PD ROM 1/PD ROM Volume I - Macintosh Software from BMUG (1988).iso/Electronic Messages/USEnet Digests/USEnet Vol. 4/USEnet 4.10

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Subject: Usenet Mac Digest V4 #10
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Subject: Usenet Mac Digest V4 #10
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Usenet Mac Digest     Friday, January 22, 1988       Volume 4 : Issue 10

Today's Topics:
     Re: MultiFinder switch keys
     Project Management Software - HELP Please!
     Re: SPICE for the Mac?
     Serious MPW C bug!
     nuVista
     Re: Mac --> HP printers question
     SCSI and Serial HD on one system.
     Re: tcsh in AUX
     Re: X on Mac ][
     Re: MacExpo: Bursting at the seams
     Need a good ImageWriter Spooler
     Re: nuVista
     Re: MacExpo: Bursting at the seams
     About box in MF:  Can I change it so....
     Re: Mac Finder (not so) Funny
     Re: Are Desktop files a good idea?
     About box searches??
     Re: Icons in menu:  How?
     Graphing functions on the Macintosh
     robot quest
     Re: Adding to STR# resources
     Claris & MacTerminal?
     cheap spreadsheet?
     MacWorld Expo Report: Gassee's address

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

From: [e-mail] (Earle R. Horton)
Subject: Re: MultiFinder switch keys
Date: 18 Jan 88 19:12:34 GMT
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
    (Greg Satz) writes:
> I got tired of always having to grab the mouse to switch MultiFinder
> layers so I wrote this INIT that will allow a switch to be performed
> via the keyboard.  It will look for occurances of Option-Up arrow and

This is a nice little INIT, but trying to use the keyboard switch from
within VersaTerm PRO v 2.00 leads to disastrous results.  On a Mac II,
it scrambles the monitor.  On a 512KE, it hangs the machine with
mouse-freeze.  This might have something do with the way VersaTerm PRO
uses option-keys, but I wouldn't recommend using it with VersaTerm PRO.
If you do, don't try to switch using the keyboard when in VersaTerm PRO,
since you will certainly have to reboot.
--
*********************************************************************
*Earle R. Horton, H.B. 8000, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755   *
*********************************************************************


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

From: [e-mail] (Pavneet Arora)
Subject: Project Management Software - HELP Please!
Date: 18 Jan 88 01:52:39 GMT
Organization: University of Toronto Computing Services

A friend of mine is looking for an integrated project management package
which will have actual resources used as input only once, compared it
with project projections, output reports etc., while also being tied
into the payroll system.

Does something like this exist?  If so could you please send me the
particulars.  If not, then if anyone could make suggestions as to how
this problem may be solved, I'd really appreciate it.

Many thanks in advance.
--
Pavneet Arora
parora@utgpu


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

From: [e-mail] (Markus Kaipainen)
Subject: Re: SPICE for the Mac?
Date: 18 Jan 88 10:42:23 GMT
Organization: Dep. of E. Eng., Linkoping University, S-581 83 Linkoping Sweden

We have ported SPICE 2.G.6 to both Mac+ and Mac II. However, the Mac+
version still has a "feature". It must be properly loaded into the
memory. If you wish to have a copy, please send us 3 disks.

        Markus Kaipainen


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

From: [e-mail] (Mike Blackwell)
Subject: Serious MPW C bug!
Date: 19 Jan 88 04:24:06 GMT
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI

If you're using MPW 2.0 C, beware of floating point operations. I just
spent two hours tracking down the following bug (it took that long,
because it was a complicated program, and I didn't even think to look
for such a major compiler bug). Try this simple program:
--
#include <stdio.h>

main()
{
    float a, b, c;

    a = 2.0; b = 3.0; c = 0.0;
    c += a * b;
    printf("a = %f, b = %f, a*b = %f, c = %f\n", a, b, a * b, c);
}

Guess what you get...
a = 2.0000, b = 3.0000, a*b = 6.0000, c = 0.0000

In fact, trying to get around this with c = c + a * b; will also give you
the same results! The same holds true for using doubles or comps instead of
floats. Using extendeds does seem to work, however. I still can't believe
this. And this DID work in the beta release of 2.0! Arrrrrggggghhhhhh!!!!!!

