PD ROM 1/PD ROM Volume I - Macintosh Software from BMUG (1988).iso/Electronic Messages/USEnet Digests/USEnet Vol. 4/USEnet 4.12

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From: Jeffrey Shulman <[e-mail]>
Subject: Usenet Mac Digest V4 #12
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From: Jeff Shulman <SHULMAN@SDR>
Subject: Usenet Mac Digest V4 #12
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Usenet Mac Digest     Friday, January 22, 1988       Volume 4 : Issue 12

Today's Topics:
     Re: Suitcase versus Font/DA Juggler
     Re: Sorting resources and a question about the list manager
     SE replacement fan survey
     LSC prototypes question
     WriteNow 1.07 and MultiFinder
     More on the Mac 512K and LW 5.0 Problem
     Programmers Network's FIRST gathering proposed
     Re: Request for MiniEdit source
     PostScript Programming
     Request for info/experiences
     Re: Screen Jitter on a Macintosh SE - a
     Re: Need help with drawing icons
     Re: Need a good ImageWriter Spooler
     Mac 512KE memory upgrade & Cirrus 40 Hard Disk.
     Japanese word processing

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

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Suitcase versus Font/DA Juggler
Date: 19 Jan 88 16:57:32 GMT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

ALSoft was showing a new version of Font/DA Juggler - F/DA J Plus - at
Expo.

In a word (or a few) it is better than Suitcase. (I own both the
programs. I bought Suitcase after seeing lots of favorable comments, and
used it extensively with no problems, but Font/DA Juggler blows it away.
I bought it at Expo)

First, F/DA J is MF compatible, allowing opening and closing fonts and
DAs under MF. (Suitcase is coming out with a free upgrade Real Soon
Now.) It only allows 10 files to be open at once, so you have to pack
individual fonts and DAs together.  (I believe this restriction applies
to Suitcase, too). It allows  easy access to FKEYs (not quite as easy as
Font Key Manager, but installation is easier). You can use F/DA J to
choose the system beep. (in an easier manner than with IBeep2). Files to
be opened can be anywhere on the disk, as opposed to in specific folders
in the system folder, as required with Suitcase. (This is not a
tremendous advantage; the system folder is the obvious place to keep
them.) It includes a utility to resolve font numbering conflicts - real
handy if you have lots of fonts. It allows easy display of available
fonts in that font (like MenuFonts) and in any style (bold, italic,
etc., unlike MenuFonts). It has facility for compressing fonts to save
disk space; fonts are automatically decompressed when needed.

There's a pretty long list of features for Font/DA Juggler Plus. If you
want to know if it does something in particular, just ask. Since
Suitcase is about the same price, I would say that Font/DA Juggler is by
far the better value. (I voted with my wallet on this one.) One wonders
why Suitcase (which is certainly
 a fine program) has gotten all the press, even winning a MacUser award,
and Font/DA Juggler has been virtually un-talked about in the press.
Maybe because Software Supply (maker of Suitcase) is here in CA, and
ALSoft is in TX?

BTW, F/DA J is an INIT that you just drag to the system folder, like
Suitcase.

Standard disclaimer: I have no connection with either ALSoft or Software
Supply other than being a satisfied customer of both, and giving them
both more money than my wife would like.
--
Ray Davidson
UUCP : ...sun!cup.portal.com!ray_ray_davidson
CIS : 71121,572
GENie : raydavidson

Snail Mail:
22422 Walnut Circle South, #A
Cupertino CA 95014


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

From: [e-mail] (John J. Chew III)
Subject: Re: Sorting resources and a question about the list manager
Date: 20 Jan 88 07:58:04 GMT
Organization: The Poslfit Committee


In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Zigurd R. Mednieks)
writes:
> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] () writes:
> >Question 2:  Is there a way to create a list without creating it in a specific
> >window?

I haven't received jmm's original posting here yet, but concerning the
above:

I believe that the drawIt flag passed to LNew() and subsequently
controlled by LDoDraw() affects only the drawing of the cells themselves
and not the scroll bar(s), giving you something that looks like an empty
list.

