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_protoReality The North Atlanta Newton Users Group Newsletter Volume 1, Number 9 November 22nd, 1994 Notices Apple, the Apple Logo and Newton are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. MessagePad is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. All other products mentioned herein are copyrighted/ trademarked by their owners. The editor and the NANUG (The North Atlanta Newton Users Group) staff are responsible for the opinions expressed in this newsletter, unless specifically by-lined. NANUG cannot be held responsible for any damages that occur due to use or misuse of the information contained in this newsletter. It must be distributed free of charge, and the original contents remain intact. Portions may be reprinted, quoted, or adapted as long as proper credit is noted. Individual portions may bear the copyright of their original authors, who should be contacted directly. All such copyrighted material appears in this newsletter with permission of the original author. Contents How to Contact NANUG NANUG Membership Application Form Introduction NANUG Overview Minutes of the November Meeting NANUG Membership Statistics AOL’s PDA Forum’s Pocket Press Views and Reviews Personal Media #1 Personal Media #2 QuickCall 2.1 Time To Go WineList Tips, Hints, and Secrets NUG News Ask NANUG Want Ads, Classified, and Cork Board NANUG Member Bios Contact Information For more information about NANUG, meeting times, or newsletter submission guidelines, please write: Mark Underwood President The North Atlanta Newton Users Group 3381 Claire Circle Marietta, Georgia 30066 USA or E-mail: InterNet: marku@aix3.ema.com AppleLink: EMA.COMPSV NewtMail: MarkU eWorld: MarkU NANUG Membership Application Form On the next page is a membership application to join NANUG. There is currently no membership fee. The benefits of joining, as opposed to just reading the newsletter? Well, you get on our exclusive mailing list ;-) and can take advantage of our user group discounts on hardware and software (soon to be published). Even better is the general idea of belonging, don’t you think? ;-) You can also join by obtaining our membership package from our ftp site, ftp.amug.org (thanks to our best friends at the Arizona Macintosh Users Group!). After logging in anonymously, change directory down to: /pub/newton/nanug The sub-directory “membership” contains a copy of the membership card and instructions on how to join us. NANUG Membership Application Form Name: Address: City/State/Zip: Country: Phone: Fax: NewtMail: E-mail address: You can: • Print this page and mail it to: Mark Underwood NANUG Membership 3381 Claire Circle Marietta, GA 30066 USA • E-mail your personal information to “marku@aix3.ema.com” with a subject of “NANUG Membership” From the Orthogonal Office Mark Underwood Turkey Day has made me just a little late (yes, I’m allowed to take vacations, just like everyone else!) in getting this month’s newsletter to you, but as a result we were able to cover another important (and controversial) Newton app for you: Gaia’s Personal Media. As with Graffiti, we offer two separate reviews and some screen snaps. Our Web versions of the newsletters are coming along nicely--we have the first three converted and on-line, with more to follow. If you’re interested, set your web surfer’s path to amug.org and dive down into the Newton area. Thanks to Ashley and Dan at AMUG for the chance to add our face to the InterNet! Keep your eye out for more web-based NANUG activities, such as access to our “best of” disks, on-line Newton surveys, and more! If you’re interested in helping us out on the web, please drop me a line at marku@aix3.ema.com for more info. In December, we will be back on-line with our monthly “remote” meetings, starting with one on America On-Line on the 16th of December, from 9:30 to 11:30 PM, EST. Hopefully with a later starting time, we can have more of our West Coast constituency attend! In January, we will try to hold both an eWorld and an InterNet IRC chat session. I’ll keep you up to date on the events as they are scheduled! Enough said! On with the show! A NANUG Overview Mark Underwood Founded in October of 1993, NANUG was created with these ideas in mind: • To provide timely and correct information about the Newton and all of its accessories, software packages, and other Newton-related products • To assist new and experienced Newton users in getting the most out of their purchase • To provide (hopefully) an un-biased forum for the exchange of user tips, hints, and suggestions • To provide free or low-cost resources for small to medium Newton development projects There is currently no membership fee to join NANUG. Meetings are normally held the second Tuesday of the month. We also hold “on-line” conferences from time to time to allow our remote members to participate directly. _protoReality, our newsletter, is published one a month (normally during the third week of the month) in three formats: a Newton Book Reader package, a “binary enhanced” text document, and a “plain” text document. Each format strives to convey as much information as possible within the constraints of the media. The “plain” text version, for example, is posted to InterNet, while the “binary” and “book reader” formats are posted to on-line forums and ftp sites that support binary up/down loads (AppleLink, CompuServe, America On-Line, etc.). NANUG also has a shared InterNet ftp site, ftp.amug.org, where we post all of our files--including membership materials and “best of” selections. The site supports anonymous log in, and is located in the directory: /pub/newton/nanug Minutes of the November Meeting Local Meeting Meeting was called to order at 7 PM. Discussions centered around on-line access with the Newton. Even though eWorld and NewtonMail use the same log-on IDs, most agreed that there should be a eWorld “client” for the Newton, one that would allow a small subset of the services to be accessed, such as file transfer, member search, discussion boards, and one or more of the news services. When the Newton UG area is established, NANUG members will be able to provide some of these through the use of email with attachments, and hopefully Apple On-Line Services will be coming out with a “client” in the near future. December’s meeting will be held off-site (so to speak) at Rocky’s, a local pizzeria. Since this will be our first field trip, any one who can locate and send in the pizza ordering applet that John Scully used during the Newton intro will be awarded with a virtual Pizza of their choice. ;-) The meeting was then turned over to show and tell. Lots of new little apps and more Graffiti tricks were shown, along with some new and unusual Newton bags “borrowed” from more conventional use. The meeting was called to a close at 9:15 PM. The next scheduled local meeting will be on December 13th, 1994. Details on locations and times of all local and “remote” meetings will we posted to all NANUG locations and sent via e-mail to members. NANUG Membership Statistics Total number of members: 518 Members by state (US): AL 4 MT 1 AZ 7 NC 4 CA 78 NE 2 CO 9 NH 2 CT 3 NJ 6 DC 3 NM 3 DE 1 NY 32 FL 17 OH 