INFO-MAC-REQUEST@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA (Moderator William J. Berner) (02/27/86)
INFO-MAC Digest Thursday, 27 Feb 1986 Volume 4 : Issue 19
Today's Topics:
LaserWriter output in New York
crash saver
How do you know what window the doggie is in?
Finder 5.0 & above customizing
Re: MacAuthor (Info-mac Digest V4 #15)
Ramdisks with recovery
Memory test at power on
How to merge Macintosh PostScript into Scribe.
RFC: proposal to create "Special_Interest" sub-groups
Mac burnout
Fans for the Mac
MacSpin, a data analysis program
Beware of old Batteries
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Date: 26 FEB 86 13:39-EDT
From: KURAS%BCVAX3.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Subject: LaserWriter output in New York
In response to a question posted some time ago, here are the phone numbers of
two concerns in New York City who offer LaserWriter services.
Software Output Services
(212) 697-4450
Price: $2.00/page
ASAT Xerox
E 23 St.
(212) 473-2136
$7.00 setup fee plus $0.25 per page
I have not tried either of these places, so I can't comment on the completeness
of either their knowledge or their services.
Another place to look is in the Tuesday Science Times section of the NY
Times. There is a computer classified section which sometimes has LaserWriter
ads.
These numbers were graciously given to me by the director of the NY Mac
User Group, whose name and address I have lost. I'm sure the group is listed in
the phone book, and they will probably have more info for you. Good luck.
Pat Kuras
Boston College
<KURAS@BCVAX3.BITNET>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 86 11:53:28 PST
From: <DAVEG%SLACVM.BITNET@Lindy>
Reply-to: DAVEG%SLACVM.BITNET@SU-Forsythe.ARPA
Subject: crash saver
Date: 26 February 86 11:49-PST
From: DAVEG@SLACVM
To: INFO-MAC@SUMEX-AIM
Subject: crash saver
Date: 26 February 1986, 11:47:43 PST
From: David M. Gelphman 415-854-3300 x2538 DAVEG at SLACVM
To: INFO-MAC at SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD
Subject: crash saver
The crash saver program recently described in info-mac seems superior
to the bomb shelter program since it is installed as a system resource
and doesn't have to be run every time you boot up. Is this utility
a shareware/public domain piece of software and if so, could it be posted?
If not, how does one buy it? David Gelphman DAVEG@SLACVM.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: 26 FEB 86 15:32-EDT
From: BOB%BCVAX3.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Subject: How do you know what window the doggie is in?
Does anyone know how to tell, given a window pointer, what type
of window you have? I am in assembly and need to know if the window
is a dialogue box, a document window, a no-grow document window, etc...
Currently I am using the refcon parameter, but I need to use
this for another function...
Thanks for your Help.
Rocko { Bob@BCVax3.Bitnet }
------------------------------
Date: Wed 26 Feb 86 14:08:46-MST
From: Tony Jacobs <T-JACOBS@UTAH-20.ARPA>
Subject: Finder 5.0 & above customizing
The new finders have a new resource in them called LAYO which I believe stands
for Layout. The newest version of ResEdit has a template for LAYO's and you can
therefore customize the layout of your finder there.
Among other things it will let you set:
-Icon grid spacing (for large and small icon modes)
-Icon grid phase (for a staggered grid, this is great for making the icons
closer together and staggered so the text doesn't overlap.
-Font style and size
-Window zooming rectangles (turning off speeds up window opening)
-tabs for window headers
-default window size and position
-other window parameters
------------------------------
From: Sak Wathanasin <sakw%svga@cs.ucl.ac.uk>
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 86 21:22:44 gmt
Subject: Re: MacAuthor (Info-mac Digest V4 #15)
> request for info on MacAuthor
I've received a beta-test copy (v1.04) so it definitely exists. For further
info you should write to
Mike Glover
Icon Technologies Ltd
9 Jarrom Street
Leicester
UK
Last I heard, the price was 165 (pounds sterling). I very much doubt that it
will be released before the summer.
Here is a quick review; I have no connection with this firm except that for
my efforts in beta (victim) testing, I get a free copy of the final product.
However, I'm not obliged to say nice things about them & if it was bad, I'd
sent it back.
