PD ROM 1/PD ROM Volume I - Macintosh Software from BMUG (1988).iso/Electronic Messages/Delphi Digests/Delphi Vol. 2/Delphi 2.61

Text File | 1988-01-01 | 32.4 KB | 971 lines | [TEXT/ttxt]

 Delphi Mac Digest          Monday, 24 November 1986      Volume 2 : Issue 61

 Today's Topics:
      RE: APL for the Mac
      ReadySetGo 3
      Phone line surge suppressor (3 messages)
      Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw (5
-messages)
      again, hard drives (2 messages)
      Re: HFS Fonts?
      STICKy folders! (9 messages)
      ? (2 messages)
      Business Filevision 1.1
      RE: Need cheap Mac printer
      excess
      boot problem
      RE: INFO WANTED: modems and software for MAC+
      Word 3.0 (3 messages)
      RE: Wanted: the MacBinary specification
      DiskExpress/DataFrame problems (5 messages)
      Tecmar as SCSI
      Show it (2 messages)
      Rodime 6052? (2 messages)
      RE: SCSI driver id numbers?
      RE: Disk Tag Support - Apple says "No"
      RE: SCSI driver id numbers?
      DiskExpress Set Startup (2 messages)
      System file corruption from Switcher?
      MPW observations (3 messages)
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------

 From: LEPTONICSYS (15011)
 Subject: RE: APL for the Mac
 Date: 20-NOV 19:13 Network Digests

 To: [e-mail] (Dave Munroe)
 Subject: APL for the Mac

 Another APL for the Mac is MacAPL from Leptonic Systems Co. A demo
 version of it can be downloaded from Delphi/CIS/GEnie/BIX, or contact
 Leptonic Systems at 405 Tarrytown Rd. White Plains NY 10607 (914)
 682-0377

 -Mike O'Connor (author of MacAPL)

 ------------------------------

 From: MACINTOUCH (15014)
 Subject: ReadySetGo 3
 Date: 20-NOV 19:32 Business Mac

 Some initial notes on Ready, Set, Go! 3:

 - It's great
 - It uses only Laser Prep and LaserWriter, no funny PostScript files
 - It doesn't support tabloid size pages
 - It seems pretty quick (I haven't done a large document yet)
 - It has PostScript blocks: just type PostScript in and it'll be interpreted
 in that space on the page during output
 - FORMATTED Word and Write files can be imported, but graphics embedded in
 Word files come across as trash characters, not as a picture as PageMaker 1.2
 does (I didn't try MacWrite for this)
 - no copy perversion
 - list $295, $169 in Icon Review catalog
 - menus don't have ellipses where they should
 - the spell checker can't compete with Spellswell, but a user dictionary can
 be defined where words are stored in ASCII text format

 Ric

 ------------------------------

 From: HALL (15026)
 Subject: Phone line surge suppressor
 Date: 20-NOV 23:27 Hardware & Peripherals

 Does anyone here know anything about phone line surge suppressors?  I'm
-getting
 ready to build one, and need a little help/advice on component selection.

 Thanks, Brian

 ------------------------------

 From: MACINTOUCH (15037)
 Subject: RE: Phone line surge suppressor (Re: Msg 15026)
 Date: 21-NOV 09:21 Hardware & Peripherals

 Brian, are you looking for general information (MOVs, silicon avalanche
-diodes,
 etc.) or for specifics like part numbers?

 Ric

 ------------------------------

 From: HALL (15081)
 Subject: RE: Phone line surge suppressor (Re: Msg 15037)
 Date: 22-NOV 11:28 Hardware & Peripherals

 Both, actually.  Or just the ratings would probably do.  I should be able to
 find the right parts from the specs.  Some general info on silicon avalanche
 diodes would be nice, since I've been wanting to try some in my AC surge
 suppressors too.  Do you know of any magazine articles that might be useful?
-(
 Other than the December 83 Byte.)


