SHAREWARE REVIEW

      PROGRAM: XMASCARDS - Disk 1 and 2 - Send ANSI Xmas Cards
       AUTHOR: Lora Ruffner
DATE RELEASED: November 1989
 REGISTRATION: None "...but would be greatly appreciated."
 RESTRICTIONS: Must have ANSI.SYS loaded
       RATING: 10.0
NAME-SIZE ZIP: XMASCRD1.ZIP, XMASCRD2.ZIP, 18K, 20K

Christmas time is upon us again. Time  to be joyous and happy about all,
and wish peace and unity to those that repulse you.

A tradition, that struck me like a  steel beam when I first got married,
is to send out Christmas Cards to people you know. The only criteria for
making someone's Christmas card list is to know them.

See, the first year I was married we forgot to send out Christmas cards.
People called my  parents, my wife's parents, even my  boss, asking if I
they has angered  us, or had we "just forgotten."  That's when I learned
the basic fact about Christmas that alludes us all: You don't spend that
much money on gifts, it's the damn cards!

Well, in the last year I have expanded my BBS horizons, and have regular
conversations with at  least 100 people, of who I  have only 10 of their
addresses. What to  do? Christmas cards must go out,  but I can't afford
100 cards! I can know.

XMASCARDS  allows me  to send  an ANSI  CHRISTMAS card  through EMAIL to
anyone who has ANSI.SYS. What a cheap  way to avoid having to buy cards,
sign  them, lick  the envelope,  buy stamps,  lick stamps,  and mail the
cards. It also keeps me out of trouble.

USE: The documentation for XMASCARDS is excellent considering that it is
     only  a  graphic  screen  collection.  The  only  problem  with the
     documentation is the section concerning how to sign your cards. The
     documentation instructs you to use THEDRAW or ANSIPAINT to sign the
     cards, but  it doesn't tell you  where to find either  one, or more
     importantly,  the  XY  co-ordinates  on  where  to  sign. But, hey,
     remember this  is a graphic  screen collection, not  an application
     package.

     The cards  are fantastic. The author  has become a legend  by doing
     perfect ANSI screens, then releasing  them to the public. The cards
     are so detailed  you can see a twinkle in  Sanata's eyes, and watch
     the fire blaze before you.

     The cards range  from a simple house to a  very complex living room
     scene, with doves of peace  and 'ole Saint Nick intersprinkled. The
     24 cards will be sure to please the most discerning consumer.

SUMMARY:            GOOD POINTS                   BAD POINTS
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                    � Graphics
                    � Price
                    � Size

1----------5---------10:
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10.0

XMASCARDS is  the best idea  for ANSI screens  in the longest  time. The
program  would have  benefited from   helping new  users, but  heck, the
graphics just blow you away.

(C) Copyright 1989 Patrick Grote