INFO-MAC@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU (Moderator Dwayne Virnau...) (05/26/87)
INFO-MAC Digest Tuesday, 26 May 1987 Volume 5 : Issue 95 Today's Topics: Re: fooling MacWrite for LW formatting Re: Mac to Apollo Bottom line on multisync monitors Sony Multiscan + Mac II How to save some $$ for MacII enhanced graphics. Excel 1.04 3M copy products for LaserWriter Re: Laserwriter transparencies (V5 #91) Refilled Toner Cartridges may damage printer!? Mac and Architecture Surveying/plotting software for MAC WYSIWYG for scientific writing? SCSI Help wanted!!! 3278/79 emulation and APL2 communications gurus! file transfer to VAX sought want Epson driver MIDI Interface Info? MIDI on the Mac ImageWriter 1 and Appletalk, and file servers... Mac & typewriters Macworld convention update PageMaker and ReadySetGo compared Delphi Mac Digest V3 #28 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 21 May 87 01:18 CST From: <MBORSETT%NUACC.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU> Subject: Re: fooling MacWrite for LW formatting > How can I fool MacWrite into formatting the document for the LW+ even > though I don't have one hooked up? Just select "tall adjusted" on the Page Setup window and you'll have a WYSIWYG on both the screen and the ImageWriter! [Flame ON] I tried Word 3.00 and what I noticed immediately is that those &#$@# programmers at MS made their own ImageWriter window (so much for upward compatibility--this makes me SOO mad: it's such a break of the Mac interface), and it lacks a "tall adjusted" feature. To all those journalists out there: haven't you noticed the non-standard printing dialog? Do we Mac users want a different printing dialog for each application, or should we voice our concerns? I hope for them that their new release will fix a major bug--the non-use of the standard printer driver windows etc. [Flame OFF] Mike Borsetti Bitnet: mborsetti@nuacc.bitnet MCI Mail: mborsetti Telex: 6502526746 MCI UW FidoNet: 115/729 (312-729-8768, member EchoMAC) [ it is possible to use the chooser to select <laserwriter> as output even without one connected. The LW drivers must be installed in the system, however. DoD ] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 May 87 11:20 EDT From: Marks@RADC-MULTICS.ARPA Subject: Re: Mac to Apollo >Date: 12 May 87 21:16:00 GMT >Organization: Indiana University CSCI, Bloomington >If anyone knows something about the current products or contact >person >for the software/hardware of the links between the Mac (SE or II or >maybe Plus) and the Apollos, please send me a e-mail. Thanks in >advance. >Bill Wang >Speech & Hearing Center >Indiana University >UUCP = {ihnp4,seismo,cbosgd}!iuvax!wcwang >indiana >iuvax.cs.indiana.edu >Phone = (812) 335-0714 Bill, How about a product called MacApollo??? An early release version of this product is available now from: R. L. Phillips Center for Information Technology Integration 2001 Commonwealth Boulevard Ann Arbor, MI 48105 313-995-0900 We here at the Rome Air Development Center (A US Air Force laboratory) have a copy of the product, but have not yet made much use of it. It connects the Mac to an Apollo via the Mac's and Apollo's respective serial ports, at a recommended rate of 19.2KBPS. Its supposed to support GPR graphics, and DOES NOT support GMR or GMR3D graphics (yet). Multiple mouse button clicks are emulated by using the Option and Command keys with the click. Up to Ten windows can be openned simultaneously, graphics or text. Also, metafiles (Apollo graphics?) can be converted to MacDraw format. I have heard that a newer version is to be released when the guy in charge of the MacApollo project at Ann Arbor gets back from some extended time off. It is is supposed to support the GMR and GMR3D graphics, and communicate to the Apollos through an AppleTalk/EtherNet gateway, yielding much greater throughput than the 19.2KBPS connection. Lt David L. Marks Marks@RADC-MULTICS.ARPA ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 May 87 13:01:43 EDT From: Dan Magorian <magorian@umd5.UMD.EDU> Subject: Bottom line on multisync monitors There has been some confusion on the net re using multisync monitors on MacIIs. It's really far too simple a thing to be worth discussing. The bottom line is this: Any analog monitor that can sync at 35KHz can be used. Red, green, blue, and ground need to be connected. Since green has composite sync, the external sync line is