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<<< TANKMINDER FOR WINDOWS VER 1.2 Bulletin - Updated 2/20/96>>>
Please be sure that you read and understand this ENTIRE NOTICE prior to
installing and using TANKMINDER FOR WINDOWS!
DISCLAIMER and WARRANTY
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shareware Disclaimer and Warranty
The author makes no warranty of any kind, expressed or implied,
including without limitation, any warranties of merchantability and/or
fitness for a particular purpose. The author shall not be liable for any
damages, whether direct, indirect, special or consequential arising from
a failure of this program to operate in the manner desired by the user.
The author shall not be liable for any damage to data or property which
may be caused directly or indirectly by use of the program.
IN NO EVENT WILL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DAMAGES,
INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE
PROGRAM, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY OTHER PARTY.
Tankminder for Windows - General Notes, Last Minute Additions, and
General Info:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This document contains important information regarding the usage of
Tankminder for Windows.
Be sure to take a moment and read ALL of the information contained here
(there will be a quiz!) BEFORE using the system.
Version 1.2 - IMPORTANT NOTICE!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The release of Tankminder for Windows is version 1.2. It has gone through
quite a bit of testing and is considered to be fully-functional. However,
as with any software, it is impossible to test for every condition, and
problems may occur.
If you encounter a problem, please report it, with as much detail as you
possibly can, to Tanksoft - either via our Customer support BBS, by regular
U.S mail, or EMAIL at the CompuServe, Prodigy, or Internet id's provided
at the bottom of this document.
Please include:
Your machine, make, model
Windows Version (Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT, OS/2 Warp, etc)
Memory and disk space, both installed and available.
Windows free memory available and % of free resources
(you can find this out by selecting "About Program Manager"
from the HELP menu under Program Manager)
Exactly WHAT you were doing (or trying to do) and as much as you
can about what your were doing immediately BEFORE it happened
(please be SPECIFIC - down to the keystroke or mouse click if
possible)
A screen print, or the text of any error messages produced.
You can forward this and any other pertinent information to the BBS or
the addresses shown below for our PRODIGY or COMPU-SERVE id's.
========================================================================
Version 1.2 - Enhancements and fixes from version 1.1
- More Freshwater support - Both Fantasy Tank and Quick compatability
now support compatability checking for freshwater animals
- New drop down list of scheduled tasks on the main window lets you
see not just the next scheduled task, but the next 10 after that one
- New "Tankminder Tip of the Day" supplies a daily fishkeeping or
Tankminder-related piece of advice. This can be turned off by checking
the check box - "show tips on startup".
- Maintenance Schedule generation now allows entry of a date range - so
schedules can be generated or printed for a limited time.
- Print formatting on Schedule generation now works better and more
effectively. The correct number and type of entries now print.
- Windows 95 registered users, with a "K" in their name, sometimes got
"external update detected" messages. This has been corrected.
- A bunch of other little stuff.
========================================================================
Version 1.1 - Enhancements and fixes from version 1.0
- More Freshwater support - new drop down list boxes for freshwater
animals are now in the Livestock section.
- A new selection on the Tank setup screen lets you enter what type of
water is in the tank. This water type is then used to present the
correct list of animals to you when you add animals to that tank.
- "Smartlists" - now dropdown animal lists "remember" when you add
animals that aren't on the list and show them the next time the list is
displayed.
- "Scattergram" graph type now added - so you can graph without taking
every mesurement every time.
- support for Color printing of graphs
- Incorporated a new version of Microsoft's JET database engine for
improved performance.
- Printing problem where printing the livestock log would result in an
"error in database dll".
- Improved setup/install/upgrade software now generates a log of EXACTLY
what files were installed. The file name is TMWINST.LOG
- Upgraded Crystal Reports printing engine - with existing version backup
- Expanded hypertext help - context sensitive topics now exist for each
of the water quality measurements.
- Numerous small bug fixes and a whole buch of other little stuff that I
can't remember now - you'll find them.
========================================================================
TANKMINDER FOR WINDOWS INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are UPGRADING... we recommend you backup your existing sofware and
particularly your TM.MDB file - JUST IN CASE! (It's a good idea to do it
on a regular basis anyway - you never know)
Installing from a floppy disk:
1) Be sure to read this ENTIRE readme before installing Tankminder for
Windows!
