From: The Info-Mac Moderators
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Subject: Info-Mac Digest V14 #196
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--Info-Mac-Digest
Info-Mac Digest Thu, 22 Aug 96 Volume 14 : Issue 196
Today's Topics:
[*] FreePPP 2.5v2, a PPP client for MacTCP and Open Transport
20k Minimum File Size
[#] osciloscope/sinewave for mac?
[A] Buzzing Power Mac 7200
[A] Power Macs have last generation chips - why?
[A] Used Mac dealers in UK
Apple free gifts
AT&T WorldNet Service for Macintosh
ClarisWorks Type 11 Error Advice
Decoding HQX file (A)
drive dissapearing and reappearing
Fixing Font ID Conflicts with Resedit?
font for special character
Help with Netscape Mail (A)
How to add Sound Input to Mac IIci?
How to Transcribe Mac OS Files to PC Windows 95 Format (2 msgs)
IIvx memory question
Looking for Software
Lottery Programs
Mac Books
New MacOS screen?
On Location and WordPerfect
On Location and WordPerfect files
PCMCIA card gets very hot in PowerBook (Q)
question about using "@" on German Mac keyboard
slow loading
Software FPU and 68LC040
Software to Learn Cantonese?
The Big Friendly Calculator
Using Apple Guide under System 7.1
Why continue to Binhex?
The Info-Mac Network operates by the volunteer efforts of:
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See our new WWW site: , where you can find
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 15:06:05 -0700
From: "Adam C. Engst"
Subject: [*] FreePPP 2.5v2, a PPP client for MacTCP and Open Transport
I've just uploaded the latest version of FreePPP to the archive. It is
version 2.5v2 (the FreePPP Group is now using Claris's version numbering
scheme) and it replaces 2.5rf, which I've deleted.
There are no new features in 2.5v2, just a ton of bug fixes. If you use
FreePPP 2.5, the FreePPP Groups recommends that you upgrade to 2.5v2. (Of
course, just in case, don't throw out your old version right away if it was
working fine - you never know what may happen.)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 13:50:28 -0400
From: [email protected] (Mark E. Heard)
Subject: 20k Minimum File Size
In the obliquely titled "Info-Mac Digest V14 #191" article,
[email protected] (Pat Ellis) wrote to Chris Collins
(and others),
> The *problem* is not related only to PowerMacs. It has to do with
> the Mac's inefficient method of allocating disk space.
concerning Chris' "20k Minimum File Size" query. My additional comments:
While Pat's statements are certainly true, we need to note that "the Mac's
inefficient method" is hardly as bad as other desktop OS's methods. The Mac
OS's minimum file allocation is 512 bytes (.5K) for every 32 MB in the
partition where the file is stored. Other real 32-bit OSs like VMS also use
a 512 byte "blocking factor". On a Mac, a 512 MB partition would yield an
8K minimum file size and a 540 MB partition would be 9K. On the Dark (O)
Side, the minimum file size for 512 MB is also 8K, but for 540 MB the file
size would be 16K! DOS (and it's mutant cousin(s) - if you scratch
Win-something very hard, it still bleeds DOS)) set up allocations using a
binary doubling method so that the minumum file size for any partition
between 257 MB and 512 MB is 8K, and between 513 MB and 1024 MB is 16K, and
1025 MB and 2048 MB is 32K... quite a bit more "inefficient" than the
Mac's, I'd say.
"Big deal", you say? A Wintel user here had an 300-something MB HD crash
that was replaced by a 540 MB drive and the support folks couldn't fit all
of the old files from the user's backup on the new drive! Seems he had
*lots* of little data files that used to be 8K that now take up 16K each on
the new drive. The solution - put in a bigger drive. The 850 MB drive can
now store all of the files that the user used to be store on his
300-something MB drive. Of course, with small files becoming a rarity these
days - Microsoft should be certainly be recognized for doing their part in
this effort - this kind of problem may not surface very often.
Mark Heard
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 12:49:59 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ethan Benatan
Subject: [#] osciloscope/sinewave for mac?
