 
                           Instinct Software
                 11311 N. Central Expressway, Suite 300
                         Dallas, Texas  75243

                  Orders Only! Phone Line (214) 739-5543
                          FAX  (214)  739-2963

                 Bulletin Board Phone Line (214) 368-2709
              1200/2400/9600 Baud, 8 data, 1 stop, no parity

     Release: Switcher 1.00
     Date: February 15, 1993


 Introduction 


    The purpose of Switcher is to provide a useful, new framework for 
    computing with your IBM PC, PCAT or compatible.  Switcher is 
    best classified as a memory-resident (i.e., always available) 
    integration of popular utilities under a common user interface:

    * Context switching and management for running several tasks
      simultaneously with user definable menus

    * On screen clock and date display.

    * Command line editing and history.  Recall and edit the 
      last 10 commands entered at the DOS prompt.

    * Keyboard Speed-Up.

    * Screen blanking to protect your monitor.

    * Configurable colors
   
    * Macros and Data Transfer (Cut and Paste)

    * Context-sensitive help.

    * "Pop-up" upon Hercules/CGA/EGA/VGA/Extended VGA graphics 
      mode programs.

    Switcher provides all of this while using only a minimal amount
	of your valuable RAM.  

	See MANUAL.DOC for detailed information on how to operate 
	Switcher.  Plus, see the information on ALT+.  ALT+ integrated
	Switcher with numerous utilities, e.g. Address book, appointment
	calendar with alarms, keyboard macros with editor, word 
    processor, notepad, dos shell, menuing program, plus much, much,
	more.
    

  EGA and VGA Video modes supported  


   Switcher 2.0 now supports task switching with EGA and VGA graphics 
   screens.  Some EGA and VGA setups provide a number of 
   non-standard proprietary video modes, in such cases, Switcher might 
   not be able to properly save and restore the video 
   information. It is recommended that you configure your 
   software to use some of the more standard video modes.  Listed 
   below are the display types and graphics modes (hex) supported 
   by Switcher,


   Display Type         Mode              Pixels  x Colors

      CGA                4,5            320 x 200 x 4
                          6             640 x 200 x 2
      EGA                 D             320 x 200 x 16
                          E             640 x 200 x 16
                          F             640 x 350 x 2
                         10             640 x 350 x 16
      VGA                11             640 x 480 x 2
                         12             640 x 480 x 16
                         13             320 x 200 x 256
      Tseng              29             800 x 600 x 16
                         2D             640 x 350 x 256
                         2E             640 x 480 x 256
                         30             800 x 600 x 256
      Paradise           58             800 x 600 x 16
                         59             800 x 600 x 2
                         5E             640 x 400 x 256
                         5F             640 x 480 x 256
      Video Seven        62             800 x 600 x 16
                         66             640 x 400 x 256
                         67             640 x 480 x 256
                         69             800 x 600 x 256
      Hercules                          720 x 348 x 2


  
   If your display type is not listed, but supports one of
   the 'Pixels x Colors' listed, try configuring your software 
   to use one of those listed.  Switcher should still be able to
   properly save/restore the graphics screen since many other
   popular display types are compatible.



  Load Switcher in High Memory  


   On 80386 based computer systems, high memory between 640K 
   and 1Meg can be achieved using memory managment programs.
   e.g. QEMM 386, 386MAX, DOS 5.0

   Most of Switcher can be loaded into high memory if a 38K contiguous
   free memory area is available.  Sometimes this may require 
   changing the order of loading programs into high memory.
   If Switcher is loaded high, it will immediately return without 
   fully being installed and creating the first memory partition.
   A second program, SWHI.COM, must be run from the DOS command 
   line to complete the installation.  (This is required because
   of the methods the memory managment programs use to trick DOS 
   into thinking memory at higher addresses is available.  For
   example, to load Switcher high  (using QEMM 386) ....

   C:\SW> LOADHI SW

   C:\SW> SWHI

   Switcher will still require approximately 10-15K of conventional
   (low) memory.

   Some programs are required to be loaded before Switcher, e.g.
   disk caching or background communications.  If memory usage
   prevents Switcher from being loaded high in memory after these
   programs, but appears that Switcher could be successfully placed
   in high memory if loaded first, then simply run SWHI last.
   Switcher is placed in high memory with the LOADHI command but 
   actually does not affect the system until the SWHI command.
   e.g.

   C:\SW>LOADHI SW

   C:>LOADHI DISKCACH

   C:>LOADHI BACKCOMM

   C:\SW>SWHI



  Other Notes  



   ***** Novell Network Users ***************************************

   For some network configurations, Switcher may have some trouble 
   starting a new Command.Com .  Switcher finds the location of 
   Command.Com by inspecting the COMSPEC environment variable. If 
   the COMSPEC variable points to a Command.Com on the server, 
   try copying over Command.Com to the local user station and 
   change the COMSPEC variable accordingly.

   For example, 

        copy X:\SYSTEM\Command.Com  \SW
        Set COMSPEC = \SW


   ***** Texas Instruments Business Pro  ****************************


   Switcher's detection method of AT enhanced keyboard conflicts with 
   the TI Business Pro.  The detection method causes Switcher to lock 
   up when first loading into memory.  Switcher can be prevented from 
   trying to detect the presence of the enhanced keyboard by 
   specifying "No" to the 'AT 101 Keyboard' option under the 
   'General Setup' of the Setup.Exe program.  

   *****  UltraVision ***********************************************


   UltraVision EGA and VGA video modes are now supported!

   ********  LCD screens - force monochrome colors  *****************

   Many laptop computers have a LCD screen which emulate a color
   monitor which shades of gray.   Many times this results in some
   displays that are unreadable.  Generally, the solution is to use
   the monochrome set of colors in a program.

   Switcher will automatically detect the type of monitor and select the
   appropriate color or monochrome set.  Since LCD screens are generally
   detected as a color monitor, Switcher will not choose the monochrome
   selections.  It is possible to force Switcher to use either of the
   selections regardless of the type of monitor.

   To force the default monochrome selections, run the SETUP.EXE program
   with the  M  command line parameter, e.g.

   C:>  SETUP M

   To force the defautl color selections, run the SETUP.EXE program with
   the  C  command line parameter, e.g.

   C:>  SETUP C


   If Switcher was already installed in memory, you possibly will have to
   remove Switcher from memory in order for all accessories (e.g. rolocards,
   appointment calendar, ....) to recognize the change in colors.


 *******************  Enable 2.0+  ***************************************

   If using Enable, you must 'Disable STDIO Read' in the Switcher SETUP program.
   Go to the Switcher directory and

        Type:   SETUP
        Select: General Setup
        Select: Disable STDIO Read
        Press:  Y     for Yes
        Press:  F10   to exit
        Press:  Y     to save changes
        Press:  ESC

   If Switcher was installed in memory, you must uninstall Switcher for 
   the changes to take effect.
