GetAhead Release 1.0 U S E R M A N U A L for the Hypertext Presentation of Design Considerations for the Competitive PC Workstation Environment Software for your Head Robert J. Dunn PC Presentations Harbin Hot Springs P.O. Box 1587 Middletown, CA 95461 Copyright 1992 Robert J. Dunn. All Rights Reserved. ^^ 1 -----------------------------------------------------------------------^^ C O N T E N T S SECTION PAGE A. Title Page 1 B. Contents 2 C. Up and Going 3 D. The Cover Screen 4 E. The Main Menu Options: 6 1. The GetAhead Presentation - In Hypertext 6 2. GetAhead - The Text Documents 7 3. Why GetAhead? 7 4. Copy GetAhead for a Friend 7 5. About the Courseware - In Hypertext 8 6. Return to Cover Screen 8 F. Sub-menu GetAhead - The Text Documents 9 G. Sub-menu Copy GetAhead for a Friend 11 H. Install GetAhead - Hard Disk 12 I. About GetAhead and how to participate further 13 ^^ 2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------^^ U P A N D G O I N G A> Using GetAhead files which you have downloaded to your hard disk. 1. Create a directory on your C: hard disk named: $COMPETE 2. Copy the 15 GetAhead presentation files into this directory. 3. Type: C:\$COMPETE\GetAhead to run the presentation. B> Using a GetAhead diskette. 1. Place the GetAhead diskette in diskette-drive A: and close the door. 2. Type: A:\Install to run the Install Program. This program creates a directory named, $COMPETE, on your C: hard disk and copies the 15 GetAhead presentation files into it. 3. After the installation is complete, C:\$COMPETE is the system's current drive and directory. Then type: GetAhead to run the presentation. ^^ 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------^^ T H E C O V E R S C R E E N The GetAhead presentation uses 3 different screen Modes: A. Menu Mode B. Browse Linear Text Mode C. Browse Hypertext Mode When GetAhead is started and displays the Cover Screen, it is in Menu Mode where the visual appearance and method of interfacing, via keyboard options on a highlighted bar at the bottom of the screen, remain essentially the same throughout the presentation, even when requesting Help via the F1 key, or receiving special prompts. When the presentation is in Menu Mode, pressing the ESC key one or more times will always bring you back to the Main Menu and then prompt you for exiting the presentation or not. Each Menu Mode screen has the option, "F2 = More Info". When this option is selected, the presentation shifts into Browse Linear Text Mode where the maximum amount of available screen may be utilized for presenting text in a traditional paged linear structure. As with Menu Mode, allowable keyboard commands are on a highlighted bar at the bottom of the screen. The ESC key returns you to the Main Menu. There is no 'help' for this mode. ^^ 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------^^ The Browse Linear Text Mode is also used for Main Menu option #2, "GetAhead - The Text Documents". Two of the Main Menu option choices are "In Hypertext", and when these options are selected, the presentation shifts into Hypertext Mode which is uniquely distinguished by a Menu Bar at the top of a screen and a full screen border. If you have a mouse, it will be active. In Hypertext Mode, the basic navigation method is to move the highlighted cursor to any of the one or more high intensity words, phrases, or Menu Bar options and then press ENTER. Pointing and clicking the left mouse button accomplishes the same result. The highlighted cursor may be moved forward with the SPACEBAR and backward with the BACKSPACE key. When in Hypertext Mode, choose "HELP" for a hypertext navigation tutorial on utilizing the unique information browsing, searching, and printing capabilities. Pressing the ESC key immediately returns you to the Main Menu. ^^ 5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------^^ T H E M A I N M E N U The Main Menu is the primary user interface for the GetAhead Presentation. Selections made from this menu provide access to the hypertext, access to the linear text of the of the same material, and the option of making a copy of the presentation for a friend or associate. Upon ESCaping from any of the selections initiated from this menu, control again returns to the Main Menu. Selection 1 GetAhead Presentation - In Hypertext This option loads the browser for Hypertext Mode and presents the starting screen for the GetAhead presentation which provides several possible entry points into the information. All have access to the same body of hypertext, and many cross-links exist between them to help the user: a) rapidly grasp the technical concepts of the presentation, b) evaluate their personal PC posture relative to the new knowledge gained, and c) formulate a clearer picture of the long view for their Competitive PC Workstation environment. ^^ 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------^^ Selection 2 GetAhead - The Text Documents This option first takes you to a sub-menu where traditional linear text information is managed. The formal document, "Design Considerations for the Competitive PC Workstation Environment", as well as the "GetAhead User Manual", may be either viewed or printed using options on this sub-menu. The text file for the formal document is named, "GetAhead.txt.doc". Most any word processor can be used to read this ASCII text file to further manage and utilize the text information. Selection 3 Why GetAhead? This