9 GA 38 OK 1 IL 15 OR 5 IN 4 PA 15 IO 1 RI 1 KS 2 SC 1 KY 1 TN 3 LA 1 TX 26 MA 21 UT 6 MD 12 VA 12 ME 2 VT 1 MI 8 WA 8 MN 8 WI 5 MO 5 WV 1 MS 1 WY 1 Members by country: Argentina 1 Italy 4 Australia 17 Japan 7 Austria 5 Macau 1 Belgium 2 Malaysia 1 Bermuda 1 Mexico 1 Canada 24 Netherlands 2 Croatia 1 New Zealand 1 Finland 3 Poland 1 France 6 Singapore 2 Germany 17 Spain 3 Hong Kong 7 Sweden 3 Indonesia 1 Switzerland 4 Israel 1 UK 16 AOL’s PDA Forum’s Pocket Press This month, we were lucky enough to get on AOL’s mailing list for their spectacular Pocket Press Special Help Issue. One of he most commonly asked questions (and you’ll see it asked in this month’s “Ask NANUG”) goes something like this: “Okay, I have this Newt, so how do I get stuff onto it?” Well, if you’re one of the ones asking that question, please read on! The PDA Forum’s Pocket Press Special Help Issue Welcome to the PDA Forum’s “Help Issue” of Pocket Press. We send it out once a week to all members who have requested it (you only receive it once after you request - it is not a weekly newsletter). This issue contains basic information, tips, and help on PDA’s, palmtops, our files and compression schemes, and much more. We hope you find it a help, and will visit the PDA Forum often. What’s in this Edition? What is the PDA Forum How Files for Different Units are Identified Finding Files Fast & Downloading Tips Cross Platform Techniques Mac Users Decompression of Mac or PC Files Converting PC Text to Mac Format PC Users Decompression of PC or Mac Files Converting Mac Text to PC Format Palmtop Paperbacks Section Utilities for Reading Etexts & Ezines on Macs & PC’s Newton Books Getting Answers Fast Quick Tips Center & FAQ Boards Posting in the Forum “Must Have” Files Suggestions for HP, Newton, Psion, and Zoomer Do You Need a PDA or Palmtop? What is the PDA Forum? The Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) Forum is designed to cover every aspect of PDA and palmtop computing, from novice-level support to program development. We are a complete resource for information, discussion, and software for all handheld devices including the Newton 100 and 110, Hewlett Packard 95LX, 100LX, and 200LX palmtop computers, the Zoomer, Psion S3 and S3a, Wizard series, and many other handheld units. We also are a multi-platform forum, meaning that our files are handled by both Mac and PC users. How can I tell which files are for which PDA/Palmtops? Most PDA Forum software files are specific to a particular palmtop platform. To help readily identify a given file type, we use the prefix system shown below: AT = Atari Portfolio CA = Casio BOSS DT = Dauphin DTR series EO = AT & T EO 440 & 880 ET = Electronic Texts & Books EZ = Electronic Magazines & Newsletters HP = Hewlett Packard HP95LX HP1= Hewlett Packard HP100LX and HP200LX HP2= Hewlett Packard HP200LX only ND = Newton Development files NT = Newton Texts & Books NW = Apple or Sharp Newton PS = Psion PT = Sharp PT9000 WZ = Sharp Wizard ZM = Casio/Tandy Zoomer + = General utility and/or multiple platforms (When added to a prefix above, it means that PDA and more - for example, HP1+ indicates the file runs on the HP100LX and other DOS compatible units) 48 = Hewlett Packard HP48 series TI = Texas Instrument TI85 Others will be added as new equipment is released. How can I find specific files? The fastest way to find a PDA Forum file is to use the PDA Software Search. Simply select the Software Libraries icon on the main forum screen, and then PDA Software Search. While it does not yet have buttons to allow you to choose file categories, or select the time frame of the search, it will at a future date. In the meantime, simply use the prefixes we use in our file descriptions. For example, if you want to search for a Newton soup utility, enter (without the quotes) “NW and soup” as a search phrase. By the way, we recommend you do NOT use the option in AOL software to automatically decompress files. We have files for numerous platforms, and some files cannot be opened with AOL software. Using the automatic decompression may corrupt certain files - it is UNLIKELY, but why take chances? Decompression of Mac or PC files on the Mac Unstuffing PDA .sit & .cpt Files on the Mac Files downloaded from America Online are usually compressed, making the file smaller so it can be transferred faster, thus saving time, connection charges and storage space. There are two popular types of file compression used on AOL. .SIT files are compressed with a program called STUFFIT. .CPT files are compressed with a program called Compactor Pro To decompress either of these file types, use StuffIt Deluxe 3.x (commercial program) or StuffIt Expander 3.5.1 (free, available here in our General/Utilities Library). Simply launch the unstuffing program, open the archive you wish to decompress from the File Menu’s “Open” command, select the archive and UnStuff. UnStuff and StuffIt Deluxe can decompress both .sit and .cpt files. More and more people are using the newer version of StuffIt to compress files as it is faster and offers better compression, so AOL may or may not be able to decompress all .sit files. We suggest in this forum that you DISABLE the automatic decompression feature of your version of America Online and use the free StuffIt Expander from our General/Utilities library. To disable automatic expansion of StuffIt compressed files: From America Online’s Members menu select Preferences and uncheck your Downloading Preferences to Auto-UnStuff Files. Unzipping PDA .zip files on the Mac Many files in the PDA Forum were created on a PC. These files use a different compression scheme (zip) than Mac owners normally use. Also, text files are handled differently on the PC, and need to be converted for easy reading. If a Mac owner wishes to send a text file to a PC user, the reverse conversion is required. Decompressing with ZipIt 1.2.6 The zip format of file compression is a standard on almost all computers except the Macintosh. StuffIt Deluxe has an unzip option (but may report false errors on a very few files), but the excellent shareware program ZipIt allows Mac users to easily decompress AND create zip archives. ZipIt has an easy to understand Mac interface, and can be found in the PDA Forum’s General/Utilities Library. To use ZipIt, simply launch the program, and use the “Open” command to select the file to be unzipped. Select files in the archive you wish to decompress, and choose “Extract”(or Command E) from the Zip menu. Linefeeds Lines of text on Macs are generally terminated with a carriage return (CR), while DOS-based machines use a carriage return followed by a linefeed. This is a CR/LF sequence. On a Mac, an unconverted PC text file will have little rectangles at the start of each line -- these are the linefeeds. ZipIt can convert text files from a UNIX (UNIX uses just a linefeed) or PC computer to Macintosh text automatically during decompression. Simply select the “Add/Strip Linefeeds” option under the Zip Menu (this is the default option). WARNING: Do NOT select Add/Strip Linefeeds on non-text files, as it is likely to corrupt them. These non-text files often end in .exe, .bat, .com, etc. -- these are PC programs, and