Working with the handbook

This handbook has been created with DocMaker as we feel this is more advantageous to the user than a printed handbook, and in this introductory chapter we will give you an insight how best to use this manual, so to start at the beginning let us first look at:

Table of contents (contents and key word file)

This table in the overview window shows the various chapters and also gives various keywords which help to divide these chapters into more easily managed sub sections

To move around the document select an entry with a double click of the left mouse button, to help you navigate with ease we suggest you keep this hotpicture open at all times while using the document.

HotPicture action

At various stages you will find red, orange or yellow bears. The red bear gives important advise and should be read, the orange bear gives further information which may be useful. The yellow bear gives important information which must be followed. Ignore these at your peril!

                                                                                                            

Arrow key

You can use the arrow keys when shown to give easy access to further and more explicit information should you need it.

Further information is sometimes available to users. You will know when this is so because the mouse arrow will change to a hand.

The blue ball will bring you back to the chapter from where you have started.

Some words about us!

Softbear has been programming for ATARI users since 1990 and for Macintosh users since 1995. We have always tried very hard to be user friendly and to maintain customer satisfaction. Our Hotline is available for registered users at all times, in fact it is best to phone at weekends (think of your cost) as I have to do a normal job during the week! Unless you order more or tell your friends, then I can give up my day job!!! We have always welcomed little challenges and problems sent to us by our customers to alter or re-design CoMa to fit their own requirements. For this we thank them, as CoMa is what it is today, a fully integrated managment system due to their promptings. We have also always tried our best to fit CoMa to individual modems as required.

We hope you will continue to give us ideas and problems!

Foreword

Congratulations on deciding to buy a product from Softbear for your Macintosh computer, with this you will learn to handle your correspondence safely and quickly via a fax modem. 

CoMa also has the ability to change your computer into an answering machine if you are in possession of a voice modem. CoMa voice will automatically switch between voice and fax. 

For all data transfer users CoMa offers a mailbox as well. This gives full remote access, plus transmission and reception of data. It also allows use as a mini-mailbox. Further information is given in the chapter "The mailbox".
 
This software was originally developed for ATARI, and is a market leader for those users. The programme is constantly updated and offers a great deal of future potential.

CoMa capabilities

Fax service (CoMa)
* fax programme for use with class 2 and class 2.0 modem 
* online display of incoming fax 
* on-screen display of fax transmission information 
* polling function (receive) with modem class 2.0 limited with class 2 
* time delayed fax transmission possibility * reading of PICT and ASCII-files 
* up to 4 different graphic header and footer displays
* adjustment for company, time and zone (least cost routing)
* disolaing the calling MSn with ISDN-modem
* displaing the telephone fee with ISDN-modem
* fax-support in self-mode of USR (Prof) Message (Plus) ans Elsa MicroLink 
   Office
* FaxSTF-files can be read
* scriptable

Mailbox (CoMa)
* An integrated Z-modem protocol for easy use.
* A supervisor password with access to the hole harddisk
* A guest password with access to one folder
* A friend password with access to another folder
* The terminal-window allows you to connect to any other mailbox
* x-modem-protocol for firmware-upload

Voice service (CoMa Voice)
* Up to 9 time selectable answering texts available 
* Up to 7 answering texts available for remote use via PIN 
* remote polling 
* call transfer (time adjustable)
* remote changing of answering texts 
* Individual message  use for ISDN detectable numbers
* Replay of AIFF files
* sound output and record via Macintosh computer (ZyXEL ADPCM3/ADPCM4 &  
   Smarty/Cybermod u-Law & Rockwell-Sounds)
* conversion of WAVE-sounds into ZyXEL-, Cybermod- & Rockwell-format
* support of voice-functions in self-mode for USR (Prof) Message (Plus) & Elsa MicroLink Office

Extension of CoMa Professional
* polling, also sending 
* Fax-on-demand for unlimited folders with up to 100 fax pages per folder 
* Voice-on-demand for unlimited answering folders available for digital lines,
   which can contain up to 100 answering texts each. 
* unlimited personalised access for the mailbox
* administration of 10 MSN with ISDN and the connect-type can be adjusted 
   independent for each MSN!
* For ISDN use you can leave a voice message for everey entry in the number list. 
* permanent poll-sender is possible, the caller needs not to send a poll-request!
* send fax at poll-request
 
This electronic handbook contains all the advice necessary to install the programme. A printed version of this handbook is not available on purpose, as experience shows they generally end up collecting dust in a corner. You will find all information required through the search function of DocMaker and we believe this is a  more effective method. If you don`t believe us just print the damned chapter you want anyway.

