News Common PC Mac Amiga CUCUG
The March 21 gathering will be one of our split SIG meetings. The Linux SIG presentation, beginning at 6 pm, will be on Linux desktop applications: spreadsheets, wordprocessing programs, etc. The Macintosh SIG is tentatively scheduled to examine how simple it is to use the developer tools. For the WinSIG, Ed Serbe will be doing another of his hardware/software demos. Ed recently acquired a 64Meg GeForce3 Titanium graphics accelerator and will be showing off the card, along with some rendering demos and MS Flight Simulator 2002 Professional.
We welcome any kind of input or feedback from members. Have an article or review you'd like to submit? Send it in. Have a comment? Email any officer you like. Involvement is the driving force of any user group. Welcome to the group.
Hot on the heels of our coverage of Java in Mac OS X, Apple has released the Java 1.3.1 Update 1, a 21.1 MB download available via Mac OS X's Software Update. Apple recommends that everyone download and install the update because it enhances overall stability and compatibility, plus improves text handling, mouse behavior (particularly when dragging in complex applications), multi-page printing, and more. Numerous bugs have also been fixed. Full (and more technical) release notes are available for developers. [ACE]
http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06730
http://developer.apple.com/techpubs/java/ReleaseNotes/java131update1/NewFeatures/
Connectix has released Virtual PC 5.0.2, a free update to the company's PC emulation software for both Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X (see "Virtual PC Adds Features, Mac OS X Compatibility" in TidBITS-610_). Chief among the improvements are a wide variety of performance enhancements aimed at addressing complaints about glacial performance under Mac OS X. Other areas receiving attention include PPTP virtual private networks when using Shared Networking, better diagnostics, printing to Canon printers, better serial port emulation, enhanced scripting support, and crashes when plugging or unplugging USB devices. Be sure to read the release notes and the Vital Information for Updates 5.0.2 document for details. The update is a 10.5 MB download. [ACE]
http://www.connectix.com/products/vpc5m.html
http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06668
http://www.connectix.com/downloadcenter/updates/updaters_domestic/vpcm502_readme.txt
http://www.connectix.com/downloadcenter/updates/updaters_domestic/vpcm502_vital_information.txt
http://www.connectix.com/support/vpcm_online.html
02-Feb-2002, Snoqualmie, WA - Amiga Inc, an emerging leader in media delivery, today announced the pre-installation, for the Swedish market, of Amiga on the Nokia Mediaterminal. The Nokia Mediaterminal, an innovative "infotainment' device for the home, recently launched in Sweden, combines digital video broadcast (DVB), gaming, streaming and downloadable digital media, full Internet access, and personal video recorder (PVR) technology. A Linux-based version of the AmigaDE has been incorporated into the Nokia Mediaterminal.
"Today's announcement is yet another significant step forward in our vision of enabling Amiga users to access their favorite applications from any device and on any platform,' said Bill McEwen, President/CEO, Amiga Inc. "The deployment of the Amiga on the Nokia Media terminal will give consumers an array of gaming and entertainment content from a central device attached to their televisions.'
By using AmigaDE on the Nokia Mediaterminal, consumers will be able to download, store and have access to the latest gaming applications, MP3, MPEG4, Universal Chat, and streaming video, turning the family TV into a multifunctional entertainment center.
http://billtechtv.members.easyspace.com/
http://www.stricq.com/pictures/BillTechTV.mpg
Amiga Games and Productivity Applications Will Target Windows CE .NET Microsoft.com
San Francisco, CA - March 12, 2002 - Amiga, Inc. announced the release and distribution of Amiga applications targeted at the Microsoft Windows CE .NET operating system. The applications will run on any of the range of Windows CE .NET-based devices including handhelds, smart phones, web pads, and set-top boxes.
Amiga has a rich history of gaming and multimedia and has been delivering rich, compelling applications since 1985. The new breed of Amiga applications have been written to run on the entire range of Windows Powered products including PDA's, Cell Phones, and Set Top Boxes. Amiga provides a middleware portability layer, which allows Amiga applications to be written once and run across a range of Windows Powered devices without change. More than 100 applications will be made available initially and many more are being created by Amiga developers worldwide.
"We are pleased to be able to deliver content that is optimized to run on the Windows CE .NET Platform", said Bill McEwen President/CEO of Amiga Inc. "Amiga developers are world renowned for their abilities to create amazing multimedia content with a small footprint. This gives us the ability to deliver a robust and exciting experience for even the smallest devices."
"As the number and variety of small- footprint and mobile Windows Powered devices continues to grow, ISVs want to ensure that their applications are able to run on as many of these different devices as possible," said Keith White, senior director of marketing for the Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group at Microsoft Corp. "Amiga Anywhere enables application developers to easily take advantage of the rich application and multimedia support in Windows CE .NET to write gaming applications that will run on a broad range of smart Windows Powered devices."
Amiga for Windows Powered Products is expected to ship in April this year. More information can be found on the Amiga Anywhere web site at http://www.amiga-anywhere.com/.
Microsoft on Wednesday asked a federal judge to dismiss the stringent antitrust sanctions that some state attorneys general want to impose on it, saying the states are trying to "displace" the Justice Department's decision to settle the case.
Trying to bolster its legal argument before the start of remedy proceedings against the company, Microsoft told the judge that the nine states still pursuing the case are overstepping their authority by proposing sanctions that go beyond the Justice Department's settlement deal.
"Under well-settled legal and constitutional principles, the non-settling states are limited to seeking redress for state-specific injuries caused by Microsoft's conduct," Microsoft said in its brief. "They cannot displace the United States in its role of establishing national competition policy."
The legal maneuvering comes about two weeks before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly is scheduled to convene hearings on what sanctions are needed to remedy Microsoft's antitrust violations.
Microsoft reached a deal with the Justice Department in November to settle the long-running case by, among other things, agreeing to give computer makers more freedom to feature rivals' software on the machines they sell.
Nine of the 18 states in the lawsuit agreed to sign on to the deal, but nine others are pressing ahead and asking Kollar-Kotelly to impose stricter sanctions.
The dissenting states, which include California, Massachusetts and Iowa, say their remedies would close a series of loopholes in the Justice Department settlement. It also would force Microsoft to sell a cheaper, stripped-down version of its monopoly Windows operating system and disclose the inner workings of Windows.
Microsoft has criticized the states' proposal as radical and harmful to consumers.
In a landmark ruling on the case in June, a federal appeals court dismissed parts of the government's case but upheld a lower court's conclusion that Microsoft had used illegal tactics to maintain the Windows monopoly.
Kollar-Kotelly has scheduled hearings next week to determine whether the Justice Department settlement is in the public interest; the following week she will start separate remedy proceedings.
The dissenting states "seek to establish themselves as national antitrust policymakers," Microsoft said in its brief. Their proposal "effectively would dictate how Microsoft conducts its business in all 50 states. This they cannot do."
[Editor's Note: One must question the intent of those of a certain political persuasion that demand the deregulation of "United" States and the return of power to the individual states, only to then remonstrate that those well-springs of creativity have no jurisdiction to control corporate behavior of a national scope. Is it a longing for the return of the company town or laissez faire Enron-ism or a combination of both?]
The world's Big Nine electronics companies have swallowed corporate pride and agreed on a single standard and name - Blu-Ray - for the next generation video and computer optical disc. Although good for the consumer, they are putting the future of their fledgling recordable DVD systems in jeopardy.
Blu-Ray is backed by Hitachi, LG, Matsushita (Panasonic), Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony and Thomson. Only Toshiba, the main inventor of DVD, and JVC, which has a vested interest in VHS, are missing.
The new format will use a blue laser for recording and playback. A single-sided 12 centimetre Blu-Ray disc stores 27GB of computer data, records 13 hours of broadcast TV or holds 2 hours of High Definition video.
Prototypes already exist, and have been demonstrated by Philips, Sony and Panasonic. Licensing for manufacture begins within a couple of months and the first Blu-Ray recorders could go on sale next year.
Bad news
This could be very bad news for the three rival and incompatible recordable DVD systems, DVD-RAM (Panasonic), DVD-RW (Pioneer) and DVD+RW (Philips), which are just going on sale.
