README.TXT

This file contains information about Neat!, including installing and
setting up Neat!

This document is best viewed/printed using WordPad, 10pt
Courier New Regular font.

                   Neat!
                    by
         Thunderbird Technology, LLC
             640 Candia Road
             Chester, NH 03036
               (603) 483-0693
              fax (603) 483-0616
      support@thunderbirdtechnology.com
         www.thunderbirdtechnology.com

OTHER DOCUMENTS located in the subdirectory in which the
Neat!.zip file resides.

Installation instructions may be found at the end of this document, or
in the INSTALL.TXT file.

The full User Guide, in Word 6.0 format, may be found in the file:
Neat!UserManual.doc.

A text-only Tutorial may be found in the Tutorial.txt file.

OTHER HELP

Full help, including a tutorial, is available when running Neat! by
simply clicking on the Help Button, which normally has the appearance
of a question mark.

MORE STYLES

Additional Neat! screen styles are available for FREE DOWNLOAD at
our web site: thunderbirdtechnology.com

WELCOME TO NEAT!

Did you know that a typical personal computer, even one just out of
the box with standard pre-installed software, can contain over 500
application programs! And over time it just keeps growing, with more
applications and endless data files. How can a user possibly keep
track and organize all that? On the Windows Desktop? There isn't
room! But with Neat! your cluttered desktop becomes Neat!.

Neat! provides the smart alternative to the Windows1 Desktop. Rather
than a "desktop", Neat! uses a "bookshelf" metaphor. Instead of icon
scattered here and there, Neat! allows the user to build shelves and
dividers and to organize the program and data file icons into
meaningful groups. Instead of just one desktop, Neat! allows an
unlimited number of Screens, each with its own set of bookshelves,
and the ability to move easily and effortlessly among them. And if
your computer is used by more than one person, Neat! allows each user
to have his or her own set of Neat! screens.

WHY USE NEAT! ?

If you use your computer for more than just one function then you
know that the desktop, Windows' primary interface, does not provide a
method for graphically organizing your applications and documents.
Certainly, you can put your business applications in the upper right
corner, your internet apps in the lower left corner, and your
accessories somewhere in the middle. But how many times have you
started up Windows and have had to search around the desktop to find
the application or document that you want to work on? And when
you're running a couple of applications at the same time and need to
get to the desktop to find a document you had placed there or an
additional application that you want to start up, there's just no
easy way to get down to the desktop without moving or minimizing the
other running applications2. How many times have you thought how nice
it would be to have multiple desktops, so that you had more room to
organize your applications and documents? And if more than one person
uses the computer, wouldn't it be nice if each user could organize it
according to his or her own particular tastes?

Well, that's where Neat! comes in. It addresses these problems, and
more.

THE NEAT! DIFFERENCE

	User-organizable "Work Areas"
	User-selectable Screen Styles
	User-selectable Sound Styles 
	Unlimited Screens per User
	Multiple Users
	Easy drag-and-drop
	Easy screen navigation via scroll and jump
	Program Quick-launch
	Data File Quick-Launch
	Folder quick-access
	Image File display
	On-screen clock
	F1 Help for all items

STYLES

Neat! provides a variety of screen Styles to choose from. These are not
merely Windows "Wallpaper" images. Rather, a Neat! Style defines the
look, feel, and sound of the screen and provides a mechanism for
organizing your program and data icons. You can change the Style of a
screen at any time, so feel free to experiment and find the ones that
best fit your style of work and play. And if you've set up multiple
Neat! screens, you can even have a different Style for each Screen.

FREE STYLES

Although Neat! comes with a set of screen styles, additional screen
styles are available for free3 downloading from our internet web site:

	thunderbirdtechnology.com

A FEW IMPORTANT WORDS ABOUT YOUR SCREEN

	Neat! requires at least a 256-Color Depth Setting

Most computers are capable of  handling at least one of the three common
screen resolutions. These are:

	640 by 480
	800 by 600
	1024 by 768.

Some high-end computers may support even higher resolutions. Neat!
directly supports the three standards and indirectly supports all
others. Most computers are also capable of handling several different
"color depths". Color Depth is a measurement of the number of unique
colors that can be displayed by the monitor. Typical Color Depths are
16, 256, and 16 million. Neat! requires a Color Depth setting of at
least 256.

Many computers are set, by default, to a resolution and color depth that
is lower than the monitor and graphics board is actually capable of.
Neat! (and most other applications as well) look best at the highest
resolution that your computer is capable of, although what "looks best"
is a combination of screen resolution, screen size, color depth, and
user preference. If you know what your computer's screen resolution and
color depth is and are satisfied with it (and the color depth is at
least 256), then proceed to INSTALLATION, below.

