[comp.sys.ibm.pc] Switch It! program: opinions requested

yitlin@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Yi Ting Lin) (04/22/91)

 
Opinions requested.

An ad from Power Up! software catalog:

New! Switch It
Switch among 100 programs or files at the touch of a key.

Until you've seen Switch-It in action, you can't fully
appreciate how fast and useful it is. Touch a button and you
fly from file to file or program to program, bypassing all
the endless fuss of saving your current file, quitting your
current program, then running another program and opening a
file.

Unlike expensive multi-tasking applications, Switch-It allows
up to 100 programs to be loaded in the background, ready to
use, and all without gobbling up memory or slowing you down.

Switch-It's advanced memory swapping frees main memory by
putting your current program temporarily on your hard disk or
in EMS memory, while you work in another program. To switch
between programs, simply hit a hot key and select from the
menu.

Rarely have we seen a product this easy to use and with such
timesaving potential.

$79.95

--------------------------------------------------------

P6K@psuvm.psu.edu (04/26/91)

In article <12592@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>, yitlin@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Yi
Ting Lin) says:
>
>Opinions requested.
>
>An ad from Power Up! software catalog:
>
>New! Switch It
>Switch among 100 programs or files at the touch of a key.
>
>Until you've seen Switch-It in action, you can't fully
>appreciate how fast and useful it is. Touch a button and you
>fly from file to file or program to program, bypassing all
>the endless fuss of saving your current file, quitting your
>current program, then running another program and opening a
>file.
>
>Unlike expensive multi-tasking applications, Switch-It allows
>up to 100 programs to be loaded in the background, ready to
>use, and all without gobbling up memory or slowing you down.
>
>Switch-It's advanced memory swapping frees main memory by
>putting your current program temporarily on your hard disk or
>in EMS memory, while you work in another program. To switch
>between programs, simply hit a hot key and select from the
>menu.
>
>Rarely have we seen a product this easy to use and with such
>timesaving potential.
>
>$79.95
>
>--------------------------------------------------------
Do I have a dirty, filthy, disgusting, suspicious mind?  I read the above twice
and concluded that I had never before encountered anything that sounded more
like a carefully orchestrated plug rather than the plea for information it
purports to be.  1) Why was it necessary to quote the entire advertising hand-
out rather than the few lines that inform instead of raving about the glories
of this piece of software?  2) Why not a simple summary of what seems to be
specially useful about this software?  3) Why not the usual comments from the
netter himself pointing out what looks real, what might well be hype, what
specific qualities he'd like information about from those who've used this
product (in other words what his peculiar problems and special applications
are)?  Why a piece of prose reaching multitudes of ideal potential customers
that contains not a single bit of questioning, cavilling, or uncertainty, that
accentuates nothing but the positive--and must bring overwhelming joy to the
hearts of the product's advertising department ("just exactly the way we'd like
it handled--all those readers rushing out to buy it to see if it really works
that way!")?
Shouldn't I be ashamed of myself for thinking all these thoughts?  (But I can't
 seem to make them go away.)

mbb@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (martin.brilliant) (04/27/91)

In article <91116.051659P6K@psuvm.psu.edu> P6K@psuvm.psu.edu writes:
>In article <12592@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>, yitlin@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Yi
>Ting Lin) says:
>>
>>Opinions requested...  >>An ad from Power Up! software catalog:....
>>New! Switch It >>Switch among 100 programs or files .....
>>
>>--------------------------------------------------------
>.....  1) Why was it necessary to quote the entire advertising hand- >out...

The reviewers in the magazines prefer Software Carousel, which does
essentially the same job, is cheaper, and is said to crash less.

valley@gsbsun.uchicago.edu (Doug Dougherty) (04/27/91)

mbb@cbnewsb.cb.att.com (martin.brilliant) writes:

>In article <91116.051659P6K@psuvm.psu.edu> P6K@psuvm.psu.edu writes:
>>In article <12592@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu>, yitlin@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (Yi
>>Ting Lin) says:
>>>
>>>Opinions requested...  >>An ad from Power Up! software catalog:....
>>>New! Switch It >>Switch among 100 programs or files .....
>>>
>>>--------------------------------------------------------
>>.....  1) Why was it necessary to quote the entire advertising hand- >out...

>The reviewers in the magazines prefer Software Carousel, which does
>essentially the same job, is cheaper, and is said to crash less.

What about HEADROOM?  It's the other main competitor in this arena.
--

	(Another fine mess brought to you by valley@gsbsun.uchicago.edu)