Info-Mac-Request@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU (The Moderators) (05/10/89)
Info-Mac Digest Tue, 9 May 89 Volume 7 : Issue 84
Today's Topics:
CORRECTED PC to Imagewriter cable
DeskJet Driver Manual and Document Formats
LaserJet and Deskjet Drivers
laserprinting MS Works with pictures
Looking for neural net stack
MacTrek 0.99a (UPDATE)
MATHEMATICA
Microsoft Startup Screens
MPW, NEXPERT help needed...
Originization Charts
Please add to binaries MacCompress3.2
Producing Documentation
Scroll Limit cdev 1.0.sit.hqx
System 7.0 disclosure
Virtual Memory for the Mac (Pmmu and multifinder)
Your Info-Mac Moderators are Lance Nakata, Jon Pugh, and Bill Lipa.
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].
Please send articles and binaries to info-mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
Send administrative mail to info-mac-request@sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 89 17:17:52 pdt
From: burke%pepvax.bitnet@forsythe.stanford.edu
Subject: CORRECTED PC to Imagewriter cable
This is a CORRECTION to my response (INFO-MAC v7 #82) to Jeff Wasilko's
need to hook an Imagewriter II printer to an IBM-PC (INFO-MAC v7 #74).
Since I posted the information about interfacing the Imagewriter II to
an IBM-PC, I learned two important things about life. They are as follows:
1) Never trust wiring contractors. I learned Friday night, that the
folks that put the data wire in the print room in our Academic Computing
Lab crossed some wires in all of the db-25 rs-232c lines. This makes the
specs for the cable incorrect for any installation other than here.
2) If something works well, we generally don't question whether it is
right or not. We figured that since most other equipment around here was
working OK, nothing was wrong with the wiring. When we got a new
printer on Friday that would just not work through the lines, we looked
at the wiring and found a BIG problem.
Since then I have re-thought the cable specs and these pin-outs for the
cable itself and the gender changer will work anywhere.
The cable's specs are as follows:
male din-8 end female db-25 end
-------------- ----------------
pin# 1 5 & 6 & 8 ***** CORRECTION *****
2 4 & 20 ***** CORRECTION *****
3 3
4 & 8 7
5 2
6 n/c ** All other pins are not connected.
7 n/c
The db-25 female to female gender changer specs are:
female db-25 female db-25 end
Apple cable end IBM-PC end
--------------- ----------------
pin# 2 2
3 3
6 6 & 5 ***** CORRECTION *****
7 7
8 8
20 20 & 4 ***** CORRECTION *****
** All other pins are not connected.
Sorry for any problems that the errors might have caused.
Todd A. Burke
Academic Computing
Pepperdine University
Culver City, CA
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 89 18:39:52 PDT
From: Les_Ferch@mtsg.ubc.ca
Subject: DeskJet Driver Manual and Document Formats
>I'm interested in the HP DeskJet driver that was mentioned here
>recently, but I had some problems when I retrieved it. I FTPed it
>From Stanford to my VM machine, then to my Mac. I unpacked it in two
>ways (BinHex/Packit and Stuffit), but the type and creator were garbage
>in many (all?) of the files. In particular, I couldn't read the manual,
>even after setting the type and creator and trying Edit, MacWrite, and
>Words 1.0 and 3.0. Has anybody successfully retrieved this?
Were the type and creator "nX^d" and "nX^n" by any chance? That's
what I got when I downloaded the file which is perfectly fine,
because that is the type and creator for WriteNow. I used WriteNow
version 2.0 to read the file. A version 1.0x of WriteNow may also
work, but I didn't try.
This brings up an important issue. Should documentation be
distributed in formats that require the use of a commercial program
to read it? If not, what is the alternative?
TeachText certainly doesn't cut it, unless someone can show me an
application that takes formatted word processor files (like a Word
file) and converts this to a TeachText document with all
formatting in place. Since TeachText only allows styled text via a
PICT, your word processor document would have to be converted into
a series of PICTs. I'm sure there is bound to be some problems
with that.
