Software of the Month Club 1996 June

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INTRODUCTION What, EXACTLY, is written in the United States Constitution? . . . and . . . What does it MEAN? Any sound attempt to interpret the Constitution must address these two questions, especially the first. The CONSTITUTION Notebook (TCN) Program can help you answer these two questions for yourself and to your own satisfaction. Use its INTERACTIVE SEARCH feature with its faithful rendition of the Constitution through the 27th amendment to answer the first question. Review its extensive (100+ pages) of rights commentary to help you answer the second question. Create notes with its notebook features (has INTERACTIVE INDEXING capability and comments box) to help you remember what you learn about the Constitution. Necessary documentation is included in exhaustive context-sensitive help and 3 on-screen tutorials. Register to receive addtional materials related to the study of the Constitution. PREFACE This file contains information related to use of the TCN program obtained from a variety of sources (BBS, CD-ROM, disk vendors, etc). Topics addressed are listed in the following outline: INTRODUCTION PREFACE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS INSTALLATION or SETUP STARTUP CRASHES DURING STARTUP . . . GENERAL (a full description of the TCN program) * faithful rendition of the Constitution * extensive rights commentary * Interactive Search and Indexing capabilities * on-screen tutorials (plural) * on-screen help WHAT'S NEW IN VERSION 3.3 THE SHAREWARE DISTRIBUTION METHOD & THE TCN PROGRAM LIMITED SHAREWARE LICENSE FOR USE AND DISTRIBUTION EFFECTIVITY OF BENEFITS REGISTRATION ASP OMBUDSMAN DISCLAIMERS KNOWN BUGS TCNbP COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION SHARING THE TCN PROGRAM ON DISKETTES From Diskettes From CD-ROM From BBS download files UPLOADING THE TCN PROGRAM TO A BBS Suggested Search Key Words Description files CLEANUP (erase setup files from hard drive to save space) From Diskettes From CD-ROM From BBS download files SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS DOS trial version 3.3 requires 2 meg of hard drive space if the drive is doublespaced, 1.5 meg if drive is not double spaced. It has been run on DOS 5.0 and later. Earlier versions of DOS not tested, will probably work ok. It is a memory HAWG (affectionate). It needs 512 K of conventional RAM free at the DOS prompt to run, 640 K RAM is a must. VGA color and mouse nice, not required. INSTALLATION From diskettes If your trial copy of the TCN program was obtained from a shareware disk vendor, use the TCNSTALL.BAT file to install the TCN program. Make the drive and directory where TCNSTALL.BAT resides current. Type TCNSTALL and press ENTER. Operation of the TCNSTALL.BAT file is explained to you at that point. From CD-ROM If your trial copy of the TCN program is on a CD-ROM, follow the manufacturer's instructions with the CD-ROM program launcher. Contact your supplier or the manufacturer for technical support. From BBS download files If the compressed file is named TCNDOS33.EXE, it is most likely the SFX file prepared by TCNbP Company. Type TCNDOS33 followed by a path specification. (If you omit path specification, the SFX archive extracts itself in the directory with TCNDOS33.EXE.) If the compressed file has some other name, refer to unzipping instructions posted on the same BBS in a related descriptive file about installing the TCN program. Then use TCNSTALL.BAT to install the TCN program. TCNbP Company provides limited technical support for installation problems. Contact your shareware disk vendor, your CD-ROM supplier (or the manufacturer), or your BBS Sysop for technical support or warranty replacements. STARTUP To start the TCN program, make the install target drive and directory current, type TCN and press ENTER. Dwell a few moments on the first screen you see. You can access it later using the "Dedication" option of the TCN program "Help" menu. The first time, and only the first time, the TCN program is started after installation, a series of 9 introductory screens tell you how to start learning about the TCN program. You can access these screens later using the "Notices" option of the TCN program "Help" menu. Automatic display is NOT repeated. Skim these notices lightly and make a written note of key sequences provided. CRASHES DURING STARTUP . . . . . . are usually caused by not enough free memory available at the DOS prompt. You MUST have at leat 512 K of RAM free at the DOS prompt. If your computer is old, make sure it has 640K RAM. Use one of the following DOS commands: CHKDSK, MEM, MSD. Refer to the DOS Help facility or your DOS manual for more information. If you have 640K RAM and the TCN program crashes during startup, the next most likely cause is a TSR. TSRs include some menu programs, font packages, or printer