While I'm bitching about MPW, quick and dirty programs which just use stdio
for output (like this one) crash instantly under Multifinder. And you'd
think, with the horsepower of a Mac2 on my desk, I could compile, or at
least print, in the background, but nooo.... Most every other application
can take advantage of background printing these days. Humph. And I used to
love MPW.

        Mike Blackwell
        The Robotics Institute, Carnegie-Mellon University
        ARPA: [e-mail]
        [phone]


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

From: [e-mail] (UNIX Group)
Subject: nuVista
Date: 17 Jan 88 23:04:04 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel

Without going into detail (I don't have the press release materials)

Truevision - formerly AT&T EPICenter has announced a version of the
Vista board for the MAC II. The only macII video board you'll ever
need/want.

4mb of image memory,TI co-processor,fast multi-frame image capture, many
display modes (around 1k by 1k by 32 bit color plus many others).

So this baby will give you what you really wanted all along...
live/captured/animated full color video in a mac window. acts like any
other macII video card (compatable with current applications) sell your
car/house/children it's $6000 Development toolkit available etc. I think
there is an 8mb version too.

shipping in a few months - get your order in now.

this is posted for info only ... I may be wrong on the specs.

or not.


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

From: [e-mail] (Greg Stephens)
Subject: Re: Mac --> HP printers question
Date: 18 Jan 88 16:57:44 GMT
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino

I have to agree with Jan, having used the LaserStart driver with the LJ
it is basically a laserprinted (75dpi) version of the Imagewriter.
However you can choose to print at 150 or 300 dpi, but since everything
is still in bit image format the scaling is not very good and it takes a
lot longer to print.

I am waiting to hear of a Postscript card for the LJ II.  Anyone heard
of one yet?

Regarding plotter drivers.  I have used PlotStart and MacPlots II.  I do
not recommend PlotStart.  MacPlots II is better but still leaves
something to be desired.  It depends upon what you are using the plotter
for.  If you are using it for presentation graphics or anything where
creative font selection is important, you can forget the Mac <-> plotter
connection since all of the plotter drivers only support the imbedded
stick font that is included in the plotter.  This limitations is, I
think, the biggest hole in the Mac's strong offering as a
text/graphics/wp/dtp machine. If you want to connect to a plotter for
engineering type applications where font selection is not that important
then you may find that MacPlots II will work just fine.


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

From: [e-mail] (Explaining is not understanding)
Subject: SCSI and Serial HD on one system.
Date: 19 Jan 88 13:31:11 GMT
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation

I have a 512KE with 2MB of RAM, and an add-on SCSI port.  I also have a
serial HD (MacBottom - attached to the printer port) which requires
booting  from floppy.  I wish to add a SCSI HD to the system, and use
the serial HD  for online storage/backup only (NOT as a system disk).
The way I see it, the  SCSI would boot at power-up, and if (only if) I
run the 'Electric Start'  program thereafter, manually, I will be able
to gain access to the serial.  Anybody out there do/done this? Anyone
see any problems I might expect using  this method??
--
Thanks a lot...
Gary


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

From: [e-mail] (Mark A. Verber)
Subject: Re: tcsh in AUX
Date: 19 Jan 88 13:18:37 GMT
Organization: Ohio State University, Computer Science

As I stated before, tcsh will run under A/UX.  If you are having
problems compiling it under A/UX you should contact Paul Placeway
[e-mail] or cbosgd!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!paul for
help.  We have had tcsh running under A/UX since early Spring.
--
Cheers,
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Computer Science Department                     Mark A. Verber
The Ohio State University             [e-mail]
[phone]                  cbosgd!osu-cis!verber


