NiftyCountdown is a simple utility that when given a date and time, will display the remaining days, hours, minutes, and seconds until that time. It also has handy features such as multiple window sizes and basic color scheme support. NiftyCountdown could be used for holidays, birthdays, special events, et cetera.
2. Requirements
NiftyCountdown requires very little. It should be able to run on any Macintosh with a Motorola 68020 processor or better, running at least System 7.1, and with 1MB of available RAM (real or virtual). If your computer meets these requirements, is unable to run NiftyCountdown, and you are certain it is not a software conflict, please contact me with your machine's configuration.
3. Using NiftyCountdown
NiftyCountdown is fairly self explanatory. First, double-click it to open it. Then, use the popup menus to select the size of window, and color scheme you prefer. Next, use the popup menus to select the month, day, year, hour, minute, and second of the time that you wish NiftyCountdown to count down until. Finally, click the "Start" button. When you want to close the countdown window, select "Close" from the File menu, press Command-W, or if you are not in full screen mode, you can also click the small square in the upper left hand corner of the window. To quit, select "Quit" from the file menu, or press Command-Q.
4. Getting New Versions
You may get new versions of my software at the following URL.
http://www.susogi.net/travish/
5. Distribution
You may distribute NiftyCountdown freely as long as you include all original, unmodified files including the NiftyCountdown application, Schemes folder, and this Read Me file. If you would like to include it in a CD, floppy, or other media collection, please send me a copy.
6. Version History
1.1.0 - 01.01.99 - Second release, redesigned from scratch, coded, and compiled in a different language. Starting to look fairly good. This release utilizes the CDate plugin, written by an unknown author, to convert a date string to a seconds integer. I hope to soon write my own method to accomplish this task.
New features:
•Significant speed increase due to REALbasic.
•Significant speed increase due to a more efficient method of counting down.
•More stable.
•Support for counting down to a specific time of a day, not just 12:00 a.m.
•Four window sizes available, including full screen.
•Basic color scheme support including changing schemes from the Finder.
1.0.0 - 07.15.98 - First version, available in B&W and color versions. Slow, ugly, and very unprofessional due to it being written in HyperCard.
7. Contacting The Author
If you enjoy NiftyCountdown and would like to encourage a young developer, feel free to send some cash, food, computer equipment, miscellaneous items I might enjoy, or just a quick note to the address below. If you send me something that I like, chances are that I will send you something back. For questions, comments, and bug/incompatibility reports, you may also contact me through my web site at the URL below.
http://www.susogi.net/travish/
NiftyCountdown Support
ATTN: Travis J. Hicks
408 North C Street
Fairfield, IA 52556-2935
8. License Agreement
By opening NiftyCountdown you acknowledge that NiftyCountdown may cause harm to your computer and/or components and that you will not hold the author, Travis J. Hicks, responsible for any harm caused by NiftyCountdown. NiftyCountdown may not provide accurate information. Use NiftyCountdown at your own risk.