Programs like "DOCter" and "Take a Letter" are only slightly better
than plain text files, because you can just click on them, but they
still only allow plain text. A styled text editor like "MicroWrite"
shows some promise, but it's not enough to standardize on. MacWrite
format files can be handled by most word processors, but if you
make a long complicated document in Word or WriteNow or whatever
and save it in MacWrite format, I guarantee you the conversion will
not be perfect. Andrew Welch has a promising looking program in
his "Document Reader" format files, but this does not seem to be
used by anybody else yet.
So, is anybody (Apple?) working on a solution to the problem of no
standard, public-domain, comprehensive document format? (And please
don't suggest PostScript as a solution.)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 89 18:11:04 PDT
From: Les_Ferch@mtsg.ubc.ca
Subject: LaserJet and Deskjet Drivers
In response to someone's question about using printers like the
Hewlett Packard Deskjet with the Macintosh...
I am currently working on evaluating products to use LaserJets
and Deskjets with the Mac, but I don't know when I'll be able to
complete my report, so here is a brief summary:
Products to use the LaserJet and Deskjet with the Mac:
(1) Grappler LS - Orange Micro
(2) PrintWorks for the Mac Laser Version - SoftStyle
(3) MacJet - Laser Connection (QMS) (Laserjet only)
(4) MacPrint - Insight Development (LJ II and IID, Deskjet)
(5) Printer Interface III - DataPak (Deskjet only)
(6) JetLink Express - GDT SoftWorks (not yet realeased)
(7) HPDJ Driver - Freeware
I haven't tried MacJet yet, so I can't comment much on it. For
some of these drivers, you need at least 1MB of memory in your
LaserJet if you want to do full page 300dpi graphics. The
Deskjet prints like a dot matrix (in strips), so no memory
upgrade is needed for it.
(1) The Grappler works by using the ImageWriter LQ driver with an
INIT that captures the print stream and changes it into Deskjet (or
LaserJet) code. Therefore, it is compatible with anything that
works with the IWLQ (including HyperCard). It uses 4x size screen
fonts to get "best" output (ie. 48 point Times is needed to print
best quality 12 point Times). The program does an excellent job
on graphics, but (like the IWLQ) is nearly useless at using the
printer's internal fonts or font cartridges.
(2) PrintWorks has lots of bells and whistles, but they don't all
work as well in the Laser Version as they do in SoftStyle's
excellent Dot Matrix version. The spooling feature is so slow
that for draft printing, it's slower to get back to work than
programs that don't spool at all. The preview function clearly
shows you that what you see in Word's preview is not what you'll
get using this driver and an internal printer font. For use with
the Deskjet, you need to have at least 2MB of memory in your Mac
to do 300dpi printer, but none of the other drivers require more
than 1MB.
(* NEWS FLASH - I just received an update to this product that
promises to fix most of the above mentioned shortcomings (including
allowing printing of 300 dpi graphics on 1MB equipped Macs).
I will be testing it ASAP.
(3) A quick glance through the manual indicates that MacJet is
similar to MacPrint (described below). This is another one that
needs to be tested ASAP.
(4) MacPrint 1.0 does an excellent job with a LaserJet Series II
or Series IID printer. Version 1.1 promises to do the same for
the Deskjet and Deskjet Plus and will be released mid to late
May apparently. What is really impressive about MacPrint is that
it provides a program that generates screen fonts (from the
normal Courier, Times, Helvetica) that properly match the
spacing of the internal and cartridge fonts on your printer.
These new fonts are named with an "LJ" prefix, so that if you
use them in a document, the program automatically uses internal
or cartridge fonts. Otherwise, it uses 4x size Mac fonts in
graphics mode. This auto switching between text and graphic
modes based on font chosen provides a lot of flexibility in your
documents. MacPrint worked with everything I tried *including*
a HyperCard "print card".