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

From: [e-mail] (Mark A. Verber)
Subject: Re: X on Mac ][
Date: 19 Jan 88 13:29:31 GMT
Organization: Ohio State University, Computer Science

Yes, X.10 exists for the Mac II under A/UX.  Some guys at Berkeley have
do a first cut port of X.  Warning: It is really slow and quite a
resource hog.  You don't want to run it with less that 5mb or RAM. Then
again, A/UX would like about that much memory for itself. (Remember when
v7 ran happilly in nothing?)  I believe there are plans to do a X.11
prot, and to localize the port to the Nac II hardware, i.e. use the
toolbox for graphics.  I haven't heard yet how this is coming.  I expect
that OSU will do it if no one else gets around to it in the next few
months.
--
Cheers,
Mark


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

From: [e-mail] (Paul Ausick)
Subject: Re: MacExpo: Bursting at the seams
Date: 19 Jan 88 01:55:54 GMT
Organization: Dana Computer, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA

>
> ...lots of interesting stuff...
> DTP programs in excess. I got stuff on PageMaker 3.0, RSG 4.0, Scoop,
> Xpress, and Interleaf. RSG is still on top, in my eyes, although PageMaker
> is better for shorter, more graphic pieces...

I really thought the new Xpress was superior in every way to all other
products (I currently use PageMaker2.0).  I'll probably buy a copy when
it gets on the shelf.

One thing Chuq didn't mention, but that just knocked me out was a demo
of Knowledge Engineering's _Lithographer_ at the RasterOps booth.  Bill
Bates, company prez, was using a MacII to show this off.  It's a
combination of a draw and paint program, but you could use it in the
same way as ImageStudio on a 24-bit color image.  That's damn cool.  But
the most impressive part (Bates said he wasn't sure he was going to sell
Lithographer) was the sample printed output he brought along.  Bates has
written a PostScript-compatible(clone) driver for an imagesetter called
The Ultrasetter. Output resolution is 3000 dpi.  Bates understands that
all the flashy graphics in the world isn't worth much unless you can get
it on paper for a reasonable price.  He hopes to have a product
announcement in the spring.  Watch for it.  It won't be the biggest
announcement of the year, just the most important.
--
/Paul Ausick
Dana Computer, Inc.
550 Del Rey Ave.        uucp: ...hplabs!dana!paul
Sunnyvale, CA 94086        408/732-0400


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

From: [e-mail] (Mark E. Perkins)
Subject: Need a good ImageWriter Spooler
Date: 19 Jan 88 17:31:00 GMT
Organization: New York University

    Has anyone had any (good) experience with ImageWriter spoolers?
Configuration is a 512E w/ 2MB (Dove).  MacSpool (Mainstay) is OK,
unless one wants to use a RAM disk.  The RAM disk part of MacSpool
doesn't allow loading at startup, so it's a pain in the %$* to use. The
spooler part causes no end of problems when used with Switcher or with
another RAM disk (i.e., RamStart).

    Can anyone tell me anything about the spooler from SuperMac? Judging
from the enthusiasm about DiskFit, my guess would be that stuff from
SuperMac is pretty solid, no?
--
    Mark Perkins        Walk softly and carry a megawatt laser.

Internet:  [e-mail]    (that's VEE-EM-ELL)
Usenet:    {seismo|ihnp4|allegra}!cmcl2!vml!mark
US Mail:   Department of Psychology, NYU
       6 Washington Place, room 970
       New York, NY 10003
Phone:       [phone]


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

From: [e-mail] (;;;;YF37)
Subject: Re: nuVista
Date: 19 Jan 88 18:49:26 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley

Yes, I saw it, too, and was most impressed.  However, they didn't show
the QuickDraw interface, so I'd be a little cautious right now.

I don't recall them mentioning a 8 Mb version, but I do remember a 2 Mb
one.

For those who didn't see it, we are talking about 24-bit color here.  If
you've ever seen 24-bit color, you can never again be satisfied with 8
bit color.

