INFO-MAC-REQUEST@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA.UUCP (12/12/86)
INFO-MAC Digest Thursday, 11 Dec 1986 Volume 5 : Issue 25
Today's Topics:
Re: Critters Problem #2 -- disk insertions not recognized
RE: critters in the works (2)
+5 volt supply for the 9 pin connector
How to use the Mac for Braille printing, Braille fonts
problem with UNIX-UW-34.PART4
Christmas card
Measles Desk Accessory vers 3.0
Watch Installer vers 5.0
re: genealogy
Re: bug in mpw shell
jasmine 80 mb hard disk
Strange Mac Noises on Disk access
Folder sizes?
confirming info regarding new Apple products
Mac names
Clone Wars and Rumors of Clone Wars (MacDepartment)
Re: Curses on Mac
Diskette Quality
Word Perfect for Mac.
Ready Set Go 3.0
Where is Megaroids?
Delphi Mac Digest V2 #66
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 86 16:42:08 pst
From: Mike Wirth <mcw@lll-crg.ARPA>
Subject: Re: Critters Problem #2 -- disk insertions not recognized
DiGiorgi's "Critters in the Works -- Far Wierder Problem #2" in IM Digests
5.24 dealt with disk insertions not being handled correctly. I've seen
that, too, in a far more pernicious form.
While running PCPC's HFS Backup, roughly 80% of the time when I inserted
the next backup floppy, it would not be recognized. I'd have to eject it
with cmd-shift-1 and retry until successful. Very frustrating! It made
HFS Backup almost useless. After a lengthy process of elimination
(stripping out PD DAs, etc.), I discovered that the culprit was MAIL
CENTER from VIDEX, which uses an INIT to install a background process to
watch for net traffic. With MAIL CENTER installed, even if the mail
receiver is turned off(!), the problem exists. HFS Backup is not alone
in its sensitivity to this problem. Even a simple thing like the open
dialog box in Font/DA Mover doesn't work right.
After several phone calls to very helpful PCPC and VIDEX staffs and much
digging on my own, we concluded that:
1. Disk insertion events were making it to the event queue, but were
somehow getting lost after that (with MAIL CENTER installed).
2. VIDEX was able to duplicate the problem on a 512K MAC, but not(!)
on a Mac+, i.e., with the new ROMs.
3. The problem may be related to a known bug in the MAC toolbox, in
particular in the standard file dialog (see Tech. Note 99, which I
haven't had a chance to check yet).
So if you've got new ROMs, you're out of the woods with HFS Backup. Right?
Wrong! If you're running JCLOCK, then HFS Backup will crash after about
8 or 9 disks and a substantial amount of your time. This problem is well
known to the PCPC staff, and they'll ask you if you're running JCLOCK (or
one other package, the name of which I've forgotten) if you call with this
problem. Seems like JCLOCK is running it's tick-update routine when some
other I/O interrupt comes in and gets lost.
All of the above leads me to believe that the interrupt handling and event
handling software in the MAC is not very robust (or can easily be subverted
by add-on packages). Comments from the net?
PS: Most of the above happened in July, with an old version of the system
(3.1?) I haven't had a chance to see if MailCenter has a problem now that
I've upgraded to a 512E and System 3.2 since the MC Installer program won't
work now! (New one in the mail from Videx).
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 86 00:48:25 PST
From: digiorgi@Jpl-VLSI.ARPA
Subject: RE: critters in the works (2)
>From: dlc%c3file@LANL.ARPA (Dale Carstensen)
>Message-Id: <8612101832.AA12054@c3file.ARPA>
>To: digiorgi@jpl-vlsi.arpa
>Subject: Re: critters in the works
>The floppy insert problem has been reported in info-mac and on Usenet by
>myself and 2 or 3 others. We all had the 64K ROM so we thought that was
>part of the configuration required, but I've had it with the 128K ROM also.