drivers. MEM or MSD will tell you if any of these are present. If they are, you can: terminate them if the particular TSR has that feature. Refer to its documentation. use the F5 key during boot up to try the TCN program with a clean boot. This feature works only with later versions of DOS. use multiple config.sys files. This feature is also available only with later DOS versions. Remark out the offending lines in your AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS files and reboot your machines. Ask your favorite computer guru before calling TCNbP Company. GENERAL The TCN program is a Constitutional study aid for the independent minded PC user. It is produced by TCNbP Company and distributed on a shareware basis. Major features of the trial version are: * Very faithful rendition of the Constitution * Extensive rights commentary * Interactive Search and Indexing capabilities * Thorough on-screen tutorials (plural) * Exhaustive on-screen help * TEXT OF THE CONSTITUTION With the trial copy you get a very faithful rendition of the text of the complete United States Constitution through the 27th amendment which includes the Ratification Resolution as well as the Resolution proposing the Bill of Rights. The rendition of the Constitution included with the TCN Program is likely the most faithful copy of it to be found outside the National Archives. * EXTENSIVE RIGHTS COMMENTARY With the trial version you get over 100 pages of comments about rights. The comments compare and contrast text of the following significant historical rights documents with the Constitution and each other: * Magna Carta * English Bill of Rights * Declaration of Independence * French Bill of Rights * Universal Declaration of Human Rights The complete text of each of these documents is presented on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis. Following most paragraphs, comments prepared by TCNbP Company highlight important concepts about that paragraph. Related phrases of the Constitution are cross referenced using the interactive indexing feature of the TCN program. Comments and indexed phrases can be edited by the user. Additional topics can be created by the user. You can print out commentary or save in an ASCII file on disk for embellishment using your word processor. * INTERACTIVE SEARCH AND INDEXING CAPABILITIES Using the search feature of the TCN program, you can quickly find a phrase of interest in the Constitution. OR, you can more quickly determine with confidence whether or not a "remembered" phrase is contained in the Constitution. While researching an aspect of Constitutional interpretation of interest to you, you can use the interactive search capability to find related phrases. Then, you can use the interactive indexing capability to link or cross reference that phrase to a topic heading within the program. The topic heading can be created by you or provided by TCNbP Company. * TUTORIALS The first time you start the TCN program, it introduces itself to you and offers to run a tutorial called Easy QT. Easy QT introduces you to all aspects of the TCN program in a logical order. It tells you what you need to know in order to review the provided commentary, and it gets you started using the INTERACTIVE SEARCH and the INTERACTIVE INDEXING features of the TCN program. Tutorial instructions can be viewed on screen or printed out. A convenient method is provided to alternately view the tutorial and the TCN program screens. A single mouse click or key combination does it for you. Additional information is available under Quick Tutor. * THE HELP FACILITY The TCN program trial version includes exhaustive on-screen helps. WHAT'S NEW IN VERSION 3.3 Version 3.3 of the TCN program focussed on the user documentation. The new documentation is available under a new menu called Evaluation. The default tutorial offered when the TCN program is started after installation is called Easy QT. The flow of information in Easy QT is logical beginning with a few pages that tell you how to use Easy QT itself. This is followed by a few more pages that introduce the TCN program and study of the Constitution in a non-technical manner. Then follows the technical information and exercises that let you know how to actually operate the features of the TCN program. Easy QT automatically saves your place. Topic review (previously part of Tutorial I) is now a separate menu item under the Evaluation menu. Access is easier - status information is clearly presented after you have reviewed some topics - and you have a better way of knowing what will be saved as your resume topic. Quick Tutor lets you jump around in Easy QT materials. A two-page outline of available materials can be printed out on paper to guide you. Also, QT lets you access some information not covered in Easy QT. In addition to the documentation changes described above, the interactive registration screen was greatly