Cupertino, Calif. - Apple is preparing to make the 68040 processor a standard for the corporate desktop early next year with at least two new CPUs.
According to sources, Apple intends to release a series of 68040-based Macs that will be positioned between the Quadra 950 and 68030-based color Macs - represented now by the LC II, IIsi and IIci - and by the Performa 600 and Mac IIvx and IIvi, which are due in the coming weeks (see MacWEEK, Aug. 10).
Scheduled for introduction in the first quarter of 1993, the '040 Macs will be based on the same design as the forthcoming Performa 600 and Mac IIvx and IIvi, sources said. The new class of '040 machines is expected to replace the Quadra 700 and IIci.
Analysts said Apple must aggressively raise the performance of its CPUs to meet market demand.
"Fundamentally, performance is going high and to the right and pricing is low and to the left," said Roger McNamee, a partner at Integral Capital Partners in Palo Alto, Calif. "In 1993 Apple needs to move every product to the 68040, have add-in cards that bring the PowerPC to Macintosh users and deliver PowerPC systems."
Meanwhile, corporate users are saying that such new Macintosh system software as QuickDraw GX and OCE (Open Collaboration Environment) are pushing the power limits of '030-based Macs.
"Once users see what System 7.1, OCE, even QuickDraw, offer for common use, the need for more processing power will become evident," said Eric Weidl, a computer analyst at the University of Chicago.
Alan Alvaro, programmer analyst at Chevron Information Technology Co. in San Ramon, Calif., said, "All the new [Mac] software is getting better and more elegant, but it doesn't make sense to use it unless you have more powerful machines to run it."
Both the 25- and 33-MHz versions of the '040 models will feature built-in Ethernet and a processor direct slot compatible with the Quadra 700, 900 and 950 PDS. The units are expected to ship with two NuBus slots and on-board video support for up to 16-bit color on a 16-inch display.
A third machine, which would include three NuBus slots but no built-in Ethernet, is on the drawing board but may not ship until later next year.
Apple also is expected to deliver a high-end '040-based Mac, code-named Cyclone, next spring. The unit includes a digital signal processor; three NuBus slots; comprehensive support for video in and out; 16-bit stereo in and out; direct memory access for I/O; Ethernet; and World Port, a communications interface for modems, PBX and ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) connections.
Apple also will boost its low-end color product line with new '030-based CPUs. A 16-MHz '030 Classic with 9-inch color screen and PDS slot is expected in early 1993. Retail pricing is expected to be less than $1,700.
A 25-MHz '030-based replacement for the top-selling LC II reportedly is also in the works. In addition, Apple is expected to add a Mac with an integrated 13-inch screen and optional CD-ROM drive next spring.
MacWEEK 08.24.92
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Caere color-image app takes aim at Photoshop
By Matthew Rothenberg
Los Gatos, Calif. - Caere Corp. is putting the finishing touches on Image Assistant, a 24-bit-color image-editing and painting program that combines the sophistication of Adobe Photoshop with the ease of use of Light Source Inc.'s Ofoto.
According to sources, Caere will unveil Image Assistant at next month's Seybold San Francisco show; it will be available immediately. Sources said the software will cost less than Photoshop, the $895 image-editing program from Adobe Systems Inc.
The new program uses expert-system technology developed for Caere's OmniPage optical character recognition software to identify a color or gray-scale image within a scanned page. The software automatically adjusts color balance and skew of the image and removes moirs, producing an optimized continuous-tone graphic.
Ofoto offers similar one-step adjustments, but the current version, bundled with the $1,399 Apple OneScanner and sold separately for $395, handles gray scale only. Apple and Light Source reportedly are preparing a color version of Ofoto (see MacWEEK, April 27).
Caere's program features two editing modes. An Assist mode replaces the menu bar with a palette of 10 buttons that streamline image controls such as sharpening edges and adjusting tone and color. When a user selects a control, the pro-gram will display postage-stamp-size alternatives of images along with equivalent numeric values.
A Standard mode provides extra controls for more-experienced users. This mode features hierarchical tool palettes as well as numeric controls. For example, users can mix colors by smudging tubes of paint or by using a Pantone-based color wheel.
Other hierarchical tool palettes include a Select Area palette that brings up selection tools such as a lasso and magic wand. The Magic Wand tool reportedly allows users to select multiple colors, and a collapsing lasso lets users select irregularly shaped objects.
Users also can mix images with text and apply Pantone spot colors.
Each tool offers a "demonstrative dialog box" that presents options with visual examples. The Open File window includes a thumbnail preview of each file, along with the size and color mode of each image.
Users can edit individual separations or entire images in RGB (red, green, blue) or CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) mode as well as gray scale, and they can create custom filters, sources said. The application supports up to 20 levels of undo.
