AOL File Library: 9,300 to 9,399/9300.zip/AOLDLs/E-Zines/EZINE_ TidBITS#294 (MAC)/tb294.txt

Internet Message Format | 2014-12-11 | 32KB

From [e-mail]  Tue Sep 12 04:34:15 1995
Return-Path: [e-mail]
Received: from ricevm1.rice.edu (rice-vmnet.rice.edu [128.42.5.100]) by mail05.mail.aol.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) with SMTP id EAA27484; Tue, 12 Sep 1995 04:33:59 -0400
Received: from RICEVM1.RICE.EDU by ricevm1.rice.edu (IBM VM SMTP V2R2)
   with BSMTP id 7301; Tue, 12 Sep 95 03:34:24 CDT
Received: from RICEVM1.RICE.EDU (NJE origin LISTSERV@RICEVM1) by RICEVM1.RICE.EDU (LMail V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 2745; Tue, 12 Sep 1995 03:19:42 -0500
Received: from RICEVM1.RICE.EDU by RICEVM1.RICE.EDU (LISTSERV-TCP/IP release
          1.8b) with spool id 0832 for [e-mail]; Tue, 12 Sep
          1995 03:16:42 -0500
Received: from RICEVM1 (NJE origin SMTP@RICEVM1) by RICEVM1.RICE.EDU (LMail
          V1.2a/1.8a) with BSMTP id 2562; Tue, 12 Sep 1995 03:14:44 -0500
Received: from halcyon.com by RICEVM1.RICE.EDU (IBM VM SMTP V2R2) with TCP;
          Tue, 12 Sep 95 03:14:39 CDT
Received: from [204.29.17.6] (blv-pm10-ip18.halcyon.com) by halcyon.com with
          SMTP id AA03806 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for <[e-mail]>);
          Tue, 12 Sep 1995 01:11:06 -0700
X-Sender: [e-mail]
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Approved-By:  TidBITS Editors <[e-mail]>
Message-ID:  <v02120d0eac7aee3fe926@[204.29.17.6]>
Date:         Tue, 12 Sep 1995 01:11:25 -0700
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Sender: TidBITS - a newsletter for Mac users <[e-mail]>
From: TidBITS Editors <[e-mail]>
Subject:      TidBITS#294/11-Sep-95
To: Multiple recipients of list TIDBITS <[e-mail]>

TidBITS#294/11-Sep-95
=====================

This week's issue brings information about two important hardware
   issues: disks that lose their data while you repair them and
   third-party printers that won't print from PCI Macs. In addition,
   we explain how to better handle sending attachments and large
   files to and from AOL, and we take a look at Apple's newly
   released QuickTime 2.1.

This issue of TidBITS sponsored in part by:
* APS Technologies -- 800/443-4199 -- <[e-mail]>
   Makers of hard drives, tape drives, and neat SCSI accessories.
   For APS price lists, email: <[e-mail]>
* Northwest Nexus -- 206/455-3505 -- http://www.halcyon.com/
   Providing access to the global Internet. <[e-mail]>
* Hayden Books, an imprint of Macmillan Computer Publishing
   Free shipping on orders via the Web -- http://www.mcp.com/
   Mac Tip of the Day & free books! -- http://www.mcp.com/hayden/
* Power Computing -- 800/375-7693 -- <[e-mail]>
   Now shipping... The Award-Winning First MacOS Compatible!
   See what the press says! http://www.powercc.com/News/quotes.html

Copyright 1990-1995 Adam & Tonya Engst. Details at end of issue.
   Information: <[e-mail]> Comments: <[e-mail]>
   ---------------------------------------------------------------

Topics:
    MailBITS/11-Sep-95
    An Apple a Day Keeps Norton Away
    AOL Revs Email System
    New Power Macs: Little That's Fit to Print
    QuickTime 2.1 Overview
    Reviews/11-Sep-95

ftp://ftp.tidbits.com/pub/tidbits/issues/1995/TidBITS#294_11-Sep-95.etx


MailBITS/11-Sep-95
------------------

**CodeWarrior 7 Set To Ship** -- Eric Gundrum <[e-mail]>
  writes:

  Sources close to Metrowerks report that the CodeWarrior 7 CD has
  just gone into production and is expected to begin shipping to
  registered users 18-Sep-95. CodeWarrior 7 includes the final
  release version of CodeWarrior 1.3, which no longer uses different
  applications for building Power Mac and 68K Mac applications.
  App-building functionality is integrated into one IDE (Integrated
  Development Environment) application, and debugging tools have
  been similarly integrated. Other features include new PPC 603 and
  604 code optimizers and plug-in compiler technology. Plug-ins
  enable Metrowerks to ship updates to individual compilers without
  forcing users to download the full application. The two-CD set has
  been completely reorganized, with all the reference material on
  one CD in Acrobat and QuickView formats, with the development
  tools assembled on the second CD.