>>> "MC" == m c schraefel writes:
MC> does anyone know of a software (shareware) osciloscope
MC> program/emulator for the mac?
Find Digital Oscilloscope on the various mirrors. It uses sound input
(and so works to only around 20kHz) and has basic dual-trace scope
functions. It's free, I believe.
Ethan Benatan [email protected] http://www.pitt.edu/~ethan
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 20:51:20 -0500 (CDT)
From: [email protected]
Subject: [A] Buzzing Power Mac 7200
Aaron Vegh wrote...
> told that the buzzing comes from my drive being so fast.
Since I don't have
> the monitor sitting on top of the CPU, it causes the case to vibrate. In
> other words, it's no problem.
>
> What do you think? Will I wake up one morning with a $500 liability and no
> data? Or is this really "normal"?
Well, my 7200 buzzes on a rare occasion and I just have the 500 MB that it
came with. And I do have my monitor atop. I just have to reposition the mon.
sometimes or just press the case.
You might want to consider putting your monitor atop it, or find
something heavy to put on it. If it is just the case buzzing and
some weight on the case makes it go away, I wouldn't worry.
Marcos
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 15:38:35 -0500 (CDT)
From: Paul M Sheldon
Subject: [A] Power Macs have last generation chips - why?
As an afterthought to the remark :
I do not think the 603e chip is a generation behind. ... I have not
seen any figures, but I think a Powerbook with a 604 would last very
little off battery power.
Romulo Romero wrote in im digest :
> As for when will the next generation become available, who knows?
At last a diehard trekkie can answer on the next generation!
A macweek search I did awhile ago showed the emergence of high
processor speed hooper (I don't recall a 604 but perhaps a hungrier 603)
that ran off nonexploding lilon batteries.
Cool, but I think somewhat delayed.
Any new news?
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 96 23:10:45 +0100
From: "Paul E. Mullen"
Subject: [A] Used Mac dealers in UK
>Any glowing testimonials - or horror stories - out there? Unlike the USA,
>there only seem to be 2 or 3 companies that advertise in the back of
>MacUser (UK).
Future Publishing's MacFormat magazine, a UK-produced Macintosh rag,
has several ads for UK-based used Mac dealers. If I can buy MF every
month here in California, it must be available somewhere near you!
Besides the ads, it's an exceptionally good read, and for those of you in
MF's home market, you get _two_ CD-ROMs each month, not just one!
Paul Mullen
[email protected]
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 96 00:22:05 -0700
From: Ryan Lubner
Subject: Apple free gifts
>I have bought three Performa since Nov. 1995 and I havn't received any gifts.
>Even, in the last card, I enclosed a letter and explained the situation. I
>think
>we should protest and sent a petition to Apple, what do you think pals?
My mother is a computer teacher at a Catholic elementary school in Long
Beach, CA. Two summers ago, the school began to replace their ancient
(but still functional, and reliable BTW) Apple IIe's with Mac's. Eight
LC 575's, two LC III's, three PM 5200's, and a PM 5300 later, she has
received six (6) months of MacWorld total. We have spent hours filling
in the registration cards, looking up the serial numbers and dilligently
writing in all CAPITAL LETTERS like we were instructed to.
Based on every card we sent in, the school should be getting 6 1/2 more
years of MacWorld free. Instead, it has gotten nothing but a BILL for
another six months of the Magazine and an offer to get the same disk free
that we got originally. (The bill was promptly cancelled, of course).
Personally, I think Apple should scrap the whole idea of a mail in
registration, and enclose a mouse pad in every new Mac's box. That'd
make more novice users happy than Apple could ever know. Since modems
are practically a part of every family Mac purcahse (via Performa
bundles) an online registration (similar to that of a fax/modem) would
work just as well (and the serial number could be encoded somewhere in
the software -- no more crawling behind the computer table to look for
the sticker.
)After all of this, though, I have come to a startling realization --
Apple has a lot more to worry about than a mail in offer from customers
that already HAVE Macs....
FWIW, my $.02,
Ryan Lubner
http://www.sjbhs.pvt.k12.ca.us/~rlubner
Wanna laugh good and loud at the latest humor list?
