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Our New Year's resolution is to clean out our article database, so this week brings you lots of little bits, including news of LaserWriter upgrades, a Lotus upgrade deal, an ATM patch, IIvx and A/UX incompatibilities, assorted bugs, random rumors, and a few fun notes. There's something for everyone in here, so dive in and enjoy. Next week, Macworld SF! NOTE: If you get this as a StuffIt file, it is now in 3.0 format, so use the free Expander.
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Copyright 1993 TidBITS Electronic Publishing. All rights reserved.
Information: <info@tidbits.com> Comments: <editors@tidbits.com>
Happy New Year everyone! Our first New Year's resolution is to clean out the nooks and crannies in our article database, summarizing topics we planned to cover but never found the room. This isn't to imply that this information isn't interesting, merely that we couldn't fit it in among all the rest of the good stuff we've included. Our apologies if these articles do not meet our usual standards for completeness - at this point we decided it was more important to publish them than to flesh them out.
Our second New Year's resolution is to be more ruthless in selecting articles. The pressures facing us are twofold. We have more information than ever before (and we must always be careful of our wrists), but we do not want to increase either the size or the frequency of our issues. Since we have a formula that works well, we're going to stick by our electronic guns. As always, we welcome comments.
Easy View response time -- Akif Eyler recently mentioned that email to his address in Turkey can take up to ten days to deliver, so if you have questions or comments about Easy View, don't worry if he doesn't reply immediately.
Information from:
Akif Eyler -- eyler@trbilun.bitnet
When asked by a CompuServe user about a DAT drive advertised for a unexpectedly low price, Larry Zulch of Dantz Development wrote:
The picture in the 09-Nov-92 issue of MacWEEK of the NuDesign DAT reveals that it is a WangTek DAT drive mechanism (with an optical drive on top of it).
Ben Wang (no relation to the Wang Laboratories that made word processors) started WangTek, which Rexon bought. He left WangTek/Rexon and founded WangDAT, which was recently purchased by Rexon. It is unclear to me whether WangTek will remain in the DAT business, since WangDAT has more DAT focus (WangTek has a lot of 1/4 inch tape technology) and it doesn't make sense for Rexon to have two independent DAT drive manufacturers in such a competitive area.
[The moral of the story seems, then, that nothing is wrong with the WangTek unit, but it's more likely that WangTek units will be orphaned sooner than WangDAT units. I have no sense if that's a problem, given that it uses Retrospect for software and I suspect that the hardware, if it works well initially, will continue to work fine with proper care. Incidentally, according to a study done by market research firm Peripheral Strategies, Retrospect has a large share of the Macintosh backup market, and that gives it 36% of the entire networked microcomputer backup market, PC-clones included. Morris Taradalsky, Vice President and General Manager of Apple's Enterprise Systems Division, attributed this to the fact that Macs are a heck of a lot easier to network, so a greater percentage of Macs than PCs are networked. -Adam]
Information from:
Larry Zulch, Dantz President -- 72477.1322@compuserve.com
Not surprisingly, ATM 2.0.2 (and probably 2.0.3, which I've had for some time) doesn't recognize the new Fonts folder in System 7.1. Fortunately, Adobe has a $7.50 upgrade to a version that supports the Fonts folder; however, if you don't want to wait, here's a way to fix the problem yourself. Jim Burmeister posted this note, originally from Matt Slot, on how to patch ATM 2.0.2 with ResEdit to see the Fonts folder. Of course, the standard warnings about ResEdit corrupting your moral fiber apply.
ResEdit instructions -- Open up the "ATM 68020/030" file. Open the DCOD resources, then open DCOD ID -15005 (the second one). Do an ASCII search for the string "extn" and replace the one instance with "font". That's it!
This tells ATM to look in the Fonts folder instead of the Extensions folder, so you can't leave your fonts in the Extensions folder, or ATM won't find them. Also, be aware that this hacked version of ATM won't work under System 7.0 anymore.
I didn't look in the "ATM 68000" file, but I suspect a similar change could be made for those of you using 68000-based Macs.
Information from:
Jim Burmeister -- jimb@rcx1.ssd.csd.harris.com
Matt Slot -- fprefect@engin.umich.edu
If you have problems with your LaserWriter IIf or IIg, you may be eligible for a free ROM upgrade. The upgrade fixes a bunch of problems, including:
Inability to place the LaserWriter IIg in different zones or to rename it on an EtherTalk network.
