Frequently Asked Questions

Ah, the ever-popular FAQs page. This page is where you will find the world's most sought-after answers to life's most perplexing questions. (Well, sort of. For example, we refuse to answer the age-old question, "If a tree falls in the forest when no one is around, do the other trees make fun of it?") Take a look at our list of questions, and if you still can't find what you're looking for, just ask!

Table of Contents

• Is it safe to use my credit card online?
• What if I don't want to use my credit card?
• What if I need help downloading or installing?

• Why does it say "Payment processing by Emetrix"?
• What is the checkout process like?
• What if I decide I don't like a software product?
• Why is the sky blue?

• How do I know if a file is safe to download?
• What is a "self-extracting executable file"?
• What is a "ZIP archive" file?
• What if I find a problem with a program?

• Why does the home page link say "just like Ronnie sang"?
• Can I put a link to your website on mine?
• Can I use one of your Soapbox articles on my website?

• How do I listen to audio samples?
• What does the "ASP Developer Member" logo mean?
• What does the "PAD Enabled" logo mean?
• What is a PAD file?

• How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck
could chuck wood?
• What is Microsoft DirectX?
• How do I install DirectX?

Is it safe to use my credit card online?

The simple answer to this question is: Yes, as long as you are careful. WaveBreak Software ensures your safety by handling all of our payment processing through Emetrix, a member of the Digital River family, trusted global leaders in online software sales.

If you would like more information, please refer to our Soapbox article entitled: "Is It Safe to Buy Software Online?"

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What if I don't want to use my credit card?

No problem! Each of our software products can also be ordered by mail with a personal check or money order. Just look for the "mail-order form" link on the product information page that you are interested in, click it, print it, fill it out, and send it to us along with your payment. Your software will then be sent to you on a CD-ROM. (Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.)

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What if I need help downloading or installing?

We have provided a complete downloading and installation guide for our software, for both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator. Click here to read it. And if you need more help, our Support Department is only a mouse click away!

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Why does it say "Payment processing by Emetrix"?

This statement is located to the left, under the list of credit cards we are able to accept. Emetrix is a part of the Digital River family, a global leader in online software sales, and we have chosen to work with them to handle all of our credit card processing because of their excellent reputation for safe and easy downloads and transactions, so you can rest easy making online purchases from our software store.

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What is the checkout process like?

The WaveBreak Software checkout process has been designed to be both easy to use and 100% secure. The process involves only three steps: 1) Confirm the product(s) you want to purchase. 2) Enter your payment information into our secure web page. 3) Review and submit your order, and you are finished! Following this, you will receive an email containing a download link to your brand new, fully-registered software. It couldn't be any simpler!

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What if I decide I don't like a software product?

We offer the following 100% Satisfaction Guarantee: If you decide that you don't like a software product within 30 days of purchase, you are entitled to receive a refund of the full purchase price. (Per our standard software license agreement, you are required to terminate the agreement by certifying in writing that all copies of the software have been destroyed. Your refund will be sent after we receive this information.) Just write to our Support Department to get the process started.

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Why is the sky blue?

Scientists tell us that the sky takes on its familiar blue coloration due to the refraction and reflection of light off of tiny particles, such as dust, pollen, and water vapor, which are quite abundant in the earth's atmosphere. Of course, we all know the real reason that the sky is blue: If it were green, we wouldn't know where to stop mowing.

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How do I know if a file is safe to download?

This topic is thoroughly addressed in the last section of our Soapbox article entitled "Why Don't I Just Use Free Software?" Read it and be enlightened!

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What is a "self-extracting executable file"?

A self-extracting executable is not, as its name implies, a primitive device used to withdraw confessions from low-life criminals. Rather, it is a miracle of modern computing that allows an entire software program to be squeezed into a tiny package. Such a tiny package can be downloaded relatively quickly and then opened, unpacked, and installed on your computer in virtually no time at all. What will they think of next?!

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What is a "ZIP archive" file?

A ZIP archive file is similar to the self-extracting EXE file described above. However, the poor ZIP file is not quite as advanced as its self-extracting cousin: In order to unpack and install software in a ZIP file, you must have some sort of "un-zip" software (such as WinZip) to do the dirty work for you. It is mostly only advanced computer users that are interested in ZIP files, as they often contain additional technical information about the software. The rest of us can simply continue to enjoy self-extracted beauty in all of its natural splendor.

