Jeremy's Battery CSM 1.3.0

What is it?

Jeremy's Battery CSM is designed as a replacement for Apple's Battery Monitor module.  Jeremy's Battery CSM module has a more compact display, thereby saving space on the Control Strip for other modules.

In addition, the module can display the relative current clock speed (fast or slow), the hard drive status (on PowerBooks equipped with the latest Power Manager Software), and the estimate of remaining battery time (on PowerBooks equipped with intelligent batteries).

Installing the Battery CSM

To install the Battery CSM, it must be placed in the Control Strip folder inside your system folder.  Unfortunately, the Apple system software isn't smart enough to automatically realize that it should go there, so you must drag it to this folder manually.

1)  Open your System folder.
2)  Copy the Jeremy's Battery CSM file to the Control Strip Folder in your System folder.
3)  Restart your computer.

Configuring the Battery CSM

When the Control Strip first appears after restarting, the Battery module should be displayed, as shown below:

The Battery CSM's main purpose is to display the current battery status.  It does this using the battery icon, which may look like:

If the PowerBook model supports two batteries, and only one is installed, the empty battery compartment is indicated with a dim gray battery outline.

The Battery CSM can also display hard drive, CPU speed, and remaining time information.  The appearance of these is controlled by the module's popup menu.  To make the menu appear, click anywhere on the Battery module, and the following menu will appear:

I'm registered - honest!
As a friendly reminder, the Battery Control Strip will periodically flash a little shareware notice.  If you have done the honorable thing and registered your copy, you can select this menu item to turn off the reminders and keep your conscience clean.

Show drive status
When this item is selected, the hard drive status is shown.  If the drive icon is emanating "sound" waves and has a red "power" light on, then the drive is powered up and spinning.  If the drive is powered down, then the "power" light is gray.  Please note that this option is only available on PowerBooks with the latest Power Manager software; if your PowerBook doesn't support this feature, this menu selection will be dimmed.

Show CPU Speed
When this item is selected, an icon showing the relative clock speed is displayed.  If the system is running at maximum speed, the hare icon is shown.  If the system is running at reduced speed, the tortoise icon is shown.  Note that if your PowerBook only runs at a single speed (like the PowerBook 500 series), this selection is dimmed.

Show time remaining
If your PowerBook is equipped with an intelligent battery, you can display the estimate of battery time remaining.  If your PowerBook doesn't have an intelligent battery installed, this menu selection will be dimmed.

Show battery voltage
When this item is selected, your current battery voltage will be displayed.

Show internal modem
When this item is selected, your current internal modem status will be displayed. The modem indicator will show when your modem is in use when little "sound" waves emanate from the icon.

Spin down hard drive
If you select this option, your hard drive will spin down to conserve power  Please note that this option is only available on PowerBooks with the latest Power Manager software; if your PowerBook doesn't support this feature, this menu selection will be dimmed.

Go to sleep now
When you select this option, your PowerBook will go to sleep immediately.  If AppleTalk is active, you won't receive the "are you sure..." dialog.

Revision History

1.3.0 - 4 October 1994
   - Added modem status.
    - Added shareware reminder.

1.2.0 - 15 September 1994
   - Battery icon display has better granularity of display.
    - Fixed battery icon display for 1xx series PowerBooks.
    - CPU speed indicator not available on models that can't run at reduced speed.
    - Modified icon drawing code.

1.1.0 - 6 September 1994
   - Added "Go to sleep now" menu choice.
    - Now displays battery voltages.
    - Improved drawing of battery icons.

1.0.0  25 August 1994
   - First release.