SHULMAN@RED.RUTGERS.EDU (Jeffrey Shulman) (11/25/86)
Delphi Mac Digest Monday, 24 November 1986 Volume 2 : Issue 61
Today's Topics:
RE: APL for the Mac
ReadySetGo 3
Phone line surge suppressor (3 messages)
Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw (5 messages)
again, hard drives (2 messages)
Re: HFS Fonts?
STICKy folders! (9 messages)
? (2 messages)
Business Filevision 1.1
RE: Need cheap Mac printer
excess
boot problem
RE: INFO WANTED: modems and software for MAC+
Word 3.0 (3 messages)
RE: Wanted: the MacBinary specification
DiskExpress/DataFrame problems (5 messages)
Tecmar as SCSI
Show it (2 messages)
Rodime 6052? (2 messages)
RE: SCSI driver id numbers?
RE: Disk Tag Support - Apple says "No"
RE: SCSI driver id numbers?
DiskExpress Set Startup (2 messages)
System file corruption from Switcher?
MPW observations (3 messages)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: LEPTONICSYS (15011)
Subject: RE: APL for the Mac
Date: 20-NOV 19:13 Network Digests
To: dave@bucket.UUCP (Dave Munroe)
Subject: APL for the Mac
Another APL for the Mac is MacAPL from Leptonic Systems Co. A demo
version of it can be downloaded from Delphi/CIS/GEnie/BIX, or contact
Leptonic Systems at 405 Tarrytown Rd. White Plains NY 10607 (914)
682-0377
-Mike O'Connor (author of MacAPL)
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (15014)
Subject: ReadySetGo 3
Date: 20-NOV 19:32 Business Mac
Some initial notes on Ready, Set, Go! 3:
- It's great
- It uses only Laser Prep and LaserWriter, no funny PostScript files
- It doesn't support tabloid size pages
- It seems pretty quick (I haven't done a large document yet)
- It has PostScript blocks: just type PostScript in and it'll be interpreted
in that space on the page during output
- FORMATTED Word and Write files can be imported, but graphics embedded in
Word files come across as trash characters, not as a picture as PageMaker 1.2
does (I didn't try MacWrite for this)
- no copy perversion
- list $295, $169 in Icon Review catalog
- menus don't have ellipses where they should
- the spell checker can't compete with Spellswell, but a user dictionary can
be defined where words are stored in ASCII text format
Ric
------------------------------
From: HALL (15026)
Subject: Phone line surge suppressor
Date: 20-NOV 23:27 Hardware & Peripherals
Does anyone here know anything about phone line surge suppressors? I'm getting
ready to build one, and need a little help/advice on component selection.
Thanks, Brian
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (15037)
Subject: RE: Phone line surge suppressor (Re: Msg 15026)
Date: 21-NOV 09:21 Hardware & Peripherals
Brian, are you looking for general information (MOVs, silicon avalanche diodes,
etc.) or for specifics like part numbers?
Ric
------------------------------
From: HALL (15081)
Subject: RE: Phone line surge suppressor (Re: Msg 15037)
Date: 22-NOV 11:28 Hardware & Peripherals
Both, actually. Or just the ratings would probably do. I should be able to
find the right parts from the specs. Some general info on silicon avalanche
diodes would be nice, since I've been wanting to try some in my AC surge
suppressors too. Do you know of any magazine articles that might be useful? (
Other than the December 83 Byte.)
Thanks, Brian
------------------------------
From: PEABO (15029)
Subject: Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw
Date: 21-NOV 01:42 Network Digests
>From: flip@osu-cgrg.UUCP (James T. Kirk)
>Subject: Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw
>Date: 19 Nov 86 01:11:52 GMT
>Organization: Computer Graphics Research Group, Columbus OH
>Rob Pike wrote a few papers on blting. One is in SIGGRAPH proceedings i
>think 1983. The other paper i picked up from somebody that was in the bit
>mapped graphics course that year.
