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- **********************************************************************
- -> This file introduces EASI-PLAN Lite, explains how to get started
- etc. It should be read by all first-time users.
-
- -> The file has been supplied as an integral part of the shareware
- version of EASI-PLAN Lite, a financial planner for new & mid-size
- businesses, specially developed for use on a 'try-before-you-buy'
- basis by Invest-Tech Limited. For contact details, see end of this
- file.
-
- -> To print this file, type "PRINT README.TXT" at the DOS prompt.
- **********************************************************************
-
- CONTENTS
- ========
-
- This file (README.TXT) covers the following topics in separate
- sections below:
-
- 1. WELCOME
-
- 2. SUPPLIED FILES
-
- 3. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
-
- 3.1 System requirements & set up
- 3.2 Features - EASI-PLAN Micro
- 3.3 Features - EASI-PLAN Lite
- 3.4 Features - EASI-PLAN Pro
- 3.5 Help system
- 3.6 System requirements
- 3.7 Registration
- 3.8 Invest-Tech
-
- 4. HOW TO RUN EASI-PLAN
-
- 5. WHAT IS SHAREWARE ?
-
- 6. USER LICENCE AGREEMENT
-
- 7. REVISIONS TO EASI-PLAN Lite
-
- **********************************************************************
-
- The supplied file VENDINFO.DIZ also contains important information.
- It can be accessed by entering READ_ME.BAT at the DOS prompt.
-
- **********************************************************************
-
- 1. WELCOME
- ===========
-
- EASI-PLAN Lite is an easy-to-use software package for preparing
- comprehensive and fully integrated financial projections,
- budgets, funding applications, business plans etc. for three years
- ahead. It can also be used for strategic planning, financial
- appraisals etc. It is ideal for businesses with annual sales from
- 250,000 to 2m pounds/dollars engaged in manufacturing, distribution
- or services.
-
- A more powerful version of EASI-PLAN for larger businesses, called
- EASI-PLAN Pro, contains additional facilities and accommodates a much
- more extensive range of variables. There is also a simpler version
- called EASI-PLAN Micro for new and very small businesses.
-
- This version of EASI-PLAN Lite has been developed to encourage users
- to explore EASI-PLAN on a 'try-before-you-buy' basis and, if found
- useful, to acquire a copy of the full version of EASI-PLAN Lite
- or one of its other versions.
-
- EASI-PLAN is NOT free software. If you continue using it after a
- 30-day trial period, you must register with the author, Invest-Tech,
- to upgrade to the fully-operational version.
-
- In return for registering, you will be upgraded to the latest
- full release of EASI-PLAN and receive a spiral-bound 160+ page manual
- incorporating tutorial exercises etc. and access to full support.
- Registration details are contained in Section 3.7 below and in
- the REGISTER.TXT file.
-
- EASI-PLAN is fully protected by copyright. However, this shareware
- version may be copied in its entirety and without modification
- for FREE distribution to friends and, subject to the conditions set out
- in the VENDINFO.DIZ file, by shareware libraries etc. This permission
- DOES NOT APPLY to an upgraded copy of EASI-PLAN Lite.
-
- We hope that you find EASI-PLAN useful. Please register so as to
- encourage us to develop other shareware products.
-
- Good luck with EASI-PLAN.
-
- Brian Flanagan, Invest-Tech Limited
-
- **********************************************************************
-
- 2. SUPPLIED FILES
- ==================
-
- See VENDINFO.DIZ
-
- **********************************************************************
-
- 3. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
- ========================
-
- EASI-PLAN is a range of powerful, easy-to-use software package
- developed by Invest-Tech Limited to help businesses of all sizes
- to prepare comprehensive financial projections for three or more years
- ahead.
-
- EASI-PLAN can also be used by professional advisers, consultants,
- training organisations and financial institutions. It is suitable
- for businesses engaged in manufacturing, distribution or services.
-
- EASI-PLAN is available in three versions - Micro, Lite & Pro - to
- suit businesses of different sizes and complexities. The supplied
- shareware version is Lite.
-
- Based on your forecasts and assumptions, EASI-PLAN compiles
- integrated financial projections (P&Ls, cashflows, balance sheets
- & ratios) for one year ahead on a monthly basis and, in less detail,
- for a further two years on a quarterly basis. It produces numerous
- management and financial reports together with graphs for many key
- variables which can be displayed on the screen or printed. It
- also produces reports detailing all the underlying assumptions.