All use a red laser, with 650 nm wavelength, and can only store 4.7 GB on a single sided DVD. TV recording time is only one hour in best quality mode, and two, three or four hours with compromised pictures. Data capacity is inadequate for non-stop backup of a PC hard drive. The data transfer rate, around 10 Mbps, is not fast enough for high quality video.
A blue laser, with a 405 nm wavelength, can focus light more tightly into a smaller spot and so cram more data on a 12 centimetre disc. The data streams at 36 Mbps, which is fast enough for HDTV. As with recordable DVD, the recording is made in a phase change coating. Blu-Ray uses a very thin layer, 0.1 millimetres thick, to stop any tilt of the disc optically distorting the laser beam.
Everything is different
The 27 GB capacity will increase later to 50GB, thanks to dual layer discs, proposed by Panasonic.
The Blu-Ray group is still discussing whether the disc can be naked or must be housed in a protective cartridge.
Existing CD and DVD players and recorders will not be able to use Blu-Ray discs. New Blu-Ray players will need infra-red, red and blue lasers if they are also to play all kinds of CD and DVD recordings.
Speaking from the press launch in Tokyo, Chris Buma of Philips, says: "Except for the size of the disc, everything is different".
Walmart.com is taking a stab at attracting more technology-savvy customers by selling PCs that don't come with an operating system already pre-loaded.
In an unusual move for a general retailer, the Microtel computers are being offered without operating systems as part of a test to gauge the response among tech-oriented customers who may want to load their own operating systems, Walmart.com spokeswoman Cynthia Lin said.
But at least one analyst said that Wal-Mart Stores and its Internet unit are likely to find out that they should have stayed focused on serving their core customers, who are typically less tech-savvy and likely expect computers to come with the operating systems included.
"The techie types interested in tinkering with their computers are far more likely to buy computer parts from the 500 million far more geeky stores on the Web," said Steve Baker, a research analyst with NPD Techworld, a firm that tracks consumer behavior.
Like most general retailers online, Walmart.com usually sells computers with operating systems, most often Microsoft Windows, Lin said. But computer sales are down, and Web stores are searching for ways to spur demand. For instance, Amazon.com, which launched its online computer store last year, has begun selling used computers alongside newer models.
Walmart.com says it is trying to cater to a rise in customer requests for computers with different operating systems.
"We decided to sell the computers without an operating system so those customers who didn't want Windows could load the OS of their choice," said Lin, adding that another attractive element in not offering an operation system is that eliminating Windows considerably drops the cost of PCs.
For example, on PCs that sell for $599 or less, Windows becomes one of the most expensive components in the mix. Linux, of course, can be obtained for free.
The risk for Walmart.com is that some customers shopping for a deal may unwittingly buy the computer and discover later that they have to buy a version of Microsoft Windows, which could cost hundreds of dollars.
"This might prove to be a pain for some people," Baker said.
With February 28 deadline come and gone, all four million or so Excite@Home cable-modem Internet access customers have been forcibly pushed off the Excite servers. Hopefully you've all also made the transition to your new servers provided by your cable companies.
In the last issue of SFNL, I asked @Home subscribers to tell me about their personal experiences in the migration process away from the @Home servers to servers of their cable company, such at AT&T Broadband, Comcast, Cox, Insight Communications, Adelphia, Mediacom, Charter, and others. (If your cable company isn't covered, it means I either didn't get enough responses to include it.) So, based on the many emails you sent, here's the SFNL Report Card on the transition process from @Home to the various cable companies.
INSIGHTBB: A+
I didn't get a single, even partially negative email about people's transitions to InsightBB cable from @Home. Most of the emails raved about how great InsightBB is, and only one email mentioned a slight hiccup that was quickly resolved. All in all, these folks had the best time, and may even be much better off with their new back end.
ADELPHIA AND MEDIACOM: A
The sample size of people who wrote about Adelphia and Mediacom was the tiniest of the bunch. But all the messages were positive. Words like "flawless" and "painless" were used by customers of these two companies to describe the changeover. If the sample sizes were larger, I might have been tempted to give these two companies A+ too.
COX: B+
Most people did pretty well with the Cox conversion, which began overnight the night of January 23. The people who had the hardest time may have been the early adopters. Cox had problems with its servers for about five days at the end of January. During that period there was a lot of frustration. Compounding the problem was that Cox's tech support was completely overwhelmed with phone calls. Many people were unable to get through for several days. For those who hung back a week or two, many describe the transition as being easy. Cox sent a disc in the mail that provided a wizard-like setup experience. I know of more than one person for whom the wizard didn't work, but it did the trick for most. More experienced users complained that all it did was brand IE and OE with Cox logos, and that it was easier just to make the configuration changes themselves.
Cox performance has also been pretty good. One Orange County, CA, reader wrote that his average performance with Cox after the transition is: Speed 3172kbps downstream and 273kbps up (DSLReports). Not too shabby for roughly $40 a month. Other performance testers may show slower performance though. Another reader, though, said his performance dropped from an average 1.5Mbps to about 490kbps, a marked difference.
Despite the fact that most people had only minor problems with the transition, a small contingent of Cox folks had serious, bigtime, show-stopper annoyances. Rhode Island was one area hard hit, but it wasn't alone. One guy wrote in excruciating detail about a two-hour field technician visit to his home, after which he still didn't have a working connection.
CHARTER PIPELINE: B
Compared to most past @Home customers, Charter subscribers are happy. But terse communication and difficult setup issues haunted less experienced users, who often were frustrated. One major plus: No one is complaining about a reduction of performance.
AT&T BROADBAND: C
The most honest thing I can say about the experiences of people who have converted to AT&T Broadband from Excite@Home is that there isn't a solid trend. I have mail raving about everything from an easy transition to much faster performance, as well as very disappointed messages about having a terrible transition and much slower performance. The reality may simply be this: AT&T's cable- modem Internet access service has been purchased willy-nilly from a variety of sources over the last several years. Regional differences may account for the differences. AT&T had to make room on a variety of servers to absorb its @Home customers. In some areas, that may have caused a problem while in others it was no big deal.
Although lack of VPN support and the loss of a static IP address are issues for ATTBI customers, I was surprised that not many people complained about it. The bigger problem for many was that they were cut off from all service for anywhere from a day to a week before the transition took place. That really wasn't AT&T's fault, in my opinion. It was Excite's stupidity to do that to their outgoing customers as a way of thumbing their nose to the AT&T board. Whether Excite had an honest beef or not, taking it out on the customers was mean spirited.
All in all, many AT&T customers seem more or less happy. Their biggest concern may well be the prospect of being taken over by Comcast.
COMCAST: F
This is where the big problems were. Email was especially hard hit, and I even emails from just the last couple of days with people complaining that they're still getting error messages when they attempt to send/receive (and other issues). Also, apparently only one of the seven Excite@Home email addresses people had is protected by Comcast. The rest were turned off by default. Finally, many people report that it was Comcast transition and "registration" software that caused the problems on their PCs. Folks who found a way to bypass the Comcast software say their email transitions went smoothly.
The lack of newsgroup service really rankles experienced users. One suggested that it might still be possible to sign-up for newsgroup access at this link.
https://secure.giganews.com/cc/signup.cgi
He's not sure because the process requires email correspondence, and his Comcast email is still problematic. I can't test the above link because I'm not on Comcast. So my apologies if it's bad or is a dead end. But I thought it might be worth including just in case.
Blocked VPN service is another issue that troubles new Comcast users. The company began its prohibition of VPN in 2000, although apparently it is still technically possible to run VPN, it just against the Comcast user agreement.
Perhaps because of the ongoing email problems, I actually received more messages from pre-existing Comcast customers, those who didn't go through the transition from @Home. One wrote: "My experience with Comcast has always been that when it's good, it's good, but when it's bad, it's really bad." The tech supports scripts (the things tech support is required to say to each customer), he added, are really annoying.
Reports about Comcast performance are all over the place. But the worst reports, which came from more than one SFNL reader, were that throughput measures in the 320kbps upstream, 90kbps downstream range. That's very poor performance for cable-modem service. To be sure, that experience isn't universal, but it's bad enough that I would recommend looking for an alternative broadband source.
