cheeser@dasys1.UUCP (Les Kay) (09/29/87)
TECH TIDBITS
SPECIAL ON-LINE SERVICES EDITION U
March through August, 1987 Macintosh - Volume V
MACINTOSH FAMILY
Macintosh Labels - Why Aren't There Ever Enough?
================================================
Q: Where can I buy Mac labels in bulk? I am continually getting requests for
them, and we're always in short supply. Does anybody make it in rolls for
pinfeed? What about a Mac Label Maker/printing program?
A: A few of the sources for labels and label maker programs for the Macintosh
include:
MyDiskLabeler, Version 2 supports black and white and color printing.
Labels for MyDiskLabeler are available for both the ImageWriter and
LaserWriter. W. M. Williams & Macias, P. O. Box 19206, Spokane, WA 99219
[1-800-752-4400].
MacLabels by DataWiz features rolls of blank Mac labels in 500 or 1,000
labels/roll, featuring wrap around, pin feed and removable adhesive. Labels
are available in six colors: White, Yellow, Pink, Lt. Blue, Lt. Green and
Grey. DataWiz, 21115 Devonshire Blvd., Suite 465-B, Chatsworth, CA 91311.
MacII RAM Configurations
========================
Q: What are the acceptable MacII RAM configurations?
A: The Macintosh II can presently be configured in five ways: 1M (standard),
or 2M, 4M, 5M and 8M using memory upgrades. No hardware modification need be
made to arrive at any of these configurations.
Bank A and Bank B are composed of four slots and all slots MUST have a SIMM
installed. If you are using different density RAMs, then alway place the
higher density ICs in Bank A.
The following chart summarizes the various SIMM configurations the Mac II will
support.
RAM Bank A Bank B What To Order
----- ------- ------- -------------
1M Four 256K SIMMs Empty Factory Standard
2M Four 256K SIMMs Four 256K SIMMs 1 - MO218
4M Four 1M SIMMs Empty 2 - MO2
5M Four 1M SIMMs Four 256K SIMMs 2 - MO219
8M Four 1M SIMMs Four 1M SIMMs 4 - MO219
Parameter RAM Revisited
=======================
Q: How do I reset Parameter RAM on the SE?
A: To reset the parameter RAM on the MacSE, you must hold down the Shift,
Option and Open-Apple (or Command) keys while selecting the Control Panel. A
dialog box will be displayed asking if you want to zero Parameter RAM.
Indicate "yes" and then Restart the SE using known good System Software.
PRINTERS
ImageWriter LQ Information
==========================
Q: Does the ImageWriter LQ have 24 pins?
A: No. The ImageWriter LQ has 27 pins.
LaserWriter ID - Gone With the Wind?
====================================
A "Tip-of-the Hat" to Jim Leathan of Computer Emporium, Vails Gate, NY for the
following:
The revision number on the LaserWriter test print (under the first chart) used
to be a reliable way to tell if it's a LaserWriter or a LaserWriter Plus you
were looking at, but this is only partially true now.
The Revision Number - What it really means:
1.0--256K ROMs installed--LaserWriter (No doubt about it)
2.0--512K ROMs installed---May be a newer LaserWriter or a LaserWriter Plus
The revision number refers to the ROM revision used. A LaserWriter or
LaserWriter Plus using 512K ROMs has 8 ROMs, a LaserWriter using 256K ROMs has
16 ROMs.
PROGRAMMING AND DEVELOPMENT
Apple Programmers and Developers Association
--------------------------------------------
Corporate Switchboard (206) 251-6548
Customer Service (206) 251-9798 * Best number for information *
Orders (800) 426-3667
Orders (800) 527-7562 * Washington state *
APPLE TAKES A VACATION
Apple Equipment Abroad
======================
Q: We've received a number of questions from our customers about using their
systems abroad.
These Apple products are designed to operate at a line voltage range of 107V
to
137V, at 50 or 60 Hertz. In countries that supply a different standard,
usually 220V at 50 Hz, use a grounded Stepdown Isolation Transformer to
convert
220V to 110V for these products:
Computers: Apple II, IIe, IIc, III, III+:
-- Video output is compatible with NTSC standard only.
Macintosh, Macintosh XL, Lisa:
-- The screen may flicker at 50 Hz.
Printers: Daisy Wheel, Dot Matrix, ImageWriter, Silentype
-- Use these with a grounded stepdown isolation transformer.
-- A 50 Hz source can noticeably affect spacing between
characters.
LaserWriter, ImageWriter II, Scribe, Apple Color Plotter
NOTE: Damage may occur with a 50 HZ source; these devices are
rated for 60 Hz only and should not be used overseas.
