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BMUG Meeting minutes 10/29/87

326 words

3K on disk

October 1987

BMUG Meeting minutes 10/29/87

Acta document

BMUG Meeting 10/29/87

Tom Swain 658-9543 DataFrame XP60 for sale

Recent change in FCC class B certification procedures have delayed some SuperMac DataFrame shipments of their newly-announced drives. SuperMac discontinued the DF20. There was a mechanical problem with the XP30’s, perhaps now fixed. I’m not going to type anything bad about the XP60, because I’m using one now. Most of the commercially sold drives’ guts are made by just a few companies: Quantum, MiniScribe, Rodime. CMS has had some problems. Apple switched entirely from MiniScribe to Rodime.

ROM upgrade to Jasmine 80’s (and 50’s) purchased before MacWorld Expo to allow Pseudo-DMA. Contact Jasmine.

CMS says any serial # after 4247 has the new ROMs in it. These are from the original supplier of the guts.

Tip: run the test program on the CMS disk, Zap your PRAM (Parameter memory, battery backed-up storage of time, settings, preferences) [use program or press cmd-opt-shift while choosing control panel], use Install program on System Tools disk, use Mac II install, shut down, restart.

Survey: CMS drives. Seem to have problems on Mac II. The Mac II is prone to forgetting about hard disks on bombing easily. Boot blocks and PRAM become corrupted. Bugs become more and more obscure as we go on. Many Mac II users – it’s their first computer – they really worry about bombs.

“From Pepsi to Apple – by John Sculley”

University contest – designs become property of Apple. Is this a rip-off? Is it stealing ideas? Is it a way for students to get recognition and maybe get recruited by Apple? Does everybody do it?

Best real word processor this week: _________

MicroSoft Write: Word 3 without smart menues. “DribbleWare”: MS will announce at Comdex partial OS/2.

Rumor in Mac Today: MicroPro bought Mac WP company. Perhaps Paragon?

Background printing with ImageWriter I? Nobody at Apple uses them. Do any of the commercial printspoolers work?

Q: FAX? A: Apple announced FAXModem at Boston MW Expo

BMUG Meeting minutes 10/15/87

594 words

6K on disk

October 1987

BMUG Meeting minutes 10/15/87

Acta document

BMUG Meeting 10/15/87

Announcements

New system, etc.: very soon

Whole Earth Access is now an authorized Apple dealer

The complete HyperCard handbook by Danny Goodman

Cody’s should have Goodman’s HyperCard book next week

Stacey’s in San Francisco should have some

also try local computer stores

talks a lot about the scripting, authoring capabilities

The APDA documentation is better for reference. Renton,WA.

(206) 251-6548.

SuperLaserSpool stopping problem.

Mac SE w/internal 20, ImageWriter, MS-Word 3.01

stops when typing, click on the Apple menu to resume.

ImageWriter in modem port.

SuperMac wasn’t very helpful

Suggestion: ask for “product manager”

Q: Will anyone need it after MultiFinder?

A: Not for the LaserWriter. It is not as versatile as SuperLaserSpool.

Large Screen considerations

1 versus 2 pages

software support and features

tear-off menus

big pixels

“panning”

type of phosphors and density.

compatibility

Q: Radius FPD with Mac II?

A: Theoretically, you can. You probably need a special card. The TPD (Two page Display) is also announced.

E-Machines “Big Picture” monitor: allowed full use of Mac screen and nice “magnifying glass” features.

All the new Radius software and firmware was done by Ted Cohen, from Berkeley. It used to be done by Andy Hertzfeld, also from Cal.

SuperMac

doesn’t have FCC certification on new drives

isn’t shipping anything

Q: Can the 20’s be upgraded to 30’s, etc?

A: Call them or ask at MacToberFest.

Jobs Available

Contract work: Oxford & Associates, Inc. 968-0300

Beta Testing, in & out of house: Radius – see Tom Santos

Mac SE required

see the clipboard at the front of the room.

MacToberFest

Please help distribute flyers!

Thursday, October 22, 11 AM – 7 PM

Pauley Ballroom, MLK Student Union

7:30 – PSL – Bill Atkinson, author or HyperCard, and (perhaps) Dan Winkler, author of HyperTalk

Seminars

Door prizes – over $5000 worth.

refreshments

Volunteers: Call 549-BMUG.

Newsletter

Write articles! Now! Deadline: November 1!

Still wanted: vertical file cabinet for the BMUG office

see David M.

Apple & Digital announced record profits yesterday. Apple doubled from previous year, same quarter.

IBM claims to have shipped over a million PS/2’s this year, more than the # of Macs out there.

GM signed a contract with Apple for 10,000 Macs.

SuitCase ID=10,ID=3 bugs when booting: remove the battery.

