SHULMAN@RED.RUTGERS.EDU (Jeffrey Shulman) (11/06/86)
Delphi Mac Digest Thursday, 6 November 1986 Volume 2 : Issue 57
Today's Topics:
RE: Finder/many-file copy bug? (Re: Msg 14331) (6 messages)
IMAGEWRITER-II HELP (2 messages)
DiskTimerII
RE: How to reboot your Mac and Hard Disk (Re: Msg 14422) (5 messages)
RE: MPW C (Green Hills) "feature" (Re: Msg 946) (5 messages)
RE: Apple's interface (Re: Msg 960) (2 messages)
HELP get my PD offering off the ground
RE: HELP get my PD offering off the grou (Re: Msg 14468)
Voice recognition
RE: alarm clock menu blink (Re: Msg 944)
TeX (2 messages)
DataFrames... (2 messages)
DataFrame loongterm reliability
DataFrames for $730.00? (3 messages)
Appletalk pricing (3 messages)
It's true about Berke.
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From: LOGICHACK (14436)
Subject: RE: Finder/many-file copy bug? (Re: Msg 14331)
Date: 2-NOV-00:18: Bugs & Features
Gee, I copy that number of files all the time and have never see finder croak.
Maybe there is something funny in your desktop file.
Paul :)
------------------------------
From: LOFTUSBECKER (14446)
Subject: RE: Finder/many-file copy bug? (Re: Msg 14436)
Date: 2-NOV-09:54: Bugs & Features
I have often had Finder problems (sometimes crashes, sometimes hangs) when
copying large #s of files. Lofty
------------------------------
From: HOFFMAN (14484)
Subject: RE: Finder/many-file copy bug? (Re: Msg 14330)
Date: 3-NOV-22:33: Bugs & Features
I have copied over 1000 files between hard disk drives by dragging (under the
Finder) with no problem (except a display error in showing the number of files
remaining to be copied, which never updates the 4th digit). I was not using
either of the drives you mentioned, but another brand, which I don't care to
mention, because I don't recommend it for other reasons.
This would lead me to believe that the problem is not a Finder problem, but
perhaps a problem elsewhere, e.g. the drivers on a particular hard disk you are
using.
------------------------------
From: HOFFMAN (14485)
Subject: RE: Finder/many-file copy bug? (Re: Msg 14332)
Date: 3-NOV-22:36: Bugs & Features
I copied the entire hard disk, including the System Folder. One time I
did it by selecting all, then dragging. The other time, I did it by
dragging one disk icon to the other!! No problem. I was using System
2.3 (or whatever the current number is), and Finder 5.3. Oh yeah, the
System version is 3.2. How could I forget that one, after all the
problems with 3.1.1.
------------------------------
From: PEABO (14487)
Subject: RE: Finder/many-file copy bug? (Re: Msg 14484)
Date: 4-NOV-00:03: Bugs & Features
I wonder if (when Apple fixes the Finder to support a 4 digit count)
you will be able to deal with 5 digits worth of files in one copy!
<a SCSI :-)>
peter
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From: LOGICHACK (14512)
Subject: RE: Finder/many-file copy bug? (Re: Msg 14460)
Date: 5-NOV-01:18: Bugs & Features
No doubt Finder can be more robust with error handling but I think
must problems are do to having files messed up and or the desktop file
is screwed. I used to have a problem copying files and it turned out
that the disk switch dialog somehow got lost. This has happenened a
coupla times to me. But I never had any problems with copy large
numbers of files. LIke over 1000 in about 18 to 19 meg.
Paul :)
------------------------------
From: REGENCY (14439)
Subject: IMAGEWRITER-II HELP
Date: 2-NOV-03:43: Telecommunicating
I am having a problem capturing data to my printer. I'm using
SMARTCOM 2, HAYES 1200 MODEM and a Macintosh 512 upgraded to 2megs. I
also have an Imagewriter II. I keep getting an error message saying
to check the select button and to check paper. This I do and
everything is set properly. When I unhook the imagewriter II and
connect my old Imagewriter everything works fine. I can't find a
solution to this problem, if anybody has any suggestions they will be
greatly appreciated.. THANKYOU
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From: PEABO (14464)
Subject: RE: IMAGEWRITER-II HELP (Re: Msg 14439)
Date: 3-NOV-00:12: Telecommunicating
Sounds like the cable you are using is missing the connection for PRINTER BUSY.