-
- EASI-PLAN Lite incorporates facilities for graphing key results; for
- undertaking 'what-if' analysis; for preparing 'first-cut' three-
- year projections, generating a textual summary report; rolling
- projections forward a month at a time; and exporting an EASI-PLAN
- model to Lotus 1-2-3 and other spreadsheets.
-
- EASI-PLAN is very suitable for users with limited or no prior
- experience of computers or financial planning as well as for
- more experienced users who do not wish to go to the very considerable
- trouble, or waste valuable time, developing their own planning
- system on a spreadsheet. Bear in mind that EASI-PLAN involved
- thousands of hours of development and years of "know-how".
-
- EASI-PLAN Lite is primarily aimed at businesses typically with
- annual sales in the range of 250,000 to 2m pounds/dollars. A more
- powerful version, EASI-PLAN Pro, is for larger businesses and their
- subsidiaries with sales from 100 thousand to 99 million pounds/
- dollars. EASI-PLAN Micro is for companies or sole traders with
- sales of under 250,000 pounds/dollars. Instead of registering
- EASI-PLAN Lite, you can opt to register for EASI-PLAN Micro or
- Pro. See below for further information.
-
-
- 3.1 System Requirements and Set Up
- -----------------------------------
-
- To run EASI-PLAN you need the following system:
-
- * Industry-standard PC with DOS 3.30 or higher and a hard disk.
- * Micro and Lite versions of EASI-PLAN need conventional
- memory of 640k. Pro also requires 384k of expanded memory (if
- not being run from within Windows).
- * VGA, GCA, mono, Hercules or LCD display (or equivalent).
-
- A printer (dot-matrix, ink-jet or laser) is desirable. If you wish,
- you can run EASI-PLAN as a DOS program within Windows (an icon,
- EASIPLAN.ICO, has been supplied).
-
- EASI-PLAN Micro or Lite need 560k, or more, of 'free' conventional
- memory. This should not present any problem as it is well within
- the capacity of most PCs with 640k of RAM. If, for any reason,
- EASI-PLAN runs short of memory, it will use any expanded memory
- which might be available or it will create some 'virtual' memory on
- the hard disk. Refer to the Section - Securing More Memory - for
- further information about EASI-PLAN Lite's memory requirements.
-
- If you are using a PC with a Hercules display, you will not be able
- to view EASI-PLAN's graphs unless you run the supplied MSHERC.COM
- before you load EASI-PLAN.
-
- If you are running EASI-PLAN on a portable PC with a B/W LCD
- display, you may need to change EASI-PLAN's video setting once it
- has loaded in order to clearly distinguish the rectangular cursor
- which appears when you are viewing reports on the screen. To do this,
- press I (for Initialise) at the Main Menu, V (for Video) and L (for
- LCD/B&W). The Manual accompanying the full version of EASI-PLAN
- explains how to make these changes permanent.
-
- If, when using EASI-PLAN, the pound symbol (£L) fails to print, i.e.
- () appears instead of (£L), or is replaced by another character
- e.g. #, you can make it appear by changing the character or
- symbol set being used by your printer to an IBM Extended Character
- Set. If the pound sign is missing, you may notice that some rows get
- slightly knocked out of vertical alignment. If using a HP LaserJet or
- compatible laser printer, the default symbol set (e.g. HP Roman-8)
- may not print the pound sign. Check the printer manual and use the
- control panel to switch to another symbol set, for example, HP IBM-US
- or PCMultilingual. If using a dot-matrix printer, check the manual
- for guidance and use the control panel or dip switches to alter the
- character set being used. If you change the symbol or character set
- you may be able to keep the new settings as your permanent or default
- settings without upsetting any of your other software.
-
- 3.2 Features - EASI-PLAN Micro
- --------------------------------
-
- EASI-PLAN Micro is primarily aimed at businesses with annual sales in
- the range of 50,000 to 250,000 pounds/dollars. It can handle a very
- wide variety of variables and financial functions. These include the
- following:
-
- - Sales forecasts for up to six product/market groups which can be
- defined by the user.
-
- - Provision for specifying the cost of materials/goods as percentages
- of sales and for indicating stock targets.
-
- - Direct labour inputs and four other user-definable direct/variable
- cost categories.
-
- - Fourteen user-definable categories of overhead expense.
-
- - Fixed assets with provision for handling depreciation, additions or
- disposals.
