May 94 Newsbits
Volume Number: 10
Issue Number: 5
Column Tag: Newsbits
By Scott T Boyd, Editor
Stand out, fit in - Apple says
Apple has outlined its strategy for future development of its operating system for
Macintosh. When they say “standing out” they mean extensions to the user interface,
including active assistance, advanced graphics, multimedia technologies, speech
recognition, text to speech, and collaboration services. When they say “fitting in”
they mean support for Windows and DOS software, TCP/IP and Novell NetWare IPX
support, and interoperability with other mail and messaging systems, as well as lots of
file formats.
OpenDoc landed in both the standing out and fitting in categories. Later this year,
they’re promising System 7.5 to users, and, even later this year, OpenDoc to
developers.
Promised in the next two years are two system releases. The first will
incorporate OpenDoc and active assistance. It will also have improvements in
multitasking, memory protection, and data i/o. The second system will offer
intelligent assistance, a fully exploited microkernel, and something significant in
graphics.
Symantec has announced a new version of their popular C++ development
environment. Key features include an integrated “Visual Architect”, a newly
reworked TCL, Bedrock exception handling, support for AppleEvents, scriptability,
and an inspector.
Visual architect lets you create the user interface and then generates C++ code to
create a running application. They have a scheme to allow you to modify an interface
element without losing the ability to modify it with the visual tools.
The new TCL is fully implemented in C++ using multiple inheritance, templates,
and constructors. It is implemented using universal headers, and it’s been fully
factored.
The inspector lets you view and modify instances of any object while your
application is running.
They also have a prerelease set of tools for porting applications to the PowerPC.
These include a cross-compiler and the Apple linker and debugger, all working with
the C++ 7.0 environment.
Symantec C++ 7.0 has a suggested retail price (US)of $499, with an upgrade for
6.0 users at an SRPof $149.95. A “crossgrade” for registered users of THINK C or
THINKPascal is available at an SRP of $199.95, and the cross-development tool kit is
$100.
For more information, call 800/441-7234 or 408/252-3570.
MCN 12th Conference
The Macintosh Consultants Network announced its Twelfth International
Consultants Conference at the Westin Hotel in Santa Clara, CA, May 5 through 8, 1994.
This conference will center on newly-emerging technologies, and will include
companies like Apple, Microsoft, Sony, General Magic, Global Village, SuperMac,
Dayna, APS, FWB, and others.
For more info, call 800/729-4MCN.
Common Ground 1.1
New features include JPEGcompression, a Windows miniviewer, AOCE and Easy
Open support, and an FKEYto select the Common Ground printer driver. $189.95. For
more info, call 415/802-5800 or 800/598-3821 or nohands@netcom.com.
Butler SQLServer Goes Native
EveryWare has announced a significant rewrite of their SQLserver which runs on
the PowerMacintosh. They also plan to add support later this summer for Microsoft’s
Open DataBase Connectivity (ODBC) and Apple’s AOCE. For more info, call
905/819-1173, or link EVERYWARE.
Retro-technology pda
Computer Fun announced a breakthrough in PDA technology. The first retro-tech
item is Fig™, a pocket-sized calendar/appointment/phone directory, with capabilities
similar to Apple’s Newton MessagePad. Fig is a Futuristic Intelligent Guide. It
requires no special training and has gone beyond the need for expensive batteries. It
features built-in handwriting recognition, including print, cursive, graphics, or any
mixture. It’s all-digital, and pages can be turned whenever you have your fingers
with you. Fig is available directly from Computer Fun at $9.95 each.
For more info, call 800/521-8484 or 619/271-9090.
Going Native
C-Index Pro, a high-performance database engine, from Trio Systems Europe, is
available and running native on the Power Macintosh. It’s sold as a universal source
code package, and both PowerPC and 68K versions are included. It’s compatible with
Windows, OS/2, UNIX, MS-DOS, and others, and there are no changes required from
their 4.0 version. List price is $495, and the developer’s bundle list price is $749.