The paper by Rob Pike is especially noteworthy because his recommendation
for dealing with overlapping windows is to maintain the obscured parts of
them in off-screen bitmaps. He also appeared on stage wearing a T-shirt
with the word 'jerq' written across the front. (the 'blit' terminal he
worked on later became a very capable full-page terminal ... R.I.P Perq
Computer Corp.)
peter
------------------------------
From: RMUHA (15042)
Subject: Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw
Date: 21-NOV 19:28 Network Digests
When I first read about the Mac's window mgmt scheme, I, too, thought
that it would have been better to save obscured portions of windows in
off-screen bit maps. But consider the added complexity if QuickDraw
had to support Grafports with arbitary numbers of disjoint bit maps
(which is what Pike's scheme implies), not to mention the additional
memory that would be required. (Imagine a large window with only a
tiny corner visible...now imagine lots of them, which is what you
might have in a text editor with lots of open files. There would be
no room left to store the edit text.)
ralph
------------------------------
From: JEFFS (15055)
Subject: Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw
Date: 21-NOV 23:27 Network Digests
My Xerox Lisp Machines store away the bits that are obscured by
overlapping windows. Non of this "update event" nonsense on *those*
machines. But when you are talking megabytes of virtual space, you
can afford to save a few K here and there of bitmaps. I think Apple
did it this way because they just don't have the space. They *do*
save the bits beneath the menu when it is pulled down though.
Jeff
------------------------------
From: DDUNHAM (15076)
Subject: Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw
Date: 22-NOV 04:48 Network Digests
But NOT, interestingly, the pop-up menu in Standard File dialogs.
------------------------------
From: PEABO (15082)
Subject: Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw
Date: 22-NOV 11:30 Network Digests
Hmmm ... what happens if the pop-up menu extends below the lower edge
of the SF Dialog? I'll have to try that ... (visions of more endless
update events for an underlying window in applications that don't want
to deal with that).
peter
------------------------------
From: RAMARREN (15030)
Subject: again, hard drives
Date: 21-NOV 01:59 Hardware & Peripherals
A question about the 'best' drive to buy:
I'm looking for the best deal in overall price performance envelope in
a hard disk drive, SCSI variety. I've heard good things about the
DataFrame 20, seen ads for the Jasmine, know almost nothing about the
Warp 9 products. I've read a dizzying amount of information about the
myriad available products in this forum: to the point of complete
exhaustion.
I am looking for a 20 Meg minimum, SCSI interface, reliable and reasonably
priced hard disk. I want an external unit, not too obnoxiously loud for home
use (even the Apple HD20 is a little obnoxious next to my sleeping quarters...)
that is reasonably reliable and not too crazily ridiculous in garbage software.
If it isn't the MOST convenient to connect, that's all right as I don't inteto
do it too often.
Would someone with a little more patience and experience with the SCSI products
care to summarize their good points/bad points?
Thanks!
gdg
------------------------------
From: MOUSEKETEER (15049)
Subject: RE: again, hard drives (Re: Msg 15030)
Date: 21-NOV 21:15 Hardware & Peripherals
If the HD20 is too loud, I'd bet you'd be unhappy with the Apple SCSI version.
The one I heard and played with was quite loud. I thought the Hyper ext. HD
was about the same volume.
The DataFrame seems mostly reliable, well-backed, though the info from the
company seems afflicted with myriad fits and starts. I know zip about the
Jasmine, except that at the prices, it sure would be nice if they were
a together group.
I read today that Rodine (sp?) was bringing out a couple of new Mac SCSI
drives, and the prices looked good...I'd expect quality to be good as well.
There was another company mentioned in the story bringing out a
Mac SCSI drive with two 20 Meg drives inside, at $1595 or so. Such an
arrangement could be very interestin.
Alf
------------------------------
From: LOFTUSBECKER (15034)
Subject: Re: HFS Fonts?
Date: 21-NOV 08:08 Network Digests
TO:CML5A9%IRISHMVS.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Subject: Re: HFS Fonts?
It is not "almost impossible to do" an "other" DA or FKEY for fonts;
I've done one (Fontsie, and FKEY). Fontsie 1.51 works with many
programs (MacWrite, MacPaint, Full Paint, Billboard) with "Font" menus
and with DA's like miniWriter and Acta, and allows you to add fonts
"on the fly" as you are running the program. It also "sort of" works
with Microsoft WORD (details on "sort of" are in the docs).
Special Fontsie, still experimental (but posted on several databases, including
Delphi) works with almost everything (the only failure so far reported is Super
Paint, alas), but Tom is right that this method requires you to run Special
Fontsie before you start the program and make the choices then.
