INFO-MAC@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU.UUCP (03/28/87)
INFO-MAC Digest Friday, 27 Mar 1987 Volume 5 : Issue 70
Today's Topics:
Re: Strange, slow-running Mac+
Re: TextEdit length limitations
SE with Dark Castle & SmartAlarms
Printing to non-existent laserprinter
Icon for the Rest of Us
Mac+ Config files for Kermit
memory test that works on 2M Macs
F*nt DA
microEmacs (beta) 0.6
Spellers
Projection Systems
Stepping Out
RE: Business Filevision
Reset, keyboards on new machines
Tektronix 4115 Emulation for the MAC II?
Mac to HP-Laserwriter communication problems
superpaint
A/UX reliability info needed
WRITENOW BY T/MAKER
X-10 your house!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri 27 Mar 87 07:06:36-CST
From: Werner Uhrig <CMP.WERNER@R20.UTEXAS.EDU>
Subject: Re: Strange, slow-running Mac+
the problem is most likely a totally fragmented hard disk and/or large,
messy DeskTop file.
There are 2 things I can think of doing:
1) run Disk First Aid (from Apple, latest version 1.0.1, I believe)
and/or DiskExpress (commercial, latest Vn 1.1, I believe)
and/or MacZap Recover (commercial, a *MUST* for ALL owner of hard disks
it save my life, 2 weeks ago - but I hope to post a separate
article on that topic RSN)
2) back up the disk to tape or another hard disk, reinitialize and reformat
the disk, and restore it's contents. be sure your method of "backing
up and restoring" does not restore things in the same fragmented,
messy shape (yes, there is another war-story here).
wouldn't you wished there was an Apple=800-number, kind of like *REAL*
companies have, like GTE??!! OK, I'm only half serious here; but someone
ought to tell folks that "just buying a computer" is not enough - you'll
have to also dedicate time for continuously educating yourself, by reading
magazines and books, by experimenting a lot, and by joining a users' group
or find a similar support network of people. what would we be without it
here on INFO-MAC??!! I'm sure that my experience is the same as most of
the rest of you guys: most of what I know about the Mac did not originate
in my head but was passed on to me by others in either written or verbal
form, and even things I figured out myself, I probably could have never
done without having learned other things from others first: maybe I should
write an editorial for one of the magazines about this topic - well, if any
of you magazines writers out there want to take the idea and run with it
(Hi, Bruce) be my guest.
Cheers, ---Werner
------------------------------
Date: 27 Mar 1987 16:58-EST
From: Duane.Williams@f.gp.cs.cmu.edu
Subject: Re: TextEdit length limitations
Stephen Chernicoff comments on the length of text in Text Edit records
in volume two of Macintosh Revealed. On page 202 he says "teLength is
an unsigned 16-bit integer, so the text can be up to 65,535." On page
206 he says "Like teLength itself, all character positions are
interpreted as unsigned integers. Negative values from -32768 to -1
actually denote positive character positions from 32768 to 65535."
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 87 16:21:49 est
From: ch2f#@andrew.cmu.edu (Charles Huff)
Subject: SE with Dark Castle & SmartAlarms
Just got my SE and was playing Dark Castle on it (installed it on the hard
disk, no problem). The program seemed to work fine. But I really got the
machine to do work on, so I later installed SmartAlarms in the system file on
the hard disk. Now Dark Castle says "there is a problem with the way memory
is allocated. (3524 high bytes used). This could be due to other software
that is already installed in memory." Is this a problem on the Mac Plus too,
or is is just specific to the SE? Thanks for any hints.
Chuck Huff
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 87 11:14 CST
From: DNEIMAN%carleton.edu@RELAY.CS.NET
Subject: Printing to non-existent laserprinter
We have a Catch-22 situation here, from which perhaps someone can extricate
us: We have connected an Apple Laserwriter to the VAX to allow people with
Mac+'s to print to it. Now since they've got that one to use, their own
machines are not connected to a laserwriter. What we expect them to be
able to do is generate laserwriter output to disk, upload it, and then
print it. Easy, we thought. However, since their machines are not
connected to a laserwriter, the Chooser won't allow them to select the
laserwriter for output, even if the output is to be to disk.
Is there a DA or software product (Glue, perhaps?) that will solve this for
us? Or is it the "responsibility" of the word-processing package authors
to account for this situation?
