San Francisco - From wireless modems to 600-dpi laser printers, last week's Macworld Expo gave the power hungry something to chew on.
Braving the rain, upward of 50,000 people streamed into Moscone Center here over four days last week to see a range of products that reflected the sprawling reach of the Macintosh.
> Teleconferencing. Attendees had plenty of ways to participate in video teleconferences, including Northern Telecom Inc.'s Visit Video, Compression Labs Inc.'s Cameo Personal Video System, ShareVision Technology Inc.'s ShareView Plus and NUTS Technologies Ltd.'s Hello 918.
For many show goers, the remote screen-sharing feature of these systems drew more interest than the flashy videoconferencing windows. "I think collaborative computing is a very big deal," said Thomas Cullen, manager of partnering at Radish Communications Systems Inc., a telecommunications company in Boulder, Colo. "The applications are tremendous, such as long-distance learning and R&D."
> Wireless. Also on the cutting-edge communications front was wireless technology.
"My lobbyist clients can't be on the ground searching for a phone jack," said Gary Bolin, owner of Macenterprises in Little Rock, Ark. "They need specific database information about legislators, like what their favorite whiskey is, instantly." Bolin said Motorola Inc.'s $1,350 wireless InfoTAC modem along with RadioMail Corp.'s forthcoming PowerBook interface software would be "just the ticket." Operating at 800-MHz radio frequency, the modem will let users send and receive data at 4,800 bps or use a second mode to connect to Motorola and IBM Corp.'s Ardis network for messaging services.
> Network management. Show goers looking to tame burgeoning networks had several new network-management tools to choose from, including Dayna Communications Inc.'s Network Vital Signs with new support for routers; and Caravelle Networks Corp.'s NetWorks network monitoring and alert software with new support for SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) and Novell IPX (Internetwork Package Exchange) protocols.
> Cross platform. "The more files I can move from one platform to another, the happier a camper I'll be," said show goer Ed Sox, representative at Esco Associates Inc., a Sunnyvale, Calif., electronic sales company.
Users like Sox got an eyeful of cross-platform products. Echo Logic showed the Finder, HyperCard and WordPerfect running on an IBM RS/6000 workstation. Some visitors to the Apple booth did a double take when they saw a Compaq 486 33M PC running Ofoto for Windows. It was printing to a LaserWriter Pro, of course. Claris Corp.'s booth had a Dell 486 machine powering ClarisWorks for Windows. Claris also showcased FileMaker Pro for Windows. The ultimate platform blender was Insignia Solutions Inc., which showed SoftPC for Windows running on a number of workstations, including an SGI Iris Indigo as well as a Quadra 950.
> Photo CD. Eastman Kodak Co.'s booth featured a suite of Photo CD consumer devices and Mac photo-manipulation and cataloging software; third parties such as SuperMac Technology also had a lot of Photo CD products.
"Photo CD is an easy way for me to get photos digitized," said Marvin Van Dilla, photographer and president of ImageFlo Productions in Berkeley, Calif. "I can then bring them up in Photoshop, retouch them, manipulate them and output the photos to whatever I like, usually 35mm slides."
> System software. Apple once again staged a system-software showcase. This time there were no major breakthroughs, but the number of third parties with actual products based on upcoming system extensions had grown appreciably since the last expo showcase. Particularly noticeable were the range of tools for AppleScript, including WindowScript with AppleScript, an interface-builder tool from Heizer Software, and Main Event's Scripter script editor and debuggers.
MacWEEK 01.11.93
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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News: New Quadras to throw fast curves at high end
By Andrew Gore
San Francisco - One slogan for Apple's new line of low-cost, high-
performance 68040-based systems could be "dangerous curves ahead."
Two of the three new '040 models expected to debut Feb. 10 at Macworld Expo in Tokyo - the Quadra 800 and the Centris 610 - will bring a face lift to Apple's mainstream offerings for business, sources said. Each will come in newly designed cases that reflect Apple's new curvaceous design philosophy: The company has stated publicly that it would be adding curves to all future designs.
The other new model, the Centris 650, will come in the same case as the Mac IIvx.
