Mousehole Report

By Rusty Hodge, Mousehole BBS

Mousehole News

by Rusty Hodge

Lemme see, where do I start? USA Today had a poll, which brand of computer are you considering pur- chasing? 34% Apple, 23% IBM, rest divided. You could vote for more than one. Interesting.

MacExpo- there WILL be another MouseFest. It will probably be a get together with the people from MacBoston. There should be a survey up about this soon or post your opinions on G/eneral.

MouseHole buttons- we will be giving them out at MacExpo or you can send a SASE to Box 2323, Orange, CA 92669. One is free, if you want a lot, send some $$$. We'll announce when they are ready. Thanks to Don for the design. Bye.

New, Fledgling Macintosh BBS

MARK CHALLY

There is now a Macintosh oriented BBS in the Covina calling area. It is called "The Apple Bus" and it is the bulletin board of the Solely Macintosh User Group of Cal Poly Pomona...for more info about the group, and to get in touch with others with Macintosh interests, call: The Apple Bus at 818- 919-5459. Oh, there isn't any hidden password, it runs on SnAPP, and the new user password is NEW...with your help, we can keep it public.

Mac Hard Disk

TOM SHERMAN

Problem: I just got back a big expense check and the bills aren't yet due. Which Mac Hard Disk do I buy?

[A] HyperDrive w/the new, Apple-Approved Installation?

[B] A 21 Meg corvus so that I can share w/my II and future Macs

[C] Bernoulli Box

[D] The Keeper (has anyone seen one?)

[E] Wait till 1988 for Apple to deliver one.

I'd appreciate the input. It seems that I've been waiting forever! -Tom

[Consider this: If you use the network, the printer port is out since you need it for Appletalk. If you call the 'Hole, the modem port is out since you don't want to unplug the modem all the time. That leaves only the disk port. So who makes a hard disk for the disk port? Apple is rumored to be putting together a "Mac Bottm" like drive that does use the disk port (Mac Bottom doesn't!) that is not the file server product. (ie, you might see if before you die of old age.) -Ed.]

Journaling Discovery

DON L

Try this: Get out any "Guided Tour" disk. With ResEdit copy the .journal driver from the system file. Paste the .journal driver into the system file of a disk you want to use journaling on. Change the driver name to journal (remove the preceding period). Quit resEdit. When your done you'll have a new desk accessory which when opened adds a menu to the menu bar with the selections Record, Play, Stop and Quit. Have Fun.

Note: It is important to use ResEdit to copy the driver because DA/Font mover could change the ID number and prevent journal from working. Just picked this tidbit up from the Mac Developers board on Compuserve. - Don

I'm Famous!

MacoWaco

I've published many times before, but this is the first time that something I had anything to do with was on the stands in B.Dalton!!! I hope they sell. [They are! -Ed.] I went out of my way and put the whole pile of Mactutors out in front and on top of the stupid fluff which was all over. Mactutor and Dr. Dobbs were the only serious programming journals there. Programming literature is big business. If you don't believe me go to your local university book store. Dave Kelly is right the laser version is outta sight. However I'm willing to admit a certain bias.

New Apple Product

MIDNIGHT MACKER

A few days ago, Apple laid off 1200 workers. In Cupertino, they are now calling the Apple LaserWriter the Apple ResumeWriter. Oh, well.

Apple's New direction?

BRETT

The Chicago Area Apple Developers Meeting was held the 25th at the midwest Apple offices and here is the results... Apple anounced their new direction. They said that they were turning their commercial accounts over to local dealers and getting back into the retail (not office) environment. They announced an appletalk interface card for the Apple II and indicated that they will be getting back to supporting the Apple II market and reviving many Apple II projects that were shelved. This all comes after the big lay offs.

[If this means the holes in the Mac product line take a back seat to the ancient (and who cares?) Apple II line, we're all in trouble! -Ed.]

At the local office they had a big party because their office was not closed. Also discussed at the meeting was the Atari and Amega computers. After the presentations at the CES, and recent industry slumps, most of the developers felt that they were not as serious as we were all once led to believe. Most of the developers that had preveiously announced they would be doing prodoucts for them have now indicated that they will be staying with old Mac!

Softworks had a beta copy of their new documentation and version 2.0 of their C compiler. It is a VAST improve- ment over their original documentation and now indicates when a function is a K&R standard C function or a Whitesmith aberation.

