INFO-MAC@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU.UUCP (06/14/87)
INFO-MAC Digest Saturday, 13 Jun 1987 Volume 5 : Issue 102 Today's Topics: How to create a PICT-file from Turbo Pascal? asynchronous sound on Mac II? International Resources MPW Shell Bug/problem Mactran 77 2.0 Users??? Directory by Date DiskFit A User's Impressions of DiskFit and HD Backup MAC2624 (HP-EMULATOR) TEK 4125 Emulator for Mac II Paint-Ricoh Laser Printer-HP plotter Mac -> Unix -> LaserWriter Fonts Graphics tablets - resolution Model 100 -> Mac ?? Callable Interfaces to a database Mac/SE/MacII was on PBS tonight for 30 minutes - Computer Chronicles Delphi Mac Digest V3 #31 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 10 Jun 87 16:23:29 SA From: Tero Siili <FYS-TS%FINHUT.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu> Subject: How to create a PICT-file from Turbo Pascal? One simple question - please send an answer to me directly. If I want to use QuickDraw routines in Turbo Pascal, typically to create plots etc, how can I direct QD output to a disk file in PICT format, so that I can manipulate it later with MacDraw or some other suitable program? TS ------------------------------ Date: 9 June 1987, 10:27:44 PST From: David M. Gelphman 415-854-3300 x2538 DAVEG at From: SLACVM Subject: asynchronous sound on Mac II? In working with a Mac II of late I noticed something which was quite surprising to me. After hearing all about the sound chip and how it could offload the CPU of the duties of producing sound and seeing a great demo of a Mac II doing a fourier transform of the waveform while it was playing I guess I had high expectations of the sound. What I find is the following: using the built in mechanism for playing the system beep sound (which can be a fun digitized sound) I find that the sysbeep call stops all processing until the digitized sound has completed playing. I thought this kind of thing was EXACTLY what having a sound chip could avoid! In fact, I used to use the beepinit stuff which comes with SoundCap (the updated version that is) on the MacPlus and it could play the sound while the Mac continues work. I haven't tried the beepinit stuff on the Mac II yet, I thought the built in functionality would make that obsolete but evidently not. Comments? David Gelphman daveg%slacvm.bitnet@forsythe.stanford.edu ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Jun 87 09:38+0100 From: Ralph <MartinRR%cardiff.ac.uk@Cs.Ucl.AC.UK> Subject: International Resources Can someone explain the international resources in system 4.1 ? There now seem to be 3 of type INTL, whereas there used to be 2. Also, there are other resources of various types i... which have "US" as their names. Ideally, I would like to get my hands on a copy of these suitable for Britain, as I have a US version of 4.1. Even better would be a utility for choosing the country which swapped the resources appropriately - I presume apple have such a doodah - perhaps they could post it to the net if they are listening. I HATE the American format for dates - its SOOO illogical. Ralph ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 87 11:16:32 PDT From: digiorgi@Jpl-VLSI.ARPA Subject: MPW Shell Bug/problem Has anyone noticed that the MPW Shell, if it sets up a 'Please Insert Disk' prompt, has no way to cancel the request short of hitting the interrupt switch and exiting to the finder? This situation happens when I have loaded one or more floppies temporarily into the drives and then do a directory search on all mounted volumes. If a floppy has been ejected via the Cmd-Shft-1/2 mechanism, it is still mounted. If it is ejected within an application launched from MPW Shell, it is still mounted on return to the shell. As sometimes happens, I might have a floppy in a drive to write a file and then hand it off to someone else. If MPW wants to see it subsequently, I have no choice but to exit via the interrupt button. The Finder recognizes the Cmd-period to escape. Has anyone figured a way around this behavior? I'd appreciate knowing about it. Godfrey DiGiorgi digiorgi@jpl-vlsi June 11, 1987 ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jun 87 10:12:00 EST From: <bouldin@ceee-sed.arpa> Subject: Mactran 77 2.0 Users??? Is anyone out there using Mactran 77 2.0?? I just got a copy to review. So far, I find that it is much improved over the 1.0, but still not really a mature product. Lots of little glitches in the Mac