http://www.metrowerks.com/


**Asleep at the Wheel** -- A number of folks commented last week
  that you can approximate some of the sleep features in the new PCI
  Power Macs with Sleeper, a $20 shareware control panel from St.
  Clair Software. Sleeper blanks your monitors and spins down your
  hard disks, but it does not power down Energy Star monitors. I'm
  pleased that Apple has done what they have with the new Power
  Macs, but even still, to me, a sleep mode should work like the one
  in the PowerBooks does. I want the entire machine down and silent
  - no moving parts at all - but the Mac should be able to wake up
  exactly where it left off. I realize that may not be technically
  possible with the existing chips and system design, but if
  PowerBooks can do it... [ACE]

ftp://mirror.aol.com//pub/info-mac/cfg/sleeper-114.hqx


**More Update Madness** -- Several readers commented on Wagner
  Truppel's article in TidBITS-293_ regarding updating your computer
  to System 7.5.1. Some mentioned that peculiar problems can result
  from not updating the drivers for hard disks and removable media
  (especially SyQuest cartridges) to drivers known to be compatible
  with the new system version. Also, many readers noted that
  pressing Command-Shift-K when using the System 7.5 installer
  activates a hidden feature that creates a "clean" System Folder
  and renames the old System Folder. Though the Command-Shift-K
  trick is useful, Apple could make such functionality more
  accessible. This is not Windows; cryptic keystrokes aren't
  helpful. [GD]


An Apple a Day Keeps Norton Away
--------------------------------
  by Geoff Duncan <[e-mail]>

  Last week, problem reports began circulating about troubles with
  Norton Disk Doctor (NDD) and newer Macintosh models, particularly
  new Power Macs. Symptoms include NDD reporting errors with disk
  directory information and allocation block sizes. If a user tells
  NDD to fix these problems, the program may crash toward the end of
  the repair, rendering the disk unable to boot and apparently
  losing all data.

  The problem, although potentially serious, is easy to detect and,
  if you've already been hit, you may be able to recover your data.


**Defining the Problem** -- There are actually two problems: the
  first resides on the hard disks themselves, and the second lies
  with the way NDD reacts to those hard disks.

  The root cause is extraneous "ghost" directory information on some
  hard disks that Apple has been shipping in newer Macintosh models.
  The precise origin of the spurious data is unclear, and "informed"
  sources have pointed to a number of possible causes. Some claim
  the disks were delivered to Apple with this problem; others
  indicate there may have been a subtle error with Apple's
  preparation of these drives in manufacturing; still other sources
  point to a combination of these factors. The problem only appears
  on internal hard disks, and does not appear on or spread to
  additional storage devices connected to these machines.

  NDD is correct in identifying a problem. However, NDD's attempts
  to fix the problem often result in the disk being unusable and
  (apparently) wiped of its data. In reality, the data on the drive
  _is_ intact and untouched; however, the directory information that
  enables the Macintosh to locate and retrieve that data is damaged.


**Who's Affected** -- The bottom line: people who have purchased
  any Power Macintosh computer since 01-Jul-95 should be concerned.

  So far as I can determine, a description of the problem first
  appeared in E-News, a newsletter from Apples B.C. Computer
  Society, a long-standing Apple user group in British Columbia.

ftp://mirror.aol.com//pub/info-mac/per/apples-bc-e-news-95-09.hqx

  This article gave a range of machines and serial numbers impacted.
  So far as I can determine, the article is at best only partly
  accurate. As of this writing, sources inside Symantec and Apple
  have reliably confirmed that the problem has been detected in the
  Power Macintosh 5200-series, 6100s, 6200s, 7100s, 7200s, and
  7500s, all purchased since 01-Jul-95. Additionally, the problem
  has been reported in 6100-series Performas, Power Mac 8500s, and
  even a Quadra 630 (although I find this last hard to believe due
  to the drastic differences in the drive architecture of the
  machines).