>If you can still write to your HD20, however, there is no reason to lose
>your files you only have in memory (unless part of the files are on the
>floppies -- never run anything straight from floppy, always copy to hard
>disk or RamDisk first.) Use a bent paper clip to eject the floppy, then
>select "eject" in the dialog. I can still use SCSI or ram in that condition.
>You may not still be able to use the HD20, since it uses the floppy controller,
>though.
>I just sent a message to Larry Rosenstein at Apple, since he replied to me
>about my ideas about booting from disk, not ROM. I mentioned this bug. He
>wasn't aware that Apple knew about it. I also mentioned I couldn't make it
>happen or describe the environment that causes it, other than the
>applications I run (RamStart 1.3 and Finder seem to be the minimum set always
>involved). He said I should provide more details (I thought I had just told
>him I couldn't find any more details, but he must have missed that.) I
>wouldn't hold my breath. Maybe having a startup other than Finder brings it
>on???
Subj: re: critters ..2
December 11, 1986
the eject with paper clip and then choose eject is awful hard on the 800k
drives, in my experience. also, it usually doesn't work:: the machine
still needs the boot button exit.
it has happened randomly in all possible configurations:
Finder startup, native Plus cache off
Finder startup, native Plus cache on
TurboCharger startup, then Finder
WayStation startup, cache on
Waystation startup, cache off
Oasis startup cache on
Oasis startup cache off
Switcher startup... various .startup files.
It has also happened randomly with various applications set as startup,
ie, with the MPW shell set as startup. It has never happened in starting up
from a floppy, or after starting from a floppy.
I can't provide any reliable figures, but I suspect it is more apt to happen
after a terminal session. I usually use one of the two Versaterms, but
occasionally one of five or six other emulators that I have at my disposal.
I usually do save to HD20 first:: the time I have lost data is when I needed
to peek at an old file in the middle of working on something else and
attempted to access a file from a floppy disk.
I hope that a message gets through from Apple on this as it is an extremely
annoying bug.
Thanks for your reply, gdg
------------------------------
Date: Thu 11 Dec 1986 11:08 CST
From: Samir Kaleem <XSAK%ECNCDC.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: +5 volt supply for the 9 pin connector
I'm trying to put together my own cable that goes from an 8 pin circular plug
to a 9 pin din plug. As we all know, the Mac+ doesn't have the +5 volt anymore,
so I need an external source for that. Any suggestions on what I can use? I've
checked with Radio Shack and they only have 4.5 or 6 volt adapters (from 120v).
I understand, if there is a change in voltage, this source won't be stable
either. I need to know what I can use what would give me a clean +5 voltage.
By the by, I recently got MacLanding from ClubMac and I consider it as one
of my favorite games on the Mac. I about 7 hours on it on Monday (and I had
a final exam on Tuesday). It works great on the Mac+, but I haven't been able
to figure out how to use the smart bomb. The enter key on the keypad doesn't
work. Any ideas anybody? I've already tried all kind of other options.
While I'm at it...does anyone get a whining sound from the Mac+? I've noticed
one that come on within 5 minutes of when I fire the Mac up. Later on, it seems
to subside (or I get used to it. I'm not sure). What could be causing this, and
what would be a fix for it?
Thanx in advance to anyone who responds.
Samir Kaleem
Bitnet: xsak@ecncdc
Arpa: xsak%ecncdc.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu
Final answer: Huda Hafix
------------------------------
Date: 10 DEC 86 13:13-N
From: RICK%HASARA5.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Subject: How to use the Mac for Braille printing, Braille fonts
[ archived as
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.Edu]<INFO-MAC>FONT-BRAILLE.HQX
DAVEG
]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 86 08:42:19 PST
From: John Bruner <jdb@mordor.s1.gov>
Subject: problem with UNIX-UW-34.PART4
When UW was distributed on USENET via "mod.mac.sources" a couple of
months ago, some site mangled part 4 of the 9-part distribution. It
has recently been brought to my attention that the copy archived at
SUMEX is the mangled version. The bad version, when extracted,
creates a "uw_netadj.c" source file that does not compile because
a piece of the source code is missing.
