Jaques Law Bits 9612.2 (© Kevin Jaques 1996) ©(c)1996 Kevin Jaques. All rights reserved excepting that this file may be copied for non-commercial purposes, unchanged. No warranties apply. I am just a user volunteering my observations and collecting those of others. €Ram Charger This opens applications at their minimum memory allocation, then gives more as needed. [You know, the way the System ought to do it.] You can exclude incompatible applications. It was previously provided by Jump Software, which MacUser calls a 'true MacIntosh stalwart'. Now though, it is provided by Syncronys. Last year, they recalled their WinTel memory manager SoftRam95, because the Federal Trade Commission opened a consumer fraud inquiry, because it didn't work with Windows 95 as advertised. [Damn those PC users are tough. Imagine if we went to the feds every time the MacOS or Now Utilities or anything else we use crashed our computer.] http://www.syncronys.com [Oddly, in the same issue, they ran an ad for it. The number listed was 1-800-JUMP-MAC and the URL was http://www.wp.com/jump. They claim it is compatible with RamDoubler and Virtual Memory. Home Office was quoted as saying "memory errors occurred far less frequently...had a stabilizing effect on the operating system." The ad says, "not just more ram, more power". Does that refer to speeding up programs by giving them all they want?] MacUser 9611 €PPC Plans for Power PCs Expect the 620 in clones in early 97. Expect the G3 series in mid 1997, roughly doubling the performance of current chips, running at 400 hz by late 1997. G4 will be out in early 1999, to match the Intel P7 (Merced). It will be entirely new, with advances in superscalability and functional unit architecture, with circuitry as small as .18 micron, allowing transister counts up to 50 million, and speeds up to 500 mhz. Project 2K, for the new millenium is underway. Performance will be enhanced with cache and bus enlargements, and by tuning the chips specifically for the MacOS and for Windows. [But, but but...I though the glory of it was that many systems would all run on the same computer!] MacUser 9611 €Gigabit Ethernet ATM (see above) can go from 25 mbps to multi-gigabits per second, with 622 mbps the most cost effective. Fast Ethernet is 100 mbps (but see its pathetic performance on the Mac, above), but this new Ethernet, expected in 18 months is 1000 mbps. MacUser 9611 €Recordable DVDs Panasonic is coming out with one in 1998, but will use only one layer per side (4.7 gb/layer), and somehow, only get 2.6 gb out of it. Part of the reason may be to subvert piracy. MacUser 9611 €Word Processing OpenDoc Live Object - WAV It has no style sheets or word counts, but you can add features by adding other live objects. MacUser said that WAV, the first word processing live object, handled that seamlessly, trying out a third party spell checker and graphic builder. Roughly $49 US. MacUser 9611 €Rich Music Format (RMF) This new format comes from Headspace (cofounded by Thomas Dolby [and related to the really famous Dolby]). WebTV is using it. It should work cross-platform. Multiple MIDI and digital audio files can be combined in a single, small file. It offers run-time controls over things like tempo, transposition, mix, instrumentation, etc. http://www.headspace.com/doc/rmf-whitepaper.html MacUser 9611 €Prices for Document Management The concept is to scan and index your documents. ePaper from Second Glance (using Xerox's TextBridge OCR software) is $169. Optix, from Blueridge Techologies, is only about $60,000. MacUser 9611 €Digital Image Copy Protection The concept is to add a watermark to the file, which will survive file modifications, and permit you to find the artist via serial number registries. Digimarc and Highwater both offer versions: http://www.teleport.com/digimarc http://www.highwaterfbi.com MacUser 9611 €Protect That Phone Line Phone line spike protectors may improved data transfer speed. Try http://www.hooked.net.panamax RedGuard will lock out telephone extensions when the line is in use ($25 for a 3 pack) http://www.orausa.com MacUser 9611 €Zip for PowerBooks Apple helped VST Technologies to make a zip drive to fit in the 5300 and 190 expansion bays. It isn't shipping yet. http://www.vsttech.com MacUser 9611 €Motorola Clones Motorola's systems, collectively codenamed Morocco, will use the Tanzania motherboard, which is not PPCP compliant, but it does have a standardized form factor, adhering to the LPX standard. They will provide lots of ports: 2 geoport, SCSI, ADB, sound in/out, but also, PS/2 keyboard/mouse. In fact, they will ship with PC keyboards and mice. Motorola will be a retail line, not directly competing with Power Computings direct sales. It has the authority to sublicense the MacOS to other