 Thanks, Brian

 ------------------------------

 From: PEABO (15029)
 Subject: Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw
 Date: 21-NOV 01:42 Network Digests

 >From: [e-mail] (James T. Kirk)
 >Subject: Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw
 >Date: 19 Nov 86 01:11:52 GMT
 >Organization: Computer Graphics Research Group, Columbus OH

 >Rob Pike wrote a few papers on blting. One is in SIGGRAPH proceedings i
 >think 1983. The other paper i picked up from somebody that was in the bit
 >mapped graphics course that year.

 The paper by Rob Pike is especially noteworthy because his recommendation
 for dealing with overlapping windows is to maintain the obscured parts of
 them in off-screen bitmaps.  He also appeared on stage wearing a T-shirt
 with the word 'jerq' written across the front.  (the 'blit' terminal he
 worked on later became a very capable full-page terminal ... R.I.P Perq
 Computer Corp.)

 peter

 ------------------------------

 From: RMUHA (15042)
 Subject: Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw
 Date: 21-NOV 19:28 Network Digests

 When I first read about the Mac's window mgmt scheme, I, too, thought
 that it would have been better to save obscured portions of windows in
 off-screen bit maps.  But consider the added complexity if QuickDraw
 had to support Grafports with arbitary numbers of disjoint bit maps
 (which is what Pike's scheme implies), not to mention the additional
 memory that would be required. (Imagine a large window with only a
 tiny corner visible...now imagine lots of them, which is what you
 might have in a text editor with lots of open files.  There would be
 no room left to store the edit text.)

 ralph

 ------------------------------

 From: JEFFS (15055)
 Subject: Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw
 Date: 21-NOV 23:27 Network Digests

 My Xerox Lisp Machines store away the bits that are obscured by
 overlapping windows.  Non of this "update event" nonsense on *those*
 machines.  But when you are talking megabytes of virtual space, you
 can afford to save a few K here and there of bitmaps.  I think Apple
 did it this way because they just don't have the space.  They *do*
 save the bits beneath the menu when it is pulled down though.

                                                Jeff

 ------------------------------

 From: DDUNHAM (15076)
 Subject: Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw
 Date: 22-NOV 04:48 Network Digests

 But NOT, interestingly, the pop-up menu in Standard File dialogs.

 ------------------------------

 From: PEABO (15082)
 Subject: Re: Algorithmic and implementation references about Quickdraw
 Date: 22-NOV 11:30 Network Digests

 Hmmm ... what happens if the pop-up menu extends below the lower edge
 of the SF Dialog?  I'll have to try that ... (visions of more endless
 update events for an underlying window in applications that don't want
 to deal with that).

 peter

 ------------------------------

 From: RAMARREN (15030)
 Subject: again, hard drives
 Date: 21-NOV 01:59 Hardware & Peripherals

 A question about the 'best' drive to buy:

 I'm looking for the best deal in overall price performance envelope in
 a hard disk drive, SCSI variety.  I've heard good things about the
 DataFrame 20, seen ads for the Jasmine, know almost nothing about the
 Warp 9 products.  I've read a dizzying amount of information about the
 myriad available products in this forum: to the point of complete
 exhaustion.

 I am looking for a 20 Meg minimum, SCSI interface, reliable and reasonably
 priced hard disk.  I want an external unit, not too obnoxiously loud for home
 use (even the Apple HD20 is a little obnoxious next to my sleeping
-quarters...)
 that is reasonably reliable and not too crazily ridiculous in garbage
-software.
 If it isn't the MOST convenient to connect, that's all right as I don't
-inteto
 do it too often.

 Would someone with a little more patience and experience with the SCSI
-products
 care to summarize their good points/bad points?

 Thanks!

 gdg

 ------------------------------

 From: MOUSEKETEER (15049)
 Subject: RE: again, hard drives (Re: Msg 15030)
 Date: 21-NOV 21:15 Hardware & Peripherals

 If the HD20 is too loud, I'd bet you'd be unhappy with the Apple SCSI
-version.
 The one I heard and played with was quite loud.  I thought the Hyper ext. HD
 was about the same volume.

 The DataFrame seems mostly reliable, well-backed, though the info from the
 company seems afflicted with myriad fits and starts.  I know zip about the
 Jasmine, except that at the prices, it sure would be nice if they were
 a together group.

