SHULMAN@RED.RUTGERS.EDU (Jeffrey Shulman) (09/20/86)
Delphi Mac Digest Saturday, 20 September 1986 Volume 2 : Issue 46
Today's Topics:
Death of a Mac Analog Board
Microsoft Basic Compiler
RE: Microsoft Basic Compiler (Re: Msg 12815)
New Apple //gs Computer
serial drivers
MacInTouch News Flash
RE: INFO-MAC Digest V4 #115 (Re: Msg 12820)
RE: Re: Easy of programming, Mac, Amiga
Re: Micah Failure HELP!
DiskInfo
RE: Re: Porting UNIX Applications to the Mac
My DataFrame 20
RE: My DataFrame 20 (Re: Msg 12884)
RE: My DataFrame 20 (Re: Msg 12884)
RE: My DataFrame 20 (Re: Msg 12884)
RE: My DataFrame 20 (Re: Msg 12889)
DiskTimer
RE: DiskTimer (Re: Msg 12894)
RE: DiskTimer (Re: Msg 12902)
HD20 & II GS
Interesting Laser/Font notes
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From: PEABO (12812)
Subject: Death of a Mac Analog Board
Date: 15-SEP 00:30 Hardware & Peripherals
Well, the analog board I swapped out to my Mac 128 just died a few minutes ago.
Grey smoke, a slight hissing noise, and a screen that was badly non-linear and
very dim just before it went.
So, if you see that your horizontal sweep is expanded on one side, and
compressed on the other, I'd say it's a pretty good bet you are due for a
service call!
peter
------------------------------
From: UJL0012 (12815)
Subject: Microsoft Basic Compiler
Date: 15-SEP 02:55 Programming
Does anyone know when Microsoft Basic Compiler will be (has been)
released? I'll be very happy to know anything about this. Thank you in
advance.
Junichiro
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (12852)
Subject: RE: Microsoft Basic Compiler (Re: Msg 12815)
Date: 16-SEP 09:55 Programming
The Basic compiler hasn't been released yet, despite persistent rumors that
it'll be "real soon now." ZBasic is a compiler available now, and some other
magazines (MacTutor?) have talked a little about it.
With the recent advances from Think Technologies (Lightspeed Pascal),
maybe it's finally time to switch away from Basic.
Ric
------------------------------
From: PEABO (12819)
Subject: New Apple //gs Computer
Date: 15-SEP 12:22 Hardware & Peripherals
ACCORDING TO A REPORT in today's edition of the Wall Street Journal, Apple
Computer, Inc. has announced a new version of the venerable Apple // line of
personal computers, called the Apple //gs.
The basic unit will sell for $999 retail, without monitor or disk drives, and a
complete system can be had for $1800. The new computer runs approximately
10,000 programs for the older Apple // line, and in addition has far superior
color graphics and sound capabilities for use with new software products.
The timing of the new product introduction this week is significant,
since September 18 marks the 10-year anniversary of the founding of
Apple. Since 1976, Apple has sold more than 3 million Apple ][, ][+,
//e, and //c computers, and the announcement of the //gs is expected
to breathe new life into the slogan "Apple ][ Forever".
Although some industry analysts say the price of the new machine is
too high, given the competition from low priced IBM PC clones, Stewart
Alsop (editor of PC Letter) disagrees, pointing out that Apple has
been good at selling its PCs at prices slightly higher than its
competitors. He also says that this new machine will continue Apple's
remarkable lead in the educational computing market.
Apple expects to introduce in January a kit for $499 retail which will allow
owners of Apple //e computers to upgrade to //gs capabilities.
THE OCTOBER ISSUE of Macworld magazine also has an article more geared
to the technical specifications of the new machine. The article
includes a picture of the unit (a light grey which has been called
"platinum" by some early reporters) including a compact system unit,
detachable keyboard (looking much like the keyboard of a //c)
including numeric keypad, a mouse, a color monitor, and choice of
5-1/4" or 3-1/2" floppies, or a hard disk.
According to the article, the "GS" in the name stands for "graphics and sound",
reflecting the outstanding capabilities of the machine in those areas.
Nevertheless, compatibility with the traditional Apple // machines has not been
sacrificed in any way.
