Date: Wed, 12 Feb 97 10:34:48 PST From: The Info-Mac Moderators Reply-To: Info-Mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu Subject: Info-Mac Digest V15 #35 To: info-mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="Info-Mac-Digest" --Info-Mac-Digest Info-Mac Digest Wed, 12 Feb 97 Volume 15 : Issue 35 Today's Topics: [*] TidBITS#365/10-Feb-97 A: Hypercard to FMPro3.0 conversion Buying an older PowerBook Converter Creating a print server out of a networked Mac (Q) External CD-ROM Drive - help needed Good outlining app? Help with QuickCam and Appletalk Hypercard to FMPro3.0 conversion IIsi battery replacement Info-Mac Digest V15 #34 Joystick opinions LCIII to LAN problems Line weigth printing problem with Word MacMall Gripe InfoMac #33 Mobius FPD Muted Sound OpenDoc Powerbook 190cs Question for Info-mac removing resource forks saving text-to-speech as a sound file script for mail SigmaPlot 5.0.1 (Mac): Still buggy Space Shuttle Simulation The NeXT Apple Mistake (2 msgs) threefold template Warning to anyone who wanna buy from MacMall Word errors The Info-Mac Network operates by the volunteer efforts of: Gordon Watts, Adam C. Engst, Demitri Muna, Mike O'Bryan, Matt Bauer, Brian Wessels, Liam Breck The Info-Mac Archive is available at 50 public and private sites around the world. For the site list, request it by mail (address below), or try: Also accessible by ftp. Help files and indexes are also in info-mac/help/. Administrative queries & info: Articles for digest publication: Files for inclusion: To submit a file greater than 800K, or to avoid submitting by (and segmenting for) email, send email describing the file to and upload it to: -- username/password macgifts/macgifts at info-mac.org As with emailed submissions, non-text files must be binhexed. See our new WWW site: , where you can find all of this info and more! The Info-Mac digest is sponsored in part by StarNine Technologies, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Quarterdeck corporation. StarNine develops Internet server software for the Macintosh, including World Wide Web and e-mail publishing systems. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- --Info-Mac-Digest Content-Type: multipart/digest; boundary="----------------------------" Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Info-Mac Digest V15 #35" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 14:54:54 GMT From: Pascal.Gaulin@cambridge.simoco.com (Pascal Gaulin 6335) Subject: [*] TidBITS#365/10-Feb-97 >From the TidBITS#365/10-Feb-97 summary: > Is OpenDoc an Apple technology following in the footsteps of PowerTalk? Merde! That one did scare me =:-() What?!? Apple would scrap OpenDoc? Like they did for PowerTalk??? I rushed to read c.s.m.d and found that this was fortunately not the case. There's nothing to worry about OD (if OpenTransport is OT, can OpenDoc be OD?). Everything seems to be going pretty well for this great technology. Just a shame we can't use it on our 68k machine because of this !@#% CFM68K bug. Cheers all! Pascal. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 22:12:23 -0500 From: "Alan H. Stein" Subject: A: Hypercard to FMPro3.0 conversion Jon D Benson said: >I have a user who is switching from a Mac to a PC. she has been using a >Hypercard address list for the past seven years and now we need to move >it to a FMPro database. Are there any utilities or other means by which I >could convert her files? Re-entering the data is not a option since >there are over a thousand entries. Ignoring the foolishness of switching from a Mac to an inferior machine, it shouldn't be much of a challenge to write a Hypertalk script to go through the address list and change it to a tab delimited file which can then easily be imported into Filemaker. I've done that sort of thing in both directions several times. Alan H. Stein stein@math.uconn.edu http://www.math.uconn.edu/~stein ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 23:52:14 +1100 From: Bill Stanford Subject: Buying an older PowerBook Info-Mac Digest V15 #34: pertus@mbox.vol.it (Ferdinando Pertusio) wrote: >I have found a very good offer for a Powerbook 5300 , and would like to >know if all the rumours about the quality slips on these machines are >justified-the only fact I have found so far are that some of the machines >had defective batteries. and "Paul E. Mullen" wrote: >It seems I'll be purchasing a Powerbook in the next few days, and I >find myself with the dilemna of choosing between the 190cs and the >5300cs. The machine's primary purpose will be to give Web demonstrations >to potential clients, and will function as my Mac away from home >[snip] >I know that I can get by just fine with the 190cs [snip] but I've got >the money to afford a 5300cs. >What is the current status of the 5300 in terms of reliability? I'm aware >of the "Repair Extension Program" Apple put together after all the >problems the 5300 had. The problems with the 5300 and 190 might be summed up as: the screen housings crack, and break, and the screen assembly itself "falls off"; the power adaptor/charger jack input into the computer