| BrainDance.com's New Start Page Generator Receives ZDNet's Highest Rating. Click here to read their review. |
"Very impressive, an imaginative set of features." -- Bob Gollihur, Wordsmith Associates
Partial screen shot of start page generated by StartGen
Version 3.1 is shipping as of 5/7/98.
Click here for a list of enhancements.
Overview
StartGen is a tool for organizing frequently used bookmarks and search
forms into a compact Start page for maximizing Web browsing efficiency.
Wizards eliminate the need to know any HTML in order to setup Javascript
and/or ActiveX/VBscript driven HTML start pages. Your start pages can
include links that open multiple URLs in separate windows or in a single
framed window with a single click. HTML based PowerSearch forms can
be defined for sending a single search string to multiple search engines
simultaneously. The same features you use to build a start page can also be
used to publish directories of links that visitors can easily sort either by
category or by date. Other features include the ability to: maintain an
encrypted list of Web site passwords, create a searchable knowledgebase of
Web pages downloaded to your local hard drive, and define Web browsing
modes called "engrams" for optimizing frequently performed browsing
processes. The share module makes StartGen an authoring tool by allowing
your to email or publish start page components for use by others.
The downloadable version of StartGen is the complete version of the software. After a 30 day trial period, a message pops up on start up, but the software continues to work so you don't experience any interuptions in usage while your registration process is being completed. Registration costs $29 and helps ensure a steady stream of enhancements in the years to come. As the authors way of saying thanks, he will email you an article he has written entitled: Strategies for Optimizing Web Browsing Processes. This article includes a StartGen "engram" that you can import and begin using immediately.
Having your start page on your local PC allows it to load very quickly. Maintaining control over the content of this page makes it easier to find links and search forms on your page. Remote start pages are constantly rearranging things. You don't have to wait for advertisements to load each time you open an instance of your browser or click the "Home" button. One of the most frequently performed activities on the Net is searching. Storing your favorite search forms on your local start page saves a step each time since you don't have to wait for the form to download from a remote site. StartGen's wizards making adding new search forms to your start page a breeze.
The following screen snapshot shows you the form used to define the layout of your browser start page:
The following screen snapshot shows you the form used to search your bookmarks, favorites and personalized knowledgebase directory.
Links on your start page are organized by category and subject as shown in this sample start page generated by StartGen. This version also supports an alternative page format that makes it easy to produce directories of links. Click here
for a sample of a page generated in this new format.
PLATFORMS SUPPORTED
VERSION 3.1 DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS (POSTED 5/7/98)
StartGen runs on all Windows platforms
(3X, 95, NT). The file you are about to download has been tested for viruses using
Norton AntiVirus software.
1) If you are upgrading from earlier version of StartGen or have installed the Brain Dancing Coach software, you can download a smaller file (700K)
2) After downloading, run the exe and follow the setup instructions.
The WinZip self-extracting file will copy the setup files to a
temporary Windows directory and run the setup program.
3) Click here to view the readme.txt file
to read the licensing agreement and instructions on how to get
started.
Click here for a list of new features in version 3.1.