FAQ
Q) How much does it cost?
A) Dinner Timer Lite is free, it is a full functional dinner timer.
The full Dinner Timer is not available at this time and pricing will be determined
when it is released.
Q) How can I have more than 1 timer running?
A) Just launch a second, third, forth etc copy of Dinner Timer Lite from Windows Start menu or where ever you have a shortcut to it.
Q) How can I set a time that isn't available in the drop down list?
A) Just time in the number of minutes you need to the drop down box on the menu.
Q) What is the difference between Dinner Timer and Dinner Timer Lite?
A) At this time only Dinner Timer Lite is available, this is the free version of
Dinner Timer. Dinner Timer will feature some extra functionality and we may
choose to implement a fee for the purchase of the full Dinner Timer. Dinner
Timer Lite is a functional implementation of Dinner Timer, but lacks some extras.
Unless otherwise stated the FAQ's and other parts of the DinnerTimer.com website
apply to Dinner Timer Lite as well as Dinner Timer.
Q) When I install Dinner Timer Lite it says that it needs to download .Net 2.0
Framework from Microsoft.
A) Dinner Timer Lite requires .Net 2.0 framework to run, this will be downloaded
from Microsoft's website and installed automatically. It is about 20Mb so
may take some time to download. You can get this on a CD if you do not have
a decent internet connection. If you already have .Net 2.0 installed you will not need to do this.
Q) Why should I install a 20Mb .Net 2.0 file for a simple timer application.
A) Much of what makes the application simple is that it uses a lot of the components built into the .Net 2.0 framework. In the future you will find more and more applications
require the .Net framework. By using this framework developers can greatly
reduce the time to market and hence the cost to the consumer of the product.
Q) How many sounds does Dinner Timer Lite come with by default?
A) Dinner Timer Lite has 5 built in sounds, you can also select your own .wav sound
files.
Q) Where can I get more sound files?
A) Try SoundRangers.com, they have a great selection of sounds, also use Google
to search for sound clips as their are also a lot of free sounds around.
Q) Can I make my own sound files?
A) Yes, Windows Sound Recorder (Programs->Accessories->Entertainment) can
be used to record onto your PC, it will save the file as a .wav file which can be
used by Dinner Timer Lite.
Q) Can I use MP3 files?
A) No, not in the current version although support is planned for future versions.
Q) I use my PC to follow a recipe, will Dinner Timer get in the way of this when
it is running?
A) No. Dinner timer can me minimised to the system tray and still function.
If you wish to see the timer when then you can select the transparency so that it
is still visible by you can also see below it.
Q) If I open another application on the PC when Dinner Timer is running will I still
be able to see the timer?
A) Yes, you can make Dinner Timer stay on top, combine this with transparency and
Dinner Timer will be.
Q) What are the requirements for my PC?
A) Dinner timer has only been tested on Windows XP at this time, you will need a
sound card to take advantage of the sound and other future audible notifier's?
Q) Can I change the timer length when it is running?
A) Yes, whilst the quick selector in the menu bar is disabled when running you can
select Set Timer Duration from the Settings menu and alter the timer duration when
it is running.
Q) I don't have a PC in the kitchen, is Dinner Timer still useful for me?
A) You may find it even more useful, if like me, you tend to put your dinner on,
forget to start a timer then return to you PC to squeeze in a little extra work.
Just kick off Dinner Timer at your PC and it becomes more useful than the timer
in the kitchen which you can not see and may not be able to hear!.
Q) What is the warning of timer completion time approaching?
A) In Options, the "End point close warning time" is a configurable value that you
can set, this allows you to issue a warning a number of minutes before the timer
is complete.
e.g. If you need to warm the plates for your dinner, if you wait till the timer
is complete then you will be over cooking your dinner. By setting the end
point close warning time and configuring a notifier to notify you you can then be
prepared and warm you plates ready for your dinner.
Q) How do I set up a notifier to warn me when the completion time is approaching?
A) Select the notifier you wish to configure, choose the "EndPointClose" notifier
event type.
e.g. for a bubble notifier, set it to run once and enter some text such as "Dinner
is almost ready".
Q) What happens if DinnerTimer doesn't have a feature I want?
A) If you are unhappy with DinnerTimer or you would like to see an extra feature
added then please drop me a line through the support page and I will look into implementing
this.
Q) I'm a developer, can I write plug in notifier's?
A) The current version uses an architecture of plug-in notifier's, however their
is currently no method to specify additional plug-ins. I am looking to make
this available, however it may not be in the Lite version.
Q) Can I link to DinnerTimer.com?
A) Yes please do. If you find Dinner Timer useful then please spread the work.
If not, please be sure to tell me.
Q) How many PC's can I install Dinner Timer Lite on?
A) As many as you want, please distribute it freely. You may not alter the
application or installation package.
Q) What is Dinner Timer Lite written in?
A) Dinner Timer, Dinner Timer Lite and DinnerTimer.com are all written in C# .net
2.0 with Visual Studio 2005. It's a fantastic environment to write in, C#
is a pleasure to code in and .Net 2.0 framework is a hugh productivity boost.
Q) I made Dinner Timer Lite totally transparent, now I can't find it, how can I fix this?
A) Launch Dinner Timer Lite as normal
Wait for 10-30 seconds to ensure Dinner Timer Lite has fully loaded and is running
Press and release the Alt key (to the Left of the space bar)
Press and release the S key
Press and release the O key
You should now have the settings for open where you can set the transparency settings.
If you move the settings dialog box from over the main timer window you will see the timer window change transparency as you move the sliders.