Info-Mac-Request@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU (The Moderators) (08/25/90)
Info-Mac Digest Fri, 24 Aug 90 Volume 8 : Issue 147
Today's Topics:
"Mac in the USSR ..."
[*] Disinfectant 2.1
[*] VirusDetective 4.0.2c
[*] VirusDetective 4.0.2c Search Strings
Accessing MacServe
Bulk Diskette Copier
CAP and/or UAB Questions
Does Anyone Know Anything About Networked Tape Backups?
Hanyu Pinyin font
How get I rid of INIT 29 ?!?
Interferon and Finder, ANOMALY: Type 103
MACDRAW DRAWINGS AND TACYON PARTICLES
Mac Plus on a Token-Ring
MIDI manager
New Mac viruses
RAMDisk+ in a lab is a life saver!
Request for CDEF and MDEF sightings
SAM and new viruses
SHECOM COMPUTERS
UnMouse Unformation
Your Info-Mac Moderators are Bill Lipa, Lance Nakata, and Jon Pugh.
The Info-Mac archives are available (by using FTP, account anonymous,
any password) in the info-mac directory on sumex-aim.stanford.edu
[36.44.0.6]. Help files are in /info-mac/help. Indices are in
/info-mac/help/recent-files.txt and /info-mac/help/all-files.txt.
Please send articles and binaries to info-mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
Send administrative mail to info-mac-request@sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 7 Aug 90 15:01:32 GMT
From: fagin@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Barry S. Fagin)
Subject: "Mac in the USSR ..."
I am looking for information on Macintoshes and the Soviet Union. Do
they have any? Are there export controls on brings Macs to the USSR?
If so, any idea why? (Apparently, IBM PC's are OK). Any and all
information, including knowledge of where to get the answers to these
questions, would be greatly appreciated. Please reply via e-mail
to barry.fagin@dartmouth.edu. Thanks.
--Barry
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Aug 90 13:06:40 PDT
From: jln@acns.nwu.edu
Subject: [*] Disinfectant 2.1
Disinfectant 2.1
================
August 18, 1990
Disinfectant 2.1 is a new release of our free Macintosh anti-viral
utility.
Version 2.1 recognizes two new viruses which have been discovered in
Ithaca, New York.
The first new virus is a new strain of the MDEF virus (MDEF B). The
main difference between the old MDEF A strain and the new MDEF B strain
is that the MDEF B strain bypasses the Vaccine protection INIT.
The second new virus is named CDEF.
CDEF is very similar to the WDEF virus. It only infects the invisible
Desktop files used by the Finder. It does not infect applications,
document files, or other system files. It spreads from disk to disk
very rapidly.
Although the behavior of the CDEF virus is similar to that of the WDEF
virus, it is not a simple clone of WDEF. It is a completely different
virus.
The virus does not intentionally try to do any damage. It does not
appear to cause as many problems as does the WDEF virus. As with
all viruses, however, the CDEF virus is still dangerous.
As with the WDEF virus, you can remove a CDEF infection from a disk
by rebuilding the Desktop file.
The CDEF virus is named after the type of resource it uses to infect
files. CDEF resources are a normal part of the Macintosh operating
system, so you should not become alarmed if you see them with ResEdit
or some other tool. Any CDEF resource in a Finder Desktop file, however,
is cause for concern.
Version 2.1 also corrects a few errors in version 2.0, including
incompatibilites with A/UX 2.0, Icon-It!, Spy!, SuperClock, and Rival.
See the "Version History" section of the 2.1 online manual for details.
The Disinfectant sample source code has also been updated to version 2.1.
Disinfectant 2.1 is available now via anonymous FTP from site
acns.nwu.edu [129.105.49.1]. It will also be available soon on
sumex-aim.stanford.edu, rascal.ics.utexas.edu,
comp.binaries.mac, CompuServe, GEnie, Delphi, BIX, MacNet,
America Online, Calvacom, AppleLink, and other popular sources
of free and shareware software.
Macintosh users who do not have access to electronic sources of
free and shareware software may obtain a copy of Disinfectant by
sending a self-addressed stamped envelope and an 800K floppy
disk to the author at the address below. People outside the US
should send an international postal reply coupon instead of US
stamps (available from any post office). Please use sturdy
envelopes, preferably cardboard disk mailers.
