Why hasn't Greg replied to my e-mail?
I am currently flooded with e-mail about Kaleidoscope. Although I do read every message that arrives in my in box, I do not have the time to respond to them all. A quick response might take only a minute or two, but if you multiply that by a hundred messages a day, it can take several hours—hours which I could spend actually improving Kaleidoscope.

What are those plug-in interface modules called?
They are called Color Schemes.

Why don't my old color schemes work?
The format of the color scheme files has changed since Kaleidoscope 1.0.x. This means that old color schemes designed for Kaleidoscope 1.0.x no longer work with this version of Kaleidoscope (that is what I meant when I said that I was not supporting third party color schemes for Kaleidoscope 1.0.x). However, the new format is much more flexible and easy to edit, so you will soon be able to find even more and varied color schemes. If your favorite color scheme no longer works with this version of Kaleidoscope, contact the author of that color scheme and ask him to update it. You may find that there is already an update available. You can also use the included “Scheme Updater” application to convert your old color schemes to the new format.

Can users design their own Color Schemes?
Yes. The Color Scheme file format is designed to be easy to edit using ResEdit. See the “Creating Color Schemes“ document for more information on the color scheme format.

Where can I get a High-Tech Color Scheme?
Apple does not want anybody implementing the High-Tech or Kids (Gizmo) interface designs that they originally planned for Copland. Although Apple's OS plans have changed, this policy has not, as Apple still intends to implement these themes themselves in a future system release.

How can I register if I don't have a credit card?
Kagi accepts payment by US check or by cash in various currencies, as well as by credit card. The “Register” application lists all of these payment methods, letting you create a customized registration form that you can mail or e-mail to Kagi (whose address is given on the form). For more information, see the “How to Register” document. Alternatively, you can register via credit card using the Kagi Online Order Processing service. Their web site is <http://order.kagi.com/?GL&S>.

How do I remove the Annoying Shareware Message?
First you need to register. Once Kagi processes your payment, which can take up to a week from when they receive it, they e-mail you a registration code in a message with subject “Thanks for your payment”. The registration code is near the end of that message, so be sure to read the entire thing. To enter your registration code, open up the Kaleidoscope control panel, click the “Register” button at the top right, and type your code into the box it gives you. Sometimes your registration or Kagi's reply may get lost in the mail or fall through the cracks. If you do not hear back from Kagi, send them e-mail at <admin@kagi.com>. It might take Kagi a few days to respond, but they eventually sort everything out.

Do I need to register again or pay an upgrade fee?
If you are a registered user of Kaleidoscope 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.5, you do NOT need to reregister or pay an upgrade fee for Kaleidoscope 1.5.1. Your old registration code will still work with the new version, and in fact, Kaleidoscope should remember that you registered, so you should not even have to reenter the code.

Can I beta test new versions of Kaleidoscope?
Thanks for offering, but we already have all the beta testers we need for Kaleidoscope. Please do not send e-mail asking to be a beta tester since the answer will always be no (no matter how well qualified you are or how nicely you ask).

Is Kaleidoscope compatible with Mac OS 8?
Kaleidoscope 1.5.1 is not yet fully compatible with Mac OS 8. However, Mac OS 8 is still several months away, and by the time it is released, we will have a new Mac OS 8-savvy version of Kaleidoscope ready.

What happened to the “Aaron” color scheme?
We renamed it “Apple Grayscale”.

Is there a way to switch Kaleidoscope off without restarting?
If you want to switch Kaleidoscope off temporarily—such as if you need to take a screen shot of a normal Mac—just switch to the “System 7” color scheme. This color scheme is designed to look just like the plain old System 7 user interface.

Why don't Color Schemes other than “Apple Grayscale” have Accent Colors?
First of all, this is NOT a bug or something that has been overlooked. The other color schemes were not designed with accent colors in mind. It is better to think of this question the other way around: “Why does the Apple Grayscale color scheme have accent colors?” Phrased this way, the answer is that accent colors are an added feature of that particular color scheme which we included in order to duplicate all the functionality of the “Aaron” extension.

Do users of Aaron, BeView, or Greg's Buttons get a discount?
If you are a registered user of Aaron, BeView, or Greg's Buttons, you are entitled to register Kaleidoscope for the discounted price of $10. Please note that Kagi does not automatically give you this discount; rather, you must request the upgrade price yourself by checking the appropriate box. If you are using the “Kagi Online Order Processing” service, this Kaleidoscope upgrade is listed separately from the normal Kaleidoscope registration. To get this discount in the “Register” program, click the “Aaron / Buttons Upgrade” check box. When this box is checked, the prices shown are the upgrade prices. (I hate to mention it, but if you take this discount and are not a registered user of Aaron, BeView, or Greg's Buttons, we will bill you for the difference.)

Do users of more than one of Aaron, BeView, or Greg's Buttons get a further discount?
No, we do not offer an additional discount for people who are registered users of more than one of Aaron, BeView, or Greg's Buttons.

What's the difference between Espy and Espi?
Espy is a bitmap screen font that Apple uses with the Newton, eWorld, and AppleGuide. Espi looks essentially the same, but I have tweaked it and improved the spacing to make it work better as a system font. So, if you want to make Espy your system font, you should use my version of Espi instead. The same goes for Tekton (an Adobe font) and Tecton (my tweaked version).

Why do some dialog boxes have red backgrounds?
These dialog boxes are actually Alerts. Alerts are dialog boxes with an icon (stop, caution, note) at the top left corner and usually “OK” and “Cancel” buttons on the bottom right. Alerts require immediate attention, and so they are given red highlights to help them stand out. In the “Apple Grayscale” color scheme, alerts have just a red tinged border. In some other color schemes, alerts have red backgrounds.

Should the scroll bar track change color when scrolling?
Yes, in some color schemes such as “Onyx”, the scroll bar track changes color when scrolling. This is a feature, not a bug. Isn't it cool?

Why can't I use Kaleidoscope's Balloon Help?
If ATM is running, turning on Balloon Help for the Kaleidoscope control panels causes the Finder to freeze or restart. There do not appear to be any other conflicts with ATM, so you should not have a problem as long as you do not use Kaleidoscope's Balloon Help. If you simply must have the Balloon Help, change the load order so that ATM loads before Kaleidoscope. ATM 4.0 does not appear to have this problem. I am working on a fix for this.

Will there be other Color Schemes?
We are working on several additional color schemes which will appear with future versions of Kaleidoscope.