Mac Bookshelf 1996-97: Contents of the Read Me File
  
PSS ID Number: Q150659
Article last modified on 04-08-1999
 
MACINTOSH:
 
MACINTOSH
 

======================================================================
1996
MACINTOSH
kbmm kbreadme kbfaq
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:
 
 - Microsoft Bookshelf 1996-97 for Macintosh 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
SUMMARY
=======
 
The following article contains a copy of the text in the Bookshelf 1996-97 Read
Me file located on the Bookshelf 1996-97 for the Macintosh compact disc.
 
MORE INFORMATION
================
 
-----------------------------------
Microsoft Bookshelf 1996-97 Read Me
 
This file contains information on the following topics:
 
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR RUNNING MICROSOFT BOOKSHELF
      - What you need to run Bookshelf 1996-97
MEMORY USE
      - Memory needed to run Bookshelf
      - Running on low-memory machines
PERFORMANCE
      - Tips on how to increase Bookshelf's speed
SCREEN SIZES AND COLOR CONFIGURATION
      - What makes Bookshelf look best
SOUND PROBLEMS
      - Common problems playing sounds and how to fix them
PRINTING AND COPYING
      - How to print and copy information from Bookshelf 1996-97
SCRIPTING
      - How to automate Bookshelf using AppleScript
TROUBLESHOOTING
      - Known problems and ways to work around them
 
----------------------------------------------------------
1. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR RUNNING MICROSOFT BOOKSHELF
 
To install and run Bookshelf 1996-97 you need:
 
Any Macintosh computer that supports a 256-color, 640x480 (13-inch)
or higher resolution monitor
System 7.1 or later
8 MB of random-access memory (RAM)
CD-ROM drive (double-speed recommended)
 
You can run Bookshelf directly from the CD. However, to play the movies and
hear the sounds, QuickTime 2.0 or later must be installed in your System
Folder. If Bookshelf can't find these files, it will prompt you to run the
Installer. You can also install QuickTime manually by dragging the files
from the System Files folder on the CD onto your System Folder icon.
 
The Bookshelf Installer will add all necessary files to your System Folder.
It will also copy the Bookshelf program to a folder on your hard disk
titled "Bookshelf 1996-97". Although installing the application to your
hard drive occupies about 7 MB of free space, it makes the program launch
and run noticeably faster. The text, sounds, and images remain on the
Bookshelf 1996-97 CD, so you will still need to insert the CD to run
Bookshelf.
 
---------------
2. MEMORY USE
 
Bookshelf 1996-97 should run on any Macintosh with 8 MB of RAM. However, if
3 MB of memory are not free when you launch the application, a warning
message may be displayed indicating there is insufficient memory available.
 
Most users with 8 MB of RAM will not experience problems, but if your
system software takes up more than 5 MB you may need to adjust memory usage
to make Bookshelf run properly. Some general suggestions follow:
 
Run only one application at a time. If other applications are running, close them and then relaunch Bookshelf.
 
   Reduce the amount of memory being used by your system software. To
   do this, return to the Finder and select About This Macintosh...
   from the Apple menu at the top left corner of the screen. The
   Largest Unused Block needs to be greater than 3,072K to run
   Bookshelf. If the only item listed in the About This Macintosh
   dialog is System Software and the Largest Unused Block is less than
   3,072K, you need to reduce the amount of memory consumed by your
   system software. Refer to your Macintosh documentation for details
   on how to do this, but some general suggestions follow:
 
      a. Open the Memory Control Panel and check the Disk Cache
         setting. To maximize the memory available to Bookshelf, set
         the cache to 32K.
 
      b. Fonts and sounds consume system memory. Removing those you
         aren't using will make more memory available.
 
      c. Third-party system extensions such as screen savers, fax
         software, desktop pictures, menu-modifying utilities, and
         other system enhancements increase the amount of memory
         consumed by your system software. Removing some or all of
         these extensions will increase the amount of memory available
         to applications. Be sure that you save anything you remove
         from your System Folder and place it in a separate folder on
         your disk so that you can replace it later.  Apple's
         Extension Manager or an equivalent third-party utility can be
         useful for this purpose.
 