I've attached a "clean" version of this file at the end of this letter.
--John
[ archived as
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU]<INFO-MAC>UNIX-UW-34.PART4
This version replaces the old copy on sumex.
DAVEG
]
------------------------------
Date: 10 DEC 86 12:51-N
From: RICK%HASARA5.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Subject: Christmas card
[ note from moderator: This is a christmas card which is a nice mac
graphics demo at the same time. Thanks to our friends in Holland
for supplying it. DAVEG ]
[ archived as
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.Edu]<Info-Mac>DEMO-CHRISTMAS.HQX
DAVEG
]
------------------------------
Date: 10 DEC 86 11:30-N
From: RICK%HASARA5.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Subject: Measles Desk Accessory vers 3.0
This is a new version of the Measles Desk Accessory.
The idea is from "Computer Recreations" in Scientific
American, September(?) 1985.
Rick Jansen
Bitnet: Rick@HASARA5
UUCP: ...seismo!mcvax!rick@hasara5.bitnet
[ archived as
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.Edu]<Info-Mac>DA-MEASLES.HQX
DAVEG
]
------------------------------
Date: 10 DEC 86 11:37-N
From: RICK%HASARA5.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Subject: Watch Installer vers 5.0
This is a new version of my Watch Installer.
It installs an INIT in the System file that makes the
hands of the Watch cursor spin.
The problems with the old version (leaving behind
"dead" watches) are now solved.
Rick Jansen
Bitnet: Rick@HASARA5
UUCP: ..seismo!mcvax!rick@hasara5.bitnet
[ archived as
[Sumex-Aim.Stanford.Edu]<Info-Mac>UTILITY-WATCHINSTALL.HQX
DAVEG
]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 86 17:03:25 EST
From: Mark Nodine <mnodine@labs-b.bbn.com>
Subject: re: genealogy
I have tried a number of approaches to keeping genealogical records on my Mac.
First I tried using Excel as a database and wrote macros to look up names given
person ID numbers (the reason for having person ID numbers is that you often
have more than one person with the same name). This was slow and tortuous
since Excel is really a spreadsheet only thinly disguised as a database.
After this, I tried using Double Helix (actually only the demo version since I
didn't want to shell out the $$$ until I was sure it would do the job). Part
of my frustration may have been that I didn't know the database software
enough, but it took me a long time to set things up to use Person IDs and
then it ran very slowly.
Finally, I saw a couple of messages posted by Jeff Shulman about genealogical
software. He listed Family Roots from Quinsept (P.O. Box 216, Lexington, MA
02173) as the program to beat. I rushed right down to their post office box
(smallest office I've seen in a while :-)) and bought their beta version. They
sent me their Version 1.0 release disk and a new manual for no extra cost.
They had considered me as a beta tester, but I didn't have a unique hardware
configuration that they wanted to test, so I wasn't selected. However, I did
send them a long letter with 18 problems I had noticed. Some of these were
actual bugs which were fixed in the release. However, most of them have to
deal with problems with the user interface being unMacish. The program runs on
a number of different kinds of computers and so they wished to maintain
compatibility wherever possible. They also wanted to get something on the
market quickly so that their competitors (I'm not sure who they are) wouldn't
snabble up too much of the market before they had something.
Anyway, the program does a great job at keeping track of everything and many
of the features are superbly done. It has extensive complementing capabilities
(e.g., if you say that A is a husband of B, then it can go in and put B as
one of A's wifes) and there are literally hundreds of options you can control.
The released version is not a complete port of the program, but costs only $50.
It can do all the useful database stuff, but is missing most of the printing.
The final version will be much more user-friendly and will go for $185. There
will be a number of intermediate-priced versions along the way to the top. If
you own one of the earlier versions, you can get a later version just by paying
the delta.
The person who did the Mac version of Family Roots was very responsive and
wrote me back a letter that was nearly as long as the one I sent. I will
continue to use Family Roots since I know they are working hard to correct the
deficiencies.
