PD ROM 1/PD ROM Volume I - Macintosh Software from BMUG (1988).iso/Electronic Messages/Quick Connect/Quick Connect 1987 Aug

Text File | 1988-06-18 | 28.1 KB | 513 lines | [TEXT/ttxt]

Meet HyperCardQ
The Power to Associate

We all work and think by associating one thing with another and another.  We
brainstorm to come up with new ideas, freely associating one thought with the
next and the next, using what we already know to come up with something new.

That's how Vannaver Bush, back in 1945, came up with the idea of an information
machine.  First, he realized that the human mind was getting too fullQthere
were far more facts and figures in the world than the mind could possibly
absorb.  He also knew about the potential of storing information
electronically.  So he linked these two ideas and came up with a new oneQa
machine that indexed information the same way people thinkQby associating
related facts.

But unfortunately for Mr. Bush, he was way ahead of his time.  It would be
another forty years before Bill Atkinson of MacPaint(R) fame would pick up his
idea and associate it with the power of the Macintosh*.  The result?  A totally
new way to organize and interact with information: HyperCard*, Apple's new
system software for the Macintosh.

HyperCard organizes information by association, as well as by context and
hierarchy.  That means you can manage, expand, and customize your information
the way you want it, and even build your own information software called
"StackWare*" (see the HyperCard Glossary).  The genius of HyperCard designer
Bill Atkinson gives HyperCard the power to handle any kind of informationQtext,
graphics, video, music, voice, animation, and even video disk sequences.  It
can dial your phone, link up with other applications, and give you quick and
easy access to a new world of information.

Whether you consider HyperCard a database manager, a toolkit for personalizing
information, a programming language, or the means to explore vast storehouses
of knowledge, HyperCard is already starting a software revolution.  In the
words of John Sculley, Apple's CEO, "Potentially, HyperCard can be as important
for the Macintosh in the late 1980s as AppleSoft BASIC was for the original
Apple(R) II in the late 1970s."  Here's how.

How It Works
HyperCard is based on the idea that you don't think in alphabetical order,
numerical order, or the Dewey Decimal system.  Instead, you think by
associating facts, concepts, images, and ideas that are somehow related.
HyperCard works the same way, using the simple but powerful concept of the
familiar index card.

Pieces of information are stored on cards, which are organized in stacks.  A
card may contain a name and address, a product description, a floorplan, a map
of a city, or just about anything.  You can type, browse through, annotate,
sort, and draw on them just as you would with regular paper index cards.  But
unlike index cards, you can link them to other cards that are in some way
related.  For example, you can link a name-and-address card to one that shows
last year's Christmas card, or link a product description to a price list,
parts list, or an illustration.  Then you could link, say, the product
illustration to the name of the artist, and the name of the artist to his or
her resume.  One thing leads to another and another and another.   The
possibilities are virtually endless.

Linking cards together is done with software buttonsQone of the most powerful
features of HyperCard.  Any number of buttons can be added to a card or a
stack, then clicked on to display the linked card.  It's like instant
"search-and-find" at the click of a mouse.

And HyperCard comes with buttons you can cut and paste on any card to do your
work for you, like dial the phone, perform calculations, make sounds, call
animated sequences, or sort the cards in a stack.  You can also customize the
buttons to make them do just about anything you want simply by changing its
"script" or writing a new one.

Creating Information Software
The flexibility of HyperCard enables anyone who uses information and a
Macintosh to become information providers without having to write a single word
of programming code.  It's this flexibility that prompted John Sculley to refer
to HyperCard as "the foundation for what I believe will be, in a very short
time, a thriving new HyperCard applications industry built on the expertise of
both commercial developers and subject matter experts who will create,
organize, and publish information."

StackWare is the information software developed with HyperCard.  It can be
"templates" that fit over HyperCard, customized for specific applications.
Examples could be anything from an illustrated pharmaceutical inventory of
prescription drugs to interactive, multimedia courseware for teaching any
subject.  The possibilities are limited only by the user's imagination, which
is no limitation at all.

