Info-Mac-Request@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU (The Moderators) (11/22/89)
Info-Mac Digest Tue, 21 Nov 89 Volume 7 : Issue 207
Today's Topics:
19" B&W Monitors
Access a SCSI scanner from 4th Dimension or Hypercard?
Color screens for SE
Consistent Online Documentation Access
Fax Modem Recommendations ?
Finder title bar double click
Formatting a CDC Wren Runner?
GML <--> MacWord
Grappler LQ problem (Imagewriter LQ also ?)
Hebrew Word Processors
LaserWriter II: serial ports/LocalTalk
Molecular Modeling
Monitor query
multi-purpose inits (i.e. blackbox)
PICT files
Ramdisk+
Response to M. Hanrahan THINK C CInfoPBRec Declaration Query
SuperPaint 2.0
TimeMail
Toshiba hard drives
yet another question
Your cable diagram
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. Indicies 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: Sun, 19 Nov 89 13:03:26 PST
From: cpdaux!steve@apple.com (Steve Lemke)
Subject: 19" B&W Monitors
In Info-Mac Digest V7 #195 David Yozie wrote:
>I've found that a lot of companies marketing 19" monitors promote them
>as being two-page displays. However, comparing their active screen
>sizes and resolutions (in DPI), it doesn't seem as if they're as large
>as the Apple portrait display (vertically) and they're definitely not as
>large as the Apple 2-page display (horizontally).
>
>Has anyone had some experience with 19" monitors? I really don't need
>to get 2 full pages on the screen at once, but I want to be sure that
>the monitor can display at least 1 (verticle space is the most crucial).
When choosing a large monitor, you must (currently) make a choice between
true WYSIWYG (as in 72 dpi) and a full two-pages (which on a 19" monitor,
usually means about 82 dpi). Some people don't like the smaller image size
of 82 dpi, but on the Radius monitors (two-page monochrome/gray scale, and
two-page color), 82 dpi means a FULL two pages. All the way down to the
bottom of the page, and all the way across two full pages. Software comes
with the Radius systems that enlarges the menubar font to make it more read-
able (though it's not unreadable in normal mode - it just makes it larger).
Likewise, the Radius Full-Page Display shows an entire page.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. For now, find
yourself a dealer who carries the Radius monitors, and bring up a large image
or page layout program, and compare what you see on the Radius monitor with
what you see on the others...
..... Steve Lemke ................... "MS-DOS (OS/2, etc.) - just say no!"
..... Internet: cpdaux!steve@apple.com GEnie: LEMKE
..... Or try: apple!cpdaux!steve CompuServe: 73627,570
..... Quote: "What'd I go to college for?" "You had fun, didn't you?"
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18-NOV-1989 18:19:05.86 GMT+1
From: <miwe001%dtuzdv5a.bitnet@forsythe.stanford.edu> (Adrian Weiler #45054)
Subject: Access a SCSI scanner from 4th Dimension or Hypercard?
Hello Net Land,
I am asking this for a friend who has no access to the net:
has anybody written a piece of software to access the SCSI Port from within
4th Dimension (preferably) or Hypercard? It is supposed to be used to collect
data from a scanner attached to the SCSI port.
Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.
Adrian.
BITNET: MIWE001 @ DTUZDV5A
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 89 08:08:45 CST
From: Paul Heroy <HEROY%LSUVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Color screens for SE
Hi Macsperts,
I have a friend who is interested in acquiring a color screen for his SE. I'd
like to know what experience people out there have had with various products.
It's a standard SE with 1M, 20M HD. Price is definitely a consideration.
Please send replies directly to me, and I'll try to post a summary to the
digest.
Thanks,
Paul Heroy BITNET: HEROY@LSUVM INTERNET: heroy@lsuvm.sncc.lsu.edu
Computer Analyst
Louisiana State University
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 89 17:55:30 EST
From: rpk@goldhill.com
Subject: Consistent Online Documentation Access
Date: Tue 14 Nov 89 21:52:51-PST
From: Brodie Lockard <I.ISIMO@hamlet.stanford.edu>
>Is there a reason why developers of user-friendly software should not be
>user-friendly otherwise?