Registered users will receive free upgrades.
For more info, call Trio Systems Europe at +31 (0)20 638-6507
On does software metering
ONTechnology has announced SofTrack, a well-regarded license metering package.
It supports all the major desktop operating systems and requires no modification to a
users’ environment. SofTrack, written by John T. McCann, is a Novell NetWare
Loadable Module (NLM), and it controls how many copies of a software product are in
use on a corporate-wide Novell network.
Users who have to wait for an available license get automatically notified when
one becomes free. SofTrack has the ability to meter the same applications for different
platforms under the same license count.
Group tracking lets SofTrack meter different groups independently for the same
piece of software. Other management tools include customized graphs and reports, and
the ability to automatically notify someone when a license is approaching a critical
point.
For more information, call ONTechnology at 617/374-1400.
CompuServe opens an on ramp
CompuServe members will be able to access CompuServe directly from the
Internet using the telnet protocol. Members may access using the CompuServe
Information Manager (CIM) user interface or any general communications software.
Telnet access will eliminate the need for a separate modem connection and, for some
members, the need to dial long distance to reach the CompuServe network. CompuServe
will provide free online membership sign-up for non-members who access via telnet.
Rates for accessing CompuServe through telnet will be the same as dial-up rates
via the CompuServe network. CompuServe members pay $8.95 per month for
unlimited connect-time access to more than 60 basic services. Rates to access
extended (hourly-priced) services are $4.80/hour at 1200 or 2400 bits per second,
and $9.60/hour at 9.6 or 14.4 kilobits per second.
Through the rest of 1994, CompuServe will introduce access to a variety of
Internet resources, including the popular Internet USENET Newsgroups, remote log-in
to Internet hosts and file transfer from Internet archive sites. Rates have yet to be
determined, and CompuServe is developing an easy-to-use interface for CompuServe
members who are not Internet experts.
For information, call 800/621-1253 (outside the U.S., call 614/529-1349).
Making it talk
Jeff Iverson, a developer of educational software and tools for developers
announces his latest tool, SpeechManager XCMD. SpeechManager XCMD is an external
command (XCMD) that gives HyperCard (and other programs that use externals)
access to Apple Computer's PlainTalk Text To Speech (Macintalk Pro) or Speech
Manager Extension (Macintalk II) technology. With SpeechManager, developers and
users alike can add the power of speech to their Macintosh.
SpeechManager allows the user to work with multiple speech channels, voices,
and control them all independently. Control is provided for pitch and rate. The limit of
text to be spoken is limited only by the amount of RAM available.
The cost of the package is $30.00 (US), and licenses are available to developers
of commercial products to use the external in their own products.
Orders may be sent to Jeff Iverson, 2800 Selkirk Dr., C-104, Burnsville MN
55337-5662, or purchase orders may be faxed to (612) 890-8166. For more
information, Jeff can be reached via e-mail at j5rson@aol.com.
Object Master and CodeWarrior team up
ACIUS, Inc. and Metrowerks Inc. have announced mutual support for each other’s
development tools. This support provides uses of Metrowerks’ CodeWarrior
development environment a seamless integration with the Object Master programming
environment. At the same time, users of Object Master can access the CodeWarrior
compilation system.
Object Master assists developers while they design and write code by providing
navigational tools coupled with a scriptable, language-aware source code editor.
Changes made in the Object Master environment are immediately displayed - no
compilation is required. Once code has been written, compiling is accomplished by an
integrated third-party compilation system such as Code Warrior.
Metrowerks C, C++, and Pascal are high-speed compilers accessed through the
CodeWarrior development environment. PowerPlant is an object-oriented
applications framework which uses a modular mix-in architecture and allows the
mixing of standard C and C++ binaries without the drawbacks of traditional application
frameworks.
For more info, call ACIUS at 408/252-4444, or Metrowerks at
514/747-5999.