More than any other company, the emails from Comcast customers are the most frustrated and tell the biggest horror stories. Profanity is more common in these messages than literally any email I've ever gotten for Scot's Newsletter, Broadband Report, or Windows Insider. Let me tell you, that's a whole lot of email. Even the people who report that there transition went -- and there are a few of them -- mention things like having to spend 1.5 hours on the phone to tech support just to get there email running. More than any other service reported on, Comcast customers also report that they still have outstanding issues. Given that Comcast was among the first to switch over, that's especially telling.
All in all, it wasn't hard to award Comcast a failing mark. I think many Comcast customers might say that Comcast did better than an F. But the preponderance of negative experiences forces me to tell it like it is.
I want to warmly thank all the many SFNL readers who contributed to this report. About 200 readers in all. Especially Cox customers, who came out in droves. I didn't have time to respond to all your messages. So please accept this thanks as my response.
President Jim Lewis came over and helped me install Win XP Pro on my PII-400MHz/128M box which is over 3 1/2 years old. This was admittedly a little risky given the age of the system and the fact that it is barely better than the minimum recommendation of 300MHz/128M. Because the machine I wanted to upgrade was so old, I really did my homework before the install. I checked the Microsoft web site for compatibility issues (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/checkcompat.asp) and downloaded the latest version of the Windows XP Upgrade Advisor, a 30+ megabyte program that runs on your current configuration and provides tons of information about any hardware and software issues you might have before you attempt the upgrade.
The Upgrade Advisor did indeed find a few potential problems which I needed to address. It listed the hardware and software compatibility problems I would probably have. There was a high-speed serial card (is that thing still in there?) that it said XP could not support without new drivers. It also told me that my serial-based digital camera and HP3300C scanner would not be 100% supported. The good news was that I didn't need the high-speed serial card (it was used for an old ISDN modem), HP recently posted the full XP-compatible software suite and XP drivers for my scanner and I could deal with the camera by simply buying an inexpensive ($23) SmartMedia card reader for the camera.
Knowing all that we put the disk in the CD, booted off of it and answered a few questions. We did a "clean" install, which means that we completely wiped the main drive and formatted it using NTFS, the preferred file system for XP. I'm glad Jim was there to deal with the disk format questions. He recommended NTFS so off we went. About 40-50 minutes later (hey, this is only a 400MHz machine) we booted into XP. XP found everything...the ATI 8M video card, Samsung monitor, ISA(!) sound card, SCSI adapter, SCSI Zip drive, HP CD-RW, 3-Com NIC, and installed proper drivers for all of it. I was shocked.
The next step was to go to the Windows Update web site and download all the latest "hot fixes". This is one part that would be a bit of a challenge if I did not have my lightning-fast, cable-modem broadband connection. In just a few minutes, we downloaded all 20.5 megabytes of updates. One reboot later and we were done (save for reinstalling all of my application software).
The "new" machine runs like a dream. I swear it's about twice as fast now as when it had Windows 98 on it but maybe that's just the better memory management showing itself. Network file transfers alone are five times as fast now. I am really looking forward to the reliability. This machine with Win 98 got to the point where it needed a reboot once every few days. From my other experiences with XP, I'm pretty sure that this machine will now run for months between reboots. I use it to perform a wide variety of automated tasks like backing up my home network, monitoring the web servers I am responsible for, serving files and other network chores. So, it has to be up 24/7.
I'm really happy I upgraded the machine. Even though it was an older computer, with a little research I was able to make the process go pretty smoothly. XP makes this old computer seem like a whole new machine!
On Sunday 03 March 2002 14:10, Asha DeVelder regaled all and sundry with:
> Skal, > > Thanks for the suggestions for cleaning up my c: partition. After > checking at winfiles, I decided to go with Window Washer (as opposed to > Evidence Eliminator) mostly for the price (no way I could afford $150 but I > might be able to scrape up $30). > I installed an ran it. Before running it I had 79megs free on my > c: drive. After running it I have 280 megs free!! The system seems a bit > peppier as well. > Good little program it seems! > > Yay! and Thanks again!And if you think Window Washer rocks, you ought to see Evidence Eliminator do its magic. But, by no real stretch of imagination is EE worth $150. I guess they have to pay for the spam they generate by the truckload.
WinblowZ is a garbage generator. It is just amazing what crap files it creates in the course of its average day. It is a good thing to blow it out with a good cleaner proggy once in a while.
Now, go run the Norton Registry Cleaner, and for REAL fun, download the eval version of KCMS Registry Compressor and run it. ZOOM!!! Also, defrag.
> (Am sending this through the list in case anyone else running winblows has > this problem and wonders how well the program works)Yeah, it really is just that good.
Thanks to David Byrne for this tip: For at least the first 8 months of 2001, open-source poster child Linux was far less secure than Windows, according to the reputable NTBugTraq, which is hosted by SecurityFocus, the leading provider of security information about the Internet. (The company's 2001 statistics are available only through August 2001 for the time being.) According to NTBugTraq, Windows 2000 Server had less than half as many security vulnerabilities as Linux during the reported period. When you break the numbers down by Linux distribution, Win2K had fewer vulnerabilities than RedHat Linux 7.0 or MandrakeSoft Mandrake Linux 7.2, and it tied with UNIX-leader Sun Microsystems Solaris 8.0 and 7.0. A look at the previous 5 years--for which the data is more complete--also shows that each year, Win2K and Windows NT had far fewer security vulnerabilities than Linux, despite the fact that Windows is deployed on a far wider basis than any version of Linux. So once again, folks, you have to ask yourselves: Is Windows really less secure than Linux? Or is this one of those incredible perception issues? For more information and the complete stats, visit the SecurityFocus Web site. I'll check back on this story to see how all of 2001 shapes up.
http://securityfocus.com/vulns/stats.shtml
SAN FRANCISCO--Intel plans to come out with a new version of the Pentium 4 next year and to push a slate of initiatives to make computers and phones sleeker and smaller.
The next version of the Pentium 4, code-named Prescott, will enhance desktop performance through hyper-threading, among other changes, Intel's Louis Burns, vice president of the Desktop Platforms Group, said at the four-day Intel Developer Forum here. Burns also demonstrated a 4GHz Pentium 4, which should come out sometime next year.
Prescott was among a number of announcements Wednesday. Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel also discussed improved power-management technologies that will come with Pentium 4 notebooks, expected to debut March 4, as well as integrated processors for next-generation cell phones.
Hyper-threading allows a single processor to handle two different applications or application threads at the same time. The technology debuted commercially earlier this week in Prestonia, a new Intel server chip. Circuitry for hyper-threading is included in current Pentium 4 chips, but it is not activated, because few current desktop applications can take advantage of it, according to Intel sources.
Prescott's debut in 2003 will be complemented in the second half of that year by the emergence of 3GIO, a component connection standard. 3GIO will likely affect consumers in two ways. First, it will speed up how the processor communicates with graphics processors, network cards, printers and other peripherals, thereby increasing performance.
Second, 3GIO will free engineers from design constraints by eliminating motherboard channels and other electrical design conventions, leading to a wider variety of computer styles. In 2003 or 2004, for instance, Dell Computer plans to come out with desktop PCs based on what it calls an "Evo-Revo" design that will let consumers plug in or remove MP3 players or portable hard drives like they would Lego pieces.
"We want to get to some modular form" for computer peripherals, said Brian Zucker, technology evangelist for Dell's small-business and consumer products division. "If we can keep the costs low and have a high-speed serial link, why not?"
Advanced Micro Devices will vigorously compete with Intel. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company expects to come out with its next-generation desktop processor, code-named Clawhammer, by the fourth quarter of 2002. AMD has been showing off samples of its forthcoming chip in a hotel two blocks away from Intel's convention.
Among other features, Clawhammer will come with an integrated memory controller, which connects the processor to memory, and will be able to run 64-bit applications, which will begin to trickle into the Intel-AMD world, said Fred Weber, AMD's chief technology officer. The integration of the memory controller alone should boost performance by up to 20 percent over existing AMD chips, he said.