Image Assistant reportedly will come with a calibration card that lets users adjust the application to their scanner and printer.
Using the expert-system software, Caere's program can print multiple variations of an image section on a single page, so users can choose the color values of the final output.
It supports file formats such as TIFF, Encapsulated PostScript, PICT, Paint and Scitex CT. The program can read JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)-compressed images directly, sources said.
Image Assistant reportedly supports Twain, an application programming interface that links software directly to compatible input devices (see MacWEEK, March 9). It can capture images directly from Hewlett-Packard Co. ScanJet, Microtek Lab Inc., Ricoh Corp. and Epson America Inc. scanners.
MacWEEK 08.24.92
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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AppleScript to play four roles
By Raines Cohen
Cupertino, Calif. - A beta version of AppleScript finally rolls out to developers next month, and forward-thinking users are beginning to ask: What will it do for me? The answer is a lot or a little, depending on how well your applications support AppleScript.
The benefits of automation through AppleScript will be famil- iar to those who have written application-specific macros. Apple's operating-system scripting, however, will be able to access functions from multiple programs and customize functions inside programs.
There will be gradations to AppleScript compatibility:
>Scriptable applications are accessible via AppleScript. To achieve this level of compatibility, programs must support the Apple events Object Model and core Apple events.
AppleScript's vocabulary will be limited by the applications it controls, because many of its verbs will be derived dynamically from applications that support Apple events. For instance, if a program supports only two Apple events, scripts controlling that program will be able to activate just those two functions.
While few applications on the market qualify as scriptable now, developers are likely to adapt them so they can offer at least this lowest-common-denominator compatibility before AppleScript gets into the hands of end users early next year.
>Recordable applications sport a Watch Me mode in which significant user actions are saved in AppleScript form. The resulting log can be analyzed, edited or replayed on demand.
Developers and Apple said they expect that most AppleScript users will let the recordable applications write scripts that they can edit, rather than write their own scripts from scratch. This almost certainly means that AppleScript users will prefer to use recordable applications.
>Attachable applications will include readymade scripts that users can run within the application. The program becomes customizable when users substitute their scripts for supplied routines or add new ones.
For instance, Apple has demonstrated Shana Corp.'s forms package, Informed Manager, with a script attached to a customer name cell that opens a database from Claris Corp.'s FileMaker Pro 2.0 and copies an address automatically whenever data is entered in a cell.
Users could make a one-line change in such a script to reroute the look-up to another application, or they could write their own script to validate data as it is entered.
>Tinkerable applications will be thoroughly customizable because they dispatch all user actions to the AppleScript interpreter in the operating system. Most program functions can be overridden with a user-supplied script. For instance, in a tinkerable spreadsheet, a user could change the Print command so it exports data to another applica-tion for formatting before printing.
The capability to customize so severely will depend on developers "factoring" their applications. Factoring separates the user interface from the underlying functions, giving AppleScript a chance to intercept commands (see MacWEEK, April 6).
MacWEEK 08.24.92
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Apple configures Newton PDAs
By Mitch Ratcliffe
San Francisco - When users sink their teeth into Apple's Newton next year they will find a chewy technological filling that opens the door to several new classes of software products.
Apple reportedly plans to announce the first Newton Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) in January 1993, but the earliest ship date now being considered is March.
The company is finalizing a set of development tools for creating Newton forms applications and electronic content. Sources said these tools and related support information will not be available to developers until after Newton is introduced.
The tools include:
>Commercial forms.
Apple has developed a scripting language, NewtonScript, that developers can use to link forms to data stored in the first Newtons. At first, developers will use the Macintosh Programmer's Workshop when writing NewtonScript. Sources said a HyperCard-based front end is being developed to let developers create forms on a Macintosh, recompile them and distribute copies over a network or on PCMCIA cards to Newton users.
>IS forms.
Apple reportedly is developing Mac and IBM PC and compatible-based applications for building forms that can be downloaded directly to Newtons. Users will store these forms in the Newton extras drawer.
Forms created on Macintoshes and PCs reportedly will offer in-house developers the opportunity to customize their companies' Newtons for tasks such as accessing a mainframe database.
>Content tools.
A Mac-based authoring system will be available to information vendors and publishers. An electronic version of The Wall Street Journal, for instance, might be created on the Mac and downloaded to Newton users.
A content player will be available for Newton, although sources said Apple has not determined whether it will ship in ROM or on a PCMCIA card that can be plugged into Newton to add playback functions.
Apple has said since the Newton technology introduction that opportunities for developers will be limited because the device will ship with built-in calendaring, address-book and note-organizing applets (see MacWEEK, June 8).
In fact, Apple may completely redefine its relationships with developers, according to documents reviewed by MacWEEK.