The Imagewriter II uses a different cable, right?
peter
------------------------------
From: BRECHER (14441)
Subject: DiskTimerII
Date: 2-NOV-07:19: Hardware & Peripherals
I've uploaded DiskTimerII to the Hardware database. DiskTimer is
similar to its predecessor program, DiskTimer -- it measures the
performance of a hard disk with respect to large (24KB) data transfers
and access time (head movement). The MPW C source code for DiskTimerII
is also in the database.
By now, I assume most who might be interested are familiar with the idea of
DiskTimer(II), so I'll omit all of the description and caveats that went with
the original posting and just explain what's new.
Steve Edelman of SuperMac noted that for some disks DiskTimer's pre-test
calibration routine may not achieve its intended purpose of preventing a head
step during the subsequent data transfer tests. To remedy this defect,
DiskTimerII uses a one-sector calibration increment instead of eight sectors,
and the I/O tests do 24KB instead of 32KB transfers. To partially compensate
for the longer calibration time, 5 instead of 10 reads are done at each
calibration point.
Since the program still takes longer than before, a rotating cursor is added to
assure users that something is happening. To avoid confusion with results from
the predecessor programs, results are reported in deciseconds.
Thanks to those of you who took the time to run DiskTimer and report results to
me. With apologies, I request that you do it all over again with DiskTimerII.
While, as often noted, the results do not translate directly to perceived
performance in actual use, they do provide some useful information (in my
opinion) to the Macintosh community. Also, they are useful to manufacturers in
assessing the relative "raw" performance of their products and in some cases in
motivating them to improve same.
------------------------------
From: BRECHER (14444)
Subject: RE: How to reboot your Mac and Hard Disk (Re: Msg 14422)
Date: 2-NOV-08:45: SIG Business
The Clr.L D0 is superfluous; and Lea $10000,A0 (or Move #$10000,A0) is the same
length as the MoveQ, Swap, Move.L trickiness. If BootDrive is the desired
target, then the following will always hit it:
10000: Move.L SP,A0 ;if it's ID 28 we die again on VBL interrupt
10002: Clr.L ioFileName(A0) ;avoid odd address exception
10006: Move BootDrive,$16(A0)
1000C: _Eject
1000E: Reset
SM 10000 204F 42A8 0012 3178
SM 10008 0210 0016 A017 4E70
G 10000
I would remove "Safely" from the title, since _Eject will flush the
volume; this may be desireable or disastrous, depending on whether/how
file system memory structures have been damaged.
------------------------------
From: BRECHER (14445)
Subject: RE: How to reboot your Mac and Hard Disk (Re: Msg 14422)
Date: 2-NOV-08:46: SIG Business
P.S.: Something like 50000 as the base address would probably be better, since
some people increase the size of the system heap.
------------------------------
From: DDUNHAM (14476)
Subject: RE: How to reboot your Mac and Hard Disk (Re: Msg 14444)
Date: 3-NOV-21:37: SIG Business
How does it compare to TMON's handling?
------------------------------
From: BRECHER (14491)
Subject: RE: How to reboot your Mac and Hard Disk (Re: Msg 14453)
Date: 4-NOV-00:50: SIG Business
The only functional difference between the two versions is that yours takes the
volume with vRefNum = -1 offline, while mine takes the startup volume offline.
The two are usually, but not always, the same.
------------------------------
From: BRECHER (14493)
Subject: RE: How to reboot your Mac and Hard Disk (Re: Msg 14476)
Date: 4-NOV-00:51: SIG Business
TMON's EUA closes open files and puts all volumes offline. That code would be
a bit much to enter in hex.
------------------------------
From: LOGICHACK (961)
Subject: RE: MPW C (Green Hills) "feature" (Re: Msg 946)
Date: 2-NOV-00:09: Programming Techniques
I haven't had any problems with \n being equal to \r. Actually it did mess me
up when I was bringing xlisp up on it a few months ago. But it shouldn't make
much difference with pure Mac programming (or writing stuff to run on the Mac).