(5) Printer Interface III is easy to install, fast for text mode
printing, and reliable. However, it does not provide fonts or a
way of creating fonts that match Dekjet internal or cartridge
fonts. A determined user created some screen fonts to match the
Deskjet's internal Courier font and posted this on Sumex - I
don't know how far this goes to solve the problem, but it should
be provided by the maker's of the driver instead of by the
users.
(6) JetLink Express is not out yet and I haven't tested it, but
I do know that it will provide a capability that none of the
other drivers have. And that is a set of outline based fonts
that can be scaled and rotated to any size or angle. This
provides some PostScript-like capability on the DeskJet. GDT has
not indicated that they are going all the way yet in supporting
internal or cartridge fonts, however. Further comment should
be reserved for after it has been released.
(7) The freeware HPDJ driver looks pretty impressive considering
the price. It has about the same restrictions as the Grappler -
it doesn't allow graphics to be mixed with text printed using
internal fonts and it provides no screen fonts to match internal
fonts. Like the others, it uses 4x size fonts for printing in
graphics mode. Unlike the Grappler, the HPDJ driver is a
standard Chooser level device, which actually means it works
with less software, but is a more "proper" design. The deskjet
fonts mentioned in (5) were made for use with the Printer
Interface III product, but they be a useful addition to the HPDJ
and the Grappler LS as well.
And the winner is... Well, I can't fairly pick a winner until
I've finished testing every product, but if I had to make a
decision right now, I'd go for MacPrint 1.0 or 1.1 with the
LaserJet and MacPrint 1.1 with the Deskjet. For the Deskjet, I
would also really like to have the capabilities of JetLink
Express. I would also buy SuperLaserSpool (which is compatible
with MacPrint and should be compatible with JetLink) and a Times
Roman font cartridge. The freeware HPDJ driver is the obvious
choice if you've run out of spare cash.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 89 23:51:12 PDT
From: C44JMS%AVIARY.gm@hac2arpa.hac.com
Subject: laserprinting MS Works with pictures
Hello world...
This is mostly an experiment to see if this mail gets through. Can
anyone explain the following:
I recently created a flyer, containing both graphics and text,
as follows:
-Used SuperPaint to create the basic graphic artwork. Saved
as a .PICT file.
-Copied the .PICT file into a PosterMaker Plus layout file; used
PosterMaker Plus to add fancy lettering. Saved the layout as a .PAINT
file.
-Pasted the .PAINT file into a Microsoft Works word processing
document and used Works to add the remaining text.
So far, so good! I have done all the above on a plain vanilla
Plus, 1M, no hard drive. Printed out on my ImageWriter with no
problems whatsoever, except the obvious degradation in resolution.
I looked at the output and thought, not bad, but it would look great if
the word-processing text was printed using laser fonts (Palatino and
Chancery). So I took it to my neighborhood laser-print shop and
tried to print the document (this is now a Works word-processing
document containing art) on their Laser Writer. The laserprinter
would not take it. The furthest I got was an error message: "There
is not enough memory to complete the operation. Please close unneeded
files"(or something to that effect). Clicking OK followed by ctrl-.
caused the operating system to crash. (I don't recall an error message
associated with the "restart" dialog box).
Examining the laserwriter queue showed that a PostScript error
message was generated referencing 'initframe' followed by a message
stating that the document is OK, but cannot be printed.
Aside from comments on whether or not I created my flyer
the hard way ... does anybody out there know why the Laser Writer
crashed on a document that the ImageWriter handled with no difficulty?
Dr. Jo (Joan M. Saniuk): c44jms@aviary.gmgate.hac.com
------------------------------
Date: 9 May 89 10:55:00 CST
From: hacke@mdc.com
Subject: Looking for neural net stack
I am looking for a HyperCard stack called "NeuralStack One: Letter Learner"
or something like that. I need it quick for research I am doing on my
thesis (The author said he would surface mail me one, but that will be
several weeks).