There was also another video card (can't remeber the name; my poop
sheets are at home) that was actual showing a Mac application running,
with the desktop being a video image from a camera rather than the usual
gray.  Imagine, not only can you get lost in you Mac playing with
graphics, but you could watch television, too?!?!?!?!
--
Edward Moy
Workstation Software Support Group
University of California
Berkeley, CA  94720

[e-mail]
ucbvax!violet!edmoy


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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: MacExpo: Bursting at the seams
Date: 19 Jan 88 19:20:39 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Chuq Von Rospach)
writes:
>This was the year the Mac went Hyper. If I never see the word Hyper again,
>I'll be happy. A few months ago, in Boston, Apple announced Hypercard. This
>month, in San Francisco, the Mac Vendors went Hyper.

Other than "hyper", the word that impressed me was "color".  Lots of it.
 Lots of color monitors and video cards to choose from, such as
SuperMac, PCPC, Jasmine, E-machines, etc.  Most were 8-bit color, but
there were at least five 24-bit color systems (RasterOp, Jasmine,
SuperMac, TrueVision and Mass-Micro Systems).  The last two are designed
to capture video signal (from a camera or VCR) in 24-bit color at 30
frames per second.

And there was three color printers that I saw (QMS, CalComp, Versatec).
These were all based on the multi-pass wax toner process and were either
200 or 300 dpi.  They only cost 14 arms and 32 legs :-)

On a related topic, there were ump-teen video digiters and scanners at
the show.  Of mention is ProViz, which uses a video camera mounted in a
copy stand.  It has color filters that go in front of the lens to take
separate images in red, green and blue (a poor-man's way of color
digitizing, but ProViz still isn't what I would call cheap).

>Speaking of hyperventilating, trying to breathe was an interesting exercise
>at this years MacExpo. It's interesting to put things in perspective. Two

I heard that a total of 30,000 people attended last year's MacExpo.
This year, 20,000 attended just on Friday!  I don't know what the final
figures are.

Thursday the 14 was "VIP day" by invitation only.  It was alot nicer,
being many fewer people than Friday or Saturday.  At the opening talk,
they showed some of the old videos (like the scene of "1984" with a
women throwing a hammer and smashing the giant video monitor).  They had
a new video of what 1997 (ten years hence) would be like.  Besides
implying that Macs would take over the computer world, the scene I liked
the most was one showing a new Mac, shaped like sunglasses with floppy
disks the size of postage stamps!
--
Edward Moy
Workstation Software Support Group
University of California
Berkeley, CA  94720

[e-mail]
ucbvax!violet!edmoy


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

From: [e-mail] (Mahboud Zabetian)
Subject: About box in MF:  Can I change it so....
Date: 19 Jan 88 18:46:54 GMT
Organization: Advanced Technology, Princeton University

I would like to be able to select the About Multifinder box, so it shows
me the longer version, WITHOUT my holding down the option-clover keys.

Is there a way(a patch, or using ResEdit)?  The reason I want to do this
is because I have added some of my own information in the STR# resource
of MF, and I would like it displayed when I select About MF...  I would
rather not have to hold down the option and clover keys.

Also, is it legal for me to change the STR# in MF?

Thank you....

--
Mahboud Zabetian                [e-mail]
183 Little Hall                     [phone]
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544        [phone]
****** Anyone need a soon-to-graduate hardware/software engineer? ********


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

From: [e-mail] (Chuq Von Rospach)
Subject: Re: Mac Finder (not so) Funny
Date: 19 Jan 88 17:47:36 GMT
Organization: Fictional Reality, uLtd

> Well, what happens?  When the dialog box disappears, the
>finder neatly deletes not only the duplicate file, but the ORIGINAL file
>itself.  HARDLY friendly!  The desktop appears to be purged of the file's
>information, of course.