Paul :)
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From: RMUHA (974)
Subject: RE: MPW C (Green Hills) "feature" (Re: Msg 961)
Date: 3-NOV-22:23: Programming Techniques
I've gotten to like Lightspeed's \p convention (eg, "\p..." makes a
Pascal string). It lets you say what you want when you want... In
general I'm against compilers that try to do "favors" for you...
------------------------------
From: PEABO (975)
Subject: RE: MPW C (Green Hills) "feature" (Re: Msg 974)
Date: 3-NOV-23:23: Programming Techniques
Oh yeah ... that's the other problem with MPW C ... they expect you to say
something like "\005Hello" instead of using \P (and to count in OCTAL no less).
It's a shame!
peter
------------------------------
From: DWB (976)
Subject: RE: MPW C (Green Hills) "feature" (Re: Msg 959)
Date: 4-NOV-00:24: Programming Techniques
Actually, they use it quite a bit internally. Many of the apple crew prefer C
to pascal. They had no good defense for the automatic conversion though...
David
------------------------------
From: DDUNHAM (980)
Subject: RE: MPW C (Green Hills) "feature" (Re: Msg 976)
Date: 5-NOV-04:52: Programming Techniques
Yah, talked to someone from Apple last night, apparently he works on MPW and
programs in C. He said the glue (pascal strings) is on their enhancement list.
------------------------------
From: MACLAIRD (962)
Subject: RE: Apple's interface (Re: Msg 960)
Date: 2-NOV-07:07: Current Discussions
They seem to think they can get away with it, and the cautious lawyer
always tries to get away with as much advantage as he can, whether or
not he senses any legal or moral justification for it.
Personally, I don't think they can get away with it. Useful or novel
processes get patents, but a mere idea cannot be patented. A mere
idea cannot be copyrighted either, but the "embodiment" of an idea in
a fixed and readibdable medium may be copyrighted to the extent that
it involves the creative efforts of the author.
I'It's so easy to get long-winded about this. Don't worry about it, just apply
your own sense of right & wrong, common sense, the whole nine yards.
For some reason, Apple is very protective, even defensive, about their User
Interface Guidelines. I feel that they are important, commercially, but even
more as an indication of where the state of the software engineering art is
taking us. The User Interface Guidelines are not perfect. They tend to tatter
and fray around the edges. This is only a sign that the software engineers
writing this type of software will soon begin to take the thought behind the
User Interface Guidelines as second nature (if they do not already) and write
programs that improve on them.
Copyright is the wrong beastie to use here anyway, Apple! Either Trademark or
Unfair Competition would allow protection, on the grounds that the User
Interface was distinctive enough to let the general public believe that any
software running on the computer using the Guidelines was a Macintosh program.
Therefore, running the software on a different computer could confuse and
mislead the public into thinking they were buying a computer built by Apple.
Don't worry about it, David. They are speaking with an apparent lack of some
essential knowledge, and with an apparent excess of braggadocio and money.
Laird
------------------------------
From: LOFTUSBECKER (963)
Subject: RE: Apple's interface (Re: Msg 960)
Date: 2-NOV-10:01: Current Discussions
David,
You know I've been sounding off about this on another network. But
for lurkers, I think (1) the claim, particularly in the breadth it is
made in Outside Apple, is probably wrong; and (2) it is both bad
lawyering and bad P/R to offend their friends.
You will also recall that I told Bob Perez I'd be happy to be a
defendant if Apple thought it had any copyrights in the programs I'd
written. (Actually, I was a little overbroad there: one program uses a
PICT resource done in MacWrite with Apple-copyrighted fonts. They do
have a valid copyright in the fonts, though I am also quite sure that
my use of the fonts is "fair use" and could not be restricted or
charged for by Apple.)