**What to Do** -- First, don't panic. If you have a machine with
  this problem, it's unlikely to rise up and bite you in the next
  ten minutes.

  Symantec has just released a free utility called Disk Spot Check
  that can both detect the problem and eliminate the residual
  "ghost" data if the user so chooses. It should be available via
  Symantec's FTP site but that site has been having intermittent
  problems. In the meantime, Ric Ford has kindly reposted Symantec's
  utility and information on the problem at his MacInTouch Web site
  (thanks, Ric!), and the program is also available in Symantec's
  AOL and CompuServe forums. It will be available on the Info-Mac
  Archives soon. The Disk Spot Check utility only needs to be run
  once; from that point onward, it's safe to use Norton Disk Doctor
  on the disk to attempt to repair any existing or future problems.

http://www.macintouch.com/~ricford/
ftp://ftp.symantec.com//public/mac/num/NUMSpot.Bin
ftp://mirror.aol.com//pub/info-mac/disk/norton-disk-spot-check.hqx

  The second, more thorough option is to back up all your data, then
  perform a low-level format of your disk. Booting from another disk
  and choosing Erase Disk from the Special menu or deleting all the
  files is _not_ sufficient. Similarly, merely updating the driver
  on the disk will not correct the problem. The disk must be
  reformatted using the disk formatting software Apple supplies with
  the machine (Apple Drive Setup or Apple HD SC Setup), or a third-
  party utility such as Drive7, Silverlining, or Hard Disk Toolkit.

  If you've already run NDD, experienced this problem, and want your
  data back, _don't_ add files or try to correct the problem;
  instead, call Symantec technical support at 503/465-8440. They can
  talk you through a series of steps that should result in your
  recovering your data if you haven't added files or written data to
  the disk since the problem hit you.


**Other Utility Software** -- This problem seems to bite NDD
  harder than other disk recovery software. However, I've seen
  reports that Symantec's MacTools and even Apple's Disk First Aid
  have identified "uncorrectable" directory damage on disks with
  this problem. I have seen no confirmed reports of other utility
  programs causing damage or data loss on machines due to this
  problem; however, I also haven't seen confirmed reports of other
  utility programs fixing the problem or consistently identifying
  it. Even if you use a disk recovery program other than NDD, it
  might not hurt to use Disk Spot Check to determine if the problem
  might be present on your machine. If it is, I recommend either
  backing up and reformatting your drive or contacting your vendor's
  technical support to ask them what the recommended course of
  action might be. If you don't own a disk recovery tool and find
  the problem on your Mac, I'd recommend either backing up then
  reformatting your disk, or calling Apple at 800/SOS-APPL for
  information. In either case, you can also choose to let Disk Spot
  Check correct the problem.

  Information from:
    Apple Computer
    Symantec Corporation
    Pythaeus


AOL Revs Email System
---------------------
  by Les Jones <[e-mail]>

  America Online overhauled their email system a few weeks ago to
  better handle long messages, and to allow AOL users to send and
  receive files through Internet email (see TidBITS-292_). The new
  system delivers some long-awaited features but also has a few
  snags.


**Long Messages** -- By now TidBITS readers on AOL have noticed a
  change in the way TidBITS arrives. Previously, email messages
  longer than about 25K were split into multiple messages as they
  passed through AOL's Internet mail gateway. TidBITS issues are
  about 30K, so AOL users used to receive TidBITS in two parts.

  In the new system, messages larger than 25K appear as downloadable
  file attachments. AOL displays the first 2K of the message in the
  message body as a preview of the file contents. The message header
  makes note of this:

> X-Note: Only the first 2K of this message is displayed. You can
> retrieve the entire text by selecting "Download."

  At first, AOL included the first 25K as a preview. That led to
  howls of protest from many who disliked the extra download time.
  AOL took note, and reduced the preview to 2K.