2) Insert Disk 1 of the installation disks into the "A" drive
3) In Windows, Click on the "File" option on the Program Manager Menu
Bar. Under the File option,choose "Run"
NOTE: Windows 95 users, Choose "Start", Control Panel, Click on
"Add new Programs" and follow the directions.
4) In the dialog box that appears, type A:\SETUP.EXE (note - if the
drive where you placed the installation disk is different, use that
drive letter instead - for example for a "B" drive, use "B:\SETUP.EXE).
5) The installation routine will prompt you for additional disks and
more information from that point until the installation is complete.
Once the installation is complete, the installation utility will create
a new program group on your Windows desktop with the Tankminder for
Windows icon.
RUNNING TANKMINDER FOR WINDOWS:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Be sure to read this ENTIRE readme before using Tankminder for
Windows!
2) Double-Click on the Tankminder for Windows icon as you would to start
any Windows application. The software will start, or else you should
receive a message explaining the problem.
BACKING UP DATA FILES:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
As with ANY software, you should ALWAYS back-up your data regularly.
Tankminder for Windows stores data in a file named TM.MDB. You can back-
up your tank data by copying this file to a floppy disk, or at a
minimum, to another location on your hard drive. This way, if these
files ever become corrupted, you can copy your back-ups to the
Tankminder for Windows directory. More information about the COPY
command is available in your DOS manual. Alternatively you can use the
Windows "File Manager" to backup this data.
REMEMBER - TANKMINDER FOR WINDOWS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A SUBSTITUTE
FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE! ALWAYS DOUBLE-CHECK ANY ANSWERS OBTAINED WITH
TANKMINDER FOR WINDOWS WITH YOUR FISH DEALER, OR VETERINARIAN.
ABOUT TANKMINDER FOR WINDOWS:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information contained in Tankminder for Windows is based on the
input of a number of aquarium keepers - both professional and amateur.
The vast majority of it's contents is common aquatic knowledge. However,
no system is perfect, or totally comprehensive. Nor could it be. In
developing this software a number of generalizations have been made,
particularly with regard to compatability and disease diagnosis. IT IS
VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU ALWAYS DOUBLE (OR EVEN TRIPLE) CONFIRM ANY
RESULTS YOU OBTAIN HERE WITH EITHER A VETERNARIAN WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH
FISH, OR AN EXPERIENCED FISH DEALER.
You dealer is probably one of your best sources of information. They
most likely sold you your equipment, as well as your animals, and are
hopefully familiar with both. Beware, however, of any dealer who always
seems to have the only solution to your problem "right here on the
shelf". Almost ALL of the most common aquatic problems can be both
prevented, and cured, by good aquarium husbandry practices. You should
SELDOM need to purchase new, additional, or expensive equipment or
additives, simply to cure a problem.
In addition, since you already have a computer, if you've got a modem,
you've already got access to a number of other great sources of aquatic
husbandry information (besides Tankminder for Windows, that is!).
- The TANKSOFT CUSTOMER SUPPORT BBS is continually updated and
will hopefully become a reference source for all types of aquarium and
fish-husbandry related information, software, and support. It is
available FREE OF CHARGE, 24 hours a day, at 215-822-6053. Feel
free to call and leave your ideas, opinions, questions, or anything else
you feel is relevent. As it continues to grow, we'll add to our collection
of articles, graphics, icons, shareware, and any other "fishy" computer
things we stumble across. And they're all available for you to download
for FREE!! Got product ideas or suggestions? We'd love to hear them, and
we've got a forum just for that purpose!
- The Internet and World Wide Web offer dozens (if not Hundreds) of
fish and aquarium related sites. For Starters - try ours - the "Tanksoft
Software Home Page" - at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/tanksoft
- The Internet also offers on-line aquarium conferences in it's
"Newsgroups" area. A very popular one is ALT.REC.AQUARIA
- The PRODIGY dial-up computer system has a very active electronic
bulletin board which specializes in fish-keeping. (While in Prodigy, use
the JUMP command to JUMP PETS BB). Every day dozens of questions and
notes are posted and answered by aquarists all over the country in areas
including Freshwater, Saltwater, and Marine Reef aquarium subjects. As
of this release, Prodigy charges a flat monthly fee for it's services
which includes several hours of bulletin board usage. Additional hours
are charged for accordingly.
