bees@drutx.UUCP (DavisRB) (05/23/84)
22-Mar-84 10:22:46-CST,802;000000000000 Return-Path: <@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA:JSMCCLEES@BBNG.ARPA> Received: from SUMEX-AIM.ARPA by UTEXAS-20.ARPA with TCP; Thu 22 Mar 84 10:22:42-CST Received: from BBNG.ARPA by SUMEX-AIM.ARPA with TCP; Thu 22 Mar 84 08:12:27-PST Date: Thu, 22 Mar 1984 11:13 EST Message-ID: <JSMCCLEES.12001391635.BABYL@BBNG> >From: JSMCCLEES@BBNG.ARPA To: info-mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA Subject: AUC & outright purchasing A while back there was some talk about the problem of restricting Mac resales. It was suggested that only a leasing arrangement would legally inhibit resale of college-bought Macs. Well, Harvard is now releasing Macs by a system of one-year leases (the price is ~$1200), after which period the machine does indeed become the full property of the lessee. --Mark Eckenwiler (jsmcclees@bbng) 22-Mar-84 19:13:13-CST,761;000000000000 Return-Path: <@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA:CC.DCL@COLUMBIA-20.ARPA> Received: from SUMEX-AIM.ARPA by UTEXAS-20.ARPA with TCP; Thu 22 Mar 84 19:13:11-CST Received: from COLUMBIA-20.ARPA by SUMEX-AIM.ARPA with TCP; Thu 22 Mar 84 16:37:22-PST Date: Thu 22 Mar 84 19:36:15-EST >From: Don Lanini <CC.DCL@COLUMBIA-20.ARPA> Subject: A bushel of Apples To: info-mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA I just heard from a reliable source (whose name was actually Lisa), that a certain eastern university had trouble locating a shipment of Macintoshes. It seems that when the delivery truck arrived at their Computer Center and said they were delivering Apples, they were sent to Food Service. Food Service reportedly accepted the shipment of untold boxes (bushels). :-> /dc ------- 23-Mar-84 11:11:40-CST,1545;000000000000 Return-Path: <PATTERMANN@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA> Received: from SUMEX-AIM.ARPA by UTEXAS-20.ARPA with TCP; Fri 23 Mar 84 11:11:37-CST Date: Fri 23 Mar 84 09:01:49-PST >From: Ed Pattermann <PATTERMANN@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA> Subject: West Coast Computer Faire To: info-mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA Some brief MACnotes from the faire - o Reportedly, next months BYTE magazine wil have one of those 'do it yourself' articles by Steve CIARCIA on how to upgrade your Macintosh to 512K. o Creative Solutions was there with there MacForth. It was very impressive, although I don't speak FORTH yet. It is the same 68K FORTH kernel they have supported for 3 years or so on other 68K machines, and appears to have been well ported to the Mac. The speed was impressive. The difference between the level I forth and the level II is that for an extra $100, level II provides an assembler and extended graphics routines. The author said he has been working 20 hour days for the last 3 months getting this product ready. They also offer a 25% educational discount. o Saw a couple of graphic adventure games - each was interesting. One from PENGUIN is expected out in less than a month. o Got a good look at MACproject. Was VERY impressed. Seems to do everything you would want a structured graphics program to do. Will be out in the summer. Entering beta test now. o If you bought Multiplan, be sure to send in your registration card. Microsoft is currently sending out a free update to correct some bugs. -- Ed ------- 22-Mar-84 09:49:36-CST,964;000000000000 Return-Path: <@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA:donegan@RICE> Received: from SUMEX-AIM.ARPA by UTEXAS-20.ARPA with TCP; Thu 22 Mar 84 09:49:33-CST Received: from RICE by SUMEX-AIM.ARPA with TCP; Thu 22 Mar 84 06:46:04-PST Received: by RICE (AA06234); Thu, 22 Mar 84 08:41:40 CST Date: Thu, 22 Mar 84 08:41:40 CST >From: Mike Donegan <donegan@RICE> Message-Id: <8403221441.AA06234@RICE> To: aronson@cmu-cs-c, info-mac@sumex-aim Subject: floating point Mac uses a floating