should not be altered. Text files usually end in .txt or .doc. ZipIt normally identifies the proper files for stripping. ZipIt can also add linefeeds to text files you wish to send to PC users. You must tell ZipIt to add linefeeds BEFORE the file is zipped by clicking in the linefeed square (the square in the “LF” column) in the zip window next to the text file you wish to add linefeeds, or by selecting that file and choosing “Add/Strip Linefeeds” from the Zip menu. If the square is filled in, linefeeds will be added when the file is saved. By default, linefeeds will be added to all text files if the Preference for adding and stripping linefeeds is set. Decompression of PC or Mac files on the PC Unzipping PDA .zip Files on the PC The easiest way to unzip a file is to use the most current version of PKWARE’s, PKUNZIP program that is located in our General/Utilities library under the name of PK204G.EXE. The reason for this is that more and more people are using the new version to zip files as it is faster and offers better compression, but AOL has not updated the version they use as of yet. We suggest in this forum that you disable the automatic decompression feature of your version of America Online, and use the newer PK204G.EXE (or UNZIPR5.0) program available in our General/Utilities library. Once you have the new version of PK204G.EXE create a directory call say Utility and place this file into that directory. Once it is there from the C: prompt type: cd utility (make sure space is between cd and utility). Now type the following PK204G and hit enter. You will see the file self decompress on the screen. Once this is done you may store the original file PK204G.EXE on a floppy for safe keeping. Now comes the fun! Now modify your autoexec.bat file to include the utility directory. You would add the following to your PATH: C:\utility; This assumes you have the utility directory on the C: drive of course. Now reboot. OK say you have downloaded a file called test.zip from AOL. It will be located in the download directory of AOL or WAOL. From the DOS prompt assuming you were using AOL type from the C: prompt cd aol Then type: cd download this will take you directly to the download directory. From there type: pkunzip test.zip you will see the test file unzip in front of you. (If you get an error that says bad command you probably have not set up your path correctly.) Have fun with it and read the documentation file as there many of things you can do with PK204G.EXE. Try it -- you will like this fine shareware program. One other suggestion is a freeware file in our general library call UNZIPR50.EXE. It would be set up the same way as PK204G.EXE, but will only unzip files and does not have other features. Either of the above files will unzip any file zipped with PK204 and below. Unstuffing .sit Files on the PC With the explosion of Newton software, many PC owners find themselves having to deal with files formatted on the Macintosh. This means they have to “unstuff” instead of unzip. There is a PC unstuff utility, but one other step *may* be required first (please read on). Most Mac files are compressed with a utility called StuffIt. We have a program on AOL from Aladdin Systems called UnStuff/PC 1.1 that makes light work of this task. UnStuff will notify you if the file in question is not compressed. IF UnStuff does not recognize the file, try using the header stripper utility as described later in this article. NOTE - Usually when a Mac file is compressed, the filename has a .SIT extension. The usage for UnSit is: UNSTUFF filename.sit [press ENTER] If you receive the following message, then the file isn’t compressed: "File xxx.sit isn’t a StuffIt archive! UnStuff could not continue." If that happens, you may need to rename the file with the proper suffix. For example, if it is a Newton pkg file, rename it to Filename.pkg and continue. If it was a text file, you would rename it to Filename.txt. Some Macintosh files downloaded from America Online still have a 32 byte header that needs to be removed to make the file usable on the PC platform. There are several utilities on-line that will remove this header. Bill Pytlovany’s AOMAC2PC.EXE and the Windows version, WMAC2PC.ZIP, can handle this task. Both are available in the PDA Forum’s General/Utilities software library. NOTE - These header removal programs can be used on any Macintosh files such as SND’s, GIF’s, and text files. To use AOMAC2PC, type: AOPC2MAC oldname.ext newname.ext [press ENTER] If you have any questions or problems, please post them in the “Help” folder located in the PDA-General Message board. To find the decompression files mentioned above: Keyword: PDA (Path: Computing & Software>Personal Digital Assistants>Software Libraries>General/Utilities Library) Palmtop Paperbacks - Your Complete Source of Portable Reading The “Palmtop Paperback” Libraries feature Newton Books, Etexts (electronic texts), and Ezines (electronic magazines). Our Palmtop Paperbacks area consists of three major sections - Etexts, Newton Books, and Ezines. AOL offers the largest collection of Newton Books--electronic texts specifically formatted for your Newton. If you do not own the Newton, we offer a large collection of electronic texts of classic books, poems, speeches, and more than can be read on most other palmtops, PDA’s, and computers. With titles from Shakespeare to Star Wars, you now can enjoy reading from your palmtop, PDA, or notebook computer. Etexts are perfect for travelers! How do I read palmtop paperbacks on a PC or PDA other than the Newton? The electronic texts intended for a PC, DOS palmtop, or other device that will read PC formatted ASCII text are contained in the “Electronic Books” library. These files all have an “ET” for a prefix, and are found in the Etexts section. Most of the Ezines (with an “EZ” prefix) are also ASCII text formatted for PC’s. The first step required after downloading is to decompress the text with an unzip utility as we have previously discussed in this newsletter. After decompressing, the Etexts can be read with most word processors or text editors. Most of these files are quite large, so some text editors designed for small files may not be able to read the entire text. If you have a DOS compatible palmtop such as the HP100/200LX, HP95LX, or Zeos PPC, we recommend you download the appropriate version of a program called Vertical Reader. It will facilitate Etext reading with handy features such as bookmarks. You will find this program in the Utilities library of the Etext section. How do I read palmtop paperbacks on a Mac or PowerBook? The electronic texts intended for PC can also be read on the Mac. Again, use the files with an “ET” or “EZ” for a prefix. The first step required after downloading is to decompress the text with an unzip utility such as ZipIt 1.2.6 as we previously described in this newsletter. After decompressing, the Etexts can be read with most word processors or text editors. Most of these files are quite large, so some text editors designed for small files (such as TeachText) may not be able to read the entire text. One of the best ways to enjoy the Etexts is to download the HyperCard stack titles Gutenberg Reader. It