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What if I find a problem with a program?

All computer programs experience a few little glitches or bugs from time to time. (Anyone out there using Microsoft Windows?) If you should happen to discover such a problem with one of our programs, we want to hear about it! Scattered throughout our site, you will find "bug report" links, like the one below. Just click on it to send us a quick note about your discovery. We will be most appreciative!

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Why does the home page link say "just like Ronnie sang"?

Well, as explained in our About Us page, the members of our development team are what you might call "children of the eighties". If you are also a child of the eighties, you will probably recognize the phrase "just like Ronnie sang" from the song "Take Me Home Tonight" by Eddie Money. (In case you are wondering, Mr. Money was referring to Ronnie Spector, who sang the backup line, "Be my little baby".) And if you look carefully, you will notice that there a few more classic 80s references on our website. Happy hunting!

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Can I put a link to your website on mine?

Please contact us and get permission before placing any links to our site.

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Can I use one of your Soapbox articles on my website?

All of the content on our website, including the Soapbox articles, is copyrighted material. You may not place a copy of them on a website or anywhere else. If you would like to link to one of our articles, please ask for permission before doing so.

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How do I listen to audio samples?

On some of our product information pages, you will find audio samples. In most cases, just clicking on the samples will cause them to open and be played automatically by your web browser. If your computer is not set up to do this, then you will need to download the file by right-clicking and then save it so that you can open it from an audio player, such as Windows Media Player.

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What does the "ASP Developer Member" logo mean?

This logo (in the lower-left corner of the page) means that WaveBreak Software is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals. The ASP is a professional organization dedicated to promoting and assisting with the "try-before-you-buy" software distribution method. This logo ensures that you are dealing with a fair and professional company dedicated to providing top-quality software, secure transactions, and excellent customer service. Look for it every time you buy software on the Internet.

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What does the "PAD Enabled" logo mean?

The "PAD Enabled" logo (in the lower-right corner of the page) indicates that we use the Portable Application Description format developed and maintained by the ASP (see above). The PAD specification is simply a collection of information that is used by a number of software distribution sites on the Internet to speed up the process of indexing all of the available software on the web.

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What is a PAD file?

A PAD file is a special document in XML format (eXtensible Markup Language, for those who are curious) that contains a wealth of information about a particular piece of software. PAD stands for Portable Application Description, and it helps software authors provide product descriptions and specifications to online sources in a standard way, using a compact format that allows webmasters and program librarians to automatically update their listings. For more information, see the PAD section of the ASP website.

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How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Science has long disputed over this extremely difficult question. Some scientists have reasoned that a woodchuck could chuck a quantity of wood approximately equal to the amount of dirt which they chuck while digging their burrows, which averages around 35 cubic feet. On the other hand, other respected individuals argue that woodchucks are simply incapable of chucking wood, and therefore the question is irrelevant.

Of course, science changes its mind on things every day, so the world may never know. For the time being, we will simply have to settle for the general answer, "If a woodchuck could chuck wood, a woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could chuck." (Note: If you want to raise a heated debate among scientists, you can also bring up the subject of the real identity of the "she" who sells seashells by the seashore.)

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What is Microsoft DirectX?

In the early days of computing, producing any sort of real-time animation or computer game for Microsoft Windows was pretty much a nightmare. There were all kinds of video cards, sound cards, and hardware configurations, and all of them worked just a little bit differently. What this meant was that a programmer either had to study and design his program for all of the possible configurations or limit the program to a select few. On top of this, Windows generally tended to run things pretty slow. For this reason, there were very few games made for Windows 3.1 and earlier.

In time (what many programmers thought was as a very long time), the Microsoft company began to realize that this was a severe limitation of the Windows system. So, they came up with DirectX. This was a dream come true for video game programmers. DirectX provided a standard way to interact with all kinds of hardware, so the programmer no longer had to worry about such things.

DirectX also gave the program more control over the Windows system, which allowed programs to run faster. That is why, from Windows 95 and beyond, the vast majority of multimedia PC software (including all screensavers and games from WaveBreak Software!) have been designed to use DirectX under Microsoft Windows.

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How do I install DirectX?

That's easy! Just go to our DirectX information page and follow the instructions there.

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Our Software:

Swan Lake: Watch graceful swans swim in a lovely mountain lake.

ProSaver: Never give up your favorite screensavers again!