It is on the BMUG (Berkeley) board, but I cannot get on it. If someone
would send it here, or E-mail me a binhex version, or they can send
it to my computer, or tell me where it is, I would be most thankfull!!
Post to me (hacke@mdc.com) as I just requested to join this list and
don't want to miss your note.
Thanks
Keith Hacke
hacke@mdc.com
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 May 89 11:47:45 EDT
From: mha@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu (Mark H. Anbinder)
Subject: MacTrek 0.99a (UPDATE)
MacTrek is a Star Trek trivia game I started working on very shortly after
trying out a program you may have seen yourself, called, I think, Star Trek
Trivia Game. As soon as I'd tried it, I thought, "I can do better than that."
You may find this a bit conceited... unless you've tried this other program.
In any case, MacTrek 0.99a is the current version of the result. As you can
tell by the version number, it's just about finished. I'd call this version
1.0, but I'm not THAT convinced that this version is perfect. That's up
to YOU to tell ME.
* For those who have seen version 0.99, please note that you do not need
* this update if your old copy works properly on your system configuration.
* Version 0.99a simply fixes an incompatibility between the sound manager
* and MacTrek when TMON is being used on a Mac Plus or SE. This seems to
* be the only configuration that currently requires this version. I am
* currently working on version 0.99b, which has several other changes, but
* for now, there are no significant changes in this version.
I hope you enjoy using this program as much as I enjoyed creating it! Please
write to me to tell me your thoughts, feelings, etc. I can be reached at any
of the below addresses.
Mark H. Anbinder thcy@crnlvax5.bitnet
312 Highland Road mha@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu
Ithaca, NY 14850 Mark Anbinder/FidoNet:260/407
[Archived as /info-mac/game/mactrek-099a.hqx; 129K]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 09 May 89 15:01:33 IST
From: Arie <AARIE%BGUVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: MATHEMATICA
I wonder what is the latest version of "MATHEMATICA" on the Mac. I'm
currently using v1.1.
BTW, are there any interest groups on "MATH..." (on BITNET).
Arie(AARIE@BGUVM.BITNET)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 May 89 08:36:18 EDT
From: jonathan@starbase.mitre.org (Jonathan Leblang)
Subject: Microsoft Startup Screens
The name and organization information is stored in the DATA fork of the
application. That's why you can't see it with resedit. Modifying it directly
usually does not work, however, if you use a tool such as MacSnoop that will
zero out the DATA fork, the next time you start the program, it will ask you
for the customization information again. This may also work for Claris products.
As always, try this with a copy of the program whenever messing with the data
or resource forks of applications.
Jonathan A. Leblang
The MITRE Corporation
The views expressed above are my own and do not reflect the position of
my employer.
------------------------------
Date: 8 May 89 13:18:26 EDT
From: T.R.Garman@me.ri.cmu.edu
Subject: MPW, NEXPERT help needed...
I am looking for some information about programming
MPW with NEXPERT OBJECT.
Has anybody tried this?? I need routines, sample programs,
Info on books, or pointers to people who have had success doing this.
ANYTHING !!!
If you have any info on this, send to:
tgarman@me.ri
Thanks, T.R. Garman
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 89 17:57:44 PDT
From: Les_Ferch@mtsg.ubc.ca
Subject: Originization Charts
>From: DAVID%SERVAX.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu (DAVID=HALL)
>Subject: organizational charts
>
>We are looking for a program (commercial ,shareware, or freeware ) that will >
>help us make organization charts.
Try out the shareware program "Designer Draw". I haven't checked
the archives for it, but if you can't find it, send me a message.
This program provides all the common org chart and flow chart
symbols. Arrows and lines are dynamically connected.
(ie. you move a box and the connecting line moves with it.)
Les Ferch
userlsf@mtsg.ubc.ca
------------------------------
Date: Sat 6 May 89 17:18:00-PDT
From: lloyd chambers <M.MA@macbeth.stanford.edu>
Subject: Please add to binaries MacCompress3.2
MacCompress v3.2 by Lloyd Chambers
m.ma@othello.stanford.edu
P.O. Box 3442
Stanford, CA 94309
MacCompress is a fast general-purpose file compression program for the
Macintosh 512K Enhanced and later machines. Its powerful features include
compression of folder hierarchies and ability to import/export unix compress
files.