I was about to suggest that you first draw the list somewhere outside
the dialog's visible region (similar to HideDItem()) except that of
course there is no easy way to move a list once installed. I suppose you
could SetDItem the list to another location, change its rView field and
MoveControl its scroll bars, but it seems awfully messy...

jjc
--
john j. chew (v3.0)                       [e-mail]
[phone] (300/1200 bps)            [e-mail]
{cbosgd,decvax,mnetor,utai,utcsri,{allegra,linus}!utzoo}!utgpu!poslfit
"Script-G for open, sub-delta for durchschnitt"


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

From: [e-mail] (Ted Johnson)
Subject: SE replacement fan survey
Date: 19 Jan 88 17:22:11 GMT
Organization: HP Design Tech Center - Santa Clara, CA

Has anyone compared the two SE fan replacements (the "SE Silencer" and
the "Seabreeze" (?) fan) to each other?

Which one is quieter?

Which one does the best job of eliminating screen jitter?

How much $$$ was it to have it installed?  (I heard $50.00 for the SE
Silencer, including installation, at the MacWorld Expo. vs. $100.00 to
have the Seabreeze installed....)  Do you get what you pay for?

Thanks in advance.

    -Ted

P.S. Please tell whether you heard/saw the fan in an SE or a SE HD20!!!
--
---------------------------------------------------
Ted Johnson
Hewlett-Packard
Design Technology Center
[phone]
UUCP: ...hplabs!hpcea!hpcilzb!tedj


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

From: [e-mail] (Ted Johnson)
Subject: LSC prototypes question
Date: 19 Jan 88 17:34:48 GMT
Organization: HP Design Tech Center - Santa Clara, CA


I have a short L.S. C question:  I have a function which is defined as:

  void myfun(x, y)
  register int x, y;
  {
    ...stuff...
   }

   and I tried to make a function prototype for it like this:

   void myfun(register int x, register int y);


   and I got the error message "invalid storage class".  However when I
   removed the word "register" from the prototype, it compiled.  What's the
   deal?  Why isn't "register" a  valid storage class?  (I only have v.2.01
   of the documentation, and this error message wasn't in it...).

   Is it because prototypes just check TYPES of variables, and "register"
   isn't a type, it's a storage class?  But then the error message doesn't
   seem to make sense.

   Could someone please give me a clue?  :-)

   -Ted
--
---------------------------------------------------
Ted Johnson
Hewlett-Packard, Design Technology Center
Santa Clara, CA
[phone]
UUCP: ...hplabs!hpcea!hpcilzb!tedj


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

From: [e-mail] (Dave Platt)
Subject: WriteNow 1.07 and MultiFinder
Date: 20 Jan 88 23:04:10 GMT
Organization: Coherent Thought Inc., Palo Alto CA

I've had difficulty running WriteNow (version 1.07) on my 4-meg Mac SE
at work ever since I installed the System Update 5.0 software.  WriteNow
would run properly under the "Finder" mode, but would crash or hang the
machine instantly when launched under MultiFinder.  Removing all of my
funny INITs, TOPS, TOPS Spool, TMON, Programmer Key, etc. had no effect
whatsoever on the problem;  re-copying the application from the locked,
pristine master disk didn't help either.  Strangely enough, WriteNow
(same version, different serial number) runs perfectly on my Mac II at
home, even under MultiFinder.

I called T/Maker, and spoke with a fellow named Andy, who lead me
through a short series of checks with the Finder and ResEdit.  Andy then
gave me a short series of magical keystrokes which added a four-byte
resource to the application, and the application began working
perfectly.

The problem apparently dates back to WriteNow version 1.0, which (like
several Microsoft products such as Excel) contained some absolute memory
addressing mechanisms that couldn't cope properly with addresses over
the one-megabyte boundary.  MultiFinder's magic "Only run this
application in low memory" code was modified to honor WriteNow's needs
as well as Excel's.

Version 1.07 of WriteNow was rewritten so that the one-megabyte boundary
is not a problem;  it will run quite happily anywhere in memory.  In
order to inform MultiFinder that the low-memory-only restriction doesn't
apply, WriteNow is supposed to contain a "version" resource that
MultiFinder can recognize.  It seems that some copies of WriteNow 1.07
(I don't know how many) don't contain the necessary resource.  One would
think that MultiFinder would put up an "Insufficient memory to run this
application" dialog box, but apparently its code to do this doesn't
always work properly (perhaps when the system heap is very large?) and
any attempt to launch the application under these conditions immediately
reduces the system to mush.