simplified. THE SHAREWARE DISTRIBUTION METHOD & THE TCN PROGRAM TCNbP Company distributes trial copies of the TCN program on a shareware basis. Trial versions of the TCN program include all the features previously listed in this file. Shareware, in part, means you can use the TCN program for a limited time to evaluate its usefulness to you. Shareware means that if you continue to use the TCN program beyond the allowed evaluation period that applies to you, you are obligated to register the TCN program with TCNbP Company. Registration involves a payment of a registration fee and the completion of a registration form. You can obtain additional materials related to the TCN program and study of the Constitution when you register. Registration instructions are available within the TCN program. Shareware also means you can freely copy and share unmodified trial versions of the TCN Program with others. LIMITED SHAREWARE LICENSE FOR USE AND DISTRIBUTION The CONSTITUTION Notebook Program is NOT a public domain program. It is copyrighted by TCNbP Company. This software and accompanying documentation are protected by United States copyright law and also by international treaty provisions. By virtue of the fact that you possess a copy of the TCN Program, TCNbP Company grants you a limited license to use and distribute it. LIMITED LICENSE FOR USE ANYONE can use the TCN program for the greater of 20 times or thirty days. STUDENTS enrolled in: public school, private school, parochial school, college, OR any organized class or course of instruction that revolves directly around the Constitution, can use the TCN program up to one quarter or semester, not to exceed six months. HOMESCHOOLED STUDENTS can use the TCN program up to one school year, not to exceed twelve months. Without incurring any obligation to TCNbP Company, you can use the TCN program for the trial period that applies to you. If you use the TCN program beyond the applicable trial period, you are obligated to register. LIMITED DISTRIBUTION LICENSE ANYONE may distribute The CONSTITUTION Notebook Program, completely unaltered, without further permission. ANYONE can charge a nominal fee for providing trial copies to individuals or organizations. $5.00 or less suggested price. $10.00 maximum allowed price. Permission to distribute the The CONSTITUTION Notebook Program package is not transferable, assignable, saleable, or franchisable. Each vendor wishing to distribute the package must independently satisfy the terms of this limited distribution license. Disk vendors, BBS operators, and CD-ROM producers, see License option of Shareware menu (within the TCN program itself) for further PERMISSIONS. You may not use, copy, rent, lease, sell, modify, decompile, disassemble, otherwise reverse engineer, or transfer the licensed program except as provided in this agreement. Any such unauthorized use shall result in immediate and automatic termination of this license. TCNbP Company may revoke any permissions granted here, by notifying you in writing. All rights not expressly granted here are reserved to TCNbP Company. REGISTRATION You are obligated to register when you use the TCN program the amount of time applicable to you. Registration fees range from $10 to $35. Benefits start off at $10 with up to 30 minutes of technical support by telephone and a written perpetual license to use the TCN program. For additional fees ($20, $27.50 or $35.00 total), you also receive additional software and materials related to study of the United States Constitution. Some of the materials you receive as a benefit of registration are NOT shareware. You can register using an on-screen interactive form or you can print out a blank hard copy of a registration form and complete it manually. Refer to the various options of the Shareware menu for further information. EFFECTIVITY OF BENEFITS Fees and benefits posted with version 3.3 of the TCN program will be honored through December 31, 1996. ASP OMBUDSMAN The TCN program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. DISCLAIMERS No part of the provided commentary is to be construed as legal advice. If you have a legal problem or question, SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. TCNbP Company assumes no liability for any consequences, direct or otherwise, resulting from your use of the TCN Program. Any views expressed in the provided commentary are those of TCNbP Company and are not necessarily held by any distributor. TCNbP Company makes no claims regarding the suitability of the TCN Program for any particular purpose. TCNbP Company warrants only those trial copies that it distributes. All other warranty is between you and your distributor. KNOWN BUGS DOS Trial Version 3.3 of the TCN program has *NO* known bugs. Previous versions of the TCN program were distributed with a few minor known bugs. The decision to distribute with these known bugs