Although these plans have not been finalized, sources said Apple will try to ensure the growth of the PDA market by investing in a few selected relationships, rather than its more traditional encouragement of a large third-party development community. Apple's partnership and technology exchange with Sharp Electronics Corp., which will build and market its own Newton device, is representative of the new developer support model, sources said.
Content developers who will deliver books, news, maps and reference materials, and systems integrators who could develop profitable vertical markets for Newtons will probably be the chief third-party Newton beneficiaries.
Mac developers that might try to scale down their desktop applications to run on Newton have been actively discouraged by Apple evangelists, according to several sources.
According to Apple, the first devices will support handwriting recognition for printed text and simple graphics and will include calendar, address-book, note-taking and note- organizing forms. Users will be able load custom forms that provide a limited variety of data views.
Support for serial connections, AppleTalk and outgoing fax capabilities will be included, but sources said it is doubtful that the first Newton toolbox will support third-party wireless communications links such as pagers and built-in cellular telephones.
MacWEEK 08.24.92
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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A Mac user's guide to the Internet
You know there is software, you know there are services, but you didn't know how they worked together. Until now.
By Daniel P. Dern
There is a wealth of commercial and free software packages available to let Mac users access services over the Internet via graphical Mac-like interfaces. Many enable your Mac to participate as a network-based peer to other systems via LAN or dial-up connections and in batch mode. Others act as simpler terminal emulators. Here's a guide to the programs and protocols you'll need.
IP under all. TCP/IP is the protocol "spoken" by the thousands of local- and wide-area networks comprising the Internet. With TCP/IP running on your Mac, the right applications, and a LAN or modem link to an existing Internet host, you can enjoy all the Internet-related capabilities possessed by hundreds of thousands of work-stations and multi-user systems attached to this giant network. Most commonly, you will exchange electronic mail, transfer files, act as a terminal on a remote computer (to access programs running on that host), and read and post mail to public message areas.
MacTCP is Apple's well-accepted implementation of TCP/IP for Macs. (Non-Apple implementations also are available.) All Apple TCP/IP applications and most third-party TCP/IP products for the Mac make use of MacTCP, and many third- party developers bundle it with their products. MacTCP runs simultaneously with the Mac's native AppleTalk, so you can access an AppleShare file server or print to a laser printer while on the Internet.
MacTCP includes IP (Internet Protocol), the network-layer protocol that transmits data packets between hosts, as well as two transport-layer protocols: TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), which guarantees that packets will arrive in the right order, and UDP (User Datagram Protocol), which transmits data in no particular order.
Users connecting via phone links depend on one or both of two related software standards: Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) and serial-line Internet Protocol (SLIP). These protocols allow IP connections over telephone lines, whether dial-up or leased. Well-tested implementations of SLIP for the Mac are readily available; PPP should be available later this year from third- party vendors.
You can't buy MacTCP through normal channels. According to Marv Su, product marketing manager in Apple's Enterprise Systems Division, the software is available several ways:
>Third-party bundle.
This is the most common way to get MacTCP. But beware: MacTCP sometimes is licensed for use with the bundled program only; you may have to pay a fee for broader use.
>Site license.
If you want to distribute MacTCP widely inside your company, APDA will sell you a site license for $2,500.
>Programmers license.
For either individual development or product bundling, Apple's soft-ware licensing department makes arrangements individually.
Full Internet interface. TCP/ Connect II from InterCon Systems Corp. of Herndon, Va., is the premier application for Internet access. Versions of the program range in price from $195 to $495 depending on features, with the top-of-the-line set providing a full suite of Internet services, including:
>E-mail.
Through SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) TCP/Connect II exchanges and forwards E-mail messages with the millions of users on the Internet.
>Finger.
You can retrieve information about a specified user on a local or remote system, as long as you know the proper address.
>FTP.
The File Transfer Protocol copies files and whole directories between connected systems. Thousands of sites have put gigabytes of files into publicly accessible directories, referred to as "anonymous FTP" servers.
>News.
Public message areas, much like discussion forums on commercial on-line services, are called Usenet news groups. This popular worldwide bulletin board system is replicated to most Internet hosts.
>Telnet.
The capability to log on via a terminal interface to a remote system often is used for accessing programs - usually databases - on distant hosts. TCP/Connect II supports multiple simultaneous sessions; you can have many Telnet windows open, each to a different remote system.
TCP/Connect II handles the conversion of files from BinHex - a standard Internet upload file format - to Mac-usable format automatically. This saves you a few steps during file transfers. The program package includes Apple's MacTCP and Inter/SLIP, InterCon's SLIP implementation for dial-up connections.
To use SLIP, you'll need access to a SLIP host. Your site may have one already; if not, you can pay for SLIP access through many public-access services.