Any and all help will be appreciated.
Your pal,
Dave Neiman Csnet: DNeiman@carleton.edu
Carleton College uucp: ...{decvax|ihnp4}!stolaf!ccnfld!dneiman
Northfield, MN 55057-4040 (When in operation)
(507) 663-0545
Disclaimer: "It all started when he hit me back..."
------------------------------
Date: 26 Mar 87 08:54 EST
From: STERRITT%SCOM08.decnet@ge-crd.arpa
Subject: Icon for the Rest of Us
Hello,
Could *someone* who has the Icon Programming Language source PLEASE
set up a non-MPW user interface for it? It wouldn't have to be (at least,
initially :-) a totally Mac-ish one, even just a line-at-a-time type would
be okay (I assume that this is what MPW gives you, anyway).
This would be a fantastic service for those of us who don't have
(and don't want) MPW, but would very much like to have Icon. Naturally,
if someone wants to GIVE me a copy of MPW, and the C compiler, I'll build
the interface myself :-) :-) :-).
thanks,
Chris Sterritt
Sterritt%Scom08.decnet@ge-crd.arpa (arpa)
C.Sterritt (GEnie)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 87 10:02:27 PST
From: "David Boyes (Network Postmaster)" <556@OREGON1>
Subject: Mac+ Config files for Kermit
Here are the configuration files for Kermit on the Mac+ to allow keypad
and arrow keys to work properly. Documentation follows as soon as is
ready. Cut at dotted lines and remove the "foo HQX KERMIT" line and then
unpack with BINHEX. Then, just double-click and go.
(To the fellow who originally wanted them: the YMIR address you gave me is
invalid on BITNET. Since you have ARPA access, just grab 'em from the
archives)
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Date: Fri, 27 Mar 87 11:50:12 mst
From: dlc@LANL.ARPA (Dale Carstensen)
Subject: memory test that works on 2M Macs
This is a modified version of the "Elephant icon" memory test from a few years
ago. It was modified to fully test memory sizes that the earlier version
only partially tested. It certainly tests all of my 2M memory, and the
earlier version only tested the first 1M (half) of it. The modifications
were done by Amar Singh of:
Sophisticated Circuits, Inc.
1314 N.E. 43rd Suite 216
Seattle, WA 98105
(206)547-4779
Dale Carstensen
dlc@lanl.gov
{cmcl2|ihnp4}!lanl!dlc
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From: Stefan Bilaniuk <61058n@d1.DARTMOUTH.EDU>
Date: 15 Mar 87 16:49
Subject: F*nt DA
If this file was already posted to the net, my apologies, as I
missed it. If not, here it is:
I saw your request for a DA that lets one use external fonts
on the newsgroup rec.arts.sf-lovers (?!?) on Usenet. I recently
wrote such a DA; it should appear on mod.mac.binaries soon. In
case you don't have access to Usenet, a copy of F*nt and the
documentation (BinHex-ed and PackIt-ed) is enclosed.
It's nice to know that Double Apple (also mine) has made it
to Canada; I noticed you mentioned it. I'm Canadian myself and
hope to return when I finish my Ph.D. here (I do set theory). I
hope you spread both Double Apple and F*nt around!
You should be aware that Loftus Becker, who wrote Other...,
has also a written an FKEY resource similar in function to F*nt.
Details, including his address, are in the documentation for
F*nt.
I hope you find F*nt useful. Please let me know if you have
any problems.
Yours,
Stefan Bilaniuk
stefan@dartvax.uucp
stefan@u2.dartmouth.edu.bitnet
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Date: Fri 27 Mar 87 10:39:40-PST
From: Alan Larson <LARSON@SRI-KL.ARPA>
Subject: microEmacs (beta) 0.6
Did anyone ever find out any more about microEmacs 0.6? I
still use it, as it is nice to have it be about half the size of
the new version. It also is nice to have it set the distinctive
icon, and be able to click the file and get to microEmacs. Also,
it had better menu options availiable.
I would like to find the source of that one, and fix the few
bugs, instead of adding 'features' and the 'misfeature' of larger
size. Does anyone know of any way it could be tracked down?
Thanks a bunch,
Alan Larson
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 87 12:04:10 CST
From: David Wilson <WILSON/DAVID@scarecrow.waisman.wisc.edu>
Subject: Spellers
> Anyone out there use Mac-Spell-Right by the now defunct
> Assimilation Process Company?
