Info-Mac-Request@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU (The Moderators) (08/16/89)
Info-Mac Digest Tue, 15 Aug 89 Volume 7 : Issue 142
Today's Topics:
Adobe font samples needed in 300dpi
Amiga/Mac switchablity
Application Builders Summary
Business calculator
File: "INFO-MAC MAIL" being sent to you
linear algebra software
Mac/MS-DOS file transfers
MacJove, VersaTerm, and MultiFinder problem.
Mac SE/30 Colour Cards & Stepping-Out II.
Questions (separate) about MultiFinder and TeX DVI printing
Script Systems (RE: Info-Mac 136)
Seeking Mathematica package.
The HP-12C Financial Desk Accessory
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, 13 Aug 89 00:46:00 bst
From: Stephen Page <sdpage%prg.oxford.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk>
Subject: Adobe font samples needed in 300dpi
I am considering buying a couple of Adobe fonts, but before I lash out and
spend the astronomical price demanded, I would like to see what they look
like on a 300-dpi laser printer. Adobe's "Form and Function" catalogue
is impressive, but I find it very hard to imagine how some of the strokes
on the more elegant fonts will look when they are not typeset!
Does anyone own the following fonts, and if so would they be able to
send me a little sample?
- Weiss
- Caslon Open Face
- Stempel Garamond
- Goudy Old Style
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14-Aug-1989 17:53:59.21 CST
From: <rcd2403%tamchem.bitnet@forsythe.stanford.edu> (R. C. Davis)
Subject: Amiga/Mac switchablity
Dear MacHardware Hacks,
A friend of mine asked me a question, to which left me perplexed. If you
switch the EPROMS in the Atari Amiga to those used in the Macintosh, will it
be compatible with a Macintosh? Any good solid information on such a hack?
Thanks!
Ricardo Davis
..............................................................................
Dept. of Chemistry THEnet: CHEMVX::RCD2403
Texas A & M University BITnet: RCD2403@TAMCHEM
College Station, TX 77843-3255 USA Internet: RCD2403@CHEMVX.TAMU.EDU
Tel. (409) 845-0612 FAX: (409) 845-4719
..............................................................................
[Moderator's Note: Well, if the hardware were the same it would. ;^) --Jon]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 89 14:50:57 edt
From: abboud%cuavax.dnet@netcon.cua.edu (Hisham)
Subject: Application Builders Summary
I received about 10 responses to my question regarding application builders in
general, and Prototyper and AppMaker in particular. I'll give my conclusion
first, so that you may skip the rest of this mail if you are not -that-
interested.
I have placed my order for Prototyper 2.0 today. The idea is to use Prototyper
in the development of small projects, and I am planning on going for Apple's
MPW/MacApp when their C++ comes out. Using MacApp and MPW is preferred for
larger projects.
One problem with application builders is that once they have generated the code
for you and you've added your own code to it, changing anything -again- with
the application builder means reinserting your own code all over again. This
is a problem that does not occur with MPW.
Here's a summary of the responses. Most of the replies were for Prototyper.
Prototyper 2.0
Pro: Very short learning curve, nice interface, allows you to easily build
the menubar with Command-keys, hierarchical menues, icons, checks,
etc. It also allows you to create windows, dialogue boxes, and
alerts. The windows created can have zoom boxes, close boxes, scroll
bars, etc. It also has a mode so you can run your prototype to test
out the feel. Various things can be linked (into action) with the
menues and the windows. Code generated is well commented. Excellent
customer support. Good manual.
Con: Does not create MultiFinder code, no support for full text edit. Code
generated is not optimal, no code is generated for windows scroll bars,
Here are the only two comments I received about AppMaker:
> From what I saw of Appmaker, the user interface is much harsher for the
> creation of the prototype. The code Appmaker generates is stated to be
> optimal, but also without comments, so you have to know what you are
> doing in order to add your own changes.
> I have been thinking of getting AppMaker as well because they advertise
> that they have palettes (which prototyper does not). I would kill for
> palettes. If you find out more please let me know.
There is also a review of Prototyper 2.0 in the current issue of MacWorld.
Hisham.
Note: Standard disclaimers apply. I have no affiliation with any of the
vendors mentioned above, and my opinions are strictly mine.
