Info-Mac-Request@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU (The Moderators) (07/28/89)
Info-Mac Digest Thu, 27 Jul 89 Volume 7 : Issue 130
Today's Topics:
ApplicationMenu 3.5
Batteries/Mice
boomerang cd{v
Business calculator
Can't get the Font Sizes to work
DFaultD cdev
Epson LQ software w/non-Epson printers
Graphics questions
Info-Mac Digest V7 #129
LaserWriter SC vs Gen. Computer PLP
Looking for a program...
Names.sit.hqx
Need info on the hp paintjet printer
pmmu for mac II
Postscript->Quickdraw->Postscript?
RAM Checker...
Restricting Access...
Scrapz Demo
Think C question
XCMD Debugging
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
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Please send articles and binaries to info-mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
Send administrative mail to info-mac-request@sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 89 18:40:30 -0700
From: lsr@apple.com
Subject: ApplicationMenu 3.5
Enclosed is ApplicationMenu version 3.5. This is an INIT/cdev that provides
a popup menu of all the currently running applications under MultiFinder.
Choosing an item from the menu switches you to that application. In
addition, if you have opened any DAs, the menu will contain an item for
switching to the DA layer. (The documentation file describes all the
features.)
This version fixes a couple of bugs which caused an incompatibility with the
ScrollLimit INIT (as well as others), and which caused the heap to be
trashed when using a heap scrambler. If you already have ApplicationMenu,
you should drag the new file to your System Folder, open the Control Panel
and select ApplicationMenu. This will copy your current settings to the new
file. Then reboot to activate the new version.
Send comments and bugs to me.
Larry Rosenstein, Object Specialist
Apple Computer, Inc. 20525 Mariani Ave, MS 46-B Cupertino, CA 95014
AppleLink:Rosenstein1 domain:lsr@Apple.COM
UUCP:{sun,voder,nsc,decwrl}!apple!lsr
[Archived as /info-mac/cdev/application-menu-35.hqx; 17K]
------------------------------
Date: 26 Jul 89 16:57 EDT
From: Joe_Murphy.CAC.CAC@a.darpa.mil
Subject: Batteries/Mice
Remember when the SE came out and it was discovered the batteries were
soldered to the motherboard (giving the motherboard a life of 7 years so
said Apple, probably less)? The same was true of the II and initial
IIXs. Thus if the battery died the entire motherboard must be replaced.
Not all IIXs, but a shipment we just recieved have socketed (removable)
batteries on the motherboard. So maybe they are seeing reason. Also,
there is a new mouse that is much improved over the wimpy model that
replaced the first SE style mouse (the one with the black roller).
Actually the new mouse is quite nice. Maybe there is someone listening
out there...
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| Joe Murphy NETS: jam@a.darpa.mil, jamurphy@a.isi.edu |
| Computing Analysis BIX: jamurphy |
| DARPA IRC |
| |
--------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 89 18:40:43 EDT
From: gall@nexus.yorku.ca (Norman R. Gall)
Subject: boomerang cd{v
Boomerang v. 2.0b7 is a cdev that modifies the SF Dialog. Boomerang makes it
easy to use the SF Dialog in the following ways:
1) it automatically remembers folders and files opened or saved with the SF
Dialog,
2) when you open the SF Dialog, it selects the file or sets the scroll bar
position you used last time, and
3) it provides easy ways to jump to these folders and files: (a) popup menus
in the SF Dialog box, (b) shortcut keys and (c) a wildcard file search.
4) it remembers the scroll bar position and the file or folder selected when
you change folders, and when you come back to this folder, the scroll bar and
folder or file selection will be reproduced.
Boomerang is freeware by Hiroaki Yamamoto.
[Archived as /info-mac/cdev/boomerang-20b7.hqx; 84K]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 89 11:15 EST
From: <DANNY%BCVMS.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu> (Lassaiz les bon temps rouler!)
Subject: Business calculator
In response to the request for a business calculator on the Mac,
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. If you run across it, or anyone happens
to have it, I would love to get a copy again! ( or any other RPN business
calculator).
Dan Henderson
Computing Consultant,
Boston College
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 89 19:00:48 CDT
From: Michael Farlow--Texas A&M Graphics Lab <X098MF%TAMVM1.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Can't get the Font Sizes to work
Fellow Mac-ers
Here is a problem that I have that I hope someone can help me with.
The Equipment--
A Mac IIx with 80meg HD & 4meg RAM, Apple 13" RGB Screen, System 6.0.3,
Finder Only, Vaccine, Suitcase II, AppleShare, and many other INITs and
CDEVs (I can send the list to those that ask).