This probably isn't the Finder's problem, but I've found that Doug
Clapp's Word Tools causes problems under System Release 5.0, to the
point where I pulled it off my hard disks. It creates a "Word Tools
Preferences" file in the System Folder, as is normal these days.

The fun starts when you try to do something like click on or move that
file. The icon freaks out, followed shortly by the finder (and the
system) going belly up with an ID=2. This is even more fun since you
need to click on or move the file to delete it with the finder (talk
about time bombs). I finally zapped it with Disktop, but after doing
full backups, when I went to clean up with disk with DiskExpress it told
me the directory structure was damaged. I can only assume (since this is
the first time I've seen THAT message) that it was related to word
tools.

Hopefully, this'll be fixed in the next release of Word Tools, but I
don't recommend running it under the current release of software. Anyone
have any idea what they could have broken?
--
chuq
Chuq "Fixed in 4.0" Von Rospach        [e-mail]        Delphi: CHUQ

                       What do you mean 'You don't really want to hurt her?'
                                    I'm a Super-Villain! That's my Schtick!


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

From: [e-mail] (Lee Atchison)
Subject: Re: Are Desktop files a good idea?
Date: 18 Jan 88 22:55:16 GMT
Organization: HP Information Networks, Cupertino, CA

Try putting your applications in a long-thin folder at the bottom of
your screen.  You no longer have to worry about hiding windows behind
the desk top, and the icons are still easily accessible for your use.

I know this sounds like a simplistic suggestion, but it works!!
--
            -lee
------------
Lee Atchison
Hewlett Packard, Information Networks Division
[e-mail]


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

From: [e-mail] (Mark Interrante)
Subject: About box searches??
Date: 19 Jan 88 21:53:35 GMT
Organization: UF CIS Department

Does anyone know of a program or a way to search the ABOUT BOXES that
all files have?  It seems like a logical  extension to many of the "find
file" programs out there.
--
Mark Interrante                                               CIS Department
                                                       University of Florida
Internet:  [e-mail]                      Gainesville, FL  32611
                                                              [phone]


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

From: [e-mail] (David Fry)
Subject: Re: Icons in menu:  How?
Date: 19 Jan 88 22:53:21 GMT
Organization: Harvard Math Department

You should put the resource number minus 256 into the menu's resource.
Therefore the icon must be numbered from 257 to 511.  BTW, make sure the
icon is of type 'ICON' not 'ICN#'.
--
David Fry                [e-mail]
Department of Mathematics        [e-mail]
Harvard University            ...!harvard!huma1!fry
Cambridge, MA  02138


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

From: [e-mail] (David Fry)
Subject: Graphing functions on the Macintosh
Date: 19 Jan 88 23:06:20 GMT
Organization: Harvard Math Department

I have a need to graph functions.  They are only simple y = f(x)
affairs.  I've heard that GraphToolz is good for this but have been
unable to find it anywhere.  I would really appreciate it if some kind
soul could mail me a Binhex of this program, or any others you know that
might help.  There are many programs that plot data files but that's not
good enough.

Thanks.
--
David Fry                [e-mail]
Department of Mathematics        [e-mail]
Harvard University            ...!harvard!huma1!fry
Cambridge, MA  02138


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

From: [e-mail] (Tharakesh Siddalingaiah)
Subject: robot quest
Date: 19 Jan 88 21:30:57 GMT
Organization: Center for Automation Research, Univ. of Md.

We are looking for an educational robot arm in the $5,000-$10,000 price
range, which can interface to the Macintosh. We would like to hear from
anyone who has heard about such systems, and, hopefully from people who
have used them. Please respond by E-mail.

-tk
--
 Tharakesh Siddalingaiah ---
      University of Maryland Computer Vision Lab,     [phone]
      ARPA:[e-mail] UUCP:{seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!mimsy!cvl!tk


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

From: [e-mail] (Larry Rosenstein)
Subject: Re: Adding to STR# resources
Date: 19 Jan 88 23:07:00 GMT
Organization: Advanced Technology Group, Apple Computer

A couple of comments about this:

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Earle R. Horton) writes:
>
>String_list_length = 2 + value_of_header_word + sum_of_length_bytes + PAD

What is the purpose of the PAD?  The MPW Rez tool doesn't generate any
padding after the strings.  There is no harm in adding padding, however.