> Quadra 800. Apple's new "mini-tower" reportedly will deliver slightly better performance than a Quadra 950. The system features a 33-MHz '040, three NuBus slots and one processor direct slot. It will have a floppy drive and space for a removable-media drive plus up to three 3.5-inch hard drives.
The new Quadra, sources said, will come with 8 Mbytes of RAM, expandable to 136 Mbytes, and built-in Ethernet. An 8/230 configuration is expected to list for about $4,700.
> Centris 650. Although it looks like a IIvx, the similarity ends once you get past the Centris 650's metal skin, sources said.
The machine, in its standard configuration, will feature a 25-MHz 68LC040, a version of the '040 lacking the full '040's built-in FPU (floating-point unit). The system reportedly will have three NuBus slots, one PDS, built-in Ethernet and 4 Mbytes of RAM, expandable to 136 Mbytes. Users will have the option of ordering the 650 with the full '040, sources said.
A 650 4/230 configuration should retail for about $2,900. Apple is expected to offer a logic board upgrade for IIvx owners.
> Centris 610. Apple's lowest-cost '040 system will sport a 20-MHz 68LC40. It will have only one NuBus slot, capable of accommodating only a 7-inch NuBus card, sources said. The machine reportedly will cost a miserly $1,900 for a 4/80 configuration. Ethernet will be available as an option, and RAM can be expanded up to 68 Mbytes.
All three of the new systems will be offered with an optional internal CD-ROM drive. All three incorporate the Quadra 950's fast SCSI controller, although they will have only a single SCSI bus. All three will display eight-bit color on monitors up to 21 inches, sources said.
MacWEEK 01.11.93
News Page 1
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News: Apple's Heinen goes to Microsoft
Top Mac OS executive to head database unit
By Lisa Picarille and Henry Norr
Cupertino, Calif. - Roger Heinen, the man who may know more than anyone else on earth about Apple's software plans, last week defected to the company's operating system archrival, Microsoft Corp.
Heinen until last Monday was senior vice president and general manager of Apple's Macintosh Software Architecture Division, which encompasses both system-software development and developer tools and support. Starting Feb. 1 he will become vice president of database and development tools at Microsoft's Redmond, Wash., headquarters.
Michael H. Spindler, Apple president and chief operating officer, will act as general manager of MSAD until a replacement is named, the company said.
The move, which both Apple insiders and industry analysts described as a "total surprise," came just three days before Heinen was to give a keynote speech at Macworld Expo in San Francisco. Kirk Loevner, who as vice president of the Apple Developer Group had reported to Heinen, filled in at the podium.
Heinen offered no explanation for his decision and was not available for comment, but surprised associates said his move was apparently based on several factors, including a fondness for the Northwest where he had previously lived for more than a decade and an "incredible offer" from Microsoft.
Heinen, who joined Apple in 1990 after 17 years at Digital Equipment Corp., was instrumental in launching System 7 and QuickTime and has been guiding the development of other key projects, including an array of system extensions due this year and a new version of the Mac operating system for the PowerPC-based Macs expected in early 1994.
Apple officials downplayed the effect Heinen's departure would have on the company. "Of course this was a surprise, and we will miss Roger, but he has been doing strategy for the last year and now we are in execution mode," said Charlie Oppenheimer, Apple director of Macintosh system software marketing. Spindler reportedly held a series of meetings with system-software engineering teams to reassure them that he plans no drastic changes in direction.
But several insiders acknowledged that Heinen's vast knowledge of Apple's future direction will be a tactical advantage for Microsoft.
Some observers said third-party Mac developers also have reason to worry.
"This guy was a liaison to Symantec [Corp.] on Bedrock, worked with Borland [International Inc.] on its object-exchange technology and worked with Taligent [Inc.] to hand over the Pink operating system technology, so I think some ISVs (independent software vendors) may have genuine concerns," one source said.
Some observers said Heinen's move appears to be a step down - going from keeper of Apple's crown jewels to just one of five division managers who report to Mike Maples, Microsoft executive vice president of the worldwide products group.
Others said Heinen's new position will be much more strategic and Microsoft's hidden agenda may go beyond the obvious - challenging database giant Borland on the strength of two new products, Access and the recently acquired FoxPro - to fully integrating database functionality into forthcoming multi-user, multitasking operating systems.
