Air FAQ 12-May-1997 Frequently Asked Questions, Air V2.0 (C) P.Csurgay, csurgay@item.ntnu.no http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/1983 ------------------------------------ Air (All in RPN) Version 2.0 WorldTime, CurrencyExchange, Timers, CountDown, PianoKeyboard, MasterMind for US Robotics' PalmPilot PDA 0. What is new in Version 2.0? 1. Introduction 1.1 What is Air 2.0? 1.2 What are the features of Air 2.0? 1.3 How does Air 2.0 compare to similar products? 1.4 Where does the name come from? 2. How to use.. 2.1 Air Control Center (@Main)? 2.2 WorldTime? 2.3 CurrencyExchange? 2.4 Timers? 2.5 CountDown? 2.6 PianoKeyboard? 2.7 MasterMind game? 3. Registraion 3.1 Why register Air 2.0? 3.2 How to register Air 2.0? 0. What is new in Version 2.0? ----------------------------------------------------------------- + Air Control Center added for easy navigation. + MasterMind game added. + Air no longer replaces your existing function sets! + Minor improvements introduced, code further optimized. + See screenshots at http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/1983 1.1 What is Air 2.0? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Air is a WorldTime, CurrencyExchange, Timers, CountDown, Piano- Keyboard and MasterMind program for your US Robotics "Pilot" Personal Digital Assistant. Air 2.0 requires RPN 2.2, one of the most popular calculators, being installed on your Pilot. With Air 2.0 you can quickly + find out the local time in 12 cities of your choice + make cross currency exchanges among 12 currencies of your choice with updated rates + set timers to measure elapsed time of your trip, or the turkey in the oven, + check how many days are left until your wedding anniversary or a delivery deadline, or + just have fun recording and playing back simple melodies or playing a game of MasterMind. 1.2 What are the features of Air 2.0? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Air Control Center - Easy, one tap navigation among the Air function sets. - Only one enrty needs to be visible in RPN's function list, so you can still easily navigate among your existing function sets WorldTime: - Instant access for the current time in 12 cities of your choice. - Daylight Saving periods is set for each cities to real values (on both hemispheres and following the actual local settings). - Easy following of your location if you travel. - Your local settings can be checked instantly. CurrencyExchange: - Instant access for 12 currencies of your choice. - "2 tap" access for cross conversions between currencies. - All rates can be kept updated and saved. Timers: - Two timers (stop watches) can be used independently. - Timers can be stopped and started again, or restarted. - Values are saved, and timers are running even switched off. CountDown - Two day down-counters can be used independently. - Counters show the days left to a certain date, or - the days passed from a certain date. - Easy setting of the target dates. - Values are saved, and counters are running even switched off. PianoKeyboard: - A all half notes on a keyboard of 2 octaves can be played. - The song can played back and the last note deleted. - The song is saved between sessions. - Songs up to 25 notes can be stored. MasterMind - Guess number can be input as four digit number, and - Single digits of the guess number can be input independently. - Scores player with the number of tries. - One line display for guess number, right digit, right place and number of tries. - Reveal option if you happen to get frustrated. - Stack content is scrollable to see previous guesses. 1.3 How does Air compare to similar products? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, there are many programs out there for the Pilot providing these funcions. Air competes them in its two main characteristics: + ease of use + memory consumption Ease of use means several things, each being exclusive to Air at the moment: + It takes the least number of taps, and instant response time to get the result for your time and currency queries. + It backups your settings on your desktop, you don't retype them after data loss in your Pilot. + WorldTime tracks the DST periods, you don't have to know when the clocks are set back in the other side of the world. + CurrencyExchange follows the rates for reistered users on a weekly basis. + Since the result appears in a calculator, you can do any calculations right away with them (e.g. tax percentage, storage into ten memory registers, quantity multiplication...) + Upon registration you get a fully customizable version with your personal preferences preset, and on-line support to develop your personal calculation needs on RPN (!) Air provides you all these functions at a cost of 6 kilobyte, though it requires the RPN 2.2 calculator from Russ Webb, that is 32 kilobyte. You also should know, that one of the best available general purpose calculators (well, the best, to be honest) for your Pilot is RPN, providing a reverse polish notation, stack based, programmable calulator with 10 memory, drag-and-drop operation, with last numbers displayed. RPN comes with a wide range of math, stat, and customizable conversion functions. RPN is a full working shareware of $15 by Russ Webb at http://kale.ee.cornell.edu/pilot. Here is a table comparing existing programs, their functions, memory consumption and price. Wrld Curr Tim Cnt Pia Mas Metr Ong. Pri Name Time Exch ers Dwn Key Min Conv Calc Size ce ----------------------------------------------------------------- Abroad 1.7 + + + 38k $10 Traveler 2.2 + + % 20k $10 World Time 0.1b + 36k free WorldTime 1.4 + 9k $25 Timer 0.1 + 2k free Timerz alm 14k July CountDown 0.2 + 10k free PocketSynth + 16k $10 MindMeld 2.0 + 8k $7 GuessMe 1.5 + 7k $12 in in Air 2.0 + + + + + + RPN RPN 6k $5 1.4 Where does the name come from? ----------------------------------------------------------------- First of all, air is the native environment for every pilot :) Second, it is an acronym for All in RPN! That means, why having WorldTime, CurrencyExchange, Timers, and other functions you may need while travelling all as separate applications, eating up memory? Put them all into your calculator, and your Pilot is going to have air to breathe again. 