Compatibility and Availability
HyperCard comes complete with a startup disk, a selection of ready-to-go
stacks, and a help disk that will show you how to take advantage of all the
program's capabilities.  The program is compatible with the Macintosh Plus,
Macintosh SE, and Macintosh II with a minimum of one megabyte of RAM and two
800K disk drives or one 800K disk drive and one hard disk drive.  It's also
compatible with Apple's new MultiFinder* and the AppleShare* File Server.

Apple wants every Macintosh owner to get their hands on HyperCard.  So it's
being included with every new Macintosh CPU starting in late August.  For those
of us who already own a Macintosh, HyperCard is available for $49 at any Apple
dealerQnot much for investing in a revolution!

So, for all of us who are buried in information, there's now a light at the end
of the tunnel.  And that light means someone has been there before usQ someone
like Vannaver Bush who first dreamed of an information machine.  And someone
like Bill Atkinson who made that dream a reality.  Thanks to them, now all of
us have the power to link one good idea with another and another and
anotherQjust like they didQand start a revolution of our own.  HyperCard.  It's
not only the result of one good idea leading to the next, it's the medium that
makes it possible.

HyperCard Glossary
HyperCard is not only revolutionizing the software industry, it's also
revolutionizing the English language!  New words have emerged just to describe
it, and old words have taken on whole new meanings.  To help you make sense of
it all, here's the basic HyperCard vocabulary.

ButtonsQthe tools that link one card to the next and perform special functions.
A card can have an unlimited number of buttons.

CardsQthe metaphor for storing basic units of information in HyperCard.  Cards
can contain text and graphics, as well as buttons that link it to other cards.
Cards are organized into stacks that contain related information.

HyperTalkQa new programming language for writing HyperCard scripts that control
the software buttons.  This language, which is really plain English, is so easy
to use, any of us can create our own HyperCard programs.

ScriptsQthe commands that determine what a button does.  These commands,
written in HyperTalk, tell the program to dial the phone, run an animation,
call a video disk sequence, or perform just about any kind of task.  You can
customize existing scripts or write your own.

StacksQgroups of cards that contain related information.  Stacks are the main
components of StackWare.

StackWareQthe information software you can create with HyperCard.  StackWare
may include stacks of cards in specialized subject areas or templates for
organizing information for a variety of applications.

The Apple Classroom of TomorrowQ
Today's Look at the Future

If the dream of a car in every garage and a chicken in every pot has been
realized, the dream of a computer in every home and every classroom is still a
long way off.  But for the students and teachers participating in Apple's
Classroom of Tomorrow (ACOT) project, that dream not only came true, it also
got better: everyone has two  computersQone at home and one at school.  It's
all part of a simulation of the future in educationQa future when all students
and teachers will have unlimited access to computer technology.  What will
happen when computers become as common as pens and pencils?

To find out, Apple selected seven classrooms throughout the country to be
"living laboratories" and provided each student and every teacher with an Apple
IIe at school and an Apple IIc at home.  To round things out, one 9th grade
class received Macintosh computers.  These computers were not intended to
simply teach computer science or even to provide enrichmentQthey were meant to
be central to the daily teaching and learning of all academic subjects.  So all
462 Apple computers were integrated into the entire curriculum as learning
toolsQtools for everything from composing creative stories to solving math
problems and performing science experiments.  And to help students use those
tools, third-party software developers donated over $263,000 worth of programs
and applications in support of the project.

What happened when all this power fell into the hands of 189 lucky students?
Everywhere, students demonstrated remarkable productivity with their machines.
Reports one ACOT coordinator, "One week was allowed for database instruction,
yet within one day the students were asking for more."  Even the youngest
students in the ACOT program gained proficiency faster than anyone thought
possible.  "These third-graders are typing 24 words per minute with 94%
accuracy," reports another coordinator, a fact she claims has led to more and
better writing.

