TSEMM@ALASKA.BITNET ("Ed 'Apple Guru' Moore") (12/31/89)
I downloaded a "talking mouse" demo from Apple2-l (which was posted a little over 1 1/2 years ago), and it said that I needed to add sound files comapacted with ACER. What is acer? Where do I get it? Is is freware/shareware/ect....?
cyliao@eng.umd.edu (Chun-Yao Liao) (01/03/90)
In article <8912311033.AA01469@apple.com> <TSEMM%ALASKA.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu> writes: >I downloaded a "talking mouse" demo from Apple2-l (which was posted a little >over 1 1/2 years ago), and it said that I needed to add sound files comapacted >with ACER. What is acer? Where do I get it? Is is freware/shareware/ect....? well, as far as I know... ACER is a computer manufacture ... -- |I want Rocket Chip 10 MHz, Z-Ram Ultra II, UniDisk 3.5 | cyliao@wam.umd.edu | |I want my own NeXT, 64 Mb RAM, 660 Mb SCSI, NeXT laser | Chun Yao Liao | | printer, net connection, software, etc. | Accepting Donations!| /* If (my_.signature =~ yours) coincidence = true; else ignore_this = true; */
wilken@plains.UUCP (Scott Wilken) (01/03/90)
In article <1990Jan2.181230.29002@eng.umd.edu> cyliao@eng.umd.edu (Chun-Yao Liao) writes: >In article <8912311033.AA01469@apple.com> <TSEMM%ALASKA.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu> writes: >>I downloaded a "talking mouse" demo from Apple2-l (which was posted a little >>over 1 1/2 years ago), and it said that I needed to add sound files comapacted >>with ACER. What is acer? Where do I get it? Is is freware/shareware/ect....? >well, as far as I know... ACER is a computer manufacture ... > Heh Heh. I think you are thinking of Franklin. Their computers go under the name "ACE" (Ex. Franklin ACE 1000), and they are apple compatables (for the most part, I believe they also market some IBM clones). Id think that some of the FTP archives would have ACER (which incidentally is a program to compress and uncompress digitized sounds), but I got my copy from GEnie. Scott +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ! Internet: wilken@plains.nodak.edu America Online: Wilken ! ! UUCP: ..!uunet!plains!wilken GEnie: S.WILKEN1 ! ! BITNET: WILKEN@PLAINS ! +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
brianw@microsoft.UUCP (Brian WILLOUGHBY) (01/04/90)
wilken@plains.UUCP (Scott Wilken) writes: > >cyliao@eng.umd.edu (Chun-Yao Liao) writes: >> >><TSEMM%ALASKA.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu> writes: >>> >>>ACER. What is acer? Where do I get it? Is is freware/shareware/ect....? >> >>well, as far as I know... ACER is a computer manufacture ... >> >Heh Heh. I think you are thinking of Franklin. Their computers go under the >name "ACE" (Ex. Franklin ACE 1000), and they are apple compatables (for the >most part, I believe they also market some IBM clones). Franklin doesn't enter the picture. Chun-Yao is right. Acer Incorporated is a PC clone manufacturer located in Taipei, Tiawan. They were here at Microsoft last year to work on OS/2 for their machines. In the overpopulated world of PC clones, I have to say that they have the most attractive and ergonomic mouse available. Brian Willoughby UUCP: ...!{tikal, sun, uunet, elwood}!microsoft!brianw InterNet: microsoft!brianw@uunet.UU.NET or: microsoft!brianw@Sun.COM Bitnet brianw@microsoft.UUCP
unknown@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (The Unknown User) (01/04/90)
In article <8912311033.AA01469@apple.com> <TSEMM%ALASKA.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu> writes: >I downloaded a "talking mouse" demo from Apple2-l (which was posted a little >over 1 1/2 years ago), and it said that I needed to add sound files comapacted >with ACER. What is acer? Where do I get it? Is is freware/shareware/ect....? As someone else said, ACER is a sound compression utility.. You should be able to find it on various FTPs around the country, but if you can't, mail me and I'll send you a copy... From what I've been told, it's a very simple process.. Instead of having 8 bits represent from 0 to 255, they use 3 bits to represent 0 to 8.. So 0 to 31 in the original system would be 000 in the new system, 32-64 would be 001, etc... With most sounds, after it's decompressed you can't tell much difference as even 8 graduations is usually enough. I think some programs actually unpack ACER sounds on the fly... It's a built in GS/OS (or ProDOS 16 or something) function I think.. BUT I'M NOT SURE. -- unknown@ucscb.ucsc.edu APPLE II FOREVER APL24VR GS tips? Mail me. unknown%darkside.com@ames.arpa Please use the former address for regular use.
