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SignOut ver 1.4 TO: INTEGRA COMPUTING, Box 72063, Marietta, GA 30007-2063 Name __________________________________________________________ Firm Name __________________________________ Phone ________________ Address __________________________________________________________ City _________________ State ___ Zip _______ County ________ # Professionals _____ # Employees ____ Type of Practice ________________ I first heard of Integra Computing from ___________________________________ Prices and availability are subject to change without notice. Send unregistered** copies of the following: ___ copies of RAMdesk at $10 ea $_____ ___ copies of TickleX at $10 ea $_____ ___ copies of ReSearch at $10 ea $_____ ___ copies of BillPower at $10 ea $_____ ___ copies of BillPower Plus at $15 ea $_____ Send registered** copies of the following: ¡¡¡ SignOut¼ registereΣ fo≥ usσ oε ___▀ workstation≤ (5 station≤ fo≥ $60; 10 for $125; 25 for $275; 50 for $500; 75 for $700; 100 for $800) $_____ ___ copies of RAMdesk at $50 [only $25 w/TickleX/BillPower] $_____ ___ copies of ReSearch at $50 [+ $60 EXTRA to get 1 hr support]* $_____ ___ copies of TickleX at $50 [+ $60 EXTRA to get 1 hr support]* $_____ ___ copies of BillPower at $100 [+ $110 EXTRA to get 2 hr support]* $_____ ___ copies of BillPower Plus at $150 [+ $200 EXTRA to get 4 hr support]* $_____ To have programs supplied on 3.5" media, enclose $5.00 extra PER PROGRAM $_____ If you don't live in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico, please add $10.00 more $_____ TOTAL ORDER $_____ ___% Sales Tax for ___________ county, if you're a GA resident $_____ GRAND TOTAL ENCLOSED $_____ I have read and agree to all the terms of the Disclaimer found below. _______________________________________ _________________ SIGNATURE DATE * Telephone support will be provided if you pre-purchase it with this order form. Such support must be used within a year. When you need assistance, you may reach Integra Computing (404-973-3586) most weekdays from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, Eastern Time. Because so much time is required to respond to mailed correspon- dence, letters requesting assistance may not be answered. If you need help, call -- don't write. But please don't even call unless you've pre-purchased support with this order form; if you call without having prepaid for support, each call will cost you a minimum of $15, plus $1.50 per minute. ** Unregistered software is programmed to remind you to register. Please note that no credit will be given at the time of registration for the cost of an unregistered copy. BILLPOWER, TICKLEX, MT-TRACKER, POPFORM, RESEARCH, RAMDESK, SIGNOUT, NIF- TY, AND THEIR INSTRUCTIONS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTI- CULAR PURPOSE). NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE PROVIDED BY INTEG- RA, ITS DEALERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AGENTS, OR EMPLOYEES SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY OF ANY KIND REGARDING BILLPOWER, TICKLEX, MT-TRACKER, POPFORM, RESEARCH, RAM- DESK, SIGNOUT, OR NIFTY, AND YOU MAY NOT RELY UPON SUCH INFORMATION OR AD- VICE. NEITHER INTEGRA NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF BILLPOWER, TICKLEX, MT-TRACKER, POPFORM, RESEARCH, RAMDESK, SIGNOUT, OR NIFTY SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUEN- TIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, AND LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMA- TION) ARISING FROM THE USE OF (OR INABILITY TO USE) BILLPOWER, TICKLEX, MT- TRACKER, POPFORM, RESEARCH, RAMDESK, SIGNOUT, OR NIFTY. -- LICENSE: BillPower, TickleX, MT-Tracker, PopForm, ReSearch, Nifty, RAMdesk, SignOut, and their documentation are copyrighted in 1985 to 1989 by R.A. Kelly. You may use any program on as many computers as you like, as long as it is nev- er installed with a SERIAL NUMBER (provided to you when you register as a user) on more than one computer at a time and as long as you do not alter the program in any way. You may distribute any of these programs to potential new users, provided that you never divulge your SERIAL NUMBER to anyone, that you charge no fee for the program, and that you do not bundle it with (or use it as an incentive to purchase or lease) any other product or service, without the written consent of R.A. Kelly. All rights not expressly granted above are re- served in R.A. Kelly. -- DISCLAIMER: BillPower, TickleX, MT-Tracker, PopForm, ReSearch, Nifty, RAMdesk, and SignOut may contain design and programming flaws. Before using ANY software on a regular basis, try