Picview

Picview
Release date	3 December 2023
Type	Program
Creator	Peter Teffelgren
Language	English
Command	picview
Controls
↑/↓ Move selection cursor ⏎ Select option/file

Picview is a utility software that can be downloaded and run on the Mikropekka computer at home. The program is found on the Con-Line BBS's filesharing listing at a download size of 711 kilobytes (taking 9 minutes 52 seconds to download at the highest baud rate of 9600).

The program is a rudimentary RS-POS-based image viewer designed to display any images saved onto the computer's hard drive, as images cannot simply be opened directly through the computer's RS-POS command prompt despite appearing in dir lists. To view images, Picview must first be loaded through the command prompt, taking the player to the main menu where they are given the option to "Open File" or exit the program. The Open File option will load a list of downloaded images, from which the player can then select and view individually. Pressing ⏎ while an image is displayed will bring the player back to the image list. The "..." option on top of the image list returns the player to the main menu.

The program was added to allow players to specifically view a series of downloadable "skanni" JPG files also found on the Con-Line BBS filesharing list.

Trivia

• The third-party image viewers that Picview drew inspiration from were formerly necessary during the early-to-mid 1990s as DOS-based systems, still common in the era, did not have dedicated means to open and display image files, in comparison to contemporary GUI-based operating systems. Such programs typically feature at least an image browsing tool as well as the image viewer itself.
• Picview is currently the only non-game software to be offered on the Con-Line BBS filesharing list.
• As indicated by the title bar of the program, this copy of Picview is copyrighted by Peter Teffelgren in 1993 and is on version 0.7, allowing support for a 640x480 (VGA) resolution standard and 8-bit (256) colour.
• Picview's user interface seems to be inspired by GAZE, developed by Jan Lönnberg.