IBM free spellcheckers may not be free after 1 Jan 2000...

[Robert Holmgren holmgren@xxxxxxxx]

On 28 September, IBM made this announcement:

"Effective January 1, 2000, the option to download features and updates from
Software Choice for free will be discontinued for all future features and
updates. The features and updates will only be available to those customers
who purchase [a Software Choice subscription]."

Among other planned introductions is a new "browser". And with each past issue of
a browser, there has been a re-issue of plug-ins and other associated files, even
though their content hasn't changed much. This pattern suggests that the
spellcheckers might be reissued also, and therefore considered a "future" feature
or update -- and therefore no longer free.

So it would probably behoove you to download any dictionaries you think you might
need in future before 1 Jan 2000. Get 'em while the getting is good. (At least
IBM gives you plenty of warning.)

Note well, that these PCLEX dictionaries work seamlessly in NotaBene for Windows,
as well as Xy4-DOS and XyWin. Truly amazing. NB has a built-in frame that handles
them, both for speller and thesaurus.




-----------
Robert Holmgren
holmgren@xxxxxxxx
-----------