can reformat the PC text, stripping linefeeds, adding curly quotes, and other improvements, as well as adding handy features such as bookmarks. If you prefer reading the texts in a word processor, try “Bookmunger” or “DOSWasher” to convert the texts to Mac formatting. DOSWasher has the added feature of being able to convert Mac text to PC formatting as well as PC text to Mac. You will find these programs in the Utilities library of the Etext section. How do I read palmtop paperbacks on a Newton? The only Etexts that can be read on the Newton are those contained in the Newton Books or Newton Ezines Libraries. All of these have “NT” or “NZ” for a prefix. After decompressing as previously discussed, the Newton Book .pkg must be transferred to your Newton using the Mac Newton Connection Kit, the Windows Connection Kit, or some similar transfer program. Many of these files are quite large, so you may be limited as to what you can transfer. The use of a ram card is suggested. If you have any questions or problems, please post them in the “Help” folder located in the PDA-General Message board. Getting Answers Fast Quick Tips Center & FAQ Boards The PDA Forum Quick Tips Center & FAQ Boards are one of the best resources of information. If you have a question or are stuck on a problem, check these areas first -- someone may have already provided the answer! The easiest way to find a specific tip, FAQ, or press release is to use the PDA Forum’s “Text Search” button. Type your search phrase, and all articles (but not message postings) matching your search will be displayed. For example, if you wanted to find any tips on using Kermit to transfer files to and from your HP, enter the search phrase (without the quotes) “Kermit and HP”-- matching articles will be listed. Posting in the Forum If you have a question, your fastest avenue to help is to post it in the forum. The forum is intended for public discussion and question-answer messages. Many think they will get a faster answer via Email to staff, but that generally is not the case. The forum staff are not employees of AOL - we are fellow PDA/Palmtop enthusiasts who help here in our spare time. We do want to help you in the fastest and best possible way - and the best way is using the forum. :) By posting questions here, you gain several things. First, you will get comments from hundreds of other users rather than a staff member or two - and we have some real experts among our members. Second, other users benefit from your questions and the resulting answers - believe me, others have the same questions. Third, in many cases fellow forum members know more than the staff - there are many different PDA’s and palmtops to support and we are not experts on them all (ssh, don’t tell anyone <grin>). Fourth, different members are checking in almost 24 hours a day, so you often get a faster response to a post than Emailing a question to us. All of us have been stuck one what we may have felt to be an obvious question or problem. The only “dumb questions” is the unasked one. We are all here to help one another, and the discussions help many, as shown in this recent posting from a member: "I think it is a great idea that you ask everyone to post their questions on the board rather than using email. I have learned much from reading the posted questions and answers. Keep up the good work." Choosing Which PDA/Palmtop, and “Must Have” File Suggestions Obviously, your own needs and preferences will dictate which shareware and freeware programs are most beneficial. The following are just a few of the “must have” files commonly recommended by members, and can be found quickly using the PDA Software Search. If you think we have overlooked an obvious choice, please let us know! HP “must have” suggestions Buddy: This is by far the most popular HP shareware utility. It has numerous features to automate and simplify your HP -- from “double click” capital letters to Filer launch. Buddy is available in versions for the HP95 and HP100. 100Buddy can also be run safely on the HP200LX, but some of the features will not work due to changes (a 200Buddy will be coming out in the future). Vertical Reader: This utility turns your HP into a book -- it opens Etexts, adds bookmarks and search capability, allows you to change fonts, and more. Available in 95 and 100/200 versions. Large Font for Vertical Reader: This font makes Etexts much more readable on the HP100/200LX -- definitely a “must have” if you use Vertical Reader. Shass: This application organizes and automates all those grocery shopping related tasks. A great addition to your HP100/200LX. Newton “must have” suggestions RemoveIt: A utility to remove soups and packages from your Newton. Also allows you to rename a card. (Other popular removal utilities include StewPot and Souper.) PaperBack: Available in Mac and Windows versions, this application allows you to turn any text file into a Newton package. PopExtras: Adds a button next to the keyboard icon in NotePad -- tap it, and a pop-up list of favorite packages you have selected comes up. Tap the application and it launches. SleepAid: Replaces the sleep preferences and allows you to set two new sleep times -- one for battery and AC. Password: A small utility that quickly toggles password protection on or off. CopyMachine: This utility allows you to safely move data to and from the card, and selectively merge data to a selective store. Newton Books: There are many great Newton Books, but one of our favorites - and one that really shows off the power of the Newton Book format - is PDC Phil’s AOL “lite” Interactive Newton Magazine! Psion “must have” suggestions Vertical Reader for Psion: Similar to the HP Vertical Reader, this is a must have program for reading and enjoying Etexts. Agenda USA Holiday File: Have all your holidays thru 1997 in your calendar! S3a Utilities Pack: A great collection of window, file, and directory tools. Grocery Organizer: A handy grocery list organizer and check off list. Unzipper for Psion S3 & S3a: This unzipper can be installed on your Psion, letting you decompress files on your palmtop! Zoomer “must have” suggestions IZLFree Interpreted Zoomer Language: IZL not only lets you write Zoomer applications easily, it can run other programs written with IZL. So whether you are a programmer or simply enjoy using other applications, you will want this utility. TextReader v1.01 for Zoomer: This application allows you to read Etexts and other large text files on your Zoomer. (There is also a 1.02 commercial version of this program.) ZComm Lite Terminal Program: A general purpose communications utility for the Zoomer with loads of helpful features. Zoomcom-Zoomer/PC Comm Package: This program provides interactive communications and file transfer between your Zoomer and PC. Do You Need a PDA or Palmtop? The forum is a great place to learn about the many choices. If you are considering buying a PDA or palmtop, feel free to post questions. It also helps if you tell everyone how you intend to use a handheld -- your use often helps others direct you to the most appropriate units. Remember, there is no “best” PDA or palmtop, only the one that is best for you! Do you need a PDA or palmtop? That