this is also the way an *OE6* installation works. Trying to
confirm of disprove that theory. . .

Susan

 

[REM]

omega <[email protected]> wrote:

I saw this come up briefly under the Ware issues thread. But there were only
a few messages before the topic dropped. It will be on the ware ballot?

I'm concerned that it will be one of those deals, like OE, where there is
just a lot of silent voting going on, without indications that the voters
have honestly considered the arguments over whether the respective programs
qualify as true freeware.

It rides the razors edge. For my needs it works fine in trial mode,
but I only read this group and occasionly a couple of others.

The inability to search for key words in the 100,000+ groups is a
severe limitation.

The others I can live with until I buy the full Agent. I just like the
layout as I've used it for a long time.

As far as recommending it as a viable freeware reader to others, I
don't think I could.

 

[Vic Dura]

_Vic Dura_, domenica 17/ott/2004:


Yes.

Thanks Maria. It may be time to start looking for a replacement for my
Agent.

 

[MLC]

_Vic Dura_, lunedì 18/ott/2004:

Thanks Maria. It may be time to start looking for a replacement for my
Agent.

You're welcome.
I hope you'll enjoy Dialog, it's very configurable.

 

[jo]

Thanks Maria. It may be time to start looking for a replacement for my
Agent.

You'd see some improvement by going to 1.91 or 1.93

 

[Vic Dura]

You'd see some improvement by going to 1.91 or 1.93

Thanks, but I didn't see any features in 1.9x that I wanted or needed;
and I certainly don't see any in 2.x that I want or need.

 

[Richard Steven Hack]

It rides the razors edge. For my needs it works fine in trial mode,
but I only read this group and occasionly a couple of others.

The others I can live with until I buy the full Agent. I just like the
layout as I've used it for a long time.

As far as recommending it as a viable freeware reader to others, I
don't think I could.

I've used it for the last three years. I probably would like to move
to another newsreader simply to get a sorted message capability but
I've survived this long without it.

As for freeware, the basic 1.93 version does well enough for ordinary
newsreading and - with the addition of yProxy - downloads yEnc
seamlessly, so I can't say it's not entirely usable for news reading.
So it really isn't crippleware in my opinion, despite the numerous
functions not available in the Free version. It does the basic job of
newsreading, period.

It just probably can't compare with some of the more full-featured
freeware newsreaders.

"Priceless"? Maybe not. But crippleware - naah.

 

[Susan Bugher]

I've used it for the last three years. I probably would like to move
to another newsreader simply to get a sorted message capability but
I've survived this long without it.

As for freeware, the basic 1.93 version does well enough for ordinary
newsreading and - with the addition of yProxy - downloads yEnc
seamlessly, so I can't say it's not entirely usable for news reading.
So it really isn't crippleware in my opinion, despite the numerous
functions not available in the Free version. It does the basic job of
newsreading, period.

"Priceless"? Maybe not. But crippleware - naah.

Disagree - IMO you're not an "average user" - you're way too easily
satisfied.

Free Agents v 1.93 "Freeware" sorts messages by thread. Full stop. IMO
the ability to sort messages in other ways is important to the average
user.

http://www.pricelesswarehome.org/acf/WareGlossary.php

</q>
Crippleware: free version of a commercial program. More limited in
features and functionality than the commercial product. Crippleware has
severe limitations. Functionality that is important to the average user
has been disabled.
</q>

*Many* functions are disabled, inability to sort is just one example.
Clicking on a disabled functions brings up a nag screen.

<q>
Nagware: has a popup (nag) screen, asking you to purchase the software.
You must press a button to get past the nag screen.
</q>

It's Crippleware and Nagware.

Susan

 

[macro]

There's a beta of dirhtml v4.6 available if anyone cares to test it. Same old,
same old, but with user-selectable dialog backgrounds.