is flimsy, and the socket breaks, the repair involving a logic board swop; the machines have logic board flaws which can lead to random system crashes, they can crash when simply sitting in the Finder idling; and, in addition (!) the FD of the 190 has a bad failure rate. The Extension Program mentioned by Paul covers the first three of these, at least as I've seen it applied. The FD problem with the 190 seems not to have been acknowledged, as far as I've followed this. Despite the extended warranty, I wouldn't recommend anyone buying either the 5300 or 190 for heavy use, especially in a commercial or technical context. The real best-buy workhorse machine would be a PB500 series model with a Newer or Apple ppc daughter board upgrade - these machines are older, but they keep working. And upgraded, with SpeedDoubler, they're nearly as responsive, despite slow buses. Best of all of course - let's keep Hooper out of this one - is to buy the new fast 1400. It's not beautiful - that's the PB540! - but it's what the 5300's should have been. Hope this helps... sorry it's bad news... bill ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 19:41:23 -0600 (CST) From: "Anthony F. Erwin" Subject: Converter Is there a descent (or passable) app somewhere that will convert pascal source code into c or c++ source code? A friend of mine (who uses pascal) sent me some files and being a c/c++_only user (for now) I have yet to figure out what exactly the files refer to etc. I have a fairly good idea of a few keywords here and there, but a DropApp would make my life much easier (even if it only converted a few things here and there). ================================================= -Anthony anthony@prairienet.org ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 14:49:32 -0800 (PST) From: "Christopher Nathaniel Montague (Christopher \"Monte\" Montague)" Subject: Creating a print server out of a networked Mac (Q) Hello, I've got a IIsi, and a Pmac 7100 networked via appletalk, and I want to be able to have the IIsi take on the print jobs sent out from the PMac. Thanks for any help, Chris ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 23:27:40 +0000 From: chrisjenkin&hilarybraund Subject: External CD-ROM Drive - help needed Hi I have a Performa 450 (a sad old LCIII) with 36mb ram and system 7.5.5. It's slow - 25mhz 68030 processor. However, until recently I have always been able to run many cd-roms on the external 4x Pioneer drive. I'm using FWB's CD-ROM Toolkit=81 2.05. Some cd-roms now crunch around in the drive and refuse to load, though they used to run fine - eg Cinemania 97 - and are intended to on my old slow machine. I upgraded from System 7.1.2 and the OEM CD-ROM Toolkit 1.5.8 when this started to happen; to no avail. I do run SpeedDoubler, Aaron, RamDoubler, but switch these and all other unnecessary extensions off when running CD-ROMs. The latest advice I've had is to buy a different driver. I'm happy to do that if someone recommends one. The point is, however, that the driver didn't use to be a problem; some CD-ROM's still work fine (otherwise I couldn't have easily upgraded to 7.5.3 and then 7.5.5!) And all my cd-roms work fine on other drives. I would appreciate any advice. Chris Jenkin London chrishilary@easynet.co.uk ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 11:16:42 -0500 (EST) From: Greg Madey Subject: Good outlining app? Matt Neuburg said: >I use MORE every day under 7.5.3, it still works great. Hmmm, if Symantec >stops selling it, does this give owners the right to give copies away...? >:-) m. >P.S. For my TidBITS reviews of MORE and Inspiration, see my home page, >listed below... >matt neuburg, phd = matt@tidbits.com, http://www.tidbits.com/matt Excellent review Matt. I still have More 3.1 on my drive, but I've pretty much stopped using it since More: 1) is not native, and 2) more importantly, it is incompatible with the latest print drivers - it crashes my machine. I have to remember to choose an older driver whenever I want to print old More documents. Has anybody heard if Symantec is _really_ abandoning More?? Inspiration is native, compatible with the latest print drivers, and file compatible with a Windoze version. But I sure miss More's ability to make viewgraphs out of outlines. Also: the latest Tidbits discusses an OpenDoc outliner component. Anybody using it have an evaluation of it? Greg Madey ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 18:01:59 +0000 From: "Robert C. Sprecher, M.D." Subject: Help with QuickCam and Appletalk Does anyone have a solution for this problem: I want to use my QuickCam to videoconference over my modem. I have an HP Laserjet that uses appletalk. Currently both the QuickCam and the Laserjet are connected to an AB switch. I can't just switch to the Quickcam because appletalk is active. If I turn off appletalk, Quickcam still complains that the port is in use. I end up having to restart the computer just to get quickcam to work. TIA. Rob -- Robert C. Sprecher, M.D. Assistant Professor Pediatric Otolaryngology and Pediatrics Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH http://www.cwru-ent.com/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 00:13:51 +1100 From: Bill Stanford Subject: Hypercard to FMPro3.0 conversion Info-Mac Digest V15 #34: Jon D Benson wrote: >I have a user who is switching from a Mac to a PC. she has been using a >Hypercard address list for the past seven years and now we need to move >it to a FMPro database. Are there any utilities or other means by which I >could convert her files? Re-entering the data is not a option since >there are over a thousand entries. Jon, the usual sympathies go out to your colleague... Getting tab-separated text out of HyperCard wasn't meant to be easy, and it isn't. There's no separate TEXT resource, and so tools like ResEdit or CanOpener strike immediate problems. The best thing I've found for this is a stack made by Robert Murray at MIT, named Import/Export Tools. I've used it successfully for exactly the job you're facing - though my client was staying on a Mac - and it was quite satisfactory, despite its final version, 2.2, having been produced in 1992. It's on sumex mirrors, the path is /dev/card/import-export-tools-22.hqx Good luck with this! bill ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 97 10:57:37 -0600 From: Lanny Chambers Subject: IIsi battery replacement >Recently, my IIsi began randomly losing settings like the desktop pattern >and the 32-bit memory addressing. Most things are fine, but it seems like >every day for the past few, something is amiss when I boot up. Is this >just the battery getting ready to go or does anyone know of someting more >dire? Sure sounds like a dying battery. >If it is the battery, is there a way to save all your settings so >you can easily reset things. On a PC, someone once recommended changing >that battery with the system on. Sounds risky; any opinions? TechTool will save your PRAM settings, but it only takes a minute to reconfigure everything from the relevant control panels. I'd be wary of saving a corrupted setting, personally. Don't even think about fooling with your Mac's innards unless it's unplugged from the wall! Lanny Chambers (creative@inlink.com) St. Louis, USA Visit the Hummingbird Page: ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 10:47:55 -0800 From: Gregg Koskela Subject: Info-Mac Digest V15 #34 >Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 13:54:48 +0100 >From: pertus@mbox.vol.it (Ferdinando Pertusio) >Subject: Are PowerBook 5300 really glitchy? > >Hello all, > >I have found a very good offer for a Powerbook 5300 , and would like to >know if all the rumours about the quality slips on these machines are >justified-the only fact I have found so far are that some of the machines >had defective batteries. Are there other types of hardware or software >glitches? I have looked for data on the Web (including a search of the >InfoMac site) but very little concrete evidence has emerged. Can anybody >who owns such a machine shed any light on the issue? > >Thanking in advance for any help you are able to provide, > >Ferdy Hello, Ferdinando- I've read much about people who are VERY unhappy with their 5300. But, I'll speak to my own experience. I've had a 5300 (grayscale screen) for almost a year. Overall, I'm very happy with it, with these caveats: 1) It went in for the repair extension program to fix known problems. Have this done, or make sure it was done. It fixes known problems with the AC cord, plastics, and the bevel on the screen. 2) I also had my external video fail. This was repaired in less than two days via Airborne Express...and I was impressed by Apple's service. (unlike many, many others, it seems.) 3) Since I updated to system 7.5.5 and dropped RAM Doubler, my system is extremely stable. I've had one crash in the last 3 months. I upgraded to 40 mb of RAM, which improved speed and allowed me to drop RAM Doubler. It's obviously not fast compared to the new desktop Power Macs, but I couldn't beat a $1300 investment that gave me Power PC that I could take anywhere. In fact, I like it so much, the new 1400 doesn't even raise a flicker of envy. But when I think about the new 3400..... Gregg Koskela Newberg, Oregon, USA __________________________ Gregg Koskela Education Pastor, Newberg Friends Church, Newberg, Oregon. Husband of Elaine, Natalie's Daddy Check out my web page: http://www.worldaccess.com/~gkoskela __________________________ ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 12:08:17 -0500 From: Randall Meadows Subject: Joystick opinions [cross-posted to MAC-L and Info-Mac] Anyone got any opinions on the Gravis "BlackHawk" vs. "FireBird" vs. "MouseStick II"? Or any other recommendations? Quality of manufacture, software support, long-term use comfort, reliability...? Do I really need the 9 additional programmable buttons and 8-position hat switch (what IS that, anyway?!) that the FireBird offers over the BlackHawk for ~$10 more? Use will be with your run-of-the-mill flight simulators (Hellcats, for right now). Thanks... randy ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 9:57:02 -0600 From: JUHLIG@JJHS.Columbia.K12.MO.US Subject: LCIII to LAN