We will be having a demonstration of the TMON debbuger at our next meeting. It was written by a 16 year old kid!!! He is at West Point now competing in a super math event. Our next meeting will be July 24. -Brett

Apple Rumblings

Bob Denny

I can't say too much about this, but believe me, there are some things happening inside Apple that are WONDERFUL. I have been talking to some of the folks who survived the purge. There has been a lot of hand-wringing in the engineering area. Many of the rookies who are responsible for some of the Mac's weaknesses have been axed. The folks who are there now are exhibiting a refreshing degree of enlightenment. One thing I will offer as an opinion ... don't expect too much in the way of major additions to the Mac product line for a while. They realize that much of what's out there right now needs cleaning up; it needs a professional polish. And they are committed to working through it and getting it clean (within the limits of the hardware limitations). More later.

More Apple Gossip

GOLDEN EARS

I had lunch with and ex-Apple tech/sales-noid this week, he had a few interesting comments about the situation up in Cupertino. He feels that they are still extremely top-heavy, axed a lot of sales/ support folks but not much in the way of useless management; he also feels (hopes) that this will change very soon, as he anticipates another heavy lay-off.

He has seen the MacBottom style HardDrive, but it is evidently going to be farmed out for production elswhere (it works on the 2nd drive port at speeds that are undocumented in IM); he has also seen a modular mac-kludge that had co-processors, plenty of memory, color and slots ... expects something around the first of the year.

Who knows, with Jobs out of the way (it was HE that was the problem for Mac and some of it's bizarre designs, NOT some lame engineers.... he squashed some of the best ideas because of HIS philosophy!) and with some action in the ][ area with the Western Designs chip, Apple could really come out things looking ok ...... BUT, things will not look pretty again until before Christmas .......

Amazingly enough, a lot of folks think that Commodore and Atari will sell everything they can build (with or without much software) and Apple will pick up the rest of the pieces. Well, Apple has a chance to clean up their act and fly right ... but they better use a little common sense for once, cause you don't get many second chances, the rest of the market will see to that ... just ask IBM. 'nuff for now, <**ge**>

MacNosy OK

BURRILL SMITH

Has the 5/85 Supplement been sent out? There's all sorts of references to it on MAUG, but I haven't got mine yet. I received MacNosy last night. The Mac interface is non-existant, the documentation is incomprehensable, and user-friendly is a term it's never heard of... But what a GREAT program!! If only it de-compiled it into HLL source code and added comments. Maybe the next rev? - B.S.

Printer Driver Source?

Steve the Digger

Does anyone know where to get drivers besides Apple's drivers?

[For Steve the Digger et al ... What say we draw up a petition and send it to Apple as a test of their "new openness" (to quote Sculley). The petition would be for documentation of the workings of printer drivers. UP WITH USER- WRITTEN PRINTER DRIVERS!!!!! - Bob Denny]

July MacInTouch is out

Rick Le Page

Hi! just wanted to let subscribers know that the july issue of MacInTouch will be in the mail next week. lots of stuff this month - review of Omnis 3 , Apple stuff, documentation (Yes David, you are in there this month), bugs, tips and much more. Thanks to all for your support!!

[P.S. I've seen this industry newsletter publication and it's terrific! One of the best such "newsy" Mac reportings in the industry. Has a welcomed technical flavor to it. Contact Rick at (617-527-5808 for subscription information. -Ed.]

May Software Supplement?

THE TOOLSMITH

I called Apple's mailing operation on 7/3 to see what the &*() was up with the May update. They said that mailing was expected to begin in about 3 weeks (or at least before August); the material hadn't arrived from Apple yet. There are 13 disks in the set being mailed. Maybe things would appear on time. if Apple used MacProject... sigh.

Lisp Paint Simulation

MacoWaco

I'm trying to get Xperlisp to mimic Macpaint-like stuff. In drawing the object I use a "frame" quickdraw command,ie. Framerect(upper left, bottom right). Problem is when I move the mouse back towards the upper left the frames are moving to fast to be erased! Any ideas out there?

Lisp Solution

Mike Steiner

Try using the xor mode and drawing the framerect twice. The first time draws it and the second erases it.

Mashed MacTutor!

THE DJIN

Dave Smith. Your box has been full for days and forced to go this route to obtain an answer. The last copy of Mac Tutor I received had been so badly trashed in the mail as it was unreadable. Will they be paper wrapped or some equivelant or shall I just discontinue my subscription as I have all the fire starter material I need living in Sunny California? The Djin

[Anyone getting a messed up MacTutor courtesy of the US Postal Service, simply call Laura and she will send you a new one first class. Can't afford wrapping yet. Maybe with a few more ads...-Ed.]

MacNosy Mystery

BURRILL SMITH

MacNosy has an equate: asicGlob EQU $2B6

What's there? I can find no reference to asicGlob or $2B6 in the MDS equate files. I'm trying to patch RamStart to work with my 1 meg, 'cause George hasn't come through with the source yet. -B.S.