Jaques Law Bits 9611 (© 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. €Shockwave PlugIn Update On 11/20/96 new versions of Shockwave were released that feature improved memory management. Download the latest Shockwave Now! The article: http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/new/index.html The PlugIn: http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/ €Power Computing to ship BeOS with its clones Power Computing Corp. on Tuesday will announce that it's getting behind Be Inc.'s operating system. The largest Mac clone vendor said it will license BeOS and bundle it with all Mac-compatible systems next year. CIS: News: Power Computing to ship BeOS with its clones WWW: http://www.macweek.com/mw_1046/news_beos.html MacWEEK Mailing List #34 - Monday, December 2, 1996 €Free Scriptable Graphics Program Photomatic 2.0.1 from Daystar (http:www.daystar.com) Connie Romanishan €MacUser sets Benchmark Standard Apple, Power Computing and others, are relying on the MacBench programs results. Benchmarks are updated the day a new system ships at http://www.zdnet.com/macuser/cpu.html MacUser 9610 €Power PC Platform (PPCP) officially late Apple's first PPCP models won't arrive till early 1997, though clone makers may offer compliance in late 96. Currently, Windows NT, OS/2, Solaris (Sun's Unix), AIX (IBM's Unix), Netware, and the MacOS will run on it. MacUser 9610 €New PC standard for low bandwidth peripherals: USB Universal Serial Bus can transfer 12 megabits/seconds (geoport is 2), is hot­pluggable, can hold up to 127 devices, and is cheap. Apple's FireWire is 30 times faster, but not intended to compete. USB is for things like mice, keyboards, modems, quickCams, etc. MacUser 9610 €QuickDraw 3d 1.5 is out Now it supports plug-ins, which should include renderers. The 3D Meta Format (3DMF) now supports rendering at different levels of detail. It supports multi­processor machines. You can instantly return to the 'home' view, and constrain the perspective along an axis. There is now a Windows version. http://quickdraw3d.apple.com MacUser 9610 €MacOS Embarrassingly Bad at Faster Ethernet Fast Ethernet (100Base-T) uses an active star setup (at least 1 hub). Each device must have a Network Interface card (NIC) and connect to the hub via unshielded twisted pair (UTP) wiring and RJ-45 jacks.Both 10Base-T and Fast Ethernet use 2-pair UTP, but Fast requires Category 5 cable (heavier copper and more twists). 10Base-T will have used either Category 5 or Category 3. So, you might not need to rewire. Theoretically, it should be 10 times faster than 10Base-T, but MacUser results were more like 29%, working best with large files. The peak speed was 9.77 Mbps, with an average of 6.43 for PCI cards and 4.43 for NuBus (although the range was 5 Mbps!). Note that 100 Mbps is the theoretical speed, and a comparable pentium machine reached 40 MBps. Oooh. How embarrassing. AppleTalk is partly to blame, with smaller data packets than TCP/IP. Asanté's NetDoubler substitutes the ADSP (Apple Data Stream Protocol) or TCP/IP protocols for AppleTalk as the files are sent. The former doubles the speed, and the latter triples it. Asanté claims even better results when both Macs are PCI, because NuBus network drivers and not OT native. OpenTransport, supposed to speed up the network, is also to blame. It came out almost the same as Classic Networking. However, OT is better using TCP/IP, and NetDoubler only works with OT. I suppose the good news is that if you have PCI Macs, NetDoubler, OT, and Runshare (another utility, which grabs all the bandwidth available), you can match the Pentium performance. That is, unless they too can soup up their software. Asanté, 3Com, Cisco, Compaq, Intel, and others have formed the Gigabit Ethernet Alliance to develop a 1000 mbps Ethernet. MacUser 9610 €Play God with Creatures Inscape has created virtual 'Creatures' with virtual DNA. They breed sexually. They must feed and interact. They will evolve with natural selection or your assistance. Best, they're cute. iNSCAPE 800-693-3253 MacUser 9610 €OpenDoc 1.1 is out It debuted at the MacWorld Expo. It takes less ram and is faster, and now runs on 68040s. Apple plans a Java applet viewer, so Java can run inside OpenDoc containers. Apple intends CompenentGlue to permit Microsoft OLE containers interact with OpenDoc containers. IBM has come out with OpenDoc for Windows. MacUser 9610 €HTML 3.2 starting Public Comment Phase of Acceptance MacUser 9610 €Apple's 1st Multi-Processing Computer: the 9500/180MP MacUser 9610 €Power Computing still superior to Apple Apple has finally followed Power's lead of making all its CDRoms 8x. Although Apple now ships all models with a Level 2 cache, Power's caches are normally double. With accelerating CPUs, cache makes an increasing contribution. For instance, the Power 200 mhz beats Apple's 9500/200 by 13%, likely as a result. Power's CPU is on a removable daughterboard for cheaper upgrades. Apple's require logic boards. Power puts 3 DRAM DIMM sockets on the boards. Apple puts two. Both only fill one, normally. Power's graphics use a much faster ATI chip. Apple uses Valkyrie. Power's is upgradable. Power provides a VGA connector. Power provides support for PS/2 style keyboards. Power does not include Apple's idiosyncratic Comm Slot II, the slot for a Apple Video System Digitizing Card or TV Tuner Bay. However, it has 3 PCI slots with room for the full sized (12 inch). Apple's models offer 1 or 2 seven inch PCI slots. Apple offers an AV Bundle of its Avid Cinema Card and the Apple Video System. For roughly the same price, Power offers Miro's miro-MOTION DC20 video-capture card and limited editions of Adobe's Premiere and Photoshop. Apple's software is easier to use, but the Miro captures 640x480 pixels, as compared to Apple's 320x240, both at 30 frames/sec. Unlike prior models, the Power disk drive underperformed Apple's. [The 9611 issue