The fix is quite easy: T/Maker has a small version-code-installer
program that Andy has offered to drop off at my office this evening;  if
he gives me the OK, I'll BinHex it and post it to comp.binaries.mac and
to Info-Mac.  In the meantime, those of you who are comfortable with
ResEdit can apply the following patch yourselves:

1) Make a copy of WriteNow.  PATCH THE COPY, NOT THE ORIGINAL!

2) Launch ResEdit and open the copy of WriteNow.

3) Check to see if the application contains a VERS resource.  If so, stop;
   it has already been patched.

4) Pull down New from the File menu to create a new resource type.  Enter
   VERS as the type's name.

5) Double-click the VERS resource type;  a window with no resources will
   appear.

6) Pull down New.  A new VERS resource with a random ID will appear.

7) Select the VERS resource, pull down Get Info from the File menu, change
   the resource ID to 0, and close the info box.

8) Pull down Open.  A hex-data box will appear for VERS 0.  Enter the
   characters "30313037".  These digits should appear in the middle of the
   window, and the string "0107" should appear at the right side.

9) Close the VERS 0 resource, the VERS resource type, and the application
   window;  confirm that the changes should be saved.  Quit ResEdit.

You should now be able to launch the patched application under
MultiFinder without having your machine choke and die.
--
Dave Platt
  UUCP:    ...!{ames,sun,uunet}!coherent!dplatt
  Internet: coherent![e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]


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

From: [e-mail] (Peter J Gergely)
Subject: More on the Mac 512K and LW 5.0 Problem
Date: 20 Jan 88 16:41:29 GMT
Organization: DREA, Dartmouth, NS Canada


More on the 512K, KE; Laser Driver 5.0, and Systems 3.2, and 3.3.

To date I have received only the following message, on our problems with
512K's and Laser Drivers (LDs) 5.0.

     Date:     Fri, 15 Jan 88 11:54 EST
     From:     <[e-mail]>
     Subject:  Laserwriter 5.0 bugs

     We have also had problems with the latest version of LaserWriter
     and LaserPrep, but they stem from using them with System 3.2 on
     512E's.  When trying to print a non-laser font, system crashes may
     occur that permanently destroy the disk.  We've had both system and
     data disks go bad and thought all our disk drives were dying until
     we diagnosed the problem.  Problems occured with Word 3.01 and
     MacDraw, but not Word 1.05 or WriteNow.

     Our only solution was to go to version 4.0 of laser files.

     Linda Iroff
     Humanities Computing Center
     Cornell University
     Ithaca, NY 14853
     [e-mail]

In the meantime, I contacted Apple Canada, whose first and immediate
response was to go back to LDs 4.0.  Stating that this response was
unsatisfactory, and that the documentation for the v5 System Software
specifically states all machines on an Appletalk must run the same LDs,
they said they would inquire to the US.  The following answer was
received (as best as I could transcribe the voice answer):

"The LDs 5.0 were designed to function correctly ONLY with machines
containing one or more MB of Ram.  There is no simple cure that would
allow this driver to work properly with the 512K Macintoshes, regardless
of 64K or 128K rom.  We will inform engineering that we have clients in
the field requesting a compatible driver for Mac512K machines".

This is a partially satisfactory answer, but we still cannot upgrade our
512K macs at the moment at the current upgrade prices, and our users
really do prefer LDs 5.0.  I wonder how many Macintosh Environments are
being hurt with our problems, and the ones mentioned by Linda Iroff.

Well, I wish I could talk to someone in Apple USA, as my call to Public
Relations got transferred to  International Customer Relations, and they
have yet to return my call.

Come on, Apple, there are some of us out here in the world that once
believed in you for your upward compatibility and your upgrade policies.

    - Peter
--
Peter J. Gergely (DREA, P.O. Box 1012, Dartmouth, NS  B2Y 3Z7  Canada)
      ARPANET:  [e-mail] (preferred) or [e-mail]
      DIALNET:  Peter@DIAL|DREA-Griffin            UUCP: [e-mail]
      CSNET:    [e-mail]      GENIE: GERGELY


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

From: [e-mail] (John Draper)
Subject: Programmers Network's FIRST gathering proposed
Date: 21 Jan 88 08:51:39 GMT
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link, Sausalito CA


          **** THE PROGRAMMERS NETWORK'S FIRST GATHERING ****

                   **** A PROPOSAL AND/OR IDEA ****

                         From John T. Draper
                         Programmers Network


            *** FEEL FREE TO PUT THIS ANY OTHER PLACE ***


   I was thinking of sponsoring a Mac Hack event to bring Mac Hackers
together for a 2 day Mac Hacking extraveganza.   Before I go through the
trouble of organizing one,  I want to get some feedback from other Mac
Hackers to find out what kinds of activities I should have,  and how
much I should charge.   I also want to provide accommodations for "out
of town" attendees,  food,  Equipment,  and Speakers.   I have a  number
of prominent people who have volunteered to speak.    So what say??
Would you come to one of these gatherings??