manufacturers. MacUser 9611 €PPCP Compliant Motherboard IBM is introducing the LongTrail, which will be PPCP compliant (the long-promised standard (multiple systems will run on it)). It has a VLSI chip for memory control and the logic bridge between the CPU and PCI bus. There is an optional VLSI accelerated graphics chip. Lots of ports: full set of Mac ports, PC I/o, 3 RAM DIMM slots, 4 PCI, processor card slot (or PGA socket). The VLSI chip set can support an L2 cache up to 1 mb. The bus speed is up to 66 mhz. IBM will publish the technical specs for nothing, and with no licencing fees. It will profit from selling the CPUs. The beta version of a PPCP MacOS is expected by the end of 1996. MacUser 9611 €New WordPerfect Features WordPerfect offers vertical justification [wow. about time.], HTML, and Applescripting. According to their ad. €Disk First Aid 7.2.2 Released December 13, 1996 A MacOS utility which verifies the directory structure of any Hierarchial File System (HFS) based storage volume. This versions adds support for PCI-based MacOS computers, and supports volumes larger than 4 gigabytes. Apple Computer €Apple System Plans (including Java) Microkernel, memory protection and pre-emptive multitasking for System 7. Oops that was their promise in 1992. Then in 1994, they promised for 1995. Then in 1995, they did a public showing of its features but later postponed till the spring of 1996. In 1996, it was postponed for 1997, but a Developer's Release was promised. Oops, both were cancelled shortly after. Now, they promise a new 7.5 (Harmony) in January, and intend two consolidated upgrades per year, with quarterly updates. However, they did manage to demo pre-release software which runs JAVA applets in the finder. They are putting this beta stuff in http://dev.info.apple.com, and on OpenDoc Developer Release 6, and the final version should ship with Harmony. It is called MRJ (Mac Runtime for Java) and is a virtual machine. It has the standard set of 8 Java classes and two implementations of the applet viewer. One is a standalone application, the other is a LiveObject part. Only the PPC version was demonstrated, but 68K versions are also promised. MacUser 9611 €BeOS Demo BeOS was run on a Power Computing PowerCenter 120. Be said it will support PCI macs with 603, 603e, 604, and 604e chips, but not even 601s, let alone the 68K series. Evidently, it made an impressive performance of graphics speed. Be showed its BeBox Dual 603-133, which has two 133 mhz 603e processors. Be conceded there are few applications, but promised some demos at the MacWorld Expo. MacUser 9611 €OpenTransport 1.1.2 is out OpenTransport 1.1.2 is out. It's only 9 mb! Apple also offers a large optional OpenTransport Extras, which consists of: Adobe Acrobat Reader - Adobe Acrobat Reader v2.1 2.1 - Coupon.pdf - Installing Acrobat Reader 1.0 - Claris Emailer - About the Emailer Updater - Emailer 1.1v2->1.1v3 Updater 1.1.1 - Claris Emailer Lite - About the Emailer Lite Updater - Emailer Lite 1.1v4 updater 1.1.1 - Config PPP 2.1.4 - MacPPP Read Me 1.1 - PPP 2.5 - AppleTalk - AppleTalk Options 1.0 - AppleTalk Options ReadMe - TCP/IP - TCP/IP Options 1.0 - TCP/IP Options ReadMe Open Transport 1.1 Manual.pdf Open Transport Q&A 2.3 Remote Only - Remote Only 2.1 - Remote Only Read Me 1.1 €QuickTime TV Version: 1.0.4b19 (US Only) Released: December 11, 1996 Description: Unsupported beta release that allows you to view live audio-video broadcasts on the worldwide Internet and start watching broadcasts from a web page. This software will expire on February 1, 1997. Apple €Instructions for opening FileMaker Pro 3.0 files via the Internet: 1. Choose Preferences from the Edit menu in FileMaker Pro 3.0. Make sure the selected Network protocol is TCP/IP. If it is not, select it and Quit and re-launch FileMaker. 2. Make sure you are connected to the Internet. If you are not sure, try running one of your Internet applications such as Netscape or Mosaic. 3. Choose Open from the File menu in FileMaker Pro 3.0 4. Click the Hosts button 5. Specify host: (e.g. filemaker.claris.com) 6. After a brief pause, you should see a list of files. If no files are displayed, your DNS (Domain Name Server) does not contain an entry for the domain name. If you are behind a corporate firewall and you only have proxy or socks access to the Internet, FileMaker may not be able to see the file. Contact your IS department and find out if you can pass FileMaker TCP/IP packets through your firewall. €604e v. 604 The PowerTower 180 carries a 604 at 180 mhz and the PowerTower 180e carries a 604e at the same mhz. Yet the 180e was 25% faster in the processor test and 14% faster in the Floating Point test. The 604e has on-board level 1 data and instruction caches double the size of the