"Because of AMD's credibility, it won't take as long as in the past to get into commercial markets," Weber said. "We enhanced the performance mostly in architecture rather than (boosting clock) frequency."
Portable plans
The Pentium 4 will also move to notebooks soon, said Anand Chandrasekher, vice president and general manager of Intel's Mobile Platforms Group, who showed off a Pentium 4 notebook decoding high-definition television streams. The Pentium 4 mobile chips will also feature an enhanced version of SpeedStep, which saves energy by slowing down the processor when unplugged and offers a deeper sleep mode.
A number of PC makers next week will announce new, high-end notebooks based on the Pentium 4-M chips.
Among them will be Dell, which is expected to announce a Pentium 4-M machine in its Inspiron 8200 notebook line. Compaq Computer is also expected to announce a new Presario with the chip. Meanwhile, sources anticipate that Toshiba will launch several new computers, including a Satellite notebook, with the new chip. Gateway and IBM are likely to launch their Pentium 4-M notebooks at a later date.
Most PC makers will introduce Pentium 4-M notebooks at the high end of their lines. They will likely include several other high-end features with the notebooks, which should carry a price tag of about $2,000.
Buyers should expect to see, for example, notebooks with 15-inch screens, hard drives up to 60GB, combination CD-RW/DVD drives and high-end graphics cards, a Compaq executive said.
As previously reported, the new Pentium 4-M chips will run at 1.6GHz and 1.7GHz.
Intel, sources said, also plans to add 1.5GHz and possibly 1.4GHz Pentium 4-M chips in late April. These chips will be priced lower than the new 1.6GHz and 1.7GHz processors, allowing PC makers to offer Pentium 4-M notebooks closer to the $1,500 mark, sources said.
In the first half of 2003, the company will then follow up with Banias, a low-power notebook chip for ultrathin notebooks being designed in Israel, and a companion chipset called Odem.
On the wireless watch
Intel will also make a continued push into the cell phone arena with "wireless Internet on a chip" processors for cell phones. The chips will combine a microprocessor, communications functions and memory controllers. Integrated processors generally reduce manufacturing costs. Intel said it has developed an integrated chip for so-called 2.5G phones and a communications chip for 3G phones in its labs.
Along with manufacturing components, Intel has formed a developer network to recruit software publishers to its technology and away from Texas Instruments, its main competitor in this field.
"If the cell phone continues to be voice-only, Intel has no base in the cell phone market," said Tony Sica, vice president of Intel's Wireless Communications and Computing Group. "If the industry is successful in providing data services, we will win."
Some application developers showing off forthcoming wares this week include Picsel Technologies, which has created a browser that lets handhelds display complete Web pages and video images. Manufacturers will release phones containing the company's application in the fourth quarter, said Ali Adnan, a customer representative for Picsel. Samsung and NEC are two of the larger companies discussing deals with the company, he added.
News.com's John G. Spooner contributed to this report.
We expressed annoyance in this space awhile back space about Microsoft's anti-piracy "activation" scheme in Office XP and Windows XP. With the passage of time, we have duly considered the real world results--and we are even more annoyed.
After installing the Adaptec DuoConnect card reviewed in the accompanying article, Windows XP demanded that I re-activate. According to the official Microsoft White Paper on activation, neither USB nor FireWire cards are among the components that are part of the activation scheme. But this, after all, is a Microsoft program, so there always are "issues."
According to the technical representative on the other end of the 800-line at activation central, Windows XP regularly decides that FireWire cards are network cards, which WinXP activation does monitor. Hence my activation eXPerience.
But that's only the #2 annoyance. As part of another test, I had been checking out Adaptec's family of SCSI cards, the 19160, 29160, and 39160. These did not trigger Windows XP activation. No, no, no, nothing that simple. Instead Windows XP decided that it needed to re-install each of the hard drives connected to the SCSI cards. The drives had not changed, but routing them through a different SCSI card sufficed to make Windows see new hardware. This, in turn, triggered an OFFICE XP re-activation.
On the plus side, the people on the 800 lines provided the necessary codes to re-activate without protest. But all things considered, I have better uses for my time than having to dial an 800 number every time I test something on my PC.
You can reach Al Gordon at: al@TheNakedPC.com
In this article I'll save you time and angst if you need to completely remove the core applications and tools that come on Microsoft Office 2000 CD1 (the meat and potatoes of the Office 2000 install). Following Microsoft's instructions doesn't completely remove CD1, and since it takes about 45 minutes to work through the process, I hope to save you the time I lost doing it twice.
I have frequently used Microsoft's Knowledge Base article Q219423 "OFF2000: How to Completely Remove Microsoft Office CD1." As many of you know, I have found that a scorched earth policy is often the only way to resolve a problem with Office (Windows, too, but that's a tip for another day). A few days ago while I was spell- checking, Word 2000 reported the message "Word cannot find the spelling file MSSpell3.dll or mssp232.dll for English (U.S.)." I looked this problem up in the Knowledge Base and found the relevant article "WD2000: Error Message: Word Cannot Find the Spelling File... [Q240408]." Unfortunately, the article's solution didn't work: I did a maintenance mode setup and forced setup to "Update Now" Office's Proofing Tools, the message continued undeterred. Go figure.
I remembered this happening on another PC a while back, and that I had used an erase-type freebie tool to scorch Office 2000, so I located the aforementioned Q219423 and started reading.
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/505/tr.cgi?lee1
Microsoft's suggested fix, in a nutshell, is to run setup in maintenance mode, choose the "Remove Office" option, then manually delete a substantial number of folders and files and some Registry keys. Alternately, you can use their "Office 2000 File and Registry Eraser Utility" (a.k.a. Eraser 2000) to do the deletions for you.
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/505/tr.cgi?lee2
I did the "Remove Office" process, ran Eraser 2000, re-installed Office, and the error persisted! My system hung on a mid-process reboot prompted by the Eraser 2000 tool, so it's possible that caused a disruption in Eraser 2000 finishing whatever it needed to do after the reboot. Also, Microsoft's steps leave behind a small number of files and folders that it says are innocuous. Lastly, and I think this is the key (no pun intended), it appears that Eraser 2000 doesn't actually delete the main Office 2000 registry key and its sub-keys that live at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0 (ditto HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE...). At least it didn't get rid of them for me on its first pass. So, here are my amended steps, that work.
1. Make sure you're willing to have your Registry be edited. You may wish to back it up first. The procedure for doing so is documented in the Q219423 article.
2. There are different steps for Windows 2000 versus Windows 98; what I'm describing here worked for me on a Win98SE PC.
3. To avoid having to tediously reset your Office settings, consider running the free Microsoft Office 2000 "Save My Settings Wizard" tool. For more information:
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/505/tr.cgi?lee3
Once installed, the steps are: Start, Programs, Microsoft Office Tools, Save My Settings Wizard.
4. Run Office setup in maintenance mode.
5. Choose the "Remove Office" option.
6. When it's finished, reboot.
7. After rebooting when the PC displays its desktop, close all system tray applications. This should help prevent shutdown problems when Eraser 2000 mandates a reboot.
8. Run Eraser 2000.
9. Follow the Q219423 article's manual deletion steps for folders and files (for Step 5 that includes over 170 files, I confess I looked up a few randomly and since none were found I skipped the rest; your mileage may vary).
10. Follow the Q219423 article's manual deletion steps for the Registry keys.
11. Manually delete the "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office" folder and any sub-folders below it.
12. Manually delete all files in your TEMP folder (typically C:\Windows\Temp), but not the folder itself.
13. Reboot.
14. Install Office 2000.
15. Run the "Save My Settings Wizard" to retrieve your previously saved settings.
Although I certainly hope you never have to resort to a scorched earth uninstall/reinstall of Office 2000, I know from plenty of client and personal experience that it's often the only fix.
