INFO-MAC-REQUEST@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA (Moderator David Gelphman...) (08/29/86)
INFO-MAC Digest Thursday, 28 Aug 1986 Volume 4 : Issue 106
Today's Topics:
Determining which file system is active
Determining machine configuration
TMON: slowing the user down?
Using Acta Runner for other (useful) purposes
Has Apple 'announced' it's AppleTalk file server?
portable Mac+-compatible is being developed by Dynamac Computers Inc.
FYI: InfoWorld 86/8/26 contains LaserWriter+ Review
reaction to wordhandler
Mac PROLOGs
A regular vco conference on Bitnet
Fortran 020/881 price cut
Japanese Word Processing & B-Trees
Wanted: graphics tablets and software
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Date: Wed 27 Aug 86 07:50:03-PDT
From: David L. Edwards <DLE@SRI-STRIPE.ARPA>
Subject: Determining which file system is active
The following method for determining which file system is active is documented
in the latest software supplement and it will work for all Macs.
FSFCBLen, located at $3F6, will be $FFFF for MFS and will be equal to some
positive number, currently $5E, for HFS.
If HFS is active, you can determine if a volume is under HFS using PBHGetVInfo
to check the directory signature (the ioVSigWord). A signature of $D2D7
indicates MFS and $4244 indicates HFS.
-dle
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Date: Wed 27 Aug 86 08:04:07-PDT
From: David L. Edwards <DLE@SRI-STRIPE.ARPA>
Subject: Determining machine configuration
The following is valid for all Macs to determine the current machine
configuration and is from the latest software supplement.
ROM85, located at $28E, will be $FFFF for old ROMs or MacWorks. The
new 128K ROMs contain $7FFF and furture ROMs will have values such as
$3FFF and $1FFF.
The version word, located at ROMBase + 8, provides additional machine
configuration information.
for Mac/XL (Lisa), High byte = version# Low byte = $FF
for other Macs, High byte = $00 Low byte = version#
Macs with 64K ROMs: version = $69
Macs with 128K ROMs: version = $75
Mac+: version = $75
Mac/XL (Lisa): version = $82 for MacWorks 3.0
ROMBase is equal to $2AE.
Addtional hardware configuration can be determined from flags in HWCfgFlags,
located at $B22, which is a word long with flags 0 - 12 zero and reserved
for Apple.
Bit 15 is 1 if SCSI is present
Bit 14 is 1 if the new clock chip is present
Bit 13 is 1 if the 'extra' parameter RAM is valid (Bit 14 must be 1)
The Pascal call, Environs, will return the version number and an indication
of whether the machine is a Mac/XL or some other Mac.
-dle
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Date: Thu, 28 Aug 86 18:39:41 PDT
From: <DAVEG@SLACVM.BITNET>
Reply-to: DAVEG%SLACVM.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.Edu
Subject: TMON: slowing the user down?
Today I found out that the application I am debugging runs considerably
faster when the TRAP SIGNAL function of TMON (using EUA 665) does not
have any trapnames next to it. This is even before signalling the
monitor with OPTION-INTERRUPT. I'm not sure what polling TMON is doing
at that point but it sure does slow things down. Does anyone have
any sensible explanation for this or has anyone else notice this before?
David Gelphman BITNET address: DAVEG@SLACVM
Bin #88 SLAC ARPANET address: DAVEG@SLACVM.BITNET
Stanford, Calif. 94305 UUCP address: ...psuvax1!daveg%slacvm.bitnet
415-854-3300 x2538
usual disclaimer #432 applies: my employer apologies for the fact
that I have access to this net.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 86 20:01 N
From: <INFOEARN%HLERUL5.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Using Acta Runner for other (useful) purposes
David (in case you are listening over there on Delphi),
Acta Runner seemed a nice little 'empty' application to me to install other
DA's in. Since I can't store all the DA's I want in the System file, I
thought I'd keep a little application around to store DA's in (in it's
resource fork). Acta Runner seemed perfect for that.
