Directory Opus 5 Magellan Announced

Press Release: Immediate May 11th 1997

GPSoftware demonstrates its continuing support for the Amiga by announcing
the release of the NEW version of Directory Opus the World of Amiga show in
London May 17/18.

The new product will be demonstrated on the GPSoftware/Wizard Developments
stand at the show and will be available for purchase as a full product or
an upgrade for existing Opus 5.5 users.

-------------------------------------------------
Welcome to Directory Opus 5 Magellan!

From its first release in early '95, many Amiga users have seen the raw
power provided by Opus 5 with its unique concept integrating Workbench
Replacement Mode (tm), file management and custom functionsin the one
package.  These concepts were further refined in the Opus 5.  release in
May '96.  During this time of great uncertainty for the Amiga platform as a
whole, we have been buoyed by the support of Opus users, many of whom have
given us continual encouragement as well as much valuable feedback and
suggestions on future directions for Opus 5. 

Through your support Opus 5 has now become firmly established as the
premier workbench replacement and file management program for the Amiga.

Thanks!

With this new version we have attempted to return your loyalty with ongoing
support for the Amiga platform and a continuation of our development plan
for Opus 5.  We have also tried to add as many of your user suggestions as
possible which are consistent with the metaphor of Opus.

We hope you will enjoy the advanced features in this new version which we
call the Directory Opus 5 Magellan version. 

Summary of Enhancements:

The Magellan version is not just a simple upgrade but the product of 12
months of intensive development of many components of the Opus 5 system and
enthusiastic testing by our beta testers.  This version gives you many new
features with superior useability especially in Workbench Replacement
Mode(tm) with greater control over icons, actions on and with icons, plus
many new features such as Start Menus, extra popup sticky menus and new
background images to name but a few.

After extensive testing we have also improved the compatibility with
Workbench and other Amiga programs with in-built support for the NewIcons
system, better Cybergraphics support, faster icon layout, dragging and
display routines and so on.  A rewritten OpusFTP module complements these
changes and not only gives you up to five times faster access to the
Internet but now has a full GUI for the Address Book and operational
parameters.

New features include:-
. Enhanced Lister functionality including:-
. Command functions can now act on icon mode listers; 
. New popup menus;
. Optional Space Gauge showing free space on drives 
. Inline Editing for Name mode listers
. Enhanced Opus FTP including:-
. New GUI Address book
. New GUI for configuration system
. Up to 5 times faster access with less memory usage
. Individual directory cache exclusive to each FTP Lister
. Optional idle timer 
. Auto index download for AmiNet index files.
. A new integrated system of Start Menus.
. New Desktop Folder mechanism:- Drag and drop items to the desktop with the
   support of optional popup menus
. New Icon Positioning system:- Configure areas where icons will appear and
   their priority.
. Global control of icon labels and icon borders.
. Direct byte-for-byte copy of icons.
. Icon label splitting for long labels.
. New Icon Command function for special "command" files.
. New Icon Information requester with extensive popup options.
. Faster icon dragging routines.
. Use traditional Workbench icon positions for icons or exclusive Opus
   positioning.
. New Popup menus with shadow look.
. New Environment GUIs for greater control over Opus configurations.
. Cybergraphics support for dragging icons and general display speed with
   full 24 bit backdrops.
. Integrated NewIcons support not just for icons but for all system images
   including graphic button banks.
. Improved compatibility with MUI, DataTypes, MCP and a number of other
   programs.
. New environment variables to allow you to customise Opus functionality
   even more.
. Rewritten Text Viewer for faster access and better scrolling especially on
   Cybergraphics screens.
. New Filetypes including ability to match on disks.
. New Scripts system of disk inserted/disk notification gives control over
   new disks or newly mounted remote file systems.
. New Command Functions plus enhanced Argument Variables.
. Buttons/Images: Full NewIcon image support plus more support for image and
   animation file formats including DPaintV/PPaint AnimBrushes.
. Groups: Can now contain icon-less items plus you may now add left-out
   commands to groups.
. New ARexx commands.
. More than 40 new callback hooks for easier user programming of Opus

Availability 

The Directory Opus 5 Magallan version will be on demonstration and
available for purchase direct from us on the Wizard/GPSoftware stand at the
World of Amiga show at the Novotel in London May 17/18.

We apologise!  Our priority has been to get this new Magellan version ready
and available for the WoA show so as to show off new Amiga developments.
So I just have not had time to notify existing users.  All registered users
will be notified by mail with a special upgrade offer sometime around the
start of June. 

NOTE: Because of show schedules and resulting time and travel delays,
stocks of the Directory Opus 5 Magellan version will most likely not be
available for sale from main distributors apart from Wizard until
approximately end of May or early June. 

Check out Opus Magellan's New Features from our web page:-

-- 
Regards, Dr Greg Perry
GPSoftware, PO Box 570, Ashgrove, Brisbane, Australia 4060
Phone/Fax +61 7 33661402
Email:zzgperry@mailbox.uq.oz.au
URL:http://www.livewire.com.au/gpsoft

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