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[Delta]

Delta CD

System Solutions have just released another CD in the Whiteline series. This one called Delta is another collection of everything Atari. What's most impressive about the Delta CD is the shareware supplied. It is right up to date and contains very high quality software. Classics such as Kandinsky, Cypress and Thing, to name but three, are to be found. Sadly they are all in German but they will give you a taster of what's available.

A folder of programs translated into English is provided, but it only consumes 16 megabytes of disk space. When you consider there is nearly 600 megabytes of data on this disk, the English section doesn't even amount to three percent. The software available in this folder is good but not on par with the remaining contents nor is it as up to date as that found elsewhere on the disk. A good 40 percent of disk space is taken up by sounds, graphics and animation. Many of the files I've never seen nor heard before.

The makers have obviously been careful to source original material. Software is supplied to load most file types, so you'll have great fun sifting though each section. There's even a folder full of Jag screen shots. Handy for budding games reviewers or that Jag World Wide Web page you've been thinking of writing.

With nearly 100 Megabytes worth of fonts, split between True Type and Calamus - that's about 800 of each - the disk isn't as German language dominated as first thought.

To make wading though the disks contents easier a menu program is provided. It's in German but is so easy to use it hardly matters. I have to say Atari CDs are becoming very boring. However the Delta is anything but. It's true that the CD has been compiled in a similar fashion to others in this class but remember, much of it is new. The purchase price also includes 10 registered programs, unfortunately these too are in German.

Contact:System Solutions on 0181 693 3355
E-Mail:ssolutions@cix.compulink.co.uk
Price:£ 39.95

Background CD

There are many CDs containing pictures in various formats for use with DTP, Graphics and Multimedia. The Background Photos CD is one for use in any of these categories. It's name implies that it may also be useful for replacement desktop backgrounds. This is true but you would need a very powerful system to make use of the photos supplied.

The disk contains 100 royalty-free photographs stored in two distinct resolutions. They are all saved in uncompressed 24-bit Tiff format. The low_res folder contains the graphics in 640 x 480 x 72 Dpi. These will be ideal for Multimedia Presentations, Desktop Publishing and if you have the spare memory, backgrounds with you favourite replacement desktop. Each picture, if used in it's native Tiff format will take up nearly one megabyte of memory. These can be converted using Image Copy or Gemview to reduce their size. But their size will still be - once converted - substantial.

The high_res folder repeats the photos in the greater resolution of 1536 x 1024 x 300 Dpi. Measuring nearly five megabytes each they will be used when you send your DTP file to the printers. A booklet is supplied with the CD showing colour pictures of all the photos. This will save you hours of printing or viewing. The photos are divided into 9 categories, everything from Water and Glass to Carpets and Fabrics.

Four other directories can be found on the disk. Each one contains software that can be used for viewing and conversion of the photos. The folders are Atari, Apple Mac, Windows and MS DOS. The Atari folder also contains a further pictures directory. I got the feeling looking in here that it had been supplied as an after thought. It only contains 12 pictures, none of them outstanding. The Atari software supplied is the unregistered version of Gemview 3.13, probably the only graphics utility you'll ever need.

Contact:System Solutions on 0181 693 3355
E-Mail:ssolutions@cix.compulink.co.uk
Price:£ TBA

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