The Problem--
For what ever reason, I am no longer able to get any screen font (except for
12 pt, it works fine) to show up on my screen. I have all the major sizes
(9 - 72) of Times, Helvetica, Symbol, and others loaded into a Font
Suitcase and am accessing them via Suitcase II. When the problem began to
occur, I checked and the sizes are still there.
I discovered the problem when 72 pt Times was being bitmapped on the screen
by MS-Word 4.0. I checked the Format-Character (CMD-D) and the pop-up menu
for the sizes said that I only had 12pt to choose from. I checked the other
fonts and Word said the same thing.
Another symptom of something being amiss is that MacDraw II does strange
things to the text if particular fonts (i.e. New York) like stacking all the
characters on top of each other, spreading them out at seemingly random
intervals across the baseline, and generaly making a mess and me frustrated.
BUT, if i change the font to Helvetica, it comes back normal ('cept for the
sizing, mentioned above).
If you need any more information, such as a list of inits/cdevs, or anything
at all, just e-mail to me and I will reply.
Also, I dont know if this is related, but when we use Illustrator 88 (v1.8.3)
we are unable to preview our illustrations in the proper colors. Instead, they
are displayed as patterns. I looked under the Preferences dialog box, and
when I clicked the button, I was shown boxes with names for the colors (cyan,
magenta, etc) but instead of colors, patterns were shown. Dbl-clicking on the
'color' brought up the color picker (which btw, looked fine....ie, no patterns)
and no matter what color I chose, a pattern was shown. >This< has gotten me
totally stumped.
I should add that I checked thouroughly for viruses using V-Detective, Virex,
Disinfectent, and others. All said that the system was healthy. I have not
yet tried re-installing the system files yet. But that is next for me to try.
I am hoping that someone can tell me what happend and how to avoid it in the
future. As before, if you need more information, just ask.
Thanks in advance.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% Michael Farlow X098MF@TAMVM1.TAMU.EDU (InterNet) %
% CSC Help Desk & Graphics Lab Consultant X098MF@TAMVM1 (BitNet) %
% Texas A&M University (409)845-1365 %
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
% Disclaimer %
% %
% Any opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of Michael %
% Farlow and do not in any way constitute the views, policy, or %
% other legal type things of Texas A&M University. %
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 89 06:51:14 PDT
From: casagrande%crcvax%nssdca.span@io.arc.nasa.gov (LOUIE CASAGRANDE)
Subject: DFaultD cdev
I realized that I posted a message yesterday about an interaction problem
with DFaultD and QuickKeys, but I hadn't gotten DFaultD from Info-mac, so
here it is. Briefly, it is an init/cdev which allows you to attach default
folders (directories, hence the second D) to applications so that you're not
always dumped into the folder in which the application resides. It's
shareware ($7) and was written by Jon Gotow of Old Bridge, NJ.
Lou Casagrande
Grumman Corporate Research Center
Mail Stop A02-26
Bethpage, NY 11714-3580
(516)346-6379
[Archived as /info-mac/cdev/dfaultd.hqx; 38K]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27-Jul-89 00:54:41 PDT
From: portal!cup.portal.com!svoboda@sun.com
Subject: Epson LQ software w/non-Epson printers
I have never much liked the poor resolution and high price of Apple's
Imagewriter II printer, therefore, I recently purchased an Orange Micro
Grappler LQ printer interface and a Panasonic P1124 24-pin printer for my Mac
Plus. A possible 180 dpi and better paper-handling at roughly the same price
as an Imagewriter II were the basis for my decision.
After installing and testing the setup, I was not pleased. The Grappler
software used so much memory of my one megabyte Plus that I could print from
few of my large applications, such as HyperCard. The software also would not
print from my favorite page layout program, QuarkXPress 2.1. Since the
interface promised Imagewriter LQ compatability, I was not pleased. I also
wanted to access my printer's much faster internal LQ fonts on top of the
standard Mac screen fonts.
Then, while in my local computer store, I spotted a new package by EPSON
called "EPSON LQ Printer Software". The box read:
* Choose from a variety of 24-pin printers from the leader
in dot matrix technology. [Could this be EPSON? Nah!]
* Access Epson printer resident fonts for faster text printing.
* Provides full HyperCard compatibility.
* Includes fine tuned bit-map fonts in popular typestyles.
* Compatible with a variety of font packages for the Macintosh.
This looked like a solution to my problems, with one possible string
attached: my printer was not an Epson. However, my Panasonic P1124 was
supposed to be Epson LQ2550 compatible. I decided to buy the package (under
$60) and give it a try despite Epson's non-mention of compatibility with
non-Epson printers.