Disk Drives: ProFile
Monitors: II, IIc, III
-- These work with NTSC composite video only.
-- There may be screen flicker at 50 Hz.
To use a U. S. Apple in a foreign country, you should know that country's AC
line voltage and frequency.
-- Voltage
If the country uses a line voltage of 220V AC, you'll need to 220V to 110V
step-down transformer. Although converters are available in the U. S., some
of
these have killed at least two Apples to our knowledge. Don't risk this. Pay
the $60 for an isolation transformer; the isolation transformer is the only
one
known to give a clean 110V 50 Hz signal. A 500-Watt unit should be plenty for
an entire Apple system (CPU, monitor, and printer). The unit must have a
third
prong for a grounded outlet. Electrical shock to you or damage to the
hardware
may occur if the units are not grounded.
Apple power supplies function correctly with voltages between 107V and 132V.
If the line voltage fluctuates outside of these specifications, you'll need to
use a power conditioner to insure uninterrupted operation of your Apple.
Operating your Apple without the conditioner will probably not result in
damage to the Apple hardware, although the voltage fluctuation may cause your
system to "crash"; in that event, you'll lose any data in memory and may even
lose data stored on the diskette.
-- Frequency
If the country uses a line frequency other than 60 Hertz (cycles per second),
then all devices attached to your Apple (monitors, printers, plotters, hard
disks, and so on) must be "frequency independent" -- that is, they must be
able
to operate on a line frequency of both 50 and 60 Hz. All Apple-manufactured
products are frequency independent EXCEPT the Color Plotter, Scribe, the U. S.
ImageWriter II, and LaserWriter.
If you wish to connect your Apple to a device that is not manufactured by
Apple, you can find out from the manufacturer of that device if it is
frequency
independent. If it is, you can use the device with your Apple (after you
compensate for the voltage differences, if any); if the device is not
frequency
independent, then you must purchase one that is.
Service and Warranty Repair are also affected when you take a U.S. Apple
overseas. The main piece of advice is: Buy the Apple where you intend to use
it. For example, European Macintoshes have power supplies designed to handle
Europe's 220 volt, 50 Hertz electricity. Although mice, external drives,
digital boards and similar modules are the same as distributed in the U. S.,
the software and keyboards are different for each country.
-- Service
Apple dealers overseas are capable of servicing the equipment designed for
their country only.
-- Warranty
The warranty is valid only in the country of purchase. A defective unit must
be returned to the country of purchase if service is desired under warranty.
Buy and use the Apple product well before your departure if you intend to take
it with you. Use it extensively before you leave so that any problems that
the
warranty covers may be detected and corrected under warranty.
FEATURE ARTICLE
File Transfer Solutions
-----------------------
by
George Elmore, ComputerLand Gainesville 467 (Link Address: M847)
I am often asked to do file conversion on old systems when my customer buys a
Mac. To date I have transferred CP/M, TRS-80 Model 4, IBM DOS and Apple //e
files over to the Mac.
CP/M and TRS-80 Conversions
---------------------------
For CP/M and TRS-80s, the single most useful item in the toolkit is the
expensive version of the Smartcable from IQ Technologies. I think its about
$149 retail, and maybe $80 or so dealer cost. It has a bunch of switches and
lights to tell you how the serial transfer is going, and it comes with a
simple set of instructions which have not failed me yet.
With CP/M, you need to get an introductory book on the commands and learn how
to use the program called PIP which is the way you can transfer a file out the
serial port. On the Mac, you need a copy of a program from Scott Watson
called
Red Ryder. Its a $40 ShareWare program, and worth every penny.
The file transfers I have done from the TRS-80 Mod 4 (8" diskettes) have
involved a rudimentary knowledge of Scripsit. It's tedious because you have
to
transfer every file individually. You can set up the serial port to default
to
2400 Baud with 7 data bits, 1 stop bit and even parity. Then you set up Red
Ryder on the Mac the same way and put it in the receive mode. For each TRS-80
file you will need to redirect the output to the serial port. What you get on
the Mac is a perfectly formatted text file, but with spaces instead of tabs
and
line feeds instead of form feeds. You can leave the removal of these
extraneous characters as an exercise for your customer.
Addendum - MacSE and MacII - Ideal Solutions for the Traveler
-------------------------------------------------------------
The MacSE and the MacII are self configuring and will work without
transformers or adjustments of any kind "as is." The only change that is
required in using either system abroad is the use of a power plug adapter or a
new power cord that is compatible with the outlets of the country in which
they are to be used.