Hisham A. Abboud
Computer Center/Academic Services
The Catholic University of America
Washington, D.C. 20064
Bitnet: ABBOUD@CUA | "What soberness
Internet: ABBOUD%CUAVAX.DNET@NETCON.CUA.EDU | conceals, drunkeness
or ABBOUD%CUAVAX.DNET@192.31.193.2 | reveals"
------------------------------
Date: 15 Aug 89 11:39:29 GMT
From: Scott Truesdell <truesdel@ics.uci.edu>
Subject: Business calculator
"Juan M. Courcoul" <PP838474%TECMTYVM@icsa.rice.edu> writes:
>>... I
>>have seen a DA called 12-C that is a duplication of the HP 12C in DA form. It
>>comes in two parts (at least when I saw it), an INIT and a DA. I haven't seen
>>it in about a year, but it was great.
>... I
>haven't the faintest idea who was the Mac wizard who cooked it up,
Richard Reich. Richard is currently working for Working Software
in Santa Cruz, I think.
> ...but it IS
>a neat piece of code. Seems to work fine in most machines (couldn't test it
>on SE/30's,
It does run on an SE/30.
> ...cause I don't have any available), even though it's a program
>dating from 1984-85 (ancient history, in the Mac scale). I guess it comes to
>show how stable a program can be, if the developer follows the rules.
Richard originally sold the DA to "Dreams of the Phoenix" which
used to market many inexpensive utilities. THey have since gone out
of business, owning thousands of dollars in the process.
Richard recovered rights to the DA by perseverence and threats. He has
since resolf those rights to another marketer who likewise seems to
have dropped the ball.
His attitude expressed to me personally, in January, 1989, when I
tried to pay him cash for my father's copy, was if you can get it
and it is useful to you, just use it.
Richard is a good programmer and adhered to Apple's guideline fairly
stringently when writing 12c. It's increadible to me that this piece of
code, which deviates from several "standard" human interface
guidelines, has proven so robust across so many operating system
changes. Did you know that it is fully programmable? You can save and
load programs to and from disk. There are options to display the
register contents. The 12c remembers all its settings (even for years,
I can attest!). It really is a non-trivial piece of code.
Anyway, FYI...
--scott
--
Scott Truesdell
[Moderator's Note: It is still pulled. Sorry. --Jon]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 13 Aug 89 16:45:18 CDT
From: Revised List Processor (1.5o) <@rice.edu:LISTSERV@icsa.rice.edu>
Subject: File: "INFO-MAC MAIL" being sent to you
Received: from MSU.BITNET by ICSA.RICE.EDU (Mailer R2.04) with BSMTP id 4503;
Sat, 12 Aug 89 18:55:57 CDT
Received: by MSU (Mailer X1.25) id 1812; Sat, 12 Aug 89 19:56:59 EDT
Date: Sat, 12 Aug 89 19:55:01 EDT
>From: Laurence Bates <LAURENCE@MSU>
Subject: Pinout for Mac color monitor
To: info-mac@rice
Does anyone know whether a Mac color monitor (Apple variety) can be used with
an IBM VGA board?. If so, what is the pinout of the Mac monitor plug.
Thanx.
Acknowledge-To: <LAURENCE@MSU>
[Moderator's Note: Doesn't this qualify as sacrilige? --Jon]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 12 Aug 89 14:35 EDT
From: <JRCLARK%UTKVX1.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: linear algebra software
In response to the request for matrix manipulation software:
There is a product called, I believe, MacLin, developed at the University of
Illinois which can be used to lead students through matrix manipulations using
rational numbers, that is, if you need to multiply one row by three-eights
and add it to another, that is what the student must enter (instead of .375)
I know the program is available through publicly-distributabe sources like
EduCorp, and I suspect it is available through Kinko's (or the successor to
Kinko's as the Academic Courseware Excahnge). I believe the author asks for
a $25.00 shareware fee, but that may be waived for academic users (I was
told this and have not verified it.) One of our faculty members was looking
for such a program and said that this was exactly what he was looking for...