Upgrades:

1. Hard Disk

2. Big Screen

3. More RAM

4. Accelerator cards

5. Buy a SUN

Q: HD recommendations?

A: The word on the street – Jasmine, DataFrame, Apple, Cirrus, PeripheralLand, …

most use the same internal components

1. Longevity of co. & support

2. Price

3. Features

4. Noise

LaserPrinters

QuickDraw vs. PostScript

no upward compatibility path in terms of character density spacing

QD printers – can’t go on AppleTalk now, except thru a Mac.

See the September MacUser magazine for a good comparison

3000 dpi? What kind of paper?

Newspapers: 65 lines, Magazines: 150 lines. Serious: 300 lines.

Printers: often about 250 dpi.

Communications

the db is private, so we can’t give out addresses or phone #’s

SIGs, the office, meetings => best ways to get together and get in touch.

Membership cards: submit designs…. or use postcards

MacRecorder

Hardware totally redone, software rewritten from scratch.

HyperCard stack

other neat software

works on a Mac II

works in stereo

shipping in November

unclear as to any BMUG arrangements – you’ll probably find it in dealers first.

don’t order until we know if we’ll have it or not.

Schedule

Discussion & Announcements 6:30 – 7:30

Chris Crawford, author of Legacy of Siboot

No raffle tonite – save your luck for MacToberFest!

PD disks & NL’s for all.

BMUG Meeting minutes 10/8/87

193 words

2K on disk

October 1987

BMUG Meeting minutes 10/8/87

Acta document

BMUG Meeting 10/8/87

Announcements

Sociology Dept.

the meanings of mass culture

Recruit: volunteers to watch a movie Monday night

Gremlins, in Barrows hall

if you haven’t seen it before

see the wanderer near the front

MacServe and OverVUE

anyone have experience with the combination?

problems: printing

OverVUE has a lot of problems printing in strange systems.

Q: What 2 meg memory upgrades for the 512e do people like?

A: LevCo and ___

A: Some people are working on a HyperCard stack to show you how to add memory yourself to Plusses and SE’s.

A: 1 meg SIMMs are $209 from Chip Merchant in San Diego.

Q: Problems with SuitCase?

A: Only with MultiFinder. Perhaps fixed by the time it is released.

Q: Did it trash someone’s DataFrame?

A: Beta testers report no problems.

A: More often it is one of the DA’s.

A: Often Zapping the PRAM will bring back the HD on the Mac II.

Q: What’s the difference between Restart and Shut Down on the special menu?

A: Shut Down gives you time to turn off your hard disk or whatever. On the Mac II, it actually turns it off.

Q: You can run HyperCard in 800K?

A: Yes, but give it 900 if you are printing.

Q: How can you tell if a new LaserWriter Plus has the new ROMs?

A: Look for the orange sticker with “47” or the 3.0 on the startup page.

Q: What Sys/Finder for 512e?

A: Finder 5.3, System 3.2.

A: Suggestion: use the Installer to put it in, rather than just copying the system and finder over.

Q: Has anyone tried running the ImageWriter II on 50 Hz?

A: It works fine with a step-down transformer in Norway. Ground is recommended.

Q: What’s status of new MacRecorder?

A: It is in production/testing. Should be in stores in November.

A: Look for a correction to the BMUG memo by next week.

Q: LaserWriter Plus upgrade includes the new ROMs?

A: Yes. Make sure.

Q: SuperSpool vs. Word 3.01 and ImageWriter II?

A: Try the PCPC spooler and the MaxRam/MaxSpool

Q: How far away can you put a hard drive?

A: SCSI spec says 18 feet. More or less may work.

Q: FullWrite Pro?

A: No. 2 minor bugs. Biweekly letters to all pre-paid customers.

A: We may yet see HabaWord! In a couple of months.

A: MacWrite 4.6 works fine. For free at any dealer, bring in your disk. MacWrite 2.2 is better for large-memory, laser-free configurations. Cursor keys, Mac II, resizable window and horizontal scroll bar supported. Slightly increased margins.

Q: Apple memory prices

A: $250 per SIMM – and dropping.

$209 is best price currently.

Q: Run mac from auto battery?

A: Inverter, such as used in article in Fall 1985 NL.

Q: Printing 1” sheet labels on LaserWriter.

A: Won’t print the bottom row.

A: Yep.

A: Avery Laserprinter labels have just half-labels at top & bottom to allow 10 per page.

A: Bring it to a copy shop and ruin THEIR machine. Single-sheet feed is better, as the paper doesn’t bend.

Q: How about ImageWriter?

A: Bottom-feeding system recommended: it has a “radical bend” in the paper feed path. Labels get stuck.

A: ImageWriter LQ has both feed methods. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

A: Avery 1” tractor-feed labels: just don’t leave ‘em in the IW.

