Page Created: 9th January, 1999 Last Update: 18th July, 1999 Compatible with: Download:
MCI.zip (15Kb)
What is MCI?:
MCI stands for Minimalist Contrast Indicator. It might normally just be left running in the background (it's very small) until required. When you want to quickly see what the screen contrast is set to without going through the control panel just press Ctrl+? (well, okay, it's strictly Ctrl+. but that doesn't have the same ring to it!) and it'll come the foreground. You can now use the standard Fn+M and Fn+? controls to adjust the screen contrast and MCI will display the contrast in the corner of the screen. Pressing Ctrl+? again sends MCI back to the background. Use the normal Menu controls when MCI is in the foreground to access menu options.
Why develop it?:
On holiday recently in hotter climes, it dawned on me just how much you have to adjust the Psion's contrast when you moved from an air-conditioned environment to the outside. In the UK, you never really have to adjust the contrast more than maybe +/- 2 or 3 places on the contrast setting. Now I was having to adjust it about +/- 10 points! I was having to do this so regularly that it became a pain to have to go via the Control Panel every time (taking, as it does, some 7 seconds or so to open when you've got Message Suite loaded). I tried a few of the contrast adjusting programs that are available but realised that most of them added as many keypresses as they saved me. So I resorted to sticking with the Psion's own Fn+M and Fn+? controls for quick adjustment...
All fine and well but the whole reason why I liked using the Control Panel adjustment in the first place was because it told me what setting I'd picked. What I really wanted was a small utility that didn't take much effort to use but which told me quickly what the contrast setting was...
Installation:
MCI.zip contains just 4 files. ReadMe.txt (i.e. this file!), MCI.sis, Systinfo.sis and MCI.opo. MCI.sis and Systinfo.sis install using the standard EPOC installer (either from your PC or on the Psion itself - see Psion's own web site for details) and will install MCI onto whichever drive you specify and then add the MCI icon to your Extras bar. MCI.opo is a self-contained version of the program for use with your favourite macro-running program (e.g. Macro5). Use whichever version suits your purposes best.
Saturday, 1 April 2006