In fact, applications shouldn't have
README files at all, if possible, but documentation that can be displayed
From within the app.
Sometimes you've GOT to read the README file before using the
application.
Actually, Apple ought to supply a simple hypertext documentation
reader facility (maybe Hypercard-based, maybe not) with the following
characteristics:
1. The file formats are well-documented (it may be a Hypercard stack, maybe
not), and extensible. The reader itself might also be extensible
with a XCMD/FCN-like architecture.
2. The reader facility is supplied with all systems; it might even be
in ROM on newer machines to allow operation on floppy-online systems.
3. There is a Toolbox API for starting up the help facility, so that a
topic can be shown initially.
The benefits would be a consistent user interface for documentation
(one your application brought you ther) and reduced code size for
applications that presently offer help.
------------------------------
Date: 20 Nov 89 03:27:02 GMT
From: scb1@tank.uchicago.edu (Sam Blackman)
Subject: Fax Modem Recommendations ?
I'm looking for a good hardware/software combination to recieve and send
faxes from my Mac. I've used Apple's FaxModem and the AppleFax software
(both before and after the ROM upgrade) and have been less than pleased.
Does anybody have any recommendations as to what is the best combination
that I could pursue ? I'd appreciate it !!
E-mail to scb1@tank.uchicago.edu - thanks in advance !!
Sam
--
Samuel C. Blackman ! InterNet : scb1@tank.uchicago.edu Link : UG0184
University of Chicago ! Disclaimer : Who cares what I say? I'm a student !
5319 S. Maryland Ave. #2 ! Quote : "Changing the world one person at a time"
Chicago, IL 60615 ! Phone : (312) 715-3100 x.60 (w) (312) 947-8652 (h)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18-NOV-1989 18:10:48.28 GMT+1
From: <miwe001%dtuzdv5a.bitnet@forsythe.stanford.edu> (Adrian Weiler #45054)
Subject: Finder title bar double click
I was unable to set the "Finder Title Bar Double Click" feature
(using layout 1.7).
The solution: the LAYO 128 resource of my finder (6.1, System 6.0.3) had a
size of only 56 Bytes, whereas the LAYO from a brand new system disk's finder
has a size of 66 Bytes. Apparently, the system upgrade procedure leaves the
LAYO resource unchanged and Layout 1.7 doesn't bother about the resource size!
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 89 14:59 EST
From: CHGARNETT%AMHERST.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu
Subject: Formatting a CDC Wren Runner?
Hey out there.
I've gotten hold of a CDC Wren Runner, a 300MB external SCSI disk, originally
designed for use with a DEC VAXstation. The VAXstation's not using it, so I've
made off with it.
Does anyone know how I go about getting this thing to show up on the desktop?
I know I need to come up with a driver of some sorts, but has anyone does this,
and does anyone have any suggestions as to where to start?
Any help will be much appreciated.
Craig Garnett
Amherst College
chgarnet@amherst (Bitnet)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 89 08:58:25 EST
From: Len Hatfield <ENGLISH@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu>
Subject: GML <--> MacWord
Heigh-ho, MacNetters!
A general query, results of which I'll summarize and post later: I've
had several clients who are trying to get their GML or Waterloo Script files
converted into Microsoft Word files on the Mac. These are generally scholarly
essays, riddled with footnotes, special formatting, and foreign characters.
I've looked over several ascii conversion programs in the Sumex archives
already, and while these will handle such things as diacritical marks, under-
lining, itals, and the like, they still come short of the thing we need.
Here's the problem: MacWord's file format is unusual in that it marks
format (font) changes not at the site in the text, but in a separate "map"
at the bottom of the file. As a result, though I might be able to ascii-
convert for diacritical marks (e.g., umlauts), I cannot get Word to place
underlined words or other such format changes properly, without knowing
Word's file format.
So: is there a public domain or shareware source for this information?
(I've seen a couple ms-dos books filled with 'popular software file formats'
but not including Word's). Is there a commercial program that's specifically
addressed to this kind of conversion (GML <-> Word)?? Have you any suggestions
at all??
Please reply to my Bitnet address directly.
