PC WORLD SIMedit! 2.0 - SIM Cards for GSM under MS Windows Stanislav Borecký, TestCentrum IDG When I began to prepare the SIMedit review from the Prague company Compelson several months ago, I was supposed to deal only with version 1.0. Apart from a SIM card reader and a small card version converter, the product consisted of a program for the MS-DOS operating system. Already then, I mentioned a new version for MS Windows. The company has put a great deal of further work in the beta version and SIMedit! 2.0 is the result, this time only for MS Windows 95/NT. The new version offers more choices for customers at the same low price - 3 990 Kc incl. VAT. They may decide between a version with a SIM card reader with the MS-DOS program and an MS Windows version. Upgrades are available to those who have already purchased Version 1.0 for 1 000 Kc incl. VAT. The small SIM card converter is also on special for 350 Kc incl. VAT. Of course, the major difference between the original SIMedit! Version lies in the interface. When started, you should not expect a traditional look of MS Windows applications. It looks more like a programmer's tool. The environment of the main application only consists of the upper part of the window, which, besides the menu, consists of a bar with icons (obr.1). The actual windows you work with can be opened as desired. The main purpose of the program is editing of items saved on SIM cards for GSM telephones. The "edit address book" feature will probably be the most frequently used one. With SIMedit! 2.0, you can edit up to three address books at a time in independent windows (obr.2). Apart from editing and reorganizing of your data according to various criteria, you can use the drag&drop technique to move data between address books. So, you can easily combine data from previously saved address books, which means that address book contents can be saved on a disk or loaded. Data is saved in standard text files with a tab as a division character. This is why it is easy to import address book information from other applications, such as various organizers, databases etc. If your address book contains many items (up to 250 entries in an address book), you will surely appreciate its search feature. You can also replace strings with new ones and determine whether the searched string is in names, numbers, prefixes etc. Considering the features and procedures for entering of numbers for GSM telephones, you may enter numbers with or without a prefix. If you call a trunk number, a zero is included or the complete numbers are entered, including an appropriate international dialing code. Of course, an address book modified in such a way can be used abroad. To make adding of international dialing codes easier, you can use the "Add Prefix" service or the "Internationalization" tool from the program menu. The first of the options only adds an appropriate number before the current entry in the address book (+420 for CR), while the second option removes the initial zero from a trunk number and adds an international dialing code. In both instances, the features make data manipulation much easier, because few GSM phone users enter full numbers, including international dialing codes when making the first entry in the SIM card memory. Among other features, you will find a feature that loads or saves edited data on a SIM card. Nearly the same holds for SMS messages. They are saved in a special area with ten memory places. To edit entry groups you use the second version of working windows (obr.3) with features nearly identical to the previously tested DOS version. The difference lies in the "three windows at a time" feature. You can edit and save received, read, ready to be sent and sent messages. Standard parameters can be set - recipient numbers, SMS center numbers, for messages to be sent their validity etc. As in the case of address books, you can save SMS contents on a disk as text files. By doing so you can have several sets of SMS messages ready to be sent. The last tool applies to SIM cards. Using appropriate menu items you can enter required PINs in order to gain access to a card to perform editing. Also, you may view card parameters. Besides this, a SIM card backup feature is available. SIMedit! 2.0 is undoubtedly a great leap in the area of editing of data saved on GSM phone SIM cards. It offers its users a familiar MS Windows environment. It is easy to use, the drag&drop technique is also enabled. The feature enabling editing of several address books simultaneously is one of the most significant - active GSM communication users will find that using of more address books is very effective, they may even choose to write only current data on their SIM card. The same holds for SMS messages. And finally, backup of data saved on a SIM card is an extremely important feature, as in the case of PCs, because for some users the loss of data may be equal to a disaster. Plus/minus: + Editing of several address books + Automatic internationalization + SIM card backup +/- Upgrade price SIMedit! 2.0 Consists of: A universal reader of SIM cards a SIMEdit! 2.0 program an optional converter for small SIM cards Provided by: COMPELSON Trade, s.r.o. Manufactured by: http://www.compelson.com