compared the PowerTower 200e with the PowerMac 9500/200 and the Power disk drive (2 gb Micropolis) outperformed the Apple 2 gb Seagate] Power's bundled software remains far more extensive. Even Power's processing speed is superior, due to use of an improved version of the Alchemy architecture. Their version also offers greater flexibility, including support for EDO (Extended Data Out) RAM, a high speed type widely used in Pentium's. [MacUser appeared to be considering the PowerBase line, as compared to Apple's line in general] MacUser 9610 €604e Processor It has higher clock speeds, larger internal caches, and support for a wider range of system bus speeds. UMAX's S900, Apple's 9500/180MP and 9500/200 and 8500/180, and Power Computing's PowerTower Pro all offer it. MacUser 9610 €Java Programming Sun Microsystem's Java Development Kit (JDK) is free at http://www.javasoft.com/JDK-1.0/index.html Metrowerks offers Discover Programming with Java. It integrates into CodeWarrior or comes with new versions of the same. It costs $99US but offers exact compliance to the standard, and compiles and runs fast, unlike Sun's version. http://www.metrowerks.com MacUser 9610 €Eudora Pro 3.0 is out Don't get confused as I do. You probably use Eudora Lite (now at version 1.5.5). However, this professional version offers URL coloring and launching, leading message filtering, and plug in architecture. http://www.eudora.com MacUser 9610 €Eudora Light 3.0.1 is out Qualcomm has been developing Eudora Pro 3.0.1 and Eudora Light 3.0.1 together (a sensible procedure) New: styled text in the message body. This works like HTML, using markup expressions such as "text" breaks the 32K barrier drag & drop of everything to everywhere Mailboxes can optionally store meta-information in their resource forks, eliminating the need for "TOC" files Filters, which quickly examine batches of messages (such as all those just received) and take actions on them (like transferring to a particular mailbox) if they meet specified criteria. Find dialog is much improved improved Nicknames dialog (now called the Address Book). Eudora Light users get no: toolbar message labels "Word Services" (to drive certain applications like the Spellswell spell-checker) FCCing (copying outgoing replies to a mailbox); automatic nickname expansion prior to sending (but you can still do it on demand with a menu item) ability to open a mailbox not located in the Eudora Folder "stationery" files (templates for outgoing boilerplate messages) additional signatures beyond a Main and an Alternate ability to generate styled text (though you can read it in a received message). Mail Transfer Options, meaning essentially the ability to send custom instructions about individual messages to the server. The Light version has a narrower range of Filter actions. hidden features to force compaction of a mailbox (it normally happens automatically when certain conditions are met), you must know to Command-click the lower-left corner of the window to open the mailbox containing the message you're reading, you double-click its title bar (why not Command-click as in the Finder?). to create a new message from the Address Book without switching to it, hold Shift as you press the To button. many important actions show up only if you hold a modifier key before clicking in the menubar. Only a small subset of its functions can be driven through AppleScript or Frontier, and little or no documentation is available for many of its internal settings. DealBITS** -- Cyberian Outpost has a deal on Eudora Pro for $56.95 ($4 off) for TidBITS readers through this URL: TidBITS#357/09-Dec-96 €Virtual Lego Try Gryphon Bricks with tear off brick palettes. $40US http://www.gryphonsw.com MacUser 9610 €Apple's Strategy OpenTransport support for TCP/IP and PPP in 1996. Java virtual machine in late 1996. Designer Macs in 1997[Jeez!]. PPCP gradually throughout 1997. A new memory controller and I/O subsystem (with DMA support for PC cards, SCSI, IDE, sound, and serial) in 1997. USB & FireWire by 1998. Standard multi-processors by the end of 1998. It plans to push DVD drives hard (1.35 mb/sec (approx a 9x CDROM) but 4.7 gb/layer (2 layers/side, and can use both sides), but again, erasable will come out long after). In 1996, more OpenDoc and Java. In 1997, look and feel, multi-threaded finder, integration of Cyberdog. After that, fully PPC native, symmetrical multi-processing, configurable desktop. The System will include directory services, a system-wide database of personal information (names, addresses, etc.). They will try again. [Nobody liked PowerTalk or even realized this was its purpose.]. It will likely include web server software. AppleTalk may die in favour of IP. . Don't expect personal file sharing over IP soon. Apple will continue to pursue its other product lines such as Pippin, Newton, AppleShare, ARA (to offer dialup connection to both AppleTalk and IP services), various internet server products, QuickTime (new image capture, APIs, and as an operating system for cameras), QuickDraw 3d, ColorSync, QuickDraw GX (either port to Windows or give up). MacUser 9610 €More on IP You may have noticed this issue that suddenly AppleTalk is obsolete and grossly impairing our networking. TCP/IP (Token Control Protocol (?) / Internet Protocol (?)) may be the answer. It is supported by OpenTransport. It carries 1600 bytes/packet. AppleTalk carries 490 or so. It is used far more widely. However, many applications have their own built-in networking, such as Filemaker, Timbuktu, Meeting Maker, Claris OfficeMail. Happily, all 3 of those do support TCP/IP. CE Software's QuickMail doesn't yet, but will. Others, such as Now UpToDate, many vertical market applications, and accounting packages, do not. BUT, AppleShare itself does not support TCP/IP. [note, you can still use FTP and maybe even HTTP within the office. You would need a server. NetPresenz