SPLASH! - The VGA Paint Program
                         Copyright 1989 David Batterson


     The SPLASH! VGA paint program has been out for more than a year, but I'm
just now getting around to reviewing it.
     There is such a cornucopia of paint programs today.  All of them are
basically the same, the main differences being the menus and icons they use.
     SPLASH!, however, was designed specifically for VGA monitors; it will not
work with CGA or EGA.  It makes use of VGA mode 13 (320x200 pixel resolution),
with 256 colors out of a palette of 256,000.
     First off, you'll need 640K RAM.  SPLASH! doesn't support LIM EMS 4.0
(Lotus/Intel/Microsoft Expanded Memory Specification 4.0).  A mouse is also
required, as there are no keyboard commands, except for a few Function keys.
     Your mouse must be a Microsoft Mouse Ver. 6.1 or higher (or any compatibles);
earlier versions will not work.
     The first thing you notice about SPLASH! are the unique icons, quite
different from other paint programs.  For instance, the "undo" or "oops" icon
is a circle with a slash through it.
     Instead of a "paste" command, you select the stamp icon (which looks like
a rubber stamp).  The realistic-looking Air Brush is the spray paint device.
You "fill" with the Paint Bucket (icon with paint pouring out of a can.
     Other icons, such as circle, rectangle, eraser and text, look about the
same as other paint programs.  There are more different brush shapes (called
tips) including geometric shapes than you would expect.  An abundance of
patterns are also available.
     SPLASH! has so many features that I still haven't used all of them.  They
include the usual (like flipping images or stretching them), to merging, use of
an alternate canvas, swapping colors, and overlaying/underlaying objects.  You
can also easily create 3-D effects by dragging images around.
     Included are sample SPLASH! ART files, some of which are quite impressive.
When you look at them while standing back from your monitor, it's like looking
at a 35mm slide show.  Color saturation, hue, and depth are excellent.
     SPLASH! saves files in a proprietary .SS format (or .ST for "stamped"
images).  However, you can also save them in the .PCX (PC Paintbrush ) and .TIF
(TIFF, scanner) formats, for importing into PageMaker and Ventura Publisher.
However, you cannot load images in the .PCX or .TIF formats.
     The program is configured to work with the ComputerEyes video digitizer.  
It does not support other digitizers or scanners at this time.
     Probably the biggest disappointment in using a high-resolution color paint
program is when you decide to print.  Most of us don't have color printers, so
your glorious colors are reduced to boring gray tones on paper.
     SPLASH! does work with the HP PaintJet Color Graphics Printer, as well as
with most dot matrix and HP LaserJet (or compatible) printers.  It doesn't
support PostScript printers; hopefully that will be changed soon.
     SPLASH! has a list price of $99.95, with street price much less.  Contact
Spinnaker Software, One Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA  02139; 800-826-0706;
617-494-1200.
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     David Batterson reviews PC hardware and software on a regular basis.
Contact him via MCI Mail: 273-7218.