problems I am trying to connect an LCIII to a LAN. After installing the network drivers and MacTCP and restarting I get a message stating "the internet is now available" and am directed to select the correct mode of AppleTalk from the network control panel. The correct mode is ethernet, but when I select it no zones show up and that cryptic message pops up again. I have reinstalled the network drivers, zapped the PRAM, rebuilt the desktop, changed the ethernet card, reseated the ethernet card, attached my powerbook to the line (it connected to the server with no problem). If you have any suggestions please email me. John Uhlig Technology Specialist Jefferson Junior High School juhlig@jjhs.columbia.k12.mo.us ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 10:26:04 +0200 From: "Ramiro A. Varela" Subject: Line weigth printing problem with Word Dear Netters, I would like to have your feedback about how to improve printing pictures >From Word, either v.5.1a or 6.0. My problem appears when I import pictures or graphs from, say, DeltaGraph 4.0, and then print from Word, line weigth is changed to a much larger one. The problem appears with my inkjet 850C, but not with a a laser as the HP 5MP. When I print directly from DeltaGraph to the 850C everything is fine. I tried several different combinations of imports and options within both programs, cut and paste, changed drivers for the HP, called Delta Point Technical Support, everything I can think of but with no luck. Any suggestion? Is there a way to tell Word to use another program (i.e. DeltaGraph) at printing time? Thanks very much in advance, Ramiro Varela Department of Applied Physics University of Vigo, SPAIN Dr. Ramiro A. Varela Universidade de Vigo Facultade de Ciencias Depto. Fisica Aplicada Lagoas-Marcosende s/n Aptdo. 874 36200 Vigo Tel.(3486)812643 Fax.(3486)812556 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 10:36:20 -0500 (EST) From: "Melody Biddle (317) 306-7481" Subject: MacMall Gripe InfoMac #33 * We don't know if we will still have to pay for the monitor or not even * though we have never seen it. But MacMall's handling of this problem gave * us a very bad perception and we thought that other Mac users may experience * similar problems with them in the future, so we send this letter to these * newsgroups to warn all people who want to purchase from MacMall: WELLLLLLL....... You're problem isn't with MacMall....it's with Federal Express. They are the ones that lost your package. Once MacMall calls Federal Express and files a claim on the package (providing serial numbers, model numbers, date shipped, etc.), Federal Express can sniff out where your package ended up. My husband recently ordered some items from MacMall. When the Federal Expressed material arrived on Saturday (on time, I might add), they weren't what he asked for. He called MacMall on Saturday and they said they would send Fed Ex out with an air bill on Monday afternoon (Fed Ex doesn't ship on Sunday). Sure enough, on Monday Fed Ex called to make sure someone was home. Within fifteen minutes the Fed Ex guy showed and picked up the package of wrong materials. The next evening we came home to find the correct materials sitting on our doorstep. Although we were disappointed with the mistake in shipping, MacMall did make good on it. Whenever you call to order something, ALWAYS take down the name of the Customer Service Rep that helped you, and any other people you talk to in future calls. It helps to have a name to blame! In situations where you feel you have been mistreated, my advice would be to call and ask for the Customer Service Supervisor/Manager and tell them what happened. If you look at the whole process, MacMall is not at fault--Federal Express is. They are the ones that lost your monitor. Once MacMall has been notified by Federal Express that the monitor was lost (through proper channels), MacMall's shipping department will file a claim and Federal Express will make good on it. MacMall has to contact Federal Express to make the claim because they have the necessary information to track the monito (serial numbers, when it was shipped, etc.) Just relax and be patient. I'm sure your monitor will be there soon. Due to Federal Express losing the package in transit, MacMall has to do some extra work. I would think if you were going to boycott anyone, it would be Federal Express---they are the ones that lost your package. But realistically, they are all human (as are we) and make mistakes now and then. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 97 11:23:28 -0000 From: Harold Star Subject: Mobius FPD My favorite monitor is a Mobius FPD purchased many years ago. It's currently connected to my Quadra 650 through a NuBus card purchased directly from Mobius. I'm thinking of upgrading to a Power Mac but don't know where to go to get a PCI card compatible with the monitor. Mobius appears to have disappeared and I've been bounced around the tech support lines of many companies which supposedly purchased Mobius' remains. Any help would be much appreciated. Harold Star ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 97 10:57:39 -0600 From: Lanny Chambers Subject: Muted Sound >I have a friend with a 7500 that likes to play Audio CDs while she works. >However, every time she restarts the computer the sound output is muted in >the Sounds and Monitors control panel. Does anyone know what causes this annoying >behavior and the remedy? It's a bug/feature. The solution is Unmute-it (on Info-Mac), which comes in two flavors: an extension and an application (for the Startup Items folder). I use the latter, and it works perfectly. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 07:08:54 -0500 From: "Randall C. Scutt" Subject: OpenDoc (I am running a PPC 8500/120 32Mb RAM) Yesterday I upgraded to 7.6. I've been experimenting with OpenDoc and the Apple Button, Draw, and Audio. I am trying to make a URL link using Apple Button; however, after doing the steps from Apple Guide, all it will do is speak the URL I created in Simple Text & Notebook. I can't find anything under Part Info; also, the Preferences (under Edit) is whited out and I am unable to access that menu. I checked at www.opendoc.apple.com, but couldn't find any answers. (1) To make a URL link, does this have to be scripted? (2) How do I access the Preferences menu? TIA. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 02:33:15 -0500 From: Jeff Frankel Subject: Powerbook 190cs On Feb 10, Paul Mullen wrote: > It seems I'll be purchasing a Powerbook in the next few days, and I >find myself with the dilemna of choosing between the 190cs and the >5300cs. The machine's primary purpose will be to give Web demonstrations >to potential clients, and will function as my Mac away from home >secondarily (my home system is a Performa 630). I know that I can get by >just fine with the 190cs (seeing as how its almost identical to my 630 in >terms of processing power), but I've got the money to afford a 5300cs. >What is the current status of the 5300 in terms of reliability? I'm aware >of the "Repair Extension Program" Apple put together after all the >problems the 5300 had. Are the newer ones "fixed" straight from the >factory? I can afford the PowerPC, but I _can't_ afford a flaky >laptop. I can't opine on the reliability of the 5300cs. But sad to say, my son and I have had nothing but problems --big and continual problems-- with the 190cs we bought in December 1995. Most maddening of all has been the long wait we have experienced for replacement parts-- a screen in one instance, a keyboard in another. As far as relative speed is concerned, I and one other person in my office have found that the 190cs does not operate as fast overall as the Performa 575. I believe (and others can correct me if I am wrong) that the 190cs, 630 and 575 all share the same 68040LC 33mz processor. -- Jeff Frankel Windsor, Maine USA ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 17:44:55 +0000 From: Tegnestuen Subject: Question for Info-mac I am the admistrator of a Mac network with 3 PowerMacs (8100,100MHZ, 7100/66 MHZ and a 8500/150 MHZ). The macs are connected to an Ethernet and have access to 2 printers: a HP Laserjet 4MV (Ethernet) and a IBM Lexmark 4079 Plus (Localtalk). The Lexmark 4079 Plus is connected to the ethernet, via a Dayna Mini Etherprint box. The printer has 36MB RAM (Maximum configuration), but does not print very fast. I have asked several suppliers, whether it could upgraded to a REAL ethernet printer and the result is DEFINTELY not clear!. Some dealers (Mac-Warehouse), say it is possible to insert an Ethernet Network card to aprox. 700$, but they won't guarante that printer throughput is actually improved, because the printer basically still is a Localtalk printer (true??? and what is the idea of using $700 ? on it then) Mac-Zone says that throughput (No. of pages printed pr. min), will be identical to a Localtalked printer, but sending the printjob via ethertalk, will free up the mac faster. Lexmark says that printer will print as an real ethernet printer, but they dont actually sell the product, but refers to other stores (and I doubt that the salesman really knew what he talked about...) What I want is that the printerspeed is INCREASED, I am NOT interested in software control facilities of the printer like Mark Visions (Check of no. of pages printed ect. ect.) If you can give me some concise facts, or other better solutions, please do so Thanks in advance Lars Lindgren Tegnstue@datashopper.dk ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Feb 97 04:39:54 JST From: nagata@kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp (Mark Nagata) Subject: removing resource forks In Info-Mac Digest #34, Matt Neuburg said: > On Wed, 5 Feb 1997 20:47:45 +1000, Andrew Martin > said: > > >Is there any program to remove the resource fork from files? For some of my > >Graphicconverter documents, the resource fork takes up more space than the > >actual file itself!! I would prefer it if the program didnt remove the > >type/creator part though (is that possible on a mac?). > > There's no need for this: it's only happening because you're telling > Graphic Converter to include a preview. Check