 I read today that Rodine (sp?) was bringing out a couple of new Mac SCSI
 drives, and the prices looked good...I'd expect quality to be good as well.
 There was another company mentioned in the story bringing out a
 Mac SCSI drive with two 20 Meg drives inside, at $1595 or so.  Such an
 arrangement could be very interestin.

 Alf

 ------------------------------

 From: LOFTUSBECKER (15034)
 Subject: Re: HFS Fonts?
 Date: 21-NOV 08:08 Network Digests

 TO:[e-mail]

 Subject: Re: HFS Fonts?

 It is not "almost impossible to do" an "other" DA or FKEY for fonts;
 I've done one (Fontsie, and FKEY). Fontsie 1.51 works with many
 programs (MacWrite, MacPaint, Full Paint, Billboard) with "Font" menus
 and with DA's like miniWriter and Acta, and allows you to add fonts
 "on the fly" as you are running the program. It also "sort of" works
 with Microsoft WORD (details on "sort of" are in the docs).

 Special Fontsie, still experimental (but posted on several databases,
-including
 Delphi) works with almost everything (the only failure so far reported is
-Super
 Paint, alas), but Tom is right that this method requires you to run Special
 Fontsie before you start the program and make the choices then.

 - Lofty Becker

 ------------------------------

 From: INC (15035)
 Subject: STICKy folders!
 Date: 21-NOV 08:34 Bugs & Features

 This has got to be the strangest problem I have ever, ever encountered
 on my Macintosh.  Let me try to explain it.

 When ever I click on this certain folder, my mouse sticks.  It _doesn't_
 fully hang, to the effect I can't click anymore but I am fully unable
 to move the thing.  So I can open the folder and there it stays.  It
 usually sticks directly after it reads the directory info of that
 folder off the hard disk.

 Things I've tried:

         1.  Moving all the files to a new folder, then deleting
         the old one.  I was sure this would work.  I was wrong.

         2.  Moving some of the files out.  Still no good.

         3.  This is interesting.  I moved all the files to the
         desktop so they had no window.  Then closed the HD icon,
         tried to open it and wammo hango.

         4.  It appears to be one of the files but I tried to
         move each file separately into the new folder and
         when I finally thought that I figured out which file
         it was, and deleted it, still no luck.

 So that's the dirt.  Is there anyone who has experienced this situation?
 I guess I could restore the files from a backup but I'd be interested in
 finding a cause for this mishap.

 thanks.

         Josh


 ------------------------------

 From: MACINTOUCH (15036)
 Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15035)
 Date: 21-NOV 09:20 Bugs & Features

 Try booting off a floppy with the _standard_ Apple 3.2 System and Finder.

 Ric

 ------------------------------

 From: INC (15039)
 Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15035)
 Date: 21-NOV 09:41 Bugs & Features

 Oh yeah, I forgot the wierd part... (heh)

 If I open the folder from the File menu, it doesn't hang.

 ------------------------------

 From: RMUHA (15044)
 Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15039)
 Date: 21-NOV 19:40 Bugs & Features

 I've encountered that problem a couple of times.  Intrestingly enough, if you
 double click on the folder and then move the mouse out of the area where the
 window will appear when it opens (quickly so it isn't then when it [the
-window]
 opens up), it won't stick.

 The solution: rebuild the desktop (reboot with command-option). It
 also helps to have a command-key equivalent for shutdown in the finder
 menu.  Even though the mouse sticks, keys still work.

 I don't remember what caused the problem but I think it had something
 to do with running some weird PD program or DA that crashed.  Run
 anything weird recently?

 ralph

 ------------------------------

 From: JOHNCRANE (15046)
 Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15035)
 Date: 21-NOV 20:59 Bugs & Features

 Smart Alarms was causing the frozen cursor problem for me. - John

 ------------------------------

 From: INC (15059)
 Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15044)
 Date: 21-NOV 23:49 Bugs & Features

 I think HD Partitian was just run, and the da within it.

 Also DA Installer+.

 Wierd, hmm.