rnf@shumv1.uucp (Rick Fincher) (01/05/90)
In article <10140@microsoft.UUCP> brianw@microsoft.UUCP (Brian WILLOUGHBY) writes: >wilken@plains.UUCP (Scott Wilken) writes: >> >>cyliao@eng.umd.edu (Chun-Yao Liao) writes: >>> >>><TSEMM%ALASKA.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu> writes: >>> >>>well, as far as I know... ACER is a computer manufacture ... >>> >>Heh Heh. I think you are thinking of Franklin. Their computers go under the > >Franklin doesn't enter the picture. Chun-Yao is right. Acer Incorporated is a >PC clone manufacturer located in Taipei, Tiawan. They were here at Microsoft Isn't it amazing how many wildly different explanations explanations there can be for one simple question. Since the original post referred to sound, I presume the ACER in question is the Audio Compression and Expansion (ACE) utility called ACER from Apple. It compresses and decompresses IIgs sound samples so they take up less space on disk. If I'm right do I win a prize? Hope this helps folks! Rick Fincher rnf@shumv1.ncsu.edu
bobl@pro-graphics.cts.com (Bob Lindabury) (01/05/90)
In-Reply-To: message from brianw@microsoft.UUCP >> >> cyliao@eng.umd.edu (Chun-Yao Liao) writes: >>> >>> <TSEMM%ALASKA.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu> writes: >>>> >>>> ACER. What is acer? Where do I get it? Is is freware/shareware/ect....? >>> >>> well, as far as I know... ACER is a computer manufacture ... >>> >> Heh Heh. I think you are thinking of Franklin. Their computers go under the >> name "ACE" (Ex. Franklin ACE 1000), and they are apple compatables (for the >> most part, I believe they also market some IBM clones). > > Franklin doesn't enter the picture. Chun-Yao is right. Acer Incorporated is a > PC clone manufacturer located in Taipei, Tiawan. They were here at Microsoft > last year to work on OS/2 for their machines. In the overpopulated world of PC > clones, I have to say that they have the most attractive and ergonomic mouse > available. > > Brian Willoughby Ok, so ACER is a PC clone manufacturer but the 'program' the person is looking for IS called ACER and it is a complete sound digitizing and editing package for the GS. If someone wants it they can retreive it from my Data Library here at pro-graphics in the Apple //gs catalog. Phone is in my signature below. Up to 2400 bps. Sorry can't FTP and it's too big for email. The program on my system is called ACER.SHK. -- Bob PS: You MUST be able to use XMODEM Checksum for download! _______________________ Pro-Graphics BBS 201/469-0049 ________________________ InterNet: bobl@pro-graphics.cts.com | ProLine: bobl@pro-graphics UUCP: ..crash!pro-graphics!bobl | CServe: 70347,2344 ARPA/DDN: ..crash!pro-graphics!bobl@nosc.mil | Amer. Online: Graphics3D ___________ ____________ Raven Enterprises - 25 Raven Ave. Piscataway, NJ 08854
lhaider@pro-sol.cts.com (Lawrence Haider) (01/07/90)
In-Reply-To: message from brianw@microsoft.UUCP ACER is also the name of a shareware sound editor. Its up only many boards I've tried in the San Diego area.
cyliao@MORDOR.ENG.UMD.EDU (Chun-Yao Liao) (01/11/90)
In article <3064@plains.UUCP> you write: >In article <1990Jan2.181230.29002@eng.umd.edu> cyliao@eng.umd.edu (Chun-Yao Liao) writes: >>>with ACER. What is acer? Where do I get it? Is is freware/shareware/ect....? >>well, as far as I know... ACER is a computer manufacture ... >> >Heh Heh. I think you are thinking of Franklin. Their computers go under the >name "ACE" (Ex. Franklin ACE 1000), and they are apple compatables (for the >most part, I believe they also market some IBM clones). > >Id think that some of the FTP archives would have ACER (which incidentally is >a program to compress and uncompress digitized sounds), but I got my copy >from GEnie. > >Scott No, ACER is not Franklin. ACER was named Multi-Tech, but seems to have some conflict with some brand name of some other company; therefore they changed their name to ACER. It was the first company who developed their own Apple II compatible computer called MPF-II (Micro-Professor II) and then MPF-III. But the ProDOS killed this product and they no longer have any development for Apple compatibles. Instead, they went all the way to the IBM compatibles, their product are always reviewed in PC-World, Mac-World, Mac-User, and some times in BYTE too, I don't read too many different magazines so I have no idea if they are reviewed in some other magazines. I remembered that I read an article in a computer magazine presenting about this particular Taiwaness computer manufacture. (an American magazine, of course, and personally I have no idea what kind of company it really is.) I think Franklin is U.S. made. correct me if I am wrong. see, to answer this question I had to go back and find the info from several magazines (however, I found the article in a piece of "half broken sheet" of "that" magazine...., so don't know what magazine it was) After all, you did get a program called ACER so no doubt it IS a Comp/Uncomp utility. Chun -- |I want Rocket Chip 10 MHz, Z-Ram Ultra II, UniDisk 3.5 | cyliao@wam.umd.edu | |I want my own NeXT, 64 Mb RAM, 660 Mb SCSI, NeXT laser | Chun Yao Liao | | printer, net connection, software, etc. | Accepting Donations!| /* If (my_.signature =~ yours) coincidence = true; else ignore_this = true; */ Chun
w0033@desire.wright.edu (01/20/90)
> From what I've been told, it's a very simple process.. Instead of >having 8 bits represent from 0 to 255, they use 3 bits to represent >0 to 8.. > > So 0 to 31 in the original system would be 000 in the new system, >32-64 would be 001, etc... With most sounds, after it's decompressed >you can't tell much difference as even 8 graduations is usually enough. >I think some programs actually unpack ACER sounds on the fly... It's a >built in GS/OS (or ProDOS 16 or something) function I think.. BUT I'M NOT SURE. I don't think this is quite the way it works. The way I understand it is that the ACE toolset simply stores the difference from one byte to the next in a digitized sound file. Usually with a fairly high sample rate, this difference should be pretty small since the data is supposed to be following some analog source. The result is that these differences from one point to the next can be represented by only 4 or even 3 bits. Another interesting effect is that if there is a spike in the sound wave, it will be chopped since the model can only represent small changes from one point to the next. The listening effect is that some sound files which were incomprehensible before become clear and useable. I have an article on this stuff from a users group I can upload if anyone wants to know more. ACER Unpacker V1.0 is the only program I know of currently that allows you to apply these tools to sounds. Many programs though take advantage of this method already (Quadronome, Orbitzone etc.) By the way, it is also available on the Apple Dayton BBS (513) 434-0077 24 hrs. a day 2400 BAUD, in the GS Sound section.