The heart of the new computer is the 65C816 CMOS central processing unit, a
16-bit processor with an emulation mode that allows transparent execution of
programs written for the 6502 and 65C02 processors used in previous models of
the Apple // line. The new machine runs more than twice as fast as its
predecessor and is packaged with 256K RAM and 128K ROM. The memory can be
expanded to 4 megabytes RAM and 1 megabyte ROM. It has 7 Apple //e compatible
slots, but includes many of the features which in previous machines would have
required additional plug-in boards: adapters for two 5-1/4" floppy diskette
drives, two 3-1/2" floppy drives, two serial devices, game controls, a mouse,
and an RGB or composite video monitor. The AppleTalk network is an standard
feature of the unit.
The sound synthesizer has its own 64K memory buffer and allows up to
16 independent voices to be programmed. The graphics can be
programmed in two modes, and offers a palette of 4096 possible colors.
In the 320 by 200 mode, up to 16 colors can be displayed at once, and
in the 640 by 200 mode up to 4 colors at once, per scan line. The
implication is that the choice of colors from the palette of 4096 can
be changed from one scan line to another.
In the software arena, the new Apple //gs has a Finder and window
oriented operating system patterned after the Macintosh, which has
received rave reviews as an exceptionally easy to use computer
interface. The //gs toolbox has features similar to the Macintosh,
and Apple expects the community of Macintosh developers to find the
new Apple //gs a very familiar programming environment. Nonetheless,
the Apple //gs is not a "Macintosh with color", as its performance
level is necessarily less that that of the Macintosh with its powerful
68000 processor. The //gs is definitely positioned between the
//e-//c line and the Macintosh 512, and it bridges the home and
entertainment market and the business market.
According to John Sculley, "It's what the market wanted. It has all the
features of the Commodore Amiga and the Atari ST plus an upgrade path and a
clear position in our product line".
------------------------------
From: HALLABS (779)
Subject: serial drivers
Date: 15-SEP 02:06 Programming Techniques
Help! I am writing a C program that reads in data from an external source, and
processes it. I can't get data after I open the serial drivers, using either
PBread or FSread. (using Lightspeed C) I can't find any concrete examples of
anyone use ing serial drivers. Can anyone point me to some working (note
emphasis) examples of code using the serial drivers? Or should I just write my
own serial drivers?
------------------------------
From: MACINTOUCH (12855)
Subject: MacInTouch News Flash
Date: 16-SEP 14:52 Business Mac
Here's the latest information on Apple's new products as we have it:
Mac 512K Enhanced: $1699
Mac Plus: $2199
Hard Disk 20SC (SCSI): $1299
Hard Disk 20: $1199
LaserWriter: $4995
LaserWriter Plus kit: unchanged at $800
bundle I:
Mac Plus, Hard Disk 20, ImageWriter II and cable, MacWrite,
MacDraw, MacProject, Switcher: $4558
bundle II:
4 Mac Plusses, 1 LaserWriter Plus, AppleTalk connectors and
cabling, 4 copies MacWrite, MacDraw, MacProject, and Switcher:
$17634
(Apple claims to be selling a LaserWriter for every 3 or 4 Macs)
MDS development system version 2:
- HFS support
- hard disk support
- linker strips dead code
- new editor with Undo and 9 windows at once
- path manager
- 128K ROM support (equates, debugger)
- upgrade: $25 with your old MDS disk 1 before 31 Dec. 1986
Mac System Software update: $15
Apple II products of note:
- IIgs with amazing, 16-voice sampling sound capabilities from
Ensoniq-licensed chip, custom IC's, 24-bit addressing, 200x600
color graphics, AppleTalk, etc., etc. ($1000 base price
without monitor or disk drives)
- GRAY-SCALE monitor for IIgs
- new color monitor, analog RGB
- SCSI adaptor card for II series
9/16/86
Ric Ford
"MacInTouch" newsletter
------------------------------
From: DDUNHAM (12869)
Subject: RE: INFO-MAC Digest V4 #115 (Re: Msg 12820)
Date: 17-SEP 01:14 Network Digests
> From: <INFOEARN%HLERUL5.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
> Subject: RE:TextEdit Bugs
> This message is in response to Paul DuBois (dubois@uwmacc.UUCP) message
> about TextEdit Bugs.
The DuBois message led me to find a bug in miniWRITER (I'm not exactly sure it
was the one he reported). The bug only showed up on 64K ROMs (just as I was
about to release 1.1, too...guess all my beta testers have 128K ROMs). This is
a good time to mention that the behavior of TextEdit is VERY different between
the two ROMs.