Inability to return proper font outlines to a limited number of font manipulation packages using the PostScript "pathforall" operator.
Incompatibility with spoolers, resulting in incomplete print jobs, printing errors, and the inability to capture the printer on the spooler.
Serial port errors because the printer echoes an extra, end-of-file indicator (Control-D). In this case, the printer shows the printer status as busy when actually it is idle.
Difficulty connecting some third-party hard drives to the LaserWriter IIf/IIg. When using the LaserWriter Utility, the user cannot "see" the hard drive attached to the LaserWriter.
Other enhancements we've heard of include improvement of page centering, inclusion of ITC Zapf Dingbats, the name being saved correctly on when the power is cycled, and better downloading of TrueType fonts by the LaserWriter driver.
The upgrade comes from your Apple dealer (part number 076-0452), and you can get it (for free) if you have one of the above problems.
Information from:
Mark H. Anbinder, Contributing Editor -- mha@baka.ithaca.ny.us
Doug -- brune@luther.che.wisc.edu
by Mark H. Anbinder, Contributing Editor -- mha@baka.ithaca.ny.us
Gizmo Technologies has upgraded their ShadowWriter software, which allows people to share "personal" direct-connect printers among computers on a network. Whereas ShadowWriter 1.1 supported only four Apple printers, the new version 2.0 supports all Apple personal printers and literally hundreds of third-party printers of all shapes and sizes. The AppleTalk-compatible software works well on Apple's LocalTalk network, PhoneNet and similar networks, and on EtherTalk ethernet networks. It should also work on other forms of AppleTalk networks, such as TokenTalk token ring networks, but most token ring users don't share inexpensive printers.
Attending Cornell University's back-to-school computer fair this fall to recruit for our local Mac user group reminded me that sharing printers can be a great way for students on a budget (or anyone for whom money is tight) to save some money, or possibly to afford a better printer through pooling funds. The ShadowWriter package, which retails for $109, is a good way to share an inexpensive personal printers, rather than having to purchase a more-expensive printer with built-in networking.
Although ShadowWriter (which runs on the computer that is physically connected to the printer) does have an effect on the performance of the host computer, it's not dramatic. This is primarily because, as with most of these low-end printers, the computer spends most of its time waiting anyway.
ShadowWriter 2.0 supports the following printers, and Gizmo Technology invites interested users to contact them for a full list of other supported printers.
* ImageWriter I, II, LQ * HP DeskWriters, PaintWriters
* StyleWriter * Label Printers
* Personal LaserWriter LS * Plotters
* Personal LaserWriter SC * IBM-PC compatible printers
* LaserWriter IISC * and more
Gizmo Technologies
P.O. Box 14177
Fremont, CA 94539
510/623-7899
510/623-7922 (fax)
GIZMOTECH@applelink.apple.com
by Mark H. Anbinder, Contributing Editor -- mha@baka.ithaca.ny.us
Technical Support Coordinator, BAKA Computers Inc.
Excited by the chance to have a Unix box with a CD-ROM drive built in? Well, hold your horses... the Macintosh IIvx isn't the answer. Even though Apple's Oct-92 Macintosh Compatibility Chart indicates that A/UX 3.0 (Apple's current version of its Unix operating system) will run on the IIvx, subsequent word is that this was incorrect.
The reason the IIvx will not support A/UX 3.0 is not clear; perhaps A/UX 3.0 is not yet System 7.1 compatible, and a 7.1-compatible version was delayed. (If we are simply awaiting a 7.1-compatible A/UX, it would explain why Apple anticipated A/UX running on the IIvx.)
Apple has been quick to point out that A/UX 3.0 is indeed compatible with the rest of the members of the Macintosh II family (the original Macintosh II requires the addition of a Motorola 68851 PMMU memory management chip), as well as the entire Quadra line and the venerable SE/30. Certainly the faster the machine, and the more real memory you have, the happier you'll be with A/UX's performance.