And while students' excitement over their computers has reached a fever's
pitch, enthusiasm for the ACOT program is running equally high with parents and
teachers.  Testimonials continue to pour in from parents amazed at the
accomplishments of their children: "The advancement he has made in math,
reading, and verbal skills has been quite astounding." "Not only does our son
feel very confident and competent performing any kind of computer task, he
seems to be able to look for opportunities to utilize the computer."  Teachers
report that the program has not only changed their method of instruction, it's
also changed their fundamental thinking about education.  Observes one teacher,
"The ACOT experience has allowed me to change my role from traditional teacher
to a facilitator, providing an environment in which children can grow and learn
at more individual rates."

After one year, what are the educational effects of having computers available
round the clock?  While it's still too early to draw conclusions, everyone
agrees that a computer-saturated environment has had a dramatic impact on
students' social and academic progress.  According to Dr. Martin Engel, Apple's
Education Manager and the project's director, "Great teaching and enthusiastic
kids are giving us some very impressive results."

Teachers at all ACOT sites report more enthusiasm, better student
responsiveness, and significantly improved behavior and motivation for
learning.  They also claim that student writing improved significantly in both
quantity and quality.  They credit the computer for freeing students from the
slow and cumbersome process of handwriting, allowing them to focus their
energies on the thinking and processing skills needed for good writing.  And
finally, teachers have observed more social interaction and cooperative
learning among students as they spontaneously collaborate and share ideas.
This observation, in particular, is contrary to the general expectationQthe
mythQthat one computer per child alienates students from one another.  As one
educational researcher noted, "Even in the absence of group activities . . .
computers provide opportunities for interaction by their very presence."  And
to prove it, some ACOT fifth-graders are telecommunicating after school and at
night to exchange messages with each other and even do homework on-lineQ
sometimes as early as 5 AM!

Dr. Engel attributes much of the early success of the program to the teachers
who were willing to take risks, willing to participate in an adventure with
their students.  "The teachers and students in ACOT are true pioneers,
literally leading a technological revolution."  While Apple supplied the
hardware and support, the teachers and school administrators dedicated
countless hours to implementing the project, designing their curriculums,
choosing software, and ultimately nurturing the ACOT environment.

In the end, perhaps the most important fact about the Apple Classroom of
Tomorrow project is its very existence.  It is a visible reminder of Apple's
long-term commitment to leadership in education.  And if ACOT is indeed a look
into the future, there's plenty of reason to be optimistic.



A Hitchhiker's Guide to Making a Manual:
The Inside Story

Inside every Apple box is a manual.  And inside every manual is an untold
story.  It's the story of a journey that takes a year or more and the efforts
of dozens of people who ensure that the manual you pull from the box is as
carefully crafted as the product itself.  By the time it reaches you, each
Apple manual has been shaped by a multitude of hands, undergone myriads of
revisions and transformations, and may even have taken a trip to Europe and
back!  That journey begins in Apple's Customer Publications groupQthe group
responsible for all printed documentation included with Apple products.

Staffed by over 80 full-time writers, editors, artists, production editors, and
systems administrators, this group produces some 117 titles a yearQover 12,000
pages worth.  And they do it with the same tools some of their documents
describe: Macintosh computers and LaserWriter* printers.  In fact, since the
middle of last year, all manuals were produced from a desktop using Apple
technology exclusively.  Described as the largest desktop publishing group in
the country, the Customer Publications department writes, edits, illustrates,
and produces not only hardware and software manuals, but all Apple's technical
reference booksQbooks such as Inside Macintosh  (all five volumes), as well as
all the computer-based training materialsQthe interactive disk-based tutorials
that are often your first introduction to a new Apple product.  How do they do
it?  Here's the story of a manual's journey from concept to finished product.