option simply provides a brief overview of the purpose of the GetAhead presentation and explains why it is beneficial. Selection 4 Copy GetAhead for a Friend If the GetAhead presentation has been installed on the C: hard drive in the directory, C:\$COMPETE, then this selection may be used to clone an Evaluation Disk of the GetAhead Presentation for a friend or associate. A sub-menu prompts the user to place a blank formatted disk in diskette- ^^ 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------^^ drive A: and say when ready. The 15 GetAhead presentation files are then copied from their directory on the C: hard drive to diskette drive A:. Selection 5 About the CourseWare This selection is in Hypertext Mode and provides information about: Making copies of the GetAhead presentation Becoming a Registered User How GetAhead was created Obtaining the source code for GetAhead and more. Selection 6 Return to Cover Screen This selection causes a return to the Cover Screen. ^^ 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------^^ G e t A h e a d - T H E T E X T D O C U M E N T S Traditional linear text can be seen as yet another path thru a body of information that has been structured and organized for the purpose of communicating the knowledge contained in it. This sub-menu provides viewing and printing options for the two primary text documents associated with this presentation: Selection 1 VIEW GetAhead Formal Document Selecting this option places the presentation in Browse Linear Text Mode and the entire document, "Design Considerations for the Competitive PC Workstation Environment", is presented on the screen. Selection 2 VIEW GetAhead User Manual Selecting this option places the presentation in Browse Linear Text Mode and the entire document, "GetAhead User Manual", is presented on the screen. ^^ 9 -----------------------------------------------------------------------^^ Selection 3 PRINT GetAhead Formal Document Selecting this option causes the document, "Design Considerations for the Competitive PC Workstation Environment", to be printed. Selection 4 PRINT GetAhead User Manual Selecting this option causes the document, "GetAhead User Manual", to be printed. Selection 5 Return to Main Menu Selecting this option returns control to the Main Menu. The ESC key may be used to abandon the viewing and printing sub-menu and return control to the Main Menu. ^^ 10 -----------------------------------------------------------------------^^ C O P Y G e t A h e a d F O R A F R I E N D Evaluation Copies of GetAhead are intended to be used as much as possible in order to obtain the maximum value from the presentation. This use includes providing a friend or associate a copy of GetAhead to facilitate a dialog or discussion of the presentation material, or simply to pass along potentially useful information. See Main Menu Selection 5, "About the CourseWare - In Hypertext" for complete copyright and registration information. The purpose of the sub-menu for this Selection is to provide a pause for you to put a blank, formatted disk into diskette-drive A. Then, when ready, choose option 1, "Make Copy". When the copy procedure is complete, this sub-menu asks if you would like to make another copy or exit the procedure. Upon making a diskette copy of GoMPC, ensure that it is labeled with at least enough information to get it started: "type: A:\INSTALL". Choosing option 2, "Do Not Make Copy", like the ESC key, causes an immediate return to the Main Menu. In order for a disk containing an Evaluation Copy of GetAhead to be fully functional, the 15 files which comprise the presentation must be present. See "About the CourseWare - In Hypertext" for a list of the files and their functions. ^^ 11 -----------------------------------------------------------------------^^ I N S T A L L G e t A h e a d - H A R D D I S K The optimum interactive advantage to be gained from Hypertext Mode is realized when the presentation is installed on, and running from, the PC's hard drive. If you have downloaded GetAhead onto your hard drive, create the directory C:\$COMPETE and copy all of the 15 GetAhead files into it. This directory name is easy to remember and sorts to the beginning of alphabetic lists to help remind you its there. Any directory name will suffice, however, as GetAhead will function correctly as long as all 15 of the related files are in the same directory. If you have a diskette copy of GetAhead, the program named, Install.exe, will create the directory, C:\$COMPETE, and copy the GetAhead files into it. To run the install program, place the GetAhead disk in diskette-drive A: and close the door. Type: A:\Install. The Install program provides on-screen prompts, displays the files being installed, and lets you know when it is finished. Regardless of where you decide to locate the GetAhead files, remember where they are so you can access GetAhead's text files with your favorite word processor or text editor. ^^ 12 -----------------------------------------------------------------------^^ A B O U T G e t A h e a d Your comments and suggestions about GetAhead are encouraged. They will contribute to the quality and quantity of future releases of the presentation as it is improved and refined. Please write to me directly: Robert J. Dunn PC Presentations Harbin Hot Springs P.O. Box 1587 Middletown, CA 95461 ^^ 13 ---------------------------------------------------------------------^^ end