To: All PRM 1.99 Beta Testers
Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Post Road Mailer (Green Edition Ver 1.99e)
Date: Fri, 12 Jul 1996 11:26:27 EDT
From: Dan Porter <prmbeta@ibm.net>
Reply-To: prmbeta@ibm.net
Subject: A Letter from Dan Porter

Welcome to the Post Road Mailer, Release 2.0 beta series.  Many people have
contributed to this effort including customers who have taken the time to 
test prior releases and write to us with ideas and suggestions. 

This product is very rich in features and function.  You will want to explore
the menus and the settings notebook in the File pulldown menu.  Try out some of
the features.  I have put together a list of some of my favorite features on the
following web page.  If you are connected, try double-clicking on the following
web reference (URL) with the IBM WebExplorer running:

        http://www.aescon.com/innoval/betafeat.htm

There are a few things yet to be done.  We decided to release without them
so that you could get started.

  - The ISO Latin-1 module is not included with Release 1.99A.  It will be
    available toward the end of next week and will be bundled into Release
    1.99F.  We will notify you when it is ready for downloading.

  - The module for supporting EPM as your primary editor is not yet
    complete.  I don't expect to have it ready for at least two weeks.  In
    the meantime, if you wish to use EPM, you can define it as an alternate
    editor.

  - Finally, there is a significant list of items in Kari Jackson's
    database.  You should review this list by retrieving "Release
    Information" from the Help pulldown menu.

This beta is the first in a series.  We expect that there will be many
bugs and problems.  The best thing to do is let us know right away so we
can address them promptly.  Our plan is to issue a new release
approximately every week.


I need to ask a few favors regarding communications:
----------------------------------------------------

  1 Please register for the beta if you have not already done so.  It is the
    only way that we know how to get in touch with you.  Anyone may
    register.  (Just send a note to prmbeta@ibm.net saying that you're using
    the beta--this is the only thing that needs to be done in the way of
    registration.  The beta software will stop sending and receiving notes
    shortly after July 31, 1996 whether you've registered or not.)

  2 Please use the Quick File template when reporting problems to us and
    send your notes to Kari at prmbeta@ibm.net.  Simply press mouse-button
    two in the compose window and select the PRMBETA.RPT template.  (You can
    also drag the template into the window from the Quick directory).  This
    will only work from your Welcome inbasket unless you copy the PRMBETA.RPT
    file to a QUICK subdirectory of another inbasket.

  3 Please don't expect an individual reply unless you have a unique
    question.

  4 Please don't copy innoval@ibm.net, innoval@tiac.net, postsvc@ibm.net or
    postsvc@tiac.net.  These email addresses should be used for customer
    service and regular technical support (of released products) only.

  5 If you want an acknowledgement that we have received your note, please
    indicate so by using the new checkbox in the compose window.

  6 The appropriate newsgroup in which to post articles is
    comp.os.os2.mail-news.  We will monitor this news group on a daily
    basis.  Please be specific.


Installing the beta:
--------------------

  1 You should have installed this beta in a completely new directory by
    unzipping the file post199a.zip and the enclosed postbeta.zip.  If you
    did not do so (into a new empty directory), please do so at this time.
    Ignore this step if you're upgrading from an earlier release of 1.99.

  2 Then unzip post199e.zip into the same directory.  This will update the
    binaries to the 1.99e level without overwriting any of your
    configuration files.

  3 Be sure you run the product with its own directory as the current one,
    or it will be trying to use files from the old directory by virtue of
    an OS2.INI setting.  Make sure the third line is filled in properly on
    the first settings page of any OS/2 desktop object from which you ever
    start the program.  Do the same for all objects from which you still
    might run a prior Post Road Mailer version.

  4 If you are NOT upgrading from an earlier release of 1.99, then whenever
    you're ready you can select the Migrate option from the File pull down menu
    to migrate your folders, notes, address books, etc., from a prior release of
    the Post Road Mailer (1.03A, 1.05F, etc., but NOT 1.03 or earlier). Please
    note that you can not migrate a folder that has more than 10,000 notes in
    it. (If that is a problem, get in touch with us and we will help you with
    the process.)  Your prior release of the Post Road Mailer will be left
    intact in its existing directory.

  5 Make sure that the settings notebook for each of your inbaskets
    (accounts) is set to leave mail on the host (rather than deleting each
    note from the host after downloading it to your machine) until you are
    confident that the beta won't lose your mail.

  6 Please note that you can not run a prior release of the Post Road Mailer
    at the same time that you are running the beta.  Results could be
    unpredictable and the potential exists to lock the system.  You can
    switch back and forth between the beta and the previous version, as long
    as both are never running concurrently.

Enjoy the beta.  With your input and some serious effort on our part, we
hope to produce a product that the OS/2 community can be proud of.  We are
anxious to move on from this release to our "Merlinized" release later this
summer, and we hope you will be along for that effort as well.

Thank you, 

Dan Porter