Commercial options. VersaTerm telecommunications products from Synergy Software of Reading, Pa., first made their marks with graphics-terminal emulation and moved some time ago to support MacTCP. Along with MacTCP and Synergy's own version of SLIP, the $149 VersaTerm and $295 VersaTerm PRO can be used as front ends to the Internet via LAN or dial- up lines. In addition to Telnet support, VersaTerm lets you configure your Mac as an FTP client or as a server so other TCP/IP users can retrieve files from your Mac. A bundled control panel also enables you to synchronize your Mac's clock with any computer running the Network Time Protocol.
The $49 MacSLIP, written by Rick Watson, lets you add SLIP support to MacTCP on your Mac so you can use any MacTCP- compatible application with a dial-in SLIP connection (for more information, send E-mail to macslip@akbar.cc.utex.edu).
The cheap stuff. Many of the programs in use for Internet access were created by Internet-using institutions. Many are free, all are available via anonymous FTP, and most can be found on commercial on-line services, such as America Online, CompuServe and GEnie. They also are available in the Download Forum on ZiffNet/Mac (see chart below).
>TechMail and Eudora.
These two freebies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technologyn in Cambridge and Steve Dorner at the University of Illinois at Urbana are popular Internet E-mail clients. Mail clients separate the acts of reading, writing and filing your mail messages from the "post- office" functions of exchanging mail with other computers on the network. TechMail and Eudora let you create, edit and read messages locally on your Mac without requiring an active TCP/IP connection. For example, a PowerBook user could collect incoming mail and read the messages later, anywhere, without having to maintain a live network connection. Both TechMail and Eudora also let you attach Mac files to messages.
Mail clients establish a TCP/IP connection (via LAN or dial-up) to a host on the Internet where they have a mail account. The client and server exchange messages in batch form, using the Post Office Protocol (POP). Both sides must be running the same version of POP - it doesn't matter which version, as long as it's the same. Usually you can send outgoing E-mail through any host that runs POP, so you need not send mail from the same one every time. You do need to have a particular, prearranged Internet host acting as your "mail drop" so your incoming messages are stored somewhere.
>Fetch.
Developed by Jim Matthews at Dartmouth University in Hanover, N.H., Fetch is a free FTP utility that lists available files in a Mac window and automatically takes care of BinHex conversion and StuffIt 1.5.1 decompression when you download files.
>XferIt.
Written by Steven Falkenburg of Apple, XferIt helps users browse through the large archives of files housed on many Internet hosts. It opens up a window for each directory that you want to look at and lets you retrieve entire directory trees. XferIt also translates BinHex files. The program is shareware: $10 for one user and $175 for up to 500 users.
>GopherApp.
This free utility from Don Gilbert of Indiana University is the emerging standard for Internet file transfers on the Mac because it sports a more Mac-like interface than Fetch. Directories are presented as folder icons, and documents have text-file icons. The program works with normal FTP sites, but when it connects to a Gopher-compatible site, the program is even better because it doesn't keep a constant connection to the Gopher server and it will perform BinHex conversions. It cannot, however, decompress files on its own.
>NewsWatcher.
Also written by Steven Falkenburg - along with "a cast of thousands" - this free news group reader has become the seed for many modified versions. NewsWatcher gives a hierarchical, window-oriented view of all Usenet groups: Double-clicking a group name opens its message listing, and double-clicking a message opens it for reading. Addressing replies is handled automatically, and the program also sends E-mail. You can save your favorite groups to a "subscription" list, and NewsWatcher will keep track of which messages you haven't read.
>NCSA/Telnet. The National Center for Supercomputing Applications in Urbana, Ill., has developed a free Mac Telnet interface (with DEC VT100 emulation only) that also acts as an FTP server.
Although this seems limiting - you can't download files directly to your Mac via NCSA/Telnet - you can use Telnet protocols to log onto a remote host, then open an FTP connection back to your Mac and "push" the files onto your local hard drive.
Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, has added a simple FTP client to the NCSA code, resulting in NCS/BYU Telnet. And Brown University in Providence, R.I., has added 3270-terminal emulation; the result is called tn3270. These adaptations also are free.
What else? Armed with these TCP/IP programs on your Mac or their equivalents, you'll be capable of interacting with the most popular services available on the Internet. The multiplicity of protocols can make a connection confusing, but with a vendor's SLIP or MacTCP, the underlying technology is handled for you. E-mail addressing, file formats and the cross- platform nature of the network make using the Internet more complicated than accessing traditional on-line services. However, whenever you're ready to start climbing the learning curve, there are tools available.
MacWEEK 08.24.92
Gateways Page 20
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Zorro! to ride into Mac video arena
Mass Micro package captures, catalogs clips
By Neil McManus
Sunnyvale, Calif. - Mass Microsystems Inc. plans to make its mark on the video market with Zorro!, a Mac-based editing and archiving system.