--Mark
Disclaimer: I don't work for Quinsept, my dog doesn't use their lawn, etc.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 86 14:21 N
From: <FRUIN%HLERUL5.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU> (Thomas Fruin)
Subject: Re: bug in mpw shell
Pierce,
<I'm here :) >
The bug in the MPW shell sounds all to familiar to me, even though I don't
use MPW. It's probably a problem with memory. I often have the problem when
trying to Copy/Paste large text files (> 100K) in MDS Edit. Edit usually
crashes after attempting to put up some dialogs to warn me. Too late.
(If you do this while running MultiMac it's even worse: the disk the text
files are on is DESTROYED. "This disk is unreadable...")
Are you copying and pasting big stuff? If so, better copy smaller chunks.
-- Thomas
FRUIN@HLERUL5.BITNET
(Leiden, Netherlands)
------------------------------
Subject: jasmine 80 mb hard disk
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 86 11:04:10 -0800
From: Don Rose <drose@CIP.UCI.EDU>
I'm considering purchasing either the Jasmine 20 mb ($599) or their
80 mb ($1380) hard drive. However, while Seagate makes the 20 mb, they
say that someone named Quantum makes their 80 mb drive.
Does anyone know anything about Quantum? I'd never heard of them before.
(Jasmine also claims that the 80 mb has 30 ms access time, plus error
detection and correction that automatically locks out bad parts of the disk
if necessary.) Thanks for any info --Donald Rose (drose@ics.uci.edu)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 86 08:01:16 PST
From: Michael_Hui%UBC.MAILNET@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA
Subject: Strange Mac Noises on Disk access
Mac+ with System 3.2, Finder 5.3, insists on beeping the speaker
everytime the internal drive head steps. It doesn't beep when
the head traverse a number of tracks though.
I have heard of exactly this same complaint a while back on Info-Mac,
but I do not have access to the archives. Can someone dig it up
or have the patch/explanation ready? I have also tried System 3.0,
Finder 4.1; same thing happens. Apple Canada claims to know nothing
about it.
------------------------------
From: "Steve Munson" <sbm@purdue.edu>
Subject: Folder sizes?
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 86 11:32:00 EST
I have noticed that doing "Get Info" on an HFS folder in the Finder
will tell you the total size of its contents, but viewing the folder
containing it "by Size" gives its size as "--". At one time, I actually
had some folders viewed "by Size" with their sizes given, but whenever I
did something with them, like opening them, their sizes disappeared,
being replaced by "--", and I haven't been able to repeat the magical
incantations to get "by Size" to display folder sizes again. Does
anyone know what I have to do to see the sizes of folders displayed?
Steve Munson
sbm@Purdue.EDU
sbm@Purdue.CSNET
------------------------------
Subject: confirming info regarding new Apple products
Date: 10 Dec 86 10:59:27 EST (Wed)
From: cdh@bfly-vax.bbn.com
An article regarding Apple's financial prospects appeared in the
Tuesday, Dec. 9 Boston Globe Business section. The article confirmed
some of the speculation that has been appearing on the net, including
the existence of the "Alladin" and IBM PC compatibility.
The article starts as follows (and I quote):
Apple Computer, which expects to introduce some new personal
computer models in the next 90 days, said the higher start-up costs
will probably result in no profit increase for the upcoming quarter.
Speaking at the First Boston Corp. seminar at the Meridien
Hotel, Apple's chairman and president, John Sculley, said company
profits will be under pressure until the spring. After that the
Cupertino, Calif. company will resume its prosperous ways, he said.
The revenue increase for next year will be upwards of 20
percent and profits should reach record levels in the second half of
the company's fiscal year, he said.
The article continues talking about what Apple does and how the stock
has done. However, then the following paragraphs appear:
As early as January, a new machine, code-named "Alladin" will
be introduced that will enable users to add electronic
capabilities not available on the Macintosh. It will also
feature new graphic capabilities. Later in the year, other
new machines will offer bigger Macintosh screens and greater
storage capabilities.
