mct@rti.UUCP (Millard Taylor) (10/07/87)
To Whom It May Concern,
The Macintosh seems to be rife with undocumented "features".
Hold down cmd-option-shift-delete during booting (presumably turning
the power on with your nose) and the hard disk won't be recognized.
Other command and option sequences cause the Imagewriter II to print
bidirectionally, the internal floppy drive to put 800K on a 400K disk,
the CPU to prove Fermat's Last Theorem, or, in general, do just about
anything you might want to do and can't figure out how.
This brings me to the point of all this. Is there a central
repository of the various things the command and option keys can do?
If there isn't, is there any interest in developing one? Seems to me
it could make life a lot easier. If such a repository doesn't exist, let's
have an electronic "show of hands" of people interested in contributing to
the effort.
Tad Taylor
(Arpanet: mct@rti.rti.org)
(UUCP: Not sure, look at the senders
address on this message)
lsmith@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Lawrence Smith) (10/07/87)
Yes! this is annoying. Some may be found in various tidbits in magazines, etc, but it would be nice if the folks who *KNOW* what all these things are(since they put them there) would just make up a comprehensive list and post it. Hello Apple? I realize that it might be a pain to Offically do this, as it would mean maintaining them or whatever, but how about UNoffically, disclaimed, etc,etc. The #$@!!*&$$ things are there, and it is annoying to not know about them. -Lawrence, lsmith@ionvax.tn.cornell.edu
khayo@sonia.cs.ucla.edu (Erazm J. Behr) (10/08/87)
In article <1775@rti.UUCP> mct@rti.UUCP (Millard Taylor) writes: > The Macintosh seems to be rife with undocumented "features". (...) > This brings me to the point of all this. Is there a central >repository of the various things the command and option keys can do? Tech Tidbits, to some extent, but not much. >If there isn't, is there any interest in developing one? Seems to me Sure, I've even started gathering whatever I could get my hands on some time ago; MacWorld & MacUser both have a "Tips.." section, which is my main source. "Wheels for the mind" also has this kind of thing. Since Tad first publicly suggested it, I propose that we ask him to volunteer as a "repository" and editor for whatever we can mail him so that in a month or so he could post a nicely cleaned up collection. If there is a more widespread interest - of course. How about it Tad? > Tad Taylor > (Arpanet: mct@rti.rti.org) > (UUCP: Not sure, look at the senders > address on this message) Eric Behr ----------------------------------------------------------- >>>>---------------> khayo@math.ucla.edu
ajq@j.cc.purdue.edu (John O'Malley) (10/08/87)
In article <1775@rti.UUCP> mct@rti.UUCP (Millard Taylor) writes: > > The Macintosh seems to be rife with undocumented "features". > command and option sequences > > Is there a central >repository of the various things the command and option keys can do? > > Tad Taylor A few months ago, if I remember correctly, MacUser magazine came out with some book called the "Power User's Manual". I think this is what you might be looking for... documentation of keyboard short-cuts for various software packages. I'm not sure how you can get a copy, but the folks at MacUser probably know... ;-) John O'Malley ----------------------------------------------------------ajq@j.cc.purdue.edu PCLRC Purdue University Computing Center Math B4 West Lafayette IN 47907 (317) 494-1787 ext. 271 Mon - Fri 9am - 11am EST (my hours) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
jww@sdcsvax.UCSD.EDU (Joel West) (10/08/87)
I believe the 'Macintosh Advisor' sold a ton of copies for just
this reason. Since I'm not that into PowerUsing, I don't really
pay much attention to the topic.
--
Joel West (c/o UCSD)
Palomar Software, Inc., P.O. Box 2635, Vista, CA 92083
{ucbvax,ihnp4}!sdcsvax!jww jww@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu
So. California: where the ground does the Rocking 'N Rolling for youakk2@ur-tut.UUCP (Atul Kacker) (10/08/87)
In article <1775@rti.UUCP> mct@rti.UUCP (Millard Taylor) writes: > > The Macintosh seems to be rife with undocumented "features". > > This brings me to the point of all this. Is there a central >repository of the various things the command and option keys can do? >If there isn't, is there any interest in developing one? It is a nice idea. Any volunteers for compiling such a list ? (I have noticed though that about 75% of such "features" are actually documented. Most Mac users seldom read their documentation (if they have any ;-) from cover to cover. From time to time we see such "features" posted to the net followed by flames of the type "Hey %%^@## read the manual on page 23") -- Atul Kacker Internet: akk2@tut.cc.rochester.edu UUCP : {decwrl,cmcl2}!rochester!tut!akk2
klash@uvicctr.UUCP (Karl B. Klashinsky) (10/08/87)
In article <1775@rti.UUCP> mct@rti.UUCP (Millard Taylor) writes: >To Whom It May Concern, > The Macintosh seems to be rife with undocumented "features". > ... > This brings me to the point of all this. Is there a central >repository of the various things the command and option keys can do? >If there isn't, is there any interest in developing one? Seems to me > > Tad Taylor Yes, I've thought of this, and I may be crazy, but I'll volunteer. Rather than flooding the net with your shortcuts, why not send them to me? I will edit, compile, and summarize and post to the net. -- Karl Klashinsky "I shall endeavour to University of Victoria function adequately." British Columbia, Canada Lt. Data e-mail: {uw-beaver, ubc-vision}!uvicctr!klash
straka@ihlpf.ATT.COM (Straka) (10/13/87)
In article <219@ur-tut.UUCP> akk2@tut.cc.rochester.edu.UUCP (Atul Kacker) writes: |In article <1775@rti.UUCP> mct@rti.UUCP (Millard Taylor) writes: || The Macintosh seems to be rife with undocumented "features". |(I have noticed though that about 75% of such "features" are | actually documented. Most Mac users seldom read their Perhaps true, but 75% is still not a good percentage! -- Rich Straka ihnp4!ihlpf!straka Advice for the day: "MSDOS - just say no."
tom@iconsys.UUCP (Tom Kimpton) (10/17/87)
In article <219@ur-tut.UUCP> akk2@tut.cc.rochester.edu.UUCP (Atul Kacker) writes: >In article <1775@rti.UUCP> mct@rti.UUCP (Millard Taylor) writes: >> >> The Macintosh seems to be rife with undocumented "features". >> >(I have noticed though that about 75% of such "features" are > actually documented. Most Mac users seldom read their > documentation (if they have any ;-) from cover to cover. From > time to time we see such "features" posted to the net followed > by flames of the type "Hey %%^@## read the manual on page 23") > I would venture a guess that the reason many people don't read their documentation cover to cover is because of the great degree to which Macintosh programs in general adhere to the Mac users' interface. Once you've read a few manuals and have used the Mac for some time it becomes relatively easy to use a new program from scratch. What these people want is a "diffs" file that tells them the nitty gritty differences and peculiarity of the particular program they are running without having to sift the chaff for the wheat. For instance much of what I want to know about Hypercard is actually Hypertalk, and I find that in pages 397-597 of Goodman's book. And what I'd really like is a 50 page or less condensation of that. -- Tom Kimpton {ihnp4,uunet}!iconsys!tom Icon International, Inc. {ihnp4,psivax}!nrcvax!nrc-ut!iconsys!tom Orem, Utah 84058 ARPANET: icon%byuadam.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu (801) 225-6888 BITNET: icon%byuadam.bitnet