is $10 shareware to do that from the mighty Peter Lewis (Anarchie, Internet Config, etc.)] Even if the systems and programs did, some of the hardware has hard­wired networking, such as your printers. Even if they did, they need IP aware drivers, and none exist yet. Even if all that was settled, the users must be trained. IP is harder. You must get a range of IP addresses from an Internet Service Provider. You need one for every connected device, even hubs and routers. The addresses, I expect, will cost money. They must be unique on the internet (i.e., world wide). The addresses will offer no clue as to whom they belong to, being simply series of numbers separated by periods. The address is somewhat dependent upon location (well, dependent on what it is connected to) however, so if you move a device, you might have to reset the address. You can assign addresses dynamically. Users can learn the glories of BootP (Bootstrap Protocol), RARP (Reverse Address Resolution Protocol), DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), etc. But don't dare let a key device (like a hub or router) be dynamically addressed by DHCP. That would be big trouble. Somehow, you might be able to set up a server to translate to domain names, but not for DHCP. You will have the fun of deciding on hardware or software routers and assigners. [How could such a miserable system become the global standard? Well, that's humans.] MacUser 9610 €ATM does not stand for Automated Teller Machine Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a network standard that can go up to 155 Mbps. You can use it as a 'backbone', connecting between networks using other standards. You can get the NuBus or PCI cards ($500-$1000US) but you must also pay for access to the ATM line. MacUser 9610 €Ideas for Mac to PC communication Well, floppies. Try SCSI media. Zip drives offer guest programs so the driver can be installed (after startup!) on PCs or Macs. If the volume is formatted by the PC, the Mac can probably read it with the Easy Open extension. Use the internet. Use Ethernet, with either Timbuktu or FTP over TCP/IP (one will have to become an FTP server). Finally, modems. If they are physically present, use a null modem cable between them for top speed. MacUser 9610 €MacUser Shareware Awards Business & Productivity MacWeather - gets weather info off internet The DiskTools Collection TimeSlice - records your time & costs - Maui Software Utilities CopyPaste - 10 clipboards Aaron - Copland look ShrinkWrap - disk images Education SmartMove - good graphics. US Geography. HyperElements - Periodic Table MacVerter Metric Fonts & Publishing Font Box - searches volumes for font problems. Pay and it will clean them up. Dungeoneer Font - the fonts are map elements (e.g., door, wall) Jean Camil TrueType Font Graphics & MultiMedia GifBuilder - make animated GIFs FC Text-Picture - add PICT graphics to plain-text documents. MediaLink - port resources into electronic slides with links between slides Internet Fetch - FTP client NetPresenz - FTP server NonSequitur - Domain Name Server Networking & Telecomm FreePPP Black Night - Terminal program ZTerm - Terminal program Scripting & Development Frontier - now free!? Scripting frontend. Can use either AppleScript or Frontier language Fade XCMD FinderScripts 3 - Collection of Applescripts Home & Hobby Knot - creates 3D TIFF or animation knots. You set shape, colour, lighting. Gene - Genealogy [sic?] database prints in graphical trees & charts US Stamp Pro - Filemaker Pro template Games Escape Velocity - From Ambrosia (Maelstrom). Galactic trading. Role playing and reflex elements. Exile II - Dungeon exploration with good graphics Grizzly - Battle a bear in this arcade style game. MacUser 9610 €Recording Sound on PCI Macs The Sound control panel is replaced by the Monitors and Sound panel and the SimpleSound DA. The latter is used for recording. MacUser 9610 €Speed up Netscape Tips Store the cached pages on a Ram Disk of some sort. Select destination with Options Menu, Network Preferences item, Cache tab, browse button. AppDisk is suggested because it will save its contents. [ShrinkWrap will also save] MacUser 9610 Make sure disk cache (memory control panel) has 32k/mb of physical ram. Browsers are notorious for memory leaks (memory occupied by the application isn't freed when you quit. It can be regained with freeware Mac OS Purge, or MacUser's RamHandler. They may not work with OpenTransport 1.1, but will, with OT 1.1.1 [note that 1.1.2 is out] Increasing the buffer size to larger than 4k may eliminate "404 not found" errors especially for overloaded servers (Options:Network:Connections) If you get pages of gibberish, there is a problem with the MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension) which stores the type of the file. Either you haven't assigned an application to handle it (Options:General Preferences:Helpers) or the web server is giving you an incorrect MIME, in which case you should let them know. MacUser 9611 €Why Disk Doctor Complains If A File Starts with a Period If a file name starts with a period, it tells the MacOS that the file is a driver, potentially confusing it, potentially causing crashes and corruption. MacUser 9611 €Serial Cable Insight The normal serial cable crosses the wires. So, what goes in on the third pin might come out on the 5th, or something like that. That is why, if you are attempting to connect two computers directly together for modem transfers (e.g., Mac to another platform (if it was Mac to Mac, you would use the parallel port for network or direct connections), you need a special cable called a null-modem or 'straight through' cable. Beware. They look exactly the same excepting some fine print. Further, if you connect a normal cable to a serial switching box, you must use a 'straight through' cable from the mac to the box. MacUser 9611 €AOL Dumpfiles If you press command option