MacWEEK 01.11.93
News Page 1
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News: ColorSync opens Pandora's box
By Matthew Rothenberg
San Francisco - At its Macworld Expo rollout of imaging products last week, Apple unveiled hardware and software to standardize Mac color matching. But industry sources said some gaps remain in the picture.
The company unveiled the Apple Color Printer, a $2,349 inkjet device, and the Apple Color OneScanner, a $1,349 one-pass flatbed model. It also introduced the LaserWriter Pro 630 and 600, 600-dpi laser printers priced at $2,529 and $2,099, respectively, and the $359 StyleWriter II, a faster version of its QuickDraw inkjet printer (see MacWEEK, Jan. 4).
In addition, the company officially introduced ColorSync, its new system extension for device-independent color matching, which is available with Apple's new color devices and a variety of third-party color software and hardware.
ColorSync consists of several different elements: default color-matching algorithms; device profiles for color peripherals; and system-level "plumbing" that links color matching to applications. It also provides hooks so developers can replace the Apple algorithms with their own higher-end color-matching systems.
According to Duane Schulz, Apple director of imaging product marketing, the ColorSync software will be the main selling point for both the color printer and scanner. ColorSync "is where we put our effort" in developing the color printer, Schulz said. Apple "didn't do [its] traditional industrial design job or anything like that" to create the printer.
Indeed, most observers said the new Apple hardware offers little innovation. In particular, many questioned the printer's lack of PostScript or a processor; furthermore, the device is limited to a SCSI port (not a serial interface, as previously described in MacWEEK). Other users expressed reservations about the printer's output quality, citing color banding created by the print head.
A large number of third-party developers announced support for ColorSync. But they and even some Apple officials acknowledged limitations of the current version of the extension.
Although ColorSync lets users apply color matching at the system level, there is no single color standard that would allow users to move files between multiple color-correction systems while maintaining color fidelity. For example, a ColorSync-equipped Mac using Electronics for Imaging Inc.'s EfiColor software might have problems interpreting color corrections made with Light Source Inc.'s Ofoto application.
Furthermore, the software cannot prevent files corrected with one application from being corrected again with another program; such double correction produces poor results.
Christopher Pearson, principal software engineer with KEPS Inc. of Billerica, Mass., said nonprofessional users of ColorSync "will have a hard time" avoiding such pitfalls. KEPS has added ColorSync support to the latest version of KEPS Precision Color Management System, its high-
end color-matching software. Apple is "asking [general color users] to do a lot of work themselves, keeping track of where files came from and where they're going," Pearson said.
Furthermore, Pearson said, high-end users will be frustrated by ColorSync's lack of support for CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color correction; the current version supports only RGB (red, green, blue) or CIE-XYZ color, and users who want four-color output must export files via custom drivers.
Schulz agreed that Apple needs to address these issues in a future version of ColorSync, and that it would have to take a leading role in coordinating color standards among third-party developers. In its initial release, Apple "wanted to put a stake in the ground by providing the plumbing system as well as basic color management. Now we're going to have to see what people do with it."
MacWEEK 01.11.93
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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News: Apple's Startup utility for diskless Macs
By Robert Hess
San Francisco - While many vendors here at Macworld Expo tried to convince users to buy more gadgets for their Macs, Apple was making another suggestion off the show floor: Get rid of your hard disk and let the network be your guide.
Using Network Startup for Macintosh, a utility under development at Apple, system administrators can create System-folder images from which diskless Macintoshes on the network can start up.
"We're trying to facilitate the management of Mac networks," said Dan Torres, Apple system-software networking product manager. A standard system from which all Macs start up considerably enhances security, Torres said, making it easier for administrators to maintain a consistent and virus-free operating system.
Torres demonstrated the technology by restarting a specially configured Mac IIsi without a hard disk or floppy drives. The Mac reached over the network and connected to another Mac running the Network Startup Server software, which dispatched a complete System-folder image. The usual "happy Mac" icon, absent a mouth, indicated the process was under way.