 ------------------------------

 From: LAMG (15070)
 Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15035)
 Date: 22-NOV 02:45 Bugs & Features

 Josh: your message brings to mind a similar experience I've had many
 times, always with the system folder on my Dataframe 20.  I also tried
 everything, including moving all the files to the desktop and back in,
 one by one.  Same problem.  It seems to go away by itself, though.  I
 have no idea what makes it happen (and I've asked a LOT of people
 about it).  One suggestion: I find it useful to have a cmd key
 shortcut for "Shutdown" so that when the cursor freezes I can shutdown
 and then reboot without having to wait for the volume allocation
 tables to be rebuilt (or whatever the drive does when a reboot occurs
 after a bomb).  -Franklin / LAMG

 ------------------------------

 From: LAMG (15071)
 Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15044)
 Date: 22-NOV 02:47 Bugs & Features

 Ralph: I tried rebuilding the desktop whenever it happened, with no luck. -
 Franklin / LAMG

 ------------------------------

 From: INC (15077)
 Subject: RE: STICKy folders! (Re: Msg 15070)
 Date: 22-NOV 09:48 Bugs & Features

 I restored that file from a backup and it seems to have gone away (at least
-for
 now).  But I'd still like to know what caused it.

 Joshua

 ------------------------------

 From: BWD (15047)
 Subject: ?
 Date: 21-NOV 21:05 Hardware & Peripherals

 This message is directed toward SuperMac, but anybody can answer it.

 I just received the new initializer from SuperMac.  My DF20 was
 initialized with Initializer 1.4.  Is there any benefit to backing up
 and re-initializing my DF20?  Will installing the new drivers using
 the "Install New Drivers" option destroy any of the data on the disk?

 Thanks for your help!!!

 ------------------------------

 From: INC (15061)
 Subject: RE: ? (Re: Msg 15047)
 Date: 22-NOV 00:04 Hardware & Peripherals

 How new is the new?

 There have been two official releases since 1.4:

 1.5 and 2.1

 1.5 came soon after and is worth upgrading your DF with.  There should be a
 program on the disk called Updater which installs the new driver on a system
 with 1.4 without having to reinitialize.

 2.1, which came out only about a week or so ago is causing some
 problems. There are supposedly two different roms in the dataframe 20
 (non-XP) which only the later versions work with initializer 2.1.  If
 your DF is relatively new, I'd back up your system (with a backup
 program other than SuperBakup 1.21 because of bugs) and then
 reinitialize with 2.1.  If your system will work after you copy the
 system back on, 2.1 is ok, but if you have problems and get bombs upon
 booting, re-run the updater from the 1.5 disk and the drive should
 work.  The main advantage to 2.1 is that is speeds up your disk
 access.  Let me know how it works out.

 Joshua - 'MacInTouch'

 ------------------------------

 From: DSACHS (15054)
 Subject: Business Filevision 1.1
 Date: 21-NOV 22:10 Business Mac

 My company bought Business Filevision recently.  Today I received the backup
 disk from Telos, which was their upgraded version 1.1.   I was completely
 astonished to discover that the new version is completely NOT COPY PROTECTED
--
 this from a company whose innovativee copy protection schemes have spawned
 numerous messages on all the commercial services.  They have also made the
 program more compatible with HFS and the Laserwriter, and have increased the
 number of fonts allowed to 19 - which I still feel is not quite enough.

 ------------------------------

 From: DDUNHAM (15056)
 Subject: RE: Need cheap Mac printer
 Date: 21-NOV 23:42 Network Digests

  > From: [e-mail] (Amitav Mujamdar)
  > Subject: Need cheap Mac printer

 Why not use an ImageWriter?  If you use my miniWRITER desk accessory and its
 associated imageWRITER-10 font, you'll be able to get WYSIWYG printing of a
 proportional font at draft speeds. You can also embed ESC sequences if you
-want
 the different font sizes in the ImageWriter.  You might be able to get an
 ImageWriter I cheap, since they're no longer sold.

 miniWRITER is shareware, and should be easily available.