Since spelling checkers are so cheap, why not just buy a new one?
Spelling Champion is just $39.95 from Champion Swiftware
(608/833-1777, MC or VISA) and was given the best rating by
Macintosh Journal of all the spelling checkers they reviewed.
I like it a lot, but I might be prejudiced.
Dave Wilson, author of Spelling Champion.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 87 22:07:41 PST
From: PUGH%CCC.MFENET@nmfecc.arpa
Subject: Projection Systems
One thing I forgot to mention about the Mac II may interest some of you.
The demo was using a full color Sony multi scan projector.
The projector is a 3 tube, 3 lense, direct projector. It will switch
automatically between PAL, SECAM, NTSC, and NTSC(4,43) signals. It also
accepts any digital or analog RGB signal between 15kHz - 26kHz horizontal
and 50Hz - 100Hz vertical. It has a maximum resolution of 900 TV lines at
center with RGB input. They show sample layouts for 72", 100" and 200"
screens.
I saw it work and it was very nice. We had a big clear picture of all the
wonderful things that the Mac II was doing. Anyone needing a projection
system would do well to consider this device.
The rep was Gary Youngs from:
Television Associates, Inc.
2410 Charleston Road
Mountain View, CA 94043-1683
(415) 967-6040
Now, if we could only get a Mac II.
Jon
N L pugh@nmfecc.arpa
M A L National Magnetic Fusion Energy Computer Center
F T N Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
E L PO Box 5509 L-561
C Livermore, California 94550
C (415) 423-4239
------------------------------
Date: 27 Mar 87 13:51:00 EST
From: bouldin@ceee-sed.arpa
Subject: Stepping Out
Reply-to: <bouldin@ceee-sed.arpa>
I just saw my first demo of "Stepping Out" the virtual screen product from
BMUG. This is a nice product. It allows you to install a large virtual screen
and lets the Mac physical screen act as a window into the virtual space.
TeXtures users _especially_ should look into this. One can size to a virtual
screen that is 512X860 pixels and get TeX documents that show a full page in
the 120% font size! With only (very fast) vertical scrolling one can preview
a full page. If you can't afford a big screen and you use TeXtures, this is
for you.
Other applications are very nice also, but there is a substantial slowdown
in screen redraws, update events, etc. MacDraw works well, as does Superpaint,
Versaterm and Fullpaint do not work properly with Stepping Out. Also, take
care if you use Stepping Out with Turbocharger!! Turbo must be turned OFF when
you install Stepping _or_ when you remove it. Since both products are doing
some fancy fiddling around in high memory, this is not too suprising.
Rumor has it that Stepping Out is vastly improved with 68020 upgrades since
the code contains lots of tight loops that are kept in the 020 instruction
cache.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1987 17:28 PST
From: HMICHEL%CALSTATE.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu
Subject: RE: Business Filevision
Telos Software (the makers of Filevision) also sell a demo version of
Business Filevision that has no limits on database size, but will not allow
any changes to the database.
I just happened to have called them today to check out that very thing.
(NOAA is sending me a demo of their toxic substances database and I wanted
to check it out without springing $200 for BF.)
It costs $25 and they took my order via credit card right then.
(Unfortunately they are not looking at the $25 as a handling charge -- ie,
they want people to buy it and not pass it on. Too bad, I would think that
they would look at it as a means of stimulating sells. Especially since
NOAAs work is what stimulated Telos to develop the demo version in the
first place and with NOAA sending out their demo toxic DB to fire
departments throughout the country many potential buyers of BF exist.
Enough griping.)
Telos Software Products
3420 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(213) 450-2424
Hope this helps.
Michael W. Fleming, Instructional Computing Consultant, Computer Services
California State College, 9001 Stockdale Hwy, Bakersfield, Ca. 93311-1099
Business Telephone: (805) 833-2309 -or- (805) 833-2115 {message}
Home: 2408 Barnett St., Bakersfield, Ca. 93308, Phone: (805) 399-6542
Bitnet: HMICHEL@CALSTATE
Arpanet: HMICHEL%CALSTATE.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
------------------------------
Date: 26 Mar 1987 19:39-EST
From: pw0g#@andrew.cmu.edu (the bear)
Subject: Reset, keyboards on new machines
Several questions, please excuse me if these points have been covered before.
