Macintosh ReadMe File - LAUNCH, No. 2 Please read the LAUNCH booklet first for information on how to install and use LAUNCH. This ReadMe file contains tips and late breaking information about LAUNCH that is not included in the booklet. LATE BREAKING NEWS -- DOUBLE SIZE VIDEO! ----------------------------------------- At the very last minute, we've added a feature to the 16 bit version of LAUNCH for the Macintosh. If you use "Launch 16bit" you can make some of the videos play at almost full screen size. Click on a video trailer in the Launch Cinema, an animation in the Toontanic, or an advertisement on its own screen (e.g. by clicking on the Apple icon in the city), and the video will restart, and display at double the normal size. REQUIREMENTS --------------------------------- * At least 8 MB of RAM. In the finder, see "About this Macintosh" under the Apple pull-down Menu for information about your system's memory. * A 68040 processor or better (LAUNCH will work on 68030, but movies will probably be jerky, and navigation generally slow). * The latest version of QuickTimeª and its associated components (included with LAUNCH) Failure to have the following extensions/control panel may result in poor audio and/or video performance: ¥ Apple Multimedia Tuner ¥ Quicktimeª ¥ Quicktimeª Musical Intruments ¥ Quicktimeª PowerPlug (for Power Macs only) ¥ Sound ¥ Sound Manager ¥ Thread Manager (Needed for Dark Forces) * A double speed or faster CD-ROM drive. * System 7.1 or later. * A monitor and video support capable of displaying at least 256 colors at 640x480. PERFORMANCE HINTS --------------------------------- For best performance, especially in the playback of movies, be sure you follow these rules: * Turn off Virtual Memory from the Memory control panel. * Set the cache to under 100k in the Memory control panel. * Turn off file sharing and other network software. Or, just turn off AppleTalk. * Do not have any other applications running. Even small applications (e.g. Stickies or CEIAC) should be quit. * Turn off as many extensions/control panels/inits as possible. * If using a PowerBook, turn off processor cycling and use the faster processor speed. * Try to maximize your "largest unused block" of memory. See below: MEMORY --------------------------------- You need to have at least 4.5 MB of memory available for LAUNCH to run properly. While in the Finder, check your memory usage by selecting ÒAbout This MacintoshÓ from the Apple menu. This will tell you how much memory is available. Before you start, the only thing listed in the ÒAbout This MacintoshÓ dialog should be ÒSystem SoftwareÓ. If there are other applications listed, you should quit out of them. If your system has 8 MB of system memory, you may have to work a little to make enough space for LAUNCH. If you have a large number of inits, extensions, control panels, or fonts, your system may be unusually large. While in the Finder, check your memory usage by selecting ÒAbout This MacintoshÓ from the Apple menu. If your System Software is larger than 4500, you may have trouble with LAUNCH. Try eliminating some inits, extensions, control panels, or fonts to reduce the size of your System Software. Then restart your computer, and try LAUNCH again. Conflict Catcherª or Extensions Manager is helpful when disabling inits/extensions/cdevs. INSTALLING QUICKTIMEª ------------------------------------- You must have QuickTimeª 2.0 running on your Macintosh for LAUNCH to work. In a folder called ÒPut These In System FolderÓ, we have provided the following files: Control Panel Sound Extensions Apple Multimedia Tuner QuickTimeª QuickTimeª Musical Instruments Sound Manager 3.0 Thread Manager Extension for the PowerMac QuickTimeª PowerPlug To install the above files, drag the folder called "Put these in the system folder" without opening it, onto your system folder (do not open that either). The Finder will say ÒThese files need to be stored in special places inside the System Folder in order to be available to the Macintosh. Put them where they belong?Ó Click on OK, and the files will be put in their correct folders in the System Folder. For more information about the Apple Multimedia Tuner and Sound Manager, look in the folder Apple Readme on the LAUNCH CD-ROM. COLOR SETTING -------------- There are 2 versions of LAUNCH on the disk. LAUNCH 8-bit which is for the "256" colors setting and LAUNCH 16-bit which is for the "Thousands" of colors setting. You can check your color setting by looking at the "Monitors" control panel. If you are running at an 800x600 resolution on a POWER MAC, you probably won't have thousands of colors at that resolution. You can either run the 8-bit version, or just switch back to 640x480 and run the 16-bit version. A Quadra 700 displays video in either millions of colors (32 bit) or 256 colors (8 bit), but not thousands of colors (16bit). So unfortunately, you must use the 8 bit version of the LAUNCH. BUGS AND OTHER PROBLEMS ------------------------------------------- WeÕve worked really hard to make LAUNCH bug-proof and fun to use. But there may still be some problems that you will encounter. If you are having problems, first check to see that your computer is set up properly and review some of the suggestions in this README file. If you are convinced everything is OK with your computer, you may have discovered a bug or design problem. If so, weÕd like to hear about it. Please send email to: bugs@2launch.com or a fax to the attention of: LAUNCH Technical Support, 310 576-6070 or call the LAUNCH TECHNICAL SUPPORT helpline at 310-319-5320 (between 10:00 am and 8:00 pm (PST) on weekdays and between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm on Saturdays). Describe the problem in as much detail as you can. Describe where and how it happened. Include all the details about your computer, too (e.g., Quadra 630, 8meg, System 7.5.1, 14Ó monitor). There are so many different combinations of equipment and software, that itÕs difficult to know what is going on without all the information describing a system. Your bug report will help make future issues better.