John Norstad
Academic Computing and Network Services
Northwestern University
2129 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208
Bitnet: jln@nuacc
Internet: jln@acns.nwu.edu
CompuServe: 76666,573
AppleLink: A0173
[Archived as /info-mac/virus/disinfectant-21.hqx; 279K]
------------------------------
Date: 21 Aug 90 00:55 GMT
From: KILROY@applelink.apple.com (Shulman, Jeffrey,PRT)
Subject: [*] VirusDetective 4.0.2c
VirusDetective is a DA for tracking down viruses (or any resources) in files.
You specify the resource type and various attributes. Once the
offending resource is found it can optionally be removed from the file
(use this feature with caution) or file deleted. The user can update
the search list at any time. Shareware.
Version 4.0.2c modifies the search string for the MDEF viruses. You only
need the search string list if you already have version 4.0.2a
Jeff Shulman
76136.667@Compuserve.Com
Kilroy@AppleLink.Apple.Com
[Archived as /info-mac/virus/virusdetective-402c.hqx; 116K]
------------------------------
Date: 21 Aug 90 00:56 GMT
From: KILROY@applelink.apple.com (Shulman, Jeffrey,PRT)
Subject: [*] VirusDetective 4.0.2c Search Strings
These are the search string files for VirusDetective 4.0.2c. They include
the modified string for detecting both MDEF virus strains. The new CDEF
virus is automatically detected with the old "Executables" search string
originally used for the WDEF virus. You need only download this file if you
already have VirusDetective 4.0.2a or 4.0.2b. The only difference between
4.0.2a and 4.0.2b was my new address. 4.0.2b was never publically posted.
Jeff Shulman
76136.667@Compuserve.Com
Kilroy@AppleLink.Apple.Com
[Archived as /info-mac/virus/virusdetective-402c-strings.hqx; 4K]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 08 Aug 90 14:58:14 EXP
From: Kim Young Jae <88272031%KRSNUCC1.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
Subject: Accessing MacServe
I have a problem in exchange files between mac and ms-dos.
I download files from MACSERVE in this way.
Bitnet Kermit Exchanger
MACSERVE --------> CMS(IBM-host)--------> DOS ---------> MAC
HQX HQX HQX HQX --> SIT
But How about this another way.
Bitnet Kermit Exchanger
MACSERVE --------> CMS(IBM-host)--------> DOS ---------> MAC
HQX HQX --> SIT SIT SIT
But I failed in the second way.
Apple File exchanger treats SIT as Document,
so Unstuffiter won't open the file.
The same problem is in translating CompuShow GIF.
I want to print GIF in Apple Laser Writer.
But Exchanger treats GIF(from DOS) as Document,too.
Waiting for your kind help.....
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Aug 90 16:38 CDT
From: <CC_BRYSO%SWTEXAS.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu> (William Bryson)
Subject: Bulk Diskette Copier
I was wondering if anyone could give me some information concerning bulk
diskette copiers (.i.e. a device with two 3 1/2" floppy drives with or without
a bin tray which will duplicate one disk to another). I would prefer a device
which would work for both the Macintosh and MS-DOS disk formats. How much do
these devices cost? I am fearful that my floppy drive will wear out extra
fast. Our department is responsible for duplicating software and distributing
it via a site license. I am sure there are other users in a similar position.
Thanks,
**************************************
Bill Bryson
User Services
Southwest Texas State University
CC_BRYSON@SWTEXAS.BITNET
**************************************
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 07 Aug 90 14:53:53 PDT
From: nomdenet@venera.isi.edu
Subject: CAP and/or UAB Questions
Ours is largely a Sun installation with several Imagen printers,
and everything is connected by Ethernet. There are a small number of Macs
not connected to anything. My group has a Mac II which I've connected to one
of our Suns by a 19.2kbps serial line; I effect printing by generating
PostScript files, transferring them to a Sun via Kermit, and then passing
them through macps (which inserts the appropriate LaserPrep file) to one
of our Imagens which understands PostScript. This works, but it's slow
and cumbersome.
One of our group has a pressing need for more output than Kermit/macps
can handle comfortably, and he's gotten some support to put the Mac II
directly on the Ethernet in the hope that it can somehow get PostScript
to the Imagen printers.