-I have not seen mention of anything corresponding to the standard Mac/Mac+
programmer's switches on the Mac II or SE so is there some way provided to
generate a nonmaskable interrupt and/or reset in the same fashion, or is this
on the keyboard (worse yet, none at all)? I hope the latter is not the case,
having dealt with too many non-Mac machines with frozen keyboard drivers
before, and being averse to much power-cycling of things.
-I seem to dimly recall hearing that (a few) companies might produce something
along the lines of a physically user-customizable keyboard for the new Mac
line with the Apple DeskTop Bus; I would certainly be interested in something
like this if I ever switch machines and I suspect at least some others might
also be. Does anyone out there know about any products like this? Also,
how good are the new standard keyboards; I have seen them in the various
magazine articles so know the layouts and understand they are very similar
to Apple II GS but have never used one of those either. What is the feel
like and are they low enough to use for a long time. (Old Mac keyboards were
all way too tall)
-On a related note, are there any good software packages for the Mac+ that
allow the user to easily keep a set of different keyboard maps and interchange
them? As an example, I generally like the < and > to be mapped to , and . in
a word processor but not otherwise. I know how to change the keycodes but that
is neither fast nor clean.
-Last, is there a relatively simple terminal package with good H19 emulation
available anywhere?
My apologies for rambling on like this but I have not seen most of
these questions addressed in the postings I have seen. Thanks for your help.
Patrick Woolsey (the bear)
ARPA/Bitnet: pw0g@andrew.cmu.edu
UUCP:{gateway}!seismo!andrew.cmu.edu!pw0g
...Lost in the Wheels of Confusion...
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 87 15:20 AST
From: Peter Gergely <Peter@DREA-GRIFFIN.ARPA>
Subject: Tektronix 4115 Emulation for the MAC II?
Are there any Tektronix 4115 Emulations for the MAC II. Please reply to
me directly and I will post a summary to the Net.
Peter
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 87 19:57 SET
From: Niccolo' Avico <NICO%ICNUCEVM.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: Mac to HP-Laserwriter communication problems
Hi. I've got a 512K Mac, and my boss recently bought a Laserwriter (HP
2686A) to be linked to an Ibm PC and a Olivetti M28. This printer is
provided with Centronics, RS232/C and RS422/C ports, so now I'd like to
connect also the Mac to it. Unfortunately, there's no way to use
properly the printer with the software driver available to me on the
Mac. Is there either anyone who already resolved this problem, or that
can indicate some software product to drive the printer?
Thanks in advance, Nico.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 87 11:30:46 PST
From: FAILOR#BRUCE%B.MFENET@nmfecc.arpa
Subject: superpaint
Saw and article on SUPERPAINT in the Feb 1987, MacUser. If I understand
the article, it sounds like you can create a "Laserbits" document with 300
dpi resolution (which is the resolution of a number of laser printers
around like the LaserWriter and the Dec LN03).
Now we have a program that allows you to download a MacPaint file and
convert it to SXL format so you can spool it to an LN03. Was wondering if
you could do the same thing with a SuperPaint file. Then you could create
graphics with SuperPaint, and get output it on the LN03, at the full
resolution of the LN03.
Does anyone know what the format of the SuperPaint file is, and whether a
document can be saved as bit-mapped at 300 dpi?
Bruce Failor
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 87 13:19:38 PST
Subject: A/UX reliability info needed
From: ROBERTJ@YALEVMX
Yale's computer science department is going to upgrade its student
computer science lab next year. We're looking at Apollos, Suns, and
now, the Mac II. The Mac II certainly appears very promising from a
price/performance standpoint, and we'd like to adopt it if it's the
best system for our needs.
If we do go for the Mac II, we certainly will be using A/UX. We
will also need to set up a high-performance, VERY reliable network.
Reliable is the key word here; this lab is going to be used a great
deal, and we can't afford a lot of crashes or glitches. We would
rather take a high-priced, proven Sun system than a relatively in-
expensive but buggy Apple system.
So what we need is information. If any of you have used Apple's
A/UX, please send us your opinions. If you've set up Ethertalk or
Appletalk networks, please tell us how you're doing in terms of re-
liability. We need to hear from people who have either set up the
kind of A/UX system I've described, or who are planning to and have
more information about it than we do.