is something everyone must determine on their own. They are not a substitute for a full computer and will not do your work for you. But those of us who use PDA’s and palmtops regularly cannot imagine being without these marvelous tools. The PDA Staff thanks you for stopping by our forum! If there’s anything we can do to assist you in your future visits, please drop us a note! Craig de Fasselle, PDA Forum Leader (PDA Craig) Jeff Zorn, PDA Forum Assistant (PDA Jeff) Phillip Torrone, PDA Forum Consultant (PDC Phil) Larry Finch, PDA Forum Consultant (PDC Larry) Chris Kee, PDA Forum Consultant (PDC Chris) Christy Phillips, PDA Forum Consultant (PDCChristy) Larry Barras, PDA Forum Consultant (PDC LarryB) Copyright PDA Forum of America Online. All rights reserved. Reprinted by NANUG with AOL’s PDA Forum’s permission (thanks, guys!). Views and Reviews personal media #1 Fred J. Haley Continuously evolving, the Newton environment has given birth to many exciting developments for the free form method of data entry of different sorts. One of Newton’s main uses, note taking, now has a new look thanks to Gaia Software's Personal Media. Personal Media offers the Newton user a “Virtual Desktop” in which to organize and file handwritten and text documents, keeping them on separate workspaces, arranged by client, by project, or by any other method one might choose. Mac and Windows users alike will feel comfortable with the desktop look and feel. Personal Media is not for everyone, though, it’s designed mostly for those who feel that the NotePad included in the Newton is too rigidly designed. Like the NotePad, items in Personal Media can be faxed, beamed, emailed, or deleted. They can’t, however, be printed in this release of the program. I think that will be added in a future version. The neat thing about these functions, though, is that they are implemented by dragging and dropping the items to icons at the bottom of the workspace. Deleted items, that are dragged into the “recycler”, are deleted in 24 hours. As with most things, the first attempt usually can use some improvement, and Personal Media is no exception. For the amount of functionality it adds, it uses a rather large amount of storage and heap space. Personal Media also doesn’t conform to a number of Newton Interface items. It doesn’t support Handwriting Recognition, Intelligent Assist, Undo, or “scrubbing out” mistakes. You must select the text or handwriting, double tap on it, and then choose delete from a drop down menu. One other problem is that the software doesn’t save changes to a page until the page is turned or the document is closed. If you run into a low memory condition before doing one of the above, you stand a good chance of losing your changes. I managed to lose a half of a page of text during my initial testing. Personal Media demonstrates the flexibility of the Newton device and with a little work can be a major asset to the user on the go. At this point, however, the package is a little pricey, with suggested retail of $189 on disk and $239 on a 1 Meg PCMCIA card. Through December 31st, it can be ordered directly from Gaia Software for $99 on disk and $149 on PCMCIA. For more information, or to order, contact Craig Fisk or Keven Boyette of Gaia Software at 1-800-784-8758. personal media #2 Theodore Anderson I suppose that most of us have gone to meetings with our trusty Newton’s poised and ready to go. Often our attention is drawn to the operational idiosyncrasies of Newton and its applications. We become very concerned about handwriting recognition, little buttons, applets, Newton technology, and really aren’t focused on the task at hand. We miss potential of freedom and productivity lurking in our Newtons. I can attest to this as I’m the registered owner of virtually ever application known. Oh yes, I have the one that outlines and looses them, the one with snippet’s , the one that emulated pink call notes, the one that gives me great lists of wonderful cigars, the demo of the one that makes me write funny little figures in a rectangle, and the one that adds the extra elegance to the Newton. I really couldn’t focus on the task at hand, constantly changing words...constantly paying attention to Newton this and that. I was shuffling between apps...paying more attention to the Newton than the task. I love the Newton take it everywhere and have often said that it’s my most important piece of business equipment. The folks at Gaia sent a wonderful solicitation letter along with a thirty day money back guarantee. Well I’ve bought everything else, so why not this. After using the environment for three weeks it has transformed the Newton. I consider it perhaps the most significant development for the Newton outside of the Newton itself. It’s absolutely amazing in it s simplicity and productivity. By tapping the Personal Media icon on my opening screen I create a custom workspace. Within a workspace I can create (by tapping the NotePad icon) notepads using electronic ink--that’s right I m using the good old pencil and paper on the Newton. I can list, doodle, draw, whatever on the notepads...just like everyone else at a meeting, except mine is electronic and very organized. Within the workspace I can move my notepads around...I can change the size...I can zoom them...I can title them...I can tear out pages...I can move pages...I can copy entire notepads...and they are all organized in a file folder. You can also move elements between workspaces by simply press and drag. Tap a corner, the NotePad closes...tap the name of a NotePad in the file folder and it opens. If you turn the Newton off while in PM it opens to the same spot when you return. This use of electronic ink allows me to be more creative...more attentive...more natural with my Newton...I’m working in a way that I have for years, but with a very compact and creative tool. The Newton works the way I do, rather that the other way around. Who cares about handwriting recognition...who needs Graffiti? The other day I created several notebooks regarding a corporations annual report photography. My presentation and organization blew the socks off of everyone at the meeting. My workspace contained everything I needed to be highly effective and very productive. Before Personal Media, the Newton simply wasn’t up to the task. Tap the famed Newton navel and you will see the overview showing all your workspaces. The workspace also allows for the opening of text pads with use the electronic keyboard. The sizing and management of the text pads is identical to the notepads. At first I thought, what, no recognition? Well last Sunday (as the Falcons were hammering my Eagles) I typed out five e-mail messages to clients. It was simple, direct and very productive. When I was finished I dragged each to the proper communications icon(the message box), opened the clients list(double tap the top of the contact list...type in the last name and PM finds the e-mail address and fax number), dragged and dropped the names and e-mail addresses in a wonderfully efficient manner. Of course they were saved in the folders of their respective workspaces. A very simple and elegant way of writing and sending e-mail. Faxing is done