optional. (Believe me, I've used it both ways and it makes no difference) The quality of NEC and other autosync monitors in analog mode is inferior to the high-quality Sony monitors sld by Apple. They pincushion (bend in the middle) and are much fuzzier. The cable impedence issue is trivial. Slight improvements result if a cable of the correct impedence is used (!slightly! crisper pixels). I cannot cross reference the Japanese one sent by Apple, and don't have the equipment to measure it. Therefore, use a multisync only if you have one, or need to use it on different systems (eg, it will work on the new IBMs as well). Apple's monitors are of vey high quality at a good price, and I recommend them. If you have the money, I recommend the Supermac Spectrum ($3500). It's the 19" 1024 x 768 that is a pleasure to use for graphics (I only had it on loan). It's a little too big for text work, and the 60hz flicker is visible. (Apple changed their card to 66hz to avoid that). Dan Magorian (301) 454-6030 Computer Science Center magorian@umd5.umd.edu University of Maryland magorian@umdd.bitnet College Park, MD 20742 Applelink: A0190 ------------------------------ Date: 22 May 87 02:07:44 GMT From: jww@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu (Joel West) Subject: Sony Multiscan + Mac II The Sony Multiscan, like the NEC Multisync, is a monitor designed for compatibility with several IBM standards. It handles PGA (which never caught on) and VGA (the new IBM PS/2 output). It also works very nicely with the Mac II. I'm told, side-by-side, it looks identical to the Apple monitor except for the case. (Apple has acknowledged using a Sony tube; other differences are unclear.) Best of all, it is available NOW. A company that has three for their Mac II's bought one from MHI Warehouse 5021 N. 20th Std #10261 Phoenix, AX 85064 (602) 995-1134 They quoted $569, immediate shipment, plus UPS ground freight ($13.50 to San Diego). 2% for credit cards, otherwise money orders. I also heard that only the late-model NEC's can handle the Mac's scan rate; the earlier ones fry. Joel West {ucbvax,ihnp4}!sdcsvax!jww (ihnp4!gould9!joel if I ever fix news) jww@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu if you must ------------------------------ Date: Fri 22 May 87 11:48:36-PDT From: Philip M. Pitner <PITNER@Sierra.Stanford.EDU> Subject: How to save some $$ for MacII enhanced graphics. Want to save some money in going from 16 to 256 colors on the MacII? Buy eight NEC 41264C (150ns) Rams from your local IC supply house at about 8 dollars each for a total cost of 64$ and plug them into the sockets on the MacII video card (in proper direction of course). Apple charges $129 for the same expansion kit. But note that the difference in screen write times for 16 colors vs 256 colors is quite dramatic. So if you're interested in doing animation I'm not sure 256 colors is well implemented on the MacII. Programs like RedRyder scroll very slowly when using 256 colors. I'm not completely sure why there's such a dramatic difference. (this is in smooth scroll mode on Red Ryder) Phil Disclaimer: My opinions only. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 May 87 08:53:10 PDT From: PUGH%CCC.MFENET@nmfecc.arpa Subject: Excel 1.04 Microsoft has announced Excel 1.04, which has some minor bugs fixes and a Change Links command. If you read this in the Delphi digest, please remain calm. If you try calling the number MACINTOUCH listed, you will end up playing perpetual phone tag only to learn that they will be shipping the free upgrade sometime next week to all registered owners who upgraded to the 1.03 version through Microsoft. If you got 1.03 some other way you are probably out of luck, I don't know. It took me three calls to Microsoft to figure this out. I think all organizations need to do what ours does. We sit everyone down every morning and have a bitch and tell all session. Most everyone knows more than they care to about what is going on. Plus we avoid the creaping isolationism that plagues many groups. Jon ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 May 87 10:01:30 edt From: magill@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Operations Manager) Subject: 3M copy products for LaserWriter The LaserWriter used to ship with a promotional "kit" from Apple and 3M. "Open me first and learn about making transparencies with your new LaserWriter" That kit included 5 samples of 3M type 154 laser transparency file. (At least the ones we got from the consortium years ago did. Some of us are just pack rats and never throw anyting away.) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 May 87 04:34:55 PDT From: halff@nprdc.arpa (Henry Halff) Subject: Re: Laserwriter transparencies (V5 #91) One type of paper NOT to use is that from Scotch #544 Transparent Note Pad. The transparency paper in this pad is great since any kind of pen will write on it. But in a Laserwriter it's a disaster since it ME LTS in con t a ct wit h t he rollers. hh ------------------------------ Date: 22 MAY 87 15:53-PDT From: BOLSON%UWALOCKE.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu Subject: Refilled Toner Cartridges may damage printer!? I just read a note in Hewlett-Packard's "LaserJet Journal" blaming failures of the HP LaserJet, poor print quality, and rapid wear of the paper path on refilled toner cartridges. HP says that these problems are caused by "misuse when they occur while using a refilled cartridge. Therefore if printer damage is caused by the refilled toner cartridge, HP will not cover printer service or damaged parts under your warranty." I want to know if: 1) After all of the raves about refilled cartridges on the net, whether some bad experiences have also been had, and 2) What Apple says about using refilled cartridges. We have just bought a LaserWriter with new Apple logo cartridges. I have already noticed a poorer print quality than I had with other LaserWriters using refilled and/or early cartridges. I have read of complaints that recent "new" cartridges do not seem to be as dark as previous ones. So I am seriously considering refilled toner cartridges, but this warning from HP sounds serious. I certainly do not wish to damage the printer. (BTW, one of our new Apple EP cartridges refused to seat properly in the printer. It was of course the first one we tried. Other ones fit with no trouble. Have others seen this?) Ed Bolson BOLSON@UWALOCKE.BITNET Cardiovascular Research, University of Washington. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 May 87 11:31:46 CDT From: RI813MU@cdccentr Subject: Mac and Architecture I am trying to gather information about the use of Macintosh in Architecture Schools and Firms. I would appreciate hearing the names of any such organizations who have found the path to goodness and light. Thanks. ITSIK REICHMAN, CONTROL DATA (ISRAEL) PHONE 011-972-342-230922-May-87 05:30:03-PDT,880;000000000001 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 May 87 07:38 EDT From: <GEOFFRIL%UNION.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU> Subject: Surveying/plotting software for MAC We have an Archeology faculty member who wishes to user a Mac for surveying the dig sites. Ideally, she could enter information about distances, coordinates, and such from her transit and cables. The Mac could then turn it into reasonable survey maps either automatically or with human fine-tuning. Conventional draw programs like MacDraw and CricketDraw don't seem very appropriate since they are not organized for that type of measurement. Have any of you had experience with programs for this application? Which ones would you recommend? Leo Geoffrion, GEOFFRIL@UNION.BITNET (518) 584-5000, EXT 2628 SKIDMORE COLLEGE COMPUTER CENTER Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (Skidmore will soon be joining BITNET.) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 May 87 14:11:06 PDT From: stadler@csvax.caltech.edu (Andrew D. Stadler) Subject: WYSIWYG for scientific writing? I've been asked to recommend a word processor for someone who's about to write a physics text. This means equations, equations, and more equations. Is there ANYTHING out there with WYSIWYG? All I can think of is TeX which uses awful commands which he doesn't want to learn. Even if you're using two different programs at once, or just someone's neat font, I'd like to hear about it. Send replies directly to me; I'll post a summary if it seems interesting. Thanks in advance!!!! Andy Stadler (Occidental College) stadler@cit-vax or csvax.caltech.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 22 May 87 09:10:46 SST From: Kenneth Seah <ISCSEAHK%NUSVM.