Second, a good call to use for this case (often overlooked) is Munger.
Munger operates on the bytes in a handle and can insert, delete, or
replace any sequence of bytes.  By using Munger you don't have to worry
about changing the handle size or moving bytes around (if you wanted to
insert in the middle).


Finally, one thing to watch out for is the fact that the individual
strings can start on an odd byte boundary.  I ran into this with my
ApplicationMenu INIT, since menus items are stored the same way.  You
can't use a StringPtr variable to point to one of the strings, since
such a pointer needs to be even.  (This is at least true in MPW Pascal.)
--
Larry Rosenstein

Object Specialist
Apple Computer

AppleLink: Rosenstein1
UUCP:  {sun, voder, nsc, mtxinu, dual}!apple!lsr
CSNET: [e-mail]


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

From: [e-mail] (Mike Khaw)
Subject: Claris & MacTerminal?
Date: 19 Jan 88 07:30:47 GMT
Organization: Teknowledge, Inc., Palo Alto CA

Does Claris now own MacTerminal and MacPascal as well?

Mike Khaw
--
internet:  [e-mail]
usenet:       {uunet|sun|ucbvax|decwrl|uw-beaver}!mkhaw%teknowledge-vaxc.arpa
USnail:       Teknowledge Inc, 1850 Embarcadero Rd, POB 10119, Palo Alto, CA 94303


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

From: [e-mail] (Mike Khaw)
Subject: cheap spreadsheet?
Date: 19 Jan 88 07:32:29 GMT
Organization: Teknowledge, Inc., Palo Alto CA

Sorry if this is old hat, but are there shareware/freeware spreadsheets
for the Mac, and if so, are they any good (i.e., Mac-ish)?

Thanks, Mike Khaw
--
internet:  [e-mail]
usenet:       {uunet|sun|ucbvax|decwrl|uw-beaver}!mkhaw%teknowledge-vaxc.arpa
USnail:       Teknowledge Inc, 1850 Embarcadero Rd, POB 10119, Palo Alto, CA 94303


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

From: [e-mail] (Bill Petro - Program Management Office)
Subject: MacWorld Expo Report: Gassee's address
Date: 19 Jan 88 20:11:15 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View


Macworld Expo 1988 Report
  by Bill Petro

Report on keynote address by Apple VP Jean-Louis Gassee: "How to Keep
Japan Inc. from Eating our Sushi".

The outspoken and flamboyant vice president of research and development
for Apple Computer told the more than two thousand present that if
America licenses its processor technology and system software to the
Japanese it would lose its supremacy in the personal computing market.

In his twenty-six minute keynote address to the MacWorld Expo held at
Moscone Center in San Francisco Saturday morning, Gassee identified what
he believed were three trends that threatened America's position in
world economy.  First, he said, "In technology we are losing our
jewels."  "In the workplace", he said, "we are losing our spirit, and in
education we are losing our minds."  In education he said, we are
graduating from our colleges only one half of the engineers we need. In
the industry only 5% of the employees are engineers.  He said that 75%
of the MIT graduating engineers are snatched up by Digital Equipment
Corporation.  In Japan, 30-40% of the employees are engineers.  In the
Japanese parliament, 53% of the members have technical backgrounds, in
the U.S. congress, only 2.  Not 2% but 2 people.  It escaped no ones
notice that Gassee's background is as a mathematician.