D, it will create a dump file. There are two uses. First, it is the only way to stop when you have attempted to contact a host which is tied up. Second, bad people use it to steal passwords, since the dumpfile will include unencrypted passwords and names. MacUser 9611 €Netscape Easter Eggs Control option F takes you to the fish-cam page. Control Option W takes you to the White House page. MacUser 9611 €Reverse Black and White CloseView is a system extension whose primary purpose is to magnify the screen. But some people also prefer white on black for text. It will do that too. MacUser 9611 €Why MacUser Likes TexEdit $10 shareware. Multi-window styled text editor. Unlimited size (Simpletext limited to 32k). Can create SimpleText ReadOnly documents. Reformats including stripping non-mac characters and line sizing. Includes sound annotations. MacUser 9611 €FindFile Tips You probably know you can drag files out of the result windows and perform several other Finder commands on the displayed files. You can also drag and drop a file onto FindFile to quickly set search criteria. For instance, it is not convenient to find the file creator or type. But set FindFile to look for the desired attribute, then drag a file of the desired attribute onto it. Bring up several at once. You need the Finder Scripting Extension to use drag and drop. MacUser 9611 €Extension Manager Load Order Tip Extension Manager is the no-frills init management that comes with the System. [First, don't be nuts. Use Conflict Catcher or Now Startup Manager. The former is better loved. The latter comes with a database which can be updated each month with new information from Now Software.] Normally EM will load after things like Now Toolbox or SpeedDoubler stuff or RamDoubler stuff. Change its file type to "scri" and it will load before everything except RamDoubler. MacUser 9611 €Prices Dropping on 33.6 modems USRobotics $199US for Sportster Voice or $179US for Sportster. Supra $199US for FaxModem, $199US for PowerBook, and $139US for "Simple Internet". BestBuy $99US (only 28k) MacUser 9611 €Cache Switch Control Panel 68040 processors have a Cache Switch control panel. Other models have no use for it, though it will probably have been installed. It enables/disables the onboard cache. If you have freezes, turn it off. Older software had a hard time with it. The Memory control panel concerns a disk cache. It is unrelated. MacUser 9610 €Zapping PRAM problem Sometimes, after you zap the PRAM, your custom colour start up screen will be black and white and 'dotty'. To fix, open the monitors control panel, change the color depth, close, re-open, and change it back. MacUser 9610 €Internal SCSI usually faster Newer Apple models use SCSI-1 on the external chain and SCSI-2 (faster) on the internal. Apple's Network Server is apparently the only Apple model to date to use the SCSI Fast and Wide buses (faster yet). MacBinary Reminder Non-Macs can't read MacBinary [editor - probably your FTP software is set to automatically convert to MacBinary] MacUser 9610 €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 €OneClick - A Macro Utility [information from Steve Becker through TidBITS#350/21-Oct-96 2/2 Late last year, WestCode Software introduced OneClick OneClick consists of a single control panel that uses under 300K of RAM. After installing OneClick and restarting your Mac, you'll see a one-time, brief tutorial, as well as several Global palettes: the System Bar comes pre- configured with many useful buttons; the Task Bar displays buttons for each launched program; and the Launch Strip quickly opens anything that the Finder can open, including programs, files, and folders. OneClick also supports application-specific palettes that are only available when a particular program is active - including a pre-configured palette for the Finder as well as palettes for several popular applications (I particularly like the ones for ClarisWorks). You use the OneClick Editor to customize each of these palettes and to create more palettes - I'll talk more about that in a bit. Palette buttons cause programs to launch, files to open, or scripts to run. Each button shows an icon, or text - or both - that indicates its function, so you don't have to remember key combinations. (You may assign keyboard shortcuts to buttons if you wish.) If a button's function is not self-evident, OneClick thoughtfully provides either Balloon Help or a less-obtrusive, yellow, pop-up description tag. It's easy to toggle either help option, and you can also edit the help text - a thoughtful feature. Many OneClick buttons perform basic functions like Paste, Insert Date, Change Font (displays a pop-up list of available fonts in their actual typefaces - very neat), Change Font Size, Page Setup, Empty Trash, Make Alias, and Get Info. A small sampling of some of the more powerful buttons that come with the program includes Insert Character (like PopChar, this lets you select and quickly insert any character available in a given font), Glossary (create a glossary of commonly used bits of text and then quickly insert those bits; I use this button to create a signature glossary), Pop-up Hierarchical File List (shades of PopUp Folder), Pop-up Phone Book/Dialer, Pop-up Hierarchical List of files in the System Folder, Auto Save (at user specified time intervals), and Tile Windows. [Additionally, OneClick can use modules from Apple's Control Strip. -Tonya] OneClick also adds a OneClick menu to the menu bar, though you can also access this menu from any palette. The OneClick menu lets you quickly show and hide palettes and switch to the OneClick Editor. OneClick Editor can create a new palette for any program, or modify an existing palette. To add a button to a new palette, you simply drag it from the OneClick Library to the palette, or you drag it from an existing palette. An Undo option is not available. Palettes can be collapsed