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU> Subject: SCSI Help wanted!!! To all in Netland, I have just gotten a 3.5" bare 20MB SCSI drive (Miniscribe) and would like to interface it with the Mac Plus or SE. No power supply, cables or terminators came with it - really bare drive - but would be able to source for these. What I would like to ask are the following: 1. On the hardware side - how do I configure the drive device number? Would I have to do some hardware mod to it? 2. Software-wise, what sort of formatting and drivers would I need? Can I use Apple's HD20SC drive initialiser? What would I have to do to the boot blocks? Basically, if any of you have hooked up a SCSI drive to the Mac on your own, I would like to hear from you. Thanks in advance... Kenneth Seah <<at DISCS>> National University of Singapore BitNet - ISCSEAHK@NUSVM UUCP - ..sun!elxsi!tataelxsi!nus-cs!kseah PS I think the drive is the same one as inside the Mac SE. Anyone care to comment?? ------------------------------ Date: 22 May 1987, 15:58:29 WUT From: BULLETIN at AWIWUW11 Subject: 3278/79 emulation and APL2 Does anybody out there know about a 3278/79 emulation running on a Mac II (or other Mac variants) which is able to support the APL (=extended) character set? We want to use a Mac as a terminal connected to an IBM-mainframe running APL2. Has anybody experiences? ...suggestions? ....hints? Any information is welcome. Wolfgang & Gustaf University of Economics, Vienna, Austria ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 May 87 21:06:56 +0300 From: Tamir Weiner <UMFORTH@WEIZMANN> Subject: communications gurus! file transfer to VAX sought After successfully getting assistance in creating an incantation to take postscript files (Mac generated) through a network to a Laserwriter sitting on a Sun network, I still have a bottleneck problem. Can someone versed in Kermit, or general VAX transfers tell me a simple way to tranfer a Mac text file (i.e. postscript) to a VMS VAX (not UNIX) in readable fashion. I tried Kermit, but that only works on plain vanilla text files. Complex graphics and custom fonts cause bitmaps to be placed in the Postscript source files. Such bitmaps have no carriage returns and Kermit coughs up and says that record buffer length is exceeded. I guess Kermit makes some assumptions on record length, and I have no idea how to get around this. The Mac by the way recognizes the bitmaps as a series of lines somehow (without carriage returns?... kinda like magic) I tried setting kermit for binary file transfer and that works successfully, BUT the file ends up in an unuseable format since it's binary instead of ASCII can't send that to the printer! Perhaps someone knows of an unscramble technique for getting binary transfered files back to their original ASCII format (again a technique that works under VMS, even though the ultimate target network is UNIX (SUN). Finally what I tried which did work is using the VMS "create file" command to begin a file, then MacTerminal to send the file as text and the create command just reads the lines sent one at a time. The problem is that no matter what the speed setting, the effective baud rate is about 100, so that translates to something like 3 minutes a page! This isn't effective for 50 page and up files! Any advice? Words of wisdom or aspirin gratefully accepted. Please send directly to me if possible, as I don't always get to read the digest. Thanks. Tamir Weiner UMFORTH@WEIZMANN.BITNET ------------------------------ Date: 22 May 87 07:29:00 EST From: mccowan%nrl.decnet@nrl.arpa Subject: want Epson driver Are there any Mac drivers for the Epson FX85 or FX86 printers? We have a lot of Epsons around here, and it would be nice to be able to use them with a real computer. Bob McCowan mccowan@nrl.arpa ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 May 87 13:45:26 PDT From: PUGH%CCC.MFENET@nmfecc.arpa Subject: MIDI Interface Info? Could someone please send me some information about a mysterious MIDI interface that is alluded to by the MIDI demos on Sumex. A friend has a MIDI keyboard tat he wants to hook up to his Macintosh. I pulled some of the MIDI demos from Sumex, but they require this interface that everyone assumes you have and know about. Could someone please point me toward some information about this beast? Jon N L pugh@nmfecc.arpa M A L National Magnetic Fusion Energy Computer Center F T N Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory E L PO Box 5509 L-561 C Livermore, California 94550 C (415) 423-4239 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 May 87 18:11 CDT From: MKonar@HI-MULTICS.ARPA Subject: MIDI