steele@thorin.cs.unc.edu (Oliver Steele) (01/13/88)
I've seen a lot of recommendations for Suitcase and none
for Font/DA Juggler. Is there anyone on the net whose
used both and can give us a comparison?
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Oliver Steele ...!{decvax,ihnp4}!mcnc!unc!steele
UNC-CH LING Senior steele@cs.unc.edu
Life is a negative-sum game.Ray_Ray_Davidson@cup.portal.com (01/20/88)
ALSoft was showing a new version of Font/DA Juggler - F/DA J Plus - at Expo. In a word (or a few) it is better than Suitcase. (I own both the programs. I bought Suitcase after seeing lots of favorable comments, and used it extensively with no problems, but Font/DA Juggler blows it away. I bought it at Expo) First, F/DA J is MF compatible, allowing opening and closing fonts and DAs under MF. (Suitcase is coming out with a free upgrade Real Soon Now.) It only allows 10 files to be open at once, so you have to pack individual fonts and DAs together. (I believe this restriction applies to Suitcase, too). It allows easy access to FKEYs (not quite as easy as Font Key Manager, but installation is easier). You can use F/DA J to choose the system beep. (in an easier manner than with IBeep2). Files to be opened can be anywhere on the disk, as opposed to in specific folders in the system folder, as required with Suitcase. (This is not a tremendous advantage; the system folder is the obvious place to keep them.) It includes a utility to resolve font numbering conflicts - real handy if you have lots of fonts. It allows easy display of available fonts in that font (like MenuFonts) and in any style (bold, italic, etc., unlike MenuFonts). It has facility for compressing fonts to save disk space; fonts are automatically decompressed when needed. There's a pretty long list of features for Font/DA Juggler Plus. If you want to know if it does something in particular, just ask. Since Suitcase is about the same price, I would say that Font/DA Juggler is by far the better value. (I voted with my wallet on this one.) One wonders why Suitcase (which is certainly a fine program) has gotten all the press, even winning a MacUser award, and Font/DA Juggler has been virtually un-talked about in the press. Maybe because Software Supply (maker of Suitcase) is here in CA, and ALSoft is in TX? BTW, F/DA J is an INIT that you just drag to the system folder, like Suitcase. Standard disclaimer: I have no connection with either ALSoft or Software Supply other than being a satisfied customer of both, and giving them both more money than my wife would like. Ray Davidson UUCP : ...sun!cup.portal.com!ray_ray_davidson CIS : 71121,572 GENie : raydavidson Snail Mail: 22422 Walnut Circle South, #A Cupertino CA 95014
moriarty@tc.fluke.COM (Jeff Meyer) (01/23/88)
In article <2584@cup.portal.com> Ray_Ray_Davidson@cup.portal.com writes: >Since Suitcase is about the >same price, I would say that Font/DA Juggler is by far the better value. (I >voted with my wallet on this one.) One wonders why Suitcase (which is certainly > a fine program) has gotten all the press, even winning a MacUser award, and >Font/DA Juggler has been virtually un-talked about in the press. Maybe because >Software Supply (maker of Suitcase) is here in CA, and ALSoft is in TX? A more probable reason is that Suitcase was released ~ 6 months before Font/DA Juggler. "Time is money and money can't buy you love and I love your outfit" Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer INTERNET: moriarty@tc.fluke.COM Manual UUCP: {uw-beaver, sun, allegra, hplsla, lbl-csam}!fluke!moriarty CREDO: You gotta be Cruel to be Kind... <*> DISCLAIMER: Do what you want with me, but leave my employers alone! <*>
edmoy@violet.berkeley.edu (;;;;YF37) (01/24/88)
In article <2721@fluke.COM> moriarty@tc.fluke.COM (Jeff Meyer) writes: >In article <2584@cup.portal.com> Ray_Ray_Davidson@cup.portal.com writes: >>Since Suitcase is about the >>same price, I would say that Font/DA Juggler is by far the better value. (I >>voted with my wallet on this one.) One wonders why Suitcase (which is certainly >> a fine program) has gotten all the press, even winning a MacUser award, and >>Font/DA Juggler has been virtually un-talked about in the press. Maybe because >>Software Supply (maker of Suitcase) is here in CA, and ALSoft is in TX? > >A more probable reason is that Suitcase was released ~ 6 months before >Font/DA Juggler. Also, since Suitcase comes with the Pyro!, it got additional press for including one of the best (if not the best) screen blanking utilities ever. Edward Moy Workstation Software Support Group University of California Berkeley, CA 94720 edmoy@violet.Berkeley.EDU ucbvax!violet!edmoy
swofford@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu (01/25/88)
I'm curious to find out if Font/DA Juggler is easily customizable. What I would like to know is if, like suitcase, I can have it load ANY type of resource file type, not just Font's, DA's, and FKEY's. One of the addt'l types that I have my verssion of Suitcase patched to handle (using the method documented in the Suitcase manual) aare the International Resources. I do a lot of work with the Script Manager and it's resources normally require being in the System file to work. But with Suitcase, I can put them in my Suitcase Folder and let Suitcase load them up and keep my system clean. So, nu, can it handle other resource types like Suitcase can?? +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ + | + + Leonard Rosenthol | USnail: 205 E. Healey #33 + + Halevai Software | Champaign, Il 61820 + + GEnie: MACgician | + + ARPA: swofford@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu | Bitnet: 3FLOSDQ@UIUCNOSA.BITNET + + | + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ + Disclaimer #1: Since I own the company, I can say whatever I want, and + + not be responsible for it! + + + + Disclaimer #2: Anything I say may be construed as being under the + + jurisdiction of Disclaimer #1 + +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Ray_Ray_Davidson@cup.portal.com (01/28/88)
