
Welcome to ALTAIR v1.00 for Windows NT / Windows 95.

ALTAIR is a FTN (Fidonet Technology Network) compatable mail tosser.
It will convert messages from the .PKT format into JAM or *.MSG style
messages while create a Bluewave compatable mail packet if desired.

Table of Contents

   Introduction to ALTAIR and mail processing
   System Requirements
   Usage
   Shareware information and Registration
   Conclusion


Introduction to ALTAIR and mail processing.

   This documentation will not go into great detail about processing
   mail in a FTN setup.  Being a mail processor for new operating systems
   like Windows NT and Windows 95, a certain degree of familiarity with
   Fidonet and its operation is expected.

   ALTAIR's view of network mail is simple.  Each site that you send or
   recieve mail to is considered a link.  Each zone is considered a
   somewhat separate entity.  Sending mail to the same "site" in different
   zones would involve two links in ALTAIR.  This should reduce some of
   the confusion inolved with AKAs, downlinks, uplinks, and the like.
   This may be different than some other mail processors be we find it
   to be a simple and effective way to manage mail.

   You can find detailed information on setting up ALTAIR in the help file
   included with the setup application.

   ALTAIR has been in development for over a year beginning with Windows
   NT v3.1 and the accompaning SDK.  During the year, we have moved to
   Visual C++ v2.0 and then to v2.1 and also to Windows NT v3.5 and then
   to Windows NT 3.51.  We also do testing under Windows 95 for
   compatability.

   ALTAIR supports the JAM and *.MSG style message areas as well as
   Bluewave compatable mail packets including version 2.20.

   ALTAIR makes no guarantee of any kind.  In the end you use this
   product at your own risk.  I will make all reasonable attempts to
   support this product to ensure that you can use it as well on your
   system as I do on mine but there are no guarantees, as we all know,
   in the computer industry.


System Requirements

   ALTAIR's only requires that you be running under Windows NT or
   Windows 95.  We have tested ALTAIR under Windows NT 3.51 and
   Windows 95 Build 950.  We expect ALTAIR to run with all versions
   of Windows NT and Windows 95 but cannot guarantee anything.

   ALTAIR has no known memory requirements beyond those required for
   the above operating systems.

   If you will be using the BlueWave compatable portion of ALTAIR, you
   will need to have a BlueWave reader compatable with either version
   2.11, 2.12, or 2.20 of the BlueWave Mail Reader.


Usage

   ALTAIR's usage is very simple.

   ALTAIR TOSS will unarchive, with properly configured archivers,
   incoming mail packets and toss those packets into the designated
   areas.  ALTAIR will also, upon request, create a Bluewave mail
   packet in selected areas for use by a sysop or other interested
   party for mail reading.

   ALTAIR supports maximum messages in message areas and will keep
   any selected areas at their maximum ammount.  With *.MSG areas
   this means deleting old messages and with JAM areas it means marking
   old messages as deleted.  You will need a third party utility to
   pack JAM bases or use ALTAIR PURGE.  This will be immediately remedied
   in a future version.

   ALTAIR SCAN will unarchive any outbound Bluewave mail packets into
   the local message bases.  Then ALTAIR will scan those bases for
   outbound mail.  If necessary it will create a Bluewave mail packet of
   these outbound message for a sysop to read.  All outbound mail is
   the compressed into mail packets and placed for distribution by a
   front end mailer.

   ALTAIR PURGE will delete all messages in all message bases.  Use this
   command only when you wish to completely restart your message areas as
   ALTAIR will dynamically keep your message areas at set maximums during
   tossing.


Shareware information and Registration

   Remember!

   ALTAIR is a shareware product.

   Use beyond the 30 day trial period is strictly prohibited.

   The shareware version is full featured except for a delay upon startup.
   During the first 30 days, this is a minor 5 second delay.  For the next
   15 days, ALTAIR will remind you that you are not allowed to use this
   product and will delay for 5 seconds. After that 15 day grace period,
   ALTAIR will institue a increasing delay for each day that you continue
   to use ALTAIR.

   Please refer to the REGISTER.TXT for registration information and
   pricing.


Conclusion

   Please refer to the following documents for more information

      SETUP.HLP    - For information on configuring ALTAIR
      REGISTER.TXT - For infomration on registration
      PRESSREL.*   - Information packet for ALTAIR v1.00
                     Contains a short feature list, pricing,
                     support information and benchmarks.

   Thank you for your time and for considering ALTAIR.

   I hope to hear from you soon.

   Kevin Kuphal, Author