original 604. Albeit, the 180e has double the Level 2 cache. MacUser 9611 €CallerID for the Mac YoYo offers many options for what to do with the call, once you subscribe to the phone companies service for saying who the call is from. You can block from certain people at certain times, assign a special ring, display the caller on the screen (and lock up the name. It has a limited PIM (only 2000 entries). It will, of course, dial the phone, but it will also log all your calls, in or out. MacUser considered it a 'sophomoric' interface with really stupid deficiencies. You couldn't print the log. Dialing while simultaneously logging onto a server would crash. Still, cool idea. http://www.big-island.com MacUser 9611 €NetDoubler Details It costs $99US or comes free with some Fast Ethernet cards. You need one on both computers transferring files. It needs OpenTransport 1.0.8 for PCI macs and 1.1 for NuBus systems. OpenTransport permits it to substitute TCP/IP for AppleTalk and AFP (AppleTalk Filing Protocol) which are used by AppleShare and System 7's File Sharing. If TCP/IP is not available, it will use ADSP (Apple Data Stream Protocol). Both TCP/IP and ADSP are completely OpenTransport-native. Some stuff, like most printers, only speak AppleTalk, so it won't help those. [If anybody can understand MacUser's comments on their experiments with Timbuktu and NetDoubler, please explain them to me.] It mostly affects transfers of larger files. MacUser 9611 €LaserMerge Electronic Paper It adds a button to the Print Dialog. It works with PostScript, QuickDraw, and even fax-software drivers. It gives you new printing options, including thumbnails, toner-density, and the ability to create templates to be merged with the print output. Such templates may be letterhead, watermark, a form, whatever. It comes with a Designer utility for creating the templates. $95US http://www.mindgate.com MacUser 9611 €Unexpected PC v. Mac file differences TIFF created on a PC is not necessarily the same as that created on a mac. TIFF is actually a library of formats. TrueType font specs are differenet between the platforms. PostScript fonts may look the same on-screen, but their outline fonts (needed for printing) may be different. If the names are different, it might just not print. MacUser 9611 €MacUser's Mailing List Management Recommendations Michele Fuortes' Macjordom is free and POP/SMTP based. It can do the usual subscribing and unsubscribing, and it will automatically create digests. http://leuca.med.cornell.edu/Macjordomo QuarterDeck's ListStar has various versions, all for bucks. But you can add commands to it, so it is almost infinitely customizable. It offers links for AppleScript and/or Frontier. http://www.starnine.com/ListSTAR MacUser 9611 €How to Make HTML Image Maps That Work When Browsers Don't Show Graphics Tony Grant** passes on a tip from Bill Shackleton that involves some extra work, but ensures that access to an image map-based site is at least possible, if not elegant, without graphics. First, create a small, single-color GIF file (say, two pixels by two pixels). Make it transparent, which renders it invisible to users who have graphics turned on. Then, for every link in your image map, place an tag for a copy of this invisible graphic on the line below the image map's HTML. Link each invisible GIF to its eventual destination, and, most important, create a descriptive ALT attribute for each one. The end result is that in a browser that doesn't support graphics, has graphics turned off, or (less commonly but more importantly) uses a text-to-speech converter, the ALT text stands in for the graphical navigation controls in the image map. TidBits#346/23-Sep-96 €Frontier 4.1 ...the folks at UserLand have released Frontier 4.1, an updated version of their Internet-savvy Macintosh scripting environment. Frontier 4.1 offers a revised user interface with new menus and a couple of "Navigators" designed to make key parts of the Object Database more accessible, a completely revised User Guide, new documentation for scripting Web sites with Frontier, and the ability to run MacBird cards (see TidBITS-309_), which adds some custom interface capabilities. Frontier 4.1 also includes a flurry of bug fixes and changes contributed from Frontier's active user community and - perhaps best of all - Frontier is still free. Currently, an updater to Frontier 4.1 from 4.0.1 is available (about 2.5 MB), but a full "shipping" version of Frontier 4.1 should be ready by the time you read this. Be sure to follow the installation instructions (and back up your Frontier.root file!) and download a copy of the new Users Guide (about 1.1 MB). [GD] TidBITS#348/07-Oct-96 €QuicKeys 3.5 out Lengthy reviews in TidBits love QuicKeys but are disappointed by the