2.1 How to use Air Control Center (@Main)? ----------------------------------------------------------------- When you install air20.pdb in your Pilot, you can move all other @name functions at the back of the RPN function list, leaving only @Main visible in the popup list dialog. This way you can still reach your favorite existing function sets by two taps. All Air functions can be activated from @Main. Tap on the title to get information and registration and support. Tap on the Air function names to activate them. From each Air function, you can get back to the Control Center by tapping on <@>. 2.2 How to use WorldTime? ----------------------------------------------------------------- First you set the GMT+- of your local timezone, and if you have Daylight Saving Time or not. E.g. you live in Chicago, you tap <-6> <1> . -6 because Chicago is GMT-6, 1 means DST on (0 means DST off). Now you can see the local time in any of the 12 cities just by clicking on them. displays the your local time, checks the GMT+- and DST parameters, is a custom time that you can set the GMT+- parameter for. Note, that in the registered version you can have your own set of cities, less with longer names if you like. Also note, that Air automatically takes the DST periods into consideation on both hemispheres, according to the rules local to each cities. <@> brings you back to the Air Conrol Center (@Main). 2.3 How to use CurrencyExchange? ----------------------------------------------------------------- There are 12 rates preset in two screens, switches between the screens, 6 currencies of each. You can set each rate individually by tapping in the rate, then , then chosing the rate you would like to set. sets each rates to the default values. Rates consist of two columns, first the currency in USD, then 1 USD in the currency. Cross exhange can be done by two taps, e.g. 1 NOK in HUF: you tap <1>, then , that gives it in USD, then tap the next to , that gives it in HUF. <@> brings you back to the Air Conrol Center (@Main). 2.4 How to use Timers? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Two timers can be started, stopped (and later started again) and reset. Tapping on gives the timer value and the last lap. starts, stops and reset the timers. Values are saved and the timers run even with the Pilot switched off. <@> brings you back to the Air Conrol Center (@Main). 2.5 How to use CountDown? ----------------------------------------------------------------- and sets the year, month and day values for the target date. Tapping on gives the dayes left to, or days passed since the target date. You can find out how many days old are you, or how many days left until the turn of the millennium (or more practically until the date of some deadline). gives a feedback of the set target date. Note, that the year can be set both in <97> of <1997> formats. <@> brings you back to the Air Conrol Center (@Main). 2.6 How to use PianoKeyboard? ----------------------------------------------------------------- All half notes of 2 octaves can be played. A song of up to 25 notes is saved. Last note can be deleted back by (backspace), the song buffer can be reset by and the song can be played back by

. Tap

to listen to the demo melody. Note that you can play onthe keyboard even is the 25 note buffer is full. Compose your own melodies and have fun! <@> brings you back to the Air Conrol Center (@Main). 2.7 How to play the MasterMind game? ----------------------------------------------------------------- The hidden number to guess is a four digit integer with 1..6 of each digit. You can input your guess by tapping a four digit number, or you can modify single digits of your previous guess by tapping in a digit, then tapping on one of , , , or . You commit your guess by tapping on . If you tap on , you can start a new game, or give up the current game by revealing the hidden number. Tapping on and scrolls the content of the stack so as to see scorings of your earlier guesses. Scoring appears as the first and second digits after the decimal delimiter (first is how many digits match digits in the hidden number, that are also placed at the matching position; second is the number of digits that match, but not placed on the right position, ... you know, as it should be in MasterMind...). <@> brings you back to the Air Conrol Center (@Main). Note, that you can suspend your game, by doing other calculations or launching other applications, and later return to it. You just scroll all the previous guesses up before you leave and change stack content, and scroll them down again when you return. 3.1 Why register? ----------------------------------------------------------------- The demo version is for evaluation purposes. If you like it, and intend to keep it, you have to register it. The unregistered version is fully working (until the first 30 queries), but not customizable. Upon registration you will get the fully customizable version, tracking rate changes on a weekly basis, future enhancements, and on-line support to develop your personal calculation needs in RPN (!). 3.2 How to register? ----------------------------------------------------------------- The only and fastest way of registration for now is to send a $5 US banknote by postal mail together with your e-mail address to the address below. It typically takes 6 days and you will be sent the latest version by e-mail, and get a password to access all future versions and documentation at: http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/1983 Just to remind you, even though RPN is a full working calculator, it is a shareware of Russ Webb, and $1 of your Air registration fee also goes to him. Peter Csurgay comments and suggestions for Herman Kragsveg 11-34 additional functions are wel- Trondheim 7035, Norway come at csurgay@item.ntnu.no