interface, cursors that change to "i-beam" and then forget to change back to arrows, slow updates, a really minimal editor (not even as good as Edit), etc. Also, there are still a fair number of bugs in the compiler, although many fewer than in the 1.0. It doesn't work with my 68020 upgrade unless the instruction cache is turned off. These guys are gaining ground on Absoft/Microsoft, but in my opinion they still have a ways to go, at least for "serious" fortran users. In an educational or teaching environment, this setup might be preferable to Microsoft. Any users of Mactran out there who have comments/praise/criticism of this compiler??? ------------------------------ Date: Wed 3 Jun 87 23:12:54-EDT From: JA1W@TE.CC.CMU.EDU Subject: Directory by Date Hello. I am the Macintosh Archive Maintainer for CMU. I get all the files from Info-Mac when they are announced by your digest (thanks!!). I was wondering if you-all could make a weekly, bi-weekly, or whatever, list of the Info-Mac files _by date_ as well as by name? It would be nice, if, for some reason or another, we don't get the digest, or I am in a rush and just want to find out what the new files are. Better yet, if there would be some way for FTP to be modified to list the dates - nah, never :-) . Thank you, Jesse Adelman JA1W@TE.CC.CMU.EDU { preferred } JA1W@Andrew.CMU.EDU MA00@TE.CC.CMU.EDU { Mac Archive Account - finger for more info } [ This is a good idea. In addition to the current directory files 00DIR.ANNOTATED (hopelessly out of date) 00DIR.NAMES (names of files in INFO-MAC) 00DIR.VERBOSE (names, sizes, date, by alphabetical order) there is now a file 00DIR.RECENT (names, sizes, dates, by reverse cron. order) DoD ] ------------------------------ Date: 09 Jun 87 22:09 EDT From: Richard Zaccone <ZACCONE%BUCKNELL.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu> Subject: DiskFit I have a DataFrame 20 which I just tried to Backup with the version of DiskFit that was just posted. When I tried to use it, I received the following message: This version of DiskFit is for DataFrame owners only. Others may purchase DiskFit from their local dealer. What's wrong here? Will DiskFit not work with a 20mB disk? Any suggestions? Rick Zaccone zaccone@bucknell.bitnet ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Jun 87 13:21:09 pdt From: david_bayer <dave@math.columbia.edu> Subject: A User's Impressions of DiskFit and HD Backup I have been using DiskFit, from SuperMac, to back up my hard disk for the last few weeks. I would like to highly recommend it, and I would like to tell a story explaining why I would never trust any other backup software I have seen. [I have no connection with any company mentioned.] My hard disk for the last year has been a Peripheral Land PL30, which has performed flawlessly. I backed up as best I could manually until Peripheral Land released a version of HD Backup, licensed to them to distribute to owners of PL hard disks. This program, like most of its kin, compacts the hard disk onto many floppies, using a file format ONLY IT UNDERSTANDS. I set out enough disks to make TWO backups (fool that I am, I just wasn't getting the whole point of redundancy on this Saturday evening; if you're going up with one set of O-rings, it doesn't matter how many packets of Tang you take along) as preparation for experimenting with different ways of reformatting my hard disk. A little ways into backing up, the program choked on a single file it couldn't grok, and quit. The file, called .bout, probably was the invention of a wayward program of mine, BUT YIKES!!!! WHAT IF THIS HAD HAPPENED TO ME WHILE RESTORING, AFTER I HAD JUST FINISHED REFORMATTING???? If I weren't feeling pretty stupid about nearly discovering the moral of this story the hard way, I would have some harsh words for authors of this style of backup program. Unwittingly or wittingly, they've decided to protect your data from any potential evil threat EXCEPT the "infallible" software they've just written themselves. DiskFit: DiskFit works differently from the above backup programs. It treats a large number of floppies as a single unit, so you can copy your entire hard disk onto the set (only via DiskFit) in FINDER READABLE FORMAT. After you have done this once, subsequent backups simply replace the files which have changed; this takes at most a few minutes each session. You end up with a single, current copy of your hard disk. (Or two or more current copies...) At