point emulation package which essentially implements full IEEE numerics. It is another implementation of SANE (Standard Apple Numerical Environment) which exists for the Apple III and now the II with Pascal and I suppose LISA as well. The package takes up something like 6K but I don't know about speed. I know our SUNs run floating emulation which is pretty lousy, but Apple has been doing SANE for over 2 years now so they have probably learned some tricks. Still it IS software. mkd 23-Mar-84 13:44:24-CST,1287;000000000000 Return-Path: <@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA:tecot@cmu-cs-h.arpa> Received: from SUMEX-AIM.ARPA by UTEXAS-20.ARPA with TCP; Fri 23 Mar 84 13:44:18-CST Received: from CMU-CS-H.ARPA by SUMEX-AIM.ARPA with TCP; Fri 23 Mar 84 11:20:42-PST Date: 23 Mar 1984 14:17:36-EST >From: Edward.Tecot at CMU-CS-H Subject: MacStuff I am going to try to clear up all that has gone on while I was on spring break: Apple Pricing : Inside Mac - no comment. Apple Dealers can get a Macintosh, Imagewriter, MacPaint/Write, Multiplan, and a carrying case all for $1068. The reason the Mac is priced at $2500 is to protect the II/e sales. Prices are expected to come down when Mac Sales slack off. Colons : The colon is used to separate volume and file name. This is mentioned in the Multiplan manual. As a matter of fact, if you try to edit a file name and put a colon in, it gets translated to a space. Stretching : The shift key forces proportion, i.e. horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines, true circles, and movement along one axis. When stretching, where you put the cursor is what counts. Near the middle of a side of the box will cause one dimensional stretching, near the corners will provide to dimensions. _emt tecot@cmu-cs-h.arpa 23-Mar-84 14:46:57-CST,632;000000000000 Return-Path: <PATTERMANN@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA> Received: from SUMEX-AIM.ARPA by UTEXAS-20.ARPA with TCP; Fri 23 Mar 84 14:46:52-CST Date: Fri 23 Mar 84 12:34:46-PST >From: Ed Pattermann <PATTERMANN@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA> Subject: Re: West Coast Computer Faire To: INFO-MAC@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA In-Reply-To: Message from "Ed Pattermann <PATTERMANN@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA>" of Fri 23 Mar 84 09:02:10-PST Sorry - my message about the structured graphics editor I saw at the West Coast Computer Faire was referring to MACdraw, not MACproject. MACproject is a PERT/CPM type planning program which was shown there, but I didn't see it. -- Ed ------- 23-Mar-84 19:18:01-CST,3631;000000000000 Received: from SUMEX-AIM.ARPA by UTEXAS-20.ARPA with TCP; Fri 23 Mar 84 19:17:55-CST Received: from CISL-SERVICE-MULTICS.ARPA by SUMEX-AIM.ARPA with TCP; Fri 23 Mar 84 17:06:46-PST Received: from HIS-PHOENIX-MULTICS.ARPA by CISL-SERVICE-MULTICS.ARPA dial; 23-Mar-1984 20:02:58-est Received: from HIS-LA-CP6.ARPA by HIS-PHOENIX-MULTICS.ARPA dial; 23-Mar-1984 18:01:16-mst Date: Fri, 23 Mar 84 16:36 PST >From: TRACY TONDRO at HIS-LA-CP6.ARPA To: INFO-MAC at SUMEX-AIM Subject: 1/2-meg Lisa I'm trying to low-ball a Lisa-2 (i.e., get the cheapest model I can) to meet my word-processing needs, with an eye to future use for software development. But I'm having trouble with hardware/software configurations. There seems to be almost no flexibility in the operating system(s) available for the Lisa and Mac. The basic, stripped-down Lisa-2 comes with "only" 1/2 megabyte of memory. What software can run on this, and under which OS? I hear the Lisa Office System (LisaWrite, LisaDraw, etc.), which "runs under the Lisa OS" (?) won't run with less than a meg. I also hear all Macintosh programs will run on the 1/2-meg Lisa, "under the Macintosh OS" (?). But does this mean the Mac program won't know about the hard disk or the letter-quality printer on my Lisa? Lists I've seen of 3rd-party software show them as