Updated: 12/05/04
PROWESS is the Progs Window Manager system, a new user environment for the QL with pointer environment. It contains all the system extensions from PROGS and is essential to run program which need these extensions - some software from PROGS themselves, or the Paragraph word processor for example. The Prowess package includes a HTML reader, a system for automatically installing programs onto your system and even a database engine based on the famous Data Design package from PROGS, and the ProForma package which provides vector fonts on your system. Best of all, Prowess itself is free to use - it's distributed under the GNU General Public Licence.
There's quite a lot of software connected to Prowess, so I thought it best to link to Joachim van der Auwera's website from where you can download the latest versions and access both information and other program package downloads. You can also access the source code and programming information if you'd like to get involved with that side of things. The site address is http://www.progs.be - that page also includes a link to their FTP site for downloading software.
I've included a minimal set of files for download here. In addition, some program demo versions are available on the Demo Versions page, and fonts for use with ProForma, Line Design etc are available from the Fonts page.
pws.zip - download and unzip this onto a HD disk and boot using that disk. You can then use the automatic installation (636K)
pfdata.zip - print Data Design files using Prowess and Proforma using the PFdata program (9K)
parag107.zip - Paragraph v1.07 by Francois Lanciault. A pointer driven Prowess based word processor from Canada. Version 1 is freely distributable, but registering gets you an enhanced version 2 of the program. Version 2 may be purchased from Q-Branch in England (78K)