estimating the potential harm that could result from your reliance upon it. Please don't use any of these programs unless you're willing to assume the associated risks, such as billing and report inaccuracies and data loss. BILLPOWER, TICKLEX, MT-TRACKER, POPFORM, RESEARCH, NIFTY, RAMDESK, SIGNOUT, AND THEIR INSTRUCTIONS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE). NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE PROVIDED BY INTEGRA, ITS DEALERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AGENTS, OR EMPLOYEES SHALL CREATE A WAR- RANTY OF ANY KIND REGARDING BILLPOWER, TICKLEX, MT-TRACKER, POPFORM, RESEARCH, NIFTY, OR RAMDESK, SIGNOUT, AND YOU MAY NOT RELY UPON SUCH INFORMATION OR ADVICE. USE OF BILLPOWER, TICKLEX, MT-TRACKER, POPFORM, RESEARCH, NIFTY,OR RAMDESK, SIGNOUT IS ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. NEITHER INTEGRA NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF BILLPOWER, TICKLEX, MT-TRACKER, POPFORM, RESEARCH, NIFTY, OR RAMDESK, SIGNOUT SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUEN- TIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, AND LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMA- TION) ARISING FROM THE USE OF (OR INABILITY TO USE) BILLPOWER, TICKLEX, MT-TRACKER, POPFORM, RESEARCH, NIFTY, OR RAMDESK, SIGNOUT, EVEN THOUGH INTEG- RA MAY BE ADVISED THAT SUCH DAMAGES ARE POSSIBLE. -- AGREEMENT: As used in this Agreement, the terms "BillPower" , "TickleX", "MT-Trac- ker", "PopForm", "ReSearch", "Nifty", "SignOut", and "RAMdesk", if not followed by a series or version designation, mean any version or series of BillPower, BillPower Plus, TickleX, MT-Tracker, PopForm, ReSearch, Nifty, SignOut, or RAM- desk provided to you now or in the future. Your attempt to use BillPower, TickleX, MT-Tracker, PopForm, ReSearch, Nifty, SignOut, or RAMdesk constitutes your acceptance of the terms set forth in the foregoing LICENSE and DISCLAIMER (which are incorporated into this Ag- reement). Your attempt to use BillPower, TickleX, MT-Tracker, PopForm, Re- Search, Nifty, SignOut, or RAMdesk also constitutes your agreement that if you bring any legal action relating to BillPower, TickleX, MT-Tracker, PopForm, ReSearch, Nifty, SignOut, or RAMdesk, 1) your sole remedy for the damages for which any defendant is found liable (including direct, indirect, incidental and consequential damages) will be the recovery of whatever you paid to register as a user of the program, and 2) you will pay all defendants' attorneys fees and other legal costs if you do not prevail on all claims made in your pleadings. The terms of this Agreement are governed by Georgia law. If any of this Agreement's terms shall be held invalid to any extent, the remainder of this Agreement shall be unaffected by such invalidity. THE ABOVE PARAGRAPHS CONSTITUTE THE ENTIRE AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND INTE- GRA. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION, INFORMATION, OR ADVICE FROM ANY SOURCE MAY ALTER THE AGREEMENT AS SET FORTH ABOVE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR OF LIABIL- ITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE. SIGNOUT (ver 1.4) TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 INSTALLING ON A LOCAL AREA NETWORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 WORKSTATION IDENTIFICATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 USING THE PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 APPENDIX: CUSTOMIZING SIGNOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 APPENDIX: TUNING UP PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 APPENDIX: BACKING UP YOUR DATA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 SIGNOUT INSTRUCTIONS NOTE: If you're using an unregistered copy of the program, it will begin to beep at you in several weeks, reminding you that it's time to register. Don't worry -- no data will be destroyed, and you'll always be able to use the program, despite the fact that you delay registering. NOTE: As of mid-1990, SignOut is a brand new program. If you think you know how the program can be improved, please contact Integra Computing (404-973-3586). INTRODUCTION SignOut is a "pop-up" program designed to keep track of where the workers in an office have gone. It's the electronic equivalent of the centrally-located "SIGN-OUT" board that many offices have. The prog- ram will track up to 99 employees and display to anyone on the of- fice's LAN a list of who's signed out, where he's gone, and when he'll be back. It will also allow the person departing the office to leave detailed instructions on how he can be reached, why he left, whom