Jim Clark
UT Martin
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 89 18:15 PDT
From: Ron Webster <IC6JRHW@oac.ucla.edu>
Subject: Mac/MS-DOS file transfers
There has been a little discussion on this BB about Mac/MS-DOS file
transfers using various procedures: Cabling PCs to Macs or using special
floppy drives. I'm surprised that more hasn't been said over the network,
but I have received some personal communiques to my own Info-Mac contribu-
tions. I recently received a telephone call in this regard from Art Chodos,
a retired Cal Tech scientist who is keeping abreast of PC and Mac develop-
ments. Mr. Chodos followed his call up with a letter (on floppy disk). I
found his comments helpful and informative. Currently, Mr. Chodos has
access to the Info-Mac Digest through an indirect link that precludes his
making direct contributions. Thus, with his permission, I am forwarding his
comments for Info-Mac distribution. References to the previous Info-Mac
notes on Mac/MS-DOS file transfers that I know of are as follows:
Info-Mac Digest v. 7 #118, 11 July 1989 (Inquiry by Michael Paisley)
Info-Mac Digest v. 7 #120, 13 July 1989 (response by me)
Info-Mac Digest v. 7 #122, 17 July 1989 (response by C. K. Farn)
Info-Mac Digest v. 7 #125, 20 July 1989 (response by me)
Before reprinting Mr. Chodos's letter, a few brief comments of my own.
As mentioned above, there are several ways to accomplish transfer of MS-DOS
files to a Macintosh or Macintosh files to an MS-DOS system. Each has its
advantages. I opted for the floppy disk drive route because I needed the
drive anyway--I wanted a 1.4 MB floppy for the SE in my office. Mac SE-30s
already possess the DOS-to-Mac transfer capability, and SEs, with the Super-
Drive upgrade Apple is offering, will also have DOS-to-Mac capability with
no need for third-party products. I purchased the SE well in advance of
Apple's announcement of the SuperDrive upgrade, so I selected a third-party
external 1.4 MB floppy drive. The two I considered were PLI's Turbo Floppy
1.4 and Kennect Technology's Drive 2.4 with Rapport--I purchased the PLI
solely because of budget limitations (dictated by a research grant).
I do not argue for the superiority of my approach (i.e., the special
floppy drive) over others, or, for that matter, of any approach over any
other: I merely selected the approach that seemed to best suit my needs.
Mr. Chodos has an approach that is elegant and, in accommodating contexts,
cost effective.
Also, as a result of my first Info-Mac note, undue attention was paid
to the appending of a linefeed to each line of a Mac file converted from
MS-DOS format with Apple File Exchange. As I stated in my second Info-Mac
note, the appended linefeeds were due to my own inexperience and lack of
time to explore AFE even superficially. AFE provides various options for
affecting the format of the target file, including stripping the linefeed
character from MS-DOS text files being converted to Mac files. Mr. Chodos
mentions a solution to the appended linefeed problem, so I thought I should
again point out that the problem is spurious (therefore, no solution is
required) to ward off any apprehensions that might otherwise have arisen.
Herewith, Mr. Chodos's letter, unedited:
7 August 1989
Dear Ron:
I only get to read the INFO-IBM notes about once a month so I didn't
see your notes until this weekend. I have a situation similar to the one
you mention in that I use both a MAC+ and an AT clone and am concerned with
transfering files between the two systems. I consult and produce a
newsletter for a professional society and receive PD software, as well as
documents produced by many different word processors, on both MAC and PC
disks. Let me describe the two ways I have tried to resolve the problems.
The first system I tried was to hook the two computers together using
a null modem. I can run Kermit on both the AT and the MAC and have had no
problems with transfer. I usually ask that articles be submitted to me on
IBM 360K or MAC 800K disks. There are a number of programs available which
can translate various word processor formats (I have Software Bridge) but I
find that most of the time the only changes I have to make is to drop
control characters and either drop or add a LF, CR or CRLF combination. I
have a short BASIC program I wrote which allows me to do what I want.
There is, however, a better way to do the transfers, particularly when
the MAC and PC systems are in separate rooms. For years I have owned a
Central Point copy card which I use to defeat copy protection schemes and
keep my hard disk from having hidden files corrupting it. A year or so ago
Central Point came out with its Option Board and software which is a copy
card with the capability of reading and formatting/writing MAC 800K disks
(It reads but doesn't write 1.44M). Their update offer was too good to
refuse so I got the card. Since that time I have never used the Kermit
transfer. I merely put the MAC disk in my 3 1/2" drive B and use the
Option Board software to MCOPY A:*.* B:. The reverse is obtained by
MCOPY B:*.* A:.
