          Note: You can print this chapter to paper by pressing [P].



                           USING SHAREWARE PROGRAMS

                        by Jeff Napier of Another Company

          This Chapter copied by permission from Another Company
         1992 Shareware Guide, a catalog of hundreds of Shareware
         programs.The Complete  1992  (or current year) Shareware Guide
         can be had by sending $5 to: Another Company, Box 298,
         Applegate, OR 97538.


         If  you are new to computing, this chapter is for you. If you
         are an expert, you can skip this one.



                                    Notes:

         For simpler reading, I will seldom mention that you  need  to
         press  the  <Enter>  key after most operations.   Also,  I'll
         pretend  you have the most stripped down computer imaginable.
         You may have a B: drive and a  fancy  menu  program,  but  in
         order  that everyone may use this, optional equipment will be
         ignored.



                     STEP #1 (THIS FIRST STEP IS OPTIONAL)

              The  first  thing  you should do is make a copy of a new
         disk. This is in case something goes  wrong,  like  your  dog
         eats the original copy.

              Stick a write protect tab around the notch in  the  side
         of   your   original  shareware  disk.  These  little  opaque
         rectangular stickers tell the computer that you do  not  want
         the  disk  accidentally  erased or changed. They are like the
         break-out tabs on cassette music tapes.

              To make a copy, start your  computer  with  your  MS-DOS
         disk  in drive A: and type: DISKCOPY A: A: Type it exactly as
         shown, with spaces between the A: and the A:  and  make  sure
         you  type  the  capital  :'s (called colons), not ;'s (called
         semicolons).


              When the computer asks for the "source" disk,  take  out
         the  MS-DOS  disk  and put the original that you want to copy
         into disk drive A: and press any key.  When the computer asks
         for the "target" disk, put in a blank floppy  and  press  any
         key.   When  done,  label  the  copy  and  hide the original.
         Leave the write protect tab on the original,  but  remove  it
         from the copy. (Some programs won't work with a write-protect
         tab in place.)

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                       STEP #2, FIND OUT WHAT YOU HAVE.

              (If  your  computer  does not say "A>", type A: and then
         press the <Enter> key.  This will tell the computer that  you
         want to use the disk in drive A:, not B: or C:.)

              Put  your  shareware  disk in drive A: and  type  DIR/P.
         The computer will list what files are on the disk.

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                        STEP #3, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS.

              If  your  disk  has instructions, they will be in a file
         that  has  an  extension  of  TXT  or  DOC.   Sometimes   the
         instructions are in a file called READ ME, README, README 1ST
         or  something  similar. (You can also read files that have no
         extension. Extension means the second part of the file  name,
         the  last three letters after the name.) Sometimes it is hard
         to figure out what file to try to read first. Don't worry, if
         you have time, you can try them all.

              Type the word TYPE followed by a space,  then  the  name
         of  the  file  you want to see.  If the file you want to read
         has a name and an extension, such as INSTRUCT DOC, do not put
         a space between the two parts, but instead put a period. Like
         so:

         TYPE INSTRUCT.DOC

         Here are some more examples:

         TYPE READ.ME

         TYPE PACMAN.TXT

         TYPE README.1ST

              If there is more information than fits  on  one  screen,
         you'll   notice  the  information  flies  off  the top of the
         screen faster than you can read it. The way to stop  this  is
         to  press  the  [Pause]  key. Then press any other key to see
         some more.

              TYPE is built into MS-DOS, but there are other  ways  to
         read  text  files.   One  way  is  to  use your favorite word
         processor. If you already know how to work a word  processor,
         you'll have no trouble using it to read text files.  There is
         also  a  program  on  this  disk  called  SEE.EXE,  which  is
         specially designed for reading text files on shareware disks.

              To use SEE.EXE you have to tell the  computer  where  it
         is,  and  tell  the  computer where the file you want to read
         is, too. Here is an example:
              Assuming you have two floppy drives, you could put  your
         new  shareware  disk  in  drive  A:  and this disk containing
         SEE.EXE in drive B:. You would first type DIR/P to see what's
         on your shareware disk. Then, lets say you have discovered  a
         file  called  HORSES.DOC  on  that  shareware disk in A:, you
         would tell the computer this:

         B:SEE.EXE A:HORSES.DOC

         Then you can read HORSES.DOC without having  to  babysit  the
         [Pause] key.

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                           STEP #4, RUN THE PROGRAM

               If  your  disk has no instructions, or if you have read
         the instructions and have found no advice  to  the  contrary,
         you are now ready to actually start.

               Find  out  what's on the disk by putting it in drive A:
         and typing DIR/P.

               Select a program to run. The only files  that  you  can
         run  have  an  extension  of EXE, BAT, or COM. Files with any
         other extension, or no extension at all, are  ones  that  you
         cannot run. These are sub-programs, instruction files or text
         files.  (Remember, some programs are for you, the text files,
         and you can read them. Others are for the computer, but these
         you cannot read.)