In an interview with The Boston Globe, Sculley
confirmed industry speculation that Apple was helping fund
the development of an electronic board that could slide into
the newer Macintosh modesl and provide the user with the
equivalent of an International Business Machines Personal
Computer. Thus a customer could have two computers in one:
an IBM PC and Macintosh.
But Sculley stressed that Apple will not produce
these boards. Instead others will make them with Apple
providing some of the know-how.
"If we were totally passive, we think the development
of an IBM compatible board would take longer to occur,"
said Sculley, adding that he does not expect a big market
for the dual-purpose personal computer.
"We are involved in this research and development
area because we know certain customers want IBM personal
computer compatibility as a requirement."
The new Macinstosh models along with stepped-up
production of the Apple IIGS, a graphics-oriented addition
to the popular Apple II, will show up on the bottom
line in the second half of fiscal 1986.
The rest of the article has Sculley's prediction that Apple will have
strong Christmas sales, but that it will not be like 1984, Apple's
strongest year. He also expects significant competition from the
80386 IBM machines, when and if they come out, in the business market.
It ends with the following quotation (I assume from Sculley; it
doesn't say other than putting it in quotes).
"It is clear that the only ones with a clear
strategy to win against IBM in computers is Apple and
Digital Equipment Corp."
I take no responsibility for the grammatical error in the quotation;
that's the way it was printed. :-)
Carl
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 86 19:01:55 PST
From: woody@Iago.Caltech.Edu (William E. Woody)
Subject: Mac names
Well, lemme see...
As of this time, we have the Mac 128K, the Mac 512K, the Mac 512Ke (not to
be confused with the Mac 512K as the 'e' means 'enhanced'--ie, new roms),
the Mac+ (which doesn't have a memory size designator, but assumed to be
at least 1 Meg.)
And on the horizon we have rumors of two new Macs, a "Mac 2" and a "Paris" or
"Rome" or something like that, and an enhancement rout from the Mac+ to the
smaller of the new Macs. So what'll it be then? The 'Mac++', the 'Mac2' and
the 'SuperMac'? ("SuperMac" from the description: 12Meg 68020 with 68881
floating point processor has got to be a winner.)
It's not that I have any problems with Apple's large array of computers; I
love it. But the names can be confusing... :-)
- William Woody mac > /|\ && ][n
woody@juliet.caltech.edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 86 08:11:03 pst
From: Wm. L. Brown <wbrown@lbl-ux4>
Subject: Clone Wars and Rumors of Clone Wars (MacDepartment)
The following is from the December 8, 1986 issue of ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING
TIMES.
Quote
SHARP READIES INTRODUCTION OF MACINTOSH COMPATIBLE
TOKYO - Sharp Corp. is set to introduce a Macintosh-compatible computer.
A Sharp spokesman said the computer will be formally introduced soon but
declined to discuss it further. However, Steve Bellamy, a Tokyo-based
computer consultant said he saw the machine and " it runs Macintosh
software." Equipped with a Mac-compatible operating system, the X68000
will include 1 Mbyte of main memory, a 512 x 512-pixel graphics monitor
with a pallette of 65,536 colorsand kanji conversion software.
End of Qoute
Still unknown -
Will it be available in the U.S.?
What will it cost?
How compatible is compatible?
If real, this could have a number of interesting effects (not to mention
the fact that it should enrich a whole bunch of lawyers). A little
competition never hurt anyone. Comments?
-Bill
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 86 09:13:55 PST
From: chuq@Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach)
Subject: Re: Curses on Mac
> I am interested in running Curses under Microsoft C
> (or some other compiler) on the Mac.
> Can this be done?
For some stuff I've been playing with, I hacked together a minimal gotoxy
package (basically a small subset of curses) under the Unix window of
LightSpeed C. It works pretty well, although it is (currently) incompatible
with the windowing/menu/mouse environment -- all you have is the glass tty.