...Len Hatfield
(HATT@VTVM1)
Acknowledge-To: <ENGLISH@VTVM1>
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 89 12:02:19 +0100
From: Karl Pottie <GHGAQBA%BLEKUL11.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Grappler LQ problem (Imagewriter LQ also ?)
I recently bought the Grappler LQ and an Epson LQ 550, and i'm quite pleased.
The reason for my purchase ? The combination of Grappler and Epson is
about the same price of an Imagewriter II,but gives almost the same quality
output as an Imagewriter LQ. The resolution/square inch is about 3 times
as high as that of a Imagerwriter II. The Grappler Lq uses the standard
Imagewriter LQ printer driver, and converts via hardware all codes
to Epson codes. Most things work well, any problems i've had so far
were caused by some older software which couldn't cope with the Im LQ
driver, and wouldn't work also with the Apple printer.
Most of my printouts are made by printing graphic fonts, but sometimes
I want to use draft printing for large files.
There's a drawback on draft printing:
* I can't select a font from my printer control panel, the software
always overrides the font selection, and I end up with some
condensed printer font.
* the Imagewriter LQ driver allows draft printing, the letters
are indeed printed in draft, but the driver does it's spacing
in graphic mode. Result ? You end up with something
like this . Not very nice , eh ?
I can put the Grappler LQ in a mode so that it does no translation at
all, and if I use e.g. the serial printer driver of MS Word 3.0 in
combination with the typewriter option, I get on paper what I want.
But this involves switching dip-switches on the Grappler, and I'm
afraid they won't last long this way. So what I need is something like
this:
* a utility that allows me to read a text-file and make a printout
in draft mode, using the Imagewr LQ driver. It should impose
no printer font, so that i can select the one i like from
the printer's control panel. It should do it's spacing in
draft, i.e. just send a normal space to the printer between
words. The Grappler expects Imagewr LQ codes, so a simple ASCII
dump to the printer won't do. If possible I should be able
to select 10 or 12 CPI
* even better would be a patch to the Imagewr LQ driver, so
that I simple can select draft printing, and print the way
I just described, with every program.
I'm sure there are a lot of people having the same problem I do.
Any suggestions or solutions ?
GHGAQBA.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 89 20:47:52 GMT
From: YS100%phoenix.cambridge.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk
Subject: Hebrew Word Processors
Can anyone recommend any Hebrew word processing systems for the Macintosh, either
ones which work as a stand-alone application or in conjunction with an existing
wordprocessor such as MacWrite, or with Ready, Set, Go! 4.5a? It would have to be able
to output to an ImageWriter. What is the current version of MacinHebrew? What exactly does that
do, and does it work with MacWriter 5.01?
Also, has anyone had any experience with Hakotev from Davka Corp, Chicago, Illinois? Do any mail
order companies sell it?
Thanks for any help on this subject. Please reply to me and I will summarise to the net.
ys100@phx.cam.ac.uk
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 89 14:31:11 EST
From: "Dr. A.Bykat" <BYKAT%UTCVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: LaserWriter II: serial ports/LocalTalk
LaserWriter IINTX allows a software reset of switches 5 and 6 (eg. pp121-122
of LaserWriter Owner's Guide). Is there a way to reset switch 1 by sending
a software command?
I would like to address the laserprinter from two computers, one using
the serial port the other using the LocalTalk, but without manually resetting
switch 1. Is this possible? If not, can anybody suggest a supplier of
a (not too expensive) switch box which would provide the switching capability
,be it manual, but in a convenient way AT THE FRONT of the printer?
With thanks,
Alex Bykat
Acknowledge-To: <BYKAT@UTCVM>
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 89 17:54 EST
From: White Wolf <G_KINNEL%hvrford.bitnet@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Molecular Modeling
Salutations,
Recently a friend asked about three dimensional molecular
modeling programs for the Mac II. I didn't know of any, so I
thought I'd ask all of you out there. Is there a program that
you know of that can display molecular models and change their
orientation in 3D space. I don't think price is a problem....
Would that we were all so fortunate.
Thank you. Replies can be sent to: G_KINNEL@HVRFORD.Bitnet.
o o
-
`-------' Thanks, Geoff Kinnel
------------------------------
Date: Fri 17 Nov 89 12:01:35-PST
From: Phil Cohen <PCOHEN@csli.stanford.edu>
Subject: Monitor query
Does anyone have experience with the Samsung full-page display
and Cornerstone video card (to be installed in an SE)?