to a small icon or a small Title Bar. You can hide all palettes and can configure their location on the Desktop. There is a Record feature to make a button script for almost any action you perform including keystrokes, clicks, menu choices. OneClick records such actions not in terms of mouse movements, but in terms of what you did. OneClick Editor can edit the scripts and offers built-in help and error checking. You can use it to write scripts from scratch with either AppleScript or OneClick's own (easier) EasyScript [In addition, Matt Neuburg notes "OneClick's language is spectacularly well thought out and easy to learn, with splendid data types and object-oriented messaging and a full battery of control structures. OneClick can gather all sorts of information about what's happening on your system, in real time, and make it available in fascinating ways. A OneClick button is programmable - you can drag & drop things onto it, press it with or without modifier keys, and have it react in different ways; it can display a pop-up menu for you to choose from. OneClick has superb abilities for communicating with other scripting milieus." -Tonya] OneClick's Editor includes a basic graphics editor and the ability to borrow icons from other files. This, plus the ability to add text to a button's icon and create help text lets your buttons be self-descriptive. The WestCode and Button Circle Web sites include palettes for programs like Eudora, Photoshop, Netscape Navigator, Emailer, and AOL, as well as buttons that provide an almost unbelievable array of features, such as saving multiple text clippings, printing selected text on or across pages, creating notebooks or address books, displaying available memory, and pasting quoted text. Although most users report no or few problems with OneClick, I have encountered numerous bugs, most of which are fixed in the current 1.0.2 release. WestCode plans to release OneClick 1.5 later this year. Important enhancements center on more powerful Task Bar and Launcher palettes. A Task Bar button will display and launch recently used applications (think Apple Menu Options), and another Task Bar button will pop up the Launcher; especially useful should you keep the Launcher hidden. The new Launcher will be able to keep file sets, such as a separate Internet Applications set. The street price for OneClick is around $75, and QuicKeys users can purchase a competitive upgrade for about $40 (the exact price depends on what version you have). OneClick requires System 7.0 or higher, and a 68020 or later processor. WestCode Software -- 800/448-4250 -- 619/487-9200 619/487-9255 (fax) -- €Nisus Writer Turns 5 by Tonya Engst Nisus Writer's primary claim to fame is that its Power Mac version is among the first applications to act as an OpenDoc container. Nisus Writer also scores a first with its support of drag & drop for non-contiguous selections. The new version supports numerous Macintosh standards, including Internet Config, Apple Guide, AppleScript (Do Script and a modest Nisus Writer suite), robust drag & drop, Macintosh Easy Open, QuickDraw GX printing, and the Word Services suite for third-party utilities like spelling and grammar checkers. I'm particularly looking forward to checking out the changes in the HTML capabilities of the new version. Upgrades cost $89 if you want a printed manual; $69 if you use an Acrobat version of the manual. There's also a $10 discount if you upgrade by 22-Nov-96. Nisus Software -- 800/890-3030 -- 619/481-1477 619/481-6154 (fax) -- €ShrinkWrap 2.1 Chad Magendanz has released version 2.1 of his now-classic disk image utility ShrinkWrap, which corrects a few rare problems (including troubles mounting network images and using older versions Speed Access and the StuffIt Engine), along with some optimizations and performance tweaks. This release is notable in that it is the _last_ major release before ShrinkWrap becomes an Aladdin product. Beginning in 1997, ShrinkWrap will be available from Aladdin Systems (all commercial and shareware licences and registrations will be carried over), and its technology will be incorporated into products like StuffIt Expander and InstallerMaker. [GD] TidBITS#353/11-Nov-96 €Apple supports LDAP Apple announced it would be supporting LDAP, the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. LDAP has the support of numerous other large companies, and it mainly remains to be seen what form Apple's LDAP support will take beyond the existing maX.500 client program. Interestingly, the bulk of Apple's press release focuses on Apple's plans to support IMAP, Interactive Mail Access Protocol, a protocol for sending and receiving email on the Internet along the lines of the current standards, SMTP and POP. It will be interesting to see if this results in the next version of Apple Internet Mail Server supporting IMAP as well as SMTP and POP. TidBITS#353/11-Nov-96 €Tip for Thunder 7/SpellCatcher Careful manual readers will learn that to insert a Return in a glossary entry, you must press Option-J. TidBITS#353/11-Nov-96 €OnLine Army Knife Army Knife (OAK). OAK may have shipped by the time you read this, and it will offer universal spell checking, but take a more Internet-oriented approach and include a different mix of additional features. http://www.arielpub.com/OAK.HTML TidBITS#353/11-Nov-96 €Anarchie 2.0.1 Peter N Lewis has released version 2.0.1 of his popular FTP client Anarchie (2.0.1 fixes a minor bug with international character sets in the three-day-old 2.0). New features include the ability to upload and download entire folders, various user interface improvements (such as a kangaroo progress indicator), plus a Tips window to familiarize users with Anarchie's capabilities. Most significantly, Anarchie 2.0.1 sports a new MacSearch feature (developed in conjunction with Ambrosia Software) that quickly locates Macintosh files in the Info-Mac and