being tied to either the "Mac OS" or the "Lisa OS"; none on the list I saw (with about 200 entries) ran on both OSs. This seems strange to me; given the traditional style of interface between an application program and the OS, the differences between the Mac OS and the Lisa OS should be (mostly) transparent to the application program: o multi-tasking - A stand-alone program such as a word processor shouldn't have any direct need for multi-tasking services. o size of memory - Memory-management service calls to the OS shouldn't depend on the amount of memory installed in the box. o size of video bit-map - The way I understand Quikdraw to work, the application program should just have a "picture space" (or some such term) to work with, and shouldn't care how Quikdraw chooses to display this space on the screen. o different peripherals - Hasn't Apple yet heard about "device independence" for their I/O systems? Seems like an application program, such as a word processor, shouldn't care if it's sending the text to an Imagewriter or a letter-quality printer; the OS should mask the differences in the device interfaces. I hear even CP/M supports some level of device independence. Of course, these are traditional notions of what an OS does for you. Lisa/Mac represent quite a few departures from the traditional notions of what a computer is. But I sure would hope the Lisa/Mac OS's would support some kind of decoupling of the application program from specific hardware configurations. Any information about the software-OS match-ups supported would be appreciated. Also, I hear Apple has conveniently modified the EPROMs on the Apple (nee Qume) letter-quality printer, so you can't just plug in an off-the-shelf Qume printer instead of the Apple printer. Well that's fine for Apple-developed software -- does anybody know if the 3rd-party word processing packages will support the more common letter-quality printers (e.g., Brother, Qume, Diablo, NEC, etc)? A cheaper letter-quality printer would sure help my "billfold blues"! (Again, is the support for the different printer protocols in the OS or the application program?!?!) 26-Mar-84 12:38:07-CST,800;000000000000 Return-Path: <@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA:COWER@COLUMBIA-20.ARPA> Received: from SUMEX-AIM.ARPA by UTEXAS-20.ARPA with TCP; Mon 26 Mar 84 12:38:04-CST Received: from COLUMBIA-20.ARPA by SUMEX-AIM.ARPA with TCP; Mon 26 Mar 84 10:27:31-PST Date: Mon 26 Mar 84 13:27:13-EST >From: Rich Cower <COWER@COLUMBIA-20.ARPA> Subject: Letter quality To: info-mac@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA I am not sure what "letter quality" is, but we found that printing on the Apple Imagewriter and reducing it down to 90% on a Xerox machine produces very good looking output. This was after turning on the high quality option when print was selected on the Mac. My only gripe about the printing is when in "high quality" mode, those high quality line feeds at the end of a document are VERY slow. ..Rich Cower@Columbia-20 ------- 26-Mar-84 21:06:29-CST,2690;000000000000 Return-Path: <@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA:MOBERLY%hp-thor.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa> Received: from SUMEX-AIM.ARPA by UTEXAS-20.ARPA with TCP; Mon 26 Mar 84 21:06:25-CST Received: from csnet-relay by SUMEX-AIM.ARPA with TCP; Mon 26 Mar 84 18:18:51-PST Received: by csnet-relay via xhp-labs; 26 Mar 84 20:26 EST Received: by HP-VENUS id AA23887; Mon, 26 Mar 84 11:43:18 pst Message-Id: <8403261943.AA23887@HP-VENUS> Date: Mon 26 Mar 84 11:44:34-PST >From: MOBERLY%hp-labs.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa Subject: Macintosh books at the 9th West Coast Computer Faire To: info-mac%sumex-aim.arpa@csnet-relay.arpa Cc: moberly@csnet-relay.arpa Source-Info: From (or Sender) name not authenticated. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- books on Macintosh at the Ninth West Coast Computer Faire ----------------------------------------------------------------------- One indication of the success potential of a product is the number of authors who think they can make a buck writing a book about that product. There were at least four books on Macintosh already on sale (with announcements of more to come) at the Ninth West Coast Computer Faire. Although most of the books seem to be "quickies" that merely reiterate the standard documentation that comes with a Macintosh, some seem actually worth buying. Microsoft Press (distributed by Simon and Schuster) "The Apple Macintosh Book" <for sale> Cary Lu $18.95 320pp. "Presentation Graphics on the Apple Macintosh" <announced> Steve Lambert $18.95 256pp. <May84> "Macwork/Macplay" <announced> Lon Poole $18.95 352pp. <Aug84> <book on Microsoft Basic for the Apple Macintosh> <rumor> Mitchell Waite <another book on basic> <rumor> Mitchell Waite <book on Microsoft Word for the Apple Macintosh> <rumor> Mitchell Waite <book on Microsoft Multiplan for the Apple Macintosh> <rumor> Mitchell Waite Softalk Books "Macintosh! Complete" <for sale> Doug Clapp $19.95 ~240pp. Hayden Books "Macintosh Revealed" <announced> "Macintosh Instant Pascal" <announced> "Macbasic Tutor - Volume One" <announced> "Macbasic Tutor - Volume Two" <announced> "Macbasic Programmer's Reference" <announced> Reston Computer Group (a Prentice-Hall Company) "Understanding the Macintosh Computer" <announced> Rick Dayton Sams Books "Introducing the Apple Macintosh" #22361 <for sale> Connolly/Lieberman $12.95 ~120pp. "Insight to the Apple Macintosh" #22319 <announced> ?? $12.95 288pp. Dilithium Press "Presenting the Macintosh" <for sale> Miller/Myers $5.95 116pp. ------- 27-Mar-84 06:33:35-CST,1148;000000000000 Return-Path: <@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA:POURNE@MIT-MC> Received: from SUMEX-AIM.ARPA by UTEXAS-20.ARPA with TCP; Tue 27 Mar 84 06:33:33-CST Received: from MIT-MC by SUMEX-AIM.ARPA with TCP; Tue 27 Mar 84 04:25:10-PST Date: 27 March 1984 07:26-EST >From: Jerry E. Pournelle <POURNE @ MIT-MC> Subject: Macintosh books at the 9th West Coast Computer Faire To: MOBERLY%hp-labs.csnet @ CSNET-RELAY cc: info-mac @ SUMEX-AIM, moberly @ CSNET-RELAY In-reply-to: Msg of Mon 26 Mar 84 11:44:34-PST from MOBERLY%hp-labs.csnet at csnet-relay.arpa We are informed that the Cary Lu Mac Book was heavily subsidized by people with big financial stake in high Mac sales, so that one, at least, can hardly be counted as independent evidence of future Macsales. There were big Maccrowds around the Macintosh, though, and we are Mactold that the Macintosh is out macselling the PCjr. At Faire I saw almost not macsoftware. There was macforth, and bruce tonkin had a nice program demonstrated at the Workman booth, but outside ot macplan (which has a ghastly form of maccopy macprotection) I saw maclittle outside software. Did I macmiss macsomething? 27-Mar-84 06:45:30-CST,979;000000000000 Return-Path: <@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA:POURNE@MIT-MC> Received: from SUMEX-AIM.ARPA by UTEXAS-20.ARPA with TCP; Tue 27 Mar 84 06:45:28-CST Received: from MIT-MC by SUMEX-AIM.ARPA with TCP; Tue 27 Mar 84 04:35:21-PST Date: 27 March 1984 07:35-EST >From: Jerry E. Pournelle <POURNE @ MIT-MC> Subject: Mac 100 day offer? To: kato.PA @ PARC-GW cc: info-mac @ SUMEX-AIM, kalagher @ MITRE In-reply-to: Msg of 25 Mar 84 22:32:59 PST () from kato.PA at PARC-GW.ARPA If thaty macraise that price any more, by charging for their macsoftware for a mac chine that doesn't do bery much anyway, they'll probably be in mactrouble. I understand the Wall Street journal is preparing a macevaluation that is not macfavorable for it as a macbusiness machine. Of course that's correct; it takes about 40 disk swaps to make a backup, and no business can operate without safety copies. Even the macforth people had no second drive (well they had one, but it was a kludge without case.) -------