I'm charged with a feasibility study, and gathering & installing
the hardware & software if the idea is possible. It does seem doable,
and I'm leaning toward the Asante NuBus Ethernet card (which we as an
educational institution can buy for less than $300), MacTCP, Columbia's CAP,
and possibly UAB (UNIX Appletalk Bridge). This combination would additionally
allow us to mount parts of UNIX file systems as Appleshare volumes.
Questions:
- Does anybody have experience with the Asante boards?
- Do I need UAB, or will CAP's lwsrv do what I want?
- Would any CAP and/or UAB wizard be willing to answer my questions
as they arise? Somebody experienced would be a great help; I'm
no dummy, and I wouldn't take up much of your time.
I'll summarize any answers if there's interest.
As always, thanks in advance.
A. R. White
USC/Information Sciences Institute
4676 Admiralty Way
Marina Del Rey, California
90292-6695
(213) 822-1511, x162
(213) 823-6714 facsimile
ARPA: nomdenet @ ISI.edu
------------------------------
Date: Tue 7 Aug 90 08:35:18-PST
From: ROHAN%ASTRO.SPAN@star.stanford.edu
Subject: Does Anyone Know Anything About Networked Tape Backups?
I am wondering if anyone out there does unattended tape backups
overnight on an Appletalk network (either with AppleShare or TOPS
using both PC's and Mac's). This ability is hinted at in many of
the tape backup manufacturer's ads but has anyone actually implemented
it? Is it easy to do? What tape drives do you suggest? We have
looked briefly at Tecmar.
I am also interested in tape backup software like Fastback for Tape.
Also which is faster SCSI or QIC-02? Does the machine the tape
drive is connected to make much of a difference?
I am wondering if networking a tape backup causes any problems like
can you backup more than one machine to a single tape (if it will fit
of course). What happens if two nodes try to access the tape drive
at the same time.
Please send your answers to me if you can and I will summarize for
the net. Anything you can mention will be helpful. Thanks in advance.
Rick Rohan
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 08 Aug 90 13:55:56 EDT
From: Shih Tung <stngiam@athena.mit.edu>
Subject: Hanyu Pinyin font
I posted a question about how to get the diacritical marks for the
hanyu pinyin chinese romanisation system. Prof Fred Lieberman of UCSC
suggested a very simple solution (Thanks!)
The second and fourth tone markers are the accent grave and accent
acute. Those are accessible from the keyboard by typing option-e and
option-i followed by a vowel.
The first and third tone markers exist as 248 and 255 respectively in
the Macintosh Character Set. These can be combined with any letter
using the overstrike formatting command in MS Word (cmd-option-\ o)
Shih Tung
The best l'il Tech
school in Cambridge
------------------------------
Date: 13 Aug 90 18:04:10 GMT
From: austing@apple.com (Glenn L. Austin)
Subject: How get I rid of INIT 29 ?!?
Info-Mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu writes:
>Hello,
>a friend told me of some strange behaviour of his Macs (II and SE).
>There were alert boxes like "the disk xxx needs minor repairs" or
>"please unlock disk xxx".... I told him, it looks like a virus is
>trying to infect his systems, but it was too late to do anything...
>I tried to run disinfectant 2.0, but if i insert the disk with dis.
>i get the dialog "please unlock... " and after that "...minor repairs..."
>and it ends up in a corrupted disinfectant, which does not work :-(((
>I CANNOT BOOT FROM FLOPPY !! Both Macs eject any disk on boot time and
>dont boot from later inserted disks...
>Has anybody an idea, what i could do about that?
I also had that problem on a Plus -- it turned out that my PRAM had been
changed to boot from an external floppy rather than the internal. Try
clearing PRAM by removing the battery, then attempt to boot from a locked
floppy (built on an already-clean system).