The road to the box begins with the writerQthe product's first end user.  Long
before a product rolls out of production or is even announced, a writer is
assigned to the project based on his or her special area of expertise.  Working
closely with the product's engineers, the writer gathers information, tests one
of the rare prototypes of the product, and prepares a document outline.  The
outline, which gets hammered out chapter by chapter, is the road map everyone
agrees to before the first paragraph is written.

The next step is writingQgetting the basics down on paper.  The writer prepares
the alpha draftQthe first copy written about the product for the end user.
This draft, which may make the rounds several times, is reviewed, critiqued,
revised, and finally approved by the engineers.  But since the product itself
is continually changing, so must the manual.  With hundreds of revisions
occurring almost daily, the writer depends on the responsive cut-and-paste
technology of the Macintosh and the speedy, legible drafts produced by the
LaserWriter.  These tools allow the writer to incorporate changes almost as
fast as they occurQchanges that not even an army of typewriters and red pencils
(the writer's traditional tools) could keep up with!

A second draftQthe beta draftQthen follows the same path as its predecessor.
This time around, any missing pieces are fitted into place and the first
graphics take shape.  The writer makes "screen dumps" or pictures of the screen
and may even prepare simple line drawings so the reviewers can visualize the
emerging document.  The beta cycle ends in a group review meeting that may last
as long as two days!  This meeting marks a turning point in the development of
the manual.  From now on, it travels with the writer as well as an editor, art
director, artist, production editor, and production supervisor.

The editor works closely with the writer to create the clear and open style
that distinguish all Apple manuals.  In the process of polishing the text, a
final art list is generated that describes all the graphics, photographs, line
drawings, and conceptual art planned for the manual.  The preliminary graphics,
along with the near-final manuscript, are passed on to the art director who
determines how the art will be created, who will do it, and how it will look
on the printed page.

Then, just before the manual heads down the home stretch, it is tested by
dozens of neophyte users to ensure that it achieves it's goal: to show people
how to use and make the most of their new Apple product.  From then on, it's
like the last leg of a relay race, run by the production editor who is
responsible for putting all the pieces in place.  As the product's shipping
date gets closer and closer, the final pages are laid out, art is put in place,
an index is created, and hundreds of checks are made to ensure that everything
is where it belongs.

The production process ends when the final pages are printed in near-typeset
quality from a LaserWriter PlusQa process that may take only two hours for a
manual of several hundred pages.  These pages are then reproduced on film and
sent out for printing and binding.  The fact that everything at this point has
been done on Apple productsQall the writing, editing, drawing, and printingQis
a real tribute to the speed and reliability of the technology.  It also says a
great deal about the pride that goes into every Apple manual.

But the story of the manual doesn't quite end there.  Every manual produced by
Apple is translated into seven or eight different languages even before the
English version is printed and shipped.  The hub of that activity is
centralized at Apple's facility in Cork, IrelandQalso the location where many
Apple manuals are printedQwhich is why some Apple manuals make a quick trip
overseas.

The manual's journey really ends when it arrives at its final destinationQ your
desktop.  So the next time you pick up a new Apple manual, take a look at the
inside back cover.  The inscription there, called a "colophon" in book
publishing jargon, describes the software, fonts, and equipment that were used
to produce the manual.

But that, of course, is only part of the story.



New Product Roundup

Boston's MACWORLD Expo( earlier this month was the scene for introducing an
array of new Apple products, including new hardware peripherals, communications
products, and some very exciting system software products.  Here's the scoop.

HyperCard system software is a personal toolkit for creating, customizing,
organizing, and using information in a way that works for you (see this month's
feature article).

MultiFinder software is the first-generation multitasking operating system for
Macintosh computers.  Multitasking means that you can run more than one
application simultaneously and perform printing or file processing in the
background.  MultiFinder will print a document, calculate a spreadsheet, sort a
database, or even retrieve and print electronic mail while you're busy working
on another application.  Switching between applications is as easy as pointing
and clicking.  The program is compatible with most current Macintosh
applications and uses the standard Macintosh Finder interface.