upgrade. http://www.cesoft.com/quickeys/qkhome.html €Unsupported Fix to System Upgrade Problem The problem is that there is a System install set, a consolidated version, which contains all the software. Then there is an update. Say, for instance, System 7.5.5 which is not available in a consolidated version. You install the update. Now you want to install something from the (prior) consolidated version. You can't. Apple does this on purpose to prevent screwups, and officially recommends a clean reinstall of the older consolidated system, then a reinstall of the update. However, Apple is also providing an _unsupported_ updater installer script that you can use with System 7.5 Update 2.0 under System 7.5.5 by dragging the script to the 7.5 Update 2.0 installer icon. Back up your system, turn off all non-7.5.5 extensions, and read the instructions first! Although this script may be overshadowed by future component releases (such as Open Transport 1.1.1), reports that many computers may not ship with System 7.5.5 for some time may give this installer script a long lifetime. [GD] TidBITS#349/14-Oct-96 €Netscape Navigator 3.0 and Older Macs Netscape has discovered a problem with Navigator 3.0 on Macs with the so-called "dirty" ROMs and more than 8 MB of RAM installed. Machines possibly affected include the Mac II, SE/30, IIcx, and IIx. The problem isn't subtle - a system error on launch, but the solution is fairly simple. If you turn on Apple's Virtual Memory or install Connectix's RAM Doubler before launching, the problem won't appear. An alternate fix is to upgrade to the beta of the week from Netscape, 3.01.b1, which is either 3.7 MB or 5.1 MB in size. [ACE] TidBITS#349/14-Oct-96 €Apple Posts Quarterly Profit After serving as a punching bag for Wall Street, business and technology press, and financial pundits for the last three fiscal quarters, Apple surprised most financial analysts last week by posting a $25 million _profit_ for its fourth fiscal quarter. Although Apple still lost a lot of money for its 1996 fiscal year (an intimidating $816 million), this return to profitability is largely credited to Apple's restructuring, reduced operating expenses, and improved efficiency under new CEO Gil Amelio. TidBITS#350/21-Oct-96 €Apple Telecom 3.0 Released Today Apple officially released Apple Telecom 3.0, which finally offers 28.8 Kbps speeds to GeoPort users. The update comes in two flavors: the commercial GeoPort Telecom Adapter Kit (expected to be available in the U.S. and Japan in December) and the free GeoPort & Express Modem Updater 3.0. Apple expects to sell the GeoPort Telecom Adapter Kit for approximately $130, and the kit will include a GeoPort pod, the Apple Internet Connection Kit, and a suite of new communications-oriented programs including fax, answering machine, and speakerphone capabilities. The free GeoPort & Express Modem Updater is available online as two disk images, and lets GeoPort owners with Power Macs achieve speeds up to 28.8 Kbps. [GD] [NOTE - GeoPort is that queer modem substitute in some but only some Macs. This won't work for a normal modem.] TidBITS#350/21-Oct-96 €ClarisWorks 4.0v5 Updater Available Online The ClarisWorks 4.0v5 U.S. Updater for Mac OS updates versions 4.0 through 4.0v4. It only works on U.S. versions. International version will be posted in the Software Center on the Claris web site as they become available. The updater requires 2.3MB RAM and 2.3mb disk space for the updater, plus 8MB disk space for the full update installation. This update addresses the following issues since 4.0v4 - Closing a ClarisWorks document with more than 48 mb of available system RAM, would crash certain machines - Calculations in Excel spreadsheets that contained numbers >32767 imported as negative numbers - Several stationery files have been updated to use 1997 dates Two versions of the updater are available: one for the US retail version, the other for the US Educational version. Retail updater Education updater Claris €Claris Organizer 2.0v2 Updater Available Online An updater is available for Claris Organizer 2.0, which will update the 2.0 to version 2.0v2. This updater only works on the U.S. version. International versions will be be posted in the Software Center of the Claris web site as they become available. America Online (keyword: Claris) Compuserve (Go MacClaris) Fixes in Claris Organizer 2.0v2 include: - There was a problem with deletion of recurring tasks or appointments in the monthly calendar window. This has been fixed. - The speed of various popup menus in the contact card and the list view windows has been dramatically increased. - When the alarm notification dialog appears it will be accompanied by your computer's alert sound. - Printing of single, marked contacts should