- Lofty Becker
------------------------------
From: INC (15035)
Subject: STICKy folders!
Date: 21-NOV 08:34 Bugs & Features
This has got to be the strangest problem I have ever, ever encountered
on my Macintosh. Let me try to explain it.
When ever I click on this certain folder, my mouse sticks. It _doesn't_
fully hang, to the effect I can't click anymore but I am fully unable
to move the thing. So I can open the folder and there it stays. It
usually sticks directly after it reads the directory info of that
folder off the hard disk.
Things I've tried:
1. Moving all the files to a new folder, then deleting
the old one. I was sure this would work. I was wrong.
2. Moving some of the files out. Still no good.
3. This is interesting. I moved all the files to the
desktop so they had no window. Then closed the HD icon,
tried to open it and wammo hango.
4. It appears to be one of the files but I tried to
move each file separately into the new folder and
when I finally thought that I figured out which file
it was, and deleted it, still no luck.
So that's the dirt. Is there anyone who has experienced this situation?
I guess I could restore the files from a backup but I'd be interested in
finding a cause for this mishap.
thanks.
Josh
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (15036)
Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15035)
Date: 21-NOV 09:20 Bugs & Features
Try booting off a floppy with the _standard_ Apple 3.2 System and Finder.
Ric
------------------------------
From: INC (15039)
Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15035)
Date: 21-NOV 09:41 Bugs & Features
Oh yeah, I forgot the wierd part... (heh)
If I open the folder from the File menu, it doesn't hang.
------------------------------
From: RMUHA (15044)
Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15039)
Date: 21-NOV 19:40 Bugs & Features
I've encountered that problem a couple of times. Intrestingly enough, if you
double click on the folder and then move the mouse out of the area where the
window will appear when it opens (quickly so it isn't then when it [the window]
opens up), it won't stick.
The solution: rebuild the desktop (reboot with command-option). It
also helps to have a command-key equivalent for shutdown in the finder
menu. Even though the mouse sticks, keys still work.
I don't remember what caused the problem but I think it had something
to do with running some weird PD program or DA that crashed. Run
anything weird recently?
ralph
------------------------------
From: JOHNCRANE (15046)
Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15035)
Date: 21-NOV 20:59 Bugs & Features
Smart Alarms was causing the frozen cursor problem for me. - John
------------------------------
From: INC (15059)
Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15044)
Date: 21-NOV 23:49 Bugs & Features
I think HD Partitian was just run, and the da within it.
Also DA Installer+.
Wierd, hmm.
------------------------------
From: LAMG (15070)
Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15035)
Date: 22-NOV 02:45 Bugs & Features
Josh: your message brings to mind a similar experience I've had many
times, always with the system folder on my Dataframe 20. I also tried
everything, including moving all the files to the desktop and back in,
one by one. Same problem. It seems to go away by itself, though. I
have no idea what makes it happen (and I've asked a LOT of people
about it). One suggestion: I find it useful to have a cmd key
shortcut for "Shutdown" so that when the cursor freezes I can shutdown
and then reboot without having to wait for the volume allocation
tables to be rebuilt (or whatever the drive does when a reboot occurs
after a bomb). -Franklin / LAMG
------------------------------
From: LAMG (15071)
Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15044)
Date: 22-NOV 02:47 Bugs & Features
Ralph: I tried rebuilding the desktop whenever it happened, with no luck. -
Franklin / LAMG
------------------------------
From: INC (15077)
Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15070)
Date: 22-NOV 09:48 Bugs & Features
I restored that file from a backup and it seems to have gone away (at least for
now). But I'd still like to know what caused it.
Joshua
------------------------------
From: BWD (15047)
Subject: ?
Date: 21-NOV 21:05 Hardware & Peripherals
This message is directed toward SuperMac, but anybody can answer it.
I just received the new initializer from SuperMac. My DF20 was
initialized with Initializer 1.4. Is there any benefit to backing up
and re-initializing my DF20? Will installing the new drivers using
the "Install New Drivers" option destroy any of the data on the disk?
Thanks for your help!!!
------------------------------
From: INC (15061)
Subject: RE: ? (Re: Msg 15047)
Date: 22-NOV 00:04 Hardware & Peripherals
How new is the new?
