For Fix-It Types, Everything From Planning to Plungers to Plants
I’m in the market for a computer product that will mow my lawn, repair my deck and build that storage shed we so desperately need. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been invented yet, so I’ll have to settle for software that can help me do these things myself.
There are a number of CD-ROMs designed to provide help with everything from fixing a leaky toilet to improving the look of your home. There are programs that will help you build a deck, plant a garden, remodel your kitchen and even fix your car.
“Better Homes and Gardens 101 Weekend Projects” (Philips Media, Mac and Windows, $39.99) is for homeowners who want to spend time beautifying their surroundings.
The program itself is quite beautiful, with some of the most alluring graphics you’ll find in this genre of CDs. The opening screen takes you to a room in a house with doors opening onto a garden. You select the area you wish to explore by clicking on topics such as “Well-Dressed Walls” or “Window-Wise.” Each has its own gorgeously illustrated main screen that provides a number of additional options.
There is plenty of good information here, along with some reasonably well-done video vignettes. The program tells you which supplies you need and lets you print out instructions--just in case you don’t want to take your PC with you while you’re sawing, painting or applying a glaze.
My only problem with the product is that it assumes a fairly high level of knowledge. One video, for example, explains how to build a workbench using terms like “chamfer” and “rabbet.” And people complain about computer terminology! What I need is a product called “Home Repair for Dummies.”
My wife, Patti, is the garden expert at my house. But now that summer is here, I’ve been getting the urge to plant something--or at least trim a few hedges. So I unwrapped my copy of “Easy Home Gardening” (Expert Software, Windows, $19.95), an inexpensive CD that’s informative and surprisingly easy to use.
It features a glossary of gardening terms, sample plans and videos, and a garden planning program. There is also a zone map that lets you specify your climate zone and soil type, or select your city from an index. The plant library provides an illustrated encyclopedia of 1,100 plants that includes information about the plant itself, pests that might affect it and a how-to video guide.
Books That Work ([800] 242-4546), which specializes in home and gardening products, has just published Home Improvement Encyclopedia for Windows ($30). The product comes with Netscape Navigator--the leading Internet browser--and uses Netscape so you can navigate the CD exactly the way you would surf the Web.
You don’t have to have Internet access to use the CD-ROM, but if you do you get some bonuses, such as links to related sites from companies and organizations. The CD provides information about plumbing, electricity, phones, landscaping, decks, and yard and house structures.
As with other good home-repair CDs, there are step-by-step instructions, illustrations and animations to show how things are done. The page on using a toilet plunger, for example, shows the proper way to plunge as well as what actually happens inside the toilet as you press down on the plunger. A highly educational experience.
What’s different about this product is that there are links to sites on the Internet that can provide additional information. Because the program runs in an Internet browser, all you have to do is click on the link. It’s an impressive melding of two technologies: multimedia CD reference and the enormous resources of the Web. The program also has an “applets” area that includes little programs to help you select paints and estimate paint and material usage.
There is a stain-removal guide and--my favorite--a directory of toll-free numbers for those times when you need professional help or advice.
Another part of the program, called Home Inspector, is a game-like interactive survey that helps determine your home repair personality, including weather conditions and what you have in your house and yard. It’s actually quite funny and only takes a few minutes to complete. Based on how you answer the questions, the program creates an “it’s time to” guide that tells you what needs to be done in each month, with links to the areas of the CD that can help you out. A Macintosh version of the program will be out shortly.
If you have Internet access, you don’t have to own a copy of Home Improvement to take advantage of its Web links. You can find links to companies and information sources from the Books That Work Home Central (https://www.homecentral.com/) Web site. The site is broken down by categories, and the links are described and rated--a big time saver.
Books that Work also maintains a gardening web site (https://www.gardening.com/), which includes a plant search function that lets you find appropriate plants based on weather conditions, sunlight and preferences for flower color and plant type. It’s great information for the would-be gardener, and it’s free.
Lawrence J. Magid can be reached via e-mail at magid@latimes.com. His World Wide Web page is at https://www.larrysworld.com