 ------------------------------

 From: MOUSEKETEER (15084)
 Subject: excess
 Date: 22-NOV 12:17 Mousing Around

 "If desktop publishing is part of your business's future, here's your chance
 to get a jump on -- and stay ahead of -- the competition."

 So starts a bit of promo literature from CAP International, describing
 their "fact-filled study" of 150 page length.

 Price: $1,895, payment via MC/Visa/Diner's Club, check or money order.

 Right.

 ;-)
 Alf

 ------------------------------

 From: SYNTHONY (15099)
 Subject: boot problem
 Date: 22-NOV 21:02 Bugs & Features

 I don't know if I am missing something, or if this is an elementary question,
 but I have a problem.

 I just had two Macs upgraded with the MacSnap memory upgrades.  One
 was a 128K to 1024, the other 512K to 1024.  The problem is that I now
 have disks that will not boot.  They all have the 5.3 finder & 3.2
 system, but some do some don't.  I can boot with a disk and then
 access the faulty ones in the second drives, but no startup.  Any
 ideas?  I have tried recopying the finder - but still all I get is the
 black screen with sad face and various error codes.  The problem is
 the same on both Macs by the way.  I have a third 512K Mac that I
 tried the same disks on, and they work fine.  Any assistance greatly
 appreciated.

 Bill

 ------------------------------

 From: MACINTOUCH (15110)
 Subject: RE: INFO WANTED: modems and software for MAC+
 Date: 23-NOV 15:52 Network Digests

 To: [e-mail] (Shridhar Acharya)
 Subject: INFO WANTED: modems and software for MAC+

 I like the USRobotics modems.  I use a Courier 2400 which should be available
 for under $400 if you shop around.  In December, USRobotics is due to also
 deliver a $149 LIST 1200 bps, Hayes-compatible, modem called the Sportster
 1200.  It's small, too.

 For software, I haven't found anything that works for me as well as
 Red Ryder (9.4).  There are many other options, though, depending on what
 functions you need yourself.

 Ric Ford

 ------------------------------

 From: MACINTOUCH (15111)
 Subject: Word 3.0
 Date: 23-NOV 15:54 Business Mac

 Just got the Word 3.0 upgrade coupon.  $99.  About the same price as WriteNow
 bought new.

 Ric

 ------------------------------

 From: TSTEIN (15112)
 Subject: RE: Word 3.0 (Re: Msg 15111)
 Date: 23-NOV 16:19 Business Mac

 I saw Word 3.0 at Comdex. Very nice and worth the $99, I'd say.

 ------------------------------

 From: MACINTOUCH (15157)
 Subject: RE: Word 3.0 (Re: Msg 15121)
 Date: 24-NOV 11:08 Business Mac

 Some more details on the Word 3.0 upgrade: Word 3.0 order hotline:
 800-323- 3577; product details: 206-882-8089; upgrade orders must be
 in by January 15.  It will be shipped first-come, first-serve, by UPS
 ground.  Credit cards won't be billed until shipment, but checks will
 be deposited when received.  CA and WA residents must pay tax.  The
 cutoff date for the $50 upgrade is you must have a receipt dated after
 Oct. 1, 1986.

 Ric

 ------------------------------

 From: PEABO (15115)
 Subject: RE: Wanted: the MacBinary specification
 Date: 23-NOV 16:53 Network Digests

 >Date: Fri, 21 Nov 86 01:47 N
 >From: <[e-mail]> (Thomas Fruin)
 >Subject: RE: Wanted: the MacBinary specification

 >Thanks to Ric Ford over on Delphi for answering my MacBinary query (you mean
 >CompuServe does and ICONtact _doesn't_ have the specification!? :-).

