                        ReadMe file for READER
                             Release 2A

  READER is shareware, which means that it is not free, and to use it after
the evaluation period of sixty days, it must be registered.  Please read
this file completely before running READER for the first time.

   The installation program set up a new Reader program group, but if
you want Reader to run automatically when you start Windows, you 
should move the Reader icon to the StartUp Group.  If you don't know
how to do this, send me EMail.

   The Window's screen saver function can cause READER to freeze 
while reading longer files.  It is a problem in Windows, so you 
should select 'none' for a screen saver under the desktop window in the
Control Panel when you are using READER to read files.   

  READER's hot keys are: "Pause" : brings up the main window.
       then: "B" : reads any text on the Clipboard.
             "R" : Activates the 'Read a File' dialog. 
             "H" : Reads the help.txt file.
 
  While reading text files sentence by sentence or line by line:
             "P" pauses the reading until the Space Bar is pressed
             "Q" or "Pause" Aborts the reading.
             "S" Saves or goes to the Bookmark.(see help.txt)
              The arrow keys move back or forward in the file.
    
  When the main window is active, 'X' closes PAM. There are hot keys to
                       activate any of the buttons.

When you first run READER you will be asked for your first name.  Enter your
legitimate name, as READER will refer to you by that name from then on, and
you cannot change it later. A fake name could prove embarrasing and I
can't change it for you. Even subsequent downloads of READER will not allow
you to change the user name you first entered. You have been warned!

If you are visually challenged, you should probably listen to the help
file first.  You can do this by pressing 'H' while in the main window.

If you are not visually challenged, you may find the new feature
added with this version useful.  Reader will display the sentences
it is reading. The current sentence on the top half of its display
window, and the next sentence in the bottom half. This may be useful
for studying or proof reading.

If you wish to distribute a copy of READER to friends for evaluation, ONLY 
give them the ORIGINAL zipped file (READER2A.ZIP). If you just zip up the 
files in your directory, they will have a program that uses your name, and
it can't be changed.

Reader is a spin-off from the PAM appointment manager program.  Reader
and PAM cannot be run at the same time on the same computer, as they 
use different speech font technology.

Overview:

  READER is a multimedia Windows(tm) application designed to be run on a 
computer with a sound card installed in Windows(tm) 3.1 or later.  

  You may find conflicts between READER and other applications that use the
sound card.  Windows(tm) 3.1 is not a true multi-threaded system, and it will
crash sometimes. READER keeps track of its own requests for
speech, and trys to handle other ones, but you may crash your system once
in a while. If you select something that will cause READER to speak, and then
select it again before READER has spoken, two simultaneous requests will be
sent to the sound card and READER will probably crash, and the sound card
will be disabled until you restart Windows(tm). A sentence longer 
than 5000 bytes can also cause a crash.
Please let me know by EMail if you run into any problems along these line. 
  
  When reading text, READER ignores white space, so a piece of text formatted
nicely to emphasize some point, will have no effect on how READER will read.
READER does pay attention to punctuation however, and you can use this to
change the way READER delivers messages.  Periods, commas and colons all cause
READER to pause, but to pause longer than one period, you can include multiple
colons or commas separated by at least one space.
  
  When reading text files, READER may pause for a fairly long time.  This is
caused by a large sentence. It takes some time for READER to read in and process
a large sentence for speech.  Be patient. Although I have implemented
background reading, a long sentence can still take longer to read and
process than to say the previous sentence, which results in a delay.
Sometimes during reading, Windows uses up the entire CPU, and this 
causes the speech to be rudely interrupted for a few seconds.  It
doesn't happen often though, but it can happen in the middle of a
word. 

   Reader includes a new male speech font.  It speaks very well, and
it now uses a large system exception dictionary (ewnbkern.dic) so
you probably won't need to add many words to your exception dictionary
(reader.dic), as Reader speaks most words correctly.

  When you purchase READER, you are entitled to unlimited free upgrades. Any
time you see a newer version of READER, simply download and install it, make
sure your old READER.CFG and READER.DIC files are backed up. 

  Remember, you are only authorized to use READER for evaluation purposes for
a period of 60 days.  Any use of READER after sixty days without registering
is illegal. 

Good Luck!

Tom Slemko, President
JTS Micro Consulting Ltd.
10931 Lytton Road, RR#4,
Ladysmith, B.C.
Canada,
V0R 2E0

EMail: tslemko@islandnet.com
Web: http://www.islandnet.com/~tslemko/
FTP: ftp.islandnet.com  /jts