   One thing I would DEFINITELY want to do,  is to have people RSVP to
me,  and get the names of the people wanting to attend,  so this will
give me an indication of how much FOOD to get, and the other necessary
things that MORTAL Mac Hackers will need to survive 2 days of intense
NETWORKING.

   I don't want to add a lot of STRUCTURE to it,  because when you get
people together that have the same interest,  there is going to be a lot
of Networking and Information exchange.    I want to try and facilitate
and encourage this to the MAX.    A very good friend of mine (Craig
Larson,  wo co-founded the Programmers Network) and lives the Bourne
Mansion in Pacific Heights has volunteered his 4 story mansion.   We
have 3 of the 4 floors   The place was built in 1896,  and survived  the
1906 earthquake.    It's located in San Francisco next door to  the
Itialian Consolate.    I have already gotten 4 major software
developers who say they would want to attend.    So, if you're
wondering how to do OTHER STUFF on the Macintosh,  you would certainly
find the answer.   Or,  if you're an IBM'er (booooo!!!) and just
converted over to developing on a Mac (Yea!!!),   then THIS would be the
place to be.

   I also won't be providing ENTERTAINMENT,  because that would
interfere with all the NETWORKING expected to take place.   Instead,  I
have provided for NON OBTRUSIVE music to enhance Networking activitys.
If you're a LIGHTWEIGHT and must sleep like the MORTALS,  there will be
a quite comfortable place where you can park your body.   Then your
brain can go back out and network with the others,  and your body can
join you later.    Plus there will be other stimulating liquids like
Coffee and JOLT to keep you going.

   How many people that attend depends on the responses I get (of
course). I just want to know how many people would LIKE to attend a
gathing like  this,  and how much they can PAY to get in.   I don't want
to be greedy, but would like to cover the COST of one of these Nerd
Gatherings.   Hmm!! must think of a NAME for this shindig...  So  WHAT
SAY FOLKS,  Would you RSVP to one of these Nerd Partys??   Or just pass
it off as "Oh hummm!! just another Mac gathering!!!".   I'll post this
on the IBM conferences and groups in the hopes of converting them into
Mac Programmers.

   As I have mentioned earlier,   Craig Larson wants to LIMIT the size
of this gathering to a reasonable level,  thus the RSVP.   Craig lives
in a RESPECTABLE part of town,  in a Mansion thats a historic landmark,
and Mac programmers are RESPECTABLE aren't they??   If you are from out
of town,   perhaps looking for a reason to visit San Francisco,  we'll
do the best we can to get you here.   NO!!  We can't pay for an airline
ticket,    but we'll give you transportation information to help you get
here without problems.

   Getting EQUIPMENT is another problem we have to solve.   In an
attempt to promote people to bring their OWN Macs (SE's and Mac+'s are
ALWAYS welcome),  and removable hard drives,   they sould NOT have to
pay anything to get in.   But if you are FILTHY RICH,  and have lots of
$$$ to throw around,   fell free to give some to my Attorney,  so he can
help me prove my innocence relating to a nasty incident that confisgated
all my  equipment.    Noo!!  Just kidding...But then...

   The main theme of this party is INFORMATION EXCHANGE on MACINTOSH
programming,  and marketing trends affecting programmers and Software
Development.    We're NOT interested on what you're working on,   only
interested in what MAC related problems you have,  and how we can  help
you solve it,  and give you an opportunity to personally meet your other
networkers.

   We'll try and supply you with DISKS,   but you have to PAY for them,
so we can afford to host this "Gathering".

   Again,  We're strongly encouraging people to bring their OWN macs or
at least hard drives of the stuff they are working on.   If you have a
Mac II and want to bring it,  we will treat you VERY well.   We'll  also
try and treat ex-IBM people NICE and help them get started  developing
Mac software as quickly as possible.   Should PRESS be  invited??
Probably not!!!