A: Shift to right to back up labels.

A: Whole platen assembly has to be removed. Apple doesn’t even cover it under AppleCare.

A: $45 at ComputerLand of ALbany. $40 at InfoMax of Oakland. $60/hr at CJS bargained down to $25 and done well.

A: You have to take out the gears if you disassemble it by hand.

A: Avery are good quality, but still problematic.

A: Pull back the impression lever on the right side.

A: MacLabeller sells tractor-feed disk labels – IdeaFzorm in Seattle.

Don’t back up!

Use window envelopes or print on the envelope directly!

Q: Canvas?

A: Good! Like SuperPaint but better. More feature-full. Works well with the LaserWriter.

A: There is a patch to fix SuperPaint to work with recent LaserWriter drivers. It still has alignment problems, and won’t work well on the Mac II. It won’t let you rotate text (as text, rather than a bitmap).

A: Canvas has difficulties opening MacDraw PICT files, in version 1.01, but a new one is out. They say it is compatible with the new PICT but not the old.

Q: SuperPaint with MultiFinder problems?

A: Crashes.

A: Silicon Beach Software is working on a new version. They’ve got a good rep.

A: MultiFinder is pre-release.

A: SuperPaint on Mac II: set to 2 grey levels to work.

Q: Personal font

A: handwriting: See article in Fall 1985 BMUG Newsletter.

A: FontoGrapher: for LaserWriter. Laborious.

Q: Medical office practice software?

A: JAM software, from Australia – now in Bay Area. Now in beta test.

A: Omnis 3 vertical applications

Q: Mac time problems?

A: Inaccuracies with old batteries

A: Let it sit overnight.

A: Make sure you’re resetting it right on the new control panel.

A: Don’t grind up your Mac SE or II.

A. Don’t go home if your Mac SE/II burns up (or don’t breathe).

Q: Extended Video RAM for Mac II?

A: M.A.C.

A: Microprocessors unlimited – $5.45 * 8 = $45.

look in the back of last month’s BYTE magazine.

For Sale and To Buy

1 megabyte SIMMs for sale

$225

Toshiba 120 nanosecond surface-mount

Terry, Nuvo Tech. 331-7815

Mac+

and 800K drive

Nasser 465-9357

Job-listing clipboard available at the front of the room

WP job: Gordon Firestein 524-1484

Database (Omnis 3 &4D) job: Steve Fogel 398-7098

ongoing

WP job: Brian Goodrich/Pride Institute 957-9333

ComputerWare looking for full-time Pascal programmer.

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

Label SIG: after the main meeting

Newsletter

Write articles! Now! Deadline: November 1!

Upcoming meetings

MacToberFest

Thursday, October 22, 11 AM – 7 PM

Pauley Ballroom, MLK Student Union

7:30 – PSL – Bill Atkinson, author or HyperCard, and (perhaps) Dan Winkler, author of HyperTalk

Seminars

Door prizes – over $5000 worth.

refreshments

Volunteers: Call 549-BMUG.

BMUG office could use a 4-drawer filing cabinet. Tax-deductible!!

Schedule

Discussion & Announcements 6:30 – 7:30

LetraSet

LaCie

Raffle

PD disks & NL’s for all.

Tonight’s presentations

LetraSet

ReadySetGo 4.0

Image Studio

LaCie

Hard Disks

Tape backup

Modems

Silver Serverâ„¢

BMUG Meeting minutes 10/1/87

971 words

10K on disk

October 1987

BMUG Meeting minutes 10/1/87

Acta document

BMUG Meeting 10/1/87

Announcements

Wanted:

Macintosh power users, systems & application programmers, and Mac Hackers familiar with the toolbox wanted for jobs.

• Printers, plotters, LaserWriters

• Network experience

• FAX & Modem experience

• Artist who also programs or uses the Mac.

Up to $300 referral bonus – tell your friends!

Mary Stevens 829-9700

Technical Programmer

So What’s New?

Ann Arbor says will ship FullWrite Pro next week

On CIS, Phil Lipetz says 2-3 weeks

Paul Hoffman, author, says it may have problems similar to Word 3.0.

Q: Which is better: earlier or bug-free-ier?

A: Later

A: FullPaint was released early with bugs, and then updated twice.

A: People pre-paid received a letter promising 2 rather than one update.

A: Ann Arbor has a good rep, but rumors persist of buyout upon FullWrite release.

A: FullCalc, an Excel-killer is on the back burner?

A: QuicKeys shipped today. Available soon at commercial outlets.

Memory

Explanation: These are Single Inline Memory Modules, the basic components of memory and upgrades in Mac plusses and above.

A: The Chip Merchant does ship memory chips quick.