- Lofty
------------------------------
From: VASMUG (14468)
Subject: HELP get my PD offering off the ground
Date: 3-NOV-05:23: User Supported Software
LI HELP
Greetings. Does anyone know if there is a "Guided Tour" software
available that will allow me to produce a simple slide show type
presentation with some on-screen buttons? SlideShow Magician (if it
were reliable) would be good, except it is NOT PD. You see, I am
putting together a mega fonts collection for release into the PD, and
it includes a series of paint docs which make up a "directory" to the
collection, as well as a short tutorial on selecting and using fonts.
I once heard tell of a program called "GuidedTour" which is used
to produce the guided tour disks that came with the Mac. Does this
really exist - and is it by any chance PD?
I have been using SlideShower which shows the paint docs according to a
number prefix - space bar advances - backspace repeats. But it does not allow
branching, or screen buttons. From the MiniFinder, I would like to offer the
viewer a selection of "topics" so that they may skip the tutorial and use the
directory alone.
This is the final step in a project that has taken me over six
months to bring this far - with over 4 megabytes - of fonts and it
seems like such a shame to be unable to complete the final (out of 10)
disk!
I am pressing to complete this collection for release at our December MUG
meeting - and for any of your groups out there that would like to have it. Any
help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your time.
Fred Showker - The Shenandoah Mac Users Group
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (14470)
Subject: RE: HELP get my PD offering off the grou (Re: Msg 14468)
Date: 3-NOV-09:14: User Supported Software
Fred,
I think you should be able to do this with VideoWorks. The VideoWorks
player application, I think, is PD, so you'd only have to buy one copy of
the program.
The folks at MacroMind may have another option, too. You can give them a
call, they're in Chicago (can't find the number at the moment).
Finally, though it probably isn't what you want, More does have the
ability to create slide shows, as does ThinkTank 512.
Ric Ford
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From: BCSMAC (14474)
Subject: Voice recognition
Date: 3-NOV-20:12: Hardware & Peripherals
Is anyone working on voice recognition for the Mac??? (especially Apple). Any
thoughts of how useful it would be to have a spoken word drive a macro in any
program?
Comments are appreciated....Rob Hafer
------------------------------
From: RMUHA (971)
Subject: RE: alarm clock menu blink (Re: Msg 944)
Date: 3-NOV-22:16: Inside Mac
Well, if you disassemble the alarm clock DA you discover that it sets
a mysterious flag at location 0x21F to 0xFE. And if you dig thru the
new MDS equate files, you discover that the mysterious flag is named
AlarmState. Note that for the blinking to stop, you must also make
sure that either the alarm is turned off (high bit of SysParam.volClik
= 0) or the alarm time (SysParam.alarm) is > Time (of day).
------------------------------
From: RIVEREAST (14498)
Subject: TeX
Date: 4-NOV-22:39: Business Mac
I got a TeXtures (formerly MacTeX) v.0.91 of Addison-Wesley yesterday. It
has the ability of \magnification, and the bundled editor got better than
v.0.51.
I tried to print 7 page document. The Laser Writer output was really
excellent with 20% magnification. But the Image Writer II output with 20%
magnification was very bad and unacceptable at all.
------------------------------
From: MADMACS (14525)
Subject: RE: TeX (Re: Msg 14498)
Date: 5-NOV-21:01: Business Mac
Anyone have information re: the Canadian TeX (FLT or FBT software Inc.) They
had an ad in the latest Infoworld that looked pretty good. Said that they had
an on screen preview mode. -Doug
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From: WESTEN (14503)
Subject: DataFrames...
Date: 4-NOV-23:06: Hardware & Peripherals
Sorry I forgot who was having problems with the DataFrame turn ons,
but the solution is (as someone basically noted) to turn the drive
that doesn't start up immediatly off and thn back on. The drive will
start up immediatly. The problem is cosmetic, but annoying. It is
due to an overly sensitive overvoltage sensing circuit (or so I'm
told). Flipping the switch on and off fools the circuit into thinking
everything is ok (but don't worry, a true overvoltage situation won't
allow the restarting of the drive). Your dealer will (or ought to)
provide a free replacement of the power supply if you complain to him.
Regarding the squeeling noise (or chirping sound) the drives can sometimes
make, it is indeed due to an anti-static tab that MicroSci puts on its drives.