A/UX is available as a separate add-on product for any Macintosh you already happen to have, and it's also available as a bundle with the IIsi, IIci, and Quadra 700, 900, and 950. If you still have your heart set on a Unix machine with an internal CD-ROM drive, the Quadra 900 or 950 may be a good choice; Apple's CD 300i internal CD-ROM drive should soon be available with a Quadra faceplate for insertion into the Quadra's spacious drive bay, and a variety of third-party vendors offer Quadra-ready internal storage products as well.
by Dave Martin -- dave@gergo.tamu.edu
I tried out the new Compatibility Checker 2.0 (now on ftp.apple.com). and it looks nice. Good interface, and it is now a self-standing application, rather than a HyperCard stack. I did notice in the "Move these items from the System Folder" portion that the color small icons used in the list were garbled (but not those for which there was only a black and white icon).
A few interesting and rather amusing things came up in the resulting compatibility check:
Adobe Type Manager Version 2.0.3 from: Adobe Systems, Inc.
Compatible
Is it? Does ATM 2.0.3 know to use the new Fonts folder? Somehow I doubt it.
AppleScan Version 1.0.2 from: Apple Computer, Inc.
This software is obsolete when used with System 7.1.
You can safely throw this software in the trash.
What? Is AppleScan built into System 7.1? I doubt that. This is like saying that when you buy a new desk you can toss the tape dispenser, because it isn't new like the desk.
AutoExtractor File Version 1.30 from: Cyclos
Incompatible: need to upgrade
The file in question was a Compact Pro self-extracting archive - how do I upgrade a .sea archive downloaded from sumex?
MacTCP/MacTCP Token Ring Version 1.1.1 from: Apple Computer.
Compatible except for the following
limitations: This software works with
System 7.1 but the vendor recommends
that it be upgraded.
But, but -- this is the latest version! Do we now need 1.1.1.1?
MODE32 Version 1.2 from: Compatibility information
currently unavailable
This software may cause problems after you install
System 7.1. You should move it out of the System
Folder before you install System 7.1.
Compatibility information currently unavailable
This is what everyone has been discussing. Doesn't look good when Apple doesn't know who they got MODE32 from, at the very least.
Optix Version 2.0.1 from: Blueridge Technologies, Inc.
Incompatible: need to upgrade
The latest version of this software is version 3.0;
it is available from Blueridge Technologies, Inc.
(Named "PixelPaint Pro" on the disk "Big Mac")
I guess SuperMac finally found a buyer. Anyone else hear anything about this? Is Optix 3.0 a shipping product? Did I miss an upgrade notice? I'll try to get the time to call Blueridge about this one later.
PrintDEX II Version 4.1 from: Casady & Greene, Inc.
Compatible
(Named "Font/DA Mover" on the disk "Other")
No, I don't have PrintDEX, nor do I give things the wrong names. Is this a mix up, or does PrintDEX actually use the creator type 'DMOV', which is that used by Font/DA Mover? Naughty, naughty C&G, if such is the case.
Scanner Driver Version 1.0.1 from: Apple Computer, Inc.
This software may cause problems after you
install System 7.1. You should move it out
of the System Folder before you install
System 7.1.
Incompatible: need to upgrade
I guess this only makes sense, if the AppleScan software is obsolete. But why should I need to upgrade if AppleScan is dead? They are probably trying to force everyone to switch to Ofoto by making everything else not work. :-)
[Just a note for Word users: the Compatibility Checker incorrectly flags several Word 5.x-related items as incompatible. Just leave those items alone, since they won't cause incompatibility problems. -Tonya]
Farallon announced on 07-Dec-92 the availability of version 3.0 of their PhoneNet Talk software. Upgrades are available free to orders purchased after 15-Oct-92.
Farallon -- 800/678-5075
After a flashy Comdex announcement last year (and by the way, the prototype shown there and in the press was purely a prototype and not a production design at all), little more has been heard about Apple's Newton project. Current rumors point to a smaller "Newt" and a larger 6" x 8" "Newton Sr." that will include more collaborative capabilities. Apple seems to be backing off a bit on the general purpose uses of the Newton, perhaps because handwriting recognition is so deucedly hard to do well. Another factor may be Eo's PDA-like device based on the RISC-based Hobbit chip from AT&T. The Eo device is aimed much more at personal communications rather than digital assisting, whatever that may be. More information may come out at Macworld SF next week.