in a similar way from both note and text pads. Beaming is supported from both the note and text pads. The increase in organization and productivity is profound. I’m no longer trying to force applications to do things. I am no longer using applications just for the sake of using them (I don’t need a custom Notion list to keep track of favorite cigars). I’m no longer focusing on the Newton but rather on the task at hand. This application is down right simple, logical and profound. I can imagine a CEO or upper management working with it, with a stylus in their Mont Blanc, working as they normally would with a NotePad. I can not however, imagine a CEO using Graffiti and jotting profound thoughts in a small rectangle with peculiar letters...they won’t waste the time on the learning curve and the unnatural style and feel. Personal Media is like an old friend, the learning curve is small and the feel is very natural very non-tech , very non-gadget ...very direct. It is a simple environment, profound in its common sense and execution. Personal Media is not perfect. Printing support is to come, synchronization is lengthy and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw recognition in the text pad area. But the good news is that the folks at Gaia are listening to our suggestions and will be evolving this environment. This application takes over 300K and I feel needs a lean and mean Newton. On my 110 it is installed internally. The 4 meg card contains MoreInfo and QuickFigure Pro. Notice no junk. The Newton is now as efficient as my business. It works the way I do rather than the opposite. The Newton is now more personal...I didn’t need a list program to jot down groceries or photo supplies...I needed electronic notepads and electronic ink...simple, direct and productive. The Newton is more clearly focused on my lifestyle. There’s a workspace with the kids Christmas gifts, there’s a notepad of people to pray for, there’s the list of goodies from McDonalds and there’s my business things all integrated into the Newton. It is this integration and ease that the Newton has been lacking. The Newton is a visionary tool, to be successful it must be a natural extension of the user. This was the original promise of the Newton. Personal Media is simply the application, or as the folks at Gaia call it, environment, that moves us light-years towards this promise. Craig Fisk at Gaia would like to add the following information: 1. Version 1.01 started shipping 12/8 with some misc. minor bug fixes and most notably fixing the slow interaction with Graffiti we had in 1.0 2. Printing (and possibly Undo) will be supported in a 1.02 in January. 3. Gaia plans a 1.1 in Q1 enhancing functionality. They expect to be asking customers to help prioritize what goes into that version. QuickCall 2.1 Danny Burkes If, like me, you use your Newton to keep track of all your Names and Addresses, then you often find yourself looking up phone numbers. If you are even more like me, you find that the set of numbers which you look up most often is small. Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to go to the Names application or use the Assist function each time you want to call one of these most popular people or places? Well, QuickCall to the rescue. QuickCall is a neat little hack for the Newton that allows you to call someone from the Names file with just two taps. QuickCall installs a button into the status bar of the NotePad. On the button is an icon of a telephone. Tapping on the telephone icon pops up a menu on which you can list any number of people or places that you call most. The last option on the pop up menu is Edit. Choosing Edit pops up a dialog box where you can add or delete items from the pop up menu. When you choose one of your items from the pop up menu, QuickCall simply feeds the string “Call <tag>“ to the Assist function, where <tag> is the string you added to the pop up menu. So, for example, if you often find yourself calling one of your friends named Bob Smith, you can add the item “Bob Smith” to the pop up menu, and choosing that option will just feed “Call Bob Smith” to the Assist function, which will then of course bring up the call slip for Bob Smith. International users will be happy to know that the call verb (“Call” in this case) can be changed as well, so QuickCall is fully internationalizable. Since QuickCall is such a small and single-function application, there’s not really much to say about it except that it works! I find myself using it every day and it really does save me a lot of time. The only functional shortcoming that I can point out is that QuickCall must be installed in internal memory since it is afflicted with the Grip-O-Death which we have all come to hate. The author says that he will fix this problem if three different people register QuickCall. Since I have registered, I assume that either no one else has registered (hard to believe), or the author is in the process of fixing this problem. QuickCall requires 18,124 bytes of memory for storage. Another nice improvement would be to have the QuickCall functionality available at all times, since, as it stands now, you have to be in the NotePad application to have access to the QuickCall button. But enough bellyaching- QuickCall works and it works great. QuickCall 2.1 is shareware and is available in the NEWTON forum on CompuServe. I’m sure it’s available on all the other major on-line services too, but since I don’t have accounts on them, I couldn’t check. QuickCall registration costs $10, and can be handled through the mail or through CompuServe’s SWREG forum. The author of QuickCall, Matt Spolin, can be reached at Matt_Spolin@hgsi.com. (Matt’s a NANUG member, too, so support him! - Ed.) Time To Go Mark Underwood Time To Go is a set of 10 clock applets you can install on your Newt to help you keep track of different things. The idea is similar to Go Figure’s set of custom calculators for different purposes, but these are a lot more fun! For example: There is an animated egg timer that you can set and watch--or just let it chime when the amount of time you’ve specified has elapsed. There’s a stopwatch with a sweep second hand! And there’s even a fancy meeting timer that even allows you to calculate the cost of making decisions! In addition to these three, there’s a parking meter, two regular digital clocks, a world clock, a set of interval chimes, a minute timer, and an alarm clock. Time To Go is a nice addition to the traveling Newt! Time To Go $49 regular, $35 for NANUG members Extra Lead 1442A Walnut Street Suite 405 Berkeley, CA 94709-1496 800 642-4321 FAX: (510) 540 1057 email: extralead@aol.com WineList 1.0 Mark Underwood Ron Flax (of PageXpress fame) has written a small database for any one who enjoys tasting or collecting wines. It comes with a list of 225 wines that have been sampled and categorized for your convenience, and you can use this database, or start your own. When you open WineList, you see an “overview” of the list in alphabetic order by winery name, similar to the Names overview in that it has a A to Z selector at the bottom. This overview shows the year, winery, and wine type. Tapping on the “Type” heading resorts the