he's meeting, and so on. SignOut may be used on any IBM-compatible PC running DOS 2.1 (or greater) and any DOS-based Local Area Network. It requires about 180K when it's actually being used, but when it's just sitting in the back- ground waiting for you to press its hotkey, it's memory requirements will be reduced to only 7K!. Incidentally, there are some very good reasons that this simple little program requires 180K (call Integra Computing if you'd like an explanation), but, since the background RAM requirement is a mere 7K, the larger figure in hardly important. As shipped, the program consists of six files: SIGNOUT.EXE the main program file; SIGNOUT.OVR a program overlay file; SIGNOUT.DOC this documentation; SIGNOUT.CFG a modifiable configuration file SIGNOUT.HLP brief on-line help and other notes; NETUSERS.LBF a file containing user names; SO.BAT the file used to load SignOut. Additionally, SignOut will create and maintain several server-based files (LOCATE.LBF, LOCATE.LBI.LBI, PC-SCHED.LBF, PC-SCHED.LBI) which hold data used by the program. INTRODUCTION 4 SignOut is a member of the "MANAGEX" series of software (RAMdesk, TickleX, BillPower, and ReSearch are also members), but it may be used by itself. Just in case you ever decide to use SignOut in conjunction with other members of the MANAGEX series, SignOut's files should be installed into a hard disk directory named "MANAGEX". -- COMPUTER CRASHES Any RAM-resident (pop-up) program may occasionally cause your computer to "freeze" or "lock up", and SignOut is no exception. The reason for this problem is that the computer's operating system is not designed to support multi-tasking, and RAM-resident programs have to play tricks on it in order to work their magic. If you start experi- encing computer "crashes" after beginning to use SignOut, it's probab- ly because SignOut is trying to do something in the background that conflicts with whatever you're doing in the foreground. Try altering the order in which you load your TSR programs (SignOut included). If that doesn't correct the problem, there's little you can do (you've happened upon a combination of computer, DOS, and software with which SignOut simply will not work dependably). Please be sure to read the TUNING UP PERFORMANCE section, the final portion of which refers to the "FATAL SWAP ERROR" message that may occasionally occur. INTRODUCTION 5 INSTALLING ON A LOCAL AREA NETWORK SignOut is loaded by entering "SO" at a workstation's DOS prompt. This command accesses the SO.BAT file, which, in turn, contains a line that causes SIGNOUT.EXE to be executed. The "signout" line in the SO.BAT file on each workstation should be modified by the addition of parameters which tell the program: 1) who the primary user is, 2) who you are, 3) the server's hard disk and directory in which the data files are to be stored, and 4) the hard disk and directory in which the workstation's SO.BAT file is to be maintained (the program's "home" directory). These four items are handled by the fifth through eighth parameters following "signout". The first four parameters may each be "X", which signifies a null parameter. Example: SIGNOUT x x x x ABC DEF H:\MANAGEX C:\MANAGEX This line tells SignOut that the primary user's initials are ABC, that this workstation's user's initials are DEF, that the SignOut data is to be maintained in the MANAGEX directory on drive H, and that this workstation keeps the SO.BAT file in the MANAGEX directory of drive C. Who is the main or primary user? Typically, he is the person who is likely to use the program the most, the one who's mainly "in charge" of SignOut. He may be the network's system administrator. Or, if you also use BillPower and/or TickleX in your office, the pri- mary user is probably the one who is responsible for maintaining the BillPower/TickleX databases. At the primary user's workstation, the fifth and sixth parameters would be identical. Example: SIGNOUT x x x x ABC ABC H:\MANAGEX C:\MANAGEX But at everyone else's workstation, th fifth and sixth parameters will be different. Each workstation must have its own customized SO.BAT file. But all the other files needed to make SignOut work may be installed either on the workstation's hard disk or on the server (in the direc- tory identified by the seventh parameter). If the program is inst- alled on the server, be sure to modify the SO.BAT file on each work- station, so that DOS knows where to look for for SignOut. For ex- ample, if a workstation's local hard disk were C:, but SignOut were located in the MANAGEX directory on drive H, the batch file might look like this: echo off cls c: cd\managex h: cd\managex signout x x x x abc h:\managex c:\managex INSTALLING ON A LOCAL AREA NETWORK 6 -- Please Note: If your LAN defaults to the assumption that you want it to auto- matically lock files for you, you may have problems with SignOut. SignOut, not your LAN, must decide when to lock which files. Make sure that your LAN is configured to give ALL users complete access to ALL files in the server directory used for SignOut's data files (probably the MANAGEX directory). Make sure that ALL program and data files are "sharable" (eg: immediately after installing the program onto a Novell (tm) workstation, enter "FLAG *.