I set up my Grappler LQ as an (expensive) serial-to-parallel dumb
interface. I say expensive because I am sure one could get a simple
serial-to-parallel interface for much less. I tossed aside the serial cable
included with the Epson package and removed the Grappler software, replacing
it with the Epson software and fonts. To my pleasant surprise, the setup
worked without a flaw!
The setup works with all of my software. I can even map the printer's
internal fonts to the Mac's screen fonts, where the printer will make
appropriate user-selected substitutions. The software uses less memory and
allows me to use most of my Panasonic's special features, at a wide variety
of resolutions and combinations.
Assuming that the Epson package works with other Epson-compatible
printers as well, I strongly recommend its use over the Grappler LQ. If one
intends to use a printer without a serial interface, he will have to add one
to his printer or use a serial-to-parallel interface. The Grappler LQ
includes such an interface, but is more expensive.
If Epson would state on its packaging that their software is compatible
with Epson-lookalikes, I am sure they would sell more of their Epson LQ
software. But of course Epson is in the printer business and would rather
sell more of their printers than letting Mac users know they can get a
similar, often better, printer for less money.
Ed Svoboda
svoboda@cup.portal.com
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 89 15:12 EDT
From: Greg Porter <PORTERG@ruby.vcu.edu>
Subject: Graphics questions
I've got a couple unrelated questions:
1. I'm running vterm on a color Mac II, and using it to show SAS output from a
VAX. How do I port the SAS output directly to either:
a: a HP7475A plotter, or
b: a Laserwriter NT.
Since a real Tektronics terminal attached to the above plotter can do
this, I know it can be done. How do I tell the Mac to spit the output to a
device other than the screen. (Macpaint resolution screen dumps don't hack it).
2. Apparently many newspapers use Mac graphics for filler illustrations (Weather
maps, story-related items like "Engine #2 of such and such plane", etc.). I
presume many of these are done by a service which one can download from for a
fee, or can subscribe to, or some such. Basically, there must be some god-
awful big graphics libraries out there, and inquiring minds want to know how
to get at them, and what it will cost to do so.
Greg Porter
PORTERG@VCURUBY (Bitnet)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 89 09:37:53 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Adam C. Duncan" <aw1j+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Info-Mac Digest V7 #129
Concerning ColorFinder Icons:
Yes! you should make the icons that you are using
purgeable. Not only that bu you should also make them
preload. These two things are definately suggested when
using ColorFinder. This way the system is free to move
the icons when necessary. I more memory is needed by your
system, you certainly don't want the icons to stand in the
way. Allow the system to move these by selecting the above
in Res-edit. If the system needs them again it will read them
in.
Hope this helps.
*****************************************************************
* Adam C. Duncan aw1j@andrew.cmu.edu *
* Carnegie Mellon University (412)268-5366 *
* GSIA Computing Group (412)268-2276 *
* *
*****************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 89 11:59:32 MDT
From: Bob Bolt <BBOLT%UALTAVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: LaserWriter SC vs Gen. Computer PLP
I am interested in buying a personal laser printer; either the
LaserWriter SC or the General Computer Personal Laser Printer. I have
heard both good and bad things about each of these printers. Does
anyone have any experience with either of these units. Please respond
to me directly and I will summerize for the net. Thanks.
==========================================================
Bob Bolt Bitnet: BBOLT@UALTAVM
Instructional Tech Centre CI$: 75410,2754
University of Alberta
==========================================================
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 89 19:36 EDT
From: Jeffrey S. Lee <LEE_JES%CTSTATEU.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Looking for a program...
Greetings...
Has anyone heard of a program (hopefully PD or ShareWare) which will
read a Mac sound file (SoundEdit or the like) and perform a Fourier analysis
on it?
- Jeff Lee
LEE_JES@CTSTATEU.BITNET
LEE_JES%CTSTATEU.BITNET@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 89 9:35:43 EDT
From: Donald Redick <dredick@bbn.com>
Subject: Names.sit.hqx
[ Here is a program that generates 100 names for a
Roleplaying Game. It lets you select and save a name
to the clipboard. It has some on-line help.
Works well with Multifinder!
-- Donald J. A. Redick ]
[Archived as /info-mac/game/fantasy-names.hqx; 9K]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 89 12:51:04 EDT
From: Michael D. Prange <prange@erl.mit.edu>
Subject: Need info on the hp paintjet printer
I'm looking for a low cost color printer for our small mac network.
Have any of you had experience with the HP PaintJet printer? I would
like to know
1) if it can be hooked into an appletalk network,
2) which drivers are best,
3) if the printer is mechanically reliable,
4) how fast it is (say relative to a DeskJet), and
5) any general comments you might have on the printer.