 I'm sure Dennis would have no objection to my posting his spec on DELPHI,
-it's
 just that I never got around to getting the most recent version.  A word of
 warning:  the MacBinary spec is coming up for review soon, and there will
 probably be changes made (for instance to take care of problems some terminal
 programs have with the "new" Finder bits).  When a revised MacBinary standard
 is released, it will certainly be available in the ICONtact database.

 peter

 ------------------------------

 From: MACINTOUCH (15125)
 Subject: DiskExpress/DataFrame problems
 Date: 23-NOV 21:36 Hardware & Peripherals

 I'm having trouble getting DiskExpress 1.06 to do the optimization of the
 DataFrame 40XP.  It just reads a little and sits forever.  I may try it
-tonight
 and give it all night to see if anything happens, but has anyone else seen a
 similar problem?  I shut off the cache, and it _sometimes_ does the disk
 inspection successfully.

 Ric

 ------------------------------

 From: HSTARR (15137)
 Subject: RE: DiskExpress/DataFrame problems (Re: Msg 15125)
 Date: 24-NOV 00:50 Hardware & Peripherals

 Ric -- See Ephraim Vishniac's notes in the UseNet digest. There appears to
-be a
 well known (to Apple, but nobody else) bug [AGAIN] in the SCSI manager that
-can
 cause loss of data with certain speed SCSI devices. Since the XP40 is
-supposed
 to be faster, maybe it is uncovering the nasty.

 ------------------------------

 From: HALL (15141)
 Subject: RE: DiskExpress/DataFrame problems (Re: Msg 15125)
 Date: 24-NOV 01:30 Hardware & Peripherals

 1.06?  I think DiskExpress is up to about 1.2 or so.  There was a
 demonstration at a local user's group last week, but I didn't make it.
 A friend of mine bought DiskExpress at the meeting, though, so I
 should be able to find out what version he has.

 Brian

 ------------------------------

 From: BRECHER (15146)
 Subject: RE: DiskExpress/DataFrame problems (Re: Msg 15137)
 Date: 24-NOV 04:44 Hardware & Peripherals

 The DataFrame 2.1 drivers (including XP) don't use the SCSI Manager
 data transfer routines.  However, they can, in certain circumstances,
 hang forever in the DataFrame data transfer code.

 ------------------------------

 From: MACINTOUCH (15150)
 Subject: RE: DiskExpress/DataFrame problems (Re: Msg 15146)
 Date: 24-NOV 10:07 Hardware & Peripherals

 <blushing> Well, it _does_ run.  I left it on all night and it seemed
 to have completed by morning.  Fedit said I had 0.00 fragmentation.
 I've got about 1400 files on it.

 Ric

 ------------------------------

 From: DWB (15127)
 Subject: Tecmar as SCSI
 Date: 23-NOV 22:26 Hardware & Peripherals

 Chip,

 I have a friend with an old TecMar 10 Meg drive.  He's taken the thing
 apart and run a cable to the SCSI controller inside and is attempting
 to get it to work as a SCSI drive.  Have you had any experience with
 this?  If so, what are you using for a driver?  Who makes the
 controller?  Where you able to get a manual for the controller?

 Any help appreciated.  (And that means from anybody!)

 David

 ------------------------------

 From: MACMAG (15131)
 Subject: Show it
 Date: 23-NOV 23:35 Business Mac

 The Show in SF should be impressive... what are "THE" spots to hang out to
-when
 it all begins (ie: Who will have the nicest party/presentation) ????

 On another subject:

 Can anyone in the continental U.S. write anything on this board about the 2
 (TWO) new products that will be introduced by Apple in January?

 We've been told that:

 1- It will not be anything major hardware wise (IE: you won't see new
-machines)
 2- It's more to do with FileServing than anything.

 Does anyone have more details?

 Rich.

 ------------------------------

 From: MACINTOUCH (15132)
 Subject: RE: Show it (Re: Msg 15131)
 Date: 23-NOV 23:54 Business Mac

 Yeah.  They're going to release a file server.

 Ric

 ------------------------------

 From: HSTARR (15138)
 Subject: Rodime 6052?
 Date: 24-NOV 00:53 Hardware & Peripherals

 Could some kind person give me a contact (phone number) where I can get a
 technical manual on the 20mb Rodime with embedded SCSI controller. I am in
 Massachsetts. Thanks -- Harry

 ------------------------------

 From: MACINTOUCH (15151)
 Subject: RE: Rodime 6052? (Re: Msg 15138)
 Date: 24-NOV 10:13 Hardware & Peripherals

 I don't know how much help this is, but their PR firm is at 216-475-3202
-(Bruce
 Blake).  Their "Peripheral Systems Division" is in Cleveland, OH; and their
 other plant is in Boca Raton, FL.  (It's apparently a Scottish company).