   Turn on Virtual Memory. Virtual Memory allows you to increase the
   amount of available memory by using space on your hard disk to
   simulate RAM. Although using virtual memory will slow down
   performance, the extra available memory may cause applications like
   Bookshelf to be allocated more memory on launch or allow more
   applications to be run simultaneously. To turn on Virtual Memory,
   open the Memory control panel, switch the Virtual Memory radio
   button to On, and then restart your computer. You may also wish to
   investigate third-party virtual memory utilities, such as RAM
   Doubler from Connectix Corporation.
 
NOTE: Be warned that reducing the minimum size for Bookshelf's memory
requirements may cause the program to perform poorly. For example,
Bookshelf may not be able to play video clips or enlarge images if it runs
out of memory. If you allocate less than 3,072K, these problems are likely
to result.
 
----------------
3. PERFORMANCE
 
If Bookshelf seems to be running slowly or its audio and video clips are
choppy or interrupted, there are a number of things which may help:
 
   If you have over 7 MB of available hard drive space, you can install
   the Bookshelf application to your hard drive rather than run it
   directly off of the CD-ROM. To install the application to your hard
   drive, double-click the Installer icon on the Bookshelf 1996-97 CD
   and select Easy Install.
 
   If less than 4 MB of memory are free when you launch Bookshelf, you
   may notice some performance problems. Check the previous section,
   MEMORY USE.
 
   Increase the preferred size for Bookshelf's memory allocation.
   Microsoft Bookshelf is preset to a suggested memory size of 4,096K.
   If you have plenty of additional memory available to run Bookshelf,
   you can increase the amount of memory the program requests by
   clicking the Microsoft Bookshelf application icon, choosing Get Info
   from the File menu, and then changing the preferred size in the
   section titled Memory Requirements.
 
NOTE: If the Bookshelf application is running or busy, these fields may be
locked. If you encounter this problem, quit Bookshelf, restart your
Macintosh, and try again.
 
   If you are using Virtual Memory to expand available memory to more
   than double your physical RAM capacity, you may find that Bookshelf
   runs slowly. For best performance, turn off Virtual Memory or reduce
   its allocated size in the Memory control panel.
 
   Bookshelf is designed to work properly on a CD-ROM drive with
   150K/sec transfer rate or faster. A double-speed CD-ROM drive or one
   with a faster transfer rate will provide even better performance in
   some areas. If your CD-ROM drive has a sustained transfer rate of
   less than 150K/sec, it may not be able to supply audio and video
   information to the Macintosh at the speed required. This problem
   cannot be fixed short of upgrading to a faster CD-ROM drive. If you
   suspect a problem with your drive, ensure that it is properly
   terminated and that its software is properly installed. For details
   on SCSI termination, see your Macintosh or CD-ROM drive
   documentation, or contact your Apple dealer.
 
   A dirty or scratched CD-ROM disc can cause your drive to perform
   poorly. Make sure the bottom surface of the Bookshelf 1996-97 disc
   is clean and undamaged.
 
   If you are using QuickTime 2.0, the video clips and animation in
   Bookshelf will run more smoothly if you upgrade to QuickTime 2.1. To
   install QuickTime 2.1, double-click the Installer icon on the
   Bookshelf 1996-97 CD, select Customize, and install the QuickTime
   package that is appropriate for your Macintosh.
 
-----------------------------------------
4. SCREEN SIZES AND COLOR CONFIGURATION
 
On startup, Bookshelf checks your monitor to ensure you are running in at
least 256 colors. If your monitor settings are set to black and white or 16
colors but can be adjusted to run in 256 colors, you will be prompted to
switch.
 