Send me email with "Info Jokes 'n' Trivia" as the subject!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 96 15:00:11 EDT
From: [email protected]
Subject: AT&T WorldNet Service for Macintosh
Subject: Re: AT&T WorldNet Service for Macintosh
********************** Resending note of 08/21/96 12:12 **********************
I received the following message from AT&T regarding their free internet
access for AT&T customers which should be avialable for the mac in
about a month:
Peter
==================================
From:
Subject: AT&T WorldNet Service for Macintosh
Thank you for your interest in AT&T WorldNet Service. This letter is in
response to your question about WorldNet availability for the Macintosh. We
are sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
AT&T WorldNet Services software for the Macintosh is planned for release
this month (August, 1996). If you have internet access, keep watching the
AT&T WorldNet Services page at http://www.att.com/worldnet for
announcements.
In order to have the Macintosh version of our software sent to you when
it is available, please call 1-800-WORLDNET and pre-order.
We appreciate your patience and look forward to serving you in the near
future.
Thank you,
WorldNet Customer Service
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 15:43:03 -0500
From: [email protected] (Peter John Roberts)
Subject: ClarisWorks Type 11 Error Advice
Do you have more than 32 megs of memory, real or in combination with
virtual memory or RAM Doubler?
Do you have some flavor of Power Macintosh?
Are you experiencing Type 11 errors with ClarisWorks 4.0?
If the answers to all three questions is 'Yes', then read on. Otherwise
this note is not for you.
My understanding of the content of the Claris forum on America OnLine is
that under the above conditions, Type 11 errors have plagued ClarisWorks
since March or April, that Claris has been aware of the problem, and that
Claris as of yet has provided no software update that addresses the
problem.
Work arounds that have been suggested include turning off virtual memory if
you have 32 megs or less of real RAM or removing real RAM in excess of 32
megs. Both are bummers in my opinion.
My work around, until Claris gets its act together, is better than
rebooting without virtual memory or removing the additional memory I've
grown so used to.
As with all advice, your mileage may vary.
The trick is to increase ClarisWorks memory allocation -- its Preferred
Size, as displayed via Get Info. What I'm going to say below may need to
be adjusted if your real RAM exceeds 32M. My experiments were run only for
the case of 32 megs.
In my experimentation it appears that the Type 11 problem will only occur
if your largest free block, as shown in About this Macintosh, is greater
than 32M.
If it is less than 32M, you'll be able to run ClarisWorks with its normal
memory allocation.
If it is more than 32M, then the memory allocation that will prevent Type
11 errors from happening is approximately 1/2 the __real__ memory contained
in the largest free block.
For example, if you are running RAM Doubler or virtual memory, and your
largest free block says 40M, then interpret this to mean that you have 20M
of real memory available and therefore ClarisWorks needs to be given a
partition size of at least 10M to avoid the Type 11 problem.
What I do in my own situation is set ClarisWorks' memory allocation to 16M,
half my real memory. This way it will operate correctly even if I have
nothing else running. Normally I have NOW Utilities running which permits
me to temporarily change an application's memory allocation on the fly at
the time of launch. With this capability I can determine my largest free
block and pick a partition size at the moment I launch ClarisWorks. Thus,
if you are running a lot of applications simultaneously, launch ClarisWorks
last, because then the partition needed for ClarisWorks will be the
smallest.
I hope this helps. Of course, the real help should come from Claris!
Pete Roberts
MacPartners Development [email protected]
(617)332-5082 (Voice) (617)965-7425 (Fax)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 14:10:13 -0500 (CDT)
From: Paul M Sheldon
Subject: Decoding HQX file (A)
As far as I know, you must get your first decoder from a bbs or
floppy rather than the internet.
I just bought stuffit deluxe 4.0 upgrade which comes on floppies
through the mail.
Your school or internet provider should give you some decoder free. The
original binhex 4.0 has been made freeware by the author at Mainstay.
Just as you saw, your later files (perhaps better decoders) may come
>From the internet.
