PC GAMER AUGUST 1998 CD README FILE
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It's that time again -- time for another jolt of pure Gaming Goodness! We've got a
ton of great stuff for you on this month's CD. Summertime was never more fun!

As you may or may not know, our CD has recently received an overhaul, and we're taking
suggestions to make it even better. Write to "cd@pcgamer.com" with any comments you
might have. This CD is for you, so you might as well contribute! 

Along with a new front end, there may be some new problems for some people who have 
computer systems unlike what we have in the office to test on. So if you have any 
difficulties, please let us know. But remember -- we can't perform technical support
on any of the DEMOS, only on the front end itself. If you have problems reading the 
disc or it's damaged (in which case how are you reading this?) send some E-mail to
"subscribe@pcgamer.com." Make sure you include your name and address! 

We've also launched a new support site. If you're having difficulties with the front
end, or you want to know what the latest and greatest information is about The CD, 
point your web browser to www.pcgamer.com/static/magazine/cdsupport.shtml

Here are a few things to note about this month's CD:

DIRECTX 5.0

Some of you still aren't reading the Disc Pages! If you try playing a demo, and you 
receive the error message, "Cannot find DINPUT.DLL," it means you need to install the 
latest version of DirectX. Currently, it's version 5.2. You can do this by choosing to 
install DirectX 5.0 through our front end, or install it manually by running the 
DX5ENG.EXE file in the \DIRECTX directory on The CD. Also, pay attention to the 
requirement boxes for each demo in the Disc Pages. It will list whether or not the demo 
requires DirectX. Remember, folks, READ THE DISC PAGES! That's what they're there for!


FRONT END STUFF

Our new front end is designed to be easy to use and very intuitive. However, you can
consult the Disc Pages in the the magazine for more information on how to use certain
buttons. A couple things to note:

MESSED UP PALETTE OR STRANGE COLORS

The front end is created to run under 256 colors, but not all palettes are created 
equal. If you see distorted colors or otherwise ugly graphics, change your color
depth to 16-bit color. You can do this under the Control Panel, Display. Choose the 
Settings tab, and under Color Palette, select High Color (16-bit). 

LOAD TIMES

Because it's a new front end, we're not too sure what load times will be on different
machines. If you experience serious difficulty, or the audio is simply way out of sync,
please let us know. You can write to us at "cd@pcgamer.com" The front end will only
improve with your input!

Remember, you can always bypass our front end all together by manually installing the
demos, as described on pages 8 and 9 in the magazine.


GENERAL CD STUFF

We've gotten quite a few reports of high-speed CD-ROM drives having difficulty 
reading our CDs. We're not sure why yet, but we're working on it. This issue's CD was
created using different software than the last six issues. So if you had problems,
let us know if this CD works better for you. Please E-mail us at mwolf@pcgamer.com if
your problems go away with this issue. However, if it still doesn't work, and you think
it might be a damaged CD, you can get a replacement CD from "subscribe@pcgamer.com"


TECHNICAL SUPPORT

If you have any difficulties with any of the demos on The CD, please contact the 
manufacturer of the demo. The technical support numbers for each publisher are listed
on The CD, as well as in the Disc Pages. These demos are culled from a variety of
independent sources, and we provide them "as is." We can't even guarantee that every
demo will run on your system. If you have problems, contact the manufacturers -- they
know more about their product than we do.

However, if you're having problems with the front end itself, (like video not playing,
or lack of sound), you can send in a report by going to our support site at 
www.pcgamer.com/static/magazine/cdsupport.shtml
Fill out the form, and we'll try to get a response to you as soon as possible. For 
Customer Service inquiries, like renewing a subscription or getting back issues, 
you can write or call the numbers listed below:

Customer Service
PO Box 51199
Boulder, CO 80322
subscribe@pcgamer.com
(800) 898-7159

Remember, all other inquiries should be directed to our support site at 
www.pcgamer.com/static/magazine/cdsupport.shtml.

Thanks for trying out this month's CD! 

  Michael Wolf            William Harms
  Disc Editor          Assistant Disc Editor