You can reach Lee Hudspeth at: LeeHudspeth@TheNakedPC.com
In the first two installments of this article, we looked first at Apple's proprietary programming environments for Mac OS X - Classic, Carbon, and Cocoa - and then at its cross-platform Unix layer. In this third and final segment, we'll examine Java.
http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbser=1214
Cuppa Joe
Sun Microsystems developed Java - which is both a programming language and an operating environment - in an attempt to solve some of the basic problems of computer programming. Their most important goal was to alleviate the challenges of writing code for different platforms. To reduce the need for porting software between these environments, Sun designed an abstract operating environment - essentially a virtual operating system - called the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) in which Java applications would run. By making the way programs communicate with the JVM identical, and hiding platform-specific differences inside the JVM, Sun hoped Java programs would run - without porting - on any platform with a JVM, eliminating the need for multiple versions.
Unfortunately, it didn't turn out to be that simple. Variations between JVMs on different platforms and the desire to provide native-looking interfaces mean that a truly cross-platform Java application is still a difficult task that requires some porting. That said, using Java as a target platform can save time for cross-platform development, and as a modern programming language, Java includes a raft of improvements over the C and C++ languages Sun intended it to replace.
http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/getStarted/intro/definition.html
Applets, Servlets, and Applications
Java initially proved popular for small programs, called applets, that could run inside Web browsers, because the interface to such programs was minimal and did not need to be native to each platform. We've all run into a Java applet at one time or another, often with mediocre results or even a browser crash. That's evidence of how the quality of the JVM, as well as differences between virtual machines, play an important role; but there are many Java applets that work fine, such as the Secret Lives of Numbers visualization mentioned in Adam's "A Couple of Cool Concepts" article in TidBITS-617_. It doesn't look like a Macintosh program, short of a few of the controls, which makes it harder to use than would be ideal for Mac users, but it does provide a complex interactive experience no matter what operating system or Web browser is used.
http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06720
Later, Java became heavily used for writing servlets, small back-end Web applications that add customization and intelligence to Web sites without the need for proprietary interfaces. Businesses that need to develop custom Web services but want to avoid being tied to a specific Web server find Java attractive. For example, a Java servlet initially written for the Tomcat Java servlet environment can work with the built-in Tomcat Web server, or in concert with the Apache Web server, or inside any of a variety of commercial servlet environments on various platforms (including Mac OS X). Recognizing this, and in an effort to boost the credibility of Mac OS X as a server platform, Apple now provides instructions for installing Tomcat under Mac OS X and includes it in Mac OS X Server.
http://jakarta.apache.org/tomcat/
http://developer.apple.com/internet/macosx/tomcat1.html
http://www.eweek.com/article/0,3658,s%253D708%2526a%253D20204,00.asp
http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-01-2002/jw-0118-macworld.html
The popularity of Java for applets and servlets doesn't mean that it can't be used for full-fledged applications. Java programs are frequently distributed as single files, with .jar or .zip extensions, although those that are tweaked to improve the user experience in Mac OS X go further yet. For example, LimeWire is a client written in Java for the Gnutella music-sharing network. LimeWire uses a platform-specific installer and application shell that provides a nicer user experience than double-clicking a .jar file with a generic icon. When you get it running, LimeWire looks pretty much like a Mac OS X program, with an Aqua appearance. The lack of a real menu bar and the presence of underlines under menu item shortcut letters give its Java heritage away, but LimeWire is still easy to use. For a more-familiar application type that doesn't fit into Java's traditional network utility category, check out jEdit, a Java-based programmer's text editor. It provides a real menu bar, though it still underlines the keyboard shortcuts in menu items, doesn't use the proper font for the menus, and avoids Mac OS X's standard Open and Save dialogs. A different approach to the problem of cross-platform interface details is to ignore it, as in the simulation creator Stagecast, whose windows and menus are all drawn inside the program's single master window, and whose interface widgets are proprietary and unfamiliar.
http://www.limewire.com/
http://www.jedit.org/
http://www.stagecast.com/
http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=05437
One question that occasionally arises is whether people can run _any_ Java application in Mac OS X, even if there isn't a download specifically for Mac OS X. The answer is that you can always try - download it, look for a file with a .jar or .zip extension, and double-click it. The likelihood of the program working is higher than in Mac OS 9, so it's worth breaking out of the standard assumption that Macs don't do Java.
Going Mocha
As I noted at the beginning, Java is both a programming language and an operating environment. Although I've been talking about Java applications that exist entirely within the Java Virtual Machine, it's also possible for programmers to use just the Java language to create full-fledged Cocoa applications for Mac OS X. In this scenario, deliciously known as Cocoa Java, the programmer uses stock Cocoa interface widgets and communicates with the Cocoa application by talking to the Cocoa programming interface, but uses Java for all or part of the code, because she either prefers it to Objective-C, or (more likely) knows Java better because it's more widely used. The Java code runs in the Java Virtual Machine, as usual, but gets its interface from the built-in Cocoa framework, crossing the gulf between the two worlds via a translation mechanism dubbed the Java Bridge. The result is an application that looks like any other Cocoa application, though the overhead of the JVM means it launches more slowly and uses more memory than a normal Cocoa application. For an example, take a look at Tiran Behrouz's Calculator+; you'll find that there's nothing about the interface to reveal that the programmer used Java instead of Objective-C.
Cream and Sugar
Because Java makes the underlying platform less important, it's particularly attractive to platform vendors looking to entice developers into writing for operating systems other than Windows. This also means that Java poses a threat to the domination of Microsoft Windows, because Java programs - unlike Win32 and Visual Basic programs - are portable to other systems. As a result (and this is an intentionally massive oversimplification of a complicated situation), Microsoft has withdrawn its support for Java, and now encourages developers to use a derivative language named C# (pronounced "C sharp"). C# is nominally an open language, but it's designed around Microsoft's Windows operating system and .NET platform.
http://www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-11-2000/jw-1122-csharp1.html
Apple supported Java poorly in previous versions of the Mac OS with the Macintosh Runtime for Java (MRJ) but has greatly improved the Java Virtual Machine in Mac OS X to provide much more complete and current Java support. Despite the solid Java foundation in Mac OS X, Apple's initial focus has been on supporting Classic and encouraging developers to use Carbon and Cocoa. More recently, Apple has started paying a bit more attention to Mac OS X's underlying Unix layer, and the new attention being paid to the Tomcat Java servlet environment in Mac OS X would seem to indicate that Java may be rising on Apple's list of priorities. In any case, more Java developers are discovering Mac OS X and responding well to Apple's Java support.
An Embarrassment of Riches
It's ironic: Mac OS X includes the Classic environment for running existing Mac OS 9 applications, Carbon for developers who are porting large code bases over to Mac OS X, and Cocoa for programmers starting from scratch. Then there are Mac OS X's full Unix underpinnings and robust Java Virtual Machine, which together bring a veritable host of Unix and Java applications into the fold. With Mac OS X, the Macintosh has jumped from being known as a closed and isolated architecture to supporting far more programming environments than any other operating system. Who'd have thought?
Copying software onto and iPod is as easy as drag-and-drop.
Apple introduced the iPod, the company was aware that people might use it to rip off music from the Net or friends' machines. Each new iPod, in fact, is emblazoned with a sticker that warns, "Don't Steal Music."
But it is unlikely that Apple imagined people would walk into computer stores, plug their iPod into display computers and use it to copy software off the hard drives.
This is exactly the scenario recently witnessed by Kevin Webb at a Dallas CompUSA store.
Webb, a computer consultant from Dallas, was browsing his local CompUSA when he saw a young man walk toward him listening to an iPod. Webb recognized the iPod's distinctive ear buds.
The teenager stopped at a nearby display Macintosh, pulled the iPod from his pocket and plugged it into the machine with a FireWire cable. Intrigued, Webb peeped over the kid's shoulder to see him copying Microsoft's new Office for OS X suite, which retails for $500.
When the iPod is plugged into a Macintosh, its icon automatically pops up on the desktop. To copy software, all the kid had to do was drag and drop files onto the iPod's icon. Office for MacOS X is about 200 MB; it copies to the iPod's hard drive in less than a minute.
"Watching him, it dawned on me that this was something that was very easy to do," Webb said. "In the Mac world it's pretty easy to plug in and copy things. It's a lot easier than stealing the box."
Webb watched the teenager copy a couple of other applications. He left the kid to find a CompUSA employee. "I went over and told a CompUSA guy, but he looked at me like I was clueless," Webb said.