There have been two official releases since 1.4:
1.5 and 2.1
1.5 came soon after and is worth upgrading your DF with. There should be a
program on the disk called Updater which installs the new driver on a system
with 1.4 without having to reinitialize.
2.1, which came out only about a week or so ago is causing some
problems. There are supposedly two different roms in the dataframe 20
(non-XP) which only the later versions work with initializer 2.1. If
your DF is relatively new, I'd back up your system (with a backup
program other than SuperBakup 1.21 because of bugs) and then
reinitialize with 2.1. If your system will work after you copy the
system back on, 2.1 is ok, but if you have problems and get bombs upon
booting, re-run the updater from the 1.5 disk and the drive should
work. The main advantage to 2.1 is that is speeds up your disk
access. Let me know how it works out.
Joshua - 'MacInTouch'
------------------------------
From: DSACHS (15054)
Subject: Business Filevision 1.1
Date: 21-NOV 22:10 Business Mac
My company bought Business Filevision recently. Today I received the backup
disk from Telos, which was their upgraded version 1.1. I was completely
astonished to discover that the new version is completely NOT COPY PROTECTED -
this from a company whose innovativee copy protection schemes have spawned
numerous messages on all the commercial services. They have also made the
program more compatible with HFS and the Laserwriter, and have increased the
number of fonts allowed to 19 - which I still feel is not quite enough.
------------------------------
From: DDUNHAM (15056)
Subject: RE: Need cheap Mac printer
Date: 21-NOV 23:42 Network Digests
> From: amitav@samira.UUCP (Amitav Mujamdar)
> Subject: Need cheap Mac printer
Why not use an ImageWriter? If you use my miniWRITER desk accessory and its
associated imageWRITER-10 font, you'll be able to get WYSIWYG printing of a
proportional font at draft speeds. You can also embed ESC sequences if you want
the different font sizes in the ImageWriter. You might be able to get an
ImageWriter I cheap, since they're no longer sold.
miniWRITER is shareware, and should be easily available.
------------------------------
From: MOUSEKETEER (15084)
Subject: excess
Date: 22-NOV 12:17 Mousing Around
"If desktop publishing is part of your business's future, here's your chance
to get a jump on -- and stay ahead of -- the competition."
So starts a bit of promo literature from CAP International, describing
their "fact-filled study" of 150 page length.
Price: $1,895, payment via MC/Visa/Diner's Club, check or money order.
Right.
;-)
Alf
------------------------------
From: SYNTHONY (15099)
Subject: boot problem
Date: 22-NOV 21:02 Bugs & Features
I don't know if I am missing something, or if this is an elementary question,
but I have a problem.
I just had two Macs upgraded with the MacSnap memory upgrades. One
was a 128K to 1024, the other 512K to 1024. The problem is that I now
have disks that will not boot. They all have the 5.3 finder & 3.2
system, but some do some don't. I can boot with a disk and then
access the faulty ones in the second drives, but no startup. Any
ideas? I have tried recopying the finder - but still all I get is the
black screen with sad face and various error codes. The problem is
the same on both Macs by the way. I have a third 512K Mac that I
tried the same disks on, and they work fine. Any assistance greatly
appreciated.
Bill
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (15110)
Subject: RE: INFO WANTED: modems and software for MAC+
Date: 23-NOV 15:52 Network Digests
To: acharya@sbcs.UUCP (Shridhar Acharya)
Subject: INFO WANTED: modems and software for MAC+
I like the USRobotics modems. I use a Courier 2400 which should be available
for under $400 if you shop around. In December, USRobotics is due to also
deliver a $149 LIST 1200 bps, Hayes-compatible, modem called the Sportster
1200. It's small, too.
For software, I haven't found anything that works for me as well as
Red Ryder (9.4). There are many other options, though, depending on what
functions you need yourself.
Ric Ford
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (15111)
Subject: Word 3.0
Date: 23-NOV 15:54 Business Mac
Just got the Word 3.0 upgrade coupon. $99. About the same price as WriteNow
bought new.
Ric
------------------------------
From: TSTEIN (15112)
Subject: RE: Word 3.0 (Re: Msg 15111)
Date: 23-NOV 16:19 Business Mac
I saw Word 3.0 at Comdex. Very nice and worth the $99, I'd say.