I went ahead and stored MacDialer (a phonebook DA which was part of the
Borland Sidekick package) in Acta Runner and then (apologies) renamed it to
MacDialer Runner. Imagine my surprise when I double-clicked the program and
it automatically opened the MacDialer DA. Thanks, David! :-)
For a while I though either MacDialer Runner (eh, Acta Runner) was auto-
matically running the DA in it's resource fork or it was running the DA which
was named in its file name (i.e. 'MacDialer Runner'), although it didn't seem
too logical. The funny thing is, is seems it was one of those lucky first
tries, since I have *not* been able to reproduce this feature (bug?) with
other DA's.
Can you tell me what's going on? If I was simply lucky, you might want to
modify Acta Runner to do something like I was describing for each DA. I'm
interested!
-- Thomas Fruin
FRUIN@HLERUL5.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 86 12:58 N
From: <INFOEARN%HLERUL5.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Has Apple 'announced' it's AppleTalk file server?
Upon examining the new packaging of the AppleTalk connector kits I saw the
usual picture on the cover we've also seen in ads of a little AppleTalk
setup: a Macintosh, cables, a LaserWriter and... an unknown white box. It
looks a bit like the LaserWriter, but it has no place for paper to come out.
It just looks like a very plain white box with the Apple logo.
Does anyone know what it is? If I think its the AppleTalk file server I'm
probably not far off. Does this picture mean that it's going to be
released Real Soon Now?
I'm keeping an eye on all Apple's packaging from now on: maybe I'll catch a
glimpse of the new Macs this way too...
-- Thomas
FRUIN@HLERUL5.BITNET
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Date: Tue 26 Aug 86 03:00:29-CDT
From: Werner Uhrig <CMP.WERNER@R20.UTEXAS.EDU>
Subject: portable Mac+-compatible is being developed by Dynamac
Subject: Computers Inc.
[ from INFOWORLD, 86/8/26, page 1 ]
employs a Mac+ motherboard and features an electro-luminescent display.
expect it to be shown in October at the Dallas MacWorld show.
cost between $5 and $7 grand [hahahhaha ...]
dimensions of 15 by 13.3 by 3.3 inches [approximately], weighing 16 pounds.
built-in 300/1200 baud modem, one 800K internal drive, port for external drive,
no internal batteries but will hook to car cigarette lighter.
at least 1Meg Ram, screen resolution like Mac.
The Golden, Colorado company is trying to arrange a third-party agreement with
Apple to supply the Mac+ motherboard, but if they don't cooperate, the company
is considering converting Mac+ computers supplied by customers [ what? waste
a perfectly good Mac to be butchered? plus shell out another couple of
grand???? come on, get real, fellows !!! ]
[ well, if Apple can make as much on selling the board as on selling a whole
Mac+, they may be willing to cooperate. The high price seems to indicate
that such an arrangement is being considered. On the other hand, why not
simply buy new Macs, take out the motherboard, and sell the rest as parts?
or install old 512k boards, upgraded to 2/4 Meg Ram and a SCSI port?
sounds like a reasonable way of going about it if Apple doesn't want to
"play ball" .... On the other hand, why shouldn't they want to cooperate?
because they have their own portable in the works? Naaa...Why not sell
a few extra (old) boards, when a new 68020 machine is coming out, and
when such an expensive portable is not going to hurt your own market, but
rather enhance it, in giving those few that need the portability (even at
that price) an argument to "Go Macintosh" ...." ---Werner]
------------------------------
Date: Tue 26 Aug 86 03:15:14-CDT
From: Werner Uhrig <CMP.WERNER@R20.UTEXAS.EDU>
Subject: FYI: InfoWorld 86/8/26 contains LaserWriter+ Review
this is just a pointer for those interested. maybe someone else can post a
summary ??!!
