One step or six? That's your biggest decision when creating a Web site with Asymetrix WebPublisher. You can choose the one-step QuickPage option for an instant home page, or a six-step procedure that lets you create a multipage site without any knowledge of HTML or layout design.

In the MultiPage option, you first choose from 20 sets of professionally created theme templates. The templates include headers, banners, buttons, backgrounds and other Java-powered graphics. The subsequent steps include choosing page layouts and font styles, creating hyperlinks and adding graphics. For the final step, WebPublisher transfers your pages to your Internet service provider or Web server.

The program walks you through the steps, and you can preview your page at any time. WebPublisher renders the page title bar in 3-D text.

To add text, just type on the screen or paste from other documents. You can import any .BMP, .GIF or .JPG graphics. WebPublisher also helps you easily modify your site once it's up.

$79
Asymetrix Corp.
800-448-6543, 206-462-0501

You've heard of one-stop shopping. Well, Web Commander is a one-stop selling package for doing business on the Internet. Web Commander consists of multimedia Web-page creation software, templates for forms to capture customer information, an e-mail server and search engines. The program's site-authoring tools include WebStudio HTML authoring software, WebPage wizards for home page construction and a WebMap image map editor.

The program monitors your site, reporting on activity and other statistics, such as the number of files downloaded, server errors and the sites where users can access your server. The 32-bit product runs only on Windows 95 and NT.

Windows 95 version, $129; NT version, $249
Luckman Interactive
800-711-2676, 213-614-0966

InContext Spider 1.2 offers a simple way to use complex Web tools. The updated version provides one-button publishing, supports Java and includes Macromedia Shockwave animation clip samples. With one click, you can post your pages on any Internet service provider. Spider 1.2 also lets you insert digital video, sound, VRML and Java Script into your Web pages. You can create and modify pages without HTML programming. The program includes more than 30 sample Web pages.

$79
InContext Corp.
800-263-0127, 416-922-2515

MIMEsweeper 2.3 adds security to your e-mail beyond scanning for viruses. The new version of the Windows NT-based program prevents important company information from being e-mailed, adds legal disclaimers, and limits the receipt of junk mail, chain letters and large attachments. To prevent the sending of confidential mail, MIMEsweeper searches messages for key words or phrases and can stop files like CAD documents from being mailed as attachments.

25-user license, $995; 1,000 users, $7,000
Integralis
800-982-6109, 206-889-4724

3D FaxPal is a personal fax server that receives and stores faxes even when your computer is off. It combines an external fax modem card and memory chipset that ships standard with 512KB of RAM-enough to store about 20 faxed pages. 3D FaxPal lets you transmit faxes at 14.4Kbps and receive at 9.6Kbps. It measures 1.6 by 5.2 by 5.2 inches and weighs 13 ounces.

$169
InfoImaging Technologies
800-966-1140, 415-960-0100

FaxFacts is a faster way to direct mail. It consists of two apps: Graphical Cover Sheet and FaxFacts Mail Merge. With the cover sheet, you can accommodate graphics, text and variable fields. Mail Merge allows you to attach additional documents before fax transmission. FaxFacts also includes network faxing, laser-printed faxes and inbound fax-routing options.

$5,000
Copia International
800-689-8898, 708-682-8898