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              DesktopPlant V1.52 - (c) 2000, DeskSoft
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Thank you for evaluating DesktopPlant - a revolutionary program which 
brings life to your desktop. A plant grows directly on your desktop 
and needs your care just like a real plant!

In contrast to other virtual-life programs, which require a standard 
window, your DesktopPlant will grow directly on your desktop (above a 
selected wallpaper but below the icons). This means your DesktopPlant 
behaves like a wallpaper itself, except that you can resize and move 
it. To interact with the program, double-click your plant to show the 
DesktopPlant dialog. In this mode you can change size and position, 
care for your plant and change the program options. 

Your DesktopPlant grows whenever there is unused processor time left 
(when your computer is idle), so you don't lose any performance 
during your normal work. 

The use of the demo is restricted to thirty days. The included demo 
plant has already been growing for one week under ideal conditions 
and will gradually die after approximately one more week, no matter 
how well you have taken care of it during that time. DesktopPlant 
will display a message when your demo plant begins to die. 
Registered users will get a plant file with no limitations 
(nevertheless the plant can die, if you don't take care of it).

Please read the enclosed 'Order.txt' in your DesktopPlant directory 
or visit our website at 'http://www.desksoft.com' for information 
about how to order a registered plant. The main features of the 
program are:

*) Amazingly realistic growth depending on how well the plant is 
   taken care of (water, fertilizer, environmental parameters, etc.).
*) Random effects will guarantee that each plant is unique. 
*) DesktopPlant is a 3D model of a real plant with enhanced visual 
   effects.
*) Optimized routines for photorealistic graphics.
*) DesktopPlant will grow directly on the desktop; above the selected 
   wallpaper but below the icons. 
*) Adjustable size and position.
*) Several plants can be displayed simultaneously.

ACS (Automatic Care System):
The ACS check box can only be selected if you purchase the Automatic 
Care System, which is sold seperately (please see our website for 
details). It takes care of the plant in an optimal way by keeping 
water and fertilizer level at their optimums. Furthermore it 
calculates and adjusts the ideal temperature and light levels. We 
recommend using the ACS if you can't (or don't want to) care for your 
plant(s) regularly but want them to grow optimally anyway.

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DesktopPlant System requirements
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*) 486 CPU or higher
*) 8 MB of RAM
*) Windows 95 / 98 / NT 4.0 or higher
*) Mouse or compatible pointing device
*) HiColor display (65536 colors, 16 bit)
*) 2 MB of free harddisk space

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Troubleshooting
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1) Internet Explorer 4: 
If your DesktopPlant is not visible, check if the option "View As Web 
Page" of your Active Desktop is selected. In order to maximize the 
desktop area for internet browsing, your DesktopPlant will not be 
displayed in this mode. However, it still grows in the background. 
You can make it visible by deselecting "View As Web Page" in the 
context menu of your desktop (available by right-clicking the 
background of your desktop).

2) Processor usage detection
By default, DesktopPlant is inactive if your system is busy (when the 
processor usage is above a certain level). Therefore it may be 
possible, that the plant(s) are not drawn on heavily loaded computers 
(e.g. servers). If this is the case, the window 'Drawing Plant...' 
will never disappear. If you encounter this effect, please run 
'DPSetup.exe' and choose 'Compatibility' from the options list. Then 
clear the check mark in the 'Processor time detection' box to disable 
this option.

3) Display errors:
Some older graphic cards and display drivers can not handle 
monochrome bitmaps which are used to draw the plant transparently on 
the desktop. This may result in display errors (such as random pixels 
all over the screen). If you encounter such effects, please update 
your display driver to the latest version. If you still encounter 
problems, run 'DPSetup.exe' again and choose 'Compatibility' from the 
options list. In this dialog you can enable the 'Compatibility mode', 
which uses a little more memory but should display your plant(s) 
correctly.

4) Games & Direct X
While playing games, your plant(s) may not be displayed correctly 
when you switch back to the desktop view. This is normal! As these 
programs need maximum processor performance, DesktopPlant is set to 
an inactive state. When you quit the game, your plant(s) are redrawn 
automatically. If you experience performance problems while playing 
Direct X games, remove your DesktopPlant(s) from the desktop.


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If you have any questions or comments 
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If you experience any problems running the program, please write to 
'support@desksoft.com' and make sure to include information about 
your computer configuration (hardware and software).


The DeskSoft Team.



Windows 95 / 98 / NT, Internet Explorer, etc. are registered 
trademarks of Microsoft. All other registered trademarks are 
registered trademarks of their respective owners.