A: 1 Megabit SIMMs ramping up in Korea, Japan. Market flooded soon (2-4 weeks)? Apple dropped their prices, and has them in stock.

SIMMs are VERY vulnerable to static electricity, and installing them in an SE or plus requires clipping an extra resistor. It is labelled “256K 1-Row” (R35 on SE?) Cut it close to the board, and only your technician will know for sure. new memory goes UNDERNEATH if you are going to 2.5 megs. SE can use -15’s.

Mac II speed issues: related to cost. 100 ns, 120 ns, 150 ns. Apple’s specs say 120, but 150’s sometimes work.

Q: Why does 2 meg + 1 meg = 2.5 megs?

A: 256K chips replaced – only half of old useable.

Q: Mac II slot-filling?

A: 4 256K SIMM’s or 8 256K SIMM’s or 4 1 meg SIMM’s and 4 and 4.

Q: Is parity used?

A: No.

Q: 1 meg Apple upgrade for Mac II usable on plus?

A: Buy the 120 ns, 2 meg SIMMs…

A: 1 meg SIMMs draw much less power than the 256K SIMMs.

A: Cody’s has lots of Danny Goodman’s “Complete HyperCard Handbook” Useful as a doorstop and a good reference.

Dealers

Whole Earth Access is now an Apple dealer. There is now an authorized Apple dealer in Berkeley! They were a dealer in ‘84, but gave up on Apple, after deciding that the Mac was a dead machine. They’ve been trying for the last year-and-a-half. Likewise for Sears Business Centers.

Q: Good warranty service?

A: BusinessLand of Oakland, ComputerLand of Albany.

A: Ask if they have your part in stock.

A: ComputerLand of Albany has twice taken twice as long as they estimated.

All aboard the Desktop Bus!

Q: What’s ADB?

A: “Apple Desktop Bus”

It is the connector system used in all of Apple’s machines announced in the last year. 4-pin, friction-fit connector for keyboards, mice, and the like.

Q: Any way to make an SE use a Mac+ keyboard?

A: No.

Q: Does anyone have the Kensington ADB TurboMouse?

A: Yes, ComputerWare does. It is too high for the new keyboard. Abaton’s is curved appropriately for the standard keyboard.

Q: Is A+ mouse available in ADB rev?

A:

A: It is likely that the Mac+ will be discontinued in January.

It costs more to make and has less official expandability than the SE, as well as less ROM (128K), as well as the 512e upgrade, and perhaps the Mac+ board upgrade. The SE will be the bottom-of-the-line, and perhaps introduce something above it.

A: Perhaps ISM chips will be out then.

Integrated Sanders Machine (versus the current disk controller, the Integrated Woz Machine)

Will allow read/write of IBM 3.5” disks

Perhaps will allow 1.6 meg 3.5” floppies?

A: Perhaps an intermediate machine between the SE and the II will be out then. “3-piece SE” or “Mac II jr.”

NuBus?

fewer slots?

A: Rumor in BCS’s “Active Window” magazine of moderate-price upgrades for SE owners: new fan, analog board to solve problems.

A: Think was bought by Symantec.

Sculley was at the announcement.

Symantec already bought LVT.

Q: Has anyone tried ComputerWare’s fan swap?

A: $99 installed.

Q: Does anyone use the Infinity drives from PeripheralLand?

A: (no answer)

A: For sale: miscellaneous stuff, up front, at the end of the meeting.

Q: Where to get a SCSI extender?

A: Most local stores: ComputerWare, M.A.C., MacOrchard, CJS, Software for Less, etc.

A: Approx $50.

A: Watch out for data loss when running that distance.

A: One person has had no problem.

A: 15’ – no problem.

Q: Connecting macs to LQP’s?

A: Anyone have specific experience with a successful and easy methodology?

A: Orange Micro just announced $99 software for any printer with the Mac.

A: MacEnhancer, Granny-Smith connection, etc: disappointing.

A: Most just support text-only, draft printing.

A: MS-Word supports many serial printers.

A: Look in the back of Byte magazine for various converters.

A: Atari Joystick extension cables work well – see the Fall 1984 BMUG Newsletter or any of the 3 following that!

Q: Anything being done with voice recognition?

A: It is technically difficult and is best done in hardware, experience seems to indicate. The Kurzweil recognizes 5K words, the one demo’ed at BMUG early this year handles 0.2K.

A: Limited voice pattern ID is possible using cheap Mac hardware

A: IDD announced Mac II-compatible version of MacDraft. Version 1.2b. Upgrade $25.

Q: Accelerator cards?

A: Read today’s issue of “Macintosh Today” – concentrates on SE upgrades.

A: They are very similar, but each has trade-offs.

A: Look at perceived speed of screen redraw versus actual speed-up.

A: Job listings are now available on the ring-clipboard at the front of the room, by the Mac.