  Unfortunately for Mac users, AOL's attached text files are
  formatted as DOS text files, so they contain linefeed characters
  that usually appear as small boxes at the beginning of each line.
  You can strip out the linefeed characters using a number of
  utilities, such as Add/Strip or Dos2Mac. You can also read the
  files in a text editor like BBEdit Lite that transparently handles
  linefeed characters.

ftp://mirror.aol.com//pub/info-mac/text/dos-to-mac-10.hqx
ftp://mirror.aol.com//pub/info-mac/text/add-strip-322.hqx
ftp://mirror.aol.com//pub/info-mac/text/bbe/bbedit-lite-30.hqx

  According to America Online representative Meriam Grossman, AOL
  will eventually allow users to choose how they receive long email
  messages: split, or as file attachments with a 25K preview. Meriam
  commented that AOL is working on the linefeed problem. Version 3.0
  of the AOL software for Macintosh will revise the entire email
  interfac, include an integrated Web browser, and might be finished
  by the end of 1995.


**Internet File Attachments** -- America Online has always made it
  easy to send files from one AOL member to another. AOL now offers
  support for file attachments to and from the Internet.
  Superficially, Internet mail file attachments work just like AOL
  file attachments. Beneath the surface, however, there are
  important issues that determine whether the file will still be
  useful once it has passed through AOL's email gateway.

  To perform binary-to-text conversions, AOL uses MIME (Multipurpose
  Internet Mail Extensions), sometimes known as Base64. Mac users
  are probably more familiar with BinHex than MIME. Like MIME,
  BinHex transforms a binary file into a text file that can safely
  pass through 7-bit email systems. BinHex also understands the
  Mac's two-part file format (data and resource forks), and
  preserves a Mac file's name, along with its type and creator
  codes.

  MIME can be extended to handle BinHex, but AOL has not yet
  implemented BinHex in their email gateway. That means trouble for
  Mac users until AOL fixes their system. Will Mayall, a programmer
  for Claris Emailer, was mystified over the omission of BinHex.
  "The one thing I can't figure out is [why AOL didn't do] Binhex.
  It's not hard coding, and it's the standard way people send
  Macintosh files over the Internet."


**Testing the System** -- I mailed files back and forth between
  AOL and my Internet account, using both Eudora and Claris Emailer.
  All attachments sent from Eudora were MIME-encoded and used the
  BinHex format rather than AppleSingle, AppleDouble, or UUEncode.
  For the experiments, I used four document types: an unaltered
  application, a StuffIt-compressed application, a binhexed
  application, and an unaltered GIF.

  AOL's email gateway wrecked the unaltered application going from
  AOL to the Internet. Without using BinHex, the application's
  resource fork was lost, rendering the file unusable. So, sending
  unaltered Mac programs and Mac files with resource forks (such as
  some HyperCard stacks and documents) out through AOL's Internet
  mail gateway is suicide.

  Next, I tried a StuffIt-compressed version of the application.
  Compressing the file produces a new file with only a data fork,
  and the resource fork is restored when the file is decompressed.
  This worked, but my test file's type and creator codes were lost
  when it arrived at my Internet account, so double-clicking the
  file didn't work to expand the file. Dragging and dropping the
  file onto StuffIt Expander's icon also failed. I had to use File
  Buddy or ResEdit to add the StuffIt type and creator codes
  (SITD/SIT!) before StuffIt Expander recognized and successfully
  decompressed the file.

  Binhexed files work well in either direction. StuffIt Expander
  doesn't insist on type and creator codes for binhexed files
  because the type and creator codes are almost always lost anyway.
  After downloading the binhexed file, I could drag and drop it onto
  StuffIt Expander and achieve success every time. Aladdin's
  DropStuff utility can compress and binhex files in one easy step.

  Finally, I tried sending GIFs back and forth between AOL and my
  Internet account. This worked surprisingly well. Eudora correctly
  typed the file for me, so I could double-click it to open it. AOL
  recognized the file was a GIF, and even displayed it during the
  download. I have high hopes that all Internet mail attachments
  will work this smoothly once the bugs are worked out. To be fair,
  GIFs are a ringer. AOL's gateway automatically recognizes GIFs,
  JPEGs, and MPEGs.


**Other Notes** -- Text of binhexed files less than 25K in size
  arrived in my AOL email within the body of the message I attached
  them to. When binhexed files arrived in the message body, I saved
  the email as text and ran it through StuffIt Expander without a
  hitch.