 Ric

 ------------------------------

 From: BRECHER (15144)
 Subject: RE: SCSI driver id numbers?
 Date: 24-NOV 04:43 MUGS Online

 To: <[e-mail]>
 Subject: SCSI driver id numbers?

 > How do the driver numbers for a SCSI device get assigned?

 A SCSI device uses a unit (slot) number equal to its SCSI ID plus 32.

 ------------------------------

 From: BRECHER (15145)
 Subject: RE: Disk Tag Support - Apple says "No"
 Date: 24-NOV 04:44 MUGS Online

 To: [e-mail] (pri=8 Ephraim Vishniac x76659 ms1459)
 Subject: Disk Tag Support - Apple says "No"

 (This is directed more at the community than at Ephraim, who merely served to
 trigger this by his posting of a note from Mac Tech Support.)

 I think Apple's decision is wrong.  Each of the reasons given for the
-decision
 (in Macintosh Technical Note #94: Tags) is flawed:

 "1) Tags were implemented back when we had to deal with 'Twiggy"
 drives on Lisa.  These drives were less reliable than current
 drives..."

 But the primary source of corrupted disks, at least these days, is software
 problems, not hardware problems.

 "2) [With respect to the Disk First Aid utility] we've found that tags don't
 help us in reconstructing damaged disks (ie, if we can't fix it without using
 tags, tags wouldn't help us fix it)."

 But even if a volume cannot be made whole, tags enable recovery of individual
 files.  Fedit Plus 2.0, to be released early next year, will provide file
 recovery via tags for HFS volumes.

 "3) 532-byte-per-sector drives tend to cost more..."

 532-byte sectors is a firmware feature.  In some cases (Seagate and
 Rodime embedded controllers), as Ephraim Vishniac pointed out in
 another message, no changes are necessary as standard units provide
 variable sector sizes.  In other cases (SMS/OMTI, Adaptec) the vendors
 have already made available ROM versions which support 532-byte
 sectors.  Macintoshes are and will be a very significant market for
 SCSI disks, and vendors realize that. The additional hardware cost for
 532-byte sectors ranges from zero to nominal.

 In at least some cases, there is no disk space overhead cost for tags,
 i.e., the same number of sectors per track is available for both 512-
 and 532-byte sectors.  The transfer time overhead of tags is nominal.

 Tags provide greater data security to the user at very little cost.
 It is my perception that users know this, and that tags will be a
 desired feature where available.  I know (having done the software)
 that the forthcoming MicahDrive 30 AT and XTs will support tags, and
 hearsay has it that SuperMac (DataFrame) and PCPC (MacBottom) are
 planning tag support.

 ------------------------------

 From: DDUNHAM (15148)
 Subject: RE: SCSI driver id numbers?
 Date: 24-NOV 05:06 Network Digests

  > Reply-to: [e-mail]
  > Subject: SCSI driver id numbers?

 DA Installer+ has other bugs besides making MENUs purgeable...you
 can't print to an ImageWriter from miniWRITER because DAI+ doesn't
 deign to maintain resource names.

 ------------------------------

 From: MACINTOUCH (15158)
 Subject: DiskExpress Set Startup
 Date: 24-NOV 11:40 Bugs & Features

 DiskExpress bombs on me if I set it as the Startup application.  Anyone know
 what would cause this??

 Ric

 ------------------------------

 From: PEABO (15162)
 Subject: RE: DiskExpress Set Startup (Re: Msg 15158)
 Date: 24-NOV 14:12 Bugs & Features

 Yes ... it probably doesn't initialize all the toolbox functions.  It
 works from the Finder because the Finder has already initialized them,
 but when it is the startup application, it is running on bare globals.
 This is not an uncommon problem by the way, though it is certainly a
 bug!

 peter

 ------------------------------

 From: MACINTOUCH (15159)
 Subject: System file corruption from Switcher?
 Date: 24-NOV 11:41 Bugs & Features

 Chuck Weigand called to say he thought Switcher 5.01 might be the culprit
-that
 gave him a gigantic (obviously corrupted) System file.  Anyone else see
 something like this?