As for the third bug, here's the code from miniWRITER which figures the
_correct_ number of lines (pixels, actually):
lowest = TE_ptr->nLines * TE_ptr->lineHeight; if (TE_ptr->teLength != 0 &&
(*TE_ptr->hText)[TE_ptr->teLength - 1] == '\r')
lowest += TE_ptr->lineHeight;
> From: mayerk%upenn-graded@cis.upenn.edu
> Subject: Trouble cutting & pasting with MacPaint 1.5
Use DiskInfo to Set Default to the System Folder after starting
MacPaint. The bug is in the way MacPaint works with the 128K ROMs,
not the System file. Rumour has it that Apple's working on a new
version of MacPaint (Bill Atkinson is not the one revising it).
David Dunham "If voting could change the system, it would be illegal. If
Maitreya Design not voting could change the system, it would be be illegal."
------------------------------
From: DDUNHAM (12892)
Subject: RE: Re: Easy of programming, Mac, Amiga
Date: 18-SEP 03:43 Network Digests
> From: dillon@CORY.BERKELEY.EDU (Matt Dillon)
> Subject: Re: Easy of programming, Mac, Amiga
> If even one task on the MAC crashes (oh! I'm sorry, there is only one task!)
The Mac does multitask. But you're right, if a desk accessory
crashes, it does bring down the whole system. However, when an
application crashes, and I use TMON's ExitToShell() command, desk
accessories like Acta and miniWRITER still get their goodbye kiss and
are able to save their work!
> IBM changed from flat to hierarchical without any problems.
That's news to me. I was using Wordstar, which couldn't access directories at
all. Not to mention buying a spelling checker, whose documentation said DOS 2
compatible, that couldn't access directories at all.
David Dunham "If voting could change the system, it would be illegal. If
Maitreya Design not voting could change the system, it would be be illegal."
------------------------------
From: BRECHER (12893)
Subject: Re: Micah Failure HELP!
Date: 18-SEP 04:41 MUGS Online
To: phil@sivax.UUCP (Phil Hunt)
Subject: Micah Failure HELP!
It's been some time since your message was posted (such is the
turnaround from Usenet to Delphi to Usenet) but... if you're still
having problems, give me a call. I'm in the book in Sunnyvale (Steve
Brecher, or Software Supply). If you call, it might help to have the
exact text of the "cannot continue" alert (the quotation in your
message was not accurate), and the 2 characters following "Hardware
error code" in the lower right corner of the alert.
For future reference:
> I decided to reforat my Micahdrive because I was getting low on space
> and my disk was getting VERY fragmented, so....
It is not necessary to format to do this. Instead, choose the
"Initialize" menu item that is right underneath "Format, Scan, and
Repair." "Initialize" erases the disk with respect to the Mac file
system; formatting is a hardware-level operation. While it doesn't
hurt to format (except in your recent experience!), it takes longer.
------------------------------
From: DDUNHAM (12904)
Subject: DiskInfo
Date: 18-SEP 21:45 Network Digests
> From: Paul Christensen <PCHRISTENSEN%rca.com@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>
> DiskInfo is worth several times its modest license fee ($10) and can be
Wherever did you get the idea that you can order DiskInfo from
Maitreya Design? That would make us a standard type marketing
company, which we try very hard to avoid. It would also make us
subject to sales tax -- we'd much rather spend our time making
programs instead of filling out tax forms. (This does of course
confirm that you have no connection whatsoever with Maitreya
Design...:-) Get DiskInfo from Delphi, CompuServe, GEnie, or a user
group (Boston Computer Society and Berkeley MUG both have it). Do
make sure you have the current version, 1.43, and do try to get the
documentation as well as the desk accessory.
David Dunham "If voting could change the system, it would be illegal. If
Maitreya Design not voting could change the system, it would be be illegal."
------------------------------
From: DDUNHAM (12905)
Subject: RE: Re: Porting UNIX Applications to the Mac
Date: 18-SEP 21:45 Network Digests
> From: len@geac.UUCP (Leonard Vanek)
> Subject: Re: Porting UNIX Applications to the Mac
> How many users of Aztec C (or any other Mac compiler that
> offers the choice) use the vi-like Z editor or the mouse-based Edit?
I use Aztec C, and use QUED exclusively. I like WYSIWYD (WYSIWY Do) ... the
visual confirmation of what I'm about to delete is very handy. I also like
mouse editing -- double-clicking on a word and retyping it (now possible in
QUED) is extremely easy (as well as a standard paradigm that some Mac programs,
like MS Word, don't support fully).