MODIFYING THE SCREEN

But if you think that you might want to modify the screen resolution or
color depth then follow these steps:

1. Click on the Windows Start Button.
2. From the menu that appears click on Settings.
3. From the sub-menu that appears click on the Control Panel icon.
4. From the dialog window that appears click on the Display icon.
5. From the Display dialog that appears click on the Settings tab.
6. The Settings dialog allows you to select the screen resolution. Try
the various settings for Desktop Area and choose the one which provides
the best image on your screen. But be sure that the Color Palette
selection is at least 256. When you click the OK button it will
temporarily show you what the screen would look like and give you the
opportunity to accept it. When you find the one that is best for your
screen, accept it.

INSTALLATION

It is strongly recommended that you read the section titled
"A Few Important Words About Your Screen",
before installing Neat!.

Requirements
	IBM-PC compatible computer
	80486/66 processor or better
        Windows95, Windows98, or Windows NT
		Neat! does not run under Windows 3.x
	16 MB RAM
	10 MB Disk space, minimum;
		30 MB for Typical (full) installation
	SVGA 256-color graphics

INSTALLING FROM DOWNLOAD

If you had downloaded Neat! from the internet then you will find a file
named "SetupFullFreeNeat!.exe" (or "SetupBasicFreeNeat!.exe" if you
downloaded the basic version) in the subdirectory to which you
downloaded Neat!.

Run the Neat! setup program by:

1. Clicking on the Windows Start button.

2. Selecting Run from the pop-up menu.

3. Using the Browse Button to locate the SetupFullFreeNeat!.exe
(or SetupBasicFreeNeat!.exe) file.

4. Clicking Open at the Browse window, to bring you back to the Run
Window.

5. Clicking OK at the Run window to start up the installation of
Neat!.

6. The InstallShield installation program will lead you through the
installation.

At the point in the installation procedure where it provides the
opportunity to start Neat!, click the button so that Neat! will start.
You will then be prompted to enter your name, a name for the initial
Neat! screen, and the Style of the initial Neat! screen. Once you've
done that, hit Finish, and you're on your way. And the best way to get
started is with the Quick Tutorial.

MAKING NEAT! AVAILABLE FROM THE DESKTOP

To make Neat! available as a clickable icon from the Windows desktop do
the following:

1.  Start up Windows Explorer. This can be done by clicking the Start
button on the Windows Taskbar, clicking Programs, and then clicking
Windows Explorer.

2. Locate the Neat! subdirectory. If you accepted the default
installation directory when you installed Neat! this will be C:\Program
Files\Neat!. If you selected an alternative installation directory then
locate that subdirectory. If you have trouble locating it, use the Find
tool in the Windows Explorer Tools to locate the subdirectory in which
the Neat!.exe file resides.

3. Drag-and Drop the Neat!.exe program file from the Windows Explorer
window to the Windows desktop. This drag-and-drop operation will place a
"shortcut" on the desktop. You can then start up Neat! by double-
clicking on its icon on the desktop.

CONFIGURING NEAT! FOR AUTOMATIC STARTUP

You will probably want to configure your computer so that Neat! starts
up whenever you turn on your computer. After all, Neat! will quickly
become your preferred alternative to the desktop.

To make Neat! start up automatically when you start up your computer you
simply need to:

Drag-and-drop the Neat!.exe file into the C:\Windows\Start
Menu\Programs\StartUp directory, which will actually place a "shortcut"
to the Neat!.exe program in the StartUp directory. To do this, simply do
the following:

1.  Start up Windows Explorer. This can be done by clicking the Start
button on the Windows Taskbar, clicking Programs, and then clicking
Windows Explorer.

2. Locate the Neat! subdirectory. If you accepted the default
installation directory when you installed Neat! this will be C:\Program
Files\Neat!. If you selected an alternative installation directory then
locate that subdirectory. If you have trouble locating it, use the Find
tool in the Windows Explorer Tools to locate the subdirectory in which
the Neat!.exe file resides.

3. Start up another Windows Explorer window
and arrange the two Windows Explorer windows side-by-side. In this new
Windows Explorer window, locate the

	c:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp directory.

4. Drag-And Drop the Neat!.exe program file from the first Windows
Explorer window to the c:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp
subdirectory within the second Windows Explorer directory.
This drag-and-drop operation will place a "shortcut" in the StartUp
directory.

After you have set this up, Neat! will automatically start up whenever
you turn on your computer.

DISABLING AUTOMATIC STARTUP

If you ever decide that you no longer wish to have Neat! start up
automatically when you turn on your computer, simply delete the Neat!
shortcut file from the c:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp directory.