MacCompress is fast, reliable, and free. Enjoy.
[Archived as /info-mac/util/maccompress-32.hqx; 77K]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 89 17:00 CST
From: RINEWALT%TCUAVMS.BITNET@icsa.rice.edu
Subject: Producing Documentation
We need help in producing quality documentation of student software design
projects. A screen dump of a menu, alert, etc. looks horrible after scaling.
1. Is there a PostScript version of the Chicago font?
2. Is there an alternative to redrawing all the pictures in an object-
oriented program? For example, is there a tool that will generate an
object-oriented representation of items from the resource fork of a
file?
Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Dick Rinewalt Computer Science Department Texas Christian University
RINEWALT@TCUAVMS.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 May 89 8:16:48 CDT
From: macak@lakesys.lakesys.com (James Macak)
Subject: Scroll Limit cdev 1.0.sit.hqx
Scroll Limit CDEV (Version 1.0) provides a "missing control" with a Control
Panel Device (CDEV) that allows you to select the action rate and threshold
delay of your scroll bars. This should help slow the run-away speed of
scrolling on the new "super-charged" Macs.
The following binhexed StuffIt file contains the Scroll Limit cdev and
documentation text.
Scroll Limit is copyrighted "freeware" written by Ken McLeod.
Jim Macak
macak@lakesys.UUCP (James Macak) or lakesys!macak@csd1.milw.wisc.edu
[Archived as /info-mac/cdev/scroll-limit.hqx; 22K]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 9 May 89 08:24:34 PDT
From: Mark B. Johnson <mjohnson@apple.com>
Subject: System 7.0 disclosure
System Software Directions Overview
On May 9, 1989, Apple will disclose future system software plans
to third-party developers attending the annual World-Wide
Developer's Conference. The disclosures will cover the core
technologies under development for inclusion in the next major
Macintosh System Software release, System 7.0.
The purpose of the disclosure is to ensure that developers have
the time and information necessary to capitalize on the new
features and functionality of System 7.0. By doing this, we
believe that many new, more powerful applications will be
available at the time System 7.0 is introduced. We will also take
this opportunity to hold an informal press seminar to begin
educating the media on Macintosh System Software.
Below is an overview of the core feature set planned for System
7.0. While it's still too early in the development cycle to
announce a customer availability plan or introduction date, we
will begin seeding developers with code in the fall. As we make
further progress on System 7.0, we will provide additional
details.
[Archived as /info-mac/tech/system-70-features.txt; 18K
/info-mac/tech/system-70-questions.txt; 41K]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 May 89 23:53 EDT
From: "John L. Jamison x8508" <JAMISON@campus.swarthmore.edu>
Subject: Virtual Memory for the Mac (Pmmu and multifinder)
One submitter asked about the use of the PMMU and virtual memory for the
Mac.
Connectix has written a virtual memory INIT which makes use of an installed
PMMU to give up to 8 megabytes of usable memory, irrespective of how much
RAM is physically present. The cost is on the order of $300.00, but you
must have a PMMU installed, which to some jacks up the price another
several hundred bucks.
Their is a small blurb announcing the product in the June issue of MacUser.
Apparently their product has problems with certain DMA devices or boards
which access RAM directly- this access does not go through Memory
Manager trap routines and thus cannot be handled by system software.
Also note that Jean-Paul Gassee has promised virtual memory in the Mac OS
by year's end- of course this won't happen on time - but you might
save some money waiting for the _real_ thing.
John Jamison jamison@campus.swarthmore.edu
System and Network Manager jamison@swarthmr.bitnet
Swarthmore College
- I have no affiliation with Connectix, etc.
------------------------------
End of Info-Mac Digest
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