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (15157)
Subject: RE: Word 3.0 (Re: Msg 15121)
Date: 24-NOV 11:08 Business Mac
Some more details on the Word 3.0 upgrade: Word 3.0 order hotline:
800-323- 3577; product details: 206-882-8089; upgrade orders must be
in by January 15. It will be shipped first-come, first-serve, by UPS
ground. Credit cards won't be billed until shipment, but checks will
be deposited when received. CA and WA residents must pay tax. The
cutoff date for the $50 upgrade is you must have a receipt dated after
Oct. 1, 1986.
Ric
------------------------------
From: PEABO (15115)
Subject: RE: Wanted: the MacBinary specification
Date: 23-NOV 16:53 Network Digests
>Date: Fri, 21 Nov 86 01:47 N
>From: <INFOEARN%HLERUL5.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU> (Thomas Fruin)
>Subject: RE: Wanted: the MacBinary specification
>Thanks to Ric Ford over on Delphi for answering my MacBinary query (you mean
>CompuServe does and ICONtact _doesn't_ have the specification!? :-).
I'm sure Dennis would have no objection to my posting his spec on DELPHI, it's
just that I never got around to getting the most recent version. A word of
warning: the MacBinary spec is coming up for review soon, and there will
probably be changes made (for instance to take care of problems some terminal
programs have with the "new" Finder bits). When a revised MacBinary standard
is released, it will certainly be available in the ICONtact database.
peter
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (15125)
Subject: DiskExpress/DataFrame problems
Date: 23-NOV 21:36 Hardware & Peripherals
I'm having trouble getting DiskExpress 1.06 to do the optimization of the
DataFrame 40XP. It just reads a little and sits forever. I may try it tonight
and give it all night to see if anything happens, but has anyone else seen a
similar problem? I shut off the cache, and it _sometimes_ does the disk
inspection successfully.
Ric
------------------------------
From: HSTARR (15137)
Subject: RE: DiskExpress/DataFrame problems (Re: Msg 15125)
Date: 24-NOV 00:50 Hardware & Peripherals
Ric -- See Ephraim Vishniac's notes in the UseNet digest. There appears to be a
well known (to Apple, but nobody else) bug [AGAIN] in the SCSI manager that can
cause loss of data with certain speed SCSI devices. Since the XP40 is supposed
to be faster, maybe it is uncovering the nasty.
------------------------------
From: HALL (15141)
Subject: RE: DiskExpress/DataFrame problems (Re: Msg 15125)
Date: 24-NOV 01:30 Hardware & Peripherals
1.06? I think DiskExpress is up to about 1.2 or so. There was a
demonstration at a local user's group last week, but I didn't make it.
A friend of mine bought DiskExpress at the meeting, though, so I
should be able to find out what version he has.
Brian
------------------------------
From: BRECHER (15146)
Subject: RE: DiskExpress/DataFrame problems (Re: Msg 15137)
Date: 24-NOV 04:44 Hardware & Peripherals
The DataFrame 2.1 drivers (including XP) don't use the SCSI Manager
data transfer routines. However, they can, in certain circumstances,
hang forever in the DataFrame data transfer code.
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (15150)
Subject: RE: DiskExpress/DataFrame problems (Re: Msg 15146)
Date: 24-NOV 10:07 Hardware & Peripherals
<blushing> Well, it _does_ run. I left it on all night and it seemed
to have completed by morning. Fedit said I had 0.00 fragmentation.
I've got about 1400 files on it.
Ric
------------------------------
From: DWB (15127)
Subject: Tecmar as SCSI
Date: 23-NOV 22:26 Hardware & Peripherals
Chip,
I have a friend with an old TecMar 10 Meg drive. He's taken the thing
apart and run a cable to the SCSI controller inside and is attempting
to get it to work as a SCSI drive. Have you had any experience with
this? If so, what are you using for a driver? Who makes the
controller? Where you able to get a manual for the controller?
Any help appreciated. (And that means from anybody!)
David
------------------------------
From: MACMAG (15131)
Subject: Show it
Date: 23-NOV 23:35 Business Mac
The Show in SF should be impressive... what are "THE" spots to hang out to when
it all begins (ie: Who will have the nicest party/presentation) ????