When the IIsi had finished downloading the disk image to a 2-Mbyte RAM disk, it completed the smile and started up normally from the system now in RAM.
Apple has yet to incorporate the technology in a product, so a price and ship date are not set.
Sonic Systems Inc. also implemented network booting in The Diskless Mac, which shipped last year. But Apple's system will work on any AppleTalk network, not just the Internet Protocol networks Sonic supports, Torres said.
Torres said the primary markets for Network Startup are educational and business sites where exactly or nearly identical copies of system software are used.
An administrator will be able to create multiple system images to meet the needs of a variety of users. Torres said preference files could permit users to load their designated system when logging on from any Mac on the network.
To reduce network traffic at sites where a large number of Macs are simultaneously started up, the Network Startup Server could broadcast system software publicly. Macs starting up then could listen to the network and retrieve the software; if they start listening after a broadcast has begun, they simply wait until it begins again. As a result, an entire classroom of Macs could start up at once without each Mac waiting in line for its system.
The Mac Classic and more-recent models already include the ROM code necessary to start up from a Network Startup Server once a system extension similar to the Startup Disk control panel enables the function. Older CPUs may be able to use Network Startup by beginning the start-up process from a special floppy disk, looking to a specially configured network interface card or loading start-up code from an external SCSI device.
MacWEEK 01.11.93
News Page 1
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Gateways: Mac DataClub upgraded; DOS version planned
By April Streeter
Provo, Utah - Novell Inc. is planning Windows, DOS and Unix versions of DataClub, the virtual-server software for Macintosh networks that it purchased last year with the goal of providing connectivity for small cross-platform workgroups.
While Novell develops the new versions - which may come as early as this year - the company later this quarter will demonstrate its commitment to current DataClub users by releasing a minor upgrade.
DataClub is available in a $795, 10-user, Classic version and a $1,395, 50-user Elite package. Both products distribute server functions and files to multiple Macs on AppleTalk networks. The Elite version also lets a network administrator use any Mac as a dedicated server.
Although Novell did not add any new features to DataClub 3.0, Matthew Bogumill, beta-program manager, said users may see some performance boosts from the streamlining of many of the software's code algorithms.
When Novell bought DataClub last year from International Business Software Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif., some users were afraid the product would be abandoned or subsumed by Novell's flagship product, NetWare.
"We use [DataClub] as a higher-performance replacement to AppleShare," said Jim Matthews, senior programmer in computing services at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., and a Version 3.0 beta tester. "I get the impression that if we want even higher performance, which we do, it would have to be NetWare, which we don't want."
Steve Nelson, Novell Macintosh product manager, said the company is positioning DataClub for smaller heterogenous workgroups, a strategy that will be aided by the introduction of DOS, Windows and Unix versions. "It's true NetWare and DataClub are heading down a common path, but they won't merge in '93," Nelson said.
Instead, Nelson reiterated the company's plan to keep adding to DataClub, one example of which is incorporating the ability to add remote and mobile users.
Upgrade pricing for Version 3.0 has not been set.
Novell Inc. is at 122 East 1700 South, Provo, Utah 84606. Phone (801) 429-7000 or (800) 638-9273; fax (801) 429-5555.
MacWEEK 01.11.93
Gateways Page 28
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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GA: Quark delivers newspaper system
Database tracks files for XPress publishers
By Carolyn Said
Denver - Quark Inc. has delivered an open-architecture, Mac-based newspaper publishing system designed to replace proprietary hardware solutions.
Quark Publishing System (QPS) integrates QuarkXPress, the company's $895 desktop publishing program, with editorial-management and text-editing software.
"QPS lets us track pages and control text on the pages, and it does it for a more reasonable cost than hardware-intensive proprietary systems," said Rob Perschau, newsroom systems manager at the Kansas City (Mo.) Star. Perschau said the Star, which beta tested QPS for its "soft" news pages, plans to install the system over the next few months.
Carol Hartman, graphics system manager at the Christian Science Publishing Society in Boston, which publishes the Christian Science Monitor, said, "We really like the seamless integration with XPress.