-
- - Facilities for setting different VAT rates for outputs and inputs, for
- specifying VAT payment months and for handling VAT on a cash-received
- or invoice basis.
-
- - Separate interest rates for cash balances, overdraft and long-term
- debt and for increasing and decreasing long-term debt.
-
- - Share issues, dividends, corporation tax and subsidies/grants. When
- set up for a sole trader/partnership, EASI-PLAN can handle income
- tax, drawings and cash introductions.
-
- - Facilities for phasing out opening balance sheet values and for
- setting different payment terms (ranging from cash sales to
- four+ months credit) for current-year trade creditors and debtors.
-
- - Preformatted account layouts for either a limited company or a
- sole trader (or partnership).
-
- By altering or disregarding certain variables, EASI-PLAN can handle
- most types of manufacturing, distribution and service businesses as
- explained in its User Manual.
-
- EASI-PLAN incorporates many special facilities including the
- following:
-
- - QUIK-PLAN to enable a user produce first-cut projections for three
- years quickly (i.e. within about 15 minutes).
-
- - Fast-entry function keys for inserting constant values etc.
-
- - Six-page textual summary report to compliment graphs and tabular
- reports.
-
- - Set-ups for laser and dot-matrix printers.
-
- - Selective "what-if" or sensitivity analysis covering months and/or
- quarters for the three years.
-
- - Facility to suppress the printing of rows which contain zero
- values.
-
-
- 3.3 Features - EASI-PLAN Lite
- -------------------------------
-
- EASI-PLAN Lite is primarily aimed at businesses with annual sales in
- the range of 250,000 to 2,000,000 pounds/dollars. It uses 000's pounds
- instead of single pounds as its basic currency denomination. It can
- handle a much wider variety of variables and financial functions
- including the following:
-
- - Sales forecasts for up to ten product/market subgroups within two
- main groups which can be defined by the user. Different VAT rates
- can be set for each main group.
-
- - Provisions for specifying the cost of materials/goods as percentages
- of sales and for indicating stock targets for each main group.
-
- - Direct labour inputs and four other user-definable direct/variable
- cost categories.
-
- - Nineteen user-definable categories of overhead expense.
-
- - Fixed assets with provision for handling depreciation, finance
- leases and additions or disposals.
-
- - Facilities for setting different VAT rates for inputs & capex,
- for specifying VAT payment months and for handling VAT on a
- cash-received or invoice basis.
-
- - Separate interest rates for cash balances, overdraft and long-term
- debt and for increasing and decreasing long-term debt.
-
- - Share issues, dividends, corporation tax and subsidies/grants.
-
- - Facilities for phasing out opening balance sheet values and for
- setting different payment terms (ranging from cash sales to
- four+ months credit) for four groups of current-year trade
- creditors and debtors.
-
- - Preformatted account layouts for either a limited company or a
- sole trader (or partnership).
-
- By altering or disregarding certain variables, EASI-PLAN can handle
- most types of manufacturing, distribution and service businesses as
- explained in its User Manual.
-
- EASI-PLAN Lite incorporates the following additional facilities:
-
- - Fast-entry function keys for inserting incrementing assumptions
- in various forms etc. e.g. initial value increased by a fixed
- percentage each month.
-
- - The six-page textual summary report can be printed directly or
- exported as an ASCII file for inclusion in other documents.
-
- - An advance facility to enable rolling 12-month projections to be
- maintained without having to re-enter assumptions.
-
- - Assumptions and projections can be exported to Lotus 1-2-3 and
- many other spreadsheets for editing, desktop publishing,
- consolidation etc.
-
- - Global, as well as selective, "what-if" or sensitivity analysis
- covering months and/or quarters for the three years.
-
- Users can register to acquire Lite instead of Micro. Alternatively,
- they can upgrade, at a discount to its normal price, to Lite when
- they outgrow Micro.
-
-
- 3.4 Features - EASI-PLAN Pro
- -----------------------------
-
- EASI-PLAN Pro is the most powerful version in the EASI-PLAN range. It
- is suitable for larger businesses, professional advisers etc. It is
- mainly aimed at businesses with annual sales of between 1 million and
- 99 million pounds/dollars.
-
- Pro handles many more variables than Lite - it contains 10,500
- built-in formulae (vs. 6,500 for Lite) and can accommodate up to 3,000
- assumption values (vs. 2,000 for Lite).
-
- Pro has additional facilities including:
-
- - Projections for five years instead of three.