   So,  finally,  I should ask everyone in NET LAND the following
additional questions:

  *** How much would you be willing to pay to get in???

  *** If you live far away,  would you try and attend???

  *** Who would you like to meet there???

  *** Could you bring your Mac??

  *** What interests you??

  *** Prominent speakers??

  *** What kind of food??

   Because a lot of people still work the 5 day week,  we should have it
ALL DAY SATURDAY, and SUNDAY at some "Yet to be announced" time.

   Mail your responses to:
--
John Draper - Programmers Network
UUCP: ihnp4!ptsfa!well!crunch
WELL: crunch
BIX: crunch
Portal: John Draper
US Snail:   310 WestLine Dr.  B210
            Alameda,  Ca.  94501
            [phone]


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

From: [e-mail] (Richard Siegel)
Subject: Re: Request for MiniEdit source
Date: 21 Jan 88 17:08:19 GMT
Organization: Carnegie Mellon University


>I'd be glad to respond with the Pascal source to the tear off menu example
>in the December MacTutor, which I am currently typing in.

    Beware that that source has a serious bug in it; namely, to install the
menu  definition in the menu handle, he says:

    menu^^.DefProc := NewHandle(0);
    menu^^.DefProc^ := @MyDefProc;

This is verboten by all standards, and has caused crashes in many
places. The  correct way to do it is to extract the menu definition
function and build it  as an MDEF resource. Then, do this:

    menu^^.DefProc := GetResource('MDEF', id);

where "id" is the resource id of your MDEF.

This works, and works well.

        --Rich
--
===================================================================
Richard Siegel
THINK Technologies, QA Technician (on leave)
Carnegie-Mellon University, Confused Physics Major
Arpa: [e-mail]
UUCP: {decvax,ucbvax,sun}!andrew.cmu.edu!rs4u
==================================================================


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

From: [e-mail] (Bill Roberts)
Subject: PostScript Programming
Date: 21 Jan 88 18:57:51 GMT
Organization: High Altitude Obs./NCAR, Boulder, CO

Does anyone in this news group know of any software that allows
interactive PostScript programming on the Mac?  I'm primarily interested
in a system that  can be used as a PostScript learning environment as
well as possible PostScript function prototyping.  Thanks in advance for
any info on this subject.

--Bill
--
UUCP: {hplabs, seismo, nbires, noao}!hao!bill
CSNET: [e-mail]
ARPA: [e-mail]
INTERNET: [e-mail]

  "... the Eagle Wing palace of the Queen Chinee'"


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

From: [e-mail] (Robert Hammen)
Subject: Request for info/experiences
Date: 21 Jan 88 19:51:51 GMT
Organization: Computer Applications

A local typesetting service bureau needs a mass-storage device to
perform archiving functions. The way I see it, there are two options -
the 10 MB "MegaFloppy" disk drive (available from Jasmine, Peripheral
Land, etc.), which costs about $1000 for the drive and $40 each for the
disks: or a  Bernoulli drive (available from Bering, Mountain Computer),
around $1200 and $? for the Bernoulli cartridges. The considerations
are:

1) reliability. They don't want to lose this data (who ever does?). 2)
quality of drive software 3) price of cartridges/floppies

I welcome any comments - please reply by e-mail. If there is enough
interest, I will summarize and post the summary to the net.

Also, does anyone have any comments on the Rodime RX-1000 100 MB
internal hard drive for the Mac II?
--
=========================================================================
Robert Hammen        Computer Applications    [e-mail]
Delphi: HAMMEN        GEnie: R.Hammen        CI$: 70701,2104



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

From: [e-mail] (Ray Curry)
Subject: Re: Screen Jitter on a Macintosh SE - a
Date: 21 Jan 88 16:51:56 GMT
Organization: National Semiconductor, Sunnyvale

Someone sent me a request for more info on the SE Silencer fan I
mentioned in a previous posting, but my return mail bounced.  So I
thought my comments were worth posting.  I paid $40 for the fan at
MacWorld Expo from Morn Accessories for Computers, normally located in
Berkeley.  I installed it on my own.  It came with three crimp-on
connectors for the power leads.  Two are required for the power leads
and I guess the last is spare.  The SE pc board has six holes in the fan
mounting area, the outer 4 being used for the squirrel cage fan.  The SE
Silencer used the inner two and came with two rubber grommets to reduce
the amount of vibration sent to the board from the fan.  The crimp style
connectors went in easily and with one spare, you can goof once.
Cutting the wires to the old fan made me a little nervious since there
wasn't a lot of wire left, but even with my ham handed fingers, I was
able to insert the wires and crimp with some needle nose pliars. There
is still some fan noise, nowhere near stock, and what remains could
possible be reduced by experimenting with the tension on the fan
mounting screws.  But I am very happy with the present level and all
screen jitter is gone.