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Glenn L. Austin | "Turn too soon, run out of room, |
| Auto Racing Enthusiast and | Turn too late, much better fate" |
| Communications Toolbox Hacker | - Jim Russell Racing School Instructors |
| Apple Computer, Inc. | "Drive slower, race faster" - D. Waltrip |
| Internet: austing@apple.com |-------------------------------------------|
| AppleLink: AUSTIN.GLENN | All opinions stated above are mine -- |
| Bellnet: (408) 974-0876 | who else would want them? |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 9 Aug 90 13:05 EDT
From: MOLONEDE%UCMCIC@ucbeh.san.uc.edu
Subject: Interferon and Finder, ANOMALY: Type 103
Has anyone run into a problem with the finder on System tools 6.0.5
and Interferon? When I run Interferon on Apple's System tools 6.0.5 I
recieve the error:
ANOMALY: Type 103 anomaly detected in file:
System Tools:
System Folder:
Finder
The output of Interferon doesn't indicate what type 103 is, can
someone give me some help on this?
[MODERATOR'S NOTE: Doug, Interferon is no longer supported and will
generate the above message even on uninfected files. Use a program like
Disinfectant instead. We have the latest version available via
anonymous ftp in /info-mac/virus. Lance Nakata, Info-Mac]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Doug Moloney |231 Bethesda Avenue, ML# 574
University of Cincinnati Med. Ctr. |Cincinnati, OH 45267-0574
Med. Ctr. Information & Communications|513-558-6046 W,
Information Research and Development |MOLONEDE@UCMCIC.OA.UC.EDU I'net
Cut this off I dare ya |U1091 AppleLink
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------
Date: WED, 08 AUG 90 07:00 CDT
From: BARRY BOWDEN <CSER037%UABTUCC.BITNET%CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU@ricevm1.rice.edu>
Subject: MACDRAW DRAWINGS AND TACYON PARTICLES
I am looking for someone who has a blueprint using MacDraw of the
space shuttle (complete with External tank and rocket boosters),
apollo command module & capsule, and the lunar
lander. I am working on a project for one of my classes and these
drwings would speed up my work.
On a none Mac related topic, can anyone on the network tell me
if tacyon particles have been detected and when? (this one is
for the particle physicists out here)
Thanks in advance ...
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Barry Bowden | BITNET: CSER037@UABTUCC |
| The Office of Computers and +------------------------------------+
| Communications | |
| University of Alabama at | |
| Birmingham | |
| Birmingham, Alabama 35294 | |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 07 Aug 90 16:32:53 EDT
From: MLESSIN@waynest1
Subject: Mac Plus on a Token-Ring
Hi. Is there anything out there that will allow me to put
a Mac Plus onto a Token Ring? Thanks....
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 7 Aug 90 19:43:04 BST
From: cho@cs.aber.ac.uk
Subject: MIDI manager
I have been trying to find out about this, as I was considering
investing in a sequencer. Is this one of the products bundled with
Release 7.0 or is it available already as a finished product from my
dealer ? ( who knows nothing...:-)
Regards,
Chris Orgill, tel +44 970 622447
Research Associate,
Computer Science Department, cho%cs.aber.ac.uk@uunet.uu.net (ARPA)
University College of Wales, cho@uk.ac.aber.cs (JANET)
Aberystwyth, Dyfed, United Kingdom. SY23 3BZ.
------------------------------
Date: 18 Aug 90 17:18:39 EDT
From: Jeff Shulman <76136.667@compuserve.com>
Subject: New Mac viruses
There have been two new viruses recently discovered. The first is a
varient of the MDEF A virus (aka "Garfield" MDEF) and the second a CDEF
virus (called CDEF A) which lives in the Desktop file like the WDEF
viruses.
The current VirusDetective 4.x search string for the MDEF virus does NOT
detect this new "B" strain. The new search string for detecting *both*
variations is:
Resource MDEF & ID=0 & WData 4D44#A6616#64546#6A9AB ; For finding MDEF A
& MDEF B
Once you have added this string you may remove the old Garfield MDEF
search string.
The search string for the old WDEF virus *does* detect the CDEF virus in
the Desktop file is well. Thus no new search string is necessary for the
second virus.
As usual notification of the new search string will be sent to all
registered VirusDetective users late this week and new versions of the
full DA and search string set only will be posted early this week.
Jeff Shulman
VirusDetective author
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 90 16:38 CST
From: Fred Seaton - WIU 309-298-1681 <MUCM000%ECNCDC.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: RAMDisk+ in a lab is a life saver!
We just had a great solution for lab startup disks and thought we'd share our
experiences with the net.
Our setup: A network of Mac Pluses with an AppleShare fileserver, and a
network of SE/30's with an AppleShare fileserver.