-
- - Special graph printing utility which gives users a higher degree
- of control over the appearance of graphs than is possible by
- using Lite in conjunction with DOS's Graphics program.
-
- - Facility for comparing monthly actuals and projections with
- additional reports and related graphs.
-
- - Special function key for entering assumptions based on a
- seasonal pattern etc. specified by the user.
-
- - Facilities to defer the actual cash payments relating to
- certain categories of expenses, capital expenditure, grant
- receipts, dividends etc. in some of the Monthly Assumption
- Reports.
-
- - Automatic importation of data from spreadsheets using a
- a file linking technique.
-
- Pro uses more memory than Lite or Micro. It requires 384k or more of
- expanded memory (EMS) or needs to be run as a DOS program from
- within Windows.
-
- Users can register to acquire Pro instead of Lite. Alternatively,
- they can upgrade, at a discount to its normal price, to Pro when
- they outgrow Lite.
-
- 3.5 Help system
- ----------------
-
- EASI-PLAN is entirely menu-driven and incorporates very
- comprehensive context-sensitive help facilities. These include
- extensive menu prompts, error trapping, on-line Help Pages, pop-up
- Hint & Guidance Windows and annotated variable descriptions.
-
-
- 3.6 Specification
- ------------------
-
- =================================================================
- Micro Lite Pro
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
- Number of reports 29 30 31
- Number of graphs 13 14 20
- Approximate maximum number
- of user assumptions 1,200 2,000 3,000
- Approximate total number of
- built-in formulae 4,000 6,500 10,500
- ==================================================================
-
-
- 3.7 Registration
- -----------------
-
- EASI-PLAN Lite is not FREE software. If you decide that you would
- like to retain and continue to use EASI-PLAN after a 30-day trial
- period, you must register with Invest-Tech, the author and
- copyright holder.
-
- In return for registering, you will be upgraded to the latest
- fully-operational release of EASI-PLAN Lite with its 160+ page
- spiral-bound printed manual (incorporating tutorial exercises etc.)
- and gain access to full support.
-
- The Registration Fees for EASI-PLAN are given below. See REGISTER.TXT
- for further details.
-
- ===========================================================
- Fee (IR) Fee (stg) Fee (US$)
- Pounds Pounds See
- See Notes See Notes Notes
- ----------------------------------------------------------
- EASI-PLAN Micro 45 45 70
- EASI-PLAN Lite 75 75 120
- EASI-PLAN Pro 145 145 230
-
- Switch from Micro to Lite 40 40 60
- Switch from Lite to Pro 70 70 110
- Switch from Micro to Pro 100 100 160
- ----------------------------------------------------------
- Note 1 Plus VAT at 21% for Irish customers and for purchasers
- in other EU States who are NOT registered for VAT.
-
- Note 2 No VAT applies to customers in EU States (other than
- Ireland) who are registered for VAT and who quote their
- VAT number at time of ordering.
-
- Note 3 No VAT applies to purchasers outside the EU.
-
- Note 4 Users outside the UK and Ireland should add 10% to
- cover additional post and packing.
-
- Note 5 You can also register EASI-PLAN Lite via "PsL"
- (Public software Library) and CompuServe (see
- REGISTER.TXT for full details).
-
- You can also upgrade and register directly with Invest-Tech via
- our World Wide Web (WWW) site on the Internet using a credit
- card and its special built-in forms. See bottom of file for
- details of its location. Our Web site, called PlanWare,
- contains downloadable versions of *ALL* our financial planners
- for businesses and the home. It also offers useful advice in
- the form of text files on such topics as business planning,
- cashflow forecasting etc. as well as lots of other interesting
- stuff.
-
-
- 3.8 Invest-Tech Limited
- ------------------------
-
- We are management consultants specialising in financial and
- business planning software. Formed in 1983, Invest-Tech is a
- Registered Practice within the Institute of Management Consultants
- in Ireland. Our banker is Bank of Ireland, Dublin, and our auditors
- are Deloitte & Touche, Dublin.
-
- Shareware versions of EASI-PLAN Micro and Pro are also available.
- Look for files called EASI*.ZIP.
-
- In addition to EASI-PLAN Micro, Lite and Pro, our range of financial
- planning software includes the following products:
-
- PERS-PLAN: A personal or household cashflow and financial
- planner which can be used to plan 12 months ahead. It
- accommodates a very wide range of income and expenditure
- variables and can handle income tax, interest, credit
- card calculations etc. Supplied with a 90-page manual.