I just bought stuffit deluxe 4.0 upgrade which comes on floppies
though the mail. It decodes binhex and also unstuffs. Unstuffing is free,
once you are able to decode binhex.
With their netscape bundled drop stuff with expander enhancer recently
announced 7 August 1996, decoding the internet will get a whole lot
simpler for the rest of us.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 22:38:49 +0100
From: [email protected] (Hartmut Buhrmester)
Subject: drive dissapearing and reappearing
> I left for a month and a half. When I got back to my untouched LCIII, the
> three partitions on my external gig loaded normally, but my internal 80MB
> drive didn't mount. FWB HD toolkit could "see" the drive, but couldn't
> touch it - it couldn't mount, format, or even scan the disk.
Sometimes, older drives just don't spin up because of stiction. Then you
can only hear the fan, but not the drive. If it doesn't go away by
itself, you might carefully knock on the case to get it going. Maybe it
was only because the drive stood still for about six weeks, but if this
repeats itself, you might really want to get a new drive. On my
computer, I had this once after a very hot summer day, but never again
since then.
--
Hartmut Buhrmester
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 22:39:01 +0100
From: [email protected] (Hartmut Buhrmester)
Subject: Fixing Font ID Conflicts with Resedit?
> I recently ran ResConflicts (part of Masterjuggler 1.90) and found
> that I have several font ID number conflicts.
An easy fix might be to drop all font suitcases into the fonts folder;
the system will resolve any resource ID conflicts and renumber the
resources. Then you can sort the fonts out again and use MasterJuggler
as your font management tool.
If that doesn't help, merge all offending suitcases into _one_ suitcase
file, and separate the fonts again.
AFAIK, the offending resources are the font family resources of type
"FOND", they live in the font suitcase files and their names appear in
the font menus. You don't need to modify the postscript font files.
--
Hartmut Buhrmester
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 96 16:13:15 EDT
From: "Alan J. Lazarus"
Subject: font for special character
I am looking for a font that contains the symbol "h bar".
It is often used in physics and represents h (Planck's constant)
divided by 2pi.
I would like to use the font on a Mac for writing using Microsoft Word.
Please let me know the name of the font and where it can be obtained
Thanks
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 14:36:46 -0500 (CDT)
From: Paul M Sheldon
Subject: Help with Netscape Mail (A)
Unfortunately I don't know how to get large virtual screen from
current macs.
If you know the following trick, however, you don't need an expensive
bigger monitor rather you choose your own defaults.
Move your cursor around to different mail window edges and see it
change to two verticle lines with arrows from the left going left and
>From the right bar going right. Now, click drag the window edge to a
suitable size.
Let's call this cursor tmc for the mover cursor, OK?
Next move the cursor to field title delimiters and the cursor will
change again to tmc. Click drag the size of the column to what you want.
Hope this helps!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 08:09:40 -0500
From: Marc Meyer
Subject: How to add Sound Input to Mac IIci?
I recently purchased a Mac IIci and found out that it doesn't have a
Sound Input port like my IIsi does. I have looked through several books
and magazines without finding a card that I can add for this feature.
Does anyone know if such a device exists and if it does, where can I
find one. You can reply to the digest or directly to me at the address
below.
Thanks,
Marc Meyer
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 12:39:07 -1000
From: [email protected] (Ed Cesar)
Subject: How to Transcribe Mac OS Files to PC Windows 95 Format
I would like to thank everone who responded to my question
about a way to transcribe Mac files to Windows 95. I learned
that I was confusing the operating system with the word
processors which are used to open the documents. The tips
I received work fine. Again, many thanks.
It is very comforting to know there is such a wealth of
knowledge and experience I can tap on this Net, and if I
expose my ignorance I don't have to worry about being
criticised.
Mahalo,
Ed Cesar
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 96 12:43:30 EDT
From: Tom Coradeschi
Subject: How to Transcribe Mac OS Files to PC Windows 95 Format
Ed Cesar ([email protected]):
>I have been asked to make copies on floppy disks of some rather
>large text files so they can be read on a PC in Windows 95 format.
