Welcome to Smart Alarms version 8. The original, and still the most complete and easy-to-use reminder system for the Macintosh.
Smart Alarms is a personal reminder system that lets you set up to 1600 reminders, each with its own message. Your reminders will appear any time your Macintosh is switched on, whatever application you are using. You do not have to take any special action to receive reminders.
Smart Alarms is like an infallible personal secretary. With Smart Alarms, you can be sure you never miss appointments, always remember people's birthdays and pay your bills on time. You will get a new reputation for returning people's calls when you say you will!
This version incorporates thousands of user requests and suggestions, since the first version in 1985. There is now a Calendar window, where you can drag and drop your reminders from one day to another. Using the new "button console", you can navigate in the calendar window as easily as you can play and rewind a tape recorder.
Smart Alarms is NOT intended to be a group scheduling program. It is simply (and always was) designed to be the best reminder program ever made.
Smart Alarms 8 requires that you have at least a Macintosh Plus, with System software version 6.0.2 or later (including system 7). If you have System 7, you can use balloon help. Smart Alarms 8 also supports remote paging through Notify!™, by using Apple Events.
To install Smart Alarms 8, just drag the "Smart Alarms 8" icon onto your System Folder icon. Then restart your Macintosh. During the startup process, the smart alarms installation icon will appear at the bottom of your screen, indicating that Smart Alarms has been successfully loaded:
(If instead you get some beeps, and this icon:
then Smart Alarms has detected a problem. An alert will tell you what's wrong.)
If you have a previous version of Smart Alarms, there is no need to remove the old version before installing Smart Alarms 8. Smart Alarms 8 will remove your old version automatically. In addition, Smart Alarms 8 will make a backup copy of your old Reminders file, and convert your old reminders file to version 8.0 format. (Note: this does not apply if you have an illegal version of Smart Alarms, such as the so-called "Smart Alarms 7")
If you are installing Smart Alarms 8 for the very first time, and installation is successful, you will soon get your "welcome" reminder. This reminder was set for you in advance. The features of this dialog will be explained below, under "Getting reminders". When it appears, just click on the "Thanks, I've dealt with it" radio button, and then the "OK" button. That will dispose of this reminder for good.
To remove Smart Alarms 8 permanently, just drag the "Smart Alarms 8" icon back out of your System Folder (or Extensions folder). (If you are using System 7 drag the other "Smart Alarms 8" icon out of your "Apple Menu Items" folder as well.) Then restart your Macintosh. Smart Alarms will not appear in your apple menu, and reminders will not occur. (However, your reminders file will remain intact.)
To remove Smart Alarms temporarily, just hold down the keys "S" and "A" while the Macintosh starts up. The Smart Alarms icon will appear with a cross through it:
to show you that Smart Alarms 8 has not loaded. (You can instead hold down the mouse button, but this may stop some of your other system extensions ("INITs") from loading as well.) (Smart Alarms 8 may still appear in your apple menu, but reminders will not occur until you next restart your Macintosh.
Smart Alarms 8 is activated from the Apple menu. Once you are in Smart Alarms 8, there is complete on-line help (System 7 only). To learn how to use Smart Alarms 8, simply activate Smart Alarms 8 from the Apple menu. Then choose "Show Balloons" from the help menu.
Enjoy!
John R. McMullen
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*Smart Alarms 8 is the only copy authorized by the author and legal owner of the copyright. Versions published by JAM Software since June 1993 are unauthorized forgeries.