was based on the fact that persistent efforts to fix them had failed and they could be overcome with a couple of extra mouse clicks by the user. ALL of these bugs were fixed in DOS Trial Version 3.1 which was the version released immediately before 3.3. One situation that could not be fixed with an extra mouse click was an insufficient memory problem. On older PC's with less than 1 MB of RAM, the TCN program might not start if a large TSR was running, such as a printer driver or a menu program. DOS Trial version 3.3 uses 31K less RAM than versions 2.4 or 3.0. This reduces the chances of an insufficient memory problem. Please contact TCNbP Company if you find a bug in the TCN program. TCNbP COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION Use the following information to contact TCNbP Company: Telephone: (318) 495 - 3484 USPS: TCNbP Company, P. O. Box 516, OLLA, LA 71465 E-Mail TCNbP@aol.com NOTE: You can omit "@aol.com" if you are logged onto America On-Line. SHARING THE TCN PROGRAM The following paragraphs tell how to share the TCN program by transferring the required files FROM various media TO floppy disks. The following is a file list of the complete set of files required to install the TCN program: TCND33AB.EXE TCND33BB.EXE TCNSTALL.BAT README.DOC From Diskettes If your trial copy came from a shareware disk vendor, you can share the TCN program by copying the original diskette(s). To share the TCN program on 360K floppies, two disks are required. Put TCND33BB.EXE on disk 2 of 2. From CD-ROM Refer to the list of files provided under the heading SHARING THE TCN PROGRAM. Find these files on your CD-ROM disk. If you do not find them on your CD-ROM disk, launch the TCN program from the CD-ROM and look for these files somewhere on your hard drive. You can use the display all files feature of the DOS 5.0 and later DOS shell. After you find these files, you can transfer them to a single diskette of 360K or greater capacity. Use your preferred method of file copying to transfer the files to floppy disks. From BBS download files Copy the TCN BBS download file to a floppy along with any files required to de-compress them. Put that floppy in your friend's floppy drive and decompress the TCN BBS download files onto a target path on a hard drive. UPLOADING THE TCN PROGRAM TO A BBS Before uploading the DOS trial version of the TCN program to a BBS, find out whether the BBS accepts SFX (self-extracting) files. If not, install a fresh copy of the TCN program on your hard drive and compress the fresh copy of the TCN program without starting it. Use a compression utility that is acceptable to the target BBS. NOTE: The trial version of the TCN program uses an extensive series of subdirectories. Be sure to use appropriate options to save and restore them in your archive. Zip them in a format acceptable to the target BBS. Prepare a description file as described under the heading BBS DESCRIPTION FILE GUIDELINES. Upload your zipped file and the description file to the BBS as you normally would any other file. SUGGESTED SEARCH KEYWORDS TCNbP, Constitution, Notebook, Tutorial, United, States, Magna, Carta, Bill, Rights, Declaration, Independence DESCRIPTION FILE GUIDELINES Use materials in this file to prepare a suitable description file. The following material is a useful guideline that will work for nearly all BBS or On-Line services. Use a very brief one-line description with your zipped file such as: Constitution study aid. Download TCNDESC.DOC for full description. For the file TCNDESC.DOC, use a very brief one-line description such as: Full description of the TCN program. To write the file TCNDESC.DOC, use materials in this file. For a list of suggested search key words, refer to that title above. Use as many of those provided as the BBS will allow. Add some of your own if any come to mind. If no place is provided for you to add keywords on a BBS, bring them to the attention of the Sysop. For the main body of the description, use the materials in the GENERAL paragraph of this file. For system requirements, paste in the paragraph entitled SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. You might throw in a brief blurb about downloading from that particular BBS. You might say a little something about decompressing the download file. You can mention the file README.DOC (which will be this file) as a source of further information available after download and unzipping. You can compress the file TCNDESC.DOC or upload it as an ASCII file as you see fit. TCNDESC.DOC is only a suggested file name - invent your own if you like. CLEANUP (erase setup files from hard drive to save space) NOTE: Before erasing any related files from your hard drive, copy them to a floppy in case you want to share the TCN program with friends or upload it to a BBS. From Diskettes N/A From CD-ROM N/A From BBS download files You can erase the TCN BBS download file.