My 3 1/2" 1.44M Toshiba disk drive cost me about $90 at a discount
store. The Central Point Option Board is advertized by a mail order
company in the August PC Magazine (vol. 8 no. 14) for $109. Any
respectable AT clone should come with a floppy controller capable of
running it. My controller is a Western Digital RLL controller which
controls 2 hard disks and 2 floppies. Installation was trivial and no
special software is required. I am using IBM DOS version 3.3.
The reason I recommend adding to the PC end is that any software or
hardware prices for the MAC are usually double what the equivalent would
cost for an IBM.
Sincerely,
Arthur A. Chodos
Consultant
(818) 357-0183
I reiterate that, as I understand it, Mr. Chodos can receive inquiries
through the Info-Mac Digest, but he cannot respond directly except by phone
or letter. Follow-up inquiries of him should, therefore, either be made
directly to him or, if made through Info-Mac, should include a telephone
number or U. S. mail address.
Ron Webster
-------------
------------------------------
Date: 13 Aug 89 17:13:00 EST
From: "JEFF TEMPLON" <templon@venus.iucf.indiana.edu>
Subject: MacJove, VersaTerm, and MultiFinder problem.
I am reporting a bug in one of these programs (I am not sure which one,
but I suspect MacJove.) - MultiFinder, VersaTerm, and MacJove. System
configuration is 2.5 Meg Mac SE, MultiFinder 6.0, System 6.0, Finder 6.1
(i think it is from system 6.0.1). Inits: BackDrop and StartUpSnd INIT.
CDEVs Vaccine 1.01, Dragger 1.4, Moire 2.22, and SuperClock 3.4.
The symptom - running VersaTerm 3.0 under MultiFinder, transferring files.
Switch back to Finder, try to launch MacJove by double-clicking. Screen
freezes soon thereafter, and after about 5 or so seconds the Mac reboots
itself (no dialog box!) I suspect MacJove since I have launched other
programs (e.g. MicroEmacs) in similar circumstance with no problems.
Anybody know the problem and/or the fix?
Jeff Templon
Indiana U. Cyclotron Facility
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 89 19:16 N
From: <HEWAT%FRILL.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Mac SE/30 Colour Cards & Stepping-Out II.
Distribution-File:
jnet%"info-mac%sumex@stanford"
Mac SE/30 Colour Cards & Stepping-Out II.
I have an SE/030-4/40, and find it a big improvement over the SE.
I use Stepping-Out II to define a double page display. It is so good, I can't
really understand the need for a big display. S-O II should be part of the
normal Mac system. It works with everything - Illustrator-88, Word, Pagemaker,
Versaterm Pro giving huge Tektronix graphics, etc. And on the SE/30, its fast.
However, I would like a colour display on my SE/30. I just want to use the
standard Mac-II colour monitor (with S-O II). The colour display cards for
the SE/30 all seem very expensive. Surely some-one does the equivalent of the
Apple Mac-II colour card ?
Of course, Apple should have done the colour card themselves, or better yet,
include it on the SE/30 mother board. I would like to save my SE/30 slot.
Why not a colour SE/30 ? The rest is so good, its hard to believe that we
still have the Mac+ display - not even grey levels.
Alan Hewat, ILL Grenoble, France. Bitnet HEWAT@FRILL
------------------------------
Date: 13 Aug 89 16:07:00 EST
From: "JEFF TEMPLON" <templon@venus.iucf.indiana.edu>
Subject: Questions (separate) about MultiFinder and TeX DVI printing
Hello Netland,
As a new hard disk owner, I have broken new ground (!) in using my Mac.
This groundbreaking has also generated some questions that I would like to
pose to your collected wisdom. Here goes:
1) Using Multifinder, some applications take up too much of the desktop
to be able to see the disk icons when switching back to the Finder.
Usually I can use the size box or move the window to get at the icons.
I have a problem with VersaTerm however; when I am transferring files,
the window controls (dragging and resizing) are inoperative, so you
can't open any new folders until the transfer is complete unless you
want to abort the transfer. I have been trying to remember to resize
the window before starting the transfer, but it would be nice to be
able to access the files in case I forget! Is there any other way to
do this?
2) I have a copy of the recently released OzTeX program. It does not
print to the imagewriter. It DOES create a DVI file which should be
printable on the imagewriter. Has anyone written a DVI file printer
for the Mac Imagewriter?