If anyone in Apple is listening, please get in touch with us. We
would like to go with the Mac II, provided it can give us the kind
of trouble-free operation we need.
I will summarize any responses to anyone who is interested, and to the
net if there is a lot of interest. Please send directly to me to
facilitate collection of responses.
Thank you all. Keep in touch.
Robert Jellinghaus
ROBERTJ@YALEVMX.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: Fri 27 Mar 87 10:05:12-PST
From: MARYOTT@EDWARDS-2060.ARPA
Subject: WRITENOW BY T/MAKER
Does anyone out there wish to expound upon the relative merits/problems
of WriteNow? From the AD I received, it looks like a good piece of
software, but we all know about what "looks good." All replies welcome.
BRYCE MARYOTT
MARYOTT@EDWARDS
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 26 Mar 87 15:43:52 PST
From: PUGH%CCC.MFENET@nmfecc.arpa
Subject: X-10 your house!
My dad gave me the X-10 Powerhouse controller and software for my birthday the
other day and I thought I would share my impressions with the world (or at
least those of you reading this).
A definition may be in order. X-10 is a standard. It is a signal that can be
sent out over existing electrical wiring to control individual modules that
may have lights and appliances plugged into them. They are very similar to
those cheap timers that plug into the wall and turn your lights on and off
automatically. Whereas those cheap timers can typically turn things on twice
and off twice, these modules can turn things on and off and dim them at any
old time. All you need to do is send them an X-10 signal with their name on
it. Radio Shack, Sears, DAK, and others make compatible equipment. Feel
free to mix and match.
The controller is important hardware. It has a plug, a DB9, 8 switches, and
an LED. That's all the external controls. The switches are toggles that can
turn things on and off. The DB9 hooks into the modem port of your Mac. The
plug goes into the wall. The LED blinks when the controller does something.
The software is what makes the controller do it's stuff. You see, the
controller has memory in it. It can, in addition to responding to the
switches, respond to preprogrammed timed events. You use your Mac to create
the program and then download it to the controller, which has a 9V battery,
just in case. You may have seen this at the MacWorld expo a year ago. They
had it all set up in their booth and it looked hot, but was going to be
available "real soon now". Well, it's out and I got it.
The software that ships with it is kind of awful. It doesn't cope with HFS
very well and it has some bad interface concepts. Luckily, the day after I
got the bugger, I ran into a friend who had just downloaded the latest version
from GENIE. I got it from him and it is massively improved. They fixed all
the problems I had with it. If you have or are going to get this unit, be
sure to get the latest software. I would post it but there is a notice saying
that it may only be posted on APPROVED electronic systems. I think there is a
large part of the USA that doesn't even know that ARPAnet exists, let alone
how big it is. At any rate, if I get any calls to email the stuff, I will
call the manufacturers and see if we can become approved.
At any rate, the events are very flexible. You pick a module or set of
modules and program them for whatever time you want them to go on, off, or
dim (10%, 20%,...). You can set them for any combination of days of every
week, or for today or tomorrow only. For example, I have my bedside light
come on when I should be out of bed in the morning. It will then go off at
8am, unless I turn it off earlier. It will also come on at 9pm on Tuesdays,
when I get home from bowling. I also set it to go off every day at 1 am, just
in case. The controller has enough memory for 128 events. I should hope this
would be enough. You can place up to 16 modules one one house code, and there
are 16 house codes (I think).
Best of all, this stuff is cheap. The controller is $20 from DAK, including
software. ComputerWare also sells it. The modules run $12-$16 depending on
where you buy them. They make wall sockets, light switches, and all kinds of
modules. They have a thermostat that you can hook up to it. They have a
phone thing so you can call in and control things manually. They have remote
controls and a burglar alarm interface. Also, everything has a manual
override in case Klingons get a hold of your controller.
All in all, it is a great toy and it requires NO WIRING!!!! You just plug all
these things in and they work. We are talking easy. I plan on using this
thing until it or I turns to dust.
Jon
N L pugh@nmfecc.arpa
M A L National Magnetic Fusion Energy Computer Center
F T N Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
E L PO Box 5509 L-561
C Livermore, California 94550
C (415) 423-4239
------------------------------
End of INFO-MAC Digest
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