UMich archives, now that Archie is a less-than-reliable service for finding files on the Internet. Anarchie is $10 shareware for new users, free for users who registered a previous version in 1996, and $5 for other previous users. The download is about 1 MB. TidBITS#353/11-Nov-96 €AetherWorks 43.2 Kbps Modem AetherWorks Corporation last week announced its first ready-for- market technology, a high-speed analog modem that will offer symmetrical 43.2 Kbps connections over an ordinary analog telephone line. The company plans to license its technology to an undisclosed array of modem manufacturers, with the first models expected by the middle of 1997. Though AetherWorks says its reference platform includes support for all current modem standards including v.34+ (33.6 Kbps) and backward compatibility for previous standards all the way down to 300 bps, it's not certain all manufacturers will be able to include support for uncommon protocols, such as AT&T's v.32terbo (19.2 Kbps, included in Global Village Mercury modems). Compression and error correction standards such as the MNP suite and v.42 and v.42bis are supported in current prototypes and should be handled by most, if not all, licensee modems. AetherWorks president and CEO Dr. Jonathan Sachs commented that the V.Mach technology performs especially well on noisy telephone lines, where some modem protocols fall down. He added that V.Mach performs at least as well as previous technologies all the way down the line quality spectrum. He says that recently announced asymmetrical 56 Kbps technologies require a digital local loop on one end of the connection and unusually high analog line quality, so these technologies will not be well-suited to most consumer and business applications where higher-speed technologies such as ISDN aren't appropriate. AetherWorks Corporation -- 888/552-3309 -- 888/552-3301 (fax) by Mark H. Anbinder TidBITS#354/18-Nov-96 €OT/PPP 1.0 Last week, Apple released Open Transport/PPP 1.0, its first in- house implementation of PPP, the first version anywhere to be Open Transport-native (rather than relying on mechanisms designed for MacTCP) and only the second PPP implementation to be supported officially by Apple. OT/PPP requires a 68030 processor or better and Open Transport 1.1.1 (also available from the URL above; see TidBITS-351_). Apple recommends using OT/PPP with System 7.5.3 or higher, although it can also be used with System 7.1.x. Even so, OT/PPP cannot be used with System 7.5, 7.5.1, or 7.5.2 - you can upgrade those versions to System 7.5.3 or 7.5.5 for free. You configure OT/PPP in the new Modem and PPP control panels OnLinehelp is available Like Open Transport's AppleTalk and TCP/IP control panels, the Modem and PPP control panels can switch between saved configurations without restarting the Mac. The PPP control panel has send and receive indicators and built-in logging. Sadly, it uses flexible but difficult modem scripts (called CCLs) rather than init strings to manage modems. Apple, Info-Mac, and other sources maintain archives of third-party CCL scripts, and Apple has an unsupported Modem Script Generator in the OT/PPP Extras package - it can help create CCL scripts, and contains some CCL documentation. OT/PPP is slightly faster than FreePPP 2.5 on my Supra 28.8 modem (usually between 50 to 100 bps faster during sustained transfers). This improvement might seem tiny, but remember the bottleneck is the sluggish pace of a modem. Users of ISDN terminal adapters and other higher speed PPP connections can expect bigger improvements. Also, because OT/PPP is Open Transport-native, the performance of applications developed specifically for Open Transport will improve. It takes an additional 500-600K of RAM, plus a little over 350K for the PPP control panel (if you leave it open). Considering that Open Transport itself requires 500-1500K of RAM, that's a lot of overhead, especially for Power Macs currently using MacTCP. OT/PPP is scriptable right out of the box. Although other PPP implementations are not, Mark Aldritt's Control PPP scripting addition gives some script control to MacPPP and FreePPP users. OT/PPP can co-exist with previous installations of MacPPP, FreePPP, and other PPP implementations quite happily. Reports so far indicate that OT/PPP can be more stable than FreePPP or MacPPP. TidBITS#354/18-Nov-96 €Insight into Tape Backup Just learned that VCRs and better tape BU systems spin the head. The magnetic part is all around a spinning cylinder in a spiral. It spins faster than the tape moves, so it can write to the whole height of the tape. €Microsoft Internet Updates Microsoft recently released two new Mac Internet programs: Internet Mail and News 1.0 and the first beta of Internet Explorer 3.0. Internet Mail and News, a separate application (based in part on John Norstad's NewsWatcher and Marco Piovanelli's WASTE text engine), replaces the email and Usenet news functionality in Internet Explorer. Although its interface barely departs from its Windows cousin and is no competition for mature programs like Eudora, Internet Mail and News is speedy and offers reasonable functionality, including a subject filter for newsgroups, drag & drop text editing, and easily-organized mail folders. The download is about 800K. Microsoft Internet Explorer for Macintosh 3.0b1 still lives in a relatively svelte 4 MB memory partition (although it hungrily consumes temporary memory in the system), and offers configurable toolbars, built-in video, audio, plus support for HTML 3.2 style sheets, Netscape plug-ins, and VRML (with QuickDraw 3D). Internet Explorer 3.0b1 also supports Java, using either Apple's MacOS Runtime for Java or (soon) the Microsoft Java VM developed jointly with Metrowerks (although using Java consumes another 4 MB of system memory). So far, reports of the beta's performance and behavior have varied widely. The download is about 5 MB. [GD] In a