Desk Alarm
Table of contents
Introduction
How it works
System requirements
Installation
Using Desk Alarm
Registering
Contact Information
Version Info and History
About Bit Choreography
License Agreement
Credits
Desk alarm is designed to augment the PC side of being a palm device owner. Alarms on the palm device are easy to miss when it’s not right next to you. Desk Alarm helps solve this problem by displaying your Datebook alarms on your PC. If you use the Palm Desktop application that ships with the 3Com palm devices Desk Alarm also adds an AutoSave feature missing from the Palm Desktop application that can help prevent data loss.
The Desk Alarm application sits on your system tray and waits for the time of an alarm set in your Datebook. When its time a message box will pop up to display the alarm.
Desk Alarm gets its information from the files that are saves to disk during a HotSync. These files are also used by Palm Desktop and get updated every time you HotSync. If you use the Palm Desktop they are also updated when you select "save all" from the menu or tool bar and when you exit Palm Desktop (you do not get prompted).
If you use Palm Desktop the AutoSave feature is necessary to ensure all alarms you enter get displayed and to prevent data loss on the event of power loss or a crash. AutoSave is fully configurable and should definitely be used if you normally leave Palm Desktop running.
Desk Alarm is designed for Windows 95/98/ NT4 and has been tested on both. You must have Palm Desktop 2.1 or 3.0 installed before you run Desk Alarm. It has been NOT been tested on Palm Desktop 2.0 and probably will not work with 2.0! Palm Desktop 3.0 is available as a free upgrade from the 3Com web site even if you don’t have a Palm III (I don’t).
Please read the License Agreement before you install Desk Alarm. Once you have done so simply unzip the zip file Desk Alarm came in if you haven’t already done so. Copy or move the Desk Alarm application to the folder where your Palm Software is installed (normally c:\pilot or c:\palm). Alternatively you could put it anywhere you want as long the Palm folder is in your path. Optionally create a shortcut to the Palm Alarm application in your startup folder so it runs automatically on start up (recommended). The first time you run Desk Alarm it will prompt you for a user whose alarms should be displayed. That’s it you are ready to go. Obviously if you want alarms to be display Desk Alarm must be running.
Common pitfalls:
If you get a message about missing table21.dll check that you actually put the Desk Alarm
file in the correct directory as described above. Also check that you placed an
Shortcut in the startup menu and not a copy of the program. For answers to other
common questions please look at the FAQ
There is not much to it. Desk Alarm will reside on the system tray and pop up alarms as they come due. Right click the Desk Alarm tray Icon to get a menu that will let you configure or quit Desk Alarm.
Menu Options:
DeskAlarm tab
Here you can choose the sound Desk Alarm plays for an alarm, the size of the Dialog that pops up on an alarm and registered users can choose not to display the flash screen that comes up when you start desk alarm and to hide the system tray Icon.
| Alarms - | Choose between none, the system default sound. And a sound file (which you will need to select). Click the test button to check that all is working. |
| Alarm Dialog Size - | Select between normal,big and big and bold. |
| Registered User Options: | |
| No Splash Screen - | If this box is checked the Desk Alarm will start quietly with out displaying the opening dialog. |
| Hide Tray Icon - | If this box is checked the Tray Icon will no longer show. This allows Desk alarm to run completely invisibly until there is an alarm. Note that once you select this and hit ok you can no longer access the properties dialog from the Tray Icon. To access the properties dialog simply click on the Desk Alarm Icon. |
Palm Desktop tab
Here you can choose to Enable or Disable the auto save feature.
If enabled you can select every how many minutes Palm Desktop should be forced to save.
You can choose to Disable auto save while working in Palm Desktop. This means that while Palm Desktop is the window you are working in (the foreground application windows) Auto Save will be disabled. This will prevent fields you are working on from flashing and closing while you are working on them. As soon as you are not working in Palm Desktop auto save will function normally (once its not the foreground application).
Desk Alarm is shareware that if you like it you are expected to pay for it! You may evaluate Desk Alarm for a period of 31 days and then you must pay for registration if you wish to continue using it
If you like Desk Alarm you please register. I worked very hard to create Desk Alarm, trying to make it useful and very simple to use. Please help prove that creating shareware is worth the effort. This will also help further the development of Desk Alarm.
You can register Desk Alarm at PilotGear HQ registration is available at http://www2.viaweb.com/pilotgearsw/bitchor.html
| Or by Phone or Fax: |
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Israeli users who wish to pay in N.I.S. may send me Email we will arrange this.
One you register. You will receive a registration code that will allow you to continue using Desk Alarm beyond the 31-days evaluation period, as well as give allowing you to use the registered user options. Simply click the register button in the about box and enter the code you received.
Registered users will get all minor upgrades and at least 1 major upgrade free. Support can only be guaranteed for registered users.
Feel free to contact me with any problem, questions or requests you may have concerning Desk Alarm. Please note that I can only promise support for registered users but I will try to relate to any feedback I get.
Joey Edelstein
Bit Choreography
Email: deskalarm@usa.net
Web: http://members.xoom.com/deskalarm
Minor bug fix version. There is not need to upgrade to this version from version
1.0 unless you are having problems registering your copy of desk Alarm.
Issues addressed:
Corrected a registration problem some registered users reported. Also fixed a
problem where the first time Desk Alarm was run it would display an incorrect number of
days left in evaluation.
This is the official version 1 release. added all the features that were missing
in Beta 1 and an option to control the size of the alarm pop up.
There are have been some reports of problems with a crash during auto save and of some
alarms coming up at the wrong time. Both seem to be rare and I couldn't reproduce
them . Changes were made to the code to help prevent these problems please report
any problems you have.
This is the first public beta release of Desk Alarm. There are no know bugs at
release time.
Features left to implement:
Bit Choreography is Joey Edelstein. There is no more to it.
You should carefully read the following terms and conditions before using the Desk Alarm software. Your use of this software indicates your acceptance of this license agreement and warranty.
Evaluation and Registration
This is not free software. Subject to the terms below, you are hereby licensed to use this software for evaluation purposes without charge for a period of 31 days. If you use this software after the 31-day evaluation period a registration fee is required. Payments can be done at PilotGear HQ when payment is received you will be sent the means to register you copy of the program.
Governing Law
This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Israel.
Warranty Disclaimer
THIS SOFTWARE AND THE ACCOMPANYING FILES ARE SOLD "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE OR MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED.
Distribution of Evaluation Version
You are hereby licensed to make as many copies of the evaluation version of this software and documentation as you wish; give exact copies of the original evaluation version to anyone; and distribute the evaluation version of the software and documentation in its unmodified form via electronic means. There is no charge for any of the above.
You are specifically prohibited from charging, or requesting donations, for any such copies, however made; and from distributing the software and/or documentation with other products (commercial or otherwise) without prior written permission.
Copyright ¸ 1998 Bit Choreography – Joey Edelstein
Developing this application was made much easier do to the following recourses:
This product includes software developed by 3Com and its contributors. They require that I include the following:
Copyright (c) 1998
3Com/Palm Computing Division. All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE 3COM AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS''AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL 3COM OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY,OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.