ImageWriter* LQ printer is a versatile, wide-carriage, dot matrix,
letter-quality printer for Macintosh and Apple II computers.  Printing at 216
dots per inch, the ImageWriter LQ delivers the high-quality output required in
many business, educational, and administrative settings.  The product supports
custom-designed fonts, as well as color printing.

AppleFax* Modem is a desktop-sized 9600-baud modem that allows you to transmit
graphics and text to dedicated Fax machines and similarly configured Macintosh
computers over the phone lines.  The modem, which comes with a power supply,
facsimilie applications, and driver software, provides bi-directional
communication with 90% of the worldwide installed base of Fax machines for
sending, receiving, storing, and printing documents.  Images transmitted via
the AppleFax Modem are in 200 dots-per-inchQa big improvement over tradition
facsimile transmissions.

EtherTalk* Interface Card with file exchange software connects the Macintosh II
to Ethernet*-based networks using a variety of protocols, including AppleTalk*,
TCP/IP with the UNIX* operating system, and Sun Microsystem's Network File
System (NFS).


AppleShare PC software allows MS-DOS* computers with AppleTalk cards to access
information stored on an AppleShare file server.  This product integrates
MS-DOS PCs into Macintosh environments (and Macintosh computers into MS-DOS
environments) for file exchange and greater office productivity.

All User Group leaders received more information on these products in this
month's mailing.  Ask them for more details, or see your Apple dealer.


Free Upgrade for Apple IIGS Owners

Apple is pleased to offer all Apple IIgs* owners a free chip that will enhance
the performance of your Apple IIGS personal computer.

The Video Graphics Controller (VGC) chipQwhich generates the video output of
your Apple IIGSQmay occasionally produce some flickering and pink tones when
black-and-white programs are displayed on a color monitor in
double-high-resolution mode.  Also, some rarely used color combinations may
cause characters to flicker in the standard text mode.

Although you may have never noticed these minor problems, Apple would like to
correct them for you, free of charge.

Simply bring your Apple IIGS to any authorized Apple dealer.*  Your dealer will
replace the old VGC chip with a new chip that resolves these problems.  And,
for any inconvenience you may have experienced, your Apple dealer will also
install at no charge a new, enhanced version of the Apple IIGS ROM chip.

We hope you will enjoy your free Apple IIGS upgrades.


*Visit the authorized Apple dealer from whom you purchased your system, or
call, toll free, [phone] for the name of the dealer nearest you.


Computer Learning NightsQOctober '87

Computer Learning Month is approaching and Apple would like to help you
celebrate computer learning with your local schools!  As an involved computer
user, you know how important community support and, in particular, parental
support is to the success of computer education.

With the assistance of computer coordinators and PTA representatives, Apple has
created a planning guide to assist schools in planning Computer Learning Month
events for parents.  The material focuses on creating a partnership in the
schools with the computer specialist, principal, teachers, and parents.  You,
as the local User Group, could be a very important member of this partnership.

Because we feel that you could make a significant contribution to the success
of Computer Learning Month, we would like to involve you in this very important
activity.  Your group will be receiving in mid-September a Computer Learning
Month event planning guide.  This guide is addressed to educators, and we feel
that you are some of the best educators in computer education.  You can use
this material in a variety of ways.  You could host your own Computer Learning
Night for the community, you could join together with one of your local schools
and assist them in holding an event, you could hold an event for your User
Group in which every member is asked to bring two computer-naive friendsQthe
possibilities are endless, and very exciting!

Of course, because you are some of Apple's most faithful users, we would love
to hear about your successful Computer Learning Month events.  Please write c/o
Computer Learning Nights, Higgins Inc., 336 Newburry Street, Boston, MA 02115,
and let us know what you are doing to celebrate.


