info-mac@uw-beaver (info-mac) (08/29/84)
From: Rick McGeer (on an aaa-60-s) <mcgeer%ucbchip@Berkeley> One disk I'm using for correspondence currently has 34K of macwrite documents (couple of Macpaint-generated pictures, too), and one Macpaint document. What with the necessary system files, plus macwrite and macpaint to open the documents, plus enough room for the print utility to store intermediate copies before printing, the disk is getting kind of full. I'm afraid that at six bucks a Sony this kind of storage density really isn't enough. Now, things would get a *lot* better if the Mac were intelligent enough to dig the system, macwrite, and macpaint stuff off one disk and the documents off another. However, it looks like the Mac has exactly one active drive at any one time, and it won't look at the second. Is there any way to get the Mac to use both drives in a 2-drive system? Second: I could have avoided this, I suppose, by saving the document, exiting Macwrite and then printing the document directly from the Finder. But I didn't. Instead I printed from Macwrite, getting a "disk full" message. Eventually I cleaned out the notepad and scrapbook, to the point where I had 36K nominally free on disk (up from 29K); at that point the print utility had enough free disk space to print. What worried me was that I checked the size of the document later, and found out that it was only 15K; in other words, the print utility saves two bytes for every one in the file. Does the print utility store bitmaps, or something? Rick.
info-mac@uw-beaver (info-mac) (08/29/84)
From: Larry Baer <baer@rand-unix> The Mac certainly does a less-than-good job of handling disk space and finding files on a two-drive system, but you can make better use of disk storage once you understand the Mac's limitations. I will describe the method I use, and I hope that others with two-disk experience will send their own suggested improvements and alternatives. (No guesses, please.) The System File and the Finder may reside on either disk, but when running an application from some disk (call it the ApplDisk), the Scrapbook, Notepad, Clipboard, and Imagewriter files must reside on the ApplDisk. Trying to print a file from MacWrite will fail if ImageWriter cannot be found on the ApplDisk; calling up the Scrapbook or Notepad accessory will create an empty Scrapbook File or Notepad File on the ApplDisk if such a file does not already exist. Given this, I have a "Boot Disk" that stays in the internal drive all the time. Its only permanent files are all of the System Folder files, including a System File that has many fonts. I have various "application disks" that I use in the external drive; these contain applications that I typically use together, such as MacWrite/MacPaint, and MacTerminal/File/ QuickPrint. The application disks have a System Folder that does not contain either Finder or System File; leaving these two files out of the application disk's System Folder frees up much space (over 200K). The Boot Disk has plenty (about 100K) of free space; it can be used by programs that are smart enough to use that space, and by humans copying files from one application disk to another. Larry Baer <baer @ rand-unix.ARPA>
info-mac@uw-beaver (info-mac) (08/29/84)
From: Dick Kalagher <kalagher@mitre> I have found that the best way (for me) to handle the second drive is as follows: I put all the fonts and all the system files on one disk and keep it in the external drive. This takes about 270K. I put one(or sometimes two) applications (eg. Macwrite) on a seperate disk with no system folder. I also store the documents on this disk since I have over 300K of storage space left. For some strange reason, Mac needs the Imagewriter file on a ;Macpaint or Macterminal disk if you want to print--but that only adds a few K. I also find that it is usually eaiser to backup a file on a seperate disk by first transfering it from the application disk to the system disk, ejecting the application disk and inserting the backup disk, and then transfering the file to the backup. While this sounds more involved I don't have to make disk swaps when the Mac wants them, but when I want them. There are several benefits to this system. 1. More storage space since you only need one system file. 2. Access to all the fonts at any time in Macwrite or Macpaint. 3. A feeling of control i.e. the Mac is not switching system disks every time you run an application. 4. The extra room on the system disk is very handy for periodically backing up a program or document on a seperate disk while you are working. If you need to copy an entire disk, eject the System disk and put tfhe destination disk in its place. You will end up with the System disk back where it belongs. By the way, when I finish a session I usually just eject the Application disk and turn the machine off. This has never caused a disk to be trashed but if it ever does, its only a system disk. Also, if you use the external drive for the system disk, you should wait for the machine to start booting before inserting an application disk in the internal drive. The only real disadvantage I have found is that you can't use the selfstarting feature.
info-mac@uw-beaver (info-mac) (09/04/84)
From: winkler@harvard.ARPA (Dan Winkler) First of all, you are overpaying for disks. We get them for $3.50 each here and even that includes a mark up over the cost to Harvard. Second, of course you can make effective use of a second drive. If you have two drives connected, then both MacWrite and MacPaint will give you the option of selecting the other drive when you want to open or save a file. This provision for a second drive is part of the standard file package that presents the dialog box with a list of file names you can choose, so all applications can take advantage of it. I think your complaints can be resolved as easily as those of the person who was upset that the screen was excessively bright until he found out there is a brightness control. In general, let me point out that the Mac was not designed by a team of morons who overlooked the possibility that you might want to use the external drive you bought or that you might want to adjust the screen brightness. By the way, if you only have one drive, then a good strategy is to use separate disks for Write and Paint, one with just MacWrite and MacWrite documents and another with just MacPaint and MacPaint documents. You can also free up some space by using the Font Mover to do away with some of the fonts you aren't planning to use and by using the Finder to remove the Imagewriter driver from disks you aren't planning to print from.