nick@drutx.ATT.COM (SilvaN) (09/29/87)
Hi All, I've just purchased an Atari ST1040 along with Dave Small's Magic Sac+. I'd really like to hear from other Magic Sac users that are willing to share information about any problems, software incompatibilities, features, etc. associated with the magic sac. So far, I'm quite happy with it, although I do see some problems. Beats giving my money to Apple. Nick Silva
schuster@dasys1.UUCP (10/01/87)
In article <5468@drutx.ATT.COM> nick@drutx.ATT.COM (SilvaN) writes: > >I'd really like to hear from other Magic Sac users that are willing to share >information about any problems, software incompatibilities, features, etc. >associated with the magic sac. So far, I'm quite happy with it, although I >do see some problems. Beats giving my money to Apple. This product gets more amazing with every revision. The degree of support offered by Data Pacific (a small company, mind you) is exceptional. The new Magic Sac (v4.36 up) is so Mac compatible that it is getting rather difficult to crash. Users have reported running software for multi-hour sessions without a single hitch. The illusion that you are really running a Mac becomes more real all the time. This is a first class product. -- l\ /l' _ Mike Schuster {sun!hoptoad,cmcl2!phri}!dasys1!schuster l \/ lll/(_ Big Electric Cat schuster@dasys1.UUCP l lll\(_ New York, NY USA DELPHI,GEnie:MSCHUSTER CIS:70346,1745
ravi@mcnc.UUCP (Ravi Subrahmanyan) (10/02/87)
>The new Magic Sac (v4.36 up) is so Mac compatible that it is getting >rather difficult to crash. Users have reported running software for >multi-hour sessions without a single hitch. I think that statement needs to be qualified; *things that do run* normally run really well, and I've had the ST in Mac mode for upto 2 weeks without a crash [and then I had to reboot because I wanted my ST back ], but I was doing things that I knew worked. It is possible to crash it pretty easily, and the key thing is to check everything out first, so you know what not to do. It's true though that it has been getting exponentially better and better with each revision; and the support is unequalled. >The illusion that you >are really running a Mac becomes more real all the time. This is a >first class product. Illusion? What illusion? 8^) 8^) -ravi
jmorton@euler.Berkeley.EDU (John Willard Morton) (10/02/87)
In article <2564@alvin.mcnc.UUCP> ravi@alvin.UUCP (Ravi Subrahmanyan) writes: >back ], but I was doing things that I knew worked. It is >possible to crash it pretty easily, and the key thing is to check >everything out first, so you know what not to do. Would you give us a few examples of what crashes the Sac? John Morton {decvax,cbosgd}!ucbvax!euler!jmorton
schuster@dasys1.UUCP (Michael Schuster) (10/03/87)
In article <2564@alvin.mcnc.UUCP> ravi@alvin.UUCP (Ravi Subrahmanyan) writes: > >>The new Magic Sac (v4.36 up) is so Mac compatible that it is getting >>rather difficult to crash. Users have reported running software for >>multi-hour sessions without a single hitch. > >It is possible to crash it pretty easily, and the key thing is to check >everything out first, so you know what not to do. > ---------------------------------------------------- Valid point. One should certainly check that a piece of software is on the compatible list if you are considering purchasing it for use on the Magic Sac...also if you were buying the Magic Sac in order to run that software. To Dave's credit, the "incompatible" list just keeps getting smaller.... --------------------------------------------------- >>The illusion that you >>are really running a Mac becomes more real all the time. This is a >>first class product. > > Illusion? What illusion? 8^) 8^) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- It's that same Illusion I get when I boot pc-ditto (grin) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [the following lines for the benefit of pnews] --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -- l\ /l' _ Mike Schuster {sun!hoptoad,cmcl2!phri}!dasys1!schuster l \/ lll/(_ Big Electric Cat schuster@dasys1.UUCP l lll\(_ New York, NY USA DELPHI,GEnie:MSCHUSTER CIS:70346,1745
trb@stag.UUCP ( Todd Burkey ) (10/03/87)
oops..hit f instead of F...In response to John Mortons' question about what makes the Magic Sac crash, all I have noticed so far is that some of the things that will work on my old Mac 512 and that won't work on the SE, will also not work on the Magic Sac. This implies that the original author(s) of the program cheated when using fixed memory locations or direct hardware access. The only program I really miss having work on the ST is CHIPWITS... -Todd Burkey trb@stag.UUCP
ravi@mcnc.UUCP (10/04/87)
> >Would you give us a few examples of what crashes the Sac? > Well, lets see. Most versions of MacWrite except 2.2 and 4.5, MacChart except under finder 1.1g, anything that goes to hardware like Mac240 (communications program), various desk accessories like Disktop, some screen savers, McSink is unpredictable, etc. I'm not trying to detract from the Sac, not in the least. I think it's an awesome hack. It's important to note that for anything that does not work, it is usually possible to find something else (usually in the public domain or shareware) that does the same thing; eg. disktop crashes, but I use FileMaster without any problems whatsoever. McChart did not work, but Cricket Graph does, and so on. The 'Convert clipboard' option in the switcher always causes hassles, so I always use the scrapbook. Mac240 dies, but freeterm, and a bunch of others, work just fine. I wish Macsbug would work! Anyway, to repeat my original point, the user needs to get a feel for what is Ok, as early as possible. After that, just being careful can let you use the Sac with no trouble at all. Two things are crucial: to make absolutely sure that the System and Finder are not damaged at all (eg. by removing a disk without telling the Sac to do it, etc.), and also to make sure that the copy of the driver software (on the TOS disk) does not get munged due to an incorrect disk swap or something (I speak from bitter experience!), -ravi
dsmall@well.UUCP (David Small) (10/05/87)
In article 5084, jmorton@euler.Berkeley.EDU asks what sorts of things
crash the Magic Sac.
Programs which access the SCC serial chip directly cause a bus error on
the ST hardware and fail. Also, programs that directly access the VIA or
IWM chips can fail. Magic Sac ver. 4.32 and above include code which
examines the bus-error post-mortem information and attempts to recover;
it's successful a good portion of the time.
Copy protection schemes that go straight to the disk controller (IWM)
are still the biggest cause of problems.
-- Thanks, Dave
p.s. I'm rather a net novice here but will answer questions if you
send themmidrgente, te, franco@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (10/05/87)
Macwrite 4.6 works fine on the Sac. This is the version of MacWrite that was created primarily for the Mac II (apparently MacWrite 4.5 is too buggy for the II). All the software I have for the Mac II (just a few things so far) works with the Sac. In total I have found that for any job that can be handled by a MacIntosh, there is at least one piece of software that handles the same job with the same effectiveness on the Sac (for example, Terminal Emulation/file transfer, word processing, drawing, disk editing, font/da moving/viewing etc.). And I only use version 0.9 (or some low number like that)! franco@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
schuster@dasys1.UUCP (Michael Schuster) (10/06/87)
In article <4136@well.UUCP> dsmall@well.UUCP (David Small) writes: >p.s. I'm rather a net novice here but will answer questions if you >send them to this drop. Nice to see you here, Dave! Where else might you turn up to support your product? Your presence here should generate LOTS of interest in Magic Sac. -- l\ /l' _ Mike Schuster {sun!hoptoad,cmcl2!phri}!dasys1!schuster l \/ lll/(_ Big Electric Cat schuster@dasys1.UUCP l lll\(_ New York, NY USA DELPHI,GEnie:MSCHUSTER CIS:70346,1745