surprising move, Microsoft and ResNova announced that Microsoft has acquired ResNova's Web server products: the personal Web server WebForOne, and the full-featured Boulevard. Microsoft plans to release a beta version of WebForOne, renamed Personal Web Server. Personal Web Server will eventually be bundled with Microsoft Internet Explorer. Although this may seem unusual, it's a matter of parity, since Microsoft already has a free Windows 95 entrant, called Personal Web Server for Windows 95 (Microsoft's naming creativity astounds!). Microsoft claims it has no plans to release a full-featured Web server for the Mac. TidBITS#355/25-Nov-96 €Apple Offers Meta Content Format [The concept is a standardized way of summarizing information, for improved searching and linking] Apple has submitted MCF to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for consideration as an Internet standard for describing content, and I'm unaware of any similar counter-proposals. If the IETF does accept MCF as a standard, we can presume there will be a set of standard attributes for describing data (common things like "name", or "URL"; maybe a "description", or "creator", or other similar tags), but extra data can still be included. TidBITS#355/25-Nov-96 €Disable the CFM-68K Runtime Enabler If you use a Macintosh with a 68K processor, Apple is recommending that you disable the CFM-68K Runtime Enabler either by using an extensions manager or by removing it from your System Folder. Some applications that use the CFM-68K Runtime Enabler can crash your Macintosh, possibly causing data loss and other problems. This problem does _not_ affect Power Macs. The Code Fragment Manager (CFM) was originally developed for Power Macs and lets Power Mac applications use shared code libraries (trust me, they're neat). Later, Apple ported the CFM backwards to 68K machines to make it easier for developers build 68K versions of Power Mac applications. Those 68K applications are just now starting to appear, although plenty more are in development. However, Apple now admits to a problem with the 68K version of CFM, and it can't be used reliably in all cases. Though this bug doesn't impact every program that uses CFM-68K, there's no simple way to know which applications are affected. Programs using CFM- 68K include OpenDoc, Cyberdog, Apple Media Tool, LaserWriter 8.4 and 8.4.1, Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0b1, and the preview of AOL 3.0. If you use any of these programs, Apple recommends you revert to earlier versions or stop using them. If you disable the CFM-68K enabler and try to use one of these applications, you'll see an error, but no damage will be done. Apple is working on a fix, but there's no public timetable for when a solution might be available. [GD] [editor - I tried to disable this with my IIci and it simply refused to print with LW 8.4.1] TidBITS#356/02-Dec-96 €Soft Power Switched Macs [Most new macs have a keyboard button to start them or to initiate a shutdown. That is a problem if you want it to be always on, and there is a power failure. Somebody must come hit the key.] All soft-power Macs have a reset switch (originally in the back, although it's on the front of newer Macs). On older Macs with the rear-mounted reset switch (including the IIci and the 7100) the switch is notched, like a screw. To ensure that the Mac restarts when power returns, you used a screwdriver to turn the switch and press it in. Clean and simple, if not inherently obvious. But, with the newer, newer macs, that won't work. Since the Quadra 840AV, the switch no longer locks on soft-power Macs. Instead, it turns out, the trick is to use the Energy Saver control panel. If you open the control panel and choose Server Settings from the Preferences menu, you get a dialog that offers a checkbox for "Automatically restart after a power failure." Or there is another 3d party technique. PowerKey Pro, from Sophisticated Circuits, is an essential little device that (among many other things) can restart crashed servers automatically. If you're a developer writing server software, however, you don't have to be a slave to a machine's power switch. For many Macs, it's possible to write code to configure a machine to restart automatically after a power failure, in much the same way as the Energy Saver control panel. TidBITS#356/02-Dec-96 Actually, Energy Saver 2.0 works with all PCI Power Macs (and possibly some late-model NuBus Power Macs). Auto Power On/Off works with most soft-power 68K Macs since the IIsi (those that have the "Cuda" ADB controller chip), and all soft-power NuBus Power Macs. It might also work with PCI Power Macs, but has been superseded by Energy Saver 2.0. Apple has a Tech Info Library posting that lists the compatibility possibilities for all Macs. Although it seems Energy Saver 2.0 is always installed on PCI Power Macs, Auto Power On/Off is not always installed on older Macs that could use it (especially various Performa models) to avoid butting heads with the MegaPhone software that lets some Performas work as an answering machine. It's not clear when Auto Power On/Off first appeared - it's in System 7.5, and we received reports it was also in System 7 Pro. Even weirder, it appears Power Computing doesn't include Energy Saver 2.0 on their System Software CDs - you must get it from an Apple CD. Dave Warker** offers an alternate solution: Apple recently released a short tech note covering Server Power mode. It seemed like just the thing for our FirstClass BBS, so I wrote a small extension called ServerPower that turns on this mode if it's available on that particular Mac model. It works fine on the IIvx and on my Power Mac 7500, but doesn't work on my aging IIfx. TidBITS#357/09-Dec-96 €Adobe PageMill 2.0 Adobe's minimum requirements for PageMill 2.0 call for any Macintosh with 8 MB total RAM (with at least 4 MB allocated to PageMill), System 7.1, and a