What it is:
A WYSIWYG word-processing package intended for professional
technical authors, and would I guess compete with WORD rather than
MacW. It is not a page layout program like PageMaker. I like it
better than WORD except that it is still v buggy & frequently wipes out
my files.
Features:
Designed to run under switcher (SIZE = 256K)
Can print in bkgrnd if it finds additional 256K mem free
Can work with several docs (can't remember how many)
General appearance of screen similar to WORD
Can save document format as a "stationery pad"
Regular expression find/replace (but doesn't have full replacement pattern
capabilities of vi/ex)
Full control of kerning/leading
Can define your own paragraph/heading/text styles and bind to function-key
This feature alone makes it worth having. I can define, say, a new
heading style called eg "chapter" and bind it to cmd-H. In the defn, I
specify things like indentation, leading, tabs, default font & style,
spacing before & after. This new defn then appears in the "heading" menu
and is used just like the "Font/Styles" menu in MacW. If later on, I
decide to change say its indentation, all chapter headings in my
document will be reformatted. This is real pain with MW.
You can thus set up "style sheets" for novices.
Also allows possiblity of future add-ons to generate contents pages etc
Up to 7 levels of subs/superscripting
Promised (but not yet in 1.04)
Ability to open up a graphics box anywhere and have text "flow" around it
Footnotes
Misfeatures
I'd gladly give up the bkgrnd printing for footnotes
page layout specification is inconsistent with the way new
para/heading types are specified (I mean the way you go about doing it is
different)
No block centring
Some non-intuitive commands/operations
No way of switching fonts "on the fly" - you have to go into the "style
editor", define a new text style. Most of the time this is what you want
(eg I can define "emphasis" to be "bold" and use it consistently), but
sometimes you just one 1 symbol from another font, and you don't want to go
through the whole thing.
No mail merge (I count that as a feature, but others might not)
Other Comments
They are very willing to listen to suggestions, and are professional writers
trying to use it themselves. On the minus side, it's suffering from
"creeping featurism" and sometimes I think the product may never be
released. I'd much rather have a solid product than "features" (who needs 7
levels of subscripts?).
If there are enough requests, I'll post a couple of screen dumps so you can
see what it's capable of.
Sak Wathanasin, U of Sussex, Cognitive Studies, Falmer, Sussex BN1 9QN, UK
uucp:...mcvax!ukc!cvaxa!sakw arpa/janet: sakw%svga@uk.ac.ucl.cs
------------------------------
From: bellcore!decvax!wang!ephraim@ucbvax.berkeley.edu
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 86 17:44:55 est
Subject: Ramdisks with recovery
In info-mac v4n17, Werner Uhrig asked about ramdisks that recover after
a reset, mentioning a ramdisk that relies on a particular offbeat memory
configuration to avoid getting crunched by the system startup code. While
I don't know of any way to do what he wants in a standard memory configuration,
I'd like to point out two alternatives.
First, you can use an external ramdisk. This is really the airtight solution.
Second, you can use a ramdisk which takes a stab at recovering after a bomb.
The ramdisk which I wrote for MassTech and New England Labs does this. If
no other resume procedure is supplied, it supplies one which consists simply
of an _ExitToShell trap. (Thanks to info-mac for publishing this idea about
a year ago.) Nine times out of ten, this gets me back to the
finder. This also provides a snappy escape from "hung" programs: just hit
the interrupt switch to get a bomb, then click on "resume" to get back to
the shell.
I'd be interested in hearing suggestions about how to make a bomb resume
procedure more robust. The ideal thing would be restart system initialization
from the earliest possible point that let the ramdisk stay up. Perhaps
just after the drive queue is built and disk drivers opened in ROM? This
would give the maximum reinitialization, but would still be very fast with
a ramdisk. Also useful would be reprogramming the mouse port in case the
mouse is frozen. (Or are disabled interrupts a more common cause of frozen
mouse?) The resume button's not much good if you can't reach it...
Ephraim Vishniac
decvax!wanginst!wang!ephraim
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 86 17:05:24 PST
From: Michael_Hui%UBC.MAILNET@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA
Subject: Memory test at power on
Further to the question of reset-proof RAM disks:
Before writing to the memory location to test if it's there, the
CPU can read its contents into a register first. After the test,
the contents of that location should be restored from the CPU
register. Does anyone know if the new or old ROM do that?