information by type of wine. For each wine, you can enter tasting notes, price, locale, store, and an overall ranking between 1 and 10. Entries can be printed, faxed, beamed, or mailed. WineList’s distribution package comes with the applet and a separate applet that loads the pre-existing wine database (the installation database applet can be removed once the wine soup is installed, but you will need it--or a soup editor--to remove the database soup later). WineList is $10 shareware. Tips, Hints, and Secrets NANUG Members From Mike Scott: Note: this is not an official announcement it is information i received during a service call to 800-SOS APPL. Please, contact Apple with questions and clarification about this. I’ve learned from Newton Support that some of the older stylii shipped with the 110’s [and likely some stylii on the shelves as spares] were made with tips that are “too porous”. These evidently can pick up grit and retain it under some circumstances, perhaps when the stylus is dropped or otherwise contaminated. This will result in scratches on the screen. The Newton support person voluntarily shipped me a new, better stylus which should solve this problem. It seems it isn’t the screen, in most cases, on the 110 that is at fault, rather the stylus. I’ve also alerted Larry Schiller at PDA Panache and if you know other after market stylus manufacturers, I suggest you pass this information along so they may contact Apple about this. NUG News NANUG User Group Affiliates AMUG Newton FIG AMUG’S Newton FIG (and NANUG Affiliate) had it’s second meeting at the Resource center on 11/22/94 at 7:00 pm, and had nine people show up! The first meeting could have been cool - Dan Rowley of NewtCase fame showed up, but there were only three of us total. Our second meeting was two hours. We discussed all kinds of topics, from MP100’s to MP110’s, batteries, accessories, and preferences. I also passed out two “starter” disks (wish I could have given out PCMCIA starter cards!). We spent much of the meeting going over the pkgs on the disks. We also talked about where to find more software our CD, local BBS and ftp site. On the starter disks - PDA Package Downloader with LunaLoad, ScrollEx 2.7, PopExtras, Solo Deluxe, End’nBack, SleepAid, NewtCase, Newt Info, Clockwise, Personal, Graffiti Tutorial, Remove It, NANUG Newsletter, TIDBits, NewtNews, Nwt facts and FAQs and my FileMaker Pro database of Newt Software. One question we have - in the calendar, why can’t an entry be scheduled (checking frequency) every day? We don’t see a quick way to do it! Our next meeting will on Tuesday, December 20th, at 7 pm. Contact: ashley@amug.org for info. (Entire thing written on my Newton, using Graffiti - I love it!) ChiILNUG Meeting 12.15.94 7:00PM “Time indeed”, Captain Marko Ramius, submarine Red October upon departure from the then Soviet Navy base at Polyarnyy; in process of defecting to the US. Hope that so many of the people I’ve met who are considering the purchase of a Newton just do it as in a previous newsletter. Unlike “The Hunt for Red October”, one does not have to sing in Russian to engage the Newton technology. The seventh meeting of the Chicago IL Newton Users Group will be held at McCarthy & Magee, Inc. 9950 West Lawrence Ave., Suite # 200, Schiller Park, IL 60176 VOX 708.671.0444. The site is one stoplight south of the intersection of routes 190 and Mannheim road, or the corner of Lawrence and Mannheim. Our building is the Starlight Building, the one right on the northeast corner of Mannheim and Lawrence. Take the elevator to the second floor, our suite is right in front as you exit the elevator. Hope you can see us on Thursday December Fifteenth! Questions? Contact Kerry T. McCarthy at CompuServe 72520,1334, eWorld/Newton Mail/AOL KTMcCarthy, VOX 708.671.0444, FAX 708.671.0499, US Mail Kerry T. McCarthy, McCarthy & Magee, Inc. 9950 West Lawrence Ave., Suite # 200, Schiller Park, IL 60176. DANG - Denver Area Newton Group And so the Denver Area Newton Group was born. Almost. That’s the name Steve and I dreamed up. Got kind of a ‘bang’ to it, don’t it? I expect the first meeting will be in January of ’95, although Steve and I haven’t discussed this yet. We plan to have the first meet in a small room in a local brew pub. Should stimulate turnout I hope. We’ll be glad to whip up some killer bio’s if you want. Rather than official officers and all that, I’m going to suggest that Steve and I be the Head Groupies or something like that. We’ll see -- right, Steve? On a different subject: I had to send my MP110 back to Memphis for a new logic board. The power manager hardware was faulty causing the Newt to sometimes wake up, sometimes not. In the process, as I wrote you earlier, I mentioned my heavily scratched screen. You could almost read words scratched on it. Apple then told me that some of the early stylii were at fault and they would replace the screen, which they did. And sent a new stylus along with a note to trash the old one. Which I did. The screen is great, and the combination of the new screen and new stylus makes for a very different feel when writing. There is now a slight amount of drag, approximating the feel of writing on paper with a fountain pen. [I have this serious fountain pen, Jones.] It makes for a much nicer feel and increased recognition as my handwriting has improved thereby. Congratulations, Apple and PIE. The turnaround on the Newton repair job was fantastic. FedEx’d on Thursday afternoon from work. Back at my office on Monday morning. I was truly impressed. Now, having just gotten my little friend back with a pristine, unblemished and better screen, I began to rethink the order I had placed with Larry Schiller at PDA Panache for a sterling silver telescoping stylus. Humm... What are the tips on those like? Are they made from the “old” material that were used in the original telescoping stylii? Will they degrade or become easily contaminated and scratch up my screen. I called Apple Newton support and asked about reports of damage by aftermarket stylii. I did not use any names, merely “aftermarket” product. Well, they said, they can’t recommend or comment on these as a matter of policy. They can’t guarantee them or pop for a new screen if they do cause screen damage either. I called Larry Schiller and discussed this with him. PDA Panache will not warranty or guarantee the screen if it’s damaged by their product either. They’ll replace the tip on the stylus though, if it’s damaged or causing a problem. He discussed the technology and manufacturing behind the PDA Panache stylus at length, but that was all. After thinking this over for a night, unwilling to trust that my new, expensive screen would not be scratched up again, I called Larry and canceled my order for a PDA Panache stylus. I hated to do this as I really wanted that cool, silver stylus. He asked why, and I told him straighforwardly, not criticizing his product since I haven’t tested it, nor do I know anyone who has. Do you have any users in the group who have one of these stylii, or other makes, or who have subjected them to controlled tests? I mean, I certainly would not want to subject my Newt to this kind of abuse, but perhaps Apple could supply old and defunct screens, or overlay samples of the same material for testing. It would be interesting to see the results. Enough. Let me know if you need anything more from us to add to the announcement of DANG in the newsletter. Regards, Mike Scott NOSE Ok, I’m back! NOSE, the Newton Owners of Switzerland and Europe, took part in an exposition here in Switzerland to contact more Newton Owners. Just now we have more than 100 paying members. (Light 25 SFr., without modem 95.