> From: rb@cci632.UUCP (Rex Ballard)
> Subject: Re: Porting UNIX Applications to the Mac
> Apple would be responsible for transforming from one "general
> purpose" format to another. For example "scrapbook to postscript" and
> "postscript to scrapbook".
Wrong terminology...Scrapbook holds anything, simply converting the scrap to a
resource of the same time. You mean, I think, "postscript to PICT." Apple has
already written PICT to PostScript...it's called the LaserWriter driver and
Laser Prep. You should also be aware of the Glue print driver...it lets any
program that outputs through Print Manager save its output as a PICT file (not
quite the same as a MacDraw PICT, I don't think).
David Dunham "If voting could change the system, it would be illegal. If
Maitreya Design not voting could change the system, it would be be illegal."
------------------------------
From: BCSMAC (12884)
Subject: My DataFrame 20
Date: 17-SEP 23:41 Hardware & Peripherals
My DataFrame 20 sits next to my Mac on its left, my right. Other
things sit over near there too and I live in fear that I'll knock the
DF while reaching for something there and crash the head and destroy
my data and drive. What's all yo u folk's experience on this. How
fragile is the DF20. Do I need to be this concerned? Should I stash it
away out of reach. I mean, my MacBottom was so rugged to begin with
and sitting under the Mac kept it safe so I was spoiled, but the D F
sits there looking like it's waiting to fall over on its side while
it's running (I shudder at the thought).
Please, advise me.
*** Jack Hodgson
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From: MACINTOUCH (12885)
Subject: RE: My DataFrame 20 (Re: Msg 12884)
Date: 18-SEP 00:13 Hardware & Peripherals
I wouldn't want to knock it over while it was running. You could call
Inmac and buy a nice long RS232 modem cable and put it somewhere safe
and quiet...
Ric
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From: PEABO (12888)
Subject: RE: My DataFrame 20 (Re: Msg 12884)
Date: 18-SEP 01:07 Hardware & Peripherals
Since you don't need to mess with it, you could move it out of reach
(within the limit of its short cable). I'm thinking perhaps put it at
a 90% angle to the Mac as viewed from above, presumably next to a wall
if you have one behind your desk, and put the stuff you need in front
of it.
Barring that, how about investing in a set of bookends and one of those rubber
bands that are used by dentists on braces for whales?
peter
------------------------------
From: BMUG (12889)
Subject: RE: My DataFrame 20 (Re: Msg 12884)
Date: 18-SEP 01:34 Hardware & Peripherals
Jack -
I keep my dataframe sitting slightly away from the RIGHT side of my mac
nowadays, but I used to keep it flush up against the Mac (the manual says this
is OK) on the LEFT side... there, you'd have to knock over your Mac to get that
thing down.
BTW, I once dropped my dataframe from 3 feet above the floor with the
case REMOVED, badly bending the metal frame on the back. I've also
carried it 10,000 miles this summer, and through 5 airports. No data
loss. No problem.
-- Raines / Team BMUG
P.S. BMUG does NOT recommend that you try the above without proper supervision
by trained hard-disk dropping specialists.
------------------------------
From: LOFTUSBECKER (12919)
Subject: RE: My DataFrame 20 (Re: Msg 12889)
Date: 19-SEP 07:42 Hardware & Peripherals
Well, my floor has so much crud on it that three feet above the floor is
about three inches above the litter (and one inch above the dust balls).
But I'm sure yours is better.
-Lofty
------------------------------
From: BRECHER (12894)
Subject: DiskTimer
Date: 18-SEP 06:32 Hardware & Peripherals
I've uploaded DiskTimer 1.1 to the Hardware database. DiskTimer is
similar to its predecessor program, DiskBench -- it measures the
performance of a hard disk with respect to large (32KB) data transfers
and access time (head movement). The MPW C source code for DiskTimer
is also in the database.
DiskTimer has some additional features over DiskBench which are designed to
eliminate or reduce the chance that certain drives would be treated unfairly:
(1) DiskBench always did the 32KB data transfers from the start of the
Mac volume. If the start of the volume lies within 32KB of a cylinder
boundary, necessitating two head steps per transfer, or if it happenes
to contain a remapped track or sector, or a soft error, then DiskBench
results for that drive would suffer unfairly. DiskTimer, before doing
the reported data transfer tests, does preliminary tests at nine
different offsets into the volume (0, 4K, 8K, ... 32K) and uses the
offset which yields the best time for the reported tests.