* S" at the DOS prompt in the directory containing SignOut). -- WARNING If you are a registered user, YOU MUST NOT USE SIGNOUT ON MORE THAN THE NUMBER OF MACHINES FOR WHICH YOU HAVE REGISTERED. If you are NOT registered, you may safely use SignOut on as many machines as you wish. INSTALLING ON A LOCAL AREA NETWORK 7 WORKSTATION IDENTIFICATION Before you use SignOut, you should first create an ASCII text file on the server called "NETUSERS.LBF". This file should be located in the same directory designated at the seventh parameter in each workstation's SO.BAT file (see the INSTALLING ON A LOCAL AREA NETWORK section). The NETUSERS.LBF file may contain up to 99 lines, each of which should contain identifying initials for one user on the net. Each set of initials may be up to three characters long. If you're on a LAN which identifies each workstation by a one- to three-character se- quence, the NETUSERS.LBF initials that identify an employee should be the same as that employee's workstation network ID. In addition to initials (or network ID), each line in the NET- USERS.LBF file should also contain up to fifteen letters of the iden- tified user's name, enclosed in quotes. Always place the last name first, then a comma, and then the first name or initials. Here's an example NETUSERS.LBF file for a network having three workstations: ACR "Raymond, Allen" TPM "Mann, Thomas P" KOL "Lawrence, Keri" Remember, the initials used to identify each workstation's user should match those recognized by the network for that workstation (if the network employs a user ID scheme). By the way, also note that these same initials identifying a workstation should match those contained in that workstation's SO.BAT file. Any ASCII text editor may be used to set up NETUSERS.LBF. To use SignOut, itself, to create this file, use the "SIGNOUT servDskDir\NETUSERS.LBF" command, where "servDskDir" is the server disk\directory used to store SignOut data (eg: "SIGNOUT H:\MANAGEX\NETUSERS.LBF"). If you create NETUSERS.LBF with a word processor, ensure that you save it as an ASCII file. WORKSTATION IDENTIFICATION 8 USING THE PROGRAM NOTE: SignOut will not operate unless the NETUSERS.LBF file has been set up on the server, per the instructions in the previous section. SignOut comes with a batch file, SO.BAT, which you should use to load the program. To run SignOut, log into the MANAGEX directory and enter the following at the DOS prompt: SO After SignOut loads, it will return you to the DOS prompt. When you press the hotkey, SignOut will pop up, ready for your use. When you enter this program by pressing its hotkey, you'll be shown a list of employees who are not in the office, along with their current locations. If you need to view any detailed notes that an employee may have left before departing, move the arrow to that emp- loyee and press the PgDn key. -- DATA ENTRY If you're about to leave the office, pop into SignOut and press "O" (for "out"). When you do, you'll be expected to enter the time you expect to return, as well as your location, phone, and any other notes you wish to leave. If you won't be returning today, back up to the "date" item and enter your expected return date. Save your entry by pressing F6. When you return to the office, the first thing you should do is call up SignOut and press "I" (for "in"), so that you can omit your "I'm out" record. Anyone can change anyone else's "out" record, just as he would be able to do if SignOut were a chalkboard, instead of a computer prog- ram. That way, you can call in to someone else and request that he change your location or estimated time of return. To change your, or anyone else's, "out" record, just point to it and press PgDn. If you're signing someone else out and have forgotten his initials, press the F1 key at the "Init" field. To sign another person "in", point to his record, tap PgDn to call it to the screen, and then press ^O. -- PRINTING RECORDS OR SENDING THEM TO A FILE To print an individual "out" record, press Ctrl-PrtSc when that record is being