Unsure whether the kid was a thief or an out-of-uniform employee, Webb watched as he left the store. "I thought there's no point in getting any more involved in this imbroglio," Webb said. "Besides, this is Texas. You never know what he might have been carrying."
CompUSA representatives didn't respond to requests for comment. Neither did Apple officials.
The iPod is perfect for virtual shoplifting. It is designed as a digital music player, but its roomy 5-GB hard drive can be used as portable storage for all kinds of files, even the Macintosh operating system. In fact, it can operate as an external drive, booting up a machine and running applications.
The iPod's FireWire interface -- one of its most important but undersold features -- allows huge files to be copied in seconds. The iPod doesn't even have to leave the user's pocket.
And while the iPod has a built-in anti-piracy mechanism that prevents music files from being copied from one computer to another, it has no such protections for software.
Ironically, Microsoft has pioneered an easy-to-use installation scheme on the Mac that makes its Mac software relatively easy to pilfer. The company is known for its sometimes heavy-handed, anti-piracy mechanisms in such products as Windows XP.
When installing Office, users simply drag and drop the Office folder to their hard drive. Everything is included, including a self-repair mechanism that replaces critical files in the system folder.
By contrast, a lot of software on the Windows platform relies on a bunch of system files that are only installed during an installation process. Simply copying an application from one machine to another will not work.
Plus, getting a copy of the software application is only half the battle: most software won't work without a registration number. Usable serial numbers, however, are readily available on Usenet, IRC, Hotline and applications like Hacks and Cracks.
"This is the first we have heard of this form of piracy," said Erik Ryan, a Microsoft product manager. "And while this is a possibility, people should be reminded that this is considered theft."
While the iPod may be ideal for a software-stealing spree, there are a number of other devices on the market that could also be used by virtual shoplifters. As well as any external FireWire drive, there are now a number of tiny key-chain drives that plug into computers' USB ports, like M-Systems' DiskOnKey and Trek2000's ThumbDrive.
Most key-chain drives work with both Macs and PCs. Some are available with up to one gigabyte of storage space. However, USB ports are a lot slower than FireWire, requiring the virtual shoplifter to hang around while the ill-gotten gains are transferring.
CompUSA and other computer stores could take a few simple steps to prevent software from being copied, said Mac expert Dave Horrigan, who writes a syndicated Macintosh column.
Any Mac can easily be configured to allow changes only by administrators, he said. Also, a system profile tool logs all peripheral equipment, but it must be running to log an iPod. For Macs running OS X, a locked dummy file in an application's package will protect the entire file from being copied without a password.
But Horrigan didn't think the iPod presents a serious piracy threat to Microsoft, and doubted the company would take special measures to prevent in-store copying.
"If Microsoft puts in protection it almost always screws up and causes problems for them or their legit users," he said.
Dennis Lloyd, publisher of iPod fan site iPodlounge, also said this is the first time he'd heard of an iPod put to such use.
"I can see how easy it would be to do," he said. "It's a shame someone has stooped this low to bring bad press to the insanely great iPod."
Greetings to the Global Amiga family,
Yes, I know that it has been more than a week, and yes the deal is still on, and yes we are moving very quickly as I will outline to you all below.
I want to personally thank our friends and families for sticking with us and with our dreams as they are coming to reality.
As Amiga has matured over the last two years, and our plans only slightly changed I would like to say thank you to each and every one of you for your patience and excitement as we move forward.
In 1999 Amiga, Inc. decided to take a very different road than the ones previously charted for the community. It was met, by some, with disbelief, most with excitement as a path was being laid towards a future where digital content would be accessed by any digital device. Amiga selected an unknown partner in the Tao-Group of Reading England, and I can assure you that this was the best decision we have made.
Tao and Amiga have never been closer as a true partnership is in place. I want to thank Francis Charig my dear friend, and the rest of the Tao team as they been instrumental to the successes that will become public knowledge soon.
However with all of the great plans that were in place and the product development that had started there was still the issue of having funds necessary to make it all happen, and the addition of Frank Wilde as our Chairman has been amazing help, and I can say we are moving forward in ways that are going to bring Amiga to new levels, and I could not be more happy with the results that we are seeing.
Thank you to everyone of you who are keeping the faith and spreading the truth about Amiga.
I have several announcements that are happening here, and you need to know that we are definitely going to have more Amiga enabled products ship in 2002 than in any year previous.
* Our STB partner - Nokia, and their new Media Terminal. Yes, the same Nokia that you all know and love. Amiga will be pre-loaded on these products and we will begin shipping on them before summer this year. Now the Nokia announcement will be coming on their site in the coming weeks, but we are going ahead and putting our release up (http://www.amiga.com/corporate/022202-nokia.shtml), and then we will follow on with another joint announcement.
* I often get messages asking when we are going to let the rest of the world know what is happening. Well for all of you who have asked - Amiga will be at the Embedded Systems Show in San Francisco, CA, March 12 through the 15th. We will be in booth #1602, located in the South Hall of Moscone Center. We will be showing the new Amiga technology, and some exciting new features never before seen in any other product. We will also be making at least one announcement there at the show.
* We have two more new members added to the team and there are many more that will be announced soon. The first two are part of our sales team. Both are dynamic and excited to be part of the Amiga family. Liz Barnick and David Brott joined us in January, and are establishing themselves quickly with regards to new business, and great ideas. I have included information about them both in a separate document that is attached to this update.
* AmigaOS 4.0 is moving ahead very nicely and I could not be more pleased with Hyperion and their ability to get things done. We will all be very proud of their efforts, and I know that many of you will be rewarded with what they have already accomplished, and with the product that they are building.
I can assure you that your patience will be met with great rewards, and there are many others who are now learning what you have known. That Amiga has the most robust, talented, dedicated community of any computing platform today or in the future.
Thank you again for your continued prayers and support. You are about to be rewarded.
Amiga to Deploy AmigaDE on Nokia Infotainment Device for the Home Liz Barnick Joins Amiga as Director, Business Development David Brott Joins Amiga as Director, Business Development
With my best to everyone,
Bill McEwen and the rest of the Amiga Team
February 21, 2002 - Just prior to the main CUCUG meeting, Linux group did an overview of X-Windows in their SIG meeting.
President Jim Lewis began the main meeting with the traditional introduction of officers. He then asked everyone that hadn't to please renew their membership for the new year. He made note of the Starship CUCUG II web forum ( http://www.cucug.org/starship/index.php ) established by Mike Latinovich for members to use and stay in touch with one another throughout the month between meetings. As WinSIG Chairman, Jim made apologies to the SIG members for the difficulties encountered while attempting to install Windows XP on the club machine last month. Lastly, Jim talked about the negotiations here had been involved in to procure a projector for our club meetings. Something he was successful in doing.
The floor was then opened to PC news. It was reported that the folks from Lite-On have marketed a 40x CD recordable drive for $120. These units are highly recommended. Someone asked if Lite-On is working on a recordable DVD drive. Hopes are high.
The raising of the topic of DVDs sparked the relating of the news item about the Blu-Ray DVD replacement technology. (See the related article in the Common Ground section of this newsletter.)
There was some discussion of the GeForce 4 video card and a note that Adaptec had released an XP driver.
Dan Jansen spoke about the supposed security review that Microsoft was said to be going to conduct on its own and its developers products in a month long lock down. However, the story has been denied by Microsoft Europe.
Jack Melby brought out the latest stir making the rounds that Windows Media Player logs everything a user plays with it. The "ET phone home" nature of this has fed the Microsoft paranoia in some quarters. Kevin Hisel says this is a "non-issue."
Jim Lewis spoke about Microsoft's Passport initiative. He said it is "trying to make web use easy", but noted that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. He said Microsoft could do much to lessen resistance to the concept if they would just install it without making it active by default. There are security holes through Universal Plug and Play. Hackers can spoof the system by appearing as a device.
John Ross spoke about Windows Update and the MPS security web site. HF Net Check and the Microsoft Knowledge Base were also discussed.
Mark Zinzow reported that Trillion has a new release and that AOL is battling them over Instant Messaging.