"Without QPS, after we edit stories in Atex and send them to Quark, we can't make any more changes," Hartman said. "With QPS, an editor can change copy after the story is laid out; the system will notify the layout person and let that person automatically update the story."
QPS, which runs over an AFP (AppleTalk Filing Protocol)-compatible network, comprises:
> QuarkDispatch, a server-resident database that tracks files created by users of the system. It comes with DispatchAdministrator, an application that lets system managers configure workgroups, sections and user privileges for QPS; DispatchPlanner, a spreadsheet that lets users assign layouts, articles and other page elements to workgroup members and track the files' progress through production; and DispatchFileManager, an application that lets users search, delete and archive Dispatch files and revisions.
> QuarkCopyDesk, a word processing and editing application that lets writers and editors create and modify articles, then file them in the Dispatch database where they are accessible to other QPS users. Besides offering standard word processing features, CopyDesk lets users annotate text with notes; view word, character and line counts for exact copyfitting; and display and edit articles exactly as they will appear in XPress pages. A query feature lets users search the Dispatch database for articles by name, subject, author or other criteria.
> QuarkDispatch XTension, an add-on software module, adds a Dispatch menu to the standard XPress program. The menu lets users perform searches and check XPress layouts, CopyDesk articles, and other page elements in and out of the system.
> Third-party solutions can be linked to QPS via XTensions or QuarkConnect, a forthcoming application that will provide an interface for other applications to communicate with the Dispatch server. Pricing of QuarkConnect has not been set. Quark said one of these two approaches will be used to link graphics with QPS; currently, the system does not track artwork. Other software, such as wire-service capture programs, also could be integrated into QPS.
QPS pricing depends on configuration but begins at $20,000 for a 10-user setup, including Dispatch, CopyDesk and the Dispatch XTension, but not XPress.
Quark, which shipped a Windows version of XPress last month, said it also plans to release QPS for Windows at an undetermined date.
Quark Inc. is at 1800 Grant St., Denver, Colo. 80203. Phone (303) 894-
8888; fax (303) 894-3399.
MacWEEK 01.11.93
GA Page 34
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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BusinessWatch: Agency to reconsider active-matrix tariff
By Lisa Picarille
Washington - A federal court's decision last month asked a government agency to reconsider hefty tariffs on imported active-matrix displays.
Seen by industry observers as an interim victory for U.S. laptop makers, the court's decision said a controversial September 1991 ruling by the International Trade Commission imposing tariffs of up to 62.7 percent on imported flat-panel displays was based on a "misreading" of the law.
That ITC ruling came under heavy pressure from U.S. screen makers, who claimed Japanese companies were dumping the displays in the United States at unfairly low prices.
The ITC and the U.S. Department of Commerce are expected to make additional rulings on the tariff, which is still in effect.
The tariff has been vehemently opposed by U.S. computer makers, several of which have moved production of models with active-matrix displays overseas to avoid the tariff since screens built into assembled laptop and notebook systems are not subject to the duty. Apple, for example, builds its PowerBook 180 model offshore.
U.S. computer makers also argued that domestic screen manufacturers have yet to produce a commercially viable active-matrix display.
To date, only OIS Optical Imaging Systems Inc. of Troy, Mich., makes high-end screens.
However, in November OIS did an about-face and asked the U.S. Department of Commerce to cancel the tariff (see MacWEEK, Nov. 23, 1992).
MacWEEK 01.11.93
BusinessWatch Page 40
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Review: Sync or swim; file synchronization apps
MacWEEK examines programs from Inline Design, Qdea, Xanatech and Leader Technologies.
By R. Bradley Andrews
File synchronization has become a critical issue with the proliferation of the PowerBooks and telecommuters.
Frequent travelers, such as salespeople, as well as those who just need to take their work home for the evening, need to copy a file from one machine, modify it, then replace the original with the changed version.
Though it is possible to reconcile files with the Finder, or by scripting with programs such as UserLand Software Inc.'s Frontier, four vendors now offer programs specifically designed for this task: Update!, $49 from Qdea; PowerMerge, $129 from Leader Technologies Inc.; Inline Sync, $129 from Inline Design; and ShuttlePilot, $98.88 ($59 until Jan. 31) from Xanatech Inc.