In the workplace, he pointed out that one of the most exciting
automobile manufacturers in America is in Ohio - Honda of Ohio.  But he
spent the most part of his time discussing the technological area, where
he felt that we are giving away our "crown jewels".  (He said that the
Apple legal department recommended against using the phrase "family
jewels".)  He pointed out that one of the things that has kept the
Japanese from developing a strong "home grown" personal computer market
is the difficulty of their language, their very difficult script.  A
fully developed vocabulary can take over ten thousand characters, not
words, to fully express it.  However, if America were to license its two
most significant technological weapons - its processor technology and
its system software, the Japanese would be eager to test it, refine it
and then offer to the market a cheaper, faster, and better alternative.

"Freely licensing system software to all comers would be to give away
the crown jewels", said Gassee.  "Since Japan can get access to RISC
technology and the new standard operating system, in the same way the
Japanese can claim a huge market share as when the transistor was
licensed."  "Apple will not do this."  "It will adapt standards as they
will help customers."  This was greeted by a round of applause.  Gassee
did congratulate Digital Equipment Corporation for their "David-like"
success against the "Goliath" of the industry by using a proprietary
operating system.

Following his address were twenty-five minutes of question and answers.
When asked what Americans should do, he said that protectionism would
not solve the problem of maintaining the competitive edge we currently
have in the personal computing market. However, he did suggest voting
with wallets.  Although he did not mention any particular vendors by
name, a question from the audience mentioned Sun Microsystems.  He was
careful to avoid a direct comment about any particular company and tried
to keep his answers general, but did say that companies that followed
the practice of licensing their microprocessor technology and system
software to the Japanese would see their margins decrease.  He
recommended that the "David's" must protect their research and
development ability, and that "a shot in the arm now" could be "a shot
in the head later".  "The Japanese are willing to examine your product
and offer some helpful comments about bugs, but will then later say to
the market, 'Yes that is nice, but we have something that is cheaper,
faster, and better'".

Gassee is an entertaining and engaging speaker, and is the most
personable and colorful of the Apple spokesmen.  He made jokes about
MBA's and lawyers.  However, on a couple of occasions he responded to
questions by not answering them in a way that one would hardly notice.
To the question, "How does Apple's local operating system avoid the
'Tower of Babel' situation we have now", Gassee curiously and rather
conveniently misunderstood the question and answered instead by
explaining that the Macintosh OS "resource files" could be customized
for any particular language in the world, replacing English with French
for example.  It was clear, at least to this reporter, that the question
dealt with a closed operating system in a world of emerging standards.

A thirty minute panel discussion titled "Macintosh - Wizard of '88"
followed his address during which he was asked other questions.  To the
question about whether Apple was endeavoring to produce a second
standard with its QuickDraw page description language when it appears
that the industry is moving toward a universal acceptance of PostScript,
his answer was rather circumlocutious, suggesting differences with
screen and printer resolutions, and the difficulty of re-engineering.
However, this view is not shared by all, and Cary Lu, the
"philosopher-writer" of the Macintosh world as much as said so in the
panel discussion.  He believes that there will and must be one standard
page description language.

When Gassee was asked about the rumor of whether Apple will supply a
answerlow cost" Macintosh, Gassee answered that Apple needed to maintain
its profit margin in order to supply the research and development needed
to maintain its high standards.  This answer was less than convincing
and Cary Lu made a number of interesting comments.  "Apple offers no
portable Macintosh, no low cost Macintosh, and no high powered
Macintosh", said Lu.  "Can one computer company supply the need?  If RCA
had not licensed its technology where would the television be now?"  Lu
wanted to see "just enough profit margin for research and development".

Cary Lu offered three scenarios for the future.  "Apple could hold on to
its private operating system and others would compete like Windows,
X.11, and OS/2 and prices for the high end competitors would come down."
 Secondly, "it could be cloned without permission, and forgetting the
legal issues, there would be the difficulty of software compatibility."
Thirdly, "Apple could license its ROM.  This might not seem to be in
Apple's interest.  But how about second or third sources?  This would
allow for a high performance or a low cost machine."

{cbosgd,decwrl,hplabs,seismo,ucbvax}!sun!warp!rock  Bill Petro

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