On another subject:
Can anyone in the continental U.S. write anything on this board about the 2
(TWO) new products that will be introduced by Apple in January?
We've been told that:
1- It will not be anything major hardware wise (IE: you won't see new machines)
2- It's more to do with FileServing than anything.
Does anyone have more details?
Rich.
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (15132)
Subject: RE: Show it (Re: Msg 15131)
Date: 23-NOV 23:54 Business Mac
Yeah. They're going to release a file server.
Ric
------------------------------
From: HSTARR (15138)
Subject: Rodime 6052?
Date: 24-NOV 00:53 Hardware & Peripherals
Could some kind person give me a contact (phone number) where I can get a
technical manual on the 20mb Rodime with embedded SCSI controller. I am in
Massachsetts. Thanks -- Harry
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (15151)
Subject: RE: Rodime 6052? (Re: Msg 15138)
Date: 24-NOV 10:13 Hardware & Peripherals
I don't know how much help this is, but their PR firm is at 216-475-3202 (Bruce
Blake). Their "Peripheral Systems Division" is in Cleveland, OH; and their
other plant is in Boca Raton, FL. (It's apparently a Scottish company).
Ric
------------------------------
From: BRECHER (15144)
Subject: RE: SCSI driver id numbers?
Date: 24-NOV 04:43 MUGS Online
To: <DAVEG@slacvm.bitnet>
Subject: SCSI driver id numbers?
> How do the driver numbers for a SCSI device get assigned?
A SCSI device uses a unit (slot) number equal to its SCSI ID plus 32.
------------------------------
From: BRECHER (15145)
Subject: RE: Disk Tag Support - Apple says "No"
Date: 24-NOV 04:44 MUGS Online
To: ephraim@wang.UUCP (pri=8 Ephraim Vishniac x76659 ms1459)
Subject: Disk Tag Support - Apple says "No"
(This is directed more at the community than at Ephraim, who merely served to
trigger this by his posting of a note from Mac Tech Support.)
I think Apple's decision is wrong. Each of the reasons given for the decision
(in Macintosh Technical Note #94: Tags) is flawed:
"1) Tags were implemented back when we had to deal with 'Twiggy"
drives on Lisa. These drives were less reliable than current
drives..."
But the primary source of corrupted disks, at least these days, is software
problems, not hardware problems.
"2) [With respect to the Disk First Aid utility] we've found that tags don't
help us in reconstructing damaged disks (ie, if we can't fix it without using
tags, tags wouldn't help us fix it)."
But even if a volume cannot be made whole, tags enable recovery of individual
files. Fedit Plus 2.0, to be released early next year, will provide file
recovery via tags for HFS volumes.
"3) 532-byte-per-sector drives tend to cost more..."
532-byte sectors is a firmware feature. In some cases (Seagate and
Rodime embedded controllers), as Ephraim Vishniac pointed out in
another message, no changes are necessary as standard units provide
variable sector sizes. In other cases (SMS/OMTI, Adaptec) the vendors
have already made available ROM versions which support 532-byte
sectors. Macintoshes are and will be a very significant market for
SCSI disks, and vendors realize that. The additional hardware cost for
532-byte sectors ranges from zero to nominal.
In at least some cases, there is no disk space overhead cost for tags,
i.e., the same number of sectors per track is available for both 512-
and 532-byte sectors. The transfer time overhead of tags is nominal.
Tags provide greater data security to the user at very little cost.
It is my perception that users know this, and that tags will be a
desired feature where available. I know (having done the software)
that the forthcoming MicahDrive 30 AT and XTs will support tags, and
hearsay has it that SuperMac (DataFrame) and PCPC (MacBottom) are
planning tag support.
------------------------------
From: DDUNHAM (15148)
Subject: RE: SCSI driver id numbers?
Date: 24-NOV 05:06 Network Digests
> Reply-to: DAVEG%SLACVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu
> Subject: SCSI driver id numbers?
DA Installer+ has other bugs besides making MENUs purgeable...you
can't print to an ImageWriter from miniWRITER because DAI+ doesn't
deign to maintain resource names.
