Installation And Settings

Simply insert the Internet Counter CD into your CD-Rom drive and follow the steps of the very nice Windows Installer wizard. One reboot later you're ready to use the Internet Counter.

Starting and GUI

The Internet Counter automatically starts with Windows 98SE. It takes place in the tray notification area. Before using it you have to configure it to specify what kind of Internet provider you use and what kind of subscription you've got. It's very easy to do due to the wizard that helps you.

Features

Once you've correctly setup the Internet Counter - each time you'll connect you to the net using different providers via Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator - the tray icon of the net counter will flick and monitor the time you spend surfing the web. You'll be amazed by the time you lost surfing the web ;-). The Internet Counter can display on your screen, if enabled, the length of your connection and the price you have to pay in phone. As it supports brand new fixed price subscriptions that include limited phone costs it'll deduct the time you spend on the web from the time you're entitled and display a warning message before your fixed price will exhaust and once it's finished. After it'll obviously count the hour price your provider demands. Hopefully you can now update easily the price database of the Internet Counter simply by pushing a button: it'll instantly check and retrieve available updates from the 'Net. Great isn't it? As it's smart software all your Internet connections will be tracked and saved in a wonderful table that you'll be able to save, print and consult each time you need it. You'll also be able to sort your Internet connection history depending of the provider or of the month you want to see. The print feature of this Internet connection history is very complete as you can have a preview of it. Finally the "anti-crash" will regularly save your Internet consumption in order to remember it if a crash occurs on your computer.

User friendly features

You can also launch from the Internet counter, the windows Internet, modem, phone, network and remote access settings Windows. As written above you can also launch the Internet connection of your choice directly from the contextual menu of the net counter tray icon. Very useful!.

Security Features

The Internet counter offers some advanced security features that will protect your internet dialup connections with a secondary password. You can also prevent the removing of existing dialup connections and protect the settings of the Internet counter.

Final Comments

How It Grades
		Setup: 95% Features: 80% Efficiency: 90% Cost: 85% Ease of use: 80% Overall: ~86%

The Internet Counter 4 Gold is very good software for a reasonable price. It provides advanced features that'll help Internet users to manage efficiently their phone/provider bills. It works great and as it's often updated with the latest provider prices it won't become obsolete. There's only one thing missing in this software: a save feature to backup your Internet consumption before reformatting the hard disk or using the same connection on a laptop. So for those of you, who haven't got an unlimited time connection, let's go ahead and buy it here.