on the Mac Has anyone out there had any luck using the MIDI driver routines from the October '85 (I think) MacTutor? My problem is that after a number of MIDI messages are sent to the Mac, the mouse freezes completely (sometimes) or in the vertical direction only (usually). When a byte is received by the SCC chip an interrupt handler is called. As far as I can tell (by examining the code) the interrupt handler is properly disabling and reenabling further interrupts from the SCC. I am using the routines from Lightspeed Pascal. Thanks in advance, Murat N. Konar (612) 782-7466 days HI-MULTICS.ARPA ------------------------------ Date: 20 May 87 15:28:00 EDT From: Marc Grondin <WCSCKCU@CARLETON.BITNET> Subject: ImageWriter 1 and Appletalk, and file servers... Good Day again... Now that the HyperDrive, Mac SE (2 of em) and the imagewriter 1 are all sitting in this room, we have decided to join em all up. What we want is the second Mac to be able to use the HyperDrive files and the ImageWriter. What I want to know is what file servers exist that will use AppleTalk and the printer from the HyperDrive. The real trouble : The printer, from what I have been told, can't be used on appletalk. What I want to know is if there is any "box" that can sit between the printer and the appletalk connectors to fool appletalk into thinking that the printer is really an appletalk one. (Might be something like the Laser Spooler). If their is no such box, can one of the file servers print thru the printer port to our regular printer? All this, and yes, I want both machines useable at the same time, no dedication please... Well, thanks for the help all you persons... Marc Grondin (8->) <Marc_Grondin@CARLETON.BITNET>, <CKCU@CARLETON.BITNET> ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 May 87 10:24:04 PDT From: calius@stanford.edu (Emilio Calius) Subject: Mac & typewriters A person in my household has decided to buy an electronic typewriter. Since I've heard that some models can be hooked up to computers to act as (very slow) letter-quality printers, I thought I could sometimes use it to supplement my old Imagewriter I. Does anybody on the net have experience with such a setup? I would appreciate any information, such as which typewriter model to buy, what driver software is available for the Mac, how to interface and set it up. I have seen ads for the Silver Reed EX-34 (parallel interface). Is it any good? Is there a serial interface?. Is it my imagination or did someone offer a package (typewriter+driver +cables+etc.) for the Mac? Thank you for your help. Emilio P. Calius Structures & Composites Lab Aeronautics & Astronautics Stanford University ------------------------------ From: jww@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu (Joel West) Subject: Macworld convention update Date: 22 May 87 18:32:24 GMT Some quick convention gossip after speaking to the exhibit coordinator at Mitch Hall. Macworld Boston is August 11-13, Tues-Thursday. Exhibit space is full and they have a waiting list. The Bayside was ok last year, barely big enough this year, but is the biggest facility in the area. San Francisco is January 14-16, 1987, Thursday-Saturday. They have the whole Moscone Center; in 1986 they only had 2/3rds. He also said he expected most of the Mac II stuff to be in San Francisco, not Boston. Joel West {ucbvax,ihnp4}!sdcsvax!jww (ihnp4!gould9!joel if I ever fix news) jww@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu if you must ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 18 May 87 16:02 EDT From: BOGARTZ%UMASS.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu Subject: PageMaker and ReadySetGo compared PageMaker 2.0 arrived a few days ago. I've been using ReadySetGo 3 for a month now, and it's time to compare them. All references to RSG below mean RSG 3.0, and all references to PageMaker mean PageMaker 2.0. REASONS TO PREFER RSG: It handles threaded text (stories that are linked across multiple text blocks) better. In RSG, you link blocks by clicking on them in the order that they should flow. If you want to change it, all you have to do is relink the blocks from the beginning. In PageMaker, the text comes in linked, and if the link is broken you have to delete the whole story and start over. This could be bad if you've made on-screen changes. It handles flowing text around graphics better. RSG will automatically flow text around the rectangle that encloses