your Preferences:Save > options...! :-) > > matt neuburg, phd = matt@tidbits.com, http://www.tidbits.com/matt > Hello, Matt, Tsk, tsk... You should have TRIED it before sending that answer out... Actually this is (what I consider) a bug (or, at least, misfeature) of GraphicConverter (and also a LOT of other software do the same thing), but it creates a nonempty resource fork when it saves a file, even when no resource is contained in the resource fork. Try it -- you un-check both of 'Create custum icon' and 'Create preview' in the preferences dialog, and use 'Save as...' in GraphicConverter the result: the saved file has a 286-byte resource fork, which contains only the resource map and doesn't contain any resource. But even though the fork is only 286 bytes, it occupies one file block -- a whooping 18.5K on my 1GB hard disk... (18.5K per file is too much space to give, for a fork that does not contain any real information!) I use Ralph Sutherland's freeware ClearRes (which has vanished from the Info-Mac years ago), but I would recommend puriTEXT 1.1 info-mac/disk/puri-text-11.hqx which works very nicely (but, for safety reasons, it ONLY removes the resource fork from files of type 'TEXT', 'PICT' and 'SITD'). Mark -- Mark Nagata mailto:nagata@kurims.kyoto-u.ac.jp ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 16:21:14 -0500 From: matt fletcher Subject: saving text-to-speech as a sound file hi, everybody. i've been playing with sound lately, but cannot find a way to save apple's text-to-speech to disk as a sound file. seems like it should be simple, but i haven't found a way to do it. so: anyone know of a program that will allow me to type a line of text and have my mac both say it and save it to disk? (any sound format would be fine.) thanks. m. fletcher http://members.aol.com/fakenancy/ see you in hell! ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 07:08:21 -0600 From: waechter@ibw.com.ni (Steve Waechter) Subject: script for mail Is there an apple script posted anywhere that would enable me to (a) log onto my provider with PPP, (b) open Eudora, (c) do check mail in Eudora, and (d) close the PPP connection--all in one keystroke? Or could anyone give directions on how I could write something like this with AppleScript? Thanks for the help. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 09:27:26 -0800 From: kroemer@apex.ece.ucsb.edu (Herb Kroemer) Subject: SigmaPlot 5.0.1 (Mac): Still buggy In January 1996, Jandel released a VERY buggy version of Sigmaplot 5 for the Mac, a scientific plotting program (see my report in infomacv14-034). Yesterday, I received version 5.0.1. You would assume that a year is enough to fix all the bugs, or at least the most glaring ones. Well, the very first of the old bugs for which I checked -- a pretty deadly one -- is still there: Suppose you have a linear axis, but the label numbers are such that you want them in STANDARD scientific notation of the form "M 10**X", where M is a mantissa, and my 10**X stands for "10-followed-by-superscript-X", not that "coputerese" form "e-followed-by-inline-X", which many scientific journals will not even accept. The program is still incapable of handling that! If M should be a positive number, the mantissa is simply missing, so you may end up with several identical "10**X" labels in a row. If M should be zero, you get X="-INF" (minus infinity) instead, and if M should be negative, you get "NAN" (not a number). Things get even more "interesting" if you add labels to MINOR divisions. The minor labels may have a mantissa, even though the major ones don't. But minor labels adjacent to a zero major label may show up as zero, too (even in non-scientific notation). You just wonder who is doing their beta-testing -- if any. I didn't check for any more bugs: The above ones are bad enough that I, for one, will never use the program in its present form, and I have at this point given up hope that they will get their act together in the foreseeable future. Herb Kroemer ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 10:01:10 -0600 From: JUHLIG@JJHS.Columbia.K12.MO.US Subject: Space Shuttle Simulation I am looking for a good space shuttle flight simulalion program to run on a Macintosh. There is a program avaiblable for IBM's but I have not been able to find one for Mac's. This is to be used for a junior high simulated space shuttle mission. John Uhlig Technology Specialist Jefferson Junior High School juhlig@jjhs.columbia.k12.mo.us ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 97 23:36:44 -0000 From: Axel Steininger Subject: The NeXT Apple Mistake >It doesn't matter what kind of processors the NeXT OS currently runs on. >In fact, it started off on 680x0-based hardware, just like the MacOS! The >source code just has to be copied over to a PowerPC machine and recompiled. >They'll have to replace, rewrite, or modify parts of it to make it work, >but it's far from a total rewrite. The kernel in particular will need to >be replaced, but Apple can just take an existing kernel that already works >on the PowerPC, possibly even the Copland kernel that they've been