Our problem: Mac's in a lab must have a system disk/folder that they can write
to for a number of reasons. The chooser must be able to write; many programs
use the system volume for temporary files and for printing files; etc.
However, students would sometimes change the default login info, or a virus
might attack the disk that vaccine or disinfectant might not have caught, etc,
so we were never able to lock our startup disks.
Plus, you can't make an 800K startup disk that will hold all the Mac Fonts
plus the LaserWriter fonts plus, Finder, INITs, etc. Of course, Suitcase II
could help here, but their Educational Site License is hardly a deal!
The solution: We installed an additional 2MB RAM in the Mac PLuses, and an
additional 4MB RAM in the SE/30s. We then have a startup disk that is LOCKED,
contains a minimal system, AppleShare, AppleShare Prep, and the necessary INITs
to start the system and RAMDisk+ program up.
One of the nice features of RAMDisk+ is you can specify what files should be
copied to the RAM disk and from where. If it happens to copy a System and
Finder to the RAM disk, it can automatically switch launch to that disk and
then eject the startup floppy (hence, the startup floppy can be locked!).
However, we tricked it by having it copy the system folder from the file
server, where we have a system that has all the fonts and DAs that we want
for the lab, plus the necessary cdevs for the system.
The disadvantages: The entire system folder must be copied to the RAM Disk
during startup. Currently, our system folder is about 1.2MB and across a
LocalTalk network, that's not an incredibly fast copy. However, LocalTalk is
still faster than a floppy drive, and it's only one central location to update,
so we prefer to copy all of this from the network instead of a single start-up
floppy. (Plus, you can't fit this on an 800k startup disk)
The advantages:
Cheap! 2MB RAM (or even 4MB) is cheaper than an external floppy drive, so
all of our lab macs can now run with one internal floppy drive.
Cheaper yet! The cost of a site license for suitcase would sure buy a lot
more ram. (and system 7 should solve some of the space problems as well)
Safe! If the RAM disk catches a virus, a hardware-reset will remove it. We
no longer hae to scan all of our startup floppies on a daily basis.
Fast! A Mac Plus with a RAM Disk is a bunch faster than a Mac Plus with
System on a floppy drive.
Extra space! The 1.5 MB Ram disk leaves more space for work space on the
system disk than when we have floppy system disks. Plus, Mac Programs can
always use extra RAM. (as will system 7 when it comes).
I'm sure I left something out here, but in any case, we love it and the site
license for universities is CHEAP!!!
The program also has features to always enable the RESUME button on a crash
so that you might save anything that you foolishly saved on the RAM disk.
And it can optionally start another application since the RAMDisk+ is the
Startup Application.
For anyone who wants it, it can be obtained from:
Roger Bates
Route 1, box 865
Hillsboro, OR 97124
503-645-3930
Dislaimer: I don't know this company other than we were looking for a RAM Disk
program and found this one on a shareware disk somewhere, and now we love it!
Fred Seaton
Academic Computing
Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL 61455
309-298-1681
mucm000@ecncdc.bitnet, soon to be changed to: mucm000@bogecnve
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 90 09:29:03 PDT
From: jln@acns.nwu.edu
Subject: Request for CDEF and MDEF sightings
We are trying to determine how widespread the CDEF and MDEF viruses are. If
you have experienced an infection by either of these viruses, could you send
me a note giving your name and location? Thanks.
(Please don't bother telling me about WDEF infections. We already know that
the WDEF virus is very widespread).
John Norstad (author of Disinfectant)
Academic Computing and Network Services
Northwestern University
Internet: jln@acns.nwu.edu
Bitnet: jln@nuacc
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Aug 90 09:59:15 EDT
From: "Joel B. Levin" <levin@bbn.com>
Subject: SAM and new viruses
Mailed on behalf of Paul Cozza, author of SAM.
*******
For SAM 2.0 Users:
Two new Macintosh viruses have been uncovered in the last week or so.
Here is information about them for SAM users.
1) A second strain of the Garfield (or MDEF) virus has appeared. It does
not do anything intentionally malicious. It does add MDEF resources to
system files and applications. In advanced or custom mode, SAM 2 will
alert you to this virus's attempt to change and add MDEF resources.