------------------------------
Date: 28 Aug 86 14:06:00 EDT
From: <bouldin@ceee-sed.ARPA>
Subject: reaction to wordhandler
Reply-to: <bouldin@ceee-sed.ARPA>
This is from a friend who tried out Wordhandler, a new word processor
for the Mac:
Touted as a replacement for MacWrite, the vendors guarantee you'll
like their program or your money back (within fifteen days). They also
offer a special discount price if you send in your MacWrite disk, "You can
have it back if you don't agree WordHandler is better". So, I sent in my
$30. Getting the disk, I tried WordHandler, found it was IMMENSE (179k),
balky, and entremely cumbersome to use. They use dialogue boxes for tiny
details that should be handled through menus, it doesn't paste-in graphics
like MacWrite, otherwise has one or two minor improvements, copies ALL the
bad features, and makes a lot of the normal-use operations more awkward.
So, I sent it back and asked for my MacWrite disk back. Reply from ALS:
"We don't refund the special discount deal", and if I want my original
MacWrite disk back, "Send $25 for shipping and handling". If it costs
them that much for shipping and handling one floppy, then I bought the
WordHandler software and manual for $4.95 and they charged $29.95 only
because they had to "ship and handle" it.
------------------------------
Date: 27 Aug 1986 17:04-EDT
Sender: VERACSD@A.ISI.EDU
Subject: Mac PROLOGs
From: VERACSD@A.ISI.EDU
I am interested in purchasing a PROLOG for my Mac. There seem
to be 3 available:
MacPROLOG (Logic Programming Assoc., Ltd.)
PROLOG/m (Chalcedony SW, Inc.)
Personal PROLOG (Optimized Systems SW, Inc.)
If anyone has hands-on experience with any of these (or other
Mac PROLOGs) I would like to hear your evaluation.
Thanks.
--Cris Kobryn
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 86 20:11 N
From: <INFOEARN%HLERUL5.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: A regular vco conference on Bitnet
To all interested Bitnet users:
You may remember my message some time ago about vco, the 'Visual Voice
Conferencing Program', which allows you to see a network conference on your
Mac as a graphic rendition of a conference table with little faces and speech,
by MacinTalk, Apple's speech synthesizer.
Well, a couple of us have started chatting on a regular basis on Bitnet's
relay network using our Macs and vco. If you want to join us, logon to
a relay at 0:00 am GMT (I believe that's the time the relays are activated
in the USA) and join channel number 512. Make sure you have vco running!
If you want the package of face files now being passed around on Bitnet, send
me a note. You will want these faces to see who are in the conference. If
you're interested, make your own face as well!
Hope to 'see' you soon!
-- Thomas
FRUIN@HLERUL5.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: 28 Aug 86 21:14:00 EDT
From: <bouldin@ceee-sed.ARPA>
Subject: Fortran 020/881 price cut
Reply-to: <bouldin@ceee-sed.ARPA>
Absoft has a 1/2 page ad on pg. 52 in the Sept. Byte which lists the Mac
(and Amiga) versions of the compiler that support the 020/881 at $495, donw
from $995. Owners of the Prodigy 4 take note, if any of you are that wealthy.
Also, there is now a product from CSA that upgrades the Mac to 020/881, but
not the 16 Mhz clock or 32 bit data path of the Prodigy 4. Fortran should
work on that, also.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Aug 86 15:10:57 EDT
From: salamir%UMass.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU (Ron Lussier -- SalNet
Subject: Japanese Word Processing & B-Trees
Hi!
I am looking for a good word processor for the Mac for a Japanese
class I am going to take this fall...does anyone know of any that
are available?
Secondly, I keep seeing these 'b-tree' packages for sale in source
code format. I need to design a database for a project I'm writing
(in Lightspeed C), and I'd like to know just WHAT b-trees are?
Are there any articles on them? How about public-domain source code?
Ron Lussier
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 86 20:05 N
From: <INFOEARN%HLERUL5.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Wanted: graphics tablets and software
Can someone tell me what graphics tablets are out there for the Macintosh? A
friend of mine is *not* looking for a replacement for the mouse, but specifi-
cally looking for an accurate input device, i.e. a graphics tablet. What kind
are out there? And is there interesting software that will let you manipulate
gathered (x,y) data once it's been sampled? Who can give me more info on
this?
Please send all mail to FRUIN@HLERUL5.BITNET (please ignore the return address
at the top).
-- Thomas
P.S. Of course I'll summarize any replies I get...
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End of INFO-MAC Digest
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