- Price: 29 pounds (sterling or Irish) excluding VAT (US$40).
- Available as shareware in a file called PERSP*.ZIP.
-
- YOUR-PLAN: Shareware version of PERS-PLAN available from good
- libraries in the UK, US etc. Only covers a six month
- period and handles fewer variables than PERS-PLAN.
- Look for a file called YOURP*.ZIP.
-
- BANK-PLAN: Specialist cashflow planner for small businesses covering
- 12-months ahead. Runs 'stand-alone' with similar general
- structure to EASI-PLAN. Compliments EASI-PLAN. Price: 50
- pounds (sterling or Irish) excluding VAT (US$70).
- Shareware version available in a file called BANKP*.ZIP.
-
- CASH-PLAN: More powerful and advanced version of BANK-PLAN aimed at
- larger businesses. Price: 95 pounds (sterling or Irish)
- excluding VAT (US$150).
-
- FIN-PLAN: Wide range of comprehensive and fully-integrated
- financial planners (P&Ls, cashflows, balance sheets,
- ratios etc.) covering 12-months plus 8/16 quarters.
- Versions are available to run on Lotus 1-2-3 (any
- release for DOS or Windows). Extensive menus with
- numerous features and facilities. Easily expanded
- by user. Price: 95 pounds (sterling or Irish)
- excluding VAT (US$150).
-
- Comprehensive descriptions, specifications and 'demos' are
- available for each of the foregoing products.
-
- **********************************************************************
-
- 4. HOW TO RUN EASI-PLAN
- ========================
-
- Note that you can run EASI-PLAN as a DOS program within Windows.
-
- Before exploring EASI-PLAN, you need to know that:
-
- All commands are executable from a Main Menu, sub-menus
- or function key menus. At any stage, the Main Menu can be
- retrieved by pressing the F10 function key once. You can
- access context-sensitive Help Pages by pressing F1 at any
- time.
-
- Whenever a report is being displayed on the screen, you can
- use certain function keys to perform the actions explained
- in the menu strip displayed at the bottom of the screen.
- Additional function key commands can be used to call up
- special facilities for entering data etc. These can be
- accessed by holding down the ALT key on the keyboard while
- tapping one of the indicated function keys (press ALT+F1
- for help).
-
- If you get lost at any stage, try pressing the function key F10
- to return to the Main Menu. If a system error is encountered,
- press the RETURN key (or CTRL+BREAK) and then F10. If a 'secured
- cell' message is encountered, press RETURN to clear it.
-
- The following guidelines assume that you have already installed
- (i.e. copied, unzipped, unarchived, uncompressed etc.) the
- complete set of EASI-PLAN files onto a hard disk.
-
- Note: If you are using a B/W LCD display, you may need to run
- the supplied MSHERC.EXE utility before loading EASI-PLAN
-
- a) Get into the sub-directory on your hard disk where you have
- copied/installed all EASI-PLAN's files (for example if the
- sub-directory EASIL3 was used, type "CD EASIL3" and press
- RETURN at the DOS prompt).
-
- b) Print this README.TXT file by typing "PRINT README.TXT".
-
- c) Run an introductory program called GO.BAT by typing "GO". If your
- PC uses a very old display, do not select this option - choose
- d) or e) below.
-
- *or*
-
- d) For guidance about the syntax for loading EASI-PLAN
- etc. type "EP".
-
- *or*
-
- e) Type "EP MASTER" to load EASI-PLAN along with a set of
- specimen assumptions in a file called MASTER.ASS.
-
- Once EASI-PLAN loads, move through the introductory screens, by
- pressing any key, to reach EASI-PLAN's Main Menu.
-
- By following the on-screen Hints and Guidance Notes and by
- accessing Help Notes and Help Pages, have a go at building your
- first set of projections by using QUIK-PLAN. Print the results
- in the Textual Summary Report. Review the individual reports on
- screen, make additional assumptions, recalculate, view the
- graphs etc.
- Good luck !
-
- Securing More Memory
- --------------------
- EASI-PLAN Lite needs 560k, or more, of 'free' conventional memory (not
- extended memory). This should not present any problem to the vast
- majority of users as it is well within the capacity of most PCs with 640k
- of RAM unless they have been specially configured etc.