 Ric

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 From: JOSEF (1018)
 Subject: MPW observations
 Date: 23-NOV 21:01 Programming Techniques

 This weekend I finally got around to reading the MPW manual and
 playing with the shell. After investing about 5-6 hours in this
 activity, the question that comes to mind is: What's the point?

 Apple did a fine job of porting a lot of powerful UNIX features into a Mac
 programming environment, but is this really necessary or even desireable? The
 UNIX environment is very appropriate where teams of programmers are working
-on
 complex multi-man-year projects involving  several hundred thousand lines of
 code. But let's face it, the Mac is still a relatively slow single user
-machine
 with a screen barely big enough for one window much less several. (I realize
 some of you have FPD's out there, but I'm referring to mere mortals like
 myself).

 I'm sure i'm still several weeks away from remembering and using even
 a portion of the facilities in MPW. In comparison, I felt that I had
 LightSpeedC down in about an hour.  Now I realize that LSC has a
 number of deficiencies(a large proportion of which I believe are
 corrected in 2.0), but for the stand-alone programmer like myself
 working on single mortal-sized programs, is this not more than
 sufficient, particularly when you consider the incredible speed
 advantage that LSC has?

 And if Apple is not targeting this product to people like myself, why did
-they
 even bother?  How many copies do they hope to sell?

 Just some random thoughts... I'm curious to know what others think.

 Joe

 ------------------------------

 From: PEABO (1019)
 Subject: RE: MPW observations (Re: Msg 1018)
 Date: 24-NOV 00:43 Programming Techniques

 I agree with you.  I read all about MPW and then when I fired it up, all I
-was
 able to do was get a listing of files and start Rez.  Not run Rez, just start
 it.  I also managed to cancel it with cmd-. after not doing much else.

 This is really an unfamiliar feeling on the Macintosh!

 Another thing that really bothers me is the use of all the funny option-x
 characters to do things.  Sometimes they tell you which key it is (like the
-cap
 delta which is option-j) but often they don't, so you better have Keycaps
-handy
 when you are first learning.  Of course, the human brain is a marvelous
 instrument, so given enough practice all this will be second-nature.

 (I can still use WordStar too, when I have no alternative.)

 I am also wondering how the hell I can give people advice to questions
 in a Forum that conforms to ASCII.  If somebody asks me an MPW
 question, and I have to give an example of an MPW command with the
 double squiggly and an upside-down exclamation point etc. etc., it is
 going to be awfully cumbersome. And you can forget about including a
 segment of an MPW command file in one of these messages if you are
 trying to show us a nifty thing you've worked out because the high bit
 gets stripped off of everything.  The only way we can distribute such
 things is via XMODEM in the databases.

 :-(
 peter

 ------------------------------

 From: MACLAIRD (1020)
 Subject: RE: MPW observations (Re: Msg 1019)
 Date: 24-NOV 06:55 Programming Techniques

 There certainly are some off-the-wall wild cards in MPW; but did you check
-out
 what it takes to write an MPW tool?  Sometimes one doesn't need to deal with
 another added layer of complexity...

 No, we should NOT BinHex our Forum messages, just to get the 8-bit
-characters!

 The idea behind MPW is to make each window a "command center" so that the
-user
 can just type in commands and execute them.  It _is_ unfamiliar, and does
 require some getting used to, but there is a lot of power in it too.

 The exec facility is a little overdone, but that's better than not
 doing enough.  That's why I like the Lisa Workshop - once you get the
 hang of its execs, you can just set them and forget them.  I was
 disappointed by Make in MPW, though; you have to write your own
 dependency file.  If you have to do that, you might as well just write
 the exec.

 Laird

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 End of Delphi Mac Digest
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