In addition, two other products offer synchronization as a major component of their feature sets: Magnet, $129.95 from No Hands Software, and Norton Essentials for PowerBook, $129 from Symantec Corp.
Things in common. All these packages share some features: File comparison is limited to folders that can be mounted simultaneously on a single Macintosh. The simplest way to get both the original and target folders to appear on the same machine is with AppleShare or System 7's file sharing. Removable media also can be used to transfer a reference version of the folder structure between unconnected machines, but this often can be a problem with large folders.
All folders beneath the main folder must be identically named. If the name of a subfolder is changed on one system and not the other, the synchronization process will create a copy of both folders on each machine, leading to duplicate data. ShuttlePilot works only on folder pairs, not entire folder trees and, therefore, has the dubious distinction of avoiding this problem.
One problem that can occur with synchronization is file collision, which happens when you've changed two versions of the same file in both folders or have two different types of files with identical names. File collisions can cause these programs to overwrite older versions and destroy data. Most of these programs warn you prior to overwriting such files or will even copy both versions to both folders.
Synchronizing files implies overwriting one version of a file with another, and this is an area fraught with danger. For example, files frequently accessed by multiple users off a server are not good candidates for synchronization. In general, careful organization and frequent synchronization will minimize the chances of lost data.
Getting updated. Qdea's Update! assigns each folder its own Settings file that specifies which items to synchronize and any options associated with the folder's files. It can be set to complete most tasks in the background.
Update! includes a complete set of Include and Exclude filters that determine which files will be copied when the synchronization is run. Like many backup programs, Update! has an optional setting that automatically verifies files when copied. This may be necessary when you are using floppy disks, for example, but it adds to the time required to complete the process.
Prior to an interactive synchronization with Update!, detailed information about the files that will be moved and the direction they will be moved is presented to the user. Only files that meet preset filter conditions are shown, and you can remove any files from this list.
One strange "feature" we noticed was that the synchronization progress window stays on the screen, forcing you to click on its close box. Update! also simply ignores file collisions and completely replaces the older file with the newer one, which will make many users nervous.
Several nice options round out the package: One folder in a pair can be designated as a Master, which causes the other folder to always look exactly like the Master after synchronization; and actions such as ejecting a disk or shutting down your Macintosh also can be automatically performed when a synchronization is complete.
Update!'s manual covers all the necessary information needed to run the program, including a small but very useful troubleshooting section that discusses common problems.
The urge to merge. PowerMerge from Leader Technologies also focuses exclusively on the synchronization task. Its automatic scheduling capability is limited to synchronizing upon program start-up. The program has the most detailed interface of the programs tested.
PowerMerge creates a separate settings file for each folder to synchronize. It scans selected folders and presents you with a list of all the files and folders that will be moved. Although it displays quite a bit of information on this view, the view is not crowded and is easy to read and follow once you familiarize yourself with the meaning of PowerMerge's many icons.
The left side of the window shows the folders being compared and how many files in each will be copied. Selecting a folder in this list shows the contents of that folder on the right side of the window, along with file information.
In addition to basic filters, which are similar to those described in the other packages, PowerMerge allows the user to individually set which folders and files will move. These settings are remembered from session to session and provide a great deal of flexibility.
The status of each file and folder is indicated graphically and can be changed by double-clicking on it in the list.
PowerMerge has a good strategy for avoiding file collisions: Potential collisions are specially marked, and you can cycle through them automatically by repeatedly clicking on the Collision icon. You can then either prevent the move of marked files or jump to the desktop and manually copy the older file out of the way.
PowerMerge can be set to keep a text log of synchronization activity for a single event, a day or in a cumulative record.
PowerMerge includes a good manual, integrated help and a useful HyperCard stack tutorial.
Matching those disks. Inline Sync from Inline Design is geared to synchronize entire disks. Instead of using a separate settings file for each folder pair, Inline Sync stores setting information for pairs of mounted volumes, which are any fixed or removable disks that appear on the desktop.
Selecting a specific disk pair for the first time creates a settings file that is stored in the program itself. Options to automatically tie together any or all files also are available.