(2) DiskTimer does a random delay of a few ticks between each transfer (the
random sequence is identical on all runs). The purpose of the random delay is
to help eliminate the rotational latency bias that might result from a constant
interval between transfers. Such a bias could be unfair to some drives due to
aspects of their geometry which are accidental with respect to the size and
location of the transfers that the program requests.
DiskTimer 1.1 reports results in seconds, rather than in ticks, to reduce the
possibility that its results will be confused with results from the predecessor
DiskBench program
DiskTimer adds an introductory screen that briefly explains the
operation of the program, and gives the user a chance to cancel.
DiskTimer does not alter the contents of the disk, since all writes
are of data that was previously read from the disk. The results of
DiskTimer are meaningful only when compared with those from another
make/model of disk; even then, the results do not necessarily
translate directly into perceived speed of use on normal Mac tasks.
It would not be correct to say, based on DiskTimer results, that "Disk
X is [N percent] faster than Disk Y"; it would be correct to say only,
for example, "Disk X is [N percent] faster than Disk Y on DiskTimer's
32KB read data transfer test." Still, DiskTimer can be useful in
categorizing different disks as fast, middling, or slow with respect
to large data transfers and with respect to access time.
Note: the access time test is not meaningful on HyperDrives unless the Startup
drawer is greater than 1MB in size and contiguous. The only way to assure this
is for Startup to have grown to 1MB before other drawers were created, or for
Startup to be the only drawer. The HyperDrive cache should be disabled when
DiskTimer is run.
DiskTimer results are NOT affected by the Control Panel cache nor by any aspect
of the file system (fragmentation, free space, System/Finder versions, etc.).
I will collect and from time to time publish DiskTimer results
reported to me. Please report the exact make and model of the disk
along with the results. Once I get three similar results for a given
make/model, I'll discontinue adding reports for that make/model; I'll
omit results which fall entirely inside the range of other reports.
Your name will be included in the results listing. To avoid message
clutter, I won't reply to simple result reports. Thanks for your
time.
------------------------------
From: PEABO (12902)
Subject: RE: DiskTimer (Re: Msg 12894)
Date: 18-SEP 20:11 Hardware & Peripherals
On point number (2) about randomizing the rotational latency -- do you
know what the rotor speed is on typical disks? If it happens to be
3600 RPM then using a tick count delay may not randomize quite as
effectively you would think. The Mac tick count goes at 60.15 ticks
per second, which would lock with a disk going at 3609 RPM. I seem to
recall from my days in PDP-11 land that synchronous disk motors tend
to lag the power line frequency a bit, so a motor that runs nominally
at 3600 RPM might actually go at 3520 for instance.
I don't know if this is a significant factor in your measurements or not.
peter
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From: BRECHER (12910)
Subject: RE: DiskTimer (Re: Msg 12902)
Date: 18-SEP 23:17 Hardware & Peripherals
An interesting point, but I don't think it's a problem: the chance
that a disk's rotation syncs exactly with the VBI is very small. As
long as they're even a little out of sync, there will be a reasonable
distribution of rotational latencies across the 100 requests in each
data transfer test (80 requests in the access time test). Most disks
are 3550 to 3600 RPM nominal.
------------------------------
From: PEABO (797)
Subject: HD20 & II GS
Date: 18-SEP 00:37 Programming Techniques
$#%^, *&@#, and ^%@$@#$%@! I got it confirmed today that the HD20
(non-SCSI) will NOT operate on the new Apple II GS. I suppose this is
due to the fact that the HD20 was developed while Apple // and
Macintosh were under control of two different departments in Apple
(before the great reorg). The HD20 is electrically compatible with
the II GS, but different software protocols are used between the host
computer and the controller in the drive.
peter
------------------------------
From: DDUNHAM (798)
Subject: Interesting Laser/Font notes
Date: 18-SEP 03:44 Current Discussions
If fractEnable is FF, font substitution does not occur when printing.
Also, different PostScript routines are called (at least by my TextBox
calls in Acta). The results are different, tho not necessarily better
(at least with Times; on my friend's LW+, Palatino did look better
with fractEnable).
If fractEnable is FF, Geneva-Bold and Geneva take up the same space on the
screen. But Palatino and Palatino-Bold take different space...they take the
same space on the screen if fractEnable is 0.
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End of Delphi Mac Digest
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