info-mac@uw-beaver (info-mac) (11/08/84)
From: Reed.SoftArts@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA Local: info-mac at SUMEX-AIM Original-Date: 06 NOV 1984 10:01:52 Resent-Date: Wed 7 Nov 84 23:05:24-PST Resent-From: Ed Pattermann <PATTERMANN@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA> Resent-To: ;@info-mac Unlike most PC OSs, the Mac OS assumes that the floppy can be written at most times. For example, to print a bitmap image, image is spooled to disk. Unfortunately, the write-protect tabs often come loose in shipping and handling. In many applications, this results in very strange behavior, seemingly unrelated to the write-protect tab. In TK!Solver (which my company has been shipping for the Mac for a month or so), one strange result is that the program cannot print its high-res plots, even though the system seems to work well otherwise. In the version of Habadex that we bought a few months ago, the strange behavior is that the database seemed to have amnesia (nothing can be entered). I haven't made an exhaustive check of other software, but from what I know of the the error handling in the Mac ROM and OS, it wouldn't surprise me that the write-protect tab can cause other strange behavior. On your standard debugging checklist, put a check of the write-protect tab shortly after checking the to see if the machine is plugged in ...