A display showing the disk pair, several available options and a directory of one of the disk's contents then is shown in the main window. The file list is almost identical to that used in the System 7 desktop. Information about file linkage and movement also is displayed along the left side of the directory list.
You can run synchronization either manually or at scheduled intervals. Scheduled synchronization is controlled by the Inline Sync extension, which the program installs automatically when you select an automatic synchronization. The schedules are very flexible and can be set to occur at a set time or after a specific amount of inactivity in the system.
Several configuration options are available that range from default display parameters to what to do with files that have been modified on both machines.
A rather unique part of Inline Sync is its included scripting language. While this is beyond the needs of most users, it is a nice alternative. The manual does a good job of explaining the basics of the script language and, in general, how to use the rest of the program.
Inline Sync also has built-in recognition for different time zones on the same network, useful for those who work in different parts of the world.
Shuttling files. ShuttlePilot from Xanatech takes a different approach to synchronization than the other products reviewed here. Instead of matching directory trees, or even entire disks, it just matches the files found in each of the folder pairs listed within the current configuration file. Although any number of folder pairs can be selected, this must be done explicitly. ShuttlePilot then stores the identification numbers for each folder so they will remain connected even if one or both are renamed.
While this is a lot of extra trouble and can take a while to set up large tree structures, it prevents folders that were accidentally dropped into the transfer folder from being automatically copied over during a synchronization. Xanatech plans to add support for nested folders in a future release.
The main screen is laid out vertically according to function. Different option controls are placed along the top, and a list of matching folders takes up the middle third, with a check mark between those pairs that need synchronization. The bottom of the window contains a list of the files that will be moved from the currently selected directory, showing the direction of the move. Clicking on this direction indicator initiates the transfer.
As with PowerMerge, ShuttlePilot specially marks files that have changed in both folders, but ShuttlePilot prompts you for explicit instructions on how to proceed, something lacking in the other packages.
ShuttlePilot's automatic capabilities are limited to performing synchronization when a removable disk containing one or more of the folders in the list is inserted. After a preset number of beeps, it performs the synchronization and ejects the disk when it is complete. You can set the maximum size of a removable disk to prevent ShuttlePilot from trying to eject hard disks by mistake, which is another odd feature in the program.
ShuttlePilot automatically warns you about files in the selected folders that have "unreasonable" dates, such as dates before the introduction of the Macintosh. The manual explains the basic functionality of the program and includes a quick-start section.
Conclusions. File synchronization certainly has a way to go until it can be quietly ignored in the background. Each package covered here does a reasonable job, but the process itself can be difficult and somewhat tedious, and none of the publishers has quite covered all of the potential pitfalls. Even with some safeguards, automatic synchronization risks causing major havoc if not handled properly.
Inline Sync manages to pull slightly ahead of the pack with its wide range of features and support for both interactive and background synchronization. PowerMerge comes a close second. Its automated features are relatively limited, but its interface packs a lot of information in a limited amount of space.
Update! is a good low-end choice for those who require only basic functionality.
ShuttlePilot, meanwhile, needs work. Explicitly choosing each folder pair can be cumbersome, although its warning feature for files modified on both machines is useful when manually synchronizing.
The package you choose will depend largely on how often you intend to use it and how much flexibility and control you need.
Score Card: File-synchronization software
Four new products offer synchronization of files between two Macs. These programs, while spurred largely by the popularity of the PowerBooks, are by no means exclusive to the portable crowd.
> Inline Sync from Inline Design handles the complete spectrum of file synchronization. It takes longer to start up because it reads the entire directory structure of each mounted volume, but this slight delay is overcome by its full range of features.
> PowerMerge from Leader Technologies Inc. offers simplified automatic execution and the simplest interface of the lot. It is most effective when used interactively and has many features that help users understand and control file transfer.
> ShuttlePilot from Xanatech Inc. has a good interface, but its inability to synchronize nested folders means you must select each folder pair you want synchronized, which can be extremely annoying. The company plans a version that will rectify this problem, which should increase its value.
> Update! from Qdea is the low-budget choice of the group. It has some automation capabilities, although it also provides reasonable interactive control. The manual is necessary reading and reveals many features hidden beneath the program's surface. It has the least-flexible file-collision features of the group, which will leave it out of contention for many users.
