**************************************************************************** -> This file provides basic information on PERS-PLAN and should be read before running PERS-PLAN. -> The file has been supplied as an integral part of PERS-PLAN. This is a personal financial planning software package developed as a shareware package for use on a 'try-before-you-buy' basis by Invest-Tech Limited. For contact details, see end of this file. -> To print this file, type "PRINT READ-1ST.TXT" at the DOS prompt. **************************************************************************** CONTENTS ======== 1. Introduction to PERS-PLAN 2. How to run PERS-PLAN 3. System Requirements 4. Running PERS-PLAN through Windows 5. Using a LCD display *************************************************************************** 1. Introduction to PERS-PLAN ============================ PERS-PLAN is an easy-to-use software package for preparing a personal budget and cashflow projections for twelve months ahead. It can be used to improve the management of your finances by forecasting your income and expenditure. The resulting budget can then be used to improve your financial planning & control and, ultimately, to save yourself money. Based on your estimates and assumptions, PERS-PLAN compiles a detailed and summary budget for twleve months ahead. It also produces reports analysing the budget and detailing all your underlying assumptions on income and expenditure. PERS-PLAN incorporates facilities for graphing key results; overwriting assumptions by actuals; undertaking 'what-if' analysis; and rolling-forward assumptions and projections one month at a time. The supplied software is 'shareware'. In return for registering, a user secures a copy of the latest fully-operational version of PERS-PLAN, receives a 90-page A5 spiral-bound manual and gains access to support. The cost of registration is only 29 pounds (sterling or Irish) or US$44 - inclusive of any VAT and p&p (S&H). *************************************************************************** 2. How to run PERS-PLAN ======================= The following guidelines assume that you have already installed (i.e. copied, unzipped, unarchived, uncompressed etc.) the complete set of PERS-PLAN files onto a hard disk. a) Get into the sub-directory where you have installed all PERS-PLAN's files. For example, if the sub-directory PERS was used, type "CD PERS" and press RETURN at the DOS prompt. b) Type "GO" to access an introductory menu system. If your PC uses a very old type of display, do not select this option choose c) or d) instead. or c) For guidance on the syntax for loading PERS-PLAN etc. type "PP". or d) Type "PP MASTER" to directly load PERS-PLAN with specimen assumptions contained in a file called MASTER.ASS. For more detailed information about PERS-PLAN, refer to the text file called README.TXT. To access PERS-PLAN's text files, you can use the EDIT utility supplied with DOS or the NOTEPAD or Write accessories supplied with Windows. **************************************************************************** 3. System Requirements ======================= * Industry-standard PC with DOS 3.30 or higher and a hard disk. * Conventional memory of 640k. * VGA, CGA, mono, Hercules or LCD display (or equivalent). With some older display types, it may not be possible to use the introductory menu called GO. Instead, load PERS-PLAN directly by entering "PP MASTER". See Note 5 below if using a LCD display. **************************************************************************** 4. Running PERS-PLAN through Windows ===================================== To set up PERS-PLAN to run within Windows, install it using the DOS commands etc. before you load Windows. Next, run the Windows Program Manager and proceed as follows: 1. Select the Applications Group which you want to contain PERS-PLAN. 2. Select File and New options from the Program Manager's menu. 3. When the New Program Object box appears, select Program Item and OK. 4. When the Program Item Properties box appears, proceed as follows: - Type "PERS-PLAN" as the Description. - Type "C:\PERS\YP X" as the Command Line. Make sure you enter a single space between YP and X. This command assumes that PERS-PLAN has been installed to the PERS sub-directory on a hard disk called C. - Enter "C:\PERS" as the Working Directory. - Select Change Icon and select OK when the Change Icon message box appears. - When the next Change Icon box appears, enter "C:\PERS\PERSPLAN.ICO" as the File Name and select OK. - Once you return to the Program Item Properties box select OK twice to complete installation. To run PERS-PLAN within Windows, double-click on its icon and wait while it loads. Press RETURN to ignore the 'File does not exist' message and then use the cursor keys and RETURN to select the desired *.ASS file in response to the instruction 'Enter Data File Name" which appears at the top of the screen. If more than five such data files exist, press the F3 Function Key to display them in a larger window. If using Windows, you can view any of PERS-PLAN's text files using the Notepad accessory. ***** WATCH OUT **** If you try to display graphs when running PERS-PLAN in a DOS Window (i.e. less than full screen) when running in Enhanced Mode, the graphs may not show and the display may lock. To unlock it, return to a full DOS screen by pressing ALT+RETURN. Always use a DOS full screen when displaying graphs. **************************************************************************** 5. Using a LCD display ====================== If you are running PERS-PLAN on a portable PC with a LCD display, you will probably need to change PERS-PLAN's video setting once it has loaded in order to clearly distinguish the rectangular cursor which appears when you are viewing reports on the screen. To do this, press I (for Initialise) at the Main Menu, V (for Video) and L (for LCD/B&W). The Manual explains how to make these changes permanent. **************************************************************************** To print this file, type "PRINT READ-1ST.TXT". ** End of READ-1ST.TXT file **