In reply to my question of why more press has been given to Suitcase than Font/DA Juggler, Moriarty (Jeff Meyer) suggests "A more probable reason is that Suitcase was released ~ 6 months before Font/DA Juggler." I'm pretty sure that Suitcase was introduced at the Boston show in August (I know it was the hit of the show) and I think that F/DA J was introduced there too. The fellow from ALSoft told me they were introduced at the same time, and there is an ad for F/DA J in the September MacUser. Course it could have still been vaporous then... Ray Davidson CIS : 71121,572 GENie : raydavidson UUCP : ...sun!cup.portal.com!ray_ray_davidson Snail Mail: 22422 Walnut Circle South, #A Cupertino CA 95014
isle@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Ken Hancock) (01/28/88)
In article <2584@cup.portal.com> Ray_Ray_Davidson@cup.portal.com writes: >ALSoft was showing a new version of Font/DA Juggler - F/DA J Plus - at Expo. > >In a word (or a few) it is better than Suitcase. (I own both the programs. I >bought Suitcase after seeing lots of favorable comments, and used it >extensively with no problems, but Font/DA Juggler blows it away. I bought it at >Expo) After using both, I would have to agree. I switched over to Font/DA Juggler Plus. The font list is one of the nicest features -- gives you a list on the screen of each font -USING THE FONT-. Don't know which font to choose? It'll show you what each looks like. The Beep sounds is very nice also -- I'd recommend getting the Sound->Snd converter from INFO-MAC archives. Works with QuicKeys and everything else, allows you to insert a cmd-key equivalent for opening up F/DA Juggler. Ken Disclaimer: I beta-tested for Font/DA Juggler v2.0. Back then I would have gone with Suitcase. Not anymore... -- Ken Hancock UUCP: isle@eleazar.dartmouth.edu BITNET: isle@eleazar.dartmouth.edu DISCLAIMER: If people weren't so sue-happy, I wouldn't need one!
hammen@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Robert Joseph Hammen) (01/29/88)
In article <2747@cup.portal.com> Ray_Ray_Davidson@cup.portal.com writes: >In reply to my question of why more press has been given to Suitcase than >Font/DA Juggler, Moriarty (Jeff Meyer) suggests >"A more probable reason is that Suitcase was released ~ 6 months before >Font/DA Juggler." > >I'm pretty sure that Suitcase was introduced at the Boston show in August (I >know it was the hit of the show) and I think that F/DA J was introduced there >too. The fellow from ALSoft told me they were introduced at the same time, and >there is an ad for F/DA J in the September MacUser. Course it could have still >been vaporous then... Font/DA Juggler was around during the Boston show. However, it has gone through at least two versions before its current one. As originally introduced, I believe that it allowed you to load 'sets' of DAs, not unlimited DAs. I think that they then released a 2.0 version that added some functionality to the product, and then the Font/DA Juggler Plus product that was just announced at San Francisco. So, it's taken them some time to get the functionality of Suitcase. Of course, I heard rumors of a Suitcase 1.2 coming RSN, so the battle heats up... ========================================================================= Robert Hammen Computer Applications hammen@csd4.milw.wisc.edu Delphi: HAMMEN GEnie: R.Hammen CI$: 70701,2104
Ray_Ray_Davidson@cup.portal.com (02/08/88)
I'm not sure if F/DA J can handle other resources, such as the INTL resource. I'm sure that a call to ALSoft would answer that question. (713 353-1510). I do know that Suitcase has one feature that F/DA J doesn't; it uses a proprietary algorithm to sort the available fonts alphabetically which works faster than Apple's Menu Manager. I don't know any details, so please don't ask I saw this info on CompuServe, and I have experienced it myself, since I own both products. I use F/DA J, though, the time savings is only in starting apps, and I generally don't change applications much. miniWriter is slow in coming up, though. Ray Davidson CIS : 71121,572 GENie : raydavidson UUCP : ...sun!cup.portal.com!ray_ray_davidson Snail Mail: 22422 Walnut Circle South, #A Cupertino CA 95014
Ray_Ray_Davidson@cup.portal.com (02/08/88)
Suitcase V1.2 is available now. I saw it this afternoon at ComputerWare. I have no info on what the changes are, though I understood from Steve Brecher that the only change was to be the ability to open and close DA and font files under multifinder. Ray Davidson CIS : 71121,572 GENie : raydavidson UUCP : ...sun!cup.portal.com!ray_ray_davidson Snail Mail: 22422 Walnut Circle South, #A Cupertino CA 95014
isle@eleazar.Dartmouth.EDU (Ken Hancock) (02/11/88)
In article <3021@cup.portal.com> Ray_Ray_Davidson@cup.portal.com writes: >I'm not sure if F/DA J can handle other resources, such as the INTL resource. >I'm sure that a call to ALSoft would answer that question. (713 353-1510). > >I do know that Suitcase has one feature that F/DA J doesn't; it uses a >proprietary algorithm to sort the available fonts alphabetically which works >faster than Apple's Menu Manager. F/DA Juggler sorts the fonts alphabetically as well. Which is faster, I can't really say, though it hasn't really bothered me either way. Personal preference is F/DA Juggler, though. Ken -- Ken Hancock | UUCP: isle@eleazar.dartmouth.edu Personal Computing Ctr. Consultant | BITNET: isle@eleazar.dartmouth.edu ________________________________________________________________________ DISCLAIMER: If people weren't so sue-happy, I wouldn't need one!