Long live the paperless office! (The third big lie of history)

We assume that you are fairly confident using your Macintosh, and words like mouse click, dialogue box, window or menu panel are familiar to you, if not, get out that handbook of your Mac, sweep the dust away, and start reading it. 

Hotline of SOFTBEAR GbR 

If you really get stuck you can contact us, here are the telephone numbers 

Questions for handbook and programme developement
004930-685 98 007 (Voice) and 004930-685 83 52  (Fax)

Questions for programme developement and error reports, 
004930-62 70 94 66 (Voice) and 004930-62 70 94 59 (Fax)

You can get us after 18.00 and at weekends as well, as we said before. It is possible that you may have to try several times if you want a conversation. However, you could try leaving a message when prompted or any other service that CoMa offers as this will be available, and you can find out what CoMa really does for you!

Mailbox of SOFTBEAR GbR

Mailbox The phone number  004930/62709-572 takes you into the Softbear mailbox. You will find a selection of programmes and data which might be of interest for the use of CoMa. You will always find the most up to date version of CoMa here and you can leave messages. 

Should you encounter problems with CoMa while using it, or have sudden brainwaves and ideas you want to tell us about, please do not hesitate to contact us, and we will do our best to accommodate your problem, brainwaves may take a while longer and will have to fit in with our companies philosophy, I am not going to tell you what that philosophy is, but it does not include killing whales. Wales is a different subject!

CoMa testsystem

We have installed a complete testsystem of our communication manager under 004930/62709-573 to give you a overview of all functions of CoMa. 

You can test the Voice-On-Demand, Fax-On-Demand and polling as well.

E-Mail and Homepage of SOFTBEAR GbR

You can get us by E-mail, via our mailbox in which you can leave E-mail either online or by:

for handbook and distribution:           Konzeck@gmx.de

for programm and bugreport:             S.Hartmann@berlin.de

The homepage of Softbear can be found under following address on the Internet:

<http://i.am/Softbaer>  or <http://www.ThePentagon.com/Softbaer>

The prices 

Please note that we distribute our product as shareware on purpose. This way you can try out the product prior to purchase and ensure that your modem is compatible. If the voice partition of your modem does not work in share ware then it will not work after registration either. However, all is not lost. There is an inbuilt test programme. The best course of action at this stage is to call us. We do not promise a rapid solution as miracles sometimes take a little time, but we have provided them before!

To get your registration key the following prices apply

DM   99,-  CoMa Standard
           DM 169,-  CoMa Voice 
           DM 259,-  CoMa Professional
           DM   70,-  Upgrade CoMa Standard to Voice
           DM   90,-  Upgrade CoMa Voice to Professional

 DM 160,-  Upgrade CoMa Standard to CoMa Professional
           DM   70,-  Crossgrade from Atari-Version

 DM
 30,- 
Updatekey

     
Please send a eurocheque for the required amount, made payable to
Hans-Joachim Konzeck (not SOFTBEAR!!!)
or send the money to our bank account:

H. J. Konzeck  (mention: not SOFTBEAR!!!)
              Bank   : Postbank Berlin
              BLZ    : 100 100 10
              account no.: 1964-103

It can take up to 2 weeks until we get the money So please pay patience!.

   Paying with creditcard

We accept only MasterCard/EUROCARD. Please call us or send us your creditcard information if you want to use this way of paing our shareware! From July we also accept VISA-Card!

But please mention: Send us the creditcard information on a secure way! If you want to send the information via email, you can use PGP encryption. The public key of Siegfried Hartmann can be found on different key-server.

     Installation

It is very easy to install CoMa. Just copy the hole folder onto your harddisk whereever you want. Now you can start CoMa and do the registration if you already have a key. If you want to have dirct access to CoMa from the desktop you should make a alias of the programm and place it on the dektop.

     update installation

You know, you can use for 6 month every update without paying the update fee. You only have to change the programme file CoMa. But pay attention! You should make a safty copy of the old programme before you overwrite it! If your key is older than 6 month you will get the shareware-version with all its limitations! There are only two ways to get rid of it. At first buying the new registraion key and second, copy back the old CoMa version!

Now we wish you lots of fun whilst working with CoMa and always a "good connection". And again, use the opportunity to try out the shareversion to get to know all the functions of the programme!

Berlin in February 2001

the SOFTBAER  Team