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (15158)
Subject: DiskExpress Set Startup
Date: 24-NOV 11:40 Bugs & Features
DiskExpress bombs on me if I set it as the Startup application. Anyone know
what would cause this??
Ric
------------------------------
From: PEABO (15162)
Subject: RE: DiskExpress Set Startup (Re: Msg 15158)
Date: 24-NOV 14:12 Bugs & Features
Yes ... it probably doesn't initialize all the toolbox functions. It
works from the Finder because the Finder has already initialized them,
but when it is the startup application, it is running on bare globals.
This is not an uncommon problem by the way, though it is certainly a
bug!
peter
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (15159)
Subject: System file corruption from Switcher?
Date: 24-NOV 11:41 Bugs & Features
Chuck Weigand called to say he thought Switcher 5.01 might be the culprit that
gave him a gigantic (obviously corrupted) System file. Anyone else see
something like this?
Ric
------------------------------
From: JOSEF (1018)
Subject: MPW observations
Date: 23-NOV 21:01 Programming Techniques
This weekend I finally got around to reading the MPW manual and
playing with the shell. After investing about 5-6 hours in this
activity, the question that comes to mind is: What's the point?
Apple did a fine job of porting a lot of powerful UNIX features into a Mac
programming environment, but is this really necessary or even desireable? The
UNIX environment is very appropriate where teams of programmers are working on
complex multi-man-year projects involving several hundred thousand lines of
code. But let's face it, the Mac is still a relatively slow single user machine
with a screen barely big enough for one window much less several. (I realize
some of you have FPD's out there, but I'm referring to mere mortals like
myself).
I'm sure i'm still several weeks away from remembering and using even
a portion of the facilities in MPW. In comparison, I felt that I had
LightSpeedC down in about an hour. Now I realize that LSC has a
number of deficiencies(a large proportion of which I believe are
corrected in 2.0), but for the stand-alone programmer like myself
working on single mortal-sized programs, is this not more than
sufficient, particularly when you consider the incredible speed
advantage that LSC has?
And if Apple is not targeting this product to people like myself, why did they
even bother? How many copies do they hope to sell?
Just some random thoughts... I'm curious to know what others think.
Joe
------------------------------
From: PEABO (1019)
Subject: RE: MPW observations (Re: Msg 1018)
Date: 24-NOV 00:43 Programming Techniques
I agree with you. I read all about MPW and then when I fired it up, all I was
able to do was get a listing of files and start Rez. Not run Rez, just start
it. I also managed to cancel it with cmd-. after not doing much else.
This is really an unfamiliar feeling on the Macintosh!
Another thing that really bothers me is the use of all the funny option-x
characters to do things. Sometimes they tell you which key it is (like the cap
delta which is option-j) but often they don't, so you better have Keycaps handy
when you are first learning. Of course, the human brain is a marvelous
instrument, so given enough practice all this will be second-nature.
(I can still use WordStar too, when I have no alternative.)
I am also wondering how the hell I can give people advice to questions
in a Forum that conforms to ASCII. If somebody asks me an MPW
question, and I have to give an example of an MPW command with the
double squiggly and an upside-down exclamation point etc. etc., it is
going to be awfully cumbersome. And you can forget about including a
segment of an MPW command file in one of these messages if you are
trying to show us a nifty thing you've worked out because the high bit
gets stripped off of everything. The only way we can distribute such
things is via XMODEM in the databases.
:-(
peter
------------------------------
From: MACLAIRD (1020)
Subject: RE: MPW observations (Re: Msg 1019)
Date: 24-NOV 06:55 Programming Techniques
There certainly are some off-the-wall wild cards in MPW; but did you check out
what it takes to write an MPW tool? Sometimes one doesn't need to deal with
another added layer of complexity...
No, we should NOT BinHex our Forum messages, just to get the 8-bit characters!
The idea behind MPW is to make each window a "command center" so that the user
can just type in commands and execute them. It _is_ unfamiliar, and does
require some getting used to, but there is a lot of power in it too.
The exec facility is a little overdone, but that's better than not
doing enough. That's why I like the Lisa Workshop - once you get the
hang of its execs, you can just set them and forget them. I was
disappointed by Make in MPW, though; you have to write your own
dependency file. If you have to do that, you might as well just write
the exec.
Laird
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End of Delphi Mac Digest
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