Due to ship in November for about $2,500, the QuickTime- compatible system will include:
>Video capture card.
Mass Micro is bundling its $495 QuickImage 24, a 24-bit NuBus board that captures S-video and composite video as NTSC (National Television System Committee) and PAL (European) signals.
>Media controllers.
Two custom ARTI media boxes will let the Mac control up to 16 LANC, Control-L, Control-M and Control-S video devices. A Mass Micro spokesman said the system eventually will support VISCA (Video System Control Architecture) and V-LAN devices. An optional $100 adapter will let the boxes handle SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) timecode.
>Preview window.
Software will let users see incoming video and capture only desired sequences.
>Editing software.
A Mass Microsystems cuts-only application lets users edit QuickTime movies and save their work as Zorro! or CMX edit-decision lists (EDLs), which can be used to assemble final videotapes.
>Archive manager.
A Mass Micro database program called Video Librarian will let users log video footage with titles and notes. The software will let users search any field with AND/OR operators. First- and last-frame stills provide a visual reference.
Mass Microsystems Inc. is at 810 W. Maude Ave., Sunnyvale, Calif. 94086. Phone (408) 522-1221 or (800) 522-7979; fax (408) 733-5499.
GA Page 22
MacWEEK 08.24.92
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Scripting gives a new face to telecommunications apps
User scripting and terminal-emulation features in new telecom software packages make on-line access across platforms an easy part of the working day.
By Emily Kay
Telecommunications software for the Macintosh has grown beyond the simple facilities of early telecom packages that let users merely call up a single number or download a file.
Because of the variety of computer platforms in many corporate networks, a new breed of telecommunications software has developed that includes complex scripting and terminal-emulation capabilities.
These programs enable users to automate a wide range of functions, as well as emulate the functionality of different terminals with the friendliness of a Mac interface.
Scripting makes users more productive by letting them bypass text-based menus to zip quickly to the information they seek instead of using time and money on-line.
The scripting languages in four programs - Software Ventures Corp.'s MicroPhone II, Pacer Software Inc.'s PacerTerm, The FreeSoft Company's White Knight (formerly Red Ryder) and Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc.'s Smartcom II - enable novice and advanced Mac users to automate commands that let them easily navigate their way around on-line network services and host-based systems. Deciding which one you need depends on the complexity of the telecommunications tasks you do.
The big script. One of the most full-featured telecommunications packages, MicroPhone II's scripting capabilities have made it a hit among users. "I've tried just about every telecom program there is," said David Sternlight, president of David Sternlight Inc., an economic consulting company in Pasadena, Calif. "I prefer MicroPhone because its powerful scripting capabilities let me fully automate my log-on sessions."
The program can run the same scripts on both Macintosh and Windows platforms, which was a big plus for Doug Eldred, a consultant with Control Data Systems Inc., a computer- services integrator in Arden Hills, Minn.
"I can take scripts written on the Mac and run them unaltered on the Windows version of MicroPhone, changing only things like the phone port," Eldred said.
Scripting also enables Eldred to do several tasks at once. Using MicroPhone, he scripts commands to automatically log on to a num-ber of systems running on several types of computers, give the required user names for each sys-tem, and log off when all mail is received.
"I can start it running and [do something else]," Eldred said. "I can be in four or five places at once rather than in one terminal, doing one thing."
MicroPhone II's Long Range Navigator (LORAN) provides built-in front-end scripts to CompuServe and Software Ventures' own bulletin board system. According to the company, scripts for MCI Mail, GEnie and Dow Jones will be available sometime in the future.
Of the four scripting programs mentioned here, MicroPhone II supports the widest variety of terminals - including TTY, VT52/120/220/320 and IBM PC-ANSI - and Kermit and X/Y/Zmodem file transfer protocols.
The program also supports HyperCard 2.0 external commands (XCMDs) and external functions (XFCNs), and System 7 features, including interapplication communications, the Connection Manager of the Macintosh Communications Toolbox, Apple events, publish and subscribe, and balloon help.
Keeping in Pace. Pacer Software's PacerTerm is popular among users needing to link AppleTalk-networked Macs to hosts from Digital Equipment Corp. In addition to its HyperTalk- compatible scripting language and Comm Toolbox support, PacerTerm supports TTY and VT102/320 terminals, and FTP, Kermit, Xmodem and Zmodem file transfer protocols.
Richard Paul, an engineer in the Flight Test Center of Douglas Aircraft Co., an aircraft manufacturer and division of McDonnell Douglas Corp. in Long Beach, Calif., uses DEC VAXes and Micro VAXes to analyze data tapes created from all commercial flight tests.
In the past Paul had to configure tools at both ends for certain defaults and remember each system's TCP/IP address when transferring files from his PowerBook 140 to one of the corporate mainframes.
