Gravity

Gravity -- Gravity is the ultimate in user configurability -- every conceivable option from screen layout (13 assorted four-pane and five different three-pane views) to article layout (thirty-two message attributes can be mixed and matched for ultimate customization) has been developed with the end user in mind. The newsreader keeps users of all levels happy by offering more than just an extensive list of user-customizable options -- Gravity sports an impressive array of news-related features as well. The usual fare of newsreader features are handled with ease -- internal database and offline/online options, send and receive mail capabilities,multiple signature files, right mouse button functionality, a Bozo Bin (i.e. kill files), extensive on-line help (there's even a helpful hints and tips section for getting the most of Gravity), and an intuitive status bar for monitoring download progress are all examples of features that comprise the minimum feature-set necessary to make a newsreader competitive in its field. Gravity goes beyond the standard by once again catering to the end user in extensive fashion. Automatic decoding of binary files is handled in relatively standard fashion, but Gravity takes the feature to the next level by adding an ultra helpful image gallery feature, which allows users to organize, view, and/or delete downloaded images and movies. Gravity even launches the viewing application of your choice (or defaults to the app listed in your system registry). Incoming rules and filters is another area where Gravity excels. In addition to kill file capabilities, Gravity gives you the opportunity to identify key articles by playing sounds or displaying text messages, to automatically forward articles to friends, to mark specific news clippings as important (for later use), to automatically delete articles, and more, all based on advanced conditional statements. Full hypertext functionality is another of Gravity's strong points and includes the ability to automatically run helper applications (as identified in your system registry) for mail, web, gopher, telnet, and FTP activities. Finally, Gravity offers excellent search and find capabilities, especially for identifying newsgroups that meet your needs. Type in any keyword and Gravity automatically finds all newsgroups that contain the word anywhere in their hierarchical name. Overall, while Gravity does lack some critical features (most notably, integrated spell checking and multilingual capabilities), it is definitely one of the net's elite newsreaders and is an app to be reckoned with, especially by its competitors. Pros: Tons of features and user-configurable options, extensive online help, easy to use Cons: Lacks spell checking capabilities and multilingual functionality, 32-bit only New: This is the initial review of Gravity Version Reviewed: 1.00.464 Date of Review: 7/1/96 Reviewer: Forrest Stroud