-
- Try loading EASI-PLAN. Consult the remainder of this Section *ONLY*
- if EASI-PLAN appears to load very slowly (i.e. takes more than two
- minutes and the hard disk seems to be continually starting and stopping).
-
- To skip to the next Section, press "PageDown" four or five times.
-
- We discuss below some ways and means of running EASI-PLAN with different
- permutations and combinations of memory etc. in order to speed up the
- loading time. Only consult this Section if a problem has been
- encountered.
-
- If you are concerned about memory availability and if the shareware
- PLAN may load and calculate too slowly to be of any practical use or
- it may "hang" when loading. If your PC is a modern one and has a
- "fastish" hard disk, this should not be a problem and you may not
- even notice that EASI-PLAN is using virtual memory.
-
- The amount of "free" conventional memory available is a function of
- the version of DOS being used, the degree to which memory is required
- by devices, TSRs and other programs, and several other factors. After
- you install EASI-PLAN and before running it, check the following:
-
- 1. Version of DOS being used. Type "VER" at the DOS prompt. If VER
- proves to be a 'bad command', you are probably running DOS 3.x.
-
- 2. Memory availability and utilisation. Type "MEM" at the DOS prompt.
- Be careful to identify "free" conventional memory and do not
- confuse extended (XMS) and expanded (EMS) memory. If MEM is a bad
- command, try typing "CHKDSK".
-
- If you encounter an out-of-memory message when loading EASI-PLAN, free
- up some additional hard disk space to accommodate further 'virtual'
- memory especially if you appear to have adequate "free" conventional
- memory.
-
- If the PC on which EASI-PLAN is being run has some expanded memory (e.g.
- 384k or more), it does not really matter how much conventional memory is
- free as EASI-PLAN will be able to utilise both conventional and expanded
- memory without any deterioration in performance.
-
- If the PC has less than 560k of free conventional memory but also has
- extended memory, some of the latter can be converted to expanded. All
- 386, 486 computers have at least 1mb of this memory. You can easily
- reconfigure some of its extended memory as expanded (see your PC or DOS
- manual or DOS's Help about EMM386.EXE, or contact your dealer) by
- entering the following line into your CONFIG.SYS file:
-
- device=C:\dos\emm386.exe xxx
-
- where C is the drive containing DOS and xxx is the amount of 'free'
- expanded memory (EMS) required e.g. 512.
-
- (Make a spare floppy "system disk" before you change CONFIG.SYS in case
- you make a typing error etc. - see DOS manual for further details)
-
- When inserting this line, place it after the line relating to HIMEM and
- before any lines which refer to drivers which use EMS. If appropriate,
- remove any other lines referring to expanded-memory managers.
-
- You can run EASI-PLAN very satisfactorily as a DOS program within Windows
- in its Enhanced Mode without creating any expanded memory. If you use
- Standard Mode, you must use EMM386 to create some expanded memory and you
- may need to create/edit a PIF file.
-
- If the PC has no expanded or extended memory but uses MS-DOS 3.x, there
- should be enough free conventional memory provided that no memory-
- consuming devices, TSRs etc. are being used. You may be able to
- disable/remove these in order to create as much as 590k of free
- conventional memory.
-
- If the PC has no expanded or extended memory and it uses MS-DOS 4.x,
- there may not be enough free memory and the only solution might be to
- upgrade to MS-DOS 5 or 6.
-
- If the PC has no expanded or extended memory and it uses MS-DOS 5 or 6,
- the best approach is to load DOS high and remove/disable sufficient
- devices etc. to create at least 560k of free conventional memory. For
- guidance, refer to the your DOS manual, PC supplier or local support
- person.
-
- If you are still encountering problems loading EASI-PLAN and the hard
- disk to which it has been installed uses file compression (e.g.
- DoubleSpace, Stacker etc.), re-install EASI-PLAN to the uncompressed
- portion of the hard disk and the loading time should improve (especially
- if the PC is a "slow" one).
-
-
- Running EASI-PLAN through Windows
- ---------------------------------
- To set up EASI-PLAN to run within Windows, install it using the DOS
- commands etc. before you load Windows.
-
- Next, run the Windows Program Manager and proceed as follows:
-
- 1. Select the Applications Group which you want to contain EASI-PLAN.
- 2. Select File and New options from the Program Manager's menu.
- 3. When the New Program Object box appears, select Program Item
- and OK.
- 4. When the Program Item Properties box appears, proceed as
- follows:
-
- - Type "EASI-PLAN Lite" as the Description.