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 86 01:34 EST
From: Michael.Fryd@A.CS.CMU.EDU (X435MF0E)
Subject: How to merge Macintosh PostScript into Scribe.
If you need to merge Macintosh produced PostScript into a Scribe
Document you should call Unilogic (the makers of Scribe)
at (412) 281-5959.
There is a Database file called MacPos.DEV. Install this file in
your database, and change the @device(PostSCript) to @device(MacPostScript).
You can then include Macintosh PostScript with Scribe's @Picture command.
You should use the PostScript produced from Command-F directly. Don't edit
it or add anything.
-Michael Fryd
------------------------------
Date: 26 Feb 1986 2352-PST
From: STERNLIGHT@USC-ECL.ARPA
Subject: RFC: proposal to create "Special_Interest" sub-groups
Werner Uhrig suggested, in the last info-mac bulletin, that
special-interest groups could be set up off the main info-mac flow,
and listed a couple of his interests. Of course it is a free country,
and he is entitled to do what he likes, but as a matter of policy for
info-mac material I think it is a poor idea.
A large number of digest recipients receive their digest by secondary
distribution. Thus there is one info-mac recipient at USC-ECL, and
many of us read it via the bulletin board program, to which it is
posted. Many (myself included) do so voluntarily, to reduce traffic
on the net and save overhead (someone is paying, even if it is ARPA).
I had been a direct recipient, but changed to this method about two
years ago (at least it seems that long).
Werner's proposal would revert to direct distribution with associated
bookkeeping of mailing lists and clogging of the net. Alternatively,
it would require mailer managers at redistribution sites to constantly
keep up with all the SIGs created, many of which would have a short
half-life.
In this context, I think it was a poor idea to make info-delphi and
info-usenet (I forget the formal names) direct mail from RUTGERS,
rather than carrying them on info-mac but, having no choice, I asked
to be added to the list.
Best; --david--
------------------------------
Date: Thu 27 Feb 86 01:33:31-PST
From: Lance Nakata <K.Kirin%LOTS-B@LOTS-B>
Subject: Mac burnout
The discussion about possible damage to a Mac due to prolonged use is
one that I have wondered about for a long time, yet it seems as though
there aren't any definitive answers. However, there do appear to be
some good suggestions.
I believe that running a Mac continuously, even when it is not in use,
could do harm to it in certain circumstances. I have a 512k Mac which
gets quite warm after only 2+ hours, so I am thinking of getting a fan.
This should allow me to run with 1-2 megs (when I upgrade), yet remain
in a comfortable temperature range.
I base my hesitations about running the Mac (WITHOUT a fan) for extended
periods on messages from the net about burned-out boards, and on the
informal discussion I had with an employee for a Stanford computer
systems group. This person has overseen the operation and maintenance
of many Macs and Lisas, and is an absolute advocate of TURNING OFF the
Mac whenever it isn't in use. A little extra work on the power supply
is better than a burned-out board, of which he's seen his share. The
Mac's structure doesn't help matters either; air flow through the machine
is often restricted when sitting in a small office on a hot day.
So the bottom line is: look into the feasibility/necessity of a fan if
you do intensive work on the Mac, or if you leave the Mac on for days
on end. By the way, blanking the screen will save your Mac from *screen*
burnout, but the machine still gets warm.
Lance
------------------------------
Date: Thu 27 Feb 86 01:54:08-PST
From: Lance Nakata <K.Kirin%LOTS-B@LOTS-B>
Subject: Fans for the Mac
There are at least 4 different fans that I can think of offhand for the
Mac. I'd like to hear from netland what people use in their Macs and
how they came to their decisions. The fans I've heard of:
Fanny Mac (BeckTech)
MacBCool
Levco's internal fan
Micro Conversion's internal fan
I spoke to a Mac hardware/software dealer recently, and he likes Levco's
fan. His reason: it keeps the Mac fairly cool by circulating the air
that's already in the machine, unlike Fanny Mac and MacBCool, which suck
more air though the system. He said that pulling in all that extra air
just allows more dust and dirt to pollute the drive and other internal
parts.
This seemed like a legitimate complaint to me, but I'd still like to
hear from other sources. This dealer hadn't looked at Micro Conversion's
fan, but he had few good things to say about Fanny Mac and MacBCool.
I wonder if anyone has come out with filters for the Mac air vents.