              You must choose a file with an EXE, COM, or a BAT ending
         (extension).   There are often several files that do have the
         right extension. You will have to choose the most likely  one
         and  try it.  If you have guessed wrong, the worst thing that
         could happen is that you will have to restart your  computer.
         You  can't  blow  it up! (Wrong choices might be parts of the
         main program, that it uses automatically when it needs  them,
         or  they  might  be  other programs that were supplied on the
         same disk, but not what you want right now.)

              Try files with  names  like  "BEGIN,"  "GO"  or  "START"
         first.   Or  look for files with names resembling the name of
         the disk.  Generally, files with the BAT extension  are  more
         likely  to  be  the  ones  you  would  want,  than  the other
         extensions. Type the file  of  your  choice  by  name,  press
         <Enter>  and you are in business. For example, on a shareware
         disk called "Pacman" you might find a file called  PACMAN.EXE
         when you type DIR/P. If you type:

         PACMAN.EXE

         Pacman will begin.


              If  you have chosen the wrong program name, you may have
         to turn off your computer, then turn it back on again.  There
         is  a  shortcut  called "re-booting." Press the <Ctrl>, <Alt>
         and <Del> keys all at the same time, (then if you don't  have
         a hard drive, put your MS-DOS disk in drive A:).

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                     STEP #5, IF THE PROGRAM DOES NOT WORK

               Sometimes,   even   though   you   have   followed  the
         instructions, the program will not run. There are two  common
         reasons.  One is that your computer is not properly equipped.
         Most software that requires optional equipment will say so on
         the disk label or in the catalog from which you ordered.   If
         a  disk  label  mentions  CGA,  you  need  a CGA card in your
         computer.  If a program requires 640k,  you  need  that  much
         ram.

               The  other problem, a very common one, is that there is
         something that was easy to miss in the  instructions.  Reread
         carefully.

              If   you   still   haven't  found  the  problem,  ask  a
         knowledgeable friend for help.   There  are  now  20  million
         users  of IBM-compatible computers, several of them know what
         they are doing due to a few years of  hard  experience.  Many
         are  amateurs  who  have  spare  time  (unlike computer store
         professionals) and really enjoy "talking shop" and  would  be
         glad to help you.

               Most  shareware  programs  have  the  author's name and
         address in the instructions.  When you have  a  problem  that
         ordinary  computer  advice  cannot resolve, write a letter to
         the author. After all, that is the  person  who  created  the
         program,  and  therefore  the most likely to know how to work
         it!

               Practice using programs with your computer.   The  more
         you  practice,  the  more you'll discover how to control your
         computer.

              Please remember that it takes about two  years  for  the
         average  computer  user  to  become  fully  experienced  with
         computer use.  In the meantime, don't  get  frustrated  -  it
         doesn't  help.  When you get stuck, relax, take a break for a
         few minutes, try another program, or ask someone for help.

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                            ABOUT SUB-DIRECTORIES:
                    (Optional, read this only if you need)

               This diabolical concept can really throw the person who
         is new to computers. Fortunately, you don't see much of it on
         shareware disks. In case you run into sub-directories:

               Sub-directories  were  invented to handle large numbers
         of files. What if you typed DIR/P on a  disk  that  had  2002
         files?   You  would  be  watching  the  list  go  by all day.
         Sub-directories are little lists that  are  hidden  from  the
         main  directory,  so  that  you don't have to look at so many
         files.  But the problem is that until you know  what  to  do,
         all  you  can  see is the main directory, yet you may want to
         use something in a sub-directory.

              Here's how you  spot  a  sub-directory.  When  you  type
         "DIR/P" you may see a file name followed by a few spaces then
         a <DIR>. It will look exactly like that on your screen.

         For example your computer screen might show this for a disk:

         COMMAND  COM      23612    7-07-86  12:00p
         FORMAT   EXE      11005    7-17-86  12:00p
         ELEPHANT DOC       7123    6-18-90  17:31p
         GIRAFFE      <DIR>         9-12-84   6:00a
         KITTYCAT COM      94090    1-01-80  12:00a
               5 File(s)       20142 bytes free

              In  the above example, Giraffe is a sub-directory. There
         are more files hidden in Giraffe. They may be programs,  they
         may be files that you can read. In any case, you will want to
         see them. Here's what you do:

              After  running  DIR/P you type CD \GIRAFFE and press the
         <Enter> key. Notice that  you  use  a  backslash  (\)  not  a
         regular slash.  CD stands for "Change Directory."

              Now,  type  DIR/P  again. The computer will now show you
         what is in the sub-directory called GIRAFFE, but not what  is
         in the main directory.

              If  you  want  to  go  back  and see what is in the main
         directory again, type CD \ and press the  <Enter>  key.  This
         changes  back  to  the  main  directory  (often  called "root
         directory").