>I wrote them on my 6100/66 Power Mac using Microsoft Word
>version 6.0.
Assuming you're running a recent release of System 7.x (possibly 7.5.x is
required, I'm not sure), you've got a Control Panel called "PC Exchange" -
if you don't, slap in your system diskettes and Custom Install it.
Once that is done, insert a diskette and choose "Erase Disk." Choose 1.4M
PC format from the resulting dialog box. Copy the files to the disk you've
created. Change the filenames to something a windoze machine can understand
(.txt suffixes) and hand it to your client. Try not to gloat too much. :-}
tom coradeschi [email protected]
http://k-whiner.pica.army.mil/
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 15:04:59 -0500
From: Glenn Sowell
Subject: IIvx memory question
I have 6 IIvx's. (Condolences accepted). Each has 4 MB hardwired on the
motherboard and 4 30-pin SIMM slots. The slots must all be filled with the
same size SIMM's. Currently there are 1 Meg SIMMS in the slots. The
machines are running 7.5.3 or 7.5.4.
I wanted to upgrade the memory to 12 Meg by putting 4 2-Meg SIMMS in the
slots. I don't feel that it's worth buying 4 4-Meg SIMMS in this old a
machine. But...
Apple recommends only 1-Meg and 4-Meg SIMMS for the IIvx. I decided to go
ahead and try the 2-Meg SIMMs anyway. They seem to work just fine on 5 of
the 6 machines, but not the sixth. On one of the 5 I had to reformat the
drive (I wanted to do this anyway) and reinstall the system. After I did
this the 5th machine accepted the memory.
I have tried reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling the system on my
6th machine (Hey, it worked once!), but with no success. Extension on or
off make no difference. External or internal hard drive - no difference.
Does anyone have any suggestion on how I can get this IIvx to accept the
2-Meg SIMMs?
Thanks for the help.
Glenn
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 17:03:35 -0500
From: [email protected] (Edward Ver Hoef)
Subject: Looking for Software
I'm looking for two graphics-related programs. The first is some
Macintosh-based program to convert from one type of graphic format to
another, e.g., from GIF to TIFF. I have used a program named GWS on my
daughter's PC and it does just what I want but I don't always have access
to her computer. Besides, it's a nuisance to have to go back and forth
between the two machines just to do a conversion.
The other Macintosh-based program I'd like to find is one to do simple
morphing.
I've tried looking for these programs in the archives but I suspect I
haven't recognized the right software. I'd prefer shareware (or obviously
freeware) if they're available.
Ed Ver Hoef
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 15:46:24 -0500
From: [email protected]
Subject: Lottery Programs
>From: (Harley Bradley)[email protected] Subject: [*] CA$H3
>CA$H3 is a lottery program designed for those in Florida (or other states)
>whose daily cash drawing is a pick of three numbers 0-9. You enter the
>winning numbers from each daily drawing and the program uses that data to
>pick 10 "lucky" numbers. The more winning numbers you put in, the more
>accurate it becomes. This program is so good and we at MagicHat are so
>sure it will win you money that you don't have to pay a registration fee
>until you win TWICE ! Instructions for it's use are included in the
>program. DON'T PASS THIS ONE BY & GOOD LUCK TO YOU.
>[Archived as /info-mac/app/cash3.hqx; 1221K]
It's true that the more numbers you enter, the more accurate the program
gets -- to a point. Since lottery numbers are generated randomly, enough
data will reveal the random distribution (i.e. same chance of any number).
So, the results obtained before sufficient data has been entered are
misleading, being based upon insufficient data. The results after
sufficient data has been entered are the same from week to week, i.e.
random probability.
Since, we know the probability is random at the outset and since such
programs are inaccurate and misleading until enough data is entered for
them to recognize the random probability, programs which operate like this
one such be labelled and used for entertainment value only.