now work in all cases. - Many other small changes that should make Claris Organizer even more stable. Please read the Read Me file installed by the updater for complete information on 2.0v2. Claris €Claris Home Page 2.0 Free Update Available Online Registered users of Claris Home Page 1.0 may download the updater to the U.S. version of 2.0 for Windows or Mac OS. This update only works on registered U.S. versions of Claris Home Page 1.0. Enhancements include table cell resizing, site consolidation and FTP upload features, previewing background files in Edit mode, support for inserting QuickTime movies and plug-in files, and syntax coloring in HTML mode. Windows Update Mac OS Update Claris €Apple Announces the PowerBook 1400 by Geoff Duncan "From a customer and public relations standpoint, the PowerBook 5300s may have been the most disastrous set of Macintoshes Apple ever made... First, the series earned the nickname "HindenBook" when production was halted to correct a potentially explosive problem with its original lithium-ion battery (see TidBITS-295_). Next came a series of software compatibility problems, a system update, a quiet hardware recall, more updates, and then a massive advertising venture with major Hollywood movies just as Apple pulled the 5300 series from dealer shelves and instituted a "repair extension" program (see TidBITS-331_)." The low-end PowerBook 1400cs dual-scan passive matrix display 11.3 inches diagonally, 800 x 600, 16-bit color no processor cache higher-end PowerBook 1400c active matrix display 11.3 inches diagonally, 800 x 600, 16-bit color "surpassing the quality of the passive matrix screens in the 5300 series" 128K Level 2 cache [desktop machines from Power Computing usually 1 mb] Both system bus runs at 33 MHz, and is only 32 bits wide. PowerPC 603e processor running at 117 MHz (133 MHz due in January. "right in line with its predecessor, the PowerBook 5300 - certainly no speed demon" CPU is on a removable daughter card for upgrades Upgrades Available [but with crummy bus, don't count on big help] Newer Technology ( 200 MHz processor upgrade (128K Level 2 cache) 5.5-inch, front-loading device bay can be used for a floppy drive (at long last!) a 6x CD-ROM drive. a spare battery (only passive storage, unlike 5300s) IDE bus (cheaper than SCSI but fast) VST Technologies will produce additional hard disks, ZIP drives (next year) magneto optical devices (230 MB, moving to 640 MB in mid-1997) nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries reported real-world battery lifetimes of two to three hours additional small, rechargeable lithium backup battery so you can put a 1400 to sleep and swap batteries or bay devices no flip-out feet (because you shouldn't tilt a CDROM) two Type II PC cards or one Type III card internal expansion slot video cards available 16 bit available from Newer Technology ( Apple internal Ethernet adapters available Focus Enhancements Newer Technology ( Software System 7.5.3 ClarisWorks Apple's Internet Connection Kit Apple Remote Access [probably just client] other utility software. BookCovers (removable lid panel) -standard grey and transparent you can slip in pre-printed, laminated card stock to give your 1400 a distinctive look. Keep It Simple Systems offers a solar battery panel!? easy access - just remove a panel above the keyboard, lift out the keyboard then remove the heat sink and some conventional screws. more complicated (but more flexible) RAM configuration. 8 MB soldered to the motherboard space for three memory add-on boards. either a 4 or 8 MB module on one side of the bay, leaving two slots empty. Memory from one side of the bay can't be used on the other side but you can install stackable memory modules on the empty side without removing the memory Apple installed for you. tops out at 64 MB of RAM: two 24 MB stackable modules on one side one 8 MB module on the other 8 MB on the motherboard. actual units aren't expected to be available until mid-November Apple is already warning it will be difficult to purchase until at least mid-January Apple promises they are completely ramping up their manufacturing capability. Apple is currently estimating floppy-only version of the 1400cs 12/750 retail $2,500US fully-loaded 1400c CD, 16/1000 retail $3,500US Apple expects to ship higher-end laptops, codenamed Hooper first half of 1997, processor speeds of at least 200 MHz built-in PCI expansion slot. Macintosh clone vendors? "A chance" of it during 1997, particularly Mac OS out for PPCP This Jaques Law Bits was delivered by: Kevin Jaques, B.A. LL.B. of the Jaques Law Office #101 - 2515 Victoria Avenue Fax: 525­4173 Regina, Saskatchewan Home: 586­2234 email: jaques.law@dlcwest.com Tel: 359­3041 visit our web page at http://www.dlcwest.com/~jaques.law/