Denying these attempts prevents the resource from spreading. You can enter
one of the following 2 virus definitions with Virus Clinic to detect this
virus by name.
To specifically detect this strain of Garfield, enter this definition (I
am repeating the definition previously posted by Karim Esmail of Symantec
here):
Virus Name: Garfield
Resource Type: MDEF
Resource ID: 0
Resource Size: 532
Search String: 2F3C4D4445464267487A (hexadecimal)
Search Offset: 304
Alternately, you can enter a definition to detect both strains of Garfield
(and delete any earlier Garfield definition you may have entered). If you
choose this option, scans may take slightly longer (though the difference
will probably be unnoticeable), but you will have entered a definition
capable of catching some future Garfield strains:
Virus Name: Garfield
Resource Type: MDEF
Resource ID: 0
Resource Size: Any
Search String: A9A92F0CA9AA2F0CA9B0 (hexadecimal)
Search Offset: Any
2) A second virus, named CDEF, has also appeared. It also does not do
anything intentionally malicious. It adds CDEF resources to desktop files
only. This virus will NOT spread if SAM 2.0 is running (even in the Basic
level). A feature of SAM 2.0, called Desktop Guardian, prevents code in
desktop files >From executing while the Finder is running. So this CDEF
virus will not execute and can thus not spread while SAM 2.0 is active.
If you encounter this virus and you have SAM configured to standard level
or higher, SAM will also alert you to the presence of the CDEF virus when
the desktop file is opened. SAM will give a "Code in desktop file (CDEF)"
alert at that time. By stopping the open of the infected desktop file, you
can cause the Finder to rebuild the desktop and eliminate the virus.
To detect this virus by name, enter the following virus definition in
Virus Clinic:
Virus Name: CDEF
Resource Type: CDEF
Resource ID: 1
Resource Size: 510
Search String: 45463F3C0001487A0046A9AB (hexadecimal)
Search Offset: 420
Paul Cozza
SAM Author
-------- End of Forwarded Message(s) ---------
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 08 Aug 90 09:13:47 EST
From: Murph Sewall <SEWALL%UCONNVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: SHECOM COMPUTERS
On Sun, 22 Jul 90 15:16 CDT you said:
> I ordered 8 1Mb 100ns SIMMS for the business that I worked
>for on June 10. They arrived June 27 via UPS second day air. When I pulled
>them out of the box to test them, two of them had X's penciled in on several of
> the memory chips on the SIMMS. As I was expecting, they were bad. So, last
>Tuesday, I called Shecom. The man that I spoke to informed that their Return
>Person only worked M W F, but promised that she would call me Wed. morning.
>
> The six SIMMS that work, work fine, but they seem to be factory
>seconds,
IF you were wise enough to pay by bank credit card, call the customer service
800 number and ask them to send you a "disputed charge form." Even if you've
already paid the bill which included the charge you can have the card company
withhold payment (for up to one year after the original purchase date).
Big banks which withhold cash from companies such as Shecom are a MUCH better
attention getter than little ol' you and me. Send a copy of the disputed
claim statement along with a letter asking why they don't return their phone
calls to Shecom.
My personal experience in two similar situations has been that 1) the credit
card company will take you side unless Shecom is able to document that they've
addressed your complaint, and 2) that small companies like Shecom may forget
to have your bill reinstated after they've replaced the bad parts (one way
of getting paid for your time and trouble :-)
/s Murph <Sewall%UConnVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.Edu> [Internet]
or ...{psuvax1 or mcvax}!uconnvm.bitnet!sewall [UUCP]
+ Standard disclaimer applies ("The opinions expressed are my own" etc.)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 8 Aug 90 09:42 MDT
From: Bernie <BSWieser%UNCAMULT.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: UnMouse Unformation
Here are the responses to my unmouse question. They are quite informative
and I would like to thank the three people who replied.
Bernie Wieser, BSWieser at UNCAMULT.BITNET
Mac Developer
Department of Psychology
University of Calgary
(Well, after 15 years those 100 monkeys and typewriters have re-invented
DBase)
-+-+-+-+-
>From: Anonymous "someone who has used the unmouse for a few weeks"
I thought the unmouse stunk. Now, this may be in large part because I
am used to a mouse, but I found it quirky and counter-intuitive.