displayed. To print all records at once, press Ctrl- PrtSc at the main screen. USING THE PROGRAM 9 To send information to a disk file, press ^F (Ctrl-F), instead of Ctrl-PrtSc. The file created or appended will be called "TEXT.PC", and may subequently be edited with a text editor capable of dealing with industry-standard ACSII files. USING THE PROGRAM 10 APPENDIX: CUSTOMIZING SIGNOUT One of the files accompanying SignOut is SIGNOUT.CFG. This file contains information that tells the program how to behave in several respects. You may use SignOut, itself, to modify certain lines of SIGNOUT.CFG, as described below. NOTE: DO NOT CHANGE ANY LINES IN SIGNOUT.CFG OTHER THAN THOSE MENTIONED IN THIS SECTION. DOING SO MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT THE PROGRAM'S PERFORMANCE. To access the SIGNOUT.CFG file, enter "SIGNOUT C" at the DOS prompt. The file will be read, line by line, into the SignOut window, and you'll find yourself at the bottom of the file. To go back to the top of the file, where you'll probably prefer to start, just press the up arrow. You may move around the file by using the cursor control keys. Make whatever corrections you need, and press the F6 key when you're done. If you want to abandon the changes you've made, press the ESC key, instead. Each line in SIGNOUT.CFG begins with a keyword or short phrase describing the program attribute affected by the line's data. Next is an equals sign, followed by the value associated with the keyword. If you look at the SIGNOUT.CFG file, as shipped from Integra, you'll notice that several lines are enclosed in curly brackets. Curly brac- kets tell SignOut to ignore the line. You'll also note that there's a line that tells you not to modify anything at the bottom of the file. Please head it. NOTE: The changes you make to the SIGNOUT.CFG file will have no effect until you load SignOut by entering "SO" at the DOS prompt. If SignOut is already loaded when you change the file, you should re-boot your computer after the file has been saved and then run SignOut again. -- HOTKEY SignOut's default hotkey is ALT-S. To change it, you need to modify the two lines beginning with "HOT-KEY-LETTER" and "HOT-KEY- CODE". After the equals sign on the first of these lines, place the letter you wish to use in conjunction with the ALT key. After the second line's equals sign, place a code beginning with "$08" and end- ing with the two-digit sequence associated with the letter you placed onto the first line. Your choices are as follows: Q=10 W=11 E=12 R=13 T=14 Y=15 U=16 I=17 O=18 P=19 A=1E S=1F D=20 F=21 G=22 H=23 J=24 K=25 L=26 Z=2C X=2D C=2E V=2F B=30 N=31 M=32 Example: To make ALT-Q the hotkey, the first line should read, "HOT- CUSTOMIZING SIGNOUT 11 KEY-LETTER=Q", and the second should read, "HOT-KEY-CODE=$0810". If you'd like to use the CTRL key in place of the ALT key, substitute "$04" for "$08". -- COLORS You may designate the primary colors used by SignOut. Just find the "FOREGROUND" and "BACKGROUND" and add the color codes you desire: 0 Black 1 Blue 2 Green 3 Cyan 4 Red 5 Magenta 6 Brown 7 Light Gray Be sure that the curly brackets are removed if you want these lines to be effective. -- WORD WRAP If you'd like to employ word-wrapping in multi-line descriptions, make sure that the "WORD-WRAP" line has no brackets. To turn off word-wrapping, enclose "WORD-WRAP" in curly brackets. SignOut's word- wrap feature works only when the cursor is at the very end of your entry. That is, it functions only when you are adding something to the end of your entry, as is the case when you are typing in your entry from scratch. Word-wrap does not work if your are editing some- thing in the middle of your text. -- LOCATING EVERYONE Normally, SignOut reports the location of only those people who have signed out. But if you want to track EVERYONE, whether signed out or not, you should remove the curly brackets from the "LOCATE-ALL" line. If you'd also like to reset each person's entry at the begin- ning of each day, remove the brackets from the "LOCATOR-RESET=" line, and place a 1- to 15-character message after the equals sign. The daily reset message you specify will automatically appear next to each person's name at the start of each new day. Only by signing in each morning can the person remove this message. If a person doesn't sign in, you might assume that he's ill or having some problems that might require your assistance or understanding. CUSTOMIZING SIGNOUT 12 APPENDIX: TUNING UP PERFORMANCE SignOut is a large program that would consume about 185K of mem- ory if the entire software were kept in memory waiting for you to press the hotkey. But