              If you want to run a program in one directory,  and  you
         want to use it with a file in another, follow this example:

              Let's say that there is a text file in the sub-directory
         GIRAFFE  that  is called TREES.DOC. Let's say that SEE.EXE is
         in the root directory. You type:

         A:\SEE.EXE A:\GIRAFFE\TREES.DOC

              Typing this command makes sure the computer  understands
         where  it  is  to  find  everything  it needs. First, you are
         telling it to run SEE.EXE which is  found  on  drive  A:  and
         since  you  have  not specified a sub-directory, the computer
         will look on the root directory. Then  you  are  telling  the
         computer  to use SEE.EXE with the file called TREES.DOC which
         is also on  disk  drive  A:,  but  the  file  is  within  the
         sub-directory called GIRAFFE.

             And  that's  sub-directories.   Substitute  your specific
         situation for the above example and you should be able to get
         the job done. You may need to experiment a bit to  understand
         it the first time you work with it.

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                                BASIC PROGRAMS
               (Optional, Read this if you have a BASIC program)



         BASIC programs are becoming rare in 1991, but they used to be
         quite  common  just  a  few  years  ago, and there is a great
         likelihood  that  you will run into them now and  then. BASIC
         programs require BASIC to run them. It is an interpreter that
         translates the  BASIC  into  instructions  the  computer  can
         understand.  BASIC  isn't  just  BASIC.  It is usually called
         GWBASIC.EXE OR BASICA.COM. You might not  know  it,  but  you
         probably already have one of these versions. It usually comes
         with your MS-DOS disks.
              Use  your  version  of  BASIC  to run a program like you
         would use SEE.EXE to view a text file. For instance,  if  you
         have  GWBASIC on your hard disk and you want to run a program
         called MORTGAGE.BAS which is located on a disk  in  drive  A:
         you would type:

         C:GWBASIC.EXE A:MORTGAGE.BAS

         Then the program will run. Here's another example:

         If you have your BASIC in drive A: and MORTGAGE in B:, type:

         A:GWBASIC.EXE b:MORTGAGE.BAS

         When  possible,  copy  your  BASIC  onto the same disk as the
         program you want to run. For instance, if there is  space  on
         your  Mortgage  disk,  copy  GWBASIC.EXE onto that disk along
         with the Mortgage program. Then you can simply type:
         GWBASIC.EXE MORTGAGE.BAS.

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                              ABOUT THE EQUIPMENT

         RAM is Random Access Memory.   Most  new  computers  have  at
         least  640,000 places they can remember either #0 or #1. This
         many combinations of the two numbers forms  complex  patterns
         of  sentences,  colors, sounds, or pictures. This  is  called
         640k RAM. Most programs are designed to work within 640k. RAM
         is temporary. It works only when the power is turned on. When
         you  start  a  program, it is copied from a disk into part of
         the RAM. As you use the program, changes are made in the RAM.
         If you turn off the power, these changes  are  gone  forever,
         unless  the  computer  copies the new RAM information onto  a
         disk first.
             Some older computers have less RAM and they won't be able
         to run programs designed for 640k.

         There  are  several  different  ways  computers handle making
         pictures on the screen.

         *  Some  have  no  graphics  capability.   They   cannot  run
         games, drawing programs  or  anything  else  that  cannot  be
         pictured  with  the  256  letters, numbers, blocks, lines and
         punctuation marks of the IBM character set.

         * Some have Hercules displays. This brand name has  become  a
         generic standard for one-color graphics. Hercules can display
         most  programs  designed for CGA (although only in one color)
         if you get some special software. (#83, HERCULES HELP)

         * Some have CGA which  stands  for  Color  Graphics  Adaptor.
         Among  those  with  CGA,  some have color monitors and others
         have one-color (called mono) monitors. CGA is the lowest  and
         most  common  of  the  graphic  capabilities.  Interestingly,
         when  displaying  text only, CGA can put 16 colors on a color
         monitor (2 intensities of illumination on  a  mono),  but  in
         graphics  mode,  CGA  can  display  only 4 colors at a  time.
         Almost all Tandy computers  and  laptop  computers  have  CGA
         built-in. CGA cannot display Hercules, EGA or VGA graphics.

         *  Computers  with  EGA  (Enhanced  Graphics  Adaptor) can do
         everything a CGA-equipped computer can, but also  display  up
         to  16  colors  in  graphics  mode.  Plus  they have a higher
         resolution.

         *  Computers with VGA  (Variable  Graphics  Adaptor)  can  do
         every  thing  a  CGA,  EGA or Hercules can plus display  more
         colors  than  an  EGA  and  in even greater detail. There are
         high-tech variations of VGA called Super-VGA  and  8514  that
         can do even more than VGA, but there is not much software for
         these variations yet.


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                                                          chapter end.