Jim Huls showed everyone his new toy, a keychain-sized 64 MB USB drive from M-Systems called "DiskOnKey" available for $49. This is on of three similar devices, all about the size of a BIC lighter. Richard Rollins brought in an article on these drives from the February 21, 2002 issue of the Wall Street Journal, Section B-1.
BeOS is suing Microsoft for trying to run them out of business. This is a civil suit.
Jack Melby was then asked about Macintosh news. Jack reported that Apple has come out with its dual 1 Ghz G4 machines, released one week after our last meeting. He noted that OS X had been updated to 10.1.3.
For the Mac SIG, Jack announced that we would be having a drawing for a full blown copy of Adobe Premier 5.0 .
Jim Lewis gave kudos to Apple's design of the new iMac package. He said it was very slick. Jeff Strong commented on how many iMacs have been sold. Richard Rollins said Apple is 8 weeks behind in meeting the demand for the new iMac. Rich Hall talked about our own Emil Cobb being on the very first new iMac to be on display at the University's Micro Order Center when he went over to take a look at it.
It was noted that Circuit City has stopped carrying Macintoshes again.
Harold Ravlin talked about Genentec software.
Next came the Linux news. John Ross spoke about the relationship between Oracle and Sun. He noted that the Linux standard base 1.1 had just come out. he felt this was important since developers will now have resources available in standard places. Dan Jansen talked about Linus Torvaldt being too slow to update the kernel. He had been taking a lot of flak about it. After all, he is only one guy. So he is taking on some help and it is hoped that updates will start occurring more quickly.
Jim Lewis asked if there is any movement in the Linux community to be "commoditive," to make the system so it can come out of the box and work like Windows 3 did for the PC.
There was more talk about the desire to see Mac OS X for Intel hardware. Jack reasserted Apple's stance that it is a hardware company and as such has no interest in producing and OS X version for competing hardware.
Dan Jansen noted that Scott McNeilly of Sun was in a Linux penguin suit at a recent event.
Richard Rollins showed three Linux CDs, produced by John Ross. Rich was taking orders for burning CD sets for those members that were interested. He also said to check out http://www.linuxiso.org .
Someone reported that British Telecomm is claiming to have the patent on the hyperlink.
After months of cajoling, I finally gave in to Jack Melby and agreed to do a presentation on OS X from a new users prospective. Actually, what had more to do with it was that the club's machine was left in OS X after the software updating session at the January meeting and I was forced to deal with it when I took the machine home.
The first item on the agenda was to complete the upgrading of the System software to OS 9.2.2 for Classic mode and OS X 1.2 for OS X operations. With the use of the Software Update panel in the System Preferences, this was easily accomplished.
Next was to figure out how to beat a hasty retreat back to the comfort of OS 9 and/or how to get back into OS X if I felt adventurous. To get from OS X back to Classic you use the Startup Disk panel in System Preferences. It's so easy, it's self explanatory, once you need to do it. To get to OS X from OS9, you use the Startup Disk Control Panel, selecting the OSX "system disk", and then restarting your machine. The restart brings you up in OS X. Simple as that.
One of the things Jack likes to say is that it is easier for a new user to start out in OS X than it is for an experienced Mac user, familiar with the old OS, to make the transition. I've thought about this and the conclusion I've come to is that this is true to some extent, but that is because a new user will accept the machine as he first finds it. The first thing an experienced user wants to do is recreate his working environment. We have ways we like to approach a task and certain ways we like our tools laid out, so when presented with a new environment, the first thing we try to do is rearrange things back to the way we like them. And that's what I did.
My presentation this evening was based on an exchange of questions and answers I had with Jack as I acclimatized myself to OS X.
The first thing I didn't like was the default setting of viewing windows as though I was using a net browser. After navigating down into several folders and then clicking the last window off out of habit to go back up one directory only to have the entire window disappear, I had to ask "How do I get rid of this web browser style window navigation and open multiple windows at the same time?" This accomplished by accessing the Finder menu:
Finder/Preferences/click on "Always open folders in new window."
I am constantly transferring files from one window to another. Now I can do that again.
Second, after i got my windows back, I needed to know "How do you 'snapshot' a window to keep the size and configuration I left it in. OS 9 etc. does this automatically. OS X seems to forget and give you a default window that you have to do over every time. Jack kindly pointed me to the View menu. After selecting the window in question ....
View/Show View Options/ click "This Window Only" radio button (works in icon view and list view - not in column view).
The third thing was a seemingly simple thing. "How does the Trash work?" There is no Trash Can on the Desktop. It's on the Dock. If you toss something into it, is it GONE gone - no second chance like OS 9 and below? Jack explained, "It is retrievable until you choose "Empty Trash" from the Finder menu. Once you do that, you will be asked if you REALLY want to empty the trash. If you click "OK" or "Yes" or whatever--I can't remember, because I've turned that option off--*then* it's GONE gone! If you aren't getting the question asking if you REALLY want to empty the trash, you can enable it from Finder Preferences.
What was confusing me here was that I did know to double click the icon on the Dock to access the Trash directory. Once I "got" that, things were fine. However, one thing OS X does not do (that previous OSes did) is that it doesn't inform you of the total size of the items being deleted. Sometimes this can be very crucial information in preventing the deletion of material you may have inadvertently dropped in the Trash and really want to retain.
My fourth question grew out of my Amiga past. "How do you get to the Command Line Interface (ie, shell)?" I really had no need for it at present, but I'd like to know how to get to the Unix underbelly eventually. Once again Jack stepped up to the plate. "Open the Terminal application, found in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder. It's a good idea to drag the Terminal to the dock so that it will be there when you want it. (Tip--after you open the Terminal the first time, go to Preferences->Shell and click "Use this shell", making sure that the line referred to reads "/bin/tcsh". I don't know why Apple doesn't enable this by default, since tcsh is the shell most often used in OS X.)
Fifth, how can you find out what applications are running? The Dock? Yes, Jack answered. "There is a third-party freeware add-on called ASM that restores, more or less, the old Finder menu on the upper right corner of the screen." Jack took the opportunity at this point of the presentation to recommend the three third party programs he finds essential to his use of OS X. They are:
ASM - Application switcher - $7 shareware FruitMenu - Apple Menu returns to the left - $7 shareware TinkerTool - move dock to bottom left / bottom right, system tweaking - freewareMy sixth question was spawned by the fact that I have a seven year old daughter and occasionally she plays games on the Mac. These games invariably required dumbing the machine down to 256 colors and setting the resolution to 640 x 480. The Control Strip is a very simple tool for the accomplishing these setting changes. so, I asked, "Is there something comparable to the Control Strip in OS X? Jack responded that "There is another third-party add-on, but I don't remember what it's called or whether or not it's free. He said he'd check into it.
My seventh question was necessitated by a difference in the way iTunes works on OS X and on OS9. In the OS9 version of iTunes, the program only works when you start it. The OS X version was automatically running every time a CD was inserted into the CD drive of the machine. This was a major annoyance when trying to burn compilation CDs, having iTunes popping up every time a new CD was placed in the drive. I could find no Preference setting that let me use iTunes ONLY ON DEMAND. So I asked Jack, "How do I shut this auto-starting menace off?" Auto-start in OS9 was controlled by Quicktime Settings. Not so with OS X. Jack and I had quite an extended discussion on this one. What I believe caused the problem was that when we updated the OS X iTunes in our upgrading frenzy in January, we inadvertently made iTunes the default audio player for the machine. Little did we know there would be no way to undo that without reinstalling iTunes all over again. However, Jack came up with a more elegant solution. He finally came back with the recommendation of "installing the freeware utility 'TinkerTool'. Once you've installed it, log out, and log back in, then you can turn off CD auto/play from its 'General' tab." We installed this program during the presentation, did as instructed, and the auto-start problem was solved.