The worst thing about it (not shown in the ads) is that it requires a
big trasnformer-type wall plug, a big metal box connected to that, and
the unouse thing itself. It also has a separate on-off switch for
the box so you have to leave it on all the time (eating up juice, at
least it seems since both the transformer and the box heat up...) or
remember to turn it on before you turn on your Macintosh.
Basically it is a touch screen taken away from the screen and put alongside
the Macintosh. The worst of both worlds, as far as I can see. Originally
the idea was to have been something small enough to fit below the keypad
so you could keep your hands on the keyboard and move the cursor. Nice idea,
but they abandoned it because nothing small enough to fit under the keyboard
had enough room to move around.
I've also tried out (for a few minutes) the iso-whatchamacallit that's
attached to the outbound laptop. It's a teeny little wheel that controls
up-and-down mouse moves, and also slides left and right for left-right mouse
moves. When you have gotten as far left (or right) as the slider goes,
the cursor keeps moving. Though the one review I've read of the Outbound
says that it was hard to use and counter intuitive, I really liked it a lot,
and found it easy to adjust to. Of course, you can't currently buy a
keyboard with one of those iso-pointers on it. Maybe soon.
Microtouch also makes touch screens. They are expensive and require
the same external box 'n switch and stuff, but look a lot nicer than
the yucky "unmouse."
Or you could get a track ball, or investigate that "felix" thing. I tried
it at a show and thought it stunk, but others have liked it.
--------------------
>From: jaksha at NOAO.ARIZONA.EDU (David Jaksha X229)
I have had a UnMouse for a few months now. Overall I have been
very pleased with it. It basically works by sensing your finger position (
capacitance) on the glass surface. The default mode is a 1:1 map of your
finger position on the UnMouse to a corresponding position on the Mac
screen. In other words, if you place your finger in the upper right
corner of the UnMouse, the arrow cursor jumps to that position.
Hop your finger to the center of the UnMouse, and the cursor hops to
that position. Drag your finger and the cursor follows. There is a
calibration Cdev that allows you to define the mapping. You could if you
want make 1 square inch in the middle of the Unmouse map to the entire
screen.
Two other modes are available. The first simulates a trackball, allowing
you to set the inertia of the ball, and the second mode simulates a
standard mouse, where it takes several drags across the surface of the
UnMouse to move the cursor across the Mac screen. I don't care for the
trackball simulation at all. I also have a Kensington turbomouse connected
to my Mac ( the UnMouse documentation says not to have another pointing
device connected because of crosstalk, but mine works fine), and I use
it very easily. The UnMouse simulation I could never get used too.
By the way, in the 1:1 map mode, the mapping is varied according to how
fast you move your finger. So when you slow down the apparent resolution
seems to increase. This allows you to point very precisely. To click on
a object you push down on the entire surface. There is apparently a
micro switch underneath that senses the pressure.
The surface of the UnMouse is glass coated with a transparent metal coating.
This allows you place documents under the glass to trace. Also you can divide
the surface into 16 or 64 discrete area and define them for specific functions.
If you use the 16 division, the areas correspond the the F keys across the top
the extended apple keyboard. The UnMouse then works normally until you press
a button on the side, then pressing one on the 16 sections activates the F key.
There is a large interface box that the UnMouse plugs into and then into the
ADB port. Plus a large wall transformer that powers the interface box. That
stuff is a pain but the cables are long enough to allow the stuff to be
pushed back out of the way.
Over all I am quite happy with the UnMouse. I use it for most everything
except my CAD work. With that I need the extra precision that the trackball
gives me. Hope this clears up how the thing works. Feel free to call or
Email if you have more questions.
By the way, the only software it does not work with in Stepping Out II. The
UnMouse does not recognize the expanded screen area.
Dave Jaksha
NSO
(602)325-9356
jaksha@NOAO.edu
--------------------
>From: ml10+ at ANDREW.CMU.EDU
I have an UnMouse. It's a nice input device, but I haven't given up
my mouse. It has a large number of movement modes to emulate a graphics
tablet, mouse, or trackball. The resolution is very good considering
that you usually use your finger as the pointing device. It also
emulates the 15 function keys on the extended keyboard so you can use
QuickKeys or MacroMaker for macros. Overall it's a good product.
- Luni
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