- The COMPUSERVE system has a similar bulletin-board called,
appropriately enough, FISHNET. (While in CompuServe, type GO FISHNET to
access the forum). Fishnet has all types of information and conversation
on fish related subjects. Plus, it maintains a community library where
you can download articles, pictures, etc. (CompuServe currently charges
a flat monthly feeh for their BASIC service, but access to FISHNET is on
a "fee-per-hour" basis, in addition to the monthly BASIC fee.)
- America On-Line AOL has an active aquarium forum as well. Search using
the keyword "Aquarium".
- By the way, All of the above on-line services offer internet access,
so you not only get access to their particular areas, you get the vast
resources of the internet as well!
Start-up kits for Prodigy, CompuServe and AOL are available through
your local software dealer. But remember, YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME AT THE
TANKSOFT BBS! - and it's FREE!
HELP
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press the F1 key anywhere within Tankminder for Windows, and a help
panel will appear to explain every window in the system. This help is in
Microsoft Windows "Hyper-Help" format, and is "context sensitive" which
basically means that the system follows what your are doing, and tries
to give you help related to that subject. For example, if you're trying
to print, and don't know what the particular print options mean, F1 will
bring up an explanation of just what options are available from that
screen, as opposed to a huge list of help topics that you'd be forced to
wade through to find what you want. You should find it easier and faster
to use than "typical" helps.
GETTING AROUND
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Every screen in Tankminder for Windows simply involves using the mouse
to click on the options and choices you wish to make. Certain entries
will require text entry (like descriptions and comments), others can be
entered or selected simply by clicking. These use standard Windows
"Gadgets" and function similarly to most other Windows applications. For
more information, check your Microsoft Windows Users Guide.
REGISTRATION (oh BLESS YOU!)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
If this version of Tankminder is labeled as a "demo/evaluation" version,
it means it is distributed as "Shareware". This means that the software is
yours to "try it before you buy it". You can also make copies of it and
give them to others, subject to the rules displayed on the screen.
BUT......
You can ONLY try this product and use it up for up to 30 days, and
it is also limited to only 10 log entries in each of only two tanks.
If you want to use Tankminder past the 30 day limit, you MUST register.
Registering your software has many benefits. You'll receive complete access
to upgrades plus express support via our 24-hour on-line Support BBS -
open 24 hours a day! The software will be unlocked, and you won't get any
more messages about it being a demo/evaluation version, you can add as many
tanks and entries as you'd like! Best of all, it's only $39.00!
When you register, you'll receive your own private password. This password
will only work with YOUR name and on YOUR PC. This prevents others from using
your registered copy.
The SHARE-WARE system only works if people like you support it. If you are
using Tankminder, and you like it, do the ethical thing. Register!
Thank you for supporting ShareWare and Tankminder!
TO REGISTER:
Send a check or Money Order (no cash!!) for $39.00
payable to TOM GIMPEL to
TOM GIMPEL / TANKSOFT SOFTWARE
P.O.BOX 5025
New Britain, Pa, 18901
Thank you for trying Tankminder for Windows!
Your questions or comments are always welcome either by
regular mail at address below,
or by EMAIL on CompuServe by contacting ID # 75040.144
on Internet by contacting 75040,144@COMPUSERVE.COM
OR
contact us directly, via our BBS!
============================================
== Call our 24 Hour On-line Support BBS! ==
== ==
== The TANKSOFT CUSTOMER SUPPORT BBS! ==
== 300 - 1200 - 2400 - 9600 ==
== and 14.4 Baud service! ==
== ==
== 215 822-6053 ==
============================================
Tankminder for Windows(c) 1996 - Tanksoft Software
P.O. Box 5025 New Britain, Pa. 18901
<<< TANKMINDER FOR WINDOWS VER 1.2 Bulletin - Updated 2/20/96>>>