that would leave you with 185K less memory to run your other applications. Therefore, efforts have been made to reduce the memory required by the program when it's lurking in the background. On the assumption that memory is more precious to most users than is time, SignOut has been optimized to use as little memory as possible, even though that means that it might take a little longer for it to respond when you press its hotkey. Rather than keep SignOut's entire code in memory when you're using another program, only a small "kernal" is maintained in RAM. When you press the hotkey, your current application is saved to disk or EMS (LIM-specification expanded memory), and then SignOut is loaded from disk or EMS. When you temporarily exit SignOut, it is then saved, while your former application is re-loaded. The memory-swap- ping that takes place whenever you enter or exit SignOut will take time. How much swapping time is required depends upon whether the swapping is between RAM and your hard disk or between RAM and other memory. If SignOut recognizes that you have sufficient EMS memory avail- able (185K), such memory will automatically be used, minimizing swap time significantly. If no EMS is recognized, the program will assume that you want it to swap to the disk directory from which SignOut was loaded. If you have EMS and SignOut does not recognize it, please don't call to report it; there are several incompatible EMS schemes floating around, and SignOut can't recognize them all. If you don't have EMS, but do have a extended memory, you might want to set up a large RAM disk and tell SignOut to use it for swap- ping. That'll speed things up quite a bit. Make sure that the RAM disk you use will be used for NOTHING other than SignOut, TickleX and/or BillPower. How big a RAM disk do you need? If you're using it just for SignOut, it should be at least 300K. Add another 825K if you also want to install BillPower as a pop-up, and yet another 780K if you use Tic- kleX as a pop-up. To tell SignOut which RAM disk to use, you'll need to alter the SO.BAT file. Place the RAM disk designation at the third parameter following "signout". Example: signout x x e: tells SignOut to use drive E as the swap drive. Remember that you use the designated RAM disk for NOTHING other than SignOut, BillPower and TickleX program swapping. TUNING UP PERFORMANCE 13 IMPORTANT: As mentioned above, if you don't have sufficient EMS memory and haven't designated a RAM disk, SignOut will swap to the hard disk. When swapping to the hard disk, the program creates and uses two hid- den files, "SOSWP.___" and "SOAPPSWP.___". Normally, you won't have any problems with disk swapping. But if, after having loaded SignOut, you use other programs that cause your available hard disk space to drop below 300 kilobytes, you may get a "FATAL SWAP ERROR" when you try to pop into SignOut. If that happens, you'll have to re-boot your machine, probably losing whatever you'd been working on when you pressed the hotkey. The lesson here is that you should not try using the program as a pop-up unless you're sure that you'll never come close to running out of space on whatever drive the program will be using for swapping. TUNING UP PERFORMANCE 14 APPENDIX: BACKING UP YOUR DATA Some day, you're going to lose data from your hard disk. It may be as the result of hardware failure, user error, or software malfunc- tion. IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN! And when it does, you'll have a ter- rible time replacing lost data, unless you've taken the care to make backups on a daily basis. Please back up your SignOut data regularly. The files that con- tain your valuable data are: "*.LB*" and "*.DAT", and they're all located in your hard disk's (both the local and server, if you're on a network) MANAGEX directory. Copy these files to a diskette every day, and store the diskette in a safe place. Use one diskette for backing up on even-numbered days, another for odd-numbered days, another for weekly backups, and yet another for monthly backups. Someday, you'll be glad you've taken these precautions. Or you'll regret not having done so. BACKING UP YOUR DATA 15 THE "POWER OFFICE" LINE-UP Each unique program in this series requires a hard disk-equipped IBM-compatible PC with 512K of memory. The following paragraphs contain brief descriptions. RAMdesk --> pop-up network message system, calculator, scheduler, phone directory, time/work/expense log, data base BillPower --> time & billing with totally integrated general ledger (can be invoked as either stand-alone or POP-UP program) TickleX --> the ultimate in scheduling/planning/docket