Introducing Joan Tabb
Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the Apple User Group
Connection: Joan Tabb.  A two-year Apple veteran, Joan comes to the Connection
with a wealth of valuable experiences.  Her background as Training Manager for
Apple's government, national account, and VAR (Value-Added Reseller) channels
gives her a strong understanding of user needs and applications in these areas.
This experience will enhance the Connection's ability to address business,
government, and corporate User Groups, and will give us new insight into the
training opportunities within the end user community.  Next month's Quick
Connect will feature an in-depth interview with Joan that will reveal how her
interest in Apple's end users led her to a key position in the User Group
Connection.  Until then, please join us in welcoming Joan (TABB1 on AppleLink)
to our group.

Ellen Leanse


[BULLETIN BOARD ITEMS]

On-Line Users Update!
When we went to press, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was
proposing to institute an on-line access charge for all users of value-added
networks.  This charge could raise the hourly fee of such services as
CompuServe*, The Source*, GEnie*, and almost all other on-line services by as
much as $5.00 per hour.  If the charge were passed on to users, services
currently charging $6.00 per hour could be charging rates as high as $11.00 per
hour.  This fee would be paid to the local phone companies to help pay for
maintenance of the local phone system.

Because this is still just a proposed ruling, details are not yet fully known.
However, we encourage our readers to watch for updates in Quick Connect and let
their opinions be known at the appropriate time.


Putting Quick Connect to Good Use
We've talked to a lot of groups in the last few months about how they're using
Quick Connect.  Many, it seems, are using Quick Connect as we hoped they
wouldQas the User Group Connection's outreach to the members of User Groups
across the country.  Some, like the New York Macintosh Users Group and several
others, even include a Quick Connect insert in their own monthly
newsletterQsomething we hear has been very well received by their members.

Whether you're using Quick Connect in a library or resource center, in
reprints, or adapting its copy to your own newsletters, we hope it's helping
your members get some unusual insights on Apple's people and products.
Comments and suggestions are always welcome.  Link us at LEANSE1 or FARNAM, or
write to us at 20525 Mariani Ave. , M/S 36P, Cupertino, CA 95014, and tell us
how we can make Quick Connect the best possible resource for User Group
members.


This Month in Apple's History . . .
AUGUST

1979QApple II Pascal is released.

1981QInternational Business Machines introduces the IBM* Personal Computer.
Apple greets its new competitor with a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal
that reads, "Welcome IBM, Seriously."

1982QApple announces that U.S. Customs agents will detain and seize all foreign
imitations of the Apple II.  Confiscated computers will be destroyed.

1984QThe Apple IIc receives the 1984 IDEA awardQthe Industrial Design
Excellence AwardQsponsored by the Industrial Designers Society of America.

1985QApple takes a public stand against South African apartheid, declaring
that, "We choose not to support those policies and are therefore discontinuing
our activities in South Africa."

1986QThe Apple Programmers and Developers Association (APDA) is formed.


Staff
Editors:  Phyllis Farnam and Ellen Leanse
Contributors:  Patrick Ames, Dr. Martin Engle, and Cindy Lurie
Writer:  Janet Joers
Design and Production:  Aplin & Uno


1987 Apple Computer, Inc.  Apple, the Apple logo, AppleLink,  AppleTalk,
ImageWriter, LaserWriter, and MacPaint are registered trademarks of Apple
Computer, Inc.  Apple IIgs, AppleFax, AppleShare, EtherTalk, HyperCard,
Macintosh, MultiFinder, and StackWare are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
ACOT (Apple Classroom of Tomorrow) is a registered service mark of Apple
Computer, Inc.  CompuServe is a registered trademark of CompuServe, Inc.
Ethernet is a registered trademark of Xerox Corporation.  GEnie is a trademark
of General Electric Information Services Company, USA.  IBM is a registered
trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.  MACWORLD Expo is a
registered trademark of World Expo Co., Inc.  MS-DOS is a registered trademark
of Microsoft Corporation.  The Source is a registered trademark of Source
Telecomputing Corp.  UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T Information
Systems.