Pls reply to me at pcohen@ai.sri.com, and I will collect answers and post.
thanks in advance,
Phil Cohen
-------
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 89 15:04 CST
From: <JJM3383%TAMSIGMA.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: multi-purpose inits (i.e. blackbox)
An earlier message to the net suggested that init writers keep to a sing-
ular purpose when writing inits. well I don't use many inits. When I first
started programming the mac II, i wrote a simple real time game, and ran it
in 1 bit mode. Just to assert the dominance of my machine I was going to
run it on an SE to look at the speed degredation. It ran faster on the SE!
Well after playing with it for a while, I realized that all the init patches
to getnextevent and to the veritcal retrace manager, etc, were taking it's
toll on my processing speed. And frequent crashes were taking its toll on
me! Black box seems to me to incorporate many handy utilities while opti-
mizing the speed without frequent patches or jumps. It is nice to only
have to deal with one registration, one peice of code and still retain most
of the power in my machine.
If you are frequently crashing, running out of memory, finding that your
processing speed is not what it should be, and you have two rows of inits,
don't be surprised! Maybe all of those whistles and bells are not really
worth it.
conservatively,
...jeph
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 89 08:57 CST
From: <JJM3383%TAMSIGMA.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: PICT files
Recently there has been a number of requests for info about pict files. I am
personally working on a screen dump for a 24 bit image. If anyone out there
has code about spooling an image to disk, preferably in LSC, please send it and
i will post a report on the matter. my only resource is the pascal code in
IM vol 5, and I can't get it to work.
also any hints about a screen dump that works for 24 bit would be
nice...
...jeph
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 89 01:00 EST
From: V131JTVH@ubvmsc.cc.buffalo.edu
Subject: Ramdisk+
I just got a copy of Ramdisk+ and find it very interesting, but before I fork
over the $20, for the official copy, I want to know some sort of track record.
Does this nice program have any problems with multifinder or any other program
outthere for that matter.
I would really like to get some feed back so I can make some sort of informed
decision. Even tricks, uses or special configurations that it can be used for
would be just great.
Thanks in advance,
Rich Casale
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Nov 89 08:25:38 EST
From: "Dana Cartwright, Syracuse Univ, 315-443-4504" <DECARTWR%SUVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Response to M. Hanrahan THINK C CInfoPBRec Declaration Query
In THINK C 4.0 you will find the CInfoPBRec datatype declared in the
MFS.h include file (about 2/3 of the way through the file). It is called
"DirInfo" rather than "CinfoPBRec". The reason for the difference in
naming is that the PASCAL convention of putting CASE statements inside
declarations is handled differently in THINK C. They handle this
"multiple declarations of slightly differing control structures" issue
by declaring each variant separately, and then UNIONing them together
at the end (this is very good "C" stuff).
I found the declarations, by the way, by using the "Search Multiple Files"
capability of THINK C (one of its many great features) and simply searching
all the header files until I hit on "dirinfo" (using the "ignore case"
feature, since I had no idea how "dirinfo" might be capitalized in the
declarations).
Once declaring something to be of type DirInfo, you would reference
a field in it using a single dot. For example, if you declare
"DirInfo hohoho" you would then use the construct "hohoho.ioDrParID"
to get the parent directory id, for example.
-Dana Cartwright, Syracuse University
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 89 21:48:17 EST
From: mjkobb@media-lab.media.mit.edu
Subject: SuperPaint 2.0
In a recent Info-Mac digest, Damian%UMass.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu writes:
>I think I have found a rather bad bug in Superpaint 2.0.
>After scanning a picture using the Apple Scanner, and saving the file
>as a PICT, I load it into Superpaint. The picture was scanned as a
>Halftone. I can load it into Superpaint perfectly the first time, but
>when I do ANY editing on it and quit the program, Superpaint refuses
>to reopen the file. It claims it is running out of memory (unlikely in
>my case with a 5meg Mac II, in Finder). The files can be of just about
>any size, from 120K to 600K. Anybody else experienced this bug and
>maybe know a fix? If I scan the picture as LineArt, it works fine, but
>Halftone stuff is so much nicer.....