Now, using PacerTerm's scripting language, within a few minutes he can type in the necessary commands to set everything up just as he wants them.
"I deal with too many accounts, passwords and TCP/IP addresses to keep track of them all," Paul said. "I used to have little cheat sheets. Now I just hit a button, and it makes the connection."
Red Ryder to White Knight. As one of the first communications packages for the Mac, Red Ryder broke new ground but had limited capabilities.
Now called White Knight, the former shareware program plays in the same commercial market with the big kids through its support of TTY and VT 52/100/102 terminals, and Kermit, X/Y/Zmodem, and Flash, a high-speed low-overhead file transfer protocol for error-correcting modems.
White Knight also provides a complete procedural language that lets users create detailed scripts.
Sandy Hamm, newsfinder manager with ARI Network Services Inc., an information-retrieval service based in Milwaukee, uses White Knight's scripting language to put a kinder, gentler front end to the company's mainframe-based information service.
"In the old days our users logged on to our network by dialing up an IBM 3090 mainframe," Hamm said. "They had to learn all the mainframe syntax, which was bad enough, but they also had to type in a six-digit number for every story they had to retrieve."
Now ARI Network Services uses White Knight's scripting capabilities to locate on-line news stories without needing to learn and remember esoteric mainframe operations.
Simpler Smartcom II. Hayes aims Smartcom II's more limited functionality at less-sophisticated users who don't want to learn a full-blown procedural language.
According to the company, Smartcom II is not as powerful as a complete programming language, but for 99 percent of users it gives them the functionality they want in a very easy-to-use framework.
Rod Paine, president of Astec Co., a Macintosh consulting company in Purcellville, Va., said he enjoys Smartcom II's simplicity but said it is sophisticated enough to write a customized support bulletin board system.
"We looked at MicroPhone and its very sophisticated scripting capability," Paine said. "But our clients are average business users, and they're not about to get into [writing their own BBSes]."
Smartcom II supports VT52/100/102, TTY, and ANSI.SYS terminals; X/Y/Zmodem and MacBinary II file transfer protocols; the Macintosh Communications Toolbox; and System 7's balloon help and Apple events.
The bottom line. Advanced scripting capabilities in the telecommunications software mentioned here ease connections to on-line and host-based systems that tend to speak foreign languages to average business users.
According to users, these telecom software products are intuitive enough for non-wireheads to automate the hieroglyphics of on-line and host sessions but powerful enough for advanced users who require more than simple access to computer bulletin boards.
Eldred notes that the point-and-click simplicity of most telecommunications software scripts can be a boon with novice users who need occasional access to remote mainframe and on-line systems but are quickly frustrated at having to memorize arcane commands. "If you program the script right, users won't have to know the difference between a VT100 or a Wyse terminal," Eldred said.
Erik Holsinger contributed to this report.
Product Info
The FreeSoft Company
White Knight: $139
105 McKinley Road, Beaver Falls, Pa. 15010
Phone (412) 846-2700; fax (412) 847-4436
Hayes Microcomputer Products Inc.
Smartcom II: $149
P.O. Box 105203, Atlanta, Ga. 30348
Phone (404) 840-9200; fax (404) 441-1238
Pacer Software Inc.
PacerTerm: $249
7911 Herschel Ave., Suite 402, La Jolla, Calif. 92037
Phone (619) 454-0565; fax (619) 454-6267
Software Ventures Corp.
MicroPhone II: $195
2907 Claremont Ave., Berkeley, Calif. 94705
Phone (510) 644-3232; fax (510) 848-0885
MacWEEK 08.24.92
ProductWatch Page 47
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Review: Silver Cloud lifts fog from tired Chooser
The AG Group provides a replacement to the Chooser that helps network administrators and users navigate large AppleTalk networks.
By Jonathan A. Oski
Despite the subtle and obvious improvements that have been made to the Macintosh interface over the years, the Chooser retains the same clunky appearance it has had since its introduction some seven years ago. Some of us still have fond memories of the first time we were on an AppleTalk network with more than one zone, but that was most likely at a time when network resources consisted of LaserWriters and perhaps an Apple-Share server.
Today's AppleTalk internetworks have become overwhelmingly complex, in some cases encompassing hundreds of zones and thousands of network resources. Although some routers can restrict your view of network zones and resources, finding an AFP (AppleTalk Filing Protocol) server, LaserWriter or other network device on a large network can be an unnecessarily cumbersome task involving scrolling through as many as three list boxes.
The AG Group Inc., known primarily for its wonderful AppleTalk protocol analyzers, recently released a new network utility dubbed Silver Cloud that gives the Chooser a much-needed face lift. Silver Cloud 1.0 does not modify the Apple Chooser at all - actually it replaces it. While the changes to the Chooser interface embodied in Silver Cloud are not overtly dramatic, they are significant, addressing some of the most troublesome aspects of Apple's aging utility.