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

From: [e-mail] (-- Byron B. Han --)
Subject: Re: Need help with drawing icons
Date: 21 Jan 88 16:28:39 GMT
Organization: Communication Tools Group - Apple Computer, Inc.

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Lee
Atchison) writes:
>
>What I am trying to do is draw icons, invert them (using the icon mask,
>like the finder does), and erase them.  I want to be able to do this both
>in a window and on the desktop (like the disk icons, and the trashcan
>in the finder).
>
>Now, for drawing on the desktop, I used the following:

This is not recommended.  According to the "MultiFinder Development
Package Release Note" (p. 4) "The window manager port is generally off
limits.  It belongs strictly to the Window Manager.  Yes this means that
applications  cannot draw on the desktop.  Consider the call
GetWMGRPort() to be for  amusement only and certainly read-only
purposes.  The fabled DESKHOOK, a low-memory vector which allowed
applications to draw on the desktop, has  been eliminated. Applications
that use DESKHOOK will not function as expected."

DESKHOOK was a low memory vector that would (described in IM-I p. 282,
288) be called when a click in the desktop was registered and/or when
the the desktop is to be redrawn.

--
------------------------ Byron Han,  Communications Tool ----------------------
     Apple Computer, Inc.  20525 Mariani Ave, MS 27Y  Cupertino, CA 95014
 ATTnet:408-973-6450    applelink:HAN1    domain:[e-mail]     MacNET:HAN
GENIE:BYRONHAN   COMPUSERVE:72167,1664   UUCP:{sun,voder,nsc,decwrl}!apple!han


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

From: [e-mail] (Straka)
Subject: Re: Need a good ImageWriter Spooler
Date: 21 Jan 88 14:34:19 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Mark E. Perkins)
writes:
>
>    Has anyone had any (good) experience with ImageWriter spoolers?
>Configuration is a 512E w/ 2MB (Dove).  MacSpool (Mainstay) is OK,
>
>    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?

The quality of the SuperMac Spooler (SuperSpool) is definitely not on
the par with DiskFit.  SuperSpool works, but I'm not terribly impressed.
 Running 5.5/4.1 (no MF in this case), it does the basic job, but has
its share of bugs and idiosyncrasies.  Note: I have an IW I, not IW II.

For example: 1) sometimes bombs when returning to the finder while in
the process of printing,

2) making every page a separate logical print job (a real pain to cancel
the rest of a 10  or more page job that gets messed up),

3) difficult (impossible) to cancel the currently printing page

4) you have to make it your startup application (or at least run it
before it gets loaded)  After that, you use the DA to access it.

5) if you do anything on the Mac, the IW comes to a screeching halt
until you don't touch anything for ~ 5 seconds.  This can make you want
to leave the room while things are printing because it's rather
disturbing.

6) draft mode is changed.  It's now like "middle" mode, but
bi-directional instead of uni-directional printing.  Leaves your
printouts looking slightly odd due to timing shifts of the printhead (at
least on my IW).

On The other hand...

It can be deinstalled/reinstalled at a click of a button with the DA.

Comes free with a DataFrame disk as part of the utilities package.


Summary: It may be better than most (or all) of the other IW spoolers
out there, but I'm NOT impressed.  It's certainly not worth spending
much money on.
--
Rich Straka     ihnp4!ihlpf!straka

Advice for the day: "MSDOS - just say no."


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

From: [e-mail] (Frederick Lee)
Subject: Mac 512KE memory upgrade & Cirrus 40 Hard Disk.
Date: 20 Jan 88 20:07:31 GMT
Organization: Islenet Inc.,  Honolulu

I've been monitoring the UseNet for some months now, reading other
patrons'  experiences with upgrading their Macs.  I've learned a lot and
wish to thank all of those who took their time to contribute their
experiences to UseNet.

