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alphasave
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!AlphaSave
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!Help
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7>!Help file for..
_ ___ _ _
/\ \ \ \ \ \ \_\ \ /\ ££££ ££ £ £ ££££
/ \ \ \ \ _\ \ _ \ / \ £ £ £ £ £ £ Version
/ __ \ \ \__ \ \ \ \ \ \/ __ \ ££££ ££££ £ £ ££££ 1.15
/_/ \_\ \___\ \_\ \_\ \_\/ \_\ £ £ £ £ £ £
__________________________________ ££££ £ £ £ ££££
The Ultimate Screen Saver
by Marc Warne of Alpha Programming
with help from David Gamble
“Alan Launches Partridge Hats Agressively”
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
This program is £5 SHAREWARE
You may use it for a trial period of 14 days. When that time is up,
you must either register it or delete all copies of it which you own.
To register, see the 'How to Register' section.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
What is it?
•••••••••••
AlphaSave is a screensaver, which is supplied with many ready-made programs
in it. It is called AlphaSave because it is written by Marc Warne of Alpha
Programming, and because I couldn't think of any other names!
What's a Screensaver?
•••••••••••••••••••••
On some monitors (AKF18...?), if the screen is left with the same picture
on it for too long, that picture may become engraved onto the monitor, which
will leave you with a rather horrible thing on it. This picture may stay
there for ever, or may even, somehow, set alight to your monitor! For an
example of this, take a look at the LCD PC, upstairs in the library, in
Milton Keynes.
How do you use it?
••••••••••••••••••
To Run:
You double-click on the !AlphaSave icon. After 2 minutes¹ of nobody
pressing a key or moving/clicking on the mouse, the screen will blank and a
random screensaver will be loaded.
To Quit:
You have to go to the taskmanager icon (either an Acorn symbol or an A),
and then click on it or press menu and then click on task display to open a
window. Near the top of it, there will be 'AlphaSave 1.06' written. Press
menu, go over to task and select 'Quit' to quit it.
¹ - or a configured time
What are the installed screensavers?
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
!AlphaS : A screensaver with scrolling stars with the Alpha Programming
logo moving across the screen in different directions.
!Mirror : A screensaver which makes your monitor seem as if it is going
upside down, sideways, inside out etc.
!Rain : A screensaver which makes the screen drip downwards, like paint
being splashed by rain.
!Puzzle : It's that screensaver which turns your screen into a sliding
block puzzle.
!AUSaver : A cheap way to advertise Acorn User (and try to get it in!)
!Worms : Get some sort of wormy-type-things bouncing around the screen
If you make your own ones, please send them to me with permission to
distribute them and if they are good enough, you will get your screensaver
bundled with the next version of !AlphaSave.
How do you configure it?
••••••••••••••••••••••••
To get to the configuration application, press both Alt keys (the left
and right ones, near the space bar). This will load up !SaveConf, and will open
the main configuration window. From here, you can set certain things. Please
read the !Help application inside !SaveConfig for proper config. information.
Upgrading the Main Program
••••••••••••••••••••••••••
If you are sent an Upgrade Archive, just drag it to the !SaveConf icon
bar icon, and follow the instructions.
Where can it be used?
•••••••••••••••••••••
This program can be used on any 32-bit Acorn Archimedes or RISC PC. I'm
not sure whether it will work on RISC OS 2, but I see a few reasons why it
should not.
+-------------+--------+-------+--------------------------------------------+
| OS Version | Tested | Works | Comments |
+-------------+--------+-------+--------------------------------------------+
|RISC OS 2 | € | × | Will not work due to all the extra RISC OS |
| | | | 3 utilities used. |
|RISC OS 3 | × | ? | Probably. Recommended to upgrade to 3.11. |
|RISC OS 3.1x | € | € | Will work faultlessly! :-) |
|RISC OS 3.5 | × | ? | Letterbox modes. Will work well otherwise |
|RISC OS 3.6 | € | € | Letterbox modes. Will work well otherwise |
|RISC OS 3.7 | € | € | Letterbox modes. Will work well otherwise |
+-------------+--------+-------+--------------------------------------------+
+-------------+--------+-------+--------------------------------------------+
+ ARM Version | Tested | Works | Comments |
+-------------+--------+-------+--------------------------------------------+
| ARM 2 | € | € | Will work |
| ARM 250 | € | € | Will work |
| ARM 3 | × | ? | Should work at a good frames/sec |
| ARM 600 | × | ? | Letterbox modes. Should work smoothly |
| ARM 610 | × | ? | Letterbox modes. Should work smoothly |
| ARM 710 | € | € | Letterbox modes. Works very smoothly :-) |
| Strong ARM | € | € | Works perfectly! :-) |
| Future Vers | × | ? | Should work. The faster the processor, the |
| | | | smoother the program will run |
+-------------+--------+-------+--------------------------------------------+
The frames/sec means frames per second. The higher this number is, the
smoother the program will run.
I always load this in my boot sequence. It works just as well, and it should!
How can you program your own ones?
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Inside the 'Program' directory, there is some information on how to make
your own ones. Load !ProgHelp for the info.
Limitations
•••••••••••
- This version will only screensave when it is in the desktop.
Bugs
••••
Aparantly, there is a problem using this on the A4 due to the Mode 15 it
sometimes uses.
If you spot any more bugs, please contact me.
History
•••••••
0.00 (??-???-1996) : This was the home programming stage.
1.00 (10-Apr-1996) : # This is the first distributed version.
Features include:
Two screen savers: 1) Funnny Bunny Software
2) Scrolling Alpha Programming logo
Configurable time
Programmable
1.05 (13-Aug-1996) : # Second distribution.
Additional features:
New 'Mirror' screensaver
New 'Rain' screensaver
Easy to use configuration/creation program
Does *Blanktime 0
Bugs got sent to bug heaven
1.06 (8-Dec-1996) : # Third distribution
StrongARM Compatable
Worms screensaver added
Upgradable
1.07 (8-Feb-1997) : # Fourth distribution
Now has its own message block, so automatic
updating of AlphaSave is possible
Registration keys introduced
Desktop usage dramaticially decreased (up to 95%!)
1.10 (12-Apr-1997) : # Fifth distribution
Multitasking screensavers!
Fixed automatic AlphaSave updating
Written technical docs
Desktop usage increased slightly to enhance
screensaving
1.15 (xx-xx-1997) : # Sixth distribution
Enable/Disable screensaver
Banner + Banner configuration
WIMP Poll configuration
Much less bugs
More ScreenSaver utilities (eg. version)
B