IBM to MAC Conversion
---------------------
For the IBM to Mac transfer you need MacLink Plus which is about $195 retail
and complete with the cable and full instructions, as well as several
conversion programs. Although there is a Wordstar to MacWrite program, it
converts to old MacWrite which then needs to be reconverted. I prefer to
bring it over as a text file and do the conversion with a Public Domain
program called UNWS+ 1.53 (file #2852) which you can find on GEnie, or I can
Link it to you.
Apple to Mac Conversion
---------------------
For the Apple to Mac transfer, all you need is the regular ImageWriter II to
Apple //GS printer cable, and use the GS for all transfers. You will need Red
Ryder here, too as the receiver. For AppleWorks files, set up a custom
printer with no control codes and output to port 1 as usual. Then fire up Red
Ryder at about 2400 Baud, with the "Remove gremlin characters" option enabled.
Don't forget to reconfigure your port on the GS for 2400 Baud also. The
transfer has
problems faster than that and characters are lost.
Additional Information
----------------------
If you can arrange it, have your customer save everything on his old machine
as
a pure text file rather than as a formatted document. Most formatting in
those
files is usually pretty unsophisticated anyway, so they won't be losing much.
The biggest problem I have is with customers who refuse to use the tab key and
do all their formatting with the space bar. Columns of numbers are especially
tricky since often there is no decimal tab, and if there was, it wouldn't
transfer correctly.
In the "For What It's Worth" category, I have found that people mostly want to
transfer word processing files. I hardly ever get calls for spreadsheets or
databases. Sometimes it's a little easier to do a little pre-formatting on a
text file before the transfer, and on the IBM, I have found the Norton Editor
(because it's fast) and Word Perfect (because of the macros) to be invaluable.
You should also have a program called Macify version 2.1 which is a $10
ShareWare program from a fellow named Eric Celeste (available as a download
from GEnie or CompuServe), which allows you to modify carriage returns and
"many" spaces on Mac text files.
I use Word 3.01 as the final Mac editor because it's fast and easy once
you learn it. It also allows you to search out carriage returns and replace
them with a space.
To sum up:
1. Run all transfers at 2400 Baud.
2. Try to get all source files already in text only format.
3. Get Red Ryder and Macify.
4. Get a Smart Cable from IQ Technologies.
[Editorial Comment: A "Tip-of-the-Hat" and our thanks to George for his
contribution to Tech Tidbits. While the solutions offered in this article may
not be the only solutions available, we are grateful for for his reporting on
his "hands-on" experiences in this area, and for his comments on the Third
Party Products that he uses. Thank you George!]
DEPARTMENT OF FUNNY STORIES
Is There a Yardstick in the House?
==================================
Last week we poked a bit of gentle fun at novice users, so this week, we'll
play fair, and pick on novice sales staff.
"How can you tell the ImageWriter and the 15" Wide Carriage ImageWriter
apart?" asked the caller. We began listing the differences, but were
interrupted. "No, no, that's not what I mean. I mean, how can you tell which
is which, just by looking at them?"
And because turnabout is fair play, we promise, next issue, to "fess up" to
one of our own [smile].
When All Else Fails...
======================
It was time for a new modem, and when it arrived, I immediately set about
getting it hooked up, turned on the computer, booted my terminal program and
entered a phone number to dial. Nothing. I double checked settings; I double
checked the AppleTalk connections; I checked the cable; I tried dialing again.
Nothing. I read the manual. I rechecked all my connections and
double-checked
my terminal settings. I checked the Baud rate. Nothing. The modem lay there
deader-than-a-doornail. I'm a TSE, I thought. This shouldn't be happening to
me! I leaned back in my chair, deep in thought and stared down at the toes of
my shoes (which doesn't help matters much, admittedly, but it does help me
think), and after some minutes of contemplation, the truth began to dawn on
me.
There, right next to my left foot lay the power cord, unplugged!
!@#$%@#%^ Flasher
==================
Our customer came in with a //e for repair. He said every time he got into
his
program, he lost the "Cursing Flasher." [Submitted by Anne Lind of OmniComp
Charlesville]. Thanks Ann!
Copyright, August 14,1987 Apple Computer, Inc., East Coast Technical Support.
Permission is hereby granted for the use of Tech Tidbits, in part or in whole,
in any non-commercial publication, or for use by any non-commercial group or
organization or Apple User Group with the following credit: Reprinted from
"Tech Tidbits" with the permission of Apple Computer, Inc., East Coast
Technical Support." Permission to use "Tech Tidbits", in part or in whole,
for
commercial use must first be obtained in writing.
Sue Goodin, Editor-In-Chief.
AppleLink Address: Goodin2
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Jonathan Bing, Master (cheeser) ...ihnp4!hoptoad!dasys1!cheeser
Time flys like an Arrow, Fruit Flies like Bananas!
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