Will Wagers "Reality is the best metaphor."
ousia: http://www.iglobal.net/pub/wagers/ousia
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 23:02:00 -0400
From: [email protected]
Subject: Mac Books
Hello Fellow Mac Users,
I have been a member of a Macintosh book blub for several years now and I
thought I would let you all know that this valuable resource is out there and
can supply you with great books at a great price. I do not work for this
company, I just think this club is great for books of any Mac subject. If
anyone wants more information about the club, please eMail me at
[email protected]
ThanX!
Mike
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: 22 Aug 1996 10:01:11 -0600
From: "Jon Fullmer"
Subject: New MacOS screen?
Hi guys!
I'm just wondering if there is any way to alter the "MacOS" image that appears
during the "march of the extensions and control panels" during startup on any
system later than System 7.5.1. I'm certain that there must be a ResEdit
trick to doing this, but I haven't found any information.
BEFORE ANYONE DOES THIS: I am NOT interested in changing the StartupScreen
image. There is an over-abundance of documentation on how to do this, and I'm
not interested in changing the "Welcome to Macintosh" screen. I want to
change the MacOS screen.
Any help from you geniuses (or is it genii? =>) would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
-- Jon Fullmer
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 14:56:59 -0400 (EDT)
From: [email protected] (John Rethorst)
Subject: On Location and WordPerfect
>Does anyone have On Location 2.01 and WordPerfect 3.x? If so, do your
>indexes include the text of WordPerfect files? I am trying to figure out
>whether I need a different translator or what?
Yes and yes. Claris XTND in the Claris folder in the system folder should
be all you need.
John R.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 13:59:53 -0700
From: [email protected] (AES)
Subject: On Location and WordPerfect files
(A copy of this message has also been posted to the following newsgroups:
comp.sys.mac.digest)
> Does anyone have On Location 2.01 and WordPerfect 3.x? If so, do your
> indexes include the text of WordPerfect files? I am trying to figure out
> whether I need a different translator or what?
Look in your System folder for a file called
"On Location File Kinds". It can be opened and
edited with any ordinary text editor to specify
what Mac file types and creators will be indexed
by On Location (which, incidentally, continues to
be a great program, even though it seems to have
been orphaned by ON Technology so far as I know).
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 21:13:09 -1200
From: [email protected] (Antony D'Emanuele)
Subject: PCMCIA card gets very hot in PowerBook (Q)
I have a TDK Fax PCMCIA card which I use in my PowerBook 5300c. I find that
when I remove the card, even if it has only been in for 15 minutes or so,
that is is extremely hot (I would estimate the temperature as being in the
region of 60 to 70 centigrade (ouch!)). Is this normal? I am concerned that
the modems performance and life expectancy may be affected. I would be
grateful for any advice, particularly from any Apple engineers out there.
Regards,
Tony D'Emanuele
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 21:16:50 GMT
From: [email protected] (Jens-Uwe Mager)
Subject: question about using "@" on German Mac keyboard
In article , [email protected]
wrote:
> A German friend of mine could not send me email because he could not
> find an "@" key on his keyboard.
> Does anyone know how to generate this character on a Mac keyboard?
Use option-shift-1. And if you try to find keys, just open the key caps DA
(Tastatur on a german system), if you press the modifier keys the key caps
displayed change to display the alternate chars.
Jens-Uwe Mager [email protected]
30177 Hannover [email protected]
Brahmsstr. 3 Tel.: +49 511 660238
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 13:22:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Prof. F.M. Hoppe"
Subject: slow loading
I have noticed within the past few months a degradation in the speed with
which documents load on the web. I'm using a PM9500 with a Global Village
platinum. I was originally using the Config PPP /MacPPP package but then
tried FreePPP version 2.5, but there was no noticeable change.
Incidentally, the ISP insisted I needed Config PPP and PPP installed with
Free PPP but my understanding was different so I did remove both Config
PPP and PP from the System Folder while using Free PPP.
I've tried several different init sequences recommended both by Global
Village and by other info-mac readers, but again without change.
Several months back (I can't be sure if the dates correlate with my
problem) was to install the update 2.0 to 7.5.2 (I presume this brings
me to 7.5.3). I even did a clean install several days ago. I am
wondering if I missed something. Or is the problem I'm experiencing a
consequence of too many people and too limited a bandwidth for all of
us? I don't know.
