**********************************************************************
-> 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 twelve 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).

You can also upgrade and register directly with Invest-Tech via 
our World Wide Web (WWW) site on the Internet using a credit 
card and its special built-in forms. Our Web site, called PlanWare, 
contains downloadable versions of *ALL* our financial planners 
for businesses and the home. It also offers useful advice in 
the form of text files on such topics as business planning, 
cashflow forecasting etc. as well as lots of other interesting 
stuff.
   
   WWW Site URL:  http://www.planware.ie/resource/planware

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                       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\PP X" as the Command Line. Make sure you enter
       a single space between PP 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 **

