Copyright: ® Richard Bryant - Open Windows, 1993


WinPrice Help Contents

Archive File Contents

Getting Started

Using WinPrice

Obtaining Support

Open Windows Guarantee

Why Register?

Giving WinPrice To A Friend

Problems?

WinPrice Revision History


Archive File Contents

WinPrice is distributed as an archive file, PRICE_10.ZIP (PRICE.ZIP on CompuServe), containing the following files:

WINPRI10.EXE - The executable program file

WINPRI10.HLP - The help file supporting WinPrice

WINPRI10.REG - Information on shareware in Windows Write format

called by registration procedure

WINPRI10.FRM - Registration form in Windows Write format

called by registration procedure

REGISTER.TXT - Registration form in ASCII format

README.WRI - The help documentation in Windows Write format

VENDOR.TXT - Information of interest to shareware distributors and BBSs in ASCII format

FILE_ID.DIZ - Program description used by BBSs

VENDINFO.DIZ - Distribution information file - partially encoded

An additional file, WINPRICE.INI, will be created by the program in your Windows directory the first time the program is executed. This file contains the information relating to your default option settings and should be considered part of the WinPrice file set after its creation.


Getting Started

Introduction

Thank you for your interest in WinPrice.  You will find this utility to be extremely helpful in making day-to-day decisions involving purchases of items where it is unclear which alternative offers the best value.

As an example, which should you purchase - liter bottles of cola for $5.29 for four liters or quart bottles for $1.19 each?  WinPrice will quickly show the best buy to be the quart bottles.  They're a little over 6 cents cheaper per quart than the liter bottles.

While you could do this calculation on your regular calculator, it would involve many more key presses PLUS the need to remember or look up the fact that there are 0.94634 liters in a quart.  WinPrice takes care of all the metric - English conversions as well as intermediate conversions and displays the answer in terms of the most "sensible" unit in your choice of English or metric systems.

Installation

If the Open Windows setup program, OWSETUP.EXE was included on the disk with PRICE_10.ZIP simply run OWSETUP.EXE from within Windows.  This will take you through the procedure of installing WinPrice on your hard disk.

To install WinPrice 1.0 in the absence of OWSetup, copy PRICE_10.ZIP (PRICE.ZIP  if obtained from CompuServe) to your hard drive. The file should probably be placed in its own directory (\WINPRICE, perhaps), but this is not absolutely necessary.   Then unzip the file using PKUnZip or other "UNZIPper".  Install the WinPrice executable file, WINPRI10.EXE, in one of your Program Manager Groups by the following simple procedure:

1. Open the Program Manager Group where you want to put WinPrice

2. Open the File Manager and select the directory containing the WinPrice

 files.

3. Drag the file WINPRI10.EXE from the File Manager to the Program Manager

Group in which WinPrice is to reside and drop it.  Windows will

automatically install WinPrice in this Group and the WinPrice icon

will appear.


Using WinPrice

WinPrice works just as you would assume - enter the Quantities, select the correct Units from the drop-down combo boxes, enter the Prices and click the Calculate button - that's all there is to it!!  If you'd like the results expressed in a different format, click the Eng/Metric button to toggle between English and Metric representations of the result.

Tip -> The quickest way to select Units is to Tab into the Units combo box and type the first letter of the units you want - say 'g' for Gallons.  In this case the first entry that will appear is Gross - type 'g' again and Grams will appear - one more time and you'll get Gallons.  This is actually much quicker than reaching for the mouse to perform this task.  Similarly, 'p' will get you Pounds immediately, etc.

Eg.  To compare 2 pounds of Jiffy Ooze for $1.29 to a kilogram of Jiffy Ooze for $1.37 use the following key sequence:

2 Tab p Tab 1.29 Tab 1 Tab k Tab 1.37 Enter


Obtaining Support

Registered users of WinPrice may obtain support by contacting the author via US Mail (the slow way) or by e-mail at CompuServe Information Service  - 75236,3243, Internet  - 75236.3243@compuserve.com or America Online  -  DickBryant.

The author is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI USA 49442-9247, FAX 616-788-2765, or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.

Dick Bryant

Open Windows

P.O. Box 49746

Colorado Springs, CO 80949-9746


Open Windows Guarantee

A registered user of any Open Windows program is entitled to a full refund of their registration fee if they are not satisfied with the program they have registered.  Send a letter to Open Windows requesting a refund (we'd like to hear why, but that's not a requirement) and stating that you will discontinue all use of the program upon receipt of your refund.  It's as simple as that - no questions asked.


Why Register?

In addition to supporting the author's continued enhancement of WinPrice your registration fee will bring you:

1. The Latest Version Of WinPrice

2. Free Support Via CompuServe, Internet, AOL Or US Mail For 6 Months

3. Information On Joining CompuServe For Free And Getting A $15 Usage Credit

4. Free Registration Of The Next Major WinPrice Release

5. Additional Open Windows Shareware AND Freeware!!

6. Registration ID Disabling Display Of Registration Reminder Screens


Giving WinPrice To A Friend

Please pass on copies of the original PRICE_10.ZIP (PRICE.ZIP if obtained from CompuServe) when giving WinPrice to a friend or associate. This will allow them access to the full set of information on the program.


Problems?

Some of the problems users have encountered are listed here.  If your problem isn't addressed, please feel free to contact me as described in the Obtaining Support section.

I've received my registration number, but the program doesn't seem to accept it.  It keeps saying "This Is Not A Valid Name/Registration Number Combination".

Please look over your registration letter or e-mail notice carefully.  All letters in the name are capitals.  In addition, names such as McGinty will have a $ embedded between the C and the G to allow proper parsing of the name for insertion into the title bar.  People sometimes miss this - after all, everyone can spell their own name <G>.


WinPrice Revision History

WinPrice 1.0


WinPrice 1.0

� Initial Release