Also, I'm interested in any info on other cheap color printers.
Michael
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 89 20:44 EDT
From: AELevy@DOCKMASTER.NCSC.MIL
Subject: pmmu for mac II
Several of us at work are buying MAC IIs and we need a good (cheap)
source for the PMMU chip. Hamilton Avnet told me 270 and 14-16 week
delivery - seemed a little long. Allan (The apple dealer does have them
in stock for $500 however)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 89 12:47:35 EDT
From: COMB5%UMDC.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu
Subject: Postscript->Quickdraw->Postscript?
Hello all,
A friend is laboriously programming a VAX laser printer in Postscript and
can't see the effect of changes until printing. We would like to know if there
is any application that will perform a Postscript to Quickdraw to Postscript
file conversion. He wants to edit the file on a Mac and then download to the
VAX for printing.
Any ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Tom Schmidt (BITNET address COMB5@UMDC)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 89 23:06:16 EDT
From: dmg@lid.mitre.org (David Gursky)
Subject: RAM Checker...
Craig,
As per your note in the latest Info-Mac, appended to this message is a usable,
public-domain RAM checker. It is free, and was developed by Provue. It
runs under both Finder and Multifinder under System 6.0.2 (warning: If you
run it under Multifinder, it will only check the RAM in the memory segment
allocated to it). The file is in BinHex (HQX) format, and you can use
Stuffit to do all the necessary decoding and decommpressing.
David Gursky
[Archived as /info-mac/util/ram-checker.hqx; 5K]
------------------------------
Date: Thursday, 27 Jul 1989 08:46:54 EST
From: m20011@mwvm.mitre.org (Anup Patel)
Subject: Restricting Access...
Are there any products that will restrict access to a Macintosh using a
password. I've tried MacPassword, but I like to compare a number of products
before making a decision.
Anup Patel
The MITRE Corporation
M20011@mwvm.mitre.org
patel@mwunix.mitre.arpa
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 89 23:14:32 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Gregory S. Fox" <gf0c+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Scrapz Demo
I just pulled the Scrapz Demo off the .mac.binaries board and
have been playing around with it. It's very nice- you can organize
your scrapbook entries under multiple catagories, which are
represented by icons which you create. As I say, very nice. So, I
thought, I don't know if this is Shareware or whatever, but it seems
worthwhile, how much is it?
I pull down the "About..." box, and I read "Scrapz is available
>From Seagull Engineering of Sweden at US $69+12 (US $12 for world wide
shipping and handling)"
Holy cats! $81 for a moderately useful desk accessory? I am
mistaken? I mean, I like this product, but it begins to approach
cost-effectiveness to write my own.
So, go ahead, right? Well, maybe... I just wanted to see if
anyone has any idea why this thing is so expensive: is there some
lurking horror which makes this so?
-Greg
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 89 14:48:57 CST
From: Phys300%UNLCDC3.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu
Subject: Think C question
I have written a small application using the vanilla UNIX I/O in
Think C 3.0 (I like LSC better as a name!). It runs fine - a nice
fullsize window on my Mac + is created when I run under the Finder.
However, when I run under Multifinder or Switcher I get only a
window that is half the size of the screen vertically. This is
not a major problem, but I would like to understand what is
happening and what, if anything, I can do to correct it.
N.B. I am using the vanilla UNIX I/O because I am running the
same program on my Mac and a VAX so creating my own windows
is not the solution that I want.
Glenn Sowell
Dept. of Physics & Mathematics
Univ. of Nebraska
Lincoln, NE
phys300@unlcdc3.bitnet
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 89 14:20 EDT
From: <BMEDIRAT%COLGATEU.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: XCMD Debugging
Hello all.
The spate of recent letters about the environment to create
XCMD/XFCNs in has put me in mind of one of my own beefs about creating
XCMDs. I've made a few, and I have always found that it is a pain to
write the program in LightSpeed Pascal, build and save it as a code
resource, launch ResEdit and copy the XCMD from the resource file to the
HyperCard stack, launch HyperCard and run the XCMD, only to have it
crash (for some bizarre reason) and have to go back and do it all over again
while trying to guess what went wrong. Well, call me spoiled, but I
am dying to find a way to cut down the number of steps necessary to
create a XCMD. LSP has a *great* source-level debugger that is absolutely
useless in this type of case. I've tried creating a shell program that
calls my XCMD, but that program cannot handle the hooks back to HyperCard
that come with the HC glue routines. So, any ideas on how to cut
a couple of steps out of the cycle?
Bharat Mediratta
BMEDIRATTA@COLGATEU
"A Smith and Wesson beats four Aces" - Murphy
------------------------------
End of Info-Mac Digest
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