Formerly, the WintextCom Personal Information Manager(tm) was comprised of two products, Windows Text Communications, representing the full blown software, and the Windows Launchpad, included in the complete edition but available without the telecommunications support. The software is now marketed as a single product, incorporating all existing and additional features.

The documentation is undergoing extensive revision to accommodate the reorientation of the product and produce a new and better user manual. However, in a product of this size and scope, residual references to the original scheme are inevitable, and the reader should interpret any such references as applying to the software without limitation.

The user manual section presents the revised literature to date. The subsequent sections of this documentation provide supplemental information and in some cases present the original text, which is mostly still applicable. The user manual is the recommended starting point for general usage information.

The user manual can be displayed at any time while using the software by pressing F1. The complete online help, called the help index, which includes the installation guide and configuration section, can be displayed by pressing Shift+F1.

The software itself features a complete menu system with each option showing its accelerator key, where one exists, as well as any system-wide keystroke to invoke the feature from any application. Most menus have expanded help text for each option, which appears across the bottom of the window when the option is highlighted. Many menu items have equivalent toolbar buttons, which are displayed with descriptive text. Where appropriate, menu items also indicate the action specification used to invoke the feature from the directory, and the configuration switch used to customise it. The main features of the software are outlined in the product overview, which also provides links to more information.

In addition to the user manual and help index, the help menu also provides access to the documentation in a variety of document formats - Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, plain text and HTML (web page). By default, online help is displayed in Windows help format (compiled HTML help), and each topic contains a print button to produce a hard copy. The "Alternative help documents..." help menu item displays a list of available help files. The Microsoft Word versions present a table of contents and index in which you can left click an entry with the Control key down to jump to the corresponding section, and press Alt+Left Arrow to come back to the table of contents or index. The PDF and HTML versions also provide interactive table of contents and index. The alternative document formats offer the capability to have the whole online help printed out, or a section or part of a section.

Deafblind Users

The original Windows Text Communications program was written first and foremost to enable people with loss of both sight and hearing (deafblind people) to communicate over the telephone, and the software provides unparalleled features and simplicity in this field and that of Braille reading and Braille access to information. If you are yourself deafblind, or are searching for software on behalf of a deafblind person, the WintextCom Personal Information Manager(tm) is sure to embody all the features you need. The software enables a deafblind person to use a Braille display to easily "talk" over the 'phone, whatever their level of computer literacy, no Windows training is required. The Braille support incorporates many specialist features for the more advanced user, enabling sharing and storing information and working efficiently in employment and education as well as at home. We also provide a very simple communications mode with few thrills, called VB Mode, that is most suitable for those who just want a basic communications system.

The sections of particular interest to Braille users are:

Page url: http://wtcmanual.wintextware.com/index.html?m_documentation.htm

Documentation Overview

Deafblind Users