                               *****************
                               * JAPALPHA V4.1 *
                               *****************


                                1. What is it ?
                                2. Installation
                                3. Distribution
                                4. Registration
                                5. Other


=============================================================================
    1. What is it ?
=============================================================================

    This package was designed to help English, Spanish, and French people to
    learn easily many japanese ideograms. This is a demo version. It contains
    20 lessons about:

        * 100 hiragana and 100 katakana syllables
        * 80 kanjis
        * 1600 Japanese words

    Each lesson is followed by a test, where you have to choose a correct
    answer by clicking in a set of possible answers.
    The results are illustrated with a bar chart, and a percentage of success.
    A notebook shows what you have learnt and what remains to be learn.
    A special screen lets you find a kanji by one or more keys.
    The window is resizable, the colors and the font files can changed.
    A Japanese font file is included. There is no need to have an oriental
    configuration of your computer.
    The demo version have no time limits, but it contains 20 lessons
    instead of 100 lessons, and 80 kanjis instead of 822 kanjis.

=============================================================================
    2. Installation
=============================================================================

    Requirements: A PC with Windows 3.1, OS2, Windows 95, Windows 98,
                  Windows Millenium, Windows NT, or Windows 2000.

    The package has been compressed in the file japalp41.zip or japalpha.zip.
    Create a new directory/folder where you want JapAlpha to reside. A new
    version of JapAlpha can be installed in the same place as an older version.
    Use your favorite unzipper (not included here) to pkunzip the package.

    The package contains:

       JAPALPHA.EXE    Main windows program

       HIRA_1.EUC      Files containing list of words
       KATA_1.EUC
       KI_1_00.EUC, KI_1_01.EUC, KI_1_02.EUC, KI_1_03.EUC, KI_1_04.EUC
       KI_1_05.EUC, KI_1_06.EUC, KI_1_07.EUC,
       KI_5_16.EUC, KI_5_17.EUC, KI_5_18.EUC, KI_5_19.EUC

       JAPALPHA.HLP    Help file in English
       JAPALPHF.HLP    Help file in French
       JAPALPHS.HLP    Help file in Spanish

       JAPAN03.PCX JAPAN05.PCX, JAPAN07.PCX Three little pictures

       JAPALKII.TAB    Index of kanjis

       K48X48.F00      Font file (not a true-type font)
       japalphk.f00    Bitmaps of the keys in kanjis

       The total amount of disk space used is about 2600 kilo bytes.

    To start click, on JAPALHA.EXE
    (It is the real program, not a self-extracting software).

    Some data, including your scores, will be saved in JAPALPHA.INI. This
    file will be created if it does not exist. It resides in the main
    directory of Windows with the ".ini" files of other softwares.

    This software does not contain any special and annoying trick, such
    as hidden files. It does not alter Windows' registry. It does not use
    any special DLL.

    To uninstall JapAlpha, remove the files aforementioned, and JAPALHA.INI.

=============================================================================
    3. Distribution
=============================================================================

    This package was made by:

         Olivier THILL. 1 rue des reservoirs. 94340 JOINVILLE. FRANCE.
         http: //members.aol.com/OlivThill
         Email: OlivThill@aol.com.

    I used some public domain sources:
    The font file is from an unknown author. The program to read the font
    was written by Izumi Ozawa and Stephen Chung of Australia.
    The lists of words were produced with the help of the dictionary of Jim
    Breen of Australia.
    The pictures come from the Corel CD series 65000.
    Thank you to every person who helped me improve this software.

    This software can be distributed freely (for free or for money), by any
    person or any company, by any legal mean.

=============================================================================
    4. Registration
=============================================================================

    A complete version is available for 19 US dollars, 15 euros, 10 GBP,
    or 2000 yens. It contains 100 lessons instead of 20 lessons, 822 kanjis
    instead of 80 kanjis, and 14,000 Japanese words instead of 1,600 words.

    The easiest and quickest way is to buy it via the internet:

       1. Go to http://www.alberts.com
       2. Search for "Japalpha"
       3. Click on the "Buy it" button
       4. Give a credit card number
       5. Donwload the complete version

    Another solution is to send me a check, and I'll send you back two floppy
    disks containing the latest complete version. My address is:

       Olivier THILL
       1 rue des reservoirs
       94340 JOINVILLE
       FRANCE

=============================================================================
    5. Other
=============================================================================

    This is the 4th version of JapAlpha. It has been distributed and sold
    since 1997. It has been used by many students. The main novelty of this
    version is the screen of the search of a kanji by its keys.

    JapAlpha was written in C (many thanks to Petzold's book (MSPress) and
    to Windows Developer's Journal). It took me one full year to develop the
    first version, and several additional months to program the new versions.

    On my spare time, I also wrote a Cobol compiler for DOS, a handful of
    little games, and softwares to learn the Hindi characters, Arabic/Persian
    characters, and Hebrew characters. These programs can be downloaded from
    my website: http://members.aol.com/OlivThill

    Your e-mails will always be welcomed.

                                         Joinville. June 3, 2002. 8-)