
Frequently asked questions (and answers) about UZPower
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Q: What laptops does UZPower run on?

	A: There are too many models to check in-house. UZPower has either
	   been verified at UZful Software, or our customers have registered
	   it on the following models:

		Altima SLC33
		AMS Soundwave
		AST Bravo 486
		Compaq Contura 4/25cx
		Gateway 2000 Colorbook
		IBM 450SL PS Note
		IBM Thinkpad 720C
		IBM Thinkpad 500
		IBM Thinkpad 510
		MEI Winbook
		Midwest Micro 486
		Packard Bell
		Toshiba T1950CS
		Zenith Znote 325L
		Zeos Color Notebook



Q: I'm running Windows 3.11 or Windows for Workgroups 3.11, and my
   system hangs when I run UZPower.

	A: There are problems with the 3.11 version of both Windows
	   products as it relates to Advanced Power Management. See the
	   LIMITATIONS section of UZPOWER.TXT for details.




Q: Why does UZPower pop up an error message with "No Advanced Power
	Management!"?

	A: Your computer does not have APM. See the LIMITATIONS section
	   in UZPOWER.TXT.




Q: When UZPower runs, it does not switch from the initial icon to any
   other. Also, it does not pop up any warning when the battery
   goes low.

	A: This is because the APM does not correctly indicate that it
	   has enabled APM (test #2 in APMEXAM fails).  Version 1.20
	   and later have fixed this condition.




Q: After displaying a "LOW battery" warning, why is the needle still on
	high?

	A: UZPower only does what the APM BIOS of your computer tells it
	   to. In this case, the BIOS says that battery charge is still
	   high after indicating that it went low. Please verify this by
	   running APMEXAM immediately after the LOW battery warning, or
	   display the "Control Panel" Power settings.  If they do say
	   that the battery status is "High", it is a problem with your
	   laptop, and you should report this to the vendor. In either
	   case, please report the behavior to us.




Q: Why does UZPower not give any guesses on remaining battery time?

	A: If the APM BIOS on your laptop does not provide this info
	   (test #6 and 7 in APMEXAM), then UZPower has to guess. It
	   can only guess, when it knows for sure that the battery is
	   full (otherwise the guess would not be too accurate). The
	   only way it knows the battery is full is if the computer has
	   been charging for 2 consecutive hours, or if you tell it so
	   with the "Full Now" menu item. Then, when the battery LOW
	   indication comes on, UZPower will remember how long it took
	   to get there, and display it the next time it knows the
	   battery is full. Anytime that UZPower guesses, it will
	   display the word "approximate" (or "approx.").



Q: UZPower does not give accurate guesses at remaining time.

	A: If your APM does not provide it, UZPower has to guess, and
	   puts the word "approximate" in all displays. The only way
	   to guess is to extrapolate from past performance, and this
	   is exactly what it does: it remembers the past 5 durations
	   to get from a FULL battery indication to the LOW battery
	   level, and takes an average of the 5 for the next guess.



Q: Why do UZful Software users have to be licensed?

	A: In contrast to the traditional retail approach, shareware
	   gives the user the software to try before paying.

	   We need to prevent  unlimited  free usage of our software,
	   because it is the only hope of making a living in selling
	   inexpensive, useful software. With this type of software, it
	   is common for potential customers to "forget" to register.
	   In an  ideal world  we would not have to  restrict our
	   distribution.  In  this one, our  licensing mechanism
	   encourages a choice, after a reasonable trial period, on
	   whether you want to continue using the software or not.

	   Instead of relying on nag screens ("nagware"), limited
	   demonstration versions ("crippleware") or other (costly?)
	   incentives (manuals, support, ...) to encourage users to
	   register, we believe these approaches are not in your best
	   interest, because they are annoying, do not allow you to
	   fully explore the product before paying, or cost you more.

	   With our no-nonsense approach, you get the fully functional
	   product before you lay out a penny. In fact, the registered
	   version and the software you have in your hands are
	   identical, except for the permanent license key, which we
	   will issue to you upon payment.  You pay only for what you
	   already have, nothing more, nothing less.



Q: It is cumbersome to fill out the registration form, and to plug in
   the license key. Isn't there an easier way?

   	A: We're sorry, it is the only way for us to continue developing
   	   low-cost software for you, the user.  The 5-10 minutes that
   	   it will take to fill out and mail the registration form and a
   	   check, and to replace the evaluation key with the new license
   	   key, will ensure your continued enjoyment of our time-saving
   	   tools.  And now, with registration through the Compuserve
   	   Shareware Registration service (GO SWREG), it is even simpler.



Q: Do I need to buy the optional floppy?

	A: No. Upon payment, we will e-mail (or postal mail) you the
	   license key to enable  continued  use of the product. The
	   enclosed instructions will ask you to use a text editor to
	   cut and paste the license key into the existing software.

	   The  optional  floppy  contains the  latest version of the
	   product. Our license provides free limited upgrades (that is,
	   if you  download  a newer  version  of the product, it will
	   continue to work with the license key you have, and you will
	   not need to reregister). However, it may well be worth it to
	   purchase the floppy, if your version is several months old.
	   If there is no later version to the one registered for, we
	   will wait with the floppy until the next version is released.
	   In addition, it will already contain the license key issued
	   to you, and will  include  evaluation  copies  of our other
	   products, saving you the cost and time of downloading.



Thank you for your support.

UZful Software, Inc.
PO Box 2089
Merrimack, NH 03054-2089
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