- - Type "C:\EASIL3\EP X" as the Command Line. Make sure you enter
- a single space between EP and X. This command assumes that
- EASI-PLAN has been installed to the EASIL3 sub-directory on
- a hard disk called C.
- - Enter "C:\EASIL3" as the Working Directory.
- - Select Change Icon and select OK when the Change Icon message
- box appears.
- - When the next Change Icon box appears, enter
- "C:\EASIL3\EASIPLAN.ICO" as the File Name and select OK.
- - Once you return to the Program Item Properties box select
- OK twice to complete installation.
-
- To run EASI-PLAN within Windows, double-click on its icon and wait while
- it loads. Press RETURN to ignore the 'File does not exist' message and
- then use the cursor keys and RETURN to select the desired *.ASS file in
- response to the instruction 'Enter Data File Name" which appears at the
- top of the screen. If more than five such data files exist, press the F3
- Function Key to display them in a larger window.
-
- ***** WATCH OUT ****
-
- If you try to display graphs when running EASI-PLAN in a DOS Window
- (i.e. less than full screen) when running in Enhanced Mode, the graphs
- may not show and the display may lock. To unlock it, return to a full DOS
- screen by pressing ALT+RETURN. Always use a DOS full screen when
- displaying EASI-PLAN graphs.
-
- Using a LCD display
- -------------------
- If you are running EASI-PLAN on a portable PC with a LCD display, you
- will probably need to change EASI-PLAN's video setting once it has loaded
- in order to clearly distinguish the rectangular cursor which appears when
- you are viewing reports on the screen. To do this, press I (for
- Initialise) at the Main Menu, V (for Video) and L (for LCD/B&W). The
- Manual explains how to make these changes permanent.
-
- Other Information
- -----------------
- The following text files contain more detailed information about
- EASI-PLAN etc.:
-
- Register.txt - Registration details, form etc.
- Readme.txt - Extensive introduction to EASI-PLAN
- Manual.txt - Comprehensive manual
-
- To read a text file:
- - Enter "TYPE *.TXT|MORE"
- *or*
- - Use DOS Edit or Windows Notepad.
-
- **********************************************************************
-
- 5. WHAT IS SHAREWARE ?
- =======================
-
- "Shareware" is a method of software distribution designed to
- give users a chance to test a package before purchase at a very
- competitive price. Copyright rules apply to shareware and the
- authors retain all the rights except as indicated in their
- licence agreements. As you will see from EASI-PLAN, shareware does
- not signify cheap (in the nasty sense) or poor quality software.
-
- **********************************************************************
-
- 6. USER LICENCE AGREEMENT
- ==========================
-
- See VENDINFO.DIZ.
-
- **********************************************************************
-
- 7. REVISIONS TO EASI-PLAN Lite
- ================================
-
- r2.0 27th March 1994
- ----------------------
- First shareware release of EASI-PLAN Lite.
-
- r3.0 23rd February 1995
- -------------------------
- A major upgrade. Improvements include:
-
- - Range of financial variables has been extended.
- - Now handles VAT on cash-received as well as invoice basis.
- - Textual Summary Report includes more ratios.
- - User can opt to use account formats for sole trader as an alternative
- to those for a limited company.
- - The printing of unused rows in reports can be suppressed.
- - Many minor changes to Help Notes, menu prompts, Help Pages
- and text files.
-
- r3.2 10th September 1995
- --------------------------
- Minor improvements. Introduction of remote upgrading capability.
-
- r3.3 15th October 1995
- -----------------------
- Minor changes including change to method of calculating tax in
- 3rd year. Addition of info on Web site etc.
-
- **********************************************************************
- EASI-PLAN Lite (c) Copyright Invest-Tech Limited 1992-95
- All Rights Reserved
-
- Invest-Tech Limited
- 27 Ardmeen Park, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland
-
- Irish Tel: 01-283 4083 UK Tel: 01232-315454
- (Call 9 to 9 weekdays and 10 to 6 weekends - GMT/BST)
- Fax: 278 2391
- Fax codes: Irish:01- UK:00-353-1- Inter'l:+353-1-
-
- CompuServe: 100606,2665
- Internet: brianf@iol.ie
- WWW Site URL: http://www.planware.ie/resource/planware
-
- **********************************************************************
-
- To print this file, type "PRINT README.TXT"
- *** End of README.TXT file ***
-