TO OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS: Thank you for purchasing this latest version of the "ASP ADVANTAGE" CD-ROM disc. I'm sure that you'll be pleased with the selection of software that's available in this collection. Many of the programs on this disc can be "previewed" directly from the CD-ROM without installing them onto your computer's hard drive, making this one of the fastest and easiest ways yet to try out shareware products! All of these programs are marketed under the shareware marketing method, where you can actually "Try It BEFORE You Buy It"! The price that you've paid for this disc covers the costs of producing and distributing it to you, and you are required to register the programs that you find useful or use beyond the evaluation date by paying the registration fee to the author. Programs produced by members of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP) meet or exceed a number of standards designed to help ensure that you will really be able to "kick the tires" before you pay for this software. All ASP members must provide fully functional software for you to evaluate and must provide documen- tation on all the features of the program. Registration fees must be clearly stated, and the member must tell you exactly what you will get for your registration payment. The ASP's standards don't end there - ASP members must provide at least a mimimum period and amount of customer support, must acknowledge and ship orders promptly, and must test programs to ensure that they won't damage your system or data in normal use. Most members offer much more, often including professionally printed manuals, bonus programs and materials, The ASP offers the services of an Ombudsman, who can help you in the event of a dispute between a customer and an ASP member. This is the part that ASP members must fufill to keep the shareware marketing system successful. The part that YOU must fufill is to register the programs that you intend to keep using beyond evaluation or that you have found to be useful. Not only is paying the registration fee the legally and morally correct thing to do, but your registrations will help encourage shareware authors to keep updating and upgrading their current products, and also to produce new and exciting software that will also be marketed as shareware. Beginning with the Second Quarter 1994 CD-ROM disc, the archived files and BBS/Vendor support files that used to be provided on the disc have been discontinued. As the disc has become full, something had to be tossed out. BBSes and Vendors who are interested in supporting the work that the ASP has done for the shareware industry - and in getting ASP member files on a CD-ROM disc on a monthly basis - should contact the ASP for information on applying for Associate Membership status in the ASP. Our address, voice and fax phone numbers can be found in the "About Shareware and the ASP" menu choice in the CD-ROM main menu. Once again, let me thank you for chosing the "ASP ADVANTAGE CD-ROM". I hope that you'll find at least one game, utility, application program or other product that thrills you, solves a problem for you, or simply gives you hours of enjoyment! Richard G. Harper President, Association of Shareware Professionals