>Configuration.
Silver Cloud is designed for use by both network administrators and users, and it retains the same three- scroll-box interface found in the existing Chooser, albeit with a number of usability enhancements. The most notable change is in the zones box in which Silver Cloud incorporates the System 7 Finder's hierarchical list view. Unlike the Chooser, Silver Cloud is completely configurable. Any zone or network device can be given an alias and rearranged in a manner best- suited to the different classes of users on your internetwork. These modifications include the ability to hide or rename any zone or device on the network. New zones or device folders can be created as well. These alterations can be made by the network administrator prior to Silver Cloud's installation and tailored further by the end user once Silver Cloud is installed.
Administrators can permanently hide portions of their network from users and create new logical groupings of devices that are more easily navigated when the barriers created by zones are removed. One typical implementation would be to place both printers and servers in a single device folder named for the department or workgroup. This would eliminate the need for users to select different device icons before seeing a list of the resources they access most often and also obviate the task of hunting through a list of zone names when looking for different devices.
Users are too often confused by the concept of zones, especially when the physical network imposes unnecessary boundaries within a workgroup or department. Networks and zones are necessary in most instances to control or isolate network traffic. Silver Cloud's Find feature can help you locate networked devices throughout your internetwork, freeing administrators from answering questions such as, "What zone is the marketing server in?"
>Administration.
Before creating baseline configurations that will be distributed to the different user classes, you should give some thought to how you will logically portray your network using Silver Cloud. This can be done by creating a matrix of user groups, zones and devices in which you can map out the logical view that best suits the different classes of users on your network.
Silver Cloud administration has some annoying wrinkles. All the settings are stored in the Silver Cloud Preferences file in your System folder. Before creating or editing any baseline configurations, you have to make a backup of your Preferences file or it will become unusable. This structure makes managing a large number of baseline configurations unnecessarily tedious, but the process is well-documented in Silver Cloud's thorough manual. We also found it irritating that you must enter your serial number each time you launch the Silver Cloud administration application.
As administration aids, The AG Group has added two utilities to Silver Cloud that allow you to import or export your Silver Cloud zone and device hierarchies to and from text files. These tools simplify the process of managing a variety of Silver Cloud configurations, since they can be edited using any text editor.
Although learning to use Silver Cloud is easy, there is no separate user documentation that can be distributed to end users. You should thus plan on spending some time familiarizing your users with the product.
>Conclusions.
Potential buyers of Silver Cloud should be forewarned that its administration is a bit clumsy, especially the requirement to enter a serial number each time the application is launched. Depending on how dynamic your network is, the need to make changes may not be that regular, in which case a one-time con-figuration would minimize the inconveniences of Silver Cloud administration. The import and export utilities help make administration a less painful chore, but it is evident that they were afterthoughts that should have been included in the administration application.
Silver Cloud represents a welcome change in the way a Macintosh views an AppleTalk network. Using it will require a good deal of upfront planning, but its ability to simplify your view of network resources should be a welcome relief to most end users.
The AG Group Inc. is at 2540 Camino Diablo, Suite 202, Walnut Creek, Calif. 94596. Phone (510) 937-7900; fax (510) 937- 2479.
Reviews Page 42
MacWEEK 08.24.92
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Keyboard still mightier than pen
Momenta demise sign of market woes
By Jon Swartz
San Francisco - Now that the ink appears to have run dry on pen-based computer maker Momenta International Corp., observers are wondering when the much-ballyhooed field will make its mark in the computer industry.
Privately held Momenta this month laid off most of its 50 employees and is being run by a Silicon Valley consulting firm. Barring an eleventh-hour infusion of funds from new investors, the company said it will liquidate or seek bankruptcy- protection from creditors.
Momenta's demise raises questions about the market for pen- based computers, which industry observers agree will be huge - when it materializes. "It still needs a few years to evolve," said Nicholas Baran, co-editor of the Pen-Based Computing newsletter in Sandpoint, Idaho.
For now, analysts contend, the nascent market has to overcomes several hurdles: lack of software; pricey hardware; and deficiencies in handwriting recognition, display and wireless communications technologies.
"Once those issues are resolved, it will be an enormous, profitable market," said Bill Lempesis, editor of Pen Vision News in Pleasanton, Calif. "In the meantime, you'll see more than a few companies that base their core business on pen computing struggle."
Momenta's spectacular rise and fall serves as another cautionary tale of the perils in trying to transform leading- edge technologies into successful businesses. The company made a big splash last October when it unveiled its first machine, a personal computer that recognized some forms of handwriting.