The first thing you'll find is that most of curses really isn't needed,
and vast parts of it aren't really applicable to the Mac, anyway. If you
want to get fancy, you could put in standout mode, but 90% of what most
people probably want can be handled with clear_screee(), clear_eol(),
clear_eos(), and gotoxy(). About an hours work if you know what you're
doing... I know that starting from Unix sources, I had a somewhat functional
version of Mac-Hack (STILL somewhat functional, don't ask for it!) in about
15 man-hours of work...
chuq
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 86 12:51 EST
From: Thomas Dowdy
Subject: Diskette Quality
Has anyone seen a difinative review of diskette quality of the
various brands? Everyone know that Sonys are great and our
experience has been bad with Verbatim, but has anyone seen
a published report about the failure rates of the various
brands? I know that BMUG was supposted to be doing a big disk
test, but I never heard anything about the results.
I'll summarize and post if the situation demands.
-Tom Dowdy
CML5A9@IRISHMVS.BITNET
"I am increasingly convinced that a vast majority of wrong
thinking people are right."
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 86 19:55 EDT
From: <GEOFFRIL%UNION.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Word Perfect for Mac.
The December 8 issue of Infoworld mentions that a Macintosh version of
WordPerfect is due for release in the first quarter of 1987. Has anyone
seen the program? Is a beta test version out?
Our IBM users have come to love Word Perfect as a balance of advanced power
and easy operation. If the Mac version is at all comparable, it should be
an excellent tool for serious writers.
-- disclaimer
WordPerfect doesn't pay me to write this (or anything else...).
Leo Geoffrion
GEOFFRIL@UNION.BITNET
(518) 584-5000 (NYNEX)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 86 15:15:08 PST
From: chuq@Sun.COM (Chuq Von Rospach)
Subject: Ready Set Go 3.0
Showed up at computerware today. I've got my copy (goodbye, and good
riddance, MacPublisher II) and if their manual is any guide, this is a
real a**-kicker of a program. I am very, very impressed! I can't wait
to get home and load the turkey up!
chuq
------------------------------
Date: 11 Dec 86 18:01:00 EST
From: "Greg Hamm" <hamm@waks.rutgers.edu>
Subject: Where is Megaroids?
Reply-to: "Greg Hamm" <hamm@waks.rutgers.edu>
Someone recently asked for information about where to obtain Megaroids for
a Mac 512, saying they could only find the Mac+ version. Where can I
get the Mac+ version?? Or can someone post it for FTP access?
Thanks,
Greg
------------------------------
Date: 11 Dec 86 08:38:31 EST
From: Jeffrey Shulman <SHULMAN@RED.RUTGERS.EDU>
Subject: Delphi Mac Digest V2 #66
Delphi Mac Digest Thursday, 11 December 1986 Volume 2 : Issue 66
Today's Topics:
illegal copy dilemma (5 messages)
MS datafile trouble (2 messages)
FPD and StartUpDesk
Mac gateway equipments
RE: User interface (3 messages)
RE: User Interface
RE: A couple DA questions
AddResource probs (2 messages)
RE: IBM PC vs. Mac (4 messages)
RE: Tags footnote: Seagate 225N (2 messages)
Default MSWord Font...
Upgrade shaft
desktop publishing (2 messages)
MacDraw vs. RSG3 (4 messages)
Gassee in ComputerWorld
dBASE Mac delayed
Overseas Mac pricing (2 messages)
MS/DOS on the Mac
Novy 68020 board (2 messages)
Byte
Pictures, BitMaps and the Scrap
icon positions (2 messages)
RE: Re: DASampler File Format?
RE: Hyper Drive Recovery
RE: Re: Should we support (official solutions)
RE: Why won't my Mac eject the disk?!
RE: DiskExpress/DataFrame problems
HyperDrives and floppy drive failure
GCC policies
Programming the Serial Ports (4 messages)
FOND question
Epstart print driver
[ archived as
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU]<INFO-MAC>DELPHIV2-66.ARC
DAVEG
]
------------------------------
End of INFO-MAC Digest
**********************