any point in time, if sunspots selectively wiped out all existing copies of DiskFit, recovering your data would simply take you longer. I have skipped many fine points (such as the fact that DiskFit GOES ON to the rest of its work in case of a file error!) but I can recommend DiskFit for two very basic reasons: [1] DiskFit is deserving of the title "backup program", since its Finder readable format means that in an actual emergency you wouldn't be depending on a single piece of software remembering where it buried all its nuts. [2] The subsequent backups are easy enough to actually do daily. Be honest with yourself: With another brand of backup software, could you ever imagine having months, or years, where you're just too busy to do an hourlong complete backup? Could you imagine running out of floppies for that 19th incremental backup of "just files that have changed?" Could you imagine going a few months without backing up any but crucial files, as a result? I could. DiskFit's system makes more sense to me. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 87 18:49:56 SET From: Norbert Mueller <K360171%AEARN.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu> Subject: MAC2624 (HP-EMULATOR) I RECENTLY READ A POSTING ASKING FOR HP-TERMINAL EMULATORS FOR THE MAC (SORRY I DON'T REMEMBER WHOSE IT WAS). A FRIEND JUST SHOWED ME A PRODUCT THAT SEEMS TO HIT THE SPOT. # MAC2624 # A HP BLOCK MODE TERMINAL EMULATOR. IT SUPPORTS ALL FEATURES OF THE HP2624 TERMINAL INCLUDING FUNCTION KEYS AND AND ESCAPE SEQUENCES. THERE IS A FILE TRANSFER FEATURE FOR HP-3000, AND VIA STANDARD XMODEM (19200 BAUD), COPY/PASTE WORKS (THE MANUAL CLAIMS IT WORKS WITH ALSO WITH GRAPHICS <MAC PAINT STYLE> I COULD NOT SEE A TEST OF THIS) HOPE THIS IS USEFUL INFORMATION. THE PRODUCT IS MARKETED BY WICK HILL ASSOCIATES LIMITED 42A-44 HIGH STREET EGHAM SURREY TW20 9DP U.K. TELEX 268764 WHAUK G PHONE (U.K.) 0784-38441 THE BEST THING: THEY GIVE YOU AN EVALUATION COPY, WHICH IS FULL FEATURED BUT CEASES TO FUNCTION AFTER A MONTH. THAT IS REALLY WHAT I EXPECT IF I WANT TO BUY AN EXPENSIVE PRODUCT (SORRY I DON'T KNOW A PRICE, AS I DO NOT USE HP MYSELF) I HOPE THIS IS USEFUL INFORMATION NORBERT MUELLER INST. OF CHEMISTRY UNIVERSITY LINZ A-4040 LINZ/AUSTRIA P.S.: I AM IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH WICK HILL ASSOCIATES ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jun 87 03:29:41 cst From: ihnp4!sask!andrew@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Derek Andrew) Subject: TEK 4125 Emulator for Mac II I am looking for a TEK 4125 emulator for the Mac II. Has anyone seen such a beast? Derek <Andrew@Sask.bitnet> ihnp4!sask!andrew ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 5 Jun 87 09:11:17 CDT From: seabaugh%resbld%ti-csl.csnet@RELAY.CS.NET Subject: Paint-Ricoh Laser Printer-HP plotter I would like to convert MacPaint files to print out on our local laser printer, a Ricoh 4080 with OASYS Controller. Is there a program like the paint-to-QMS file converter (macqms.c) available? Another program which I would find useful is a program to either emulate HPGL, so that Hewlett Packard plotter driver files could be previewed, or convert HPGL files to MacPaint. Is there software available to do this? ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 10 Jun 87 14:22:49 CDT From: Dave Eichmann <eichmann%cs.uiowa.edu@RELAY.CS.NET> Subject: Mac -> Unix -> LaserWriter Our LaserWriter is now hung off of our 4.3bsd system, but I still want to be able to print my MacWrite and MacDraw documents. I know about Command-F and Command-K to save PostScript files with and without headers, but neither of these generates *any* output when fed through the Vax to the LaserWriter... Our archives (admittedly short-lived) contain only a few references to previous postings. Could someone ship me the straight poop on this? Dave Eichmann NEW (domain) ADDRESS: eichmann@cs.uiowa.edu Dept. of Comp. Sci. OLD ADDRESS: eichmann%uiowa@CSNET-RELAY University of Iowa PHONE: (319) 335-1232 Iowa City, IA 52242 ------------------------------ Date: Fri 12 Jun 87 20:59:17-EDT From: "Adam Peller" <OAF.G.PELLER%OZ.AI.MIT.EDU@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU> Subject: Fonts First of all, I must confess that I am a // user, and not a MacHacker. BUT, I have been trying to get a collection of fonts together... I already have several dozen stored on a bernouli 20 Meg cartridge. The problem is that Microsoft Word only recognizes the first 15 or so. The others are definately on the disk, but they don't show up in the %D font window. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Adam Peller (ADAMP@MC.MIT.EDU) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 87 15:37:15 EST From: "William E. Williams" <BSQUARE@YALEVM> Subject: Graphics tablets - resolution I'm interested in using a graphics tablet as input to a small application I'm writing, and I can find no one in the area who has one hooked up to a Mac. I have questions for anyone who has used such a tablet: 1. Normally, I understand, Mac tablets come with driver software that makes applications think that the tablet is the mouse. That would suggest that much of the resolution of the pad is lost. Is this true? Is there some way to get at the full resolution of the pad? 2. What are the pro's and con's of the various pads available (Kurta and Summagraphics are the two brands I know about)? If there is sufficient interest, I'll summarize replies. Bill Williams at Trinity College (BSQUARE@YALEVM) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Jun 87 17:25 ADT From: Doug Toelle <FTDAT%ALASKA.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu> Subject: Model 100 -> Mac Being a "Cabin Hippie" (little cabin in the woods, no water or power) I use a TRS-80 Model 100 for text editing at home, take it to work and dump it to my MAC, I have a Tandy Portable Disk Drive 2 (3.5 inch 200K) and was wondering if anyone knew of some software similiar to ProLink (Apple // -> Mac file transfers) for Model 100 -> Mac transfers, messing with cables gets to be a real drag. Also, any other little kid type educators out there using the nets? I'd like to hear from other computer using teachers. Thanks, Doug Toelle Fairbanks Native Association FTDAT@ALASKA.Bitnet 310 First Ave. Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 (907) 451-6201 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Jun 87 16:14 CDT From: FRENCH%eg.ti.com@RELAY.CS.NET Subject: ?? Callable Interfaces to a database Hi all, Is there a Relational Database product for the Macintosh that supports program callable interfaces from MPW Pascal? This is a very common capability on mainframes, but I haven't heard of this capability for the Mac. Any help would be appreciated... Stewart French french@eg.ti.com or french%ti-eg@relay.cs.net or french%ti-eg@csnet-relay.arpa or whatever-the-mailers-between-you-and-me-expect ------------------------------ Date: Wed 10 Jun 87 04:21:48-CDT From: Werner Uhrig <CMP.WERNER@R20.UTEXAS.EDU> Subject: Mac/SE/MacII was on PBS tonight for 30 minutes - Computer Subject: Chronicles I "lucked" into the last 20 minutes (my papers TV program covers PBS somewhat "irregularly" ..) - they had both machines OPEN, taking boards in and out, showing the Mac-II frisby demo, demo of color-MacPaint .... great!!! I could not help but have a fantasy of INFO-MAC of the '90s, where we might be able to contribute the bitstream representing such a program ...((-:!! I can see it - Darin Adler demoing TMON ... talking about watching a wizard in action !!! you get lost trying to follow what he does and says - if you don't find a way to slow him down, you get left behind in the dust. Or passing on the old Bill Atkinson video, demoing MacPaint ... I don't usually watch Computer Chronicles as they tend to live in the IBM-world - but after their reaction to the demo tonight, I expect that to change. Of course, this weeks InfoWorld also has a Product Review of the Mac-II and gave them a 9.0 !!! talking about landmark developments :-)) I expect you can catch a daytime repeat of the program with your video-recorder this week or weekend. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 8 Jun 87 13:24 EDT From: Jeffrey Shulman <SHULMAN%sdr.slb.com@RELAY.CS.NET> Subject: Delphi Mac Digest V3 #31 Delphi Mac Digest Sunday, June 7, 1987 Volume 3 : Issue 31 Today's Topics: /gs keyboard for SE RE: CricketDraw (2 messages) Hello -- (5 messages) re: WriteNow - need help w/Headers remembering files Coprocessor boards (2 messages) RE: OpenCPort Trap (3 messages) Edit LAYO to fix TMON list manager (3 messages) GetColor glue Control Panel Bug?? (2 messages) 68020 cache (2 messages) Re: System Event Mask [ archived as [SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU]<INFO-MAC>DELPHIV3-31.ARC DoD ] ------------------------------ End of INFO-MAC Digest **********************