Vertical Reader

Reviewed by Rob Tillotson

Author: Gilles Kohl (100114.3146@compuserve.com)
Version: 1.11
Distribution: Shareware, see below
Type: DOS, LX-specific
Compatibility: 100, 200 (95 version available)
Installed Size: 37k minimum
Memory Usage: DOS 90k
Icon Provided: Yes

It's a simple idea, really. Hold your LX like a book, in your left hand with the screen on the right. (Or, flip it around the other way if you like.) Feels natural, doesn't it? Notice how your thumb even rests nicely on the space bar. Now, if only the screen could be rotated, this would be the perfect way to read an electronic book. That's exactly what VR does. VR is a text-reading program with all the usual features, and one extra: it displays the text vertically rather than horizontally.

Operating VR is easy: just read, and press the space bar to go to the next page. Other operating controls are accessed by single keystrokes or the menu, and if you don't like the keys the author picked you can redefine them. The normal orientation of the screen is such that it should be on the right, but the registered version of VR can also operate with the screen on the left -- and a completely separate keymap is provided for this mode, so you can swap hands at will and define keys that are natural in both orientations. All of the features you might expect in a text reader are there, including a file selector and regular expression and substring searches. You can even have VR automatically scroll through the text, if you don't feel like pressing the space bar. Ten bookmarks per file are available, and VR saves your position when you shut it down or change texts.

The LX screen, when it's vertical, is fairly narrow, so VR is most suitable for reading e-texts like those from Project Gutenberg, rather than formatted text. Readability is enhanced by the availability of a variety of fonts ranging from tiny (and barely readable, to my eyes) to huge, in a couple of different styles. At least one of them should appeal to everyone... after you've checked them out, you can delete all but the one or two you like most.

The author offers several options for registering VR. One is to pay $15 via Compuserve's SWREG, another is to donate at least $10 to Project Gutenberg (the source of many e-texts suitable for reading with VR), and the third is to send him a picture postcard. Regardless of method, you'll need an electronic mail address to receive the serial number. The unregistered version is "crippled" in that a few features are disabled, but all of the basic functions are active without any time limits.

Download: Eddie (vr100.zip)
Download: Monash (vr100.zip)