potts@itl.itd.umich.edu (05/10/91)
For all those still wondering what is going on with system 7 package, wondering if it is really a done deal and finished product, and wondering whether they should buy one, my 2 cents: Although it is still unofficial, the developer's conference starts Monday, so it isn't too much of a breach of confidentiality to describe the personal upgrade kit. It is real, it is finished, and it will be shipping shortly. I understand some dealers have even gotten packages to distribute starting Monday, though that could be rumor. So, below is a description of the shrink-wrapped Personal Upgrade to System 7 kit. If you are a purist and want to wait to see it yourself, don't read it. I was always the kind of person who got up at four a.m. on Christmas morning, though... ----------------- SPOILERS FOLLOW ------------ I'm looking at the shrink-wrapped system 7 package. It is five manuals and about ten disks. Apple realy outdid themselves with printing and layout this time - they are full color and look really nice. You get: "What's new in System 7" booklet an overview of new features with illustrations "Macintosh Reference" manual, about 420 pp. spiral bound, extensive index in the back printed on grey paper. The user manual++, with lots of illustrations. "Macintosh Networking Basics" disk an interactive tutorial on networking and file sharing. "Networking Reference" manual something like the AppleShare reference, with information on using file sharing and program linking. Troubleshooting and data privacy/protection sections. "Hypercard basics" guide (booklet) with two Hypercard 2.1 disks. This is NOT the Developer's kit - that is a big package of its own, with lots of manuals. This is just Hypercard 2 basics, but laid out nicely. --------- overall ---------- The pile of stuff you get is pretty extensive. I will probably buy a system seven package from the University (it will be discounted). Power users probably won't need it to operate System 7, especially if they've read about/ played with the new features, but it might be useful, especially for reference. Also, the twelve disks might be useful to hold your masters of everything. You also get phone support, limited but still, a big improvement. Something to consider: your applications and INITs. If you use a lot of INITs, a number of them probably won't work correctly under 7.0. You should run the compatibility tester stack which will scan your hard disk and check out your applications and INITs before installing. It won't know about some of them, but it will print you a report listing the applications that need to be updated to new versions and the phone numbers to call all the companies. Apple has really gone out of their way to try to work with developers to achieve as much compatibility as possible. There will be a flurry of maintenance releases, but many applications will function fine (and many more will function fine when run without virtual memory turned on). For INITs, the stack that scans your hard disk and prints the report will give you the option of putting INITs it doesn't know about into a special "may not work with system 7" folder. This may be a good idea, and then you can take them out and test them one by one. I would recommend doing a complete backup of your hard disk, then reformatting it with the new HD Setup, before installing. It will save you trouble later. The system 7.0 file structure is slightly different, and if your disk is at all corrupted it will give you problems later. (I have to back up, reformat, and restore this hard disk, since some software that didn't work right with 7.0 trashed my hard disk). You should update the hard disk driver in any case, and run "Disk First Aid" before installing. If you've got a third-party drive you might not be able to use VM yet... contact the company that sold you your drive or HD driver software. Also, the newest version of Apple's HD Setup will recognize more drives than it used to, so you might be able to simply use Apple's driver on your third-party drive (don't quote me on this, but I think it is the case)... Good luck everyone! Disclaimer: I don't work for Apple... I don't know where you will go to get your own copy... Please don't ask me how to get "XXX" to work with System 7... Also, I'm not sure how much the package will cost, or if you will be able to get the software without buying the package, or when it will be widely available... Also, please don't e-mail me. I will be gone all weekend and on Monday you will know as much as I do. -paul-
Adam.Frix@p18.f20.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Adam Frix) (05/15/91)
potts@itl.itd.umich.edu writes:
U> I understand some dealers have even gotten packages to distribute
U> starting Monday, though that could be rumor.
No rumor. The dealer opened his doors at 10 am Monday, and I was first in. It wasn't in the store proper, but was in their warehouse. I was first on the list for when it came in at 5 pm; at 5 pm, I was the first to get it. I gather I was at least one of the first in central Ohio to have it.
Now, if I could only convince myself to take off the shrink wrap. I dunno, but it seems to me there's a greater than even chance that Apple will (shamefacedly) announce 7.0.1 within a couple weeks...what would that make a shrink-wrapped 7.0 package? Worth having as a memento? I think maybe so...
--Adam--
--
Adam Frix via cmhGate - Net 226 fido<=>uucp gateway Col, OH
UUCP: ...!osu-cis!n8emr!cmhgate!20.18!Adam.Frix
INET: Adam.Frix@p18.f20.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORGAdam.Frix@p18.f20.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Adam Frix) (05/15/91)
potts@itl.itd.umich.edu writes:
U> You should run the compatibility tester stack which will scan
U> your hard disk and check out your applications and INITs before
U> installing. It won't know about some of them, but it will print
U> you a report listing the applications that need to be updated
U> to new versions and the phone numbers to call all the companies.
Here's something I'd like to know: does the compat. checker check names, or does it get down and dirty and check type/creator? If so, I would imagine that I'd have to expand all of my DiskDoubler-compressed INITs/apps in order for the checker to be able to "see" them. Does anyone have any information on this?
--Adam--
--
Adam Frix via cmhGate - Net 226 fido<=>uucp gateway Col, OH
UUCP: ...!osu-cis!n8emr!cmhgate!20.18!Adam.Frix
INET: Adam.Frix@p18.f20.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORGhowie@ssc-vax.UUCP (The Humbug Wizard @ The Emerald City) (05/21/91)
In article <260253.2833D427@cmhgate.FIDONET.ORG>, Adam.Frix@p18.f20.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Adam Frix) writes: > > The dealer opened his doors at 10 am Monday, and I was first in. It wasn't > in the store proper, but was in their warehouse. I was first on the list > for when it came in at 5 pm; at 5 pm, I was the first to get it. > > Now, if I could only convince myself to take off the shrink wrap. > I don't know if I was the first in the Seattle area to get my 7.0, but I'll bet I was darned early. It arrived here Thurs. evening, and I got mine Friday afternoon. I _have_ taken mine out of the shrink wrap and installed it. Word of caution: RUN THE COMPATIBILITY CHECKER! Most of what I found that 7.0 doesn't like were DA's, Inits and CDEVs, though in honesty most of them work just fine. The install went quite smoothly, and my system is up and running quite contendedly as far as I know. I've contacted some vendors re upgrades and half of them turn out to be unnecessary. Turns out, the Compatibility Checker is paranoid and if it doesn't know anything about a program or tool, it assumes the worst and tells you to contact the vendor. Some programs turn out to be ok re 7.0 and the only incompatibility involves 24-bit vs 32-bit mode. I have a Plus and thus 24-bit mode is all I can support, so in general I seem to ok. On the whole, so far I like 7.0 -- +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE MINE AND DO NOT REFLECT THOSE OF MY EMPLOYERS. | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ INTERNET: howie@apal.boeing.com || UUCP: uw-beaver!bcsaic!apal!howie