I particularly wish to express my gratitude to David Anderson of
Carnegie- Mellon for replying to my letter-of-query concerning upgrading
the Mac 512KE.

So in gratitude I wish to add my experiences to the NetWork:

As with many other Mac 512KE'rs, I was concerned with the need for more
RAM and disk storage.  I wanted to be able to run HyperCard et al
without a memory limitation.  I also needed a hard disk drive.

Ponder: should I sell my machine at a loss and upgrade to a Mac SE?
Via UseNet I learn that the Mac SE has fairly unfavorable reviews (e.g.,
noisy fan, screen flicker...).  Getting a Mac II is great but the great
expense of the  "optional" peripherals like a monitor, storage media &
boards sobered my  aspirations.  So I decided to take the advice of
those who upgraded their Mac  512KE.

I bought the Dove MacSnap 548S from MacConnection (1-800-MAC-LISA).  The
installation was literally a SNAP.  The SCSI board installation was a
breeze; it took me only 5-10 minutes.

1)  The SCSI:  A word of warning: BE VERY CAREFULL WITH THOSE FRAGILE
LEGS OF THE ROM CHIPS!  The best tool is a thin screw driver.  Forget
the hands! Gingerly  tuck the screw driver beneath the chip, next to a
set of legs and wiggle the legs up.  I made the mistake of grasping the
RAM once "loose" and "lightly" pulling the other side of the chip out of
the socket.  I increased the torque as the legs refused to budge from
their socket...until pop! I have one, two, or three... legs bent every
which way.

Moral: use only the screw driver to wiggle each side out of their
sockets, from beneath!  ...and be patient!

I managed to re-align the legs individually and as a set via pressing
each side of the chip firmly against a smooth surface like a table top.

2)  The RAM:  I didn't find installing the RAM board that difficult.
I'm sort of sadistic so a few pounds of pressure didn't bother me (as
bending the ROM  legs did!).  It took only a few minutes...actually
about an hour as I  continuously check to see if the 'grippers' or
'snaps' were eventually flushed  around the chips they intend to hold.
There are about seven (7) such snaps.

I didn't follow the instructions verbatim...(do I ever?).  I pressed
here,  there, and back again until I felt a snap or thump.  It's pretty
obvious when  the adopted daughter is securely attached.

3)  DOVE: The whole installation went very well with no problems.  The
whole operation took one morning.  Half of that was due to searching for
two pairs of screws that Dove didn't provide me.  I only received two of
the four plastic screws that secure the stand-offs or separators between
the daughter & mother  boards.  I also didn't receive any screws that
attach the SCSI cable to the  flange to the outside world.  I called
Dove and left a message on their  answering machine but received no
reply nor screws.  I did manage to buy the  flange screws but I'm still
missing the two plastic screws.

Dove's documentation was good but dis-organized.  I started out not
knowing whether to install the SCSI or Memory board first.  The best
plan of attack is  using your own judgement and not following the order
verbatim.  I worked on  the SCSI cable, attaching the flange, knifing
the battery case before inserting the two boards into the chassis.
Despite what the book said, I was able to  slide the sandwiched boards
into the chassis versus prying the track apart due  to pending
obstructions from the the adopted daughter boards.

4) The FAN:

I didn't notice any appreciable change of heat-output from the 512K to
the 2048K.  Both times the top of the Mac was quite warm to the touch as
I thought  was usual.

So for about a week I ran my new Mac 2048KE whilst looking for a fan or
system saver.  The Dove upgrade comes with RAM drive software.  Running
Word 3.01 in RAM with plenty of room to spare is fantastic.  I can load
the dictionary and some manuscripts up into RAM and zoom in & out.

I didn't find too much information on cooling systems from the various
networks.  What information I did find was generally out-of-date.  I
learned  that the MacChill piezoelectric fan has been discontinued due
to its short life. I was considering getting such a fan due to the
quietness.

I eventually followed David Anderson's recommendation and bought the
Kensington System Saver ($64) from MacConnection.  Boy what a
difference!    The top of the Mac is distinctly cool!  About ambient
room temperature.  The  fan itself is the mechanical type but very
quiet.  I hardly notice it running  at all.  It fits snugly into the
handle and has very convenient pair of switches in the front, and a pair
of 3-hole outlets in the rear.  One switch per outlet. One pair is the
Main, on the same circuit as the Mac and the other pair is the  Aux. for
the external hard drive if you wish to power up the drive separately.