Bookshelf will run on any 256-color, 640x480 (13-inch) or higher resolution
Macintosh compatible monitor, although Bookshelf's video clips and still
images look best in 16-bit color (thousands of colors) or 24-bit color
(millions of colors).
 
NOTE: Running in 24-bit color (millions of colors) will slow performance
and cause Bookshelf to consume memory more quickly. If you normally run in
this color mode and experience out-of-memory conditions, you can increase
the amount of memory Bookshelf requests by clicking on the Microsoft
Bookshelf icon, choosing Get Info from the File menu, and then changing the
preferred size in the section titled Memory Requirements.
 
Bookshelf is not designed to run in black and white, in 16 colors, or on
monitors displaying less than 640x480 pixels (e.g., Color Classics, most
PowerBooks and all 12" Apple monitors).
 
-------------------
5. SOUND PROBLEMS
 
If the audio in Bookshelf is missing or interrupted, check the
following:
 
   Sounds may be inaudible if the sound level is turned down. To set
   the sound level, open the Sound control panel and experiment with
   the speaker volume setting until you find a comfortable sound level.
   If you set the sound level to maximum, you may get some sound
   distortion just as you might on a stereo system. With external
   speakers, be sure they are connected properly and turned on; you
   will generally be able to adjust sound level with the external
   speaker volume knob as well as with the Sound control panel.
 
   If Virtual Memory is enabled on your Macintosh, you may find that
   sounds are choppy. When Virtual Memory is turned on, sounds are
   sometimes placed on the hard disk rather than in physical RAM. For
   optimal performance, Virtual Memory should be turned off. To disable
   Virtual Memory, open the Memory control panel, click the Virtual
   Memory Off button, and then restart your computer.
 
   In low memory situations, you may find that sounds will not load or
   play. If you cannot get a sound to play and are sure that your Sound
   control panel is set correctly, or you are receiving error messages
   when attempting to play sounds, you may need to allocate more memory
   for Bookshelf. Please refer to the MEMORY USE section for
   suggestions on how to solve memory problems.
 
   Some sounds used in Bookshelf are stored on the CD-ROM in a
   compressed format. In order to be played, the sound must be read
   from the disc and decompressed. Older or slower Macintoshes (such as
   the Macintosh II and Macintosh LC) may experience interruptions in
   audio playback.
 
   In some situations, QuickTime 2.0 and Sound Manager 3.0 may have
   insufficient system memory available to play sounds. Upgrading to
   QuickTime 2.1, included on the Bookshelf 1996-97 CD, should improve
   the system's ability to play sounds under these conditions.
 
   Version 1.5.1 of Connectix RAM Doubler has a known bug that prevents
   audio and video clips from playing properly on Power Macintosh
   models. To obtain upgrade information, contact Connectix
   Corporation.
 
------------------------
6. PRINTING AND COPYING
 
You can copy or print from any article within Bookshelf by selecting a
range of text and choosing the appropriate command from the File or Edit
menu. To copy a media element, select it by holding down the Command key as
you press the mouse button. In the shortcut menu that appears, choose Copy.
 
If you find that printed text is improperly formatted or that special
characters are not printed correctly, check the following:
 
   Turn off Background Printing. In order to support launching directly
   from the CD-ROM, Bookshelf stores its custom TrueType fonts within
   the application. This provides Bookshelf access to these custom
   fonts without taking up space on your hard drive. However, because
   many printer drivers launch a separate application to manage the
   printer queue and handle print jobs in the background, printing
   errors will result when Background Printing is enabled. To disable
   Background Printing, open the Chooser, select the active printer and
   switch the Background Printing radio button to Off.
 
NOTE: If you install the Bookshelf TrueType fonts, Background Printing is
fully supported. To install these fonts, launch the Installer on the
Bookshelf 1996-97 CD, press the Customize button, select Bookshelf Fonts,
and hit Return.
 