The Mountain View, Calif., company also attracted several big-name executives and engineers, including former Apple Chief Operating Officer Del Yocam.
But Momenta quickly ran into problems. For one thing, its machines - though much-trumpeted in computer circles - didn't catch on with customers.
"The technology - especially screens - just isn't there yet. A lot of companies are taking a wait-and-see approach," said Rod Rockwell, manager of information systems for Nike Inc. in Beaverton, Ore. Momenta officials blamed poor sales on the general recession, but the machine also was bulky and had some software problems. Moreover, it was expensive, initially priced at $4,995.
Yocam resigned in May after less than two months on the job when investors refused to pump more money into the company and began talking of scaling back operations, according to Momenta insiders. An estimated $40 million was sunk into the company despite poor sales.
At the same time, new technologies are fostering growth in smaller form factors, such as the forthcoming handheld devices from Apple, Sharp Electronics Corp. and others. Several users said they were holding off on buying pen-based machines until Apple and others introduce their devices next year.
The pen-computer market's woes have been duly noted by industry analysts, who have severely scaled back their expectations. Only a year ago, some estimated as much as 5 million pen-based units would be sold in 1994; today, most have dropped that projection to about 200,000, according to Baran.
"Momenta was not an anomaly. It just happened to be first out of the block, and it was the first to implode," said John Rizzo, former vice president of marketing at Momenta. "Believe me, there will be others.
MacWEEK 08.24.92
BusinessWatch Page 28
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Mac the Knife: Apple's Classic juggling act
Having finally had his fill of Tex-Mex and Thai cuisine in what is rightfully known as the air-conditioning capital of the world, the Knife, along with several thousand thoughtful and well-dressed conventioneers, bid a fond farewell last week to Houston. For some, those four or five too-short days in Texas were a call to a battle that is just beginning. For the Knife, it was all in a week's work. After all, insider Mac info is where you find it.
Although the Knife refuses to reveal exactly where he found out about Apple's tentative plans for its slow-moving inventory of 68000-based Classics, he was forthcoming with some details. First, there's the report that production of the floppy model has ended and a couple of thousand are believed to be stacked up in a corner of a warehouse somewhere gathering dust. Some sources speculate that these units might eventually find their way into some special Apple for the Teachers promotion.
The Classic presents a bit of a headache to the people at Apple who are charged with positioning and pricing. A big contributor to the pain is a tentative plan to reposition the Classic II at a price about the same as that currently occupied by the Classic. In this scenario that means that the Classic would have to then be sold in the $500 neighborhood to remain competitive with its more powerful Mac sibling.
>More door stops.
While on the subject of 68000-based Mac configurations that are hard to move, the Knife reports that the success of the PowerBook 100 4/40 fire sale at the Price Club did not go unnoticed. As a result, the Price Club is expected to get the remaining inventory of PowerBook 100 4/40s, while a proposal to move the existing inventory of the PowerBook 100 2/20 through a mail-order channel is receiving serious consideration.
There's also that matter of the Classic II with System 7 in ROM, a Mac that has been discussed more that once over the last several months. The Knife reports that the project is still on. According to the currently most favored plan, at least one initial configuration will include 2 Mbytes of RAM and a bank- switchable 3-Mbyte ROM card that will include System 7 and one or two applications.
>Up the laser scale.
Perhaps it was those ads IBM has been running touting the virtues of 600-dpi printing as evidenced by its own Mac-compatible printer, or perhaps it was caused by the simple laws of technological inevitability. We may never know for sure, but we can be sure that Apple is working on its own 600-dpi gray-scale printer. Sources familiar with the new product said it won't be a replacement for the LaserWriter IIf or IIg, although it will use the same technology that results in superior imaging.
>PDA Microsoft.
A company doesn't get to occupy a position in the industry as lofty as Microsoft's by resting on its past achievements, not to mention its Windows. The Knife reports that the software behemoth has recently reorganized its development efforts for Pen Windows and multimedia. The result is a group working on pen-based and multimedia applications for Windows. On a more interesting note, a consumer group has been formed that hopes to have a unique PDA operating system (sans Windows) available by 1995.
Those with a keen sense of irony needn't be saddened by the end of the convention season. Next month's Seybold San Francisco may include a panel that features, among other luminaries, both John Sculley and Steve Jobs. This one has the potential to be quite interesting. As Joe Bob says, check it out.
Word to those requesting free MacWEEK mugs: As any good Republican can tell you, there ain't no such thing as a free mug. But if you've got the currency, the Knife wants to talk to you. He's usually found at (415) 243-3544, fax (415) 243-3650, MCI (MactheKnife), AppleLink (MacWEEK) and CompuServe/ZiffNet/Mac.
MacWEEK 08.24.92
Mac the Knife Page 98
(c) Copyright 1992 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