color monitor. The program lists for $149, Adobe's estimated street price is $99, and the company offers a $49 upgrade from 1.0, a $69 deal to owners of other Adobe products, and a $79 crossgrade for owners of some competing products. Adobe added an HTML Source view. Adobe has almost completely crippled HTML Source view for those wish to work directly with HTML - almost all the menus and buttons for creating a Web page are disabled. A new Download Statistics dialog box shows how long a given Web page, selected object (such as a graphic or table), or frameset should take to download over a variety of connection speeds. PageMill is unique in supporting some (and perhaps most) Netscape plug-ins. PageMill has terrific tables by today's standards for an HTML editor You can create multiple and nested frames In Preview mode, you can follow links you've set up and display different pages in the frameset. When you switch back to Edit mode, the pages that were displaying in Preview mode can be edited. PageMill 2.0 can import PICT, GIF or JPEG images and manipulate them to some degree. The background image will display in Edit and Preview mode. There are options to help create server-side maps. PageMill still makes no effort to help with creating CGIs, programs that can receive and process form data, Still only permits one form per page. PageMill does help with creating a form interface. PageMill has no macros and supports only core Apple Events. The find and replace feature is too simplistic for even a light wildcard search, though it does implement whole word searching and wrapping, features that are surprisingly rare among PageMill's competition. The find and replace has one unusual feature: it can be restricted to act solely within tables and forms. PageMill's spelling checker is only for final checks. The manual makes no mention of how to use user dictionaries from other programs or how one might create a dictionary from a text file. Cyberian Outpost is offering a $4 discount to TidBITS readers who purchase PageMill through this URL: Adobe Systems -- 800/411-8657 -- 408/536-6000 TidBITS#356/02-Dec-96 €RealAudio 3.0 Progressive Networks has released Real Audio Player and Real Audio Player Plus 3.0. The RealAudio Player is free for individual use, and provides improved audio quality and stereo streamed audio over 28.8 Kbps modems, while the $30 commercial Player Plus features improved playback via buffering (even on slow or flaky connections) and a "record" mode for offline listening. The free Real Audio Player is about 1 MB and requires a 68040 or better processor; Player Plus requires a Power Mac. [GD] TidBITS#357/09-Dec-96 €Beta MPEG for QuickTime 2.5 Apple has released a beta extension to QuickTime that provides software-only MPEG support on Power Macs. The extension provides a separate track for MPEG I streams, and though you can't save MPEG tracks, you can play MPEG video in a Web browser using QuickTime plug-ins. [GD] TidBITS#357/09-Dec-96 €Quicken 7 Arrives For an overview of the basic Quicken feature set, please refer to the detailed review of Quicken 6 in TidBITS-299_.) As with Quicken 6 (Q6), two versions of the program are available: Quicken and Quicken Deluxe. Both versions include account tracking, reports and graphics, and features for tracking investments, budgets, and loans, as well as online banking and bill payment features. In addition, Quicken Deluxe (available only on CD-ROM) features planners for retirement and debt reduction, plus home inventory management, a free 30-day introduction to Investor Insight, and a Mutual Fund Finder database. 7.0 offers a radically new user interface. This is in large part a result of Intuit incorporating a runtime version of WestCode's excellent OneClick Shortcut Technology. Q7 provides a nice library with several dozen additional buttons. Buttons can be Option-dragged to new locations New live display of the check number as you use the scroll bar Pop-up menus for assigning categories to transactions Sorting by date or check number Additional options for quickly manipulating data entry in transactions involving splits. Many of the significant new features in Q7 involve the Investment Module. For starters, Quicken now provides built-in support for handling lots! The Detail View has been expanded to include a tabbed window which quickly enables you to customize the Detail View's graph, as well as view other data related to your securities. When downloading either a price history or news stories - using the optional Investor Insight (Deluxe version only) - the information automatically updates your records and can be displayed in the Detail View. Immediately after the download, a window appears showing the change in value for the downloaded positions since the last price update. You can also set high and low price alerts. The list of reports and report filters and graphs has been further enhanced in Q7. Intuit continues to increase Quicken's online banking features. Though I have not tested these, Intuit says bill payments can be made online with any U.S. checking account, single-call access to bank statements, money transfers and bill payments, and automatic archiving of historical bank statement data. I found Q7 to be noticeably faster than Q6 when running reports and bringing up the Portfolio Window. It has many major and minor bugs. If you don't use Q7's Investment Module, many of my concerns about Quicken will not affect you. If you do use that part of the program, the next Quicken update should fix some of the most serious bugs. Quicken 7 requires a 68030 processor or better, System 7 or higher, 6 to 8 MB of RAM, 9 to 18 MB of hard disk space, and a 640 by 480 monitor capable of displaying at least 256 colors. Intuit, Inc. -- 800/624-8742 -- 415/944-6000 Steve Becker TidBITS#359/16-Dec-96 €Sorry, that¹s all the time I have. 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/