I believe that there were a number of bugs in the draw layer of SuperPaint 2.0.
Apparently, there's a bug fix release, 2.0a. This has not been widely
publicized, although Silicon Beach should give it to you free if you call.
Among the other problems was the slight rescaling of pict objects on save and
reopen (how could that POSSIBLY have gotten through testing???). SiliconBeach
claimed that there were no other bugs in the Draw layer, but from talking to
people who got the 2.0a upgrade, it fixed a number of other little annoyances.
Hope this helps,
--Mike
Disclaimer: I think that disclaimers are an incredibly sad statement about our
society. Nonetheless, nothing that I say can or should be construed as having
been said by anyone. Ever.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 89 15:09:42 CST
From: Graeme Forbes <PL0BALF@vm.tcs.tulane.edu>
Subject: TimeMail
This is a word of advice about the TimeMail service advertised in InfoMac
vol. 200 or thereabouts. The offer was that for slightly less than 1 million
dollars, they would carefully store your document and send it into the past
as soon as technology permits: the ideal service for the letter that just has
to be there yesterday.
InfoMac readers should be aware that it's logically impossible to change
what has already happened. So if your letter didn't arrive yesterday, nothing
you do in the future will make it have arrived yesterday.
On the other hand, if your letter *did* arrive yesterday, and you know that
you haven't even written it yet, this means that at some point in the future
you will write it and use TimeMail. In that case, you had better start
saving your dollars now.
Graeme Forbes
Philosophy
Tulane
------------------------------
Date: Fri 17 Nov 89 09:06:00-EST
From: Mark Maybury <MAYBURY@tops20.radc.af.mil>
Subject: Toshiba hard drives
Does anyone own and/or know about Toshiba hard drives? I am being offered a
Toshiba 100 MB (96 MB formatted) hard drive in replacement for a failed
drive. All I really know is it has auto head parking and reasonable
average disk access speed. What about its reliability, backup software,
etc.? Have you had experience with Toshiba drives?
Mark Maybury
Rome Air Development Center
Knowledge Engineering Branch (COES)
Griffiss AFB, NY 13441-5700
maybury@tops20.radc.af.mil
TEL (315) 330-3655
FAX (315) 330-3911
-------
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 89 18:23:18 EST
From: Damian%UMass.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu
Subject: yet another question
I'm sorry to be asking you guys so many questions, but with all the new
Macs coming out, it is getting more and more difficult to tell hardware
problems from bugs or viruses.
A teacher here at UMass has been having trouble with his brand new IIci.
Word and Superpaint have trouble running. He doesn't have any INITs
installed. Does anybody out there have any idea what the problem is or
if there is a problem with software compatiblitiy with the IIci?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Damian Roskill
Consultant
University of Massachusetts
damian@mars.ucc.umass.edu
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Nov 89 10:49:37 PST
From: dplatt@coherent.com
Subject: Your cable diagram
I would _not_ recommend tying the handshake and DTR/DSR lines together the
way you have done. Both the "handshake out" and "DSR" lines are being
actively driven... by the Mac, in the first case, and by the modem in the
second. It's never a good idea to have a line driven by two devices...
unless the circuits are designed with tri-state drivers, you can get some
very unexpected results, or even circuitry damage!
I'd strongly recommend running one lead from the handshake-out line to
the DTR input from the modem. This permits the Mac to "drop DTR" when the
terminal emulator exits and closes the serial port; most modems can be
configured to hang up the phone when this happens. Run another line from
the Mac's handshake-in input to either DSR (if you want to be able to detect
that the modem is powered on), or CD (if you want to be able to detect that
carrier is on, and thus that a connection is in progress), or to CTS (if you
want to be able to use clear-to-send flow control with a buffered modem).
If you wire DSR and DTR together (as in your diagram), your modem will not
hang up the phone if you quit from your terminal emulator... or even if
you power off the Mac! This could result in a long, and potentially
very expensive phone-call, if you don't notice the problem and turn off
the modem manually.
------------------------------
End of Info-Mac Digest
******************************