This announcement is from:

Steve Becker, (steve@macease.com)

Release Date: November 19, 2001

I'm pleased to announce the release of Balloon Helper 1.0. Balloon Helper
is an extremely easy-to-use Mac-only utility that provides fast,
customizable access to Balloon Help.

With the growing tendency of software companies not to include a printed
manual with their programs, Balloon Help can be a very attractive
alternative to first having to find, then having to open, and -- finally --
having to search through an online manual when users want to quickly find
out some info about an application that they are using. Also, by its very
nature, Balloon Help is context sensitive.

The downside to using Balloon Help has always been that once users have
gotten the information they need, they have obtrusive "balloons" popping up
all over the place. Of course, users can always go to the Help menu to turn
Balloon Help either on or off, but this quickly becomes both tedious and
relatively time consuming.

Balloon Helper allows users to set their own keyboard shortcuts for quickly
and easily turning Balloon Help either on or off (if their keyboards have
function keys, users may also set one of these as the shortcut).

Balloon Helper works without taking up valuable Desktop real estate because
Balloon Helper works even when it's not visible -- there is no need for
users either to launch it or to leave the program which they are in when
using it.

FEATURES

* Balloon Helper lets users create their own keyboard shortcuts for
quickly turning Balloon Help on/off.

* Balloon Helper doesn't require users to launch a program or leave the
program they are in when using it.

* Balloon Helper doesn't need to be visible to work, though users have
the option of making it visible and clicking on its display to control
Balloon Help.

* Balloon Helper lets users create their own keyboard shortcuts for
quickly controlling its visibility.

* Balloon Helper lets users iconify (reduce to a small icon) its display
when it's visible.

* Balloon Helper lets users move its display to any location they choose
on their Desktops.

REQUIREMENTS

A Macintosh computer with System 7.5.3 or later (including Systems 8, 8.1,
8.5, 8.5.1, 8.6, and 9.x) and a 68020 or later processor (including
PowerMacs, iMacs, G3, G4, PowerBooks, and Performas).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Balloon Helper is freeware and more information about it is available at:
(http://www.kagi.com/MacEase).

The direct link to the Balloon Helper web page is:
(http://www.kagi.com/MacEase/balloon_helper.html)