working >on for the past few years. > >As for stuff like QuickDraw and QuickTime, they don't have to "recreate" >those from scratch. The existing MacOS 7.x code can be used, with >appropriate changes to interface it with the OpenStep code. > > >Finally, I'd like to point out that the press has grossly exagerated the >need for a new MacOS. Everybody has been bitching that it's been too long >since the last major upgrade, and that MacOS 7.x doesn't have pre-emptive >multitasking, protected memory, etc. I say, so what? The MacOS works and >is pretty damned stable on my Mac-- especially compared to the Windoze 95 >machine I use at work. My opinion exactly. First, my Mac is darn stable and darn fast. (And it's only a 7500/100 without cache). At work I'm able to get my hands on a few 9500/200s and machines like that. They rule. No comparison to any Windoze clone. Everything happens instantly. Mac OS 7.5.x: Install new software - bang, it works. Download a few games >From the Web - bang, they work. When you download stuff for Wintel, half of it doesn't work and the rest is crap. (No joke, I've seen it happen.) Second, if the new OS even is only a little bit better than the old one, it will blow away any DOS machine. Cheers, Axel Steininger, Member of the Digital Freedom Alliance axel.steininger@uibk.ac.at beyond.windows@TheOffice.Net ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 02:04:38 -0500 From: daiyanh@mindspring.com (=?ISO-2022-JP?B?GyRCR2s4NkJnQkBPOhsoQg==?=) Subject: The NeXT Apple Mistake >Date: Fri, 7 Feb 1997 01:20:50 -0800 (PST) >From: Diamond >Subject: The NeXT Apple Mistake > >Let me start off by saying I'm a loyal Macintosh user for about 10 years >and debate its infinitely greater OS and computers against Windoze >users. Hmmm. I'm a self-proclaimed Mac loyalist in its 13th year... But I don't have to bring up Windoze everytime I say so, because it's a waste of time to compare the two. >But after Apple opted to buy NeXT I feel betrayed.... > >Apple no longer cares about what is best for its loyal users and instead >feels it must try and attract a new market, at our expense. That's funny. Because if so, then how come Apple slashed Mac prices after the NExT purchase? Mac 7600/132 for $1800, Mac 8500/150 for $2200,...the price cuts of $500, $700,... (Based on list prices. You may or may not get further discounts depending on where you live in US.) Who pays for these $500s and $700s and so on? >Apples >purchase of NeXT is less a method of creating a great new OS in a faster >amount of time and more based on trying to enter the intranet market. You seem to have a great insider knowledge stuff. Shall I ask which stock to buy next? >NeXT with its WebObjects offers a great atempt for Apple to enter the >intranet market with a bang. But Apple needs to separate that from the >OS. The NextStep OS does not run Motorola processors, but rather Intel, >meaning we will have to wait for it to be ported to our PowerPC chips. >NextStep does not support QuickDraw, or Quicktime. Meaning an extensive >amount of time being spent on just recreating that. All this is before >even beginning to incorporate the MacOS into it. We will be lucky to >have anything before 1999. Apple failed on Copland. Or at least as I understand it. Maybe we are lucky to have something with NextStep and Raphsody and so on. No? And how can you so open handedly proclaim that the PowerPC is the de facto standard of Mac's? I don't think I saw a PPC Mac 10 years ago. Have you? It's Apple's credit to convert from 68k to PPC in such a short perio of time and without causing too much trouble. They have done that before. Why not again. And which 386 peecee can play QuickTime plugin in Netscape 3 as on my 030 Mac?---Don't you think this is a testimonial to Apple's technical superiority? > >Apple had a prospect of buying Be. Which they should have done if they >had the intentions of grouping with a company to build the new OS. Be >already runs on PowerPC processors and supports QuickDraw and even the >current Mac ROMs. All this would mean the immediate incorporation of >the two OSs. Now this is a hard choice to make. Or maybe not. It reminded me of Andy Hertzfeld's "switchable Finder" (I forgot the exact name) bakc in late '80s, when I was on Prodigy. At the time, Apple had an option to buy it >From Mr. Hertzfeld. But instead, they went on their own and came up with MultiFinder. Some of Mac users were very critical of this move by Apple. But this MultiFinder eventually evolved into a standard Finder we see today, and the best days of Apple were after such a move. Maybe they have a reason this time too. Or let's hope so. But don't forget to consider any possible corporate politics involved also. The co-founder's brainchild against the former European chief's. Take your pick. (But of course, in retrospect it's easier to say this.) > >Your responces?? > >Kevin Diamond kdiamond@lausd.k12.ca.us >http://www.kamidesign.com/diamond/ The only way we get cheap and reliable computers is to get cheap and reliable components. By opting to NExT's workstation platform, thereby with all the standard