Inline
Sync PowerMerge ShuttlePilot Update!
Overall value **** **** ** ***
Version tested 1.0 1.01 1.01 1.1
Price $129 $129 $98.88* $49
Performance *** *** ** ***
Ease of use *** **** ** ***
Features **** *** ** ***
Documentation/support *** *** *** ***
* $59 until Jan. 31.
System 7 Compatibility
Inline
Sync PowerMerge ShuttlePilot Update!
Balloon help Yes Yes Yes Yes
TrueType n/a n/a n/a n/a
Publish and subscribe n/a n/a n/a n/a
Apple events Yes Yes Yes Yes
32-bit addressing* Yes Yes Yes Yes
*According to vendor.
MacWEEK 01.11.93
Reviews Page 63
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
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Mac the Knife: System Software Forum sequel
By now everyone has safely recovered from last week's tribal gathering in that winter wonderland the locals call San Francisco. A little rain (OK, a lot of rain) had very little effect on those attending the expo because for the first time in years it was self-contained at one site, thanks to the long-anticipated completion of the Moscone Center expansion. Of course, that meant a lot of first-time show goers were cheated out of the experience of navigating the tortured urban path over to Brooks Hall, located in the euphemistically named Civic Center. Thus they also were cheated out of the chance to experience one of the nation's larger outdoor crack bazaars ...
In honor of the expo, the Knife has chosen this week to offer his own highly valued System Software Forum update, in which some of the questions you didn't bother to ask because you knew you'd get the runaround are answered. Just remember that the Knife's answers are based solely on information gleaned from a variety of sources, none of whom is particularly anxious to take credit for these contributions.
There's a lot of interest in AppleScript, and according to these sources, the project is in great shape. The software developer's kit is scheduled to ship early in the second quarter, to be followed later by a retail product for in-house scripting. The Knife was unable to verify rumors of a planned end-user package containing lots of example scripts, so this later infoid is passed along without any warranty whatsoever, either expressed or implied.
And here's some good news for those of you growing weary waiting for AOCE (nee OCE). If Apple realizes its plan to begin beta testing in February, both client and server most likely will ship in May.
And what of QuickDraw GX? For this system product the news is not so encouraging. The Knife is convinced that the expected summer release now has been rescheduled for later in the year.
PDA surprises. Anytime so much Mac talent, enthusiasm and information is collected in such a small space, the unexpected is inevitable. In the case of Apple's upcoming personal digital assistants, some may be surprised to learn that the first PDA to ship won't be a Newton but a member of the Sweet Pea family. The Knife reports that this handheld multimedia player will be capable of running HyperCard stacks on its tiny one-bit display and also will sport an NTSC video-out port for those with a TV handy. The first Newton, however, should be released before we gather together again in Boston.
Strange days have found us. If you have the ability to retain your wits in large crowds, you sometimes hear things that you never dreamed of. For example, last week the Knife overheard a Claris executive emphatically declare that he would stake the reputation of the company on his promise that MacWrite Pro will ship in March. The Knife generously assumed he meant March of this year.
Then there's the even stranger case of Apple PR, which the Knife has always counted among his greatest fans. A handful of reporters opened their expo press kits and found a surprise: the spec sheet for a major upgrade to a popular CPU, one that won't be announced until next month. Perhaps it was just PR's way of confirming reports published weeks ago about the upcoming model.
Judge a book. Early last week the Knife received a report that said volumes about Apple's manufacturing might. A user who purchased a new PowerBook 145 last fall later discovered that inside it was a 140. Apple reportedly is offering to correct its error just as soon as a 145 becomes available, probably in a month or two.
Is there anything TV's Amy Fisher wouldn't do for a MacWEEK mug? How about you? If you've got the goods there might be a mug for you. This disgusting business begins at (415) 243-3544, fax (415) 243-3650, MCI (MactheKnife), AppleLink (MacWEEK) and CompuServe/ZiffNet/Mac.
MacWEEK 01.11.93
Mac the Knife Page 134
(c) Copyright 1993 Coastal Associates, L.P. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
