Azbuka 2.1 (a guide to the Russian alphabet for beginners)
Azbuka version 2.1 is for 680x0 Macs and version 2.1.1 for PowerMacs. If you had version 1 installed on your hard disk it is recommended that you rebuild the desktop after installing this version in order to see the newer version of the icon. (To achieve this restart your Mac with the Option and Command keys held down and click the OK button when asked if you wish to rebuild the desktop.)
Instructions
Clicking on either the written or printed versions of each letter or on the exemplar words will give the sound of that letter or word. The Record... button will now be enabled. If a suitable microphone is attached to the computer the user will be able to record his or her own voice using a standard recording dialog box. On clicking the Done or Cancel buttons the dialog box is removed and the sound of the last letter or word clicked by the user will be repeated. The Record... button is then disabled until another letter or word is clicked. It will be noted that a maximum of just over 2 minutes recording time is permitted on each occasion. This ought to be more than ample. The previous version tended progressively to run out of recording time. This version is thought to cure that problem.
To move from letter to letter one may either click the Next letter button or press the Return or Enter keys. Alternatively, a number between 1 and 33 may be typed and on clicking the Next letter button or pressing the Return or Enter keys the user is taken directly to the letter occupying that position in the alphabet. Clicking the Previous letter button has the self-evident effect of taking the user back one stage.
On clicking the Auto-run button the user will be taken through each of the letters of the alphabet, starting from the one currently displayed. The letters and exemplar words will be highlighted and the sound of each given in turn. This auto-run facility may be stopped at any time by clicking the Stop button, which will be enabled at this stage, or by the time-honoured Macintosh method of holding down the Command key and typing a full stop (period to our Transatlantic cousins). Depending on the point at which the user sent the Stop signal it may take a moment to take effect.
Acknowledgements
I should like to express my thanks to Vadim Chukanin for his invaluable assistance in recording the sounds and exemplar words, also to Natalya Sychevskaya for the goodbye message which is heard on quitting.
Miscellaneous
This application was originally written to provide an introduction to the Russian version of the Cyrillic alphabet for pupils of Abingdon School, Oxfordshire, U.K. and is now released as shareware. As such it may be freely copied and distributed, provided that this Read Me file is included, but users are expected to pay the shareware fee of £10 sterling in the case of individual users or £25 for use on a network (no restriction on the number of terminals). Cheques payable to Dr.G.Rolfe are preferred. Cash should be sent by registered post only. Users outside the U.K. unable to send sterling in cash or in the form of a cheque should send $15 (US) or $40 (US) for use on a network by registered post.
If Azbuka is found to conflict with non-standard extensions or control panels try restarting your computer with extensions off (by holding down the Shift key on restarting) and seeing whether this cures the problem. There is some evidence to suggest that it is incompatible with Daystar accelerator cards.