Who says Prodigy is completely useless (and they claim that they will soon offer a true Macintosh interface and an Internet email gateway)? Joseph Gannon writes on Prodigy, "After posting a note on a local BBS to a Lotus software engineer stating I was going to sell my copy and go to Excel (giving the reasons why, of course - $119 for a maintenance upgrade) he forwarded my and another soon-to-be ex-Lotus user's comments to Lotus' marketing department. Well, it seems they listen. Here's an excerpt of Patrick Tyne's (of Lotus marketing) response: "We certainly can sympathize with any confusion resulting from the above situation. In light of the recent frustrations we have observed, we believe it will best serve our customers for us to immediately make available a 'special upgrade offer' to all registered users of 1-2-3 for Macintosh R1.0. Effective immediately through 31-Mar-93 , if you are a registered user of 1-2-3 for Macintosh R1.0 you are eligible for the 'Lotus Technology Guarantee Upgrade', and can upgrade to R1.1 for $49.00 (regardless of when you purchased your copy of R1.0). This offer is only available directly from Lotus by calling 800/872-3387."
Lotus -- 800/872-3387
Information from:
Joseph Gannon -- VHRT51A @ Prodigy
Apple and America Online (AOL) recently announced an agreement in which Apple will use AOL technologies in future online services managed and marketed by Apple. America Online also granted Apple a non-exclusive license to use America Online to provide "Apple-branded" (git 'em up, little doggies!) online services in exchange for a usage royalty.
This is interesting in that in some form, America Online's technologies originated with Apple, which planned to use it for an "AppleLink Lite" or some such monstrously-named service. Apple has subsequently flirted with SoftArc's excellent FirstClass BBS software as well, but I wonder if this means that Apple has decided to go back to the AOL platform. Perhaps Apple is tiring slightly with AppleLink or enough people have complained about the high costs? Who knows? I just wish AOL would significantly revamp their messaging interface, add off-line capabilities past the basic email and downloads, and increase the limitation on incoming email from the Internet gateway past the thoroughly absurd 25K.
Frankly, there isn't a lot to say about AutoDoubler 2.0 except for the fact that it's easier to configure, noticeably faster on my SE/30, and includes the extremely cool CopyDoubler extension for speeding up Finder copies. One interesting note about problems with excluding files did pop up.
Dave Heller, coauthor of AutoDoubler writes, "AutoDoubler 2.0 keeps all of its exclusions and specific settings for each individual volume in an invisible file at the root of the volume. The name of this file is ~AutoDoublerSettings(2.0). It's possible one of these files is corrupt. We keep this separate file so the settings for a disk "travel" with the disk, not the current preferences file in the System Folder. Because this file is invisible, we added a way to reset (delete) this file from within the AutoDoubler control panel. I don't believe the procedure made it into the manual (in all honesty I forgot it was there :-)). Deleting this file will delete all exclusions and settings for the affected disk but it sounds like you may need it. To do so, select each disk listed in the AutoDoubler control panel in turn and click the "Settings..." button while holding down the option and command keys. A dialog box will appear asking if you want to revert the disk's settings to the factory default. Click OK. After doing this to all disks, close the AutoDoubler control panel and reboot. Try adding your exclusions again."
Fifth Generation -- 800/225-2775 -- 76004.2301@compuserve.com
If you run a BBS using any commercial software other than FirstClass, SoftArc has an upgrade program that allows you to trade in your master disks and get the FirstClass software at a $100 discount or get a larger system (more licensed users) for the price of a smaller system. That doesn't make a lot of sense, but neither did the original message, so contact SoftArc for more information.
SoftArc -- 416/299-4723
Information from:
Maury Markowitz, SoftArc Inc. -- 70511.2065@compuserve.com
People have gotten sick of how long it takes the Finder to copy files, hence the appearance of the shareware SpeedyFinder and several other neat utilities. As I mentioned above, CopyDoubler comes with AutoDoubler 2.0 now, and is also sold separately. Aside from speeding the copying process, CopyDoubler allows you to choose when AutoDoubler-compressed files are expanded and when they aren't, along with other copy-speeding options such as turning off verification and not copying Finder icons. Even snazzier is the commercial CopyRight utility from CSG Technologies, which passes off the copying tasks to a background application so you can continue working in the Finder and even start additional copies, all of which proceed simultaneously. It's way cool and I'm irritated it took me so long to write about it. At Macworld SF look for CopyRight Pro, which allows you to select which files are copied by name, label, etc., and run copies at specified repeating times.