SuperMac believes these tabs to be superfolous and can be removed. Again, talk
to your dealer if the drives are chirping (though the problem is easy to fix).
By the way I meant to refer to the dealer as "him or her"!
Final note re: the FX/20. I own both an FX/20 and a DataFrame. There is no
way the HyperDrive is even faintly comparable in noise to the DataFrame. They
are located next ot each other, and the FX/20 is significantly louder. This is
not an isolated observation though, each of the 4 FX/20's Ive seen are just as
loud.
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (14518)
Subject: RE: DataFrames... (Re: Msg 14503)
Date: 5-NOV-09:40: Hardware & Peripherals
I've heard from some other people that their FX 20s are also loud. The sample
we got from GCC is not, but it may be "special." I wonder if the ubiquitous
anti-static tab is responsible for the difference...
Ric
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From: WESTEN (14504)
Subject: DataFrame loongterm reliability
Date: 4-NOV-23:17: Hardware & Peripherals
This is in response to a recent info-mac digest. I'm not an expert on
all this ( refer to Steve Brecher of course!) but I doubt the
DataFrame hard Drives are about ot fall apart in 6 months. Neither
the LaPine (used in the old MacBottoms and a few DataFrames) nor the
SeaGates (used in Apple's new SCSI drive and the HyperDrive FX/20) or
the MicroSci (used in most DataFrames ) use hardened media. SeaGates
are of course used on many IBM compatibles, and I don't recall hearing
of mass failures after 6 months of use. I have been approached by
Peripheral Land with the same sales pitch though, so I assume that
might be where the rumor has started.
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From: WESTEN (14507)
Subject: DataFrames for $730.00?
Date: 4-NOV-23:21: Hardware & Peripherals
Being quite curious about seeing DataFrames for only $730, I called the mail
order house that advirtised such in the most recent MacWorld. The result was
rather interesting: The price was actually $899 (typo apparently???), but they
don't actually carry SuperMac Hard Drives anyway it turns out, but they DO have
a fine drive for very cheap made by....!
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From: DWB (14509)
Subject: RE: DataFrames for $730.00? (Re: Msg 14507)
Date: 4-NOV-23:59: Hardware & Peripherals
ComputerWare actually does carry the DataFrame for $850. Not quite as good as
$730 but they usually have them in stock.
David
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From: MADMACS (14526)
Subject: RE: DataFrames for $730.00? (Re: Msg 14507)
Date: 5-NOV-21:05: Hardware & Peripherals
I know someone who took the ad to a store and got a great deal. $650 or some-
thing. I think that is cost, since he also knows the guy who he was dealing
with personally. That is the lowest I have ever heard one go for. -Doug
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From: WESTEN (14508)
Subject: Appletalk pricing
Date: 4-NOV-23:27: Hardware & Peripherals
To answer the recent questions re: AppleTalk pricing- yes the price
has gone up. New dealer cost is $49 per kit, and list price on all
kits have risen to $75. PhoneNet by farralon is much cheaper and
seems to work well. I am in the process of networking 20+ Macs as a
test of the capabilities and problems using both PhoneNet and Tops.
So far I can recommend at least the Phone Net! -Chuck
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From: BWD (14510)
Subject: RE: Appletalk pricing (Re: Msg 14508)
Date: 5-NOV-00:14: Hardware & Peripherals
I hope all these comments of Phone NET success continue. I just placed my job
on the line and ordered 20 for our office. From the comments here I suspect my
job is fairly safe!
Brian
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From: SANJUGO (14523)
Subject: RE: Appletalk pricing (Re: Msg 14510)
Date: 5-NOV-20:24: Hardware & Peripherals
I think you can keep your job a little longer, we just installed PhoneNET and
are very happy with it.{noise} If you have any questions, just ring up. _Tom
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From: INC (14522)
Subject: It's true about Berke.
Date: 5-NOV-18:09: Creative Pursuits
Yes it is true. Berke Breathed, author of Bloom Countinty does actually have a
Mac. There's a pic of him in this week's nesweek on campus with his Mac (512)
in the background.
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End of Delphi Mac Digest
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