  AOL's email system allows only one attached file per message. If
  an incoming email has multiple file attachments, AOL stores the
  files in a single attached MIME file that can be converted with a
  utility such as uucd (Adam and I both had troubles with MPack).
  Once again, AOL makes note of this in the message header:

> X-Note: This message has multiple attachments, stored in a
> single MIME document. Select "Download" to get the MIME
> document, then use a MIME decoder (available at keyword
> FILE SEARCH) to retrieve the attachments.

ftp://mirror.aol.com//pub/info-mac/cmp/uucd-243.hqx


**Conclusions** -- AOL's Internet file attachment is sure to make
  life easier for AOL members and their friends, but the new system
  needs to be updated for proper BinHex compatibility. Until AOL
  updates their system, convert files to BinHex format before
  mailing them through AOL's Internet mail gateway.


New Power Macs: Little That's Fit to Print
------------------------------------------
  by Neil deMause <[e-mail]>

  I've always loved my little LC II and GCC printer, but for a
  free-lance graphic designer, they never had enough power, even
  when they were new. So, when I came upon a sudden windfall of
  cash, I paid off my credit card and ran out to make two purchases:
  an HP 5MP laser printer, and a brand-new Power Mac 7200.

  The printer arrived first, and I happily hooked it up to my old
  Mac, all the while thinking, "Just wait 'til I can team this baby
  up with a 7200!"

  And my first 24 hours with the 7200 were wonderful: it ran fast as
  the breeze, and with few major software conflicts. I even printed
  a 120-page QuarkXPress document (all text), without any glitches.
  I had to deliver printouts of another QuarkXPress file the next
  morning, but I thought I had no problem as I hit Print...

  ...and watched as my screen froze.

  I tried again. Same thing. I tried printing different pages. It
  froze again. I tried turning off background printing, changing
  drivers, starting with extensions off, and reinstalling the system
  software. Nothing had any effect, except for printing without
  placed graphics included - I soon discovered that _nothing_ with
  graphic images (even a PICT screenshot or a Netscape page with
  GIFs) would print on my 5MP.

  Calls to 800/SOS-APPL resulted in a frenzy of buck-passing to HP.
  HP Tech Support was friendly, but clueless - they speculated that
  some architecture change in the PCI Power Macs was messing with
  communication to their printer, but they didn't know what it was.

  In desperation, I logged onto eWorld in search of help - only to
  run into a bevy of other frustrated new Power Mac users, _all_
  complaining of printing freezes when printing to their non-Apple
  printers. Users with printers from GCC, Tektronix, and NewGen all
  said nothing had helped them, and reacted with outrage to Apple's
  unhelpful responses. (One especially funny suggestion was to
  unhook the printer if it wasn't working.) I half-expected to see a
  SimCity-style mob picketing outside eWorld's computer center.

  The details of the problems are still coming in, but it seems that
  something major may be afoot here, either with the printers or
  with the new machines, perhaps both. HP has apparently identified
  an incompatibility between its DeskWriter drivers and the new
  Power Macs due to changes in the serial ports. One suggested
  workaround is to print via AppleTalk rather than with a serial
  driver, which suggests that other third-party printers using
  serial drivers may have similar problems. HP will reportedly post
  a fix on their Web site when it's available.

http://www.hp.com/

  Problems with third-party printers may not be consistent - I have
  printed successfully to my GCC BLP Elite, while a woman on eWorld
  with an identical printer reported recurring freezes. No one has
  yet found a comprehensive solution; zapping the PRAM and using the
  LaserWriter 8.3 driver with background printing off have provided
  temporary relief for some, but the problem invariably returns.
  Some users have reported success with the 5MP using a new PPD from
  HP in conjunction with the LaserWriter 8 driver.

  After initially refusing to admit the problem, there are signs
  that Apple is examining the situation. One user in the United
  Kingdom reported receiving voicemail from Apple UK, saying they
  were working with Apple USA on a solution. Until then, Mac users
  with non-Apple printers might want to check with their printer's
  manufacturer before buying that new PCI Power Mac they're dreaming
  about.