One thing remaining to try is a different computer, both Mac and Windows,
in order not to rule out my Mac.
Oh, by the way. My 2GB hard drive is nearly full, in case that could
Fred M. Hoppe
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 96 10:37:12 -0400
From: Romulo Romero
Subject: Software FPU and 68LC040
Quentin North wrote:
>SoftwareFPU does not work with a 68LC040 owing to a bug in the processor.
Dear Quentin:
I think you are mistaken. The read me states that the bug will prevent Soft
Software FPU from working on certain applications only. The read me suggests
to test each application individually. I personally used Software FPU
on my Performa 637 (33MHz 68LC040) to play BZone successfully, so my
advice is to try each application individually. If it crashes, then you can
notn
not use it
Romulo Romero
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 96 10:59:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: [email protected] (Stephen Grady)
Subject: Software to Learn Cantonese?
I have seen software to teach French, Italian, Spanish, German. Does
anyone know if there is any software to teach an native English speaker
Cantonese?
Thanks in advance.
Stephen Grady
[email protected]
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 21:18:58 +0100 (BST)
From: Lloyd Wood
Subject: The Big Friendly Calculator
>From Info-Mac Digest V14 #190:
> Subject: [*] Big Friendly Calculator Demo v3.0b1
[..]
> Big Friendly Calculator Demo provides a full screen calculator aimed at
> helping children learn how to use a calculator.
Goodness.
Whatever happened to helping children learn arithmetic?
Although Macintoshes are aimed at helping people learn to use computers,
that's no justification for taking it to extremes.
L.
too old to be part of the postliterate postnumerate postrational
postscientific postfiguringitoutforyourself generation.
netboy
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 11:16:31 -0500
From: [email protected] (Butch Weber (ext. 3107))
Subject: Using Apple Guide under System 7.1
Help! I'm having problems using Apple Guide under system 7.1 (yes, I'm
one of the, what is it, 40 or 60% who haven't upgraded to 7.5). I got
the Apple Guide extension as well as the system 7.0/7.1 enabler, the Apple
Guide icon shows up on my menu bar, but I still have balloon help showing
up. I've looked in the docs for info, but can't find anything. I checked
Apple's tech library, but found nothing related to this.
Has anyone gotten this to work, or am I going to have to bite the bullet
and upgrade if I want this?
Butch Weber
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: 21 Aug 1996 13:59:13 CST
From: "Mike Miller"
Subject: Why continue to Binhex?
The question being:
>Why is it that all Mac files on the internet are binhexed? All this
>seems to do is balloon the file size and make downloading difficult.
>PC/Windows Mirrors don't normally encode their files.
Thanks for all the responses, here is what I've learned:
>Many gateways, especially outside good ole US of A, choke on binary...
I have been told this over and over and just don't buy it.
My Mac filesdon't seem to be adversely affected.
The fact is I download zip (binary) files on my Windows machine using ftp and
http, all the time, from locations all over the world. I've downloaded from
Japan, Sweded, Germany, Australia, even South Africa. These files are not
binhexed, or uuencoded. (Mime uses encoding though.) Never had a problem.
These files are for a vastly larger (unfortunately) base of users.
(I know that downloading from foreign locations is not normally advised and I
try to avoid it, but when you need the latest version of Navigator sometimes
the
only way to get it is overseas.
>It's true a .sit has only a data fork; however, there is information in
>the file header ... all that information is lost.
Yes, this is what happened, but in my experience here Stuffit handled the sit
files anyway.
> . . delete the archives automatically.
I realize you can do this, but I worry about letting any program delete my
files
automatically. Just paranoid, I guess. The point here being I shouldn't have
to do it in the first place.
This was not really my major concern, and although a pain, I think the
increased
download time, bandwidth usage, and eaten CPU time are more important. This
occurs on upload as well as download.
> PC users do not binhex files. ... PC users use uuencode.
Not entirely true. There is infact a binhex program for the PC, but people
*don't bother to use it,* unless they have some sort of email transfer
problem.
