(C)1994 Innovative Computer Solutions, All Rights Reserved
Written by Dan Rowley, Documentation/Icons by Tom Collins
< Overview >
SleepAid covers all aspects of power management on your Newton (Classic, MP100, MP110 or German MP). It replaces the default "Sleep" preferences allowing you to set two sleep times - one for battery and one for AC. It lets you reboot or sleep your Newton even if some errant application wants it to stay awake. And finally, it adds a SleepAidNow corner for one tap sleep and a HeapStatus corner for an instant reading of free heap space. SleepAid is not a radical change from the existing interface. It adds functionality without complexity and implements sleep the way it should have been in the first place. :-)
< Installation Notes >
If you are upgrading from SleepAid 0.9b, please launch the old SleepAid and tap on "Kill Prefs" before removing the package. Users of later versions of SleepAid do not need to remove their prefs before upgrading to SleepAid 1.2.
Use the "memory" preferences panel or some other package removal utility to remove the old version. Once the old version of SleepAid has been removed, you can install SleepAid 1.2.
Install SleepAid as you would any other package (with the Connection Kit or some other utility). SleepAid will work if installed on a PCMCIA card, but we do not recommend it. If you remove the card SleepAid is installed on, it will not exhibit the Grip 'O Death (provided it is not open), but it WILL deactivate itself. So, even though SleepAid works fine from a card, it is not active (because it is not present) if you remove the card it's on. SleepAid picks up where it left off (i.e.; it remembers its settings) when you reinsert the card.
It's a good idea to go into the SleepAid prefs right after installing it, because you may not like the defaults. Until you set the prefs, SleepAid will maintain your existing sleep time for both AC and battery power.
< SleepAid Preferences >
When SleepAid starts up, it replaces the Newton's default Sleep preferences. You access the new preferences the same way you accessed the old preferences - they appear in the same location on the preferences roll. The new preferences use sliders instead of a popup menu for setting a sleep time for battery power and AC power ("plugged in"). Once installed, SleepAid monitors battery status and updates the sleep time accordingly.
On the Classic MP, SleepAid will think that you are plugged in if you have fresh batteries (the only way to detect an AC connection on a Classic MP is to check for a 100% battery level). On the MP100 and MP110 you can use the new calibrate feature to enable true AC sensing.
Tap the "Calibrate" button to set the low/high power threshold to the current battery level. On the MP100 and MP110, this level will appear as "AC sense" if you calibrate when your AC adapter is plugged in.
To activate or deactivate the "SleepAidNow" (lower-left) or "HeapStatus" (lower-right) corners, tap the checkboxes by each item. Changing these setting requires special processing. If you make a change to either of these "hot corners", a "Set" button will appear. You must tap this button when you are finished, or the "hot corner" changes will not take effect.
You can tap the SleepAidNow corner (over the "N" in Names) to instantly launch SleepAid. If you hold your tap for more than one second, the MessagePad will immediately go to sleep. You can tap the HeapStatus corner (over the "t" in Assist) to have a small window with a current free heap reading. If you hold your tap for more than one second, SleepAid will peform a garbage collection, possibly freeing up more heap space.
< Usage >
You can launch the SleepAid application from your Extras drawer or the SleepAidNow corner (see above) to perform additional power management tasks.
Tap on "?" to get more info on SleepAid (including registration information).
Tap on "Reboot!" to reset your Newton.
Tap on "Sleep!" to put your Newton to sleep. If there are any other applications installed that won't let your Newton sleep, SleepAid will give you the option to kill their sleep handlers so your Newton can get some rest. SleepAid will attempt to find the owner of the recalcitrant sleep handler but may respond with a cryptic name such as "petermain" (the name of the Inspector interface). At this point, your guess is as good as ours.
Tap on "Open Prefs" to open the SleepAid preferences.
Tap on "Kill Prefs" to remove SleepAid's soup entry. If you don't plan on using SleepAid again, use the "Kill Prefs" button before you remove the package from your Newton.