hardware componetnts, Apple is in better position to that end. The CHRP concept is within this framework too. The remaining technical problem, as you mentioned, is the porting of software. The track record shows that Apple has the best record in this regard in the industry. No kiddin'. However, the business side of the issue is far more complicated. This is where I would worry if I were you. That is, why aren't people buying better (and faster) computers? The price? The recent price cuts put Mac's on par with peecee's (at least with IBM prices). Availability? Anyone can order a Mac by a toll-free phone call. Exposure? Blame on the media, i.e., ever increasing advertising costs despite the slow moving economy (in contrary to Clinton's claims). Demos? How can you go wrong when you see the Finder desktop? Or QuickTime plugin in NS3? Even an idiot can demonstrate a Mac. (Networking may bew a different story tho', unless it's AppleTalk which is almost a snap.) Support? Hmmm... The more Mac friends you have, the better you are informed. This could be one area where Apple needs to address. INFO-MAC is good, but far too short of meeting the objectives. Up till recently, Apple has stressed on the starting point: the education. But since students are poor by and large (no offense to students out there), they shifted the gear toward businesses with heavy purses---end point of the society if you will. (They can target the retirees too. But they need heck of a support to do it.) One thing I noticed is that we don't get to see killer apps anymore. This is one reason why PC sales are sluggish in general. Someone in Info-Mac wrote recently that the key is OS. Well well well, MacOS is still faster and easier OS than any other. The benchmark test after benchmark test clearly show this. The workaplce productivity gain is significantly higher with Mac's than any other. Whatever, maybe people's taste has changed from '80's hi-tach frenzy (VCR's, MTV's, cable TV's, etc.) to something else. Not sure what it is. I thought videoconferencing would catch the fire, but met with too many technical problems not necessarily attributable to Mac's. In the end, people are too worried about daily lives, I guess. Daitaro Hagihara PS. Anyone who takes my silly rambling seriously would be regarded as such. This was a case study in my months' frustration against Apple and comments made against it by self-proclaimed market analysts on TV and elsewhere. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 13:25:00 -0500 From: Stan Hadley Subject: threefold template Gary, The easiest way is to simply use page setup to make the paper landscape, and specify three columns in the Format:Section command. You can play with the space in between columns on this dialogue. You might also want to change the margins for the page as a whole instead of the default 1 inch. To make a brochure simply have two pages; print the first and then refeed the paper to print the second, making sure you have the orientation right. When I bought Clarisworks I received a program called Clickbook that automated much of this. You could look into getting it. HTH Stan Hadley >Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 09:55:29 -0500 >From: gmason@jmjm.HQ.Ileaf.COM (Gary Mason) >Subject: [Q] Anyone have a "threefold" template for ClarisWorks? > >I have to put together a brochure. It is to be of the "threefold" type >for letter size page (or legal), folded twice to yield three panels on >each side. It should (but not MUST) flow text between the panels. > >Other suggestions? > >Thanks...Gary > >-- > ** Gary Mason - Interleaf, Inc., Waltham, MA USA 617/768-1553 ** > ** gmason@interleaf.com www.interleaf.com FAX 617/290-4960 ** > >------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 02:04:59 -0500 From: daiyanh@mindspring.com (=?ISO-2022-JP?B?GyRCR2s4NkJnQkBPOhsoQg==?=) Subject: Warning to anyone who wanna buy from MacMall A bizarre bizarre story. So these things really do happen then. Shame on MacMall. And hanging up on customers. Uh. She must have come from a federal job somewhere before. But the company behind her is even worse. Because we may think that it's a company policy not to deal with lost shipping items, which is contrary to our understanding of their door-to-door services. But I guess not all mail order companies are bad. I find those with PC sales behind them to be generally pretty reliable. That includes MacConnection, MacWarehouse, CDW (Computer Discount Warehouse), and so on. Especially the first two are the exemplaries IMHO. (That doesn't mean they don't make mistakes BTW.) Daitaro Hagihara ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 14:40:15 +1100 (EST) From: rydingk@netspace.net.au (Keith Ryding) Subject: Word errors Can you advise us on a problem we're having with a new 5260? Whenever she opens Microsoft Word 6.0.1 she always gets the message that "the application quit becaise a Type 1 Error occurred". When she opens Word again it is usually alright. Many thanks Keith -------------------------------- --Info-Mac-Digest-- End of Info-Mac Digest ******************************