CSG Technologies -- 800/366-4622 -- csg.tech@applelink.apple.com
Fifth Generation -- 800/225-2775 -- 76004.2301@compuserve.com
This little $129 network utility from Apple hasn't gotten a lot of press, but I've heard good things about it. Quite simply, Likewise allows you to set up multiple Macs over a network with identical files and system settings, a task many network administrators want to do. Apple says:
Apple -- 800/950-2442
Mel Martinez reports a rumor that Nisus XS will have table features built in, pending licensing negotiations between Nisus Software and Macreations, publishers of the Tycho table program. Apparently, Nisus XS will have table-editing features, although if the licensing negotiations break down for the Tycho code, the program itself may come bundled with Nisus XS, and the two will communicate via Apple events. With talks about Tycho going, one wonders if Nisus and Macreations might not also be talking about Expressionist, Macreations' equation-editing program. Also being bandied about the Nisus rumor mill is the addition of drag & drop editing as in Microsoft Word.
Information from:
Mel Martinez -- mem@jhufos.pha.jhu.edu
We've heard of a few weird bugs with WriteNow after our generally glowing review of the program some months back. John Tynes reports that WriteNow often hangs and crashes when you frequently use the shift-arrow key combination to select text. Apparently the screen begins to flash, with shafts of black and white scrolling across your document. It does this for five to fifteen minutes, at the end of which you return to your document either without any problems or with a crash, the latter being more frequent under 3.0. T/Maker knows about the bug, according to John, but has been unable to fix it (or has assigned it a low priority due to the relative paucity of users who select text with shift-arrows).
David Voth has a more general problem, claiming that WriteNow crashes frequently on slower Macs like the Plus, Classic, and SE. He too said that T/Maker had confirmed that they knew about the bug but didn't plan to fix it in the immediate future. David considers this a shame since WriteNow is a great word processor for slower Macs. T/Maker didn't respond to our queries about these problems.
Finally, Tad Davis offers, "There is an easy workaround for the problem of starting headers on the second page in WriteNow. At the very beginning of the document, create a blank header, followed immediately by the header you want to start on the second page. It works perfectly from that point on because WriteNow, according to the manual, always prints the first header defined on a page at the top of that page. Once the blank header gets printed, the second one takes over. You don't have to worry about finding page 2 and hoping it doesn't shift around as you revise."
Information from:
John Tynes, Pagan Publishing -- UC521832@mizzou1.missouri.edu
David Voth -- hvoth@cln.etc.bc.ca
Tad Davis -- davist@a1.relay.upenn.edu
Those of you doing serious multimedia development projects might be interested to know that Apple recently created a Multimedia Program to support developers and publishers. It's available now in the US and Canada and will be available worldwide in mid-1993. Joining the program costs $550 before 31-Jan-93 and $750 after that, with an additional $100 discount for current Apple Associates and Partners at all times.
According to Apple, the Apple Multimedia Program Components include:
For more information about joining the Apple Multimedia Program, contact Apple at 408/974-4897, or via email at:
devsupport@applelink.apple.com
Pythaeus notes that as of the following dates both the StyleWriter (06-Jan-93) and the 13" Hi-Res RGB (14-Dec-92) will be discontinued and removed from price lists. I gather the StyleWriter has been in short supply in many places for quite some time in preparation for the release of the StyleWriter II, which will be faster, weirdly shaped in a different way, and capable of being shared among Macs on an AppleTalk network (shades of ShadowWriter, see above) by a program called GrayShare. So if you've been waiting for a StyleWriter, make sure you get your order changed to a StyleWriter II. The 13" monitors may be in slightly better supply, and if dealers are trying to get rid of them in favor of the new 14" monitors (same picture size, but a truly beautiful monitor) you may be able to find a lower price for the remaining 13" units.
All the hubbub about Apple charging for System 7.1 this fall actually did some good. Roger Heinen, Apple Senior Vice President and General Manager, announced that Apple is giving user group members a special promotional price on System 7.1 until 01-Feb-93. To take advantage of the 20% price reduction (that makes the price $27.95 instead of $34.95) you must:
Call 800/769-APPLE before 01-Feb-93.
Identify yourself as a user group member.
Provide the person chained to the telephone with the name of your registered Apple User Group.
And finally, provide mailing address and payment information.
Information from:
Apple propaganda
Non-profit, non-commercial publications and Web sites may reprint or link to articles if full credit is given. Others please contact us. We do not guarantee accuracy of articles. Caveat lector. Publication, product, and company names may be registered trademarks of their companies. TidBITS ISSN 1090-7017.
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