< Technical Information >
SleepAid makes use of an InstallScript to install the power monitoring routines. If you use a utility that disables this function, SleepAid will not work properly. If you don't want SleepAid to be active, simply remove the package. SleepAid will remember your preferences even when deinstalled, unless you use the "Kill Prefs" option from the application before you remove it.
To conserve battery power, SleepAid only checks the battery status every 30 seconds. If you have set an exceptionally short sleep time (like 30 seconds) for battery operation, it's POSSIBLE (but not likely) that SleepAid may not notice if you plug in the Newt in time to prevent it from falling asleep. If this is really a problem, you can tap the screen after plugging your Newt in to keep it awake "a little longer." We should note that we've never actually seen this happen, but it IS theoretically possible (sort of like cold fusion or a balanced federal budget).
< Release History>
1.2 - 5/30/94 - Added HeapStatus, Calibrate, and enable/disable for SleepAidNow and HeapStatus.
1.01 - 4/10/94 - Fixed incompatability with some applications using modal dialogs.
1.0 - 4/03/94 - Fixed to work with MP 110 and German MP. Added SleepAidNow.
0.9b - 2/20/94 - First public release. Tested on two MessagePads with OS v1.11.
0.6b - 2/09/94 - First semi-stable version. No more Grip O' Death.
0.2b - 1/18/94 - You don't even want to know.
< Shareware Registration Information >
This application is SHAREWARE. If you decide to keep it, please register it by sending $5.00 to Innovative Computer Solutions; ATTN: Tom Collins; 1075 North Miller Road, #142; Scottsdale, Arizona 85257-4612. Please include your name, the name of this utility (SleepAid 1.2), type(s) of MessagePad(s) owned, address (postal) and preferred e-mail address so we can contact you about updates and our other products. You can also register SleepAid on CompuServe for $6. GO SWREG and register app number 2674. PLEASE BE HONEST and register this software if you use it - we can't continue to write cool Newton apps if we don't get any support.
< Bugs, Questions, Comments, Suggestions... >
Send e-mail to the author, Dan Rowley, at 73563.2343@compuserve.com (Dan's still trying to find a local Internet provider in Monterey). You can also reach Tom at ics@indirect.com or 75460.2121@compuserve.com. We want to develop Newton applications to fit YOUR needs. Give us feedback, let us know if we're doing it right. We're here for you.
If you'd like the latest versions of our software, and can't find them on CompuServe, America Online, comp.binaries.newton, or the Newton FTP sites, contact us via e-mail and we'll send them to you.
< Our Latest Shareware Newton Application - NewtCase >
Our previous app, HeapIt, introduced Classic MP users to a new way to free up some of their heap space. Now, NewtCase lets any MessagePad (Classic, MP100, MP110) user archive his/her Newton applications to reduce heap memory requirements, alleviate conflicts between applications, and clean up his/her Extras drawer. Archived (or NewtCased) applications do not show up in the Extras drawer, but can be reinstalled at any time using NewtCase. Deinstall applications without having to remove them from your MessagePad! Keep a hundred apps on your 4 meg card without overflowing your heap space or Extras drawer!
< Legal Mumbo Jumbo >
You can't sell SleepAid, but you can charge a nominal fee for connect time or media (not to exceed $5). Contact the authors if you plan to include it in some sort of freeware/shareware collection.
In using this software, you understand and agree that this software is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. The authors do not make any warranties, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to this software.
In no event shall the author be liable for any consequential, incidental, or special damages whatsoever (including without limitation, damages for loss of critical data, loss of profits, interruption of business and the like) arising out of the use or inability to use this software.
Have a nice day. ;-)
Innovative Computer Solutions / 1075 N. Miller #142 / Scottsdale, AZ 85257
Dan Rowley / Internet: <currently unavailable> / CompuServe: 73563,2343
Tom Collins / Internet: ics@indirect.com / CompuServe: 75460,2121