QuickTime 2.1 Overview
----------------------
  by Charles Wiltgen <[e-mail]>

  Most Mac users have probably heard of QuickTime. It has shipped
  with many applications and most Mac multimedia titles for the past
  few years. QuickTime 2.0 is currently included with System 7.5,
  and as of today, version 2.1 is available online for _free_ (also
  make sure to get MoviePlayer 2.1, a QT2.1-savvy version of
  MoviePlayer).

ftp://ftp.support.apple.com//pub/apple_sw_updates/US/mac/system_sw/
other_sys_sw/QuickTime_2.1.hqx
ftp://ftp.support.apple.com//pub/apple_sw_updates/US/mac/utils/
MoviePlayer_2.1.hqx

  [If you have trouble getting through, try the same path at the
  short URL below. -Geoff]

ftp://ftptoo.support.apple.com/

  QuickTime 2.1 squashes a few bugs, incorporates several new
  features, and fleshes out some existing capabilities. Why should
  you care about QuickTime 2.1? Because it may let multimedia on the
  Macintosh go where no media has gone before.


**QuickTime Bug Fixes** -- With QuickTime 2.1, Apple has rolled
  the fixes provided by the Apple Multimedia Tuner 2.0.1 into
  QuickTime itself (so if you have Multimedia Tuner installed,
  remove it when you install QuickTime 2.1). Those fixes include a
  workaround for applications which didn't properly prepare movies
  for playback, better behavior in low-memory situations, better
  protection against video and sound hiccups, DSP Manager fixes for
  the 840AV and 660AV, plus other fixes that improve QuickTime's
  general performance and reliability.

  Additionally, QuickTime 2.0's problems with bleed-through during
  capture and preview of video have been fixed, as have problems
  associated with flattening and playing back movies with IMA-
  compressed audio tracks. (IMA 4:1 audio compression enables
  developers to maintain good sound fidelity without surpassing the
  data rate limits imposed by CD-ROM drives.)


**Sprites, Improved Text Handling, and More** -- QuickTime 2.1's
  least obvious but most drastic enhancement is its new sprite
  animation capabilities, manifested in the Sprite Toolbox and the
  new Sprite Track (which lets you play "sprite movies").
  QuickTime's new sprite features provide powerful animation and
  compositing capabilities.

  In animation terms, a "sprite" is not a small, winged pixie;
  rather, it's simply an image that is almost invariably moving and
  animated. Sprites show up frequently in multimedia authoring
  programs like Macromedia Director and in games (think Maelstrom!),
  and you can think of them as independent, animated graphic
  entities within a larger graphical display (or actors on a stage).
  Sprites have properties that dictate where they are, what they
  look like, and if they're visible. QuickTime's 2.1's Sprite
  Toolbox simplifies the process of creating animation. If it's fast
  enough, you can expect to see QuickTime's Sprite Toolbox used in
  games and multimedia applications.

  One of the most significant enhancements to QuickTime 2.1 is its
  improved handling of Text tracks within QuickTime movies. Not only
  does MoviePlayer 2.1 allow more control when creating Text tracks,
  but the enhanced text import/export components in QuickTime 2.1
  make it easier to work with and edit Text tracks. QuickTime 2.1
  can import and export embedded commands that describe timing,
  spatial, color and style information for the text track as well as
  the text itself. This makes editing a text track as simple as
  exporting it, modifying it with any text editor, then re-importing
  it.

As an example, this command sequence

> {QTtext}
> {font:Garamond}
> {italic}
> {size:14}
> {00:00:05.280}
> Hello World!
> {00:00:06.280}

  will place a one-second, 14 point, Garamond Italic rendition of
  "Hello World!" exactly 5 seconds and 28 ticks into my movie.

  QuickTime 2.1 takes advantage of the hardware cursor support in
  the Power Mac 9500/8500/7500 to minimize CPU time during capture
  and playback. QuickTime and its codecs have been optimized for the
  PowerPC 604 and new AV hardware in those systems. New hooks in
  QuickTime's API allow vendors to improve QuickTime's performance
  through hardware assistance of many QuickTime functions. For
  example, developers can shove data between their video hardware
  and a hard drive without intervention from the CPU - this
  translates into better performance for hardware-assisted video.

  QuickTime 2.1 adds generalizations to QuickTime's media capture
  architecture in order to support the audio standards of the video
  conferencing marketplace. Apple's QuickTime Conferencing
  application (introduced at Macworld Boston) and other applications
  can take advantage of this to interoperate with other video
  conferencing implementations on other computers.