5) The Hard Disk Drive:

I digested a lot of stuff about Hard Drives.  Everyone has their pet HD.
 The most popular seems to be the Jasmine Drives.   I don't know about
the rest of  you but I'm rather frugal and I just can't stomach the cost
of a Jasmine.  I  don't need all that "free" public-domain software.  I
can get that from my  local Mac Users Group.  I'm more interested in
performance & features.

I read through the December Issue of MacWorld and isolated about 3-4
desired drives.  I finally chose the Cirrus 40 HD by La Cie, Ltd.  Why?

a) Because it is modular, about the size of the average desk-top hard-bound
    Thesaurus and can be positioned either horizontally beneath the Mac or
    on it side mounted nearby;

b) Because it is expandable and can be connected to up to six other hard
drives;

c) Because it has great specs...fast seek times (voice coil vs mech
armature);

d) Because it comes with great software thru which you can set up to 40
   volumes or logical disks that you can size & manipulate, a DA that allows
   you to select and mount the volume you desire, an option to configure
   drivers, change the interleave ratio from 1:1 to 3:1, etc.; and

e) Because it is highly portable and very quiet with it's own silent cooling
   fan.

About the only beef I have is that the 25 pin cable is too short.  If
you wish to have the HD adjacent to or beneath the Mac, no problem.  I
was thinking of  putting the HD on a book shelf.  Hence I bought a
six-foot cable.  The one  supplied is only about 22 inches.  Also the
software "Silver Lining" tends to  fragment the HD when you create, move
& destroy volumes as I was doing trying  to customize my HD.  Hence the
size you ultimately get may be considerably less that what you're
allocated.  This seems to be a fragmentation problem which requires an
optimization program.

What I've been doing is releasing blocks via destroying the
poorly-allocated  volumes and create a large default volume of
unallocated space.  Then I de- allocated the necessary amount of bytes &
simultaneously create a new volume  with those de-allocated bytes.
Apparently this round-about way of optimization works.

I'm willing to give my support to any company that (apparently) makes a
sound product.  And so far I'm pleased.

I have a feeling that La Cie, Ltd. is rather small.  When I phoned for
the Technical Department for some tech info the operator called out for
"Steve".   They're quite amiable and I got my Cirrus 40 HD about 7
calendar days after my  phone order.

Total Cost: $849.99 ($799.99 + $18.00 {freight} + $24.00 {VISA cost})

Their address: LaCie, Ltd.
               16285 S.W. 85th #306
               Tigard, Oregon 97224
               1-(503)-684-0143

By the way, Tigard is just outside of Portland.

Summary:

I now have a fully functioning Mac 2048 KE with a 40 MByte hard disk and
a couple of 800K floppy drives.  I've been fortunate enough that have
all  the enhancements work initially and continuously.  No sad Macs...
I didn't  have to alter any terminators or change anything.  I'm totally
satisfied with  my decision to keep my Mac 512KE and enhancing it
further.  I'm now ready for  some serious software work, and entering
the realm of HyperCard.

-----------> Ric Lee, Honlulu, HI.


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From: [e-mail] (Lee M. Tablewski)
Subject: Japanese word processing
Date: 21 Jan 88 22:57:29 GMT
Organization: UCSD Academic Computing Services


I have had several inquiries about Japanese word processing on the  Mac.
 Has anyone had any experience with ErgoSoft's product E/G Word?   The
available brochures and the U.S. distributor didn't answer all our
questions.

I would appreciate getting impressions via e-mail from any users. Does
the package include the high quality fonts necessary to achieve  maximum
resolution from the Laserwriter Plus?  Is the product reasonable  to use
and does it conform to Apple interface guidelines?  Is there a  better
product available either in the U.S. or in Japan?

Does anyone have an e-mail address for ErgoSoft in Tokyo?

Thanks for your assistance.

I will summarize if there is interest.
--
Lee Tablewski                BITNET:  lmtablew@ucsd
Academic Computing Services        INTERNET:[e-mail]
University of California, San Diego    UUCP:     sdcsvax!lmtablew
La Jolla, CA  92093-0328        Phone:     [phone]

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