Thanks in advance.
Jeff Templon
Indiana U. Cyclotron Facility
[Moderator's Note: MPW SADE's beta MultiFinder addresses this issue by giving
you a "Set Aside" menu item that cause all of an applications windows to
vanish. Very helpful. Maybe in the next release. ;^)
--Jon]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Aug 89 11:17:04 CDT
From: RAGAN%CDCCentr.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu
Subject: Script Systems (RE: Info-Mac 136)
Regarding the request in Info-Mac 136 from K.Desikachary
Net Address: Krishna Desikachary <Desikacharyk&wnre.aecl.cdn>
for more information on Apple Script Managers.
This whole area seems to be undergoing a lot of change with
System 7.0. The introductory material in the Preliminary
Developer Notes for System 7.0 says
"The Macintosh provides script systems for Roman, Japanese,
Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Greek, Thai, Devanagari, Pakistani,
and Korean."
Elsewhere, in a table of constants defining the script numbers
assigned we find:
smRoman 0 Normal Mac/Ascii
smJapanese 1
smChinese 2
smKorean 3
smArabic 4
smHebrew 5
smGreek 6
smRussian 7
smRSymbol 8 Right to left Symbol
smDevanagari 9
smGurmukhi 10
smGujarati 11
smOriya 12
smBengali 13
smTamil 14
smTelugu 15
smKannada 16
smMalayalam 17
smSinhalese 18
smBurmese 19
smKhmer 20
smThai 21
smLaotian 22
smGeorgian 23
smArmenian 24
smMaldivian 25
smTibetan 26
smMongolian 27
smGeez 28 Ethiopian or Amharic
smSlavic 29
smVietnamese 30
smSindhi 31
smUninterp 32 Uninterpreted Symbols (e.g.Macpaint palette chars)
A total of 64 simultaneous script systems can be handled so there is room
for more. It looks like you should try to get more information on System
7.0 since Apple may already have standardized what you need.
Richard Ragan
Ragan@cdccentr.com
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 89 07:37:25 EDT
From: Michael D. Prange <prange@erl.mit.edu>
Subject: Seeking Mathematica package.
I'm looking for two public domain Mathematica packages. The first is
a package to handle Fourier transforms. The second is a package to
facilitate the construction and analysis of finite difference
operators. I realize that the best place to look is on the Portal
system, but I don't have access to that yet. Can any of you offer
assistance?
Michael
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 12 Aug 89 23:23:38 -0400
From: spector@acf3.nyu.edu (David HM Spector)
Subject: The HP-12C Financial Desk Accessory
Regarding the HP-12 Financial Desk Accessory that was recently posted
to Info-Mac and placed in the archives:
The author of the HP-12C Financial Desk Accessory is a friend of mine by the
name of Richard Reich. He wrote the DA quite some time ago. (circa 1985)
The version that was recently posted to the Info-Mac was originally
uploaded to CompuServe with the restriction that it not be posted to
any other information service.
Richard has requested that the copy currently stored in the Info-Mac
archives be removed and that it not be posted (or reposted) to other
on-line or BBS services, *nor* redistributed any further.
The reasons for this are: 1) The original upload was to be restriced
to CompuServe only, and in fact it has been removed from there too. 2)
The program is currently owned by someone else, and 3) The version of
the program that was posted on CompuServe (and here) works on current
hardware only by luck and it could do serious damage to your System
File.
For those interested in obtaining a current copy of the program,
the HP-12C Financial Desk Accessory is currently owned and marketed by:
Positive Works, Inc.
142 Cone Road
Ormand Beach, Fla. 32074
(904) 673-6229
_DHMS
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David HM Spector
Macintosh Software Developer & Nice Guy 310 West 18th Street 5A
ARPAnet: SPECTOR@NYU.EDU New York, N.Y. 10011
Usenet: ..!{uunet,rocky,harvard}!cmcl2!spector voice: (212) 243-5548
HamRadio: N2BCA (44.68.0.50) MCIMail: DSpector data: (212) 255-6995
AppleLink: DHMSpector CompuServe: 71260,1410
"Capital punishment is our society's recognition of the sanctity of human life"
- Senator Orrin Hatch
[Moderator's Note: We had already been notified and it is gone. --Jon]
------------------------------
End of Info-Mac Digest
******************************