Lean CD Player Version 2.2

[ Installation | Operation | How to Order ]

Installation

Place the program files wherever you want to keep them, such as in the c:\program files\LeanCD folder. If you want to make LeanCD just a couple clicks away whenever you want to run it (highly recommended), make a shortcut to LeanCD on the desktop. Or even better, since LeanCD doesn't take up much space on the screen or in memory, just make a shortcut and place it in the startup folder (usually c:\windows\Start Menu\programs\startup\). Now LeanCD will open automatically every time you start your computer.

There is one other step, which you shouldn't have to worry about, but just in case....

This program requires two support files, MFC42.DLL and MSVCRT.DLL. Together, these files can take up over a megabyte, which means you don't want to download them unless you have too. Since many programs require these two files, it is highly likely that you already have them. Try my program out, and if it asks for a DLL, down load it here. If you need to download it, you have two options:

Small download (600k), which requires that you copy the dlls to the windows\system directory
Main site | Alternate site | Alternate site | More sites...

Larger download (1700k), which includes a setup program that does all the work.
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Operation - Quick Start

The upper half of the instructions explains the basics of using LeanCD. The lower part presents the more esoteric, but still very useful functions LeanCD offers. If any of the features seem unclear just place LeanCD up in the corner and try them out while reading the instructions.

Operation - Advanced

The following instructions are too involved to explain visually. They usually involve features that are not immediately obvious, but can be very useful.

Making LeanCD work with CD autoplay. LeanCD can be set to automatically start when you insert an audio CD into your drive. The simple way to do this is to rename/backup cdplayer.exe in the \windows\ directory and then rename LeanCD.exe to cdplayer.exe. The more advanced way is complements of Jason Settle. In any explorer window, select the [view|options] menu. Click on the File Types tab and double click on AudioCD. Finally, click on Edit, and change the path from cdplayer.exe to the current location of LeanCD.exe. Be sure to leave the /play command line argument intact.

Make LeanCD automatically start when you boot, and play the current CD. The first part is simple. Right click on the Start button and select Explore. Open the StartUp folder (perhaps under the Program Files directory), and drag the LeanCD icon into it. This will create a shortcut to LeanCD.exe. Then right click on the new shortcut, and select properties. Click on the Shortcut tab, and then in the Target edit box, add a space, and the text /play.

Smart Resume. If you start LeanCD with the /play switch it will automatically resume at the start of the last played track if LeanCD was shut down within the last 5 minutes. This is great for those of us to have to reboot all the time. No more trying to remember which track you were on last, LeanCD will do it for you!

Supper Seek. Want to fast-forword or rewind faster than normal, but don't know exactly where in the track you want to jump? You can easily seek within a track 3 times the speed of a normal seek. Just start seeking as you normally do by right clicking, and then while holding the mouse button down, move the mouse over the track selection button (the one between the two seek buttons). As long as you hold the mouse there you will continue to seek in the direction you started seeking, but will do so at 3 times the rate.

Tray Operation. Right click on the tray icon (it looks like a CD), to bring up the main menu, where you can quit, find out info about LeanCD, and more. Left click to make LeanCD visible, which is really useful when you do not run in Always On Top mode. Note, since LeanCD is so small, I recommend that you run it in Always On Top mode, and stick it in the upper right hand corner of the screen next to the window control buttons. This way, it takes up space that is unused otherwise, and makes it very easy to control your CD player from within any program.

Why I wrote this

I think programs should not waste screen space like most apps wantonly do. My program may not do all the things other players do, but it does more with its small amount of screen space than any other CD player I have seen. I wrote this program
after trying just about ever shareware CD player written for Windows95 and 3.1, and I know of not one I would prefer using. If nothing else, I have written a program I would register if it was written by somebody else. I hope you feel the same way.

The CD Suite

This program is part of the CD Suite, a set of software for playing audio CDROMs.

Lean CD - CD player for the space impaired. This program is feature rich, but only takes up 138X15 pixels.
QuartZ CD - Slightly bigger CD player, which offers the same features, but with a simpler and less compact interface.

When you register any program in the suite, you automatically get registered copies of all the software in the suite. In addition, you receive some special editions of our CD players are only available to registered users.

Lean CD Large Edition, which has the same interface as LeanCD, but is twice as large, making it ideal for 1600X1200 display users.
Lean CD, New Interface Edition, which is only 16 pixels larger than the standard edition, but offers its features in a slightly more traditional interface.
Maxi Minimum CD, a CD player which is about half the size of LeanCD, and is also more memory and cycle effect (not that Lean CD is a memory or cycle hog, by a long shot, but this program trims it down to only the bare necessities).

How To Order

If you have not purchased LeanCD then you should consider registering. Registering entitles you to one copy each of all the programs in the CD Suite. The registration cost varies by delivery method:

$8: 3.5" disk sent by US mail.
$5: Zip file sent by email attachment.

Please send cash, or a check made out to Alan Robinson.

Click here for a handy order form ready for printing

Contact Info

Smail:

HCI Design

P.O. Box 0980

Hampshire College

Amherst, MA 01002

Email: leancd@hcidesign.com

Lean CD's web page

HCI Design's web page