1) Go to www.perplex.ethz.ch/perplex/ibm_and_mac_archives/WINDOWS

   Download the zip archive Perple_X_#.#.#_[*]WINDOWS_**bit.zip, 

   where:

        #.#.# is the version number (e.g., 6.6.8).

        [*]   is "small_" for versions compiled for computers with limited RAM, these
              versions should only be used if the normal versions won't run on your
              computer.

        **    is the 32 or 64, use the 32 bit version if you do not know whether 
              your computer is 32 or 64 bit. 

   The zip archives contain the Perple_X programs, extract these to a single directory.  

2) Extract the Perple_X data files in
 
   www.perplex.ethz.ch/perplex/ibm_and_mac_archives/Perple_X_6.6.8_data_files.zip 

   to the same directory as in step 1. 

3) To use MATLAB to process Perple_X output download

   www.perplex.ethz.ch/perplex/ibm_and_mac_archives/Perple_X_6.6.7_MatLab_scripts.zip

4) For information on some aspects of configuring your system to run Perple_X see

   www.perplex.ethz.ch/faq/running_from_a_windows_console.txt
   www.perplex.ethz.ch/faq/Increase_page_file_size_in_windows.txt
   www.perplex.ethz.ch/faq/viewing_file_types_in_windows.txt

5) If you have no idea how to run Perple_X and your interest is the calculation 
   a phase diagram section, or extracting physicochemical properties from such a 
   section, then following the worked problem at

   www.perplex.ethz.ch/perplex_66_seismic_velocity.html

   is probably the fastest route to getting results. 

   For a broader introduction to Perple_X, the tutorial at

   serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/petrology/teaching_examples/44110.html

   may be helpful (this tutorial is slightly out-of-date, and was written 
   primarily for Mac OSX users, so for WINDOWS users some lateral thinking 
   is required to follow it). 

   A complete list of Perple_X documentation, such as it is, is at

   www.perplex.ethz.ch/perplex_documentation.html

6) The Windows version of Perple_X was compiled on a machine runnning Windows XP 
   with maximum optimizations. If you wish to compile your own version of Perple_X 
   refer to the notes at

   www.perplex.ethz.ch/perplex/ibm_and_mac_archives/README_UNIX_USERS.txt