My eighth question came from the way I try to segregate my personal information from the club's presentation machine. I use Eudora off a ZIP disk for my mail needs. It allows me to move freely between home and work with the same set up. In OS 9 and before, you could launch Eudora from the Settings file on the ZIP and the System knew enough to use THAT disk for all the mailboxes, etc. (This is a trick I learned from past CUCUG President Jim Huls.) In attempting the same now, OS X insists on putting the mailboxes in the Documents folder on the hard drive. I was able to spoof the program with the use of an Alias, but this is one of several problems that seem to grow out of the fact that OS X is at heart a multi-user operating system, whereas the former Mac OSes were really single user set-ups. My question was "Is this System brain deadism a known problem?" Jack responded, "This isn't system brain-deadism. It's just a different way of handling these issues without having your mailboxes end up inside the OS X System folder. Remember that one of the aims of the designers of OS X was to avoid as much as possible the alteration and/or addition of large numbers of temporary files within the System folder; the other deciding factor was that since Unix is a multi-user platform, each user is given h/is/er own complete set of folders (Desktop, Documents, Pictures, etc.) that cannot be touched by another user who doesn't have administrative privileges. As for aliases, that's how I do it with my mailboxes, but I've been doing it that way since long before OS X. If you're reasonably careful, you shouldn't have a problem. If you just can't tolerate this way of doing it, there are several shareware (and maybe even freeware) programs that you can use to synchronize your folders so that losing things would be extremely unlikely." Be that as it may, I still view this as one of the rough edges in compatible performance between OS X and OS9.
While exploring this problem, I ran across another "quirk." I have a BBEdit text file on my ZIP disk explaining how to perform the Settings File trick. When I double click on the text file, BBEdit is launched as expected, but the file itself does not open. I have to go to the File menu / Open to open and read the file. I showed how a BBEdit file opened from the hard drive opens as expected, while one from the ZIP does not. Annoying.
Ninth, was a question in the different way Sherlock operates in OS X. Sherlock shows that for the Macintosh HD it "Can't Index this volume. Add folders and index them." I read the Help file on Indexing and Dragged and Dropped all the folders on HD to the Sherlock window and Indexed them. All but the OS X System folder, which it said I couldn't do because "You don't have write privileges." I thought I was Root on this machine? How can I NOT have write privileges? Jack answered, "You are not root, but actually a "super-user" instead. You can do most things as though you are root in super-user mode, but this is not one of them. In any event, you should *never* monkey with the OS X System Folder, even if you *are* root! It's a sure recipe for disaster! Furthermore, there is nothing in the System Folder that you would need to index by content." More to the point I was really concerned with was that "now every time I want to do a Find, Sherlock Indexes everything again. I see I can click that off in the Sherlock Preference, but how do you schedule or force an Indexing? This is not an improvement over the scheduling of the Indexing process in the previous OS." Jack responded to this by directing me to "Sherlock->Find->Index now (with the drives and/or folders highlighted). The reason for the removal of the scheduling option is that Sherlock's indexing in the background normally has no effect on the operation of other currently-running applications. The reason for the scheduling option in OS 9.x and below was to make Sherlock do its indexing at a time when it would not interfere with other applications. (Having said this, I must say that I would also like for the index scheduling to be put back in.)
While we were discussing the topic of Sherlock, Jack showed us how to access the Apple Knowledge Base at apple.com and also how to get to it directly in Sherlock by clicking on the Apple icon at the top of the Sherlock window.
Question Ten: "Is there an address at Apple to report a bug or request an change in something is OS X?" Jack answered, "In the right side of the dock, right next to the separator bar, there is an icon that looks like a spring with an @ sign on top. Clicking on that icon will take you directly to the Apple bug-reporting/feature-request site."
Question Eleven: "What is it with the System Preferences/Network pane defaulting to "Show: Internal Modem" and "Configure: Using PPP" instead of the way I have it set up with Built-in Ethernet?" This one I figured out myself. I needed to go to "Show: Active Network Ports: and turn off the Internal Modem. This, in my view, is another anomaly of an OS X as a work in progress. Previous systems remember the last thing you did with them and present it to you when you return to it, like where you last saved that file you put away. I still think this should have defaulted to the last configured or actively used, but that's just quibbling. However, I did want to show in my presentation how simple quirks in system behavior can cause some confusion.
In discussing this with Jack, however, he added a little trick I didn't know about. He pointed out that you can go to "Show: Active Network Ports:" and drag "Built-in Ethernet" up so that it's the first item in the list. He added "Make sure that the location is 'Automatic'."
Twelfth on my question's list was, "When you open a folder in OS X, the window no longer informs me how many "Items" that folder contains. Any utility or setting that restores this feature?" Jack directed my attention to the View menu. He said, "From "View", select "Show Status Bar". Sometimes, it just knowing where to look.
The thirteenth item I wanted to show in the presentation was one that I picked up from a Mac mailing list I'm on. The question posed was "I miss the details of the System Profiler, namely how do I get a detailed list of devices connected to my machine?" The answer is that there is one there (actually two), even in the Terminal. Look in Hard Drive / Applications / Utilities for "Apple System Profiler" for the GUI version of the program. In the Terminal (also found in the Utilities folder) enter the one word command AppleSystemProfiler.
The fourteenth and last item I was able to address in my presentation was "How do I get something like the Chooser for selecting machines on my home network? Use the Go menu and select Connect to Server.
At this point I had intended to move on to some features missing in OS X, but time didn't permit exploring that area. A few incidental items brought up during the various discussions were the recommendation of the X-Ray utility which is free. The mention of BatCHMod which can be found at http://homepage.mac.com/arbsoft . Jack revealing the homepage set in his browser is VersionTracker - http://www.versiontracker.com/macosx/index.shtml . How to take a screenshot: press Shift-Apple-3 to snapshot a graphic of the screen.
The SIG meeting concluded with our drawing for the copy of Adobe Premier 5.0. Matt Skaj was the lucky winner.
The February meeting of the CUCUG executive board was supposed to take place on Tuesday, February 26, 2002, at 7PM, at Kevin Hisel's house. However, due to Illini basketball championship prospects, a medical situation, and other sundry demands on members' time, attendance at the meeting was insufficient to conduct any business. As a result, there are no minutes to report. Our thanks to Jim Lewis, Emil Cobb, Jack Melby, and Kevin Hisel for their dedication to duty and for at least showing up.
Meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Illinois Technology Center. The Center is located at 7101 Tomaras Ave in Savoy. To get to the Illinois Technology Center from Champaign or Urbana, take Neil Street (Rt 45) south. Setting the trip meter in your car to zero at the McDonalds on the corner of Kirby/Florida and Neil in Champaign, you only go 2.4 miles south. Windsor will be at the one mile mark. Curtis will be at the two mile mark. Go past the Paradise Inn/Best Western motel to the next street, Tomaras Ave. on the west (right) side. Tomaras is at the 2.4 mile mark. Turn west (right) on Tomaras Ave. The parking lot entrance is immediately on the south (left) side of Tomaras Ave. Enter the building by the front door under the three flags facing Rt 45. A map can be found on the CUCUG website at http://www.cucug.org/meeting.html . The Illinois Technology Center is also on the web at www.IL-Tech-Ctr.com .
Membership dues for individuals are $20 annually; prorated to $10 at mid year.
Our monthly newsletter, the Status Register, is delivered by email. All recent editions are available on our WWW site. To initiate a user group exchange, just send us your newsletter or contact our editor via email. As a matter of CUCUG policy, an exchange partner will be dropped after three months of no contact.
For further information, please attend the next meeting as our guest, or contact one of our officers (all at area code 217):
President/WinSIG: Jim Lewis 621-2343 lewisj@pdnt.com Vice-President: Emil Cobb 398-0149 e-cobb@uiuc.edu Secretary/Editor: Kevin Hopkins 356-5026 kh2@uiuc.edu Treasurer: Richard Hall 344-8687 rjhall1@uiuc.edu Corporate Agent: Jim Lewis 621-2343 lewisj@pdnt.com Board Advisor: Richard Rollins 469-2616 Webmaster: Kevin Hisel 406-948-1999 khisel @ kevinhisel.com Mac SIG Co-Chair: John Melby 352-3638 jbmelby@johnmelby.com Mac SIG Co-Chair: Charles Melby-Thompson 352-3638 cmelby@princeton.edu Linux SIG Co-Chair: John Ross 469-0208hurricanejohnn@prairieinet.net Linux SIG Co-Chair: Kris Klindworth 239-0097 kris.klindworth@Carle.com
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