- and with modem 90.) I will send you more information soon. One of our members is native English speaking--I’m not--So I’ll ask him to write down something to send to you. NOSE Newton Owners Switzerland and Europe Zuerichbergstr. 24 8032 Zuerich FirstClass-Mailbox +41 31 911 67 47 manuel@ezinfo.vmsmail.ethz.ch Ask NANUG NANUG Members As usual, Ashley Barnard Armstrong, our best friend at AMUG, not only gives us lots of info and news to put into the newsletter, but also the most vexing questions for our column! This month, Ash writes: Mark, I get this question a lot!! Can you answer it?? And maybe put it in the newsletter... “I was wondering whether you could help me. I’m a new Newton user and wish to download files from AMUG’s site to load in my newton. I’m a PC user and I’ve only managed to get some *.hqx files to be converted to *.sit format. I’ve downloaded the PC-tools utility: UNSITINS.EXE & TM2NWT.EXE. but I don’t seem to be able to get it running.” Tan Thiam Siew Alfred Well, Ash (and Tan), hopefully this month’s reprint of the AOL PDA Forum’s special help issue of Pocket Press has answered all of your questions--and more besides! If it didn’t though, we can still be reached at marku@aix3.ema.com. Want-Ads, Classified, and Cork Board -•- The January CD, BBS in a Box, will be out in late December, but we’re taking orders now. It’s $60 for both Mac CDs, or $45 for just the one with Newton files on it. Call 602-553-0066, or email ashley@amug.org. The January volume contains over 500 Newton stuffed files, which is over 28 megs of compressed files! This is the largest Newton collection on CD! If all goes well, we should also come out with a Newton only CD in early January. This CD will have all of the Newton files on BBS in a Box, plus any new ones I can find, hopefully more Newton User Group info, and info files in general (Press releases...). It will be mountable on a Mac or PC. The price has not been determined yet, but it will be much less that BBS in a Box. We will be at MacWorld, look for us in the LAMUG Booth! We’ll be selling AMUG CDs, and LAMUG’s fun stuff! -•- M F Online 14,400 bps 8/N/1 812-949-8386 We have hundreds of files available for download FREE. We have Newton, Zoomer, General Magic, PCMCIA technology and Wireless communications files ready. Give a call today! -•- Would you like to post an ad or other Newton-related classified item in _protoReality? If so, please send your ad copy, via e-mail, to: marku@aix3.ema.com with a subject of “NANUG Ads”. Items will be carried in the current month’s issue is received before the 15th of the month, otherwise it will be in the following month’s issue. NANUG reserves the right to refuse publication if the content is deemed unsuitable for our audience. Currently, there is no fee to list an item. Please limit the size of your text to no more than two Newton Book Reader sized “pages” (about a single typed page). If you want to include graphics, they should be no larger than 3”x 4” (8 x 10 cm). NANUG Member Bios Alan Drogin Like any musician from a family of engineers, I was a natural on the computer when I first punched a paper roll with BASIC at my local library’s hookup to a PDP in the early 1970s. After a few computer languages (from APL to COBOL) and big machines (PDPs to IBMs to Amdahls), I was lured by the democratic utopian promise of micros and bought my first Apple IIe in 1982 where I proceeded to write a dissembler to disassemble the ROM. That began a career hacking educational software on Apples and Macs at home in order to pay the rent while I played prepared guitar in dives through out NYC. Unfortunately, I hated the most popular language around: C and C++ and Mac development was getting rather costly and timely. So, when I saw NewtonScript (it uses PASCAL “:=”) at Boston, an inexpensive all-in-one toolkit and machine, it was “down-sizing” time!!! After my wife paid the rent while I poured over the manuals, I landed some consulting work with Digital Objectives. I’m on my second project for them (it’s in the medical field) working at home on my up-graded Sharp ExpertPad. Plug: am available for consulting, or you can find me chatting and answering questions on the AppleLink PIE developer board. Oh, I also down-sized my guitar and have found more work playing the ukulele! Floyd Bloom I am a medical researcher, who must travel a lot, and find my Newton ideal for keeping track of all the vital information I need on the road. My special area is the study of drugs that act on the brain, especially drugs of abuse like alcohol, opiates, and stimulants, and drugs that are used to treat depression. I keep a lot of random notes from conferences, including references that I will later want to look up. Adding Graffiti has helped enormously in the efficient handwriting recognition, and restored my use of the Newton as more than a repository of information entered into the Mac side of the Connection Kit for uploading to the Newton. I also try but feel uncomfortable with the calendar keeping function, as it is difficult for me to coordinate my Newton’s calendar, my Newton Connection Kit calendar, and the Now Up to Date Calendar that we use in the office for long term planning. It would be excellent from my perspective if one could synchronize the Newton Calendar and ToDo lists with any of the other PIM calendar keepers-- that value would overcome the otherwise personal and minor cosmetic differences noted in the MacUser reviews. Not even Claris Organizer seems to be able to do that. Any one else have similar needs? Drop me a line at fbloom@scripps.edu ! Garry Whittaker I am a Senior Computer Technologist in the Food industry - a 14 Year Veteran of the Computer wars. I bought a Newton 110 in Canada on a recent jaunt and have been very impressed. If it can cope with my handwriting it can cope with anyone’s. My previous incarnations have included being a Technical Advisor (and Newsletter Editor) for the UK Association of Atari User Groups. I have never owned a Mac (which somehow seems strange - I’ve owned just about everything else.) I have been considering setting up a Newton UK Enthusiasts (‘NUKE’) group and may do it if anyone is interested. Cheers! Jason Miller I’m a High School junior, and I got my MP110 with money from a summer job. I use it for school: from Shakespeare to Beowulf in a NewtBook, from taking notes to playing Solo Deluxe, I love my Newt! I write for our school paper, and the “reporter’s notebook” form of the 110 fits me perfectly in that role. I currently have a part time job in which I rely on e-mail--I turn to eWorld and NewtMail. I can check my mailbox from anywhere; on my Mac or my Newton. Very useful, when you’re trying to struggle work, school, and a life.