control (can be invoked as either stand-alone or POP-UP program) MT-Tracker --> TickleX's scheduling power, plus client management ReSearch --> research/evidence organizer for litigation support RAMDESK RAMdesk ($50) is a handy "pop-up" program that contains a number of fea- tures useful in a business environment. INCLUDING EVERYTHING FOUND IN SIGNOUT, it will also handle several other jobs on your network: --> act as an E-Mail system to pass messages among the workstations; --> schedule and review upcoming events on a pop-up basis, allowing up to 20 alarms per day; --> maintain a pop-up record of income, expenses, and the time spent working on various projects; --> provide a pop-up address and phone directory, giving you instant access to records on hundreds of people; --> provide a pop-up programmable calculator with a 50-line "tape"; --> allow you to establish numerous pop-up databases, such as to-do lists, general ledger account listings, etc. Once RAMdesk is installed (it needs 45K), it's instantly available at the touch of a hot-key combination. It may be called up from within most word processors, spreadsheets, and other primary applications. If you also happen to have BillPower and TickleX, you'll find that RAMdesk ties in beauti- fully with them. Whatever appointments or deadlines you've scheduled with RAMdesk will be automatically picked up by TickleX, while BillPower will auto- matically take in the services, expenses, and receipts you've logged with RAM- desk. TickleX and BillPower can even assimilate entries made into RAMdesk by users on other computers around the office. If the computers are networked, the assimilation will be handled automatically; otherwise, you may use floppy disks to transfer the data between each "satellite" computer and the main data- base on another machine. BILLPOWER and BILLPOWER PLUS BillPower is a system designed to relieve you of the drudgery involved in billing. In a nutshell, it will track the time you work on professional mat- ters, keep up with your receipts and disbursements, and calculate the amount owed by each client. And it will automatically prepare informative monthly statements for all your clients. All on either a stand-alone or POP-UP basis! Engineered exclusively for the small firm, this innovative software offers a rare combination of power and ease of use at a fair price. Unlike programs that attempt to electronically emulate ancient manual accounting procedures, BillPower is designed to capitalize upon the power of your computer. If you are an "old hand" at bookkeeping, then open your mind to a real-time system which immediately updates all balances at the time an entry is made; one that does not require periodic batch postings or annual close-outs; one that pro- vides a convenient method for correcting erroneous entries; a system that never erases old data in the interest of consolidation. You'll find both BillPower and BillPower Plus to be advanced products. --> BillPower ($100): time, billing, & bookkeeping for firms with up to three timekeepers -- includes bank account management, income-expense reports, balance sheets, & several bill formats. --> BillPower Plus ($150): time, billing, & bookkeeping for firms with up to fifteen timekeepers -- builds upon BillPower's fea- tures, adding the abilities to keep extensive indexed memos on any subject, maintain notes on thousands of people, conduct con- flict of interest checks, prepare mailing labels, and more. BillPower can prepare several types of reports. Whenever you request one, you will be presented with a screen listing the parameters by which you can choose the information to be included. After you have selected the appro- priate parameters, BillPower will hunt through its data base for informa- tion meeting your specifications. The report may be sent to the screen, the printer or to a disk file. Finally, while other time and billing programs may offer "links" to exter- nal accounting software, BillPower completely integrates its bookkeeping func- tions into the rest of the program. In fact, BillPower Plus can simultaneously update affected G/L accounts (as well as a client's balance and aged receiv- ables) at the time that a disbursement or receipt is entered. This "real-time" approach to bookkeeping, virtually unprecedented in a time and billing program, saves you the time you would otherwise spend making duplicate G/L entries, pos- ting transactions, and/or transferring files from one program to another. With BillPower Plus, a SINGLE entry can handle all the updating that needs to be done. No other program offers such a degree of integration. NONE! TICKLEX TickleX ($50) is a tickler/calendar program that will keep track of your appointments and deadlines, print your itinerary at the beginning of each day day, keep a "to-do" list, and chart the projected course of each matter you handle. It will also schedule trips and vacations, print weekly and monthly calendars, and beep at you when something needs doing. Stand-alone or POP-UP. TickleX is unusual in its ability to dynamically link reminders to ap- pointments and deadlines. Assume, for example, that you have a very important meeting scheduled for 15 August. As with other programs, you could establish reminders several days or weeks in advance to allow adequate preparation for the meeting. For the purposes of this example, let's say that you have entered a reminder one week in advance and another two weeks in advance. Now, what happens if the meeting is moved forward one week to 22 August? Again, all tic- kler programs would allow you to reschedule it. But TickleX will also automatically update the two reminders, moving each one week forward in order to maintain the original reminder intervals. Other programs would require you to search for each reminder, delete it, and then enter it again on another date. This TickleX exclusive is an absolute "must" for offices that have fre- quent schedule changes. TickleX is also unique in the way it handles multi-day events. TickleX allows you to enter an event such as a week-long trip with just one entry. Other programs might require a separate entry to be made for each day of the trip. If your trip plans change, you need change only a single entry if you have TickleX. TickleX even has built-in project planning. No fancy charts, mind you. Just a very simplistic means of linking and updating related events. And it's completely integrated into the TickleX system. All project updates are auto- matically incorporated into the same schedule that contains appointments, dead- lines, vacations, etc. Add to these features an attractive user interface, the ability to attach extensive notes to each scheduled event, a number of other nice touches, and TickleX comes up a winner. Whether you're an executive looking for a powerful centralized personnel scheduler, a busy entrepreneur needing an easy-to-use tickler system, or a lawyer seeking the ultimate docket control software, Tick- leX is the program for you. There isn't a more robust scheduler available at any price. At only $50, it's a steal. MT-TRACKER MT-Tracker is the ideal client tracker and scheduler. It integrates the scheduling power of TickleX with the ability to track several thousand clients, companies, contacts, projects, or jobs. Also included is a note-keeping module that will link memos to the dates and clients to which they apply. In addition to the expected name, address, phone, and contact information, each client record has space for six full lines of miscellaneous data and nine USER-CUSTOMIZABLE fields. And each note kept in the Note-keeping module may contain up to seventeen lines of information. Because MT-Tracker is an integrated system, you can easily zip from one module to another. Assume, for instance, that you're looking at Mr. Smith's record, and you'd like to see everything (not just one or two items) scheduled for him during the coming month. A few keystrokes later, what you need will be displayed on your monitor or sent to your printer. When you're finished look- ing at the schedule, press a key to re-display Mr. Smith's record. Notes and logged events, income, and expenses are just as easily accessed. If you're a sales representative, consultant, personal injury lawyer, or anyone else who needs to track clients, customers, or jobs, this is the soft- ware you've been waiting for. Give it a try. RESEARCH ReSearch ($50) is a program designed to help you keep track of re- search, chronologies, and evidence. When you enter an item of research, you may tell ReSearch such things as the source, page, and line number where that item can be found. You may also enter an eleven-line summary of the item and indicate the subject category into which the item falls. A prime use of this program is to create printouts of research data, sor- ted alphabetically by subject abbreviation. Another use is to keep tabs on documents and other evidence (who sent it, who received it, its current loca- tion, etc.). It can also be used to prepare a chronological report of a se- quence of events which may have been entered at random into the data base. Finally, it can scan depositions provided to you on disk in industry-standard ASCII format and transfer verbatim text directly from the depositions to its data base.