It's not worth the time to do it unless there is a problem, why do it by
default? This is probably why you haven't heard of it. UUencode is the same
thing, I know people continue to use it, but I don't see it on the mainstream
mirror PC sites.
>This is not the strongest argument in the whole world for
>- burdening the archives with the added space these files take,
> which at various times has been a massive big deal, and
>- aggravating the download time for everyone.
>But for some people, mail access to files is a very useful technique.
>For some, it may be the only one available. It will be interesting
>to see how bad the fallout will be when Rice eliminates their file
>delivery service. I think they are terminating this service real
>soon.
I wonder if this last part is true.
>CRC issues
Ahh, I think you have hit on something here. Perhaps the file gets hosed in
transit or on the host machine. I believe that zip files have a CRC in them
that helps in their repair if damaged. But, doesn't TCP/IP have CRC built
into it anyway? I had no problems in my tests, so I don't know.
Perhaps the stuffit format is not very reliable. Maybe we need a better
internet archive format, something with the qualities of macbinary, group
file compression, and CRC in one compact file, like .zip. Some kind of
open internet standard.
*Ideal solution ?
Email (text)access to the archive is the last problem. I would guess that they
are a small minority. Why not have a few machines handle that and leave the
rest of the mirrors in binary form to minimize the problem for the majority,
instead of the other way around?
*Practical Solution ?
>However, if you really hate binhex, check out the document on info-mac
>mirrors. There are one or two which keep files in MacBinary II, rather...
Cool, I have confirmed this. This keeps the file size down, and I can have it
delete the .bin files (grudgingly). Still not perfect, but I guess this is the
best solution in the interim. The conversion from .bin to .sit to files is
quicker. Cuts download time too. Still kind of confusing for a platform that
prides itself on ease of use, though.
>"PC" means personal computer and is not strictly for WinTel machines.
I would agree that the whole term "personal computer" is generic, but when you
say the acronym "PC" people usually think of the original IBM PC, (the name of
the model, I don't know if it is copyrighted). I'm sorry if I confused anyone,
but I doubt it.
Thanks to those who replied,
Mike
[email protected]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 1996 12:53:57 -0400
From: [email protected] (Mark E. Heard)
In the obliquely titled "Info-Mac Digest V14 #191" article,
[email protected] (Pat Ellis) wrote to Chris Collins
(and others)
> The *problem* is not related only to PowerMacs. It has to do with
> the Mac's inefficient method of allocating disk space.
concerning Chris' "20k Minimum File Size" query. My additional comments:
While Pat's statements are certainly true, we need to note that "the Mac's
inefficient method" is hardly as bad as other desktop OS's methods. The Mac
OS's minimum file allocation is 512 bytes (.5K) for every 32 MB in the
partition where the file is stored. Other real 32-bit OSs like VMS also use
a 512 byte "blocking factor". On a Mac, a 512 MB partition would yield an
8K minimum file size and a 540 MB partition would be 9K. On the Dark (O)
Side, the minimum file size for 512 MB is also 8K, but for 540 MB the file
size would be 16K! DOS (and it's mutant cousin(s) - if you scratch
Win-something very hard, it still bleeds DOS)) set up allocations using a
binary doubling method so that the minumum file size for any partition
between 257 MB and 512 MB is 8K, and between 513 MB and 1024 MB is 16K, and
1025 MB and 2048 MB is 32K... quite a bit more "inefficient" than the
Mac's, I'd say.
"Big deal", you say? A Wintel user here had an 300-something MB HD crash
that was replaced by a 540 MB drive and the support folks couldn't fit all
of the old files from the user's backup on the new drive! Seems he had
*lots* of little data files that used to be 8K that now take up 16K each on
the new drive. The solution - put in a bigger drive. The 850 MB drive can
now store all of the files that the user used to be store on his
300-something MB drive. Of course, with small files becoming a rarity these
days - Microsoft should be certainly be recognized for doing their part in
this effort - this kind of problem may not surface very often.
Mark Heard
--------------------------------
--Info-Mac-Digest--
End of Info-Mac Digest
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