That would solve some problems.
I don't have an ARPAnet address, but I do read INFO-MAC-DIGEST, so send
your reviews/suggestions/recommendations here.
Lance Nakata
Stanford University
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 86 08:22 pst
From: "pugh jon%b.mfenet"@LLL-MFE.ARPA
Subject: MacSpin, a data analysis program
Subject : MacSpin, a multivariate data analysis program.
I got to see the latest in mainframe, specialized hardware applications
that have been brought to the Mac for several orders of magnitude less
money than their costly counterparts. The program is MacSpin, a dynamic
three dimensional display of multivariate data with immediate graphical
interaction with the data.
Micro-review: Totally Awesome! (sorry, been in california too long)
This package has more features than a centipede has legs. It reads
simple ascii data in tab delimited fields with a header line that defines
the name of each catagory. Once displayed, any catagory can be assigned
to any axis simply by dragging the name from the Variables window onto
the axis endpoint. The data appears on the screen as point clouds that
can rotate in real time. The program is worth it just for this effect.
The animation is smooth and fast, but not too fast. It would take about
a half a minute to do a 180 degree rotation of the 500 point dataset he
was demonstrating. Plenty fast for examining the data. Levco was using
program at the SF Apple Expo to demonstrate their SuperMac 20. It flew!
Variables can be arbitrarily grouped or new groups can be made from
existing ones. An example is two variables, length and width, can be
combined via multiplication to create the group width. These groups can
be assigned to an elevator bar at the side of teh screen and the groups
can be examined in linear succession from one increment to the next (i.e.
small width to large width with each set of points of the indicated width
being highlighted). This allows a very nice effect of showing trends
over time. The demo had Consumer Reports' complete car database displayed
with the year assigned to the elevator while gas milage and 0 to 60 were on
the x and y axes. As the elevator rose the highlighted data moved from
the low gas milage and high 0 to 60 to the other corner. This same data
setup was an otherwise amorphous blob of data points until the cubic inches
were assigned to the z axis and rotated. Suddenly there appeared
discontinuities in the data as the cubic inches revealed themselves to be
fairly sparse in different sizes. It seems the same engines were in use
again and again, causing another grouping of data. It was simple to use
a selection rectangle and pick all the Ford engines and give them that
name, enabling them to be highlighted at any time.
Each data point can also be picked off the display and it will highlight
in the seperate Variable window and vice versa. It will also display the
associated data text while the mouse button is down on the point in three
space. There is even a spreadsheet for touching up and examining the data.
I didn't get to see half the features during this demo (at Berkeley MUG)
and I don't have time to describe all the ones I did see (like the zoom).
All I can say is that this program is a steal for the $80 they are asking.
If you have large datasets that you have to analyze, this baby is for you!
An interesting note is that this was originally written entirely in Lisa
Pascal without using the high level toolbox routines. Some of the windows
have vertical title bars instead of the familiar horizontal ones. Despite
this, the program follows all the Mac convenons and is VERY easy to use.
I understand that they are in the midst of a high level rewrite, but the
program is wonderful as is.
For more information call or write:
2
D Software, Inc.
1802-B Prairie Knoll
Austin, TX 78758
(512) 835-2982
or their dealer:
Wadsworth Advanced Books and Software
555 Abrego Street
Monterey CA 93940
(408) 373-0728
This is worth it. And of course, I have no affiliation with anyone but
my Mac (and my girlfriend)...
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Feb 86 14:51:49 est
From: Mark Scherfling <mrs2%gte-labs.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>
Subject: Beware of old Batteries
We had a wierd problem arise recently. We have several Macs connected
to AppleTalk with a LaserWriter. One day, one Mac would not print
any documents which had MacPaint pictures (pasted into other documents
or straight). This seemed odd because it had been printing fine up
to then.
My first thought was something was wrong with the LaserWriter. The
printing error that came up was: "Err:Undefined;OffensiveCommand"
followed by the "Error in PostScript" message. However, other Macs
could print. We also have a very dry environment, so I then thought
static electricty might have zapped the Mac.
It was the battery! I replaced the bugger and it worked like before.
I have an idea - how about DA to check the battery and display its
voltage like the old analog VU meters. Something like this sure
would have saved a week of confusion.
cheers
-- Mark Scherfling
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End of INFO-MAC Digest
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