------------
7. SCRIPTING
 
You can use Microsoft Bookshelf to look up and define words from
AppleScript, QuicKeys, Userland Frontier or any OSA-compliant scripting
environment. The Microsoft Bookshelf custom AppleEvent suite is defined as
follows:
 
Bookshelf Suite: Events to look up words or phrases using Microsoft
Bookshelf
 
Find: Search for a word or phrase in a Bookshelf reference source
 
   Find string
 
    [in book] - Specific reference source to search
 
Contents: Search for a word or phrase in the table of contents
 
   Contents string
 
    [in book] - Specific reference source to search
 
Define: Define a word or phrase
 
   Define string
 
Build Address: Build a complete address given a component word or
phrase
 
     Build Address string
 
Enumeration book: A Microsoft Bookshelf reference source
 
   All - All books contained within Microsoft Bookshelf
   Dictionary - The American Heritage Dictionary of the English
 
                Language
 
   Thesaurus - The Original Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and
 
               Phrases
 
   Quotations - The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations
   Encyclopedia - The Concise Columbia Encyclopedia
   Atlas - The Concise Encarta World Atlas
   Chronology - The People's Chronology
   Almanac - The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1996
   Internet - The Microsoft Bookshelf Internet Directory 96-97
 
Example:
 
tell application "Microsoft Bookshelf"
 
     activate
     Find "Macintosh" in Internet
 
end tell
 
The above AppleScript code will look up all articles in the Internet
Directory that contain the word "Macintosh".
 
--------------------
8. TROUBLESHOOTING
 
If you find that you are experiencing trouble, first check the
following:
 
   During installation, the Installer checks the versions of QuickTime
   and Sound Manager present on your machine and, if necessary,
   replaces them with newer versions. However, the Installer cannot
   remove older versions if you have renamed them. For example, if you
   renamed an older version of QuickTime to "Old QuickTime", the
   Bookshelf Installer would install a newer version of QuickTime, but
   would fail to remove the older version. To fix this problem,
   manually remove any renamed copies of these system components and
   restart your Macintosh.
 
   Microsoft Bookshelf uses custom fonts to represent special and
   international characters. These characters usually don't correspond
   to special characters within the standard Macintosh character set
   and will appear as inappropriate or non-printing characters when
   copied to an application such as SimpleText. However, these special
   and international characters will print correctly if you print from
   Bookshelf or install the Bookshelf Fonts and paste into an
   applications that support Rich Text Format (RTF) such as Microsoft
   Office and Microsoft Works.
 
   Due to an incompatibility with Microsoft Bookshelf, Apple Guide 2.0,
   and versions of System 7.0, access to the Bookshelf Guide from
   within the Bookshelf application has been disabled under these
   conditions. To fix this problem, upgrade to System 7.1 or later.
 
   In order to minimize the number of extensions that Microsoft
   Bookshelf must install in your System Folder, we have built several
   PowerPC shared libraries into the Microsoft Bookshelf application
   itself. Since these libraries can stay open even after you quit the
   application, you may be unable to delete the Microsoft Bookshelf
   application or edit the application's memory partition sizes in Get
   Info until you restart your Macintosh.
 
   In some instances the Address Builder may be unable to suggest a zip
   code based on a street address alone. In this case, try using a
   specific city name (spelled correctly) and/or a state name to narrow
   down zip code information.
 
   Depending on your Internet connection, it may take up to several
   minutes for your browser to successfully connect with a site that
   you have launched from the Internet Directory. You should wait to
   see if the connection is successful before returning to the Internet
   Directory and attempting to initiate another link. Attempting to
   connect with multiple Internet sites simultaneously is not
   recommended.
 
Additional query words: 1996 multi media multimedia multi-media mmtitles kbmm readme kbimu
 
======================================================================
Keywords          :  kbfaq
Version           : MACINTOSH:
Platform          : MACINTOSH
Issue type        : kbinfo
=============================================================================
Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.