a graphic. PageMaker forces you to break your story up into separate blocks, then resize each block appropriately. (Neither will flow text along the region that encloses a graphic, however.) REASONS TO PREFER PAGEMAKER: The documentation is MUCH better. It has full Undo--all actions down to the tiniest movement. RSG can only undo deletions. It handles white-type better than RSG. In PageMaker, white type is a type style just like underline, bold, etc. In RSG, you have to set the type to outline, then place it in front of a gray or black filled object. You also have to kern it to make it look better. It can both import and export Word 3.0 documents. In addition, Word enhancements that PageMaker can't use still get preserved in the export. It can also read WriteNow and Microsoft Works formats. The PageMaker manual has a detailed description of exactly which formatting characteristics convert and which do not. RSG can only handle Word 1.0x format at present. It handles placing graphics next to each other better. Graphics in Pagemaker can get close to each other without the background of one erasing part of the other. In RSG, the background of a graphic cannot be made transparent, so it can end up erasing part of a nearby graphic. It has a kerning pair dictionary, so that certain pairs are automatically kerned. In RSG you have to manually kern pairs of letters, or select a block of text and choose Kern (although this doesn't actually seem to do anything). DIFFERENCES THAT AREN'T CLEAR ADVANTAGES TO EITHER APPLICATION: In RSG you can designate a text block as PostScript. It doesn't matter where you place this block on the page--RSG does not try to interpret it, only passes it along to the printer. In PageMaker, you have to write an EPS-format PostScript program (or import it from an application that creates EPS-format code, such as Adobe Illustrator). This means you have to add some comments such as Creator, Title, BoundingBox, etc., but then you can place the block on the screen and you will have some idea of where it will actually appear on the printed page. RSG has algorithmic hyphenation and a spelling dictionary. PageMaker has dictionary-based hyphenation, which may be better, but no spelling dictionary. To scale a graphic in RSG, you have to specify a vertical and horizontal percentage in a "Specifications" dialog box. This means you know exactly how much it's scaled, but it's doesn't give good visual feedback. The cropping box which surrounds the graphic, however, can be resized with handles. In PageMaker you drag handles of the graphic to scale it. This adds up to: it's easier to crop in RSG, but easier to scale in PageMaker. As you can see, I have listed only two reasons to prefer RSG, but they are two very important reasons. I feel that they have given the new PageMaker a ton of bells and whistles, but haven't addressed two of its major weaknesses. (They did up the number of pages in a file from 16 to 128, however.) Admittedly, most shops use PageMaker and don't really have the choice of changing, and this makes sense especially given PageMaker's bells and whistles with regard to compatibility with the IBM version, PostScript EPS format, new scanners, etc. I myself am going to continue to use RSG combined with SuperPaint. David Bogartz/Hampshire College ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 19 May 87 08:47 EDT From: Jeffrey Shulman <SHULMAN%sdr.slb.com@RELAY.CS.NET> Subject: Delphi Mac Digest V3 #28 Delphi Mac Digest Tuesday, May 19, 1987 Volume 3 : Issue 28 Today's Topics: RE: Laser Prep 4.0 patch/Miniwriter re: 3 Questions & 1 Flame LISA Help (3 messages) Shadowgate more stack (2 messages) IW spool files (2 messages) Downloadable fonts, Altsys (4 messages) Tiler bug for 4.1 users (3 messages) Laser Spoolers (2 messages) Kanji Printer Interface "Print Jack" Excel 1.04 4.1 Menu Manager HyperCharger 020 (9 messages) RE: 68020 upgrades for SE ADDISON WESLEY Draw 30 and New System! swapping SE floppy and hard disks LISA-HELP? XL (2 messages) Centram TOPS BBS Excel 1.04: Yay! (2 messages) Radius 68020 board (3 messages) Mac II Trinitrons (2 messages) Desktop bus mice (9 messages) 68020 upgrades for SE File/Disk Bug Fixes: Copy II 6.5 re: MacSmalltalk 0.4 Toshiba 24 pin printer [ archived as [SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU]<INFO-MAC>DELPHIV3-28.ARC DoD ] ------------------------------ End of INFO-MAC Digest **********************