**Enhanced Sound Support** -- Internet surfers will be happy to
  know the combination of QuickTime 2.1 and Sound Manager 3.1
  enables opening and playback of WAV and .au (uLaw) files. [Try
  using MoviePlayer 2.1 to test this new capability. -Geoff] Also,
  since the new Sound Manager is native, Power Mac users will see
  reported performance increases of up to 500 percent, enabling
  higher video frame rates and smoother playback.

ftp://ftp.support.apple.com//pub/apple_sw_updates/US/mac/system_sw/
other_sys_sw/Sound_Manager_3.1.hqx


**CD-ROM AutoStart** -- As a multimedia developer, I've been
  envious of onl@
╚e Windows 95 feature - CD-ROMs that play
  automatically. If done properly, CD-ROM AutoStart can reduce the
  complexity of installing and running a CD-ROM title for less-
  experienced users.

  Although this unpublicized feature was available in QuickTime 2.0,
  Apple officially supports it in QuickTime 2.1. Mac multimedia
  titles that take advantage of this feature run automatically when
  you pop 'em in the drive - great for educational and entertainment
  CD-ROMs, and enhanced CDs (CDs used in either a computer or an
  audio CD player).


**Enhanced MPEG Support** -- Support for MPEG is greatly improved
  in QuickTime 2.1. Although QuickTime 2.0 introduced basic support
  for MPEG streams, few vendors have introduced MPEG cards due (in
  part) to weaknesses in the original implementation. The
  enhancements and bug fixes present in the new MPEG media
  components may help remedy that.

  Improved MPEG support is significant since MPEG is on its way to
  becoming a prevalent standard for the delivery of digital video.
  To view MPEG movies on the Mac, you either need an MPEG card or a
  software MPEG decompressor. (Until one is built into QuickTime,
  try Sparkle for playing back and converting MPEG video.)

ftp://mirror.aol.com//pub/info-mac/gst/mov/sparkle-245.hqx

  One advantage for QuickTime MPEG movies (an MPEG movie with a
  QuickTime "wrapper") is that they can include additional QuickTime
  tracks such as text annotations (closed captioning), a second
  audio program, or supplementary commentary tracks.


**New and Improved** -- In some ways, QuickTime 2.1 merely
  fulfills the promise of QuickTime 2.0's features. However,
  exciting new features like the Sprite Toolbox, the hardware
  acceleration API, and the CD-ROM AutoStart capabilities show that
  Apple isn't resting on its laurels.

  QuickTime 2.1 requires a color-capable Macintosh with a 68020
  processor or better, along with System 6.0.7 or higher. As
  available on Apple's FTP sites, QuickTime 2.1 includes the
  QuickTime PowerPlug for Power Macs, and QuickTime Musical
  Instruments to enhance MIDI capabilities available through
  QuickTime.

  [For more information, check out Charles's QuickTime FAQ, or
  Apple's increasingly hyper QuickTime Web site. -Geoff]

http://www.mcs.net/~cwiltgen/quicktime/
http://quicktime.apple.com/


Reviews/11-Sep-95
-----------------

* MacWEEK -- 04-Sep-95, Vol. 9, #35
    Radius VideoVision Telecast 1.0 -- pg. 1
    SyQuest EZ135 Drive -- pg. 32
    Twin-Turbo 128M -- pg. 40


$$

 Non-profit, non-commercial publications may reprint articles if
 full credit is given. Others please contact us. We don't guarantee
 accuracy of articles. Caveat lector. Publication, product, and
 company names may be registered trademarks of their companies.

 This file is formatted as setext. For more information send email
 to <[e-mail]>. A file will be returned shortly.

 For information on TidBITS: how to subscribe, where to find back
 issues, and other useful stuff, send email to: <[e-mail]>
 Send comments and editorial submissions to: <[e-mail]>
 Issues available at: ftp://ftp.tidbits.com/pub/tidbits/issues/
 And: http://www.dartmouth.edu/pages/TidBITS/TidBITS.html
 To search back issues with WAIS, use this URL via a Web browser:
 http://www.wais.com/wais-dbs/macintosh-tidbits.html
 -------------------------------------------------------------------